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Parshas Kedoshim-פרשת קדושים

April 28, 2011 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

In this weeks parsha the pasuk states (20;1-3) anyone who gives any of his offspring to Molech, shall surely be put to death…..And I will set My attention upon that man, and I will cut him off from amidst his people, because he gave of his offspring to Molech in order to defile My holy ones and to profane My holy Name.

It seems from the simple meaning, that this is an act that really aggravates Hashem. The Smag says that a ‘death by Beis Din’ is a kaparah for the aveira which purifies ones soul. But here, Hashem doesn’t want the person to have a kaparah; so there is no option for a death by Beis Din. That is how harsh and severe the act of molech is.

Firstly, we have to understand, what exactly is molech? There’s a disagreement in the gemarah (Sanhedrin) as to what exactly molech is. The majority follow Reb Elazar ben Reb Shimon who says that molech is not an avodah zora. It was an ancient customary procedure that the goyim used to carry out with their children. Rashi says that they didn’t exactly burn their children; rather, they just walked them between two fires. The Ramban in parshas Achrei Mos offers another opinion, that they did indeed burn the children and that the father would be needed to walk his child to the fire and place him/walk him through the fire.

Rav Simcha Maimon, Shlit”a, says that Rashi is of the view that the custom itself was that the father actually gives over the child to the priest. The actual presentation of giving the child over to the priest is the aveira in itself. But we see from here that one thing is clear…and that is-no matter whom you go according to, Hashem takes specific offense to this and He has a particular anger that is unleashed at a person who does such a fad. We don’t find a kaparah we can offer to such a person. One must ask himself, why? If you give all your children over to molech you have not transgressed the aveira-yet (as the gemarah in Sanhedrin 61b says), so why is it so severe that there is no kaparah?

Rashi offers an explanation and says that the reason why it is so severe to Hashem is because by doing so that person has ‘contaminated the entire klal Yisroel, who is betrothed to me!’ Just like you cannot contaminate my mikdash so too can you not contaminate klal Yisroel!

The idea here is as follows; we all have flaws and most of us know our own shortcomings. Sometimes we succumb to them and other times we prevail. Yet, one thing is clear; we have to give our children a chance! If a person holds onto his foolishness it’s one thing. But to hand it off to your young and impressionable child or to a priest is an unforgivable act. A child who can bring tremendous kovod shem shomayim into this world and you strip him of that chance and take that opportunity away from him, such and act says Hashem, is intolerable. Why? Because you’re destroying an entire generation!

Don’t shlep your children into your silliness. Most of us who are adults are making decisions daily. Why destroy our children’s chances of growing by dragging them into our narishkeit (especially by handing them over to molech)? Let them have the opportunity and allow them be mekadesh shem shomayim.

The following story is powerful, yet brings out this idea.

There was a person in a certiain shul that always made sure to have his ‘kiddush club’. He only had two or three participants but it was enough for them to continue it. With time, the other two people moved away and he was down to just himself. He would try every week to get someone to join him but no one was really interested. Finally, one week, after he asked the same person for the tenth time to join him he gave into his yetzer hara and got up from his chair to go join him. Just as he stood up, his ten year old son-who was watching all this- looks at his father shockingly and asks ‘Ta, you’re one of those?’ Embarrassed, the father turned around and sat himself back down next to his precious ten year old.

If a person shows an appreciation for davening and sits through it then he is giving his child a chance. Such a person can be sure that his son will appreciate tefillah-knowing that his father wants to go out for a few minutes and chooses not to because davening is more important. How special do you think this child views his father now? Very. On the contrary, how unfortunate is the child of the other man-who week in-week out leave krias haTorah to have a l’chaim, without skipping a week. If we don’t allow our children the opportunity it may be as if we are chas v’shalom handing them off to molech-which comes with no kaparah.

(search by: kedoshim; Sanhedrin; Kiddush club; rav simcha maimon; molech; allowing your children the opportunity; contaminating klal yisroel; Hashem unleashing his wrath)

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Pesach 5771-פסח תשע”א

April 17, 2011 // Posted in Yomim Tovim (Tags: ) |  No Comments

Who knows one? As the Seder is winding down, and we continuously struggle to fend off the fatigue that has been creeping up on us all night, the final, yet still a most integral part of the Haggadah begins. With the conclusion of the Seder we would naturally expect a lofty and uplifting climax, some sort of “grand finale” that could enable us to preserve and internalize the spirituality of the night. Instead we encounter some seemingly strange lyrics, a countdown of numbers related to various icons in our religion. They inherently beg for some sort of explanation. Though they were undoubtedly composed and based upon the sacred foundations of the hidden Torah and have been taught by the ancient, accepted Mekubalim to their Talmidim, the simple Jew may perceive these words as seemingly meaningless poetry or childish parables and songs.  What could have been the Baal Hahaggada’s intention in inserting these songs at the conclusion of this glorious night?

The Yom Tov of Pesach commemorates Yetzias Mitzrayim and the birth of our nation, beginning with the birth pangs of the ruthless labor we were subjected to by the villainous Mitzriyim, and climaxing with the glorious redemption that distinguished our Master’s mightiness throughout the universe and crowned us as the chosen Nation.  Countless numbers of Mitzvos have been instituted to serve as reminders of Yetzias Mitzrayim in an effort to retain and convey the awesome miracles that occurred, thus giving testimony to the existence and strength of our Father in heaven. So much so that the Mitzvah that is considered to be the most fundamental and integral to our Nation is directly linked to Yetzias Mitzrayim. The first Dibrah of the Aseres Hadibros, voiced by Hakodosh Baruch Hu Alone was the Mitzvah of Emuna. And in the midst of the commandment dedicated to ingrain in our hearts and minds that all that occurs in the world is meticulously coordinated by The One Above, we are reminded of Yetzias Mitzrayim, clearly showing that our essence which is Emunah, begins and ends with Yetzias Mitzrayim.

The Seder night has been intentionally patterned with obligations and customs to reminisce and relive our most monumental redemption. We attempt to portray and convey to our families the harsh and ruthless predicament that our forefathers suffered. From the Matzo and the bitter Marror, to the saltwater and the charoises we desperately seek to comprehend even minimally, the extreme brutalities they constantly confronted. Grasping this aspect of the Seder is vital, for ones appreciation of freedom is limited entirely to one’s perception of slavery. The Rambam altering the Mishna’s wording slightly writes; “in every generation one is obligated to portray oneself as if he had “just been” redeemed from Mitzrayim.” The experience of the Seder night is not ancient history but it is something that has happened to us, tonight. We may now have shed some light on the intriguing poem “Who knows one” at our Seders finale. Following our extensive efforts to utilize the evening’s opportunities of attaining new heights in our belief, and deriving a keen spiritual perspective by way of virtually experiencing the great miracles of Yetzias Mitzrayim, we are expected to perceive the world in a more spiritual light. We naturally assume, without contemplation, an overseas trip will be by means of an airplane. People of spiritual heights upon hearing the number one can naturally contemplate nothing but Hashem. The lasting message of the Seder to its now loftier participants with their Emuna enhanced perspectives is to see Hashems hand even in things as mundane as numbers. One is Hashem, two are Luchos etc. The world must appear in a different light to freshly inspired Ballei Emuna.

May we, Balei Emuna, be zocheh to see the world in the light of Hashem.

Wishing all my readers and all of klal Yisroel a Chag Kosher v’Sameach and a happy and healthy Pesach.

(Search by: Pesach; Rambam; exodus from Egypt; the seder; emunah)

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Parshas Mitzorah-פרשת מצורה

April 7, 2011 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

This weeks parsha discusses the affliction of tzara’as that occurs on ones house; nigei batim. The pasuk says (14; 33) ‘When you come to the land of Cana’an, which I am giving you as a possession, and I place a lesion of tzara’as upon a house in the land of your possession.’

Rashi comments that ‘it’s a ‘besura tova’, good news, because the Emorim who lived there for the forty years while klal Yisroel traveled in the midbar hid their gold and silver in the wall of their houses. Now, through this tzara’as, they would find the treasure that was buried there.’

The apparent question is twofold: Firstly, why is Hashem allowing us to get money in such a way? Why did we have to receive the money in such a peculiar fashion? Secondly, aren’t we letting a choteh be nischar (allowing a sinner to get rewarded)? Why is someone who does an aveira receiving a reward of treasures full of money?

To answer this, we must first explain the fundamental difference between the Torah way and the non-Torah way-of one who receives a punishment.

In the United States Judicial system, if a person commits a crime and is convicted, he goes to jail. When the felons sit around in jail, what do they discuss amongst themselves? What crimes they’ve committed, how they were caught, and probably how to prevent it from happening again. They are basically harboring classes on criminality. Upon their departure from jail, they have learnt better methods of how to committ their crimes. However, when the Torah punishes a person, the intentions are to make the person an improved person. Bais Din put a person that kills accidentally with talmidei chachamim, so that he won’t do the same thing again. The United States Judicial system punishes to punish. The Ribono Shel Olam punishes to make a person better. We give him measures to help him make himself a better person. The punishment of tzara’as, says the gemarah in Yoma (11b) ‘comes from a person being stingy.’ The gemarah darshens it from a pasuk that if a person doesn’t lend his neighbor and he is stingy, what will ultimately happen is that he will come to have tzara’as on his house. Such a punishment will force him to remove all of his belongings outside on the street prior to the kohen coming and declaring his house tamei. Thus, allowing his neighbors to see that he really did have the items they asked him to borrow. When the kohen comes back after this whole process-to make the house pure again in order that he can resume living there,-he has to mix different ingredients together and sprays the doorposts with blood. Says the Meshech Chochma the reason why we spray the doorposts and not the actual house (which was declared tamei) is to teach him, it’s time to open up your door and stop being so miserly.

The reason for tzara’as on one’s home is to educate a person that he has to improve himself. The root of the problem is that the person thinks it is all mine. I’m not giving it away to anyone else. Such an attitude usually takes place when a person works hard for something, after which he finally gets paid and sees the fruit of his labor-thinkingi it is his money; it’s not for anyone else.

The Ribono Shel Olam is telling us when you arrive in eretz Yisroel, it is a new land. If someone gets tzara’as he will have to dismantle his house and by doing so he may find a treasure of money. Such a person, who breaks down his house due to tzara’as, cannot take credit for the riches that are found in the walls. It is quite obvious that it is a present from Hashem. The lesson to learn from here is that not only gold in the walls of your house comes from Hashem but so too everything you have is a gift from Hashem. Just as the jewels in the walls is a present from Hashem so too is your weekly paycheck a gift from Hashem. The whole concept of negaim is not to be stingy, cheap, or self centered. This person who was stingy and was now forced to knock down his house and found the money has to realize that this is a wakeup call.  Nothing is ‘yours’-it’s all from Hashem…

(Search by: parshas metzora; tzara’as; meshech chochma; yoma; not being stingy; receiving a wake up call; finding a treasure; breaking down your home; becoming a better person; U.S. judicial system; everything is a gift from Hashem)

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