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Parshas Toldos-פרשת תולדות

November 25, 2011 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

‘And Esav said to Yaakov, “Pour into me, now, some of that very red stuff, for I am exhausted”; he was therefore named Edom.’ (25; 30)

One of the many highlights this weeks parsha discusses, is the story of how Esav sold the rights of the bechora to Yaakov, for a bowl of lentil soup. If you’ll notice, the above pasuk seems to end off with a very puzzling comment: ‘therefore they called him Edom…’

The first thought that comes to mind is, just because Esav ate some red lentil soup is a reason for us to refer to him and ‘name him’ Edom (red)? Imagine someone walking into a pizza shop, ordering pizza and we say ‘and now we shall call him…pizza! At first glance, it doesn’t seem to make any sense.

Secondly, two pasukim later it says that Yaakov made the deal with Esav and he sells him the rights to be the bechora. Rashi says that Esav sold it for a bowl of lentil soup. The pasuk ends and says, ‘…and he ate and drank, and he got up and left; and Esav embarrassed the bechora.’ (25;34)

The seemingly puzzling question is how exactly did Esav ‘embarrass’ the bechora? We see later on, in the parsha, when Esav realizes that Yaakov stole the berachos from him, he was upset. It must be that he knew the value of the bechora, but right now he was very hungry so he sold it for a bowl of soup. Sometimes a person does an irrational thing due to hunger. This should be no different. Usually the term embarrassed means that the person doesn’t understand the value of something. But he must have known the value of the bechora or he would’ve not gotten so upset at Yaakov, later on, for stealing the berachos. So what exactly do we mean by saying that Esav ‘embarrassed’ the bechora?

Ramban says that the reason the Torah tells us that he ate, drank, got up and left is because after he ate everything he went right back into field to hunt; he went right back where he came from. The loshon the Ramban uses is ‘Because fools have no other will other than eat, drink and fulfill their desires immediately.’ They’re not concerned with tomorrow. They don’t think about the future’.

Explains the Ramban that this is how Esav embarrassed the bechora. Right after he ate and drank he went back to concerning himself with his pleasures and enjoyment with no regard for tomorrow. The very fact that he can occupy himself constantly with physical enjoyment and pleasure was how he was mevaza the bechora.

What the Ramban is telling us is that a person has to have the ability to see beyond what’s in front of him. Every time a person has a nisayon-be it with money, arayos, or whatever it may be-right now it looks like the greatest pleasure in the world. One does not see what the repercussions are or where these actions may take him. Such a person will never be able to overcome anything and is considered a fool. A fool only sees what’s directly in front of him.

The essence of the bechora-at that point-didn’t really have much of a value. Perhaps he understood the future value of it-for the avodah-but not its value for that moment. When Esav comes in and he sees Yaakov cooking he couldn’t even see beyond the color of the food! The first thing that caught his eye was red! He didn’t even bother to look beyond the superficial element of food; the color! Therefore, we call him Edom. He couldn’t see what was beyond directly in front of him.

Part of being a chacham is being able to see beyond what’s in front of you. As the mishna in Avos clearly states, ‘who is a wise man? One who can see ahead (the future).‘ It doesn’t mean someone who has ruach hakodesh. It means anyone who has the ability to see beyond what’s directly in front of him is considered a wise man; for it is those people who clearly understand the value of the moment.

We should all merit having the title of a chacham and be able to see past our immediate future.

(Search by: toldos; ramban; seeing past our immediate future; mishna in avos; Esav being called Edom; why the name of Edom; red lentils; selling the bechora for soup; understanding the value of the moment; seeing ahead)

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Parshas Chayei Sarah-פרשת חיי שרה

November 16, 2011 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

Chazal teach us that the Torah was written so precisely that there is not even one extra letter written in the Torah. Yet, if you were to look through the entire sefer Bereishis you would notice that just about every time the Torah mentions the Me’aras haMachpela, the Torah launches into the history of how it was purchased. It repeats the story in full detail. There doesn’t seem to be any apparent reason that the Torah needs to explain its history every time it is mentioned.

If you look even further, in parshas Vayechi (49; 29), you will note that when Yaakov tells Yosef he wishes to be buried in the Me’aras haMachpela the Torah again stresses its complete history. And when the brothers actually bury Yaakov (50; 13) it goes through it again. What seems to be the reason that the Torah goes into a history lesson every time it mentions the Me’aras haMachpela?

Additionally, why was it necessary for the Torah to go into such great detail about the actual purchase of land by Avraham Avinu? Why such detail about exactly how Avraham purchased the land?

Malbim brings a medrash that says ‘How much ink was spilled? How many feathers were worn out every single time to write the words bnei Ches? 10 times! What does this teach us?  The answer is that anyone who understands the purchase of the tzadik Avraham, it is as if they fulfilled the Ten Commandments.’ What exactly does this mean and what connection does this have with the Aseres haDibros? Answers the Malbim, that Avraham Avinu was attempting to educate the world on one of the most fundamental ideas of yiddishkeit. That a neshama has a life after death; after the neshama departs from the soul, it enters into an eternal world-uncomprehendable by humans. Until Avraham Avinu came along, the world would assume the reason a body is put into the ground was to get rid of it; it gives off a bad odor; it’s useless, etc. Comes along Avraham Avinu and He makes a whole production; he makes an elaborate transaction in order to purchase this land. Why? He was showing the world that we don’t just dig a hole and stuff a body in it; we have to inter someone with dignity, in a respectable manner and in a respectable place. We are very particular with how we treat the dead. When we bury someone we’re not signifying the end of life. Yes, the physical life may have ended but, we are indicating the beginning of the eternal life that the neshama begins.

Someone who eternalizes Avraham Avinu’s purchase of this property, is considered as if he fulfilled the Aseres HaDibros-because our goal in this world is to get up to the next world and to benefit Mi’ziv HaShechina (from the rays of the Shechina). It is for this reason that every time we have added another Forefather into the Me’aras haMachpela we go through the entire story of how it was purchased-to show us that they lived their lives as a continuation of Avraham Avinu -knowing that when they are buried it’s the beginning of their new life.

Too many tragedies have recently occurred, both near and far. There are so many questions: How? Why? What now? We’re still reeling in grief of the petirah of the Rosh Hayeshiva Zt’l’ and we feel left alone. But if we are to look and see what the Rosh Hayeshiva Zt’l accomplished and how he conducted his life we can develop some sort of comfort knowing that the Rosh Hayeshiva Zt’l is now benefitting from what he toiled in.

The two boys from Yeshiva of Waterbury…what is there to say? No one knows the heavenly cheshbon. But, if we look at their past and see how each one of them conducting their lives-always striving to attend minyan, being machnis orach weekly, yearning for learning, always being mechazek weaker boys, always b’simcha-then we can develop a sense of comfort knowing that they performed all their earthly duties

properly and are now reaping their reward in shomayim-in the eternal world. It should be a lesson for all of us what to strive for and for how to conduct our daily lives. Not for ourselves and not for this world-but for what Avraham Avinu showed us-many times over…to know that our tachlis in this world is to prepare ourselves for the next world and by burying someone we symbolize the beginning of their eternal world-the real world-where they will benefit from the actions they performed on this world.

ת.נ.צ.ב.ה

(Search by: chayei sara; malbim; reb nosson tzvi; waterbury yeshiva; me’aras hamachpela; Avraham avinu’s lesson; dying symbolizes a beginning; the eternal world; the real world; life after death;accomplishments in ones life; benefitting from the rays of the shechina; the purchase of the me’aras hamachpela)

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Parshas Vayera-פרשת וירא

November 11, 2011 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

It’s interesting to note that when the Malachim came to Avraham and he served them meat the pasuk says ‘V’el habakar ratz Avraham- which means ‘..and to the cattle Avraham ran.’ We see that Avraham went himself and delivered the meat. However, when Avraham wanted to bring the guests water, he tells Yishmael to bring it as the pasuk says ‘yukach nah m’at mayim’. We see here that Avraham had it brought through a shaliach. The gemarah (bava metzia 86b) says on this that whatever Avraham did himself Hashem did for bnei Yisroel generations later himself. Just as Avraham brought meat to the guests himself so too midah k’neged midah Hashem gave us the Ma’an in the midbar himself and not through a shaliach. But, what Avraham had brought through a shaliach Hashem did the same generations later. Just as Avraham had the water brought through a shaliach, Yishmael, so too the water that Hashem provided for us generations later came through a shaliach; through Moshe and the rock.

The gemarah implies that there was a tayna on Avraham. Why did Avraham send someone else for the water and not go get it himself? Why did he ask Yishmael?

There are two Ha’aros on this gemarah:

One Ha’arah is that Rashi (bava metzia 18b) says the reason why Avraham asked the water to be brought through a shaliach, Yishmael, was to be mechanech him how to act when guests come. If this is so, how can the gemarah have a tayna on Avraham? L’maaseh he did it for chinuch?So the Kotzker Rebbe answers an important yesod and says that the greatest form of chinuch is for a child to see his father doing it himself. Had Avraham done it himself Yishmael would have observed him doing it himself and that would’ve been the greatest form of chinuch a person can possibly give over to his child. You want your child to learn from you? Let him see YOU doing it. Parents want their children to learn but do they see their parents learning at home? If a parent wants to teach their children something they should start by doing it themselves and allowing their child to watch them do it. That, says the Kotzker, is the greatest form of chinuch.

A second Ha’arah is, we know that Avraham Avinu was the pillar of chessed, performing countless acts of chessed. Why was it this specific act, this incident of the malachim that Avraham was being judged on where Hashem says ‘I will do to your children just as you did for these malachim.  That which you did on your own I shall do on my own and that which you did through a shaliach I shall provide for your children through a shaliach too.’ Why is Avraham being judged on this specific incident?

Reb Aaron Leib Shteinman, Shlit”a offers an explanation and says at the time the malachim came Avraham was a choleh, it was his third day since his bris milah; the most painful day of his procedure and he had all the excuses in the book as to why he can’t have guests right now and why he’s not ‘up to’ doing chessed, Yet, he did; and THIS defined exactly who Avraham was. A man who was a choleh going out of his way to invite and feed guests-this was Avrahams true colors and that’s why Hashem chose to judge him at this point; it was the ultimate act of chessed. Nonetheless Hashem is still medagdaik k’chut hasaroh on the actual performance of the mitzvah.

Most of the world had the zechus of knowing Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel Zt’l. Everyone knew how the Rosh Hayeshiva Zt’l didn’t take any medication to treat his parkansis. Learning was most important to Him; more important to Him than making sure He wouldn’t shake. The Rosh Hayeshiva Zt’l had every excuse to tell people ‘now is not a good time’ or ‘maybe you can come back later.’ Those words didn’t exist in His vocabulary. Every yachid was treated as if he is the only interest to the Rosh Hayeshiva Zt’l at the time they were speaking to him. I was zoche to have a chavrusashaft with the Rosh Hayeshiva Zt’l-we were once in middle of learning and in walked an Israeli family with their 3 year old son for an upsherin. The Rosh Hayeshiva Zt’l didn’t even say a word. A huge smile broke out on his face and he took the scissor and cut a piece of the boy’s hair. As soon as he was done, he got up and with tremendous pain he made his way to the kitchen. He came back out with a small round container of candy, opened it and put it in front of the boy that he could take from it himself. The boy stuck his little hand in and took 2 candies. The Rosh Hayeshiva Zt’l just sat there smiling the entire time. Not one word was uttered. As soon as the family left we continued the next word of Torah. There was nothing to more to do than what already done-now back to learning. It was as if it didn’t just happen. From young to old, the Rosh Hayeshiva Zt’l made time for everyone and allowed them to feel that special 1 on 1 kesher with him. It was amazing to see such a gadol not be embarrassed to tell me he doesn’t know how to translate a word into the English language! For most people (forget their stature), I would think it would be embarrassing to tell someone that; not the Rosh Hayeshiva Zt’l. The word that comes to mind when thinking of the Rosh Hayeshiva Zt’l is Emes. Kulo Emes-with everything and everyone.

Klal Yisroel suffered a major blow; there’s so much to say; there’s so much to write…

May the Rosh Hayeshiva Zt’l be a mailatz yosher for his family and for klal Yisroel and beseech rachamai shomayim asking Hashem to end the galus and bring Moshiach right away.

(Search by: vayera; kotzker rebbe; reb aron leib shteinman; chessed; bava metzia; hachnasas orchin; chinuch; being mechanech a child; feeding guests; avraham welcoming guests; doing chessed yourself; doing chessed at a difficult time; the greatest form of chinuch; being judged on your actions; rav nosson tzvi finkel ztl)

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Parshas Lech L’cha-פרשת לך לך

November 3, 2011 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah (Tags: ) |  No Comments

The parsha begins with Hashem telling Avraham to leave his land, his place of birth and his father’s house and travel to an unfamiliar destination. Rashi comments on this and says ‘Liha’anascha U’litovascha; for your pleasure and enjoyment.’ The puzzling question is, what type of pleasure can Avraham Avinu possibly experience? He was to leave his comfort zone and live amongst strangers, away from his family and away from the land that he was familiar with. What type of benefit can he derive from this?

Rav Moshe Leib שחור, Zt”l, (in his sefer ‘Avnei Shoham’) brings down the following story, and based on this we can appreciate the answer.

There was a Rav in a certain city that would devote much of his valuable time tending to the noble mitzvah of Pidyun Shvuyin, (releasing prisoners from jail). One evening, when the Rav was home, there was a knock on his door. When the Rav opened it, he found himself standing in front of two policemen. Without any explanation they told the Rav that he must come with them and they proceeded to read him his rights. They whisked him away and off to jail he was escorted.

As mazel would have it, he was sharing his jail cell with a wise old man. The man came over to the Rav and proclaimed the following: ‘the reason why Hashem made this happen to you was that you should really feel like a prisoner. You can now actually feel what real prisoners go through. In order for you to have a greater appreciation for your righteous work and understand the mindset inmates are feeling when you visit them. He wants you to appreciate what you do even more!’

Avraham Avinu was the pillar of chesed. His entire life was dedicated to hachnasas orchim, inviting in guests. Hashem wanted Avraham to see how appreciative people are of his efforts. He wanted that Avraham Avinu should taste what it was like not to be at home. Through this, Avraham had the authentic feeling of what a guest feels like! He can now have an even bigger appreciation for the mitzvah, which he performed so blissfully, permitting him to achieve this on a higher level.

We find an identical idea in the sefer Hachinuch. The sefer Hachinuch writes that one of the mitzvos we have, is ‘V’ahavta es HaGer; to love the convert’. Interestingly, the Torah tells us the reason for this is ‘because we were converts in the land of Mitrayim.’ The sefer Hachinuch points out that we already tasted first hand living in discomfort. Once we have this understanding of what that uneasiness was like, we are now compelled to reach out even more and to love the Ger.

Many a time a person is inflicted, lo aleinu, with a terrible nisyon. Be it work related, in learning, in marriage or any other field. One must keep in mind that everything happens for a reason and that might just be the reason of Hashem, for us to feel what it’s like. Perhaps, in the future, the tables will turn and we will be able to look back and be of assistance to another person.  As you will be able to conjure up the memories and feelings in your mind and say ‘I remember what this was like when I was going through this’, perhaps it will enable you to help that person overcome their challenge.

May we all be zoche to only experience nisyonos that will elevate us to a higher level of serving Hashem until the kohanim will ultimately do the avodah in the Beis Hamikdash speedily in our days!

(Search by: lech l’cha; lech l’cha; rav moshe leib shechar; welcoming guests; tables turning; feeling like a stranger; loving thy Ger; doing chesed; appreciating what you do even more; getting a feel for it; feeling it)

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