You are currently browsing the archives for the “Yomim Tovim” category.

Yom Kippur 5771-יום כיפור תשע”א

September 17, 2010 // Posted in Yomim Tovim (Tags: ) |  No Comments

When Chazal describe the mood of the yamim noraim, they portray the scene of a scale. On one side the scale is weighing a person’s mitzvos and on the other side his aveiros.  The simple explanation is that one side weighs a person’s good deeds, while the other side weighs a person’s misdeeds. Whichever way the scale tips is the way that person chose to conduct himself the previous year. The scale of a beinini is even; both his good deeds and his misdeeds are equal.

The apparent question is, does Hashem really need a scale to see how many mitzvos or aveiros a person has done? If a person has four quarters sprawled out on a table, would he need to count each individual quarter out loud to confirm that it totals a dollar? Certainly not; the same is true by Hashem. He knows everything, so why the need for the scale?

The Beis HaLevi answers with an idea for all of us to think about.

The pasuk in Koheles (7; 29) says “Hashem made man straight and they sought many cheshbonos.” Rav Chaim Volozhiner expounds on this and explains as follows. At the time Hashem created Adam he was created straight; he had no inclination, from his own perspective, to do any bad. He was able to ‘choose’ bad, but had no desire to do any bad. However, when the snake seduced him into committing a sin, Adam was then infused with an influence from an outside source (i.e. yetzer hara). The gemarah in Shabbos (146) says that from that moment on, man was instilled with a natural ‘inside’ inclination that draws us to do aveiros.

On the other hand, we also have a neshoma that pushes us to act properly. Therefore, a person is born with two equal forces each pulling in the opposite direction.  As a person grows in this world, he has the ability to create inclinations; if he portrays good actions then he strengthens the yetzer tov thereby creating a desire to do what is good; or vice versa is also true.

Through his actions a person has the ability to create new inclinations. Says the Beis HaLevi, this is p’shat in the scale. When the scale is leaning towards one side it doesn’t necessarily mean that this person did more mitzvos. Rather, it shows which way a person is naturally inclined to bend! Is this the type of person who is a ruchniyos type of person and who looks to help others and learn or is he chas v’shalom, a person who doesn’t care about others and always has excuses why he can’t learn? Which side is the scale tipping? A person can create a new ‘tevah’; a new natural desire-through his actions. A beinini is a person who is drawn in both directions and has an equal inclination to do good and bad. On Yom Kippur, a person is judged by which way his natural ‘tevah’ draws him.

The Rambam and Rabbeinu Yona write that a person has to have charata, have disgust and pain when doing teshuva for his sins.

There are two questions of the Rambam and Rabbeinu Yona. Firstly, why does one require feeling pain? Secondly, what type of pain should one have?

The answer is that through this pain and remorse, one will have removed his natural draw to sin, because he views his old ways as repulsive and disgusting. When something is disgusting you won’t go near it; causing a person to stay further away from sinning.  The day of Yom Kippur is so special that the moment a person says that he has charata, Hashem cleanses him. As the pasuk says ‘lifnei Hashem teet-haru’. That is how special the day is.

Part of our avodah on Yom Kippur is to try and remove our natural draw that causes us to sin; to get rid of our inner yetzer hara. We start by asking Hashem to forgive us and by admitting our flaws and showing remorse to the Ribono Shel Olam. Then He starts by cleansing us and we hope and have full faith that He will ultimately be mechaper us-bringing us back to our original state-when we had no inner draw to do bad. On such a level we can be sure that we will be able to focus totally on serving Hashem in the Bayis shlishi. May Hashem grant this to us this coming year together with Moshiach b’mheira v’yameinu, Amen.

Wishing everyone a Gmar Chasima Tova and a gut gebentched yur.

(search by: yom kippur; removing ones natural cause to sin; beis halevi; rav chaim volozhin; koheles; rambam; rabbeinu yona; tipping the scale; which way are you inclined to bend; avodah of yom kippur; snake seducing Adam; creating ppositive inclinations)

PrintFriendly

Rosh Hashana 5771-ראש השנה תשע”א

September 7, 2010 // Posted in Yomim Tovim (Tags: ) |  No Comments

Did you ever think about why Rosh Hashana comes before Yom Kippur? All agree that Rosh Hashana is the Day of Judgment, when we get judged on all our previous actions, and Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, when we are forgiven for all our sins. Wouldn’t it make more sense for us to get pardoned from our sins first and THEN go to trial? Why is it that we keep the current order and do not make Yom Kippur before Rosh Hashana?

Another interesting question to ponder is that the first two days of Rosh Hashana have another name; they are also the first two days of Aseres Yemei Teshuva. Yet, we find no mention of a chait or vidui in our Rosh HaShana davening. It doesn’t seem like we’re doing teshuva. It’s the first two days of an opportunity for us to repent and it seems as if we are passing up on it. What seems to be a logical explanation?

The gemarah in kedushin (81) speaks about a woman who makes a neder, a vow. The Torah notes that if she was to make a vow and her husband was to nullify it, even if she didn’t know that it was nullified, or she says ‘I don’t care’ and she breaks her promise, she still needs to receive a kapara from Hashem - ‘vaHashem yislach la’. The gemarah wonders about this and asks why she needs atonement, if there is no misdeed?  The gemarah answers, her intention was to sin and she did not know that her husband had nullified her vow. Since she thought she was sinning, she requires atonement. The gemarah continues and makes a kal v’chomer: If someone who thinks they sinned has to beg for forgiveness from Hashem, how much more forgiveness must one ask from Hashem for ACTUALLY sinning?

However, the above gemarah still needs some clarification because there was still no sin committed. So why then, would she need a kaparah?

R’ Elchonon Wasserman, Zt”l quotes the Chofetz Chaim who offers the following novel idea.

Every mitzvah is comprised of two elements. The first is known as tikkun-fixing the world; building up the world through good deeds. The second is known as rotzon Hashem- by you doing a mitzvah you are fulfilling the will of Hashem. Says Reb Elchonon that aveiros are also comprised of two elements; the exact opposite composition of a mitzvah. The first element is known as mikalkel-a person is causing destruction to the world by sinning. The second, as mirida-rebelling; rebelling against Hashem.

What the gemarah is saying is that when a person makes the mental decision to sin he has in essence caused destruction to the world. In order for him to fix it, they need tikkun-which comes about through mitzvos. How does one fix the fact that he rebelled against Hashem? By being mamlech Hashem; by saying that everything I do is for Hashem, like a slave who serves his master so too I am serving Hashem! Why? Because He is the king and I follow his command. This is pshat in being mamlech Hashem on Rosh Hashana.

We stated that an aveira consists of two elements; therefore, teshuva has to address these elements too because the purpose of teshuva is to rectify the elements of rebelling and destroying the world. How do we do that? Firstly, we’re mamlech Hashem. We confess and say that we rebelled; we’re sorry and are working to reaffirm our commitment to Him. This takes care of the element of rebelling, which we have with every single sin. Secondly, we have to do teshuva. We ask Hashem to forgive us for what we have done wrong and through our begging for forgiveness we fixed the element of kilkul, destroying the world, which is the second element found in every aveira.

A Rebbi of mine mentioned to me, that in last weeks parsha (vayelech 31; 18) Hashem tells Moshe what will happen to klal Yisroel after he dies. “They will stray from me and they will break the covenant they made with me. I will be angryt at them and I will hide my face from them. They will become prey and evil will encounter them. On that day it will be said ‘is it not because my God is not in my midst (and that’s why this is happening to us?)”. The pasuk continues and says ‘v’anochi hastir astir panai bayom hahu’- And I will surely have concealed my face from them [for the evil they have done; for they have turned to gods of others]“.

The Ramban notes that bnei Yisroel sinned against Hashem and even before doing teshuva they realized they erred. They recognized the void in their midst was because they betrayed Hashem. It seems from this Ramban that the beginning of every teshuva is recognizing that you rebelled against Hashem and that you have to rectify it. How?  By being mamlech Him. This is the reason why we have Rosh Hashana prior to Yom Kippur. First, we are mamlech Hashem, to fix the rebellion we had against Him and then we take care of the kilkul, the destruction, by asking forgiveness from Hashem which is on Yom Kippur.

With this thought in mind I wish all my readers a K’siva V’chasima Tova and a gut gebentched yur. May we all have a year filled with nachas, gezunt, and an abundance of parnassah. We should have all have our health, gutta kinder and the ability to excel in our limud HaTorah. May we merit hearing the shofar shel Moshiach speedily, in our days.

כתיבה וחתימה טובה

(Search by: Rosh Hashana; rav elchonon wasserman; chofetz chaim; teshuva; Yom Kippur; reb ari; being mamlech Hashem; kedushin; kaparah; tikkun; mirida; kilkul; ramban)

PrintFriendly

Shavous 5770-חג השבועות תש”ע

May 18, 2010 // Posted in Yomim Tovim (Tags: ) |  No Comments

It is well known that one of the highlights of Shavous is that the entire klal Yisroel learns the entire night until the morning. The question can be asked, why? What is the source of this minhag? The Magen Avraham says the reason is, because klal Yisorel overslept the morning of matan Torah and in order to make up for it we stay up every year on that night to rectify our wrongdoing.  However, if you look in parshas Yisro you will notice that the loshon used there is a bit different. The pasuk (19:1) says ‘it was the third month since bnei Yisroel left Egypt and on that day they “came” to the Sinai desert’. Whenever the Torah mentions that bnei Yisroel reached their destination the pasuk usually said ‘vayachanu’ or a similar loshon of settling.  Why here did the Torah write ba’u, which means ‘arrives’? The Ramban answers that since bnei Yisroel were so excited for matan Torah they didn’t have time to setup their tents; to setup shop. If this is so, then how do these two pshatim, the Magen Avraham and the Ramban coincide?

Rav Chatzkel Levenstein, ZT”L answers with a powerful thought.

Inspiration is an emotion that passes with time; it comes and it goes. When a person is inspired in order for it to last one has to make it tangible, they need to act on it. A person has to make it into something concrete by either making a kabalah or doing something physical with it. Klal Yisroel was extremely inspired at that moment of reaching midbar Sinai but the actual giving over of the Torah to bnei Yisroel wasn’t until three days later. By that time the inspiration had already evaporated because they did nothing with it and they ultimately lost it.

There’s a famous gemarah (avodah zara 17a) regarding reb Elazar ben Durdia. The gemarah recounts there wasn’t a zonah in the world he didn’t visit. Once, he heard of a certain zonah overseas that charged an exorbitant amount for her services; a purse of dinars. He packed the money and traveled across seven seas to meet her. When they were together, she blew a small breath of air from her mouth and said ‘just as this current of air cannot retrieve its place of origin so too in heaven they will not accept elazar ben durdia for teshuva‘. At that moment Elazar ben Durdia called out to the mountains, the heaven, the earth, the sun, moon, stars and constellations asking all of them individually to help him and beseech mercy from above on his behalf; he wanted to repent. (The gemarah goes into more detail) When he saw his pleas falling on deaf ears he placed his head in between his knees, realizing the teshuva can only come from him, and began to weep. He wept until his soul departed from his body. At that moment a bas kol was heard saying ‘REB Elazar ben Durdia is now been ready for olam haba’.

The gemarah continues and say that Rebbi cried when he heard this; he said ‘one can acquire his portion in the world to come in a single moment.’ The obvious question here, asked by Rav Elyashav Shlit”a (and many others) is why was Rebbi crying? This should have been the most inspiring moment for anyone? To see a person who lived his whole life doing aveiros and at the time of his death a bas kol calls out and names him “Reb“? This should’ve given Rebbi so much chizuk, why was he crying?

The answer is this same point. Rebbi was crying because he saw how one moment-in a flash-a person can change their lives forever and he understood–how often do these opportunities come around and we pass up on it? How often do we get inspired and allow it to just pass away without grabbing onto it and helping it change us? That, is why Rebbi was crying.

On Shavous night, like we mentioned earlier, we have a minhag to stay up. But we’re not just staying up to be misaken that we overslept. We have to be able to be misaken the fact that we lost that excitement; that lost chance. How does one do so? By finding something that excites him in Torah, taking that moment and internalizing it.

The pasuk in Shir HaShirim (7:2) says מה יפו פעמיך בנעלים-which can be loosely translated to mean ‘your footsteps are so lovely in shoes’. However, the gemarah says it refers to ‘how beautiful it is that klal Yisroel comes to be oleh regel for Hashem. Asks Rav Shimon Schwab ZT”L if its talking by oleh regel then why would it use a loshon of בנעלים? We know that when one is standing in the beis hamikdash he is not allowed to wear shoes?

He answers that it’s not pshat that Hashem is proud of us when we’re there in the beis hamikdash but rather when we are leaving on our way home; when we’re wearing our shoes again a day after yom tov or a week after yom tov and he sees what we have taken with us from that yom tov! This is also pshat in the beracha in shemoneh esrei that we say on yom tov, V’haseainu. We ask Hashem to load us up to be able to carry us through the year until the next yom tov.

May we all have an inspiring and uplifting yom tov and may we all be zoche to take something from this yom tov; something that was michazek us and to hold onto it throughout the whole year until next year when we will be in yerushalayim together with Moshiach tzidkeinu b’mheira v’yameinu amen!

(Search by: shavous; avodah zara; rebbi crying; rav chatzkel levenstein; rav shimon schwab; getting inspired; reb elazar ben durdia; acting on the inspiration you’ve received; making the inspirational tangible; passing up opportunities; passing up on being inspired; lost chances; magen avraham; ramban; matan torah; being inspired; kala yirsoel oversleeping; staying up all night; shir hashirim; taking the inspiration with you; v’haseainu)

PrintFriendly

Pesach 5770-פסח תש”ע

March 29, 2010 // Posted in Yomim Tovim (Tags: ) |  No Comments

The Yerushalmi says that every time we as klal Yisroel experience a Nes we should sing shira to Hashem. If that is true, then why did we not sing shira immediately after we left Mitzrayim? An entire nation leaving a country is a tremendous Nes, why did we wait until a week later when we crossed the yam suf?

Answers the Yerushalmi that when the bnei Yisroel left Mitzrayim is was the techilas hageula - only the beginning of the redemption and we only say shira at the completion of a geula.

If this is so, then we can ask another question, why do we celebrate the first days of Pesach altogether? If the geula was only complete after krias yam suf, then let’s shorten the Yom Tov of Pesach and celebrate it only on during second days?

Another inquiry, pointed out by the Nitziv, what’s the pshat in the four different lishonos of geulah? Once we left we were freed, why do we mention four different types of lishonos for the geulah? What does it all symbolize?

The Nitziv answers as follows: in Mitzrayim beside the physical galus that we endured with physical labor there was also the ruchnious’dke galus as well. Klal Yisroel was serving avodah zara and we had the ideologies of the Egyptians. You’re right, in the physical sense we weren’t completely out of galus until the yam suf, but since in a ruchnious sense we were out, we celebrate. The reason is that every level of a spiritual redemption is in itself a complete victory and is deserving of being celebrated and acclaimed.

That is the p’shat in these four lishonos. After each level of redemption there was a celebration because whenever a yid attains another level and gets closer to his goal we celebrate.

My Rosh Hayeshiva, Rav Chaim Zev Levitan Shlit“a, once told me that he was on the phone with his Rosh Hayeshiva, Reb Elya Svei zt”l, on erev Rosh Hashana and Reb Elya asked him ‘what are you going to speak to your baal habatim about on yom tov?’ Rabbi Levitan answered that ‘I have a few different ideas in mind; I’m not 100% sure yet on which nekudah I’m going to focus on’. Reb Elya answers him, ‘tell them “a bissel besser is oich besser”, a little better is also better. A person should know that that if we have have goals that may seem too farfetched, we should not get discouraged that we are not reaching them. Because as he surpasses each little level that in itself is a celebration. Like Reb Elya says…a little better is also better.

We should all strive to reach higher levels, in small steps-baby steps. With each level that we achieve we should celebrate b’simcha until we reach the greatest level of all time, the level that we can greet Moshiach on and enjoy the real celebration and the real geulah sheleima where we can once again sing shira to Hashem as one nation B’mheira V’yameinu Amen!

Wishing all my readers and all of klal Yisroel a Chag Kosher V’sameach.

(Search by: pesach; yerushalmi; nitziv; reb elya svei; rabbi Levitan; four lishonos; geulas mitzrayim; attaining new levels; reaching greater heights; celebrating each level of elevation)

PrintFriendly

Purim 5770-פורים תש”ע

February 25, 2010 // Posted in Yomim Tovim (Tags: , ) |  No Comments

The Nes of Purim encompasses many fundamental aspects of our religion. One of the most essential outcomes of this unique miracle was the inspiration that Klal Yisroel had to re-accept the Torah. The monumental event of Kabolas Hatorah at Har Sinai was incomplete until Jews in the time of Mordechai and Esther secured our reception of the Torah. The unforgettable scene of Matan Torah that had the entire universe quiet and still as our Nation accepted Hashem’s Torah was apparently lacking the elements to ensure an infinite obligation. Chazal attribute our re-accepting of the Torah to the fact that the original Kabbolas Hatorah occurred with a slight hesitation to accept it. This caused Hashem to uproot a mountain and hold it, hovering over their heads threateningly, which ultimately led to their full compliance. It was the vision of a mountain looming above them, with the fear of death that prompted them to consent and accept Hashem’s Torah. This was the aspect that needed to be rectified through a consensual acceptance and this, in fact occurred in the aftermath of Purim.

The wondrous Nes that was experienced in the time of Mordechai and Esther granted the Jews a newfound perspective of the value of Torah that triggered their willingness to re-accept this precious gift. It remains unclear though, which aspect of this multifaceted miracle led to this newly acquired admiration of the Torah that resulted in their desire to willingly re-accept this priceless endowment.

Rashi explains that it was the love of the glorious miracle that coaxed the Yidden to reaffirm their previous acceptance of the Torah. However these brief comments do not shed enough light on this hazy issue. Why did the miracle of Purim lead to this fresh appreciation more so than the other miracles that occurred to our Nation? What aspect of this particular Nes granted our people this newfound revelation of the Torah’s value?

While reviewing the story of Purim we encounter Mordechai’s steadfast and adamant refusal to even acknowledge Haman as his superior. Even after a law was instituted for everyone to bow in Haman’s presence, which became common practice amongst all law-abiding citizens. Mordechai publicly defied this new decree. And although this insistence carried the potential to create animosity between the kingdom and our Nation, Mordechai disregarded these thoughts and remained focused on his spiritual obligations.

One may rightfully assume that Mordechai was the subject of harsh criticism from his own people due to his stubborn behavior. He was deemed irrational and selfish for his failure to perceive the looming danger and likely even ridiculed for his “fanatical” position on the matter. As Haman publicly portrayed his anger and hate of the Jewish Nation and began his offensive to eradicate the Jews of the kingdom, fingers were pointed in Mordechai’s direction. He was solely blamed for these horrific decrees and accused of an “inadequate” sense of responsibility towards his flock’s future. Although Mordechai calmly responded to all the criticism that he was merely following the guidelines of the Torah that forbade him to acknowledge any power other than the Almighty even when threatened by death, his hecklers refused to be silenced. They criticized his inability to conform to modern times and callously attributed the threats to their existence as a result of the strict and unwavering observance of the Torah.

However, as the salvation arrived and the newly restored future of Klal Yisroel was seen as revitalizing sunrays through the streaks of the fleeting clouds, they gained a newfound admiration of the Torah. As they proudly observed their spiritual leader Mordechai being led majestically through the center of town in noble fashion, their prior feelings about his tenacious conduct simply faded away. Their hearts grew fonder of his leadership abilities as he was prominently poised on the grand horses, cloaked and adorned with royal clothing and crowned by his Tallis and Tefilin. They began to comprehend that the stunning turn of events was triggered by Mordechai’s steadfast commitment to the Torah and developed a deep reverence for their esteemed leader.

This new revelation went beyond Mordechai. It granted them a fresh perspective of the Torah’s infinite wisdom. Chazal inform us that the Torah preceded the creation of the world. This specific order was vital for the creation of our universe. Hakadosh Baruch Hu gazed into the Torah and constructed the world to conform to its parameters. The Divine scope that viewed all of the earthly happenings from its inception to its conclusion then established the path of the Torah as the exemplary way of life. Tradition dictates that our sole chance of survival is with a strict adherence to our Mitzvohs.

It is the pleasant ways of Torah that guide our Nation through their difficult predicaments. This exalted way, formulated as our Nations eternal navigator, consistently proves its accuracy. One can encounter no harm by abiding to the laws of the Torah.

This was the newly acquired admiration of Torah that the Yidden attained through the Nes of Purim. They were privileged to witness that the observance of the Torah could only produce a positive result. They experienced the sweetness of protecting our precious heirloom even when it mandated the ultimate sacrifice. Klal Yisroel emerged from this redemption a rejuvenated Nation with a fresh perspective of the infinite goodness of the Torah. It was this newfound fondness that resulted from the awesome miracles of Purim that stimulated Klal Yisroel to readily re-accept the Torah.

This was the lesson the Chofetz Chaim would often derive from the Miracles of Purim. He would constantly encourage his flock to maintain a steadfast attitude in observing Torah and Mitzvohs and to defy all elements that seek to undermine our lofty obligations. Furthermore, he guaranteed that it is impossible to achieve anything positive through the desecration of the Torah and related a beautiful tale to affirm his view.

The Czar Nicholas issued a harsh decree to burn all Jewish books and Seforim. The Jews attempted through various avenues to reverse this cold-hearted edict. They formulated a delegation that included the famed Rav of Warsaw, the Chemdas Shlomo along with other leaders and laymen in an effort to convince the government to retract this law. Due to the urgency of the issue they were permitted to travel on Shabbos. As they waited in the hallway for this long anticipated meeting, one of the well-dressed leaders motioned for the Rav’s attention. He pointed to the noticeable dirt on the Rav’s coat and began to brush it off. The Chemdas Shlomo gently reminded his fellow delegate that it was Shabbos and we are forbidden to clean our clothing. The individual challenged the Rav’s ruling claiming that it was improper to represent the entire Jewish community while donning a dirty coat. He feared that the official might feel belittled by the Rav’s appearance and an angry official would not grant them a chance to properly convey their concerns. As other members of the delegation began to chide the Rav for his stubbornness, the large office door opened. To the utter dismay of the entire delegation, the high-ranking official ushered in the Chemdas Shlomo alone. After a heartfelt and tearful plea in Yiddish the Rav succeeded to convince the official to abolish the decree. The Chofetz Chaim commented that the Chemdas Shlomo knew that his refusal to desecrate Shabbos could not lead to any negative outcome. Rather it was in the merit of sanctifying the Shabbos that led to the successful outcome.

May we experience some of that revelation and see through the frivolous trappings of Purim and be likewise moved to see the Torah’s beauty with e renewed willingness to accept it upon ourselves B’simcha.

(search by: purim; chemdas shlomo; czar nicholas; kiddush Hashem; chofetz chaim; beleiving in Hashem)

PrintFriendly

Parshas Mikeitz-פרשת מקץ

December 17, 2009 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah, Yomim Tovim (Tags: ) |  No Comments

In this weeks parsha Yosef is taken out of jail and brought in front of Pharaoh to interpret his dreams.  Yosef interprets them and tells Pharaoh that there will be seven years of abundance and subsequently seven years of hunger. Therefore, the country must start saving up food lest they run out when the seven years of hunger arrive. Yosef ends off with a suggestion, ‘and now Pharaoh shall seek out a wise and discerning man and appoint him over the land of Egypt’. The loshon Yosef uses is ‘איש נבון וחכם’. The person Pharaoh shall appoint has to be a chacham; a wise man.

The first question is why does the person appointed have to be such a chacham? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that if for seven years you have plenty of food followed by a hunger shortly after; you should start saving up food in storage houses for the future. Why do you need a person who’s a ‘chacham’? You need a foreman who is able to oversee the project.  Anybody with managerial capabilities would seem fit for this job? Why a chacham?

The gemarah in Yoma (35b) says that after 120 years, in the world to come, we will all be asked the following question, why didn’t you make time for Torah? If the rich say, I was preoccupied with my possessions they will be answered look at R’ Elazar ben Chursom. He was extremely wealthy yet he made time to reach great heights in learning. If the poor say they were too busy trying to get food, they will be answered look at Hillel. He was the poorest of the poor and yet he became one of the greatest scholars because he made time for learning. If the bad say I was too busy running after my desires, the beis din shel ma’aleh will answer take a look at Yosef. He was able to fill his earthly desires, yet with the wife of his master he held himself back and he still had time to learn and become great.

The question is how did the gemarah know that Yosef learned Torah? Where does it say anywhere that he learned Torah in Mitzrayim? Where did the gemarah know this from?

Reb Leib Chasman Zt”L, answers that the gemarah ends off by saying that Yosef knew, if he was mezanah and caved into his desires, the consequences, would not end in this world. Yes, he would live with her on this world but he would also be with her in the world to come. (As the gemarah in avoda zora says if a person is mezaneh with a goy she’s bound to him like a dog in the next world). A person who has the ability to see beyond the present and what’s in front of him is a person who is a learned man; a man of Torah. Now we understand why Yosef told Pharaoh they need a chacham.  In order to prepare for the seven years of hunger, you need someone who has the ability to see past the present. You can tell a person from today until tomorrow, how to store away food and how to ‘plan ahead’, but if times are good it is hard to comprehend. To fully understand and perceive how to plan ahead, you need to have the ability to see ahead of the present. For that you need a chacham. Yosef knew and understood this and felt that the only way mitzrayim would get through this, would be by Pharaoh appointing a ‘איש נבון וחכם’.

We live in a day and age when everything is quick and instant. That is great, but it does have its shortcoming. We do things without thinking.

We learn from here that we have to say to ourselves - STOP… THINK!  How will this affect the big picture of our lives? In the long run is it worth it?  With that thought in mind, we should be able grow and have the koach to be in full control of our lives.

(Search by: parsha; chumash; mikeitz; parshas mikeitz; Shabbos chanuka; reb leib chasman; thinking long term; gemarah in yoma; pharaoh appointing a chacham; being a chacham )

PrintFriendly

Parshas Vayeshev/Shabbos Chanuka-פרשת וישב ושבת חנוכה

December 11, 2009 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah, Yomim Tovim (Tags: ) |  No Comments

The mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah menorah is quite unique in part due to the fact that the Chachamim instituted three set categories of hiddur mitzvah (ner ish u’beiso, mehadrin and mehadrin min hamehadrin). The first question is why did the Chachamim institute three specific categories?

The second question is that we know that the Yevanim were metameh all the oil in the Bais Hamikdash except for the one small pach shemen that the Chasmanoyim found which was sealed with the stamp of the Kohen Gadol. My Rebbi had a question that has been bothering him for a while. He asks…what was the Kohen Gadol’s seal doing on the oil?  It doesn’t say anywhere that the Kohen Gadol had anything to do with the making of the oil. We know that even a zohr was able to light the menorah. Why was his seal on the oil altogether?

The sefer ‘Shabbos Shel Mi’ offers a fascinating answer. The oil for the menorah had to be 100% pure olive oil. For anything else that needed oil in the Bais Hamikdash regular oil was fine to use (such as the korban mincha). We know that the Kohen Gadol bought his own korban mincha everyday, known as the ‘minchas chavitin shel kohen gadol’, which was unique due to the fact that this was his own personal korban. The Kohen Gadol would mix everything for the korban together himself and he would offer half in the morning and half in the evening to Hashem. Says the Shabbos Shel Mi, even though for all korbani mincha and the minchas chavitin too, regular oil was kosher to use but since this korban was the Kohen Gadol’s special mitzvah it was very dear to him. What he did was he made these little special flasks of oil and had his seal put on them to differentiate between his own special oil and the regular oil used for everything else. The Kohen Gadol was saying ‘this is my oil that I had made for the sake of beautifying my korban to bring it in the most hiddurdikeh way possible. It was this oil that the Bnei Yisroel found.

How did the nes Chanukah begin? The nes happened because of the Kohen Gadol’s strong desire and will to do a mitzvah in the most beautiful way possible. That is why there were three different categories instituted by the Chachamim. They felt that since the nes was a direct result of someone’s commitment  and going out of their way to perform a mitzvah as beautiful as possible, they wanted to give everyone else the opportunity to beautify the mitzvah as beautifully as they did. The way we commemorate this nes is with hiddur mitzvah because the nes came about through hiddur mitzvah.

As we welcome the Yom Tov of Chanukah let’s seize these eight days to enhance our performance of mitzvoh’s and not look at the meaning of this Yom Tov as anything other than that.

With this in mind we should all have an amazing Shabbos and a de’light’ful Chanuka.

(Search by: vayeshev; chanuka; Shabbos chanuka; oil; nes chanuka; kohel gadols oil; hiddur mitzvah; chumash; parsha; parshas vayeseh; doing mitzvohs beautifully)

PrintFriendly

Succos 5770-סוכות תש”ע

October 1, 2009 // Posted in Yomim Tovim (Tags: ) |  2 Comments

As we know, Succos is a continuation of the Yom Hadin that concludes with Hoshana Raba. The mitzvah of lulav is a representation of our victory in din, akin to someone raising their hands high in victory upon leaving a courthouse victorious.

The obvious question, asked by Rav Nosson Wachtfogel Zt”l, is what shayches does Succos have to the yom hadin? There seems to be no connection between the fasting and praying of yom kippur and the feasting and joy of Succos.

Rav Wachtfogel gives a beautiful and inspiring answer.

There’s a gemarah that tells of the terrible yesurim of Rebbi. The gemarah says that the yesurim came because of a certain ‘incident’ and it left because of a certain ‘incident’. How did the suffering start? What was this ‘incident’? The gemarah says that Rebbi was walking one day and a small calf had run away from the slaughterhouse and crawled under his coat. Rebbi looked at the little calf and he said ”go…shew….for this is what you were created for.  You have to be shechted.” It was because of this incident that he suffered terribly his entire life.  However, the gemarah states that “the end result for an animal is to be killed.”  So what was the terrible sin of Rebbi, if he was speaking the truth?

The yesod is as follows: even if a person is undeserving of such great hospitality, once he comes into your house and wants to be taken under your wings, you have to show rachamim. There’s a different level of responsibility once someone’s in your domain. You have to treat him properly and respect him. The little calf WAS created to get killed but when he came under the coat of Rebbi, into Rebbi’s domain, Rebbi should’ve been extra sensitive and showed special rachmanus. But because he didn’t, he ended up suffering terribly for the rest of his life. When Succos follows Yom Kippur, we have just finished a day of forgiveness and judgment and we don’t know what our fate will be.  But we quickly jump and move into a Succah, into the house of Hashem. Why? What’s the connection? Because no matter what our judgment is, when we’re in the house of Hashem, the baal habayis has to show us mercy even if we’re undeserving. And while we are in the Succah, we can rest assured that we will get that extra special mercy!

When we’re sitting in the Succah this year, on all the days, we need to remember this and know that when we’re in the house of Hashem he will treat us with extra special care.  We should try to behave like we’re in his house as well; the two go hand in hand. With this I hope we all had an easy and meaningful fast and with the help of Hashem this should be the last yom tov in golus and iy”h next year we should all be in Succos Bais Dovid….in Yerushalayim habnuya with Moshiach.

(Search by: succos; rav nosson; rav nosson wachtfogel; having rachmanis; having mercy; rebbi’s suffering; yoma; the connection between yom kippur and succos; the house of Hashem)

PrintFriendly

Parshas Ha’azinu (Shabbos Shuva) & Yom Kippur-פרשת האזינו-שבת שובה ויום כיפור

September 25, 2009 // Posted in Weekly Parsha Divrei Torah, Yomim Tovim (Tags: ) |  1 Comment

The gemarah in Rosh Hashana (Daf 17, Amud bais) states that there are three sefarim open on Rosh Hashana. One is the book of Tzadikim, who are judged right away for life. The second is the book of the Rasha, who is judged for death right away.  The third is the book of the beinoni, or the ‘in between person’, who is hovering between the book of life and the book of death. The Rambam, when quoting this gemarah, interprets this to mean that if the beinoni does teshuva then he’s written in the book of life and if not then he’s condemned to the book of death. Many acharonim (such as the Pnei Yeshua) question this Rambam. Why does the beinoni have to do teshuva? If his mitzvos and aveiros are equal let him do another mitzvah so he can tip the scale to the good side! The beinoni does not need to do teshuva; he needs to do mitzvos!

The answer, if truly internalized, can forever change our attitude toward teshuva.

There’s a gemarah in Yoma that brings down a story about Rav and a butcher. Rav was wronged by the butcher and the butcher was obligated to ask him mechila.  Erev Yom Kippur came but the butcher had still not come to ask mechila. So Rav went to the butcher shop to make himself available. The butcher did not react with contriteness, however, and angrily asked Rav what he was doing there.  As the butcher was lashing out at Rav, a bone flew off the butcher’s knife, and hit his neck, causing his immediate death.  This strange story prompts the question: why did Rav decide to go facilitate mechilah, instead of waiting for the butcher to come out of his own accord?

Rav Itzel M’pettiberger says that Rav got this middah from Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Just as Hashem makes Himself available to us in these ten days of aseres yimei teshuva and he comes down to us to make Himself available for teshuva, so too Rav wanted to emulate this middah.  Because the butcher didn’t seize the moment and ask mechila he got a a terrible punishment.  When Hashem comes down to us Himself to be close to us, and we don’t do teshuva, we have much greater responsibility for not doing teshuvah. Like the butcher, we have no excuse, because Hashem comes personally to us.

Says Rav Itzel that’s the reason why a mitzvah doesn’t help a beinoni be inscribed into the book of life. The pasuk says ‘Dirshu Hashem  b’himatzoy kirahoo b’yoso karov’. The gemarah darshens on this that these are the ten days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipppur. During these days there’s a special revelation of Hashem and he extends his arms to us in this special time of aseres yemei teshuva. These days are days of opportunity. They’re days when Hashem is making Himself available for us to talk to him personally. If this is so and one does NOT do teshuva-that itself is such a big aveira that no other mitzvah can possibly outweigh it! Hashem is coming down to us and going out of his way to make it easier for us to do teshuva during these ten days and we don’t do teshuva?….there’s no bigger bizayon than that!

This Shabbos isShabbos Shuva. The Shabbos of the Aseres Ymei Teshuva is the pinnacle of the closeness we have with Hashem in this time, and is the height of the opportunity we have for teshuva. We need to seize this opportunity to make the most of our din and be judged as the tzadik we have inside of us.

גמר חתימה טובה

(Search by: ha’azinu; chumash; parsha; parshas ha’azinu; Shabbos shuva; yom kippur; rosh hashana; aseres yimei teshuva; rav itzel; rav; yoma; being judged; rambam; doing teshuva)

PrintFriendly

Rosh Hashana 5770-ראש השנה תש”ע

September 17, 2009 // Posted in Yomim Tovim (Tags: ) |  2 Comments

The Tur in Hilchos Rosh Hashana quotes a Medrash that states: ‘how great is the nation of Israel….which other nation is like our nation? All other nations of the world dress in black, remain unshaven and let their nails grow when judgement day arrives. They’re in fear since they don’t know what the outcome of the judgment will be. However, when klal Yisroel has a day of judgment we shower, shave, cut our nails,and  dress in white; we eat, drink and are besimcha. Why? Because we are confident that Hashem will make a nes for us’.

The Malbim notes that the mikor for this medrash is a pasuk in Nechemia. In the times of Nechemia when klal Yisroel read from the Torah on Rosh Hashana they would start to cry. Nechemia said to them: ‘today is holy for Hashem your g-d. Do not cry and do not be sad. Go and eat fatty foods, drink something sweet and give food to those who are less fortunate because today is a holy day for your G-d. Don’t be sad because the love of Hashem is your strength’.

The Malbim explains the above, commenting that klal Yisrael were crying out of aimas hadin, fear of being judged, since they understood one essence of din, and they wanted to fast. Because of that Nechemia said to them ‘go eat’ and ‘don’t be sad’ (which was the opposite of what they wanted to do [fast and cry]). The Malbim then quotes the medrash that says klal Yisroel made the yom hadin into a yom tov and they had trust in Hashem that they would be zoche to a good din. Obviously, Nechemia is elucidating another essence of Rosh Hashana and din, which we don’t yet understand.

Related to this, Rav Chaim Kamil, Zt”l asks a logical question. The pasuk in Amus says ‘im yituka shofar b’air v’haam lo yecherudu’. We see from here that when it comes to yom hadin there is a need for ‘aimas hadin’, fear of judgment. If this is so how can the medrash say that klal Yisroel should be joyous and confident in a good judgment on yom hadin?

The teretz he gives is something we should take with us into this Rosh Hashana, to clarify another dimension of din, which Nechemia also tried to teach us.

The main concept of Rosh Hashana is the coronation of Hashem as the melech and to be mekabel ol malchus shomayim.  We are crowning Hashem as the king of everything and proclaiming his oneness and omnipotence.  For this reason we don’t mention the word ‘chait’ on yom tov in our tefillos-because it’s not the avodas hayom. The avodas hayom is to crown Hashem our king.

But what is this concept of being mamlech Hashem? How does one do that?  The idea here is as follows: to be mamlech hashem is to designate Hashem as your god; amongst you and the entire world. Meaning, there is NOTHING that can and would happen to me unless Hashem wants it to. And that means NOTHING. This is the entire concept of Rosh Hashana: to have full bitachon that nothing can happen to us unless Hashem wants it to happen. And this zchus, of being mekabol ol malchus shomayim fully and happily, enables us to have bitachon and confidence that Hashem will switch our judgment from bad to good. Like the Nefesh haChaim says ‘when a person sets his heart that there is no one else but Hashem and that no one else has the strength to perform anything, ONLY Hashem who is the master of all strength, then Hashem helps him and is mevatel any other person’s koach and no one can harm him or do anything bad to him.’

There’s a famous story which, although many of you may have heard it, is worth repeating. When the Brisker Rav escaped the hands of the Nazi’s, y”m, he had to cross over a border.  The guards there were checking everyone carefully for their identification and papers. The Brisker Rav didn’t have any of his papers and he wasn’t sure what his fate would be. With no other option,  the Rav decided to walk straight through the regular line ,all the while saying and thinking and really believing ‘ain od milvado’. There’s nothing any Nazi can do to me because Hashem is the only power in the world and if he doesn’t want anyone to harm me then I won’t get harmed.  And that’s exactly what happened. The Rav walked right through the border without anyone stopping him or asking him any questions. Why? Because the Rav had real bitachon and believed that only Hashem could harm him and no one else.  He was mekabel ol malchus shomayim to its fullest.

This is the concept of malchus hashem on Rosh Hashana. We engrain in our hearts and minds ‘ain od milvado’- there is no one else but Hashem. It’s through this emunah and bitachon that we can have faith that Hashem will judge us l’tovah and eat and drink like a regular yom tov. Bitachon has the power to change the reality. Therefore, when klal Yisroel is mamlech and meyached Hashem, and remove from our mind any other force and power, Hashem removes all the bad decrees and turns them into good ones.

With this in mind I would like to wish all my readers a K’siva V’chasima Tova and a happy and healthy new year. We should all experience a year of parnasah, gezunt, hatzlacha, happiness and nachas from all of our families and friends and we should all merit seeing the ultimate redemption of Moshiach Tzidkeinu bekarov this year.

כתיבה וחתימה טובה

(Search by: rosh hashana; rav chaim kamil; being mamlech hashem; proclaiming hashem is our king; ain od milvado; avodas hayom of rosh hashana; brisker rav; malbim; amus; nechemia)

PrintFriendly