Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Shoftim 5770

שבת טעם החיים שופטים תש"ע
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Shoftim 5770

The True King

Introduction
כי תבוא אל הארץ אשר ה' אלקיך נתן לך וירשתה וישבת בה ואמרת אשימה עלי מלך ככל הגוים אשר סביבותי, when you come to the Land that HaShem, your G-d, gives you, and possess it, and settle in it, and you will say, “I will set a king over myself, like all the nations that are around me.” (Devarim 17: 14)
In this week’s parasha the Torah discusses the mitzvah of appointing a king. It is said (Devarim 17: 14-15) ki savo el haaretz asher HaShem Elokecho nosein loch virishtah viyashavta bah viamarta asimah alai melech kichol hagoyim asher sivivosai som tasim alecho melech asher yivchar HaShem Elokecho bo mikerev achecho tasim alecho melech lo suchal laseis alecho ish nachri asher lo achicha hu, when you come to the Land that HaShem, your G-d, gives you, and possess it, and settle in it, and you will say, “I will set a king over myself, like all the nations that are around me.” You shall surely set over yourself a king whom HaShem, your G-d, shall choose; from among your brethren shall you set a king over yourself; you cannot place a king over yourself a foreign man, who is not your brother. The Torah then continues to list the rules that apply to a Jewish king. There are a few questions that must be raised regarding a Jewish king. While all the enumerators of the mitzvos reckon appointing a king as a mitzvah, the Torah seems to indicate that the appointment of a king only applies when the people request a king. Furthermore, in the Book of Shmuel (Chapters 8-12) it is recorded that the people asked for a king and Shmuel the Prophet rebuked them for their request. One must wonder what was wrong with asking for a king if the Torah enumerates appointing a king as a mitzvah. The Radak in the Book of Shmuel elaborates on this issue, and the commentators on the Torah here also discusses this question at length. There is another difficulty with the fact that Shmuel rebuked the people. Yaakov blessed his son Yehudah that his kingship would be perpetuated, and this was reflected in the kingship of Dovid and his descendants, and ultimately in Moshiach, who will be a descendant of Yehudah and Dovid. Was the request of the people in the time of Shmuel merely poor timing or is there a deeper explanation for Shmuel faulting them in their request?
Who is the true king?
In order to answer these questions, we first have to understand the definition of a king. The Ibn Ezra (Bamidbar 6:7) writes that the true king is one who is free from the blandishments of his Evil Inclination. This idea, however, requires explanation. Is the term king merely a borrowed term, and the only king is one who resists temptation? Furthermore, if this was the case, how can we understand that Dovid Hamelech was the true Jewish king, when on some level he succumbed to temptation when he took Bassheva while she was married?

A true king is someone who is self effacing and resists temptation
In the time of the judges who preceded the era of kings, it is said (Shoftim 21:25) bayamim haheim ain melech biYisroel ish hayashar bieinav yaaseh, in those days there was no king in Israel; a man would do whatever seemed proper in his eyes. The simple interpretation of this verse is that since there was no Jewish king, every person acted in a carefree manner. The Chasam Sofer, however, explains this verse in a positive light. He writes that there was no king of the Jewish People, and this was appropriate, as every person knew how to act properly. Furthermore, the Sfas Emes writes that the Mishnah in Avos (3:2) states that if not for the fear of the king, every man would swallow his friends up alive. Nonetheless, if people feared HaShem there would be no need for a king. The concept of a king, writes the Sfas Emes, is because through fearing the king one will come to fear HaShem. Thus, we see that there really is no need for a king over the people, as every man should be a king over himself. This idea is akin to what the commentators write regarding the Mishkan. Prior to the sin of the Golden Calf, there was no need for a Mishkan, as everyone was able to contain the Divine Presence within himself. Once the Jewish People sinned, however, they required a Mishkan as a resting place for the Divine Presence. The Sefarim write that Yehudah and Dovid HaMelech were both self effacing. This means that while they were considered to be kings, they viewed themselves as insignificant and unworthy of leadership. The true king is one who resists temptation, as temptation usually stems from arrogance. This is reflected in the statement of the Gemara (Sanhedrin 110a) that Korach and his entourage accused Moshe of committing adultery. It was only the arrogance of Korach that allowed him to detract from Moshe’s status as a king, and Korach accused Moshe himself of arrogance and hording all the titles for himself and Aharon. The natural sequel to such an accusation is that Moshe should be accused of adultery. Yehudah and Dovid were on such lofty spiritual levels that what appears to us a sin was in reality a sign of their kingship. They were self effacing and had complete control over their desires. The Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 85:8) states that an angel pushed Yehudah towards Tamar, and the Gemara (Avodah Zara 5a) states that Dovid only acted as he did to demonstrate repentance to future generations. We now have a new definition of a king. A true king is not a monarch with royal robes and obedient subjects. Rather, a genuine king is the person who conquers his Evil Inclination and is humble. This is the king that the nation should seek to appoint.
The Shabbos connection
We are now in the month of Elul and every day we come closer to Rosh HaShanah when we will appoint HaShem as king over ourselves. The greatest preparation we can do for this inauguration ceremony is to humble ourselves and distance ourselves from sin, and then we will surely be worthy of having HaShem alone as our king. On Shabbos we pray that we rejoice in HaShem’s kingship. Shabbos is a time when we can recognize the wonderful gifts that HaShem bestows upon His beloved nation and we can go forth and proclaim HaShem as our king and our salvation.



Shabbos Stories
The Nazi and his Jewish grandchildren
On a trip to Israel, Rabbi Berel Wein attended morning services in a synagogue in Jerusalem. He relates that, unlike his own synagogue, which has benches facing the front of the synagogue, this synagogue had tables and benches, so he was forced to look at those praying opposite him. A tall, blue-eyed, blond-haired man and three blond small boys walked in and sat down opposite him. Rabbi Wein is used to the racial diversity of the citizens in Israel so little surprises him, but this was different; this particular family was definitely Aryan.
More noteworthy than their racial features was the seriousness and intensity of their praying. The children were especially well-behaved and followed the service dutifully without once wavering in their concentration. For Rabbi Wein, accustomed to the more freewheeling American child, it was an unusual experience.
Afterward, the rabbi remarked to a friend that they looked like fine people. His friend said that the man was a microbiologist at Hebrew University who happened to have an extraordinary story to tell. "Would you like to hear it?" he asked, and without waiting for an answer, called to his fellow congregant, "Avraham, this is Rabbi Berel Wein. I'm sure he would like to hear your story."
The two shook hands and agreed to walk home together. As they went, the rabbi listened to him tell the following story:
"I was born and brought up in Germany. My father was an officer in the elite Gestapo killing squad, the Todtenkopf (Deathhead Squad). He served throughout the war and after it was over successfully eluded apprehension. But his crimes were so heinous that years later the West German Republic continued to pursue him. Finally, he was caught and imprisoned for ten years. Later, because he was so old, they reduced his sentence and let him out after four and a half years. My father never talked about his past, and when he was caught, I read about his crimes in the newspaper. It was a bewildering experience to find out that my father led such a monstrous life.
"The family was shaken by the news. I was a teenager and became very confused by all the notoriety. When we went to visit him in prison I couldn't go in to see him. I felt as if he betrayed me. However, one useful thing came out of this -- I developed an interest in the War and found out as much as I could about the Todtenkopf and its role in the Holocaust.
"All this occurred around that time the Eichmann trial was taking place, and Holocaust material began to be published. I read all I could find and was able to get a general picture of what happened to the Jews. What I found out horrified me and the thought that my father took a role -- a leading role in the slaughter -- made me feel that perhaps our family was tainted with evil. If the conditions were the same, I asked myself, could I too become a killer?
"I took a trip, getting as far away from Germany as possible. It was as if I was haunted by Germany and all things German... On the way, I decided to visit Israel to get some perspective on the victims of the Nazis and find out what was so special about this nation that so consumed Hitler. I needed to come to terms with what was churning inside of me, and I toured the country, working periodically here and there on agricultural settlements.
"While in a kibbutz, I saw a poster advertising a summer's program at Hebrew University in desert zoology, and I enrolled. I did very well and in the fall was able to register for a graduate program at the university. While I was engaged in graduate work, I also became interested in Judaism.
"I loved Israel so much I just stayed on and applied for citizenship. Also, after about two years of learning about Judaism I decided to study to become a Jew. A few years later I earned my Ph.D. in microbiology and became a Jew. I married and settled in Jerusalem. My wife was a German Lutheran, but she, too, converted. A psychologist might interpret my conversion as sublimating my guilty feelings, but I prefer to think about it as fulfilling my Jewish destiny. Don't ask me how or why, but here we are -- an observant Jewish family. And we are very happy living as Jews.
"About a year ago we learned that my father was not feeling well. My wife thought it would be a mitzvah to visit him and show him his grandchildren. At first I was apprehensive about going back to Germany, a country I now feared. But in the end, I took a sabbatical and we went back to Darmstadt to visit with my father.
"It was quite a scene. My boys wore their yarmulkas, and had their tzitzis (fringes) showing. Their payos (sidecurls) were tucked back behind their ears and, of course, they spoke Hebrew.
"When he first saw us, my father was overwhelmed, and initially, couldn't bring himself to embrace anyone. Later we got to talk and he seemed to be pleased by the way things were turning out for us.
"My father is very old now, over ninety, and I wanted to know what he did to merit such a long life with such grandchildren, so I asked him point blank what he had done to earn his good fortune.
"I explained to him that we Jews believe that there are consequences to what we do, and the reward system in life is measured very carefully. He looked at me and pondered the question.
"He answered, 'I can't think of anything outstanding, but once, in Frankfurt,' he said, 'when we were rounding up the Jews, I had the chance to save the life of three Jewish boys who were hiding in a Catholic orphanage. For some reason they aroused my sympathy. I was touched by their plight; they were so lost and forlorn I felt pity for them, so I let them flee. I don't know what happened to them. But I didn't kill them.'
"I thought his answer over and told him that according to our tradition his answer made sense.’You know, papa, if you had let four boys go, you would have had four grandchildren.'"
White Angel of Auschwitz
I and untold others were heartbroken by the news from Jerusalem of the death of Rebbitzen Tzila Sorotzkin (formerly Orlean), a noted teacher in the Bais Yaakov seminary in Cracow, and protégé of Sarah Schenirer, founder of the first Bais Yaakov Jewish seminary for women.
What is legendary about the Rebbitzen is the scope of her accomplishments in the Hell known as Auschwitz-Birkenau. Much of it I witnessed personally; the rest I heard from my wife, from the Rebbitzen’s seminary students, and from her fellow inmates in Auschwitz, a chapter in heroic history that warrants an entire volume.
FIRST ENCOUNTER IN BIRKENAU
I shall never forget my first encounter with the Rebbitzen (then Mrs. Tzila Orlean) in the women's infirmary in Birkenau. It was a Shabbos afternoon, and I and some other Auschwitz slave laborers were paving the road near the infirmary. I heard that Rebbitzen Tzila worked in the infirmary.
Contacting an Orlean was a stratagem that could lead to uncovering the whereabouts of my wife, whom the Nazis separated from me on our arrival in Auschwitz. (In fact, finding my spouse was my primary purpose for requesting that the barrack supervisor assign me to work in this area.)
I began checking one infirmary barrack after another. Everyone knew the name Orlean, but no one knew where she could be found. Gathering courage, I marched into the hospital's main office. I no sooner crossed the threshold when a tall, stately woman blocked my path, shouting "Raus! Vas suchen sie hier?" (Get out! What are you looking for here?)
"I'm looking for Mrs. Orlean," I answered meekly.
On hearing the name Orlean, she mellowed into contrition. "You'd better go back to work," she said with some deference. "You're not allowed to be here. Just tell me where you work. I'll find her and send her to your group."
About half an hour later, a young lady strode over to us and said, "My name is Orlean. Is someone looking for me?"
"Yes," I answered. "I am. My name is Friedenson."
"Friedenson!" she exclaimed. "From Lodz? There's a Friedenson here, and I didn't know about it? How can it be?"
"Yes," I answered. "I'm the son of Rabbi Eliezer Gershon Friedenson. You should know me. You were at our house for a Bais Yaakov conference in Lodz. It was about eight or nine years ago."
"Of course I remember your house. And also your mother and two young boys. Are you one of those boys?"
"Yes," I said, "but I'm not a young boy anymore. I'm already married. I was brought here with my wife."
"Have you seen her?" she asked.
"How can I see her? I'm not allowed to leave this base. I don't know if there was a selektion of the women when we arrived, or where she might be now. All I know is that the women who were brought from Starochovitz are in Block 25."
"Block 25?" she paused to reflect. There was a time when Block 25 had been the last stop before the gas chambers. "I know the block supervisor. She's a shrew! But wait, I have an idea!"
Turning on her heels, she disappeared. Two minutes later, she returned, flaunting a piece of paper. "I accomplished something," she proclaimed proudly. "I told the head secretary that I must escort someone from Block 25 to the infirmary. Here's the pass. If your wife is in Block 25, I will bring her here."
It didn't take long, and the Rebbitzen, presenting the pass, brought my wife to the infirmary for "treatment." When I saw the Rebbitzen the next day I asked her if she hadn't perhaps jeopardized her job... and maybe even her life... to obtain my wife under false pretenses. I shall never forget her answer: "Here in the camp we are constantly being beaten and punished for no sin. Should I then be afraid of being penalized for doing a mitzvah?"
For that favor and, needless to say, for all the others for proving to me that my wife was still alive, I have remained grateful all my life. During the next six months, the Rebbitzen provided my wife with clothing, medical care and moral support. She brought her into the fold of Bais Yaakov students who worked under her supervision at the infirmary.
But this is not the main focus of my essay. What I want to stress is how the Rebbitzen also cared for complete strangers, people with whom she had no connection.
MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH
After she had helped me find my wife, she asked if I would be returning the next day. I said I didn't know; it depended on the barrack kapo.
"Try to come," she said. "Tomorrow is Sunday, and the Germans won't be here. There'll be lots of food, enough for you and whomever you wish to bring. You could use a nourishing soup."
It was predestined that my kapo sent me back there the next day. As the Rebbitzen had recommended, I brought a guest, a Chassidishe young man, who had come from Lodz only a few days earlier and whose piety had made a strong impression on me. All skin and bones, he struck me as a deserving candidate for some nourishing food.
The Rebbitzen was waiting at the barrack door. Lunchtime she brought us two brimming bowls of boiling, freshly made soup. I'm not ashamed to say that I was carried away with joy by the mere sight of the hearty broth, but my friend was beside himself with anguish. "Do you see what's swimming around in this soup?" he asked apprehensively. "It's treife, non-kosher meat! I'm not going to eat this! It's not for me! I overcame the temptation in the ghetto until now, and I'm still living..."
His words brought the Rebbitzen to tears. "You don't want to eat?" she cried.
"Have you forgotten where you are? You're in Auschwitz, in the concentration camp, and this soup can keep you alive. You're not allowed to say you won't eat. It's a matter of life and death -- the Torah says 'choose life.'
"Eat, eat! You must eat! It's a mitzvah to eat! A number of Tzaddikim, righteous people, here said so. There are many religious Jews here who never ate in anyone's house, but here in the camp they eat everything... It's a mitzvah to eat! Over there [pointing to a neighboring barrack near the fence] is the Novominsker Rebbe from Warsaw. On your way out, stop in to see him. He'll tell you whether or not it's a mitzvah to eat!"
I can't recall everything the Rebbitzen said in her long speech about matters of life and death, but I do remember how delighted she was when my friend took spoon in hand and dug in. She waited until he finished, then handed him a piece of bread, saying, "I had this for you when I saw you, but I withheld it. I knew if I gave it to you, you wouldn't eat the soup. Now that I've convinced you to eat the soup, take this also, and may it be to your good health! Remember, in Auschwitz you can't afford to be overly righteous!"
INHUMANE CONDITIONS, THE HUMAN TOUCH
Twice again I was privileged to cross paths with the Rebbitzen in Auschwitz. On both occasions, she helped several of us through serious difficulties. Shortly after that, I lost my work assignment in the women's camps, and I lost contact with both her and my wife, until after the war.
After the liberation, when I was reunited with my wife, I heard from her and from others who were close with her for many months in Auschwitz numerous accounts of her magnanimous deeds how from her infirmary barrack she organized a legion of Bais Yaakov girls to care for the weak and sick, and to fortify their own faith with lighting Shabbos and Chanukah candles, praying whenever possible, and so on...
To keep their moral fiber intact, to retain their mentschlichkeit (human decency), not to become tainted by the camp, as she was wont to say, presented a formidable task, as the appallingly squalid conditions tended to harden the hearts and pollute the speech. Sapped by starvation and frightened by the licking tongues of the crematoria, an inmate usually developed a savage self-centeredness which brought him to see and think only of himself. Multiply that by famine, filth, foul odor, affliction, flogging, constant fear for one's life, and the proximity of the gas chambers.
The Rebbitzen, however, never cringed before the challenge. She proclaimed that precisely there, in that hellish abyss, one must strive to intensify one's refinement, sensitivity and Jewishness. Under her guidance, the girls developed into models of virtue and modesty, smoothing the path of the suffering throughout those grueling years...
It is only partially true that the Rebbitzen accomplished so much because of her special status. Providence had so divined that she come to Auschwitz from Slovakia when she attempted to escape from Cracow in 1941. Auschwitz was not yet an extermination camp, but somewhat of a "respectable" concentration camp. With her advanced education and mastery of languages, she was engaged first as a nurse in the women's infirmary, and then as secretary in the main office.
She saw this promotion as a "calling sent by the Creator to provide for others," as she rededicated herself to her imperiled brothers and sisters. For hundreds, she was the embodiment of a "saving angel."
I described earlier how she implored the Chassidic young man to consume the treif soup. How astonished I was later to learn that she herself ate no treif during the entire length of her stay. One could rationalize that in the infirmary there was no dearth of food, and she could easily bypass the treif. But the truth was that even those who had food in Auschwitz always went hungry. Her determination to avoid treif was a formidable challenge requiring superhuman strength. An even greater feat, perhaps, was not expecting others to do the same.
THE BREADTH OF HER INFLUENCE
The Rebbitzen’s humanitarianism was not limited to singular or sporadic favors. Her work, as my wife has always told me, embodied a secret, coordinated and all encompassing kindness mechanism that functioned as a lifeline to her grieving kinsmen.
How did she do it?
With the influence that came with her work assignment, she planted her students in strategic positions: in the kitchen, bread and clothing commissaries, and barrack management as well as in "nursing." These placements served a dual purpose; to lighten the burdens of daily life for her assistants as well as for those they assisted. She taught the girls not to exploit their position for their own self aggrandizement but to aspire to loftier ideals: to give of themselves and their resources... shoes and warm garments for those who had to work outdoors in the bitter frost... bread and soup for the weak... caring doctors for the sick... To run this "organization" required Herculean strength, which her assistants soon discovered she more than adequately possessed...
Not only were the camp inmates touched, but also the Nazis. Once, mustering courage at a selektion in the infirmary (selektions there were frequent), she approached a Nazi and successfully convinced him to reduce his quota of girls and women. When later asked how she summoned the nerve, she explained that something in his face reflected a bit of mentschlichkeit (humanity). Since unlike the others, he didn't shout, threaten, beat anyone or evoke fear, she simply appealed to his conscience by saying: "You know what will happen to the girls you are taking. You probably consider them unproductive and therefore worthless, but you are making a mistake. They are not as sick as they look. There's hope for all of them." With that she won her case, and he discontinued the selektion...
A few days before the liberation by the Soviets, a report spread that the Nazis had fled. They were no more to be seen in the watchtowers, barracks, mess hall or other places where they would make their daily appearance. Stunned by the news, the frantic inmates scurried to the commissaries and food and clothing lockers to still their hunger for food and other necessities.
What did the Rebbitzen do at that moment? Since it occurred to her that when the mothers went to avail themselves of "the spoils of Auschwitz" they must have left their offspring unattended, she enlisted a few helpers and rushed to the children's barrack. There they found the young ones alone and frightened, eyes transfixed with shock and grief, dirty and disheveled, an offensive stench from their clothes, wailing for their mothers. Rebbitzen Tzila and her crew rolled up their sleeves and plunged into washing, de-licing, disentangling and grooming every last child until the wee hours of the morning. (www.innernet.org)





Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Shoftim 5770
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Eikev 5770

שבת טעם החיים עקב תש"ע
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Eikev 5770

Returning to Egypt can also be viewed as returning to a high level of spirituality

Introduction
ובני ישראל נסעו מבארות בני יעקן מוסרה שם מת אהרן ויקבר שם ויכהן אלעזר בנו תחתיו, the Children of Israel journeyed from Bieiros-binei-yaakan to Moserah; there Aharon died and he was buried there, and Elazar his son ministered in his place. (Devarim 10:6)
In this week’s parasha it is said (Devarim 10:6) uvinei Yisroel nasu miBeiros binei yaakan Moserah sham meis Aharon vayikavier sham vayichahein Elazar bino tachtav, the Children of Israel journeyed from Bieiros-binei-yaakan to Moserah; there Aharon died and he was buried there, and Elazar his son ministered in his place. Rashi here is troubled by a number of issues. First, what is the connection of this verse to the preceding verses that discuss the giving of the second Luchos? Second, Rashi wonders, why the Torah here states that the Jewish People traveled from Binei Yaakan to Moserah when elsewhere (Bamidbar 33:31) the Torah states the opposite, that they traveled from Moseira to Binei Yaakan? Last, why does the Torah here state that Aharon died at Moserah, when elsewhere (Ibid verse 38) the Torah states that he died at Hor hahar? To answer these questions Rashi cites the Yerushalmi that states that subsequent to Aharon’s death, the clouds of Glory departed and the Jewish People became exposed to the gentiles. The king of Arad battled them and many Jews fled with the intention of returning to Egypt. The tribe of Levi chased after the other Jews a journey of eight camps until they arrived at Binei Yaakan and Moseira and there the Leviim killed some Jews and some Leviim also fell in battle. It was in Moseira that the Jewish people mourned Aharon’s death as it was his death that ultimately led to this massacre and it was as if he had died in Moseira. Moshe juxtaposed this incident to the incident of his breaking the Luchos to teach us that Hashem deems the death of the righteous to be akin to the breaking of the Luchos. The Furthermore, we learn from here that Moshe was as troubled by the Jewish People’s declaration to return to Egypt in the same vein as when they had worshipped the Golden Calf.
How could the tribe of Levi kill their own brethren?
One must wonder regarding the justification of the tribe of Levi to chase after the Jewish people and to cause death to other Jews and to their own tribes. After all, the Jews were scared after losing their protection, so they sought to return to Egypt. Why was this action considered so grievous as to warrant being massacred by their own brethren?
Understanding the sin of the Golden Calf
Rashi writes that Moshe was troubled by the Jews’ desire to return to Egypt in the same manner as when they had worshipped the Golden Calf. We cannot assume that the analogy to worshipping the Golden Calf is merely a cliché. Rather, we must understand what transpired when the Jewish People worshipped the Golden Calf and then we can gain a better insight as to why upon Aharon’s death they sought to return to Egypt.
The Jewish People worshipped the Golden Calf to demonstrate the power of repentance to future generations
The act of worshipping the Golden Calf appears to have been a spontaneous reaction from the Jewish People. Yet, the Gemara (Avodah Zara 4b) states that the Jewish People worshipped the Golden Calf to demonstrate to future generations the power of repentance. How are we to understand this enigmatic statement? Is it possible for an entire nation to sin so future generations can appreciate the power of repentance?
Initial enthusiasm sustains a person even in the down times
The Sfas Emes (Ki Sisa 5639) writes that the first Luchos were given with much fanfare, whereas regarding the second Luchos HaShem told Moshe that it is better to be discreet. The Sfas Emes writes that although the Jewish People were prepared to publicize HaShem’s existence throughout the world, the evil Amalek came and prevented the nations from receiving this benefit. This act of Amalek ultimately caused the Jewish People to fall from their lofty spiritual level and this was the catalyst for the worshipping of the Golden Calf. It was for this reason that HaShem determined that the second Luchos have to be given discreetly. Nonetheless, the initial publicity and enthusiasm that the Jewish People displayed was a necessary component for the second Luchos to be given discreetly. This, writes the Sfas Emes, is a lesson for future generations. One’s initial entry into spiritual matters must be with fiery enthusiasm, and even if one cannot sustain this enthusiasm, the initial enthusiasm will help in the time so concealment. Based on the words of the Sfas Emes, we can suggest that the Jewish People worshipped the Golden Calf so that future generations would understand that while one may fall from his previous spiritual level, there is always hope for return. This return is actually facilitated by one’s initial enthusiasm in his spiritual ascent.
All beginnings are a source of strength
With this premise in mind, we can better understand why the Jewish People panicked when Aharon died and the Clouds of Glory disappeared. The Jewish People were once gain exposed to the cunning and diabolical plans of Amalek. Indeed, the Medrash states that the Canaanites who attacked the Jewish People at this time were really Amalekites who disguised their speech and clothing to deceive the Jewish People. The Jewish People reacted by wishing to return to Egypt. In the simple sense this means that they wished to return to the comforts of living in Egypt. We can, however, interpret this statement allegorically to mean that they wished to return to the state of spiritual existence that they had experienced prior to fashioning the Golden Calf. While their rationale had merit, in the physical world they had to be punished just like when they worshipped the Golden Calf. This is the meaning of the statement that Moshe was troubled by their desire to return to Egypt like when they had worshipped the Golden Calf. The Medrash states that kol haschalos kashos, all beginnings are difficult. The Kotzker Rebbe interpreted the word kashos homiletically to mean strong, i.e. all beginnings are commenced with strength. Similarly, we can suggest that the Yerushalmi that states that the death of the righteous is difficult like the breaking of the Luchos means that the death of the righteous is a source of strength of the Jewish People. The death of the righteous is akin to the breaking of the Luchos, which facilitated the atonement for the Jewish People. Similarly, the wording huksha lo, that Moshe found the return of the Jews to Egypt difficult, can be interpreted as their strength, i.e. they sought to return to their original strength of spirituality.
The Shabbos connection
Throughout the week we are influenced by society around us, and we may feel that we have fallen from our spiritual plateau. We should bear in mind that our original enthusiasm and fervor in serving HaShem will keep us strong during the times of difficulty. The Gemara states that all opinions agree that the Torah was given on Shabbos, and the Chidushei HaRim writes that the letters from the commandments to observe the Shabbos never left the Luchos. These statements demonstrate that at the giving of the Torah and even after the sin of the Golden Calf, we can capitalize on the holiness of Shabbos to give us strength and encouragement in our continuous service of HaShem.
Shabbos Stories
Silent revolution

Thursday evening in the Moscow apartment of Lova Aivazov. The year was 1980. Forty-five young people had just ended a class in the weekly Torah portion. Still to come, after a short break, would be a lesson in Psalms.
Nine p.m. The cookies and samovar had just been produced when there was a knock on the door. A latecomer no doubt, come to enjoy the second half of the class.
The door opened. There was no latecomer there, grinning shyly. There was only the KGB.
About 16 people entered the small apartment: five uniformed policemen, ten plainclothes KGB officers, and one woman from the Moscow District Council.
The woman pounced delightedly upon the books piled neatly on the dining room table. "Illegal activities," she shrieked, grabbing the books and scooping them into the capacious handbag she had brought just for the purpose. Through the haze of the first shock, Rabbi Eliyahu Essas could not help but compare her to a hungry Moscow shopper who'd found a rare hoard of chickens in a store.
But his irreverent thoughts quickly flew back to the situation at hand. The KGB men, clearly in charge of the situation, had begun checking the internal passports of each of the participants, carefully noting down their names, addresses, and places of employment. The first to be arrested would be anyone who lived outside Moscow who had not obtained the proper permit to be in the capital overnight. Rabbi Essas' eyes swept over the group ― thank God, tonight there were only Muscovites in attendance.
But as he gazed at his students, he saw increasing signs of fear and some panic. Rabbi Essas, too, felt afraid ― but only of one thing: Perhaps this was the end of the Torah network he'd created in the heart of the Soviet Empire. Later, other fears arose, but at this moment he could think of nothing else.
His first task was to calm his students. But it was forbidden to talk to each other until the end of the KGB "Operation." Rabbi Essas had a message to give his students. But how could he talk to them of faith in God, here, under the eyes of the KGB?
He took a deep breath and approached the KGB agent who was clearly in charge of the operation. "You must do your job here, and I cannot change your mind," he said to him in a voice loud enough to be heard all throughout the apartment. "But remember, first of all ― our people existed for 3,000 years before you ― and we will live long after yours have ceased to exist. Second, such names as Yagoda, Ezhov, Beria (all of them were heads of the KGB) and all of them, today, are gone, killed one by one by their successors. Do what you have to do ― but do not be arrogant before us."
The KGB agent's face was a mask of granite. But Essas hadn't really sought to elicit a reaction. He had wanted to send a message to his students, encouraging them to continue to be strong ― no matter what.
The message got through. Faces lightened, hope replaced fear. And after the scare was over, after the interrogations that took place within the next two weeks, 43 out of the 45 people who'd been in attendance continued to come to classes and study Torah, though in a reorganized format ― in smaller groups, reshuffled each week to another place.
Other than that one raid, and one other that followed it almost immediately, the Torah network that was growing in Moscow found itself strangely untouched by the foul KGB hands. Individuals did get their share of interrogations, scares, midnight visits, and refused visas, but as a group they seemed to have been left quite alone.
Years later, a former member of the Moscow Synagogue helped explain the special protection they had, [in the following story:]
A FEW MADMEN
A KGB agent in Moscow had just received disquieting news. A refusenik, already known to their office for his emigration activities, had begun a class in, of all things, the Jewish Bible and Jewish laws. It was a small class, obviously, but did it pose a threat to the Soviet State? That was his job to decide.
The thing seemed outlandish, a holdover from a past so remote that it hardly seemed worth bothering about. Still, it had to be looked into. The agent searched for a pen, and began to write.
Not long afterwards, the president of the Moscow Synagogue received a letter. It was ostensibly from the State Committee on Religious Affairs; the president knew better than that. The KGB was making inquiries.
"We have been informed that a group of young people are coming together to study Jewish law. What is the synagogue's evaluation of the future of such an endeavor?" it read.
The answer was simple, and quickly penned. There is no danger in these activities, the president assured the "State Committee." Judaism is a religion of strict observance, and the laws are almost impossible to keep for young people in the Soviet Union. Students, for instance, must attend university on the Jewish Sabbath. The Soviet diet, too, is already quite restricted, and no one would voluntarily restrict it further by keeping the laws of kashrus.
"This will end with three or four madmen who can't do any harm to our state," the president assured the Committee.
As a result of the letter, the KGB let the classes continue, unharmed. And by the time they realized that "three or four madmen" can turn into hundreds of observant Jews, the network had turned into a movement, had gained momentum, and had become so well known that it could no longer be destroyed.
THE SPY
Things looked grim for Valentin. A student in Moscow University, he'd been caught attending classes in Judaism. Now he was in trouble. Big trouble. Retribution was swift, and soon Valentin found himself expelled from the university's hallowed halls. He was now an able-bodied man without a university exemption, and there was only one place for him ― the army.
Within weeks, Valentin had been drafted and shipped out to a small Siberian town, far, far away from the Talmud classes, kosher food, and fellow Jews. All the mitzvahs that he'd so recently taken on had become impossible to observe. Valentin determined to hold on to one thing, at the very least. Every morning, he told himself grimly, he would put on his Tefillin. No matter what.
It wasn't easy to drag himself out of his bed on the frigid Siberian mornings. And yet Valentin managed to be up half an hour before reveille, don his Tefillin, and pray to his Creator.
One day, one of his fellow soldiers who had happened to waken early was astonished to see Valentin standing quietly in a corner, carefully winding straps around his arm, carefully placing a box upon his forehead. The next morning the soldier, his suspicions awakened, again awoke early, and again witnessed this mad ― or possibly traitorous ― behavior.
By the third day, the soldier had done his patriotic duty, and when Valentin roused himself from his all-too-short night's sleep, there were two officers on hand to witness these strange goings-on. The officers, both embittered remnants from Stalinist times, were not impressed with Valentin's protestations that the Tefillin were religious objects. Prayer they could understand, although they didn't like it; but these straps? Clearly, Valentin was a spy, and the straps and box some sort of transmitting device.
Their first step was to confiscate the dangerous transmitter. Valentin, still protesting, insisted upon accompanying the Tefillin to the lab where they would be examined. Curiously enough, the officers agreed, though insisting that a military guard escort him.
In the lab in a small Siberian town, the technicians had never seen such a device. The boxes, they surmised, served as transmitters, while the straps were antennas. As Valentin watched, horrified, they actually opened up the Tefillin boxes. Gleefully, they pulled out the writing. A secret code! It is Hebrew, he protested. A language that has been dead for 2,000 years, they answered. A perfect code!
Getting more and more angry, and not a little scared, Valentin urged his captors to contact the small local Jewish community in the city of Novosibirsk to verify his words. The next day, the investigators duly visited the synagogue. They returned, unimpressed: No one had been wearing the straps and boxes. It was... Saturday.
Eventually the president of the synagogue heard about the hapless Jewish soldier and came forward to verify his story and explain that no Jew put on his straps on their Sabbath. The officers, not particularly eager to press charges of espionage, partly because it would look bad on their unit's records, and partly because they simply didn't want the trouble, were prepared to drop the charges. Instead, they told Valentin, he would be discharged on psychiatric grounds. "Because, if you're not a spy, you certainly must be crazy."
Instead of two years, Valentin finished his army service in two months, and soon was ready to rejoin his family and friends ― Jewish friends ― back in Moscow. Later, because he hadn't spent much time in the army, he was allowed to leave Russia and emigrate to Israel, without having to undergo the ordeal of being a refusenik. Valentin, now living in the Negev, knows where his "good luck" came from: his devotion to the mitzvah of Tefillin. (www.innernet.org)



Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Eikev 5770
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Matos-Masei 5770

שבת טעם החיים מטות-מסעי תש"ע
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Matos-Masei 5770

Vows and clarity

Introduction
וידבר משה אל ראשי המטות לבני ישראל לאמר זה הדבר אשר צוה ה', Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes of the Children of Israel, saying: this is the thing that HaShem has commanded. (Bamidbar 30:2)
In this week’s parasha the Torah discusses the laws of Nedarim, vows. It is said (Bamidbar 30:2) vayidabeir Moshe el roshei hamatos livnei Yisroel leimor zeh hadavar asher tzivah HaShem, Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes of the Children of Israel, saying: this is the thing that HaShem has commanded. The Sifri notes that whereas all other prophets prophesized with the words koh amar HaShem, thus says HaShem, Moshe was unique in that he prophesized with the words zeh hadavar, this is the thing. There are a number of questions that must be addressed regarding this Medrash. First, what is the fundamental difference between the words koh amar and the words zeh hadavar that reflect a distinction between the two forms of prophecies? Second, why does the Medrash specifically point out this distinction between prophecies regarding the laws of vows? Third, we find that the words zeh hadavar are already mentioned regarding the prohibition of offering sacrifices outside of the Bais HaMikdash. Why did the Medrash not highlight there the distinction of the words koh amar and the words zeh hadavar?
The Netziv’s explanation regarding the difference between Moshe’s prophecy and other prophets
The Netziv, in his commentary to the Sifri, explains that the difference between the prophecies of all other prophets and the prophecy of Moshe is that the other prophets transmitted their prophecy after the Divine Spirit had left them, whereas Moshe uttered his prophecies while HaShem was talking to him. Thus, the words of Moshe were essentially the words of HaShem. The Netziv does not explain, however, the uniqueness of the words zeh hadavar to the laws of Nedarim. Upon examining the rationale of Nedarim we will discover the reason why the Medrash points out the uniqueness of the words zeh hadavar specifically regarding these laws.
The articulation of a vow reflects clarity
When one makes a vow, he is doing something different than telling people of his intentions. A vow reflects a clarity that the person did not have until this moment. Thus, by uttering a vow to perform an action, one is demonstrating that it is clear to him why he is performing this act. The Gemara (Nedarim 8a) evidences this concept by stating that one who declares that he will learn a chapter of Torah has pronounced a great vow to the G-d of Israel. The commentators explain that this declaration is not necessarily a true vow. Rather, one who declares that he will study a certain section of Torah is akin to one who vows to donate to charity. Nonetheless, one who articulates his intention to study or to donate to charity is surely demonstrating his inner conviction of performing the will of HaShem. While people, may be cognizant of the requirement to study Torah and donate to charity, it is much more valuable when one declares his intentions to study and to donate.
Moshe’s prophecy was akin to the clarity of a vow
Given the fact that a vow reflects the idea of clarity, we can better understand why the Medrash chose to highlight the distinction between Moshe’s prophecy and all the other prophets’ prophecy specifically regarding the laws of vows. Other prophets are akin to one who has good intentions but does not necessarily articulate his true wishes. Moshe’s prophecy, however, reflects the determination of one who is willing to act on his convictions. Thinking good thoughts are noble, but acting on them is clearly a higher level of dedication to HaShem and His Torah.
The Shabbos connection
Throughout the entire week we are faced with trials and tribulations that may at times impede on our efforts to perform good deeds and study Torah. With the arrival of Shabbos, however, a great light descends upon the world. Through the prism of this light HaShem allows us to clearly see our mission in this world, which is to study Torah and perform good deeds. HaShem should shine upon us the light of Tziyon, with the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily, in our days.

Shabbos Stories
Accepting rebuke with love
The Sfas Emes' father died when the Sfas Emes was young. The Chidushei HaRim, who was the Sfas Emes’ grandfather, raised the young orphan, who was a child prodigy. At a very young age, the Sfas Emes once stayed up almost the whole night learning Torah with a study partner.
The Sfas Emes fell asleep right before morning prayers and came into Shacharis late. The Chidushei HaRim approached his grandson after davening and laced into him. He told him, "If the Rebbe's grandson comes late to davening, what type of impression does that make on the people?" He told him his actions were a Desecration of G-d's Name. He went on and on, cutting the young boy to pieces.
The Sfas Emes kept totally quiet. He did not offer the obvious excuse that he was up all night learning. His chavrusa, who was up with him and knew what had happened, approached his young study partner and asked, "Why didn't you just tell your grandfather you were up all night studying?"
The Sfas Emes answered, "To hear mussar from a great person is a wonderful experience. It was worth it to hear the admonitions and chastisement of the 'Zeida' even though I am 100 percent innocent."
We can't relate to this idea. When we are right and someone accuses us falsely, we are the first to jump and correct the misimpression. The Sfas Emes wanted to hear the chastisement.
The Sfas Emes brought a proof to the correctness of his position (of listening silently to the unjustified rebuke of a great person) from the Tribes of Gad and Reuven.
When they came to Moshe Rabbeinu and asked to live in Trans-Jordan, Moshe Rabbeinu jumped at them. He accuses them of being cowards, of refusing to fight, of repeating the sin of the Meraglim, and on and on. Then they clarified their original position. However, in the meantime, they sat there and listened to Moshe Rabbeinu's whole tirade. They patiently took in all the mussar that he was giving them, before they corrected his misimpression of their proposal.
It is worthwhile to hear mussar from a great teacher. It is worthwhile to hear oneself being cut up and put in one's place by a great individual... even if the criticism is not correct. The Sfas Emes explained that it was worth hearing his grandfather's mussar, whether or not he was at fault. (www.Torah.org )
Chazon Ish - Whose Guest Is He?
The Chazon Ish in his Sefer Emunah U'Bitachon tells a story of a Chosid who invited a guest to his home for Seudas Shabbos. His whole family joyously prepared for the meal because they loved hosting guests.

However the person making arrangements for the guest didn't realize that the Chosid had invited him, so he sent him to a different family for the Seudah.

When the Chosid finished Davening on Friday night the guest was nowhere to be found. The Chosid finally got to the bottom of the story and when he returned home without the guest the family was greatly disappointed. The Chosid said to them, "Is our guest your personal property to do business with? I only worried that he should have a place to eat and enjoy Seudas Shabbos. What is the difference if this is done in our house by someone else?"

Selflessness is considering another person's needs. Selfishness is using other peoples' needs as a way to satisfy your personal desires, whatever they may be.
The Brisker Rav & Rav Dessler - Waiting For Moshiach At The Door
The Rambam (Melachim 11:1) writes that anyone who does not believe in the coming of Moshiach or does not wait for him... is Kofer in Toras Moshe. The Brisker Rav points out that even if you believe in Moshiach but are not awaiting his imminent arrival, you are a Kofer. This is further emphasized by the Rambam by writing in the 13 Ikarim, "Achakeh Lo BiChol Yom SheYavo". The waiting is not simply a word about our yearning for Moshiach. It is part and parcel of believing in him. If you are not waiting, you do not believe.

So how does one wait? Rav Eliyahu Dessler in Michtav MeiEliyahu writes that when a person is deathly ill and waiting for a special expert Doctor who promised to come from far, when the patient hears every knock on the door he jumps expecting it to be the Doctor. Even if the Doctor hasn't shown up for days, the patient never gives up hope and is convinced that each knock is finally him.

It is said on the Chafetz Chaim that often when he woke up, he would urgently ask, "Did Moshiach arrive, while I was sleeping?"

Rav Avrohom Grodzinsky Dances Right On Time
The following story gives a glimpse of the greatness of Rav Avrohom Grodzinsky and gives new meaning to the obligation to feel for another Jew. One time when Rav Avrohom was in Warsaw he went to visit some relatives. All during the visit he kept asking what the time was. At one point after they told him the time he got up and started dancing. His hosts asked him what he was doing, but he was oblivious to his surroundings as he danced with great fervor. After finishing dancing he sat back down again as if nothing happened.

When his relatives asked him what this odd behavior was all about he explained that one of the talmidim was getting married in Slabodka that night. He really wanted the Mashgiach Rav Avrohom to be there. "While unfortunately I was unable to be there for his simcha", said Rav Avrohom. "There is no reason that I could not share in his simcha." (Gedolei HaDoros)

Rav Avrohom Grodzinsky Hy"d was the Mashgiach of the Slabodka Yeshiva. He was the sole leader of the Yeshiva present at the outbreak of the Holocaust, as the Rosh Yeshiva Rav Isaac Sher was abroad at the time. Years earlier the Yeshiva had split into two with the establishment of Slabodka in Eretz Yisroel and while Rav Avrohom was actually sent with the initial group, he was recalled to Slabodka to hold up the Yeshiva when the Alter himself traveled to Eretz Yisroel.

Rav Avrohom was the spiritual leader in the Kovno Ghetto, which was situated in the suburb of Slabodka. He dispensed chizuk and emuna to the broken hearted remnants of the Yeshiva and the rest of the Kovno/Slabodka community during those bleak days. Rav Shloime Volbe and Rav Chaim Kreiswirth were married to his daughters. Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky was his brother-in-law. (www.Revach.net)

A Soul for a soul

Winter in Israel can be the coldest of times, especially out, unprotected and vulnerable, in the frigid air of the Casbah. As Yoni patrolled the deserted streets and marketplaces, he felt a longing for the simple, uncomplicated existence he had enjoyed before being drafted to the Golani Brigade. He thought back to his high school days, to the summers spent at a little bungalow high in the hills of the Galil. He let his mind take him far away. Anywhere was preferable to where he was right now. "Any shadow could be a terrorist, every rock a mine waiting to be stepped on." Why, oh why, had he wanted to join an elite combat unit?...
Not more than one hundred feet away, perched high in the minaret of the nearby mosque, Jamal steeled himself against the bone-numbing coldness of the damp stone wall. Next to him stood the rifle, snout poking through the small window high in the tower’s side. He peered at his watch, a present from his uncle for his seventeenth birthday, and he knew that it would soon be time...
Wait! There he was, the Israeli soldier, out on the evening’s patrol. Jamal’s finger tensed, teasing the trigger, caressing it gently. As the Israeli soldier moved directly into his line of vision, equipment weighing him down, Jamal al Khadouri pressed down gently on the trigger, sending out a bullet which sped straight at the unsuspecting soldier. The bullet struck its target. The soldier crumpled to the ground, and Jamal knew that he’d been successful...
If there was one thing that Doron Halpern hated about being a soldier, it was the fact that the barracks were so crowded. It was too hard to find a little space for yourself in a room with so many other soldiers. Sometimes the only recourse was to get into his heavy army overcoat and go for a stroll outside. Just for a few minutes and not too far away ― one never knew who was waiting in the dark streets and squalid alleyways.
There had been a special delivery of shwarma that evening, which one of the soldier’s mothers had sent up to them from Tel Aviv, and the excitement was high, the mood festive. Their platoon had almost finished its time here, and the feeling of liberation was palpable. It was party time in the barracks and Doron wanted no part in the festivities.
He shrugged into his coat, slung his rifle over his shoulder, and prepared to brave the inclement weather. He opened the door leading to the street and left the building, strolling past the guardhouse where the soldiers stood alert and ready. He breathed in deeply, tasting the fresh night air and began walking down the quiet street in the direction of the Casbah, the city square. He had been walking for seven minutes when he heard the shot.
It came from somewhere to his left and his training kicked in immediately. Without pausing for a second, his rifle was off his shoulder and his eyes were sweeping from right to left as he ran in the direction of the shot. They timed it well, he thought as he ran. No one was supposed to be out now. On and on he ran, through the darkened streets and empty lots full of vandalized cars. And then he turned a corner and ran through the courtyard of the mosque and out through the parking lot. Doron nearly went flying over the prostrate form of the soldier who’d been shot.
Fresh blood gushed out of his wound, and Doron realized that time was of the essence if he wanted to save the young soldier’s life. He dialed the base’s emergency line, giving the soldier on the other end his location, and he then got down to work. First, he ripped a thick piece of material off his shirt and wrapped it tightly around the area of the wound, stanching the bleeding somewhat.
The soldier’s face was turning paler and paler, and it seemed like forever before Doron heard the welcome relief of the sirens. The medics jumped out of the ambulance, pulled out the stretcher and practically threw the soldier inside. The doors slammed closed and the ambulance sped away to the nearest hospital, leaving Doron with torn clothing and bloody hands. With nothing more to be done, Doron ran back to the base, changed out of his clothes and, without telling anyone what had happened, went to bed and tried to sleep. He had never been one to boast.
And so, when the parents of Yoni Harel came to the hospital to visit their son ― who was recuperating beautifully ― and inquired as to the identity of their son’s savior, nobody had anything to tell them. There were a few platoons stationed in the city, and there was no telling from which patrol Yoni’s anonymous guardian angel had come. When a few more days had gone by and the brave soldier had still not come forward, the army gave up the search for the hero.
Yoni’s parents, however, went home to the grocery store they owned in Kiryat Malachi and posted a sign on the wall with the date and details of the story. Israel is a small country, and they figured that sooner or later somebody was bound to walk in who knew the soldier, or who knew someone who knew someone who knew the soldier. But the sign hung there, month after month, with no one volunteering the information they sought.
It was late December the following year when the woman walked into the store. She glanced around, as if to reacquaint her memory with her present surroundings, and she picked out a bottle of orange soda which she carried to the checkout counter. There were a number of customers in the store, and the woman had the chance to observe the owners in action. Every person was greeted as if he or she was a long lost friend. There were smiles, plenty of them, along with warm wishes and soothing energy. Small or large purchase, it mattered not; what was important was how each person was feeling.
As the woman waited in line to pay, she happened to glance at the old sign on the wall opposite the cash register. She scanned the bold, black print with obvious interest and, with mounting excitement, motioned at the owner’s wife to come over to her. The owner’s wife finished wrapping up a purchase and came over to the excited woman.
"Yes?" she inquired.
"This story," said the strange woman pointing at the sign, "I think it was my son. Yes, I remember, almost exactly a year ago, he arrived home from his army base for the weekend and told us the entire story. Wait," she whipped her phone out of her bag, "I’ll call Doron right now and ask him if this is the story." She dialed the number and the storekeeper’s wife stood nearby, watching intently...
"Listen, Doron," said his mother. "I’m here in this grocery store in Kiryat Malachi and there’s a sign on the wall..." She told him the entire story.
"That sounds like my story," Doron confirmed. "Tell them that I found the soldier lying wounded in the parking lot next to the Salheda ibn Salhera mosque." Yoni’s mother heard every word, and tears began to well up in her eyes.
"That was the place," she confirmed through the sudden mist, and the two women suddenly discovered an intense bond between them and their families.
The celebration party was set for the following Saturday evening at the home of the Harel family in Kiryat Malachi. Lights blazed from all the windows, and passersby wondered at the sounds of rejoicing coming from inside. The festivities were just beginning as members of the Harel family streamed to their home from all around the country, to meet the young man who had saved their son/cousin/brother or nephew. Trays and trays of luscious food kept on putting in an appearance, and the music was loud and heartfelt. In the midst of all the goodwill and happiness, Doron’s mother called Yoni’s mother over to the side for a private chat. They strolled together outside behind the house and into the nearby park. After walking around the park for ten minutes, they sat down on one of the benches and Doron’s mother began to speak.
"The truth is," she began, "that I didn’t just happen to walk into your store. It wasn’t just random."
"I know," replied Yoni’s mother. "You live in Kfar Saba, and Kiryat Malachi isn’t much of a tourist attraction."
"The truth is," said Doron’s mother, "that I came especially to Kiryat Malachi to come to your store."
"Why on earth would you do something like that?"
"The reason for my visit to your store goes back many years," Mrs. Halpern said, and her eyes took on a faraway look. "About twenty years ago," she continued, "a young woman walked into your grocery store. She had just happened to pass through the city and just happened to stop in your store for a drink. She was very troubled about something and it showed in her eyes.
"The woman behind the counter was very busy, but she became unbusy when she caught sight of the young woman’s face. In a soft, caring voice, she began questioning the stranger, expertly drawing out her story. She was able to make the stranger feel comfortable enough to confide in someone she had never met before.
"The young woman related how she was expecting a child, but instead of joy, she felt only bitterness and heartbreak. Their desperate financial situation wasn’t sufficient to support a larger family, and she and her husband had begun to argue over the upcoming child’s arrival.
"All the fighting had made her sick, and the more the tension escalated, the more weak and frail she became. The doctors all concurred that the longer the situation stayed the same, the more danger she was in. They painted the blackest of pictures of what would happen to her if she continued with the pregnancy.
"The young woman found herself in the harshest of predicaments. On one hand, she was truly frightened over what would happen to her if she didn’t listen to the doctors’ advice. On the other hand, she couldn’t imagine doing what they were advising her to do. And so, she was walking around torn from within, terribly sick from without.
"The store-owner’s wife suddenly, miraculously, found herself without anything to do, and she bundled her young and troubled charge out of the store and into her home where, over hot coffee and fresh cake, they sat and talked, for what felt to the young woman like a few minutes, but what was in reality quite a while. And during the course of that conversation, her confusion lifted. The young woman suddenly knew that she was not going to listen to the doctors and their advice: she would find a new doctor who would support her in doing what felt right to her. The young woman’s fresh resolve and newfound confidence was all because of that store owner’s wife, who saw a troubled soul and reached out to her in her time of need.
"Five months later," continued Doron’s mother, "that young woman had a baby boy. His parents named him Doron." As quoted on Arutz Sheva (www.innernet.org)
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Matos-Masei 5770
Is sponsored by Mrs. Sybil Carmen and her children in loving memory of her dear departed husband, Mr. Moshe Carmen, Moshe ben Shlomo zt”l, niftar Rosh Chodesh Av
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler
For sponsorships or to subscribe weekly by email please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com
View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com

Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Behar-Bechukosai 5770

שבת טעם החיים בהר-בחקותי תש"ע
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Behar-Bechukosai 5770

Casualness Is not a way of life for the Jewish People

Introduction
ואם בזאת לא תשמעו לי והלכתם עמי בקרי, if despite this you will not heed Me, and you behave toward Me with casualness (Vayikra 26:27)
One of the most quoted forewarnings that the Jewish People have received in recent history was the prophetic words of Rabbi Meir Simcha from Devinsk, commonly referred to as the Meshech Chochma (1843-1926). In the parshaha of Bechukosai Reb Meir Simcha writes that if the Jew thinks that Berlin is Jerusalem then a raging storm wind will uproot him by his trunk a tempest will arise and spread its roaring waves, and swallow, and destroy, and flood forth without pity. Sadly enough, this premonition was realized when we lost, HaShem should save us, six million Jews in what is referred to as the Holocaust. What is unique about this warning is that the Torah itself warns us of devastating consequences if we abandon our service of hashem and if we treated HaShem’s mitzvos with carelessness. Why is it, then, that it is only the words of Reb Meir Simcha that are so well known whereas the Tochacha, the rebuke that we read in Parashas Bechukosai and in Parashas Ki Savo, seem to be ignored by the general population?
What does it mean to be casual in mitzvah observance?
The Torah describes the errant behavior that results in cataclysmic consequences for the Jewish People as keri, casualness. What is the meaning of this casualness? The conventional explanation for casualness regarding mitzvah observance is that one performs the mitzvos with a lack of fervor and enthusiasm. However, this explanation appears difficult, as one would think that the Jewish People should not have to suffer so terribly if they perform the mitzvos, albeit lackadaisically. Perhaps there is a deeper meaning to the casualness that the Torah is referring to.
Amalek caused the Jewish People to become casual
Regarding the incident where Amalek attacked the Jewish People upon liberation from Egypt, it is said (Devarim 25:17-18) zachor eis asher asah lecho Amalek baderech bitzeischem miMitzrayim asher korcha baderech vayizaneiv bicho kol hanecheshalim acharecho viatah ayeif viyageia viol yarei Elokim, remember what Amalek did to you, on the way, when you were leaving Egypt. That he happened upon you on the way, and he struck those of you who were hindmost, all the weaklings at your rear, when you were faint and exhausted, and he did not fear G-d. The simple reading here is that the Jewish People were fatigued upon leaving Egypt and Amalek ambushed them. Furthermore, the Torah states that Amalek did not fear G-d, implying that the Jewish people were not at fault for this ill-fated encounter. The Sfas Emes, however, understands the words what Amalek did to you to mean that Amalek caused that the Jewish People became casual and disconnected from hashem. While our main focus is usually on the evil that Amalek perpetrated, we must also remember how we reacted to their overtures. The Evil Inclination and the nations of the world appear to have a great hold over us, but in truth, we are the ones who are ultimately responsible for our behaviors.
The ambush of Amalek was deliberate to cause us to become casual
It is noteworthy that the Torah uses the word keri, casualness, in describing the deviant behavior of the Jewish People. Similarly, regarding the ambush of Amalek, the Torah uses the word korcha, happened upon you, which also denotes casualness. This seems to be paradoxical, as one does not normally perceive an ambush as casual. Rather, one who ambushes his enemy usually does so in a deliberate manner. The Torah, however, is demonstrating to us that the ultimate goal of Amalek was to cause us to become casual. With this premise we can better understand the premonition of the Meshech Chochma. When the Jewish People are in exile and become acclimated to the gentile society, they become victims to the ambush of Amalek and subsequently they develop a casual attitude towards hashem and His Torah. To declare that Berlin is Jerusalem is just an outward expression of this casualness.
Today more than ever we need to intensify our Torah study and mitzvah observance
Casualness in mitzvah observance is very subtle, as one can study Torah, pray, and perform mitzvos even in a casual manner and believe that he is fulfilling his requirements. The Torah instructs us that this is not so. In the beginning of Parashas Bechukosai the Torah states that we receive the blessings of HaShem when we toil in Torah study. The study of Torah and all mitzvah performance was never meant to be approached in a casual manner. Only by being diligent and deliberate in our service of HaShem can we hope to defeat the diabolical schemes of Amalek and his cohorts. The words of the Meshech Chochma ring true even today, and even more so, as society continues to unsheathe its weapons of destruction through media and technology. The influences appear to be subtle, but their effects are devastating. Intense Torah study and prayer is what can help us resist the blandishments of Amalek and contemporary society.
The Shabbos connection
Shabbos is the day when we are free from the overtures of the Evil Inclination and the nations of the world. The Gemara (Shabbos 118b) states that had the Jewish People observed the first Shabbos in the Wilderness, no race or nation would have been able to dominate them. Subsequent to their violation of the first Shabbos, Amalek attacked the Jewish People. The Torah and the Gemara could not be clearer with the message of what we need to do to ward off the blandishments of Amalek. Hashem should allow us to observe the Shabbos faithfully, and then we will achieve dominance over the nations of the world, with the speedy arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu.




Shabbos Stories
Have true bitachon
A wealthy businessman once sunk most of his considerable assets into a lumber venture. The lumber was to be transported by floating it down the Dnieper River, an economical but somewhat risky process.
The man came to the Netziv, Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Berlin zt"l for a beracha (blessing) that all should go well. The Netziv told him to have bitachon (faith) in Hashem, Who will certainly help him.
"Of course I know that I should have bitachon," the man said. "But what can I do - I am still extremely nervous!"
"You know," said the Netziv, "now I understand a passage in the Torah that has always bothered me. The Torah says the Jews will ask, 'How can we keep Shemitah? What will we eat on the seventh year?' One wonders: Why were they so concerned over the seventh year? Didn't they prepare for it in the sixth year? They should have been concerned over the eighth year!
"Let us consider, however, to whom the Torah is speaking - instructing them not to worry and to have bitachon. Certainly it is not to the poor, firstly because they are already used to relying on bitachon, and secondly because they own no land. Rather, the Torah must be speaking to the wealthy landowners, who are used to 'earning their own living,' and are not connected with bitachon on a regular basis. They can't believe they can survive without their active participation, without "doing it themselves!" This is why they are already nervous, even for the seventh year.
"Don't worry," concluded the Netziv. "Have true bitachon, and all will be well!"
Maybe this is what HaShem is trying to tell you
Rav Noach Weinberg tells a story about a long-haired, "hippie" sort of fellow who walked into his Yeshiva with long hair and the typical accompanying mode of dress. He told Rav Noach, "I don't need a Yeshiva, because G-d and I are like this (as he showed his fingers twisted together to represent a 'twosome')!" Rav Noach asked, "How do you know that you and G-d are like 'this'?" The student responded that he was riding his bike along a mountain road and a truck came along, veered toward him, forcing him off the cliff with his bike. He saw himself going down the tremendous embankment and visualized that the end was at hand. All of a sudden, he saw a branch hanging out of the mountain. He reached out and hung on, and was saved, walking away without a scratch. "That's how I know," he said, "that G-d and I are like 'this'!" Rav Noach then asked him, "Did you ever think about why the truck knocked you off the cliff? Maybe that is what G-d is trying to tell you." (www.Torah.org)
A volcanic ash blessing
A universal crisis, millions of people stranded and billions of dollars lost, as one volcanic eruption in Iceland causes chaos across the European continent. Within all this tumult, one Jew merits a smile of grace from the Creator of the World, and a miraculous series of events begins to unfold.
The story begins with a young yeshiva student, an 18 year old Jerusalemite, who came down with a fulminate hepatic failure and was mortally ill. The doctors agreed there was no hope for him unless he could receive a liver transplant.
With little hope of receiving a liver transplant in Israel, his family consulted with Rabbi Firer, known for his successful record of medical referrals. The rabbi advised to send the boy immediately to Brussels, the world center of liver transplants. He cautioned, however, that Brussels is known to not transplant non-EU patients under any circumstances, in order to save the scanty supply of livers for Europeans. Nevertheless, it was decided to send him to Brussels anyway, despite the full knowledge of the negligible chance of receiving a liver, and the effort and expenses involved. It was the boy's last hope.
Upon arrival, the young student had no choice but to add his name to the long waiting list for a liver transplant. In the meantime, he tried to maintain his yeshiva-studies schedule despite the illness, consciously aware that it could take weeks, months, and even years till he will be able to be given a new liver. Many patients were on the waiting list, and his name was somewhere on the bottom. And should his turn finally arrive, the liver must completely match his blood type and other medical criteria. If it is not a perfect match, he will need to continue waiting...for a miracle.
However, "Many thoughts in a man's heart; nevertheless the plan of G-d shall prevail," and it seems G-d had a different plan for this young Jew. In the month of Iyar, whose letters stand for the words "ani Hashem rofecha" - "I, G-d, am your healer" -- the Almighty's loyal servants produced avalanches of hot ash, rock and gas in Iceland, causing Europe to completely shut down its skies and create a no-fly zone. No one could leave and no one could enter during this self-imposed embargo.
Meanwhile, throughout this time, a religious boy from Jerusalem continued to sit in a yeshiva in the capital of Belgium, diligently learning Torah.
In the midst of the closure, a person died in the famous Brussels, a person who had agreed to donate his liver to anyone that might need it. Astonishingly, this liver was a perfect match in every parameter for the young yeshiva student.
The health authorities of Belgium began contacting the names on liver transplant waiting list in order, but 'unfortunately,' not even one patient was able to fly into Belgium for a desperately needed healthy-liver transplant, as a result of the after-effects of the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
As they advanced further on the waiting list, they reached the student from Israel. Nevertheless, they did not offer the liver to the boy because of his lack of citizenship.
The clock ticked closer and closer to the deadline for the amount of time in which the liver would still be viable for transplanting. The precious healthy liver must not be wasted and would have to be swiftly used to replace a diseased liver. But no one was able to arrive in Belgium for the transplant except the young Yerushalmi.
So, thanks to clear Divine Intervention, the dedicated young yeshiva student received the liver and is now recovering from surgery.
The enormity of this miracle became even clearer after the successful liver transplant. The doctors said that the young yeshiva student's liver was very deteriorated and diseased, and in a matter of days his liver would have stopped functioning completely. The doctors unanimously believe that if this young man had to continue waiting for the liver transplant, he would have been long dead.
The names of the patient (the hospital and the doctors) cannot be released, because of the increasingly strict laws about patient privacy. We wish him a speedy and complete recovery, and long and healthy years.
A miracle in Meiron
This story occurred on the 7th of Adar, the yahrtzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu, which fell on a Shabbos that year. Two students from one of the Lubavitcher yeshivas in Israel decided to go to Meiron in order to spend the Shabbos near the resting place of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
It was a clear and chilly Friday. The two students came to Meiron a few hours before the beginning of Shabbos and began making preparations; they found a place to sleep and arranged their personal belongings. Then they went for a long walk in the Meiron Mountains. They enjoyed the majestic serenity over these mountains of the Galilee. The clear fresh air and the knowledge that they were walking on the same paths used by the holy ancestors of the Jewish people gave them a feeling of being spiritually uplifted.
They lost all concept of time, and only when they heard the faint sound of the Shabbos siren in the village of Meiron, heralding the arrival of Queen Shabbos, did they realize that they had to return to their hostel immediately before the entrance of Shabbos.
In ten minutes' time the Shabbos candles were to be lit and they were still so far away. How would they have time to have a shower, change clothes and prepare themselves for Shabbos?
They immediately began to run as fast as they could on the road leading to their place of lodging. However, it was too far away and they understood that they had little chance of getting there on time.
While running, one of the boys pointed at a small path, winding its way to the top of the mountain.
"Look", he said to his friend, "we have already walked on that path. It is a short-cut that will bring us straight to the hostel."
His friend immediately agreed, and instead of running on the road, they turned onto the small path that was winding its way between the bushes on the mountain. They ran as fast as they could, but they soon came to an abrupt stop, unable to continue.
An enormous black dog stood there blocking their way, and there was no sign that it would allow them to pass. The boys had no time for persuasion and turned to the right side of the path in order to pass the dog and continue on their way. However, the dog also moved to their right and did not allow them to pass. Then they tried to pass him on the left but the same thing happened: he blocked their way again.
The students knew that Shabbos was to start within the next few minutes and decided to pass the dog, come what may. They decided to try and pass him quickly but to their horror the huge dog stood up on its hind legs and opened its mouth in such a frightening way that they ran straight back to the main road leading to Meiron, convinced that they had no other choice.
In the middle of the difficult and strenuous run they noticed a woman standing at the bus stop. Next to her, on the ground, there were two big suitcases. When the boys reached her, she said very excitedly, "It is so good that you came. Please could you help me carry my suitcases to the hostel? Afterwards I shall tell you about a miracle that does not occur every day."
The boys took the cases on their backs without asking any questions and ran as fast as they could to the hostel.
They participated in the Shabbos prayers with devotion and joy of heart. Despite the long run they felt an inner peace and were happy that they had come to Meiron for Shabbos. It would have been better if they had made more proper preparations for Shabbos, but on the other hand they had performed a great mitzvah by helping the woman with her suitcases. She had arrived at the hostel in time to light the Shabbos candles.
The following day they met the woman whom they had assisted. She asked them to be seated and began to relate her story:
"For a long time I wished to go to the holy site of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in order to pray there. When the 7th of Adar approached, I decided to go to Meiron.
"I packed whatever I needed for the weekend in two suitcases. They were too heavy for me to carry all the way from the bus stop to the lodging in Meiron, but I was sure that somebody would be willing to help me. I arrived at Meiron an hour and a half before Shabbos, but to my great surprise I was the only one who got off the bus as this stop.
"I stood on the road, waiting for somebody to come. As time went by, I began to be more and more worried. When I heard the Shabbos siren, I realized that my chances of arriving there on time were very slim. Where would I spend my Shabbos?
"I started to pray to G-d and ask for help. I cried and begged. I brought Shabbos candles with me in my suitcase, but I did not bring any matches. During all my life I have been very conscientious about lighting the Shabbos candles - and now, near the resting place of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, I was to lose this dear mitzvah? I beseeched G-d for help to perform this commandment.
"Suddenly I saw how both of you came running on the road in my direction. I was so happy. Within a few moments you would reach the bus stop and you would certainly be willing to help me with my suitcases.
'To my great dismay, I saw that suddenly you turned onto a side path and began to go up the mountain. I prayed to G-d that he should perform a miracle. You were so very close to the spot where I was waiting.
"I prayed to G-d that he should send an angel from above who would make you turn into my direction -- and suddenly I saw that huge black dog standing in your way!
"You can surely understand how anxious I was when I saw how you tried to pass the dog! I prayed fervently to G-d that you should be unable to walk around him -- and at that very moment he stood up on his hind legs to his full size. I then saw how you returned to the main road until you reached the place where I was waiting!
"I am sure that because of my strong wish to light the Shabbos candles - not for my sake but for the sake of G-d - I had the privilege to see how my prayers were fulfilled in such a wondrous way!"(www.ascentofsafed.com)
Rav Mendele MiRimanov Saves The Shul
A contingent of government officials came to Rimanov to search the city for a suitable storage warehouse for the army's food and supplies. After combing the city, the only place they came up with was the local Shul. When the heads of the Kehila heard, they ran to Rav Mendele of Rimanov to ask him what to do.
One person jumped up and said that as soon as the officials find out that the roof leaks and all their supplies will be ruined, they will not use our Shul as a storehouse. Everyone agreed and seemed satisfied with the plan. However Rav Mendele, with his great Yiras Shamayim, heard this and said that they are sorely mistaken. In fact it is because of the leaky roof that this Gezeira befell them. If we don't take care of our Shul and are Mizalzel in its honor allowing the roof to leak, what do you expect of the non-Jews? Go fix the roof right away and everything will be okay.
They did as they were commanded and never heard from the officials again. (www.Revach.net)




Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Behar-Bechukosai 5770
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Emor 5770

שבת טעם החיים אמור תש"ע
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Emor 5770

Sacrificing one’s life for HaShem’s Name can only be done altruistically

Introduction
ולא תחללו את שם קדשי ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל אני ה' מקדשכם, you shall not desecrate My holy Name, rather I should be sanctified among the children of Israel; I am HaShem Who sanctifies you. (Vayikra 22:32)
The Torah instructs us regarding a commandment that appears to be very simple to fulfill. Nonetheless, if one is not scrupulous in its performance, it may be almost impossible to observe this mitzvah. What is this mitzvah that is so enigmatic? It is said (Vayikra 22:32) you shall not desecrate My holy Name, rather I should be sanctified among the children of Israel; I am HaShem Who sanctifies you. Rashi explains this commandment of sanctifying HaShem’s name to mean that one must literally give up his life for the sake of HaShem’s Name. Yet, there is a caveat to this sacrifice that the Torah requires from a Jew. One must sacrifice himself by preparing to die for HaShem. However, one who sacrifices himself for HaShem with the hope that HaShem will perform a miracle for him, he should know that a miracle will not be performed for him. This statement is perplexing. If one is sacrificing his life for the sake of HaShem, why would he want HaShem to perform a miracle for him? It would seem that the commandment to sacrifice one’s self for HaShem is simply that. One must give up his life for HaShem’s commandments, regardless of whether HaShem chooses to perform a miracle for the person.
Reb Menachem Mendel of Rimanov immersed in the mikveh with the proper intentions
The answer to this question can be illustrated by an incident concerning the great Chassidic Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Rimanov (1745-1815). The Rebbe would normally immerse himself in the mikveh (ritual bath) immediately prior to Shabbos, and this Friday was no exception. On this particular Friday, however, the bath attendant had emptied the water from the mikveh earlier than usual, and there was no water for the Rebbe to immerse in. Instead of expressing disappointment, the Rebbe turned to this attendant with a smile and said, “do not think that the lack of water saddens me. In fact, the opposite is true. Normally when one wishes to perform a mitzvah, he must sanctify his thoughts and intentions in order to ensure that he is performing the mitzvah for the sake of Heaven and not for his own pleasure. Nonetheless, who can really claim that while performing the mitzvah, his intentions are pure and undiluted by ulterior motives?”
“Today, however,” continued the Rebbe, “I experienced the fulfillment of the Sages dictum that one who attempts to perform a mitzvah and is unable to because of circumstances beyond his control is deemed to have fulfilled the mitzvah. Thus, I attempted to immerse today in a mikveh in my usual manner, but extenuating circumstances did not allow me to immerse. Therefore, the Torah itself ‘stepped in’ to perform that task, and even if I am incapable of retaining the proper thoughts and intentions, the Torah is certainly capable. It follows, then, that today more than any other day, my immersion was pure and complete.”
One must sacrifice his Life for HaShem’s Name altruistically
The Torah instructs us to perform an act that would seem to be beyond one’s capabilities. How can someone give up his life for something? Are we not commanded to live a life of enjoyment and pleasure? While normally this may be true, there are situations detailed in the Talmud and the Code of Law that that a Jew sacrifice his life. What will happen, however, if one who is prepared to sacrifice his life contemplates the thought that HaShem will save him? This thought is akin to one who performs any mitzvah without the purest of intentions. When performing most mitzvos it may be difficult to remain focused on the proper intentions. Regarding sacrificing one’s life for the sake of HaShem’s Name, however, the mitzvah can only be performed altruistically. If one dilutes the act of sacrificing his life with the hope of being saved by a miracle, then he has deviated from the intention of the mitzvah, which is to be completely dedicated to HaShem.
Reciting Shema is our way of sacrificing our life for HaShem’s Name
Most of us are not usually confronted with the obligation of sacrificing our lives for HaShem’s name. Nonetheless, we are instructed by the Torah to recite the Shema twice daily, and our intentions in the first verse of the Shema must be that we are prepared to sacrifice our very lives for HaShem’s Name. When we recite the words ‘hear O Israel, the Lord is our HaShem, the Lord is One,’ we should concentrate on dedicating our life to HaShem and His Torah. It is specifically while reciting the Shema that we focus on sacrificing our lives to HaShem, as the first verse of Shema is where we proclaim HaShem’s unity. When we acknowledge HaShem as the One Who rules the world, it is easier to dedicate our lives to fulfilling His will.
The Shabbos connection
During the week we are engaged in Torah study and prayer, but thoughts of earning a livelihood and the blandishments of the Evil Inclination make it challenging to perform spiritual acts altruistically. We may at time s be motivated by money or glory or other selfish motives. On Shabbos, however, HaShem grants us the opportunity to serve Him without ulterior motives. Shabbos is a time when we can truly feel like we are serving HaShem, unencumbered by foreign influences and biases. HaShem should allow us to serve Him truthfully, with a pure heart.
Shabbos Stories
Money from Heaven
At one time Eliezer, a holy beggar in the city of Rimanov, had to marry off his daughter. He was one of the sitters of Reb Mendele's Bais Medrash, and he needed a thousand rubles to marry off his daughter. So he made himself strong and he got up his courage and he went to the rich man of the town, and asked him, "Do me a favor. Can you please give me a loan of a thousand rubles to marry off my daughter?" The rich man looked at him and said, "If you would be honest, if you would tell me, 'give me charity, give me a thousand rubles', I would talk to you straight, but you are coming to me for a loan. Tell me, how would you ever pay back the thousand rubles? It's the biggest joke, in the world.' " Then he said, "I'll tell you what. If you can bring me the signature of another rich man I'll gladly give you the loan, but otherwise, no." The whole thing seemed to him like the biggest joke in the world. Eliezer said, "Give me a contract and I'll fill it out." The rich man wrote out a whole contract that someone will take guarantee that he will pay back the thousand rubles.
Eliezer went back to the Bais Medrash and he put his head in the Holy Ark. And he signed that paper, and this is what he signed.
"Li hakesef, Li hazahav, Nium HaShem"
If you translate it simply it says, 'Mine is the silver, Mine is the gold, says the L-rd.' But if you really really translate it, it says, 'Mine is the silver, Mine is the gold. Signed, G-d.' Then he went back to the rich man and brought him this paper.
If you translate it simply it says, 'Mine is the silver, Mine is the gold, says the L-rd.' But if you really really translate it, it says, 'Mine is the silver, Mine is the gold. Signed, G-d.' Then he went back to the rich man and brought him this paper.
The rich man looked at him and thought, "If this was a joke before, now it is a mamash a joke." But do you know something, he was so taken by this joke, because of the naïveté of this man, who really thinks G-d is paying back for him. So, just for the kick of it, he said, "Okay. I'll give you a thousand rubles."
Four weeks later, someone came to the office of this rich man and left an envelope, and it said, "This is the thousand rubles paid back for Eliezer the poor shlepper." According to the Torah, if no time limit is specified, then an ordinary loan is for thirty days. The rich man came to his office, and the secretary said, "There was someone here who left an envelope for you paying back the money for Eliezer, the shlepper." He opened the envelope. In it, one thousand rubles.
He was mamash ashamed of himself, he felt so low. He took his wagon and went to Eliezer the poor shlepper and he said, "Eliezer, I'm sorry I put you through all this trouble. Imagine, nebech, you went to someone else to borrow the money to pay me back but you didn't really have to." Eliezer said, "I don't know what you are talking about." The rich man showed him the envelope. "Someone came and brought me back the thousand rubles." This was too much for both of them. So Eliezer the holy shlepper said, 'Let's go to my holy Rebbe, Reb Mendele Rimanover, and let's ask him."
They came to the holy Rimanover. The holy Rimanover looked at the envelope, he looked at the money, He kissed the envelope and said, "Don't you know, don't you know, the envelope is from heaven, and the money is from heaven. When this little Jew signed G-d's name on that paper, there was a fire in heaven, because he really believed that G-d would pay back for him." There was a riot in heaven - Everybody wanted to pay for him. Our father Avraham wanted to go pay for him. Isaac and Moses wanted to, also. But finally the honor was bestowed on the greatest messenger of all, Eliyahu HaNavi, the Prophet Elijah." Then he told the rich man, "If you only had also believed that G-d would pay back, you would have had the privilege of seeing Elijah give you the money in person. But since you thought it was all just a joke, you only got the money, but you did not see his holy face."
This rich man was really put to shame. He said, "How can I ever use such such holy money, money from heaven? How can I ever use it for myself?"So, he left it with Reb Mendele Rimanover. What Reb Mendele did with the money we don't know. We only know that years later Reb Hershele Rimanover got the holy envelope as a present from his father, Reb Mendele.
My darling friends, maybe someday you will be walking on the street somewhere and you will see an empty envelope. Please don't step on it, don't throw it away - Maybe it’s the envelope of Eliyahu HaNavi, and maybe in that little envelope there is a little note that says, "Li hakesef, Mine is the silver, Li hazahav, Mine is the gold, Nium HaShem. Signed G-d."
Rav Eliyahu Chaim Meisel Calmly Schmoozes In The Bitter Cold
One winter in Lodz was particularly cold and prices of firewood skyrocketed, leaving the poor people without any means to warm themselves. The famed Rav of the city, Rav Eliyahu Chaim Meisel, decided to take upon himself to collect money for firewood from the wealthy people of the city.
The first stop was the home of the wealthiest man in Lodz, Mr. Posnanski. When the doorman saw the Rav coming he quickly went to get his boss, who although wearing light clothing, immediately came to the cold door personally to greet the Rav. He invited the Rav in to talk. The Rav returned his greeting but began to talk without moving from the door.
The Rav was making small talk and casual conversation about nothing in particular. He discussed the comings and goings of the city, world news, on and on without seeming to indicate the reason for his visit. Mr Posnanski stood and listened with respect while his bones began to freeze from the cold.

The Rav kept on going with endless conversation as if he were relaxing somewhere comfortable instead of standing in the freezing cold. After a long while the cold became too much for Mr. Posnanski and he apologetically asked the Rav if they can move into the warm living room. Without budging Rav Eliyahu Chaim said that now he will tell him why he came. He told him about the lack of firewood, and Mr. Posnanski gave him the large amount that he asked for. Only then did the Rav finally accede and followed the host into the living room.

When they sat down in the comfort and warmth, Mr Posnanski asked the Rav why he insisted on speaking for so long at the door in the cold. Rav Eliyahu Chaim said that the world says that a satisfied man cannot comprehend the pain of those who are starving. Similarly those who live in heated homes cannot fathom the pain of those living in frigid apartment with no heat. Had we sat inside you would not have given as generously as you did after standing in the cold for so long and experiencing a small taste of the poor peoples' pain. (Gedolei HaDoros)
The Kotzker Rebbe Exposes The "Yetzer Hara's Tzaddik"

The Chozeh of Lublin had a falling out with the Yehudi HaKadosh of Peshischa after one of the senior and most Choshuveh Chassidim from the Chozeh's court told false reports about the Yehudi HaKadosh.
The Kotzker Rebbe, who followed the Yehudi HaKadosh, said that we see from here the evil and conniving ways of the Yetzer Hara. This senior Chasid was a no tzaddik. However the Yetzer Hara did not interfere with his Avodas HaShem and even helped him his whole life in order that one day late in his life when he tells Motzi Shem Ra to the Chozeh, he would have good standing. Then his malicious lies would be accepted by the Chozeh and cause machlokes. Watch out, the Satan is a smart and patient investor and Lashon Hara is a worthwhile investment for him.
The Sfas Emes Refuses To Be Sent Out
The Sfas Emes rarely took any trips as he was a great masmid and preferred to stay put and learn. Any small trip he took was a great occasion to his Chasidim. One time he traveled to nearby Warsaw which was not far from his hometown Gur. When he arrived, a large gathering was waiting for him and his host prepared a lavish Kiddush for the occasion.
The Sfas Emes said that he does not want to attend such a reception. The host argued that Chazal tell us "Kol SheOmer Licha Baal HaBayis Aseh Chutz MiTzei", whatever the host instructs you to do you must do except if he asks you to leave. Therefore, said the host, the Rebbe is halachicly bound to attend.

The Sfas Emes replied that the word "Tzei" has another connotation beyond leaving the immediate premises. The Misha in Pirkei Avos (4:28) says that three things take a person out of the world, Kinah, Taava, Kavod. Since honor will take a person out of the world and anything that will cause a person to "go out" he need not listen to the Baal HaBayis, therefore the Sfas Emes need not listen to the host and indulge in this honor. (Chaim SheYesh Bahem - Aish Tamid) (www.Revach.net)
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Emor 5770
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