Thursday, August 14, 2008

Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Vaeschanan-Nachamu 5768

Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Vaeschanan-Nachamu 5768

Shabbos in the Parashah

This week we read the haftorah of Nachamu, consolation to the Jewish People after suffering from the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash and the exile. It is noteworthy that prior to this prophecy of consolation, it is said that Yeshaya informed the king Chizkiahu that whatever his forefathers had accumulated until now would be carried off to Babylonia. Furthermore, some of his children would be taken and become officers in the palace of the king of Babylonia. The Radak writes that until this point the prophecies of Yeshaya were of retribution and destruction, and the remaining prophecies speak of consolation and the Messianic Era. Thus, the words of nachamu nachamu ami, comfort, comfort My people, serves as a divider between the two forms of prophecy. The fact of the matter is that this is essentially a reflection of Jewish history. On Tisha Baav we are in a state of mourning and a few days later we celebrate the Fifteenth day of Av, a day when many joyful events occurred in Jewish history (See Taanis 30b). Similarly, the whole week we struggle with earning a livelihood and we face the challenges from the Evil Inclination and the nations of the world. On Shabbos, however, we are granted consolation from all of our trials and tribulations. In the passage of retzei that we recite in Bircas Hamazon on Shabbos, we recite the words uvirtzoncha haniach lanu HaShem Elokeinu shelo sihay tzarah yagon vaanacha beyom menuchaseinu, may it be Your will, HaShem, our G-d, that there be no distress, grief, or lament on this day of our contentment. We then recite the words vihareinu HaShem Elokeinu binechemas Tziyon irecho uvivinyan Yerushalayim ir kodshecha ki atah baal hayeshuos uvaal hanechamos, and show us, HaShem, our G-d, the consolation of Zion, Your city, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, City of Your holiness, for You are the Master of salvations and Master of consolations. The analogy is obvious. We request that we do not experience any distress, grief or lament on the Holy Day of Shabbos. We then further beseech HaShem to show us the consolation of Tziyon and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Thus, we are declaring that just like every week we are granted respite from our troubles when we receive the Holy Shabbos, so too we should witness soon the consolation of Tziyon and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. In the merit of our observing Shabbos faithfully, HaShem should show us the consolation of Tziyon, His city, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, City of His holiness, with the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkienu, speedily, in our days.

Shabbos in the Zemiros

Askinu Seudasa

Composed by the Arizal, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria

Yichabeik lah baalah uviyesoda dilah diavid naichah lah yehei katish katishin, her Master embraces her in intimate unity with her, granting her serenity – let the accusers be crushed. It is well known that the path to holiness is by abstaining from immorality. Perhaps this idea is alluded to in this passage. Hashem embraces, so to speak, the Jewish People, because of the attribute of yesod, foundation, which is symbolized by resisting temptation.

Shabbos in Tefillah

Tzahala virinah lizeicher malchuso, jubilation and glad song upon the mention of His reign. Throughout Scripture and our prayers we find numerous references to rejoicing before HaShem. Here we declare that the heavenly bodies are joyful and glad with song at the mere mention of HaShem’s Name. If we were to contemplate this idea, we would discover that as soon as we think of the idea that HaShem is our Father and our King, it is cause for us to burst out in song. How could one ever complain if he is cognitive of the fact that HaShem created him and sustains his very life every second? This is truly an amazing concept which we are required to be conscious of every moment of our lives.

Shabbos Story

Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky writes: In 1993, six years after the death of my revered grandfather, a biography, “Reb Yaakov, the Life and Times of Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky,” was printed by Mesorah Publications. Based on years of my uncle, Rabbi Nosson Kamenetzky’s research and the fine writing of Yonasan Rosenblum, it was an instant success. The book shed unseen light on a Torah giant, perhaps never known by the masses. In addition to the splendid biographical research, the book is filled with hundreds of encounters with myriad personalities who were touched by the brilliant sage. From young children to Prime ministers and United States Senators, Reb Yaakov was able to relate to each of them on their level. The book also relates how Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan revealed to an Orthodox publication how surprised he had been when Reb Yaakov made a prescient prediction that the Soviet Union would cease to exist. Our Yeshiva had purchased 10,000 volumes of the book as a fundraising -educational mailer. I did not realize that the Senator's name happened to be on our mailing list until I received a beautiful letter on United States Senate stationery. After thanking me for sending the “wonderful book,” the writer said, “If I may quibble with one small point in an otherwise brilliant volume, the author reports that I was surprised by Rabbi Kamenetzky’s prediction of the fall of the Soviet Union. “Truth be told, I was never surprised by Rabbi Kamenetzky’s insights. They only reaffirmed to me the age-old biblical promise that Torah knowledge is your wisdom and understanding before the nations of the world.” It was signed Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Rabbi Kamenetzky writes further: In the years of World War I, a young student who was fleeing the war-ravaged city of Slabodka sought refuge in Tiktin, a village near Lomza, Poland. A prodigious Torah scholar, he compensated for room and board by becoming a simple cheder teacher. He gave his lecture in a small schoolhouse, but the townsfolk were quite suspicious. There were no shouts from inside the one-room schoolhouse as it was with other teachers; the boys seemed to be listening. Rumor had it that the young man even let the children play outside for ten minutes each day in the middle of the learning session. They decided to investigate. They interrupted his class one morning and were shocked. The kanchik (whip) used by every cheder-Rebbe was lying on the floor near the trash bin. Upon interrogating the children the parents learned that this radical educator never used it. Outraged, the townsfolk decided to call a meeting with their Rabbi to discuss the gravity of the situation. Who knows what ideas a teacher who would not use the kanchik was imbuing in our children? They worried. The local Rabbi pointed to a picture of Rabbi Isaac Elchonon Spector, the leader of Lithuanian Jewry. “Do you see that picture of the Kovno Tzaddik?” He asked the townsfolk. “One day thousands of homes across the world will have this young man's picture hanging on their walls.” The elderly Rabbi was right. The young man became the leader of a generation, teacher of thousands and dean of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath. It was the beginning of Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky's career in education.

Shabbos in Navi

Shmuel I Chapter 4

In this chapter we learn how because the Jewish People were fearful of the Plishtim in battle, they took the Aron, the Holy Ark, from Shiloh, and brought it into battle. The Plishtim, upon hearing that the Jewish People had brought the Holy Ark into battle, became even more determined to be victorious and they smote thousands of Jews. The Holy Ark was taken and the two sons of Eli, Chafni were killed. A man from the tribe of Binyomin ran from the battlefield and came to Eli to infirm him that the Jewish People had run from the Plishtim, Chafni and Pinchas had died, and the Holy Ark was taken. Upon hearing that the Holy Ark was taken, Eli fell backwards off his chair and died at the age of ninety-eight. Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Pinchas, upon hearing of the capture of the Holy Ark and the death of her father and her husband gave birth and died in childbirth. This incident was a tragic point in Jewish history. The Medrash states that the Jewish People were thus punished because they brought the Holy Ark into battle. This is a profound lesson for us regarding all matters of sanctity. We must safeguard everything that is sacred, and every week, we are given the opportunity to safeguard the Holy Shabbos. Hashem should allow us to be deserving of His precious gift and the tremendous responsibility that it entails.

Shabbos in Agadah

Reb Menachem Mendel of Rimanov said that the reason that Shabbos is referred to as shalom, peace, is because the Zohar (Korach) states that the world exists on peace and Shabbos is peace for above and below. Shabbos, Reb Menachem Mendel said, negates the seventh klipah (impure spirit) enumerated by Shlomo HaMelech in Mishlei (6:16). The seventh klipah is one who spreads strife amongst brothers, and its counterpart in holiness is Shabbos.

Shabbos in Halacha

To be exempt from the prohibition of nesinah lichatchilah, initially placing, and to be qualified instead as chazarah, returning, one must meet five conditions.

  1. Garuf vikatum, i.e. the flame to which the food is being returned to must be covered with a blech.
  2. Mevushal kol tzarko, the food must be completely cooked.
  3. Odo cham, the food must still be warm when returned to the blech.
  4. Odo beyado, (literally: still in his hand). One must not have set the pot down the entire time that the pot was off the blech.
  5. Daato lihachazirah, one’s original intention when removing the pot was to return it to the blech. Next week we will begin to explain these five conditions in detail.

Shabbos in Numbers and Words

In Bircas Hamazon on Shabbos we recite the words uvirtzoncha haniach lanu HaShem Elokeinu shelo sihay tzarah yagon vanacha beyom menuchaseinu, may it be Your will, HaShem, our G-d, that there be no distress, grief, or lament on this day of our contentment. In the next passage we recite the words vihareinu HaShem Elokeinu binechemas Tziyon irecho uvivinyan Yerushalayim ir kodshecha ki atah baal hayeshuos uvaal hanechamos, and show us, HaShem, our G-d, the consolation of Zion, Your city, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, City of Your holiness, for You are the Master of salvations and Master of consolations. It is noteworthy that the words Vial Yerushalayim, and for Jerusalem, equal in gematria the word Shabbos.

Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Vaeschanan-Nachamu 5768

Is sponsored lizchus all the cholim in our city and in the entire Klal Yisroel

Shabbos hi milizok urefuah kirovah lavo

I will be giving a class in Navi Shabbos afternoon

at Congregation Dovid Ben Nuchim-Aish Kodesh,

14800 West Lincoln, in Oak Park, an hour before Minchah.

Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos and may we merit this year the speedy arrival of Moshiach Tzidkienu bimheira viyameinu amen.

Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler.

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