tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71193600563019806542024-03-12T19:00:20.141-07:00Drush and Agadata - Medrash, Parsha, Torah and ShabbosWelcome to a new blog, unique and innovative, expounding on the holy words of our Sages in their teachings in Agadata Gemara and Medrash. Please spread the word and may the Jewish People merit to see the words of our Sages fulfilled with the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu Amen.Avromihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13593992238707872967noreply@blogger.comBlogger275125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7119360056301980654.post-21938436833067345342010-08-12T20:25:00.000-07:002010-08-12T20:25:02.871-07:00Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Shoftim 5770שבת טעם החיים שופטים תש"ע<br />
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Shoftim 5770<br />
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The True King<br />
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Introduction<br />
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)<br />
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?<br />
Who is the true king?<br />
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?<br />
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A true king is someone who is self effacing and resists temptation<br />
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.<br />
The Shabbos connection<br />
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. <br />
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Shabbos Stories<br />
The Nazi and his Jewish grandchildren<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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."<br />
The two shook hands and agreed to walk home together. As they went, the rabbi listened to him tell the following story:<br />
"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.<br />
"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.<br />
"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?<br />
"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.<br />
"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.<br />
"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.<br />
"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.<br />
"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.<br />
"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.<br />
"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.<br />
"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.<br />
"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.'<br />
"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.'"<br />
White Angel of Auschwitz<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
FIRST ENCOUNTER IN BIRKENAU<br />
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.<br />
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.)<br />
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?)<br />
"I'm looking for Mrs. Orlean," I answered meekly.<br />
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."<br />
About half an hour later, a young lady strode over to us and said, "My name is Orlean. Is someone looking for me?"<br />
"Yes," I answered. "I am. My name is Friedenson."<br />
"Friedenson!" she exclaimed. "From Lodz? There's a Friedenson here, and I didn't know about it? How can it be?"<br />
"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."<br />
"Of course I remember your house. And also your mother and two young boys. Are you one of those boys?"<br />
"Yes," I said, "but I'm not a young boy anymore. I'm already married. I was brought here with my wife."<br />
"Have you seen her?" she asked.<br />
"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."<br />
"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!"<br />
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."<br />
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?"<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH<br />
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.<br />
"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."<br />
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.<br />
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..."<br />
His words brought the Rebbitzen to tears. "You don't want to eat?" she cried.<br />
"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.'<br />
"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!"<br />
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!"<br />
INHUMANE CONDITIONS, THE HUMAN TOUCH<br />
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.<br />
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...<br />
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.<br />
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...<br />
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.<br />
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."<br />
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.<br />
THE BREADTH OF HER INFLUENCE<br />
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.<br />
How did she do it?<br />
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...<br />
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...<br />
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.<br />
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)<br />
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Shoftim 5770<br />
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />
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Throughout Elul we have a custom to recite this psalm beginning with the words LiDovid HaShem ori and contains the verse lulei heemanti… It is striking that the first letters of the words lulei heemanti liros bituv equal in gematria the word Elul (67). Furthermore, the word at the end of the verse, chaim, life (68), also equals in gematria the word Elul. Additionally, previous verses (7-8) in this psalm states shema hashem koli ekra vichaneini vaaneini lecho amar libi bakshu fanai es panecho HaShem avakeish, HaShem, hear my voice when I call, be gracious toward me and answer me. In Your behalf, my heart has said, “Seek My presence.” Your Presence, Hashem, do I seek. When the first letters of the words vaaneini lecho amar libi are rearranged they spell out the word Elul. These hints are clear proofs that this psalm is appropriate to recite during the month of Elul. HaShem should grant us the ability to see more wonders in His Torah!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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The Tur cites numerous reasons for blowing the Shofar during the month of Elul. The Rambam (Hilchos Teshuvah 3:4) writes that blowing the Shofar on Rosh HaShanah is a Biblical decree. Nonetheless, there is a hint that is contained in the Shofar, and that is that those who are asleep should wake up, search their ways, and repent. It is noteworthy that Rabbi Shimon Schwab writes that when HaShem fashioned for Adam a wife, HaShem first put Adam to sleep. Yet, we do not find that Adam ever woke up. This, says Rav Schwab, is a lesson for us that mankind has never woken up from that slumber. Nonetheless, the Jewish People awoke at the giving of the Torah at Sinai. <br />
In a similar vein we can suggest that Adam HaRishon was created on the first Rosh HaShanah in history. The Kabbalists talk about our requirement to rectify Adam’s sin of eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad. Thus, every Rosh HaShanah we blow the Shofar to remind us that although Adam fell asleep, we can rectify his sin by awakening from the deep slumber of ignorance and foolishness and repent from our sins. <br />
<br />
Additionally, we can suggest that this is the reason why the Halacha states that one should not sleep during the day on Rosh HaShanah, as remaining awake will rectify the fact that Adam feel asleep on the first Rosh HaShanah in history.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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<br />
It is worthwhile to focus on why it is specifically the month of Elul that contains so many Scriptural hints to the name of the month. The answer to this question can be found in the word Elul itself. It is said (Bamidbar 13:2) shelach lecho anashim viyasuru es eretz Canaan, send forth men, if you please, and let them spy out the Land of Canaan. The Targum renders the word viyasuru as viyalilun, which contains the word Elul. Thus, the word Elul means to spy out, i.e. to search. It is therefore appropriate that in the month when we search our ways to return to HaShem, we also search Scripture for allusions to this special month.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Re’eh 5770<br />
<br />
Charity for all the right reasons<br />
<br />
Introduction<br />
עשר תעשר את כל תבואת זרעך היוצא השדה שנה שנה, you shall tithe the entire crop of your planting, the produce of your field, year by year. (Devarim 14:22)<br />
In this week’s parasha it is said (Devarim 14:22) aseir tiaseir eis kol tivuas zarecha hayotzei hasadeh shanah shanah, you shall tithe the entire crop of your planting, the produce of your field, year by year. The Gemara (Taanis 9a) interprets the repetition of the words aseir tiaseir, you shall tithe, to mean that if one gives tithes, he will become an ashir, a wealthy man. While the Gemara often expounds on repeated words in the Torah, here it appears that there is an inherent message in giving tithes that necessitated the teaching that giving tithes will cause one to be wealthy. What is the connection between giving tithes and becoming wealthy? <br />
Give tithes or you are like Esav!<br />
The Imrei Emes cites a Medrash that offers an alternative explanation of this verse. The Medrash states that one is required to give tithes, and if one does not give tithes, then his wealth will go to Esav, who is depicted as “the one who goes out to the fields.” What is the connection between one who does not give tithes and Esav? <br />
<br />
It is noble for a Jew to give charity even with ulterior motives<br />
In order to understand the insights of the Gemara and Medrash, it is worthwhile to reflect on the concept of giving tithes, which is essentially a form of charity. There is much confusion regarding charity, as it does not appear to be a particularly Jewish concept. Many non Jews give charity and there are even gentiles who have found that by tithing they have merited riches. What is unique about the mitzvah of Tzedakah that the Torah requires us to tithe? Regarding most mitzvos we are required to perform the mitzvah regardless of any fringe benefits involved. Concerning Tzedakah, however, the Gemara (Bava Basra 10b) states that one is permitted to test Hashem. This permit to test HaShem is extended to the point that one who declares that he will give this coin to charity in ruder that his son should live is considered to have given Tzedakah altruistically. According to one version of the Gemara, such a person is deemed to be completely righteous. One must wonder what is so noble about giving charity with ulterior motives. The answer to this question is that by contrast, we find that the Gemara (Ibid) states that the charity of the gentiles is always deemed to be flawed, as even their noble intentions are tainted with some ulterior motive. Thus, it follows that the converse is true. When a Jew gives charity, even if he does not have pure motives, it is considered as if his motives are completely untainted. <br />
A Jew is considered to always give charity without ulterior motives<br />
We can now understand why the Torah exhorts us to tithe so that we will become rich, and if we do not tithe, according to the Medrash, the tithes will go to Esav. When a Jew tithes, even with ulterior motives, he is testing HaShem in a permitted manner, and this will bring him blessing. However, if a Jew refuses to give charity, then he is akin to Esav, as a gentile, even if he gives charity without ulterior motives, is still deemed to have given charity for personal gain.<br />
The Shabbos connection<br />
Throughout the week we are influenced by the gentile world that makes it difficult to serve HaShem altruistically. Regarding Shabbos the Gemara (Shabbos 118a) states that one who delights in the Shabbos will receive a boundless heritage, which is referred to as nachalas Yaakov, the heritage of Yaakov. This indicates that on Shabbos we are protected from the outside world that is reflected in the tainted deeds of Esav, and we merit the purity of Yaakov, when we can serve Hashem altruistically and with a pure heart.<br />
Shabbos Stories<br />
The Donut Man<br />
To witness it was so sad. Every day the elderly blind man would sit at the corner with pastries in his cart. As he waited there shivering, some cruel passerby would secretly sneak up to the tray, grab a donut and run away. A few moments later, another would do the same, and before long the blind beggar's tray would be empty.<br />
The wagon drivers on their route would stop to purchase a bit of food, and the beggar would gladly attempt to hand them a pastry, happy to be finally earning some money. But alas the drivers would look at the tray and tell the old man that there was nothing left. The dispirited old man would shuffle back home, cold, broken and penniless.<br />
This sad routine repeated itself over and over; several kind people offered to give the blind man some money to get by, but he was too proud and refused their handouts.<br />
One day, all that changed.<br />
The rabbi in Prague, Rabbi Yeshaya Muskat, was known for his warmth and concern. Passing by the pastry cart one day, he witnessed the thievery. He looked around and realized that while others were standing nearby and had likewise seen the wrongdoing, no one reacted. He succeeded in chasing one thief away, but Rabbi Yeshaya could not understand why no one had done anything to help the victim of the crime. He approached the blind old man and after some casual conversation paid him for a slice of cake and walked home.<br />
The next morning Rabbi Yeshaya was at the street corner, bright and early, well before any of the sneaky thieves had a chance to pounce on their innocent prey. Rabbi Yeshaya informed his new friend that he had so enjoyed the cake that he wanted to purchase the entire tray. The surprised old man was thrilled to have succeeded in selling the whole tray of goodies before he even had a chance to become chilled. This routine repeated itself day after day, week after week. As for Rabbi Yeshaya, he would distribute the pastries to needy poor people throughout the city.<br />
One of the people who noticed the charade approached Rabbi Yeshaya and asked him why he went through the trouble of walking through the cold, coming to the market every day early in the morning, and making the blind old man bring out his cart ― when it would have been much easier if he would just tell the man not to bother coming out, and send him the money every week.<br />
Rabbi Yeshaya responded in a most sensitive manner... "It is bad enough that the man cannot see, but do I have to take away his remaining joy in living?"<br />
Rabbi Yeshaya realized that when one does a kindness for another, it must be done with sensitivity, compassion and understanding. He knew that maintaining a person's dignity takes priority over other forms of kindness.<br />
Rabbi Yeshaya continued this charade until the day came when the old man was no longer there. He had passed away the night before, certain that he was indeed a successful businessman, not just another beggar.<br />
Eternal Lights<br />
J.J. Gross works as an advertising executive at one of the top marketing agencies in the New York area. Among his many clients are some members of the Lubavitch community. One day an inspirational thought crossed J.J.'s mind. What if the most prestigious paper in the world, The New York Times, ran a ticker across the bottom of the front page every Friday ― listing candle lighting time? Who knows whom this tidbit of information might reach? Just imagine the possible effects!<br />
The suggestion was proposed by J.J. to some of the more influential members within the Lubavitch organization, and before long a generous donation of $1,800 per week was proffered to sponsor the ticker.<br />
There were times when the production manager of The Times would contact Mr. Gross at the eleventh hour, desperately trying to find out what time candle lighting was on that particular Friday evening. The man was of Irish Catholic descent and he was concerned that the paper would go to print before the time for candle lighting was listed!<br />
From the mid-1990s until June 1999 the ticker ran each and every week across the bottom of the front page. But then the philanthropist who had been sponsoring the ad cut back on his pledges, the candle lighting ad among them... And that was the last time it appeared. Or so he thought.<br />
For a special Millennium issue, The New York Times ran three different front pages. One was from January 1, 1900. The second was from January 1, 2000, and a third projected future events for the beginning of the 22nd century ― January 1, 2100. Among the news stories in this fictional issue was the establishment of the fifty-first state of the USA: Cuba. Another article covered the question of whether robots should be allowed to vote, and so on.<br />
Although the candle lighting ticker did not appear in the other two front pages, surprisingly it did turn up on the front page of the January 1, 2100 Friday newspaper.<br />
This odd inclusion piqued the curiosity of many individuals. When the production manager of The Times was questioned about the inclusion, his response was astounding. "We don't know what will happen in the year 2100. It is impossible to predict the future. But of one thing you can be certain ― that in the year 2100, Jewish women will be lighting Shabbos candles!"<br />
The Baker’s Patience<br />
In this time of turmoil in the Middle East, we can sometimes lose sight of the deep beauty that pervades the Jewish community in Israel. The following true story helps restore our perspective and illuminates the hope for a peaceful future.<br />
<br />
My friend Yehudit P. was telling me about her pre-6:00 A.M. walks early Friday mornings. The quiet is thunderous, the whole atmosphere ethereal. And then, just as the owner is opening up his hole-in-the-wall pita-bread bakery store in the Bukharan market of Jerusalem, Yehudit arrives to buy freshly baked Syrian-style pita (made by throwing the dough against the inside of his hole-in-the-wall oven).<br />
Over the months, Yehudit has come to be impressed by this chubby, bald, Syrian Jew's kindness. Which makes what he said to Yehudit one morning so understandable...<br />
Yehudit had arrived a little late, and so she took her place in line, behind another woman buying pita.<br />
This woman was an old, Bukharan woman, bent with age, wearing a floral-patterned babushka. She seemed to be very dissatisfied with the pita-bread that the Syrian-Jew was offering her.<br />
"No, this one is burnt," she said, handing it back to the baker. "It's not good. I want a different one."<br />
So the man gave her a different one.<br />
After carefully examining it, the woman returned this one, too, commenting, "This one doesn't look well-done enough. Give me another..."<br />
As Yehudit stood in the growing line, awaiting her turn, she marveled at the patience of this simple baker. For it seemed that each time the man handed the old woman a perfectly good, fresh, warm pita-bread, the old woman would carefully examine it, and then hand it back, with some complaint.<br />
As the old woman returned yet another pita to the baker, he finally said to her a bit firmly, "It's okay, ma'am. This one is good. It's a very good one. It's fine, they're all fine."<br />
Convinced, and wrapping her six large pita-breads in a small blanket to keep them warm, the little old lady finally walked away.<br />
Turning to Yehudit, the baker apologized for the delay, and explained, "I feel bad that I got agitated with her. You see, she doesn't pay." (www.innernet.org)<br />
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Re’eh 5770<br />
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Eikev 5770<br />
<br />
Returning to Egypt can also be viewed as returning to a high level of spirituality<br />
<br />
Introduction<br />
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)<br />
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. <br />
How could the tribe of Levi kill their own brethren?<br />
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?<br />
Understanding the sin of the Golden Calf<br />
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.<br />
The Jewish People worshipped the Golden Calf to demonstrate the power of repentance to future generations<br />
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? <br />
Initial enthusiasm sustains a person even in the down times<br />
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. <br />
All beginnings are a source of strength<br />
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.<br />
The Shabbos connection<br />
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. <br />
Shabbos Stories<br />
Silent revolution<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
The door opened. There was no latecomer there, grinning shyly. There was only the KGB.<br />
About 16 people entered the small apartment: five uniformed policemen, ten plainclothes KGB officers, and one woman from the Moscow District Council.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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?<br />
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."<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
Years later, a former member of the Moscow Synagogue helped explain the special protection they had, [in the following story:]<br />
A FEW MADMEN<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
"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.<br />
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.<br />
"This will end with three or four madmen who can't do any harm to our state," the president assured the Committee.<br />
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.<br />
THE SPY<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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!<br />
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.<br />
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."<br />
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)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Eikev 5770<br />
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Vaeschanan 5770<br />
<br />
Abundant blessing amidst catastrophe<br />
<br />
Introduction<br />
כי תוליד במים ובני בנים ונושנתם בארץ והשחתם יעשיתם פסל תמונת כל ועשיתם הרע בעיני ה' אלקיך להכעיסו, when you beget children and grandchildren and will have been long in the Land, you will grow corrupt and make a carved image of anything, an you will do evil in the eyes of HaShem, your G-d, to anger him. (Devarim 4:25)<br />
In this week’s parasha it is said (Devarim 4:25) ki solid banim uvnei vanim vinoshantem baaretz vihischatem vaasisem pesel temunas kol vaasisem hara bieinei HaShem Elokecho lihachiso, when you beget children and grandchildren and will have been long in the Land, you will grow corrupt and make a carved image of anything, an you will do evil in the eyes of HaShem, your G-d, to anger him. The Torah uses different terminology here when introducing the forewarning that the Jewish people will sin in the future. Normally the Torah commences a topic by stating, when you enter the land. Here the Torah begins by stating that you will have children and grandchildren. Why is it necessary to state that you will have children and grandchildren? The answer to this question can be found in the Sefer Mayaan Bais Hashoeiva from Rav Shimon Schwab zt”l. In Parashas Mishpatim (Shemos 21:22) it said vichi yinatzu anashim vinagfu isha harah viyatzu yiladeha vilo yihiyeh ason anosh yeianeish kaasher yashis alav baal haisha vinasan biflilim, if men shall fight and they collide with a pregnant woman and she miscarries, but there will be no fatality, he shall surely be punished as the husband of the woman shall caused to be assessed against him, and he shall pay it by order of judges. Rav Schwab wonders why the Torah used the word yiladeha, which is in the plural form, as opposed to the singular form. The answer, Rav Schwab writers, as that although the Torah is discussing a calamitous situation, nonetheless the Torah promises that there will be a proliferation of children being born. In a similar vein we can suggest that although the Torah here is describing the catastrophe that will occur when the Jewish People sin, the Torah still promises that there will be a birth of children and grandchildren.<br />
Praying for Eretz Yisroel and actually residing there<br />
One of the Kinnos that we recite on Tisha BaAv was authored by the famous Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi, entitled “Tziyon halo sishali lishlom asirayich, Zion, you will certainly inquire about the peace of your captives. The commentary points out that Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi authored the classical philosophical work called the Kuzari, where the king of Khazar taunts the wise Jew regarding the fact that they appear to pay lip service insincere lip service to Zion, their homeland. While they pray three times a day for the restoration of Zion, they are not actually willing to leave behind the prosperity and comfort of the exile to reside in Eretz Yisroel. This reprimand caused the Jewish sage to reevaluate his situation and he resolved to leave the lands of the gentiles and to settle in Eretz Yisroel. Rabbi Yehudah Halevi himself took these words to heart and made his way to Eretz Yisroel, where, according to tradition, he fell to the ground near the Temple Mount and was subsequently trampled by an Arab horseman. <br />
Moshe’s prayers to enter Eretz Yisroel serves as an inspiration for us<br />
This incident is reflected in the beginning of this week’s parasha. Moshe entreats Hashem to allow him entry into Eretz Yisroel, and HaShem refuses his request. I have long wondered what the purpose of these prayers were if Hashem did not satisfy Moshe. Perhaps the Torah is teaching us that this was a catastrophic situation for Moshe, given the fact that he was not allowed entry into Eretz Yisroel. Nonetheless, when Moshe prayed, he described the beauty of Eretz Yisroel, and this depiction alone should be sufficient to stir within us a yearning to return to our homeland. Thus, the Torah and the Kinnos that we recite on Tisha BaAv are constant reminders to us that Hashem gave us a beautiful land, and we must constantly pray for our return to Eretz Yisroel. <br />
The Shabbos connection<br />
Every week we greet the Holy Shabbos, which is a semblance of the World to Come. The Shem MiShmuel writes that while the atmosphere in the exile is contaminating, Shabbos is akin to Eretz Yisroel and can atone for all of the impurities that we are exposed to. This week is referred to as Shabbos Nachamu, the Shabbos of Consolation. HaShem should console us with the Ultimate Redemption and the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily, in our days. <br />
Shabbos Stories<br />
The Filthy Nation?<br />
<br />
Of the hundreds of heroic stories told by the Bluzhever Rebbe about his harrowing experiences in the Janowska labor camp during World War II, one episode is not well known at all. It is the story of Dr. Shimon Ringel. It is the courageous tale of a valiant man and his fight to preserve the honor of his people.<br />
Arriving at the labor camp on August 26, 1942, Shimon, a young man in his 30s, carried with him a spirit of defiance and an inner strength. He was shocked at how the Jews all followed the orders of their German superiors; he desperately tried to convince the other inmates that eventually all of them would be killed, every last one. So why follow the Germans' orders and work for their cause? Why not spread the word to the thousands of other inmates? But a number of factors prevented him from doing this.<br />
First of all, it was difficult to ever speak to a large number of people. The Nazis watched their every move carefully, ensuring that no one spoke to anyone else unless it was for a purpose. After work it was nearly impossible to find someone who had either the physical strength or the will to converse. They were shattered both in body and spirit. The only thing they wanted was to rest their bruised and weary bodies. Who had time or interest to speak about hope and pride? They were by and large walking skeletons, living out their days until the time came to die. And when it would, they would gladly leave this nightmarish existence.<br />
So the voices of the Shimon Ringels had no chance of being heard. But Shimon would speak to the Bluzhever Rebbe. In him he found someone who would listen and at least try to share in his hope.<br />
The labor camp was a scene of subhuman conditions ― appalling sanitation, little food, and constant harassment and beatings. Daily, they were forced to endure lineups where the SS guards would degrade and humiliate them.<br />
"Which nation are the biggest liars and cheaters?" the SS guards would call out in glee, almost suppressing a snide smirk as they waited anxiously for the answer. "We the Jews are!" would be the cry of the degraded prisoners. Anyone daring not to scream out this answer would suffer by being chosen to stand in the middle of the courtyard and be beaten ― beaten until he died ― while his fellow Jews watched.<br />
But Shimon could not bear to watch this horrible sight. He could no longer tolerate these barbarians mocking G-d and His holy nation. It is one thing to beat someone physically, but to humiliate the soul of a Jew, that was just too much. The humiliation and shame hurt so badly that Shimon decided to do something about it.<br />
One of the daily rituals in the camp was the trip the inmates would take to the bathhouses. Although they were given the opportunity to bathe themselves, it was on a strict schedule. They had, to undress, bathe and redress all within a period of 5 minutes. Anyone not keeping to the schedule would be killed instantly. And tragically, often more blood would flow from those bathhouses, than water.<br />
Afterward, again, the humiliating ceremony would begin. "Who's the filthiest nation on earth?" the Nazi guard would call out. "It is we the Jews who are infested with lice and filth."<br />
"And why are you no longer dirty?"<br />
"Because the kind and benevolent commandant has allowed us to cleanse ourselves."<br />
The scene was sickening and shameful. But woe to the individual who dared to defy the sadistic guard. And for the longest time no one dared to do so. Until Shimon Ringel.<br />
Shimon armed himself with a small dose of cyanide and one middle-sized rock. As the routine was about to begin, he turned to the Bluzhever Rebbe with tears in his eyes and he begged, "Please forgive me, Rebbe. I know that after what I am going to do, you will suffer together with the rest of the inmates. But I can no longer tolerate the shame they are causing to G-d and the Jewish people. I don't know if you will survive but promise me that if you do, you will tell this story to let people know that someone did not allow them to shame G-d's people."<br />
The Rebbe tried to convince Shimon not to do it. But it was too late. The routine began. "Who is the filthiest nation on earth?"<br />
Shimon refused to answer, while the rest of them struggled to proclaim that they were the filthiest nation, when they knew that the exact opposite was true. It did not take long for the Nazi guards to notice that Shimon was not responding to the questions in the same manner as everyone else.<br />
"Why are you not answering, Jew?"<br />
This time it was the Commandant Kolinko who spoke with a mixture of anger and confusion. "How dare you not answer the way you have been taught?" The commandant was visibly shaken and surprised that this Jew was so defiant!<br />
"Because it is not true. The Jewish people are not filthy and we are not a lowly nation. It is you who should be ashamed of yourselves, you dirty dog. You kill innocent women and children. It is you who should be embarrassed for who you are."<br />
And as soon as Shimon finished his diatribe, the commandant, shocked by his impudence, approached him and stepped right up to his face. Suddenly Shimon spit at him and smashed the rock he had hidden against the commandant's head.<br />
Immediately chaos ensued. The SS guards pounced on Shimon and beat him mercilessly as the commandant bled profusely. But Shimon did not feel it at all. He was now in a place where no one could hurt him.<br />
Miraculously, somehow, someway, the matter was swept aside. One of those who survived was the Bluzhever Rebbe, Rav Yisroel Spira, who retold this story.<br />
On the Edge<br />
There is always the question of whether to leave the phone on full volume or to lower it before retiring. After all, no one relishes being awakened in the middle of the night. In our house, however, the decision is usually made to keep it plugged in "just in case." Thus, it was at 3:00 a.m. when I was jarred awake by the shrill sound of the phone ringing. I grabbed it after one ring.<br />
"Hello, is this Rabbi David Goldwasser?" The voice on the other end of the line was not only unfamiliar, but had a gruff edge to it.<br />
"Yes, this is he."<br />
Then in a very businesslike manner, "Rabbi, I'm Officer Costanza of the N.Y.P.D. I've got a young lady here who is standing on the roof of her apartment building, ready to jump. She says you're her rabbi, so maybe you could talk to her. She's serious, Rabbi. She won't let us come within two feet of her, and she looks like the real thing. She just wants to speak to you first. Her name is Elaine Smith."<br />
I had never received a phone call like this before. From the midst of a deep sleep I had been thrust into the middle of a life-and-death situation that required the sharpest mind, the most persuasive tongue, and the greatest help from heaven. I could only pray that all three would materialize in time. I did not recognize the young lady's name, but before I even had a chance to answer, I heard him hand the phone to Elaine.<br />
She at once began to speak in a slow and steady monotone. "I can't go on anymore. I just want to end it all. The difficulties I've been having... they're just too much to bear. I can't take it any longer. I just want it to end. The pain I'm in... Going to school didn't help. My existence ― it's too painful. I'm alone. Don't you see that? I've tried to help myself, but I just can't seem to do it. I just can't. Nobody understands me. I want to put an end to this misery..."<br />
Elaine continued her diatribe for what seemed like a very long time. As she spoke, I paced back and forth with the phone pressed hard against my ear, alternately sweating and shivering. A human life hung in the balance. I trembled at the knowledge that such a dejected soul needed a reason to continue and that I had to supply her with that reason. Ironically, the only thing that stood between Elaine and a horrible death 30 stories below was the instrument of communication that she and I held in our hands.<br />
She paused for a second. Quickly, before she could start again, I said, "Elaine, don't ever give up. A Jew doesn't give up. Our sages said that as long as a person lives there is hope. You have not exhausted every possibility of hope. You are young and you have many years ahead of you ― happy years, fruitful years. Don't let this moment of desperation cloud everything you've accomplished in your life so far..."<br />
She charged in loudly and with bitterness, "That's not true! I haven't accomplished anything. I'm not a good person. I don't deserve to live." Then quietly with a stifled sob, "Help me! I'm in pain."<br />
I could tell from her voice that Elaine was becoming more dejected by the minute. My mind raced. What could I say? How could I veer her thoughts away from this demoralizing trend? Suddenly it came to me. I had met her once at a symposium for Jewish professionals in upper Manhattan, where I had delivered a lecture about four years ago. I remembered a mention of parents, so I quickly asked in as casual a way as possible, "Elaine, how are your parents?"<br />
To my complete horror, she began yelling, "Why do you ask me about my parents? What do they have to do with this? Why did you mention them?" She kept on and on while I futilely tried to calm her down.<br />
"Elaine, I only wanted to ask how your family was doing. Your parents have nothing to do with this. You're absolutely right. I only..."<br />
Abruptly, she interrupted me. "Why aren't you here?"<br />
"Give me 15 minutes and I'll be there," I answered quickly.<br />
Again she started screaming, "No! Don't go. Don't hang up. Don't get off this phone." Then she began rambling along in the same vein: She was worthless. She wanted to end it all. No one understood her. Then, "Why aren't you here?"<br />
I repeated my offer to jump into a cab and be there in 15 minutes.<br />
Then she announced, "That's it! I'm going to end it. I've had enough of this talk." She sounded completely sincere. Desperately, I wondered what I should say. Should I take a chance on reminding her about how she would be hurting her parents? No. Obviously that was a sensitive subject. Should I quote the Torah about the sacred value of a human life? My mind was a miasma of thoughts and questions.<br />
I forced myself to retain at least a veneer of calmness. "Elaine, I accept your decision. But I still have one question I would like to ask you. What shall I tell your future fiancé?"<br />
Suddenly she became still. There was absolute silence for a second. Then Elaine answered, in a subdued voice, "I don't have one."<br />
"That's not true!" I countered. "[Our sages say that] 40 days before a baby is formed, a Heavenly voice proclaims: The daughter of this person will marry that person. Every Jewish soul that comes to this world has a match somewhere. So that means that there is a groom somewhere waiting for you, too. And I just want to know what to tell him in case he asks me about you."<br />
"You mean even I might one day stand under a chuppah?"<br />
"Elaine, I honestly believe so."<br />
The next thing I heard over the phone was bitter crying and a great deal of shuffling sounds. Then the original gruff voice came back on the line, only this time there was an undercurrent of strong emotion. "Okay, Rabbi, we've got her. She's fine. We've got her. You did a good job, Rabbi, and G-d bless you...<br />
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Vaeschanan 5770<br />
is sponsored in honor of the marriage of Shua and Esther Miriam Krupenia. Mazel Tov to the parents and grandparents and they should be zoche to build a Bayis Neeman BiYisroel<br />
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />
For sponsorships or to subscribe weekly by email please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Devarim 5770<br />
<br />
Eicha: a Time to Give, not to receive<br />
<br />
Introduction<br />
איכה אשא לבדי טרחכם ומשאכם וריבכם, how can I alone carry your contentiousness, your burdens, and your quarrels? (Devarim 1:12)<br />
In this week’s parasha it is said (Devarim 1:12) eicha esa livadi tarchachem umasachem virivchem, how can I alone carry your contentiousness, your burdens, and your quarrels? The Medrash (Eicha Rabbah 1:1) notes that there are three instances in Scripture where the word eicha appears. One instance is here in Devarim. The second instance is when Yeshaya (1:21) declares eicha haysah lizonah kiryah nemanah, how the faithful city has become a harlot! The third instance is in the beginning of the Book of Eicha (1:1) which we read on Tisha BaAv, where the prophet Yirmiah laments eicha yashvah vadad, alas – she sits in solitude! The Medrash draws a distinction between these three instances of eicha. Moshe witnessed the Jewish People in their glory. Yeshaya knew the Jewish People when they were in a state of rebellion, and Yirmiah observed the people when they were in a state of degradation. This Medrash poses a number of difficulties. First, if Moshe saw the Jewish People in their glory, why did he bemoan the fact that they were contentious and quarrelsome? Second, what is the significance of the word eicha that warrants the Medrash to highlight these three time periods in Jewish history?<br />
<br />
The difference between eich and eicha<br />
In order to understand the significance of the word eicha, it is worthwhile to examine the meaning of the word itself. The word eicha is similar to the word eich, with one notable difference. The word eich is in the masculine form, whereas the word eicha appears in the feminine form. The reasons for this difference is beyond the scope of this essay. Nonetheless, the fact that one is in the masculine form and the other is in the feminine form is reflective of a profound insight into the conduct of the Jewish People. When Moshe wondered how he could bear the burden of the Jewish People alone, he was expressing his disappointment in the people’s inability to rise above the pettiness and struggles of one who is always needy. Thus, Moshe was bemoaning the fact that the Jewish People had everything delivered to them on a silver platter, but they could not resist quarrelling with each other and provoking HaShem to anger. Yeshaya, however, saw the Jewish People in a state of rebellion, where they had already fallen from their glory and were wallowing in the gutter. Yirmiah witnessed the Jewish People in their state of degradation, when there was apparently no more hope. Thus, while all three leaders saw the Jewish People in different states of existence, they essentially observed the people when they were on the receiving end and not on the giving end. <br />
<br />
Being satisfied with what we have will help us avoid baseless hatred<br />
What message is the Medrash conveying to us? Do we not know that the Jewish People sinned and this brought about the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash and the Land? The answer to this question is that we are being taught a powerful lesson in human nature. When HaShem bestows us with wealth and comforts, it behooves us to appreciate what we have and to be satisfied with our lot. While we always look to HaShem as the Source of all blessings, we cannot become weakened like one who is in constant need of fame and riches. Desiring more than what we have only leads to contentiousness and quarrels with one another. The Gemara (Yoma 9b) states explicitly that the second Bais HaMikdash was destroyed because of baseless hatred, and one of the catalysts for this hatred is desiring more than what we have. <br />
The Shabbos connection<br />
This Shabbos is referred to as Shabbos Chazon, the Shabbos of vision. We are required to gaze inwards and contemplate the luxuries that HaShem has provided us with and to appreciate those comforts. We can then use our possessions to help others in need, thus fulfilling the verse that states (Yeshaya 1:27) Tziyon bimishpat tipadeh vishaveha bitzedakah, Zion will be redeemed through justice, and those who return to her through righteousness. When we realize that we have everything that we need in the physical realm, we will begin to crave higher levels of spirituality. HaShem will then hear our pleas to restore the glory of Yerushalayim to the days of old, with the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu and the rebuilding of the Third Bais HaMikdash, speedily, in our days.<br />
Shabbos Stories<br />
The Talmud records that the Jewish people went into exile 2,000 years ago because they lacked love one for another. The road of return, therefore, is paved with gentle caring and compassion for each other. <br />
I know that it is Tisha BaAv today and I am eating anyway<br />
One of the outstanding mitzvos is “Love of others,” love for another person. The Baal Shem Tov said that inasmuch as God is abstract and in tangible, it may be difficult to develop love for Him. The royal road love to God, said the Baal Shem Tov, is Love of others. Many righteous people excelled in love of others. Perhaps most prominent in Chassidic folklore is Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, who was constantly interceding with God on behalf of His people. <br />
For example, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak once encountered a man who was eating on Tisha B’Av. “My child,” he said, “you must have forgotten that day is Tisha B’Av.” <br />
“No, I know it is Tisha B’Av,” the man replied. <br />
“Ah, then you have been instructed by your doctor that you may not fast because of poor health.” <br />
“I am perfectly healthy,” the man said. <br />
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak raised his eyes toward heaven. “Master of the universe,” he said. “I have given this man two opportunities to exonerate himself for eating on Tisha B’Av, but he is so dedicated to truth that he rejected my offer, even at the risk of incriminating himself…” <br />
Better to be bitten by insects now<br />
The "Tzaddik of Stitchin" would welcome wayfarers into his home and provide them with a place to sleep, even if they were dressed in tattered clothes and covered with the dust of the road. When it was pointed out to him that they might be carrying insects that would infest his bedclothes, the tzaddik said, "The Talmud states that the dead body actually feels the pain of being worm eaten. At that time I will not be able to do anything to the insects that will be irritating me. Is it not better that I take the risk of being bitten by insects in this world, where I can at least brush the insects away, and hope that by merit of the mitzvah of hosting guests, I will be spared the misery after death?"<br />
<br />
The Ten Thousand Fund<br />
<br />
It started one afternoon when the Rottenbaum family sat down to lunch and they heard a tremendous crash of something heavy falling. They ran to the window, looked out onto the garden below them, and heard a rough voice call from above: "Don't stick your heads out the window or you'll be sorry!" <br />
They closed the window and in front of their very noses saw a metal trellis fall heavily to the ground. They recognized it as one of the porch trellises of the Gutman family who lived on the floor above them. Eli Rottenbaum explained excitedly, "Srulie Gutman told me at school that his family are starting to enlarge their apartment. Today the workers came, and from now on they're sleeping in another apartment." True, the Gutmans were seen leaving with their suitcases, but they did not say to where or for how long. <br />
Another trellis fell heavily to the ground, on the beautiful garden the Rottenbaums had so lovingly cultivated. Then the thud of heavy equipment shook the entire building, and ear-splitting drilling made everyone cover their ears. The roof shook, and the acrid smell of dust soon filled the air. The apartment building contained only a few families, and the neighbors had always gotten along well. But Mrs. Rottenbaum felt that some part of her neighborly feeling was being torn to bits, together with the clotheslines that were lying on the ground under the weight of the trellises. <br />
"They're building, they're building!" exulted the children. But the parents furrowed their brows. The Gutmans had nine children and lived in cramped quarters; it was wonderful that they were finally enlarging their narrow living space. Everyone knew that both Mr. and Mrs. Gutman worked long hours and that making a livelihood was not easy for them. But still, couldn't they have given advance warning to their neighbors? "If we had known, we could have asked them to tell the workers to take the trellises down safely and put them near the garbage bins... we could have come to an agreement about a break in the work during afternoon rest hours... <br />
The Rottenbaums had no midday rest, neither that day nor the next. Mr. Binyamin Rottenbaum, a teacher, really needed his afternoon rest, as his teaching hours continued late into the evening. He went upstairs and tried to talk to the workmen, but encountered total obduracy on their part... Two more days passed, two very difficult days: construction work lasted from 11 A.M. until 6 P.M., and already their decorative living-room window had cracked deeply and shattered. "Who knows how much the Gutman construction is going to cost us!" someone muttered. <br />
That night, Binyamin Rottenbaum ran into Yankele Gutman. Yankele poured out his heart: he had made the decision to start construction at the last minute because he'd found a contractor who gave him a really good price, but the catch was that they'd have to begin immediately or the price would go up. That's why they'd left in such a rush and didn't have the chance to talk to their neighbors. He'd signed a contract with a shrewd contractor who promised to complete the work as soon as possible, maximum three months. <br />
"Friends told me," said Yankele, "that the contractor is liable to take advantage of the fact that I don't have certification and all the proper papers yet, by taking on inexperienced workers, since I won't be able to lodge a complaint against him. But so far, everything seems to be going smoothly." <br />
Going smoothly! Maybe for the Gutmans, but certainly not for the Rottenbaums. Binyamin bit his lip, but Yankele continued with his list of woes, mainly money problems. He looked terribly haggard and troubled, and Binyamin felt sorry for him. A few days later when the two ran into each other, Binyamin did try to talk to his neighbor and explain how the unbearable noise and dirt were affecting the other tenants. He even told him that the work was slovenly, negligent and careless ― in short, much worse than the norm. But Yankele's eyes were darting from side to side; it was clear that the man was distracted and in over his head. He told Binyamin he'd see what he could do. <br />
This same scenario repeated itself a few more times, and Binyamin became resigned to the fact that Yankele did not seem able to deal with the situation. "That's the way it is," Binyamin understood. "Yankele is wrapped up in his own troubles and money issues with his contractor, and just can't seem to deal with this." <br />
One evening, Binyamin was called to the neighbor who lived upstairs... "We have to roll up our sleeves and get to work," said the upstairs neighbor grimly. "We have to declare war against the chutzpah going on under our very noses. Yes, I gave Gutman the go-ahead to build, but not like this! I saw your shattered window, and I've also had some breakage. We have to file a lawsuit before this gets even more out of hand." <br />
This tone did not suit Binyamin at all, and he cut the conversation short. Later that night, he opted to walk home from his nephew's wedding instead of taking the bus so that he could think. War? Confrontation? What kinds of words were those? He, Binyamin Rottenbaum the teacher, was he going to get involved in such shady business? All his life he had avoided gossip and slander, conflict and strife. Among his wide circle of friends and acquaintances, there was not even one that he "didn't talk to." When one of his children came home with a story of anyone being criticized for doing such-and-such, he would firmly cut off the discussion by saying, "We don't discuss such things in the Rottenbaum household..." <br />
But, still: the racket every day, the shattered window, rest hours, drilling, rudeness. Wasn't there a limit? <br />
But how could he continue to tell his children, "We don't discuss such things in the Rottenbaum household," if the Rottenbaum household was full of resentment and anger? Furthermore, what kind of relationship would they have with the neighbors once construction was finished and the Gutmans returned? Binyamin was not naive. He knew full well what transpired in many apartment buildings after someone started renovating and there were problems ― grievances before rabbinical courts, evacuation orders, neighbors who did not speak to one another. Even if the work continued for months, Binyamin reasoned, with the drilling and dust and whatnot, there would be many more years afterward when they would need to live in peace and harmony with the neighbors. Was it worth spoiling all that? <br />
After all the years of working on their character traits, now they were being put to the test. It's no problem getting along with others when things are pleasant. It's only under difficult circumstances that we are really tested, and this is precisely when we must restrain ourselves, understand the other person's actions, and maintain our inner balance. As Binyamin neared home and the end of his walk, he arrived at his decision. <br />
Later, Binyamin sat down with his wife and discussed everything with her. "But what about the monetary damage? Only ten days have gone by, and look how much this has already cost us," she said. <br />
Binyamin had already anticipated his wife's question, and had prepared an answer. "We will take it out of the 'ten thousand'," he said. <br />
After Binyamin's father passed away, they had received an inheritance of ten thousand dollars. Binyamin decided immediately to put the money away; they would need it in a few years for the bar mitzvah of their twin boys, and then for their daughter's wedding. His monthly salary was not enough for serious savings, and the inheritance would provide the seed money... <br />
As time went on, the Rottenbaums were able to add several thousand dollars more to their savings, but it always retained its original code name: the "ten thousand." This was a subconscious source of peace of mind, as whenever the Rottenbaums talked about future expenses, they knew that the "ten thousand" would help them out... <br />
And so the Rottenbaum parents talked to their older children and explained their course of action: to maintain their silence, keep the peace, and never let the Gutmans know how much they suffered. They would cover all the damage with their savings, and that was that. Binyamin took out a plastic bag with some earplugs. "These are available any time you need some peace and quiet; or if you really need to, you can go to Grandma's house to do your home work. And the garden? When this is over, we'll take from the "ten thousand" to buy new flowers." <br />
And so it was. Binyamin made it clear to his upstairs neighbor that he would not take part in any actions against the Gutmans, and explained his rationale. Time passed. The Rottenbaum's solar water heater was ruined by the construction work and needed to be replaced; a careless worker bashed in their front door with his machinery and that too needed to be replaced. There were some very difficult moments, such as the "spritz" episode. One Friday, the workers sprayed the outside of the building with white "spritz" ― spackle material ― right through the Rottenbaums' open window! It took the entire family hours of work on Shabbat eve to scrub the stuff off the furniture. "If worst comes to worst," Binyamin reassured his wife, "we'll pay someone to remove it professionally. After all, we have the means to cover the expense." <br />
Four thousand dollars. Yes, four thousand dollars of the money that had been set aside for bar mitzvahs and weddings was spent to cover the damages caused to the Rottenbaum family by Gutman's construction work. <br />
And they never let on to the Gutmans. "Of course, Mrs. Gutman, it was no problem at all with the construction work. We look forward to your return as our dear neighbors when it's all over. And after it was all over ― thank God! ― the Rottenbaums organized a welcome-home celebration for the Gutmans, with cakes, signs, hugs and kisses. <br />
After the construction was completed, the four thousand dollars that Mr. Rottenbaum had spent was returned to him in amazing ways so that, in effect, he never "lost" that money. That, too, is a wonderful story, but it is really "beside the point." (www.innernet.org)<br />
<br />
Once In a Yovel<br />
A wealthy wood merchant once came to Rav Chaim of Volozhin for advice, explaining that all his wealth was in danger of being lost. He had sent a huge ship laden with wood to a foreign country, but the authorities were not allowing the wood to enter the country. In fact, they were threatening to sink the ship if it didn’t leave the border of the country. <br />
<br />
Rav Chaim reassured the man, “Don’t worry, you’ll see. The salvation of Hashem is like the blink of an eye!”<br />
<br />
On that day, the price of wood rose dramatically, and later that day, the authorities finally allowed the merchant’s ship to enter the country.<br />
<br />
The wealthy man returned to Rav Chaim, beaming with happiness. He said, “Rebbi, today I experienced hashgachas pratis! If the authorities hadn’t delayed me, I would have received the original price for the wood. The delay actually turned out to be beneficial; I ended up earning significantly more money because of it.”<br />
<br />
Rav Chaim sighed, “This is the difference between a rich man and a poor man. The poor man sees the hashgachas pratis of HaKadosh Boruch Hu every day. The rich man sees hashgacha only once every few years.” (Ukarasa LaShabbos Oneg)<br />
<br />
Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer's Sad Goodbye<br />
R' Shneur Kotler, the Rosh Yeshiva of Lakewood, escaped Europe and managed to survived the Holocaust after experiencing great miracles. Eventually, he arrived in Eretz Yisrael, joining his grandfather R' Isser Zalman Meltzer with whom he shared a very close relationship. Once he was in Eretz Yisrael, news reached him that his kallah who he was engaged to before the war was still alive. However, she was unable to join him in Eretz Yisrael so R' Shneur made plans to travel to her to finally get married. <br />
On the day of his departure R' Shneur went to his grandfather's house to part from him. R' Isser Zalman expressed his great joy on his grandson's upcoming marriage and began accompanying him down the stairs. Surprisingly, after descending only two steps from his second floor apartment he turned around and went home. Everybody present was shocked and puzzled by his behavior. Was this a fitting way for R' Isser Zalman to part from his dear grandson who he would probably never see again? <br />
One of his students dared to ask him why he had not accompanied his grandson all the way down the stairs. R' Isser Zalman said, "As I was walking down the steps, I saw a vision of the thousands of Yidden who did not merit living long enough to marry. I returned home to join in their pain." (Source: Stories My Grandfather Told Me) (www.Revach.net)<br />
<br />
<br />
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Devarim 5770<br />
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler.<br />
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Matos-Masei 5770<br />
<br />
Vows and clarity<br />
<br />
Introduction<br />
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)<br />
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? <br />
The Netziv’s explanation regarding the difference between Moshe’s prophecy and other prophets<br />
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.<br />
The articulation of a vow reflects clarity<br />
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. <br />
Moshe’s prophecy was akin to the clarity of a vow<br />
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.<br />
The Shabbos connection<br />
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. <br />
<br />
Shabbos Stories<br />
Accepting rebuke with love<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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?"<br />
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."<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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 )<br />
Chazon Ish - Whose Guest Is He?<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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?"<br />
<br />
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.<br />
The Brisker Rav & Rav Dessler - Waiting For Moshiach At The Door<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
It is said on the Chafetz Chaim that often when he woke up, he would urgently ask, "Did Moshiach arrive, while I was sleeping?" <br />
<br />
Rav Avrohom Grodzinsky Dances Right On Time<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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) <br />
<br />
A Soul for a soul<br />
<br />
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?...<br />
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...<br />
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...<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
"Yes?" she inquired.<br />
"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...<br />
"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.<br />
"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.<br />
"That was the place," she confirmed through the sudden mist, and the two women suddenly discovered an intense bond between them and their families.<br />
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.<br />
"The truth is," she began, "that I didn’t just happen to walk into your store. It wasn’t just random."<br />
"I know," replied Yoni’s mother. "You live in Kfar Saba, and Kiryat Malachi isn’t much of a tourist attraction."<br />
"The truth is," said Doron’s mother, "that I came especially to Kiryat Malachi to come to your store."<br />
"Why on earth would you do something like that?"<br />
"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.<br />
"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.<br />
"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.<br />
"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.<br />
"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.<br />
"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.<br />
"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) <br />
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Matos-Masei 5770<br />
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 <br />
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos<br />
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />
For sponsorships or to subscribe weekly by email please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Pinchas 5770<br />
<br />
Hashem loves the Jewish people no matter how much they have sinned<br />
<br />
Introduction<br />
פינחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן השיב את חמתי מעל בני ישראל בקנאו את קנאתי בתוכם ולא כליתי את בני ישראל בקנאתי, Pinchas son of Elazar son of Aharon the Kohen, turned back My wrath from upon the Children of Israel, when he zealously avenged My vengeance among them, so I did not consume the Children of Israel in My vengeance. (Bamidbar 25:11)<br />
At the end of last week’s parasha we learned how Balak had facilitated the Moabite women to seduce the Jewish men. HaShem became angry at the Jewish People and they were threatened with annihilation. Pinchas, the grandson of Aharon HaKohen, saw that there was a need to act and he killed Zimri, the leader of the tribe of Shimon, and Kazbi, the Midianite woman, and through this zealous act he appeased HaShem’s wrath. In the beginning of this week’s parasha HaShem informs Moshe that Pinchas will receive HaShem’s covenant of peace. The Gemara (Sanhedrin 105b; Brachos 7a) presents a perplexing statement regarding this time period in the Wilderness. It is said (Micha 6:5) ami zichar na mah yaatz Balak melech Moav umeh anah oso Balaam ben Beor min hashitim ad haGilgal limaan daas tzidkos HaShem, My people, hear, now, what Balak, king of Moav, schemed, and what Balaam son of Beor answered him, [and all the events] from Shittim to Gilgal - in order to recognize the righteous acts of HaShem. The Gemara explains that this verse teaches us that HaShem was informing the Jewish People that if He had become angry from the time that the Jewish People arrived in Shittim until they reached Gilgal in Eretz Yisroel, the entire Jewish nation would have been destroyed. The Gemara is referring to HaShem’s wrath against the Jewish People for having sinned with the Moabite women. This Gemara, however, is difficult to understand, because the Torah states explicitly that HaShem did become angry and almost annihilated the Jewish People. In fact, if not for Pinchas’ act of heroism, the Jewish People would have been destroyed. How, then, could the Gemara state that HaShem did not become angry at that time? The Netziv in his commentary Heemak Davar at the end of Parashas Balak and in Harchev Davar at the beginning of Parsahas Pinchas offers a solution to this difficulty by stating that there is a distinction between charon af and cheimah, two forms of anger. Thus, although HaShem did not display charon af, He did display cheimah [Both words are translated as wrath in English.] The Netziv’s commentary is difficult to comprehend, as the Torah states clearly that HaShem became angered with the Jewish People. Rashi (Bamidbar 23:8 and Sanhedrin 105b s.v. kol osan hayamim) indicates that the anger the Gemara is referring to is at the time that Balaam attempted to curse the Jewish People, but the verse that states “from Shittim until Gilgal” does not reflect this explanation.<br />
<br />
<br />
All of Balaam’s attempts to cause HaShem to despise us were in vain<br />
The Gemara is difficult to reconcile with the verses in the Torah and in Micha. Nonetheless, we can glean from the Gemara an important lesson in how HaShem views His relationship with His Chosen Nation. Balaam was attempting to curse the Jewish People, and when Hashem thwarted his efforts, Balaam employed a different tactic. Balaam’s strategy was to cause the Jewish People to sin and thus incur HaShem’s wrath. HaShem did get angry but He would not allow Balaam the satisfaction of seeing his actions bear fruit. Thus, the Gemara states that HaShem did not become angry during the entire time that Balaam sought to destroy the Jewish People. <br />
The Shabbos connection <br />
We may think that Hashem has left us to the elements, and we are under the jurisdiction of the forces of nature. When Shabbos arrives, however, we see clearly that Hashem has bestowed upon us His greatest gift, which is the Holy Shabbos. Even during the period of the Three Weeks, when the Jewish People are in a state of mourning for the loss of the Bais HaMikdash and for the ongoing exile, HaShem has not abandoned us. HaShem loves us more than anything else in the world, and He will demonstrate this love for us when He brings us the redemption with the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily, in our days.<br />
Shabbos Stories<br />
All paid up<br />
Rav Shmuel Shtrashan of Vilna (1819-1885) was a wealthy banker as well as a renowned Torah scholar. In addition to his commerce, he maintained a free-loan society to provide interest-free loans to the needy. One time he granted a one-year loan of 300 rubles to Reb Zalman the tailor and carefully recorded it in his ledger. One year later, to the date, with 300 rubles in an envelope, Reb Zalman knocked on the door of Rav Shmuel's study. The Rav was in the midst of a deep Talmudic contemplation and hardly interrupted his studies while tucking the money away in one of the volumes he had been using. A few weeks later, while reviewing his ledgers, Rav Shmuel noticed that Reb Zalman’s loan was overdue. He summoned him to his office to inquire about the payment. Of course, Reb Zalman was astonished. He had paid the loan in full on the day it was due! The Rav could not recall payment and insisted that they go together to Beis Din (Rabbinical Court).<br />
<br />
Word in town spread rapidly, and people began to shun Reb Zalman. His business declined, and his children and wife were affronted by their peers. The only recourse the Beis Din had was to have Reb Zalman swear that he had repaid the loan. Rav Shmuel did not want to allow a Jew to swear falsely on his account and decided to forego the procedure by annulling the loan. This latest event brought even more scorn to the tailor, and eventually he felt forced to leave Vilna and establish himself elsewhere.<br />
<br />
A year later, Rav Shmuel was analyzing a section of the Talmud and opened a volume he had used sometime in the past. He could not believe his eyes when he saw a thick envelope with Reb Zalman's return address, containing 300<br />
rubles. Quickly, he ran to find the hapless tailor who had been so besmirched. After unsuccessfully searching Vilna, he found that the tailor had moved. Rabbi Shtrashan traveled to Reb Zalman to beg forgiveness. The tailor, a broken man, explained that there was no way that anyone would believe the true story. They would just say that the pious scholar had shown mercy on the unscrupulous tailor. Finally, they decided that the only way to truly atone and give back the tailor his reputation was for the scholar to take Reb Zalman's son as his son-in-law. The shocked town of Vilna rejoiced at the divine union that helped re-establish a reputation. (www.parsha.net)<br />
<br />
Pinchas and Pinchas<br />
R' Pinchas Shapiro of Koretz zt"l (1726-1791; student of the Baal Shem Tov and early chassidic rebbe) lived in terrible poverty. His house was shabby and it looked ready to fall at any moment.<br />
Once, R' Pinchas' chassidim in another town invited him to spend Shabbat with them. In honor of the occasion, they bought him a new suit and prepared a beautiful apartment in which he would stay.<br />
On Friday night, R' Pinchas was in high spirits. He said: "Here, where I am a guest, they feed me on silver platters like a wealthy man, whereas at home, the poverty reaches every corner of my house. I assume that my chassidim learned to treat me this way from the Torah itself."<br />
He explained: "Parashas Pinchas contains a description of the sacrifices for all of the holidays, yet this parashah's regular place (its 'home') is during the depressing Three Weeks. On the other hand, when this parasha comes as a guest, it is Yom Tov (i.e., on each of the holidays, we read the day's sacrifices from Parashas Pinchas as a maftir).<br />
"Similarly, I, Pinchas, make my home in depressing surroundings, but when I come as a guest, it becomes a Yom Tov." (Quoted in Otzros Tzaddikei Ugeonei HaDoros p. 489)<br />
R' Yeshaya Bardaky zt”l <br />
Died 18 Cheshvan 5623 / 1862<br />
R' Bardaky was a son-in-law (in his second marriage) of R' Yisrael of Shklov, who refers to his son-in-law as, "an important man and a talmid chacham, the sharp and erudite rabbi who is more G-d-fearing than most . . ." R' Bardaky was born in Pinsk and taught Torah there, but he decided to settle in Eretz Yisrael after his first wife died. When the ship carrying R' Bardaky, his son, Shmuel Akiva, and his daughter, neared the port of Akko, it was wrecked, and all the passengers were thrown into the sea. R' Bardaky, however, was a powerful swimmer, and, with his two children on his back, he swam ashore.<br />
Upon reaching Yerushalayim, R' Bardaky was appointed head of the Ashkenazic community. He also was appointed vice-consul of the Austrian Empire as a result of the following incident: The Austrian Emperor took ill and sent a message to Yerushalayim that R' Bardaky, who was known as a holy man, should pray for the Emperor at the Kotel hamaaravi. Until that time, R' Bardaky had never visited the Kotel because he was afraid that when he touched the wall he might inadvertently put his finger into a deep crevice in the wall, thus inadvertently trespassing on the Temple grounds in a state of ritual impurity. However, to fulfill the Emperor's request, R' Bardaky did pray at the Kotel, and the Emperor was cured.<br />
A pauper once visited R' Bardaky, who was in charge of distributing stipends, and asked for an advance on the following month's payment. R' Bardaky responded that regrettably he had no money to distribute at that moment. The pauper became agitated, and when R' Bardaky continued to demur, the pauper slapped him. "Wait here," R' Bardaky said in response, and he ran out of his house. Returning a while later with money that he had just collected, R' Bardaky apologized to the pauper: "I'm sorry, I did not realize how great your need was."<br />
The entry in Yerushalayim's Chevrah Kadisha journal recording R' Bardaky's death states: "Zion will cry bitterly over the destruction which G-d has wrought in Zion, how the ark of G-d was taken . . . the famous rabbi and gaon whose name went from one end of the world to the other." (Source: Gedolei HaDoros p. 638 (www.Torah.org)<br />
What Not To Do At The Shabbat Table<br />
The Broodo family of Dallas, Texas is now a well-established Orthodox family. They’re leaders and role models in their community. However one event during their first Shabbat experience almost derailed their teshuva journey. If it was not for the quick thinking of their hosts, their lives might have been very different today.<br />
Ken and Beth Broodo were both raised in non-Orthodox Jewish homes. Ken is a lawyer, and several years ago a local Jewish organization, the Dallas Area Torah Association (DATA), the “community kollel,” sponsored a onetime lunch-n-learn at his law firm. It was delivered by a big-name visiting rabbi. Ken attended the event and enjoyed it, but didn’t feel particularly changed by it.<br />
The event put the Broodos on DATA’s mailing list, and six months later they received an invitation to a DATA seminar on the upcoming holiday of Purim. The Broodos acknowledged that they knew very little about their Judaism and were very curious to learn more, so they decided to attend the event.<br />
At the event, DATA rabbis spoke about various topics of Purim. One topic, the Hidden Mask of Nature, peaked their curiosity. The speaker, Rabbi Aryeh Feigenbaum, surprised them by pointing out that HaShem’s name is never mentioned in the Megillah but His hand is apparent throughout the whole story.<br />
“Only when you look back do you see HaShem’s hand in it. Even when I say it now I get chills. I had never heard something of that depth about the Torah. It was an interesting phenomenon to me,” Ken said.<br />
Ken was fascinated by the presentation and impressed by Rabbi Feigenbaum. Ken stayed afterwards to drill him with a slew of other questions.<br />
Following the seminar, the Broodos began attending other classes sponsored by DATA. Ken began studying one-on-one with Rabbi Feigenbaum each week. He and his wife began seeing the truth and beauty of Judaism and began to realize that this was the spirituality they were craving in their lives. However they were somewhat intimidated by the observances and cautious about jumping into anything too religious.<br />
Rabbi Feigenbaum had given them an open invitation to come to synagogue on a Friday night and to his home for Shabbat dinner. The Broodos were intrigued by the opportunity to learn more and to get closer to the Feigenbaums. They were uncertain about what the experience would be like, but were excited about the opportunity. One Friday night they decided to take him up on it.<br />
As soon as they entered the Feigenbaum’s house, the Broodos were made comfortable by their hosts’ warm welcome, the beauty of their Shabbat table and the obvious love and holiness that filled the home.<br />
“It was my first Shabbat dinner. I was very taken by the whole scene – the white tablecloth, the silver Kiddush cup, the candles, the singing and the Divrei Torah,” Ken said.<br />
Ken especially loved Mrs. Feigenbaum’s homemade Challah. He had never eaten homemade challah before, and he found it to be absolutely delicious.<br />
After finishing his first piece, Ken craved a second slice. The challah was sitting in a metal wire basket in the middle of the table, amidst all sorts of dishes and just on the other side of Mrs. Feigenbaum’s beautiful silver Shabbat candlesticks. Ken tried asking other people to pass him the bowl, but he couldn’t get anyone’s attention. So he decided to lean across the table and pick up the challah bowl himself.<br />
The challah basket was lined with a napkin. As he carried the basket over the items on the table, Ken lifted it over the Shabbat candles, and within a second, it caught fire and turned into a giant bowl of flaming challah!<br />
Ken dropped the burning basket onto the table and was about the douse it with his glass of water, when the rabbi leaned over the table and said ‘Stop!’ Rabbi Feigenbaum picked up the basket, carried to the front porch and let it burn out.<br />
Ken felt extremely embarrassed that he had set the Feigenbaum’s challah on fire. He was ready to leave the meal at the first opportunity and never come back again. But when Ken and wife finally did put on their coats to leave, without missing a beat, Mrs. Feigenbaum responded in a way that immediately turned around his negative feelings.<br />
“Stop worrying about it,” she said to Ken. “The next time you want toast for Shabbat, just let me know in advance!”<br />
Mrs. Feigenbaum’s quip put a smile back on Ken’s face and helped the Broodos stay on their path of growth towards Jewish observance.<br />
“When Mrs. Feigenbaum said that, we all laughed. I realized that no one judged me for making such a ridiculous mistake. Then I felt accepted” Ken explained. “When you’re not frum and you’re around people that are, the one thing you feel sure of is that you are being judged and not accepted.”<br />
The burning challah episode was a critical point in the Broodos’ life. If their hosts had handled it in any other way, they might have never come back. Instead they returned for many more meals in the Feigenbaum home and grew extremely close to the family. They began attending additional classes and started coming to the community frequently for Shabbat.<br />
The Broodos eventually moved into the neighborhood. Several years later, the new local Orthodox synagogue was founded in their living room, and they remain extremely involved to this day. They also now frequently host newcomers to the community. And for anyone who seems uncomfortable by being in an Orthodox home for Shabbat, Ken eases their worries by telling them the story about the Shabbat night that he set the rabbi’s challah on fire. (http://michaelgros.com/category/stories-of-kiruv/)<br />
<br />
<br />
Where are you from?<br />
I once knew a baal teshuva whose name was Shlomo Zalman Satanofsky zt"l and he told me the following story. When he was becoming frum, still rather early on, he was traveling one Erev Shabbos and got stuck in Williamsburg. He knew at that point in his life that he could not drive on Shabbos so he quickly parked the car and found a place to stay. The next day, he came to one of the Satmar shuls (in a green suit and purple tie) and began to daven. He happened to look up and saw three little chassidishe kids, with curly payos, looking at him very intently.<br />
"Where are you from?"<br />
"I'm from a place called Los Angeles. Have you ever heard of Los Angeles?"<br />
One of the kids looks up at him and says "We only know three places: Williamsburg, Monroe, and Mitzrayim." (www.kiruv.com)<br />
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Pinchas 5770<br />
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos<br />
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />
For sponsorships or to subscribe weekly by email please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Balak 5770<br />
<br />
Seeing into the future<br />
<br />
Introduction<br />
וירא בלק בן צפור את כל אשר עשה ישראל לאמרי, Balak son of Tzipor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorite (Bamidbar 22:2)<br />
There is an interesting theme that is recurring throughout the Book of Bamidbar, and that is the concept of sight. The first instance that we discover mention of sight is when the Torah states that there is a prohibition to see the Holy of Holies while dismantling the Mishkan. In Parashas Naso there are a few references to sight. One instance is that the Gemara states that the portion discussing a Sota and the portion discussing a Nazir are juxtaposed because one who “sees” a Sota in her disgrace should abstain from wine. Another example is that the Gemara states that one is forbidden from gazing at the Kohanim when they raise their hands to bless the congregation. In Parashas Behaaloscha we find that Aharon “saw” that he and his tribe were not included in the offerings that had been brought by the Nesiim, the leaders of the tribes. Additionally, Moshe requested from Yisro that he function as “the eyes” of the people in the Wilderness. In Parsahas Shelach Moshe instructs the spies to see the Land and the Gemara states that the spies spoke before they allowed their eyes to see. The end of the parsha discusses the mitzvah of tzitzis where we are instructed to see the tzitzis and remember all of the mitzvos. Korach, according to the Medrash, saw that in the future great people would descend from him. Further on in the parasha when HaShem chose the staff of Aharon over the staffs of the other tribe leaders, it is said that they saw and they took, each man his staff. In Parsahas Chukas we find that that Hashem instructed Moshe to speak to the rock before the eyes of the people, and because he hit the rock instead, HaShem punished him for not sanctifying His Name before the eyes of the Jewish People. Upon the death of Aharon, it is said that the Jewish People saw that Aharon had died and they all wept. After the Jews were punished for talking against HaShem and Moshe, they were instructed to gaze upon the copper snake to be healed from the bite of the snake. In this week’s parsha, the Torah states that Balak saw what the Jewish People had done to the Emori. The entire parasha is replete with instances of Balaam attempting to see the Jewish nation from various locations so he could affect his curse on them. The Mishnah states that one of Balaam’s three evil characteristics was that he had a bad eye. Furthermore, Balaam was blind in one eye. The end of the parasha informs us that while a plague was raging throughput the Jewish camp, Pinchas saw what was happening and took action, stopping the plague in its tracks. In Parashas Pinchas Hashem instructs Moshe to ascend the Mountain of Avarim and see the Land that HaShem will give to the Jewish People. Hashem then instructs Moshe to take Yehoshua and command him before the eyes of the people. Parashas Matos discusses the ambitions of the tribes of Reuven and Gad who saw that the other side of the Jordan River was a suitable place for their livestock. In Parashas Matos HaShem tells Moshe to inform the Jewish People that if they do not drive out the inhabitants of the Land, then those who they leave will be pins in their eyes and a surrounding barrier of thorns in their sides. Further on in the parasha the Torah discusses one who kills unintentionally, and one example of unintentional murder is when one throws a stone without seeing the other person. The parsha ends with the command that the daughters of Tzelafchad should be wives to whomever is good in their eyes. <br />
Tamuz is the month of the eyes<br />
While the Torah mentions eyes and sight frequently, there appears to be a special emphasis on this idea throughout the Book of Bamidbar. It is noteworthy that the Sefer Yetzirah writes that the month of Tamuz reflects the eyes. The Meraglim journeyed throughout Eretz Yisroel for the entire month of Tamuz, returning on Tisha BaAv. The Gemara (Taanis 29a) states that the spies caused the Jewish People to cry on Tisha BaAv. Hashem declared, “ You have cried tears in vain. I will give you something to cry about for future generations. This crying would be over the destruction of the first and Bais HaMikdash, which both occurred on the ninth of Av. Regarding the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash it is said (Yechezkel 24:16) hinini lokeiach mimcha machmad eninecho bamageifa, behold, I am taking from you the darling of your eyes in a plague. The Gemara (Sanhedrin 22a) states that this verse refers to the Bais HaMikdash. Thus, we see that the months of Tamuz and Av are a period when the eyes play a critical function in the health of the Jewish People.<br />
<br />
One must use his vision properly<br />
Essentially, the parasha of Balaam attempting to curse the Jewish People is the highlight of the Book of Bamidbar, which is the Book of the Eyes. Balaam sought to cast his evil eye upon the Jewish People, and HaShem thwarted his efforts. The Mishnah highlights the distinction between the disciples of Avraham and the disciples of Balaam by stating that the disciples of Avraham have a good eye whereas the disciples of Balaam have an evil eye. It is noteworthy that Balaam sought to die the death of the Just, which is an allusion to the Patriarchs. His mistake was that one has to live the life that the Patriarchs lived in order to die like them. Balaam lacked the proper foresight to realize this, as is alluded to in the statement of the Gemara that he was blind in one eye. He had one eye on glory but the other eye was closed as to how one could achieve that glory. This theem3 is recurring throughout the Book of Bamidbar. Korach also sought glory, but he did not see properly that he would be lost and it was his children who would repent and have the glory emanate from them. Similarly, the tribes of Reuven and Gad saw grazing land but they did not take into account that their tribes, many years later, be exiled before the other tribes. Perhaps the greatest misfortune for the entire Jewish People was the lack of foresight exhibited by the spies. The Zohar states that their motive for slandering the Land and was because they foresaw that that they would lose their leadership roles upon entry into Eretz Yisroel. Instead, they lost their lives and caused untold suffering for all future generations. Thus, a lack of proper vision can have calamitous results. <br />
<br />
<br />
The message from Balaam is that we utilize our eyes for the good, both for the individual and for the collective. In this way we can be assured that we are following in the footsteps of Avraham, who always sought the good in man.<br />
The Shabbos connection <br />
Shabbos is referred to as a semblance of the World to Come, and the Gemara (Sanhedrin 99a) states that all the prophets were able to prophesize until the Messianic era. Beyond that, however, it is said (Yeshaya 64:3) ayin lo raasa Elokim zulascha, no eye except Yours, O G-d, has seen [that which] He will do for one who awaits Him. The World to Come is beyond our vision, and this in itself is a blessing. Something that is not tainted by human eyes remains perfect. Hashem allows us a taste of the World to Come in this world, by granting us His Precious gift of Shabbos. It should be His will that we use this gift properly and then we will see an end to all of our suffering with the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily, in our days. <br />
Shabbos Stories<br />
Reb Elchonon Wasserman's Last Drasha<br />
Reb Elchonon Wasserman was one of the great pre-war Roshei Yeshiva in Europe. He learned in Telz Yeshiva and joined the Chafetz Chaim's Kodshim Kollel later on, where he learned B'Chavrusa with Rav Yosef Shlomo Kahanamen the Ponovezher Rav. During this period he became very close with the Chafetz Chaim whom he considered his Rebbi. Reb Elchonon was the Chafetz Chaim's spiritual heir, becoming the ultimate arbiter of Daas Torah for the pre-Holocaust generation fighting haskala, Zionism, communism, and the other ills of the generation. <br />
<br />
Reb Elchonon was in his mid-60s when the war broke out. He had spent a great deal of time in America collecting for his Yeshiva in Baranovitch. Although he was quite fond of the few Binei Torah he met in America and held our great hope and promise for their future, nevertheless he resisted their pleas to remain in America and chose to return to a Europe that was about to engulfed in flames. As Rosh Yeshiva and the conscience of the Lithuanian Yeshiva world, he felt personal and public responsibility to be with his flock in their time of need, come what may.<br />
<br />
Tragically Reb Elchonon fell victim to the Nazi collaborators on 11 Tammuz 5701/1941 when he was murdered AL Kiddush Hashem along with his son and a handful of talmidim and other Rabbonim. Sadly his death did not come together with the Talmidim he chose to return to from the safe shores of America. He was taken in Kovno while on a short trip to take care of some documents in order to secure visas for escape.<br />
<br />
Reb Ephraim Oshry, who was 27 years old at that time, was one of the few that managed to escape. He related the following about the last thing Reb Elchonon told them.<br />
<br />
When they saw the end was near Reb Elchonon got up and spoke to them. He spoke the same way he always did; he was calm and there was no indication of panic. He said the following.<br />
<br />
"In Shamayim it seems that they consider us to be Tzadikim, because we have been chosen to be Korbanos for Klal Yisroel. Therefore, we must do Teshuvah now. We don't have much time. We must keep in mind that we will be better korbanos if we do teshuvah. In this way we will save the Yidden in America. Let no foreign thought enter our minds, Chas Vishalom, as that will make us pigul, an unfit Korban. We are now fulfilling the greatest mitzvah. Yerushalayim was destroyed with fire and will be rebuilt with fire. The same fire that will consume our bodies will one day rebuild Klal Yisroel." <br />
<br />
The Alter Of Novhardok Teaches Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer To Get Dressed Up But Not To Dance<br />
One of the main lessons of the Alter Of Novhardok was the problem of Nigius, self interest. Nigius he said, insidiously crawls its way into every decision we make, contaminates the mind, and corrupts our minds and our ability to think honestly and clearly.<br />
<br />
The Chaim SheYesh Bahem (Korach) says that Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer personally learned a lesson on the Nigia of laziness from the Alter Of Novhardok. Rav Isser Zalman said that when a person needs to make a decision if a visitor to town is due respect and one must go greet him, the first thing he must eliminate to make a proper decision is Nigia of laziness which will skew the decision in favor of not going.<br />
<br />
How can this be achieved, asked Rav Isser Zalman? The Alter provided the perfect solution. When a distinguished guest who may possibly deserve kavod arrived to town, the Alter would get dressed up in his finest clothing and go to the home where the guest is lodging. When he reached the lodging, he would stand outside and only then decide if this person is deserving of this honor. In that way he eliminated laziness as a consideration in his decision.<br />
<br />
Thanks to this lesson, said Rav Isser, I have a practice that when someone asks me for a letter of recommendation I immediately write one. Only after I have taken the time and effort to do this, do I then consider if he is deserving of it. Only if he truly deserves it, do I give it to him.<br />
<br />
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Balak 5770<br />
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos<br />
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />
For sponsorships or to subscribe weekly by email please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />
View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim<br />
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Chukas 5770<br />
<br />
The Tribe of Levi, a Higher Standard<br />
<br />
Introduction<br />
ויאמר ה' אל משה ואל אהרן יען לא האמנתם בי להקדישני לעיני בני ישראל לכן לא תביאו את הקבל השה אל הארץ אשר נתתי להם, HaShem said to Moshe and Aharon, “Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Children of Israel, therefore you will not bring this congregation to the Land that I had given them.” (Bamidbar 20:12)<br />
In this week’s parasha we learn about how the Jewish People complained about the lack of water and HaShem instructed Moshe to take his stick and speak to the rock to draw forth water for the people. Moshe instead hit the rock, thus causing a desecration of HaShem’s Name and forfeiting his privilege of entering into Eretz Yisroel. The Ibn Ezra and the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh cite many opinions regarding Moshe’s sin. Some commentators posit that Moshe’s sin was that he became angered with the Jewish People and for this reason HaShem punished him by not granting him entry into Eretz Yisroel. Other commentaries write that Moshe sinned because he disobeyed HaShem’s commandment of speaking to the rock and instead he struck the rock and this was not the correct method for producing water. There are also opinions that maintain that Moshe should only have hit the rock once and not twice. Many of the commentators cite the verse in Tehillim (106:32-33) where it is said vayakitzifu al mei merivah vayeira liMoshe baavuram ki himru es rucho vayivatei bisfasav, they provoked at the Waters of Strife and Moshe suffered because of them, because they acted contrary to Shi spirit, and He pronounced with His lips, as proof for their opinions. The Medrash (Shemos Rabbah) states that matters that Moshe did not explain fully were elaborated on by Dovid HaMelech in Tehillim. What message is Dovid HaMelech conveying to us with these words? <br />
Are Miriam and Aharon different than Moshe?<br />
Surprisingly, most of the commentaries seem to ignore an explicit verse in the Torah that sheds much light on the incident of Moshe deviating from HaShem’s instructions. It is said (Devarim 33:8) uliLevi amar tumecha viurecha liish chasidecha asher nisiso bimassah tiriveihu al mei merivah, of Levi he said: Your Tumim and Your Urim befit Your devout one, whom You tested at Massah, and whom You challenged at the waters of Merivah. Rashi writes something that at first appears to be very puzzling. Citing the Sifri, Rashi writes that HaShem, so to speak, came upon Moshe with a libel. If Moshe uttered the words (Bamidbar 20:10) shimu na hamorim, listen now, O rebels, what did Aharon and Miriam do? The Sifri is perplexing, because it appears to be asking a rhetorical question. The explanation of the question at first glance seems to be as follows: “we understand what Moshe did wrong, and thus was deserving of a punishment, but Aharon and Miriam did not do anything, so why were they also punished?” This, however, is difficult to understand, because in this verse Moshe is blessing the tribe of Levi, so why would he publicly reprimand himself? Furthermore, how can it be that there is a libel against members of the tribe of Levi? Aharon was faulted for his involvement in the fashioning of the Golden Calf, and Miriam sinned by gossiping about Moshe. Why does the Sifri deem Moshe’s act at Mei merivah to be different? <br />
The tribe of Levi is held to a higher standard<br />
In order to gain a better understanding to what occurred at Mei merivah, we need to focus on the uniqueness of the tribe of Levi. The Medrash (Shemos Rabbah 5:16) states that Moshe told Pharaoh that every nation has spiritual leaders that guide the nation, and the Jewish People are no different. Pharaoh therefore allowed for one tribe to be exempt from the slavery, and that tribe was the tribe of Levi. Thus, while the entire Jewish People was enslaved to the Egyptians and were bitterly persecuted, the tribe of Levi was free to do as they pleased. When Moshe was on his way to Egypt, he was required to circumcise his son, and his delay almost cost him his life. The reason for Moshe being liable the death penalty was not because he had delayed in the circumcision, as a father is not liable the death penalty for not circumcising his son. Rather, it would appear that Moshe was being held to a higher standard than other Jews, and HaShem deemed his delay to be a desecration of His name, which was only atoned for through death. Similarly, when Aharon abetted the fashioning of the Golden Calf, he may have violated a negative commandment of fashioning an idol, but the consequences could have been more severe, if Moshe had not interceded on his behalf. HaShem wished to punish Aharon by killing all of his sons, and Moshe’s prayers were effective to save two of them from death. Aharon, as a member of the tribe of Levi, was held accountable because his tribe was placed on a pedestal, and he did not conform to the high standard that his tribe exemplified. Similarly, Miriam gossiped about Moshe and was punished. What was it that was so serious about Miriam’s act? The Medrash states that Miriam questioned why Moshe was able to separate from his wife and other prophets were not required to do this. In truth, however, Moshe was from the tribe of Levi, and the tribe of Levi always went beyond the letter of the law. An example of their transcending the normal laws is from the Gemara (Yevamos 72a) that states that while sojourning in the Wilderness, the Jewish People did not circumcise their children because they required the northern wind to blow to heal the wound. HaShem did not allow the northern wind to blow because the wind would have dispersed the Clouds of Glory. The tribe of Levi, however, put their lives at risk by leaving the clouds and circumcising their children. Thus, we see that the tribe of Levi went beyond the letter of the law to fulfill HaShem’s will. Similarly, Moshe separated from his wife so he could always be connected to HaShem. This conduct was in line with the tribe of Levi always beings separated for spiritual pursuits.<br />
When Moshe deviated from his calling he was punished<br />
We can now better understand what occurred regarding the Jewish People’s complaint for water and why Moshe was punished so severely. The fact that the Jewish People requested water was not unique, as the Torah records other instances where they asked for water and HaShem provided for them. The uniqueness of this incident was that Miriam had just died, and the Gemara (Taanis 9a) states that it was in her merit that the Jewish People had the water source. When the Jewish People complained about the lack of water, HaShem decided to test Moshe and Aharon to see if they would go beyond the call of duty. Whereas in the past Moshe had used his staff to produce the water, here HaShem desired that he should talk to the rock, thus transcending the laws of nature. Moshe did not fulfill HaShem’s instructions to the letter, and it was for this reason that he was punished by not being granted entry into Eretz Yisroel. In truth there is a pattern to this action and reaction, as we see that when Moshe complained to HaShem that by going to Pharaoh he had only made matters worse for the Jewish People. HaShem informed Moshe that he would see what He did to Pharaoh but he would not witness what HaShem would do to the gentile kings when the Jewish People entered Eretz Yisroel. Furthermore, in the Song of the Sea it is said (Shemos 15:16-17) ad yaavor amchah HaShem am zu kanisa tivieimo visitaeimo bihar nachalascho, until Your people passes through, HaShem – until this people You have acquired passes through. You will bring them and implant them…. Rashi writes that in this verse Moshe was prophesying that he would not enter Eretz Yisroel. Why did Moshe mention this prophecy in middle of the Song? The answer to this question is that after describing the Jewish People as the nation that HaShem acquired, Moshe alluded to his own future, as he was required as a member of the tribe of Levi to set the standard for everyone else. By failing to adhere to this standard, Moshe was punished. Thus, in his blessing for the tribe of Levi, Moshe was praising the tribe for their steadfastness in fulfilling HaShem’s will. The subsequent verses testify to the tribe of Levi going beyond the call of duty by punishing the sinners who were involved in worshipping the Golden Calf. The passage further alludes to the battle that eth Chashmonaim waged against the Greeks. Similarly, Dovid HaMelech in Tehillim depicts a nation that provoked HaShem at Mei merivah, and Moshe suffered on their account. The words ki himru es rucho, because they acted contrary to his spirit, is interpreted by some of the commentators (see Radak and Ibn Ezra Ibid) to be referring to Moshe. We can therefore suggest that the verse is alluding to the idea that the Jewish People caused Moshe to act contrary to his calling as a member of the tribe of Levi. This deviation resulted in Moshe being punished for his sin.<br />
The praises of Levi allude to the higher standard<br />
We can now understand the words of the Sifri mentioned earlier. The Sifri not asking a rhetorical question. Rather, the Sifri is noting that Moshe sinned, and the Torah records his punishment. Regarding Aharon and Miriam, however, one would be led to think that their actions did not warrant a severe punishment of not being granted entry into Eretz Yisroel. The Torah therefore continues to describe the praise of the tribe of Levi, thus hinting to the idea that Aharon and Miriam, as members of that tribe, were also held to a higher standard.<br />
The Shabbos connection <br />
The role of the tribe of Levi is to serve as spiritual guides for the Jewish People, and as the Rambam writes (end of laws of Shemitah and Yovel) every Jew is capable of aspiring to the level of the Levites. Throughout the week we may not be able to rise to these heights, as the burden of earning a livelihood weighs us down and we struggle to transcend the world of physicality. With the arrival of Shabbos, however, we are all given the opportunity to become connected to HaShem and His Torah. The word Levi means to become attached, and HaShem should allow us to attach ourselves to His Torah and to those who study it.<br />
Shabbos Stories<br />
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach the Husband<br />
"Although it is customary to ask forgiveness from one who has died," R' Shlomo Zalman Auerbach said at his wife's funeral, "I shall not do so. Throughout our entire marriage we never offended or hurt one another. We conducted our lives according to the Shulchan Aruch, and I have no reason to ask her forgiveness."<br />
The following is an example of R' Auerbach's exquisite sensitivity towards his wife combined with his exactitude in fulfilling the Shulchan Aruch. R' Yitzchak Yeruchem Borodiansky told this story in one of the eulogies during the shivah week.<br />
Once, R' Shlomo Zalman's sister came to his house to ask about a certain bachur who was suggested as prospective match for her daughter. When she first entered the house, there were a few people waiting to speak to R' Shlomo Zalman. She waited until they left, and finally she was alone with R' Shlomo Zalman and his Rebbitzen. She asked him about the bachur, and he answered, "He's a fine boy."<br />
When R' Shlomo Zalman' sister was about to leave, he asked her if she was planning on visiting their sister in Sharei Chessed before she went home and she answered in the affirmative. Later, when she left the house of their sister, she found R' Shlomo Zalman waiting outside. He approached her and said, |"Regarding the bachur, you should know that you should only ask about others in privacy." "But who was there?" she said. "The Rebbitzen was there," he said, "and she doesn't need to hear lashon hara." Then he told her, "Don't follow through with this shidduch. He's not for your daughter."<br />
R' Shlomo Zalman felt responsible to convey the proper information to his sister, but he was so sensitive to his Rebbitzen’s feelings that he didn't even want to ask her to leave the room. Instead, he used his precious time to meet his sister in another location, saving his wife from hearing lashon hara and from being insulted! (Source: The Man of Truth and Peace) <br />
A Lawyer Meets His Match<br />
A Rav in England had a friend who was a lawyer, and who knew very little about Yiddishkeit. Once, this lawyer approached the Rav with a very serious dilemma. He was currently defending a non-Jew who had become involved in criminal activities. This man was extremely cunning and deceitful, and the judge who saw right through his lies, decided to prosecute his lawyer as well, since he was a partner to the criminal's deceit. It is common practice in England that the judges can implicate the lawyers, to ensure that they do not become tainted by their clients' wrongdoings. This lawyer was in great danger of not only of losing his right to practice his profession, but of also of receiving a heavy punishment and fine. The lawyer was anguished and worried, and at a loss of what to do. <br />
The Rav said to him, "Listen, my friend, the best advice I can give you is to do what all of Klal Yisrael does. Simply daven to the Ribbono shel Olam, and He'll save you from this tzara." The lawyer replied, "What! I should ask HaShem? It's not possible, and I'll tell you why. Once I already asked for help from Him, and I promised that I wouldn't ask for anything else."<br />
The lawyer explained that few years prior, he traveled to Australia for work, and stayed there for six months. While in Australia, his only daughter, who was then seven years old, suddenly became critically ill. After many tests, it was determined that it was cancer, and she began treatment. Unfortunately, she did not respond well, and she grew sicker. One day, which happened to be Shabbos, the doctor told the lawyer that her situation is critical, and she has only a few hours to live. <br />
The distraught father decided immediately to find a shul. Despite his ignorance of Yiddishkeit, he remembered that when he became Bar Mitzvah, his father took him to shul. He searched for a shul, and eventually found one, which was unlocked. It was the middle of the day, and the shul was empty. He burst out crying and continued crying without a stop for two hours. Amidst his tears he said, "HaShem, I need to ask You something, and I promise You that I'll never ask for anything else. I ask of You that my beloved daughter remain alive." Eventually, the lawyer felt a sense of relief, and returned to the hospital.<br />
He was greeted at the hospital with miraculous news - his daughter had opened her eyes. She began improving little by little, and eventually fully recovered. In fact, her new X-rays showed no sign of a cancerous growth at all, and even the doctors admitted that it was a complete miracle. <br />
<br />
The lawyer finished speaking, "So, didn't you hear that I promised HaShem never to ask for anything else? How can I break my promise?"<br />
<br />
The Rav said, "Your promise is not valid! HaShem is not a person. You can continue to request whatever you need from Him." <br />
<br />
The lawyer followed his advice, and was declared innocent. (Shaal Avicha Veyegadcha) (www.Revach.net) <br />
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Chukas 5770<br />
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />
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But if HaShem will create a phenomenon, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that is theirs, and they will descend alive to the pit – then you shall know that these men have provoked HaShem.” (Bamidbar 16:28-30)<br />In this week’s Torah portion we learn about Korach and his entourage who sought to claim power and glory for themselves. Their basis was that all the Jews had heard HaShem speak at Sinai and there was no justification for Moshe and Aharon to share all the high ranking positions for themselves. Ultimately, Korach and his entourage were either swallowed up by the ground or burned to death. Moshe finally decided that the game was up, and it is said (Bamidbar 16:28-30) Moshe said, “Through this you shall know that HaShem sent me to perform all these acts, that it was not from my heart. If these die like the death of all men, and the destiny of all men is visited upon them, then it is not HaShem Who has sent me. But if HaShem will create a phenomenon, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that is theirs, and they will descend alive to the pit – then you shall know that these men have provoked HaShem.” Rashi writes that regarding the opening of the earth, Moshe was stating that HaShem would either allow for the primordial opening of the earth to swallow Korach and his entourage, or HaShem would create a new opening to facilitate Korach’s downfall. This statement of Rashi is puzzling, as the Mishnah (Avos 5:8) states clearly that the opening of the earth was one of ten things that were created on the first Friday at twilight. Why, then, was there a need to have HaShem create a new opening?<br />Muki Betser finds a new doorway<br />The Israeli army was preparing for its raid into Entebbe, Uganda, to free the captives of a terrorist hijacking. In preparation for the raid, the Israelis simulated the planned raid by creating a building that was a replica of the Ugandan airport. Soldiers trained in the simulated building, learning all the ins and outs of the airport. When the soldiers arrived in Uganda, they quickly recognized the layout of the airport and began running through the hallways, confident in their abilities to stop the terrorists and free the captives. One soldier, Muki Betser, was running through the hallway and was expecting a doorway. To his dismay, there was no door. His first thought was, “how can this be? We practiced this operation to perfection, and now there is no door?” Muki then realized that there was only one thing to do. He had to keep running and hope that soon he would come upon an entranceway. To his good fortune, he soon came upon a different doorway and he and the other soldiers were able to successfully complete their mission. <br />One can find the door of repentance even at the height of wickedness<br />Moshe was not merely reading Korach and his group their last rites. Rather, Moshe was demonstrating to them that although HaShem had already “simulated” their destruction, there was still a way out. If they repented, the previously ordained opening in the earth would be used for different function, and HaShem would create a “new” opening, which would be the proverbial opening that HaShem grants anyone who seeks to repent. Regrettably, Korach and his group remained adamant and were swallowed up by the earth. [The Talmud states that Korach himself was not swallowed up by the earth nor was he burned by fire.] The words of Moshe had some effect, however, as Korach’s sons repented, and HaShem allowed for them to be elevated in Hell and merit eternal reward.<br />Often in life we are faced with situations where we do not perceive and openings or paths that lead us out of our despair. While it may not appear to us that we have an escape plan, we can pray to HaShem to either show us where the exit is, or to create a new opening that will allows us to exit our current situation and continue on the illuminated pathway of life.<br /><br /><br />The Shabbos connection <br />Throughout the week we are faced with challenges and at times there appears to be no way out of predicaments. With the arrival of Shabbos, however, it is said (Yechezkel 46:1) ko amar HaShem Elokim shaar hechatzer hapinimis haponeh kadim yihyeh sagur sheishes yimei hamaaseh uvayom haShabbos yipaseiach uvayom hachodesh yipaseiach, thus said the Lord/Elokim: “The gate of the inner courtyard that faces eastward shall be closed during the six days of labor, but on the Shabbos day it shall be opened, and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened.” This verse alludes to the idea that on Shabbos all the gates of Heaven are open for us to entreat Hashem to show us the correct path in serving Him. When HaShem sets us on that path, we will surely succeed in all or spiritual and material endeavors.<br />Shabbos Stories<br />The Staff of Life<br />There was a long line of customers at the checkout counter... Yosef, the grocer, was in over his head calculating totals, making change, and marking down what people owed when they bought on credit. But even working at top speed, so that he scarcely had a moment to breathe, he found the time to admonish his customers, "Please, don't crumble the bread. Be careful not to drop the bread on the floor!" <br />Everyone who shopped at Yosef's grocery was long familiar with his caution regarding the treatment of bread... Every new customer who entered his grocery received his first lesson in the laws of safeguarding the honor of bread: <br />"Understand that this bread that God has given us is a gift from Heaven. Think of how many people were involved in producing this bread. Farmers plowed the fields, fertilized it, seeded it, and watered it, praying to God to send rain in its proper time. With anxious hearts, they watched every stage of the growth process, and when the wheat reached its peak ripeness, they harvested it. They took the sheaves they had cut down, and separated the wheat from the chaff." <br />He went on with his lecture, indifferent as to whether the customer was interested or not. It was his business to educate the Jewish consumer in the proper respect for bread ― Heaven's gift. <br />As evening drew near, the grocery emptied out. That was when Yosef would take his broom and, with sincere reverence, gather the crumbs that had fallen to the ground near the bread shelves. Sometimes he would do this several times a day. Any time he saw a pile of crumbs collecting near the shelves, he would whisk out his broom and a special dustpan, and collect the crumbs into a large, clean plastic bag. He would toss these crumbs to the birds in the grassy area behind the store, so that no stray crumb would come to be tossed disrespectfully into the garbage, Heaven forbid... <br />Yosef himself was true to his beliefs, at home as well as in the shop. Not a crumb of bread was ever thrown away in his house. He conducted a careful investigation into his family's bread needs. If there was ever a bit of bread left over, it was not thrown out, Heaven forbid, but used in a hundred and one different dishes, beginning with fried bread slices and ground bread crumbs for use in beef and fish patties, and ending in sweet bread pancakes and other delicacies whipped up by Yosef's creative wife. Yosef humbly, gratefully, and lovingly accepted the gift God had given him in the form of breads, rolls, challahs, and pitas. What they all had in common was that they were completely eaten, down to the last drop. <br />And if, in a rare case, a piece of leftover bread was simply inedible for some reason, Yosef would soak it in water and leave it in the garden. The pigeons and sparrows pecked at it, until not even a crumb remained... <br />[One day, Yosef revealed his reason for being so concerned about pieces of bread.] <br />Jerusalem, in the year 5676 (1916), was a hungry city. <br />World War I, which ended with the Turkish conquerors being chased out of Israel, had wreaked havoc on the poor country's food supplies and left it barren. Many years of drought, an invasion of locusts, and the closing of sea supply-lanes had brought in them wake a terrible famine. In the city of Jerusalem, people scoured the streets for anything edible. <br />The three Templer sisters ― orphans ― managed, somehow, during the first two years of the War. The eldest, Shoshanah, who was 18, worked as a seamstress for the Turkish military machine, which did not yet believe in its own fast-approaching demise. Thanks to her steady job, she and her two sisters ― Rivkah, 15, and Shulamis, 10 ― did not starve. Each day, the younger sisters waited tensely for Shoshanah's return. She brought her day's wages each evening: one bishlik (a small coin). occasionally, when her military supervisors were especially pleased, she received a bonus of one lira... <br />In the starving city, where whole families nearly died of hunger, the odds that three orphans would remain alive were just about zero to none. But, through Heaven's mercy, Shoshanah's work found favor with the Turkish army officers, who saw to it that she received, from time to time, not only an extra coin but also a small sack of flour. Shoshanah would bring these sacks home and bake little loaves of bread from them ― loaves which just barely sustained the three sisters. <br />The terrible winter of 1917 arrived. The Turkish Army began to sense its impending defeat at the hands of the British, whose forward movement had begun in Egypt and was slowly approaching Palestine. As the tottering Ottoman Empire fought a losing battle to keep control of Palestine, little attention was paid to the appearance of the soldiers' uniforms. The young seamstress returned from work one day with the bitter news that there would be no going back the next day. The Templer girls' coffers were empty. Now they began to know what hunger really felt like. <br />The small loaves of bread became a dream of the past ― a sweet dream. The house had nothing in it, not even so much as a potato peel. Hunger began to gnaw at their sides. Rivkah was old enough to deal with it reasonably well, but Shulamis, being only 11, began to show alarming signs of the swelling that accompanies malnutrition. <br />Rivkah and Shoshanah watched anxiously as their younger sister's face began to turn yellow. Despairing, they tried to hide from the young girl the fact that she was about to die of starvation. This was no unusual phenomenon in wartime Jerusalem. Starving people ― Jew and Arab alike ― dotted the streets, begging passersby for a morsel of bread to keep them alive. But there was no one to offer that life-giving morsel. Everyone was hungry; it was those who managed to obtain the bare minimum who survived... <br />Rivkah was the first to return home. She was in despair. A search of the trash bins had resulted in nothing ― not even a crumb. Better to return home and stay with Shulamis, she thought, than to leave her all alone. <br />To her dismay, she found her little sister sprawled on the ground outside. The girl's breathing was rapid and shallow. She was fighting for her life. <br />"Shulamis, don't die!" Rivkah sobbed. "Our father and mother have already died. Stay with us!" <br />Shulamis did not react. Like a madwoman, Rivkah raced into the house. She found a cup of water, drenched a clean rag in it and began to squeeze out the water, drop by drop, into her sister's mouth. Perhaps the water would save her ... Shulamis sucked the rag weakly, and tried to chew it. Hunger was troubling her worse than thirst... <br />Suddenly, an idea struck Shoshanah with the force of a lightning bolt. The bakery! How had she not thought of it before? The small bakery near the shuk. She had no way of knowing that the bakery had been abandoned two weeks earlier by its owner, who fled the country after deserting the Turkish Army. <br />Reaching the bakery, Shoshanah was stunned to find it dark and deserted. She tried the door ― and found that it opened easily, unlocked. The place was black as midnight. She walked forward with hands outstretched, groping for the bread trays. These had once held warm, fragrant loaves. Perhaps there were still a few crumbs left behind... <br />Her fingers touched something hard and round. A cry of joy burst from her lips. It was a dry loaf, baked some two or three weeks before ― but it was bread! Old bread that could be softened and eaten. <br />With supernatural speed, Shoshanah flew through the Old City streets, loaf in hand. She found Rivkah dipping a rag in water and thrusting it into Shulamis' mouth. Shulamis was only half-conscious. <br />"Give me the water," Shoshanah ordered. <br />With trembling hands she broke off a small piece of the loaf and soaked it in the cup of water. She then placed the softened bread into Shulamis' mouth. <br />The girl's dry lips felt the difference. Her mouth sucked the moisture out of the bread, and then began to chew with a barely perceptible motion of the jaws. The small piece was swallowed. Then came another, and another. Shulamis' eyes opened and the spark of life nearly extinguished, shone into the night. <br />At the very last moment, Shulamis had been saved from starving to death. <br />"Shulamis Templer was my mother, may she rest in peace," explained Yosef to Nachum, who was raptly listening to the tale. "All her life, she treated bread with tremendous respect, for it had saved her life. She never let us throw any away ― not even a crumb. Every chunk of bread was consumed in one of 101 ways, but was never thrown in the garbage. You don't throw away a gift from God..." <br />The color black<br /> <br />Mrs. Tolman gave the pretty tablecloth a small pat. The table was set so nicely ― just sweets and something to drink. Simon was coming in an hour or so, at six o'clock, bringing his wife, he said. Simon had been living in California for five years now. He was "in computers," he told his mother, and "doing all right." He talked to her at least once a week and made it a point to come home for the High Holy Days every year. He was a good son. They had a good relationship, caring but not effusive. Most of all, Mrs. Tolman was grateful that Simon had kept the Jewish faith. It was her solace and her pride. <br />Mrs. Tolman sat down in her favorite rocking chair. She was enjoying the anticipation as she rocked gently. She had waited for Simon to get married for a long time now. His father had passed away when he was fifteen, and he had become restless and difficult, finishing high school almost under duress. <br />Simon loved his mother, but he wanted out. Out of the house, out of school, out of the city. He tried an out-of-town college for a year and deliberately flunked out. He wandered from one job to another until suddenly he told his mother that a friend had offered to teach him computers if he would go to California with him. What did he have to lose? <br />When Simon left, Mrs. Tolman went through a period of rejection, guilt, and anger. She didn't go for therapy ― she still thought psychology as something a little creepy. As an aide in a day-care center, she lived a simple, religious life, had friends much like herself, and wanted to see Simon married. A grandchild would be so nice. <br />The bell tinkled. She hurried to the door. There was Simon, and with him a pretty black woman. <br />"Come in. Come in. Excuse me, but where is your wife?" <br />"Carla is my wife, Mother," he said as they entered. <br />For a full ten seconds, Mrs. Tolman could not speak. She just stared at them. Words would not come. This was his wife? Simon bent and kissed her cheek. <br />"Let's sit down," he said, gently and firmly. Mrs. Tolman let him guide her to a chair, without taking her eyes off the woman. Somehow she couldn't grasp the situation. <br />Simon took over as they sat around the table. "Mother, I know this is quite a surprise, maybe even a shock. But I knew I could never explain anything on the phone, or by letter. I wanted you to meet Carla first..." <br />Mrs. Tolman and Carla stared at each other. Carla offered a small smile, but Mrs. Tolman seemed somehow unable to react. Simon thought, a little belatedly, that perhaps he should have prepared his mother a little better. <br />"Carla and I met at the company where I work. She is a fine computer analyst. She comes from Raleigh, Mother, and she became Jewish four years ago... We worked in the same department, and I got to know her. When I saw that she didn't eat with the other workers and heard that she didn't come in on Shabbos, I realized she was different and we became friends. Many times she worked overtime to make up hours. She was so gentle and kind and so very intelligent that we became more than friends..." <br />"Could you tell me a little about yourself?" Mrs. Tolman asked hesitantly. <br />It was a strange and curious story. Carla was born and bred in poverty in a small town in the South. She was a quiet child, not given much to roughhouse playing. Her father was a truck driver, and her mother "did houses." There was never any money for books, and Carla's greatest joy was Sunday school because there Miz Rosa gave out books about the Bible with beautiful pictures and stories. Although she didn't really understand it at all, the Bible stories of the Old Testament worked a curious magic on her mind. She believed them, and she daydreamed about them. <br />As she got older and began reading fluently, she would go to the library and find books to satisfy her mind. Not being a sociable child, she became even more introspective as she got older. She went to church regularly, together with her mother and sisters, her brothers having dropped out as early as possible. And while she listened attentively and sang in the choir, she felt a sense of not belonging. <br />In the town, there was a small grocery store run by a Jewish man named Moshe, who seemed very old to Carla. On the High Holy Days, the grocery store was closed. Carla liked to come to the store to do a little shopping and talk to Moshe, especially as she grew older. He always had time and stories for her. One day, she asked him, "How do you like being a Jew?" <br />Moshe was not surprised. Carla was not one of your run-of-the-mill kids; she was a thoughtful girl, interested in the world. "It don't make much difference what I like, Carla. I was born a Jew and I'll die a Jew. That's what the good Lord wants from me, I guess." He stopped a moment. "Not everybody likes Jews, you know, but this town's been pretty nice to me. I got no complaints." Looking at her earnest face, he added honestly, "I'm not very learned or smart, never went to yeshivah." <br />"What's a yeshivah?" <br />"It's where boys go to study Talmud and become rabbis and teachers. Some boys go just to get educated in Jewish stuff." <br />"Why didn't you go?" Carla prodded. <br />"I went to work." He seemed to want to close her out. <br />One day, when she was already in high school, Carla came in with a new question. "Moshe, could I become a Jewish person? I read a lot about Jews and conversion and that sort of thing. I think I would like to be Jewish." <br />Moshe was surprised this time, and he was a little afraid for her. She really didn't understand what it meant to be a Jew in the outside world. He said, "This town's been good to me, Carla. But not every town and not all people care too much about Jews. Being born a Jew is the first strike against you. Today it's much better, but there was a time when a Jew couldn't get into the best schools or get the best jobs. Besides, a Jew has to live by a lot of rules and regulations that you don't even know about." <br />"I could learn," she said. <br />"What would your folks say?" Moshe could envision the tragedy she was heading into. "They maybe wouldn't even want you around if you tried to convert. They're good Christians. Stay the way you are." <br />Carla smiled a small smile. She picked up the bag of groceries she had come for and put some coins on the counter. "Pray for me, Moshe. I'm not coming back." <br />The town buzzed when Carla left. It buzzed even louder, several years later, when it heard she had converted to Judaism. Even the deacon fretted about it in his sermon on Sunday. <br />Carla was proud to be a Jew, but she could not hide her color. One Shabbos she went to a synagogue for services. The men at the door asked her if she was the new cleaning lady... <br />The rabbi with whom she studied got her a job and recommended a business school where she could learn computer programming. As it happened, she was a natural in this field. <br />With all its declarations of equality, the South is not too kindly disposed toward black people. Carla found it hard to get a job, even an entry one. Weeping one day to her mentor, she asked, "Where do I go from here?" <br />The rabbi, a kindly and understanding man, said, "I have a friend in Los Angeles. People out there are not thrown by skin color. I'll speak to him. Would you be ready to try your luck there?" <br />"Tell me where to go. I'll leave tomorrow. I'm ready to try anything now." <br />The rabbi was right. The lady who interviewed her on her first try at a new job was not particularly interested in color or gender. She wanted someone efficient and smart who could manage the company's computer programs. Carla got the job. Simon worked in another department. God moves His people on His giant chessboard, in His own mysterious ways. <br />Now Simon and Carla sat at Simon's mother's table, ill at ease, trying to make conversation. Mrs. Tolman had listened to Carla's story without comment. Now she asked tentatively, "Would you like tea?" <br />"Don't bother, Mother," Simon answered. "Let me show you some pictures of our apartment in LA." <br />Carla opened her bag and took out an envelope, but the picture showing wasn't very successful. The conversation lagged, and the three uneasy people tried to make something better of the unsatisfactory party. It didn't work too well. <br />When Simon and Carla were leaving, Simon began to put his arms around his mother. Almost instinctively, she drew back. She caught herself, but the gesture had made a statement. There was no kissing or hugging in the goodbyes. Outside, Carla wept. <br />Back home, in their Los Angeles apartment, they confronted each other in ultimate sadness. "Do you think your mother will ever accept me?" Carla asked. <br />"Isn't it enough that I accept you?" Simon asked angrily. <br />And so anger crept into their otherwise happy relationship. And fear crept into Carla's heart. Where were they going? What was going to happen? <br />Carla had made friends with a friendly woman, Dina, who sat next to her in shul on Shabbos. The Shabbos after Carla's visit to New York and her mother-in-law, Dina asked, "How was your trip?" <br />Carla looked her full in the face... "Dreadful." <br />"Was she pleasant to you?" Dina asked. <br />"She tried to be, but I think she was just too shocked. I told Simon he should tell his mother about me before we came, but he said it was better his way. It wasn't. It was awful." <br />Dina took her hand. "Carla, when Simon goes to the rabbi's class this afternoon, come visit me. We'll talk." <br />Shabbos afternoon. The most relaxed hours of the week. Dina and Carla were companionably engrossed with Dina's baby, the third in Dina's home. Dina brought up Carla's situation abruptly. <br />"I thought of something, Carla. It might not work, but then again, it just might. No harm in trying." <br />"What is it?" <br />"Simple. Every Friday, around nine or ten in the morning, about noon in New York, call up your mother-in-law and simply wish her good Shabbos. Just a pleasant, non-threatening call. You can add regards from Simon. That's all." <br />Carla looked at her friend gratefully. "Sounds simple, not very brilliant, but I will certainly try. Nothing to lose." <br />The first Friday Carla made the call, Mrs. Tolman recognized her voice and hung up the receiver, quietly but definitely. On the next two Fridays, it was the same. On the fourth Friday, Mrs. Tolman asked, "Why are you calling me?" <br />Carla caught her breath at Mrs. Tolman's voice, but she answered pleasantly, "Just called to say good Shabbos and have a very nice day." <br />There was a five-second silence. Then Mrs. Tolman said, "Thank you," and hung up. <br />Friday by Friday, for four long months, Carla called and Mrs. Tolman answered briefly and hung up. It was well into the fifth month when Carla called as usual and received no answer. She tried again, letting the phone ring for a while, and a third time half an hour later. No answer. She would ask Simon if his mother had been in touch with him at the office or if perhaps she had gone away for Shabbos. But she didn't usually. <br />By two o'clock, she knew it was almost Shabbos in New York, and Carla tried once more. She dialed without much enthusiasm. Then the doorbell rang. Putting the phone down, she hurried to the door. <br />Mrs. Tolman said simply, "Good Shabbos, my child." Carla flew into her arms. (www.innernet.org.il) <br /><br /><br /><br />Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Korach 5770<br />Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />For sponsorships please call 248-506-0363<br />To subscribe weekly please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim <br />and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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According to most Halachic authorities, this mitzvah is not binding today because we are unable to identify the specie from which the ticheiles is procured. Nonetheless, the Gemara offers us a fascinating insight into the reason for the requirement to wear ticheiles. The Gemara (Menachos 43b) states that when one looks at ticheiles of the tzitzis, he is reminded that ticheiles is similar in appearance to the sea, the sea is similar in appearance to the rakia, the firmament, and the rakia is similar in appearance to the Heavenly Throne. One must wonder, however, why it is necessary for a person to connect the dots in order that he is cognizant of HaShem’s Presence in the world. Is it not sufficient to gaze upon the tzitzis and remember that it is HaShem Who has commanded us to observe His mitzvos? <br /><br />Even the mud on the wheels counts<br />The story is told of one of the great chassidic leaders who was once sitting in his room studying and teaching Torah to his students when suddenly there was a knock at the door and a poor woman rushed into the room. <br />"Rebbe, please," the woman begged tearfully. "Please come and see my husband now. He's dying and begs you to come and see him before he dies." <br />The Rebbe could not refuse such a request, and so, accompanied by his students, he arose and went to the house of the sick man. He opened the door of the sick man's room, but quickly withdrew and shut the door behind him. His students wondered at the Rebbe's strange behavior. What could have given him such a shock? <br />After waiting a few minutes, the Rebbe opened the door again and went into the room. <br />"How are you feeling?" he asked the simple Jew lying before him. "What can I do for you?" <br />"Rebbe, I haven't been a good person. I've spent my life doing so many bad things... please pray for my soul. That's why I called you. Please. Pray for me that I should find rest in the World to Come." <br />"Haven't you done some good in your life?" the Rebbe asked. "Try to remember." <br />But the poor man only sighed. "I have so many sins. I can't think of a single good thing I did in my whole life." <br />"Please try to remember -- even one good deed. Perhaps you saved someone's life?" <br />"Yes," whispered the dying man, "I do remember one thing that might be good. I don't know whether it's worth anything, but I'll tell you the story... <br />"I used to earn my livelihood by skinning animals after they were killed. I would leave the house very early in the morning, at about four o'clock. One day I left the house and was walking uphill to the slaughterhouse, when I saw horses galloping towards me with a wagon full of men, women, and children. They were Jews coming home from a wedding. I heard them all screaming with fear, and I straight-away realized that the driver was obviously drunk and that if the horses couldn't be stopped in a moment, everyone would be lost, for they were headed straight for the ravine. So I decided to risk my life. I was very strong, and I realized that if I would grab the reins and hold the horses everyone could jump out. And that's what I did. I gathered all my strength, ran towards the horses, pulled the reins as hard as I possibly could, and all the passengers jumped out. Then I let go, and the horses jumped into the ravine. <br />"That's all I remember." <br />The Rebbe said, "First of all, I promise that I will pray for you. But I want you to promise me that when you come to the World to Come, after you've been to the Heavenly Court, you will come and tell me what happened. Promise me." <br />The dying man, of course, promised. When he died, the Rebbe and his students attended the funeral, and the Rebbe told the burial society to give the poor man a very important place in the cemetery. <br />A few days later, the poor man came to the Rebbe in a dream, and told him: "Rebbe, I came to the Heavenly Court and I want to tell you what happened to me. They had a big scale and they put all my bad deeds on one side of the scale and it was weighed down heavily against me. Then they asked if there was anything to say in my favor. An angel came and said, 'Where's the justice? Isn't it written that he who saves one life, it is as if he saved an entire world?' <br />"So the Heavenly Court said to the angel, 'You're right. Justice is with you. We were waiting for you to come and be a defender for this person.' <br />"Then the angel told the court the story of how I saved the wagon load of Jews on their way back from a wedding. He went and brought all the men, women, and children who were in the wagon and put them on the scale. Still, the sins outweighed them. So the angel went away and brought the horses and the wagon and put them on the scale of merits. Still, the scales on the other side slightly outweighed them. But the angel didn't give up. He went away again, and came back with all the mud that was stuck on the wheels of the wagon and put it on the scales on the side of merit. And then the merit outweighed the debt and it was decreed that I could enter the World to Come. But first I had to come and tell you because they wouldn't let me into Paradise until I kept my promise." <br />Even the mud on the wheels counted! <br />While it may sound simple to merely gaze at the tzitzis and remember the Heavenly Throne, too often we are “stuck in the mud of our actions” to actually contemplate such a lofty concept. The Gemara therefore instructs us to take our time, one step at a time, and slowly come to the realization that our every movement is being instructed by HaShem. In a similar vein, the Mishnah (Avos 3:1) teaches that one should contemplate three things and he will be saved from sin. One should know that he comes from a putrid drop, and that he will eventually be dust and worms, and eventually he will have to give a reckoning before Hashem, the king of Kings. When one contemplates each step in the process, he will be more aware how his actions decide his future.<br />The Shabbos connection <br />During the week a person struggles with forces that constantly attempt to lead him astray from a path in serving HaShem. With the arrival of Shabbos, however, all harsh judgments depart from Her and the Jew is allowed to serve HaShem without constraints. HaShem should allow us to contemplate all His mitzvos and observe them properly, with joy and fervor.<br />Shabbos Stories<br />“The Accident”<br /><br />[Rabbi Moshe Berman of Johannesburg, South Africa was maintaining a hectic teaching schedule, and was looking forward to a much-needed summer vacation with his family.] <br />A colleague told Rabbi Berman about a small private game reserve in the Eastern Transvaal province of South Africa. This reserve was, according to the colleague, one of the few places in the world where one could stand the chance of spotting a white lion, a very rare and beautiful creature seldom seen in the wild. On this advice, the Bermans booked a stay at iNgwalala. <br />On Sunday morning, they left Johannesburg, stopping to spend the night on a small farm along the way. The next morning, Monday, they set out early to complete the final leg of their journey into the heart of the African bush. After a short while, the route took them off the main road and onto what appeared to be an ordinary gravel road. They drove for what seemed like an eternity, until they felt as if they had traversed half the country on this meandering track which could scarcely be called a road. <br />Eventually, a farmer flagged them down and asked them where they were heading. On hearing that they were heading for iNgwelala, the farmer let out a low whistle and peered at the horizon, as if to say they were searching on the wrong continent. He then rattled off a complex set of directions, recommending that they not go back the way they had come; rather, since they were already so far off course, they should head off in an entirely new direction which would hopefully bring them safely at iNgwelala's front gate. Once again the Bermans rattled and bumped their way along another dirt road, trailing a large cloud of dust behind them. <br />For 20 minutes they drove along this road without seeing a single sign of human civilization, as if they had not only traveled into the countryside, but had also traveled back 200 years in time. Baboons frolicked on the side of the road, and other wild animals skittered into the bush as the car rattled past. They noticed that the road they were traveling on had actually once been tarred, and had become completely covered with loose sand from disuse. A vague feeling of loneliness crept over the family. <br />A bend suddenly loomed in front of them. The car tried valiantly to follow the curve of the road. The tires scrabbled for grip. The car careened violently off course, skidded off the edge of the road, and came to rest upside down in a shallow ditch. <br />The dust settled, and for a few seconds silence reigned. Then the children began screaming. <br />Rabbi Berman heard the sound of his wife's voice, calling from the seat next to him. Behind him, the children were crying hysterically. Miraculously, neither his wife nor any of the children were hurt. They all pulled themselves free of the car. Rabbi Berman, however, was in tremendous pain from a wound to his head, from which he was losing copious amounts of blood. Once out of the car, he wrapped his head with a piece of clothing and took stock of the situation, which appeared hopeless. <br />Miraculously, he was the only one hurt. However, the car was damaged beyond repair, and they had no means of communicating their plight to the outside world. [This was in the days before cell phones.] Walking was out of the question ― his head wound made sure of that ― and besides, they didn't have a clue how far it would be to the next human habitation. With no other option, they huddled together on the side of the road beside the upturned car and began to pray. Silently, Rabbi Berman mouthed Vidui, the confession a person says just prior to death. <br />Four minutes later, a cloud of dust indicated the approach of a car and the answer to their prayers. They watched the car's progress eagerly, and a few moments later the young driver skidded his jeep to a halt and jumped out to see what had happened. He took one look at the rabbi's wound, and then went into action. He lifted Rabbi Berman carefully and laid him down on the front seat of the Jeep. Then, he helped the rest of the family into the back. Once everyone was in, he hopped into the driver's seat and floored the gas. He instructed Rabbi Berman to keep talking to him so as not to lose consciousness, while he tried to find his way to the Hoedspruit military hospital. From his tone of voice, Rabbi Berman understood that this, too, would require a small miracle. <br />At the hospital, a still-conscious Rabbi Berman was rushed into the operating room. There his condition was stabilized by the attending doctors who then placed him in an ambulance and dispatched him to Johannesburg for urgent attention. The ambulance attendants were instructed to monitor the rabbi's state of consciousness closely, and were told by the doctors that should they notice any signs of deterioration, they should stop immediately at the nearest hospital for treatment. <br />Rabbi Berman described afterwards how he painfully wrote his will on the back of an x-ray envelope as they rushed toward Johannesburg... Once there, the rabbi was admitted to one of the local private clinics where, with the help of some expert doctors, he staged a miraculous recovery. It was not long before he was discharged from the hospital, safely on the road to recovery. <br />A week later the Bermans' phone rang in Johannesburg. The young man on the line had a vaguely familiar voice, albeit tainted by a heavy Afrikaans accent. He wanted urgently to speak with Rabbi Berman. When Rabbi Berman came to the phone the young man introduced himself as Anton Wessels, the man with the jeep who had helped them at the accident site, and who had contributed to saving Rabbi Berman's life. <br />"I've come up to Johannesburg," said the man, "because I need to see you urgently." Rabbi Berman was taken aback. The journey from the Eastern Transvaal takes between five and six hours; it was obvious that this man had something important on his mind. They arranged a time to meet. <br />When the man arrived at the rabbi's house, he was welcomed and led to the rabbi's study. This is the story he told: <br />"I grew up on a farm together with my family, who are Afrikaans-speaking and devout Christians. In my youth, the road on which you had your accident was the main road through the district. We used to travel that road often. As I grew up, the road was bypassed by other newer ones and we slowly stopped using that road, as did most of the farmers in the area. <br />"I am now 20 years old, and three weeks ago I completed my national service with the South African Defense Force. While in the army, I had a chance to look back on my life, and to remember the good times of my youth. Somewhere along the line I remembered the road you were traveling on, and I made a decision to go and revisit the road of my childhood, to relive all the memories. Something of a pilgrimage, if you know what I mean. <br />"For two weeks I procrastinated, each day another distraction keeping me from my mission. Last Monday I finally got around to making the trip. That is how I came to find you." He paused for a moment to let his words sink in, and then continued: <br />"You should also be aware that not long ago there was another accident along that stretch of road. It wasn't until two weeks later that the battered car was found. Its occupants weren't as lucky as you. They waited for help which never arrived. You must realize that if I had decided to set out on my trip of nostalgia even a half-hour earlier, you could still be waiting there now. If I would have set out a half-hour later, you probably would not have survived your wounds." <br />The man studied the rabbi carefully as he continued talking. <br />"I have never been a very religious man. I've never given much thought to the events that occur in the world. After this whole business, however, I have seen that someone was looking after you, and I have decided that I would like to know more about the difference between Jews and gentiles. I would like to know what my responsibilities are." <br />For the next few hours, Rabbi Berman sat with this young man and reviewed with him the history of Christianity and Judaism. He then went on to explain to him what his obligations and responsibilities were as a non-Jew. Despite Rabbi Berman's attempts at dissuading him, within a few weeks Anton Wessels became adamant that he wanted to become a Jew. <br />One time, when Rabbi Berman had business to attend to in Israel, Anton Wessels accompanied him there in order to discover even more about what it means to be a Jew. Once in Israel, Rabbi Berman took the young man to meet some of the Sages and Torah leaders of the generation. Anton was truly captivated by all he discovered. Within three years he converted to Judaism and began attending one of the great yeshivos in Jerusalem, plumbing the depths of the holy Torah. <br />Rabbi Berman ended off his story by saying that he often had the desire to return to the exact spot on that deserted road so that he could make the blessing, "Who made a miracle for me in this place." <br />Anton would probably feel the same way. <br />The Rabbi’s Deal with a Gangster<br />The first years of the 19th century were, for the whole of Europe and especially for the French who bordered Western Germany, a very tumultuous time... Gangs of robbers were organized who professed a belief in a sort of Kangaroo Court to eliminate unpopular officials, to plunder rich estates, and, by so doing, equalize the various classes. <br />Because of this, the robbers became popular with the poor and they achieved a certain power and influence which could not have been possible before. The robbers could undertake the most daring raids and retreat into their hiding places without fear of being betrayed by peasant or craftsman. Gangs of robbers avenged every harshness or injustice committed against the people. The people brought their cases against their oppressors not to the powerless courts of justice but rather to the robbers who acted promptly by plundering their belongings and distributing them to the poor, and then burned the houses and barns of the accused... <br />It was impossible for Sander Goldsticker to return to [his hometown] without passing through terrain which was known to be unsafe because of the presence of [the gangster] Schinderhannes and his bandits. The robbers especially had an eye for the merchants journeying to and from the Fairs. It goes without saying that especially Jewish travelers had reason to be apprehensive. <br />For this reason, Aron Schotten had advised his friend Sander not to shy away from the little detour through [the town of] Michelstadt. He was sure that the [holy man known as the] Baal Shem could give him something which would help him to pass unharmed through all dangers... <br />Next morning, before saying good-bye, Goldsticker told the Rabbi of his problem. For one moment, the Rabbi looked at Goldsticker's worried face with his clever, mild eyes and then said, with a soothing smile, "You may start your journey cheerfully; no harm from the Schinderhannes will befall any Jew." <br />"Pardon me, Master and Teacher," replied Goldsticker. "I am not sure whether I understood the Rabbi. The Schinderhannes doesn't harm any Jew? Didn't the Rabbi hear of the robbings, pillagings, and even murders committed even on Jews by the Schinderhannes?"... <br />The Rabbi stroked his long beard with his left hand, while with his right hand he made a few drumming noises on the table. Obviously struggling with his own thoughts, the Rabbi suddenly said with decisive firmness, "Reb Sander, I say it again, the Schinderhannes will not molest you at all. But there are many other robbers and waylayers of all kinds who could bother you on the road. For these, you have to be on your guard even more. In order that these others don't hurt you, I recommend that you change your itinerary and accept the one I am telling you now. <br />"You shall not avoid the Schinderhannes at all. On the contrary, you shall search for him. Tell anyone who should ambush you that you are on the way to the Schinderhannes with a special mission. If anyone should dare to harm you, the Schinderhannes will seek bloody revenge. Every robber will respect this threat and will lead you personally to the hiding place of the robber chief, wherever he might reside at the moment. Understand?"... <br />"Request a private talk with the robber chief. Never address him as anything but 'Chief.' When you are alone, tell him that you bring a special greeting from the man who once gave him rice in the big forest between Babenhausen and Seligenstadt. Remind him of the promise he gave the man at that time. Also, explain to him that I know that he has broken this promise several times. That is all you have to do. If you follow my instructions, no robber will harm you on the trip and, with God's help, you will reach your family safely. Now I have to leave, as now is the time which belongs to my students." <br />With the good rabbi's blessing, Schotten and Goldsticker took their departure. Each was occupied with his own thoughts, and they walked silently side by side for several minutes. Schotten broke the silence first. <br />"I shall take the next post to Frankfurt where I shall arrive before night. What are you planning to do? Are you going to follow the Rabbi's advice?" <br />"There is nothing left for me to do," replied Goldsticker. "I would reproach myself forever if I wouldn't do it and if the slightest mishap occurred on the road. But I must admit, I regret having asked the Rabbi. Have you ever heard of such a thing? I, who should be glad if the robbers would leave me alone, should now look them up yet! If someone were to hear the Rabbi talking in this manner, he might suspect the Rabbi was in cahoots with them; but this is really unbelievable!"... <br />"Certainly, I admit that it is as puzzling to me as it is to you. But what does it matter? Would you have qualms about your pharmacist filling your doctor's Latin prescription and your taking it in order to regain your health? Don't you have the same confidence in your Rabbi as you have in your doctor? Though mysterious to you, this is clear and obvious to the Rabbi. I am positive that on your trip you will find the solution to the riddle. I have only one request of you and that is to let me know what happens." <br />With this and the promise to fulfill the Rabbi's request, the two friends bade their farewell. Goldsticker continued his trip to Koblenz in the same carriage... Suddenly, about an hour before reaching his destination, the carriage was stopped by an armed robber. <br />"In the name of our Chief Johannes, I declare all the possessions of the Jew confiscated to become the property of the Chief. If you agree to this, I'll leave you the horses and carriage and you and your coachman may continue on your way. At the slightest resistance, I'll kill both of you. We are reluctant to shed blood any you must think likewise..." <br />"I am traveling through the woods because I have a message for Chief Johannes which I have to give to him personally. You would be a big help if you would lead me to your master. To fulfill my obligation by seeing him is, at the moment, more important to me than all the gold and silver I carry with me. If you really come with your master's consent, then he shall dispose of all my valuables as he sees fit." <br />The robbers looked at each other in surprise. The calmness and matter-of-factness with which their prisoner suddenly changed into their superior impressed them greatly. But they did not give in readily. <br />"Anybody could make these statements," one of them began, "and could pose as the Chief's confidant. Do you think we are so dumb as to give away the Chief's abode? Maybe you are just a low-down spy who wants to find out the master's hiding place and then betray him. You think we are not as smart as you, you Jew? If you really are looking for our Chief, you must know where to find him and then you wouldn't need our guidance. Now, what is your name? Where do you come from and where are you going? No, the deal is off!" <br />The robber gave his cohort a sign to take the boxes and the luggage out of the carriage. Goldsticker stepped between the carriage and the robbers, and he said to them, "You serve your master badly. If you had been smart, you would have killed me and the coach man on the spot. You cooked your own goose! Sooner or later, I shall find your Chief anyhow and will be able to tell him what scoundrels he has working for him. How can you babble such nonsense? I, a spy?... <br />Nobody had ever talked to the robbers this way. They were bewildered and didn't know what to do. They stepped aside and went into a huddle for a few minutes. When they had finished their discussion, their spokesman stepped in front of Goldsticker and said, "We don't know how to negotiate with you! We don't know who you are, your name, or where you live!" <br />These words were spoken in a much different tone, however. This indicated to Goldsticker that he was the master of the situation. <br />"Don't talk such nonsense," he replied. "It doesn't hurt our conversation that you don't know me. I don't know you either and still I deal with you. What's more, I don't have the slightest desire to make your acquaintance. What I have seen so far, doesn't make me very anxious to know much more about you. But if you think differently and you do want more information about me, you shall get it from your Chief, not from me. If he wishes to satisfy your curiosity, I have nothing against it. But don't detain me unnecessarily; lead me instantly to the Chief. <br />"There is room for two of you in my carriage and the third one can sit with the coachman on the box. Take a swallow from the canteen of whiskey and then we will start." The whiskey squelched the last doubts they had, and in few moments the strange party went on its way... <br />They traveled almost five hours, crisscrossed thick forests and finally reached a clearing in the woods where he noticed a large campfire. About twenty robbers with black painted faces were sitting around the campfire. Here the carriage stopped. <br />The robbers left the carriage and exchanged a few words with some of the fellows encamped around the fire. Then one of them returned with the information that the Chief was spending the night in a cave a half hour from there. The road to the cave was inaccessible; so they would go there by foot and Goldsticker was to leave his horse and carriage by the encampment... <br />When they arrived at the entrance to the Chief's cave, Goldsticker stopped for a moment and said half aloud to himself in Hebrew, "Our scholars say that one should make a vow in times of danger. If You, Heavenly Father, will rescue me and my possessions from this moment of danger, I shall donate half of it to the poor and to charitable institutions..." <br />With these words, the robber retreated, and Goldsticker stepped before the Schinderhannes who, judging by his red face and inflamed eyes, must have had quite a bit to drink. The messages which he normally received were, as a rule, notifications concerning estates or farmhouses to be burned down. Often he was warned of planned raids against him, organizes by public officials. The Schinderhannes may have expected something similar. After an appraising look at Goldsticker, he said with well-played indifference and calmness, "From whom do you have a message?" <br />"From the man," replied Goldsticker, "who gave the Chief rice to eat between Seligenstadt and Babenhausen." Hearing this, the Chief jumped up suddenly... <br />"The gentleman who sent me," said Goldsticker, "wishes to remind the Chief, through me, of the promise made to spare the Jews. He has heard that this promise has been broken over and over again." <br />These few words made an impression on the robber which defied all expectations. For a few moments he stood silently with downcast eyes, like a scolded school boy. Then he looked pleadingly at Goldsticker and said, "Where does the man live? What is his name? And, what is his profession?" <br />Goldsticker was taken aback at this. It was obviously not the fact of his being an emissary of the Baal Shem which lent such great weight to his mission. If the Baal Shem had cause not to identify himself to the Chief, then he, Goldsticker, had reason to exercise the same caution. "Therefore," he replied curtly, "I am not at liberty to answer those questions." <br />"Not at liberty?" repeated the Schinderhannes, threateningly. "If I herewith order you to tell me, would you still refuse to answer?" <br />"Even then I would not answer, until I got permission from the only person who could give it to me," replied Goldsticker, fearlessly. <br />"Good for you!" cried the robber. "You are a brave and fearless man. Did he tell you the story of the rice?" <br />"No, I don't know anything about it. I don't know more than I have told the Chief already." <br />"It was nice of your master not to tell you the story. But I shall tell it to you so that you will know why I respect your master so greatly ― whether or not I know who he is..." <br />"My gang was busy with a job in Aschaffenburg; so I stationed myself at a crossroad in the forest between Seligenstadt and Babenhausen. Having to work on my own, I ambushed the passersby from behind a thick tree. After lying in ambush for about half an hour, a carriage came... <br />"I knocked the coachman from his seat to the ground and proceeded to tie him with ropes, hoping that the two men inside ― one young and the other old ― would be easy prey later. I didn't anticipate any resistance from the two men inside. <br />"While I was occupied with tying the coachman, the young man calmly left the carriage, grabbed me from behind, and threw me down with such great force that I ended up on my face on the ground. I groaned in rage and tried with all my might to at least turn my face upwards, but in vain. The young fellow had his knee in my back and pressed it against me with such force that I felt as if I were pinned in a vise. I cursed, swore, stormed, and worked with all my might to throw off the vicious attacker, but it was to no avail... <br />"My opponent, in the meantime, without any visible effort, produced from his pocket a knife which he used to cut the ropes and then bound both of my hands behind my back. He carried me by the neck, suspended in air, about ten paces toward a huge tree against which my rifle was leaning. He asked for another rope from the carriage and with it tied me to the tree in such a manner that I couldn't move a limb. <br />"He returned to the carriage and talked to the old man in the Jewish-German language, which I understand as well as my own dialect because of its similarity to the dialect of the Dukedom of Nassau. The conversation was about whether I should get my brains bashed in or whether to hand me over to the police. At that moment I wouldn't have given a pfenning for my life. I also overheard that they were on the way to Count Dahlberg with 400 guilders to ransom two arrested but innocent Jews. <br />"When I heard this, I realized for the first time my own baseness compared to these two honorable men. They had exposed themselves to a dangerous trip in order to free innocent prisoners, and monster that I was, I had planned to rob them of this money! This thought worried me more at this moment than my endangered life. I called to them, 'If I had any inkling of what good people I would find here in the woods and for what purpose you carried that money, on my honor, I would not have stopped you, although I don't have a pfenning in my pocket and I haven't eaten a thing today.' <br />"The men must have noticed a tone of sincerity and honesty in my words. The giant approached me and said with a warmness and kindness in his voice which I'll never forget, 'What, you haven't eaten today? You may eat with us now when we prepare our lunch. In the meantime, we have to decide what we are going to do with you.' <br />"I realized then and there that such goodhearted people who intended to feed a robber who had just attacked them in the woods, would not be able to kill him, although I may have well deserved such a fate. <br />"They took a box from the wagon which contained pots and pans and various other eating utensils. The coachman collected thin fire wood and used steel and tinder to kindle leaves and dry branches into a fire to warm the already cooked food. After this, the giant brought before me a plate filled with rice, and, since my arms were still tied, spoon-fed me as one would a little baby... <br />"[He told me:] 'We have decided to let you go free, but under some conditions. First, you must promise us that, presuming you want to stick to the robber trade, just as you have never killed anyone in the past, you will never kill anyone in the future. Second, never attack or rob a Jew but faithfully assist him in every way through every type of nuisance and persecution... If the most horrible fate were awaiting you, you should end this robber life... Come with us and join humankind again as an honest man!' <br />"'Join humankind?' I retorted. 'I hate them because they expelled me, and it is on them that I want to take revenge as long as I have warm blood in my veins. Sooner or later they will catch me ― it can't be too long. Of your humankind, whom you rate so highly, I could sing a song. They cheat, deceive, defraud, and betray each other so well that they don't take a back seat to any robber of rank. Only the fear of the gallows prevents them from being a robber as I am. <br />"'But, I promise you that I will not harm Jews anymore, and I realize the magnitude of my promise. The Jews achieve a certain affluence by being frugal, sober, and industrious; but because of their religion and their appearance, they have always been the whipping boy and scapegoat of the ignorant masses. Because of this situation, an outlaw could harm the Jews and go unpunished. But here is my hand now. This will not happen anymore in my territory. Also, my men will be notified that this is my decree, and woe to them if any one of them should act contrary to my order.' <br />"At this point, the young man took my hand in his, holding it a few seconds, and said to me forever unforgettable words while fixing his kind and clever eyes on mine, 'My friend, I accept your promise. However, there is one last thing. Our dear Lord keeps a complicated ledger and will surely ask you to account for your many misdeeds on the Day of Judgment. But He certainly will reward you for every good deed you have fulfilled and bring you into the world to come. Every kindness and mercy you show my oppressed brothers and sisters will be counted, and for these may God bestow on you His blessings! But keep to your promise because God's curse will befall you if you break it. Remember this well!'" <br />Here ended the Chief's narrative. Goldsticker had listened to the words of the robber without interrupting. Now he could not contain himself any longer, and he admonished, "It was reported to your benefactor that you did break your promise, Chief! That is why he sent me to you to remind you again. I don't like to have any part in the curse which a man of the magnitude of your benefactor predicted if you made light of your handshake..." <br />"Enough said, my friend," interrupted the Chief. "You are right, of course, and I will remember in the future. I haven't thought about all of this. Tell this to the gentleman who sent you and ask him not to think badly of me. I shall know to honor his confidence in the future and how to show myself worthy of him. On this, he can rely for all times." <br />Rising, the robber gave a sign that he wished the audience to be terminated. He shook hands with his guest and thanked him for taking the time to seek the hideout to deliver the message. He ordered six mounted robbers to accompany Goldsticker and to protect him on his way home. (www.innernet.org.il) <br />Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Shelach 5770<br />Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />For sponsorships please call 248-506-0363<br />To subscribe weekly please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim <br />and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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It is said (Bamidbar) vayehi binsoa haaron vayomer Moshe kumah hashem viyafutzu oyvecho viyanusu misanecha mipanecha, when the Ark would journey, Moshe said, “ Arise, HaShem, and let your foes be scattered, let those who hate You flee from before You.” The word kumah is normally translated as arise, but here Rashi offers a novel explanation. Rashi writes that Moshe was instructing HaShem, so to speak, to stop, as the Ark, reflecting the Divine Presence, had travelled three days ahead of the Jewish People. Thus, Moshe was requesting from HaShem that the Ark stop and wait for the camp to catch up. How does this idea connect with Moshe’s request that HaShem disperse the Jewish People’s enemies? Furthermore, the Medrash states that the Ark would level mountains to make the Jews’ travels easier. What enemies was Moshe cornered about in the Wilderness that He felt it necessary to offer a special request that the Ark cause their enemies to disperse?<br /><br />A story of a miraculous “curse”<br />The story is said of a family in Israel where the mother, Mrs. Fixler, would prepare the most delicious simanim, symbolic foods, every year in honor of Rosh Hashanah. One year their two oldest children, Yaakov Dan and Chavah Miriam, a twin boy and girl, travelled to the Ukraine. The girl was involved in Jewish outreach. She had her mother pack one hundred portions of her mouth weathering simanim so she could treat her protégés to an unforgettable culinary experience. Yaakov Dan was travelling to Uman, where thousands of Jews would gather together to pray at the gravesite of Rabbi Nachman from Breslov. Yaakov Dan and Chavah Miriam were already 32 years old and they were still not married. Following them were six other children, who ranged in ages from 30 down to 18, and they were all ready for marriage. Up to this point, however, none of them children had managed to find their bashert, their pre-destined match. <br />That year, Mrs. Fixler sprained her ankle right before Rosh Hashanah, and her twin daughters took over her role of distributing here delectable simanim to relatives from near and far. The first night of Rosh Hashanah, the elderly grandfather, Reb Chaim Fixler ate with the family. Reb Chaim had become somewhat senile after the passing of his wife, and often he was not even capable of remembering who his family members were. The family began to partake of these special simanim that Mrs. Fixler had prepared, and they would recite the traditional yehi Ratzon sheyistalku soneinu, may it be Your will that our enemies be removed. To everyone’s shock, the old man recited fervent the words yehi Ratzon sheyistalku yeladeinu¸ that our children be removed. Everyone began shouting at him, “Saba, don’t say that you are cursing your own grandchildren.” Mrs. Fixler was particularly distraught, as she had lost her mother at a young age, and she was still sensitive. She burst into tears and her husband had difficulty calming her down. Immediately following Rosh HaShanah, Reb Sholom took his father back to the old-age home. He and his wife then called Chavah Miriam to find out how she had fared in the Ukraine. They were shocked to learn that the simanim that Mrs. Fixler had sent her daughter never arrived. Shortly afterwards Yaakov Dan called in hysterics. “I am calling from the Kiev police station,” he announced. It turned out that he and his friends had thought that they could fly to Germany and from there to Kiev, and then they would be able to obtain visas in Kiev. Instead, they were refused entry to Kiev and the authorities asked them to fly back to Germany. When the men realized that they would not be able to make it to Germany before Yom Tov, they refused to board the plane and they were arrested. The men spent the entire Rosh HaShanah in prison with no Shofar and no minyan, and they subsisted on the candy and snack food that the two children with them had brought on the trip. To their good fortune, a community activist was able to obtain their release after Yom Tov and they continued on to Uman to pray by the gravesite of Reb Nachman from Breslov. <br />Following all these disturbing incidents, the Fixler family was sure that they were in for a troublesome year ahead. Heaven, however, decreed otherwise. Later in the year both Yaakov Dan and Chavah Miriam found their partners in life and went on to establish fine homes. Their grandfather’s supposed “curse” of asking Hashem to “remove our children” was actually transformed into a blessing, as the children were indeed “removed” from their homes and they settled into their own homes, happily married.<br />Moshe prays for “hidden” miracles<br />In a similar vein, we are all familiar with the outright miracles that HaShem performs for His beloved nation, vanquishing our enemies in battle. Moshe, however, prayed to HaShem to stop and “let your foes be scattered, let those who hate You flee from before You.” Moshe was asking HaShem that the Divine Presence should allow that even those enemies who were plotting against the Jewish People, like Balak and Balaam, should not be allowed to bring their diabolical schemes to fruition. <br />The Shabbos connection <br />Throughout the week we are forced to confront the forces of evil that threaten us from without and from within. The Evil Inclination and the enemies of the Jews are constantly scheming to bring about our downfall. We pray to HaShem to assist us in our efforts of resisting our foes and we hope that our prayers will be answered. On Shabbos, however, the Zohar teaches us that kol dinin misabrin minah, all harsh judgments are removed from Her, as the luminous light of Shabbos banishes all of our enemies and allows us to bask in the glory of HaShem’s light. <br /><br />Shabbos Stories<br />Healing through a ruse<br />The young man didn't know what else to do. He was suffering from a degenerative disease that grew worse with each passing week, and not a single one of the doctors he had gone to could successfully diagnose his illness - let alone find a cure. All was not entirely hopeless, however. In happier and healthier days he had been a talmid (student) of the holy Chafetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin zt"l. As a last resort, he decided he would make the trip to Radin and ask his Rebbe for a blessing. <br />The young man arrived in Radin totally exhausted from his journey, but his longing to once again gaze upon the holy face of the Chafetz Chaim was stronger than his tiredness. So, as soon as he got off the train, he made his way to his Rebbi's home. <br />The Chafetz Chaim remembered the talmid well. His heart ached to see him in such a state, and he wholeheartedly agreed to help - but on one condition. "You must never divulge to anyone," said the Chafetz Chaim, "what is about to happen." <br />The young man, of course, agreed to the terms. The Chafetz Chaim instructed the talmid to travel to the town of a certain little-known rabbi. "Tell him exactly what you told me," said the Chafetz Chaim. "Ask him for a beracha, which he will surely give you, and with HaShem’s help you will be healed." <br />The young man did not have to be told twice. He found lodgings in Radin for the night, and the next morning he rose early and boarded the first train to the town of the mysterious rabbi. By the afternoon, he sat with this rabbi, who listened with great sympathy to his plight. He gave him a heartfelt beracha for a refuah shleima (full recovery), just as the Chafetz Chaim had predicted. <br />After so much travel, the man needed a good rest. He found simple lodgings in town and slept well that night, but the next morning he found it difficult to get up. He therefore remained at the small inn for another day, and another. The rest began to have a positive effect on him, and after a week he began to feel a little stronger. Slowly, day by day, he could feel his previous strength coming back. After thirty days had passed, his illness had almost completely disappeared. Ten days later, he was in such good health and spirits that it was almost impossible to believe that less than two months before he had been knocking on death's door. <br />Years passed; he bore a family of his own. Yet despite the colds and flues that came up, he never once said a word about his miraculous recovery. <br />Twenty years after his illness, his sister-in-law became ill with a strange disease that baffled the doctors. After hearing the details of her symptoms, he realized she was suffering from the exact same illness that had afflicted him so many years ago. But what could he do? He remembered the instructions of the Chafetz Chaim, and he kept silent. <br />His sister-in-law grew steadily weaker. The man's wife became distraught. In the back of her mind, she remembered that her husband had once mentioned a miraculous recovery that he had experienced for an illness in his youth. She begged her husband to tell her more - perhaps what had helped him might also cure her sister. But he refused to say a word. His wife, however, continued to plead with him, and in time his defenses crumbled. <br />After careful consideration, he came to the conclusion that he would tell all. After all, with his sister-in-law hovering between life and death, it was within his rights to reveal the secret. He sat his wife down and told her about the trip he had made so many years ago to the home of the Chafetz Chaim, and subsequently to the city of the mysterious rabbi. He described to her how he began to recuperate from his illness almost immediately after receiving this rabbi's bracha. His wife found hope in his story; she begged her husband to once again make the journey to the same rabbi. <br />As they spoke, however, he felt the beginnings of a headache. As the night wore on, the pain intensified. By the end of the week, he <br />realized he was once again in the grips of the same illness that had plagued him twenty years ago. "I must go to Radin while I am still able to travel," he told his wife, "and seek out the advice of the Chafetz Chaim. He will tell me what to do for myself, as well as for your sister." <br />The Chafetz Chaim was already elderly and frail, but he recognized his talmid instantly. His initial pleasure at seeing his former student quickly vanished, though, as he realized what had happened. <br />"I'm sorry but I can't help you this time," the Chafetz Chaim told him. "You see - back then I was still young and strong, and I was able to fast for 40 days on your behalf. But now I'm too frail and old to take that kind of fasting upon myself." It had all been a ruse - to hide the true source of the man's salvation. (www.Torah.org)<br />The Sefer Binei Yissachar<br />Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov was on his way to visit his Rebbe, the Chozeh (Seer) of Lublin. During the journey he began to wonder from which of the Twelve Tribes he descended.<br /><br />"Why is it," he thought to himself, "that as soon as Chanukah nears, I always experience a special spiritual delight? I cannot be descended from the Chashmonaim, for I am not of the priestly family. So where does this special feeling come from?"<br /><br />Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech decided that when he was in Lublin, he would ask his Rebbe. Upon arriving at the Chozeh's court, before he even managed to say a word, the Chozeh said: "You are descended from the Tribe of<br />Yissachar. As to why you experience what you do on Chanukah, it is because in the time of the Holy Temple you were a member of the Rabbinical Court of the Chashmonaim" for the Tribe of Yissachar traditionally supplied the scholars who manned the Rabbinical Court in Temple times.<br /><br />That is why Reb Tzvi Elimelech entitled his learned book on the festivals, Binei Yissachar - the Sons of Yissachar. (http://www.weeklylchaim.com/lchaim/5763/747)<br /><br />Rav Chaim Volozhin - Shas Is Shas<br /><br />In the time of Rav Chaim of Volozhin, there was a baal habayis who had completed the entire Shas. Rav Chaim would stand up for him when he would enter the room. The talmidim of R' Chaim felt that it was an affront to his kavod to stand up for a baal habayis. They protested to R' Chaim, saying that although the baal habayis did learn Shas and spent a lot of time learning, he didn't know the Shas in depth, so it was not respectful for a great Gaon like himself to stand up for him. <br />R' Chaim answered that there are two types of Shas - the Vilna Shas which was a beautiful Shas with a quality print, and another Shas printed in Poland which was of lesser quality with inferior print. Rav Chaim explained that if one had these two Shasim, he wouldn't say the inferior Shas is not a Shas -he would merely say it was not as beautiful. Similarly, someone who knows Shas is someone who knows Shas, and therefore it's appropriate to treat him with the proper kavod. <br />A Photo Shoot With Rav Shmuel Auerbach<br />My son was turning three years old and it was time for his upsherin. Since I learned occasionally in the Bais Medrash of Rav Shmuel Auerbach's Yeshiva and saw him once a week, with some nudging from wife I garnered the courage to ask him to do the honors and cut the first snips. When I managed to ask him, he told me that he is not the best barber but if I want I could come to him after Shacharis.<br />So we got all ready for the big event. We made sure to bring everything we needed for the occasion; scissors, candies, and a camera. When we arrived, Rav Shmuel was learning Chumash with a few talmidim huddled around his shtender. Wrapped in Tallis and Tefillin with his face shining, it looked like a scene from the past. Finally the group dispersed and one of the talmidim came to tell us that Rav Shmuel was ready for us.<br />Nervously we approached. I think my boys were more terrified then I was. He wished us Sholom Aleichem and asked my son his name. As I started fumbling with the scissors he asked, "where is the camera". Of course, the camera! I took it out and he called one of his talmidim to take a picture.<br />He held up the scissors and took a snip. He then turned to his talmid and asked if the flash went off. His talmid said yes. Rav Shmuel said he didn't see it and he should take another picture. He then held up the piece of hair that he had snipped off, together with the scissors, as if he was cutting it for the first time, and posed for the camera. I couldn't believe my eyes.<br />It may be a fake pose, but it was one of the most genuine and thoughtful displays of kindness that we are fortunate to have hanging on the wall of our home. Our gedolim don't waste their time with fulfilling mundane requests. They go from the epitome of the world with their torah and Tefillah to the height of chesed with their incredible care for every simple Jewish adult and child alike.<br />The Divrei Chaim Is Happy Being a "Hedyot" And The Brisker Rav A "Boor"<br />The Brisker Rav was once in Krenitz and stayed in the home of one of the Talmidei Chachomim of the city. When putting on his Tefillin the Brisker Rav looked in the mirror to make sure his Tefillin were straight. His host became very mad since the great Divrei Chaim was vehemently against people looking in the mirror to check their Tefillin.<br />Not having the nerve to confront the Brisker directly, his host left the Sefer Divrei Chaim with a bookmark on the relevant teshuvah on the breakfast table, to send the Brisker Rav a not so subtle message.<br />Upon arriving to breakfast and seeing the Sefer, the Brisker Rav realized the problem and called over his host. He said to him, I see you are a Chosid so I will explain this to you in terms you will understand. One time when it rained on Sukkos everyone left the Sukkah except the Divrei Chaim. They asked him why he won't leave since the Gemara says that whoever remains in the Sukkah in the rain is a "Hedyot" and is making a mistake. The Divrei Chaim answered, you can call me a Hedyot but I cannot leave my beloved Sukkah.<br />Similarly explained the Brisker Rav, you can call me a "Boor" (a big Am Haaretz), as the Divrei Chaim calls someone who looks in the mirror to put on Tefillin. However I will still look in the mirror because all I care about is that I wear my Tefillin in accordance with Halacha. (Peninim U'Parparos Al HaTorah) <br />Rabbi Akiva Eiger Vies To Be The Caretaker Of The Mikva<br />Rabbi Akiva Eiger the gaon and glory of Klal Yisroel, was Rav for 48 years of his life... and he considered every second of it pure torture. He constantly thought of ways to exit the Rabbinate. When he was already in his advanced years and he was the Rav of Posen and considered the Rav of all of Klal Yisroel, he wrote a letter to his friend in a neighboring town where the caretaker of the Mikva had died.<br />"In my old age I want to support myself in a permissible manner and not through issur, from my own handiwork and not from taking advantage of the crown of Torah. Therefore I beg you to persuade the leaders of your Kehilla, on my behalf, to rent to me the town Mikva. I am prepared to leave my Rabbinical post and become the Mikva caretaker in you city... (Sarei HaMei'a 1:261) (www.Revach.net) <br />Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Behaaloscha 5770<br />Is sponsored in honor of the engagement of Shua Krupenia of Lakewood to Esther Miriam Adler of Cleveland. They should be zoche to build together a Bayis Neeman BiYisroel and be a source of nachas to their parents<br />Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />For sponsorships please call 248-506-0363 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 248-506-0363 end_of_the_skype_highlighting<br />To subscribe weekly please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim <br />and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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One opinion in the Gemara (Taanis 11a) maintains that a Nazir is deemed to be a sinner, whereas a dissenting opinion posits that the Nazir is referred to as a Kadosh, a holy person. Which opinion is correct?<br />The Belzer Rebbe asks for cake and coffee<br />Rabbi Aharon from Belz (1880-1957) led an ascetic life, subsisting on the bare minimum of food and drink and preoccupying himself with Torah study and intense prayer. As a child, the Rebbe of Belz was attended to a by a man who pleaded and cajoled with the future Rebbe to partake in some form of nourishment. Much to the attendant’s dismay, however, Aharon refused his overtures. One day, however, little Aharon summoned the attendant and requested a large piece of cake and a hot cup of coffee. “Remember,” Aharon exhorted the attendant, “the coffee must be steaming hot.” The attendant was overjoyed, and he hastened to perform the bidding of the future Rebbe. When Aharon received the cake and hot coffee, he promptly turned to a man in the synagogue and proffered upon him the delicacies. The attendant expressed his surprise, and Aharon responded accordingly. “This morning, upon exiting the ritual bath, I overheard this man sighing, ‘if only right now I could have a delicious piece of cake and a hot steaming cup of coffee.’ How can one hear the entreaty of a Jew and ignore it? I immediately decided that this Jew should experience a happy moment in life, and for that reason I requested that you prepare for him the cake and hot coffee.”<br />The Nazir is deemed to be a sinner and a holy person<br />A Nazir is a person who felt it necessary to abstain from the pleasures of this world, and he therefore makes a vow that he will not partake in the drinking of wine. The Hebrew word for a sinner is chotei, which means a lack. While the Nazir himself may force himself to be lacking in physical indulgences, there is no reason for him to abstain from helping others feel better about themselves. Thus, a Nazir is simultaneously referred to as a Kadosh, a holy person, because holiness is more than abstaining from materialism and leading an ascetic life. Indeed, Rashi writes that that the portion in the Torah referred to as Kedoshim, the command to be holy, was said by Moshe when all of the Jewish People were gathered together. One can only achieve true holiness when he is cognizant of another person’s needs.<br />We have just celebrated the festival of Shavuos when we commemorated the receiving of the Torah. Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein, author of the classic Halachic work Aruch Hashulchan (1829-1908) writes that the festival of Shavuos is referred to in the Torah as Atzeres, restraint, because the Jewish People were instructed to abstain from physical indulgence prior to receiving the Torah. Nonetheless, the Gemara (Pesachim 68b) states explicitly that all authorities agree that on Shavuos we are required to partake in the consumption of food delicacies, as this was the day when we received the Torah. The Jewish People stood at Sinai, united in their acceptance of HaShem’s kingship and the receiving of the Torah. It is fitting that while abstaining from physical indulgences they were simultaneously united with their fellow Jews. The lesson of the Nazir and of receiving the Torah is to strive for a higher spiritual life but to always remember our fellow Jews who are wishing for that piece of cake and very hot cup of coffee.<br />The Shabbos connection <br />Shabbos is a time when we are required to channel our desires and our will to the service of HaShem. Nonetheless, Shabbos is also an opportunity for us to allow others partake in the physical delights of food and drink and family time that can all be channeled to the service of HaShem. While it is important for an individual to restrain himself from overindulging in materialism, one should always be on the lookout to help others meet their physical needs.<br />Shabbos Stories<br />Zaidy<br />"I really don't want to cause you any hardship, Mr. G. I like you very much. But my daughter is getting married soon, and I need the apartment for her," my landlord announced one day. <br />"Oy vey," I sighed. "We're going to have to move again." This was the fourth time in ten years that we had received news like this. Those of you who own your homes probably don't remember how much moving is such an awful pain in the neck. Packing and unpacking are only minor parts of the difficulty. The hardest part is finding new schools for the kids, and helping them adjust to their new surroundings every time. <br />This time, we decided that we would try to find an apartment in the same neighborhood in which we had been living for the past three years. That would at least resolve the adjustment problems. <br />But to do that, we had to compromise on our standards, because the only apartment available in the area was a tiny one on the top floor of an old walk-up building. But what won't parents do for their kids? <br />And so, we packed our belongings and moved. This time, we were offered a five-year lease, with the possibility of an extension. Wow! Five years without having to worry about moving again! <br />After unpacking, we acquainted ourselves with the neighbors, with the building's maintenance committee, and then with "the old man." During the first few weeks after our move, we didn't know that he existed. His door was always closed, and no one seemed to enter or leave his apartment. In the beginning, we thought that no one lived there. But one day, Mr. Simon, the head of the building's maintenance committee, asked if I could do him a favor and collect the dues from the old man who lived opposite us. <br />I was startled. "Do you mean that I've been living here for three weeks without knowing that I have a next-door neighbor?" I asked. <br />"He's an old man who lives alone," Mr. Simon said. "He doesn't mingle with the neighbors." <br />That evening, I knocked on the old man's door. When he opened it, a horrible stench assailed me. <br />"Shalom," I politely said. "I live across the hall." <br />"Shalom," he replied feebly. "What do you want?" <br />"The maintenance committee asked me to collect your dues. I was told that you owe them money for four months." <br />"Just a moment," he replied. Then he trudged inside in order to search for the money. While I was waiting, I peeked into the apartment. The floor was filthy and the house was dark and stuffy. The old man returned to the door and apologized: "I haven't been to the bank for a long time and have only part of the sum I owe. I'll bring you the rest in a few days. Good night." <br />That week, I didn't see anyone opening his door nor did I see anyone on the staircase, except for members of my own family. I also didn't hear a peep from the old man's house. "I guess he goes out in the morning when we're not home," my wife ventured. Then she asked, "How does he lug his groceries and vegetables up those stairs? You told me that he can barely walk." <br />"Who says that he's alive? Has anyone seen him recently? Mr. Simon said that the man has no relatives," I grimly replied. <br />"Perhaps he's sick and needs help," my wife stammered. <br />Everything that occurred from then on should be credited to my wife. She insisted that I knock on the old man's door that very moment and ask how he felt. Then she put a plate of freshly baked cookies in my hand and sent me on my way. I knocked on his door and heard him shuffling about. The same old man answered, but this time he looked even more ragged. I apologized for disturbing him and offered him the cookies. At first he hesitated to take the plate and said that he still had no money, but would try and pay the following week. <br />When I returned to my apartment, my wife said: "The fact that he has no money for the maintenance committee can mean one of two things: either he really has no money, or he can't go down to the bank to withdraw it. If he has no money, then he probably has nothing to eat. If he can't go down to the bank, that means that it's hard for him to walk. But if he can't go downstairs, who brings him his groceries? How does he live?" <br />I understood her point. She was hinting that our neighbor needed help. <br />That evening, I knocked on his door again, another plate of cookies in my hand. "Can I come in?" I asked. <br />"If you wish," he stammered. <br />What can I say? I had never seen such a mess in my life. Everything was old, dirty, and run-down. He showed me into his living room and apologized that he couldn't offer me a cup of coffee, because he had no milk. "That's okay," I said. "We have extra milk. How do you like your coffee?" <br />"Warm," he blandly replied. <br />"I'll be back in a jiffy," I said, and I returned home to my apartment. I told my wife that she was right, and that he had no milk, and probably nothing else either. She prepared a thermos of hot coffee and gave me a few disposable cups. <br />I went back to his apartment and, pouring him a steaming cup of coffee, said, "My wife hopes this will do until the morning." <br />His eyes lit up. "Thank you. I'll buy some milk tomorrow." <br />"I go to the store every day," I said. "It's not hard for me to bring a few more items upstairs. Can I buy something for you? <br />"If it's not hard for you," he said, "please bring me a container of milk and two rolls." <br />"That's all?" I asked in surprise. "I can bring you more." <br />"Okay," he replied. "Then bring me a container of yogurt too, and charge it to me." <br />We chatted a bit, and he told me that he had once lived in Tel Aviv, before moving to our neighborhood. "At that time, the third floor didn't bother me," he said. Then, with a bitter smile, he added, "I didn't think that I would ever grow old and that three flights would one day be hard for me to climb." <br />We spoke for a few more minutes and I said that we were renting our apartment and were happy that he was our neighbor. "My wife is an orphan and my parents live in France. I hope you'll be a surrogate grandfather (Zaidy) for my kids," I said, promising to bring the children for a visit. <br />The next morning, I went to the grocery store and took rolls, milk, and yogurt for the old man. When I asked the grocer to charge the items to the old man's account, he said: "He hasn't paid his bill for a long time, and I can't give him any more credit." <br />"No problem," I said. "Charge it to me." I paid for the old man's groceries for a long time, while he was certain that the grocer was charging him... <br />From the day I bought those first items for him at the grocery, I made it a habit to visit him. In the afternoons, I would bring him light lunches. At first he was embarrassed, but I told him that my wife loved to cook. Every evening, I came just for a chat, bringing coffee and cookies with me. <br />A month later, he asked me to withdraw his recent pension payments from the bank, since he hadn't left his house for a number of months. Actually, he had very little money in his account, because his charges for utilities had been deducted directly from his pension income, which wasn't very large. When I brought him the money, he told me to pay his grocery bill, not knowing that I had been doing that all along. Believing that he had paid his debts, he was so pleased that he sent me down to buy a chocolate bar for the kids. <br />Every Friday afternoon my wife would tidy up his house. When he protested, she said, "You're our Zaidy, and we love you." When she saw his bed, she was shocked. Without much ado, she lugged in the brand-new bed we had bought for our children, and told him that we had no room for it. <br />The old man was happy with the bed, and we bought the kids a cheaper one. <br />Within a few months, I knew all about him. He was a childless Holocaust survivor who had refused to accept indemnities from the Germans and had earned his living by working at odd jobs. His wife had died many years earlier, and he had lived alone since then. Of course, he was too feeble to clean his apartment, and that was why it was in such a state. <br />Five years passed, and we signed another five-year lease. Actually, before the first lease was up, my wife and I considered moving to a larger apartment and taking the old man with us. But in the end we rejected that idea, since elderly people don't like changes. <br />The kids had begun to call him Zaidy, and he really was like a grandfather to them. He would test them in their school work and also liked to tell them stories. <br />One morning, he didn't wake up. He hadn't suffered from any particular illness and died without pain. We all wept at his small funeral and were sincerely bereaved. <br />We locked his apartment and had no idea what would happen to it. At the end of the shivah week, we visited his grave. A few weeks later, we erected a tombstone over it, promising that we would name either a child or a grandchild after him. <br />The next day, someone called us and asked if he could meet with me privately. He arrived at our house that evening and introduced himself as our late neighbor's lawyer. <br />"Fifteen years ago," the lawyer explained, "he asked me to help him prepare a will. He said that he had no relatives and wanted to bequeath his apartment, the only asset he owned, to an institution. I prepared a will. Before leaving he said: 'No one knows what tomorrow will bring. How will you know if I am still alive?'" <br />"I said that I would call him once a week, and that if there was no answer I would check the apartment to see what had happened. <br />"For many years, I called him every Sunday. Two years ago, he called me and asked me to come over with two witnesses. I arrived at his apartment with two of my clerks and he changed his will. When I called him last Sunday, there was no answer, and so I came by to pay him a visit. The grocer told me that he had passed away, and I knew that I had to read the will in your presence." <br />I didn't understand why he had to read it in our presence, but after the reading of the will everything became clear. Our elderly neighbor ― our Zaidy ― had bequeathed his only asset, his apartment, to us. <br />We sold the old man's apartment, took a mortgage, and bought a larger apartment in the very same neighborhood. <br />We never expected any reward for the simple kindness we did. However, the Master Accountant sees, records, and reckons. (www.innernet.org.il)<br /><br />Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Naso 5770<br />Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />For sponsorships please call 248-506-0363<br />To subscribe weekly please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim <br />and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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We are now approaching the Yom Tov of Shavuos, and we will see how this Medrash is intertwined with the theme of the festival.<br />Half to HaShem and half to yourself<br />The Gemara (Pesachim 68b) cites a famous dispute between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua regarding one’s obligations on Yom Tov. Rabbi Eliezer maintains that one must either involve himself completely in spiritual matters or he must indulge himself wholly in physical delights. Rabbi Yehoshua, however, maintains that one must divide up the festival day, half in spiritual pursuits and half in physical indulgences. The Gemara states that Rabbi Eliezer agrees that on Shavuos one must also partake in physical delights, as it is the day that the Torah was given. This statement is difficult to understand, as one would have thought that on the day that we received the Torah, we should adhere to Rabbi Eliezer’s usual opinion and only engage in spiritual acts. Why did Rabbi Eliezer feel that the giving of the Torah warrants pursuit of physical indulgences?<br />It’s all how one arranges the letters<br />To understand the idea that specifically on Shavuos we are instructed to engage in physical pleasures, it is worthwhile to examine a statement in the Gemara regarding Balaam. The Gemara (Brachos 7a) states that had HaShem become angry with the Jewish People at the end of their stay in the Wilderness, Balaam would have cursed the Jewish People and they would have been destroyed. Balaam would have had a mere nanosecond to curse the Jewish People, and Tosfos (Ibid s.v. sheilmalei) wonders what Balaam could have uttered in such a short period of time. Tosfos answers that Balaam could have uttered the word kaleim, destroy them, and instead HaShem transformed the word kaleim to the word melech, king, demonstrating that HaShem is our king and loves us dearly so that we will not be destroyed. We can suggest that in essence the explanation of Tosfos revolves around the word lachem, and the question is how to read the word. Balaam wished that it would read kaleim (chaf, lamed, mem) whereas HaShem arranged the word to read melech, (mem, lamed, chaf). Balaam sought to destroy the Jewish People through physical indulgences, as is evidenced from the advice he gave Balak to seduce the Jewish People with the Moabite women. HaShem, however, desires that the Jew elevate the lachem, i.e. the physical, to a spiritual level. Thus, Rabbi Eliezer posits that on Shavuos, the day we received the Torah, we are obligated to elevate the lachem, the physical, by sanctifying our physical indulgences and negating our physical selves before HaShem. Rabbi Eliezer is not suggesting that Shavuos is a day to party. Rather, the opposite is true. Shavuos marks the day when we gain a true understanding of our purpose in this world, which is to elevate all of the physical in our lives and dedicate ourselves to Torah study and mitzvah performance.<br />On Shavuos we elevate the “lachem” for spirituality<br />Returning to the Medrash cited earlier regarding the banners that the Jewish People desired, we can better understand the yearning of the Jewish People. When HaShem opened up the heavens and the Jewish People saw the ministering angels engaged entirely in spiritual matters, they desired that their own physical pursuits be channeled towards spirituality and HaShem granted them this request. Thus, the banners symbolized the desire of the Jewish People to elevate all of their physical interest to a spiritual plane. On Shavuos, we are granted the opportunity to engage in Torah study and to elevate the physical delights of this world to spiritual activities. HaShem should grant us the strength and fortitude to accomplish this lofty task.<br /><br /><br />The Shabbos connection <br />The Gemara (Pesachim 68b) that we cited earlier states that all agree that on Shabbos we are required to indulge in physical delights, as it is said (Yeshaya 58:13 ) vikarasa laShabbos oneg, if you proclaim the Shabbos ‘a delight.’ The Gemara (Shabbos 118b) states that one who delights in the Shabbos is granted all the desires of his heart. The Sfas Emes cites the Chidushei HaRim who explains that the Gemara does not state that one who indulges himself on Shabbos will be granted the desires of his heart. Rather, one must delight in the Shabbos and then he will be granted his heart’s desires. HaShem should allow us to truly appreciate the Shabbos for the sake of Shabbos, and then He will surely grant us all our desires, which is to elevate the physical to the spiritual plane.<br />Shabbos Stories<br />Love of Torah<br />It is told that the holy Divrei Chaim, Rabbi Chaim of Sanz zt"l, would recite the blessings over the Torah with such beauty and devotion, that his disciples would gather opposite his house, next to the window, in the hope of hearing him. Tears would flow freely from the eyes of those who merited hearing him, as they were overwhelmed with love for the Torah and its study. (www.Torah.org)<br />A Memory Beverage <br />Rabbi Chaim Vital was born and raised in Safed. After his Bar Mitzvah, he studied Torah under Rabbi Moshe Alshich. One day Rabbi Yosef Karo came to caution Rabbi Alshich.<br />"Your student Chaim is a very remarkable young man. In the name of the Maggid, the heavenly teacher who comes to me, I request that you be exceptionally careful in supervising every stage of his development, particularly in Torah."<br />Rabbi Chaim quickly gained a deep understanding of Talmud and Halacha, and eventually was ordained by Rabbi Alshich. He soon turned to the mystical side of Torah and avidly studied the Zohar. In due course of time, he was initiated into the select circle of Rabbi Moshe Cordevero's disciples.<br />When he began studying with Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the holy Ari, in 1570, his mentor set out a two-fold program for him to constantly follow. The first directive was to restrain himself at all times from any bad character traits. He should never get angry, depressed, haughty, or impatient, nor should he even discuss trite matters. Instead, he should maintain a low-keyed image of himself, filled with inner joy and fear of sin. The second directive was an order of learning, a detailed curriculum. Every day he should study Chumash, Mishnah, Talmud and Kabala, especially the Zohar.<br />Rabbi Luria stressed that man's ability to ascend the spiritual ladder depends greatly on one's kavana, his intentions and focus. Besides the necessary kavana when fulfilling a commandment, the Ari cautioned his disciple to be very meticulous when reciting blessings on food. All foods, he explained, possess (in addition to a holy spark) adverse spiritual forces (kelipos) which 'desire' to create a negative effect on the eater. Only by reciting the blessing with the proper kavana can one annul that adverse affect, thus purifying one's body and cleansing one's thoughts.<br />Next, Rabbi Luria delineated a path of repentance for Rabbi Chaim to follow to correct sins he had committed earlier in his life. For instance, as atonement for cursing his parents when he was a child, Rabbi Chaim was to fast for three consecutive days, meditating on certain holy names. The fast ended on Shavuot night.<br />"The whole night of Shavuos," wrote Rabbi Vital, "I studied Kabala with Rabbi Luria. He informed me that I had succeeded in atoning for that sin."<br />Both the intensity of their learning and its tremendous quantity and complexity began to affect Rabbi Vital. He realized that he could not retain all of the vast wisdom his mentor was bestowing on him.<br />The situation worsened. <br />When Rabbi Chaim confided his concern to his mentor, Rabbi Luria simply told him not to worry. He has a plan. <br />Together they went to Tiberias and walked through the town until they came to the fishing dock by the bank of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). There they rented a small boat and rowed southward into the lake in the direction of the Tomb of Rabbi Meir Baal HaNess. <br />About halfway there, the Ari slowed the boat and carefully scanned the water, searching for a certain spot, using an ancient synagogue on the shoreline as a landmark. When he reached the exact spot for which he had been searching, which appeared to Rabbi Chaim no different from the rest of the lake, he lowered a flask and filled it with sea water.<br />"Drink this!" he ordered his disciple as he handed him the flask. "It is water from the well of Miriam from which our forefathers drank in the wilderness. They were called the Generation of Knowledge, and once you have partaken of this water, it will cure you and you shall forget nothing I teach you."<br />So it came to pass. From that day Rabbi Chaim Vital both comprehended the wisdom of the kabalistic system of his mentor, and became its principal disseminator and redactor, in the form of the multi-volume Kisvei Ari- "Writings of the Ari," the authoritative writings of the holy Ari of blessed memory. (www.ascent.org.il)<br />All they wanted was a good night’s rest<br /><br />Binei Brak, Israel, 1946. With many orphans expected to arrive, Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahanamen (the "Ponovezher Rav") was desperate to gather pillows and blankets to accommodate their needs in his orphanage, known as "Batei Avos." Their story was complex. The bulk of these orphans, stemming from homes in Poland and Soviet Russia, had been plucked from war-torn Europe and sent to Teheran. From there they had been brought to Palestine and placed in an absorption camp on the outskirts of Haifa... Now, some of these children were being brought to the Batei Avos orphanage. <br />It was Friday and the children were expected on Sunday, so Rabbi Kahanamen knew that he had to act quickly; he called for an emergency gathering of the "who's who" of Binei Brak. The crowd gathered from all over the city, and included laymen as well as Torah scholars. Men, women, and even children came out in droves to hear what the rabbi had to say. Before long the largest shul in Binei Brak was packed to the rafters, and the rabbi slowly made his way to the front of the room. <br />He looked around at the anxious crowd and began, "The Talmud tells us that if one has a servant he must treat him with the utmost dignity and respect. It's as if 'he has acquired a master for himself.' In fact, the Talmud says that if the person owns only one pillow, he is required to hand it over to his servant. But how, may I ask, does this coincide with the rule that one's own life takes precedence over someone else's? The answer is that our Sages knew that a Jew cannot possibly sleep when he knows that his worker is not being provided for. Hence the law is that you must hand over your pillow for precisely that reason - because 'your life takes precedence' ― and the only way you will be able to sleep is if you give it to him." <br />And then, with tears streaming down his face, Rabbi Kahanamen burst out in a heartfelt plea, "We have a large group of orphans who will be coming to our city tomorrow, and we don't have pillows and blankets for them. I beg you please, for your own sake. How will you sleep knowing that these children don't have something on which to rest their heads in comfort?" <br />In seconds the crowd began to stir. Immediately they went home and within an hour the rabbi had a line of hundreds of men, women, and even children, standing in front of his home with pillows and blankets. And much like Moses when funds were being collected for the Tabernacle, the rabbi had to plead with them to please stop bringing ― the orphanage was overflowing! <br />Those present will never forget the sight of one woman standing at the rabbi's door begging him to at least take one more pillow. And who could blame her? All she wanted was a good night's rest. <br />Shoot left<br />As a young man, Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky (the Steipler Gaon) was confronted by many major challenges and obstacles. He was one of the many Orthodox Jews who were coerced into joining the Russian army, which meant that he had to spend time with soldiers who were violent and vicious men. Their sinister attitude toward him had filtered down from the commanding officer, who made no effort to hide his dislike for Yaakov Yisrael and his annoyance over all the problems this Jewish soldier had caused. <br />From the food that he refused to eat, to the special days he made himself unavailable for work and duty, Yaakov Yisrael threw a monkey wrench into the scheduling, order, and regulations which are so fundamental to army life. But since the resilient Yaakov Yisrael combined his staunch, unfaltering convictions together with a sensible low profile, more often than not he was able to stay out of harm's way. <br />The additional guard duty he accepted upon himself coupled with some extra sharing of responsibilities enabled him to obtain furloughs for Shabbos and holidays. But when Officer Karlenkiev watched this soldier rest while others were working, it made his blood boil. And finally he decided he would do something about it. He would make life miserable for the Jew. <br />The next Saturday, Karlenkiev made it his business to cross paths with the Jewish soldier. Without explaining why, he ordered Yaakov Yisrael to fire his gun at a target located fifty meters away. It was not a day designated for target practice, and there was no valid reason for Karlenkiev to have issued the order ― other than to disturb the Jewish soldier's day of rest. [Shooting a rifle is not permitted on Shabbos, and Yaakov Yisrael thought of how he could minimize the problem.] <br />As the startled Yaakov Yisrael mulled over his options, the spiteful commanding officer added that he should continue shooting until he hits the bull's-eye in the middle of the target. This demanding feat was no easy task for a seasoned marksman, let alone a novice like Yaakov Yisrael. This further complicated the dilemma, as Yaakov Yisrael reasoned that perhaps he had some minuscule chance of hitting the mark while shooting with his good right hand ― but that would be a full violation of Shabbos. The other option would be to shoot left-handed which ― because it is not the normal way ― is considered less of a violation of Shabbos. But shooting with his left hand, he knew, would likely greatly lower his changes of ever hitting the mark. Thus he was left in a quandary. <br />At first he attempted to defy the order. But Karlenkiev promptly informed him that disobeying a command from a superior officer could result in a severe punishment, possibly even death. Left with no choice, Yaakov Yisrael prepared to shoot. He deliberated and then quickly resolved to fire his gun with his left hand. True, in all probability he would not succeed and would be forced to shoot many times. However he determined that it is his responsibility to do everything within his power to reduce the Shabbos violation. <br />Yaakov Yisrael aimed his gun and prepared to shoot. Karlenkiev noticed that the Jew was not shooting with his stronger hand, instead he was using his weaker one! “What a fool!” he thought to himself. Doesn't he realize he'll be forced to shoot many times until he hits the mark?! <br />But when the gun discharged, all present were shocked to discover that the bullet had indeed hit the center of the target! <br />Yaakov Yisrael tried to hide his smile. He was certain that the Hand of God had guided his hand to shoot the gun so that the bullet landed exactly where it needed to. <br />The only one more surprised than Yaakov Yisrael was the menacing officer who had orchestrated the plot against him. Karlenkiev stared at the Jewish soldier, as it dawned on him that this was no religious fanatic, rather someone who was guarded and blessed by a Higher Being. <br />From that moment on, Yaakov Yisrael was treated like a hero. Karlenkiev watched out for his well-being and, ironically, became his greatest proponent. However, since he now would no longer work at all on Saturdays, the other officers felt that it would weaken the morale of the other soldiers to have an individual around who was not fulfilling his duty. Thus the only logical solution was to give him an honorable discharge from the army. <br />I’ll take the one who eats well<br />Rabbi Avraham Pam's father was a rabbi in Europe. Each Friday night, the shamash (attendant) would walk around the shul to greet all the guests in town, and to make sure that each one had a place to eat the Shabbos meal. As we would expect, distinguished-looking guests had no difficulty being invited; the congregants vied for the rights of hosting a guest bedecked in a perfectly pressed suit or frock. The bedraggled beggars who made their way from town to town, on the other hand, were usually not as fortunate; no one rushed to invite them for a meal. The shamash was charged with the unenviable task of distributing such guests among the reluctant worshipers who had not been lucky enough to host a "respectable" guest. If there was one person left over at the end of the shamash's rounds, you could be sure that the person was a true pauper, an uncouth, unsightly fellow whom no one would want at his Shabbos table. <br />Once, when the shamash finished his rounds, there were two people who had not been placed. One had the obvious mark of a Torah scholar; his dignified bearing bespoke refined character and scholarship. The other was a rather disheveled, corpulent fellow, the type of guest everyone avoided. <br />When the shamash asked Rabbi Pam's father whom he wanted to host, he asked for the obese man, and sent the Torah scholar with someone else. "If I were looking for a study partner," Rabbi Pam senior explained to the shamash, "I would have opted for that fine-looking gentleman. He looks like he knows how to learn very well. I am looking for a guest. To fulfill the mitzvah of hosting guests properly, you need someone who can eat. The fellow I chose looks like a good eater." <br />Lost papers saved their lives<br />World War II placed almost all Jews in Europe in danger, but German Jews were in a particularly difficult situation. Remaining in Germany was obviously not an option, but escaping to one of the Allied nations was likewise impossible. As ridiculous as it may seem now, German refugees were highly suspect in the Allied countries. <br />As Providence would have it, a group of German Jews found themselves in England during the war, and their presence placed the British government into a quandary. On one hand, it seemed impossibly cruel to turn these Jews away. On the other hand, some officials theorized that the German Jews were perhaps spying for Germany. <br />The British government finally came up with a solution: they would send the German Jews to Australia, which was then a British colony. This left only one problem. German U-boats (submarines) were stationed in the waters surrounding Europe, and few captains and sailors were willing to risk their lives crossing the oceans. The dregs of society ― poorly-trained anti-Semitic guards ― were set in charge of the refugees on the boat to Australia. All identifying marks were removed from the boat, and the captain and crew were instructed not to respond to any radio requests to identify themselves. <br />The German Jews on board were devastated. As soon as the boat set sail, the brutal guards turned their attention to the pitiful Jews and began to harass them. <br />Several days into the journey, the guards realized that since the Jews were at their mercy, they could have free rein with their belongings. They immediately seized all the suitcases and began to search them for valuables. When they found nothing of value in the suitcases ― anything of value had already been spent getting out of Germany ― they became enraged, and spitefully threw the suitcases into the water. <br />Can we imagine the devastation felt by the Jews on board? What could have been in those suitcases? Some pictures, maybe a letter or two ― precious remnants of a world not-yet insane. "What has God done to us?" they must have thought. <br />The boat miraculously made it to Australia unscathed. The Jews began to pick up the pieces and settle in Australia. They built homes, shuls, and communities, and slowly they forgot the bitter past. <br />During the 1980s, a diving team off the coast of Europe chanced upon a U-boat that had sunk. They entered the ship and found many items onboard in remarkably good condition. One of the items they managed to recover was the diary of the captain of the boat. <br />The diary was translated and released to the press. In one entry, the captain tells the story of a boat spotted sailing with no identification. "We ordered the captain of the boat to identify himself, and we received no response," writes the captain. "We radioed to Germany to ask them what to do. The order came back: Sink the boat. <br />"As we were preparing the torpedoes, we suddenly noticed suitcases floating near the boat, with papers spilling out from all sides. We sent a diver out to retrieve some of the papers, and to our surprise, we found German writing on them. <br />"We left the boat in peace," concludes the captain, "thrilled that we had not acted too hastily and harmed our German brethren." <br />Forty long years had passed. In those forty years, who knows how many times the people who were on that boat thought about all the family history they lost when the criminal sailors dumped their belongings into the sea. Who knows how many times they asked themselves, "Why did God cause us to lose the little bit of home we were able to salvage?" <br />Suddenly, it became clear that what had seemed so bitter was actually God's salvation; only their mementos floating away had saved them from attack... <br />Success can’t be from your assets, only from your faith<br /> <br />Isaac Nudel, a wealthy lumber merchant, was planning his yearly trip to the large forests in his area. Each year, when the snows melted, he would visit these forests and negotiate with the counts and lords who owned them. Settling on a price, he would buy a huge quantity of trees. Scores of lumbermen would cut down the trees and send the logs, lying in long rows, floating downriver. Later, in his big factories, more workers would saw those logs into boards to be fashioned into furniture and other wood products. <br />Isaac's business enterprises stretched far and wide. He was known as one of the country's biggest lumber merchants, and also as a generous philanthropist whose hand was always open to those in need... <br />It seemed to him that the sun would shine on him forever. Then, one year, his business affairs began to founder. One client died, and his son refused to deal with Isaac. A second client suddenly made contact ― for the first time in many years ― with a competitor of Isaac's. A third landlord complained that a raging fire had swept through his forest that summer, destroying thousands of trees. <br />In short, Isaac's luck turned. Once he began to fall, he fell long and hard. An experienced businessman, he had naturally tried to protect himself against a dry spell. To prepare for a time when he would not be in a position to buy the trees he needed, he had built giant warehouses and stockpiled thousands of tree trunks inside ― his insurance for a rainy day. <br />"To the warehouses!" he instructed his workers. <br />The men went off at once ― only to return with downcast faces. <br />"What happened?" Isaac asked in alarm. In his blackest nightmares, he could not have anticipated the answer: "The trees have rotted!" <br />"All of them?" <br />"Every single one. The rot ate the trunks from the inside and left all of them hollowed trunks." <br />Isaac's mind raced. "Swear to me that you will not tell a soul about this," he ordered. "If word of this catastrophe spreads, my creditors will come swarming out to demand what I owe them. You men will suffer as much as I will. Let's keep our lips sealed and get through this hard time together. With G-d's help, I will rise again and you will be able to continue earning your living with me." <br />The workers agreed to keep the secret. No one else knew about the merchant's downfall. But despair filled Isaac's heart, especially when he was forced to turn away those charity-collectors who had been accustomed to receiving generous donations from him. By dint of evasive excuses, he managed to put them off for a later date while avoiding explanations. In shul and in the street, he kept his expression impassive. But how long would he be able to keep his secret? His family, accustomed to a pampered life, began for the first time to put aside food to save for the next day. Even money for bread was scarce. How long could he keep up the pretense before everyone discovered the truth? <br />Isaac went about like a shadow of his former self. His conscience pained him. It is about you, he told himself, that it says, "[G-d] humbles the haughty." You were proud of wealth that was not yours, of money that had been granted to you by Heaven. Now the Creator has taken the money back and turned your good fortune to failure." <br />These reflections continued to torment him, gnawing away at his very bones. <br />A visit by Mr. Raskas, a veteran forest agent, sprinkled salt on Isaac's wounds. <br />Raskas had come to propose an excellent business deal: The landlord who owned the nearby town, and with whom Isaac had never yet dealt in business, had sent the agent to suggest that he sell his forest to Isaac. The deal was expected to reap a very nice profit for the lumber merchant. <br />"And how much does he want for his forest?" Isaac asked with feigned indifference. Inwardly, his heart was beating fast. <br />"It's a real bargain ― 2,000 rubles in cash. But not a kopek less! The landlord is determined about that: either he gets the 2,000 in cash, or no deal. If he hadn't been so strapped for cash at the moment, he would never have made the price so low." <br />Earlier that very day, Isaac had conducted an inventory of his remaining assets. His eyes had darkened with sadness at the realization that, of all his former property, only a dismal 200 rubles were left. This was only a tenth of the landlord's asking price for the forest. This unexpected deal, which had come knocking at his door at just this moment, seemed Heaven sent ― a last chance to save himself. <br />"Come back tomorrow," Isaac requested. "We are not speaking of an insignificant sum, after all. I need a little time to get the money together." <br />When Raskas was gone, Isaac lifted his eyes to the sky. In the ordinary scheme of things, there had been no purpose to his putting off the agent. He was grasping at straws, but straws were all he had. Only G-d could help now. His heart overflowed with a plea for Heaven's mercy. <br />He was still sitting there, lost in thought, when a good friend came to visit. The other man was a prosperous merchant, as Isaac himself had been, and they had embarked on several business deals together. <br />Isaac turned to him with a proposal. "Invest 1,800 rubles with me, toward the purchase of a big forest," he suggested. "We'll be equal partners in the profits. Fifty-fifty." <br />His friend hesitated a moment, weighing the matter. He was being asked to put up a small fortune as an investment. On the other hand, there was every prospect of huge profits. Isaac was as vigorous as ever, and was not the type to speculate in risky ventures. <br />The friend nodded his head and shook Isaac's hand on the deal. Then he sent to his home at once for the money. <br />Isaac drew a deep breath. He now had the 2,000 rubles he needed ― 200 of his own, and the rest that his friend had invested. A powerful urge swept over him, to race over to the neighboring town and give the money to the landlord before the nobleman regretted his offer. But he would not take such a big step without asking his rabbi's advice. This was his last chance. Should he fail, Heaven forbid, he would be reduced to begging in the streets! <br />Isaac went to his rabbi, Reb Yaakov, and submitted a note asking for a blessing for success in a big business venture. Along with the note he included a donation of a single ruble. <br />The rabbi will doubtless be surprised, Isaac thought. He will wonder why this formerly generous man is suddenly so stingy. But, lacking any other choice, I won't be ashamed to give just one ruble! <br />The rabbi read the note, then picked up the donation with an expression of dissatisfaction. "This donation is not fitting for such a large enterprise. We are talking about a business deal worth thousands of rubles." He handed the ruble back to Isaac. <br />Taken aback, Isaac opened his purse and took out a three-ruble coin that he had prepared for his journey to the landlord. With all his heart, he hoped the rabbi would be satisfied. <br />But the rabbi was not satisfied. "This is not what I meant," he said firmly. "Show me your purse." <br />If Isaac was surprised, he showed no sign of it. With an impassive face he placed his purse, with the 2,000 rubles inside, on the table. <br />The rabbi took out the bundles of bills. He set aside the larger bundle of 1,800 rubles, and took the small one, containing 200. <br />Isaac felt as though he was burning up. He could not wait another moment before setting the rabbi straight. "Rabbi, there is a mistake here!" he cried. "I am no longer Isaac the prosperous merchant, whose money was as plentiful as the sand by the sea, who was the first to donate to every mitzvah and eager to give to anyone in need, even before he was asked! I must reveal my secret. My luck has turned. I am now destitute. Should my fortune not turn around for the better, I will be reduced to begging for handouts. This deal is my last chance. If I succeed, perhaps I will return to what I was before. And if I fail? May Heaven have mercy on me!" <br />He ended his revelation with hanging head. "And so, though I understand that the rabbi needs this money for some worthy mitzvah, this time I cannot give a large donation as I used to do. I must satisfy myself with a very small donation, so that I can hand over the entire sum of 2,000 rubles to the landlord. 1,800 of them are not even my own." <br />The emotional outburst seemed to make no impression at all on the rabbi. "Isaac, don't be so foolish. The landlord will give you time to pay him the entire sum. Even if you give him only 1,800 rubles now, you will not lose the deal. Ask him for an extension of time to pay the remaining 200. Explain that if your business succeeds, you will be able to do so in the near future." <br />Steadfast in his faith in the rabbi’s wisdom, Isaac traveled to the nearby town. The landlord was familiar with the lumber merchant's sterling reputation, and knew that he could rely absolutely on Isaac's integrity. He agreed to sell his forest for the 1,800, and to wait a while for the rest. <br />Isaac's wheel of fortune, which had reached rock bottom, began to inch upward again. He sold the trees at a good price, and even after he divided the profits with his partner he was left with 1,000 rubles in cash. He had witnessed the fulfillment of the words "He humbles the haughty"; now he was seeing the next words come true: "He raises the downtrodden." <br />Isaac lifted his eyes in gratitude. "Thank You," he whispered to his Creator. "After You cast me into the pit, You have raised my soul from the grave!" <br />He traveled at once to the landlord and paid his debt of 200 rubles. Then he returned to the rabbi ― this time with a donation of 500 rubles. <br />Reb Yaakov accepted the fat bundle of bills, took out a single ruble, and returned the rest to Isaac. <br />"Wh-what is this?" Isaac stammered in confusion. "I gave the money with a full heart." <br />The rabbi smiled. "I know, my son. But you once wanted to give only one ruble. I am taking it now." He paused, then continued. "Did you think that your rabbi had turned money-hungry? That I could not be satisfied with less than 200 rubles, and had sealed my ears to poor Isaac's pleas? <br />"Know this," the rabbi said, and now his face glowed. "When you came to me that day, I saw that your fortune was about to sink even lower than you thought... Had you give the landlord the 200 rubles, you would not have seen any sign of blessing for the rest of your life! <br />"That's why I took everything you had. The only cash you actually gave the landlord was money that was not your own. That's why you were able to succeed." <br />The rabbi added a final word. "Had you entered on this business venture without such a powerful and stubborn faith, you would not have prospered. Your own faith opened the gates of success to you ― much more than anything I did on your behalf. And now, riches will not leave you or your descendants for many, many generations!" <br />(www.innernet.org.il)<br />Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Bamidbar-Shavuos 5770<br />Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos and a Good Yom Tov<br />Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />For sponsorships please call 248-506-0363<br />To subscribe weekly please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim <br />and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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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?<br />What does it mean to be casual in mitzvah observance?<br />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.<br />Amalek caused the Jewish People to become casual<br />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. <br />The ambush of Amalek was deliberate to cause us to become casual<br />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. <br />Today more than ever we need to intensify our Torah study and mitzvah observance<br />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.<br />The Shabbos connection <br />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. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Shabbos Stories<br />Have true bitachon<br />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. <br />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. <br />"Of course I know that I should have bitachon," the man said. "But what can I do - I am still extremely nervous!" <br />"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! <br />"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. <br />"Don't worry," concluded the Netziv. "Have true bitachon, and all will be well!" <br />Maybe this is what HaShem is trying to tell you<br />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)<br />A volcanic ash blessing<br />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. <br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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. <br />Meanwhile, throughout this time, a religious boy from Jerusalem continued to sit in a yeshiva in the capital of Belgium, diligently learning Torah.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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. <br />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.<br />So, thanks to clear Divine Intervention, the dedicated young yeshiva student received the liver and is now recovering from surgery. <br />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.<br />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. <br />A miracle in Meiron<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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?<br />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.<br />While running, one of the boys pointed at a small path, winding its way to the top of the mountain.<br />"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."<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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."<br />The boys took the cases on their backs without asking any questions and ran as fast as they could to the hostel.<br />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.<br />The following day they met the woman whom they had assisted. She asked them to be seated and began to relate her story:<br />"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.<br />"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.<br />"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?<br />"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.<br />"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.<br />'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.<br />"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!<br />"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!<br />"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)<br />Rav Mendele MiRimanov Saves The Shul<br />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.<br />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. <br />They did as they were commanded and never heard from the officials again. (www.Revach.net) <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Behar-Bechukosai 5770<br />Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />For sponsorships please call 248-506-0363<br />To subscribe weekly please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim <br />and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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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.<br />Reb Menachem Mendel of Rimanov immersed in the mikveh with the proper intentions<br />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?”<br />“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.”<br />One must sacrifice his Life for HaShem’s Name altruistically<br />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.<br />Reciting Shema is our way of sacrificing our life for HaShem’s Name<br />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.<br />The Shabbos connection <br />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. <br />Shabbos Stories<br />Money from Heaven<br />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. <br />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. <br /> "Li hakesef, Li hazahav, Nium HaShem" <br />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. <br />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. <br />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." <br />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. <br />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." <br />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." <br />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. <br />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." <br />Rav Eliyahu Chaim Meisel Calmly Schmoozes In The Bitter Cold<br />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.<br />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.<br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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)<br />The Kotzker Rebbe Exposes The "Yetzer Hara's Tzaddik"<br /><br />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.<br />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. <br />The Sfas Emes Refuses To Be Sent Out<br />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.<br />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.<br /><br />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) <br />Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Emor 5770<br />Is sponsored in honor of the birth of a baby boy to Rabbi Avromy and Mrs. Tzippy Adler of Cleveland. May they be zoche to be mahcnis their son libriso shel Avraham Avinu biito uvizmano and may they have much nachas from all their children<br />Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />For sponsorships please call 248-506-0363<br />To subscribe weekly please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim <br />and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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The definition of this negative commandment is that when one offers a sacrifice, he is forbidden to entertain a thought of sprinkling the blood, burning the pieces of the sacrifice, or eating part of the sacrifice outside the designated place of eating the sacrifice. Additionally, one is forbidden to entertain a thought of performing one of the above mentioned actions outside the designated time that the sacrifice can be eaten. The commentators (Ramban, Ibn Ezra, and Sforno) write that after the Torah instructs us not to stray after idols, the Torah exhorts us not to defile the sacrifices that we offer with any stray thoughts. <br />How can one prevent foreign thoughts from entering his mind?<br />The mitzvah of pigul is not relevant in our times as we do not have a Bais HaMikdash and we do not offer sacrifices. Nonetheless, there is a relevant lesson that is contained in this mitzvah. One may wonder how it is possible for a person to prevent foreign thoughts from entering his mind. One answer to this question is that although one cannot prevent foreign thoughts from entering his mind, he can make a conscious effort to banish those disturbing thoughts. I would like to suggest an alternative answer, based on an incident with the famed Reb Mottele Chernobyler. It was well known that the famous tzaddik Reb Mottele of Chernobyl zt”l knew the inner thoughts and hidden secrets of his followers. Nothing was hidden from his holy gaze. However, he would never chastise others directly. Instead, he directed his criticism at himself, and the intended subject got the message without having to suffer the shame. <br />In Chernobyl there lived a rav who was a talmid chacham (Torah scholar) in his own right. This rav, however, wanted nothing to do with the Chasidim and their strange ways. He obstinately refused to pay Reb Mottele so much as even a courteous visit. <br />On Pesach, many Jews refuse to eat any food that was not prepared in their home under their supervision. On the last day of Pesach (Acharon shel Pesach), though, most people mishn zich, i.e. they eat others food as well. In fact, it is said that the holy Rebbe of Sanz on Acharon shel Pesach would eat food even from those whom he didn’t trust all year long. Perhaps this Rav was inspired by the spirit of mishn zich, because it was on one certain Acharon shel Pesach that he finally relented and made up his mind to once-and-for-all see what these Chasidim and their Rebbe were all about. He had heard about Reb Mottele’s custom of rebuking himself and meaning others, so it was with great surprise and shock that, no sooner had he entered the Rebbe’s courtyard when he heard the Rebbe mutter, “Mottele, Mottele, you must do teshuvah. you have partaken of chametz on Pesach!”<br />He realized right away the Rebbe meant him, but for the life of him, he couldn’t imagine to what the Rebbe was referring. “Perhaps,” he said to himself, “I didn’t pay attention to some minute detail? Perhaps I overlooked some stringency that most people don’t even adhere to, but I, being that I am a Torah scholar, should have been more particular?” “But what?” He decided he would immediately return home and look into the matter. <br />He searched his house high and low for any sign of an area that might not have been checked or cleaned thoroughly. He asked his wife, his sons, and his daughters if they had done everything with the same caution as in previous years. They responded that they had. He was just about ready to give up when suddenly he saw it. There, at the bottom of the huge barrel they had drawn and prepared especially for Pesach, lay a huge chunk of bread. Examining the water more closely, he could see tiny crumbs, barely visible, floating around. This was the only water they drank and cooked with on Pesach. Everything they ate had been tainted by it. He was devastated. <br />Broken-spirited, he returned to Reb Mottele, and humbly requested that the Rebbe give him a program through which he could repent for his sin, albeit unintentional. “But Rebbe,” he added, “with all due respect, one question gives me no rest. Your eyes see all; maybe I was wrong for not coming to visit you earlier, but you knew we were consuming chametz all Pesach, so how could you not have sent someone to warn us, and saved us from such a grave sin?”<br />“G-d forbid,” said Reb Mottele, “that I should know of a Jew sinning and refrain from telling him out of concerns for my honor! Believe me, until you passed through the gates to my courtyard, I had no idea what was going on in your home. It’s only once you came, and decided to form a bond with us, that I saw what I saw, and made it known right away.”<br />A close relationship with HaShem prevents a person from entertaining foreign thoughts<br />We can suggest that the lesson that Reb Mottele taught this man is implicit in the Torah juxtaposing the prohibition of pigul to the mitzvos of being holy, fearing parents, observing Shabbos, and not straying after idols. HaShem desires that we should develop a loving and close relationship with Him, and it is for that reason that we are prohibited to even have a thought of idol worship in our hearts and minds. Once we develop that close relationship, it will be almost impossible for us to entertain any foreign thoughts, whether they are thoughts of idolatry or of offering a sacrifice in the wrong time or place.<br />The Shabbos connection <br />Throughout the week we are barraged by thoughts that are foreign to holiness and spirituality. With the onset of Shabbos, however, all harsh judgments depart and we are united with the Oneness of HaShem and His Holy Shabbos. While according to Halacha one is permitted to contemplate mundane matters on Shabbos, there is an opinion in the Mechilta that on Shabbos one should not allow himself to be distracted by any thoughts that are foreign to this Holy Day. We should merit that HaShem will purify our thoughts and allow us to serve Him with truth.<br />Shabbos Stories<br />He wasn’t the man for the job<br />Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Baranovitch Yeshiva, visited the United States in the latter part of the 1930s to raise funds for his yeshiva. Unfortunately, he made a greater impact on the America than America made on his yeshiva, and the funds raised did not help much. Reb Elchonon returned to a Poland clouded by the darkness of war to be with his students for the ensuing nightmare. The Nazis later murdered him together with his students in Kovno (Kaunus) Ghetto. <br />While he was in the United States, he was accompanied by young, enthusiastic students, my father amongst them, who felt privileged to help the great sage in his efforts. <br />Once, a student brought him to visit a wealthy man who had a philanthropic reputation. The bachur was confident that the meeting would prove successful. Unfortunately, the expectations proved fruitless, and Reb Elchonon and the student were shown to the door, empty-handed. <br />The young man left the house and sat down on the steps of the mansion utterly dejected. Reb Elchonon, who was quite tall, bent down to him, "Why are you so upset?" he asked softly. <br />"Upset? Why shouldn't I be upset? This man has the ability to support your whole yeshiva for a year, and he sent us away as if he does not have the ability to give even a dime!" <br />Reb Elchonon smiled. "The Torah tells us that Moshe was told to choose Betzalel to build the Mishkan. Let us assume that Moshe went in the street and asked where he could find Betzalel. Moshe was told that Betzalel could be found in the Bais Medrash. He went into the Bais Medrash and asked someone, 'Are you Betzalel?' The man said no. Should Moshe have been upset? Of course not! It's not the man's fault that he was not Betzalel! He was not born Betzalel and his job was obviously not to be Betzalel! Moshe went to another man. Are You Betzalel? Again the man said no! Should Moshe have been angry with him? Again, of course not! <br />"Well, my son," continued Reb Elchonon, "You can't be upset with him! He is just not the man that was chosen to help!" (www.Torah.org)<br />The Manchester Rosh Yeshiva Dances A Daring Dance<br />It was a cold snowy night in Manchester which made walking outside very difficult. The aging Manchester Rosh Yeshiva Rav Yehuda Zev Segal was outside on his way home when a car pulled up to drive him.<br /><br />The driver told the Rosh Yeshiva that his wife had just given birth to a baby girl. The Rosh Yeshiva wished him a Mazel Tov and asked him how the mother and baby were doing. He said that they were both Boruch HaShem doing very well.<br /><br />When the car stopped the Rosh Yeshiva got out into the snow covered street and started dancing with the father in the most unpleasant and unsafe conditions. The father asked the Rosh Yeshiva why he was endangering himself and dancing on the slippery street. The Rosh Yeshiva answered that whenever he hears that a mother and child are healthy after childbirth he is so consumed with Simcha and Shevach for HaShem that he needs to dance. And dance he did! (Heard from the baby's brother)<br />The Brisker Rav Inspects Before Accepting The Mishloach Manos<br />Someone came late in the day to the Brisker Rav’s home to give him Mishloach Manos. The Rav did not take the package but instead walked out of his front door and started to inspect the sky. The visitor was intrigued by this strange response. <br />The Brisker Rav explained to him that the pasuk says "Sonei Matanos Yichyeh", a person who hates gifts will live. Under normal circumstances I would never accept a gift, said the Brisker Rav. However today is Purim and there is a special Mitzvah of Mishloach Manos Ish Lireieihu which I am happy to participate in. However the hour is late so I needed to go outside and make sure the sun has not set on Purim, before I could accept your gift. - Chaim SheYesh Bahem <br />Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin Warily Eyes The Moving Man<br />Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin, the Rav of Yerushalayim, was moving apartments and had a number of moving men carrying his belongings to his new home. During the move, Rav Yehoshua Leib followed one of the movers who was carrying two stuffed boxes, one on top of the other. Rav Yehoshua Leib not only followed him out of the apartment, but he walked alongside him the entire way from the old apartment to the new one. All the while he kept warning him not to switch the order of the boxes and to make sure that after he rests and loads up again he doesn't put the bottom box on top.<br /><br />After hearing these instructions incessantly during the walk, the moving man finally lost his patience and asked Rav Yehoshua Leib, "what are you so tense about? What difference does it make which box is on top?"<br /><br />Rav Yehoshua Leib answered, in complete humility, that the top box contained his father's writings and the bottom box held his own personal writings in it. "It is not proper that even for a short while my father's writings should be on bottom and mine on top." The level of Kibud Av Vaeim by a tzaddik! (Chaim SheYesh Bahem) (www.revach.net) <br />Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Acharei-Mos-Kedoshim 5770<br />Is sponsored with wishes of bracha and Hatzlacha to the entire Adler, Shuvalsky and Baddouch families<br />Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />For sponsorships please call 248-506-0363<br />To subscribe weekly please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim <br />and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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While it is easy to keep track of the counting of the Omer, it is challenging to understand the idea of the counting. The Sefer HaChinuch writes that we count the days preceding Shavuos like a slave who anxiously waits the time when he will be able to move away from the hot sun that beats down on him and enter a shady area. Similarly, we count the days Shavuos, the day when we received the Torah directly from HaShem. How does this idea relate to the counting from the Omer, and why is it necessary to count for forty nine days?<br />HaShem uttered Zachor and Shamor simultaneously<br />In order to gain an understanding into the counting of the Omer, it is worthwhile to examine a parallel idea, and that is the six days of the week and the subsequent day of Shabbos. The Gemara (Shavuos 20b) states that HaShem uttered both Zachor and Shamor simultaneously. What is the meaning of this statement? Zachor is translated as remember, whereas Shamor means to safeguard. Essentially, Zachor means to actively sanctify the Shabbos, and Shamor means to safeguard the sanctity of Shabbos by not performing any work. The commandment of Zachor is written in Parsahas Yisro, where we were instructed regarding the Luchos Rishonos, the First Tablets. The commandment of Shamor, however, was mentioned in Parashas Vaeschanan, where we were instructed regarding Luchos Shniyos, the Second Tablets. It would appear that the first instance when we were instructed regarding the Ten Commandments was prior to the sin of the Golden Calf, whereas the second set of commandments was given after the sin. Thus, it would follow that prior to the sin of fashioning the Golden Calf, the Jewish People only needed to be instructed regarding Zachor, the positive aspect of sanctifying the Shabbos. The reason for this is that Zachor reflects the idea that throughout the week one is involved in preparing for Shabbos, whereas Shamor is more reflective of the idea that one has to safeguard the Shabbos on the day of Shabbos itself. When HaShem placed Adam HaRishon in Gan Eden, it is said (Bereishis 2:15) vayikach HaShem Elokim es haadam vayanicheihu vigan eden liovdah ulishamroh, HaShem G-d took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to work it and to guard it. The Medrash states that the words “to work it” refer to a positive commandment, whereas the words “and to guard it” refer to a negative commandment. These positive and negative commandments would be akin to the commandments of Zachor and Shamor. Given the fact that Adam had not yet eaten from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad, one must wonder why Adam had received a negative commandment. The answer to this question is based on the statement of the Gemara that HaShem uttered the commandments of Zachor and Shamor simultaneously. While the Jewish People had not yet sinned with the Golden Calf, HaShem foresaw that they would sin and thus Shamor would be incorporated into the sanctity of Shabbos. In a similar vein, HaShem foresaw that Adam would sin and he therefore instructed him regarding the negative commandment.<br />Moshe prays for the Divine Presence to rest on the Mishkan<br />The ideal Shabbos for a Jew is to be constantly engaged in Zachor, the positive aspect of Shabbos. The Gemara (Brachos 64a) states that the righteous and the Torah Scholars do not have rest in this world or in the next world. How could it be that after toiling in this world the righteous will not merit an eternal rest? The answer is that rest is not defined as vacation and kicking back after a hard day. Rather, the true rest is defined by Shabbos, and the Tanna Divei Eliyahu (§1) states that one should make Shabbos a complete pursuit of Torah. This, then, is what the Gemara means when it states that the righteous have no rest in this world and in the next world. They toil in Torah and good deeds in this world and this allows them to continue their spiritual ascent in the next world. <br />Proper behavior allows a Jew to inherit two worlds<br />The Medrash in this week’s parasha states that the laws regarding pure and impure animals are stated before the laws of purity and impurity regarding man. If man is meritorious, the Medrash states, he will inherit both worlds, and if not, he will stand before HaShem in judgment. The Sfas Emes writes that the word that the Medrash uses for inherits is nocheil, which also means a flowing stream. Thus, the Medrash is telling us that through a Jew’s positive actions he will merit reward in this world and in the next world, and the reward is a continuous flow from this world to the next. The Zohar states that a Torah Scholar is always in the category of Shabbos. Based on the premise that the two worlds are connected, we can understand this statement in a new light. The Torah scholar is constantly toiling in Torah, and that allows him to connect this world with the World to Come, and he is never granted rest in either world. We now see that Shabbos is not merely a once a week experience that grants a person respite from the toil of the week. Rather, Shabbos can transform ones entire week, provided that one be involved in spiritual pursuits throughout the week. This is the meaning of the statement that Zachor and Shamor were uttered simultaneously, as one should not be satisfied with just safeguarding the Shabbos by not committing an infraction on Shabbos. Rather, one should strive to maintain the sanctity of Shabbos throughout the week, and then he will merit both worlds without ever resting.<br />We must keep praying for the Ultimate Redemption<br />Returning to the idea of counting the Omer, it is important for us to realize that we have just celebrated the festival of Pesach, which is the only festival that the Torah explicitly refers to as Shabbos. Pesach, however, does not end after eight days. The Ramban writes that the days between Pesach and Shavuos are akin to Chol HaMoed, the Intermediate Days of the festival. It follows, then, that our counting of the Omer is for the purpose of connecting this world and the next world. On the surface it may appear to us that the days between Pesach and Shavuos are merely secular days which can be frivoled away. In truth, however, these are days of introspection and transcendence which can be transformed into days of light and holiness. We can thus understand why the Torah refers to these weeks as sheva Shabbasos temimos, seven complete weeks. The days of the Omer are essentially one continuous Shabbos, and all forty nine days are connected to Pesach, which is referred to as Shabbos (Vayikra 23:15).<br />The Shabbos connection <br />The manner in which we can connect this world and the next world is by celebrating the Shabbos and the festivals and by recognizing that the intermediate days of the week and the days between the festivals are days of spiritual light and holiness. When we are cognizant of this ideal, HaShem will surely grant us the freedom that we are seeking, and then we will merit true rest in this world and in the World to Come. <br />Shabbos Stories<br />Time for a little honor<br />A few years after Rabbi Shneur Kotler succeeded his late father Reb Aharon as the Rosh Yeshiva of the Lakewood Yeshiva, the Yeshiva's enrollment began to expand. No longer was Reb Shneur able to sit and study in the large Yeshiva all day. He was suddenly forced to raise funds day in and day out often leaving early in the morning and returning home way past midnight. <br />A brief respite was the annual convention of Agudath Israel at which nearly 1000 laymen and rabbinical leaders would gather for a long weekend to discuss the state of Torah affairs. <br />My grandfather, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky, the oldest member of the Council of Torah Sages would often highlight the keynote session on Saturday night. As the eldest of the world's Torah sages, Reb Yaakov would find a way to sneak up to the dais, usually through a back door, to avoid having the entire crowd arise upon seeing his presence as is required by Jewish Law. Yet this year things were different. Reb Yaakov engaged the much younger, Reb Shneur in conversation outside the large ballroom and waited until everyone took his or her seats. Then he took Reb Shneur by the hand and said, "I think it is time we took our seats." He proudly held Reb Shneur by the arm and escorted him to the dais as the throng of people rose in awe. <br />Reb Shneur, stunned by Reb Yaakov's departure from his trademark humility asked him why he did not go through the back as was his usual custom. <br />"Reb Shneur," he explained, "your Rebbitzen (rabbi's wife) is sitting in the auditorium. The entire year she sees you in a much-dishonored light. You run from donor to donor in order to keep the Yeshiva open, you have hardly any time to prepare your lectures, and all she sees are people knocking on your door with their problems. Yet she stands beside you faithful and unwavering. It is time that she sees that you get a little kavod (honor). <br />Remember the Alamo<br />In the early 1900s, a simple religious Russian Jew decided that he could no longer stand the Czar's persecution. He would leave Russia to join his son who had settled in Houston, Texas, some twenty years earlier. The son, who had totally assimilated and was a successful oilman, was thrown into a panic. "Of course, you are welcome, Pa," he cabled, "I will arrange a visa, your tickets and fares. But you must realize that I have a wonderful reputation here as an oil man. When you arrive, you must adapt to American culture or I will be destroyed. <br />Upon arrival at the train station, the old man, dressed in his long coat and up-brimmed hat, was whisked to a haberdashery, where he was fitted with the latest style fedora and a modern-cut suit. But still, his father looked too Jewish. <br />"Pa it's not enough. I'll take you to the barber." <br />The first thing that came off was the beard. The son looked on and said, "it's not enough Pa. The peyos, they'll have to go." The barber cut off the right peya. While the son looked on proudly, his pa was becoming a real American. Then the second. And the old man began to weep. <br />"Why are you crying, Papa?" the son asked incredulously. <br />The father, resigned to his fate, simply answered. "I am crying because we lost the Alamo!" <br /><br />Defending his Father’s Honor<br />Rabbi Abraham Twersky tells the story of a young man who came to the chief Rabbi of Vilna, Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky with a request. As this young man's father was applying for a Rabbinical position in a town that the sage was familiar with, he asked the rabbi for a letter of approbation on his father's behalf. <br />Rabbi Grodzinsky felt that the candidate was not worthy of the position, but instead of flatly refusing, he just said that he would rather not mix into the Rabbinical affairs of another city and was sure that the council of that city would make a fair and wise decision. <br />Rabbi Grodzinsky did not realize the tirade that would be forthcoming. The young man began to spew insults and aspersions at him. The sage, however, accepted them in silence. After a few minutes of hearing the abusive language, Rabbi Grodzinsky excused himself and left the room. <br />Students who witnessed the barrage were shocked at the young man's brazen audacity. They were even more surprised that the Rav did not silence the young man at the start of the barrage. <br />Rabbi Grodzinsky turned to them. "You cannot view that onslaught on its own. You must look at the bigger picture. This young man was defending the honor of his father, and in that vein I had to overlook his lapse." (www.Torah.org)<br />Why Was Rav Avigdor Miller's Head In The Sink?<br />Rav Avigdor Miller was known for his emphasis on appreciating the wonder and beauty of nature and the vast wisdom of the world that HaShem created among a multitude of other qualities from which we can learn so much. This classic story epitomizes his constant focus on appreciation for HaShem. <br />Once, a grandchild visited Rav Miller at home and was puzzled to see his grandfather with his face in the sink. After a few minutes, Rav Miller stood up, and breathed deeply. "The air is so wonderful," he said. <br />His grandchild said, "Why was your face in the water for so long that you couldn't even breathe properly?" Rav Miller said, "On my way home, someone started talking to me and commented that lately, the air has been polluted. I didn't want my appreciation of HaShem’s air to lessen, so I decided to deepen my appreciation of air. After depriving myself of air for just a short while, I now am even more thankful to HaShem for providing us with such wonderful air. (Rabbi Shmuel Brog)<br />Rebbi Akiva Eiger's Vacation To Remember<br />Every now and then you read a story that makes you realize what it means, and what it takes, to truly become a Gadol BaTorah. Rebbi Akiva Eiger was not in great health and his children wanted to take him to a place with fresh air, to get away and rejuvenate his ebbing strength. But how would they convince him of this? First of all how would they approach him since he was always busy learning. Even if they would interrupt him, there was no way he would agree to go.<br />The decided to make all the arrangements without telling him and at the appointed time a carriage waited outside the house. His son went to him and took his father and walked with him to the carriage. Rebbi Akiva Eiger walked with him while continuing to be immersed in his learning. They got into the carriage and were off to the mountains. When they arrived at the inn, they took Rebbi Akiva Eiger up to his room and sat him on a couch facing a window with a view of the mountains. All the time he continued learning without paying any attention to his new surroundings.<br /><br />Finally after sitting on the couch for a while, he turned to his son and asked, "where is the baby?" No one understood what he wanted. Finally they figured out that since he was seated on the couch, he thought he was called to be Sandak at a Bris and was waiting for the baby so that they can perform the Bris and he can get back home to his learning. (www.revach.net) <br />Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Tazria-Metzora 5770<br />Is sponsored by www.kevarim.com<br />Pictures & Directions to Kivrei Tzadikim across North America<br />Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />For sponsorships please call 248-506-0363<br />To subscribe weekly please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim <br />and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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Unfortunately, it appears as if they have waited in vain. The fire has not descended, and they voiced their complaint to Moshe. What could Moshe do that would satisfy their desire to have the Divine Presence in their midst?<br />“Am I also preventing the Redemption from occurring?”<br />The Munkatcher Rebbe, Reb Chaim Elazar Shapiro (1872-1937) had finally arrived in Jerusalem for a historic meeting with the renowned Kabbalist, Rabbi Shlomo Eliezer Alfandri, known as the Saba Kadisha, The Holy Elder (1820-1930). For years they had communicated by mail and now a great crowd had gathered to witness the meeting of these two great Torah luminaries. The crowd finally dispersed and only the Rebbe’s attendant, Reb Shalom, remained in the room where the two leaders were to meet. The Rebbe gave his attendant a knowing glance and Reb Shalom left the room. Unable to contain his curiosity, however, Reb Shalom remained listening behind the door, curious as to what would transpire in this fateful encounter. At first Reb Shalom could not hear anything, and he assumed that the language barrier was preventing any communication, as the Rebbe only spoke Yiddish and the great Kabbalist spoke in his native Hebrew. Finally the two settled on Hebrew as the spoken language, and Reb Shalom heard the Rebbe ask in a slow but urgent tone, “tell me, please, when will the Messiah finally arrive to redeem us from this long exile?” The Saba Kadisha replied sadly, “there are those who are preventing the redemption from occurring.” Reb Shalom listened eagerly for further conversation, but he could not hear anything. After a few moments he heard the Rebbe crying and then through the tears, he was able to make out the Rebbe’s muffled cry, “Am I also among those who is preventing the redemption?” The Rebbe’s sincere query pierced Reb Shalom’s heart and penetrates the hearts of Jews the world over. Are we doing enough to bring the redemption?<br />Moshe prays for the Divine Presence to rest on the Mishkan<br />Moshe was confronted by the Jewish People’s disappointment that they had not yet merited the Divine Presence to rest on their new edifice. Rashi writes that Aharon was also saddened by the fact that despite having offered all the necessary sacrifices to inaugurate the Tabernacle, the Divine Presence had not yet appeared. Moshe then entered the Mishkan together with Aharon and they prayed that the Divine Presence should rest on the handiwork of the Jewish People. Immediately a fire went forth from before HaShem and consumed upon the Altar the burnt-offerings and the fats; the people saw and rejoiced at the revelation of HaShem’s Presence in their midst. <br />We must keep praying for the Ultimate Redemption<br />We are constantly praying for the Redemption, and at times we may wonder if there is something more that we need to do to hasten its arrival. In truth, however, just as Moshe did for the Jewish People in the Wilderness, we must keep praying to HaShem to bring the Redemption. HaShem revealed Himself to the Jewish People then, and He will certainly answer our prayers and bring us the Messiah and the long awaited redemption. <br />The Shabbos connection <br />Throughout the week we anticipate the Redemption. On Shabbos, however, we feel that we are so close to redemption, as we recite in the Lecho Dodi prayer, karvah el nafshi gealah, draw near to my soul-redeem it! HaShem should give us the strength to keep praying for redemption, and in the merit of our Shabbos observance, he will surely redeem us, with the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily, in our days.<br /><br />Shabbos Stories<br />“Say it again and again until you understand it!”<br />The sudden death of Reb Yosef could not have come at a more untimely time - a few days before Passover. A Holocaust survivor, he had rebuilt his life in Canada and left this world a successful businessman, with a wonderful wife, children, and grandchildren. It was difficult, however, for them all to leave their families for the first days of Passover to accompany his body, and thus his widow traveled with her son to bury her husband in Israel. After the funeral the two mourners sat in their apartment in the Shaarei Chesed section of Jerusalem. Passover was fast approaching, and they were planning to spend the Seder at the home of relatives. As they were about to end the brief Shiva period and leave their apartment, a soft knocked interrupted their thoughts. At the door to her apartment stood none other than one of Israel's most revered Torah sages, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. <br />"I live nearby," he said, "and I heard that there was a funeral today. I came to offer my condolences." <br />The sage then heard a brief history of Reb Yosef's difficult, yet remarkably triumphant life. <br />Then Reb Shlomo Zalman turned to the widow and asked a very strange question. "Did you say the blessing Boruch Dayan HaEmes? Blessed are You, HaShem, the true Judge." (This blessing acknowledges the acceptance of HaShem as the Master Planner of all events acknowledging that all that happens is for the best.) "Why? Yes," answered the elderly lady. "I said it right as the funeral ended. But it is very difficult to understand and accept." <br />Reb Shlomo Zalman, a man who lived through dire poverty and illness, four wars, and the murder of a relative by Arab terrorists, nodded. "I understand your questions. That blessing is very difficult to understand and to accept. You must, however, say it again and again. As difficult as it may be, believe me, if you repeat it enough you will understand it." <br />Pesach without any questions<br />Once, when a student of R' Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik zt"l (the Brisker Rav; died 1959) was leaving Yerushalayim to return to his home in Binei Brak, the Brisker Rav said, "Please tell your father that I wish him a `Chag Sameach.' Also, please give him my wish that the holiday should pass with no shailos [i.e., that no questions should arise regarding whether chametz had found its way into the food or into the pots and pans]." <br />The Brisker Rav added: "Do not think that this is a small blessing. I remember that when I was a child, my father [R' Chaim Brisker zt"l] once said to my mother after Pesach, `Thank G-d the holiday passed with no shailos.' He spoke then the way a person speaks after successfully undergoing difficult surgery." <br />The Brisker Rav also added: "A shailah in those days was not like a shailah today. I remember as a child in Volozhin that a question arose in someone's kitchen, and all of his pots and dishes were declared chametz. Today, rabbis are so much more likely to accept a lenient opinion among the poskim / halachic authorities." <br />Pesach is like winning the lottery<br />The 19th century chassidic rebbe, R' Yechiel Meir of Gostynin zt"l, barely slept all of Pesach. His family was worried about his health and asked him why he would not sleep. He replied, "If I had won the lottery, would you ask me why I couldn't sleep? Believe me! Every minute of Pesach is like winning the lottery." <br />What did he mean by this? Why did he feel more fortunate on Pesach than on any other day? The Amshinover Rebbe explained: Our Sages say that chametz represents the yetzer hara. Thus, Pesach is a time that is free of the yetzer hara. Every minute of such a time is priceless. (Otzroseihem Shel Tzadikim) <br />A right way and a wrong way to read the Hagadah<br />The mitzvah of Sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim / relating the story of the Exodus requires more than just reading the story. One's recitation of the Haggadah must be from the heart and also must penetrate one's heart, so that the story of the Exodus will serve as the basis for strengthening one's emunah/faith. Indeed, R' Simcha Zissel Ziv zt"l (the "Alter of Kelm"; died 1898) used to observe that the statement in the Haggadah, "The more that one relates about the Exodus, the more praiseworthy it is," also can be translated, "The more that one relates about the Exodus, the more improved he is." <br />R' Yaakov Levitt zt”l (Bialystok) illustrated with a parable the difference between the right way to tell the story of the Exodus and the wrong way: <br />A villager once took seriously ill. The doctor was called, and the doctor recognized that the villager's illness was fully curable if treated properly. He wrote out a prescription and he told the villager's wife, "Give your husband this prescription with water three times a day until it is finished, and he will be cured." <br />The family did as it was told. Every day, the simple village wife tore a small piece off the prescription, dissolved it in water and gave it to her husband to drink. Needless to say, his condition did not improve. <br />The doctor was called, but he was very perplexed. "I know that this prescription works," he said. "I have prescribed it for this illness before." <br />"Let me see the prescription," he requested finally. "Perhaps I made a mistake." The villager's wife explained, however, that she could not show him the prescription because she had given it to her husband as instructed. <br />"Fools," he shouted. "Can a piece of paper cure your husband's illness? It's not the paper that makes the difference, but what's written on the paper that would have cured him." <br />So it is with the Haggadah. It is not the book of the Haggadah nor simply reading the Haggadah which illuminates one's soul. Rather, one must absorb the contents of the story. (Haggadah Shel Pesach Shaarei Armon p. 150) <br />Reb Shaul Kagan zt"l<br />Reb Shaul Kagan, founder of the Kollel of Pittsburgh, was born in Europe. After his family fled to the U.S., his father became Rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Rabbeinu Yaakov Yosef (RJJ). R' Shaul studied there and later enrolled in the fledgling yeshiva in Lakewood under R' Aharon Kotler. <br />Over 30 years ago, R' Kagan established a kollel (institute for advanced study by married men) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He began with ten men who studied and taught classes (for free) to the community. An appreciation of the Kiddush HaShem that he and his kollel made on the city of Pittsburgh may be gleaned from a comment made once by the non-Jewish, then-Pittsburgh Mayor Richard Caligari, "What those ten men are doing day and night in that study hall on Bartlett Street is giving hope and strength for Russian Jews far across the globe." Asked later why he would make such a comment, the Mayor said, "Rabbi Kagan told me a little bit about the Torah. Then he explained what you rabbis do. Then he took me to the kollel. I saw from the way that he talked about your Torah and by seeing you study that whatever the Torah does, it must impact much farther than Pittsburgh." (Based on Yated Neeman) (www.Torah.org)<br />Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Shemini 5770<br />Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos <br />Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler<br />For sponsorships please call<br />248-506-0363.<br />To subscribe weekly by email<br />Please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim<br />and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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Would it not have been sufficient to state that the Jewish People ate the poor man’s bread in Egypt? The answer to this question is that the Zohar states that in Egypt the דיבור, the speech of the Jewish People, was in exile. How are we to understand this enigmatic statement? According to one opinion in the Gemara (Brachos 40a) the tree that Adam HaRishon ate from was wheat. The Gemara derives from this that a child does not begin to call “Abba, Imma, father, mother” until he tastes wheat. Thus, we see that prior to consuming wheat, the child is lacking in דעת, knowledge. Furthermore, the Gemara (Nedarim 41a) states that the true poor person is one who is bereft of דעת, knowledge. Thus, the Zohar that states that the דיבור was in exile can be interpreted to mean that the Jewish People did not have the ability and knowledge to call out to their Father in Heaven. The word אוכל, normally translated as eating, also means to consume. Perhaps it is for this reason that we specifically mention our forefathers. This is not referring to our biological father. Rather, this alludes to our Father in Heaven. Thus, the passage can be interpreted as follows: this is the poor man’s, i.e. poor in knowledge, bread, that our forefathers ate, i.e. that our forefathers “consumed” while in Egypt. Simply stated, the Jewish People were lacking in knowledge that would have allowed them to call out to their Father in heaven to redeem them. <br />כל דכפין ייתי ויכל כל דצריך ייתי ויפסח, all who are hungry come and eat, all that are in need should come and partake in the Korban Pesach<br />There is a famous question regarding this passage. Why do we extend an invitation to all those who are hungry to come and eat when we are already seated at the Seder? It would seem to be more appropriate to invite people prior to the commencement of Pesach. Furthermore, there is a Halachic difficulty with inviting people to partake in the Korban Pesach if they had not been previously registered for it. Additionally, the context of the Ha Lachma Anya passage indicates that it was said when the Jewish People were in exile and there was no obligation to bring a Korban Pesach. What, then, are we demonstrating by mentioning the Korban Pesach? <br />Perhaps the answer to these questions can be illustrated by an analogy that I once heard from the Maggid from Binei Brak, Rav Yaakov Galinski, Shlita. A former Russian general was sent to Siberia for his supposed misdeeds. Every night this general would arise and don his army uniform and then proceed to perform the various Russian army salutes. His fellow prisoner was bewildered at his colleague’s behavior. “Boris,” his friend asked, “what are you doing?” Boris replied, “I am remembering the time when I was in the army. I may not be at that status currently, but I wish to remind myself of what I once was.” Similarly, Rav Galinski said, on Yom Kippur we wear white and fast all day to emulate the level we wish to aspire to, which is that of the angels. <br />The same idea can be applied by the Seder night, when we don the traditional white kittel and exhibit symbols of freedom. While for the moment we may be in exile, we call out to everyone who can hear that if you are hungry, come and eat. Furthermore, we invite people to partake in the Korban Pesach, as if the redemption has just arrived and we are demonstrating our exuberant feelings at having been delivered from the long and painful exile. <br />השתא הכא לשנה הבאה בארעא דישראל השתא עבדי לשנה הבאה בני חורין, now we are here, next here we should be in the Land of Israel. Now we are slaves, next year we should be free people. <br />Why do we first ask to be in Eretz Yisroel and only then do we pray that we should be free? Shouldn’t we first ask to be free from the subjugation of the gentiles and from the blandishments of the Evil Inclination and only then beseech HaShem that we return to Eretz Yisroel? The answer to this question can be found later in the hagadah when we recite the words ואלו לא הוציא הקב"ה את אבותינו ממצרים הרי אנו ובנינו ובני בנינו משעבדים היינו לפרעה במצרים, and if HaShem would not have taken us out of Egypt, then we and our children and our children’s children would still be enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt. This passage indicates that it was impossible for us to be free had we not left Egypt. Thus, here we ask HaShem that we leave the Diaspora and return to Eretz Yisroel, and only then can we truly be free. Support for this idea can be found in Bircas HaMazon, where we recite the words נודה לך ה' אלקינו על שהנחלת לאבתינו ארץ חמדה טובה ורחבה ועל שהוצאתנו ה' אלקינו מארץ מצרים ופדיתנו מבית עבדים, We first thank HaShem for bringing us to Eretz Yisroel, and only then do we thank HaShem for taking us out of Egypt. The reason for this is because the ultimate goal is to reside in Eretz Yisroel, and as long as we are not dwelling in Eretz Yisroel, we are not considered a truly free people.<br />מה נשתנה הלילה הזה מכל הלילות, why is this night different from all other nights?<br />Why do we have the children ask questions? Is this the best form of educating our children regarding the story of the exodus? Would it not be sufficient for us to tell our children the story in an engaging manner, rather than have them pose ready-made questions? To answer this question, we must understand the function of a question. A question is usually a sign that something is troubling the person posing the question. One who is in exile and is not troubled by the current situation is certainly lacking an understanding of what HaShem wants from us. The Halacha states that one who is G-d fearing should constantly be distressed over the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash. The Kotzker Rebbe would say that one who is not concerned over the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash should be concerned over his own personal destruction. For this reason we require that the children ask us why this night is different than all the nights of the exile. When we show the children that it is important to ask questions as s sign that we are not complacent in the exile, we are demonstrating to them that we wish to leave the exile and be redeemed as soon as possible. Based on this premise we can also understand why the first night of Pesach occurs on the same night as Tisha BaAv. Tisha BaAv is the one day of the year when we are shaken out of our complacency and we mourn over the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash. Similarly, on Pesach night we are removed from our complacency in an exalted fashion, as we recline like free men and demonstrate that we are ready to leave the exile and be redeemed. <br />Pesach Stories<br />A Pesach Dream<br /><br />I had had too much to drink ― four overflowing cups of wine, plus a little bit more at the dinner. My son ― you know, the one who everyone says is going to be a rabbi, with the way he reads Hebrew ― heard at his Hebrew school that you have to drink a full cup each time the Seder calls for a toast to the redemption from Egypt. Four full cups, when one is usually more than enough to set my head swimming. <br />Now the songs and the kibbitzing and the lively discussion at the table ― my wife's cousin, the professor from Stanford, had opinions on everything ― pounded into my brain from every direction. Try as I might to concentrate on my guests, I couldn't keep my mind from drifting off into another world. As I leaned back on my cushion, the pages of my Haggadah blurred into a swirl of words and white, my eyes lost their last battle to stay open, and I was gone. <br />I awoke with a start to the sound of what I thought were shots being fired all around me. I was no longer at my home, but in a small, dimly lit, broken-down room. I was seated at a long wooden table, together with twelve or thirteen other people. There were no chairs, and we sat on benches or crude wooden crates. It was late at night and very dark. The only light in the room came from two thin candles in the center of the table, and I had to strain my eyes just to see the faces of those around me. <br />Through the shaded windows ― covered with burlap cloth ― I could see occasional flashes of light, brilliant and fleeting as lightning. Yet this wasn't lightning, for each burst of light was accompanied by a strange thunder, a terrible, deafening noise ― so close the room shook, and so loud I held my breath in fear. Where in God's name was I? <br />As I peered through the darkness, still too dazed to speak, I could discern young and old at the table. There were boys with funny little caps, and dark, cavernous eyes, the sleep drained from them, like old men's faces in children's bodies. There were several women with shawls of gray and worn hands, who sobbed almost imperceptibly in a sing-song wail. Men with long, black coats and longer faces had the strangest expressions, as if they were asleep while awake, their eyes fixed vaguely on some far-away object beyond my sight. The flashes of light seemed to illumine their faces in fear each time the room brightened and shook, and I grew frightened by the terror in their eyes. <br />At the head of the table was an old man, whose face was barely visible to me, for he wore a large black hat, pulled low upon his forehead, and he had a majestic, flowing white beard, like a soft blanket to cover his wearied features. He kept his head down in his lap, and only when I finally spoke ― too perplexed to remain silent ― did he look up, piercing me with his stare, like an ancient patriarch. <br />"Where am I?" I cried out. "Who are all of you? Am I dreaming this?" <br />The old man stared straight at me, his gaze both soothing and scolding me with its authority. "Do not become foolish, Shmuel," he said slowly but sternly. "You are at the Seder able, and there will be no dreaming until we finish the Afikoman." <br />"But where are we?" I repeated, still determined to solve this mystery. <br />The patriarch gave a long sigh and I saw tears begin to glisten in his tired eyes. "You are in Warsaw, of course, celebrating the Pesach of 1943." <br />I gasped in confusion. Was I hallucinating? Could this be the Warsaw Ghetto of which I had read? Certainly the bombs exploding outside just beyond our windows seemed real enough, and the faces of my fellow Jews at the table were the most vivid and striking I had ever seen. But I had no time to think, for the old man, whose name I learned was Reb Yisrael, motioned for all of us to open our Haggadahs and begin the Seder service. <br />I listened with fear and wonder as Reb Yisrael recited the Kiddush and sanctified the holiday, his body trembling but his voice unwavering as he held the small glass of wine, chanting each word slowly and deliberately. When he reached the phrase, "For You have chosen us from among all nations," he began to weep loudly, the wine spilling from side to side... <br />I was a mass of confusion, lost in a semi-panic, like one who has been turned around by a blinding snowstorm so that he cannot find his way home. Everything that was happening was bizarre and beyond belief, and yet I had the feeling that I had been here before. Was I imagining all of this? Or was my other, a life which seemed far off and improbable now, merely an illusion? And why, as I stared at Reb Yisrael, did he begin to look so familiar, as if I somehow knew him all my life? <br />They called upon me to recite the Four Questions, and it seemed rather ludicrous and ironic that I should be asking why this night is different from all other nights. We came to the eating of the maror, a small bite of a bitter radish which one of the women had saved for weeks. The assembly began to discuss the bitterness of Egypt, and argued that their own lives had reached a depth of bitterness even more distasteful. <br />One after another, they told horrible tales of families split apart, of babies starving for lack of a piece of bread, of sleepless nights and haunted dreams spent agonizing over a loved one taken by force in the dead of night. No, they needed no maror to simulate ancient bitterness. It was in each man's mouth, and with every flash of light I could glimpse the desperate faces of souls who had lost all hope of a better world. <br />Suddenly, the conversation was abruptly halted by Reb Yisrael's anguished cry: "Stop your moaning and wailing!" he demanded. "Is this still not Passover, the Festival of Freedom? Are we not Jews, ever oppressed but ever hopeful, ever persecuted but ever resurgent? And, as the Haggadah says, do they not oppress us in every generation, only to fall before the hand of the Almighty? <br />"Have faith, all of you, and do not let your resignation give victory to the beasts at our door. Remember the words of the ninety-fourth psalm: 'The Lord will not cast off His righteous, nor will He forsake His inheritance.' We are here tonight because our ancestors did not give up hope when they faced adversity. And neither shall we!" <br />Buoyed by Reb Yisrael's moving speech, the participants of this unique Seder began a long discussion of the oppression in Egypt and God's eventual salvation. There was no mistaking their troubled souls; they had fought an evil as great as Pharaoh, they had experienced the ten plagues a hundred-fold. Yet they still sang 'Dayenu' and thanked God for that which they still had, for their being alive to read the Haggadah one more time, for the Judaism they clung to like a piece of wood in a rampaging river, which kept their heads raised above the swirling waters of approaching doom... <br />As the sound of fighting increased outside, we reached the section of the Seder dealing with Elijah the prophet, the messenger of Mashiach, and we filled his cup in the center of the table. There wasn't enough wine left for the large goblet, so we poured whatever liquids we could find into the cup of redemption. <br />Reb Yisrael's wife looked at me and said, with almost a smile: "Shmuel, you open the door for Elijah. Tell him to enter. We have waited patiently for him, and his seat has remained empty these two thousand years. It is time for him to join the Seder." <br />I arose from my seat and went to the door. I was scared, for I felt Elijah's presence. I opened the door and stepped into the small hallway, while those at the table recited Elijah's prayer. I could hear them call out for the great prophet to usher in that age of glory when all men would pursue peace and justice, when the lions would no longer prey upon the lambs. I heard clearly the prayer end with "Shalom," the ancient plea for peace. <br />As I turned to re-enter the room, I saw something fly through the window. There was a flash of blinding light, a huge explosion. I was sent flying into the wall, and a heavy veil of darkness descended over me. <br />I opened my eyes, and I was back at my home. All of my guests were there, and they were staring at me. <br />"You were dozing, dear," said my wife. "You could never handle those four cups of wine." <br />I got up from the table and rushed into my bedroom. From a desk drawer, I pulled out an old photograph album that my father had given me years ago. Frantic, I leafed through the worn pictures, now yellow with age, until suddenly I stopped. I stared long and hard at the photo of my grandfather, whom I had never known, and read the note scrawled at the bottom: <br />Reb Yisrael: 1873-1943.<br />Matzah and Maror are Mechutanim<br />One Seder night, the holy Rebbe R' Yissachar Dov of Belz was walking through the alleyways of his town Belz. As he passed by the house of a simple yet G-d-fearing Jew, he stopped by the window to listen in on his Seder. He overheard the Jew saying the section of the Haggadah which establishes the correct time to remember the Exodus: <br />"One might think that the obligation to discuss the Exodus commences with the first day of the month of Nissan... therefore the Torah adds (Shemos 13:8), 'It is because of this that HaShem did so for me when I went out of Egypt," [the pronoun this implies something tangible, leading us to conclude that] I have commanded you [to discuss the Exodus] only when matzah and maror are lying before you [at the Seder]." <br />The simple Jew, it seems, was not very learned. Instead of saying, "I have commanded you only when matzah and maror lie (munachim) before you," he said, "I have commanded you only when matzah and maror are mechutanim (i.e. relatives through marriage) before you." It was all his disciples could do not to break out laughing. Yet to their surprise, R' Yissachar Dov took his blunder quite seriously. After pondering the simple Jew's words for a moment, he remarked, "Indeed, matzah and maror are mechutanim!" Seeing his disciples' amazement, he related the following story. <br />Reb Zelig was a rich and important Jew who's daughter's time had come to marry. Her father searched far and wide for a young man worthy to take his daughter's hand in marriage, yet it seemed that every boy he met just didn't suit the bill. <br />One day, while travelling on business, he came across a young man sitting and learning in the Bais Hamidrash. At first, R' Zelig was put off by the boy's shoddy clothes and impoverished appearance. The more they spoke, however, the more impressed he became. "This young man is a diamond in the rough," he thought to himself. R' Zelig wasted no time, and immediately arranged a shidduch, with a date for the wedding to be arranged later. <br />So excited was R' Zelig by his chassan that he began to become paranoid lest someone else "discover" him and steal from him his catch. He sent an urgent telegram to the young chassan. "Come right away," it said, "the wedding must take place immediately! Do not worry about clothing or wedding expenses, I will take care of everything." <br />Alarmed, the chassan promptly gathered his meager possessions, and travelled to the city of the kallah. When he arrived, he was whisked off to the tailor to have a new suit made for the chasunah. The tailor was instructed save the chassan's old torn suit for the father of the kallah, who was footing the bill. Then, not even taking the time to prepare a lavish wedding banquet, as would normally befit a man such as R' Zelig, a hasty chasunah took place. <br />In later years, when R' Zelig's son-in-law disagreed with him, or refused to take his advice, R' Zelig would go to his closet and remove the old, tattered clothing his son-in-law had worn before marrying his daughter. "You forget," he would say, "that I'm the one who made you what you are today. Look at your regal clothing - this is what you used to wear!" <br />Not to be outdone, R' Zelig's son-in-law had his own trick up his sleeve. He had put aside a stale piece of bread from the hastily prepared leftovers which had been served at his chasunah meal, saving it for just such an occasion. Taking it out, he would say, "Ah, but you too forget just how anxious you were to have me as your son-in-law. Why, you didn't even take the time to prepare a normal meal - you just couldn't wait!" <br />"So, you see," said the Belzer Rebbe, "they were mechutanim worthy of one another." <br />"The same discussion," concluded the Rebbe, "takes place between the Jewish nation and HaShem on the Seder night. HaShem, so to speak, takes out the maror, showing it to us. 'You see,' He tells us, 'this is how bitter your lives were before I took you out of Mitzrayim. Without Me, you would still be there!' But, not to be had, we too have what to say. We take out the unleavened matzos before HaShem, as if to say to him, 'Ah, but remember the rush You were in to have us as your nation. Why, you couldn't even wait until our bread had time to bake!' Indeed, matzah and maror are the finest of mechutanim." (www.Torah.org) <br />A Pesach Miracle<br />It happened in Jerusalem in 1915 - the Year of the Great Drought. There was no grain in the entire city. Pesach was only days away, and the Jews of Jerusalem wondered whether they would have matzos for the holiday. Rabbi Yisrael, the leader of the Jewish community, was walking on the outskirts of town, praying that God would help them, when he noticed a cloud of dust winding toward the city. As it approached, he saw that it was a long caravan of camels. Halloo there, he called to them. In just a few seconds, an Arab merchant rode up to him. He looked worn and tired, but from his clothing, Rabbi Yisrael knew that he was quite wealthy. Salaam Aleikum, the merchant greeted him, Is this the road to Damascus? No, Rabbi Yisrael answered, This road leads to Jerusalem. What a magnificent caravan. Magnificent? he snorted. It is only trouble. I have been carrying flour for weeks, but no one buys it. I just want to get home. Flour? Rabbi Yisrael answered. I would gladly buy it all, only I don’t have the money. Our holiday of Pesach is just three days away and we need flour to bake matzah. Maybe we can help each other, the merchant suggested. What if I give you the flour now and you pay me back when I return here in a month. Rabbi Yisrael quickly agreed, and the Jews of Jerusalem had matzah for Pesach. During Chol HaMoed he wrote letters to the Diaspora describing what happened and asking for help to pay for the flour. In just a few weeks there was enough money to pay for it all, but the merchant never showed up, so Rabbi Yisrael put the money in a bank. A year went by, and then another, but the merchant never returned. After a few years, the sum in the bank doubled and tripled. No one could touch it though, because it belonged to the Arab merchant. Many years later, when Rabbi Yisrael was dying, he told his son what to do: Wait ten more years for the merchant to return. If he does come back, you must pay him for the flour, but if he doesn’t, you must take the money and share it among the poor people of Jerusalem before their holidays. This way, everyone will benefit from the merchants kindness. Ten years later, Rabbi Yisrael’s son took some of the money to buy food and clothing for the poor people of Jerusalem. He did that before every holiday for many years.<br /><br />The Vizhnitzer Rebbe Demands an Extra Matzah From The Skulener Rebbe<br />Pesach was fast approaching in Post World War II Romania and the Skulener Rebbe zy"a was fortunate to have someone illegally obtain for him some wheat and a mill on the black market. Since there were very few matzos to go around the Rebbe decided he would allot one matzah to all the Rebbes in the surrounding area. <br />The Vizhnitzer Rebbe zy"a hearing about the availability of matzos sent his son to the Skulener Rebbe. Upon his arrival the Skulener Rebbe gladly handed the Vizhnitzer Rebbe's son the matzah he put aside for him. After receiving the matzah his son said that his father requested 2 matzos. The Skulener Rebbe explained that there was a limit of one in order to allow as many of the Rebbes as possible to all be mikayem the mitzvah of eating matzah. <br /> The Vizhnitzer Rebbe's son explained that he had strict instructions from his father to bring back two matzos and made it clear that he would not leave back to his father until he had two matzos for him. Seeing that he had no choice the Skulener Rebbe relented and gave him two matzos. <br /> A few weeks later on Erev Pesach the Vizhnitzer Rebbe's son knocked on the Skulener Rebbe's door and asked to speak to the Rebbe. When he was brought in to the Rebbe he pulled out a single matzah and handed it back to the Skulener Rebbe. Befuddled the Rebbe asked him why he was so insistent on taking two matzos when he first came and why did he make the long trip, on Erev Pesach of all days, to come and bring it back. <br />The Vizhnitzer Rebbe's son explained that when his father heard that the Skulener Rebbe had only a small quantity of matzos and was giving them out, he was sure that at the end the Skulener Rebbe would inevitably give out ALL the matzos leaving nothing for himself for Pesach. Therefore the Vizhnitzer Rebbe schemed to take an extra matzah for safekeeping so that he can return it to the Skulener Rebbe Erev Pesach so that he himself would enjoy a Seder that included the prized matzos. (www.Revach.net) <br /><br /><br />Hagadah Shel Pesach 5770<br />is graciously sponsored by Mr. Avrohom and Mrs. Alexander Goldberg in honor of the birth of the twins Yehuda Simcha and Leah bnei Noach Arieh and Sori Goldberg.<br />May they grow up to Torah, Chupa and Ma'asim Tovim and bring much nachas to their parents and all extended family. <br />Hagadah Shel Pesach 5770<br />is graciously sponsored lizeicher nishmas Rav Ezriel Yehuda ben Rav Moshe ZY"A, niftar 16 Nissan.<br />Hagadah Shel Pesach 5770<br />Is also sponsored anonymously by a few dedicated readers.<br />Have a wonderful and meaningful Yom Tov and a Chag Kosher Vismaeach<br />Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler.<br />For sponsorships please call<br />248-506-0363.<br />To subscribe weekly by email<br />Please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim<br />and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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Given the fact that the sheep was the deity of the Egyptians, the Egyptians were distressed to hear from the Jewish People that their deity would be slaughtered. Nonetheless, the Egyptians were powerless to confront the Jewish People, and this was cause for celebration. Thus, every year, on the Shabbos prior to Pesach, we celebrate this event by referring to the Shabbos as Shabbos HaGadol. There are a number of difficulties with this explanation. First, what was the significance of tying the sheep to the bed? Furthermore, how does the idea of tying the sheep to the bed correlate to the name Shabbos HaGadol?<br />The mitzvah of tzitzis is related to the exodus<br />The word gadol, besides the usual translation of greatness, is also associated with the word gedil. It is said (Devarim 21:12) gedilim taaseh lach al arba kanfos kesuscha asher tichaseh bah, you shall take for yourselves twisted threads on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself. In the parasha that discusses the mitzvah of placing strings on ones garments, the Torah uses the word tzitzis. Nonetheless, here in Devarim the Torah chose to use the word gedilim to describe these threads. Perhaps the different terminology alludes to the idea that the exodus from Egypt was a kindness from HaShem. The attribute of Gedulah, greatness, is associated with the attribute of chesed, kindness. <br />A Chasid is one who performs chesed with HaShem<br />The Jewish People informed the Egyptians that they would be slaughtering their god and the Egyptians were powerless to prevent this. HaShem instructed the Jewish People to tie the sheep to their beds, as the act of tying symbolized the idea that the Jewish People would be reconnecting with HaShem. The Zohar states that a chasid, normally translated as one who is pious, is one who performs chesed with his creator. Thus, by performing HaShem’s commandments and tying the sheep to the bed, the Jewish People were performing an act of chesed with HaShem. We can now better understand why the Torah uses the word gedilim regarding the mitzvah of tying threads to a four cornered garment. At the end of parsahas Shelach, after discussing the mitzvah of placing tzitzis on the four cornered garment, it is said (Bamidbar 15:) limaan tizkiru vaasisem es kol mitzvosai vihyisem kedoshim leiElokeichem ani HaShem Elokeichem asher hotzeisi eschem meieretz Mitzrayim lihyos lachem leElokim ani HaShem Elokeichem, so that you may remember and perform all My commandments and be holy to your G-d. I am HaShem, your G-d, Who has removed you from the land of Egypt to be a G-d unto you; I am HaShem your G-d. The mitzvah of tzitzis is directly related to the exodus from Egypt. The Torah does not expound on the association between the mitzvah of tzitzis and the exodus. It would seem, however, that the association between the two is that the exodus was predicated on HaShem’s kindness to us. In a similar vein, the mitzvah of tzitzis reflects the idea that we connect ourselves to HaShem. Thus, the word gedil, which means thread, is associated with gedulah, the attribute of kindness that HaShem exhibits towards us. <br />The Egyptians were cut off from HaShem and the Jewish People were reconnected to HaShem<br />There is another connection between the mitzvah of tzitzis and the exodus from Egypt. Rashi writes that the word ticheiles, translated as turquoise wool, is derived from the word tichla, which means death. This refers to the death of the Egyptian first born. Perhaps the meaning of this cryptic association between tzitzis and the death of the firstborn is that the Egyptians were cut off from the connection to HaShem, whereas the Jewish People were now strengthened in their connection to HaShem. <br /><br /><br />The Shabbos connection <br />We have seen that the word gadol relates directly to the exodus from Egypt, as the exodus was brought about through HaShem’s kindness to us and through our kindness to HaShem by performing His commandment of tying the sheep to the bed. This idea of HaShem’s kindness towards us and our acts of kindness to Him is reflected in Shabbos. Throughout the week we may find ourselves disconnected from HaShem, as we face the struggles of earning a livelihood and we are confronted with various temptations that are obstacles in serving HaShem. Shabbos, however, is the Secret of Oneness and unity, and this is a time when we reconnect to HaShem and experience His kindness to us. Thus, this Shabbos is given the appropriate title of Shabbos HaGadol, which we can now translate as the Shabbos of HaShem’s Attribute of Kindness. HaShem should allow us to perform acts of kindness towards Him, and in turn He will demonstrate His kindness towards us and redeems us with the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily, in our days. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Shabbos Stories<br />Take a broom<br />The Steipler Gaon, Rabbi Yisrael Yaakov Kanievsky, was a paradigm of holiness. The stories about his sanctity were well known throughout the Torah community. At seventeen, he had already survived the Russian army without compromising Shabbos or Kashrus. <br />The Steipler was not known for lengthy conversation. He had lost his hearing standing as a sentry on freezing Siberian nights during his tenure in the Czar's army. People would write questions to him or beseech him to pray on behalf of the sick or unfortunate. The Steipler would read the note, hardly lift his eyes from the large volume on his old table, and would start to pray. He would often condense his advice into one or two sentences, but it would be potent. People asked, and he gave answers. Within days miraculous salvation came. And so did the people. They stood in lines outside his modest home, and the very old man would find the time to see anyone who walked in with the problems of the world bearing down on his or her shoulder. <br />An aspiring young man, whose quest was to be as great a scholar as the Steipler himself, came with a problem. The young man felt that this particular predicament was impeding his spiritual growth and surely a man like Rabbi Kanievsky, who persevered in the face of life-threatening problems, could relate to his! <br />The young man had written the situation in detail for the Steipler to grasp its severity. "Every Friday," wrote the young man, "I come home from Yeshiva, and the scene in the house leads me to despair. The table is not set, the kitchen is hardly clean, and the children are not bathed! What should I do? How can I concentrate on my studies when I have such problems?" The aspiring scholar expected the Steipler to advise him how to deal with a wife that was not keeping to his standard. <br />The Steipler looked up from the paper and made a grave face. The young man smiled. The Steipler must have realized the severity of the situation. Then he spoke in his heavy Russian-accented Yiddish. "You really want to know what to do?" The young man nodded eagerly. The Steipler looked austere. <br />"TAKE A BROOM!" (www.Torah.org)<br />Rav Chaim Ozer visits Cracow<br /><br />Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky, zt”l once visited Cracow. When he arrived, Rav Chaim Ozer sought a tailor who could sew his suit which had torn on the way. He eventually found one, and requested that he fix his suit. <br />The tailor answered, “Forgive me, Kavod HaRav, but I have not yet lit the Chanukah candles. If you wish, you can wait until I light, and after a half an hour, I’ll sew your suit.” <br />While Rav Chaim Ozer waited, he noticed how this simple tailor prepared himself for the mitzvah. He removed his weekday clothing, and donned Shabbos clothing. He washed his hands and joyously prepared to light the candles. <br />Rav Chaim Ozer was astounded by the temimus of this man and he said, “Now I understand how the city Cracow produces such Gedolei Torah and giants of spirits, if this is what the simple tailors are like!” (Chaim SheYesh Bahem) <br />The Chasam Sofer's Final Minutes<br />"Ashrei Ish Sheba L'Kan V'Talmudo B'Yado" (Pesachim 50a). In the final days of his life, the Chasam Sofer reviewed all the Torah he learned in order to come to Shamayim with his Torah intact. In the last few hours of his life he realized that three Chiddushim of his were no longer clear in his mind. He quickly called for his close talmid, Rav Menachem Katz, who lived not too far from Pressburg, where the Chasam Sofer lay deathly ill.<br />Rav Menachem reviewed with him these chiddushim and then the Chasam Sofer's face lit up content that he would return his neshama to Shamayim with all the Torah still with it. As soon as they finished reviewing, the Chasam Sofer screamed to Rav Menachem Katz, who was a Kohen, "Run out I am dying!" As soon as Rav Katz ran out, he heard the Chasam Sofer say Shema Yisroel as his Holy Neshama departed to the heavens.<br />Rav Katz later said about his Rebbi that he had such a good heart, that he held back the departure of his Neshama until he was sure that Rav Katz was safely outside without violating the Mitzvos of the Kohen. <br />Last Second Arrangements On The Train To Auschwitz <br />It happened in a small village in Hungary – the familiar heartrending scene of the Holocaust as Jews were herded into trains, packed in tightly like animals. The non-Jews gathered around the train station, happily entertaining themselves by watching the Jews’ distress. They lacked all compassion for the Jews’ suffering, and as the trains began to move, they actually began clapping.<br />A few Jews stood by as well, those who had not yet been decreed to be sent to the death camps, and who had come to part from their relatives. As the train slowly began its grim journey, one Jew stuck his head out of the window and called to one of his friends, “Yaakov, I forgot to feed the chickens. Do me a favor; go to my house and feed them. Remember – it’s tzaar baal hachayim.” (Min Hameitzar) (www.Revach.net) <br />Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Tzav-Shabbos HaGadol 5770<br />Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos and a Chag Kosher Vismaeach<br />Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler.<br />For sponsorships please call<br />248-506-0363.<br />To subscribe weekly by email<br />Please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com<br />View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim<br />and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
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