שבת טעם החיים חיי שרה תש"ע
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Chaye Sara 5770
Everything can be perceived as good
Introduction
Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred twenty years, and seven years; the years of Sarah’s life. (Bereishis 23:1)
Rashi writes that the words the years of Sarah’s life teach us that all of Sarah’s years were deemed to be good. The Medrash cites the verse that states (Tehillim 37:18) yodeia HaShem yimei temimim vinachalasam liolam tihiyeh, HaShem knows the days of the perfect, their inheritance will be forever. This is interpreted to mean that the days of Sarah were complete. Rashi adds that when Sarah was one hundred years old it was as if she was twenty years old. When she was twenty years old, she was free of sin, and when she was hundred she was also free of sin. These statements imply that Sarah led a life of perfection. Further evidence of this idea is expressed in the Medrash Tanchumah where the Medrash expounds on the last chapter of Mishlei. In this chapter Shlomo HaMelech extols the virtues of the woman of valor. The Medrash cites the verse that states (Mishlei 31:12) gimalashu tov vilo ra, she bestows goodness upon him, never evil, The Medrash expounds on the other verses and how they allude to the noble acts of Sarah. Yet, regarding this verse the Medrash does not offer any interpretation regarding Sarah. One must wonder why the Medrash quotes this verse without expounding on it. Furthermore, all the statements of the Medrash and Rashi appear to contradict a different Medrash cited by Rashi. The Torah juxtaposes the binding of Yitzchak at the Akeidah where Avraham nearly slaughtered Yitzchak and the death of Sarah. Rashi cites the Medrash that states that the catalyst of Sarah’s death was that Sara heard that Yitzchak was almost slaughtered and this caused her soul to leave her. One must wonder how it is possible that Sarah is considered to have lived a good life and without sin if her demise was brought about in such an apparently tragic manner.
On the last day of the year we can perceive the entire year as a good year
In order to reconcile these seemingly contradictory Medrashim, it is worth gaining an insight into what it means that all of Sarah’s years were equally good. How can this be possible when we know that for most of her life Sarah was barren, and she underwent many of the tests that Avraham himself had experienced? Perhaps we can suggest an answer to this question based on an idea that Rabbi Yisroel Reisman, shlita, said in the name of Reb Shlomo Kluger. What should one think when reciting the Mincha Shemone Esrei on Erev Rosh Hashanah and he recites the words bareich aleinu es hashanah hazos vies kol minei sivuasah litovah, bless on our behalf this year and all of its types of produce, for goodness. We are almost at Rosh Hashanah, and we are still requesting that HaShem provide us with a year of bounty. What is the meaning of this request? (Incidentally, the Belzer Rebbe answered that yeshuas HaShem kiheref ayin, salvation from HaShem can arrive in the blink of an eye.) Reb Shlomo Kluger explains that although the year is almost completed, we ask HaShem that we should be able to perceive the year as a blessed one. Thus, we are requesting from HaShem that we be allowed to appreciate that He has given us a year of blessing. Perhaps the same idea can be used to explain the life of Sarah. While Sarah certainly endured many hardships in her life, all her years were deemed to be equally good because she was able to appreciate the good that HaShem had bestowed upon her. It is for this reason, then, that the Medrash Tanchumah does not expound on the verse that states that she bestows goodness upon him, never evil. The reason that there is nothing to add to this verse is because Sarah personified the ideal that everything that happens to a person in their lifetime can be perceived as good.
Sarah perceived the near death of Yitzchak as being good
Similarly, we can now better understand the juxtaposition of the Akeidah and Sarah’s death. The revelation that Yitzchak had almost been slaughtered would certainly seem to be tragic to most people. Yet, for Sarah, even this near calamity was perceived as good, and she died in the same manner that she had lived, always appreciating the good HaShem had performed for her.
The Shabbos connection
It is noteworthy that the words sabeinu mituvecha, satiate us from Your goodness, equal in gematria the name Sarah (505). Thus, Sarah reflects the idea that everything HaShem does for us is ultimately for the good and we request from HaShem to satiate us from His goodness. Throughout the week we are sometimes led to believe that things are not going our way and people will often say that they had a bad day or a rough week. When Shabbos arrives, however, all of the difficulties of the week dissipate and we greet the Holy Shabbos with optimism and enthusiasm. HaShem should allow us to lead the life that Sarah lived, which was a life that all her years were good, i.e. perceived as good.
Shabbos Stories
Concern for a widow
This story was originally told by Horav Shalom Schwadron, zt”l, and later related by Rabbi Paysach Krohn in “Around the Maggid’s Table.” It was the early twentieth century and a certain Reb Nachum was the baal tefillah, leader of the services, for the Mussaf prayer on the High Holy Days in the shul where Horav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, zt”l, was the rav. Obviously a shul which had such a venerable rav was filled to capacity during these special days when prayer is so important and effective. The baal tefillah has an awesome function, one that goes beyond the mere ability to chant the service in a melodious voice. He must inspire the congregation with impassioned service. Needless to say, Reb Nachum lived up to his position.
One year, shortly before Rosh Hashanah, Reb Nachum took ill and suddenly passed away. After mourning a dear friend, the shul’s leadership prepared for the task of filling the void and finding a baal tefillah for the upcoming holidays. When they approached Rav Yosef Chaim, he told them not to be concerned. He would see to it that a worthy replacement would be present in time. The weeks went by quickly, and soon it was a few days before Rosh Hashanah. There was still no baal tefillah in sight. When the members again approached the rav, the answer was the same: Do not worry.
On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the members were beginning to become nervous, since there still was no baal tefillah. When they once again turned to Rav Yosef Chaim, he assured them that he had the situation in hand and there would be a baal tefillah at the podium for Mussaf.
The next day, there was a sense of anxious expectation in the air. The Shacharis service was completed. The Shofar was blown. It was now “crunch” time. Where was the baal mussaf? All eyes were on Rav Yosef Chaim, as he arose from his seat, walked over to Reb Nachum’s son, and said, “You are to be the baal mussaf. Go up and pray just as your late father did.”
The young man was taken aback. He never imagined himself as the one to fill his father’s shoes. He began to protest, “I cannot. I am not prepared. I did not look over the prayers before Yom Tov.”
Rav Yosef Chaim was not taking no for an answer. In his calm voice, he assured the young man that he could and would be successful in leading the prayers, “Go up there and do your best. You will be fine.”
Understandably, one does not argue with Rav Yosef Chaim. The young man acquiesced and led the service. After Mussaf, a group of the members respectfully approached the rav and questioned his choice for baal tefillah. “After all,” they reminded him, “the Halacha clearly states that a mourner may not lead the congregation in prayer during the High Holy Days.”
Rav Yosef Chaim looked at the group with loving eyes and responded softly, “Do you know who was sitting and praying in the women’s section of the shul? Reb Nochum’s widow. Surely you can imagine the grief and sorrow that she is feeling, especially on the very day that she would have listened to her husband leading the service. Now, imagine the pain she would have felt if just anybody had ascended the podium to lead the service. She would have surely broken apart, and her sorrowful weeping would have been heard and felt by us all.
“In order to minimize her pain, I sent her son up there. The Torah admonishes us a number of times to be sensitive to the needs of a widow. Halacha dictates that if there is no one else available, a mourner may lead the services. I felt that in this case, for the sake of the widow, there was no one else.”
This was the benchmark of a gadol biYisroel, Torah leader. He carried the pain and concerns of all Klal Yisrael - both collectively and individually - on his shoulders.
Anyone can repent
Horav Eliyahu Lopian, zt”l, related the story of a certain rasha, wicked person, a kofer, agnostic, who did everything to denigrate the religion in which he was raised. He became seriously ill to the point that, after consultation with the most distinguished physicians in Koenigsburg, it was determined that his only chance for survival was surgery. Veritably, surgery was not the cure all, nor was it guaranteed, but, without it, the patient had no chance whatsoever.
The problem was that, as aggressive and loud as the person was when it came to demeaning his religion, he was a total opposite concerning himself. He was a coward, meek and insecure. Thus, he refused to have the surgery. If so, the doctors demanded that he leave the hospital. His behavior bordered on suicidal and they were not interested in taking responsibility for his imminent death. Finally, the man relented and agreed to have the surgery.
One can imagine the shock of all those present when the patient, as he was being wheeled into surgery, amidst trembling and trepidation, shrieked, biyadcha afkid ruchi padisa osi HaShem Keil emes, in Your hands I place my spirit, You have redeemed me, HaShem, G-d of truth.
This was followed with a resounding Shema Yisrael. The doctors and family members who observed this sudden changing of heart could not believe what they heard and saw. The emotion, coupled with these verses emanating from the mouth of a hardened agnostic, jarred their senses. Indeed, everybody present was so captivated by the sudden expression of faith that they also were disquieted and filled with a sense of awe and trepidation. The pain and anxiety that this man was undergoing awakened his inner emotions and the Pintele Yid, spark of Jewish faith, within the hidden recesses of his soul burst forth. Rav Elya concluded, “Do not think that any man is lost forever. There is hope for everyone, regardless of his miscreant past. There is a path of teshuvah, return, which anyone can follow. It just depends on what motivates him to begin the journey back home.”
The four questions of the Mah Nishtanah take on new meaning
Nachlas Tzvi cites an incredible story related by the Bendiner Rav zt”l, in his sefer Yechahein Peer. In the city of Nickolsburg, a group of laymen came to the rav, the famous Rav Shmuel Shmelke of Nickolsburg, to tell him that there is a butcher/shochet in the city who constantly slaughters glatt kosher. This was considered to be unusual, given that some animals are naturally prone to have some physical blemishes that would render them not glatt. Rav Shmelke decided that he would go to observe the shochet during one of his sessions and see for himself if the animals were really glatt kosher. After spending a day with the shochet, he was amazed that, indeed, every animal was glatt kosher.
Rav Shmelke summoned the shochet to his home and asked him how it came to be that he had such remarkable good fortune. The shochet responded that every time he went to the market to purchase animals, he would meet a Jew who would point out to him which animals to purchase. “If this is the case, then I must go with you to the market to meet this person,” said Rav Shmelke. They agreed to go a few days before Pesach, since the shochet would be filling a large order for Yom Tov. They met at the market on the appointed day. After being introduced to the man in question, he asked him, "How do you know which animals are glatt kosher?” “Rebbe,” responded the man, “I do not know on my own. Before I go to the market, Eliyahu HaNavi appears to me and points out which animals to use. It seems that those animals are the gilgulim, reincarnated souls, of animals that were destined to be korbanos, sacrifices, in the Bais HaMikdash. These animals must be eaten by Jews on Shabbos and Yom Tov in order for them to achieve their tikun, spiritual correction, and enter the Eternal World.” Obviously, Rav Shmelke was taken aback with the man’s response, particularly his “familiarity” with Eliyahu HaNavi. He turned to the man and asked, “If Eliyahu HaNavi is so close to you, why do you not ask him why Mashiach has not yet come to redeem us from this galus, exile?” “Rebbe,” the man responded, “in just a few days it will be Pesach. I am sure that Eliyahu HaNavi will grace my home during the Seder. I will ask him this question and relay to you his response to you.”
During Chol HaMoed, the Intermediate Days of the Pesach festival, Rav Shmelke traveled to this person to find out what Eliyahu HaNavi had revealed to him. When he came into the man’s home, the person said, “Rebbe, I asked Eliyahu HaNavi your question, and he told me that an illusion to the answer is found in the Mah Nishtanah.” The Four Questions are actually four queries and requests of HaShem regarding the exiles to which we have been subjected. "Why is this night different from all other nights,” means “why is this exile different from the other exiles?” Night has often been used as a metaphor for the darkness of galus. Each question concentrates upon a different exile. The last question centers on the present galus. The answer to why this galus is different, why each of the previous exiles had an end while this one does not seem to have an end in sight, is that during the other nights, exiles, we either sat or reclined, but on this night we only recline. This means that during the other exiles there were people who made Torah study their primary vocation. They studied, relegating their mundane labor to secondary focus. Basically, they would sit and study Torah. During our exile, our attitude towards avodas HaShem, serving the Almighty, is “kulanu mesubim,” totally from “subim.” Subim is the bran of the wheat, the inferior, hard portion of the wheat. This means, that we serve HaShem without our heart and soul. We are cold and distant in our avodas HaShem. Is there any wonder that the galus continues? (reprinted with permission from Shema Yisrael Torah Network. For information on subscriptions, archives, and other Shema Yisrael Classes, send mail to parsha@shemayisrael.co.il )
The wine must have spilled for a reason
When Rebbe Shmuel of Dorag was young and lived in the town of Komoda, it happened once on Shabbos night that he was standing holding a cup of wine about to recite Kiddush, when the cup fell from his hand and the wine spilled. He poured another cup of wine, and again it fell from his hand. This happened, a third time too.
Seeing this, he said to the Rebbitzen that certainly something must have happened in the town, some unfortunate incident, and they should investigate to see what is going on.
The two of them went outside onto the street and began walking until they reached the end of the town, where they heard loud crying and moaning from one of the houses.
When they entered the house they found the father, who was ill with a high fever, lying in bed, utterly exhausted and weak. His son too was in the same condition, and the mother was lying in an adjacent room, undergoing birth pangs, but with no one to help her.
Immediately, the Rabbi and Rebbitzen went to bring firewood to heat the house [although it was Shabbos, this was a matter of saving life and allowed]. They gave the family a little bit to eat, then returned home and brought back all the Sabbath foods they had prepared for themselves. And they fed and took care of the family until they were able to stand and take care of themselves.
Only then did they return home to make Kiddush on the wine. (MiBeer HaTzaddikim, Chodshei Tishrei - Teves, p. 182)
Like Speaking to a Friend
The Rizhiner Rebbe said that he had never encountered another book like the Beer Mayim Chaim [The Well of Living Waters] that is written in the style of a person talking to his friend.
The reason was that Rebbe Chaim of Chernovitz used to go to the synagogue every Thursday night, open the Holy Ark, and speak words of inspiration and mussar. And there would be no one there except the scribe who recorded everything he heard. (MiBeer HaTzaddikim, vol. 2)
Boy Prodigy
When he was a boy of seven, Rebbe Shalom of Kaminka traveled to Lublin. Being a child prodigy in Torah, he visited the great misnagid gaon called the Iron Head, and spent three hours with him in Talmudic discourse. (For a seven year old boy to spend three hours discussing Torah with a great gaon is remarkable!)
Afterward, he visited the great Chasidic master, the holy Seer of Lublin. The Seer said to him, “Little boy, do you study Chumash? What is the parasha this week?”
He answered, “Parsahas Kedoshim.”
The rebbe said, “It says: ‘Be holy, for I the Lord your G-d am holy!’”
The boy’s face paled and he became weak. They had to take him to the inn where he was staying and put him to bed. He fell asleep and woke up many hours later.
In his old age, he said to his friend, the Imrei Noam, “Meirl, how can I explain what happened to me? When he spoke to me, my kishkes turned over and my bones began to shake!” (Adapted from MiBeer HaTzaddikim, vol. 2, p. 202)
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Chaye Sara 5770
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Showing posts with label Sara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sara. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Lech Lecho 5770
שבת טעם החיים לך לך תש"ע
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Lech Lecho 5770
Fleeing Evil
Introduction
In this week’s parasha, we find an interesting pattern. The parsha commences with HaShem instructing Avraham to leave his homeland and travel to the Land of Canaan. Avraham was then forced to leave the Land because of a hunger and he descended to Egypt. Pharaoh took Sara and was then struck by a plague. Sensing that Avraham’s presence was detrimental to the Egyptian welfare, Pharaoh sent Avraham away. Further on we find that Avraham and Lot parted ways because of the dispute amongst their shepherds. The Torah then describes the battle of the four kings and the five kings, in which the kings of Sodom and Amorah fled and fall into the wells, and the other kings led to the mountains. Avraham is then informed by the palit, the fugitive, that his nephew Lot was captured. Following the battle, HaShem made a pact with Avraham, and Avraham took various animals and cut them up. Birds of prey descended upon the carcasses and Avraham drove them away. HaShem then promised Avraham that his descendants would be enslaved in Egypt and then they would leave with great wealth.
Evil leaving
The Torah then describes how Sara took Hagar as a second wife. Sara then became angry at Hagar and she chased her away. All these incidents reflect on the concepts of fleeing and departure. The parasha culminates with HaShem instructing Avraham to perform Bris Milah. This act involves the removal of the foreskin. All these seemingly unrelated episodes correlate as they signify the idea of departing or fleeing from the evil influences and cleaving to the good. Thus, the initial instruction that Avraham received to leave his homeland culminates with the mitzvah of Bris Mali, a physical manifest of removing the excess and undesirable and striving for the good.
Bris Milah and Eretz Yisroel
The Medrash states that in the merit of Bris Milah, the Jewish People will inherit Eretz Yisroel. In the simple sense this means that Bris Milah is a covenant between us and HaShem, and settling peacefully in Eretz Yisroel is a reflection of that covenant. On a deeper level, however, Bris Milah signifies removal of the undesirable and seeking a closer relationship with HaShem. Dwelling in Eretz Yisroel also reflects on our unique relationship with HaShem, as the Medrash states that one who dwells in Eretz Yisroel dwells there without sin.
The Shabbos connection
In a similar vein, throughout the week we are tempted by foreign influences that threaten to sabotage our spiritual ascent. HaShem has proffered on us His Holy Shabbos when all harsh judgments depart and we can focus on becoming holy and pure. This increased level of sanctity should allow us to become closer in our relationship with HaShem. We will then merit being true descendants of Avraham Avinu, of whom it is said (Yeshaya 41:8) zera Avraham ohavi, offspring of Avraham who loved me.
Shabbos Stories
Praying on Wings of Devotion
Rabbi Aharon Roth, popularly called Reb Arele, formed a new Chasidic group last century based on total self-sacrifice in davening, as taught by the Baal Shem Tov.
The following article was published [long ago] in the Hungarian literary monthly, “The Jewish Future,” by Dr. Frishman, the personal doctor of Rebbe Arele Roth." In it, Dr. Frishman tells how under the Rebbe's influence he became a baal teshuvah.
The long delicate lines on his face that was surrounded by a black beard and his sunken cheeks expressed a deep pain that emanated from severe bodily suffering. His frail body seemed ready to collapse under the burden of suffering, yet his eyes reflected a sea of calmness and a world of gentleness; wondrous lights shone in them.
For four weeks no food had entered his mouth; and in fact, he didn’t have anything to eat. All that he had he gave away for Tzedakah. He never let a single coin stay overnight in his home. The great city, blessed with a large Jewish population, had so many overwhelming problems that it gave no thought to the tzaddik who lived within it. She never lifted him up on her palms, and so the little that he had he gave to those who were needier than him.
He was not needy for food, and even if he wanted to eat he couldn’t. His body was made lean by fasts and self afflictions, and everything that entered his mouth, he vomited out. Even his body recoiled from the pleasures of this world; all of him yearned for the world above.
So now, I was called to him: His afflictions had become more severe and hindered his divine service.
“Again, they’re putting obstacles in my way!” he murmured bitterly. “They’re not letting me pray as I should, as I need to! The heavens are open, and they’re waiting for my prayers, not for my prayers alone, but for the prayers of every Jew, any Jew!”
I put my hand on his pulse to feel with my fingers the flow of holy life.
“To pray,” the rebbe cried, “is my world!” I’ve lived my whole life with physical suffering. I’ve never enjoyed even one moment of peace and quiet. But prayer caused everything to be forgotten, prayer poured new life into me, it lifted me up to the heavens and caused me to sprout wings!”
My fingers were still resting on his pulse. I feel the beats getting stronger. It seems as if wings are struggling and flapping under my fingers.
“To pray!” the tzaddik sighed with longing -“what a joy it is to pray! To bless with an overflowing heart with burning fervor the One and Only One! To pray! To experience that sweet, wonderful, and exalted taste, that pleasure garden of holy words, to count them like a string of pearls, like a treasure chest of diamonds, like precious stones. To utter each one with special care, to bask in its radiance, to ensure that it isn’t lost, to sing with a fervor that gets stronger and stronger. What supernal pleasure it is, what joy! What can compare to this - to praying?”
The tzaddik’s face glowed from an excess of joy and fervor, his bent body straightened up as it were, grew erect. I’m holding his hand, grasping it strongly as if to fly with him when his arms transform into powerful wings and lift him up into the upper realms.
“Do you know what prayer is?” he cried. “It’s flying - longings with wings, the soul getting close to the heavens, and elevating to come near to its Creator! All the worlds tremble before this powerful yearning-- the sun, the moon, the stars in the sky all yearn to fly and to elevate with great speed, shooting heavenward to the highest heights. The surging waves of the sea, the strong gusts of wind, the tongues of fire, the ravishing scents of flowers - all yearn to rise, to elevate above, all crave to get close to their Creator.
“Only the human being - the creature made to get close to the Creator, to elevate - only he crouches as if paralyzed, crude and lumpish, frozen without movement, as if chained to the earth.
“But the truth is that humans too can fly, they have only to learn from the birds. Have you ever seen how a bird prepares to take off? First, it shakes itself and flaps its wings, shaking off the earth's heaviness before flight; only after it gathers in the wind can it take off, and fly and soar on the air!”
“I don’t understand, Rebbe!” I shouted in despair. “Teach me too, teach me to fly!”
“Come with me to the synagogue, my son, and watch the Chasidim pray. See how they forget this world and everything in it, how they shake off their earthliness, how they begin to sway, to clap their hands - like a bird that wants to take off, flapping its wings - they shake themselves off, the mud that clings to them begins to drop off, to fall away, their wings gather air, their fervor increases - and suddenly they break contact with the earth, soaring closer to their Creator. Come, my son, to the synagogue, and you too will learn to fly, you too are able!”
Wealth of Happiness
The hill of sand was nearly desolate. From time to time, the rattling of passing wagon wheels broke the silence.
The sun beat down mercilessly, and between one wagon and the next there was hardly a sound except for the chirping of birds and the muffled noise of metal hitting sand. A wagon stood in the heat, harnessed to an aging horse whose head was deep in its feedbag, jaws moving methodically and without pause.
Near the wagon stood a figure in a wide-brimmed hat to protect his face from the sun. The man was dressed in a dark and dingy shirt that had seen better days, stained now with dirt, and a pair of threadbare trousers held at the hips by means of a rope made of woven straw.
The man’s face was creased with lines, thanks to hard work more than to his age. Were someone to ask his name, he would have answered with a shrug. “What’s the point of asking my name? Who am I, and what is my life? I am a digger of clay. Yaakov Dovid is my name ― the simplest of the simple. I have no title and no elaboration... Just a poor Jew who works to support his family by digging clay.”
Yaakov Dovid lifted his spade in a regular motion. With each strike in the dirt, he removed small clods of earth and emptied the shovel into his wagon. Every few days, when the wagon was filled with reddish-brown clay, he would travel to town and sell his wares to builders, in exchange for a few coins.
Such was the dirt-digger’s life for many years, and so it might have continued to the end of his days, had Heaven not decreed a different future for Yaakov Dovid.
One day, Yaakov Dovid was working hard as usual. He struck the dirt with his shovel when, suddenly, he heard a strange knocking sound. The metal spade had hit a rock. Yaakov Dovid had a great deal of experience with the kinds of rocks that came into contact with his shovel when he dug. He would merely set them aside and go on with his work. But this sound was different. He stopped for a moment to investigate.
In the dirt gleamed tiny, glistening lights. The sun's rays were breaking up on a large, glasslike lump that had been lying beneath the layers of clay. It was unclear whether the mass was nature's handiwork or that of man. Yaakov Dovid’s eyes widened. Placing his shovel at his feet, his fingers began to scrabble in the dirt until he had freed the chunk of something lying underneath.
His breath caught. It was a gigantic diamond, of a kind scarcely ever seen, not only by simple diggers, but even by much more prosperous folk.
Trembling, he glanced around on all sides to make sure no thief was lurking in the vicinity, ready to pounce on his find. His torn pockets were no place to keep this treasure. He thought for a moment, and found the solution. He hid the diamond beneath his seat in the wagon. No one would check there.
As the day wore on, he continued working with a singing heart. A festive feeling enveloped him. In his mind's eye he saw himself sitting in a luxurious armchair in an ornate palace, enjoying beauty and splendor and never again having to perform such backbreaking labor as digging for clay...
The following morning, he hastened to the jewelry store. Approaching the shopkeeper, he whispered that he had something to show him. The shopkeeper took him into a corner. There Yaakov Dovid unwrapped the diamond and showed it to him.
At the sight of the gigantic precious stone, the shopkeeper gaped as though thunderstruck. Unbelievingly, he felt it on all sides, throwing periodic glances at Yaakov Dovid all the while. “Where did you get this diamond?” he asked in amazement.
“I found it in the dirt,” Yaakov Dovid confessed. “How much is it worth?”
The shopkeeper could scarcely find the words. “Listen to me, and I’ll tell you what to do,” he said excitedly. “There is no one in this country that has the money to pay what this diamond is worth.”
“Impossible.” Yaakov Dovid thought the man was trying to get him to sell the stone cheap.
“Why argue with me?” the shopkeeper flared. “Are you the expert, or am I? A diamond the size of a chicken’s egg ― there is no one in this country who can pay for such a thing. Take it across the sea, to London, England. There, you'll doubtless find a buyer. If no ordinary merchant will buy it, perhaps the royal house will. In any case, don’t delay for even a moment. Leave at once. You are about to become an extraordinarily wealthy man!”
Yaakov Dovid returned home. Naturally, he did not go back to his job. He and his wife put their heads together to formulate a plan. For the sake of this exalted goal, she was willing to forgo certain comforts for the moment. They sold some of their belongings to pay for his passage to the port of Odessa, where he would purchase a ticket on a London-bound ship...
Like a chick newly emerged from its shell, Yaakov Dovid stood blinking at the sights and sounds of the harbor. Tens of ships, large and small, were docked there. Porters and stevedores raced to and fro. Some were loading cargo into the holds of ships about to set sail, while others unloaded boxes and bundles from ships that had recently docked. Men, women, and children stood in long lines near the ships, suitcases in hand. They are getting ready to sail away from here, he murmured to himself. With pounding heart, he approached one of the people standing in line. “Where is this ship going?”
“To London,” the man replied. “Do you want to sail on it?”
“Yes. How much does a ticket cost?”
The answer took his breath away. If he were to sell his meager home, he might just have enough money to buy passage fare to London!
Downcast, he walked around the bustling harbor. He stared sadly at the steadily dwindling line of passengers. Soon the ship would be full and it would set sail for London. Without him.
Suddenly, a resolution formed in his heart. He joined the group of passengers and climbed aboard. A stern-faced officer in a crisp uniform stopped him. “Ticket, please.”
“I’m not traveling - I only want to talk to the captain.”
“The captain?” The officer’s brow creased. He had never been confronted with such an odd request.
After much coaxing, he acquiesced to the Jew's request. A sailor was enlisted to bring him to the captain's cabin on the upper deck.
Yaakov Dovid mustered every ounce of his courage as the door opened and he was ushered into the presence of the ship's captain. To his good fortune, his sensible wife had forced him to buy a new suit, as befit his future standing as a wealthy man.
The captain lifted his head from the large map spread before him on the broad table. “What’s the problem, sir?” he asked impatiently. “Didn’t they give you a nice enough cabin? Go see the first officer, not me.”
“No, no,” Yaakov Dovid said hastily. “I have something to say to you, Captain. I am a diamond merchant and must get to London to sell this special stone.” He took the huge diamond out of his pocket.
The captain was stunned. The diamond glowed and glistened with a thousand shades of light, like a tiny sun. For a long moment, the captain stood mesmerized before it. “I’ve seen a lot of things in my life - a lot of diamonds and jewels - but I've never seen one that comes close to this for beauty and size,” he said excitedly. “Well, what can I do for you?” His manner and tone had changed completely. He spoke gently, courteously.
Yaakov Dovid succeeded in convincing the captain that, due to a series of unforeseen errors and lack of time, he had arrived at the port without a ticket in hand and, even worse, without a penny in his pocket. He assured the captain that, the moment he sold his diamond in London, he would return to the captain with the full fare.
“Certainly,” the captain agreed. He summoned the first officer to his cabin and ordered him to give the “Jewish diamond merchant” the best cabin on the ship.
Yaakov Dovid felt like a man in a dream as a pair of uniformed sailors made themselves available to fulfill his every request, day and night. His suitcase was immediately unpacked for him and its contents arranged in the cupboards. He allowed the sailors to put everything away, except for the one thing that he permitted no one but the captain to see: his precious diamond... He was afraid to leave his diamond behind for even a moment, lest thieves get their hands on it. He did not wish to take it with him on deck, as his hands were constantly going to his pocket to feel for it and would end by rousing suspicions.
So Yaakov Dovid sat in his cabin, enjoying his precious stone. He would take it out of his pocket, touch it gently, and thank his Creator for bringing him such a fortune. When he returned from London a wealthy man, he would give a great deal of charity, keeping in mind all the poor folks and remembering how, just yesterday, he had been one of them.
The sailors brought his meals to his room, setting the tray down and leaving at once. He would wash his hands for the meal and then, to whet his appetite, would take out the diamond and place it before him on the table. The sight of that sparkling stone would fill him with joy, making the food go down more easily.
At noon each day, he received a visit from the captain. Apparently, rich men merit special treatment wherever they may be. The captain found Yaakov Dovid to be an intelligent and pleasant fellow, and he enjoyed chatting with him. If he only knew who I am and what kind of work I do, Yaakov Dovid would think with a smile. Once, the captain asked him why his hands were so hard and calloused, and Yaakov Dovid confessed openly that, before he'd become wealthy, he had been a simple laborer. He was a little apprehensive over the captain’s reaction but, on the contrary, the captain was deeply moved by this information and afterward treated him with even greater respect.
One night, the sea was rocky under a stormy sky. Yaakov Dovid found it hard to sleep, and was filled with fear of the ship's sinking into the depths along with his diamond. He hardly closed his eyes all night, and when his breakfast was brought to him in the morning he was drowsy and slightly confused. He washed his hands and ate a little; then, out of habit, took the precious stone from his pocket and placed it on the white tablecloth, next to the loaf of bread. During the meal, he nearly fell asleep. With difficulty, he managed to rouse himself long enough to stumble to his bed. He threw himself onto it like a sack of bricks and sank into a leaden sleep.
While he slept, the attending sailor came into his cabin as usual. Without paying any particular attention, he picked up the tablecloth along with all its contents, carried it over to the round porthole, thrust his hands out, and - as he did every day - shook the cloth out over the waves. The loaf of bread, still nearly whole, hid the shining stone on its way to the depths.
Yaakov Dovid slept a long time. He awoke at last in an addled state, with no memory of where he was or what he was doing in the small cabin. Why wasn't he standing in his clay pit, striking the earth with his shovel?
Suddenly, he remembered. He was on his way to London, to sell the precious diamond that he'd found in the clay. With a single leap, he lunged for the table.
A heartrending cry echoed through the cabin. The table was completely bare, the tablecloth empty. Everything that had been on it was gone.
At the sound of his terrible cries, the sailor raced into the cabin. Yaakov Dovid whirled on him. “Where is the food? Where is everything that was on the table?”
The sailor explained that he’d done what he did every day: shaken the tablecloth out the porthole.
The diamond had sunk in the waters of the sea!
Goodbye, unimaginable riches. He had always been a luckless fellow, and a luckless fellow he would remain.
The sailor left without comprehending what had happened. Yaakov Dovid fell on his bed, covered his face with his pillow, and wept bitter tears. He had left his city a pauper and he would return the same way. And how was he to return? Where would he get the money to sail from London back to Odessa? And how would he pay for the overland portion of his journey?
All at once, he recovered. If he cried openly and revealed his secret to the captain, he would be hurled overboard without pity. There was one law for the rich, and quite another for the poor. He would not have to say a word; one look at his anguished face, and the captain would know all.
He had one asset, and that was joy. If he behaved as happily as usual and acted normally, the captain would notice nothing of his tragedy and Yaakov Dovid would at least make it to London.
That same day, he behaved with an extra measure of cheerfulness when the captain came to visit him. Enjoying his company, the captain lingered. Suddenly, he leaned closer and said, “I like you a lot. Let me tell you something. I’m not just a sea captain; I am also a big grain merchant. The entire hold of this ship is filled with fine wheat. All together, it’s worth a fortune ― several times more than the value of that diamond of yours. I need to sell it in London, but I can't spare the time. How about being my agent and selling the wheat for me, in return for a nice percentage?”
The sum that Yaakov Dovid realized from the sale of the wheat in London was 10 times the value of the diamond he had lost. He became a rich man overnight. On his return to the ship to give the captain the money, he found all the sailors weeping.
“Our captain died suddenly of a heart attack!”
With the captain’s death, and having not left any heirs, Yaakov Dovid inherited all the profits from the wheat, and returned home a very wealthy man.
“The diamond was not his,” Rabbi Nachman of Breslov would say when telling this story. “And the proof: He lost it. The captain’s wealth did belong to him, as you can see by the fact that he kept it. How was it that a simple clay-digger achieved this state? Only because he stood firm and did not lose his joy!”
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Lech Lecho 5770
Is sponsored liRefuah Shleima
Refoel Chaim Simcha ben Devorah Aliza bisoch shaar cholei Yisroel
I will be giving a class in Navi on Shabbos afternoon at Bais Haknesses HaGra 14561 Lincoln in Oak Park, half an hour before Mincha.
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler.
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Lech Lecho 5770
Fleeing Evil
Introduction
In this week’s parasha, we find an interesting pattern. The parsha commences with HaShem instructing Avraham to leave his homeland and travel to the Land of Canaan. Avraham was then forced to leave the Land because of a hunger and he descended to Egypt. Pharaoh took Sara and was then struck by a plague. Sensing that Avraham’s presence was detrimental to the Egyptian welfare, Pharaoh sent Avraham away. Further on we find that Avraham and Lot parted ways because of the dispute amongst their shepherds. The Torah then describes the battle of the four kings and the five kings, in which the kings of Sodom and Amorah fled and fall into the wells, and the other kings led to the mountains. Avraham is then informed by the palit, the fugitive, that his nephew Lot was captured. Following the battle, HaShem made a pact with Avraham, and Avraham took various animals and cut them up. Birds of prey descended upon the carcasses and Avraham drove them away. HaShem then promised Avraham that his descendants would be enslaved in Egypt and then they would leave with great wealth.
Evil leaving
The Torah then describes how Sara took Hagar as a second wife. Sara then became angry at Hagar and she chased her away. All these incidents reflect on the concepts of fleeing and departure. The parasha culminates with HaShem instructing Avraham to perform Bris Milah. This act involves the removal of the foreskin. All these seemingly unrelated episodes correlate as they signify the idea of departing or fleeing from the evil influences and cleaving to the good. Thus, the initial instruction that Avraham received to leave his homeland culminates with the mitzvah of Bris Mali, a physical manifest of removing the excess and undesirable and striving for the good.
Bris Milah and Eretz Yisroel
The Medrash states that in the merit of Bris Milah, the Jewish People will inherit Eretz Yisroel. In the simple sense this means that Bris Milah is a covenant between us and HaShem, and settling peacefully in Eretz Yisroel is a reflection of that covenant. On a deeper level, however, Bris Milah signifies removal of the undesirable and seeking a closer relationship with HaShem. Dwelling in Eretz Yisroel also reflects on our unique relationship with HaShem, as the Medrash states that one who dwells in Eretz Yisroel dwells there without sin.
The Shabbos connection
In a similar vein, throughout the week we are tempted by foreign influences that threaten to sabotage our spiritual ascent. HaShem has proffered on us His Holy Shabbos when all harsh judgments depart and we can focus on becoming holy and pure. This increased level of sanctity should allow us to become closer in our relationship with HaShem. We will then merit being true descendants of Avraham Avinu, of whom it is said (Yeshaya 41:8) zera Avraham ohavi, offspring of Avraham who loved me.
Shabbos Stories
Praying on Wings of Devotion
Rabbi Aharon Roth, popularly called Reb Arele, formed a new Chasidic group last century based on total self-sacrifice in davening, as taught by the Baal Shem Tov.
The following article was published [long ago] in the Hungarian literary monthly, “The Jewish Future,” by Dr. Frishman, the personal doctor of Rebbe Arele Roth." In it, Dr. Frishman tells how under the Rebbe's influence he became a baal teshuvah.
The long delicate lines on his face that was surrounded by a black beard and his sunken cheeks expressed a deep pain that emanated from severe bodily suffering. His frail body seemed ready to collapse under the burden of suffering, yet his eyes reflected a sea of calmness and a world of gentleness; wondrous lights shone in them.
For four weeks no food had entered his mouth; and in fact, he didn’t have anything to eat. All that he had he gave away for Tzedakah. He never let a single coin stay overnight in his home. The great city, blessed with a large Jewish population, had so many overwhelming problems that it gave no thought to the tzaddik who lived within it. She never lifted him up on her palms, and so the little that he had he gave to those who were needier than him.
He was not needy for food, and even if he wanted to eat he couldn’t. His body was made lean by fasts and self afflictions, and everything that entered his mouth, he vomited out. Even his body recoiled from the pleasures of this world; all of him yearned for the world above.
So now, I was called to him: His afflictions had become more severe and hindered his divine service.
“Again, they’re putting obstacles in my way!” he murmured bitterly. “They’re not letting me pray as I should, as I need to! The heavens are open, and they’re waiting for my prayers, not for my prayers alone, but for the prayers of every Jew, any Jew!”
I put my hand on his pulse to feel with my fingers the flow of holy life.
“To pray,” the rebbe cried, “is my world!” I’ve lived my whole life with physical suffering. I’ve never enjoyed even one moment of peace and quiet. But prayer caused everything to be forgotten, prayer poured new life into me, it lifted me up to the heavens and caused me to sprout wings!”
My fingers were still resting on his pulse. I feel the beats getting stronger. It seems as if wings are struggling and flapping under my fingers.
“To pray!” the tzaddik sighed with longing -“what a joy it is to pray! To bless with an overflowing heart with burning fervor the One and Only One! To pray! To experience that sweet, wonderful, and exalted taste, that pleasure garden of holy words, to count them like a string of pearls, like a treasure chest of diamonds, like precious stones. To utter each one with special care, to bask in its radiance, to ensure that it isn’t lost, to sing with a fervor that gets stronger and stronger. What supernal pleasure it is, what joy! What can compare to this - to praying?”
The tzaddik’s face glowed from an excess of joy and fervor, his bent body straightened up as it were, grew erect. I’m holding his hand, grasping it strongly as if to fly with him when his arms transform into powerful wings and lift him up into the upper realms.
“Do you know what prayer is?” he cried. “It’s flying - longings with wings, the soul getting close to the heavens, and elevating to come near to its Creator! All the worlds tremble before this powerful yearning-- the sun, the moon, the stars in the sky all yearn to fly and to elevate with great speed, shooting heavenward to the highest heights. The surging waves of the sea, the strong gusts of wind, the tongues of fire, the ravishing scents of flowers - all yearn to rise, to elevate above, all crave to get close to their Creator.
“Only the human being - the creature made to get close to the Creator, to elevate - only he crouches as if paralyzed, crude and lumpish, frozen without movement, as if chained to the earth.
“But the truth is that humans too can fly, they have only to learn from the birds. Have you ever seen how a bird prepares to take off? First, it shakes itself and flaps its wings, shaking off the earth's heaviness before flight; only after it gathers in the wind can it take off, and fly and soar on the air!”
“I don’t understand, Rebbe!” I shouted in despair. “Teach me too, teach me to fly!”
“Come with me to the synagogue, my son, and watch the Chasidim pray. See how they forget this world and everything in it, how they shake off their earthliness, how they begin to sway, to clap their hands - like a bird that wants to take off, flapping its wings - they shake themselves off, the mud that clings to them begins to drop off, to fall away, their wings gather air, their fervor increases - and suddenly they break contact with the earth, soaring closer to their Creator. Come, my son, to the synagogue, and you too will learn to fly, you too are able!”
Wealth of Happiness
The hill of sand was nearly desolate. From time to time, the rattling of passing wagon wheels broke the silence.
The sun beat down mercilessly, and between one wagon and the next there was hardly a sound except for the chirping of birds and the muffled noise of metal hitting sand. A wagon stood in the heat, harnessed to an aging horse whose head was deep in its feedbag, jaws moving methodically and without pause.
Near the wagon stood a figure in a wide-brimmed hat to protect his face from the sun. The man was dressed in a dark and dingy shirt that had seen better days, stained now with dirt, and a pair of threadbare trousers held at the hips by means of a rope made of woven straw.
The man’s face was creased with lines, thanks to hard work more than to his age. Were someone to ask his name, he would have answered with a shrug. “What’s the point of asking my name? Who am I, and what is my life? I am a digger of clay. Yaakov Dovid is my name ― the simplest of the simple. I have no title and no elaboration... Just a poor Jew who works to support his family by digging clay.”
Yaakov Dovid lifted his spade in a regular motion. With each strike in the dirt, he removed small clods of earth and emptied the shovel into his wagon. Every few days, when the wagon was filled with reddish-brown clay, he would travel to town and sell his wares to builders, in exchange for a few coins.
Such was the dirt-digger’s life for many years, and so it might have continued to the end of his days, had Heaven not decreed a different future for Yaakov Dovid.
One day, Yaakov Dovid was working hard as usual. He struck the dirt with his shovel when, suddenly, he heard a strange knocking sound. The metal spade had hit a rock. Yaakov Dovid had a great deal of experience with the kinds of rocks that came into contact with his shovel when he dug. He would merely set them aside and go on with his work. But this sound was different. He stopped for a moment to investigate.
In the dirt gleamed tiny, glistening lights. The sun's rays were breaking up on a large, glasslike lump that had been lying beneath the layers of clay. It was unclear whether the mass was nature's handiwork or that of man. Yaakov Dovid’s eyes widened. Placing his shovel at his feet, his fingers began to scrabble in the dirt until he had freed the chunk of something lying underneath.
His breath caught. It was a gigantic diamond, of a kind scarcely ever seen, not only by simple diggers, but even by much more prosperous folk.
Trembling, he glanced around on all sides to make sure no thief was lurking in the vicinity, ready to pounce on his find. His torn pockets were no place to keep this treasure. He thought for a moment, and found the solution. He hid the diamond beneath his seat in the wagon. No one would check there.
As the day wore on, he continued working with a singing heart. A festive feeling enveloped him. In his mind's eye he saw himself sitting in a luxurious armchair in an ornate palace, enjoying beauty and splendor and never again having to perform such backbreaking labor as digging for clay...
The following morning, he hastened to the jewelry store. Approaching the shopkeeper, he whispered that he had something to show him. The shopkeeper took him into a corner. There Yaakov Dovid unwrapped the diamond and showed it to him.
At the sight of the gigantic precious stone, the shopkeeper gaped as though thunderstruck. Unbelievingly, he felt it on all sides, throwing periodic glances at Yaakov Dovid all the while. “Where did you get this diamond?” he asked in amazement.
“I found it in the dirt,” Yaakov Dovid confessed. “How much is it worth?”
The shopkeeper could scarcely find the words. “Listen to me, and I’ll tell you what to do,” he said excitedly. “There is no one in this country that has the money to pay what this diamond is worth.”
“Impossible.” Yaakov Dovid thought the man was trying to get him to sell the stone cheap.
“Why argue with me?” the shopkeeper flared. “Are you the expert, or am I? A diamond the size of a chicken’s egg ― there is no one in this country who can pay for such a thing. Take it across the sea, to London, England. There, you'll doubtless find a buyer. If no ordinary merchant will buy it, perhaps the royal house will. In any case, don’t delay for even a moment. Leave at once. You are about to become an extraordinarily wealthy man!”
Yaakov Dovid returned home. Naturally, he did not go back to his job. He and his wife put their heads together to formulate a plan. For the sake of this exalted goal, she was willing to forgo certain comforts for the moment. They sold some of their belongings to pay for his passage to the port of Odessa, where he would purchase a ticket on a London-bound ship...
Like a chick newly emerged from its shell, Yaakov Dovid stood blinking at the sights and sounds of the harbor. Tens of ships, large and small, were docked there. Porters and stevedores raced to and fro. Some were loading cargo into the holds of ships about to set sail, while others unloaded boxes and bundles from ships that had recently docked. Men, women, and children stood in long lines near the ships, suitcases in hand. They are getting ready to sail away from here, he murmured to himself. With pounding heart, he approached one of the people standing in line. “Where is this ship going?”
“To London,” the man replied. “Do you want to sail on it?”
“Yes. How much does a ticket cost?”
The answer took his breath away. If he were to sell his meager home, he might just have enough money to buy passage fare to London!
Downcast, he walked around the bustling harbor. He stared sadly at the steadily dwindling line of passengers. Soon the ship would be full and it would set sail for London. Without him.
Suddenly, a resolution formed in his heart. He joined the group of passengers and climbed aboard. A stern-faced officer in a crisp uniform stopped him. “Ticket, please.”
“I’m not traveling - I only want to talk to the captain.”
“The captain?” The officer’s brow creased. He had never been confronted with such an odd request.
After much coaxing, he acquiesced to the Jew's request. A sailor was enlisted to bring him to the captain's cabin on the upper deck.
Yaakov Dovid mustered every ounce of his courage as the door opened and he was ushered into the presence of the ship's captain. To his good fortune, his sensible wife had forced him to buy a new suit, as befit his future standing as a wealthy man.
The captain lifted his head from the large map spread before him on the broad table. “What’s the problem, sir?” he asked impatiently. “Didn’t they give you a nice enough cabin? Go see the first officer, not me.”
“No, no,” Yaakov Dovid said hastily. “I have something to say to you, Captain. I am a diamond merchant and must get to London to sell this special stone.” He took the huge diamond out of his pocket.
The captain was stunned. The diamond glowed and glistened with a thousand shades of light, like a tiny sun. For a long moment, the captain stood mesmerized before it. “I’ve seen a lot of things in my life - a lot of diamonds and jewels - but I've never seen one that comes close to this for beauty and size,” he said excitedly. “Well, what can I do for you?” His manner and tone had changed completely. He spoke gently, courteously.
Yaakov Dovid succeeded in convincing the captain that, due to a series of unforeseen errors and lack of time, he had arrived at the port without a ticket in hand and, even worse, without a penny in his pocket. He assured the captain that, the moment he sold his diamond in London, he would return to the captain with the full fare.
“Certainly,” the captain agreed. He summoned the first officer to his cabin and ordered him to give the “Jewish diamond merchant” the best cabin on the ship.
Yaakov Dovid felt like a man in a dream as a pair of uniformed sailors made themselves available to fulfill his every request, day and night. His suitcase was immediately unpacked for him and its contents arranged in the cupboards. He allowed the sailors to put everything away, except for the one thing that he permitted no one but the captain to see: his precious diamond... He was afraid to leave his diamond behind for even a moment, lest thieves get their hands on it. He did not wish to take it with him on deck, as his hands were constantly going to his pocket to feel for it and would end by rousing suspicions.
So Yaakov Dovid sat in his cabin, enjoying his precious stone. He would take it out of his pocket, touch it gently, and thank his Creator for bringing him such a fortune. When he returned from London a wealthy man, he would give a great deal of charity, keeping in mind all the poor folks and remembering how, just yesterday, he had been one of them.
The sailors brought his meals to his room, setting the tray down and leaving at once. He would wash his hands for the meal and then, to whet his appetite, would take out the diamond and place it before him on the table. The sight of that sparkling stone would fill him with joy, making the food go down more easily.
At noon each day, he received a visit from the captain. Apparently, rich men merit special treatment wherever they may be. The captain found Yaakov Dovid to be an intelligent and pleasant fellow, and he enjoyed chatting with him. If he only knew who I am and what kind of work I do, Yaakov Dovid would think with a smile. Once, the captain asked him why his hands were so hard and calloused, and Yaakov Dovid confessed openly that, before he'd become wealthy, he had been a simple laborer. He was a little apprehensive over the captain’s reaction but, on the contrary, the captain was deeply moved by this information and afterward treated him with even greater respect.
One night, the sea was rocky under a stormy sky. Yaakov Dovid found it hard to sleep, and was filled with fear of the ship's sinking into the depths along with his diamond. He hardly closed his eyes all night, and when his breakfast was brought to him in the morning he was drowsy and slightly confused. He washed his hands and ate a little; then, out of habit, took the precious stone from his pocket and placed it on the white tablecloth, next to the loaf of bread. During the meal, he nearly fell asleep. With difficulty, he managed to rouse himself long enough to stumble to his bed. He threw himself onto it like a sack of bricks and sank into a leaden sleep.
While he slept, the attending sailor came into his cabin as usual. Without paying any particular attention, he picked up the tablecloth along with all its contents, carried it over to the round porthole, thrust his hands out, and - as he did every day - shook the cloth out over the waves. The loaf of bread, still nearly whole, hid the shining stone on its way to the depths.
Yaakov Dovid slept a long time. He awoke at last in an addled state, with no memory of where he was or what he was doing in the small cabin. Why wasn't he standing in his clay pit, striking the earth with his shovel?
Suddenly, he remembered. He was on his way to London, to sell the precious diamond that he'd found in the clay. With a single leap, he lunged for the table.
A heartrending cry echoed through the cabin. The table was completely bare, the tablecloth empty. Everything that had been on it was gone.
At the sound of his terrible cries, the sailor raced into the cabin. Yaakov Dovid whirled on him. “Where is the food? Where is everything that was on the table?”
The sailor explained that he’d done what he did every day: shaken the tablecloth out the porthole.
The diamond had sunk in the waters of the sea!
Goodbye, unimaginable riches. He had always been a luckless fellow, and a luckless fellow he would remain.
The sailor left without comprehending what had happened. Yaakov Dovid fell on his bed, covered his face with his pillow, and wept bitter tears. He had left his city a pauper and he would return the same way. And how was he to return? Where would he get the money to sail from London back to Odessa? And how would he pay for the overland portion of his journey?
All at once, he recovered. If he cried openly and revealed his secret to the captain, he would be hurled overboard without pity. There was one law for the rich, and quite another for the poor. He would not have to say a word; one look at his anguished face, and the captain would know all.
He had one asset, and that was joy. If he behaved as happily as usual and acted normally, the captain would notice nothing of his tragedy and Yaakov Dovid would at least make it to London.
That same day, he behaved with an extra measure of cheerfulness when the captain came to visit him. Enjoying his company, the captain lingered. Suddenly, he leaned closer and said, “I like you a lot. Let me tell you something. I’m not just a sea captain; I am also a big grain merchant. The entire hold of this ship is filled with fine wheat. All together, it’s worth a fortune ― several times more than the value of that diamond of yours. I need to sell it in London, but I can't spare the time. How about being my agent and selling the wheat for me, in return for a nice percentage?”
The sum that Yaakov Dovid realized from the sale of the wheat in London was 10 times the value of the diamond he had lost. He became a rich man overnight. On his return to the ship to give the captain the money, he found all the sailors weeping.
“Our captain died suddenly of a heart attack!”
With the captain’s death, and having not left any heirs, Yaakov Dovid inherited all the profits from the wheat, and returned home a very wealthy man.
“The diamond was not his,” Rabbi Nachman of Breslov would say when telling this story. “And the proof: He lost it. The captain’s wealth did belong to him, as you can see by the fact that he kept it. How was it that a simple clay-digger achieved this state? Only because he stood firm and did not lose his joy!”
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Lech Lecho 5770
Is sponsored liRefuah Shleima
Refoel Chaim Simcha ben Devorah Aliza bisoch shaar cholei Yisroel
I will be giving a class in Navi on Shabbos afternoon at Bais Haknesses HaGra 14561 Lincoln in Oak Park, half an hour before Mincha.
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler.
For sponsorships please call
248-506-0363.
To subscribe weekly by email
Please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com
View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Doreish Tov on Medrash Rabbah Parashas Chaye Sara 5769 (1)
Doreish Tov on Medrash Rabbah
Parashas Chaye Sara 5769
58:1
The Medrash
The Medrash states that it is said (Bereishis 23:1) vayihyu chaye Sara meah shanah, Sara’s lifetime was one hundred years... this is what is said (Tehillim 37:18) yodeia Hashem yimei temimim vinachalasam liolam tihyeh, HaShem knows the days of the perfect, their inheritance will be forever. Just like the righteous are perfect, so too their years are perfect. Sara at twenty years old was as beautiful as she was when she was seven years old. Furthermore, Sara at one hundred years old was like she was at twenty years old regarding sin. Alternatively, the words yodeia Hashem yimei temimim refers to Sara who was perfect in her deeds. Rabbi Yochanan said that Sara was like a perfect calf. The words vinachalasam liolam tihyeh, is as it is said vayihyu chaye Sara. What is the necessity to state the words shinei chaye Sara, the years of Sara’s life, at the end of the verse? This teaches us that HaShem cherishes the years of the righteous in this world and in the World to Come.
Question on the Medrash
What is the lesson that the Medrash is teaching us? What does it mean that the years of the righteous are perfect? Is it not sufficient to say that Sara was perfect in her lifetime? Furthermore, why does the Medrash state that Sara was like a perfect calf? How does this analogy relate to Sara?
The deeper intention of the Medrash
We know that the purpose of every second of life is to come to a greater recognition of HaShem and His greatness. One accomplishes this by studying Torah and performing mitzvos. One must wonder, then, how anyone can reach a level of perfection, if every day is a new challenge in serving HaShem. The Medrash here provides the answer to this question. When one accounts properly for his “years,” i.e. the time that he spends in this world, then he is considered to have reached a level of perfection. This can be compared to a perfect calf. Although a calf will grow up to be a cow, the calf in its present stage is deemed to be perfect because its growth process is potentially perfect. Similarly, the righteous person who uses his time correctly when he is young is potentially perfect. Thus, Sara at every stage of her life was potentially perfect, and she completed her life in a state of perfection.
The lesson of the Medrash
The goal of life is to reach a state of perfection, but we must realize that every second of life is an experience in potential perfection. When one stumbles in his service of HaShem, he can still rise back up and continue in his potentially perfect service of HaShem. It is for this reason that it is said (Yeshaya 60:21) viameich kulam tzaddikim, your people will all be righteous. How is it possible that every Jew is righteous, if every Jew sins at some point in his life? The answer is that we are all potentially prefect and righteous, and our misdeeds do not prevent us from becoming perfect and righteous.
Parashas Chaye Sara 5769
58:1
The Medrash
The Medrash states that it is said (Bereishis 23:1) vayihyu chaye Sara meah shanah, Sara’s lifetime was one hundred years... this is what is said (Tehillim 37:18) yodeia Hashem yimei temimim vinachalasam liolam tihyeh, HaShem knows the days of the perfect, their inheritance will be forever. Just like the righteous are perfect, so too their years are perfect. Sara at twenty years old was as beautiful as she was when she was seven years old. Furthermore, Sara at one hundred years old was like she was at twenty years old regarding sin. Alternatively, the words yodeia Hashem yimei temimim refers to Sara who was perfect in her deeds. Rabbi Yochanan said that Sara was like a perfect calf. The words vinachalasam liolam tihyeh, is as it is said vayihyu chaye Sara. What is the necessity to state the words shinei chaye Sara, the years of Sara’s life, at the end of the verse? This teaches us that HaShem cherishes the years of the righteous in this world and in the World to Come.
Question on the Medrash
What is the lesson that the Medrash is teaching us? What does it mean that the years of the righteous are perfect? Is it not sufficient to say that Sara was perfect in her lifetime? Furthermore, why does the Medrash state that Sara was like a perfect calf? How does this analogy relate to Sara?
The deeper intention of the Medrash
We know that the purpose of every second of life is to come to a greater recognition of HaShem and His greatness. One accomplishes this by studying Torah and performing mitzvos. One must wonder, then, how anyone can reach a level of perfection, if every day is a new challenge in serving HaShem. The Medrash here provides the answer to this question. When one accounts properly for his “years,” i.e. the time that he spends in this world, then he is considered to have reached a level of perfection. This can be compared to a perfect calf. Although a calf will grow up to be a cow, the calf in its present stage is deemed to be perfect because its growth process is potentially perfect. Similarly, the righteous person who uses his time correctly when he is young is potentially perfect. Thus, Sara at every stage of her life was potentially perfect, and she completed her life in a state of perfection.
The lesson of the Medrash
The goal of life is to reach a state of perfection, but we must realize that every second of life is an experience in potential perfection. When one stumbles in his service of HaShem, he can still rise back up and continue in his potentially perfect service of HaShem. It is for this reason that it is said (Yeshaya 60:21) viameich kulam tzaddikim, your people will all be righteous. How is it possible that every Jew is righteous, if every Jew sins at some point in his life? The answer is that we are all potentially prefect and righteous, and our misdeeds do not prevent us from becoming perfect and righteous.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Shabbos: Ta'am HaChaim Chaye Sara 5768
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Chaye Sara 5768
Shabbos in the Parashah
In this week’s parashah it is said (Breishis 24:67) vayivieha Yitzchak haohela Sara imo vayikach es Rivka vatehi lo liisha vayehaveha vayinacheim Yitzchak acharei imo, and Yitzchak brought her into the tent of Sara his mother; he married Rivka, she became his wife, and he loved her, and thus was Yitzchak consoled after his mother. Rashi quotes the Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 60:16) that states that the juxtaposition of the words vayivieha Yitzchak to the words haohela Sara imo teaches us that when Yitzchak married Rivka, he observed that she was similar to his mother in every manner. When Sara was alive the candle would remain lit from one Friday afternoon to the next, blessing was found in the dough, and the cloud was above the tent. When Sara died, these phenomena ceased, and when Yitzchak married Rivka, the miracles returned. The simple understanding of the idea that the candle remained lit from one Friday afternoon to the next is that a miracle occurred and the candle was never extinguished. Upon deeper reflection, however, there is a profound lesson to be gained from this phenomenon. Sara was of such stature that she did not allow the candle to become extinguished during the week. It is very easy for one to observe Shabbos, as when the sun sets on Friday, one is forbidden to engage in the thirty-nine primary acts of labor, and one is required to sanctify the day and delight in it. Yet, this is one level of observing and honoring the Shabbos. A higher level is when one conducts himself or herself throughout the week on the level of Shabbos. This means watching one speech, being meticulous regarding the honor of others, avoiding impure areas and thoughts, and constantly seeking ways to be prepared for Shabbos. The Zohar states that a Torah scholar is in the category of Shabbos. The explanation for this statement is that the Rambam (Hilchos Deios) writes that a Torah scholar is judged on a different plane than the average person. For one to truly be in the category of Shabbos, he must conduct himself the entire week on a higher plane. Rivka truly reflected these ideas, as she was raised in the house of wicked people, and she still persevered and remained righteous. When one can traverse the darkness of the weekday and still enter into the Shabbos bathed in the light of Torah and mitzvos, one has certainly experienced Shabbos in the week. When the entire Jewish People will observe Shabbos, i.e. when we will recognize that we must conduct ourselves at all times on a higher plane than the rest of the world, we will instantly merit the Final Redemption with the arrival of Moshiach, speedily, in our days.
Shabbos in the Zemiros
Ribbon kol HaOlamim
Published in 5401 (1641)
Melech someich noflim, King Who supports the fallen. One must wonder who the fallen refers to. It is said (Devarim 22:8) ki sivneh bayis chadash viasisa maakeh ligagaecho vilo sasim damim biveisecho ki yipol hanofeil mimenu, if you build a new house, you shall make a fence for your roof, so that you will not place blood in your house if a fallen one falls from it. The Gemara (Shabbos 32a) asks the obvious question. Why does the Torah describe the person who may fall in the future as the nofeil, the one falling in the present? If one has not fallen yet, he cannot be deemed to be falling. The Gemara answers that the Torah is teaching us that HaShem decreed from the beginning of time that this person will fall. Thus, he is deemed to be falling in the present state. It would seem from this Gemara that every human being is deemed to be in a state of falling. While the Jewish People are always aspiring to ascend the spiritual ladder, we must bear in mind the dictum of the Gemara (Kiddushin 30b) regarding the battle that one engages in with the Evil Inclination. The Gemara states that if HaShem were not assisting the person in his struggles with the Evil Inclination, the person would not be able to subdue the Evil Inclination alone. Thus, HaShem is truly the King Who supports the falling ones. Hashem should allow us to merit overcoming our Evil Inclinations and we should serve HaShem with pure hearts.
Shabbos in Tefillah
Baruch atah HaShem Elokeinu Melech haOlam yotzeir ohr uvorei choshech oseh shalom uvorei es hakol, Blessed are You, HaShem, our G-d, King of the Universe, Who forms light and creates darkness, makes peace and creates all. This blessing contains a profound message to the Jewish People regarding our belief system. The Gemara (Brachos 11b) points out that that although in Scripture it is said (Yeshaya 45:7) yotzeir ohr uvorei ra, Who makes peace and creates evil, we do not want to attribute the creation of evil to HaShem so we instead declare that HaShem created everything. Although at first glance this may seem odd, as we appear to be concealing the fact that HaShem also created evil, in truth we are declaring that HaShem created both good and evil and we are demonstrating that even evil is ultimately for the good. Although in our present state we can not necessarily see the good in events that occur, we know that HaShem is good and desires only good for mankind.
Shabbos Story
Rabbi Dovid Glodwasser relates: I had received a plea to travel to
Shabbos in Navi
Yehoshua Chapter 9
In this chapter we learn how the Givonim deceived Yehoshua and the leaders of the Jewish People by claiming that they came from a faraway land and they wished to seal a covenant with the Jewish People. The Jewish People sealed a covenant with them and three days later the Jewish People discovered that the Givonim were really their neighbors and they resided close by. Nonetheless, to avoid a desecration of HaShem’s Name, the Jewish People did not have the Givonim killed. Rather, Yehoshua cursed them by declaring that the Givonim would always be slaves and they would function as woodchoppers and water drawers for the House of HaShem. The Givonim responded that they had acted out fear, as they had heard that HaShem had instructed Moshe to give the entire land to the Jewish People and to annihilate the inhabitants of the land. It is noteworthy that the Givonim deceived the Jewish People because of their fear of HaShem’s command. In a similar vein, HaShem has commanded us to fear Him and observe His Shabbos. The Baal HaTurim (Bereishis 1:1 quoting Tikkunei Zohar) writes that the word Bereishis is an acrostic for the words yarei Shabbos. Yet, do we really fear the Shabbos, or, in the words of the Medrash (Toras Kohanim Kedoshim 7) from the One Who commanded us regarding the Shabbos? We should learn from the Givonim and be cognitive of HaShem’s commandment to observe the Shabbos. When we observe the Shabbos, we will merit fearing HaShem, Whose glory fills the entire world.
The Gemara (Shabbos 113a) states that the clothing that one wears on Shabbos should be different than the clothing that he wears during the week. The Maharal explains that Shabbos is holy and anything that is holy is distinct from materialism. For this reason, writes the Maharal, one is forbidden to perform labor on Shabbos, as labor by definition is bringing something to fruition, which is considered materialism. An object that is removed from materialism is deemed to contain honor, and for this reason ones Shabbos clothing should be distinct from the clothing that he wears during the week. Perhaps we can suggest an alternative explanation to this statement of the Gemara. Elsewhere (Sanhedrin 90b) the Gemara states that the righteous will be resurrected in the future with the very clothes that they were buried in. [There is a discussion (See Kesubos 111b and Tosfos and Gilyon HaShas Ibid) whether the righteous will be resurrected in the same clothing that they were buried in or if they will be resurrected in different clothing.] One must wonder regarding the significance of the righteous being resurrected in their clothing. It would seem that clothing is a covering for the body in this world, but in the future man will be akin to Adam HaRishon before the sin, where there was no need for clothing. Why then will the righteous be wearing clothing at the time of the resurrection? Perhaps the idea of this Gemara is that clothing, besides for the need of covering the body, also symbolizes a state of preparedness. After the sin of Adam HaRishon, HaShem clothed Adam and Chava in garments of skin. The purpose of these garments was so that Adam and Chava would be prepared for the first Shabbos of creation. It is noteworthy that the Gemara in Shabbos (113a) states that one should change his clothing, manner of walking and his manner of speech on Shabbos. The only one of these distinctions that is performed prior to the onset of Shabbos is the changing of ones clothing. Thus, it is evident that changing ones clothing prior to the onset of Shabbos is a symbol of preparedness. This then is the explanation of the Gemara in Sanhedrin regarding the resurrection of the righteous. The righteous will be resurrected in their clothing as a reward for having always been in a state of preparedness in this world. The idea is that the Gemara (Avodah Zara 3a) states that one who toils prior to Shabbos will eat on Shabbos. The period when the righteous will be resurrected is referred to as a day that is completely Shabbos. Thus, when the true Shabbos arrives, the righteous will be prepared in their “Shabbos” clothing. It is for this reason that we change our clothing in honor of Shabbos, so that we reflect a state of preparedness for this Holy Day.
Shabbos in Halacha
One can add cold water to hot tea or to coffee in a cup (kli sheini) or to hot soup in a bowl (kli sheini) but one is forbidden from adding cold water to a pot of hot water or soup (kli rishon).
It is said (Shemos 31:16) veshamru vnei Yisroel es HaShabbos laasos es HaShabbos ledorosam bris olam, the Children of Israel shall observe the Shabbos, to make the Shabbos an eternal covenant for their generations. Here is something that is truly amazing. The words es HaShabbos laasos es HaShabbos all end with the letter taf. Perhaps the significance is as follows. The Gemara (Shabbos 118a) states that one who delights in the Shabbos is granted a boundless heritage. This heritage is the heritage of Yaakov, who was promised the land without any border. The Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 11:7) adds that only regarding Yaakov does the Torah state explicitly that he kept the Shabbos, whereas regarding Avraham and Yitzchak the Torah does not state explicitly that they observed the Shabbos. This then can be the explanation for the words that end with the letter taf, which equals in gematria four hundred. The Gemara (Megillah 3a) states that the dimensions of Eretz Yisroel are four hundred parsa by four hundred parsa. Avraham and Yitzchak were only promised a finite area of land, whereas Yaakov was promised by HaShem a boundless heritage. Similarly, one who observes the Shabbos will not only be rewarded with the equivalent of Eretz Yisroel, which is four hundred by four hundred parsa. Rather, he will be rewarded with taf and taf and taf and taf and taf until infinity.
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Chaye Sara 5768
is sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. Moshe Gasner
in honor of the marriage of their son Ari to Reena Durden.
Mazel Tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Eleazar Durden
and to the extended Gasner and Durden families.
May Ari and Reena be zoche together to build a Bayis Neeman BiYisroel.
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Chaye Sara 5768
is also sponsored lizeicher nishmas Simcha Zelig ben Elimelech ob”m
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler.
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