שבת טעם החיים
שמיני עצרת-שמחת תורה-וזאת הברכה תש"ע
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Shemini Atzeres-Simchas Torah-Vizos HaBracha 5770
Sukkos and the World to Come
Introduction
Sukkos is coming to an end, but just as we bid farewell to the Sukkah, we welcome in the festival known as Shemini Atzeres. What is the significance of Shemini Atzeres and who does this special day connect to Sukkos? The Gemara (Sukkah 55b; see Rashi Bamidbar 29:35 and 36) states that Shemini Atzeres is akin to a king whose servants make the king festive meals for seven days. When the festivities come to an end, the king requests from his friend to him to stay as his departure is too much to bear. The king then requests that the man should make a small feast so that the king can benefit from him. Let us understand the message contained in this Gemara. The Gemara is stating that following the seven days of Sukkos, we wish to depart and HaShem begs us to stay. Thus, HaShem gave us the day of Shemini Atzeres so that we could spend more time with Him, so to speak. How do we understand the concept that HaShem desires that we stay with Him an extra day? Why did HaShem not instruct us to celebrate the festival of Sukkos for eight days and then there would not have been a need to remain another day?
Shemini Atzeres stands on its own
It is told that the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Yoel Teitelbaum, zt”l was experiencing pain in his feet on Sukkos. Yet, to the surprise of his followers, when Simchas Torah arrived, the Rebbe was dancing energetically. A Chasid queried the Rebbe as to this transformation, and the Rebbe replied, “Shemini Atzeres (and Simchas Torah) regel bifnei atzmo, Shemini Atzeres is a festival of its own. The Rebbe was making a play on the word regel, which literarily means foot. This incident sheds light on what is occurring on Shemini Atzeres. Sukkos is a time of joy, but after seven days of basking in HaShem’s Presence, we are eager to get back to the regular way of living. HaShem therefore requests of us that we do not depart so hastily and we spend another day with Him.
The last day of Sukkos and Shavuos are referred to as Atzeres
It is fascinating to note that the last day of Sukkos is referred to as Shemini Atzeres and the festival of Shavuos is referred to as Atzeres. What is the association between these two seemingly unrelated holidays? It is said (Devarim 33:3) af choveiv amim kol kedoshav biyadecha viheim tuku liraglecha yisa midabrosecha, indeed, You loved the tribes greatly, all its holy ones were in Your hands; for they planted themselves at Your feet, bearing [the yoke] of Your utterances. Regarding the words viheim tuku liraglecha, Rashi writes: they are pushing and gathering under Your shade. The Targum renders the translation of these words to be: and they are guided under your clouds. These explanations clearly allude to the idea that HaShem led the Jewish people in the Wilderness under the protection of the Clouds of Glory. It is precisely this miracle that we commemorate by sitting in the Sukkah for seven days. [It is noteworthy that the words viheim tuku liraglecha equal in gematria the word Atzeres (760, as Shemini Atzeres is a regel by itself]. Subsequent to receiving the Torah, it is said (Bamidbar 10:33) vayisu meihar HaShem derech sheloshes yamim, they journeyed from the Mountain of HaShem a three-day journey. Tosfos (Shabbos 16a s.v. puranus) quotes the Medrash that states that this verse teaches us that the Jewish People ran away from HaShem like a child running away from school. This, then, is the clear association between Shavuos and Shemini Atzeres. We can suggest that Shavuos is referred to as Atzeres because Atzeres means restrain. The message of Shavuos is that it is not sufficient to just receive the Torah. A Jew must remain connected to the Torah and not seek to flee from the acceptance of Torah and mitzvos. Similarly, following the seven days of Sukkos, we need to restrain ourselves from fleeing, so to speak, from HaShem’s Presence. It is for this reason that HaShem supplicates the Jewish People to remain one more day in His Presence.
Shemini Atzeres is for our benefit
We can now understand why HaShem did not merely instruct us to dwell in the Sukkah for eight days. Rather, HaShem instructed us to dwell in the Sukkah for seven days. When we begin to feel like it is too much for us, HaShem requests that we stay on another day. This extra day is for our good. In this way we will be cognizant of the fact that basking in HaShem’s Present is the will of HaShem and is for our good.
The Shabbos connection
The Gemara (Avoda Zara 3a) states that in the future the gentiles will seek to accept the Torah and HaShem will offer them to perform the mitzvah of Sukkah. The gentiles will then build their Sukkahs and HaShem will create an intense heat. This heat will cause the gentiles to kick their Sukkahs and reject the mitzvah. The Gemara finds proof for this in a verse that states (Tehillim 2:3) ninatka es mosroseimo vinashlicha mimenu avoseimo, let us cut their cords and let us cast off their ropes from ourselves. It is noteworthy that the word mosroseimo equals in gematria the word Atzeres and 8 (768), as the gentiles will demonstrate that they cannot tolerate being in HaShem’s Presence for the extra day which is reflected in Shemini Atzeres. Indeed, the Sfas Emes writs that Shemini Atzeres is akin to the World to Come. Furthermore, HaShem chose us as His beloved nation, and every Shabbos HaShem affords us a glimpse of the World to Come. HaShem should allow us to merit basking in His Presence, and we should embrace this opportunity at every possible moment.
Shabbos Stories
The lost Torah Scroll
The little kids quickly formed a train, each with his hands on the shoulders of the boy in front of him. They lurched into motion, running madly around the periphery of the shul as throngs of people danced in concentric rings around the bima. Some carried Torah scrolls, adorned in silver crowns and velvet finery. Others carried their small children on their shoulders. As one song ended, another one caught on, and no one wanted to stop.
Observing the action was a girl name Rachel, one of a group of teenage girls who were guests at the home of Rabbi Benzion Klatzko. Dressed in her fashionable best, she watched the frenetic scene with glee; this was an experience unlike any she had encountered thus far in Judaism. To Rachel, the spirit of the night was an injection of life itself, a salve for her ailing soul.
All at once, Rachel's snapped into sharp focus. Their host, Rabbi Klatzko, stood up on a chair in front of the bima, clutching a miniature Torah scroll in his hands. He had a story to tell, and the men, women and children packed into the shul were eager to hear it. Rachel strained to hear every word of the tale, for she knew that it would speak to her.
“Every week, in my home, I have the privilege of hosting about 30 to 40 people for Shabbos meals. Most of them are college students who are Jewish but have never had the chance to experience a Shabbos. They come from all kinds of backgrounds and all kinds of places across the country, and they join together at my home and get a taste of what Shabbos is about.
“The only thing is, many of them are uncomfortable about going to a traditional shul. They'd rather stay at my house and wait until I come home. The drawback to that is that they never have the chance to see the beauty of a real Shabbos davening. So I decided that the best thing to do would be to buy my own Torah scroll and ark for my living room. That way, I could have the davening at home, and they could take part in it and still feel comfortable. Plus, it would give many of them a chance for an aliyah, some who haven't had one since their bar mitzvah. And there are those that didn't even have a bar mitzvah and have never been called up to the Torah in their lives.
“The question was, how would I ever find a kosher Torah scroll at a decent price? And an ark would also be a big investment. So it seemed that, short of a miracle, my idea would be impossible to pull off. However, G-d doesn't just perform miracles for you. You have to do your part and hope that He will take care of the rest.
“So I opened up the papers and looked around to see if anyone had a Torah scroll for sale. And believe it or not, someone did. I immediately called the number and on the other end of the phone was an elderly man who said he had a very small Torah scroll that he was selling. It was 11 inches tall.
The Torah scroll had been sitting in his closet unused for 50 years.
“I asked him where he got it, and he told me that his father had been a rabbi of a shul in the Catskills which eventually died out. They auctioned everything off, and the Torah scroll was the only thing they kept. It had been sitting in his closet unused for 50 years, and now he felt it was time to sell that as well.
“Although he wanted quite a bit of money for it and the price was a bit steep for me, I told him that I would like to take a look at it. He agreed to come to my home to show me the Torah.
“A few days later Mr. Foreman came. He showed me a beautiful Torah scroll - over 200 years old but in perfect condition. He asked me why I needed it, and I explained about my Shabbos guests and my idea to enable them to daven at my home, where they would be comfortable.
“He stared at me for a moment, seeming much moved by the idea that this Torah would help people come closer to Judaism. All of a sudden, he started crying -- I mean really crying with tears streaming down his face. I was trying to get him to talk, but he literally couldn't get any words out. Finally, he explained. He had drifted away from Judaism and married a Buddhist woman. This Torah scroll was his only connection, and at this point, he felt so cut off that he thought he might as well sell it. But when he found out that this Torah would help reconnect people to Judaism, he wanted to give it to me as a gift. In this way, he felt he would perhaps have the merit to be reconnected too and find his way home at last.
“I didn’t know what to say, but I certainly appreciated his incredible gift. I realized that this was a Torah that had been basically homeless for the past 50 years. There was no one to read it, hold it or keep it properly, and now G-d gave the Torah a home, and would hopefully bring this lonely Jew back in the near future as well.
“Now, what about an ark? That’s a story of its own. I found an online ad for an old Jewish artifact, a Jewish chest. The sellers weren't Jewish, but they had bought it from a priest who told them it was of Jewish origin.
On top of the ark was a large cross. I almost fainted.
“When I opened the online pictures of the chest, I saw before me what seemed to be a beautifully crafted ark. It was small, so it wouldn't be able to hold a regular sized Torah, but would be perfect for the Torah we had. But when I viewed a picture of the top of the ark, I almost fainted. There was a large cross attached to it. All of a sudden, I was not at all sure that this was an item of Jewish origin.
Suddenly I noticed a small plaque at the bottom of it. I asked the sellers to send me a photo of the plaque which appeared to have Hebrew writing on it. They sent me a picture where there was a clear inscription in Hebrew that said “Behold, the guardian of Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers” (Psalms 121), which proved that the item must be Jewish. The cross upon closer examination, they said, was a separate piece that had been attached. I realized that the priest who bought this ark must have made that addition. I was deeply moved, and was certain that the hand of G-d was clearly guiding me.
“I bought the ark and had it delivered to my home. The cross was removed and I marveled at the verse that was inscribed. I have never seen this particular verse inscribed on an ark before. And I realized that there was a message here. It was as if G-d were saying that although this ark was lost for many years, He would never forget about it. He didn't rest until it finally was brought home to Jewish hands.
“My dear friends, look at what we have here. A Torah that was neglected for so many years was finally given a home in an ark that had been used by a priest. Yet the message was clear that G-d would never give up on them. He had not forgotten about this lost ark and Torah scroll, and finally the two of them were brought together and can now be used to bring young men and woman back to their Father in Heaven as well.
“This Torah has not been danced with for over 50 years, and now we have the chance to welcome it home. Let's give it the welcome it deserves.”
As if on cue, the entire shul erupted in singing and dancing. The tiny Torah scroll was in the center of it all, soaking up the overflowing love and honor it had been missing for decades. It was no longer locked away, unused and untouched on this holiday meant for rejoicing. It was where it belonged, in the center of it all
Later that night, Rabbi Klatzko brought the Torah home and secured it inside the ark in his living room. To Rachel, it was not just the sense of tranquility and warmth that Rachel relished. It was the awesome, indescribable feeling of this unique Torah scroll.
The meal ended late, and at last, the contented but exhausted group headed to their rooms for a night's sleep. Rachel, lay in bed, eyes wide open, with the sound of her heart beating in her ears. She waited a long time, perhaps an hour or more, until she was certain that no one in the house remained awake. She slipped out of bed and tip-toed into the living room. There stood the ark, as if it had been waiting for her.
There, she spoke her heart to G-d, praying that the sweetness of this home would be hers, in her own life, some day. These were the first prayers her lips had uttered for many years. The bitterness of her own family home – the constant fighting, the blame and anger, the storm clouds that threatened to blow through the front door at any moment – had acted like a razor-sharp wire-cutter, severing her connection to G-d. Here at the Klatzko’s home, she could feel the connection being mended; the power was sputtering back into her being, and once again beginning to flow.
Recalling the Torah scrolls’ exile, she thought of herself. “My dear, holy Torah scroll, you know what it's like to be neglected. You know how it feels to live with people who don't see the beauty in you and don't understand what you are worth. I've lived that way my whole life, but you've lived like that so much longer. Fifty whole years you stood there and no one kissed you or carried you or looked inside you to see what was there. But you’ve given me hope, because even after 50 years, look what happened! Look what a night you just had! Everyone hugged you and kissed you. Everyone wanted to dance with you. You were the star of the show. The Almighty doesn’t sleep. He keeps watch over His people, and He’s keeping watch over me.
“Please, G-d, I’m begging you, may I be like this Torah scroll. I know there is still holiness in me. Please let me hold onto it, just like this Torah did. And when the time is right, bring me a husband who will honor me and love me the way a wife should be honored. Let me have a home that’s happy, and holy, and full of children and guests and kindness, just like this home. Please, G-d, find me, too, and bring me home.” [Reprinted with permission from www.Aish.com.]
False Testimony
There were once three men, and their names were Reb Ezriel, Reb Anshel, and Reb Eliezer. The three were partners in a business. Reb Ezriel bought feathers and hides from Russia and Reb Anshel bought similar merchandise from Galicia. The third partner, Reb Eliezer, who was the son of the Belzer Rebbe, Reb Sholom, arranged financing for their ventures and kept the books, auditing all the expenses and income of their various transactions.
For some time, all was well. Then, for some unknown reason, Reb Ezriel and Reb Anshel asked Reb Eliezer if they could see the books.
“We would like to know where we stand,” they said. Reb Eliezer, however, refused to show them the ledgers, so the two decided to go to his father, the Belzer Rebbe, with their complaint and to see if he could adjudicate the matter.
“I cannot be a judge in this matter,” the Rebbe told the men. “I am the father of the accused and I am therefore invalid to judge.”
“Even so,” the two partners assured him, “we trust your decision even though you have an interest in the matter.”
“Very well,” said the Rebbe. “But it is late, just before Minchah and there is no time to hear all the details. For now, let me quickly tell you a story that relates to this situation.
The Rebbe began, “There were once two brothers, one rich and one poor. The rich brother had a daughter who was of marriageable age, and the poor brother had a son who was a fine Talmud Chacham of the same age. It seemed natural, therefore, that when the rich brother had rejected the many offers of marriage for his daughter, the shadchan (marriage broker) urged him to take his nephew, (the poor brother’s son) as a son-in-law. The rich brother agreed and the two were married.
The young man, Yisroel, soon found life under his father-in-law’s roof very uncomfortable. Neither his wife nor father-in-law appreciated his occupation with Torah study and would have preferred that he involve himself in business. The situation became tense, so Yisroel decided to leave and become a melamed (teacher), for the sake of peace for all involved.
Yisroel traveled far, to an isolated village and there became the melamed for the children of a chassid of the Baal Shem Tov. In time, the chassid took a trip to visit his Rebbe.
Just as he was about to depart with a group of other chassidim, Yisroel asked: “Can you kindly mention me to your Rebbe? I have a difficult personal matter that is a great burden. Perhaps the Baal Shem Tov will have some advice for me.”
Yisroel’s employer did indeed mention his name to the Baal Shem, and returned home with an urgent message. "As soon as we mentioned your name to the Rebbe, he became quite upset. He told us to advise you to immediately return to your home. The Rebbe’s words were, ‘Reb Yisroel's return involves a serious matter regarding his wife.’' We didn’t even know you were married?”
“It is a painful story so I did not share it with you,” he answered.
Yisroel was skeptical. He questioned the Chassidim, “How would the Rebbe know of me? How does he even know I’m married?” “Never mind,” they insisted. “If the Baal Shem Tov was so adamant about your returning home, you must do as he says. He told us that he looked at the root of your soul and found a danger present. You must not delay. You should leave immediately.”
“How can I go home?” Reb Yisroel answered. “My belongings are here and besides, I don’t have any money for the journey.” The chassidim wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. They all quickly contributed funds to hire a wagon and driver to take Yisroel home and helped Reb Yisroel gather his few belongings and load the wagon.
“What am I doing?” he thought to himself as the wagon bumped along the dirt road. “I wonder if the Chassidim were just trying to get rid of me. I wonder if they even mentioned my named to the Baal Shem Tov. How could he know about me?” Such thoughts filled his mind as he traveled. He had thoughts of stopping the wagon and turning around, but the urgent words of the Baal Shem Tov disturbed him greatly. Finally he arrived at his hometown. As the wagon came to a stop in front of his house, he hesitated. He finally summoned the courage to knock on the door. A strange man answered the door. “What do you want?” the man asked. “Is Reb Yisroel’s wife at home?”
“She is no longer Reb Yisroel’s wife, and she doesn’t live here. In fact, she is planning to get married in two days.”
Reb Yisroel was shocked. He had never divorced his wife. How could she get married again? He now understood the urgency of the Baal Shem Tov's words. The first thing he must do was to prevent his wife from marrying another man. But how? Reb Yisroel went to the Beis Medrash and sat down to think. As he sat, he overheard several of the local beggars talking about the impending wedding. “I can’t wait for the feast. It will no doubt be lavish because the bride’s father is certainly rich.”
Yisroel then knew what he had to do. He went immediately to the town Rabbi's home. He related his story, insisting that he had never sent his wife a divorce.
The town Rabbi did indeed remember and he believed Yisroel. “Please stay here while I go to your father-in- law and discuss this matter.”
Reb Yisroel’s father-in-law had been deceived by an unscrupulous, traveling darshan (speaker). The darshan had come to town and realized the rich man's great despair because his daughter had been deserted by her husband. So he approached the girl’s father and said, “In my travels, I’ve met your son- in-law and we became friends. I’m quite sure that I can get him to divorce your daughter. Just give me power of attorney to act on your behalf and I will take care of everything.”
“That would be wonderful! And you can be sure that I will pay you well for your kindness,” the rich man told the darshan.
The darshan quickly traveled to another small town some distance away, where he was not known. There he found three men of questionable character and honesty who were willing go along with his ruse for a profit. The darshan then went to a Bais Din (Jewish court), claiming that he had recognized a man at the local inn who was sought for abandoning his wife. “His name is Yisroel and he refuses to give his wife a divorce. Her father has asked me to force him to give a divorce at any cost.”
The Bais Din was convinced by the darshan’s story. They had the man in the inn (one of the three conspirators) apprehended and brought before them. After some “coaxing,” the man admitted that he was the husband that had deserted his wife. Then, the two false witnesses (the other two conspirators) were brought to testify that they also knew the man to be the alleged Yisroel, the runaway husband of the rich man's daughter. The Bais Din managed to extract a divorce, which they gave to the darshan, having the power of attorney of the rich man.
The darshan returned to the rich man with the prized bill of divorce.
“How can I repay you for all your efforts?” the rich man asked.
“I do not want any money,” said the darshan. “I was just doing a kindness. However, I would appreciate the opportunity to introduce an eligible young man to your daughter. That is all I ask.”
The eligible young man just happened to be the darshan’s son, and he made a favorable impression on the family. The wedding date was set and plans were made.
Once the real Yisroel spoke to the town Rabbi, the Rabbi accompanied by the local police, marched to the rich man's home. The Rabbi explained Yisroel's story and accused the darshan and his son of fraud. The police promptly took the two scoundrels to jail. The rich man realized that he had been deceived but was very happy that the plot has been foiled in time. Yisroel found that his wife had meanwhile deeply regretted her unloving behavior towards her husband, and she begged Yisroel remain as her husband.
“And,” concluded the Belzer Rebbe, “they did live happily thereafter. Do you know why I told you this story?” he asked the two men before him. “You, Reb Anshel, and you, Reb Ezriel, were the two brothers and my son Eliezer was Reb Yisroel in a former life. You two owe him a great deal for the shame and discomfort he suffered. I suggest that you increase his share of the earnings and I am sure he will show you the books.”
The People Of Brisk Wait For The Rav To Start Kol Nidrei
One Yom Kippur as the people of Brisk waited to start the Holy Tefillah of Kol Nidrei, the Rav, Rav Binyomin Diskin the father of Reb Yehoshua Leib Diskin, was still not in Shul. This was very strange considering Rav Binyomin’s timeliness and his deep consideration for not causing Tircha DiTzibura.
The Gabbai was quickly dispatched to the Rav’s house to see what was causing the delay. Upon entering the house, the Gabbai was astonished to find Rav Binyomin sitting over a Mishnayos learning with his young son. “Moreinu ViRabbeinu,” said the Gabbai, “The whole tzibbur is waiting for the Rav to start Kol Nidrei and he is sitting and learning Mishnayos with his little child?!”
Rav Binyomin burst our crying and he said, “I made a Cheshbon HaNefesh for the Yom HaDin and realized that I need many zechusim to be acquitted in my Din. I searched for a great mitzvah powerful enough to tip the scales all by itself and I could not find a better mitzvah that sitting and learning with my young child.”
Parshas Beshalach: Rav Asher’le MiRiminov - How A Man Supports His Wife
One time a Chasid and his despondent wife came to Rav Asher’le MiRiminov. The wife claimed that her husband did not make a decent living because he was so worried about onaah, accurate scales, and every other minute halacha. The wife complained that he had no right to be such a big tzaddik while his wife and children were starving.
Rav Asher’le MiRiminov answered that the obligation of supporting one’s wife is derived from the passuk (Beshalach 16:16), “Ish laasher biohalo tikachu,” each man should take Man back to his home. The Man in the midbar, said Rav Asher’le was acquired with pure righteousness without the slightest trace of impropriety. Similarly in a Kesuba it is written, “Viafarnes yaschi bikushta,” I will support you honestly. A man is not responsible to break or even slightly bend the laws of honesty and business ethics as the torah prescribes it, to support his wife. The extent of his effort and obligation is where the legal bounds are drawn. The rest is up to HaShem. (Iturei Torah) [Reprinted with permission from www.Revach.net]
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Shemini Atzeres-Simchas Torah-Vizos HaBracha 5770
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Showing posts with label Sukkos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sukkos. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Sukkos 5770
שבת טעם החיים סוכות תש"ע
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Sukkos 5770
Sukkos and the World to Come
Introduction
It is fascinating that following Yom Kippur, we celebrate the festival of Sukkos. The Vilna Gaon maintains that the Jewish People in the wilderness receive atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf on Yom Kippur, and the building of the Mishkan commenced on Sukkos. Thus, the Clouds of Glory, which had departed because of the sin, retuned on Sukkos. In commemoration of the return of the Clouds of Glory, we celebrate the festival of Sukkos by sitting in a Sukkah. It would appear, however, that there is also a direct connection between Yom Kippur and Sukkos.
Sukkos protects us from the Evil Eye
One aspect of Yom Kippur that at times goes under the radar is the fact that after a day of judgment, we have been vindicated and HaShem has granted life. While this is certainly cause for celebration, and we rejoice on Sukkos, there is also reason to be concerned. We find that Avraham had brought his beloved son Yitzchak as a sacrifice at the Akeida (Binding of Yitzchak) and Yitzchak remained alive. The Rishonim write that Avraham was concerned that there would be an ayin hara, an Evil Eye, cast on Yitzchak. For this reason Avraham sent Yitzchak away. Some opinions maintain that Avraham sent Yitzchak to Gan Eden, and others maintain that he sent him to study in Yeshiva (Chizkuni Bereishis 22:19 citing Medrash HaGadol and Bereishis Rabbah 56:11. See also Daas Zekeinim MiBaalei HaTosfos Ibid). In a similar vein, subsequent to our miraculous existence following Yom Kippur, we reside in the Sukkah as an escape from The Evil Eye. Evidence to this idea is from the verses in Tehillim where it is said (27:1) LiDovid HaShem ori viyishi, by Dovid, HaShem is my light and my salivation. The Medrash states that the words “my light” refers to Rosh HaShanah and the words “my salvation” allude to Yom Kippur. Further on it is said (verse 5) ki yitzpineini bisukkoh biyom raah , Indeed he will hide me in His shelter on the day of evil. Perhaps this alludes to Sukkos, and it is referred to as the day of evil because of the Evil Eye that seeks to harm the Jew who was granted life on Yom Kippur.
The judgment on Rosh HaShanah is for an immediate taste of the World to Come
There is another aspect of Sukkos that is associated with Yom Kippur. The Gemara (Rosh HaShanah 16b) states that on Rosh HaShanah the righteous are written immediately in the Book of Life, whereas the wicked are written immediately in the Book of the Dead. Tosfos writes that life and death referred to in this Gemara refers to the World to Come. One must wonder, however, how it is possible that every year a person is judged heter he will receive a portion in the World to Come or not. Perhaps we can suggest that Tosfos is alluding to the festival of Sukkos, which is a semblance of the World to Come. Thus, the righteous are rewarded immediately following Yom Kippur with a semblance of the World to Come which is reflected in the festival of Sukkos.
The Shabbos connection
The idea of the World to Come is reflected in Shabbos, which the Gemara states is a semblance of the World to Come. Throughout the week we are under the influence of the forces of evil, and when Shabbos arrives, all harsh judgments depart. This year the first day of Sukkos occurs on Shabbos. We have a chance to reflect on our great fortune of meriting these two special days simultaneously, and HaShem should allows us to merit the coming of Moshiach and the life of the World to Come.
Shabbos Stories
Just one more blow
This is a heartwarming yet chilling story told by Rav Baruch Rabinovitch of Munkacs, son in law of the Minchas Elazar and father of the present Munkacser Rebbe about his late shver, zt”l, and his great Ahavas Yisroel despite his reputation as a "firebrand."
Reb Baruch had a son named Tzvi Nosson Dovid. The Minchas Elazar would call him Tzvi, whereas his father would call him “Dov’che.” He was named Tzvi after the Minchas Elazar’s father and he was named Nosson Dovid after Reb Baruch’s father. For various reasons, Reb Baruch was separated from his wife for a long period of time and he lived in Warsaw. The Minchas Elazar finally sent his daughter to go live with her husband in Warsaw, but after three months the Minchas Elazar became ill with cancer and he begged them to come back, which they did. Reb Boruch would say that his father in law loved his dear grandchild in an “exaggerated way,” considering that his daughter waited for a long time to have that first child. The Minchas Elazar would play with and spoil the child, and Hershelle would sit on his zeide’s lap at the tish.
In the final year of his life the Minchas Elazar took the shofar on Rosh Chodesh Elul and tried the horn to see if it was in OK condition. Hershelle was in the room at the time and the little boy was visibly excited with the shofar and its sounds. Hershelle asked his zeide for “noch ein blooz,” one more blast, to which his zeide gladly obliged. From then on, for the next month, this became a ritual. Every day the Rav would blow once just for little Hershelle. On Erev Rosh HaShanah Hershelle was there waiting his daily blast, but he was disappointed. “Haint iz Erev Rosh HaShanah, Haint bloozt men nisht, morgen vet men bloozen asach mool in shil,” his zeide told him (today is Rosh HaShanah, today we do not blow, but tomorrow we will blow many time sin shul). The child, however, knew no Chochmes. Hershelle kicked and screamed, telling his zeide “Nor Ein Blooz! Nor Ein Blooz!” (just one more blow, just one more blow). After a while his zeide had rachmones (compassion) on his favorite eynikel (grandchild) and he took the shofar and blew one blooz (blast).
The minhag in Munkacs was that the Rav spoke on Rosh HaShanah before Tekios. That year the Rav went up before the Aron Kodesh, opened the ark and said: “Ribono Shel Olam, Ich darf tshiveh tuhn, ich hub over geven af an halacha. (Master of the world, I must repent, as I violated the halacha). It is written that on Erev Rosh HaShanah one must not blow shofar. Nonetheless, I violated this halacha and blew shofar. The Minchas Elazar began to sob uncontrollably and called out: “Ribono shel Olam, do you know why I transgressed that Halacha? It was because my young grandchild lay on the floor and begged me and cried that I should only blow one blooz for him. My heart melted, and since I could not bear to watch him cry like that, I blew once for him. I did this despite the fact that I should not have. Tatte, how can You stand by and see how millions of your children are down on the floor and cry out to you, “Tatte eyn blooz -TeKa Bishofar Gadol LeChayruseynu (one blast, blow a great Shofar to heard our freedom). Perhaps the time is not right for it yet, as the time for Moshiach has yet to arrive, but your children cry out to you, how can you stand idly by?!”
When Reb Baruch told the story, he cried. Reb Baruch then recounted how at the time that the crowd cried along with the Rav, the Tekios were delayed, and for a long time they could not come to themselves, and loud wailing was heard throughout the shul.”
How much for the esrog and how much for the stereo?
Rabbi Yisroel Ciner writes: Rav Sholom Schwadron zt”l would tell the following story about Rav Levi Yitzchak, the Berditchiver Rav. (Found in “Around the Maggid’s Table”.) It offers a sharp insight into the way that our actions are assessed.
One Yom Kippur night, the crowd in the Berditchev shul (synagogue) waited for the chazzan (prayer leader) to begin the holy Kol Nidrei prayers. The Rav motioned to the chazzan, requesting that he wait. All quietly awaited the Rav’s signal to begin but he was immersed deeply in thought. The minutes passed by with people wondering why the Rav was waiting. He was clearly not yet ready to begin.
Soon he turned to his shamash (attendant) and asked if Muttel from the town of Zhitomer was there. All of those within earshot wondered what the Rav might want from Muttel. Scanning the large crowd, the attendant found Muttel, the plain, poor, simple Jew from Zhitomer, sitting off to the side.
“Yes,” the attendant responded, “Muttel is here.” The Rav asked that Muttel be summoned. As soon as Muttel was brought, the Rav began to question him. “Tell me, don’t you live on the land owned by Vladik (a gentile landowner)?” “Yes,” answered the surprised Muttel. “Does Vladik own a dog?” continued the Rav. “Yes,” answered Muttel again, wondering what this information had to do with the Yom Kippur prayers. “Do you know the amount of money that he spent on the dog?” persisted the Rav. “I do,” said Muttel. “He always brags that he spent four hundred rubles to acquire that rare dog.” The Rav was thrilled. “Four hundred rubles? That’s fantastic!” To the astonishment of all those assembled, the Rav, having been supplied with this information about Vladik’s dog, was now ready to begin Kol Nidrei. He motioned to the chazzan to begin.
After the Tefillos (prayers) were completed, a group approached the Rav inquiring about his discussion with Muttel. The Berditchiver smiled and explained. “This year, an incident occurred which troubled me. A poor teacher came to Berditchev from a distant town. Being in debt, he was planning to tutor children, save the money and then return home to pay his creditors. He was here for almost a year and he earned the money he needed and began his return trip. One fateful night, as he slept at an inn, the bag with his hard-earned money was stolen. In the morning, when he realized what had happened, he broke down in tears. A whole years worth of effort had been stolen. Staying at the same inn was Vladik. Hearing the heart-wrenching cries of the teacher he inquired as to what had happened. Upon hearing the story, he approached the teacher, asking him how much money had been stolen. Hearing the sum of four hundred rubles, he immediately removed that amount from his wallet and handed it to the amazed and thankful teacher.
“As we were about to start Kol Nidrei, that incident worried me. How could we hope that HaShem would view us favorably? Who amongst us had performed an act as generous and kind as that of Vladik?
“Then I remembered the dog. I had heard that he had spent a large sum on a pet but I didn't know how much. When Muttel told me that it had been four hundred rubles, I was at ease. That amount clearly didn't mean all that much to him. His helping the teacher was an act of kindness but not an act of sacrifice. I felt we could start Kol Nidrei.”
Rav Sholom then continued. “We’re proud when we spend $50 on an esrog, or we give $250 to tzedakah, or we spend $500 on Tefillin. Beautiful! But how much was the stereo? How much was the computer? Perhaps the money spent on the mitzvah wasn't really the sacrifice that we believed it was. If we spend freely on our material objects then we must also spend freely on our spiritual objects.”
An Esrog from Gan Eden
Rabbi Ciner writes further: On the first morning of Sukkos Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk was intrigued by a scent in the shul’s air. After the Tefillah, he began to investigate the esrogim of the congregants. He wasn’t at ease until he had smelled the small, simple esrog of a stranger sitting in the corner. "Where did you acquire this esrog? It has the scent of Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden)!
The guest hesitantly told the following story. “I don’t make a lot of money but every year I save enough to buy an expensive esrog. This year, I took the fifty gulden I had saved and traveled to Lemberg in search of a beautiful esrog. At one of my lodgings, I heard a commotion downstairs. A burly man was begging the innkeeper to help him. He was a wagon-driver and his horse had broken his leg. The innkeeper had a horse for sale for fifty gulden which was far beyond the means of the wagon-driver. I approached the innkeeper and offered to pay him forty five gulden for the horse. He agreed and I handed the reins over to the wagon-driver. With the remaining five gulden, I could only afford this small, simple esrog.”
Rabbi Elimelech now understood why the scent of Gan Eden was emanating from this esrog. He requested to hold such an esrog for a few moments.
He named her Lulava
Rabbi Ciner writes further: “In the Footsteps of the Maggid” tells of Rav Shammai, the head of the Chevra Kadisha (Burial Society). Whereas, outside of Eretz Yisroel, the Chevra Kadisha is primarily busy with the taharah (purification) process performed before burial, here in Eretz Yisroel, their duties also include gathering the remains of terror and battle victims and giving them a proper and dignified burial.
The story took place during the Yom Kippur war, when we were caught by surprise and attacked by Arabs on all fronts. For days after Yom Kippur and during Sukkos, Rav Shammai and his assistants would travel throughout the Sinai desert and southward toward Suez where they caringly tended to the bodies of the fallen.
On Sukkos, he had with him in his jeep his siddur (prayer book), his tallis (prayer shawl), his Tehilim (Psalms), his Lulav and his esrog. At every base, soldiers of all backgrounds would beg him to allow them to use these. He would stay as long as he could, sometimes delaying his scheduled departure for hours. Eventually, however, he had to tell the disappointed young men still in line that he needed to move on. He had been summoned elsewhere.
On the last day of Sukkos, Rav Shammai and his assistants were near the Suez. As he approached a newly constructed army base in the wide open desert, it occurred to him that, since he had already prayed with his lulav and esrog on that final day of Sukkos, he could leave them in the army base if he'd be summoned elsewhere.
Shortly after Rav Shammai arrived, a long line of soldiers began to form, awaiting their turn to use his lulav and esrog. As a crowd began to assemble, a young non-religious soldier, driving an ammunition truck, was making his way southward. Noticing a large crowd, he got out of his truck and made his way on foot to where the soldiers had assembled.
He came closer and asked what the commotion was all about. Another soldier explained to him that Rav Shammai had come and the soldiers were all waiting for an opportunity to use his lulav and esrog. The driver didn’t seem too interested in waiting around, but when one of the soldiers mentioned that it was the last day to perform the mitzvah, he decided to wait on line.
His turn arrived after a short period of time. Just as he was gingerly holding the lulav and esrog, a bomb tore into his truck. It exploded and set off multiple explosions of the ammunition on board. The blasts were so powerful that a crater was formed in the ground where the truck had been parked. Not even a shard of metal could be found from the demolished vehicle.
Three months later, Rav Shammai read a short notice in the army newspaper. This driver's wife had given birth to a girl. The announcement included a statement by the new father. "I believe with every fiber of my being that I am alive today and I merited to see my new daughter only because of the mitzvah I was doing at the time that my truck was bombed.” In thanks to HaShem he named his daughter Lulava. [Reprinted with permission from www.Torah.org]
An Esrog For Your Wife?
Rav Shalom Eisen, zt”l, was a Dayan and moreh tzedek in Yerushalayim more than fifty years ago. He was also known as an expert in the kashrus and hiddurim of esrogim and lulavim. As each Sukkos approached, hundreds of people would appear at his house to show him the arba minim which they purchased.
One year, an avreich approached him with a beautiful esrog, mehudar in all its aspects, to receive R’ Eisen’s approval. R’ Eisen examined it and then shook his head and said, “This esrog is not for you.” The avreich was astounded. He had delved into the halachos of the arba minim, and had spent a considerable amount of time purchasing such a mehudar esrog. Why was Rav Eisen telling him that this esrog was not for him?
He asked Rav Eisen, “Is there an halachic problem with this esrog? Instead of answering him, Rav Shalom asked him a question, “What do you do?” The avreich answered, “I learn in a kollel here in Yerushalayim.” “How much do you get paid?” The avreich answered him, and told him the exact amount of money he received from his kollel. “And how much are they asking for this esrog?” inquired Rav Shalom. The avreich answered that they were asking a considerable amount of money.
Rav Eisen said, “This is what I thought from the beginning. You are right; the esrog itself is mehudar. But if you listen to me, I would advise you to purchase a cheaper esrog, and with the remaining money, purchase something for your wife likvod Yom Tov. This is true kavod Yom Tov.” (Chayim Sheyash Bahem)
Rav Chaim Kanievsky - Before You Can Build A House
A young lady learning in a seminary in Binei Brak once came to the house of Rav Chaim Kanievsky for advice for herself and for her entire class. The girls in the class had gradually realized that something strange was happening with their class. Despite the fact that the girls were all of marriageable age and had long since started dating, not one of the girls from the class had become engaged. The girls’ friends from different classes or schools were beginning to marry and establish homes, but their class seemed to be stuck. The girls wanted to know what Rav Chaim’s opinion was on this, and what he advised them to do.
Rav Chaim said that since this phenomenon was affecting the entire class then it must have been a “group sin” and it was necessary for the class to contemplate what the sin was. He said that the two possibilities were that they insulted either a teacher or one of their peers.
The girl consulted with her classmates, and after discussing the issue, they reached the conclusion that they had not insulted any of their teachers, but it was very likely that they had hurt one of their peers.
One of their peers had an awkward appearance, and it was possible that the girls had treated her differently due to her appearance. No one had deliberately hurt her, but it seemed that her feelings had been hurt. The girls of the class sent a messenger to her with a request that she forgive them. However, to their surprise, the girl sent back a message that she does not forgive them!
The girls in the class realized that she had been seriously hurt, and the entire class decided to go to her house to appease her. While they were there, they promised her that they would personally become involved in finding her a suitable shidduch. A father of one of the girls also promised to pay the girl’s shadchunus fee up to a thousand dollars.
The girl was impressed by the girls’ effort and sincere teshuvah, and forgave them with a complete heart. Two weeks later, four of the girls were on their way to becoming engaged! (Barchi Nafshi)
Rav Elyashiv - 30 Minutes On Yom Kippur
When the family of Reb Elyashiv was sitting shiva for Rebbetzin Elyashiv, a Canadian Jew came to be menachem avel. He told them he came especially to be menachem avel as a sign of gratitude to Rebbetzin Elyashiv for helping his family during a painful and distressing period.
The man related that one of his daughters had veered from the path of Yiddishkeit, and abandoned every vestige of Jewish life. Eventually, she did the worst possible thing, and actually married a non-Jew. "Every effort we made to convince her that she shouldn't do this horrible thing fell on deaf ears," said the father. He added that he felt responsible for her descent, since it happened after he decided to leave Eretz Yisroel and move to Canada because of his difficulty in earning a living.
His daughter left Canada, and moved with her husband to Switzerland. Eventually, their marriage soured, and she and her husband separated. This took place at the beginning of Chodesh Elul. Immediately after Yom Kippur, the daughter suddenly died. The Rabbanim in Switzerland refused to bury his daughter in a Jewish cemetery since for years she had lived as a non-Jew in all respects.
The father continued his story in a broken voice, "I called Rebbetzin Elyashiv and requested that she ask Reb Elyashiv his opinion on the matter. R' Elyashiv asked what my daughter did on the last Yom Kippur of her life. I asked around the community in Switzerland, and I found out that she spent a half hour in shul that Yom Kippur. When Reb Elyashiv heard this, he paskened that she could be brought to kever Yisroel. The fact that she was in shul on Yom Kippur proved that her neshama was connected to the Jewish nation, and identified with the yearning for teshuva which Yom Kippur represents. (Aleinu Lishabeiach)
Rav Ezra Attia And The Unlikely Bird's Nest
One day, Rav Ezra Attia, the Great Rosh Yeshivah of Porat Yosef (1885-1970), was giving over his daily shiur in Gemara to a group of talmidei chachamim and balabattim. The shiur that day was on Maseches Chulin, and the discussion was on the mitzvah of shiluach haken -sending the mother bird away before taking her eggs. Rav Ezra quoted the Gemara in Chulin which questions what procedure to use if one finds a nest on the head of a person. One of the participants commented in a scornful voice, “What kind of Gemara is this? Why does the Gemara discuss such an implausible scenario?”
Rav Ezra answered firmly, “Whatever is written in the Gemara is kodesh, and we are forbidden to doubt any of it, chalila.” The man remained silent, but it was apparent to the others that he was not satisfied and was skeptical of the relevance of this Gemara.
Suddenly, one of the rav’s talmidim, who had been absent for an extended time, entered the room. Rav Ezra greeted him warmly, “Sholom Aleichem! Where have you been? We missed you!” The talmid answered, “I was traveling for business reasons. Actually, I was in India - which is quite an interesting country.”
Rav Ezra queried, “What’s so interesting about it?” The talmid replied, “I saw strange things there that I’ve never seen anywhere else. Once, I actually saw a man sitting completely still under a tree with his arms folded. He sat in that position for three days, and on the third day, a bird landed on his head and started to construct a nest in his hair.”
“He didn’t send the bird away?” “No. He continued sitting in the same position without moving.” Rav Ezra smiled broadly. “That is quite interesting. We can clearly see that the Gemara does not ask about “implausible scenarios” and that ‘Moshe emes visoraso emes.”’
Rav Shlomo Kluger Stops The Malach HaMaves in Court
Rav Shlomo Kluger of Brod was known for his fierce opposition against the Reform movement, whose members called themselves Maskilim. The Maskilim began changing old-age customs, including the customs involving in burying the dead. They began transporting the niftar in a wagon, instead of the customary method of carrying the niftar in their hands and walking on foot during the funeral. When R’ Kluger became aware of this, he forbade any niftar which was carried by wagon to be brought to Kever Yisroel, Jewish burial. Instead, the niftar would have to be buried among non-Jews.
When the Maskilim heard about Rav Kluger’s decision, they started a court case against him in the non-Jewish court. The judge ruled that the dead should be transported in wagons until the case was heard. The heads of the Torah community came to Rav Kluger with heavy hearts, and told him about the judge’s decision. They asked him what to do when the next funeral became imminent.
Rav Kluger answered them, “I promise you that until the judge will legally allow us to continue with our custom, no one from the kahal in Brod will die!”
Three months passed, and not only were there no deaths during this period, but there were also no stillborns. When the court case was finally heard, the judge asked R’ Shlomo, “Bring me a proof from the Tanach, that the dead body is carried specifically in one’s arms. The Rav immediately replied, “It’s written in Parshas Vayehi, ‘And they carried Yaakov their father.’” The judge accepted the proof and said, “The Rav is right – that’s how it’s written, to carry in the hands and not in a wagon.” (Told over by R’ Yaakov Teitelbaum from his Rav, Rav Meir Arik) (Shaal Avicha Yeyegadcha) [Reprinted with permission from www.Revach.net]
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Sukkos 5770
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Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Sukkos 5770
Sukkos and the World to Come
Introduction
It is fascinating that following Yom Kippur, we celebrate the festival of Sukkos. The Vilna Gaon maintains that the Jewish People in the wilderness receive atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf on Yom Kippur, and the building of the Mishkan commenced on Sukkos. Thus, the Clouds of Glory, which had departed because of the sin, retuned on Sukkos. In commemoration of the return of the Clouds of Glory, we celebrate the festival of Sukkos by sitting in a Sukkah. It would appear, however, that there is also a direct connection between Yom Kippur and Sukkos.
Sukkos protects us from the Evil Eye
One aspect of Yom Kippur that at times goes under the radar is the fact that after a day of judgment, we have been vindicated and HaShem has granted life. While this is certainly cause for celebration, and we rejoice on Sukkos, there is also reason to be concerned. We find that Avraham had brought his beloved son Yitzchak as a sacrifice at the Akeida (Binding of Yitzchak) and Yitzchak remained alive. The Rishonim write that Avraham was concerned that there would be an ayin hara, an Evil Eye, cast on Yitzchak. For this reason Avraham sent Yitzchak away. Some opinions maintain that Avraham sent Yitzchak to Gan Eden, and others maintain that he sent him to study in Yeshiva (Chizkuni Bereishis 22:19 citing Medrash HaGadol and Bereishis Rabbah 56:11. See also Daas Zekeinim MiBaalei HaTosfos Ibid). In a similar vein, subsequent to our miraculous existence following Yom Kippur, we reside in the Sukkah as an escape from The Evil Eye. Evidence to this idea is from the verses in Tehillim where it is said (27:1) LiDovid HaShem ori viyishi, by Dovid, HaShem is my light and my salivation. The Medrash states that the words “my light” refers to Rosh HaShanah and the words “my salvation” allude to Yom Kippur. Further on it is said (verse 5) ki yitzpineini bisukkoh biyom raah , Indeed he will hide me in His shelter on the day of evil. Perhaps this alludes to Sukkos, and it is referred to as the day of evil because of the Evil Eye that seeks to harm the Jew who was granted life on Yom Kippur.
The judgment on Rosh HaShanah is for an immediate taste of the World to Come
There is another aspect of Sukkos that is associated with Yom Kippur. The Gemara (Rosh HaShanah 16b) states that on Rosh HaShanah the righteous are written immediately in the Book of Life, whereas the wicked are written immediately in the Book of the Dead. Tosfos writes that life and death referred to in this Gemara refers to the World to Come. One must wonder, however, how it is possible that every year a person is judged heter he will receive a portion in the World to Come or not. Perhaps we can suggest that Tosfos is alluding to the festival of Sukkos, which is a semblance of the World to Come. Thus, the righteous are rewarded immediately following Yom Kippur with a semblance of the World to Come which is reflected in the festival of Sukkos.
The Shabbos connection
The idea of the World to Come is reflected in Shabbos, which the Gemara states is a semblance of the World to Come. Throughout the week we are under the influence of the forces of evil, and when Shabbos arrives, all harsh judgments depart. This year the first day of Sukkos occurs on Shabbos. We have a chance to reflect on our great fortune of meriting these two special days simultaneously, and HaShem should allows us to merit the coming of Moshiach and the life of the World to Come.
Shabbos Stories
Just one more blow
This is a heartwarming yet chilling story told by Rav Baruch Rabinovitch of Munkacs, son in law of the Minchas Elazar and father of the present Munkacser Rebbe about his late shver, zt”l, and his great Ahavas Yisroel despite his reputation as a "firebrand."
Reb Baruch had a son named Tzvi Nosson Dovid. The Minchas Elazar would call him Tzvi, whereas his father would call him “Dov’che.” He was named Tzvi after the Minchas Elazar’s father and he was named Nosson Dovid after Reb Baruch’s father. For various reasons, Reb Baruch was separated from his wife for a long period of time and he lived in Warsaw. The Minchas Elazar finally sent his daughter to go live with her husband in Warsaw, but after three months the Minchas Elazar became ill with cancer and he begged them to come back, which they did. Reb Boruch would say that his father in law loved his dear grandchild in an “exaggerated way,” considering that his daughter waited for a long time to have that first child. The Minchas Elazar would play with and spoil the child, and Hershelle would sit on his zeide’s lap at the tish.
In the final year of his life the Minchas Elazar took the shofar on Rosh Chodesh Elul and tried the horn to see if it was in OK condition. Hershelle was in the room at the time and the little boy was visibly excited with the shofar and its sounds. Hershelle asked his zeide for “noch ein blooz,” one more blast, to which his zeide gladly obliged. From then on, for the next month, this became a ritual. Every day the Rav would blow once just for little Hershelle. On Erev Rosh HaShanah Hershelle was there waiting his daily blast, but he was disappointed. “Haint iz Erev Rosh HaShanah, Haint bloozt men nisht, morgen vet men bloozen asach mool in shil,” his zeide told him (today is Rosh HaShanah, today we do not blow, but tomorrow we will blow many time sin shul). The child, however, knew no Chochmes. Hershelle kicked and screamed, telling his zeide “Nor Ein Blooz! Nor Ein Blooz!” (just one more blow, just one more blow). After a while his zeide had rachmones (compassion) on his favorite eynikel (grandchild) and he took the shofar and blew one blooz (blast).
The minhag in Munkacs was that the Rav spoke on Rosh HaShanah before Tekios. That year the Rav went up before the Aron Kodesh, opened the ark and said: “Ribono Shel Olam, Ich darf tshiveh tuhn, ich hub over geven af an halacha. (Master of the world, I must repent, as I violated the halacha). It is written that on Erev Rosh HaShanah one must not blow shofar. Nonetheless, I violated this halacha and blew shofar. The Minchas Elazar began to sob uncontrollably and called out: “Ribono shel Olam, do you know why I transgressed that Halacha? It was because my young grandchild lay on the floor and begged me and cried that I should only blow one blooz for him. My heart melted, and since I could not bear to watch him cry like that, I blew once for him. I did this despite the fact that I should not have. Tatte, how can You stand by and see how millions of your children are down on the floor and cry out to you, “Tatte eyn blooz -TeKa Bishofar Gadol LeChayruseynu (one blast, blow a great Shofar to heard our freedom). Perhaps the time is not right for it yet, as the time for Moshiach has yet to arrive, but your children cry out to you, how can you stand idly by?!”
When Reb Baruch told the story, he cried. Reb Baruch then recounted how at the time that the crowd cried along with the Rav, the Tekios were delayed, and for a long time they could not come to themselves, and loud wailing was heard throughout the shul.”
How much for the esrog and how much for the stereo?
Rabbi Yisroel Ciner writes: Rav Sholom Schwadron zt”l would tell the following story about Rav Levi Yitzchak, the Berditchiver Rav. (Found in “Around the Maggid’s Table”.) It offers a sharp insight into the way that our actions are assessed.
One Yom Kippur night, the crowd in the Berditchev shul (synagogue) waited for the chazzan (prayer leader) to begin the holy Kol Nidrei prayers. The Rav motioned to the chazzan, requesting that he wait. All quietly awaited the Rav’s signal to begin but he was immersed deeply in thought. The minutes passed by with people wondering why the Rav was waiting. He was clearly not yet ready to begin.
Soon he turned to his shamash (attendant) and asked if Muttel from the town of Zhitomer was there. All of those within earshot wondered what the Rav might want from Muttel. Scanning the large crowd, the attendant found Muttel, the plain, poor, simple Jew from Zhitomer, sitting off to the side.
“Yes,” the attendant responded, “Muttel is here.” The Rav asked that Muttel be summoned. As soon as Muttel was brought, the Rav began to question him. “Tell me, don’t you live on the land owned by Vladik (a gentile landowner)?” “Yes,” answered the surprised Muttel. “Does Vladik own a dog?” continued the Rav. “Yes,” answered Muttel again, wondering what this information had to do with the Yom Kippur prayers. “Do you know the amount of money that he spent on the dog?” persisted the Rav. “I do,” said Muttel. “He always brags that he spent four hundred rubles to acquire that rare dog.” The Rav was thrilled. “Four hundred rubles? That’s fantastic!” To the astonishment of all those assembled, the Rav, having been supplied with this information about Vladik’s dog, was now ready to begin Kol Nidrei. He motioned to the chazzan to begin.
After the Tefillos (prayers) were completed, a group approached the Rav inquiring about his discussion with Muttel. The Berditchiver smiled and explained. “This year, an incident occurred which troubled me. A poor teacher came to Berditchev from a distant town. Being in debt, he was planning to tutor children, save the money and then return home to pay his creditors. He was here for almost a year and he earned the money he needed and began his return trip. One fateful night, as he slept at an inn, the bag with his hard-earned money was stolen. In the morning, when he realized what had happened, he broke down in tears. A whole years worth of effort had been stolen. Staying at the same inn was Vladik. Hearing the heart-wrenching cries of the teacher he inquired as to what had happened. Upon hearing the story, he approached the teacher, asking him how much money had been stolen. Hearing the sum of four hundred rubles, he immediately removed that amount from his wallet and handed it to the amazed and thankful teacher.
“As we were about to start Kol Nidrei, that incident worried me. How could we hope that HaShem would view us favorably? Who amongst us had performed an act as generous and kind as that of Vladik?
“Then I remembered the dog. I had heard that he had spent a large sum on a pet but I didn't know how much. When Muttel told me that it had been four hundred rubles, I was at ease. That amount clearly didn't mean all that much to him. His helping the teacher was an act of kindness but not an act of sacrifice. I felt we could start Kol Nidrei.”
Rav Sholom then continued. “We’re proud when we spend $50 on an esrog, or we give $250 to tzedakah, or we spend $500 on Tefillin. Beautiful! But how much was the stereo? How much was the computer? Perhaps the money spent on the mitzvah wasn't really the sacrifice that we believed it was. If we spend freely on our material objects then we must also spend freely on our spiritual objects.”
An Esrog from Gan Eden
Rabbi Ciner writes further: On the first morning of Sukkos Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk was intrigued by a scent in the shul’s air. After the Tefillah, he began to investigate the esrogim of the congregants. He wasn’t at ease until he had smelled the small, simple esrog of a stranger sitting in the corner. "Where did you acquire this esrog? It has the scent of Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden)!
The guest hesitantly told the following story. “I don’t make a lot of money but every year I save enough to buy an expensive esrog. This year, I took the fifty gulden I had saved and traveled to Lemberg in search of a beautiful esrog. At one of my lodgings, I heard a commotion downstairs. A burly man was begging the innkeeper to help him. He was a wagon-driver and his horse had broken his leg. The innkeeper had a horse for sale for fifty gulden which was far beyond the means of the wagon-driver. I approached the innkeeper and offered to pay him forty five gulden for the horse. He agreed and I handed the reins over to the wagon-driver. With the remaining five gulden, I could only afford this small, simple esrog.”
Rabbi Elimelech now understood why the scent of Gan Eden was emanating from this esrog. He requested to hold such an esrog for a few moments.
He named her Lulava
Rabbi Ciner writes further: “In the Footsteps of the Maggid” tells of Rav Shammai, the head of the Chevra Kadisha (Burial Society). Whereas, outside of Eretz Yisroel, the Chevra Kadisha is primarily busy with the taharah (purification) process performed before burial, here in Eretz Yisroel, their duties also include gathering the remains of terror and battle victims and giving them a proper and dignified burial.
The story took place during the Yom Kippur war, when we were caught by surprise and attacked by Arabs on all fronts. For days after Yom Kippur and during Sukkos, Rav Shammai and his assistants would travel throughout the Sinai desert and southward toward Suez where they caringly tended to the bodies of the fallen.
On Sukkos, he had with him in his jeep his siddur (prayer book), his tallis (prayer shawl), his Tehilim (Psalms), his Lulav and his esrog. At every base, soldiers of all backgrounds would beg him to allow them to use these. He would stay as long as he could, sometimes delaying his scheduled departure for hours. Eventually, however, he had to tell the disappointed young men still in line that he needed to move on. He had been summoned elsewhere.
On the last day of Sukkos, Rav Shammai and his assistants were near the Suez. As he approached a newly constructed army base in the wide open desert, it occurred to him that, since he had already prayed with his lulav and esrog on that final day of Sukkos, he could leave them in the army base if he'd be summoned elsewhere.
Shortly after Rav Shammai arrived, a long line of soldiers began to form, awaiting their turn to use his lulav and esrog. As a crowd began to assemble, a young non-religious soldier, driving an ammunition truck, was making his way southward. Noticing a large crowd, he got out of his truck and made his way on foot to where the soldiers had assembled.
He came closer and asked what the commotion was all about. Another soldier explained to him that Rav Shammai had come and the soldiers were all waiting for an opportunity to use his lulav and esrog. The driver didn’t seem too interested in waiting around, but when one of the soldiers mentioned that it was the last day to perform the mitzvah, he decided to wait on line.
His turn arrived after a short period of time. Just as he was gingerly holding the lulav and esrog, a bomb tore into his truck. It exploded and set off multiple explosions of the ammunition on board. The blasts were so powerful that a crater was formed in the ground where the truck had been parked. Not even a shard of metal could be found from the demolished vehicle.
Three months later, Rav Shammai read a short notice in the army newspaper. This driver's wife had given birth to a girl. The announcement included a statement by the new father. "I believe with every fiber of my being that I am alive today and I merited to see my new daughter only because of the mitzvah I was doing at the time that my truck was bombed.” In thanks to HaShem he named his daughter Lulava. [Reprinted with permission from www.Torah.org]
An Esrog For Your Wife?
Rav Shalom Eisen, zt”l, was a Dayan and moreh tzedek in Yerushalayim more than fifty years ago. He was also known as an expert in the kashrus and hiddurim of esrogim and lulavim. As each Sukkos approached, hundreds of people would appear at his house to show him the arba minim which they purchased.
One year, an avreich approached him with a beautiful esrog, mehudar in all its aspects, to receive R’ Eisen’s approval. R’ Eisen examined it and then shook his head and said, “This esrog is not for you.” The avreich was astounded. He had delved into the halachos of the arba minim, and had spent a considerable amount of time purchasing such a mehudar esrog. Why was Rav Eisen telling him that this esrog was not for him?
He asked Rav Eisen, “Is there an halachic problem with this esrog? Instead of answering him, Rav Shalom asked him a question, “What do you do?” The avreich answered, “I learn in a kollel here in Yerushalayim.” “How much do you get paid?” The avreich answered him, and told him the exact amount of money he received from his kollel. “And how much are they asking for this esrog?” inquired Rav Shalom. The avreich answered that they were asking a considerable amount of money.
Rav Eisen said, “This is what I thought from the beginning. You are right; the esrog itself is mehudar. But if you listen to me, I would advise you to purchase a cheaper esrog, and with the remaining money, purchase something for your wife likvod Yom Tov. This is true kavod Yom Tov.” (Chayim Sheyash Bahem)
Rav Chaim Kanievsky - Before You Can Build A House
A young lady learning in a seminary in Binei Brak once came to the house of Rav Chaim Kanievsky for advice for herself and for her entire class. The girls in the class had gradually realized that something strange was happening with their class. Despite the fact that the girls were all of marriageable age and had long since started dating, not one of the girls from the class had become engaged. The girls’ friends from different classes or schools were beginning to marry and establish homes, but their class seemed to be stuck. The girls wanted to know what Rav Chaim’s opinion was on this, and what he advised them to do.
Rav Chaim said that since this phenomenon was affecting the entire class then it must have been a “group sin” and it was necessary for the class to contemplate what the sin was. He said that the two possibilities were that they insulted either a teacher or one of their peers.
The girl consulted with her classmates, and after discussing the issue, they reached the conclusion that they had not insulted any of their teachers, but it was very likely that they had hurt one of their peers.
One of their peers had an awkward appearance, and it was possible that the girls had treated her differently due to her appearance. No one had deliberately hurt her, but it seemed that her feelings had been hurt. The girls of the class sent a messenger to her with a request that she forgive them. However, to their surprise, the girl sent back a message that she does not forgive them!
The girls in the class realized that she had been seriously hurt, and the entire class decided to go to her house to appease her. While they were there, they promised her that they would personally become involved in finding her a suitable shidduch. A father of one of the girls also promised to pay the girl’s shadchunus fee up to a thousand dollars.
The girl was impressed by the girls’ effort and sincere teshuvah, and forgave them with a complete heart. Two weeks later, four of the girls were on their way to becoming engaged! (Barchi Nafshi)
Rav Elyashiv - 30 Minutes On Yom Kippur
When the family of Reb Elyashiv was sitting shiva for Rebbetzin Elyashiv, a Canadian Jew came to be menachem avel. He told them he came especially to be menachem avel as a sign of gratitude to Rebbetzin Elyashiv for helping his family during a painful and distressing period.
The man related that one of his daughters had veered from the path of Yiddishkeit, and abandoned every vestige of Jewish life. Eventually, she did the worst possible thing, and actually married a non-Jew. "Every effort we made to convince her that she shouldn't do this horrible thing fell on deaf ears," said the father. He added that he felt responsible for her descent, since it happened after he decided to leave Eretz Yisroel and move to Canada because of his difficulty in earning a living.
His daughter left Canada, and moved with her husband to Switzerland. Eventually, their marriage soured, and she and her husband separated. This took place at the beginning of Chodesh Elul. Immediately after Yom Kippur, the daughter suddenly died. The Rabbanim in Switzerland refused to bury his daughter in a Jewish cemetery since for years she had lived as a non-Jew in all respects.
The father continued his story in a broken voice, "I called Rebbetzin Elyashiv and requested that she ask Reb Elyashiv his opinion on the matter. R' Elyashiv asked what my daughter did on the last Yom Kippur of her life. I asked around the community in Switzerland, and I found out that she spent a half hour in shul that Yom Kippur. When Reb Elyashiv heard this, he paskened that she could be brought to kever Yisroel. The fact that she was in shul on Yom Kippur proved that her neshama was connected to the Jewish nation, and identified with the yearning for teshuva which Yom Kippur represents. (Aleinu Lishabeiach)
Rav Ezra Attia And The Unlikely Bird's Nest
One day, Rav Ezra Attia, the Great Rosh Yeshivah of Porat Yosef (1885-1970), was giving over his daily shiur in Gemara to a group of talmidei chachamim and balabattim. The shiur that day was on Maseches Chulin, and the discussion was on the mitzvah of shiluach haken -sending the mother bird away before taking her eggs. Rav Ezra quoted the Gemara in Chulin which questions what procedure to use if one finds a nest on the head of a person. One of the participants commented in a scornful voice, “What kind of Gemara is this? Why does the Gemara discuss such an implausible scenario?”
Rav Ezra answered firmly, “Whatever is written in the Gemara is kodesh, and we are forbidden to doubt any of it, chalila.” The man remained silent, but it was apparent to the others that he was not satisfied and was skeptical of the relevance of this Gemara.
Suddenly, one of the rav’s talmidim, who had been absent for an extended time, entered the room. Rav Ezra greeted him warmly, “Sholom Aleichem! Where have you been? We missed you!” The talmid answered, “I was traveling for business reasons. Actually, I was in India - which is quite an interesting country.”
Rav Ezra queried, “What’s so interesting about it?” The talmid replied, “I saw strange things there that I’ve never seen anywhere else. Once, I actually saw a man sitting completely still under a tree with his arms folded. He sat in that position for three days, and on the third day, a bird landed on his head and started to construct a nest in his hair.”
“He didn’t send the bird away?” “No. He continued sitting in the same position without moving.” Rav Ezra smiled broadly. “That is quite interesting. We can clearly see that the Gemara does not ask about “implausible scenarios” and that ‘Moshe emes visoraso emes.”’
Rav Shlomo Kluger Stops The Malach HaMaves in Court
Rav Shlomo Kluger of Brod was known for his fierce opposition against the Reform movement, whose members called themselves Maskilim. The Maskilim began changing old-age customs, including the customs involving in burying the dead. They began transporting the niftar in a wagon, instead of the customary method of carrying the niftar in their hands and walking on foot during the funeral. When R’ Kluger became aware of this, he forbade any niftar which was carried by wagon to be brought to Kever Yisroel, Jewish burial. Instead, the niftar would have to be buried among non-Jews.
When the Maskilim heard about Rav Kluger’s decision, they started a court case against him in the non-Jewish court. The judge ruled that the dead should be transported in wagons until the case was heard. The heads of the Torah community came to Rav Kluger with heavy hearts, and told him about the judge’s decision. They asked him what to do when the next funeral became imminent.
Rav Kluger answered them, “I promise you that until the judge will legally allow us to continue with our custom, no one from the kahal in Brod will die!”
Three months passed, and not only were there no deaths during this period, but there were also no stillborns. When the court case was finally heard, the judge asked R’ Shlomo, “Bring me a proof from the Tanach, that the dead body is carried specifically in one’s arms. The Rav immediately replied, “It’s written in Parshas Vayehi, ‘And they carried Yaakov their father.’” The judge accepted the proof and said, “The Rav is right – that’s how it’s written, to carry in the hands and not in a wagon.” (Told over by R’ Yaakov Teitelbaum from his Rav, Rav Meir Arik) (Shaal Avicha Yeyegadcha) [Reprinted with permission from www.Revach.net]
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Sukkos 5770
Is sponsored in honor of the Abraham family and Zeman’s Bakery of Oak Park, MI for all that they do for the community
I will be giving a class in Navi on Shabbos afternoon at Beis Haknesses HaGra 14561 Lincoln in Oak Park, an hour before Mincha.
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos and a Good Yom Tov
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler.
For sponsorships please call
248-506-0363.
To subscribe weekly by email
Please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com
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Thursday, October 30, 2008
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Parashas Noach 5769
שבת טעם החיים פרשת נח תשס"ט
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Parashas Noach 5769
Noach and Shabbos
Introduction
This week the Torah discusses Noach, a person who is depicted as a righteous person and who is saved from the Great Flood that destroyed the populated world. Noach appears to be a mystery, however, as the commentators and even the Medrash struggle to understand what it was about Noach that he merited salivation. One Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 29:1) even goes so far to say that Noach himself should have been destroyed, but he found favor in HaShem’s eyes and thus he was saved.
Question:
Why does the Torah elaborate on the sins of the Generation of the Flood?
Let us understand what occurred in the Generation of Noach and then we can begin to gain an appreciation for Noach’s salvation. The Medrash and the Gemara tell us that the Generation of the Flood was corrupt and immoral. Yet, we know that the Torah does not enumerate the sins of mankind just for the sake of running a daily blotter. The Torah is coming to teach us how to act, so what lesson is there for us to learn from the behavior of that generation?
Answer part 1:
Rashi in Devarim offers us a brand new perspective on the behavior of the Generation of the Flood.
There is an interesting Rashi that may pass under the radar screen regarding Noach and the people of his generation but it would seem that within this Rashi is the key to the whole puzzle. In the parasha of shema that we read twice daily, it is said (Devarim 11:16-17) hishamru lachem pen yifteh livavchem visartem vaavaditem elohim acheirim vihishtachavisem lahem vicharah af HaShem bachem viatzar es hashamayim vilo yihyeh matar vihaadama lo sitein es yevulah vaavaditem miheira meial haaretz hatovah asher HaShem nosein lachem, lest your heart be seduced and you turn astray and serve gods of others and prostrate yourselves to them. Then the wrath of HaShem will blaze against you; He will restrain the heaven so there will be no rain, and the ground will not yield its produce; and you will be swiftly banished from the goodly Land that HaShem gives you.
Rashi comments that from the fact that the Torah states that the Jewish People will be swiftly banished, we learn that HaShem will not tolerate the iniquity of the people. Why, then, did HaShem tolerate the misdeeds of the Generation of the Flood for one hundred and twenty years? Rashi answers that the Generation of the Flood did not have who to learn from, whereas the Jewish People had who to learn from.
Answer part 2
Two questions on Rashi in Devarim
This Rashi should strike us as puzzling. First, what does it mean that the Generation of the Flood did not have who to learn from? Were those people created wicked and without any conscience that we could say that they were helpless? Furthermore, Rashi tells us in this week’s parasha that HaShem instructed Noach to build the Ark for one hundred and twenty years so they should see him building it. When they would ask Noach regarding the purpose of the Ark, Noach would respond that HaShem was bringing a flood to the world and they should repent. How can it be said that they did not have who to learn from?
Answer part 3
Hashem only made a pact with the Jewish People.
The answer to this question is that although he Generation of the Flood could have learned from Noach how to serve HaShem, it would have been futile, because HaShem did not make a pact with that generation. In fact, it is noteworthy that it was specifically with Noach that HaShem made several pacts to ensure his survival. Regarding the Jewish People, however, HaShem had promised the Patriarchs that He would give them the Land of Israel, but this pact was conditional on the Jewish People observing the Torah. Were the Jewish People to violate this agreement, they would immediately be banished from the Land.
Answer part 4
Noach was only deserving of a pact for himself and not for his generation.
Rashi points out in the beginning of the parashah several contrasts between Noach and Avraham. One difference between them is that Noach needed HaShem to help him spiritually whereas Avraham was able to walk by himself. One must wonder, though, why there is a need to contrast Noach with Avraham. It would seem that the contrast is teaching us something regarding the reason that HaShem only saved Noach and not his generation. The explanation for this is that while Noach was seeking spiritual growth, he did not demonstrate a great concern for his generations or even for future generations. This idea is highlighted by the fact that the Torah states that he was a righteous and perfect man in his generations, i.e. he only was concerned for himself and not is generation or for future generations. Avraham, however, walked ahead, i.e. he was looking for the future of his generation. It was for this reason that Avraham prayed that Sodom and Amorah not be destroyed, as Avraham presumed that there would be some potential for good that would arise from the inhabitants of those cities. Hashem saw that Avraham was concerned for the people of his own generation and future generations, and HaShem specifically made a pact with Avraham, referred to as The Pact of the Parts.
Summary of answer
We have seen that Noach perfected himself but in a sense he abandoned his generation and future generations. Hashem will save a righteous person for his own merits, but the generation could not possibly be saved, as they did not have who to learn from. They could have watched Noach build the Ark and then reflect upon their misdeeds, but they could not learn from Noach how to save others. Although this may sound strange, the truth is that every person has a societal pull, and unless he sees people who are attempting to help others, it will be very difficult to help himself. Avraham, however, maintained that one has to be concerned about others, both in the present and in the future. It was for this reason that HaShem made a pact with Avraham only.
The Shabbos connection
What does Noach have to do with Shabbos? The Zohar states that Noach is in the category of Shabbos. In a simple sense this means that the word Noach means menuchah, rest, and Shabbos also means rest. On a deeper level, however, perhaps the association between Noach and Shabbos is that Shabbos is a part from the rest of the week. One must always seek to reach out to others, but at the same time one has to be careful not to be influenced by other’s misdeeds. In this regard Noach is compared to Shabbos, as it is logical to suppose that Noach did not wish to be influenced by their corruption and immorality. HaShem should allow us to reach out to our fellow Jews and to observe the Shabbos in a state of holiness and purity.
Shabbos in the Zemiros
Askinu Seudasa
Composed by the Arizal, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria
Seventy crowns excel the Patricidal blessing of fifty
Naaveid lihon kirsin bimilin yakirin bishavin aturin dial gabei chamshin, we will fashion them crowns with the precious words. With seventy crowns that excel the Patriarchal blessing of fifty. This passage refers to the seventy precious words of Kiddush which are crowns of glory fashioned for the spiritual worlds. These crowns rise above the blessings given to the Patriarchs, who were each blessed with the word kol, meaning everything, whose numerical value is fifty. Alternatively, I would like to suggest that seventy and fifty equals one hundred and twenty, and this alludes to Moshe who lived for one hundred and twenty years. The Zohar stats that although the Jewish People forfeited their crowns when they sinned with the Golden Calf, Moshe restores to us the crowns every Shabbos. Thus, by observing Shabbos we merit the crowns that we were rewarded with at Sinai.
Shabbos in Tefillah
The Jewish People are the purpose of creation
Lifichach yifaaru vivarchu laKel kol yitzurav, Therefore let all that He has fashioned glorify and bless G-d. It would seem from this passage that despite the fact that the celestial beings praise HaShem Who rested on Shabbos, the ultimate goal is that HaShem’s Chosen People should raise Him. We therefore declare here lifichach, therefore, as if to say that that the praise of the angels is what prompts us to praise HaShem, as the Jewish People are the purpose of creation.
Shabbos Story
Belief in HaShem
Rabbi Shimshon Sherer, Rav of Congregation Kehillas Zichron Mordechai, tells the following story. In a small town there was a severe drought. The community synagogues each prayed separately for rain, but to no avail. The tears and prayers failed to unlock the sealed heavens, and for months, no rains came. Finally, the town's eldest sage held a meeting with prominent community rabbis and lay leaders. “There are two items lacking in our approach, faith and unity. Each one of you must impress upon his congregation the need to believe. If we are united and sincere, our prayers will be answered!” He declared that all the synagogues in the city would join together for a day of tefillah. Everyone, men women and children would join together for this event. “I assure you,” he exclaimed, “that if we meet both criteria - faith and unity - no one will leave that prayer service without getting drenched!”
There was no shul large enough to contain the entire community so the date was set to gather and daven in a field! For the next few weeks all the rabbis spoke about bitachon and achdus (faith and unity). On the designated day the entire town gathered in a large field whose crops had long withered from the severe drought. Men, women, and children all gathered and anxiously awaited the old sage to begin the service. The elderly rabbi walked up to the podium. His eyes scanned the tremendous crowd that filled the large field and then they dimmed in dismay. The rabbi began shaking his head in dissatisfaction. “This will never work,” he moaned dejectedly. “The rain will not come.” Slowly he left the podium. The other rabbis on the dais were shocked.
“But rebbe everyone is here and they are all united! Surely they must believe that the rains will fall! Otherwise no one would have bothered to come on a working day!” The rabbi shook his head slowly and sadly. “No. They don’t really believe,” he stated. “I scanned the entire crowd. Nobody even brought a raincoat.” [Reprinted with permission from Torah.org]
Shabbos in Navi
Shmuel I Chapter 14
Shabbos is redeeming and the Evil Inclination cannot cause harm
In this chapter we learn how Yonasan, the son of Shaul, and his armor-bearer ascended to battle, the Plishtim and they were victorious. Subsequently, King Shaul issued an oath prohibiting anyone from eating while they were at battle. Yonasan, however, was unaware of the oath, and he tasted some honey. Shaul sought to have Yonasan killed but the people redeemed Yonasan as he had brought about salvation from the Plishtim. This chapter can be interpreted homiletically to be alluding to Shabbos. The whole week we struggle with the Evil Inclination, and at the end of the week we are famished for spirituality. It is considered praiseworthy if one goes hungry on Friday so he will enter Shabbos with an appetite. Once he enters Shabbos he is redeemed and the Evil Inclination no longer has a hold on him as with the onset of the Holy Shabbos all harsh judgments depart.
Shabbos in Agadah
Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh awaken a person
The Lev Simcha writes that in Kabbalas Shabbos we recite the words uri uri shir dabeiri, awaken, awaken, utter a song. The reason that the word uri is repeated is because this alludes to Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh. On Shabbos and on Rosh Chodesh the gates are open. Similarly, we recite the words hisoriri hisoriri, wake up! Wake up! twice, because both Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh awaken a person
Shabbos in Halacha
Pots removed from the blech on Shabbos
If one took off from the blech a pot on Shabbos with intent of returning it there, and then he unintentionally placed the pot down, he is allowed to return the pot to the blech. Similarly, if one raised a pot from the blech and his intention was to not return it, but he is still holding the pot in his hand, he is allowed to return it. As long as some of the last two conditions exist, he is permitted bidieved (ex post facto) to return a pot to the blech. One can only rely on this leniency in case of necessity.
Shabbos Challenge Question
Last week we posed the question: what is the significance of Shabbos Chol HaMoed? The Lev Simcha writes that on Shabbos by Mincha we recite the words Avraham yagel Yitzchak yiranein Yaakov uvanav yanuhcu vo, Avraham would rejoice, Yitzchak would exult, Yaakov and his children would rest on it. On Shabbos of Sukkos it is even more relevant that Yaakov and his children will rest in the Sukkah. Yaakov reflects the festival of Sukkos, so it is fitting that we say that Yaakov and his children rest on it.
This week’s question is, what is the association between Shabbos and teshuvah, repentance? If you have a possible answer, please email me at ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com and your answer will be posted in next week’s edition of Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim.
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Parashas Noach 5769
is sponsored anonymously
I will be giving a class in Navi on Shabbos afternoon at Beis Haknesses HaGra 14561 Lincoln in Oak Park, a half an hour before Minchah. I will be giving a class on the Agadata in Gemara Rosh HaShanah at Beis Haknesses HaGra on Sunday morning at 10 AM
New for this year is Doreish Tov, a daily email offering insights on that week’s Medrash Rabbah. To receive this publication please email doreishtov@gmail.com
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
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Parashas Noach 5769
Noach and Shabbos
Introduction
This week the Torah discusses Noach, a person who is depicted as a righteous person and who is saved from the Great Flood that destroyed the populated world. Noach appears to be a mystery, however, as the commentators and even the Medrash struggle to understand what it was about Noach that he merited salivation. One Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 29:1) even goes so far to say that Noach himself should have been destroyed, but he found favor in HaShem’s eyes and thus he was saved.
Question:
Why does the Torah elaborate on the sins of the Generation of the Flood?
Let us understand what occurred in the Generation of Noach and then we can begin to gain an appreciation for Noach’s salvation. The Medrash and the Gemara tell us that the Generation of the Flood was corrupt and immoral. Yet, we know that the Torah does not enumerate the sins of mankind just for the sake of running a daily blotter. The Torah is coming to teach us how to act, so what lesson is there for us to learn from the behavior of that generation?
Answer part 1:
Rashi in Devarim offers us a brand new perspective on the behavior of the Generation of the Flood.
There is an interesting Rashi that may pass under the radar screen regarding Noach and the people of his generation but it would seem that within this Rashi is the key to the whole puzzle. In the parasha of shema that we read twice daily, it is said (Devarim 11:16-17) hishamru lachem pen yifteh livavchem visartem vaavaditem elohim acheirim vihishtachavisem lahem vicharah af HaShem bachem viatzar es hashamayim vilo yihyeh matar vihaadama lo sitein es yevulah vaavaditem miheira meial haaretz hatovah asher HaShem nosein lachem, lest your heart be seduced and you turn astray and serve gods of others and prostrate yourselves to them. Then the wrath of HaShem will blaze against you; He will restrain the heaven so there will be no rain, and the ground will not yield its produce; and you will be swiftly banished from the goodly Land that HaShem gives you.
Rashi comments that from the fact that the Torah states that the Jewish People will be swiftly banished, we learn that HaShem will not tolerate the iniquity of the people. Why, then, did HaShem tolerate the misdeeds of the Generation of the Flood for one hundred and twenty years? Rashi answers that the Generation of the Flood did not have who to learn from, whereas the Jewish People had who to learn from.
Answer part 2
Two questions on Rashi in Devarim
This Rashi should strike us as puzzling. First, what does it mean that the Generation of the Flood did not have who to learn from? Were those people created wicked and without any conscience that we could say that they were helpless? Furthermore, Rashi tells us in this week’s parasha that HaShem instructed Noach to build the Ark for one hundred and twenty years so they should see him building it. When they would ask Noach regarding the purpose of the Ark, Noach would respond that HaShem was bringing a flood to the world and they should repent. How can it be said that they did not have who to learn from?
Answer part 3
Hashem only made a pact with the Jewish People.
The answer to this question is that although he Generation of the Flood could have learned from Noach how to serve HaShem, it would have been futile, because HaShem did not make a pact with that generation. In fact, it is noteworthy that it was specifically with Noach that HaShem made several pacts to ensure his survival. Regarding the Jewish People, however, HaShem had promised the Patriarchs that He would give them the Land of Israel, but this pact was conditional on the Jewish People observing the Torah. Were the Jewish People to violate this agreement, they would immediately be banished from the Land.
Answer part 4
Noach was only deserving of a pact for himself and not for his generation.
Rashi points out in the beginning of the parashah several contrasts between Noach and Avraham. One difference between them is that Noach needed HaShem to help him spiritually whereas Avraham was able to walk by himself. One must wonder, though, why there is a need to contrast Noach with Avraham. It would seem that the contrast is teaching us something regarding the reason that HaShem only saved Noach and not his generation. The explanation for this is that while Noach was seeking spiritual growth, he did not demonstrate a great concern for his generations or even for future generations. This idea is highlighted by the fact that the Torah states that he was a righteous and perfect man in his generations, i.e. he only was concerned for himself and not is generation or for future generations. Avraham, however, walked ahead, i.e. he was looking for the future of his generation. It was for this reason that Avraham prayed that Sodom and Amorah not be destroyed, as Avraham presumed that there would be some potential for good that would arise from the inhabitants of those cities. Hashem saw that Avraham was concerned for the people of his own generation and future generations, and HaShem specifically made a pact with Avraham, referred to as The Pact of the Parts.
Summary of answer
We have seen that Noach perfected himself but in a sense he abandoned his generation and future generations. Hashem will save a righteous person for his own merits, but the generation could not possibly be saved, as they did not have who to learn from. They could have watched Noach build the Ark and then reflect upon their misdeeds, but they could not learn from Noach how to save others. Although this may sound strange, the truth is that every person has a societal pull, and unless he sees people who are attempting to help others, it will be very difficult to help himself. Avraham, however, maintained that one has to be concerned about others, both in the present and in the future. It was for this reason that HaShem made a pact with Avraham only.
The Shabbos connection
What does Noach have to do with Shabbos? The Zohar states that Noach is in the category of Shabbos. In a simple sense this means that the word Noach means menuchah, rest, and Shabbos also means rest. On a deeper level, however, perhaps the association between Noach and Shabbos is that Shabbos is a part from the rest of the week. One must always seek to reach out to others, but at the same time one has to be careful not to be influenced by other’s misdeeds. In this regard Noach is compared to Shabbos, as it is logical to suppose that Noach did not wish to be influenced by their corruption and immorality. HaShem should allow us to reach out to our fellow Jews and to observe the Shabbos in a state of holiness and purity.
Shabbos in the Zemiros
Askinu Seudasa
Composed by the Arizal, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria
Seventy crowns excel the Patricidal blessing of fifty
Naaveid lihon kirsin bimilin yakirin bishavin aturin dial gabei chamshin, we will fashion them crowns with the precious words. With seventy crowns that excel the Patriarchal blessing of fifty. This passage refers to the seventy precious words of Kiddush which are crowns of glory fashioned for the spiritual worlds. These crowns rise above the blessings given to the Patriarchs, who were each blessed with the word kol, meaning everything, whose numerical value is fifty. Alternatively, I would like to suggest that seventy and fifty equals one hundred and twenty, and this alludes to Moshe who lived for one hundred and twenty years. The Zohar stats that although the Jewish People forfeited their crowns when they sinned with the Golden Calf, Moshe restores to us the crowns every Shabbos. Thus, by observing Shabbos we merit the crowns that we were rewarded with at Sinai.
Shabbos in Tefillah
The Jewish People are the purpose of creation
Lifichach yifaaru vivarchu laKel kol yitzurav, Therefore let all that He has fashioned glorify and bless G-d. It would seem from this passage that despite the fact that the celestial beings praise HaShem Who rested on Shabbos, the ultimate goal is that HaShem’s Chosen People should raise Him. We therefore declare here lifichach, therefore, as if to say that that the praise of the angels is what prompts us to praise HaShem, as the Jewish People are the purpose of creation.
Shabbos Story
Belief in HaShem
Rabbi Shimshon Sherer, Rav of Congregation Kehillas Zichron Mordechai, tells the following story. In a small town there was a severe drought. The community synagogues each prayed separately for rain, but to no avail. The tears and prayers failed to unlock the sealed heavens, and for months, no rains came. Finally, the town's eldest sage held a meeting with prominent community rabbis and lay leaders. “There are two items lacking in our approach, faith and unity. Each one of you must impress upon his congregation the need to believe. If we are united and sincere, our prayers will be answered!” He declared that all the synagogues in the city would join together for a day of tefillah. Everyone, men women and children would join together for this event. “I assure you,” he exclaimed, “that if we meet both criteria - faith and unity - no one will leave that prayer service without getting drenched!”
There was no shul large enough to contain the entire community so the date was set to gather and daven in a field! For the next few weeks all the rabbis spoke about bitachon and achdus (faith and unity). On the designated day the entire town gathered in a large field whose crops had long withered from the severe drought. Men, women, and children all gathered and anxiously awaited the old sage to begin the service. The elderly rabbi walked up to the podium. His eyes scanned the tremendous crowd that filled the large field and then they dimmed in dismay. The rabbi began shaking his head in dissatisfaction. “This will never work,” he moaned dejectedly. “The rain will not come.” Slowly he left the podium. The other rabbis on the dais were shocked.
“But rebbe everyone is here and they are all united! Surely they must believe that the rains will fall! Otherwise no one would have bothered to come on a working day!” The rabbi shook his head slowly and sadly. “No. They don’t really believe,” he stated. “I scanned the entire crowd. Nobody even brought a raincoat.” [Reprinted with permission from Torah.org]
Shabbos in Navi
Shmuel I Chapter 14
Shabbos is redeeming and the Evil Inclination cannot cause harm
In this chapter we learn how Yonasan, the son of Shaul, and his armor-bearer ascended to battle, the Plishtim and they were victorious. Subsequently, King Shaul issued an oath prohibiting anyone from eating while they were at battle. Yonasan, however, was unaware of the oath, and he tasted some honey. Shaul sought to have Yonasan killed but the people redeemed Yonasan as he had brought about salvation from the Plishtim. This chapter can be interpreted homiletically to be alluding to Shabbos. The whole week we struggle with the Evil Inclination, and at the end of the week we are famished for spirituality. It is considered praiseworthy if one goes hungry on Friday so he will enter Shabbos with an appetite. Once he enters Shabbos he is redeemed and the Evil Inclination no longer has a hold on him as with the onset of the Holy Shabbos all harsh judgments depart.
Shabbos in Agadah
Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh awaken a person
The Lev Simcha writes that in Kabbalas Shabbos we recite the words uri uri shir dabeiri, awaken, awaken, utter a song. The reason that the word uri is repeated is because this alludes to Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh. On Shabbos and on Rosh Chodesh the gates are open. Similarly, we recite the words hisoriri hisoriri, wake up! Wake up! twice, because both Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh awaken a person
Shabbos in Halacha
Pots removed from the blech on Shabbos
If one took off from the blech a pot on Shabbos with intent of returning it there, and then he unintentionally placed the pot down, he is allowed to return the pot to the blech. Similarly, if one raised a pot from the blech and his intention was to not return it, but he is still holding the pot in his hand, he is allowed to return it. As long as some of the last two conditions exist, he is permitted bidieved (ex post facto) to return a pot to the blech. One can only rely on this leniency in case of necessity.
Shabbos Challenge Question
Last week we posed the question: what is the significance of Shabbos Chol HaMoed? The Lev Simcha writes that on Shabbos by Mincha we recite the words Avraham yagel Yitzchak yiranein Yaakov uvanav yanuhcu vo, Avraham would rejoice, Yitzchak would exult, Yaakov and his children would rest on it. On Shabbos of Sukkos it is even more relevant that Yaakov and his children will rest in the Sukkah. Yaakov reflects the festival of Sukkos, so it is fitting that we say that Yaakov and his children rest on it.
This week’s question is, what is the association between Shabbos and teshuvah, repentance? If you have a possible answer, please email me at ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com and your answer will be posted in next week’s edition of Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim.
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Parashas Noach 5769
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Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Sukkos 5768
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Sukkos 5768
Shabbos in the Parashah
This Shabbos is the festival of Sukkos, when we commemorate the fact that HaShem enveloped the Jewish People in the Wilderness with the Clouds of Glory. The Ksav Sofer raises a profound question. Why do we commemorate the miracle of the Clouds of Glory, whereas there is no apparent commemoration for the other miracles that HaShem performed for the Jewish People in the Wilderness? We do not commemorate the daily manna that HaShem proffered to the Jewish People and we do not commemorate the miracle of the well of Miriam that journeyed with the Jewish People for forty years. What is unique about the Clouds of Glory that we commemorate their protection of the Jewish People? To answer this question, we must understand the various miracles that HaShem performs for the Jewish People. There are certain miracles that HaShem performs for us that save us from danger. One example of such a miracle is when the Amorites hid in the caves of the mountains with the intent of ambushing the Jewish People. Hashem performed a miracle and the mountains joined together, thus crushing and killing the Amorites. A different type of miracle that HaShem performed for the Jewish People was the ten plagues in Egypt which served as a punishment for the Egyptians and simultaneously demonstrated that HaShem loves the Jewish People. The miracles of the daily manna and the well of Miriam demonstrated HaShem’s love for the Jewish People. The Clouds of Glory were a reflection of HaShem’s love for the Jewish People, but they also served as a protection for the Jewish People. Furthermore, the Baal HaTurim (Bamidbar 22:5) writes that while the Jewish People were able to see him, he was not able to see the Jewish People, as they were surrounded by the Clouds of Glory. It is noteworthy that the Medrash (Sifri) states that there were seven Clouds of Glory. We are biblically required to dwell in the Sukkah for seven days. Shabbos is the seventh day of the week. The Medrash states that all sevens are cherished and holy. Commemorating the miracle of the clouds of Glory is not merely a commemoration of a miracle. Rather, the Sukkah, which is symbolic of the Clouds of Glory, demonstrates how HaShem loves the Jewish People, and how we are distinct from the rest of the world. The Yaavetz writes in his Siddur that the greatest miracle of all time is that the Jewish People have survived all the exiles and all the persecutions. What better way is there to commemorate this miracle than by celebrating the festival of Sukkos? The word Sukkah is normally translated as covering. Alternatively, the word Sukkah is derived from the word sach, which means to look (See Rashi Bereishis 11:29). This interpretation reflects on the dual functionality of Sukkos. One aspect of the Sukkah is that we conceal ourselves in the Sukkah, as the Sukkah reflects HaShem’s protection of us from the outside world. On the other hand, however, the Sukkah demonstrates how after Yom Kippur HaShem grants us a new perspective on life, where we can actually “see” the Clouds of Glory. Similarly, Shabbos is a day when HaShem shows His love for the Jewish People. Additionally, as we recite in the Shabbos Shacharis prayers, HaShem did not prefer the Shabbos to the nations of the world. Rather, Hashem gave it with love to the Jewish People, whom He has chosen. Sukkos and Shabbos both reflect on HaShem’s love for the Jewish People, and that are distinct from the nations of the world. Let us use this Divine opportunity to study HaShem’s Torah, perform the unique mitzvos of dwelling in the Sukkah and taking the Four Species, and then HaShem will allow us to merit what is said (Amos 9: 11) bayom hahu akim es Sukkas Dovid hanofeles, on that day I will establish the booth of Dovid that is fallen, with the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily in our days.
Shabbos in the Zemiros
Ribbon kol HaOlamim
Published in 5401 (1641)
Melech yachid umeyuchad, King Who is unique and Whose uniqueness is proclaimed. One must wonder why we refer to HaShem as a unique king. Is not the fact that HaShem is the King of all kings sufficient praise? Why do we need to mention that HaShem is unique? Perhaps the answer to this question is that it is not sufficient to declare that HaShem is the King of all kings, because this praise may merely indicate that the other kings have power and HaShem has more power. When we declare that HaShem is unique, which defines HaShem’s Oneness, we are declaring that HaShem is the only true king, and all other kings are merely a reflection of HaShem’s kingship in this world.
Shabbos in Tefillah
Ribbon kol hamaasim, Master of all deeds. What does it mean that HaShem is Master of all deeds? One explanation is that HaShem is Master of all of our deeds. The Sfas Emes writes that we are merely akin to an axe in the hands of a woodchopper. When we perform an action, we are not merely fulfilling HaShem’s will. HaShem Himself in His glory is involved in every action that we perform, and thus it is fitting to praise HaShem as Master of all deeds.
Shabbos Story
One year on Sukkos a German Jew ran into the Sukkah of Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, crying, “gevalt, Rebbe, my seven good friends have left me.” The gabbai of the Rebbe was disturbed by this strange behavior. Who was this person who was carrying on to the Rebbe about having been forsaken by his seven good friends? Although the gabbai attempted to chase the man away, the Rebbe intervened and whispered something in the man’s ear. The stranger was placated and he left in a joyous state. Some time after the Rebbe passed away, the Rebbe’s son Reb Eliezer became the new Rebbe. One year, due to health reasons, Reb Eliezer was required to be in Vienna for Sukkos. When the Rebbe entered the Sukkah of his host on the first night of Sukkos, he was amazed to see the seven holy Ushpizin sitting in the Sukkah. When the Rebbe queried his host regarding this phenomenon, the man smiled and said, “Rebbe, do you not recognize me?” I am the German Jew who burst into your father’s Sukkah one year, lamenting the fact that my seven friends had deserted me. Reb Eliezer now recalled the incident. The host then explained the entire story. “I was a diamond merchant and I dealt with precious and rare stones. It was my custom that every year in honor of Sukkos I would display my most exquisite jewel that I possessed in my Sukkah. If I were to come across a nicer jewel during the year, I would set aside the jewel that I had used the previous year and use the new jewel in my Sukkah. In the merit of this mitzvah I would merit having the Ushpizin grace my Sukkah every year. One year I designated a very special stone for my Sukkah. Subsequently, a powerful king in Arabia desired this particular stone for his crown. Initially I resisted all offers for the stone, but when they offered me ten times the value of the stone, I succumbed and sold the stone. That year when I entered the Sukkah, I nearly fainted when I did not see the Holy Ushpizin. I understood that I was being punished for having sold the precious jewel. I was very depressed that Sukkos, until a friend of mine suggested that I ask the advice of the holy Berditchev. The Rebbe calmed me down and told me that if I were to accept on myself to adhere to my custom and not sell the stone I set aside for any price, the Ushpizin would return. And, the host said with a smile, “you see with your own eyes that the blessing of the Rebbe came true.” The host then invited the new Rebbe to recite Kiddush in the presence of the seven distinguished guests.
Shabbos in Navi
Yehoshua Chapter 4
In this chapter HaShem instructs Yehoshua to choose twelve men, one from each tribe, and that each man should remove one stone from the middle of the Jordan River and carry the stone across the river and set the stone in their place of lodging. The purpose of removing these stones was so that future generations will know that the waters of the Jordan River were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of HaShem. After following the instructions of Yehoshua, Yehoshua erected twelve other stones in the Jordan River and they remained there until this day. We have written previously that Tzadok HaKohen from Lublin writes that the commandment regarding Shabbos observance is mentioned twelve times in the Torah. We know that there are twenty-four chapters in Maseches Shabbos, and the Shabbos is compared to a bride, who is adorned with twenty-four jewels mentioned in the Book of Yeshaya. It would appear that the number twelve regarding Shabbos reflects the Jewish People, who consist of twelve tribes. Twelve reflects Shabbos, and twelve reflects the Jewish People, who function as the partner of Shabbos. Twelve and twelve is twenty-four, which is the number of jewels that the bride wears. When the Jewish People are married, i.e. in observance of the Shabbos, they are worthy of the jewels of the bride. This may be the explanation for the statement in the Zohar that on Shabbos, Moshe returns the crowns that the Jewish People forfeited when fashioning the Golden Calf. Although during the week our spiritual connection may not be as strong as we would desire, a Jew is automatically connected to HaShem and His Holy Shabbos.
Shabbos in the Daf
Kesubos 28a
The Mishna states that one can testify when he is an adult that when he was young, he went this far on Shabbos. This law refers to how far one can walk until he reaches the techum (the distance of two-thousand amos from a person’s Shabbos residence which he is permitted to travel on Shabbos). One of the most precious experiences that we can offer our children is the Holy Shabbos, when we spend time together as a family, delighting in the day that HaShem bestowed upon His Chosen People. These experiences will serve as good memories for our children when they grow up and they will be able to share their experiences with their children, thus continuing the tradition of observing the Shabbos faithful.
Shabbos in Halacha
Cooked noodles can be added to hot soup that is still in a pot (kli rishon) provided that the pot is first removed from the blech.
Shabbos in Numbers and Words
In the Shabbos Maariv prayer we recite the words ufros aleinu Sukkas shloemecha, and spread over us the shelter of Your peace. The word Sukkah (samach, kof, hey) in mispar katan, digit sum, equals thirteen. Shabbos reflects the Oneness of HaShem, so it is appropriate that we make this request specifically on Shabbos. The commentators write that the word Sukkah equals in gematria the Names of HaShem, which are HaShem and Ad-ony (91). This also reflects the Oneness of HaShem.
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Sukkos 5768
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Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler.
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Shabbos in the Parashah
This Shabbos is the festival of Sukkos, when we commemorate the fact that HaShem enveloped the Jewish People in the Wilderness with the Clouds of Glory. The Ksav Sofer raises a profound question. Why do we commemorate the miracle of the Clouds of Glory, whereas there is no apparent commemoration for the other miracles that HaShem performed for the Jewish People in the Wilderness? We do not commemorate the daily manna that HaShem proffered to the Jewish People and we do not commemorate the miracle of the well of Miriam that journeyed with the Jewish People for forty years. What is unique about the Clouds of Glory that we commemorate their protection of the Jewish People? To answer this question, we must understand the various miracles that HaShem performs for the Jewish People. There are certain miracles that HaShem performs for us that save us from danger. One example of such a miracle is when the Amorites hid in the caves of the mountains with the intent of ambushing the Jewish People. Hashem performed a miracle and the mountains joined together, thus crushing and killing the Amorites. A different type of miracle that HaShem performed for the Jewish People was the ten plagues in Egypt which served as a punishment for the Egyptians and simultaneously demonstrated that HaShem loves the Jewish People. The miracles of the daily manna and the well of Miriam demonstrated HaShem’s love for the Jewish People. The Clouds of Glory were a reflection of HaShem’s love for the Jewish People, but they also served as a protection for the Jewish People. Furthermore, the Baal HaTurim (Bamidbar 22:5) writes that while the Jewish People were able to see him, he was not able to see the Jewish People, as they were surrounded by the Clouds of Glory. It is noteworthy that the Medrash (Sifri) states that there were seven Clouds of Glory. We are biblically required to dwell in the Sukkah for seven days. Shabbos is the seventh day of the week. The Medrash states that all sevens are cherished and holy. Commemorating the miracle of the clouds of Glory is not merely a commemoration of a miracle. Rather, the Sukkah, which is symbolic of the Clouds of Glory, demonstrates how HaShem loves the Jewish People, and how we are distinct from the rest of the world. The Yaavetz writes in his Siddur that the greatest miracle of all time is that the Jewish People have survived all the exiles and all the persecutions. What better way is there to commemorate this miracle than by celebrating the festival of Sukkos? The word Sukkah is normally translated as covering. Alternatively, the word Sukkah is derived from the word sach, which means to look (See Rashi Bereishis 11:29). This interpretation reflects on the dual functionality of Sukkos. One aspect of the Sukkah is that we conceal ourselves in the Sukkah, as the Sukkah reflects HaShem’s protection of us from the outside world. On the other hand, however, the Sukkah demonstrates how after Yom Kippur HaShem grants us a new perspective on life, where we can actually “see” the Clouds of Glory. Similarly, Shabbos is a day when HaShem shows His love for the Jewish People. Additionally, as we recite in the Shabbos Shacharis prayers, HaShem did not prefer the Shabbos to the nations of the world. Rather, Hashem gave it with love to the Jewish People, whom He has chosen. Sukkos and Shabbos both reflect on HaShem’s love for the Jewish People, and that are distinct from the nations of the world. Let us use this Divine opportunity to study HaShem’s Torah, perform the unique mitzvos of dwelling in the Sukkah and taking the Four Species, and then HaShem will allow us to merit what is said (Amos 9: 11) bayom hahu akim es Sukkas Dovid hanofeles, on that day I will establish the booth of Dovid that is fallen, with the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily in our days.
Shabbos in the Zemiros
Ribbon kol HaOlamim
Published in 5401 (1641)
Melech yachid umeyuchad, King Who is unique and Whose uniqueness is proclaimed. One must wonder why we refer to HaShem as a unique king. Is not the fact that HaShem is the King of all kings sufficient praise? Why do we need to mention that HaShem is unique? Perhaps the answer to this question is that it is not sufficient to declare that HaShem is the King of all kings, because this praise may merely indicate that the other kings have power and HaShem has more power. When we declare that HaShem is unique, which defines HaShem’s Oneness, we are declaring that HaShem is the only true king, and all other kings are merely a reflection of HaShem’s kingship in this world.
Shabbos in Tefillah
Ribbon kol hamaasim, Master of all deeds. What does it mean that HaShem is Master of all deeds? One explanation is that HaShem is Master of all of our deeds. The Sfas Emes writes that we are merely akin to an axe in the hands of a woodchopper. When we perform an action, we are not merely fulfilling HaShem’s will. HaShem Himself in His glory is involved in every action that we perform, and thus it is fitting to praise HaShem as Master of all deeds.
Shabbos Story
One year on Sukkos a German Jew ran into the Sukkah of Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, crying, “gevalt, Rebbe, my seven good friends have left me.” The gabbai of the Rebbe was disturbed by this strange behavior. Who was this person who was carrying on to the Rebbe about having been forsaken by his seven good friends? Although the gabbai attempted to chase the man away, the Rebbe intervened and whispered something in the man’s ear. The stranger was placated and he left in a joyous state. Some time after the Rebbe passed away, the Rebbe’s son Reb Eliezer became the new Rebbe. One year, due to health reasons, Reb Eliezer was required to be in Vienna for Sukkos. When the Rebbe entered the Sukkah of his host on the first night of Sukkos, he was amazed to see the seven holy Ushpizin sitting in the Sukkah. When the Rebbe queried his host regarding this phenomenon, the man smiled and said, “Rebbe, do you not recognize me?” I am the German Jew who burst into your father’s Sukkah one year, lamenting the fact that my seven friends had deserted me. Reb Eliezer now recalled the incident. The host then explained the entire story. “I was a diamond merchant and I dealt with precious and rare stones. It was my custom that every year in honor of Sukkos I would display my most exquisite jewel that I possessed in my Sukkah. If I were to come across a nicer jewel during the year, I would set aside the jewel that I had used the previous year and use the new jewel in my Sukkah. In the merit of this mitzvah I would merit having the Ushpizin grace my Sukkah every year. One year I designated a very special stone for my Sukkah. Subsequently, a powerful king in Arabia desired this particular stone for his crown. Initially I resisted all offers for the stone, but when they offered me ten times the value of the stone, I succumbed and sold the stone. That year when I entered the Sukkah, I nearly fainted when I did not see the Holy Ushpizin. I understood that I was being punished for having sold the precious jewel. I was very depressed that Sukkos, until a friend of mine suggested that I ask the advice of the holy Berditchev. The Rebbe calmed me down and told me that if I were to accept on myself to adhere to my custom and not sell the stone I set aside for any price, the Ushpizin would return. And, the host said with a smile, “you see with your own eyes that the blessing of the Rebbe came true.” The host then invited the new Rebbe to recite Kiddush in the presence of the seven distinguished guests.
Shabbos in Navi
Yehoshua Chapter 4
In this chapter HaShem instructs Yehoshua to choose twelve men, one from each tribe, and that each man should remove one stone from the middle of the Jordan River and carry the stone across the river and set the stone in their place of lodging. The purpose of removing these stones was so that future generations will know that the waters of the Jordan River were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of HaShem. After following the instructions of Yehoshua, Yehoshua erected twelve other stones in the Jordan River and they remained there until this day. We have written previously that Tzadok HaKohen from Lublin writes that the commandment regarding Shabbos observance is mentioned twelve times in the Torah. We know that there are twenty-four chapters in Maseches Shabbos, and the Shabbos is compared to a bride, who is adorned with twenty-four jewels mentioned in the Book of Yeshaya. It would appear that the number twelve regarding Shabbos reflects the Jewish People, who consist of twelve tribes. Twelve reflects Shabbos, and twelve reflects the Jewish People, who function as the partner of Shabbos. Twelve and twelve is twenty-four, which is the number of jewels that the bride wears. When the Jewish People are married, i.e. in observance of the Shabbos, they are worthy of the jewels of the bride. This may be the explanation for the statement in the Zohar that on Shabbos, Moshe returns the crowns that the Jewish People forfeited when fashioning the Golden Calf. Although during the week our spiritual connection may not be as strong as we would desire, a Jew is automatically connected to HaShem and His Holy Shabbos.
Shabbos in the Daf
Kesubos 28a
The Mishna states that one can testify when he is an adult that when he was young, he went this far on Shabbos. This law refers to how far one can walk until he reaches the techum (the distance of two-thousand amos from a person’s Shabbos residence which he is permitted to travel on Shabbos). One of the most precious experiences that we can offer our children is the Holy Shabbos, when we spend time together as a family, delighting in the day that HaShem bestowed upon His Chosen People. These experiences will serve as good memories for our children when they grow up and they will be able to share their experiences with their children, thus continuing the tradition of observing the Shabbos faithful.
Shabbos in Halacha
Cooked noodles can be added to hot soup that is still in a pot (kli rishon) provided that the pot is first removed from the blech.
Shabbos in Numbers and Words
In the Shabbos Maariv prayer we recite the words ufros aleinu Sukkas shloemecha, and spread over us the shelter of Your peace. The word Sukkah (samach, kof, hey) in mispar katan, digit sum, equals thirteen. Shabbos reflects the Oneness of HaShem, so it is appropriate that we make this request specifically on Shabbos. The commentators write that the word Sukkah equals in gematria the Names of HaShem, which are HaShem and Ad-ony (91). This also reflects the Oneness of HaShem.
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Sukkos 5768
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Sunday, February 25, 2007
Derush on Chur karpas usecheiles
Here is a real Derush. Chur karpas usecheiles achuz bechavlei vutz veargaman al gelilei chesef veamudei sheish mitos zahav vachesef al ritzfas vahat vasheish vedar vesocheres. The word chur alluded to cheirus, freedom, i.e. the Exodus from Egypt. The liberation was from karpas, as the commentators writes that the word karpas is an acrostic for the words perech shishim, back-breaking labor of six hundred thousand Jews. Techeiles alludes to the death of the first-born, as Rashi at the end of Parashas Shelach writes that the word techeiles is derived from the word shikul (Taf in Aramaic and Shin in Hebrew are interchangeable) which means bereavement. Achuz is spelled aleph ches vav zayin. The ches alludes to the eight day of milah, as the Jewish People were circumcised upon their exodus from Egypt. The aleph and zayin spell the word az, which alludes to the Az Yashir that the Jewish People sang by the Sea. The words bechavlei vutz allude to the Medrash that states that what a maidservant witnessed by the Sea, even the great prophet Yechezkel Ben Buzi did not witness. The letters tzadi and zayin are interchangeable. Rashi quotes the Medrash that a maidservant witnessed what the prophets did not witness. The word bechavlei alludes to a group of prophets, as it is said (Shmuel I 10:5) vihi chevoacha sham hair ufagata chevel haneviim, it shall be that when you encounter a band of prophets descending from the High Place. The word veargaman can be scrambled to read ogeir man, they stored the manna, an allusion to the manna that the Jewish People received in the Wilderness. The words al gelilei chesef alludes to the giving of the Torah. The Gemara in Shabbos states that a certain Galilean expounded upon the receiving of the Torah. The word gelilei thus alludes to that Galilean. The word chesef alludes to the desire that HaShem had in giving the Jewish People the Torah. The words veamudei sheish allude to the Gemara in Shabbos 88a that states that it is said (Bereishis 1:31) vayehi erev vayehi voker yom hashishi, and there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Why does it say hashishi, the sixth day, whereas regarding all the other days of creation it is said echod, one, sheini, two? This teaches us that the whole world was suspended until the Jewish People accepted the Torah on the sixth day of Sivan. Thus, the word amudei, pillars, alludes to the idea that the foundations of the world were suspended, until sheish, the sixth day of Sivan, when the Jewish People accepted the Torah. The words mitos zahav vachesef, couches of gold and sliver, allude to the sin of the Golden Calf. The word mitah, translated as bed, can be read motah, which means falter, as it is said (Tehillim 94:18) im amarti matah ragli, if I said, “My foot falters.” This alludes to the sin of the Golden Calf, when the Jewish People faltered in their trust in Hashem, and they fashioned an idol of gold and silver. The next words al ritzfas bahat vasheish allude to the atonement for the Golden Calf. The word ritzfas is similar to ratzon, appeasement, as HaShem was appeared on Yom Kippur and He forgave the Jewish People for their sin. Furthermore, it is said (Yeshaya 6:6) vayaf eilay echod min haserafim uveyado ritzpah, one of the Seraphim flew to me and in his hand was a coal. Thus, the word ritzfas can allude to the idea that the path to repentance is by one having a fiery enthusiasm for mitzvos. The word bahat has the word hat, which means incline (see Tehillim 119:36) and this alludes to the idea that the Jewish People turned to HaShem with repentance. Then their sins became sheish, translated as linen, as it is said (Yeshaya 1:18) im yihyu chateiechem kashanim yalbinu, if your sins are like scarlet they will become white as snow. The word vedar is similar to the word deror, which means freedom. On Yom Kippur HaShem forgave the Jewish People and they were so to speak free again, as the one who studies Torah is truly a free man. The word vesocheres can allude to Sukkos, which is referred to in the Torah (Shemos 34:22) as the tekufas hashanah, the changing of the year. The sefarim write that the word tekufah alludes to the hakafos, circles that we perform at Simchas Bais Hashoeva and on Simchas Torah. The word vesocheres contains the root word sochar, which in Aramaic means circle. According to the Vilna Gaon, HaShem restored the Clouds of Glory on Sukkos, and this was another sign that the Jewish People had gained atonement. The word for atonement is mechilah, and another word for circle dances is machol (see Gemara end of Taanis). Thus, this entire verse alludes to the time period beginning with the Exodus from Egypt through Yom Kippur when the Jewish People gained atonement for their sin with the Golden Calf. I would just like to add that I saw in the Maggid Meisharim, where the malach spoke to the Bais Yosef, a different approach in derush regarding this verse.
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