שבת טעם החיים פרשת בהר-בחוקותי תשס"ט
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Parashas Behar-Bechukosai 5769
Sustenance Torah and Shabbos
Introduction
In the difficult economic times that are currently prevalent, it is worth noting that this week’s parasha provides the solution. It is said (Vayikra 26:3) im bichukosai teileichu, if you will follow My decrees. Rashi quotes the Toras Kohanim that interprets this verse to mean, “if you toil in Torah,” then you will receive all the blessings mentioned further on. The Medrash (Vayikra Rabbah 35:1) states that it is said (Tehillim 119:59) chishavti derachai vaashivah raglai el eidosecho, I considered my ways and returned my feet to Your testimonies. Dovid HaMelech said, “Master of the world! Every day I calculated where I would go, and my feet brought me of their own accord to the synagogues and study halls.” This is what is meant when it is said “and returned my feet to Your testimonies.”
Running to your sustenance or away from it?
The Pinei Menachem writes that it is said in the name of one of the Mussar giants that he once witnessed a person running. The mussar giant queried the person regarding his destination and the person responded that he was running to attain his livelihood. The Mussar giant asked, “how do you know for certain that the destination which you are running to is where you will find your livelihood? Perhaps your sustenance is right here and your running is distancing you from it.” The Pinei Menachem writes that perhaps this is the meaning of the Medrash that Dovid declared, “Master of the world! Every day I calculated where I would go, and my feet brought me of their own accord to the synagogues and study halls.” A person thinks that he will go after hours to grab more business in another place, when in reality, the opposite is true. One who enters the study hall to engage in Torah study is the one who really attains something.
Torah is primary and earning a livelihood is secondary
Let us understand this idea. HaShem certainly wishes that a person should make a living, and one never knows from which source he will earn his livelihood. How can a person then justify his time studying Torah if at that time he is really required to earn a livelihood? While there are no clear answers to this question, it would appear that even according to the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael (Brachos 35b) that one must study Torah and conduct himself in the ways of the world, ones thoughts should always be on returning to the study hall to engage in Torah study. Regarding Torah study it is said (Yirmiah 33:25) koh amar HaShem im lo brisi yomam valaylah chukos shamayim vaaretz lo samti, thus said HaShem: If My covenant with the night and with the day would not be; had I not set up the laws of heaven and earth. The Gemara (Pesachim 68b) understands that this verse means that if not for the Jewish People engaging in Torah study, the world would not have reason to be in existence. One can certainly admit that one was not created to earn a livelihood. Rather, earning a livelihood is a penalty for Adam HaRishon having sinned, and so that one should not remain idle. Thus, while one is required to earn a livelihood, his thoughts should always be on the true accomplishment in life, which is the study of the Holy Torah.
The Shabbos connection
The Medrash (Tana Divei Eliyahu) states that HaShem tells the Jewish People, “although you work during the six days of the week, Shabbos should be entirely Torah.” The Zohar states that the six days of the week find their source of blessing in Shabbos. It would behoove all of us to strengthen our Shabbos observance and toil in the study of Torah on Shabbos, and then HaShem will surely provide us with a proper livelihood, which we can use to serve Him even more.
Shabbos Stories
Good Shabbos to the trees
Rabbi Yissachar Frand writes: Rav Mordechai Gifter (1916-2001) related an incident involving the Ponovezer Rav (1886-1969). In a Shemittah year, the Ponovezer Rav went over to a tree, kissed the tree and said “Good Shabbos to you.” Just like there is a special day - Shabbos - on which we have to feel special, so too in Eretz Yisroel during the Shemittah year, it is Shabbos for the land.
There’s always a better tomorrow
Rabbi Eliyahu Hoffman writes: A teacher once told me: “Even when I get very upset at a student; even when I've had to punish him severely, and inside I'm burning at his lack of derech eretz (manners), I still smile at him and tell him “A gutten tug” before he leaves my classroom. I know tomorrow he’ll be back, and even though today was a total failure, tomorrow is another day, and hopefully a better one. But if he thinks that I’ve given up on him, why should he even bother trying harder tomorrow?”
Rabbi Hoffman writes further: It is told that, as an orphaned boy just past the age of bar-mitzvah, Yisrael Meir Kagan - later known as the Chofetz Chaim - studied in Vilna under a renowned teacher and mentor whose other disciples were four and five years his elder. Yisrael Meir’s great mind, it seems, came to the attention of the city's powerful Haskalah (“Enlightenment”) movement, which sought to introduce Yeshiva students to the world of secular culture. The maskilim ran a government-sponsored academy in the city, and they greatly desired to lure the young prodigy to join their academy. In his own quiet but determined way, Yisrael Meir resisted all their attempts.
On one occasion, the dean of the academy challenged him: “Do not the Sages state, of those who toil in Torah, ‘You are fortunate, and all is good for you! (Tehillim 128:2)’ – ‘you are fortunate in This World, and all is good for you in the World to Come! (Avos 6:4)’ Now, can you honestly tell me that this is so? So many Torah scholars live in abject poverty and deprivation! Where is the happiness? Where is the fortune?”
“Show me true toil in Torah,” the youth answered with quiet conviction, “and I will show you true happiness and fortune.” [For Love of Torah p. 151-152]
Rabbi Hoffman writes further: There’s another reason why our humble Torah and mitzvos may in fact be very dear in Hashem's eyes. The Chofetz Chaim used to explain this with a parable: In the early 1900’s, in a large Russian city, a grain merchant complained to the Chofetz Chaim about his difficulty making a living. At the time, there was an abundance of grain, and the Chofetz Chaim was surprised that with such favorable conditions it was hard to be successful.
“It’s a buyer’s market,” the merchant said. “There’s so much grain to be sold that the buyers pick and choose only the highest grade - and that at bargain prices. Plus, they force me to extend them credit, and it takes me forever to see my money. They leave me with all the low-grade produce, which I'm forced to sell for almost nothing to farmers and cattle-raisers for animal feed.”
Many years later, after WW1 had taken its toll, and food and produce were scarce, the Chofetz Chaim again met the merchant. “How’s business?” he asked.
“Rebbe, Baruch HaShem it’s great! There’s a severe shortage of grain on the market. Whenever I have grain to sell, the buyers line-up in anticipation. An ad-hoc auction ensues, and I’m able to sell my produce at a very handsome mark-up. They’re so desperate to buy that they don't even check the quality – they’re ready to take shipment immediately, sight unseen! And they pay up-front in cash. I make more today on one wagon-load of grain than I did years ago on a month's worth!”
“Do you hear?” the Chofetz Chaim used to tell people when he would relate this incident. “When there’s abundance, things are cheap and buyers are picky. But when there’s a shortage, prices are high and no one even checks to see how good the merchandise is! In our forefathers’ times - in the times of the Tanaim, Amoraim, Geonim, Rishonim - even the early Acharonim, there was a great abundance of Torah. Their minds were brilliant, and they had tremendous patience and discipline. Back then, only the purest Torah - that learned with a perfect heart and righteous intentions (lishma) - was acceptable.
“But in our times,” he would say, “there’s such a severe shortage of Torah and mitzvos that they’re ‘selling’ at massive premiums - and Hashem hardly even checks the quality of the ‘merchandise!’ ‘Just bring me all your Torah and mitzvos,’ He says. Nowadays, whatever a Yid can do has value we can’t even begin to estimate!”
A learned Talmid Chacham once remarked to me, “Who can imagine the sechar (reward) for those who choose to dedicate their lives to Torah study in our times, when there’s so much out there to distract and divert, and when true dedication and commitment are such rare qualities.” Our mitzvos may indeed pale in comparison to the deeds of earlier generations, but when there's a shortage in the market, and we’ve got the merchandise, we’d be fools not to maximize our leverage and “sell” whatever we possibly can.
[Reprinted with permission from www.Torah.org]
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Parashas Behar-Bechukosai 5769
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 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
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Parashas Emor 5769
שבת טעם החיים פרשת אמור תשס"ט
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Parashas Emor 5769
Sticking together
Introduction
In this week’s parasha, the Torah informs us of the man who was a son of an Egyptian man and a Jewish woman, who blasphemed using the Name of HaShem. This man was sentenced to death by stoning. The Medrash (Toras Kohanim) states that the background of this incident was that this man sought to pitch his tent in the encampment of the tribe of Dan, and he was informed that the encampment was determined by the lineage of one’s father. In this man’s case, he was out of the pale, as his father was an Egyptian. The man then went to Moshe to adjudicate his case and he was found guilty, so he blasphemed by using HaShem’s Name.
The mekallel and the mekosheish were at the same time
What is the lesson that is contained in this incident? There is an interesting statement in the Medrash that at first glance does not appear to have any connection with the incident. The Medrash (Toras Kohanim Vayikra 24:10) states that the incident with the mekallel, i.e. the blasphemer, and the incident regarding the mekosheish, the one who gathered wood on Shabbos, were at the same time. The Baal HaTurim (Ibid) writes that this teaches us that one who desecrates the Shabbos is akin to one who denies the existence of HaShem. It would seem that there is another lesson that can be derived from the fact that incidents regarding the mekallel and the mekosheish occurred at the same time.
The encampment of the Jewish People in the Wilderness was one of unity
The encampment in the Wilderness was not merely a practical method of settling the Jewish People while they sojourned in the Wilderness. Rather, the Medrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 2:3) teaches us at the Giving of the Torah, that the Jewish People witnessed the encampment of the angels in heaven and they desired that encampment. Thus, the encampment of the Jewish People in the Wilderness was a matter of holiness and endearment. This was the encampment that the son of the Egyptian wished to become a part of. Ina addition to the fact that the encampment was determined by the paternal lineage, there was another element to this encampment. The aspect of this encampment that this man failed to appreciate was the fact that the encampment was to be akin to the encampment at Sinai, where the Jewish People encamped as one man with one heart, in unity. The son of the Egyptian, however, demonstrated with his behavior the antithesis of this ideal, and he stirred up controversy in the Wilderness. It was his contentiousness that ultimately led to his punishment by stoning.
The Shabbos connection
Shabbos is a time when the Jewish People, are all united, despite the struggles that we encounter during the week. It is noteworthy that it is said (Shemos 31:16) vishamru vinei Yisroel es haShabbos laasos es haShabbos ledorosam bris olam, the Children of Israel shall observe the Shabbos, to make the Shabbos an eternal covenant for their generations. The Zohar states that the word ledorosam can be read lidirosam, to dwell amongst them. This idea can be interpreted to mean that on Shabbos, we are all required to dwell together in unity. It is for this reason that the incident of the mekallel and the incident of the mekosheish are juxtaposed, to teach us how much one should distance himself from strife and quarrel, and instead to seek peace. Shabbos is referred to as shalom, and we should all merit observing Shabbos in unity and tranquility.
Shabbos Stories
Mitzvah Vigilante
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky writes: This past Thursday evening I went to be Menachem Avel (in the vernacular pay a shiva call) a friend, Rabbi Zissel Zelman, who was sitting shiva for his father. He is a Chicago native whose father, Rabbi Zelman, grew up in Chicago way before Torah Judaism had flourished there. Reb Zissel related that as a young man, his father would pass the newsstand every Saturday night after shul to pick up a paper. As he did not carry money with him, he had made an arrangement with the vendors to return on Sunday morning to pay the vendor.
Rabbi Zelman was not interested in the sports pages nor was he interested in the headlines. In fact he was not interested in the paper altogether. Rabbi Zelman bought the paper for his mother. She also was not interested in the sports or the news. She was interested in the dead. Every Saturday night she would comb the paper looking for announcements of tombstone unveilings that were to take place on Sunday at the Jewish Cemeteries. An unveiling is a time when people are charitable, and the elderly Mrs. Zelman would go to the cemeteries and raise funds from the gathered for Yeshivos in Europe in Israel. She would eventually turn the coins into bills and send the money overseas. A plaque hangs today in the Slobodka Yeshiva in Israel commemorating her efforts.
Rabbi Kamenetzky writes further: My grandfather, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky, of blessed memory, told me the story of how, as the Rav of Toronto, he was quickly introduced to a new world, far different than the world he was accustomed to as the Rav of the tiny Lithuanian shtetl of Tzitivyan, which he left in 1937. One of his congregants had invited him to a pidyon haben, a special ceremony and feast made when a first-born child reaches thirty days old and his father redeems him from the kohen for five silver shekels (dollars).
Entering the hall, Rav Yaakov was impressed by the beautiful meal prepared in honor of the event. He was reviewing the procedure, and the interaction with the Kohen that would frame the event, when the father of the child introduced Rav Yaakov to his father-in-law, a Mr. Segal. Suddenly, Rav Yaakov realized that there was trouble. If Mr. Segal was a Levite, as the name Segal traditionally denotes (Segan Likohen, an assistant to the Kohen), than there would be no need for a Pidyon Haben. For, if the mother of the child is the daughter of either a Kohen or Levi, then no redemption is necessary.
“Mr. Segal,” asked Rav Yaakov, “are you by any chance a Levi?” “Of course!” beamed the elderly Segal.
Rav Yaakov tried to explain to the father of the child that a pidyon haben was unnecessary, but the father was adamant. He had prepared a great spread, appointed a kohen, and even had the traditional silver tray sprinkled with garlic and sugar cubes, awaiting the baby. He wanted to carry out the ceremony!
It took quite a while for Rav Yaakov to dissuade the man that this was no mitzvah, and to perform the ceremony with a blessing would be not only superfluous, but also irreverent and a transgression.
(In fact, one apocryphal ending has the father complaining, “What do you mean, I don't have to make a pidyon haben? I made one for my first son and I'm going to make one for this son!”)
Ultimately, Rav Yaakov, convinced the man to transform the celebration into a party commemorating, his child’s 30th day entered in good health, an important milestone with many halachic ramifications.
[Reprinted with permission from www.Torah.org]
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Parashas Emor 5769
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 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 Emor 5769
Sticking together
Introduction
In this week’s parasha, the Torah informs us of the man who was a son of an Egyptian man and a Jewish woman, who blasphemed using the Name of HaShem. This man was sentenced to death by stoning. The Medrash (Toras Kohanim) states that the background of this incident was that this man sought to pitch his tent in the encampment of the tribe of Dan, and he was informed that the encampment was determined by the lineage of one’s father. In this man’s case, he was out of the pale, as his father was an Egyptian. The man then went to Moshe to adjudicate his case and he was found guilty, so he blasphemed by using HaShem’s Name.
The mekallel and the mekosheish were at the same time
What is the lesson that is contained in this incident? There is an interesting statement in the Medrash that at first glance does not appear to have any connection with the incident. The Medrash (Toras Kohanim Vayikra 24:10) states that the incident with the mekallel, i.e. the blasphemer, and the incident regarding the mekosheish, the one who gathered wood on Shabbos, were at the same time. The Baal HaTurim (Ibid) writes that this teaches us that one who desecrates the Shabbos is akin to one who denies the existence of HaShem. It would seem that there is another lesson that can be derived from the fact that incidents regarding the mekallel and the mekosheish occurred at the same time.
The encampment of the Jewish People in the Wilderness was one of unity
The encampment in the Wilderness was not merely a practical method of settling the Jewish People while they sojourned in the Wilderness. Rather, the Medrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 2:3) teaches us at the Giving of the Torah, that the Jewish People witnessed the encampment of the angels in heaven and they desired that encampment. Thus, the encampment of the Jewish People in the Wilderness was a matter of holiness and endearment. This was the encampment that the son of the Egyptian wished to become a part of. Ina addition to the fact that the encampment was determined by the paternal lineage, there was another element to this encampment. The aspect of this encampment that this man failed to appreciate was the fact that the encampment was to be akin to the encampment at Sinai, where the Jewish People encamped as one man with one heart, in unity. The son of the Egyptian, however, demonstrated with his behavior the antithesis of this ideal, and he stirred up controversy in the Wilderness. It was his contentiousness that ultimately led to his punishment by stoning.
The Shabbos connection
Shabbos is a time when the Jewish People, are all united, despite the struggles that we encounter during the week. It is noteworthy that it is said (Shemos 31:16) vishamru vinei Yisroel es haShabbos laasos es haShabbos ledorosam bris olam, the Children of Israel shall observe the Shabbos, to make the Shabbos an eternal covenant for their generations. The Zohar states that the word ledorosam can be read lidirosam, to dwell amongst them. This idea can be interpreted to mean that on Shabbos, we are all required to dwell together in unity. It is for this reason that the incident of the mekallel and the incident of the mekosheish are juxtaposed, to teach us how much one should distance himself from strife and quarrel, and instead to seek peace. Shabbos is referred to as shalom, and we should all merit observing Shabbos in unity and tranquility.
Shabbos Stories
Mitzvah Vigilante
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky writes: This past Thursday evening I went to be Menachem Avel (in the vernacular pay a shiva call) a friend, Rabbi Zissel Zelman, who was sitting shiva for his father. He is a Chicago native whose father, Rabbi Zelman, grew up in Chicago way before Torah Judaism had flourished there. Reb Zissel related that as a young man, his father would pass the newsstand every Saturday night after shul to pick up a paper. As he did not carry money with him, he had made an arrangement with the vendors to return on Sunday morning to pay the vendor.
Rabbi Zelman was not interested in the sports pages nor was he interested in the headlines. In fact he was not interested in the paper altogether. Rabbi Zelman bought the paper for his mother. She also was not interested in the sports or the news. She was interested in the dead. Every Saturday night she would comb the paper looking for announcements of tombstone unveilings that were to take place on Sunday at the Jewish Cemeteries. An unveiling is a time when people are charitable, and the elderly Mrs. Zelman would go to the cemeteries and raise funds from the gathered for Yeshivos in Europe in Israel. She would eventually turn the coins into bills and send the money overseas. A plaque hangs today in the Slobodka Yeshiva in Israel commemorating her efforts.
Rabbi Kamenetzky writes further: My grandfather, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky, of blessed memory, told me the story of how, as the Rav of Toronto, he was quickly introduced to a new world, far different than the world he was accustomed to as the Rav of the tiny Lithuanian shtetl of Tzitivyan, which he left in 1937. One of his congregants had invited him to a pidyon haben, a special ceremony and feast made when a first-born child reaches thirty days old and his father redeems him from the kohen for five silver shekels (dollars).
Entering the hall, Rav Yaakov was impressed by the beautiful meal prepared in honor of the event. He was reviewing the procedure, and the interaction with the Kohen that would frame the event, when the father of the child introduced Rav Yaakov to his father-in-law, a Mr. Segal. Suddenly, Rav Yaakov realized that there was trouble. If Mr. Segal was a Levite, as the name Segal traditionally denotes (Segan Likohen, an assistant to the Kohen), than there would be no need for a Pidyon Haben. For, if the mother of the child is the daughter of either a Kohen or Levi, then no redemption is necessary.
“Mr. Segal,” asked Rav Yaakov, “are you by any chance a Levi?” “Of course!” beamed the elderly Segal.
Rav Yaakov tried to explain to the father of the child that a pidyon haben was unnecessary, but the father was adamant. He had prepared a great spread, appointed a kohen, and even had the traditional silver tray sprinkled with garlic and sugar cubes, awaiting the baby. He wanted to carry out the ceremony!
It took quite a while for Rav Yaakov to dissuade the man that this was no mitzvah, and to perform the ceremony with a blessing would be not only superfluous, but also irreverent and a transgression.
(In fact, one apocryphal ending has the father complaining, “What do you mean, I don't have to make a pidyon haben? I made one for my first son and I'm going to make one for this son!”)
Ultimately, Rav Yaakov, convinced the man to transform the celebration into a party commemorating, his child’s 30th day entered in good health, an important milestone with many halachic ramifications.
[Reprinted with permission from www.Torah.org]
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Parashas Emor 5769
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 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
Friday, May 1, 2009
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Parashas Acharei –Mos-Kedoshim 5769
שבת טעם החיים פרשת אחרי מות-קדושים תשס"ט
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Parashas Acharei –Mos-Kedoshim 5769
Honoring ones parents and Shabbos
Introduction
In this week’s parasha, Kedoshim, it is said (Vayikra 19:3) ish imo viaviv tirau vies Shabsosai tishmoru ani HaShem Elokeichem, every man: your mother and father shall you revere and My Shabbosos shall you observe – I am HaShem, your G-d. Why is the mitzvah of observing Shabbos juxtaposed to the mitzvah of fearing ones parents? Rashi cites the Medrash that states that the Torah is teaching us that although one is required to fear his parents, if a parent instructs a child to violate the Shabbos, the child is prohibited from listening to the parent. The obvious question on this interpretation is, why did the Torah choose too juxtapose specifically the commandment of fearing ones parents next to the mitzvah of observing the Shabbos?
The reason why we honor our parents
In order to answer this question, it is important to gain an insight into the mitzvah of fearing ones parents. The Ramban (Shemos 20:12) writes that the reason why the Torah placed the mitzvah of honoring ones parents in the Ten Commandmenst to teach us that just as there is a mitzvah to acknowledge HaShem as our G-d and not to claim anything else as our creator, so too we are instructed to honor our parents and not to serve them for selfish motives. The Baal HaTurim (Ibid) writes that the Torah juxtaposes the mitzvah of honoring ones parents to the mitzvah of observing Shabbos, to teach us that just as one is required to honor the Shabbos, so too one is required to honor ones parents. Let us understand what the connection is between honoring the Shabbos and honoring ones parents.
The reward for honoring ones parents is primarily in the World to Come
The Gemara (Kiddushin 39b) states that the reward for observing the mitzvah of honoring ones parents is that one earns a portion in the World to Come. One must wonder why the Torah specifies that the reward for this mitzvah is in the world to Come. Is not the reward for all mitzvos in the World to Come? What is unique about the mitzvah of honoring ones parents? Perhaps the explanation for this is that regarding other mitzvos, one also benefits in this world. An example of this would be the mitzvah of loving another Jew. When one loves a fellow Jew, he is creating bonds of friendship, and he can also benefit from this relationship. When one honors his parents, however, he may be benefiting by having his parents treat him nicer. Nonetheless, it requires great effort to honor a parents’ wishes, and many times a parent instruct a child to perform an act that is contrary to the desires of the child. It is for this reason that the Torah specifies that the reward for honoring ones parents is primarily in the World to Come, when he will be able to discern the benefits of having performed this mitzvah. In a similar vein, Shabbos is a semblance of the World to Come. The reason for this is because there is a great effort involved in preparing for Shabbos, and as the Gemara (Avodah Zara 3a) states, one who prepares on Erev Shabbos will eat on Shabbos. Thus, we see a direct connection between the mitzvah of honoring and fearing ones parents and the mitzvah of observing Shabbos
The Shabbos connection
Throughout the week we are faced with forces and desires that are the antithesis of holiness and purity. We struggle each week to desist these forces and at times we may despair, thinking that we cannot be victorious in our struggle. Yet, HaShem has prepared the antidote before the blow, and in His infinite mercy, he has bestowed us with the special gift of Shabbos. Hashem offers us the Shabbos as a taste of the World to Come, when there will no longer be a struggle with our Evil Inclination, and we will all bask in His Presence, for eternity.
Shabbos Stories
Rav Chaim’s Request For Forgiveness
Rabbi Yissachar Frand writes Acharei Mos is the parasha of the Yom Kippur service. The passuk says, “For on this day, He shall provide atonement for you to cleanse you, from all your sins before HaShem shall you be cleansed” [Vayikra 16:30]. Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria (in the last Mishneh of tractate Yoma [8:9]) derives the following lesson from that passuk: Sins between man and G-d Yom Kippur atones for, however Yom Kippur does not atone for sins against one's fellow man, until he first appeases his fellow man.
The Gemara [Yoma 87a] states in the name of Rav Yitzchak: “Whoever angers his friend needs to appease him.” Rav Yitzchak cites as a proof a series of pessukim in Mishlei [6:1-3]: “My son, if you have been a guarantor for your friend, if you have given your handshake for a stranger, you have been trapped by the words of your mouth, snared by the words of your mouth, do this, therefore, my child and be rescued; for you have come into your fellow's hand. Go humble yourself before him and placate your fellow.”
At first glance, this teaching of the Amora Rav Yitzchak seems very strange. Why do we need his exegesis from the pessukim in Mishlei to teach us the fact that one needs to appease his friend, if we have an explicit passuk from Chumash -– cited by the Tanna Rav Elazar ben Azaria -- that teaches us the same thing?
Rav Chaim Soleveitchik explained the novelty of Rav Yitzchak’s teaching to his son, Rav Moshe Soleveitchik, in the course of an incident that happened in Brisk. A certain butcher came to the Beis Din of Rav Chaim Soleveitchik (Rav of Brisk) and Rav Simcha Zelig (Dayan of Brisk) asking them to adjudicate a din Torah involving a sum of 3,000 rubles. Rav Chaim suggested they make a compromise (peshara), but the butcher refused. The Beis Din then heard the case and decided against the butcher. The butcher reacted angrily to this, and started yelling at Rav Chaim, calling him a thief and a murderer.
Rav Chaim answered back: “When you came to this court, I suggested that you compromise with your disputant, but you refused. Since it was you who refused the compromise, it is not my fault that you have now lost 3,000 rubles. It is your own fault.” The butcher yelled even louder at Rav Chaim. Rav Chaim then said, “You disrespectful one, get out of here!”
On Erev Yom Kippur, Rav Chaim told his 3 sons that he must go to the butcher and ask for his forgiveness for the harsh words they exchanged that day in court. The Rav of Brisk accompanied by his 3 sons went to the shul where the butcher davened. Everyone was davening with their tallesim over their heads so it was impossible to tell who was who. Rav Chaim went around from person to person until he finally found the butcher. Rav Chaim then said, “I want to ask your forgiveness for calling you disrespectful and sending you out of my court.” The butcher turned to Rav Chaim -– right before Kol Nidrei -- and said, “I do not forgive you. You are a thief and a murderer!”
Rav Chaim responded: “The halacha is that I must ask you three times in front of three people for forgiveness. I have brought my three sons here with me. Will you forgive me?” Again the response was “No!” The exchange was repeated three times and then Rav Chaim said, “I have discharged my duty and am ready to leave.” Before leaving he turned once more to the butcher and said, “You should know that at this point I am no longer obligated to ask for your forgiveness. In fact, you were the one who insulted me in the first place, and I had a right to respond in kind to your insolence. The only reason I came to appease you is because it is meritorious to overlook one’s honor and accept embarrassment rather than cause embarrassment to others. I was not obligated to ask your forgiveness, but I did it anyway, three times in front of three people. I am leaving. Now it is your problem!”
When they left the synagogue, Rav Moshe Soleveitchik asked his father why he went in the first place, when he never did anything wrong and it was the butcher who should have been asking for forgiveness all along.
Rav Chaim explained to his son that this was in fact the novelty in the ruling of Rav Yitzchak in Yoma. The passuk in Acharei Mos cited by Rav Elazar ben Azaria in the Mishneh teaches that if one WRONGS his fellow man, he must ask forgiveness. The pessukim in Mishlei expounded by Rav Yitzchak teach that if one angers his fellow man – even justifiably so – he still needs to try to make peace and ask for forgiveness.
This was not the type of “mechilah request” which would have held back the effectiveness of Rav Chaim's Teshuvah vis a vis sins between man and G-d. Those are only for sins where you in fact harmed someone or insulted him inappropriately. Rav Yitzchak is saying a stronger teaching: Even when I am 100% right, if I utter harsh words against my fellow man, it is still appropriate for me to beg forgiveness and attempt to restore friendship between us.
This, Rav Chaim, said is the meaning of the Shulchan Aruch when it states that on Erev Yom Kippur, every person needs to ask for forgiveness from his fellow man. This halacha is difficult –- if I wronged someone, why should I wait until Erev Yom Kippur to make amends? The answer is that this law is not speaking about a case where I've wronged someone. Nevertheless, on Erev Yom Kippur there is a special obligation to make peace even when, strictly speaking, no amends are called for.
[Reprinted with permission from www.Torah.org]
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Parashas Acharei –Mos-Kedoshim 5769
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 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 Acharei –Mos-Kedoshim 5769
Honoring ones parents and Shabbos
Introduction
In this week’s parasha, Kedoshim, it is said (Vayikra 19:3) ish imo viaviv tirau vies Shabsosai tishmoru ani HaShem Elokeichem, every man: your mother and father shall you revere and My Shabbosos shall you observe – I am HaShem, your G-d. Why is the mitzvah of observing Shabbos juxtaposed to the mitzvah of fearing ones parents? Rashi cites the Medrash that states that the Torah is teaching us that although one is required to fear his parents, if a parent instructs a child to violate the Shabbos, the child is prohibited from listening to the parent. The obvious question on this interpretation is, why did the Torah choose too juxtapose specifically the commandment of fearing ones parents next to the mitzvah of observing the Shabbos?
The reason why we honor our parents
In order to answer this question, it is important to gain an insight into the mitzvah of fearing ones parents. The Ramban (Shemos 20:12) writes that the reason why the Torah placed the mitzvah of honoring ones parents in the Ten Commandmenst to teach us that just as there is a mitzvah to acknowledge HaShem as our G-d and not to claim anything else as our creator, so too we are instructed to honor our parents and not to serve them for selfish motives. The Baal HaTurim (Ibid) writes that the Torah juxtaposes the mitzvah of honoring ones parents to the mitzvah of observing Shabbos, to teach us that just as one is required to honor the Shabbos, so too one is required to honor ones parents. Let us understand what the connection is between honoring the Shabbos and honoring ones parents.
The reward for honoring ones parents is primarily in the World to Come
The Gemara (Kiddushin 39b) states that the reward for observing the mitzvah of honoring ones parents is that one earns a portion in the World to Come. One must wonder why the Torah specifies that the reward for this mitzvah is in the world to Come. Is not the reward for all mitzvos in the World to Come? What is unique about the mitzvah of honoring ones parents? Perhaps the explanation for this is that regarding other mitzvos, one also benefits in this world. An example of this would be the mitzvah of loving another Jew. When one loves a fellow Jew, he is creating bonds of friendship, and he can also benefit from this relationship. When one honors his parents, however, he may be benefiting by having his parents treat him nicer. Nonetheless, it requires great effort to honor a parents’ wishes, and many times a parent instruct a child to perform an act that is contrary to the desires of the child. It is for this reason that the Torah specifies that the reward for honoring ones parents is primarily in the World to Come, when he will be able to discern the benefits of having performed this mitzvah. In a similar vein, Shabbos is a semblance of the World to Come. The reason for this is because there is a great effort involved in preparing for Shabbos, and as the Gemara (Avodah Zara 3a) states, one who prepares on Erev Shabbos will eat on Shabbos. Thus, we see a direct connection between the mitzvah of honoring and fearing ones parents and the mitzvah of observing Shabbos
The Shabbos connection
Throughout the week we are faced with forces and desires that are the antithesis of holiness and purity. We struggle each week to desist these forces and at times we may despair, thinking that we cannot be victorious in our struggle. Yet, HaShem has prepared the antidote before the blow, and in His infinite mercy, he has bestowed us with the special gift of Shabbos. Hashem offers us the Shabbos as a taste of the World to Come, when there will no longer be a struggle with our Evil Inclination, and we will all bask in His Presence, for eternity.
Shabbos Stories
Rav Chaim’s Request For Forgiveness
Rabbi Yissachar Frand writes Acharei Mos is the parasha of the Yom Kippur service. The passuk says, “For on this day, He shall provide atonement for you to cleanse you, from all your sins before HaShem shall you be cleansed” [Vayikra 16:30]. Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria (in the last Mishneh of tractate Yoma [8:9]) derives the following lesson from that passuk: Sins between man and G-d Yom Kippur atones for, however Yom Kippur does not atone for sins against one's fellow man, until he first appeases his fellow man.
The Gemara [Yoma 87a] states in the name of Rav Yitzchak: “Whoever angers his friend needs to appease him.” Rav Yitzchak cites as a proof a series of pessukim in Mishlei [6:1-3]: “My son, if you have been a guarantor for your friend, if you have given your handshake for a stranger, you have been trapped by the words of your mouth, snared by the words of your mouth, do this, therefore, my child and be rescued; for you have come into your fellow's hand. Go humble yourself before him and placate your fellow.”
At first glance, this teaching of the Amora Rav Yitzchak seems very strange. Why do we need his exegesis from the pessukim in Mishlei to teach us the fact that one needs to appease his friend, if we have an explicit passuk from Chumash -– cited by the Tanna Rav Elazar ben Azaria -- that teaches us the same thing?
Rav Chaim Soleveitchik explained the novelty of Rav Yitzchak’s teaching to his son, Rav Moshe Soleveitchik, in the course of an incident that happened in Brisk. A certain butcher came to the Beis Din of Rav Chaim Soleveitchik (Rav of Brisk) and Rav Simcha Zelig (Dayan of Brisk) asking them to adjudicate a din Torah involving a sum of 3,000 rubles. Rav Chaim suggested they make a compromise (peshara), but the butcher refused. The Beis Din then heard the case and decided against the butcher. The butcher reacted angrily to this, and started yelling at Rav Chaim, calling him a thief and a murderer.
Rav Chaim answered back: “When you came to this court, I suggested that you compromise with your disputant, but you refused. Since it was you who refused the compromise, it is not my fault that you have now lost 3,000 rubles. It is your own fault.” The butcher yelled even louder at Rav Chaim. Rav Chaim then said, “You disrespectful one, get out of here!”
On Erev Yom Kippur, Rav Chaim told his 3 sons that he must go to the butcher and ask for his forgiveness for the harsh words they exchanged that day in court. The Rav of Brisk accompanied by his 3 sons went to the shul where the butcher davened. Everyone was davening with their tallesim over their heads so it was impossible to tell who was who. Rav Chaim went around from person to person until he finally found the butcher. Rav Chaim then said, “I want to ask your forgiveness for calling you disrespectful and sending you out of my court.” The butcher turned to Rav Chaim -– right before Kol Nidrei -- and said, “I do not forgive you. You are a thief and a murderer!”
Rav Chaim responded: “The halacha is that I must ask you three times in front of three people for forgiveness. I have brought my three sons here with me. Will you forgive me?” Again the response was “No!” The exchange was repeated three times and then Rav Chaim said, “I have discharged my duty and am ready to leave.” Before leaving he turned once more to the butcher and said, “You should know that at this point I am no longer obligated to ask for your forgiveness. In fact, you were the one who insulted me in the first place, and I had a right to respond in kind to your insolence. The only reason I came to appease you is because it is meritorious to overlook one’s honor and accept embarrassment rather than cause embarrassment to others. I was not obligated to ask your forgiveness, but I did it anyway, three times in front of three people. I am leaving. Now it is your problem!”
When they left the synagogue, Rav Moshe Soleveitchik asked his father why he went in the first place, when he never did anything wrong and it was the butcher who should have been asking for forgiveness all along.
Rav Chaim explained to his son that this was in fact the novelty in the ruling of Rav Yitzchak in Yoma. The passuk in Acharei Mos cited by Rav Elazar ben Azaria in the Mishneh teaches that if one WRONGS his fellow man, he must ask forgiveness. The pessukim in Mishlei expounded by Rav Yitzchak teach that if one angers his fellow man – even justifiably so – he still needs to try to make peace and ask for forgiveness.
This was not the type of “mechilah request” which would have held back the effectiveness of Rav Chaim's Teshuvah vis a vis sins between man and G-d. Those are only for sins where you in fact harmed someone or insulted him inappropriately. Rav Yitzchak is saying a stronger teaching: Even when I am 100% right, if I utter harsh words against my fellow man, it is still appropriate for me to beg forgiveness and attempt to restore friendship between us.
This, Rav Chaim, said is the meaning of the Shulchan Aruch when it states that on Erev Yom Kippur, every person needs to ask for forgiveness from his fellow man. This halacha is difficult –- if I wronged someone, why should I wait until Erev Yom Kippur to make amends? The answer is that this law is not speaking about a case where I've wronged someone. Nevertheless, on Erev Yom Kippur there is a special obligation to make peace even when, strictly speaking, no amends are called for.
[Reprinted with permission from www.Torah.org]
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Parashas Acharei –Mos-Kedoshim 5769
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 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
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Parashas Tazria-Metzora 5769
שבת טעם החיים פרשת תזריע-מצורע תשס"ט
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Parashas Tazria-Metzora 5769
Counting our way out of impurity towards purity and holiness
Introduction
We have just completed the celebration of the Pesach festival, and we are now in the midst of counting the Omer. In this week’s parshiyos we also encounter other forms of counting. One counting is when a woman after childbirth counts the days of her impurity. A second counting is when a metzora, one who contracts the spiritual disease of tzaraas, counts seven days from when he is cleansed before he is permitted to enter into the Israelite Camp. A third counting is when a woman has a flow and she then counts seven days and she is then purified. The Zohar states that the forty-nine days that we count from the bringing of the Omer are akin to a woman counting her days of impurity. The counting from the Omer then culminates in the festival of Shavuos.
Understanding the counting of the Omer and the mourning period for the students of Rabbi Akiva
One must wonder why it is so important to count the days of the Omer. When one wishes to know when an upcoming festival will occur, he merely has to look at the calendar and determine the correct date of the festival. We do not count the days until Rosh Hashanah and other festival that we celebrate throughout the year. Why, then, must we count from Pesach until Shavuos? Another perplexing idea that requires explanation is why immediately after the joy of the Pesach festival we enter into a mourning period over the twenty-four thousand students of Rabbi Akiva who passed away between Pesach and Shavuos. How are we to comprehend the juxtaposition of this period of joy with this period of mourning?
One must search out the impurities within himself
In order to glean a better understanding of the purpose in our counting, it is worth mentioning a fascinating idea presented by the Gerrer Rebbe, the Lev Simcha. It is said (Mishlei 2:3-4) im tivaksehna chakasef vichamatmonim tachpisena az tavin yiras HaShem vidaas Elokim timtza, if you seek it as [it were] sliver, if you search for it as [if it were] hidden treasures – then you will understand the fear of HaShem, and discover the knowledge of G-d. The Lev Simcha (Emor) writes that these verses can be interpreted to be alluding to the festivals of the year. Seeking like silver alludes to Pesach, as the word kesef, silver, also connotes desire, and Pesach is a time when HaShem showed His love for the Jewish People. Hidden treasures allude to the days of counting from the Omer, as the word vichamatmonim, can be read mem tes monim, counting forty-nine. The word tachpisena, if you search for it, alludes to Shavuos, as the days of counting the Omer are a preparation for Shavuos. The Lev Simcha goes on to find allusions to Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkos. It is fascinating that the word vichamatmonim alludes to the forty-nine days of counting from the Omer. The first letters of the word are mem and tes, which also form most of the word tamei, translated as impure. Perhaps the lesson contained in this hint is that one should always view himself as being in a state of impurity and that he must strive for purity and holiness. Hashem, in His infinite compassion, redeemed us from the impurities of Egypt, but we still have a long way to go until we are worthy of receiving the Torah. How, then, do we remove these impurities from our midst?
We are required to remove tainted character traits
The Gemara (Yevamos 62b) states that the students of Rabbi Akiva died because they did not treat each other with respect. It would seem from this Gemara that if the students of the great Rabbi Akiva were lacking in this area, then certainly we could use improvement on how we act towards each other. A person who does not respect his fellow man demonstrates an impurity of the soul. Shavuos is reflective of our gathering at Sinai kiish echod bileiv echod, as one man with one heart. It is not enough to merely study Torah. One must internalize the lessons in Torah, and Rabbi Akiva was the one who said viahavta lireiacha kamocha zeh klal gadol baTorah, you shall love your fellow as yourself, this is a great rule in Torah. The word gadol is associated with the tribute of chesed, kindness. It is no wonder that the first attribute that we refer to when counting from the Omer is chesed, and the last attribute is malchus, kingship. The Gemara (Gittin 62a) states that the true kings are the Torah scholars. For one to achieve a level of kingship he must be exemplary in the attribute of chesed. Thus, one must “search” himself during these days to filter out all the impurities within him.
Sefiras HaOmer is when we count towards Shavuos and when we count away from our impurities
We can now understand why we count the days from the Omer, and why we count specifically during the mourning period over the passing of Rabbi Akiva’s students. We are counting towards Shavuos, but even more significantly, we are counting the days until we can finally rid ourselves of the impurities that exist within our character. Thus, we can interpret the word matmonim to mean counting away from the mem and the tes, which spell out the two essential letters of the word tamei , impurity.
The Shabbos connection
Every week we have the ability to count the days of the week until we arrive at Shabbos. The weekday certainly has its share of impurities, both from the outside world and within us. Nonetheless, by preparing properly for the Holy Shabbos, we can always anticipate that we will arrive at Shabbos in a state of purity, when all harsh judgments depart and we can bask in the Kingship of HaShem. Hashem should allow us to count these days and they should culminate in joy, brotherhood, and a true purification of our hearts.
Shabbos Stories
The Shpoler Zeide (Rebbe Aryeh Leib, the Grandfather of Shpola) had a servant named Chelovno who told this story:
He once saw a man with a terrible skin disease that covered him from head to foot enter the Rebbe’s room with a petition-note. This man stayed with the Rebbe for a while and when he left, Chelovno said he saw that he was normal, without a trace of the skin disease!
After this, Chelovno brought a cup of coffee in for the Rebbe and was astonished to see that the Rebbe’s whole body was covered with the skin disease! “What happened here?’ yelled Chelovno. “Why did the Rebbe do this?”
The Rebbe, however, did not respond.
Later, Chelovno went in again and saw that the disease had completely disappeared from the Rebbe’s body, and asked the Rebbe to tell him what this was all about.
The Rebbe said, “When that man first came to me, I didn’t have any way to cure him. So I had to take the disease on myself; and he was healed. Afterward, I pleaded before God, blessed be He, ‘What have I done that I should be afflicted with this skin disease?’ Then, they healed me too!” (MiBeer Hatzaddikim, vol. 2, p. 45)
Rabbi Mordechai Kaamenetzky writes: Rabbi Paysach Krohn loves to tell the beautifully haunting story of the woman who left Rusk Institute with her child who was in a wheelchair. It was a wintry day and the chill that pervaded the young boy’s fragile bones declared its chilling presence with the icy frosting it left on the exposed metal of his wheelchair.
Waiting at the bus stop on the corner of 34th and 2nd Avenue, three large city busses whizzed by, unable to accommodate the mother and the child and his special chair. It was only after a half-hour wait that the mother flagged down a bus and insisted to the driver that he allow them to board.
As the poor woman struggled to lift the wheelchair into the narrowly impatient doors that waited to slam like the jaws of a tiger, the driver shouted at her, “Lady you'll have to wait for a bus with a lift! I gotta go!”
Immediately a few passengers jumped to her defense! “It’s freezing out there. We will wait!”
Embarrassed into submission, the driver acquiesced. As the mother and child settled in their place on the bus, one said to her, “Your child is not handicapped. It only seems that way. In truth it is the driver that has a handicapped mind!” [Reprinted with permission from www.Torah.org]
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Parashas Tazria-Metzora 5769
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 Chodesh
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 Tazria-Metzora 5769
Counting our way out of impurity towards purity and holiness
Introduction
We have just completed the celebration of the Pesach festival, and we are now in the midst of counting the Omer. In this week’s parshiyos we also encounter other forms of counting. One counting is when a woman after childbirth counts the days of her impurity. A second counting is when a metzora, one who contracts the spiritual disease of tzaraas, counts seven days from when he is cleansed before he is permitted to enter into the Israelite Camp. A third counting is when a woman has a flow and she then counts seven days and she is then purified. The Zohar states that the forty-nine days that we count from the bringing of the Omer are akin to a woman counting her days of impurity. The counting from the Omer then culminates in the festival of Shavuos.
Understanding the counting of the Omer and the mourning period for the students of Rabbi Akiva
One must wonder why it is so important to count the days of the Omer. When one wishes to know when an upcoming festival will occur, he merely has to look at the calendar and determine the correct date of the festival. We do not count the days until Rosh Hashanah and other festival that we celebrate throughout the year. Why, then, must we count from Pesach until Shavuos? Another perplexing idea that requires explanation is why immediately after the joy of the Pesach festival we enter into a mourning period over the twenty-four thousand students of Rabbi Akiva who passed away between Pesach and Shavuos. How are we to comprehend the juxtaposition of this period of joy with this period of mourning?
One must search out the impurities within himself
In order to glean a better understanding of the purpose in our counting, it is worth mentioning a fascinating idea presented by the Gerrer Rebbe, the Lev Simcha. It is said (Mishlei 2:3-4) im tivaksehna chakasef vichamatmonim tachpisena az tavin yiras HaShem vidaas Elokim timtza, if you seek it as [it were] sliver, if you search for it as [if it were] hidden treasures – then you will understand the fear of HaShem, and discover the knowledge of G-d. The Lev Simcha (Emor) writes that these verses can be interpreted to be alluding to the festivals of the year. Seeking like silver alludes to Pesach, as the word kesef, silver, also connotes desire, and Pesach is a time when HaShem showed His love for the Jewish People. Hidden treasures allude to the days of counting from the Omer, as the word vichamatmonim, can be read mem tes monim, counting forty-nine. The word tachpisena, if you search for it, alludes to Shavuos, as the days of counting the Omer are a preparation for Shavuos. The Lev Simcha goes on to find allusions to Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkos. It is fascinating that the word vichamatmonim alludes to the forty-nine days of counting from the Omer. The first letters of the word are mem and tes, which also form most of the word tamei, translated as impure. Perhaps the lesson contained in this hint is that one should always view himself as being in a state of impurity and that he must strive for purity and holiness. Hashem, in His infinite compassion, redeemed us from the impurities of Egypt, but we still have a long way to go until we are worthy of receiving the Torah. How, then, do we remove these impurities from our midst?
We are required to remove tainted character traits
The Gemara (Yevamos 62b) states that the students of Rabbi Akiva died because they did not treat each other with respect. It would seem from this Gemara that if the students of the great Rabbi Akiva were lacking in this area, then certainly we could use improvement on how we act towards each other. A person who does not respect his fellow man demonstrates an impurity of the soul. Shavuos is reflective of our gathering at Sinai kiish echod bileiv echod, as one man with one heart. It is not enough to merely study Torah. One must internalize the lessons in Torah, and Rabbi Akiva was the one who said viahavta lireiacha kamocha zeh klal gadol baTorah, you shall love your fellow as yourself, this is a great rule in Torah. The word gadol is associated with the tribute of chesed, kindness. It is no wonder that the first attribute that we refer to when counting from the Omer is chesed, and the last attribute is malchus, kingship. The Gemara (Gittin 62a) states that the true kings are the Torah scholars. For one to achieve a level of kingship he must be exemplary in the attribute of chesed. Thus, one must “search” himself during these days to filter out all the impurities within him.
Sefiras HaOmer is when we count towards Shavuos and when we count away from our impurities
We can now understand why we count the days from the Omer, and why we count specifically during the mourning period over the passing of Rabbi Akiva’s students. We are counting towards Shavuos, but even more significantly, we are counting the days until we can finally rid ourselves of the impurities that exist within our character. Thus, we can interpret the word matmonim to mean counting away from the mem and the tes, which spell out the two essential letters of the word tamei , impurity.
The Shabbos connection
Every week we have the ability to count the days of the week until we arrive at Shabbos. The weekday certainly has its share of impurities, both from the outside world and within us. Nonetheless, by preparing properly for the Holy Shabbos, we can always anticipate that we will arrive at Shabbos in a state of purity, when all harsh judgments depart and we can bask in the Kingship of HaShem. Hashem should allow us to count these days and they should culminate in joy, brotherhood, and a true purification of our hearts.
Shabbos Stories
The Shpoler Zeide (Rebbe Aryeh Leib, the Grandfather of Shpola) had a servant named Chelovno who told this story:
He once saw a man with a terrible skin disease that covered him from head to foot enter the Rebbe’s room with a petition-note. This man stayed with the Rebbe for a while and when he left, Chelovno said he saw that he was normal, without a trace of the skin disease!
After this, Chelovno brought a cup of coffee in for the Rebbe and was astonished to see that the Rebbe’s whole body was covered with the skin disease! “What happened here?’ yelled Chelovno. “Why did the Rebbe do this?”
The Rebbe, however, did not respond.
Later, Chelovno went in again and saw that the disease had completely disappeared from the Rebbe’s body, and asked the Rebbe to tell him what this was all about.
The Rebbe said, “When that man first came to me, I didn’t have any way to cure him. So I had to take the disease on myself; and he was healed. Afterward, I pleaded before God, blessed be He, ‘What have I done that I should be afflicted with this skin disease?’ Then, they healed me too!” (MiBeer Hatzaddikim, vol. 2, p. 45)
Rabbi Mordechai Kaamenetzky writes: Rabbi Paysach Krohn loves to tell the beautifully haunting story of the woman who left Rusk Institute with her child who was in a wheelchair. It was a wintry day and the chill that pervaded the young boy’s fragile bones declared its chilling presence with the icy frosting it left on the exposed metal of his wheelchair.
Waiting at the bus stop on the corner of 34th and 2nd Avenue, three large city busses whizzed by, unable to accommodate the mother and the child and his special chair. It was only after a half-hour wait that the mother flagged down a bus and insisted to the driver that he allow them to board.
As the poor woman struggled to lift the wheelchair into the narrowly impatient doors that waited to slam like the jaws of a tiger, the driver shouted at her, “Lady you'll have to wait for a bus with a lift! I gotta go!”
Immediately a few passengers jumped to her defense! “It’s freezing out there. We will wait!”
Embarrassed into submission, the driver acquiesced. As the mother and child settled in their place on the bus, one said to her, “Your child is not handicapped. It only seems that way. In truth it is the driver that has a handicapped mind!” [Reprinted with permission from www.Torah.org]
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Parashas Tazria-Metzora 5769
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 Chodesh
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
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Shevii Shel Pesach
Shevii Shel Pesach 5769
Tonight is Shevii Shel Pesach. What is the significance of Shevii Shel Pesach? In a simple sense, Shevii Shel Pesach is the day that the Jewish People crossed the Yam Suf and Hashem drowned the Egyptians. The Jewish People sang Shirah, praise to HaShem, and that song became a part of our daily prayer service. Yet, considering that Shevii Shel Pesach is viewed somewhat as a separate holiday from Pesach, we must understand its deeper significance.
Rabbeinu Bachye (Devarim 16:8) writes that Shevii Shel Pesach is referred to in the Torah as Atzeres because the Jewish People gather on the festivals to the synagogues. Additionally, Shevii Shel Pesach is referred to as yesod, foundation. What does Rabbeinu Bachye mean that Shevii Shel Pesach is the foundation? It would seem that the first days are the foundation and the last days of Pesach would be the pinnacle of the foundation. Why is Shevii Shel Pesach referred to as the foundation?
Perhaps the answer to this question is that the Sfas Emes (Pesach 5641) writes that Pesach is essentially comprised of two components. The first aspect of Pesach is the redemption from Egypt, and the second aspect of Pesach is the deliverance of the Jewish People at the Yam Suf. The Sfas Emes writes that the first aspect of redemption corresponds to Yaakov and the second aspect of redemption refers to Yosef. It is well known that Yosef represents the attribute of yesod, which means safeguarding sanctity. The Sfas Emes writes that at the Yam Suf the Jewish People rectified the sanctity of Bris Milah, circumcision. In truth, the Jewish People were sustained in Egypt in the merit of Yosef, who resisted the temptations of the wife of Potiphar.
Thus, it was fitting that the culmination of the redemption was in the merit of Yosef, as the Medrash (Medrash Tehillim §114) states that the Sea saw the bier of Yosef and split. Yosef resisted the overtures of his mistress, and in his merit the Sea resisted its natural instinct and split before the Jewish People. With this explanation we can better understand our approach to Shevii Shel Pesach. The Zohar states that all sevens are holy and cherished, and it follows that the Seventh Day of Pesach is also holy and cherished. The holiness and the endearment of this day is that it reflects the attribute of Yosef, who was the forerunner of safeguarding the holiness of the Jew.
As we ourselves soon take leave of the festival, we should bear in mind that the holiness of Pesach allows us to remain spiritually strong throughout the year. We now understand why Shevii Shel Pesach is the yesod, as Shevii Shel Pesach is truly the foundation of all our future spiritual achievements. Hashem should allow us to delight in the last days of Pesach and emerge strong in our resolve to ascend to great spiritual heights and to witness the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkienu, speedily, in our days.
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler
Tonight is Shevii Shel Pesach. What is the significance of Shevii Shel Pesach? In a simple sense, Shevii Shel Pesach is the day that the Jewish People crossed the Yam Suf and Hashem drowned the Egyptians. The Jewish People sang Shirah, praise to HaShem, and that song became a part of our daily prayer service. Yet, considering that Shevii Shel Pesach is viewed somewhat as a separate holiday from Pesach, we must understand its deeper significance.
Rabbeinu Bachye (Devarim 16:8) writes that Shevii Shel Pesach is referred to in the Torah as Atzeres because the Jewish People gather on the festivals to the synagogues. Additionally, Shevii Shel Pesach is referred to as yesod, foundation. What does Rabbeinu Bachye mean that Shevii Shel Pesach is the foundation? It would seem that the first days are the foundation and the last days of Pesach would be the pinnacle of the foundation. Why is Shevii Shel Pesach referred to as the foundation?
Perhaps the answer to this question is that the Sfas Emes (Pesach 5641) writes that Pesach is essentially comprised of two components. The first aspect of Pesach is the redemption from Egypt, and the second aspect of Pesach is the deliverance of the Jewish People at the Yam Suf. The Sfas Emes writes that the first aspect of redemption corresponds to Yaakov and the second aspect of redemption refers to Yosef. It is well known that Yosef represents the attribute of yesod, which means safeguarding sanctity. The Sfas Emes writes that at the Yam Suf the Jewish People rectified the sanctity of Bris Milah, circumcision. In truth, the Jewish People were sustained in Egypt in the merit of Yosef, who resisted the temptations of the wife of Potiphar.
Thus, it was fitting that the culmination of the redemption was in the merit of Yosef, as the Medrash (Medrash Tehillim §114) states that the Sea saw the bier of Yosef and split. Yosef resisted the overtures of his mistress, and in his merit the Sea resisted its natural instinct and split before the Jewish People. With this explanation we can better understand our approach to Shevii Shel Pesach. The Zohar states that all sevens are holy and cherished, and it follows that the Seventh Day of Pesach is also holy and cherished. The holiness and the endearment of this day is that it reflects the attribute of Yosef, who was the forerunner of safeguarding the holiness of the Jew.
As we ourselves soon take leave of the festival, we should bear in mind that the holiness of Pesach allows us to remain spiritually strong throughout the year. We now understand why Shevii Shel Pesach is the yesod, as Shevii Shel Pesach is truly the foundation of all our future spiritual achievements. Hashem should allow us to delight in the last days of Pesach and emerge strong in our resolve to ascend to great spiritual heights and to witness the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkienu, speedily, in our days.
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Pesach 5769
Hagadah Shel Pesach 5769
Kadesh
The word kadesh, which literally means recite Kiddush, can be read as kuf, 100, dash, trample. This alludes to the idea that we are obligated to praise HaShem with 100 blessings daily, and by doing so we will not trample upon the mitzvos that at times become habitual
Urchatz
The word urchatz is literally translated to mean ‘and wash.’ It is noteworthy that the word urchatz in at bash (where the letter aleph is taf, bais is shin etc.) spells the letters pay, gimmel, samach, and hey, which equal in gematria the word Pesach.
Karpas Yachatz
The word karpas refers to the vegetable that is dipped in salt water. It is noteworthy that when rearranging the letters in the word karpas, it forms the words raf and kes. The word raf means weaken and the word kes means chair. The word yachatz means to divide. This alludes to the idea that the Medrash (Tana Divei Eliyahu §23) states that when the Jewish People became weak in Torah, they were attacked by Amalek. The Medrash (Tanchumah end of Ki Seitzei) states that until Amalek is annihilated, the Name of HaShem and His throne are divided, so instead of the word kisei, the word is kes. The word yachatz alludes to this idea that the Name and Throne of HaShem are divided until Amalek will be annihilated.
Maggid
The word maggid means to relate. What is the reason we use this word for the most important component of the Seder night? Perhaps the explanation for this is that the word maggid contains the word gad, which means fortune (See Rashi Bereishis 30:11). The Gemara (Shabbos 156a) states that ain mazal liYisroel, the Jewish People are not subject to luck or fortune. One could claim that the entire miracle of the Exodus from Egypt was orchestrated by the stars, as Pharaoh himself told Moshe (Shemos 10:10) reu ki raah neged pineichem, “look – the evil intent is opposite your faces.” The Medrash (Yalkut Shimoni Ki Sisa §392) states that Pharaoh was forewarning Moshe that he saw blood in the Wilderness, and his prediction was correct, as HaShem sought to annihilate the Jewish People after they worshipped the Golden Calf. Nonetheless, this blood was transformed into the blood of circumcision. When we relate the miracles of the Exodus, we are demonstrating that we can extricate ourselves from our mazal, our fortune, and we are under the umbrella of Divine Providence. The commentators write that the word mazal, fortune, is derived from the word nozeil, which means to flow. It is noteworthy that the word maggid is associated with the word Agadah which also means to flow. Thus, we recite maggid, and this reflects the idea that we are leaving the realm of fortune and luck and entering into the arena of Divine Providence.
Rachtzah
The word rachtzah means washing. One must wonder, though, why at the Seder we refer to washing with the words urchatz and rachtzah, when normally we refer to washing our hands as netillah. Perhaps the answer to this question is that it is said (Shemos 2:5) vatered bas Pharaoh lirchotz al hayeor, Pharaoh’s daughter went down to bathe by the River. The Gemara (Sota 12b) interprets this to mean that the daughter of Pharaoh went down to the river to wash herself clean from the idols of her father’s house. Similarly, by the Seder we are declaring that we are washing ourselves clean of our prior impurities.
Motzi matzah
The words motzi matzah literally mean “recite hamotzi on the matzah.” Perhaps there is an allusion here to the idea that one must avoid strife. The word matzah also means strife, as it is said (Mishlei 13:10) rak bizadon yitein matzah vies noatzim chochmah, only by willfulness is strife fomented; but wisdom is with those who take counsel. Thus, at the Seder we are declaring that we seek to be motzi, take away, matzah, strife.
Maror Korech
The word maror literally means bitter. Yet, we know that everything HaShem does is ultimately for the good. How is this evidenced in maror? Perhaps the answer to this question is that the word mor, meaning bitter, and the word korech, which means bundle together, both equal the same gematria (246). Thus, we are demonstrating that by eating the matzah and maror together, we are finding the good in the bitter situation.
Shulchan Orech Tzafun
The words Shulchan Orech are translated literally to mean a set table and tzafun means hidden. Perhaps these words allude to the idea of the manna in the Wilderness, as it is said (Tehillim 78:19) vayidabru beilokim amru hayuchal Keil laaroch shulchan bamidbar, and they spoke against G-d. They said, “Can G-d prepare a table in the wilderness?” The word tzafun alludes to the idea that the manna descended from heaven and was concealed in two coverings.
Barech Hallel Nirtzah
Barech refers to the recital of Bircas HaMazon, Grace after the meal. Hallel refers to the praises we offer to HaShem, and Nirtzah refers to the songs we sing at the end of the Seder, signifying that HaShem favors us. It is noteworthy that the first letters of these three words spell out the word habein, the son, alluding to the idea that at the Seder we are like HaShem’s children.
Ha lachma Anya
This is the poor man’s bread. The Gemara (Pesachim 115b) states that the word oni, literally translated as poor, can mean responding, as we respond or raise our voice over the matzah. This description of the matzah is difficult to understand. Why do we associate the matzah with our responses? In the simple sense, the Gemara means that the matzah is the vehicle with which we ask questions regarding the Exodus and provide ourselves and our children with answers to these questions. Perhaps, however, there is a deeper message contained in this statement of the Gemara. We find that when Yosef revealed himself to his brothers after not seeing them for twenty-two years, it is said (Bereishis 45:3) vayomer Yosef el echav ani Yosef haod avi chai vilo yachlu echav laanos oso ki nivhalu mipanav, and Yosef said to his brothers, “I am Yosef. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him because they were left disconcerted before him. The Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 93:10) states that Yosef was the youngest of the Shevatim and the brothers could not withstand his rebuke, so certainly when HaShem will bring a person to justice at the end of days, he will not be able to withstand His rebuke. Thus, we see that a response symbolizes that one is not afraid to answer ones questions and rebukes. Similarly, by the Pesach Seder we are confounded by the fact that the Jewish People in Egypt descended to the depths of impurity. As a sign that we are prepared to overcome our initial depravity, we eat the matzah which is a symbol of freedom and this is our response to our early history. The matzah is the vehicle with which we ascend from the lowest level of impurity and reach the heights of purity and freedom.
Di achalu avahasana biara diMitzrayim
That our forefathers ate in the Land of Egypt. What is the significance of stating that our forefathers ate this bread in the land of Egypt? Some of the commentators (Abarbanel) interpret this to mean that the Egyptians fed the Jewish People matzah, as matzah takes a long time to digest. This explanation, however, is difficult to understand, as this does not appear to be a disgrace or a praise of the Jewish People. Rather, this was the reality. What lesson do we learn from this statement? Perhaps the answer to this question is that the word ani, which literally means poor, also means humble, as it is said (Shemos 10:3) ad masai meanta leianos mipanai, until when will you refuse to be humbled before Me? Thus, we are declaring that although we were enslaved to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, we, unlike Pharaoh, were able to humble ourselves before Hashem and this is what allowed us to be redeemed from slavery. It is noteworthy that when Hashem appeared to Moshe for the first time at the burning bush, it is said (Shemos 3:7) vayomer HaShem raoh raisi es ani ami asher biMitzrayim vies tzakasam shamati mipnei nogsav ki yadati es machovav, HaShem said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My People that in Egypt and I have heard its outcry because of its taskmasters, for I have known its sufferings.” We see that that the first words HaShem used to describe the plight of the Jewish People was that He saw their oni, their affliction, which can also be interpreted to mean their humility. Thus, it was the humility and submissiveness of the Jewish People which were the catalysts for their being redeemed from Egypt.
Rav Eizel Charif - How Far Do Your Hands Reach?
Rav Eizel Charif, the sharp witted Rov of Slonim in the 1800s, once saw a wealthy but stingy man of his city emptying his pockets of Chametz before Pesach. “Why are you doing this,” he asked the gentlemen? The man told him that he needed to get all the chametz out of his pockets and make sure it was clean for Pesach.“Surely you forget the Halacha that says that when doing a bedika you are only obligated to search ‘Ad SheYado Magaas,’ until where your hand can reach. For years I have witnessed your behavior when it comes to giving tzedakah and it appears to me that your hand does not reach all the way to your pocket. Do not bother; you have no obligation to check them!” [Reprinted with permission from www.Revach.net]
R' Yaakov Levitt zt”l (Bialystok) illustrated with a parable the difference between the right way to tell the story of the Exodus and the wrong way:
A villager once took seriously ill. The doctor was called, and the doctor recognized that the villager’s illness was fully curable if treated properly. He wrote out a prescription and he told the villager's wife, “Give your husband this prescription with water three times a day until it is finished, and he will be cured.”
The family did as it was told. Every day, the simple village wife tore a small piece off the prescription, dissolved it in water and gave it to her husband to drink. Needless to say, his condition did not improve.
The doctor was called, but he was very perplexed. “I know that this prescription works,” he said. “I have prescribed it for this illness before.”
“Let me see the prescription,” he requested finally. “Perhaps I made a mistake.” The villager’s wife explained, however, that she could not show him the prescription because she had given it to her husband as instructed.
“Fools,” he shouted. “Can a piece of paper cure your husband’s illness? It’s not the paper that makes the difference, but what’s written on the paper that would have cured him.”
So it is with the Hagadah. It is not the book of the Hagadah or simply reading the Hagadah which illuminates one's soul. Rather, one must absorb the contents of the story. (Hagadah Shel Pesach Shaarei Armon p. 150)
Survival
With Passover come and gone, thoughts of liberation and Jewish survival linger in the hearts and minds of many. Linked inextricably with these thoughts is the image of the Jewish woman, who has always been an agent of continuity and vision for her people. From the enslavement in Egypt through life in the desert and beyond, a beam of feminine light pierces the darkest moments in Jewish history, pointing towards a better future.
This week, Women in Judaism shares the story of one Jewish woman who refuses to give in to what another might consider impending doom. Lady Amelie Jacobovits is the widow of the late Rav Lord Immanuel Jacobovits, Chief Rabbi Emeritus of the British Commonwealth. Her Passover story of Holocaust survival demonstrates how the powerful life force of a Jewish woman connects our past, present and future.
_________________________________
PESACH 1941
By Lady Amelie Jacobovits (Adapted from the Jewish Women’s Journal, summer 1993)
“Occasionally, one memory escapes from the vault that holds the terror of those years. One Passover, my three-year old grandchild looked up at me from his chair at the Seder table. I don't even know what he said, because the rush of Passover 1941 blocked everything else. I was a young girl hidden in a dark cellar in central France. I was without other family - alone with four other children, all of us strangers.
Today and in recent years, as I celebrate Passover surrounded by the comforts and luxury of our London flat and the security of more than a dozen relatives and friends, I realize that for all of their splendor, these holidays cannot compare in my heart to that unique event 62 years ago. 1941 was the most extraordinary Passover of my life. But before I describe it, let me explain how I got to that cellar.
I was born in the years preceding World War II and lived content and well loved by my family in Nurnberg. By 1933, however, my world was getting darker till, one day, Nazi storm troopers marched into Nurnberg ordering that all major buildings must fly the swastika flag by evening. In 1936, my parents took us to Paris, as my father had been appointed rabbi of the prominent Rue Cadet synagogue. Within a few years, as the political situation deteriorated, my father was conscripted into the army and had to leave us. In 1940, when the Nazis began bombing Paris, my mother fled with us - her four children - on the last train before the main onslaught. It was the eve of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.
The mass of people on that train - a tornado of humanity - repeatedly wrenched us from one another. Months later, on another leg of our desperate journey I lost track of my family altogether and began to wander from village to village. Lone children all over were doing the same.
One night just before dawn I could go no further. I knocked on the farmhouse door of what turned out to be a kind, courageous gentile farmer. He took me to his cellar where I found another little girl. Eventually two boys and another girl joined us. None of us admitted we were Jewish for several days.
It was a dire winter. Each morning, a few rays of light would poke their way into the cellar through two windows high on the wall - our only eyes to the world outside. The farmer had lowered us into the cellar through those windows and every day through one of them he lowered a net with five morsels of food and a bucket for our natural needs. Strange as it sounds, we were very lucky. In that difficult winter, five homeless children developed values so different from those today - as well as a bond of lifelong friendship.
One day, peering from the cellar up through the windows one of us noticed a streak of sunlight in blue sky. A few days later, another saw blades of grass penetrating the frozen terrain. We had no calendar or sense of time, but we concluded that, if the weather was indeed changing with spring on its way, maybe we were nearing Passover. Each of us children came from a different range of Jewish commitment, yet we shared a strong desire to do something to celebrate what we sensed was the upcoming Passover holiday.
When the farmer appeared with our food the next morning, we asked if he would lower in tomorrow's basket a small amount of flour, a bottle of water, a newspaper and a match. Two days later we received a small bottle of water, but we had to wait several days for the flour. The entire region was drained of provisions, with everything being transported north to Germany. Our host the farmer had himself barely anything to eat.
A day later, a newspaper came through - and then a match. We waited a few more days. We saw a full day of sunshine and blue skies, and we decided that, in order to cultivate a festive spirit, we would switch clothing with one another and wear them as if new. So we changed clothes; the two boys trading and the girls exchanging dresses. Before evening we baked our matzah, though we hadn't a clue how to do so. We poured water into the flour and held the dough in our bare hands over the burning newspaper on the floor. We produced something which resembled matzah and, whatever it was provided enough for the five of us.
That night we celebrated Passover. One of us recalled by heart the Kiddush - the blessing that sanctifies the Passover night. Another remembered the Four Questions - the part of the Seder the young children recite. We told a few stories of the Exodus that we remembered having heard from our parents. Finally, we managed to reconstruct “One Kid, Which my Father Bought for Two Zuzim,” the song which typically ends the evening.
We had a Passover to remember. With no festive food, no silver candlesticks and no wine - with only our simple desire to connect with G-d - we had a holiday more profound than any we have known since. I thank God for allowing me to live to be able to tell my children and grandchildren about it. Even more, I feel obligated to the younger generations of my family, who never experienced what I did, to pass on the clarity it gave me - the vivid appreciation of G-d’s presence in my life, of His constant blessings, wonders and teachings…and of His commitment to the survival of the Jewish people. [Reprinted with permission from www.Torah.org]
The new Rabbi
When the Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev became the Rav of Berditchev he was approached by Chaim and Baruch for a Din Torah. Baruch claims that Chaim owes him a thousand coins and Chaim denies the loan. The Rav heard both sides of the argument and ruled that Chaim must in fact pay Baruch, which he promptly did and the litigants left.
The next day Chaim approached the Rav Levi Yitzchak with a question. “Rebbe, I accept your judgment and your decision. However, although I understand that the judgment is based on the Torah, how could a true judgment based on Torah be untrue, because Rebbe, I know that I truly am innocent! I do not owe Baruch any money at all!” “That is a good question answered Rav Levi Yitzchak give me please three days to give you an answer.”
The Holy Berditchever fasted and prayed that they should answer him from heaven. Whereupon it was then revealed to him that in fact Chaim grandfather had once borrowed the exact sum from Baruch’s grandfather and failed to pay back the loan!
When three days had passed and Chaim re-entered the Rebbe’s study, the Berditchever explained to him how the debt had occurred. “In the heavenly court it was ruled that you must pay off your grandfather’s debt and return the money owed to the grandson of your grandfather’s lender. The sign that what I am telling you is in fact true is that if you go home and look at your volume of Shulchan Aruch which you inherited from your grandfather, in such and such a place you will find the missing note that proves the loan.” Chaim went home, opened the Shulchan Aruch and as the Rebbe predicted there was the document.
Afterwards the Rebbe called in the leaders of the community and announced to them that he wished to relinquish his newly acquired post as Rabbi of Berditchev. The Rebbe explained that a town in which the cases brought before him, required him to fast for three days in order to get heavenly aid in order to decide matters of law was too much for him to handle. The leaders of Berditchev answered that while they understood, it was unfair to leave them just like that on the spot without a replacement. Perhaps the Rav would kindly wait until they found a suitable replacement? The rebbe agreed.
Meanwhile Pesach came, and the custom was that after the prayers in shul the poor guests who had lodgings or meals were divided up among the men of means in the community. One such householder who had a guest assigned to him, hurried home and forget about his guest. When he arrived, his wife began to ask him where their guest for the Seder was. The householder quickly realized his mistake and hurried back only to find the shul cold, dark and empty. Upset but without any other choice he returned home and explained to his sad wife that they were to conduct the Seder that year without any guests.
The next morning after services he spotted his would be guest and the householder approached the poor man. “Where were you last night, I came to the shul looking for you?” he asked. “Why, when I saw myself alone and without knowing anyone I didn’t know what to do.” “So why didn’t you stay?” the householder asked. “Well,” continued the poor man, “as I said, I didn’t know anyone but its Pesach and I needed a place to stay and eat. I didn’t want to stay here by myself in shul so I left and found a place with another householder,” he answered, pointing to a different person.
The first householder approached his fellow and began berating him for stealing his Pesach Seder guest. “You left him and didn’t take him, so I took him fair and square,” was the second man’s retort. Soon their discussion had blown into a full-fledged argument. After Yom Tov they took their argument to the Rav. The Berditchever heard both sides and ruled that the “thief” who stole the guest from his fellow householder had to repay him a sum of money for his loss.
Afterwards the Rebbe called in the leaders of the community and announced to them that he wished to stay on as the Rav of the community. “Any community whose householder fight like that over the precious mitzvah of Hachnasas Orchim and guests is a place where I wish to serve as the Rabbi.”
Hagadah
Shel Pesach 5769
Prepared by
Rabbi Binyomin Adler
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Kadesh
The word kadesh, which literally means recite Kiddush, can be read as kuf, 100, dash, trample. This alludes to the idea that we are obligated to praise HaShem with 100 blessings daily, and by doing so we will not trample upon the mitzvos that at times become habitual
Urchatz
The word urchatz is literally translated to mean ‘and wash.’ It is noteworthy that the word urchatz in at bash (where the letter aleph is taf, bais is shin etc.) spells the letters pay, gimmel, samach, and hey, which equal in gematria the word Pesach.
Karpas Yachatz
The word karpas refers to the vegetable that is dipped in salt water. It is noteworthy that when rearranging the letters in the word karpas, it forms the words raf and kes. The word raf means weaken and the word kes means chair. The word yachatz means to divide. This alludes to the idea that the Medrash (Tana Divei Eliyahu §23) states that when the Jewish People became weak in Torah, they were attacked by Amalek. The Medrash (Tanchumah end of Ki Seitzei) states that until Amalek is annihilated, the Name of HaShem and His throne are divided, so instead of the word kisei, the word is kes. The word yachatz alludes to this idea that the Name and Throne of HaShem are divided until Amalek will be annihilated.
Maggid
The word maggid means to relate. What is the reason we use this word for the most important component of the Seder night? Perhaps the explanation for this is that the word maggid contains the word gad, which means fortune (See Rashi Bereishis 30:11). The Gemara (Shabbos 156a) states that ain mazal liYisroel, the Jewish People are not subject to luck or fortune. One could claim that the entire miracle of the Exodus from Egypt was orchestrated by the stars, as Pharaoh himself told Moshe (Shemos 10:10) reu ki raah neged pineichem, “look – the evil intent is opposite your faces.” The Medrash (Yalkut Shimoni Ki Sisa §392) states that Pharaoh was forewarning Moshe that he saw blood in the Wilderness, and his prediction was correct, as HaShem sought to annihilate the Jewish People after they worshipped the Golden Calf. Nonetheless, this blood was transformed into the blood of circumcision. When we relate the miracles of the Exodus, we are demonstrating that we can extricate ourselves from our mazal, our fortune, and we are under the umbrella of Divine Providence. The commentators write that the word mazal, fortune, is derived from the word nozeil, which means to flow. It is noteworthy that the word maggid is associated with the word Agadah which also means to flow. Thus, we recite maggid, and this reflects the idea that we are leaving the realm of fortune and luck and entering into the arena of Divine Providence.
Rachtzah
The word rachtzah means washing. One must wonder, though, why at the Seder we refer to washing with the words urchatz and rachtzah, when normally we refer to washing our hands as netillah. Perhaps the answer to this question is that it is said (Shemos 2:5) vatered bas Pharaoh lirchotz al hayeor, Pharaoh’s daughter went down to bathe by the River. The Gemara (Sota 12b) interprets this to mean that the daughter of Pharaoh went down to the river to wash herself clean from the idols of her father’s house. Similarly, by the Seder we are declaring that we are washing ourselves clean of our prior impurities.
Motzi matzah
The words motzi matzah literally mean “recite hamotzi on the matzah.” Perhaps there is an allusion here to the idea that one must avoid strife. The word matzah also means strife, as it is said (Mishlei 13:10) rak bizadon yitein matzah vies noatzim chochmah, only by willfulness is strife fomented; but wisdom is with those who take counsel. Thus, at the Seder we are declaring that we seek to be motzi, take away, matzah, strife.
Maror Korech
The word maror literally means bitter. Yet, we know that everything HaShem does is ultimately for the good. How is this evidenced in maror? Perhaps the answer to this question is that the word mor, meaning bitter, and the word korech, which means bundle together, both equal the same gematria (246). Thus, we are demonstrating that by eating the matzah and maror together, we are finding the good in the bitter situation.
Shulchan Orech Tzafun
The words Shulchan Orech are translated literally to mean a set table and tzafun means hidden. Perhaps these words allude to the idea of the manna in the Wilderness, as it is said (Tehillim 78:19) vayidabru beilokim amru hayuchal Keil laaroch shulchan bamidbar, and they spoke against G-d. They said, “Can G-d prepare a table in the wilderness?” The word tzafun alludes to the idea that the manna descended from heaven and was concealed in two coverings.
Barech Hallel Nirtzah
Barech refers to the recital of Bircas HaMazon, Grace after the meal. Hallel refers to the praises we offer to HaShem, and Nirtzah refers to the songs we sing at the end of the Seder, signifying that HaShem favors us. It is noteworthy that the first letters of these three words spell out the word habein, the son, alluding to the idea that at the Seder we are like HaShem’s children.
Ha lachma Anya
This is the poor man’s bread. The Gemara (Pesachim 115b) states that the word oni, literally translated as poor, can mean responding, as we respond or raise our voice over the matzah. This description of the matzah is difficult to understand. Why do we associate the matzah with our responses? In the simple sense, the Gemara means that the matzah is the vehicle with which we ask questions regarding the Exodus and provide ourselves and our children with answers to these questions. Perhaps, however, there is a deeper message contained in this statement of the Gemara. We find that when Yosef revealed himself to his brothers after not seeing them for twenty-two years, it is said (Bereishis 45:3) vayomer Yosef el echav ani Yosef haod avi chai vilo yachlu echav laanos oso ki nivhalu mipanav, and Yosef said to his brothers, “I am Yosef. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him because they were left disconcerted before him. The Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 93:10) states that Yosef was the youngest of the Shevatim and the brothers could not withstand his rebuke, so certainly when HaShem will bring a person to justice at the end of days, he will not be able to withstand His rebuke. Thus, we see that a response symbolizes that one is not afraid to answer ones questions and rebukes. Similarly, by the Pesach Seder we are confounded by the fact that the Jewish People in Egypt descended to the depths of impurity. As a sign that we are prepared to overcome our initial depravity, we eat the matzah which is a symbol of freedom and this is our response to our early history. The matzah is the vehicle with which we ascend from the lowest level of impurity and reach the heights of purity and freedom.
Di achalu avahasana biara diMitzrayim
That our forefathers ate in the Land of Egypt. What is the significance of stating that our forefathers ate this bread in the land of Egypt? Some of the commentators (Abarbanel) interpret this to mean that the Egyptians fed the Jewish People matzah, as matzah takes a long time to digest. This explanation, however, is difficult to understand, as this does not appear to be a disgrace or a praise of the Jewish People. Rather, this was the reality. What lesson do we learn from this statement? Perhaps the answer to this question is that the word ani, which literally means poor, also means humble, as it is said (Shemos 10:3) ad masai meanta leianos mipanai, until when will you refuse to be humbled before Me? Thus, we are declaring that although we were enslaved to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, we, unlike Pharaoh, were able to humble ourselves before Hashem and this is what allowed us to be redeemed from slavery. It is noteworthy that when Hashem appeared to Moshe for the first time at the burning bush, it is said (Shemos 3:7) vayomer HaShem raoh raisi es ani ami asher biMitzrayim vies tzakasam shamati mipnei nogsav ki yadati es machovav, HaShem said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My People that in Egypt and I have heard its outcry because of its taskmasters, for I have known its sufferings.” We see that that the first words HaShem used to describe the plight of the Jewish People was that He saw their oni, their affliction, which can also be interpreted to mean their humility. Thus, it was the humility and submissiveness of the Jewish People which were the catalysts for their being redeemed from Egypt.
Rav Eizel Charif - How Far Do Your Hands Reach?
Rav Eizel Charif, the sharp witted Rov of Slonim in the 1800s, once saw a wealthy but stingy man of his city emptying his pockets of Chametz before Pesach. “Why are you doing this,” he asked the gentlemen? The man told him that he needed to get all the chametz out of his pockets and make sure it was clean for Pesach.“Surely you forget the Halacha that says that when doing a bedika you are only obligated to search ‘Ad SheYado Magaas,’ until where your hand can reach. For years I have witnessed your behavior when it comes to giving tzedakah and it appears to me that your hand does not reach all the way to your pocket. Do not bother; you have no obligation to check them!” [Reprinted with permission from www.Revach.net]
R' Yaakov Levitt zt”l (Bialystok) illustrated with a parable the difference between the right way to tell the story of the Exodus and the wrong way:
A villager once took seriously ill. The doctor was called, and the doctor recognized that the villager’s illness was fully curable if treated properly. He wrote out a prescription and he told the villager's wife, “Give your husband this prescription with water three times a day until it is finished, and he will be cured.”
The family did as it was told. Every day, the simple village wife tore a small piece off the prescription, dissolved it in water and gave it to her husband to drink. Needless to say, his condition did not improve.
The doctor was called, but he was very perplexed. “I know that this prescription works,” he said. “I have prescribed it for this illness before.”
“Let me see the prescription,” he requested finally. “Perhaps I made a mistake.” The villager’s wife explained, however, that she could not show him the prescription because she had given it to her husband as instructed.
“Fools,” he shouted. “Can a piece of paper cure your husband’s illness? It’s not the paper that makes the difference, but what’s written on the paper that would have cured him.”
So it is with the Hagadah. It is not the book of the Hagadah or simply reading the Hagadah which illuminates one's soul. Rather, one must absorb the contents of the story. (Hagadah Shel Pesach Shaarei Armon p. 150)
Survival
With Passover come and gone, thoughts of liberation and Jewish survival linger in the hearts and minds of many. Linked inextricably with these thoughts is the image of the Jewish woman, who has always been an agent of continuity and vision for her people. From the enslavement in Egypt through life in the desert and beyond, a beam of feminine light pierces the darkest moments in Jewish history, pointing towards a better future.
This week, Women in Judaism shares the story of one Jewish woman who refuses to give in to what another might consider impending doom. Lady Amelie Jacobovits is the widow of the late Rav Lord Immanuel Jacobovits, Chief Rabbi Emeritus of the British Commonwealth. Her Passover story of Holocaust survival demonstrates how the powerful life force of a Jewish woman connects our past, present and future.
_________________________________
PESACH 1941
By Lady Amelie Jacobovits (Adapted from the Jewish Women’s Journal, summer 1993)
“Occasionally, one memory escapes from the vault that holds the terror of those years. One Passover, my three-year old grandchild looked up at me from his chair at the Seder table. I don't even know what he said, because the rush of Passover 1941 blocked everything else. I was a young girl hidden in a dark cellar in central France. I was without other family - alone with four other children, all of us strangers.
Today and in recent years, as I celebrate Passover surrounded by the comforts and luxury of our London flat and the security of more than a dozen relatives and friends, I realize that for all of their splendor, these holidays cannot compare in my heart to that unique event 62 years ago. 1941 was the most extraordinary Passover of my life. But before I describe it, let me explain how I got to that cellar.
I was born in the years preceding World War II and lived content and well loved by my family in Nurnberg. By 1933, however, my world was getting darker till, one day, Nazi storm troopers marched into Nurnberg ordering that all major buildings must fly the swastika flag by evening. In 1936, my parents took us to Paris, as my father had been appointed rabbi of the prominent Rue Cadet synagogue. Within a few years, as the political situation deteriorated, my father was conscripted into the army and had to leave us. In 1940, when the Nazis began bombing Paris, my mother fled with us - her four children - on the last train before the main onslaught. It was the eve of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.
The mass of people on that train - a tornado of humanity - repeatedly wrenched us from one another. Months later, on another leg of our desperate journey I lost track of my family altogether and began to wander from village to village. Lone children all over were doing the same.
One night just before dawn I could go no further. I knocked on the farmhouse door of what turned out to be a kind, courageous gentile farmer. He took me to his cellar where I found another little girl. Eventually two boys and another girl joined us. None of us admitted we were Jewish for several days.
It was a dire winter. Each morning, a few rays of light would poke their way into the cellar through two windows high on the wall - our only eyes to the world outside. The farmer had lowered us into the cellar through those windows and every day through one of them he lowered a net with five morsels of food and a bucket for our natural needs. Strange as it sounds, we were very lucky. In that difficult winter, five homeless children developed values so different from those today - as well as a bond of lifelong friendship.
One day, peering from the cellar up through the windows one of us noticed a streak of sunlight in blue sky. A few days later, another saw blades of grass penetrating the frozen terrain. We had no calendar or sense of time, but we concluded that, if the weather was indeed changing with spring on its way, maybe we were nearing Passover. Each of us children came from a different range of Jewish commitment, yet we shared a strong desire to do something to celebrate what we sensed was the upcoming Passover holiday.
When the farmer appeared with our food the next morning, we asked if he would lower in tomorrow's basket a small amount of flour, a bottle of water, a newspaper and a match. Two days later we received a small bottle of water, but we had to wait several days for the flour. The entire region was drained of provisions, with everything being transported north to Germany. Our host the farmer had himself barely anything to eat.
A day later, a newspaper came through - and then a match. We waited a few more days. We saw a full day of sunshine and blue skies, and we decided that, in order to cultivate a festive spirit, we would switch clothing with one another and wear them as if new. So we changed clothes; the two boys trading and the girls exchanging dresses. Before evening we baked our matzah, though we hadn't a clue how to do so. We poured water into the flour and held the dough in our bare hands over the burning newspaper on the floor. We produced something which resembled matzah and, whatever it was provided enough for the five of us.
That night we celebrated Passover. One of us recalled by heart the Kiddush - the blessing that sanctifies the Passover night. Another remembered the Four Questions - the part of the Seder the young children recite. We told a few stories of the Exodus that we remembered having heard from our parents. Finally, we managed to reconstruct “One Kid, Which my Father Bought for Two Zuzim,” the song which typically ends the evening.
We had a Passover to remember. With no festive food, no silver candlesticks and no wine - with only our simple desire to connect with G-d - we had a holiday more profound than any we have known since. I thank God for allowing me to live to be able to tell my children and grandchildren about it. Even more, I feel obligated to the younger generations of my family, who never experienced what I did, to pass on the clarity it gave me - the vivid appreciation of G-d’s presence in my life, of His constant blessings, wonders and teachings…and of His commitment to the survival of the Jewish people. [Reprinted with permission from www.Torah.org]
The new Rabbi
When the Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev became the Rav of Berditchev he was approached by Chaim and Baruch for a Din Torah. Baruch claims that Chaim owes him a thousand coins and Chaim denies the loan. The Rav heard both sides of the argument and ruled that Chaim must in fact pay Baruch, which he promptly did and the litigants left.
The next day Chaim approached the Rav Levi Yitzchak with a question. “Rebbe, I accept your judgment and your decision. However, although I understand that the judgment is based on the Torah, how could a true judgment based on Torah be untrue, because Rebbe, I know that I truly am innocent! I do not owe Baruch any money at all!” “That is a good question answered Rav Levi Yitzchak give me please three days to give you an answer.”
The Holy Berditchever fasted and prayed that they should answer him from heaven. Whereupon it was then revealed to him that in fact Chaim grandfather had once borrowed the exact sum from Baruch’s grandfather and failed to pay back the loan!
When three days had passed and Chaim re-entered the Rebbe’s study, the Berditchever explained to him how the debt had occurred. “In the heavenly court it was ruled that you must pay off your grandfather’s debt and return the money owed to the grandson of your grandfather’s lender. The sign that what I am telling you is in fact true is that if you go home and look at your volume of Shulchan Aruch which you inherited from your grandfather, in such and such a place you will find the missing note that proves the loan.” Chaim went home, opened the Shulchan Aruch and as the Rebbe predicted there was the document.
Afterwards the Rebbe called in the leaders of the community and announced to them that he wished to relinquish his newly acquired post as Rabbi of Berditchev. The Rebbe explained that a town in which the cases brought before him, required him to fast for three days in order to get heavenly aid in order to decide matters of law was too much for him to handle. The leaders of Berditchev answered that while they understood, it was unfair to leave them just like that on the spot without a replacement. Perhaps the Rav would kindly wait until they found a suitable replacement? The rebbe agreed.
Meanwhile Pesach came, and the custom was that after the prayers in shul the poor guests who had lodgings or meals were divided up among the men of means in the community. One such householder who had a guest assigned to him, hurried home and forget about his guest. When he arrived, his wife began to ask him where their guest for the Seder was. The householder quickly realized his mistake and hurried back only to find the shul cold, dark and empty. Upset but without any other choice he returned home and explained to his sad wife that they were to conduct the Seder that year without any guests.
The next morning after services he spotted his would be guest and the householder approached the poor man. “Where were you last night, I came to the shul looking for you?” he asked. “Why, when I saw myself alone and without knowing anyone I didn’t know what to do.” “So why didn’t you stay?” the householder asked. “Well,” continued the poor man, “as I said, I didn’t know anyone but its Pesach and I needed a place to stay and eat. I didn’t want to stay here by myself in shul so I left and found a place with another householder,” he answered, pointing to a different person.
The first householder approached his fellow and began berating him for stealing his Pesach Seder guest. “You left him and didn’t take him, so I took him fair and square,” was the second man’s retort. Soon their discussion had blown into a full-fledged argument. After Yom Tov they took their argument to the Rav. The Berditchever heard both sides and ruled that the “thief” who stole the guest from his fellow householder had to repay him a sum of money for his loss.
Afterwards the Rebbe called in the leaders of the community and announced to them that he wished to stay on as the Rav of the community. “Any community whose householder fight like that over the precious mitzvah of Hachnasas Orchim and guests is a place where I wish to serve as the Rabbi.”
Hagadah
Shel Pesach 5769
Prepared by
Rabbi Binyomin Adler
Sponsored in loving memory of Menachem Mendel bas Moshe Pinchas and in loving memory of Mera bas Ellah ob”m
Wishing all the readers a Chag Kosher Visameach
For sponsorships please call
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Thursday, April 2, 2009
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Parashas Tzav-Shabbos HaGadol 5769
שבת טעם החיים פרשת צו-שבת הגדול תשס"ט
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Parashas Tzav-Shabbos HaGadol 5769
Avraham and Pesach
Introduction
This week is Shabbos HaGadol, literally translated as the Great Shabbos. What is the significance of this Shabbos? The Halacha teaches us that on the Shabbos prior to the Jewish People being redeemed from Egypt, HaShem instructed the Jewish People to take a sheep and tie it to their beds. Given the fact that the sheep was the deity of the Egyptians, the Egyptians were distressed to hear from the Jewish People that their deity would be slaughtered. Nonetheless, the Egyptians were powerless to confront the Jewish People, and this was cause for celebration. Thus, every year, on the Shabbos prior to Pesach, we celebrate this event by referring to the Shabbos as Shabbos HaGadol. Upon further contemplation, however, there appears to be a difficulty with this appellation. Referring to this Shabbos as Shabbos HaGadol is fine, but what significance does this Shabbos have with relation to Pesach? Is this commemoration merely a prelude to Pesach, or does this Shabbos have a significance in its own right?
Commemorating the redemption and all its facets
In order to answer this question, we must reflect on the history that culminated in the redemption of the Jewish People from the Egyptian slavery. HaShem made a pact with Avraham Avinu, known as the Bris bein HaBesarim, the Pact of the Parts. When HaShem informed Avraham that his descendants would inherit the Land of Canaan, Avraham questioned the promise and HaShem responded that the Jewish People would have to endure many years of slavery in an alien land. Nonetheless, along with this forewarning of suffering, HaShem promised Avraham that those who persecuted Avraham’s descendants would be duly punished and the Jewish People themselves would leave their master’s land with great wealth. Thus, in addition to commemorating the Egyptians slavery, we are also required to recall every facet of that redemption, which incorporates all the promises that HaShem made to Avraham. Avraham represents the Attribute of Kindness, referred to as Gedulah, greatness.
The Shabbos connection
What is the association between Avraham and Pesach? In addition to the fact that HaShem promised Avraham on Pesach that his descendants would be redeemed from Egypt, HaShem also informed Avraham on Pesach that he would have a son, Yitzchak, born to him on Pesach. It is evident that Avraham is intertwined with the redemption of the Jewish People from Egypt. Thus, it is appropriate that this Shabbos is referred to as Shabbos HaGadol, the Great Shabbos, as the fact that HaShem fulfilled all His promises to Avraham regarding His descendants is a testimony to HaShem’s greatness and kindness. We should merit that this year HaShem will demonstrate to us His kindness and redeem us from this long and bitter exile, and next year we will all be together with Moshiach Tzidkienu in Yerushalayim Habenuyah.
Shabbos Story
Just Let Me Know When You Are Done
Dr. Kook, a known doctor in Yerushalayim, told about an amazing encounter he had with the Gaon Rav Aharon Cohen, one of the Roshei Yeshivah of Chevron. Reb Aharon once had a deep wound in his shoulder which was not healing on its own, and Dr. Kook decided he needed to operate. However, Reb Aharon was a very weak man, virtually skin and bones, and Dr. Kook was in a dilemma about how to operate on him. He was afraid to put him under anesthesia due to his frailty, but if he wouldn’t put him to sleep, R’ Aharon would suffer terrible pains during the operations. Dr. Kook discussed the dilemma with R’ Aharon, and R’ Aharon immediately said. “There’s no need to use anesthesia. Just tell me when you begin to operate, and everything will be fine.”
Dr. Kook then accounted what occurred during the operation. “I informed R’ Aharon when I began the operation. After I had finished operating, R’ Aharon asked me if I had finished. Until today I can’t believe how a person could be capable of withstanding such pain without reacting at all. I asked him how R’ Aharon how he did it, and he said that he thought about words of Torah, and he was so immersed in his learning that he even had to ask if the operation was finished!” (Shaal Avicha Veygadcha)
Rav Naftali Trop Stays Up To Watch The Thief
A vagrant Jew had acquired a reputation as a thief, and was ostracized by society. However, when he came to Radin, he encountered Rav Naftali Tzvi Trop, the famed Rosh Yeshivah of the Chofetz Chaim's Yeshiva. Rav Trop greeted him warmly, invited him to eat by his table, and even offered him a bed to sleep for the night in his home. The Jews of Radin began murmuring with each other, wondering why R’ Trop was exerting himself for this unsavory character.
Someone worked up the courage to ask R’ Trop directly why he was treating this thief with such warmth. R’ Trop answered in surprise, “It’s known that a thief pays back double the value of what he stole, and if he can’t pay it back, he’s sold as a slave. But where is it written that I’m exempt from fulfilling the mitzvah of hachnasas orchim? Isn’t he a Jew? Didn’t Avraham Avinu fulfill the mitzvah of hachnasas orchim even with Arabs who worshipped the dust of their feet? It’s true that it’s risky to bring a suspected thief into my house, but I can watch over him carefully the whole time he’s in my home. However, I have no excuse to exempt myself from the mitzvah.”
The next day, the people in Radin heard that R’ Trop had done exactly what he had said. He had stayed awake the entire night to guard the thief while he slept in his home. (Sidras Tikun HaMidos) [Reprinted with permission from www.Revach.net ]
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Parashas Tzav-Shabbos HaGadol 5769
I will be giving a class in Navi on Shabbos afternoon at Beis Haknesses HaGra 14561 Lincoln in Oak Park, an hour before the Shabbos HaGadol Drasha (given by Rabbi Daniel Arm) at 5:55 PM.
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos and a Chag Kosher Visameach.
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 Tzav-Shabbos HaGadol 5769
Avraham and Pesach
Introduction
This week is Shabbos HaGadol, literally translated as the Great Shabbos. What is the significance of this Shabbos? The Halacha teaches us that on the Shabbos prior to the Jewish People being redeemed from Egypt, HaShem instructed the Jewish People to take a sheep and tie it to their beds. Given the fact that the sheep was the deity of the Egyptians, the Egyptians were distressed to hear from the Jewish People that their deity would be slaughtered. Nonetheless, the Egyptians were powerless to confront the Jewish People, and this was cause for celebration. Thus, every year, on the Shabbos prior to Pesach, we celebrate this event by referring to the Shabbos as Shabbos HaGadol. Upon further contemplation, however, there appears to be a difficulty with this appellation. Referring to this Shabbos as Shabbos HaGadol is fine, but what significance does this Shabbos have with relation to Pesach? Is this commemoration merely a prelude to Pesach, or does this Shabbos have a significance in its own right?
Commemorating the redemption and all its facets
In order to answer this question, we must reflect on the history that culminated in the redemption of the Jewish People from the Egyptian slavery. HaShem made a pact with Avraham Avinu, known as the Bris bein HaBesarim, the Pact of the Parts. When HaShem informed Avraham that his descendants would inherit the Land of Canaan, Avraham questioned the promise and HaShem responded that the Jewish People would have to endure many years of slavery in an alien land. Nonetheless, along with this forewarning of suffering, HaShem promised Avraham that those who persecuted Avraham’s descendants would be duly punished and the Jewish People themselves would leave their master’s land with great wealth. Thus, in addition to commemorating the Egyptians slavery, we are also required to recall every facet of that redemption, which incorporates all the promises that HaShem made to Avraham. Avraham represents the Attribute of Kindness, referred to as Gedulah, greatness.
The Shabbos connection
What is the association between Avraham and Pesach? In addition to the fact that HaShem promised Avraham on Pesach that his descendants would be redeemed from Egypt, HaShem also informed Avraham on Pesach that he would have a son, Yitzchak, born to him on Pesach. It is evident that Avraham is intertwined with the redemption of the Jewish People from Egypt. Thus, it is appropriate that this Shabbos is referred to as Shabbos HaGadol, the Great Shabbos, as the fact that HaShem fulfilled all His promises to Avraham regarding His descendants is a testimony to HaShem’s greatness and kindness. We should merit that this year HaShem will demonstrate to us His kindness and redeem us from this long and bitter exile, and next year we will all be together with Moshiach Tzidkienu in Yerushalayim Habenuyah.
Shabbos Story
Just Let Me Know When You Are Done
Dr. Kook, a known doctor in Yerushalayim, told about an amazing encounter he had with the Gaon Rav Aharon Cohen, one of the Roshei Yeshivah of Chevron. Reb Aharon once had a deep wound in his shoulder which was not healing on its own, and Dr. Kook decided he needed to operate. However, Reb Aharon was a very weak man, virtually skin and bones, and Dr. Kook was in a dilemma about how to operate on him. He was afraid to put him under anesthesia due to his frailty, but if he wouldn’t put him to sleep, R’ Aharon would suffer terrible pains during the operations. Dr. Kook discussed the dilemma with R’ Aharon, and R’ Aharon immediately said. “There’s no need to use anesthesia. Just tell me when you begin to operate, and everything will be fine.”
Dr. Kook then accounted what occurred during the operation. “I informed R’ Aharon when I began the operation. After I had finished operating, R’ Aharon asked me if I had finished. Until today I can’t believe how a person could be capable of withstanding such pain without reacting at all. I asked him how R’ Aharon how he did it, and he said that he thought about words of Torah, and he was so immersed in his learning that he even had to ask if the operation was finished!” (Shaal Avicha Veygadcha)
Rav Naftali Trop Stays Up To Watch The Thief
A vagrant Jew had acquired a reputation as a thief, and was ostracized by society. However, when he came to Radin, he encountered Rav Naftali Tzvi Trop, the famed Rosh Yeshivah of the Chofetz Chaim's Yeshiva. Rav Trop greeted him warmly, invited him to eat by his table, and even offered him a bed to sleep for the night in his home. The Jews of Radin began murmuring with each other, wondering why R’ Trop was exerting himself for this unsavory character.
Someone worked up the courage to ask R’ Trop directly why he was treating this thief with such warmth. R’ Trop answered in surprise, “It’s known that a thief pays back double the value of what he stole, and if he can’t pay it back, he’s sold as a slave. But where is it written that I’m exempt from fulfilling the mitzvah of hachnasas orchim? Isn’t he a Jew? Didn’t Avraham Avinu fulfill the mitzvah of hachnasas orchim even with Arabs who worshipped the dust of their feet? It’s true that it’s risky to bring a suspected thief into my house, but I can watch over him carefully the whole time he’s in my home. However, I have no excuse to exempt myself from the mitzvah.”
The next day, the people in Radin heard that R’ Trop had done exactly what he had said. He had stayed awake the entire night to guard the thief while he slept in his home. (Sidras Tikun HaMidos) [Reprinted with permission from www.Revach.net ]
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Parashas Tzav-Shabbos HaGadol 5769
I will be giving a class in Navi on Shabbos afternoon at Beis Haknesses HaGra 14561 Lincoln in Oak Park, an hour before the Shabbos HaGadol Drasha (given by Rabbi Daniel Arm) at 5:55 PM.
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos and a Chag Kosher Visameach.
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
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