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1. Rabbi Binyomin Adler Shabbos Taam HaChaim page 2
2. Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein Maharal's Gur Aryeh page 4
3. Rabbi Oizer Alport Parsha Potpourri page 4
4. Rabbi Stephen Baars-Aish.Com Brainstorming With Baars page 5
5. Dr. Avigdor Bonchek Whats Bothering Rashi? page 7
6. HaRav Eliezer Chrysler Midei Shabbos page 7
7. Rabbi Moshe Erlbaum-Aish.Com Torah Teasers page 8
8. Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher Chamishoh Mi Yodei'a page 8
9. Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher Chasidic Insights page 9
10. Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher Oroh V'Simchoh page 9
11. Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher Sedrah Selections page 10
12. Rabbi Yissocher Frand RavFrand page 11
13. Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen-Aish.Com The Guiding Light page 12
14. Rabbi J. Gewirtz Migdal Ohr page 13
15. Rabbi Nosson Greenberg Khal Machzikei Torah page 13
16. Rabbi Sender Haber Out of the Loop page 14
17. Rabbi Avraham Kahn Torah Attitude page 14
18. Rabbi Shlomo Katz Hamayan page 15
19. Rabbi Dov Kramer Taking A Closer Look page 15
20. Rabbi Moshe Krieger Bircas HaTorah Parsha Sheet page 16
21. Rabbi Eli Mansour Weekly Perasha Insights page 17
22. NCYI Weekly Dvar Torah page 17
23. Rabbi Kalman Packouz-Aish.Com Shabbat Shalom page 19
24. Rabbi Eliezer Parkoff Weekly Chizuk page 20
25. Rabbi Ben-Zion Rand Likutei Peshatim page 20
26. Rabbi Naftali Reich Legacy page 22
27. Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Rabbi's Message page 22
28. Rabbi Elyakim Rosenblatt Yeshiva Kesser Torah page 23
29. Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Covenant & Conversation page 23
30. Rabbi A. Leib Scheinbaum Peninim on the Torah page 24
31. Rabbi Dovid Seigel Haftorah page 26
32. Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair Ohr Somayach Torah Weekly page 27
33. Rabbi Jacob Solomon Between the Fish and the Soup page 27
34. Rabbi Doniel Staum Stam Torah page 28
35. Rabbi Berel Wein Israel At Sixty Five page 30
36. Rabbi Berel Wein Weekly Parsha page 30
37. Rabbi Noach Weinberg ZTL-Aish.Com 48 Ways to Wisdom Way #27 page 33
38. Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - OU Person In The Parsha page 31
39. Rabbi Pinchas Winston Perceptions page 31
40. HaRav Shlomo Wolbe Ztl Bais Hamussar page 32
41. Yeshiva Aish HaTorah-Aish.Com Jewish History Crash Course#44 page 32
42. Rabbi Leibie Sternberg Pleasant Ridge Newsletter The Back Page
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Rabbi Binyomin Adler
Shabbos Taam HaChaim
Acharei Mos-Kedoshim 5773
(From the archives)
Shabbos In The Parasha - Keep On Praying For The Redemption
Honoring Ones Parents And Shabbos
Introduction
In this weeks 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 Commandments 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 resist 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 in the Zemiros
Eishes Chayil
Composed by Shlomo HaMelech in Mishlei
, ; ,-, she opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. This verse alludes to
Shabbos because Shabbos is the culmination of creation, and HaShem
created the world with wisdom, as it is said (Mishlei 3:19) HaShem
bichochma yosad eretz, HaShem founded the earth with wisdom.
Additionally, the words and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue can
allude to the idea that it is ideal that on Shabbos one converse only in
Lashon HaKodesh, the Holy Tongue. The word chesed, kindness, in
mispar katan, digit sum, is 8+6+4, which equals 18, and 1+8 equals 9,
which is the same mispar katan as the word Shabbos: 3+2+4, which equals
9.
Shabbos in Tefillah
Cognizant of HaShems Place
Baruch kevod HaShem mimekomo, blessed is the glory of HaShem from
His place. In the Kedusha that we recite in Shabbos Mussaf, we recite the
words ayei mekom kevodo, where is the place of His glory? If the angels
themselves ask regarding the location of HaShems glory, how is it that we
can recite the words blessed is the glory of HaShem from His place?
Perhaps the answer to this question is contained in an understanding of the
word makom that is used throughout Scripture. When HaShem instructed
Avraham to bring his son Yitzchak as an offering, it is said (Bereishis
22:4) bayom hashlishi vayisa Avraham es einav vayar es hamakom
meirachok, on the third day, Avraham raised his eyes and perceived the
place from afar. Rashi writes that Avraham was able to perceive the
place because he saw a cloud hovering above the mountains, whereas his
two attendants were not able to perceive the cloud. We find further that it
is said (Devarim 17:8) ki yipalei mimcho davar lamishpat bein dam lidam
uvein din lidin uvein nega lanega divrei rivos bishorecha vikamta vialisa el
hamakom asher yivchar HaShem Elokecha bo, if a matter of judgment is
hidden from you, between blood and blood, between verdict and verdict,
between plague and plague, matters of dispute in your cities you shall
rise up and ascend to the place that HaShem, your G-d, shall choose. In
this instance too we see that when a matter is hidden from a person, he
must ascend to the place. The place implies a sense of clarity and
perception. Thus, we pose the query, where is the place of His glory?
and we also declare,
blessed is the glory of HaShem from His place, as this declaration
demonstrates that we are attempting to ascend spiritually and to perceive
more of HaShems Presence in our lives.
Shabbos Stories
Not The Way You Want It To Happen
A poor man once came to the renowned tzaddik, the Strikover Rebbe, who
had a reputation for performing the most wondrous and amazing miracles.
The mans daughter had already been engaged twice, but when her father
had been unable to provide the agreed- upon nadon (dowry), the
engagements had been broken. Now she had become engaged once again,
and her father desperately wanted this marriage to go through.
The Rebbe told him to go home, and buy a lottery ticket - the Ribbono
Shel Olam would surely help him. The poor man optimistically returned
home, and bought a ticket, but the ticket did not win. Although the father
somehow managed to keep the shidduch (engagement) afloat and marry
his daughter off, the Strikover Rebbe was so shaken by his failure the he
refused to accept any more petitioners for his blessings. A Rebbes power,
he argued, is derived from the dictum of Chazal, our Sages (see Taanis
23a) that Hashem fulfills the will of a tzaddik. Obviously, he was not a
tzaddik!
Soon afterwards, Reb Simcha Bunim of Pshischa came to Strikov to visit
the Rebbe. He was disturbed that the Rebbe had ceased accepting the
hundreds of petitioners who desperately sought his blessings over the
apparent failure of one blessing.
Strikover Rebbe, said Reb Simcha Bunim, tell me: How does one
reconcile that which we are taught, Hashem fulfils the will of a tzaddik
with the passuk in Iyov (Job 9:12), Who can tell Him what to do!? The
explanation, however, is as follows: Hashem will fulfill the Tzaddiks will.
But even the tzaddik has no right to dictate how Hashem will do it. Your
beracha (blessing) was fulfilled. The marriage went off as planned - just
not the way you thought it would happen! The Rebbe saw the wisdom in
his words, and resumed accepting Chassidim.
>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 3
Shabbos in Halacha
Submerging a Container Within a Pot of Hot Food
One is forbidden to submerge a small pot inside a large part of hot food
even prior to Shabbos. The reason for this prohibition is because the pot
submerged is deemed to be insulated in a heat-intensifying material, as the
hot food will cause the temperature of the inside pot to rise. One is also
forbidden to submerge food that is wrapped in aluminum foil in a pot of
hot food.
Shabbos: Taam HaChaim Acharei Mos-Kedoshim 5773 I s sponsored in
memory of these Tzadikim:
-Eli HaKohen and his sons Chafni and Pinchas. The Bnei Yisrael were
defeated by the Plishtim, 30,000 soldiers were slaughtered, the Aron
Kodesh was taken into captivity, and Chafni and Pinchas, the two sons of
Eli Kohen Gadol killed, 864 BCE. Eli dies at age 98 in shock on hearing
the news. The Mishkan at Shilo was destroyed.
-Rav Yitzchak Alfasi (RiF), codifier of the Gemara, author of Sefer
Hahalachos (1013-1103). The period of the Geonim began in 589, and
ended in 1038 with the petira of Rav Hai Gaon. Rav Chananels father,
Rav Chushiel Gaon, had set out from Bavel to collect funds for a needy
bride and was seized by pirates. He was sold as a slave in Africa, but was
later redeemed by the members of its Jewish communities. From Africa,
he headed to Kairuan, where he became a rosh yeshiva. His son, Chananel,
was born in Kairuan. A young student from the Algerian city of Kala
asked to be admitted to Rav Chananels yeshiva. His name was Yitzchak
HaKohen. As Rav Yitzchak advanced in his studies, he became keenly
aware of the fact that many people were unable to elucidate the halacha
from the Gemara due to the vast amount of material it contains. As a
result, he conceived of the idea of compiling a comprehensive and
extensive halachic work that would present all of the halachos and the
practical conclusions of the Gemara in a clear, definitive manner. To
achieve this goal, he retreated to his father-in-laws attic, where he worked
on his sefer for 10 consecutive years. During this period, however, a
Moslem tyrant gained control of Tunisia, and persecuted all those who did
not accept his faith, especially the Jews of Kairuan. As a result, all of the
citys Jewish residents fled to places controlled by the Elmuhides, who
were more tolerant of the Jews. Among the fugitives was Rav Yitzchak
who, with his wife and two children, moved to the Moroccan city of Fez.
Rav Yitzchak remained in Fez for 40 years, during which time he
completed his Sefer Hahalachos, which is considered the first
fundamental work in halachic literature. Eventually, he became known as
Rav Yitzchak Alfasi, or the Rif. Rav Yitzchak was niftar at the age of 90
in 1103. He was succeeded by the Ri miGaash.
-Rav Yosef Teumim, author of Pri Megadim, on the Shulchan Aruch
(1727-1792). Born in Szczerzec, a small town near Lemberg (Lvov) to
Rav Meir, a grandson of Rav Yonah Teumim, Rav of Meitz and author of
Kikayon DeYonah. In 1755, he Reb Yosef married the daughter of Rav
Elyakam of Kamorna and lived there for ten years. In 1767, he moved to
Berlin on the invitation of a wealthy Jew named Rav Daniel Yaffe, who
offered to support him fully as well as a beis midrash in his home when
talmidei chachamim could learn. In 1774, he moved to Lemberg, to
succeed his father as Rav and Dayan. And in 1781, he was appointed Rav
of Frankfurt-on-the-Oder. His most well-known sefer is the Pri Magadin
on Orach Chaim and on Yoreh Deah. Both are actually two sections: Pri
Megadim on Yoreh Deah consists of Mishbetzos Zahav on the Taz and
Sifsei Daas on the Shach. Pri Megadim on Orach Chaim consists of
Mishbetzos Zahav on the Taz and Aishel Avraham on the Magen
Avraham. He also wrote a commentary on the Torah entitled Rav Peninim,
Poras Yosef (chidushim on masechtos Yevamos and Kesubos, as well as
14 important rules in learning and understanding sugyos properly), Rosh
Yosef (chidushim on various mesechtos in Seder Moed as well as
Maseches Chulin), Noam Megadim (explanations and minhagim on
tefillah), Sefer Hamagid (commentary to Chumash and Haftorah), Ginnas
Veradim (70 rules for understanding gemara), and many others.(some say
11 Iyar).
-Rav Yitzchak Yehuda Yechiel Eizik of Komarna, author of Shulchan
Hatahor (1806-1874)
-Rav Dovid Twersky of Tolna (1808-1882), son of Rav Mordechai of
Chernobyl. His works include Magen Dovid. There is a Tolner Shul in
Tzefas even today.
-Rav Hillel Lichtenstein of Kalamei, in the Ukraine (1814-1891). Born
near Pressburg (present-day Bratislava, Slovakia), he became one of the
leading students of the Chasam Sofer. After his marriage, R Lichtenstein
studied in Galante, Hungary. His rabbinic career in 1846, first as rabbi of
Margareten, Hungary, then as rabbi of Klausenberg (today, Cluj,
Romania). Eventually, he became rabbi of Kolmyya, Galicia (today in
Ukraine). He was among the fiercest opponents of the Haskalah and a
strong supporter of settlement in Eretz Yisrael. He helped his son-in-law,
R Akiva Yosef Schlesinger, buy up land for what became the city of
Petach Tikva. He wrote numerous books including Avkas Rochel
(mussar), Beis Hillel (letters regarding strengthening observance), Maskil
El Dal (derashos), Teshuvos Beis Hillel (responsa), and others.
New Stories Acharei Mos-Kedoshim
5773 Rav Yosef Teumim
The Pri Megadim Holds...
"There is no grandeur in my work. I am like a beggar who was granted
permission from kings and ministers to go into their courtyards and
palaces during mealtime to collect a few leftover crumbs. Because I spent
time with them, I merited to understand their hints and references and
enjoy their company. Every now and then I found a precious stone on my
way. I took from them small scraps of expensive material and weaved
myself a nice multi colored garment... What else would I sleep with if not
for the little Hashem granted me to collect from their words..."
These are the humble words of the Rav Yosef Te'umim in the hakdama to
his sefer Pri Megadim. His lived in the times of the Noda B'Yehuda, Vilna
Gaon, Ketzos HaChoshen, Ba'al HaTanya, and Sha'agas Aryeh among
others. Yet the sefer written by this humble Cheder Rebbi is a major
foundation for psak halacha.
The Pri Megadim was born in 5487/1727 in a town near L'vov where his
father Rav Meir was a Dayan. He learned under his father and when he
was 18 years old he published his father's sefer with his own chidushim at
the end. At age 30 he moved to Komarna where he taught little children.
It was there that people started asking him Shailos and he became a well
known Posek.
At age 40 he spent three years in Berlin where he wanted to focus on
writing his sefer in solitude. When he was discovered and many people
started to come to ask him shailos he realized he would not be able to
accomplish what he had set out to do in Berlin under these circumstances.
He therefore pretended not to understand anything often asking the
litigants before him to explain him over and over again the arguments. At
the end he would issue a Psak that clearly showed he didn't understand
what they were talking about. This worked as people stopped coming to
him.
In 1770 his father was niftar and has called back to L'vov to take up his
father's position. Since he has not completed the Pri Megadim he refused
the offer. two years later he was appointed Rosh Yeshiva in Berlin a role
which he served for two years before finally going back to L'vov. For the
last ten years of his life he was Rov in Frankfurt on the Oder.
Aside from the Pri Megadim he also wrote seforim on Shas - Rosh Yosef,
Chumash - Magid, Teivas Gomeh and other seforim. He also wrote a
famous letter despondent over the fact that people do not learn Chumash
and Tanach and that Lashon HaKodesh is almost completely forgotten.
While that may very well be the case, the fact is that while the Pri
Megadim was called to Yeshiva Shel Ma'ala on 10 Iyar 5552/1792, his
legacy the Sefer Pri Megadim has stood the test of time, due to his
outstanding humility, and is far from being forgotten. Yehi Zichro
Boruch!
Rav Hutner the Shadchan
Yaakov was the top bochur in his yeshivah. He was known not only for
his intellectual capabilities, but for his yiras Shamayim and refined middos
as well. Therefore, it was quite a surprise to everybody that Yaakov was
having problems with shidduchim. It wasnt for lack of opportunities,
since he had gone out on countless dates, but nothing ever seemed to
materialize. Yaakov was already in his late twenties, and he was
beginning to despair. A veil of sadness could be discerned beneath his
normally happy disposition.
Despite his personal problems, Yaakov continued to learn with hasmada
and was mapkid on his sedarim. However, one day he made an exception
to his normally tight schedule to attend the bris of his chavrusas son in the
Beis Medrash of the Gaon, HaRav Yitzchak Hutner, ztl. It was the first
time since he had arrived at the yeshivah that he didnt go directly to the
yeshivahs Beis Medrash after davening.
After the bris, the attendants crowded around Rav Hutner to greet him and
receive a bracha. Rav Hutner nodded to each person in greeting. When
Rav Hutner spotted Yaakov, he stared at him with his piercing gaze and
whispered to him that Yaakov should meet him in his private office as he
wished to speak with him. Apparently, Rav Hutner was able to discern
Yaakovs unspoken distress.
Yaakov stood by the door of Rav Hutners office, wondering what Rav
Hutner could possibly wish to speak to him about. A few minutes passed
and Rav Hutner appeared, and ushered Yaakov inside his office. The door
closed, and Yaakov suddenly broke down. His emotions from years of
internalizing his sorrow and loneliness were released. There was no need
to explain Rav Hutner understood everything.
Rav Hutner spoke, I have a segulah, a mesorah from our rabbanim;
answering Amen Yehay Shemei Rabbah with all ones koach. Answering
Amen Yehay Shemai Rabbah is a tefillah for the magnification of kavod
Shamayim, and through it, one fulfills the mitzvah of kavod Hashem. Its
possible that once in your life you were mechallel the shem Shamayim and
due to this, the gates of Shamayim have been closed to you. When you
answer Amen, Yehay Shemei Rabbah loudly and with kavanah, you are
mekadesh the Shem Shamayim. This is a tested segulah - if you persist in
following it, youll soon merit to stand at the chuppah, and if youll
continue afterwards, youll also merit a bris.
4 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
Yaakov thanked Rav Hutner, left the office and returned to yeshivah. On
the way, he thought to himself that the eitzah of a Gadol Hador is not only
a segulah, but also an horaah, and an horaah one must fulfill forever. When
Mincha arrived, Yaakov already began to say Amen, Yehay Shemei Rabba
loudly and with kavanah. A few short weeks later, Yaakov became a
chassan and a year later, he was zoche to a son. Rav Hutner was honored
with sandakus. (Shiru Lamelech) (www.Revach.net)
Have a wonderful Shabbos
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler.
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Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein
Maharal's Gur Aryeh
Grand Larceny(1)
For he had given from his offspring to Molech in order to defile My
Mikdash and desecrate My holy name.
Rashi: The mikdash that is defiled here means Knesses Yisrael the
Assembly of Israel - which is sanctified to Me.
Gur Aryeh: Rashi tells us that we must understand mikdash in this pasuk
to mean Knesses Yisrael, because the ordinary understanding of mikdash
as the Mishkan or Temple simply cannot apply here. The transgression of
Molech does not impact the Temple or detract from its holiness. Therefore,
Rashi looks for an alternative understanding of mikdash, and finds it in
the collective identity of Klal Yisrael, which is sanctified ( = mikdash) to
Hashem.
Ramban explains Knesses Yisrael as the Shechinah. You might ask how
the aveirah of an individual can defile the Divine Presence. We can,
however, point to a well-known source that illustrates this principle.
Chazal tell us(2) that one who benefits from this world without making a
berachah is as if he steals from HKBH and from Knesses Yisrael.
Ramban indicates that it is the berachah that is stolen from Hashem and
Knesses Yisrael. The very purpose of Creation is Mans acknowledgment
and recognition that Hashem is our Creator. When we do that through
reciting a berachah, we in effect provide a justified place for the
Shechinah. The Shechinah, in turn, continues the flow of Divine berachah
to Man. When Man does not acknowledge Hashem by reciting a berachah
before taking from this world, the Shechinah withdraws to its source in
Hashems full Name.
We could, however, explain very differently. When Man fails to make a
berachah, it is the food he eats which he steals, not the berachah. At first
this seems unreasonable. While it is technically true that Hashem owns
everything by virtue of having created all of existence, upon further
thought, we realize that we cannot call this ordinary theft. Hashem has no
use and no need for the physical stuff of Creation. What we have stolen
by illicitly taking without a berachah is no more theft than taking an
absolutely worthless item from a human.
While such thinking is tempting, it is inaccurate. Nothing Hashem creates
is worthless. To the contrary, all things exist to give honor to Him, by
accentuating His greatness. All things, therefore, are sacred items, playing
a role in His service.
We have no trouble recognizing that misappropriating any vessel or
sacrificial item in the beis hamikdosh is a serious transgression, because
those things are actively employed in Divine service. On the larger scale
of things, everything that exists is supposed to play a role in the Divine
service, and must be seen as consecrated and holy.
Our difficulty should rather be in understanding why and how we are
permitted to take anything from a world in which everything is
consecrated to G-ds service. Enjoying anything should be not only theft,
but meilah, which is theft from the Divine estate.
The answer is that consecrated items can become deconsecrated. Many
items in the beis hamikdosh, for example, can lose their holiness
designation through a process of redemption. In the greater universe of the
general holiness of all things, the process of redemption involves nothing
more than reciting a berachah. In reciting the berachah over a food item, it
becomes ordinary, profane material that may be enjoyed by Man. Without
the berachah, however, we have stolen a valuable, holy object from
Hashem.
Just how does a berachah decommission the natural holiness of all
things? A berachah relates to a different aspect of Hashem (or at least the
way humans grasp Him). The holiness of all things stems from the reality
that all phenomena are part of Him. All things are within Him; nothing lies
outside of Him.
A berachah, however, places Hashem in a different relationship with us.
The berachah in a sense creates the space in which there is something
apparently outside of Him. When we say that Hashem is baruch, we mean
that He stands ready to shower us with berachah, with an abundance of
things. This presupposes that there are two entities, rather than one! There
is G-d the Giver but there is also Man the receiver. There cannot be any
giving unless there is also receiving. Hashems giving requires that He
reach across from a realm that is close to Him to one in which we reside,
with our weaknesses, needs, and the things that fill them. In this realm,
there are things not as holy as He and hence allowable to us for our
needs and pleasure.
We have explained so far why the mundane things of this world can be
stolen from Hashem. We understand their inherent worth and
therefore, their inherent holiness. We have explained how relating to
Hashem in reciting a berachah places things in a realm that from a
human standpoint stands outside the immediacy of Hashem, and thus
leaves room for them to be utilized by human beings. The gemara,
however, teaches that when we fail to recite a berachah, we steal not only
from Hashem, but from Knesses Yisrael as well. How could that be?
To answer that, we must first understand what we mean by Knesses
Yisrael. It is the entity in which all of Klal Yisrael is subsumed not as
different parts, all adding up to a large collective, but in an opposite
manner. Knesses Yisrael is a single, undivided entity, in which all the
components of Klal Yisrael find their source. In a sense, the unity of
Knesses Yisrael is to the physical world what the Unity of G-d is to the
spiritual. In the ultimate sense, at the spiritual root of all things, everything
including Knesses Yisrael is part of the Unity of Hashem. But seen just
from the standpoint of the material world, all things are placed under the
dominion o Knesses Yisrael. It is the collective receiver of what is given
by Hashem the Giver. When we fail to recite a berachah, we ignore the
relationship of Giver and receiver which allows things to be treated as
properly belonging to the human consumer. We steal from both Giver, and
Knesses Yisrael, the receiver.
1. Based on Gur Aryeh, Vayikra 20:3; Nesiv HaAvodah chapter 14
2. Berachos 35B
Rabbi Oizer Alport
Parsha Potpourri
Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim Vol. 8, Issue 28
In honor of the birthday of Martin Geller
) ' 18:5 (
In Parshas Acharei Mos, we are commanded to guard Hashem's decrees
and laws and live through them. From the Torah's emphasis on observing
the commandments and living, the Gemora (Sanhedrin 74a) derives that
the mitzvos were given to us in order to live, not to die. Therefore, if
keeping one of the commandments will result in a potential danger to a
person's life, he should disregard the law for the purpose of pikuach nefesh
- in order to preserve his life, with the exception of sins involving murder,
idolatry, or forbidden relationships.
Although the idea of doing something that is normally forbidden for the
purpose of pikuach nefesh is a situation in which many of us hope not to
find ourselves, our Gedolim viewed it differently, as simply one of the 613
mitzvos that a person may perform in life, one which should be done with
the same joy and concentration as any other mitzvah.
At the end of the Brisker Rav's life he was very weak and ill, and he
understood that the primary purpose of his life at that point was to perform
constantly the mitzvah of - keeping oneself alive - and when he
was counting and measuring out his various medications, he did so with
the same precision and focus that he applied to every other mitzvah.
This perspective is not surprising, as he recounted that when his father,
Rav Chaim Soloveitchik, was required to eat on a fast day for reasons of
health, he made sure to eat in full view of others for two reasons. First,
there were sick people in Brisk who may have felt uncomfortable about
eating on a fast day and hesitated to do so, thereby jeopardizing their lives,
but when they saw the respected Rav of the town eating publicly due to his
physical state without any compunctions, they would do so as well.
Second, if he insisted on eating privately where nobody could see him, he
would be demonstrating that he felt that what he was doing was on some
level less than ideal. Such an attitude is incorrect, as the reason that we fast
is in order to fulfill Hashem's will, and the same G-d Who instructed us not
to eat on certain days also commanded us to eat on those days if fasting
would endanger our lives because we are sick.
The Brisker Rav added that just as everybody understands that
circumcising an 8-day-old baby boy on Shabbos is not only permitted but
required, and nobody would ever insist on doing so in private due to the
fact that drawing blood is otherwise prohibited on Shabbos, so too nobody
should feel ashamed when performing Hashem's will by eating on a fast
day for the sake of his health.
In one of his lectures, Rav Ezriel Tauber recounted that at the end of his
father's life, he was wheelchair-bound and no longer able to spend his time
engaged in Torah study and mitzvah performance as he had done for so
many decades. In order to strengthen and encourage him and to prevent
him from falling into a state of depression, Rav Tauber approached his
father and told him that Hashem loved him and was taking good care of
him. His surprised father asked for an explanation.
Rav Tauber responded by and asking his father to identify a Biblical
mitzvah that he had never successfully performed lishmah (for its own
sake), to which his confused father replied that he had always striven his
utmost to do every mitzvah with pure motivations. Rav Tauber continued
and suggested that there was one important mitzvah that his father had
always performed for ulterior motives: the mitzvah to live. He explained
that his father loved mitzvos so much that he had always lived in order to
>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 5
study Torah, to pray, to give tzedakah, and to do acts of chesed, but he had
never once lived only for the purpose of living and had never once
breathed for the sole purpose of - to give Hashem a living Jew.
However, because Hashem loved the elder Rav Tauber so much and saw
his tremendous dedication to mitzvos, He wanted to give him the
opportunity to finally fulfill the mitzvah of living for no other reason than
because Hashem gave him a mitzvah to live. In order to do so, Hashem
had no choice but to place him in a wheelchair and take away his ability to
learn Torah and do chesed, so that he would be able for the first time in his
life to perform the mitzvah of living lishmah. Rav Tauber added that this
perspective was tremendously consoling and uplifting to his father, who
repeated it often to those who came to visit him, and can be used to
strengthen ourselves should we ever find ourselves in a situation in which
we are unable perform mitzvos in the manner to which we are accustomed.
) 19:14 (
(")
The Torah commands us not to place a stumbling block before the blind.
Rashi explains that this prohibition doesn't only refer to causing a person
who is literally blind to trip and fall, but it also applies to anybody who is
"blind" in a certain area, as we are exhorted not to give him bad advice
which could cause him to stumble. However, Rashi adds a word and
emphasizes that this prohibition is transgressed by offering advice which is
not suitable for him. What lesson is Rashi coming to teach us?
The Brisker Rav, Rav Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik, was once approached by
the director of a prominent organization, who wanted his assessment about
whether he should offer a leadership position within the organization to a
certain individual. The Rav replied that he thought that the person in
question was well-suited for the job and encouraged the director to hire
him. When the individual was offered the position, he went to consult the
Brisker Rav to solicit his opinion about whether he should accept the
opportunity. He was advised to turn it down.
When the director heard that the prospective hire was declining the
position at the recommendation of the Brisker Rav, he was shocked and
astounded. He immediately returned to the Rav's house to ask him why he
had changed his mind after initially maintaining that this individual was
qualified for the job.
The sagacious Rav replied, "My opinion did not change at all. When you
originally approached me, you asked whether it was in the best interests of
your organization to hire this person, and I responded that it was.
However, when he came to ask for my guidance, he didn't ask what would
be best for the organization, but rather what would be best for him, to
which I responded that it was not a good idea for him to accept the
position. The Torah requires us to give advice that is in the best interests of
the advice-seeker, and if I would have told him to accept the job, which
would be good for you but not for him, I would have transgressed this
prohibition," a lesson that we should bear in mind when our opinions are
solicited and we are tempted to respond in the way that we would like the
other person to act, even though it may not be the best advice for the
questioner.
Parsha Points to Ponder (and sources which discuss them):
1) How was Yaakov permitted to marry Rochel and Leah, two sisters,
which is forbidden (18:18) by the Torah? (Ramban Bereishis 26:5,
Moshav Zkeinim; Shut Rema 10, Nefesh HaChaim 1:21)
2) A person who causes another Jew to violate any of the commandments
transgresses the prohibition (19:14) against placing a stumbling block
before the blind. Is it forbidden to invite a non-religious Jew to come for a
Shabbos meal, as doing so will cause him to sin by driving back and forth?
(Shut Igros Moshe Orach Chaim 1:98-99, Shut Teshuvos VHanhagos
1:358)
3) A person who sees another Jew acting inappropriately is required to
rebuke him (19:17). The Gemora in Bava Metzia (31a) rules that a person
is required to rebuke as many as 100 times until it is accepted. How can
this be reconciled with the teaching of the Gemora in Yevamos (65b) that
just as there is a mitzvah to say something which will be listened to,
similarly there is a mitzvah to refrain from saying something which will be
ignored (i.e. the first 99 rebukes)? (Mrafsin Igri)
4) The Torah commands a person (19:32) to rise in the presence of a sage
to show him respect. The Gemora in Shavuos (30b) teaches that one is also
required to show respect to the wife of a Torah scholar. In what way is the
obligation to show respect to the scholars wife more stringent than the
respect shown to the scholar himself? (Minchas Chinuch 257:8)
Answers to Points to Ponder:
1) The Ramban maintains that the Avos only kept the mitzvos in Eretz
Yisroel, whereas Yaakov married them outside of the land of Israel. The
Moshav Zkeinim answers that Rochel and Leah were only paternal
sisters, and before the Torah was given relationships were determined
through the maternal side. Alternatively, he suggests that Rochel and Leah
were considered converts, and the Gemora rules (Yevamos 97b) that a
person who converts is legally considered newly-born and no longer
related to his blood relatives. The Nefesh HaChaim answers that the Avos
only observed the mitzvos as a stricture not required by the law, with the
flexibility to act otherwise when called for by the situation. In this case,
Yaakov recognized that marrying both Rochel and Leah was necessary the
spiritual future of the Jewish people, so he did so. Finally, the Rema
writes that although the Gemora teaches (Yoma 28b) that Avrohom
observed all of the mitzvos, this wasnt the case with Yitzchok or Yaakov.
2) Rav Moshe Shternbuch rules that if the hosts intention is solely for
the benefit of his guest, in the hopes of inspiring him to become more
interested in Judaism, it is permissible to invite him even if he will drive to
the meal. He explains that the prohibition against doing an action which
will cause somebody to sin is only if ones intention is to cause him harm,
similar to placing a stumbling block in front of a blind person. However,
just as nobody would view a surgeon who operates on a person to save his
life as wounding or damaging him, so too if the hosts intention is to help
his guest spiritually, it would be permissible with two caveats. First, one
may not command the guest to drive and should in fact make it clear that
his driving causes the host pain. Second, there is a separate concern of
publicly desecrating Hashems name if a guest drives up to his house on
Shabbos, so he should insist that the guest park at a distance so that it
wont be clear that he is specifically coming to visit the host. However,
Rav Moshe Feinstein strongly disagrees and argues that if the guest lives
at a distance which will cause him to drive, the invitation of the host is
tantamount to commanding him to drive, and instead of educating him to
observe Shabbos, he is teaching him to desecrate Shabbos. He further adds
that if the guest lives so far away that it would be impossible for him to
walk to the hosts house, inviting him for a Shabbos meal would transgress
not only the prohibition against placing a stumbling block before the blind,
but would be considered in the even more severe category of an inciter to
sin (see Devorim 13:7-12). For all questions of practical halacha, a Rav
familiar with the situation should be consulted.
3) The Mrafsin Igri offers several answers. First, if one sees that his
initial reprimand was not accepted, he is obligated to continue rebuking as
many as 100 times. However, he may not simply repeat his initial
criticism, as there is a mitzvah to refrain from words which will not be
accepted. Rather, he must seek out a new form of rebuke which will
hopefully be heeded. Alternatively, one is only required to rebuke 100
times if he sees that the sinner is listening to his words, but is having a
difficult time changing his ways. In this case, one must continue to rebuke
him until he is able to stop sinning, but if he refuses to listen to the
criticism, one is indeed exempt from continuing. Finally, the obligation to
rebuke up to 100 times may refer to a case where the initial criticism was
accepted, yet the person returned to his sin. In this case, one shouldnt
think that he is wasting his time and is required to continue as many as 100
times. However, if his initial attempt bore no fruit, he would be exempt
from continuing with words that are ignored.
4) The Minchas Chinuch cites the Gemora in Kiddushin (32a-b), which
rules that although a Torah scholar may waive the honor to which he is
entitled, a king may not. The difference is that a scholar has acquired his
knowledge through his own exertion, and he may therefore relinquish the
respect to which his wisdom entitles him. The honor which one must show
to the scholars wife does not intrinsically belong to her, but rather is a
form of showing respect to her husband. Therefore, although he may
waive the honor that others must show him, his wife may not give up the
respect to which she is entitled.
2013 by Ozer Alport. To subscribe, send comments, or sponsor an issue, email
oalport@optonline.net

Aish.Com - Rabbi Stephen Baars
Brainstorming With Baars
Heaven Meets Earth
This week's parsha declares that it's through keeping the statutes and
ordinances of the Torah that a person comes "To live" (Leviticus 18:5).
My thoughts below are based on Rashi's commentary to this verse.
I recently counseled a couple who were having marital issues. He wanted
to keep kosher, and she didn't.
After she told me how arbitrary she thought kashrut was, I explained that
even if there were no "spiritual" reasons to keeping kosher, it would still
be worth it in order to have Shalom Bayis (peace in the house).
Needless to say, since keeping kosher often involves arguments over
dishes, cakes, meals, and food in general, she was more than a little taken
aback.
Let me first point out, I do believe there are deep spiritual reasons for
kashrut, but to understand those reasons, we first have to understand what
"spiritual" really means.
My Rabbi, Rav Noach Weinberg of blessed memory, would point out that
people who come to Israel for the first time are often disappointed. I must
confess that my first experience in Israel could have been described like
this. "I just thought it would be more spiritual."
"So," Rabbi Weinberg used to say, "While you were here, did you see any
Bafoofsticks?"
Obviously, we had no idea what a Bafoofstick is, and you can't know if
you saw one unless you know what it is. The same is true with spirituality.
6 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
People often expect that they are going to see something like multi-colored
angels directing the plane down on its approach to Tel Aviv airport.
In an effort to explain what spirituality is, I present to you Spirituality 101:
"In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth." (Genesis 1:1)
This sentence, as simple as it seems, makes a very important point.
Whatever Heaven is, it's not Earth. Earth is everything we have seen,
touched and felt. Everything we have read in books or seen on T.V.
Whatever you know of Earth (meaning, just about everything), Heaven is
not.
Heaven is something completely different. It's not more Earth, it's not
more physical stuff, it's not more of anything you have experienced here.
It's something completely different.
With that, Rashi (Genesis 1:1 & 8) explains what the Heavens were made
out of - a combination of fire and water.
Now that's a very odd mix. In fact, it doesn't really mix at all - they are
physical opposites.
Since fire is the antithesis of water, when the two meet the reaction is
invariably violent. Similarly, when spirituality meets physicality, the
reaction is always disturbing.
This might sound strange since there is a general perception that a spiritual
experience is synonymous with peace and tranquility. This is simply
wrong!
That doesn't mean violence is spiritual. It just means that the process of
introducing spirituality into our physical world creates intense pressure.
When mixing heaven and earth, fire and water, or spirituality and
physicality, there is an inevitable disruption of equilibrium.
Let me explain. At its essence, Earth is not meaningful. In the extreme, dirt
is dirt. In and of itself, the dirt is of no value - its only value is in what you
do with it.
Heaven is the opposite. It's the ultimate in value and purpose.
Infusing meaning into this physical world (Earth) is not an easy task. It's a
challenging process of unraveling mistaken thinking, challenging
dysfunctional behavior and realizing pointless goals. All of these things
rarely happen without strong outside pressure. In other words, it's not easy
or comfortable ... but it is definitely worth the effort.
And so we come back to our issue, how does keeping a kosher home
create peace in that home?
Most people who keep kosher will tell you that the process and sometimes
even the upkeep of a kosher home is one of the most contentious and
difficult issues between husbands and wives.
They think they would be more happily married if both spouses kept the
same thing, either kosher or not. I have heard it said many times, "We used
to be happily married till he/she started to keep kosher."
Let's examine those words. The husband, who we will call Jim, is now
keeping kosher. For Jim, kashrut somehow fulfills a need, which was
obviously going unmet. Jim, although he seemed happy, was not as cheery
as people might have thought.
Including Barbara, his wife.
Why didn't she see that Jim was missing something? Because they were
not as happily married as both of them thought.
But let's take this a little further. Jim starts to keep kosher and Barbara
starts to get upset with all these new rules - not that unusual. Jim (as is
often the case) can't seem to explain to her how and why kashrut is
important.
Why not? Up until then they seemed to be able to discuss most things
amicably and to a good solution, but not kashrut. Why?
Their communication was great when they both agreed about everything.
But now it's being tested. And their listening and communications skills
are not as good as they thought they were. If they are going to resolve this,
they are going to have to upgrade to a higher level of relating.
Are you starting to see how kashrut is forcing them to have a better
relationship? Okay, let's take it even deeper.
Barbara is starting to get very defensive. She remembers her own father
who would come home and order her around and she vowed she would
never be treated that way again. So when Jim even hints at another "rule"
she flies off the handle. Jim is not going to get anywhere with Barbara
until he understands her inner struggles.
Why didn't both Jim and Barbara know about this latent issue? Because it
was latent.
Kashrut brought it out, and now gives them the opportunity to create an
even deeper relationship. Do you see how kashrut is forcing them to open
up on a level they never would have before?
In fact, when you look at it, it's not kashrut at all that they are fighting
about - it's really their lack of harmony that had allowed unresolved issues
to become a source of strife in their marriage.
That's how kashrut creates peace in the home, shalom bayit - by opening
up the lines of communication to resolve those issues.
Therefore, the process of building a Jewish home, with whatever level of
kashrut they will both agree on, albeit contentious (as in fire and water) is
a process of understanding each other, learning from each other, and
getting closer to each other.
In other words, creating a more spiritual home is at first fiery, but that's
how you make peace.
This is living.
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All You Need Is Love
Believe it or not, there is no specific Mitzvah (Commandment) to love
your parents, your spouse (although it's a good idea) and even your
children. In fact, there is no specific requirement that you even like them
very much.
Of course, these relationships fit under the generic requirement to "Love
your neighbor" (Leviticus 19:18) but the Torah does not require more from
us than that.
However, we are specifically commanded in this week's parsha to love a
convert (Leviticus 19:34).
At first glance, that might sound strange. Why specifically to love a
convert more than anyone else, even close family?
My Rabbi, Rav Noach Weinberg, of blessed memory, used to explain the
meaning of love:
Love is the pleasure we get when we focus and identify with another and
his virtues. When you see the virtues in people, you will most certainly
love them.
This process is much more fulfilling and meaningful than even Hallmark
could have envisioned. By loving we come to emulate. We in fact, become
what we love.
The process works like this: we will change our direction to become just
like the virtues we admire. It may be slow and imperceptible to us, but
subtly those changes will occur.
The reason the Torah does not require us to love any specific person more
than anyone else, is because those people may not have virtues greater
than anyone else. As much as we would like to think of them as special,
maybe our loved ones have no extra special virtues, and therefore the
Torah does not go out of its way to tell us to love them more than anyone
else. Of course, everyone is special, and has exceptional talents and
qualities, and that is why we are commanded to love them and realize
those virtues. But a convert has something more then everyone else, that
the Torah specifically wants us to focus on and love.
Rabbi Weinberg once asked a phenomenal question. He pointed out that
the distance (in spirituality) that someone who converts to Judaism has to
travel is further than the distance between anyone of us and one of the
great sages of the Talmud (called a Tanna).
In other words, it's more difficult to become a Jew, than it is for a Jew to
become a Tanna.
To go from a world in which you are required to keep seven
commandments (the Noachide laws), to a world that revolves around 613
commandments, is an enormous leap. To become part of the Jewish people
and its destiny is an immense undertaking.
So Rabbi Weinberg asked, if people can do such things, i.e., convert, and
can travel the distance to be a Jew, then why don't Jews travel the lesser
distance to be a Rabbi Akiva?
This is only my view, but I believe it's because we don't love converts (at
least not enough).
If we appreciated their emotional strength, if we understood their spiritual
path, if we valued their arduous undertaking, and if we therefore loved
them, we would become like them.
"When I spent shabbat at Rabbi Winter's house a couple of months ago,
there was a person staying there who was in the process of converting
(under his direction) from Catholicism to Judaism. I found the person to be
so inspiring that I must say that meeting this person at least in part helped
focus me to try to come closer to Hashem (G-d). If this person was willing
to come so far, why couldn't I take a few steps closer?" -- Oren Penn
Believe it or not, Abraham was a convert. He was called the Hebrew.
Hebrew means to cross over. Abraham crossed over from the pagan world
to be a monotheist. He wasn't the first monotheist, and he wasn't the only
one alive at his time. He was just the first who started as a pagan and left it
to become a monotheist. No one had done that.
The message of Judaism and the recipe for great success, is found in this
concept of converting.
It's easy to appreciate a person for how they appear to us now, but maybe
they were born into a loving home and that's who they have always been.
The real value is to appreciate the person who traveled the longest
distance. Thus the secret of becoming a Rabbi Akiva - or whomever you
could possibly dream of becoming, is to identify with, and emulate a
convert.
To do that, all you need is love.
Brainstorming Questions To Ponder
Question 1: Who do you know that has traveled the longest spiritual
distance?
Question 2: Who is your biggest inspiration?
Question 3: Think about the challenges you are facing now and try and
compare it to the challenges of people in Question 1.
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>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 7
Dr. Avigdor Bonchek
Whats Bothering Rashi?
Parashas Kedoshim (73)
We have a double sedra this week - Achrei Mos/Kedoshim.
I have chosen a Rashi from Kedoshim
Vayikra 19:15 You shall do no wrong in judgment; you shall not favor
the poor and you shall not honor a great man. With righteousness you
shall judge your fellow.
Rashi
With righteousness you shall judge your fellow: Rashi: Just as it sounds
("k'mashmaoh"). Another interpretation: Judge your friend by the scale of
merit.
Rashi offers two interpretations to this phrase.
Questioning Rashi
A Question: Why the need for two interpretations, the simple meaning ("as
it sounds") would seem to be adequate?
What's bothering Rashi here?
What's Bothering Rashi?
An Answer: Several suggestions have been offered to answer this question.
1) This verse has several parts to it. The first says "do no wrong in
judgment". If we understand our phrase at it sounds, it would be redundant
- doing no wrong in judgment is the same as judging righteously; so what
has this phrase added to our understanding?
It is for this reason that Rashi seeks another interpretation.
2) The Hebrew word for "your fellow" is "amitecha". Which literally
translates to "your friend" - in the singular. (In Hebrew "Your friends" in
plural would have the letter 'yud' before the final chaf. But there is no 'yud'
here so it is singular). But if we are speaking to a judge and telling him to
judge his fellow in a law case - it should have said "your fellows" because
there always two disputants.
3) Also the word "friend" is inappropriate for a judge and his disputants -
they are not his friends!
For these reasons (or any one of them) Rashi added the second
interpretation which is not about a case in court; it is for every man and his
friend.
Now that we know why the second interpretation was necessary, we can
ask another question.
Another Question
A Question: If so why do we need the first interpretation ("k'mashmaoh")?
Understanding Rashi
An Answer: The whole context of these verses is one of a law case before a
judge, so we certainly need the simple meaning. So Rashi offered us both.
Shabbat Shalom, Avigdor Bonchek
"What's Bothering Rashi?" is a product of the Institute for the Study of Rashi and Early Commentaries. A Hebrew translation of the Bereishis "What's
Bothering Rashi?" is published. It is greatly expanded and is call "L'omko shel Rashi" look for it in bookstores. This article is provided as part of
Shema Yisrael Torah Network Permission is granted to redistribute electronically or on paper, provided that this notice is included intact. For
information on subscriptions, archives, and other Shema Yisrael Classes, send mail to parsha@shemayisrael.co.il http://www.shemayisrael.co.il
Jerusalem, Israel 732-370-3344

HaRav Eliezer Chrysler
Midei Shabbos
Vol. 20 No. 298
This issue is sponsored l'iluy Nishmas R' Yehudah ben Aharon z"l
t.n.tz.v.h.
Parshas Acharei/Kedoshim
Why Specifically this Parshah Was Said Publicly
"Speak to the entire congregation of Yisrael and say to them 'You shall be
holy, because I, Hashem your G-d, am Holy' "(19:2).
Rashi explains the command to gather all the people to the fact that 'most
of the major issues in the Torah are connected with it'.
In similar vein, R. Bachye, citing R. Levi citing a Medrash, explains that
each of the Ten Commandments is mentioned in the first paragraph of
Kedoshim.
"Onochi Hashem Elokecho" ..
"I am Hashem your G-d"
"Lo yih'yeh l'cho" ...
"Do not make for yourself molten images (Pasuk 2).
"Lo sisso" ..
"Do not swear by My Name falsely" (Pasuk 12)
"Zochor es yom ha'Shabbos" ..
"You shall keep My Shabboses" (Pasuk 30).
"Kabeid es ovicha ve'es imecho" ..
"Each man among you shall respect his mother and father"(Pasuk 3).
"Lo Tirtach" ..
"Do not stand on the blood of your fellow-Jew (Pasuk 16).
"Lo tin'of" ..
"Do not defile your daughter" (Pasuk 29).
"Lo tignov" ..
"Do not steal (kidnap)" (Pasuk 11).
""Lo sa'aneh be're'acho" ..
"Do not go around slandering ... " (Pasuk 16).
"Lo Sachmod" ..
"Love your fellow-Jew like Yourself"(Pasuk 18).
The Chasam Sofer deals with Rashi's above-mentioned problem by
referring to the Chovas ha'Levovos in his definition of the Mitzvah of
P'rishus (abstention) - which, according to Rashi and the commentaries, is
synonymous with "Kedoshim tih'yu". The idea of p'rishus, explains the
Chovas ha'Levovos, is not to go and live like hermits in the desert or in the
forest, to separate oneself from mankind and reflect on the wondrous deeds
of Hashem and to elevate oneself spiritually.
On the contrary, G-d expects us to live with our fellow men, and by
teaching them Torah, how to go in His ways - for "He did not create the
world to remain empty, but rather did He form it so that one should inhabit
it" (Yeshayah, 45:18), even if by doing so one minimizes one's own
opportunities to grow in one's knowledge of Him. G-d Himself loves the
people that He created, and He wants us to do likewise - 'to love His
creatures and to bring them near to Torah' (Pirkei Avos, 1:12).
The p'rishus that is favourable in the Eyes of G-d is to abstain from
excessive worldly pleasures even as one lives in close contact with one's
fellow men and brings them closer to Torah.
And it is with this important lesson in mind that G-d commanded Moshe to
gather all the people when he taught them the Mitzvah of Kedushah
p'rishus. It was an object lesson that not only do p'rishus and functioning
normally in a society not clash, but they go hand in hand!
Parshah Pearls
Acharei Mos
The Sheidim (Demons)
"And they shall not continue to sacrifice to the demons after which they go
astray " (17:7).
Citing the Ramban, the Rosh defines the Sheidim as follows: They are
formed from the two basic elements fire and wind. When the lifespan of
these two elements expires (like the four elements that comprise a human-
being), they die. The Gemara in Chagigah (16a) explains that they
resemble human beings in three ways - they have children, they eat and
drink (the wind dries up the liquids, and the fire consumes the solids), and
they die, like human beings. And they resemble angels in three ways - they
see but cannot be seen (due to the fine character of the two elements from
which they are formed), they fly (due to the lightness of those elements)
and they know the future (which they glean when they fly to distant
places), like angels.
Kedoshim
The Source of Yisrael's Sanctity
" you shall be holy, because I Hashem, am holy" (19:2).
Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu declared 'Before I created My world, the
administering angels were already praising Me through Yisrael and were
sanctifying on account of you, when they said "Blessed be Hashem the G-
d of Yisrael, from this world to the next!" When Adam was created, they
asked 'Master of the World, is this the one through whom we praise You?
'And G-d answered 'No! He is a thief!' (since he ate from the tree which I
prohibited).
When No'ach was born, they asked the same question, and Avraham and
Yitzchak. Each time, G-d answered 'No!' - No'ach, He explained, is a
drunkard, whilst Avraham and Yitzchak love those whom I hate (Yishmael
and Eisav, respectively).
Until, when Ya'akov was born, when G-d answered 'Yes!', as the Torah
writes in Vayishlach (35:10). "And Your name will no longer be Ya'akov,
but Yisrael will be your name" 'and He called his name Yisrael'. All of
Yisrael will be called after him, as the Pasuk writes in Yeshayah, 'Yisrael,
through you I will be glorified!'
So Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu said to Yisrael - 'Since you were sanctified by
My Name even before the world was created, be holy like I am holy'.
This can be compared to a king who betrothed a woman and said to her
'Since you are betrothed/sanctified on my name, I will be king and you,
queen.
So too, Hashem said to Moshe 'Go and sanctify the people'. Why? Because
I am holy!" (Rosh citing the Medrash Tanchuma).
When a Child Begins to Learn Torah
In chapter 19, (Pesukim 23-25), the Torah forbids the fruit that grows
during the first three years of the tree's growth (Orlah), permits it to be
eaten in the fourth year (under certain conditions [Neta R'vai]) and
thereafter permits it to be eaten freely ("so that it will increase its crop for
you").
The Da'as Zekeinim mi'Ba'alei Tosfos explains that this hints at how one
should initiate one's sons into the Mitzvah of Talmud-Torah:
Until the age of three he is 'stopped-up' (he is Patur from learning Torah,
since he cannot yet speak). During his fourth year, one begins to learn
Torah with him. And from then on, one should 'stuff him like a bull', as the
Gemara explains in Bava Basra (21a).
And it is from here that the Mishnah in Pirkei Avos (5:21) 'At five years a
child should study Chumash, and at ten, Mishnah'.
G-d's Sensitivity
8 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
(Adapted from Rabeinu Bachye)
Continued from last week
Only three times in the entire T'nach do we find that G-d's Name is
mentioned in connection with a curse:
1. In connection with a meisis (an enticer: someone who talks his victim
into going astray); 2. in connection with someone who (deliberately)
transgresses a Mitzvah de'Rabbanan (who is Chayav Miysah); and 3. in
connection with somebody who places his trust in a human being.
A meisis - This refers to the snake, about whom the Pasuk writes (in
Bereishis 3:14) "And Hashem G-d said to the snake, because you did
this you are cursed more than all the animals and the beasts ". This is
because he en-ticed Chavah and said to her (3:14) "For G-d knows that on
the day that you eat from it (the Tree of Knowledge) your eyes will be
opened and you will be like Him" - 'Just as He builds worlds, so too, will
you be able to build worlds, and all craftsmen hate their competitors!' And
because he en-ticed her and spoke Lashon ha'Ra, G-d mentioned His Name
in connection with his curse. Someone who (deliberately) transgresses a
Mitzvah de'Rabbanan - as the Pasuk writes in Yirmiyah (31:3) "So says
Hashem 'Cursed be the man who does not hearken to the words of this
covenant !"
Somebody who places his trust in a human being, as the Pasuk writes in
Yirmiyah (17:5) "So says Hashem 'Cursed be the man who places his trust
in man and who makes flesh and blood his strength, should he turn his
heart away from Hashem". When is he cursed? When he turns his heart
away from Hashem.
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Torah Teasers
Torah Teasers Parshat Acharei Mot
Challenging questions for the Shabbat table.
1. Which three parts of the Tabernacle are listed in this parsha, and in what
context are they mentioned?
These three parts of the Tabernacle appear several times: The paroches,
the curtain separating the Holy of Holies; the kapores, the cover of the
Holy Ark; and the Incense Altar (Leviticus 16:2, 12). They appear in
connection with the service of the High Priest on the Day of Atonement.
2. In what context is dirt mentioned in this parsha? What other Torah
command involves taking some dirt? In what context does dirt (afar) first
appear in the Torah?
In this parsha, when a bird or wild animal is slaughtered, its blood must
be covered with dirt (Leviticus 17:13). In parshas Naso, the Kohen is
required to take some dirt from the floor of the Tabernacle and mix it with
water as part of the waters given to a suspected adulteress (Numbers
5:17). Dirt is first mentioned when Hashem takes "dirt from the ground"
and forms Man from it (Genesis 2:7).
3. In this parsha, part of the service of the High Priest on Yom Kippur
involves two goats (seir izim). In what context does a goat (seir izim - not
gadi izim) first appear in the Torah?
In parshas Vayeshev, Yosef's brothers slaughter a goat (seir izim) and dip
Yosef's coat into its blood (Genesis 37:31).
4. In what context is a lottery performed in this parsha? Where else in the
Torah is a lottery performed?
In this parsha, a lottery is performed to determine which goat will be
brought as an offering on Yom Kippur, and which goat is designated as the
scapegoat (Leviticus 16:8). In parshas Pinchas, Hashem commands the
Land of Israel to be divided among the tribes through a lottery (Numbers
26:5).
5. As part of the Yom Kippur service, the High Priest takes a handful of
incense and brings it into the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 16:12). Where else
in the Torah is a command to "take a handful"?
In parshas Bo, Moshe and Aaron are commanded to each take a handful of
ashes to initiate the plague of boils (Exodus 9:8).
6. As part of the Yom Kippur service, the High Priest sprinkles blood
"seven consecutive times" (Leviticus 16:14). Where else in the Torah does
someone perform an action "seven consecutive times"?
In parshas Vayishlach, as Yaakov approaches his brother Esav, he bows
down "seven consecutive times" (Genesis 33:3).
7. What "land" appears in this parsha, but nowhere else in the entire
Torah?
On Yom Kippur, a Kohen leads the scapegoat to the "land of Geziera"
(Leviticus 16:22).
8. In this parsha, which two countries appear in the same verse?
Egypt and Canaan appear in a single verse, as we are commanded not to
copy their actions (Leviticus 18:3).
9. Which person and object, appearing in the same verse, differ in
numerical value (gematria) by five?
Aaron the High-Priest, and the Holy Ark (Aron) both appear in the same
verse (Leviticus (16:2). They differ in their Hebrew spelling by only the
letter Hey, which has the numerical value (gematria) of five.
Torah Teasers Parshat Kedoshim
1. The name of our parsha means "holy." Where is the first place in the
Torah that holiness is mentioned? Where is the second time that holiness is
mentioned?
The first mention of holiness is mentioned is in parshas Bereishis in
connection to the Shabbat (Genesis 2:3). The next mention of holiness is in
parshas Shemos when Hashem appears to Moshe at the Burning Bush.
Hashem commands Moshe to take off his shoes, since the place where he is
standing is "holy ground" (Exodus 3:5).
2. Which commandment in this parsha refers to the morning?
The law regarding paying a daytime worker states that a person must not
delay payment past the morning following the work (Leviticus 19:13).
3. In which two places is blood mentioned in this parsha (other than the
many times the Torah states "their blood is upon them" to describe a
punishment)?
The verse states: "Do not stand idly by the blood of your friend" (Leviticus
19:16), which is the requirement to save somebody in danger (Rashi).
Another verse states: "Do not eat over the blood" (Leviticus 19:26), which
is interpreted by our Sages in several different ways, including the
command to pray in the morning before eating.
4. In this parsha, what three similar laws appear in the same verse?
The three prohibitions of forbidden mixtures are all found in one verse: (1)
not to mix animals when plowing one's field, (2) not to mix seeds when
planting, and (3) not to mix wool and linen in the same garment (Leviticus
19:19).
5. In this parsha, in what context is fire mentioned?
Any leftover meat of an offering (nosar) must be burned by fire (Leviticus
19:6).
6. In this parsha, which three laws refer to corners or edges (peyos)?
Three laws refer to corners/edges: (1) Do not harvest the "corners of your
field," but rather leave them for the poor (Leviticus 19:9). (2) Do not
round off "the edges [of hair] of the head, (3) nor destroy the "the edges of
the beard" (Leviticus 19:20).
7. In this parsha, what law refers to the numbers 3, 4 and 5?
The law of orlah refers to the numbers 3, 4 and 5. Any fruit grown within
the first 3 years of planting may not be eaten. In the fourth year, the fruit
from this tree must be eaten in Jerusalem. In the fifth year, the fruits are
totally permitted (Leviticus 19:23-25).
8. In this parsha, what law refers to a blind person? Which law in the next
parsha (Emor) refers to a blind person?
In this parsha, the verse states: "Do not place a stumbling block before the
blind " (Leviticus 19:14). In the next parsha (Emor), the verse states that a
blind person may not serve in the Tabernacle (Leviticus 21:18).
9. In this parsha, which 3-letter Hebrew word appears four times in one
verse?
The word tzedek (correct) appears four times in one Leviticus 19:36: One
must possess correct scales, correct stone weights, correct dry measures,
and correct liquid measures.
10. In this parsha, which serious sin is described with a word that usually
refers to a positive and commendable action?
Incest with one's sister is described by the Torah as "chesed" (Leviticus
20:17). This word usually refers to a kind and benevolent act - e.g.
Genesis 21:23, 24:12, 24:14.
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Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher
Chamishoh Mi Yodei'a
5 Questions And Answers On Parshios Acharei-K'doshim 5773 - Bs"D
Please send your answers and comments to: Sholom613@Rogers.Com
1) Ch. 17, v. 13: "Chayoh o ofe asher yei'ocheil v'shofach es domo
v'chisohu be'ofor" - An undomesticated animal or a bird that may be
eaten and he spilled its blood and he shall cover it with earth - Why
does this law apply only to "chayoh" and "ofe," but not to "b'heimoh," a
domesticated animal?
2) Ch. 18, v. 18: "V'ishoh el achosoh lo sikoch" - And a woman to her
sister shall you not take - Why doesn't the verse straightforwardly state,
"V'achos ish't'cho lo sikach," - and the sister of your wife you shall not
take?
3) Ch. 19, v. 10: "Le'oni v'la'geir taazove osom" - For the poor man
and the convert shall you leave them - The next verse begins with "Lo
signovu." What is the connection?
4) Ch. 19, v. 17: "Lo sisno es ochicho bilvo'vecho" - Do not hate your
brother in your heart - When dealing with your brother all the Torah
requires of you is to not hate him in your heart. Yet, the next verse
demands more of you when dealing with your friend, "v'ohavto l'rei'acho
>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 9
komocho." You are required to actually love him. Regarding your
relationship with a judge or tribal leader, the Torah seems to require the
least, "Elohim lo s'ka'leil v'nosi v'amcho lo so'ore," - do not denigrate a
judge and a tribal leader you shall not curse. Why does the Torah give us
four distinct levels of behaviour towards these four different of people?
5) Ch. 19, v. 17: "Ho'chei'ach tochiach es ami'secho" - You shall
surely rebuke your friend - What is the intention of the double
expression?
Answers:
#1 The Rokei'ach in #319 says that this is based on a medrash that says
that when Eliezer returned with Rivkoh to his master Yitzchok, he said
that if Yitzchok finds that she has no virginal blood it is not because
Eliezer violated her. It is because during their return she fell off the camel
and her virginity was broken. They retraced a bit of their steps and found
where this happened. The blood was protected by undomesticated animals
and birds. The Rokei'ach says that because domesticated animals did not
come to take part in the protection of the blood, they do not merit having
this mitzvoh done with their blood. (Chid"o in Chomas Anoch)
#2 The gemara P'sochim 119b relates that in the future the righteous
personalities of the Torah will partake of a meal. At the end of the meal
Yaakov will be asked to lead the grace after meals. He will decline,
saying, "I do not deserve to lead the bentching because I have married two
sisters, something that the Torah would in the future prohibit to ME. This
is quite puzzling. The prohibition is not "to ME." It is a universal
prohibition.
We can say that the Torah should have said "v'achos ish't'cho lo sikach,"
but changed it to "v'ishoh el achosoh lo sikoch" to allude to Yaakov
specifically. He intended to marry Rochel and not Leah. Once he was
aware of the exchange he knowingly married Rochel afterwards. This is
"v'ishoh," Rochel the "akeres habayis," the one Yaakov intended should be
his wife, "el achosoh," in addition to her sister Leah. (Chanukas haTorah)
#3 The connection is readily understood. People are drawn to thievery
when they are totally destitute, and act out of utter desperation. If
however, you leave over some of the produce of your field for the under-
privileged, you can help avoid someone's being pushed into thievery.
(Mahar"i Karo in Itu'rei Torah)
#4 The gemara A.Z. 3a says that the Holy One does not demand from His
creations beyond their ability, "Ein haKodosh Boruch Hu bo bitrunia al
briyosov." In general people can have cordial relationships with their
fellow man. The Torah therefore requires that we love our fellow man.
When it comes to familial relationships, although they are usually the
strongest and warmest, sometimes there is strife that is worse than with an
outsider, because of competition, inheritance, etc. The Torah therefore
only commands us to not hate our brother. A judge can rule against you
and this brings much anger, especially because people often truly feel they
are in the right. Do not denigrate a judge. Even greater is the possible
enmity towards a tribal leader, a spiritual head. On an ongoing basis he
chides, scolds, and rebukes. Even though it is with true concern for his
charges betterment, but it is only natural that they will sometimes harbour
extreme ill will towards him. The Torah therefore only asks of us to not
curse him. (Rabbi Moshe Shatzkes Lomzer Rov)
#5 Talmi'dei Baal Shem Tov relate from their master that when a person
sees another sin it is not by chance. It is a sign from heaven that he has
been lax in a similar vein. When you see your friend doing something
wrong, first there should be self rebuking, "ho'chei'ach," and then rebuking
of your friend, "tochiach." Do not think that only he has done something
wrong. "V'lo siso olov cheit," do not attribute the sin only to him. (Toras
Bnei Yisos'chor) A Gutten Shabbos Kodesh.
Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher
Chasidic Insights
Chasidic Insights Parshas Acharei Mose - K'doshim From 5764 Bs"D
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Parshas Acharei Mose
Ch. 18, v. 3: "K'maa'sei eretz Mitrayim .. lo saasu" - The Torah is
exhorting us to accept the authority of our leaders. Don't do like the
STORIES of Egypt, for example, when Doson and Avirom said to Moshe,
"Mi somcho l'ish." (Mo'ore Voshomesh)
Ch. 18, v. 3: "K'maa'sei eretz Mitrayim .. lo saasu uchmaa'sei eretz
K'naan .. lo saasu" - This parsha is read on the afternoon of Yom Kippur.
Since we entreat Hashem for forgiveness we want to mention our merits.
By reading this verse, where Hashem forbids us to behave as do the
Egyptians and the descendants of Eisov and others who occupy Canaan,
we show that even if we did not behave properly, we are nonetheless much
better than the Egyptians, bnei Eisov, etc. (Zichron Aharon)
Parshas K'doshim
Ch. 19, v. 2: "K'doshim ti'h'yu" - Rashi says that this parsha was taught
to an assemblage. We see that not only when one is alone can he attain
holiness, but even when among many people. (Bendiner Rov in Y'cha'hein
P'eir)
Ch. 19, v. 13: "Lo solin" - The Rebbe Reb Zisha's daughter was engaged
to be married. Setting aside from his meager income, the Rebbe finally
amassed sufficient funds to buy some fair quality material and pay a tailor
for his work. When the tailor advised the Rebbe's wife that the dress was
ready, she went to his tailor shop to pick up her daughter's dress. She lifted
up the dress and scanned it from top to bottom, very pleased with the
results. She said, "And now, let me pay you." The tailor let out a slight
groan. After repeated requests for an explanation for his groaning he told
the Rebbitzen that he too had a daughter who was to soon be married. The
bridegroom was visiting when the tailor was close to finishing his work on
this dress and thought that his future father-in-law was tailoring this
gorgeous garment for his kallah. When advised that it was in the finishing
stages for a customer, the bridegrooms face fell, obviously very
disappointed. The tailor was so poor that he could not even purchase
material from which to cut a dress.
Upon hearing this, the Rebbitzen did not hesitate. She immediately put it
back onto the counter and told the tailor that it would be her gift for the
kallah. The tailor was more than pleased and thanked her profusely. When
she came home and related the story to the Rebbe, he immediately asked if
she also paid the tailor his wages. His wife was incredulous. "I gave him
the expensive material as a present, and I have to pay him for his work on
his 'own daughter's' dress as well?"
"Yes," said Rebbe Reb Zisha. "Once you picked up the dress it was yours
and you owed him every last coin for his work. Independent of this was
your decision to give the dress as a present."
Ch. 19, v. 18: "V'ohavto l'rei'acho komocho" - Immediately after this
we find the prohibition of certain mixtures in breeding, agriculture, and
clothing materials. This teaches us that even though we are to love our
fellow man, we cannot indiscriminately befriend just anyone. Oft times we
are to distance ourselves from certain people for fear that they will
influence us in a most negative manner.
Ch. 19, v. 18: "V'ohavto l'rei'acho komocho" - "Komocho" can be
sourced from the word form Kof-Mem-Hei, as in "komah l'cho vsori"
(T'hilim 63:2, - my flesh desires for You. You should love your friend as
much as your desire, "komocho," to have him like you and treat you with
kindness. (Haksav V'hakaboloh)
Ch. 19, v. 30: "Umikdoshi tiro'u" - The Sforno says that included in this
mitzvoh is to properly hallow a place that is dedicated to Torah study or
prayer. The second world war brought devastation upon the Ashekenazic
Jewish world, while the Sfardic communities fared noticeably better. This
can be attributed to the fact that among the Sfardim absolutely no idle
talking or lightheadedness is tolerated during their prayers. Respect for
their houses of worship and worship itself provided a shield for them.
(Rabbi Yaakov Landa who heard this from the Imrei Emes)
Ch. 19, v. 36: "V'hin tzedek yi'h'yeh lochem" - The gemara B.M. 49a
derives from "hin tzedek" that your YES should be righteous, i.e. that one
only speak the truth. It is not enough to feel that "honesty is the best
policy," but to totally internalize this as the only proper behaviour. This is
the intention of the following words, "yi'h'yeh lochem," that honesty
should become "lochem," part and parcel of your makeup. (Taam Vodaas)
A Gutten Shabbos Kodesh.
Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher
Oroh V'Simchoh
Oroh V'simchoh - Meshech Chochmoh On Parshas Acharei - Bs"D
Ch. 16, v. 4: "V'rochatz bamayim es b'soro ulveishom" - In all other
places that the Torah prescribes immersion in a mikveh, the verse says
"v'rochatz b'soro bamayim," first mentioning what is to be immersed,
"b'soro," and only afterwards "bamayim." Here we find the order reversed,
"bamayim es b'soro." The mishneh Yoma 34b relates that the Kohein
Godol would descend to immerse himself, ascend, and sponge himself dry.
The Mishneh L'melech hilchos avodas Yom haKippurim 2:2 questions the
need to sponge himself dry. He offers that it is either because we fear that
when he immersed himself in the mikveh he might have picked up some
object that stuck to his body, and halacha requires that nothing intervene
between his body and his garments, or that the water itself might be an
intervening object.
The Meshech Chochmoh explains that the gemara Z'vochim 18b derives
from the word BOD in our verse that the garments of the Kohein Godol
must be as good as new. This disqualifies using a garment that was soiled,
even if it was laundered and there are no stains left. If the Kohein Godol
were to not dry himself after immersion his wet body would detract from
the crisp newness of his garments.
This is why the verse switches the order of the words. By saying
"bamayim es b'soro," the verse is stressing that the water should only go
onto his body and not onto the garments he will put on afterwards. This
necessitates the need to dry himself.
Ch. 18, v. 28: "V'lo soki ho'oretz es'chem b'tamaachem osoh kaa'sher
ko'oh es hagoy" - The verse seems to contradict itself by saying that you
will NOT be expelled when you DO contaminate the land.
A number of interpretations:
You will not be treated as the heathen nations who have occupied this land
before you and have been ejected, but rather:
10 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
1) Not only will you be expelled, but you will also suffer the punishment
of excision, "ko'reis," as stated in verse 29, "v'nich'r'su hanfoshos ho'osos.
(Rabbi Moshe of Kutzi)
2) If you fulfill the words of verse 26, "ushmartem v'lo saasu," then
you will be saved from punishment. Translate "V'lo" as LEST. (Rabbeinu
Elyokim)
3) You will also be expelled, but in a manner which will be more severe
than the expulsion of the heathen nations. (Rivo)
4) They have only been expelled, but did not suffer the punishment of
"ko'reis." You, however, will not be expelled, but will be punished with
"ko'reis." (Baalei Hatosfos)
The Toras Kohanim 20:123 (mentioned in Rashi) compares sinning in
E.Y. to a prince who had a sensitive digestive system, as he was used to
only the finest of foods and delicacies. Any coarse alimentation would
upset his system. Similarly, E.Y. is very sensitive to sins. Those who sin
would be expelled. The Meshech Chochmoh says in the name of his father
that according to the above parable, if the prince continued to eat coarse
food he would eventually grow accustomed to it and would successfully
digest it. Likewise, if E.Y. would ch"v be subject to continuous sinning, it
would also become desensitized. This can be the meaning of our verse.
The land will NOT vomit you even though you defile it, as it has expelled
the previous occupants of the land. At that time the land was still sensitive.
However, it has unfortunately become accustomed to the sins, and instead
your punishment will be excision, as per verse 29, "v'nich'r'su hanfoshos."
I believe that this interpretation fits in best with the 4th explanation offered
above by the earlier commentators.
Oroh V'simchoh - Meshech Chochmoh On Parshas K'doshim
Ch. 19, v. 27: "Lo sakifU p'as rosh'CHEM v'lo sash'chis eis p'as
z'ko'necho" - The first prohibition in this verse is expressed in the plural
form, while the second is expressed in the singular form. The Meshech
Chochmoh explains this with the gemara Nozir 57b. There is an opinion
brought that there is a Torah prohibition to remove the sideburns of a
minor. Tosfos d.h. "v'Rav Ada" says that according to this opinion it is
likewise prohibited for a man to cut the sideburns of a woman. The
Meshech Chochmoh says that this is why the verse says "rosh'CHEM," in
the plural form, to indicate that it is also prohibited to do this to a woman.
The later prohibition against shaving one's beard is limited to doing it to a
man only, hence the singular form is used.
Alternatively, he offers that according to the opinion in the gemara Nozir
41a that "hakofas kol horosh lo shmei hakofoh," - shaving all the hair of
one's head including the sideburns is not a transgression of this law, there
is no exception to this rule. Even when one shaves the head of a "metzoro"
in his purification ritual, all the hair of the head is removed, and this does
not push aside "lo sakifu." Therefore the Torah expresses the prohibition in
the plural form, to indicate that it applies to all circumstances. When
shaving the beard of a "metzoro" the prohibition of "v'lo sash'chis eis p'as
z'ko'necho" is pushed aside, so to indicate the limited application of the
prohibition, it is expressed in the singular form.
While on the subject of shaving one's head and beard, the Meshech
Chochmoh brings Breishis M.R. 11:6, where a philosopher asked Rabbi
Hoshia, "Why do you shave the hair of your head but not that of your
beard?" Rabbi Hoshia responded that the hair of the head grows in "shtus,"
foolishness, while the hair of the beard grows "in wisdom." On a simple
level this is understood to mean that the hair of the head begins to grow
when we are very young, a time when we are immature, while the hair of
one's beard begins to grow when we have already reached the age of
majority. However, the Meshech Chochmoh offers a much deeper
understanding of the response of Rabbi Hoshia. He says that although the
Torah sometimes gives us mitzvos that are a safeguard to avoid doing an
even greater sin, Hashem has not built safeguards into the way the world
functions. However, there is an exception with the sin of not mingling and
sinning with women. Beyond the physical differences between a man and
a woman that are required for their specific functions, Hashem created
man with the nature of growing a beard, while a woman does not. This is
done so that one can immediately differentiate between a man and a
woman. This creates a safeguard against sinning.
This is the intention of Rabbi Hoshia when he said that the beard grows "in
wisdom," meaning that is purpose is to safeguard against sin.
The gemara N'dorim 9b relates the story of a young man who had very
beautiful hair that brought him to Narcissian self admiration. To avoid
having this attractive feature bring him to sin, he vowed to become a
Nozir, which necessitated his totally shaving his head (Bmidbar 6:18), thus
removing enticement. We see that hair of the head can bring one to sin,
hence Rabbi Hoshia's response that hair of the head is grown in
"foolishness," as any sin is done only when a spirit of foolishness enters a
person (see Rashi on Bmidbar 5:12).
Ch. 19, v. 30: "Es Shabsosai tishmoru u'Mikdoshi tiro'u" - The
mishneh in Pirkei Ovos 4:2 says that Torah study in tandem with pursuit of
a livelihood makes one forget (distanced from) sinning. Either this is
because the combination of the two totally occupies a person, leaving him
with no strength to sin (Rabbi Ovadioh of Bartenura), or because Torah
study teaches one to not sin, and coupled with pursuit of a livelihood, a
person avoids being tempted to steal for lack of sustenance (M'iri).
However, when one keeps Shabbos he is not occupied with work on that
day and has ample opportunity to sin. This is compounded when Yom Tov
comes and he has even more free time, and added to this he mingles with
women who come to the assembly at the houses of prayer and lectures, as
per the gemara Kidushin 81a, "sakva d'shata rigla," - the most wobbly
(insecure) time of the year is Yom Tov. This means that at that time of the
year one's spiritual level falters, as he mixes with women at public
assemblies in the house of prayer. The Rambam hilchos Yom Tov 6:21
writes that community heads should appoint officers to see to it that men
and women do not assemble for lightheadedness, as this can lead to severe
sinning. This is the intention of our verse. "Es Shabsosai tishmoru," when
you keep Shabbos properly, and thus have free time on your hands,
"u'Mikdoshi tiro'u," make sure to behave with trepidation and fear in the
places of public assembly. (Meshech Chochmoh)
Ch. 19, v. 31: "Al T'VAKSHU l'tomoh vo'hem" - The prohibition
against defiling oneself through involvement with the occult is expressed
most unusually, "al T'VAKSHU," - you shall not SEEK to defile
yourselves. The gemara Sanhedrin 68a says that the prohibition against
involvement with the occult is limited to learning the subject matter with
the intent to use it, but not if the intent is to learn what is prohibited and
what is allowed. Rashi on Dvorim 18:9 says a similar point. This is why
the verse ends with "ani Hashem Elokeichem." This expression is often
used to indicate that even if a person has a loophole to do something that is
basically prohibited, but with certain intentions it is allowed, Hashem
knows all that is in a person's heart, and knows his true intention. If a
person will study the occult under the guise of learning it to differentiate
between the prohibited and the permitted, Hashem knows if it is really so,
or if he really has in mind to learn this subject with the intention of using
it. (Meshech Chochmoh)
Ch. 19, v. 35 "Lo saasu o'vel bamishpot bamidoh bamishkol
u'vamsuroh" - Do not commit a misdeed "with justice" by way of
measurements, weight, or volume. You know that someone owes you
money, but you cannot recover it. When he comes to purchase something
from you that has to be measured or weighed, you might feel that it is
justified to shortchange him in order to recover part or all of what he owes
you. This verse tells us to not cheat to recover it. (Meshech Chochmoh)
Ch. 20, v. 12: "V'ish asher yishkav es kaloso mose yumsu shnei'hem
tevel ossu" - At first thought one would assume that the sin of having
relations with one's own daughter, his own flesh and blood, is more severe
than having relations with his daughter-in-law, who is only related to him
through his son's acquiring her as his wife. Yet the punishment for
relations with one's own daughter is "sreifoh," a less severe punishment
than having relations with his daughter-in-law, where the punishment is
"skiloh" (according to the first opinion in the mishneh Sanhedrin 49b that
"skiloh" is stricter than "sreifoh," which is the halacha, as per the Rambam
Hilchos Sanhedrin 14:1).
The Meshech Chochmoh says that this question is predicated on the
assumption that the reason for the prohibition by both one's daughter and
daughter-in-law is because of closeness of the relationship. However, our
verse says that the sin of having relations with one's daughter-in-law is
called TEVEL. This word means a mixture, as we find "t'valul b'eino"
(Vayikroh 21:20), a flaw of the eye where the dark iris colouring is mixed
with the white colouring surrounding it. The prohibition to have relations
with one's daughter-in-law is because the father and son both mix their
seed in one person. Therefore it is a more severe sin than having relations
with one's own daughter, and is deserving of a stricter punishment. See the
Ibn Ezra on Vayikroh 21:20 who writes that "t'valul" means "destruction,"
and if it is the same word source as TEVEL, then TEVEL means the same.
He adds that TEVEL could mean "mixture," but the word source is not
TEVEL, but rather, BoLoL, as in "bluloh vashemen" (Vayikra 2:5).
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Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher
Sedrah Selections
Sedrah Selections Parshios Acharei-K'doshim 5773 Bs"D
Acharei
Ch. 17, v. 10: "V'hichrati osoh mi'kerev amoh" - And I will excise her
from within her nation - Excision is always done by Hashem. However,
there are times when the verse spells out that Hashem is doing it and times
not. Here we are discussing the consumption of blood, prohibited by the
Torah and punishable by excision. Since blood is disgusting to drink
(gemara Makos 23b), it must be that the transgressor is drinking it to make
a statement, that he simply wants to transgress Hashem's mitzvoh. Here the
punishment of excision is expressed in a more powerful manner,
mentioning that Hashem is doing it.
Earlier by the sin of consuming prohibited fatty sections of an animal,
something that is tasty, the verse expresses itself only with the excision,
"V'nich'r'soh" (Vayikra 7:25), as one might eat it not to spite Hashem, but
because his epicurean drive has overtaken him. (I do not know why the
previous verse is not cited, "V'el pesach Ohel Mo'eid lo y'vi'enu," where it
says, "V'nichras ho'ish hahu." There too he might simply not want to go
the distance to the Mikdosh to bring his offering.)
>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 11
Rashi on the gemara M'nochos 21 says that blood that is cooked is
disqualified from holiness and when the Torah says that blood that is to be
placed on the altar that is drunk carries the excision penalty it must be raw
blood. This is why the verse says that Hashem will do the excision, as just
mentioned. In Vayikra 7:26, where it talks about drinking blood of a non-
sacrificial animal, it is possible to have the blood cooked and even mixed
with some other drink in a manner where it is not nullified, and is a decent
drink. This is why the verse there mentions excision without mentioning
Hashem doing it, "v'nich'r'soh."
Similarly, by the excisions mentioned in parshas K'doshim by prohibited
unions, "v'nich'r'su" is used, because people have a drive for these matters.
By the idol worship of molech and the use of the occult ove and y'doni
(Vayikra 20:3,5,6), where there is no lust for them, we again have
"v'hichrati," and even stronger "V'samti ani es ponai."
By the prohibitions of Yom Kippur (Vayikra 23:29), by eating, an act that
one lusts, it says, "v'nich'r'soh," while by doing work on Y.K., again a
matter that is not driven by lust, it says, "V'haavadti es ha'nefesh" (verse
30). (Meshech Chochmoh)
Ch. 17, v. 13: "Chayoh o ofe v'shofach es domo v'chisohu
be'ofor" - An undomesticated animal or a bird and will spill its
blood and he shall cover it with earth - Kayin killed Hevel and just left
him lying there. Birds and undomestivacted animals dug into the ground,
buried him, and covered him over with earth. This is why they merit
having their blood covered. (Breishis Raboh 22:8)
Ch. 18, v. 5: "V'chai bohem" - And live through them - In reality, a
person who lives by the Torah's guidelines lives no longer than a person
who fulfills none of its precepts. It is obvious that these words refer to the
spirit of a person, as Targum Onkelos says, "V'yeichi v'hon l'chayei alma."
This is a source in the Torah for spiritual reward in the world-to-come.
(Haksav V'hakaboloh)
Ch. 18, v. 21: "Umizaracho lo si'tein l'haavir lamolech v'lo s'chaleil es
sheim kodshi" - And from your children you shall not give to pass
through for molech and you shall not desecrate My holy name -
Hashem only accepts offerings of one's property, be it inanimate,
vegetable, or animate, but not one's child. By offering one's child to
molech, which is a greater sacrifice, one desecrates Hashem's holy name.
(Ramban, Sforno)
K'doshim
Ch. 19, v. 2: "K'doshim ti'h'yu" - You will be holy - Note that they
verse does not use the command form, "heyu," but rather "ti'h'yu,"
indicating that you will be holy as the result of something. This is the
Torah, which sanctifies a person. This is so because the Torah and Hashem
are one. Toiling in Torah study becomes purified as well. This is the
intention of the following words of the verse, "Ki kodosh ani Hashem."
(Holy Zohar)
Ch. 19, v. 3: "Ish imo v'oviv tiro'u" - A man his mother and his father
shall you fear - The verse begins in the singular and ends in the plural.
The gemara M.K. 17 relates that a father hit his adult son. The gemara says
that by doing this he has transgressed the sin of "V'lifnei I'veir lo si'tein
mich'shole," not to put a stumbling-block in front of a blind man. This
means that the father has caused his son to transgress, as the son will likely
hit him back. We derive from this that the mitzvoh of fearing one's parents
is a shared mitzvoh. Not only the child, but also the parent has to behave in
a manner that the child will not transgress, hence the plural form. (Ohr
Hachaim Hakodosh)
Ch. 19, v. 6: "V'hanosar bayom hashlishi bo'aish yiso'reif" - And that
which is left over on the third day shall be burned in fire - This is an
allusion to the law regarding non-consecrated meat. It must be salted by
the third day since the slaughter or else the blood contained therein dries
and cannot come out with salting. It can only be roasted over fire (see
Sh.O. Y.D. 69:12). This is"V'hanosar bayom hashlishi bo'aish yiso'reif."
(Kisei Rachamim)
Ch. 19, v. 9: "Uvkutz'r'chem" - And with your harvesting - This word
can be split into "Uvkotzer Kof-Mem. When there is harvesting Kof-Mem
= 60, that one must leave over the corner of the field unharvested for poor
people. The amount left over should be a sixtieth of the field (Mishnoh
Pei'oh 1:2).
The following words of the verse, "P'as sodochoh" have the numerical
value of "HaPei'oh echod meichamishim." (Baal Haturim)
Ch. 19, v. 11: "Lo tignovu" - You shall not steal - Numerous
explanations are given for the plural expression, "lo tignovU." The
Rambam hilchos g'neivoh 5:1 writes that it is prohibited to by from a thief
an item he has stolen. This is a grievous sin as it strengthens the hands of a
sinner and propels him to steal again, since if he would find no purchaser
for the ill-gotten goods he would not steal. The verse in Mishlei 29:24
refers to this when it says, "Choleik im ganov sonei nafsho."
Based on all this the Sheima Shlomo and Kli Yokor explain that this is the
meaning of the plural "lo tignovU." Both the thief and his customer are
considered thieves.
Ch. 19, v. 11: "Lo tignovu" - You shall not steal - A petitioner's kvittel
was brought to the Hornesteipler Gaon. The request was that he be
successful in all his endeavours. The Hornesteipler Gaon responded that he
would not pray for this since there is a possibility that he might want to
steal or do some other wrong-doing. His response is actually found in the
Medrash Shochar Tov on T'hilim #20. Rabon Gamliel came to Chalfa ben
Kruyoh and asked him to pray for him. Chalfa responded with, "May
Hashem give you as is in your heart," or "May Hashem fulfill all your
requests." The medrash goes on to say that this response is inappropriate
for the common man as he might be planning to steal or do another sin. It
is only because Chalfa knew that Rabon Gamliel's heart was totally
submissive to Hashem that he responded thusly.
Sefer Chasidim #485 similarly says that one should never bless someone
with "May Hashem grant you your request." Perhaps this person wants to
take revenge on someone or overpower an adversary. Rather, one should
respond with, "May Hashem fulfill your wishes for good in the service of
Hashem."
Ch. 19, v. 17: "Hochei'ach tochiach es ami'secho" - You shall surely
rebuke your friend - A traveling preacher came to a community and
while discussing the importance of mitzvos in which people were lax he
strongly criticized the Jewish nation as a whole. A person in the audience,
Rabbi Dovid, a student of the holy Baal Shem Tov pushed him off the
platform where he was speaking and brought the talk to an abrupt end.
This "darshan" went to the holy Baal Shem Tov to complain about the
behaviour of his student. The holy Baal Shem Tov called his student who
then explained to him what happened. The holy Baal Shem Tov sided with
his student, citing the verse in Mishlei 3:11, "Musar Hashem bni al timos,"
chastisement my son do not loath. "Musar Hashem," one should offer
chastisement to act as Hashem asks of us, but, "Bni al timos," do not make
my son repulsive when you offer the "musor." (Tzror Hachaim, M'kore
Mayim Chaim) A Gutten Shabbos Kodesh.
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Rabbi Yissocher Frand
RavFrand
Parshas Achrei Mos Kedoshim
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's
Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the Weekly portion: Tape # 810, The Prohibition of Hating
Another Jew. Good Shabbos!
Who Has To Honor Whom?
The beginning of Parshas Kedoshim contains a pasuk which presents a
very interesting juxtaposition of mitzvot: "Every man shall revere his
mother and his father and you shall observe My Sabbaths I am Hashem
your G-d." [Vayikra 19:3]. Rashi wonders about the connection between
Shabbos observance and revering one's parents. Rashi cites the Toras
Kohanim which teaches, based on the juxtaposition in this pasuk:
"Although I enjoined you about revering a parent, if your parent should
say to you, 'Desecrate the Shabbos', do not listen to them. And so too it is
with regard to other commandments." This is a halachic principle brought
down several times in the Talmud, which is also codified in the Shulchan
Aruch.
Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky adds that the Torah is teaching us another
message here as well. We believe as Jews that G-d created the world in six
days and that on the seventh day He rested. Prior to Creation the world did
not exist and obviously people did not exist. This "Creation scenario" is
not universally accepted. There are many people who in fact deny any role
of G-d in creation. The Darwinian Theory and others posit that human
beings evolved from lower species and reject the "story of Creation" as
spelled out in the beginning of the Book of Bereshis. This is a
philosophical-theological dispute of how one views the world.
There is a practical difference between these two world views. The
difference boils down to who needs to honor whom? Should older people
need to honor younger people or should younger people need to honor
older people? If one believes that man has evolved from the lower forms
of life, then presumably the further one gets away from that "original man"
the higher form of life one would expect. If man evolved from a monkey,
then the first generations of men were not very far removed from
monkeys. Later generations have "evolved more" than earlier ones and
hence the earlier generations must honor the later on es. The bottom line is
that parents should honor their children. If on the other hand, -- as we
believe -- the Almighty created the First Man, it follows that the First Man
was the most perfect human being that the world has ever seen. He was
without flaws because he was the handiwork of the Master of the Universe
Himself. No one can improve upon that! As we get further away from that
First Man, man diminishes in stature. If we are going down, rather than up,
it is clear that the younger generations need to honor the previous
generations.
With this introduction, the pasuk now is crystal clear. "A man shall revere
his mother and his father." Why? It is because "My Sabbaths you shall
keep I am Hashem your G-d." There is a link between these two parts of
the pasuk. Since there was a Creation which you testify to by observance
of Shabbos on the seventh day of the week, then parents who are a
generation closer to creation and to the original man who was created by
the Almighty need to be revered by the younger generation!
12 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
This insight of Rav Yaakov comes with a story as well. In his later years,
Rav Yaakov attended a Kenesiah Gedolah of Agudas Yisroel in Eretz
Yisrael. He was already an older man at the time and was accompanied on
his travels by one of his sons. As we all know, the trip to Eretz Yisrael is a
long trip and Rav Yaakov was an older man. His son waited on him hand
and foot throughout the journey. There was a person on the plane sitting
nearby who was astounded by the love, respect, and dedication the son
was showing to his father. At one point, he commented to Rav Yaakov
Kamenetsky, "My children do not treat me like that. What is your secret in
child-raising that your son treats you like a King?"
In effect, Rav Yaakov told him the above quoted idea. We implant in our
children the belief that the further we are removed from Sinai, the more
one has had to endure the phenomenon of "yeridas haDoros" [lessening of
th e generations]. Therefore, they understand that the older generation is a
"better generation" and hence they honor and respect us. "If your children
do not act this way", Rav Yaakov told the gentleman on the plane,
"perhaps it is because they feel that they are more advanced than you are
and that on the contrary, you should honor them."
Rabbeinu Dovid Abudraham: What's In A Name?
The pasuk in the parsha says, "You shall not steal, and you shall not deny
falsely, and you shall not lie to one another." [Vayikra 19:11] Rashi points
out that the theft mentioned in this pasuk refers to monetary theft, while
the prohibition "Thou shall not steal" in the Ten Commandments refers to
the capital offense of kidnapping. This fact is not widely known in the
world at large. The average person who is not versed in the traditions of
the Oral Law, believes that "Thou shall not steal" in the Ten
Commandments refers to monetary theft.
I would like to relate an incident which teaches how careful a person must
be to avoid stealing money (or property). There is a famous Sephardic
commentator known as Rabbeinu Dovid Abudraham. Rabbeinu Dovid
wrote a commentary on the Siddur, which is one of the classic
commentaries on Jewish liturgy. How did he get the name Abudraham?
This is not a common name, even among Sephardic Jews. There is a story
that goes with the name.
Rabbeinu Dovid was a merchant. I do not know exactly what he sold, but
whatever it was, people would give him their money and he would
measure out the commodity he was selling and give them what they
purchased, based on weight. In those days, the scales were far more
primitive than today. Also, they did not weigh in pounds or ounces, kilos
or grams. The unit of weight in those days in his country was something
called the dram. However, when someone ordered 10 drams of
merchandise, Rabbeinu Dovid would not put 10 drams on the scale and
measure it all at once; he would put one dram at a time on the scale. With
each dram that he would sell, he would give a little more than the exact
measure, to be sure that he was not near the borderline of possible theft.
He would repeat this slight perk for the customer with each dram he
weighed out.
One day a Gentile entered the store and told Rabbeinu Dovid that he
wanted 9 drams of merchandise. So Rabbeinu Dovid wen t through his
ritual and weighed out a dram nine times, wrapped up each dram, and gave
the package to the customer. However, when the customer left the store,
Rabbeinu Dovid began to think, "Maybe I only wrapped up 8 packages;
not 9. Maybe I short-changed the customer on this order!" He ran out of
the store to catch the customer before he got too far down the block, to tell
him he might have only received part of his order." The truth is he
probably gave him 9 drams worth of merchandise even if it was only in 8
packages because of his practice of giving extra; and most likely, he had
given him the full number of packages anyhow.
At any rate, the Gentile was so impressed with the honesty of Rabbeinu
Dovid that he converted to Judaism.
In Arabic the name preface "Abu" means "father of" (similar to the
Hebrew word Aba). That is why he had the name "Abudraham" it meant
in Arabic "Father of the Dram," because he was so meticulous in his
business dealings that he m easured out each order dram by dram.
This write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah Portion. Tapes
or a complete catalogue can be ordered from the Yad Yechiel Institute, PO Box 511, Owings Mills MD 21117-0511. Call (410) 358-0416 or e-mail
tapes@yadyechiel.org or visit http://www.yadyechiel.org/ for further information. Transcribed by David Twersky Seattle, WA; Technical Assistance
by Dovid Hoffman, Baltimore, MD RavFrand, Copyright 2007 by Rabbi Yissocher Frand and Torah.org. Join the Jewish Learning Revolution!
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Aish.Com - Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen
The Guiding Light
Love Your Neighbor
"Do not take revenge; do not bear a grudge; love your neighbor like
yourself." (1)
The mitzvah of 'love your neighbor like yourself' is described by Rabbi
Akiva as being a great principle in the Torah.(2) Similarly, when a
prospective convert asked Hillel to sum up the Torah 'on one foot' he
answered him with this mitzvah, adding that the rest of the Torah is an
explanation of it.(3) The Ben Ish Chai writes that, given it's centrality to
the Torah, a very significant part of this mitzvah is overlooked by many
people. He writes that while many people recognize how it requires a
person to help his fellow in terms of his physical well-being, they are less
aware that it also obliges him to help his fellow's spiritual health. Indeed
he argues that helping his friend in the spiritual realm (ruchniut) is a far
greater fulfillment of the mitzvah than benefiting him in the physical realm
(gashmius).
He explains: "When one helps his friend in a physical sense, he expresses
his care for his friend's body, however, man's body merely consists of a
combination of blood and flesh! The main aspect of a person is his Godly
aspect, his soul, and the soul gets no benefit from kindness in the physical
sense. However, if one rebukes his fellow and prevents him from
transgressing God's mitzvot, then he bestows a great kindness on his
friend's soul, and love for one's fellow's spiritual side is far more important
than love of his physical being." (4) The Ben Ish Chai teaches that in order
to most effectively fulfill the mitvzah to love one's neighbor he cannot
limit his kindness to the help in gashmiut, rather he must strive to help his
spirituality to an even greater degree.
In this vein, the Orchot Tzadikim tells us that there are three main types of
giving: Giving of one's money; giving of one's body and giving of one's
wisdom. He goes on to discuss all three but he ends the chapter focusing
on the giving over of Torah to others: "One must be especially giving with
his Torah wisdom; to teach all men knowledge and to draw their hearts to
heaven. This is the greatest of all the types of giving - giving to another to
bring him to the life of the World-to-Come." (5) Similarly the Meiri in
Pirkei Avot states; "there is no kindness in the world that compares to the
one who gives merit to the many." (6) Likewise, Rav Aharon Kotler
writes: "The main kindness one can do for others is to give over to them
Torah and mitzvos and to distant them from the evil inclination. This is the
greatest kindness in the world that one can do for another..." (7)
There are a number of ways of helping others in the spiritual realm. The
Ben Ish Chai mentioned the greatness of rebuking others, however, in this
generation, it is very difficult to rebuke in the correct way and therefore
there is the risk that rebuking can do more harm than good. A less
threatening way of helping others spiritually is by sharing one's Torah with
them; Indeed there are many Rabbinical sources that indicate that teaching
Torah is a fundamental part of each person's purpose in life: The Gemara
in Rosh Hashana 23b says that one who learns and does not teach is like a
myrtle tree in the desert. The Maharal explains that the myrtle is the most
pleasant smelling tree and it is in the world for people to benefit from its
pleasant smell. A myrtle that is in the desert does not fulfill its purpose
because no-one can benefit from it. So too, Torah is there to be taught over
to others and one who does not do so cannot fulfill his purpose in life. He
writes: "The main aspect of the Torah is wisdom that by its very nature is
there to teach others and if it is not taught over then it is a waste, because
the essence of wisdom is to be given over to everyone." (8)
Similarly, the Mishna in Pirkei Avot states: "If you have learnt much
Torah, 'al tachzik tova' to yourself, because that is why you were created."
(9) The simple understanding of this Mishna is that a person should not be
proud of his achievements in Talmud Torah because learning Torah is his
purpose in life. However, many commentaries suggest a different
explanation. They explain the Mishna to mean that if a person has learnt
much Torah he should not keep its goodness for himself, rather he should
teach it to others - why? Because his purpose in creation is to learn and
teach." (10)
There are many ways in which a person can share his Torah with others;
he (or she) can strive to develop chavrutot (study partners) with people on
a lower level of learning. There are numerous outreach organizations,
Yeshivas, shuls etc who are in need of people to take out a short time from
their schedule in order to teach those less learned than themselves. A mere
phone call to one of these organizations may be all the effort necessary to
find a suitable chavruta. Moreover, one need not restrict himself to
teaching people face to face; with the added technology available now, one
can easily learn with someone in another country on the phone or other
mediums. Furthermore, the written medium is another effective way of
teaching many people at the same time by writing a short Dvar Torah on
the weekly Torah portion or some other topic. It is also important to note
that teaching Torah need not be limited to formal settings - there are
countless opportunities to share Torah wisdom with others in one's daily
interactions in life, whether it be with colleagues at work, with the taxi
driver, or with friends.
We learn from the lesson of the Ben Ish Chai that in order to properly
fulfill the fundamental mitzvah of 'Love they neighbor' one must strive to
help others in spiritual matters as well as physical matters.
Notes
1. Kedoshim, 19:18.
2. Rashi, Kedoshim, 19:18.
>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 13
3. See Maharsha, Shabbos, 31a, as to why Hillel stressed the 'negative'
aspect of the Mitzva (how not to treat one's fellow) as opposed to the
Torah's emphasis of the 'positive' aspect.
4. Divrei Chaim, quoted in 'Penini Ben Ish Chai, Kedoshim, p. 108.
5. Orchot Tzadikim: Shaar Nedivoos.
6. Avos: 5:20.
7. Mishnat Rebbe Aharon: Shaar Asiri; p.250 See also 'Yaarot Dvash'
Drush 7 of Rav Yonasan Eibeshitz; Introduction to Shaar Yosher of Rav
Shimon Shkop for similar approaches to the centrality of giving to others
in one's life with special emphasis on giving in ruchniut.
8. Maharal: Chiddushei Aggados 23b. Also see Netiv Torah Ch.8 for a
lengthier discussion of this topic.
9. Avos, 2:9.
10. Avos, 2:9: Medrash Shmuel. See Medrash David, Lev Eliyahu, Parshas
Tazria-Metzora for an identical explanation. It was also heard from R.Zev
Leff in the name of the Klausenberger Rebbe.
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Rabbi J. Gewirtz
Migdal Ohr
Volume 15 Issue 26
Parshas Achrei-Kedoshim 5773
GEwT RYYA Y OYwWDQ-YRXA P
A publication dedicated to Harbotzas Torah
(G-B:UY ARQYW) .OKYQLA H YNA WRMwT YTTBw TAW WARYT WYBAW WMA wYA ...WYHT
OYwDQ...
You shall be holy people a man shall fear his mother and father,
and guard My Sabbaths, I am the L-rd your G-d.
From a parsha with the lofty name, Kedoshim Holy Ones, we would
expect a list of demands that would cause the most ascetic of souls the
sublime pain of denying his flesh some exquisite desire. We would expect
to hear about illicit relationships that must be avoided, but we dont. In
fact, those relationships, read each year on Yom Kippur, were already
mentioned in the previous parsha, Parshas Achrei Mos. In this parsha, we
are enjoined to be holy, but the directions include much tamer topics.
Lets begin: You shall be holy so listen to your parents. Huh? Oh yes,
and keep Shabbos carefully. Shabbos? Thats great, but its not the stuff
of which holy hermits are made. Do this because I am G-d. I know
youre G-d, so why not give me the tough commandments, like fasting and
wearing burlap, or putting rocks in my shoes?
Dont turn to empty gods and idols; I am HaShem, your G-d. OK, Im
not worshiping idols but when do we get to the holy part? When you
sacrifice an animal, plan to do it properly, willingly, and try to give Me
nachas. What about the intricate special ceremonies we should do? Come
on G-d, make it hard so we know were becoming holy!
It seems that no matter what we do, this parsha about becoming Kedoshim,
holy people, is counterintuitive. Instead of giving us challenges, the Torah
sounds like a farmers almanac giving us crop advice!
Perhaps thats exactly the point. Being holy isnt about suffering, and its
not about divesting ourselves of all earthly pleasures. On the contrary,
Judaism says we should enjoy the world that HaShem created, and we
should elevate the physical when we do. Rather, being holy is about
controlling ourselves, even when it involves going against our intuition.
We are commanded to listen to our parents. They have a tradition of
serving HaShem and how to learn the Torah. Though we may think we
know better, that were smarter, that weve got it figured out, HaShem
says, Listen to your folks. They know better.
We think the way to serve G-d is through extending ourselves beyond our
comfort level. HaShem says, Just keep Shabbos, eat, sleep, study, sit
back, enjoy, and make the statement that youre not the real mover and
shaker behind the world, I am. That will make us holy because it takes
self-control to be able to negate our egos and relinquish control.
Dont serve other gods, and serve Me with joy, because thats what will
work best for us. Not jumping through hoops, not practicing convoluted,
painful rituals, just building a strong, warm relationship with our Creator,
our Father, and the only One in the universe dedicated completely to us
and our benefit. It goes on, saying that we should include the poor in our
successes, forgive others their flaws, and be honest in our business
dealings. This is how to be holy.
And yes, the advice sounds like a farmers almanac because it is simple,
sound advice from someone who knows how the world works: HaShem,
Who created it and devised its operating systems. Just as water makes
plants grow, keeping the Torah is what makes us grow.
R Leib Chasman was speaking to a boy who had come to him asking how
to improve his service of HaShem. After some discussion, R Leib asked
the bochur to go to the Rebbetzin in the kitchen and ask her for a cup of
tea for him. The boy jumped up to do as he was asked.
As he did, R Leib grabbed his arm. Wait! Why did you jump up so
quickly? The boy hesitated, thought a moment, and then replied, I ran
because I have the opportunity to serve a Talmid Chacham!
Oy, sighed R Leib. It is exactly as I thought. A young man is
presented with the chance to improve his Avodas Hashem by doing a true
kindness and bringing a feeble old man a cup of tea. But instead of
focusing on doing kindness for its own sake, he chooses to focus on other
considerations like serving Torah scholars, which in my case is
questionable.
Did You Know?
One of the most famous verses in the Torah, Vahavta lrayacha
kamocha, You shall love your fellow man like yourself, is in this weeks
parsha. Many people know that Rabbi Akiva said this was a great
principle of the Torah.
What is not as well-known is the beginning of that verse: Do not take
revenge, and do not [even] bear a grudge, [and you shall love your fellow
man like yourself.]
So, the person I am commanded to love is NOT just someone who I
admire, nor even someone who I have very little to do with. The person I
am to love is the very person who has wronged me in the past and I have
reason to dislike!
While Jews do not turn the other cheek and forgive any wrongs against
them unilaterally, and the Torah requires recompense, when the other
person wishes to move forward, even if they havent apologized as fully as
we might like (or at all) we are supposed to move forward with them. But
how?!
By loving them the way we love ourselves. When we do things wrong,
make mistakes, act selfishly, or hurt others, we understand that we are
inherently good people who were under specific circumstances that made
us act that way. If we understand the same about others, we will be able to
forgive them for succumbing to the moment (or decade) and acting less
than perfectly.
Thought of the week:
We dont get to decide truth. We only get to decide if we will accept it.
HE ISYN LARsY R TB ABYL NEL
LXR TB OYRML HMYLw HAWPR TWKZL UXLDBY W
LDNYYRB TB IYYRB HQBRW HAL IB QYZYYA QXCY
2013 J. Gewirtz Free pass to paradise! Print, e-mail, and share Migdal Ohr with friends and family. Youll be glad you did. E-mail Subscribe to
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Rabbi Nosson Greenberg
Khal Machzikei Torah
Kedoshim - Entitlement
In this weeks parsha the Torah tells the judges of Bnai Yisroel Lo saasu
avel bamishpat. (Vayikra 19,15)- You shall not do wrong in justice.
This mitzvah is commanding judges to be honest, upright and impartial in
their renderings of all decisions. Rashi, quoting Chazal tells us furthermore
that a judge who deliberately renders a wrong decision is referred to by the
Torah with no less than five derogatory titles: wrongdoer, hateful,
repulsive, banned, and an abomination. This is a reaction we do not find
the Torah expressing by other sins. So why is a judges dishonest behavior
so loathsome that we throw the proverbial book of insults at him?
Perhaps the answer to this can be found in the way the aforementioned
Rashi/Chazal determines that the Torah actually uses all these titles for a
corrupt judge. For truth be told the Torah only calls him a wrongdoer. We
extrapolate the other four terms as being germane to a judge by cross-
referencing and equating him to another situation where the Torah calls
someone a wrongdoer. And that is with a dishonest storekeeper. He is not
only called a wrongdoer but also an abomination (Devarim 25,16). Hold
that thought! An idol-worshipper is also called an abomination, plus he is
slapped with three other names; hateful, repulsive and banned (Devarim
7,26). Ergo, a judge who is a wrongdoer is by extension also an
abomination and thus also hateful, repulsive and banned. This is not your
average drasha from Chazal. This is a rare kind of drasha, a double
gezairah shaveh! It is multi-tiered in its pursuit of names. And all to give
him five (deservedly) disdainful titles. What is the message here
Rabboisai?
I believe that Chazal is hinting to us that these titles are all appropriate to
apply to a rotten judge even though one has to maneuver through several
stages, because that is exactly what happens to society when its judges are
evil. The immediate fall-out will be one angry litigant who knows he has
been wronged. But it does not end there. The next time that individual has
an issue he wont go back to a judge, as the saying goes once bitten, twice
shy. He will pasken for himself, many times incorrectly so. But it does
not end there. The next time this misdirected individual has a query of a
non-monetary nature, say in Hilchas Shabbos, he will cross-reference his
past experiences in court and will feel free to disagree with the psak of the
Mishna Brura. And before he knows it his life and its necessity of having
emunas Chachomim has slowly unravelled, until he has sunk to
unfathomable depths.
This scenario is not a stretch; I have nebach seen this happen to people
who have been wronged. They equate and compare all upcoming questions
in their lives to their past bitter experience, and continue to make
unfortunate choices.
14 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
This is what Chazal is saying to the corrupt judge. What you did was not
just an isolated travesty to another jew. Because it did not end there. It
caused a horrific multi-tiered effect. And therefore, you too, will be cross-
referenced and equated to other evildoers and abominations. Any title they
deserve will be attached to you, too.
Truly a drasha that fits the crime.
Have a great Shabbos, Rav Nosson Greenberg,
Rav, Khal Machzikei Torah, Far Rockaway, N.Y. ravgreenbergkmt@gmail.com

Rabbi Sender Haber
Out of the Loop
Avoiding Pitfalls
The Gemara in Bava Kammah (50a) speaks about digging pits. It is illegal
to dig a pit and leave it uncovered and accessible. If there are any
damages, the digger is liable. However, if the person digging the pit
donates the pit to the public, he is free of all responsibility. This was the
practice of Nechuniah Chofer Boros. He would dig wells and donate them
for public use. The rabbis praised Nechuniah for his actions, despite the
danger that they potentially posed.
One day Nechuniahs daughter fell into a pit that he had dug. The people
ran to Rav Chanina ben Dosa and asked him to pray for her. Dont
worry, he said, shes fine. An hour passes and the girl hadnt been
rescued so they came to Rav Chanina again. Dont worry, he said, shes
fine. Another hour passed and again the people returned. Dont worry,
he said, they just pulled her out.
Indeed, the people raced back to the pit to find the girl safe and sound. She
explained that an old man with a ram had come by and rescued her from
the pit.
Terribly impressed by Rav Chanina ben Dosa, the people began to call him
a prophet. Im not a prophet, he corrected them, it was just obvious to
me that the girl would not be harmed by a pit that had been so generously
and meticulously dug and donated by her father. How could the daughter
come to suffer from a mitzvah that her father has done.
The story could end here with a beautiful thought about the reward and
protection that comes from fulfilling mitzvos, but it does not. The Gemara
is painfully honest. Rav Acha shares with us that although Nechuniahs
daughter was saved miraculously from a well, his son actually died of
thirst. This is to teach us that Hashem protects those who do mitzvos, but
he is still very exacting in his judgement.
The commentaries struggle to reconcile the confidence of Rav Chanina
ben Dosa and the fate of Nechuniahs son, but I think that the lesson here
is very simple:
We hear and experience many wonderful stories about people who are
saved as a direct result of their good deeds. We ourselves do many good
deeds. Still, we do not have a license to sit back and relax. We need to
constantly examine and re-examine our actions.
Nechuniah had dug wells around the whole Yerushalayim. He had rabbinic
endorsement and blessing. He even had a miracle to back him up. Still, he
was not immune. Even as he was out digging wells, his own son died of
thirst. Something went wrong.
We are in a period of mourning for the students of Rabi Akiva. They were
sages, scholars, and righteous men. Yet they were punished all the same.
We can never be complacent. There is always room to examine and to
grow.
Rabbi Avraham Kahn
Torah Attitude
Parashas Acharei Mos - Kedoshim: Return to the Garden of Eden
Summary
The Torah teaches how one becomes impure and when one can immerse in
a mikvah (ritual bath) to become pure again. The Torah warns that if a
couple does not keep the laws of family purity, they will suffer severe
Divine punishment, either in this world or in the World to Come. The
snake, which represented the evil inclination, also known as the Satan and
the Angel of Death, manipulated Eves readiness to accept instruction to
entice her to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Eve and her
descendants have to keep the laws of family purity to atone for the blood
that she spilled. Most women possess a nature to be ready to accept
instructions. Every child-bearing woman has a constant reminder of her
special mission in life and when she and her husband observe the laws of
family purity, they participate in rectifying the sin of Adam and Eve. The
Kabbalists explain that when one immerses in the natural pool of water
that the mikvah contains, one rids oneself of any prior impurity and one
exits as if just being created anew. When a couple conducts their marriage
according to these laws, they comply with Gds original vision for this
world and merit the Divine Presence in their home. Her ways are ways of
pleasantness, and all her paths are peaceful.
Immerse In A Mikvah
In last weeks Torah Attitude we quoted from the Zohar that enumerates
three sins that push the Divine Spirit away from this world. The first sin
that the Zohar mentions is when a couple does not observe the laws of
family purity. Towards the end of the second of last weeks two parshios,
the Torah teaches how one becomes impure and when one can immerse in
a mikvah (ritual bath) to become pure again. In the first of this weeks two
parshios, the Torah gives a list of prohibited relationships. Most of these
illicit relationships are close relatives that even the gentile and secular
communities consider being totally unacceptable.
Divine Punishment
However, the prohibition of the laws of family purity is also part of this
list (see Vayikra 18:19). In the second of this weeks two parshios, the
Torah warns that if a couple does not keep the laws of family purity, they
will suffer severe Divine punishment, either in this world or in the World
to Come (see Vayikra 20:18).Obviously, one always has the opportunity to
repent, and even later in life one can do teshuvah and immerse in a
mikvah.
Garden of Eden
Why is this transgression so serious, and why does it bring about such
severe consequences? Maybe we can gain some understanding if we go
back to the Garden of Eden. When Gd created Eve, He said (Bereishis
2:18): It is not good for the Adam to be alone. I shall make him an
assistant corresponding to him. For two people to match and correspond
to each other they must be similar but not exactly the same. Gd therefore
created Eve with a mind of her own, but ready to accept instruction and
assist Adam in his endeavours. The snake, which represented the evil
inclination, also known as the Satan and the Angel of Death, manipulated
Eves readiness to accept instruction to entice her to eat the fruit from the
Tree of Knowledge. And as Adams assistant, she made sure to share it
with him as well. This fruit brought an impurity into their bodies. From
then on the evil inclination became an integral part of their being with
which they and their descendants would have to struggle on a constant
basis.
Atone For Spilled Blood
The Midrash Tanchuma (Noach 1) explains that when Eve ate from the
Tree of Knowledge and gave it to Adam, she caused their death and spilled
their blood, for had they not eaten from the forbidden fruit, they would
have lived forever (see Bereishis 2:17). The Midrash quotes from later in
Parashas Noach where it says (Bereishis 9:6): Whoever spills the blood of
man his blood shall be spilled and explains that this is a hint to Eve
and her descendants who with their monthly cycle must keep the laws of
family purity to atone for the blood that she spilled. Adam aptly referred to
Eve as the mother of all the living (see Bereishis 3:20). But when she
accepted the instruction of the snake, she also became an accomplice of
the angel of death.
Accept Instructions
Gd did not create only Eve with a nature to be ready to accept
instructions. Rashi (Bereishis 3:15) quotes the Talmud (Shabbos 33b) that
explains that this is a general character trait that most women possess. On
the one hand, every woman can use this to build her home and ensure
domestic peace. On the other hand, she can fall prey, as Eve did, to the
evil inclination and be enticed to sin.
Constant Reminder
Every child-bearing woman has a constant reminder of her special mission
in life, and when she and her husband observe the laws of family purity,
they participate in rectifying the sin of Adam and Eve. The impurity of the
snake is represented in her monthly cycle, and when she immerses herself
in a mikvah, she purifies herself and elevates her marriage to a level of
sanctity. By structuring their relationship according to the laws of family
purity, they ensure that their children are better equipped to live up to what
it says in the beginning of the second of this weeks two parshios (Vayikra
19:2): You shall be holy, and to withstand the many temptations of life.
Created Anew
The Kabbalists explain that when one immerses in the natural pool of
water that the mikvah contains, one rids oneself of any prior impurity and
one exits as if just being created anew. It takes the person back to before
the sin of Adam and Eve at the beginning of Creation where it says
(Bereishis 1:2): And the Divine Presence hovered over the surface of the
waters. A child conceived after such an immersion is in a spiritual sense
starting its life in the Garden of Eden with its pure water.
Merit Divine Presence In Home
When a couple conducts their marriage according to these laws, they
comply with Gds original vision for this world and merit the Divine
Presence in their home (see Talmud Sotah 17a). When they do not follow
the Divine plan, they obviously cannot expect the Divine Presence to be
there for them and must accept the consequences that the Torah describes.
Ways Of Pleasantness
King Solomon discusses the beauty of a life based on Torah values and
says (Mishlei 3:17): Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths
are peaceful. This manifests itself par excellence in a marriage based on
the laws of family purity.
These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva
and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.
Shalom. Michael Deverett
P.S. If you have any questions or enjoyed reading this e-mail, we would appreciate
hearing from you. If you know of others who may be interested in receiving e-mails
similar to this please let us know at Michael@deverettlaw.com .
>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 15
Rabbi Shlomo Katz
HaMaayan
Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim
The Other Day of Atonement
Volume 27, No. 27 10 Iyar 5773 April 20, 2013 Daf Yomi (Bavli): Eruvin
43
Sponsored by the Marwick family in memory of Bervin and Swolsky family
members ah
Martin and Michelle Swartz on the 60th yahrzeit of Martin's great-
grandfather Barnett Kalikow (Dov Ber ben Pesach Yehoshua) a"h (15
Iyar)
In our double parashah, we read about both Yom Kippur and Shabbat. R
Moshe Yechiel Halevi Epstein zl (1890-1971; the Ozhorover Rebbe in
New York and Bnei Brak) writes: There are many similarities between
Yom Hakippurim and Shabbat. Both are days of atonement. [The
connection between Yom Kippur and atonement is well-known.]
Regarding Shabbat, the Gemara (Shabbat 119b) teaches: If one prays on
Friday night and recites Vychulu, the two angels who accompany a
person place their hands on his head, and say (Yeshayah 6:7), Your
iniquity has gone away and your sin shall be atoned for. The Gemara
(Shabbat 118b) also states: If one observes Shabbat according to its law,
even if he is an idolator like the generation of Enosh, he is forgiven.
In the zemirot for motzaei Shabbat we say, He Who separates between
holy and secular, may He forgive our sins. At first glance, it is difficult to
see what connection this request has to Shabbat. [For this reason, some
suggest that this zemer was intended to be sung on motzaei Yom Kippur.]
The Ozhorover Rebbe explains, however, that because Shabbat is a day of
atonement, yet it is forbidden to mar the joy of the day by mentioning sin,
therefore we make this request on motzaei Shabbat.
Nevertheless, the Ozhorover Rebbe continues, there is a difference
between Shabbat and Yom Hakippurim. On the latter, we attain
atonement through active teshuvah / repentance. We are required to
deprive ourselves of food, drink and certain other pleasures. And, in the
time of the Bet Hamikdash, the kohen gadol brought many special
sacrifices. In contrast, the atonement that we obtain on Shabbat is
incidental to the holiness of the day. We do not need to do anything
special to obtain it other than to observe Shabbat properly. (Esh Dat Vol.
VIII p.521)
He shall don a sacred linen tunic; linen breeches shall be on his flesh,
he shall gird himself with a linen sash, and cover his head with a linen
turban. (16:4)
When the Kohen Gadol enters the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, he does
not wear the usual uniform of the Kohen Gadol; rather, he wears all-
white linen garments. The reason, say our Sages, is that the everyday
garments of the Kohen Gadol contain gold, which is reminiscent of the sin
of the golden calf. Wearing them would violate the principle: Ain kategor
naaseh saneigor/ A prosecutor [i.e., gold] may not become an advocate
for the defense.
R Moshe Leib Shachor zl (Yerushalayim; 1894-1964) notes that this
principle was not derived by our Sages from any verse. Rather, its a
matter of decency; one person shouldnt be prosecuting another unless he
is certain in the depths of his heart of the latters guilt. How then could a
prosecutor ever switch sides?! Furthermore, even if the prosecutor now
doubts his former certainty and believes the accused is innocent, the
lingering vestiges of his past beliefs will limit his effectiveness as a
defense counsel. That is human nature. [While these concerns dont
literally apply to the Kohen Gadols garments, the Torah did not design
the avodah / Temple service in a way that violates principles of decent
behavior.]
How does a person become an effective spokesman for the defense of the
Jewish People or in defense of individual sinners? R Shachor writes: One
can be an effective advocate if he has previously been in the shoes of the
person for whom he is advocating. If he has overcome certain bad traits, he
understands the other persons challenges and feels his pain.
Alternatively, an effective advocate is someone who appreciates the
beauty and unity of Creation as a whole and therefore values each of its
separate parts. He knows that nothing in the Universe lacks a purpose;
therefore, he feels obligated to advocate for every person. (Koach
Hateshuvah p.20)
Speak to the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael and say to them, You shall
be holy, for holy am I , Hashem, your Elokim. (19:2)
R Moshe ben Nachman zl (Ramban; Spain and Eretz Yisrael; 1194-
1270) writes: After the Torah has commanded us regarding kashrut,
prohibited relations, etc., a person still could be a glutton or a drunkard
within the confines of the law. Thus, the Torah commands, You shall be
holy, i.e., you shall refrain from excess pleasures even when they are
permitted by halachah. (Ramban Al HaTorah)
R Shneur Zalman of Liadi zl (1745-1812; first Lubavitcher Rebbe)
writes: This holiness is not an all or nothing proposition. If a person
subdues his urges even briefly, for example, by delaying his meal for a
short time and studying Torah during those minutes, or if one conquers his
urge to engage in idle chatter even for a short time, that, too, is a form of
holiness. As a result of even that small measure of holiness, a person can
expect a great deal of Divine assistance in serving Hashem. (Likkutei
Amarim Tanya, ch.27)
You shall not hate your brother in your heart; hocheiach tochiach /
you shall reprove your fellow . . . (19:17)
What is the difference between hocheiach and tochiach? R Yitzchak
ben Sheshet Perfet zl (Rivash; Spain; 1326-1408) explains:
Hocheiach (hochachah) refers to proving to one side of an argument
that the other side is correct, as Yaakov said to Lavan (Bereishit 31:37),
Vyochichu / let them decide between the two of us. Tochiach
(tochachah) refers to rebuking an individual for his bad deeds. (Sheeilot
Uteshuvot Rivash No.431)
R Shmuel Shmelke Guntzler zl (1834-1911; rabbi of Oyber Visheve
Hungary; his yahrzeit was this week) writes: In light of Rivashs
interpretation, we can explain our verse to be teaching that successful
rebuke has several parts. First, do not hate your brother even if he has
sinned; then you will be able to give hochachah, i.e., to prove to your
brother that his behavior was wrong and the Torah is correct. At the
same time, speak to Hashem in defense of your brother, even if it means
that you must give tochachah / rebuke, i.e., pointing out to Hashem that
He actually bears part of the blame for mans sins.
This is what Moshe Rabbeinu himself did. We read (Devarim 1:1), These
are the words that Moshe spoke to all Yisrael, on the other side of the
Jordan, concerning the Wilderness, concerning the Aravah, opposite the
Sea of Reeds, between Paran and Tophel, and Lavan, and Chazerot, and
Di-zahav. On the one hand, Rashi zl comments about the phrase Di-
Zahav: This should be interpreted to mean, sufficiency of gold, i.e., he
reproved them on account of the golden calf which they had made because
they had an abundance of gold. [Until here from Rashi.] On the other
hand, the Gemara (Berachot 32a) interprets: Because of the abundance of
gold which You gave them, i.e., Moshe was rebuking Hashem, so-to-
speak, in order to lessen the sins of Bnei Yisrael in His eyes. Both of these
are included in the commandment in our verse.
R Guntzler adds: This is why the book of Devarim is called by our Sages,
Mishneh Torah. The word mishneh is related to shnayim / two. In
Devarim / Mishneh Torah, Moshe Rabbeinu had two intentions: on the one
hand, to rebuke Bnei Yisrael, but, on the other hand, to lessen their sins in
the eyes of G-d. (Meishiv Nefesh: Parashat Pinchas)
Letters from Our Sages
Below are excerpts from a letter written by R Moshe ben Maimon zl
(Rambam/Maimonides; 1135-1204), who lived in Egypt, to R Yehonatan
Hakohen zl (approx. 1150-1215) in Lunel, Provence (southern France).
The letter was a response to a series of letters posing questions about
Rambams halachic code, Mishneh Torah, and his Moreh Nevochim
(Guide to the Perplexed).
I, Moshe, inform you, the rabbi and kohen, R Yehonatan, that when I
received your letter and your questions, I rejoiced a great joy, and I said to
myself [borrowing Ruth 4:14]: Thank G-d that He has not left you [i.e.,
himself--Rambam] without a redeemer. I knew then that my words had
reached someone who knew what they were about, who understood their
secrets, and who will discuss them properly. I said to myself [borrowing
Ruth 4:15]: He will become your life-restorer, and sustain your old age.
Everything you asked was worthy of being asked, and everything that you
challenged was worthy of being challenged. Do not fear, for I am with
you, and I have already answered your questions today [in an enclosure to
this letter]. As for the fact that the answers were delayed for several years,
it was only because of illness and other troubles. I was sick for
approximately one year and, now that I am cured, I am still like a sick
person who is not in danger. Most of the day, I recline in bed, and the yoke
of the gentiles is on my neck to heal them. They have weakened me and do
not leave me alone for even an hour, not during the day and not at night.
What can I do, since my reputation has spread to many lands? Moreover, I
am not like I was in my youth. . . Therefore, do not be upset that I dictated
the answers to others and they are not in my handwriting, for I dont have
time for this due to my weakness and my shortness of breath caused by
those who trouble me constantly. --To be continued--
Copyright &copy 2013 by Shlomo Katz and Torah.org. The editors hope these brief 'snippets' will engender further study and discussion of Torah
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510-1053

Rabbi Dov Kramer
Taking A Closer Look
And G-d spoke to Moshe after the death of Aharons two sons, when they
approached G-d and they died (Vayikra 16:1). The death of Aharons
sons is mentioned twice in this verse, even though the same information
could have been relayed by referencing it only once (and G-d spoke to
Moshe after Aharons two sons died when they approached G-d). Why is
their death referred to twice in the same verse if one would have sufficed?
Netziv points out that when someone is guilty of a sin that is punishable by
death, their death is usually not immediate, thereby giving the sinner time
to repent. In this case, however, Aharons sons died right away, because
16 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
their sin was done in the inner sanctum of the Mishkan, before G-d. The
second reference to their death is part of one clause, telling us that they
died on the spot (rather than after some time had passed) since their sin
was done when they approached G-d. Nevertheless, why was this point
made here, before the Yom Kippur service is described, rather than in the
narrative about Nadav and Avihus death?
The obvious connection is that the next verse (16:2) includes a warning for
Aharon (and, by extension, every Kohain Gadol after him) not to enter the
inner sanctum of the Mishkan (or Temple) at will; only on the prescribed
days (Yom Kippur), after doing the necessary Temple service (bringing
the Yom Kippur offerings, including the incense offering). The
punishment for not following these instructions is death, and G-d reminded
Moshe that since this transgression would occur before G-d, in the inner
sanctum, it would be enacted immediately, as had occurred with Aharons
sons. A closer look at Rashi (on 16:2) may add another dimension to this
connection.
When Moshe is told to warn Aharon not to enter the holy, inside the
curtain, in front of the arks covering (referring to the Kodesh
HaKadashim, the Mishkans inner sanctum) whenever he wants so that he
should not die, an explanatory clause is given; for in a cloud I will
appear upon the [arks] covering. Rashi explains this clause to be saying
for I constantly appear there with the pillar of My cloud; and since My
presence manifests itself there, he should be careful not to become
accustomed to coming [inside]. Although Rashi includes G-ds cloud
pillar because the verse mentions G-d's cloud, the way Rashi explains it
makes its inclusion seem unnecessary. The point is that G-ds presence
dwells within the inner sanctum, so Aharon cant just come in anytime he
wants; that G-d's divine presence is accompanied by, or covered by, G-ds
cloud, should be irrelevant. Additionally, the verse doesnt mention the
cloud pillar, only the cloud; why does Rashi add the pillar aspect?
Although numerous commentators on Rashi say that the divine presence
was always in the Mishkan (between the Kruvim that were on the cover
of the ark in the inner sanctum), I am not convinced this was so. For one
thing, when our sages, of blessed memory, used an analogy to describe
why G-d commanded us to build a Mishkan for Him (Shmos Rabbah
33:1), they compared His giving us the Torah to a king's only daughter
marrying another king (or prince). The king knew he couldnt make his
new son-in-law live with him, so asked that living space be built for him in
his son-in-laws country, thereby enabling the king to visit his daughter
anytime he wanted to. The king obviously wouldnt permanently move out
of his own country to reside in his son-in-laws country; he only wanted to
be able to drop by whenever he wanted without having to first make
reservations. If this is analogous to G-d asking us to build a Mishkan for
Him, it would similarly be so that His divine presence could join us
whenever it was appropriate, not that He would abandon His heavenly
abode and live with us permanently. Additionally, the cloud pillar was
where G-d resided when His presence was made noticeable (see Shmos
13:21), and what descended when G-d wanted to speak to Moshe (see
Shmos 33:9-11). If G-ds divine presence always resided in the Mishkan,
His cloud pillar wouldn't need to descend or suddenly appear; it
would already be there. Yet, there are several instances where G-ds
cloud pillar either appeared or descended before G-d spoke (see
Bamidbar 12:5 and Dvarim 31:15; see also Bamidbar 11:25, 17:7 and
20:6). The very notion that G-d had to specify that He would speak to
Moshe from between the Kruvim that are on the Kapores (Shmos
25:22) implies that G-d wasnt always there, or it would be obvious where
G-ds voice would emanate from (see Bamidbar 7:89; see also 30:6,
where the implication is that G-d will meet Moshe there, not that He was
already there). The verses (Shmos 40:34-38) are rather explicit that G-ds
divine presence rested on/over the Mishkan in its entirety; it would seem
that the cloud pillar descending from G-ds cloud to reside in the inner
sanctum was not a constant. This is implicit in Rashis wording as well; he
doesnt say since My presence constantly manifests itself there, but for
I constantly appear there with the pillar of My cloud, indicating that what
was constant was not G-ds divine presence being in the inner sanctum,
but that whenever His presence was there, it was within His cloud pillar.
If G-ds divine presence wasnt always manifest in the inner sanctum, and
whenever it was, it was within His cloud pillar, there would be an easy
way to tell if G-ds presence had descended into the inner sanctum--seeing
His cloud pillar! In essence, G-ds cloud pillar was like a giant do not
disturb sign; G-d was in there, and unless He called for you or it was time
for the Yom Kippur service, you better stay out! And if there was an easy
way to know whether or not G-d was in the Mishkans inner sanctum, one
might think that when it was empty, there would be no problem going in.
When G-d told Moshe to tell Aharon that he cant just enter the inner
sanctum anytime he wants to, He didnt mean only when Im there, but
anytime, even if G-d wasnt there. Since G-ds divine presence does
descend there, and it might do so after Aharon had checked that His cloud
pillar wasnt there, he has to stay out even if there had been no cloud
pillar before he started to enter. In other words, to avoid the dangerous
possibility that G-d would enter the Mishkans inner sanctum at the same
moment that Aharon did, entrance was forbidden even if there was no
cloud pillar.
And a fire went out from before G-d and consumed. What did it
consume? The first time these words appear in the Torah (Vayikra 9:24), it
consumed the offerings that were on the altar. The second time these same
exact words appear (10:2, two verses later), it consumed Nadav and Avihu.
Rashbam says there werent two different fires; it was one heavenly fire
that descended into the inner sanctum of the Mishkan and then exited
through the Mishkans doorway to the courtyard, where it consumed the
offerings on the altar. Unfortunately, Nadav and Avihu were inside the
Mishkan at the time, and were consumed by the fire as it went from inside
the Mishkan to the courtyard. Their unauthorized entrance, done before G-
ds divine presence had descended onto/into the Mishkan, led to their
deaths because they were inside when G-d entered. The fact that G-d had
not been there when they started to go in did not matter.
And G-d spoke to Moshe after the death of Aharons two sons, when they
approached G-d and they died. The first mention of their deaths is a
chronological reference; this conversation occurred after they had died.
The second reference describes why they died, as they they approached
G-d, even though G-d wasnt in the Mishkan when they approached.
There was a precedent to entering a then-empty inner sanctum to find that
G-d entered afterwards, with disastrous consequences. After reminding
Moshe about the circumstances under which Nadav and Avihu had died,
G-d told him to tell Aharon that he shouldnt enter the inner sanctum
whenever he wants either, even if there was no cloud pillar, as there was
no guarantee that G-d wouldnt descend after he had already entered.

Rabbi Moshe Krieger
Bircas HaTorah Parsha Sheet
-
In this weeks parsha we learn about the famous mitzvah to love your
neighbor as yourself. Although many may view this mitzvah as beyond
the call of duty and only for the most pious, loving another Jew like ones
self is just as obligatory and expected from a Jewish person as putting on
tefillin. Rebbi Akiva was emphatic about the implementation of this
statute, claiming it to be a primary principle of the Torah. The gemara
(Shabbos 31a) illustrates the fundamental importance of loving others as
well. The gemara relates the story of how a convert once came to Hillel
requesting to be taught the entire Torah while standing on one foot.
Despite the dubious intent of the questioner, Hillel proceeded to teach the
convert, That which is hateful to you, dont do to your friend. That is the
entire Torah.The rest is the explanation. Go learn!!! The immortal
concept of loving ones neighbor changed not only the Jewish people, but
the entire world. However, it still needs to be understood why this
principle is so important in the eyes of Chazal. How could Hillel have
asserted that the entire Torah is almost a symbol of this idea and every law
is in truth just another expression of loving other people? What about G-d,
and all the mitzvos that do not relate to other people? Moreover, the Torah
contains much diverse subject matter and a lot of the content doesnt seem
to focus on the subject of loving others at all! How could Hillel say that
loving other people is the foundation of the entire Torah?
Rav Chaim Friedlander teaches us that in essence, the obligation of loving
others as ones self really requires one to extend beyond himself. The
natural disposition of a person is to only think about his own needs and to
only act in the way he sees fit. Man by nature is very self-centered and
self-absorbed. However, the Torah was designed in order to refine us. The
Torah encourages us to extend beyond our selfish natures and to outgrow
the little world that we have made for ourselves. For instance, if one
wishes to perform any mitzvah, he must have the intent that he is doing so
solely for the sake of G-d. If one lacks such intent, by definition, he is
unable to keep the Torah. In order for one to fulfill the Torah, one is forced
to think about something besides himself. Therefore, when Hillel was
asked to explain the entire Torah while standing on one foot, he told the
convert that the Torah was simple. To appreciate the Torah one must care
for the other. Every single detail of the Torah brings us to a greater love
either of other people, the creation, or Hashem Himself. If one doesnt care
about the world around him, whatever wisdom the Torah tries to bestow
upon him will seem meaningless and irrelevant. A person has to develop a
love external to himself in order to embrace what the Torah is all about.
So what is the best way a person can develop a love of others? I believe
that we can find an answer to this question in the Rambam. The Rambam
writes in Hilchos Deos 6:3 that since one is expected to love every Jew
like himself, it logically follows that one must care for their honor and
money as if it were his own. In other words, the Rambam is claiming that
basic love of another person involves caring for both his spiritual and
physical needs. If we train ourselves to become sensitive to a persons
most fundamental needs, we are exercising an incredibly deep love and
concern for another human being. We are giving to others in the intimate
way that we ourselves would love to be given to. This is truly extending
beyond ones self and touching another persons heart. If we can train
ourselves merely to behave this way and act with these lofty intentions in
mind, we will evolve into the loving people that Hashem wants us to be.
>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 17
Exhibiting such tender loving care for others will ultimately plant a love
for them in our hearts.
Rav Shimon Shkop has another piece of advice to help us cultivate a love
of other Jews. He claims that we just need to shift our perspective a little
bit. The reason many find it so hard to love others as themselves is simply
because others are not themselves. To feel abundant love for a separate
being in a separate body who lives a life with different challenges, tastes,
hopes, dreams, etc., is naturally foreign. However, if we can relate to other
Jews as extensions of ourselves, which is the real truth, loving them can be
a lot easier than we may think. A human being is very capable of
developing incredibly powerful feelings of love for his spouse, children,
and friends. Why is this? The answer is that the closer one is to a person,
the more he feels a unity with them. We should realize that the Jewish
people are one big family and that we are all members of Hashems
Chosen People. Moshe Rabbeinu teaches us in Devarim 14:1 that You are
sons to the Lord your G-d. That makes us all brothers! If one can look at
his wife as an extension of himself, then his children as an extension of
himself, then his neighbors, and then the entire Jewish People as just an
extension of himself, of course he will love them as himself! The more a
person pushes himself in this direction, the bigger he becomes. One can
ultimately ones self to a point of realization that the entire world is really
just a part of himself.
I was privileged to have received a brilliant insight into this matter from a
psychologist who gave a shiur in the yeshiva a short while ago. This man
was very successful in his field and had a profound understanding of the
human condition. He told me that he was once counseling a patient who
had extreme feelings of jealousy. The patient wanted to know how he
could break the terrible habit which was just causing him grief. The
psychologist answered by saying that he remembered that when he was a
young bucher in 1958, he was privileged to have attended the Super Bowl
game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants. The game
was later called the greatest game ever played, filled with drama and
excitement down to the very last seconds when the Colts made the game-
winning touchdown. The psychologist pointed out that when the Colts
won, the fans exploded in jubilation, shouting WE WON!!! WE WON!!!
Was it really a we? Did the fans really win the game? Did they even
know any of the players on the field personally? The truth is that human
beings have it within their capacity to find joy in others. What made the
fans so excited was that they viewed the teams success as their own. Jews
can do the same thing with each other. We are all on the same team, so
to speak. When witnessing anothers success, we can and should
immediately grasp the moment as an opportunity to rejoice.
May we all be zoche to love others as we do ourselves!!!
Rabbi Eli Mansour
Weekly Perasha Insights
Parashat Kedoshim: Paying Workers on Time
One of the many laws presented in Parashat Kedoshim is Lo Taashok Et
Reacha, which forbids withholding wages. If somebody owes money to a
worker for services that the worker provided, he is obligated by the Torah
to pay the worker when the wages are due.
Although this obligation might appear straightforward and intuitive, there
are, unfortunately, many people who transgress this Torah law by failing
to pay the money due to their employees in a timely fashion. A woman in
the community once owed her housekeeper wages just before Pesah, but
she decided she would delay payment until after the holiday. She wanted
to make sure the housekeeper would continue working through Pesah, and
she thus figured she would withhold payment as a guarantee that her
housekeeper wouldnt leave her. When the woman mentioned to her Rabbi
that she had done this, her Rabbi, insightfully, remarked, You are so
worried about your housekeeper leaving arent you worried about G-d
leaving you? Withholding wages is a Torah violation, and thus results in
driving G-d way. Who would you rather risk losing your housekeeper, or
your Creator?
The story is told of a certain Sadik in Bneh Brak who passed away, and
during the first night of Abelut (mourning) he appeared to his
granddaughter in a dream and said, The belts! What about the belts? The
granddaughter did not know what this was all about, and so she told the
family about the dream. Nobody knew why this man would be asking
about belts, until they mentioned the dream to the Sadiks widow. After
hearing about the dream, she remembered that shortly before her
husbands passing, he was not well and lost some weight. She gave his
belts to a tailor and asked him to make new holes in the belts so they
would fit the ailing man, whose waistline was now narrower. When he
returned the belts, the Sadik wanted to pay him, but he refused, saying it
was an honor to do a favor for such a distinguished individual. The Sadik,
however, was uneasy about the situation. He was not sure whether this
tailor refused to accept money because he would not generally charge for
this kind of simple job, or if he normally did charge but was embarrassed
to take money from this distinguished person. The Sadik passed away
before the issue was resolved, and so he returned to his granddaughter in a
dream to ensure that this tailor received his wages.
Remarkably, even though the tailor explicitly waived his right to payment,
the Sadiks soul still knew no rest until the wages were paid in full, due to
the severity of the sin of withholding wages.
This requirement applies as well to pledges and our other financial
responsibilities. Too often, people make handsome pledges to synagogues,
for example, over the phone or at an auction, but fail to meet their pledges.
It also happens, unfortunately, that people fail to meet their obligations to
schools or their other financial responsibilities while spending money on
personal luxury items. The Torah strictly warns us in Parashat Kedoshim,
Lo Taashok Et Reacha if we made a commitment, we are bound by
Torah law to fulfill it. The Torahs code of honesty and ethics requires that
we meet our financial responsibilities and not try to avoid them out of
convenience or indifference.
National Council of Young Israel
Weekly Dvar Torah
Parshat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim
Daf Yomi: Eruvin 43
Guest Rabbi: Rabbi Chaim Lobel, Young I srael of Aberdeen, NJ
Veahavta Lereiacha Kamocha Love your fellow as you would
yourself (Vayikra 19:18). Rebbe Akiva famously proclaims: This is a
great precept in the Torah (Toras Kohanim). On another occasion, Hillel
explained to a convert that the concept of what is distasteful to you, do
not do to your fellow is the crux of the entire Torah and the rest is
commentary; go and study (Shabbos 31a).
It is understood and we do not need any further reasoning that loving your
fellow as you would yourself is a very noble achievement when perfecting
personal character traits. However, an explanation is needed for why our
great leaders, such as Rebbe Akiva and Hillel, made statements placing
this rule as the cornerstone of Judaism. To properly understand the
emphasis placed on Veahavta Lereiacha Kamocha, two prerequisites are
needed: To Rebbe Akivas statement of this is a great rule in the Torah,
Ben Azzai claimed to have found a greater precept in the Torah This
is the book of the generations of manin the image of G-d He created
him (Bereishis 5:1).
Both are profound concepts Love your fellow as yourself, and we are all
created in the image of G-d. But why does Ben Azzai insist one is
greater than the other? The Daas Zekeinim (Bereishis 5:1) offers the
following scenario: What if an individual does not like himself? How then
should he fulfill the obligation to love his fellow as himself? Or, perhaps
he should be exempt from this obligation. The answer lies in the verse, in
the image of G-d He created him. When one sees his fellow as being
created in G-ds image, it obligates him to respect his fellow for that alone.
Why? Because it is easier to view your neighbors greatness than your
own. Even though one does not recognize his own positive attributes, he
can still respect his friend properly; as Ben Azzai explains, an individual
can still fulfill loving his neighbor without loving himself when he sees
that person as G-ds image.
Following the Daas Zekeinim, we understand that, implicit in the
commandment love your fellow as you would yourself, is the obligation
to love yourself. According to Rebbe Akiva, the great rule in the Torah is
to not only love your fellow, but to also love yourself. As the verse states
love your fellow as you would yourself. It is understood that, first and
foremost, mankind was created in G-ds image and building the personal
character traits of respecting oneself is crucial. Rebbe Akivas great rule of
the Torah is in seeing the greatness of who the personal individual is.
Loving your fellow can be accomplished by using Ben-Azzais logic.
The difficult part, and the great rule of the Torah, is the latter half of the
verse to love oneself.
The first prerequisite understands that Rebbe Akivas statement of this is
a great rule in the Torah takes on a new dimension. The great rule is
valuing the self-worth and importance of our deeds and performance of
our Mitzvoth. It is first loving ourselves not loving ourselves selfishly,
but loving ourselves for who we are and what we stand for.
The second prerequisite uses the Sfornos question: If properly translated,
the verse is understood as love to your (Vehavta Lereiacha) fellow as
you love yourself. What is the extra reference of the word to? The
Sforno juxtaposes the verse Love to your fellow as you would yourself
with the verse that follows, My (G-d) statutes you shall keep (Leviticus
19:19). The term statutes refers to laws whose reasons are beyond
human comprehension and the statute in the above verse refers to not
mixing animal breeds, keeping apart different crops in the field so they
dont mix, and not wearing a garment of wool and linen.
How do you love your fellow as yourself? When you recognize that your
fellow has submitted himself to the will of G-d and even upholds those
precepts he cannot possibly understand; when you look at what he has
achieved and recognize that you share those very same goals then you
will look at him with awe and love him as you do yourself.Loving your
fellow must begin with a sense of awe. It is an awe that springs from an
18 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
understanding of what your fellow strives to achieve, and has achieved,
and there is a kinship because you aspire to achieve the very same. The
Torah cannot command you to have a certain emotion, particularly one as
difficult as loving another as you would yourself. Rather, the Torah
commands you to recognize the greatness in your fellow to the point that
you will be in awe of his achievements and will naturally come to love
your fellow as you would yourself.
The Torah neither asks nor desires a baseless love for our fellow man, but
rather wants a love derived from our recognition of the greatness in others.
The combination of first achieving the self-respect necessary to properly
function as an Oved Hashem builds an awe and mutual respect for our
fellow man who aspires to do the same. Because you love what you do,
you respect the greatness of your fellows same aspirations.
Rebbe Akiva was not trying to build a euphoric society by making
statements that loving your neighbor as yourself is a great rule. Rebbe
Akiva was giving us the most basic foundations to value ourselves and
respect those who aspire the same.
Shabbat Shalom.
Dvar Torah Achrei Mos Kedoshim
By Rabbi Dovid Sochet
Parshas Achrei Mos Kedoshim: Loving Ones Neighbor as Oneself
This week's Torah reading is comprised of two parshas. The second parsha
features (1) the mitzvah of - love your friend as yourself. Rebbi Akivah
teaches us (2) this mitzvah is it is a general rule that embodies the entire
Torah. This declaration surely needs to be examined closely. Although
the Mitzvah of Ahavas Yisroel (loving fellow Jews) certainly ranks among
the most important commandments, how does this Mitzvah represent the
Torah in its entirety?
What exactly is this mitzvah of Vahavta Lreacha Kamocha? What does
it entail? The Rambam writes (3) that it is incumbent upon each person to
love each and every Jew like himself, as it says Vahavta Lreacha
Kamocha. This seems to mean that one must literally have the same love
and care for someone else as one has for himself. However, it seems that
the other commentaries (4) understand this to be impossible because we
were created with a natural love for ourselves which cannot be matched by
love towards other people. Hashem does not command us that which is
impossible, as the Gemarah (5) states - Hashem does not make tyrannical
and unreasonable demands of His creatures. So what does the mitzvah of
vahavta lreacha kamocha obligate? It is a commandment for us to want
good things to happen to other people just like we would want good things
to happen to ourselves.
According to the Rambam we must explain how one is expected to fulfill
the mitzvah of vahavta lreacha kamocha; are you supposed to sit and
meditate about your love for others? How are you supposed to advance
this level of love for others if it is not part of the character of human
beings?
The answer is that such feelings or emotions come about as a result of
actions that one does, as explained by the Sefer Hachinuch a number of
times (6). A person is affected by his own actions both in a positive and in
a negative sense (7).
Now we can perhaps understand the opinion of the Rambam. Only when
these feelings and attitudes are expressed in the form of actions do they
truly take root within the person and become internalized. This is the path
for one to fully acquire the ability to love others as one loves oneself-
through facilitating actions which show love to others.
This principle is actually alluded to by the Rambam himself who writes in
the paragraph mentioned before that it is incumbent upon each person to
love each and every Jew like himself, as it says veahavta lereacha
kamocha. Therefore one must sing the praises of others, and have mercy
on anothers property The feeling of love must be expressed through
actions in order for it to become an authentic component of one's
personality.
Reb Aharon II of Karlin based a unique interpretation on the pasuk (8) -
but the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you
may do it. This means to fulfill it with your mouth and with your heart.
The pasuk precedes with your mouth to with your heart indicating that
first you have to start with avodah bkoach ubemunah peshuta - that is, to
serve G-d with verbal declarations of simple faith. If one engages
diligently in these acts eventually, this will become his nature and he will
come to do the mitzvohs with devotion and intent.
We can now explain the teaching of Rebbi Akivah love your friend as
you do yourself, this is a general commandment that embodies the entire
Torah. We explained that according to the view of the Rambam this is
nearly impossible but by doing physical acts for another it enables one to
reach this great mitzvah. So too is it in regard to all other mitzvohs.
Although the mithzvohs might initially not be performed with the proper
intent, that is with all our heart, nonetheless at the beginning we must first
do them merely because Hashem commanded us so, and through repeated
performance we will also come to a deeper understanding and appreciation
of them.
We learn a great lesson on how to love one another from the following
story: It is told of the Apter Rav (9) who was known as a great lover of his
fellow Jews; indeed he called the sefer he authored Ohev Yisrael which
translates as lover of Israel.
One of his followers once came to him and asked if an allusion to love
your fellow Jews is to be found in Parshas Balak. A casual reading of this
parsha will uncover no such reference.
The Rebbe looked at the disciple in surprise, and told him there was an
evident indication: the name Balak is an acronym for the words Vahavta
Lreacha Kamocha (You shall love your neighbor as yourself)! The
Chossid looked at the Rebbe with bewilderment, "But Rebbe, how can this
be? Balak is spelled Beis, Lamed, Kuf and the words in the pasuk teaching
we should love our neighbor begin with the letters Vov, Lamed, Chaf?
Although the sounds that are pronounced through these letters are indeed
similar, you are however matching different letters (a Beis with a Vov and
a Kuf with a Chaf) in order to make this allusion!"
The Apter Rav responded with a very profound concept. "You have been a
student of mine for many years. Have you not yet grasped the idea that
when it comes to 'Ahavas Yisrael', you cannot be so particular regarding
the exact lettering"?
Of course the Apter Rav was well aware of the correct spelling of Balak.
He was merely teaching his student a crucial lesson that when it comes to
Ahavas Yisrael there must be some flexibility. We have to be tolerant, and
more willing to bend. If we were to deal with others stringently and with
severe justice one will not achieve Ahavas Yisrael. In order to achieve
Ahavas Yisrael we have to show forbearance to others who are not perfect
in their behavior. One who is intolerant of the flaws in other people will
never be a true Ohev Yisrael and never come to complete fulfillment of
this important mitzvah.
With this we can understand the pasuk of Vahavta Lreacha Kamocha as
follows: love your friend like you love yourself. Just as a person loves
himself in spite of all of ones own deficiencies, for his natural love for
himself blinds him from loathing himself, so too should a person love
another person even with all the character flaws and personality defects he
sees in his friend. For if these same flaws were to be his own, would he not
still love himself?
Please feel free to forward this Torah thought to anyone you feel will take
pleasure in reading it. Feel free to contact me at Rabbisochet@gmail.com
with any questions and comments.
Good Shabbos, Rabbi Dovid Sochet
1. 19:18
2. Bereishes Rabbah 24:7
3. See Rambam hilchos deos 6:3. The Rambam in his sefer hamitzvos,
positive mitzvah 206, writes we have been commanded to love each part
of us (of our nation) like we love ourselves, and our love and pity/mercy
for our brother(s) is to be like our love and pity/mercy for ourselves
4. Sforno, Ramban, Chizkuni, on the verse and the Sefer Hachinuch in
mitzvah 243
5. Tractate Avodah Zarah 3A
6. This concept is mentioned by the Sefer Hachinuch a number of times,
most notably on the commandment (Mitzvah) 16 - not to break one of the
bones of the Pesach sacrifice (Shemos/Exodus 12:46).
7. Indeed the Rebbe Rabbi Ahron II of Karlin (1802-1872) instructed his
Chassidim to constantly review this mitzvah in the Sefer Hachinuch. He
stressed that this is one of the most important components of Chassidus.
8. Devarim/Deuteronomy 30:14
9. Rabbi Avrohm Yehoshua Heschel of Apta 1748-1825
Rabbi Dovid Sochet is the son of the Stoliner Rebbe of Yerushalayim; he
spent a considerable amount of his formative years in Los Angeles CA,
and the 5 Towns in New York. He studied in the following Yeshivas: The
Mesivtah of San Diego, Yeshiva Harbotzas Torah in Flatbush NY, and
Yeshiva Gedola of Passaic. He currently is a Rabbi in Spring Valley New
York where he resides with his wife and children. Rabbi Sochet is also
certified Mohel.
The Weekly Sidra- Acharei Mos- Kdoshim
By Rabbi Moshe Greebel
In the Gemarah of Shabbos 51a, we are given a very impressive glimpse of
how our Rabbanim of blessed memory, respected and loved one the other:
Rav Papa observed, Come and see how much they loved each other! For,
were Rabbi Yosi alive, he would have sat submissively before Rabbi
(Yhuda HaNasi). Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yosi, who occupied
his father's place, did sit submissively before Rabbi. Yet, he (Rabbi) said,
The Elder (Rabbi Yosi) has already given a ruling!
In LaShon HaKodesh (holy tongue) the term Es (Alef Sov) does not have
a definitive translation. At times, it separates a verb from its direct object
or predicate nominative, and at other times it can translate as the word
with. Yet, at other instances, it simply has no meaning, and begs the
question of what is its purpose? Regarding this term of Es, the Gemarah
in Bava Kama 41b has this to say:
As it has been taught, Shimon the Imsonite, or as others read, Nechemiah
the Imsonite, used to expound (the term) Es wherever it occurred in the
Torah..
That is, Shimon or Nechemiah would provide interpretations for each Es
in the Torah. Returning to the Gemarah, we find an exception to this rule:
>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 19
..When, however, he reached, You shall fear (Es) HaShem your G-d
(Dvarim 6:13), he abstained..
Basically, Shimon or Nechemiah abstained from expounding this Es
because its full meaning was unknown to him (Rashi). The Gemarah
continues:
..His disciples said to him, Rabbi, what is to be done with all the
expositions of (the term) Es which you have already given.?
Simply put, if the interpretation of Es in Dvarim 6:13 is unknown to
you, how does this impact on all your other interpretations? The Gemarah
supplies us with his answer:
..He said to them, Just as I have received reward for the (previous)
expositions (of the term Es), so have I received reward for the (present)
abstention..
Or, since he was sufficiently honest in admitting that he did not know how
to interpret the term Es in Dvarim 6:13, he was given reward by
HaShem for that as well.
Nonetheless, Rabbi Akiva, in our Gemarah, has an interpretation for the
term Es in Dvarim 6:13:
..When Rabbi Akiva however, came, he taught that (the Es of) You
shall fear (Es) HaShem your G-d implies that Talmidei Chachamim (Torah
scholars) are also to be feared.
That is, in addition to HaShem, Talmidei Chachamim must also be feared
and respected. And, so ends our Gemarah.
Now then, in this weeks Sidra, we are told:
You shall rise up before the gray haired, and honor the face of the elder
man, and fear your G-d; I am HaShem. (Vayikra 19:32)
The commentary of the Baalei Tosfos there in the Gemarah of Bava
Kama poses the following question:
Talmidei Chachamim are also to be feared.. Perhaps, you are inclined
to say what is the need for You shall rise up (out of fear and respect)
before the gray haired (who is a Talmid Chacham)? Learn (fear) out from
You shall fear (Es) HaShem your G-d (as per Rabbi Akiva) instead..
If fear for Talmidei Chachamim can be extracted from You shall fear (Es)
HaShem your G-d, of what purpose is You shall rise up before the gray
haired? The Tosfos responds:
.. It can be said that here (You shall rise up before the gray haired)
refers to your main Rabbi, (while You shall fear [Es] HaShem your G-d
refers to any Talmid Chacham)..
Now, while the Baalei Tosfos has provided us with a fitting answer for
the necessity of both Psukim (verses), the commentary of the Likutei
Bsamim offers us a most interesting alternate explanation, as follows.
In essence, we must carefully examine the language of the above Gemarah
in Bava Kama. In its explanation of You shall fear (Es) HaShem your G-
d, Rabbi Akiva did not state that this implies a singular Talmid Chacham,
but rather, Talmidei Chachamim in the plural form. Yet, while Shimon or
Nechemiah however, was aware that this Passuk (verse) did refer to a
Talmid Chacham in the singular form, he abstained from this
interpretation, because he as well as the Baalei Tosfos many years in the
future, was perplexed by the difficulty of both Psukim each speaking in
the singular form.
Rabbi Akiva however, came along to make his statement, based on the
Gemarah in Yvamos 62b:
It was said that Rabbi Akiva had twelve thousand pairs of disciples, from
Gibas to Antiparas; and all of them died at the same time because they did
not treat each other with respect.
Basically then, what Rabbi Akiva extrapolated from the Passuk of You
shall rise up before the gray haired, is that a lay person must fear a Talmid
Chacham (in the singular form). But, from the Passuk of You shall fear
(Es) HaShem your G-d, Rabbi Akiva learned that even Talmidei
Chachamim must fear other Talmidei Chachamim (in the plural form).
And so, only a Talmid Chacham who shows fear and respect for other
Talmidei Chachamim, can himself be considered a true Talmid Chacham.
May we soon see the Gulah Shlaimah in its complete resplendence-
speedily, and in our times.
Good Shabbos.
Confidential matters may be sent to Rabbi Greebel at: belmar.rabbi@yahoo.com Also appearing on the website: The National Council of Young Israel
http://www.youngisrael.org

Aish.Com - Rabbi Kalman Packouz
Shabbat Shalom
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5773
GOOD MORNING! What is the most important question in life? Perhaps:
"Is there a God?" If there is a God, then there is every possibility that God
created the world with a purpose and our lives have meaning. If there isn't
a God, then all was created randomly and meaninglessly and the only
meaning in life is that which we choose to impose upon our lives.
If there is a God, then there very well may be consequences for our
actions; God may have a standard of behavior He expects us to live up to
and if we don't, then to use the colloquial "there is hell to pay." If there
isn't a God, then it is only the justice of mankind we need to be concerned
about. As one wit put it, "If there is no God, then there is only one
commandment, not ten: "Thou shall not get caught."
There are at least four possibilities: 1) we never think much about the
question 2) we espouse believing in God without thinking about the
consequences 3) we believe in God and think that how we decide to lead
our lives is exactly how God wants us to live it or 4) we believe in God
and believe in a Revealed document of God's will.
There are reasons why people do not believe or do not want to believe in
God and resist investigating if there is a God: 1) because there is evil in the
world; bad things happen to good people 2) they look at belief in God as a
crutch for losers who can't make it on their own 3) if there is a God, it
implies that there is purpose to creation, values to live by and ultimately
restrictions. People do not like restrictions in their lives.
However, even if one has strong questions on how God runs the world or
doesn't want restrictions in his life, it does not change the objective reality:
Either there is a God or there isn't a God. Because one person believes
there is a God or another person doesn't believe in God, does not make a
difference as to whether God does indeed exist.
Does it make sense to pursue the question whether or not there is a God
who is Creator, Sustainer and Supervisor of the Universe Who dispenses
reward and punishment? Does it make sense to pursue the question
whether the Torah is a revealed text from the Almighty instructing us how
to lead our lives?
I once overheard a conversation with a person who proudly proclaimed, "I
am an atheist!" The rabbi responded, "Fabulous! I have always wanted to
meet a real atheist. Do you know that an atheist is a person who has
evidence that there is no God. What is your evidence?" The young man
responded, "Uh, I guess I am really an agnostic." The rabbi responded, "I
am truly disappointed. I was really excited about meeting an atheist, but an
agnostic is second best! Do you know an agnostic is a person who has
evidence that one can't know whether there is a God? What is your
evidence?" The fellow responded, "I guess I really just never looked into it
that much."
Probably most of us have never looked into the questions that much or
have thought out reasons why we believe, if we do. Actually, the first of
the Ten Commandments is the source for the mitzvah "To Know There is a
God". One is obligated to investigate the question and to clarify the
evidence of God's existence. This is different than "faith." Faith is an
emotional leap to a conclusion. Belief is a point on a continuum from "no
knowledge" to "absolute knowledge." The more evidence we have of the
existence of God, the stronger is our belief.
How would one go about investigating these 2 questions? For a book on
"Is there a God?" I highly recommend Permission to Believe by Lawrence
Kelemen. For a book on "Did God give the Torah?" I highly recommend
Permission to Receive by Lawrence Kelemen. Both are available at your
local Jewish bookstore, at JudaicaEnterprises.com or by calling toll-free to
877-758-3242. Also, on ShabbatShalomAudio.com you can listen or buy
Rabbi Noah Weinberg's lectures on "Evidence of the Existence of God" (4
part series that examines evidence for both questions) and "Can We
Believe God Spoke at Sinai?" by Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg.
Torah Portion of the Week
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim
Acharei Mot includes the Yom Kippur service where the Cohen Gadol cast
lots to designate two goats -- one to be sacrificed, the other to be driven to
a place called Azazel after the Cohen Gadol - the High Priest - confesses
the sins of the people upon its head. Today it is a very popular epithet in
Israel to instruct another person in the heat of an argument to "go to
Azazel." (I don't believe the intent, however, is to look for the goat...)
The goat sent to Azazel symbolically carried away the sins of the Jewish
people. This, I surmise, is the source of the concept of using a scapegoat.
One thing you can truly give credit to the Jewish people -- when we use a
scapegoat, at least we use a real goat!
The Torah then proceeds to set forth the sexual laws -- who you are not
allowed to marry or have relations with. If one appreciates that the goal of
life is to be holy, to perfect oneself and to be as much as possible like God,
then he/she can appreciate that it is impossible to orgy at night and be
spiritual by day.
The Torah portion of Kedoshim invokes the Jewish people to be holy! And
then it proceeds with the spiritual directions on how to achieve holiness,
closeness to the Almighty. Within it lie the secrets and the prescription for
Jewish continuity. If any group of people is to survive as an entity, it must
have common values and goals -- a direction and a meaning. By analyzing
this portion we can learn much about our personal and national destiny.
Dvar Torah
based on Growth Through Torah by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
The Torah states:
"My ordinances you shall do, and My statutes you shall observe, to walk
with them, I am the Lord, Your G-d." (Lev. 18:4).
What does the Torah mean "to walk with them?"
The Ksav Sofer, a famous Hungarian rabbi, commented that the words "to
walk with them" mean that a person needs to walk from one level to the
next level. That is, a person should constantly keep on growing and
elevating himself.
It is not enough to keep on the same level that you were on the previous
day. Rather, each day should be a climb higher than the day before. When
difficult tests come your way, you might not always appreciate them. The
only way to keep on elevating yourself is to keep passing more and more
difficult life-tests. View every difficulty as a means of elevating yourself
20 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
by applying the appropriate Torah principles. At the end of each day, ask
yourself, "What did I do today to elevate myself a little higher?" If you
cannot find an answer, ask yourself, "What can I plan to do tomorrow to
elevate myself?"
Quote Of The Week:
If you had all the money in the world, there are 2 things you can't buy --
good health and a friend
In Honor of the Bat Mitzvah of Alexandra Leah (Lexi) Zidel with love
always, Paul, Meri & Parker Zidel
In Memory of Binyomin Ross With love, Elaine Ross & Family
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408 South Lake Drive, Lakewood, NJ 08701 Copyright 1995 - 2013 Aish.com - http://www.aish.com

Rabbi Eliezer Parkoff
Weekly Chizuk
Parshas Kedoshim - Never Hold a Grudge
The following is adapted from the sefer Beloved Companions by Rav
Yisroel Pesach Feinhandler, zl.
You shall not take revenge, nor shall you retain animosity against the
children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
(Vayikra 19:18)
Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Grodna took care of the needs of all the poor
and unfortunate people in his city. He used to personally visit all the city's
hotels to solicit funds for the poor from the guests, and he also collected
money from the permanent dwellers of the city.
Once, he knocked on the door of a hotel room in which a lawyer from
Grodna was conversing with a high government official from St.
Petersburg, who happened to be Jewish. When the lawyer opened the door
and saw Rabbi Nachum standing there, he understood that he had come to
collect money, and said to him angrily, "I do not have time for you. Please
go away." But Rabbi Nachum was persistent and would not leave. He told
the man, "All 1 want is a donation for the poor people in this town." But
the lawyer angrily slammed the door in the rabbi's face.
Because someone had witnessed this incident, word quickly spread
throughout the city that the tzaddik Rabbi Nachum had been insulted by an
arrogant lawyer, and people were furious with him for daring to insult
someone whom everyone honored and respected. Rabbi Nachum did not
ask for an apology and did not discuss the incident with anyone, and after
a while the matter seemed to have been forgotten.
Sometime later, the lawyer was taken to court and accused of a serious
crime, which would have severe consequences for him. The case against
him was so strong, that there seemed to be no hope for an acquittal.
However, he thought that his last chance might be to appeal to an
influential official from St. Petersburg to try to arrange some way out for
him by using his connections. And so he traveled to St. Petersburg and
went immediately to the official's villa, hoping to meet with him before he
left for his ministry.
The lawyer gave a message to the guard stationed outside the official's
residence, saying that an old friend had arrived and requests an audience
with the official. The guard returned a few minutes later with the message
that the official was busy and had no time to see him.
"Did you tell him it was me?" asked the lawyer.
"I surely did," answered the guard.
The astonished lawyer could not understand this. He thought, "How could
this person whom I have known for many years not agree to see me?" He
then gave a coin to the guard and asked him to find out what the problem
was. But the guard returned with the same answer, that the official had no
time for him.
"Try again this evening when His Excellency comes home from the
ministry, and I will remind him that you are here to see him," suggested
the guard.
The lawyer agreed and returned that evening, but to no avail. He received
the same reply, that the official did not have time for him. The lawyer then
returned to his hotel room in despair. He knew that without the official's
help, he did not stand a chance of being acquitted in his forthcoming trial.
Finally he decided that the only option left to him was to come again the
next morning and try to catch the official as he was leaving his house on
his way to the ministry. Perhaps if I beg him to help me, he will have
mercy, he thought, now quite desperate.
Early the next morning, he intercepted the official as he was leaving his
house. The desperate man removed his hat, bowed very low, and in a
pleading voice called out to the official, "Greetings, my old friend!" But
the official still did not take any notice of him; he simply got into his
waiting coach and departed.
Now the lawyer saw clearly that the official was deliberately turning his
back on him. But what could he do? He simply could not leave St.
Petersburg without seeking this mans help, since his trial was soon, and
he knew that without his help he would be doomed. He had no other
choice but to find an opportunity to fall at the official's feet and plead with
tears for mercy.
And so that evening he went back to the official's villa and did just that.
Finally the official revealed to the distraught lawyer why he had refused to
see him.
"Just as you once dared to close the door on our revered Rabbi Nachum, so
do you deserve that the door should be closed on you too," said the
official. The lawyer tried to justify himself, but the official interrupted him
saying, "I will not listen to any excuses. The only thing that you can do if
you want any help from me is to go back to Grodna and beg Rabbi
Nachum to forgive you for having been so disrespectful to him. I will not
consider seeing you again until you bring me a note from him saying he
has forgiven you for your sin. Without that note, you have no chance of
seeing me, and the door will be closed to you. The reason is the same one
you gave Rabbi Nachum to get rid of him, 'I do not have time for you.'
Now you can see how it feels to have that used against you... "
Despondent, the lawyer left St. Petersburg and traveled the long distance
to Grodna in Lithuania, hoping to obtain the note that he needed. Rabbi
Nachum, a pillar of kindness and mercy, received him warmly, and when
he heard his request, he forgave him with all his heart, and immediately sat
down to write the note. In the note he wrote, "I was never insulted or hurt
by what the lawyer did, and after it was over, I never gave the matter a
moment's thought."
With the note, the lawyer quickly returned to Petersburg, and this time he
was received by the official promptly and with courtesy, as in the old days.
The official used his considerable influence and pulled the strings needed,
so that the lawyer was acquitted. (K'tzes Ha-Shemesh Bi-Gvuraso, p 164)
Forgiveness is a Crucial Ingredient in a Good Marriage
Forgiving is extremely important in marriage too. Since we are all only
human, we all make mistakes. One must never hold a grudge against one's
spouse but should always forgive, just as Rabbi Nachum was quick to
forgive and held no grudge against the arrogant lawyer. Always try to put
yourself in your spouse's place. Would you like someone to always remind
you of your old mistakes, or would you prefer being forgiven for what you
have done? Treat your spouse as you would want to be treated yourself.
It is a selfish and arrogant character trait not to be forgiving towards
others. Our Sages say that there are three character traits that distinguish
the Jews from others: they are bashful, they are full of pity for others, and
they do kindness (Yevamos 79a). When you forgive your spouse, you are
exercising all three of these positive Jewish character traits. You are
bashful, since you know that you also make mistakes and are ashamed to
hold a grudge when you yourself are not perfect. You have pity, since you
realize that it hurts your spouse when you do not forgive. And you are
kind to your spouse when you overlook his/her shortcomings.
Besides that, imagine the tremendous reward you will receive for
forgiving: all of your own sins will be forgiven. A person who is married
may find that his spouse is constantly making mistakes. He therefore has
numerous opportunities to forgive and gain that tremendous reward of
having all his sins forgiven. Every time we perceive a fault in our spouses
we should really rejoice, for this means that we have been given another
opportunity to forgive and have all our sins forgiven. Being married
provides us with a constant test of character. Your patience, humility, and
capacity for kindness are constantly being tested. The more successful we
are in passing the test, the greater will be our reward in the World to Come
and the greater will be our chances of having a wonderful marriage.
Gut Shabbos!
Rabbi Eliezer Parkoff 4 Panim Meirot, Jerusalem 94423 Israel Tel: 732-858-1257 Rabbi Parkoff is author of "Chizuk!" and "Trust Me!" (Feldheim
Publishers), and "Mission Possible!" (Israel Book Shop Lakewood). If you would like to correspond with Rabbi Parkoff, or change your subscription,
please contact: rabbi.e.parkoff@gmail.com Shema Yisrael Torah Network info@shemayisrael.co.il http://www.shemayisrael.co.il Jerusalem, Israel
732-370-3344

Rabbi Ben-Zion Rand
Likutei Peshatim
uw1p - no nn
Volume 27 Number 27 April 20, 2013
vwn n ' o 1v .on q1
Self-Serving Humility
And he put on the linen garments, the holy garments... And he did as
God commanded Moshe. Vayikra 16:32,34
This is said in praise of Aharon, for he put on the holy garments not for his
own aggrandizement but to fulfill the commandment of the King. - Rashi,
from Toras Kohanim 8:10
According to the Midrash, the Torah is praising Aharon for wearing the
plain white garments for the sole purpose of fulfilling the command of
Hashem, the King, with no element of intent to glorify himself with the
clothing. If the clothes were exceptionally fancy or were made from rare
and expensive materials, we could understand how Aharon would be
tempted to pride himself in wearing such special raiments, and why his
resisting this opportunity for personal advantage would be noteworthy.
Yet, even though the Avodah on Yom Kippur was done with expensive
garments, they were very plain and only white. How could he possibly
have glorified himself in such simple clothes?
In Maayan Beis HaShoeva, Rabbi Shimon Schwab, 9xI, explains
that nevertheless, even while wearing plain white clothing it is possible to
glorify oneself. If, while wearing the clothing that represents humility, a
person thinks to himself, I hope that everyone notices how humble I am,
>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 21
wearing just plain white clothes without any gold, he is attempting to
glorify himself. Using acts of humility and piety with the hopes of being
noticed as a saintly and religious person is just as self-serving as wearing
expensive clothing. Therefore, the Midrash tells us that while wearing the
white garments on Yom Kippur, Aharon did not allow such thoughts to
enter his mind.
Individual Attention
And any man of the House of I srael and of the proselyte who dwells
among them, who will consume any blood, then I shall direct My face
upon the soul consuming the blood, and I will cut it off from its people.
Vayikra 17:10
It seems surprising that the verse refers to Hashem having to turn His full
attention to deal with the person who has consumed blood. We understand
that Hashem is omnipotent, and His dominion is over everything at every
moment. What is the reason the Torah expresses this concept in terms of a
particular focus that Hashem must apply to this person, one which is
exclusive and directed?
Sefer Imrei Shefer explains that we find that the world is judged in terms
of the conduct of the majority of its inhabitants. If the majority is innocent,
then even if the few are guilty, the entire group might benefit from a
positive ruling. Even the individual who is deserving of harsher retribution
for his own misdeeds may benefit from being part of the greater
community which is meritorious. If, however, Hashem does not judge the
world in a general manner, but He would instead judge each person on his
own merits or lack of them, then this individual would suffer his fate
despite his being part of a larger, more deserving group.
The interpretation of our verse, according to Rashi, is that this person who
is deserving of excision should not rest by thinking he can escape his fate
by being judged in a general manner together with the world at large.
Rather, Hashem declares that He will turn away from this collective
judgment, and He will deal with this one person alone, thus subjecting this
individual to face full retribution for his errant ways.
The King Is Taking Care Of It
You shall therefore keep My statutes and My ordinances, which, if a
person does them he shall live by them; I am Hashem. Vayikra 18:5
I am Hashem - I am trustworthy to provide proper reward. -- Rashi
Many of the commentators discuss the philosophical significance of the
reward and punishment system which we find in the Torah. Many
references in Scripture describe rewards and benefits in this world. In
contrast, however, we do not find any explicit sources which tell of reward
or punishment in the world-to-come.
A parable can be told of a king who instructed a craftsman to fashion a
piece of furniture for his palace. Although the worker did not ask about his
remuneration, the king immediately informed him, You realize, of course,
that I am the king [and you will be treated accordingly]. In these few
words, it is evident that the king indicated that when the man would finish
his work, he would be paid as is fitting for the personal worker of the king
who has control of the vast treasuries of the empire.
Many mitzvos in our holy Torah are assigned the confirmation I am
Hashem. We are to understand, then, that the message is that the reward
for proper fulfillment of the mitzvos is one that is commensurate with a
scale of eternal proportions, which the Holy One, blessed be He, the King
of the universe, is capable of providing.
Holiness In All Realms
Speak to the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael, and say to them: You
shall be holy, for I , God, your Lord, am holy. Every man shall revere his
mother and his father and you shall observe My sabbaths. I am God,
your Lord. Vayikra 19:2-3
Why is the directive to be holy immediately followed by the exhortation to
revere ones parents and to observe the Shabbos? When the Torah reviews
the giving of the Ten Commandments at Sinai in Parashas Vaeschanan
(Devarim 5:6-18), only two of the mitzvos mentioned are specifically
indicated as having already been commanded earlier. They are: Observe
the Shabbos...as Hashem, your God, commanded you and Honor your
father and your mother, as Hashem, your God, commanded you.
Aruch HaShulchan explains that the reason for this is that these two
concepts are universally accepted as being necessary - that is, one day of
rest is needed each week, and one should honor and respect his parents.
The Torah is therefore emphasizing that when we fulfill these mitzvos, we
should not do so simply because they are good ideas, but we should
comply with them because we have been commanded to do so by Hashem,
and we follow His laws. When the Jews first received these commands, it
was unnecessary for the Torah to make this emphasis, for the Jews at Sinai
were as angels, and they certainly would have acted for the sake of Heaven
alone. However, forty years later, they had fallen from that level due to the
sin of the Golden Calf. This is why they had to be told to act as they had
been commanded, to direct them to keep their intentions toward the
Heavens.
The Torah here directs us to be holy. How is this to be accomplished? It
is specifically when one reveres his parents and observes the Shabbos...I
am Hashem. These mitzvos could quite possibly be fulfilled due to simple
and logical considerations. Yet, when we perform them solely because
they were commanded by Hashem, we are acting with holiness. In fact, a
holy person is one who performs all his actions, as mundane as they may
seem, as part of a general framework of service of Hashem. Our Sages
teach us (Yevamos 20a): One must sanctify himself through the things
that are permitted to him. This means that we should not think of holiness
only in terms of those things which are spiritual and in the realm of ritual.
Rather, we must realize that holiness is to be found in areas which are
permitted - those areas which we generally consider as mundane and
casual. When holiness is injected into these areas as well, ones entire life
becomes one continuum of service of Hashem.
Without Deceipt
You shall not steal and you shall not deny falsely and you shall not lie
to one another. Vayikra 19:11
Throughout the centuries, this pasuk, which forbids telling lies, has been a
basic tenet of our religion. Rabbeinu Yonah derives from this pasuk a
novel approach to understand Hashems request to Bnei Yisrael that they
should ask the Egyptians Even the sincerest of intentions must be carried
out in a manner which complies with halacha. for certain things (Shemos
11:2) - \nv nno wn \9nw
Upon their exodus from Egypt, our forefathers solicited from the
Egyptians their gold and silver vessels. According to Rabbeinu Yonah,
these vessels were given as presents. He argues that it is impossible for the
term \9nw to be translated in the traditional fashion - let them borrow.
Ostensibly, the Egyptians owed Bnei Yisrael an enormous sum of money
for their years of laborious work. Moreover, Bnei Yisrael were obligated
to undertake the mission of fulfilling Hashems promise to Avraham
Avinu that his descendants would leave their land of bondage with great
wealth. But Hashem would never instruct the people to procure this wealth
in a devious manner. To claim to borrow the money and then to actually
retain it permanently would be a violation of you shall not deny falsely
and you shall not lie. Rabbeinu Yonah therefore concludes that the
money must have been an outright gift.
Many pious individuals have consistently conducted their activities in a
totally sincere mode. A sincere, lifelong dream of continually performing
additional commandments becomes, for many, a realistic and seemingly
attainable goal. However, sincerity alone is not sufficient. We must always
remember that the ends do not necessarily justify the means. The best
intentions to fulfill a lifelong dream must fully conform to the halachos
and guidelines of the Torah. Bnei Yisrael were clearly entitled to a huge
compensation from the Egyptians. They sincerely believed that the gold
and silver was deservedly theirs. Moreover, the merit of implementing the
fulfillment of Hashems oath to Avraham Avinu was within their grasp.
However, achieving this ambition in a deceitful fashion was
unquestionably forbidden. Even the sincerest of intentions must be carried
out in a manner which complies with halacha, and therefore any falsehood
must be avoided.
Halachic Corner
Pirkei Avos Chapter 3
Just as it is forbidden to wrong a person by dishonest buying or selling, it
is also forbidden to wrong a person by means of words, as it is written
(Vayikra 25:17): And you shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear
your God. This prohibition refers to the wrong done by means of words.
This sin possesses an additional negative component since amends can be
made for the former but not for the latter. One harm is directed against
ones possessions whereas the other is against ones person.
What constitutes wronging by means of words? A person should not say:
At what price will you sell me this article? when he has no intention of
buying it. If a person seeks to buy certain merchandise, one must not direct
him to a merchant if he knows that the merchant doesnt have the item to
sell. One should not remind another person of his former misdeeds, if the
person is already penitent. One should not ask anothers opinion if he
knows for sure that that person is not learned in that area, for this may
embarrass him and hurt his feelings.
Questions for Thought and Study
1. What connection is there between the end of Parashas Metzora, which
discusses the nno\u (ritual impurity) of a n11 , and the beginning of this
weeks parasha, which relates the death of Aharons sons and the Yom
Kippur service? See Rabbeinu Bachya and Baal HaTurim 16:1
2. Who took the nnunn s (sin-offering bull) and the nnunn vw
(sin-offering he-goat) outside of the camp? See Ramban and Ibn Ezra
16:27
3. Why is the section concerning the prohibition of slaughtering outside
the Temple (y\n u\nw) placed after the section concerning the goat that
is sent away during the Yom Kippur service? See Baal HaTurim 17:1
22 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
4. How did Moshe speak to Bnei Yisrael saying directly "uJp9n 'n 1n"
- I am God, your Lord, as in Pasuk 18:2? See Ramban 18:2
5. Why does the Torah discuss keeping laws and statutes of the Torah in
general before discussing the sins of immorality? See Or HaChaim 18:4
6. Why is the mitzvah of fearing ones parents written within the laws of
immorality? See Or HaChaim 19:3
Answers:
1. Rabbeinu Bachya says that this is to show that the sin of Aharons sons
was that they entered the Mishkan while unou . Baal HaTurim says that
just as a n11 must wait seven days before becoming unu , so too must
the Kohen separate from his wife for seven days prior to Yom Kippur in
order to remain nu.
2. According to Ibn Ezra it was the responsibility of Aharon himself, but
he could assign someone else to do it. According to Ramban it could be
done by any Kohen, not specifically Aharon.
3. This is to teach us that even though the goat is sent outside the Temple
for the Yom Kippur service, doing any other holy services outside the
Temple is prohibited.
4. Ramban gives two explanations. One is that Moshe prefaced these
remarks by saying that this is what Hashem said. Another explanation is
that after speaking directly to Hashem, without his mask, Moshe turned to
Bnei Yisrael without his mask. In this way it was clear that he was
speaking directly from Hashem.
5. The Or HaChaim says that if one stays away from immorality the
natural consequence will be that he will fulfill the laws and statutes of the
Torah.
6. If one fears his mother and father, out of respect for them he will not sin
through immorality. This happened to Yosef. Because he saw the image of
his father, he did not sin with the wife of Potiphar.
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Rabbi Naftali Reich
Legacy
Parshas Acharei Mos and Kedoshim
The Joys of Animal Noise
This year, as the din of the many zoo sounds was slowly dying down, the
idea struck me that perhaps a deeper message underlies the seemingly
comical aspect of imitating the various animal sounds. The Mishna teaches
us in Pirkei Avos, "Be as bold as a leopard, as light as an eagle, as strong
as a lion and as swift as a deer, to do the will of your Father in heaven."
This dictum of the sages was incorporated by the author of the Shulchan
Aruch as his opening halacha. In its opening paragraph, the Shulchan
Aruch exhorts us to marshal all our energies in the service of the Divine,
from the very moment we arouse ourselves from sleep. Yet, why the
analogy to animals? And how are we to harness the strength of a lion and
the boldness of a leopard when serving our Creator? After all, compared to
these mighty creatures, we are puny mortals, unequipped with the strength,
swiftness or boldness that crowns these beasts. How is it possible to
emulate them?
At the very beginning of Bereishis (Genesis), we read of the precision and
order with which Hashem created the world. First, he created the setting
for our world; light, day and night, as well as the planetary system.
Subsequently, he created an environment in which all living things can
exist. Only then was vegetation ready to sprout, followed by the creation
of the animal kingdom. In the final flourish, man, the capstone of all
creation, was formed as a unique hybrid of body and spirit.
The Midrash questions why Hashem waited until the end to make man,
and answers that Hashem meant to thereby impart a profound lesson.
Man's physical being was not only formed from the dust of the earth, as
the Torah tell us. Rather, the creation of man incorporated elements of all
the things created before him. Similar to plants, human beings blossom
and wither. We stand tall and can bear fruit as trees do. We possess some
of the characteristics of animals; sometimes we may carry in our nature a
recognizable strain of a particular animal.
Thus Jacob blesses his son Judah to best harness his kingly mission with
his lion-like instincts; Naftali is compared to the fleet-footed deer; Don is
likened to a snake and so forth. In another example of similarity to the
animal world, built into the physical makeup of all human beings is a
powerful animal-like instinct for self-preservation.
The question is, can we take these 'animal' instincts and make them
subservient to our soul? Can we fulfill the purpose of our creation? If we
do so, says the Midrash, then Hashem tells us, "You are the crown jewel of
creation - you were formed last so that I could create a beautiful and
perfect setting for your spirit. However, if your body follows its base
cravings, then even a little beetle is superior to you, for it preceded you in
the order of creation!"
This awareness that we do indeed have within us animal-like elements,
such as lion-like strength and leopard-like boldness, should lead to an
obvious conclusion. One's body can act with alacrity and determination in
swift pursuit of its needs; we can be light-footed as deer in pursuit of self-
gratification. On the other hand, it these very character traits that pose the
greatest challenge: will we harness them properly to nurture not only our
bodies but our souls? Will we consecrate these instincts to perform the
Divine will?
The ultimate test of whether we are on the right path is whether, at the
moment of awakening each morning, we consciously rededicate all our
complex, powerful physical energies to the service of the Almighty.
With this elevating thought, we join in the high-spirited ritual of imitating
each animal in the rendition of Chad Gadya, following the resounding
chorus that leads us to the ultimate destination, Hakadosh Baruch Hu,
Himself.
Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos, Rabbi Naftali Reich
Legacy, Copyright &copy 2013 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org. Rabbi Reich is on the faculty of the Ohr Somayach Tanenbaum Education
Center. Questions or comments? Email feedback@torah.org. Join the Jewish Learning Revolution! Torah.org: The Judaism Site brings this and a host
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Rabbi Mordechai Rhine
Rabbi's Message
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Of the many commandments that were given to us, a significant number
were taught to segments of the Jewish people, one group at a time. In this
weeks portion, however, Hashem directs Moshe to tell the entire
congregation: You shall be holy. Why was it necessary to make this
statement to the entire congregation in unison?
When we consider the commandment to be holy, we must clarify the
meaning of the word holy. Some people will surely conjure up the image
of a hermit, a person who has chosen to seclude himself from society. In
Judaism, however, a person is expected to interact with people. For
example, when choosing a Cantor, there are many qualities that we look
for. Not only do we look for a person with piety and a good voice, but a
specific requirement is that we must choose a person who interacts well
with other people.
The Jewish concept of holiness is not seclusion from society. The mitzvah
was given to the entire congregation to illustrate that the path to holiness
is by aligning ourselves with other good people.
A number of years ago, when I was in high school, a young man in my
class was seen in a place that he shouldnt have been. The information
became known to our Rebbe, and he called the young man in for a talk.
The Rebbe asked him to explain his behavior, and the young man
responded. Rebbe, he said, you have to understand. Sometimes a
person just has to hang out. The Rebbe nodded. Its true. Sometimes a
person just has to hang out. But if you hang out in good places then good
things will happen to you.
Does being holy require that we build a fence around ourselves? It
certainly does. There are places that a person shouldnt be. But the fence
we build is also inclusive. It is a fence designed to include within it many
good people. Such a fence creates momentum and positive energy. It
provides us with likeminded friends, and many good neighbors.
There is a fascinating statement in the words of the Rambam in the laws of
marriage. The Rambam writes, A person should endeavor to marry into a
home that values Torah. In case he dies young, he will rest assured that his
children will be raised in the proper way.
I ask you: Is this the attitude that the Rambam recommended for a healthy
marriage. Did he want the groom to walk down the aisle thinking, What if
I die young?
It seems to me that the Rambam certainly wished every couple, a long and
happy life. The Rambam, however, is saying something very profound.
When you marry into a family, you are enveloping yourself with a fence.
You are joining with other people. Will those new people help you in
pursuing your values? Or will you spend your life trying to overcome their
influence on you?
The Rambam recommends asking the following question. What will
happen to my children if I am not here? Without your influence what
would occur to them? This will help you clarify if the fence you have
chosen is compatible with your goals.
This question is not limited to the decision of marriage. Whenever a
person moves to a new neighborhood or joins a new synagogue, this
question can be asked. What direction will my new enclosure take me? If
I go along with the influences around me, what will be my future?
Hopefully, the answer is a gratifying one.
Let us therefore take a moment to appreciate the friends who surround us.
Recognize that the mitzvah to be holy is not something that you can
fulfill on your own. A human being needs the momentum that comes from
group energy. So, build a fence. Not just a fence to protect yourself, but
equally important, a fence to enclose yourself with likeminded, wonderful
people. Hang out with them; socialize with them; respect them. Good
fences are so important. Good fences make exceptionally good neighbors.
With best wishes for a wonderful Shabbos!
Rabbi Mordechai Rhine, originally of Monsey NY, is the Rabbi of Young Israel of Cherry Hill for over a decade, was the founding director of Torah
Links of Cherry Hill (1998-2009), and is the Director of TEACH613 an organization which promotes Jewish education locally in Cherry Hill and
Philadelphia through classes, and nationally via virtual media. He teaches Talmud and Novie in the Foxman Torah Institute (FTI), and holds semicha
from Rabbi Berel Wein and from Rabbi Shmuel Meir Katz. He has received a Masters in Rabbinic and Talmudic Studies from Beth Medrash Gevoha,
as well as an MA in Educational Leadership from Bellevue University. Rabbi Rhine is the author of The Magic of Shabbos: A Journey Through the
Shabbos Experience, (1998) and the producer of The Perek Shirah Collection (2012) an audio series on Scriptural Zoology available in stores or at
www.teach613.org. He lives in Cherry Hill, NJ, with his wife and six delightful children. 2013, Rabbi Mordechai Rhine and TEACH613TM

>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 23
Rabbi Elyakim Rosenblatt
Yeshiva Kesser Torah
A Commentary Published by Yeshiva Kesser Torah of Queens
Acharay Mos - Kedoshim
An Angelic Level Of Holiness Which We Are All Capable Of Attaining.
"Do not take revenge nor bear a grudge..Love thy neighbor as thyself..."
(Vayikra 19:18)"
Rashi, on this posuk, explains the meaning of revenge by citing an illustration.
Reuvain approaches Shimon and says, "Please lend me your sickle," to which
Shimon responds, "No!" The next day Shimon approaches Reuvain and says,
"Please lend me your axe." If Reuvain refuses, saying, "I will not lend to you just as
you did not loan me yesterday," this constitutes taking revenge. This is what is
forbidden by the Torah.
What exactly are the Torah's parameters of "taking revenge?" The Mesilas
Yesharim (Chapter 11) explains this in intricate detail. The Torah demands that
Reuvain remove from his heart every trace of resentment and hatred toward
Shimon, as if nothing ever happened. Even though Reuvain was deeply hurt by
Shimon, and revenge, being sweeter to him than honey, would seemingly be the
only thing that will satisfy him and put him to rest, the Torah insists that he refrain
from seeking vengeance. "If he can do this," says the Mesilas Yesharim, "..he is
strong and courageous. Such conduct is easy only for the angels in heaven among
whom evil traits do not exist...However, the King has decreed this upon us." The
Torah further states, in this very same posuk, that not only must he not take
revenge, but he must love his neighbor exactly as he loves himself without any
difference whatsoever.
Thus, according to the Mesilas Yesharim, the Torah requires of Reuvain, who was
so hurt by Shimon yesterday, not to take revenge. He must rather emulate the
actions of the celestial angels, and go against his grain by removing from his heart
and completely forgetting all the pain that Shimon had caused him, as if the
incident had never occurred. Secondly, the Torah requires of Reuvain not only not
to hate Shimon, but to love him. Thirdly, the Torah demands that Reuvain not only
love Shimon to a small degree, but rather to the same degree that he loves himself.
This is mystifying. How is it possible for the Torah to demand of each and every
Jew - including every thirteen year old Bar Mitzvah Bochurel, not to take revenge,
something that is easy only for the angels in Heaven?
Moreover, is it humanly possible for Reuvain, who was so deeply hurt by Shimon
to remove these deep-seated emotional feelings of resentment and hate harboring
within him, and simply forget that this incident ever occurred?
Furthermore, is it humanly possible for Reuvain to replace these intense and
profound feelings of hate and resentment ingrained within him with love toward
Shimon with as much love as Reuvain loves himself?
How can the Torah possibly demand of an entire Klal Yisroel something which is
unattainable and which is humanly impossible to achieve?
It seems that if the Torah does demand of us "Do not take revenge..Love thy
neighbor as thyself," then Hashem has surely created within us the ability to fulfill
it. Hashem would never impose upon us Mitzvos that we are not capable of
fulfilling. If the Torah requires every Jew, even a thirteen year old child, to
extinguish the fiery passions of hate and revenge burning within him and to
replace them with love, then this must be something that the Yiddishe Neshama is
capable of performing. Hashem has imbued us with a holy neshama of such
richness and of such a capacity for greatness that it can enable us to achieve feats
that would seemingly be reserved for only angels themselves. Not only do we have
the capacity to totally remove any feelings of hate and desire for revenge that we
may have within us, but we are also capable of replacing these feelings with the
highest degree of love, the exact same degree of love that we have for ourselves.
What are the consequences if a person cannot accomplish this feat and does harbor
within himself hate, and does in fact succumb to revenge? What does he
transgress? It is not a minhag that he is violating, nor is it a Rabbinical prohibition
that he is breaching. It is an Issur DeOraysa, a negative prohibition of the Torah,
the transgression of which constitutes the most devastating and destructive force
that could be. He also violates non-fulfillment of "Love thy neighbor as thyself," a
positive commandment, the fulfillment of which is the greatest asset that man could
possess.
If we but focus all of our efforts to develop this inherent greatness that lies within
our souls, we will be able to entirely eliminate any trace of hate harboring within
us, and replace it with an abundance of love, as much love as we have for
ourselves.
May we merit to reach this supernal and angelic level of kedusha, a level that we
are indeed capable of achieving. Amen.
These weekly Parsha sheets are based on Shmuessin delivered at Yeshiva Kesser Torah by HaRav ElyakimG. Rosenblatt, Shlita, Rosh HaYeshiva. This Shmuess is
adapted from a Shmuess of Maran HaGaon HaRav Henach Leibowitz, ZTL. Yeshiva Kesser Torah, 72-11 Vleigh Place, Flushing, NY 11367. (718) 793-2890.
YeshivaKesserTorah@gmail.com. For other Shiurimby Harav Rosenblatt Shlita, login to YeshivaKesserTorah.org For telephone shiurimcall Kol Halashon at 718-
395-2440. press 1 1 30 for Shiruimand 1 4 32 for Chassidic Gems

Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth
Covenant & Conversation
Achrei Mot Kedoshim 5773 Of Love and Hate
Apr 15 2013
At the centre of the mosaic books is Vayikra. At the centre of Vayikra is
the holiness code (chapter 19) with its momentous call: You shall be
holy because I, the Lord your G-d, am holy. And at the centre of chapter
19 is a brief paragraph which, by its positioning, is the apex, the high
point, of the Torah:
Do not hate your brother in your heart.
You must surely admonish your neighbour and not bear sin because of
him.
Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against the children of your people.
Love your neighbour as yourself. I am G-d. (19: 17-18)
I want, in this study, to examine the second of these provisions: You must
surely admonish your neighbour and not bear sin because of him.
Rambam and Ramban agree in seeing two quite different levels of
meaning in this sentence. This is how Rambam puts it:
When one person sins against another, the latter should not hate him and
remain silent. As it is said about the wicked: And Absolom spoke to
Amnon neither good nor evil, although Absolom hated Amnon. Rather,
he is commanded to speak to him and to say to him, Why did you do
such-and-such to me? Why did you sin against me in such-and-such a
matter? As it is said, You must surely admonish your neighbour. If he
repents and requests forgiveness from him, he must forgive and not be
cruel, as it is said, And Abraham prayed to G-d . . .
If someone sees his fellow committing a sin or embarking on a path that is
not good, it is a commandment to make him return to the good and to
make known to him that he is sinning against himself by his evil actions,
as it is said, You must surely admonish your neighbour . . .
Likewise, Ramban:
You shall surely remonstrate with your neighbour this is a separate
command , namely that we must teach him the reproof of instruction. And
not bear sin because of him for you will bear sin because of his
transgression if you do not rebuke him . . .
However, it seems to me that the correct interpretation is that the
expression you shall surely remonstrate is to be understood in the same
way as And Abraham remonstrated with Avimelekh. The verse is thus
saying: Do not hate your brother in your heart when he does something to
you against your will, but instead you should remonstrate with him,
saying, Why did you do this to me? and you will not bear sin because of
him by covering up your hatred in your heart and not telling him, for when
you remonstrate with him, he will justify himself before you or he will
regret his action and admit his sin, and you will forgive him.
The difference between the two interpretations is that one is social, the
other interpersonal. On Rambams second and Rambans first reading, the
command is about collective responsibility. When we see a fellow Jew
about to commit a sin, we must try to persuade him not to do so. We are
not allowed to say, That is a private matter between him and G-d. All
Israel, said the sages, are sureties for one another. We are each
responsible, not only for our own conduct, but for the behaviour of others.
That is a major chapter in Jewish law and thought.
However, both Rambam and Ramban are aware that this is not the plain
sense of the text. Taken in context, what we have before us is a subtle
account of the psychology of interpersonal relations.
Judaism has sometimes been accused by Christianity of being about justice
rather than love (You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbour
and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you). This is entirely untrue. There is a wonderful
teaching in Avot deRabbi Natan: Who is the greatest hero? One who
turns an enemy into a friend. What sets the Torah apart is its
understanding of the psychology of hatred.
If someone has done us harm, it is natural to feel aggrieved. What then are
we to do in order to fulfil the command, Do not hate your brother in your
heart? The Torahs answer is: Speak. Converse. Challenge. Remonstrate.
It may be that the other person had a good reason for doing what he did.
Or it may be that he was acting out of malice, in which case our
remonstration will give him, if he so chooses, the opportunity to apologise,
and we should then forgive him. In either case, talking it through is the
best way of restoring a broken relationship. Once again we encounter here
one of the leitmotivs of Judaism: the power of speech to create, sustain and
mend relationships.
Maimonides cites a key prooftext. The story is told (2 Samuel 13) of how
Amnon, one of King Davids children, raped his half-sister Tamar. When
Absolom, Tamars brother, hears about the episode, his reaction seems on
the face of it irenic, serene:
Her brother Absolom said to her, Has that Amnon, your brother, been
with you? Be quiet, now my sister; he is your brother. Dont take this thing
to heart. And Tamar lived in her brother Absoloms house, a desolate
woman. When King David heard all this, he was furious. Absolom never
said a word to Amnon, either good or bad . . .
Appearances, however, deceive. Absolom is anything but forgiving. He
waits for two years, and then invites Amnon to a festive meal at sheep-
shearing time. He gives instructions to his men: Listen! When Amnon is
in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, Strike Amnon down,
then kill him. And so it happened. Absoloms silence was not the silence
of forgiveness but of hate the hate of which Pierre de LaClos spoke in
Les Liaisons Dangereuses when he wrote the famous line: Revenge is a
dish best served cold.
There is another equally powerful example in Bereishith:
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Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had
been born to him in his old age, and he made a richly ornamented robe for
him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of
them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him (velo yachlu
dabro leshalom, literally, they could not speak with him to peace).
On this, R. Jonathan Eybeschuetz (c. 1690-1764) comments: Had they
been able to sit together as a group, they would have spoken to one another
and remonstrated with each other, and would eventually have made their
peace with one another. The tragedy of conflict is that it prevents people
from talking together and listening to one another. A failure to
communicate is often the prelude to revenge.
The inner logic of the two verses in our sedra is therefore this: Love your
neighbour as yourself. But not all neighbours are loveable. There are those
who, out of envy or malice, have done you harm. I do not therefore
command you to live as if you were angels, without any of the emotions
natural to human beings. I do however forbid you to hate. That is why,
when someone does you wrong, you must confront the wrongdoer. You
must tell him of your feelings of hurt and distress. It may be that you
completely misunderstood his intentions. Or it may be that he genuinely
meant to do you harm, but now, faced with the reality of the injury he has
done you, he may sincerely repent of what he did. If, however, you fail to
talk it through, there is a real possibility that you will bear a grudge and in
the fullness of time, come to take revenge as did Absolom.
What is so impressive about the Torah is that it both articulates the highest
of high ideals, and at the same time speaks to us as human beings. If we
were angels it would be easy to love one another. But we are not. An ethic
that commands us to love our enemies, without any hint as to how we are
to achieve this, is simply unliveable. Instead, the Torah sets out a realistic
programme. By being honest with one another, talking things through, we
may be able to achieve reconciliation not always, to be sure, but often.
How much distress and even bloodshed might be spared if humanity
heeded this simple command.
Thought For The Day: The Sacred Gift Of Life
Apr 12 2013
While much of the worlds attention has been focussed on one famous
person who died this week, Id like to reflect on another, Professor Sir
Robert Edwards, who died two days ago. Edwards was the pioneer of in
vitro fertilisation, of what, slightly inaccurately, came to be called test
tube babies. It took immense dedication: ten years from the first
breakthrough, a fertilised embryo created in the laboratory, to the first
child born from the technique, Louise Brown in 1978.
And though towards the end of his life Edwards received the recognition
of a Nobel Prize, he had to face a barrage of criticism at the time. People
conjured up fears of Aldous Huxleys brave new world and the
manufacture of human beings as if they were machines. There were also
some religious groups who saw him as trespassing into the sacred mystery
of life itself, of playing God.
As Jews we saw things differently. We didnt see it as the sin of playing
God. To the contrary we saw it as responding to Gods invitation to
become, in the ancient rabbinic phrase, Gods partners in the work of
creation and in a particularly moving way.
The Hebrew Bible repeatedly focuses our attention on the plight of
infertility, on women like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Hannah who longed
for a child but were unable through natural means to have one. Gods
greatest blessing is the gift of a child.
Which is why we see the in vitro treatment of infertility as a sacred task,
one that inspired members of our own community like Lord Robert
Winston to make their own contributions to the field. Five million children
have been born thanks to Robert Edwards work: five million blessings
brought into the world.
We believe that parenthood is the most sacred task of all, which is why we
think of God as our father, and all of us as his children. Stephen Hawking
famously said that if we could only discover a unified field theory we
would know the mind of God. Actually to come as close as we can to
understanding God we dont need astrophysics. All we need to do is to
become a parent. As one Jewish mother said: Now that I have a child I
can relate to God much better. Now I know what its like to create
something you cant control.
So let us honour the memory of Sir Robert Edwards who gave so many
women the gift of bringing new life into the world.
Rabbi A. Leib Scheinbaum
Peninim on the Torah
Parshas Acharei Mos
After the death of Aharon's two sons. (16:1)
The Midrash states four reasons for the untimely, tragic deaths of Nadav
and Avihu. Among these is the idea that, Lo natlu eitzah, zeh mi'zeh,
"They did not take counsel one from another." Ish machtaso, "Each man
his firepan" (Vayikra 10:1) intimates that each one acted on his own
without consulting the other. It was as if each one were to say, "I know
what to do; I have no reason to mull it over with anyone else." Horav Arye
Leib Bakst, zl, posits that this is how we should understand the failing of
Rabbi Akiva's disciples, who also died untimely deaths. Those were the
greatest scholars of their generation, twenty-four thousand devoted
students of the generation's pre-eminent Torah sage. Yet, there was
something about their behavior that was left wanting. Clearly, whatever
sin is attributed to them is only on a relative basis, consistent with their
sublime level of Torah erudition and spirituality.
Chazal say, Lo nohagu kavod zeh ba'zeh, "They did not practice/they were
not accustomed to giving honor one to another." Perhaps each one held
himself in such esteem that he did not feel beholden to anyone else. After
all, who could advise him? Who could teach him? In Pirkei Avos 4:15,
Chazal say, Yehi kavod chaveircha k'mora rabbach, "The honor of your
friend should be tantamount to the fear that you have for your rebbe." It
should not be beneath you to consult your contemporary.
The Rosh Yeshivah explains that this is not the correct approach. From the
very beginning of Creation, Hashem established a guideline of, Lo tov
hayos ha'adam levado, "It is not good for man to be alone." While Judaism
views this as the imperative for marriage, Rashi adds a penetrating insight
into levado, "alone," explaining why it is so vital: "That they should not
claim shtei reshuyos b'olam, there are two authorities; Hashem is unique in
the higher realms, and (He) has no mate; and this one (Adam) is unique in
the lower realms, and he (also) has no mate." Indeed, even when He
created primordial Man, Hashem "consulted" with His Holy Tribunal.
Rashi explains that the Torah is teaching us proper conduct and the
enviable trait of humility. Thus, the Greater One (in this case, Hashem)
should consult and receive permission from the lesser one. This is
Hashem's middah, and one must try to emulate the Almighty, because this
is Divine Will. Chazal teach (Berachos 27b) that when the sages requested
Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah to accept the Nesius, governing position, he
replied, "I will consult the members of my household." He consulted his
wife. One who is "alone", in the sense that he does not seek advice and
deliberate with another individual, whom he respects, cannot achieve true
success.
Rav Bakst feels this is the underlying reason that chassan domeh l'melech,
"a groom is compared to a king." The word melech/maloch means to rule,
to govern, with the noun translated as king. The word melech may also be
derived from mamlich, to consult. A king consults his inner circle of
advisors, his cabinet. One who marries is no longer alone. He is like a king
who is always conferring with his advisors. As a married man, he now has
a life's companion with whom he takes counsel. Those who take action,
who move forward without deliberating with others, will not achieve
enduring success. One must act like a monarch, who has a circle of
confidants with whom he deliberates. There is one catch: One must be
astute in selecting an advisor who will be his friend, who will tell him the
truth, regardless of how "brutal" it might seem at first. One who tells us
what we want to hear is a poor advisor and even worse friend.
From the assembly of Bnei Yisrael he shall take two he-goats for a sin-
offering. (16:5)
The Torah goes into great detail in describing the ritual of the two he-
goats. One goat is "fortunate" to be selected as a korban, offering to
Hashem. It is slaughtered by the Kohen Gadol, its blood sprinkled between
the Badei HaAron, Poles of the Aron HaKodesh, on the Paroches, Curtain,
and the Mizbayach HaZahav, Golden Altar. This represents a fairly
impressive "end" to the life of an animal. The other he-goat does not seem
to fare as well. It serves as the offering sent into the wilderness, bearing
the nation's sins. It is later flung off a cliff, falling to its painful death, a
broken heap of skin and bones. Ramban writes that the seh l'azazel
represents a sort of shochad l'Satan, bribe for Satan, to tone down his
prosecuting endeavor, so that the Jewish People can achieve atonement
without Satan advocating for their extinction. Indeed, after Satan has been
satisfied, he himself discovers reasons to find merit for the Jewish People.
It is incredible how far a little shochad will go to sway one's subjectivity.
These two he-goats were similar in every way. Purchased together, their
appearance was the same. They were of equal value. Indeed, everything
about them screamed, "There is absolutely no difference between the two
of us, other than the fact that one is used l'Hashem and one is sent
l'azazel." What lesson may be derived from this? Horav Michael Peretz,
Shlita, suggests that the Torah is teaching us a crucial lesson to be
implemented in our strategy to overcome the yetzer hora successfully. The
most important point which we must acknowledge is to know the awesome
power of our enemy. Make no mistake - the yetzer hora is crafty, filled
with guile, unscrupulous, has no compassion, and takes no prisoners. The
yetzer hora is bent on destroying us and has been given every possible
means to do so. His arsenal is replete with every weapon for ensnaring us
to do his bidding, thereby distancing us from our Maker. If we belittle the
yetzer hora, if we think, "What can he do to me? He cannot sway me,"
then we have already lost the battle. The yetzer hora is a formidable
enemy, and the sooner that we accept this reality, the better our chances
are for success against him.
By comparing the two he-goats - one representing the side of Hashem and
the other symbolic of Satan/yetzer hora/Malach Ha'Maves - we are forced
to acknowledge that the forces of evil are not pushovers. Indeed, on this
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holy day of Yom Kippur, we are relegated to offer a bribe to Satan. We
must recognize that we are up against an indomitable opponent, whose
powers are frightening: "Know thine enemy!" The two goats are equal,
because we must learn to "respect" the powers of the yetzer hora. Only
then will we fight in earnest and - with the help of the Almighty - triumph
over evil.
Parshas Kedoshim
You shall reprove your fellow. (19:17)
The redundancy of the words, ho'cheach tochiach, gives us something to
ponder. Clearly, the Torah is placing emphasis on the mitzvah of
tochachah, rebuke, but is it necessary to repeat the words to prove a point -
or, is the Torah conveying another message? In his Drushim, the Ben Ish
Chai explains this idea with an incident that occurred concerning a clever
thief. A fellow was caught stealing in a country in which there was a zero
tolerance law regarding theft. Anyone who was caught stealing was
sentenced to death. There was no reprieve, no commutation. The form of
punishment served, for the most part, as a powerful deterrent. This thief
either thought he could beat the system or was in such dire need that he
was willing to chance it.
When the sentence was passed by the king, the thief made a special
request: Since he was a first-time offender, he was wondering if, perhaps,
the king would grant him an audience for a few moments. The king was
basically a decent human being who just had a low tolerance level for
theft. He granted the thief his request. He would meet privately with him.
"What is it that you want?" the King asked the thief. "I have been blessed
with a unique ability. I can prepare a potion that has incredible powers. It
would be a sin to die and take this secret with me to my grave. I will be
happy to share this exceptional wisdom with the king."
The king acquiesced to the doomed man's request. The prisoner asked for a
number of ingredients which he mixed together. After his potion was
completed, the prisoner asked the king for a package of seeds. Regardless
of their type, if they were to be soaked in his preparation, he guaranteed
that the very same day that these seeds were planted in the ground, they
would sprout fruit! This was an astonishing claim, and, if true, it would be
one of mankind's greatest discoveries. The king brought the seeds and
waited with baited breath for the planting to begin. Then the prisoner
threw a fast one at the king.
"In order for this potion to work, one vital criterion must still be filled: the
individual who plants the seeds in the ground must be one of impeccable
integrity. Anyone who even misappropriated something which was not his
cannot plant the seeds. The technique works only for a person who has
never stolen a thing in his life. Now, we all know that I am ineligible to
perform this process, so, therefore, I humbly ask the prime minister to
plant the seeds."
The prime minister suddenly became "unavailable." He begged off from
participating in this process. He just happened to remember that as a child
he had stolen some money from his father's wallet. "Well, that excludes
the Prime Minister," he said. "Let us ask the Treasury Minister. Surely,
someone who is in charge of the country's finances must have a spotless
record." The Treasury Minister demurred, claiming that when one works
with so much money he might err in his accounting. Apparently, the
prisoner was not surprised to hear this. He relentlessly kept on trying to
locate that one elusive person who was worthy of planting the seeds. Alas,
there was no one. Even the self-righteous King conceded that, as a youth,
he had purloined a valuable wristwatch from his younger brother.
At that moment, the prisoner fell on the ground before the King and began
to cry bitterly. "My lord, behold what I have demonstrated before your
very own eyes. There is absolutely no one in this country - not even his
royal highness, who is not in some way tainted by the scourge of theft.
Why is it that among all the thieves of this country, I was unfortunate
enough to get caught? Furthermore, I stole to feed my family. Others have
stolen to satisfy their illicit desires."
Listening to this clever thief, the king, who was no fool, realized that the
special potion was nothing more than a ploy devised to arouse his attention
to a verity which he had ignored. Indeed, the thief had a legitimate claim:
Was he any different than anyone else? After being warned that he would
not be so fortunate the "next time," the thief was released.
The episode teaches us a powerful lesson concerning our interpersonal
relationships. No one is perfect. When our anger is aroused at someone
whom we feel has harmed us - physically, financially, or emotionally - we
should immediately question ourselves: Are we any better? Are we all that
perfect? Do we feel all that self-righteous that we can find guilt in others
and nothing but innocence concerning ourselves? Additionally, how often
do we anger Hashem, and He simply ignores our impudence? We criticize
others, yet, we expect Hashem to overlook our faults.
Hocheach Tochiach - before we confront others, let us first examine
ourselves. Let us undergo some serious self-rebuke before we take it upon
ourselves to find fault in others. Rebuke is repeated because the rebuke
should be offered twice: once to himself; followed by the rebuke he
intended to give to the other fellow.
You shall not take revenge, and you shall not bear a grudge against
members of Your people. (19:18)
The Torah forbids us from taking revenge in any shape or form. Is revenge
really that bad? For one individual, it might give him closure to an ordeal
which he wants to forget. Another just might desire the fellow who harmed
him to feel some of the emotional and physical pain which he had
experienced. Some might even consider revenge to be sweet. What they do
not realize is that revenge is obsessive and destructive, taking its toll on
both parties. The old proverb which states, "He who seeks revenge should
prepare two graves," is very true. Yet, should revenge be prohibited?
In his sefer, Devarim Achadim, the Chida, zl, quotes the Kli Yakar who
explains this concept with a parable. A young child was busy building a
large castle out of sand. The edifice he created was outstanding. The child
was quite adept and creative. The many hours he had spent laboring in the
heat had produced a result that filled him with great pride. We can,
therefore, imagine the pain and anger he felt when his older brother
walked by and, with the sweep of his hand, destroyed his younger brother's
lavish creation.
The little boy went crying to his father, complaining bitterly concerning
his older brother's act of "treachery." How could he do this to him? The
child demanded that his father punish the older boy to the fullest measure
of discipline. No compassion - he demanded the worst.
The father was no fool. He was acutely aware that the massive piece of
architecture which was destroyed by his older son was nothing more than a
sand castle. In a materialistic world, sand does not play a major role. Sand
is plentiful, and anything made from it has zero permanence. The younger
son was playing, not building. His edifice was no more than the product of
a deft hand and an active imagination. There was nothing real to this castle
- but sand. The father could hardly accede to his younger son's wishes for
punishment and revenge.
The lesson to be derived from this parable is probably already clear to
everyone. Life in this world is much like sand castles. We endeavor and
build; we think that we have achieved, that we are actually in control. We
are, however, very wrong. Our accomplishments, our successes, our
institutions and establishments are all sand castles. Nothing in this world is
of lasting value, except, of course, Torah and mitzvos, and those endeavors
that promote Torah and mitzvos. In our material/physical dimension,
nothing really counts, because nothing is real. If someone infringes on
what we view to be our "turf," they have only encroached themselves on
our sand castles. They have not hurt us, because we have nothing. Taking
revenge bespeaks an attitude that is antithetical to Torah. Nothing has been
gained: thus, nothing has been lost.
Sadly, many of us have stigmatized vision, seeing only what we want to
see, mistaking imagination for reality. Our creations are not much more
than a dream; our endeavors, unless anchored in spiritual achievement, are
meaningless. Everything falls under the category of sand castles.
The Kli Yakar applies this parable to explain why, when we see someone
who was, in some manner, offended by his fellow man crying out to
Hashem with a taaneh, complaint. "Hashem! Punish him for what he did to
me," Hashem does not respond. It is almost as if Hashem is ignoring him.
True, he might be justified, and his complaint valid. Yet, Hashem still does
not answer. Why? Hashem is like the father who listens to his young child
complain about the actions of his older brother. The father understands that
there really was no sustainable damage. It was only sand castles.
We often meet individuals who have reneged religious observance with the
excuse: "I have issues with religion; I have questions concerning G-d; I
cannot reconcile some of the occurrences that have taken place throughout
history." Who do they think they are to have questions of G-d, complaints
and issues with religion? They are no different than the child who built a
sand castle and whose world came crashing down when his castle was
destroyed by his older brother.
I recently came across a story printed in a popular weekly periodical. The
story was adapted from an Israeli Torah publication. While this is certainly
not the only story of its nature, I am using it because in some way it
involves the Chida. The episode took place last fall when a young couple,
who direct a Jewish outreach center in Yerushalayim, were returning to the
Holy Land. Upon landing and retrieving their luggage, they approached
the dispatcher for a sheirut, a company which provides shared rides from
Ben Gurion airport to Yerushalayim. It was early in the morning, with
minimal crowds, and the dispatcher directed the couple to a waiting mini-
van that was slowly filling up with passengers. When they approached the
driver, he said that he would not be going to the section of Yerushalayim
where they lived. They should wait for the next sheirut. Rather than get
into an argument with the driver, the couple returned to the dispatcher and
asked for the next van. The dispatcher would not hear of it. He had told
them to go with that certain driver. He had no choice but to take them to
their apartment.
They returned to the van, loaded their luggage and took their seats. The
driver was not going to be very happy. The very next passenger to board
the van was a young Israeli named Yoav, who had just returned from
Barcelona. He was in Eretz Yisrael for a four day visit with his parents.
His father had fallen ill, and he felt it prudent to come home.
The young man sat down next to the rabbi and almost immediately
requested, "Rabbi, tell me a dvar Torah, Torah thought." Rabbis love
sharing Torah thoughts, and what better way can there be to strike up a
conversation? Since they had both just landed in the Holy Land, it made
sense to focus on the unique Hashgachah Pratis, Divine Providence, which
the Almighty exercises in Eretz Yisrael. This does not negate in any way
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from Hashem's Divine Providence vis--vis the rest of the world; it is just
that Eretz Yisrael is, after all, unique and special. The Torah describes the
Holy Land as Eretz asher einei Hashem Elokecha bah meireishis ha'shanah
ad acharis shanah, "The land over which Hashem's eyes are watching from
the beginning of the year until its end" (Devarim). "This means," explained
the rabbi, "that the Almighty watches over the Holy Land far more directly
than He does over the cities from which we have just arrived (New York
and Barcelona)."
While the young man listened intently, he was quick to disagree.
Apparently his disagreement seemed to be spurred on by personal issues
which he had with the Holy Land and with G-d. "Statistics show that at
least as many people are hurt or killed in Eretz Yisrael as the result of
terror attacks as we note in other countries. Despite its miniscule size and
limited population, the numbers are probably greater than in other
countries. I would not call that Divine Providence," the young man
countered, almost with anger. "In fact, my best friend was killed in a
terrorist attack."
The rabbi explained that all is not what it seems. Events occur before our
eyes that are definitely inexplicable - to us. This does not mean that there
is no rationale. There certainly is. We are just not privy to it due to our
limited ability to grasp. Everything that occurs is part of Hashem's Divine
Plan. As the rabbi was giving a discourse on our inability to grasp
Hashem's ways, he reminded himself of a story that had taken place ten
years earlier.
"My wife and two of her friends went to visit a woman who had lost a son
during the terror attack on the Number 14 bus in Yerushalayim. During
their visit, they also met Moshe, a younger brother of the victim who
related the following incredible story.
"On the fateful day that his brother had been killed, Moshe had been on a
bus traveling to the north, as part of a school trip. As the bus moved
smoothly along, Moshe dozed off and began to dream. Shlomo, the brother
who had been killed, appeared to him in a dream clothed completely in
white. He told him that he would soon be leaving this world and that he
expected him to be there for their mother and grandmother, who would be
heartbroken over the tragedy. Shlomo directed his brother to various
places in their house where he had hidden certain valuable items. He
concluded by saying that he would visit the family during the shiva, seven-
day mourning period, appearing in the form of a butterfly.
"The bus stopped moving along, and Moshe woke up from his sleep. The
dream that he had just experienced had left him in a state of confusion.
Just then, one of the students asked the driver to put on the radio so that
they could listen to some music. Exactly at that moment, the newscaster
broke into the regular programming with a news alert. A terrorist attack
had occurred in Yerushalayim. By the time Moshe reached his mother, she
was on the way to the hospital, following a call from the police.
"Shortly after the funeral and the family began to sit shiva, a butterfly flew
into the house and parked itself on a family portrait, staying there the
entire week. At the end of the shiva, the butterfly flew upstairs to Shlomo's
bedroom, landed momentarily on his bed and then flew off, never to
return.
"Obviously, the entire occurrence had shaken the family. When Moshe
shared his dream with his mother, they all decided to visit a famous
Kabbalist in Tzefas. Perhaps he could unravel the mystery. The Kabbalist
told the family, who happen to be descendants of the Chida, that Shlomo
was a gilgul, reincarnation, of the neshamah, soul, of the Chida's father.
Therefore, his life was short, since the soul of the Chida's father required
very few corrections to achieve perfection."
The rabbi concluded his story to the young traveler from Barcelona by
underscoring the notion that, if we take a penetrating look at life
experiences, we will see Hashem's Divine Hand manipulating events. Even
at a time of grave tragedy, Hashem's guiding hand is present. The young
man had entered the sheirut a doubter, but left a faithful believer in
Hashem. He kept repeating over and over that he was in shock. Finally, the
rabbi asked him why he was shocked. Did everything not make sense?
"You do not seem to understand. This story which you related struck
home. Shlomo was my best friend. I have been doubting Hashem ever
since that tragic day when his life was snuffed out. His untimely death
undermined my belief."
Looking back, they both saw Hashem's Divine Providence. The rabbi was
forced to return to the sheirut, where he met the young man, who requested
a dvar Torah, which all started with Hashem's watchful eye on Eretz
Yisrael. We must remember: Life is filled with what appears to be
questions; serious questions. For the believer there are no questions; for
the non-believer, there are no answers.
The Russian infantry was notified of the Czar's upcoming visit. An
inspection of this sort was an honor, but could lead to serious problems for
anyone who did not pass with flying colors. Understandably, everyone was
determined to present a barracks and camp that was pristine, prepared for
anything. The soldiers cleaned their armor and weapons. Everything was
in tip-top shape. The day arrived, and the Czar's retinue was seen from
afar. Everyone stood at attention - each soldier in accordance with rank
and seniority. The tallest soldier stood in front, with the more vertically
challenged finding their place toward the rear. The Czar began his
inspection, walking up and down the rows of soldiers until he abruptly
stopped in front of one soldier standing at the rear of the line. The Czar
embraced the young man and exclaimed, "I love you, my dear soldier!"
What should be the normal reaction of this soldier? "I love you, my King.
May the Czar live forever!" That is what he should declare in a loud voice.
If, however, the soldier were to mumble a few words of gratitude, as he
attempted to remain awake in the Czar's presence, it would have been
absolutely ludicrous-- and shameful!
This, explains Horav Yaakov Neiman, zl, is how many of us appear before
Hashem when we recite Shema Yisrael. We have just completed the
Birchos Krias Shema which describes the glory in Heaven as the Heavenly
Angels prepare to greet the Creator. In the tefillah of Ahavah Rabbah, we
express Hashem's great love for us. Then, comes Shema Yisrael which we
mumble quickly - half asleep. Perhaps, the next time we recite Krias
Shema we might think of the analogy concerning the Russian soldier.
In memory of my dear wife, Helen - Rochel bas Avraham a"h, niftar 13
Iyar 5771. - Dr. Jacob Massouda
Peninim on the Torah is in its 20th year of publication. The first fifteen years have been published in book form. The Fifteenth volume is available at
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Rabbi Dovid Seigel
Haftorah
Parshas Acharai Mos-Kedoshim - Amos 9:7
This week's haftorah presents the Jewish nation in a most unique
context.In his last words of prophecy the prophet Amos describes the
Jewish people in a very peculiar manner. He says in the name of Hashem,
"Aren't you likened to the Kushites, to be Mine?" (9:7) Who are Kushites
and in what way are the Jewish people compared to them? Chazal in the
Yalkut Shimoni(157) interpret the term Kushites to refer to the Ethiopian
community whose skin color is distinctly different than all other nations.
This physical distinction renders it virtually impossible for the Kushites to
intermingle with anyone without maintaining their national identity.Chazal
continue that in this same manner the Jewish people are distinctly different
than all other nations. The moral and ethical code of the observant Jewish
people inhibits them from intermingling with the nations of the world. The
drastic skin color contrast of the Ethiopians serves as a stri king analogy to
the drastic ethical contrast between the Jewish people and all other nations.
The prophet continues and reminds the Jewish people that it is this distinct
ethical conduct which renders them Hashem's chosen people. After
likening the Jewish people to the Kushites, the prophet completes his
analogy with the profound words, "to be Mine". The Metzudos Dovid
(9:7)explains this to mean that we are Hashem's people exclusively
because of our distinguished ethical conduct. He adds that we will remain
Hashem's special nation as long as we possess elevated ethical standards.
The prophet then draws our attention to our earliest origins and says,
"Didn't Hashem bring you up from the land of Egypt?" (ad loc.) Malbim
explains that these words allude to the distinguished qualities of the Jewish
people in whose merit they were liberated from Egypt. Although they
existed for two hundred years in the corrupt and immoral Egyptian
environment they remained a distinct and distinguished entity. Their moral
code of dress and speech reflected their pure attitudes about lif e which
made intermingling with the Egyptians a virtual impossibility. For the
most part, their Jewish values were not corrupted or distorted which
allowed the Jews to remain distinguished and elevated.
The prophet concludes our haftorah with this theme and promises our
ultimate redemption from our extended exile. Amos says, "On that day I
will establish the kingdom of Dovid.... so that you, upon whom My name
rests, will inherit Edom and all nations." (9:11,12) Our identity with
Hashem as a nation upon whom His name rests, will play a significant role
in our final redemption. The Jewish people will inherit their archenemy
Edom soley because of their identity with Hashem. Our elevated standards
of morality will truly earn us the title of His people and in this merit we
will be finally liberated from the world's corrupt influence and
environment.
This special lesson reflects the essence of this week's parsha,
Kedoshim,which embodies Hashem's lofty call to us for spiritual elevation.
The Torah begins and says, "Be holy for I, Hashem, am Holy." (Vayikra
19:2)Nachmanides (ad loc.) shares with us his classic insight into this
mitzva."Be holy", says the Ramban, "refers to the introduction of sanctity
and spirituality into every dimension of our lives." Even our physical and
mundane activities should be directed towards Hashem. We are forbidden
to excessively indulge in worldly pleasures and are expected to limit our
passions and pleasures to productive and accomplishing acts. Morality and
spirituality should encompass our entire being and our every action should
ultimately become the service of Hashem. This philosophy is diametrically
opposed to that of the nations of the world. To them physical pleasure and
enjoyment have no restrictions or limitations and religion does not govern
their passions or cravings. As said, our standards of morality are truly
unique and it is this factor that elevates us and distinguishes us from
amongst the nations of the world.
The parsha concludes with this message and says, "And you shall be holy
unto Me for I am holy and I have separated you from the nations to be
Mine." As stated, we are Hashem's people because of our holiness -
elevated moral and ethical standards - which truly separate us from the
>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 27
nations of the world. And in this merit we will soon experience our final
redemption and be a nation unto Him, privileged to remain in His presence
for eternity.
Haftorah, Copyright &copy 2013 by Rabbi Dovid Siegel and Torah.org. The author is Rosh Kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim of Kiryat Sefer, Israel.
Kollel Toras Chesed 3732 West Dempster Skokie, Illinois 600 76 Phone: 847-674-7959Fax: 847-674-4023 kollel@arlin.net Questions or comments?
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Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair
Ohr Somayach Torah Weekly
Overview
Acharei Mos
G-d instructs the kohanim to exercise extreme care when they enter the
Mishkan. On Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol is to approach the holiest part
of the Mishkan after special preparations and wearing special clothing. He
brings offerings unique to Yom Kippur, including two identical goats that
are designated by lottery. One is "for G-d" and is offered in the Temple,
while the other is "for Azazel" in the desert. The Torah states the
individual's obligations on Yom Kippur: On the 10th day of the seventh
month, one must afflict oneself. We abstain from eating and drinking,
anointing, wearing leather footwear, washing, and marital relations.
Consumption of blood is prohibited. The blood of slaughtered birds and
undomesticated beasts must be covered. The people are warned against
engaging in the wicked practices that were common in Egypt. Incest is
defined and prohibited. Marital relations are forbidden during a woman's
monthly cycle. Homosexuality, bestiality and child sacrifice are
prohibited.
Kedoshim
The nation is enjoined to be holy. Many prohibitions and positive
commandments are taught:
Prohibitions: Idolatry; eating offerings after their time-limit; theft and
robbery; denial of theft; false oaths; retention of someone's property;
delaying payment to an employee; hating or cursing a fellow Jew
(especially one's parents); gossip; placing physical and spiritual stumbling
blocks; perversion of justice; inaction when others are in danger;
embarrassing; revenge; bearing a grudge; cross-breeding; wearing a
garment of wool and linen; harvesting a tree during its first three years;
gluttony and intoxication; witchcraft; shaving the beard and sideburns;
tattooing.
Positive: Awe for parents and respect for the elderly; leaving part of the
harvest for the poor; loving others (especially a convert); eating in
Jerusalem the fruits from a tree's 4th year; awe for the Temple; respect for
Torah scholars, the blind and the deaf.
Insights
G-ds Waiting Room
"When you shall come to the Land and you shall plant any food tree, you
shall treat its fruit as forbidden; for three years it will be forbidden to you."
(19:23)
With macabre humor, Miami Beachis called "G-ds waiting room" because
it abounds with retirement homes and hotels for the elderly.
Retirement is a western concept, and one that has come under criticism
from doctors in recent years. Studies have found that people who dont
retire but stay involved in their work (albeit at a level that befits their age)
have longer life expectancies than those who retire and relax into their
"golden years".
My father, who passed away well into his ninety-third year, was a person
who worked hard throughout his life and never retired. Every morning he
would still go into the office and do his work. He went in later and came
back earlier, but he still kept his lifes routine.
Our Sages teach that G-d conceals our time of death from us so that we
should remain active to the last.
The Roman Emperor Hadrian was once passing through the city of
Tiberiasin Eretz Yisrael. He noticed an elderly man exerting himself,
tilling the soil around his fig trees.
"Saba! (Grandfather) Saba!" called out Hadrian, "Why are you working so
hard? When you were young you had to toil to make a living, but now its
time to relax. Anyway, you will never live to enjoy the fruits of your
labors."
The old man replied, "My task is to try and accomplish whatever my age
allows. The Almighty will do as He sees fit."
"Tell me, please, Saba, how old are you?"
"I am a hundred years old."
"A hundred years old! And you actually expect to reap what you sow?"
"If I merit to eat the fruit of my labors, well and good. If not, my efforts
will benefit my children just as I have benefited from the toil of my
forbears."
Hadrian said,"Hear me Saba! If you ever eat these figs that you are
planting you must surely come and let me know."
In due course, the figs ripened and abounded with fruits. The old man
thought to himself, "I must go and tell the emperor."
He filled a basket with figs and traveled to the palace.
"The Emperor wishes to see me," he announced to the guards and they led
him before the Hadrians throne.
"Who are you?" asked Hadrian.
"Does the emperor remember years ago in Tiberias passing by an old man
tending his figs? G-d has granted me to eat of those figs that I planted. I
have brought the emperor a basketful as a gift."
Hadrian turned to his servants. "Take the figs from this elderly man and
refill his basket with gold coins."
His courtiers questioned the emperors generosity, "Why such a lavish gift
for an old Jew?" Hadrian replied to them, "His Creator honored him with
longevity. Is it not proper that I too should accord him honor?"
The Creator does not want us to sit and read the newspapers in G-ds
waiting room.
Source: Vayikra Rabba 25:5
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Rabbi Yaakov Solomon
Between the Fish and the Soup
Parashiot Acharei-Kedoshim 5773: D'var Torah
G-d said to Moses, "Speak to the I sraelites and tell them, You shall be
holy. For I , the Lord your G-d, am holy'" (19:1-2).
The actual meaning of, "You shall be holy", is disputed between the
commentators. The Midrash (Lev. Rabbah 24:6), followed by Rashi, states
that this commands the avoiding of the illicit physical relationships
described in the previous chapter. Holiness is a product of refraining from
sexual immorality. In contrast, the Ramban does not limit the concept of
holiness to any category of precepts. Rather, holiness is something that
should be characteristic of all aspects of life. A person who only observes
the letter of the law may become a 'naval birshut ha-Torah' - a degenerate,
debased person without actually breaking the Torah. Examples of
characteristic behavior would include gross overeating of roast duck with
the best, most 'glatt' hechsher, and a stamp collector offering a higher price
for a very rare stamp when the other already agreed to sell it to someone
else who had set his heart on it.
It could be suggested that the simple meaning of "You shall be holy" is
one of self-identity. Those who wish to identify with a particular social or
cultural group (for example, an exclusive college fraternity) must go to
sometimes extreme lengths to be accepted into the group. It can involve a
challenging series of initiation rituals, and keeping within the boundaries
of the club ideals. Otherwise they don't belong.
In one experiment, two groups of people were told that they were going to
attend a discussion on a controversial topic at an exclusive club. The first
group were people who had just been accepted, but had gone through
demanding preparation and initiating stages to achieve their dreams of
getting in. The second group were people who were not members of the
club, but had been recruited specially for the experiment.
Unknown to both groups, the discussion was set up to be excessively
abstract and utterly boring. Afterwards, the group that was not connected
with the club agreed that it was a worthless experience and a complete
waste of time. The newly initiated members, on the other hand, reported
on it as being an interesting and valuable encounter.
The Torah is a gift from the Creator. It contains the details of what is best
for humanity from the Creator Himself, but the perception of the human
being is limited. Much of what is in the Torah does not naturally appeal to
common sense, life's experience, or simple reason. Examples include the
details of Shabbat observance, kashrut, and the laws of purification.
This is what G-d told Moses to convey to the Israelites: "Be holy, for I -
G-d - am holy".
"Being holy" means following the demanding requirements of the Torah
traditions. "I am Holy" is the identity of the "Group Creator". "Be holy for
I am Holy" is an invitation to develop yourself to fit in and be part of the
"ultimate club" of "He that spoke and the world came into being".
However, human faculties have their limitations in perception and
understanding. Being holy means learning and understanding Torah and
observing the mitzvot. "I am holy" is G-d's communicating the mitzvot as
part of His identity. Thus becoming a member of G-d's "exclusive club"
requires observance, even when lacking full understanding.
Thus, for example, those informed and committed to the Torah concept of
'You shall be holy" find the Shabbat a spiritually uplifting experience.
Even if they don't understand and personally relate to all the halachic and
esoteric subtleties. Those who have not made the effort to identify as
informed and committed people could find that they get little out of the
Shabbat other than regrets as to how they spent their free time.
In short: "Be Holy" is G-d' invitation and means to fulfill the terms to join
His Club - which He defines by "I am Holy".
Parashat Acharei-Mot - Kedoshim (Haftara) 5773
'I will settle them on their land. They will never again be uprooted from
the land that I have given them, says the L-rd your G-d.' (Amos 9:15)
Guided Tour...
28 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
Amos came from a humble background - he was a sheep breeder from
Tekoa, near Bethlehem. Although he hailed from Judah, he was involved
with the people of the Northern Kingdom - Israel. Despite his
unremarkable origins, his work in bringing the message of G-d to the
people proved to be too much for the priests of the Northern Kingdom who
practiced paganism at their shrine at Bethel. Having publicly declared that
the House of Jeroboam - the Northern Kingdom - would die by the sword,
and that the pagan temples would be destroyed (Amos 7:9), he is
denounced to the king and banished from Bethel. Before this came into
effect he still managed to deliver his final defiant message that clearly
foretold the destruction of the Northern Kingdom under the Assyrians,
which was to take place in 722 BCE.
It seems that Amos was the first of all the prophets whose words were
recorded in detail in writing for posterity - preceding Isaiah and Hosea. He
delivered his messages from G-d to the people in the later period of the
Divided Kingdom: during the reigns of Kings Uzzia of Judah and
Jeroboam II of Israel (Amos 1:1). That would put his period of activity
between 788 and 750 BCE - some thirty or more years before the demise
of the Kingdom of Israel and its enforced exile under Shalmenezzer V of
the Assyrian Empire.
The Northern Kingdom of Israel reached its peak during that period, and
both the texts and the archaeological records indicate that it was far more
prosperous than the Southern Kingdom of the remaining two tribes. Amos
delivered his prophecies to an affluent society. There was pride, plenty,
and splendor in the land, cities, and palaces. There were grave social
injustices against which Amos delivered the Word of G-d. As the text
relates, the rich adorned their summer and winter palaces with ivory and
costly furniture, on which they reclined and feasted. They planted
vineyards and anointed themselves with precious oils. Amos compared
their women - who were addicted to wine - to fat cows. The poor, by
contrast, were ruthlessly exploited: because their judges were corrupt, the
poor were afflicted, and sold into slavery.
In the Haftara, Amos' prophecies against the Northern Kingdom become
most intense. For he tells the sinful nation that their transgressions have
made them strangers to G-d, and thus there is no reason why He should not
punish him in accord with their transgressions. That he once took them our
of Egypt should have made them His loyal servants, but their way of life
had become no better than the surrounding Philistines and Arameans.
Nevertheless, says G-d, He will only punish those who deserve it. "Just as
a pebble shakes back and forth in the sieve, but does not fall to the ground,
so I will shake the House of Israel back and forth through all the nations."
(9:9) Ibn Ezra and the Radak hold that this sifting is a metaphor for Israel's
purification though exile. For the chaff that falls away represents the
wicked who will fall by the wayside during the difficult exile, whereas the
fat kernels of grain or the pebbles that remain in the sieve represent the
righteous, who will eventually participate in the Final Redemption.
Amos' final prophecy describes that Redemption. Its details do not show
any change of the natural order, but the existing order will develop to the
full. Thus nature itself will participate to make the farmer's work
productive beyond his greatest expectations. The land will give such
abundant crops that the farmers will not manage to complete the harvest
by the time the next planting season begins. And the Israelites in returning
to their land, will remain there, permanently, for all time.
What type of person was Amos? The opening verse of the Book states that
he was a shepherd - nothing more. In the Guide for the Perplexed (32:2),
the Rambam states that prophecy only comes to those specially endowed
with the rare essential mental and emotional capacities, or to those who
have developed those faculties through study and consistent and persistent
character refinement. It is not within the reach of simple herdsmen per se.
Abarbanel, however, disagrees with the Rambam. He quotes that opening
verse as proof that he was a plain shepherd - nothing more. He argues,
holding that prophecy is a force that emanates directly from G-d. Without
that, no person on his own accord can deduce what He has decreed. Hence
there is no need for the Rambam's pre-requisites: if G-d so dictates, anyone
- even a simpleton, may deliver valid prophecy.
D'var Torah
There is nothing supernatural about Amos' vision of the Redemption. As
mentioned earlier, his Word from G-d emphasizes nature delivering its full
potential within its existing laws. The valleys - where the soils are most
fertile - will yield abundant grain. The hills, whose climate is milder and
whose soils are poorer, will nevertheless support rich dairy farms and
vineyards. And within the environment of agricultural prosperity and
economic security, the Israelites will re-establish themselves in the Holy
Land: this time forever.
That ideal brings the following question. The whole succession of events
above contradicts the previous spiritual experience of the Jewish people.
History has shown that the Torah Nation's major formative processes did
not take place under conditions of abundance, or during times when the
Israelites were well established in their own Land. The Israelite, and later
the Jewish nation started with the individual, Abraham. His teachings and
values were developed and revealed to an entire nation under Moses, and
at the Revelation at Mount Sinai. They were reaffirmed and further
developed after serious lapses and exile under Ezra, during the early
Persian Period. And they became adapted for the long exile following the
Destruction of the Second Temple by the Rabbis of the Talmud. In each
stage, the Israelites were either outside the Holy Land or surviving there
under foreign dominion.
By contrast, when the Israelites were firmly established in their homeland
under their own rule, they appeared to find it extremely difficult to remain
loyal to their lofty position as light to all other nations - especially when
times were good. The rot began to set in towards the end of King
Solomon's reign, and it appeared in an enlarged form after the Division of
the Kingdom - both in the Northern Kingdom, under the Houses of Omri
and Jehu, and in the Southern Kingdom, under kings such as Hezekiah's
son, Menasseh. It reappeared again under the Maccabean kings, such as
Alexander Janneus.
Amos' vision does not mention a charismatic Messianic type leader. Its
whole emphasis is on precisely the two things that in the past encouraged
the Israelites to forget their special role in the Creation, and thus earn yet
another exile - settled, prosperous life in the Holy Land, under their own
rule. How may that be a structure for true spiritual progress?
The end of the Book of Leviticus, with its description of the idyllic
blessings that await the Israelites if they fulfil their Covenant with G-d,
suggest an approach. As part of the reward:
'Your threshing will last until vintage and your vintage will last until the
sowing'. (Leviticus 26:5)
Rashi explains that the prosperity will be so great that people will be still
threshing the grain when the time comes to harvest the grapes. The grape
season will be so successful that people will be still processing the grapes
when it is time to cut down the crops. The agricultural land will be so
productive that the seasons in the farmers' year will overlap: as the Haftara
itself puts it: 'the ploughman will meet up with the reaper, and the treader
of grapes with the seed carrier.' (9:13) People will work, but they will
experience success in their work.
The Netziv of Volyzhyn develops this idea further, and his idea explains
how the forms of prosperity mentioned in the Haftara are spiritually
beneficial to the Israelites. He emphasises that the constant activity is an
essential part of the blessing. When people are busy, they sense fulfillment
- they enjoy the health that comes with full, personally satisfying
employment. That is the meaning of the end of the blessing in Leviticus
(ibid): 'you shall eat bread to satisfaction.' The food will be on the table,
affording the contented feeling of having been honestly earned. With
plenty of economically useful and psychologically fulfilling activities, the
Israelites will indeed feel 'planted on their land' - they will be happy to be
there, and not travel abroad to seek employment. Thus they will 'live
securely in their land' (Lev. ibid).
But the real rot sets in when the economy becomes over-prosperous -
causing idleness The Netziv specifies that indolence encourages people
to seek amusement and stimulation. They lose their discipline of home,
routine, and community. That increases the dangers of sin, and even has ill
effects on physical well-being.
The above discussion gives the essential element to make 'settled,
prosperous life in the Holy Land, under their own rule' a spiritual as well
as and economic success. People will continue to work hard, experience
prosperity, and in the process come closer to G-d by seeing His Hand in
guiding their success.
For those looking for more comprehensive material, questions and answers on the Parasha may be found at
http://www.shemayisrael.com/parsha/solomon/questions/ and on the material on the Haftara at http://www.shemayisrael.com/parsha/solomon/haftara/
. Written by Jacob Solomon. Tel 02 673 7998. E-mail: jacobsol@netvision.net.il for any points you wish to raise and/or to join those that receive this
Parasha sheet every week. Parashiot from the First, Second, and Third Series may be viewed on the Shema Yisrael web-site:
http://www.shemayisrael.com/parsha/solomon/archives/archives.htm e-mail: jacobsol@netvision.net.il This article is provided as part of Shema
Yisrael Torah Network Permission is granted to redistribute electronically or on paper, provided that this notice is included intact. For information on
subscriptions, archives, and other Shema Yisrael Classes, send mail to parsha@shemayisrael.co.il http://www.shemayisrael.co.il Jerusalem, Israel

Rabbi Doniel Staum
Stam Torah
Parshas Achrei Mos-Kedoshim 5773
A Nagging Conscience
Late one night, Rabbi Yaakov Haber(1) was alone driving down Route 17
toward Monsey. As every driver knows, after dark the desolate highway
can provide a perilous trip for the lonely and fatigued driver.
Overcome with exhaustion, Rabbi Haber pulled off the highway into the
local New Jersey village in search of a late-night store where he could
purchase a coffee. He finally spotted a small store and walked in. He
immediately felt an uneasiness about the place and was about to walk out
when he heard the man behind the counter speaking Hebrew. Hearing the
familiar dialect Rabbi Haber turned around and greeted the man with the
traditional, Shalom Aleichem. The man looked up in surprise and then
replied (in Hebrew) that Rabbi Habers choice of words was
grammatically incorrect. The Hebrew word Aleichem is used when
addressing more than one person. As he was only one person, the man
insisted that Rabbi Haber should have said Shalom Alecha(2).
Thinking quickly Rabbi Haber poignantly replied, The verse in Tehillim
(91:11) states, For He will command His angels to protect you in all your
ways. Our sages teach that a person is never alone for G-d dispatches his
elite angels, Michoel (who stands on ones right) and Gavriel (who stands
on ones left), to accompany and protect every person. Therefore I was not
only addressing you with my greeting but I was also addressing your
>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 29
entourage. The man seemed satisfied with the explanation, so Rabbi
Haber purchased his coffee and continued on his way.
About two months later Rabbi Haber again found himself traveling the
weary Route 17 with his eyelids threatening to close, so he decided to head
back to the diner to see his old friend. As soon as he walked in the man
behind the counter recognized him, Atah! Atah mikalkel et hachaim sheli-
You! You have ruined my life! Rabbi Haber was stunned; what could he
possibly have done to ruin this mans life? The man continued, Atah
Shalom Aleichem nachon? - You are the one who said Shalom
Aleichem to me, correct?
Rabbi Haber nodded. The man explained that soon after Rabbi Haber left
the diner that night he picked up his sandwich to eat it. True it wasnt
Kosher but he had never thought twice about it before. But as he was about
to bite into it he thought to himself, how can I eat this with the holy angel
Michael standing next to me? Sometime later as he prepared to go
somewhere he thought that the angiel Gavriel who is with him would not
be too happy with his going there. The man complained that since that day
his conscience has been nagging at him incessantly and he could no longer
enjoy many of the things he had always done. Therefore, Atah mikalkel
at hachaim sheli.
Idolatry is one of the three cardinal sins a Jew can commit. It is so
egregious that if one is forced to choose between life and worshipping
idolatry, he is obligated to give up his life. The Torah makes this
unequivocally clear in the second of the Ten Commandments, You shall
not recognize the gods of others in my presence.
If so, why does the Torah add a specific prohibition to worship the idol
known as Molech. Any man from the Bnei Yisroelwho shall give of
his seed to the Molech, shall be put to death; the people of the land shall
pelt him with stones. I shall concentrate My attention upon that man, and I
shall cut him off from among his people, for he had given of his offspring
to Molech in order to defile My Sanctuary and to desecrate My Holy
Name.(3) Why is serving Molech so terrible that it warrants its own
individual warning?
Rabbi Shimon Schwab ztl explains(4) that the service of Molech entailed
offering ones child as a sacrifice on a blazing pyre in front of the Molech
idol. Despite the severity of the sin of idolatry, the transgressor can at least
purport that he sinned because he was overcome by his desires. To serve
Molech however, necessitated a rational decision to go against ones
nature. A person naturally loves his child more than himself. To offer a
child as a sacrifice takes a tremendous amount of psychological and
mental preparation. One who works on himself to perform such a
heinous sin is spitting G-d in the face, as it were. Such a despicable act
demonstrates total disregard and antipathy for G-d. Therefore Molech is
more severe than any other form of idolatry.
When the Torah records the narrative of the sin of the golden calf, the
Torah(5) states, Yehoshua heard the sound of the people in its
shouting Targum Yonason Ben Uziel explains that the sounds
Yehoshua heard were, Kad miyabivin bchedva kadam iglah- When they
cried with rejoicing in front of the golden calf. What does it mean they
cried with rejoicing; crying and rejoicing are paradoxical emotions?
Rabbi Yeruchom Levovitz ztl, the Mirrer Mashgiach, once told his
disciples, I dont know if you will merit the great rewards of the World to
Come, for that depends on how you live your life. But one thing I can
guarantee: As a student of the Yeshiva you will never be able to fully enjoy
the physical pleasures of life. (6)
In a similar vein, Rabbi Yisroel Salanter ztl once commented to his
students, The moment you put your hand on the doorknob of the
Yeshivas front door, you forfeited full enjoyment of the base pleasures of
this world.
Oznayim LaTorah explains that the sin of the Golden Calf transpired
shortly after Klal Yisroel accepted the Torah. Therefore, even though they
rejoiced over their sin, the revelation of Sinai had so inspired them and
developed within them a conscience that their joy in sinning could not be
complete. That is what the Targum is conveying. They tried to rejoice with
the golden calf, but their souls cried out from within them, marring their
celebration.
The Chofetz Chaim was once asked why he expended so much effort to
publish his magnum opus about the laws of Loshon Hora if people still
speak Loshon Hora? The Chofetz Chaim replied that, because of his sefer,
people will at least have a conscience and feel bad when they speak
Loshon Hora. For that alone it was worth all the effort.
Rabbi Mordechai Schwab ztl was a beloved educator and Torah leader,
especially in the Monsey community.
A former student who had left the ways of the Torah once approached his
former Rebbe and told him that he hated him. He explained that although
he had long ago forsaken the path of his fathers, every time he was about
to commit a sin, the sweet and gentle voice of his Rebbe from so many
years prior reverberated in his ears, depriving him of any real pleasure and
satisfaction from his sins.
Perhaps the most intriguing point of all is that Hitler himself recognized
this idea when he declared that he hates the Jews because they gave the
world a conscience.
This conscience is what we call the Pintele Yid, i.e. the inherent spark
that is never extinguished. One can bury his Pintele Yid and cover it with
all sorts of spiritual debris, but somewhere beneath it all that inner voice
will keep crying out.
The opening blessing of Shemoneh Esrei, the central portion of all of our
prayers, concludes with the words, Blessed are You, Hashem, the shield
of Avrohom. The Chiddushei Harim explains that there is an inner
Avrohom-keit, a spark of our patriarch Avrohom, within the heart of
every Jew. That spark is preserved by G-d despite anything one does. It is
for that special spark that we thank G-d.
One who actively tries to quell his inner spark actively has committed the
greatest sacrilege of all. But even such a person will never be fully
successful. His inner conscience, Pintele Yid, spark of Avrohom, will
continue to yearn for spiritual nourishment.
To defile My Sanctuary and to desecrate My Holy Name
When they cried with rejoicing in front of the golden calf
1. Former Rabbi of Congregation Bais Torah in Monsey. He is currently
the Rav of Kehillat Shivtei Yeshurun in Ramat Bait Shemesh. I am
appreciative that Rabbi Haber took the time to read and confirm the story.
2. Alecha being the word used when addressing an individual.
3. Vayikra 19:2-3
4. Maayan Bais Hashoaivah
5. Shemos 32:17
6. Rabbi Yeruchom was alluding to the fact that incorporated into the
Yeshiva curriculum is a strict set of morals and ethics with intense study
and discourse about self-improvement and self-control. One exposed to
such rigorous study will inevitably develop a strong conscience that will
never allow him to enjoy sin or over-involvement in physical pursuits.
Parsha Growth Spurts
Parshas Achrei Mos-Kedoshim 5773
Aharon shall lean his two hands upon the head of the living he-goat
and confess upon it and send it with a designated person into the
desert. (Vayikra 16:21)
Rav Shimshon Pinkus ztl (Tiferes Torah) noted that although every
person is obligated to fight evil, one must realize the great danger involved
in doing so. Although ones intent may be to ward off evil influences,
doing so entails confronting those forces, which always presents spiritual
danger.
The Baalei Mussar would warn that a Mashgiach must not make himself
a broom. In other words, while seeking to sweep out negative forces and
ideologies, one must be careful not to absorb bits of what he is trying to
dispose of, much like a broom becomes dirtied from the dust it is clearing.
The concept of azazel, which symbolizes the removal of sins, contains
important ideas of how one must fight evil. Firstly, the azazel was
entrusted to a pre-designated individual. One did not lead the azazel
blindly or spontaneously. He prepared himself for the challenge,
physically and mentally, and understood his role was before he was
assigned to it.
More profoundly, as the designated man led the azazel into the desert,
there were specified rest stops, and someone would accompany him for
one rest stop to the next. One should never seek to go it alone. To fight
evil, one must be connected to a strong and encouraging leader or circle of
positive friends, from whom he can constantly draw encouragement and
spiritual support.
Rav Pinkus concludes that one must always bear in mind that although
fighting sin and impurity is important, ones own life physical and
spiritual takes precedence. One must always ensure that he is ready and
geared up for war before heading into battle.
You shall not hate your brother in your heart. (Vayikra 19:17)
Darkei Mussar notes that although it is well known that one may not take
revenge, bear a grudge, or feel enmity towards another, it is not so well
known how one accomplishes that.
Rav Yisroel Salanter ztl explained that the only way one can overcome
justified negative feelings one harbors towards another, is by helping that
person. Giving creates a feeling of connection with the recipient. When
one gives another he cant help but feel some positive feelings towards the
recipient. In addition, when the recipient sees how the giver is trying to
help him, he will feel indebted and will seek to make amends. There are
numerous stories which demonstrate how Rav Yisroel Salanter fulfilled his
own teaching.
Very often a person who was wronged may want to avoid confrontation by
distancing himself from the person who wronged him. But doing so
guarantees that the anger and resentment he feels will only fester. If he is
able to overcome his pride in order to help the one who wronged him, then
he has a chance at rectifying the wrong done to him.
In the presence of an old person you shall rise, and you shall honor
the presence of a zakain (sage). (Vayikra 19:32)
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The gemara (Kiddushin 32b) explains that zakain refers to zeh shakana
chochma this (one) who has acquired wisdom. The word zakain only
hints to zeh shakanah; how does the gemara know it refers to wisdom?
Chasam Sofer explains that by the worlds standards the more current or
contemporary something is the more valuable and accurate it is. This is
true in virtually all facets of knowledge, including science, medicine,
research, technology and political science. What was once new and
exciting quickly becomes archaic and outdated.
The notable exception is Torah. We make it our mission to try to
understand the Torah as closely to its pristine form as possible. All of the
explanations advanced in the last three thousand years, are only to gain
deeper insight and understanding to the Torah as taught to Moshe
Rabbeinu on Har Sinai. In fact, the greatest encomium is for one to say
that a Torah thought is Toras Moshe MiSinai.
This is how Chazal derived that this pasuk must be referring to a Torah
sage. The beginning of the pasuk refers to the honor that must be accorded
to an older person. The next clause states that one must honor one who
has acquired. What has he acquired? It must be referring to someone who
has acquired something which, the older it is the more respect it deserves.
That can only refer to the eternal wisdom of Torah.
Rabbis Musings (& Amusings)
Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim
9 Iyar 5773/April 19. 2013 - 24
th
day of the Omer
Pirkei Avos Chapter 3
A number of years ago I gave a presentation for an educational institution.
A few weeks later, an envelope arrived in the mail from that institution.
You can only imagine my surprise when I opened it to find a bill enclosed
for the session I had given. Its one thing not to like my presentation, but
to bill me for it I think thats a little extreme! I dont think it couldve
been that bad.
Theres an old adage that no good deed goes unpunished. Sometimes our
best intentions do not have the results we anticipated, to say the least. But
Chazal remind us that often the chesed we do for another is more
beneficial to us - the doer- than it is for the receiver.
A number of years ago I was listening to a lecture from Rav Matisyahu
Salomon shlita about this very topic. He mentioned that sometimes heaven
arranges for us to have an opportunity to perform a chesed because we
need the merit for one reason or another.
This is definitely a poignant thought to bear in mind when we are
presented with an opportunity to perform a chesed, especially when we are
not in the mood.
Soon after listening to that lecture, I picked up a hitchhiking elderly Jew
along the side of a road of Monsey. My car did not have a tape deck
(actually to be honest I think it had a tape deck that didnt work) though I
had plenty of cassette tapes. So I had an old walkman in the car, and I kept
one earphone in my ear (similar to having a Bluetooth in one ear). When
my passenger noticed it he began to lecture me about the folly of what I
was doing and that it was dangerous. My immediate reaction was of
tremendous annoyance. What an ingrate! How dare he give me advice
about what I do in my car when I invited him in?! But then I remembered
the lecture I just heard from Rabbi Salomon. So I nodded and pulled the
earplug out of my ear. I cant say I would always react that way, but at
least that one occasion I was able to maintain perspective.
If we are not yet on the level of doing truly altruistic chesed, we can do it
for selfish reasons (as long as the recipient isnt made to feel like a chesed
case), knowing that we stand to gain much from the chesed we perform.
Oh, and about the bill I received for my workshop, I ended up being paid
the full amount I had been billed. I guess my presentation wasnt so bad
after all.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos, R Dani and Chani Staum
Rabbi Berel Wein
Israel At Sixty Five
The Jewish state celebrated its sixty-fifth Independence Day
commemorations this week. Though sixty-five years occupies most of the
time span allotted to humans on this earth, in the eyes of history it is a
relatively short time. Nevertheless, I think that one must marvel at what
has occurred here in the Land of Israel over the past sixty-five years.
And, the world has certainly changed dramatically and drastically over this
period of time. The British Empire is no longer and the Union Jack does
not fly over Government House in Jerusalem. The Soviet Union has also
passed from the world scene, a victim of its own cruelties, ineptitude and
mistaken ideology. Both England and the Soviet Union did not really wish
us well, each in their own way, but the little Jewish state outlived them just
as the Jewish people has outlived every world empire and utopian ideology
over our thousands of years of history and existence.
While the rest of the Middle East is in a far greater mess than it was sixty-
five years ago and it was pretty messy then as well, our little country has
become the mouse that roars. Almost oblivious to all that surrounds us, we
have set about to the tasks of destiny that motivate us and helped create the
state.
We have revived our ancient, beautiful, nuanced biblical language, created
and witnessed the ingathering of millions of Jews from the four corners of
the earth, wreaked an ecological and agricultural revolution in a formerly
barren land that now flows with milk and honey, built a mighty defense
force to protect ourselves from our still very hostile neighbors, fostered a
modern economy, and stand in the forefront of every intellectual, medical
and technological field in a world replete with Israeli innovations.
Who would have dreamt that these would have been the realities of the
State of Israel, sixty-five years ago? Only the hateful, the alienated and the
willfully blind deny Israels achievements.
Ben Gurion famously said only a few decades ago that when Israel has a
population of five million it will be secure and viable. After sixty-five
years we are a nation of eight million, six million of whom are Jews. The
Peel Commission in 1936 stated, with its characteristic arrogance, that the
entire country of then Palestine could not support a population greater than
two and a half million.
Well Israel has continually proven the experts to be wrong. Israel is not a
perfect state. It has many shortcomings and at sixty-five is still only a
work in progress. To paraphrase Winston Churchill it is not yet the
beginning of the end but it may certainly be the end of the beginning.
There are still many rough edges in Israeli society, gaps in economic and
social equality, and there are major national problems in education,
religious institutions and government that need streamlining and await our
considered attention. But this is a great place to live. It has good climate,
interesting scenery, an enormous diversity of people and ideas, and one
can live a Jewish life here to the fullest.
The population is young and rambunctious, Torah study abounds
everywhere, and there is a feeling of self-confidence and optimism, of
satisfaction in life, of family and community that permeates all sections of
Israeli society. It is a great place to visit but it is an even greater place to
live and be part of the ongoing miracle of the ages which is the State of
Israel at sixty-five.
The prophets of Israel told us long ago that we would eventually return
home to the land promised to our ancestors by God and that we would
rebuild ourselves physically and spiritually in that land. This prophecy and
dream of the ages is being fulfilled slowly but surely in front of our very
eyes in the State of Israel.
The prophets also taught us that those who aid and participate in this
endeavor will be richly rewarded. These prophecies are also being fulfilled
fully. We live in momentous times of biblical proportions. In our daily
lives we tend to sublimate this knowledge and continue with our everyday
lives and endure its tests. But every so often we are jolted into recognition
that we live in a very special place and in a very special time of the Jewish
story.
The sixty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the state is just such a
memory jolt and reality check. How fortunate is our generation to
celebrate this sixty -fifth anniversary here in Israel and Jerusalem. May we
all yet be fortunate enough to witness the full realization of the visions of
the prophets of Israel speedily and in our days.
Shabat shalom, Berel Wein
U.S. Office 386 Route 59 Monsey, NY 10952 845-368-1425 | 800-499-WEIN (9346) Fax: 845-368-1528 Questions? info@jewishdestiny.com Israel
Office P.O. Box 23671 Jerusalem, Israel 91236 052-833-9560 Fax: 02-586-8536 Questions? scubac@netvision.net.il RabbiWein.com 2009 The
Destiny Foundation

Rabbi Berel Wein
Weekly Parsha
Achrei Mos Kedoshim
To a great extent, reaction to defeat and tragedy is the true defining
moment of ones inner strength and faith. Aharons silence in the face of
the loss of his two older sons is reckoned in Jewish tradition as an act of
nobility and sublime acceptance of the unfathomable judgment of Heaven.
Contrast Aharons silence and humble acceptance of fate with the response
of Iyov to his troubles and tragedies. Iyov has a great deal to say, to
complain against, to bitterly question and to debate almost endlessly with
his companions and visitors as to the unfairness of what has befallen him.
To the human eye, we are all aware that life and its events are often unfair.
There is no one that I am aware of that has successfully explained the
Holocaust. So it seems that we are faced with two diametrically opposed
choices as to the proper response to mindless fate and tragedy. Are we to
remain mute and silent or are we to rail against the arrogant fate that has
brought misfortune to us?
The Torah does not seem to inform us about this and in fact, as shown
above, apparently even contradicts itself regarding this continually
recurring facet of human existence. Yet the Torah and all of the books that
it contains is one seamless whole, and the seeming contradictions lie
within us and not within its holy words and exalted ideas. Thus we are
brought to study this matter with greater introspection and with less
judgment and personal bias.
I think that the Torah means to teach us that there is no one correct, one-
size-fits-all response to the failures and tragedies of life. Aharon is correct
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in his response to inexplicable tragedy and so is Iyov. King Solomon
correctly noted that there is a time for silence and a time for speech. So too
there are people for whom mute silence is the proper response to tragedy
and there are people who must give expression to their feelings of grief
and frustration by words, debate and even complaint.
In most instances the rabbis of the Talmud voted for silence over speech
and acceptance of ones fate over complaint and public debate. Yet the
rabbis did not exclude the book of Iyov from the biblical canon of holy
books. In that act of inclusion they allowed for varying degrees of
response to troubles and travail.
Iyov also has a place in the pantheon of heroic human views regarding
tragic events. Within limits and with a faith-based attitude one can
question and complain, express wonderment and even somehow demand
answers. But, deep down, all humans understand that they cannot fathom
Heavens wisdom, decisions and the individual fate that is visited upon us
all. So the death of Aharons sons serves as a template for life, a lesson for
all of us. Shabat shalom, Rabbi Berel Wein
U.S. Office 386 Route 59 Monsey, NY 10952 845-368-1425 | 800-499-WEIN (9346) Fax: 845-368-1528 Questions? info@jewishdestiny.com Israel
Office P.O. Box 23671 Jerusalem, Israel 91236 052-833-9560 Fax: 02-586-8536 Questions? scubac@netvision.net.il RabbiWein.com 2009 The
Destiny Foundation

Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb-OU
Person in the Parsha
Parshas Acharei Mot-Kedoshim - Holiness: A Definition
He never returned phone calls. He certainly never returned e-mails. He
rarely smiled.
He had very sophisticated tastes in wine and fine liquor. A seven-course
gourmet dinner with a wine pairing at each course was almost an everyday
occurrence for him.
He had the vocabulary of a sailor and seemed to be acquainted with the
obscenities and profanities of every known language.
Don't get me wrong. He had many fine qualities, and considered himself to
be religious, even pious.
"After all," he would say, "I am careful that the meals that I order are
always absolutely kosher. The Torah doesn't prohibit wine, nor does it
require us to refrain from delicious food, and it places no limits on the
quantity of food that we eat."
He would expound upon the fact that he found nothing in the Torah
requiring one to return phone calls or e-mails. He even insisted that, at
least in the written Torah, he found no objection to the use of vulgar
language.
I knew this person, let's call him Reuben, for nearly 50 years. I was
associated with him in various capacities, and often worked with him on
charity projects. Although he scrupulously investigated every cause that
approached him for contributions, and he was very careful as to the causes
to which he made contributions, I cannot deny that he was generous by
almost all standards.
I must admit that I often wondered about his relationship with his wife.
Obviously, I was not privy to the intimate details about their relationship. I
did meet Reuben's wife several times, and she always appeared to be quite
sad, even defeated. She certainly did not share his joie de vivre, dressed
quite modestly compared to his lavish wardrobe, and she certainly never
resorted to his foul language.
Reuben died a few months ago. One of his close business associates, who
knew him as a religious Jew, eulogized him as a person who exhibited
holiness. "He was no saint," proclaimed this associate, "but from my
perspective as an irreligious person, Reuben was a holy man."
Now, it is common, and even to some extent permissible, to exaggerate the
merits of the deceased during a eulogy for him. But there was something
about the adjective "holy" that I simply could not accept and felt
compelled to protest. It was certainly inappropriate for me to protest in
public at the funeral, and I felt it was pointless to protest to the well-
meaning person who delivered the eulogy.
So I decided to use this column as the venue for that protest.
What does it mean to be holy? For the answer to that, we need to examine
a verse at the beginning of the second of this week's double-Torah
portions, Acharei Mot and Kedoshim (Exodus 16:1-20:27). The verse
reads: "Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy."
The two greatest commentators on the Bible in the Jewish tradition, Rashi
and Ramban (Nachmanides), enunciate definitions of "holiness." Rashi
insists that to be holy means to be separate, distant, from various sinful
exploits, especially sexual promiscuity. He says that the Hebrew words,
"kedoshim tihyu, ye shall be holy," are best understood as, "perushim
tihyu, ye shall keep a distance."
Ramban, however, takes issue with Rashi, although he characteristically
does so with great courtesy and even reverence for his predecessor.
Ramban's definition of holiness expresses one of his most basic teachings,
and in my opinion, one of the perspectives of Judaism which is often
forgotten and needs to be re-emphasized from time to time.
Ramban writes that there is more to being holy then merely to abide by the
rules and regulations of the Torah. Yes, he writes, the Torah does not
forbid gluttony, and it is quite possible to be a glutton yet not violate any
of the laws of kashrut. True, he continues, one can use all manner of
vulgar language yet violate no explicit biblical command. A man can
observe every detail of the Torah's laws about family purity yet not be a
loving husband.
Ramban coins a phrase: "Naval bereshut hatorah," which can be translated
either as, "a knave within the bounds of Torah," or alternatively, "a knave
with the Torah's permission." Holiness, for Ramban, consists of all those
behaviors which are to be expected from a decent human being, even if
those behaviors are not explicitly prescribed by the Torah.
Reuben was a man whom I knew all of my life. Although he was not
perfect, he had his positive qualities and I certainly cannot take it upon
myself to condemn him. But he was not holy. Indeed, he missed the point
about what the Jewish religion was all about.
Our religion is indeed about obedience and compliance to a set of laws
some ordained by God and some instituted by wise and holy menbut
that is not all that it is about. It is about attitudes, and it is about
relationships. It is about ethical behaviors which need not be prescribed in
the form of rules, but is to be expected of every reasonable human being.
Some would explain Ramban's thesis in terms of the age-old distinction
between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. That is certainly one
way of understanding it. Reuben is a prime example of someone who did
not see beyond the letter of the law.
Our daily prayer book contains the following verse in Isaiah 59:21:
"This is my covenant with them says the Lord: My spirit which is upon
you, and the words I have placed in your mouth, shall not depart from you
or your children or your children's children..."
Clearly, the Almighty's covenant has two components: His spirit and His
words. Reuben kept the latter, but ignored the former. Holiness consists of
adherence to them both. Ramban teaches us that holiness is about that
spirit. The Torah itself, by addressing the commandment "kedoshim
tiheyu, be holy" to all of us, is teaching us that we are all capable of
achieving that spirit. We are expected to be a goy kadosh, a holy people.
Rabbi Pinchas Winston
Perceptions
Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim: Fun vs. Pleasure
Wheres the fun in that? someone might ask reading this weeks
parshios. These deal with forbidden relationships, and then with all sorts of
other activities to be avoided because they reduce holiness, or with
activities to be pursued because they increase holiness. Indeed, it seems as
if holiness is that which results from doing just the opposite of that which
provides the most fun in life.
Therefore, it follows, if one wants to pursue a life of holiness, he or she
has to turn his or her back on fun, just as a person who wants to have fun
has to give up on being a holy person, just as so many have done
throughout the ages. Being mutually exclusive, a person has to choose
between one and the other, and trying to have ones cake and eat it too can
only result in hypocrisy, as it has over the ages, and as the media keeps
revealing.
Given the nature of man, and the world of fun in which he finds himself,
we can understand why a person would choose fun over holiness. More
difficult to understand and appreciate, however, is why an intellectually-
sound and emotionally-balanced person would choose holiness over fun.
The answer comes in one word: Pleasure. However, it will take several to
explain why that is, in fact, the answer. Its just one of those everyday
ideas that people think they understand, but really dont, resulting in so
much wasted time, energy, and life, and historically, Divine wrath and
world destruction.
That was fun!
What does a person mean when he says those words?
No problem, it was my pleasure!
What does he mean when he says those words?
We rarely have to be thanked for doing something that is fun because fun
is usually all gain and no loss for those who have it. Even when
considerable effort is involved, if it is part of the fun, we think nothing of
it and gladly expend it. Quite the contrary, we usually feel like thanking
others for our experience after the fun is over.
Not necessarily so when it comes to pleasure, which often entails some
kind of personal sacrifice. For example, there are plenty of times when it
might seem more enjoyable to not help someone out, either because were
tired, or going the other direction, etc., but we do it anyhow and,
remarkably, feel better about ourselves because we do.
In fact, the more we have to sacrifice to do something meaningful in life,
the better we later tend to feel about ourselves, and, ironically, the more
pleasure we seem to derive from life. Fun and pleasure are not necessarily
mutually exclusive, but they certainly can be.
There is a fundamental reason for this, which has to do with the very
make-up of a human being, who was made in the image of God. What this
amounts to is what we call free will, something we only seem to be able to
exercise when what we want to do comes into conflict with what we feel
like doing, especially if this happens for moral reasons.
We rarely feel like doing the moral thing because the moral thing usually
requires some kind of personal sacrifice that a body does not easily make.
Indeed, often the sacrifice is very uncomfortable, requiring a lot of
32 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
personal will power to overcome its resistance in order to do what we
know is the right thing.
Many people either do not have or do not exercise such levels of will, and
often capitulate to what they feel like doing over what they want to do.
However, even though in the short run that might feel good, in the long
run, it denies a person the pleasure from life they ultimately seek, and that
hurts even more than the sacrifice they could have, but did not make.
Unable to live with the pain of doing the immoral thing, they are forced to
either do better next time, or eliminate the idea that what they do is
immoral in the first place. This is what Hitler, ysvz, did when he tried to
eliminate what he called two Jewish inventions: circumcision and
conscience. From his perspective, the Torah took all the fun out of life.
What he, and others before and after him, failed to comprehend was that,
as true as that may have been, it was in exchange for something better:
pleasure. For, though man is capable of sinking to the level of an animal,
or even lower, he cannot remain forever on that level. Eventually, his
Divine spark begins to fight back, souring the fun while in search of true
and lasting pleasure.
The Torah, especially in these parshios, is trying to save us the trouble. We
may not understand why, and many may certainly disagree, but the Torah
is telling us which activities and which relationships bring out the Godly
aspect of man, and which do not. The fact that we do have problems with
some or many of its restrictions only increases the opportunity to use our
free will, which was given to us for this very reason.
Of course, there are people who do not understand the difference between
fun and pleasure, or that there is any difference at all, and they only know
the pain of denying themselves the fun that may result from things that the
Torah rejects. This is too much for them, and for many, the only
alternative is to reject the Torah and the people who advocate it.
The problem is compounded by the fact that the greatest amount of
pleasure from doing the moral, that is, the Torah thing, will only come in
the World-to-Come, and not in this world. As the rabbis explain, all the
fun in the world could never equal even just one hour of pleasure in the
World-to-Come, but try and explain that to someone who does not believe
in Torah, and may not even believe in God.
The tragedy is that, regardless, Creation has its bottom line. Some Torah
violations may have a limited impact on Creation, slowing down world
rectification, but not aborting it. However, others violations of the Torah
by their very nature go against the very fabric and purpose of Creation,
regardless of the innocence of the perpetrators.
We have seen the result of that on many occasions. Though the method
may change from one epoch to another, the result is virtually the same:
death and destruction. When the Torah prescribes a serious punishment,
even a deadly one, for a violation of its commandments, it is not out of
revenge. Rather, it is the Torahs way of saying: This is an extreme
violation of Creation and cannot be tolerated, for Creations sake.
Not too long ago, some little child shot and killed his mother. The father
had been showing off some of his personal collection of guns to some
relatives, who had gathered for some happy family occasion, when the
young child just happened to pick one of the guns that happened to be
loaded. Innocently, the child pointed the loaded weapon at the woman and
pulled the trigger, hitting her at close range and killing her.
What a tragedy. How could something so innocent result in something so
sinister? How could someone so guiltless become so guilty? And, even
though the child will never be punishable be the law, he will have a
punishing life once he discovers the truth about his mothers death. Some
terrible results cannot be avoided even because of innocence and naivet,
not when the undermine the fabric of Creation and purpose of mankind.
And, nothing is less fun than the world once it begins to fall apart along its
path to correcting that which mankind destroys.
Perceptions, Copyright &copy 2013 by Rabbi Pinchas Winston and Torah.org. Questions or comments? Email feedback@torah.org. Join the Jewish
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510-1053

HaRav Shlomo Wolbe Ztl
Bais Hamussar
Achrei Mos - Kedoshim
Toward the end of parshas Kedoshim, the Torah tells us that if a man lives
with an animal, not only is he put to death, the animal is also killed
(Vayikra, 20, 15). Rashi explains that although the animal did nothing
wrong and doesn't deserve to be put to death, nevertheless, since it caused
a person's demise it must also be put to death. This being the case, it goes
without saying that if a person, who could differentiate between good and
bad, causes his friend to transgress an aveirah he will be punished.
Rashi continues, that in a similar vein, the Torah commanded Bnei Yisroel
that when they enter Eretz Yisrael they are to destroy all the places and
trees where idols were worshipped. Once again one must ask why the trees
deserve a punishment. The answer is the same. They were the cause of a
man's transgression, and therefore they must be destroyed. We are to learn
from here that if a tree which cannot see or hear, is punished because it
caused a person's sin, how much more so is this the case regarding a
person who causes his friend to transgress an aveirah and stray from the
path of life to the path of death.
Rav Wolbe related (Shiurei Chumash) that he was once speaking to Rav
Meir Chodosh regarding the possibility of throwing certain troublemakers
out of Yeshiva. Rav Chodosh answered that it might not be the
troublemakers that he needs to throw out, but perhaps some of the boys
that would be labeled as good boys. He explained that since everybody
knows that these boys are troublemakers, no one is prone to learn from
boys whom everyone looks down upon. However, there is a greater chance
that they will emulate boys who learn well yet don't show up to davening,
since others look up to them. The above mentioned Chazal describes quite
clearly the severity of one who causes his friend to stray from the path of
life.
We all find ourselves in situations and places where we are among other
Jews, religious and secular, who look up to us. They scrutinize our actions
and they define for themselves the proper behavior of a religious Jew. We
bear the great responsibility of ensuring that no one is turned away from
the path of life because of our actions. However, the opposite is also true.
If one is turned toward the path of life because of our actions, we have
created a Kiddush Hashem, which is such a great mitzvah that its
dividends can be received only in the World to Come!
Maaseh Rav
A Talmid relates a unique episode that occurred to the Mashgiach which
the Mashgiach retold to him over forty years ago.
Rav Wolbe, while living in Stockholm, Sweden for eight years during and
after the Second World War opened and ran a Bais Hamedrash. In this
Bais Hamedrash he said various Shiurim to all kinds of people and groups.
He said a Shiur in Mishnayos to the local men and also said Shiurim
teaching the basics in Emunah to students, boys and girls.
One day, while sitting alone in the Bais Hamedrash, he suddenly saw a
lone woman enter and he felt that something was wrong so he simply
leaped out the door and left her behind.
(Obviously, he learned this from the way Yosef Hatzadik responded to his
Nisayon.)
This must also be what he repeated from his Rebbi, Reb Yeruchom after
hearing from his Talmidim who joined the Polish army the description of
their exercises. They described how they would have to jump with a horse
over a large pit and make it across, if they didn't make it, they would fall
in and die. So too, taught R' Yeruchom, that although in life there may be
room for negotiations with the Yetzer Hara, but sometimes you're in a
situation which is do or die, you must act immediately with no room for
contemplation.)
Heard from Rabbi Pesach Rosentzweig Shlit"a.
Aish.Com - Rabbi Ken Spiro
Jewish History Crash Course
Crash Course in Jewish History Part 44 - The Jews of Spain
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
The land of opportunity for Jews -- from the 8th to the 12th century --
was Spain.
As the armies of Islam conquered larger and larger swaths of Europe, the
Jews of the Middle East saw new opportunities opening up for them in
Muslim Europe.
One of the best opportunities proved to be Spain, starting with the Muslim
conquest of 711. Indeed, things were so good for Jews there, that to this
day, half the Jewish world is known as Sephardi meaning "Spanish." (The
other half would later become known as Ashkenazi, meaning "German.")
In the Muslim Spain, Jews found a symbiotic relationship emerging
between them and the non-Jewish world that surrounded them.
So for one thing, the Muslims impacted on the Jews. Some of the greatest
Jewish scholars wrote in Arabic. But the impact was much greater the
other way around. Indeed there can be no question that the Islamic world,
especially in Spain, did remarkably well because of the large number of
Jews who were allowed to operate freely there.
Jewish Contributions
The Jewish contributions came in every sphere -- whether economic or
intellectual. For example:
Jews excelled in skilled crafts.
Jews were excellent tanners, metalworkers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, and
jewelers. (We see some of these skills surviving today. Yemenite Jews
continue their reputation as silversmiths and Jewish diamond merchants
are famous the world over.)
Jews excelled in the sciences, particularly in medicine.
Jewish doctors were everywhere, among the most famous was Chasdai ibn
Shaprut, the 10th century physician to two caliphs who was considered
one of the most influential people in Spain.
Jews excelled in trade.
Jews were the middlemen between the Muslim and Christian worlds,
which at this time were engaged in huge rivalry and were not
communicating directly with each other. As a result Jews became traders
who covered the Far East, the Middle East, and Europe.
Jews excelled in scholarship.
The Muslims were fascinated by classical knowledge, but since they did
not know either Greek or Latin, the Jews came in to fill the gap translating
these works into Arabic. The Jews also helped to disseminate Arabic
>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 33
scholarship to Christian Europe translating Arabic texts first into Hebrew,
then sending these translated texts to Europe, where other Jews translated
the Hebrew into Latin -- the language of the Roman Empire that was still
in use then.
Writers And Philosophers
Some of the greatest Jewish writers and philosophers came from this time
period. Three deserve special mention:
Avraham ibn Ezra, the famed physician, philosopher,
astronomer, and biblical commentator.
Bachya ibn Pakuda, the famed moralist who authored Duties of
the Heart (a book that continues to be a highly popular text in Jewish
ethical studies today), examining the obligations of one's inner life and
presenting a system to assess one's true religious commitment.
Yehudah HaLevi, the famed author of The Kuzari, a
philosophical novel based on the story of the king of Khazaria, a kingdom
located between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. (In the 8th century the
king of Khazaria, undecided whether he should affiliate with the Christians
or Muslims, had great scholars argue before him the merits of the world's
religions, and as a result of this debate converted to Judaism as did a
goodly portion of his country; the history of Khazaria ended in 11th
century when it was destroyed by a Byzantine/Russian coalition.) Basing
himself on this reportedly true story, Yehudah HaLevi imaginatively
recreated the debate before the king in his novel, which continues to be
popular to this day.
The Jewish paradise in Spain ended abruptly when a cruel Muslim Berber
Dynasty -- Almohades -- came to power in the 12th century. When
Almohades seized southern Spain, they gave the Jews three choices: covert
to Islam, leave, or die.
Of the many Jews fleeing Spain at this time was none other than the famed
Maimonides (often known as Rambam, the acronym of his full name,
Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon).
(Incidentally, you may have noticed that so many of the famous Jews were
known by their acronyms. This is because Jews did not have last names;
they did not use last names until forced to by Christian tax collectors later
in history. Jews were known by their first names and their father's names,
sometimes by their tribal names, such as Cohen or Levi, or places of their
origin, and therefore, it was easier to shorten so many words to an
acronym.)
Maimonides
Maimonides was born Moshe ben Maimon on the eve of Passover in 1135
in Cordoba, Spain, to a prominent rabbinical family. In his family tree
figured King David and Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi, who had compiled the
Mishnah (as we saw in Part 39).
His primary teacher was his father, Rabbi Maimon ben Yoseph, a Jewish
judge, who taught him not only the Talmud, but also the fundamentals of
mathematics, astronomy and philosophy.
Maimonides was only 13 when his family was forced to leave Spain. After
wandering homeless for many years -- wanderings during which his father
died -- Maimonides and his brother David finally settled in Cairo, Egypt.
There Maimonides continued his Torah studies, while his brother David, a
dealer in gems, supported the family. When David perished in a sea
voyage, the burden fell on Maimonides.
Maimonides refused to make money from his Torah knowledge, and
therefore, in order to earn a living, he taught himself medicine. Within a
short time, he was so famous as a healer that he was appointed physician
to the Court of Sultan Saladin in Cairo. He was also appointed the chief
rabbi of Cairo.
He was not proud to be living in Egypt, however. It is against Jewish law
for Jews to live in Egypt after the Exodus, so he would sign himself
"Moshe ben Maimon who violates the commandments of the Torah daily
by living in Egypt."
In addition to being a famous doctor and healer, Maimonides was a
prolific writer. Of his voluminous works -- most of which were composed
in Arabic but written with Hebrew characters -- four stand out as perhaps
the most famous:
Commentary on the Mishnah -- his explanation of the Mishnah
Mishneh Torah -- his codex of all the legal decisions of the
Talmud (it's also known as Yad Chazakah)
Guide to the Perplexed -- his explanation of how seemingly
contradictory teachings of the Torah are in fact part of a complete unified
whole
Discourse on the World to Come -- his explanation of the
Messianic Age which includes the 13 Principles of Faith (this discourse is
contained in his introduction to Tractate Sanhedrin 10:1)
(For translations of key excerpts from Maimonides' seminal works see The
Essential Maimonides by Avraham Yaakov Finkel.)
During his time the writings of Maimonides proved highly controversial.
Some of his statements were deemed too radical, others were simply
misunderstood. At one point, his works were banned, and after his death in
1233, burned at the instigation of the rabbis.
However, when nine years later, the French king Louis IX ordered the
Talmud burned, Jews interpreted this as a "measure-for-measure"
punishment from HaShem for the burning of the works of Maimonides.
Indeed, the rabbi who instigated the ban and burning, Rabbi Yonah
Gerondi, subsequently repented for doing so and authored the book
Sha'arei Teshuva, "Gates of Repentance," as a form of atonement for his
derogatory statements about Maimonides.
Today the works of Maimonides are universally accepted and revered.
Indeed, Maimonides is known in the Jewish world as one of most
important of the Rishonim or "the First Ones."
This group of Jewish sages follows those we have previously discussed:
the Tannaim or "Teachers" (200 BCE to 100 CE) who are quoted in the
Mishnah; the Amoraim or "Explainers" (200 to 500), who are quoted in
the Gemara; and the Gaonim or "Geniuses" (500 to 1038) who were the
masters of the post-Talmudic Babylonian academies. The Rishonim (1038
to 1439) added significantly to Jewish scholarship.
In addition to Maimonides, among the most famous of the Rishonim was
the French rabbi, Shlomo ben Yitzchak, known the world over by his
acronym -- Rashi.
Rashi
A question may be asked here, how did Jews end up in France?
First of all, some Jews settled already some 1,000 years earlier in the far-
flung outposts of the Roman Empire. But for a long time these Jewish
settlements were small. The expansion came through some interesting
quirks of fate.
Jewish tradition has it that in the 8th century Charlemagne, the King of the
Franks, seeing how helpful Jews were to the Muslims, asked the caliph to
send him a few rabbis, knowing that once he had rabbis more Jews would
follow.
Additionally, Jews were frequently kidnapped by pirates who knew that
their fellow Jews would pay handsomely to redeem them. A small group
of French Jews put up a lot of money to redeem Rabbi Nosson HaBavli in
just such circumstances on the condition that he come and start a yeshiva
in their community in France -- which he did.
Rashi, the most famous of the French rabbis was born Solomon Ben Isaac
in 1040 in France, though he was sent to study in a yeshiva in Germany.
After he completed his studies, Rashi returned to France and settled in his
hometown of Troyes. Just like Maimonides, he refused to make money
from his Torah knowledge, earning a living instead from several vineyards
that he owned.
Rashi had an absolutely encyclopedic knowledge of the Torah. He took it
upon himself to answer some of the most obvious questions that come up
when reading the text. This is why today so many editions of the Torah
include his explanations alongside the text.
The other thing that Rashi did was to write a commentary on the entire
Babylonian Talmud. Today this commentary appears on the "inner"
margin of virtually every Talmudic page. We find his explanations
indispensable because as we move further and further away from Mount
Sinai, it becomes harder and harder to understand the nuances of Jewish
law.
Rashi did not have sons, but he did have two very famous daughters,
Miriam and Yocheved, whom he educated in the Talmud. Rashi's
daughters married great scholars and fathered great scholars. Rashi's sons-
in-law, his students, and his descendants became part of a group of
scholars that is known as the Ba'alei HaTosfos, meaning "Masters of
Addition." The Ba'alei HaTosfos added commentary to the Talmud which
is featured on the "outer" margin of every Talmudic page. The best known
of this group is Rashi's grandson, Rabbi Jacob ben Meir, also known as
Rabbeinu Ta'am.
Rashi lived until 1105 and he survived the first Crusade, which saw the
slaughter of about 30% of the Jews of Europe.
According to Jewish tradition, he met one of the leaders of the Crusade,
the French nobleman Godfrey de Bouillon. As Godfrey embarked on the
Crusade to liberate the Holy Land from the Muslims, Rashi told him that
he would succeed but that he would come back home with only two
horses. In response, Godfrey vowed that if Rashi's prediction was wrong,
he'd kill him upon his return.
As it happened, Godfrey came back home from the Crusade with only
three horses, but as he entered the archway to the city of Troyes, the center
stone of the arch fell and killed one of them.
Next we will see just what role Godfrey de Bouillon played in the
Crusades and how this shameful period in history came about.
This article can also be read at: http://www.aish.com/literacy/jewishhistory/Crash_Course_in_Jewish_History_Part_44_-_The_Jews_of_Spain.asp
Copyright 1995 - 2002 Aish.com - http://www.aish.com Author Biography: Rabbi Ken Spiro is originally from New Rochelle,NY. He graduated
from Vasser College with a BA in Russian Language and Literature and did graduate studies at the Pushkin Institute in Moscow. He has Rabbinical
ordination from Yeshiva Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem and a Masters Degree in History from The Vermont College of Norwich University. Rabbi Spiro
is also a licensed tour guide by the Israel Ministry of Tourism. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife and five children where he works as a senior
lecturer and researcher on Aish HaTorah outreach programs.

Aish.Com - Rabbi Noach Weinberg ZTL
48 Ways to Wisdom
Way #27 Happiness
A young man once came to meet me in Jerusalem. He had an unusually
happy disposition, so I asked him what's his secret. He told me:
"When I was 11 years old, I received a gift of happiness from HaShem.
"I was riding my bicycle when a strong gust of wind blew me onto the
ground into the path of an oncoming truck. The truck ran over me and cut
off my leg.
"As I lay there bleeding, I realized that I might have to live the rest of my
life without a leg. How depressing! But then I realized that being
34 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
depressed won't get my leg back. So I decided right then and there not to
waste my life despairing.
"When my parents arrived at the hospital they were shocked and grieving.
So I told them: 'I've already adapted. Now you also have to get used to
this.'
"Ever since then, I see my friends getting upset over little things: their bus
came late, they got a bad grade on a test, somebody insulted them. But I
just enjoy life."
At age 11, this young man attained the clarity that it is a waste of energy to
focus on what you are missing. And that the key to happiness is to take
pleasure in what you have.
Sounds simple, doesn't it?
Same'ach bi'chelko literally means "satisfaction with one's portion."
Happiness is achievable. So why are so many people unhappy? We lack
the right tools.
Happiness Is A State Of Mind
Western society commonly perceives happiness as the outcome of what
you achieve and acquire.
"My whole life would improve if I had a new car..."
"I just need a better job and then I can relax and be happy."
"If only I met the right girl..."
You get the car and what happens? For a whole week you're walking on
air. Then you go right back to being unhappy.
Sound familiar?
Happiness is not a happening. Happiness is a state of mind. You can have
everything in the world and still be miserable. Or you can have relatively
little and feel unbounded joy.
The Talmud says: "Who is rich? The one who appreciates what he has."
(Pirkei Avos 4:1)
That's why the morning prayers begin with a series of blessings thanking
HaShem for the simple and obvious:
Thank you, HaShem, for giving me life.
Thank HaShem I can see.
Thank HaShem I can use my hands and feet.
Thank HaShem I can think.
Once you master the art of noticing, appreciating and consciously enjoying
what you already have, then you will always be happy.
Make Your Troubles Insignificant
You are standing on the 70th floor of the Empire State Building, gazing at
the cityscape. Suddenly a rather large man brusquely pushes past you,
wrenches the window open and announces his intention to jump.
You yell out: "Stop! Don't do it!"
The 6-foot-5 figure perched by the window turns to you and menacingly
says, "Try to stop me and I'll take you with me!"
"Umm ... No problem, sir. Have a safe trip. Any last words?"
He says, "Let me tell you my troubles. My wife left me, my kids won't talk
to me, I lost my job and my pet turtle died. So why should I go on living?"
Suddenly you have a flash of inspiration.
"Sir, close your eyes for a minute and imagine that you are blind. No
colors, no sights of children playing, no fields of flowers, no sunset. Now
imagine that suddenly there's a miracle. You open your eyes and your
vision is restored! Are you going to jump - or will you stick around for a
week to enjoy the sights?"
"I'll stay for a week."
"But what happened to all the troubles?"
"Ah, I guess they're not so bad. I can see!"
An eyeball is worth at least 5 million dollars. You have two of them?
You're rich!
If you really appreciate your eyesight, then the other miseries are nothing.
Yet if you take it all for granted, then nothing in life will ever truly give
you joy.
Misconceptions On The Road To Happiness
Misconception #1: "Once I know the tools for being happy, then it will
work like magic."
Don't expect the results to come automatically. It is possible to
intellectually understand how to attain happiness, yet not put it into
practice.
In fact, many people might actually prefer to be comfortable and unhappy,
rather than endure the discomfort of changing their habits.
Just as learning any new skill requires effort, you have to be willing to
invest serious effort to achieve real happiness.
Misconception #2: "If I become content and satisfied with what I have,
I'll lose my motivation to achieve more."
Happiness doesn't drain your energy. It adds more!
Ask a happy person: "I have a boat. Do you want to go fishing?"
He'll say, "Great! Let's go!"
Now ask someone who is depressed: "C'mon, let's go fishing!"
He'll say, "I'm tired. Maybe tomorrow. And anyway, it might rain..."
Happy people are energetic and ambitious. There's never enough time to
do everything they want to do.
Misconception #3: "Happiness is optional. If I want to be depressed,
that's my own prerogative."
A beautiful Sunday afternoon. You're at the park having a picnic with your
friends.
Suddenly the air is pierced by one person complaining: "Who forgot the
forks? It's too hot for volleyball. I want to go home already."
You have an obligation to be happy when your mood is negatively
affecting others. Don't spoil the fun.
We all try to put on a happy face when we're at a party. But what about
when we are at home, with our kids? Or when we trudge into the office on
Monday morning?
Like an open pit in the middle of the road, a "sour puss" is a public
menace. Being happy is part of being considerate to the people around us.
The Daily Pleasure Count
To begin appreciating life, pinpoint some things you are extremely grateful
for and count them every morning for one month, e.g.: your eyes, your
hands, your children, your cat.
Set a time each day to contemplate these pleasures. Feel gratitude for
them. This exercise can change the mood of even the most miserable
amongst us:
The next time you visit your aunt (the one who loves to complain), tell her
very respectfully:
"Auntie, I came here to suffer with you today. But before we suffer, it is
only fair that you also share with me five pleasures that you had today."
"I had no pleasures."
"Auntie, did you have coffee for breakfast?"
"Yes."
Don't let her off the hook with this perfunctory answer. Make her share the
pleasure.
"Was it sweet? Warm? Did the aroma linger? Did it give you energy?"
(She'll comply because she wants her turn to complain...)
"Okay, it was sweet and it was nice."
"Great Auntie! Now four more!"
"I didn't have any more."
"Did you wash your face? Was it pleasant? Warm? Refreshing?"
Relive it with her. Then another one.
After she describes five pleasures, her complaints won't be nearly as bad.
To really work at this, sit down with your spouse (or roommate) every
evening and discuss one pleasure that each of you had that day. At the
very least, you'll have a happier spouse or roommate!
Incorporate this into your family routine so that your children also learn to
appreciate their daily pleasures.
The One-Hour Blessing-Fest
The next exercise is more sophisticated.
Spend one hour writing down everything for which you are grateful.
Most people fly through the first 15 minutes. The next 15 minutes the pen
moves more slowly. The next 15 minutes get even tougher, but you can
pull through if you include your eyebrows and socks...
The last 15 minutes are excruciating.
Once the list is compiled, add one new blessing each day.
The power of this exercise is clear: You must be conscious of all your
blessings, in order to appreciate whatever new blessings come your way.
Prioritize Your Blessings
To really hone your skills and become an expert at appreciation, prioritize
your list.
-- Which is more valuable - your hands or your feet?
-- Eyes or ears?
-- Sense of taste or your sense of touch?
Comparing each pleasure forces you to qualify the various subtle aspects
of each pleasure. And to quantify how much each respective pleasure
gives you.
Follow this course and work at it daily. Your gratitude will continue to
grow, building a solid foundation for a lifetime of happiness.
Why Is "Happiness" A Way To Wisdom?
Happiness is energy and power for living.
Focus on what you have and you'll be happy. Focus on what you
don't have and you'll be miserable.
Happiness is not the goal in life; it is a means to tap your inner energy
in order to accomplish your potential.
Happy people are healthy, optimistic, and have more driving force to
achieve.
Happiness is not "living in a state of semi-depression." That's mere
survival.
Happiness is in your control. By not controlling it, you are slave to
your emotions.
Happiness requires discipline, determination and hard work.
>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 35
Happiness is not a "happening." Don't wait for it to happen. Go out
and create it.
Author Biography: Rabbi Noach Weinberg ztl was the dean and founder of Aish HaTorah International. Over the last 40 years, his visionary
educational programs have brought hundreds of thousands of Jews closer to their heritage. Copyright 2002 Aish.com - "The 48 Ways to Wisdom"
is culled from the Talmud (Pirkei Avos 6:6), which states that "the crown of Torah is acquired by 48 Ways." Each of these is a special tool to help us
sharpen our personal skills and get the most out of life.
.

The following columns on last weeks parsha were received after publication
1. Rabbi Boruch Sholem Abish The Big Letters page 35
2. Rabbi Yaacov Haber TorahLab page 35
3. Rabbi Avraham Kahn Torah Attitude page 36
4. Rabbi Mordecai Kamenetzky Parsha Parables page 36
5. Rabbi Label Lam Dvar Torah page 37
6. Rabbi Ben-Zion Rand Likutei Peshatim page 37
7. Rabbi Rabbi Michael Rosensweig Torahweb page 38
8. HaRav Shlomo Wolbe Ztl Bais Hamussar page 39




Rabbi Boruch Sholem Abish
The Big Letters
In this week's Parshah of Tazria-Metzora we find (13 32) one of the
verses containing an intentional oversized letter; a GIMMEL in the word
Vhisgalach. This is not some arbitrary misprint, indeed we see in
Talmud Nedarim 37b, and Kedushin 30a that even the purposefully varied
spellings, and intentional deviation of spelling vs. pronunciations are
traditions received at the giving of the Torah, and transmitted via the
unique system of oral tradition of our holy Torah. Besides the oversized
letters, we also have undersized letters, and occasional dots placed above
some letters. Truth be said, this understanding of the Torah, only works in
conjunction with the idea that our Torah is Divine and inviolate. The
Sages say that every letter in the Torah represents a spark and Neshomah
(holy soul) of Jews, each one unique. It is an essential core belief that the
Torah was Divinely issued, and accurately transmitted throughout the
generations. It may be fascinating to note, that during the dark ages, when
the world descended into an abyss, there were two areas of world Jewry,
one in eastern Europe, and one in the Middle East including Spain and
Northern Africa. Although these two cultures were virtually
incommunicado to each other, never the less over the duration of a
millennium, the Torah scrolls of each, when matched up, were nearly
identical to each other, down to the last letter.
This is not the only instance of a large letter, we have seven such
occasions. We had one just last week (Leviticus 1142) where we find a
large vov. What could possibly be the significance and purpose of these
letters? Well the Talmud states that these letters are of significance
because the VOV is the midpoint in letters, and the GIMMEL is the
midpoint in verses, although it is indeterminate as to which half it belongs
to (there are an even number of verses; 5,888). Additionally many are
familiar with the dorash dorash of 10 16, which represents the
midpoint of words. (There is an alternate version that the midpoint of
verses is 87.) Now one may question that the Baal Haturim (R Jacob
Ben Asher of Germany 1269-1340) tells us that the large GIMMEL which
is the third letter is large because it alludes to the fact that three kind of
people need to shave their bodily hair; the Naazir, the biblical leper, and
the leper. This is not a contradiction, for the entire verse is the midpoint,
why did the Torah choose this particular letter to be large, and this was the
answer. We also see the very first letter of the Torah is oversized. Why?
We see that the document of a Gett, a Jewish bill of divorce, has a very
prescribed structured writing. It requires 12 lines precisely, the mans
name on the 3rd line, the wifes name on the 6th line, the city and a
nearby water, the date and various other rules. Amongst these (Talmud
Gittin 85b) is the rule that certain letters must be written oversized and
elongated. Why? Because it is important that these letters are not erringly
misread. The letters are large to make sure one does not make a mistake
and that we understand its meaning and importance.
Perhaps this is the reason of our oversized letters; to show significance.
One must always be extremely vigilant at the beginning of anything to
verify the intent of the project, and if one sees the journey is incorrect, he
must verify the origins and find the correct path. Then when one reaches
the midpoint of their journey, he must re-evaluate once again. Finally,
when one reaches towards the end of the Torah (Deuteronomy 326) we
find a large HEY, a word unto itself, reminding us of the purpose of the
entire journey; the letter HEY= five representing the five books of Moses.
We must show fealty to Hashem who has given us the five books of
Moses.
The next two oversized letters, Deuteronomy 64, the first verse of The
Shema; we see the large AYIN and the DALED, which together say
AIDE meaning testimony to the existence of one G-D i.e. Monotheism a
non-negotiable core value of Judaism. The Shema; a phrase we utter twice
a day, and we aspire for this phrase to be the final utterance on our lips as
we pass from world to world. Finally, we see in Exodus 3414 a large
REISH; dont bow to other gods, the other side of the coin of One
Hashem.
The lesson of all this is rather obvious. One should not follow by rote or
with horse blinders. The journey of faith and righteous pursuit is done
with thought and joy and reliance on the wisdom of an omnipotent
compassionate creator. Our religion is one done with a constant state of
self awareness and intelligent relevant guidance. One must have a leader
ready to answer, and a mindset ready to learn. And most important of all;
dont let your guard down, make sure you are on the right path, and
always always re-evaluate. Steady as she goes. Shabbat Shalom J
By; Bryan Abish. For comments / free subscription or to unsubscribe;
bryan@securenet.net Subject; Dvar.
Rabbi Yaacov Haber
TorahLab
Why Did G-d Create Flies?
I spent just a few minutes researching flies. I couldnt find too much
useful information about them. I learned that once the adult house fly
hatches from the pupal stage, it has an approximate life span of 15 to 30
days. I also learned that a female house fly can lay up to 500 eggs in a
three to four day period; and that although house flies tend not to leave
they can travel up to six miles in 24 hours.
What I couldnt seem to find out was the purpose of the fly. What exactly
does the fly contribute to nature and the world, or in short, why did G-d
create flies?
What brought me to check out flies?
Rashi points out that the order of the Torah seems reversed. In last weeks
parsha the Torah spoke about animals: These are the rules regarding
animals (Lev. 11:46), and in this weeks parsha we begin to learn about
rules for man. Rabbi Simlai taught that just as the creation of man
followed the creation of animals, so too do the rules for man (brit mila and
tahara) follow the rules regarding animals (shechita and kashrut) (Rashi
Vayikra 12:2).
Of course, the teaching of Rabbi Simlai begs the question: why in fact
were animals created before man?
A look in the Midrash (14:1) gives us the full answer. Reish Lakish
taught that actually sometimes man comes before animals, and sometimes
animals come before man; this teaches us that if a man reaches his
potential we can tell him: You have preceded every creation in the
world, but if he hasnt we can tell him: Even a fly was created before
you!
So I began to wonder how a fly could possibly be greater than a man.
What possible lofty position can the fly have in G-ds world that could
give it precedence over man? I learned that unlike all other animals and
creatures, the fly cannot be trained, even after 15 years! (Im not sure how
they worked that out considering flies only live thirty days but then Im
not a scientist.) So how can we possibly be worse?
Then I realized that the answer lies in the question. Reish Lakish, a great
man who realized, late in life, that he had a noble purpose and a historical
mission to fulfill in life, was trying to describe the condition of a man or
woman that has never reached their potential. He searched the animal
kingdom for a creature of G-d that seemed to have no redeeming purpose,
and he came to consider the fly. The fly, he argued, is an accurate
comparison to a certain type of human being. Every person is created with
the ability to move mountains and shake the Heavens; each one of us has
an entire potential to realize. But what happens if we dont?
The answer is that we become something like a fly, of which everyone
wonders: Why did G-d create that thing anyway?
On the other hand, seeing that G-d indeed did create the fly, and did not
give it the ability to choose between good and evil, we must believe that it
was created for a purpose, and that somehow by buzzing around on our
windows, it is in fact accomplishing its mission!. This alone puts it one
notch above the human who is going nowhere. Hence Reish Lakishs
formulation that when man fulfills his potential there is no creature that
can compare to him; he is true to his being created in the image of G-d.
But if he decides to just sit around, exist and go nowhere, well then, a fly
has one up on him!.
In general, I am not obsessive; in fact sometimes Im afraid Im a little too
relaxed and laid back. I do, however, suffer however from the fly
syndrome. I am totally concerned that too much of life may go by before
36 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
I get that Aha! moment, the moment of clarity where your raison dtre
becomes apparent.
There is another reason we were created last: so that by the time we get
here, the entire world is already available, at our disposal and ready to
help us reach unimaginable heights. May we all be privileged to
experience that day.
Rabbi Avraham Kahn
Torah Attitude
Parashas Tazria-Metzora, Let Us Not Push G-d Away
April 11, 2013
Summary
Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. Amroms conduct prevented
both males and females from being born. Rabbi Eliezer Schach was
number eight in his family. King Chezkiah had a prophetic vision that he
was going to have a son who would become a wicked sinner. The One
Who provides life provides sustenance. Everything fits into G-ds
masterplan but is totally beyond our comprehension. When we take
matters into our own hands and refrain from having children, all we
accomplish is to interfere with G-ds masterplan. When we celebrate
Pesach it is an opportunity to utilize this time to free ourselves from our
dependence on the nations of the world and their cultures, and live up to
our mission as G-ds chosen people. Our ancestors were freed in the merit
of their observance and diligence not to transgress the three sins that
pushes away G-ds Divine Spirit.
Be Fruitful
In the beginning of the first of this weeks two parshios, the Torah teaches
the laws of purity and impurity after childbirth. Having children is not just
an opportunity, it is the very purpose of creation. Right at the beginning,
G-d blessed Adam and Eve and commanded them (Bereishis 1:28): Be
fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And the Prophet Isaiah (45:18)
states: For so says G-d, Creator of Heaven ... the earth ... He did not
create it to be desolate, He formed it to be populated.
Amrom Separated From Yocheved
Just last week we celebrated Pesach, commemorating the bondage in
Egypt and our exodus from there. In the beginning of Parashas Shemos
(1:8-16) the Torah describes how a new Pharaoh rose and tried to break
the Jewish people with his decrees. He instructed the Jewish midwives to
abort all Jewish males as part of his diabolic plans. Rashi quotes the
Talmud (Sotah 12a) that relates that as a result of Pharaohs decree,
Amrom, the leader of the Jewish people, separated from his wife,
Yocheved, and everyone followed his example. However, his daughter
Miriam challenged her father and said to him that his conduct did more
harm to the Jewish people than Pharaohs decree. For Pharaoh had only
decreed to kill the male newborns, whereas Amroms conduct prevented
both males and females from being born. Amrom accepted Miriams
chastisement and started living with Yocheved again. Shortly after that
Yocheved gave birth to a baby boy who became known as Moses, and
was chosen by G-d to lead the Jewish people out of Egypt.
Eight Children
This teaches us how we must follow G-ds commandments even in
difficult times, and not try to take things into our own hands. For what
seems to be a way to avoid tragedy and problems can be the very cause of
more difficulties. The venerated Ponevez Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Eliezer
Schach, was the undisputed Torah leader of his generation. Once a woman
came to him and asked how many children one should have. He answered
with a smile and told her that he himself was number eight in his family.
King Chezkiah
The Talmud (Berachos 10a) relates that King Chezkiah had a prophetic
vision that he was going to have a son who would become a wicked
sinner. He decided to take the matter into his own hands and did not get
married. G-d punished him and made him very sick. As he was lying on
his death bed, G-d gave him a last chance to rectify his wrongdoing and
instructed the Prophet Isaiah to visit him. When King Chezkiah defended
himself and said that he did not want to bring a sinner into the world, the
prophet said to him, Why do you mix into the hidden ways of G-d? You
do as you are commanded, and G-d will do what He pleases. King
Chezkiah accepted the chastisement and asked Isaiah for the hand of his
daughter. They married and had a son, Menashe, who followed his father
on the throne. Initially, he was an idol worshipper and did a lot of evil, but
eventually he repented and turned into a righteous king.
G-d Provides Sustenance
Nowadays many couples are worried about the financial challenges of
having a large family. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel
Schneerson, used to say that every child that is born has his personal
account designated in Heaven. There is a similar old saying that The One
Who provides life provides sustenance. Just as G-d has created a world
with plenty of oxygen, He has sufficient food in His world to sustain
every living being. However, just as some people are well and some are
sick, in the same way some are rich and others are poor.
G-ds Masterplan
Everything fits into G-ds masterplan but is totally beyond our
comprehension. Rabbi Avraham Pam, the Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta Torah
Vodaath in New York, used to say that in his youth he had a lot of ideas
and recommendations how G-d should run the world, but when he became
older he realized that it would have been a catastrophe had G-d listened to
his advice. When Amrom tried to help G-d by separating from his
wife, all he accomplished was to delay the birth of the one G-d had
designated to lead the Jewish people out of Egypt. In the same way, when
we take matters into our own hands and refrain from having children, all
we accomplish is to interfere with G-ds masterplan.
G-ds Divine Spirit
G-d lets His Divine Spirit dwell with us to protect us even in our state of
impurity (see Vayikra 16:16). However, the Zohar (Shemos 3a-b)
enumerates three sins that push the Divine Spirit away from this world:
(1) Someone who does not observe the laws of family purity; (2) someone
who intermarries; and (3) someone who causes an abortion. These people
do not just cause harm to themselves but to everyone around them as well.
The question is often asked, where was G-d during the Holocaust? Who
knows if we did not push G-ds Divine Spirit away ourselves? And if that
is the case, how is our situation today? However, we may never give up or
despair. G-d is our merciful Father Who is waiting for us and is always
ready to accept our repentance. Obviously, this is not a black or white
situation, and everyone can make a difference.
Freedom From Dependence
At the time of the exodus from Egypt, G-d freed us from our bondage to
our Egyptian masters. Every year when we celebrate Pesach we refer to it
as the time of our freedom. This refers to both the freedom from our
Egyptian masters and the Egyptian culture. This freedom was a
preparation for Shavuous when we received and accepted the Torah.
When we celebrate Pesach and count the Omer it is not just to
commemorate what happened at the time of the exodus and the following
seven weeks. Rather, it is giving us an opportunity to utilize this time to
free ourselves from our dependence on the nations of the world and their
cultures, and live up to our mission as G-ds chosen people.
Not Transgress Three Sins
The Zohar concludes that our ancestors were freed in the merit of their
observance and diligence not to transgress the three sins that pushes away
G-ds Divine Spirit. This time of year therefore is the appropriate time for
all of us to strengthen ourselves, our children and everyone in our society
in these matters, so that we also shall see the end of our exile with the
coming of Moshiach. Amen.
These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva
and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.
Shalom. Michael Deverett
P.S. If you have any questions or enjoyed reading this e-mail, we would appreciate
hearing from you. If you know of others who may be interested in receiving e-mails
similar to this please let us know at Michael@deverettlaw.com .

Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky
Parsha Parables
Parshas Tazria Metzorah - (A) Nothing to Declare
Dedicated in memory of Freeda Charnowitz, 7 Iyar, by the Bluth and
Charnowitz Families
The laws in this week's Parsha, are quite complex. They deal
predominantly with the spirtual plague that primarily affects gossips -
tzora'as. Tzora'as appears as a white lesion on various parts of the body,
and the status of the afflicted depends on its shade of white, its size, and
its development. The afflicted does he enter a hospital, he is quarantined
and then reevaluated by a kohen; if condemned he is sent out of the
Jewish camp until he heals, a sign that he has repented his slanderous
ways.
The laws are very complex it takes an expert to know them well. And that
is the reason that I am troubled by a Midrash on Sefer Tehillim, the Book
of Psalms. The Medrash focuses upon a verse that we say thrice daily as
we end the Shemoneh Esrei. King David writes, "May it be Your will that
the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable
before You, O L-rd, my Rock, and my Redeemer" (Tehillim 19:15). The
Medrash elucidates. "Dovid says before the Almighty, 'May it be your
will when they read these verses of Tehillim it should not be as if they are
reading (sifrei mirsi) books of vanity and heresy (see the R"ash Yadayim
4:5), rather if they should read and toil over them they should receive
reward as if they were (the complex laws of) n'gaim and ohalos (laws of
tzara'as and other forms of impurity)" (Yalkut Shimoni Tehillim 613).
It seems strange. What is the connection of the recitation of Tehillim to
the aforementioned complex laws of tzor'aas? Further, why did David
HaMelech choose those laws? There are many difficult laws in the Torah.
There are complex fiduciary and tort laws as well as laws regarding
kashruth and medical issues. Why does Dovid want the one who reads
Tehillim to be considered as if he was studying the complex laws of
tzora'as?
The Story
My good friend and colleague, Rabbi Chanoch Teller related the
following story in the name of the founder of Chassidus, the Baal Shem
Tov. There was once an ignorant shepherd boy who had entered a
synagogue on Rosh Hashanah and was inspired by the sincere devotion of
the congregation. He, too, wished to offer up his voice in prayer but did
>:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc 37
not know how to pray. He could not even read from a prayer book. He
therefore took out the flute which he normally used to gather his flock,
and began to play. It was the one expression that he knew how to
articulate.
The worshippers in the synagogue were shocked, disgraced and appalled
at the boorish behavior of this young fool, who desecrated the sanctity of
the synagogue and holiday with his simple flute. A shonda! They cried in
unison and derision.
Only the Baal Shem Tov came to the boy's defense, chastising those
present by admonishing, "I could see that the prayers of this shul had
almost made their way to the high Heavens, but they were lodged
impenetrably at the gates. It was only this sincere and utterly pure blowing
of the recorder that was able to ascend and transport all the prayers of this
assembly into the portals of Heaven.
The Message
Rabbi Meir Simcha HaCohen of D'vinsk explains. Tzora'as is a very
unique law. In the 47 verses that discuss the tzoraas, the Kohen is
mentioned no less than 45 times! "He shall be brought to the Kohen";
"The Kohen shall look"; "The Kohen shall declare him contaminated";
"The Kohen shall quarantine him"; "The Kohen shall declare him tahor
(pure)" (Leviticus 13:1-47). And that is for one simple reason. No matter
how difficult it may be to adjudicate the status of the affliction, and no
matter who the expert who finally resolves any question of halachic status,
no one's declaration, save the kohen can make effect a change in status.
The greatest scholar can look and say, "That's a negah! You are impure!"
But it does not matter. The Kohen must declare it. If the greatest sage in
Israel is consulted and studies the negah and then says, it I has dissipated!
You are tahor!" His adjudication is worthless. The Torah tells us that only
a a kohen, even the greatest boor of a kohen, must make the declaration.
Indeed the words of the simpleton, are more cogent than that of the wisest
Israelite scholar.
And that, explains Rav Meir Simcha, is what King David meant. King
David in his prescient vision knew that the Tehillim will be recited by the
simplest of Jews. He knew it will be the staple of prayer for men and
women, girls and boys who wet its pages with the tears of supplications.
And many of them will not understand a single word that they are
reading! And thus Dovid beseeches the Almighty, "Let the recitation of
my Tehillim be exactly like negaim, like tzoraas, whereas the declaration
of the simplest boorish kohen who has no comprehension of the law and
may not even understand what he is saying, can be more powerful than the
declaration of the greatest sages. Good Shabbos2013Rabbi Mordechai
Kamenetzky
Rabbi Label Lam
Dvar Torah
Parshas Tazria-Metzorah - Anyone Can Find
And the person with Tzaraas in whom there is the affliction his garments
shall be torn, the hair of his head shall be unshorn, and he shall cloak
himself up to his lips; he is to call out, Contaminated, contaminated
(Vayikra 13:45)
Its a heavy dose of medicine thats dumped upon the Metzora! Why is he
isolated? Thats a terrible consequence to endure! What had he done so
wrong? Everyone knows! He spoke Loshon Hora! His mouth was
undisciplined. However there is a step or two prior to his having opened
his mouth that could have prevented his personal tragedy that may also
explain why he is singled out and removed temporarily from the
community.
In the first chapter of Pirke Avos the Mishne reads, Judge every man to
the side of merit! Actually it may more accurately be read, Judge the
entirety of the man to the side of merit! Its not so much about who you
judge to the side of merit but how you judge one to the side of merit. How
does it work?
The Sefas Emes explains the Midrash that tells us, the word, Metzora is
really a contraction of the words, Motzi Ra- finding bad! Everything in
the world is comprised of an admixture of good and bad! So it is with
man! However, since in his root he is essentially good, he can overcome
the bad, because of the principle, Mida Tova Meruba- the good far
outweighs the bad! However a person needs to be careful not to isolate
and focus on the bad separate from the generality of good. Everything
goes back to cleaving to the rootbeing a part of group can cure!
When studying any individual it is all too easy to find and focus on a
fault. However, if we would be able to compile a list of good qualities
they would probably overwhelm the negativity. The natural instinct is to
zero in on the foible. The Mishne admonishes us to see the whole person
and the blemishes will be blurred into oblivion. Thats how to do it!
Recently on a Shabbos morning I came to Shul at our small Litvish
neighborhood Shteibl. There in the corner I established my place to pray.
There was a gift there that morning. A table Shtender- lectern was set at
my spot, unusually so, and I decided to make immediate use of it. It was
usually occupied by a sweet down-syndrome boy- a special child who
parks nearby a few seats away but he was not there yet and I was ready to
grant it to him as soon as he would come. Well no sooner than I had
finished my morning Brochos and started Pesukei DZimra, in he walked
and settled into his usual spot without the lectern. Immediately I uprooted
the wooden box and marched it over to the young man and motioned that I
wanted him to have it. He forcefully insisted that he didnt want it
managed to successfully repel my offer. I was effectively thwarted by
him.
Moments later though something happened that left me in total shock but
it took me a few moments to realize what happened. I did not sit as of yet
but it did not go unnoticed to me that the seat at my place was one of
those old rickety inferior folding chairs thats hard and uncomfortable. I
thought about switching but I was not up to that point yet. Well, this kid
comes over to where I am sitting and he takes this chair away and replaces
it with his own, a big upgrade in quality. I tried to rebuff his gesture but
again he actively insisted I like this one. He could possible like it better
but I could not derail his agenda. Only later I realized that this boy was a
bigger Baal Chessed than me. He has some superior qualities that
overshadows any deficiency that anyone can find!
DvarTorah, Copyright 2007 by Rabbi Label Lam and Torah.org. Questions or comments? Email feedback@torah.org. Join the Jewish Learning
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Rabbi Ben-Zion Rand
Likutei Peshatim
vxo-vIn
Volume 27 Number 26 April 13, 2013
xvwD n 'x \7 ]1\v .O\n q+
The Earlier The Better
And the Kohen shall look at it on the seventh day, and, behold, the
affliction remained in its appearance, and the affliction did not spread
on the skin, then the Kohen shall close him off a second time for a
seven-day period. Vayikra 13:5
Rabbi Yechezkel Levenshtein, former mashgiach of the Ponovizh
Yeshiva, points out that the entire episode of the metzora teaches us
important lessons regarding the process of teshuva. There are various
levels and degrees of sin, and, accordingly, there are different approaches
in remedying these conditions.
If a person is fortunate, he will respond to the first indication that he has
sinned, and he will interpret the first sign of trouble as a signal to repent.
As soon as the Kohen puts him in quarantine for one week, he can already
look forward to moving ahead with a ruling of being tahor once the week
is over. However, if the person is stubborn and refuses to amend his
misdeeds which have caused this plague, the reaction also intensifies. The
tzaraas spot will reflect the condition, and the Kohen will declare it to be
tamei. The person can still do teshuva, but the situation is now a bit more
complex.
The lesson for us is that the earlier a person is willing to sincerely
consider his misdeeds, the easier it is for the process of teshuva to
succeed. If a person is only willing to respond once the situation has
deteriorated, the difficulty in doing teshuva is likewise increased, and
completing the procedure is more of a challenge.
Stopped In Their Tracks
This shall be the law of the metzora on the day of his purification: and
He shall be brought to the Kohen. Vayikra 14:2
The Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 16:2) relates the story of a peddler who sold
his wares in the neighboring villages surrounding Tzipori. He would
proclaim, Who wishes to buy an elixir of life? People flocked from all
over to buy his unique potion.
At that time, Rabbi Yanai, who was studying Torah at home, called down
to him, Come up and let me purchase your wares. The peddler
responded, People of your caliber have no need for my wares. Rabbi
Yanai nonetheless continued pleading with him to sell him his wares.
Finally, the peddler came to Rabbi Yanai and presented him with a bound
copy of Sefer Tehilim and pointed to the verses (34:13-14), Who is the
man who wishes life, who loves days to see good? Guard your tongue
from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
Then said Rabbi Yanai, I have been saying this pasuk all my life, never
realizing how simple it was until this peddler came and showed me. This
is why, continues the Midrash, Moshe exhorted Bnei Yisrael with the
pasuk, This is the Torah law of the metzora. The word "vxo" -
metzora - is divisible into its component parts, "v uw nxo" - one
who spreads rumors that damage anothers reputation.
This Midrash and its narrative are famous. They are constantly cited to
emphasize the life-sustaining qualities of shemiras halashon. One aspect
of the entire narrative, however, is hardly emphasized. The peddler stood
in the middle of the street proclaiming, Who wishes to buy an elixir of
life? Everyone who heard this announcement presumably ceased
whatever he was doing in anticipation of the unique opportunity to
purchase this amazing product. Didn't they know that life cannot be
bought with money? Also, when it became apparent that the peddlers
intentions were simply to emphasize the importance of guarding ones
tongue, why didn't they berate him for wasting their time?
In Darchei Mussar, HaRav Yaakov Neiman, 9xI, draws an important
conclusion from this Midrash, which carries in it a profound lesson for all
of us. Those people were surely on a high spiritual plane. Consequently,
38 >:\D D\"pnu trcdk trcd ihc
they were well aware of the peddlers intention. They appreciated the
quality of a spiritual life. The mention of an opportunity for longevity was
understood as an opportunity for the development of a spiritual life.
HaRav Neiman notes that very few of us would actually stop whatever we
are doing just to hear a dvar Torah, or share in a spiritual experience. We
are so absorbed in our mundane activities that we are unable to take note
of a spiritual opportunity when it appears before us. An observant Jew
whose life is guided by the Torah should view material pursuit as a means
rather than an end in and of itself.
Getting The Message
When you come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a
possession, and I put the plague of tzaraas in a house of the land of
your possession. Vayikra 14:34
A woman was invited into the palace, but was frightened when she saw a
stick and a whip near the door. The king quickly assured her that the
weapons were exclusively for use with the slaves. For her, however, the
king had prepared only food and drink. So, too, is it in regard to the
plagues described in these parashios. The Jewish nation was very
frightened of the threat of being contaminated with the various symptoms.
Hashem reassured them that they should not worry. These are for the
nonbelievers. For you, though, all I have in mind is that you enjoy and
benefit from the land. -- Midrash
Hashem promises us that not only will our observing the Torah protect us
from all harm, but also that (Devarim 7:15): All the maladies which were
placed upon the Egyptians...will be placed upon your enemies.
Furthermore, David HaMelech begged Hashem (Tehillim 6:2): Hashem,
do not rebuke me in your anger. He then immediately continued to
attempt to redirect the anger of Hashem by requesting that His anger be
vented towards the gentile nations, just as we find (Yirmiyahu 10:25):
Pour out your rage upon the nations who do not know you. What is the
meaning of this constant reference to punishment, maladies and wrath
which is removed from the Jews and placed upon the nations?
Ksav Sofer notes that apparently the anger of Hashem can serve a very
constructive purpose. By maintaining a constant awareness and fear of
Heavenly retribution as a consequence of sin, the Jewish people can
always remain repentant and obedient. Nevertheless, we pray and hope
that these tragic events occur only externally, away from our people. Let
our enemies suffer, yet all the while we will observe their misfortune and
take it to heart. By seeing that tragedy and harm do exist in the world at
large, we can respond with a fearful heart even though we do not
personally suffer directly. We are quite capable of getting the message
even from afar. In the parable of the Midrash, the woman who visited the
palace clearly saw the weapons and she reacted, although she was not
directly threatened even for a moment.
May we always merit to be deserving of only the benefits which this
world has to offer, yet remain fully loyal to Hashem, knowing that the
hardships which the gentiles may experience remain only potentially
threatening to us.
Protecting Property
And the Kohen shall command, and they shall clear the house when
the Kohen has not yet come to look at the affliction, so that everything in
the house should not become impure; and afterward shall the Kohen
come to look at the house. Vayikra 14:36
For all the while that the Kohen does not become involved with it, the law
of impurity does not take effect. -- Rashi
Why does the Torah command that the afflicted house be emptied before
the Kohen arrives? It could have allowed the Kohen to arrive, and if he
intended to declare the house as truly contaminated, we could then empty
the house quickly before the declaration was officially made. The halacha
is that once a Kohen arrives at his decision that the house is to be
quarantined, he cannot delay in making his official declaration that the
house is tamei. If the house had not yet been evacuated, at that moment,
as the verdict is about to be pronounced, everyone would rush to retrieve
whatever items possible from the house in order to save them from
becoming tamei. Obviously, due to the time limitation, people would
choose those items which were most valuable first, and the lesser items.
such as the earthenware pots, would be lost. However, now that the Torah
instructs us to remove all items before the arrival of the Kohen, there will
not be any impurity upon any of the items of the house. Without
exception, everything would be saved, including the cheaper and simpler
items which otherwise would have been the first to be lost.
Or Hachaim notes that the Torah is hereby showing its concern for the
fiscal welfare of the owner of this house, in that the earthenware vessels
will be saved. They would have otherwise been lost either due to the fact
that they would have been subject to ritual contamination without the
ability for renewed purity, or because they would have been left behind in
the last-minute rush to save items of value before the Kohen would have
pronounced his ruling.
Halachic Corner
Pirkei Avos Chapter 2
There are various customs regarding ones position during Kiddush. Some
stand only when saying the first four words - "uown \9J wwn u",
and then sit for the remainder of Kiddush. Some stand from the words
"wwn u" until the word nwv9" and then sit down before saying the
bracha "sn s na". Some stand for the whole Kiddush. Anyone
fulfilling his obligation in Kiddush with the person reciting the Kiddush
should follow the custom of the reciter. If the reciter stands, the listener
should stand, and if the reciter sits, the listener should sit.
The cup is lifted with both hands and then held only in the palm of the
right hand. The fingers should extend upward and envelop the cup. During
the recital, the cup should be held at least one nsu (about 3 1/2 inches)
above the table. A left-handed person holds the cup in his left hand. One
should not wear gloves while holding the Kiddush cup. One should look at
the Shabbos candles when beginning the passage "\9J.na n9n says
that one should look at the candles from "\9J" until nwv9". While
saying the brachos "sn s na" and "\1w1p wn", one should look
at the Kiddush cup. This serves as a visual aid to help one concentrate on
the mitzvah at hand. However, the Kiddush is valid 11v1a (after the
fact), regardless of how the cup was held, and even if it was not held at
all, as long as it was at least on the table.
Questions for Thought and Study
1. How is an animal similar to a baby in regard to its holiness? Why do
they share this characteristic? See Ohr Hachaim 12:3
2. Why are the babies originally called male |JI) or female |n1p1) and
then changed to son (a) or daughter (na) in Pasuk 12:6? See
Meshech Chochmah 12:6
3. How is the "n1w1 nvx' " - old tzaraas - a fitting blemish for the
sin of the one who gets it? See Kli Yakar 13:11
4. Why are we stricter with people who have tzaraas than with those who
have other ,Itn# y1 (impurities) in that we do not allow them to stay
together even if they are equally afflicted? See Rashi 13:46
5. Why does the Torah say in Pasuk 14:2 that the metzora is brought
(n1\n) to the Kohen, yet the next pasuk says that the Kohen goes out to
the metzora? See Ramban 14:2
6. Why does the Torah use the double expression
"nwo 1 n n\n 91 un" - if he is poor, and his means are not
sufficient? Isnt this redundant? See Ibn Ezra 14:21
Answers:
1. An animal cant be brought as a sacrifice until its eighth day of life. A
male baby must be in its eighth day of life before he has his Bris. This is
true regarding both of them because both need to be infused with the
holiness of Shabbos to have the spiritual strength to serve Hashem.
2. In Jewish law a child is considered viable at thirty days. Therefore,
after thirty days it is considered a son or a daughter but not when the
child is just born.
3. The skin appears healthy on the surface but is moist and infected
underneath. This is similar to the sinner, who appears righteous but speaks
inappropriately behind ones back.
4. Because the person with tzaraas caused people to be separated by his
leshon hara, he is totally separated from any contact with other people.
5. One explanation is that he is not actually brought to the Kohen but
the Torah is telling us that his purification is not complete until he is seen
by the Kohen who goes to him. Another explanation is that he is brought
to the Kohen even against his will, to become purified.
6. First the Torah is indicating that he is poor in his spiritual state in that
he has sinned. The second poorness refers to the sinners lack of funds.
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Rabbi Michael Rosensweig
TorahWeb
Sefirat Ha-Omer: A Process of Individual and National Growth
The Torah (Vayikra 23:9-22) presents the mizvah of sefirat ha-omer by
linking it to the korbon ha-omer and the korbon shetei ha-lehem, each of
which brackets the counting imperative. This presentation spurred most
halachic authorities to conclude that sefirat ha-omer is only a rabbinic
obligation in the aftermath of the destruction of the Temple. Ameimar
(Menachot 66a) explicitly argued that only days (not weeks) should be
counted in the post-destruction era as azecher le-churban. Rashi (s.v.
Ameimar) explains that the absence of the korban ha-omer renders the
mitzvah a derabanan (see also Baal ha-Maor and Ran, end of Pesachim).
Indeed, the Tosafists (Menachot 66a s.v. zecher) rule that one could count
sefirah during twilight (bein ha-shemashot) since we are lenient regarding
rabbinic obligations.
Yet, the Rambam disputes this contention. He (Temidim7:22) emphasizes
that sefirat ha-omer is a biblical obligation in all eras. Evidently, he
considers Ameimar's contrary view to be exceptional, as the Kesef
Mishneh notes. Indeed, the midrash (Parshas Emor) and many rishonim
(Chinuch and others) perceive the counting of the omer as marking a
transition from yeziat mizrayim to mattan Torah, something seemingly
independent of the requirement of korbonot. Moreover, the fact that the
period of sefirat haomer is detailed in the parshat ha-moadim of Emor
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establishes it as an important bridge between the festivals of Pesach and
Shavuot, as the Ramban (23:36) remarks. However, this challenges us to
better comprehend the Torah's explicit connection between the mitzvah of
counting the omer and these korbonot, particularly as the mitzvah applies
according to the Rambam even in the absence of the korbonot.
The very presence of these two korbonot in the context of the festival
chapter in Emor may provide a clue to our enigma. Typically, the details
of the festival offerings are discussed in parshat Pinchas, not in Emor, as
the Ramban (23:2) also notes. The Ramban (23:15) and other
commentators were troubled by this exception. Perhaps these korbonot are
integrated into Emor because their special features effectively embody the
character of the transitions involved and, by extension, they convey the
goal of the counting process and period.
The Aruch ha-Shulchan (Orach Chaim 489:3) certainly adopts this
approach in his explanation of the Rambam's controversial view. He notes
that the korbon haomer is unusual (like the korban minchat sotah) in being
a barley-basedkorbon, while the wheat-based shetei ha-lehem serves as a
sharp contrast. He posits that the transition from the crude barley staple of
an animal's diet to the refined human consumption of wheat symbolizes
the process of spiritual refinement and the attainment of human potential
that is the telos of mattan Torah and that is achieved only by a
commitment to Torah and mizvot.
There is perhaps another dimension to this transition reflected by the
timing and substance of the two korbonot. It is surely significant that the
Shavuot offering of shetei ha-lehem alone consists of chametz (even
korban todah only contains one part chametz; other korbonot are
disqualified by the presence of any chametz), while the omer is sacrificed
in the context of Pesach, the holiday that demands an absolute eradication
of even the presence of chametz. The Torah appears to be conveying that
while the political freedom of yeziat Mizrayim requires strict discipline
(shemirah of matzah) and rejects the theme of unfettered growth
symbolized by chametz, authentic growth and creativity can only really
flourish in the context of the commitment to Torah.
The interaction between personal growth and the forging of a national
identity based on common spiritual aspirations may also be relevant to the
process of spiritual growth between Pesach and Shavuot, and highlighted
by omer andshetei halechem. The gemara (Menachot 65b) establishes that
each individual must count the sefirah. Some poskim even conclude that
the principle of shomeia ke-oneh does not apply to this personal
requirement. Yet, the obligation to count is defined by the korbon ha-omer
and korban shetei halachem, two korbonot tzibbur (public sacrifices).
Moreover, these two sacrifices share an unusual common denominator:
the requirement that they stem from the produce ofEretz Yisrael. This
requirement is actually cited in the mishneh (Keilim 1:6) as exemplifying
the special sanctity of Eretz Yisrael! The commentators (see Mishneh
Achronah and Eliyahu Rabah and the emendation of the Gra) note
thatomer and shetei ha-lechem (alongside bikkurim- see Gra and Eliyahu
Rabah) were selected rather than the classical mizvot ha-teluyot ba-aretz
(Kiddushin 36a) such as terumot and maasrot that technically depend on
the soil of Eretz Yisrael precisely because they underscore a broader
principle. There is ample evidence in other contexts to suggest that the
broader halachic requirement of Eretz Yisrael signifies a national
dimension. It is highly appropriate then thatEretz Yisrael be featured
prominently in the korbonot that mark the transition from the yeziat
Mizrayim experience of a collection of individual refugees to the moment
of kabbalat ha-torah, the event that established Jewish national identity -
"ha-yom ha-zeh nihiyeita la-am."
Perhaps the link to the two korbonot further stresses that while the act of
sefirah requires the personal involvement of each individual, the ultimate
purpose is to forge a nation of committed individuals that identify with the
both the common and contrasting themes of these korbonot and the
holidays that they represent. This message, according the Rambam,
remains biblically viable and compelling in all eras, even when the actual
implementation of the korbonot is, alas, unattainable.
Copyright 2013 by The TorahWeb Foundation. All rights reserved.
HaRav Shlomo Wolbe Ztl
Bais Hamussar
Tazria - Metzora
This week's Dvar Torah is dedicated L'rfuas R' Avraham ben Ita Etil,
B'Soch Sh'ar Cholei Yisroel.
The parshios of Tazria and Metzora are both dedicated entirely to the
halachos of the various forms of tum'ah and the subsequent tahara
achieved through immersion in a mikvah. The Rambam at the end of
Hilchos Mikvaos writes that although the concept of tum'ah and tahara are
definitely a chok - a mitzvah beyond our comprehension - nevertheless
there is an allusion contained therein that we can understand:
"It is clear that tum'os and taharos are decrees, and they are not logical,
rather they are chukim. Likewise, the purification from the tum'ah
achieved through immersion is also a chok, because tum'ah is not mud or
dirt that can be washed off in water. Rather it is a decree of Hashem and it
is contingent upon the intention in one's heart . . . Nevertheless, the decree
contains an allusion: Just as one who has the proper intention in his heart
and then immerses becomes pure, even though there was no physical
change effected in his body, so too, one who prepares his heart in order to
purify his soul from its impurities . . . and has "immersed his soul in the
waters of da'as" becomes pure. As Hashem says, 'I will throw upon you
pure water, and you will become pure from your impurities, and from all
your transgressions I will purify you.'"
Rav Wolbe (Pirkei Kinyan Da'as pg. 14) elaborates on the Rambam's
explanation. From the Rambam's words there seems to be an entity called
da'as which is separate from the entity in which we live, no different than
the separation between land and water. One who wishes to purify himself,
must immerse himself entirely in the entity called "the water of da'as." We
might understand that this can be accomplished as follows.
Most people live their lives in a fantasy of sorts. We fantasize about what
we would have liked our lives to look like in the past, and how we wish it
should look in the future. There is almost no aspect of our lives that
doesn't involve our fantasies in one way or another. Even simply walking
from one place to another can involve one's fantasies. For example, if
someone requests our presence at an event and we comply, we tend to
think that we have done them the biggest favor and really enhanced their
lives. If we don't comply, then we think that we have just boosted our
standing in the eyes of those around us, for now they know that we do
what we want to do, and we're not bound by anyone else's desires.
However, there is also another approach to the myriads of aspects that life
presents. We could contemplate a Torah concept or lesson reflected by
what we observe. A story involving Reb Yisroel Salanter concretizes this
idea. Reb Yisroel once brought his shoes to the shoemaker to be fixed, and
he asked him when he would be able to fix them. The shoemaker looked
at his candle and responded, "As long as the candle burns, it is still
possible to repair." Reb Yisroel left the store in exhilaration. He
internalized the response as a powerful message with regard to one's
avodas Hashem: As long as the candle burns (a person is alive) it is still
possible to repair any damage that he may have caused through his
misdeeds! This was the manner in which Reb Yisroel Salanter related to
even the smallest experiences of life.
Torah is the "water of da'as." It gives us the tools to properly perceive
everything that occurs around us. The more we focus on perceiving
occurrences through the eyes of the Torah, the less we will spend
fantasizing - which breeds only negative traits such as jealousy, desire and
honor. Let's at least "get our feet wet" and try this exercise once a day.
Even without a total immersion, we still have so much to gain.
Maaseh Rav
A Talmid relates the first Shmuess that he heard from the Mashgiach upon
arriving to Be'er Yaakov in the 1950's.
The Mashgiach was describing someone who was on a plane. Soon after
the plane starts moving he remembers that he left something on the fire in
his house. His mind starts racing, "Oy Vey! The house could burn down,
and even if not, the gas will stay on until my return...." He starts thinking
to perhaps ask the pilot to let him off briefly to return home and turn off
the fire... But of course that's not an option.
He realizes that as soon as he boarded the plane he had to forget about his
home and the past and he must start planning ahead for his future mission
at his coming destination.
So too, said the Mashgiach, someone coming to Yeshiva mustn't keep
looking back and think about all the past, rather he must disconnect
himself from his past and embrace an all new future of growth, reaching
his greatest potential using all his faculties.

May we and all our children have a wonderful and fruitful new Zman!



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As this contains Divrei Torah and partial Pesukim, it should be treated with proper respect, both during and after use


I MPORTANCE OF ....
The Yerushalmi (Yoma 8:45:7) asks: vsu,n tuv smhf how does
one confess ? and answers: vaug hbht h,haga oafu h,tyj I
sinned and I wont do [again] as I did. The Rambam
(Teshuvah 1:1) describes the elements of Teshuvah as comprising
3 parts: vyrj (regret) hushu (confession) and vkce (undertaking
not to sin again). The Rambam also includes the words of vkce in
his description of hushu, where the penitent says: ufu h,hug
h,tyj and then adds: vz rcsk rzuj hbht okugku I will never do it
again. The Rambam (ibid 2:2) repeats the 3 elements, apparently
based on the words of the Yerushalmi. The Avodas HaMelech
points out how in the hushu that the Kohen Gadol says on Yom
Kippur there are no words of vkce. The Rambam (Avodas Yom
Kippur 2:6) states that each time the Torah says: ufu sgcu usgc
rpfu it is a reference to the Kohen Gadols hushu, once for himself,
once for the Kohanim and once for all of Bnei Yisroel, and the
hushu that is said only contains ufu h,hug h,tyj but nothing on the
future. Of what use is a Teshuvah without vkce ? How is it better
than saying cuatu tyjt (I will sin and then repent) of which the
Gemara (Yoma 85b) states that one who says so will be unable to
do Teshuvah ? The Rambam (Teshuvah 1:1) adds that if one
damages or injures someone, even though he makes restitution,
rpf,n ubht he will not achieve a Kaparah unless he fulfills hushu
and vkce. The vjna hnka (2:1) suggests that Teshuvah seeks to
accomplish 2 things: 1) To remove the stigma of being labeled a
gar for having sinned; and 2) To obtain a Kaparah for ones sin.
The mitzvah of Teshuvah is fulfilled with vyrj and hushu, which
remove the name gar, but to achieve a Kaparah, vkce is
necessary. As such, when a Kaparah can be achieved in another
way, such as by bringing a Korban, or by Yom Kippur itself, no
vkce would be necessary. Therefore, the Rambam does not list
vkce as part of the hushu of Yom Kippur, since Yom Kippur itself
provides Kaparah, as long as vyrj and hushu are performed.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
If one owned a pair of Tefillin from a famous Sofer, and lent them
to someone from whom they were stolen, what must be paid ?
ANSWER TO LAST WEEK:
(Which gentile adult male may convert even without Kabolas HaMitzvos ?)
Teshuvos VHanhagos (4:233) discusses how according to R
Yehudah, since a blind person is Potur from all mitzvos,
technically his Geirus may be with the intention to become a Jew,
but without the obligation to observe mitzvos. MiDerabanan,
even R Yehudah would agree that he is obligated.
DI N'S CORNER:
If someone was killed, his relative(s), who might have been classified
as a osv ktud with authority to avenge the death when Beis Din ruled
on capital matters, may not turn over the killer to the authorities for
examination or trial. At the same time, there is no obligation on
anyone to save or defend him. (Chavas Yair 146)
DI D YOU KNOW THAT ....
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 74a) states that a man told Rabbah that
the mayor of his city ordered him to kill someone (another Jew)
and if he refused he himself would be killed. Did ovc hju permit
him to transgress jmr, tk ? Rabbah said No, adding How do
you know that your blood is redder than the other Jews
maybe his blood is redder, meaning that ovc hju permits Torah
violations only because Hashem values life more than mitzvos.
But here, one life will be lost either way, so ovc hju does not
value one life over the other. However, the Gemara (Horios 13a)
lists a hierarchy when faced with the need to save someone from
captivity, death etc.., putting a Kohen before a Levi, a Talmid
Chochom before an ignoramus etc because one is more worthy
(i.e. valuable) than the other. Would a Talmid Chochom thus be
permitted to kill an ignoramus to save his own life ? Is his blood
redder ? The Talmidei Rabbeinu Yonah (Avodah Zarah 28a)
explain that the redness referred to is an indication of longer
life and more time to perform mitzvos. One who is faced with a
choice of kill or be killed can never judge if his longevity would
be longer than the man he is ordered to kill, so he cannot take the
others life, and must do nothing. However, when faced with the
option of saving someone, he is obligated by: lgr os kg sung, tk
to do something, and the Gemara provides him with criteria of
relative worthiness to measure with. The Sefer Chasidim (698)
states that if a Talmid Chochom and an ignoramus are threatened
with death, it is a mitzvah for the ignoramus to say: kill me and
spare my friend, though he would not be obligated to do so. Igros
Moshe (suh 2:174) disagrees, theorizing that if the Talmid
Chochom was selected for execution, such was apparently ohnac
rzdb and it is clear that in these circumstances, the ignoramus
blood is indeed redder than that of the Talmid Chochom. Thus,
there is no Heter for anyone else to put himself in the Talmid
Chochoms place, unless the threat itself is not certain.
A Lesson Can Be Learned From:
The Minchas Elazar (Munkatcher Rebbe) was once travelling on a train,
and a group of gentiles sat in the same compartment. When the group
began to eat lunch, the Minchas Elazar watched as they hungrily
consumed their non-kosher food. After a few moments, the Minchas
Elazar went over to one of them and whispered to him: Reb Yid, what
you are eating is not kosher. It is a serious sin. The man ignored the
Rebbe and continued to eat. The Minchas Elazar went back to him a few
moments later, with the same result. It was only after the fifth approach
that the man turned to the Rebbe and asked him: Why do you think I
am a Jew ? The Minchas Elazar replied that he could see from the
delicate way in which he ate his bread not tearing off a piece with his
teeth, but rather breaking off smaller pieces and placing each in his
mouth that he had been raised in a Jewish home. The man admitted
to the Rebbe that he was correct, and the Rebbe counseled him on how
best to embark upon the path to Teshuvah. Years later, this man was
active in the recovery of small Jewish children post-WW-II from the
various refuges with whom their parents had hidden them and he used
this very same indicator to identify the Jewish children.
P.S. Sholosh Seudos sponsored by the Schmerhold family.