Nachamu Nachamu ami yomar Elokaichem. On the day of Tisha Bav, as the Bais Hamikdosh is still burning we get up from the floor and just a short day later all signs of mourning are over. And the most sweetest times of the year are approaching. All over the world Jews celebrate Shbbos Nachamu as a Yom Tov for itself. "Lo hoya yomim tovim ki'Tu Bav" There's no other day in the Jewish calendar as great as the fifteenth day of Av. Just a mere six days after the saddest day comes the greatest day. All this is in preparation for the awesome days of Elul and Tishre. What does it all mean? How can we go from the lowest, literally stand up from the floor and go straight into the highest days of the year?
Rav Pam says that throughout jewish history after the biggest destructions came a spark of Geulah. The Navi in Yeshaiyah (21;12) says "The watchman said 'morning will come but also night if you really desire repent and come." The Dubbno Maggid explains it with a parable. There was once this drunkard who partied all night and tired from a whole night of drinking would sleep all day. One night he complained that it's allways dark and he never saw it day light. His friend told him you fool after every night there's a bright day you just get so caught up in the night that you fail to see the day. The same is with us - the Navi told us 'mornig will come after the dark night' but you must want to see. If we just open our eyes, if we really desire it, we will be able to see the bight morning that starts right after the dark. Rav Pam goes through history and gives example after example starting with Sancherev who had conquered all of Eretz Yisroel, but Yerushlayim was saved by a great miracle. Chazal tell us that at that moment Chizkiyahu could have become Moshiach had he sang shira. The possibility for the final yeshuah was there. After the second Bais Hamikdosh was destroyed the story of Bar Chochva played out. Reb Akiva said that Bar Chochva was Moshiach, he wasn't making a mistake. Reb Akiva was right - the spark was there, he could have been Moshiach but it was us down here that weren't ready for it. After the Spanish inquisition came a time period of the Arizal and most probably the biggest revolation of Torah in modern history. The Arizal thought it could lead to the Moshiach. Time and time again after each destruction came a spark of redemtion, the brightest day, but we were still sleeping and couldn't see it.
It's ingrained in our relationship with our father in heaven that we cannot fall too low. (The Ramchal says that right after the second Bais Hamikdosh was destroyed the Bais Hamikdosh shel mallah- the one in heaven which cannot be destroyed, changed from the seconed to the third Bais Hamikdosh. Meaning that as the fire was consuming the Bais Hamikdosh the possibility for the third Bais Hamikdosh was there already.) After the darkest time of our history that is when the biggest light shines forth from Hashem.
So too is true in the jewish year. Tu Bav is that kind of day. After the Meraglim Hashem didnt speak to Moshe for thirty eight years. The day that Moshe got his first Nevuah was Tu bav. About fifteen hundred years later on the same day, the people that were killed in Beitar were given kevura after many years. The connection between these two events is that they were two of the darkest periods of time. Do we realize what it meant to the dor hamidbar that Hashem didnt speak to Moshe for so many years? Then after Beitar was destroyed that was the last hope before the long exile. Can we imagine how the Yidden felt at that time? Yet there was hope - on Tu Bav came a spark of hope, Hashem showed us that we can, that we will rise up from the dark of the night. There is a bright future ahead 'If you desire it you'll find it'.
26 July, 2007
23 July, 2007
Tisha B'Av
After the Meraglim came back from spying the land of Eretz Yisroel, Klal Yisroel cried all night. In Parshas Devarim the Pasuk tells us that they said "Besinas Hashem oysanu hoitzunu meretz Mitzrayim...." For Hashem hates us has he brought us out of the land of Egypt to give us into the hands of the Amorites to exterminate us. The Soporno says that Klal Yisroel was scared that Hashem wanted to take revenge on them for worshiping idols in Mitzrayim, so he wanted the Amorites to kill them. They cried because they gave up, they thought all was lost. They got reports from the meraglim that the people living in Eretz Yisroel were powerful and strong. Instead of putting their faith in Hashem that they will go into Eretz Yisroel and win the Battles and with Hashems help conquer the land, they found reasons to believe that Hashem hates them and that they're not worthy of any more miracles. This is what the Chazal call "Bechiah shel chinnom" crying for naught they cried all night but they cried out of hopelessness. The punishment is that that same day is reserved for "Bechiah shel emes" true bitter tears.
There's a story said that after the chorban Yermiyahu was crying and a non-Jewish philosopher met him and asked how can such a brilliant man like you cry over wood and stones. To which Yermiyahu answered that you'll never understand it. The Navi wasn't crying for what was and all that we lost but he cried for a yearning to see Hashem to feel that closeness that we enjoyed in the Bais Hamikdosh. He was telling the goy that you will never understand how a Jew cries for we don’t cry out of hopelessness we cry because we know there will be an end to all our troubles and we yearn for that day. That is what all our tears should be for.
Tisha Bav is called a Yom Tov and we don’t say Tachnun or slichos like the other fast days. The message is clear - while there is mitzvah to cry on Tisha Bav we cannot fall on our hands and just give up and say there is no hope for us. We cannot even say viduy and confess our sins because it may lead us to rationalizing that we deserve what we are getting and Hashem wants to take revenge on us. Giving up and feeling lost was the sin of the Meraglim. The crying of Tisha Bav is a crying of yearning and waiting for that day when we won't have anymore worries.
How is it possible for the Yidden that went through all the tzoras, the ones that lived through the churban, the ones that were driven out of their homes in Spain, the one that saw cities being rampaged by the crusaders, and the worst destruction that ever fell upon the Jews since man was created, the Holocaust - How did they have the strength to be mikadesh shem shomaim the way they did? How did the poshiter yidden of not so long ago live and die with such awesome mesiras nefesh?
A teenage girl was in a slave labor camp, to stay alive people would steal from the kitchen which was punishable by death. This one girl said that she doesn’t want to steal for if she has to die she wants to die because she’s a Jew not because she stole a potato. A shoemaker in the Kovno ghetto was arrested on his way to daven holding his tallis bag under his arm. As the Germens led him through the streets Ithche Moshe walked between his captors not as if he were the prisoner, but as if they were his escorts to do the greatest mitzvah. Bochrim that risked everything they had gave up their food rations just so that they can put on tefilin. The group of kedoshim knowing that it's their last night in this world, they where going to be hung the next morning, stood and davened the tefilos of Yom Kipper. As the noose was put around their necks they were holding at the end of Neillah and they were mekabel ol malchos shomaim screaming Hashem Hu O'Elokim. How about just a few years ago when a Arab animal blew himself up in a pizza store, and you were able to hear a father himself lie there dying and in unimaginable pain, tell his small kids to say Shema Yisroel together. This is just a drop in the bucket of the tears that fell. How did these simple Yidden - some that didn't have the zchus of learning in Yeshiva, how did they have the strength to laugh in the face of the Nazis, to just spit in the face of the Malach Hamoves?
They realized that every tzar we go through in this bitter golus has a purpose. Reb Elchonon Wasserman, as the Nazis were standing there preparing to take him and his Talmidim away gave his last shmooze to all of Klal Yisroel. "Heaven apparently considers us righteous people, for it wants us to atone with our bodies for Jewry as a whole........... we will thereby save the remaining Jews, so that they will be able to carry on as the remnant of Jewry. Let us walk with our heads held high...... we are about to fulfill the greatest mitzvah- the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem. The fire that consumes our bodies is the fire that will rebuild the Jewish people." What he was saying is that every tzar we go through, every tear we shed is a building block, it's just a piece of our long history on the path to rebuild the third Bais Hamikdosh. Every anguish we feel in this long bitter golas is really a building process that started that night when the Yidden gave up hope of entering Eretz Yisroel. Every tear of hope is a Tikkun to that crying and a new stone in the Third Bais Hamikdosh. It is these fires these bullets and these tears that are the bricks of the Geulah. May this Tisha Bav be a real Yom tov not just a building block for the future but the future we have been yearning for for 1,939 years. Amen!
There's a story said that after the chorban Yermiyahu was crying and a non-Jewish philosopher met him and asked how can such a brilliant man like you cry over wood and stones. To which Yermiyahu answered that you'll never understand it. The Navi wasn't crying for what was and all that we lost but he cried for a yearning to see Hashem to feel that closeness that we enjoyed in the Bais Hamikdosh. He was telling the goy that you will never understand how a Jew cries for we don’t cry out of hopelessness we cry because we know there will be an end to all our troubles and we yearn for that day. That is what all our tears should be for.
Tisha Bav is called a Yom Tov and we don’t say Tachnun or slichos like the other fast days. The message is clear - while there is mitzvah to cry on Tisha Bav we cannot fall on our hands and just give up and say there is no hope for us. We cannot even say viduy and confess our sins because it may lead us to rationalizing that we deserve what we are getting and Hashem wants to take revenge on us. Giving up and feeling lost was the sin of the Meraglim. The crying of Tisha Bav is a crying of yearning and waiting for that day when we won't have anymore worries.
How is it possible for the Yidden that went through all the tzoras, the ones that lived through the churban, the ones that were driven out of their homes in Spain, the one that saw cities being rampaged by the crusaders, and the worst destruction that ever fell upon the Jews since man was created, the Holocaust - How did they have the strength to be mikadesh shem shomaim the way they did? How did the poshiter yidden of not so long ago live and die with such awesome mesiras nefesh?
A teenage girl was in a slave labor camp, to stay alive people would steal from the kitchen which was punishable by death. This one girl said that she doesn’t want to steal for if she has to die she wants to die because she’s a Jew not because she stole a potato. A shoemaker in the Kovno ghetto was arrested on his way to daven holding his tallis bag under his arm. As the Germens led him through the streets Ithche Moshe walked between his captors not as if he were the prisoner, but as if they were his escorts to do the greatest mitzvah. Bochrim that risked everything they had gave up their food rations just so that they can put on tefilin. The group of kedoshim knowing that it's their last night in this world, they where going to be hung the next morning, stood and davened the tefilos of Yom Kipper. As the noose was put around their necks they were holding at the end of Neillah and they were mekabel ol malchos shomaim screaming Hashem Hu O'Elokim. How about just a few years ago when a Arab animal blew himself up in a pizza store, and you were able to hear a father himself lie there dying and in unimaginable pain, tell his small kids to say Shema Yisroel together. This is just a drop in the bucket of the tears that fell. How did these simple Yidden - some that didn't have the zchus of learning in Yeshiva, how did they have the strength to laugh in the face of the Nazis, to just spit in the face of the Malach Hamoves?
They realized that every tzar we go through in this bitter golus has a purpose. Reb Elchonon Wasserman, as the Nazis were standing there preparing to take him and his Talmidim away gave his last shmooze to all of Klal Yisroel. "Heaven apparently considers us righteous people, for it wants us to atone with our bodies for Jewry as a whole........... we will thereby save the remaining Jews, so that they will be able to carry on as the remnant of Jewry. Let us walk with our heads held high...... we are about to fulfill the greatest mitzvah- the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem. The fire that consumes our bodies is the fire that will rebuild the Jewish people." What he was saying is that every tzar we go through, every tear we shed is a building block, it's just a piece of our long history on the path to rebuild the third Bais Hamikdosh. Every anguish we feel in this long bitter golas is really a building process that started that night when the Yidden gave up hope of entering Eretz Yisroel. Every tear of hope is a Tikkun to that crying and a new stone in the Third Bais Hamikdosh. It is these fires these bullets and these tears that are the bricks of the Geulah. May this Tisha Bav be a real Yom tov not just a building block for the future but the future we have been yearning for for 1,939 years. Amen!
20 July, 2007
Feeling The Shechina’s Pain. Guest Vaad by Reb Sabra
The Talmud (Chagiga 5b) brings the following passage said to Yechezkel the Prophet. B’mistorim tivku Nafshi ,Hashem says “I cry in a hidden place”. The Talmud explains that Hashem has a place called Mistorim where he cries. Cries over what? Hashem is in pain and He is crying over the destruction of the beis hamikdash, and the long exile.
During the Three Weeks there is a lot of talk about feeling the pain of the Shechina. Hashem is in pain and we should feel it in us. How does one feel the pain of the Shechina? We don’t even understand the personal pain we’re supposed to feel over the churban, how are we supposed to feel Hashem’s pain?
(When the Jews were sent to Babel after the destruction of the first temple and they sat at the river of Babylonia they cried, what were the jews crying over? Bzuchrainu es Tzion, when we remembered the glory of Zion. They lost their homes, were exiled from their land, thousands upon thousands were cruelly murdered, yet what was their pain? Eich nashir es shir Hashem al admas neichor, How can we sing Hashems holy songs on foreign soil, the pain of Hashem, that is what they were crying over.)
On a national level its easier to feel Hashems pain. Israel is under attack, soldiers are in danger, and Jewish homes are being destroyed. The pain of kids-at-risk, or thousands of Jews intermarrying that we still can feel some pain over. But when our sages said “whoever the beis hamikdash wasn’t built in his lifetime it’s as if it was destroyed in his lifetime” they were talking on an individual level. Did you in your lifetime do anything to rebuild the beis hamikdash? Did you on a personal level connect with Hashems pain?
So how do we connect in our own personal way to Hashems pain?
R’ Shimshon Pincus relates a beautiful mashal: There was once a young man ,who needing to support his family, decided to become a singer at weddings, this way he can make money and be and gladden the bride and groom(a mitzvah no less) at the same time. Realizing that the bride and groom are the center of the show and he is just a hired hand he performed in such a way as to be performing for the bride and groom while not drawing attention to himself. As time went on and people started hiring him more and more he started forgetting himself and started thinking that people were hiring him for his performance and he started to put on a show at the weddings he was hired for. His performances were first class and slowly people started paying more attention to his performances than to the bride and groom. This being the case his business started faltering and less and less people would hire him till he was totally without work. This singer approached a friend and asked him why did people stop using me my performances were top rate what am I doing wrong? His friend answered him the following “Your right your performances are first class and if anything you’ve gotten a lot better than when you were when you started out, however you forgot one thing. What is that? asked the singer. You forgot that you’re performing at a wedding not a concert, at a wedding the singer is not the center of attention no matter how good he is, it’s the young couples night and your just hired to enhance their simcha, that is what you forgot to remember and that’s why your out of work now.
R’ Shimshon explains that Hashem created this world Lchvodo, for His Honor, (Avos 6-11) everything, including man, was created to serve Hashem. We were created to be the “singer” in Hashems world, through our every move that we do our every action we are supposed to bring out kvod shmayim, honor for Heaven, and help bring the world to its ultimate purpose which is to be centered around Hashem. However as time moved on and we became comfortable and successful in this world we forgot our purpose and started thinking that we are the center of everything and Hashem is just there to give us what we need ,food, health, money, family, in order for us to be the center of the show.(R’ Shimshon points out that in perek shira(a song composed by king david where all of creation sing a song to Hashem) all of creation is singing to Hashem, except man(for man isn’t mentioned in this song), all man does is ask Hashem for things but doesn’t think of praising him, for isn’t man the center of it all and doesn’t he deserve it all??)
Most of us live our lives in this way, we work for our next vacation, to see pleasure and pride from our kids, to be able to enjoy life, everything is about me and my pleasures and my enjoyment (or my pain). We all daven three times a day, learn our our daily learning schedule (whatever it is) and even give lots of charity , because without that Hashem won’t give us what we need in order for us to enjoy life, but that everything we do should be to add to kvod shamayim there are very few amongst us that live that way.
However there comes times(usually around yomim norim(days of awe rosh hashana and yom kippur) time) that we get that feeling this isn’t the way its supposed to be and we get this voice within us going “Hashem we really want to serve you that you are really what its about”. Sometimes we even feel a bit of pain and regret that we aren’t living the way it should be, that we should be focusing more on connecting with Hashem through our davening, learn a little more, speak less Lashon Hara and teach our kids with the right torah values. That voice, that pain is Shechinta Bgalusa(the shechina in galus) the shechina is crying from within us that we are heading away from our purpose and to please return back and make Hashem the center of our lives and worldview. Usually this voice and the pain are pushed back down and out of our minds, after all life goes on.
Our job during the Three Weeks, in feeling Hashems pain is to focus on that voice and let it scream out and feel that pain in your heart. Listen to your inner voice and even if you don’t do anything to change (that’s a job for Elul and Rosh Hashana)at least you are feeling the pain the Shechina is feeling, and then we can focus on what it would take to actually do something to bring the Ultimate Complete world where Hashem will be the center of the world, and we will merit to see in the Shechinas joy.
Kol hamisavel al yerushalyim zocheh vroeh bsimchsah bbm”a
Whoever mourns for Jerusalem, will merit and see it’s rebuilding.
During the Three Weeks there is a lot of talk about feeling the pain of the Shechina. Hashem is in pain and we should feel it in us. How does one feel the pain of the Shechina? We don’t even understand the personal pain we’re supposed to feel over the churban, how are we supposed to feel Hashem’s pain?
(When the Jews were sent to Babel after the destruction of the first temple and they sat at the river of Babylonia they cried, what were the jews crying over? Bzuchrainu es Tzion, when we remembered the glory of Zion. They lost their homes, were exiled from their land, thousands upon thousands were cruelly murdered, yet what was their pain? Eich nashir es shir Hashem al admas neichor, How can we sing Hashems holy songs on foreign soil, the pain of Hashem, that is what they were crying over.)
On a national level its easier to feel Hashems pain. Israel is under attack, soldiers are in danger, and Jewish homes are being destroyed. The pain of kids-at-risk, or thousands of Jews intermarrying that we still can feel some pain over. But when our sages said “whoever the beis hamikdash wasn’t built in his lifetime it’s as if it was destroyed in his lifetime” they were talking on an individual level. Did you in your lifetime do anything to rebuild the beis hamikdash? Did you on a personal level connect with Hashems pain?
So how do we connect in our own personal way to Hashems pain?
R’ Shimshon Pincus relates a beautiful mashal: There was once a young man ,who needing to support his family, decided to become a singer at weddings, this way he can make money and be and gladden the bride and groom(a mitzvah no less) at the same time. Realizing that the bride and groom are the center of the show and he is just a hired hand he performed in such a way as to be performing for the bride and groom while not drawing attention to himself. As time went on and people started hiring him more and more he started forgetting himself and started thinking that people were hiring him for his performance and he started to put on a show at the weddings he was hired for. His performances were first class and slowly people started paying more attention to his performances than to the bride and groom. This being the case his business started faltering and less and less people would hire him till he was totally without work. This singer approached a friend and asked him why did people stop using me my performances were top rate what am I doing wrong? His friend answered him the following “Your right your performances are first class and if anything you’ve gotten a lot better than when you were when you started out, however you forgot one thing. What is that? asked the singer. You forgot that you’re performing at a wedding not a concert, at a wedding the singer is not the center of attention no matter how good he is, it’s the young couples night and your just hired to enhance their simcha, that is what you forgot to remember and that’s why your out of work now.
R’ Shimshon explains that Hashem created this world Lchvodo, for His Honor, (Avos 6-11) everything, including man, was created to serve Hashem. We were created to be the “singer” in Hashems world, through our every move that we do our every action we are supposed to bring out kvod shmayim, honor for Heaven, and help bring the world to its ultimate purpose which is to be centered around Hashem. However as time moved on and we became comfortable and successful in this world we forgot our purpose and started thinking that we are the center of everything and Hashem is just there to give us what we need ,food, health, money, family, in order for us to be the center of the show.(R’ Shimshon points out that in perek shira(a song composed by king david where all of creation sing a song to Hashem) all of creation is singing to Hashem, except man(for man isn’t mentioned in this song), all man does is ask Hashem for things but doesn’t think of praising him, for isn’t man the center of it all and doesn’t he deserve it all??)
Most of us live our lives in this way, we work for our next vacation, to see pleasure and pride from our kids, to be able to enjoy life, everything is about me and my pleasures and my enjoyment (or my pain). We all daven three times a day, learn our our daily learning schedule (whatever it is) and even give lots of charity , because without that Hashem won’t give us what we need in order for us to enjoy life, but that everything we do should be to add to kvod shamayim there are very few amongst us that live that way.
However there comes times(usually around yomim norim(days of awe rosh hashana and yom kippur) time) that we get that feeling this isn’t the way its supposed to be and we get this voice within us going “Hashem we really want to serve you that you are really what its about”. Sometimes we even feel a bit of pain and regret that we aren’t living the way it should be, that we should be focusing more on connecting with Hashem through our davening, learn a little more, speak less Lashon Hara and teach our kids with the right torah values. That voice, that pain is Shechinta Bgalusa(the shechina in galus) the shechina is crying from within us that we are heading away from our purpose and to please return back and make Hashem the center of our lives and worldview. Usually this voice and the pain are pushed back down and out of our minds, after all life goes on.
Our job during the Three Weeks, in feeling Hashems pain is to focus on that voice and let it scream out and feel that pain in your heart. Listen to your inner voice and even if you don’t do anything to change (that’s a job for Elul and Rosh Hashana)at least you are feeling the pain the Shechina is feeling, and then we can focus on what it would take to actually do something to bring the Ultimate Complete world where Hashem will be the center of the world, and we will merit to see in the Shechinas joy.
Kol hamisavel al yerushalyim zocheh vroeh bsimchsah bbm”a
Whoever mourns for Jerusalem, will merit and see it’s rebuilding.
19 July, 2007
Parshas Devarim
In this weeks Parsha we find a unblievable insght about the sin of Klal Yisroel by the Meraglim. The Posak says "V'tomru besinas Hashem oysanu hoitzunu meretz mitzraim...." For Hashem hates us has he brought us out of the land of eygpt to give us into the hands of the Amorites to exterminate us. The Soporno says that Klal Yisroel was scared that Hashem wanted to take revenge on them for worshiping idols in Mitzraim, so he wanted the Amorites to kill them. This was there mistake and becuse of this wer'e still crying today. They knew that they had sinned in Mitzraim and even though Hashem had made all miricals for them he still wanted ;to even the score'. They knew that they had zechusim but Hashem still had something against them. That was their mistake they didn't relize that Hashem is a all loving Father that forgave them for that. That is why they cried becuse they thought that all is lost and they didnt have faith in Hashem.
16 July, 2007
Harav Shloma Ben Harav Ben Tzion Zatza'l Admir M'Bobov
The second Bais Hamikdosh was destroyed due to sinas chinam- senseless hatred. R' Shloma of Bobov explains that the merit Rochal had that the Bais Hamikdosh was built in her sons portion- in the area of Binyomin was because she sacrificed her future all that her sister shouldn't be embarrassed in the slightest. Even though she knew that she was to help Yakov build the shevatim and yet she gave the simanim that Yakov gave her, to her sister. It was this misieras nefesh that built the Bais Hamikdosh and now that Klal Yisroel didn't have this Middah all was lost.
One can see what a Gadol stands for, by learning his Torah and understanding how he looked at the Torah. In this piece we see exactly what the Bobover Rebbi stood for and what he was moser nefesh for. Today on his Yortzait let us learn this lesson. May the Rov Zatzal be a Mieletz Yosher for all of Yisroel he so loved. Amen
15 July, 2007
The Three Weeks Part 3
We cannot fathom what the Bais Hamikdosh really was. We can only learn and read about it and hopefully try to understand a little. If you meet a kid that was an orphan all his life and tell him, today is a sad day, it's the day your father died. It won't come naturally to the kid for he doesn't know what a father means, or what he's missing by not having a father. In the above parable you can at least explain to the kid look at other kids and see what they have- that is what your missing. We don't have a Bais Hamikdosh for almost two thousand years it is almost unexplainable to us what went on there. R. Yitzchok Hutner points out that the Chazal, which lived after the second Bais almost never tried to describe what the first Bais Hamikdosh was like. They knew that the first bais hamikdosh was infinitely greater then the second one and that even them who lived 500 years later couldn't relate to it. Yet we were given three weeks to think about it and an even harder task- to mourn it. If someone were to tell us that he'll take away all our worries and there will be peace in the world, the doctors will find a cure for all diseases and we'll be able to live worry free, but the catch would be that Moshiach won't come. How many of us will be ready to sign on? I would. We are no better then the lady that wanted Moshiach should take away the Cossacks. Do we really want Moshiach? Or do we just want to live a peaceful life? Of course we must cry and mourn for all the tragedies that befell us through the years and at the same time understand what the real problem is and what is secondary. We must realize how far removed we are from concepts of what the Bais Hamikdosh was. We don't realize what it means to live with the Shechina to see Hashem clearly, and that's the biggest tragedy of this long golus. "
12 July, 2007
Parshas Mattos
"Lo kol hamarba beschora mechakim" Not everyone that's involved in business will get smart. (Avos, 2;7) The Chassam Sofer explains that this is referring to torah learning, (as we find Posukim that call Torah by the name 'sechora') that not everyone that learns will become smart. There are types of learning which won't make as big as an impression on a person. He gives a parable to illustrate this point. There was a big rav that came to town to speak to the kehilla. One fellow told his friend - how about you go to the drasha and I'll sit and learn during that time and when your done you'll tell me what the rav said and I'll tell you what i learned. The Chasam Sofer says that this system will not work. When a Rebbi speaks before a crowd and is spreading Torah leshma his words are on the level of Moshe Rabbainu. This level was that "Hakodosh Buroch Hu medaber metoch groino" Hashem was the one talking through Moshe's throat. When one learns directly from a Gadol he's hearing the Shecinah speak and for that Torah there's no substitute. Even if someone tells you word for word that Torah will not make you smarter, only Torah that you learn from your rebbi will make you a real chacham.
That is what the Torah is saying "Vayidaber Moshe el roshai hamatos l'bnei yisroel" Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes, to the Jews. Moshe wanted to teach Klal Yisroel how to learn Torah even when he's not around. Klal Yisroel was getting ready to go into Eretz Yisroel without Moshe, the one that gave them the Torah from Hashem. Without him how would they learn Torah, who would be able to teach them as well as Moshe did? To this Moshe told them the key. Learn Torah from the "Roshai matos" everyone is to go to their leader to learn and by doing so they will really be listening to the Shechina speak. Just like they did when Moshe taught them Torah.
Today 27th day of Tamuz is the yahrtzeit of my grandfather Mordechai ben Chaim Tzvi, a yid that lived with this in mind. The way he would talk about and be mechabed Gedolai Yisroel he must have looked at them as his link to Sinai and his attachment to the Shecinah itself. Yehai zecroh boruch.
That is what the Torah is saying "Vayidaber Moshe el roshai hamatos l'bnei yisroel" Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes, to the Jews. Moshe wanted to teach Klal Yisroel how to learn Torah even when he's not around. Klal Yisroel was getting ready to go into Eretz Yisroel without Moshe, the one that gave them the Torah from Hashem. Without him how would they learn Torah, who would be able to teach them as well as Moshe did? To this Moshe told them the key. Learn Torah from the "Roshai matos" everyone is to go to their leader to learn and by doing so they will really be listening to the Shechina speak. Just like they did when Moshe taught them Torah.
Today 27th day of Tamuz is the yahrtzeit of my grandfather Mordechai ben Chaim Tzvi, a yid that lived with this in mind. The way he would talk about and be mechabed Gedolai Yisroel he must have looked at them as his link to Sinai and his attachment to the Shecinah itself. Yehai zecroh boruch.
10 July, 2007
The Three Weeks Part 2
"Al naharos Bavel shom yushavnu gam bochienuh" As we sat on the shores of Bavel our first experience of galus as a nation. We were driven from our homeland in brutal fashion with hundreds of thousands dead, our nation in ruins. What were they crying for? Dovid Hamelach continues the Pasuk "Bezachrainu ess Tzion." At the moment they got to Bavel they didn't cry for themselves in exile far from their home, not for all the pain and suffering they went through, not for the uncertainty that lay ahead or even all their lost and tortured brethren. They cried for one thing "Tzion". All that was bothering them was that they didn't have the Bais Hamikdosh and that they were so far removed from Hashem. What was this connection that they so yearned for? What was so catastrophic that they ignored all their pain and cried just for that yearning?
09 July, 2007
The Three Weeks Part 1
A story is told of a Jewish couple living in Russia. The husband comes home from the Ein Yaakov shiur and tells his wife, "The rav says that we should pack our bags, we are going to Eretz Yisroel, Moshiach is coming any day!" His wife asked him, "Who is Moshiach. Why are we going with him?" He answered, "The Rav said that he's going to rebuild the Bais Hamikdosh where we'll bring Korbonas. The Leviem will sing the shira it's going to be unbelievable". The wife answered, "Why do I have to go to Eretz Yisroel to be happy. I have my cow that gives me milk, the chickens for some food - I'm perfectly happy here." The yid not knowing what to answer ran to the Rav and told him that his wife doesn't want to come along with Moshiach. "Tell her", said the Rav, "that when Moshiach comes the Cossacks won't come along with us and they won't bother us anymore". He runs home to tell his wife this wonderful news to which his wife starts thinking, maybe that's a good idea after all no Cossacks means we will be able to live in peace. Then she came up with a brainstorm, she tells her husband, "Go tell the Rav that when Moshiach comes he should take the Cossacks to Eretz Yisroel and we will live in peace without even moving!"
What are we mourning in the three weeks? Are we just crying over all the lives we have lost and over all the torture we've been through? Or are we crying for the Shechina that's also in Galos?
What are we mourning in the three weeks? Are we just crying over all the lives we have lost and over all the torture we've been through? Or are we crying for the Shechina that's also in Galos?
06 July, 2007
Parshas Pinchas
The Shabbos Korbon mussof consists only of a korban Olah while the Moadim have A korban chattos also. Why is that? what is the difference between Shabbos and Yom Tov that the later has an additional korban chatos?
The basic difference between Shabbos and Yom Tov is said in the davening, on shabbos we say "mekadash Hashabbos" that HAshem is the one that sanctifies the Shabbos. While on Yom Tov we say "Mikadash Yisroel v'hazmanem" meaning Hashem sanctified the Jews and we have the power to sanctify the Yom Tov. On Shabbos the kedusha come from above without us doing anything, but Y'T HAshem says let's go see when Klal Yisroel made Rosh Chodesh we have the power to bring down Yom Tov to us.
On Yom Tov Klal Yisroel takes a step towards Hashem, as we take that step we realize how far we are and the only way to come closer to Hashem is with tshuva so we bring a Korban chattos asking for forgiveness that we can have the ability to dare to try and step towards HAshem. When Shabbos comes it comes to us as a gift from Hashem we don't have to make any effort to sanctify it so there is no need for that Korbon chattos as we have on Yom Tov.
Gut Shabbos.
The basic difference between Shabbos and Yom Tov is said in the davening, on shabbos we say "mekadash Hashabbos" that HAshem is the one that sanctifies the Shabbos. While on Yom Tov we say "Mikadash Yisroel v'hazmanem" meaning Hashem sanctified the Jews and we have the power to sanctify the Yom Tov. On Shabbos the kedusha come from above without us doing anything, but Y'T HAshem says let's go see when Klal Yisroel made Rosh Chodesh we have the power to bring down Yom Tov to us.
On Yom Tov Klal Yisroel takes a step towards Hashem, as we take that step we realize how far we are and the only way to come closer to Hashem is with tshuva so we bring a Korban chattos asking for forgiveness that we can have the ability to dare to try and step towards HAshem. When Shabbos comes it comes to us as a gift from Hashem we don't have to make any effort to sanctify it so there is no need for that Korbon chattos as we have on Yom Tov.
Gut Shabbos.
03 July, 2007
Story Time
A yid once came to the Satmer Rebbe, who was known for his zealousness, and asked why is there a break in the middle of the story of Pinchos? Why is it that the story of what happened is in Parshas Balak and Pinchos' reward is stated in this week's Parsha? The Yid answered that the lesson is that before one acts zealously he must think about it for a week and only then act. To which the Rebbe answered - the reason is that all cheder kids learn the beginning of the Parsha and not the end. Had the whole story been taught at the end of last week's Parsha the cheder kids wouldn't learn the lesson of zealousness that we learn from Pinchas.
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