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

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. "

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.

Parshas Chukas

The mishna in Rosh Hashana says "Vechi nachash meimis oy nachash mechayah elah lomar luch shekol zman shohya Yisroel mistaklim klapia mallah umishabdim ess lebom huya misrapim..."
After Aharon was niftar the Torah relates that Klal Yisroel got impatient of the traveling and complained to Moshe about food and water. The Posuk continues "Then Hashem let the poisonous serpents loose against the people." After they did teshuva Hashem told Moshe "Make yourself a poisonous serpent and set it on a high pole, and everyone that is bitten, when he looks upon it shall live." The Mishna quoted above asks, does a snake have healing powers that just by looking at it one got healed? The mishna answers, that whenever one would look up to the heavens and dedicate their hearts to Hashem they'd be healed. The snake didn't have any special healing powers it was just a way to get the nation to look up and see Hashem. The point that needs clarification is why did Hashem give them this medicine at this time? Why did this sin get this punishment and this specific remedy?
Klal Yisroel at that point had what to eat - namely the mon - they were just not satisfied with it and they wanted real natural food that regular humans eat and drink. They asked Hashem to let them live naturally. The posak says Hashem let "Hanechashem" the serpents. Hashem didn't create or transfer new snakes to where Klal Yisroel was. All He did was let the serpents do their natural thing and attack the people. These were the same serpents that naturally roam the dessert, that he miraculously kept away from them for forty years. The snakes where always there but the Yidden didn't even see them, for Hashem kept them protected from all the dangers in the dessert. Now that they complained that they want to live a natural life Hashem gave them a taste of life in the dessert with all its dangers. The attacks of the serpents weren't a punishment but rather that is what they had asked for. The tshuva for this was to look up and see that there are snakes out there and the only one that's protecting you from them is Hashem. One who was bitten had to only fix the image of a serpent firmly in his mind so that he realizes that even when Hashem's gracious power will keep the serpents at a distance he will remember that the danger is still lurking and only with Hashem's mercy are we being saved. Just like the punishment was just what they asked for so to the medicine was just to help them see and correct their mistake and way of thinking.
We most learn from this Parsha that anything that comes our way is closely calculated by Hashem's great mercy. Any danger in life that doesn't come our way is a special protection from Hashem, and when c"v something not to pleasant comes our way, every big prize in the lottery that Hashem has failed to let us win, it is Hashem that in his infinite wisdom and mercy sending our way. We must have the lesson of the the serpents ingrained in our minds and be able to recognize that all of it has a reason and is directly from Hashem.
Taken from R. S. R. Hirsch zt"l

Parshas Korach

The Mishna in Avos says "Any argument that's leshaim shemaim- with a noble purpose will result in abiding value, but any controversy that has no noble purpose shall not have abiding value. Which controversy was one of noble purpose? The controversy between Hillel and Shammai. And which had no noble purpose? The controversy of Korach and his company." The Ohr Gedalyauh comments that the problem with Korach wasn't in his arguments it was merely that they weren't not leshaim shomaim. If he would of meant what he said it would of been an everlasting argument just like Hillel and Shammai. What is it that Korach said? What is it that got him off track? And is there any significance of the placement of this Parsha?
Reb Tzodok Hachoen from Lublin in a classic piece says, that in Eretz Yisroel everyone in Klal Yisroel will have the capability to learn and strive in there yiddishkiet on their own. In a perfect world there is no need for leaders of Klal Yisroel to lead ,all of us will have his own channel to Hashem. The Medrash says that when Moshiach comes he's going to want to teach Klal Yisroel Torah, but we're going to tell him go teach the goyim - we want to learn straight from Hashem. Korach felt that Klal Yisroel was ready for this level and that is what he meant when he said "Ki kol haaida kulam kidoshim" For the whole community, everyone of them, is holy. His argument was that there was no need for Moshe to lead the Jews anymore - that everyone was ready to forge his own connection to Hashem. His theory was a correct one but he didn't realize that Klal Yisroel wasn't ready for such a intense connection with Hashem. Like the meraglim before him and Miriam before that he didn't accept that Moshe was their connection to Hashem. They still needed Moshe and Ahron to forge that connection and lead the way into Eretz Yisroel and then they would be able to be on their own. If Korach would've waited until Klal Yisroel was ready, his argument would've been accepted, but he was blinded with jealousy that steered him in the wrong direction, that was his "Shelo leshaim shmaim", that he wasn't up to par with his argument. Had he been at the point where he was ready to lead himself, then this machlokes would've gone down in history as a holy one, just like Hillel and Shammai.
We are at the end of the month of Kabolas Hatorah and in the middle of Seder Bamidbar. What is the connection? How does it all tie together?
Bamidbar started with the counting of Klal Yisroel, that every one of us has his own uniqueness and goals. We continued to Nassoh and Bahloscha where Hashem asks certain Jews for more then others, but everyone has a place in the grand scheme, each one a letter in the Torah. Yet there are dangers with this. You start to feel that you're greater than you really are, and you don't realize that we have leaders that connect us to Hashem - that how unique and great we are we must realize that we are far from the source. We have to learn from Miriam, the meraglim and Korach that Moshe is the leader. Without him we wouldn't be what we are. So to in every generation we have the Gedolim that not just lead the way, but are our connection to Hashem and not listening and learning from them we all are lost. Until that one day when Hashem will elevate us and we all will be able to learn straight from Hashem.

Parshas Shelach

Last weeks Parsha ends off with the story of Miriam being punished for speaking Loshon Harah about Moshe. This weeks Parsha tells us the story of the meraglim- spies and their loshon harah about the land of Yisroel. Rashi points out this juxtaposition and explains that the meraglim were to learn from Miriam, about the consequences of speaking loshon harah and they didn't. Let us try and get a better understanding of what they were to learn from Miriam, and what we can learn from the meraglim.
Miriam- who was a prophetess in her own right, equated Moshe with all other Neviem, saying that just as the other Neviam didn't need extra special preparations to get nevuah so to Moshe doesn't have to go that extra step. Her 'mistake' was that she thought that her brother was on the same level as all the other prophets. Not realizing that even though all prophets are holy, Moshe was the 'av' (literally the father) of all the Neviem, he was the one that connected the prophets of all times to the higher source. Moshe was the only Navi in history that actually went up to heaven. What Miriam didn't realize was that Moshe was on a much higher level then the rest of the Neviem and that he was the one that brought down nevuah to the rest of the prophets and that's why he needed extra preparation.
The Torah (13;26) says "And they went and came to Moshe.." says Rashi, that just as the returning was with evil intentions so to their leaving was with evil intentions. The Maharal asks: Rashi in the beginning of the Parsha says that all the Meraglim were great men, leaders of klal yisroel, so how was it that their going was with bad intentions at that moment they were still great people? The Maharal answers that Moshe sent them to spy the land as his own messengers - that they went as messengers of Klal Yisroel that was their mistake. The Medrish says that Eretz Yisroel wasn't ready for Klal Yisroel, for the Knanim destroyed the land and Hashem promised a land of flowing milk and honey so Hashem made them wait forty years for it to be rebuilt. But had Moshe gone into Eretz Yisroel he would've had the proper influences and changed the physical aspect of the land. Hashem told Moshe to send them 'Ledatacha' according to your 'opinion', meaning that the point was that Moshe should send his 'influence' and the meraglim should prepare the land for Moshe to come into. This is where they failed, they went as messengers of klal yisroel to spy the land and not of Moshe to uplift the land. Just like Miriam before them, they didn't realize that Moshe was on a higher plane then the rest of the nation and that their orders were to connect Moshe and the holy land. They thought Eretz Yisroel was just like any other land and that Moshe was just like any other prophet, while both of them are on a much higher 'madreiga'. They are our connection to Hashem and his kedusha.