Parshas Vayichi

When the Shevatim went to bury their father Yaakov in Mearas Hamachpaelah, Esav countered that the final burial spot in the cave belonged to him and not Yaakov. The Shevatim started arguing and tried to prove to him that Yaakov was the legitimate heir and they sent Naftuli down to Mitzraim to bring the deed to prove it. Dan had a son by the name of Chushim, who was deaf. Seeing that Yaakov wasn't being buried he asked someone what the problem was and they told him that Esav was preventing them from burying Yaakov, so he went and killed Esav.
Why was it that no one else had the courage to do what was seemingly right? Why was Chushim the only one who knew what had to be done?
R' Henoch Liebowitz Zatza"l explains that when a person is caught up in a argument or debate he can't focus, all he looks for is a way to prove that he's right and he looses sight of the objective. That's what happened to the Shevatim. They were trying to prove that they were right and failed to see that this was all a disgrace to Yaakov whose body was in front of them. The only one that wasn't involved and all worked up- was Chushim. He couldn't hear and therefore wasn't caught up in the political aspect of it, all he saw was a great Chillul Hames - and thus was able to see and do what had to be done.

Happy Anniversary to Reb Z!!!

Point To Ponder- Parshes Vayigash

In Parshas Vyeshev Rashi tells us that all the Torah Yaakov learned in the yeshiva of Shem and Ever, he taught to his son Yosef.
Why did Yaakov send Yehudah to Mitzraim to open a Yeshiva and not give the job to Yosef who was in Mitzraim already?

Mazel Tov to Y. H. on the birth of a baby girl!

Just a Thought- The Life of Yosef

After being sold by his own brothers, Yosef - a seemingly unwanted individual, finally gets some stability in his life when he was working as a head butler for Poteifar, a minister in Mitzraim. We all know the story of how he overcame the great test and didn't succumb to his yetzer harah. What was his reward for all this? He was thrown into prison once again unwanted and downtrodden. What would our reaction be? We would say "Hashem enough of all this. This is the reward I get for withstanding the greatest challenge of my life, to be thrown down once again!". But that is not how Yosef looked at it. In every stage of his exile we see that Hashem was with him, he always saw the good in what was happening, always found strength from his connection to Hashem and even in a foreign prison all alone he kept his head held high and was successful there. At the end of the story we see where this all lead him. Because he was in jail he was able to interpret the dream of the 'sar hamashkim' and thus start the process of becoming the king of Eygpt. It was because he was in jail- the excuse for him to give up on all hope - that gave him the opportunity to become a king.

A Menorah Point to Ponder

Why is there no mention of the lighting of the Menora- that happened everyday in the Bais Hamikdosh- in our daily prayers- just like the Korban Tomid and Ketoras?

Chanukah- First Night

After the 12 leaders of Klal Yisroel brought their Korbonas in honor of the new Mishkon (Parshas nasso) we learn the Mitzva of Hadlokos Neiros of the Kohanim (Pasrshas Bhaloscha). The Ramban brings a Medrish that says that Aharon was promised that even at a time when Klal Yisroel won't have the services of the Korbonos they will always have the Mitzva of menora. The Ramban explains that the Mitzva the Medrish is referring to is the mitzva of Ner Chanukah.
If one doesn't light Chanukah candles, he has to make a bracha when he sees lit candles. R' Yitchok Hutner asks, why is the mitzva of Chanukah Candles different than all other mitzvos, that you make a bracha just upon seeing the candles?
There is a Halacha that says if one passes a 'Makom shnaseh bo nes' a place where a miracle happened- he's obligated to recite a bracha of she'asa nissim.
The Neiros Chanukah aren't merely objects of a mitzva, but rather the candles themselves are a place where a nes happened to all of us. The candles every jew lights on Chanukah are actually the same candles that Kohanim lit in the Bais Hamikdosh, transported in time and space to every Jewish home.
That is what the Ramban is referring to when he says that Aharon was promised that the Menora will be eternal, for in every Jewish home we fulfill the same mitzva as the Kohanim did in the Bais Hamikdosh.

Parsha Point to Ponder- Parshas V'yaishev

Who knows Eleven?
At the end of the Peasach Seder there is a song that we sing- Echod me yodaiah- who knows one. It's a song that goes through numbers one through thirteen describing what they represent.
The number eleven is represented by the stars in Yosef's dream- where he dreamt that eleven stars were bowing down to him. The eleven stars represented his eleven brothers and that he would be king. What is the significance of this number? We know the number twelve represents the Shevatim - the tweleve sons of Yaakov. All the number eleven is is the Shevatim- 12 minus one- Yosef - whom they were bowing to. So why is it that in the song the number eleven is represented by something that's seemingly not an entity on its own?

Parshas Vayishlach

The Posak relates that when Yaakov met Esav, Esav fell on Yaakovs neck, kissed him and they cried. The medrish says that "Esav tried biting Yaakov but Yaakovs neck turned into marble and thus didn't hurt Yaakov. Yaakov and Esav both cried Yaakov cried for his neck and Esav cried for his teeth." What is the symbolism of Yaakovs neck that Esav tried to bite it? Why is it that Yaakov cried for his neck, nothing had happened to it he should of been thankful and happy that it turned into marble?
The Maharsha (Megilah 16b) says that the Bais Hamikdos is compared to a neck of a person (as we see when Yosef met Binyomin they cried on each others necks for they knew that the bais Hamikdosh and the Mishkon will be destroyed)
The deeds of our forefathers are a sign for things to come. Esav was trying to get to Yaakovs neck- the third Bais Hamikdosh which was in zechus of Yaakov. Hashem showed Esav that he will not be able to conquer the third Bais Hamikdosh and it will always be protected by Hashem. Esav cried for he realized that at the end of time he will be doomed. Yaakov cried for his neck he realized that there will be three Bati Hamikdosh and that Esav will be able to destroy the first two.
Happy anniversary to A. and Y. B.
Mazel Tov to my future shvuger A. C. on his ufruf.
(P.S. grammar may be worse than usual, my editor is out of town)

Parshas Toldas

Chazal tell us that Avraham was supposed to live until the age of 180 years. In order not to see Esav stray off the right path- which happened when Esav turned 13, Hashem took away five years from him and he died at the age of 175 years. R' Yossef Chaim Zonnefeld explains, that is why the Torah expresses Yitzchoks teffilas in such a strong manor. The consequences of Yitzchoks teffilas being answered at the time that they were meant that Avraham was going to have to die five years before his time. R' Yossef Chaim added that the gematria of the words 'Vayosar lo Hashem'- and Hashem listened to his prayers, is 748- which is also the exact value of the words 'Chomish shanim'- five years.The price Yitchok payed for his prayers to be heard was five years of his Father Avrahams life. This was told over to R' Aron Kotler Zatzal- whose yartziet is this Shabbos- his reaction was that this vort had to been of said with Ruach Hakodesh.

Lzchus, Aryeh Leibish ben Elta Nechama Maltshi (Teitelbaum), Bentzion ben Elka (Chroman), Gavriel Noach ben Freida Bluma (Holtzberg), and Rivka bas Yehudis (Holtzberg / Rosenberg), Rochel Golda bas Gittel (Pasikov)

Parshas Chai Sarah

Hashem blessed Avraham with 'Bakol'- everything. What is the meaning of everything? He obviously didn't own everything in the literal sense, there were things in the world that were owned by other people, so what is the meaning of 'bakol'?
(Yitzchok and Yaakov also received the same blessing and thus we ask for it in bentching to be blessed just like our Avos 'Bakol mekol kol').
Esav made a statement that 'Yesh li rav' I have 'a lot'. Yaakov on the other hand said 'Yesh li kol' I have everything. The answer lies in understanding the difference between these two statements. If you ask anyone how to achieve a positive outlook on life, you would be told to think positive, think of all the good things you have in your life, don't dwell on what you don't have and you will see that the good outweighs the bad. While this outlook is a healthy one, it still has its downfalls, for you'll always have a natural yearning for more. Hashem blessed Avraham with everything- Hashem relieved him of the natural yearning for wanting more, thus there was nothing more that he wanted or could of possibly have- 'Bakol'.
Esav said he has 'a lot' because even though he had what he needed he wanted more. The Avos on the other hand were happy with what they had and received a special blessing of having everything they could possibly want.

Parshas V'yiarah- Tefilas Avos Tiknu

The Gemora teaches us that the three tfillahs were instituted by the three Avos 'Tefilas Avos tiknu'. Someone (Y.R.) once asked me, why is it that just because the Avos davened are we obligated to daven?
R' Eliyahu Lopian explains the concept of 'Tfillahs Avos tiknu' with a parable. We all know what to do if you want to speak to someone in London- we pick up a phone and just call. Did you ever think about what it took for you to make that call? Someone (Alexander Graham Bell) had to invent the technology, investors were needed to further the idea, companies to run it and to lay down the telephone line or to send up the satellites etc.. After all that work, all we have to do is pick up the phone and dial. That is what the Avos did for us. Avraham invented and set up the technology for the Tefilah of Shachris, Yitzchok and Yaakov did the same for Mincha and Marriv. It is thanks to them that we have the ability to just stand up and talk to our Father in heaven. The Korbanos are what gave us the obligation to pray three times a day. As the Gmorah says that the Tefilas are also in place of the daily sacrifices brought in the Bais Hamikdosh. It was the Avos that gave us the opportunity to daven three times a day.

Point to ponder. Why does the Torah interupt the story of the destruction of Sedom and the salvation of Lot with the posuk that tells us that Avraham instituted Shachris?