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?

Parshas Noach

The Meshach Chochma points out that Noach started out as an 'Ish tzadik'- a man a tzadik, but later in his life the Torah describes him as 'Ish hasodeh'- man of the fields. We find the opposite by Moshe Rabbainu. In Parshas Shemos he's refered to as 'Ish Mitzri'- Egyptian man, and at the end of his life the Torah calls him 'Ish huElokim'- a G-dly man. What was the difference between these two biblical personalities? How is it that their lives were polar opposites? The Meshach Chochma answers that Moshe dedicated his life to helping people and bringing them closer to Hashem, thus he was granted extra siatah dishmaiah to grow to a G-dly level. Noach on the other hand let the people of his generation sink to the lowest level without trying to help them and thus he himself fell from the level he was on.
Rashi brings a pshat that had Noach lived in Avraham's generation he wouldn't have been a Tzaddik. This is perplexing, was he a tzadik or not? If yes then he would have been the same tzadik in any generation, why is it relative to other people?
The Massai Hashem explains that Noach believed in Hashem and knew his glory, because he had it passed down to him father to son back to Adam. Avraham grew up in a home of avodah zora, he had no mesora, he came to find Hashem on his own. Had Noach lived in a generation where he wouldn't have had the rich mesora he wouldn't have been a tzadik, for he made no effort to find the creator on his own and would have been just like every other person- devoid of the knowledge of Hashem. That is why Noach couldn't help his generation, it was to dangerous for him to expose himself to the elements and to bring them closer for he didn't possess the tools needed to prove the existence of Hashem.

Parshas Brieshes- Yartziet of Harav Levi Yitzchok Ben Sorah Sosha Zatzal

'V'yikra Elokim l'or yom'- This says the Medrish, refers to the deeds of the rightous 'Velachoshech korie layla'- refer to the deeds of the wicked and which one does Hashem prefer- 'Vyar Elokim es h'or ki tov' He likes the light of the righteous. This Medrish need explanation. Why was it ever a question whose deeds are loftier - isn't it quite obvious that Hashem would like the righteous?
The Kedushas Levi says that there are two types of middos. There are character traits that are positive and there are middos that are inherently bad but can be used for doing good. For example, some people are soft spoken in nature and some are the angry type. While usually it's a bad middah to be angry, one can utilize it for the good, as in standing up for Hashem's will. The question in the Medrish is which one is a better way to serve Hashem. Should one work on becomeing an easygoing and softspoken indivdual or should he be like Pinchas and act with zealousy. To that Hashem said he'd rather the person deal with people in a pleasant manner and even when one must stand up for Hashem's honor to first and try doing it pleasantly.
Friday the 25th of Tishrei is the yahrtziet of the Kedushas Levi- R' levi Yitzchok of Berditchev. If there was anyone that served Hasham through pleasantness and an 'ein tova' it was the ultimate defender of Klal Yisroel- the 'Heiliga Berdichive'. May his memory be a blessing to all of Yisroel.

Succos

The Gr"a explains the reason we celebrate succos on the fifteenth day of tishri. Klal Yisroel lost the clouds of glory that escorted them out of Mitzraim on the 17th day of Tamuz- when they made the eigal. It didn't return to them until they did something solid- when they started building the Mishkon. Hashem granted us forgiveness on the tenth day of Tishri- Yom Kipper. The next day- 11th day of Tishri- Moshe told Klal Yisroel to build the Mishkon. The next two days-12th and 13th of Tishri- Klal Yisroel donated the material for the Mishkon. On the 14th day the gathered and took inventory of what was donated. The actual building of a house for Hashem began on the 15th day of Tishri- the day known to us as the first day of Succos. On that day the Clouds of Glory were given back to Klal Yisroel and they were granted final forgiveness.
R' Yitzchok Hutner points out that at the Simcha Bais Hashovaivah there was a special song that the Baali Teshuva sang. The whole Yom Tov comes as an extension- and gives a finality- to the Yommim Noraim. The Month of Tishri starts with the fear and trepidation of the Yemai Din. It closes with days of Simcha that we can get closer and that we were successful in getting closer to Hashem. That over the Ymai Din Hashem decided that Klal Yisroel is a Nation of eternity.
(The Medrish- Vaikra Rabbah 30;2- says that that is what the Lulov shows that we came out of the courtroom with our hands held high as a sign of victory.)

(I apologize about the grammar for it's getting late)