Parshas Hachodesh

Blissful are those on whom the sun of fortune shines continuously, whose sky is not overcast, and who bathe in the warm noontime rays of light. Happier still are the redeemed ones who exclaim with joy at the sunrise of liberation having experienced the loneliness of the night. Blissful are the angels who, without blemish and sin, eternally pure, perform their Divine service at the throne of G-d. Even more joyful are those who raise themselves from the mire of sin to light and purity, who struggle for the light, who battle for purity, who vanquish the power of darkness and depravity. - R' S. R. Hirsch on Parshas Hachodesh.

Story Time

Rav Ezriel Hildesheimer was one of the big German gedolim that saved German Jewry from the enlightenment movement in the mid 1800s. Together with gedolim like Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch he implemented the yeshiva system of 'torah im derech eretz' where as part of the yeshiva curriculum they taught secular studies. For twelve years he was the head of the Yeshiva in Eisenstadt, Hungary. He was just the third German rav to be appointed rav in Hungary, and was the first one to open a yeshiva in Hungary that taught 'Torah im derech eretz'.
A certain rabbi, one of Rav Hildesheimer's own friends, was visiting the yeshiva. He was also present when secular instruction was being given. "We often speak of you," said the guest, "and we ask ourselves how you find time for lessons in secular subjects". "The time you spend speaking about me I use for teaching these general subjects, without detriment to my shiurim", answered Rav Hildesheimer.

PURIM

Hashem’s name isn’t mentioned in all of Megilahs Esther. Chazal tell us that every time the word ‘Hamelech’ is mentioned it refers to the king of all kings- Hashem.
When one says a story of ‘the rebbe’ or ‘the rosh yeshiva’, he can mean a few different people- it depends on who his rebbe/ rosh yeshiva is, who he’s talking to or the context of the conversation. But if there is a central rebbe/ rosh yeshiva that everyone looks up to and everyone recognizes, then when you mention ‘the rebbe/rosh yeshiva’ it can be assumed that you’re referring to him.
Dovid Hamelech praises Hashem for לְעֹשֵׂה נִפְלָאוֹת גְּדֹלוֹת לְבַדּוֹ– He alone performs great wonders. Why is it a praise that he does so himself? Isn’t that obvious, if it’s truly wondrous, then it came from Hashem himself. The Yosef Lekach on Megilas Esther explains; Hashem does wondrous things that only he himself knows that their truly wondrous. We live our everyday life not realizing that everything that’s going on around us is being orchestrated by Hashem, for our benefit. The miracle of Purim is when we saw this crystal clear. We saw and lived through events that made no sense and even seemed horrific. A Jewish girl was taken against her will, to be Queen, yet no one knew that she was Jewish. Imagine how the Jews felt, they have one of their own living in the palace and yet she cannot do anything to benefit them- for no one knows she’s Jewish. All this and many other circumstances were all part of the divine plan to wondrously save Klal Yisroel. לְעֹשֵׂה נִפְלָאוֹת גְּדֹלוֹת לְבַדּוֹ -Only Hashem knows how truly wondrous he runs the world.
Purim we saw that everything in this world is run by Hashem. That even the mightiest human king cannot stand in the way of Hashem’s daily wonders. When we read the megilah we come to the realization that every Hamelech is indeed Hashem.

For Parshas Zachor go here.

Mazel Tov to Babbi, Uncle Yossi and Yisroel Dov on the birth of a baby boy!

Parshas Mishpotim

The Divrei Yoel writes; on Tuesday night parshas Lech Lecha he dreamt that it was Friday night parshas Mishpotim and a thought came to him. The medrash compares the words וְאֵלֶּה, הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם with the words of Thillem- מַגִּיד דְּבָרָו לְיַעֲקֹב; חֻקָּיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא עָשָׂה כֵן, לְכָל-גּוֹי וּמִשְׁפָּטִים בַּל-יְדָעוּם . . The posuk starts with saying that Hashem gave chukim and mishpatim to Klal Yisroel, and continues to say that he did not teach mishpotim to the goyim. Shouldn’t the second posuk also read that the goyim weren’t taught chukim and mishpotim? Even more so the definition of chukim is something without a reason- one would think that that was given only to us, while the goyim were given mishpotim - the logical commandments?
When Klal Yisroel received the Torah, we got much more than a set of commandments. We received the permission to understand them and to learn them according to our ability. We have the responsibility to interpret the holy words of the Torah and apply them to our lives. The basic meaning and understanding of the dinim could, and do change according to Klal Yisroel’s understanding. We were given chukim- laws without meaning, just a set of commandments chiseled in stone. Through our toil in Torah we turn the chukim into mishpatim- laws that we understand and relate to. The nations of the world only received a set of rules to abide to. They were not given the ability to understand them and so for them it remains chukim.
Rashi writes that Hashem told Moshe וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם– teach the laws to Yisroel. Don’t just teach them the halachos once and twice, rather lay them out like a set table. (For a nice thought on this Rashi click here) Moshe thought that all he is to teach Klal Yisroel was the dinim he learned. The tammai mitzvos - the depth of the mitzvos - he thought wasn't meant for them. Hashem told him, don't just teach them the dry dinim- the chukim, teach them the ways of learning and understanding Torah. Teach them the Torah as mishpotim.

Parshas Yisro

The Aseres Hadibros are written twice in chumash, with a number of differences. We tend to believe, based on Chazal, that the version in this week’s parsha is what was written on luchas rishonim- the one we received on 7th day of Sivan and was broken when we sinned with the eigal. The version that we read in Parshas V’eschanan is luchas shneios- what was returned to us on Yom Kippur after we were forgiven for the eigal. One of the differences is the way the commandment for Shabbos is stated. In luchas reshomin it starts with the word ‘zachor’- remember the Shabbos. This is the mitzvas asseh- positive commandment of Shabbos. In luchas shneios we are told the negative commandment of Shabbos- the commandment opens with the word ‘shomer’- watch the Shabbos. Clearly both versions were said and heard at kabolas hatorah at Sinai as we are taught; זכור ושמור בדיבור אחד נאמרו. The two different versions of aseres hadibros was what we understood from it. Luchas rishonim, when we heard zachor and shomer we understood that the focal point was zachor and shomer was just an added dimension. At luchas shneios we understood shomer, and zachor was just an added dimension.
One can contemplate who brings more pleasure to Hashem, a tzadik- one who dedicates his life to Hashem and never did anything against His will- or a baal teshuvah- one who struggles in his fight with the yetzer horah. If we judge them by their deeds, the tzadik is definitely greater. A perfect tzadik has never strayed from Hashem’s ways. Every deed he does, every word he utters, every step he takes, every detail in his life brings glory to Hashem’s name. His very nature is one of perfection and deveikus b’Hashem. On the other hand, a baal teshuvah, while he struggles to be close to Hashem, he still does many things that distance him from Hashem. He does not enjoy the deveikus b’Hashem that a tzadik does.
Yet we are taught במקום שבעלי תשובה עומדין אין צדיקים גמורין יכולין לעמוד. In a sense a baal teshuva is greater than even the greatest tzadik. We can judge them by the hard work they put into their avodas Hashem. For a tzadik to do good comes natural, his body and soul are programmed to do Hashem’s will. A baal teshuvah struggles all his life for Hashem’s glory, every waking hour of his day he is a soldier fighting to do what’s right. The toil he puts in to do what’s right, is what makes him greater.
Luchos rishonim was given to Klal Yisroel at their point of perfection. Klal Yisroel, with the luchos rishonim were to be free of sin, free of the yetzer horah and free of death - a nation of tzadikim only capable of glorifying Hashem’s name. Had we physically gotten the luchos we would have kept that level and been an eternally perfect nation and brought perfection to the world. But we didn’t manage to bring the luchos down to the world. With the sin of the eigel, we lost the luchos, the handiwork of Hashem was smashed before our eyes, the broken pieces lie at the foot of the mountain. We put ourselves back into the world of imperfection. We now struggle to keep ourselves holy and close to Hashem. We are a nation of baalei teshuvah.
One, who is pure in all ways and has distanced himself from all wrongdoing, must be told only of the positive commandments. His main avodah is running after mitzvos. His greatest pleasure is to actively serve Hashem with love. The negative commandments aren’t really necessary for him for there is no will to do any wrong. A baal teshuvah, on the other hand, must first be told of what not to do- the negative commandments, and only then can he be told of the positive mitzvos, how to actively serve Hashem.
Parshas Yisro relates to the level we were on when we received the first luchos- on the level of tzadikim. In luchos reshonim Shabbos is given to them as a positive commandment- zachor. In parshas V’eschanan Klal Yisroel was after the sin of the eigal- on a lower level, a level of baalei teshuvah. Luchos achronim came to an imperfect nation, what they had to hear was the negative commandment- shomer.

Parsha Point To Ponder- Parshas Yisro

“Aseres Hadibros” עשרת הדברותis usually translated as the “Ten Commandments”. This translation apparently has no basis from Jewish sources.

The Rambam counts fourteen Mitzvahs in the Parsha of the Aseres Hadibros.עשרת הדברות

1. אלקיך אנכי ה'
2. לא יהיה לך אלקים אחרים על פני
3. לא תעשה לך פסל כל תמונה
4. לא תשתחוה
5. ולא תעבדם
6. לא תשא שמה שוא
7. זכור את יום השבת לקדשו
8. לא תעשה כל מלאכה
9. כבד את אביך ואת אמך
10. לא תרצח
11. לא תגנב
12. לא תנאף
13. לא תענה ברעך
14. לא תחמד

Amongst the Rishonim there is a disagreement as to which- and exactly how many, of these are in fact included in the Taryag mitzvahs (Bhag does not count Anochi as a Mitzvah but rather as a fact that Klal Yisroel had to hear before they were able to hear the Mitzvahs) - but I think that all if not most will agree that there are more then Ten Mitzvahs- commandments in the Parsha.
That there were ten- is a Posuk in Parshas Veschanan that says there were ten ‘Devarim’ on two tablets. The Ramban (Drush Torahs Hashem Temima) points out that the posuk calls them Devarim and not mitzvahs. We see that there can be more then Ten Commandments on the luchas but as many as there are they make up the Ten Devarim.
There are many Shuls around the world that have a display of the Aseres Hadibros on the Aron- which has a basis in the Rishonim. I haven’t seen a disagreement as to which ten make up the Aseres Hadibros. The question is, what constitutes a dibur? It isn’t a Mitzva on its own nor is it every Parsha on its own for Anochi and Lo Yeheyah are in the same parsha.

Tefilah Point to Ponder

Every Yom Tov shemona esrah includes the tefilah of 'Atah bechartanu'. Shabbos tefilos do not include this insert. The Levush explains that Shabbos preceeded the choosing of Klal Yisroel, we received the mitzva of Shabbos before kabbolas hatorah. The mussaf of Rosh Chodesh is also missing the insert of 'Atah bechartanu'- the reasoning of the Levush can be applied here as well.
Why is it that when Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbos (as the coming Shabbos) in Mussaf we find the words 'Atah bechartanu'?

A Huge Mazel Tov to L. Sheinfeld on the birth of a baby boy!

Parshas Shemos

Parshas Shemos begins with the naming of the twelve sons of Yaakov. Rashi explains: The counting of Klal Yisroel express Hashem’s love for us, just like he counts the stars everyday he counts Yisroel over and over.
The Sefer of Shemos speaks of the redemption and birth of Klal Yisroel (hence the translation- Exodus). The birth of the nation of Yisroel started with exile. Golus in Mitzraim is compared to a fetus in a womb, it is what made the birth of Klal Yisroel possible. Through the darkness of the exile, in the lowest state, as we were wallowing in our blood , וָאֶעֱבֹר עָלַיִךְ וָאֶרְאֵךְ מִתְבּוֹסֶסֶת בְּדָמָי Hashem gave us a new life- a life to be dedicated to Himוָאֹמַר לָךְ בְּדָמַיִךְ חֲיִי, וָאֹמַר לָךְ בְּדָמַיִךְ חֲיִי.. One of the highlights (at least for kids) Pesach/Seder night is the saying/singing of דַּיֵּינוּ–we thank Hashem for all the good he did for us as we left Egypt. The culmination of that experience is
וְהִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבָנָה לָנוּ אֶת בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה לְכַפֵּר עַל כָּל עֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ. -that we entered Eretz Yisroel and built the Bais Hamikdosh. The purpose of 210 years of bitter exile, of all the miracles that were done to take us out, were all in order that we should strive to dwell in Hashem’s land and build a dwelling for Hashem.
The Brisker Rav (parshas Vayichi) says that Eretz Yisroel was given to the twelve shevatim. It is only through the twelve tribes that we were able to settle the land of Yisroel. The Kedushas Levi explains - All twelve names of the Shevatim are references and suggest hashgacha pratis. Eretz Yisroel is the land where hashgacha is most profound. It is only throught the realization/zechus of the hashgacha demonstrated in the Shevatim that we were zoche to settle in Eretz Yisroel.
Every star is named by Hashem everyday - providing each and everyone its own special hashgacha. Golus Mitzraim is prefaced by the names of the twelve shevatim- comparing them to the stars. The goal of the exile is that we should learn and appreciate this special hashgacha Hashem offers Klal Yisroel- a nation of Shevatim, in a land of Hashgacha.

Parshas Vayichi

כב וַאֲנִי נָתַתִּי לְךָ, שְׁכֶם אַחַד--עַל-אַחֶיךָ: אֲשֶׁר לָקַחְתִּי מִיַּד הָאֱמֹרִי, בְּחַרְבִּי וּבְקַשְׁתִּי
The Targum and Rashi explain the words 'sword and arrow' to relate to tefilah. The Brisker Rav explains that there are two types of prayers. We have the Siddur, the daily tefilos that the Anshe knesses Hagdolah implemented. We also have prayers that a Jew can say anytime - speak directly to Hashem- our own words our own tefilah. The difference between them is the same difference between a sword and an arrow. A sword is sharp and can do damage even when a small child is carrying it- it's own sharpness is what damages. An arrow does not have its own power, it needs a bow and someone to shoot it in order for it to damage. The strength of the shooter is what damages. The prayers that Chazal were misaken are like a sword. There is a sharpness to them, the words are potent and full of meaning. When a jew says the words of the Siddur- as weak and lowly as he feels- they can cut through the heavens and have a desired effect. The Nefesh Hachaim says that one should daven from a siddur, for the words and letters themselves, without the meaning of the words, have a certain strength to them. Then we have prayers that are like arrows- the words are made up by us, but they don't have the sharpness of Chazal. In order for those tefilos to have the desired effect we must put our strength into them. We must really direct all of our energies to the prayer to shoot it through the heavens. That is the reason why when one is troubled he goes to a gadol to pray for him. The tefilos we say when we are in trouble, the ones that we say on our own, need more power then the ones that we say everyday.

Mazel Tov to my grandmother, Uncle Yossi and Mendy B. on the birth of a baby boy. May he be a source of nachas for the whole family.

Parshas Va'yigash

When Yosef revealed himself to his brothers he proved himself by saying “And behold your eyes see…. That it is my mouth that I’m speaking unto you”. Rashi explains that he spoke to them in ‘Lashon Hakodesh’- Hebrew. The Ramban asks, anyone can learn to speak any language so what kind of proof was that he was their long lost brother by speaking Hebrew?
The Chasam Sofer explains Rashi with a basic understanding of this language and what makes it ‘Hakodesh’- holy.
When the Jews went into their first exile, Bavel after the first churban they forgot their native language of Hebrew. How was it that they were a mere seventy years removed from their homeland and Hebrew was almost forgotten? Why is it that in today’s day some of us were brought up with a ‘Jewish’ language- Yiddish and yet Biblical Hebrew is all but forgotten?
Unlike any other language Hebrew is not made up of mere words but each and every word is the actual essence of what it describes. The classic example is: The word used for ‘said’ and the word used for ‘thing’ are very similar ‘Deeber’ and ‘Davar’- for they are in essence the same thing the word and how it’s said is just a way of expressing the thing. The holiness of Hebrew is that it is Hashem’s language, it is the language that was used to create and build the world. Hashem created the world with ten utterances, he actually build the entire universe with the words of Lashon Hakodesh as his ‘tools’. Everything in the world was build and is being sustained by Hashem ‘saying’ the word. Hence it is called holy, for it is the key to creation.
To be able to properly speak Lashon Hakodesh,to construct words and sentences of this holy language, one most be holy himself. That is why throughout the galus we forgot this holy language for we aren’t on the level of kedusha to be able to speak it. Yosef told his brothers look at me I spent 22 years here in the spiritual wasteland of Egypt and yet I retained my holiness and can still properly speak the awesome language of Hashem.