Parshas Matos- Maasei 5778

[Editor’s note: As a memory of my beloved brother Shaya, I would like to continue sending out his pearls of wisdom that he has shared with all of you in the past. For some of you this may ring a bell and for others it may appear to be totally new. May the learning of Shaya’s Divrei Torah inspire us to change our ways and thereby give an Aliya to the neshama of our dear beloved Shaya whom we miss so much.]

This week’s Parsha contains the laws of the cities of refuge for a person who kills by mistake. There were six major cities of refuge: three in Eretz Yisroel proper, and three on the east side of the Jordan river. Rashi explains that the reason they had the same number of cities on the east side of the Jordan as in Eretz Yisroel, even though there were only two and a half Shvatim living there, was because the city of Gilad had many murderers.

The question the commentaries grapple with is that the cities of refuge were only for people who killed accidentally, so what difference does it make if there were a lot of intentional murderers in Gilad? Why would that be a reason to have cities of refuge for ACCIDENTAL killers?

The Maharal answers that since the people in Gilad were exposed to a lot of murderers, they lost some of their appreciation for the value of other people’s lives, and thus they were less careful when engaged in activities that could be hazardous to other people.

The lesson is clear: the people we are around have a major impact on our own character traits, personalities, and actions. Fortunate are the ones who stay away from the wicked, and rather maintain relationships with righteous upstanding Yidden.

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Parshas Balak 5778

Taking Personal Blame

The Gemara in Brachos says about one who designates a place for his davening, that ‘The G-d of Avraham will help him, and when he dies, people can say about him ‘woe to us that we lost such a humble person… What does having a designated place for davening have to do with humility??

My Rebbi, Rav Kalman Weinreb, explained in the name of Rav Bergman shlita, as follows: Why would a person move around and switch seats? A person can think to himself, ‘I couldn’t have concentration in that seat because the guy next to me was davening too loud. I couldn’t have concentration in that seat because the heat or air conditioner was blowing right on me…’ He will keep hopping around from place to place, blaming the surroundings for the lack of his concentration.

However, a Yid who designates a specific place for davening is saying ‘if I didn’t have kavana [or wasn’t successful in what I was davening for], it wasn’t Yankel’s fault, it wasn’t the heat’s fault, it was my own fault. I will try again from that very same place.’

That was exactly what Avraham Avinu did. Avraham davened that the people of Sedom should be spared destruction but was unsuccessful in saving them. Immediately after relating that Sedom was destroyed, the Torah tells us that Avraham went back to the same spot where he had davened for the people of Sedom to pray for something else!

Taking personal responsibility is the definition of humility, and shirking that responsibility is conceit.
The Mishna in Avos tells us that one of the three attributes that differentiate a student of Avraham from a student of Bilam is that the student of Avraham has a HUMBLE spirit [as we have shown,] and the student of Bilam has an ARROGANT spirit.

Where does Bilam display arrogance?
In this week’s Parsha, with exactly the same scenario! Bilam tries to curse Klal Yisroel, and is unsuccessful. Balak then takes Bilam to another place, and then another place to try to curse Klal Yisroel. A humble person, as we said, would say ‘no, I’m not going to move or switch. I am going to go to the same place and try again.’ But Bilam, being a haughty person, listens to Balak, and continues in going to other places, blaming the former place for his inability to curse!

The Mishna in Avos concludes, ‘we will enjoy the fruit of our good deeds in this world and inherit the world to come.’ Some people think that if you live an immoral life and do what you want to do without rules and boundaries, although you will lose out in the world to come, you will at least enjoy this world. The truth is that such a person will not enjoy this world either.
Not only will he live a meaningless life, but he will also fall prey to his bad midos. His jealousy, lusts, and ego will overtake him and never allow him to be satisfied with what he has. But a person who has good midos and strives to do the will of Hashem will enjoy even this world much more than the person with bad midos. Hence, the Mishna says that someone with good midos enjoys both worlds, whereas someone with bad midos has nothing in either world.
May we all follow in the footsteps of our forefather Avraham by emulating his midos to the best of our ability.

{Editor’s note: This Shabbos, we will begin the three weeks, ending with Tisha B’av, the day we mourn the destruction of our Beis Hamikdash. The Gemara says that if a person lives in a generation that the Beis Hamikdash has not been rebuilt, he must consider as if his generation destroyed the Beis Hamikdash.

Rabbi Aharon Feldman pointed out that the Gemarah is teaching us that we have to look at the destruction of our holy temple as if each and every one of us destroyed the Beis Hamikdash. The only person to blame is ourselves. Rabbi Feldman pointed out that if we would examine ourselves carefully, we would see that we exert so much effort in our daily and personal life to shift the blame from ourselves on to other people. “I was late to work because of this reason,” or, “I couldn’t finish the project because of this…” that is the beginning of our personal destruction.

When we wipe away all of the excuses and “stand up to the plate,” we will be transformed into stronger and better people who can take to the plate and face any of the pitches that Hashem throws our way. Instead of bunting to first base, we can hit a home run right out of the park.

May we all take this lesson to heart as we enter into the three weeks; that it is our own faults and shortcomings that cause us to be the way we are and once we come to that realization, we will be able to work on ourselves and rebuild our own Beis Hamidash and ultimately bring Moshiach with the Beis Hamikdash in our days!}

[Editor’s note: I just want to take this opportunity to thank Hashem for the all the Nissim that He does for us on a constant basis and especially for what Hashem did for my family on Wednesday. We were getting off the highway on the exit ramp and a deer came out and hit the car. Baruch Hashem we are all okay! If the deer would have been a little higher up our windshield may have been smashed! HODU LASHEM KI TOV KI LI’OLAM CHASDO!]

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Parshas Chukas 5778

Accepting Challenges

The Mitzva of Parah Aduma discussed in our Parsha is the quintessential chok; a Mitzva which we cannot comprehend it’s reason. One aspect of the Mitzva that seems incomprehensible is that although the Mitzva is performed to purify impure people, those involved in the process become impure themselves!

In fact, Shlomo Hamelech writes in Koheles that he understands the entire Torah except for Para Aduma. Additionally, the Medrash tells us that Hashem told Moshe, ‘only to you will I explain Para Aduma.’ No one else will understand it until the days of Moshiach.

Why is Hashem withholding the meaning and significance of this Mitzva from us?

The Ba’air Yosef explains that it is in order to teach us a very important lesson, namely, that there are things in life that we cannot understand. There are paradoxes like righteous people suffering and wicked people having great wealth and power. Parah Aduma is THE Mitzva which reminds us of this idea.

The Shibolei Haleket writes that twenty four cartloads of holy Sefarim were burned on the Friday of Parshas Chukas in Paris in 1242. The Magen Avraham cites a custom to fast on the Friday of Parshas Chukas to commemorate that burning. Why do we follow the day of the week that it was on, and not the calendar date, like we do by all other fast days and Yomim Tovim?

In a dream, it was revealed to the leading Rabbis that this fast is observed specifically on the Friday of Parshas Chukas, the day right before we layn Chukas, because the Parsha starts off “Zos CHUKAS Hatorah” and the targum is ‘this is the DECREE of the Torah.’ The Parsha is symbolizing to us this principle, that there are things in this lifetime that we humans cannot understand.

May we all take this lesson to heart, and try to accept with simplistic faith all challenges and difficulties that come our way, even when they seem to be counterproductive and make no sense to us. May this serve as our continual attempt to atone for all the incidents where we questioned G-d throughout history.

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Parshas Shelach 5778

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

The Gemara tells us that the color of the techeiles [the blue string of the Tzitzis] is similar to the color of the sea, which is similar to the color of the sky, which is similar to the color of Hashem’s throne; hence, the techeiles should remind us of Hashem and His Mitzvos.

Rav Moshe Feinstein asks, why don’t we put on our Tzitzis the color which is most similar to Hashem’s throne, and not this seemingly complicated circuitous route?

Rav Moshe answers that the Torah is teaching us a very fundamental principle in Avodas Hashem: We are supposed to elevate ourselves in stages. We aim for great heights, but we should take it one step at a time. Therefore, in our pursuit of spirituality and thinking about G-d via the Techeilis, we do it with this lengthy process to remind us to take small steps and not one big leap.

Some see this as the dispute between Kalev and the other spies. They were saying, ‘it is a land that eats its inhabitants,” i.e. that we have to be on a very high level in order to live in Eretz Yisroel and if not, we will die. Kalev’s response, quoted by Rashi was, ‘if we have to go up to Heaven, we will make ladders to get there.’ One of the Chasidic Rebbes explains that he was saying “yes we have to aim for Heaven but we will do it like climbing a ladder,” i.e. one step at a time! Although Hashem wants us to reach for great heights, the way to achieve those goals is by working on ourselves one step at a time.

May we all take this lesson to heart: to have lofty goals and aspiration, but to accomplish them by working on ourselves slowly but surely.

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Parshas Naso 5778

Everything is from Hashem

This week’s Parshah, Parshas Naso, lays the exact wording of Birchas Kohanim. The simple understanding of Birchas Kohanim is that the Kohanim are blessing us. The Akeidas Yitzchak asks several questions on this: 1. Why do we need an intermediary between us and Hashem to give us Brachos? 2. If it’s their OWN blessing, then why, in this short three-stanza bracha, do they mention HASHEM’S name THREE times, once in EVERY stanza? 3. Why is there a rule that they can’t add to the bracha if it’s their own bracha anyway?

The Akeidas Yitzchak therefore understands that the Kohanim are conveying to us that Hashem is the source of all blessing. They are reminding us to recognize that everything is from Hashem. Hence, they keep saying Yivarechicha HASHEM…, Ya’air HASHEM…, Yisa HASHEM…, teaching us that all that we have is from Him.

If this is true, then the question arises: why is it specifically the Kohanim who teach us this concept?

I’d like to suggest that since the Kohanim had no nachala [inheritance] in Eretz Yisroel, they didn’t have material wealth and security which might have led them into thinking that their talents and wisdom were the reasons for their successes. They were totally dependent on Hashem to provide for them. Hence, it was much easier for them to recognize and live with this fundamental concept. Therefore, Hashem specifically chose them to convey this message to the rest of us.

{Editor’s note- May we take this lesson to heart, to internalize within us as we go about in our daily lives that Hashem is the source of all blessing and that He wants to give and all Hashem wants is for us to ask for it.}

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Shavuos 5778

Shavuos 5778

The Seforim bring that the Shalosh Regalim correspond to the Shloshah Avos, and Chag HaShavuos corresponds to Yitzchak Avinu. What is the connection between Shavuos and Yitzchak Avinu?

We know that Yitzchak corresponds to Avodah [prayer]. Yitzchak specialized in a direct and real relationship with Hashem.

In fact, the Torah describes Yitzchak’s avodah as “Vayeitzei Yitzchak lasuach bisada” [And Yitzchak went out to ‘talk’ to Hashem in the field]. The root of the word lasuach, is ‘seecha,’ which refers to speech, or in other terms, ‘shmoozing.’ The Pasuk is teaching us that Yitzchak’s shmoozing was with HASHEM! He had such a real and direct relationship with Him that even his regular shmoozing was with Hashem.

The above explanation can also explain why Rivka fell off the camel when she saw Yitzchak in the field conversing with Hashem, as she was so in awe to see someone who had that awesome relationship with Hashem.

Perhaps this is one aspect of how Yitzchak corresponds to Shavuos. Matan Torah was the moment when there was the biggest revelation in all of history of G-d to EVERY single one of us. G-d actually talked to the entire Jewish people! Perhaps in the essence of this day, there lies the power to strengthen and develop our connection to Hashem.
May we all work during this Yom Tov on strengthening that relationship via learning Torah, davening, and doing Mitzvos. May we continue to climb in growing closer and closer to the goal of the marriage-like relationship between us and Hashem!

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Parshas Bamidbar 5778

Small Steps Lead to…

In this week’s Parsha, Parshas Bamidbar, the Torah enumerates the number of men in Shevet Binyamin right next to the amount of men in Shevet Dan. As with everything in the Torah, this is significant, and has a profound lesson for all of us.

Dan only had one child, a son named Chushim, who was hard of hearing. Binyamin had ten healthy sons. An observer at the time might have said or thought to himself that not much will come of Dan’s Shevet. They will surely be very few, and certainly in comparison to Shevet Binyamin.

The Torah tells us that in actuality, it was just the contrary; through Binyamin’s ten sons, Binyamin’s descendants numbered 35,400 men, while Dan’s Shevet had almost double, a staggering 62,700! The lesson is clear; never give up on any child [and teenager or adult for that matter], as big things start small!

The above I heard in the name of the Chofetz Chaim.

‘Big things start small’ is an idea that can be applied not only in the physical world, but in the spiritual world as well. When one starts to improve oneself spiritually, even in small ways, if one is persistent and steady, it can morph into big changes.

Being that Rosh Chodesh has just passed, this is the opportune time to get off to a fresh start in working to improve ourselves, and into being better and more special people.

May we all work slowly but surely, on improving our relationship to Hashem and in keeping the Mitzvos, and may those small changes transform into large improvements; as we head toward the Yom Tov of Shavuos where we will relive the special covenant between us and Hashem.

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Parshas Behar-Bechukosi 5778

Eternity

[Editor’s note: This was the last Dvar Torah that Shaya sent out before he was niftar. In this dvar Torah, Shaya teaches us about Moshe’s Midda of Netzach-success for eternity. Shaya has in fact left all of us his own everlasting legacy that will remain with all us forever. In the past, Parshas Behar-Bechukosi has fallen out during the week in sefira corresponding to Netzach. Although the week of Netzach has already passed, I feel that this is a lesson which should be shared with all of you. Shaya has in fact left all of us his own legacy that will remain with all of us forever.]

The fourth week of Sefira corresponds to Moshe’s Midda of Netzach. It is therefore appropriate to understand what this Midda is, how it epitomizes Moshe, and the lesson we can learn from it.Although Moshe wasn’t allowed to enter Eretz Yisroel, he davened to at least be allowed to look at Eretz Yisroel, and his request was granted. Why wasn’t Moshe allowed in to Eretz Yisroel, and what was the significance of Moshe’s LOOKING at Eretz Yisroel?

Moshe’s midda was Netzach [success for eternity]. Whatever actions Moshe performed continue to last for eternity. Moshe took us out of Egypt and we are still around today. [Which is a novelty for anyone who knows history concerning the rise and then fall of so many nations and cultures.] Moshe gave us the Torah and we still have the Torah.

Hashem foresaw that Klal Yisroel would sin in Eretz Yisroel to the point where they would be deserving of death, which would ultimately lead Hashem to do one of two options: Either to Chas VeShalom actually destroy us and then rebuild the nation, or allow us to atone for our sins by exiling us and having us struggle with different challenges and tests among the other nations. Hashem, out of his love and compassion for us, chose the latter. This, the Meforshim explain, was the reason that Hashem didn’t allow Moshe into Eretz Yisroel. Had Moshe been allowed to enter Eretz Yisroel, Moshe’s Midda and personality would have created the need for an eternal stay in Eretz Yisroel, and then the only other option for Hashem would have been to actually destroy us.

The Ner Uziel adds that perhaps this is the reason that Moshe asked and was granted permission to LOOK at Eretz Yisroel. It was to create Klal Yisroel’s longing and passion for Eretz Yisroel for eternity. [As it’s usually the EYE that sees that starts the process of longing and connection.] Thus, we see until this very day how all Yidden love and yearn to be in Eretz Yisroel!

With the aforementioned, we can appreciate Rav Simlai’s Drasha at the end of the first Perek of Sotah. He asks, rhetorically, “why did Moshe long to go into Eretz Yisroel? Was it to eat from its fruit and enjoy its goodness?” He answers that Moshe said that “Klal Yisroel was commanded to keep many Mitzvos only in Eretz Yisroel; let me enter so there can be a fulfillment [KIYUM] of all of the mitzvos through me.”

Based on what we are saying, we can truly appreciate this statement; Moshe wasn’t merely davening that he wanted to keep all the Mitzvos, and without his entering Eretz Yisrael, there would be some mitzvos he could not fulfill. Moshe wanted there to be a KIYUM- an everlasting endurance- to the mitzvos via Klal Yisroel’s commitment to them, which he knew could only come about through his entering the land and fulfilling those Mitzvos. Unfortunately, we didn’t merit that, and thus, throughout history, we did not have an everlasting ability to keep those Mitzvos. May the day come soon when we will once again be able to keep every single one of those Mitzvos.

Based on this overview, I speculate that any exertion and toil to grow in Avodas Hashem in this week of Netzach has an extra special ability to have a more lasting effect on us for life.

May we all succeed in tapping into this rich potential for permanent growth, to reach and maintain great heights.

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Parshas Emor & Lag Ba’omer 5778

Respecting Others

According to the opinion that the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva who died between Pesach and Shavuos had a brief respite on Lag Baomer, we can appreciate the relevance of a number of Torah thoughts regarding Lag Ba’omer.

The Gemara tells us that the students of Rabbi Akiva died because they didn’t show proper respect to one another.

Each week of Sefirah corresponds to a different Midah (attribute) epitomized by one of the Ushpizin. This week is the Midah of Hod, epitomized by Aharon. The specific Midah for Lag Baomer is ‘hod shebi’hod’, i.e. completely Aharon’s midah. We know that Aharon was the quintessential ‘Oheiv Shalom Vi’rodeif Shalom,’ the lover and pursuer of peace.

There is a custom to learn and work on one of the 48 ways to acquire Torah each day of Sefirah, and on the last day to review and incorporate all of them. The thirty-third kinyan-acquisition is Ahavas Habriyos-loving people. Additionally, my friend Zecharya Michelson pointed out that the thirty-third travel spot of Klal Yisroel in the Midbar was Hor Hahor, the place where Aharon was buried!

So perhaps the reason that none of the Talmidim died on Lag Baomer was because they were able to overcome their issue of not showing proper respect to each other by tapping into the midah of the day; the midah of loving and respecting people and pursuing peace like Aharon!

This week’s Parsha discusses the Halachos of the Kohanim. On the one hand, the Kohanim are all descendants of Aharon, the Ohev Shalom and Rodeif Shalom; yet simultaneously, the Kohanim [and all the Bnei Levi] are the ones who killed the sinners of the Golden Calf.

Is that a contradiction? Absolutely not. When it comes to wicked sinners and heretics, we have no tolerance and acceptance. However, when it comes to our fellow Jews who try to follow Hashem’s will, we must learn to appreciate each other for each person’s contributions to Klal Yisroel.

We are twelve Shvatim with twelve different personalities and approaches to Yiddishkeit. Each Shevet walked through the Yam Suf on its own path, but the water was transparent! The lesson is clear: we have different paths and approaches, but we must be able to ‘see’ and respect each other.

[Editor’s note: This idea of appreciating another Jew was something that Shaya lived by. There was no concept of ‘well, he doesn’t wear the same color hat or shirt as me.’ It was always about finding a connection with another Jew and trying to infuse that person with true warmth. Shaya’s family really only understood how much Shaya epitomized this by his Levaya and Shivah. There were a lot of people from all different backgrounds that came to his levaya and shivah and told the family how much Shaya connected to them. In the words of one of his neighbors, “Shaya was an ordinary person. He knew how to talk to someone on their level.” Shaya was able to relate to others because he breathed this principle of respecting other people no matter what kind of background they may have had. May we all try to work on ourselves to have the abilty to look beyond the externals and see the inner beauty of the Jewish People.]

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Musings of Shaya 5778

Dearest Shaya,
I am not sure what you know up there right next to the Kisei Hakavod- right next to Hashem, so let me share with you a couple of things that have happened since you were niftar.
Your beautiful legacy that you have left us is still going strong. So many people have gained so much and are constantly inspired to change their ways because of all the beautiful inspiring divrei torah that you wrote every week.

Not everyone knows, however, of all the hours that you put in every single week to tweek the dvar torah to perfection, to ensure that no one would get insulted by your words. How you used to spend hours making sure that the grammar was correct, and hours upon hours looking through different sefarim and listening to countless shiurim to find that perfect balanced dvar torah that no one on ‘either side of the fence’ (right/left wing) would be hurt by. Your divrei torah hit home no matter if the person reading it had a kippah seruga/ black hat/ streimel/ covered their hair or didn’t. Everyone was truly inspired.

Your legacy continues, as one of your chavrusas whom you learnt with for a number of years before you were niftar has finally finished his first tractate in Gemarah (Berachos). Someone to whom a thought of finishing an entire tractate may have come to his head if not for you drilling in to him that drive and passion for Torah. That person is now making a siyum on Tractate Berachos and it is all thanks to you for starting that drive and to the person that helped him accomplish this goal after you left us.

Your holy legacy continues as other chavrusas of yours who were indelibly inspired by your patience warmth and smile continue to strive for greater and greater heights knowing that you, Shaya, are looking down from that high place in Shamayim and are flashing them that huge smile of yours and telling them YOU CAN DO IT! JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE…!

Shaya, your legacy continues as people all around the world do things for you for the Iluy of your sweet Neshama.

Shaya, so many people were touched by that warm smile of yours no matter how difficult the illness may have been at that time – that smile had to be on your lips!

That smile, I thought that I was the only one to get that one thousand watt smile whenever you saw me, and then I realized during your shivah that you gave that smile to every single person to whom you encountered and it was a real genuine and authetic smile because you truly loved each and every person you met as if they were a close friend or relative. It made no difference who the person was, you always manged to find the good in that person and to praise that person.

What a privilege to have someone like you in our generation and family!

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