Archives: Shayas Stickles

Keeping the Inspiration

In this week’s Parsha, we read the verse stating that Hashem’s eyes are on Eretz Yisrael “from the beginning of THE year to year’s end” [mayrayshis HAshana vi’ad acharis shana’]. Rav Shimon Schwab asks, why, when the Pasuk refers to the beginning of the year, does it refer to it with the “hay,” HAshana [THE year], whereas when referring to the end of the year, the pasuk simply writes shana [year] without the hay? Rav Schwab answers our question based upon the following Gemara in Rosh Hashana [16b]: The Gemara learns from our Pasuk that “any year that begins as a ‘poor’ year will end with riches and blessings.” What does the Gemara mean that a year ‘begins as being poor?’ Rashi explains that Klal Yisroel ‘make themselves poor’ by davening a lot. [How does our davening a lot make us poor? Rav Hopfer explained to me that one of the main Yesodos [fundamental concepts] in davening is to realize and acknowledge that everything we have is from Hashem. All of our wealth, cars, and houses, etc. are gifts from Hashem. If we recognize this idea during davening, we are ‘making ourselves poor’, and will then ‘ironically’ have a prosperous year.] Based upon the above Gemara and Rashi, Rav Schwab explains that when referring to the beginning of the year, the Pasuk uses the “hay,” since when Klal Yisroel are davening a lot and are on an elevated spiritual level, it is THE year i.e. a great year. But once the blessings have already been bestowed on Klal Yisrael, our human-nature-tendencies cause us to slip back into the old ways, and the year ends as just another regular year. Therefore, there is no “hay”, to connote to this unfortunate phenomenon. I think many of us experience this phenomenon at some point in life. We start a project or goal and work very hard on it, be it Daf Yomi, other learning sessions, or breaking a bad habit, but then the inspiration leaves us and we slip back into our old ways What is the remedy to this? How do we combat this phenomenon to make our whole year a “HAshana” year? Two pieces of advice: 1. To try to develop a love and joy in whatever it is that we are working on. When a person does something with joy, [s]he connects to it, and becomes attached to it , and will continue doing it. 2. Davening. One place in davening where we can have kavana to plead with Hashem to help us combat this frustrating habit is in Shemoneh Esrei at the beginning of Baruch Aleinu. We say, ‘Bareich aleinu Hashem Elokaynu es HASHANA hazos.’ We can intend in that bracha to ask that Hashem bless us with the stamina and fortitude to make the whole year into a “HAshana” year! As the year is drawing to a close, may we all merit to complete it on the high note on which we began on Rosh Hashana, and thus make the whole year a “HAshana” super productive year.

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Why- The (Almost) Unanswerable Question [Editor’s Note: On Tisha B’av morning, many have the custom to read Kinos- Lamentations, which describes the tragedies that occurred to the Jewish People throughout their arduous history. One of the Kinos tells us about the Ten martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sake of Hashem. There is a slightly different version of this Kinah that we say during Musaf on Yom Kippur. One of the martyrs who was killed was Rabbi Yishmael. Rabbi Yishmael was extremely beautiful, and the daughter of the ruler asked that he keep Rabbi Yishmael alive. The ruler refused, however, he acquiesced to her second request of flaying his skin in order that she would at least be able to preserve his beauty. The Heavenly Angels asked Hashem in bewilderment “This is the Torah and this is its reward?!! Is this what happens to someone who follows after You and learns Your Torah?! How could that be!?” Hashem responded to them by saying “If I hear one more word, I will turn the world back to how it was before creation!” I heard a beautiful understanding in this Kinah from one of my father’s friends, Shimon Shamilzadeh. He asked that the Angels seem to be asking a very good question- how could this happen to people that follow Hashem’s will? And what is Hashem’s response? “Remain silent, or else I will return the world to a place of nothingness!” What kind of response is that? This response can seemingly be likened to a senior chastising a “newbie” who asked a question with an obvious answer. But these are Heavenly angels, and they seem to be asking a very good question. What, then, is Hashem’s response? After many years of looking, Shimon heard an answer from his friend Yaakov Bree Zatzal. In order to fully understand this answer, he gives a beautiful parable which helps explain it. A king once called in his tailor and said to him “I want you to make for me the most beautiful suit that you have ever made. Take whatever you want from my Royal Treasury- Gold, silver, diamonds, rubies. I will pay you handsomely for it. However, there are two stipulations. Firstly, it must be beautiful. Secondly, you must have an accounting for every last drop of thread. You may take whatever you would like, but there can’t be anything missing from what you take. If there is, I will kill you.”. The tailor agreed. A year later, the tailor returned, and presented the king with the most stunning suit fit for a king. Everyone was oohing and aahing it! The king summoned the tailor, and said that, indeed, it is a most beautiful garment; however, I will still have to kill you. You see these button holes, where are the extra threads? You see the flap in the back where is the extra thread? The tailor said “Your Majesty, I can show you exactly where the extra thread went. You see this waistband, I had to strengthen it over here. You see this pants cuff- I had to put some more thread on the inside. Your Majesty, I can show you where every single little thread is and that they are all accounted for, but for that I will have to rip up the beautiful suit and show you where every thread is. That is what Hashem was responding to the angels. You asked a phenomenal question. Why are all these bad things happening to such righteous people. Why do babies and young children die? Why can a terrorist blow up so many people? Why can an Arab disturb a happy occasion like a Shalom Zachar and turn it into a battlefield? Those are all amazing questions! I can you show you why everything had to happen but for that I will have to bring the world back to a world of nothingness. Then and only then, will you be able to see My master plan and then you will understand why young people get sick and die, why singles have such a hard time getting married, and why people can be so brutally murdered in their own home. May we all merit the day soon, when we can greet Moshiach and the Third Beis Hamikdash, and then we will be able to fully understand why such tragedies can happen to such righteous people.]

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Respecting Everyone & Dealing with Tragedies

The Gemara in Sanhedrin asks: what is Moshiach’s name? The Gemara answers that ‘the Yeshiva of Shila says, his name is Shiloh. The Yeshiva of Rav Yannai says his name is Yeenon [a name very similar to Yannai]. The Yeshiva of Rav Chanina says his name is Chanina. And there are those that say his name is Menachem’.
The Gra explains that all of these opinions are one and the same, as the word Moshiach is an acronym for, Menachem, Shilo, Yeenon, and Chanina!

I would like to suggest an interpretation of this Gemara and the Gra on a deeper level.
In Judaism, a person’s name is extremely significant. It is very much connected to his personality; a name describes one’s essence. Hence, when the Gemara asked “what is the name of Moshiach,” the Gemara was asking “what is the essence of Moshiach”? What is his personality like? What are his attributes? The Gemara answers by bringing these four opinions, each one saying that Moshiach will have our particular personality, our particular specialty. [I believe the Maharal discusses the details of these personalities.]

Now we can truly appreciate the Gra’s explanation. The Gra is telling us that they are all right. Moshiach will have the positive attributes of Rav Shila, Rav Yannai, Rav Chanina and of what the name Menachem entails- all of the names combined! Because Moshiach will be the Gadol of perfection, having the positive attributes of all the authentic Orthodox Jewish groups without any deficiencies!

I saw the following line about Moshiach in the name of Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky Zatzal: ‘The Satmar chassidim say that he’ll be a Satmarer. The Klausenberger chassidim think he’ll be a Klausenberger, and the Litvaks are certain that he will be a ba’al Mussar. And then when he comes every Yid will look at Moshiach and say,”see it’s as I said! He’s one of our very own!’’

I believe this is same idea, that they [and all the other authentic Torah groups] will all be correct, because Moshiach will have the positive attributes of all the true Torah Hashkafos/personalities without any deficiencies.

We know that the second Beis Hamikdash was destroyed because of baseless hatred. I believe one large way in which baseless hatred manifests itself is how many of us view, judge and talk about Yidden who have different beliefs and behaviors than ourselves. We look at their deficiencies. We say [or think] ‘that group of Yidden are not careful about this Halacha. That group of Yidden are not careful about this Hashkafa. That group of Yidden are doing this wrong…’ etc.

If we want Moshiach, the Gadol of perfection, to come, we must recognize that we are 12 different Shvatim, each with a unique ‘personality’ in Avodas Hashem. We have different mehalchim [ways] and different Gedolim, and that’s okay, as long as we do what we are supposed to be doing, and respect the other groups for what they are doing.

[Editor’s note: I would just like to share a quick thought about the 9 days. Our Rabbis teach us that during the 9 days, we decrease our happiness. One of my Rabbeim shared a beautiful thought: Our Rabbis have taught that we should minimize our simcha during this time. It never says that we should not have any simcha during this time, because a Jew must always be happy. No matter what comes your way there is always an obligation to be happy. We can always find a silver lining even in the darkest of clouds. Even on Tisha Ba’v, which is one of the saddest days of the year, we do not say Tachunun, as is the practice on Holidays! The reason for this is that we understand that Hashem demonstrated that he cares about us through the terrible tragedies that took place on Tisha Ba’v, as a father who loves his son will punish him when he does something wrong. The punishments are a demonstration of how greatly Hashem values our potential.

May we all be zoche to greet Moshiach, and then, we will be able to understand why Hashem gave us so many tragedies, and we will make the same Brocho on both good and bad events.]

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A Selfless Leader

In this week’s Parsha, Moshe Rabbeinu blesses the Jewish people that they will increase a thousand fold.
Rashi cites the Sifri, which quotes the following dialogue between Moshe and Klal Yisroel: Klal Yisroel ask Moshe, “Why are you limiting the number of our offspring? Hashem gave us a bracha that we will be as numerous as the dust of the earth!” Moshe responds, “this [bracha] is from me, and Hashem will bless you like He has already promised.” (To understand the reason why Moshe gave Klal Yisroel a seemingly pointless bracha, as Hashem had already blessed them that they would be innumerable, take a look in Rabbi Frand’s first sefer on Chumash for a beautiful answer from the Chasam Sofer.)

Why did Moshe bless Klal Yisroel to increase specifically one thousand fold? What was unique about this number?

The Hafla provides us with a clever calculation to answer this question. There were two times in the Midbar when Hashem became ‘frustrated’ with Klal Yisroel to such an extent that He told Moshe that He will destroy Klal Yisroel and remake a great nation from just him (Moshe). Hashem did not tell Moshe how great He would make him. Chazal tell us that the good Hashem does for us is always 500 times greater than Hashem’s punishment. Hence, each time Hashem told Moshe, ‘I will make from you a great nation’, it was to be at least 500 times as numerous as Klal Yisroel. Twice 500 times is a thousand. Even though Hashem didn’t carry out his plan of destroying Klal Yisroel, we know that anything Hashem says for the good, even if it is an unfulfilled condition, He never retracts. So Moshe had, ‘in the bank’, a bracha that his descendants would multiply a thousand times as much as Klal Yisroel. Moshe, in turn, gave this bracha [in our Parsha] to Klal Yisroel that THEY should multiply a thousand fold! We can now fully appreciate Moshe’s words, ‘This is from me’. Not just that Moshe was giving them a personal Bracha. Moshe was telling them ‘this was my very own Bracha that I received from Hashem, and now I am giving it to you Klal Yisroel!’
How fortunate were we to have such a selfless leader!
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Emulating Our Leaders

In this week’s Parsha, the Torah tells us that the tribes of Gad and Reuvain asked Moshe for permission to stay outside Eretz Yisroel, because they wanted to pasture their cattle in the fertile ground outside of Eretz Yisroel.
However, in Parshas Vizos Habracha, Moshe said that the reason the tribes of Gad and Reuvain wanted to stay outside of Eretz Yisroel was because that’s where ‘he [Moshe] would be hidden’. Seemingly, they wanted to be close to Moshe’s burial spot. There seems to be a blatant contradiction. What was the real reason why they wanted to stay outside Eretz Yisroel?
Furthermore, if they didn’t know where the burial spot was, as the Torah attests, that ‘no man knows where Moshe was buried,’ hence they couldn’t go there to daven, so it doesn’t makes sense that ‘there Moshe was hidden’ refers to his burial spot. If so, what does it mean, ‘there Moshe was ‘hidden’?

Rav Yisroel Belsky Zatzal offers a beautiful novel answer:
For forty years in the Midbar Klal Yisrael had been very close to Moshe. They listened to Moshe’s daily shiur, then reviewed what Moshe had taught them, and asked Moshe questions if they needed any further clarification to receive the authentic Torah perspective. They were able to see the divine presence radiating from his holy countenance. And now, when they were getting ready to enter Eretz Yisrael, he was no longer going to guide Klal Yisroel. They asked themselves, ‘How will we manage without Moshe? How can we go on?’ They realized that the only way to go on, was to understand how Moshe became who he was, and seek to emulate him in that regard. Moshe didn’t become the Gadol Hador in one moment; he lived a life of growth and development until he became the shepherd of Klal Yisrael. It wasn’t until he was 80 years old that he emerged to become the leader of Klal Yisroel.

After some contemplation, the tribes of Gad and Reuvain realized that being a shepherd must have been a key element in Moshe’s attaining his greatness, as Moshe was a shepherd for SIXTY YEARS from age twenty to age eighty! How does being a shepherd help one become great? 1. You are a way from all distractions and evildoers. 2. You can meditate and connect to Hashem in song and prayer. 3. You develop your attributes of caring and concern, as you must be concerned with each and every sheep….

This, explains Rav Belsky, is the meaning of their request to pasture their flock outside Eretz Yisrael. It wasn’t a trivial greed forbusiness purposes. Rather, it was their sincere desire to emulate their leader, Moshe, who was now going to be pass on.

Hence, it is apparent that the two seeming diametrically opposed reasons are one and the same. When the passuk in parshas Vizos Habracha says that the tribes of Gad and Reuvain yearned to be close to where Moshes was hidden, it means to figure out his secret of how he became who he became and emulate him, i.e. by being shepherds for their flock, just as Moshe had done!

Let us all follow in the footsteps of our ancestors in the Midbar; to look deeply at the life of our leaders, and try to understand how they achieved their greatness in Torah and Avodah. Once we will be able to emulate our leader’s actions by behaving in accordance with all of the Torah’s teachings and Moshe’s lessons, we will merit to see the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days.

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Zealous for the Right Reasons

In the beginning of this week’s Parsha, the Torah tells us that Pinchas was zealous for Hashem’s sake ‘bisocham,’ or ‘AMONGST THEM’ (a reference to Klal Yisroel). What is that word ‘bisocham’ coming to teach us?

I saw in the name of Rav Pinchas of Koritz the following answer:
Often a zealous person or group will separate and create division, for instance, a breakaway minyan or a breakaway shul. Pinchas was zealous for Hashem’s sake BUT he did it amongst Klal Yisroel, i.e. without creating strife, machlokes, or division. As we know, this episode with Pinchas occurs in the Torah shorty after the story of Korach and his followers. Pinchas had witnessed what happened to those who question Moshe Rabbeinu, and therefore Pinchas wanted to prevent a repeat situation.

If we ever need to defend a Mitzva, let us all follow Pinchas’ style in doing so, which was solely for the sake of heaven and without creating discord.

Just an interesting side note: I have noticed in a number of places in Shas, that an Amorah will explain something about a Torah personality with whom the Amorah shares that name, as we have here with R’ Pinchas of Koritz, explaining the actions of Pinchas. I think the explanation is very simple. A name defines the essence. Hence, the Amorah will be especially interested in understanding all aspects about the life of the Torah figure that ‘shares’ his name, as there may be many lessons for his own life to be learned from his namesake’s actions!

Accepting Challenges
The Mitzva of Para 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. Para 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 the year 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.

Unity
Two of the greatest sins Klal Yisroel committed in the desert were creating the Golden Calf and Korach’s dispute. When Moshe rebuked them in Parshas Devarim, he hinted at each sin by naming a place. ‘וחצרות’ refers to the dispute of Korach that is related in our Parsha. The next words ‘ודי זהב’ refer to the sin of the Golden Calf. We know that the sin of the Golden Calf was before the dispute of Korach. So why did Moshe switch around the chronological order of events?
I saw a novel answer in the name of Rav Yosef of Puzna.

Chazal say that even if Klal Yisroel worships idols, as long as we stand united, Hashem forgives us. R’ Yosef therefore suggests, that since Klal Yisroel was united before the dispute of Korach, Hashem forgave us for the sin of the Golden Calf. Hence, there was no need for Moshe to rebuke us for it. It was only after the dispute of Korach, which brought discord into Klal Yisroel, did we retroactively have to be punished for the Golden Calf. Therefore, Moshe initially rebuked the sin of Korach, and only afterwards the sin of the Golden Calf!

We see from the aforementioned Chazal how terrible argument, fights and disputes are. They tear people apart, be it neighbors, friends, business partners, siblings, or spouses. It is a lose-lose situation, and the effects are horrific and long lasting.
However the opposite, i.e. having peace, unity, and being Mevateir [giving in], are beautiful Midos to acquire, and are tremendously rewarding both in this world and in the world to come.

Here’s one story I heard from Rav Frand that illustrates this idea.
In Yeshivas Ponovez, there was a Chazan for the Yamim Noraim that was aging and could no longer be heard by the Tzibbur, unless they turned off the air conditioning in the sweltering Bnei Brak heat. The Tzibbur asked him to give up his position. He argued that it had been his position for more than thirty years and he had the right to this privilege. They went to Rav Shach, and both sides explained their reasonings. Rav Shach said, ‘you are both right’. And then he turned to the Chazan and said ‘I’m an old man, and I have NEVER seen in my life a person lose out by being mevateir’. The Chazan got the message and gave up the position. Rav Frand said that he heard from reliable sources that that man had five children, each one struggling with a particular issue, and within that year all the problems were solved!

Let us all strengthen ourselves by learning from Korach’s mistake to distance ourselves from Machlokes, even when we think (and know!) we are right. Rav Chaim Shmulevitz explains that only Korach’s dispute with Moshe was one side 100 percent wrong and one side 100 percent right. But every other dispute in history after that will never be like that, i.e that both sides are partly to blame.
May we all do some soul searching to make sure we aren’t at odds with anyone else. And if there is anyone that we avoid or don’t talk to, let us gather the strength to make up. We will then G-d willing merit all the wonderful blessings that come when one is at peace with all.

Eretz Yisroel’s Wisdom

This week’s Parsha reports the episode in which spies are sent to check out the Land of Israel to see if the Jewish People will be able to conquer Eretz Yisroel. When the spies return, they relay a slanderous report about Eretz Yisroel. Moshe & Aharon fall on their faces, whereas Yehoshua and Kalev, whom the Pasuk emphasizes were among the aforementioned spies, tore their clothes.

The Imrei Shefer asks, that we already know that Yehoshua and Kalev were in the group that scouted Eretz Yisroel. Why does the Torah need to repeat that they went into Eretz Yisroel?

The Imrei Shefer offers the following interpretation: Moshe and Aharon falling on their faces was a form of prayer. They thought that there was still hope to daven and nullify the decree. Whereas Yehoshua and Kalev tore their clothes-a form of mourning- because they knew that the decree was already sealed and that davening wouldn’t help anymore. But that raises a question. Moshe and Aharon were greater than Yehoshua and Kalev, so how was it that Yehoshua and Kalev understood something that Moshe and Aharon did not yet understand?
Due to this question, the Pasuk reiterates that Yehoshua and Kalev had gone into Eretz Yisroel, which was something that Moshe and Aharon did not merit to do. Being in Eretz Yisroel enables a person to achieve greater heights in wisdom and holiness. As the Gemara in Kesubos says that one Yid who goes up from Bavel to learn in Eretz Yisroel is as great as two who remain in Bavel. [We also see this in our times, many of the Gedolei Hador live in Eretz Yisroel.] So that’s how Yehoshua and Kalev were able to understand something that even Moshe and Aharon didn’t yet understand!

Although we have many enemies who seek our demise, and especially of all those dwelling in Eretz Yisroel, let us strengthen ourselves to not fear learning and growing in Eretz Yisroel. Perhaps that will be [part of] our share in rectifying the sin of the Miraglim. May the day come soon when we will all be in Eretz Yisroel, appreciating the beauty of Torah in complete serenity, and basking in the light of the Divine Presence.

Individuality
Parshas Beha’aloscha describes an episode in which the Jewish People begin to complain in the Midbar. Hashem responded by giving Moshe the Seventy Elders to help lead Klal Yisroel.

Why were the Jewish people complaining, and what is the significance of the number seventy, representative of the Seventy Elders, to deal with their complaining?

Rav Yonah Sklare explains that they complained because they felt stifled and constrained in their covenant with Hashem. They felt the intensity of it was too much for them to deal with. Hence, Hashem gave them the Seventy Elders. Seventy is the number that symbolizes individuality. There are seventy diverse nations and languages. There are seventy approaches to Torah.

Hashem was telling Klal Yisroel that the way out of feeling constrained is by finding a specific path of the Torah where you can express your individuality. He was saying, ‘Choose a specific Rav from amongst the Seventy Elders that you would like to develop a close relationship with and emulate’.

The lesson is clear: we must keep the Halacha even if some of the Halachos are difficult, but the way out of feeling constrained is to express our individuality in our Torah life; be it through a special relationship with a specific Rav or mentor, a specific approach to Torah learning that speaks more to us personally, or a specific Mitzva that we would like to excel in.

[Editor’s note: Perhaps another lesson that can be gleaned from here is the concept of accepting Jews from other backgrounds. We have to realize that just as among the Goyim there are seventy nations so too in regards to the Jewish People there are 12 Tribes each with their own special way of serving Hashem. Each person has a unique style in how he serves Hashem. If we come to this recognition, then that will bring Moshiach much closer, and we will merit to greet Moshiach in our days.]