Archives: Shayas Stickles

A Selfless Leader & Why we Mourn
[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. A special thank you to Aaron Friedman for always looking over the divrei torah.]

In Parshas Devarim, Moshe blesses the Jewish People that they will increase a thousandfold.
The Sifri, quoted by Rashi, brings 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 already promised.” (To understand why Moshe gave them 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 them to increase specifically a THOUSANDfold? 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 Moshe alone. Hashem didn’t 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 have a rule that anything Hashem says for the good, even with a condition that is not fulfilled, He never retracts.

So Moshe had a bracha ‘in the bank’ that his own descendants would be multiplied a thousand times as much as Klal Yisroel. This Bracha he now [in our Parsha] gave to Klal Yisroel that THEY should multiply a thousand fold! With this, we can fully appreciate the words Moshe said, ‘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 got from Hashem and now I am giving it to you, Klal Yisroel!”

How fortunate were we to have such a selfless leader!

{Editor’s note: I saw a beautiful story from Rabbi Aaron Lopiansky’s article about Moshiach found in the Shavuos edition of the Mishpacha that I would like to share with you.
One Tisha B’av, I (Rabbi Lopiansky) heard a point powerfully presented by Rav Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik. He said, “People say to me, ‘We have Eretz Yisroel, Yerushalayim, and even the Kosel. Why are we still mourning as intensely as ever?’

Rav Yoshe Ber said, “I reply, ‘Have you ever seen an estranged son sitting at his father’s table? There is only one foot of distance between their bodies, but a thousand miles between their hearts! This creates an unbearable tension, intensified, not ameliorated, by their physical proximity.’ So too, to be so close, yet so estranged…”

Such an important lesson to keep in mind during this time, that even though we may have so much access to our Holy places, we are still missing so much. We don’t have Moshiach or the Beis Hamikdash.

May we continue to work on ourselves and better ourselves and ultimately greet Moshiach very soon in our days!}

To be added to the weekly Dvar Torah list please email zichronshaya@gmail.com

Balancing Our Midos
[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. A special thank you to Aaron Friedman for always looking over the divrei torah.]

This week’s Parsha begins by informing us that Pinchas received the covenant of peace rewarding his act of zealotry. At first glance, this seems ironic, a covenant of PEACE for being a ZEALOT???
But if we think about it a little deeper, with the understanding that Shalom means more than just peace but rather harmony and perfection, then it makes ‘perfect’ sense.
We are not a people who act solely with Chesed, as unbridled Chesed leads to immorality… Nor are we a people who act solely with Gevurah-strict judgment, as too much Gevurah in Chinuch pushes kids away… Rather, we are a people who seek to fuse our Midos into perfection; using Chesed in its proper time, Gevurah in its proper time, and likewise with all other Midos.

The proper definition of shalom is having a perfect balance in all midos and using each mida in its proper time.

This is the hallmark of our Gedolim, a few that I have merited to meet and see for myself, and many more of whom I have read about. They may have some very strong opinions about certain topics and certain practices, but when you come to speak with them, their warmth, love, and care is so evident.

This, I suggest, is the understanding of the covenant of Shalom concerning Pinchas. Pinchas, as the Torah emphasizes, was a grandson of Aharon, the quintessential lover of mankind. Pinchas had in his blood the warmth and love of Aharon. Yet when it came to matters that he had to take a strong stance on and act zealously, he did so. Hence he merited the covenant of SHALOM for his act!

May we all take this lesson to heart, to always work hard towards having a synthesis in our Midos, using each one positively in its appropriate time.

{Editor’s note: This week, we began 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 it 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 “step-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.}

To be added to the weekly Dvar Torah list please email zichronshaya@gmail.com

Accepting Challenges
[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. A special thank you to Aaron Friedman for always looking over the divrei torah.]

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 lain 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.

To be added to the weekly Dvar Torah list please email zichronshaya@gmail.com

Slow and Steady Wins the Race
[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. A special thank you to Aaron Friedman for always looking over the divrei torah.]

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 view this as being the foundation of 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.

To be added to the weekly Dvar Torah list please email zichronshaya@gmail.com

Everything is from Hashem
[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. A special thank you to Aaron Friedman for always looking over the divrei torah.]

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 the blessing comes from the Kohanim THEMSELVES, 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- As I was looking over the dvar torah, I couldn’t help but think how timeless Shaya’s words are. I think that this lesson was ingrained in many people this year due to the total disruption of the world caused by Covid-19. People lost savings in stocks; many people who were secure in their jobs found themselves without any jobs etc. A complete upheaval from anything that people were used to. This lesson was then imbedded within us that it is not our successes that determine what money we bring into our homes, rather, it is all dependent on Hashem.

May we take this lesson to heart, to internalize within us as we get back to our daily lives and ‘normal life again,’ that Hashem is the source of all blessings and that He wants to give, and all Hashem wants is for us to ask for it.}

To be added to the weekly Dvar Torah list please email zichronshaya@gmail.com

Respecting Others

[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. A special thank you to Aaron Friedman for always looking over the divrei torah.]

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.]

To be added to the weekly Dvar Torah list please email zichronshaya@gmail.com

Positive Criticism

[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. A special thank you to Aaron Friedman for always looking over the divrei torah.]

Parshas Acharei Mos:
The Medrash says that when Iyov heard that the two sons of Aharon died, he became very frightened. Why?
Chazal explain that Iyov was afflicted with suffering because when he was an advisor to Pharoh, Iyov did not protest to Pharoh’s decision to throw the Jewish babies into the river.
Chazal also say that Nadav and Aveehoo were punished because of the following incident: when Moshe & Aharon were walking, followed by Nadav and Aveehoo, Nadav turned to Aveehoo & asked ‘when will these two elders [Moshe & Aharon] die, and we will finally be able to take over as leaders of Klal Yisroel?’

Of course there is a deep understanding for why Nadav said what he said, and it wasn’t a petty lust for power, but either way, why was AVEEHOO punished? He didn’t say anything, he remained completely silent!?

We can learn from Aveehoo a very important lesson, which is that if someone sees his friend doing something wrong, being quiet isn’t good enough; he is obligated to protest. Since Aveehoo didn’t protest, he was killed.
So when Iyov heard that the two sons of Aharon died [not just Nadav but Aveehoo also], he understood this concept; silence is admission, and remaining quiet does not suffice. Therefore, he feared that he, too, would be punished because he also had just been quiet and hadn’t protested to Pharoh’s decision. And that is what ultimately happened to Iyov.
I am not citing this Dvar Torah to say that we should jump at every opportunity to protest and attend every rally under the sun! We should all follow our Daas Torah when to attend rallies and protests and when not to. But, if we are in a situation where we know protesting a friend or colleague’s improper actions will be under the guidelines set forth by the Torah for when one should protest or give rebuke, let us gather the strength not to be quiet [and certainly not to laugh or encourage], but to speak out firmly for the sake of the glory of Hashem.

Parshas Kedoshim:

The Pasuk in this week’s Parsha tells us that when one rebukes his fellow Jew ‘ולא תשא עליו חטא.’ The simple explanation is that one should be careful to give rebuke in a way where you will not sin, like by embarrassing him.
The Chavas Ya’eer & other commentators explain in a homiletic twist that ולא תשא עליו’ חטא’ means, don’t raise the sin over him. Don’t say ‘how could you do such a terrible thing, you are such a wicked person.’ Rather, lift him up over the sin. Say ‘you are such a special person; it’s not befitting for someone of your stature to do something like that.’
Perhaps we can take this theme one step further. Not only in regards to rebuking others do we have to be very careful to refrain from derogatory comments and only give positive reinforcement, but also in how we view ourselves. If a person views himself as being a bad person who has sinned in the past, then when more tests come his way, the person might say ‘I’m such a bad person already so what difference does it make if I sin once more?’Or, ‘I’m a not a holy person so my learning, davening, & Mitzvos aren’t valuable’.

That is a terrible mistake!
The correct outlook is to say ‘I am a sincere and good person. Although I am not perfect and have my shortcomings, I am seeking to grow and change for the better’. With that outlook, when one is tested with challenges one will be able to say ‘no I am not going to give in to the Yetzer Hara because the act that he wants me to do is not befitting someone of my caliber!’

Let us all take this lesson from the Parsha to heart. To always give positive, constructive criticism and for ourselves to always have a healthy self-esteem. This will Iy”H help us overcome a lot of the tests & challenges that the Yetzer Hara sends our way.

[Editor’s note: This was Shaya’s motto. Shaya lived and breathed this every second of his life. Always trying to find the good in every person no matter how far they may have strayed from the path. May we all try to find the good in everyone we meet, and thereby bring an aliya to Shaya’s Neshama.]

To be added to the weekly Dvar Torah list please email zichronshaya@gmail.com

‘Balancing Ears’
[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. A special thank you to Aaron Friedman for always looking over the divrei torah.]

Parshas Yisro opens with the words ‘Vayishma Yisro,’ that Yisro HEARD.
All of the commentators delve in to what Yisro heard, and how what he heard motivated him to join Klal Yisrael, but less attention is given to the Torah’s emphasis on the sense of hearing specifically.
The beginning of next week’s Parsha discusses the laws of a Jewish slave sold for stealing. If a Jewish slave doesn’t want to leave his master after six years of servitude, the Jewish Court will drill a hole in his ear because ‘the ear that heard by Har Sinai that we are not allowed to steal, and yet he stole, should be pierced….’
Again, why is it specifically the EAR that gets punished? The hands stole and the legs carried him to do the act of stealing, so why is the ear, which seemingly has the least involvement with the act of stealing, singled out by the Torah?

The Medrash tells us that it is possible for a person to be completely sullied in sin with his entire body, but if his EARS haven’t sinned, there’s hope that he can do complete teshuva. Why again is the emphasis on the ear?

Perhaps we can understand the significance of the ear based upon the following: Our ears have two functions; they are the conduit for our hearing, and they give us our balance.
We are taught that every one of our senses has a spiritual side in addition to it’s more overt physical side. The ear represents the ability to be open to listening to words of rebuke, as well as the ability to ‘balance things’ objectively in order to figure out what is the correct path to take. When we sincerely calculate whether our actions are the correct ones, then we have the ability to grow and improve.

However, if a person rationalizes away everything he does with preconceived notions and is not open to hearing the truth, then there is no hope for his doing teshuva. Hence, someone who steals after hearing clearly by Har Sinai to not steal must have his ear pierced to teach him that there is something inherently wrong with the function of his ears which caused him to go astray.

Now we can understand Yisro as well. Yisro had served every Avoda Zara in the world, but since he was open to HEARING and thus to finding the truth, he became the father-in-law of Moshe, with the Parsha of Kabalas Hatorah named after him.
Yisro is a prime example of the Medrash that as long as one’s EARS aren’t sullied in sin, there is always the capability of doing Teshuva.

May we all work on keeping our ears ‘spiritually healthy,’ i.e. to always be open to hearing the truth, and to always ‘balance’ everything we do before we do it, to make sure as best as we can that it is Ratzon Hashem.

To be added to the weekly Dvar Torah list please email zichronshaya@gmail.com

That’s MY Team
[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. A special thank you to Aaron Friedman for always looking over the divrei torah.]

In the beginning of this week’s parshah, Parshas Beshalach, the Pasuk says that when Bnei Yisroel left Egypt they were ‘vichamushim.’ There are a number of explanations for what ‘vichamushim’ means.

According to one opinion, it means that only one fifth of Klal Yisroel left Egypt. Four fifths of Klal Yisroel were killed during the plague of darkness because they weren’t worthy of redemption.

A second explanation for ‘vichamushim’ is that the Jews were armed with Mitzvos. However, the Pasuk also tells us that on the day they left Mitzraim, the Jews were empty of Mitzvos. So what Mitzva did they have when they left Mitzraim?

The Targum Yonasan interprets ‘vichamushim’ to mean that each family had ‘5 tafla.’ Tafla means children, so the simple understanding of the Targum is that each family had five kids. However, we then have an obvious question on this explanation: we know that from EACH pregnancy, the women had [at least] SIX kids. So what does the Targum mean that they only had FIVE TAFLA?

The Baeir Yosef provides us with a beautiful approach that answers all of these questions: He explains that the four fifths of Klal Yisroel who died were only those who were twenty or older, and therefore able to be punished in the Heavenly Court. Their kids were certainly not deserving of punishment and were not killed. Thus, there were many orphans who had no parents. The remaining one fifth of Klal Yisroel adopted all of the orphaned kids! That is what the Targum Yonasan means when he says 5 ‘Tafla’, i.e. five FAMILIES of kids. That besides for their own kids, each family adopted four other families, so that all the children of the 4/5 of Klal Yisroel who died would have surrogate parents! That was the great Mitzva that they were armed with when they left Egypt!

We all know that throughout the recent generations, there have been many Jews who have chosen different paths and have not remained committed to Yiddishkeit. They have produced many ‘orphans,’ kids, and even grownups who don’t know anything about the beauty and depth of Yiddishkeit and what our mission in life is. There are a number of organizations and special people who help fix this sad trend. All of the Gedolei Yisroel laud their work and encourage all of us to do our share in this holy Mitzva. We can all support these organizations [each person according to his/her financial situation] AND do our share in bringing these ‘orphans’ close to Yiddishkeit; by inviting them to our Shabbos meals, talking & acting respectably in the work place and the street, etc.

I would like to connect this idea to current events. Why is it that people are so into watching and rooting for sports teams when they are not even the ones playing?

I think the answer is that Hashem put into the world the ability to associate oneself with others. ‘That’s my team’! Like every mida, character trait, and force in the world, there is the ability to channel this force for the better. In the same way some are proud when their “home team” wins the World Series or Super Bowl, one should try to be proud of the spirituality of one’s city. We should take pride in the talmidie chachamim and chashuva Rabbonim of our city. We should take pride in the great Yeshivos, schools, and Shuls of our city. We should take pride in the unity and harmony of our city. Just like people care so much for strangers (players) on a team, who don’t know their fans at all [and probably doesn’t care one bit about them either,] let us all try to use that force to care for Jewish strangers who are distant from Judaism. They’re also on our team!

In the merit of this crucial Mitzva which parallels the Mitzva we fulfilled when we left the exile of Egypt, may we soon merit the final redemption, speedily in our days.

To be added to the weekly Dvar Torah list please email zichronshaya@gmail.com

An Optical Illusion
[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. A special thank you to Aaron Friedman for always looking over the divrei torah.]

Parshas Shemos ends with a seemingly dark ‘end note’ by Moshe failing in his mission to end the servitude of Bnei Yisroel under Pharaoh. In fact, the servitude intensifies, Moshe is bewildered, and G-d reassures Moshe that He will free the Yidden, but the Parsha ends there, with Moshe not understanding how and when that will occur.

This week’s Parsha begins with the verse ‘And Elokim spoke to Moshe and said I am Hashem.’ What does this Pasuk mean? Why does G-d’s name change from “Elokim to Hashem?”
I think the explanation is as follows: We are taught that ‘Elokim’ is associated with the Mida of Din-[strict judgment], whereas ‘Hashem’ is associated with the Mida of Rachamim-[mercy]. Hence, G-d is saying to Moshe ‘now I will show you that what you thought was strict judgment is really absolute Rachamim and will be for your benefit.’
Parshas Va’era then discusses the first seven Makos, which are the prelude to the amazing exodus from Egypt, where we left slavery, loaded with the riches of Egypt, on our way to Matan Torah, the greatest moment in all of history.

We all go through difficult times where things don’t seem to make sense. At times, our efforts to grow and work on issues seem to make things worse, just as it seemed to Moshe at the end of last week’s Parsha.
Perhaps the Torah specifically ended last week’s Parsha at that point to teach us this lesson about life. No matter how difficult the situation that we are dealing with is, there will always be a new ‘parsha’ where everything will make perfect sense. Sometimes we merit to see it ourselves in our lifetime and sometimes we have to wait for Yemos Hamoshiach to understand it, but there is always another chapter which will reveal to us that everything was Rachamim and for our benefit.

May we all merit to see that clear ’20/20 vision’ of our mission and purpose in life very soon.

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