Shlomo Katz- Shiru Lo

Minchat Asher on the din of Mora'at HaMikdash

(An interesting piece from this past Shabbos)

וַיִּיקַץ יַעֲקֹב, מִשְּׁנָתוֹ, וַיֹּאמֶר, אָכֵן יֵשׁ יְדוָד בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה; וְאָנֹכִי, לֹא יָדָעְתִּי. וַיִּירָא, וַיֹּאמַר, מַה-נּוֹרָא, הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה:  אֵין זֶה, כִּי אִם-בֵּית אֱלֹקִים, וְזֶה, שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם. (בראשית כח:טז-כז)

Rashi explains that what Yaakov Avinu meant when he said that Hashem was there and he did not know was that had he known he would not have slept there. Rabbi Moshe HaDarshan writes, why was Yaakov afraid? Because he acted lightly in the makom HaMikdash and went against what the Torah says, “ומקדשי תיראו”. Rav Asher Weiss writes that these words are very interesting indeed, for they seem to say that the halachah of Morah Mikdash, having fear in the Mikdash, applied even before the actual Beit HaMikdash was built.

Rambam writes in Sefer HaMitzvot (mitzvah 21), we have a mitzvah to be in great fear of the Beit HaMikdash to the extent that we place a weight of fear and awe upon ourselves- and this is Mora’at HaMikdash, which we learn from the pasuk “ומקדשי תיראו”. This mitzvah includes not walking into the Mikdash with your walking stick, with shoes, or with dirt on your feet, and also that one may not sit in the Azarah unless he is a king of Davidic lineage. This is an obligation upon us always, even nowadays during the Churban. The Sifra asks how do we know that this din applies even today? The pasuk says “את שבתתי תשמרו ואת מקדשי תיראו”- just as Shemirat Shabbat is perpetual, so too is Morah Mikdash. Furthermore, it also says there that it is not the Mikdash that we fear, but rather the One Who commands over it.

                However, when we look at what Rambam writes about the mitzvah of Shmirat HaMikdash (mitzvah 22), (to always have people around the Mikdash and guarding it,) it seems that that mitzvah only applies while the Beit HaMikdash stands. The explanation seems simple; the whole idea of shemirah is resultant from the kavod and romemut of the Heichal and from all the denim of the Beit HaMikdash. Morah Mikdash, on the other hand, stems from the sanctity for there dwells the Shechinah.

                Furthermore, Rambam writes (Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 7:1) that it is a mitzvat aseh lirah min HaMikdash, to fear the Mikdash, and then he defines what exactly this means by saying that it is not the Mikdash itself that we fear but rather Hashem who commands fear of it. So this mitzvah is not necessarily in front of the Beit HaMikdash, but in the place of the Hashra’at HaShechinah. It says in Shemot Rabbah that in any place where the Shechinah is revealed it is assur to wear shoes. In fact, we see by Yehoshua that he is required to remove his shoes when a malach is speaking to him. So we see that even before the binyan Beit HaMikdash this halachah of Morah Mikdash was in effect by Yaakov Avinu since Hashem’s Presence was there.

                There is a machloket between Rambam and Ravad as to the status of kedushat HaMikdash today. Rambam holds that the kedushah rishonah of Shlomo HaMelech made the Azarah and Yerushlaim holy from then and forever on. Ravad holds that the kedushah of Yerushalaim and the Mikdash are not deoraita today. The Minchat Chinuch shows from this that according to Ravad there is no din of Morah today as well. If so, why doesn’t he argue this against Rambam by the halachah of Morah Mikdash?

                It seems that there are three categories by Kedushat HaMikdash: Firstly, there are dinim dependent on the Mikdash itself like the mitzvah of Shemirah. Secondly, there are dinim dependent on the Kedushat HaMikdash, which Rambam and Ravad argue on. Thirdly, there are dinim dependent on Hashra’at HaShechinah such as Morah Mikdash according to Ravad. So perhaps it is according to Rambam’s shitah that the makom HaMikdash is holy even today that we practice the mitzvah of Morah; that really it is dependent of the kedushat hamakom. But according to Ravad who holds that there is no kedushah, perhaps there is still Morah for a different reason. Rather than depending of the kedushat hamakom it is dependant on the Hashra’at HaShechinah, which is still there even after the Churban. So really Ravad doesn’t argue with Rambam as to whether or not Moreh Mikdash applies today, not like what the Minchat Chinuch says. Furthermore, without going into too much detail, according to Rambam the din of Moreh Mikdash only applies when there is Hashra’at Shechinah on the level of “Mikdash”, meaning when Hashem dwells amongst 600,000 Jews.

                In summation, Rav Asher Weiss explains that according to Rambam there are two fundamental principles in Moreh Mikdash: Hashra’at HaShechinah and Kedushat HaMikdash. Even according to Ravad that it is dependent only on the Shechinah, from וַיֹּאמֶר, אָכֵן יֵשׁ יְהוָה בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה; וְאָנֹכִי, לֹא יָדָעְתִּי, it seems that Yaakov Avinu knew that this place was destined to be the location of the Beit HaMikdash, but he didn’t know that the Shechinah was already there, so he didn’t think that the din of Moreh Mikdash applied yet. After the Shechinah was revealed to him as he slept, Yaakov became aware of his surroundings. That is why he said that had he known that the place was both kadosh  and that the Shechinah  rested there he would not have slept there. 

Bnei Yisaschar on Marcheshvan: Chanukat Bayit Shlishi

 והנה עיין מה שכתבתי לעיל (במאמרי חדש תשרי מאמר חינוך המקדש דרוש ד') בפסוק לפני אפרים ובנימין ומנשה עוררה את גבורתך ולכה לישועתה לנו [תהלים פ ג] (הוא במזמור שאמרו בני קרח), ונאמר בכאן בקיצור, דהנה קשה א' מהו הנרצה שבחרו בני קרח בתפלתם הנך שלשה שבטים דייקא...וכתבנו עפ"י הקדמה ידועה במדרש [ילקו"ש מ"א פ"ו רמז קפ"ד] המשכן שעשה משה הנה נשלם בכסלו וצוה השי"ת להמתין בחינוכו עד ניסן ירח שנולד בו יצחק והיה כסלו מתבייש ושילם השי"ת שכרו בחינוך בית שני בזמן החשמונאים והוא לדורות ימי חנוכה (והוא היה עיקר חינוך בית שני כי מה שחנכוהו בימי אנשי כנסת הגדולה עדיין היו עבדים למלכי פרס כמו שאמרו שם כי עבדים אנחנו ובעבדותינו וכו' [עזרא ט ט], כנ"ל), והנה בית ראשון שבנה שלמה נשלם בחדש הזה מרחשון כמבואר בכתוב ירח בול [מ"א ו לח] (ופירשו חז"ל שהוא מרחשון ויבואר להלן אי"ה ענין שם בול), והנה עפ"י רוח הקדש לא חינכו שלמה עד ירח האיתנים תשרי, והיה מרחשון מתבייש והבטיח הש"י לשלם שכרו לעתיד ב"ב בבנין הג', ע"כ תוכן דברי המדרש הובא בילקוט מלכים עיי"ש, אם כן נראה מבואר מזה דחינוך בית הג' במהרה בימינו יהיה במרחשון, אם כן חינוך כל השלשה בתים הם באלו הג' חדשים, תשרי (בית ראשון), מרחשון (בנין עתיד), כסלו (בית שני בימי החשמונאים שזה עיקר חינוכו כמש"ל(.

  והנה אלו הג' חדשים עפ"י סדר הדגלים אל השבטים הלא הם מתייחסים תשרי לאפרים מרחשון למנשה כסלו לבנימין, והנה תמצא לפי"ז חינוך כל הג' בתים המה בחדשים המתייחסים לבניה של רחל כי היא נקראת עקרת הבית [במדב"ר פי"ד ז'] הבן, (תמ"ך אשורי במעגלותיך בל נמוטו פעמי [תהלים יז ה], תמ"ך ר"ת ת'שרי מ'רחשון כ'סלו, כשיושלמו חינוך הבתים של אלו הג' חדשים אז לא ימוטו פעמי(.

  יצא לנו מכל זה, חינוך הבית המקווה ב"ב יהיה בחדש הזה מרחשון, וטעמא רבה אית ביה על פי אשר שמעתי מפי כבוד אדומ"ו הרב הקדוש מהרמ"מ זצוק"ל אשר עינינו רואים, כל הגזירות המתחדשות על שונאי ישראל מן המלכיות וכן נתינת המסים וארנוניות, התחלתן תמיד מן מרחשון, ואמר הטעם שבחודש הזה היתה המרידה במלכות בית דוד וימליכו את ירבעם [מ"ב יז כא] (ויעש ירבעם את החג בחדש השמיני בחדש אשר בדא מלב"ו [מ"א יב לג], בו"ל, נ"ל כאשר יתבאר אי"ה), על כן גזירת המלכיות במרחשון, ע"כ דברי קדשו.

  והנה לפי"ז תתבונן, להיות שחטאו ישראל ואמרו אז בחדש זה ראה ביתך דוד [מ"א י"ב ט"ז], על כן בעת התיקון ב"ב הנה ימלוך מלך בית דוד משיח צדקנו ויתחנך הבית במרחשון ויתוקן העולם במלכות, והנה לפי זה סדר החינוך של הבתים היה בתחלה בית ראשון בתשרי המיוחס לאפרים, ובית השני בכסלו חדש המיוחס לבנימין, ובית המקווה במהרה בימינו נזכה לראותו יהיה חינוכו במרחשון חדש המיוחס למנשה.

Know the Kedushat HaSuccah!

The time that we spend in the succah has unbelievable, but sometimes unnoticed, meaning. It involves more than just technical halachah of when to be inside, depending on how much and what we are eating, or high or wide the walls must be, and it would be an actual enhancement to the mitzvah of yeshivah b‟succah if one would have a deeper apperception of the situation. The Mishnah Berurah writes (625:1:1) that our succot are meant to remind us of the nissim v‟niflaot of HaKadosh Boruch Hu when we left Egypt. Even though the event of Yetziat Mitrzayim which we commemorate occurred in Nissan, we celebrate Succot in Tishrei, by the rainy season when people head indoors, to show that we are doing this for the sake of the mitzvah. As such, one should have kavanah when he sits that Hashem commanded us to sit in the succah in remembrance of Yetziat Mitzrayim, as well as in remembrance of the Ananei HaKavod (look in Succah 11b), in order to be mekayem the mitzvah k‟tikunah. Every second inside the succah is a mitzvat aseh and therefore every second is spent in an atmosphere devoted in its entirety to a kiyum hamitzvah and recognizing and realizing the greatness of Hashem in concurrence. While at first it may have seemed that the succah is not of intrinsic value since we only have to be inside on condition of our activity, in truth it does contain an inherent aura of holiness which is initiated by us when we walk in; even simply sitting and standing in the succah are mitzvot (M”B 639:8:46)! The Sefer HaChinuch writes that through the remembrance of what the succah is meant for, we can become worthy of receiving goodness from Hashem. Knowing what exactly it that we are doing can elevate our own being as well as our actions. As such, the succah is really a special place which we should treat accordingly.

We really have a chance to make our new, temporary “home” into a center of elevated devotion to Hashem for the days of Succot. Again, the succah is where we are taught that we should eat, sleep, relax, talk, and of course learn Torah, (with exceptions). The Mishnah Berurah writes (639:1:2) that since the kedushat hasuccah is very great, it is proper to limit idle talk and speak words of kedushah and Torah while inside. He further writes that all the more so, one should be careful not to speak lashon harah, rechilut, or anything else which is assur. Similarly, the Baer Heitev writes that one who is speaking with his friend should speak in the succah, but not dvarim beteilim, nor should one show anger inside the succah. The reason for this is pretty simple; aside from some of the above mentioned things to avoid being assur in the first place (like lashon harah), they are especially antithetical to the nature of the succah. The proper atmosphere should be one of reverence and recognition of Hashem, with a proper attentiveness to our actions as well.

B‟Ezrat Hashem, this year we should be mekayem the mitzvot of Succot properly and with kavanah so that we may gain from them for both the chag and the rest of the year. While in the succah we should remember that it is not just a “hut”, but a nexus of our avodat Hashem if we would take the time to realize it.

Shabbos Shuvah 5770

We now find ourselves in the midst of what should be the ten most fearsome, awesome, and impactful days of the year. The two days of Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and the days between them comprise the עשרת ימי תשובה, the period when we are faced with a final opportunity for repentance as we are faced with the writing and eventual sealing of our judgment. The Shulchan Aruch (403:1) writes that during these days every person should search our and examine his deeds, and do teshuvah for them. The Piskei Teshuvot brings down that during these days a person must be careful to take hold of the matter of taharah, to purify the heart from machshavot aveirah and any middot ra’ot that lie therein. And as Rambam writes, the main taharat hamachshavah comes from learning Torah (so it’s a good thing you’re reading this). Shabbos is a special time of elevated holiness in this world; perhaps we can take advantage of Shabbos Shuvah to delve ourselves into the proper attitude which is proper for this time until the upcoming Yom Kippur. The first pasuk of this week’s haftorah is:  שובה ישראל עד ה' אלוקיך כי כשלת בעונך

Something we learn, which is really amazing, is that Hashem is mekayem the entire Torah (Shemot Rabbah, Yerushalmi Rosh HaShanah). Since He upholds all of the miztvot, Hashem is also mekayem the mitzvah doing teshuvah. When Hashem takes back the bad that was sent to Bnei Yisrael, or that which He said to happen, that is in effect His teshuvah. וינחם על הרעה אשר דיבר לעשות לעמו לעמו- And He reconsidered the evil which he said to do to his nation. What does it mean that Hashem “reconsidered”? That is kivyachol Hashem’s charatah, the first part of teshuvah. But when the teshuvah is only on the evil which was added onto us, we still remain chas v’shalom, in the same difficult situation as we were originally. If only the bad which Hashem added, or wanted to add onto us is removed, then we are still in the lowly, harsh reality that we were stuck in to begin with!

שובה ה' עד מתי והנחם על עבדיך. שבענו בבקר חסדך ונרננה ונשמחה בכל ימינו.- Return, Hashem, until when? Relent concerning your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with Your kindness, then we shall sing and rejoice throughout our days. What does this mean? The holy Piaseczner Rebbe explains that we pray “Shuva Hashem!” Kivyachol, Hashem should do teshuvah with us! Until when will Your teshuvah just be "והנחם"? How long will it simply be a reconsideration for those tzarot that are additionally put upon us, while leaving us in the state that we were before? We are still in a poor state without this! “Sabeinu baboker chasdecha”, Satisfy us in the morning with Your kindness, and then we shall sing and rejoice for that will be your teshuvah, kivyachol. Let us wake up the next morning, the day of geulah v’yeshua, of redemption and salvation, filled with Your chesed Ribono Shel Olam! Let us leave behind the night of our exiled state! (ע"פ דברי רש"י).

We must also do teshuva in this manner. When a person (that’s you and me) does an aveira, if he only does teshuva on that aveira that he has put upon himself, then afterwards he remains in the same state he was before the aveirah. This is not our tafkid, how can this be a Jew’s goal in life?

"שובה ישראל עד ה' אלוקיך כי כשלת בעוניך"- The main part of doing teshuva is returning to Hashem for we have stumbled in our lowly darkened ways. But we might think that all we need to do is repent for stumbling in our sins and that’s it. Hence, the Navi proclaims to us not just to return and to do teshuvah, but it should be "עד ה' אלקיך"! We must raise ourselves completely in higher level of kedushah and taharah towards Hashem.

אמר רבי עקיבא אשריכם ישראל לפני מי אתם מטהרים מי מטהר אתכם אביכם שבשמים. (יומא ח"ט)

The Arvei Nachal brings down from Teshuvot Maharam m’Rotenberg, who has a kabalah, that one who is killed al pi kiddush Hashem doesn’t not feel any afflictions. The Arvei Nachal explains the reason for this being that since such a person is filled with the overwhelming fervor for his desire to die al pi kiddush Hashem, all of his feelings are elevated into the world of thought until he is completely enwrapped in thought, and his physicality is separated from him. Therefore, all he feels is this great joyousness in what he is doing. The same is true of all man’s troubles. All of our suffering is hard, but when a person knows that it is all to “polish” off his aveirot and be metaher him so that he can become closer to Hashem, then the deeper he roots himself in this thought and attached himself to it, the lighter and easier his burdens are to bear.

We learn in the Zohar: בעובדא דלתתא אתער עובדא דלעילא, with an action from below, an action from above is awakened. Therefore, we attach ourselves so much to this thought, to attach ourselves to Hashem, until our physical feelings are basically nullified. To that extent HaKadosh Boruch Hu also affixs Himself to us with his thought until his feelings, the anger which is upon us, are overturned and we have a yeshuah.

Since Rabbi Akiva was killed al pi kiddush Hashem and all his life he walked bearing the thought of being moser nefesh for Hashem, as we learn in the Gemara in Berachot (61b), when R’ Akiva was being killed by the Romans, he said “I always bothered by the pasuk of "בכל נפשך"- to serve Hashem even if it takes your life, and I would say, ‘when will I have the opportunity to perform this mitzvah?’ Now that I have the opportunity at hand, will I not uphold it?” This is the reason why it was Rabbi Akiva who taught the Mishnah in Yoma quoted above, which now has a new, deeper meaning. Praiseworthy are you O Yisrael, even with yisurim, when you remember before Whom you are purified because then your physical feelings will become batel and you will no longer feel the yisurim which you suffer from. And that which its say ""מי מטהר אתכם אביכם שבשמים, your Father in Heaven, is because just like a father cancels out his anger for the good of his son, so too Hashem does everything for Bnei Yisrael, and then all of the judgments against us will be nullified and then it will truly be a state of "אשריכם ישראל".         

Rosh HaShanah Drasha: 2 Aspects of the Shofar

One of the most noteworthy and defining aspects of Rosh HaShanah is definitely Teki’at Shofar. Its sound rings in our ears and minds from Rosh Chodesh Elul until Rosh HaShanah, reminding us to arouse ourselves to teshuvah as Rambam writes. And just as the Torah is a limitless wellspring of knowledge, so too there is plenty to learn about Teki'at Shofar.

Rosh (Rosh HaShanah 4:10) writes that according to Rabbeinu Tam, we make a berachah on the blowing of the shofar because with that act is the completion of the mitzvah, "דעשייתה היא גמר מצוותה וכו'".  In the Teshuvot HaRambam the question is posed, what is the difference between "לשמוע קול שופר", to hear the soundof the shofar, and "על תקיעת שופר", on the blowing of the shofar? There is a great difference, Rambam writes, as the mitzvah that we are obligated with here is to hear the shofar blast, not to blow it. If the mitzvah were the actual blowing of the shofar, we wouldn’t be yotzei the mitzvah by listening through shomei’ah k’oneh; everyone would be obligated to fulfill it themselves, just as everyone must sit in the succah to fulfill that mitzvah on their own. The mitzvah is the shmi’ah, the teki’ah is only a means to this.

We seem to now have before us a machloket Rishonim. From the words of Rabbeinu Tam, the teki’ah is a component of the mitzvah itself, whereas Rambam, like we said, holds it to be a means to perform the mitzvah. This problem by further explaining what exactly Rabbeinu Tam’s understanding of Teki’at Shofar is. According to Rabbeinu Tam’s shitah, the blowing of the shofar is a form of speech which is a tefillah and tza’akah to Hashem. As we say in davening, שומע קול תרועת עמו ישראל ברחמים. If so, that teki’at shofar is a tefillah, a form of speech, then for sure the din of shomei’ah k’oneh applies to it. Conversely, Rambam writes in Hilchot Teshuva (3:4) that the reason for Teki’at Shofar is as if it is telling the slumbering to awake from their sleep and do teshuvah. Of course that definitely means that the mitzvah is in the shmi’ah.   

What is the underlying reality here? Rav Shlomo Fischer shlit"a writes, there are two categories within Teki’at Shofar. We see this said explicitly in the Gemara in Rosh HaShanah 16a says:

ואמרו לפני בראש השנה מלכיות זכרונות ושופרות מלכיות כדי שתמליכוני עליכם זכרונות כדי שיעלה זכרוניכם לפני לטובה ובמה בשופר.

Everyone knows that we have three parts to blowing the shofar throughout davening on Rosh HaShanah: Malchuyot, Zichronot, and Shofarot. As we see in the Gemara, Malchuyot is in order to accept Hashem’s kingship, and Zichronot is in order that Hashem should remember us for good. Thus we see that both aspects of blowing the shofar that Rabbeinu Tam and Rambam are taught. The shofar is the means by which we achieve both of these aspects: a) As a tefillah crying out to Hashem to remove the Satan from prosecuting us. b) To instill fear into a person and break through the depths of his heart. This is what the pasuk in Parshat Nitzavim is talking about, "...פֶּן-יֵשׁ בָּכֶם, שֹׁרֶשׁ פֹּרֶה רֹאשׁ וְלַעֲנָה", Perhaps there is among you a root flourishing with gall and wormwood. 

The mefarshim grapple with the meaning of the these psukim in Parshat Nitzavim, "שורש פורה ראש ולענה", "למען ספות הרוה את הצמאה", and. The pshat is that the whole parshah is coming to remove any מחשבת און, thoughts of sin, which may rise in the heart of any man, woman, family, or shevet, to say that he or she will walk complacently with themselves, not giving too much concern to the miztvot and not come to any damage for it, for Bnei Yisrael will be good and deserving to receive a shefa brachahv’hatzlachah. This thought is comparable to one who waters his fields, and even though between his fields there is one which is watered and he doesn’t have intent to water it, nonetheless, it will still drink from the water going to the other fields. So too, HaKadosh Boruch Hu will not discern those who think and act this way from the rest of Bnei Yisrael for bad. This way of thinking is exactly the “root flourishing with gall and wormwood,” for it will lead a person to commit avodah zarah with no fear. That is why the Torah coming to tell us otherwise; there is hashgacha pratitover each and every individual, even among the water carriers and wood choppers, "מחוטב עציך עד שואב מימיך". Every person is judged on his own and cannot make himself subsidiary to the mass of the tzibbur.

Furthermore, within this notion of individual judgment are two points. Firstly, it serves as tochachah, to instill fear into the heart and penetrate it, for there is the root of this corrupted thought. However, the second aspect is that of showing Hashem’s reign.

In Masechet Berachot we learn that the entire year we say "הא-ל הקדוש" except for the ten days from Rosh HaShanah to Yom Kippur when we say "המלך הקדוש".  Rav Fischer points out that this is a little odd. Going from "הא-ל" to "המלך" is like switching to a lesser adjective? Rather, the truth is that "הא-ל" is not so coupled with the idea of us as a nation. Which is not the case by מלך which cannot exist without an עם, as learn "ברב עם הדרת מלך". This why Chazal established for us to say this, in order to remind ourselves that we must show Hashem’s kingship over us as His nation.  

Rav Fischer writes that with this we can resolve a seeming dispute between the Gra and the Arizal. According to the Gra, we must have a lot of simcha by Teki’at Shofar, just like a country on the day that they accept a king’s rule and crown him. So too, by blowing the shofar we are making HaKadosh Boruch Hu our King in all of the עולמות, for we are indeed his people. Wheras the Ari HaKadosh writes that one should be doing וודוי by Teki’at Shofar, which is definitely not like what the Gra says. What is the holy truth? There is no argument; the Ari’s statement to say וודיו is for the very same reason. Since we are ממליך Hashem with Teki’at Shofar, we must consider ourselves and our actions at that time. Someone who does not feel the need for this at that moment of hearing the shofar is showing himself to be like a simple animal with no responsibilities and that doesn’t care about its actions. This is mamash a detraction in the kingship of Hashem, for a king is connected to his people, as we mentioned. 

Perhaps, as Rosh HaShanah is rapidly approaching, we can try to have more kavanah as we listen to the shofar, the teki'ah d'chova, and realize how much the piercing blast of a ram's horn impacts us and what it should mean to us. Shana Tova u'Metuka, Ketiva v'Chatima Tova, & Shabbat Shalom!  

Have you done anything to actually improve yourself lately? I don't mean just learning nice Yamim Noraim inyanim or listening to shiurim and such. I mean a real attempt to be metaken you're middot, not just a few minutes of cheshbon hanefesh and hitbonenut here and there even, mamash real ameilut to put into practice an attempt to be the better Jew that you are and always have been capable of being before the judgement tomorrow. It's really hard, just like R' Yisrael said, harder than learning shas. But still, we can learn shas and we can be metaken middot, it's been proven. Shkoyach to those who have been succesful at this, hopefully you'll be a real motivation for those around you.

K'tiva v'Chatima Tova

BS"D We Will Do Good

Before blowing the shofar we say: ערוב עבדך לטוב אל יעשקוני זדים.-"Be Your servant's guarantor for good, let not willful sinners exploit me." (Tehillim 119:122))

Above is one of the psukim said before Teki'at Shofar. The hailege Piaseczner Rebbe writes (Aish Kodesh: Rosh HaShanah 5701) an short but very important concept in teshuvah. The main part of teshuvah is not returning to your aveirot. There are 2 ways through which we must do this, based on the pasuk "סור מרע ועשה טוב". The bad which we have done we must now refrain from, and the good which we did not do we must now perform. It is easier to do teshuvah in terms of the sur me'rah aspect, that we should not do any more bad. However, this is not the case by actively doing good. It is much harder as we are all surrounded by bitter yisurim which basically rob us of strength. How will we be sure to be able to learn Torah, give tzedakah, or do other mitzvot? This goal really requires an active dedication to bettering ourselves. So what do we do? We ask Hashem, "Be Your servant's guarantor for good", meaning we want, and need, HaKadosh Boruch Hu's help to actively do good, to be mekayem mitzvot and learn Torah; "let not willful sinners exploit me" and we will b'ezrat Hashem do tov.

Nitzavim- Being a Tzibbur

In this week's parsha we have the somewhat well known pasuk "הנסתרות לה' והנגלות לנו ולבנינו"- from here we learn the important concept (look in Rashi/Ramban) of kol yisrael areivin (ערב=guarantor) zeh bazeh. We have a principle of being responsible for other people’s Torah u’mitzvot. And, sure enough, there are halachic ramifications for this. Rashi (ר"ה פ"ג) says that you have a right to be motzi someone else for Kiddush; but how can you have shomeiah k’oneh if you yourself were already yotzei? Because of kol yisrael areivin zeh bazeh. If there are Jews out there that have not heard Kiddush then you are not completely yotzei.

A certain Rosh Yeshiva like to say there as many different unique aspects of Eretz Yisrael: smicha, egla arufa, nevua, plus the special agricultural aspect… That being said we see that something special is going on above and beyond just the soil. There's a reason why areivut could only begin when Bnei Yisrael entered Ereytz Yisrael. We are primarily a tzibbur when in our holy land, Eretz Yisrael. The atmosphere of its kedushah affcets us and is part of who we are as a nation.

This notion of areivim is a major theme in the parshah, and this means that we are not just individuals but a tzibbur. את אשר ישנו פה ואת אשר איננו פה, tzibbur is something which transcends individual people; it is a new unit which is formed as we enter our land. Hashem should help us to make oursleves deserving of returning to our land to once again become a single unit, an unearthly nation in Eretz Yisrael. Sometimes we forget that we are inherently connected to the Jew next to us, and unfortunately that leads to our own undoing when we cannot bring oursleves to act propelry towards them. How can we be called back to our home if we have not made ourselves decent? We are not in galut for no reason. I think it was from a shiur by Rav Yisachar Frand that I heard this mashal on the churban bayit (and it's definitely a little different than the way I heard it); imagine that a young talmid was brought into the Chofetz Chaim's home to stay there. Such an experience was a reality for certain special and fortunate individuals, and its profoundity can certainly be imagined by any who have notion of the Chofetz Chaim's persona. This young man had a wonderful privelage which he cherished immensly. Then one day he walked into the house to find the tzaddik sitting at his table with solemn look on his face. He looked up and said to the young man, "I'm sorry but you cannot stay in my home anymore. Today I heard you speak lashon hara, you must leave." - We detsroyed ourselves with Sinat Chinam, baseless hatred, and were tossed from our home by the one with Whom we shared residence, HaKadosh Boruch Hu. Unless we try to repair that which we we have cracked, to what end to we expect to come? As the Yamim Noraim approach and we are faced with the dread of our judgement's inscription and the yearning for atonement, maybe we should keep this idea in mind.

(What’s the difference between the tochacha in Bechukotai and the one in Ki tavo? Bechukotai is in lashon rabim and Ki tavo is in lashon yachid. The Gra writes that when you have a chovat tzibbur it often is in lashon yachid. - Where do we see an example of this newfound tzibbur aspect taking effect in E”Y? In Sefer Yehoshua by kibush haaretz, everyone suffered because one man, Achan, did an aveira by taking the verboten booty of Yericho.)

Back for a New Year

Well, it's been a lengthy intermission with the end of the last school year and a couple of months devoted to learning over the summer. B"H the summer was amazing in Morasha Kollel; there was such a shtark chevra of guys from all over- Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh, Sderot, Alon Shvut, Teaneck, one kid Virginia, Canada, England, Queens, Monsey, Riverdale... Nothing like it, such a geschmak embodiment of ahavat haTorah. Anyway, as we are now starting a new year, yeshiva has just started and Rosh HaShanah is a week away, hopefully we can enter into a new time for hitorerut in our learning, in our mitzvot, in our ahavah and yirah, and most of all in knowing who we are and what our tafkid is. בע"ה יתרבך this should be a year of ameilut and mesriut, and more (good) blog posts than last year. כן יה"ר.

Shabbat Shalom!

Emor- "They placed him [by himslef]"

י וַיֵּצֵא, בֶּן-אִשָּׁה יִשְׂרְאֵלִית, וְהוּא בֶּן-אִישׁ מִצְרִי, בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל; וַיִּנָּצוּ, בַּמַּחֲנֶה, בֶּן הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית, וְאִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי.  יא וַיִּקֹּב בֶּן-הָאִשָּׁה הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית אֶת-הַשֵּׁם, וַיְקַלֵּל, וַיָּבִיאוּ אֹתוֹ, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה; וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ שְׁלֹמִית בַּת-דִּבְרִי, לְמַטֵּה-דָן.  יב וַיַּנִּיחֻהוּ, בַּמִּשְׁמָר, לִפְרֹשׁ לָהֶם, עַל-פִּי יְהוָה

When the son of Shlomit bat Divri and an Egyptian man "blessed" the name of Hashem, he was placed under guard until his fate could be clarified. Rashi explains that they had placed him under guard alone, for this occurred at the same time as the incident with the man who gathered wood on Shabbos and was therefore chayav mittah. They were placed separately because the mechalel Shabbos was certainly chayav mittah, but the manner of death was unknown. Whereas by this man who was mechalel Shem Hashem, it was a safek whether he is chayav mittah in the first place. The Siftei Chachamim explain that this is because we do not want to worry someone that he will be put to death by placing him with someone who is known to be chayav mittah, if this is not be his fate as well. 

The Da'at Zekainim m'Ba'alei HaTosfot says that they went to go learn out this mans fate because they were not sure if he was chayav mittah from a kal v'chomer of one who curses his parents, or if what he did was so terrible, that he doesn't even deserve death as a kaparah like by one who gives all of his children over to molech. That was what they were uncertain of. 

It is amazing that even when a person has trespassed so greatly on the mitzvot and rebelled against Hashem, so much so that even when he might not even deserve to get the kaparah of death, Bnei yisrael still treat him with such consideration that he is not placed with someone else on death-row until his fate is clarified! Every member of Klal Yisrael must be treated with such care and consideration no matter what. There should be no excuse for a lack of Ahavat Yisrael between us. If Bnei Yisrael then treated such a sinner in this manner, kal v'chomer just imagine how considerate and kind we must be towards our friends, not friends, enemies, and any other Jew you come across!   

Pesach Sheini

Pesach Sheini Sameach, L'shana haba b'Yerushalaim!

Chag Kasher v'Sameach

Chag Kasher v'Sameach everyone!

Shkoyach to everyone who went to vatikin this morning (or even if you didn't) and said Birkat HaChamah at the beautiful sunrise. It's amazing to thing about what has happened since the last Birkat HaChamah and to think about what may happen until the next one. Iy"H I hope to see many of the same people in 28 years to make the brachah with again.

Quick Pesach Thought

The Ramban writes in Parshat Bo 13:16 that the ikar of Yetziat Mitzraim  were the nisim nistarim that Hashem did, so that we should recognize his hashgachah in everything. The same is true of Birkat HaChamah. It is not something which is discernible to our eyes. But the mah norah v'ayom everything involved in the cycle of the sun leading up to this morning! We should realize the awesomeness of Hashem's hashgachah.

Rav Yonatan Sacks said an intersting dvar Torah that you may want to mention at the seder: 

We know the famous question, brought down by the Rambam in Hilchot Teshuvah, that if Yetziat Mitzraim was already planned by Hashem, how could he then punish the Mitzrim? Were they not His tools? The Raavad & Ramban say that there was a gezeirah for slavery, but the actions of the Mitzrim were not part of that. They added to it of their own accord and intensified the situation without need. We see this from the fact that the shibud began with Yitzchak according to the 400 year calculation. And the Jews then certainly didn't suffer back-breaking work!

Why did Moshe and Aharon bring the mateh (staff) before Paroh just to turn it into a snake?Sure it swallowed the Mitzrim's staffs, but they were showing a "magic trick" in the black magic center of the world! R' Yosef Salant answers, we know that if a person injures another with something like a stick, he cannot blame the injury on the stick; it does not act of its own accord. However, l'halachah if you were to put a snake next to someone and the snake attacked him, the snake is liable and you are not since the snake acts by itself. Moshe and Aharon were telling Paroh that he was no longer the "staff" of Hashem, acting as a tool of HaKadosh boruch Hu's gezeirah. He was now a snake, acting on his own and therefore liable for his actions! 

Shabbos HaGadol: The Power of Shabbos

The Shabbos before Pesach is known as "Shabbat HaGadol" because of the miracle which occured on it. -Shulchan Aruch 430 

The Mishnah Berura explains that the miracle which took place was that on the 10th of Nissan, all of Bnei Yisrael took a lamb for the Korban Pesach and tied it to their beds. When the Mitzrim saw this and inquired about it, only to realize that their gods were going to be slaughtered, they were not able to say anything. Since that day was on a Shabbos, it was established to call the Shabbos before Pesach, "Shabbat HaGadol." 

 

Rav Gedalyah Schor brings down the question of the meforshim, why did Chazal connect the miracle to Shabbos and not to the 1oth of Nissan? Rather, we see from this that Shabbos itself was a necessary aid to Bnei Yisrael. 

 

In Parshat Pinchas, where the Moadim and their mitzvot are listed, the Torah talks about Shabbos before all of them as a sort of introduction. Why? The kedushah of Shabbos is established and upheld within Creation itself. The Yamim Tovim are called "Shabbaton" in the Torah because they are a continuation of the kedushah of Shabbos. It is first through the existence of Kedushat Shabbat that we have the other days. This is why Shabbos is mentioned first in the Torah. 

 

We learn in the Mechilta, "If you keep Shabbos, HaKadosh Boruch Hu will give you the 3 Moadim: Pesach, Atzeret (Shavuos), and Sukkot." This is because the Kedushat Shabbat includes within it the kedushah of these 3 chagim. Through guarding the sanctity of Shabbos, we come to their holiness as well. Shabbos is like a beam of light, which when shined through a glass prism, can be seen to break up into the 7 different lights that comprise it and are included in it (the Moadim).

 

We learn that the Shabbos before a chag includes within the Kedushat HaChag, and that besides for this, Shabbos gives strength to the upcoming days of the week. As such, it is only through the power of Shabbos Kodesh that Bnei Yisrael could then be prepared to receive the Moadim. This is why Bnei yisrael needed Shabbos in order to do the korban Pesach and recieve the Kedushat HaChag of Pesach. 

 

The power of Shabbos is so incredible that it encompasses everything! It affects the days of the year, the Moadim and regular days. We know that Shabbos is the culmination of Creation and that it was planned before everything else as well- "Sof ma'aseh b'machshava t'chilah." Hakadosh Boruch gave it influence over the week, and over us too. The midrash tells that Shabbos went before Hashem and sadly remarked how the other days of teh week had partners but Shabbos was left alone. Hashem replied that Bnei yisrael is Shabbos' partner. A miracle didn't occur on the 10th of Nissan which hapened to be a Shabbos in the year of Yetziat Mitrziam, Shabbos before Pesach that year happened to be the 10th of Nissan! Especially right before Pesach, Zman Cheiruteinu, it is important to remember the power of essence of Shabbos and what it is- "Beini u'vein Bnei Yisrael ot hee l'olam." Shabbos reminds us that we are connected to Hashem as we prepare to retell how he redeemed us to be His and recieve His Torah.     

Trumah: Internal Value vs External Beauty

דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ תִּקְחוּ אֶת תְּרוּמָתִי: וְזֹאת הַתְּרוּמָה אֲשֶׁר תִּקְחוּ מֵאִתָּם זָהָב וָכֶסֶף וּנְחֹשֶׁת: וּתְכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן וְתוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי וְשֵׁשׁ וְעִזִּים: וְעֹרֹת אֵילִם מְאָדָּמִים וְעֹרֹת תְּחָשִׁים וַעֲצֵי שִׁטִּים: שֶׁמֶן לַמָּאֹר בְּשָׂמִים לְשֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וְלִקְטֹרֶת הַסַּמִּים: אַבְנֵי שֹׁהַם וְאַבְנֵי מִלֻּאִים לָאֵפֹד וְלַחֹשֶׁן: 

(תרומה כה:ב-ז)

After reading the text, it would seem evident from the order of items donated to the Mishkan that they are listed from most valuable (gold, silver, copper) to least valuable (oil, spices). The Or HaChaim HaKadosh asks, that it seems odd then, that very last on the list of contributions are the avnei shoham and avnei miluim. These were precious gems used in the clothing of the Kohen Gadol! Why would the Torah put these valuable and important items last when they should have been first?

The Midrash (Shemot Rabbah 33:8) teaches that beautiful stones and gems fell with the mann to Bnei Yisrael. The Nesiim gathered them and later gave them to the Mishkan (The Maharzu comments that there were only twelve stones in the urim v’tumim so they must have been given by the twelve Nesiim. The two avnei shoham, however, are still in question as to who brought them.). Similarly, the Gemara in Yoma (75a) says that the Ananei HaKavod brought the avnei shoham and the avnei miluim. If this is the case, then that would mean that they were brought without any exertion or chisaron kis; after all, they literally fell from the heavens. Therefore it makes sense that they were listed after those things which were given from by the exertion and expense of the contributor. The Or HaChaim HaKadosh teaches us an amazing thing here; these precious gems, components of the Bigdei Kehuna, may have seemed externally valuable, but lost their intrinsic value when they did not come from a tircha, from an effort.

Rashi on the pasuk, “V’yikchu Li Trumah,” says that trumah is a hafrashah- that Bnei Yisrael should set aside some money as a contribution. R’ Shlomo Yosef Zevin writes that there are three types of separation. Firstly, there is separating without intent to make a distinction of importance. An example of this would be making sure that the letters in a sefer Torah are separate from each other, which is not because one letter is holier and distinct from the other. Secondly, there is separating that which is holier from that which is not as holy. An example of this is Shabbos, which is intrinsically holier and distinct from the rest of the week, and we therefore separate it. The third type of separation is when the act of separation makes the object ditinct and thereby infuses it with kedushah. By trumot and maasrot, before separation the whole thing is tevel. But once part of it separated, it becomes special and is sanctified as trumah. This 3rd type of separation is the category of the contributions Bnei Yisrael gave to the Mishkan. It was through the act of separating that which they gave which made it special and holy. It wasn’t just a matter of taking objects which are already considered nice and beautiful and giving those; but rather the exertion of setting it aside and giving it made it intrinsically holy.

A lesson to take from this can be to realize the difference between a superficial serving of G-d, and a heartfelt, meaningful avodah of HaKadosh Boruch. Upholding the mitzvot is not just about doing the things which come easily. We are required to have some tircha, some ameilut- toil and sweat! Sometimes it can seem so nice and easy to just take out one the gems we have and give it to the Mishkan. But we need to ask ourselves whether that gem came from exertion on our part, or whether we just found it conveniently lying around and simply picked it up in order to give it. The sincerity and effort that go into performing a mitzvah makes all the difference and can easily outweigh the external beauty and value of that which has little intrinsic value.

Mishpatim: Kabbalat HaTorah & Talmud Torah

In Parshat Mishpatim, the Torah tells us that Moshe called out the Torah to Bnei Yisrael, to which they famously replied, “na’aseh v’nishmah.” – Vayomru kol asher diber Hashem naaseh v’nishmah. The Gemara in Shabbos (88a) says that at the time that when Bnei yisrael said this, “b’sha’ah she’hikdimu,” 600,000 angels came down and placed two crowns on every person; one for “na’aseh” and one for “nishmah.” The Beit HaLevi writes that it was only through the hakdama of “na’aseh” to “nishmah” that Bnei Yisrael were worthy of all of this. Why is this so? Furthermore, why did Bnei yisrael not say “nishmah v’na’aseh?

The Zohar HaKodesh teaches that “na’aseh” was a kabbalah for Kiyum HaMitzvot, while “nishmah” was a kabbalah for Limud HaTorah.  We know that there are two levels to learning Torah. The first is learning in order to know the mitzvot and how to perform them; this is relevant to everyone. After that, men have a mitzvat aseh to learn Torah for the sake of learning, not simply as means to Kiyum HaMitzvot. Had B”Y replied to Moshe with “nishmah v’na’aseh,” it would have seems like they were accepting the mitzvot, but that they were simply forced to learn Torah in order to know how to perform them; nishmah would merely be a means to na’aseh and it would be only one kabbalah. In replying the way they did, they said that first of all “na’aseh,” we will do the mitzvot, including necessary learning of the Torah, and then “nishmah,” we will learn the words of Torah for the sake of Talmud Torah. It is now clear that as a result of this hakdama, Bnei yisrael actually created two kabbalot and thus merited the adornment of two crowns.    

Today, we still carry the Kabbalat HaTorah that we accepted thousands of years ago. Every morning we recite the Birchot HaTorah and say “asher kidishanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu la’asok b’divrei Torah,” and “asher bachar banu mikol ha’amim v’natan lanu et Torato.” An inherent part of this is to realize the two factors in this. We accept upon ourselves to learn in order to fulfill the mitzvot properly and to learn Torah for the sake of learning. However, this requires us to properly devote ourselves, not simply to superficial learning, but to a Limud HaTorah through which we understand the word and will of Hashem. As Rashi writes in the beginning of the Parshah, “V’eileh hamishpatim asher tasim lif’neihem”- Moshe did not simply teach the Torah two or three times so that Bnei Yisrael were familiar with it, but many times that it was set before them with proper understanding “like a table prepared to be eaten from.” Through proper ameilut and dedication to our kabbalah, we can attain the highest level of na’aseh v’nishmah and bring ourselves closer to HaKadosh Boruch Hu. 

The Slonimer Rebbe writes that a person constantly has times of aliyah and yeridah throughout his life; there is rising followed by falling, followed by yet another rising. But a Jew must keep himself clinging to Hashem even when he is in a state of yeridah. This was the main part of Kabbalat HaTorah; that Bnei Yisrael would remain attached to Hashem even when they were in a lowly state. They therefore preceded “na’aseh” to “nishmah” to say that even when they didn’t understand and were in a lowly state, they would remain close to HaKadosh Boruch Hu. After this, when Bnei Yisrael have a time of aliyah, they reach the level of “nishmah” and attain the highest level cleaving to Hashem. 

Waking Up: Modeh Ani

I gratefully thank You, O living and eternal King, for You have returned my soul within me with compassion- abudnant is Your faithfulness! (Artscroll Siddur)

Every morning we wake up and thank the Ribbono shel Olam for restoring our neshamot to our bodies with the tfillah of Modeh Ani. Of course, like anything else, this can unfortunately develop over time into a habitual act. When we take the time to think about it, we should really be wondering what to have in mind while saying it. 

The Shulchan Aruch writes that one should arise in the morning like a lion to serve Hashem (1:1).  The Rama (ibid) also writes that immediately upon awaking, a person should get up with zrizut to serve Hashem. The Mishnah Berurah comments that as he gets up, it is good to say: "Modeh ani lifanecha, Melech Chai v'Kayam, she'hechezarta bi nishmati b'chemela, Rabbah Emunatecha." He quotes the Yad Efraim that one should pronounce "b'chemla" with an etnachta (as the end of the sentence or phrase), and then say the words "Rabbah Emunatecha" together. It's not problematic to say this tfillah before netilat yadayim since there is no mention of Hashem's name. Interestingly, R' Yaakov Emden tz"l disagrees and maintains that one should not even say this before washing his hands, but should rather contemplate the words and this is sufficient (Siddur Beit Yaakov). 

The Gemara in Brachot (60b) actually lists the brachot one should make upon waking up; the first being "Elokai Neshama" to thank Hashem for returning our neshamot. Rabbeinu Yonah has a problem with this, that Chazal set up to say berachot like this in the Gemara becasue they were so holy and made sure to get up and wash their hands in a careful way so as to be able to say the berachot then. But for us today, we are not on such a level and therefore can't say brachot until after netilat yadayim. So the Seder HaYom writes that today, we say Modeh Ani first. 

"Modeh Ani Lifanecha"- Wefulfill that which the Rama writes to uphold the pasuk "Shiviti Hashem L'negdi Tamid."  We must make sure to realize what we say as we say it. We thank Hashem because He is before us and is the source of everything. "Melech Chai V'Kayam"- Just as we thank Hashem, our Melech, the Melech Malchei HaMelachim, for returning our neshamah, we must remember that we are his servants, and use our returned neshamot for His avodah! When one says "b'chemla," he should have in mind that it refers to compassion over something that it was not lost. How fortunate are we that HaKadosh Boruch returns our neshamot to our bodies every morning! "Rabbah Emunatecha"- The way of man is that when one gives his a freind something new to watch, he will get it back tattered & dirty. But when we give our neshamot to Hashem every night, dirty and worn out, He returns them as if they were new! Furthermore, this does not necessarily pertain only to the neshamah, but to the entire world. At night, the world is as if it is not there but in the hand of Hashem, and He renews it every day. (Siddur Maharal M'Prauge) Hodu La'Hashem Ki Tov Ki L'Olam Chasdo!  

 

(Picture from www.Judaica18.com)

Parshat Va'era

Some Torah shared at the table on Shabbos:

וַיַּעַשׂ יְדֹוָד אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה מִמָּחֳרָת וַיָּמָת כֹּל מִקְנֵה מִצְרָיִם וּמִמִּקְנֵה בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא מֵת אֶחָד: וַיִּשְׁלַח פַּרְעֹה וְהִנֵּה לֹא מֵת מִמִּקְנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד אֶחָד וַיִּכְבַּד לֵב פַּרְעֹה וְלֹא שִׁלַּח אֶת הָעָם:

וארא ט:ו-ז

Hashem sent the plague of pestilence which wiped out the livestock of Mitzraim while leaving the animals of Bnei Yisrael untouched. It seems odd then, that the Torah should tell us that Paroh sent out his ervants to see what had happened, and upon hearing that none were killed from among the livestock of Bnei Yisrael, his heart was hardened. Wouldn't hearing that such a thing happened cause the opposite to occur?

This can be explained according to the Malbim who writes that when it says here לא מת ממקנה ישראל עד אחד, it is like when the Torah says of the Mitzrim by the Yam Suf, לא נשאר בהם עד אחד. Chazal explain that Paroh alone survived, meaning that this phrase means "up to but not including this one that survived." Similar language is used in Sefer Shoftim by the battle of Devorah, where we know that Sisra did survive. He writes that here by the Makkah of Dever, if we read it properly according to this understanding, one animal from Bnei Yisrael was killed. It was an animal belonging to the son of a Jewish mother and a Mitzri father. According to Jewish law he was considered a Mitzri in regards to his property. However, when Paroh heard of this he considered the man to be Jewish like his mother. Therefore, in his eyes an animal had died from Bnei Yisrael and Moshe's words had not been fulfilled. According to this is we can better understand why Paroh's heart then hardened.