My grandfather שליט״א told me recently that one of his friends was having some problems with his feet/walking. Whatever it was, I don't know the specifics. Anyway, this fellow's doctor told him that he should to shul and back every morning. He did as the doctor said and now his walking is good. My grandfather said this to me with a smile, I think hinting that this man didn't necessarily attend shacharis in shul too often before this.
I could go on about what I think about when I remember this story and what can be learned from it, but I'd prefer to let the reader think about it.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Shelach- Seeing Hashem
Sorry I didn't post this before Shabbos, but better late than never.
This past Shabbos we read about the Meraglim. We all know the basic story. It's a big one. But what's the real story going on here? To understand this we must back up a bit and examine a larger underlying problem in the whole ordeal here, one that pertains to Bnei Yisrael as a whole. The Ramban explains that the base issue behind the whole spy saga was the very fact that Bnei Yisrael requested that the Meraglim be sent in the first place. It was inappropriate for them to make such a request in they way they did. It is reminiscent of when the People requested a king of Shmuel Hashem Himself said that this was a rejection of Him.
Rav Gedalyah Schorr elaborates that the Dor HaMidbar were zoche to witness unbelievable yeshuos and nissim gluyim on a daily basis. They were on such a madraigah that to request what they did was unbefitting of the level of bitachon they should've had. They put in too much hishtadlus.
Why was this so? He explains that when Eldad and Medad started to prophecy that Moshe was going to die and that a new leader would take Bnei Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael, the people thought that this signified a new hanhaga between them and Hashem as well. They feared that whereas up until now they witnessed amazing Hashgacha Pratis, going into Eretz Yisrael under Yehoshua meant that everything would happen al pi derech hatevah.
וַיַּ֧הַס כָּלֵ֛ב אֶת־הָעָ֖ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר עָלֹ֤ה נַעֲלֶה֙ וְיָרַ֣שְׁנוּ אֹתָ֔הּ כִּֽי־יָכ֥וֹל נוּכַ֖ל לָֽהּ׃
Kalev silenced the people to Moshe and he said "we shall go up..." The Meshech Chochmah explains that Kalev was combating this mistaken ideology that only with Moshe could they defeat the formidable opponents of Canaan. They feared that without their great miracle-working leader they didn't stand a chance. That's why Kalev silenced them אל משה, in regards to this focus on Moshe, and proclaimed עלה נעלה, that they would enter and conquer Eretz Canaan of their own merit. Moshe's great stature as leader was only for our sake, but we are the ikar. We see this from the Gemara in Berachos (31a), עיין שם. It is vital for us to see the intimate relationship that we have with the Ribono Shel Olam always! Moshe Rabbeinu is gone, Dovid HaMelech is gone, R' Akiva is gone, the Ramban is gone, the Baal Shem Tov is gone, the Gra is gone, the Chofetz Chaim is gone, but the Ribono Shel Olam is still with us, the Jewish People! Through thick and thin, הנה לא ינום ולא יישן שומר ישראל.
וּמָ֣ה הָ֠אָרֶץ הַשְּׁמֵנָ֨ה הִ֜וא אִם־רָזָ֗ה הֲיֵֽשׁ־בָּ֥הּ עֵץ֙ אִם־אַ֔יִן וְהִ֨תְחַזַּקְתֶּ֔ם וּלְקַחְתֶּ֖ם מִפְּרִ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהַ֨יָּמִ֔ים יְמֵ֖י בִּכּוּרֵ֥י עֲנָבִֽים
The Chiddushei HaRim explains that Moshe Rabbeinu was telling the Meraglim to keep this in mind. The "etz" here is the Etz Chaim, Torah. Would the Meraglim see the power of Torah, the hashgacha of Hashem in the land, or not? And if not, "והתחזקתם", they must be mechazek themselves to believe in hasgacha of Hashem anyway.
So we see that the underlying theme of the story of the Meraglim is a lack of proper awareness of the Ribono Shel Olam. Perhaps this is the key to understanding the Gemara in Taanis (29a) which says that since Bnei Yisrael cried on the night after hearing the Meraglims' report it was decreed they they would cry on that night for a real reason- and that night was Tisha B'Av. This night, the night of the Churban, is the epitome of Hastaras Panim, of Galus HaShechinah. It was the beginning of the suffering of our people that has lasted for so long and every year it reminds us of where we are- in galus. Even if we are zoche to be in Eretz Yisrael and standing in the Makom HaMikdash we are in galus. Tisha B'Av is representative of the lack of connection to Hashem that we suffer from, of the inability to see Him clearly in the world. The Meraglim had this problem already in their time, and when Bnei Yisrael cried inappropriately over this, due to their lack of bitachon in Hashem and the inability to see that He runs everything always, even in wonderous ways, all for their sake, they created this impending reality for themselves that is the essence of Tisha B'Av (see Nefesh HaChaim 1:12).
We should be zoche to fix this soon.
וַתִּשָּׂא֙ כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה וַֽיִּתְּנ֖וּ אֶת־קוֹלָ֑ם וַיִּבְכּ֥וּ הָעָ֖ם בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הַהֽוּא
So we see that the underlying theme of the story of the Meraglim is a lack of proper awareness of the Ribono Shel Olam. Perhaps this is the key to understanding the Gemara in Taanis (29a) which says that since Bnei Yisrael cried on the night after hearing the Meraglims' report it was decreed they they would cry on that night for a real reason- and that night was Tisha B'Av. This night, the night of the Churban, is the epitome of Hastaras Panim, of Galus HaShechinah. It was the beginning of the suffering of our people that has lasted for so long and every year it reminds us of where we are- in galus. Even if we are zoche to be in Eretz Yisrael and standing in the Makom HaMikdash we are in galus. Tisha B'Av is representative of the lack of connection to Hashem that we suffer from, of the inability to see Him clearly in the world. The Meraglim had this problem already in their time, and when Bnei Yisrael cried inappropriately over this, due to their lack of bitachon in Hashem and the inability to see that He runs everything always, even in wonderous ways, all for their sake, they created this impending reality for themselves that is the essence of Tisha B'Av (see Nefesh HaChaim 1:12).
We should be zoche to fix this soon.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Say a Berachah? Make a Berachah!
I just realized that people usually use the terminology of "making" a berachah rather than "saying" one (at least where I'm from). Surely this is because we're not just saying words, we're created worlds and other such lofty things beyond our comprehension! :-)
A gut Shabbos!
A gut Shabbos!
Added Thought
I realized that in my earlier post Thoughts on Proper Perspectives in Life the focus was in the extreme negative (speaking lashon hara, looking at something improper, etc.) however it equally important to note the importance of proper sensitive to what we do even when we are "keeping to Halacha." That is to say, you tongue will continue to function, hopefully, even if you make a beracha levatalah. We must be wary. There is a yetzer hara everywhere, even in Torah matters.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The Holy Hunchback of Piaseczna
Gedenkst shon, di greste zach in di velt ist zu tun mit emetzin a tova.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Thoughts on Proper Perspective In Life
The Ribbono Shel Olam created man of two elements. The physical and the spiritual. These are two beings that co-exist as one. Two sides of a one coin. The kli and the or; a bright lamp, as it were. But what happens when we don't turn on this lamp, when we extinguish the light? Better question: what do I mean?
When we do aveiros what do we feel? When we hear lashon hara, do our ears suddenly bleed? When we speak with nibbul peh, do our tongues swell and choke us? When we look at assur images, do our eyes go blind? When we strike our friends, do our arms become limp? When we walk to places we shouldn't go to, do our legs go lame? When we live lives of immorality, do we die? When we allow the guf to dominate, do we feel the pain of the neshamah?
Seemingly, the answer is, at least generally, no. Of course, the seforim hakedoshim do speak about how guilty limbs are punished for what they have done. But I mean to say that usually there is no immidiate tangible repercussion. If there was, people wouldn't do aveiros. If you're eyes burned everytime you looked at something you shouldn't look at it, you would have to be very determined to do bad to look anyway, and I believe that most people are not like that.
If this is true, that we do not feel any physical reaction, how can we expect to feel the destruction of all the supernal life that is connected to us? It is part of my physical nervous system. If I prick my finger with a needle, I will feel it. But if I prick a sefirah, what will I feel? Truthfully, I will not feel any pain, but I cannot speak for anyone else.
What, then, am I, and anyone else who may suffer like me, to do? How am I to approach life as an eved Hashem? What is it that will keep me pointed in the right direction? If my tongue doesn't stretch to my naval every time I speak lashon hara (now we're yotzei a dvar Torah for this week), what will hold me back?
Let me ask you a question? What is Gehenom? Fire? Devils with pitchforks? A big red guy with horns? If you've ever read Dante's Inferno, then maybe you'll agree that the guy mentioned at the end seems a bit scary. However, this is all the influence of the X-ian society around us. Gehenom is the burning pain of shame; the shame of realization at what you have done. If you eat treif, your stomach won't explode, and therefore will not be what spurs any regret and abstention from any further such acts. But if you just think for a second about what you have done, how you have put something assur into your stomach which will now be digested and carried throughout you whole body, surely you will shudder at the realization of what you have done (granted we are talking about a frum person who consciously wants to be mekayem mitzvos, and even then, this may not apply as strongly for a particular aveirah which has been habitually transgressed for a long time).
What am I trying to say? Granted, we may not feel any initial pain when we do an aveirah, but we can feel shame (which in it's own way is painful). This is a very real way of coming to terms with the reality you have created for yourself by doing whatevre it is you have done. Can we see the mass destruction of the Heavenly spheres wrought by our own hands? No (at least I can't, I believe great tzaddikim can), but we can feel shame at the realization that our lives have become bereft of ruchnius to whatever extent this applies. This is Gehenom. Gehenom exists here, with us, in this World, if we are zoche to suffer it. If not, if we do not feel the painful shame now, then we will feel it at the end of our lives, and then it will be so much worse, when we can't do anything about it.
Conversely, the great simchah felt when we do mitzvos, learn Torah, and serve Hakadosh Boruch Hu, is what drives us forward to do the next mitzvah! When we live lives of proper Avodas Hashem, then we see everything as a new opportunity to grow in Avodas Hashem! Peledig!!
It is with these two feeling, shame and joy, that must calibrate our lives and guide ourselves. And if we don't strive to control ourselves this way, no one else will do it for us. As the heilege Piaseczner Rebbe states so powerfully in Chovas HaTalmidim, you are your own main mechanech. Maybe you do only good while you're Rebbe, or Parent, or wife, or kids are around, which is good because it means that you recognize what is right and you are ashamed to do otherwise when someone you care about will see you. But how will you act when you are alone. You cannot see the Ribbono Shel Olam in the same direct way that you see another person. But you can see yourself and you can think about what you are doing and the weight of your actions. It all depends on how you train yourself and if you will listen to the voice of reason in your head. See the first siman of Shulchan Aruch, it's a good one. And take a look at the Aruch HaShulchan there.
You know, YouTube and iTunes, for example, both create recommended lists based on what you view/listen to. Sometimes you have to look at such a lists and think about whether or not it fits who you want to be. A person has to think about his/her actions and think about whether or not they are befitting of them. If someone could see everything you do, what kind of person would they think you are? What lists of recommended activities would they give to suit your personality?
See Nefesh HaChaim Sha'ar 1; the whole thing. (The understanding of this article was based on R' Chaim Volozhiner in Nefesh HaChaim, I recall learning at least one other understanding of Gehenom, but I don't remember where it is.)
When we do aveiros what do we feel? When we hear lashon hara, do our ears suddenly bleed? When we speak with nibbul peh, do our tongues swell and choke us? When we look at assur images, do our eyes go blind? When we strike our friends, do our arms become limp? When we walk to places we shouldn't go to, do our legs go lame? When we live lives of immorality, do we die? When we allow the guf to dominate, do we feel the pain of the neshamah?
Seemingly, the answer is, at least generally, no. Of course, the seforim hakedoshim do speak about how guilty limbs are punished for what they have done. But I mean to say that usually there is no immidiate tangible repercussion. If there was, people wouldn't do aveiros. If you're eyes burned everytime you looked at something you shouldn't look at it, you would have to be very determined to do bad to look anyway, and I believe that most people are not like that.
If this is true, that we do not feel any physical reaction, how can we expect to feel the destruction of all the supernal life that is connected to us? It is part of my physical nervous system. If I prick my finger with a needle, I will feel it. But if I prick a sefirah, what will I feel? Truthfully, I will not feel any pain, but I cannot speak for anyone else.
What, then, am I, and anyone else who may suffer like me, to do? How am I to approach life as an eved Hashem? What is it that will keep me pointed in the right direction? If my tongue doesn't stretch to my naval every time I speak lashon hara (now we're yotzei a dvar Torah for this week), what will hold me back?
Let me ask you a question? What is Gehenom? Fire? Devils with pitchforks? A big red guy with horns? If you've ever read Dante's Inferno, then maybe you'll agree that the guy mentioned at the end seems a bit scary. However, this is all the influence of the X-ian society around us. Gehenom is the burning pain of shame; the shame of realization at what you have done. If you eat treif, your stomach won't explode, and therefore will not be what spurs any regret and abstention from any further such acts. But if you just think for a second about what you have done, how you have put something assur into your stomach which will now be digested and carried throughout you whole body, surely you will shudder at the realization of what you have done (granted we are talking about a frum person who consciously wants to be mekayem mitzvos, and even then, this may not apply as strongly for a particular aveirah which has been habitually transgressed for a long time).
What am I trying to say? Granted, we may not feel any initial pain when we do an aveirah, but we can feel shame (which in it's own way is painful). This is a very real way of coming to terms with the reality you have created for yourself by doing whatevre it is you have done. Can we see the mass destruction of the Heavenly spheres wrought by our own hands? No (at least I can't, I believe great tzaddikim can), but we can feel shame at the realization that our lives have become bereft of ruchnius to whatever extent this applies. This is Gehenom. Gehenom exists here, with us, in this World, if we are zoche to suffer it. If not, if we do not feel the painful shame now, then we will feel it at the end of our lives, and then it will be so much worse, when we can't do anything about it.
Conversely, the great simchah felt when we do mitzvos, learn Torah, and serve Hakadosh Boruch Hu, is what drives us forward to do the next mitzvah! When we live lives of proper Avodas Hashem, then we see everything as a new opportunity to grow in Avodas Hashem! Peledig!!
It is with these two feeling, shame and joy, that must calibrate our lives and guide ourselves. And if we don't strive to control ourselves this way, no one else will do it for us. As the heilege Piaseczner Rebbe states so powerfully in Chovas HaTalmidim, you are your own main mechanech. Maybe you do only good while you're Rebbe, or Parent, or wife, or kids are around, which is good because it means that you recognize what is right and you are ashamed to do otherwise when someone you care about will see you. But how will you act when you are alone. You cannot see the Ribbono Shel Olam in the same direct way that you see another person. But you can see yourself and you can think about what you are doing and the weight of your actions. It all depends on how you train yourself and if you will listen to the voice of reason in your head. See the first siman of Shulchan Aruch, it's a good one. And take a look at the Aruch HaShulchan there.
You know, YouTube and iTunes, for example, both create recommended lists based on what you view/listen to. Sometimes you have to look at such a lists and think about whether or not it fits who you want to be. A person has to think about his/her actions and think about whether or not they are befitting of them. If someone could see everything you do, what kind of person would they think you are? What lists of recommended activities would they give to suit your personality?
.שכר מצוה מצוה ושכר עבירה עבירה
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