The Holy Piaseczner on Simchas Torah

I meant to post this before Shmini Atzeres. Just some mekoros from the Rebbe zy"a connected to simchas haTorah. B'ezras Hashem we should internalize his words. Simchas Torah may be over, but it's not really over. You know what I mean. And this reminds me that I recently lost my copy of Aish Kodesh by having it shipped from EY to America. It never arrived. :( Hope the finder enjoys. :)

קהלת רבה – פרשה א

א ארשב"י כתיב (ישעיה ס"ה) "כי כימי העץ ימי עמי" ואין עץ אלא תורה שנאמר (משלי ג') "עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה". וכי מי נברא בשביל מי התורה בשביל ישראל או ישראל בשביל תורה? לא תורה בשביל ישראל אלא תורה שנבראת בשביל ישראל הרי היא קיימת לעולמי עולמים ישראל שנבראו בזכות' עאכ"ו!

חובת התלמידים – פרק ח, דף עו (הרה"ק רבי קלונומוס קלמן שפירא מפיאסעצנא הי"ד זי"ע)

(לענין המדרש הנ"ל) השתאה והשתומם, התורה שהיא כל כך קדושה, תורת ה' שכל כך השתוקקו המלאכים אליה, כל עצם ותכלית בריאתה, בשביל ישראל היא. האין סוף לסיני בא ועמו מרבבות קדש, הרעים אצ השמים והרעיש את הארץ והכל בשביל ישראל. תכלית ביאתו וטרחת קדשו, היה להעמיד אטתך ואת חברך שתהיו ישראלים עם קרובו קרובים ממש, וזאת תהיה גם מטרתך אשר אליה תמיד תשתוקק, שתהיה קרוב אליו, לבך ונפשך ירגישו אף הם את הקדוש ישראל אשר שוכן בקרבם וכו' כנזכר לעיל. ואם כן, גם אתה צריך לפעול בזה, צריך אתה להתעורר את נפשך ממסגרתה אשר היא סגורה בגופך ולקרבה אל אביה המצפה אליה. עבודה ופעולה והרגל רב צריכים לזה.

שם – פרק יב, דף קכה

כך הוא הדבר, התורה מן השמים היא, ובלמודך את התורה אתה עולה שמימה. אל ה' אתה עולה ובו אתה מתיחד, והוא יתברך נמשך למחך ולבך ושוכן אף בגופך. כי מה הוא שכל התורה שאתה מעיין בו, ה' נתן את התורה ושכל הזה דעת אלקים הוא. ולמה זאת וזאת מצוה וכו', מפני שכן רצה ה'. וכיון שעוררת את נפשך, מעט גליתה ובה אתה מתיגע בתורה ומעין בה, מדבק אתה את נפשך ומחך לה', וכשאתה מבין דבר מדברי התורה, אז שכל ה' כביכול בך נמצא עתה, כמו שאיתא ספרים הקדושים מזה. וכשאתה מעורר את רצונך לתורה ולמצוות, רצון הזה לא שלך הוא, רק הכביכול רוצה עתה בך את התורה ומצות, כי זהו עצם התורה ומצות שה' רוצה אותם, ועתה נתגלה רצונו זה, בך, ואתה מרגיש את רצון ה' לתורה ומצות בך. והיש יחוד גדול מזה, הוא יתברך אשר למעלה מכל העולמות, אין סוף ואין תכלית, ואף המלאכים שואלים איה מקום כבודו, מתיחד בך ושוכן בקרבך.  

צו וזרוז – אות ל (הרה"ק רבי קלונומוס קלמן שפירא מפיאסעצנא הי"ד זי"ע)

האיש ישראל בעול עבודת ה' נתון הוא תמיד, אבל לשמוח לפני ה' בשמיני עצרת ושמחת תורה כמה טורח ועמל עלתה לו, ואפשר רק אחר ראש השנה ויוה"כ שעברו עליו, יזכה לה. כשמתחיל להתלהב בשמחה, יתמרמר לבו בו, במה תשמח כשישראל אף ידידך ואתה כל כך בצרות שקועים ובדגאות עמוסים. ויתחזק ויאמר, עם אלקי אני שמח עתה. ה' הרם ונשא לעילא מכל העולמות אף מלאכי מעלה שואלים למקום כבודו, הוא אלקי נפשי רוחי ונשמתי, ובו יתב' ועם תורתו הקדושה שנתן לי באהבה אני שמח. הכל בטל עתה, אין עולם ולא דאגות, לא גוף ולא צרות, עמו יתב' בכל כחי אני מפזז ולפני כבודו אני רוקד.

It's Purim, Be Happy!

It saysin the Tikkunei Zohar (57b) that Purim is like Yom HaKippurim; The Piaseczner Rebbe writes that this alludes to a fundamental similarity in the two days. On Yom Kippur, we fast and do teshuvah whether we want to or not because it is a gezeirah from HaKadosh Boruch Hu. So too by the simchah of Purim, it is not that if a person is already happy on his own or is in a situation where he can make hismlef happy that he must be mesamei’ach on Purim. Rather, even if a person is in a lowly state and has a shattered heart, his mind and spirit downcast, it is a mitzvah that some spark of joy must enter his heart on Purim.

By Yom Kippur, the day itself atones for our aveirot, even if we have not done a complete teshuvah. So too on Purim, even though a person may not be as happy and joyous as he should be, thus resulting in an incomplete avodah of Purim, the day still activates yeshu’ah and simchah over Bnei Yisrael.

Aish Kodesh on Parshat Yitro

וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ כֹהֵן מִדְיָן חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱלֹקִים לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ כִּי הוֹצִיא יְקֹוָק אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם: (שמות יח:א)

Yitro, the minister of Midian, the father-in-law of Moshe, heard everything that G-d did to Moshe and to Yisrael, His people—that Hashem had taken Yisrael out of Egypt. (Shemot 18:1)

The Torah tells us that it was after Keri’at Yam Suf, when Bnei Yisrael had officially begun their journey to Eretz Yisrael, that Yitro all of a sudden came to join the nation, bringing Moshe’s wife and children with him . The pasuk which relates Yitro’s arrival is tells us that he heard of what Hashem did and afterwards he came. One of the famous questions amongst the mefarshim is what exactly was it that Yitro heard which enticed him to come join Moshe and become an oveid Hashem? Rashi explains that Yitro heard about Keri’at Yam Suf and Milchemet Amalek. HaRav Elimelech of Grodzhinsk asks, why does Rashi even have the question of what was it that Yitro heard that brought him to Bnei Yisrael? The pasuk itself says “that Hashem had taken Yisrael out of Egypt.” Also, if this is the case, why does Rashi answer Keri’at Yam Suf and Milchemet Amalek when the pasuk gives us the answer that Yitro heard of Hashem taking Bnei Yisrael out of Mitzraim?

The Torah says “שמע ישראל ה' אלקינו ה' אחד. ואהבת את ה' אלקיך בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך ובכל מאדך. ”(Devarim 6:5) Rashi explains that when it says to “love Hashem with all your heart,” it means to say that your heart should not be divided with Hashem (מקום= Omnipresent) – “שלא יהא לבך חלוק על המקום”. The Beit Aharon understands this to mean that one should not say “in this place (מקום) it is possible for me to serve Hashem and in this place it is not possible.” Rather it is incumbent upon a person to keep the Torah and serve Hashem in whatever place or predicament in which he may find himself. Bnei Yisrael received the Torah in the Midbar; the Piaseczner Rebbe, HaRav HaKadosh Reb Klonimus Kalman Shapira הי“ד, writes that had the Torah been given in Eretz Yisrael, Bnei Yisrael would have thought that it was only while they were in their native land, their home, the place where they belonged, that they could uphold the Torah. However, while in galut where they are missing the atmosphere of the comfort of home and are distracted by the world surrounding them, they would not be able to properly serve Hashem. Therefore, HaKadosh Baruch Hu gave Bnei Yisrael the Torah in the Midbar, while they were travelling and unsettled, in order to show that they must uphold it wherever they are, be it settled at home or struggling on the road. 

We can now refine our understanding of what Rashi’s question was in order to understand its purpose and how it is answered. Rashi asked on Yitro, “מה שמועה שמע ובא”, what was it that Yitro heard to make him come? The emphasis it seems, is on why he had the desire to pick up from his home and join Bnei Yisrael where they were. Had he so desired, Yitro could have simply sent a request to Moshe to send some person from amongst Bnei Yisrael to Midian to teach Yitro the Torah and to help him convert, just as Yitro later did himself for his own family. 


This is the logic behind Rashi’s answer of Keri’at Yam Suf and Milchemet Amalek. Amalek wanted to “cool down” Bnei Yisrael, even though it would negate all logic to have gone up against them right after Keri’at Yam Suf when they were on the level that “even a maidservant saw that which even Yechezkel and Yeshaya didn’t see.” (Mechilta Beshalach 3) But Amalek thought that since Bnei Yisrael were “on the road” at the time and not yet in Eretz Yisrael, they could overcome them chas v’chalilah, even though the nation was on such a high spiritual level. This this is the meaning of the pasuk by Amalek “אשר קרך בדרך... ”, that they happened upon Bnei Yisrael on the way, for they were depending on this for victory. But it was Bnei Yisrael who were victorious! It didn’t matter that they were in the midst of journeying, for they still kept the Torah and retained their holiness even while they remained in such a state outside the borders of Eretz Yisrael.

With this in mind, Yitro realized that it was not sufficient to simply receive the Torah while relaxing at home; rather he had to go into the Midbar and also receive it there while on the road, ba’derech, by which means he could be proper Jew at home as well. Meaning that when Yitro heard of Amalek’s absurd assumption and attempt to attack Bnei Yisrael, he realized that to truly receive and internalize the Torah in a way that would remain true and strong even in the face of adversity and even on foreign soil, he had to receive the Torah for himself as the rest of Bnei Yisrael did– on foreign ground, while in the midst of a journey, outside of Eretz Yisrael.

Bnei Yisrael in the Midbar were not just mekabel the Torah for themselves but for all future generations as well. If so, then the Torah we have today is rooted within us in the same manner. We cannot be divided on Hashem and say that only in such-and-such a place can we be proper ovedei Hashem; no matter where we are in galut we have the obligation to uphold our the mitzvot and fend off the attacks of “Amalek” which try to weaken us while we are away from home. May we soon return home to Eretz Yisrael where we will no longer have to face adversity against our Torah b’yemot HaMashiach b’meheira b’yameinu.  

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".         

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.

Aish Kodesh on Hastarat Panim

The Piaseczner Rebbe HY"D brings down the Zohar (ח"א נח.) which says that every Jew must realize and believe that everything comes from Hashem, and that He does not do anything without cause. Besides for that, it is also one of the 13 ikarei emunah: "אני מאמין...שהבורא יתברך שמו גומל טוב למי שישמור מצוותיו ויעניש למי שיעבור על מצוותיו." Through this, one can come to chizkut and joy, even during times of suffering. The Baal HaTanya writes (Iggeret HaTshuvah 12) that when a person comes to recognize his aveirot and the flaws of his heart at a time of yissurin, and sees why this punishment has come upon him, then he will not become upset and think these yissurin are bad. He will have bitachon in Hashem, that just like He has punished him, so too He will do good with him. This person will realize that Hashem desires him like a father to a son, and through this he will be mechazek and mesameach himself.

Aside from that, yissurin are a form of hastarat Panim. Therefore, when a person can see through them and realize the Yad Hashem in everything, that everything is His righteousness and truth, he removes the hastarah! And when a person removes this hastarah and reveals Hashem, it is a chesed and a hitgalut Or Panav Yitbarach. But how can yissurin be hastarat Panim? It says in Tehillim (91:15) "עמו אנכי בצרה"! Kivyachol Hashem suffers with us! Rather, it is when the sufferer himself is not mekabel yissurin with submission and reckons them unjust, that the hastarat Panim is created, chas v’shalom. The person creates the hastarah! It is like he is turning away from this notion that Hashem suffers with him.

(Aish Kodesh Re'eh 5701)