DG's Divrei Torah

Shavuos - A holiday in which we, the Jewish people, received the Torah from the One above. Yes, that's correct, the Torah is a gift from Hashem that was given to us to keep our lives balanced and centered. For instance, how do you make a perfect circle? You first place a rock down, then you tie one side of the string to the rock and the other side to the stencil. The Torah is that rock in which we "tie" ourselves to throughout our lives, keeping us balanced and capable of fulfilling our maximum potential on this world, creating a perfect circle.

On Shavuos we read Megillas Rus - a story of kindness. What happened? Rus, a widow and a convert, was collecting the leftover gleanings of wheat in the field of Boaz with the rest of the poor people of the city. Boaz saw how modest she was in the way in which she bent down to pick up the gleanings and realized how special she was. He then took her for a wife and generations later Dovid Hamelech came from this union.

But what does this story have to do with Shavuos, a day in which we received the Torah? Part of accepting the Torah is seeing Hashem's hand in everything - Hashgacha Pratis. For instance, a couple of years ago, my Rebbe was having financial strains. At that same time, his daughter in Eretz Yisrael gave birth to a child. My rebbe knew his wife needed to go to Eretz Yisrael to see their new grandchild and to help out their daughter. It was not so easy; booking a ticket at the last minute can be very expensive, so when my Rebbe's wife called him on the phone stating she booked the ticket but wouldn't tell him the price so as not to upset him, he knew it would be a big pinch on his wallet. A couple of years before that, my Rebbe had trouble filing a tax return with the IRS, but had completed it in the end. Now, that trouble was about to pay off, literally. That same day that my Rebbe's wife booked the ticket, my Rebbe received a check in the mail from the IRS stating that he had overpaid on his taxes. It was a check for $1,542.00. My Rebbe excited, called his wife and asked her how much the plane ticket was. She had refused at first, not wanting to upset him, but when he told her about the check from the IRS, she gave in. She told him the ticket cost her $1,542.00 - Hashgacha Pratis.

Another example of hashgacha pratis is the story of Rabbi Aryeh Levine. Rabbi Levine was a very holy man and he took care of everyone like a loving grandfather. Once, there was a meeting between Reb Aryeh and Shmuel Tamir, a former Israeli justice minister. They got into an argument over abortion. Tamir said he thought abortion was okay because there are so many parents who aren't ready to be parents and these children would become troubled. Better to kill the embryo than to raise a troubled child. He then asked Reb Aryeh what his opinion was on abortion. Reb Aryeh answered with a story. He said, once there was a married couple that attended university together. They already had a daughter and were pregnant with another child. They didn't feel they could handle the stresses of parenthood and all the financial troubles that it entails. Therefore, they asked Reb Aryeh what to do. He said three things. One: The mitzvah is to have a boy and a girl, so it would be a mitzvah to have this second child. Two: Abortion is against the Torah. And Three: Nothing happens by chance (Hashgacha Pratis), Hashem made you pregnant for a reason and he will take care of you accordingly. Tamir was intrigued by the story and then asked what happened of the child. Did he become troubled and a delinquent or did he make it? Reb Aryeh answered that he made it and is a high official in the Israeli government. Tamir asked who it was, surely he knew him. Reb Aryeh answered, "That child is you". Everything happens for a reason. Because Shmuel Tamir's parents met Reb Aryeh, his life was saved.

So what does Hashgacha Pratis have to do with Megillas Rus? Boaz had tied his life to the rock (Torah) and through the Torah he acted accordingly. You see, everything happens for a reason! Boaz kept the halacha of leaving over the gleanings of wheat in his field for the poor. Because he kept this mitzvah, Hashem brought Rus to the field in order for him to discover her there and marry her. Subsequently, Dovid Hamelech came from this union and G-d willing, Moshiach will too.

We must all take something out of the story of Rus on this chag of Shavuos. Look at where we are now. Look how far we have come as a people. Recognize the miracle that has occurred to you on this very day. You're a free man, allowed to stay up all night learning Hashem's holy Torah without persecution. Think of all the generations before you in which they had to hide in order to perform the basic mitzvos. You are here, on this world, alive, for a reason. Follow Hashem's guiding hand and fulfill your maximum potential this Shavuos. And through our learning, may we merit our own matan Torah (receiving of the Torah) and see the descendant of Rus and Boaz, Moshiach, bimheyra viyameinu amein!

Pesach, a holiday of redemption! This time around, something miraculous will be occurring. I’m sure you’ve all heard of it by now, its called Birchas Hachama (Blessing of the sun). This blessing is recited once every twenty-eight years, when the sun is “at the exact place it occupied on the fourth day of Creation on the same day and at the same hour that the sun began to shine in the primordial heavens” (ArtScroll).

You may ask, what is so special about this event? Its not like it’s unexpected. We know that every twenty-eight years this happens, and its been happening since the beginning of time. If this is the case, then what about this year’s Birchas Hachama is so special?

This year the blessing is occurring on the Eve of Pesach. And according to some sources, Birchas Hachama has occurred only twice before on the Eve of Pesach. When were these times? Yitzias Mitzrayim (Redemption from Egypt) and Purim (Redemption from Persia). Following both redemption's, our people, the Jewish people, rebuilt the Beis Hamikdash (Temple).

The corruption of the world nowadays is in plain view. Everyone is able to see the downfall of the world’s economy (i.e. Stock Market); the destruction of the populace (i.e. global warming); the moral corruption (i.e. Madoff). The world is falling apart in accordance with Hashem’s will.
The only thing that keeps us going as a people is our achdus (unity). During these stressful times, we must stick together no matter where we’re from. “Frummies”, “Off the derech”; the name-calling has to stop. The important thing to remember is where we all originate. Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov; these are the only names in which importance should be found.

This year, when Birchas Hachama occurs, stand together with the rest of your Jewish brethren and recite the bracha “Baruch Atah Hashem, Elokainu Melech Haolam, Oseh Ma’aseh Viraishis”; “who performs the act of creation”,
and take these words to heart. We were all created in “Hashem’s image” (Genesis 1:26), and we need to be acting like one people. Am Yisrael, Kulanu Kiechad! (The Jewish people are like one!). May we all merit the final redemption, bishah tovah (in the right time) and the rebuilding of Hashem’s holy temple, the Beis Hamikdash, bimheira v'yameinu, amein! (speedily in our days, amein).

To catch up those who did not learn the parsha yet, In this week’s parsha, the first war in the world takes place. After an intense battle between the kings, Lot, Avraham’s nephew from Sidome, was captured by the four kings. When Og, the only king who escaped, found Avraham, he informed him of the capture of his nephew.

After Avraham was approached for help by the king of Sidom. He agreed to join him in battle to save his nephew Lot. They battled the four kings which represented the four golios (exiles). Avraham defeated the kings and formed an alliance with the king of Sidome. The king of Sidome offered him his share of the treasures that were captured. Avraham declined saying, “not even a thread or shoelace.”

The Medrash teaches through Avraham's words, “not even a thread or shoelace;” that HaShem then gave him the mitzvah which involves shoelaces; the mitzvah of chalitza.
Why would a man choose the option of chalitza? He chooses it because he is being honest with himself. He knows what madrega (level) he is on, and from that he knows that he’s not on the madrega where he can marry his sister-in-law purely for the mitzvah.

The key to success in yiddishkeit and life is to not fake it. What derech (path) you are on right now is where you are supposed to be. For example, if you’re considering marriage, you have to be honest with your potential spouse. You can’t say things about yourself that are dishonest or misleading. True, your goal is to grow together eventually, but don’t fool him or her now by pretending to be someone you are not.

So, in conclusion, just like Avraham, we are all fighting a war. However, the war we are fighting exists inside of us; the war of honesty. We must first be honest with ourselves about who we are, and only then, can we be prepared for battle. May we all overcome these battles and bring the times of Moshiach, Bimheira Viyameinu, Amein.

Sorry, I've been extremely swamped lately. I'll get out the next D'var Torah as soon as I find the time. =)

Chanukah is a holiday of spirituality. Miraculous events occurred during the times of the Chasmanayim (Macabees). We all know about the famous miracle, when the oil, only one day’s supply, lasted eight days. That was truly miraculous, however, the miracle I want to focus on, was the miracle of the triumphant win over the Yevanim (Greeks). In order to explain why Hashem performed this miracle for us, I will relate a mashal (parable), I had heard from my Rebbe.

There was once a group of insects that fell into a pale of milk. Immediately, they began to frantically tread the milk. Among those insects, there were three groups. After treading for a short while, the first group decided there was no point to go on, so they gave up, sank, and drowned. A little while later, the second group was tired of treading and decided there was no point as well, so they too gave up, sank, and drowned. The last group was determined to live, so they began to jump up and down with a mighty force, trying to exit the pale. As we all know, if you churn milk, it turns into butter. Eventually, the milk became thick enough that they were able to make a hill of butter to escape the pale.

During the period of time when the events of Chanukah took place, the Yidden were under tremendous distress, inflicted upon them by the Yevanim. Many Yidden (the first group) gave in to the pressures of the Yevanim, and sacrificed their Yiddishkeit, in order to save their lives. Another large group of Yidden (the second group) fought long and hard. However, they too gave in to the pressures of the Yevanim. Of all the Yidden, only the Chashmanayim remained. They were just a small group of thirteen men, and they were challenging the entire Greek army. They fought long and hard, they never gave in, and because of this, they merited redemption.
The Yevanim didn’t want to eliminate us in the physical; no, they wanted something much more precious, they wanted to eliminate our very essence, our neshamas, our spiritual existence. They came dangerously close to accomplishing their vicious plan. However, because of the Chashmanayim, as they battled the enemy purely L’shem Shamayim (for the name of the heavens), Hashem redeemed us from our golus.

After we see how a small group of men can merit redemption, imagine what we, Klal Yisrael, can accomplish. We must strengthen our Emuna, and Bitachon; we must continue to battle our enemies, never allowing them to take our faith away. Yes, at times it may seem tough, like a bottomless pit with no way out. But through our Tefillos, we can accomplish miraculous things. Let’s take a page out of our Ancestors book; let’s celebrate Chanukah with a spiritual joy, and we too will be redeemed from (our current) golus. May we all be Bisimcha, and merit to see Moshiach, Bimheira V’yameinu, Amen.

Each and every one of us experiences a conflict within us. A conflict so intense, it can alter our thought process… if we allow it too. This conflict, this evil, which lingers inside of us, has a name. Its name is, Yetzer Hara.

The battle against the yetzer hara is never-ending. One can always feel it keeping us down, removing us from the right path, and eating away at us. It may seem impossible to fight an enemy of its caliber. However, that’s simply not true; one must pinpoint the exact powers that the yetzer hara holds, subsequently, a defense can be prepared.

The first thing one must know is that the yetzer hara is two-pronged, and that it even has names. The Yetzer Hara of Lavan, and the Yetzer Hara of Aisav.

Lavan was a man of corruption. He believed that man is the ultimate power, and the only thing stopping man, is another man. This concept is clearly not a Jewish one. For we as Jews, believe in doing our hishtadlus, but ultimately, Hashem rules the world and takes care of us.

The way the yetzer hara of Lavan works, would be for example: If I make a mistake, it’s my entire fault. If I succeed, it was my entire doing. This yetzer hara is entirely intellectual. Lavan’s goal is to cripple our bitachon and emunah in Hashem, which are both completely intellectual. Coincidentally, what attributes make a person grow in their yiddishkeit the most? Emunah and Bitachon.

Aisav was a man of savagery. He believed in solving all his problems by physically destroying his enemies. He had no need to think deeply about anything. This concept too, is not a Jewish one. For we as Jews, use tefillah, a very intellectual solution to our problems.

The way the yetzer hara of Aisav works, would be for example: “I’m not intellectual; I’ll just bash or forget about everything in my way. Sure, I believe there is Hashem, but I have no need for Him in my life. I’ll learn shas, go to yeshiva, and daven three times a day, however, I won’t ingrain the actual learning into my life. Once I get out of yeshiva, I’ll go do as many avairos as possible, simply because, the Jewish stuff doesn’t fit into my schedule, and I just don’t care. I’ll make my father think I am his little Talmud Chacham, but really, in my heart, I’m a faker.”

What is one to do? From where can we find the strength to battle such enemies? Well, baruch Hashem, we have a gift, or middah, that Yaakov Avinu passed down to us. That gift is the will to fight and vanquish evil, no matter what the circumstance may be. We all know too well, how Klal Yisrael, is always fighting to exist, sometimes barely hanging on by a thread. However, thanks to Yaakov, each and every one of us has that spark in our neshamas to withstand our oppressors. The best idea would be to conquer Lavan first, for once your intellect is clear, you can defeat the physical Aisav all the better.

In conclusion, next time you feel the yetzer hara of Lavan or Aisav gnawing at you, remember your forefather, Yaakov, a man who stood up to the real Lavan and Aisav. May we all one day, conquer our Yetzer Hara, and by doing so, merit to see Moshiach, Bimheira Viyameinu, Amein. Gut Shabbos.

In this week’s parsha, we see Yosef encountering a great deal of trouble. Yosef relayed his dreams to his brothers, proclaiming how great he is. This angered his brothers, for they were supposed to be equals. Each shevet should have an equal share in Klal Yisrael, how could Yosef come to them and brag, saying things such as, “You will all bow down to me.”

Afterward, Yosef told his father how he had related his dreams to them. This angered Yaakov tremendously. He attempted to discredit them, for he did not want the rest of the shevatim to feel jealous. He replied to Yosef, “Your mother and I will bow down to you? How is that possible? Your mother is dead.” The Gemara in Brachos gives an interpretation on this instance that took place between Yaakov and Yosef. “ We see from this, that all dreams, no matter how true they may be, have nonsense within them.”

At this point, the shevatim went to Shechem, to shepard their sheep. Shechem is not such a great place to be spending your time in, so Yaakov sent Yosef to check on his brothers. Once the brothers saw Yosef in the distance, they began their plot to kill him. Reuvein, saw what they were plotting, and wanted no part in this fatal plan. He didn’t want to see his youngest brother perish, so he convinced them to throw him in a pit. If he dies, he dies; if he lives, he lives. Anyway, he planned to come back later and save him. When Yosef arrived the brothers then stripped Yosef of his coat and threw him into the pit.

The brothers sat down to eat a meal, for they thought that they were fulfilling Hashem’s will; that every shevet needed to be equal. However, their mistake was their lack of realization on the importance of Yosef. Yes, the shevatim need to work together, for they are like a body. However, Yosef was the brain. A body cannot function without a brain.

At this point, Yosef was sold to a caravan heading towards Egypt; a caravan that was filled with spices. So what? Why mention that the caravan was filled with spices? Just say, “he went down to Egypt in the back of a caravan.” What’s the reason the Torah specifies spices?
It mentioned spices because, 99 out of 100 caravans would be filled with putrid inventory, such as tar. What a miracle it was, that this specific caravan carrying spices was arriving at Yosef’s location at that time.

R’ Chaim Shmuelevitz explains this (paraphrase): At this point in Yosef’s life, he wondered why his life was turning out to be so hard, he felt abandoned by Hashem, being put in this predicament. Just then, he realized his situation was not a predicament at all, after he smelled the pleasing aroma’s of the spices, he was like, “Whoa, that’s you Hashem isn’t it? You still have my back, You’re still watching over me, this is all one big master plan isn’t it?” What do we learn from this? Rav Shmuelevitz continues: Even when a person is having tzuros, and feelings of abandonment in their life, they can take a moment and realize that Hashem is still with them, guiding them with a watchful eye. Hashem is compared to the driver; don’t be a backseat driver and think you are in control. Just do your hishtadlus and let Hashem take the wheel. Don’t forget to buckle up! It may seem like a bumpy ride, but at least you have the best driver in the universe. Good Shabbos!

We know from Pirkei Avos that Chesed is one of the three things the world stands on. We also know that Avraham Avinu was known as the “father of chesed.”

To demonstrate how powerful chesed can be, let’s compare it to rachmanos. Everyone knows Noach was a great man. He followed HaShem’s will, and completed his tasks to the fullest extent. However, if we take a closer look at Noach, we realize he was a man of rachmanos, not chesed. How does one describe rachmanos? Rachmanos equals, reactive, to give when needed, which is very good. However, let’s compare that to chesed, which equals, proactive, to search for people to give too, even when not needed.

Let us further define these two middah’s. The Maharal states: The difference between Noach and Avraham Avinu was that, HaShem led Noach, as opposed to Avraham, who walked in front of HaShem. In other words, Noach needed help to stay on the proper derech. Avraham was capable of walking that derech on his own. What’s the difference between HaShem leading you, and following you? The Maharal continues: HaShem surrounded Noach, so therefore it was impossible for evil to penetrate him. On the other hand, HaShem often tested Avraham, he did not have HaShem surrounding him during those times. Interestingly enough, it was not until the eighth test, when HaShem told Avraham to walk in front of him. HaShem knew at that point that Avraham no longer needed His protective shield.

Rav Eliyahu Dessler, in Sefer Mechtav MiEliyahu writes: There is something higher than feeling HaShem is by your side. There is Avodas HaShem, the act of seeking more ways to serve HaShem, and to be by His side.

We learn from Gemara Shabbos, that hachnasas orchim is greater than prophecy. It states that Avraham interrupted talking to HaShem, when he saw a wayfarer that needed help. Almost as if he were saying, “hold on HaShem, I have to go help someone.” From this we learn how powerful Gemilus Chassadim is; it precedes receiving prophecy from HaShem.

HaShem started and ended the Torah with acts of chesed. In Bereishis, HaShem gave Chava to Adam, by escorting her to the chuppah. He could have sent malachim to do so, but he wanted to show how important chesed is. In V’zos Habracha, HaShem personally buried Moshe Rabbeinu, even though Klal Yisrael would have been more than willing to do so.

In conclusion, next time you see someone in need of a helping hand, don’t think twice. Be like Avraham, and uphold this beautiful world. From these simple acts of chesed, may we all merit to see Moshiach, Bimheira Viyameinu Amein. Good Shabbos!

Have you ever felt stuffed up? No, not the “grab a Kleenex” kind of stuffed up. Let me clarify; in this week’s parsha, we read about the loss of our forefather, Yaakov. Rashi says, when Yaakov died, the eyes and hearts of Klal Yisrael became closed, due to Egyptian oppression. In short, Klal Yisrael experienced the feeling of being “stuffed up.” Subsequently, Klal Yisrael traveled into golus, which we know all too well, is a very “stuffed up” situation. From this information that we now have, how appropriate is it that this week’s parsha starts “stuffed up” in the middle of a paragraph?

Everything has a seder meyuchad (an order that was made especially for it). Really, the whole world is one big seder formed directly from the words of the Torah. Which means, if you look into the seder of the Torah, it’s as if you are looking through a window, viewing how the world was made. Hashem included in this seder, golus.

Why was it necessary to make golus part of the seder of events? If one of the points of life is to get as close to Hashem as possible, then why bring upon golus? Doesn’t that distance us from Hashem? No, not at all, in fact, Hashem is closest during golus. Golus is like a thick veil; therefore, in order for Hashem to be apparent, He shines even greater than before.

Even in the darkest hours of Auschwitz, Hashem was apparent. There was a veil covering Him, but still, Hashem could be seen through the thick of it. An elderly man who experienced Auschwitz first hand once said, “I saw Hashem every day in the camp. The Nazis were too evil, it didn’t make sense, and it wasn’t natural. It had to be that what was happening to us, was purely divine.”

Another example is when the Babylonians destroyed the Bais Hamikdash, the kruvim (baby faced angels) on the aron (ark), turned toward each other and embraced. This is strange; you would think they would face away from each other. Whenever Hashem was unhappy with Klal Yisrael, they would turn away from each other. This shows us, that even though Hashem was destroying His palace, and sending His children into exile, He was doing it out of the love He has for His children. They needed golus in order to become cleansed.

Finally, when a father forces bad tasting medicine down his sick child’s throat, is he doing it because he’s angry? Or is he doing it because he loves him? He knows that right now the child will suffer, but in the long run, the medicine, or in our case, golus, will ultimately lead to a full recovery.

To recap, golus is like being stuck in the middle of a paragraph. In this week’s parsha, Klal Yisrael is headed into golus. Therefore, it’s appropriate that the parsha starts in the middle of a paragraph. However, we must remember! Just like there was an eventual geula when we left Egypt. So too, Maysa Avos, Simun Libanim; take a lesson from out forefathers, it’s not simply a storybook. We too will leave our present golus into geula, bimheira viyameinu amein! Good Shabbos.

In this week’s parsha, parshas Mishpatim, we learn about how the rabbinic judicial system works. Truly, a fascinating topic! However, I have one question, why does the parsha start off Viayleh hamishpatim? That makes it seem as if we are starting the parsha in the middle of a clause. The vuv in viayleh means “and.” Last I checked, a sentence doesn’t start off with the word “and.” In fact, it’s used as a conjunction to link two like ideas.

There are some mifarshim that give reason for the addition of the vuv; here are a couple of them. The vuv is showing that the laws in this parsha, which may appear as man made, are in fact works of G-d; they are the same laws that Hashem gave to us at Har Sinai. You might think that since some of these laws can be worked through and argued with man made logic, that they do not come from Hashem. That is why this parsha starts off with a vuv, to show us the link between what we may think are man made laws, are in fact laws given from the One above. (Rashi)

Another reason for the vuv is as follows. This parsha is starting off teaching us how the rabbinical judicial system was set up and run. The end of the last parsha, Yisro, was teaching us about the works of the mishkan. That is the reason for the vuv, to show us that all cases should be held nearby the mishkan. (Rambam). This way the court cases would be instilled with the kedusha of the mishkan, and we should know that Hashem is the One who is running all matters among men.

Here’s a quick peek at a couple of the conflicts that were dealt with by the judges in this week’s parsha.
Slavery – How does the court rule in regards to a Jewish slave? One, who acquires a slave, acquires a master. What does this mean? You must treat your slave like royalty. If they become sick, you must pay for their medical bills and not demand compensation for the cost. If there is one pillow on the house, you must forfeit the pillow to your slave. Finally, once they are released, you must send them off with gifts.
Bodily Damage – How does the court rule in regards to one person causing harm to another person's body? The punishment is ayin tachas ayin, or literally, an eye for an eye. What does that mean? If he pokes my eye out, the court should poke his out? The Vilna Gaon comes up with a kabbalistic interpretation of ayin tachas ayin. He says, first you look at the word tachas, which literally means under. From this we learn to go to the next letter “under.” What does this mean? If you write out the word Ayin (Ayin, Yud, Nun), the next letters under are (Fey, Chuf, Somich) pachas. Once you have these letters you rearrange them and you end up with the word kesef (Chuf, Somich, Fey), which is translated into money. This teaches us that the penalty for causing harm to one’s body is to provide the injured with money.

Nowadays our court systems are corrupt. They decide on their own without any concern for Hashem’s laws. May we all see the restoration of a true Torah court speedily in our days, and may we all see Moshiach, bimheira viyameinu amein. Gut Shabbos.

In the beginning of creation, Hashem had placed Himself amongst the entire universe, from the heavens, all the way down to the earth. The Shechina had a personal resting place among the earth, and when Adam and Chava were created, his presence could be felt among them. After the Chait (sin of eating from the tree of knowledge), Hashem had separated His Shechina from the earthly realm, only remaining in the Heavenly world. In the times of our Avos (Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov), Hashem returned to the earth. However, He did not have a resting place amongst the earth. He only “hovered” above the earth. This brings us to speed with this week’s parsha, Parshas Terumah; in this week’s parsha, we talk about the splendor of the mishkan (tabernacle), and all the holy vessels that were used within its walls. The mishkan is a mini model of Hashems glory and presence. What does this mean? It means the mishkan represents the glorious presence of the Shechina. To further clarify this meaning, I will relate a mashal (parable) based on the writings of the Shlah (Shnei Luchos Habris).

A man once walked up to the Pallaza Vecchio and saw Michelangelo’s sculpture of David. This sculpture depicts the beauty of the human being in its finest form. The fact that a man had sculpted a being out of marble and created such a work of art fascinated this man, for it had captivated his attention. He then thought to himself, “I see mankind every day, why am I not fascinated by the way they look? There’s something that makes this sculpture more captivating than the real thing.

What can we learn from this mashal? How does it apply to the mishkan in this week’s parsha? Hashem created the universe, correct? And Klal Yisrael created the mishkan as a testimonial to the universe, correct? Just like you’re captivated by Michelangelo’s sculpture of the human form more than that real thing, so too, since it’s impossible to see the stretch of the universe in all of it’s beauty, the mishkan, a portrayal of the universe, was placed on earth to captivate you.