Parshat Ki Savo

“A Cup of Coffee 

 

&

A Quick Thought”

 

 

Steaming Cup of Coffee
Spark Of Jewish Experience

Ki Savo

Septmeber 15, 2011
17 Elul, 5771

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SPECIAL EVENT ALERT!!! 
TUESDAY OCT 4TH, 2011 (BETWEEN ROSH HASHANA & YOM KIPPUR)
Rabbi Avi Matmon will explain the essence of the High Holiday prayers. He will be joined by chazanim, the renowned and naim zemirot, Avi Perets, and the new age Bukarian chazan Ruben Ebragimov, as well as others, who will bring out the emotions from the holy words through their singing. They will, with G-d’s help, inspire and give us an understanding so we can pray to the highest level and achieve a place in the book of life. More information will follow in our next issue.
In This Issue
Rewards Collected on Rosh Hashanah
The Evil Lavan – Parsha Ki Savo
Why is the Apple Known as the Symbolic Fruit of Rosh Hashanah?

Rewards Collected on Rosh Hashanah
freedom of religion
The main objective for the Jewish people is to get a good verdict on Rosh Hashanah. The pasuk says ‘All of the Jewish People will be judged on Rosh Hashanah.’ The sages ask, ‘Why does the pasuk have to use the extra word ‘all ‘; it could have just begun ‘the Jewish people…’ Perhaps the Torah is including others who are also to be judged.

The sages teach us that on Rosh Hashanah, the deceased are also being judged. People who are no longer living are derived from the word ‘all’. But how can that be possible? They are no longer here. What are they being judged for? They didn’t do any mitzvot or averot; they’re on the inactive list. In fact, we learn that when we go to a cemetery, one cannot wear his tzitzit out of his pants like some people do because it might get the deceased jealous since they are unable to perform mitzvot, while we the living are commanded to wear tzitzit daily. So as it is frequently said in sports, ‘they’re sitting on the bench’ they’re not players.

Perhaps in answering this question we must look back in history at the tail end of the period called ‘the golden age’ of Spain. For many years, Spain was considered – along with France and Portugal – the super powers of the world. Also, for the only time in Jewish history, there was an ultra-orthodox Jew in one of the highest political seats in the country. Abarbanel, who happened to be one of the mainstream commentaries on the Chumash (Bible), was also the finance minister, a very powerful position. After many years of prosperity, the economy began to go south and anybody who is an astute historian knows the Jews are the first to be blamed. With the exception of today’s America, the golden age in Spain was the most prosperous periods in the history of the Jews. They also enjoyed tremendous religious freedom. Apparently, all that came to an end as the Spanish inquisition began and the Jews were given the choice of converting to Christianity, expulsion or death.

Years later, in the introduction to one of his books, Abarbanel writes, ‘I regret ever taking public office. The only reason why I took that position was to make it easy and comfortable for Jews to learn our precious Torah, and I failed’.

No, Abarbanel, you did not fail, you just miscalculated. You see, Abarbanel was the finance minister who financed Christopher Columbus’s infamous discovery trip to America. His dream to see Jews comfortable and have the religious freedom was delayed about 500 years. Every time a Jew goes to a park anywhere in America, north or south, and opens up an ArtScroll (Torah translation) Gemarah and learns, enjoying the freedom of religion and speech, Abarbanel gets credit; he gets a percentage; he gets a cut of what that Jew learned. It seems like he had a tremendous influence on American Jewry.

Sometimes we do a good deed and don’t see the reward right away. One never knows when the fruits of the labor start to kick in.

 

From the shiurim of Rabbi Akiva Grunblatt who quoted Rabbi Berel Wein.

The Evil Lavan – Parsha Ki Savo
 sinister person

             In bringing the bikurim (first ripe fruits in the land of Israel which were taken to the temple and given to the Kohen), the person bringing them tells the story of our past and mentions the very first miracle, which occurred to Israel (Devarim 26:5). ‘An Armenian wanted to destroy my father’. Lavan the Armenian, wanted to uproot all by destroying our forefather Yaakov.

Lavan was the uncle and father-in-law of Yaakov, who tricked him by switching Rachel, the sister of choice, with Leah, at their wedding ceremony to Yaakov. Yaakov eventually married Rachel as well as two of her other sisters, Bilah and Zilpah. This made the number of wives at four. But Lavan made him work extra for Rachel. We see throughout the chapter that Lavan had attempted – and at times succeeded – in tricking his son-in-law.

Abarbanel explains that Lavan was the one by his actions that caused Yosef (the son of Yaakov and Rachel), to be sold to Egypt and Yaakov to go into exile in the land. It was Lavan’s evil ways, which caused the feuding between Yaakov’s sons, which led them to eventually sell Yosef to Egypt. Yaakov’s sons would simply not have been able to act that way if there had not been a drop of their grandfather, Lavan’s blood in their veins.

There were two reasons why Yaakov ran away from his home to Lavan’s house. At his parents’ request, the first reason – the potential marriage match with Rachel, and the second reason was that his older twin brother Eisav wanted to kill him. So Yaakov spent 22 years at Lavan’s house. There is the obvious question, eventually Eisav found out the whereabouts of his brother, Yaakov, so why didn’t he kill him? He didn’t pursue Yaakov until he left Lavan’s house. Why did he wait?

Eisav – with all his bravery – impressively defeated the great warrior, Nimrod, but was afraid of only one person, Lavan. Lavan was the most powerful man on earth. How, one may ask, did he succeed in reaching this position?

An additional question that should be asked – why was Lavan frantically searching for the terafim? It didn’t seem to be idol worship. Rachel stole her father’s terafim because she didn’t want him to use them. What is the significance of the terafim?

According to Yonatan ben Uziel, the zohar, and Tana debay Eliyahu, Lavan was the master of black magic and his biggest weapon was terafim. There is, according to the evil spirits, an importance to a seventh generation firstborn, and Lavan was able to figure who they are. He would murder them and sever their heads, where we would perform various acts of black magic on the body parts, manipulating it, making them talk. As a result of this ritual, he was able to reveal secrets of the world (insider trading). Lavan would have a tremendous edge on everything in life where he would take advantage in the cruelest way.

Yaakov was advised to go to Lavan’s house because Eisav was a seventh generation bechor, where it would be ill advised for Eisav to come near Lavan. Eventually, every child born comes with his own mazal. Yaakov saw the ability to withstand his brother, Eisav, with the birth of Yosef.

Man has the power to bring kedusha and evil to the world; it’s his choice. But one thing he should realize, he is going to be accountable for everything.

Why is the Apple Known as the Symbolic Fruit of Rosh Hashanah?
 apple and honey

              One of the sweetest childhood memories of Rosh Hashanah is eating the apple dipped in honey. I remember looking at the stack of apples on the beautiful and elegant table that Mom prepared and the scent of honey that was placed in small, fancy china plates all around the table. The question one may ask is, why apples? Why are apples first on the symbolic line of having a good sweet year?

If one recalls when Yaakov, our forefather, came disguised as his brother Eisav, at the urgent request of his mother to get the blessing from his blind father, Yitzchok, Yaakov was not exactly academy award material. This strait-laced pursuer of Emet (truth) almost blew it. His father said ‘you don’t sound like Eisav. Come here, I want to feel you’ (Eisav was hairy).

When he came close to his father, G-d made Yitzchok smell like the apple trees of Gan Eden (heaven). Yitzchok then knew no matter which son it is, it’s definitely the right one. G-d showed mercy on our forefather, Yaakov. Therefore, we pray and say ‘just like you had mercy on our father, so too you should have mercy on us.’

Sincerely,
Rabbi Avi Matmon
Spark of Jewish Experience

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