Tag Archive for Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz

A smart candidate knows what buttons to push to get the vote

This article was constructed with the help of either writings, lectures or shiurim of Rabbi’s Akiva Grunblat, Yissachar Frand, Yonnasan Zweig, Asher Hurzberg, Yossi Bilus, Paysach Krohn, Yossi Bilius, Mordechai Kamenetzky, Rabbi Doctor Meir Levin


Moshe’s last hurrah as leader, before he died, was an important war that was vital to the leadership of Israel. We learned in the last couple of parshiot that non-Jewish women of Moav and Midyan succeeded in seducing our Jewish boys to sin. Initiated by Bilaam and Balak, this clever and devious plan resulted in the death of 24,000 Jewish men, by plague, as God’s punishment for being swayed by these women.
Over the course of history, the beautiful shigsa has always been a thorn in our side!! She is the satanic temptress! Our responsibility, difficult throughout the ages, is to resist selling our souls to this Dorian Grey arrangement. It is our job to recognize the gravity of the sin of cohabiting with women outside our faith or engaging in illicit relationships. It is evident how much G-d can be angered when we take that route. This weeks parsha tells the story of revenge, in which G-d orders the Israelites to mobilize an army and attack Midyan. This command raises an obvious question, addressed by Rashi: Midyan? what about Moav? Why weren’t they attacked as well? They were just as much responsible for the incitement! Why were they spared? The up and coming election dilemma of whom to vote for, Clinton or Trump, serves as a wonderful backdrop for the answer to this question. Every politician will do his very best to get you to vote for him. It is rather interesting how they lure voters and seduce them to their respective sides. What is the best tactic? What do we want to hear? Lower taxes? Better national security? If there is one line that surmises their success in winning your trust, THIS IS IT!! It is something which I heard from Rabbi Akiva Grunblatt this past week. “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

WHAT MAKES ONE A GOOD LEADER AND ONE THAT IS DESERVING OF MY VOTE?
“His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk” (Bereishit 49:12) The above is part of the blessing that Yaakov gave to his son Yehuda, in preparation of the royal lineage of the Jewish people. Clearly, wine has always been associated with royalty. But what do the color white and milk have to do with Yehuda’s kingly descendants?

The Gemara (Ketuvot 111a) has a fascinating interpretation of this verse; “Better is the one who shows the white of his teeth (i.e. in a smile) to his friend, than the one who gives him milk to drink.” In other words, “white toothed from milk” can be interpreted as, “to be white toothed with a smile is better than to give milk.” This is because one who provides milk to the poor provides a physical gift that sustains the person for a little while. But one who smiles at and comforts the forlorn with encouraging words, provides a listening ear or a pat on the back, gives that person an everlasting feeling of self worth. This lifts his spirits and sustains him more than any physical gift which merely amounts to a temporary respite. This concept is also found in the animal kingdom. The Gemara (Kiddushin 82b) describes what kind of professions certain animals would assume if they had to enter the workforce; the lion would be a porter and a fox would be a merchant etc. While it is easily understandable how the cleverness of a fox would make him a successful merchant, why would a lion, king of all the animals, choose the lowly job of a porter?

The answer lies in the Torah’s view of leadership.
Real leadership is about empowering others to actualize their potential. In other words, leadership isn’t about the majesty of the head position. True leaders take the resources at their disposal to help move others forward. Sometimes, perhaps even often, this means carrying the “baggage” of others so that they can get to where they need to go. Leaders realize that their role is to move the overall mission forward and take responsibility for its execution. A lion becomes a porter because his real desire has nothing to do with his own self-aggrandizement, rather his true leadership role of helping others. Let’s get back to the question of why Moav was not targeted in the battle. Rashi points out that Hashem commanded Moshe to decimate the Midianites and not the Moabites, although they were more instrumental than the Midianites in enticing Bnei Yisroel to sin. The Midrash explains that since Ruth, the great grandmother of King David, was destined to descend from Moav, G-d refrained from destroying them. This answer seems only to create yet another question. If in fact, Moav deserved to be destroyed, why could G-d not have orchestrated a scenario by which the majority of the nation was killed, but Ruth’s existence was assured by the few survivors? The reason is, that since Ruth was the ancestor of the Davidic dynasty, it was crucial that she herself descend from aristocracy and nobility. Ruth was the daughter of Eglon, King of Moav. In order for this to occur, the entire nation of Moav had to be preserved. If the nation had been decimated, Ruth would have stemmed from refugees, making it unlikely for her to be born into a family of nobility.

The benefits gained by Ruth’s stemming from aristocracy are twofold: From the perspective of the Jewish nation, the genetic base of monarchy has already been established through her own personal standing. From a universal perspective, the Moshiach who will stem from the Davidic dynasty will influence and teach all of mankind. The infusion of nonJewish monarchy into the Davidic dynasty will allow for a greater universal impact.
What is this great universal impact introduced through Ruth? The scriptures of Megilat Ruth indicate kindness, “a porter carrying the load” and a caring person. Ruth is the grandmother of the royal Jewish dynasty par excellence. Her mother-in-law Naomi, was a woman who lost everything, including her vast wealth and her family and proceeds to return to her homeland with virtually nothing. She tries to dissuade her non-Jewish daughters-in-law from returning with her, though she cannot convince Ruth. In one of the most poignant moments in our holy scriptures, Ruth injects life into her mother-in-law, Naomi, by telling her I’m with you! ” And Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you. Wherever you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your G-d my G-d. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried; G-d do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part you and me” (Ruth 1:16-17).

This is the message that Yaakov wanted to instill in the future kings of the Jewish people, through Yehuda, ancestor of King David. They will have the wine of royalty but it must be used with the “white teeth” to empower others.

The Midrash tells us that during Moshe’s tenure as a shepherd, one of the sheep ran away. He chased the sheep, brought it back to the rest of the flock, and carried it home. G-d looked upon him and said, “A man who cares for his sheep will care for his people.” That act catapulted Moshe to the position we know. Acts that are bold and courageous often personify leadership, character, and commitment. People think that only those gallant and daring acts can lead them to greatness and glory. The Torah tells us that it is not so.

The Torah links Moshe’s selection to Divine leadership with the simple task of shepherding. The qualifications that G-d looks for are not necessarily what we humans would. We often look for honors, accolades, achievements, and accomplishments that are almost superhuman. G-d, on the other hand, cherishes simple shepherding, He loves care and concern for simple Jews. We may come to Him with resumes of brilliance, courage and valor, but He does not need that. He wants consistency, love, compassion, and, perhaps most of all, humble simplicity.

Moshe had those qualities too. It was those qualities of compassion, not the forceful abilities he used in attacking the Egyptian taskmaster, fending off evil shepherds, or rebuking Israel in Devarim, that were chosen to cast Moshe into the light of leadership. We may be bold and courageous, but without compassion for the little things, without the humility to find lost sheep, we may be simply overqualified.

There is a Medrash that tells us “G-d does not elevate a person to greatness until he first tests him with the little things.” What makes the leader is his ability to relate to the common man and to see the mundane needs of regular people.

This is the lesson of Moshe, as well as of Yehoshua, the following leader. Yehoshua’s gift is that he was able to relate to any individual at his level, white color, blue color, Sefaradi, Ashkenazi yalah yalah yalili. A leader has to hear the problems “I have problems with my wife, my children, my business…” This is what the leader gets. If he can’t relate to these types of problems, he can’t be an effective leader.

Over the course of my life I have visited Israel quite often. Even though I was born and bred in the Unites States, as the result of my parents being Israelis and having a rather large mishpacha in the holy land, my visits were a testament to the realistic lifestyle of the people living there, as opposed to witnessing Israel through the eyes of a tourist, staying in a hotel or a dorm room full of Americans.

Although our family was always Shomer Shabbat, at the time, we were more modern and I would go mixed swimming. That is something my family does not do today, as we are more careful with the laws of modesty. My summer days, on one of my visits when I was 16, consisted of grabbing a trendy, large, fresh squeezed fruit drink for breakfast and taking the kav 11 bus with my cousins to the beach of Tel Aviv, Chof Frishman. On a number of occasions on our way back on the crowded, 5:00 bus, returning to my cousins’ residence at Yad Eliyahu, I would witness Israeli soldiers returning from their tour of duty. Interestingly, as they entered the crowded bus with their rifles and heavy gear, the passengers would get quiet, out of awe and respect, and the girls my age that I knew from Chof Frishman would rise and give them their seats. Many of the 16 year olds couldn’t wait to enter the army. It was a sense of pride. A soldier was well respected and would try to enter the most elite squad in the army or air force. Fast forward about eight years until I was learning in a Yeshiva in Yerushalayim. Here too, I had relatives who I would frequently visit. On many occasions on the crowded bus returning from Yeshiva to their residence, I witnessed how the entrance of Yeshiva boys wearing black hats and carrying heavy holy books, would also initiate the respect and awe of the passengers. Almost the same scene unfolded, where the young girls would rise and give up their seats for the Yeshiva students. Many 16 year olds couldn’t wait to enter the big Yeshivot. They would take exams and hope they would get excepted to the best Yeshivas in Israel. Two polar opposites and different cultures, though both deserve the same respect, for both protect our country!! Though the rift between these two cultures can be a bit hostile at times, in the 1970’s when both worlds were defining their marks more clearly and veering off in opposite directions, an unfortunate event happened. We recently marked the 40th anniversary of the raid on Entebbe.. When the shocking news of the hijacking reached Yeshivat Mir, many quite expectedly, were in a somber mood. A massive Yeshiva Tehilim reading was scheduled, preempting all learning. The Yeshiva awaited the great Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, whom we quote many times in our articles, to enter and lead the services. Rav Chaim was up in age and was not a well man. As a matter of fact, two years later he would pass on. As the Yeshiva stood silent after hearing that the Rosh Yeshiva was about to enter, they heard the foot steps of the Rav, slowly climbing up.

Clearly he was not a well man at this juncture. What happened next was a memory stitched in every one’s mind who attended that Tehilim reading. As he entered the study hall, he stopped by the second to last row and started weeping. He then, perhaps because of his illness or out of anguish, sat in the empty chairs that was available and was weeping uncontrollably. Everyone in the Yeshiva had their eyes fixed on Rav Chaim. They heard the echoes of his cry vibrating throughout the study hall. It was only about 3 or 4 minutes but it felt like a lifetime. He then rose and made it to the front of the study hall where he led the Tehilim reading. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, the fiery, no nonsense, Rosh Yeshiva made a statement that day. He showed the Yeshiva world and for that matter the whole world, that every Jew is precious whether he is religious or not religious, soldier or Yeshiva student. We are all G-d’s children and we must all care about each other. Here is a man who showed the pinnacle quality of leadership, caring. This is the number one quality the politicians want to convey. ” I care about you!! Vote for me. And for that reason, Moshe was instructed not to harm Moav even though they were just as guilty as Midyan, for Ruth had to blossom so the Royal Jewish Monarchy could emerge unscathed, with the quality of caring.

The Talmud states [Sanhedrin 8a] that a Judge has to suffer with his congregation, like a nursemaid carries a baby [Bamidbar 11:12]. This is a very apt analogy.

Pursuit of honor

This article was constructed with the help of either writings, lectures or shiurim of Rabbi’s Chaim Shmuelevitz z’l,  Yissachar frand, Dr. Abba Goldman

Our sages teach us, there are certain character flaws which one possesses that are so destructive, so devastating, ‘it could take you out of this world’. In other words, one can be thrown off course and lose any line of reasoning, any happiness, and any satisfaction, because of this deficiency.

 As one is well aware of, the Sages are very careful, perhaps that’s an understatement, of usage of words. We have to think many times over why they employed, so brilliantly, a word or a phrase when a statement was made.
The Sages use the word ‘RODEF KAVOD’- pursuit of honor; RODEF implies a very harsh and intense connotation. The reason why the use of RODEF is associated with KAVOD is once a person is enticed, naturally, even the biggest tzaddik, the most intellectual, can pursue it with a vigor. At times, the drive for honor, will reach a level to such an extent that he will be looked at in the eyes of others, with his arrogant statements, as a buffoon.  Though, at times, with the power of persuasion his blinded pursuit of honor can be dangerous.
 Perhaps, now we might be able to explain the difficulties of Parshas Sh’lach as to how to understand the sin of the Spies. One must bear in mind that the individuals about whom we are speaking were righteous people. Answering the question of what happened to them? Why did they come back with such a negative report? We know from Sages that it was not just a “negative” report. It was a report that bordered on heresy. The Rabbis interpret the statement “ki chazak hu mimenu” [“they are stronger than us”] to have the nuance that “they are stronger than Him”. They doubted the ability of the Almighty to successfully take them into Eretz Yisrael. After all they witnessed, this statement certainly borders on heresy if not being heresy itself!
What happened to the Spies? The Zohar addresses this problem and states that the motivating factor that led the Spies to this debacle was a matter of ‘Kavod’ [honor seeking]. At this point in time, these people all occupied positions of prominence in the Wilderness. They were afraid that when the Jewish people came into the Land of Israel, there would be a new administration, a new world order, and as a result, they would lose their positions of prominence.
 They lost their objectivity. They had their own agenda. Their agenda was to NOT go into Eretz Yisrael and not to lose the prestige and importance that they had maintained in the society of the Wilderness. This agenda warped and perverted their whole view of Eretz Yisrael and of the Almighty’s ability, to the extent that they said things that bordered on heresy itself.

Another prime example of seeking honor is the wicked Haman who presumably had everything and yet felt he had nothing. Here is a man who was second in command to the king of the most powerful nation in the world and worshiped by all subjects of the vast super power – Persian Empire; however, he was not satisfied with everything because one Jew, Mordechai, would not bow down to him. How could it be that Haman even noticed the lack of this minuscule amount of honor amidst the overwhelming flood of glory that was his? Perhaps, if not for the dangerous predicament our ancestors were in, the way he conducted himself through his obsession would have been observed as quite humorous.
Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt”l explains that one is never able to achieve satisfaction through honor. As much honor as you will receive, you will find yet more that you must have, and so your craving will never be satisfied. It’s like a cat chasing after his own tail.
 A great insight by Dr. Abba Goldman who says” the pursuit of honor develops because of one’s insecurities. Therefore, he compensates by enforcing his authority upon others, not believing that he will receive honor naturally”.
Mordechai saw right through Haman and Haman knew it. Haman realized Mordechai didn’t think much of him and it bothered him to no end.
Our sages write, “Those who chase honor, honor will run away from them”. Rabbi Akiva Tatz teaches us an important lesson in human insights. He says, “As man gets older, his desire for physical pleasures for women decreases. However, as compensation, there is an increased desire for honor”.
HOW TO DETERMINE YOU HAVE THE “PURSUIT OF HONOR” BUG
Everyone, in the general public, thinks they are humble and this article cannot be talking about them. It perfectly describes their wives, husbands, friends, teachers, Rabbis.  Perhaps, they’re correct in their assessment. However, there are many interesting methods and perhaps, here is an interesting one to determine if one’s drive toward ego is such. Mind you, there has to be some degree of honor that a person needs, however, one has to gauge that he should not exceed the required amount. So what is the Litmus test?
 Please listen to this interesting observation. Falling asleep, at times, can be difficult. There are those who the minute they place their head on the pillow – they’re sleeping. Others, though who are not so fortunate, start to unwind, at times, forty minutes later? During that waiting grace, many have developed methods of how to fall asleep. One very popular method is to envision pleasant thoughts or being in a nice relaxing environment.
For instance, I envision lying on a hammock by a pond, between mountains where there is a waterfall in the background. That usually does the trick. Another nice thought, is sitting on the bridge, on the USS Star ship Enterprise cruising at warp speed. The galaxy never looked nicer.
However, one can sound the alarm of “honor” when this soothing thought, more or less, is his lullaby. The scenario, often repeated, is being at the podium, giving an exhilarating speech in front of a banquet  of well-wishers who are applauding your every breath. Then you break out into a song that brings the crowd to a standing ovation. Everyone is impressed.
 We all, in our adolescent, have acted out in our room, in front of the mirror, pretending  taking the last shot at the buzzer at the basketball game or hitting the game, winning home run in the seventh game of the World Series. However, if these dreams of glory linger into our adult life it can lead to negative results and disappointments.
Dr Goldman says: “G-d gave each one of us special powers. Yes, it’s okay sometimes to dream; in fact it’s healthy. However, one cannot take it to the level of RODEF. G-d wants us to be ourselves. He wants us to be the best version of ourselves and that means being modest in our actions. An example given of one with a good voice is asked to pray as a chazzan. He should not think that he is deserving of great honor because he can sing so beautifully. The ability to sing is a gift from G-d and that is true of all the human abilities that a person may possess. We are charged to use the gifts G-d gives us appropriately in His service. By acting with too much pride one is insulting his very essence.
 It’s funny; RODEF is a human trait that can be used in an extreme way.  The commandment in the passuk [verse] to pursue justice is stated in Devarim Tzedek, Tzedek tirdof. (Literally, “Justice, Justice shall you pursue.”) Also, we find a parallel usage: “Seek out peace, and pursue it.” (Bakesh shalom, v’radfehu.) [Tehillim 34:15]. One can use this powerful energy, for justice and peace, in a positive direction.
  One has to know the dangers of the unconscious pursuit of honor. The spies fell prey to it, Haman ruined his life and the life of others for that desire, and it’s frightening, because to some degree we are all prone to get tested by it at some time.