Parshat Tetzave

August 25, 2013 Highlights on the Weekly Parsha No comments

 

 

Introduction: LET’S GO TO WAR!! NO WAIT!! NOT A GOOD IDEA…. WELL…HMMM…LET’S FIND OUT IF IT’S NECESSARY; WE’LL ASK THE URIM VATUMIM.

 

The “soul” of the CHOSHEN, the URIM VE’ TUMIM, were inserted between the two layers of the CHOSHEN. It lay hidden between its folds. The CHOSHEN was worn by the High Priest over his chest. (see more detail in the highlight section, second portion)

 

The most intriguing part of the KOHEN GADOL’S-High Priest’s clothing were the URIM VE’ TUMIM which were scrolls of parchment on which Moshe had written the Divine seventy two letter name. They caused the choshen to light up. The letters supplied the Divine answers to questions that were posed to it. Hence, the name URIM VE’ TUMIM as URIM-the letters lit up (from the root OR-LIGHT), and TUMIM-their say was final and unalterable (derived from the word TAM/perfect, in contrast, the word of the prophet was not final, but conditional depending on their repentance).

 

The CHOSHEN was also called CHOSHEN MISHPAT since the final decision (mishpat for each questionable scenario was reached by means of the URIM VE’ TUMIM).

 

Only matters concerning the king, the BET DIN- high court, or the entire nation could be settled by the means of the URIM VE’TUMIM. It was not permissible to question them for private purposes.

 

In the course of the conquest of the land of Israel, after Moshe’s leadership of forty years, the Israelites were defeated after attacking the city of Ai. Yehoshua, the leader who followed Moshe, asked G-d in wonderment, “why were we defeated?” G-d answered, “Someone violated the oath prohibiting anyone from taking any spoils from Yericho, for the entire city was to be consecrated to G-d”.

 

Yehoshua determined who the sinner was by the URIM Ve’TUMIM, by looking at the CHOSHEN and finding the gem of Yehuda’s tribe lit. He realized that the culprit came from that tribe. After further investigation and drawing lots, the guilty party was discovered. Achan, the perpetrator, thereupon confessed.

 

The RAMBAN’s view is that the URIM VE’ TUMIM were actually made by G-d himself. Presumably, Moshe handed down the secret of the URIM VE’TUMIM to the greatest men of his generation and it was passed down through the ensuing chain of command.

 

There is the famous story of Chana, who’s prayer is the standard of excellence, when she came to pray for children, she got into an argument with Eli, the High Priest. When he chided her for being intoxicated, she responded, “No, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit”. Eli saw Chana weeping silently, so he asked the URIM VE’ TUMIM about her. The letters SHIN KAF RESH HEI lit up. He read it to mean a drunk, intoxicated. However, he was mistaken by not rearranging the letters correctly; it was KESHERA-reputable. Chana’s prayers were answered and she had a boy, Shmuel the Prophet.

 

Besides Moshe, no prophet could have a prophetic vision whenever he wished. By contrast, whenever the Kohen Gadol wish to pose a question to the URIM Ve’ TETUMIM, he could do so, implying that the URIM VE’ TUMIM were greater than most prophets.

 

MAIN THEME OF THE PARSHA: This week’s parsha deals primarily with the Kohanim; their selection, their attire worn during their service to G-d, and the inauguration service, by which they and their offspring would become confirmed as kohanim for all time.

 

First Portion: * G-d places responsibility on man by giving him physical resources in a giant playground called Earth, where he has to elevate himself and the settings around him to spiritual heights. Last week we discussed the various materials needed for the construction of the Mishkan (tabernacle). In this week’s Parsha, for the most part, we will discuss the High Priest’s proper attire; these kohanim are the conduit between us and G-d and therefore much emphasis is spent on the topic.

 

* The Parsha begins with a description of what kind of oil is needed for the Menorah. Only oil from the first pressing of an olive was acceptable for the Menorah. These first drops were perfectly clear and without sediment. The oil in its perfect state represents purity of the heart.

 

* There is more attention and material written in the Torah on the crown that the high priest wore rather than the king of the Jewish nation.

 

* Every Kohen who served in the temple wore four garments, termed bigdai hedyot (garment of an ordinary Kohen). They were:

– ketonet – the shirt

– michnasayim – the breeches

– avnait – the belt

– migba’at- the turban

 

The four above mentioned were made of white linen.

 

* The Kohen Gadol wore these garments to accept the migba’at. While the migba’at was pointed on top, the turban of the Kohen Gadol was round and called mitsnefet.

 

Additionally, the Kohen Gadol wore four golden garments. They were:

– me’il – the mantle

– aifod – the apron

– choshen – the breastplate

– tzits – the head plate

 

Second Portion: * The most intriguing part of the Kohen’s clothing is the choshen, also known as the choshen mishpat (breastplate of the final judgment). It was made rectangular in form and folded in the middle to form two perfect squares. The Kohen Gadol wore these squares over his heart, one layer above the other. Between the two layers, the urim vetumim were inserted. The choshen was woven in a pattern, which contained four rows of gold settings. Into each of these settings, three precious gems were inserted.

 

* It is written the Kohen Gadol should wear it on his heart. This is referring to Aharon. G-d is rewarding Aharon for not being jealous and having a pure heart for his younger brother, Moshe, being appointed over him as leader.

 

* The soul of the choshen was the urim ve’tumim that lay hidden between its folds. The urim vetumim were scrolls of parchment on which Moshe had written the divine 72 letters name. These urim vetumim caused the letters to light up. The letters supplied answers. Only matters concerning the king, the bet din or the entire Klal Yisrael could be settled by the urim vetumim.

 

Third Portion: * Bells were hanging all around the robe’s hem. The question is asked why the Kohen needed bells? Here, G-d is teaching us manners and proper etiquette. The Kohen was to enter the Holies of Holies where G-d’s ambiance was present. One cannot barge in without knocking or without ringing the bell. This is the source of ringing doorbells.

 

Fourth Portion: * Seven days of inauguration; it was a rejoicing period for the kohanim who were picked to do the holy service

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* An offering was made by Aharon and his sons for the atonement of taking part in the sin of the golden calf. There is a custom till today that the Leviyim in the Synagogue help the kohanim prepare before they bless the people. The inception of this ritual was the result of the commandment by G-d who had instructed Moshe to do so to Aharon, the Kohen. This is because after coming down from the mountain and seeing the golden calf fiasco, Moshe suspected in his heart that Aharon was responsible for this tragedy. By instructing Moshe to assist Aharon, G-d is showing that he had the purist intention. Nevertheless, as the person in charge until Moshe came back, Aharon had to pay a price for having the sin occur under his leadership.

 

Fifth Portion: * Ayil meluim – meluim signifies the inauguration. Another definition, in which Rashi explains, is perfection, an offering of perfection. This is similar to the word, Shalem, which is also a name for an offering. Rashi says the root of meluim is maleh. The concept of the Mikdash is “coming to that perfect state” which is olam habah – the next world, The Mishkan is a compartment of olam Habah.

 

Sixth Portion: * G-d reaffirms His authority with the word ‘Vayedu’, they will know through the sacrifices and through the temple where G-d sort of rests. The ability to identify with the Mikdash as G-d’s house, something tangible will strengthen the belief among the Israelites.

 

Seventh Portion: * Mizbeach haketoret – incense; this is a very important offering. It says G-d’s ambiance did not rest until the ketoret was burned.

The Candyman

August 25, 2013 Tefilla/ Prayer, Uncategorized No comments
   

Where is the candy man? Is the candy man here today? No, I’m not referring to Sammy Davis, Jr. and the famous hit he had in the early 1970s ‘The Candy Man’. Most shuls (Bait Hakneset) have a designated candy man. I must emphasize that it’s important that a shul have one!!! It motivates the children to come. I remember the shul I grew up in, the Sefardic shul on 67th off Queens Blvd in Queens. The shul had a candy man named Nissimico, z’l. He was a feisty old man who had a tremendous love for the shul and its congregants. I remember every time a kid would approach him for candy, he would ask them ‘Are you a good boy or baad boy?” and we would answer back “a good boy”. Then he would say with a mean face holding back a smile “No, you’re a bad boy”, and he would give us a lollypop. We would always sneak a peak over our shoulder and see him winking and smiling at our fathers.

 

Today, my son and I go to a number of shuls Shabbat morning; my son looks forward to get his candy from Rabbi Friedman at the Chofetz Chaim or Simcha at Abramov’s shul. It’s important that the grown ups (my wife might disagree if I’m referring to myself) not munch on the candies before kiddush. One might think since I’m allowed to have my coffee or tea in the morning, then one would be allowed to have the candy, since the bracha is also a shehakol. Rav Ovadia Yosef says, one is allowed to have the coffee or tea as long as there is no sugar in it. Sugar has the ability to make a person feel full which will result in a ‘confident I’m okay’ attitude. One has to approach prayer with a broken heart, with a feeling of “Boy, it’s a tough world out there”. If one is a little hungry, his body gives him that message. He then would be in the proper frame of mind to pray and to ask G-d for his needs.

 

Today, kids get taffy pops instead of hard candies. (How many of you remember the Elite taffies with the white wrappers?) There are many types of candies out there, so much more so than the conventional lollypops Nisimico gave us. But I, must confess from what I remember, the lollys tasted just as good. There are many great memories of the shul of my youth; getting lollypops from the candy man was one of them.

 

I wanted to mention to Dr Neil Levey who is one of the psychologists I use to enhance the quality of our newsletter and lectures, that your grandfather Nissimico was a very special man who put a lot of smiles on children’s faces.

It’s Fun To Be The Boss

August 25, 2013 G-d and Us No comments
   

One can learn a lot about the pulse of the people in a time period and place through advertisements. Some of you might remember a commercial; it was a radio spot with an actor impersonating the late George Steinbrenner, the owner of the New York Yankees baseball team. Steinbrenner, who was famously known as the ‘boss’ would hire and fire his employees frequently citing that they did not live up to his standard of excellence. In a memorable funny moment broadcast at a television press conference, where he was to hire for the fifth time Billy Martin as manager of the Yankees, he staged an argument with Martin where in his bossy tone, fired him yet again. Martin retorted back ‘you can’t fire me George, you haven’t hired me yet.’ The spot commercial has an actor impersonating Steinbrenner saying ‘If I win the lotto, I would purchase a team and hire the best employees: then I would fire them.’ This is to imply the proceeds won by playing the lotto would enable the winner to hire and fire at will. This gives him a certain ‘kife’ (pleasure) just like bossy George had.

 

In this week’s Parsha, we find an odd command by G-d upon Moshe, where the parsha starts (Shmot: 6:2) ‘G-d spoke to Moshe saying I am G-d’. Rav Henoch Leibowitz zt”l quotes the Da’at Zekanim, and says the statement seems to imply that even though I told you that I made you a G-d over Pharaoh, that you will own him, that you will run circles around him, I am still your G-d, remember that.

 

There are many incidents where Moshe humanized and humbled Pharaoh. An example, many early mornings Pharaoh would go to the Nile to relieve himself where Moshe would surprise him. This was humiliating because Pharaoh made himself out to be a G-d and G-ds don’t relieve themselves. This is strange and surprising; why would you think that if G-d makes Moshe a G-d over Pharaoh, he would forget that G-d rules over him? On the contrary, the fact that G-d empowered him to successfully make Pharaoh beg Moshe to stop the plagues and run in pajamas (sleeping gear) in the middle of the night to try to find him, would make Moshe realize even more G-d’s greatness and strength. After all, the plagues itself were miracles which led to Pharaoh’s cries to Moshe. Furthermore, G-d had proclaimed ‘In all my house, Moshe is the most loyal.’ So why would G-d be concerned about Moshe?

 

Rav Henoch teaches us an important lesson about human nature. Even though Moshe has the right intention when dealing with Pharaoh, the fact that I have a subordinate that is eating out of my hands, forces my nature to feel a ‘holier than thou’ attitude and say “I don’t have to listen to G-d”. Man sometimes falls under a trap where he believes something intellectually but he doesn’t feel the same in his heart. This is because the intellect and the heart are worlds apart. Moshe believed full strength in G-d, but now his position in life has been transformed from a shepherd to a leader of the chosen people, who now will have the king of a superpower at his knees, and a person’s actions influence his character. One might think one does not have to have his guard up because he’s doing G-d’s will. Here it was vital that the Moshe-Pharaoh relation be played out in this format for the sake of the redemption. However, that is when one is most susceptible to sin for it might infuse haughtiness as result of power.

 

If G-d was concerned about Moshe who was known to be the most humble person that ever lived, what can we say about ourselves when faced with dealing with subordinates at work? The Steinbrenner commercial is a reflection of our desires and wishes. Isn’t that what G-d is trying to avoid with Moshe? It’s definitely a test.

 

Rav Henoch is not concerned with us taking advantage of subordinates; we’re above that. Perhaps what he wants to bring out is the concern of feeling superior and therefore not being able to perform the commandment of fearing G-d in the proper way.

Chametz

August 25, 2013 Pesach No comments

 

CHAMETZ- AN INTRODUCTION
          What is chametz? To begin, let’s introduce SEOR- leaven, which is an ingredient used in making bread which creates the pores one sees in bread loaves. Leavening agents spread throughout the dough by releasing gases that causes the entire batch of dough to rise.
          A leavened product is called CHAMETZ. The Torah describes SEOR as being a lump of old dough which was left to reach a high level of fermentation called yeast. When a peace of yeast is kneaded together with a mixture of flour and water, it accelerates the rising process and creates chametz. Today’s yeast is SEOR. So, is chametz the same as SEOR? Well, Chametz is edible, while seor is not.
          The Torah declares that no chametz shall be eaten for a full seven days starting from the 15th of Nissan through the 22nd of Nissan (Shemot 12:15-18, 34:18)
Enough of biology, what is the Torah’s perspective about chametz?
          Chametz, we believe, is considered an evil force. Its task is to manipulate the purer element. Similar to the lump of leaven in the batch of dough. Chametz is the evil in us. The bad traits including pride, desire, lust etc. are chametz. Therefore, we eradicate it, every speck and crumb, from our midst during the eight days of Pesach.
          The prohibition of chametz is not limited to the holiday Pesach. It was also banned from the meal offering -the Mincha

 

IF CHAMETZ IS SO BAD, WHY DON’T WE BAN IT ALL YEAR?

 

          It seems like we have tremendous respect for bread, especially on Shabbat. We even cover the bread so we shouldn’t hurt its feelings, since the kiddush on the wine is recited first. Some have the custom that if they see bread on the street, they turn it over if it’s upside-down and move it gently to the side. If bread was so evil why do we give it such respect?
          We have to be aware of a few points in order to understand the answer. Firstly, the power of the Seder night is such that, without much effort, we can accelerate to the 49th level of kedusha. Once achieved, we have the ability to request from G-d whatever we desire. The high spirituality, although diminishes over the Yom Tov, is still powerful throughout the eight days. Secondly, it’s funny how things are. Against our will we are brought down to this world. (Some say that this is why the baby cries at the brit; he doesn’t want to be in this world. Similarly, when a person dies, the relatives cry, however the soul, is happy). Why in actuality doesn’t the soul want to come down to this world? Simple. It is because he has to co-exist with the lowly body. Therefore, his spirituality is limited.
          So we are presented with a quandrary, we don’t want any physical motivations, but still we are told that “chametz” -our bad traits, are not always prohibited? To resolve this. we must realize that indeed chametz has a time and place as well. In order for humans to function, one needs both the spiritual and the physical. Humans cannot function without the chametz, our evil side. Therefore, G-d said refrain from chametz for seven days and that will be sufficient  for the whole year. These are the seven days from 15 Nissan to 22 Nissan when G-d displays a special kindness towards us.
          It is no coincidence that this auspicious time occurred when we were first redeemed and led out of our bondage. Hashem specifically granted us this time when we needed it the most to draw close to Him and ask for whatever our heart desires.
          So we see that although, yes, “chametz” is inherently bad and must be eradicated, we unfortunately are faced with the reality that we cannot survive without it. Therefore, chametz is only prohibited for one one week period throughout the year, for the duration, we need the chametz.
          Interestingly, the only sacrifice that has chametz is the one offered on Shavuot, when we celebrate receiving the Torah. We are not concerned by the intrusion of the chametz as the tremendous infusion of Torah deems the chametz insignificant and will not influence us.

The Importance of Water

August 25, 2013 G-d and Us No comments

 

We start in this week’s parsha and finish next week with a magnificent arsenal of plagues. The Egyptians’ first punishment was that all the water will turn to blood. But why start this illustrious lineup of showing G-d’s power with turning water into blood? Why did the water have to fall victim to be the lead off hitter?

 

We learn the main target was the Nile River, which the Egyptians misused for their idol worship. It was a source of bracha; the Nile would overflow and provide them with irrigation. Furthermore, the blood represented the blood they spilled for their actions, degradation, torture, and murder of the Israelites. The water was taken away from them because it’s a source of life. Water is very special and it was chosen, first, to teach the Egyptians a lesson. If you disregard the source of life, the source will be taken from you.

 

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan z’l teaches us how important water is. He begins by saying, in order for the world to exist; both liquid and solid are needed. Water’s characteristic is such that it involves change; it never stays in one place. Solid, on the other hand, is the opposite; it involves no change, dead state. If the world would exist with just solids, there would be no movement at all in the world. However, if there were only liquids, although there is the capability of change, it would not be able to hold any shape or form and there would exist instability. Therefore, solids need liquid and liquid needs solid in order for life to progress. In the world we live in, there is a constant change but it still retains its identity; a person constantly changes whether physically and spiritually and yet remains the same person. This is because of the co-existence of solid and liquid. Man needs water; without it you are like dust in the ground and that’s where you shall return. No water is mentioned in death because water represents change; change is life; change is development; development is fulfilling G-d’s purpose.

 

G-d has given us certain tools in this world through the Torah so we can elevate and progress ourselves. One of those tools is “mikvah”. When a person immerses himself in a mikvah, in the spiritual sense, his status changes; it’s a form of renewal, a rebirth because that’s the spiritual concept of water. Aharon and sons would immerse themselves in a mikvah not because they were impure, but to change their status to a higher level, so their prayers go through. This is the reason why we go to a mikvah before Yom Kippur. It’s the same with women; they change their status when they enter the mikvah. G-d warms up to them because of the power of the water. Their prayers are heard now because of their changed higher status.

 

Now we see the powerful tool G-d has given us – water.

 

The Bracha of a Tzadic

August 25, 2013 Mitzvot and Traditions No comments
This Dvar Torah was taken from the shiurim of Rabbi Baruch Dopelt.

We find in the beginning of the Parsha that G-d was angry at Moshe for complaining that Pharaoh imposed harsh rules on the Jews because of Moshe’s demand to “let my people go”. He complained to G-d “You sent me and the Israelites now have to find their own straw”.

 

Why indeed did G-d send Moshe if it only made things worse? Even more odd is G-d’s response after Moshe describes the cruelty of Pharaoh. We find at the end of last week’s Parsha, Shemot, that G-d responded “now I will show Pharaoh”. Why was it that after Moshe’s return did G-d respond with such a vengeance?

 

There is a Gemara that describes a puzzling incident in which a man who was the town digger of wells, which was vital to the existence of the town, was informed that his daughter fell into one of the wells he had dug.

 

The news quickly traveled to the leading Rabbi of the generation, Rav Chanina, who happened to live in that town. Rav Chaninna said “nothing will happen to the girl, for a man who does such tremendous chessed will not have a tragedy occur in the same place the goodness occurs” (i.e. the well). A little while later, the girl was saved unharmed.

 

The Gemara continues: “a while after that incident, another similar occurrence happened to the same man. His son fell into a well which he had dug. However, this time the result was tragic. The boy died”.

 

The Gemarah immediately asks ” What about the merit of the father digging the well? Didn’t Rav Chanina proclaim that nothing bad will happen to this man since from his act the town is being sustained?”

 

The Sages answer that Rav Chanina was not alive anymore and so he was not able to make that proclamation again. It seems like the only way the EMET, the true goodness justice will prevail is if a Talmid Chacham gives the Bracha to “seal the deal”.

 

Hey! What about justice?!

 

There are a lot of MALACHIM and MEKATREGIM (bad angels) that intercept the good deeds that protect us in this world. (Olam habah is a different story, it’s an Olam Ha’emet and one gets what he deserves). Rav Chanina had already passed away and could not proclaim and defend justice and preserve the kindness of the man and save his boy.

 

When Moshe came back and complained to G-d about Pharaoh’s wickedness, G-d responded, AHH!! Now I will act.!!! Since Moshe was a great person, a Tzadic, his word carried weight.

 

When one gets married or when other good things happen to him or perhaps even not such good occurrences happen, he should get a bracha from a Tzadic, because no matter how righteous your actions are, a Tzadic can carry it out and fulfill it unharmed with his bracha.

Patience is a Virtue

August 25, 2013 Jewish Values No comments
The following is an excerpt of a talk given by Rabbi Akiva Grunblatt, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim.
          DO YOU HAVE PATIENCE? Do you think it’s important to have patience?
Obviously, the answer is that it’s important to have patience. However, like many traits, one has to work diligently to obtain it. Rabbi Yisrael Salanter proclaims that it’s extremely difficult and would take much longer time to correct a bad trait than it would for one to become Shomer Mitzvot- observant of Kashrut and Shabbat.
Our Sages alarm us and warn us to learn the following lesson. The reason why the Israelites weren’t able to comprehend the positive message that Moshe was trying to convey to them was because they lost hope, their patience ran out. It’s dangerous to not have patience because one can fall into a depression if they constantly don’t get their way.
A Rabbi took over a pulpit position in one of the New York communities. One of his congregants kept his store open on Shabbat. The Rabbi approached him and tried to reason that he should close up shop arguing that there is no bracha from proceeds obtained on Shabbat. The congregant complained “it’s my busiest day”. After a few months, the Rabbi convinced the congregant that the bracha will come through the other days of the week. Finally, the congregant acquiesced. “Have Faith!!” the Rabbi smiled and said. Months passed by, and on every Friday the congregant would call and complain to the Rabbi that “I’m losing money!! I shouldn’t have listened to you”. Until, one day, the congregant received a huge order that made up for all those closed Saturdays. He approached the Rabbi and said “see Rabbi, you’ve got to have faith”.
In many instances in TANACH we see to what extent patience can be had.
One such incident involves Elisha the profit’s right hand man, Gechazi. Over time, he had become a rasha, a wicked person. Gechazi is on a short list of unfortunate Jews who lost their World to Come. Elisha cursed him and his three sons with leprosy.
Gechazi and his sons were banished from the Jewish congregation, and being that they were lepers, they had to live on the outskirts of town and could not live among the civilization. Shortly after, a massive famine fell upon the Jews. It was at red alert level where, unfortunately, dying of hunger was inevitable. The four men decided that they had nothing to lose but to walk the long distance to the enemy camp and try their luck obtaining food. Gechazi and his sons reasoned that they were as good as dead if they remained where they were.
To their surprise, they found the camp deserted. It seemed like the enemy was taken by surprise and rushed out on seconds’ notice. Gechazi, after indulging in the excess food, decided to return and inform the King of Israel of the unbelievable discovery.
The Sages comment on the puzzling turn of events which brought life saving relief to the Jews.
The enemy camp heard loud noises, noises seeming extremely nearby. They were afraid that the Israelites were right on their door step. Unarmed and unprepared, they escaped with just their boots on.
Where did the noise come from?
G-d runs the world in a very systematic fashion!
          When the Jews received the holy Torah, it was such a thunderous revelation that the overwhelmed Israelites screamed to Moshe begging that the voice should stop. It was too much to handle. That tremendous noise was put on pause and was conveniently infused where the Jews needed it most.
There is a fascinating incident about the famous commentator on the Chumash, the Abarbanel. He was one of the biggest Rabbis of his time. He was also, surprisingly, the finance minister of one of the super power countries of the time, Spain.
In the late 1400s, the Spanish Inquisition went into effect and the Jews were given the choice: leave, convert or die. Don Yitzchok Abarbanel packed his bags and left.
In his introduction to one of his books which he wrote later in his life, he says that he regrets ever taking public office. He felt that he could have spent his time learning and teaching Torah. “The reason I stayed in office was to pass legislation to make Jews comfortable while learning Torah and even that didn’t happen”. Well, his wish indeed did happen! It happened 500 years later, though. Abarbanel was the finance minister who was responsible for financing Christopher Columbus’s voyage to America. The Jews and Torah prospered in the United States. Every time a Jew opens up an Artscroll Gemara in Central Park, Abarbanel gets his percentage of the learning!

Why Slaves?

August 25, 2013 Achdut- Unity, Jewish Values, Pesach No comments

 

OF ALL THE PUNISHMENTS, WHY DID G-D CHOOSE FOR US TO BE SLAVES?
This Dvar Torah was taken from a conversation I had with Rabbi Illan Feder of Yeshivat Chafetz Chaim.
          We Jews come from royalty. Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaacov, our forefathers, were not only well respected members of society, they were also materialistically wealthy. Avraham was tall and charismatic. Yitzchak was looked upon as quiet but very spiritual, as he had been the one chosen to be the sacrifice. Yaacov had the twelve tribes. Our forefathers were blessed with good Mazal, and whatever they touched turned to gold. This was the result of their wholehearted belief in G-d.
So it’s puzzling how their descendants would be tortured, humiliated, and victims of genocide as a result of being taken as SLAVES!!
How did that happen? Why slaves?  Why that particular punishment?  What happened to the royalty that our forefathers enjoyed?
          It seems like us children were so remotely distant from the lifestyle of our forefathers. We allude in the Hagadda to the descent of our ancestors to Egypt. Yaacov and his sons, the twelve tribes, packed their bags and headed towards Egypt because that’s where Yosef resided. Yosef, who was sold by his jealous brothers many years before, was now second in command of a superpower country. It was because of Yosef’s advice that Egypt became the “caretaker” of the world. He promised to take care of his brothers during the famine years.
          One of the prime directives of our Torah is to make us master and refine our natural character traits. An angry or jealous person, or whatever other bad traits one has, has no place in G-d’s world. One has to work on himself to eradicate bad traits and thereby better himself.
          The brother’s jealousy of Yosef was a trait that bothered G-d tremendously. For this reason, they were punished by being converted into slaves. Slaves have no say, no opinion. They don’t own anything so no one slave can be jealous of the other. They are all equal. This is the kind of mindset G-d wanted his chosen people to have. “We are equal!!”. There is not one Jew who’s better than the other, and one cannot be jealous of his fellow.
          The Seder is set up so that the first half, until the meal, discusses the slavery period. During this time, there was no jealousy among the Jews. The second part of the seder, after the meal, discusses the redemption. It’s a period of tremendous spirituality, closeness to G-d, and a unity among Jewish brethren that also contains no jealousy.
          G-d is teaching us the importance of unity, of caring for one another. It was a painful and costly lesson- one that absolutely had to be conveyed.

Got to Have Faith Especially in the Big Apple

August 23, 2013 Emunah/ Belief in G-D, Jewish Values, Pesach No comments

 

 

          Here is a story which made an impression on me and it is a perfect intro to the holiday of Pesach. A few days ago, I was on 47th street in the jewelry district, where I used to work, and I met a friend of mine, Robert. Robert related an incident that happened to him, maybe fifteen years ago. He was working and, as many of us sometimes experience, one day had to come up with $5000 to pay some bills.
          Robert left his office early to go downtown where he had a number of clients who owed him money, which he hoped to collect.  As he  walked to 48th St. and 6th avenue to take the train, he was stopped by a man who needed some help.
           Us New Yorkers are experts in reading people- we know who to stop for or who to ignore. This person, though not a bum, would definitely be considered one with major psychological issues. Sounds familiar right, everyone knows a few of those.
          Showing Robert an envelope full of coins, he told Robert in a slow weird voice “I found this in the street here and I tried to call the number and name found on the envelope and return it several times, but every time I ask for Dr. Kennedy, they hang up. Hey! all I want to do is be a good human being and return it. You look like an honest guy, can help me?”
          It was very obvious what had happened. Dr. Kennedy thought it was some weirdo calling, so he hung up.
          The man then asked Robert if he can call and try to get through to Dr. Kennedy. Robert said to himself “there is no harm in that” and proceeded to call.
          Robert did indeed get through to Dr. Kennedy who asked for Robert to describe some of the rare coins which were in the envelope. They were very expensive and Kennedy said that he was about to place an ad in the New York Times’ lost and found.
          Dr. Kennedy said “I am busy with patients, please tell the man to take a cab to the upper west side where I work, and to top it off, I’ll give him a $700 reward for the return of the coins.
          Robert, still on the phone with the Dr., relayed the message to the man, who said  “I’m not going, I’m too scared”. Kennedy then said to Robert “ok, then why don’t you come with him and I’ll give you half the reward”. Still the man was reluctant to go and maintained “I’m not going with you, I’m scared”.
          There was a long pause. Finally, Kennedy gave a suggestion to Robert – “why don’t you give $150 to the man and come here yourself and I’ll give you the reward”.
          He thought about it and rationalized, “it would seem that everybody gains, and not only that, I’m on a time clock to come up with the $5000, this would be a perfect start in the process of reaching my goal of the day.
          He gave the man $180- chai. The weird man looked to the left and then to the right, and he was gone.
          When Robert reached Kennedy’s building on the West side, he asked the doorman “can I take the short cut to the side office entrance which Kennedy described to get to his office?” The doorman laughed. He said “you’re the 5th person this month to come looking for Dr. Kennedy. There is no Dr. Kennedy. It’s all a scam”.
          Robert told me “I had been had, they tricked me. At first I laughed and said ‘wow what a performance’, then, though,  I got a little upset. I said ‘why did G-d do this to me? He knows I have to raise $5000. I not only lost $180, I also lost precious time’”. “I then started to think with my head and not with my emotions, Robert continued, and I shrugged it off as “this is what G-d wants, it is what it is.”
          Robert got an appraisal for the coins, they were worth one dollar!
Ten years after the incident, Robert was chauffeuring a famous mukubal (a Kaballist) who was going from community to community. He had plenty of time with the Mekubal and discussed various issues. He also mentioned this little incident. Later, while they were still in the car, it was quite and the Rabbi was thinking. Then the Rabbi said, “if you ever see that weird man again, give him another $180″.
          It seemed that the Rabbi was implying that if he would have taken the route downtown at that moment, he would have had devastating results. The “unfortunate” and not lucrative diversion saved him from hardship. Was the Rabbi trying to make him feel better by suggesting the alternative? It didn’t seem like it . Perhaps the Mekubal knows something we don’t know. We can all be skeptical about a kabalist. Still, one has to believe that everything is from G-d. And this is true no matter who tells it to you.
          G-d said to slaughter and eat the animals that the Egyptians called God. The Holy One said “nothing will happen to you”. Klal Yisroel did it anyways, even though it made no sense. This is belief.
          G-d said to jump into the waters when the Egyptians were chasing after the Jews. Nachshon jumped in because he believed. The waters split. Did it make sense? NO. That is belief.
          One has to have faith. Many unexplained occurrences can happen throughout the course of the day. New York is a colorful place with a lot of interesting characters. One has to believe that everything is from G-d!!

Badge of Honor

August 23, 2013 Emunah/ Belief in G-D, Jewish Values No comments

 

The following are excerpts from lectures given by Rabbis Berel Wein Shlit”a.

          Washing machines and dryers have a life span of about 20 to 30 years. We rented our basement to this women on condition that the washer and dryer would be off limits. A number of years ago, we came back earlier then expected after spending the holiday of Pesach by my mother in Forest hills. Much to our dismay, we discovered smoke coming out of the door leading to the basement…
          I rushed downstairs to find the tenant not only using but abusing the dryer!! It was overloaded and making a terrible noise. She was startled to see me, to say the least. Always overestimate your vacation time! The element of surprise allows one to discover many things. We had mentioned to her that we will be back at this and this date and that she should keep an eye on things. SHE WAS CAUGHT WITH HER HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR!! I gave her a look and couldn’t help but to think to myself “my oh my, you sure know how to arrange things, look, you set it up so carefully, still your disgrace has been discovered. You can’t hide!”
          So we called this nice Orthodox repairman by the name of Aryeh Satt, as the dryer conked out a week later. As he fixed it, I couldn’t help but to inquire about his life. I asked him about his unusual last name. “Satt” doesn’t resemble the classic Jewish names, Schwartz, Babayov, Hakimi etc. He explained that actually he is very proud of his name and proceeded to tell me about “Satt”. The name comes from a very interesting part of Jewish history.
          One of the most glorious periods of our history and the time we enjoyed prosperity and religious freedom was during the Golden Age of Spain. However, life is such that good things don’t last forever. The honeymoon ended on a very bitter note.
          Spain changed from a moderately Muslim to a highly religious Christian country. The optimal country for Jews to live in in the Diaspora is a non religious one. Once they get fanatical and move towards extremism- Jews will be persecuted. And so it was, trouble was brewing. The Church was obsessed with the idea that every Jew must convert. Many did convert, especially the affluent Jews. During the course of the Spanish Inquisition, more than 23 major Synagogues were burnt to the ground. Over 100,000 Jews died during this period and many were executed. In the late 1400s,  Ferdinand and Isabella, the king and queen of Spain, gave an ultimatum to the Jews: either convert to Christianity or face immediate expulsion. If neither is chosen, death will be the consequence.
          Tisha B’Av of the year 1492 was the expulsion date set for the Jews. The mood, as one could imagine, was a very sad one. The Rabbis allowed music to be played in order to lift their spirits. It’s very hard to leave the place one calls home. Christopher Columbus wrote in his log that he had a difficult time departing from the port because so many Jews were boarding ships that day.
          There were 250,000 people who left, while 250,000 remained since they didn’t want to leave their possessions. Those Jews reasoned that they would practice Judaism in private. These people all converted, however, they secretly practiced Judaism. These Jews were called Morronos. However, Isabella was smart and appointed Inquisitors to spearhead the Spanish Inquisition with the goal of preventing Morronos from practicing Judaism.
          Most of the 250,000 Jews were lost. They chose to stay in Spain and paid a dear price for it.
          Years later, many Jewish communities had little sympathy for and did not want to associate with the Morronos. The attitude toward them was “you mixed with the Gentiles, we are the pure Jews”.
          This gentlemen’s last name, “SATT” is an abbreviation in Hebrew of the letters SAMACH and TET which stands for Sefaradi Tahor- a pure Sefardic Jew. We didn’t mix, we didn’t assimilate.
          However, it seems like it was more then that. It wasn’t just a title; it was a badge of honor.
          We gave up our money, left our place of birth, abandoned our affluence, comfort and home for Judaism. It became Jewish pride. It’s in our genes to preserve our heritage, our future. It was a big sacrifice, but we did it; we persevered. Some of the Morronos can say “look, we survived, religion intact”. However, it was a tremendous gamble to take.
          The first test of our forefather Abraham was LECH-LECHA- go out of this land, your homeland. If you do not, you will get assimilated. It’s in our genes to get up and go when need be.
          In this week’s parsha we discuss a concept similar to Shabbat; Shmitta. Just like on Shabbat we do not work for one of the seven days of the week, here too, one does not use the land on the seventh year. Yes, that’s right, the whole year!!.  WHAT, NO WORK?  HOW DO WE PROVIDE FOR OUR FAMILY?! Still, this is what is stated in the Torah and we follow, even though it defies logic. This is what trusting G-d is all about. Although it’s difficult, one has to leave his business, his source of income.
Aryeh Satt and his ancestors have the right attitude. They look at belief, trusting and fulfilling G-d’s commandments as a badge of honor.
          In our history, we were forced to wear yellow stars and special hats. We took those degrading orders and bore them proudly. Perhaps, we should even embrace some of G-d’s positive commandments and treat them like opportunities, not requirements.
          We have to remember that the Torah, the Mitzvos etc… they’re our “badge of honor”.
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