Tag Archive for Moshe

Parshat Va’eira

August 23, 2013 Highlights on the Weekly Parsha No comments

First Portion: * HAVING THE RIGHT COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL TO GETTING AHEAD IN LIFE. The Sages were very clever in devising the essentials in the Siddur so that we can communicate with G-d in the optimal way and thereby get our prayers answered. Yes of course, if one fulfills the commandment and prays with intensity, with all his heart, shakes the shul with his fire, he can break through to the heavens!!  We should strive for that BE’EZRAT HASHEM!! However, that’s a difficult task. How can we increase those odds? How can we make it easier? We Jews like to take short cuts, we want instant results. There is no such a thing as a bank line in Israel, or any line for that matter! Well, if we are sensitive and meticulous enough, one can really make inroads in getting through to the Almighty. It should be noted, in some Siddurim the name of G-d differs in its spelling and punctuation. Every name of G-d has different and distinct powers. They are also unique as to how they manifest themselves in the world. For example, the Friday night Shabbat Kiddush has seventy two words which represent SHEFFA-abundance. This is the reason why we overflow the Kiddush cup- to symbolize an abundance of brachot. Kiddush on Friday night has tremendous powers and, if said correctly, can have a lasting effect throughout the week. Another example is the Amida (Shemonai Esrai) which we say three times daily. The prayer starts off with G-d’s name A–D–O–N–A–I. Why does it start with that particular name? If one notices in that name there is the word DIN-which represents harsh judgment. The first part of the word is A which is a softener to soften the judgment. In essence we say, “Please soften my DIN – judgment”, make it sweet so that I can start the most important prayer of the day and penetrate your heart.

 

In this week’s Parsha, G-d reveals himself to Moshe in a different state, a different distinct power. Most of the commentaries agree that G-d’s revelation to Moshe was on a higher level than how he appeared to our forefathers. “I am  Yud-Kay-Vuv-KAY (G-d)(6:2); to our forefathers he appeared as Kel-Shakay (6:3). He had not communicated with them face to face, rather only in an unclear fashion that the Sages refer to as “a clouded lens”. G-d wished to redeem the Jewish people in the fashion of revealing himself fully, addressing them face to face, as He in fact did latter at the splitting of the sea and at the Sinai revelation. Moshe saw concretely what others could not. Since he was destined to give over the Torah, it was necessary that his prophetic revelation be clear. Puzzles and riddles would not have enabled him to convey the Torah’s message, for the Torah must be open and clear to all. Therefore, Yud-Kay-Vuv-KAY was needed. This name has many powers; the one that is most famous is its connotation of RACHAMIM-mercy. Here we are informed that it means an intense revelation of His numerous powers. Our sages point out in the Amida that “HAKEL, HAGIBOR, VEH HANORA”, which describes G-d, in essence equals to Yud-Kay-Vuv-KAY.

 

Second Portion: * As an introduction to the start of the describing of the redemption, the genealogy of the tribe of Levi, who Moshe and Aharon are from, is listed. Everything in life is timing, as is evident in the Midrash (the Scriptures) that describes an incident with a member of the tribe of Benyamin who mistakenly calculated the redemption to come earlier than expected. They escaped Egypt only to be ambushed and killed in the desert by the Plishtim.

 

Third Portion: * Moshe, along with Aharon who accompanied Moshe because of his inability to speak properly, are instructed by G-d to go to Pharaoh and demand to let the Israelites go. G-d mentions “I will harden his heart and he will not let you out, then I will show my mighty hand”. The famous question is asked, “Where is the freedom of choice that was given to Pharaoh?” What do you mean “harden his heart?” If one ponders the ten plagues that befell Egypt, forcing them to let the Jews go, it seems that that’s not freedom of choice. That’s twisting their arms and demanding: “free them'”. It looks like excessive force to me and not freedom of choice!! We learn a fascinating insight; G-d hardened Pharaoh’s abilities to withstand the torture of the plagues so that he can make a balanced and weighed decision. Hardening the heart was projected on Pharaoh so that he can have the freedom. Pharaoh however, chose to enslave them even though he saw his own Egyptians being punished for his decision.

 

Fourth portion: * G-d punishes the Egyptians with the ten plagues. If one notices, the plagues occurred in various forms. Some came from the sky, some affected the water, the land, the animals, the air and lastly, the humans. This was to show that G-d commands all aspects of life.

 

*The Egyptians used the Nile for idolatry. Therefore, it was through and in the Nile that the first punishment took place.

 

* G-d then instructed Moshe to tell Aharon to raise his hand and bring upon the second plague, frogs.

 

Fifth Portion: * One big frog came and opened its mouth and a swarm of frogs emerged from its mouth all over Egypt. This is the original source for all those horror movies! Rashi says that the more one hit it, the more frogs come out of its mouth. The sages ask, “Wouldn’t it be wise to just stop hitting it, then nothing will come out?” The Steipler Gaon (R’ Yaakov Yisroel Kanievsky) answers, human nature is such that when we’re caught up in a frenzy, we forget to think. We tend to forget what we are trying to accomplish. So the frogs just kept on coming.

 

* G-d hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not let them go.

 

* G-d instructed Moshe to tell Aharon to raise his rod on the earth and bring forth the lice.

 

Sixth Portion: * Pharaoh still did not give in. Aharon, following the instructions from G-d through Moshe, brought upon wild beasts.

 

* The sixth plague was the death of the Egyptians’ livestock.

 

* The seventh plague was boils. The heat caused inflammation which erupted into blisters.

 

Seventh Portion: * Hail was number seven. It came with thunder. The thunder frightened Pharaoh more than anything else, for the Sages teach that thunder was created to purge the perversion of the heart. Throughout the narrative of the plagues, thunder was mentioned before the hail because it was the thunder that frightened the Egyptians and made them susceptible to the terror that would be inspired by the hail.

 

* Throughout these plagues, Pharaoh was pleading for Moshe to stop them, but soon after G-d hardened his heart and would not let the Israelites go.

Modesty

August 23, 2013 G-d and Us, Tzniut- Modesty No comments

The following are excerpts from the lectures of Rabbi Isaac Oelbaum.

          A man waltzes into synagogue one Sunday morning grinning from ear to ear, boasting that “I just came here with my brand new Lexus, it’s parked right in front”. During the course of the services while everybody was standing with their siddurs open, he was busy describing to them how he had bargained with the car dealer and how he got his price, and eventually startling the man by putting all the money down up front. “You should have seen his face when I wrote the check” he said with a snicker. One sure knows how to feel good when purchasing a fancy shmancy car!! Perhaps that is why G-d created friends, just so that one can show off in front of them!
          However, as they all walked out of synagogue, he was horrified to discover that someone had carved and scratched on to his front windshield the words MAZAL TOV!!
          In tractate Brachot, the Gemara relates an unusual story about Rav Nachman who approached a community eulogizer after he eulogized one individual as being modest. Rav Nachman asked “was he modest when he went to the bathroom?”
          Is covering up ones nakedness and being low key in the bathroom a barometer for being modest? That’s news to me! What about reading the New York Times in the bathroom for an extended period of time, is that considered violating the modesty laws in the lavatory? How about just the sports section?! Torah cannot be learned in the bathroom, so one has to read something, No?
          In order to properly understand the meaning of the Gemara’s statement, we have to explore modesty-TZNIYUT a little further.
          The commentaries say that modesty is extremely important and is actually a form of intelligence, because it resembles G-d’s traits. The Torah discusses an incident regarding Moshe after he saved Yitro’s daughters from the nasty shepherds by the well. Yitro’s daughters came to their father and informed him of what had happened and how they were saved by this unknown and mysterious man.
          Yitro’s response was AYO HAISH- where is the man. The fact that the man didn’t come to claim a reward, not bragging about how he protected the damsels in distress, means that he must be from the genealogy of Sarah. Sarah was the Jewish matriarch who modestly stayed in the tent while her husband Avraham hosted the guests, the three angels. In that incident, the Torah uses a similar word to the one Yitro used. The angels asked, “AHYEY SARAH ISHTECHA- where is Sarah your wife?”. They then blessed Avraham and Sarah that, G-d willing, by next year you shall have a boy.
          Yitro, knowing this, exclaimed, “don’t leave this man outside, bring him in quickly!!. Perhaps one of you may marry him. After all, the bracha comes from the modesty that Sarah, had shown.” As a side, this is one of the reasons Sarah merited having a son. The Sages emphasize that on Yitzchak’s behalf the whole world stands. And he only came into existence thanks to modesty. That’s the power of modesty.
          The Torah teaches us that the whole essence of a bracha is the fact that it’s hidden and modest. To prove this, one can simply observe that God himself remains not revealed. One cannot see G-d and no one ever did, at least not his face. Additionally, we know that there are no open miracles anymore. So too, bracha is best not revealed. The most holy and spiritual things are PNIMI-inward, hidden. Anything that is open and outwardly, one will not find a bracha there. Astonishingly, the Sages say that there is no bracha unless something is under the radar, in other words away from the eye, for perhaps it is the evil eye. A human, every human, has a bracha attached to it, and it is conceived in the confines of a private place. No eye sees the conception of the seed of bracha.
          But shouldn’t a bracha (on a fruit, for instance) be said out loud and not concealed?
          Yes, the bracha should be recited out loud, however it doesn’t go into affect until the fruit is swallowed, because that part is concealed and only then will the bracha kick in.
          In this week’s parsha  we read again about Kohanim. In Tractate Yoma the Gemara tells us about an extraordinarily modest woman named Kimchetuh. She was asked, “how did you merit to have seven sons and all served as High Priests? That’s quite an accomplishment!!”
          She answered, “I did not let the walls of my house see one speck of my hair uncovered”. WOW! As her reward, her boys will enter the holy of holies, where no one can enter and no one can see. Again, tzniut, modesty. It’s so important. The Kohen Gadol speaks to G-d privately, again in the most modest way. Tzniut, modesty, PNIMIUT, it’s crucial.
          The bathroom is the antithesis of PNIMI. It’s the most external act one can experience. Still, Rav Nachman was trying to emphasize that if one is modest  and private even in the most external act that a human can do, then and only then he can be labeled modest.

The Power of Names

August 21, 2013 Jewish Values No comments

 

Name tag

 

 

Any self-improvement course, for example Dale Carnegie, will emphasize that if one is to achieve the keys to success, one has to incorporate an ability of remembering names. Calling somebody by his or her name, draws them closer and will give them the feeling of, ‘Hey, I’m important’. The reason for this is that a name is the essence of who we are.

 

The weekly Torah reading (parasha), begins with ‘”Vayikra el Moshe” – and [G-d] called to Moshe’. Our sages teach us that Moshe was given ten names, and each name represents a facet of his personality. Batya,Pharaoh’s daughter, who went against her father’s decree, which was to kill all Jewish male newborns, drew the basket containing baby Moshe, out of the water. Moshe is the name she picked. But apparently, there is a linguistic problem with the name.   The name Moshe means “will draw from the water” as opposed to Mashehu, drew from the water – past tense. If the Torah wants to reward Pharaoh’s daughter and to glorify the courageous, self-sacrificing act she did, why is he called Moshe? Mashehu is better suited. We learn from our sages that when G-d created Adam, the angels asked, “What is the nature of man?” Whereas G-d replied, “His wisdom will exceed yours”. This was demonstrated by man naming all beings of creation something no angel could master. It’s an accomplished task and takes great wisdom to accurately give someone his or her true name.

 

The sages say G-d gave divine spirit to fathers, a gifted trait passed down from Adam to incorporate names to their newborns. Of course the father has to be in unison with the mother. The word ‘name’ in Hebrew is pronounced ‘shem’. If one changes the vowels under the letters of shem, it would be pronounced ‘sham’ meaning ‘there’, indicating one has to go there, has to get to a destination for one to complete his task which is associated with his name. Shem and sham are incorporated in the word ne-sham-mah (soul). Man’s soul is brought down in this world to fulfill his mission. The Torah hints of people who have fulfilled their name potential. The Torah sometimes writes ‘ushemo David’ (his name is David), ushemo Manoah (his name is Manoah), ‘ushemo Mordechai’, etc. Before the name, there is an introduction, a chaperone, ‘Ushemo’. This indicates that he will be seated (sham) there in the ultimate destination – heaven. However, the Torah indicates there are those that are written “Naval shemo”.  Here the shemo follows the individual name indicating he did not accomplish his task in this world.

 

Moshe has ten names, each indicating a separate dimension of his multi-faceted personality. Each name portrays a side not described by the other. Yet, it was the name Moshe by which he was known. Apparently, this name, more than others, is the central feature of his personality. Batya prophesized that this baby boy will draw people out of trouble. His task will be to help the Jewish people and to lead them out of slavery. The measure of kindness that Batya showed towards this boy was tremendous.  However, the emphasis is not on her accomplishments, but on the potential she saw in this child, which prompted her to call him Moshe.

Do You Get Angry Often?

August 20, 2013 Jewish Values No comments

          Anger is terrible; anger is horrifying! Our Sages described countless times in our holy scriptures the shortcomings and the consequences suffered by a person who becomes angry or enraged. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt’l believes the most striking and eye-raising effect of anger is that one loses all of ones’ wisdom and spiritual stature, an example we find in this week’s parsha, where Moshe forgot the law as a result of being angry (bamidbar31,14). The Or Hachaim explains that Moshe had known the laws of mourning just minutes before he became angry, and then forgot them. This aspect of the effect of anger is puzzling. We can readily understand how anger affects a person so that after the fact he is of a lesser stature and wisdom then before. But how does anger make one’s previously acquired knowledge disappear? A minute ago he gave over a lesson teaching two plus two equals four, how can he now forget it? How does one lose wisdom which he already possesses?

 

The answer is that the mechanics of Torah wisdom works differently than other wisdoms. Other forms of wisdom do not relate to the personality or character of its possessor. A person may be wicked or obnoxious, and yet retain a storehouse of knowledge and wisdom. Not so with Torah wisdom. Torah is based on character development and it feeds the individual the sensitivity towards others and towards himself, hovering around the person until he internalizes it. Everyone hears the same message, but it doesn’t come through the pipes the same way to each. Apparently, the message received is tailor-made for that individual’s understanding and unique personality.

 

Dr. Goldman, the psychologist of Yeshiva Chafetz Chaim, says a fundamental aspect of life is intellectual growth; however not by feeding a computer. We are not some logical emotionless Vulcan circuit machine, like Mr. Spock, who will solve and rattle off any difficult equations backwards and forwards. Apparently, one should focus more on how to control his emotional nature and to be ready for every situation he’s confronted; this is a sign of strong character. By working on himself, a person’s internal vessel can hold and absorb the Torah with the proper character traits, which he developed through Torah study.

 

However, when there is a flaw in the personality, like anger, it chases away the Torah wisdom and spirituality. A person who becomes unfit to retain Torah, loses it; even the knowledge he already acquired leaves him. It’s not the knowledge itself that is affected but rather the individual that ceases to posses it.

 

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz says, we can explain this further by drawing a parallel from the acquisition of prophesy to the acquisition of Torah. When Eliyahu, the prophet, ascended to the heavens in a fiery chariot, his disciples came to Elisha (who was very close to Eliyahu) and suggested that they search for the missing Eliyahu. Rashi (one of the mainstream commentaries) asks, ‘is it possible that these same prophets, who had foretold that Eliyahu would be taken, would forget as to his whereabouts? This teaches us that from the day Eliyahu was taken, spirituality left them. Rashi asks how did they forget that which they already knew? The answer is, a person must be a prophet in order to know these things. If he falls in stature, he no longer knows these facts of which he was aware only yesterday.

 

This is true of prophecy and it is true of Torah as well. It is the knowledge that must be integrated into itself into a person. But if a character becomes blemished, his Torah will vanish as well.

Around the Shabbat Table – Parshat Va’etchanan

August 12, 2013 Kid's Section, Tefilla/ Prayer No comments
By Rabbi Gedalia Fogel

 

Hi! This is Rebbe speaking:

 

In this week’s Parsha, Parshat Va’Etchanan we see the power of Tefillah (Prayers). Moshe Rabbeinu davened (prayed) to Hashem 515 times asking to be allowed to enter Eretz Yisrael (Israel). If Moshe would have prayed one more Tefillah, Hashem would have allowed him entry into the Holy Land. Therefore Hashem told him to stop praying.

Chaim, a poor man needed a loan. He went to Natan a wealthy businessman and requested a loan. “Please lend me some money to build up my business.” Natan replied, “Call me in a week.” Exactly one week later Chaim once again contacted Natan. Once more Natan pushed him off saying, “Surely I will loan you money but now I’m very busy, try to catch me in the morning before I leave for work. Each day for a while, Chaim would wait in the synagogue for Natan to finish his morning prayers. Often Chaim would try to speak to Natan but did not succeed. Other times Natan would realize he had just missed him. Even when he finally did speak to him, Natan had some excuse for putting him off. Finally one day Chaim walked up to Natan. All he had to say was “the loan?” and Natan wrote out a check for the full amount Chaim had requested.

At that precise moment Daniel, another man in need, entered the shul and saw the transaction between Natan and Chaim. “It’s that easy”, he thought to himself. Daniel walked over to Natan and requested a loan. Natan curtly replied, “Sorry. Now is not a good time.” “What for me you don’t have the time? Only Chaim is worthy of a loan!” Daniel took a moment to explain himself. “You don’t understand. It may seem like Chaim got his money effortlessly. This is not the case. Chaim has been asking me for quite some time now. Come back to me and I’ll see what I can do.”

Sometimes we have to pray for something more than once in order for us to achieve the results we want. Hashem likes our prayers. All our forefathers, Avraham Avinu, Yitzchak Avinu and Yaakov Avinu did not have children immediately. Hashem cherished their prayers. We do not realize how meaningful our Tefillot are to Hashem.

It may seem that various prayers remain unanswered. This is not so. Every prayer is used for something. We may pray for someone who is not well and unfortunately they do not get better. How can this be? Hashem stores our precious prayers for others that need it or even sometimes puts it aside for future use for the person who said them. We do not know Hashem’s reasoning but we do know that He knows what’s best.

There is a fascinating story told about the Holy Baal Shem Tov.

The Baal Shem Tov asked to be shown the person who would be worthy of sitting near him in the world to come.

When the person was revealed to the Baal Shem Tov, he immediately set out to the far away city where Mendel resided. He wanted to see who this great man was.

The holy Baal Shem Tov was astounded to see a simpleton who was sitting and praying. Mendel had an interesting way of praying. He did not know that there are set prayers for different times of the day. Each day, Mendel would take out his prayer book and open it to the first page. He would not stop praying until he reached the very last page of the siddur. Mendel did not know that one does not say the entire siddur from cover to cover in one sitting.

When the Baal Shem Tov saw this he offered to make bookmarks for Mendel, in order for him to know what to say when. He marked the morning prayer. He marked the afternoon prayer and also the evening prayer. He placed bookmarks for the Shabbat and Holiday prayers. Mendel thanked the Baal Shem Tov profusely and the Rabbi left.

Mendel lovingly lifted his siddur, when a gust of wind blew and all the bookmarks that the Baal Shem Tov had placed were blown right out of the siddur. Mendel was almost in tears. He quickly ran after the Rabbi. The Baal Shem Tov had reached a river. He took off his belt and placed it on the water and thus he was able to cross over. Mendel did the same and he too crossed over. “Rebbe, Rebbe sorry to bother you, but I need you to replace all the bookmarks.” The Baal Shem Tov could not believe his eyes. How did Mendel cross the river? “Mendel how did you get here? Did you have a boat?” “No, I did what the great Rabbi did. I too walked across the river on my belt.”

The Baal Shem tov realized that Mendel was no ordinary Jew. “It must be his prayers.” he said to himself. “You do not need those bookmarks. Go back to your old way of praying. Hashem appreciated your Tefillot immensely. Wow, what prayers are worth!”

We need not know how to pray as long as we are sincere in our prayers. We must have prayer be a part of us. In all that we do we can pray to Hashem. It does not only have to be a tefillah from a siddur. We can thank Hashem and ask him for things all day. It is our connection to Hashem that we are fortunate to have. We have access to the King of Kings at all times.

Keep praying and know that your prayers are worth much and no prayer is for naught.

 

What have we learned today?

 

Where do our Tefillot (prayers) go?

Our Tefillot are put to good use. Hashem knows where to put our prayers. We can relate to this answer by comparing Tefillot to money that we deposit in a bank. Some are deposited and used immediately to pay outstanding bills. Others are deposited only to be stored in order for it to be available at a time when we need it most. So too, our Tefillot may be used immediately and we can see results right away. Some are put aside for a later time.

 

What are some examples of things that we can pray for throughout the day?

We can pray for anything that we think we may need or want. All things both big and small are achievable by Hashem. Sometimes the answer may be “no”. We may think that our request would be good for us but Hashem knows better. A child may want to eat sweets all day, but the parent will not let. A parent says “no” because he knows what’s best.

One can ask Hashem to help him find a parking spot, have a successful shopping adventure or win a ball game. It makes no difference what the request is. It is praiseworthy to ask Hashem for what we want. It shows that we know and believe that He is in charge. Hashem is always listening. The door to prayer is always open. The King of Kings is always available.

I’m sure all you intelligent boys and girls have come up with outstanding examples of your own.

Og, the Giant

August 7, 2013 Tefilla/ Prayer No comments

 

The greatest prophet that ever lived was none other than Moshe, the undisputed greatest leader we ever had. Moshe’s communication with G-d was the most intimate of any human. He argued with angels and was victorious. It is also said that the angel of death was confused on how to take his soul when the time came. Apparently, Moshe gave him a hard time.  Therefore, it is mind boggling to read in this week’s Parsha that Moshe was scared of Og, the Giant. Og’s name is the result of when he came to visit Abraham and Sarah; she was making oogot – cookies. So by association from then on, they called him Og.

 

Og was unusual in a big way, no pun intended, because he was a giant. He was the king of Bashan and the Israelites went to war against them. Why was Moshe scared, out of all people, of Og?

 

Apparently, Og was the one who informed Abraham that his nephew Lot was kidnapped. This propelled Abraham to go to war with the king and was responsible to save his nephew. The fact that Og informed Abraham was what merited Og to live a long life. Moshe was scared because if he goes to war with Og, he will still have in his bank the remnants of that act of informing Abraham which resulted in saving Lot.

 

However, Og had an ulterior motive. The reason why he informed Abraham was that he anticipated Abraham will go to battle and would die. Then he will be in line to marry Abraham’s widow, Sarah. So it wasn’t the purist of intentions to say the least. However, as Rav Henoch Leibowitz zt’l points out, even with his selfish, mean ulterior motives, the fact that he was instrumental in being the messenger and saving Lot, he has tremendous merit under his belt. It therefore marks him as a dangerous foe.

We learn from here that one never knows what merit an individual has. On the surface, he can be the biggest rasha; however, if he performed one act of kindness a gazillion years ago that can translate to an answered prayer at a time of need for this person, or in this case perhaps a victory at war. This is what Moshe was afraid of; at the end Moshe was victorious and the Jews were en route to conquer the promised land.

The Art of Rebuke

August 7, 2013 The Gift of Speech No comments

 

   

 

What is the best method to criticize and get good results in return, from loved ones, friends, employees, or subordinates? How about this; “HEY, IDIOT YOU BLEW IT, MY FIVE YEAR OLD COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB!!! How do you think that will work? I know many who use that approach. Or, how about the old famous rebuke “I told you so”, That always makes a person feel good about himself. Now, which one is best suited for your style? Pick your poison.

 

 

Generally speaking, we don’t take criticism very well and truth be told only few methods are effective.

 

Rav Henoch Leibowitz z”tl, brings a beautiful example of an effective rebuke. Miriam and Aharon, who were the brother and sister of Moshe, the leader of the Jews, were discussing how Moshe was not spending enough time with his wife. “He’s too busy working late in the office”. This constitutes speaking Lashon Harah – speaking bad about someone. G-d then rebukes them.  However, listen to the kind of language He uses when he approached them “Listen, please, to my words.” WOW, PLEASE!! What’s this “please” business? Although G-d was angry for speaking lashon harah on Moshe, however, He used nice pleasant words in rebuke. If G-d would have been tough, He would not have been heard. One can argue if it was a more harsher tone, they would have felt the severity of the sin. However, by nature, man doesn’t like to be rebuked and if it’s in an angry tone, he would shut it out even more. A person would automatically develop a defense mechanism and not comprehend the full value of the rebuke. This is especially true if the poor guy is being screamed at. He will not comprehend anything from the criticism. This goes against the goal of what was intended of the rebuke; the idea is to get the message across.

 

It’s also recommended to give an example.We find Natan, the prophet, giving an example to King David after David hastily and conveniently sent Batsheva’s husband, Uri Hachiti, to the front battle. Natan figured out David’s true intentions. A little while later, he was killed in battle. Natan asked David, “If a rich man stole a cow from a poor man, what would you do your majesty?” “The rich man should be punished.”, David replied. “That’s you, your highness, you’re the rich man”. Natan said it in such a way that David was able to accept fault. He didn’t realize until Natan’s example to what extent his crime was.

 

We have to know how sensitive a person is before we criticize. An example is Reuben and his father Yaacov. Yaacov had four wives; imagine getting rebuked not by one, but four wives. KOL HAKAVOD. After Rachel died, Yaacov transferred his primary bed to Bilah’s tent instead of his mother, Leah’s. Reuben felt his mother’s honor would be hurt so he moved the bed to his mother’s tent. It was a lack of respect on his part to play marriage counselor. Although Yaacov did not approve, he didn’t say a word until he was on his death bed. Yaacov rationalized Reuben was so sensitive that he would totally lose it and may even join his (Yaacov) wicked brother, Eisav.

 

Sometimes rebuke is just stating the facts. We find when Yosef revealed to his brothers, his true identity “I am you brother, Yosef”. That line, itself, was the most devastating rebuke one can give. The brothers realized at that moment their whole philosophy, their way of thinking, all these years was wrong. Yosef’s dream, for the most part, came true; they were shocked, confused, and devastated.

 

The Sages say the last rebuke is what we all are going to go through after 120. When we enter the Olam ha’emet, the heavens, where there is no false. The truth will be disclosed and we’ll be standing there staring at the truth and nothing but the truth, and feeling humiliated. This is considered the ultimate rebuke.

 

Parshat Korach

August 2, 2013 Highlights on the Weekly Parsha, Pidyon Haben, The Wife's Influence No comments
First Portion
* Korach was a prominent, distinguished, known to be highly intelligent, and very wealthy (he was one the wealthiest men that ever lived) member of the Leviat tribe who felt slighted by Moshe, the leader of the Jewish nation, for being passed over for a more prominent job in the temple and his tribe. Levi’s son, Kahat, had four sons; Amram, the father of Moshe and Aharon, was the oldest. Next was Yitzhar, who was the father of Korach; then Chevron, and Uziel. Korach was hurt that the son of Uziel the youngest, Elitzafan was picked over him to be the Nassi of the Tribe. They say a woman can destroy a man or she can build him and raise him to spiritual heights. Korach’s wife put salt on the wound and said, “How can you let him do this to you!”; referring to Moshe. She fueled the fire. He would not have dared to oppose Moshe, had it not been for his wife, who inflated her husband’s ego and repeatedly assured him that he was on par with Moshe and Aharon. “You can be a better leader than they; you’re letting him make a fool out of you,” she said. This bad advice caused the downfall of Korach. The Ramban’s view is that the cause of the rebellion was the spies severe punishment which brought death to the generation of the desert. It was this which brought to the surface all the accumulated bitterness of the dissatisfied.Second Portion
* The Sages teach us that neighbors have a tremendous influence on us. Thus is the case with Dassan and Aviram, whose tribe Reuben was situated next to Korach’s residence. He inflamed them against Moshe and the authorities by stating that their tribe too was skipped over from a prominent task in the temple inauguration. “He did not let your Nassi offer his sacrifice first but chose the Nassi of Yehuda, Nachshon ben Aminadav instead. Do you know why? Because his brother married Nachshon’s sister.” Also, he infused uneasiness in their hearts by stating “Why didn’t the tribe of Reuben get the Kehuna. Dassan and Aviram were very vocal in the rebellion against Moshe and Aharon.
* These personal accusations against Moshe prompted him to be defensive. A distressed Moshe countered to G-d, “I didn’t take one donkey of theirs nor have I wronged even one of them.” These accusations against authoritative figures, where they benefit personally without the consent of the congregation from the high community positions, has been an ongoing, and in most cases, unfair. It happened to yours truly early once when I was a volunteer co-gabai and head of my shul’s youth movement. My father warned me never take any community positions. He would frequently mention how my great grandfather was wrongly accused of stealing money from the community shul account which he was in charge of. Apparently, it’s an irresistible automatic reaction of people and a frequent pattern. If one does take money for his time of service, IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THEY SHOULD MAKE IT CLEAR!!!

Third Portion
* Korach, Dassan, Aviram, their families, and all their belongings all perished – as a result of their punishment – a very spectacular and unusual death. The ground opened up and swallowed them up alive, while the two hundred and fifty of his assembly were consumed by fire by G-d.

Fourth Portion
* After the incident of Korach, G-d got angry at the Israelites for accusing Moshe and Aharon of having killed two hundred and fifty men. He brought upon a deadly plaque. The Korach rebellion became a very costly incident. In order to stop the plaque, Moshe quickly ordered Aharon to bring a sacred pan for offering ketores. “Bring burning coals from the exterior altar and heap ketoret upon them. Then, let the smoke of the ketoret ascend to heaven and the plaque will stop.” Apparently, Moshe learned many secrets from the heavens when he went to get the Torah. This particular one he learned from the angel of death. If Moshe were to burn ketoret while standing before the angel of death, he would be prevented from performing his work of destruction.

Fifth Portion
* The incident of the Korach rebellion left a bad taste in everybody’s mouth. It was the first time Jews rebelled against their leaders. Until that point many times, unfortunately, it was the faith in G-d that was in question. Here, Korach succeeded in putting doubt in the leadership. In order to reassure the people that its leaders are legitimate, in particular Aharon, G-d instructed to take twelve rods. On each rod, inscribe the Nassi of the tribe, on the rod of Levi, inscribe Aharon’s name, then place the rods overnight in the Ohel Moed. The staff of the tribe chosen for G-d’s service will blossom. Well guess who won, Aharon. He was the undisputed high priest.

Sixth Portion
* One of the reasons we have salt on our tables when we make the bracha of  hamotzie lechem, (in fact, it’s a custom for it to remain there throughout the meal), is because salt never spoils. It is a symbol of indestructibility. Thus, G-d tells the Kohanim, His covenant with them is eternal as if it had been sealed with salt. It has many functions.  It preserves food; it can burn. It was always found on the Altar. Therefore, it’s found on our altar, our table at home.
* One of the gifts of the kahuna is Pidyon Haben. Every firstborn is holy to G-d. A Jewish father must redeem his firstborn son by giving five shekalim to the Kohen. The commandment applies today. As soon as a newborn reaches thirty days, when he’s considered viable, this ceremony is performed. If it is not done at the thirty days, it can be performed at a later time. This is one of the ways we acknowledge G-d. At the most joyous time in a man’s life when he becomes a father, we acknowledge that whatever we possess, in reality, belongs to G-d. A person’s first acquisition is usually the most precious in his eyes. Therefore, we give the first to G-d to demonstrate He is the true owner of all that we have.

Seventh Portion
*The concept of tithes is introduced.

The Two Sides of Laughter

August 2, 2013 Power of Laughter, Your Health No comments

 

Nursery can be a challenge for many. It is, after all, a first time experience. Once, in a nursery in Israel, two boys got into a fight. The Ganenet- nursery teacher, quickly separated the two, holding one with one hand and holding the other with her other hand. The teacher proclaimed with an authoritative shout “where do you boys think you’re at, the Knesset?!” (Israeli congress).  Apparently, the Israeli members of the Knesset are famously known for their bickering during their legislative sessions. Although it is a knock on the government, it was quite humorous. (Paraphrased from an article in the New York Times)

Knock on the government?! That sounds familiar, we do it all the time in this country. Why not?!  We’re living in a democracy. Isn’t it beautiful?! Here we have the gift of “freedom of speech”. We can use humor to practice this wonderful ability. WE LAUGH OUT LOUD. This is our freedom of expression.
   Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. Children untill age seven laugh approximately 300 times a day. Us boring grown ups laugh only, at most, 10 times a day.
Laughter is good for your health
  • Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
  • Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
  • Laughter triggers the release of endorphin, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphin promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
  • Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems
Jews historically have always used humor. It was and still is an integral part of our culture. Where ever we go there will always be our beloved comedians. Jewish humor will never die.

 Why?  Because we are the wandering Jews. It’s tough being an immigrant and the difficulty adjusting to a new life can be very challenging and many times lead to depression. Using humor makes light of one’s own plight. The immigrants make fun of their host country’s customs and way of life. Their insecurities are shared by their own countryman in a humorous way. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others.

 

Humor is a tool
Ravah, a famous scholar in the times of the Talmud, would always start off a shiur -lecture with a joke. He said, and I paraphrase, “it puts people in a relaxed mode causing them to be more receptive”.
Jewish existence would not have been possible without laughter. Our sages mention the pride and joy of the Kiyor- lavorwhich the Kohanim would use to wash their hands in the Tabernacle. It was made out of the mirrors that were contributed by our righteous mothers who beautified themselves in order that our fathers, who would come home from being persecuted and overworked, they would find their wives attractive and have relations with them in order to have children.
 The Sages tell us that the wives would playfully make the husbands look in the mirror and say “who looks, worse me or you”. They would make light and find humor in a morbid situation. The humor and laughter between them would draw them closer to each other and bond them as husband and wife.

Like everything else in life, laughter, though a strong therapeutic and vital tool, can be also destructive.

 When “the barrel of the gun”, the humor, is aimed at you, it’s not so funny anymore. It belittles people who are being laughed at. A practical joke can be cruel and hurtful. The response and defense of a person initiating the practical joke is often “ah he’s too sensitive, he can’t take a joke”.
 HUMOR CAN BE A DESTRUCTIVE WEAPON. It defuses any authority. The late night talk shows grill politicians on their nightly opening stand up comedy routine.
 The only politician, in the last fifty plus  years, who not only withstood but enhanced his status through humor was John F Kennedy.  He had a sharp and clever wit which he mastered and displayed at the Presidential press conferences.
 There have been many Presidents who were left for dead by comedians. One such example was Gerald Ford. Being the butt of all the jokes cost him dearly in his bid for reelection. Ford, a high school football star who later was offered to play professional football for the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers, was made fun of and was “portrayed” as a bumbling, absent-minded, clumsy fool, by comedian Chevy Chase on Saturday Night Live.  The skit made such an impression and implanted the image of Ford tripping where ever he went, that people actually believed him to be like that.
   Humor was the lethal weapon Korach used. In this week’s Parsha. Korach who felt slighted by Moshe, the leader of the Jewish people, for not being appointed a higher position, rebelled against the hierarchy. He successfully used humor to soften and minimize Moshe’s authority.
 Korach took aim at Moshe’s ruling on Tzitzit. One blue string of TECHELET is required to be included un the knots along with the other white strings.  After Moshe taught the people the laws of Tzitzit (Bamidbar 15: 38-41) Korach delightfully inquired “if the garment is entirely of Techelet (sky blue wool) is it exempt from putting a thread of techelet on the fringes or does the obligation remain?” Replied Moshe, “still one must attach techelet”.  Said Korach, “a garment that is entirely techelet is not exempt, yet 4 threads of techelet exempt the entire garment”. Then Korach asked, “if a house is filled with Torah scrolls, is it exempt from a Mezuza?” “It  nonetheless requires a Mezuza” replied Moshe. Said Korach, “the entire Torah which contains 275 weekly portions does not exempt a house, yet the one portion of the Mezuza does? Surely these highly irrational things were not commanded by G-d, but rather you must’ve invented them yourself”.
Korach cleverly presented these ideas with humor, which defused the message and law of Tzitzit, and for that matter, weakened Moshe as a leader. Korach’s delivery, an essential part of a comedians success, was masterfully on the mark.

 

  Making light of the Israeli Knesset by insinuating that they constantly fight, lowers their stature and diffuses their power. One might think that it’s a harmless remark said merely in jest. However, a statement with a little humorous jab has a more lasting and powerful effect that one would give credit for.

 

There is a famous Psalm, namely shir hama’alot, which many recite before bircat hamazon-grace after meal. In the psalm it says “AZ YEMALEH SECHOK PEENU”- then are mouths will be filled with laughter. There is a beautiful insight into the meaning of the phrase and a deeper understanding of laughter.
 “Then” is referring to when the MASHIACH will arrive. We are saving the best for last. It is referring to that great feeling, the ultimate knee slapper when one laughs till it hurts. If one notices, when one laughs really hard, he begins to tear. Ever wonder why?
 Life is not so easy, as one realizes. One has many things to accomplish and rectify in this difficult world. A world which witnessed much destruction:    the destruction of our Temple, Adam’s sin, the golden calf, the Holocaust etc. Nevertheless we are allowed to laugh. And sometimes we can laugh out loud!!. However, the laughter sensation is limited. After reaching a certain point in the height of the laughter, it automatically switches to tears. Our soul is sending us a message. It’s a reminder to us that it is not the ultimate AZ YEMALEH SECHOK laughter; we still have to accomplish and tackle life’s obstacles and there is still the destruction that we have to fix. There is still life to live.
 However one day, as we say in the psalm, we will laugh out loud with no interruption, no tears, rather a full laugh and feel the ultimate joy. Amen

This (as well as last weeks) article was written with the consultation of Dr. Robert Goldman Psychologist at Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim and Rabbi Yossi Bilus. Special thanks to Esther Matmon.

Hitting the Rock

August 1, 2013 The Gift of Speech No comments
 

The children of Israel screamed out, ‘We want water! We want water!’ Where thereafter, Moshe took the stick and hit the rock resulting in water streaming out. ‘Why did you hit the rock?’ G-d asked disappointingly. The Sages were unclear what exactly was G-d’s commandment to Moshe, the leader of the Jewish people. Was Moshe commanded to speak to the rock whereby instead he hit it? Or the fact that G d instructed Moshe to take his stick, presumably, indicates He may have wanted him to hit it. This is the question in which Rav Henoch Leibowitz z’l of Yeshiva Chafetz Chaim presents. Was the commandment to ‘speak’ or ‘hit’ the rock?

  We know Moshe was punished for this incident and was prohibited to enter the land of Israel – something that he desired greatly. Despite praying and pleading with G-d before he died, his quest to pilgrimage with the rest of the Jewish people to Israel was denied. The answer to this question is both. Moshe was commanded to speak to the Israelites first, in front of the rock, and to announce G-d’s great miracle in a thunderous way. It will take place through His trusted servant who will perform the task by hitting it. However, Moshe and Aharon merely said, ‘Listen up; we will now draw water from the rock by hitting it’. Moshe and Aharon had to be clearer and emphasize the wondrous hand of G-d, that this was a momentous moment. Therefore because they weren’t clear, G-d rebuked them, stating ‘you did not believe in me.’ But isn’t it clear and pretty obvious that G-d commanded Moshe. The Israelites knew Moshe was His faithful servant and every breath, every step , which was taken, was done with G-d’s signature. I mean -really – it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out G-d is pushing the controls.
Perhaps the Torah is trying to teach us an important lesson about ourselves. Man has a much higher impression and a stronger feeling when the information he receives is straightforward and clear (stating G-D DID IT!). However, if the message is trickled down by hints, it doesn’t have the same effect; it’s not impactful. Therefore, when G-d said ‘you are not believers in enhancing my ambiance in the eyes of the children of Israel’. By Moshe and Aharon not elaborating their action, they caused a decreased spiritual force in the world. The result of the ‘hint’ weakened the impression that it was G-d who made the water come out from the rock. G-d gave us the gift of speech; something animals lack, and it’s our obligation to express ourselves properly. We all heard of the expression ‘words penetrate the heart’. The sages say there is no comparison between hearing, which has a stronger effect than seeing. G-d set the stage for Moshe to infuse his awareness upon the Israelites; he had to articulate with his speech what G-d planned to do. Think of it as an announcer describing an exciting baseball game. The announcer has to be gifted in describing the game and keeping the fans, tuned in and interested. I have an aunt living in Israel who would always talk very positively about the land and the Jewish people. Every time we come across a positive experience, she would comment, ‘You see, you don’t need to go to America. You have America here.’ She would verbally describe every experience and make it seem adventurously fun. My aunt has a gifted knack to use her words to the fullest ….. Unfortunately, Moshe missed that precious opportunity. We have to learn from this incident that G-d bestowed upon man the precious gift of speech and it’s our responsibility to utilize it to the best of our ability.
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