Close To Torah

From where does the custom emerge for us to eat dairy products on Shavuos? In general, the entire Yom Tov seems preoccupied with food! “Everyone agrees that on Shavuos one needs to have physical enjoyment as well” (Pesachim 68b). The Karbon, sacrifice, of the Shney HaLechem, two breads, was brought as well, another hint to edibles. The Yom Tov is called “Chag HaKatzir”, the holiday of the harvest (of the grain in the field). It is most surprising that a Yom Tov celebrating our holy and spiritual Torah should have such a physical stress?! Shouldn’t we rather fast the entire day and separate from earthly drives? What does this all mean?

A fundamental and inspiring lesson lies behind all this! Chazal (Eruvin 54a) tell us that “this temporal world is like a wedding, one must grab and eat while the food is available”. The simple meaning of this dictum is that one must accomplish as much Torah and Mitzvos as he can while he is alive. There is another depth here as well. Why is this world like a wedding? Imagine that one attends the most exquisite and fancy Jewish wedding ever held. The hall and its ambience are breathtaking, the food is unbelievable, the fifty-piece band is heavenly and the guests are most distinguished! Interestingly, there is one short phrase that determines whether this event has any worth or not. The Groom must say the marriage pronouncement of “Harey Att Mikudeshes Li…, You are sanctified to me (as my wife)…” That is the most important element, worth more than any of the fanfare present. With it, we have experienced a breathtaking wedding. Without it, the entire event would be almost worthless! So too, this world is a beautiful party filled with all kinds of exciting delicacies, foods, music and enjoyment. Our job is to be “Mikadesh it”, to dedicate ourselves to sanctify and elevate it, by using it for the service of Hashem. We do not shun the world. We strive to use it as a conduit to thank Hashem. Hence, just as “you are holy to me” makes the wedding, so too, when we bring Hashem into the picture by elevating the mundane, we make the world!

When one partakes of a delicious meal, his body feels it very strongly and his emotions are stirred. He can take this elevation and use it to thank Hashem ever so passionately. Whereas, without this physical stimulation, he never would have risen to these grateful feelings. Thank You Hashem for giving me such delicious food and for creating such a graceful world. Thank You Hashem for my beautiful spouse and family and for all of the good which You bestow upon me to enjoy and savor. I recognize what You do for me and I wish to serve you better now! The world is a wedding and we are the Groom who sanctifies her!

With every one of the ten commandments that Hashem uttered, the world filled with a varied fragrant scent (Shabbos 88b). Why was this necessary? I suggest that this was precisely to show the significance of physical sensations and their importance to Torah observance. Hashem does not want us to negate our bodies and their feelings. He wanted to keep our nerve endings stimulated in order to show us that a Torah Jew knows how to use this world to draw inspiration and closeness to Him through his pleasurable experiences.

The Angels in Heaven wanted the Torah, but Moshe fought for us to get it. Moshe said that only physical can properly keep the Torah. We have the opportunity to elevate our physicality. humans

It is well understood now why the Tashbaitz states that we learn many laws regarding a wedding specifically from Matan Torah. Indeed this was the wedding between Hashem and us in a very deep way!

Shavuos is the Holiday that Hashem states that He wishes for us to eat and enjoy pleasures for ourselves. This is to teach us that the entire foundation of our service of Hashem does not focus on self-denial or torture. Rather, it revolves around taking enjoyments and using them to grow closer to Hashem. To grow in our gratitude and appreciate of what He has given to us.

Milk represents a mother’s care for her baby. It is the most nourishing and delicious substance that a mother can offer her child. It is a vehicle of love and closeness from which a mother and child form a close bond. We are enjoined to partake in milk products as a reminder that Shavuos is a time to feel Hashem’s love for us. It is a time to partake of earth’s delights and to thereby elevate and be Mikadesh, sanctify, them by letting them bring out our warm appreciation and feelings towards Hashem.

The lesson is vital and relevant. Our bodies have feelings and through them we can draw close to Hashem. It is specifically for this Holiday that we find food stressed repeatedly. For it is in this Shavuos celebration of our accepting the Torah that we acknowledge the importance of our bodies. May we be inspired this Shavuos as we take in all of the enjoyment that Hashem brings us. May we recognize how much He cares for us. The dairy products hint to the ultimate nourishment and care that one has for their children. We are Hashem’s people and we will smile when we say “cheese” at our fantastic wedding with Hashem!

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Hashkafah, Machshuvah, Shavuos Ahavas Hashem, Kedusha, L'shma, Limud HaTorah, Ruchnius / Gashmius

וזכרתי את בריתי יעקוב (כו:מב).

 ”I will remember my covenant with Yaakov” (26:42).

Rashi informs us the reason that Yaakov’s name is spelled here with an additional Vav (יעקוב). There are five times that ‘Yaakov’ is spelled with an extra Vav and five times that ‘Eliyahu’ is spelled with his Vav missing (אליה-ו). This is to signify that Yaakov took this letter from Eliyahu’s name as a collateral to assure that Eliyahu would come to redeem the Jewish people from exile! Now, this certainly is a deep Torah secret, but let us delve into it to see what we can glean.

The Chida (Chomas Anach) quotes the following fascinating Chazal. Eisav got his name because he was born highly developed and full of hair. His name shows that he was עשוי, fully made! Yaakov got his name because he grasped on to the heel of Eisav struggling to emerge first, thus עקב, heel. Yaakov stole the Yud of עשוי, making his own name יעקב, and left his brother with עשו. In the future when Moshiach comes, Yaakov will take the Vav of עשו as well thus becoming יעקוב and leaving only עש, moth, a worthless tiny creature! This too is a Torah secret, but perhaps we can gain a practical lesson from it all!

The Chida goes on to explain that Yaakov’s action of taking the letter Vav on five occasions is to hint to two important letters. First and most obvious is the ו,Vav itself, the letter which he took. The second is the number of times that he took it which is five and is equivalent to the hebrew letter ה, Hey, hence ו-ה. These two letters are highly significant for Chazal say, that as long as Amalek are in the world, Hashem’s name (י-ה-ו-ה) is minimized to only י-ה, G-d, and is lacking its ending of ו-ה! Thus, the bringing of Moshiach will restore the final two letters. What does this all mean?

Amalek’s (עמלק) etymological root is מליקה, decapitation of the head. Why is this their name and essence? Hashem gave us freewill by providing us with a brain and a body. Our body has animalistic and earthly drives; it desires the pleasures of this world. Our brain on the other hand knows what is good and true and desires spirituality and perfection. With our conscience decisions we can choose to control our impulses and steer ourselves towards proper actions. The battle rages and victory is only in the hands of one who kings his intellect over his body thereby making his knowledge guide his actions. Thus, a head decapitation signifies a separation from knowledge and bodily application. The body is removed from the head’s control. Amalek strives for us to cut off our heads (knowledge and connection to Hashem) and rather let our bodies rule! The Seforim write that theי-ה of God’s name represents knowledge and the ו-ה at the end represents the body, physical action. Our job is to connect them, whereas Amalek strives to detach them! (Indeed, Eisav, the grandfather of Amalek and founder of their hedonistic worldview died by decapitation and his head was buried in the Cave of Machpayla! His body, the ruler of his life, surely did not belong in that holy burial plot!)

Thus we can begin to understand the above quoted Chazal. Yaakov’s role out of the three Avos was to be the family builder of the Jewish Nation; to show the twelve tribes how to live their lives connected to Hashem. Yaakov desired to connect the ו”הto the י”הand to act accordingly! In fact, when Moshiach comes Yaakov will undermine all of Eisav’s strength by grasping his Vav (physicality), showing that he had conquered it! Yaakov entrusted Eliyahu with this responsibility as well. Thus, the two letters which the Chida found hinted in the words of Chazal (the letter ,ו Vav, and its five times (,ה Hey) that it was taken from Eliyahu) were precisely the letters which represent the practical application (ו-ה) of Torah observance! Eliyahu thereby became the enforcer of Torah law. He was entrusted to act when necessary, to ensure that the Nation was living by Hashem’s commands. Indeed, the Gemara (Sanhedrin 98a) tells us that Eliyahu stated that he will arrive to announce Moshiach when we repent and listen to Hashem’s voice! In Eliyahu’s time he saw that the people weren’t acting properly and thus he made a public display of Hashem’s sovereignty on Mount Carmel. He took action and entreated his fellow brothers to follow his lead! Hashem rewarded Eliyahu by sending him to be present at every Jewish Bris Milah, circumcision, as this act shows our willingness to subjugate every part of our body to act for Hashem. (Incidentally, this is hinted by the word בריתי in our exact verse!)

Eliyahu was a reincarnation of Pinchos the Cohen. Pinchos is most famous for his passionate action for the glory of Hashem when he rose from among the Jews to protest and punish Zimri’s terrible sin against God. The theme here is action! Additionally, Eliyahu HaNavi performed resurrection of the dead on a young boy. That child grew up to be the prophet Yonah, whose book stresses the theme over and again that we must act in accordance with the will of Hashem! This is the precise idea here.

Surely the concepts discussed here are of a very lofty nature, but the lesson that we see is clear. Our job in life is to live by the beautiful truths that we have in our heads and to apply it as best that we can to our everyday lives. Indeed, we all know that although this is often a most difficult task, when we do it we are rewarded with the greatest happiness and fulfillment available to mankind!

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Parshas Bechukosai Acknowledging Hashem, Action, Emes, Ruchnius / Gashmius

The name of an object or person describes its essence, and the names of the paryshiyos are no exclusion to this idea. Consequently, parshas Acharei-Mos is more than the beginning of the parshah, it is the nature of the parshah as well. The parshah begins with Hashem telling Moshe to warn his brother Aharon that he should not repeat the ways of his children who perished. Rashi explains that Rebbi Eliezar Ben Azariyah would compare this to a sick person who goes to a doctor. The doctor tells him that he should not eat cold food and that he should not lay in the mildew. Afterwards, another person comes to the doctor and the doctor says that he should not eat cold food and lay in the mildew so you do not die like the first person.  This additional explanation will inspire the second man more than the first person. Thus, Rashi concludes that this is why the Torah tells this to Aharon HaCohen; to teach him in a way that he will be compelled to listen. Let us take a step back for a moment and look back at Parshas Shemini where this incident occurred.

In Parshas Shemini, the karbanos are brought on the eighth day of of the inauguration of the recently erected Mishkan. The Torah then relates that two of the sons of Aharon HaCohen, Nuduv and Avihu brought their own ketores offering. They decided to do this independently  without any commandment to do so.  As a result, they were punished rather than praised for their actions. Chazal tell us Nuduv and Avihu sinned when they drank wine prior to entering the Beis HaMikdash. A question appears; why would the Torah punished the children of Aharon HaCohen when the prohibition of drinking wine in the Beis HaMikdash is written following their death? One possible explanation is that they were punshied for not being careful in something that they knew was wrong. You could ask, how could they have been careful…they didn’t know it was prohibited! The answer is that they should have known that it is inappropriate go into a place of kedushah in a state that is impure. Wine is something associated with temptation, and is often used improperly. For example, a nazir does not drink wine when he saw what happened to a sotah as a result of intoxication.  As with all aspects of our lives, it is our duty to take mundane items, like wine, and sanctify them through Torah and mitzvos.   Even within the 613 mitzvos the Torah still leaves room to take your life a step further.  And that step is  kedushah.

Although wine led Nuduv and Avihu to their sin, their actual sin was bringing a ketores without being commanded to do so. While they may have had great intentions of doing Hashem’s will, in reality they acted against it. What was so wrong about bringing something that wasn’t commanded? The language that the Torah used to describe their offering was “aish zaruh” or foreign fire. Their act was considered foreign  because it was not commanded. There is a great difference between acting in a way that is l’fnim mishuris hadin, or beyond the letter of the law. The Torah is complete and perfect in every way, therefore when one tries to add to it they will inevitably retract from it. In our Avodas Hashem, we must be careful to follow the actual obligations of the Torah and to not create our own interpretations.

Why must the great Kohen Gadol Aharon HaCohen need to have his own children die in order to teach him to obey the specific prohibition of entering the Kodesh Kadushim during the year!? We are talking about the brother of Moshe Rabbeinu, the greatest man to ever live.  Now we may begin to understand the question we initially raised, why must Aharon HaCohen be taught such a serious lesson, wouldn’t telling him be enough?

Parshas  Acharei Mos, literally “After Death”, refers to the children of Aharon HaCohen, and perhaps contains a deeper meaning.  When people reach the end of their life, they engage in the deepest personal reflection imaginable.  Their life flashes before their eyes, and they examine their lives, their experiences, their relationships.  Indeed, our own mortality drives us to examine ourselves on a regular basis, lest we reach the end of days with no concept of who we are or what our purpose is.  It is this idea, the idea of deep reflection, that we learn from Parshas Acharei Mos. Aharon learned through the death of his beloved, holy children, the importance of learning from, and moving on from experiences.  We can be told the most important lessons from the most important people, but nothing teaches like Experiences.   And what better day, the day designated by G-d himself, to reflect, learn, and move on from our experiences but Yom Hakippurim.  That is why we learn Acharei Mos for Yom Hakippurim.  That is why Aharon HaCohen, and Klal Yisroel, needed this lesson.

That is truly the pasuk in the other parshah of this week, Parshas Kedoshim. The pasuk tells us “קדשים תהיו.” While there is a discussion as to what the specific mitzvah is, the basic idea is to make one’s self holy. A famous explanation of קדשים תהיו is that one should  מקדש עצמו במותר לך meaning to sanctify ones-self by that which is permitted to him. As was touched upon earlier this should never lead to one’s own interpretations of the Torah, only expressing great care in their observance to mitzvos. This idea of becoming kadosh is a deeply rooted desire of Klal Yisroel and it must be expressed through mitzvos. Otherwise it will be used improperly as we saw by the sons of Aharon HaCohen. These parshiyos are usually found during the time of Sefiras HaOmer, between Pesach and Shavuos. This is a time where we grow in preparation for the acceptance of the Torah once again. This is the time where we also observe mourning for the students of the great Rebbi Akiva whom were said to not have shown proper respect to one another. The greatest thing that we can do in this time in preparation for the acceptance of the Torah, as we grow from being like an animal (as the offering on Pesach is from food of the animals) to being like a Man (as the offering on Shavuos is from the food of Man) we should take extra measures to treat our fellow brethren with proper respect. The greatest chumros should be found in our Ben Adom L’chavayro as that is where we tend to lack. We think that the acceptance of Torah is just through our learning and davenning, it is also through the way we treat others. We should use this time to purify and sanctify ourselves before Yom HaKippurim where we come before Hashem. We should all be zocheh to grow in all ways through this period of time in our lives.

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Parshas Acharei Mos, Parshas Kedoshim, Sefiras HaOmer Aharon HaCohen, Ben Adom L’chavaro, Karbonos, Kedusha, Moshe Rabbeinu, Ruchnius / Gashmius, Teshuvah

דבר אל בני ישראל לאמר נפש כי תחטא… (ד:ב)

“Speak to the Jews saying, a soul that sins…” (4:2).

Why does the verse mention the soul, shouldn’t it simply say, “a man that commits a sin”?

To answer this question, the Midrash tells a parable. Once upon a time a king owned a precious orchard. Its fruits were so special that he feared that even his own watch-guards would be tempted to eat from it. He devised a plan to avert this problem. He hired a crippled man and a blind man to be his guards. Thus, one wouldn’t see them, and the other would have no way to reach them, and they would both ward off intruders. All went well until one day the guards started to talk.

The lame one said, “I see delicious fruit”.

“So let’s eat!” came the response from the blind man.

“I can’t reach them,” said the lame one.

What did they do? The lame man got onto the blind man’s shoulders and together they were able to eat the fruit. The king noticed the loss which his orchard had incurred and angrily questioned his guards. “How could I have done it?” said the lame man, “I can’t reach the fruits!” “Look at me,” said the other, “I am blind.” The king however, being intelligent, uncovered their scheme. He placed the lame man on top of the blind man and judged them together!

So too in the future, Hashem will ask the soul why it sinned while alive on Earth. The soul will answer, “blame the body, for ever since we’ve been separated, have You seen me do anything wrong?” Hashem will then ask the body why it sinned. He will respond, “blame my soul, You see that since we’ve been separated, I have lied limply and innocently on the ground!” How will Hashem resolve this? He will place the Neshamah back into the body and judge them together!

Much depth is encapsulated here regarding the function of our body and soul. Let us extrapolate upon a few points.

The soul is the cripple and the body is the blind man.

The soul’s main function is to spiritually attach us to Hashem and to see Him with clarity. He then must provide the body with a clear map as to which course of action should be pursued and which should be avoided. He is the navigator of the powerful machine called “man”. He is the one with proper sight, but is crippled from acting, that is the department of the body.

The body on the other hand, has much raw force, he moves freely, but he is blind as a bat and needs to be directed and channeled towards the correct direction. To summarize, the soul only sees but cannot move by itself, thus it is cripple. The body, on the other hand, can move but cannot see where to go, thus it is blind.

Actions that one takes stem from both the control center, the soul, and also the vehicle, the body. The Neshamah must not allow itself to become tainted and perverted, it must focus on the true goals of life. The body must not let itself be dragged down by its two detractors. Firstly, the body is intrinsically materialistic, and secondly it is found in a physical surrounding. This is hinted to by the words of Shlomo at the beginning of Koheles. “Mah yiss’ron l’adam b’chol amalo she’yamol tachas ha’shamesh, what gain does man benefit from all of his physical toil which he performs under the sun.”

1- Man is called Adam which connotes adamah, dirt, as his essence is physical.

2- He is found “under the sun,” his place of residence is physical.

The job of the Neshamah is to purify itself, attach to Hashem, achieve a clear vision of how to bring out its full potential and grab the reins of the body and steer towards success. The body however, must cooperate.

Thus, we can now understand the verse which we began with. If it were to say “a man that sins,” one may think that “man” refers to the body, who is exclusively responsible. This is not true, as man is one unit comprised of both a body and a soul. Therefore, it says “a soul who sins,” to tell us that even the soul is responsible for a sin.

Let us learn to function with our bodies and souls together, serving Hashem according to our great potentials!

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Parshas Vayikra, Uncategorized Body and Soul, Ruchnius / Gashmius

ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר (אסתר ח:טז).

The Jews had light, happiness, fulfillment and preciousness (Esther 8:16).

The Gemara (Megillah 16b) tells of the greatness that the Jews achieved upon their victory from their enemies. Each word of this verse hints to one specific aspect of their lives:

“The Jews had light”, this is Torah,

“happiness”, these are the festivals (many explain this to refer to Shabbos and Yom Tov),

“fulfillment”, refers to circumcision,

“and preciousness”, refers to Tefillin.

Three Simple Questions

There are numerous questions that beg to be asked on all of this:

1-If the verse wished to express that the Nation achieved the ability to freely practice all of these Jewish rites, why does it not say them explicitly?! Why must Chazal perform detective work in order to properly decipher the hidden references of the verse, could it not have just read, “The Jews had Torah and festivals, etc?!

2-When the Megillah is read in Shul on Purim, there are four verses which the reader stops before reciting them and the entire congregation reads them out loud first (see Shulchan Aruch O”C 690:17. There is one additional verse read this way, but it is subject to a different discussion). This is done in order to stress the miraculous redemption which Hashem brought as expressed in these verses. The significance of each verse is clearly seen and it is apparent why they are given this special attention. They include the introduction of the great and heroic sage Mordechai and the recounting of the distinguished respect he received in the end. There is one verse whose presence on the VIP list is greatly perplexing… our verse! Why is it deemed so significant? Why should it be read out loud by the entire congregation?! What is so special about the four cryptic descriptions it contains?

3-During the recitation of the Havdalah, we have a custom that dictates that the one reciting stops and everyone declares one sentence. That sentence is our exact verse, ליהודים היתה אורה, the Jews had light etc., with an added phrase at the end, “Kain Ti’hyeh Lanu, so may we merit this as well!” What is the source for this custom? After searching through numerous texts and speaking to great Halachik authorities, it was established that, to the best of our knowledge, there is no known source for this custom! Perhaps through our understanding of this mysterious verse we will gain insight as to how the verse became a weekly ritual, emanating deep from the Jewish psyche.

Why Were They Decreed To Die?

The Gemara (Megillah 12a) tells us that the Jews were deemed deserving of death on account for their partaking in the feast of Achashveyrosh. The Gemara quotes Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai who counters this understanding by stating that this cannot be so, for only the inhabitants of Shushan attended the party and thus how could this have affected the Jews elsewhere? A strong question indeed. The Gemara appears to reject that explanation and then states an alternative reason. R’ Akiva Eiger points out a blatant contradiction here. The Midrash (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7:14) states the Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai himself explained that the reason why they were decreed destruction was on account for the party which they partook of?! How could he use an idea that he himself disproved?!

The answer lies in the very Midrash itself and this is precisely what R’ Akiva Eiger is drawing our attention to. Rabbi Shimon’s students asked him how the sin of the feast in Shushan could affect the Jews everywhere else? He answered them that this is understood through the concept of “Kol Yisrael Arayvim, all Jews are responsible for one another!” This needs to be understood better.

Unmotivated and Unexcited

Chazal tell us that at the time of Purim the Jews reaccepted the Torah willingly. At Mount Sinai they had accepted the Torah but it had not been whole-heartedly (see our full explanation in Introduction (Part 1 of 2)).  Hence, that commitment waned and faded over the years until in the time of Achashvayrosh it was nearly forgotten.

When we think of the story of Purim it is often not realized just how low the Jews had fallen. Chazal (Esther Rabbah 1:9) tell us that Hashem was outraged at the Jews because many of them were not keeping Shabbos! Additionally, Chazal tell us astonishing words that came out their mouth’s upon seeing the lavish feast of Achashveyrosh. They declared, “with  a feast this great and luxuriant, what more can Hashem offer us in Olam HaBah, the future world?! These blasphemous words are astounding!

They did not really mean or believe what they were saying, rather, the problem was one of feelings. The Jews had slowly forgotten about their passion in life. They had forgotten about their love and special bond with Hashem and the great mission which they had been given. Monotony, complacency and mediocrity had become their daily routine. They were going through life habitually and missing out on the true excitement in life called Avodas Hashem!

Good Morning Dear Jews!

It was time to wake them up! So Hashem sent one of the most evil men in all of history, Haman, to do the job. He was rich, powerful and he hated the Jews! A deadly combination. Suddenly, he got his plot off the ground and he was going to wipe out every single Jew from upon planet Earth. The Jews were jolted to an abrupt awakening. Suddenly, it didn’t matter if you kept Shabbos, learned Torah or didn’t, if you were a Jew, you were dead! Even the most secularized people of our Nation were forced to rethink their life’s course. The Jews gathered and repented and began to once again embrace their forgotten legacy. Day by day, more people returned; sincerity and passion returned. As the repentance increased, Hashem began to show His great hand more and more. One hidden miracle after another, and Esther was in the palace, Mordechai was a powerful governmental leader and the head enemy, Haman, was killed. The fear of the Jews fell upon the nations and the Jews regained their freedom!

Imagine how inspiring and emotionally charging the entire experience must have been. They regained their Jewish pride and most importantly they reaccepted the Torah, only this time out of complete love and total commitment.

Now we have the keys to answer everything.

The Solution

The sin of the Jews was that they had lacked passion and excitement in their Avodas Hashem. They veered away and stopped appreciating Hashem and His Torah. Thus, just as their service was dead, Hashem decreed death upon their bodies. When they rejuvenated and animated their daily service, this brought them back to life in a physical sense as well!

The Party

When they ate from the feast it represented the collective feelings of the whole Jewish public. They were stating, “Achashveyrosh has more fun and enjoyment to offer us than Hashem does!” This was the sin of the entire Nation! The Shushan incident was just one illustration of this!

They always knew that Torah was true, but they viewed it as bland and dead. It was only when they realized the greatness and excitement of Torah and Mitzvos that they were granted new life!

Light and Happiness

This is why the verse uses only adjectives to refer to the four Mitzvos that they rededicated themselves to. It was not enough just to bring back Torah and Mitzvos into their lives. It was a recognition of how exhilarating and invigorating Torah and Mitzvos are that was necessary. Their hearts were ignited to truly feel:

The only light is Torah!

The only happiness are the festivals!

The only fulfillment is through circumcision,

The only  preciousness is Tefillin.

A life of passion and dedication to Hashem!

A Powerful Illustrative Verse Indeed

Now we understand why this verse is so significant in recounting the great Jewish salvation. The recognition and appreciation expressed in this verse was the exact understanding that gave them life!

Recalibration

So too as we begin every new week, during the recitation of Havdalah, we concentrate upon this beautiful and fundamental verse for spiritual alignment. We pray that our hearts too should be opened to appreciate and truly feel just how meaningful and rich our relationship with Hashem is! We are blessed with the opportunity to live this every day!

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Hashkafah, Machshuvah, Mussar, Purim Growth, Ruchnius / Gashmius, Spiritual Map

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Purim, Rav Shlomo Brevda Nissim, Ruchnius / Gashmius, Teshuvah

ויהי אומן את הדסה היא אסתר בת דודו כי אין לה אב ואם והנערה יפת תואר וטובת מראה ובמות אביה ואמה לקחה מרדכי לו לבת (אסתר ב:ז)

He (Mordechai) raised Hadassah, who was Esther… for she had no parents; the girl (Esther) possessed a beautiful appearance… and when her parents died, Mordechai took her as his daughter (Esther 2:7).

We have discussed (see Part 1) the idea of “Bas” and “Bayis.” Chazal tell us that Mordechai married Esther and together they built their Jewish home. There are two more beautiful lessons which I would like to develop based on this verse. They pertain to Hadassah and Bayis.

Why Call Her Hadassah?

What was her name? Throughout the entire Megillah, she is called Esther, except for one place. The very first time that the Megillah talks about our hero, she is named Hadassah! The Gemara (Megillah 13a) disputes which of the two names was primary. Nevertheless, both opinions must explain why the name Hadassah is used to introduce her? What is going on here? Also, why is she called by a name which translates as “myrtle,” and why is she called this specifically in the verse that hints to her marriage?

It also must be noted that we find the same occurrence by Haman. The first time that he is referred to, according to Chazal, is in the first Chapter of Esther, when a brazen advisor named “Memuchan” speaks before his superiors. That Memuchan was none other than Haman. That is the first and last time that he is called by that name. How do we explain this as well?

Wife is Bayis

Chazal tell us that the word “bayis, house,” hints to marriage. We find this same idea expressed in Shabbos (118b), “Rebbe Yosi stated that he never referred to his wife as “wife,” rather, he called her, ‘my house’.” What is going on here?

The Wedding Ring

In order to understand what is being expressed here we must first examine the rationale behind an interesting custom at the wedding ceremony. The Chasson, groom, stands under the Chupah canopy together with his Kallah, bride, and in front of two witnesses he recites his declaration of marriage and then places the ring on her finger. With her acceptance, they are now married. Customarily, he places the ring specifically upon her index (pointer) finger. Why is this so? Now, it certainly does not invalidate the marriage if he were to place it on any other finger or even in her palm, however, how do we understand this preferred custom? Why we do not tell him to place the ring upon her “ring finger” as would seem more logical?

Now, truth be told, the simplest reason is just a practicality. The witnesses need to see the placement of the ring upon her and the easiest finger to stretch out in clear view is certainly her pointer! But there is more depth here as well, as we shall see.

Fingers and Senses

Rabbeinu Bechayeh (Parshas Tzav) teaches us that the five fingers correspond to the five senses that we possess. More so, each finger is naturally drawn to the sense which it represents. Try to guess them yourself before you read on! Here is his list in summary:

1-Thumb: corresponds to taste (mouth). (There have been babies in their mother’s womb who were observed sucking their thumbs!)

2-Index (Pointer): corresponds to smell (nose!) This one is well known!

3-Middle: corresponds to touch. Since it is the longest finger, it can reach and touch the furthest parts of the body.

4-Ring: corresponds to sight. Many wipe their eyes with this finger.

5-Pinky: corresponds to the ear and hearing. This one is also well understood!

Bearing this in mind, we now have a key to understanding fingers.

The Pointer of God

When Hashem performed the miracles in Egypt, the Egyptians called them “Etzbah Elokim, the index finger of God.” What is the significance?

Four of the senses are all physical in their nature. We use taste, touch, sight and hearing to receive pleasure from this world. The sense of smell is the most spiritual from all of them. Chazal (Berachos 43b) state that a pleasure that only the soul benefits from is that of smell! It has spiritual connections. Hashem blew into Adam’s nostrils to give him life. This was how his Neshamah, soul, was installed into his body. Thus, smell represents pure spirituality.

Hence, when the Egyptians realized that the miracles were not mere Kishuf, earthly evil black-magic, but rather emanating from the True Spiritual Source, they acknowledged this. They called the plagues by the term of the index finger, the finger linked to the sense of smell, the most spiritual element! They recognized the spiritual element of Hashem’s actions in the world. When we remove wine from our cups on Pesach night upon mentioning the ten plagues, this is the reason that we do so utilizing our pointer!

The Marriage Finger

Now we understand why the wedding ring is placed on the pointer. When a man gets married he can do so for many reasons. His focus could be spiritual or physical. He may be marrying for his own personal lustful reasons, to satisfy his nerve endings and desires. Or he can approach matrimony with dignity, respect and holiness, recognizing the great spirituality involved. This is certainly the best outlook. Thus, our custom is that he begins the marriage by focusing on her pointer finger, the finger representing smell and spiritual growth, showing that he is marrying her in recognition of her spiritual qualities and will grow together with her in their pursuit of closeness to Hashem! He certainly cannot deny her beauty, indeed, that is a gift from Hashem meant to be appreciated, but his priorities are in order and his goals are properly balanced.

Those that get married utilizing the ring finger are expressing a different outlook. That finger corresponds to his eyes and sight. Following one’s eyes is the most dangerous method to utilize when choosing a life’s partner. That method begins with much lust and excitement but fizzles out disappointingly fast! Only one who focuses on qualities and growth can achieve marital happiness and success, with proper effort and sensitivity.

Grand Appearance

The first time that a name is expressed shows the person’s essence. Haman is called “Memuchan” when we meet him, a name that Chazal (Megillah 12b) translate as “awaiting punishment.” Throughout the Megillah, everything that Haman arranged in order to destroy Mordechai and the Jews, was ultimately one big contribution and lead up to his own destruction. This was his essence, clearly expressed by the name Memuchan.

The True Hadassah

Hadassah was Esther’s essence. She was a sweet smelling fragrant Hadassah, myrtle, connected to Hashem and dedicated to growth. This was who she proved herself to be throughout the entire story as she sacrificed herself to save her Jewish brethren. She was a truly spiritually focused person, hence her original name expressed fragrant aroma, to connote her spiritual beauty.

How apropos that she should be called this name specifically in the verse that discusses her marriage to Mordechai! The verse is testifying to the great spiritual focus which they built their relationship upon. This is the very plan and advice of the Torah for a meaningful relationship. Now we understand why she is called Hadassah.

Same as Bayis!

And now for the Bayis! Chazal (Kesubos 17a) tell us that Rebbe Yehuda bar Ila’ah would dance before the Kallah with branches of Hadas, myrtle! Also, Reb Achah would lift up the Kallah and carry her on his shoulders! His students asked him if they could copy his custom. He replied, “if she is like a wooden beam in your eyes, then it is permissible for you to do this as well!”

With all that we explained, it is delightfully clear as to why the myrtle branch was present at the weddings! This expresses the focus upon the sense of smell, holiness and spirituality that we imbue our marriage with!

Building Beam

What is the lesson of Reb Achah and his wooden beam parallel? The lesson based upon the Maharsha is that many see women as objects of desire and sexual lure. This is not the proper Torah view. A woman is a partner in building a home for Hashem. This was precisely what Reb Achah wished to express. Just as a wooden beam is the support of the entire house, so too “the wisdom of a woman builds her home” (Mishley 14). We strive to view our wife as a partner in building and growth!

“My House”

Finally, this is what Rebbe Yosi meant by referring to his wife as “my home”. He acknowledged her power of building and her spiritual insight that inspired him and their children to grow! A woman has tremendous power to inspire others and help permeate her home with the holy presence of Hashem. Together, man and woman can accomplish this. One who gears their focus on these elevated spiritual ideals will find much happiness and fulfillment. Indeed, even their everyday physical experiences will become more enjoyable as they are infused with true connection and service of Hashem!

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Hashkafah, Machshuvah Marriage, Ruchnius / Gashmius

When it finally happened, we were taken out of the land of Egypt ending our slavery. In exchange for freedom we accepted upon ourselves the yolk of the Will of Hashem as our savior we are eternally thankful to Him. As if it were not enough that He created us selflessly, He also gave us purpose to the alternative – utter waste. We are given the Torah accepting upon ourselves to live our lives through the Torah. Now we come to the laws, the enumerated details of what exactly this life entails.

The parshah begins ואלה (lit. And these), Rashi brings down that the word אלה retracts the previous. ואלה comes to add on to the previous topic. Several Midrashim say bring reasons to the placement of this parshah in reference to the acceptance of the Ten Commandments in the previous parshah. The ideas of the Alter being next to the Sanhedrin as well as the concept goes along with this. That is of course true but it is not the answer to the deeper question of what is the addition to the previous parshah. Rashi notes the Mechilta that tells us that just as the laws that were just mentioned are from Sinai so too are these laws. There is an obvious break in the end of the previous parshah from the beginning of the seventh aliyah. The Torah concludes the transmission of the Ten Commandments with the request of Klal Yisroel that Moshe speak to them not Hashem Himself. The Torah then seems to bring in additional laws that are directly related to their receiving the Torah, as the pasuk says “כה תאמר אל בני ישראל אתם ראיתם כי מן השמים דברתי עמכם” (Thus you say to the children of Yisroel they who saw, because from the Heavens I spoke with them). The beginning of our parshah is not only related to the previous pasuk regarding the Alter, but even to the receiving of the Torah as well.

We can begin to understand this connection with the great wisdom of the Rokaiach. He says that we find that Seder Nezikin which are the laws of Mishpatim to contain ten tractates. In fact the first three tractates which comprise the majority of the teaching of Nezikin each contain ten chapters. There of course is no coincidence that the number ten binds these together. We see another connection like this from a deeper look into a midrash. There is a Midrash Sh’chem that says that Hashem weighs the Ten Commandments equal to the Mishpatim. Says the midrash, just like there are ten commandments that are independently obligated, by the laws pertaining to da’yanim there are ten positive obligations and ten negative ones. Therefore we see that these laws are dear to Hashem like the Ten Commandments. In fact the spelling of the letter yud is twenty (that is יו”ד, the י is ten, ו is six, ד is four, being twenty). The pasuk ואלה המשפטים is the source of basis of the laws of judgment. The vuv which is the connection that adds on from the previous parshah, the gematria of וא”ו and the twenty mitzvos of da’yanim is twenty-six which is the same as Hashem. The Ramban says that the pasukim directly following the parshah of the Ten Commandments is linked to each of the commandments. The first of the ten is אנכי ה’ אלקיך which he says is the obligation of knowing Hashem, the second being the prohibition of idolatry. The Ramban says that the first pasuk כה תאמר אל בני ישראל אתם ראיתם כי מן השמים דברתי עמכם is connected to the mitzvah of אנכי ה’ אלקיך, the pasuk ולא תעשון is connected to the mitzvah of לא יהיה. Lastly the pasukim of ואלה המשפטים are connected לא תחמוד because if a person fails to realize that there is mishpat he will think that something that is not his should be. Then later on in parshas mishpatim we detail the laws pertaining to Kibud Av, Ritzichah, Adultry. This is clear from the midrash that כל התורה כולה תלויה במשפט. This thought of the Ramban extends the idea that we are explaining. It is clear that the nature of the mitshpatim represent the entire Torah, as do the Ten Commandments.

The Baal HaTurim brings down several wonderful notrikoon on the first pasuk that are worth thinking about, not that my approbation is needed. The last three words of the pasuk אשר תשים לפניהם, is gematria דקדוקי התורה ודקדוקי סופרים. Additionally there are five words in the pasuk which means that every da’yan judges truth just as the Five Books of the Torah, and it is as if Hashem had a partner in the creation of the world. Note that the world was created with the Asarah Mamaros, which are connection to the Ten Commandments. The greatest truth and power of justice is given to dayin, as he makes the Torah clear. The gemara in Eruvin presents a series of questions: asks R’Akiva, where is it known from that one is obligated to teach their students until they learn? As it says ולמדה את בני ישראל (Dev. 31 19). And where that up until it must be coherent before them? As it says שימה בפיהם (ibid.). And from where is one obligated to להראות לו פנים? (Rashi explains that to mean the explanation of what he learns). As it says ואלה המשפטים אשר תשים לפניהם. That is to say לפניהם (before them) so that it may be put in front of them like a set table. The Chazal also learn that לפניהם means before them (Bnai Yisroel) and not the other nations. It the mishpatim, as opposed to the chukim which are supposed to be clear in front of us. We can learn a marvelous thing from this! The Ramban we brought in earlier says that the mishpatim here are all found in the Ten Commandments (not just found but even represented) when Chazal learn that the idea of clarity of thought in the learning of Torah is found in this pasuk it must mean that is also true in אנכי ה’ אלקיך. This idea deserves its own discussion but the idea of realizing the existence of Hashem is something that must be worked on just like the mishpatim in this parshah. Not to say that אנכי is a mishpat, it isn’t. To tell us that we can understand the yolk of the Torah with that clarity.

We still need to explain the connection between the first pasuk and the subject of Eved Ivrai. The Rokaiach points out that we have the Ten Commandments prior to this parshah. We accepted the yolk of the Torah with aspiration to know who is Hashem. We made Hashem our Master, therefore a slave should not be a slave of a slave, rather under his Master. As the pasuk says כי לי בני ישראל עבדים and not slaves of slaves. The parshah of Eved deals with his freedom after six years. Additionally the Jubilee Year, that of every Fiftieeth year. The parshah also deals with mitzvah of Shiviyis which is ceasing work of the fields in the seventh year. The parshah also mentions the mitzvah of Shabbos, also on the seventh day. These innyunim all deal with the seventh being the time where we have freedom. Freedom of physical strain, from the burdens of slavery, both to the physical and to one’s debts. Eved Ivrai no longer is fully an Eved Hashem but and Eved Shel Uvudim, that means that he works for the middle man. In another understanding it is also that he becomes enslaved by his physicality. He loses sight of who he is and what defines his life. That is why a nirtzah is obligated to be pierced in his ear as a sign that he has obstructed is vessel for accepting the Will of Hashem. The gemarah we brought before from Eruvin that describes the obligation of making the Torah clear is a connection to this innyan. Such a clarity would protect a person from ever becoming an eved (from theft), additionally chas v’shalom such a thing were to happen he would be able to still be guided by the Will of Hashem. The Torah presents certain parshiyos in the Torah so that we may be able to overcome them. They are all here for our benefit; to grow from. We should all be able to take our avdus under the great Master of Hashem and be zocheh to יצא לחפשי חנם, where we are not under the control by our yetzer ha’ra only an Eved Hashem!

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Parshas Mishpatim Achdus, Eved Hashem, Kedusha, Limud HaTorah, Mishpatim, Ruchnius / Gashmius, Yetzer HaRa

This parshah captures the remaining three makos that are to be afflicted upon the people of Egypt. Having already dispensed the nine makos the still stubborn Pharoh is given warning of the final makah that will be administered. The Torah then says that yet again Pharoh refuses to free the people of Yisroel. The next parshah written in the Torah is the famous “החדש הזה לכם”, or “this month will be for them”. As is known by many Chazal tell us that really the Torah could have began from this very pasuk. This pasuk is the true beginning of the people of Yisroel and their relationship to HaKadosh Boruch Hu. It is interesting to note that this parshah is found right in the middle of the final makah, before the actual makah is carried out. The mitzvah of Kiddish HaChodesh is the beginning of this binding relationship between Yisroel and Hashem. The outline of the mitzvah of the Korban Pesach is found directly following the mitzvah of Kiddish HaChodesh, it is unquestionably connected. Following the detail of the Korbon Pesach and some obligations to be carried out on Pesach as well, comes the final makah, makas b’choros. Up until the seventh aliyah the Torah discusses the beginning of the long awaited Yitzias Mitzrayim. Except for the point of difficulty that I already mentioned regarding the seemingly awkward break between the warning of the makah and its carrying out I understand the flow of the parshiyos. Comes the seventh aliyah and I am lost.

The seventh aliyah begins with the mitzvah of Kedushas B’chor. We then find the Torah going back to further discuss the mitzvos of Pesach, with the addition of the mitzvah of Sipur Yitzias Mitzrayim. Following that the Torah discusses the mitzvah of Tefillin then reverts to discussing the mitzvah of Kedushas B’chor. Then the Torah goes back to discussing Sipur Yitzias Mitzrayim and finally ending with Tefillin. This back and forth is of course precise and the best way to bring out the points mentioned. We must remember that if the Torah wanted to write these pasukim in a straight flowing fashion it could  have. The reason that these different ideas are placed next to each other must of course be to teach something about each one of them. B’ezras Hashem we will look into these pasukim and try to clarify some of the mysteries that lye below them.

As for the first question we asked in regards to the seeming interruption between the warning of the makah achronah and its execution. The Torah discusses the mitzvah of Kiddish HaChodesh which leads into the laws of Pesach. There is a direct connection between the concept of B’chor and Kiddish HaChodesh. The B’chor is the first of the children that are born. The B’chor is of course the argument found between Yaakov and Esav. It is also found between the shvutim, as Yosef is regarded as b’chor. The b’chor is the legacy of the family, he is destined with continuing the name of the family. Through the act of murdering the b’chor the legacy of the family is also destroyed. The first fruit is always the most dear. That is possibly why Hashem opened the rechem of Leah in order that she be deemed the bearer of the b’chor. The idea of Kiddish HaChodesh is that it is also the first of the year and the first of the months. The difference is that we determine the chodesh. The chodesh is the bechinah of Olam L’matah, b’chor is the bechinah of Olam Ha’elyon. We declare the kedushah of the chodesh and infuse it with kedushah. The b’chor is born kadosh and we simply declare its nature of kedushah. I have not yet discussed the parallel between makas b’choros and the mitzvah of Kedushas B’chor, that is in the second answer. The point I want to bring out here is that the makah of b’chor is complete nullification of all that you have been given.

Says the pasuk, “ויהי כי הקשה פרעה לשלחנו ויהרג ה’ כל בכור בארץ מצרים מבכר אדם ועד בכור בהמה על כן אני זבח לה’ כל פטר רחם הזכרים וכל בכור בני אפדה”(Shemos 13, 15-16). What is the reason that we keep the Kedushas B’chor, because Hashem killed all of the b’chorim in the land of Egypt. It seems to be the fact that the b’chorei mitzrayim were all killed that we have such an obligation. Perhaps the emphasis of the pasuk is the other way around, it is because Hashem killed the b’chorim therefore we have b’chor. At first I wanted to say that the emphasis was on the fact that Hashem hardened the heart of Pharoh. Why would that make a difference? I would suggest that it was due to our needs that the b’chorim had to be killed as they provided the necessary lessons of Imunah that we needed. It is a nice thought but it is difficult to say that would be the sole reason for the mizvah of b’chor. All the faculties of the world are here for us to worship Hashem properly, it is a zchus to have such a purpose,  not the opposite. I would like to suggest another understanding of the pasuk. This will explain the connection between Tefillin and b’chor.

The nature of Tefillin is that they are a sign of rememberance. The ose that they contain binds us both through our minds ands our hands. An attribute of the tefillin is that they are to be placed in between the eyes. Our eyes are the tool that enables us to direct ourselves. Every single magnificent detail of the body is for a purpose both practicaly and in their representation as well. Practically speaking, if you try to walk in a straight line and turn your head you will find yourself drifting off the path. The nature of man is that he walks in the direction that he faces. The place in between our eyes is what we define as the central path. The path in which we aspire to go is the one that we face. When we put the tefillin in between our eyes we are placing the will of Hashem ahead of us guiding our path. This is also the nature of the tefillin shel yad, as it binds our actions to be under the guidance of Torah. We see that the tefillin are there to impose a control on our physical and metaphysical life. We also find that they are supposed to provide a reminder to the miracles of yitzias mitzrayim and all of its wonder. The way the tefillin acheive this in addition to being our central focus point of life they also provide us with a constant connection to kedushah. As the pasuk says that the tefillin will be למען תהיה תורת ה’ בפיך, that means that the tefillin will provide you with Torah constantly. Most specifically it will be in your mouth. I asked my Rebbi, Rav Nochum Lansky Shlit”a if that meant that through the ose of the tefillin will be zoceh to constantly having Torah in our mouths? Meaning to say that through the reminder of the tefillin we will become involved in the study of Torah. Rebbi responded that it is more than that – tefillin provide Torah in your mouth! That means that tefillin which is an ose is the words of Torah in your mouth, meaning it brings the ose of the shel rosh and transforms it to the level of speech which is found in Torah. It is interesting to note that the language ose is found by the shel yad and zikarone is found by the shel rosh, where the ose that is added on the outside of the tefillin is found on the shel rosh not the shel yad. This idea of tefillin bringing the connection of the tefillin to a level of speech is very much connected to the chag of Pesach and of course to b’chor.

It is well known that the Arizal says that the word Pesach can also be broken up as the words Peh Sach (פה סח). This idea is found throughout the chag of Pesach, the idea of speech. This concept is also found by the seder with the mitzvos of sippur and hagadah. As I already explained this is found in the tefillin as well. Lastly, this is found in regards to b’chor. The b’chor is born kudosh but there is an obligation to either redeem it or bring it to the mizbeach (Depending on which type of b’chor.) It is clear to me that by b’chor adam is redeemed by five slayim, which is connected to the Five Books of the Torah. The redemption of the b’chor adam is in order that he may be able to do mundane actions, otherwise he would be kudosh. The b’chor behaymah is born kudosh but you still must declare its kedushah prior to it being brought to the mitzbeach, that is the idea of speech found by b’chor. The idea of the five slayim by the b’chor adom is the idea of tefillin being a constant connection. We take the kedushah which could have been given to work only for kedushah in exchange for the attempt to bring ourselves to kedushah. The idea of Kiddish HaChodesh was explained to be the power of the Olam L’Mata which is the strength of Oral Torah. This is why the b’chor adom is redeemed with five slayim because he is being brought into a world where we decide upon the kedushah. The outcome of our actions is revealed in the kedushah that we reveal to ourselves and the world.

There is much more of this topic to discuss but it really past the scope of this parshah. I want to conclude by saying over what I heard from my Rebbi that the gematria of אדם בהמה is the same as זמן. That is the idea that tikkun of behaymuh is through time, meaning that through time we may be able to fix the nature of Man and rid him of his animal-like natures. That is through the toil of Torah and a strong observance of Mitzvos. Through placing the tefillin in between your eyes, where you can direct your life. With the learning of Torah every moment you have as that is your life. Through the realization that the whole yitzias mitzrayim was in order for us to keep the Torah today. The idea of time is to change. That means the Torah is only acquired through change. Change of yourself and of your actions. Through the binding of your actions to the yolk of the Torah. We will all be merited to bring in Mashiach tomorrow. The chance is before us, we need to grab it and change from chol to kedushah!

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Parshas Bo Karbonos, Kedusha, Limud HaTorah, Ruchnius / Gashmius, Yashrus, Zman

Just some ha’uros on the parshah as I quickly read through. When I learn like this the style is usually kfeching the simple meaning of the words against the words of Chazal. Meaning to say even though I know the truth of the Torah, none the less I still need try to understand how Chazal came to their conclusion. Of course within the many punim of Torah there is no limit to the ways to explain a pasuk, none the less I would first like to understand the great understanding of Chazal first.

Almost right in the beginning of the parshah the pasuk says “וימת יוסף”, “Yosef perished”. It is quite troublesome to state this when the Torah just recorded this with the last pasuk in sefer Brayshis. Even if the pasukim were further away the question would still trouble me. Being that the pasukim are so close it only makes the question stronger. You can ask that it shouldn’t make the question stronger because this is a new sefer. True, but there is still a recollection of the first sefer. I think that the answer is that the first death was that of the Avos. Yosef was somewhere in between an av and one of the shevatim,^[1] by his death the era of the Avos also concludes. By beginning shemos with the leaving of Egypt and the passing of Yosef we are linking the two. The truth is we need to lo ok in to the leaving of Egypt first. It is a worthy observation that as the pasuk states there were seventy people who left. In saying so the pasuk adds on by saying “כל נפש”. Why say kol, which always comes to add to something? The end of the pasuk states that Yosef was in Egypt. Then we have the pasuk that says Yosef passed away. What a weird way to write that! First Torah accounts for all those who left Egypt, that is all seventy people and Yosef was in Egypt. Then say Yosef died and all his brothers and his entire era. Perhaps we need to look back and think a little bit. The reason why Yosef came to Egypt was due to his brother’s actions. It is therefore understandable to say that they are also responsible for Yosef having lived in Egypt. It is as if not only did the brothers cause the slavery in Egypt but also prevented Yosef from leaving Egypt. Yosef being the continuation of Yaakov, was unable to continue in his path. For he was left in to stay in Egypt. Due to their actions they caused Yosef to die in Egypt. Such a death also led to their death and all of their generation. It isn’t by rote that the pasuk lists the deaths of Yosef and then his brothers. This was the result of their actions that Yosef was destined to die and not be able to continue out of Egypt.

The Throwing Of the Males

The pasuk state that Paroh obligated the people of Yisroel to throw their newborn Male children into the יאור, or ya’or this body of water was the main sustenence for the people of Egypt. Isn’t it odd that the thing that personifies the source of nourishment be that which was used to exterminate these newborns!? It is of course also found in the dream of Paroh in the beginning of Parshas Miketz it is interesting that both of the cows come from the ya’or. Perhaps this can be explained from the yesod of the Arizal, he says that מצרים is also the word מיצר ים which a I have previously discussed is the greatest compression of physicality that we see. This nature of existence is given to the people of Egypt. As my great Rebbe Rav Nochum Lansky Shlit”a always says that it is seen in the names of all of the rulers they all have to do with physicality.

If you look at the word of מזונונות, Mezonos which means sustenance its root is זן. That is also the same letters as the root of the word זנות, Znus, which means illicit relations. This is most likely the exact opposite of sustenance. Things that sustain a person is not for the mere taste or enjoyment, but to satiate a person and allow them to function. Znus is the pure lust for endless pleasures. This is Egypt. Egypt is the source of all of the exiles that the People of Yisroel experience until today. Their basis of existence is a culture of pleasure and physical indulgence. This is also seen in the Mummification process that they do to all their dead. They believe so strongly in the importance of physicality that it should be preserved even after death.

There is a discussion in the Midrash what does the pasuk mean when it says ותרא אתו כי טוב ההוא, one opinion that of R’Meir says that Tov or good was his name. Another opinion sugest that he was נולד שכהוא מהול, which means he was born circumcised. Finally another opinion, that of the Rabanan states that when he was born נתמלא כל הבית כלו אורה, the entire house filled with light. An amazing thing, all of them. The first suggest that he himself was Tov. The Zohar says on that opinion that in fact his tov is the same as the tov of Brias HaOlam.

The Torah writes that Yocheved was able to hide Moshe for three months but no more. Says Rabbeinu Bachyah that the day of the conclusion of the three months was Shavuos Says the Zohar on the account of the תבת גומא that it is hinting to the ארון that will carry the sacred luchos habris. Says the Zohar that just like the tayvuh was constructed with soft inside and a tought outside so too was the Torah it containing both the positive commandments and the negative commandments as wlell. It is my opinion that the positive commandments represents the the inside of the taivuh and the negative mitzvos representing the outside of the tayvuh. It is the positive mitzvos which are to bring further ahavah to Hashem that is an internal closeness. it is that of the negative commandments which represents the outer shell, that which protects the Torah and its values.

Moshe Rabbeinu who personifies that of the Written Torah as opposed to his brother Aharon who represents the Oral Law. That is why of course Moshe was born circumcised but at the same time was unable of properly speaking with his mouth. The bris milah is of course the words millah which literally means a word, that is the connection as is well known between the bris of the mouth and the milah.

The Males of the nation of Yisroel are being tossed in to the ya’or. It is Moshe who is sailed down the same place. It is perhaps the aspect of the aron that is the vessel that carries Moshe. The din is that all that carry the aron are carried. Perhaps through the ya’or and its journey Moshe and the aron was rescuing the helpless children as his beginning of opposition to the rule of the Paroh. Even in a infantile state Moshe was destined to redeem the People of Yisroel, and so he did.

We are not all Moshe, that is clear. Know that we all have a capacity to redeem the People of Yisroel. Not only do we have such a capability but it is our responsibility to do so. We should are be privileged with the assistance of Hashem constantly to realize our strengths. To find the place that we fit in where no one else does. Take that and run with it! It is all up to us, let’s go!

He Was Good

As I already mentioned the pasuk calls Moshe tov. The Gr”a says that if you take the words of the Shema, there are five words before the word echad. There are six words following the word echad. Those five words represent the Five Books of Moshe, and the six represent the six orders of the Mishnah. Rebbe Akiva who passed away saying the word echad of the Shema shows that he is the one that connects these two entities together. As my great Rebbe Rav Nochum Lansky Shlit”a puts it he is the av of Torah Shel Ba’al Peh. I wanted to add that we see that Moshe is called tov, which is gematriah echad. That means that even though Moshe is Netzach which is the written code, and he is still the source of the oral law. That goes well with the opinion that tov means that Moshe was born circumcised, because he was without a blemish in his bris but he was incapable of clear speech, further personifying the attribute of the written code.

1. Look in the Prushus D’Rachim for further deatil about this thought. [↩]

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Parshas Shemos Brias HaOlam, Bris, Moshe Rabbeinu, Ruchnius / Gashmius, Zuken HaElyon / Zuken HaTachton