Close To Torah

ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קדש שבת שבתון לה’ כל העשה בו מלאכה יומת – Kodesh is given to you. How do you get kedushah only by working six days and the seventh day shall be for you kodesh. It isn’t kodesh just by being sanctified itself, rather through the work of the week can you create the kedushah of Shabbos. Shabbos is not an absence of work but an active state of not working. There is a difference between not working and taking a break. Not working is when you are supposed to work and you choose not to. Taking a break is a time set aside for rejuvenation. Can you have a break if you don’t work? It isn’t only that you cannot have a break without working but the contrast between the two gives more meaning to each. That is kedushah. Kedushah is taking the mere mundane and elevating it by using it for a purpose beyond the ordinary. While we may seem to exist primarily in the mundane world, we are really well beyond a realm of constriction and boundaries. The vast plains of toil in the physical world comprise the corridor to a great existence. The usage of this world is in order that we may be able to do the will of the Almighty in its glory. The greater purpose of our lives is revealed through the lens of Shabbos. Shabbos is the gift that makes everything have a purpose. It is a glimpse to the future which had been the past.

Why is it that the desecration of Shabbos is punishable by death? Perhaps an understanding of this idea is because the purpose of the weekdays are to bring out the Shabbos. Their whole purpose is to create Shabbos. By desecrating the Shabbos you are undoing the reason for the week all together therefore you have taken away your life in that world. That is of course true in the positive as well. When you keep Shabbos it is as though you have given purpose to life once again.

Why is Shabbos the first aspect of this parshah which is specifically directed at the congregation of the Jewish people? The Rokaiach gives a very fundamental answer to this question which seems to be based on the midrash brought in the Yalkut Shimoni. He says for six days we work and are involved in our work, but on Shabbos we must only be involved in the learning of Torah. Shabbos is the time given to be fully immersed in the learning of Torah which will enable the overall observance of mitzvos. It seems from the yalkut that the role of the learning on Shabbos is in order to ensure that the people will keep the mitzvos.

The major subject of this parshah is the tabernacle therefore there must be a reason why the parshah begins with Shabbos. It is well known that the laws of Shabbos are derived from the building of the tabernacle. That means that there is an inherit connection between the building of the tabernacle and the sanctity of Shabbos. The Sages learn from the pasuk אלה הדברים the thirty-nine different labors prohibited on Shabbos. אלה is gematriah thirty-six, דברים which is plural adds another two and the ה adds another one resulting in thirty-nine. Therefore the prohibited acts on Shabbos are enumerated from the pasuk that begins our parshah.

Shabbos is an אות and a ברית. An ose means it is a sign, a bris means a binding relationship. Ose which also literally means a letter is the formation of the thought that is represented in that letter. There are twenty-two different ways of expressing thought in the Torah and each one of those letters contain every single thought. Shabbos is one of the few sets of laws that are learned from gematriah. Perhaps an explanation is because the idea of gematriah is that each letter contains a numerical value. That numerical value is not arbitrary rather it is an expression of the thought behind the letter itself. That is Shabbos. Shabbos represents the completion of the world. Shabbos is one of the things that binds us through a bris to Hashem that makes us unique from the nations. Shabbos contains the deep fundamental ideas that define the Jewish people which qualify to be called an ose. It is an ose because it goes back to the source of the world which is the six days of creation and the day of rest, Shabbos. The gematriah for Shabbos teaches us the amount of the activities done in the building of the tabernacle which also are the prohibitions on Shabbos. The actions that create a place for the divine presence to rest in this world are the same actions which also create a time that is special to Yisroel. Shabbos is the relationship with Hashem through time just as the Land of Yisroel is through place. The Land of Yisroel is of course given its kedushah due to the holy temple. The tabernacle is the first initiative for a place for such a relationship. The kedushah found in the tabernacle is like that which is found on Shabbos. The ose which is the letters of the Torah are what binds the Torah together. The letters of the Torah are the names of the Almighty. The divine presence rests upon anyone who mentions His name, this is through Torah. The Shabbos is the inner thought of the Torah, just as the Torah is just for Yisroel so is Shabbos. Torah is that which transcends time and place. It binds us to Hashem both in the evening and the morning.

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!

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.

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!

The Big Picture

The notion of “what comes up must come down” can be a startling reality. Is everything bound by the rules of gravity pulling us down? Perhaps it is only things that don’t propel themselves. It is as the great Baalei Mussar suggest: if you are not moving up in spirituality then you are falling down! Life must be constantly driven as there are several forces that will bring it down. Not only are there forces that will compromise the intent but they will also cause a misdirection. Nothing is simply set into motion and forgotten about. There are always opposing forces ahead.

The observations we make within the physical realm are often adaptable to the metaphysical. We all have a trajectory that we are following, but over time we may shift off course. We must constantly evaluate and adjust to the conditions that we face in order to achieve our goals. There are times where our current speed and direction is not noticeable as we are slowly drifting off course. Such an acute shift may not be noticed unless viewed from afar. The misalignment is not visible and often neglected until due evidence is brought. The instruments on hand are only as good as the one who interprets them. Even poor instruments can suffice when you can keep the scale in mind. You finally made it right above your landing spot. Touch down softly and embrace the new discovery.

Take-Off

Unlike most take offs ours begins with the pilot sleeping. We aren’t cruising at a high altitude, and are not serving beverages. There really isn’t much going on. Why is it that our lives begin in such a state? Unable to function in the normal sense, unable to perform the mitzvos until later in life. It would seem to be a fair question had we assumed that childhood lacks the ability to carry out the will of Hashem. I always used to answer this question by making reference to the order of study that Chazal^[1]dictate. We are told that at the age of five one should learn the Written Code of Torah, followed by the Oral Law of the Mishnah at the age of ten. This Mishnah always seemed to perplex me as children are instructed to learn but alas they are not obligated to follow. That must mean that the level of understanding is enough to grasp something worthwhile but nonetheless not enough to be held responsible for. It may in fact go further than that. It is my belief that the younger years of childhood are there as a stepping stone in taking upon the tremendous yoke of the Torah. The Almighty wants us to follow His Torah perfectly and therefore gives us an opportunity to learn it without having to worry about its observance in our beginning state. This is a nice idea until I heard an answer from my great Rebbi, Rav Nochum Lansky Shlita. He said that what I said doesn’t fully answer the question, as a child does not learn anything prior to the age of three. As the Mishnah here says the age of five, but the Rambam does bring down that when a child begins to speak begin teaching him certain pasukim. My theory fails to explain the need for childhood prior to that age. My Rebbi made an interesting interpretation on the gemara^[2] says that Rebbi Akiva waited his entire life (כל ימי חיי) for the moment in which he would be able to carry out the mitzvah of giving one’s life for the glorification of the name of the Almighty. Asked  my Rebbi why does it say kol, meaning entire? He answered that even when Rebbi Akiva was a child this was his desire. He said this in contrast to some that would say that Rebbi Akiva was alluding to the time in his life when he was not a learned individual. When I asked what he were to answer in response to that he said that isn’t kol, it seems that for Rebbi Akiva to say all of his life must mean more than his adult past. What we learn from this according to my Rebbi, and even within my little understanding is that the small steps we take in the beginning carry great weight. I asked Rebbi what was it that Rebbi Akiva could have possibly done to express this idea, Rebbi responded by saying that the depths of your soul contain that special task. It is even at a young age when you are a simple creature you still emit this deep will that will eventually be the life force that carries you through your life.

Setting the Destination

You are airborne. Do you know where you are going? Is your destination set? Is this a non-stop flight…or are you taking your time? In our lives, we only have a one-way ticket. True – with the great gift of teshuvah we are able to undo the past and preserve the future. Do we look at teshuvah as a modification of the past in which it opens the horizons for tommorow, or perhaps it is settings us back on the course that we are originally taking. What’s the difference you may ask!? The difference is do we look at teshuvah as remapping the past or simply correcting the future. It is my firm belief that it is both. As the great Rambam spells out to us that the process of Teshuvah requires both regret of the past as well as a decision to cease future occurrences of the “step in the wrong direction”. It is evidently clear that both are needed and that they are two distinct aspects. Honestly this requires its own discussion but I will simply say that even though the fixing of the future usually implies to regret of the past it is not always so. In fact the parable we looking at can bring out this concept. If we went one-hundred miles off course we want to get to the destination that we planned on, at our current location we can simply compensate for our mistake and change our direction to account for the error. In such a case it is possible that we didn’t care about the wrong doing we took in the beginning we only realized that we must change our course now. That is a lack of regret that is needed in the process of teshuvah.

The flight began and we are travelling at top speed. Trust me, auto-pilot isn’t a good idea. You are surely going to crash? Why? The computer knows where it is going. Our auto-pilot is made to train pilot how to pilot a plane, the pilot would never learn how to fly the plane if the auto pilot were fully functional, therefore we must set the auto pilot in a way in which the pilot must overcome it and direct the plane using his manual and map instead of relying on the on-board computers. You should be asking…why do we need to do that, if the plane can really fly well enough by itself why do we need pilots at all? The answer is because the head of the airline wishes to train his pilots to be able to control planes that malfunction. A good pilot will know how to respond to all conditions and accommodate for all failures. When things get really rough chas v’shalom he will be able to make a crash landing and evacuate the passengers effectively. We must always daven for protection from the worst and aspire for continued bliss. Set your course, grab a hold of your life and all those who are touched by it.

Staying on Route

Every plane is different. Different sizes, occupancy, features etc. Even within planes there are many different types for different purposes. There are prop planes, gliders, cargo planes, jet planes, drop planes, I don’t know so many but I’m sure there are many more. Each plane has a specific role, one that is befitting for one purpose may be a failure for another. It is likely that pilots also have their specialty. Without question there are discrepancies between the planes that would require specific training. Within the numerous factors involved in flying the slightest imperfection can have startling results. The performance of an aircraft is twofold; its upkeep and its piloting. You can have the best pilot in the world but there is not to much you can do if you are out of fuel. You are not the Maker of the aircraft, but you are currently responsible for it. Before every flight you have an obligation that you check your vitals and their functionality. If something is off, it must be fixed prior to take-off.

In order to reach your destination as efficiently as possible you must follow the quickest route with optimal speed. If your nose is angled too high you will experience air resistance causing turbulance as well as slowing you down. You must keep your self level, in touch with what lays below you as well as what hover above you. You must know your place and embrace it, not too high or low. In order to remain at the current altitude you must keep the pitch of the plane straight and balanced. The truth is that you want to constantly soar above avoiding all that lurks below. In order to do that you must keep your nose up and increase speed to accommodate to the change in resistance. Don’t jump too quickly as a change in altitude too quickly will disrupt the cabin pressure. The best advice to elevating properly is through steady constant elevation.

Suddenly Falling

Your  beacon is set, your coordinates are correct, altitude and pressure are fine. All looks clear and peaceful. Let go for a second it watch it all drop. The weather conditions change you must accommodate for them, quickly and cleanly, don’t rock the boat you don’t want to spill anything. The destination may be clearly set but sometimes your path is not as clear. Laying before you are two options how do you decide? A thought-out decision is a must, but both options have ups and downs. What do you do? You call traffic control, you ask for aid. Look up to the heavens, and ask the One who guides every inch of this world for direction. Your radio communications seem to be broke, you don’t hear a response. If you were truly desperate wouldn’t you keep trying? Hoping they listen. He is always listening…you may not see blinking lights but He is always listening. How will you know? He made the instruments well enough that you will be able to guide yourself safely under all conditions. Why put it past Him, it is his plane after all? So you can’t understand it…who made you an aerospace engineer…that’s what I thought. There are always possibilities that you didn’t consider and even if you did try again. In addition to asking traffic control for aid, you can radio your mentors, an experience pilot. One who had studied the ways of the heavens and below, one who helps others and has been in the same seat as you. Ask him, he is wiser than you and has learned from the best. Sometimes reading the manual yourself can help, but other times you will simply miss the point. Not everything is as clear as day, don’t expect it to be. Look for yourself, but when in doubt seek clarification…don’t just “give it a try”, you have an enormous responsibility in your hands. Your life is a given, but the entire crew and the passengers aboard, they are all at your grasp.

Explanation

This is only a small explanation to this mashal. The truth is that a good mashal can have several understandings. If you have another perspective or other factors that I left out please let me know.

This mashal may or may not be clear to you what the nimshul is, and even it is not every single detail may be. I cannot possibly clarify everything as there is no end, but the big things I can. The plane is your existence. Your consciousness is the pilot. The journey is your Life. The head of the airline is Hashem. The traffic control is your tefillos to Hashem. Auto Pilot is your yetzer hara. The experienced pilot is a Rebbe. The manual is the Torah. The instruments are the natural wonderments in the world. The crew are the people directly involved in your life, aka your wife, family, students etc. The crew is Klal Yisroel, all that you do impacts them as well whether you notice or not.

1. Avos 5 21 [↩]
2. Brachos 61b [↩]

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 yoke 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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As with everything there is a start, we don’t always know why, or when only that it is. The foundations of our emunah are based on the concept that all has been started for a purpose above our understanding. It’s start among all things in the World is complex and difficult, as the Chazal teach us, “kol haschalos kashos” meaning all beginnings are difficult. The great sage, the Chasam Sofer once noted that this is a din which means all that is considered a beginning is difficult, however what is determined as a “beginning” is more flexable and under your control.

This being my first “blog”, I want to begin by recognizing the difficulty it is to start anything at all. What I mean to say is not even to continue something but the pure beginning of it is difficult as well. That is possibly because you are treading on unfound territory, something new always creates hesitations and questions. The answers to these questions are not always found on the other side, as some things may become more vague and of course the opposite holds true as well. The more we know, the greater understanding of how little we know. That is of course seen in the remez that Amalek is gematriah the word sufek, which means that within every question of doubt is rooted an aspect of the power of Amalek. This doubt continues to haunt our People until this very day, grasping our deep connections to all that is false.

In a modern world, where doubt is more present than truth the great difficulties that we face day by day become covered with gloomy darkness. Seemingly endless, and without origin, we don’t know where to face. The only thing that we can know that is constant is the strong calling voice of the path before us. The shining light, the only truth, no questions there is only One truth. All your questions seem to fade away before it until you flinch and turn away. With the beginning a bit behind us, let us go a step ahead and walk one step closer to the light, on the Path of the Just. As the Chazal tell us the only thing one should fear is the Almighty himself, but never think that the fear should distance you from Him. Fear is only the pure reverance of his awesomeness, but full of an underlying Love that is endless.

It is my hope that as with everything in this World, all places full of tumah have a tremendous place to allow for kedushah and eminate our World. The Internet is one of those places, where one stroke of the keyboard can bring you to the worst gehaynum and that should never befall us. Of course, the opposite is always true, and can provide the greatest heights that are possible. Let all of us be zocheh to take all that Hashem has bestowed upon us and take it to the levels of kedushah that are in our grasp.

On that note, I hope to provide a small part of this effort and at least make a place where people like to express every belief in the World to bring some kedushah and emes in a place that is so vacant and empty. As for the content that I write, it is all Torah and its teachings, I can only write that which I know and can only know that which I have been granted to, so I hope to only give over words of wisdom that can inspire myself and anyone who they touch. The smallest things are always what makes the difference, as the whole World sits upon a tzaddik that is clear that he is composed of all his actions that made him into the pillar of Torah. That is to say, that the World stands on the mitzvos that make a person into a tzaddik is only logical because they are what makes him a tzaddik, a gadol is not born but grown. Everyone is given their task in this World, all special and dear to Hashem and half of that task is realizing what it is! To realize that every thing you see and do makes an affect upon you is the definition of such a realization. We all need to think about this from time to time, and that would be a tremendous thing.