Dvar Torah for Parshas Beshalach (Prep for Purim)

       For a parshah following the Plagues and the Leaving of Egypt, Beshalach definitely holds its own in terms of exciting events. The Splitting of the Sea, the Song of the Sea, and the manna are just a number of the stories found in this week’s parshah. I would like to focus on the last story in the parshah, the battle with Amalek. This is the first battle in what has been and continues to be a long-standing battle between the Jewish nation and Amalek. Amalek has always tried to undermine what we as Yisrael live and stand for. As we approach Purim, where Haman, a descendant of Amalek, plays a major role, it is fitting that we begin to discuss this idea.

       The gemarah in Brachos (61a) describes the science of a fly. If a person has no blemishes on his body, there is nowhere for the fly to enter and feed. However, once the fly finds a single tiny cut anywhere on the body, it can latch on and begin to rot the flesh. This is a parable for the Yetzer Hara; a tzaddik whose deeds are complete and has no “cuts” cannot be affected by the Yetzer Hara, but if you give it just one little opening, it will latch on and begin to make you “rot”.

       This is exactly the way Amalek operates. As long as Bnei Yisrael were at peace with each other, Amalek could not attack them. However, this episode takes place right after the famous story of “מַסָּה וּמְרִיבָה”, “Testing and Quarrelling”, named for the fact that Bnei Yisrael tested Hashem and quarreled amongst each other. The pasuk (Shemos 17:8) says that the battle took place in a place called “רְפִידִם” which comes from the Hebrew word, “להיפרד” which means to separate. It was so called because Bnei Yisrael had two separations there, from Hashem when they tested him, and from each other with their arguments. This was exactly the opening that Amalek was waiting for and he immediately came to battle with Bnei Yisrael. The Kli Yakar explains that we see in the megillah that Haman makes the same statement about the Jewish People to Achashverosh when he asks to kill them. “וַיֹּאמֶר הָמָן לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ יֶשְׁנוֹ עַם אֶחָד מְפֻזָּר וּמְפֹרָד בֵּין הָעַמִּים” “And Haman said to the king, ‘there is one people spread out and separate amongst the nations” (Esther 3:8). Clearly, this is the aspect that Amalek always focuses on.

       As we approach Purim, we must take a closer look at what caused that whole episode to happen in the first place. According to what we are saying here, since their first altercation with the Jewish People, Amalek feeds on discord, whether between us and Hashem or between ourselves. Starting from this Shabbos, let’s all work on improving our relationships with each other and with Hashem so we can ultimately defeat Amalek. And with that, we can eradicate Amalek completely and accomplish the true goal of Purim.

Shabbat Shalom! 

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Parshas Beshalach

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No Dvar Torah This Week

Due to unforceen circumstances, there will be no Dvar Torah this week. We will return B"H next week for Parshas Beshalach. Please click here to read last year's Dvar Torah for Parshas Bo.

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Va'eira

       In this week’s parshah, Moshe and Aharon begin carrying out their mission from Hashem to Paroh and the first seven makkos are delivered on the Egyptians. In last week’s parshah, Hashem appointed Moshe to be the leader of Bnei Yisrael, when up till this time, his brother, Aharon, had filled that position. Moshe protested that Aharon should continue to fill the same position he always had and be the one sent to Paroh. So Hashem decided to make Moshe the leader but that Aharon should be his second-in-command and go to Paroh with him. We see this decision in action in this week’s parshah.

       The second aliyah in this week’s parshah gives the family genealogy of Moshe and Aharon. After this, the pasuk reads, “הוּא אַהֲרֹן וּמשֶׁה אֲשֶׁר אָמַר יְהֹוָה לָהֶם הוֹצִיאוּ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם עַל צִבְאֹתָם” “This is Aharon and Moshe to whom Hashem said: ‘Take the Children of Israel out of Egypt according to their legions” (Shemos 6:26). The very next pasuk reads, “הֵם הַמְדַבְּרִים אֶל פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם לְהוֹצִיא אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם הוּא משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן” “They are the ones who spoke to Paroh, king of Egypt, to take the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; this is Moshe and Aharon” (6:27). Rashi explains that in the Torah, sometimes we see Moshe written before Aharon and sometimes Aharon before Moshe. This shows us that even though it does not always seem this way, they were both equally great and equally important.

       The Kli Yakar goes into greater detail of why they are mentioned in this specific order in each pasuk. The main mission given to Moshe from Hashem was to take Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt. It seems very clear from the pesukim that Moshe was the main figure with Aharon delegated to a secondary role. Therefore, in the pasuk which speaks about taking Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt, pasuk 26, the Torah wrote Aharon’s name first to show that he was just as vital to the mission as Moshe. The other part of the assignment from Hashem was to go to Paroh and ask for Bnei Yisrael to be freed and perform miracles in front of him. The Torah tells us several times that Aharon would be the one to actually speak to Paroh when he and Moshe went to the palace. Therefore, in the pasuk which talks about them speaking to Paroh, pasuk 27, the Torah writes Moshe’s name first, showing that even though it was technically Aharon’s responsibility, Moshe was of equal importance to Aharon in that case.

       There are so many times in life where we feel threatened by other people. Other times, we seize opportunities to get ahead even if it is not good for the people involved, but just for ourselves. How much more often do we see these things by siblings, where we so often feel the need to be better than the other! Moshe and Aharon both completely embraced each other’s success and kept trying to give the greater glory to the other, because they felt that it would be better for the entire nation if the other did what needed to be done. It was only because of this mutual respect and dedication to each other that they were able to bring the Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt. We must learn from Moshe and Aharon to be respectful of others and to always put the greater good ahead of our own interests. And it is only through this that we will merit the true redemption speedily in our times.

Shabbat Shalom!

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Parshas Va'eira

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Shemos

       Parshas Shemos starts us off on the journey of Yaakov’s children becoming the Bnei Yisrael, God’s chosen people. The next few parshahs go through the birth pains of our nation as we were enslaved in Egypt, and our subsequent triumph as we left amongst God’s great miracles. As this week’s parshah opens, Paroh has enslaved the Jewish People and a new leader, Moshe Rabbeinu, was about to emerge.

       Paroh’s astronomers had foreseen that in the near future, a Jewish boy would be born who would take Bnei Yisrael out of slavery. Paroh quickly issued a decree that all Jewish boys should be killed immediately upon birth. He instructed two Jewish midwives, named Shifra and Puah, to oversee this decree. However, they did not listen to Paroh, and let the boys live. Rashi tells us that these two women were actually Yocheved and Miriam, Moshe’s mother and sister! He brings the Gemarah in Sotah (11b) which explains that Yocheved was known as Shifra since she cleaned the baby after birth. The word for cleaning is “משפרת”, hence the name Shifra. Miriam, was known as Puah since she would sooth the newborn baby with cooing sounds, such as, “puu, puu”.

       The Kli Yakar asks two simple questions on this gemarah. First of all, how does the gemarah know that Yocheved was Shifra and Miriam was Puah? Maybe it was the opposite? Secondly, we know both of these people from their connection to Moshe so why does the pasuk introduce them via these secondary names?

       He explains that we know Miriam was a prophetess and as Rashi explains in Parshas Va’eira, the root of the Hebrew word for prophecy, “נבואה”, also means to speak. So Miriam was Puah, the one who would speak to the babies. The main prophecy that Miriam had, according to the gemarah in Megillah (14a), was that her mother, Yocheved, would give birth to the eventual savior of Bnei Yisrael. Yocheved, was now 130 years old when she stood in front of Paroh, way past the age where she could have children. However, Hashem returned her “לשופרה”, to the days of her “splendor” and she was able to give birth to Moshe. Therefore, she was known as Shifra.

       When Paroh called these two midwives in, he wanted them to make sure the baby who would save Bnei Yisrael would never be born. Little did he know that he was talking to the two people who would be directly responsible for that leader’s birth! Yocheved obviously, as she was Moshe’s mother, but Miriam was very much a part as well. When Paroh’s decree came out, Yocheved’s husband and Miriam’s father, Amram, decided to separate from his wife to prevent the death of any future children. Miriam, knowing the prophecy she had received, convinced her father to return by arguing that Paroh had issued a decree only on boys while Amram had decreed also on girls! He returned to Yocheved and she gave birth to Moshe.

       This is why the pasuk refers to Yocheved and Miriam as Shifra and Puah here. It is showing how futile Paroh’s attempt to prevent Moshe’s birth was, that he was asking for help from the very people responsible for his birth!  

Shabbat Shalom!

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah on Shemos

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