Monday, March 25, 2013

Dvar Torah for Pesach 5773/2013


       The Hagadah is a stimulating collection of stories, drashos and songs, some of which we are more familiar with and some less. The Hagadah in general has always been something that I enjoy working on. Much of what we read in it is taken for granted but in reality has a lot of depth for its’ position in the Hagadah as well as its’ own meaning.
       One example is the paragraph found close to the beginning of Magid. “מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻעַ וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה וְרַבְּי עֲקִיבָא וְרַבִּי טַרְפוֹן שֶהָיוּ מְסֻבִּין בִּבְנֵי בְרַק, וְהָיוּ מְסַפְּרִים בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם כָּל אוֹתוֹ הַלַּיְלָה עַד שֶׁבָּאוּ תַלְמִידֵיהֶם וְאָמְרוּ לָהֶם: רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, הִגִּיעַ זְמַן קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע שֶׁל שַׁחֲרִית”. Five of the greatest rabbis of the generation all spent the Seder together in Bnei Brak, the hometown of Rabbi Akiva, one of the rabbis in the story. The Leil Shimurim asks that since Rabbi Akiva was not the greatest rabbi at this Seder, why did they all come to his town as apposed to one of the other Rabbi’s cities? Furthermore, one of the rabbis at the Seder, Rabbi Eliezer, was of the opinion that you had to spend every holiday with your family in your own house so what was he doing in Bnei Brak with Rabbi Akiva?
       To answer, he brings the famous Gemarah at the end of Maseches Makkos (24a-b) where Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Akiva were walking by the ruins of the Beis Hamikdash when they saw a fox running out of the ruins. All the rabbis started crying except for Rabbi Akiva who began to laugh. When asked to explain apparently strange behavior, he replied that there was a prophecy which connected the prophecies of Uriah HaKohen and Zechariah HaNavi. Seeing how these two men lived in two completely different eras, what could be the connection between them? Rabbi Akiva explained, “אלא תלה הכתוב נבואתו של זכריה בנבואתו של אוריה באוריה כתיב (מיכה ג, יב) לכן בגללכם ציון שדה תחרש [וגו'] בזכריה כתיב (זכריה ח, ד) עוד ישבו זקנים וזקנות ברחובות ירושלם עד שלא נתקיימה נבואתו של אוריה הייתי מתיירא שלא תתקיים נבואתו של זכריה עכשיו שנתקיימה נבואתו של אוריה בידוע שנבואתו של זכריה מתקיימת“The pasuk is making the prophecy of Zechariah dependent on the prophecy of Uriah. (Uriah’s prophecy has to do with the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash while Zechariah’s has to do with the future redemption.) …Until Uriah’s prophecy was fulfilled, I could not know for sure that Zechariah’s would be as well. Now that I see that Uriah’s has been fulfilled, I know that so will Zechariah’s.” (Makkos 24b). With this explanation, the other Rabbis declared that they had been consoled over the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash.
       This was Rabbi Akiva’s special middah, even in the darkest moments, he had the ability to see the light of cheirus, freedom, right around the corner. Even when the ruins of the Beis Hamikdash still sat smoldering on the Temple Mount while wild animals ran amongst them, he was able to visualize the future when the Beis Hamikdash would again stand tall in all its’ glory. This same perspective was needed when Bnei Yisrael were in Mitzrayim. No slave had ever escaped from Mitzrayim and by the time the Plagues began, the entire nation had been enslaved for over 200 years; from every logical standpoint, there was no way they could escape from Mitzrayim. Perhaps we can say that this ability to see cheirus is the attribute of the entire holiday of Pesach.
       For this reason, explains the Leil Shimurim, these great Rabbis all gathered by Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva’s words by the ruins of the Beis Hamikdash had greatly consoled them over the destruction. And in order to show him the proper appreciation, they came to visit him in his city, on his holiday, the holiday which requires you to see cheirus, Rabbi Akiva’s middah.
       Let us take this to heart and concentrate this Pesach on seeing the potential for our own personal cheirus, whatever level it might be on or whatever issue it might be for, ultimately culminating in cheirus from this galus and the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash. Then we may truly understand and unleash what Pesach is all about. May this be the chag that we achieve complete cheirus.

L’Shana Haba’a B’Yerushalayim!

Chag Kosher V’Sameach!     


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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Dvar Torah for Parshas Tzav

With Pesach coming up, there is no new Dvar Torah this week. Please enjoy the Dvar Torah for Parshas Tzav from last year by clicking here.
B'Ezras Hashem, we will be sending out the Dvar Torah for Pesach before Chag begins.

Shabbat Shalom!

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Thursday, March 14, 2013

Dvar Torah for Parshas Vayikra


       As Sefer Shemos ended with the construction of the Mishkan, Sefer Vayikra deals with its’ service. This includes the halachos of the different korbanos (sacrifices) and the people who will be bringing them. Sefer Vayikra is also known as Toras Kohanim since the Kohanim are the ones responsible for dealing with the korbanos and that this sefer discusses the laws which apply to them due to their special status.
       At the beginning of the parshah, in Perek 1 Pasuk 2, the pasuk says, “דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם "תַּקְרִיבוּ אֶת קָרְבַּנְכֶם “Speak to the Children of Yisrael and you shall say to them: When a man from among you brings a sacrifice…you shall bring your sacrifice” (Vayikra 1:2). The Kli Yakar points out that the first half of the pasuk addresses a single man, “אָדָם”, bringing a korban while the end of the pasuk switches into the plural form. What is the meaning behind this switch?
       We learn in Parshas Bereishis that the very first people to bring a korban were Kayin and Hevel. The story is well known; Kayin had the idea to bring a korban to Hashem and brought some wilted flax. Hevel copied his older brother but instead brought a lamb as a sacrifice. Hashem accepted Hevel’s korban but not Kayin’s and Kayin ended up killing his brother out of jealousy.
       The reason Kayin’s korban was not accepted is obvious; the point of a korban is to atone for the soul of the one bringing it. That is why we bring an animal, so that the animal’s soul should take the place of ours. By bringing his korban from one of the most inferior plants around, Kayin showed that he did not grasp the idea of bringing a korban. But even though Hevel’s korban was accepted, he also made a mistake. A korban is supposed to be brought out of a person’s own want and desire to give Hashem a gift. The only reason Hevel brought one was because he was jealous of Kayin’s idea and wanted to do exactly what he had done. This is not the proper attitude to take when bringing a korban.
       The Kli Yakar explains that this is exactly what the pasuk is teaching us. When the pasuk starts off in the singular tense with the word “אָדָם”, it actually is referring to Adam Harishon, the first man. When Adam brought his korban, he was alone in the world; therefore, he could only have brought the korban out of his own desire to give a gift to Hashem. This is how the pasuk shows us not to fall into the same trap as Hevel. The middle part of the pasuk (which we did not quote before) says that the korban should be brought from animals, and the last part of the pasuk reads, “תַּקְרִיבוּ אֶת קָרְבַּנְכֶם”. While the word korban is usually translated as sacrifice, it is also used to represent the best part of the animal, the part which you usually save for yourself. Here the pasuk is warning you not to make the same mistakes as Kayin, that you should not bring plants as korbanos and you should make sure that the best part is set aside for Hashem and not for yourself.
May we soon be zoche to bring korbanos in the Beis Hamikdash with all Klal Yisrael.


Shabbat Shalom!  


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Friday, March 8, 2013

No Dvar Torah This Week

Due to unforeseen circumstances, there is no new Dvar Torah this week. Click here for last year's Dvar Torah on Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei and here for last year's Dvar Torah on Parshas Hachodesh.
We will, B'ezras Hashem, return next week with a new Dvar Torah.

Shabbat Shalom!

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Friday, March 1, 2013

Dvar Torah for Parshas Ki Sisa (Parshas Parah)


       In the midst of the joy of receiving the Torah and preparing to build the Mishkan, Bnei Yisrael stumble into what remains the biggest sin in Jewish History. It is the sin of the עגל הזהב, the Golden Calf, and it is discussed in this week’s parshah, Parshas Ki Sisa. Even though most of the nation did not participate in the actual sin, everyone was held responsible since they did not do enough to stop it. In fact, Chazal tell us that there is no punishment which is given, even nowadays, which does not contain at least a little part of punishment for the Golden Calf.
       After Bnei Yisrael realize their wrongdoing, the pasuk says, “וַיִּשְׁמַע הָעָם אֶת הַדָּבָר הָרָע הַזֶּה וַיִּתְאַבָּלוּ וְלֹא שָׁתוּ אִישׁ עֶדְיוֹ עָלָיו“The people heard this bad tiding and they grieved; and they, each man, did not put on his crown” (Shemos 33:4). The very next pasuk then says, “וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל משֶׁה אֱמֹר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל "וְעַתָּה הוֹרֵד עֶדְיְךָ מֵעָלֶיךָ “Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Say to the Children of Yisrael…And now remove your crown from upon you” (33:5). The question is obvious; the People had already taken their crowns off on their own in Pasuk 4, why does Hashem have to tell them to take them off in Pasuk 5 when they’ve already done that?
       The Maskil L’David, a commentary on Rashi, explains that when Bnei Yisrael said “נעשה ונשמע“We will do and we will hear”, at Har Sinai, they were each given two crowns, one for each statement. When Bnei Yisrael took off their crowns on their own, they took off the crown for “We will do”, the statement which meant that they would keep the mitzvos. As they had now sinned, they didn’t feel qualified to continue wearing them. However, the crown for “We will hear”, they left on since that represented their commitment to learning the Torah which they would certainly continue to do. However, Hashem told Moshe to tell them to take off the second one as well since you cannot learn the Torah without keeping the Mitzvos and vice versa.
       The Kli Yakar gives a second explanation for these pesukim. He explains that the first crowns Bnei Yisrael took off, refer to the crowns they wore as part of their clothing. Because of their extreme wealth, each person wore a crown decorated with diamond and jewels. However, they did not remove the crowns they were given at Har Sinai since they thought that doing so would look as if they were completely throwing off the Yoke of Torah. It would appear as if they were saying, ‘we know longer have any portion in the Torah or its’ crown.’ So Hashem had to tell them that taking off their crowns would not make such a statement, however, they could still no longer continue to wear them.
       He learns this out from the fact that in Pasuk 4, the people are referred to as “אִישׁ”, as individuals, corresponding to their personal jewelry which was different depending on each person’s level of wealth. In Pasuk 5 however, Hashem tells Moshe to tell Bnei Yisrael to take off their crowns, the crowns they received together as a nation. This is followed up by Pasuk 6 which says, “וַיִּתְנַצְּלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עֶדְיָם מֵהַר חוֹרֵב“So the Children of Israel were divested of their crown from Mount Choreb (33:6). Mount Choreb is another name for Har Sinai, meaning that these crowns were received by the giving of the Torah, the way the Kli Yakar explains.
       The Maftir for this week is Parshas Parah which discusses the halachos of the Parah Adumah, the Red Heifer which was used to purify people who were impure as a result of being in contact with a dead body. Chazal explain that the connection between the Parah Adumah and the Golden Calf is that the mother (the Heifer) should come and clean up the mess made by the baby (the Calf). May this be the year where the punishment for the Golden Calf is lifted and the Parah Adumah is returned to us with Mashiach and the building of the Beis Hamikdash.

Shabbat Shalom!


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