Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Dvar Torah for Rosh Hashana 5775

AIMeM would like to wish all our readers a Shana Tova, a healthy and happy year!

       This week, hundreds of thousands of Jews will celebrate the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the day we celebrate the Jewish New Year. For most people, Rosh Hashanah brings up images of old men in Taleisim (prayer shawls) crying their eyes out, a long, long davening in shul, and this eternal dread of God striking you down with a lightning bolt if you don’t repent immediately. Wow, what a depressing way to bring in the New Year. These images bring up a number of questions. First of all, why are we crying and repenting on Rosh Hashanah, isn’t that what we do on Yom Kippur? Secondly, why on the day we celebrate the New Year, which is a time to thank God for getting us through the previous one, do we cry for two whole days?
       These misconceptions are exactly that, misconceptions. Someone who comes into the holiday with this mindset is missing the beauty of the whole day! The real question we should be asking is what is Rosh Hashanah? What is special about it? Why do some people cry? And why do we spend so much time in shul? Let us try to understand what the purpose of Rosh Hashanah is.
       Rosh Hashanah is the anniversary of the creation of the world. On this day, Hashem became king over all that exists. In other words, Rosh Hashanah is the coronation of Hashem as king of the world. In the time of kings, what were coronations like? These were the happiest days of the year! Everyone was so excited for the new king. There would be massive parties for days, everyone would come pay their respects and the entire kingdom was filled with the spirit of change and new times. The next year on the anniversary of the king’s coronation, they would celebrate again with parties, would sing the king’s praises, and everyone was happy remembering the celebrations of previous years up to the time of the original celebration of the king’s inauguration. We too on Rosh Hashanah must feel this happiness. Hashem became king over this world 5771 years ago this Rosh Hashanah. We must feel this excitement as we would for a human king’s anniversary. So really Rosh Hashanah is a happy day and we treat it as such. For this reason, we have normal Yom Tov seudahs (meals), dress in our finest clothes, and eat all the new fruits. We are celebrating the renewal of the world!
        So what is the serious side to Rosh Hashanah? During every one of these anniversary celebrations for the king, there was a special time set aside for the king to meet with the people of the country individually or in groups representing a village. This was the people’s chance to make any request they wanted of the king. This person needed his taxes lowered in order to survive, this village needed more access to the river neighboring another village for their crops, and others like these. The king then made his decision based on the facts in front of him. Had this farmer paid his taxes fully in the past that now he should get a break? Hadn’t this village been taking water from the river already without permission? The king was also trusted that whether this person was deserving or not, if for whatever reason it was or wasn’t good for him to have his request granted, the king knew what was best for him and the person did not question his decision.
       Can you imagine a simple peasant having the opportunity to meet the king? It must have been an unbelievable experience! Here is this simple farmer getting to meet the person he has served all his life, and only had the opportunity to hear about! It probably took all his self-control not to break down right there in front of the king. Or, if the farmer was not loyal, here is the man who they always said would punish him for doing bad and he never believed in, sitting right in front of him! Can you imagine the fear this person must have felt? Whether from happiness, fear, or sadness, it is not hard to imagine the emotions that must have been going through this person. 
       We are the same way on Rosh Hashanah. This is the beginning of ten days where the king is around us more than ever. On the day of Hashem’s inauguration, he gives us a private audience to voice our requests and show him how we have behaved over the year. On this day we can ask for anything we want to help us in the next year and we trust in Hashem that if what we want is not good for us, it is better that we do not receive it. Now, a person who knows he has sinned might be embarrassed to ask for anything he wants. He thinks, how can he ask for something when he has done all these bad things over the past year! In that case, pray that Hashem should help you do the right things, and daven for the things which will help you accomplish your goals.
       Now we can understand why a person cries on Rosh Hashanah. You are given a private audience with the king of the world to honor him and to ask him for whatever you want! A person can easily be overcome and just burst out crying. And since we don’t even know whether we have been good or bad throughout the year, our fear should be even greater! The Gemarah says that a person does not sin unless a spirit of foolishness comes over him. Why? Because if you believe that Hashem runs the world and gives everything we need to survive including every last breath we breathe, how could you possibly sin! Rather, a person is overcome for a second with a foolish thought and that’s how it happens. If a person can actually picture Hashem in front of him, and he knows that he sinned, it makes sense that he bursts out crying.
       There is another way to think about this king parable. Imagine if your father became the king. You would be so filled with happiness for him that you would lead all the praises and parties for the entire time. So too us on Rosh Hashanah, we feel happy that Hashem is king over us since he is our father. As we daven on Rosh Hashanah, “אבינו מלכנו” “Our father, our king”.
       There is one more reason to celebrate Rosh Hashanah. The first of Tishrei, the date of Rosh Hashanah, is the anniversary of the sixth day of creation, the day that man was created. Why don’t we celebrate the first day of creation, when God began creating the world he is king of? Or why not the second, third, or fourth day, when He created the earth and animals he is king over? Why is Rosh Hashanah, the day where every person, plant, animal, and mineral is judged, celebrated on the day of the creation of man? The answer is that we are not the only people celebrating Rosh Hashanah. Hashem also celebrates with us. What is he celebrating? Our creation! We, the beings who take these days to acknowledge his greatness and dominion over the world, who make this world worth creating through our Torah and mitzvos, Hashem is celebrating us! Now, how can we not join in too! Every prayer that we pray, every thanks that we give over these two days in honor of Hashem goes right back on us. When we show Hashem that we care about him and praise him, he is looking right back at us and saying, ‘Look at my creations! Look at the Jewish people! The entire creation was worth it just for them.’
       Rosh Hashanah is an opportunity for us to commit to new goals for the coming year even if we have behaved badly over the past year. (This is NOT a day of forgiveness, that is Yom Kippur) This process ends on Yom Kippur. (However, since Rosh Hashanah is the first day of a ten day period (known as the Aseres Yimei Teshuvah- The Ten Days of Repentance) which Hashem is waiting for our teshuvah and anxious to see us return, we begin thinking about teshuvah on Rosh Hashanah itself.) Over the days of Rosh Hashanah and the week afterwards culminating in Yom Kippur, we must ask ourselves, what we want to do with our lives and what are we prepared to do to achieve our goals. The first step in that is to acknowledge that Hashem is the one way you can turn for help to accomplish all you want to accomplish. After we accomplish that on Rosh Hashanah, we will be more than ready for the Aseres Yimei Teshuvah and Yom Kippur. Maybe then we will be zoche (will merit) to be called by the great title of Ba’al Teshuvah.


May we all merit a K’siva VaChasima Tovah and a healthy and happy year.


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Thursday, September 18, 2014

Dvar Torah for Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech

       As we approach Rosh Hashanah, there is perhaps no better parshah to read than Parshas Nitzavim as it discusses the concept of Teshuvah, repentance, which is the main theme of this time of year. We may take it for granted, but if you think about it, Teshuvah is an amazing concept.
       First, when we consider the fact that we owe everything we have in this world to Hashem, the fact that we sin (be it intentionally or unintentionally) is an incredible display of chutzpa. When you put it in perspective, the idea that Hashem forgives us for anything is amazing by itself. Furthermore, not only does He forgive us, but depending on the sin, we can have the sin completely wiped clean, as if it never existed! Imagine something happens to you that you are extremely embarrassed about, eventually it will drop off of everyone’s mind and that will be the end. Still, everyone remembers it happened and every once in a while someone will bring it up and have a good laugh. How much would you pay for that event to never have happened? Well, when Hashem grants us mechilah, forgiveness, for our sins, that is exactly what happens! Teshuvah is certainly something we must learn to appreciate more.
       In the fourth aliyah of this week’s parshah, the pasuk reads, “רְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם אֶת הַחַיִּים וְאֶת הַטּוֹב וְאֶת הַמָּוֶת וְאֶת הָרָע“Behold, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil” (Devarim 30:16). Here, Hashem is warning Bnei Yisrael to keep the Torah. He tells them that keeping the Torah grants you life along with all sorts of good things while not keeping the Torah results in the opposite. Interestingly, in Parshas Re’eh, a similar warning was given. “רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה וּקְלָלָה“Behold, today I place before you a blessing and a curse” (26:11). This pasuk is also referring to Bnei Yisrael keeping the Torah; with the Torah comes a blessing and with the opposite comes a curse.
       There is a very clear difference in the pasuk between these two warnings that begs the following question, how come in Parshas Re’eh Hashem does not fully explain to Bnei Yisrael that the consequences of keeping the Torah is not just good and bad (a blessing and a curse), but also is connected to life itself? Why only here in Parshas Nitzavim is this idea fully explained?
       An answer was told over to me in the name of the Meshech Chochma (I have not been able to find it inside to this point). As we mentioned earlier, Parshas Nitzavim introduces the concept of Teshuvah to Bnei Yisrael. Back in Parshas Re’eh, before any explanation of Teshuvah was made, Hashem only told them that the keeping the Torah was connected to good and bad, but not to life and death. Only after explaining how Teshuvah works could Hashem tell them that keeping the Torah would be what would help them actually survive.
       The reason for arranging it this way was simple. It was an accepted fact at that time that at some point in history, Bnei Yisrael would eventually sin. If Hashem had told them that their physical survival was dependant on keeping the Torah, then without the knowledge of teshuvah, Bnei Yisrael would have had the mindset that one strike and you’re out! Your life hangs on the act of just one sin! Even though Hashem still made their physical well-being dependant on keeping the Torah, it is nowhere near the pressure of having your life hang in the balance! However, after relating over the idea of teshuvah and that repentance was possible, Hashem could then tell the nation that their physical survival was dependant on them keeping the Torah as well since they now knew that there was a way out.  
       We are now less than a week away from Rosh Hashanah, and after that, the Aseres Yimei Teshuvah and Yom Kippur. While we work on doing Teshuvah, let’s take a moment to remember what a great gift it is from Hashem that we even have the opportunity to do such a thing. It should motivate us to want to repent harder than ever.


Shabbat Shalom!




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Thursday, September 11, 2014

Dvar Torah for Parshas Ki Savo

       This week’s parshah, Parshas Ki Savo, begins with the mitzvah of Bikkurim, the obligation to bring a portion of your produce to the Beis Hamikdash each year. This is a way of showing appreciation to Hashem for everything He gave you during the previous year. The pesukim write a short tefillah that you are supposed to say when you give the fruits over the Kohen at the Beis Hamikdash. The tefillah ends with the following pasuk, “הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמְּךָ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֵת הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה לָנוּ …” “Look down from your holy dwelling, from the heavens, and bless your people Israel, and the ground which you have given us…” (Devarim 26:15).
       The Ohr HaChaim asks why the pasuk has to say that Hashem should look down from two places, both His ‘holy dwelling’ as well as ‘the heavens’? Moreover, if these terms are referring to the same place, then why does the pasuk have to say ‘from the heavens’, it should simply say ‘from your holy dwelling, the heavens’?
       He explains using a Kabbalistic idea. Hashem created two different sources of influence that provide support to the different aspects of this world, one influences the spiritual aspect of Humans and provides support for the soul, and one influences the physical aspect and provides sustenance for all living things. However, since the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, the source of spirituality has been cut off from this world, leaving the source of physical influence as the only one having any effect on us.
       The terms in the pasuk ‘holy dwelling’ and ‘the heavens’ refer to these different sources. The term ‘holy dwelling’ refers to the spiritual source, an extremely high level that is referred to as “Kadosh”, “Holy”. That is why the pasuk calls it a holy dwelling. (The fact that the tefillah asks Hashem to ‘gaze’ down is also connected to this idea, but that is beyond the scope of our discussion.) “The heavens” is referring to the physical source of sustenance, that is why it is followed up by the phrase ‘and bless your people Israel’, it is a prayer that Bnei Yisrael should receive any and all of their physical needs for the coming year.

Shabbat Shalom!   



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Thursday, September 4, 2014

Dvar Torah for Parshas Ki Seitzei

       This week’s parshah includes some of the laws pertaining to Bnei Yisrael going to war. Even though most of us will never participate in a battle, there are still a variety of laws and concepts to be learned from here.
       The parshah opens, “כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל אֹיְבֶיךָ וּנְתָנוֹ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ“When you go out to war against your enemies, and Hashem, your God, will deliver him into your hands, and you will take his captives.” (Devarim 21:10). The Kli Yakar asks several questions on the wording of this pasuk. (Please remember that these questions are applicable to the original Hebrew text of the pasuk. As such, they may not seem to be grammatical errors based on our English translation.)
       First, why does the pasuk say, “when you go out to war”, shouldn’t it read along the lines of “when you shall fight a war”? Secondly, when the pasuk uses the word “לַמִּלְחָמָה”, it implies that you are merely going to observe the war, not to actually fight. Why doesn’t the pasuk use a word that implies you actually going to fight against the enemy? Lastly, why does the pasuk say “you will take his captives”, meaning from the nation. Shouldn’t it simply read that you will take captives without anything extra?
       The Ramban explains in a later pasuk in this week’s parshah (23:10) that when you go to war, you must be very careful to stay away from speaking badly against your fellow soldiers. Lashon Hara leads to discord among the troops which, when it comes to Bnei Yisrael, causes even more damage than the actual battle. Hashem wants us to remain united, if we do not, He removes His Shechinah from us and we become just another group of people going out to war. Our true strength lies in our unity, which brings Hashem to us.
       The Kli Yakar uses this explanation to explain the wording of our pasuk. First, the pasuk tells us that we must leave our homes to go out to war; there should not be a ‘war’ inside our own cities. The pasuk stresses this point further by saying we should go to war instead of saying we should go to fight. This implies that we are not leaving a ‘war’, meaning discord, behind us in order to go to more war. Behind us is peace and harmony, ahead of us lies a battle. This is also why the pasuk needs to tell us that we are going to fight our enemies. After all, who else would we be fighting? Rather, it is coming to tell us that we should only fight our enemies and not each other. Finally, the pasuk tells us that we should capture the enemy and not try to capture our friends in our war of words.
       This lesson is not only for soldiers, but also for ordinary citizens as well. Furthermore, this lesson is not only for wartime, but also for anytime society places us together as a group (meaning always). Our greatest strength is our unity. It brings Hashem’s presence down to us and helps us fulfill any promise or potential. As we move towards Rosh Hashanah, we are in the middle of a war, not against an outside enemy, but an internal one. We must fight against ourselves and any bad habits we may have in our quest to become true servants of Hashem. Unity can help us in this war as well. By knowing that our friends stand behind us, and us behind them, in our journey towards perfection, it can provide us with that spiritually uplifting push we need to help us succeed.


Shabbat Shalom!      



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