Thursday, April 23, 2015

Dvar Torah for Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim

           Due to the seventh day of Pesach falling out on Friday, Eretz Yisrael and Chutz La'aretz will be one parsha until parshas Bechukosai. Since I am publishing from Eretz Yisrael, we will be following their schedule. Click here for a Dvar Torah for this week's parshas in CHU"L. 

       This week, we read the double parshah of Acharei Mos-Kedoshim, which is about Bnei Yisrael’s responsibility to be a holy nation and how to retain that status. Parshas Acharei Mos begins with a discussion of the service the Kohen Gadol performs on Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is the most important day of the year for us, it is the day Hashem decides the fate of each and every person in the world. As Bnei Yisrael, our fate is most significant, therefore, every single detail on this day was carefully arranged by Hashem Himself to provide the greatest merit possible for each of us.
       One of the first items the parshah discusses is the korbanos the Kohen Gadol would bring. The pasuk reads, “בְּזֹאת יָבֹא אַהֲרֹן אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ בְּפַר בֶּן בָּקָר לְחַטָּאת וְאַיִל לְעֹלָה“With this Aharon shall enter the Holy: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering” (Vayikra 16:3). Later, the Torah adds two more korbanos, “וּמֵאֵת עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יִקַּח שְׁנֵי שְׂעִירֵי עִזִּים לְחַטָּאת וְאַיִל אֶחָד לְעֹלָה“And from the community of the children of Yisrael, he (Aharon) shall take two he goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering” (16:5).
       The medrash (Vayikra Raba 21:11) explains that the reason for these specific animals is explained through our history. In Parshas Vayeira, we are shown an example of the tremendous Hachnasas Orchim that Avraham provided his guests, as he rushed to prepare several oxen for the visiting angels. In order to invoke the merit of Avraham, Hashem commanded the Kohen to bring a bull. Yitzchak was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of Hashem by the famous episode of the Akeidah. We all know that an angel stopped Avraham from killing Yitzchak, and Avraham brought a ram instead. Therefore, we bring a ram to remind Hashem of the tremendous merit gained by Yitzchak. Lastly, Yaakov brought two kid-goats in order to have the blessings bestowed on him by his father. These blessings were integral to the growth and success of Bnei Yisrael both physically and spiritually. Therefore, we bring two goats to remind Hashem of the great merit of our father, Yaakov.        
       The medrash goes on to prove how each one of these stories actually happened on Yom Kippur! Therefore, they become even more fitting to use on this special day.
       The Kli Yakar explains that the main point this medrash is bringing out is that no one, not even Moshe (See Shemos 4:5) can accomplish anything without the merit of our forefathers. Hashem wants nothing more than for us to come to Him on Yom Kippur with full hearts and ask for His forgiveness; and He is more than willing to grant it. However, not even the Kohen Gadol, the holiest man alive, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, in the holiest place on earth, the Kodesh Hakedoshim, can even begin to ask forgiveness without first acknowledging the greatness of our ancestors, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, who made all of it possible.
       We should be constantly thanking Hashem for the opportunity to be born a Jew; we are the luckiest people in the world! Where else can you find such kindness, purity, modesty, dedication, and holiness than among the Jewish people. But when we take an admiring look around at everything our generation has accomplished, and think back to the previous generations who have paved the way, we must go all the way back, back to the times of the Avos and Imahos, who truly paved the way, and gave us guidance for how we live our lives until this very day.


Shabbat Shalom!

Click here for a previous year's Dvar Torah for Parshas Acharei Mos & Kedoshim


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Thursday, April 16, 2015

Dvar Torah for Parshas Tazria Metzora

Due to the seventh day of Pesach falling out on Friday, for the next few weeks, Eretz Yisrael and Chutz La'aretz will be off a parshah. Since we are publishing from Eretz Yisrael, we will be following the order of the Parshiyos here. Please click here to read a Dvar Torah for this week's parshah in Chutz La'aretz. We will even out by Parshas Bechukosai.

       This week, we read the double parshah of Tazria-Metzora, which the majority of deals with the halachos of Tzara’as; translated best into English as leprosy, though that is most likely not what it actually was. Tzara’as was a series of lesions that would appear on your skin, on your house, or on your clothes, when you committed one of a number of sins. The three most discussed reasons for getting Tzara’as are for speaking Lashon Hara, for acting haughty, and for having an extreme desire for money.
       It was not so easy to tell that the lesions you saw were actually Tzara’as, you had to be well learned to know for sure. So when you suspected the appearance of Tzara’as, you had to go to the local Kohen to ask him to confirm; no one else was allowed to make this confirmation. The Sifsei Chachamim on Rashi in Vayikra 13:2 goes so far as to say that even if the Kohen is an Am Ha’aretz, an unlearned person, someone (a non-Kohen) must teach him the proper way to check, in order that the Kohen should be the one to officially announce the appearance and healing of the lesions.
       What is the meaning behind this commitment to the Kohanim that they are the only ones who can confirm an appearance or mistaken appearance of Tzara’as?
       The Kli Yakar explains that Kohen bloodlines are different from all others. Aharon, the original Kohen, encompassed three middos that were passed down to all his descendants. The first was his well-documented propensity for peace. Aharon HaKohen went to great lengths to make peace between spouses, family, and friends. Therefore, he is the perfect person to testify on a punishment for the sin of Lashon Hara, which is caused by hate. The second middah is that Aharon was known as a very humble person (see Shemos 16:8), the exact opposite of haughtiness.
       Finally, Shevet Levi, of which the Kohanim are a part of, did not receive a portion in Eretz Yisrael with the other tribes. For the Kohanim, the only income they received was the Terumah donations of their neighbors and the meat of the korbanos for the few weeks they worked each year in the Beis Hamikdash. They exhibited the middah of taking what was given to them and not desiring more. What better person to discuss the desire for money with than someone who didn’t want it!
       These middos personify the Kohanim, and are the reasons why they are the only ones who can discuss the punishment of Tzara’as. In many ways, Tzara’as is a gift. While it was embarrassing and inconvenient for those who got it, it allowed you the knowledge that you had done something wrong. While nowadays we have to rely on ourselves and the people around us (but more on ourselves) to tell us where we need to improve, in the days when we had Tzara’as, we could tell instantly when we needed to work on ourselves. It was a direct message from Hashem that we should do Teshuvah. How lucky we would be to have that same knowledge!
       And what better person to deliver the message than someone who understands the evil of these particular sins, and whose family has fought through the generations to rid themselves of them. The Kohen is truly the right messenger to deliver this powerful and thankfully, clear message.
Shabbat Shalom!
      
Click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Tazria & Metzora


       

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Friday, April 3, 2015

Dvar Torah for Pesach 5775-2015

       Once again, we have arrived at one of my favorite times of the year, Pesach! Tonight at the Seder, we will once again read through the Hagadah and tell the story of how Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim.
A well-known and popular part of the Hagadah is the paragraph/song, “V’hi Sheamda.”  In this paragraph, we thank Hashem for saving us from the enemies that have stood before us in each and every generation. We recite it with a purpose and an appreciation to Hashem for constantly and consistently saving us from our enemies.
       However, it does seem strange to sing this paragraph in joyous song. It begins, “שֶׁלֹּא אֶחָד בִּלְבָד עָמַד עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר עוֹמְדִים עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ“It has not only been one (nation) that has stood against us to destroy us, rather, in every generation they stand against us to destroy us...” Why would we sing about people coming to destroy us? We should only sing the end of the paragraph when we say, “וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַצִּילֵנוּ מִיָּדָם“And Hashem saves us from their hands.”
       Perhaps you could answer that the fact that Hashem saves us is the reason we are singing! Therefore, part of the joy we feel is in mentioning that He saves us in every single generation from people who want to completely destroy us. So we sing the entire paragraph in order to focus on this great blessing we have to be Hashem’s children.
       To this, I would respond that even when Hashem saves us, we still take tremendous losses. Look at the Inquisition, look at the decrees of Tach V’Tat, look at the Holocaust; even though Hashem saved us, how can we forget all the terrible things that happened? (Not that we are suggesting not to sing because we blame Hashem, rather, that we should only sing at the mention of His saving us, not when we mention the terrible hardships our People has faced over the years.)
       In order to answer, let’s use a mashal. A poor man works for many years saving money, and finally saves up enough to buy a house. But what kind of house can a poor man buy! The shutters are broken, the floorboards are cracked, the windows hang loose in their frames, the paint is peeled off inside and out; it’s little more than a shack, but it’s his!
       On the first night they stay in the house, the poor man and his wife hear a robber breaking in. He quickly gets out of bed and chases him away. The next night, the same thing happens; they hear a robber breaking into the house, get out of bed, and chase him away. The same thing happens every night for a week. The poor man cries, “What could they possibly want in this house! Can’t they see how dilapidated it is? Who would think there is anything to steal here?”
       They come to the realization that the only explanation is there must be a treasure hidden in the walls of the house. That could be why people keep trying to break in. They search, and find an amazing treasure hidden in the walls of the house.
       Explains the Chazon Ish, the Jewish People make up only a small percentage of the billions of people in the world, yet, they are on the forefront of everyone’s mind. Why is this? Why does such a small percentage of the world make up the biggest percentage of the world’s headaches? The answer is that they recognize that we possess a treasure to rival all treasures. We possess something that no one else has. Therefore, they constantly occupy themselves with us, trying in some way to access our treasure. But, usually, they don’t do it in a polite way.
       This is the reason why we sing the entire paragraph of V’hi Sheamda, even the part about how the nations attempt to destroy us. The fact that the nations have attempted in every single generation to come after us shows that we still possess this amazing treasure, even until this very day! The fact that they persecute us is testimony to the specialness we possess. We may not want to be killed, but we should recognize that these trials and tribulations only come as a result of our greatness. We declare this fact proudly, and sing the entire paragraph, even the part that discusses our troubles.
       There are so many little ideas brought in the Hagadah that make it a fascinating book to learn in depth. This year, when we read V’hi Sheamda, let’s take a moment to think about what we are saying. We acknowledge the fact that our people have had a hard history, we thank Hashem for continuously saving us time and time again, and we declare proudly, in full song, that there is no nation like us. There is no other nation that possesses the ultimate treasure, the one we received when we left Mitzrayim, the label of being Hashem’s children.  
Chag Kosher V’Sameach!


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