Dvar Torah for Parshas Tazria-Metzora

       This week, we read the double parsha of Tazria-Metzora, whose primary topics include the discussion of Tzara’as. While commonly translated as leprosy, Tzara’as was actually a miraculous disease that appeared as lesions on a person’s skin when they had spoken Lashon Hara. In different situations, these lesions could appear on clothing or buildings as well. When a Kohen confirmed that the lesions were Tzara’as, the victim had to separate himself for a week from the rest of the nation since he was considered tamei. He used that week to do Teshuvah for his sin. Afterwards the Kohen would confirm he was cured and the victim could reenter society.

       There is a famous medrash we have discussed before which pertains to Tzara’as. The story goes like this: There was a peddler who was going through the streets shouting, “Who wants to buy the elixir of life!” Rav Yanai, an amorah, asked him for the elixir. The peddler told him that he didn’t need it, but Rav Yanai insisted. The peddler pulled out a Sefer Tehillim and quoted, “מי האיש החפץ חיים … נצר לשונך מרע” “Who is the man who desires life...stop your tongue from speaking evil” (Tehillim 34:13-14). Rav Yanai replied that he never understood the simple explanation of the pasuk until the peddler explained it to him (Rabba 16:2).

       There are many questions which come up upon reading this story, I’d like to mention three. First, this peddler was not such a good businessman. Instead of selling wares that people usually buy from merchants, he was handing out Mussar! Not exactly a winning business strategy. Who was this man really? Secondly, even though Rav Yanai insisted he tell him, did the peddler really think he could teach the great amorah, Rav Yanai the simple explanation of a pasuk? Lastly, and perhaps most surprisingly, how could it be that Rav Yanai didn’t know the explanation of this pasuk except from this peddler? It seems very simple!

       Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky explains that this peddler was really just a peddler. However, in addition to household wares, he also sold books. In order to market his books, he said that he was selling the elixir of life. A high claim, but a true one. The books really were an elixir for life, since what was contained within the books was life itself.

       Rav Yanai understood that not speaking Lashon Hara would lead to long life; what he was asking for was the elixir, i.e. he was asking for something that would help him achieve his goal of not speaking Lashon Hara. And then the peddler showed him the “elixir”, it was Torah. Hashem gave us the Torah to study and keep, it is an elixir that leads to long life. At this, Rav Yanai was surprised. He couldn’t believe it was so easy to follow the edict of the pasuk, “נצר לשונך מרע”! All he had to do was continue learning Torah.

       There are many different suggestions and tips given in order to prevent our speaking Lashon Hara. While they are all useful to know, let us remember that as long as we are focused on Torah, we have a special elixir ready for us that will help us in our quest to stop speaking evil.

Shabbat Shalom!

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

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Shemini

       Parshas Shemini begins with what should have been a day of celebration for Bnei Yisrael, but instead ended in tragedy. After seven days of training the Kohanim in the duties of the Mishkan, Moshe was ready to hand over the reins to Aharon and his sons. On the eighth day, they brought a series of korbanos in order to officially sanctify the Mishkan. They blessed the nation and celebrated when their offerings were accepted by Hashem. However, in the middle of the celebration, tragedy struck.

      Aharon’s two older sons, Nadav and Avihu, decided to bring an additional korban. The pasuk says, “וַיַּקְרִבוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֵשׁ זָרָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוָּה אֹתָם. וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי יְהוָה וַתֹּאכַל אוֹתָם וַיָּמֻתוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה” “And they brought before Hashem an alien fire that He had not commanded them. A fire came forth from before Hashem and consumed them, and they died before Hashem” (Vayikra 10:1-2). Moshe consoled Aharon by proving that their deaths signified that they were greater than even he and Aharon (See Rashi Pasuk 3); still, their deaths marred the celebratory day, as the entire nation mourned the loss of these great men.

       Chazal give a litany of explanations as to why they deserved to die. One opinion is that they decided a Halacha in front of their rebbi, Moshe, while another says they had drunk wine. Another explains that they had actually sinned by the giving of the Torah by partying instead of preparing to receive the Torah, but in order not to mar that celebration, they were killed now. One says because they never attempted to have children, while another says because they had not properly washed before entering the Mishkan. Another says because they didn’t discuss the matter together before deciding to bring the korban, and the last opinion is because they disrespected Moshe and Aharon by planning out how they would lead the nation after Moshe and Aharon had passed on.

       It is one thing to have this many different opinions about one event, but why do we even need so many ideas in the first place? The Torah clearly tells us why they were killed, “They brought before Hashem an alien fire that He had not commanded them!” Furthermore, we know that Nadav and Avihu were two of the greatest men of the generation, rivaling even Moshe and Aharon; how is it possible that they could be guilty of any of the crimes Chazal accuse them of?

       Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky explains that the actual sin of Nadav and Avihu was like the pasuk says, they brought an unauthorized korban. In order to understand how these two great men could come to do such an aveirah, Chazal presented all these suggestions to us. The process went like this: First, how could they make such a mistake if Moshe and Aharon were around? It must have been that they decided the halachah without consulting them. How could they have the audacity to make such a decision? It must be that they felt they had a better process of teaching Torah, hence their discussions of how they would lead the nation after Moshe’s death.

       And while only being completely drunk was not allowed in the Mishkan (and the Beis Hamikdash), they should have been more careful and not had any wine at all since they could have been called upon at any time to bring a korban. This step showed a degree of Ga’avah, arrogance, towards Hashem as well, making it quite possible that they may have acted similarly by Matan Torah. Ga’avah was also the reason why they never married. Originally, they wanted to follow the path of Moshe, who separated from his wife in order to maintain a constant state of kedushah in order to speak with Hashem at any moment. However, there was another reason as well, buried deep down in their consciousness. As the children of the Kohen Gadol and the nephews of Moshe they felt that no one was worthy of marrying into their family.

       At this point we could question that perhaps they weren’t really good men at all! But that would not be true. Not only was each of these sins done unintentionally, each one of these sins was not intentionally done as a sin! They were all done with nothing but the best intentions. They felt that Torah was not being taught to the nation in the best way possible and wanted to fix that. They had drunk wine in order to celebrate the giving of the Torah and the consecration of the Mishkan; wine is one of the items the Torah tells us to use to celebrate! They hadn’t married in order that they could be constantly available to Hashem. They truly were great men.

       At the same time, everything they did turned out to be a disaster. Because even though they couldn’t see it, it all came from a ga’avah source. Everything they did was determined by their ga’avah. This is a danger that can happen to anyone, even to the greatest men of the generation. Everyone has a trait in the root of their character which has both an element of good and evil. We must be careful and train ourselves that we act on the good part and not the bad. The potential for an altruistic act being based on a bad trait is real, and the line is sometimes very fine. We must work on ourselves to insure that it does not happen to us.

Shabbat Shalom!  

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

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Dvar Torah for Pesach 5777-2017

      On Seder night, we will once again read through the Hagadah and the story of the Jewish People leaving slavery in Mitzrayim. While different parts of the Hagadah tend to draw more focus than others, every paragraph contains enough commentary to capture your interest for the entire holiday. In general, I try to focus on a different part of the Hagadah every year. This year we will discuss the song of Dayeinu.

       One of the highlights of the Seder for many people is the song “Dayeinu”. It contains fourteen stanzas, each one highlighting a different thing that Hashem did for us from our time in Mitzrayim until our arrival in Eretz Yisrael and the building of the Beis Hamikdash, officially ending our exile. After listing each act of Hashem, we say that each act alone would have been enough for us to receive; anything more would have been gravy. The fact that Hashem actually did do each subsequent act for us is a show of His kindness towards us.

       Even though it makes for a great song, the format of it is very strange. Dayeinu takes each event by itself, says that we would have been satisfied with that event alone, then immediately lists the subsequent one and says we would have been satisfied with only that one! The very next paragraph relists the same events and adds that the fact that Hashem ended up doing each additional act for us shows how much we owe Him. This seems like a much more productive and straightforward approach to use. Why doesn’t the Hagadah write only the second paragraph, especially when it seems to make Dayeinu unnecessary? What do we gain from the format of Dayeinu?

       Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, ZT”L, explains that there is an important idea we learn out from the concept of Dayeinu. Not only did each event listed in the song provide us with a new degree of freedom, it also gave us an increased level of spirituality. Even when some items on the list seem useless by themselves, like arriving at Har Sinai without receiving the Torah, there is a benefit to experiencing each individual event. What is that benefit?

       There are some people who reach a certain level of spirituality, of understanding and experiencing Hashem and His kindness towards us, and are completely satisfied. After a certain point, they see no reason to move forward. The song of Dayeinu teaches us that this is not true. While it may have truly been enough for Hashem to take us out of slavery without punishing the Egyptians, we cannot think like this. We must continue to the next stanza and the next stanza, and show that we are committed to growth in spirituality and appreciate all the kindnesses we get from Hashem as they lead us to a greater exposure to Him. We cannot stand still in our pursuit of spirituality even though where we are holding may be more than we ever imagined. The next paragraph then comes in and explains the message clearly; that each kindness that was done was appreciated and is something we need to thank Hashem for every chance we get since it was underserved. That is the lesson of Dayeinu.

       As we celebrate our freedom, we have to understand what it means to be free, what opportunities have been formed because of that freedom. One of those opportunities is the ability to experience Hashem in all His greatness. How can we let any sort of chance slip through our fingers! May we take the lesson of Dayeinu into the Seder and through the entire holiday of Pesach.

Chag Kosher V’Sameach!

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Pesach

Click here for a Dvar Torah for Parshas Tzav

       

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For any questions, comments, or to subscribe to our email list, please email is at AIMeMtorah@gmail.com.

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