Friday, June 30, 2017

Dvar Torah for Parshas Chukas

       Parshas Chukas is known mostly for the halachos of the Parah Adumah, the Red Heifer, which was used to remove the status of Tumas Meis from an individual. It is also a transitional parsha for the Bnei Yisrael as two of their major leaders, Miriam and Aharon, Moshe’s siblings, passed away in this parsha. Since the slavery in Mitzrayim, Miriam and Aharon had always been there for the nation; Miriam as a midwife, saving Jewish babies from death, Aharon acting as peacekeeper between spouses and extended family as well. Their passing left a huge hole in the nation.
       When discussing Miriam’s death, Rashi quotes a gemarah in Moed Katan (28a) that asks, what is the significance of writing the death of Miriam directly after the laws of the Parah Adumah? The Gemarah answers just like the Parah atones for the tumah of Bnei Yisrael, so does the death of tzaddikim atone for the nation. The Kli Yakar says that there are four instances where the medrash connects the death of a tzaddik to the topic written next to it in the Torah. They are: the death of Nadav and Avihu and the halachos of Yom Kippur, the death of Miriam and Parah Adumah, the death of Aharon in this week’s parsha and the clothing of the Kohen Gadol, and the death of Aharon (rehashed in Sefer Devarim) and the breaking of the Luchos. The Kli Yakar goes on to explain that these four topics represent what a tzaddik does for us in this world, which explains why they are written next to each other.
       There is a gemarah in Brachos (17b) that says the sustenance for the entire world is provided in the merit of tzaddikim. There is also a medrash by Parah Adumah which explains that the reason why a Parah is used to remove tumas meis is because since the Bnei Yisrael sinned with a calf (by the Golden Calf), it is only right that the mother of the calf should come and clean up their mess! This is obviously a metaphor, but it shows a connection between Parah Adumah and Miriam. We are taught that the well in the desert was provided only in the merit of Miriam; together with the fact that as a righteous person, she also helped provide food for Bnei Yisrael, she is the mother of the nation, providing them with everything they needed to survive.
       Perhaps the most important function of a tzaddik is to show us the proper path to avodas Hashem and how to do the mitzvos. Losing that is an actual loss of Torah, similar to the breaking of the Luchos. Additionally, the merit of a tzaddik acts as a shield, protecting and masking the nation from all harm; similarly, clothing protects and masks the body. In fact, we are taught that the protective cloud surrounding the camp came in the merit of Aharon, and immediately after his passing, Bnei Yisrael were attacked as that protection was gone. This is the connection between the death of a tzaddik and the clothing of the Kohen Gadol, which also had the function of acting as atonement for the nation in certain cases.
        Lastly, since his removal from this world affects the wellbeing, safety, and educational and spiritual growth of the nation, a tzaddik’s death itself is an atonement! Even with nothing else attached to it! Similarly, the day of Yom Kippur is an opportunity for us to seek atonement without us having to do anything beforehand. Regardless of the circumstances, Yom Kippur will come and provide us with an opportunity to makes things right.
       While Aharon and Miriam were two of the greatest people who ever lived, the same merit they provided for us in their time exists for us nowadays with our tzaddikim. Hopefully we can understand and take advantage of the great people we have with us, and fully appreciate what they provide us with.


Shabbat Shalom! 



Click here to listen this this week's Podcast (Also available on Apple Podcasts)

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

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Don't forget to check out hashkafahandbook.com to learn about my book,Reality Check. And Like it on Facebook.

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AIMeM

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

The 5th Annual Summer of Subscribers is Here!!!!

Dear Subscribers,
The 7th year of AIMeM has been one of new innovations and continued growth thanks to you! With distribution to over 200 people, plus social media, along with the launch of The AIMeM Torah Podcast, AIMeM continues to thrive. Thank you so much for being a part of it.

Summer has begun and it is time once again for the annual Summer of Subscribers (SOS) project. For those of you who don't remember from last year, or are new subscribers, here is how SOS works: Every year during the summertime, we set aside a few weeks for subscribers to submit their own Divrei Torah. Check out the list of parshiyos at the bottom of the page, pick a week, and send in your Dvar Torah. We will then  post it to this blog. Every year, we have a few subscribers write in, some repeats and some new. They are always a big hit.

This is your chance to have your Dvar Torah sent out and read by over 200 people! Divrei Torah can be written in someone's memory or honor, or just to share your Torah thoughts with the world. 

The podcast platform will be available as well. Send in an audio file (preferably mp3) of your Dvar Torah, and we will post it to the website (hashkafahandbook.com); it will also be available on iTunes!

If you are interested, please let us know anytime between now and the week you are interested in. (The earlier the better!) Latest time to reserve a spot is the Wednesday morning of that week. You can send in just a written version, just an audio version, or both! You don't need to worry about editing, formatting, posting, or any of the technical stuff, that will all be taken care of. For more information, please ask. All submissions are subject to final approval by AIMeMTorah.


We hope that everyone will get involved in this project. We enjoy it because it helps us get a better idea of the style of Divrei Torah our readers prefer, while also allowing our readers to share their thoughts with the general readership. Not to mention the Summer vacation we receive!

We are very excited to offer you the same zchus we have each week, the opportunity to share words of Torah with people all over the world.

Thank you for your continued support and have a wonderful summer!

Available Parshiyos: (and the Tuesday date of that week- Wednesday morning is the latest time to reserve)

Parshas Balak                          (July 4)
Parshas Pinchas                       (July 11)
Parshas Mattos- Masei              (July 18) RESERVED
Parshas Devarim                       (July 25) RESERVED
Tisha Bav                                (by Thursday July 27)   
Parshas Vaeschanan                (August 2- Wednesday) RESERVED
Parshas Eikev                         (August 8)
Parshas Re'eh                         (August 15)
Parshas Shoftim                     (August 22)



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

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Don't forget to check out hashkafahandbook.com to learn about my book,Reality Check. And Like it on Facebook.

Check out our other AIMeMTorah project, Nation's Wisdom!



AIMeM

Friday, June 23, 2017

Dvar Torah for Parshas Korach

       Parshas Korach contains the story of how the leadership of Moshe and Aharon was challenged by Korach, and his group of 250 men. However, they were misguided, and their lack of emunah cost them and many others their lives. Korach was famously swallowed up by a hole in the ground, his 250 followers were killed in a different manner.
       In order to show that Aharon was the true Kohen Gadol, each man offered a portion of ketores, usually only offered by the Kohen. Whichever offering was accepted would show whom Hashem had chosen to be the true Kohen. At the same time Korach was swallowed by the ground, a fire came out from heaven and consumed all 250 men, since only the real Kohen could bring a ketores and survive.
       The nation could not accept that Hashem had killed 250 men for this reason, and immediately confronted Moshe and Aharon, claiming they had caused the deaths of these men. In defense of Moshe and Aharon, and in response to the Bnei Yisrael’s lack of belief, Hashem immediately brought a plague upon them. Moshe knew from his time on Har Sinai that bringing a ketores offering would stop a plague. He hurried Aharon to bring one and the plague stopped immediately. The language by the cessation of the plague requires some examination.
       When Aharon first brings the ketores, the pasuk says, “וַיַּֽעֲמֹ֥ד בֵּֽין־הַמֵּתִ֖ים וּבֵ֣ין הַֽחַיִּ֑ים וַתֵּֽעָצַ֖ר הַמַּגֵּפָֽה“He (Aharon) stood between the dead and the living, and the plague ceased.” (Bamidbar 17:13). Then, two pesukim later, “וַיָּ֤שָׁב אַֽהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה אֶל־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְהַמַּגֵּפָ֖ה נֶֽעֱצָֽרָה“Aharon returned to Moshe at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague ceased.” (Ibid 15). Why does the Torah tell me twice that the plague stopped? The Seforno explains that the first time is to tell me that the plague stopped spreading among the people and the second time is to tell me that anyone who was infected was cured.
       The Ohr HaChaim answers using a famous medrash, which explains that Aharon grabbed the angel in command of the plague, and did not let him to continue infecting the nation. The malach demanded he be released so he could continue his mission from Hashem. Aharon refused, saying that Moshe had commanded him to stop the plague. The malach asked Aharon how he could compare a mission from a human being to one from Hashem! Aharon was unruffled, saying that anything Moshe said must be straight from the mouth of Hashem. They then approached the Mishkan, where Moshe was standing and where Hashem’s presence rested, to settle their argument. Upon confirming that Aharon was correct, the malach stopped his mission and left Bnei Yisrael alone.
       While some midrashim are not easily proven, this one appears clear from the pesukim. In pasuk 13, it reads, “וַתֵּֽעָצַ֖ר הַמַּגֵּפָֽה”, which translates literally to “and the plague was made to stop”. While in pasuk 15, it says, “וְהַמַּגֵּפָ֖ה נֶֽעֱצָֽרָה”, literally translated as, “and the plague stopped”. The first time refers to when Aharon forcibly stopped the plague against its will. The second pasuk first says that he returned to Mishkan by Moshe, and then that the plague stopped of its own accord, having received confirmation that Moshe’s word was indeed the word of God.
       From the moment he is introduced and throughout the Torah, we see amazing stories of Moshe Rabbeinu’s greatness. Here is just another example; Aharon was so confident in the word of Moshe that he was willing to take on an angel of Hashem with the confidence that he was right. This is the man Korach challenged, and this is the man Bnei Yisrael were fortunate enough to have lead them through the desert.
Shabbat Shalom!


Click here to listen this this week's Podcast (Also available on Apple Podcasts)

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

Please Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter: @aimemtorah

Don't forget to check out hashkafahandbook.com to learn about my book,Reality Check. And Like it on Facebook.

Check out our other AIMeMTorah project, Nation's Wisdom!



AIMeM

          

Thursday, June 15, 2017

No New Dvar Torah this Week

Due to extenuating circumstances, there is no new Dvar Torah this week. Please click here for last year's Dvar Torah. We will return next week, b'ezrat Hashem, with a brand new Dvar Torah.

Shabbat Shalom!

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

Please Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter: @aimemtorah

Don't forget to check out hashkafahandbook.com to learn about my book,Reality Check. And Like it on Facebook.

Check out our other AIMeMTorah project, Nation's Wisdom!



AIMeM

Friday, June 9, 2017

No New Dvar Torah this Week

Due to extenuating circumstances, there is no new Dvar Torah this week. Please click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Parshas Behaloscha. We will return, b'ezrat Hashem, next week with a brand new Dvar Torah.

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

Please Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter: @aimemtorah

Don't forget to check out hashkafahandbook.com to learn about my book,Reality Check. And Like it on Facebook.

Check out our other AIMeMTorah project, Nation's Wisdom!



AIMeM

Friday, June 2, 2017

Dvar Torah for Parshas Nasso

       Parshas Nasso is the longest parsha in the Torah by pasuk count. As you might expect, it contains some of the most famous topics in the Torah. Among them is the laws of a Nazir, a person who commits himself (or herself) to an extra level of holiness for 30 days by not drinking wine, not taking a haircut, and by not becoming tamei mes, impure as a result of coming into contact with a dead body.
       The purpose of becoming a Nazir is to propel yourself to higher levels of kedushah; the Kli Yakar discusses how abstaining from drinking wine helps with this process. The first idea comes from the laws of Kohanim. The Torah tells us that a Kohen is not allowed to drink wine before working in the Beis Hamikdash. The next pasuk tells us the reason, “וּֽלֲהַבְדִּ֔יל בֵּ֥ין הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ וּבֵ֣ין הַחֹ֑ל“To distinguish between the holy and mundane” (Vayikra 10:10). If abstaining from wine is meant to help distinguish between holy and mundane, the Torah seems to indicate that partaking in wine clouds your judgment in deciding what actions are considered holy. Therefore, a Nazir, who is trying to follow a holier path, should abstain from wine to help keep that path clear.
       The second idea looks beyond the 30 day period of Nezirus. The idea of becoming a Nazir is to springboard into maintaining a higher level of kedushah in your life even after you are finished with the initial 30 days. You may not remain on the same level as when you were a Nazir, but the hope is that some of the spirituality remains and you become a more spiritual person than when you began. Wine is one of the basic and most common forms of pleasure in the physical world (even more so in those times when it was the main drink at every meal). It doesn’t do any good if immediately after you stop being a Nazir that you return to the same level of physicality you enjoyed beforehand! The idea of not drinking wine is to remove a basic physical pleasures for a month as a “training” exercise, allowing you to attempt to remove additional, even more vital physical pleasures after the Nezirus period ends.


Shabbat Shalom!


Click here to listen this this week's Podcast (Also available on Apple Podcasts)

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

Please Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter: @aimemtorah

Don't forget to check out hashkafahandbook.com to learn about my book,Reality Check. And Like it on Facebook.

Check out our other AIMeMTorah project, Nation's Wisdom!



AIMeM