Dvar Torah & Podcast for Shavuos

       As Shavuos comes around once again, we must find ways to connect to the greatest gift Hashem gave us, the Torah. The primary way of connecting is through study, i.e. showing how much we appreciate this great gift. However, even for those who cannot or don’t study it, there are other ways to use it to connect to Hashem. Not only the Torah itself, but the reality surrounding it is full of connections. By understanding this reality, we can cultivate a connection.
       The last parsha in the Torah is Vezos Habracha, where Moshe blesses the different shevatim before his death. The parsha begins with a reference to the giving of the Torah. “וַיֹּאמַ֗ר יְהֹוָ֞ה מִסִּינַ֥י בָּא֙ וְזָרַ֤ח מִשֵּׂעִיר֙ לָ֔מוֹ הוֹפִ֨יעַ֙ מֵהַ֣ר פָּארָ֔ן וְאָתָ֖ה מֵרִֽבְבֹ֣ת קֹ֑דֶשׁ מִֽימִינ֕וֹ אֵ֥שׁ דָּ֖ת לָֽמוֹ” “And he (Moshe) said, ‘Hashem came from Sinai and shown forth from Seir to them; He appeared from Mount Paran and came with some of the holy myriads; from His right hand was a fiery law for them.” (Devarim 33:2). The various commentaries explain that this pasuk comes before the blessings of Moshe because the entire reason why the nation could be blessed was because they had received the Torah.
       However, a part of the pasuk doesn’t seem accurate. It reads, “Hashem came from Sinai”; Hashem didn’t come from Sinai to deliver the Torah, He came towards Sinai and delivered it on top! The pasuk seems to have it backwards. Rashi explains that it means to say that Hashem brought His Shechinah towards the Bnei Yisrael, similar to a groom going to meet his bride. But the pasuk could have said instead that Hashem came from heaven towards Bnei Yisrael. Why say Sinai when that is not an accurate statement?
       The Kli Yakar explains with another similarly perplexing statement. The very beginning of Avos reads, “משה קבל תורה מסיני” “Moshe received the Torah from Sinai” (Avos 1:1). What does it mean Moshe received the Torah from Sinai? The more correct version should read either he accepted it on Sinai or from Hashem; what is the meaning behind this phrasing? The answer to both these question lies in the famous medrash why Har Sinai was chosen as the mountain upon which to give the Torah.
       Even though there were many other taller and more beautiful mountains, Hashem chose the small, plain Sinai to make a point. The Torah is the greatest gift imaginable, within it are contained all the secrets of the universe and receiving it is the greatest proof of Hashem’s love. With all this significance, it is vital to remain exceedingly humble while possessing it. This is what is mean by Hashem coming from Sinai; He was showing Bnei Yisrael the proper way to accept the Torah. And the Mishna shows us that Moshe, who the Torah teaches was the most humble man ever, internalized this lesson and accepted the Torah not on Sinai, but from Sinai. The message of the mountain was received.
       Shavuos has a specific goal attached to it, to connect ourselves to the Torah in the best way possible. This is not accomplished only by showing our love for it through study, but in showing that we truly internalize the messages it gives us. Let us learn from Hashem, Moshe, and Har Sinai, and work this Shavuos to internalize Torah in every way.

Chag Sameach!

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Dvar Torah & Podcast for Pesach 5778

       AIMeMTorah would like to wish all of our readers a Happy Pesach and a Chag Kosher V'Sameach!

       

       We have arrived once again at the holiday of Pesach and one of my favorite nights of the year, the Seder! As I say every year, the Hagadah is one of my favorite books to study and develop new ideas from. Every year, we try to examine a different part of the Hagadah and glean new insights. This year, we will focus on three paragraphs found in the middle of Magid, beginning with “רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר” “Rabi Yosi Haglili says”.

       These three paragraphs contain a machlokes between Rabi Yosi Haglili, Rabi Eliezer, and Rabi Akiva as to exactly how many makkos the Egyptians received from Hashem while in Mitzrayim and later by Krias Yam Suf. They all agree that the Egyptians received five times as many makkos while at the sea, but they disagree as to the exact numbers. Rabi Yosi says they received ten while in Mitzrayim and fifty by the sea. Rabi Eliezer says that each makkah in Mitzrayim was actually four different makkos; therefore, the numbers are forty and 200. Rabi Akiva says each makkah was really five different makkos, and therefore the numbers are fifty and 250. The whole argument is based on how exactly to learn out the meaning of a pasuk in Tehillim (78:49). (Rabi Yosi doesn’t learn out anything from this pasuk, instead relying on the pasuk in Shemos 14:31.)

       Several questions immediately come to mind after reading these paragraphs, but the one that stands out is what difference does it make how many makkos there were? What exactly are they arguing about here?

       The most common answer to this question comes from the Vilna Gaon. He quotes a pasuk which says, “כל המחלה אשר שמתי במצרים לא אשים עליך” “(If you will listen to all Hashem tells you) Any of the diseases I placed upon Egypt, I will not place upon you” (Shemos 15:26). Hashem tells us that he will not do anything to us that He did to the Egyptians. Therefore, if the Egyptians only received ten makkos, there are only ten things we won’t receive. But if there were 250 makkos, we wouldn’t be able to receive any of those! So the more makkos there are, the better it is for us.

       Rav Yosef Tzvi Rimon offers an explanation which adds on a beautiful piece to this GR”A. The makkos created a clear distinction between the Jews and Egyptians. While the Egyptian searched for water, choked on frogs, and scratched at his lice, the Jew sat calmly by watching it all happen in perfect comfort. It was very clear that Hashem was singling out the Egyptians for punishment as well as raising the Jews up out of love. Now, while it was certainly possible for this to be shown with just ten makkos, the more makkos there were, the more we can point out Hashem’s love for us. With every additional makkah, Hashem was showing His love for Bnei Yisrael that they were not evil like the Egyptians, that they deserved prominence instead of punishment. This is the argument between these Tannaim, and this is why it’s important to know how many there were.

       There is no better night for this discussion than the Seder, the night where we point out the direct hashgachah we receive in this world from Hashem. In fact, the very next paragraph in Magid is the song of Dayeinu, a list of every act of hashgachah from the time we left Mitzrayim until we entered Eretz Yisrael. May we all be blessed with this continued hashgachah, until it brings us to the true Geulah, speedily in our days!

Chag Kosher V’Sameach!

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah & Podcast for Pesach

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Dvar Torah & Podcast for Purim

       Too often, perhaps because of the fact that we are allowed to do work unlike Shabbos and other holidays, or because there are so many elements packed into one day, Purim is overlooked as a day of spiritual growth. While the mitzvos of the day are meant to be performed with that mindset, the frenetic, hectic, and overwhelming activities of the day don’t lend themselves to sitting and thinking. Too easily, fundamental aspects of Purim are lost in the shuffle. In this Dvar Torah, we will examine one such fundamental idea.

       The Gemarah (Megillah 16) tells us of an interesting encounter between Haman and Mordechai. When Haman came to the Beis Medrash to take Mordechai to the parade in his honor, he asked them what they were learning. As it was Pesach, they were learning the halachos of the Korban Omer, the barley offering brought on the second day of Pesach; specifically the halachos of the flour brought as a Korban Mincha. Upon hearing this, Haman uttered, “Your handful of flour has overpowered my 10,000 pieces of silver.” He knew from that point that he had no chance of defeating the Jewish People; and the very next day, he was killed.

       The medrash continues on this point and says that the merit of the mitzvah of the Omer which provided the salvation for the Jewish People by the story of Purim. Wow! What is the connection between Omer and Purim and what is the great merit found in the mitzvah of Omer that could provide salvation for the Jewish People?

       Rav Eliyahu Dessler, ZT”L, in his sefer, Michtav M’Eliyahu, expounds on this idea. When we think about all the work we put in so we can just survive, we understand immediately how difficult it is. We work very hard to bring home money for food. The food preparation itself is not easy either; many hours are put in to preparing a meal from start to finish. But when we look at nature, we think everything is so easy. In many instances without any effort on the part of any person, food comes out of the ground. Something as simple as planting a seed in the ground and leaving it alone for some time, can result in beautiful produce. The sun rises and sets by itself, no need to wire electricity around the city. And while we need to do laundry, the air and ground are washed every so often by the rain.

       But this is not true; food doesn’t just sprout from the ground. The soil must be right, there must be plenty of rain, the seed needs sunlight as well. And while these things happen naturally, that doesn’t mean there is no effort behind it. Hashem is behind every single step of this process, but because we have come to think of it as a natural occurrence, we don’t see how this is a miracle as well. Barley is a good representative of this. It is a grain which is cheap, not usually used for human consumption, a plant which was often left to its’ own devices. However, in reality, even barley is from the greatest of Hashem’s miracles. We just need to look at nature and understand how all of it is supernatural.

       This is the avodah of Purim. Looking at the entire story of Purim, every aspect of it was completely natural. Vashti made Achashverosh upset, so he killed her and picked a new wife, the most beautiful woman he could find. She happened to be related to the Gadol Hador who also happened to overhear a plot to assassinate the king. Years later, the king decided to repay the favor and gave this man tremendous influence. At the same time, the king’s trusted advisor, Haman, rose through the ranks of government. He decided to kill the Jews, but his plans were foiled when it was discovered that the queen herself was Jewish! The king was furious and immediately did away with him, saving the Jews in the meanwhile. What a tremendous set of circumstances! But without proper perspective, that’s exactly how this story would be seen.

       It’s our job on Purim to look at the world and understand how everything, whether it be the interactions between kings and common folk, or how the barley stalks rise and the sun sets every day, it is all a miracle; there is nothing simple or natural about it. It’s all significant and is part of Hashem’s plan.

       And by the way, the day Haman was killed was the second day of Pesach, the same day we brought the Korban Omer in the Beis Hamikdash.

Purim Sameach!

Click here for a previous year's Dvar Torah for Purim

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Dvar Torah for Succos & Podcast

AIMeMTorah would like to wish all our readers a wonderful Succos! Please click here to read this week's Dvar Torah and click the link below to listen to the Podcast.

Chag Sameach!

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Dvar Torah for Yom Kippur & Podcast

       While on a normal day we daven three tefillos and four on Shabbos, on Yom Kippur we daven five times. In addition to the typical tefillos of Shachris, Mincha, Maariv, and Mussaf, an extra teffilah of Neilah is added at the end of the day as well. Yom Kippur is the last day for us to commit ourselves to a proper life and to ask Hashem for a good year, so we do our best to pray as much as time allows. The major theme of davening is the Viduy, the Confession, where we ask Hashem to forgive us for the many sins we have committed over the previous year. Viduy is said both in the silent Amidah as well as in the Chazzan’s repetition for a total of ten times over the course of the day. Why do we need to say it so many times? After the first time, we have already committed to being better people, so why do we need to say it over and over again?

       The answer lies in discovering the main purpose of the Viduy. The Rambam in Hilchos Teshuva (1:1) explains Viduy contains four vital parts: recognizing that you have sinned, listing the sins you have committed, regretting your actions, and committing not to repeat those sins. All of these parts are vital and of equal importance. However, in a different place the Rambam says the only important part of Viduy is recognizing that you have sinned (2:8). What happened to the other three ‘important’ parts?

       Rav Shalom Schwadron, ZT”L, in his sefer Kol Dodi Dofek, explains this seeming contradiction in the Rambam. There is a type of Viduy that must be made in order to fulfill the mitzvah of Teshuvah. This is the one explained in 1:1 of Hilchos Teshuvah and includes four vital parts. However, the mitzvah of Teshuvah is a process that is focused over the entire time period from Elul through the Aseres Yimei Teshuvah; but when it comes to Yom Kippur, there is a special class of Viduy which must be done. It’s not simply about committing to a better future, it’s the recognition that we have sinned. It is the only vital part to this Viduy. (The Ramban in 2:7 actually seems to indicate that when it comes to Yom Kippur, there is a concept of Viduy separate from the obligation of Teshuva.)

       The idea behind Yom Kippur is not just to look at our actions from the past year, sincerely regret any sins, and commit to a better future; that’s the idea of this entire period! Yom Kippur, is specifically about recognizing even before we repent, that we have done something wrong. Even though we may have fulfilled the confession portion of our obligation to repent, we must make another separate declaration admitting that we were wrong.

       This is the reason why we repeat Viduy twice in every Tefillah. It’s not enough for us to request forgiveness, we must recognize what we did wrong. Yom Kippur is such an amazing gift, it’s the opportunity to start completely from scratch, an entirely clean slate. In order to properly recognize this gift, we must first understand how great it is. How do we do this? We say: We were wrong! We were not right! How embarrassing that is to admit, to say we have sinned against Hashem, the One to whom we owe everything. What an amazing chance we have now to make it all go away! Once we recognize that, the Teshuva process we have begun over a month ago takes on a different feel and rhythm; we can now truly begin to ask forgiveness and commit to being better people in the year ahead.

       May we use this Yom Kippur in its intended manner. May our Viduy be sincere and our tefillos be said with proper intent. With this mindset, we will truly merit a healthy and successful new year!

Gmar Chasima Tova!

Shabbat Shalom!  

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Yom Kippur

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech & Rosh Hashanah & Podcast

       It’s fitting that Parshas Nitzavim-Yayeilech comes out during Rosh Hashanah and the Aseres Yimei Teshuvah as it includes the source to the concept of Teshuvah in the Torah. One of the most famous series of pesukim in Sefer Devarim is found at the end of Nitzavim and is a good example of this as well as the idea of how we connect to Hashem.

       "כִּי הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לֹא נִפְלֵאת הִוא מִמְּךָ וְלֹא רְחֹקָה הִוא. לֹא בַשָּׁמַיִם הִוא ... וְלֹא מֵעֵבֶר לַיָּם הִוא ... כִּי קָרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ הַדָּבָר מְאֹד בְּפִיךָ וּבִלְבָבְךָ לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ" “For this commandment that I command you today, it is not hidden from you and it is not distant. It is not in the heavens…Nor is it across the sea…Rather, the matter is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to perform it.” (Devarim 30:11-14). The Kli Yakar gives two explanations for these pesukim.

       There are two aspects to every mitzvah, the actual doing of the mitzvah and the intent, the kavanos, the thought behind it. While the actions we take to accomplish the mitzvos are written down in the Torah for anyone to see and perform, the proper intent behind the mitzvos is hidden from the nations of the world as part of our oral and mystical tradition. These ideas were intended only for the Jewish People, therefore, Hashem did not include them in the Written Torah. It is to these two aspects that these pesukim refer.

       “It is not hidden from you”, refers to the kavanos of the mitzvos, which were hidden from the goyim, but not from us. The next part of the pasuk doesn’t say specifically “from you”, but a general statement of “it is not distant”; this is because the actual obligations are written out clearly for anyone who desires to see them, regardless of which nation they belong to. The pesukim then continue, “It is not in the heavens”; the wisdom behind the mitzvos was not kept hidden from us in the heavens, Moshe brought it back with him and gave it to us! Furthermore, “Nor is it across the sea”, the opportunities for mitzvos don’t lie in a faraway place where we can’t reach them. But even if they do, we are still covered.

       The final pasuk reads, “The matter is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to perform it.” The heart is where the intent lies, where we consider what we are doing, accomplishing, when we perform a mitzvah. The mouth is where the action lies, even when the mitzvah doesn’t require speech. The gemarah (Menachos 110a) teaches that even when there is no opportunity to do a certain mitzvah (like nowadays when we can’t bring korbanos), studying its laws becomes as if you are performing it. This includes learning the kavanos of the mitzvah, which becomes as if we did the mitzvah with its’ proper intent. So no matter what happens, every mitzvah is always “in your mouth and in your heart.”  

       The second explanation connects these pesukim to the concept of Teshuvah. The phrase “For this commandment” is usually explained as a reference to the Torah. However, the Kli Yakar wants to say it refers to the mitzvah of Teshuvah, which is brought in the pesukim immediately preceding our topic. Teshuvah is not “hidden from you”. Hashem presents the idea of Teshuvah to us here in the Torah, and Chazal teach us that both the Jewish People and the concept of Teshuvah preceded the creation of the world; this idea is more present to us than to anyone else in the world! “It is not in the heavens”; we don’t need a representative, someone as great as Moshe Rabbeinu, to go ask Hashem for forgiveness, it’s already with us! We know that Hashem will forgive us. If we prepare our heads and our hearts to return to Hashem, He is already returning to us, waiting for the opportunity to exercise the mitzvah of Teshuvah for all of us.

Shabbat Shalom!

K’Siva V’Chasima Tova!    

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

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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

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Dvar Torah for Rosh Hashanah 5777

       AIMeM Torah would like to wish all our readers a happy and healthy New Year! Thank you for all your support over the past year.

       Once again, Rosh Hashanah is upon us. This time of year is primarily and rightfully looked at as a time of repentance, retrospection, and recognition of Hashem as our King. However, this whole period from Elul to Yom Kippur is also about developing our relationship with Hashem. There is a famous teaching that the month of אלול is an acrostic for the phrase “אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי לִי” “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine”, found in Shir HaShirim (6:3). This teaches us that the whole point of the Elul and Aseres Yimei Teshuvah process is to reach a stage where we feel that bond between us and Hashem, both on an individual and national level.

       The relationship between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael is described throughout Shir HaShirim, with both parties referring to each other as דּוֹדִי. Rav Shalom Schwadron, in his famous sefer on Elul, Kol Dodi Dofek, examines a number of these pesukim and shows how we can use them to enhance this time of year and develop our own דּוֹדִי relationship with Hashem. I would like to examine one such example.

       Perek 5 of Shir HaShirim begins with the beloved (Hashem) coming to visit in the middle of the night, but we hesitate to open the door since we are already in bed. The pasuk continues, “דּוֹדִי שָׁלַח יָדוֹ מִן הַחוֹר וּמֵעַי הָמוּ עָלָיו” “My beloved stretched out his hand from the hole, and my insides stirred because of him” (5:4). Rav Schwadron explains that the hole must not have always been here, otherwise, the beloved would have reached in immediately instead of asking and waiting for us to open to door. Additionally, the fact that this hole is important enough to be mentioned means we must discuss its origins. Where did it come from? How was it made?

       Imagine if someone knocks on your door in the middle of the night. Not only that, you have just finished all your preparations for bed, and are just sliding under the covers to go to sleep. Whoever knocks now better be very important or you’re not getting out of bed! And that in of itself is a tremendous sign of the relationship.

       This example is the exact same situation as is written in the pesukim! And while we reply to our beloved that it would be hard for us to get out of bed, the very fact that we bother responding to him shows that he is important enough to us to warrant a response when we are exhausted, lying in bed. Someone who we don’t value at all, wouldn’t even get any response out of us at all!

       This is just a small gesture, perhaps not even a very respectful one; but Hashem in His mercy considers this the beginning of Teshuvah. Even a small acknowledgement of His value to us is enough to create a small hole in what was a solid wall. Upon seeing this “hole”, Hashem immediately jumps forward and sticks His hand in, to better enhance that connection between us.

       But if we create the hole and Hashem reaches out to us, how come the pasuk says “my beloved stretched out his hand from the hole”, if Hashem is outside, He should be stretching His hand towards the hole! Rav Schwadron explains, this is the secret of Teshuvah. If we put in even just a little effort from our side, then not only does Hashem help us, He comes over to our side and pushes us towards Him! He stretches out His hand, not towards us, but from behind, guiding us and bringing us even closer to Him. However, that assistance only comes as a result of our efforts, therefore, even with Hashem behind us, the hole remains small.

       However, this explanation contradicts a different statement of Chazal. There is a famous medrash on this Perek that says if we will open even a small hole for Hashem, He will expand that hole to fill the whole world (Shir HaShirim Rabba 5:2). So on one hand, we see that Hashem supports us only in accordance with our efforts, while on the other hand, we see that Hashem expands the hole even with just a small effort on our part. Which way is it?

       The difference is simple. If a person wants to develop a relationship with Hashem, but he’s not willing to improve himself to the point where he appreciates and understands the significance of such a relationship to get it, then his hole remains small. And while Hashem will assist him, it will only be as much as the person is willing to do himself. But if a person really wants to change, if he really wants to do Teshuvah, then Hashem will help him to the nth degree!

       By either person, this is a tremendous show of kindness from Hashem. Even someone who is only interested in putting forth minimal effort will still find his efforts rewarded, but only to a point. But for someone who is willing to do what it takes, it doesn’t take much effort either! Just beginning the journey, with just the small bit of effort at the beginning, Hashem will provide you with everything you need to reach your destination.

       May we all merit a wonderful and meaningful Rosh Hashanah and Aseres Yimei Teshuvah. May we all concentrate our effort on forming a relationship with Hashem; and by simply beginning to show that we care, we should all merit the Siyata Dishmaya, the divine assistance to reach that goal.

K’Siva Vachasima Tova!

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