Dvar Torah for Parshas Lech Lecha

       The first steps towards the birth of the Jewish People appear in this week’s parshah with the introduction of Avraham Avinu, the patriarch of the Jewish Nation. The parshah begins with Hashem telling Avraham to move to Eretz Yisrael, and ends with the promise of a great nation coming through Avraham’s future son, Yitzchak.

       The parshah begins with the first instance that Hashem ever spoke to Avraham, who at the time was still known as Avram. The pasuk reads, “וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ” “And Hashem said to Avram, ‘Go forth from your land, and from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you” (Bereishis 12:1). The Ohr HaChaim points out that there is no other instance of Hashem speaking to someone without first appearing to that person in some capacity, either through a dream, vision, or a physical object. By Avraham, however, Hashem spoke to him without the assistance of a visual aid.

       The Ohr HaChaim gives two reasons for this. First, unlike anyone else that Hashem spoke to in the Torah, Avraham, from a very young age, actively sought out Hashem. In fact, until that point in history, no one else had ever done this. At a time when everyone was worshipping idols, Avraham looked at the world and recognized that Hashem as the true creator. With everyone else that Hashem spoke to, while they all believed in Him, there was a part of them that did not completely ‘recognize’ Hashem for who He is. Therefore, Hashem had to speak to them using a visual aid in order for His full impact to be appreciated and ‘understood.’ However, because Avraham had worked on recognizing Hashem in a ‘hostile’ environment, and completed this journey over the course of his life, he did not need the extra visual aid when Hashem finally came to speak to him. He had developed this appreciation and understanding of Hashem while overcoming a world full of idol worshippers, and recognized Hashem as the one true God.

       The second reason also has to do with Avraham recognizing Hashem, but from the opposite perspective. For the previous ten generations since Noach, there had not been anyone who had been worshipping idols and then gone away from them to seek out Hashem. Therefore, Hashem was not ready to appear before just anyone, He had to be sure that Avraham was really committed to Him. So He first spoke to Avraham, without a visual aid, and gave him a difficult task, to leave his family and his homeland and venture into the desert. Once Avraham completed that task with enthusiasm, Hashem saw that it was the right time to appear to him. By the others Hashem appeared to, they already had grown up knowing Hashem and had shown themselves to be committed to Him, and therefore, Hashem felt comfortable appearing to them immediately on His first time speaking to them.  

Shabbat Shalom!

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Noach

       Parshas Noach tells the well-known story of when Hashem brought a flood and destroyed the world except for a tzaddik named Noach, and his family. The reason given in the Torah for the Flood is that humans had destroyed society, and had gone so far away from how the world was supposed to function, that Hashem had no choice but to ‘start over.’ After the Flood ended, Hashem made a few structural changes to how man related to the world in order that future generations would not reach the same levels of degradation that the generation of the Flood had reached.

       One of these changes is something that makes a very big difference in our lives, that we may not realize was not allowed until this point in history. “כָּל רֶמֶשׂ אֲשֶׁר הוּא חַי לָכֶם יִהְיֶה לְאָכְלָה כְּיֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב “נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת כֹּל “Every moving thing that lives shall be yours to eat; like the green vegetation, I have given you everything” (Bereishis 9:3). With this statement, Hashem gave man permission to eat meat. For ten generations since Adam, all men had been vegetarians, not by choice, but by the command of Hashem. After the Flood, this was changed.

       The Ohr HaChaim asks why Hashem waited until now to permit the eating of meat, and did not permit it immediately by Adam and the creation of the world. He explains that the permission to eat meat gives humans a certain governance over animals; Noach was given this governance for three reasons. The first reason is that without Noach, Hashem would have destroyed the entire world, including the animals that came with him on the ark. So, in essence, these animals, and their descendants, owed Noach their lives. Therefore, Hashem gave him authority over them. The second reason is that when Noach came off the ark, he immediately brought korbanos (from the animals) to Hashem. It was because of these korbanos that Hashem promised to never again destroy the world. (See 8:21.) Since Noach was responsible for insuring the survival of the world, Hashem gave him permission to satisfy himself from even animals. The final reason is because of all the hard work and effort Noach put into taking care of the thousands of animals he brought onto the ark with him. As a reward, Hashem gave him this extra authority over them.

         None of these reasons applied to anyone at any time before the Flood. Only now, after Noach did all these things in order to sustain the animals, was man given this ‘supreme’ authority over them, and was granted permission to eat meat. Enjoy your seudah this Shabbos! להתענג בתענוגים ברבורים ושלו ודגים!!

Shabbat Shalom!

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Dvar Torah for Succos

AIMeM would like to wish everyone a wonderful Succos and a Chag Sameach! Please click here to enjoy a beautiful Dvar Torah for Succos.

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Dvar Torah for Yom Kippur 5775

       As we stand on the eve of Yom Kippur and look back at the last forty days, it has been…an experience. We have gone through the month of Elul, Rosh Hashanah, and the Aseres Yimei Teshuvah, and we now have arrived at Yom Kippur, the most incredible, holy, and awesome day of the year. A day that represents our final chance to achieve repentance for our sins, our priority is to use these last hours to focus on doing Teshuvah. There is no better time than now to make sure we know exactly how Teshuvah works. Here are a few ideas about Teshuvah to keep in mind as we experience Yom Kippur.

       Every year when Elul comes around, we do our best to improve ourselves. Whether we accept new stringencies on ourselves to improve our behavior and reinforce our commitment to Hashem, promise to dedicate ourselves more to the study of Torah and doing mitzvos and treating people better, we are all focused on becoming better people. And yet, it seems that every year, shortly after Yom Kippur ends, we go right back to the way we acted before, as if nothing ever changed.

       The Gemarah in Moed Katan (27) says that a person who does the same sin over and over again, eventually begins to treat it as if it is not a sin at all! Rashi explains further that from that point on, he will never do Teshuvah for that sin. But perhaps this isn’t true, maybe that person will come to his senses and realize that what he is doing is wrong; will he no longer be able to do Teshuvah? Of course he will! Rather, explains R’ Shalom Schwadron ZT”L, the Maggid of Yerushalayim, what happens is that this person will continue to do Teshuvah year after year and then, following Yom Kippur, will go and do the same sin again. The end result is that this person does not just see that he keeps doing the same sin, he sees that his motivation to do Teshuvah and go back on his bad habits was not real! He’s still doing the same sins! Eventually, because he does not see any value in it, Teshuvah will become worthless to him and he won’t do it anymore! Can you imagine losing Teshuvah, such an important part of our lives! This is what the gemarah in Moed Katan meant when it said that he treats his sins as no big deal.

       This is an idea we must keep in mind. We too see that no matter how much we try and change in Elul, eventually, the whole cycle repeats itself and once again we find ourselves at Yom Kippur asking forgiveness for the very same sins we did last year! Perhaps, chas v’shalom, our Teshuvah is worthless! This is of course not true, our Teshuvah matters very much. We must continue to motivate ourselves to do Teshuvah, let us tell ourselves that perhaps this is the year that we will overcome our Yetzer Hara and our commitments will stick!  

       The truth is, keeping to our commitments from this time of year would go a long way in making us feel good about ourselves, however, it is extremely hard to accept new projects and make sure to follow through on them for a year or even longer! An idea to help with this is to think of a commitment, then take half of it…then split it again and make that your new commitment. Besides for helping avoid the issue of taking on a huge commitment, it is more important that you stick to your commitment fully than try to impress by taking on more than you can handle. Therefore, it is better to take on a small commitment and be able to completely accomplish it, than to take on something big and only complete some of it.

      

       There is a story told in the Gemarah (Avoda Zara 17) of a man named Elazar ben Durdaya who went out of his way to commit some of the worst sins imaginable. One day, he was told that he could no longer do Teshuvah for sins. He went and sat between two mountains and asked that their ministering angels should daven for him. When they refused, he realized, “the matter is entirely dependent on me.” He began crying and davening so hard that he passed away. Immediately a voice came out of heaven, declared him a tzaddik, and that he was going straight to Olam Haba.   

       This story has many different points we can discuss, however, the one I want to bring out is this idea of “the matter is entirely dependent on me”. During Elul, we constantly seek out different motivating sources to help us do Teshuvah. Whether it’s going to a shiur, reading inspirational stories, or looking for that person who can unlock for us the secrets of the universe, we have many different places from which to choose. However, there comes a time when we have to sit up and realize that at the end of the day, the only one who can change us into someone better is…us. No matter how many speeches I hear or stories I read, only I have the power to truly change myself.

       We also see this idea by Yonah, whose story we read at Mincha of Yom Kippur. When a storm hits his boat, even though there were many people on the boat who served idols and were tremendous sinners, Yonah did not think for a second that this storm had anything to do with them. Rather, he knew right away that he was the source of this trouble since he did not listen to Hashem; he did not blame anyone else for one second! (See Yonah 1:12.) This is the most important lesson we can take from this story of Rabbi Elazar ben Durdaya, that when a person sins or something bad happens to him, he shouldn’t try to find other outside reasons why this might have happened. He must realize that no one else is responsible for what happens to him besides himself!

       This is our thought process on Yom Kippur. On a day when we are alone with Hashem, there is no one else who can help us change besides for us. Our commitment to Hashem cannot be determined by how outside forces, good or bad, motivate us. A true commitment to change can only come from within.

       Let us use these lessons of Teshuvah and be able to truly commit ourselves to a life as Ovdei Hashem, and be able to carry those commitments all the way until next Elul, thereby showing both Hashem and ourselves how much we really care.

Gmar Chasima Tova!                                                                                      

Shabbat Shalom!  

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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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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!

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Nitzavim-Vayeilech

Click here for an essay on the themes of Sefer Devarim

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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!   

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Parshas Ki Savo

Click here for an essay on the themes of Sefer Devarim

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