Dvar Torah for Parshas Bechukosai

Due to the eighth day of Pesach falling out on Shabbos, Eretz Yisrael and Chutz La'aretz have been one Parsha off for the past few weeks. Since i am in Eretz Yisrael, I have been following the calender here. Last week we read Parshas Behar, the Dvar Torah can be found here. With Chutz La'aretz laining a double Parsha this week, we will once again be synchronized.

       

       One of the central beliefs in Judaism is the belief in Olam Haba, the World To Come. This is the belief that after we pass away from this world, there is another spiritual realm where our souls reside for eternity. It is there where we will receive our spiritual reward for our actions done in this world.  (This is a very short explanation to a very deep subject but this is not the time or place.) While learning about this, the common question that comes up is where is Olam Haba mentioned in the Torah?

       

       Out of the numerous sources, one of them is found in this week’s parshah. “וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי בְּתוֹכְכֶם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים…” “I will walk among you, I will be a God to you…” (Vayikra 26:12). Rashi explains that when Hashem says he will walk among us, it must be referring to a place where there can actually be a concept of God walking (and not that the Torah is using anthropomorphism to help us relate to God). This must be in the spiritual realm of Olam Haba. (To understand how Rashi knew that the pasuk was speaking literally and not using anthropomorphism, see the explanation of the Tzeida Laderech, a commentator on Rashi,.)

       

       After this first question is answered, the immediate follow up question is that while all this is fine, we still needed Rashi to explain to us that the pasuk is indeed talking about Olam Haba. Why did the Torah not tell us straight out that Olam Haba exists and how it works? The Kli Yakar brings seven different ways that different commentators have used throughout history to answer this question. We won’t bring all seven, but let us see a few of them. (For those who are interested, I highly recommend reading through all seven answers. I am positive you will find them very interesting.)

       

       Parshas Bechukosai starts off with Hashem telling us all the good that will be done if we keep the Torah and Mitzvos. We will have plenty of rain, food, as well as peace amongst ourselves and our enemies, in addition to this promise of Olam Haba. The Rambam explains that the Torah is telling us that if we serve Hashem, He will remove any and all obstacles in our path. However, the ultimate reward which will be given in Olam Haba is not mentioned here in order to make sure that we continue to serve Hashem completely just for the sake of serving Him, without any worries of reward or punishment.

       

       A second answer is brought from the Ran and is found in the Sefer HaKuzari as well. One of the greatest gifts that Hashem gave us was the ability to have a Mishkan and a Beis Hamikdash where Hashem would rest his Shechinah in this world, giving us a connection to Hashem in the physical world. This idea is mentioned several times throughout the Torah. Says the Ran, if the Shechinah can connect to Bnei Yisrael in the physical world, all the more so after our spiritual selves separate from our bodies by death, they will be able to connect to Hashem. However, this is only when the Mishkan or Beis Hamikdash is standing which can only happen when we keep the Torah and Mitzvos. So really there is no need to mention Olam Haba in this context since for anyone who thinks hard about it, it is obvious.          

       

       A third answer comes from the Ibn Ezra in Parshas Haazinu. He explains there that the Torah was given to each and every Jew without exception. However, the concept of Olam Haba was only given to a select few because since the ideas are so deep, not everyone can understand them. The Kli Yakar explains this as follows, the concept of the spiritual rewards that are waiting for us in Olam Haba is very hard for a physical Human Being to understand, and therefore, only the smartest, most spiritual people were told these ideas.

       

       From this explanation, we see an amazing idea. The concept of Olam Haba was only given to a few people who were on a high enough spiritual level that they could relate to the spiritual ideas while still in this physical world. It was up to these people to study these ideas and relate over to us that which they could explain on our level. But not everyone has a fair share in the understanding of Olam Haba (at least in this world). However, the Ibn Ezra says that the entire nation received the Torah. Not just a select few, everyone! This means that the entire Torah, without any exceptions, can be explored and understood by every single Jew. There are no parts of the Torah where we can claim that they cannot be understood or applied to our lives. Everything is relevant.

       

       Everything we do in this world is in preparation for the World To Come. The way we are supposed to earn our way there is by studying the Torah and keeping its’ laws. It is vitally important for us to understand that when Hashem gave us the Torah, he really gave it to us, completely, totally, and without exception. Because we have it completely, every reward possible in Olam Haba is available to us. Nothing is reserved for only a select few, every Jew has equal opportunity to receive. This might be the greatest gift Hashem ever gave us, let’s be sure to make the most of it.

Shabbat Shalom!

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

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Behar

Due to the eighth day of Pesach falling out on Shabbos, Eretz Yisrael and Chutz La'aretz have been one parsha off for the past few weeks. Since I am in Eretz Yisrael, I have been following the calender here. This week in Chutz La'aretz, they will be laining Parshas Emor, click here for the Dvar Torah. Next week, we will once again be synchronized.

       “וַיְדַבֵּר יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּהַר סִינַי לֵאמֹר” “Hashem spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai saying” (Vayikra 25:1). Parshas Behar begins with Hashem giving over to Moshe a detailed explanation of the mitzvah of Shmittah. The Meforshim (Commentators) all ask, why is it necessary for the pasuk to tell me that this conversation happened at Har Sinai? We know that all the mitzvos were given at Har Sinai even if they are not listed in the Torah as being given there, so why by Shmittah does the Torah make an exception and tell me that it was told over at Har Sinai?

       Rashi gives two answers. The first answer is from the medrash, Toras Kohanim, which says that I might have thought that while all the mitzvos were mentioned by Har Sinai, not all of its’ details were given over at that time. Therefore, the Torah tells us here, where we are listing all the details of Shmittah, that so too the details of every mitzvah were given at Har Sinai as well. His second answer is his own. Sefer Devarim is known in Chazal as “משנה תורה”, Review of the Torah, because almost all of the mitzvos previously mentioned, as well as some new ones, are said over again in this sefer. Rashi explains that since the mitzvah of Shmittah is one of the few mitzvos that is not repeated in Sefer Devarim, we see that the entire mitzvah, with all of its’ details must have been given over by Har Sinai. Therefore, the pasuk writes “בְּהַר סִינַי” to teach me that really every mitzvah was given at Har Sinai and then repeated in Sefer Devarim.

       The answers appear very similar, but the Ramban finds a very big difference between the two. The Ramban does not like Rashi’s own answer (the second answer we brought) for two reasons. First of all, there are many mitzvos besides Shmittah which are not repeated again in Sefer Devarim so we cannot necessarily learn anything from the fact that Shmittah was not repeated either. Secondly, why do we connect the mitzvos said in Sefer Devarim to Shmittah in the fact that all of their details were said over at Har Sinai? Perhaps the general rules of the mitzvos were said over at Har Sinai while the details were said over in Sefer Devarim and the reason why Har Sinai is mentioned by Shmittah is because its’ details were given over there as well. But only the mitzvah of Shmittah is like this, meaning that there is absolutely no connection between Shmittah and any of the other mitzvos! The Ramban has no problem with the medrash, however. Earlier in Parshas Mishpatim, the general rule of Shmittah was given (See Shemos 23:11), while the details are given here. Later on in Parshas Bechukosai, the pasuk says, “אֵלֶּה הַמִּצְוֹת אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֶת מֹשֶׁה אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַר סִינָי” “These are the commandments that Hashem commanded Moshe to the Bnei Yisrael on Har Sinai” (Vayikra 27:34). By writing “בְּהַר סִינָי”, this pasuk connects all other mitzvos to Shmittah and teaches us that the mitzvos were taught in separate general and detail lessons, all at Har Sinai.

       The Seforno brings the medrash from Toras Kohanim to answer our question and then asks one of his own. The Seforno learns that the Torah was not written in order of how events happened, so if this mitzvah was actually given at Har Sinai, way back in Sefer Shemos, how come it was told over here at this point? He answers that at this point in time, before the sin of the spies, the Bnei Yisrael were on the verge of entering Eretz Yisrael. Therefore, Moshe told over the mitzvah of Shmittah since their stay in Eretz Yisrael was dependent on the keeping of that mitzvah. (For more on this idea, see [26:34].)

       The Kli Yakar has his own idea to answer our question. When Moshe went up on Har Sinai for the first time to receive the Torah, forty-nine days had passed since Bnei Yisrael had left Egypt. Until that day when the Torah was given, Har Sinai was nothing more than a simple mountain. Now it was given a much higher level of spirituality. Therefore, it would make sense to assume that on the day the Torah was given, it became forbidden to do any sort of agricultural work on Har Sinai. At that time, Hashem decided to take this idea of seven sets of seven and the fiftieth day afterwards and give it to Eretz Yisrael and make it forbidden in agriculture as well. Therefore, every seventh year we have Shmittah, and every fiftieth year, Yovel, where it is forbidden to do any labor in your fields. Har Sinai, the place where the Torah was given, and Eretz Yisrael, where, Chazal teach us, the air itself makes you wiser, and where Chazal say “אין תורה כתורת ארץ ישראל”, “There is no Torah like the Torah of the land of Israel”, these two places should share this special kedushah where physical labor is forbidden, allowing you to focus completely on the study of Torah.

Shabbat Shalom!'

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah on Parshas Behar

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Emor

Due to the eighth day of Pesach falling out on Shabbos, for the next few weeks Eretz Yisrael and Chutz La'aretz will be one Parsha off. Since I am in Eretz Yisrael, I will be following the calender here. This week in Chutz La'aretz they will be laining Parshas Acharei-Kedoshim. For a link to the Dvar Torah, click here. We will continue to be one week off till Parshas Bechukosai. 

This week's Dvar Torah is dedicated L'ilui Nishmas my Great-Grandfather, Phillip Grossman פייבל ראובן בן מרדכי, who was niftar this week. Whatever he did, he always, always gave his maximum effort, every single time.

       

       In Parshas Emor, Hashem explains the different Yomim Tovim (Festivals) to Moshe in order for Moshe to tell them over to Bnei Yisrael. The dates, obligations, and a short explanation of each Yom Tov are written by each one. By the holiday of Succos however, a different element is introduced.

       In Perek 23 Pasuk 36, the pasuk says, “שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תַּקְרִיבוּ אִשֶּׁה לַי־הֹוָ־ה בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם אִשֶּׁה לַי־הֹוָ־ה עֲצֶרֶת הִוא” “For a seven-day period you shall offer a fire-offering to Hashem; on the eighth day there shall be a calling of holiness for you and you shall offer a fire-offering to Hashem, it is a restraining (עצרת)…” (Vayikra 23:36). Till this point, only on Pesach do we have a day of Yom Tov followed by five “normal” days, what we refer to as Chol Hamoed, followed by another day of Yom Tov on the seventh day. Succos has this same seven day structure as Pesach but an eighth day is added to the cycle which is also Yom Tov. What is the purpose of this last day and why is it referred to as Atzeres (עצרת)?  

       The Seforno explains that this word “עצרת", should be understood based on its literal translation, meaning “a restraining”. While we have an obligation to refrain from work on Holidays, we also have an obligation to stop and reflect on the time we are spending in Yerushalayim and the Beis Hamikdash. With all the preparations for Yom Tov and the excitement of the Chag itself, it is very easy to lose sight of the opportunity presented by this Holiday, namely, the opportunity to rejoice in our service to Hashem in the holiest spot on Earth. This is especially applicable by the Chagim of Pesach, Shavuos, and Succos where there is an obligation to celebrate in the Beis Hamikdash. By having a day of Atzeres, we can stop and redirect our thoughts towards the celebration of Hashem and the Torah.

       But why do we need an entirely new day for this redirection? Why don’t we just do it on the seventh day of Succos? Perhaps we can use Rashi’s explanation on our pasuk to answer this question. He compares the holiday of Succos to a King inviting his son to the palace for a tremendous feast which lasts several days. When the feast is finally over, the King is sad to see his son go and asks him to stay one more day since, “קשה עלי פרידתכם” “Your departure is hard for me” (Rashi on Vayikra 23:36). The day of עצרת is not only the day where we redirect our thoughts towards Hashem, it is also the day where Hashem redirects his thoughts towards us. As a result, this day ends up being a day where both Hashem and the Nation of Yisrael make each other the most special thing to them.     

       The question arises that after we see how special the eighth day of Succos is, why do we not do the same thing on Pesach? We have mentioned a couple of ways how Pesach and Succos are similar, they both are seven days long with two days of Chag, you are required to travel to Yerushalayim to both of them; so why do we not make an Atzeres on Pesach as well?

       The Ramban explains that Chazal in many places refer to Shavuos by a different name, Atzeres. Chazal are teaching us that the fifty days between Pesach and Shavuos are really in the category of Chol Hamoed, all leading up to the day of Shavuos which is really the last day of Pesach! On the day we celebrate the giving of the Torah, what better way is there to celebrate the everlasting bond between Bnei Yisrael and Hashem than having a day of Atzeres where we stop and redirect our thoughts towards Hashem while he does the same towards us.

       As we get closer and closer to Shavuos, we are working to get to a level of Kabbalas Hatorah, Acceptance of the Torah, culminating in our celebration on Shavuos. As we prepare ourselves, we must keep in mind that Shavuos is also the day of עצרת, the day where we re-direct and re-commit our thoughts to serving Hashem. Putting all this together, it comes out that Shavuos is one of the most important days of the year! We re-accept the Torah, gather our thoughts back towards Hashem, and Hashem makes an extra commitment towards us, all in one day! If we can prepare ourselves properly for this upcoming Chag, there is no telling how much we can accomplish.

Shabbat Shalom! 

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah on Parshas Emor

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim

Due to the eighth day of Pesach falling out on Shabbos, for the next few weeks Eretz Yisrael and Chutz La'aretz will be one Parsha off. Since I am in Eretz Yisrael, I will be following the calender here. This week in Chutz La'aretz they will be laining Parshas Tazria-Metzora. For a link to the Dvar Torah, click here. We will continue to be one week off till Parshas Bechukosai.

      Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim discusses the Bnei Yisrael’s obligation to be קדוש, holy. As the chosen nation of Hashem and the (at this point in the Torah, future) residents of the holy land of Eretz Yisrael, we must hold ourselves to the highest standards to be deserving of our title. Some of the topics covered are immoral relationships, Avodah Zara, and various laws of בין אדם לחברו, interpersonal relationships, and בין אדם למקום, relationship between Man and God. The Torah makes very clear that a prerequisite for staying in Eretz Yisrael is the keeping of these standards. It explains how other nations were forced to leave Eretz Yisrael at various points in history specifically because many of these abominable acts were a normal part of their lives.

       I would like to take two similar pesukim from the end of Parshas Acharei Mos which express this idea and compare them. The first pasuk says, “וַתִּטְמָא הָאָרֶץ וָאֶפְקֹד עֲוֹנָהּ עָלֶיהָ וַתָּקִא הָאָרֶץ אֶת יֹשְׁבֶיהָ” “The land became impure and I recalled its iniquity upon it; and the Land vomited out its inhabitants” (Vayikra 18:25). Rashi has no comment on this pasuk. A few pesukim later, the pasuk says, “וְלֹא תָקִיא הָאָרֶץ אֶתְכֶם בְּטַמַּאֲכֶם אֹתָהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר קָאָה אֶת הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵיכֶם” “Let not the land vomit you out for having made it impure, as it vomited out the nation that was before you” (18:28). These pesukim are almost completely identical, yet here, Rashi gives a mashal (parable) on how to understand this pasuk. He explains that a prince who is used to eating only the finest quality foods, and one day is fed something of lesser quality, he will vomit it out. So too people who do Aveiros are forced out of Eretz Yisrael. Two questions immediately arise at this point. First off, how are these pesukim different that Rashi does not comment at all on the first pasuk but does comment on the second? Secondly, why does Rashi need to explain to me what vomiting is? The experience is most likely something familiar to us all, so why does Rashi feel the need to give me a mashal to explain exactly how it works?

       This week’s Parshah contains probably the most famous Ramban in the entire Torah and it is written on the pasuk we just brought, Pasuk 25. The Ramban asks, what do the immoral relationships that the Torah just spoke about (See 18:6-24) have to do with staying in Eretz Yisrael? The obligation to be moral is a physical commandment, not dependent on the land? He explains that every single country has a ministering angel which is its’ conduit between that country and God. While God still controls everything that goes on, there are certain laws of nature that are put in place which control what happens in that place. Everything flows with very few changes in the natural order of things, the seasons change, the weather is consistent and time goes on.

       In Eretz Yisrael however, everything works differently. There is no angel between God and the land, Hashem himself oversees everything that happens. This means that there are no rules of nature; if it is cold in the winter, it is because Hashem decided that this day in the winter should be cold and not just because there is a natural system in place running things. This idea is seen especially by rainfall which is not as simple in Eretz Yisrael as it is in other places. More than anything else, Hashem wants to see our actions and hear our tefillos before he brings rain, he does not just bring it because of natural law. And when we do pray for rain, Hashem will bring it in the best way possible. Chazal teach us that when the rain falls, it will fall only on Wednesday and Shabbos nights, which are times when people do not generally go out (at least at the times of Chazal), and only at the time of night when everyone is actually inside. This applies only to Eretz Yisrael and nowhere else. Outside of Eretz Yisrael, while Hashem certainly controls what goes on, since he uses an angel as a conduit, his presence is not as strong.

       The Ramban brings a Tosefta (Avodah Zara 5:5) which says that as long as Bnei Yisrael are in Eretz Yisrael, Hashem will be a God to us. However if we are not in Eretz Yisrael, then it is as if he is not our God. This point certainly presents some difficulty, how could this be that at certain times in history Hashem will act as if he is not our God? The Ramban then brings a Sifri (Eikev 43) which says that Hashem tells Bnei Yisrael that if they will be forced to leave Eretz Yisrael they must continue to perform the mitzvos while they are in exile in preparation for when they will perform them when they eventually return. What an incredible statement from the Sifri! The Ramban explains this statement that performing the mitzvos is only necessary in the land of Israel since only there is there a proper spiritual atmosphere. However, outside of Eretz Yisrael, they aren’t necessary! There is no obligation (and maybe even no purpose) to mitzvos outside of Eretz Yisrael. The only reason why we still do mitzvos nowadays outside of Eretz Yisrael is to make sure that we do not forget how to do them for when we return. However, the עיקר, the main purpose, of the mitzvos is to perform them in Eretz Yisrael. This is the natural form of Torah, to keep it in Eretz Yisrael.

       To summarize the Ramban, because Hashem’s presence is strongest in Eretz Yisrael more than anywhere else, it is more sensitive to Tumah than anywhere else. Therefore, if we do not act morally while we are here, the pasuk of “וַתָּקִא הָאָרֶץ אֶת יֹשְׁבֶיהָ” “and the Land vomited out its inhabitants” applies. Secondly, Eretz Yisrael is the only place in the world where mitzvos can be performed to their fullest potential. Because of this, the obligation to do mitzvos outside of Eretz Yisrael is only in order to remember how to do them for when they can be done in Eretz Yisrael.  

       Rabbi Yehuda Halevi in his famous work, The Kuzari, says that every country in the world has something special which they produce better than any other place in the world. For example, France grows the best grapes for wine, the United States has tremendous wheat fields covering the Midwest, and so and so forth. What is the special material produced in Eretz Yisrael? The Kuzari says that it is Nevuah, prophecy. He explains that the natural effect of Eretz Yisrael is to bring someone closer to Hashem, ultimately resulting in the high spiritual level of Nevuah. Simply being in Eretz Yisrael leads a person on this path.

       If we put this together with the Ramban, we come out with an unbelievable idea. The Ramban says that Eretz Yisrael is constantly under Hashem’s watch and is the only place in the world where mitzvos can be done with the complete spiritual effect. Simply put, it is much easier to get closer to Hashem in Eretz Yisrael than anywhere else in the world. However, this closeness is only from the standpoint that Hashem is here. The Kuzari says that it is from the standpoint of Eretz Yisrael itself that we can get closer to Hashem! The land itself was created with a special ability to bring you closer to Hashem, bringing you closer to the level of Nevuah.

       My rebbi, Rabbi Elchonon Fishman, used these two Meforshim to explain our Rashi. In Pasuk 25 it says, “…וָאֶפְקֹד עֲוֹנָהּ עָלֶיה” “and I recalled its iniquity upon it…”. The pasuk says that Hashem will notice the Tumah that has been done in the land, and then “וַתָּקִא הָאָרֶץ אֶת יֹשְׁבֶיהָ” “and the Land vomited out its inhabitants”, meaning that Hashem will throw them out. This is the pasuk that the Ramban comments on since his point is Hashem’s direct supervision over Eretz Yisrael and nowhere else. However, in pasuk 28, the pasuk says, “וְלֹא תָקִיא הָאָרֶץ אֶתְכֶם” “Let not the land vomit you out”. There is no mention of Hashem at all in this pasuk! It is the land that will throw you out, just like the Kuzari explained. Since we might not understand how it could be that an inanimate piece of ground could do this, Rashi brings this Mashal here of a prince. Since he is not used to eating foods of lesser quality, he will automatically vomit out something below his standards, simply as a natural reaction. He cannot prevent this from happening, he simply cannot handle this food! So too Eretz Yisrael cannot handle people of lesser quality, i.e. sinners and immoral people, and will automatically vomit them out. Rashi even brings the Targum here to translate this word, “תָקִיא”, to mean, “ריקון”, which means to empty itself out.

       In the first pasuk in the Torah, Rashi asks, why does the Torah start from the story of the Avos and the Shevatim? If the whole purpose of the Torah is to teach us the mitzvos, why don’t we start from Parshas Bo where the first mitzvah is recorded? Rashi answers that the entire Torah from Parshas Bereishis till Parshas Bo was written in order to prove to the world that Eretz Yisrael was given to the Jewish People. According to what we have explained, this makes perfect sense. Eretz Yisrael is the key to the entire Torah! It is the only place where the mitzvos can be performed to perfection. Therefore, before the Torah starts teaching us the mitzvos, we must know that we own Eretz Yisrael. It shows us that the whole point of creation, and the only place where every action you do is a mitzvah, is in Eretz Yisrael.        

       As Jews, the driving force in our lives is to get closer to Hashem. According to Chazal, Eretz Yisrael is the only place we can do this completely! Nowhere else can we fulfill the true potential of mitzvos. And when we do the mitzvos in Eretz Yisrael, we do not live under the laws of nature, rather, we live under the constant actions and monitoring of Hashem. A land where every step is a mitzvah, where every event is dependent on the Torah, where everything you do pushes you closer to God; why would you want to be anywhere else?

Shabbat Shalom!

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah on Parshas Kedoshim

Last year Parshas Acharei Mos fell out on Pesach so there was no Dvar Torah.

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Tazria-Metzora

As a result of last Shabbos being a regular Shabbos for Israel while still being Pesach for those outside of Israel, for the next few weeks there will be a difference of one week's parsha between those living inside and outside Israel. Since I am in Israel right now, I will be writing the Dvar Torah according to the schedule here. Therefore, this week's Dvar Torah is on Parshas Tazria-Metzora, while outside Israel, they read Parshas Shemini. We will continue to be one week off till Parshas Bechukosai.

This week we read a “double” parsha, Tazria-Metzora. These parshiyos deal with certain special cases of Tumah (Spiritual Impurity) that a person can be subject to and how they can return to a state of Taharah (Spiritual Purity). Most of the parsha deals with the case of someone who is punished with Tzara’as (best translated as Leprosy) which no longer exists. Instead, we will focus on the beginning of Parshas Tazria which deals with a woman who has just given birth.

The pasuk says, “אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר וְטָמְאָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים” “When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she shall be impure for a seven-day period” (Vayikra 12:2). The next pasuk says that there is a mitzvah to circumcise the baby on the eighth day following his birth. Later on, the pasuk talks about when you give birth to a girl, “וְאִם נְקֵבָה תֵלֵד וְטָמְאָה שְׁבֻעַיִם” “If she gives birth to a female, she shall be impure for two weeks” (12:5). Why is there a difference between the impurity periods for the birth of a girl and a boy? Also, why is the mitzvah of Bris Milah mentioned here by the mitzvah of Tumah when it has nothing to do with Tumah at all?

The Kli Yakar answers these questions with two famous statements from Chazal. Chazal teach us that Chava’s punishment for eating from the עץ הדעת (Tree of Knowledge) was the pain of childbirth and the impurities that come as a result of it. (These impurities come through the דם נידה- Menstrual Blood.) He also brings another famous Gemara which explains how the gender of a child is determined. The Gemara says that the man influences the embryo to be female and the woman influences it to be male.

Using these maxims of Chazal, we can understand the halachos of Tumah by childbirth. Since the mother brings this Tumah into the world, and since she is the reason for this child being a boy, she has passed on this Tumah to her son, which then manifests itself physically on the baby’s body in the form of the foreskin. On the eighth day, after the mother’s Tumah has been removed, we remove the baby’s foreskin, thereby removing the Tumah from his body. That is why the pasuk brings down the mitzvah of Bris Milah here by the halachos of Tumah; even though the boy does not have this Tumah himself, his mother passes it on to him. However, by a baby girl, there is no need for seven days of Tumah since it was her father, who does not have this Tumah, who influenced her birth. Her mother did not pass anything on to her so she has no need for a Bris. (The Kli Yakar says that this is a good answer to the question that if boys become pure through a Bris, how do girls become pure.)

However, this baby girl will, God-willing, have children someday and will then bring this Tumah into the world. So even though her birth came through her father, she still carries this Tumah inside of her. Therefore, her mother is impure for two weeks after childbirth in order to take care of her own Tumah and the Tumah that she has now brought into the world with her daughter. Since this does not apply to a boy, his mother only has to take care of her own Tumah which takes seven days.

Shabbat Shalom!

Last year Parshas Tazria fell out on Parshas Hachodesh. There was no Dvar Torah for Parshas Tazria.

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Dvar Torah for Pesach 5772-2012

AIMeM would like to wish all of our readers a Chag Kosher V'Sameach, a healthy and happy Yom Tov. See you after Chag!

Once again, Pesach has arrived, the Holiday where we celebrate coming out of Mitzrayim and becoming a nation. This time is one of the highlights of the year for many people. Beginning with the Seder and going through the entire week of Pesach, it is a time to celebrate and reminisce over everything good in our lives together with our family and friends. The celebration is for all types of Jews, as we see clearly from the Hagadah.

One of the most well-known parts of the Hagadah is the Four Sons, which represent the four types of Jews that join in the Seder. They consist of the Chacham (the Wise Son), the Rasha (the Wicked Son), the Tam (the Simple Son), and the שאינו יודע לשאול (the Son Who Does Not Know How to Ask). Each son, with the exception of the שאינו יודע לשאול, asks a different question after which we answer each one of them. While the explanations on this part of the Hagadah are numerous, if you take each son at face value, the Rasha sticks out from the rest as the worst one.

It is written in the Hagadah, “רָשָׁע מָה הוּא אוֹמֵר מָה הָעֲבֹדָה הַזֹּאת לָכֶם” “What does the Wicked Son say? ‘What does this service mean to you?” The Hagadah continues and says that based on how he is asking his question, he has clearly removed himself from the general Jewish community and would not have been worthy of leaving Mitzrayim during the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim to become part of the Jewish Nation. The question I had while reading this was why is the Rasha at our Seder in the first place? If he really does not want to be a part of the Seder, why do we force him to be here? He will probably ruin the experience for us as well! Furthermore, the Hagadah goes on to say that, “וְאַף אַתָּה הַקְהֵה אֶת שִנָּיו” “…you must blunt his teeth”. Is this the proper Chinuch for the Rasha? We force him to sit through a ceremony which he has absolutely no interest on attending, and then when he causes trouble, we punch him in the mouth! Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson zt’’l even says that there are really five types of sons with the fifth one being the one who doesn’t even show up to the Seder! According to this, he does want to be here! So what is our Rasha doing here anyway?

I believe the answer is very simple. In reality, the Rasha does want to participate and he does want us to answer his questions. This is the reason he showed up in the first place! His attacking questions and seemingly aggressive anti-Torah attitude is simply the way he knows how to react, but deep down inside, all he wants is to feel that attachment to the Klal. He wants nothing more than to join in together with us and experience and enjoy the connection to Hashem that we all feel at the Seder.

But at the end of the day, the only way we can help this Rasha is by getting him to listen to what we want to answer him. Therefore, in order to get him to be quiet, we knock out his teeth, thus eliminating his ability to speak! In fact, there is a famous גימטריה (Numerology) that the value of the word רָשָׁע (Rasha) minus the value of the word שִנָּיו (teeth) equals the value of the word צדיק (Righteous Man)! If we can just get the Rasha to listen to us, we can easily turn him into a tzaddik. This is our responsibility, to see the צדיק within every Rasha. Still, at the end of the day if we cannot get him to listen, then he has shown through his attitude that he has removed himself from the Jewish community and does not deserve to be included in our Seder.

Regardless of a person’s background, Pesach and Seder night is the time when we sit together as families all part of a larger nation and enjoy all that is given us. Whichever type of person you are and whichever type of person you have at your Seder, everyone involved is hoping to gain the same thing, an understanding of what this is all about and what it all means. Why did Hashem choose us and take us out of Mitzrayim? How do I relate to that and what does that obligate me in? These are the questions we ask and have answered as we go through the Hagadah. It starts with Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov and continues on to where we have reached today. This Pesach, let us try to help one more person understand what this is all about and hopefully give ourselves a deeper understanding of this holiday and our lives. May we all be zoche to eat the Korban Pesach together in Yerushalayim with the Beis Hamikdash speedily in our days.

L’Shana Haba’a B’Yerushalayim!

Chag Kosher V’Sameach!

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Pesach

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