Parshat Mishpatim - The Sum of It's Parts

Last week, in Parshat Yitro, we read the riveting account of Matan Torah – the highlight of spirituality in the history of the Jewish people. We heard lightening, saw thunder and experienced many amazing miracles. We received the Torah directly from HaShem and every single Jew heard Hashem speak - something that is completely beyond our understanding. It is truly an amazing story.

Immediately after this climax, we move into Mishpatim, a detailed list of the intricate laws of Judaism. This parsha is filled with the various topics such as an ox goring a cow, and an open pit in the public thoroughfare. This begs the question: why do we make such a drastic shift? It almost seems like a let-down, that after such a spiritual high, we go into the mundane aspects of the religion. What happened to all the thrill? The excitement? What is the Torah trying to tell us by juxtaposing these laws to the events at Har Sinai?

Perhaps, through answering this question we can understand what a relationship with HaShem is truly made of.

The placement of Parshat Mishpatim right after to Parshat Yitro is showing us that a relationship with HaShem is built through the minutiae; our connection to Him is actually characterized by these seemingly mundane laws. We learn from this Parsha that through keeping the laws in all of their details and intricacies, we are building a relationship with Him. As with in any relationship, it is not the exciting, fantastic moments that build the connection, but rather it is the small things that really make a difference: a hello, a thank-you note, a passing favor. These things show that one really cares about the other, down to the last detail. And it is all the details combined together that make a strong bond.

A perfect mashal for this idea is a tower: a tower seen from very far, looks as if it is made of one piece, yet when we come closer, we can see it's built up of many small parts; so too our relationship with HaShem is built up from these pieces of daily life. Through this weeks parsha, HaShem is trying to show us that the way to reach Him, and to re-connect with him the same way we experienced at Har Sinai, is through the keeping of these laws, of adding more and more pieces to our personal tower to heaven.

According to this, we can truly understand why it is important to keep mitzvot down to their fine points. Sometimes one may wonder about the importance or relevance of the detailed halachot that we keep each day. Why do these things matter? But we see from here that our relationship with HaShem is built through the details. These halachot show that we are not just here to live a thrilling existence, but we are committed to a true bond with Hashem.  May we all have the wisdom and the strength to live up to this and show Hashem that we want a relationship with Him, and may we merit to see Him reciprocate that connection.

Shabbat Shalom

--
Naftali Kassorla

Parshat Yitro

Parshat Yitro

 

In this week's parsha, Klal Yisrael is officially established as a fearsome force among the nations. After decimating Egypt and defeating Amalek, they begin their long 40 year journey in the Desert. The Torah tells us of Yitro, the father in law of Moshe: "And Yitro, priest of Midian, Moshe's father-in-law, heard about all that HaShem had done for Moshe and for His people Yisrael, when HaShem brought Yisrael out of Egypt…Yitro, the father-in-law of Moses, came to Moses with his sons and wife, to the Wilderness where he was encamped, by the Mountain of G-d." Strangely, the Torah needs to tell us that the Jews were encamped in the wilderness; don't we know this already? Rashi, of course, notes this and brings the Mechilta which explains: "We already know of our own account that they were in the desert! Rather in the praise of Yitro does Scripture speak: for he was living amidst worldwide honor and yet his heart inspired him to go out into the desert, a desolate place, for the purpose of hearing words of Torah."

  Yitro, as Rashi explains, was overcome with so much emotion from all the miracles that HaShem preformed for Klal Yisrael and although he was one of the most respected members of the world, he left his life of luxury to go to a place of desolation, a "Makom tohu." The word "tohu" in Bereishit is used to explain what the world was like before creation: "unformed and desolate." From here we see the extent to which the word tohu can connote literally nothing, and still Yitro was drawn to the desert to hear words of Torah. This was the power of his emotion, which allowed him to look past the impediments of the desert. It drove him out of a life of security and comfort to join the Jewish people in the wilderness, a place fraught with danger and discomfort. It caused him to change his whole life from top to bottom and become a Jew.

However, later on in the parsha we are struck with a tremendous difficulty. When Yitro reaches the encampment of Klal Yisrael, Moshe comes to greet him. Moshe begins to tell him of all the miracles that HaShem preformed for Klal Yisrael and Rashi again brings the Mechilta to explain why Moshe felt it important to tell all of this to Yitro: "In order to draw his heart to bring him closer to the Torah."

  Why must Moshe draw him closer to Torah? We just explained that Yitro gave up everything he had and came to the Midbar to hear words of Torah. What is Moshe trying to accomplish here? 

Perhaps the answer lies in the words of Rashi himself. Rashi describes this emotion which overcame Yitro as "U'ndavo Libo -- Inspiration of the heart". As we saw earlier, this inspiration was so powerful that it caused Yitro change his entire life. However, like all emotions it can dissipate over time, and once that emotion was lost, Yitro may desire to return to his old way of life.

Moshe understood this, and he wanted to draw Yitro's heart to the Torah, to teach him the importance of capturing his feelings of inspiration and concretizing them. Yitro was coming from a lifestyle of Avodah Zarah. According to the Midrash he had tried out every other religion; he moved from one thing to the next, never finding lasting satisfaction. He may have been accustomed to the idea of "instant inspiration and gratification," but these feelings are not real. Judaism is not a "feel-good" religion and it does not claim to offer ecstasy and constant excitement. Rather, it is a perfect blend of dedication of mind and heart. A commitment to Torah must be constant, even when we lose our original inspiration. Perhaps this is the explanation of the Mechilta, "In order to draw his heart to bring him closer to the Torah." Not just the heart, but the person himself, so at that time when the feelings of the heart leave, the true person, with his commitment to Torah, will remain. By bringing Yitro closer, Moshe was ensuring that he would continue his upward progress and dedication to HaShem's Torah.

According to this explanation, we can now understand another difficultly: After Moshe retells of all the miracles in Egypt, the Medrash says that Yitro responded: "I was aware of Him in the past but, now, all the more so." The question is: why now? Didn't Yitro come out to the wilderness with the recognition of HaShem already in mind?

We can answer this in light of what we have said. While it is true that Yitro already came to the desert with belief in HaShem, his belief was rooted in a fleeting emotion. Although this inspired him to change his life, nevertheless it was still an emotion. Now that Yitro has firmly established his belief, he can say that he is "more aware of HaShem."

 We see from Yitro the importance of taking our moments of inspiration and making them into a concrete reality in our lives. Belief may start out as a feeling, but unless one builds upon it to come to a more concrete and consistent plateau, it will not carry him through life. Only once he does this essential work can he proclaim a deep and real belief in HaShem and his Torah.

Shabbat Shalom

 

--
Naftali Kassorla

Parshat Beshalach

Parshat Beshalach

 

In this weeks parsha Pharaoh finally gives in to the demands of Moshe, thus ushering in the long awaited redemption of Klal Yisrael from Egypt. However, Pharaoh's heart hardens and he decides to chase after Klal Yisrael to bring them back to Egypt.

The passuk says: "Pharaoh drew near, and the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold! Egypt was advancing after them." The passuk curiously uses the word "Nosea" (meaning "to chase") in the singular form, in reference to the entire nation of Egypt, which one would expect to be in the plural. 

In noting this oddity, Rashi brings the Medrash Tanchuma, which explains that Egypt chased after Klal Yisrael "B'lev Echad K'ish Echad-One Heart as One Man" to denote their unity.

Why does the Medrash use this phrase? We recognize that this is a complete reversal of the Medrash in Parshat Yitro, which explains the unity Klal Yisrael had at the receiving of the Torah at Har Sinai: "And when they departed from Rephidim, and came to the wilderness of Sinai…and there Israel encamped before the mount". Here again, the Torah uses "Vayachanu"- to encamp, in the singular as opposed to the plural, even though it is describing the entire nation. Rashi notes this here as well, and brings the Medrash which explains that their unity was like "One Man with One Heart." What is the Medrash trying to tell us with this reversal?

Perhaps from this we can learn a tremendous lesson about the concept of unity and how one should conduct himself in a disagreement.

The heart is a euphemism for the thoughts and feelings of a person, as it says "Rabot Machshavot Blev Ish - Many thoughts are in the heart of man." In saying that the Egyptians were like "one heart as one man," placing heart before man, the Medrash is telling us that Egypt's view of unity was that it could only exist when there was, foremost, an agreement of thoughts and opinions. The prerequisite to banding together as one man was having a common agenda. The Egyptians grouped together only to bring back the Jews to slavery, to achieve a unified goal. To an Egyptian, the idea of unity for the sake of unity was a foreign concept.

However by the Jews, it is the reverse. The word man is first and heart is second. The man, the person, comes before his heart, his thoughts and opinions. Our unity stresses the recognition of the inherent worth of man as a precondition to unity. The realization that one's counterpart is made in the image of HaShem and that he is a fellow Jew, demands respect and breeds love. This type of unity leads to progress and fulfillment, and it is only after this recognition that people can come to meaningfully disagree. I once read in a book about an exchange between an Orthodox rabbi and a prominent Reform rabbi. The Reform rabbi made the claim that the Orthodox hate Reform Jews. When asked why he thought so, he replied, "Because they reject our version of Judaism." Clearly, he has an Egyptian mentality; to him, unity is an agreement of opinions, not of genuine love and care for another. He believes that if we, the Orthodox, were to throw away our direct tradition from Sinai, it would constitute a true a sign of brotherhood.  But, as long as we have different world views, we cannot possibly love one another and feel unified.

The lesson the Medrash is teaching us is that unity is not a relinquishing of strongly held principles. Rather, it stems from a deep love and respect for the other, while at the same time allowing for differences of opinion. Disagreement is possible while still retaining the unbreakable bond of unity. May we and the rest of Klal Yisrael grow stronger in our unity together and merit the arrival of Moshiach speedily in our days, amen.

Shabbat Shalom.

 

-Naftali Kassorla

Parshat Bo

 

Parshat Bo

 

      In this weeks parsha, HaShem prepares for the final plagues against Egypt that will pave the way for the redemption of Klal Yisrael. The parsha starts: "HaShem said to Moshe, Come to Pharaoh for I have made his heart and the heart of his assistants stubborn so that I shall place these signs of mine in his midst." Interestingly, this passuk is different from all other times that HaShem has hardened Pharaoh's heart. Instead of just Pharaohs heart, his assistant's hearts are hardened as well. The question is, why? Is it not enough to make Pharaoh's heart hard just as in past times? What difference does it make now if his assistants are as stubborn as he? Even if HaShem would only harden his heart and not that of his assistants, why would Pharaoh care what their opinion is? Is he not the ruler and they the subordinates?

      Perhaps we can learn a tremendous insight into the character of Pharaoh, and our modern leaders in general. So far, Pharaoh has had the support of his inner circle, creating a bubble around him, making him impervious to any outside pressures; as long as he had the security of his "cabinet" and servants, he was able to stand steadfast against the plagues.

 However, now the situation in Egypt reaches a fever pitch; Moshe has brought countless plagues, each at its appointed time without fail, and is now striking fear among Egypt. Anyone who looked honestly at the situation knew that Egypt was in serious trouble and would surely want to get the Jews out of the country. They would demand that Pharoah, their leader, finally give in. If Pharaoh were to lose his inner sanctum of support, he would thus be left alone and would surely bow to the insurmountable pressure against him. By himself, Pharaoh was not strong enough to stand against opposition, and he would have sent out the Jews at the request of his nation. Hashem did not yet want the Egyptians to agree to free Klal Yisrael – there were still great miracles that He wanted to display (as the passuk states "so that I shall place these signs of mine in his midst"). Therefore, in order to bring about the final plagues in an exultant climax, HaShem needed to harden not just the heart of Pharaoh, but also those of his servants and his advisors.

From here, we see how much Pharaoh was beholden to others' opinions. His "strength" was really just a façade, built upon the support of his subordinates. How incredible it is it that the king himself is at the mercy of others!

Later in the parsha we see how this plays out. The servants, seeing that all is lost, rebuke Pharaoh saying, "How long will this be a snare for us? Send out the men that they may serve HaShem, their G-d! Do you not yet know that Egypt is lost?" After this open criticism of Pharaoh, Moshe and Aharon are suddenly called back and are told that the nation may leave. What happened? According to what we have explained, we can say that when Pharaoh lost his last bit of support and his servants gave in, it was only inevitable that he would as well.

            This lesson applies not only to Pharaoh, but also to our modern day politicians and leaders, who surround themselves with ego-soothing servants and assistants (whom we call in today's parlance "yes-men"). These leaders have never had their own opinions challenged by their close assistants, so they are able to remain obstinate in the face of any public disagreement to their ideas. Instead of doing what is best for the nation, they skew and twist the opposition to their policies in every direction in order to fit their own viewpoint.

            This lesson beckons us to give thanks to G-d for giving us true and strong leaders who are guided by our Holy Torah and its imperatives. Chazal instituted the blessing of "Al Hatzaddikim" in Shemoneh Esrei for this reason – to instill in us an appreciation for our Sages who literally give every minute of their day for the service of the public. Because they themselves are acting as servants of Hashem, they can lead us with a commitment to truth, and not succumb to external pressures or internal biases.

            May Hashem keep our righteous leaders healthy and safe, and may we merit the building of the Beit Hamikdash and the return of the Beit Din Hagadol speedily in our days, Amen. 

 

Shabbat Shalom 

 

 

 

--
Naftali Kassorla

Parshat Shemot

וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ כֹהֵן מִדְיָן חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱלֹהִים לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ כִּי הוֹצִיא יְקֹוָק אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם

 שמות פרק יח פסוק א

"And Yitro, priest of Midian, Moshe's father-in-law, heard about all that El-him had done for Moshe and for His people Yisrael, when HaShem brought Yisrael out of Egypt

 וַיָּבֹא יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה וּבָנָיו וְאִשְׁתּוֹ אֶל מֹשֶׁה אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר אֲשֶׁר הוּא חֹנֶה שָׁם הַר הָאֱלֹהִים 

שמות פרק יח פסוק ה

"Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, came to Moses with his sons and wife, to the Wilderness where he was encamped, by the Mountain of G-d"

אל המדבר - אף אנו יודעין שבמדבר היו, אלא בשבחו של יתרו דבר הכתוב, שהיה יושב בכבודו של עולם ונדבו לבו לצאת אל המדבר, מקום תהו, לשמוע דברי תורה

 רש"י שמות פרק יח פסוק ה

 "We already know of our own account that he was in the desert! Rather in the praise of Yisro does Scripture speaks: for he was living amidst worldwide honor and yet his heart inspired him to go out into the desert, a desolate place, for the purpose of hearing words of Torah"

  Yitro, as Rashi explains was overcome with so much emotion from all the miracles that HaShem preformed for Klal Yisrael, that although he was one of the most respected members of the world, he left his life of luxury to go to a  place of desolation a "Makom Tohu". The word "Tohu" as we know HaShem uses this word to explain what the world was before creation:  

וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם

בראשית פרק א 

"The earth was unformed and desolate, and darkness covered the surface of the abyss. The breath of El-him hovered above the surface of the water."

  From here we see the extent of the word Tohu to connote literally nothing, and STILL Yitro was drawn to the desert to hear word of Torah. This was the power of his emotion, this emotion allowed him to look past the impedement of such a place. It drove him out of a life of security and comfort to join the Jewish people in a wilderness fraught with danger and discomfort. It caused him to change his whole life from top to bottom and become a Jew!

  However there is a slight difficulty, for four pesukim later when Yitro reaches the encampment of Klal Yisrael, Moshe comes to greet him. Moshe begins to tell him of all the miracles that HaShem preformed for Klal Yisrael:

וַיְסַפֵּר מֹשֶׁה לְחֹתְנוֹ אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְקֹוָק לְפַרְעֹה וּלְמִצְרַיִם עַל אוֹדֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת כָּל הַתְּלָאָה אֲשֶׁר מְצָאָתַם בַּדֶּרֶךְ וַיַּצִּלֵם יְקֹוָק

: שמות פרק יח פסוק ח

" And Moshe told his father-in-law all that HaShem had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt for the sake of Yisrael; including all the hardship that had befallen them on the way, and [how] HaShem had rescued them.

  Rashi explains why Moshe found it important to tell Yitro of all the wonderments in Egypt:

ויספר משה לחתנו - למשוך את לבו לקרבו לתורה רש"י 

שמות פרק יח פסוק ח

"In order to draw his heart to bring him closer to the Torah"

  Why must Moshe draw him closer to Torah? was it not for that express purpose that Yitro left his place of honor in the world to come to the wilderness? its almost analogous to a person coming a Rabbi and saying "I want to learn Torah, please teach me" and the Rabbi answers back "You know..there is a GREAT thing called the Torah have you heard of it? you should really study it!" Yitro went to a makom of "Tohu" to learn the Torah! Why is this itself not enough of a sign of showing closeness to HaShem?

 Perhaps one could explain from the words of Rashi. Rashi earlier in pasuk chet calls this emotion which overcame Yitro as "U'ndavo Libo" "Inspiration of the heart" as we saw earlier this emotion was such a powerful moment of inspiration that it caused a person to do things he would have never done before. For example, when one watches the bombs falling on the southern towns of Israel, he may feel an overpowering sense of responsibility and leave his job and family to volunteer for those in need. However like all emotions it can dissipate in short time, and once this feeling wears off he might find himself in a place of discomfort and danger, having lost this excitement he might regret his prior decision and return to a life of idol worship because he doesn't have the same "spiritual experiences" as at first. Although Miztvot should be practiced with the full heart, if the heart is not there it is not a dispensation to the mitzvah. This is where Moshe comes. Moshe wants to draw his heart to the Torah, to show him that Judaism is not just a life filled with spiritual experiences, rather Judaism is a commitment of the self too, of the heart and the mind. To be a Buddhist can also give you spiritual highs, but this is not point of Judaism. A life of Torah is a fulfilment of the will of HaShem. A life of Torah is by definition a life of spiritual highs and lows. As rashi says "In order to draw his heart to bring him closer to the Torah". Not just the heart but the person himself, so at that time when the heart is not there the person will be. This point is brought out beautifully in the Bracha of She'hakol, We start out saying Baruch Ata "blessed are You" talking to HaShem directly but when we finish we say "SheHakol Nehiyah Bidvaro" "that all was created in HIS Word" speaking ABOUT Him. This is teach us that our relationship with Hashem will sometimes be as if hes in front of us and times where his presence to us may be hidden.

 According to this explanation we can now understand another seemingly difficult pasuk. After Moshe retells of all the miracles in Egypt, Yitro responds:

וַיֹּאמֶר יִתְרוֹ בָּרוּךְ יְקֹוָק אֲשֶׁר הִצִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וּמִיַּד פַּרְעֹה אֲשֶׁר הִצִּיל אֶת הָעָם מִתַּחַת יַד מִצְרָיִם.עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי גָדוֹל יְקֹוָק מִכָּל הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי בַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר זָדוּ עֲלֵיהֶם

שמות פרק יח פסוק יא 

 "Yisro said, "Blessed is HaShem Who rescued you from the hand of Egypt, and from the hand of Pharaoh; Who rescued the people from under the hand of Egypt. Now I know that HaShem is greater than all the gods, because the very thing they plotted came upon them."

  Rashi explains further: 

עתה ידעתי - מכירו הייתי לשעבר ועכשיו ביותר:

מכל האלהים - מלמד שהיה מכיר בכל עבודה זרה שבעולם שלא הניח עבודה זרה שלא עבדה

רש"י שמות פרק יח פסוק יא 

"I was aware of Him in the past but, now, all the more so. 

Than all the gods.-This teaches that he was acquainted with all forms of idol-worship in the world; that he did not leave any idol un-worshipped. 

  The question is why NOW? did Yitro not come out to the Midbar with this recognition already in mind? After our explanation the answer is clear. Yes Yitro came with this overpowering emotion which caused him to leave behind his past life, but this emotion which is not a lasting cannot carry him, this is why he tried every form of idol worship! Because when these experiences left him he felt empty and went to the next idol. Only until he came to Moshe and the Torah did he see the substantial worth of a life of Torah and Miztvot, he saw how HaShem has created a Torah which is tailored specifically for man and acts as the perfect bridge between us and Him.

Shabbat Shalom.

Naftali Kassorla

Parshat Va'yechi

Parshat Va'yechi

 

      In this week's parsha, the Torah continues to tell us of the reunion between Yaakov and Yosef. The Passuk says, "The time approached for Yisrael to die, so he called for his son for Yosef, and said to him, 'Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, please place your hand under my thigh and do kindness and truth with me,  please do not bury me in Egypt. And I will lie down with my fathers and you shall transport me out of Egypt and bury me in their grave." Yosef answers back to his father, "I will do in accordance to your words." But this isn't enough for Yaakov, as he reiterates to Yosef, "Swear to me" and as a result Yosef swears.

      At first glance, this episode is hard to understand. Just before this, in Parshat Mikeitz, after Yaakov hears the news that Yosef is still alive and is a ruler in Egypt, HaShem comes to Yaakov and says, "Do not be afraid of descending to Egypt...I shall surely bring you up." Rashi explains that HaShem Himself promised Yaakov that he would be buried in the land of Israel. According to this, why does Yaakov feel the need to push Yosef so hard to bury him in Israel? Wasn't the promise of Hashem enough? One could say that this teaches us that one must make 'Hishtadlut' (effort) to open up a path for Divine help, but this explanation isn't enough. We learn that Yosef was punished with two extra years imprison for asking the wine butler to speak to Pharaoh to get him out. It would seem that this was proper hishtadlut, but rather we learn from this episode that the forefathers are held to a higher standard than us, and they must rely solely on HaShem. It would follow that Yaakov, as one of the forefathers, did not need to put in so much hishtadlut in this case.

      Furthermore, the way Yaakov makes Yosef swear to him is reminiscent of how Avraham made his servant Eliezer swear to find his son Yitzchak a wife. (In both instances, the one swearing is asked to put his hand on the other's thigh.) Interestingly, the Medrash tells us that Eliezer wished that Yitzhak would marry his daughter, which explains why Avraham made him swear to take a girl only from Avraham's family – it could be that Avraham feared that Eliezer would give his own daughter instead. But does Yaakov really think that Yosef would not bury him with his father Yitzchak and grandfather Avraham in the Maharat HaMachpela? If Yaakov has nothing to fear, why is he so adamant?

      To answer these questions we must deal with another profundity. If we look at this weeks Haftorah we will notice an instant connection between it and the parsha: the ending of David and Yaakov's life, the gathering of their sons to bless them, and so on. Yet there is one disparity – David leaves an ethical will to his children to "Safeguard the charge of HaShem, your G-d, to walk in his ways, to observe his decrees, commandments ordinances and testimonies as written in the Torah of Moshe..." However, by Yaakov, there is no such ethical will; he only gives his children blessings. Where is Yaakov's ethical will?

      One could explain that Yaakov's urging of Yosef to bury him only in Eretz Yisrael serves exactly this purpose. Through this, he was sending a very powerful message to his children for all generations. Perhaps Yaakov saw the affluence with which Yosef lived in Egypt and he feared that he would get too comfortable in Egypt among his luxury and freedom, thus forgetting the bond between our nation and the land of Israel. (This also gives us more understanding as to why Yaakov stresses to be buried not only in Eretz Yisrael but also "...With my fathers," meaning to uphold the connection which Avraham and Yitzchak had to Eretz Yisrael by being buried among them.) Yaakov's emphasis on being buried in Eretz Yisrael would serve as a constant reminder to his children of the strong connection we have to this land. According to this, Yaakov completely trusted in HaShem's promise to him to be buried in Israel, and of course Yosef had no such thought to bury Yaakov in Egypt, but rather Yaakov wanted to stress this connection to the land of Israel to his offspring forever. This was Yaakov's ethical will.

 

Today, our exile prevents us from living in Israel or, even for those of us who do live there, from fully connecting to G-d's presence in the land. However, we should always remember the bond that exists between Klal Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael, and with G-d's help, we will merit experiencing that bond in its totality very soon with the coming of Mashiach.

 

Shabbat Shalom 

 

 

--
Naftali Kassorla

Parshat Toldot

Parshat Toldot

In this week’s parsha we are told of the barrenness of Rivka and Yitzchak, and their praying to HaShem to conceive.

The passuk says, “Yitzchak entreated HaShem opposite his wife.” Rashi explains that Yitzchak and Rivka would stand in opposite corners of the room and pray. Yitzchak would pray on her behalf and she would pray for herself as well. Directly after this, in the same passuk, the Torah tells us, “And HaShem allowed Himself to be entreated by Yitzchak, and his wife Rivka conceived.” Their prayers were answered.

When reading the passuk, it seems that HaShem answered them very swiftly; from the very fact the Torah puts both the prayer and its answer in one passuk, we can see the direct and immediate correlation between the two. We see clearly from here that prayer was the key to salvation.

The Gemara in Yevamot (64a) asks a very famous and hard-hitting question: This was not the first time or the last time one of our matriarchs was stricken with barrenness. Why did HaShem allow our patriarchs and matriarchs to have children only after many years of heartfelt teffilot? The Gemara gives its answer which has become famous to many: “For HaShem desires the prayers of Tzaddikim.”

This answer is deep and contains within it many concepts which many have expounded upon. However when we look at the original source, the Medrash Tanchuma, we are faced with a tremendous peculiarity. The Medrash asks the same question as the Gemara but adds a new dimension to the answer. Speaking from Hashem’s perspective, it tells us that HaShem made a reckoning saying, “They [the Avot and Imahot] have money, they are beautiful, they are respected, if I give them children they will never pray to me for anything” and the Medrash concludes, “We see from here that HaShem desires the prayers of Tzaddikim.”

This Medrash is startling, to say the least. We are talking about the Avot whose lives were completely focused on the enhancement of G-d’s glory in this world, the very people who created the concept of daily prayer. Can it be that would not pray to HaShem? How can we understand that HaShem could entertain the possibility that the Avot would not pray to Him?

From here we can truly gain a deeper understanding of teffilah. Teffilah is not only a compilation of praise to HaShem, it is a time for us to connect and recognize The Power which runs our universe and nourishes our souls. However, that recognition and connection can only come from a place of total self abdication. Only when we realize that we are so dependent upon His grace for everything we have in life can we really connect to Him. But how can one truly feel this way if he lacks absolutely nothing? When we lack something tremendously important and we recognize that only HaShem can give it to us, we are more able to pray with a realization of our reliance upon Him and to forge a real bond with Him. This is the prayer which HaShem desires.

Of course the Avot would have prayed to HaShem even if they had children, but perhaps their prayer would have been lacking this deeper awareness – the awareness of the minuteness of man before G-d and his dependence on HaShem for his every need. It would not have been a teffilah which one casts all of his burdens, hopes, and dreams onto HaShem, and allows His providence to control his life. Teffilah L’Ani – the teffillah of a pauper, of one who is lacking, is not the same as the teffilah as one who has everything. Because HaShem love the Avot so much, He desires that they pray this deeper teffillah, for He desires the ultimate relationship that it will create.

May we merit having a true connection with HaShem in times of good and bad, and may we all be able to recognize that whatever we lack in life is a symbol of G-d’s love and His desire for a deeper relationship with us.

Shabbat Shalom

Naftali Kassorla

Parshat Chayei Sara

In this week's parsha the Torah tells us of the matching and marriage between Yitzchak and Rivka. The Torah explains at great lengths the journey which Eliezer who was the servant of Avraham took to find a wife for Yitzchak, and the miracles that were done for him.

After Eliezer is successful in finding the fitting bride for his master, he brings Rivka to the Negev where Yitzchak is staying in order for them to meet.

This meeting is a tremendous moment in our history; this meeting is a major step in the culmination of HaShem's promise to Avraham to make his offspring a great nation.

The Torah tells us in great detail of this meeting "And Rivka raised her eyes and she saw Yitzchak; and she inclined while upon the camel. And she said to the slave, 'Who is that man walking in the field toward us?' And the slave said, 'He is my master.' She then took the veil and she covered herself" The Torah interestingly goes out of its way to tell us that Rivka took her veil and covered herself. Why? What does this little detail serve for us? We know that there is not one extra word in the Torah. What is HaShem trying to tell us?

Perhaps we can learn a tremendous lesson in behavior. Naturally when people become closer the standards of modesty and decorum fall. The society around us thinks the more secrets and one tells his friend or spouse, the closer they are. Therapists aware of this fact actually refuse to give over personal details of there own life to there patients lest the patient develop unhealthy feelings for them. However the Torah perspective is different, the closer one gets the level of decorum and respect demanded rises. It's very possible it is for this reason the torah commands us to respect our parents, in order to directly forestall this natural tendency. With our teachers as well this maxim is true, for the laws of respecting ones teacher and the closeness of that relationship are inherently connected. Here as well the Torah is telling us through adding that Rivka in seeing Yitzchak covered herself, that one must carry themselves with a higher level of modesty, even around those to whom they are the closest. Closeness is not defined in how many secrets one knows about the other.

We see this point brought out in the Gemara in Nedarim (21b) the Gemara tells us of a woman named Ema Shalom who had exceedingly beautiful children. When asked why she merited having such beautiful children, she answered that her husband was extremely modest during marital relations. We see that even during the most intimate time between a husband and wife, the concept of modesty must be upheld. Modesty is the foundation of a Jewish home; the wife is the spiritual conduit to bring holiness into the home. If the wife isn’t conducting herself in a modest way then the house isn’t built on a spiritual base. This is what the Torah was teaching us by adding a seemingly superfluous detail. May we all grow in perfection of our behavior and service to HaShe

Shabbat Shalom

Parshat Vayera

Parshat Vayera

In this parsha we read about the episode of Akeidat Yitzchak. HaShem commands Avraham to "Please take your son, your only son, whom you love-Yitzchak- go to the land of Moriah, and bring him up there as an offering upon one of the mountains which I shall tell you".

At first glance this commandment is mind boggling. Did HaShem not promise that through Yitzchak, He would make Avraham into a great nation? Just earlier in the parsha, when Sarah pressures Avraham to send away Hagar and Yishmael, HaShem commands Avraham to listen to Sarah "since through Yitzchak will offspring be considered yours." The Gemara in Nedarim (31a) learns from that passuk that no one else other than the offspring of Yitzchak is considered the offspring of Avraham (meaning that Yishmael and Esav are excluded). The only possible link to Avraham is through Yitzchak. And now, HaShem is asking for his son as a human offering? Avraham was an extremely intelligent person, for he came to the knowledge of G-d on his own, so then how could Avraham not pick up on this blatant contradiction?

Even more puzzling is when we take into account that Avraham fought his entire life against Idol worship and human sacrifice. How could Avraham possibly serve up his own son as a human offering? Everyone he taught would be so disgusted by the hypocrisy that surely they would reject his past or future teachings. It would undo all the progress that he had made so far to spread monotheism. How could it be the will of HaShem to plunge the world back in the darkness of polytheism, turning it farther away from the original belief in one G-d?

Perhaps from the Midrash we can begin to understand. The Midrash explains that while Avraham was on his way to Moriah, the Satan wanted to stop him from fulfilling the will of HaShem; he put a river to stop Avraham from reaching his destination. Nevertheless, Avraham was intent on crossing and he succeeded. The Satan, seeing that he couldn't stop Avraham, tells him that in the end, HaShem won't let Avraham go through with it, thus telling him that there is no test at all. The Alter of Novardohk explains the approach of the Satan: the Yetzer Harah comes in two ways. One way is to stop a person from doing the mitzvah, and when that fails, he tries to steal the pure intention of the mitzvah. For example, for a person who gives tzedaka freely, the Yetzer Harah knows that if he tried to get him not to give at all, it won’t work; this person has worked so hard on generosity. Rather the Yetzer Harah tells him, “Give...but give so people will think you're righteous!” Here too, the Satan couldn't stop Avraham, but he could at least take away the pure intent. He hoped to have Avraham believe that he would never actually need to sacrifice yistchak, and thereby remove Avraham’s lofty motives in going to do the mitzvah. But Avraham could not be swayed – and he continued on to do the Will of G-d.

According to this explanation, perhaps we can say that the test for Avraham was not to offer his son – he was ready to do that. Rather, the challenge was to go and do the mitzvah with a completely pure heart, without any of his own logic and calculations getting in the way. We know that Avraham was an intelligent, thinking person, for he came to belief in G-d on his own accord. And yet, at the moment of trial, he was able to disregard logic in the face of G-d’s request. Avraham could have asked how any of this made sense, how Hashem could want such a thing, how this could possibly benefit society or result in the emergence of a nation from his offspring. He could have gone according to the arguments of the Satan, telling him that the act would never follow through. But instead, he kept his own thoughts out of the picture and focused only on doing what G-d said.

We see a proof to this idea, in that when HaShem stopped Avraham from offering Yitzchak, He said, "Do not do anything to him for nowI know that you are G-d fearing". The question is why now? Could it be that HaShem, chas ve shalom, had doubts about Avraham's fear of Him? However, according to our explanation above, we can say that HaShem now saw that Avraham's fear of Him was a fear of pure intentions, seeing that despite the social repercussions and the questions of logic, Avraham did not allow any of those doubts in to affect his purity of service. This was the test of Avraham, and it is our test as well. We often put our own calculations on par with what Hashem asks of us, when what we really need to do is bend our will to His. May we learn from Avraham and have the strength to do so.

Shabbat Shalom.

Naftoli Kassorla

Parshat Noach

Parshat Noach

In this week's parsha the Torah tells us of the destruction of the world due to the wickedness of man, and its reconstruction through Noach and his offspring. As HaShem tells us at the end of last week's parsha that the situation in the world got so bad that "every product of the thoughts of his heart was but evil always" meaning that EVERYTHING that civilization at that time had accomplished was really done with the intention of evil. This is very scary and it shows us just how low a civilization can go. As history has shown, there have been some very advanced cultures which have done the most unspeakable evils. For example, the German culture of the Holocaust which at the time was the most educated and cultured society, yet they killed 6 million Jews coldly, so much so that Hitler Yemach Shemo was (as rumor has it) a vegetarian himself! Or the Greek and Roman cultures which gave the world philosophy and the basics of science was also steeped in pedophilia and murderous games in the coliseum.

HaShem chooses to destroy man rather than allow this type of civilization continue, yet at the very end of Bereishit it says "But Noach found grace in the eyes of HaShem" thus

Obviously this grace that HaShem found in Noach was great, so much so that it was the saving factor in the creation of man. We owe our entire existence to this merit. So the question begs, what was this merit that Noach had?

Perhaps one from Rashi in our parsha. The parsha begins in a interesting way, it first states "These are the offspring of Noach-" seemingly the logical continuation would be for the Torah to list off the children of Noach yet the torah begins to list off the praises of Noach "Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generation; Noach walked with G-d" only afterwards does the Torah list his children. Rashi brings the Medrash to explain this profundity in the pesukim. The Medrash in its second explanation says this is coming "to teach you that the main offspring i.e. creations, of the righteous are good deeds" meaning that the essence of Noach was that everything he created was in order to preform good deeds. This trait of Noach was completely opposite from the world around him! Noach looked at every opportunity for development as a way to perform a kindness, as a way to make the world a better place. Noach looked at the creation of the gun not as a way to rule over and intimidate others; rather he looked at it as a deterrent from evil. This trait which HaShem saw in Noach is the foundation to a civilization which strives to advance and accomplish for the betterment of the world.

This is a tremendous lesson for our generation where many new innovations are taking place everyday. This obligates us to ask, what were the intentions of the inventor? Was it to make loads of money, even though he's destroying the minds of the youth? Or was it to make the world a safer and better place, and if not why am I buying it? Each one of us should to practice this trait in every action which we do. To ask ourselves if our actions are causing harm to others, or if we are making the relationships around us better.

May we be zoche to practice this trait and be like Noach who "walked with G-d"

Shabbat Shalom

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Naftali Kassorla