Parshat Achrei Mot- Kedoshim

Achrei Mot-Kedoshim

           

            

In this week's Parsha HaShem tells us "You Shall Be Holy". In explaining this pasuk, Rashi says this refers to separation from arayot (forbidden relationships), that wherever we find holiness we find a separation from arayot. The Ramban disagrees with Rashi's interpretation; rather, he says the pasuk refers to separation from even that which is permissible to someone. According to the Ramban, HaShem is teaching us to conduct ourselves in moderation. For example, while forbidding pork and other non-kosher animals, HaShem permits animals which have the kosher signs, through slaughter. However, one who eats even permissible food past his physical satisfaction is a "נבל ברשות התורה", Naval birshut haTorah, one who behaves disgracefully without actually violating a specific torah prohibition.

           With the Ramban's interpretation, we can gain a deeper understanding of HaShem's message with this mitzvah. The pasuk says "Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.'" We see here that HaShem gives a reason for this aveirah, but He does not give this reason for other aveirot. Later in the parsha, for example, the Torah could have said "Don't steal for I the Lord, your God, am holy" but no such explanation is given. What is the significance here?

            Perhaps one could explain as follows: The human mind and power of reason alone are only great enough to understand the idea of separation from something when it is clearly forbidden and harmful to oneself. However, if something is permitted, separation from it does not make any sense to us. If we are allowed to have something, then it should follow that it is good for us all of the time. Thus, we need to be told of its potential danger by HaShem. Only HaShem, the One who defines holiness, understands the dangers of an action to the spirit, and He tells us that sometimes we must separate from even that which is permitted in order to attain spiritual heights. According to this, the pasuk can be read as follows: Be holy! Because I am holy and I know what holiness is!

            However, inasmuch as HaShem tells us that He is the progenitor of holiness, he commands us here to actually be holy ourselves. Now that we have been given this principle – that even positive things must be taken in moderation – we are commanded to use our intellect to decide when something is not good for us. Within the confines of Torah and halacha we need to THINK for ourselves. "Be Holy" says HaShem – "Be like Me by using your mind to figure out what will make you a holier person."

            With this combination of subservience to the wisdom of HaShem and the use of our own limited wisdom, may we merit to achieve sanctity in our lives.

 

Shabbat Shalom

 

--
Naftali Kassorla

Happy Purim from the Kassorlas!

To all of our Family and Friends,

 

Please see the attached Purim card, and "virtual mishloach manos."

 

Wishing you all a very happy Purim,

Naftali and Mindel Kassorla

Parshat Tetzaveh

Parshat Tetzaveh 

            The Parsha begins with the making of the Bigdei Kehuna, the Priestly Vestments. The Torah goes to great lengths to explain in detail the processing of each garment so we should know this for all future generations; no change in them is allowed. We also find in many Parshiot in the Torah where most, if not all the laws are only applicable to Kohanim. However, one could ask: why did HaShem include these laws in Torah which is for all of Klal Yisrael? Obviously the majority of Klal Yisrael are not Kohanim, and thus, these laws do not apply to us. Therefore, why didn't HaShem set aside these laws specifically for the Kohanim and give them a special commandment to study them? Why is it that those of us who are not Kohanim have no less of a commandment to study these parshiot than do the Kohanim?

            In order to explain, we must look at the Gemara in Nedarim (35b) where we find an interesting discussion. The Gemara has a difficulty: If a man makes a neder (oath) that he will not derive benefit from a specific Kohen, can that same Kohen be the agent to bring this man's Korbanot (sacrifices) for him on the altar, or is bringing the sacrifice considered a benefit to the man who made the oath? To resolve this issue, the Gemara asks an intriguing question: what is a Kohen? A Shluchay Didan - our emissary who brings the Korban, or a Shluchay D'shmayah, an emissary of Heaven. If he is our emissary than it is considered as if the Kohen is benefiting the one who made the oath. However, if he is Heaven's emissary, then the act of bring the Korban is not considered as being done specifically for the person, rather it is for HaShem, and not a violation of the oath, because he is not deriving benefit. The resolution is that a Kohen is an emissary of Heaven. This is fascinating because it goes straight to the essence of what defines a Kohen. He is the representation of HaShem in this world; a Kohen is commanded to remain holy and pure his entire life, to abstain from impurity and to devote his life to service in the Beit Hamikdash. This is the purpose of the Kohen – to be an emissary of the HaShem for the Jewish people as the epitome of holiness.

So why then does HaShem include their laws for the rest of Klal Yisrael?

Kohanim are a separate sect within Klal Yisrael, and we may tend to think of them as an elite group to which we cannot possibly relate. But this is not the case; this is not how Judaism views its hierarchy. Just as we, Klal Yisrael, are meant to set an example for the world to emulate, so too, the Kohanim, as an elite group, are there for us to emulate their holiness. Contained within every one of their laws is the concept of what it means to be holy, to devote our lives to HaShem and refrain from doing things that distance us from HaShem. Though these laws may not apply to us in action, the ideas which they permeate do apply. The ideas that Hashem conveys to them and the standards to which they are held can teach us about holiness and proper growth on our own level. From these parshiot, we can learn how a Jew acts, that as Jews we should be more keenly aware of things which are hazardous to our spiritual health and pull us away from our Creator. Today, when we cannot see the laws performed in order to learn these valuable lessons, we can at least study their details and allow them to affect our lives.

May we merit seeing the building of the Beit Hamikdash, the physical manifestation of true holiness in the world, very soon.

Shabbat Shalom

 

--
Naftali Kassorla

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