ALIYOS REFOEL ZEV Divrei Torah and Mussar on the Yomim Tovim
לעילוי נשמת האברך החשוב ר' רפאל זאב "עה בן ר' חיים צבי נ "י
Tisha B’Av 5769 Issue 22
AROUSING TEARS
By: R’ Dov Keilson
Thousands of years have passed since that most terrible destruction… A day of such sadness and loss… A tragedy of tragedies of the highest magnitude… Here we sit, so many years later, trying our utmost to mourn. In a certain sense it is truly incredible, and truly heartwarming how, even after so many years we continue to mourn with a solemnity and seriousness. On the other hand, it is very sad that the sadness is not felt as keenly as it was in past generations. The Seforim explain, that the time we are living in is called “Ikvisa Dimishicha”. One understanding is that the word “Ikvisa” comes from the root word of “Eikev” which means heel. If you ever tried to tickle your heel with a feather, you’ll note that it has very little feeling in it. One of our generation’s great challenges is a certain lack of feeling and emotion.
Considering this, it is no wonder that so many people find it quite difficult to cry on Tisha B’av. Besides for the fact that the concept of a Beis Hamikdash is so distant from us, we are also particularly challenged by the nisayon of our generation. However, if we prepare properly, there is no reason why we can’t try, on some level to bring out some genuine emotion on this most sad day.
We spoke last year (See Aliyos Refoel Zev on Tisha B’av 5768- A day of Tears) about the fact that all the Tzaros in Golus are in actuality an outgrowth of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdosh. To appreciate this point better, we must look into the end of Shemonah Esrei that we say each and every day. “Bless us our Father with the light of your face…for with the light of your face you gave us ….”.We continue to describe all the blessings that Hashem bestowed upon us through the light of His face. All good things come to us and the whole world, from the light of Hashem’s face kaviyochul. On the flip side, when there is r’l Hester Punim, which means that Hashem Kaviyochol, hides His face; this brings r’l tzaros Hashem Yiracheim and difficulties. The Galus began when Hashem kaviyochul hid his His face with the destruction of the Beis Hamikdosh, and all the difficulties r’l of Golus, are a part of that same Hester Punim. As we mentioned last year: Although there are many higher concepts in the tears that we might
not be able to grasp, the tears over the tzaros of Galus, unfortunately we can relate to, r’l. We must cry about the tragedies that r’l have taken place in our midst, and pray for Hashem’s salvation.
The Gemara in Meseches Berachos (Daf 6b) tells us that the reward for a eulogy is the raising of the voice. Rashi explains, that the goal of a eulogy is to arouse emotion, and when a person raises his voice in wailing, this will evoke tears; and thus the goal of the hesped will be realized.
R’ Yisroel Salanter introduced with the Mussar Movement, a way of learning Mussar that arouses the emotions, and reaches the depths of the soul. Rav Miller describes, how there were Yeshivos in Europe that would spend time on Motzei Shabbos learning Mussar in this fashion. They would close the lights and each Bochur would pick one Chazal that he would sing to himself over and over again until it would enter into his bones. By the end of the Mussar Seder, many of them had reached the point that their tears were flowing from within, as they allowed the light of the words of the Chazal to penetrate within.
If we take these last two points to heart, we can actually change the face of our Tisha B’av. One of the main goals of Tisha B’av is to arouse the feelings and emotions from within. Some actually explain that the Mitzvah of the Tisha B’av day is to cry. If so, is it really better to just run through the many Kinos in lip service without truly understanding or feeling them at all? Or is it more appropriate to try to pick a few Kinos which one will spend time on and come to actually feel in a real way? How special would it be, to actually take one Kinah, understand it, and then to use the power of a sad nusach to arouse one’s emotion as he reads the Kinah. To sit in the corner and take the Kinah about the holocaust and to softly say the words in a tune of eulogy as one allows the sadness of the tragedy to penetrate the heart… Such a Kinah, is so powerful, it can also break through the heavens and be a great merit for the Jewish People to bring that special day, B’mheira V’yameinu…
MACHLOKES
By: Benjamin Lintz
One of the most famous topics learned on Tisha B’av is the gemara concerning Kamtza U’Bar Kamtza (i). The gemara relates that a certain Jewish man in Yerushalayim was making a party. One of the guests he intended to invite was his friend named Kamtza. Unfortunately, the message was delivered to a man named Bar Kamtza – who the host happened to be very unfriendly with. When Bar Kamtza showed up – the host refused to let him in. Bar Kamtza pleaded to be admitted, but the host continued to refuse. Ultimately, Bar Kamtza offered to pay for the entire party rather than suffer the embarrassment of being thrown out- yet the host remained unyielding. Bar Kamtza was so furious that he went to the Roman Government and spoke loshon hora about the Jews. This began the chain of events that led to the Romans breaking into Yerushalaim and ultimately destroying the Beis Hamikdash.
It seems that one of the main issues within Klal Yisroel at the time of the Destruction of the Second Bais HaMikdash was that of machlokes - controversy. The Chofetz Chaim writes in his Sefer Shmiras Haloshon (ii) that there are two components regarding not having machlokes: 1. Rectifying any existing machlokes and 2. Preempting the issue so that it never even happens in the first place.
Setting straight a machlokes between oneself and another or even between two others is a special mitzvah that we recall every morning after birchas hatorah (iii). The gemara (iv) says that הבאת שלום בין אדם לחברו – “bringing peace between one man and his peer” is a special mitzvah that one, not only savors sechar in Olam Habaa, but even reaps benefits for in Olam Hazeh. The Chofetz Chaim writes (v) that no one is too great or too deserving of respect to be exempt from this important mitzvah. The Chofetz Chaim cites the pesukim in Parshas Korach (vi) where it talks about Moshe Rabeinu going down to Dasan and Aviram to settle the discord between them and him. Even Moshe Rabeinu – who was the most prominent figure in Bnei Yisroel, the greatest prophets who ever lived, who knew more clearly than anyone else that he was correct in his actions – went down to lowly renegades who questioned his authority – to settle the machlokes between them and himself.
I would like to share a story in which I personally experienced “Havaas Shalom” in action. In high school all the boys in my class got along pretty well. For some reason or another, there was a short period where a particular issue arose that was causing some friction in the class between a few of the students. I remember that the Rosh Hayeshiva of my school picked up on this and called for an impromptu mini-shabbaton just for our class. He made sure that all the fellows had places to stay for shabbos in the neighborhood, and invited our whole class to his house for lunch. This was very impressionable on me and I thought was a great example of the importance of Havaas Shalom. Friction between a couple of fellows in high school is a very common and almost frivolous matter. Yet, my Rosh Yeshiva felt it important to go out of his way and see to it that some action take place to bring some sort of peace to the matter, as sophomoric as it may have been.
The second component regarding machlokes, as we mentioned above, is preempting the issue so that it doesn’t even begin. A major theme in the parshiyos at the end of Sefer Bamidbar and beginning of Devarim is the Nachalas Haaretz – each family of Bnei Yisroel receiving there apportioned plot of land in Eretz Yisroel. The Torah tells us that the land was divided by means of a lottery (vii) well before Bnei Yisroel even began to fight the battles of the conquest. The Ralbag writes (viii) that Hashem did it this way so as to avoid machlokes. If the land was divvyed out after they had already fought the battles, some families might complain that they deserve a better portion because they fought harder.
The Chofetz Chaim writes (ix) a piece of advice that I found very interesting. He suggests that people set aside a sum of money for the year that they can use to avoid machlokes. So, if ever a person can easily avoid a potential controversy by paying this money, it is worth while doing so. The Chofetz Chaim reasons that there are several mitzvos one must spend money on, such as Arba Minim and Tztzis, and a lot of people are willing to even splurge somewhat to beautify the mitzvah. Avoiding machlokes is a great mitzvah, so if it can be achieved by spending a reasonable amount of money it is definitely worth fulfilling.
I would like to mention one last story which comes to mind. I was once walking with an older man in Yerushalayim. The path we were taking led us to a fairly wide staircase. However, when we got to the foot of the stairs, the man told me we should detour around it to the right. I was quite confused, for this was the shortest path to our destination and I didn’t see any reason to detour. So, when I asked why he suggested doing this, he told me that since it was Elul of the shmitah year, the trees growing along the side of the stairs were fairly overgrown and were protruding into the staircase. Although there is usually enough room for two people to walk abreast up the stairs, there would only be enough room to walk single file at that time.
This episode struck me as a quite amazing phenomenon. Here I was, a young man in yeshiva , walking with a person much older and wiser than me. Yet, the older man was very determined that he not have to walk in front of me. I personally wouldn’t have minded at all waiting for him to pass especially considering the fact that it would have taken maybe 5 seconds to do so. Nevertheless, this particular person was super sensitive as to make sure not to maybe “slight” a young yeshiva bachur even for 5 seconds.
Although in this particular story I don’t think there would have arisen any sort of machlokes, I thought it fit in here well nonetheless. I think this is a great story to learn from. If people were constantly perceiving how their “next step” would affect the person standing next to them, even if that person happens to be someone you owe nothing to or is even someone “below” you, such as a student, employee or child, this would definitely be a positive step forward into avoiding much machlokes in the world.
May our efforts to live harmoniously and respectfully with our peers bring soon, with Hashem’s help, the ultimate Eis Shalom with the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash, and the transformation of Tisha B’av from a day of mourning to a day of joy.
i Gittin 55:,56.
ii End of Shaar Hazechira, and beginning of Chasimas Hasefer Chelek Aleph
iii Siddur: Birchas Hashachar
iv Shabbos 127.
v Shmiras HaLoshon, last paragraph of Shaar Hazechira
vi Bamidbar 16:12
vii Bamidbar 26:55
viii Toeles 4 on ibid.
ix Shmiras HaLoshon, beginning of Chasima Hasefer Chelek Aleph
R’ Refoel Zev Chait was a budding Talmid Chochom who tragically passed away at the young age of twenty nine. He was a living example of a true Ben Torah with impeccable Midos and character. Through his Yisurin at the end of his life he brought out an even greater picture of the true Ben Aliyah that he was. The name of this publication takes on this name; as an aliyah to his Neshomah, and with the Tefilah to bring Aliyah and inspiration to all those that read it.
RSS