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  • #1786481
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Ki Seitzei: Work Right

    We know that Hashem is said to abide by the laws of the Torah. If so, asks the Chida, how can Hashem not give us reward for the mitzvos in this world? In this week’s parsha we are commanded to pay workers at the end of each day!

    He explains that there is an exception to this rule. An אומן who accepts an item to be worked on is קונה בשבח כלי. For example, a silversmith who improves someone’s precious items is not considered merely to be working for his employer. He is creating an item of value, and this added value currently belongs to the worker. Only when the אומן gives back the finished product is he paid for it.

    So too, we should not just be doing mitzvos as a job that we are required to do. Rather, we should be doing them in order to improve ourselves, by learning and internalizing the lesson of each and every mitzva. When we do this, we actually improve the neshama that we have been entrusted with. Therefore, Hashem will only give us our reward when we return the finished product to Him.

    לעילוי נשמת ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1786704
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    Mitzvos given through Moishe Rabbenu, a shaluach, there is no baal tolin, but for emunah (אנכי) given directly through Hashem baal tolin applies, so the rewards for it are given this world as explained by the Sefer Peninim Yikorim in the begining of Parshas R’eh.

    #1788330
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Ki Savo: Don’t Deny It

    When one brings his ביכורים to the Beis HaMikdosh, one is required to recite a long list of all the good that Hashem has done for us as a nation. Rashi explains that this is so we shouldn’t be כפוי טובה, deniers of the good that Hashem has given us. But why does Rashi say this as a double negative, don’t deny, instead of just saying the simpler phrase הכרת הטוב, recognize the good?

    Many suggest that in truth, we can never fully acknowledge everything Hashem has done for us. Literally everything we have is a gift from Hashem: we could never make a list of His gifts that is close to complete. All we can do is not deny how much Hashem has given us.

    As we approach Rosh Hashanah, we should be careful not to think only of the all the things that we’d like to ask of Hashem. We must also recognize, or at least not deny, how much Hashem has given to us, and how much we really owe Him.

    לעילוי נשמת ר׳ חיים דוב בן בןציון שלום

    #1788396
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    Zugger613, we say in Nishmas אין אנו מספיקים להודות לך we are unable to praise You for the millions of goods that You have bestowed on me.

    #1788411
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    To explain why we cannot thank Hashem for all the good He does for us, the Dubner Magid in Parshas Pinchos gives a nice mashal. בדין הוא שיטול שכרו he deserves his just rewards. There was a wholesaler who took in a young man to help him out. They agreed that he gets no salary but room and board. Once they were in the middle of their Purim sudah when a retail person arrived wanting to be served. The wholesaler told him to come tomorrow because he is the middle of the sudah. The young man volunteered to serve him. and they made nice profit from it. When it came to pay others, he asked him what do I owe you? The young man told him, didn’t we agree that I only get room and board? He tells him I thought that room and board meant something to you, but here you sacrificed it for my needs, so I have to pay you something worthy to you.
    The fact that we are living a healthy life is a constant reward from Hashem, but by Pinchos sacrificing his life for the sake of Hashem he showed that Hashem was more important than his life and therefore he deserves his just rewards.

    #1796424
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Noach: The Beauty of the Rainbow 🌈

    We know that seeing a rainbow is considered a bad sign: it means that Hashem is so angry that he would destroy the world, if not for the fact that He promised not to.

    And yet, this can be hard to internalize. Rainbows are just so beautiful and so nice to look at. Why is it that this sign of wrath is so pleasant?

    Perhaps the beauty of the rainbow is supposed to remind us of the second half of Hashem’s statement. True, He is angry enough that He would destroy the world. But why doesn’t He? Because He loves us so much that He simply can’t do it, no matter how much we may deserve it.

    The rainbow is the sign of Hashem’s promise never to turn His back on us. No matter how low we may sink, Hashem’s love for us is always there. And that’s beautiful indeed.

    לעילוי נשמת ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1803223
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Chayei Sarah: Look Behind & Look Ahead

    The acceptable methods of קנין that can begin a marriage are learnt from a surprising place; from Avraham buying a plot to bury his wife. Why does the Torah teach us how to start a marriage from such a morbid place?

    On a philosophical note, R’ Samson Raphael Hirsch explains that in order to go into the future, one needs to first look back into the past. To be successful, every Jewish home must view itself as a continuation of the mission of our ancestors, as a link in the chain going back to this cave in Chevron where the Avos and Imahos lie.

    On a psychological note, we can suggest that this is meant to remind us that nothing lasts forever, and we should never take our most cherished relationships for granted.

    לעילו נשמת ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1808400
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Vayeitzei: Unseen Beauty

    In describing Rachel and Leah, the Torah tells us עיני לאה רכות, ורחל היתה יפת תאר. The Zohar cryptically comments that the Torah tells us only Leah had eyes, and not Rachel. The Zohar goes on to label Rachel “beautiful, but without eyes”.

    R’ Akiva Tatz explains that Leah is the mother of the nobility of Klal Yisroel, such as the כהנים and the מלכים. But Rachel is the mother of the common Jew, who may not view him or herself as being anything special.

    But in truth, every Jew brings something unique and amazing to the world, whether they know it or not. If anything, the unassuming actions of someone who doesn’t consider themselves to be anything major have an extra special charm. Therefore Rachel (and by extension, her descendants) is referred to as being beautiful, but without eyes to see her own beautiful actions with – she didn’t think of herself as being anything special.

    לעילו נשמת ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1808434
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    It says when one davens Shmonei Esrei he should keep his eyes below and his heart above. The RMA O’CH 98 says that we should keep the greatness of Hashem infront of us (in our hearts) and see our lowliness (looking down).

    #1808441
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    It says that the number of .letters of a Sefer Torah is against the Bnei Yisroel. יש ששים רבוא אותיות לתורה – ישראל. All letters must be separated by white empty space מוקף גויל as every Jew is unique.

    #1808452
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    Maybe that is why there is no ayin horah in josef like fish as Rochel did not see her beauty.

    #1823683
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Shemos: Pick Your Struggle

    We know that Shevet Levi were not forced into back-breaking slavery in Mitzrayim like the rest of the Shevatim. But this requires explanation; aren’t they also descendants of Avraham, who was told כי גר יהיה זרעך בארץ לא להם? Why were they let off the hook?

    R’ Avigdor Nebanzhal addresses this question, based on the Zohar that writes on the words בחומר ובלבנים that Klal Yisroel could have accomplished their galus through קל וחומר וליבון הלכה, learning Torah. R’ Nebanzhal explains that anybody could have chosen to toil in Torah, and if they worked hard enough at it, that would have been sufficient. But only Shevet Levi got to that level of dedication and עמילות; all the other Shevatim had to do physical work to meet their quota.

    Nobody came to this world to just sit around; we are here to work. But to some extent, we can pick what field we work in. The more effort we expend on meaningful religious pursuits, the less effort we will have to spend on meaningless toil.

    לעילוי נשמת ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1841429
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Vayakhel/Pikudei: Just Do It

    Most of the Parsha can be summed up in three words: they did it. After giving us a detailed list of what had to be done to build the Mishkan, the Torah repeats it all when Bnei Yisroel followed the instructions. Why is there such a focus on people just following instructions?

    Much of our learning focuses on ideals and theories. But all that learning is useless if we fail when it comes time to bring it into practice. Don’t just ponder your ideals – live them.

    Nobody will deny the value of life. But now it’s time to put that ideal into practice by sacrificing some of our comforts (and sanity) in order to avoid putting others in danger.

    It’s easy to talk about the beauty of teffilah. But with the Shuls closed, will we still use some of the extra time we have on our hands to Daven more instead of less?

    Family is always a priority. But now that we’re all cooped up together, will we make sure to use the time to grow closer instead of just getting on each other’s nerves?

    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום
    לרפ״ש דוד חיים בן עטל

    #1852641
    Zugger613
    Participant

    *Metzora: Humility vs Control*

    Somebody who has had צרעת must bring a korban containing elements of both a high and mighty cedar tree and a lowly bush. Rashi explains that this is a message to the מצורע that the צרעת came about due to haughtiness, and that this person must work to lower himself.

    R’ Zev Leff has a beautiful and succinct explanation of גאוה vs ענוה.
    גאוה is to believe that I made myself great, and that that give me rights. ענוה is to realize that Hashem made me great, and that that gives me responsibilities.

    Perhaps this is one of the lessons of צרעת itself. צרעת shows a person that he does not truly control his possessions (such as his house & clothes), his social life, or even his own body. Hashem can take any of these away in a heartbeat if they aren’t being used correctly, through צרעת or some other affliction. This is a reminder that our possessions and abilities should not be viewed as being our own, but rather as gifts from Hashem that create responsibilities to do for others.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1855299
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Acharei Mos: Fork in the Road

    At the height of the עבודה של יום הכיפורים, the Kohen Gadol takes two goats that are almost exactly alike and randomly selects one to be a Korban whose blood is sprinkled in the קודש הקדשים, and one to “bear the aveiros of the people” to the desert.

    R’ Samson Raphael Hirsch writes that this is symbolic of the overarching life choice we all make. Standing in front of the Torah, represented by the קודש הקדשים, there are two paths to choose from. Will we sacrifice our personal desires (represented by שחיטה) in order to be able to enter into Hashem’s Presence? Or will we remain in our raw and unrefined state (יעמד חי), and let our desires lead us into the wilderness, to eventually tear us apart?

    By so graphically illustrating the difference between the two choices, hopefully we can incentivize ourselves to take the right path.

    ‎לע״נ דוד חיים בו ישראל דוב הכהן
    ‎לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בו ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1863217
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Bamidbar: Different Parts of the Same Whole

    The Shelah writes in the name of the Arizal that just as there were four different groups of Shevatim in the midbar, each under their own flag, so to there are four different groups of Jews each with their own Minhagim. (He lists the groups of his day as Sephardim, Ashkenazim, Catalonians, and Italians.) There have always been different paths in עבודת השם, and this diversity is clearly by design. No one group can do everything perfectly.

    R’ Yaakov Kamenetsky points out that the Jews were not given their different flags when they first left Mitzrayim as an independent people. Instead, Hashem waited until after they had received the Torah and built the Mishkan. He explains that only once we had the ultimate unifier, a Torah and a Mishkan at the center of our lives, could we focus on our individual strengths. Once we had this shared sense of mission, we could focus on our individual part of the plan without risking tearing the nation apart.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1864239
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    The Sefer Chagvei Haselah explains that the Torah starts with a beis indicating people created with different characteristic and the Aseres Hadibros which includes all the mitzvos of the Torah (see Kar Hakemach and Baal Haturm who says that is has 620 letters for 613 mitzvos and 7 bnei Noach) starts with an aleph to show that the Torah unites.

    #1865548
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Rus- Growing Pains

    The Nachlas Yosef points out that although both the Megillah of Rus and Iyov are referred to as stories of suffering, they are very different. Iyov suffered, but gained nothing from his suffering. But Rus was not just suffering, she was changing. When the world around her collapsed, she used it as a wake up call and a chance to rethink her life.

    Megillas Rus ends with the birth of Rus’ great-grandson דוד המלך. Dovid by no means had an easy life. But no matter what situation he found himself in, he managed to use it to praise and grow closer to Hashem. Some of the most stirring Perekim of Tehillim that we are so familiar with are written from the depths of despair – but Dovid shows as how to use that situation to reach out to Hashem.

    Times of difficulty can bring out strengths that a person never realized they had. Don’t let your pain be in vain.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1865554
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    It says like the rose among the thorns is my bekoved among the natiions. I heard once, the thorns on either side of the rose resist it from bending, so it grows straight. Similarly, the pain in life we experience drives us to teshuva and close to Hashem. By the other nations, pain drives them away from their beliefs whereas us it brings closer.

    #1865586
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    Should be above, is my beloved among the nations.

    #1868145
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Naso: It’s Personal

    Parshas Naso is the longest single parsha in the Torah, due in no small part to the fact that it spells out the details of the Korban of each Nasi, despite them all being exactly the same. If each letter in the Torah is there to teach us something, approximately 50 extra פסוקים must be really trying to drive home a point. What is this lesson that the Torah considers so important?

    It is easy to feel like our actions don’t really matter. What are, the six millionth and some odd person to keep Torah and mitzvos?

    This parsha teaches is that that’s not the way Hashem sees it. To Him, each Nasi wasn’t just one of twelve people bringing an identical Korban. It was his beloved son נחשון bringing a special Korban. The next day it was His beloved son נתנאל, bringing a special Korban.

    Hashem doesn’t see it as numbers, He sees each individual person; His beloved child coming to develop a relationship with Him. Never think your actions don’t personally matter to Hashem.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1870751
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Bahaloscha: What Do You See

    When the people who were טמא were informed that they wouldn’t be allowed to bring a קרבן פסח, they were devastated. למה נגרע, they asked; “why should we lose out” on this opportunity to do a mitzva? These people recognized that each mitzva is not a burden, but rather a precious opportunity to come closer to Hashem that they couldn’t bear to miss out on.

    Contrast this with a story from later on in the Parsha: ויהי העם כמתאננים, רע בעזני ה׳. The people complained about the toils of the travel, despite the fact that Hashem was leading them to ארץ ישראל for their own good. Then they complained that they didn’t like the food, although they had herds of cattle. Despite all that Hashem was doing for them, they chose to only focus on the difficulties. They saw their mission as a burden, not as the opportunity that it really was. What a tragedy.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1874217
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Shelach: Implicit Bias

    One of the biggest mistakes in Jewish history was made by the Meraglim. The Meraglim tried to convince the people not to enter Eretz Yisroel, eventually even denying Hashem’s ability to conquer the land in their efforts. Thanks to this, the entire generation died in the desert and the Churban of Tisha b’Av was decreed. How did they sink so low?

    The Shelah explains, based on the Zohar, that the Meraglim were concerned that when the nation would enter Eretz Yisroel, they would lose their position of authority that they currently held. Therefore, they had their own personal interest in trying to convince the people to stay in the desert, despite the disastrous results that this would have.

    The Baalei Mussar point out that each of has our own personal נגיעות that may cause us to make illogical decisions. But often we aren’t even aware of this conflict of interest. Only by searching out what is truly driving us to make our choices can we manage to improve them.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1874832
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    This pshat is troublesome. The Targum Yanoson says that Moshe Rabbenu worried about Yehashua because of his humility. This pshat emphasizes their gaiva and not their humility. Maybe, the Meraglim felt that they are not worthy to benefit Hashem’s intervention so they have to do everything by themselves as they have exhausted all their zechusim but the geula is not tied to worthiness as it was a promise to the Avos. Once they entered EY now they had to be worthy to keep it.

    #1879092
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Chukas: Do You Exist?

    The Gemora famously tells us, based on the the Pasuk in this week’s parsha זאת התורה אדם כי ימות באהל, that the Torah is only מתקיים by a person who “kills” himself for it. What exactly is that supposed to mean?

    Perhaps we can explain this with the attitude of Rebbi Akiva. When asked why he was teaching Torah despite the danger involved, he compared leaving the Torah to a fish leaving the water – certain death. He recognized that for a Jew to exist without Torah is simply not possible. כי הם חיינו ואורך ימינו, the Torah is our very existence and identity. When we truly feel that we cannot be without it, that is when we become one with Hashem’s Torah.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1879096
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    I heard once that when a fish is out of water it looks likes it is jumping around like it is enjoying itself, but it is realy dying. Similarly, it looks like peoole without Torah are enjoying themselves but they are realy dying.

    #1883040
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Massei: Moving On

    R’ Asher Areilli expressed a beautiful thought on the passuk
    ‎וַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵרְפִידִ֑ם וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי
    We know that רפידים is so named because it was there that the Jews were רפו ידיהם מן התורה, weakened their commitment to the Torah. And yet, pointed out R’ Asher, they were still able to move on to Har Sinai.

    Everybody has bad days. But you can’t let the inevitable bumps in the road make you forget your goal. Yes, you fell short. But you can still pick yourself up and keep going. Don’t let your failures define you.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1883124
    abukspan
    Participant

    Very sweet.

    #1883168
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    The goyim have some wisdom. This above reminds me of a song by Jerome Kern.

    Nothing is impossible I have found. For my chin is on the ground, I pick myself up, dust myself off and start, start over again.

    #1883172
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    Correction as my last name, Jerome Kern, composer is Jewish.

    #1886283
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Devarim: Words Matter

    Rashi famously explains that the names of all of the places that Moshe went out of his way to list were gentle reminders of all the aveiros that the nation had committed in those places.

    R’ Chaim Shmuelevitz points out although Moshe felt it was necessary to rebuke the nation for what they had done wrong, he still managed to do it in a tactful way. How much more so should those of who don’t always have such noble intentions be careful that our words do not cause any hurt.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1886372
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    Its a halacha in SA YD when one sits shiva l’a, and a his rebbi comes in, when he wants to get up, the rebbi should not tell him, don’t get up as it gives an impressiion not to get up from the shiva.

    #1888254
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Veschanan: Guided Good

    On the Passuk of ואהבת את ה׳ אלוקיך בכל לבבך, Rashi quotes the famous Maamar Chazal that one is supposed to serve Hashem with both the Yetzer Tov and the Yetzer Hara. Much ink has been spilled explaining how one can serve Hashem with their Yetzer Hara, but R’ Moshe Feinstein asks a more basic question: why do we need to be instructed to serve Hashem with our Yetzer Tov, what else would we be doing with it?

    R’ Moshe explains that even good intentions, if not properly channeled, can lead to bad actions. As the Chazal taught us, those who are kind to the cruel will eventually be cruel to the kind. It is not enough just to mean well; one’s good intentions must be channeled into actions explicitly endorsed by the Torah, as interpreted by Chazal and Halacha.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1888420
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    The Ben Ish Chai says that it does not say איזהו גבור הממית את יצרו who is mighty who kills off is yetzer hara but he should use the yetzer hara to serve Hashem e.g. having children.

    #1888432
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    A father חושך שבטו שונא בנו who holds back his stick (for misplaced mercy), (realy) hates his child.

    #1892123
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Re’ah: Give Wisely

    We are instructed in this weeks Parsha to give to the poor דֵּ֚י מַחְסֹר֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֶחְסַ֖ר לֽוֹ, enough to fill his needs, which he is lacking. But why does the Torah use such repetitive language?

    The Ksav Sofer sees this as the source for a well-known principle: the highest form of charity is giving a person the ability to stand up on his own. By helping the poor attain the investments or skills that they need to become self-sufficient, you will have helped them not only with חסרו, their current needs, but also with אשר יחסר לו, what they will need in the future.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בו ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1892134
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    The gemora in Bava Basra (10,1) tells the story of Rav Papa who was going up the ladder it slipped and he almost fell. Said Rav Chiyah bar Madifta to Rav Papa that this happened to you maybe because a poor man came to you and you did not help him? Ask the GRA, how did he know that this is the punishment? Answered the GRA that it has the nigunim Dargo Tevir, a broken ladder.

    #1892137
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    It could also be that the gemora says that you must fulfill his needs what he is used to like a horse and a carriage, so he will miss that in the future.

    #1892148
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    To clarify above pasoach tiftach has a dargo tevir on it.

    #1894309
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Shoftim: Full Control 👨‍⚖️👮‍♀️

    The very first Rashi in this weeks Parsha explains what the difference is between שופטים & שוטרים; shoftim are the judges who decide what should be done, and shotrim are the police who make sure that the judges decisions are carried out. In order for society to function, there needs to be both an effective system of laws and a way of making sure that the laws are actually followed.

    R’ Yerucham Levovitz of Mir points out that this idea is not limited to large societies. Every one of us also needs act as our own judge, setting aside time to think about what we should be doing with our lives. And after those decisions are made we must police them, making sure we live up to our ideals in our day to day lives. Without both a plan of what we hope to accomplish and constantly checking to make sure we’re on the right path to get there, a person is in danger of just wasting away their life.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בו ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1894327
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    The Shlah Hakadash says that we should place judges and police on our gates, our mouths and ears scrutinizing what we say and listen to.

    #1896471
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Ki Seitzei: Wrong World

    The Meforshim are bothered by the punishment of a בן סורר ומורה – why does he deserve the death penalty? Sure, he didn’t listen to his parents and stole some money to be able to indulge in food and wine, but why is that a capital crime?

    Rashi explains that a בן סורר ומורה is put to death because his life will only go downhill from here. People who will not accept authority and instead steal in order to indulge themselves can only lead a life of crime; better to end this life early.

    The Ibn Ezra disagrees. He explains that the issue is not in what this person may do in the future, but rather what he is doing right now. He is living a life focused only on attaining instant pleasure in this world by any means necessary, without any thought of what will be with him for all eternity in the next world. The Ibn Ezra writes that this lifestyle is comparable to being an Apikores. This belief that we are here to enjoy this world, rather than to prepare for the next one, is the very antithesis of our entire religion.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1896515
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    Rebbi Reb Yonasan says in Yaaros Devash that we say selach lonu avinu but mechal lonu ‘malkenu’ because if avinu, we would be a ben sorer umorei towards Hashem.

    #1897756
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    Rashi must agree that we punish the ben sorer umorei for his current actiions which reflect his future actions otherwise we have a questiion of baasher hu shom from Yishmoel where Hashem punishes as he behaves now.

    #1898438
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Ki Savo: Work Hard

    The Meforshim are bothered by several questions on the Pasuk of אֲרַמִּי֙ אֹבֵ֣ד אָבִ֔י וַיֵּ֣רֶד מִצְרַ֔יְמָה: First of all, what does Lavan bothering Yaakov have to do with going down to Mitrayim? Secondly, why does the Pasuk seem to imply that Lavan did destroy Yaakov if he was ultimately unsuccessful in doing so?

    The Kli Yakar has a fascinating explanation. He writes that on some level, Lavan did destroy Yaakov. From the time they spent together, Yaakov was affected by Lavan’s attitude towards this world. This why Yaakov was ביקש לישב בשלוה, slightly too concerned with his comfort in this world. And that is why Klal Yisroel had to go down to Mitzrayim; by experiencing being forced into backbreaking labor, they were able to internalize that אדם לעמל יולד.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל גוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1898446
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    The Alshich Hakadash has a very interesting interpretation. If Lavan would not have fooled Yaakov then he would have married Rachel first and Yoseph would have been the first born deserving the kesonas pasim and no jelousy would have occured, so they would have never ended up in mitzraim,
    so Lavan’s actions contributed to go down to mitzraim.
    The Chasan Sofer interprets it that the yetzer hara wants to destroy the feeling that Hashem is our merciful father. Could be that by being redeemed, even though not worthy of it, taught the Bnei Yisroel that Hashem cares for them like a father.

    #1900406
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Vayelech: Reconnecting

    Hashem tells Moshe some bad news in this weeks Parsha: after Moshe dies, the people will stray from the path, no longer doing what they are supposed to do and being who they are supposed to be. The consequences will be dire, mostly along the theme of: והסתרתי פני מהם, I will hide my face from them. If they turn their backs on me, I will turn my back them. There is no greater punishment than this. If you don’t want to develop a relationship with your Father in heaven, then you just won’t have one.

    The מבי״ט writes in בית אלוקים that although חרטה and עזיבת החטא are necessary components of Teshuva, they are not the actual essence of Teshuva. Teshuva literally means to return. If someone gets into a fight with a loved one, it is not enough to merely say sorry; they have to rebuild the relationship in order for it to go back to being what it used to be. Teshuva is that process of making it up to Hashem, of fixing what we broke, of coming back to once again be with Him.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1900475
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    They ask the question why does he get punished by Hashem looking away from him when he seems to do teshuva by saying that Hashem is not with me? Maybe, he gets punished because he says that things happen from nature and not from Hashem. Therefore, he is being turned over to nature by Hashem looking away from him.

    #1906927
    Zugger613
    Participant

    Sukkos: What’s the Shake all About?

    Although m’ikkar ha’din one can fulfill the mitzva of lulav and esrog by merely picking them up, the משנה tells us to shake them during הלל when saying הודו לה׳ כי טוב and אנא ה׳ הושיעה נא.

    Based on medrashim, the תפארת ישראל explains that shaking the four species symbolizes shaking of every part of our body and soul in fervent prayer to Hashem, to both thank Him for all He’s given us and to request that His kindness continue to surround us.

    לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
    לע”נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

    #1906951
    Reb Eliezer
    Participant

    It says כל עצמתי תאמרנה ה’ מי כמוך, my whole body praises Hshem for His being by indicating to shake our whole body when davening as the lulav is being shaken resembling the spine.

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