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Zugger613Participant
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.
Gayvah is to believe that I made myself great, and that that give me rights. Anavah 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 שלוםZugger613ParticipantTazriah: עת לקרב ועת לרחק
The Torah tells about the tumah that affects people immediately after telling us which animal are tahor and which are not. Chazal explain that just as the creation of man only took place after the creation of the animals, so too is the תורת האדם only taught after the Torah first teaches us about the תורת הבהמה. But why would this seemingly tangential idea be called the תורת האדם, what does this tell us about the very nature of people?
R’ Aaron Lopiansky explains that the nature of person is that there are times they go through stages of taharah, where they are particularly holy and close to Hashem. But every person also goes through times of tumah, where they are removed from Hashem. This is not just an accident. This is the very nature of man.
The avodah of person in their time of taharah is obvious – to relish being close to Hashem. But there is also an avodah to be accomplished in times of tumah, in times of disconnection. During those times of disconnection a person should recognize that they are distant from Hashem, and should internalize just how empty that disconnection is. By doing so, even the time of tumah will serve to accentuate the importance of קרבת ה׳.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantTzav: Serving Whom?
The Parsha opens with the Mitzva of תרומת הדשן, which simply understood means to clean off the מזבח from the ashes of yesterday’s Korbanos. Yet this seemingly lowly act is given as a mitzva, and the Kohen must perform it while wearing his special בגדי עבודה.
Based upon Rabbeinu Bachya, we can offset eh following explanation. It is very easy for a Kohen, or for anybody who is engaging in avodah Hashem in the public eye, to make a massive mistake. Our Avodah can easily stop being about Hashem, and become only about ourselves. “Look at me and all that I have accomplished” is a terrible attitude to go through life with, and that doesn’t change if the accomplishments that feed one’s ego happen to be spiritual in nature.
Therefore, the Kohen is commanded to put on his best בגדי כהונה, and take out the garbage. Nobody would pride themselves on cleaning ashes. The only motivation the Kohen has to do this Avodah, and to wear the בגדי כהונה to emphasize that it is an Avodah, is because they want to do what Hashem wants them to do. This drives home the point that the Avodah is for Hashem, not for the glory of the one performing it.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVayikra: Living Like A Korban
Chazal refer to one who goes to their death rather than betray Hashem to as a Korban. This comparison is fairly simple to understand: both of them die for Hashem.
But there is a far more intriguing comparison which is brought down in Halacha. The Rema (או״ח קס״ז ה׳) and the Mishnah Berurah write that if one eats lishmah, for the sake of having strength to serve Hashem, the food they eat is like a Korban to Hashem. How are we to understand this?
The answer is that the Korban represents total dedication of every aspect of our lives to Hashem. Just as the Korban is slaughtered and burnt, so too must we be willing to give up our physical selves to serve Hashem. But the atonement of the Korban is not effectuated until the blood is sprinkled on the מזבח. This represents our heart and passion being focused solely on coming close to Hashem.
One way of proving one’s complete dedication to Hashem is to die for Him. But a far more impressive way of doing that is to live for Hashem. Somebody who dedicates every aspect of their lives, even such mundane things as eating, towards this noble goal can be said to be living the life of a Korban.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר ׳חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantPekudei: Mishkan vs Mikdash
There is no mitzva that the Torah gives as much detail to as the Mishkan. There are entire Parshiyos dedicated to spelling out the smallest detail of how we are to make the Mishkan. Yet when it comes to building the Beis HaMikdosh, the Torah is strangely silent. It wasn’t until Dovid HaMelech was moved on his own to build a Beis HaMikdosh that any Nevuah about it was given. Why is the approach to these two very similar Mitzvos so different?
The Mishkan was something that Hashem instructed us to create. But since the impetus came from Hashem, not from us, the Mishkan couldn’t last. The only things that stay with a person are what they themselves. Since Dovid HaMelech, the quintessential Jewish king, was the impetus for the Beis HaMikdosh, it was far more permanent in nature, and it will therefore be rebuilt.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVaykhel: Fire 🔥
Of all the 39 melachos, only one is specified in the Torah: lighting a fire. To add another layer of mystery as to why this particular melacha was chosen, the Zohar adds the prohibition against lighting a fire includes getting angry (igniting the the fire of anger) on Shabbos.
R’ Aron Lopiansky explains this by looking at the root of anger. Anger almost always comes from a place of frustration. Somebody who feels that they could be accomplishing something, but that they are being held from doing so, gets angry.
But Shabbos is supposed to be the antithesis of that very mindset. On Shabbos, we acknowledge that we do not run the world. Hashem made the world, and only He continues to control it.
A person only feels frustration and anger at a perceived loss of control, if they believe they were in control in the first place. Hence כל הכועס, כאילו עובד ע״ז.
One who truly appreciates Shabbos and acknowledges that Hashem alone controls the world, will not feel the fire of anger.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantKi Sisa: Remember What Counts
The Parsha opens with a warning: if you count Bnei Yisroel, there will be a plague. And indeed the Gemora tells us that in the times of דוד המלך Bnei Yisroel were counted, and a deadly plague began to spread which killed exactly 100 people a day. So to stop the plague, דוד decreed that everybody should make 100 brachos every day. But how does counting brachos counteract counting people?
Why would a king want to count his people? Simple: he wants to assess the might of his kingdom. But that is based on a false worldview. The security and prosperity of a nation is not determined by its population, but rather by Hashem. Counting the people shows a false sense of security, as if we determine our destiny and not the Almighty.
Brachos are the exact opposite. A bracha is an affirmation that this is Hashem’s world, and He controls everything. We acknowledge that all that we have comes only from Hashem.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantTezaveh: Looking Inside
The Gemara tells us that the מעיל of the Kohen Gadol atones for lashon hara. Presumably, that means there is some lesson that we can learn from the מעיל that will help us avoid the pitfall of lashon hara. But what is that lesson?
Based on the Vilna Goan, R’ Lopiansky explains that the message lies in the fact that the מעיל is tucked into itself. The passuk stresses that the hem of the מעיל must be tucked back within itself: והיה פי ראשו בתוכו. This sense of internality, of looking inside oneself, is key to avoiding lashon hara.
All too often, we evaluate ourselves by comparing ourself to those around us. This is often why we are tempted to put others down; by speaking badly about others, we feel better about ourselves.
The message of the מעיל is to look inside one’s own self. Don’t try to see how you measure up to others. Our sense of success ought to be based on to what extent we are living up to our own potential. One who lives with that attitude will not feel the need to put down others to feel better about themselves.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantTerumah: Actualizing the Ephemeral
There is an interesting tension in the collection of materials collecting for the Mishkan. On the one hand, there is a strong emphasis on the נדבת לב, the giving of the heart. On the other hand, there is no mitzva that the Torah that the Torah gives as specific instructions for as building of the Mishkan. How are we to understand the relationship between doing the mitzva because we want to, while doing it exactly the way that Hashem wants it done?
R’ Lopiansky answers that the Mishkan has to start with what’s in our hearts. We need to feel that yearning to connect with Hashem.
But a feeling that is never put into practice will never amount to anything. If a feeling is not acted on, it will wither away and die.
The Mishkan is where we pour our feelings into to make sure they stay with us. All the precise details of the Mishkan are meant to be applications of what we feel in our hearts. By making them real to ourselves, we will be able to incorporate these feelings into the way we live our lives.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantMishpatim: Serving A Greater Cause
Of all the ways to begin Mishpatim, the Torah chose to start with the halachos of עבד עברי. What does this reveal to us about how we are to approach Mishpatim, the laws of the Torah that we can understand with our own intellect?
R’ Lopiansky explains that an עבד is somebody who is considered only an extension of his master. That is why anything that an עבד acquires becomes property of his master. A proper עבד does not have a will of his own; he lives to carry out the will of somebody else.
This is how we are to approach all of mishpatim. גדול המצווה ועושה יותר ממי שאינו מצוה ועושה – it is better to do a mitzva because Hashem has commanded it than to do a mitzva voluntarily. If we do a mitzva because its moral lesson resonate with us, we are attaching ourselves to that sense of morality. But when we do a mitzva because Hashem has commanded that we do it, we are connecting ourselves to Hashem Himslef. By making His will into our will, we have made ourselves an extension of Him.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantYisro: Your Turn
Hashem tells us in this week’s Parsha: וָאֶשָּׂ֤א אֶתְכֶם֙ עַל־כַּנְפֵ֣י נְשָׁרִ֔ים וָאָבִ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם אֵלָֽי,
I brought you on eagle’s wings to Me. What is this referring to?R’ Dovid Soloveitchik explains that Bnei Yisroel were on the 49th level of impurity in Mitzrayim, and yet 49 days later they were hearing Hashem at Har Sinai. How could they have changed so quickly?
This Passuk is the answer. Hashem lifted them up miraculously, not just physically, but spiritually as well. By showing us so many miracles in Mitzrayim and Yam Sof, Hashem left us with no choice but to believe in Him.
But as the next Passuk makes clear, after Kabbalas HaTorah the opposite is true. Now it’s all up to you: וְעַתָּ֗ה אִם־שָׁמ֤וֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ בְּקֹלִ֔י וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֑י וִהְיִ֨יתֶם לִ֤י סְגֻלָּה֙
Hashem lifted us to the heights of ruchniyus, so that we could see what it’s like. But now our job is to climb to those elevated heights ourselves.
From now on, only our choices and our actions will determine how close we are to Hashem.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantBishalach: Seeing Double
We know that the reason we have לחם משנה on Shabbos is to remember that a double portion of Mun fell on Friday in preparation for Shabbos. The Medrash cites many other examples of doubling having to do with Shabbos, from זכור ושמור to the Shabbos Korban of two sheep.
What does it say about Shabbos that everything about is doubled?
R’ Lopiansky explains that this goes to the heart of what it means when we say that Shabbos is מעין עולם הבא. In עולם הבא, the reward that we get is not like a salary, which is entirely independent of the work that we did. Rather, the pleasure we receive is built upon the satisfaction of our accomplishments in this world. In the next world, we are able to truly appreciate all that we have already done.
That is why Shabbos is marked by the double portion that fell on Friday. On Shabbos, we are able to appreciate the ruchniyus in all the work that we have done during the six days of the week.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantBo: It Wasn’t Me
The של״ה writes that the mitzva of matza teaches us humility. From the simple tasting and and lowly matza, we learn to not be full of ourselves.
Asked R’ Mattisyahu Solomon, doesn’t the Torah explicitly write the reason we eat matza: to remember that we left Mitzrayim so quickly that the dough didn’t have time to rise? How does the של״ה fit with what is says in the פסוקים?
R’ Mattisyahu answers this based on a מהר״ל. The מהר״ל asks: why it that of the things that happened when we left Mitzrayim, why do we have a mitzva to commemorate that we left before the dough could rise?
The מהר״ל answers that there is danger that when future generations tell the story of leaving Mitzrayim, they will make the story about themselves. They will forgot what Hashem did, and claim that our ancestors broke free on their own.
By remembering that we left when it was inconvenient for us, when we were unprepared to go, we remember that Hashem is the one rescued us.
Explains R’ Mattisyahu, this is what the של״ה means when he says matza teaches us humility. It teaches us that Hashem is responsible for our successes, and we shouldn’t attribute them to ourselves.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantThe Necessity of Destruction
Moshe had previously complained to Hashem; למה הרעותה לעם הזה, למה זה שלחתני – why did you send me to Pharoh, he only made things worse for the people?
Hashem answers by saying that now He will reveal His true middos. But why was it necessary for the situation to get worse before it could get better?
Based on the מהר״ל, R’ Lopainsky explains that to make something truly new, a fresh start is required.
If Klal Yisroel had attempted to become the עם ה׳ without first shaking off the dust they had accumulated in Mitzrayim, they couldn’t have succeeded. Any Egyptian identity and outlook that Klal Yisroel had picked up in the past two hundred and ten years needed to be destroyed.
This phase of destruction that Moshe was aghast about was wiping the slate clean, getting the nation ready for a new beginning. As is so often the case, the destruction was setting up an opportunity to create something even better.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantShemos: The Advantage of the Bitterness
The Parsha tells us that the Egyptians made our lives miserable: וימררו את חייהם. But what is interesting is that from this Passuk, we learn out the mitzva of having Marror. What lesson is there to learned from remembering how bitter Galus was after it’s already ended?
R’ Matisyahu Salomon has a beautiful explanation, based on writings of R’ Yisroel Salanter. We know that how much reward a person gets for doing a mitzva depends on how much effort they put in to it – לפום צרעא, אגרא. Therefore, those few Mitzvos that one manages to accomplish when things are very difficult can count for many times more than Mitzvos that came to one easily.
The fact that life was so difficult in Mitzrayim gave every action that Klal Yisroel did special meaning. Every word of Tefillah that they uttered in those trying times pierced the heavens – ותעל שועתם אל אלקים מן העבודה. The very bitterness of the exile was what gave Klal Yisroel’s Teffilos the power to set them free.
This lesson is important for all generations. When things seem so difficult, we must remember that every Mitzva we do and every Teffilah we utter is now all the more precious to Hashem. We can never know just how much our “small” things can accomplish precisely when the going gets tough.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVayechi: Stay Thirsty
In the Bracha of המלאך, Yaakov says וידגו לרוב בקרב הארץ, may they multiply manyfold in the midst of the land. The Gemara sees in the word וידגו a hint to fish (דג), which multiply quickly. What are we supposed to learn from this?
The Chidushei HaRim explains this based on another Gemora. Despite the fact that fish are surrounded by water, they always come to the surface to taste the “fresh”drops of rain. So too, says the Gemora, תלמידי חכמים who “live” with the Torah are still excited to hear something new.
And yet, points out the Chidushei HaRim, the Passuk says we should be like fish בקרב הארץ, when we are on dry land. We should never stop seeking inspiration from the Torah, both when we are immersed in its depths, and when life keeps us busy with the mundane tasks of this world.
This Bracha is particularly appropriate for Menashe and Ephraim. Menashe and Ephraim grew up alone in Mitzrayim. They could not spend their days only in the Beis Medrash; they worked for their father, who ran the country. And yet even so, they never stopped thirsting for Torah and a connection to Hashem.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVayigash: Seeing the Hidden
The Parsha tells us that seventy members of Yaakov’s family went down to Mitzrayim. But as Rashi famously points out, only 69 names are mentioned. Quoting the Medrash, Rashi writes that the missing name is Yocheved, who was born “between the walls” en route to Mitzrayim.
R’ Aaron Lopainsky explains that this hints to an important role that Yocheved played in bridging two worlds. Yocheved grew up seeing Yaakov and the Shevatim, seeing the Jewish nation at its best. She then lived through Galus Mitzrayim, seeing the nation at its darkest and most difficult moments.
But as bad as things got, Yocheved never let go of that vision of what the Jewish people could be. That is why Yocheved is the one to compete the count, even though her name is hidden; she was the one who could see the complete picture of her people, even when nobody else could.
Since Yocheved retained that vision of what was possible, she was able to raise a son that made that vision a reality.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantMikeitz: Who’s Serving Who?
The Medrash in this week’s Parsha makes a fascinating comparison. In Paroh’s dream, he saw himself standing over his god – ופרעה חולם והמה עומד על היאור. But when Yaakov dreamed, he saw God standing over him – והנה ה׳ נצב עליו. What is this Medrash trying to tell us?
R’ Simcha Wasserman explains that these dreams show how each person saw themselves in relationship to what they considered to be Divine.
Paroh worshiped the Nile in an attempt to get it to irrigate his crops. He saw himself standing over his god, because he wanted it to serve his needs.
This is also why Paroh practiced polytheism. He would “worship” any power that he thought might be able to help him. In reality, all he cared about was himself.
Yaakov was the opposite. He saw God standing over him. He viewed religion as being about us serving God, rather than God serving us. Everything he did was to come closer to and to develop a relationship with the one and only God.
In Judaism, we serve God, not the other way around. We do not keep the Torah and Mitzvos as a way of trying to get Hashem to do what we want Him to do. We do it because it is what He wants, and it is how we develop a relationship with Him.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVayeishev: Cover-Up
When the brothers decided to kill Yosef, Yehudah tried to talk them out of it. He asked his brothers: מה בצע כי נהרג את אחינו, what do we gain by killing our brother, וכסינו את דמו, and by covering up his blood? But what was the added message of Yehudah referring to the covering up of the blood, after he already tried to talk them out of killing Yosef?
R’ Chaim Shmuelevitz is said to have had a fascinating explanation. The brothers ddi have a justification for why they wanted to kill Yosef. They held he was מוריד במלכות; that he was plotting to usurp the rightful place of the other brothers, or even that he wanted to entirely push them out of the being a part of the Jewish nation.
Yehudah chose not to directly address this charge. Instead he asked them: then why are you hiding? If you thought killing Yosef is the right thing to so, you would do so openly. Instead, you want to kill him in secret, and tell the world a wild animal got to him. The fact that you are not willing to publicly stand by what you claim to believe shows that you are lying to yourselves, and that deep down you know that.
We all have our internal justifications for why we do what we do. But if we’re embarrassed to admit them out loud, it’s a good sign that we don’t truly believe them.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVayishlach: Till Dawn
A famous passuk in this week’s Parsha tells us: ויותר יעקב לבדו ויאבק איש עמו עד עלות השחר, Yaakov was left alone, and an individual struggled with him till dawn. Chazal see this as being symbolic of the the Jewish people, left all alone, having to fight the nations of the world through the dark and terrifying “night” of Galus.
But R’ Shamshon Raphael Hirsch points out that Yaakov does not win this war at the end. Instead, at dawn, the struggle just stops. Why is that?
R’ Hirsch explains that the purpose of history will not be accomplished by the descendants of Yaakov forcing the nations of the world to do what is right. Rather, at the end of time, the truth will dawn on them. They will suddenly see the light, and realize that the very Jewish ideals and principles that they have fought so hard against are what will bring happiness, security, and fulfillment to all of the nations of the world.
The nations of the world will not give up their fight against us because we beat them. Rather, they will eventually come to the realization that we were right all along.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantToldos: Don’t Denigrate
Chazal tell us that Eisav was quite busy on the day of his Bar Mitzva. He committed murder, adultery, and was כופר בעיקר. And yet, the Torah explicitly tells us only one thing that Eisav did wrong: ויבז עשו את הבכורה, Eisav denigrated his original position as the Bechor. Of all things to focus on, why does the Torah pick that?
Based on the writings of R’ Shimon Schwab, this becomes clear. No matter what one does wrong, Teshuva is always an option – it’s never too late to come back. However, somebody who denigrates their very connection to Hashem, who constantly reinforces to themselves that religion is something they want to stay away from, will be extremely unlikely to ever come back.
After Eisav gave away his birthright to bring Korbanos for nothing but a bowl of soup, he doubled down on his decision. He went around actively denigrating his connection to Hashem as being worthless, as being something he had no interest in. Once he crossed that line, it would be very unlikely for him to come back.
We all make mistakes. But at the very least, we should make sure not to burn our bridges back home.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVayeitzei: Out Of Many, One
The Medrash Rabbah tells us that Yaakov knew that the Jewish nation was going to be comprised of twelve Shevatim. He knew that Avraham and Yitzchak had not been chosen to raise those twelve Shevatim, and he hoped to be the one to do so.
When he lay down at Har HaMoriah, he placed twelve stones around his head. When he woke up and saw that the twelve stones had merged into one, he knew he had been chosen.
Asks R’ Betzalel Rudinsky, isn’t this symbolism backwards? Shouldn’t the obvious sign of having twelve Shevatim be one rock splitting into twelve?
Based on the Pirkei D’ Rebbi Eliezer, the answer becomes obvious. Raising twelve tribes is great, but that wasn’t Yaakov’s entire goal. Yaakov’s goal was to raise twelve Shevatim that would still consider themselves one people. Each Shevet would have its own characteristics, its unique strengths and weaknesses. But each would work for the good of the nation as a whole, not for their personal gain.
Yaakov was not looking to be split into twelve. He wanted to have twelve very different Shevatim, who would all come together to form Klal Yisroel.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantChayei Sarah: יפה שיחתן
The Torah is usually very sparing with its words; there are entire Mitzvos described only in a few short Pesukim. And yet, the Parsha repeats the instructions Avraham gave Eliezer on how to find Rivka once when Avraham told them to Eliezer, and then gives another equally detailed account of Eliezer repeating his instructions to Lavan and Besual. What is this supposed to teach us?
Perhaps we can explain this with a mashal. Imagine somebody attempting to explain the power of a nuclear bomb:
One way to try to explain it could be by pointing out that the core of the explosion is about a hundred million degrees Celsius. But that’s very hard for anybody to relate to – nobody can possibly imagine how hot that it.
A far more accessible explanation is that an atom bomb can immediately vaporize a person standing miles away from the epicenter. By describing things that we can relate to that happen at the periphery of the blast zone, we can get some appreciation for how powerful the explosion must be at its core.
It’s very difficult for us to relate to the strength of Abraham’s convictions. So instead, we focus on the conversation that Eliezer has with Lavan. At the end of that conversation, Lavan responds: מה׳ יצא הדבר, לא נוכל דבר עליו רע או טוב.
Just having a conversation with Eliezer made such an impact on Lavan that his only response was “Everything is up to Hashem, I have no power to affect anything”. From the fact that Avraham’s servant’s convictions were strong enough to have such an effect on the wicked Lavan , we can have some appreciation for the strength of Avraham’s convictions.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613Participant*Vayeira: A Shining Example*
How did Yerushalayim get its name? Rashi quotes a Medrash that Shem called the city שלם, while Avraham called it יראה immediately after the Akeida when he said בהר ה׳ יראה. Hashem combined both of these names into ירושלם.
Based on the writing of the Gra, R’ Aaron Lopiansky explains the meaning of this. Shem brought שלימות into the world – he was the last remaining link to Noach and Adam, and he bore the idea that there is one Hashem.
But Avraham was more than that. Avraham made the world see what it could be. At the time of the Akeida, Avraham’s actions showed the world what Avodas Hashem looks like in its most pristine form, how a human being could reach the level where all he cares about is doing what Hashem wants him to do.
R’ Aaron Lopiansky compares this to a mirror. The first thing you want in a mirror is for it to be complete – if it is broken or cracked, it will not function. But a mirror’s purpose is not just to be whole. It exists to reflect light – if it cannot do that, it is useless.
This is what Yerushalyim stands for: we must have not only a complete set of beliefs, but also shining ideals that guide us in all that we do.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantLech Lecha: Inspired by the Emptiness
The Parsha begins with Hashem’s first command to Avram: לך לך מארצך וממולדתך ומבית אביך, go from your land, your birthplace, and your father’s house, אל הארץ אשר אראך, to the land that I will show you.
R’ Aaron Lopiansky asks, why do we need the whole first half of the command? Wouldn’t it be enough to tell Avram where to go to? Why did Hashem go into so much detail about the place Avram was leaving from?
He answers that the place Avram was leaving was actually the impetus for his journey. Avram grew up under Nimrod, in a land of idolatry. But because he grew up with it, he appreciated just how empty it was. His exposure to an ideology that he knew to be false was what inspired him to seek the truth.
Sometimes, we are drawn to do the right thing by an appreciation for what is good. But sometimes, we are drawn to what is right because we are repulsed by the evil of what is wrong. The very emptiness of the world around us can be what inspires us to seek out something more.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantNoach: Filled with Wickedness
The Torah tells us two things about what the world was like before the Mabul. First we are told ותשחת הארץ, the world was destroyed. Rashi explains that this refers to עבודה זרה and גילוי עריות. Next the Torah tells us ותמלאה הארץ חמס, the land was filled with wickedness. Rashi explains that this refers to theft.
First of all, it is puzzling that the Passuk seems to treat theft as severely as two of the aveiros that are יהרוג ועל יעבור. This is especially true in light of the fact that Chazal tell us that they stole less than שוה פרוטה, only a minuscule amount at a time.
Secondly, why is the theft referred to as “filling the world”, while the other aveiros are labeled “destruction”?
R’ Aaron Lopiansky explains that a person has a natural need to have something to live for. If a person only aim as they go through their day is to satisfy their immediate desires, they will feel a gnawing emptiness eating away at them. This feeling of emptiness will push them to find something meaningful to fill their lives.
However, the דור המבול couldn’t be saved this way. They didn’t steal out of a sense of material desire. They filled their lives with the enjoyment of trying to take from others, and they actually felt fulfilled by it. They stole small amounts from each other because stealing was what they lived for. Once a people view wickedness as the very reason that they live, the appeal to do good can no longer save them.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכנן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantBereishis: From Darkness, Light
One of the interesting things about the Jewish calendar is what time one day starts and the next day begins. Rather than begin at midnight or even at dawn, in Judaism each day is considered to began at nightfall. We see this from the Parsha’s constant repetition of ויהי ערב ויהי בוקר, it was night and then it was day.
R’ Eliezer HaKalir sees an allusion in these words to all of the darkness that has befallen our people. In his Kinnos for Tisha B’Av, he writes that this night alludes to all of the horrors that will occur to our people in the dark and bitter time of Galus. But from that darkness comes the light of the a new day, of the ultimate redemption.
We as a people have just witnessed a horror we had hoped we would only see in history books. But we as a people have responded with so much light. We as a people are there for each other in a way that cannot be described in words.
No Jew has gone unmoved by the events of this past week. We have seen what unspeakable horrors humanity is capable of, and we have seen how much love we can all have for each other. Let us hope that we can all come this dark period all the more determined to do what is right, to make the world a better place.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVzos HaBracha: Birkas HaTorah
The Beis HaLevi asks an intriguing question. When we leave the Sukkah, we need to make a new Bracha when we re-enter it. Yet when it comes to Birkas HaTorah, even when we close a Sefer and walk away, we do not make a new Bracha when we pick it up again. Why is that?
The Beis HaLevi answers by pointing to a different halacha from hilchos Brachos. If a bunch of people are eating together and only some of them leave, the ones who leave do not need to make a new Bracha when they return. Since they left their friends still busy with the meal they do not consider themselves to be done eating, they are not מסיח דעת.
Says the Beis HaLevi, the same is true when it comes to learning Torah. Even when one stops learning, if he is leaving his friends busy with their learning, he is not מסיח דעת from returning.
The Beis HaLevi sees an allusion to this idea in this weeks Parsha. שמח זבולון בצאתך, Zevulon rejoices when he leaves on a business trip. Why? ויששכר באהלך, because he is leaving his friend and partner still toiling in Torah, and therefore neither of them is מסיח דעת from Torah.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantSchach: בצל שקי יתלונן
The Rashbam gives a fascinating explanation for why Sukkos is during Tishrei, despite the fact that it is in remembrance of Hashem providing us with shelter when He took us out of Mitzrayim which happened in Nissan.
The Rashbam explains that Tishrei is the end of the harvest season, when people had storage houses full of grain. It is at this moment of material satisfaction that we must remember that our success is not due to כחי ועוצם ידי, but rather that everything always has and always will be provided only by the will of Hashem.
We can suggest that this message is hinted to in the halachos of the Schach. Schach must be made from something that grows from the ground (גידולי קרקע), but has not been fashioned into a vessel (אינו מקבל טומאה).
Perhaps this is to remind us that our shelter comes naturally from the hand of Hashem, symbolized by what grows naturally from the ground, not from what we have made with our own hands.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantHaazinu: Unstoppable
Rashi points out that in this Parsha is one of three times that the Torah uses the phrase בעצם היום הזה. Quoting the Sifri, Rashi explains that each time this phrase is used, there were people who had announced their intentions to thwart the plans of Hashem.
In the times of Noach, the people had said that if there was a מבול, they would stop Noach from entering the תיבה. The Mitzriyim had made clear that they would never let the Jews leave their land. And in our Parsha, the Jews had said they wouldn’t let Moshe leave them.
In each case, Hashem made a point of acting בעצם היום, publicly and in the middle of the day. You think you can stop the Divine plan? Go ahead and try.
But there is another time when this phrase is used: וכל מלאכה לא תעשו עד *עצם היום* הזה, כי יום כפורים הוא לכפר עליכם.
The Ramchal and many others go on at great length to explain the effects of our aveiros. Every mistake we make has ruinous consequences, both in the heavens above and deep within ourselves. We can sometimes feel that since our mistakes are so serious, they can never be undone.
But the Divine plan cannot be stopped. When Hashem says כי ביום הזה יכפר עליכם לטהר אתכם מכל חטאתיכם, He means it. As long as we regret our mistakes and pledge to do better, He will erase the past as if it never was, and absolutely nothing can stop Him.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantRosh HaShanah: Malchus 👑
We know that the primary avodah of Rosh HaShanah is תמלכוני עליכם, accepting Hashem’s Kingship. But how is this different than קבלת עול מלכות שמים that we say twice a day in שמע?
R’ Gedalya Schorr explains that every day, we accept Hashem as our boss, accepting our obligation to do as He says. But the Malchus of Rosh HaShanah goes far deeper than that.
On Rosh HaShanah, we accept Hashem as our King. We do not do what He says only because He controls our fate. Rather, we accept Him as King because we want to have a connection with Him. By relating to Hashem as a King, we are able to form a relationship with Him that we would not otherwise be able to have.
By accepting Hashem as our King, we are not actually changing His role in this world. What we are changing is our role. We are His people, and He is our King. Our very identities are intertwined, defined by our relationship to each other. And we would would not have it any other way.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantNitzavim: Talk to Yourself
When exhorting us to do Teshuva and keep the entirety of the Torah, Moshe says the following stirring statement: כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאוד, בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו – for this matter is very close to you, in your mouths and in your hearts to do it.
R’ Aaron Lopiansky points out that it is interesting that the mouth is listed before the heart. Doesn’t everything that comes out of the mouth first originate in the heart?
R’ Aaron Lopiansky sees in this Passuk a source for one of the primary teachings of R’ Yisroel Salanter: that the path to the heart is through the mouth.
The point of Mussar is to make the heart feel what the mind already knows. R’ Yisroel Salanter taught that the way to bridge that gap was for one to repeat to themselves passages from Chazal that deal with Yiras Hashem. But it is not enough to merely mouth it. It must be with שפתים דולקות, with a burning fervor. By doing so, one will make what they know intellectually feel real to them on an emotional level.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantKi Savo: When the Going gets Tough
When we would bring Bikkurim to the Beis HaMikdosh, we list all that we are thankful for. We are thankful not only for a successful crop, but for all Hashem has done for us: from when He rescued Yaakov from Lavan, to when He he took us out of Mitzrayim, and everything else He’s done for us until today.
And yet, we also discuss some less pleasant things in the Parsha of Bikkurim. We talk about the bitterness of Galus in Mitzrayim, and how Lavan tried to destroy us. If we’re meant to be giving thanks for the good, why do we also focus on the bad?
R’ Chaim Mintz explains that the hardship that we had to endure was no accident. The Gemora says that there are three gifts that Hashem gives that only come through יסורים: Torah, Eretz Yisroel, and Olam Haba.
Tough times are not fun, but they are necessary. They push us to work harder, and show us just how much we can accomplish if we have our backs to the wall. Without difficulties, we could never become the best version of ourselves, and never be deserving of all the good that Hashem wants to give us.
We must thank Hashem not only for the good, but also for the tough times that make us who we are.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantKi Seitzi: Undying Gratitude
Mitzrayim was the first enemy we faced as a nation. We were enslaved by them for hundreds of years, forced to endure backbreaking labor and torture.
And yet, the Torah clearly instructs us: לא תתעב מצרי, do not hate an Egyptian. Why not? כי גר היית בארצו, because when Yaakov and his sons needed a place to live, Mitzrayim let them in.
The Gemora points out that Mitzrayim did not take in Yaakov and his sons with any noble intentions. Rather, they did it for purely selfish reasons: they thought that Yosef’s brothers would be likely to make great governmental officers.
Human nature is that when someone has wronged us, that is all that we tend to remember about them. But we see from here how different the attitude is that the Torah wants us to take. We must forever remember the one favor Mitzrayim did for us, even if they did it for selfish reasons, and despite their making our lives hell for hundreds of years afterwards.
Never forget the good that others have done for you.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantShoftim: Osmosis
In his youth, the Chofetz Chaim had a dilemma. He had two choices for where to Daven for Yomim Noraim. His first option was a minyan with many serious תלמידי חכמים. The second option was a minyan with far simpler folk, but every year, these people would cry during the Davening of Yomim Noraim. He went to his Rebbi, R’ Nuchum of Hordona, and asked for his advice.
R’ Nuchum answered by citing a Passuk in this weeks Parsha: מִי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הַיָּרֵא֙ וְרַ֣ךְ הַלֵּבָ֔ב יֵלֵ֖ךְ וְיָשֹׁ֣ב לְבֵית֑וֹ וְלֹ֥א יִמַּ֛ס אֶת־לְבַ֥ב אֶחָ֖יו כִּלְבָבֽוֹ. He who is scared should go home and not fight in a war, for he will cause the hearts of those around him to melt in fear.
We see from this Passuk that just being around people who are afraid will cause you to feel fear. Daven together with the simple people, R’ Nuchum told the Chofetz Chaim; because when they cry, you will cry with them.
By simply being in the company of people who take something seriously, we are likely to start taking that thing seriously as well. The same is unfortunately true in the reverse. This is why it is so important to try to keep the company of people whose attitudes are worth adopting.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantRe’ah: See For Yourself
The opening passuk of this weeks Parsha seems to contain a discrepancy. ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם, see what I have placed before you. But while ראה is lashon yachid, seemingly addressing an individual person, לפניכם is lashon rabbim, addressing everyone at once. Why is that?
The Kotzker explains that the Torah is given to every Jew, and every one of us has an equal claim to it. However, each person sees the Torah differently. The more time, effort, and energy a person puts into to pursuing the Torah, the greater the depths of wisdom that they will see in it.
The Ramchal makes a similar point. Based on a passuk in Mishlei, he says that Torah is like a coal. The more you stoke and blow on a coal, the more light and warmth you will get from it. So too with Torah; the more effort you put into it, the brighter you will see it shine.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantEikev: Don’t Forget
When recounting all that had happened in the desert, Moshe makes an interesting juxtaposition. He starts speaking about how Hashem gave us the מן, then talks about how we are about to go into ארץ ישראל, and then moves on to ברכת המזון. What is the connection between these three things?
R’ Shamshon Refael Hirsch explains that there is a progression here. The point of being in the desert was to הודיעך כי לא על הלחם לבדו יחיה האדם, to teach us that it is not our own efforts and power that sustain us. Rather it Hashem, and Hashem alone, who sustains us.
But that lesson was coming to an end. The Jewish nation was about to enter Eretz Yisroel, and go back to living with the mirage of nature. How would they hold on to their grip of the reality that it is only Hashem who sustains us, and not fall into the trap of כחי ועוצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה?
The answer is the mitzva of ברכת המזון. When are satiated, we are in danger of becoming full of ourselves, of thinking that we are the reason for our success. It is then that we say ברכת המזון and remember that all of our success is due only to the grace of God, and that it is Him alone who sustains us.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVaeschanan/Tisha B’Av: How Much Do You Want It?
The Parsha tells us just how much Moshe yearned to enter Eretz Yisroel, and how many hundreds of times he begged Hashem to let him in.
We all know that the Rambam list thirteen עיקרים. Twelve of the ikarim are things that we need to believe. Once we are certain of them, we have fulfilled our obligation.
But when it comes to the coming of Moshiach, it is not enough to just believe. The Rambam writes that part of the 12th ikar is to be מחכה, to yearn for the coming of Moshiach. The source for this may be the Gemora that says after a person passing, they are asked: צפית לישעיה, did you yearn for the redemption?
The good news is, we already mention the Geulah in six of the brachos of a weekday שמונה עשרה – in the brachos beginning ראה בענינו, תקע בשופר, השיבה שופטינו, ולירושלים, את צמח דוד, רצה. If we would think about the Geulah even one time per each שמונה עשרה, we would be Davening for the Geulah over 1,200 each year.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantDevarim: Old Mistakes Die Hard
Devarim begins with Moshe hinting to all the mistakes the Jewish nation had made during their stay in the desert, including the עגל and the מרגלים.
But the Sfas Emes points out that the people Moshe was talking to hadn’t participated in those events. Those who were responsible had already died over the past forty years. Why was Moshe rehashing the mistakes of the parents to their children?
The Sfas Emes explains that each generation inherits both good and bad traits from the previous generations. Our job is not only to build on the good, but to identify and to fix the errors of the past. If we do not, we will simply repeat the same mistakes over and over throughout history.
This is is why Chazal tell us כל דור שלא נבנה בימיו, כאילו נחרב בימיו any generation in which the Beis HaMikdosh is not built, it is as if the Beis HaMikdosh was destroyed. It is up to us to identify and fix the mistakes of the past, both those that are בין אדם לחברו and בין אדם למקום.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantMatos: Your Mouth Matters
The Torah uses an interesting turn of phrase when instructing us to keep any נדר or שבועה that we make. The passuk first says לא יחל דברו, “he should not make his words mundane”, and only then tells us that ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה, “he should do whatever he has said”. But why do we need the first instruction not to make our words mundane, if the passuk is separately commanding us to keep our word?
The Chida quotes a homiletic interpretation from R’ Chaim Vital and R’ Shimon Tirano that addresses this point. לא יחל דברו, do not make your speech about דברי חולין, mundane matters. ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה, for all of your words have an effect in the heavens.
The fact that a person can create a new מצוה דרורייתא by making a neder shows us just how much a person’s words can change in the heavens. Every word of Torah and Tefilah can have an enormous effect, both high up in the heavens and deep down within one’s heart. What a shame it would be to waste that ability.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantPinchas: Held Back
The Torah refers to only two days as being עצרת – the last day of Pesach and the last day of Sukkos. And yet we find that in the Mishnayos, the word עצרת means the Yom Tov of Shavous. Why is that?
R’ Yechezkel Abramsky explains that the “last days” of Pesach and Sukkos have something in common. The first days each have a special mitzva that makes them memorable – eating matza, shaking lulav. The last days have none of that. They are only עצור ממלאכה, “held back” from doing melacha.
Explains R’ Yechezkel Abramsky, as long as the Beis HaMikdosh was still with us, we had a special mitzva to do on Shavous – to bring the שתי הלחם. However, now that the Beis HaMikdosh is destroyed, we have no special mitzva for Shavous. This why during the times of the Mishnah, after the churban, they began to use the name Atzeres to refer to Shavous.
As we begin the בין המצרים, perhaps this is to serve as a reminder of how much of Yiddishkeit we are missing so long as we do not have the Beis HaMikdosh.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantChukas: Wellspring of Torah
In the middle of the Shira that Bnei Yisroel sung about the miraculous באר מרים, Chazal find a surprising series of allusions. From the words ממדבר מתנה, we darshan: if one makes themselves הפקר כמדבר, then Hashem will give them Torah as gift. But what does this have to do with the well of Miriam?
R’ Aaron Lopiansky explains that the Torah is actually very similar to a well. One needs to work hard to dig a well. But once they have the well, they still do not think they have created the water. Rather, they have worked to uncover what was always there beneath the surface.
This needs to be our attitude towards Torah. We cannot just wait for Hashem to give us understanding; we need to work for it. But after we do understand, we still must think of the Torah as a gift from Hashem. The truths we see in the Torah are ideas we have uncovered, not created.
A well serves as a portal. From within a very small hole, one can extract a nearly endless amount of liquid. So too with Torah. Torah is not a finite pool of wisdom, it is a portal from which we can draw endless amount of Divine wisdom and inspiration.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantKorach: Seeing Both Sides
The Zohar makes a cryptic statement about Korach. It writes that Korach argued on Shalom itself. But what does it mean to argue against peace?
R’ Aaron Lopiansky explains that Korach wasn’t willing or able to see any truth in any perspective other than his own. For example, Korach brought a Tallis that was all Techeiles. This symbolizes that he was only able to see Hashem through one color, and wasn’t able to see any kernels of truth in any other viewpoint. When one cannot take other perspectives into account, their view will always be flawed.
Boaz’s Beis Din decided that one should greet another Jew with the name of Hashem. When two Jews greet each other, the Shechina comes from the duality of both of them acknowledging each other. One who cannot see anything other than himself and his own opinions cannot access the divine.
This is true in perspectives, but also true in personality types. If I am very creative and chaotic, it may be hard for me to get along with somebody who is all about organization and structuring. But it takes all types to make society function. The fact that I gravitate towards one extreme cannot blind me to the value that others bring to the table.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantShelach: Your Tears Define You
After they received the negative report of the Meraglim, Bnei Yisroel cried. The Gemora famously tells us Hashem’s response: הן בכו בכיה של חינם, ואני אקבע להם בכיה לדורות – they cried for no reason, now they will cry for generations to come.
But why do Chazal stress the crying? Wasn’t the issue that Bnei Yisroel believed the Meraglim and doubted that Hashem could conquer Eretz Yisroel?
R’ Aron Lopiansky explains that one only cries about things that are core to their very selves. You can have many things, and you can lose many things. But you will cry if you lose something that is integral to who you are.
The fact that Bnei Yisroel cried over something meaningless (חינם) was a big problem. It showed that they thought of things that were meaningless as being integral to who they were. They missed the “free food” that they got in Mitzrayim, when they were חינם מן המצות. This was what mattered to them.
This problem had no easy fix. To redefine oneself takes time, for an individual and even more so for an entire nation. It will take generations for us to lose the nonsense that we too often identify ourselves with. That difficult separation from things that we used to see as integral will be the resultant בכיה לדורות.
לע”נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantBehaaloscha: What do you Want?
A peculiar turn of phrase is used to describe when the Jews complained for meat rather than mun. The passuk says they were התאוו תאוה, desiring a desire. What does that mean?
The Akeidas Yitzchak explains that the nation did not actually desire meat. They were not hungry. They did not see anybody else eating meat or smell it’s tantalizing aroma. Rather, what they wanted was something to want. They desired to have something that they could desire, something to feel a passion and longing for. This is far worse than desiring something specific that you happened to have come across.
R’ Aaron Lopiansky takes this a step further. He explains that one who is searching for something to desire only does so because they feel a sense of emptiness in their own life. A basic human need is to feel like one is pursuing something that they want. But the proper way of channeling this feeling would have been for the Jewish nation to seek spiritual pursuits to be busy with, to fill their days chasing opportunities to do Mitzvos and to help others.
The fact that the nation chose to try to build up an appetite for physical rather than spiritual things showed that being an elevated nation was not high up enough on their priority list.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantNaso: Shouldering with Simcha
The Gemora finds a very surprising source for having Shira while the Kohanim do the Avodah. The passuk in our Parsha says that the family of Kehas did not receive any wagons to carry the Aron. Rather, בכף ישאו, they were to carry it on their shoulders. The Gemora points out that in Tehillim this word is used to denote singing: שאו זמרה. But what is it he connection between carrying a load and singing Shira?
R’ Aaron Lopiansky explains that one can be shouldering a responsibility in one of two very different ways. One approach is to view the responsibility as a burden, something that you must do even though you don’t want to.
Alternatively, one can view what they carry not as a burden, but as a fulfillment of their life’s mission. A great example of this is a parent carrying a child on their shoulders. The parent sees the child as a continuation of the parent, as their pride and joy. If one views carrying the Torah in this way, they will see it as ארון נושא נושאיו, that the Aron is really carrying them.
There is an easily apparent difference between these attitudes. One who bears a burden groans under its weight. But a parent carrying their child sings with joy. When it comes to carrying the Torah, we must pick the second option. We shoulder the responsibility of the Torah with song & joy.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantShavous: Seeing the Sounds
Rashi famously quotes the Medrash tha at Har Sinai, we all saw the sounds of the Aseres HaDibros. What message was this seemingly unnecessary miracle trying to convey?
R’ Moshe Shapiro explains that seeing and hearing are fundamentally different. Hearing words is a process of stringing together different sounds. You cannot hear and comprehend an entire sentence in the same second. You need to hear each syllable separately to make sense of it.
Seeing is the exact opposite. When one sees a scene, they see everything at once.
Explains R’ Moshe Shapiro, seeing and hearing represent two different facets of the Torah. We need to see the big picture, to understand what the Torah is trying to do to us, who the Torah wants us to be. But we also cannot lose sight of the fact that the Mitzvos are like sounds, with each and every small detail being crucial to getting the message across.
We cannot lose sight of the forest for the trees, nor can we skip or brush aside even the most minute detail of halachic observance. True adherence to the Torah requires that we see both.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantBamidbar: Share the Wealth
There is a Medrash that explains why Seder Bamidbar starts with discussing the desert: כל מי שאינו עושה עצמו כמדבר הפקר, אינו יכול לקנות את תורה. לכך נאמר, במדבר סיני
“Anybody who does not make themselves hefker like a desert cannot acquire Torah.”R’ Shimon Schwab explains that this הפקרות means one should freely share the Torah that they learn and develop with others. Furthermore, it should not bother a person if the ideas that they develop are later said over שלא בשם אמרו, without being attributed to him.
Rav Dessler shares a similar idea. He writes that everything we have is not truly ours. Rather, it is a פדון that Hashem has entrusted us with, and He has charged us with using it to benefit others.
But Rav Dessler adds this is not only true by physical belongings. Any spiritual wealth and wisdom that we are lucky enough to attain should be regarded the same way – as Hashem’s gifts that He has leant us for the purpose of helping others.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantBehar: Embracing the Uncertainty
The Kli Yakar has a fascinating explanation for the prohibition against Ribis, against charging another Jew interest for a loan.
The Kli Yakar writes that charging interest will take away a person’s bitachon. Every other business venture has some element of risk in it. Since a person does not know how much he will gain or lose in his business, this uncertainty will drive him to daven to Hashem. But someone who charges interest will think of themselves as having a steady, secure, and predictable income. This person will find it much harder to feel Hashem’s presence.
We all crave certainty and stability. But that sense of security can be stupefying, robbing us of one of the primary ways in which we connect to Hashem.
When a crack in the veneer of stability comes, as it always does, we should not waste it. We ought to use every crisis as an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Hashem, to turn to Him for help.
כי הוא קלי, וחי גאלי, וצור חבלי בעת צרהלע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantEmor: Secret of the Omer
We know from the Sefer HaChinuch that we count ספירה to show how much we look forward to receiving the Torah on Shavous. And yet, the Sefira is tied specifically to the Omer, a Korban we bring on Pesach. What is the connection between the Omer and accepting the Torah?
I believe it was R’ Matisyahu Salomon Shlita who suggested the following idea: The measurement of the Omer comes up in another place in the Torah. By the מן, each person ended up with exactly one Omer worth of מן, regardless of how much or how little they worked on collecting. From here we see that parnassa is in the hands of Hashem, and only He decides how much we ultimately take home, regardless of how much or how little we work.
One of the prerequisites for being mekabel the Torah is simply putting in the time necessary to learn. But somebody who thinks that how much they make depends on how hard they work may simply be too busy to learn. However, somebody who internalizes the idea of the Omer, that his material well-being is ultimately only up to Hashem, will be able to find time to learn the Torah.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום -
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