Zugger613

Noach: Help

This year, I think we can all really identify with the plight of Noach. We have also spent too much time trapped inside with no possibility of escape. We have also been overwhelmed and helpless while watching the world as we know it fall apart.

Perhaps we can take some lessons from Noach on how to not just weather the storm, but to actually grow from the experience. The Medrash Tanchuma says that there are only two specific people in ???? that are referred to as being a ????; Noach and Yosef. The Medrash explains what it is that both had in common that earned them this title: both gave food to others who were unable to feed themselves.

Unfortunately, there are always people out there who need some help. But in the past few months, their ranks have swelled. Perhaps this is one thing we can hold onto in these turbulent times – to make sure that we’re always doing our best to help others, whether they be neighbors, strangers, or members of our own household.

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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: ??????? ??? ???, 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 ????? writes in ??? ?????? that although ???? and ????? ???? 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.

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Ki Seitzei: Wrong World

The Meforshim are bothered by the punishment of a ?? ???? ????? – 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 ?? ???? ????? 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.

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Re’ah: Give Wisely

We are instructed in this weeks Parsha to give to the poor ????? ?????????? ??????? ???????? ????, 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 ????, their current needs, but also with ??? ???? ??, what they will need in the future.

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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.

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Chukas: Do You Exist?

The Gemora famously tells us, based on the the Pasuk in this week’s parsha ??? ????? ??? ?? ???? ????, that the Torah is only ?????? 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. ?? ?? ????? ????? ?????, 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.

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Bahaloscha: What Do You See

When the people who were ??? were informed that they wouldn’t be allowed to bring a ???? ???, they were devastated. ??? ????, 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: ???? ??? ????????, ?? ????? ??. The people complained about the toils of the travel, despite the fact that Hashem was leading them to ??? ????? 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.

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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 ??? ????. 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.

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Acharei Mos: Fork in the Road

At the height of the ????? ?? ??? ????????, 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 ???? ??????, 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 ???? ??????, there are two paths to choose from. Will we sacrifice our personal desires (represented by ?????) in order to be able to enter into Hashem’s Presence? Or will we remain in our raw and unrefined state (???? ??), 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.

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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?

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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 ?? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?? ???? Why were they let off the hook?

R’ Avigdor Nebanzhal addresses this question, based on the Zohar that writes on the words ????? ??????? that Klal Yisroel could have accomplished their galus through ?? ????? ?????? ????, 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 ??????; 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.

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Chayei Sarah: Look Behind & Look Ahead

The acceptable methods of ???? 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.

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Ki Savo: Don’t Deny It

When one brings his ??????? 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 ???? ????, 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 ???? ????, 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.

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