Category Archives: Parshas Emor

Parshas Emor: The Power Of 10!

Parshas Emor

The Power Of 10!

 

“… I will be sanctified among Bnei Yisroel …” (Vayikra 22:32)

HaRav Moshe Chayim Luzatto zt”l writes in his introduction to Mesilas Yesharim, The Path of the Just, that he did not write his sefer to teach something new. Rather, he wanted to remind people what they already knew but tended to forget. In a similar vein, I would like to discuss a known topic that is of utmost importance to review.

We are privileged that we have a loving Hashem who is always available to listen to us, our needs, our worries, and our requests. Nothing is too trivial to ask from Hashem. We daven to Hashem every day and Hashem listens. We can lift our tefillos to an even higher level when we take advantage of the opportunity to join with a minyan, a quorum of 10 males over the age of bar mitzvah, to daven to Hashem.

The main aspect of davening with a minyan is to daven Shmone Esray together with the minyan. In a minyan, everyone’s tefillos join together into a stronger tefillah which has a greater impact.  When someone prays alone, his tefillah is examined scrupulously. Did he have a lack of focus or lack of concentration during tefillah?

The Zohar (Bereishis 495A) says that when a congregation is davening together, Hashem does not inspect the quality of those tefillos or those people; Hashem does not examine their intentions or thoughts. Those tefillos are accepted immediately! Therefore, the pasuk concludes, “and He did not despise their prayer.” Even if there are those in the minyan who are unworthy of their prayers being accepted because of their wayward behavior, their tefillos are still accepted immediately and are not “despised.” (The Kalever Rebbe, Breslov.com) His prayers are joined with everyone else’s, and they form a crown for Hashem.

The Chofetz Chaim zt”l discusses (sefer Nidchei Yisroel, chapter 5) the importance of davening with a minyan. One who does so, helps magnify Hashem’s honor even more than when he davens on his own, as a king is honored more when more of his subjects come to greet him. Additionally, there are some very great mitzvos that can only be done when davening with a minyan. These mitzvos are, the recitation of Barchu (Blessed is Hashem, who is blessed, for eternity), Amen Yehe Shmeh Rabba Mevarach l’olam ul’olmei olma’ya (may Hashem’s great name be blessed for eternity), and Kedusha (kadosh, kadosh, kadosh -Hashem is holy).  The Chofetz Chaim zt”l says that we can’t fathom how valuable the recitation of these 3 is to Hashem. They awaken Hashem’s love for us and help to hasten the final redemption!

The Talmud (Yershalmi Brachos 7:3) says that we learn from a pasuk in our parsha (from a gezaras shava) that these 3 prayers may only be recited with a minyan. The pasuk says “… I will be sanctified among Bnei Yisroel …” (Vayikra 22:32). The Talmud quotes another pasuk (Bereishis 42:5), “The sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who came.” The “sons of Israel” refers to Yaakov’s 10 sons. So too, in the aforementioned pasuk it refers to 10 men. Thus, we learn that 10 men are required to recite these 3 holy prayers.

The Talmud (Brachos 3A) shares a story in which the prophet Eliyahu said to Rabbi Yossi that any time that Hashem’s greatness is evoked, such as when Klal Yisroel enter a synagogue and declare Amen Yehe Shmeh Rabba Mevarach l’olam ul’olmei olma’ya, Hashem shakes His head and says, “Happy is the king who is thus praised in his house. How great is the pain of the father who exiled his children, and woe to the children who were exiled from their father’s table, as their pain only adds to that of their father.” Rokeach says that Hashem also says, “When will I gather my children from amongst the nations?”

The Rama (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 125:2) says that when saying kadosh, kadosh, kadosh, declaring Hashem’s holiness, one should lift his eyes up to the heavens and lift his body by the heels of his feet. While one is doing that, the Chofetz Chaim zt”l (Mishna Brura 5) says that Hashem says it gives Me the greatest pleasure. At that moment I, Hashem, hold on to my heavenly throne in the image of Yaakov. I hug it and kiss it, mention the merit of Klal Yisroel and hasten their redemption.”

The Chofetz Chaim zt”l  (sefer Nidchei Yisroel) adds that if Klal Yisroel would repent at that moment, they would be redeemed immediately!

The Talmud (Shabbos 119B) says that the reward for declaring  Amen Yehe Shmeh Rabba Mevarach l’olam ul’olmei olma’ya wholeheartedly, with all one’s might (Rashi says that it means with all one’s concentration), is that if a bad decree had been decreed in Heaven against him, it will be torn up.  

The Talmud (Chulin 91B) says that a few times every day, angels sing praise to Hashem. Some angels only recite a song of praise once a day while some angels recite a song of praise once a week. Other angels only recite a song of praise once a month while others recite a song of praise once a year. Others recite a song of praise once every seven years while others recite a song of praise only once every 50 years! Others recite a song of praise only one time.

Yet, we have the unique opportunity to sing praises to Hashem every single day! We can praise Hashem multiple times during the day!  Certainly, this is not an opportunity to waste. Since it is so powerful, the yetzer hara will try anything, any distraction to cause us to miss saying these praises of divrei kedusha. However, the yetzer hara tries to urge us to talk to our friend during those times, to deprive us of this very special merit.

Tanna d’vei Eliyahu says that after a person’s lifetime, it will be so embarrassing when a person sees about 5 billion angels declaring Hashem’s holiness and praising Hashem a number of times daily, while he had the same opportunity numerous times daily, yet he missed the opportunity.

The Chofetz Chaim zt’l (55:1) quotes a Mata Moshe who brings a Midrash that a sage saw his dead student in a dream. The student had a spot on his forehead. He wondered why. The student said that it was a punishment for not being careful to avoid speaking when the chazan recited kaddish. This was a mark that the student would have for eternity!

Hashem does so much for us every second of our lives. We have the golden opportunity to praise Hashem throughout the day. We should take advantage of the opportunity which brings great rewards. We should not allow the yetzer hara to distract us, depriving us from reaping the great rewards and causing us to have a blemish for eternity!

(Based on Yalkut Lekach Tov by Rabbi Yaakov Yisroel Beifus)

 

Parshas Emor: You Can’t Touch It!

Parshas Emor

You Can’t Touch It!

 

“He shall put the incense on the fire before Hashem and the cloud of incense will cover the Ark-cover….” (Vayikra 16:13)

On Jan. 12, 2019, a fire destroyed Yossi’s Fish Market on 13th Avenue and 54th Street in Boro Park. Shea Langsam, the owner of Fish to Dish, offered Yossi’s Fish Market a temporary location inside his own, competing store which was just a few blocks away.

“While we are a community that is known for its chesed (kindness), the act of offering a direct competitor into your own storefront truly goes above and beyond,” said Assembly Member Simcha Eichenstein. “Fish to Dish is setting a new bar for what it means to be a neighbor and business owner in our community.”  (Yeshiva World News, February 4, 2019)

            The Ben Ish Chai, in his Commentary Ben Yehoyada (Tractate Yoma, 38A), cites an interesting story:

A jar filled with precious stones was hidden in the ground. Every summer, groups of people would pitch their tents in the ground, near the jar of precious stones. Even though they hammered stakes, metal poles, into the ground to pitch their tents, they did not come across the jar of precious stones. This routine went on for many years. However, no one found the jar of precious stones. Once, a different person came to the area. He hammered his stake in the ground and immediately found the jar of precious gems.

This story teaches us that no person can take what Hashem designated to go to another person.

The Talmud (Yoma 38A) discusses the family of Avtinas, experts in preparing the ketores, the incense that was burned in the Bais HaMikdash. They were the only ones who knew the secret of how to properly prepare the ketores so that its smoke went straight up, like a stick. When asked by the sages, they refused to teach the secret to others. The sages dismissed them and brought craftsmen from Alexandria, Egypt. The Alexandrian craftsmen knew how to blend the spices, but they could not cause the smoke to rise straight up like a stick, as the House of Avtinas could. Rashi explains that the Alexandrian craftsmen did not know which particular herb to use to enable the smoke to rise straight up. When the sages saw the failure of the Alexandrian craftsmen, they asked the people from the House of Avtinas to return to their original position. The members of the House of Avtinas refused to return until the sages doubled their wages. The sages asked them why they refused to teach others the secret of their craft. They said, “The members of our father’s house knew that the Beis HaMikdash, is destined to be destroyed. They were concerned lest an unworthy man learn the skill of preparing incense and use that in idol worship.”  Therefore, they attempted to prevent this skill from spreading beyond their family. The Talmud comments, “And for this matter they are mentioned favorably.”

Ben Azzai learned from the fact that the sages had to rehire the family of Avtinas, and at double their previous salary, that one should never be concerned lest others take away his livelihood.

Accordingly, one should never feel the need to be dishonest since he can never acquire that which Hashem did not designate for him. Even if it appears that he “gained” some money, there are many ways that Hashem has, to take it away from him.

 

We have full faith that Hashem provides a livelihood for everyone.

Hashem designates a particular portion for each individual.

We will each receive exactly that which Hashem wants us to have, no more and no less.

No other person can touch that which is prepared for us by Hashem.