Category Archives: Parshas Ha’azinu

Parshas Ha’azinu- Yom Kippur: Can I Come Home?

Parshas Ha’azinu- Yom Kippur

Can I Come Home?

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“Cause us to return, our Father, to Your Torah and bring us near, our King, to Your service; and bring us back in whole-hearted repentance before You. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who desires penitence.” (Siddur)

This past week I saw a similar story recorded in two different places.  I am taking that as a sign from Hashem to share the story with you. Although the story is not true, it relates a very important message especially before Yom Kippur.

 

Jack was riding on an Amtrack train. Right before the train doors closed, Joseph, a young man walked in. Joseph had a disheveled appearance and looked very agitated. Jack asked him if something was bothering him. Joseph said no. An hour later Jack asked him again, and again, Joseph said no. An hour later, Jack asked him again. This time, Joseph agreed to tell Jack his story. Joseph had spent most of his high school years cutting school. He didn’t even socialize with friends. Most of the time, Joseph stayed in his room playing with electronics. At some point, he walked out on his parents. He invented something and became a millionaire at age 18. Later, he got married, rented an apartment in Manhattan, and had a child. Joseph had nothing to do with his parents. He ignored them and even hung up the phone when they tried to call him. Once, a man approached Joseph with a business opportunity. The man told Joseph that this opportunity would make Joseph so rich that he would never have to work for the rest of his life. Joseph was excited about the idea and gave the man all his money. Joseph never saw the man again. He lost all of his money. Eventually, Joseph’s wife could not manage without having any income. She took the baby and left Joseph. Soon after, Joseph was evicted from his apartment. He had to live on food scraps that he found outside restaurants. Joseph became very depressed. One day, as he was sitting on a bench, a man sat down next to him. For some reason Joseph told his story to this man. The man told Joseph that he had no choice but to contact the only people who truly loved him, whom he could always count on, his parents. Joseph told the man that he hadn’t spoken to his parents in years. He said that he had even hung up the phone when his parents had tried calling him. The fellow on the bench told Joseph that he had no choice. Joseph was too terrified to call his parents, so he wrote them a letter. He wrote that he was desperate. He was tired, hungry, and lonely. He wanted to return home.  He didn’t know if his parents still loved him. He didn’t know if his parents would accept him back. So, he asked his parents to give him a sign. The train would be passing a certain apple tree near his house. He said that if his parents were willing to welcome him back home, they should tie a white towel around a branch of that tree. If Joseph would see the towel, then he would return home. If he would not see it, then he would understand that his parents were still very upset at him and would not welcome him home. Joseph then mailed the letter.  Joseph told Jack that he was on the way to his hometown and he was very nervous to see if his parents had tied a white towel around the tree.  As the train came closer to his hometown, Joseph was too nervous to look. He asked Jack to please look and when the apple tree came into view he should see if there was indeed a white towel tied on its branch. Jack looked and excitedly drew Josph’s attention to the window. Joseph saw the tree. There were white towels tied around every branch on that tree!! Joseph’s parents were lovingly willing to accept him with open arms!  All those towels on the tree showed Joseph that his parents could not wait for him to come home!

 

We are in the middle of Aseres Yemai Teshuvah, the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. During these days Hashem is extra close to us. Hashem eagerly and passionately awaits our teshuvah, our repentance.  Hashem is our loving Father! No matter how far we have strayed and no matter how much we have sinned, Hashem wants us back!

 

Rabbi Yissocher Frand (Torah.org) points out that every day in Shmone Esrei, we say a bracha about Teshuvah. We are asking Hashem to help us repent and return to Him. The bracha ends with the words “Blessed are You, Hashem, Who DESIRES REPENTANCE!” It does not mean that Hashem will merely accept our repentance. It means that Hashem WANTS our repentance!  Hashem’s desire for us to come back is so enormous that if we make even a minimal effort, Hashem will be waiting to take us back!

 

The time is now! Hashem is especially close to us! Hashem loves us so much and is excitedly waiting for us to return to Him. Even if one had sinned terribly, Hashem is waiting for him to return! We should take advantage of this time of special closeness to Hashem!  Let’s admit our sins to Hashem. Let’s feel regret, and let’s determine that we will never repeat those sins! 

We should find one small deed to improve upon!

May we all be sealed for a long, good life of peace, health, nachas, and all blessings!!

 

Parshas Ha’azinu – Rosh Hashana – For Success, Look The Other Way!

Parshas Ha’azinu – Rosh Hashana

For Success, Look The Other Way!

 

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“He bears sin and forgives transgression” (Micah 7:18)

Rosh Hashana is Yom HaDin, the day that we are all judged to determine what kind of year that we will have. We should be terrified and should look for ways to escape harsh judgement.

Hashem loves us so much that he gives us “an escape hatch”, a way to escape from harsh judgement for our sins. That “escape hatch” is called teshuva, repentance. Through proper repentance, we can erase our misdeeds, Sometimes, we can even change those misdeeds to mitzvos.

Rabbeinu Yona (Sha’ar Teshuvah) quotes a parable from Midrash Koheles (7:15). A group of thieves were imprisoned by the king. While in jail, they dug a tunnel and escaped. One thief stayed behind. He did not take advantage of the opportunity to save himself. Teshuva is a golden opportunity that we should “grab” and take advantage of. The three basic parts of teshuva are admitting our sin to Hashem, truly feeling bad that we sinned, accepting upon ourselves not to repeat this sin in the future.

In his Sichos Mussar, Rabbi Michal Birnbaum z”l, mashgiach in Mesivta Tiferes Yerushalayim, encourages us to look for strategies and well-known remedies to help us emerge successfully on Yom HaDin. One strategy which is known to be successful is quoted in three different places in the Talmud. The Talmud (Rosh Hashana 17A) relates that when Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, became sick, Rav Pappa went to visit him. Rav Pappa saw that Rav Huna was dying, so he told his attendants to prepare burial shrouds. Amazingly, Rav Huna recovered. Rav Huna’s friends asked him what he had seen when he had been suspended between life and death. He told them that he was very close to dying, but Hashem interceded with the heavenly court. Hashem said that since Rav Huna was not exacting with injustices committed against him, then the heavenly court should not be exacting with him in his judgment. As it says in the pasuk (Micah 7:18), “He bears sin and forgives transgression”.

In another story quoted in The Talmud (Ta’anis 25B), Rabbi Eliezer was the chazan davening for much-needed rain, reciting twenty-four blessings, but he was not answered. Rabbi Akiva descended before the ark after him and said, “Our Father, our King, we have no king other than You. Our Father, our King, for Your sake, have mercy on us”. It started raining immediately! The Sages were surprised that Rabbi Akiva’s prayers were answered while those of his teacher, Rabbi Eliezer, were not. A Divine Voice emerged and said, “It is not because Rabbi Akiva is greater than Rabbi Eliezer, but that Rabbi Akiva is forgiving, and Rabbi Eliezer is not”.

Rabbi Birnbaum z”l explained that Rabbi Eliezer acted, according to the letter of the law, which was totally fine. Hashem responded to him in kind, according to the letter of the law. However, Rabbi Akiva was less exacting and more forgiving.

The Talmud (Bava Metzia 30B) quotes Rabbi Yocḥanan who says that Jerusalem was destroyed because they adjudicated cases strictly on the basis of Torah law and did not go beyond the letter of the law. Rav Zalman of Volozhin, student of the GRA, quotes Tosefos who asks how that can be. The Talmud in Yuma says that Jerusalem was destroyed because of sinas chinam, unwarranted hatred and not because of judging based on strict justice. The answer is that when the Jews went beyond the letter of the law in their relationships with others, Hashem treated them likewise. Once the Jews followed strict justice, the letter of the law, that is how Hashem judged them. Thus, Jerusalem was destroyed because of sinas chinam. The Jews didn’t merit that Hashem treat them beyond the letter of the law because that was not how they treated others. 

Hashem loves us and is waiting with “open arms” for our teshuva. 
Let us also forgive others who have caused us pain or anguish. When we are less exacting and more forgiving with others, that will be how Hashem will treat us. 
May we all be zoche to a ksiva vachasima tova, a year filled with health, happiness, and blessing for us and for all Klal Yisroel.

Parshas Ha’azinu: The Journey is Painful but the Destination Makes it Worthwhile!

Parshas Ha’azinu

The Journey is Painful but the Destination Makes it Worthwhile!

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“The Rock, His actions are pure, for all his ways are just… He is righteous and straight.” (Devarim 32:4)

In 1979, the Shah of Iran was overthrown. The Ayatollah Khomeini was soon going to take over. There was a reign of terror against the Jews. One day, a gang of thugs entered a carpet store and killed the Jewish owner, claiming that he was an agent of the Shah. The man’s widow knew she and her children had to leave the country, as did many other Jews. They were not permitted to leave legally. She contacted a man who smuggled Jews out of Iran for a large sum of money. She had to leave most of her wealth behind and could not pack suitcases, lest that arouse suspicion. She couldn’t even tell her children in advance, lest they inadvertently let the news slip. She, her children, and a group of other Jews met the guide at the edge of Tehran, in the middle of the night. For the first few days, they rode on camels for 18 hours straight. The pain was excruciating but each time they complained, the guide told them to be quiet. If they wouldn’t, he would shoot them! By day, the sun scorched them and left their throats parched with thirst. By night they froze. As the mountains got steeper, they switched to riding donkeys. Often, the path was so narrow that one wrong move could cause them to fall to their instant death. There were many difficult obstacles along the way. Each time anyone hesitated, the guide threatened to shoot. This torturous journey lasted for two and a half weeks. When they finally reached the safety of the Turkish border, the guide suddenly embraced the children. With tears in his eyes, he apologized for being so tough. He said that had he not been, the group would not have reached safety alive. (It’s All a Gift by Miriam Adahan)

Our lives are a journey which is often treacherous and filled with pain. We can be sure that when we reach the next world, the World of Truth, we will see that Hashem, our Guide, always loved us. Then we will understand that all the difficulties we went through were necessary to reveal the G-Dliness in us and in others. (It’s All a Gift by Miriam Adahan)

Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev once remarked, “If I were the Master of the world, I would not change anything. I have no doubt whatsoever that all Hashem does is for man’s benefit. It is our own shortcomings that make it so difficult for us to perceive the fairness of his ways.” (Talelei Oros by Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rubin)

The Chofetz Chaim once asked a visitor how he was doing. The man responded, “Not bad. But it wouldn’t hurt if things were a little bit better”. The Chofetz Chaim responded, “How do you know that it wouldn’t hurt? Hashem is merciful and knows better than you what is truly for your benefit. If Hashem decided not to give you more that is because Hashem knows that giving you more would be bad for you”.  (Chofetz Chaim on the Torah)

The Torah says, “He [Hashem] awakens His nest like an eagle, hovering over its chicks” (Devarim 32:11). Rashi explains that the mother eagle is full of pity towards her young and does not enter her nest suddenly. First, she beats and flaps her wings above the nest, in order that her young may awaken and have enough strength to receive her.

When the mother eagle teaches its young to fly, she carries them high into the sky. Then she drops her babies! Before they hit the ground, the mother eagle swoops down to catch them. The Akeidas Yitzchak says that Hashem deals with us in a similar way. Hashem gives us trials and tribulations, not as punishments but to educate us and prod us to improve our ways.  (Talelei Oros by Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rubin)

 

 

The Talmud (Brachos 7A) says that Moshe questioned Hashem why some good people suffer while other good people prosper. And why do some evil people prosper while others suffer? The Midrash says that after Hashem answered Moshe’s question, Moshe saw a scene unfold in front of him. A weary traveler passed a spring of water and refreshed himself. He continued his journey and did not realize that he had left his wallet near the spring. A second traveler passed by the spring. He saw the wallet and took it for himself. A third traveler then came. He took a drink from the spring and sat down to rest. Meanwhile, the first traveler returned to get his wallet. He asked the third traveler about it, who denied having seen it. The first traveler did not believe him and killed him. Moshe could not understand why Hashem permitted an honest man to be killed while the guilty man went unpunished. It seemed that Hashem was unjust! Hashem explained to Moshe that there was more to the story than he had seen. Hashem went on to explain to Moshe how His actions were totally just and fair. (Talelei Oros by Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rubin) Life is like a jigsaw puzzle. We only see part of the puzzle. Hashem knows the entire picture-past, present, and future.

We all have challenges in life. Some of us seem to have more difficult challenges than others. Perhaps we can feel more supported through our challenges if we realize that Hashem, our Guide, is acting lovingly and for our ultimate benefit. It may also be comforting to know that one day, after 120 years, we will understand why we were given our challenges. When we finally understand the reason for them,

we will be actually be thankful to Hashem for giving them to us.