Parshas Ki Savo

Let Me Help You!

 

“Avraham journeyed to the land of the Negev, and he lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived for a while in Gerar (Bereishis 20:1).”

I read a story about two friends, we can call them Reuven and Shimon, who were caught in a terrible blizzard. They huddled together for warmth. Shimon was starting to feel drowsy. Reuven knew that falling asleep during a blizzard was extremely dangerous and could be fatal. Drowsiness was a key warning sign that one’s body’s core temperature was dropping to a life-threatening level. Reuven quickly started massaging Shimon to keep him awake. Reuven was successful in keeping Shimon awake for a few hours, until they were rescued. Reuven and Shimon were both taken to a nearby hospital. The doctor checked Reuven, and said that he was okay. Then the doctor checked Shimon. Unfortunately, the doctor had to amputate Shimon’s toes due to terrible frostbite. When the doctor told Reuven about Shimon’s condition, Reuven said that at least he was able to save Shimon’s life. The doctor turned to Reuven and told him that Shimon had saved his life! Reuven had a quizzical look on his face. The doctor explained that because Reuven had massaged Shimon, Reuven kept the blood flowing in his own limbs. His limbs and his life were saved.

Reuven thought that he was saving Shimon but in essence he was saving his own life. When we do a chesed, an act of kindness for another person, we think that we are doing them a favor. In reality, we are doing a favor for ourselves.

In the 1920’s Moshe lived in Yugoslavia and ran a successful business. One day his friend asked him to cosign on a large bank loan that he needed for his own business. Moshe agreed. Soon after, his friend’s business failed. Because he could not repay the loan, the bank turned to Moshe to pay it. Moshe could not and his own business was taken from him. Left without a livelihood, Moshe immigrated to America. Moshe succeeded in starting a business which became very successful. When Moshe passed away, he had 109 grandchildren. Moshe’s hometown in Yugoslavia had been wiped out during the Holocaust. Moshe’s move to America saved his life. (Living Emunah 6 by Rabbi David Ashear)

Moshe thought that he was doing a chesed for a friend. It turned out that he was the beneficiary of the chesed.

I have heard many rabbis say that the time of Moshiach’s arrival is getting ever closer. We should increase our efforts in two areas to “protect” ourselves from the “birth pangs” that will proceed Moshiach’s arrival. We should increase the amount of Torah that we learn. We should also increase our acts of chesed that we do for others.

Rabbeinu Yonah (Sha’arei Teshuvah, First Gate, paragraph 47) says that even after we repent from our sins, certain sins need to be cleansed by yisurin, afflictions. However, acts of chesed protect one from these afflictions. The acts of chesed take the place of the afflictions.

Rav Yisroel Salanter says when you are asked to do a chesed you should imagine that it is more difficult to do than it actually is. You should think that you would still do this act of chesed even under these difficult circumstances. If you do that, Rav Yisroel says that Hashem rewards you as if you had actually done the more difficult chesed!

The Ralbag (Bereishis 24:19) says that a person who does everything that he is asked is a person who does chesed. However, he is not considered the ultimate doer-of-chesed. The ultimate doer-of-chesed is one who notices or anticipates a person’s needs before he is asked. One who is alert to the needs of others even before being asked and then helps is the one who is the ultimate doer-of-chesed.

Our forefather, Avraham, exhibited this totality of chesed. “Avraham journeyed to the land of the Negev, and he lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived for a while in Gerar (Bereishis 20:1).” Why did Avraham move away from the area around Sodom? Rashi says that Avraham left when he observed that the cities had been destroyed and there were no more travelers passing through. The Midrash Rabbah (52:1) says that Avraham said,” ‘What, shall I allow the practice of benevolence to cease from my house?’ Therefore, he went and pitched a tent in Gerar.

At this time Avimelech and his general Phichol said to Avraham, “Hashem is with you in all that you do. (Bereishis 21:22)” Why did Avimelech go to Avraham at this point? The Midrash Rabbah (54:2) says that they were impressed that Avraham moved to a different location after Sodom was destroyed, and passersby ceased from traveling the road.

Rav Henach Leibowitz zt”l commented that it was strange that Avimelech should single out this act of chesed as defining Avraham’s greatness and of showing that Hashem was with him. After all, Avraham was well-known for his gracious hospitality. Yet, Avimelech could not be sure that Hashem was totally with Avraham until Avraham ran to do more chesed. Avraham actively moved to search for more chesed. This proved to Avimelech that Avraham was totally involved in chesed in all the fiber of his being, Thus, Hashem, who loved chesed, was surely with him.

Obviously, we should try to do as many acts of chesed as we can. Even so, we should strive to raise our level of chesed by emulating our forefather Avraham who actively searched for opportunities to do chesed.

A few examples that come to mind are noticing and helping someone carrying heavy packages ,opening the door for someone, offering a seat to an older person, offering a ride, inviting others to a meal, calling someone who is sick or lonely, showing friendship to a new neighbor or a new student in class or someone living away from home. Obviously, there are many other opportunities to do chesed if we look for them.

The acts of chesed that we do for others help them but benefit us the most!

Now, more than ever, is the time to increase our acts of chesed!

 

Parshas Ki Savo

Who Will Be YOUR Neighbor in the World to Come?

 

 

“Cursed is the one who degrades his father or his mother, and the entire people will say, Amen”. (Devarim 27:16)

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ilem was once told in a dream that a butcher named Nanas would be his neighbor in the World To Come. Rabbi Yehoshua was stunned! His life was devoted to learning Torah and doing mitzvos. How could it be possible that a simple butcher would be his neighbor in the next world? Rabbi Yehoshua decided to find out more about Nanas. He traveled with his students from town to town, asking if anyone had heard of Nanas the butcher. Finally, Rabbi Yehoshua found the town where Nanas lived. He went to Nanas and asked him about the good deeds that he did. Nanas told him that he had elderly parents who were not capable of taking care of themselves. He fed them, gave them drinks, washed them and dressed them. When Rabbi Yehoshua heard this, he kissed Nanas on his head and said, “I am truly fortunate to have you as my neighbor in the world to come.” (Love Your Neighbor by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, quoting Sefer HaDoros).

As the Jews were about to enter the Land of Israel, they reaccepted upon themselves certain mitzvos. The mitzvos were announced by the Leviim in the form of blessings and curses to which all the Jews responded amen.  One of the mitzvos that they reaccepted was to give proper honor and respect to one’s parents. The Torah says (Devarim 27:16),“אָר֕וּר מַקְלֶ֥ה אָבִ֖יו וְאִמּ֑וֹ וְאָמַ֥ר כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן”.  “Cursed is the one who degrades his father or his mother, and the entire people will say, Amen”.

Rav Avraham Pam zt”l points out a fascinating insight. Rashi defines the word “מַקְלֶ֥ה” as “to degrade”. Rav Pam zt”l says that this admonition is not limited to dishonoring a parent with words or deeds. It also includes failing to respect parents in one’s heart or looking down on them! It applies even if one does not express his feelings openly! This is also the deeper meaning of one of the confessions that we say on Yom Kippur, “זִלְזוּל הוֹרִים וּמוֹרִים”, asking Hashem for forgiveness (one must also receive forgiveness for the person you disrespected) for showing contempt for parents and teachers. Here too, it means to be disdainful of them, even if only in your mind!

If parents don’t “measure-up” to our expectations, we must realize that they grew up with different life experiences than we did. Their education system was much different than ours. Their challenges in life have also impacted who they are. Chayaei Adam (67:30) says that an integral part of the mitzvah of honoring parents is “to think highly of them, as if they were great and noble people”.  It may be a challenge, at times, to feel that way. However, we must remember that the greatness of our parents is not always noticeable to us. We don’t know their true greatness and how Heaven views them since we do not know the challenges in life that they had to overcome. We don’t know what good deeds they did in quiet manner. They may be greater than we realize. At the very least, our parents deserve great respect for giving us life and raising children as good as we are.                       (Messages from Rav Pam by Rabbi Sholom Smith)

Rabbi Meir Simcha HaCohen of Dvinsk zt”l, in his sefer Meshech Chachma, says that the wording of the Torah is “מַקְלֶ֥ה” from the root “קַל”, which means light or easy. A child may cause pain to his parent, thinking that it is no big deal. After all, his loving parent will forgive him afterwards, not wanting his child to receive a punishment for his actions. To counter that attitude, the Torah says, “אָרוּר”, this child will be cursed. He may never cause pain to a parent.

We should never act disrespectfully to our parents,

thinking that it is okay since they will eventually forgive us.

Our parents deserve our utmost respect in words, deeds, and even in our hearts!

 

 

Parshas Ki Savo

Thank You! Thank You!

“You are to take of the first, of all the fruits that you bring from your land, that Hashem has given you….” (Devarim 26:2)

Rav Chananya Chollak founded Ezer Mizion, a medical and social support organization in Israel.  A wealthy supporter was visiting him, and they decided to daven Ma’ariv at the Kosel. While at the Kosel, they heard uncontrollable crying coming from an older man. Rav Chollak and his friend watched the elderly Jew in awe and with a feeling of compassion. Together, they decided to help this fellow Jew with whatever he needed, be it medical or financial help. When the elderly man finished his prayers, they approached him with an offer to help. The gentleman thanked them for their kindness but told them that he did not need their help. He said, “Baruch Hashem, I am a blessed man. Everything is wonderful.” “Then why were you crying and davening like that?” The elderly man answered that his tenth child had just gotten married the previous night. He had come to the Kosel to thank Hashem for allowing him and his wife to live and participate in this special occasion.

In so doing, this elderly Jew had followed in the ways of King David. King David had prayed with equal intensity, when he asked for Hashem’s help as when he had thanked Hashem for his salvation. (In the Spirit of the Maggid by Rabbi Paysach Krohn)

Rabbi Avigdor Miller zt”l was known to urge people to notice and express appreciation to Hashem for all the good that Hashem does. If one would stop to think for a moment, one could think of so many reasons to thank Hashem. Thank you, Hashem, that I am alive. Thank you, Hashem, that I have food to eat. Thank you, Hashem, for a comfortable bed and warm blanket. Thank you, Hashem, that I am not barred from doing mitzvos. Thank you, Hashem, that I was not involved in the car accident that I had just passed, and many, many more reasons to thank Hashem. How many can you think of? Try to get a minimum of 25.

There is a mitzvah of bikurim, of bringing the first fruits from each of the 7 special fruits grown in the Land of Israel, to Yerushalayim. There, they are presented to the kohanim in the Beis HaMikdash. The procedure and procession were very elaborate. When the people bringing the bikurim passed through different cities on the way to Yerushalayim, the city dwellers came to greet them. Even workers would pause their work to greet those who were bringing bikurim.

The Alshich says that normally a worker is forbidden to stop his work, even just to give a greeting, because the time lost would be considered stealing from his boss. If so, what is so special about this mitzvah of bikurim that halacha requires the Jewish workers to stop working for a short while, to greet those Jews bringing bikurim?

 

The Alshich has a similar question on a Midrash in Parshas Bereishis. The Midrash states that the world was created for the sake of that which is called “Reishis” [first]: The world was created for the sake of the nation of Israel who is called “Reishis”. Likewise, the world was created for the sake of Torah, which is called “Reishis”. Finally, the world was created for the sake of the mitzvah of bikkurim, which is called “Reishis”. The Alshich asks what is so special about this mitzvah of bringing bikurim that it was given as a reason for the creation of the world?

 

The Alshich answers that the mitzvah of bikkurim contains within it something that is fundamental to being a human being — the obligation for people to express their gratitude, their hakaras haTov. HaKaras haTov is so necessary and vital that the whole world’s creation was actualized just for this mitzvah, which teaches us and trains us in the attribute of gratitude. The obligation to show appreciation to Hashem is one of the basic tenets of serving Hashem. Hashem gives us life, food, and EVERYTHING!! ALL that we have is from Hashem!­ We must constantly think about and appreciate that. This mitzvah is so special that even workers must stop working for a short while to participate in it.

The Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer [Chapter 7] writes that the reason Adam was exiled from the Garden of Eden was due to his ingratitude. His sin was not merely eating from the Tree of Knowledge. He blamed it on, “The woman you gave me, she gave me the fruit and I ate it.” (Bereishis 3:12) As Rashi points out, Adam was being ungrateful. Hashem had presented him with Chava as a gift. Yet, Adam complained that she was the one who had caused him to sin.

Whenever Rabbi Yaakov Neiman zt”l visited Radin, the Chofetz Chaim zt”l would trouble himself to arrange lodging for him. Why? Rabbi Neiman explained that the Chofetz Chaim had to periodically travel to Warsaw to deal with the publishing of his sefarim. In Warsaw, the Chofetz Chaim used to stay in the home of Rabbi Neiman’s wife’s grandfather. The Chofetz Chaim felt an obligation of hakaras tov, appreciation, to his host. Therefore, he wanted to, likewise, help the man’s grandchild. We see the extent of the obligation to feel hakaras tov. Even though the Chofetz Chaim’s presence in the grandfather’s house was an honor for the grandfather, the Chofetz Chaim still felt an obligation to show appreciation to his grandchildren.

From the actions of Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer zt”l we see the extent of the obligation to show appreciation. One of Rabbi Meltzer’s illustrious students invited him to his son’s bar mitzvah that would be taking place on Shabbos. He invited him as a sign of respect but did not expect Rabbi Meltzer to walk the long distance and up four steep flights of stairs to his home. In the middle of the bar mitzvah, Rabbi Meltzer appeared. Everyone was shocked that he had come. Rabbi Meltzer said that he felt obligated to come because of hakaras hatov. What favor had been done for him that he felt obligated to reciprocate? When Rabbi Meltzer had seen the invitation, he had a flashback to his student’s wedding. It seemed as if the wedding had recently taken place, yet now he had a son of bar mitzvah age. Rabbi Meltzer said that this thought made him realize that time flies so quickly. Therefore, he felt that he must immediately do teshuvah while he still could, while he was still alive. Since this occasion inspired Rabbi Meltzer to do teshuvah, he felt obligated to show appreciation to his student. Therefore, he came to the bar mitzvah.

Hakaras HaTov is so fundamental that a person is only considered a mentsch when he appreciates all the many favors that Hashem does. No matter what the state of our life is, we are so indebted to Hashem for life itself!

We must stop to think and show appreciation for all the kindness that others do for us.

When we give the proper appreciation to others, for the favors that they do,

then we can begin to properly appreciate all that Hashem does for us.

 

(dvar Torah, in part, based on Yalkut Lekech Tov by Yaakov Yisroel Beifus)

 

Parshas Ki Savo

Yes, You Can!

 

“This day Hashem, your G-d, commands you to perform these laws … observe and perform them with all your heart and all your soul.” (Devarim 26:16)

It Couldn’t Be Done

BY EDGAR ALBERT GUEST

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done

      But he with a chuckle replied

That “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one

      Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin

      On his face. If he worried, he hid it.

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

      That couldn’t be done, and he did it!

 

Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that;

      At least no one ever has done it;”

But he took off his coat and he took off his hat

      And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.

With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,

      Without any doubting or quiddit,

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

      That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

 

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,

      There are thousands to prophesy failure,

There are thousands to point out to you one by one,

      The dangers that wait to assail you.

But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,

      Just take off your coat and go to it;

Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing

      That “cannot be done,” and you’ll do it. (poetryfoundation.org)

 

A few days before Moshe died, he told the Jewish People to follow Hashem’s laws and perform the mitzvos. Moshe said, “Today, Hashem commands you to perform these laws.” (Devarim 26:16) Many commentaries including Rashi, the Ohr HaChaim and Rabbeinu Bachya ask the obvious question. These laws were given to the Jewish people on Mt. Sinai 40 years earlier! Why, then, is Moshe saying that these laws were given “today”? Rashi explains that Moshe was saying that the commandments should be considered new ones.  They should be beloved as if the Jewish People had only heard them this very day. The Jewish People should not serve Hashem by rote, out of habit. We should serve Hashem with love.

Rabbeinu Bachya says that as time passes, we tend to forget miracles. The Ramban and Rambam say that Hashem’s revelation when giving the Torah at Mt. Sinai was fundamental and foundational to developing our belief in Hashem. The Jews experienced thunder, lightning, and the sound of the shofar getting louder and louder. Hashem opened the heavens and the earth to show that there was no other Creator. Hashem spoke to the Jewish People. The Torah is not requiring us to do the impossible. Our souls experienced the revelations. We CAN feel the event of the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai as if we received it right at this moment.  Even though it occurred thousands of years ago, we CAN imagine the emotion of the moment. If we experience this intense emotion and feel that Hashem has just spoken to us, the performance of any and every mitzvah will become easy to do. The mitzvos will take on a new meaning. How can we not do the mitzvos with all our energy and love? Nothing can stand in our way of fulfilling the mitzvos.  This is how we should feel at this very moment. We should feel the intense emotions, the excitement, and the closeness to Hashem. And we CAN do this! That is what the Torah is teaching us.   We can experience the revelation at Mount Sinai every time we do a mitzvah and every time that we learn Torah! We can feel this even when the Jewish people are in exile, and we do not witness open miracles. To reach this level of feeling, we must do what is called Mussar b’hispalus. We must consciously act to draw this intellectual feeling into the fiber of our emotions. We can do so by actively verbalizing this message to ourselves, countless times. We must keep telling ourselves about the wonders of Hashem’s revelation on Mount Sinai and the special closeness we felt to Hashem at that time. In so doing, we are enabling our hearts to “hear” to what our brain already knows.

Every day we can feel as if the Torah has just been given.

We CAN feel the intense emotions and strong love of Hashem.

Mitzvos and Torah learning will take on a new meaning and will be easy to do.

 

Based on a dvar Torah by Rabbi Henach Leibowitz zt”l