Parshas Re’eh

The Two Most Important Keys That You Must Have!

 

“He will be merciful toward you…” (Devarim 13:18)

This week is Shabbos Mevarchim Elul. We announce that Rosh Chodesh Elul will begin this coming Sunday and Monday. 

A sign had been posted in the main shul of Kovno that Rav Yisrael Salanter would be giving a drasha (Torah discourse) in the afternoon of Shabbos Mevarchim Elul. Rav Yisrael entered the shul and walked past the aron kodesh to speak. He called out, ‘Rabbosai, we have already bentched Chodesh Elul.” At that moment that Rav Yisrael cried out the word “Elul”, he fainted from the awesomeness of the month. It is the month that we examine and improve our actions even more than the other months. We prepare outrselves for Yom Hadin, the Day of Judgement, of Rosh Hashana. We hope and plan for a good new year.

There is so much that we need to do to improve to prepare for Rosh Hashana. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt”l gives two recommendations which can help us emerge meritorious in judgement (Sichas Mussar in the year 1972, shmuess # 38).

The Talmud (Rosh Hashana 17A) quotes Rava who says that if one is mevater, if he ignores and forgoes injustices done to him, the Heavenly court in turn forgoes punishment for all his sins. The Talmud continues with a story. Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, became sick. Rav Pappa went to visit him. When he saw that Rav Huna was dying, Rav Pappa said to his attendants to prepare his shrouds (Rashi). Miraculously, Rav Huna recovered. Rav Pappa was embarrassed to see him, as it seemed as if he had decreed Rav Huna’s death. Rav Huna’s friends asked him, “What did you see when you were lying there suspended between life and death?” He replied that he was truly close to dying. Rashi says that he was supposed to have died. However, the Heavenly court determined that Rav Huna was a person who was mevater, he ignored insults and waived what was due to him. He was not exacting in judgement to others. Therefore, the Heavenly court was not exacting with him in his judgment. Even after death was decreed and Rav Huna was near death, he was spared.

The Talmud quotes Rav Acḥa bar Chanina who qualifies this by saying that Hashem forgives the sins of one who is mevater only if the reason that he is mevater is due to his humility.

Rav Chaim’s second segulah and recommendation is learned from this week’s Parsha. The Torah discusses an “עִיר הַנִדַחַת”, the Wayward city. That is a city where most of its inhabitants were persuaded to serve idols. The Torah says that the guilty parties are killed by the sword. The entire city with all its property is destroyed. It is eternally forbidden to rebuild that city (Devarim 13:13-19).

Or HaChaim explains that along with the mitzvah to kill the inhabitants of this Wayward city comes a major peril. This act would normally uproot the trait of mercy and cause cruelty in the hearts of those who killed the sinners. It normally would even create a desire to murder!  In fact, the Chofetz Chaim zt”l was very concerned that the Jewish soldiers returning from battle in World War I would have a tendency towards killing.

In this situation of those who killed the inhabitants of the Wayward City, Hashem gives a special promise that He will give them mercy, preventing their actions from automatically causing them to become cruel (Devarim 13:18).

The Torah adds “וְרִחַמְךָ”, “and He will be merciful,” to teach us that when we are cruel to others that is how Hashem act towards us [I assume that this means that Hashem will judge us justly but strictly, according to our actions]. However, when we are merciful to others, then Hashem will also be merciful to us.

The Talmud spells this out (Shabbos 151B). Rabbi Gamliel, son of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, quotes the pasuk, “And and He will be merciful toward you and He will show you mercy….” (Deuteronomy 13:18) This teaches us that anyone who has compassion for Hashem’s creatures will receive compassion from Heaven, and anyone who does not have compassion for Hashem’s creatures will not receive compassion from Heaven.

כׇּל הַמְרַחֵם עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת  מְרַחֲמִין עָלָיו מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְכֹל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְרַחֵם עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת אֵין מְרַחֲמִין עָלָיו מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם.

 

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt”l gives us two keys to benefit us as we prepare for Rosh Hashana,

the Day of Judgement. One is to ignore and forgo injustices done to us.

The other is to show compassion to others.

These actions benefit us personally and will make the world a happier place as well!

 

 

 

Parshas Re’eh

A MUST-READ For All Teachers and Parents!

 

“You are the children of Hashem, Your G-D…” (Devarim 14:1)

Rabbi Eliezer learns from psukim in the Torah that a teacher should teach the lessons to his students, as much as four times. The Talmud (Eruvin 54B) continues to tell us about a Rabbi who showed extreme patience. Rabbi Perida had a certain student who was a weak learner. As a result, he always taught the lesson four hundred times until the student would understand. One day, someone came and asked Rabbi Perida to be involved in a particular mitzvah as soon as he would complete his lesson. Rabbi Perida taught his student four hundred times as usual, but this time the student did not successfully learn the material. Rabbi Perida asked him why this time was different. Why didn’t he grasp the lesson? The student replied that when he heard that Rabbi Perida was needed after the shiur, his mind was distracted from the lesson. Every moment, he was thinking that Rabbi Perida was about to leave and would not be able to finish the lesson. Rabbi Perida calmed the student and said that he was going to reteach the lesson right away and was not going to leave until he completed the lesson. Rabbi Perida then retaught the lesson an additional four hundred times!

One Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Neiman z”l, Rosh Yeshiva of Or Yisrael Yeshiva in Petach Tikva, visited Rabbi Moshe Rosenstein z”l, the mashgiach of the Lomze Yeshiva. Rabbi Rosenstein was in the middle of testing a boy, from his yeshiva, in Chumash. Rabbi Neiman was curious and asked whose child this was. Rabbi Rosenstein responded that the child was Hashem’s child!

Rabbi Neiman was impressed with this answer. He wrote in his sefer, Darchei Mussar, that this is a very important lesson for everyone who teaches children. The educator must always be aware that he is teaching Torah to the child of the King of Kings, Hashem. With this thought constantly in mind, the educator will be imbued with more patience and more love towards the children. Rav Neiman felt that such patience as Rav Perida had shown must have resulted from his feeling that he was teaching the children of Hashem. (Yalkut Lekach Tov by Rabbi Yaakov Yisroel Beifus)

The Talmud (Eruvin 54B) continues that due to the merit of Rabbi Perida’s great devotion to his students, a Divine Voice emerged and said that he would merit an excessively long life. [He actually was given the choice for four hundred years to be added to his life, or that he and the rest of his generation would merit the World-to-Come. He preferred the latter. Hashem rewarded him with both]

In his commentary, Ben Yehoyada, the Ben Ish Chai zt”l explains that this special reward was not for Rabbi Perida’s daily patience. Rather, Rabbi Perida was rewarded specifically for this one time. Why? It would have been totally normal for Rabbi Perida to feel anger or resentment. Most people would become upset if their effort of teaching a lesson so many times had been totally wasted. Not only did Rabbi Perida not feel anger, but when he repeated the lesson another 400 times, he did so with a with joy that even radiated to his face.

The Alter of Slabodka, Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel zt”l saw that one of his students was not having success in his learning. The Alter fasted and davened for his student to succeed.

The Talmud (Shabbos 119B) quotes Rav Yehuda in the name of Rav, “What is the meaning of that which is written (Tehillim 105:15) ‘Do not touch My anointed ones and do My prophets no harm” (16:22)? ‘Do not touch My anointed ones,’ refers to the schoolchildren, who are as precious and important as kings and priests (Maharsha), ‘and do not harm My prophets,’ refer to the Torah scholars. Reish Lakish said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi that the world only exists because of the Torah learned by schoolchildren. And Reish Lakish said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda Nesia that one may not interrupt schoolchildren from studying Torah, even to build the Temple!”

Rav Avraham Pam zt”l asks (Messages from Rav Pam by Rabbi Sholom Smith) what if one is a teacher or a mechanech who devoted much time and energy into a student and was not successful? One would likely feel discouraged, as if one’s efforts were all wasted. To answer that, Rav Pam has a message from this week’s parsha. (Devarim 13:7,11)

There is a severe punishment to one who tried to persuade someone else to worship other gods. The Torah tells us not to show him compassion and not to look for legal loopholes to save him from the death penalty of stoning. The Alter of Kelm zt”l learns an important lesson from this. This person is punished solely for his efforts. Even if he was unsuccessful in his persuasion, he is still punished severely! How much more we can expect Hashem to reward us for our efforts of trying to bring a Jew closer to Hashem! Hashem will reward the teacher for his efforts, even if, through no fault of his own, he is unsuccessful. Furthermore, says Rav Pam, a person does not know the long-range result of his efforts. The teacher planted and watered a seed. It may take a long time before something grows. Be’ezras Hashem, when it does, it will be evident that his efforts WERE successful!

A very important message to educators and to parents is that the children whom we guide and teach are also Hashem’s children. If we can absorb that message, we will be more patient and more understanding. Also, we should not become discouraged if it seems as if our efforts were wasted. Sometimes, it takes time before our efforts are realized. G-D willing, we may yet see the beautiful fruits of our labors!

Parshas Re’eh

Change Your DNA for Worse or for Better!

“But make sure that you do not partake of the blood …. you must not partake of it, in order that it may go well with you and with your descendants to come.” (Devarim 12:23, 24) “You must surely strike down the inhabitants of that city by the sword; annihilate it and everything that is in it, and its livestock by the sword…. so that Hashem withdraws His raising fury and grant you mercy, and He will be merciful toward you.” (Devarim 13:16,18)

Rabbi Chaim Volozhin zt”l (Ruach Chaim as quoted in Artscroll Bereishis) says that our forefather Avraham developed wonderful traits as a result of passing the Ten Tests. Our forefathers bequeathed to each of us a magnificent legacy of their middos, character traits, from their spiritual DNA to ours. There have been Jews who, despite not being very religious, were willing to risk their lives to sanctify Hashem’s name. Their trait of self-sacrifice was inherited from Avraham’s willingness to allow himself to be thrown into a fiery furnace rather than renounce his faith in Hashem. Our longing to settle in, or at least visit, Eretz Yisroel came from Avraham’s willingness to leave his homeland to travel to Eretz Yisroel. We also inherited from Avraham the trait of acceptance of all that Hashem does is for the best. So too, when any tzaddik works hard and achieves character perfection, those positive characteristics are inherited by his children.

The Torah says that after ritually slaughtering an animal to eat its meat, it is forbidden to eat the blood of the animal (Devarim 12:23-25). You must not partake of it, “in order that it may go well with you and with your descendants to come, for you will be doing what is right in the sight of Hashem” (Devarim 12:25). Rav Yonason Eibschutz zt”l (quoted in Iturei Torah by Aharon Yaakov Greenberg) asks, why the Torah specifically says by this mitzvah, of not eating the blood, “in order that it should be good for your descendants”. What is the connection to your descendants when you eat the blood of an animal? Rav Yonason Eibschutz zt”l answers that blood is forbidden to eat because it dulls the heart and influences a person to cruelty. The cruelty will then be passed in the spiritual DNA from father to son. That is why the pasuk says not to eat the blood “in order that it be good for you and your descendants”. This is to protect your descendants from bad character traits which would otherwise have been passed down to them.

If an entire city served idols, the entire city was destroyed. All the inhabitants and even the animals had to be killed. The entire city and all the booty in it, was then burned. The city was never allowed to be rebuilt.

The Chofetz Chaim zt”l (Chofetz Chaim on the Torah) says that habit becomes second nature. For example, if one is in the habit of doing acts of kindness, being a kind person will become one’s second nature. The same would apply to all midos, both good and bad. That habit would become second nature. If so, then wiping out such a city presented a serious challenge to the soldiers who were following this mitzvah.  The Jewish soldiers who would be fulfilling the mitzvah of wiping out such a city would be killing many people. The act of killing would become second nature to them. The soldiers would then thirst for blood and become murderers. To counter that, Hashem promises, “He [Hashem] will be merciful toward you”. Hashem will replace the feelings of mercy that the soldiers lost while performing this mitzvah. They will then be as merciful as they had been previously.

For this reason, the Chofetz Chaim zt”l expressed his concern for the Jewish soldiers who returned home after the first World War.  He feared that they would become murderers because the sensation of murder had been implanted in their hearts from the battles that they had fought.

Rav Chaim Shmuelovitz zt”l (Sichos Mussar תשל”ג, page 141) says that when Sodom was destroyed, Lot’s daughters thought that the rest of the world had been destroyed and that they and their father were the only survivors. To populate the world, each of them had relations with their father. Each gave birth to a son. The elder daughter who initiated this behavior, named her son Moav. This genetic DNA, of immorality, was passed down to her descendants. Years later, it was the daughters of this nation, Moav, whose immorality caused the death of 24,000 Jews. Rav Chaim Shmuelovitz zt”l asks how is it that it seems from the Talmud that the daughters were praised for their actions of immorality? The Talmud (Nazir 23A) praises Lot’s elder daughter whose intentions were for a mitzvah, and for which she was rewarded. Rav Chaim Shmuelovitz zt”l answered that even though their intentions were praiseworthy and were considered a big mitzvah, an inclination towards promiscuity was established in her family. In later generations, that tendency led to and became a promiscuity of sin. The act of Lot’s daughter was not done for the sake of immorality but for the sake of Hashem. However, in later generations it blossomed into total immorality.

Parents are happy when their children are successful (Obviously, there are different perspectives for the definition of success). It is a great nachas when parents see that children are even more successful than them. No loving parent would do something to harm a child or place an impediment to his success.

That is one reason why it is so important for us to actively work on the positive development of our middos. The middos that we develop may be transferred to the spiritual DNA of our children and all our future generations.

 

 

Parshas Re’eh

How Big are Your Ears!

 

“You shall open-up your hand to him…and provide whatever is lacking to him.” (Devarim 15:8)

There is a short story about a poor wagon driver who was broken-hearted after his young son had tragically died of pneumonia. Because of his extreme poverty, he had no choice but to go back to work immediately after the funeral. He was hired to drive a group of wealthy businessmen to another city. In the middle of the trip, the wagon driver started mumbling about his son. “He was such a good boy… it was only a cough….” The passengers were annoyed by the sounds of the wagon driver’s moans and groans. They shouted at him to stop bothering them. The wagon driver became silent. A few hours later, he started moaning and groaning again. As before, the passengers screamed at him to stop bothering them. This happened a few times, until they reached an inn. The passengers went inside to get something to eat and drink. The wagon driver remained outside to feed his horse. As he was feeding his horse, he repeated the story about his son’s death. The horse nodded its head from time to time. It seemed to the wagon driver that the horse was listening to him. He finally had found a sympathetic ear to listen to his sad story. (Rav Pam on Chumash by Rabbi Sholom Smith)

A number-of-years ago, a man walking the streets of New York City was stopped by a man holding a gun. At gunpoint, the stranger told the sad story of what he was going through. With great emotion, he poured-out his many problems. After an hour, he was finished speaking and put away his gun. He apologized to his victim for frightening him. He explained that he had been trying for weeks to find a sympathetic ear to listen to his problems. He was unable to find anyone, so he had to try desperate means. (Love Your Neighbor by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, as heard from Rabbi Chayim Zaitchik)

When the Torah discusses the topics of giving tzedakah and doing chesed it says, “You shall open up your hand…and provide whatever is lacking to him.” (Devarim 15:8) The words, “to him” seem to be extra. In actuality, those words teach us the importance of dealing with every needy person as a unique individual. There is no concept of “one size fits all” when it comes to giving tzedakah or doing acts of chesed. The Ba’al Haturim, quoting the Sifri, says that if the poor man is used to eating bread, give him bread. If he is used to eating delicacies, give him delicacies. Rashi says that you should even give him a horse to ride on and a servant to run in front of him, if that is what he was used to.

Even if you are unable to give the poor man the money that he needs, you can still fulfill the mitzvah of doing chesed to him. Rav Pam zt”l says that doing an act of chesed does not necessarily require much money, time, or effort. It can be as simple a chesed as listening to someone unburden his problems. Every human being needs someone to listen to him. When you do so, that shows that you care.

A tzedakah collector once remarked that the best donation that he received each year came from a man who lived on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. After a few questions, the listener realized that the collector was speaking about the Gadol Hador, Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l. Although Rav Moshe’s donation was not a substantial one, he made the tzedakah collector feel valued. He took the tzedakah collector’s hands in his own, gave him brachos and listened to him unburden himself of his problems. The Talmud (Bava Basra 9B) says whoever consoles a poor person with words of comfort and encouragement receives eleven blessings, almost double the blessings received for giving him money.

The Chofetz Chaim zt”l  (in Chovas HaShmirah, as quoted by Rabbi Pliskin) says that we have a moral obligation to boost the spirits of someone who is dejected, by speaking with him at length. A student once saw Rabbi Yisroel Salanter zt”l standing on a street corner, talking and joking with a stranger. The student was surprised since Rabbi Salanter zt”l usually had a very serious demeaner. He questioned his rebbe’s actions. Rabbi Salanter zt”l explained that the stranger had problems that were weighing very heavily on him, and he wanted to alleviate his depression (Ohr Yisroel, as quoted by Rabbi Pliskin).

We all have challenges in life. We all need someone to listen to us, at times.

We all need a sympathetic ear to hear us as we unburden ourselves.

Even if we have no solutions to others’ problems,

simply listening to them can help make a difference in their lives.