Parshas Lech Lecha

Leave Before It’s Too Late!

“Leave your country, your birthplace, and your family and go to the land that I will show you.” (Bereishis 12:1)

Hashem told Avram to leave his “land”, his “birthplace”, and his “father’s house” to go to the land that he will be shown (the Land of Israel).

Rav Ovadia of Bartenura says that there seems to be extra words in the pasuk; The purpose of Hashem’s request was for Avram to go to a specific place. Why was it necessary to highlight where and what Avram was leaving?

Rav Ovadia answers that the Torah is emphasizing the three groups that necessitated Avram’s departure. A person is influenced by his countrymen, his relatives, and his immediate family. Hashem wanted Avram to leave-behind these negative influences on his faith in Hashem.

The Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim, Rav A. Henach Leibowitz, added a very insightful and meaningful commentary on Rav Ovadia’s explanation:

Avram was the paradigm of faith in Hashem. He recognized Hashem at the age of three. He introduced a belief in one G-D into the World. He broke his father’s idols. He chose to be thrown into a fiery furnace rather than to give up his beliefs.

Avram was on such a high level of faith, yet his faith was still in danger from the negative influences in his hometown. Avram had to leave.

What kind of people was Hashem afraid would influence Avram? Murderous enemies! Avram’s countrymen, relatives, and family were all against his beliefs and were responsible for his being thrown into a fiery furnace. Could such people have an influence on Avram who had such strong faith in Hashem?

The answer is YES! Rabbi Leibowitz said that this is the lesson that Rav Ovadia of Bartunura is teaching us. Even a great person can be affected by society – even when the society is against him. How much more so could we, who are not on the level of our Forefather Avram, be affected by our society (especially when our society is not against us, but beckons to us). Many of our society’s values and morals are against the Torah, yet they subtly and passively enter our hearts.

The British have a reputation for being “proper” and “civilized”. A British man was once shipwrecked on an island inhabited by cannibals (people who eat human flesh). After being on the island for a while (for some reason this British man was not “invited to dinner”), the eating habits that seemed disgusting and abominable became acceptable!

We are influenced by our environment! That is why it is so important for us to carefully choose our friends and the neighborhood in which to live.

Parshas Noach

Feel The Pain!

“Take for yourself every food that is eaten…” (Bereishis 6:21)

The people of Noach’s generation were extremely wicked. They refused to repent and were soon to be destroyed by a world-wide flood. Noach, his family, and some animals would be saved in the Ark. Hashem told Noach to gather all types of food and “it shall be for you and them (your family and the animal’s) to eat”.

Clearly this phrase seems to be unnecessary – of course the purpose of the food is to eat!

Rav Elchonon Wasserman in his sefer Kovetz Ma’marim, gives a beautiful explanation:

The Midrash describes what the world was like before the flood. People were healthier and stronger. The climate was perfect, and the earth was so fertile that planting occurred only once every forty years. The fruit was also superior in taste and smell. Noach, who was a prophet, knew that after the Flood the earth would not be the same and the food would not be of the same superior quality. He may have wanted to take extra food (of this superior quality) to store for use after the Flood (just as Yosef had stored food, preparing for years of famine).

Therefore, Hashem told Noach to take only enough food that both he and the animals needed to eat in the Ark. He was forbidden to take extra food to eat for after he exited the Ark. Why? When others suffer, even deservedly, (people were killed by the flood) we must feel their pain and not look to satisfy our own personal pleasure.

In 1895 a fire destroyed many homes in Brisk. Rav Chaim Soloveitchik refused to sleep at home. Instead, he slept on the floor in a side room of a shul. He said, “I am not able to sleep in a bed when so many people do not have even a roof over their heads”. Rav Chaim felt it was inappropriate to sleep in his own bed while his fellow Jews were in such discomfort.

One bitterly cold night, Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Meisel went to visit the wealthiest Jew in in the town of Lodz. Rav Chaim knocked on his door, and the wealthy man invited him in. Rav Chaim stayed outdoors for a few minutes, while he was carrying on a casual conversation. Meanwhile, the wealthy man was shivering terribly from the cold. Only after the wealthy man’s teeth started chattering and his lips started turning purple from the cold, did Rav Chaim accept his invitation inside. Rav Chaim wanted him to feel the frigid cold before requesting a donation for warm clothes for his yeshiva students and money to heat their Study Hall. Rav Chaim felt that one can better appreciate another’s pain when he experiences some of it himself.

When the Jewish People were enslaved in Egypt, Hashem wanted to share their pain. Hashem placed sapphire bricks under His Heavenly Throne to serve as a constant reminder of the bricks that the Jews were forced to make.

The Jewish People are One Nation. When Jews are in pain, when Jews in our community are undergoing difficulties, or when tragic events are occurring to Jews in Eretz Yisroel are we feeling their pain? What more can we do to feel their pain??

Based on a dvar Torah by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

Parshas Bereishis

DON’T Be A First RESPONDer!

“And Hashem made the two luminaries. The larger one to dominate the day and the smaller one to dominate the night…” (Bereishis 1:16)

A woman who had been married for a number of years was still waiting to have her first child. She went to a rav for a bracha. He told her to find someone who had been insulted and restrained himself from responding. Such a person’s bracha would be very powerful. A few years later, at a wedding, she witnessed another woman being publicly embarrassed. Quickly, she begged the woman not to respond to the insult. “Please don’t respond. I will explain my reason to you later”. The woman listened to her and didn’t respond. She explained her reasoning and asked the woman to give her a bracha that she should have a child. She did so and a year later a child was born. I am personally aware of another circumstance when the bracha of a person who restrained herself from responding to an insult, came true (Hashem, of course, grants the bracha only when it is also in the person’s best interest).

The pasuk says that on the fourth day of Creation, Hashem created the two LARGE luminaries in the sky. Hashem created the Large one, the sun, to illuminate the day and the SMALL one, the moon, to illuminate the night.

Rashi is bothered by the obvious question: First the pasuk describes both the sun and moon as being large. Then the pasuk describes the sun as being large and the moon as being small. What happened? Why does it seem that the moon was initially as large as the sun but then became small?

Rashi explains what had occurred. Initially both the sun and moon were created large-the same size. The moon complained to Hashem- “It is not possible for two kings to both wear the same crown.” The moon inferred that there can only be one large luminary. Hashem validated the moon’s complaint and indicated that the moon should diminish itself. Clearly when the moon complained, it was hinting that the sun should be made smaller. Hashem told the moon, since you are the complainer, you will become smaller. Showing sensitivity to the sad feelings of the moon, Hashem then created the stars in the sky (like hosts of servants for the moon).

The Da’as Zekainim has a novel approach, explaining what had happened. The moon had a valid argument that two kings can’t wear the same crown and that one should be made smaller. Clearly the moon was hinting that the sun should be made smaller. That hint was a disgrace to the sun and THE SUN DID NOT RESPOND TO ITS DISGRACE. The sun was praised for being noble and showing inner strength by not responding. That is why the sun was rewarded by maintaining its size while the moon was diminished in size (According to this, the moon was not diminished because it initiated the complaint, as Rashi explained). One who acts in the manner of the sun – not responding to disgrace, is compared to the sun coming out in all its strength.

The pervading attitude, nowadays, is that we don’t want others to take advantage of us by stepping on us. We feel that we must immediately respond to criticism or insult. Maybe sometimes we do have to respond. However, clearly there are times that we should show restraint. That restraint is considered an act of strength and a manifestation of the greatness of a human being.

May Hashem grant us the wisdom to know when to ignore an insult and the strength to be able to do so.

Based on a dvar Torah by Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz zt”l,
Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim

Parshas Vayechi

MAINTAINING THE PROPER BALANCE OF MIDDOS

“[Yaakov said] cursed be their anger…I will divide them…and scatter them in Israel.” (Bereishis 49:7)

Before Yaakov died, he rebuked and blessed his children. He rebuked Shimon and Levi‘s trait of anger (not them). As we recall, when Shimon and Levi heard that Shechem had molested Dina, they acted with anger (without consulting Yaakov) and killed all the males that lived in the city (Due to their complicity in what Shechem did, all the males were deserving of the death penalty. However, Shimon and Levi should have first spoken to Yaakov, instead of acting on their own).  Shimon and Levi had also been the main instigators against Yosef (Yosef’s brothers had judged that Yosef should incur the death penalty. However, the brothers had mercy on him and sold him, instead). Yaakov now rebuked Shimon and Levi for acting upon their anger, in both instances.

Rashi Explains, Yaakov said that the tribes of Shimon and Levi will be scattered amongst the rest of the Jewish People. The purpose was to separate from each other people who exhibit this bad trait of anger.

The Chasam Sofer has a different approach: He explains that the anger itself (not the members of the tribes of Shimon and Levi) will be divided amongst the other tribes. Shimon and Levi over-reacted violently because of their anger. On the opposite extreme were the other tribes that didn’t react at all to help Dina. That too was wrong; they should have done something. Therefore, Yaakov said, I will divide the “anger” amongst the tribes, removing some of the anger from Shimon and Levi and giving it to the other tribes. That would give all the tribes the proper amount of anger (a minimal amount to all). Too much anger would be terrible – causing quarrels, hurt-feelings, pain and suffering. Too little anger would inhibit one from acting to protest injustice.

The Orchos Tzadikim, illustrates this concept beautifully: A person is preparing a dish consisting of vegetables, meat, water, salt, and pepper. From each of these ingredients he must take the proper amount. If he puts in too little meat it won’t be good, as will too much salt. The proper amount of each ingredient makes the tastiest dish and will prevent spoilage. The same idea applies to middos (character traits). If we have too little of a particular middah (character trait) when more is needed or if we have too much of a particular middah when less is needed, we will not be the best person we can and should be. Every trait is necessary. The only question is how much and in what situations it should be used.

Only after learning what the Torah says about each middah can we properly understand the proper amounts to use. The Torah is our only source of how to improve our character in the best-way possible.