Parshas Tzav – Special Purim Issue

Don’t Bury Him Face Down!

“And every day Mordechai walked in front of the court of the harem, to learn how Esther was faring and what was happening to her”. (Esther 2:11)

A Jewish informer lived in the town of Luban, Russia. He reported any Jewish “wrongdoings” to the government. If he did not like someone, he made up a story to get the person in trouble with the government. The entire town feared this informer and were forced to treat him with respect. When the informer became gravely ill, he demanded that the chevra kaddisha, the Jewish burial society, see him immediately. When they came, he told them that he wanted to be buried, face- down. They were surprised at this strange request which was also contrary to Jewish law. The informer died soon after. The chevra kaddisha went to the town’s rabbi, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zt”l. They asked him what to do about the burial. On the one hand, it was a mitzva to fulfill a person’s request that was made right before he dies. On the other hand, burying someone face-down was contrary to Jewish law. Rav Moshe replied that one only follows the final request of a dying man if it was not contrary to halacha. Since this request was contrary to halacha, it should be ignored. A few weeks after the informer was buried, a group of Russian officials demanded that the body be exhumed. Having no choice, the chevra kaddisha opened the grave. The Russians looked at it and began to leave. Curiously, one of the members of the chevra kaddisha asked one of the Russian officials what they had been looking for. He replied that the informer had sent them a letter right before he died. The letter said that the Jews in the town hated him and would do something nasty after he died, such as burying him upside down. The officials came, to make sure that had not occurred, otherwise they would have punished the townspeople.

After Achashverosh had Vashti killed, he held a beauty contest to look for a new wife. Esther was brought to the contest against her will. Mordechai had commanded Esther not to tell anyone that she was Jewish and that she came from royal blood, as she descended from King Shaul (Esther 2:10). Rashi explains that Mordechai had felt if it was known that Esther came from royal ancestry, she would have had a better chance of being chosen as the new queen. Mordecai wanted to avoid that at all costs. He didn’t want Esther to be forced to marry Achashverosh. Even after Esther was chosen as Queen, she still did not divulge her ancestry, as per Mordechai’s behest (Esther 2:20). The Talmud (Megillah 13A) says that the king made a special feast and even lowered taxes to try to encourage Esther to divulge her ancestry. King Achashverosh was so curious about his new Queen’s ancestry that he asked Mordechai for a suggestion as to how to encourage Esther to divulge her secret. The Ben Yehodaya (on Megillah 13A) says, Achashverosh was aware that Mordechai had raised Esther. Therefore, Achashverosh felt that Mordechai would be able to help him find-out Esther’s secret. Mordechai did not divulge the secret. However, Mordechai suggested that the king hold a second beauty contest. He said that Esther would probably get jealous and then reveal who she really was. The Maharsha says that Mordechai’s actual intention in suggesting the second beauty contest was the hope that Achashverosh would find another woman that he liked more than Esther. Then Achashverosh would crown a new queen, thus sparing Esther from having to be with Achashverosh.

Mordechai was convinced that Hashem had placed Esther in the palace to eventually save the Jewish People. Otherwise, Hashem would not have permitted the tragic event of a righteous Esther becoming the queen of a non-Jewish man (Esther 2:11). Rashi says that Mordechai even received a “hint” from Hashem that Esther was being put into a position to save the Jews at some future time. Haman had not yet risen to power, so Mordechai did not know yet how Esther would be helpful to the Jews. Therefore, everyday Mordechai would walk past to see how Hashem’s plan would unfold (Esther 2:11).

Mordechai’s actions are astounding! By telling Esther

to keep her heritage hidden, even after being chosen as queen, and by proposing a new beauty contest Mordechai was acting contrary to Hashem’s intentions! If Hashem had placed Esther in the palace to save the Jews, how could Mordechai try to manipulate Achashverosh to find a different queen?!

Mordechai’s actions teach us a very fundamental lesson in Torah hashkafa, philosophy.  One must follow halacha, Torah law, doing everything possible to ensure that halacha is being followed. Mordechai knew that halacha dictated he save Esther from becoming the wife of a non-Jew. As far as the future safety of the Jewish People, that was up to Hashem to ensure. Even though Mordechai knew what Hashem had wanted, Mordechai still had to do what he felt was the appropriate course of action. If the Jews were supposed to be saved, Hashem could find another way for that to happen 

Even when confronted with a very challenging situation, we must always follow halacha

and follow the guidance of our rabbis who clarify and interpret the law for us.

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

Parshas Vayikrah

Don’t Cut “Your” Other Hand!

“When a man among you bring an offering to Hashem…you shall bring your offering.” (Vayikra 1:2)

The Jerusalem Talmud (Nedarim 9:4. See the Pnei Moshe) discusses why one should not take revenge if another person harms him. The Talmud says, imagine you were cutting meat with your right hand, using a very sharp knife. The knife slipped and cut the left hand. Would anyone think that you would take revenge on your right hand by cutting it also? Of course not!

Both hands are part of the same body! If we can understand that all the Jewish People are considered as one body, we wouldn’t feel the need to take revenge.

The realization and understanding that all Jews are part of one body, is a very important concept!

There is a glaring question on the first pasuk of the Parsha. The pasuk begins in the singular, “When a man brings an offering” and ends in plural, “you shall bring your offering”. Why is there a change in tenses?

HaRav Moshe Sternbuch, in his sefer Ta’am Vada’as (as quoted in Yalkut Lekach Tov by Yaakov Yisroel Beifus) gives a beautiful answer. When a Jew sins, he harms more than himself. His actions affect all Jewry. This concept is found in the Midrash Rabba (Vayikra 4:6). Chizkiyahu taught (Yirmiyahu 50:17): “Israel are scattered sheep.” Why are Israel likened to a sheep? When a sheep gets hurt in one spot of its body, its entire body feels it. It is the same with Israel. When one Jew sins, all Jews feel it and are hurt by it.

When the sinner brings a korban, a sacrificial offering to Hashem, and corrects his sin, he becomes uplifted. In doing so, he uplifts all Jewry with him. To teach us this, the pasuk begins in the singular. The sinner repents and achieves atonement with his offering. His action purifies the entire congregation. Therefore, the pasuk concludes in the plural.

We see that all Jews are inextricably linked. The sin of one individual affects all and can result in punishment to all. Conversely, a mitzvah done by one Jew, brings blessing to the entire nation.

We are more than One Nation. We are One Body!

This realization will help us withstand the temptation to retaliate when another Jew harms us.

This understanding will also help us to be aware of the significance of all our actions, both bad and good.

Each of our individual deeds impacts “the rest of our body”, namely all the Jewish People.

Parshas Emor

It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times!

“Seven days you shall make offerings by fire to Hashem. The seventh day shall be a sacred occasion: you shall not work at your occupations.”

“It Was the Best of Times!”

The Six-Day War took place on June 5–10, 1967. In response to the apparent mobilization of its Arab neighbors, early on the morning of June 5, Israel staged a sudden preemptive air assault that destroyed more than 90 percent Egypt’s air force on the tarmac. A similar air assault incapacitated the Syrian air force. Without cover from the air, the Egyptian army was left vulnerable to attack. Within days the Israelis had achieved an overwhelming victory on the ground. The Arab countries’ losses in the conflict were disastrous. The Arab armies also suffered crippling losses of weaponry and equipment. The lopsidedness of the defeat demoralized both the Arab public and the political elite. Israel had proved beyond question that it was the region’s preeminent military power. Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Old City of Jerusalem, and Golan Heights.

“It Was the Worst of Times”

On Yom Kippur of 1973, Egypt and Syria attacked Israel, catching Israel off guard.​​ The Egyptians and the Syrians initially made some significant initial: the former crossed the Suez Canal and established themselves along its entire length on the east bank; the latter overran the Golan Heights and came within sight of the Sea of Galilee. The cost of the battle was heavy: Israel lost 2,688 soldiers. Many airplanes were lost to Russian-made surface-to-air missiles, and only 100 out of 265 Israeli tanks in the first echelon survived. Things were so bad that on the second day of the conflict Israel’s defense minister Moshe Dayan told prime minister Golda Meir, to consider preparing for the use of nuclear weapons.

The Sforno says that the principal reason for the Yomim Tovim is to afford us an opportunity to express our gratitude to Hashem in prayer and in deed. On Pesach, we pray to Hashem, giving thanks for His having given us our freedom at the time of the Exodus from Egypt. The time between Pesach and Shavuos is a time when the crops are ripe and waiting to be harvested.  The Omer sacrifice was brought on the second day of Pesach. A lamb was offered together with an omer, a measure of barley taken from the first harvest of the land of Israel. This was an expression of gratitude for the barley harvest, the first of the ripened crop to Hashem. The farmer, observing his harvest, felt contentment and satisfaction, confidence, and security. The future looked so bright. This prayer also contains a request concerning the future. During this time, the Torah mandated the counting of Sefira for 49 days, as a continual, daily reminder to turn to Hashem in prayer. It is a reminder that success and failure is in the hands of Hashem. At a time when everything seems to be going well, when the farmer’s hard work has produced a bountiful harvest, he should not become too complacent and over-confident and forget to turn to Hashem. The counting of the 49 days between Passover and the festival of weeks reminds us of the need to offer such prayers daily.

When things are going well, we should not become too complacent but should thank Hashem every day. Similarly, if one’s situation is bleak and the future seems ominous, when disaster seems imminent and escape is apparently impossible, we should NOT give up hope or feel despair! Hashem is with us and loves us.

Parshas Shmini

Parshas Tazria-Metzorah

“The Kohen shall look on the affliction on the skin of the person’s flesh. If the hair in the affliction has changed to white and the affliction’s appearance is deeper than the skin of the flesh, it is a tzara’as affliction. The Kohen shall look at it and declare him impure.” (Vayikra 13:3)

A man wanted to be appointed as the Rabbi of a certain city. He sent his son to get a letter of recommendation from the Gadol Hador, Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzenski zt”l. Rav Chaim Ozer did not feel that this boy’s father was competent for this position so he gave an excuse and did not write the letter. The young man became very angry and hurled insults at Rav Chaim Ozer. Rav Chaim Ozer sat calmly throughout the tirade. When the young man left, Rav Chaim Ozer’s students questioned how he could remain so calm. He responded that the young man was not in control of his emotions. His father had wanted and perhaps truly needed that job. The son was probably thinking of his father and the impact that not getting the job would have on the family. “Had I reprimanded him at that point, he would have been too irate to listen to my rebuke.” (Rabbi Frand on the Parashah 2)

The Torah says that the kohen looks at the afflicted person’s flesh to determine if he has tzara’as (a skin affliction caused by one of seven specific sins. One of those sins is lashon hara.) The pasuk repeats that the kohen looks at the affliction again and declares the person impure. The Malbim and other commentators question the repetitiveness. The Malbim explains that the kohen first looks carefully at the specifics: Is the affliction in the skin? Are the hairs inside of it white? Does the appearance have a depth to it? The second time the kohen looks at the total picture. If he can see the affliction in its entirety than he can declare it impure. If he can only see parts of it at one time, then the kohen cannot declare it impure.

The Meshech Chachma by Rabbi Meir Simcha Hakohen of Dvinsk, explains that the first time the kohen checks if the affliction is indeed tzara’as. The second time the kohen looks at the overall picture. Is this an appropriate time to declare the person impure? The Talmud (Moed Katan 7B) says that there are times that the kohen does not check a person to see if his symptoms are indeed tzara’as.  For example, if the symptoms of tzara’as appear on a bridegroom, the kohen does not check him during the first week of marriage (until after the sheva brachos). Similarly, the kohen does not check him during a Yom Tov. The Torah does not want to detract from the bridegroom’s joy or from the joy of a Festival. Since the kohen does not automatically declare the person impure, he must “look again” and determine if the circumstances warrant declaring the person impure or if they warrant a delay to his declaration of impurity.

Rabbi Yissocher Frand learns a beautiful lesson from this. At times, we see others doing something very wrong. Our first reaction may be to rebuke the person strongly, just as a kohen would want to immediately declare the person impure. The Torah teaches us to stop! Do not be critical and rebuke immediately! On the one hand, you should not condone the sin. On the other hand, do not be too quick to rebuke. First examine the situation. Is the person in the frame of mind to hear your rebuke? Will it be beneficial, or will it turn him further away from acting properly? Will it bring him closer to Hashem or push him further away?

Rav Sholom Schwadron once saw a group of Jewish boys desecrating Shabbos. He sensed that these boys were estranged from their families who were religious. Understanding that rebuking them would be counterproductive, he reached-out to them with heartfelt love. He offered each of them a hot meal and a comfortable bed. The boys eventually agreed to go. A free hot meal without strings attached was something they needed. This arrangement continued for some time. Eventually, the love that Rabbi Schwadron showed them, helped them change their lives and return to Hashem.

Sometimes, showing love and not rebuking, can be a more powerful tool to encourage positive behavior!

Parshas Shmini

They Gave Up on Her, but She Persevered!

“… The camel—it chews the cud, but its hoof is not split, it is unclean to you… and the pig— its hoof is completely split but it does not chew the cud, it is unclean to you.” (Vayikra 11:4,7)

Chen Miller is a special education teacher in Israel. During her first year of teaching, she entered a second-grade classroom. A little boy sitting in the center of the room, cursed, spat, and screamed at her. She went over to him and said, “I know that you have a big heart. I know that you are clever. I know that you are a good boy.” He responded loudly for the entire class to hear, “Stupid teacher, you don’t know anything! I am a disturbed boy. Everyone knows that I am disturbed. The teachers say that I am disturbed. The principal says that I am disturbed. Even my parents say that I am disturbed!” Ms. Miller repeated, “You have a big heart. You are clever. I know that you are a good boy.” Hearing that, the little boy ran out of the classroom. The second week when she entered the classroom, the exact same thing occurred. The little boy cursed, spat, and screamed at her. She took a deep breath and whispered to him, “You have a big heart, you are clever, and I know that you are a good boy.” In the third week, when Ms. Miller entered the classroom, the little boy was sitting quietly in a desk next to hers. On that day, that little boy chose her to be his teacher.

Towards the end of the year the little boy asked her how she knew that children are good. She told him that when she was a child, she thought that she was stupid and that nothing good would come out of her. She, herself, was a student of a special needs class and others were ready to give up on her. She could not even read or write until she was in 5th grade!

Ms. Miller became a special education teacher to help others. The point she made in her story was that words matter! The words that teachers, principals, and parents say to a child become the words that the child perceives about himself. Negative words foster negative self-images and make a child feel that he is a failure. Positive words foster positive self-images and can encourage a weak student to become a successful one.

This week’s parsha discusses which animals are kosher and which are not. An animal that chews its cud and has totally split hooves, is a kosher animal. Most animals do not have any kosher signs at all. There are four animals that exist, that have only one kosher sign. Many of the commentaries question why we need to know that these animals have one kosher sign. After all, it really makes no difference. Since they do not have both kosher signs, they are not kosher. The Torah first says that a camel chews its cud before it says that it does not have split hooves. The Torah says that a pig has totally split hooves but is not kosher because it does not chew its cud. Why does the Torah say this at all and why does it list the kosher characteristic first?

The rabbis who teach us mussar share a very important message based on this. When giving constructive criticism, one should first say something positive about the person before mentioning the negative. That is why the Torah mentions the positive characteristic of the four animals before mentioning their non-kosher characteristics. This message is important for everyone and especially important for parents and teachers. (Rav Pam on Chumash by Rabbi Sholom Smith)

Words can build and words can destroy! Let us choose to use our word in a positive manner.

Parshas Behar/Bechukosai

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

“But in the seventh year… you shall not sow your field….” (Vayikrah 25:4)

There are times when a person is out-of-work and is worried how he will provide for his family. This was a real concern for the Jews who immigrated to the United States in the early 1900’s. They were told that they would be fired from their jobs if they would not work on Shabbos.

At the beginning of every seventh year, the Shmittah year, during the time of the Beis haMikdash, the Jewish people had the mitzvah of Hakhel. All the men women, and children had the mitzvah to listen to the king read a specific part of the Torah (Devorim 31:10-12). In this way, Shmittah was ushered in through Torah study. The Ibn Ezra explains that this Torah study should continue throughout the entire year of Shmittah (Devorim 31:12; Shmos 20:8).  It seems from the Ibn Ezra that the purpose of Shmittah is the suspension of work to facilitate the study of Torah. Nowadays, we still have the mitzvah of Shmittah. During the year of Shmittah, there are many Israeli farmers who do not work their fields. Instead, they learn Torah the entire day.

Every seventh year, during Shmittah, Jews in the Land of Israel are not permitted to plant, prune, or do any work in their fields or vineyards.  Their rights to the land are no greater than that of their servants or strangers. Anyone who wants, may eat the produce that grows in the field. The farmer may not lay ownership to the land, but he has the same right to eat from it as others.

The concept of Shmittah is to impress upon us that we own nothing! Everything that we have is from Hashem.

You may have a serious concern. If you can’t work your field, what will you eat the entire seventh year? True, you have equal access, as everyone else, to whatever grows on its own, but will that be enough? Furthermore, what will you eat in the eighth year? You must start planting at the end of the seventh year and it will take time for the crops to grow.

Rashi and the Sforno (25:19) address this concern. It is true that the amount of food that you will have will be minimal. However, Hashem will miraculously enable you to feel full and satisfied on the little that you do have to eat.

According to this explanation, the Torah’s next two psukim don’t seem to make sense. The Torah writes, “And should you ask, ‘What are we to eat in the seventh year, if we may neither sow nor gather in our crops?’ I will ordain My blessing for you in the sixth year, so that it shall yield a crop sufficient for three years… until its crops come in.” Don’t be concerned that since you didn’t work the field you will not have enough to eat in the seventh year. Hashem will bless your crops.  The crops of the sixth year will be so bountiful that it will feed you in the sixth, seventh, and eighth year!

What does the Torah mean? What possible concern could you have? We already explained that there will be a blessing that your stomach will be satisfied even if you eat less. The Sforno explains Hashem’s promise that you will feel satisfied with little, won’t be enough to allay the concerns of some people. They will feel nervous and won’t feel total trust and confidence in Hashem. For those people, Hashem promises an added blessing, one that can clearly be seen! The sixth year will produce enough food to last for three years! Even if one has a little less faith in Hashem, he will see with his own eyes that he has stored enough food for three years.  He won’t worry what he will have to eat and therefore, he will be able to keep the laws of Shmittah calmly. Look how much Hashem loves us and does extra to make all of us feel at ease.

The mitzvah of Shmittah helps us realize that Hashem is the source of our livelihood. If we are on a high level of faith, then we won’t have to be worried when Hashem tells us that we can’t work for a year. We know that Hashem will provide for us by our miraculously feeling satisfied even when eating a small amount. If we are not quite on that level, Hashem lovingly tells us not to worry. We will see the bumper crop of the sixth year, know we have plenty of food, and will not worry.

Hashem provides us with our needs whether or not we are working!

Parshas Emor

Victory is in the Mind!

Sam and Joe had been best friends for years. They were in their early 90’s when Sam fell deathly ill. Joe visited him on his deathbed and reminisced with him about their long friendship. Joe then asked Sam for a favor, “When you die, please let me know if there’s baseball in heaven”. Sam said that they had been longtime friends and certainly he would do this favor for him. Soon after, Sam died.  A few days later, while Joe was sleeping, he heard Sam’s voice. Sam told him that he had some good news and some bad news. The good news was that there is baseball in heaven. The bad news was that Joe would be pitching in a few days. (In other words, Joe will die in a few days.)

The Midrash Rabba (Emor 26:7) brings the story of King Shaul that is discussed in Neviim (Shmuel I perek 28 and perek 31). The Plishtim gathered their army to wage war against the Jewish people. King Shaul gathered all the Jewish soldiers to fight against them. King Shaul was afraid because the Plishtim’s army vastly outnumbered his (Metzudas Dovid). [The commentaries discuss why King Shaul felt fear now, even though in the past he had always been confident of victory.]  King Shaul wanted to know what the outcome of this battle would be. He tried three different ways to find out from Hashem what would happen. He asked Hashem through the Kohain Gadol’s use of the Urim Vetumim, through prophecy, and through a dream. However, Hashem did not reveal the answer to him. [The commentaries discuss why Hashem did not answer him.] King Shaul was afraid.  So, together with his two generals, Avner and Amassa, he went to ask someone to bring up the spirit of the deceased prophet Shmuel. The prophet Shmuel’s spirit told King Shaul that the Jews would lose the battle. He also said that this would be King Shaul’s last battle since King Shaul himself, as well as three of his sons, would also die. The prophet Shmuel also said that if King Shaul would accept Hashem’s judgement (midas hadin as a punishment for a transgression of his) and would enter the battle with the intention of sacrificing his life to Hashem, then he and his sons would join with Shmuel and the other tzadikim in their portion in Heaven (Rashi, Metzudas Dovid, Radak). When King Shaul’s generals asked him what the spirit of the prophet of Shmuel told him, he replied that they would be victorious in battle! HaRav Henach Leibowitz zt”l explains that Shaul told this to them to encourage them to fight even harder. They had an obligation to go to battle whether they would win or lose. Such righteous generals would fight hard, either way. However, the knowledge of victory would spur them ever so slightly to fight even harder. Since that would be the result, it was permitted and appropriate for King Shaul to tell that to them.

Rav Yisroel Salanter zt”l said that we have to do our utmost to serve Hashem, regardless of the outcome.  We must try even if we will not accomplish our goal! One of the tricks of the Yetzer Hara is to cause us to focus on our results. If we do not see success, we may be tempted to cease our efforts. We may feel that our efforts will not bear fruit so why bother trying. A trick that we can use against the yetzer hara is to convince ourselves that our efforts will be successful. This will give us the extra motivation to work even harder towards our goal. King Shaul used this technique with his generals. Sometimes, it is possible that the extra motivation caused by our feelings that we will succeed, will lead to success. Even if our extra efforts do not bring the results that we wanted, the attempt itself will be a fulfillment of our obligation of serving Hashem.

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Parshas Acharie Mos – Kedoshim

Why Can’t You Do Anything Right?!

“…You shall surely rebuke your friend and do not bear a sin because of him” (19:17)

There is a famous story told about Rabbi Yisroel Meir HaCohen Kagan, the Chofetz Chaim zt”l. Once, when traveling from city to city, he came to an inn. While he and his traveling companion were sitting, he noticed a Jew whose behavior was very crude and uncultured. The Jew banged on his table, demanding food. When he got his food, he gulped it down without washing his hands or saying a bracha. Then he took a long drink of whiskey, drinking directly from the bottle.

The Chofetz Chaim asked the innkeeper who the man was. The innkeeper told him that there was no point in speaking with him. He had grown up among the Russian peasants and was ignorant about Judaism. He had been kidnapped by the officials of Russian Czar Nicolas when he was only seven years old. He was forced to remain in the Russian army for twenty-five years. The army continuously tried to convince him through beatings and other methods to denounce Judaism.

The Chofetz Chaim ignored the advice of the innkeeper and went over to speak to the Jewish soldier. The Chofetz Chaim greeted him warmly, commiserating with him about his hard life and the fact that he did not have the opportunity to learn any Torah. The Chofetz Chaim told hm that he truly experienced Purgatory in this world. The Chofetz Chaim then praised the soldier for retaining his Jewish identity despite the tortures he had gone through when they had tried to convince him to renounce his Judaism. The Chofetz Chaim said that he was jealous of the merits that this man had and that he would occupy a very high place in Gan Eden.  The soldier began crying. The Chofetz Chaim continued to tell him that he would receive an even greater reward if he lived the rest of his life as an observant Jew. Deeply touched, the man fully repented and changed his life.

Chastising someone for his misdeeds is a mitzvah. However, there are guidelines on how to do it. If you do it the wrong way you may be considered a sinner. The Chofetz Chaim’s actions can serve as a guide for us. He found something to commend the man about. He did not criticize him. Instead, he said that the soldier would benefit even more if he could act a little differently. Then Chofetz Chaim spoke to him from a source of sincere love. His goal was not to criticize but to inspire and instruct. Harav Henach Leibowitz zt”l points out based on the Sefer HaYashar written by the Rabbeinu Tam, as well as from the Sforno (16:24) that you must purify yourself first before purifying others. In order to succeed in your reproof, you must be sincere. If you are remiss in the same area that you are criticizing in others, you will not be successful. There will be a lack of sincerity in your heart that the other person will sense. In addition, in order to succeed, you must feel true love for a fellow Jew. You must also sincerely feel that the sinner is hurting himself by not performing the mitzvos. If your speech is motivated from the heart it can be successful!

Compliment before criticizing! If you are sincere and your words come from a source of love, your efforts will be more likely to succeed.