Monday, January 14, 2013
Internalizing the Makkos
11:20 AM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
TSimtsum
“I revealed
Myself to Avraham, to Yitzchok, and to Yaakov as e-l sha-dai, but My Name Hashem
[adnus] I did not make known to them” (6:3)
The
name Sha-day refers to Hashem's restriction of His greatness in this world which
enables us to recognize Him. Kabbalistic and chassidic books discuss the
concept of tsimtsum at great
length, but for us it is sufficient to know that neither mortal beings, nor
even angels, can comprehend Hashem's greatness. Even our forefathers, who
attained supreme levels, were only capable of grasping the Creator’s greatness
on the basis of what He in His wisdom allows a human being to understand.
Moshe Rabbenu, with whom Hashem spoke pe el pe, had the merit of
communicating with Hashem and recognizing Him on a level that was less clouded
by tsimtsum. Hashem taught Moshe that the main aspect of
Hashem's greatness is to be found in the shem havayo, which teaches
us that He wishes to suppress His anger and conduct the world with the trait of
mercy. Of course, not even Moshe Rabbenu could truly understand Hashem's greatness
- he could only see His back and not His “face” - but whatever he did
comprehend, on the basis of the middos taught to him by Hashem, surpassed the
levels of understanding attained by our forefathers.
TOrah and Eretz Yisroel
“I will
bring you to the land… and I will give it to you as a heritage” (6:8)
The
only other time the same word (morosho) is used in the Torah is in connection
with Torah: “The Torah that Moshe commanded us
is a heritage for the congregation of Yaakov”. Torah and Eretz
Yisroel are interdependent, because our right
to Eretz Yisroel is dependent on
complete observance of the mitzvos of the Torah.
Chazal say that whoever does not
mention bris and Torah in bentshing has not fulfilled his duty. Therefore, in the second brocho we thank
Hashem for the covenant which He has sealed in our flesh, and the Torah, which
He has taught us, and we conclude the brocho by blessing Hashem for the good
land which He has given us. This clearly shows that our rights to Eretz Yisroel are
dependent on observance of the bris and the Torah in general.
The reference to a covenant may also
be taken as an indication that Hashem concluded an agreement with us: if we
stick to our part of the bargain by observing the Torah, Hashem will ensure
that Eretz Yisroel will remain ours.
Yichus
“These are
the heads of the fathers' houses” (6:14)
The
young son of a Rebbe once lost a piece of paper containing his family tree,
which was packed with famous names, and he started crying. His mother comforted
him: "don't worry, your yichus will start with you!" In another
incident two friends were having an argument. One told the other: "You might
be a big talmid chachom, but I have an illustrious lineage”. His friend
retorted: "The difference between us is that your yichus ends with you, whereas mine, with the help
of Hashem, begins with me!
The heads of the
tribes did not consider it sufficient to be the descendants of the ovos hakedoshim, but wanted to become righteous in their own right. Similarly, every Jew
must know that although he traces his lineage back to Avrohom, Yitzchok and
Yaakov, it is up to him to become the head of a household in his own right, so
that his descendants will be proud to stem from him, as Yaakov said: "let
my name be named on them”.
Two different types of leaders
“That is
Aharon and Moshe”. Rashi: “In some places the Torah places Aharon before Moshe,
and in other places it places Moshe before Aharon, to tell us that they were
equal”. (6:26)
The
Torah states explicitly that Moshe was the greatest of prophets, so Rashi cannot
be referring to the level of prophecy. What Rashi rather means is that they
were equal in the sense that each one fulfilled the specific task which Hashem
had designated for him, and each one was equally indispensable and worthy of
hearing the Word of Hashem.
Aharon
was more closely connected with the nation, because he was involved in making
peace between fellow Jews, whereas the greatness of Moshe Rabbeinu was
epitomized by the level of prophecy he attained, which was not matched before
or after his time. Similarly, in every generation we need leaders to
disseminate Torah, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, we also need leaders
who are able to fight battles to defend the Torah and to take care of all the needs
of the nation.
Maintaining free choice
“The
sorcerers of Egypt also did likewise with their magic art” (7:11)
The
chartumim managed to turn a stick into a snake and water into blood using
kishuf. We do not encounter the ability to perform such actions either before
or after this generation of yetzias mitzrayim. How was it possible?
During
periods of hester ponim (Hashem hiding His face from us, as it were) our
challenge is to see through the veneer of nature and recognize that Hashem runs
it, but when revealed miracles are prevalent and exceptional holy individuals such
as Moshe and Aharon are in our midst, Hashem grants great powers to the forces
of tumoh, such as the sorcerers
in Egypt and Bilom with his prophecies, in order to maintain the required
balance of free choice.
People
can then either choose to be misled by such forces or contemplate the actions
and writings of the righteous individuals of the generation who explain the
difference between the forces of holiness and those of tumoh, whose only
goals are to fulfill the desires of their hearts.
The power of One person
“And
the frogs came up” (8:2). Rashi: It was one frog, and they hit it, and
it split into many swarms of frogs.
When
a dog barks, others join in with him, and the croaking of one frog was probably
enough to trigger off a whole cacophony of discordant noises in Egypt. Just
like one frog can arouse countless others, so too are people able to arouse
others to shout senseless things together with them. Take the case of Hitler, one
unknown painter, who single-handedly used his rabble-rousing drivel to
brainwash a supposedly cultured and sophisticated nation.
Lehavdil,
both the Baal Shem Tov and the Vilna Gaon, each of them working on
their own, had a revolutionary impact on Jewish life for all future generations.
Once again, although Hashem clearly guides historical phenomena, there is
always room for free choice, even on the national level.
HAsHgocho Protis
“So that
you will know that I am Hashem in the midst of the earth” (8:18)
The
first idol worshippers and philosophers throughout the generations argued that
although Hashem did create the world, He does not get involved with events on
earth. In Egypt this fallacy was put to rest for good.
The
Kiddush we recite on Friday night is not only a declaration that Hashem is
creator of the world (zecher lema’ase bereishis) but also that He
controls it with individual divine providence and is intensely involved in our
world: zecher liyetzias mitzrayim. By recollecting the Egyptian
experiences we reinforce our belief in hashgocho protis and by
refraining from work on Shabbos we demonstrate our belief that Hashem's
providence showers us with enough sustenance if we work only for six days, and
whatever has been set aside for us will reach us irrespective of when or how
much we work.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
The Eternity of the Jewish Nation
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
History repeats itself
"A new king
arose over Egypt” (1:8) Rashi: “Rav and Shmuel: one says he was
really new, and the other one says: His decrees were new”
According to
the latter opinion, if these edicts were renewed, what were the contents of the
original edicts?
Initially,
Paroh wanted his Jewish subjects to become totally assimilated and he was
opposed to the territory of Goshen becoming a semi-autonomous kingdom. Thus, he
had suggested to “appoint them livestock officers over my cattle” (Bereishis
47:6). In other words: “Let us all become one nation and let them serve our
religion.” When this attempt failed, and our ancestors refused to change their
names, language or clothing, Paroh decided to enact laws that denied them any
rights as citizens, and emphasized that they were nothing more than slaves who
had nothing in common with their host nation. From our viewpoint, the initial
policy was no less a decree than the new one. It may have been sugarcoated, but
the policy was identical: to destroy our religious identity.
This scenario
repeated itself in Western Europe. When the ghetto walls were removed, large
numbers were enticed into assimilating into the surrounding non-Jewish culture
by being offered equal rights and opportunities. Unfortunately, this strategy
succeeded only too well in many countries, and after more than a century, the
country, which up to that time in many ways epitomized everything that Western
culture had to offer, renewed its edicts. Within a very short period, these new
laws resulted in crimes which by common consent outdid even the terrible
misdeeds of Paroh’s compatriots.
Gratitude
“Who did not know Yoseph” (ibid)
Paroh
did of course know about Yoseph. According to the second opinion, he knew him
personally, and even according to the first opinion, he must have heard about
everything he did for the benefit of the nation. However, when someone lacks
gratitude he pretends that his benefactor never did anything worthy in the
first place, in order to soothe his conscience. The medrash says that
someone who is ungrateful to a human benefactor will also deny that he is a
recipient of blessings from the Creator, and will eventually deny His very
existence, just like Paroh did.
By
contrast, we are enjoined not to despise the Egyptian since we were strangers
in his country (Devorim 23:8). Notwithstanding their persecutions, we are
still meant to feel gratitude towards them for hosting us in times of trouble
(Rashi ibid). The Torah puts such great emphasis on feeling gratitude
for others, so that we may come to feel gratitude towards the Creator, whose
kindness is limitless.
Protesting injustice
“Let us deal shrewdly with them” (1:10)
Chazal
tell us (Masseches Soto 11a) that Bilom who advised Paroh to kill the
Jews was punished by death at the sword, whereas Iyov, who kept quiet, was
punished by having to endure terrible suffering. Why did his mere silence
warrant such a severe punishment?
This
teaches us what a serious sin it is to hear about plans to commit mass murder
and remain silent and indifferent as if this matter is of no concern to him. They
say in the name of the Brisker Rov zt”l
that Iyov was punished measure for measure: he kept quiet thinking that
protesting would not help anyway, in return for which he suffered afflictions
which made him cry out even though he knew that his cries would not alleviate
his suffering.
When
a fellow Jew is suffering spiritually or materially, and we are able to
protest, but do not care enough to do so, being concerned solely with ourselves
and those closest to us, we must realize that this is a serious transgression. Similarly,
when decrees are enacted endangering our spiritual or material welfare we are
duty-bound to at least cry out and object to such measures, in order to show
that we care. Even if our protests are not crowned with success, we will at
least have done our bit.
expecting the redemption
“And his sister stood from afar, to see what would happen
to him” (2:4)
Chazal
say that because she waited here, Miriam was rewarded by having the whole
nation wait for her when she became a meztora after she spoke negatively
about Moshe Rabbeinu. On the face of it, she did little more than satisfy her
natural curiosity to see what would transpire with her baby brother, so why did
this act deserve such a great reward?
The first
thing we will be asked when we are judged is whether we expected (tzipisa)
the redemption. Rav Yechezkel Abramsky zt”l
noted that it does not say “kivisa leyeshuah,” because every believing
Jew hopes for the redemption. The question we will be asked is whether we
expected it the same way that we expect someone to arrive for an appointment at
a prearranged time. We don't hope that the person will arrive. We expect
him to. Hashem has not revealed a prearranged date for Moshiach to come,
but we are meant to hope and wait for him in eager anticipation and expectation
bechol yom sheyavo.
Similarly,
Miriam waited with the conviction that the yeshuah would come for her
brother. She did not know exactly how, but she harbored no doubts that he would
be saved, and merely waited to see what form the salvation would take.
Qualities of true leaders
“He struck the Egyptian” (2:12)
Rashi on the previous possuk states
that Paroh had appointed Moshe over his house, and yet when Moshe saw one Jew
hit another, he did not keep quiet and rationalize that his job was to deal
only with lofty royal matters and not with a dispute between two private Jews.
Instead, he risked his own life when he saw one Jew raise his hand at another.
No matter how
busy they are with public matters, our gedolim have always been
concerned for each and every individual. That is why they are called our
"shepherds", and why Moshe Rabbeinu and Dovid Hamelech practiced this profession. Each and every
sheep is equally dear in their eyes.
Rav Sternbuch once met someone who, when he
became a rov, went to see Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzhinsky zt”l.
Rav Chaim Ozer asked him what he felt
to be the duties of a communal rov. He answered with a whole list of tasks such
as maintaining appropriate kashrus standards. Rav Chaim Ozer responded that he
had forgotten the main thing: a rov must take care of widows and orphans.
Education
“Moshe consented to stay with the man, and he gave his
daughter Zipporah to Moshe” (2:21)
Chazal tell us
that Yisro agreed that Moshe would marry Zipporah on the condition that the
first son produced by their marriage would be handed over to idol-worship and Moshe
agreed. Moshe was punished for consenting to this when his grandson Micho
served idol worship.
The Gerer
Rebbe, the Beis Yisroel zt”l, explained that Yisro’s request is not to be understood literally. He
rather argued that it would not be feasible for Moshe to bring up all his sons
in an insular Torah-only environment. At least one son should be exposed to the
philosophy of idol worship, so that he would be able to refute it. Moshe
Rabbeinu was punished for agreeing to this request, because, as we saw
last week, it is a parent’s job to ensure that his children receive an
intensive Torah education. There will always be enough people to engage in da
me shetoshiv outreach activities, and it is not a parent’s job to educate
their children by exposing them to non-Jewish or anti-Torah material.
Eternal nation
“The thorn bush was burning with fire, but the thorn bush
was not being consumed” (3:2)
Throughout
history, our foes have endeavored to destroy us physically or spiritually, and
when they witness our suffering they imagined that this nation, which is such a
thorn in their eyes, was finally going up in flames. However, we are a nation
that defies any laws of nature or history, so that even when the bush is
burning it never becomes consumed, and since we enjoy special Divine
Providence, we will remain an eternal nation.
UtiliZing the potential of the Shovevim
Period
“Now [ve’atah], behold, the cry of the Bnei Yisroel has
come to Me” (3:9)
What
is the meaning of ve’atah in this posuk? Perhaps
the prayers of the nation in Egypt had not been recited with sufficient
outpouring of emotion, but Hashem, taking into account their dire situation and
suffering, said He would nevertheless be willing to accept their prayers
"now" even though they had not sufficiently repented, because of the state
of the generation. We too should plead with Hashem to have regard to the
condition of our generation and hasten our redemption.
We
have entered the period of Shovavim, and the commentaries make a
distinction between superior [illa’a] and inferior [tata’a]
repentance, saying that although, strictly speaking, in order for repentance to
be effective the sinner must want to repent due to a feeling of awe before the
greatness of Hashem (yiras haromemus), in our situation today in this
bitter exile, when tumah is so pervasive to such an unprecedented scale,
Hashem listens to the cry of the Bnei Yisroel and makes do with "low-grade” repentance, which is motivated by yiras haonesh (fear of punishment). The main thing is to regret the past and remove
any trace of tumah from our homes. If we do so, Hashem will
surely have pity on us and listen to our prayers.
HAshem awaits
“Hashem said to Moshe, "Ehyeh asher ehyeh”[I will be
what I will be]” (3:14)
The
more that we let Hashem into our lives and make Him part of it, the greater
will be the Divine Providence that we enjoy, as it says: "Let Your mercy,
O Hashem, be upon us, to the extent that we have waited for You" (Tehillim
33:22). Similarly, says the Kotzker Rebbe zt”l,
Hashem tells us: "I will be wherever I will be”, i.e. wherever someone lets
Me in and wants Me to be there.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Subjugation and Redemption
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
SPiritual decline
“Yaakov lived
in the land of Egypt seventeen years” (47:28). Rashi: Why is this
section closed? Because, as soon as Yaakov Ovinu passed away, the eyes and the
heart of the Jews were “closed” because of the misery of the slavery, for they [the
Egyptians] started to subjugate them.
After Yaakov’s
death Yoseph still remained king, and, what is more, at the beginning of parashas
Shmos the Torah relates that it was only when Yoseph, his brothers and all
that generation had died, that the subjugation began. Why then, the commentators
wonder, does the medrash here identify the death of Yaakov Ovinu as the start of the Egyptian exile?
As long as
Yaakov was still alive, he served as a unifying force for his descendants to
remain true to their religion and values. Once he had passed away, the spiritual
subjugation started. The Jews no longer remained within the safe spiritual
confines of Goshen, and started settling all over Egypt. They became closer to
the host culture and assumed that it would welcome them, but, as has happened throughout
history, the closer they became to non-Jewish culture, the greater was the
animosity felt towards them by their hosts.
The eyes and the
heart of the Jews were “closed”: they were unaware of the process of which had set
in upon the death of Yaakov. Spiritual declines which go unnoticed are the most
dangerous. In this case our spiritual subjugation was the forerunner of our physical
subjugation, which commenced upon the death of all the tribes.
unforetold EXILE
Rashi (ibid): Another explanation:
That he [Yaakov] attempted to reveal the End to his sons, but it was “closed
off” [concealed] from him
The great gaon
and tzaddik Rav Mordechai Pogramansky, who endured a veritable hell
during the Second World War and survived, only to die a few years afterwards, noted
that although we find allusions to the various exiles in history either in tenach or in chazal,
our sources contain no hint that there will come a time when non-observant and
anti-religious Jews will rule Eretz Yisroel itself. This exile amongst
Jews is not talked about in our sources.
Rav Pogramansky suggested
that Yaakov ovinu was indeed told about this situation, and attempted to
tell his sons about it, but was prevented from doing so, because had it been
foretold to us, it would have caused unbearable despair. According to this
explanation, the "End" referred to by the medrash cited by
Rashi, is the end of the exile, but not yet the beginning of the geulo.
homes as havens
“He [Yaakov]
said, "Swear to me," and he swore to him. Yisroel prostrated himself on
the head of the bed” (47:31) Rashi: none of his offspring was wicked as
is evidenced by the fact that Yoseph was a king, and furthermore, that [even
though] he was in captivity among the heathens, he remained steadfast in his
righteousness.
Yosef, the
second most powerful man in Egypt, was asked by his father to take an oath.
Someone else in Yosef’s position would have been likely to get angry that his
father did not trust him to fulfill his request after having told him “I will
do as you say”, but Yosef subjugated himself completely to his father and,
without saying anything, unhesitatingly took an oath without further ado. When
Yaakov Ovinu saw this response and realized the extent of the kibbud av
vo’em exhibited even by Yosef, who had spent so much time in the
Egyptian environment and had become a powerful figure there, he was satisfied
that his bed was indeed perfect.
Yaakov blessed Efraim and Menashe that they should
be “called by my name”. Kibbud av vo’em is a critical component in the
education of our children. With us it is a given that the closer a person is to
maamad har Sinai the more do we look up to him. By contrast,
according to the non-Jewish or secular attitude as technology, science, and
medicine progress so do we, and the further a person is removed from these
advances the more is he they looked down upon. As a corollary to this approach,
the relationship between parents and children has become almost egalitarian. Unfortunately,
elements of this attitude have seeped through to us so that some parents have
become more lax in insisting that their children observe all the details of kibbud
av vo’em.
On the other hand, the aim of kibbud av v’oem
is not merely to induce children to honor and respect their parents but also to
forge a close association with them. In fact, a warm relationship between father
and son is the surest recipe for ensuring that the son will remain on the
proper path and impervious to the many detrimental aspects of the outside world
as long as he is in his parents’ household and beyond. Making our homes into
havens for every child must be made into a top priority in our day and age.
WHat is a jew
“I
will make you into a congregation of peoples” (48:4)
Rav Yaakov
Yechiel Weinberg, the Seridei Esh zt”l, told Rav Sternbuch about a
meeting of academics that took place in Berlin for the purpose of establishing
the definition of a Jew. Should it be argued that being Jewish is a matter of
religion, that cannot hold water, because an apostate is also considered
Jewish. On the other hand, being Jewish could not be a matter of nationality
either, because many Jews are descendants of converts.
As they were
discussing this matter a simple Jew entered the room and offered his solution
for this conundrum: “a yid is a yid”. Rav Weinberg heard this suggestion and
told his fellow participants that this Jew had hit the hammer on the nail! Being
Jewish was neither a matter of religion only, nor merely a matter of
nationality, but something that cannot be defined in conventional terms. Jews
are sui generis, they are a “congregation of peoples” who defy
any definition.
Family Harmony
“And
he blessed them on that day saying: "Through you shall the Jews bless
saying; 'May Hashem make you like Ephraim and Menasheh and he placed Ephraim
ahead of Menasheh” (48:20)
The greatest
blessing a person could hope for is to be blessed with sons who are talmidei
chachomim. In the merit of such a son the father will live forever. Efraim was
the one who spent all his time in Goshen, learning Torah with his grandfather
Yaakov. Goshen contained none of the allure of city life, since all its
inhabitants were shepherds, who were abhorred by the Egyptians. Menashe spent
his time helping out his father with his royal duties.
Efraim was
placed ahead of his older brother, as he was the one who learnt Torah from
Yaakov, in order to teach us that the foremost priority of any father must be
to educate his son to become a godol beyisroel and dedicate his life to
Torah. The alternative is to educate our sons to be like Menashe, who learnt
from Yosef how to behave like a ben Torah in every situation in life,
and to set aside regular times for Torah learning, but this must remain only
the second-best option.
By referring to Ephraim
and Menasheh when blessing
our children we also pray for harmony between our children, just like there was
between Ephraim and Menasheh when Menasheh was not upset and did not
envy his younger brother for being mentioned first by Yaakov.
Why are dogmas only implied
“Until Shiloh
comes” (49:10). Rashi: This refers to the King Moshiach, to whom the
kingdom belongs [shelo]
We find that
concepts such as the coming of moshiach and the resurrection of the
dead, are only hinted at in the tenach. Why are these fundamental principles,
which are listed amongst the articles of faith of the Rambam not stated
explicitly?
Something stated
explicitly in the Torah bears greater weight than something derived by applying
one of the principles by which the Torah is expounded [midos shehatorah nidreshes
bohem]. Similarly, if these fundamental articles of faith had been stated
explicitly in the Torah, the punishment for disregarding them would have been
too difficult for us to bear. Hence, Hashem in His kindness, only hinted at
these concepts in His Torah. In any case, we must realize that the stronger our
faith is in the coming of moshiach, the more will we this hasten his
coming and our final redemption.
feeding the poor
“As
for Osher, his bread will shall be fat, and he will yield regal delicacies” (49:20).
This means that
Osher limits his expenses, and only buys fat and healthy bread whereas he provides
others with delicacies fit for a king. He is not interested in deriving
pleasures from this world, preferring to wait the rewards of the world to come,
but is very generous when it comes to taking care of others’ material desires.
As Rav Yisroel Salanter zt”l said:
"My friend’s material needs are my spiritual needs”. This is indeed a high
level to strive for, and the halocho also directs us to provide a poor
person with the best food available in the house.
REDEMPTION
“Hashem will
surely remember you [pokod yifkod] and take you up out of this land” (50:24)
Rav Meir Shapira
zt”l noted that the double phrase pokod
yifkod refers to both a spiritual and a material redemption. The geulo
cannot take place if there is a material redemption unaccompanied by a
spiritual one, and all the more so if material success is accompanied by
spiritual decline, such as took place in the period following the founding of
the State. So far from being a sign of redemption, such a situation is
unfortunately merely a desecration of the Divine Name. Let us pray that this
stage of the exile, which Rav Programansky talked about, will be brought to a
speedy conclusion, and the final redemption ushered in.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Priorities
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
Assessing damages
“And Judah
approached him and said, "Please, my lord” (44:18) Bereishis Rabbo: "Rabi
Simon said: "In our laws it says: ‘If he has nothing, he shall be sold for
his theft’, but this one [Binyomin] has something to pay”.
We can
understand this medrash in light of a dispute between the acharonim
(later commentators) regarding someone who damages an object which has market
value and also a higher value to its owner based on his specific situation. For
example, the market value of a used item of clothing may be very low, but its
owner would be willing to pay more for it than the market value, because it
fits him well or he is used to it etc. How much is the damaging party liable to
pay - the market value or the
subjective value of the damaged item for its owner?
The Nesivos states that even
if the object is worth a lot to the damaged party, the damaging party is not
liable to pay more than the market value, but the Chazon Ish disagrees and
holds that the subjective value of the item for its owner is the determining
factor whenever a bais din decides how much damages to award to the
damaged party. The prevalent custom adopted by botei din is to adopt the
approach of the Chazon Ish (although only a quantifiable monetary value for the
owner is taken into account, and not some sentimental value, e.g. one stemming
from the fact that the owner had received the item as an inheritance from his
ancestors).
Yehuda admitted that for Yosef himself the
cup was worth a lot because he practiced divination with it, but its real
market value was no more than that for a standard cup, and that he was willing
to pay. Moreover, he was in possession of the cup itself, so that there was no
need at all to sell the thief into slavery according to our laws. Yosef’s
entourage, on the other hand, responded that the cup had immense value for
their master because he used that cup specifically for his divination purposes.
Moreover, they may also have argued that it
only had the ability to serve as a tool of divination as long as it was in Yosef’s
possession, but as soon as it had been stolen and transferred to the thief’s possession
it lost this ability, so that the value of the cup - which had been enormous
hitherto - had depreciated incalculably as a result of the theft, and only by
serving as a slave for an extended period could the thief compensate for the
loss he had caused.
The language of emotion
“Let your
servant speak a word in my master’s ears” (ibid) Rashi: "may
my words penetrate your ears”.
The Brisker
Rov zt”l related that before the war
the Polish government enacted a decree requiring everybody to learn Polish and
mathematics. The rabbonim considered this to be a grave interference by
the government with their internal affairs, and convened a meeting which was
attended by many rabbonim and admorim in order to discuss ways to abolish this decree. The rabbonim
decided that the best way to proceed
would be to send a delegation of gedolei
yisroel to the Minister of
Education and explain to him why this matter was of such deep concern to
them. None of the rabbonim spoke Polish except for one rov, and it was proposed to send him as a
spokesman. However, the Chofetz Chaim zt”l opposed this, arguing that
the authorities would be likely to respond: "You see, you can produce
enlightened Polish-speaking rabbis, so why are you opposed to our new law?”
Instead, the Chofetz Chaim, who like all the others only
spoke Yiddish, offered to be the spokesman himself. When he appeared for the
interview with the Minister, he started to speak in Yiddish but quickly burst
into uncontrollable tears. Although he did not understand a word of what the
Chofetz Chaim was saying, the Minister
was much moved. He said that he had not realized that this issue was so
important for the rabbis, and assured them that he would issue instructions for
the decree to be abolished.
Similarly,
Yehuda thought that Yosef did not speak Hebrew, but he decided to speak it
nevertheless in the hope that his words would penetrate Yosef’s ears and heart.
Keeping Loshon hakodesh holy
“And
behold, your eyes see… that it is my mouth speaking to you” (45:12) Rashi:
"in the holy tongue”.
The Chasam Sofer explains that Yosef wanted
to convince his brothers that he had remained faithful to his religion. That is
what Yosef wanted to express to them by telling them that he was still speaking
Hebrew. He was emphasizing that he was still adhering to the holy way of life
of the forefathers and he wanted his brothers to make their father happy by
conveying this to him. Loshon
hakodesh is not merely a language,
but a symbol of sanctity. When the Jews were exiled to Bovel, they started
speaking the local language, Assyrian, since they realized that their spiritual
level had declined to the extent that it would no longer be appropriate to
speak loshon hakodesh.
Until recent generations loshon hakodesh retained its quality as a language which was deemed worthy to be used
only by someone on a sufficiently high level, and people were also aware of the
special sanctity of Eretz Yisroel and our concomitant responsibility to
behave accordingly in the eretz
hakodesh. Using loshon hakodesh to speak loshon horo or other forbidden matters was
unthinkable, especially not in Eretz Yisroel. However, as part of their program of "normalizing"
our nation and secularizing holy concepts in order to advance their agenda, our
erring brothers chose loshon
hakodesh as their vernacular. This
has had the tragic result that apart from the “hijacking” of holy words and
concepts (such as “mishkan
haknesset”) ivrit is not only used to articulate loshon horo, but also contains
coarse or brazen terminology.
FAITH
“I will go
down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up, and Yosef will place his
hand on your eyes.” (46:4)
The same Hashem who took us down to Egypt
also took us out of it and gave us the Torah. Life often seems like one big
mystery. Why do the righteous suffer? Why do some people suffer from poverty,
health problems etc. when less righteous people seem to have less problems?
Yosef did indeed place his hands on his
eyes. He asked no questions. Instead of becoming embittered at his fate, or
bearing a grudge against his brothers, he went out of his way to assure them
that everything had turned out for the good and that they should not be upset.
Hashem wants all of us to place our hands on our eyes and trust that He knows
what is best for us even if cannot understand it. We will be rewarded for our
faith and patience when all the intricacies of the divine plan will be revealed
in the future.
Yaakov and yosef
“And Yosef harnessed
his chariot, and he went up to meet Yisroel his father, to Goshen, and he
appeared to him, and he fell on his neck, and he wept on his neck for a long
time.” (46:29). Rashi: Yosef presented himself to his father.
We can easily imagine how happy Yosef must
have been upon finally meeting his father, and yet he was even happier at the
joy experienced by his father after all the sorrow he had to endure thinking
that his son had died. Yosef “presented himself to his father”: he put his own
personal joy aside in order to concentrate on increasing his father's pleasure
as much as possible. This teaches us that in order to perform the mitzvah of kibud av vo’em properly, we not only have to honor and
assist our parents, but also to feel joy at their happiness, thereby proving
how important they are in our eyes.
Rashi tells us that Yaakov, for his part, neither
fell on Yosef’s neck nor kissed him since he was busy reciting Shema. By accepting Hashem's unity upon himself at the hour of his greatest
joy, Yaakov was emphasizing that nothing is of any value or importance compared
to the paramount principle of Hashem's unity. At the same time, Yosef became so
moved at the sight of his father, who, due to his great holiness, was not
willing to enjoy the sight of his son before mentioning Hashem's name and His
unity that he wept on his father's neck "for a long time". He cried,
firstly, because such a righteous person, who lived in accordance with an
absolute set of priorities, had suffered so much, and, secondly, because his
father's awe-inspiring conduct made him regret not having had the merit of being
in the vicinity of such a great person for so many years and this stirred up
his yearning be in his vicinity once again.
environments
“So that
you may dwell in the land of Goshen” (46:34)
Despite their yearning to be with each other
after all these years, Yaakov and Yosef decided that it would be best for
Yaakov and his descendants to live far away in Goshen as outcasts in the company
of shepherds, even though this meant that Yaakov and Yosef would not see each
other again until just before Yaakov's death. Yaakov and his sons could easily
have lived comfortably in the city next to Yosef, but decided instead to say
that they were shepherds, who were hated by the Egyptians. Yaakov reasoned that
the only way he could be saved from the tumoh of Egypt was by secluding
himself in Goshen and learning Torah day and night.
The Rambam talks about the powerful
influence of the environment, and we too should not underestimate its pull. The
precedent of Yaakov demonstrates how important it is for us to get our
priorities right and live in the vicinity of religious people rather than
living a life of luxury amongst non-Jews or Jews who do not share our values or
lifestyle.
Religious dispensation
“Only the
land of the priests he did not buy” (47:22)
As steeped as the Egyptians were in
immorality and idol worship they still understood that people who dedicated
their lives to a religious purpose had a different status to other people and
must be left to lead their lives undisturbed. Even during the period of the
harshest decrees against the Jews during our exile in Egypt, the Levi’im, who
made up about 10% of the population were exempted from slavery, in their
capacity as religious ministers.
How tragic it is that in Eretz Yisroel,
of all places, some of our brethren still have to come to the realization that
by encroaching on the inviolable status of bnei Torah they are only
shooting themselves in the leg, because any material success which they enjoy
is due to the merits created by those very same people whose way of life they
completely fail to understand.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Fearless Leadership
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
bayomim hohem bazman haze
At the
beginning of World War II there was a very real threat that the Germans would
invade England just like they had already managed to overrun most of
continental Western Europe. Against this background, the English government
decided that every able-bodied male without exception had to be recruited to
the army or sent to work to contribute to the war effort. This applied
especially to foreign nationals, such as the Polish Jewish refugees.
One day a
government official appeared at Rav Schneider’s yeshiva in London and informed
the Rosh Yeshiva of the new regulations. Rav Schneider responded by saying that
he could not agree to comply with it. The official pointed out that this was no
laughing matter and that it would not be possible to circumvent the new
requirements which were essential in light of the serious security situation.
At a meeting
with Chief Rabbi Hertz the following day Rabbi Hertz told the Rosh Yeshiva that
if he would agree to three boys joining the army he would use his connections
with the government to obtain an exemption for all the other boys in the
yeshiva. Rav Schneider was not tempted by this proposal and responded that he
could not agree to even one boy being sent to the army or to work. The Chief
Rabbi responded that he was not being realistic.
The committee
in charge of implementing the new regulations heard about Rav Schneider’s
attitude and decided that he would have to be expelled from London (they would
have deported him altogether from the country had the political situation
allowed them to do so). Since any further dialogue with Rav Schneider was
deemed to be pointless, they decided to approach the students of the yeshiva
directly.
The first
interviewee was a Polish refugee. "Are you aware of the fact that there's
a good chance that your parents may not survive this war?” was the first
question posed by the committee member.
"Yes".
"Do you
realize that if you join the army that would increase the chances of the
chances of your parents remaining alive?” the official tried again.
“I believe
that by learning Torah here in this institution I am protecting my parents by
increasing their merits and helping them to remain alive”, the talmid
responded undaunted.
The official
started showing some signs of frustration, but persevered.
"Well,
let's face it, if your parents won’t survive this war, you will be left here
all alone with no one to support you. How are you going to make a living?
Surely it would make sense for you to join one of our factories. That way you
could support yourself. What do you say?
“I say that by
learning Torah I am helping myself to make a living!”
By this stage
the official no longer attempted to hide his frustration, but he was not one to
give in easily. He tried once more:
“Let's say that
you are entitled to hold on to your idiosyncratic views, but what if everybody
shared your opinion? Who would fight our wars and how would anyone make a
living, in fact, how could we run this country at all?”
The bochur
was not taken aback and replied calmly: “There was such a period during our
time in the wilderness. Nobody worked, and the whole nation was sustained by
manna from Heaven. G-d is perfectly capable of sustaining me in any way he
deems fit. As for your question about fighting wars and national economies,
this does not worry me. There will never be a shortage of people willing and
able to work and fight wars”.
It was now
becoming clear that no further progress could be made with this particular boy,
and so they called in the next interviewee.
“You heard
your friend, what do you have to say for yourself?”
"I agree
with every word he said”.
The official
had had enough. "You’re all barmy [British slang equivalent of
"nuts"]!” he exclaimed irately and left the room unceremoniously.
The following
day Rav Schneider ordained a fast in the yeshiva. Everybody was convinced that
Rav Schneider would indeed be expelled from London, and that the yeshiva would
have to close down since all the boys would either be recruited to the army or
sent to work. However, against all the odds, it was announced that all the
students would be exempt from the army or from going to work, since they were
all mentally imbalanced, and Rav Schneider could remain with them as the head
of this "lunatic asylum"! That was how Yeshivas Toras Emes continued
to function throughout the war undisturbed.
The lesson to
be derived from this surrealistic series of events is obvious. If we remain
steadfast to our principles, Hashem will help. In the time of Chanuka the many
were delivered into the hands of the few, and the same has happened throughout
history whenever we have adhered strictly to the Torah. During the time of the
Greeks many of our coreligionists argued that it made sense to reach some
compromise with the Greeks. After all, they were not interested in our physical
destruction, and were in fact full of admiration for those rational principles
and laws in the Torah, which accorded with their sense of reason and
aesthetics. "Let’s not antagonize them, we are a small defenseless
minority, surely we can agree to meet some of their demands”, argued the Jewish
"pragmatists".
Similar “pragmatic”
arguments can be heard nowadays with regard to the army issue.
It is only
because of the wishy-washy approach adopted by some circles that we are
currently facing problems. The legal situation of the Arab Moslem minority is
identical to that of yeshiva bochurim. In theory they are also subject
to the draft, and yet no one dreams of implementing this dead letter of the
law, because of the resistance they would meet should they ever attempt to do
so. Imagine the uproar if some Arabs would be "drafted" and subjected
to the same procedures that yeshiva bochurim are currently experiencing
at recruitment offices.
The truth is
that even the original situation was nothing short of miraculous. Ben-Gurion
only agreed to the deferment of the small handful of yeshiva students at the
time after being convinced that they would be no more than a “museum”
commemorating the Torah world of pre-war Europe. "These people contributed
nothing before the war, and will die out very quickly anyway", he
reasoned. Towards the end of his life he commented that this step had been the
worst mistake of his life, because so far from dying out their numbers had only
increased to an extent not imagined by anybody at the time, and, as we know,
our numbers have continued to increase since his death. We must not lose heart
and learn from history not to waiver from our resolute approach. If we remain
consistent and resolute Hashem will protect us and our erring brethren will
leave us alone.
Leadership qualities
“And they
called out before him, "[This is] the king's patron [avrech]"
appointing him over the entire land of Egypt” (41:43) Rashi: Rabi Yehuda expounded:
avrech refers to Yoseph, who was a father [ov] in wisdom, and
tender [rach] in years. Rabi Yossi ben Durmaskit said to him… avrech is
only a term denoting knees [birkayim], for all would enter and exit
under his hand”
Rabi Yehuda is
of the opinion that if a leader is seen to be wise that is sufficient even if
he is young, because he will be respected just for his wisdom. Rabi Yossi ben Durmaskit,
on the other hand, responds that wisdom on its own is not sufficient for leadership
purposes, and only if a leader is also strong-minded and sticks to his
principles will he be respected and obeyed.
Yosef was
great in wisdom, but he also stubbornly refused to diverge from his religious principles
even one iota and led the nation in accordance with his plan without vacillating.
Such are the qualities of a genuine leader.
A talmid
chachom too must not be swayed by public opinion and fearlessly maintain
strict halachik standards. When choosing a rov or leader it is of course
preferable to look for a big talmid chachom, but he must also possess
the ability of getting his congregants to become subservient to him. That is an
indispensable requirement for any true Jewish leader, because only persons with
a forceful character are capable of ignoring public opinion. Such people will
enjoy success and siyata dishmaya.
living in the present
“Yosef
named the first-born, Menasheh, "For G-d has made me forget all my
trouble, and all my father's house” (41:51)
We would think
that Yosef’s father's house should have been in his mind constantly. Why did
Yosef praise Hashem for making him forget his father's house and commemorate this fact in his son's
name?
The Netziv says
that had Yosef not forgotten his father's house he would have constantly had
yearnings for his father and would not have been able to lead the nation
properly. In a similar vein, the
Brisker Rov explains an enigmatic gemoro
which states: "what should a person do who wants to live, let him kill
himself” (Masseches Tomid 30a) as
follows: if a person is suffering from painful experiences in the past or
present he must overcome his emotions ("kill" them) and be ruled just
by his mind in order to live joyfully in the present. The Brisker Rov himself
lost his wife and three children in the Holocaust and had to witness the anti-religious
activities in Eretz Yisroel in the years following the founding of the Jewish
state. It was extremely difficult for anyone with emotion to live through those
years. This gemoro addresses those who have suffered from painful events
and encourages them to refuse to succumb
to feelings of despondency or despair.
We find that
the same Amora Rabi Yochonon, who lost ten sons during his lifetime and
comforted and inspired others with his heroic reaction to misfortune, stated
that although he wanted to witness the coming of moshiach, he was
unwilling to bear the birth pangs preceding his coming. How could it be that
someone who had faced the death of ten of his own children with such fortitude
would be afraid of this period? Rav Elya Lopian zt”l answers that Rabi Yochonon was aware of his own character and knew
that he would not be able to endure the terrible chilul Hashem when so
many of Hashem's nation would be slaughtered, and to subsequently have to witness
the deeds of erring brethren in His country.
Yosef realized
throughout all those years in Egypt how much his father must be suffering, but
instead of dwelling on that and on his own anguish at being forcibly separated
from his home, and from the lifestyle of a nozir for which his father
had groomed him, he chose to overcome his feelings, knowing that he had to
fulfill Paroh’s dream and bring all his family to Egypt, in order to initiate
the beginning of the Egyptian exile that was to lead eventually to the giving
of the Torah and the conquest of Eretz Yisroel. With this attitude he
managed to lead the Egyptian nation successfully with wisdom. He would not let
his spirits fall, and in gratitude to Hashem for this called his son Menashe in
the hope that he would continue to be able to forget his father's house for the
time being, and perform the tasks which Hashem expected him to fulfill until
the opportunity would present itself to meet his father again.
On a related
note, any baal teshuva who wants to succeed must first completely forget
his past, and think only about the future and building up a Jewish home full of
Torah and mitzvos, because thinking about past misdemeanors would make
it very difficult for him to live joyfully in the present. Part of the mitzvah
of teshuva consists in forgetting about the past and living exclusively
in the present. Only subsequently, once he has become totally accustomed to
living a Torah lifestyle, should he contemplate gradually atoning for past
transgressions.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Kibud Av
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
challenges
“And Yaakov
dwelt” (37:1); Rashi: When Yaakov sought to dwell in tranquility, the
troubles of Yoseph sprang upon him. The righteous seek to dwell in tranquility.
Hashem said, “What is prepared for the righteous in the world to come is not
sufficient for them, but they seek also to dwell in tranquility in this world!”
Yaakov had
already endured much suffering by this stage: he had, among other things, spent
twenty years with the fraudster Lovon, met Eisov accompanied by 400 men, and struggled
with the angel. His desire for tranquility in his old age would seem to be
understandable and justified. Why, then, was it held out against him?
Each of the ovos
(patriarchs) transmitted their specific qualities for all future generations.
Avrohom transmitted the quality of chesed, Yitzchok that of gevuro
(mastery of emotions) and Yaakov excelled in emes. Part of Yaakov’s task
was to sow the seeds of fortitude for his descendants, who were destined to be
faced with trying circumstances during prolonged periods of golus. Trials
are the main source and catalyst of a person’s spiritual elevation and Hashem
was telling Yaakov that his task was to continue to serve Him by overcoming tribulations
thus setting a precedent for his descendants and giving them the strength to
follow his example.
A bochur
once came to Rav Moshe Schneider zt”l
to ask for a brocho before his wedding. Rav Schneider asked him what brocho he wanted. The boy responded that he
would like a blessing that everything should go smoothly in his life, and that he
should have no difficulties. Rav Schneider said that that was no brocho,
and blessed him instead that when he would be faced with challenging
situations, he should overcome them successfully, adding that living a tranquil
existence is not an ideal. Something attained effortlessly has little value,
and it is by surmounting difficulties that we achieve success.
ACTIVE OUTREACH
“…in the
land of his father's sojournings” (ibid)
Chazal derive
from this phrase that Yitzchok had been responsible for producing converts. We
know that Avrohom, who epitomized the trait of chesed, brought many
people closer to Hashem, but our image of Yitzchok is that of a holy
self-contained individual, so how are we to understand this statement of Chazal?
Rav Schneider noted
that there are two types of righteous individuals. Some, like Avrohom, actively
engage in various public activities to disseminate yiddishkeit, whereas
others, like Yitzchok, have an influence by virtue of their avodoh performed
with dedication and self-sacrifice. Yitzchok, unlike his father, did not travel
from place to place and actively spread the Word of Hashem, but he still
managed to create converts, because his very avodoh exuded holiness and
truth and had an immense influence on those who witnessed it.
Some situations call for tzaddikim who actively seek to influence
their fellow Jews. Rav Moshe Schneider would recall the time when he was living
in Memel, a town on the border between Germany and Lithuania, in which the haskolo
had created an almost complete spiritual wilderness. There was, however, one
exceptional individual who was a true tzaddik nistar (concealed
righteous individual). On one occasion, Rav Schneider told the
son-in-law of the Chofetz Chaim, Rav Hirsch Levinson, who was visiting Memel,
about this tzaddik. After he met him, Rav Levinson commented to Rav
Schneider that this man was certainly a great tzaddik, but Memel needed tzaddikim
geluyim (revealed righteous individuals) to stem the anti-religious tide
and not tzaddikim of this kind who had no influence on the population,
and you must be that tzaddik, Rav Hirsch Levinson told Rav Schneider in
conclusion! Rav Schneider in fact went on to found a yeshiva there, and was very
successful in spreading yiddishkeit.
A time to conceal, and a time to
publiciZe
“And Reuven
heard, and he saved him from their hand” (37:21)
The medrash
says that if Reuven would have known that the Torah would write this about him
he would have brought Yosef to his father on his shoulders.
It is obvious
that Reuven was not interested in having his actions publicized. Not only is
the desire for honor improper, but – as noted by Rav Chaim Volozhiner zt”l – since honor is a spiritual
pleasure it comes at the expense of reward in the afterlife. It is therefore in
the interest of anybody who performs a good deed to make sure that as few
people as possible know about it.
Here Reuven, for
his part, would surely have wanted to conceal his actions, which in any case he
considered to be of no great significance but merely the performance of an
elementary obligation incumbent on him, but it was Hashem who wanted to publicize
the fact that Reuven instead of keeping quiet begged his brothers not to leave
Yosef in the pit so that he should remain alive and be returned to his father.
The medrash
is telling us that had Reuven known that his action was so important that even
his act of speech was considered tantamount to actually saving Yosef from his
brothers, he would have taken more active steps in public to save Yosef so that
his actions would be publicized and create an even greater kiddush Hashem.
Rav Schneider
added in the name of the Chofetz Chaim that although we are warned against seeking
honor, sometimes we should make a point of publicizing our actions and acting
with alacrity if others will learn from us. If our intentions are for the sake
of heaven, then acting this way is a great mitzvah.
The Draft
“And Yehudo
said to his brothers, "What is the gain [beza] if we slay our brother and
cover up his blood?” (37:26)
Yehuda made a
compromise (beza has the same root as bizua - a compromise).
Instead of saving Yosef altogether by taking him back to his father, he
compromised by convincing his brothers not to kill him, but rather sell him to
the Yishme’elim (see Masseches Sanhedrin 6b and Rashi there). By doing
so the gemara states (ibid) that Yehuda is considered to have
despised Hashem.
Compromises
are forbidden. For example, some people are currently looking for compromises
to resolve the issue of drafting yeshiva bochurim. We believe with complete faith that we can
stand up to the nations of the world only with the help of Hashem and in the
merit of the Torah. If we abandon the Torah, or if there is any interruption or
attenuation in our learning, this exposes us to great danger. If we remain strong
instead of looking for compromises, Hashem will surely find a solution to this
issue.
ATONING For CHIlUL HASHEM
“And he
returned to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone and I where will I go?”
(37:30)
The medrash
says that Reuven was concerned about the incident with Bilhah. Why does the medrash
make this connection?
Although the gemara
says that the sin of chilul Hashem cannot be atoned for even through
suffering, but only through death, Rabbeinu Yonah writes that there is a way to
make amends for this sin, namely by creating a kiddush Hashem by drawing people closer to avodas Hashem.
In the incident with Bilhah Reuven
had reasoned that even if Rochel was to have precedence over his mother Leah,
this should not apply to Rochel's maidservant. Reuven’s mistake lay in failing
to treat his father like a king, whose every word is accepted as being correct,
even if he did not understand the reason for it. He had not honored his father
sufficiently, and now wanted to return Yoseph to his father, thereby making
amends for the previous transgression of kibud av. Therefore, when he
came back and saw that the boy was no longer there, he was distraught,
wondering how he could now atone for his previous sin.
Kibud av
“A wild
beast has devoured him” (37:33)
Rashi cites
the medrash that Hashem did not want to reveal the truth
to Yaakov because the brothers had excommunicated and cursed anyone who would
reveal the truth, and Yitzchok knew that he was alive but said, “How can I
reveal it if Hashem does not wish to reveal it to him?” Why did the brothers
cause their father so much distress by not revealing the truth when they could
have informed their father that Yosef was still alive?
It is a
general principle that Hashem does not punish a person if this causes suffering
to others such as his family members, unless they also deserve to be punished.
Therefore, the tribes assumed that Yaakov, who like Rabi Akiva, had asked to be
judged in accordance with the strict attribute of justice, needed to atone for
something, and they decided that the years of suffering which their father
would have to endure would serve as an atonement for the years in which he had not
sufficiently observed kibud av when he was far away from his father. Twenty
years of severe emotional suffering were needed to atone for a slight defect in
kibud av! This demonstrates how careful we have to be in our observance
of this mitzvah.
Kedusho
“He refused
to be consoled” (37:35)
It seems
surprising that Yaakov who had already suffered so much in his private life
refused to be consoled for this particular misfortune. Chazal’s statement cited
by Rashi that “no one accepts consolation for a person who is really alive but
believed to be dead” explains why those who tried to console them were not successful,
but it is does explain why he refused to be consoled, which
implies that he was not even interested in hearing words of consolation. This
seems to run counter to the prohibition against mourning a dead person too
much.
Yaakov ovinu
was not only mourning the fact that his son was no longer with him, but he felt
that it was also an irreplaceable loss for the entire nation, because he had
educated Yosef to serve as an example for his descendants how to lead a life of
holiness even in the most immoral surroundings. In addition to the decline in
the spiritual level of the nation that would now ensue, Yaakov also bewailed
the chilul Hashem resulting
from the fact that a righteous person of the stature of Yosef had met a cruel
death in the process of observing the mitzvah of kibud av. Such a
terrible event would be likely to shake people's faith.
Just like we are forbidden to divert our
attention completely from the mourning for the destruction of the Beis
Hamikdosh, so too Yaakov felt that
he could not divert his attention from this mourning for spiritual destruction
and the chilul Hashem that resulted from his personal tragedy. If we
make a point of remembering and mourning the absence of kedusho in today's world, this will serve as an impetus for us to attempt to
increase kedusho.
Our relationship with Gentiles
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
WHY ANGELS?
“Yaakov
sent angels ahead of him to Eisov” (32:4)
When Rav
Sternbuch was a child his father asked him why Yaakov had to send real angels.
Why could he not have sent ordinary people? Rav Sternbuch responded that had he
done so Eisov would have killed them, but his father explained that since
Yaakov had sent presents to Eisov he would be likely to think that Yaakov had
become like him, steeped in the affairs of this world, and Yaakov therefore
sent angels to indicate that he was still exclusively focused on spiritual issues
and uninterested in worldly affairs.
600,000 angels
had been dispatched by Yaakov. These were beings that Yaakov himself had
created as a result of all his Torah, mitzvos and good deeds. Each mitzvah
performed by a yid creates an angel which acts as his defense counsel whose
importance and power depends on the concentration, dedication and joy with
which the person’s deeds are performed. However, Eisov remained unmoved. Having
been educated in the house of Yitzchok and Rivka he knew all about the world to
come, but his intense craving for "cash" here and now, for fulfilling
all his material desires in this world, almost completely clouded over his
intellectual knowledge. In any case, upon being faced with all these important
angels, Eisov realized that Yaakov had remained the same righteous person who
was totally immersed in spiritual matters.
No compromises
“I have
sojourned” (32:5) Rashi: "I lived with the wicked Lovon but still kept
the 613 commandments and did not learn from his wicked deeds”
Yaakov was
telling Eisov that even though he was willing to compromise in gashmiyus
and send him lots of presents, he should not think that in matters of ruchniyus
there was any room for compromise. Even in the hostile environment of Lovon’s
house he had not given up even one mitzvah.
Alternatively,
Eisov initially thought it was difficult to observe the Torah and therefore had
not been that interested in Yitzhock’s blessings, but upon seeing the presents
and how Yaakov was benefiting from both worlds Yaakov was worried that he would
become jealous of him. He therefore emphasized that he had lived with Lovon and
had had a very difficult time observing the 613 commandments there. That way he
hoped to prevent Eisov from becoming jealous.
WAR
“He divided
the people who were with him… into two camps” (32:8)
Yaakov Ovinu
prepared himself with presents, prayer and war and the Medrash says that
each camp prayed for itself. Yaakov did not want everybody to rely on all the
people accompanying him. He therefore divided up the people into two smaller
camps so that each camp would pray and cry out to Hashem to save them as if
they were the only camp. Being relatively small in number, their prayers would
be more likely to be sincere and heartfelt instead of relying on their own
prowess.
In the recent war
in Gaza more than 1000 missiles were fired at us causing relatively few
casualties or damage. Hashem was testing us to see firstly whether we put our
faith into our strengths and wisdom and in the “Iron Dome” system or whether we
rely totally on Him, and secondly, whether we react with appropriate gratitude
for His protection over the nation now that the war is over.
Our enemy wants to lose
“He said,
"I will not let you go unless you have blessed me” (32:27)
Chazal (Masseches
Chulin 91b) say that the angel told Yaakov that from the day that he had
been created his time had not come to sing a song of praise until now.
The Chebiner
Rov, Rav Dov Berish Weidenfeld zt”l
explained that although the yetzer horo’s task is to lead us astray, since
he is an angelic being who knows the truth he is happy when we overcome him.
Therefore, when he saw that he was unable to overcome Yaakov, neither in his
pose as a talmid chachom nor in his pose as a Gentile, he was happy and
asked to be released, because now for the first time, the time had come for him
to sing Hashem’s praises: in other words, there had been no more appropriate
time for him to be happy and sing than now when Yaakov had overcome him.
Yaakov replied
that he would not release him until he had blessed them: in other words until
he had confessed that Yaakov had managed to overcome him, and that the yetzer
horo no longer had any power over him. Even if we cannot emulate this
completely, it remains our task to attempt to vanquish the yetzer horo
to the best of our ability, thereby causing our "enemy" ultimate joy
and satisfaction.
Anti-Semitism
“And he
fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept” (33:4). Rashi: Rabi Shimon
ben Yochai said: It is a well known principle [halocho] that Eisov hates Yaakov,
but his compassion was moved at that time, and he kissed him wholeheartedly
Rav Menachem
Zemba zt”l hy”d comments that Rabi Shimon is the one who is usually doresh ta’ama dikro (derives practical conclusions from rational
reasons for commandments) but in this case he emphasizes that the phenomenon of
anti-Semitism is an irrational halocho. How else can we explain the fact that the
Jews are accused of being socialists on the one hand and capitalists on the
other hand, of being rich and successful but simultaneously also poor and lazy
and a burden on the state?
The maskilim ("enlightened
ones who wanted the Jews to integrate more into secular society) argued that if
we changed our external appearance and adopted the positive aspects of our host
culture the Gentiles’ animosity towards us would disappear. This argument was
conclusively debunked when Germany, the cradle of haskolo (the Jewish
Enlightenment movement) and assimilation, became the source of unparalleled
cruelty, destruction and annihilation during World War II.
The Kloisenburger Rebbe zt”l,
a Holocaust survivor, asked why
Yaakov’s sons insisted that all the male inhabitants of Shchem circumcise
themselves in the parsha of Dinoh. On a plain level this was to
serve as proof of their sincerity, but the Rebbe suggested a different reason.
Had Yaakov’s sons subsequently committed an act of "mass murder" on
the uncircumcised population the whole world would have been in uproar, but now
that they were circumcised the surrounding nations would consider them to be
Jewish, and the murder of Jews is something that can be committed with impunity.
Similarly, concluded the Rebbe, the Germans and their henchmen, could never
have got away with killing six million Gentiles.
Our erring brethren were and remain unaware
that, as noted by the Medrash
Hagodol Eisov’s hatred towards
Yaakov was created by Hashem for our benefit to prevent our assimilating
amongst the nations and remaining a holy nation. No amount of public relations can
change this fact and the genuine response to anti-Semitism lies in increased
observance of Torah and mitzvos.
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