Saturday, October 27, 2012
Living for Others
12:29 PM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
Types of greatness
“Noach
was a righteous man” (6:9).
Rashi quotes the gemoro (Sanhedrin
108a) that some people interpret this phrase as a tribute to Noach, and in a
generation of righteous people he would have been on an even higher level
whereas others argue that it is derogatory, because in the generation of
Avrohom he would not have been considered righteous. Since the Torah testifies again
below that Hashem said: "For you I have seen righteous before me in this
generation” (7:1) how can we understand the view which maintains that the
phrase at the beginning of the parsha is derogatory contrary both to its
plain meaning and that possuk below?
In truth, according to
both opinions Noach was righteous because he withstood trials on a daily basis
surrounded as he was everywhere only by wicked people, and this alone entitled him
to be awarded the title of a righteous person, and if he would have had the
opportunity to engage in avodas Hashem in a generation which did not
require him to constantly withstand tests, he would have been even more
righteous, whereas those who say that he would not have been considered to be a
person of stature had he lived in the generation of Avrohom contend that
although he was righteous in his generation specifically because he exercised tremendous
dedication, determination and self-discipline by refraining from sinning in
such a challenging environment, if he would not have had to face such
challenges he may not have attained such high levels. It therefore turns out
that both opinions praise Noach for his actual behavior during his lifetime.
Moreover, according to
the latter opinion, since Noach did not engage in chesed with his fellow
human beings by beseeching Hashem to save them (see more on this below), he
would not have been considered of any importance in the generation of Avrohom,
who dedicated himself to the spiritual and material well-being of the members
of his generation. We conclude the first brocho of the shmona esrei with mogen Avrohom,
in order to emphasize the fundamental importance of this trait, and that when we excel in it, we are entitled to ask
Hashem to reciprocate by activating His middo of chesed in our favor.
Outreach candidates
“Noach
walked with Hashem” (ibid).
Rashi: Noach required Hashem’s support to uphold him, but Avrohom strengthened
himself and walked in his righteousness by himself
Noach
may have required Hashem’s support because he was only righteous for himself,
and did not get involved in the affairs of his fellow human beings, as opposed
to Avrohom, who attained his faith through intellectual enquiry. Although
Noach’s righteousness prevented him from becoming enticed into participating in
the wicked deeds of his contemporaries, it was not sufficient to attract them
to follow the righteous path. Avrohom, on the other hand, who understood the
internal wisdom of the Torah was capable of influencing others to follow his
path.
We
have often emphasized the importance of simple unquestioning faith, but someone
who has a thorough grasp of the fundamental principles of Judaism, having
delved and enquired into them, and who possesses the talent for disseminating them,
may be more successful in doing outreach work. A person who combines a deep
inner faith independent of intellectual enquiries, who has nevertheless
undertaken such studies, would make the ideal candidate for outreach work.
the power of REPENTANCE
“And
the rain was upon the earth for forty days and forty nights” (7:12). Rashi:
He brought them down with mercy, so that if they would repent, they would be
rains of blessing
Noach’s
contemporaries committed all the cardinal sins, and (unlike the generation that
built the migdal Bovel) even their character traits were totally corrupt,
and yet Hashem still waited 120 years to see if they would repent. Had they
done so, they would have been forgiven, and the rains would also have turned
into rains of blessing, even though the repentance would only have been motivated
by fear of an impending deluge. How much more so is the power of teshuva
me’ahavo, when a person repents out of love of Hashem and a desire to do
His will. When that happens Hashem showers us with unlimited blessings.
Noach’s ATonement
“Come
out of the ark” (8:16)
The
Zohar contrasts Noach’s conduct with that of Moshe Rabbeinu, who asked Hashem to delete him from His Book
rather than found a new great nation. Noach too after having been
told about the forthcoming mabul should have pleaded for his
contemporaries to remain alive until they repent, instead of thinking only of
himself and his family.
Hashem could have found another way to keep the
animal world alive other than the ark, but it was a way for Noach to achieve atonement for his sinful conduct
in the period leading up to the mabul.
Hashem was telling Noach: “You wanted to live a solitary life, and did
not care enough for your fellow men, now you will be forced to live for an
extended period on your own with your family in ‘solitary confinement’ from the
rest of the world. Moreover, you refused to act with kindness to your fellow
men, now you will be forced to perform ceaseless acts of chesed for an
entire year for all the animals”.
Noach
suffered terribly in the ark, from the stifling heat (the water outside was boiling
and there was no ventilation inside the ark), from the stench emanating from
the animals, from the attack by the lion and so on. This suffering facilitated
the process of atonement. However, since the period he was to spend inside the
ark was a punishment to atone for his previous behaviour, Noach was not permitted
to leave it until commanded to do so, so that he could be sure that his sin had
been forgiven.
UNJUSTIFIED MOdestY
“And
he took of all the clean animals and of all the clean fowl and brought up burnt
offerings [olos] on the mizbeach” (8:20)
Once
he had left the ark, Noach offered up olo offerings. This type of korbon atones for sinful thoughts, and in this
case Noach, after having witnessed all the destruction, regretted not having
prayed for his generation, having deemed himself to be unworthy of affecting
the divine decree. Modesty in and of itself is one of the most important
character traits to develop, but we see here the disastrous effects of failing
to act or to pray on behalf of others due to unwarranted modesty. Only once it
was too late did Noach realize his mistaken attitude, and wished to atone for
it through these korbonos.
FAith
“But
your blood, of your souls, I will demand” (9:5)
It is
forbidden to murder someone else in order to shorten their suffering or even to
commit suicide in order to shorten one's own suffering.
In the Warsaw ghetto the rabbonim
that still remained issued a proclamation that our wicked
enemies had made us despise this world, but they could not deprive us of the
world to come, and someone who committed suicide would not have a share in the
world to come. According to reliable witnesses the vast majority, being imbued
with complete faith, withstood the test and did not commit suicide.
Rav
Yaakov Yechiel Weinberg, the Seridei Esh zt”l, told Rav Sternbuch that it was a common
phenomenon in the Warsaw ghetto for people to get married in the afternoon, in
the full knowledge that they might be taken to their deaths before the day was
over. They refused to let their circumstances deter them from performing mitzvos as much as they could.
The emuno of those people, who
almost went out of their minds due to the suffering they had to endure, was astounding,
all the more so since these events took place not many centuries ago, but very
close to our own times. May they inspire us to withstand the more mundane trials
of our own generation.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Partners with Hashem
By
Rav Moshe Sternbuch
HERESY
“In
the beginning G-d created” (1:1)
The
gemara (Masseches Megila 9a) says that in the Septuagint (the targum
hashiv’im when 70 Sages were forced to translate the Torah by the Greeks)
the words bereishis boro elokim were rendered as elokim boro
bereishis in Greek lest anyone should think that bereishis is one
divine power who created another one called elokim (see Rashi ibid).
Why,
in fact, did the Torah at the very beginning use an ambiguous phrase, which
seems to leave open the possibility of a heretical interpretation?
Someone
who used to be religious once met Rav Chaim Brisker zt”l and told him that he had various questions about Hashem's
conduct in this world. Rav Chaim answered him that if he had questions, he
would be willing to answer them, but he suspected that these so-called
questions were not genuine ones but rather excuses to justify his own conduct
and lifestyle, and for such excuses he had no answers.
In
other words, heretics do not usually become what they are because of
intellectual or theological doubts. It is rather a matter of character traits.
Preferring to live an unbridled lifestyle without the yoke of Torah, they come
up with supposed problems in order to justify their neglect or abandonment of
religion.
MIDDAS HADIN
“In
the beginning G-d [Elokim] created” (1:1)
Hashem
created the world using the trait of strict justice symbolized by Elokim,
but was "forced" to join the trait of mercy to the trait of justice
in order to ensure the continued existence of the world. The question is why
Hashem did not do this at the outset, since He obviously has no need to
"experiment".
Rabi
Akiva wanted to be judged according to the strict trait of justice only, and
that was why he was killed in such a terrible manner. Although few people can
follow in his footsteps Hashem wanted to leave open the possibility for select
individuals to be judged solely by the strict trait of justice untempered by rachamim,
and also to teach those who cannot
reach such heights to at least strive for perfection in other more feasible areas
based on their specific levels.
Divine image
“Let
us make man in our image” (1:26); Rashi: Even though they [the angels] did not assist Him in
His creation, and there is an opportunity for the heretics to rebel (to
misconstrue the plural as a basis for their heresies), the possuk did not refrain
from teaching proper conduct and the trait of humility, that a great person
should consult with and receive permission from a smaller one”.
Hashem
is speaking to the angels, who were created on the second day (see Targum
Yonoson), since they had a personal interest, so to speak, in the creation of
man, because the status of the upper worlds, including that of the angels,
depends on the actions of man in this world. Of course, Hashem does not need to
hear the opinions of any being, but wished to teach us that even people less
important than us must be consulted concerning any matter in which they have a
personal interest.
We see here once again that the Torah is not
concerned with potential misconstructions on the part of heretics. Similarly,
we do not "dress up" the Torah for the sake of finding favor in the
eyes of the non-religious. This forbidden method has been tried in recent
generations and has invariably failed in its aim of increasing religious
observance amongst our skeptical brethren. Moreover, the advocates of
compromises or unwarranted leniencies, or at least their descendants,
eventually departed from the path of the Torah themselves.
However, the main message of this possuk is that
we are partners together with Hashem in creating ourselves. The Zohar explains
that the food of the neshomo is Torah and its clothing are mitzvos and
good deeds. Hence, each one of us creates the form of our neshomos on a
daily basis, together with Hashem. Just like no two individuals have identical
faces, even though billions of inhabitants currently populate the planet, so
too do each of our neshomos look different in accordance with the Torah
and mitzvos which become an eternal part of them. The Arizal had
the ability to discern a person's spiritual form and could perceive the effects
of even seemingly insignificant mitzvos or transgressions on a person’s spiritual form. We too will
possess this ability in the future.
Quality before quantity
“It
is not good that man is alone” (2:18)
This
phrase seems to imply that although it was not an ideal state for man to be on
his own, the alternative was nevertheless a possibility. That being so, what purpose
would there have been to creation if Odom had remained alone and lived forever?
We
see from this possuk that since a righteous person is the foundation of
the world (Mishlei 10:25) we might have thought that it would have been
worthwhile for Hashem to create the whole universe for the sake of one zaddik
who subjugates all his desires to serve Hashem on his own. Although this possuk
makes it clear that it is better to lead a married existence and to procreate,
the fact that the Torah finds it necessary to clarify this teaches us the
importance of quality as opposed to quantity. The Chazon Ish zt”l explained that quality can eventually result in quantity too, but
quality cannot result from quantity alone.
the evil inclination
“The
serpent was cunning”
(1:3)
How
can we understand that the snake once walked and talked like a human being?
In
order to maintain the balance of free choice, the greater a person is, the
greater must be the forces inciting him to evil. Odom Horishon (the
first man) before the sin was so great that he needed an external persuasive
being to incite him away from holiness to the path of evil.
The nochosh (snake) argued that
it would be worthwhile to eat from the forbidden fruit because that way Adam
and his wife would attain hitherto unobtainable divine levels. He claimed that
Hashem had only warned them against eating from the spiritual fruit, because it
would be too difficult to live on such a high spiritual level, but they should
do so anyway. It was an argument clothed in the guise of leshem shomayim.
To this day, the yetzer horo still sometimes attempts to incite us
into aspiring towards levels totally beyond our capabilities in the hope of
causing our downfall. Furthermore, the technique of disguising prohibitions as mitzvos
is also still prevalent.
Once
he failed this test, Adom’s greatness declined and he no longer had the spiritual
power necessary to overcome the nochosh in its original form. Instead, Hashem
created the yetzer horo in its current form
of a spiritual power inside us inciting us to evil, and our task is to overcome
it. We are assisted in this task by the very fact of our mortality, which was
decreed at the same time, since the thought that we are destined to end up as
dust serves as a deterrent to sin.
Kayin and Hevel
“Kayin
rose up against Hevel his brother and slew him” (4:8)
Why
was Kayin jealous of his brother and how did he descend to the level of killing
him?
Kayin
and Hevel had different outlooks as to what a person's duty was in this world.
Kayin thought that since this was a material world, it made sense to enjoy it
and subsequently thank Hashem for His goodness, as it says: “It came to pass at
the end of days, that Kayin brought of the fruit of the soil an offering to Hashem”,
“the end of days” meaning that only after he had enjoyed the food did he bring an
offering, and specifically one from vegetables, to show that even the most
basic food essential for the body’s health is a present from Heaven. Hevel, on
the other hand, thought that the spiritual could not be separated from the
material, and everything in this material world had to be used for the sake of
heaven. He therefore brought an offering before enjoying the products of this
world from the "firstborn of his flocks and of their fattest” and not only
"at the end of days" like Kayin.
Kayin
killed Hevel in the belief that his brother's place was anyway in the upper
worlds which was completely spiritual, so that he had not harmed him. Perhaps
that is why he responded, "Am I my brother's keeper", meaning is it my
job to ensure that he stays in the lower than Gan Eden, as opposed to partaking
of the greater pleasures of the upper Gan Eden. Hashem responded that this
material world does not tolerate murder, and as a punishment the soil would not
continue to give its strength to him, and he would be forced to live without
agricultural work, which was of such crucial importance according to his
outlook. He would become a wanderer and an exile, and would therefore be forced
to constantly pray to Hashem for his very subsistence. This was Hashem's way of
demonstrating to Kayin that Hevel had been right, and that even material
actions such as eating and physical enjoyments are like sacrifices and must be
connected to spirituality. All our actions must be for the sake of Heaven, and
we must constantly beseech Hashem for our livelihood and all our requirements.
Repentance
“And
he was building a city, and called the city after the name of his son, Chanoch” (4:17)
Why
does the Torah find it necessary to mention the fact that Kayin built a city?
Moreover, this Chanoch, the son of Kayin, was wicked, so why would his father
have wanted to name the city after him? Does it not say "the name of the
wicked shall rot"?
One
of the best forms of repentance is to benefit others, and therefore Kayin
wanted to build a city for others to live in, especially as he had sinned by
killing his brother Hevel, thereby limiting population growth. That is also why
it says "and he was building" (in the present tense) to show that by
the very act of building he hoped to make amends for his sin. He called the
city in the name of his son in the hope that Chanoch would continue in his path
and busy himself with increasing the population and settlement of the world.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
The Protection of the Sukkah
As we get ready for the holiday of Sukkos, we go from the High Holidays of judgment (Rosh Hashanah) and atonement (Yom Kippur) all squeaky clean from doing Teshuvah into our temporary dwelling (the sukkah)
The Sukkah is representative of the Annanei Ha'Kavod (the clouds of glory) that followed the Jewish people into the desert and took care of all their needs. .There was no need for new clothes, shoes...everything was done for them. So when we sit in the sukkah we should be thinking of all of G-d's protection and Divine mercy.
At the same time, on Shabbos Chol Hamoed, we read the book of Koheles (Ecclesiastes) and read King Solomon's words of how he has seen the world. After being king of the Jewish people and checking out all the wisdom of the world, he tells us that there is no other greater wisdom than the Torah and that everything else is considered vanity.
The problem is that we sometimes look at this world as the ultimate without realizing that it is temporary, a antechamber for the world-to-come. As king David tells us in Psalms, most of us will be in this world for 70 years, if we have more strength or are given it 80 years. .The question is what we do with those years!
Are we living in this world for the sake of this world only or are we trying to elevate ourselves in this world and preparing for the true world in the afterlife! King Solomon warns us in Koheles that this world is all vanity and we must take stock in that because nothing here lasts forever.
As we concluded the Yom Kippur service, after a day of fasting and prayer, we declare that G-d is one and unique in the world (Shema Yisrael) and we say that Hashem is Elokim (that G-d is the True Judge over the world). That is where we want to be and what we want to strive for, to make G-d our king and try and live up to the ideals of the Torah.
Sukkos is about understanding that this world is temporary and that our goal is to make G-d king in our lives everyday through the performance of mitzvos and doing acts of loving kindness!
The Sukkah is representative of the Annanei Ha'Kavod (the clouds of glory) that followed the Jewish people into the desert and took care of all their needs. .There was no need for new clothes, shoes...everything was done for them. So when we sit in the sukkah we should be thinking of all of G-d's protection and Divine mercy.
At the same time, on Shabbos Chol Hamoed, we read the book of Koheles (Ecclesiastes) and read King Solomon's words of how he has seen the world. After being king of the Jewish people and checking out all the wisdom of the world, he tells us that there is no other greater wisdom than the Torah and that everything else is considered vanity.
The problem is that we sometimes look at this world as the ultimate without realizing that it is temporary, a antechamber for the world-to-come. As king David tells us in Psalms, most of us will be in this world for 70 years, if we have more strength or are given it 80 years. .The question is what we do with those years!
Are we living in this world for the sake of this world only or are we trying to elevate ourselves in this world and preparing for the true world in the afterlife! King Solomon warns us in Koheles that this world is all vanity and we must take stock in that because nothing here lasts forever.
As we concluded the Yom Kippur service, after a day of fasting and prayer, we declare that G-d is one and unique in the world (Shema Yisrael) and we say that Hashem is Elokim (that G-d is the True Judge over the world). That is where we want to be and what we want to strive for, to make G-d our king and try and live up to the ideals of the Torah.
Sukkos is about understanding that this world is temporary and that our goal is to make G-d king in our lives everyday through the performance of mitzvos and doing acts of loving kindness!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Preparing for Rosh Hashanah
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
Gratitude
”And it
will be, when you come into the land” (26:1); “Perform this mitzvah since because
of it you shall enter the country”(Masseches Kiddushin 37b)
Why is the
performance of the mitzvah of bikkurim specifically credited with granting us the right to enter Eretz
Yisroel?
Rashi (on 26:3) connects bikkurim to the trait of gratitude,
because when offering them the person expresses gratitude to Hashem and
acknowledges that everything is from Him. Similarly, our right to Eretz
Yisroel
is contingent upon feeling gratitude for having been granted the eretz
hakodesh.
On Rosh Hashono we tend to focus on the future,
wondering which events will transpire during the coming year. However, we
should also be thinking about the past year, and feeling gratitude for all the chesed
which Hashem has bestowed upon us.
We always read the tochocho just
before Rosh Hashono, and pray “tichle shono vekileloseho” (“Farewell
to the year and its curses”). What does this mean? Surely the tochocho and its
messages will remain just as relevant in the coming year! When we rebel against
Hashem, we may deserve to be punished,
and yet we look back at the year which has elapsed and feel gratitude that the tochocho has nevertheless
not been fulfilled; this gratitude in turn facilitates and catalyzes the teshuvo
process, because instead of feeling despondency about the state of our avodas
Hashem we remind ourselves that just as Hashem has spared us from the worst
punishment until now, he will continue to shower us with His mercy if we only
invest all our efforts into doing genuine teshuva and coronating Him on Rosh
Hashono.
MERCY FOR MORTALS
“Look
down from Your holy dwelling, from the heavens, and bless Your people Yisroel” (26:15)
We ask
Hashem to look down on the deeds committed by all the nations and compare those
to the performance of the Jewish nation. We request such a comparison, because
that way we will achieve a much better "score", making us worthy of
being the recipients of Hashem's continued bounty, than we would if we were to
be judged only by virtue of our own actions.
Alternatively,
although tzaddikim of our generation, who have been taken
from us and have joined the pamalia shel ma’alo (celestial retinue) are
familiar with the specific trials of our generation, and are in a position to
serve as our defense counsel, heavenly beings such as angels, who have no idea
of the tribulations experienced by mortals that lead them to sin, are incapable
of interceding on our behalf, and, on the contrary, are only familiar with the middo
of din, (character trait of Divine judgment) which requires us to be
destroyed due to all our acts of rebellion against Hashem. Hence, we ask Hashem
to look down from His holy dwelling and cleanse us Himself by activating the middos
of chesed and rachamim, and pay no regard to the arguments advanced by the angels.
Upholding the torah
“Cursed
be he who does not uphold the words of this Torah” (27:26)
The Ramban
cites a Yerushalmi that even someone who has learned, taught
and observed the mitzvos, but is in a
position to uphold the Torah, and fails to do so, is covered by this curse.
This means that rabbonim who are able to stem the
tide of secularization and heresy will not be spared from this curse, however
much Torah they have spread to those who are already observant. Conversely, the
reward of those who refuse to make peace with the status quo, who fight against
anti-religious incitement and engage in activities that strengthen their
spiritually weak brethren, is increased manifold, and they will enjoy the
blessings set aside for those who uphold the words of the Torah.
Reward in this world
“And
all these blessings will come upon you and cleave to you, if you obey Hashem,
your G-d” (28:2)
In
general, there is no reward in this world for the mitzvos, which we
perform. However, one of the exceptions to this rule is the reward set aside
for those who observe stringencies, which act as fences protecting the actual halocho.
Although it is important to know the distinctions between strict halocho
and stringencies, those who do consciously go beyond the call of duty, will be
rewarded in kind: Hashem will go beyond the strict rule, and reward such
persons already in this world.
Looking to the top
“And
you will be only at the top, and you will not be at the bottom” (28:13)
This possuk
seems to incorporate a superfluous repetition: is it not obvious that someone
at the top will not be at the bottom?
The Or
Sameach explains that a person must
realize and feel the vacuousness of this world and that the whole purpose of
his creation was only for the sake of the next world, the only location where
it is possible to obtain eternal reward. A person's thoughts should "be
only at the top”, lest he dwell upon and limit his goals and ambitions to this
"bottom" ephemeral world.
JOY
“Because
you did not serve Hashem, your G-d, with happiness and with gladness of heart” (28:47)
The Arizal
writes that this sin is considered so severe, and one that calls for all the
punishments enumerated in the parsha, because the greater a person's joy when
performing mitzvos and his enthusiasm to fulfill the will of
his Father in Heaven, the greater is the esteem with which his avoda is held in the eyes of the Creator, since it serves as an indication
of the depth of his love and fear of Hashem pulsating in his heart; by contrast,
those who serve Hashem by rote and mere habit distance themselves from Hashem, and
their punishment is correspondingly great.
The Arizal
himself is said to have commented that he had merited great insights into the kabbolo
because of the joy with which he observed mitzvos. Moreover, the Chasam
Sofer notes that the "ministering angel of forgetfulness" have no dominion
over the Torah learnt by those who serve Hashem with joy.
Learning WiTH DEVOTION
“Yet
until this day Hashem has not given you a heart to know eyes to see and ears to
hear” (29:3)
Although the
home of intelligence is the mind, this possuk nevertheless refers to the
heart, because a person will only be deemed worthy of attaining true
comprehension of the Torah if he does not approach it like some secular
discipline studied at University. He must rather work on his emotions and develop
a strong desire to understand the Word and Will of Hashem, and the source of
such a desire is the heart. That is the recipe for success in his learning.
For this
reason we ask for divine assistance in acquiring an intense desire to learn
Torah every day in ahava rabbo: "fill our hearts with the ability
to understand and comprehend, to listen, learn and teach”. This request is especially
apt at this time of year since three times a day in the amido in
birkas hashivenu we emphasize the link between coming closer
to Hashem’s Torah and doing teshuvo: “Cause us to return, Our Father, to
Your Torah; draw us near, Our King, to your service, and bring us back in perfect
repentance to Your presence”.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Just a few short days left until Rosh Hashanah
Believe it or not, the holiday of Rosh Hashanah is coming this Sunday night. Are we ready for the big judgment? Where are we today? How do I compare to last year? What does G-d expect from me?
As the sun begins to set upon the end of this year, shouldn't we try to make the most of the last days of this year? This is the time to find those mitzvos and try to make the final run to JUDGMENT DAY!!!
Although it is an awesome and auspicious time, we desperately want to get a good judgment. The thing to keep in mind is that G-d wants to see our effort, to see that we want to change and actually change. Really, is that true? Sounds like Yom Kippur to me!
Rosh Hashanah is about making G-d king. That is the theme of the day. How do I do that? Don't I have an obligation to do that every day of the year? Yes, ok let's see how it's done.
During the year, we make blessing, keep shabbos, the festivals...question is when I make a blessing, do I have proper intention when saying it "Blessed are You G-d King of the Universe..." The beginning of the blessing doesn't change but the theme is the same...what I eat...makes me aware that G-d runs the world.
Not just on Rosh Hashanah, but for the entire year as well. I keep shabbos, because G-d rested on Shabbos, so I also "rest" on shabbos. When I make kiddush Friday night, we say in remembrance of G-d creating the world. Kingship, Absolute Sovereignty over the entire creation.
So if that is what we should be thinking about during the rest of the year, why do I need a special day to make G-d king? Rosh Hashanah represents G-d creating the world...Sound familiar...Kingship, Sovereignty...
When we look at Musaf in the morning and we go through the veres of Malchuyot (kingship) Zichronos (G-d's remembrances) and Shofaros describe the theme of the day. When we look at Zichronos we see G-d's remembrance of the Jewish people and remembrances of all actions that every happened, past, present, and future. Theme: Kingship... Sovereignty...
As we prepare for this awesome day, remember when we dip the apple in the honey, have our festivals...we must remember why we are all doing this: to remember that G-d is King, this is why we need this special day.
As the sun begins to set upon the end of this year, shouldn't we try to make the most of the last days of this year? This is the time to find those mitzvos and try to make the final run to JUDGMENT DAY!!!
Although it is an awesome and auspicious time, we desperately want to get a good judgment. The thing to keep in mind is that G-d wants to see our effort, to see that we want to change and actually change. Really, is that true? Sounds like Yom Kippur to me!
Rosh Hashanah is about making G-d king. That is the theme of the day. How do I do that? Don't I have an obligation to do that every day of the year? Yes, ok let's see how it's done.
During the year, we make blessing, keep shabbos, the festivals...question is when I make a blessing, do I have proper intention when saying it "Blessed are You G-d King of the Universe..." The beginning of the blessing doesn't change but the theme is the same...what I eat...makes me aware that G-d runs the world.
Not just on Rosh Hashanah, but for the entire year as well. I keep shabbos, because G-d rested on Shabbos, so I also "rest" on shabbos. When I make kiddush Friday night, we say in remembrance of G-d creating the world. Kingship, Absolute Sovereignty over the entire creation.
So if that is what we should be thinking about during the rest of the year, why do I need a special day to make G-d king? Rosh Hashanah represents G-d creating the world...Sound familiar...Kingship, Sovereignty...
When we look at Musaf in the morning and we go through the veres of Malchuyot (kingship) Zichronos (G-d's remembrances) and Shofaros describe the theme of the day. When we look at Zichronos we see G-d's remembrance of the Jewish people and remembrances of all actions that every happened, past, present, and future. Theme: Kingship... Sovereignty...
As we prepare for this awesome day, remember when we dip the apple in the honey, have our festivals...we must remember why we are all doing this: to remember that G-d is King, this is why we need this special day.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Prayer: What is Kevanah?
What is Kevanah? It is not just focus or concentration, which are the most popular translations of the word. It also means preparedness, or direction, as in the sense of the word, kiven, which means "to aim."
The need for Kevanah in prayer is obvious; what is more perplexing is the seeming interchangeability between having intention in your mind and intention in your heart.
Both of them are vital. Aside from the obvious intellectual efforts one must put into the effort of having intention in one's thoughts, it is also crucial to enlist one's emotional strengths, the intention of the heart in addressing one's Creator. Only by the fusion of these two aspects of man can one be considered to have truly paved to his Creator. Rav Chaim Shmelevitz explains that this is because intellectual knowledge of Whom we are addressing is by itself not enough to move us to action. Only by adding emotional involvement can we be moved to press ourselves into action on the commitments we make in prayer.
King Solomon teaches us this lesson Proverbs (24:30-32). He relates how even after having passed by the field of a lazy man, and having observed clearly the overrun growth and broken walls testifying to the owner's lack of care, still he was unmoved emotionally intil he focused his heart on what he saw. Only then did he feel in his heart the overwhelming destruction wrought by the field owners indifference. Only then could King Solomon say "I learned the lesson," well enough for it to effect a genuine change in his very self.
To further enhance this concept of kevanah we can note what HaRav Shlomo Wolbe writes in his Alei Shor II. he teaches us that by proximity to one's Creator is the one single powerful force that, by definition effects change in a person. Clearly, then, if a person has not changed during prayer he has not come close to his Creator. Emotional attention is vital to sucesss in prayer.
Kevana is something that we strive to have. We have to try to the best of our ability to keep our minds clear in prayer and focus on what we are doing. The idea is at that time, you are standing in front of the King and after 120 years, we will have to give an accounting of our actions. Imagine when G-d will "remind" us of our actions and thoughts when we were praying to Him!!
The need for Kevanah in prayer is obvious; what is more perplexing is the seeming interchangeability between having intention in your mind and intention in your heart.
Both of them are vital. Aside from the obvious intellectual efforts one must put into the effort of having intention in one's thoughts, it is also crucial to enlist one's emotional strengths, the intention of the heart in addressing one's Creator. Only by the fusion of these two aspects of man can one be considered to have truly paved to his Creator. Rav Chaim Shmelevitz explains that this is because intellectual knowledge of Whom we are addressing is by itself not enough to move us to action. Only by adding emotional involvement can we be moved to press ourselves into action on the commitments we make in prayer.
King Solomon teaches us this lesson Proverbs (24:30-32). He relates how even after having passed by the field of a lazy man, and having observed clearly the overrun growth and broken walls testifying to the owner's lack of care, still he was unmoved emotionally intil he focused his heart on what he saw. Only then did he feel in his heart the overwhelming destruction wrought by the field owners indifference. Only then could King Solomon say "I learned the lesson," well enough for it to effect a genuine change in his very self.
To further enhance this concept of kevanah we can note what HaRav Shlomo Wolbe writes in his Alei Shor II. he teaches us that by proximity to one's Creator is the one single powerful force that, by definition effects change in a person. Clearly, then, if a person has not changed during prayer he has not come close to his Creator. Emotional attention is vital to sucesss in prayer.
Kevana is something that we strive to have. We have to try to the best of our ability to keep our minds clear in prayer and focus on what we are doing. The idea is at that time, you are standing in front of the King and after 120 years, we will have to give an accounting of our actions. Imagine when G-d will "remind" us of our actions and thoughts when we were praying to Him!!
How do we get the most out of Elul
It is just a few short weeks away, the ultimate judgment day, Rosh Hashanah. We have been hearing the shofar be blown every day for the last two weeks to "wake us up from our slumber" as the Rambam tells us. The question is are we ready for the day of judgement and are we getting the most out of the month of Elul?
We know that Rosh Hashanah comes before Yom Kippur, the day of the atonement, but the question is why? Isn't it better for us to have our spiritual state wiped clean before our future fate is determined?
Rosh Hashanah has to come first. Through the awesome spirit of strict judgment of that day, we are able to perceive that Hashem is truly the undisputed ruler of the entire universe. Only after we have achieved this level of recognition are we worthy of being purified on Yom Kippur.
Rosh Hashanah is the Yom Tov (festival) of kingship, recognizing that everything that happens in our lives is in His hands alone. When we think about the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the odds that a person could receive a judgement involving much trial and suffering in the upcoming year are not remote. Yet we find that many people are relaxed before the day of judgment, assuming that if things went okay last year they will stay okay in the following year. This complacency comes from the fact that they do not grasp the full extent of the judgment. In addition, if we want the outcome of our judgment to be positive, we should first recognize that every aspect of our destiny is entirely in Hashem's hands.
Elul is a time of tremendous Divine favor and for this reason, the mazel of this month is a besulah (a virgin). Every bride looks forward to her married life as a fresh start, full of promise. We can live out the month of Elul with a similar sense of hope and anticipation.
The famed Arizal (Rabbi Isaac Luria) offers an allegorical explanation for the verse "and she cries for her father and mother for a month," referring to the eshes yefas to'ar, a captive woman that one marries after a war. The father represents Hashem, and the mother represents the Jewish people. During the year, we abandon our father and mother to pursue our heart's worldly desires. During Elul we have an entire month to focus on rebuilding these fundamental relationships and to regain our original level of closeness.
On Rosh Hashanah, Hashem judges us "as we are at that moment." Our judgement on that day will reflect any changes that we have brought about in ourselves during Elul, no matter how small they may be. Let us seize this precious opportunity to ensure that we will be inscribed immediately into the book of life, health and prosperity.
We know that Rosh Hashanah comes before Yom Kippur, the day of the atonement, but the question is why? Isn't it better for us to have our spiritual state wiped clean before our future fate is determined?
Rosh Hashanah has to come first. Through the awesome spirit of strict judgment of that day, we are able to perceive that Hashem is truly the undisputed ruler of the entire universe. Only after we have achieved this level of recognition are we worthy of being purified on Yom Kippur.
Rosh Hashanah is the Yom Tov (festival) of kingship, recognizing that everything that happens in our lives is in His hands alone. When we think about the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the odds that a person could receive a judgement involving much trial and suffering in the upcoming year are not remote. Yet we find that many people are relaxed before the day of judgment, assuming that if things went okay last year they will stay okay in the following year. This complacency comes from the fact that they do not grasp the full extent of the judgment. In addition, if we want the outcome of our judgment to be positive, we should first recognize that every aspect of our destiny is entirely in Hashem's hands.
Elul is a time of tremendous Divine favor and for this reason, the mazel of this month is a besulah (a virgin). Every bride looks forward to her married life as a fresh start, full of promise. We can live out the month of Elul with a similar sense of hope and anticipation.
The famed Arizal (Rabbi Isaac Luria) offers an allegorical explanation for the verse "and she cries for her father and mother for a month," referring to the eshes yefas to'ar, a captive woman that one marries after a war. The father represents Hashem, and the mother represents the Jewish people. During the year, we abandon our father and mother to pursue our heart's worldly desires. During Elul we have an entire month to focus on rebuilding these fundamental relationships and to regain our original level of closeness.
On Rosh Hashanah, Hashem judges us "as we are at that moment." Our judgement on that day will reflect any changes that we have brought about in ourselves during Elul, no matter how small they may be. Let us seize this precious opportunity to ensure that we will be inscribed immediately into the book of life, health and prosperity.
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