Saturday, September 29, 2012
The Protection of the Sukkah
12:02 PM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
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.
The Battle against the Yetzer Harah
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
Lifelong battle
If you
go out to war against your enemies, and Hashem your G-d will deliver it into
your hands, and you take its captives (21:10)
The Zohar
says that our main enemy is the evil inclination, and if we make a point of
waging battle against it, Hashem will deliver it into our hands. Rav Moshe Schneider
zt”l always said that if we remain inactive the evil inclination will
succeed, and we can only hope to overcome it by engaging in combat tactics.
If we fail
to do teshuva Hashem
takes our Torah, mitzvos and prayers, and holds them "captive"
until we have achieved complete teshuva. Only when that happens are we re-credited
for all those good deeds.
However, the plain meaning of these pesukim requires
some explanation. Some people imagine that the Torah prefers that the soldier make
a "deal" with the yetzer horo, rather than give in to it
completely, since it would be difficult to overcome it altogether in a
situation of war. It is forbidden to countenance such an explanation, because Chazal
have told us that this yetzer can always be overcome by means of proper
Torah study. Furthermore, the type of war in question is a milchemes reshus
in which only the most righteous participate. Why would such people be faced
with a nisoyon of
the eshes yefas to’ar?
The Or
Hachayim on this section hints at the real explanation, which is offered by the
mekubolim. The possuk says that the soldier "desires"
her. This cheshek refers to an unnatural urge, and one that is untypical
for a person of this caliber, even in the circumstances of a war. His task is
to overcome it. If he still feels the same urge even after the captive has made
herself repulsive, and even after relations with her on a one-time basis, it may
be a divine sign that the unnatural urge has spiritual roots and this woman is
meant to be brought within the Jewish fold. Thereafter, if he wants to continue
to live with her, he has to convert her first.
Sechel and
middos
If a
man has a wayward and rebellious son (21:18)
The Ibn
Ezra says that a ben sorer umoreh is punishable by sekiloh because since his sole goal in this world
is to pursue the pleasures of food and drink he has acquired the status of an apikores. Why does such a person deserve the extreme appellation of an apikores?
A person who conducts himself in a completely unbridled manner without
any desire to achieve closeness to the Creator is presumed to eventually become
a robber, and is already currently considered to be an apikores (heretic) because he has two
disadvantages. Firstly, he does not believe that he will be held to account for
his actions before Hashem, and secondly, his actions of stealing from his
father and being a glutton indicate that his character traits are also corrupt.
Someone with only bad character traits and correct views can overcome his
corrupt nature with some intellectual effort, and someone with some positive
character traits can utilize those to improve his behavior, but a ben sorer umoreh,
who has neither advantage, has no
hope.
DOmestic harmony
His
father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of
his city (21:19)
The gemara
says that if the father comes without the mother their son does not acquire the
status of a sorer umoreh. This halocho seems puzzling at first
sight, but there is a deep psychological insight behind it. If the father comes
without his wife for such a crucial matter it is probably because they are
quarrelling and therefore the son's immoral behavior must be attributed to the
unsettling environment in the home, and is not due to his fault.
Harmony between parents is absolutely crucial
in the domestic arena, and, at the very least, there should these be no disagreement
or arguments chas vesholom in front of the children. This is an
elementary and indispensable obligation on the part of all parents. In any
case, it would not be appropriate to subject such a son to the death penalty in
the expectation of future wrongdoing, because the external cause of his current
behavior – his parents’ lack of harmony - may disappear, and in its wake, his
unacceptable behavior.
Protesting injustice
The
girl, because she did not cry out in the city (22:24)
The Torah deems silence in a situation where one could
have protested to be the equivalent of consent. The Chidushei Harim
proves from this possuk that anyone who is in a position to raise a
protest about a sin or injustice that needs to be rectified, and fails to do
so, is held responsible for his failure to act, and is deemed to agree and be
an accomplice to the crime that is being committed. This is an important
principle to bear in mind in our generation, which unfortunately does not lack
breaches of Torah laws or principles, which may not be overlooked.
Lack of consistency
Because
they did not greet you with bread and water on the way, when you left Egypt
The Dubna Magid zt”l
says that the Moabites claimed that they did not have the financial means to
provide us with bread and water, but Hashem will show them how they managed to
come up with money for all sorts of other purposes. Similarly, in our future
judgment, when we will be asked why we did not learn more, and we will respond
that we were too busy making a living, we will be shown how we managed to find
the time to engage in all sorts of superfluous activities, and upon being
questioned why we did not give more charity and we will respond that we did not
possess the wherewithal to do so, we will be shown how we spent our money on many
unnecessary things.
Amolek
And he
did not fear God (25:18)
Since
Amolek is the source of all tumo in the world, it seems strange that the
possuk would choose to focus specifically on this deficiency of a lack
of yiras shomayim. This shows the depths to which someone without fear
of Hashem can reach, as the possuk says, “Surely the fear of G-d is not
in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake”.
In recent generations we have witnessed the unprecedented
phenomenon of Jews who not only lack yiras shomayim but even deny the
very existence of a Creator, claiming that everything we experience can be
attributed to nature. This is the outlook preached by Amolek. However, such a phenomenon
should not surprise us, since Rav Moshe Kordovero zt”l already said that in the generation before moshiach
some members of the Jewish nation will adopt aspects of Amolek. We are enjoined
to love our fellow Jews, but not those who actively incite others to adopt this
philosophy of Amolek.
FOCUSSING on the positive
You
shall not despise an Egyptian, for you were a sojourner in his land (23:8)
This
commandment teaches us the extent to which we must feel gratitude even towards
those who have caused us so much harm and suffering. Although the Egyptians
behaved with such unspeakable cruelty during the time that they hosted us,
their negative traits did not necessarily pass down to their descendants, and we
are forbidden to despise them, due to the fact that even at the time they
served as our hosts.
If we make
a point in our daily lives of dwelling only on the positive aspects of those
with whom we come into contact, instead of concentrating on any negative ones,
Hashem will repay us in kind and will concentrate exclusively on our positive thoughts,
speech and actions, and they will protect us from, and counterbalance the
effect of, our negative points.
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