Thursday, December 23, 2010
Ephraim and Menashe
9:49 PM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
Subliminal Messages
Why, Chazal ask, is Parshaas Vayechi a parsha stumah, a closed parsha? They answer that the way the parsha is written parallels what happened to the Jewish people after Yaakov’s petirah (death). As soon as he passed away, the eyes and heart of the Jewish people were closed as a result of the subjugation that started at that time.
Chazal’s words are difficult to comprehend. Mitzrayim only enslaved the Jewish people after all of the shevatim (tribes) died. Why, then, do they date the start of the enslavement right after the passing of Yaakov?
From the words of Chazal, we see a critical life principle. Enslavement is not limited to physical subjugation and torture. A nation can be mentally enslaved by the culture it is surrounded by as well.
As long as the Jewish people were under the guidance of Yaakov Avinu, they were able to overcome the powerful influences of Mitrayim pulling them away from Torah. With Yaakov’s passing, they no longer had the constant direction to help avoid spiritual harm. As a result, they were pulled into an immediate mental subjugation by the culture around them.
Israel at War
The dangers we experienced in Mitzrayim are no less pertinent today. Internet, newspapers, advertising, and the myriad other media messages that bombard us shape our way of thinking and acting. Only a strong connection to Torah and Gedolim (Great Rabbis) can sensitize us to guard ourselves from these dangers. We must be careful to do whatever we can to protect our families and ourselves from being subtly pulled in by anti-Torah messages that they relay.
Rav Sternbuch was once traveling with one of the top Israeli army officers. The officer commented to the rov, “I understand that you need about three thousand yeshiva students to be exempt from the army. We need teachers and rabbis for the next generation. But why do you possibly need tens of thousands of exemptions?
Rav sternbuch replied, “In times of peace, the army drafts every seventeen-year-old. After three years, most of them leave and are periodically called up on reserve. Only a small percentage of the best soldiers stay full-time in the army.
“In times of war, the roles are different. Every able-bodied person must join the army in order to properly defend the country. There is no room to differentiate between soldiers.
“However, today, the world has been contaminated with false ideologies. Youth are told to follow their hearts’ desires, and to do whatever they want. The Torah world is fighting a war, and therefore, as many students as possible must remain in yeshiva so they can learn how to defend themselves against these attacks”.
“Apparently, the officer did not get the message. He replied to Rav Sternbuch that in order for Israel to be victorious in their military operations, they need every able-bodied soldier. If so many students are in yeshiva, how would Israel be able to win wars?
Rav Sternbuch replied that a Jewish army is meant to rely on the Almighty. All of the rules of the army must be guided solely by the dictates of Torah and not by the whims of the generals. Sinners were told to go home and only the righteous soldiers were permitted to fight.
Rav Sternbuch concluded that he was convinced that the miraculous victories of the Israeli army were not due to the fighting ability of the soldiers, but rather the merit of thousands of students learning Torah influenced the victories taking place. IF the army tries to reduce the number of talmidim (students) learning Torah, they will no longer see such miraculous outcomes.
Educational Priorities
When blessing Ephraim and Menashe, Yaakov put Ephraim, the younger son of Yosef, before Menashe. The Torah emphasizes this switch, implying that all future generations should learn from this. What is the deeper message of this story?
Ephraim and Menashe were both tzaddikim as we can see from the fact that they received the status of shevatim. Ephraim was completely immersed in Torah, while Menashe helped his father, Yosef, with governmental affairs. Both fulfilled their respective jobs flawlessly.
Shlomo Hamelech teaches us that “each child must be educated according to his way”. While certain strengths push one toward being an Ephraim, others tend more to being a Menashe. Parents must know their children inside and out and try to help each one decide which path of life he should follow.
But blessing Ephraim before Menashe, Yaakov taught us a critical lesson for all generations. When it comes to educating our children, first priority should be to try to direct them to becoming Ephraims. This way, the Jewish people will have Torah leaders who can direct them in future generations.
The Targum of Yonason ben Uziel writes that the blessing to be like Ephraim starts from the time of bris milah (circumcision). We fulfill his words when we say, “Just as the child came to his bris, he should come to Torah, chupah and maasim tovim” (good deeds). At the tender age of eight days, we already express that our first priority is to direct our children to Torah.
If we see that a child’s strengths do not tend themselves to becoming an Ephraim, then a different course should be followed. We should do everything we can to make sure that he will be righteous as Menashe. If we follow this route of chinuch (education), we will see true Jewish nachas from our children.
The Lubliner Rov had a yeshiva of 400 bochurim (students). He once commented, “the goal of my yeshiva is to produce one talmid who will be a gaon in Torah,and 399 others who will know what a gaon is. If he understands what torah is, he will always actively learn and support Torah”.
Whether a person chooses the route of Ephraim or Menashe, true success in life depends on recognizing that one’s life should be guided by the light of Torah. Let us do everything in our power to guide our children in this direction.
Subliminal Messages
Why, Chazal ask, is Parshaas Vayechi a parsha stumah, a closed parsha? They answer that the way the parsha is written parallels what happened to the Jewish people after Yaakov’s petirah (death). As soon as he passed away, the eyes and heart of the Jewish people were closed as a result of the subjugation that started at that time.
Chazal’s words are difficult to comprehend. Mitzrayim only enslaved the Jewish people after all of the shevatim (tribes) died. Why, then, do they date the start of the enslavement right after the passing of Yaakov?
From the words of Chazal, we see a critical life principle. Enslavement is not limited to physical subjugation and torture. A nation can be mentally enslaved by the culture it is surrounded by as well.
As long as the Jewish people were under the guidance of Yaakov Avinu, they were able to overcome the powerful influences of Mitrayim pulling them away from Torah. With Yaakov’s passing, they no longer had the constant direction to help avoid spiritual harm. As a result, they were pulled into an immediate mental subjugation by the culture around them.
Israel at War
The dangers we experienced in Mitzrayim are no less pertinent today. Internet, newspapers, advertising, and the myriad other media messages that bombard us shape our way of thinking and acting. Only a strong connection to Torah and Gedolim (Great Rabbis) can sensitize us to guard ourselves from these dangers. We must be careful to do whatever we can to protect our families and ourselves from being subtly pulled in by anti-Torah messages that they relay.
Rav Sternbuch was once traveling with one of the top Israeli army officers. The officer commented to the rov, “I understand that you need about three thousand yeshiva students to be exempt from the army. We need teachers and rabbis for the next generation. But why do you possibly need tens of thousands of exemptions?
Rav sternbuch replied, “In times of peace, the army drafts every seventeen-year-old. After three years, most of them leave and are periodically called up on reserve. Only a small percentage of the best soldiers stay full-time in the army.
“In times of war, the roles are different. Every able-bodied person must join the army in order to properly defend the country. There is no room to differentiate between soldiers.
“However, today, the world has been contaminated with false ideologies. Youth are told to follow their hearts’ desires, and to do whatever they want. The Torah world is fighting a war, and therefore, as many students as possible must remain in yeshiva so they can learn how to defend themselves against these attacks”.
“Apparently, the officer did not get the message. He replied to Rav Sternbuch that in order for Israel to be victorious in their military operations, they need every able-bodied soldier. If so many students are in yeshiva, how would Israel be able to win wars?
Rav Sternbuch replied that a Jewish army is meant to rely on the Almighty. All of the rules of the army must be guided solely by the dictates of Torah and not by the whims of the generals. Sinners were told to go home and only the righteous soldiers were permitted to fight.
Rav Sternbuch concluded that he was convinced that the miraculous victories of the Israeli army were not due to the fighting ability of the soldiers, but rather the merit of thousands of students learning Torah influenced the victories taking place. IF the army tries to reduce the number of talmidim (students) learning Torah, they will no longer see such miraculous outcomes.
Educational Priorities
When blessing Ephraim and Menashe, Yaakov put Ephraim, the younger son of Yosef, before Menashe. The Torah emphasizes this switch, implying that all future generations should learn from this. What is the deeper message of this story?
Ephraim and Menashe were both tzaddikim as we can see from the fact that they received the status of shevatim. Ephraim was completely immersed in Torah, while Menashe helped his father, Yosef, with governmental affairs. Both fulfilled their respective jobs flawlessly.
Shlomo Hamelech teaches us that “each child must be educated according to his way”. While certain strengths push one toward being an Ephraim, others tend more to being a Menashe. Parents must know their children inside and out and try to help each one decide which path of life he should follow.
But blessing Ephraim before Menashe, Yaakov taught us a critical lesson for all generations. When it comes to educating our children, first priority should be to try to direct them to becoming Ephraims. This way, the Jewish people will have Torah leaders who can direct them in future generations.
The Targum of Yonason ben Uziel writes that the blessing to be like Ephraim starts from the time of bris milah (circumcision). We fulfill his words when we say, “Just as the child came to his bris, he should come to Torah, chupah and maasim tovim” (good deeds). At the tender age of eight days, we already express that our first priority is to direct our children to Torah.
If we see that a child’s strengths do not tend themselves to becoming an Ephraim, then a different course should be followed. We should do everything we can to make sure that he will be righteous as Menashe. If we follow this route of chinuch (education), we will see true Jewish nachas from our children.
The Lubliner Rov had a yeshiva of 400 bochurim (students). He once commented, “the goal of my yeshiva is to produce one talmid who will be a gaon in Torah,and 399 others who will know what a gaon is. If he understands what torah is, he will always actively learn and support Torah”.
Whether a person chooses the route of Ephraim or Menashe, true success in life depends on recognizing that one’s life should be guided by the light of Torah. Let us do everything in our power to guide our children in this direction.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Blaming Torah
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
Who’s to Blame?
Last week, Israel experienced the worst fire in the history of the country. The blaze took numerous lives, caused an enormous amount of damage, and left many Jews homeless. As in any such situation, it could be expected that the government would try to point the finger of blame at someone in order to absolve themselves.
Someone directly involved with the job of extinguishing fires would be the most likely choice to be the scapegoat. It took a number of days until the blaze was put out, and seemingly, a competent fire-fighting system should have been able to deal with the situation quicker. But this was not the target here. Who, then, did the government choose to pin the blame on for this tragedy?
In a discussion in the Israeli Knesset, some of the representatives came to the following decision: Last year, the government allocated money to help yeshivos, and had this funding been used to purchase fire-extinguishing equipment, the blaze would have been put out much earlier. Therefore, they concluded that the blame for the fire rests on the shoulders of the yeshiva students.
As absurd and illogical as this argument sounds, there are many people in Israel who share this sentiment. As soon as some crisis takes place in the country, the finger of responsibility is pointed at those learning Torah. How can we understand this deep-rooted hatred some have of their own religion?
Torah is the mainstay of Klal Yisrael, and it is what elevates us above every other nation of the world. Those who keep Torah are able to sanctify every aspect of their existence and live a life of holiness. When the Jewish people live according to the elevated standards that the Torah lays down, we become a light unto the nations.
Jews who forsake the Torah understand that those who learn and keep the Torah are a threat to their way of life. They try whatever they can to uproot Torah from the Jewish people, and will even go so far as to blame the catastrophe of last week’s fire on those learning Torah in yeshivos. Let us try to gain a deeper understanding of Torah’s central role in the existence of the Jewish people and what we can do to strengthen it in our times.
Small Talk
After Yosef revealed himself as their brother, the shevatim went from Mitzrayim back to Canaan to bring their father, Yaakov, to Mitzrayim. Certainly, there was plenty for them to discuss regarding the sale of Yosef and all that had transpired since then. There was no reason to believe that they would have trouble finding what to talk about during the journey home.
Yet, as they left, Yosef warned them, “Al tirgezu baderech – Don’t get into fights on the way”. Yosef was not referring to physical brawls. Rather, he instructed them not to get into deep, intricate halachic discussions, for that could cause them harm on the road. They should choose lighter topics so that they would not run into danger.
The Brisker Rav pointed out that Yosef did not think for a second that they would involve themselves with small talk. The issue was only what topics in Torah they should discuss. Torah is meant to be discussed at all times, whether one is at home or traveling.
IN order for Torah to have a full impact on us, we must involve ourselves with Torah as much as possible. Especially when a person is traveling and has “free time”, he should make sure that has a sefer to learn from or a shiur to listen to. Using all of our available time to study Torah is the secret to constant growth in Torah learning.
Temporary Resident
Yaakov realized that he must go down to Mitzrayim to fulfill the decree of Hashem and to see Yosef before leaving this world. However, even when he came to Mitrayim, Yaakov did not settle down. He only dwelled their temporarily during his final years.
Throughout Yaakov Avinu’s life, he never settled down. Yaakov always felt that he was merely traveling through this world. The only thing that mattered to him was his growth in Torah learning and Divine service.
Every Jew who is involved with Torah learning is meant to share Yaakov Avinu’s attitude. We can gain deeper insight about this way of life from a story involving a wealthy individual from overseas who visited the house of the Chofetz Chaim in Poland. The guest asked his host why his home was so bare of furniture and comforts.
The Chofetz Chaim replied by asking his guest where all of his furniture was. The traveler answered that he was just passing through and, naturally, had left most of his belongings at home. The Chofetz Chaim responded, “I am also just passing through this world on the way back to my real home, and I also do not want to overburden myself with belongings on my travels”.
Wagon Wheels
When Yaakov initially heard that Yosef was still alive, he did not believe the story. Even after the shevatim described in detail what transpired, he was still doubtful. Only when Yaakov saw the wagon wheels, which Yosef has sent as a sign that he remembered that they had studied the halachos of eglah arufah together before he departed did Yaakov accept their story.
Egypt was the center of moral degradation in the ancient world. It is understandable that when Yaakov realized that his own son Yosef had been in Mitzrayim, he would start to worry. Yosef Hatzaddik who left him may have become corrupted after spending so many years in such a morally decrepit environment.
The sign that Yosef sent gave Yaakov double relief. In addition to verifying that he was alive, it showed Yaakov that he was still actively involved in Torah. For Yaakov Avinu, this was the sign that despite the religiously antagonistic environment around him, Yosef was truly still alive.
Opening Yeshivos
How could Yaakov make sure that his family had a chance of surviving the licentious lifestyle of Egypt? Before sending his family down to Mitzrayim, Yaakov Avinu sent Yehudah ahead to open a yeshiva. In doing so, Yehudah paved the way for Klal Yisrael to come down to Egypt.
The Jewish people are unlike any other nation of the world, for our existence is directly connected to the level at which we learn and keep the Torah. If we cling to the pleasant ways of Torah, then we will flourish and see success like no other nation has ever experienced. Abandoning the Torah causes the exact opposite results.
When the Jewish people experience crises such as the fire that took place here so recently, we must first analyze our level of learning and observing the Torah. Strengthening ourselves in these areas will improve our relationship with Hashem and cause tribulations such as this to disappear. If we attribute what took place to natural means, we throw ourselves into even greater danger.
Coming Up
When Klal Yisrael left Mitzrayim, it was clear that this was an act of Hashem’s Hand and that we had no part in it. Chazal tell us that during Golus Bavel, anyone who left Bavel to go to Eretz Yisrael transgressed. So, too, in every golus, it is Hashem alone Who brings us out.
Even in our days, having returned to Eretz Yisrael, the golus continues. When this last long and bitter exile finally comes to an end, the Almighty Himself will take us out of our suffering. Only when Hashem decides to end golus will it officially be over.
Until that day, the only protection that we can truly rely on is the merit of Torah. Our limud haTorah gives the Almighty true pleasure in this world and allows us to continue finding favor in His eyes. We cannot possibly fathom the protective power that our Torah learning has.
Ben Gurion’s Error
When the sTate of Israel was formed, the government wanted to draft every able-bodied male into the army. Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer and the other gedolim of the time protested vehemently. They argued that there had to be some bochurim sitting in yeshivos and studying Torah.
Ben Gurion initially refused their request but eventually he agreed. He assumed that those learning Torah would soon be museum pieces and this antiquated custom would die out. For the interim period, Ben Guion granted them their exemption.
Meanwhile, the yeshivos flourished and, eventually, one thousand yeshiva students became twenty-five thousand. Ben Gurion was shocked by what transpired, for he was sure that yeshiva students were destined to disappear. He was recorded as saying that the only mistake he made in his life was to exempt the yeshiva students from the army.
Chazal tell us that one of the conditions necessary for Moshiach to come is that “chochmas sofrim yisrach – Torah must be putrid in the eyes of people”. As we get closer and closer to this auspicious day, the hatred of Torah grows stronger and stronger. The Israeli government grabs any opportunity to blame yeshiva students for everything that goes wrong in the country.
While the government tried to pin the blame for the fire on yeshiva bochurim, in truth, yeshiva students’ learning is what protect the country and prevents many more tragedies from taking place. During these difficult days prior to the arrival of Moshiach, we must strengthen ourselves in Torah and gemilus chassodim (acts of loving-kindness). This way, we will be prepared for the great revelations that will take place may they happen speedily in our days.
Who’s to Blame?
Last week, Israel experienced the worst fire in the history of the country. The blaze took numerous lives, caused an enormous amount of damage, and left many Jews homeless. As in any such situation, it could be expected that the government would try to point the finger of blame at someone in order to absolve themselves.
Someone directly involved with the job of extinguishing fires would be the most likely choice to be the scapegoat. It took a number of days until the blaze was put out, and seemingly, a competent fire-fighting system should have been able to deal with the situation quicker. But this was not the target here. Who, then, did the government choose to pin the blame on for this tragedy?
In a discussion in the Israeli Knesset, some of the representatives came to the following decision: Last year, the government allocated money to help yeshivos, and had this funding been used to purchase fire-extinguishing equipment, the blaze would have been put out much earlier. Therefore, they concluded that the blame for the fire rests on the shoulders of the yeshiva students.
As absurd and illogical as this argument sounds, there are many people in Israel who share this sentiment. As soon as some crisis takes place in the country, the finger of responsibility is pointed at those learning Torah. How can we understand this deep-rooted hatred some have of their own religion?
Torah is the mainstay of Klal Yisrael, and it is what elevates us above every other nation of the world. Those who keep Torah are able to sanctify every aspect of their existence and live a life of holiness. When the Jewish people live according to the elevated standards that the Torah lays down, we become a light unto the nations.
Jews who forsake the Torah understand that those who learn and keep the Torah are a threat to their way of life. They try whatever they can to uproot Torah from the Jewish people, and will even go so far as to blame the catastrophe of last week’s fire on those learning Torah in yeshivos. Let us try to gain a deeper understanding of Torah’s central role in the existence of the Jewish people and what we can do to strengthen it in our times.
Small Talk
After Yosef revealed himself as their brother, the shevatim went from Mitzrayim back to Canaan to bring their father, Yaakov, to Mitzrayim. Certainly, there was plenty for them to discuss regarding the sale of Yosef and all that had transpired since then. There was no reason to believe that they would have trouble finding what to talk about during the journey home.
Yet, as they left, Yosef warned them, “Al tirgezu baderech – Don’t get into fights on the way”. Yosef was not referring to physical brawls. Rather, he instructed them not to get into deep, intricate halachic discussions, for that could cause them harm on the road. They should choose lighter topics so that they would not run into danger.
The Brisker Rav pointed out that Yosef did not think for a second that they would involve themselves with small talk. The issue was only what topics in Torah they should discuss. Torah is meant to be discussed at all times, whether one is at home or traveling.
IN order for Torah to have a full impact on us, we must involve ourselves with Torah as much as possible. Especially when a person is traveling and has “free time”, he should make sure that has a sefer to learn from or a shiur to listen to. Using all of our available time to study Torah is the secret to constant growth in Torah learning.
Temporary Resident
Yaakov realized that he must go down to Mitzrayim to fulfill the decree of Hashem and to see Yosef before leaving this world. However, even when he came to Mitrayim, Yaakov did not settle down. He only dwelled their temporarily during his final years.
Throughout Yaakov Avinu’s life, he never settled down. Yaakov always felt that he was merely traveling through this world. The only thing that mattered to him was his growth in Torah learning and Divine service.
Every Jew who is involved with Torah learning is meant to share Yaakov Avinu’s attitude. We can gain deeper insight about this way of life from a story involving a wealthy individual from overseas who visited the house of the Chofetz Chaim in Poland. The guest asked his host why his home was so bare of furniture and comforts.
The Chofetz Chaim replied by asking his guest where all of his furniture was. The traveler answered that he was just passing through and, naturally, had left most of his belongings at home. The Chofetz Chaim responded, “I am also just passing through this world on the way back to my real home, and I also do not want to overburden myself with belongings on my travels”.
Wagon Wheels
When Yaakov initially heard that Yosef was still alive, he did not believe the story. Even after the shevatim described in detail what transpired, he was still doubtful. Only when Yaakov saw the wagon wheels, which Yosef has sent as a sign that he remembered that they had studied the halachos of eglah arufah together before he departed did Yaakov accept their story.
Egypt was the center of moral degradation in the ancient world. It is understandable that when Yaakov realized that his own son Yosef had been in Mitzrayim, he would start to worry. Yosef Hatzaddik who left him may have become corrupted after spending so many years in such a morally decrepit environment.
The sign that Yosef sent gave Yaakov double relief. In addition to verifying that he was alive, it showed Yaakov that he was still actively involved in Torah. For Yaakov Avinu, this was the sign that despite the religiously antagonistic environment around him, Yosef was truly still alive.
Opening Yeshivos
How could Yaakov make sure that his family had a chance of surviving the licentious lifestyle of Egypt? Before sending his family down to Mitzrayim, Yaakov Avinu sent Yehudah ahead to open a yeshiva. In doing so, Yehudah paved the way for Klal Yisrael to come down to Egypt.
The Jewish people are unlike any other nation of the world, for our existence is directly connected to the level at which we learn and keep the Torah. If we cling to the pleasant ways of Torah, then we will flourish and see success like no other nation has ever experienced. Abandoning the Torah causes the exact opposite results.
When the Jewish people experience crises such as the fire that took place here so recently, we must first analyze our level of learning and observing the Torah. Strengthening ourselves in these areas will improve our relationship with Hashem and cause tribulations such as this to disappear. If we attribute what took place to natural means, we throw ourselves into even greater danger.
Coming Up
When Klal Yisrael left Mitzrayim, it was clear that this was an act of Hashem’s Hand and that we had no part in it. Chazal tell us that during Golus Bavel, anyone who left Bavel to go to Eretz Yisrael transgressed. So, too, in every golus, it is Hashem alone Who brings us out.
Even in our days, having returned to Eretz Yisrael, the golus continues. When this last long and bitter exile finally comes to an end, the Almighty Himself will take us out of our suffering. Only when Hashem decides to end golus will it officially be over.
Until that day, the only protection that we can truly rely on is the merit of Torah. Our limud haTorah gives the Almighty true pleasure in this world and allows us to continue finding favor in His eyes. We cannot possibly fathom the protective power that our Torah learning has.
Ben Gurion’s Error
When the sTate of Israel was formed, the government wanted to draft every able-bodied male into the army. Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer and the other gedolim of the time protested vehemently. They argued that there had to be some bochurim sitting in yeshivos and studying Torah.
Ben Gurion initially refused their request but eventually he agreed. He assumed that those learning Torah would soon be museum pieces and this antiquated custom would die out. For the interim period, Ben Guion granted them their exemption.
Meanwhile, the yeshivos flourished and, eventually, one thousand yeshiva students became twenty-five thousand. Ben Gurion was shocked by what transpired, for he was sure that yeshiva students were destined to disappear. He was recorded as saying that the only mistake he made in his life was to exempt the yeshiva students from the army.
Chazal tell us that one of the conditions necessary for Moshiach to come is that “chochmas sofrim yisrach – Torah must be putrid in the eyes of people”. As we get closer and closer to this auspicious day, the hatred of Torah grows stronger and stronger. The Israeli government grabs any opportunity to blame yeshiva students for everything that goes wrong in the country.
While the government tried to pin the blame for the fire on yeshiva bochurim, in truth, yeshiva students’ learning is what protect the country and prevents many more tragedies from taking place. During these difficult days prior to the arrival of Moshiach, we must strengthen ourselves in Torah and gemilus chassodim (acts of loving-kindness). This way, we will be prepared for the great revelations that will take place may they happen speedily in our days.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Behind the Fire
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
Reacting to Tragedies
During the life of the Chofetz Chaim, a great tragedy took place in Europe. The Chofetz Chaim wanted to declare a day of fasting and prayer, and he called on the great gaon, Rav Chaim Brisker, to support this undertaking. However, Rav Chaim explained that the call of the Chofetz Chaim was too early.
Rav Chaim said that in order to properly rectify this issue, we must first identify the source of the problem. After we have discovered why we are receiving such harsh Divine punishment, then we can try to fix the problem. Only after the issues have been dealt with is a day of fasting and prayer appropriate.
This past weekend, a fire raged through Haifa. Many were killed, more injured, and the amount of overall damage that was caused rendered the catastrophe even greater. Let us look into what took place now, along with how it fits in with other events of the past two years, and try to understand the deeper message that Hashem is relaying to us.
The Only Source of Power
Perhaps the biggest chillul Hashem (desecration of G-d’s name) in the modern wourld is the gaavah, the haughtiness, that exists in Israel. During Israel’s short history, the country has fought and won many wars, each one accompanied by open miracles. Yet, each time, almost all of the leaders of the government and army denied Divine involvement and gave full credit to their own expertise.
Two years ago, the Israeli army went into Gaza, with the goal of knocking out the infrastructure of Hamas and thus helping stop the bombings and terror. Although open miracles took place during this time and there were few casualties, Barak and other government officials denied that their victory was in any way connected to Hashem. Once again, they flexed their gaavah and credited their success to their own military prowess.
For the past two years, there has been relative quiet, and Hashem has given us some time to forget about what took place in Gaza. However, the fire this past weekend seems to have been a direct shot at the Israeli gaavah. Israel was forced into a position where they had to admit that they have no control and that everything is in the Hands of the Almighty.
This fire was so bad that Israeli equipment and know-how were not sufficient to extinguish it. AS a result, Turkey had to be called upon for help to put out the blaze. There could be no greater to Israel’s inflated ego than to be humbled into turning to Turkey, their enemy for aid.
Before Moshiach comes every Jew must come to the recognition that Hashem is the Single Power guiding the world. Actions taken by individuals or nations are merely manifestations of His will, and they have no effect on the outcome of world history. Chazal reveal that in order for the final redemption to take place, “We must believe that we have nothing to rely on except for our Father in Heaven” (Sotah 49b)
The great blaze that took place this past weekend showed Israel that only Hashem wields control and that there is absolutely no place for haughtiness. If every Jew is able to internalize this message and recognize that there is no other source of power, Moshiach will come immediately. However, if we categorize what happened as a natural event, the message will get louder and stronger, and chas veshalom (G-d forbid), we would be in danger of experiencing demonstrations such as this fire on an even greater scale, if one dares imagine.
Recognizing that Hashem alone wields power is no easy task. Man naturally feels kochi ve’otzem yodi, that success comes through his own strength. Let us try to understand how we can bring ourselves closer to this recognition of the truth.
Humility Pays
Yosef is the paradigm of the above outlook that one must maintain his humility at all times. After he spent a number of years in jail in Mitzrayim, Paroh called upon him to interpret his dream. This was Yosef’s opportunity to free himself, and one would think that he would take this chance to show himself in the best light.
Yet, when Paroh asked Yosef if he interprets dreams, Yosef emphatically replied that this power is only in Hashem’s jurisdiction. If the Almighty wished, He would reveal to Yosef the meaning of Paroh’s dream. Nothing was in his hands.
People appreciate humility, and the best thing a person can do to find factor in the eyes of others is to stay clear of haughtiness. For this reason, Yosef found favor in the eyes of others and was successful in all that he did. In his famous Igeres (literally letter), the Ramban emphasizes the importance of humility and adds that a person should not even take credit for his wisdom, for it is not his.
Complete Trust
Chazal attribute the verse “Happy is the person who believes in Hashem” to Yosef. Yet, at the same time, Yosef was punished for two years after asking the steward to mention him to Paroh. How can we understand this?
Hashem aided Yosef throughout his stay in Mitzrayim. The Divine Hand was so strong in Yosef’s life that the Torah testifies that everything he did was successful. Even Potifar recognized that Yosef’s success was from above.
After experiencing such open assistance, Yosef should not have turned to the steward for assistance. He should have continued to put his faith solely in Hashem. Yosef’s act showed a certain amount of yi’ush (giving up) and because of that, he needed another two years in prison to strengthen his faith.
When Rav Sternbuch was a child, Rav Elchonon Wasserman was a regular guest at his family’s home in England. About seventy years ago, Rav Sternbuch’s father passed away. Rav Elchonon was sensitive to the feelings of the widow and orphans and was careful to still visit and spend time with the family.
During one such visit, Rav Sternbuch’s mother asked Rav Elchonon the following question: With her husband’s passing, the entire burden of supporting the family fell on her, yet at the same time, she had to take care of herself and her nine children. Both of these were full-time jobs. How could she be expected to do both and at the same time maintain her bitachon (belief and faith in G-d)?
Rav Elchonon responded, “First we must recognize that this world is only a preparation for the World to Come. This world is fleeting, while the next world will be our permanent existence. We must make acquiring a place in the World to Come our primary focus.
“After we have recognized what our goal in life is, we must realize that we can’t grab anything that’s not ours and if we try to take more money than is coming to us, we will be forced to pay it back in problems with our health, children, or some other area of our finances. Hashem has already decreed exactly how much you and your family will receive. Take as much time as you need to raise your children, and rely that the Almighty will grant you all of your needs in the remaining few hours”.
When we are suffering in the area of finances, health, or grappling with any other problem, the natural reaction is to panic. We must first recognize that the purpose of our lives is to serve Hashem. After this, we will be able to recognize that Hashem is in complete control and has designed this situation to help us recognize His Hand in our personal lives.
Avoiding Negative Influences
At the beginning of the famine, Yaakov and his household still had food. Yaakov asks his children, “Why are you making yourself appear as you do?” What were Yaakov’s intentions in this question?
The Ramban explains that although Yaakov still had food, Eisav’s and Yishmoel’s families did not. They needed to go to Mitrayim in order to purchase sustenance. However, if they knew that Yaakov’s family had food, they might stop in for a few days.
Yaakov understood that such a visit could have a negative influence on his family. Therefore, he told his children to go to Mitzrayim to purchase food. This way, Eiasav and Yishmoel would think that they were also in need and would not come to their home.
Distancing children from negative influences is a critical issue in their chinuch (education). A child who does not yet have the ability to discern between right and wrong can be harmed if he is exposed to anti-Torah philosophies. Rav Chaim Brisker would keep tabs on who his children spoke to and what was said to them.
The Drought Continues
As the fire was blazing through Haifa, the drought continued throughout Israel. While drought was once the cause of death, today this is not the case. The Chazon Ish said that lack of rain tells us that Hashem is upset with us and wants us to change our ways.
We have seen that fire and water, two of the most basic elements in the world, are out of our control. Both of these circumstances tell us the same message: we must humble ourselves before Hashem. He is the lone Source of strength.
Chazal tell us that before Moshiach comes, there will be chevlei Moshiach, the “birth pangs” of this event. The purpose of these tribulations is singular. They are all directed at getting us to recognize that we have no personal power and that He alone is the Force that directs us.
We have discussed humility, complete trust in Hashem, and avoiding influences that are spiritually harmful. Hashem has brought about these tzaros to influence us to work on these three issues. If we do not take this to heart, these destructive events took place for naught.
Hashem wants to bring the geulah (redemption) today, and He is calling out to us to make it happen. If we internalize the message of the fire and the drought and elevate ourselves to a complete recognition that He alone wields power, the redemption will come immediately. Let’s not let this opportunity slip through our fingers.
Reacting to Tragedies
During the life of the Chofetz Chaim, a great tragedy took place in Europe. The Chofetz Chaim wanted to declare a day of fasting and prayer, and he called on the great gaon, Rav Chaim Brisker, to support this undertaking. However, Rav Chaim explained that the call of the Chofetz Chaim was too early.
Rav Chaim said that in order to properly rectify this issue, we must first identify the source of the problem. After we have discovered why we are receiving such harsh Divine punishment, then we can try to fix the problem. Only after the issues have been dealt with is a day of fasting and prayer appropriate.
This past weekend, a fire raged through Haifa. Many were killed, more injured, and the amount of overall damage that was caused rendered the catastrophe even greater. Let us look into what took place now, along with how it fits in with other events of the past two years, and try to understand the deeper message that Hashem is relaying to us.
The Only Source of Power
Perhaps the biggest chillul Hashem (desecration of G-d’s name) in the modern wourld is the gaavah, the haughtiness, that exists in Israel. During Israel’s short history, the country has fought and won many wars, each one accompanied by open miracles. Yet, each time, almost all of the leaders of the government and army denied Divine involvement and gave full credit to their own expertise.
Two years ago, the Israeli army went into Gaza, with the goal of knocking out the infrastructure of Hamas and thus helping stop the bombings and terror. Although open miracles took place during this time and there were few casualties, Barak and other government officials denied that their victory was in any way connected to Hashem. Once again, they flexed their gaavah and credited their success to their own military prowess.
For the past two years, there has been relative quiet, and Hashem has given us some time to forget about what took place in Gaza. However, the fire this past weekend seems to have been a direct shot at the Israeli gaavah. Israel was forced into a position where they had to admit that they have no control and that everything is in the Hands of the Almighty.
This fire was so bad that Israeli equipment and know-how were not sufficient to extinguish it. AS a result, Turkey had to be called upon for help to put out the blaze. There could be no greater to Israel’s inflated ego than to be humbled into turning to Turkey, their enemy for aid.
Before Moshiach comes every Jew must come to the recognition that Hashem is the Single Power guiding the world. Actions taken by individuals or nations are merely manifestations of His will, and they have no effect on the outcome of world history. Chazal reveal that in order for the final redemption to take place, “We must believe that we have nothing to rely on except for our Father in Heaven” (Sotah 49b)
The great blaze that took place this past weekend showed Israel that only Hashem wields control and that there is absolutely no place for haughtiness. If every Jew is able to internalize this message and recognize that there is no other source of power, Moshiach will come immediately. However, if we categorize what happened as a natural event, the message will get louder and stronger, and chas veshalom (G-d forbid), we would be in danger of experiencing demonstrations such as this fire on an even greater scale, if one dares imagine.
Recognizing that Hashem alone wields power is no easy task. Man naturally feels kochi ve’otzem yodi, that success comes through his own strength. Let us try to understand how we can bring ourselves closer to this recognition of the truth.
Humility Pays
Yosef is the paradigm of the above outlook that one must maintain his humility at all times. After he spent a number of years in jail in Mitzrayim, Paroh called upon him to interpret his dream. This was Yosef’s opportunity to free himself, and one would think that he would take this chance to show himself in the best light.
Yet, when Paroh asked Yosef if he interprets dreams, Yosef emphatically replied that this power is only in Hashem’s jurisdiction. If the Almighty wished, He would reveal to Yosef the meaning of Paroh’s dream. Nothing was in his hands.
People appreciate humility, and the best thing a person can do to find factor in the eyes of others is to stay clear of haughtiness. For this reason, Yosef found favor in the eyes of others and was successful in all that he did. In his famous Igeres (literally letter), the Ramban emphasizes the importance of humility and adds that a person should not even take credit for his wisdom, for it is not his.
Complete Trust
Chazal attribute the verse “Happy is the person who believes in Hashem” to Yosef. Yet, at the same time, Yosef was punished for two years after asking the steward to mention him to Paroh. How can we understand this?
Hashem aided Yosef throughout his stay in Mitzrayim. The Divine Hand was so strong in Yosef’s life that the Torah testifies that everything he did was successful. Even Potifar recognized that Yosef’s success was from above.
After experiencing such open assistance, Yosef should not have turned to the steward for assistance. He should have continued to put his faith solely in Hashem. Yosef’s act showed a certain amount of yi’ush (giving up) and because of that, he needed another two years in prison to strengthen his faith.
When Rav Sternbuch was a child, Rav Elchonon Wasserman was a regular guest at his family’s home in England. About seventy years ago, Rav Sternbuch’s father passed away. Rav Elchonon was sensitive to the feelings of the widow and orphans and was careful to still visit and spend time with the family.
During one such visit, Rav Sternbuch’s mother asked Rav Elchonon the following question: With her husband’s passing, the entire burden of supporting the family fell on her, yet at the same time, she had to take care of herself and her nine children. Both of these were full-time jobs. How could she be expected to do both and at the same time maintain her bitachon (belief and faith in G-d)?
Rav Elchonon responded, “First we must recognize that this world is only a preparation for the World to Come. This world is fleeting, while the next world will be our permanent existence. We must make acquiring a place in the World to Come our primary focus.
“After we have recognized what our goal in life is, we must realize that we can’t grab anything that’s not ours and if we try to take more money than is coming to us, we will be forced to pay it back in problems with our health, children, or some other area of our finances. Hashem has already decreed exactly how much you and your family will receive. Take as much time as you need to raise your children, and rely that the Almighty will grant you all of your needs in the remaining few hours”.
When we are suffering in the area of finances, health, or grappling with any other problem, the natural reaction is to panic. We must first recognize that the purpose of our lives is to serve Hashem. After this, we will be able to recognize that Hashem is in complete control and has designed this situation to help us recognize His Hand in our personal lives.
Avoiding Negative Influences
At the beginning of the famine, Yaakov and his household still had food. Yaakov asks his children, “Why are you making yourself appear as you do?” What were Yaakov’s intentions in this question?
The Ramban explains that although Yaakov still had food, Eisav’s and Yishmoel’s families did not. They needed to go to Mitrayim in order to purchase sustenance. However, if they knew that Yaakov’s family had food, they might stop in for a few days.
Yaakov understood that such a visit could have a negative influence on his family. Therefore, he told his children to go to Mitzrayim to purchase food. This way, Eiasav and Yishmoel would think that they were also in need and would not come to their home.
Distancing children from negative influences is a critical issue in their chinuch (education). A child who does not yet have the ability to discern between right and wrong can be harmed if he is exposed to anti-Torah philosophies. Rav Chaim Brisker would keep tabs on who his children spoke to and what was said to them.
The Drought Continues
As the fire was blazing through Haifa, the drought continued throughout Israel. While drought was once the cause of death, today this is not the case. The Chazon Ish said that lack of rain tells us that Hashem is upset with us and wants us to change our ways.
We have seen that fire and water, two of the most basic elements in the world, are out of our control. Both of these circumstances tell us the same message: we must humble ourselves before Hashem. He is the lone Source of strength.
Chazal tell us that before Moshiach comes, there will be chevlei Moshiach, the “birth pangs” of this event. The purpose of these tribulations is singular. They are all directed at getting us to recognize that we have no personal power and that He alone is the Force that directs us.
We have discussed humility, complete trust in Hashem, and avoiding influences that are spiritually harmful. Hashem has brought about these tzaros to influence us to work on these three issues. If we do not take this to heart, these destructive events took place for naught.
Hashem wants to bring the geulah (redemption) today, and He is calling out to us to make it happen. If we internalize the message of the fire and the drought and elevate ourselves to a complete recognition that He alone wields power, the redemption will come immediately. Let’s not let this opportunity slip through our fingers.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Refusing Compromise
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
The Best of Both Worlds
Rashi tells us that Yaakov Avinu sent actual malachim to speak with Eisav. Seeing an angel is no small feat, and only someone on a very high spiritual level can merit this. Why was Eisav worthy of such a revelation?
In truth, Eisav was a complete believer in Hashem, and he was aware that there is reward for good deeds and punishment for transgression. While he was around his father, Yitzchok, Eisav acted like a tzaddik and asked him the most complex and intricate questions in halachah. However, Eisav was drawn after the pleasures of this world, and he rationalized his evil ways through receiving himself in the moment that everything would somehow be fine in the end.
Today, the temptations of the world are stronger than ever. Without constant vanguard over ourselves and our families, we can easily be pulled into the same erroneous thinking that influenced Eisav’s life philosophy. When it comes to religious issues, we must keep in mind that there is no room for compromise and that keeping Hashem’s Torah overrides all other considerations.
Honoring Parents
Before meeting up with Eisav, Yaakov prepared himself with prayer and presents. If that would not work, Yaakov was ready to go to war with his brother. Although Yaakov was certainly more righteous than his brother, he feared that Eisav’s fulfillment of the mitzvah of honoring his father could override Yaakov’s own merit.
Although Yaakov certainly had the merit of going in the ways of Yitzvhok and Avrohom, there was a reason that he might not benefit from this regarding the particular situation with Eisav. During the twenty years that Yaakov was away from his parents, he did not fulfill the mitzvah of honoring his parents. This lapse could effectively take away his zechus avos.
Eisav, on the other hand, excelled in the mitzvah of honoring his parents. He even kept a special set of clothes in which to serve his father.
We might think that Yaakov was exempt of his obligation to honor his parents during his twenty-year stint by Lavan. After Chazal tell us that he was punished for this, we must assume that he was not freed from his responsibility. Even under these circumstances, Yaakov should have made special efforts to try and fulfill this mitzvah.
Many of us have busy schedules, and the more we are involved with activities, the harder it is to give our parents our full attention. Who was more busy and righteous than Yaakov Avinu? Yet, he did not escape punishment for his absence from Yitzvhok and Rifkah. When it comes to the mitzvah of kibbud av ve’eim, we may not compromise, and even if it is difficult, we must do everything we can to honor them.
Out of our Hands
Upon encountering Eisav, Yaakov tells him that he had lived with Lavan. Chazal tell us that the Hebrew world for “I lived”, garti, is spelled with the same letters as the number taryag, 613. This was a hint to Eisav that, even while Yaakov lived with the evil Lavan, he still kept all of the mitzvos.
Was it necessary for Yaakov to tell this to Eisav? Yaakov wanted his brother to know that although he was willing to make large financial sacrifices, there was one issue that he would not compromise on. When it came to mitzvos, Yaakov was not prepared to budge an inch.
A group of doctors once met in Kovna to discuss various issues of the time. One of the topis that came up was spitting during chalitzah (if a woman’s husband dies and she has no kids, she has to marry the husband’s brother, called yibum, if she does not then she has to go through the process of chalitzah). They felt that it was unbecoming and should be abolished from the ceremony.
The group went to the Kovna Rav, Rav Avrohom Shapira, and asked him about the possibility of changing chalitzah. He asked them if, before they dealt with that issue they could help him out with something that was bothering him. Since they were doctors, perhaps they could tell him a cure to death.
Surprised by the rov’s request, they replied that medicine had not found a cure for death and that this certainly was not in their hands. Rav Shapira said, “So, too, the Torah is not in our hands. The Almighty established that chalitzah is done by spitting and we have no ability to change this”.
My Brother Eisav
Yaakov Avinu asks Hashem to save him from his “brother Eisav”. We can understand why we need protection from Eisav when he acts against us, but why did Yaakov request that the Almighty protect us even when Eisav is acting as our brother?
When the Jewish people are persecuted, it is clear that Eisav is our enemy. However, when the non-Jews treat us as equals in order to pull us away from Torah, the flight is much more subtle. In such cases, we require much more Divine assistance.
When the State of Israel was formed, the Satmar Rov told the Chazon Ish that he was afraid there were Zionists who would persecute the religious Jews. The Chazon Ish replied that Hashem would protect us from evil intentions. He was much more worried about the “candies” they want to give us to lure us away from Torah.
The nisyonos (tests) in Israel today are very difficult. If we let the government carry out their intentions, they will destroy the entire Torah framework that exists in the Holy Land. We must turn to Hashem to help protect us from their influence.
Dinah in a Box
Before meeting Eisav, Yaakov Avinu hid Dinah from him putting her in a box. Yaakov was afraid that when Eisav saw Dinah, he would want to marry her. Despite his good intentions. Chazal tell us that Yaakov was punished for hiding her.
Yaakov’s behavior stemmed from his refusal to compromise his beliefs and seemingly was completely justified. Furthermore, Eisav was over 100 years old and Dinah was a young girl. Why was Yaakov punished for his actions?
Rav Eliyahu Desler explains that although Yaakov’s actions were both justified and correct, he should have had more compassion for his brother. We can compare this to a person who sees someone drowning, but he himself does not know how to swim. The onlooker does not have to risk his own life to save him, but he should at least feel bad that the other person is dying.
So too, Yaakov was right in hiding Dinah from Eisav. Yet, at the same time, he should have felt bad that he could not do something to bring his own twin brother back to the right path. For his lack of concern, Yaakov was punished when Dinah was abducted.
From this incident with Dinah, we see an important lesson in compromise. Even when a person sticks to his principles, he should not let this dull his emotions. We must act in the way the Torah directs us, while at the same time feeling for the suffering of others.
Fighting Angels
The Torah tells us that the night before His encounter with Eisav, Yaakov fought with an angel the whole night. As dawn approached, the malach (angel) asked Yaakov to free him so that he could return to the heavens to sing shirah. What was the special song that the angel had to rush back to sing that morning?
The Tchebiner Rov explains that the malach that Yaakov fought was none other than the Sotan himself. He tries to influence us to sin and at times succeeds. Converng Yaakov, the Soton fought very hard but was unable to influence Yaakov to compromise even an iota.
The Soton’s job is to get us to sin, and success brings him great joy. Yet there is something that causes him even more joy. If he puts up a good fight and through that battle we are able to reach even higher levels of serving Hashem, the Soton has an even greater accomplishment and is even more happy.
The Zohar writes that the injury in the gid hanosheh (sinew) is a sign that the Soton will try and knock out the tomchei Torah, those people who contribute funds to the upkeep of Torah. Today, the world financial scene is difficult. Torah has take a hit, and the Soton continues to battle. We must try and continue to do whatever is in our ability to strengthen Torah learning in Eretz Yisrael and the rest of the world.
The dawn of world history is approaching, and the personal battle of every Jew is becoming more difficult daily. During this time of darkness, we must refuse any compromise that draws us away from Torah and persevere in the struggle that Yaakov started. The degree to which we relentlessly cling to the Torah is the amount of light that we will merit to see when the redemption comes.
The Best of Both Worlds
Rashi tells us that Yaakov Avinu sent actual malachim to speak with Eisav. Seeing an angel is no small feat, and only someone on a very high spiritual level can merit this. Why was Eisav worthy of such a revelation?
In truth, Eisav was a complete believer in Hashem, and he was aware that there is reward for good deeds and punishment for transgression. While he was around his father, Yitzchok, Eisav acted like a tzaddik and asked him the most complex and intricate questions in halachah. However, Eisav was drawn after the pleasures of this world, and he rationalized his evil ways through receiving himself in the moment that everything would somehow be fine in the end.
Today, the temptations of the world are stronger than ever. Without constant vanguard over ourselves and our families, we can easily be pulled into the same erroneous thinking that influenced Eisav’s life philosophy. When it comes to religious issues, we must keep in mind that there is no room for compromise and that keeping Hashem’s Torah overrides all other considerations.
Honoring Parents
Before meeting up with Eisav, Yaakov prepared himself with prayer and presents. If that would not work, Yaakov was ready to go to war with his brother. Although Yaakov was certainly more righteous than his brother, he feared that Eisav’s fulfillment of the mitzvah of honoring his father could override Yaakov’s own merit.
Although Yaakov certainly had the merit of going in the ways of Yitzvhok and Avrohom, there was a reason that he might not benefit from this regarding the particular situation with Eisav. During the twenty years that Yaakov was away from his parents, he did not fulfill the mitzvah of honoring his parents. This lapse could effectively take away his zechus avos.
Eisav, on the other hand, excelled in the mitzvah of honoring his parents. He even kept a special set of clothes in which to serve his father.
We might think that Yaakov was exempt of his obligation to honor his parents during his twenty-year stint by Lavan. After Chazal tell us that he was punished for this, we must assume that he was not freed from his responsibility. Even under these circumstances, Yaakov should have made special efforts to try and fulfill this mitzvah.
Many of us have busy schedules, and the more we are involved with activities, the harder it is to give our parents our full attention. Who was more busy and righteous than Yaakov Avinu? Yet, he did not escape punishment for his absence from Yitzvhok and Rifkah. When it comes to the mitzvah of kibbud av ve’eim, we may not compromise, and even if it is difficult, we must do everything we can to honor them.
Out of our Hands
Upon encountering Eisav, Yaakov tells him that he had lived with Lavan. Chazal tell us that the Hebrew world for “I lived”, garti, is spelled with the same letters as the number taryag, 613. This was a hint to Eisav that, even while Yaakov lived with the evil Lavan, he still kept all of the mitzvos.
Was it necessary for Yaakov to tell this to Eisav? Yaakov wanted his brother to know that although he was willing to make large financial sacrifices, there was one issue that he would not compromise on. When it came to mitzvos, Yaakov was not prepared to budge an inch.
A group of doctors once met in Kovna to discuss various issues of the time. One of the topis that came up was spitting during chalitzah (if a woman’s husband dies and she has no kids, she has to marry the husband’s brother, called yibum, if she does not then she has to go through the process of chalitzah). They felt that it was unbecoming and should be abolished from the ceremony.
The group went to the Kovna Rav, Rav Avrohom Shapira, and asked him about the possibility of changing chalitzah. He asked them if, before they dealt with that issue they could help him out with something that was bothering him. Since they were doctors, perhaps they could tell him a cure to death.
Surprised by the rov’s request, they replied that medicine had not found a cure for death and that this certainly was not in their hands. Rav Shapira said, “So, too, the Torah is not in our hands. The Almighty established that chalitzah is done by spitting and we have no ability to change this”.
My Brother Eisav
Yaakov Avinu asks Hashem to save him from his “brother Eisav”. We can understand why we need protection from Eisav when he acts against us, but why did Yaakov request that the Almighty protect us even when Eisav is acting as our brother?
When the Jewish people are persecuted, it is clear that Eisav is our enemy. However, when the non-Jews treat us as equals in order to pull us away from Torah, the flight is much more subtle. In such cases, we require much more Divine assistance.
When the State of Israel was formed, the Satmar Rov told the Chazon Ish that he was afraid there were Zionists who would persecute the religious Jews. The Chazon Ish replied that Hashem would protect us from evil intentions. He was much more worried about the “candies” they want to give us to lure us away from Torah.
The nisyonos (tests) in Israel today are very difficult. If we let the government carry out their intentions, they will destroy the entire Torah framework that exists in the Holy Land. We must turn to Hashem to help protect us from their influence.
Dinah in a Box
Before meeting Eisav, Yaakov Avinu hid Dinah from him putting her in a box. Yaakov was afraid that when Eisav saw Dinah, he would want to marry her. Despite his good intentions. Chazal tell us that Yaakov was punished for hiding her.
Yaakov’s behavior stemmed from his refusal to compromise his beliefs and seemingly was completely justified. Furthermore, Eisav was over 100 years old and Dinah was a young girl. Why was Yaakov punished for his actions?
Rav Eliyahu Desler explains that although Yaakov’s actions were both justified and correct, he should have had more compassion for his brother. We can compare this to a person who sees someone drowning, but he himself does not know how to swim. The onlooker does not have to risk his own life to save him, but he should at least feel bad that the other person is dying.
So too, Yaakov was right in hiding Dinah from Eisav. Yet, at the same time, he should have felt bad that he could not do something to bring his own twin brother back to the right path. For his lack of concern, Yaakov was punished when Dinah was abducted.
From this incident with Dinah, we see an important lesson in compromise. Even when a person sticks to his principles, he should not let this dull his emotions. We must act in the way the Torah directs us, while at the same time feeling for the suffering of others.
Fighting Angels
The Torah tells us that the night before His encounter with Eisav, Yaakov fought with an angel the whole night. As dawn approached, the malach (angel) asked Yaakov to free him so that he could return to the heavens to sing shirah. What was the special song that the angel had to rush back to sing that morning?
The Tchebiner Rov explains that the malach that Yaakov fought was none other than the Sotan himself. He tries to influence us to sin and at times succeeds. Converng Yaakov, the Soton fought very hard but was unable to influence Yaakov to compromise even an iota.
The Soton’s job is to get us to sin, and success brings him great joy. Yet there is something that causes him even more joy. If he puts up a good fight and through that battle we are able to reach even higher levels of serving Hashem, the Soton has an even greater accomplishment and is even more happy.
The Zohar writes that the injury in the gid hanosheh (sinew) is a sign that the Soton will try and knock out the tomchei Torah, those people who contribute funds to the upkeep of Torah. Today, the world financial scene is difficult. Torah has take a hit, and the Soton continues to battle. We must try and continue to do whatever is in our ability to strengthen Torah learning in Eretz Yisrael and the rest of the world.
The dawn of world history is approaching, and the personal battle of every Jew is becoming more difficult daily. During this time of darkness, we must refuse any compromise that draws us away from Torah and persevere in the struggle that Yaakov started. The degree to which we relentlessly cling to the Torah is the amount of light that we will merit to see when the redemption comes.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Decision Making
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
Holding up the Heavens
Yaakov falls asleep at the future sight of the Beis Hamikdosh. While he is sleeping, he is shown a ladder that rests on the ground but extends up tot the heavens. What was the deeper meaning of this revelation?
Even while a Jew has his feet on the ground, his actions have a ripple effect in the heavens. Every mitzvah that he does during his lifetime has a major affect o the upper worlds. Every Jew is, in essence, a ladder connecting this world to the next.
Yaakov faced constant challenges throughout his lifetime. The choice in these decisions affected not only himself, but the rest of the Jewish people as well. Yaakov successfully navigated these tests, and, as a result, he became the prototype “ladder” connecting this world to the heavens.
Yaakov’s decisions involved education, livelihood, marriage, and a number of other critical choices. These issues are just as important today, and the ability to choose correctly has major repercussions on the life of every Jew. Let us analyze Yaakov’s choices and see if we can apply his decision-making skills to our own lives.
Jewish Education
When Yaakov Avinu set off to Lavan’s home, he had ample funds to help him find a wife and start to build a home. However, on the way, Yaakov encountered Eisav’s son, Elifaz, whom Eisav had sent to kill Yaakov and only by relinquishing all of his money was he able to escape death. Yaakov Avinu understood that, as a result of this, he would now need to work to marry Rochel and Leah.
Yaakov knew that the time at Lavan’s would be fraught with difficult challenges and that before undertaking this endeavor, he would have to raise himself up spiritually. Therefore, before setting out to complete his journey, Yaakov went to learn in the yeshiva of Sheim and Eiver. Only after fourteen yeas of study there did he consider himself ready to deal with the crooked ways of Lavan.
Chazal tell us that during the fourteen years that Yaakov spent in yeshiva, he did not even once go to sleep. Yaakov surely slept, for it s impossible for a person to go more than three days without sleep. What this means, then, is that Yaakov did not deliberately go to sleep, but rather whenever he had no strength left, he collapsed in exhaustion. He was so driven that he did not ever choose to rest from his focused spiritual regimen.
Yaakov’s actions should set a precedent for deciding how to educate our families today. If our children want to enter a career in business, we might think that the most logical way to go about this is to get their work credentials as quickly as possible. We might be tempted to send them to business school at a young age.
From Yaakov we see that this is a mistake. Especially today, the business world is fraught with challenges both in halachah and haskafah. Someone who does not have a solid Torah education under his belt has little chance of overcoming these obstacles.
Appropriating Funds
Hashem gives each of us the money we require for our daily needs. We may feel that our funds are strained and that after all of our expenses have been taken care of, there is no money left for tzedakah. How can we make sure that we will fulfill this mitzvah properly?
“From all that I am given, I will tithe and give to You” (Genesis 28:22). Recognizing that a tenth of our money already belongs to Hashem, we will facilitate the decision to give it away. We are partners with the Alm-ghty in deciding who receives these funds.
We can compare giving maser to produce in Eretz Yisrael, which is forbidden to eat until one separates maser. We should keep in mind that money that has not been tithed, has the same status, and before giving tzedakah, we do not have permission to benefit from it. This recognition will make the decision to give tzedakah easier.
Just as there is an obligation to maser one’s money, there is a mitzvah to give a tenth of one’s time to the needs of the Jewish people. When Rav Sternbuch was a bochur, his Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Moshe Shneider would make every student dedicate at least two hours a week to teaching other students. Rav Shneider called this avodas hakodesh, holy work, for this taught the talmidim the importance of giving oneself over to Klal Yisrael.
A person might think that if he gives up his time, he will lose out from his personal growth. The truth is just the opposite. Rav Shneider related that he say many bochurim whose success came as a direct result of their helping other, weaker students.
Underneath the Beauty
The Torah describes Rochel as “beautiful in face and form” (28:18) Shlomo Hamelech tells us “Beauty is false and charm is fleeting” and, seemingly, these factors would not be Yaakov’s first consideration when choosing a wife. Why does the Torah need to tell us about Roche’s appearance?
The Zohar explains that there are six parts of a person’s body that reveal the truth about a person’s personality. A person’s hair, forehead, face, eyes, lips and palms all contain signs of his spiritual level (Zohar, Yisro 78a). The Arizal was fluent in all six; people feared to stand before him lest he discover the truth about them.
If this was true about the Arizal it certainly applied to Yaakov Avinu. Rochel’s outer grace and charm was a sign of her true inner beauty. Yaakov immediately discerned this and was able to use this understanding to decide to marry her.
Making Sense
One would think that as soon as Yaakov Avinu received direct instructions from Hashem to leave Lavan’s, he would relay this information straight to Rochel and Leah. Yet, we find that Yaakov Avinu went through great effort to explain to his wives why leaving Eretz Yisrael was the most practically sound course of action. Why didn’t he just tell them that Hashem had commanded them to leave?
We can understand Yaakov Avniun’s actions basedon what the Rambam writes in Shemonah Perakijm. The Rambam explains that intellectual understanding is a higher level than only accepting something as a Divine command. Rational acceptance of something as the best course of action motivates a person to focus all of his energy toward carrying it out after this recognition has been reached.
A very gifted bochur once went to the Chazon Ish with the following question: He had been offered a shidduch from a very wealthy family of distinguished lineage. The girl was looking for a boy would learn for a few years and then go to work.
The bochur, on the other hand, was interested in dedicating himself for many years to becoming a talmid chochom. After some thought, the girl agreed to make the sacrifice and to agree to the boy’s conditions. The bochur asked the Chazon Ish if he should go ahead with the shidduch.
The Chazon Ish replied in the negative. If this girl felt that notwithstanding their financial stability she had to sacrifice by being married to a talmid chochom, she would not be able to give herself over for his learning. Only a girl who understood that it was a privilege to marry such a bochur would be able to compliment him in what he was doing.
The Chazon Ish added that a ben Torah should look for a wife who recognizes the great honor and privilege it is to be married to a real talmid chochom. A girl who recognizes this will cherish every minute that she has the opportunity to be part of such a relationship and will not even think of the practical difficulties this entails. Someone who looks at marrying a ben Torah as a sacrifice might easily become discouraged.
The boy heeded the Chazon Ish’s advice and broke off the shidduch. Instead he married a girl from a simpler, less wealthy family. With the help of his dedicated wife, today this bochur is a prominent talmid chochom in Eretz Yisrael.
Changing Angels
Wherever Yaakov traveled, he was accompanied by malachim. As he entered Eretz Yisrael, the angels who had been with him until then departed, and they were replaced by the malachim of Eretz Yisrael. Why was there a need for this changing of the guards?
The level of holiness that exists in Eretz Yisrael is much higher than that of any other place in the world. In order to maintain free choice, the yeitzer harah battles much more fiercely to cause the Jew in Eretz Yisrael to fall. Yaakov received special angels so that he would have extra help to make the difficult decisions that living in Eretz Yisrael requires us to face.
As we enter the final period before the coming of Moshiach, Amaleik is mustering up all of its strength to prevent the final revelation from taking place. A week does not pass during which the Israeli government or some other arm of Amaleik does not institute some new plan to remove any trace of Torah from the Jewish people. The tests that we are given and the decisions that we are forced to make are becoming more and more subtle.
Jews living inside and outside of Eretz Yisrael must make every effort to insure that Amaleik does not topple Torah in the Holy Land. Whatever this entails, we have difficult choices ahead of us to show that we are in truth, affiliated with Hashem and not Amaleik. During these days before Moshiach, we must turn our hearts toward the heavens and ask for Divine assistance to make the decisions that will bring the final redemption quickly.
Holding up the Heavens
Yaakov falls asleep at the future sight of the Beis Hamikdosh. While he is sleeping, he is shown a ladder that rests on the ground but extends up tot the heavens. What was the deeper meaning of this revelation?
Even while a Jew has his feet on the ground, his actions have a ripple effect in the heavens. Every mitzvah that he does during his lifetime has a major affect o the upper worlds. Every Jew is, in essence, a ladder connecting this world to the next.
Yaakov faced constant challenges throughout his lifetime. The choice in these decisions affected not only himself, but the rest of the Jewish people as well. Yaakov successfully navigated these tests, and, as a result, he became the prototype “ladder” connecting this world to the heavens.
Yaakov’s decisions involved education, livelihood, marriage, and a number of other critical choices. These issues are just as important today, and the ability to choose correctly has major repercussions on the life of every Jew. Let us analyze Yaakov’s choices and see if we can apply his decision-making skills to our own lives.
Jewish Education
When Yaakov Avinu set off to Lavan’s home, he had ample funds to help him find a wife and start to build a home. However, on the way, Yaakov encountered Eisav’s son, Elifaz, whom Eisav had sent to kill Yaakov and only by relinquishing all of his money was he able to escape death. Yaakov Avinu understood that, as a result of this, he would now need to work to marry Rochel and Leah.
Yaakov knew that the time at Lavan’s would be fraught with difficult challenges and that before undertaking this endeavor, he would have to raise himself up spiritually. Therefore, before setting out to complete his journey, Yaakov went to learn in the yeshiva of Sheim and Eiver. Only after fourteen yeas of study there did he consider himself ready to deal with the crooked ways of Lavan.
Chazal tell us that during the fourteen years that Yaakov spent in yeshiva, he did not even once go to sleep. Yaakov surely slept, for it s impossible for a person to go more than three days without sleep. What this means, then, is that Yaakov did not deliberately go to sleep, but rather whenever he had no strength left, he collapsed in exhaustion. He was so driven that he did not ever choose to rest from his focused spiritual regimen.
Yaakov’s actions should set a precedent for deciding how to educate our families today. If our children want to enter a career in business, we might think that the most logical way to go about this is to get their work credentials as quickly as possible. We might be tempted to send them to business school at a young age.
From Yaakov we see that this is a mistake. Especially today, the business world is fraught with challenges both in halachah and haskafah. Someone who does not have a solid Torah education under his belt has little chance of overcoming these obstacles.
Appropriating Funds
Hashem gives each of us the money we require for our daily needs. We may feel that our funds are strained and that after all of our expenses have been taken care of, there is no money left for tzedakah. How can we make sure that we will fulfill this mitzvah properly?
“From all that I am given, I will tithe and give to You” (Genesis 28:22). Recognizing that a tenth of our money already belongs to Hashem, we will facilitate the decision to give it away. We are partners with the Alm-ghty in deciding who receives these funds.
We can compare giving maser to produce in Eretz Yisrael, which is forbidden to eat until one separates maser. We should keep in mind that money that has not been tithed, has the same status, and before giving tzedakah, we do not have permission to benefit from it. This recognition will make the decision to give tzedakah easier.
Just as there is an obligation to maser one’s money, there is a mitzvah to give a tenth of one’s time to the needs of the Jewish people. When Rav Sternbuch was a bochur, his Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Moshe Shneider would make every student dedicate at least two hours a week to teaching other students. Rav Shneider called this avodas hakodesh, holy work, for this taught the talmidim the importance of giving oneself over to Klal Yisrael.
A person might think that if he gives up his time, he will lose out from his personal growth. The truth is just the opposite. Rav Shneider related that he say many bochurim whose success came as a direct result of their helping other, weaker students.
Underneath the Beauty
The Torah describes Rochel as “beautiful in face and form” (28:18) Shlomo Hamelech tells us “Beauty is false and charm is fleeting” and, seemingly, these factors would not be Yaakov’s first consideration when choosing a wife. Why does the Torah need to tell us about Roche’s appearance?
The Zohar explains that there are six parts of a person’s body that reveal the truth about a person’s personality. A person’s hair, forehead, face, eyes, lips and palms all contain signs of his spiritual level (Zohar, Yisro 78a). The Arizal was fluent in all six; people feared to stand before him lest he discover the truth about them.
If this was true about the Arizal it certainly applied to Yaakov Avinu. Rochel’s outer grace and charm was a sign of her true inner beauty. Yaakov immediately discerned this and was able to use this understanding to decide to marry her.
Making Sense
One would think that as soon as Yaakov Avinu received direct instructions from Hashem to leave Lavan’s, he would relay this information straight to Rochel and Leah. Yet, we find that Yaakov Avinu went through great effort to explain to his wives why leaving Eretz Yisrael was the most practically sound course of action. Why didn’t he just tell them that Hashem had commanded them to leave?
We can understand Yaakov Avniun’s actions basedon what the Rambam writes in Shemonah Perakijm. The Rambam explains that intellectual understanding is a higher level than only accepting something as a Divine command. Rational acceptance of something as the best course of action motivates a person to focus all of his energy toward carrying it out after this recognition has been reached.
A very gifted bochur once went to the Chazon Ish with the following question: He had been offered a shidduch from a very wealthy family of distinguished lineage. The girl was looking for a boy would learn for a few years and then go to work.
The bochur, on the other hand, was interested in dedicating himself for many years to becoming a talmid chochom. After some thought, the girl agreed to make the sacrifice and to agree to the boy’s conditions. The bochur asked the Chazon Ish if he should go ahead with the shidduch.
The Chazon Ish replied in the negative. If this girl felt that notwithstanding their financial stability she had to sacrifice by being married to a talmid chochom, she would not be able to give herself over for his learning. Only a girl who understood that it was a privilege to marry such a bochur would be able to compliment him in what he was doing.
The Chazon Ish added that a ben Torah should look for a wife who recognizes the great honor and privilege it is to be married to a real talmid chochom. A girl who recognizes this will cherish every minute that she has the opportunity to be part of such a relationship and will not even think of the practical difficulties this entails. Someone who looks at marrying a ben Torah as a sacrifice might easily become discouraged.
The boy heeded the Chazon Ish’s advice and broke off the shidduch. Instead he married a girl from a simpler, less wealthy family. With the help of his dedicated wife, today this bochur is a prominent talmid chochom in Eretz Yisrael.
Changing Angels
Wherever Yaakov traveled, he was accompanied by malachim. As he entered Eretz Yisrael, the angels who had been with him until then departed, and they were replaced by the malachim of Eretz Yisrael. Why was there a need for this changing of the guards?
The level of holiness that exists in Eretz Yisrael is much higher than that of any other place in the world. In order to maintain free choice, the yeitzer harah battles much more fiercely to cause the Jew in Eretz Yisrael to fall. Yaakov received special angels so that he would have extra help to make the difficult decisions that living in Eretz Yisrael requires us to face.
As we enter the final period before the coming of Moshiach, Amaleik is mustering up all of its strength to prevent the final revelation from taking place. A week does not pass during which the Israeli government or some other arm of Amaleik does not institute some new plan to remove any trace of Torah from the Jewish people. The tests that we are given and the decisions that we are forced to make are becoming more and more subtle.
Jews living inside and outside of Eretz Yisrael must make every effort to insure that Amaleik does not topple Torah in the Holy Land. Whatever this entails, we have difficult choices ahead of us to show that we are in truth, affiliated with Hashem and not Amaleik. During these days before Moshiach, we must turn our hearts toward the heavens and ask for Divine assistance to make the decisions that will bring the final redemption quickly.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Raising Twins
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
Yaakov and Eisav are perhaps two of the most divergent brothers we find in the Chumash. Certainly, bringing them up was no easy task. Let us look into their origins and chinuch (education) and see what lessons we can extract to help us raise our own children.
Tzaddik ben Tzaddik
Rashi explains that Hashem accepted the prayers of Yitzchok because he was the son of the righteous Avrohom Avinu, and, therefore, a tzaddik son of a tzaddik. Rifkah, on the other hand, did not have such illustrious lineage. Since here parents were evil, Hashem did not accept her tefillos (prayers).
At first glance, Rashi’s words are difficult to comprehend. Rifkah had to break away from her past and forge her own path in life. Seemingly, her accomplishment was even greater than that of Yitzchok and Hashem should have preferred her prayers to those of her husband. Let us take a deeper look.
Even though Yitzchok was the son of a tzaddik, he did not simply follow in his father’s footsteps. Avrohom excelled in the attribute of chessed, kindness, but Yitzchok forged his own path. He took a completely different route and served Hashem through gevurah, strict justice.
Rifkah’s separation from the evil ways of her family’s household was certainly praiseworthy. However, since Yitzchok also “broke away” from his father, he, too, had this accomplishment to his credit. In some ways, this was even harder than what Rifkah did, for it is even harder to innovate based on the lessons that he gained from his righteous father’s household and forge his own path in life.
Yitzchok had a double merit of having achieved individual greatness as well as having come from illustrious lineage. The synthesis of his righteous father together with his own individual greatness tilted the scales and gave him more merit than his wife Rifkah. For this reason, only his prayers were accepted.
Chavrusah with a Malach
Rashi writes that Rifkah experienced an unusual pregnancy. When she passed by a bais medrash, Yaakov was pulled by the holiness and kicked inside her womb to try and exit. If she be a house of idol worship, Eisav was drawn by the forces of evil to try and get there.
Chazal tell us that while a baby is inside his mother, he learns the entire Torah with an angel. Seemingly, there could be no better situation. What benefit did Yaakov find in the bais medrash that made him so drawn to leave?
We can understand Yaakov’s drive from the following incident with the Vilna Gaon. The Gaon was offered a malach (angel) to teach him Torah, yet he refused. The Gaon said that he did not to be spoon-fed by an angel, and he preferred the toil of learning Torah without the aid of a Divine emissary.
So, too, even though Yaakov Avinu was studying with a malach, he preferred the vibrant experience of a bais medrash. There he could acquire Torah through his own sweat and effort. For this reason, even while he was in his mother’s womb, Yaakov made an effort to leave.
In the same light, we can understand why Eisav threatened to kill Yaakov during the period of mourning for his father Yitzchok. Even though a mourner is permitted to study Torah, he cannot do so with the same depth that everyone else can. Only Torah learned with all of one’s energies and efforts has the ability to protect one from danger.
Nothing too Small
The Torah tells us that by selling the birthright, Eisav was mevazeh the bechorah (he scorned his birthright). Chazal tell us that on that very same day, Eisav committed the three cardinal transgressions of murder, idol worship and immorality. After we have already been told that Eisav was evil, what does it add to know that he also disgraced the privileges of his birthright?
We can understand this through another story about the Vilna Gaon. Before the famous righteous convert Avrohom ben Avrohom was killed, the Gaon went to visit him. The Gaon took with him fruit and whiskey in order to celebrate this great mitzvah of dying al Kiddush Hashem (sanctifying G-d’s name)
One of the guards in the prison was Jewish, and the Gaon asked him to make a bracha before he partook of the food. The guard told the Gaon that he was completely unobservant. What difference would it make if he recited a bracha or not?
The Gaon told the guard that he was mistaken. Hashem takes every detail of one’s life into consideration before meting out punishment. Even a person steeped in sin will not escape judgment on the smallest acts.
So, too, even after Eisav committed murder, worshiped idols and acted immorally, he would not be absolved for his other actions. He would still be held accountable for the relatively minor act of disgracing the bechorah.
Rav Yisroel Salanter had a son who drifted away from Torah observance and started to attend the university in Mamel, where they were living. Rav Yisroel asked his wife to take a position as the cook in the college. This way, at least their son would not be eating non-kosher food.
Believer or Not
Eisav is an extremely difficult personality to figure out. On one hand, he understood the value of Yaakov’s blessings and had a deep desire to acquire them. This implies that Eisav was a ma’amin,that he really believed in Hashem.
On the other hand, Chazal tell us that Eisav was a kofer, that he denied the fundamental principles of the Torah. From the way that Eisav’s personality and actions are described, this portrayal as a non-believer seems to be accurate. How can we reconcile these two descriptions?
In truth, Eisav, the son of the righteous Yitzchok, was a true believer in Hashem and the World to Come. However, Eisav had his own life philosophy. He felt that while one should certainly work hard to earn a portion in the World to Come, he should simultaneously enjoy this world as much as possible.
Yitzchok, Rifkah, Yaakov and others tried to influence Eisav with words of musar in order to redirect him onto the correct path in life. Eisav pretended that he was a non-believer so that others would give up hope on him and stop trying to influence him. While Eisav was a believer inside, he made himself appear as a non-believer on the outside so that he would be able to continue his erroneous way of life.
Playing Along
Chazal tell us that Eisav was constantly attempting to deceive Yitzchok. He would ask him intricate questions regarding tithing straw and salt, as well as other complicated halachic issues. This was all a ploy to build a false image of himself in his father’s eyes.
In truth, Yitzchok saw through this whole bluff, but went along with the charade. He knew that if he pushed Eisav away, the situation would worsen and there would be no chance to bring him back. For this reason, Yitzchok treated Eisav with great honor and respect.
We can see Yitzchok’s true intention from the way that the Torah describes Yitzchok’s interaction with Eisav. The Torah says that Yitzchok loved (veye’ehav_ Eisav, expressing that Yitzchok’s love for Eisav was only while he was around, so as not to distance him. When describing Rifkah’s love of Yaakov, the Torah writes oheves, i.e. that she loved him all the time, since Yaakov was worthy of her affection (Genesis 25:28).
Yitzchok’s plan bore fruit, for Chazal tell us that the Tanaim felt that the honor they afforded their parents paled compared to how Eisav dealt with Yitzchok. Eisav even had special clothes that he wore when he served his father. Yitzchok’s actions did accomplish something: at least Eisav behaved properly when he was around his father.
Blessings of Wealth
The Alter of Novardok compared this world to an expensive hotel. A person can order as much as he wants and seemingly does not have to pay a cent. Only at the end of his whole stay does he receive a bill charging him in full for everything he ordered.
So, too, a person can take whatever pleasures he desires from this world. However, he should remember that he will be charged. When he gets to the next world, a full accounting will be made.
Yitzchok wanted to give Yaakov the blessings for the World to Come, but not for this world. He felt that giving Yaakov brachos for this world would end up running up an expensive bill for him and this would detract from his reward in the World to Come. Therefore, the blessings for wealth he saved for Eisav, who was not destined for the next world in any case.
Rikah understood that a tzaddik also needs money to study Torah with peace of mind. She wanted Yaakov to get the blessing for this world and the next. Yet, she had to make sure that when Yaakov received the brochos, he would not take a loss for the next world.
How did she solve this problem? She had Yaakov come to Yitzchok as if he were Eisav. In this way, Yaakov would not receive these blessings in them merit of the fact that he was Yaakov, with all of his personal achievements. Instead, he would receive them as if he were merely a son of Yitzchok. Thus, these brachos would not be considered as part of Yaakov’s portion, and they would not take away from his reward in the next world.
Bringing up two sons as radically different as Yaakov and Eisav was certainly a great challenge for Yitzchok and Rifkah. Even if our children are not as diverse, everyone presents us with a great challenge of educating him or her according to his or her own unique personality. We can learn from the efforts of the avos and imahos how to make sure that our children will grow up to serve Hashem properly.
Yaakov and Eisav are perhaps two of the most divergent brothers we find in the Chumash. Certainly, bringing them up was no easy task. Let us look into their origins and chinuch (education) and see what lessons we can extract to help us raise our own children.
Tzaddik ben Tzaddik
Rashi explains that Hashem accepted the prayers of Yitzchok because he was the son of the righteous Avrohom Avinu, and, therefore, a tzaddik son of a tzaddik. Rifkah, on the other hand, did not have such illustrious lineage. Since here parents were evil, Hashem did not accept her tefillos (prayers).
At first glance, Rashi’s words are difficult to comprehend. Rifkah had to break away from her past and forge her own path in life. Seemingly, her accomplishment was even greater than that of Yitzchok and Hashem should have preferred her prayers to those of her husband. Let us take a deeper look.
Even though Yitzchok was the son of a tzaddik, he did not simply follow in his father’s footsteps. Avrohom excelled in the attribute of chessed, kindness, but Yitzchok forged his own path. He took a completely different route and served Hashem through gevurah, strict justice.
Rifkah’s separation from the evil ways of her family’s household was certainly praiseworthy. However, since Yitzchok also “broke away” from his father, he, too, had this accomplishment to his credit. In some ways, this was even harder than what Rifkah did, for it is even harder to innovate based on the lessons that he gained from his righteous father’s household and forge his own path in life.
Yitzchok had a double merit of having achieved individual greatness as well as having come from illustrious lineage. The synthesis of his righteous father together with his own individual greatness tilted the scales and gave him more merit than his wife Rifkah. For this reason, only his prayers were accepted.
Chavrusah with a Malach
Rashi writes that Rifkah experienced an unusual pregnancy. When she passed by a bais medrash, Yaakov was pulled by the holiness and kicked inside her womb to try and exit. If she be a house of idol worship, Eisav was drawn by the forces of evil to try and get there.
Chazal tell us that while a baby is inside his mother, he learns the entire Torah with an angel. Seemingly, there could be no better situation. What benefit did Yaakov find in the bais medrash that made him so drawn to leave?
We can understand Yaakov’s drive from the following incident with the Vilna Gaon. The Gaon was offered a malach (angel) to teach him Torah, yet he refused. The Gaon said that he did not to be spoon-fed by an angel, and he preferred the toil of learning Torah without the aid of a Divine emissary.
So, too, even though Yaakov Avinu was studying with a malach, he preferred the vibrant experience of a bais medrash. There he could acquire Torah through his own sweat and effort. For this reason, even while he was in his mother’s womb, Yaakov made an effort to leave.
In the same light, we can understand why Eisav threatened to kill Yaakov during the period of mourning for his father Yitzchok. Even though a mourner is permitted to study Torah, he cannot do so with the same depth that everyone else can. Only Torah learned with all of one’s energies and efforts has the ability to protect one from danger.
Nothing too Small
The Torah tells us that by selling the birthright, Eisav was mevazeh the bechorah (he scorned his birthright). Chazal tell us that on that very same day, Eisav committed the three cardinal transgressions of murder, idol worship and immorality. After we have already been told that Eisav was evil, what does it add to know that he also disgraced the privileges of his birthright?
We can understand this through another story about the Vilna Gaon. Before the famous righteous convert Avrohom ben Avrohom was killed, the Gaon went to visit him. The Gaon took with him fruit and whiskey in order to celebrate this great mitzvah of dying al Kiddush Hashem (sanctifying G-d’s name)
One of the guards in the prison was Jewish, and the Gaon asked him to make a bracha before he partook of the food. The guard told the Gaon that he was completely unobservant. What difference would it make if he recited a bracha or not?
The Gaon told the guard that he was mistaken. Hashem takes every detail of one’s life into consideration before meting out punishment. Even a person steeped in sin will not escape judgment on the smallest acts.
So, too, even after Eisav committed murder, worshiped idols and acted immorally, he would not be absolved for his other actions. He would still be held accountable for the relatively minor act of disgracing the bechorah.
Rav Yisroel Salanter had a son who drifted away from Torah observance and started to attend the university in Mamel, where they were living. Rav Yisroel asked his wife to take a position as the cook in the college. This way, at least their son would not be eating non-kosher food.
Believer or Not
Eisav is an extremely difficult personality to figure out. On one hand, he understood the value of Yaakov’s blessings and had a deep desire to acquire them. This implies that Eisav was a ma’amin,that he really believed in Hashem.
On the other hand, Chazal tell us that Eisav was a kofer, that he denied the fundamental principles of the Torah. From the way that Eisav’s personality and actions are described, this portrayal as a non-believer seems to be accurate. How can we reconcile these two descriptions?
In truth, Eisav, the son of the righteous Yitzchok, was a true believer in Hashem and the World to Come. However, Eisav had his own life philosophy. He felt that while one should certainly work hard to earn a portion in the World to Come, he should simultaneously enjoy this world as much as possible.
Yitzchok, Rifkah, Yaakov and others tried to influence Eisav with words of musar in order to redirect him onto the correct path in life. Eisav pretended that he was a non-believer so that others would give up hope on him and stop trying to influence him. While Eisav was a believer inside, he made himself appear as a non-believer on the outside so that he would be able to continue his erroneous way of life.
Playing Along
Chazal tell us that Eisav was constantly attempting to deceive Yitzchok. He would ask him intricate questions regarding tithing straw and salt, as well as other complicated halachic issues. This was all a ploy to build a false image of himself in his father’s eyes.
In truth, Yitzchok saw through this whole bluff, but went along with the charade. He knew that if he pushed Eisav away, the situation would worsen and there would be no chance to bring him back. For this reason, Yitzchok treated Eisav with great honor and respect.
We can see Yitzchok’s true intention from the way that the Torah describes Yitzchok’s interaction with Eisav. The Torah says that Yitzchok loved (veye’ehav_ Eisav, expressing that Yitzchok’s love for Eisav was only while he was around, so as not to distance him. When describing Rifkah’s love of Yaakov, the Torah writes oheves, i.e. that she loved him all the time, since Yaakov was worthy of her affection (Genesis 25:28).
Yitzchok’s plan bore fruit, for Chazal tell us that the Tanaim felt that the honor they afforded their parents paled compared to how Eisav dealt with Yitzchok. Eisav even had special clothes that he wore when he served his father. Yitzchok’s actions did accomplish something: at least Eisav behaved properly when he was around his father.
Blessings of Wealth
The Alter of Novardok compared this world to an expensive hotel. A person can order as much as he wants and seemingly does not have to pay a cent. Only at the end of his whole stay does he receive a bill charging him in full for everything he ordered.
So, too, a person can take whatever pleasures he desires from this world. However, he should remember that he will be charged. When he gets to the next world, a full accounting will be made.
Yitzchok wanted to give Yaakov the blessings for the World to Come, but not for this world. He felt that giving Yaakov brachos for this world would end up running up an expensive bill for him and this would detract from his reward in the World to Come. Therefore, the blessings for wealth he saved for Eisav, who was not destined for the next world in any case.
Rikah understood that a tzaddik also needs money to study Torah with peace of mind. She wanted Yaakov to get the blessing for this world and the next. Yet, she had to make sure that when Yaakov received the brochos, he would not take a loss for the next world.
How did she solve this problem? She had Yaakov come to Yitzchok as if he were Eisav. In this way, Yaakov would not receive these blessings in them merit of the fact that he was Yaakov, with all of his personal achievements. Instead, he would receive them as if he were merely a son of Yitzchok. Thus, these brachos would not be considered as part of Yaakov’s portion, and they would not take away from his reward in the next world.
Bringing up two sons as radically different as Yaakov and Eisav was certainly a great challenge for Yitzchok and Rifkah. Even if our children are not as diverse, everyone presents us with a great challenge of educating him or her according to his or her own unique personality. We can learn from the efforts of the avos and imahos how to make sure that our children will grow up to serve Hashem properly.
Finding One's Spouse
By Rav Moshe Sternbuch
A matter of Trust
Yitzchok was the sole heir to all that Avroham Avinu had accomplished in his lifetime. Certainly, who his wife would be would have a major affect on the history of the Jewish people. One would think that Avrohom would view this task with the greatest severity and undertake this job himself.
In this light, Avrohom’s choice of Eliezer to find a spouse for Yitzchok is a little startling. Eliezer was an eved Canaani, a nation known for their corruption and dishonesty. How could Avrohom give over such an important task to Eliezer?
Eliezer was different from any other Canaani and Avrohom trusted him blindly. The proof to his integrity is that Avrohom wrote out a deed on all of his belongings and gave it to Eliezer to show Rifkah’s family. Just as Avrohom trusted Eliezer with all of his possessions he relied on him to find the proper wife for Yitzchok.
Some of us are very quick to trust otherws when it comes to information about our children’s future marriage partner or other religious matters. Yet, when it comes to depositing large sums of money by the same individuals, we will be far less trusting. The following incident sheds light on the connection between these two circumstances.
When Rav Sternbuch was n eighteen-year-old bochur, he had to spend some time in France. Rav Sternbuch did not speak a word of French and had difficulty in the station catching his return train. As a result, he missed it and had to spend Shabbos in France.
Rav Sternbuch went to a hotel and booked meals for Shabbos. However, before Shabbos, he went to speak to the great gaon and rosh yeshiva, Rav Mordechai Pogramansky. Rav Pogramansky asked the young Rav Sternbuch how he could trust the kashrus of the hotel, to which Rav Sternbuch replied that they had a reliable hechsher and a good reputation.
Rav Pogramansky told Rav Sternbuch, “Kashrus means checking for bugs and making sure that every other detail of the Shulchan Aruch is taken care of. Would you trust them with $5,000 (then a small fortune)? If you would not deposit $5,000 with them, then you certainly should not trust their kashrus, which is much more valuable!”
When it comes to shidduchim, kashrus and any other Torah issue, we should be careful whom we trust. A person should not blindly accept whatever anyone says. We should be just as careful with spiritual matters as we would be with our financial portfolios.
Remaining Inspired
As soon as Avrohom finished speaking, Eliezer set off to find a wife for Yitzchok. Rashi says that the miracle of kefitzas haderech (shortening of the road) transpired, and shortly after he left, Eliezer was already in Aram Naharayim. Why was it necessary for Hashem to perform a special miracle?
The Belzer Rov explains that Eliezer was a devout chossid of Avrohom Avinu. As such, he was willing to be moser nefesh, literally give over his life, for whatever Avrohom asked him. Avrohom knew that Eliezer would give his all to find the right shidduch for Ytizchok.
One cannot compare the level of elation that a person has right after speaking to his rebbe to a short time afterwards after the excitement has worn off. While Eliezer was looking for the right match, Hashem wanted him to maintain the same level of elation that he had when speaking to Avrohom. Therefore, as soon as Eliezer finished speaking to his master, Hashem made kefitzas haderech and he immediately started looking for Yitzchok’s spouse.
Hashem’s actions help us understand the proper way to go about looking for a shidduch. We should involve people who are excited about our children and will put all of their energies into helping us. They will go the extra mile for our sons and daughters, and the Torah considers this proper histadlus.
Inflexibility
When Eliezer went to look for a match for Yitzchok, he chose to make a test regarding the attribute of kindness. There are many qualities to consider when choosing a spouse. Why did Eliezer focus on this one?
Although chesed was certainly important, Eliezer was looking for another attribute as well. He wanted to see how gentle Rifkah was and whether she was an akshan, inflexible. He was hoping that this situation would bring out her true nature and he could see if she was flexible or not.
Rifkah passed her test with excellence. She offered to water all of Eliezer’s camels, a task which no akshan would even consider. In addition, she spoke in a pleasant and refined way, showing that she was a gentle person.
Rav Sternbuch once asked the Chazon Ish what one should look for in a spouse. The Chazon Ish replied that certainly fear of Heaven is critical. However, said the Chazon Ish, the most important thing to look for is that she should not be an akshan, i.e. that she is flexible.
Living with an akshan is extremely taxing, for this characteristic may cause a person to get angry over every minor issue. If one is flexible, then the couple can always come to terms and agree about how they should act. They will have true domestic tranquility and blessing will illuminate their household.
Listening to Elders
Chazal tell us that before Avrohom Avinu, there was no aging. A young person looked the same as someone much older. As a result, it was difficult to distinguish between youth and elders.
Avrohom Avinu asked that aging should be noticeable. This way it would be possible to honor individuals who had spent their life growing in their fear of Heaven and acquiring wisdom. Hashem responded and instituted the concept of aging.
When it comes to questions about shidduchim, or any other issue that may be important in our lives, the address to turn to is the gedolim of Klal Yisrael. Through their years of toiling in Torah and working on Yiras Shomayim, they have been granted the wisdom to guide us. We should recognize their greatness and make use of this valuable resource.
The secular world views older people as a burden to society. In fact, when Chaim Weitzman served as the prime minister of Israel, he encouraged youth to come and turned away the elderly. He saw the elderly as useless in his long-term goal of building the State of Israel.
When Rav Moshe Shneider, Rav Sternbuch’s rosh yeshiva, tried to get an entrance visa into Israel, the government told him that they did not need to let in old people who were merely going to die in the land. Rav Shneider replied to them that by abandoning the Torah, they were already dead in the land. He was the one who as alive and most fitting to live in Eretz Yisrael.
Good Days
Rashi tell us that when Sarah was 100, she was like 20 as far as her number of transgressions and when she was 20, she was like 7 In the purity of her beauty. Rashi concludes that all of Sarah’s days were “equally good.” What is the deeper meaning of this description?
Sarah did not have an easy life. Twice she was abducted by kings and she was a partner in many of the other trials of Avraham Avinu. Yet, during this time, she remained happy and was a faithful and dedicated wife to her husband.
Chazal tell us that no evil comes from Above. The Chofetz Chaim explains that, in truth, everything that Hashem does is good. Our level of perception is extremely limited and we do not understand what takes place.
Especially when it comes to shidduchim, a person can get extremely frustrated. Just when it looks like our child is about to go out or get engaged, some snag comes about and the shidduch is over. If we adopt Sarah’s positive world outlook and look for the good in every situation, all of our days will be “equal in goodness”.
A matter of Trust
Yitzchok was the sole heir to all that Avroham Avinu had accomplished in his lifetime. Certainly, who his wife would be would have a major affect on the history of the Jewish people. One would think that Avrohom would view this task with the greatest severity and undertake this job himself.
In this light, Avrohom’s choice of Eliezer to find a spouse for Yitzchok is a little startling. Eliezer was an eved Canaani, a nation known for their corruption and dishonesty. How could Avrohom give over such an important task to Eliezer?
Eliezer was different from any other Canaani and Avrohom trusted him blindly. The proof to his integrity is that Avrohom wrote out a deed on all of his belongings and gave it to Eliezer to show Rifkah’s family. Just as Avrohom trusted Eliezer with all of his possessions he relied on him to find the proper wife for Yitzchok.
Some of us are very quick to trust otherws when it comes to information about our children’s future marriage partner or other religious matters. Yet, when it comes to depositing large sums of money by the same individuals, we will be far less trusting. The following incident sheds light on the connection between these two circumstances.
When Rav Sternbuch was n eighteen-year-old bochur, he had to spend some time in France. Rav Sternbuch did not speak a word of French and had difficulty in the station catching his return train. As a result, he missed it and had to spend Shabbos in France.
Rav Sternbuch went to a hotel and booked meals for Shabbos. However, before Shabbos, he went to speak to the great gaon and rosh yeshiva, Rav Mordechai Pogramansky. Rav Pogramansky asked the young Rav Sternbuch how he could trust the kashrus of the hotel, to which Rav Sternbuch replied that they had a reliable hechsher and a good reputation.
Rav Pogramansky told Rav Sternbuch, “Kashrus means checking for bugs and making sure that every other detail of the Shulchan Aruch is taken care of. Would you trust them with $5,000 (then a small fortune)? If you would not deposit $5,000 with them, then you certainly should not trust their kashrus, which is much more valuable!”
When it comes to shidduchim, kashrus and any other Torah issue, we should be careful whom we trust. A person should not blindly accept whatever anyone says. We should be just as careful with spiritual matters as we would be with our financial portfolios.
Remaining Inspired
As soon as Avrohom finished speaking, Eliezer set off to find a wife for Yitzchok. Rashi says that the miracle of kefitzas haderech (shortening of the road) transpired, and shortly after he left, Eliezer was already in Aram Naharayim. Why was it necessary for Hashem to perform a special miracle?
The Belzer Rov explains that Eliezer was a devout chossid of Avrohom Avinu. As such, he was willing to be moser nefesh, literally give over his life, for whatever Avrohom asked him. Avrohom knew that Eliezer would give his all to find the right shidduch for Ytizchok.
One cannot compare the level of elation that a person has right after speaking to his rebbe to a short time afterwards after the excitement has worn off. While Eliezer was looking for the right match, Hashem wanted him to maintain the same level of elation that he had when speaking to Avrohom. Therefore, as soon as Eliezer finished speaking to his master, Hashem made kefitzas haderech and he immediately started looking for Yitzchok’s spouse.
Hashem’s actions help us understand the proper way to go about looking for a shidduch. We should involve people who are excited about our children and will put all of their energies into helping us. They will go the extra mile for our sons and daughters, and the Torah considers this proper histadlus.
Inflexibility
When Eliezer went to look for a match for Yitzchok, he chose to make a test regarding the attribute of kindness. There are many qualities to consider when choosing a spouse. Why did Eliezer focus on this one?
Although chesed was certainly important, Eliezer was looking for another attribute as well. He wanted to see how gentle Rifkah was and whether she was an akshan, inflexible. He was hoping that this situation would bring out her true nature and he could see if she was flexible or not.
Rifkah passed her test with excellence. She offered to water all of Eliezer’s camels, a task which no akshan would even consider. In addition, she spoke in a pleasant and refined way, showing that she was a gentle person.
Rav Sternbuch once asked the Chazon Ish what one should look for in a spouse. The Chazon Ish replied that certainly fear of Heaven is critical. However, said the Chazon Ish, the most important thing to look for is that she should not be an akshan, i.e. that she is flexible.
Living with an akshan is extremely taxing, for this characteristic may cause a person to get angry over every minor issue. If one is flexible, then the couple can always come to terms and agree about how they should act. They will have true domestic tranquility and blessing will illuminate their household.
Listening to Elders
Chazal tell us that before Avrohom Avinu, there was no aging. A young person looked the same as someone much older. As a result, it was difficult to distinguish between youth and elders.
Avrohom Avinu asked that aging should be noticeable. This way it would be possible to honor individuals who had spent their life growing in their fear of Heaven and acquiring wisdom. Hashem responded and instituted the concept of aging.
When it comes to questions about shidduchim, or any other issue that may be important in our lives, the address to turn to is the gedolim of Klal Yisrael. Through their years of toiling in Torah and working on Yiras Shomayim, they have been granted the wisdom to guide us. We should recognize their greatness and make use of this valuable resource.
The secular world views older people as a burden to society. In fact, when Chaim Weitzman served as the prime minister of Israel, he encouraged youth to come and turned away the elderly. He saw the elderly as useless in his long-term goal of building the State of Israel.
When Rav Moshe Shneider, Rav Sternbuch’s rosh yeshiva, tried to get an entrance visa into Israel, the government told him that they did not need to let in old people who were merely going to die in the land. Rav Shneider replied to them that by abandoning the Torah, they were already dead in the land. He was the one who as alive and most fitting to live in Eretz Yisrael.
Good Days
Rashi tell us that when Sarah was 100, she was like 20 as far as her number of transgressions and when she was 20, she was like 7 In the purity of her beauty. Rashi concludes that all of Sarah’s days were “equally good.” What is the deeper meaning of this description?
Sarah did not have an easy life. Twice she was abducted by kings and she was a partner in many of the other trials of Avraham Avinu. Yet, during this time, she remained happy and was a faithful and dedicated wife to her husband.
Chazal tell us that no evil comes from Above. The Chofetz Chaim explains that, in truth, everything that Hashem does is good. Our level of perception is extremely limited and we do not understand what takes place.
Especially when it comes to shidduchim, a person can get extremely frustrated. Just when it looks like our child is about to go out or get engaged, some snag comes about and the shidduch is over. If we adopt Sarah’s positive world outlook and look for the good in every situation, all of our days will be “equal in goodness”.
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