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We are in the process of adding audio shiurim to this site, so that you will be able to listen to some of my classes given in Yerushalayim. This has been one of my goals in establishing this site, to connect you, my dear friends and students, with learning here in Eretz Yisrael. I hope the audio will make your Torah learning more meaningful and convenient.
I am planning my upcoming trip to the U.S. and am arranging my teaching schedule there. Please be in contact with me as soon as possible if you would like me to speak in your community. The tentative dates are from Sept 23-Oct 8.
We are also opening the ‘comments’ section of this site and its blog capacities, to allow for discussion of the Divrei Torah and interaction between you all.
Have a great Shabbat, and be in touch!
BSD SHABBAT CHAZON 5767 YERUSHALAYIM IH’K
MISHENICHNAS AV MIMA’ATIN BESIMCHA –when the month of Av enters, we diminish joy. This is reflected in Halacha- we don’t make weddings, don’t celebrate with music, refrain from activities of levity and merriment, refrain from eating meat and drinking wine. Nevertheless, a Jew cannot live without Simcha. We are not allowed to fall into despair and depression. The Baal Shem Tov taught that the impurity that falls upon a sad, despondent, and unnecessarily depressed person is stronger than the impurity of the worst sin. And so, what is the posture of a Jew during the Nine Days, between Rosh Chodesh Av and Tisha B’Av?
Years ago, I had the great zechut of speaking to R’Yaakov Meir Schechter, a great Tzaddik and Mekubal here in Yerushalyim. One of the things he ezxplained was about the nature of Simcha- joy. There is a difference between joy and merriment. The Mitzva of the Torah is to be in a state of Simcha at all times- this does not mean to be cheerful, or lively. Simcha is closely connected to Shalva which is more like tranquility. The Rav said that a person who really trusts Hashem and knows that everything, absolutely everything, is ultimately for the best, can relax and stay calm. This is Simcha- a calm, trusting demeanor which in turn empowers a Jew to do their inner work with confidence.
Therefore, the Baal Shem Tov taught that the way to diminish all harsh judgments is to remain in a state of Simcha- in a trusting, confident and wholesome closeness to Hashem. Mishenichnas Av- when the month of Av enters and we understand and remember our losses and our errors, MiMatin- we diminish the harshness of the time, BeSimcha- with inner quiet, joy born of Emuna and Bitachon.
Eretz Yisrael, the
Land of
Israel responds to Jews only, even to secular Jews. Before the
establishment of an independent Jewish government, this land was
barren. Malaria plagued, bug infested, parched, she did not produce
enough food to sustain a population. Even water was bought from
Arabs. In the half century of Jewish independence, the Land has
flowered, blossomed, produced. We are agriculturally wealthy and
exporters of beautiful produce. And the heroes of this Land are
prepared to sacrifice even more to keep Her children within Her
borders.
The Kedushas Levi teaches that when Mashiach will come, and we will
celebrate Tisha B'Av as a Yom Tov, we will then read Megillas Eicha
with the Bracha of Shehecheyanu. We will see then, that all the
trouble we suffered was mysteriously a cover up for the blessed
process of Geula revelation. Now, we read the Pesukim of Eicha and
only see their pain and tragic memories, yet at the end of time, we
will understand deeper. He gives an example. The first Passuk
says, "Alas, how alone she sits, the city that was once so full of
people." This can be alternatively read as, "How could it be that
this city was so deserted, which is now so full of people." The
Rebbe says that the Passuk "Ein Menachem La- there is no comfort for
her," means that at the end of time, there will be no comfort for
Yerushalayim because there will be no need for comfort. All pain
will be forgotten in the ecstasy of Geula.
The Kotsker Rebbe elaborates on this idea. He says that Yirmiyahu
Hanavi alone understood the tragic loss of the Bais Hamikdash, while
even the greatest Jews did not comprehend the depth of their loss.
It's like when a young child loses a parent. The child is sad, but
with an immature comprehension of his loss. Only an adult truly
understands the greatness of the loss. So, Yirmiyahu was broken to
his core. At that point, the only thing he could do to prevent
himself from falling into total depression and despair, was to go
back to simple basics. Simple Aleph Bais, the Aleph of Emuna, the
Bais of Bitachon. This is why he wrote Eicha in alphabetical order.
Furthermore, says the Kotsker, the Aleph Bais teaches us profound
lessons in attitude. Take any word in Lashon Kodesh, permute the
letters, and you get other related or corresponding or complementary
words. Lashon Kodesh and the Aleph Bait are the primary energetic
building blocks of the universe. The energy can be rearranged to
create new entities. So too, says the Rebbe, Yirmiyahu sought to
hint to us, by using Aleph Bait order, that events can be re-framed
and change in appearance and result.
The famous story of Rabbi Akiva and his companions walking near the
Har Habayit and seeing the fox emerge from the Holy of Holiest
illustrates this. Rabbi Akiva laughed, the others cried. They
thought he had gone mad from pain, and asked him why he laughed; he
asked them why they cried. "How can we not, seeing the destruction
of our very core?" He answered, "Just as the prophecy of Churban has
come true, so will the prophecy of Geula come true. We are only
seeing the groundbreaking ceremony which must always precede the
actual rebuilding of a site."
The Kedushas Levi teaches that, besides the lesson of seeing the
good in every event, and having total trust in Hashem, that there is
another lesson here. A lesson most relevant to today, to right now.
He teaches that animals always thrive in unpopulated areas. When
humans encroach on empty land, the animals flee. When humans abandon
territory and move away, the animals slowly return. This is built
into nature and animals are sensitive to the Divine Will which
allows man dominion over them.
My apartment in Har Nof overlooks the
Jerusalem forest. Late at
night, when the traffic quiets, the animals begin to peek out and
walk around. I have heard the most fascinating sounds, animal cries,
noises. Deer, foxes, wild dogs, animals that I have a hard time
identifying begin to wander around the periphery of the forest. As
soon as the dawn approaches, the sounds cease, the animals retreat
to their hiding places deep within the woods, and human machines
take over.
Animals fear human dominion. In the time of Rabbi Akiva, the Romans
were the governors of
Israel. The Har Habayit was swarming with
them. Yerushalayim was a Roman city. And yet, the animals roamed the
city. To them, to the animals, the only humans to fear, to respect,
to move over for, are the rightful owners of the land. To animals,
Romans were foreign to
Israel, as foreign as the animals themselves.
Rabbi Akiva took comfort in this, saying that the animals are
reflecting the natural attitude of the Land, who responds to
Israel
only. When Jews are not in charge of this land, it is as if it in
empty. The prophecy Rabbi Akiva referred to has been fulfilled in
our very day. When Jews returned to the Land, She awoke from Her
Galus and began to respond, to live, to be redeemed. Even though the
government is still in exile, the Land has been reborn.
Rabbi Akiva taught us to laugh in the face of pain, to realize that
what appears as a Churban is in truth, preparation for something
much greater than we had before.
Eicha Yashva Badad. Alas, how she sits alone. The Rebbe from Zitomir
comments, again in the same vein, that this Passuk can also be read
in a positive way. Eicha is an unusual word. It is a play on the
word, Eich, which means, `how'. We have the letters of the word
Eicha, read Ayecha in the conversation that Hashem had with Adam
after the Chet, when Hashem asks Adam where he is. Ayecka implies
looking deep into yourself, looking below the surface.
So, Yirmiyahu Hanavi begins his Megilla with an unusual word form,
begging us to look deeper into things. Indeed, for him to retain his
sanity, his equilibrium and the inner tranquility needed to compose
a Ruach Hakodesh work, he had to look deeply beneath the surface of
Churban.
The Rebbe teaches that Eicha Yashva means, Eich Hay, Yashuv Hay.
How can we bring Hashem into our lives? The answer- Badad. This is
usually translated as alone, a state of existential loneliness or
aloneness. It is also the root of the word Hitbodedut, which means
meditation. We are a nation that dwells apart from the ways of the
other nations. But Badad also is an acronym for another famous
Passuk in Mishlei- Bechol Derachecha Da'Eyhu. Know and integrate
Hashem in all your ways. Bring Him wherever you go. Into every
thought, every action, every dream. Every event is a way to see the
Yad Hashem, to feel the Divine hug.
The Tzaddikim teach that a person can actually see, sense or intuit the third and final Bait Hamikdash on Shabbos Chazon. Whatever this means to regular people like us, may it be a Shabbat of blessing, bringing a clarity and an ablity to daven deeper, with more concentration, with more feeling and connection. My we be able to meditate on the greatness of Hashem, on how the entire creation is nothing compared to Him, and on the fact that despite the infinity of Hashem, the Ain Sof of Hashem, He loves us, cares about us and waits patiently for us to open our minds and hearts to His Geula.
May this Tisha B'Av bring each of us, and the entire creation to the
next level of Geula, and may we be totally redeemed now. May we each
break through our internal mental and emotional barriers and see
that we are in Geula already, and may we be empowered thus to
proudly proclaim before the entire world, Hashem Elokeinu Hashem
Echad.
BSD PARSHAT PINCHAS YERUSHALAYIM IH’K
Chazal teach that Pinchas is Eliyahu Hanavi and his appearance in our Parsha indicates his appearance in our life. He is the herald of the good news that our Geula is indeed here. May we quickly see him, hear him and truly believe him.
The Gemara in Brachos says that if you see Pinchas in a dream, a wonder will be performed for you, as it was for the biblical Pinchas.
What was this special Middah of Pinchas that puts him in such an exalted place? How was it that he remembered a Halacha that Moshe Rabbeinu himself couldn’t remember? And why should an act of killing, even Leshaim Shamayim earn him the right to enter into an eternal Bris of Shalom with He who values Shalom above all?
The Torah relates that a census of Bnai Yisrael was taken at the beginning of Sefer Bamidbar, and here, after all the events of Balak, and Zimri, with their respective deadly results, another counting was taken. Besides the obvious need to see and encourage those who survived, there is another mystery in our being counted. R Gedalya Shor taught that the first counting in Bamidbar is to teach us that we each have a letter, a portion, a soul root in the Written Torah. The counting in our Parsha is to indicate that each of us has a portion in the Oral Torah, and a portion in Eretz Yisrael.
Moshe Rabbeinu did not enter into Eretz Yisrael. Pinchas did. This is why Pinchas was able to access a Halacha regarding a Birur, a clarification, of the Dor who inherited the Land.
We are taught that had Moshe Rabbeinu entered The Land, he would have made a bond, a Kinyan between Knesset Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael that never could have been broken. Thus, if we were not living in a way that allowed us to remain here, a destruction of cosmic proportions would have been necessary to make the proper Tikun.
Furthermore, Chazal teach that we were charged by our Master to leave our
Holy Land, the source of our soul, the root of our joy. We were to spread throughout the world and collect those souls, those sparks of Kedusha that were sprinkled throughout creation after the expulsion of Adam from Gan Eden. Had Moshe Rabbeinu entered with us into The Land, we never would have left. These sections of Godliness would have remained unredeemed, and the world would not have been exposed to the teachings of the Torah.
The Zohar teaches that the leader of every generation is the Moshe Rabbeinu of the generation. There is literally a manifestation of Moshe Rabbeinu in every generation. Since we’re not expecting any more dispersion from Eretz Yisrael, it’s probably safe for Moshe Rabbeinu to finally enter The Land.
Pinchas is a transformative person, and so this is a transformative time. The apparent cruelty and horror of the act of killing Zimri was shown by Hashem to be in fact, an act of Chesed, saving the entire nation. R’Tzadok Hakohein teaches that a Mitzva done Leshaim Shamayim, as strongly as possible for the sake of Hashem and not for our own agendas, can transform a person. For example, we don’t make money on Shabbos, and we actually spend more for Shabbos, yet we are promised that this apparent lessening of our resources will really result in increased revenue. We are promised that He who is in charge of all finances will actually increase ours, if we diminish our income by giving Maaser. And finally, R Tzaddok says the ‘tough love’ shown by a friend or parent will actually create love and compassion in their own character and will not develop into any vestige of harshness.
He Who Sees into the hearts of us all, testified that the motive and action of Pinchas was pure, and therefore instead of strengthening the energy of death in our Nation, actually intensified the aspect of Chaim, life.
Rashi teaches that the Elders at the time of Pinchas judged him harshly, accusing him of resembling his grandfather Yisro, who ‘fattened calves for idolatrous sacrifice’. This is a very subtle criticism. It is about being superficial. Idolatry was interested in fat, plump animals to be used as sacrifices. Torah Law teaches that we look at the inside of the animal to determine if it can be used as a Korban. We never ‘fattened’ animals for use. We checked their internal state of being. In comparing Pinchas to Yisro’s former customs, the leaders were saying that Pinchas judged the matter of Zimri in a superficial way, relying of external appearances.
Hashem shows us that Pinchas actually saw to the heart of the matter, and the accusers themselves were the superficial ones. What they saw in him was a reflection of themselves. The essence of a person is in their name. Pinchas can be divided into two words- Chas, an awareness or consciousness, and Pan which refers to the inner, spiritual dimension. The primary Middah of Pinchas was his ability to touch the essence of truth, and to commit himself body and soul to this truth. Mesirus Nefesh. His colleagues couldn’t see this intense point of Emes, and therefore they accused him of their own shortcoming. The Baal Shem Tov taught that the negative qualities we see in another are often a reflection of some type of that same negativity that we ourselves have.
Pinchas becomes part of the elite group of leaders who actually enters the
Holy Land.
The Gemara teaches that this world is an ‘upside down’ world. Things that appear one way are often just the opposite. This is the essence of our belief in Teshuva transformation. The Rambam teaches that the result of the most immoral action can be the greatest holiness, when transformed by the power of a loving desperate Teshuva.
Chazal teach that these months of Tamuz and Av, which presently contain painful days of fasting and memories of our past failures, are in truth potentially the holiest and happiest days. The twenty one days between Seventeenth of Tamuz and Tisha B’Av are parallel to the twenty one days from Rosh Hashanah to Shmini Atzeret- Simchas Torah. We are promised that these days will soon transform into joyous days.
Hashem began to reveal this transformational process in the life of the previous Lubavicher Rebbe. In this month, he was released from a death sentence and eventually immigrated to
America, where he renewed his spreading of Torah. He said upon his release, that his freedom was not a personal one, but a national one. Each Jew could and would access redemption in this month, as he had.
There are two types of redemption- the ultimate Geula which will be a gift from Above, and the Geula that we can affect right now, with our Avoda from ‘below’. One way to go into Geula is to take an unactualized part of our life and transform it to its reality. As Rav Kook taught, look at your worst Middah- it is actually your best, just waiting to be revealed. Pull the shell off of your failures and you can find the key to reveal your success. As we transform in our own life, we hasten to ultimate transformation that waits impatiently to enter this crazy world.
Rebbi Nosson Breslover gives us some good practical advice for these confusing days. In Likutei Halachos (Hilchos Shavuos 6,7) he reminds us that throughout our history, there were those who looked at an event and saw the Geula aspect, and there were those who saw the same event and became hopeless. If we remember our history, we know that every enemy of ours was ultimately destroyed. There are no more Mitzrim, Romans, Greeks or Babylonians. Whoever rose up against us eventually lost their world power. This will happen again, in our times. The difference is that now we are deeply rooted in our home, our
Holy Land. When this is all over, we don’t need to run away. We just need to move over for the rest of our Nation who will come here in droves.
This thought needs to encourage even those of us who have Emuna in Hashem. We need to strengthen our Emuna in ourselves, in our own goodness and in our essential worthiness to come into holiness. Rebbi Nachman often said that we each have no idea of the level of holiness we are on, and that Hashem hides this information from us to allow us the free choice that creates increased reward. But we must believe that each of us by virtue of the name Yehudi has the right to a Chelek here in the
Holy Land. What we don’t have a right to do is to despair.
Rav Kook taught (Olat Hariyah), “The love we feel for our nation doesn’t shut our eyes to its blemishes…yet good exists in every place.” And his son R’ Tzvi Yehuda writes, “ There can be great differences in personalities, or disagreements in learning or debate over the right thing to do, but true Ahava transcends all of this, and surrounds all the Children of Israel.’
The character trait that is most associated with Pinchas is Mesirut Nefesh. He is called a Kanai, a zealot. What does this Mida look like and how can we be Moser Nefesh? What is healthy, holy zeal?
We are living in a ‘whatever’ generation. Every other word is ‘whatever’. To me, this word means, “I don’t really care about you, what you have just done or said.” It is about ‘live and let live. But, such an attitude borders on selfishness and laziness.
Doing the right thing, the Ratzon Hashem, despite its inconvenience, difficulty or the possible loss you might incur is Mesirut Nefesh. In whatever moment of the day we are, we can imagine Hashem before us. What does He want from us at this very moment? What can we do to bring Geula close?
We know there is a concept of a personal Geula, of an individual living right now in the mindset of Mashiach. We each have a spark of Mashiach inside of us. And we each long to experience this Mashiach within. What if it all depended on us? What if a Heavenly messenger could tell us, “You know, the Mashiach part of you is ready and willing to be exposed in your daily life. It only waits for you to let go of your feeling of inadequacy and begin to live as a complete Jew.”
What if we could lovingly and passionately set right all the parts of our life?What if we could lovingly but firmly set right all the injustices of our small world?
There is an addendum to the taxi driver story I told you last week. I omitted it then, to include it now. The driver was bemoaning the indecent dress code he was seeing on the streets. “Its true, we are in a heat wave here in Yerushalayim,” he said, “But it is impossible to have holy Jewish daughters dressing incorrectly.”Not knowing how to react, I just sat quietly. This modern day Pinchas took my silence as an invitation to continue his commentary. “Do you know how I am helping these girls? I will tell you. Whenever I see a particularly indecently dressed woman, I just don’t stop my cab. But if someone is dressed inappropriately but not in a crazy way, I feel I can help her. So, as I am driving, I ask her politely what her life is like, is she happy, is she having marital bliss. The answer is usually in the negative. So I explain to her that Hashem is with her at all times, wanting to bless her with all good things. Hashem is with the Nation at all times, wanting to bless us with all good things. But, when we dress inappropriately, He sometimes looks away from us. He doesn’t want to look at us! He is embarrassed from us, for us! But if we dress as we should, we shine out as different from the world, as fulfilling our distinct job as a guide to the Nations. And He loves us even more and blesses us.”Now, this Kippa wearing driver is a simple Israeli with simple Emuna and simple wholesome Bitachon. He continued,” And you know, they always listen to me, they always say that I am right. One woman wanted me to continue speaking to her about Tznius even after we had arrived at her destination, and she made me keep the meter running till she felt strong enough to make small changes in her wardrobe!” I must have looked surprised at his story, having heard horror stories of students who run away from people ‘preaching Tznius’. So, he delivered his punch line. “I always speak to every person with great love and respect. It doesn’t matter what I say, just what I feel towards them, towards Hashem and towards ending the suffering we are all having. I really believe that the suffering comes from our not caring enough about each other to try to help each other spiritually. How can I see a Jewish girl hurt her Neshama?”
They say Eliyahu Hanavi is alive and well, walking around the world, guiding, teaching, reaching and helping. A part of him was shining through the eyes of this taxi driver.
The Baal Shem taught that the twenty one days between the 17th of Tamuz and the 9th of Av are exactly parallel and correspond to the three weeks between Rosh Hashanah and Shmini Atzeres- Simchas Torah. These days are very high spiritually. There is unlimited spiritual potential in these present Three Weeks. In Tishrei, we are so busy the first three weeks of the year, that we have no time to even feel what is taking place inside of us. We are busy building the Keilim, the vessels that will enable us to receive and sustain the Kedusha of the Yemai Hadin. In contrast, during the Three Weeks that we are now in, we are actually limited in activity. We try to keep a low profile; we don’t run around shopping, traveling, celebrating, planning, visiting. There is more time to look around at what needs to be done, and lift up even the smallest finger to begin the work.
Kol Rodfeha Hisiguha Bein Hameitzarim (Eicha).The Pshat is that all our Rodfim, our pursuers caught up to our Nation in these three weeks, between the straits of 17th of Tamuz and 9th of Av. But the Baal Shem Tov teaches that we can read it as,… Rodfeh Hah, Hisigu Hah…. All those who are chasing after Hah, Hashem, will be able to catch up to Him, to Hashem, in these Three Weeks. As we enter these Three Weeks, we all yearn for the differences between us to be resolved, the arguments buried and the love we have naturally for each other to shine on our beings. We all increase Ahavat Chinam and expect Hashem to reveal the Third Bais Hamikdash speedily in our time.
SHABBAT SHALOM
July 5, 2007 | Filed Under Parsha | Comments Off
