At the Kotel
BSD
Every person should probably write a book about their experiences at the Kotel. I don’t just mean the spiritual awakening, the epiphany, the clarity, but the stories of who you met, what you saw and how you reacted. I know I wish that I had been recording my experiences for all these years.
Here’s my latest- yesterday, Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, at the Kotel around 3 PM. It was very very hot, and the women who braved the weather were in two groups. One group- the one that I joined, in the back, protected from the sun by the back retaining wall. The sun was almost directly overhead, heating up the Kotel plaza and therefore the other group, more enthusiastic perhaps, were up directly by the Kotel, every one having her own space to touch the holy wall.
A Kalla enters the Kotel plaza. The custom is to come to the Kotel, for prayer and pictures, on the way to the wedding. She is dressed in her gorgeous gown, hair and makeup done and ready for her big day. She wore a white shimmering shawl, over her perhaps skimpier gown. At the Kotel on her wedding day, every Kalla has respect and covers up.
The custom is also to bless the Kalla with a good and happy life, and in turn, to receive her blessing. Hoots of LeiLee Lee were heard as some Sefardi women spotted this particular Kalla and her smile at their vocal blessing was deep.
Suddenly I saw two very religiously dressed young women- they looked to be in their late teens, wearing traditional Bais Yaakov type uniforms. No make up, hair modestly tied back, in their comfortable shoes, they were a real contrast to this Kalla.
These two girls went straight over to the Kalla, and from afar, I saw them talking to her,and she put her hands on them and blessed each one. These were the first she blessed, and afterwards other women approached.
My heart warmed with the realization that despite the Kalla not appearing to be perhaps dressed as she should, these two very frum girls didn’t hesitate to bless her and receive her blessings. We are really all sisters.
The Kalla then went to the Kotel, and her photographers who were on the men’s side, stood on chairs and got many good pictures. And then, this Kalla began to daven Mincha. Her Amida took much longer than mine, and near her, the two Bais Yaakov girls also stood. Did they each give to each other- one her blessing and the other, her inspiration?
As I was leaving the Kotel, there were lots of police vehicles driving into the plaza. Being a curious Israeli , I stood around to see which ‘company’ was coming to visit. Lots of secret service men, ear plugs attached to coiled wires, talking into invisible mics were around. Soon, photographers- these were real pro’s- showed up and finally the car with some diplomatic plates. Some leader from Europe- someone said it was the President of Italy- stepped out of the car.
Immediately, he put on a big smile, and began walking with his entourage. Cameras flashed, his smile flashed, lots of small talk to his walking partner, and flanked by Israeli and perhaps his own guards.
Most of us just shrugged and ran to catch our bus. No one significant to us was visiting. Just another photo-op for some politician. Fake and false. Superficial and spurious. Annnoying and traffic tying. Still, it was nice of whoever it was to visit.
Then I saw the king. A real crown on his head, walking with a pride, mixed with humility. Regal, holy yet so sweet. And then- another crown, another king. And a third.
Each holding the hand of his mother.
Each holding tightly in his other hand, his newly acquired Chumash.
A Chumash party, right at the Kotel.
Now, this was the real thing. These were real princes, pure and holy. These young boys would enter the royal ranks and truly do something constructive for their country, their people, their God. Such Nachas, such joy. The same group of us who had blithely watched as some politician had his cosmetic face photographed by world media, became thrilled with the sight of these adorable little future Torah scholars, future men of Israel.
Mi KeAmecha Yisrael. How wonderous are Hashem’s ways and how beautiful His Nation.
All the politicians of the world are welcome to come and pray at the Kotel. But the real glory goes to the little and big ones, who spend their lives living Torat Hashem.
Hastily covered up Kallahs and excited crowned six year olds were the heroes of my Kotel experience yesterday.
Parshas Korach
BSD
Korach was a cousin of Moshe Rabbeinu, a Levite who carried the Holy Ark when the Israelites traveled in the desert. Chazal tell us that the quarrel he had with Moshe Rabbeinu reached the deepest part of Torah- hear why he was punished so unusually…
The book of Tehillim chronicles the life of King Dovid. History repeats itself, Hashem re-teaches humans lessons until we finally understand. The kingdom of Dovid, and the life of Dovid Hamelech repeatedly was threatened- how does he react? Tehillim 120 is the first of the 15 Perakim of Shir Hamaalos and deals with the tragic results of lies, slander and gossip. A special look at the last two Pesukim, which sound as if they were written just this week, as a response to the threatening speech of the president of the USA…
Parshas Shlach
BSD
It is clear from the events surrounding the Meraglim, who were Tzaddikim, that there is a dimention of Eretz Yisrael that goes above and beyond human comprehension. Rebbe Nachman teaches that Eretz Yisrael is aquired with Emuna, and that living in Eretz Yisrael enhances Emuna, among a myriad of other things.
This year, the second day of Shavuos came out on Shabbos. Here in Eretz Yisrael, it was a ‘regular’ Shabbos, and we read the regular Parshat Hashavua of Naso. The Torah reading for Chul was still Shavuos reading. Consequently, for the next few weeks, there is a different Parshat Hashavua in Eretz Yisrael than in Chul.
It is a good time, therefore, re-evaluate our love, devotion and committment to living in Eretz Yisrael- wherever you happen to currently be. Chutz LaAretz is not our home. Whether you are physically in the Land or not, your heart has to be directed here. If it is not, you need to ask Hashem to open your mind and heart to Eretz Yisrael, to understand the centrality of living in this Land in order to fulfill the Tafkid of being a practicing Jew.
So many of our brothers and sisters have no connection to Torah on an apparent level, and therefore cannot be expected to understand the concept of our own Land as the place to live as a complete Jew. The Torah world must at least acknowledge the fact that Eretz Yisrael is the hope and goal.
Here is a shiur given in Har Nof to the valiant women who spend their Wednesdays learning Torah.
Have a wonderful Shabbos
Awesome Torah
BSD
The deepest part of a Jew- what precisely is it? Where do we make our biggest errors, and our biggest conquests? And how did Aharon Hakohein manage to love every Jew and bring them back to their soul-point? Listen here!
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Much of Tehillim is heartwarming and strengthening! Dovid Hamelech was not much of a complainer, and shares his Emuna with us in the pages of Tehillim. Yet, there are some Perakim of Tehillim that surprise us with their sharpness. Here are two- which go through Jewish history. Nevertheless, their is a dose of sweetening to take us closer into goodness and repair.
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Parshas Behaaloscha
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BSD PARSHAT BEHALOTECHA YERUSHALAYIM
A woman got onto the bus at the Machane Yehuda Shuk stop and it was hard for me not to notice her. She had nobility that radiated from her being, in stark contrast to the simple clothes she wore. Her face had the look of a lifetime of wisdom, culled from a lifetime of pain. She looked to be in her seventies, yet she shlepped her bags with the grace of a younger woman. She laughed as the teenager in the front seat rose to give her a convenient seat, but gratefully accepted his offer, and winked at him as he moved to the back. Was she amused by his eyebrow ring or the fact that someone thought her old enough to defer their front seat, I will never know. Nor will I ever know the answers to many questions that popped into my mind about her- where was she from, how many children did she love and lose, even why the few hairs that snuck out of her tight kerchief were colored henna. I longed to speak to her, but my western reserve, which has stretched and expanded since living in Israel, somehow prevented me at this particular moment from beginning to speak.
She exited the bus a few stops later, and waved to someone a few seats in front of me. I realized that my neighbor was also on this bus, and it was she whom the woman waved to. I went to sit near my neighbor and asked her, who this woman was.
“Oh, she used to live near us when I was growing up. What a story she has.”
It seems that this older woman, whose name was Mazal, came from Tunisia as a teenager in 1949. She was from a famous Sephardic Rabbinical family that traced their ancestry to Dovid Hamelech. Some of her uncles are regarded as the greatest contemporary mystics of Sephardic Jewry, and all of her sons served in the Israeli army bringing their strength of Emuna to their fellow soldiers. It seems that this woman was the matriarch of a great family. Women come to her for Brachot and advice, which are dispensed with humility and humor.
I missed a great opportunity.
Mitzva Habaa Leyadcha Al Tachmitzena. The word Matza and the word Mitzva are related etymologically. Both can be spoiled if not done with alacrity and speed. Chazal teach that if a Mitzva comes to you, don’t delay. Do it right away, before it escapes.
The Ramban writes in his sefer Emuna U’Bitachon that this is true even in the areas of serving Hashem with your heart. He teaches that when a person feels love for Hashem filling his heart, for whatever the reason, he should immediately put that love into some physical action. Otherwise this love will evaporate and be lost. Rebbe Nachman details this idea by teaching that if a thought comes to you in the middle of the day to do a certain Mitzva, you should try to stop what you are involved with and immediately perform this Mitzva, if appropriate. And if a Tefilla , a Bakasha, a question or some problem that you need to work out with Hashem’s help pops its presence into your mind, verbalize it to Hashem right there and then. Don’t say, “Wow, what a great thought, I will work on this later during Mincha,” because it will fly out of your head by then.
Every single moment in this time dependent creation is unique, special. No two seconds of time have the exact same energy. Sometimes, Bechasdei Hashem, we become attuned to the particular spiritual energy of a particular point in time. That energy, that opportunity, stays in potential until we unlock it with our awareness. And then, by verbalizing or otherwise physically expressing this spiritual energy, we acquire it as our own.
When Moshe Rabbeinu built the Mishkan, the hearts of the Nessiim overflowed with love and awareness of Hashem. They brought their Korbanos, their offerings at the inauguration of the Mishkan with great joy and awe. Each day, a different Nasi would represent his tribe and bring his offering. The Torah tells us that each offering was of the same materials and amounts. Each Nasi brought one silver bowl and one silver basin each filled with flour and oil. Each Nasi brought a ladle of incense and twenty one different animals for Korbanos. And although the offering of each Nasi was identical, the Midrash teaches that each Nasi had his specific Tribe in mind, with their specific mission and character. So, although each offering was physically the same, spiritually, each offering was unique, special and different.
The only tribe not participating in individual offerings to the Mishkan was Levi, with Aharon Hakohein as its Nasi. Rashi citing the Midrash Tanchuma teaches that Aharon had a Chalishas Hadaas, a weakening of his spirit, when he noted the exclusion of his tribe. Hashem therefore reminded him of the Mitzva of Menorah, which our Parsha begins with and which was the exclusive domain of his family. In addition, although the Mishkan and subsequently the first two Batei Mikdash were the focal point of the world, being the resting place of the Shechina, there would be a time in history when the Shechina would wander, Her house hidden. It would be the family of Aharon who would keep the flame of Torah alive, in the form of the Brachos they are entitled to bestow.
The Ramban asks why the Menorah was used as the symbol of comfort for Aharon, and not the Ketoret or the daily Korbanot. He answers that the Menorah is eternal, and exists even after the Mishkan and Beit Hamikdash are no longer.
We celebrate Chanuka, with a Menorah, to commemorate the victory of the Chashmonaim, descended from Aharon Hakohein, over the Greeks.
And we are to celebrate every day with a different form of Chanuka.
The Shem Mishmuel remarks that the Nessiim used their overflowing love to inspire them to bring Korbanos. Aharon Hakohein felt that perhaps the love he and his tribe felt was incomplete and therefore did not merit the exultation of the Nessiim. Hashem responded by explaining to Aharon exactly what the menorah was about. The daily cleaning out of the menorah bowls from yesterday’s oil represents letting go of the old, stale or just uninspired ways of serving Hashem. Filling and lighting the menorah represents, among other things, a new love that is born daily in the heart of the Jew, represented by the Kohein. Aharon is not just going to participate in a once in a lifetime experience, but every day, will reawaken his love and awe of his Creator. And he will pass this on to his beloved Nation, in the form of Chanuka candles, in the form of Shabbos candles, in the form of consecrating every thing to Hashem.
Aharon, who loved the people with a deep and accepting love, would represent Hashem’s love and would grow in love every day.
Each of us can do this. There is no day that is like today, no time in eternity like this moment. And at this moment in time, in your time, in your life, there is a specific, unique way to think about and to serve Hashem. There is a specific Bracha that we can think about at every moment of the day. There are actually almost infinite numbers of positive, life giving, love provoking thoughts we can have at any given moment.
Are you running to answer the phone? You can light your heart with love of Hashem as you contemplate your working legs and ears.
Are you sitting at your desk at work? You have a job! You have a body that sits! You have a purpose!
You are reading this Dvar Torah? How many thousands of muscles are working to enable you to view this on your computer? How many other Jews are you now connected to who are all having the same life giving, love provoking thought, strengthening its impact exponentially.
There is no moment in the day empty of a God Love provoking thought based on a Bracha or an awareness that you are presently enjoying.
Lighting the menorah symbolizes this lesson, says the Shem MiShmuel. And since Aharon lived Jews with a deep, passionate almost self annihilating love, only this thought would be the one to comfort him. The offerings of the Nessiim were great, but temporary. The teachings of Aaron’s daily cleaning and relighting the Menorah would carry with us even into exile, into darkness. And the teachings of renewed love would renew our desire to live.
Fire cannot be contained. It always strives higher. As we light Shabbos candles, we can remember this. We can have in mind, among so many other things, to light the love of Hashem into our hearts, and to kindle love in our hearts for every one of our ‘candles’- family members. We can yearn for the hearts of each of our loved ones to be opened even more to the Light of Hashem and His Torah. We become the Kohein Gadol who must guide, purify, and serve with love and Mesirus Nefesh.
May the light of the Menorah in the newly rebuilt and uncovered Bais Hamikdash shine so brightly that it illuminates all dark places so that the knowledge of Hashem fills the entire creation.
SHABBAT SHALOM