Short & Sweet

Bo: It Wasn’t Me

The של״ה writes that the mitzva of matza teaches us humility. From the simple tasting and and lowly matza, we learn to not be full of ourselves.

Asked R’ Mattisyahu Solomon, doesn’t the Torah explicitly write the reason we eat matza: to remember that we left Mitzrayim so quickly that the dough didn’t have time to rise? How does the של״ה fit with what is says in the פסוקים?

R’ Mattisyahu answers this based on a מהר״ל. The מהר״ל asks: why it that of the things that happened when we left Mitzrayim, why do we have a mitzva to commemorate that we left before the dough could rise?

The מהר״ל answers that there is danger that when future generations tell the story of leaving Mitzrayim, they will make the story about themselves. They will forgot what Hashem did, and claim that our ancestors broke free on their own.

By remembering that we left when it was inconvenient for us, when we were unprepared to go, we remember that Hashem is the one rescued us.

Explains R’ Mattisyahu, this is what the של״ה means when he says matza teaches us humility. It teaches us that Hashem is responsible for our successes, and we shouldn’t attribute them to ourselves.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Yisro: Your Turn

Hashem tells us in this week’s Parsha: וָאֶשָּׂ֤א אֶתְכֶם֙ עַל־כַּנְפֵ֣י נְשָׁרִ֔ים וָאָבִ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם אֵלָֽי,
I brought you on eagle’s wings to Me. What is this referring to?

R’ Dovid Soloveitchik explains that Bnei Yisroel were on the 49th level of impurity in Mitzrayim, and yet 49 days later they were hearing Hashem at Har Sinai. How could they have changed so quickly?

This Passuk is the answer. Hashem lifted them up miraculously, not just physically, but spiritually as well. By showing us so many miracles in Mitzrayim and Yam Sof, Hashem left us with no choice but to believe in Him.

But as the next Passuk makes clear, after Kabbalas HaTorah the opposite is true. Now it’s all up to you: וְעַתָּ֗ה אִם־שָׁמ֤וֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ בְּקֹלִ֔י וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֑י וִהְיִ֨יתֶם לִ֤י סְגֻלָּה֙

Hashem lifted us to the heights of ruchniyus, so that we could see what it’s like. But now our job is to climb to those elevated heights ourselves.

From now on, only our choices and our actions will determine how close we are to Hashem.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Mishpatim: Serving A Greater Cause

Of all the ways to begin Mishpatim, the Torah chose to start with the halachos of עבד עברי. What does this reveal to us about how we are to approach Mishpatim, the laws of the Torah that we can understand with our own intellect?

R’ Lopiansky explains that an עבד is somebody who is considered only an extension of his master. That is why anything that an עבד acquires becomes property of his master. A proper עבד does not have a will of his own; he lives to carry out the will of somebody else.

This is how we are to approach all of mishpatim. גדול המצווה ועושה יותר ממי שאינו מצוה ועושה – it is better to do a mitzva because Hashem has commanded it than to do a mitzva voluntarily. If we do a mitzva because its moral lesson resonate with us, we are attaching ourselves to that sense of morality. But when we do a mitzva because Hashem has commanded that we do it, we are connecting ourselves to Hashem Himslef. By making His will into our will, we have made ourselves an extension of Him.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Terumah: Actualizing the Ephemeral

There is an interesting tension in the collection of materials collecting for the Mishkan. On the one hand, there is a strong emphasis on the נדבת לב, the giving of the heart. On the other hand, there is no mitzva that the Torah that the Torah gives as specific instructions for as building of the Mishkan. How are we to understand the relationship between doing the mitzva because we want to, while doing it exactly the way that Hashem wants it done?

R’ Lopiansky answers that the Mishkan has to start with what’s in our hearts. We need to feel that yearning to connect with Hashem.

But a feeling that is never put into practice will never amount to anything. If a feeling is not acted on, it will wither away and die.

The Mishkan is where we pour our feelings into to make sure they stay with us. All the precise details of the Mishkan are meant to be applications of what we feel in our hearts. By making them real to ourselves, we will be able to incorporate these feelings into the way we live our lives.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Tezaveh: Looking Inside

The Gemara tells us that the מעיל of the Kohen Gadol atones for lashon hara. Presumably, that means there is some lesson that we can learn from the מעיל that will help us avoid the pitfall of lashon hara. But what is that lesson?

Based on the Vilna Goan, R’ Lopiansky explains that the message lies in the fact that the מעיל is tucked into itself. The passuk stresses that the hem of the מעיל must be tucked back within itself: והיה פי ראשו בתוכו. This sense of internality, of looking inside oneself, is key to avoiding lashon hara.

All too often, we evaluate ourselves by comparing ourself to those around us. This is often why we are tempted to put others down; by speaking badly about others, we feel better about ourselves.

The message of the מעיל is to look inside one’s own self. Don’t try to see how you measure up to others. Our sense of success ought to be based on to what extent we are living up to our own potential. One who lives with that attitude will not feel the need to put down others to feel better about themselves.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Vaykhel: Fire 🔥

Of all the 39 melachos, only one is specified in the Torah: lighting a fire. To add another layer of mystery as to why this particular melacha was chosen, the Zohar adds the prohibition against lighting a fire includes getting angry (igniting the the fire of anger) on Shabbos.

R’ Aron Lopiansky explains this by looking at the root of anger. Anger almost always comes from a place of frustration. Somebody who feels that they could be accomplishing something, but that they are being held from doing so, gets angry.

But Shabbos is supposed to be the antithesis of that very mindset. On Shabbos, we acknowledge that we do not run the world. Hashem made the world, and only He continues to control it.

A person only feels frustration and anger at a perceived loss of control, if they believe they were in control in the first place. Hence כל הכועס, כאילו עובד ע״ז.

One who truly appreciates Shabbos and acknowledges that Hashem alone controls the world, will not feel the fire of anger.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Vayikra: Living Like A Korban

Chazal refer to one who goes to their death rather than betray Hashem to as a Korban. This comparison is fairly simple to understand: both of them die for Hashem.

But there is a far more intriguing comparison which is brought down in Halacha. The Rema (או״ח קס״ז ה׳) and the Mishnah Berurah write that if one eats lishmah, for the sake of having strength to serve Hashem, the food they eat is like a Korban to Hashem. How are we to understand this?

The answer is that the Korban represents total dedication of every aspect of our lives to Hashem. Just as the Korban is slaughtered and burnt, so too must we be willing to give up our physical selves to serve Hashem. But the atonement of the Korban is not effectuated until the blood is sprinkled on the מזבח. This represents our heart and passion being focused solely on coming close to Hashem.

One way of proving one’s complete dedication to Hashem is to die for Him. But a far more impressive way of doing that is to live for Hashem. Somebody who dedicates every aspect of their lives, even such mundane things as eating, towards this noble goal can be said to be living the life of a Korban.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר ׳חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Metzora: Humility vs Control

Somebody who has had צרעת must bring a korban containing elements of both a high and mighty cedar tree and a lowly bush. Rashi explains that this is a message to the מצורע that the צרעת came about due to haughtiness, and that this person must work to lower himself.

R’ Zev Leff has a beautiful and succinct explanation of גאוה vs ענוה.
Gayvah is to believe that I made myself great, and that that give me rights. Anavah is to realize that Hashem made me great, and that that gives me responsibilities.

Perhaps this is one of the lessons of צרעת itself. צרעת shows a person that he does not truly control his possessions (such as his house & clothes), his social life, or even his own body. Hashem can take any of these away in a heartbeat if they aren’t being used correctly, through צרעת or some other affliction. This is a reminder that our possessions and abilities should not be viewed as being our own, but rather as gifts from Hashem that create responsibilities to do for others.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Acharei Mos: Two Mistakes

The Torah names two nations as the paradigm of the immorality that the Jewish people are to avoid: כמעשה ארץ מצרים… וכמעשה ארץ כנען… לא תעשו; do not copy the actions of Mitzrayim and Canaan. But why does the Torah need to give us two examples of what not to do?

R’ Aaron Lopiansky explains that there can be two very different weaknesses that people have towards immorality:

The first is when a person gives up on themselves. When a person thinks of themselves as a lost cause, they lose the will to fight their temptations. When we were in Mitzrayim, we were denied the ability to become anything more than slaves. Instead of thinking too little of ourselves, we should realize that we have it within us to overcome our challenges.

The second mistake is the exact opposite. If a person thinks too highly of themselves, they will chafe at any restrictions that are placed on them. When something is forbidden to them, it only makes them want it more. This was the yetzer hara of כנען. We cannot think too little of ourselves, but we cannot think too much of ourselves either.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Behar: Embracing Uncertainty

The Kli Yakar has a fascinating explanation for the prohibition against Ribis, against charging another Jew interest for a loan.

The Kli Yakar writes that charging interest will take away a person’s bitachon. Every other business venture has some element of risk in it. Since a person does not know how much he will gain or lose in his business, this uncertainty will drive him to daven to Hashem. But someone who charges interest will think of themselves as having a steady, secure, and predictable income. This person will find it much harder to feel Hashem’s presence.

We all crave certainty and stability. But that sense of security can be stupefying, robbing us of one of the primary ways in which we connect to Hashem.

When a crack in the veneer of stability comes, as it always does, we should not waste it. We ought to use every crisis as an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Hashem, to turn to Him for help.
כי הוא קלי, וחי גאלי, וצור חבלי בעת צרה

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Korach: Swallowed Up

Of all ways that Hashem could have punished Korach and his followers, why did He choose to have the ground swallow them up?

The Kli Yakar explains that this is an allusion to what Chazal tell us: אלמלא מוראה של מלכיות, איש את רעהו חיים בלעו – if not for the fear of authority, people would swallow each other alive.

Korach with his complaint of כל העדה כולם קדושם sought to eliminate the role of the leader of the Jewish people. However, all of society will break down if there is no authority keeping things firmly in place. The ground opening up and swallowing Korach was a perfect illustration of what was wrong with Korach’s approach, and what following Korach’s ideals would lead to.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Full מראה מקומות, with additional explanations:

זוהר (ויחי ס’):
וּמַה דְּאָמַר עָנִי, וְכִי מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא עָנִי אִקְרֵי. אֶלָּא הָכִי אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, בְּגִין דְּלֵית לֵיהּ מִדִּילֵיהּ וְקָרִינָן לֵיהּ מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ. דָּא הוּא סִיהֲרָא קַדִּישָׁא לְעֵילָא, דְּלֵית לָהּ נְהוֹרָא אֶלָּא מִשִּׁמְשָׁא.
פי’ האור החמה: בגין דלית ליה מדיליה כדפי’ לעיל: המלך המשיח שהיא משוחה משמן החכמה אמנם בעל שמן לא הוי אלא משיח מלמעלה כדפי’:

בעל הטורים (במדבר כה, יב):
את בריתי שלום שלים כתיב והוא וי”ו קטיעא בפ”ג דקידושין כשהוא שלם. ד”א מתנה שלמה אני נותן לו י’ מתנות במקדש י’ במדינה (כי יו”ד במילוי גי’ כ’). ד”א ו’ קטיעא כי פנחס הוא אליהו וכן אליה כתיב חסר וי”ו ויעקוב מלא ו’ שנטל ו’ מאליהו למשכון עד שיבא עם המשיח ויגאל את בניו וזהו יגל יעקב ישמח ישראל ישמח אותיות משיח שישמח לימות המשיח ויחזור הוי”ו ויהא אליהו שלם:

צרור המור (שמות כה, כג):
שמן למאור זה מלך המשיח. שנקרא זית רענן זית זך. לפי שעתיד להאיר לישראל מתוך החשך. דכתיב לאמר לאסורים צאו וגו’ וכתיב והלכו גוים לאורך.

מהר”ל (נצח ישראל מ’):
נקרא ‘משיח’ כי קדושתו ביותר, ועל כן נקרא ‘משיח’. כי פלגא דקיסר יהיה קדוש, והקיסר שיהיה עליו הוא קודש קדשים, כי כל דבר שנמשח הוא קדוש לגמרי. ומפני מעלתו וקדושתו יהיה תחתיו אחר, והוא* כמו פלגא דקיסר, כי אין ראוי שיהיה הוא עצמו למנהיג, למעלת קדושתו שנקרא ‘משיח’. רק שיהיה תחתיו נשיא, והוא יהיה מנהיג, רק כי המשיח יהיה מנהיג בדברים האלקיים לגמרי.
וע”ע בגבורת ה’ ע’: ובפרק ד’ דנדרים (ל”ט ע”ב) תניא ז’ דברים נבראו קודם שנברא העולם… מה שאמר שמו של משיח ר”ל עצם מעלת המשיח מה שהוא מיוחד מבין שאר הנבראים מעלתו המיוחדת לו נקרא שמו, כי השם הוא מורה על דבר המיוחד בו מבין שאר הנמצאים, ולפיכך אף כי המשיח בעצמו לא נברא קודם שנברא העולם…, אבל שמו דהיינו מה שהוא מיוחד בו נברא קודם שנברא העולם שגזר השם יתברך קודם שנברא העולם על המעלה שלו המיוחדת לו וגזירתו יתברך היא הבריאה בעצמו.

בן יהוידע (סנהדרין צח.):
כי בשם משיח באיזה זכות יבא כי מ”ם דמשיח משמשת במקום ‘מן’ ונמצא אותיות משיח הם ‘מן שיח’ והתורה נקראת שיחתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא ונקראת שיחתן של צדיקים כמו שאמר דוד המלך ע”ה מָה אָהַבְתִּי תוֹרָתֶךָ כָּל הַיּוֹם הִיא שִׂיחָתִי (תהלים קיט, צז) וזו היא תשובתו של משיח שאמר לרבי יהושע בן לוי ‘הַיּוֹם אִם בְּקֹלוֹ תִשְׁמָעוּ’ (תהלים צה, ז) קֹלוֹ זו התורה שהיא שיחתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא…

ליקויט מוהר”ן (תנינא א, יב):
וּבִשְׁבִיל זֶה נִקְרָא מָשִׁיחַ, כִּי הוּא יוֹנֵק וּמְקַבֵּל מִשִּׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, דְּהַיְנוּ כָּל הָרֵיחוֹת שֶׁבָּאִים בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּפִלָּה שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת חֹטֶם, בְּחִינַת: וּתְהִלָּתִי אֶחֱטָם וְכוּ’; וּמָשִׁיחַ מְקַבֵּל אוֹתָם בִּבְחִינַת: רוּחַ אַפֵּינוּ מְשִׁיחַ ה’, כַּנַּ”ל:

Pinchas: Seeking a Shepherd

Moshe requested that Hashem choose an appropriate successor for the Jewish people after Moshe’s death, ולא תהיה עדת ה׳ כצאן אשר אין להם רועה, and that the nation of Hashem should not be left like sheep without a shepherd.

The Malbim explains the message behind this poetic phrase. He points out that a herd of sheep with no shepherd aimlessly follow the sheep in front of them. What the shepherd brings is not leadership, but vision; he guides the sheep towards something. So too, Moshe requested a leader with the vision to see what Klal Yisroel could become, and to guide them toward that goal.

The Rambam (הל׳ תשובה) writes that reason that we yearn for Moshiach is so that we should be able to study Torah and keep the Mitzvos properly, without the problems of Galus getting in the way.

The Rambam continues that Moshiach will be בעל חכמה יותר משלמה ונביא קרוב למשה, wiser than Shlomo and almost on the same level of Nevuah as Moshe. Moshiach will use these incredible abilities to guide the Jewish people, and the entire world, towards its ultimate goal: כי מלאה הארץ דעה את השם.

לרפ״ש זאב בן גולדה
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Massei: Moving On

R’ Asher Areilli expressed a beautiful thought on the passuk ‎וַיִּסְע֖וּ מֵרְפִידִ֑ם וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי
We know that רפידים is so named because it was there that the Jews were רפו ידיהם מן התורה, weakened their commitment to the Torah. And yet, pointed out R’ Asher, they were still able to move on to Har Sinai.

Everybody has bad days. But you can’t let the inevitable bumps in the road make you forget your goal. Yes, you fell short. But you can still pick yourself up and keep going. Don’t let your failures define you.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

היום, אם בקולו תשמעו

On Tisha B’Av, we do not put on Tefillin in the morning; instead, we wait until Mincha.

R’ Moshe Wolfson suggests a beautiful interpretation for this practice. We know that when Moshiach will come, Tisha B’Av will become a Yom Tov – קרא עלי מעוד. And on a Yom Tov, we do not wear Tefillin.

Perhaps one of the reasons that we do not wear Tefillin on the morning of Tisha B’Ab is that we are still hoping Moshiach will come today, and today will become a Yom Tov on which we do not wear Tefillin.

לרפ״ש זאב בן גאלדא

V’eschanan: Infinity, Condensed

The Torah refers to the עשרת הדברות as being קול גדול, ולא יסף. Targum Onkelos translates this as “a great voice, which did not stop” (simply understood, this means there was no pause in the עשרת הדברות). Rashi, however, translates לא יסף as ״it did not continue״ – the Jewish people never again heard Torah straight from Hashem.

Perhaps we can suggest that both are true. The voice of Hashem ended; there will never be a new Torah. Yet on the other hand, לא פסק, the voice of Hashem never ends. Within the finite Torah that has been given, an infinite amount of guidance can be gleaned. כל יום בת קול יצאת מהר חורב – Hashem continues to speak to us, through the Torah that has already been given.

The way that the עשרת הדברות themselves were given is indicative of this idea. Rashi cites the Medrash that at first, Hashem said all of the עשרות הדברות at once in a single word; only afterwards did He say each one separately. The same is true with all of Torah; each word contains an infinite amount of messages. Hashem is speaking to us, in our situation, every time we read from the Torah – we need only to listen to hear what He says.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Re’ah: Moving Forward Like the Fish

The Torah tells us that to be Kosher, a fish must have fins and scales. R’ Chaim Mintz sees in this Halacha a beautiful allusion to how an אדם הכשר ought to conduct their life.

Fish use their fins to propel themselves through the water, teaching us the importance of always moving forward and striving for self-improvement. Just as a kosher fish is always in motion, we must never become complacent with where we are in life.

The fish’s scales serve as a protective armor, shielding it from harm. This teaches us the importance of safeguarding any spiritual progress that we make. By surrounding ourselves with positive influences, we can ensure that we move forward and not backwards.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Shoftim: אחת שאלתי

The Gemora tells us that the Kohanim began their speech to soldiers going out to war with the words שמע ישראל to allude to the fact that even if the only mitzva they have kept was reciting Shema twice a day, they will be victorious.

Yet, the same Gemora tells us that anybody who was ירא מעבירות שבידו, concerned that he had done any aveira, should not serve in the army. Which one was it – was just saying Shema enough, or did the soldiers need to be spiritually perfect?

R’ Aryeh Finkel explains that the mitzva of Shema is to be מקבל עול מלכות שמים, which means dedicating the entirety of one’s life to Hashem’s will. If a person keeps this mitzva correctly, he can go out to war even if he has aveiros he still struggles with – once one’s life as a whole is dedicated to what is right, fixing the individual aveiros is just a matter of time.

During Elul, we take stock of our year and of our lives. But we shouldn’t just think about our Mitzvos and Aveiros. Rather, we ought to ask ourselves: what have I dedicated my life to? What should I spend my days trying to accomplish? Once our life is dedicated to its proper mission, taking care of the details gets a lot easier.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציוו שלום

Ki Savo: תורת חסד

After the Parsha finishes instructing us about the mitzva of Bikkurim, the passuk writes ושמחת בכל הטוב, you shall rejoice in all the good. The Medrash tells us that this refers to the Torah; אין טוב אלא תורה. What does giving Bikkurim to the Kohanim have to do with Torah?

The Chida explains that this teaches us העוסק בתורה ובגמילות חסדים, זוכה לכוין אל האמת ומסיק שעתתא אליבא דהלכתא, one who toils in both Torah and helping others merits to find the truth and correct Halacha.

Too often, we tend to think of Avodas Hashem as being a checklist of unrelated items: daven, learn, help others, etc. However, the truth is that all of Avodas Hashem is one. If we do what Hashem wants in one area, He will help us improve in other areas as well. The more we connect to Hashem through any mitzva, the more He elevates us in every aspect of our lives.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום

Nitzavim: Wake Up Call

The Torah tells us that כי יבואו עליך… הברכה והקללה, after we have experienced both the blessings that come as a result of doing what we should and the punishments that result from the opposite, Klal Yisroel will ultimately do Teshuva.

And yet, points out the נודע ביהודה, the Gemora indicates that the Parsha is referring to תשובה מאהבה, Teshuva that is done out of love for Hashem. If the impetus for the Teshuva was the punishments, how can this be תשובה מאהבה?

The נודע ביהודה explains that there are two ways suffering can cause a person to return to Hashem. The first is comparable to a servant who is beaten for disobeying his master – going forward, he will do what he has to do going forward to avoid further punishment.

The other is like a son who is castigated by his father. If the son apologies to his father, he doesn’t do so only to make the “punishment” stop. Rather, the pain he experiences serves as a wake-up call which makes him realize that he’s hurt his father. The decision to make things right may have been sparked by the pain of separation, but it is really the product of a genuine desire to reconnect.

Writes the נודע ביהודה, this should be our reaction to misfortune. We should not do Teshuva merely to make the troubles stop. Rather, it ought to make us think:
‎הלא כי אין אלקי בקרבי מצאוני הרעות האלה, is it not because my G-d is not with me that these troubles have befallen me? The suffering should make us realize that we have disappointed Hashem, and make us genuinely want to reconnect and bring Him back into our lives.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום