YWN Coffee Room Nightly D’Var Torah

i would like a day i have an awesome dvar torah.

Thursday it is! Thanks. YW Moderator-72

thanks, joseph

Thanks Joseph.

I recently heard a similar story told to me by Rabbi Ordman, he called it the butterfly effect. theres a huge machine in Zurich that can forecast the weather and they realized that the fluttering of a butterflys wings can affect a hurricane halfway around the world. if this is just in the physical world, imaagine the tremendous ripple effect any small thing we do can have in the spiritual world.

im getting off track: the story is that a Rabbi was pasing by a table of Israeli girls and boys, where the girls were not dressed anywhere within tznius standards, and so he covered his eyes with his hand as he walked past. one of the boys sitting at the table was impressed with what this Rabbi did and ran after him…..this boy became frum in the end…many people think it’s insulting that some men cover their eyes or shield their faces from looking at girls, or cross the street….i commend these people, and look what happened in this situation.

this turned out pretty long…

ill save my real dvar Torah for my night 🙂

ok mod

very nice joseph thanx, beatiful story

PLEASE POST TOMORROW NITE, TUESDAY

The Sfas Emes on Vayechi

(from Sfat Emes on the Torah)

The Humble Lion

The blessing of Yehuda includes the following verse: Yehuda crouches down and lies like a lion (Bereishit 49:9). What is the greatness of lying down like a lion? Since the Jewish people are referred to as “Yehudim,” (for example, in Megillat Esther), our explanation applies to the whole Jewish people.

The Chidushei HaRim, the grandfather of the Sfat Emet, explains. Even in a lowly position, Yehuda remains a lion. Even when Yehuda was exposed and shamed, like in the Tamar episode, he courageously admitted his mistake and Tamar’s innocence, rising up like a lion. This ability to retain moral power, even in difficult situations, is the seed from which the Mashiach grows.

This trait, explains the Sfat Emet himself, is rooted in Yehuda’s humility. Despite his greatness, he does not have a bloated self-image. It follows that even when he does fall, Hashem’s presence remains with him. In fact, the name Yehuda in Hebrew contains the four letters of the Divine Name, with the letter dalet in the middle, symbolizing “dal,” lowly.

This is alluded to in a slightly different expression used in Bilam’s blessings. Yaakov’s blessing says that Yehuda crouches down and springs up – “kara ravatz,” referring to his ability to rise up when lowly. The blessings of Parshat Balak (Bemidbar 24:9) say that Israel lies down like a lion – “kara shakhav,” referring to his ability to remain humble when successful.

The two expressions point to Yehuda’s and the Yehudim’s two complementary qualities; to retain our moral strength when we are down (spring up), and to remain humble when riding high (lie down). Both humility and moral strength have a common source, though, an accurate self-image. This clarity about who we are allows us to always remember our strength, but never to forget its source, G-d, whose Name is written into ours.

[prepared by Eliezer Kwass]

********** D’VAR FOR ASARA BTEVES **********

Talmei Hamelech (Ptolomy of Egypt), King of Greece is a name that shall live in infamy. In the early days of the Bayis Sheini (2nd Temple), the Jews were ruled by the Persian empire. The Persian empire eventually gave way to the Greeks, and the Jews became subjugated to all the whims of the new Greek superpower.

In 330 b.c.e., on the 8th day of Teves, Talmei Hamelech ordered the Chachamim (Torah Sages) to appear before him. He gathered 72 Rabbis and placed them in 72 separate rooms without revealing the purpose for which he summoned them. He then went into each room individually and commanded them each to translate the Torah from Hebrew to Greek.

The fact that he placed them in separate rooms like this shows that he didn’t trust them. He suspected that they would deliberately give him a fake translation in order to keep the words of the Torah secret. Till that time, the Torah had never been translated to another language. Only the Jews who knew Hebrew had access to the Torah. But now, if the chachamim made any changes or alterations in their translation, he would know it, for it would surely show up when the 72 copies were examined and cross-checked.

Indeed, this was a superhuman task. Even if the sages were to try to produce the most accurate translation possible, Torah is so deep and rich and full of allusion, it is impossible to decide which is the best way to translate it, much less to guess what 71 others would choose. If you translate it literally you turn the Torah into an empty shell, devoid of it’s esoteric treasures. If you translate it allegorically, you lose the simple straightforward meaning. There’s often more than one meaning for a word – which one do you choose? Which one will the others choose. Further, the chachamim did not want to translate it one hundred per cent accurately. There were verses which they felt would only be misunderstood or misconstrued by the non-jews.

What a bind they were in. If their translations varied, the non-jews would claim that Torah was not true. They would assert that if it were true, then why is there disagreement. This would constitute a public desecration of G-d’s name. The fact that Talmei Hamelech put the chachamim in this position exposes the wickedness of his intent.

The sages lifted their eyes to heaven and received ruach hakodesh (holy inspiration). Hashem (G-d) put it in each one’s heart to translate exactly as the others did. No discrepancy could be found, even though there were a number of places where the sages deliberately altered the translation. This was indeed a miracle and a kiddush Hashem – a public sanctification of G-d’s name.

Still, this is considered a dark day for Israel, and is one of the reasons why we fast on Asara B’Teves. Till this point, the Torah was in the hands of the Jews and elucidated by the chachamim. The chachamim who were expert in the study of the Torah, would convey the full and accurate meaning of the Torah. Once it was translated into Greek, it was as if the Torah was divested of its reverence. Any misguided ignoramus, or any hothead with an agenda, could now gaze at the Torah and find fault, or fabricate any interpretation they fancied.

On this sad day, let us vow to counteract this tragedy by immersing ourselves in Torah study in depth. Let us delve to find the true meaning of the words of our Torah, so that we can never be swayed or led astray by falsehood and distortion of our holy Torah.

This is so nice!!! Thanks R’ (J)Yoseph! It is so true.. I can not begin to tell you how many times I have had people tell me they are who they are because of someone out there that has no clue they shook the world!

One friend told me at their chasuna that they are at the chuppah and about to start a life B’derech Hatorah because of my mother. When I asked my mother, she was clueless! She said she remembers maybe one or two tiny incidents that may have left an impression! But we never know who is watching!!!

Imagine you are walking in a store or an office and you realize there is a camera videoing you. If you are a girl you may fix your hear and stand up straight, if you are a man or bachur you may try to look cool or shticky with the swagger of your walk and flashing your shtady phone… but think about it… are you only making an impression when you know you are being watched? Ayin Roah…. HkbH is always videoing us even when someone else isn’t and we should be careful to be seen as we would want to be seen at all times even when we dont know we are being watched!

In shul, you are davening and a chashuva Gadol walks in and is looking at you- nu? I bet I know how hard you’re gonna shuckel! Well, are you going to have so much kavana when he isn’t there. The Aibeshter is watching and even someone else whose life you might change for Dorei Doiros!

Hehe, sorry I wasnt trying to make my own Dvar Tora, just giving my feedback and Reb Yossel’s beautiful piece.

qwertyuiop, Thanks for being a big fan of my Zeida the Sfas Emes! 🙂

Thanks, Joseph:) beauty story!

thanx qwertyuiop & chofetzchaim!!!! great vorts there!!!

and thank you nossond(see a good devar torah could be said even without it being your night!!!)!!!

These are all amazing! Tizku Lemitzvos! What a way to elevate the mundane! Thank you each and every one of the dvar torah posters!

This is great…!

ONE request and please yell at me everyone if I am asking out of line…

Can we try to shorten the divrei torah and write them short and concise in our own words so that I dont develop ADD as I read and only get hana’a from part of the divrei torah?? I think everyone will be more excited to read if we keep it as short and sweet vortlach!! again- feel free to tell me I am so wrong! I can handle it 😉

thanx R’ charlie brown!!!! nice vort!!!

do i get to be called rebetzin if i post

shtikl dvar Torah on vayigash: from bikorei shimo by R’ Shmuel Birnbaum ZTL his yartzeit is not too far away. He quotes the Bais HaLevi: why did Yosef say “ha’od avi chai” and not “avinu?” and also, why were the shevatim so concerned with the tzaar that Yaakov will have if Binyamin isnt safe and not with Yaakov’s extreme tzaar when he found out Yosef was “dead?” their behavior is a stirah.

so the Bais HaLevi answers that the shevatim thought because there are 12 of them, if Yosef is gone, the remaining 11 can “make up” for him and fill his place. Yosef is saying, youre wrong!! it duznt matter how many children a father has, theyre each a special and unique son to their father and can NEVER be replaced. this is why Yosef said “avi” becuase he was letting them know that they were wrong in assuming Yosef could be replaced–because “avi” is his personal father.

same with us–we cant say, its okay if i dont learn tonight because theres thousands of beis midrashim learning instead of me…i dont need to do this particular mitzvah, im sure there are many out there who are doing it…this is WRONG we are each individual children to Hashem and He treats us like that so we need to act like it—thats why the Medrash says “oy lanu yom hadin, oy lanu yom hatochacha”–becuase this is what will happen, well see we were wrong in assuming that we can be lax about things when we are being judged

thanx!!! Rebbetzin BYM

that just might not pas…

Here is an amazing vort for parshas Vayeshev and Miketz. (Please let me know if it makes you flip out.)

There are various connections between Dovid and the hand or hands. First off, Yehuda’s blessing is about his hand at the nape of the enemy, and Rashi says it refers to Dovid. Moreover, the gematria of Dovid is fourteen, which is the gematria of hand. Dovid also spells du yad,two hands. Similarly, Shlomo, Dovid’s son, was called yedidya, which contains yad yad, two hands. Moreover, Dovid is compared to Eisav (in looks and innate tendencies), and the pasuk states that the hands are the hands of Eisav.

The pasuk says about the beis hamikdash, koninu yadecha, that it was built with His two hands. Who built the beis hamikdash? Dovid and Shlomo, HaShem’s two hands!

Yehuda said to Yaakov about Binyamin, from my hand you will ask him, that he would protect Binyamin. From my hand also means from Dovid you will ask him (Binyamin).Just as Yehuda was responsible for Binyamin, Dovid was also responsible to make sure that Mordechai (from Binyamin’s tribe) would be born, by not killing Shimi Ben Gera. The gemarah says that this is why the Megila calls Mordechai, “ish Yehudi.”

We can now fathom why the Torah tells us that Zerach stook out his hand. The gemarah says that Peretz broke through in kingly fasion, so Dovid hamelech came from him. Memeilah, Zerach stook out his hand. He wanted Dovid to come from him! But his hand was pulled back and Zerach broke forth! So Dovid descended from him!

Tonights D’Var Torah

I have always pondered why is it yaakov was chosen out of all the avos to have the shvatim. I have also wondered why is it the maalach davka gave yaakov the all powerfull name “yisroel”. When hashem created the world the job intended for us was to be mayasher our midos, the key to knowing how to do that is his torah. Without this guide we our lost b/c we wont know excactly how to act. When Adam was created he was created pure and with only an external yetzer harah. When the nachash made him sin the medrash says the zu hama (venom) when inside adam wheras making the yetzer harah internal. This zu hama was basicaly like a poison to the midos. When Avraham recognized hashem he was promised to have the “Klal yisroel”. But there was one problem….The zu hama. THe two basic and fundamental midos of hashem are ahava and yirah which are paralel to chesed and gevurah. Avraham who was the ideal of chesed needed first to get rid of the perversion of chesed……taava. Ex: lo sigal ervas achoscha..

ki chesed hi. You think sometimes your being nicebut not realizing its assur. YIshmael was all about taava, so he was kielu the perversion of Avraham. Yitzchak was the ideal of gevurah, and the perversion of gevurah is gaava. Kiling is all about gaava in that in someway i deserve to be here but you dont. Eisav was the kielu perversion of yitzchak. Yaakov therefor came out pure, all was emes. Yaakov therefor had it in him to start the process of why hashem created the world, b/c the source has to be completly pure.

When Bnei Yisroel commited the sin of the eigel hazahav the medrsh says the zu hama entered them. Whats pshat how did it enter?? Well who made klal yisroel sin just as the nachash made adam sin?? The eirav rav!!! Who were the eirav rav?? AH ZOY ZUKT RASHI were decendents of both yishmael and eisav. So those perversions came and seeped back into klal yisroel making us sin. Even though it may sound bad that the yetzer harah is inside us doesnt take away the fact that we can also be like our avos hakdoishim and fight back and destor it while inside us.

Forgive my misquotes, grammer, spelling, and the inability to properly explain i did the best i could while usining a chrefty comp. in my yeshiva. so bare with me.

What that its a lil messy?lol

I’d love to do one. Whatever night works best for everyone else

You have been assigned to Sunday night. Thanks YW Moderator-72