YWN Coffee Room Nightly D’Var Torah

Jmatt: my vort for next week is also about the womens greater song, but it involves other diyukim.

Here is something so that we have a Wednesday d’var torah (do I have a chazaka for Wednesdays yet?) Please continue to give and encourage others to sign up!!

The Importance of T’fillas Mincha (As Seen in the Sifsei Chaim (Rinas Chaim on Shmoneh Esrei)

During a Ta’anis, the Kehilla only says Aneinu (in their silent Shmoneh Esrei) by mincha. Why?

The Gemarra in Brachos says: “A person shall always be cautious with t’fillas mincha, for Eliyahi HaNavi was only answered during Mincha”. We see from here that their is a special segulah for mincha prayers to be accepted

The Tur adds to question of why is Mincha a special advantage? He says that Shachris has a set time when one wakes up, prior to going to work. Ma’ariv also has a set time, after one has come home, done with a day’s work. Mincha however, being in the middle of the day is during one’s working hours. One needs to stop working in order to daven. And one who is able to put their work aside in order to daven a proper mincha (with proper Kavana, not thinking about work or other things) one receives great reward. As it says in pirchei avos “???? ???? ????” in accordance with the struggle is the reward.

There is also another reason. During Shachris, one has Birchas HaShachar, pezukei d’zimra, Birchas Krias Shema and Krias Shema all prior to the Shmoneh Esrei of Shachris. It is therefore easier for one to have the proper mindset during Shmoneh Esrei. Ma’ariv also has Krias Shema and brachos before its Shmoneh Esrei. Mincha, however, only has Ashrei, and then immediately into Shmoneh Esrei. Therefore, if one is able to strengthen oneself to have the proper kavana during mincha, their reward will be great.

Since Mincha has the ability to be heard (accepted) greater than other t’fillos, it was therefore established that Aneinu be added only during Mincha on a ta’anis.

May we all be zoche to using the message, to strengthen our Mincha prayers, to say them with proper kavana and focus.

JayMatt19: wow great devar torah!!! thanx!!

Why does this topic get updated so infrequently? I post here, and on other topics, and the others get updated, and it is hours before my post appears on this topic. Mod, Why is this the case? (No, I don’t think it is just me)

THE ALTER on THE PARSHA

Adapted from Sefer Ohr HaTzafun by Rabbi Eliezer Grunberg

PARSHAS Beshalach 5769

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The Egyptians had oppressed the Jewish people for many years. They clearly saw the Hand of

Hashem in ways that we could never imagine and they still did not repent. Although Hashem was punishing them for their evil behavior, He took no pleasure in their downfall – the Egyptians were also His creations and though He punished them with death they were still His children. Consequently he would not permit the daily praise to be sung. Hashem even questioned the angels for considering singing while they were drowning.

Yam Suf, punishing them with death for their evil actions against the Jewish people. Yet, in the midst of His wrath, Hashem was still concerned for these wicked people. They were entitled to a proper burial and they received it.

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Another for Beshalach:

13 Shevat, 5769 Vol. 10, No. 16 Parashas Beshalach

The Yalkut Shimoni continues to tell us that the descendants of Ephraim had excessive pride because of their royal lineage (Yosef, the royal viceroy, was their ancestor) and because they were great warriors. This hubris caused them to take their families and attempt to leave Egypt. The Egyptians gathered their troops, went to battle and killed the warriors of Ephraim and their families.

to escape? How could they endanger their families in such folly?

Pride has the ability to twist and distort the human mind. It can mislead even intelligent and great people into accepting completely baseless ideas. Even as the Ephraimites were being enslaved in total subjugation, their arrogance created the delusion that it was safe to escape. Lulled by this sense of invincibility,

they fooled themselves into believing a false prophet they normally would have rejected, who led them and their families on a path to total destruction.

Let us realize the dangers of arrogance, and protect ourselves against its insidious and pervasive influence, through the powerful and essential tool of daily mussar study. If we constantly work on our humility, we will not merely become better spouses, parents, neighbors or friends; we will also gain the clarity

of vision and judgement to know that our decisions will based on reality, sound reasoning and the eternal values of our Torah.

great divrei torah everybody.

R’ Aryeh Finkel (As seen in the Lekach Tov on Shabbos) says that Shabbos is a time for Teshuva.

The Midrash Rabba on Bereishis says that after Kayin killed Hevel, He had the following encounter with his father Adam HaRishon:

Adam HaRishon: “How did your case turn out?”

Kayin: “I did Teshuva and was spared”

Adam HaRishon then proclaims: “This is the power of Teshuva, and I had not known (until now)! He then said “????? ???, ???? ????.”. We need to understand the connection between this psalm, and teshuva. When looking at this psalm, it does not appear to have any mention of teshuva. Additionally, other than the 1st line, what does it have to do with Shabbos?

We can answer this from a story with R’ Sa’adia Gaon. R’ Sa’adia Gaon says he learned the Inyan of teshuva from a simple individual. R’ Sa’adia Gaon was once due to arrive in a specific town, and that town held a lottery as to who would meet and escort the Rav during his stay in this town. The lottery was won by a simple man, who did not know the gadlus of R’ Sa’adia Gaon. Nevertheless, he was respectful to the Rav and fulfilled every request the Rav had. When he discovered the true gadlus of R’ Sa’adia Gaon, he apologized and requested mechila, for had he known the gadlus of the Rav, he would have honored him much more.

R’ Sa’adia Gaon says that we learn teshuva from this person. A person does teshuva for recognizing that he did not honor, respect or serve HaKadosh Baruch Hu properly. Behold, now he better realizes the Gadlus of Hashem, and thus he acknowledges that he should have served Hashem better than he has until now. Everyday a tzaddik has a greater realization of the Gadlus of Hashem, and thus he realizes that his servitude until now has been lacking. Even more so when one recognizes that Aveiros have been committed, this shows a lacking in one’s acceptance of the Gadlus Hashem, and when one is able to recognize this Gadlus, ultimately a teshuva needs to be done to repair the previous flawed servitude.

So, what is the connection to Shabbos? On Shabbos we have a Nishama Yiseira and (as the Ibn Ezra says) we have a greater ability of recognition. Therefore, through Shabbos, one can reach a higher level of Emuna (and this is inbuilt within the Shabbos, from Ma’aseh Breishis). Then one is awakened to do teshuva, since he realizes that his service of Hashem until now wasn’t 100%.

Now we can see how this psalm works (even without explicitly talking about Shabbos, or Teshuva). Adam HaRishon saw the power of teshuva, and said ????? ???, ???? ????. Shabbos completes the creation (of a person), and with this power that Shabbos adds, one has a greater lever of understanding the Koach and Gadlus of Hashem, and this brings him to the aforementioned teshuva.

This also explains why the psalm only discusses praise of Hashem. For when Shabbos enters a person (and completes him) he then sees the greatness of Hashem and he says: ?? ?????? ?’ ?????; ????? ???? ???? (For you make me glad by your deeds, Hashem;

I sing for joy at the works of your hands.) Through this happiness we are able to do teshuva.

This is how we see that the psalm ????? ???, ???? ???? discusses both Shabbos and Teshuva without ever mentioning Teshuva!

Please remove me from Wednesday on the list. I’ll decide later on if I am doing one then.

Any news on Yashrus? Perhaps we should remove him from the list

yasher koach nossond

******DEVAR TORAH FOR MONDAY-TU BI’SHVAT*****

Chizuk in Tu B’Shvat that Hashem’s Geula happens in the blink of an eye:

The Connection Between Tu B’Shvat and Parshas B’Shalach:

Parshas B’Shalach / Shabbos Shirah always comes out near Tu B’Shvat. What is the shmechos between tu bi’Shvat-the “New Year of Trees,” and this week’s parsha?

The book Ziv HaMinhagim gives a beautiful explanation of this linkage. Tu B’Shvat is the Rosh HaShanah of trees. Look outside today and gaze at the trees. They appear deader than door nails! Is this the time to celebrate “The New Year for Trees?” There is not a leaf to be seen. It would seem more appropriate to celebrate “Tu B’Shvat” in the springtime when the trees are in full bloom.

The answer is that the trees LOOK dead. They LOOK like they will never see another green leaf in their existence. But right now the sap is beginning to run within them. If one travels up to Vermont-the Maple syrup capital of the world-he will find Vermonters dressed up in earmuffs boring holes in trees to extract the sap from the maple trees. This is the time of the year when the sap is flowing within the trees. The leaves and the beauty of the fruits that the trees will produce in the spring and summer are all being prepared right now, in the dead of winter.

The trees represent the idea that even when something looks terribly bleak and looks like it has no future, one should not give up on it. One should not give up on the trees when they look like that, and one should not give up on oneself when things look like that for him.

There are periods in a person’s life when the future looks bleak and things look miserable all around. “What will be?” But the salvation of the Hashem comes in the blink of an eye! Hashem is already “running the sap” so to speak so that salvation may come. For this reason Tu B’Shvat is celebrated in the dead of winter.

It states in Parshas B’Shalach “They came to Marah and they could not drink the water, for it was bitter.” Hashem then showed Moshe a tree and told him to throw it into the water. Why a tree? Why not a rock or a piece of dirt?

At that point, Hashem showed him a tree. The tree is the symbol that when all looks futile and bleak, desolate and destroyed, we see that the situation can turn around. Rebirth happens! There can be renaissance and renewal. Throwing the tree into the water was meant as a message to the people: “Don’t give up. Don’t worry about the desert. Things look bleak now but the salvation of the L-rd comes in the blink of an eye.”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

asdfghjkl: Great vort.

We can add that this message is great for bashalach also because the yidden were worried about the Egyptians chasing them into the sea, but their salvation came in the blink of an eye.

Moreover, Moshe basicly told them to shut up. The gemarah ta’anis compares people to trees. Imagine if trees would complain like people. They would go on and on. On every leaf they would wail,”Oy vey my leaf fell off.” The lesson is that we need to shut up like trees and let things work themselves out.

“Whyd you take me off? It takes three times to make me a shor hamuad! “

Have you done Thursday enough to achieve chazaka status?

Need Help: Please if anyone can help me out i cant find an answer to a stira! In bava metzia daf 43 amud aleph of sugya of shlichus yad, rava says in the gem. that if one who steals and then breaks it he pays the din of when he breaks it only in case where the price went up. But if the price goes down he pays like the price of b4 b/c of kol hamishlmim kshas hagzeila. Why then if it goes up does he pay higher? The rosh explains b/c of knas but if it werent for knas by default you would pay like the beg. In bava kama it has this case and the rosh explains that if when you stole it it was 4 and now when you break it its 1 you pay for just like in our gemara. The problem is his reason for this is shelo yehai choteh niskar! Which means he holds by default you should pay later not shas gezaila and the only reason u pay b4 is b/c of shelo yehai chotei niscar. But in our gemara the rosh says you pay 4 b/c pashut kol mishalmim k’shas gizaila. Two dif default in two roshis! Anyone got any answers??

when can i post a d’var Torah?

jayMatt19: thanx so much!!!

nossond: thanx so much!!!!

yashrus20: glad your back in!!!

torahtziva: we have tuesday & wednesday night open on the schedule!!! you can post a devar torah any night though!!! all devar torahs are welcomed!!!

mods: we need more volenteers or your ganna need to pick a devar torah karban!!!

asdfghjkl, why are you asking? of course i read them. do you?

I have a kaballa from my Rosh Yeshiva, who heard from R’ Shalom Shvardron, that when something comes into your head (when speaking), sometime you have no idea why, say it, for Hashem likely put it there since it will effect someone listening (even though you have no clue who/what/where). After reading the other topics this week, the following d’var torah is bursting to come out.

The following d’var torah, I heard directly from HaRav Moshe Sternbuch, at a shiur given in his home to Avreichem.

In Pirkei Avos it says “????? ??????? ??? ??, ???? ????? ?? ????; ???? ??–??? ?????? ?? ???????, ???? ?????? ?? ?????, ???? ???? ?????, ???? ????? ?? ?????, ???? ????? ?? ???”

R’ Yochanan ben Zackei had 5 talmidim…

Don’t say he only had 5 people in his yeshiva. He had hundreds, perhaps thousands in his yeshiva. It was just that he only had 5 worthy of being called his talmid.

A Rebbe is the one who gives smicha that someone is his talmid. Just because someone attended a shiur given by a Rov, does not mean that he is a talmid of that Rov!

Jaymatt- B/c all yidden are born with a chezkas kashrus! You sound like you know a little, if so answer my stira. It shouldent be to hard just google it…it seems to work for all the other divrie torah. (not to knock those divrie torah just trying to prove a point)

Yashrus, btw, I mean no harm and I hope you are enjoying this playful discussion (why you are calling yourself an ox is beyond me though

JayMatt19: great vort today!!!

nossond: i hope you never run out of them!!!

mod72: hey what abt the rest of us???!!! what are we, chopped liver???!!!

We appreciate all who contribute, however, JayMatt19 fills in whenever we are missing a night.:o) YW Moderator-72