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Vayeitzei: Out Of Many, One
The Medrash Rabbah tells us that Yaakov knew that the Jewish nation was going to be comprised of twelve Shevatim. He knew that Avraham and Yitzchak had not been chosen to raise those twelve Shevatim, and he hoped to be the one to do so.
When he lay down at Har HaMoriah, he placed twelve stones around his head. When he woke up and saw that the twelve stones had merged into one, he knew he had been chosen.
Asks R’ Betzalel Rudinsky, isn’t this symbolism backwards? Shouldn’t the obvious sign of having twelve Shevatim be one rock splitting into twelve?
Based on the Pirkei D’ Rebbi Eliezer, the answer becomes obvious. Raising twelve tribes is great, but that wasn’t Yaakov’s entire goal. Yaakov’s goal was to raise twelve Shevatim that would still consider themselves one people. Each Shevet would have its own characteristics, its unique strengths and weaknesses. But each would work for the good of the nation as a whole, not for their personal gain.
Yaakov was not looking to be split into twelve. He wanted to have twelve very different Shevatim, who would all come together to form Klal Yisroel.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantChayei Sarah: יפה שיחתן
The Torah is usually very sparing with its words; there are entire Mitzvos described only in a few short Pesukim. And yet, the Parsha repeats the instructions Avraham gave Eliezer on how to find Rivka once when Avraham told them to Eliezer, and then gives another equally detailed account of Eliezer repeating his instructions to Lavan and Besual. What is this supposed to teach us?
Perhaps we can explain this with a mashal. Imagine somebody attempting to explain the power of a nuclear bomb:
One way to try to explain it could be by pointing out that the core of the explosion is about a hundred million degrees Celsius. But that’s very hard for anybody to relate to – nobody can possibly imagine how hot that it.
A far more accessible explanation is that an atom bomb can immediately vaporize a person standing miles away from the epicenter. By describing things that we can relate to that happen at the periphery of the blast zone, we can get some appreciation for how powerful the explosion must be at its core.
It’s very difficult for us to relate to the strength of Abraham’s convictions. So instead, we focus on the conversation that Eliezer has with Lavan. At the end of that conversation, Lavan responds: מה׳ יצא הדבר, לא נוכל דבר עליו רע או טוב.
Just having a conversation with Eliezer made such an impact on Lavan that his only response was “Everything is up to Hashem, I have no power to affect anything”. From the fact that Avraham’s servant’s convictions were strong enough to have such an effect on the wicked Lavan , we can have some appreciation for the strength of Avraham’s convictions.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613Participant*Vayeira: A Shining Example*
How did Yerushalayim get its name? Rashi quotes a Medrash that Shem called the city שלם, while Avraham called it יראה immediately after the Akeida when he said בהר ה׳ יראה. Hashem combined both of these names into ירושלם.
Based on the writing of the Gra, R’ Aaron Lopiansky explains the meaning of this. Shem brought שלימות into the world – he was the last remaining link to Noach and Adam, and he bore the idea that there is one Hashem.
But Avraham was more than that. Avraham made the world see what it could be. At the time of the Akeida, Avraham’s actions showed the world what Avodas Hashem looks like in its most pristine form, how a human being could reach the level where all he cares about is doing what Hashem wants him to do.
R’ Aaron Lopiansky compares this to a mirror. The first thing you want in a mirror is for it to be complete – if it is broken or cracked, it will not function. But a mirror’s purpose is not just to be whole. It exists to reflect light – if it cannot do that, it is useless.
This is what Yerushalyim stands for: we must have not only a complete set of beliefs, but also shining ideals that guide us in all that we do.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantLech Lecha: Inspired by the Emptiness
The Parsha begins with Hashem’s first command to Avram: לך לך מארצך וממולדתך ומבית אביך, go from your land, your birthplace, and your father’s house, אל הארץ אשר אראך, to the land that I will show you.
R’ Aaron Lopiansky asks, why do we need the whole first half of the command? Wouldn’t it be enough to tell Avram where to go to? Why did Hashem go into so much detail about the place Avram was leaving from?
He answers that the place Avram was leaving was actually the impetus for his journey. Avram grew up under Nimrod, in a land of idolatry. But because he grew up with it, he appreciated just how empty it was. His exposure to an ideology that he knew to be false was what inspired him to seek the truth.
Sometimes, we are drawn to do the right thing by an appreciation for what is good. But sometimes, we are drawn to what is right because we are repulsed by the evil of what is wrong. The very emptiness of the world around us can be what inspires us to seek out something more.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantNoach: Filled with Wickedness
The Torah tells us two things about what the world was like before the Mabul. First we are told ותשחת הארץ, the world was destroyed. Rashi explains that this refers to עבודה זרה and גילוי עריות. Next the Torah tells us ותמלאה הארץ חמס, the land was filled with wickedness. Rashi explains that this refers to theft.
First of all, it is puzzling that the Passuk seems to treat theft as severely as two of the aveiros that are יהרוג ועל יעבור. This is especially true in light of the fact that Chazal tell us that they stole less than שוה פרוטה, only a minuscule amount at a time.
Secondly, why is the theft referred to as “filling the world”, while the other aveiros are labeled “destruction”?
R’ Aaron Lopiansky explains that a person has a natural need to have something to live for. If a person only aim as they go through their day is to satisfy their immediate desires, they will feel a gnawing emptiness eating away at them. This feeling of emptiness will push them to find something meaningful to fill their lives.
However, the דור המבול couldn’t be saved this way. They didn’t steal out of a sense of material desire. They filled their lives with the enjoyment of trying to take from others, and they actually felt fulfilled by it. They stole small amounts from each other because stealing was what they lived for. Once a people view wickedness as the very reason that they live, the appeal to do good can no longer save them.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכנן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantBereishis: From Darkness, Light
One of the interesting things about the Jewish calendar is what time one day starts and the next day begins. Rather than begin at midnight or even at dawn, in Judaism each day is considered to began at nightfall. We see this from the Parsha’s constant repetition of ויהי ערב ויהי בוקר, it was night and then it was day.
R’ Eliezer HaKalir sees an allusion in these words to all of the darkness that has befallen our people. In his Kinnos for Tisha B’Av, he writes that this night alludes to all of the horrors that will occur to our people in the dark and bitter time of Galus. But from that darkness comes the light of the a new day, of the ultimate redemption.
We as a people have just witnessed a horror we had hoped we would only see in history books. But we as a people have responded with so much light. We as a people are there for each other in a way that cannot be described in words.
No Jew has gone unmoved by the events of this past week. We have seen what unspeakable horrors humanity is capable of, and we have seen how much love we can all have for each other. Let us hope that we can all come this dark period all the more determined to do what is right, to make the world a better place.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVzos HaBracha: Birkas HaTorah
The Beis HaLevi asks an intriguing question. When we leave the Sukkah, we need to make a new Bracha when we re-enter it. Yet when it comes to Birkas HaTorah, even when we close a Sefer and walk away, we do not make a new Bracha when we pick it up again. Why is that?
The Beis HaLevi answers by pointing to a different halacha from hilchos Brachos. If a bunch of people are eating together and only some of them leave, the ones who leave do not need to make a new Bracha when they return. Since they left their friends still busy with the meal they do not consider themselves to be done eating, they are not מסיח דעת.
Says the Beis HaLevi, the same is true when it comes to learning Torah. Even when one stops learning, if he is leaving his friends busy with their learning, he is not מסיח דעת from returning.
The Beis HaLevi sees an allusion to this idea in this weeks Parsha. שמח זבולון בצאתך, Zevulon rejoices when he leaves on a business trip. Why? ויששכר באהלך, because he is leaving his friend and partner still toiling in Torah, and therefore neither of them is מסיח דעת from Torah.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantSchach: בצל שקי יתלונן
The Rashbam gives a fascinating explanation for why Sukkos is during Tishrei, despite the fact that it is in remembrance of Hashem providing us with shelter when He took us out of Mitzrayim which happened in Nissan.
The Rashbam explains that Tishrei is the end of the harvest season, when people had storage houses full of grain. It is at this moment of material satisfaction that we must remember that our success is not due to כחי ועוצם ידי, but rather that everything always has and always will be provided only by the will of Hashem.
We can suggest that this message is hinted to in the halachos of the Schach. Schach must be made from something that grows from the ground (גידולי קרקע), but has not been fashioned into a vessel (אינו מקבל טומאה).
Perhaps this is to remind us that our shelter comes naturally from the hand of Hashem, symbolized by what grows naturally from the ground, not from what we have made with our own hands.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantHaazinu: Unstoppable
Rashi points out that in this Parsha is one of three times that the Torah uses the phrase בעצם היום הזה. Quoting the Sifri, Rashi explains that each time this phrase is used, there were people who had announced their intentions to thwart the plans of Hashem.
In the times of Noach, the people had said that if there was a מבול, they would stop Noach from entering the תיבה. The Mitzriyim had made clear that they would never let the Jews leave their land. And in our Parsha, the Jews had said they wouldn’t let Moshe leave them.
In each case, Hashem made a point of acting בעצם היום, publicly and in the middle of the day. You think you can stop the Divine plan? Go ahead and try.
But there is another time when this phrase is used: וכל מלאכה לא תעשו עד *עצם היום* הזה, כי יום כפורים הוא לכפר עליכם.
The Ramchal and many others go on at great length to explain the effects of our aveiros. Every mistake we make has ruinous consequences, both in the heavens above and deep within ourselves. We can sometimes feel that since our mistakes are so serious, they can never be undone.
But the Divine plan cannot be stopped. When Hashem says כי ביום הזה יכפר עליכם לטהר אתכם מכל חטאתיכם, He means it. As long as we regret our mistakes and pledge to do better, He will erase the past as if it never was, and absolutely nothing can stop Him.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantRosh HaShanah: Malchus 👑
We know that the primary avodah of Rosh HaShanah is תמלכוני עליכם, accepting Hashem’s Kingship. But how is this different than קבלת עול מלכות שמים that we say twice a day in שמע?
R’ Gedalya Schorr explains that every day, we accept Hashem as our boss, accepting our obligation to do as He says. But the Malchus of Rosh HaShanah goes far deeper than that.
On Rosh HaShanah, we accept Hashem as our King. We do not do what He says only because He controls our fate. Rather, we accept Him as King because we want to have a connection with Him. By relating to Hashem as a King, we are able to form a relationship with Him that we would not otherwise be able to have.
By accepting Hashem as our King, we are not actually changing His role in this world. What we are changing is our role. We are His people, and He is our King. Our very identities are intertwined, defined by our relationship to each other. And we would would not have it any other way.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantNitzavim: Talk to Yourself
When exhorting us to do Teshuva and keep the entirety of the Torah, Moshe says the following stirring statement: כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאוד, בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו – for this matter is very close to you, in your mouths and in your hearts to do it.
R’ Aaron Lopiansky points out that it is interesting that the mouth is listed before the heart. Doesn’t everything that comes out of the mouth first originate in the heart?
R’ Aaron Lopiansky sees in this Passuk a source for one of the primary teachings of R’ Yisroel Salanter: that the path to the heart is through the mouth.
The point of Mussar is to make the heart feel what the mind already knows. R’ Yisroel Salanter taught that the way to bridge that gap was for one to repeat to themselves passages from Chazal that deal with Yiras Hashem. But it is not enough to merely mouth it. It must be with שפתים דולקות, with a burning fervor. By doing so, one will make what they know intellectually feel real to them on an emotional level.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantKi Savo: When the Going gets Tough
When we would bring Bikkurim to the Beis HaMikdosh, we list all that we are thankful for. We are thankful not only for a successful crop, but for all Hashem has done for us: from when He rescued Yaakov from Lavan, to when He he took us out of Mitzrayim, and everything else He’s done for us until today.
And yet, we also discuss some less pleasant things in the Parsha of Bikkurim. We talk about the bitterness of Galus in Mitzrayim, and how Lavan tried to destroy us. If we’re meant to be giving thanks for the good, why do we also focus on the bad?
R’ Chaim Mintz explains that the hardship that we had to endure was no accident. The Gemora says that there are three gifts that Hashem gives that only come through יסורים: Torah, Eretz Yisroel, and Olam Haba.
Tough times are not fun, but they are necessary. They push us to work harder, and show us just how much we can accomplish if we have our backs to the wall. Without difficulties, we could never become the best version of ourselves, and never be deserving of all the good that Hashem wants to give us.
We must thank Hashem not only for the good, but also for the tough times that make us who we are.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantKi Seitzi: Undying Gratitude
Mitzrayim was the first enemy we faced as a nation. We were enslaved by them for hundreds of years, forced to endure backbreaking labor and torture.
And yet, the Torah clearly instructs us: לא תתעב מצרי, do not hate an Egyptian. Why not? כי גר היית בארצו, because when Yaakov and his sons needed a place to live, Mitzrayim let them in.
The Gemora points out that Mitzrayim did not take in Yaakov and his sons with any noble intentions. Rather, they did it for purely selfish reasons: they thought that Yosef’s brothers would be likely to make great governmental officers.
Human nature is that when someone has wronged us, that is all that we tend to remember about them. But we see from here how different the attitude is that the Torah wants us to take. We must forever remember the one favor Mitzrayim did for us, even if they did it for selfish reasons, and despite their making our lives hell for hundreds of years afterwards.
Never forget the good that others have done for you.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantShoftim: Osmosis
In his youth, the Chofetz Chaim had a dilemma. He had two choices for where to Daven for Yomim Noraim. His first option was a minyan with many serious תלמידי חכמים. The second option was a minyan with far simpler folk, but every year, these people would cry during the Davening of Yomim Noraim. He went to his Rebbi, R’ Nuchum of Hordona, and asked for his advice.
R’ Nuchum answered by citing a Passuk in this weeks Parsha: מִי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הַיָּרֵא֙ וְרַ֣ךְ הַלֵּבָ֔ב יֵלֵ֖ךְ וְיָשֹׁ֣ב לְבֵית֑וֹ וְלֹ֥א יִמַּ֛ס אֶת־לְבַ֥ב אֶחָ֖יו כִּלְבָבֽוֹ. He who is scared should go home and not fight in a war, for he will cause the hearts of those around him to melt in fear.
We see from this Passuk that just being around people who are afraid will cause you to feel fear. Daven together with the simple people, R’ Nuchum told the Chofetz Chaim; because when they cry, you will cry with them.
By simply being in the company of people who take something seriously, we are likely to start taking that thing seriously as well. The same is unfortunately true in the reverse. This is why it is so important to try to keep the company of people whose attitudes are worth adopting.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantRe’ah: See For Yourself
The opening passuk of this weeks Parsha seems to contain a discrepancy. ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם, see what I have placed before you. But while ראה is lashon yachid, seemingly addressing an individual person, לפניכם is lashon rabbim, addressing everyone at once. Why is that?
The Kotzker explains that the Torah is given to every Jew, and every one of us has an equal claim to it. However, each person sees the Torah differently. The more time, effort, and energy a person puts into to pursuing the Torah, the greater the depths of wisdom that they will see in it.
The Ramchal makes a similar point. Based on a passuk in Mishlei, he says that Torah is like a coal. The more you stoke and blow on a coal, the more light and warmth you will get from it. So too with Torah; the more effort you put into it, the brighter you will see it shine.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantEikev: Don’t Forget
When recounting all that had happened in the desert, Moshe makes an interesting juxtaposition. He starts speaking about how Hashem gave us the מן, then talks about how we are about to go into ארץ ישראל, and then moves on to ברכת המזון. What is the connection between these three things?
R’ Shamshon Refael Hirsch explains that there is a progression here. The point of being in the desert was to הודיעך כי לא על הלחם לבדו יחיה האדם, to teach us that it is not our own efforts and power that sustain us. Rather it Hashem, and Hashem alone, who sustains us.
But that lesson was coming to an end. The Jewish nation was about to enter Eretz Yisroel, and go back to living with the mirage of nature. How would they hold on to their grip of the reality that it is only Hashem who sustains us, and not fall into the trap of כחי ועוצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה?
The answer is the mitzva of ברכת המזון. When are satiated, we are in danger of becoming full of ourselves, of thinking that we are the reason for our success. It is then that we say ברכת המזון and remember that all of our success is due only to the grace of God, and that it is Him alone who sustains us.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVaeschanan/Tisha B’Av: How Much Do You Want It?
The Parsha tells us just how much Moshe yearned to enter Eretz Yisroel, and how many hundreds of times he begged Hashem to let him in.
We all know that the Rambam list thirteen עיקרים. Twelve of the ikarim are things that we need to believe. Once we are certain of them, we have fulfilled our obligation.
But when it comes to the coming of Moshiach, it is not enough to just believe. The Rambam writes that part of the 12th ikar is to be מחכה, to yearn for the coming of Moshiach. The source for this may be the Gemora that says after a person passing, they are asked: צפית לישעיה, did you yearn for the redemption?
The good news is, we already mention the Geulah in six of the brachos of a weekday שמונה עשרה – in the brachos beginning ראה בענינו, תקע בשופר, השיבה שופטינו, ולירושלים, את צמח דוד, רצה. If we would think about the Geulah even one time per each שמונה עשרה, we would be Davening for the Geulah over 1,200 each year.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantDevarim: Old Mistakes Die Hard
Devarim begins with Moshe hinting to all the mistakes the Jewish nation had made during their stay in the desert, including the עגל and the מרגלים.
But the Sfas Emes points out that the people Moshe was talking to hadn’t participated in those events. Those who were responsible had already died over the past forty years. Why was Moshe rehashing the mistakes of the parents to their children?
The Sfas Emes explains that each generation inherits both good and bad traits from the previous generations. Our job is not only to build on the good, but to identify and to fix the errors of the past. If we do not, we will simply repeat the same mistakes over and over throughout history.
This is is why Chazal tell us כל דור שלא נבנה בימיו, כאילו נחרב בימיו any generation in which the Beis HaMikdosh is not built, it is as if the Beis HaMikdosh was destroyed. It is up to us to identify and fix the mistakes of the past, both those that are בין אדם לחברו and בין אדם למקום.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantMatos: Your Mouth Matters
The Torah uses an interesting turn of phrase when instructing us to keep any נדר or שבועה that we make. The passuk first says לא יחל דברו, “he should not make his words mundane”, and only then tells us that ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה, “he should do whatever he has said”. But why do we need the first instruction not to make our words mundane, if the passuk is separately commanding us to keep our word?
The Chida quotes a homiletic interpretation from R’ Chaim Vital and R’ Shimon Tirano that addresses this point. לא יחל דברו, do not make your speech about דברי חולין, mundane matters. ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה, for all of your words have an effect in the heavens.
The fact that a person can create a new מצוה דרורייתא by making a neder shows us just how much a person’s words can change in the heavens. Every word of Torah and Tefilah can have an enormous effect, both high up in the heavens and deep down within one’s heart. What a shame it would be to waste that ability.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantPinchas: Held Back
The Torah refers to only two days as being עצרת – the last day of Pesach and the last day of Sukkos. And yet we find that in the Mishnayos, the word עצרת means the Yom Tov of Shavous. Why is that?
R’ Yechezkel Abramsky explains that the “last days” of Pesach and Sukkos have something in common. The first days each have a special mitzva that makes them memorable – eating matza, shaking lulav. The last days have none of that. They are only עצור ממלאכה, “held back” from doing melacha.
Explains R’ Yechezkel Abramsky, as long as the Beis HaMikdosh was still with us, we had a special mitzva to do on Shavous – to bring the שתי הלחם. However, now that the Beis HaMikdosh is destroyed, we have no special mitzva for Shavous. This why during the times of the Mishnah, after the churban, they began to use the name Atzeres to refer to Shavous.
As we begin the בין המצרים, perhaps this is to serve as a reminder of how much of Yiddishkeit we are missing so long as we do not have the Beis HaMikdosh.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantChukas: Wellspring of Torah
In the middle of the Shira that Bnei Yisroel sung about the miraculous באר מרים, Chazal find a surprising series of allusions. From the words ממדבר מתנה, we darshan: if one makes themselves הפקר כמדבר, then Hashem will give them Torah as gift. But what does this have to do with the well of Miriam?
R’ Aaron Lopiansky explains that the Torah is actually very similar to a well. One needs to work hard to dig a well. But once they have the well, they still do not think they have created the water. Rather, they have worked to uncover what was always there beneath the surface.
This needs to be our attitude towards Torah. We cannot just wait for Hashem to give us understanding; we need to work for it. But after we do understand, we still must think of the Torah as a gift from Hashem. The truths we see in the Torah are ideas we have uncovered, not created.
A well serves as a portal. From within a very small hole, one can extract a nearly endless amount of liquid. So too with Torah. Torah is not a finite pool of wisdom, it is a portal from which we can draw endless amount of Divine wisdom and inspiration.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantKorach: Seeing Both Sides
The Zohar makes a cryptic statement about Korach. It writes that Korach argued on Shalom itself. But what does it mean to argue against peace?
R’ Aaron Lopiansky explains that Korach wasn’t willing or able to see any truth in any perspective other than his own. For example, Korach brought a Tallis that was all Techeiles. This symbolizes that he was only able to see Hashem through one color, and wasn’t able to see any kernels of truth in any other viewpoint. When one cannot take other perspectives into account, their view will always be flawed.
Boaz’s Beis Din decided that one should greet another Jew with the name of Hashem. When two Jews greet each other, the Shechina comes from the duality of both of them acknowledging each other. One who cannot see anything other than himself and his own opinions cannot access the divine.
This is true in perspectives, but also true in personality types. If I am very creative and chaotic, it may be hard for me to get along with somebody who is all about organization and structuring. But it takes all types to make society function. The fact that I gravitate towards one extreme cannot blind me to the value that others bring to the table.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantShelach: Your Tears Define You
After they received the negative report of the Meraglim, Bnei Yisroel cried. The Gemora famously tells us Hashem’s response: הן בכו בכיה של חינם, ואני אקבע להם בכיה לדורות – they cried for no reason, now they will cry for generations to come.
But why do Chazal stress the crying? Wasn’t the issue that Bnei Yisroel believed the Meraglim and doubted that Hashem could conquer Eretz Yisroel?
R’ Aron Lopiansky explains that one only cries about things that are core to their very selves. You can have many things, and you can lose many things. But you will cry if you lose something that is integral to who you are.
The fact that Bnei Yisroel cried over something meaningless (חינם) was a big problem. It showed that they thought of things that were meaningless as being integral to who they were. They missed the “free food” that they got in Mitzrayim, when they were חינם מן המצות. This was what mattered to them.
This problem had no easy fix. To redefine oneself takes time, for an individual and even more so for an entire nation. It will take generations for us to lose the nonsense that we too often identify ourselves with. That difficult separation from things that we used to see as integral will be the resultant בכיה לדורות.
לע”נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantBehaaloscha: What do you Want?
A peculiar turn of phrase is used to describe when the Jews complained for meat rather than mun. The passuk says they were התאוו תאוה, desiring a desire. What does that mean?
The Akeidas Yitzchak explains that the nation did not actually desire meat. They were not hungry. They did not see anybody else eating meat or smell it’s tantalizing aroma. Rather, what they wanted was something to want. They desired to have something that they could desire, something to feel a passion and longing for. This is far worse than desiring something specific that you happened to have come across.
R’ Aaron Lopiansky takes this a step further. He explains that one who is searching for something to desire only does so because they feel a sense of emptiness in their own life. A basic human need is to feel like one is pursuing something that they want. But the proper way of channeling this feeling would have been for the Jewish nation to seek spiritual pursuits to be busy with, to fill their days chasing opportunities to do Mitzvos and to help others.
The fact that the nation chose to try to build up an appetite for physical rather than spiritual things showed that being an elevated nation was not high up enough on their priority list.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantNaso: Shouldering with Simcha
The Gemora finds a very surprising source for having Shira while the Kohanim do the Avodah. The passuk in our Parsha says that the family of Kehas did not receive any wagons to carry the Aron. Rather, בכף ישאו, they were to carry it on their shoulders. The Gemora points out that in Tehillim this word is used to denote singing: שאו זמרה. But what is it he connection between carrying a load and singing Shira?
R’ Aaron Lopiansky explains that one can be shouldering a responsibility in one of two very different ways. One approach is to view the responsibility as a burden, something that you must do even though you don’t want to.
Alternatively, one can view what they carry not as a burden, but as a fulfillment of their life’s mission. A great example of this is a parent carrying a child on their shoulders. The parent sees the child as a continuation of the parent, as their pride and joy. If one views carrying the Torah in this way, they will see it as ארון נושא נושאיו, that the Aron is really carrying them.
There is an easily apparent difference between these attitudes. One who bears a burden groans under its weight. But a parent carrying their child sings with joy. When it comes to carrying the Torah, we must pick the second option. We shoulder the responsibility of the Torah with song & joy.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantShavous: Seeing the Sounds
Rashi famously quotes the Medrash tha at Har Sinai, we all saw the sounds of the Aseres HaDibros. What message was this seemingly unnecessary miracle trying to convey?
R’ Moshe Shapiro explains that seeing and hearing are fundamentally different. Hearing words is a process of stringing together different sounds. You cannot hear and comprehend an entire sentence in the same second. You need to hear each syllable separately to make sense of it.
Seeing is the exact opposite. When one sees a scene, they see everything at once.
Explains R’ Moshe Shapiro, seeing and hearing represent two different facets of the Torah. We need to see the big picture, to understand what the Torah is trying to do to us, who the Torah wants us to be. But we also cannot lose sight of the fact that the Mitzvos are like sounds, with each and every small detail being crucial to getting the message across.
We cannot lose sight of the forest for the trees, nor can we skip or brush aside even the most minute detail of halachic observance. True adherence to the Torah requires that we see both.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantBamidbar: Share the Wealth
There is a Medrash that explains why Seder Bamidbar starts with discussing the desert: כל מי שאינו עושה עצמו כמדבר הפקר, אינו יכול לקנות את תורה. לכך נאמר, במדבר סיני
“Anybody who does not make themselves hefker like a desert cannot acquire Torah.”R’ Shimon Schwab explains that this הפקרות means one should freely share the Torah that they learn and develop with others. Furthermore, it should not bother a person if the ideas that they develop are later said over שלא בשם אמרו, without being attributed to him.
Rav Dessler shares a similar idea. He writes that everything we have is not truly ours. Rather, it is a פדון that Hashem has entrusted us with, and He has charged us with using it to benefit others.
But Rav Dessler adds this is not only true by physical belongings. Any spiritual wealth and wisdom that we are lucky enough to attain should be regarded the same way – as Hashem’s gifts that He has leant us for the purpose of helping others.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantBehar: Embracing the 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 צרהלע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantEmor: Secret of the Omer
We know from the Sefer HaChinuch that we count ספירה to show how much we look forward to receiving the Torah on Shavous. And yet, the Sefira is tied specifically to the Omer, a Korban we bring on Pesach. What is the connection between the Omer and accepting the Torah?
I believe it was R’ Matisyahu Salomon Shlita who suggested the following idea: The measurement of the Omer comes up in another place in the Torah. By the מן, each person ended up with exactly one Omer worth of מן, regardless of how much or how little they worked on collecting. From here we see that parnassa is in the hands of Hashem, and only He decides how much we ultimately take home, regardless of how much or how little we work.
One of the prerequisites for being mekabel the Torah is simply putting in the time necessary to learn. But somebody who thinks that how much they make depends on how hard they work may simply be too busy to learn. However, somebody who internalizes the idea of the Omer, that his material well-being is ultimately only up to Hashem, will be able to find time to learn the Torah.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantKedoshim: Sweet Revenge?
One of the most difficult Mitzvos can be found in this weeks parsha. If somebody refuses to let you borrow their car, you cannot refuse to lend them your car in revenge. Not only that, but you’re not even allowed to comment on how you’re better than they are. How is this humanly possible?
The Chinuch explains that if we see the person in front of us as being the cause for our trouble yesterday, it will indeed be exceedingly difficult to be nice to him. But there’s another way of looking at things.
If we instead see our misfortune as being ultimately the decision of Hashem, we will not take the whole thing personally. We will see the person in front of us as somebody who as have done something wrong, but not as somebody who we need to get back at.
R’ Moshe Shapiro says that נקמה is from the root קם, to rise. If we feel somebody else has knocked us down, we feel a need to pick ourselves back up above them, usually by knocking them back down. But if we see any misfortune we suffer as being from Hashem, we will not feel this visceral need to lash out at somebody who has not been nice to us.
(Adapted from R’ Lopiansky’s Fundamentals on the Parsha)
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantTazria: עת לקרב ועת לרחק
The Torah tells about the tumah that affects people immediately after telling us which animal are tahor and which are not. Chazal explain that just as the creation of man only took place after the creation of the animals, so too is the תורת האדם only taught after the Torah first teaches us about the תורת הבהמה. But why would this seemingly tangential idea be called the תורת האדם, what does this tell us about the very nature of people?
R’ Aaron Lopiansky explains that the nature of person is that there are times they go through stages of taharah, where they are particularly holy and close to Hashem. But every person also goes through times of tumah, where they are removed from Hashem. This is not just an accident. This is the very nature of man.
The avodah of person in their time of taharah is obvious – to relish being close to Hashem. But there is also an avodah to be accomplished in times of tumah, in times of disconnection. During those times of disconnection a person should recognize that they are distant from Hashem, and should internalize just how empty that disconnection is. By doing so, even the time of tumah will serve to accentuate the importance of קרבת ה׳.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantShemini: Constant Change
The Ramban writes that one of the reasons the Torah prohibits certain birds and animals is that these creatures have bad middos, such a cruelty. By eating them, we would be ingesting their negative traits. A person who eats these forbidden foods will become crueler or develop other bad middos.
R’ Chaim Shmuelevitz sees a similar idea in the Gemora that says: אין אדם עובר עבירה אלא אם כן נכנס בו רוח שטות, a person does not sin unless foolishness has entered him. R’ Chaim Shmuelevitz explains that the שטות that enters a person is that they do not realize that the Aveira they are about to do will change who they are from now on. (Heard from R’ Yisroel Gluestein)
If we internalize that each deed we do is a building block for who we will be for the rest of our lives, we will be for more motivated to do what’s right than if we see them just as “actions” outside of ourselves.
Each aveira that we do changes us, makes us into worse people. But each mitzva that we do changes us as well, and makes us into people with better middos and a closer relationship to Hashem.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantTzav: Live Your Life
If a non-Jew wants to bring a קרבן עולה, which is entirely burnt up on the מזבח, we allow him to do so. But we do not allow a non-Jew to bring a קרבן שלמים, which is a type of korban that is eaten by the one who brings it. Why is that?
Perhaps we can suggest that this is indicative of a basic difference between Judaism and most other religions. Most religions see religious value only in something that is obviously religious in nature. Giving up something for God is the type of sacrifice that they can understand.
But Judaism goes further than that. We think there is religious value even in the meals that we eat. We do not think of religion and everyday life as being two separate things. Every aspect of our day is suffused with mitzvos and imbued with meaning. Our religion is our life, and our life is our religion. This is unique to Judaism, and it is not something that a non-Jew will be able to relate to.
Perhaps this is hinted to in the name of the קרבן שלמים. This Korban celebrates serving Hashem with Shelaimus, with the complete entirety of every aspect of our lives.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVayikra: Mitzva Not To Do
The Torah uses an interesting turn of phrase when discussing one who has accidentally sinned and needs to bring a Korban. It says one who has transgressed אחת ממצות ה׳ אשר לא תעשינה, which literally translates into “one of the Mitzvos of Hashem, which you are not to do”. Why do we refer to this as a mitzva, rather than an aveira?
R’ Moshe Shternbuch sees here an allusion to what the Gemara tells us in Kidushin: ישב ולא עבר עבירה, נותנים לו שכר כעושה מצוה. If somebody is tempted to do something wrong buts holds themselves back, they are considered to have done a positive deed.
Every human being wants to feel like they are accomplishing something. If we view the מצות לא תעשה as just pitfalls that we must keep ourselves from falling into, it can be hard to stay motivated day in and day out. This is particularly true of issurim that we have previously failed to properly adhere to.
But if we view every act of restraint as being an accomplishment, we can be much more motivated to fight the temptation to do something wrong. Each small act of restraint is a full Mitzva – an achievement of its own, and a success worth being proud of.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVaykhel: 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 שלוםZugger613ParticipantTezaveh: Justice for All
The Gemora tells us that the Choshen was מכפר on any lack of משפט and improper judgements. The Akeidas Yitzchok explains that from studying the Choshen, we can learn how to fix the problems that corrupt justice.
The Akeidas Yitzchok suggests that the lessons of the Choshen are the same thing that Moshe told the judges he appointed:
לֹֽא־תַכִּ֨ירוּ פָנִ֜ים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֗ט כַּקָּטֹ֤ן כַּגָּדֹל֙ תִּשְׁמָע֔וּן לֹ֤א תָג֙וּרוּ֙ מִפְּנֵי־אִ֔ישׁ כִּ֥י הַמִּשְׁפָּ֖ט לֵאלֹהִ֣ים ה֑וּא וְהַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִקְשֶׁ֣ה מִכֶּ֔ם תַּקְרִב֥וּן אֵלַ֖י וּשְׁמַעְתִּֽיו׃The Choshen listed all the names of the Shevatim in their birth order, not in order of greatness. This teaches us that we should not show any favor to the greatest of people – justice is blind.
The Choshen had stones that were cheap next to stones that were extremely expensive. This teaches us that justice must always be taken seriously, regardless of how much or how little is at stake.
The name of Hashem was written on the Choshen to remind us that a judge cannot be afraid of any human, only of Hashem.
The Akeidas Yitzchok finishes by saying that the most common cause of getting a psak wrong is lack of knowledge. The Choshen was attached to the Urim v’Tumim, to remind the Kohen and the Dayan to constantly be seeking answers from a higher authority.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantTerumah: Angelic Aspirations
At the pinnacle of the Mishkan, in the heart of the Kodesh HaKodashim, was a seemingly strange thing: two statues, looking at each other. The Torah goes out of its way to tell us that when Hashem spoke to Moshe, the voice of Hashem came from in between the two Keruvim. What is this supposed to teach us?
Perhaps we can suggest that the Keruvim show us how Hashem’s presence is experienced in this world. Hashem’s voice is not heard when Torah is viewed as merely an academic pursuit, meant to be studied for intellectual value.
When there is a society of people who are one with the Torah (מקשה תעשה אותם), who are at one which each other (ופניהם איש אל אחיו), and who are always looking upwards to connect to Hashem (פורשי כנפים למעלה) – then by being in the presence of those people, you will feel the presence of Hashem. Hashem’s voice is heard just by he very existence of such a people. This is who the Jewish nation aspires to be – people who bear the presence of Hashem in every aspect of their lives.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע”נ ר׳ חיים רוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantMishpatim: Just Passing Through
R’ Chaim Vital (quoted by the Chida in נחל קדומים) makes two interesting observations about the word עברי.
First he explains that a Jewish slave is referred to as an עבד עברי since he was עבר על לא תגנוב, transgressed on the prohibition against theft. This is what led Beis Din to sell this man as a slave.
However, we also find that the title עברי is used positively, like the Navi Yona says about himself: עברי אנכי ואת ה׳ אני ירא. R’ Chaim Vital explains that here עברי refers to one who constantly keeps in mind that they are עובר ארח בעולם הזה דרך עראי, only temporarily passing through in this world.
These two messages seem to be related. If one keeps in mind that they are merely passing through this world, they will be far less tempted to transgress the laws of the Torah and trade eternal reward for temporary comfort or pleasure.
By keeping our sense of priorities, we can ensure that we do not become an עבד עברי, one controlled by a lust for the things of this world. Rather, we can be somebody who has their eyes on the eternal prize, and can declare: עברי אנכי ואת ה׳ אלקי השמים אני ירא.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantYisro: How much do you want it?
Why was the story of Yisro placed immediately before Matan Torah? R’ Chaim Mintz suggests that there are things we can learn from Yisro that we all must incorporate into our lives to be able to truly accept the Torah:
Yisro was a prince in Midyan, living a pleasant life. But he was willing to give it all up, go live in the desert, and join a people he didn’t even know, so that he could hear the Divine truth.
We see how much Yisro wanted to be able to accept the Torah. We see how much the Torah meant to him, and how much he was willing to sacrifice to attain it.
We are lucky that we were born Jewish, and that Torah was pretty much given to us on a silver platter. But we cannot allow that to lead to sense to complacency. We must always stay hungry for more, stay driven to attain new heights. If we truly want to delve deeper, if the Torah is important to us, and if we are willing to sacrifice other things that we might also want, will we be able to attain it.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantBishalach: Up To You
When Bnei Yisroel found themselves chased by Pharoh’s army and backed up against the sea, they did what seemed to be the right thing – they Davened to Hashem.
And yet, Hashem was not pleased by this response. מה תצעק אלי, דבר אל בני ישראל ויסעו, why are you calling out to me? Tell Bnei Yisroel to keep going, right into the water. Rashi puts an even stronger emphasis on this point: עלי הדבר תלי ולא עליך, is this matter mine to deal with and not yours?
It seems that unlike the Ten Makkos, there was an element of a nisayon in Kiras Yam Suf. By the ten Makkos, all Bnei Yisroel had to do was to sit back and watch the show. But that was not the case by Krias Yan Suf. This time, we had a job to do. The miracle of Krias Yam Suf would not begin until we did something to show that we believed Hashem would keep his word.
To sit back and passively absorb a lesson, even a lesson as great as the ten Makkos, can only have a limited effect on a person. But when a person decides to act on their own convictions, that becomes a part of who they are. By forcing Bnei Yisroel to make the first move before Krias Yam Suf began, Hashem was giving us an opportunity to not just think about our ideals, but to actually live them.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantBo: Living Emunah
After finishing the story of Bnei Yisroel leaving Mitzrayim, the Torah tells us about the mitzva of Teffilin. Through the parshiyos of Tefillin, we are to bind the the story of יציאת מצרים to our weaker arm and to our head. But why do we put Teffilin on specifically these locations?
R’ Shamshon Raphael Hirsh explains through Teffilin, we internalize the message of יציאת מצרים – that we owe our freedom and our very existence to Hashem, and that we therefore belong entirely to Him.
By binding Teffilin to our arms, we express that these ideals should be the guide for all of about actions. By putting them on our heads, we express that they are the basis of all of our thoughts.
Alternatively, the Kli Yakar explains why the Teffilin is supposed to be placed on the weaker arm. This is a reminder that that it not through own strength that we accomplish what we set out to do. Without the help of Hashem, nothing is possible.
This is very in much line with a Ramban at the end of this weeks parsha Ramban that explains why we put so much emphasis on remembering יציאת מצרים. The Ramban writes that the fact that Hashem did open miracles (נסים גלוים) back then proves that Hashem runs the world. Once we acknowledge that, we will see Hashem’s hand even in the seemingly “natural” occurrences (נסים נסתרים).
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVaeira: Two Types of Teffilah
When Hashem tells Moshe that he will redeem Bnei Yisroel, He lists two seemingly different reasons. First, the fact that he promised the Avos to redeem their children. Second, “and also I have accepted the cries of Bnei Yisroel that are being oppressed by Mitzrayim”. Is there any connection between these two things?
The R’ Yoel Teitelbaum explains that there are different types of teffilah. The highest type of teffilah is to daven for the sake of Shechina, to daven for peace and prosperity so that the world can recognize and connect to its Creator. But there are “lower” levels of teffilah as well, of Jews l praying for their own salvation.
Somebody who has reached the level of being able to daven for the Shechina is very likely to have their teffilos answered. But when the time of Geulah draws near, Hashem is willing to listen to “lower” levels of teffilah, of people crying out due to their own pain.
Since the time was quickly approaching that Hashem had promised the Avos that He would redeem Bnei Yisroel, Hashem accepted the teffilos that were only a result of the oppression they faced in Mitzrayim.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantShemos: Tasting Geulah
When Hashem sends Moshe to Paraoh, things don’t go seem to go very well. Not only does Paraoh not let the Jews go, but he makes them work harder. Why did Hashem allow this first tease of redemption to end prematurely?
R’ Aaron Lopiansky points out (based on medrashim) that this goes to the very nature of geulah. There is always a first glimpse of the geulah, which then seems to fade away. But what is the purpose of this first stage?
R’ Lopiansky explains that those who have grown accustomed to the darkness of galus don’t even know what geulah looks like. In order to truly yearn for the geulah, we need to get a taste of it first.
This is why geulah often begins with a false start that quickly fades away. Once we get a glimpse of what life could be like under the leadership Moshe, as living as Hashem’s chosen people, we will be properly incentivized to do whatever it takes to bring back the geulah.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVayechi: See What You Can Be
The first Rashi in this weeks parsha famously tells us that when Yaakov Avinu died, נסתמו עיניהם ולבם של ישראל, the eyes and hearts of the Jewish nation were closed up. But what does that mean?
Perhaps we can suggest that as long as Yaakov Avinu was alive, all of his descendants had somebody to look up to. They could see in front of their eyes what a perfect Jew looked like, and they could aspire to emulate him. But once Yaakov Avinu was no longer with them, they lost their living role model, and they lost their constant reminder of all that they could become.
This was the beginning of the שעבוד of מצרים. It has been pointed out that מצרים comes from the root of מצר, which means a boundary or a limitation. Mitzrayim told us that we were nothing but slaves, and we would never amount to anything. Once we allow these types boundaries to be imposed on us, we lose sight of our limitless potential, of all that we can become.
In order to not to lose sight of all that we can become, it is crucial that we stay in the presence of those who are greater than us.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן שיראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVayigash: Silent Shepherds
When deciding where in Mitzrayim they should settle, the שבטים chose to live in Goshen. They did this so their children could be shepherds, like their fathers before them. But why? What is so great about being a shepherd?
Rabbeinu Bachya explains that a shepherd spends most of his time alone. For the sheep to have enough grass to graze, they must be far from civilization. This meant that a shepherd was often alone with his own thoughts, free to think undisturbed.
We live in a time of almost unlimited access to information and stimulation. But that makes it even more important to take some time to ourselves every once in a while and just think our own thoughts.
Thoughts that we ponder and explore on our own become a part of who we are far more than ideas that we merely receive from somebody else. Passively consuming even the most useful and enlightening information is not the same thing as thinking your own thoughts.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantMikeitz: Blind Spies
When Yosef meets his brothers, he hits them with what seems to be a bizarre accusation. “You are spies! You have come to see the weakness of the land!” Why did Yosef pick this crime to accuse his brother of?
R’ Mattis Weinberg explains that in truth, Yosef had already revealed enough information for the brothers to figure out his identity. He told them he knew their names, knew their birth order, and knew who had done what in their youth.
The only reason the brothers didn’t figure out that the person they were talking to was their own brother is because they didn’t want it to be true. They didn’t want Yosef to have been right all along about Hashem making him king. So they fooled themselves into not seeing the truth.
This is exactly the crime that Yosef was accusing his brother of. You are not looking for the truth. You are only spies, who concern themselves only with finding the bad. You are blinded by your agenda, by your own preconceived notions.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVayishlach: It Never Ends
When Avram’s name was changed to Avraham, he is never referred to as Avram again. When Yaakov’s name is changed to Yisrael, he is refers to as Yaakov in the very next פסוק. Why is that?
The name Yaakov is symbolic of struggle. Yaakov is always holding on to the heel of his evil brother, holding on to existence through the bitter Galus. Yisrael is symbolic of victory; כי שרית אם אלקים ואנשים ותוכל; for you have struggled… and won.
R’ Aaron Lopiansky is explains that this is why the name Yaakov was never shelved. For as much as Yaakov Avinu had accomplished, there always remains more to be done.
We are usually referred to as בני ישראל, symbolic of all that we are and all that we have accomplished. But we are also still בני יעקב; constantly struggling to do things better and better.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantVayeitzi: Torah of Galus
We know that before Yaakov went to live with Lavan, he spent fourteen years in the yeshiva of Shem & Ever. But why? Why wasn’t the Torah that Yaakov learnt from his father Yitzchak and his grandfather Avraham good enough?
R’ Yaakov Kamenetsky explains that before he could deal with the trickery of Lavan, Yaakov needed to learn the “Torah of Galus”. He needed to learn from Shem and Ever, who had lived through the wicked דור המבול ודור הפלגה. He needed to learn from people that had lived through societies that were evil, yet remained unaffected by them.
There is a time in all of our lives when we learn what it means to do good. But it never ends there. The next step is to keep true to our convictions, even when we live in a world that does not respect them.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantToldos: Detached Head
Where did Eisav go wrong? He was raised in the house of Yitzchak and Rivka, and grew up with with his grandfather Avraham until the age of thirteen. How did he end up such a rasha?
R’ Ahron Kotler explains that Eisav grew up knowing what was right. But that intellectual recognition never actually guided how he lived his life. What Eisav knew and what Eisav did were completely separate.
R’ Ahron Kotler further explains that this idea is hinted to by Chazal. Chazal tell us that Eisav’s head was chopped off by חושים בן דן, and it rolled into the מערת המכפלה. This symbolizes that Eisav’s head, his intellectual understanding, was in the right place. But he didn’t incorporate his ideals into his everyday life.
It is far easier to articulate what is right than it is to do what is right. We need to ensure that our ideals do not stay detached from the way we actually lead our lives.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלוםZugger613ParticipantChayei Sarah: No Regrets
After acing the test of the Akeida, Avaraham comes home to some shocking news: his wife had died. The Satan made it appear that she had died from shock upon hearing that Avarham was about to slaughter his son.
Avraham now faced another test. The gemora tells us that if somebody does a mitzva, but then later regrets it, he loses that mitzva. תוהא על הראשונות, איבד את הראשונות.
If Avraham would have regretted carrying out the Akeida, it would have been as if he had never done it. But Avraham had no regrets, even when it appeared that his actions had caused the death of wife.
Sometimes we face a test whether to the right thing. But sometimes we are tested whether we regret the good things we’ve already done, or whether we stay true to our convictions no matter what they lead to. Even when we don’t like the situation that our doing the right thing seems to have gotten us in, we should never regret doing what is right.
לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום -
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