On the first day of Chol HaMoed, Rav Leibel Rand Shlita, the Rosh Kollel of Kollel Avreichim in Far Rockaway/Five Towns delivered a shiur in Rav Yaakov Reisman’s Agudath Yisroel of Long Island, on the issue of Esrog Chaser.

The shiur was lilui nishmas Reb Yisroel Tzvi ben Reb Eliezer Yitzchok z”l.

At the end of the shiur, Rabbi Rand presented divrei Mussar and hisorerus, and spoke about the hakaras hatov that the community owes Rav Yaakov Reisman Shlita, who is planning to retire after Parshas Noach.
Rav Rand quoted Rav Tzvi Elimech Shapira of Dinov, the author of the Bnei Yissaschar (Chodesh Tishrei Maamar 10). He asks: Why we only make a zaicher for the ananei hakavod and not for the be’er and the man? One answer that he provides is that we do make such a zaicher in the obligation of rejoicing. That is the zaicher for man and be’er.

The Bnei Yissaschar quotes another answer from the Chida who cites Rav Chaim Kafusi who differentiates between that which Hashem does for us out of pure hatava and that out of a type of necessity. Hashem took us out to the midbar. Doing so without food and drink one would die. The food and drink is thus out of necessity. The ananei hakavod, however, issomething that is extra.

The Bach says that without proper kavana – intent, the performance of the Mitzvah of Sukkah is me’akaiv. The ananei HaKavod is an extra hatava.. beyond the hechrech..

The Bnei Yisaschar explains that it was upon this – the “ubasukos hoshavti” –the extra – that the Torah tells us “leman yedu dorosaichem.” This is so that we should understand and appreciate the extras that Hashem has done for us as well. The Torah is in essence telling us, “You should analyze this because I want you to know that you should differentiate between the different toivos – which ones from necessity and which ones from chessed..appreciate the extra toiva.”

The bottom line is the nekudah that the Mitzvah of sukkah is hakaras hatov – don’t be a kafui tov. We must understand that.

Sukkah is hakaras hatov. There are things that the Rav (Rav Reisman) accomplished that are hechrech – that which had to be. That’s one shmuess.

There is a minhag of hearing and learning divrei torah on chol hamoed. The Rav established this minhag in the shul – the minhag of talmidei chachomim coming in and delivering shiurim to the bnei torah. This is chessed – betosefes.. The kollel was founded in this shul. Rav Feivel Cohen gave shiurim here in the Rav’s shul. This is an extraordinary chessed that he did to the community.

Beyond the fact that the Rav opened up his shul to Torah learning, we must realize that these things do not come automatically. The general thinking was that the shul was over-utilized.
The shul added a part in the back of the shul for simcha. The shul spent much money on it. But the Rav wanted it used for Torah.

Boruch Hashem, the primacy of Torah learning has been emulated successfully elsewhere – boruch hashem. Torah’s primacy in this shul is true until today. This is above the hechrach.

The Rav has lifted the standard of Torah observance in the community. Whether it was to sleep in the sukkah, to wear bigdei Shabbos on chol hamoed. It was not always like this. All this is above the hechrach. He has done so much to bring in the ruach of torah. He had a yarchei kallah here. All this took expenditure of political capital on the Rav’s part. It was mesiras nefesh and he was matzliach. We all benefit from it. It behooves us to be makir tov of all he has done.

B’Ezras Hashem the content of Rav Rand’s shiur will be posted as well.

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