Oneg shemos

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“Complete It”We find many instances in the Torah where strangers, seemingly

bystanders who are unconnected to the main characters and events of the narrative, play a pivotal and decisive role in the unfolding of the story. In a sense, they become the catalyst for all that occurs later.

The escaped refugee who comes to tell Avraham about the capture of Lot, the man who finds Yosef wandering lost in the fields in search of his brothers are but examples of this recurring theme throughout biblical narrative. In this week’s parsha the daughter of the Pharaoh plays this unknowing role in Jewish history and world civilization.

Going down to the Nile with her maidservants she espies the small floating crib of the infant Moshe and she reaches out for it before the crocodiles can get to it. She thereupon sees the crying infant and even though the baby is from the Jewish slaves she takes pity upon him and secures a wet nurse for him and eventually brings him home to the palace where she raises him as her son.

And out of this strange and unlikely sequence of events, the great Moshe emerges to eventually lead the Jewish slaves out of Egyptian bondage and to bring them to Torah and eternity at the revelation at Mount Sinai. And though it is certainly God that oversees the unfolding of all human scenarios, it is through human beings making choices and decisions and behaving according to those choices that the story of humankind continues to unfold.

Nothing compelled the Pharaoh’s daughter to be compassionate towards a defenseless Jewish child in danger. It was her choice and out of that choice the fate of all humanity is allowed to take a positive turn.

The tradition of the Jews is that this daughter of the Pharaoh was named Batya – the daughter of God Himself, so to speak. She is remembered in that her name has been given to myriad Jewish women over the thousands of years of Jewish existence. The continuing custom of naming Jewish women after her expresses the gratitude of the Jews for her life saving act and her human compassion.

The Talmud teaches us that the crib floating in the river was seemingly out of her reach and yet she stretched forth her hand to attempt to bring it to her. When human beings do all that they can for a noble cause or kind deed then many times Heaven takes over. Her hand somehow became elongated sufficiently to bring the crib into her reach and the baby’s salvation.

Again, it is this almost mystical combination of human choice and Heaven’s guidance that accomplishes this forward thrust in the story of humankind. And the Torah emphasizes that it was not sufficient for Batya to temporarily save the infant from death but that she pursued the matter of the child’s welfare to the utmost, finally raising him as her son in the royal palace of the Pharaoh.

Many times we do good and compassionate deeds but we do them partially not really completing the task. The Talmud teaches us that “If one begins a mitzvah we say to him: ‘Complete it.’” Batya’s immortality is assured amongst all of Israel for her complete and voluntary act of compassion, goodness and mercy.

Rabbi Berel Wein

10th Jan ‘15 י”ט טבת תשע”ה

פרשת שמות

פ' שמותהפטרה: ישעי' כ"ז ו'-כ"ח י"ג

הדלקת נרות London 3:55 pm Manchester 3:55 pm

מוצש’’קLondon: 5:10 pm Manchester: 5:13 pm

The Commuters Chavrusa .............................................2

MiYemini Michoel ............................................................3

Weekly Halacha Conversation .......................................4

Home Grown .....................................................................5

Weekly Nach ......................................................................6

The Davening Discussion ..............................................7

Sparks of Chassidus........................................................8

Eretz Hatzvi ........................................................................9

Rabbi Frand .................................................................... 10

Jewish Classics .............................................................. 11

Rambam .......................................................................... 12

Quiz Time?? ??????? ???????? ????????Answers can be found on the back page. Taken from the 1001 Questions & Answers Series by Rabbi Eli Brunner.

1. What is the shortest סדרה in the תורה?

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The Commuters ChavrusaReb Howard Jacksonon the Train from Yerushalayim to Tel Aviv

www.divreitorah.co.uk

Who’s Jealous?

God says to Moshe after appointing him as leader

and redeemer: “… Behold, he [Aharon] is setting

out to meet you [Moshe] and when he sees you he

will be glad in his heart” (Shemot 4:14).

The Midrash (Rut Rabbah 5:6) teaches that if Aharon had known

that God would write about this event of Aharon meeting Moshe,

then Aharon would have gone to meet him with great fanfare, such as

timbrels and choruses!

How are we to understand this Midrash? Did Aharon not fulfil this

Mitzvah properly because he thought it wouldn’t be recorded in the

Torah? Surely if timbrels and choruses were required then Aharon

would have brought them; and since Aharon didn’t bring them they

surely were not required!

The Kohelet Yitzchak explains, but not without first inquiring:

Why was Moshe chosen ahead of his older brother Aharon to lead

the Jewish People since, according to Rashi (on Shemot 6:26) , they

were equally great?

Gemara Taanit 25b relates a fascinating episode concerning a time

of drought. Rabbi Eliezer led the communal prayers for rain but was

not answered. Rabbi Akiva followed and was answered! A Heavenly

Voice then proclaimed: It’s not because this one is greater than the

other, but this one is ‘Maavir Al Midotav’ and the other is not ‘Maavir

Al Midotav’.

Chochmat Manoach asks what does ‘Maavir Al Midotav’ mean

in this context and, if Rabbi Akiva is ‘Maavir Al Midotav’ and Rabbi

Eliezer isn’t, then doesn’t that mean Rabbi Akiva is greater?

In truth, they were equally great. The difference was that Rabbi

Akiva was descended from converts and Rashi comments on Gemara

Horayot 13a that the Yeitzer Hara (innate Evil Inclination) of a convert

is naturally more evil than the Yeitzer Hara of one who is born Jewish.

Therefore, the convert has to fight harder against his Yeitzer Hara to

overcome it and will achieve a greater reward due to his greater effort.

Although it was Rabbi Akiva’s father who was the convert, Rabbi

Akiva grew up with the same struggle. So, even though Rabbi Eliezer

was just as great, it was Rabbi Akiva whose prayers were answered

because he had also overcome his natural character traits, i.e. ‘Maavir

Al Midotav’.

The Kohelet Yitzchak applies this rationale to Moshe and Aharon.

Aharon knew only holiness and righteousness, growing up in the

home of Amram and Yocheved; whereas Moshe grew up in Pharaoh’s

palace and needed to control his less sociable tendencies, only

making use of them on appropriate occasions. For instance, when the

Jewish People sinned with the golden calf, Moshe needed to exercise

some of the trait of cruelty when he said to the Levites: “… Every man,

put his sword by his side … and kill his brother, his friend and his

neighbour” (Shemot 32:27) . By contrast, Aharon had only said to the

rebels: “… break off the golden earrings from the ears of your wives

…” (Shemot 32:2) , because he could not stand up to the rebels since

cruelty was alien to him.

After Moshe’s appointment by God, Moshe was naturally

concerned that perhaps his older brother Aharon might be jealous.

That is why Aharon had to come to meet him to show that, on the

contrary, he was delighted for Moshe. Therefore, God said to Aharon:

“Go to meet Moshe in the desert” (Shemot 4:27) . Timbrels and

choruses were appropriate to emphasise to Moshe that Aharon was

delighted for him and not jealous of his younger brother. However,

Aharon, “God’s holy one” (Tehilim 106:16) , was so removed from bad

character traits that he had never even considered being jealous of

Moshe and was completely unaware that he was now supposed to

allay Moshe’s concerns by bringing fanfare.

In conclusion, we can now understand the Midrash’s deeper

meaning. If Aharon would have known that God wanted him to

emphasise, for Moshe’s benefit, Aharon’s lack of jealousy for his

younger brother’s new appointment then he would have gone to

meet him with timbrels and choruses. We can now also appreciate

the Gemara’s statement (Shabbat 139a) of Rabbi Malai: “Aharon’s

reward for ‘when he sees you he will be glad in his heart’ (Shemot

4:14) was that he merited to wear the breastplate which would rest

on his heart”. Since Aharon’s heart was so pure, containing no

bad qualities, he deserved to be the first Kohen Gadol and wear the

breastplate close to his heart.

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MiYemini MichoelRabbi Michoel JablinowitzRosh Yeshiva Ateret Yerushalayim

לע''נ

רות שאשא בת יעקב מאיר ע"ה

The Medrash on Sefer Koheles teaches the following on the pasuk in Koheles (Chapter 7, Pasuk 1), Tov Sheim M’Shemen Tov, a good name is better than good oil. Tov Sheim, Chananiah V’Mishael Sheyatzu min Ha’Aish, M’Shemen Tov, M’Nadav V’Avihu She’Nisrafu V’Hayu Nimshachin B’Shemen Hamishchah. The The Medrash contrasts Chananiah and Mishael who survived being thrown into a fiery furnace by Nevuchadnetzar, with Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon who were killed by fire. Chananiah and Mishael were righteous people with a good name, and they fared better than Nadav and Avihu who were Kohanim anointed with the oil of the shemen hamishchah.

The Sfas Emes teaches that the essential contrast here in the Medrash is between one who acquires a good name through his own actions, as opposed to one who inherits his position. The Medrash is praising the “good name”; the one who achieves his station in life through his hard work and persistence in contrast to the one who walks right into a position. This is the basic meaning of Tov Sheim M’Shemen Tov.

The Sfas Emes takes this concept to a deeper level. A good name is something which can spread far and wide. When we speak of a good name we are referring to one’s reputation, and the reputation of an individual goes far and beyond the actual physical limitations of the individual himself. And through his name he is able to affect and influence not only those who are around him, but even those who are far away from him by virtue of his good reputation.

This is why at the point of going down to Egypt Bnei Yisrael are mentioned as Shemos Bnei Yisrael. Bnei Yisrael are going down to Egypt as Shemos, with the intention of having an effect on their environment. They were taking their good names with them. And the Torah emphasizes that they are doing so as the children of Yaakov Avinu, as the first pasuk in our parsha says, Eis Yaakov Ish U’Vaiso Ba’u.

We explained the following on last week’s parsha on the pasuk, Vayechi Yaakov B’Eretz Mitzrayim Sheva Esreih Shanah, Yaakov lived in Egypt for seventeen years. The Meshech Chachmah teaches on that pasuk that every individual can have an influence on his environment; for some it’s just their very immediate environment, for example their home, while for others it can include greater borders. The Torah is teaching us that the influence of Yaakov was such that it included all of Mitzrayim, Yaakov lived in Egypt means he had a great

impact all over Mitzrayim. And the Gemara Yerushalmi (Kesuvos, Chapter 12, Halacha 3) says that Rabbi Yehuda Ha’Nasi said about himself, paraphrasing our pasuk, Yehuda lived seventeen years in Tzippori. The Gemara immediately thereafter testifies that for most of this time (thirteen years during which he suffered greatly), no woman miscarried and no woman died in labor in all of Eretz Yisrael. The Meshech Chachmah explains the Gemara in a similar vein to our pasuk. Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi was modest about himself and said that he lived in Tzippori for seventeen years, meaning that his impact was very localized, only felt in the city of Tzippori. But the Gemara testifies differently, that his impact was felt throughout the land, since as a result of his righteousness and suffering no woman died in childbirth or miscarried in all of Eretz Yisrael. A proper paraphrase of our pasuk would be not that (Rabbi) Yehuda lived in Tzippori seventeen years, but rather he lived in Eretz Yisrael seventeen years.

This ability of Yaakov Avinu, to have great influence on a very large area as a result of his actions and subsequent reputation, gives new meaning to a well-known concept. The Gemara in Shabbos 118A teaches Kol HaMe’aneg es HaShabbos Nosnim Lo Nachalah B’Lo Metzarim. All who have Oneg on Shabbos receive a portion without borders. The Gemara explains that this is specifically the portion of Yaakov who was told in parshas Vayeitzei (Chapter 28, Pasuk 14), U’Faratztah Yamah V’Keidmah Tzafonah Vanegbah.

The mitzvah of Shabbos is described as Kevi’ah V’Kaymah. As opposed to the mitzvah of Yom Tov which involves the actions of Beis Din declaring Rosh Chodesh, Shabbos is fixed and happens automatically. It bears resemblance to the notion of the Kehunah being automatically passed down from father to son, from Aharon HaKohen to Nadav and Avihu.

Nonetheless, man still has a role on Shabbos. Though Shabbos happens by itself, man can choose to make it meaningful or not. One can choose to be me’aneg es HaShabbos and make it an enjoyable experience. As the pasuk says (Shmos, Chapter 31, Pasuk 16), La’asos es HaShabbos, it is up to us to make Shabbos. And our making Shabbos more meaningful is comparable to Chanania and Mishael establishing their sterling reputation. Tov Sheim M’Shemen Tov.

The conclusion of this Gemara is that when one takes the Shabbos, something which comes to him automatically undetermined by man, and makes it special and eventful, he receives limitless boundaries. And this is because his Shabbos becomes his own achievement; he made it unique. And when one works hard and achieves, his accomplishments give him a name which is noticed far and wide. There is no limit to the extent of his influence. This is the meaning of Nachalah B’Lo Metzarim.

This is how Bnei Yisrael came down to Egypt. Just as their father Yaakov Avinu impacted the entire country of Egypt for seventeen years, so too the “names” of Bnei Yisrael came down to Mitzrayim in order to create a far reaching impact, the results of which would lead to the creation of the Jewish nation.

2. Which kind of קנאה is allowed על פי התורה ?

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The Weekly Halachic ConversationRabbi Avi WiesenfeldRosh Kollel, Yerushalayim and Rav at Kav Halacha Beis Horaah

Shovovim (Part 1) – Power Of The Tongue Ona’as Devarim – Hurting With Words

ShovovimThe seforim tell us that during these weeks there is a special emphasis on working on perfecting various middos. One of them is the power of our words; Speech is the basic tool of creation that separates humans from animals. For the next few weeks, we will be learning the halachos of how to use our mouth properly.

Ona’as Devarim – Hurting others with wordsThe Torah tells us “ולא תונו איש את אמיתו ויראת מאלוקיך“ ]ויקרא כה-יז[

– “And one should not pain the other, and fear your G-d, I am Hashem your G-d.” It is from here that Chazal learn that the Torah commands us not to hurt each other with harmful words. This includes anything said to another Jew which cause pain, insults, or embarrasses him.1

Rav Moshe Aron Stern זצ“ל once said that a tongue is like a loaded gun. While the bullets are inside it can be aimed and directed, but after it shoots you have no more control over it. The same is true with our words; while they are in our mouth we can think about what to say and how to say it, but once they are out, it is too late.

There are two types of ona’ah: אונאת ממון - hurting financially (like overcharging) and דברים hurting with words. Chazal tell us - אונאת that hurting with words is worse than hurting financially. 2

Hashem gets angry with a person that hurts another Jew with words.3 Chazal tell us that if a person cries and davens to Hashem because he was insulted gets answered right away.4

Who Does It Apply To?• This prohibition apples to children as well.5 Therefore, parents

and teachers must be careful not to insult or otherwise hurt a child if it is not specifically with the intention of teaching the child to go in the correct way.

• One must be especially careful not to insult or pain a woman, widow or an orphan, as they get insulted and cry easily.6

Practical CasesAs will be understood from the following, ona’as devarim is not

limited to words; it also includes hurtful writing and even gestures. The most basic form of ona’as devarim is to embarrass someone else, especially if it done in public.

• Mentioning someone’s past sins, for example, telling a baal teshuvah, “I remember when you used to drive on Shabbos.”7

1 שו"ע חו"מ סי' רכח ס"א ורמ"א שם.2 גמ' ב"מ נח:, טור חו"מ סי' רכח.

3 עי' פסוק שמות כ"ב-כ"א ורש"י ואוה"ח שם. וע"ע בגמ' ב"מ נט.4 גמ' שם. וע"ע ברמב"ם הל' מכירה פי"ד הי"ח וסמ"ע סי' רכח ס"ק ב.

5 ס' החינוך מצוה שלח ומנח"ח שם. ו"כ בפתחי חושן פט"ו ס"ק יב.6 גמ' ב"מ נט. ופרישה חו"מ סי' רכח. וע"ע בר' יונה בשע"ת ש"ג כד.

7 שו"ע שם ס"ד.

• One may not tell someone a derogatory fact about himself or his family, such as “I know your parents are divorced,” or

“your wife is so lazy.”8

• A snide remark can also be ona’as devarim, such as “That’s a pretty shirt, let’s see how long it stays like that on you.”9

• Calling someone by a nickname is included in ona’as devarim, even if he is always called this way, if one’s intention is to embarrass him. For example, “hi chubby” or “gingy”.10 (Chazal spoke very strongly about calling other people derogatory names.)

• Very often a practical joke is funny to everyone else but the victim, who is pained at the expense of other people’s entertainment. This is also included in ona’as devarim. For example, one cannot play a practical joke on one’s friend by referring her to someone as a cleaning lady, as this will embarrass her, or sending someone to a place to buy something they do not sell there.11

• One must not ask someone a question they know they will not be able to answer, as this will embarrass them.12

• Disturbing someone’s sleep, commonly referred to as גזל is not actually stealing, rather it is included in ona’as ,שינהdevarim.13

When Does it Not Apply?1. When rebuking others: if ones intention is good, for example,

a parent or teacher, it is permitted (normally, the best way to rebuke someone is with words of friendship and love, and not with harsh words).14

People who mock the Torah (knowingly) may be – רשע .2insulted for their actions.15

Our words can have a tremendous impact on other people. When we use this power in a positive way, it can build a person. Conversely, negative words can break a person. It is up to us to acknowledge the power of our words, and use them properly.

8 רמב"ם סה"מ רמנ"א, ערוה"ש וח"ח בס' חובת השמירה.9 עי' גר"ז הל' אונאת וגניבת דעת.10 שו"ע שם ס"ה גר"ז שם סעי' כט.

11 שו"ע שם. ועי' חת"ס חו"מ סי' קעו.12 הליכות בין אדם לחברו פי"ח ס"ח.

13 שו"ע המקוצר סי' רטז הע' א, פתחי חושן ח"ד פט"ו הע' ג, שו"ת שבט הלוי ח"ז סי' רכד.14 רמב"ם הל' דעות סו"פ ו' וערוה"ש שם.15 גמ' ב"מ נט., רמ"א חו"מ סי' רכח ס"א.

לע''נ

ר' חיים אליעזר בן ר' יעקב ז"ל3. How many times is משה רבינו‘s name mentioned in the הגדה?

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4. Who did the בני ישראל wait for in the מדבר?

Disabled or Enabled?

Moshe was tending Yisro’s flock in the fields when Hashem appeared to him from in the sneh. After revealing himself as the G-d of Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yakov, Hashem informed him that it was time to redeem Klal Yisroel from Egypt. Furthermore Moshe himself was to be the one chosen as the redeemer. Moshe in his great humility felt unworthy for the job and started a series of arguments why he felt his brother would be more suited.

One of Moshe’s arguments was כי כבד פה וכבד לשון אנכי . . . לא I am not a man of words…I am heavy of mouth and איש דברים אנכיheavy of speech…… Moshe had a speech defect which according to the medrash had occurred when Moshe as a young child in the king’s palace had put burning coals in his mouth. This act was a nes which saved Moshe life by leading Pharoah to believe that Moshe did not plan on removing the kingship from him. Now Moshe was arguing that this defect put him at a disadvantage and should prevent him from being Klal Yisroel’s spokesman and appearing before the king.

Hashem’s response to Moshe was הלא אנכי ד' . . .מי שם פה לאדם Who gives man a mouth . . .It is I Hashem What is the meaning behind this response? How does it refure Moshe’s argument? According to Rashi, Hashem was referring to specific miracles that happened to Moshe. Hashem had put words in his mouth when arguing with Pharoah, Hashem had made Pharoah mute in that he didn’t do his utmost in ordering Moshe’s execution etc. Therefore now too Hashem would be able to help Moshe fulfil his mission even if it involved a miracle.

If you translate the possuk literally though Hashem was simply saying, I am the one who makes people deaf, mute and blind. The simple meaning of this response could very well be that Hashem was telling Moshe that I am the one who gave you a speech defect and I did this knowing full well what your mission in life would be. I knew that you would one day redeem My nation. I knew that one day you would have to stand before the king and I still gave you this defect. This must be because I felt that you would succeed in your mission in spite of your defect, and in actual fact your defect will help you in completing your mission.

Earlier on when Hashem first appeared He instructed Moshe to remove his shoes. The passuk says של נעליך מעל רגליך כי המקום אשר הוא קודש אדמת עומד The Chafetz Chaim writes on this possuk .אתה

“for the place on which you stand is holy ground” that this refers to every Jew in every situation. Let no one say that in his current situation he cannot serve Hashem, “perhaps if I was financially more stable of if I had better health then I could fulfill my spiritual obligations”. Hashem tells us “the place” meaning the situation “upon which you

stand” currently “is holy” is the best possible setup for you to do G-d’s will. This has been specifically designed for you to be able to best fulfil your tafkid. For example to complain I need better health to serve Hashem is pointless because your mission is to serve Hashem with the health he gave you, with better health you would have no mission.

A factory was looking to develop a product that would help disabled people walk easier. To help with the testing of the product the manager hired a lame person who happened to be of below average intelligence. Every day this man would arrive at work and wheel himself from place to place in the factory. After a few days this man started complaining to all those who would listen “if only I could walk it would be so much easier to get around in the factory”. With time his complaints grew more and more frequent and were affecting the morale of his fellow workers. One day the manager had enough and sent for this worker to appear in his office. “Look” he said “you may think that if you could walk it would be easier for you to navigate your way around the factory but let me tell you something, if you could walk you wouldn’t have a job here in the first place!!”

This means Hashem was already now when first appearing to Moshe, hinting to what he would answer Moshe later. He was telling him that the same way every situation is best for a person to do his duty so too your speech defect is designed for you to be able to carry out your mission.

If we have a look at the Medrash Rabboh maybe it gives us some idea why it was important for Moshe to have a speech defect. The Medrash writes that Hashem told Moshe “I am the one who created all mouths in this world and created mute those I wanted . . . And if I would want that you should be a man of words that’s how it would be but I wanted to create a miracle with you, that at the time you speak you word will be prepared because I will be with your lips.” From this Medrash once sees clearly that Hashem wanted Moshe to have a speech defect thereby necessitating that a miracle be performed. Why should that be?

Moshe was chosen to be the shaliach of Hashem. A shaliach is not merely a messenger rather a shaliach is an extension of the sender. This has halachic ramifictions allowing a shaliach to marry or divorce a woman for the sake of the husband without him actually being there.

Here too Hashem wanted Moshe to be more than merely a messenger, He wanted Moshe to be His shaliach. Had Moshe been a man of words then when he stood before Pharoah and spoke, there would be no way for the king to know that Moshe was a shaliach from Hashem. It was the will of Hashem that it should be obvious to all that Moshe was a shaliach from above and not merely a messenger parroting words. Moshe who ordinarily had great difficulty formulating words was the ultimate shaliach because as soon he opened his mouth and clear speech spouted forth it was clear to one and all that this was a shaliach from above carrying out G-d’s will. Thus we see that Moshe was the most suited for the job because of his handicap and not only in spite of it.

Home Grownfrom the Golders Green KolelThis week: Reb Chaim Yisroel Eis

לע''נ

חיה שפרה בת יהודה ע"הכז סיון תשעד לפ"ק

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Weekly Nach Journey through NachJourney through Nach will soon be available in the shops! To purchase this unique 2-book box-set with perek summaries on all of Nach, Divrei Torah and charts, timelines and more visit www.feldheim.com or email [email protected]

Divrei TorahYehoshua Perek 2

Perek 2 of Sefer Yehoshua discusses the spies (identified by Rashi as Calev and Pinchas) that were sent into Yericho in the times of Yehoshua. We are told how Rachav, a harlot (according to some commentators) concealed her holy guests and professed deep faith in G-d, which ultimately led to her life being saved when Yehoshua conquered Yericho. This perek is the haftara for Shelach Lecha since the undercover reconnaissance mission it describes complements the parashah of Shelach Lecha, in which spies are sent by Moshe to report about the land.

Rav Yerucham Levovitz asks an important question here. The twelve spies in Moshe’s time were all refined, holy people (according to the Ramban, they are listed in order of spiritual greatness and Yehoshua was only the fifth in the list). In contrast, Rachav seems to have been a spiritually base lady who engaged in lowly acts. Yet, the great spies in Shelach Lecha end up publicly disparaging Eretz Yisrael and doubting Hashem’s ability to conquer the land (thus losing their portion in the Next World), while Rachav manages to develop and inculcate a genuine deep sense of faith and commitment. The Talmud writes that Rachav eventually merited marrying Yehoshua himself. How could people who began at such different levels end up in such different places?

The answer, writes Rav Yerucham, is that it depends on one’s direction. If one is moving downwards – even on the smallest of scales – he can find himself in spiritual freefall. This explains the spies’ failure, although they were originally on a high spiritual level. But, if one is on his way up, growing and thriving - even if it is barely detectable and on a very small scale - there are no limits to his potential achievement. This explains Rachav’s success, although she was on a low spiritual level. We can learn the importance of constantly growing, maturing, and achieving on a regular basis, even on a small, bite-size scale. On this note, Rav Shalom Schwadron would quote his father-in-law’s explanation for why we say baruch shem kevod malchuso aloud at the very start of Yom Kippur (despite having just eaten and not having confessed or repented yet) and not at Maariv immediately after Yom Kippur (when we have behaved like angels the entire day). He explains that at the start of Yom Kippur, we are focused on the holiness of Yom Kippur, while at Maariv immediately after Yom Kippur, we are thinking about our hunger and food! Our spiritual level depends on which way we are heading.

Yehoshua Perek 5

Perek 5 of Yehoshua tells us that Bnei Yisrael performed bris milah en masse for the first time since they left Egypt. The Radak (5:2) writes that the people were perfectly justified for not performing bris milah in the wilderness, since the conditions were too dangerous. Indeed, had they had been at fault, there would have been a prophetic rebuke or Divine retribution. Yet, it appears that Rashi disagrees with the Radak.

At the start of Beha’alosecha, Rashi comments that the Chumash does not begin with the command to offer the Korban Pesach (despite its chronological precedence) “Because it conveys the shortcomings of Bnei Yisrael - for the entire forty years they were in the desert, they only offered this solitary Korban Pesach.” What was the failure of Bnei Yisrael? They were not permitted to offer the Korban Pesach in the wilderness because many of them were uncircumcised due to the dangerous conditions.

The Maharal in his Gur Aryeh commentary on Rashi (after augmenting the question by noting that Rashi’s view is that the mitzvah to offer the Korban Pesach was only applicable when Bnei Yisrael would enter Eretz Yisrael) teaches a vital principle. The fact that Bnei Yisrael did not have the merits of Korban Pesach throughout their stay in the desert is itself a shortcoming, even if they were not at fault whatsoever. A mitzvah builds us and develops our sensitivities and provides great merits and tremendous closeness to Hashem. Therefore, if we are unable to perform a mitzvah, we should be saddened that we have missed a tremendous opportunity, irrespective of whether we are technically at fault.

We tend to perceive Judaism as full of obligations. We tend not to see mitzvos as ‘opportunities’ or ‘great merits’, but rather as ‘burdens’ or ‘unwanted responsibilities’. A consequence of this outlook is that when we cannot perform a mitzvah, we do not feel bad about it; it was out of our control. This immature way of looking at mitzvos focuses on the fault aspect, as opposed to focusing on the objective value of a mitzvah. Similarly, the common culture of ‘looking for leniencies’ and ‘asking a Rabbi who will give an exemption’ expresses the lack of appreciation of mitzvos. If we really valued each mitzvah and understood what it achieves, we would certainly be upset to miss out on a mitzvah, even if it was due to matters beyond our control. Certainly according to the Maharal’s inspiring idea, there is no dispute between Rashi and the Radak whatsoever - both agree Bnei Yisrael were not at fault but both agree that we missed out on the opportunity to perform a mitzvah.

לע''נ

ר' שלום שכנא בן ר' חיים יעקב ז"ל

5. In whose זכות did the sun stop?

7

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The Davening DiscussionRabbi Elozor Barclay Rabbi Yitzchok Jaegerauthors of the Guideline Series

Chapter III - Replacement Tefillos

59. Can one replace a missed tefillah?

If a person accidentally missed a tefillah, he can correct the situation by reciting shemoneh esrei twice at the next tefillah. If he deliberately missed a tefillah, the situation cannot be corrected.

60. What is considered accidental?

The following situations are included:

• He forgot to daven.

• He thought that he davened and realized too late that he did not.

• He was ill or intoxicated.

• He was engrossed in an activity and thought that he would be able to daven later, but the time passed.

61. What if he was involved in urgent communal needs?

A rav should be consulted.

62. Is there an obligation to replace the missed tefillah?

• A man is obligated to do so.

• A woman who missed shacharis is obligated to daven mincha twice.

• A woman who missed mincha is not obligated to daven ma’ariv shemoneh esrei twice, but it is praiseworthy for her to do so. It is not sufficient to daven ma’ariv once, since this would be considered as ma’ariv and not a replacement for mincha. This is true even if she does not usually daven ma’ariv.

63. Can a woman replace a missed mincha by davening the next shacharis twice?

No. Since the correction must be made at the subsequent tefillah, a missed mincha can only be replaced at ma’ariv.

64. If a woman davens ma’ariv regularly and missed it once, is she obligated to replace it at shacharis?

She is not obligated, but may do so if she wishes.

65. If a woman did not daven shacharis due to household obligations, should she daven mincha twice?

• If she davens shacharis regularly, she should daven mincha twice.

• If she does not daven shacharis regularly, she does not need to daven mincha twice.

66. How do these laws apply on a day when there is mussaf ?

The mussaf prayer has no connection whatsoever to these laws. Therefore:

• A missed mussaf cannot be replaced by any tefillah.

• A missed shacharis is replaced by mincha and not by mussaf. If this occurs and mussaf has not yet been said, the correct sequence of prayers is: mincha, mussaf, repetition of mincha to replace shacharis.

67. What if a person missed more than one tefillah (e.g. he was ill)?

• The last missed tefillah may certainly be replaced.

• Opinions differ whether he may also replace the other missed tefillos. A rav should be consulted for details.

68. Should the second shemoneh esrei be said immediately after the first?

If one is not davening with a minyan, he should do the following:

• When davening shacharis twice, he should say tachanun and ashrei after the first shemoneh esrei, and then repeat shemoneh esrei. This is followed by lamnatze’ach, uva le’tziyon, etc.

• When davening mincha twice, he should say tachanun and ashrei after the first shemoneh esrei, and then repeat shemoneh esrei. This is followed by aleinu.

• When davening ma’ariv twice, he should wait a few moments after concluding the first shemoneh esrei, and then repeat shemoneh esrei. This is followed by aleinu.

69. What if one is davening with a minyan?

• When davening shacharis twice, he should repeat shemoneh esrei after saying with the congregation the ashrei that follows tachanun [and krias hatorah].

• When davening mincha twice, he should wait until after saying tachanun with the congregation, and then repeat ashrei and shemoneh esrei.

• When davening ma’ariv twice, he should wait a few moments after concluding the first shemoneh esrei, and then repeat shemoneh esrei.

70. What if the chazan needs to say a replacement shemoneh esrei ?

He should have in mind that the repetition shemoneh esrei that he says aloud should also count as his replacement. If he needs to daven ma’ariv twice, he should repeat shemoneh esrei after the conclusion of the entire ma’ariv.

71. May the second shemoneh esrei be said later in the day (or night)?

It is forbidden to postpone the second shemoneh esrei. In addition, one may not eat, do any work, or even study Torah before saying the second shemoneh esrei. If a person began any of these activities, he must stop and daven the replacement shemoneh esrei immediately.

72. Is the replacement shemoneh esrei valid if recited later?

Yes. However, since some opinions disagree, it is preferable to stipulate that the shemoneh esrei is a voluntary prayer if he is exempt. (On Shabbos or Yom Tov he should not stipulate this.)

73. What is the latest time for saying the replacement shemoneh esrei ?

• At shacharis (replacing ma’ariv), the latest time is one third of the day. Although regular shacharis may be said after this time if necessary, a replacement shemoneh esrei may not.

• At mincha (replacing shacharis), the latest time is sunset.

• At ma’ariv (replacing mincha), the replacement shemoneh esrei should preferably be recited before halachic midnight. If this time passed, it may be said until dawn.

לע''נ

ר' משה בן ר' פנחס ג'יי ז"ל6. How many names did יתרו have?

8

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Your Weekly Spark of ChassidusRabbi Tal Moshe ZweckerMipeninei Noam Elimelech

The Angel And The Thornbush

And an angel of Hashem appeared to Moshe in a

fiery flame from within the bush. (Shemos 3:2)

Man’s essential function is to uproot his negative character traits,

such as hate, jealousy, vanity, lust, envy, and greed. These flaws must

be rectified in order that man can rise to great spiritual heights with

deveikus, cleaving to Hashem Yisbarach.

This is the meaning of “And He appeared to Moshe in a fiery flame

from within the bush.” Through overcoming the bad character traits,

which are like thorns, man can achieve greatness. He burns with a

fiery enthusiasm to serve Hashem [and then Hashem reveals Himself

to him].

“And behold, the bush was burning in the fire, but the bush was

not consumed” — but man realizes that even though he is now full of

fiery enthusiasm, that excitement hasn’t burned away his flaws and

bad traits completely. *

“And Moshe said: ‘I will turn aside and look at this great sight’ ” —

Moshe said: I will go out and leave behind my flaws completely and

then I will see great wonders and achieve spiritual heights.

“Why is the bush not consumed?” — the word יבער , “consumed,”

has the same grammatical root as in the verse “And he grazed [ ובער [

in another’s field” (Shemos 22:4). The verse is saying: why are these

bad traits, which are compared to the thorny bush, not completely

consumed and destroyed by the fires of excitement and enthusiasm

to serve Hashem [like grass that is consumed by an ox]?

This is the meaning of the term נגעים literally, “signs or , מראות

sights of affliction” (Negaim 1:1). Afflictions of the soul, such as

negative character flaws, can be rectified and thus bring man to

spiritual heights and wonders, as explained above. [The Mishnah

then goes on to discuss] “a blemish as strong as snow” — if a man

is afflicted with a trait that afflicts him as a blemish does his body, be

as strong and fierce as a leopard to overcome it until it can be purified

as snow, as the verse teaches, “If your sins are scarlet, they shall be

whitened as snow” (Yeshayahu 1:18). “Or like sid, cement” — there

is an even higher level: “like the whitewash of the Sanctuary walls.”

This alludes to lofty holiness.

“And Hashem saw that he turned to see [the bush]” — Hashem saw

that Moshe Rabbeinu wanted to be rid of all of his negative traits so

that he could truly see — so that then he would truly see wonders and

great things. In truth, this is impossible until the holy Mashiach will

come to redeem us and remove the spirit of impurity from the land

completely. Thus, Hashem said, “It is not possible for you to reach

this lofty level. ‘Remove your shoes from your feet’ ” — the word של ,

“remove,” has the same root as the word שאלת , “borrowed,” teaching

us that when you achieve this level, it is like a borrowed object. You

cannot fully own or achieve such a level until the coming of Mashiach,

may it be soon.

“Because the land is holy” — thus, you should concentrate your

energies in places that contain physical matter that need refining and

sanctify it to make it holy. This is easy to understand.

A Holy FireIt happened when the Rebbe Reb Elimelech was wandering in

exile that he once entered an inn to wash his hands in the kitchen. He

washed and then he went on his way. The cooks in the kitchen were

baking bread when Rebbe Elimelech had entered, and while they

worked, a gentile stole into the kitchen and took a loaf.

When the baker noticed the missing bread, he assumed that the

poor beggar who was none other than the Rebbe in disguise had

stolen a loaf. The baker was furious and sent his servant on horseback

to catch up with the thief and give him a sound beating to teach him

a lesson. As the servant beat the Rebbe, who lovingly accepted these

blows as a decree of Hashem, a fire broke out in the inn and nothing

could put it out. The baker immediately realized that this must be

a punishment from Heaven for sending the servant after the beggar,

and he quickly saddled his horse and rode out to find them.

When he caught sight of his servant, the non-Jew boasted of the

sound beating he had given the beggar and pointed to the spot in the

woods were he had left him. The baker found the Rebbe by one of the

trees, shouting over and over, “Ribbono shel Olam! I will not daven

minchah until You put out the fire in the inn!”

Seeing the Rebbe praying for his inn after what he had done, the

baker fell to his knees, begging the Rebbe’s forgiveness. The holy

Tzaddik forgave him on the spot. The baker gratefully returned home

to find that his inn was safe and the fire had been put out.

(Ohel Elimelech 120)

Shabbos Mincha followed by Shalosh Seudos: 4:10pm

Sunday Morning Shacharis followed by Halacha Chabura & Breakfast: 9:00am

S P O N S O R E D

7. Where does it say יש אזנים לכותל?

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Eretz HaTzviRabbi Zvi TeichmanCongregation Ohel Moshe, Baltimore, MD

High Stakes GamblingIn the latter part of the nineteenth century a controversy erupted regarding an alleged episode that is recorded in the classic commentary to Mishna, the Tiferes Yisroel, authored by the Rabbi of Danzig, Rabbi Yisroel Lipshutz. There he quotes of a “delightful” tale he once read.

An Arabian king had heard of the wondrous reputation of the illustrious Moshe Rabbeinu. Curious to fathom the depths of his personality the king commissions an artist to paint a portrait of this great leader. The artist returns having fulfilled his mission. The king displays this resemblance to his court physiognomists (the study of facial features as an indicator of temperament) waiting to hear them dissect the details of Moshe’s great character. The physiognomists after studying the painting report that the individual portrayed is thoroughly wicked and possesses every known vice. Dumfounded, the king decides to see for himself if indeed this is an accurate depiction of this great leader or not. Upon meeting the Jewish leader the king discovers that the portrait is exact and he expresses his dilemma to Moshe that apparently his advisers interpreted the picture incorrectly.

Moshe responds that their analysis is indeed a competent one. Moshe tells the king that although he has succeeded in transforming himself to greatness, nevertheless, he was born with inherently poor character traits and was initially inclined towards all the vices listed. His virtue, Moshe reveals, lies precisely in the determined effort it took to convert his deficiencies into assets. (תפארת (ישראל מסכת קידושין ד יד

The former Maggid of Wilkomir, Rabbi Chayim Yitzchak Aharon Rapoport wrote a scathing attack on this spurious contention that Moshe was born defective, going on to cite many sources and quoting contemporary rabbinic figures that attest to Moshe’s righteousness from birth. He as well as others laid claim that this “fable” has its origins in “pagan literature”.

Unbeknownst apparently to these polemicists, this idea, albiet not the actual account, is quoted decades earlier in the name of the Holy Baal Shem Tov by his very own grandson, Rabbi Moshe Chayim Efrayim of Sudylkow, the author of the Degel Machaneh Efrayim.( תשא כי פרשת There he quotes (סוף in the name of his saintly Zaida, that Moshe was born a גמור utterly“ ,רשע wicked” but transformed himself through much effort into a צדיק גמור, an utterly righteous one.

This idea is indicated in Moshe’s very name. The name משה in its מילוי, “full” form is expressed as הא שין, with each letter of his name thus fully ,מם, represented (e.g. the letter ‘מ’ is pronounced “mem”, i.e. ֶמם). מם is numerically equivalent to 80, שין is 360, and הא equals 6, forming a total of 446, the numerical equal of מות, death, indicating the inherently flawed essence of Moshe.

Yet clearly the Torah seems to imply that Moshe was indeed born into greatness. When Moshe enters this world, the Torah relates: ותרא אתו כי טוב הוא good, refers ,טוב She saw that he was good... Rashi relates that this ,(שמות ב ב)to the house filling with light, reminiscent of that first טוב recorded in Torah at Creation, (בראשית ב ג) וירא אלהים את האור כי טוב, God saw that the light was good.

When Basya, the daughter of Pharaoh opens the floating basket and discovers the child Moshe the verse states (שמות ב ו) ותראהו, and she saw him, Rashi again quotes the Talmud that interprets “Him” as referring to the Divine Presence that accompanied Moshe. Seemingly, Moshe was born endowed with perfection.

How do we understand these verses in light of the Holy Baal Shem Tov’s contention? How does one overcome a predisposition to moral weakness?

Everyone has a basic desire for good but so often the overpowering pull of instinct doesn’t allow us to escape the comfort of “pleasure” for a higher moral purpose. It takes a willingness to risk giving up what comes so natural and

easy for a greater value that is not yet in hand. What holds us back is the fear of taking the leap. In all the heroic efforts described prior to the birth of Moshe, from the remarriage of Yocheved to Amram, after he separates from her lest she bear a child that will inevitably be murdered, to the placing of Moshe in the basket amongst the reeds and the courage of Basya in saving the baby, there is one common denominator: Despite the odds against them, they were willing to take a gamble for a noble goal.

Sure there were risks. Would it be worth going through pregnancy and childbirth to have the baby casually discarded when born? Would they risk their lives by attempting to hide the child from the authorities? Was there really a chance of the fragile child surviving the crocodile infested waters? Wouldn’t Basya jeopardize her position as princess were she to be discovered harboring a Jewish child?

Success in life warrants the ability to take chances to achieve a higher goal.Moshe despite his predilection towards evil grew up among individuals

who instilled within him the confidence that it pays to gamble for a greater success. It empowered him to overcome the temptation to abide by his natural inclination and risk “giving it all up” for something much more powerful and pleasurable, although not yet tangible.

Perhaps the observing of the Divine Presence alongside Moshe was a product of Yocheved and Basya’s powerful positive attitude that gazed into the eyes of this fragile child, who was perhaps endowed with challenges, yet they perceived that light that radiated from him. It was the example they set and the confidence they instilled within Moshe that enabled the “original light” to penetrate through the clouds and shine so brightly.

The Talmud (ה relates how Kuntrukus a Roman general accosted (.בכורות Rabbon Yochanan ben Zakai with a claim that the Torah’s account of the amount of silver Moshe allegedly collected for the purpose of building the Mishkan doesn’t jibe with the sum actually used in the construction. The general facetiously asks Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai, “was then Moshe a שם) a dice player, a gambler ,קוביוסטוס בתוס‘ who squandered the ,(פר“ח money for his own gain?” This, he is intimating cynically, would reconcile the discrepancy. There could have been a myriad of reasons for his “abusing” the funds, why the accusation of being a gambler?

Moshe was indeed born with an instinct to gamble, to risk the loss of a portion in the world to come for the instant gratification of this tangible world. But through the influence of those that raised him he went against even greater odds. Moshe risked it all for the greatest achievement of all time. Moshe begins his adult life risking time and again the security of the “palace” for eternal values. Taking on the Egyptian taskmaster, confronting the mocking Doson and Aviram and solely and in total isolation standing up to protect the daughters of Yisro from the abuse of the male shepherds.

The Baal Shem explains that when God summons Moshe at the Burning Bush, He calls out: (ד ג (שם משה Moshe Moshe. This represents the ,משה affirmation of the dual nature of Moshe, the tendency towards evil and the power and courage to overcome it and transform it into absolute good. God is conferring the exemplar of service to Hashem to serve as the leader of the Jewish nation. It is in this quality that God hopes we will emulate in our lives as well. Moshe responds enthusiastically: הנני, “Here I am!”.

How much do we “risk” in our lives in order to grow spiritually? How much time are we willing to sacrifice to spend learning or engaging in acts of kindness? What are we willing to gamble on and possibly lose so that we can get closer to God?

Too often we jeopardize opportunities for greatness in exchange for transient and valueless objectives.Life is about risk taking, without it we stagnate. The stakes are indeed high, but the rewards are even greater. If we bet on the side of God we are assured to win the jackpot! הנני, Here I am!

8. Which man lived the longest?

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The Torah Shiurim of Rabbi FrandRabbi Yissochor FrandMaagid Shiur, Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, Baltimore

The Torah’s Standard of “Hakaras HaTov” [Gratitude]

Yisro’s daughters arrived home early after Moshe

Rabbeinu rescued them and watered their cattle.

The Torah describes the scene: “And they came to

Reuel their father and he said, why have you come

home early today? And they said ‘An Egyptian

saved us from the hands of the shepherds and he

also drew the water for us and watered the sheep’.”

[Shmos 2:18-19]

An amazing teaching of Chazal gives insight into showing gratitude from a Torah perspective. The Medrash cites the analogy of someone who was bitten by a certain serpent, who then went down to the river to wash his wound. At the water, he saw a child drowning and rescued him. The child later told him, “If not for you, I would be dead.” The rescuer corrected him: “It was not I who saved you but the serpent that bit me. If not for him, I would have had no need to run down to the river and discover that you were in danger.”

The Medrash uses this example to explain the dialog between Yisro’s daughters and Moshe. When they thanked Moshe for saving them from the shepherds, Moshe said “It was not I who saved you. It was the Egyptian man I killed, which ultimately caused me to flee Egypt. Had it not been for him, I would not have come along here to see your plight.” That is why they told their father “An Egyptian man saved us from the hands of the shepherds.”

This insight is an example of “Without Torah there is no derech eretz (etiquette).” [Pirkei Avos 3:17] Every society has a concept of “Hakaras HaTov” – a person must show appreciation. However, we see here how far the concept of

“Hakaras HaTov” goes. The Torah extends it all the way back to the Egyptian man who was the indirect cause of Moshe’s having to flee Egypt.

The reason for such seemingly far-fetched linkage is our belief in the concept of Hasgocha Pratis [personal Divine Providence]. If the Almighty arranges that a certain person

should receive a favor in a certain fashion, it is because it is all part of His “Grand Plan”. As part of the “Grand Plan” that Yisro’s daughters should be rescued from the shepherds by Moshe, there had to be the prior story involving the Egyptian man. This is the extent of the idea of “Hakaras HaTov” in the Torah’s eyes.

An example of a great person’s Hakaras HaTov is evident in the following story:

There was once a young man who learned in the Chevron Yeshiva, who was accustomed to come to the Mirer Yeshiva to hear the mussar talks of Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz. When the young man became engaged to get married, as a courtesy, he sent an invitation to Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz to come to his wedding. The young man did not really expect Rav Chaim to come as he was not really a student of the Mirer Yeshiva, he only sat in on the mussar talks of the Rosh Yeshiva.

But Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz did indeed come to the wedding. The groom told the person making the announcements that they must give Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz an honor (e.g. – reciting one of the Sheva Brochos under the Chupa) as was befitting the Rosh Yeshiva of the Mirer Yeshiva. Rav Chaim sensed what was happening and he told the student, “If you give me an honor I am going to walk out.” However, the groom felt that there was no way he could not give the Mirer Rosh Yeshiva an honor and he did so. And Rav Chaim did in fact walk out of the wedding hall.

After the wedding, the groom asked Rav Chaim why he decided to come to the wedding altogether (for a young man who was not enrolled as a student of his yeshiva) and why he refused to accept the honor he was given. Rav Chaim told him that every time he saw that this student made a special effort to come from the Chevron Yeshiva to the Mirer to hear his lectures, it gave him added incentive to give a powerful

“mussar schmooze”. He felt that he had added Divine Assistance (S’yata d’shmaya) because he saw how much his lectures were appreciated. Thus, he came strictly for Hakaras HaTov to the young man, not to get any kind of honor. That is why he walked out when they tried to honor him for coming.

S P O N S O R E D

לע''נ

יפה שינדל בת ר' יחזקאל ע"ה9. How many daughters did צלפחד have?

11

S P O N S O R E D


Jewish ClassicsReb Osher Chaim Levene

The Path Of The Just - מסילת ישרים

Watchfulness (Ch.2-4) / זהירות

Definition Man must always be “Watchful” to discern whether his actions

are good or bad. This is how he can protect himself from harm or something that could endanger his welfare (nothing less than the instinctive response of an animal engaged in self-preservation). Do not behave like an unthinking creature of habit that is like a blind man groping in dark or perilously wandering next to a riverbank.

Not being Watchful (e.g. period of Yirmiyah) makes man particularly vulnerable to being entrapped by the yetzer hara overloading man’s burden (like Pharaoh in Egypt) to prevent him from entering into a state of serenity to calmly contemplate his conduct. In this battle, there is the imperative to wisely outmaneuver the yetzer hara that is a ‘trained master of war’. The duty is upon man himself to take the incentive and take steps to be Watchful; only then, will G-d intervene to assist.

Elements First, man has to objectively determine what is good or evil. Second,

he has to subjectively apply this to his deeds. He must undertake an analysis to access whether every action is good or evil both ‘before’ and ‘after’ its performance (which includes a critical analysis of past performance). He is then able to set up strategies to strengthen ‘good’ or turn away from ‘evil’.

There are two elements: (a) “examination” (yefashfaish) – a general check of what he is doing right or wrong and (b) “investigation” (yemashmaish) – a thorough probe of his good deeds with an eye to identify areas of negativity. Like a merchant handling a garment’s fabric to test its strong or durability, man vigilantly surveys his deeds and ways to remove any bad or sinful tendencies from his personality.

Practitioners of such accountability are the ones truly in control of their yetzer hara. Like a businessman, they scrutinize their dealings to assess their mitzvos (profits) versus their aveiros (losses). But non-practitioners, such as sinners, are blind to the truth such that they perilously – and foolishly – walk through the darkness of this world. But without illumination to see obstacles, they inevitably stumble. Darkened surroundings dangerously distort matters so that one cannot see the truth and can lead sinners to wrongly view evil as good or to use deceitful proofs to validate their arguments.

Escaping the yetzer hara’s ‘imprisonment’, man symbolically reaches the center of the maze. It is a unique vantage point that enables him to sees all pathways, perfectly positioned to assist those lost by advising them how to best navigate their way.

Consequently, man has to set aside times (a) to reflect upon the Torah path he must follow and (b) to reflect upon his deeds whether or

not he is following the right path. This will allow him to purify himself from wrongdoing and to rectify all his ways.

How to Acquire it?Torah brings to Watchfulness by contemplating the importance of

avodas Hashem and the severity of divine judgment.

There are 3 categories of individuals to consider:

1. Those of perfect knowledge

Their drive is to strive for perfection – so Watchfulness means to identify anything that interferes with this pursuit. Their motivation is to not be shamefully ‘burned’ by their friend’s canopy (elevated stature) in the World to Come having failed to attain perfection in an area like his fellow.

2. Those of lesser aptitude

Their drive is based upon man’s honor in World to Come as determined by his deeds in this world. Not to fix it now (while he still can) means that his later anguish will be very great indeed! Do not listen to the yetzer hara’s calls to lighten his workload, to be ‘content’ with the avoidance of Gehinnom, and suffice with a small portion in Gan Eden rather than working towards piety and receive a large reward.

Man is envious of illusory transitory honor conferred to people lower than him in This World. Imagine, then, the great suffering when they see their eminence in the eternal reality of the hereafter! Man has to act in this world, to use free will to increase his good deeds, and to correct his mistakes before he dies.

3. The masses

Their drive is motivated by reward and punishment – here one has to drive home the exactitude of judgment of great/small matters where the G-d of Justice judged the righteous (Avraham, Yaakov, Yosef, David, Michal, Chizkiyahu) to a hairsbreadth and does not overlook any deed/misdeed (minor or major) and pays man accordingly.

[In truth, Middas HaRachamim, “Attribute of Divine Mercy” does not contradict Middas HaDin, “Attribute of Divine Justice”. Divine Mercy achieves 3 things: (a) It extends time to the sinner by not punishing him immediately (b) It withholds the full punishment, and (c) It provides the opportunity for repentence as regret by uprooting his original will that will uproot his evil transgression retrospecitvely. This and other measures of G-d’s kindness lead to justice; they do not contradict it.]

Where man opens his eyes to this, he sees that there is really no excuse for him not to exercise “Watchfulness” on all his deeds.

S P O N S O R E D

10. Who was the father of דוד המלך?

לע''נ

ר' יוסף דב בן ר' משה הכהן אלביצקי ז"ל

12

to be continued...

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The Illustrated Story of

MaimonidesThe Torah Sage, Healer, Philosopher & Hero

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Part 7

?? AnswersQUIZ TIME

פסוקים It has 30 .וילך .1(בבא בתרא כב. See) קנאת סופרים .23. Once ויאמינו בה' ובמשה עבדו(בהעלותך See end of) מרים .4 . נקדימון בן גוריון and משה רבינו and יהושע .5

(See ע''ז כ''ה , גמ' תענית כ')

( רעואל, יתר, יתרו, חובב, קיני, חבר, פוטיאל ) 7 .6

ד''ה אלא בשדה :רש''י ברכות דף ח .7,מתושלח .89. Five (See פנחס) (דברי הימים א‘ פרק י‘‘ב, י‘‘ח) ישי .10

(See בראשית ה‘ כ‘‘ז )

(See רש‘‘י פר' יתרו)

969 years

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