Parashas Beshalach - We are NOT our emotions!

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It's a little frightening when my son 'hangs around' the oven while we're baking. Like all little children, he's always curious, wondering, what's in there baking. He always wants to know why is there steam everytime Mommy and Daddy opens the oven door (seems like a cool toy.) He always tests us and tries to open the oven door but to his disappointment, we always refuse to let him do it. Last week, my son slightly burned the tip of his finger because he somehow managed to get into (literally) the candy my wife made which came right off the stove. Baruch Hashem, it was nothing bad.

This morning (Wednesday), we opened up the oven door and saw him getting near. We told him (like we always do,) "it's hot, don't touch!" Today, for the first time, he backed off without trying to test us. He learned his lesson. We always warned him that the oven was hot and so are the things that came out of it. After we warned him today, he just repeated "don't touch" after us, and walked away. That gave me a lot of nachas. He'e such a smart little boy, unlike some people I will soon mention. (Don't worry, there's no Lashon Harah, you'll see what I mean.)

In this week's parasha, it says, "The pillar of cloud moved." Rashi comments, "The cloud esscorted Bnei Yisroel in the day, and the fire took over once it became dark. Once it became dark, the pillar of cloud completed its 'job', letting the pillar of fire take the next shift. The cloud was not removed as it usually disappeared in the evening, rather it continued to move behind them to make it dark for the Egyptians." [1]

Hashem made every plague last seven days. However, by Makkas Choshech, there were only six days of darkness. Three days of regular darkness were followed by three intense days of darkness, where the Egyptians literally couldn't move. If they were standing, then they remained standing; and if they were sitting or bent over, they would remain in that position. The seventh day was saved for this occasion, a time when the Jews feared that the Egyptians would get near and kill them by the Reed Sea. Bnei Yisroel were scared because they were surrounded in every direction: wild beasts from their right and left, the Dead Sea in front of them, and the Egyptians behind them. [2]

A question has been bothering me for a year already: If they Egyptians witnessed the darkness brought by the cloud, then why didn't they back off? They already suffered through Makas Choshesh! Now that they are faced with the maka once again, why didn't they retreat? Didn't they learn their lesson from the first time they got hit? Instead, they insisted in pursuing Bnei Yisroel! Honestly, that seems like stupidity to me. I mean, come on, my son was even able to figure that one out on his own, and he's only (almost) two! He knew that he once got burned from the hot oven, so now it's a good idea to stay away from it.

I believe the answer is: Pharoh and his men were driven through anger. Their emotions got the best of them. When a person lets his/her emotions over take their bodies, they start to take action through illogical thinking. Emotions are part of a person, but emotions are NOT who the person actually is.

If we thought about this and understood it, we would live happier lives. For example: Happiness is a state of mind. When we get overwhelmed with emotions (sadness, fear, anger, etc...), our happiness starts to deteriorate. However, just as sadness, fear, or anger are emotions that effect the way we live; and we make decisions upon those feelings, so too happiness is an emotion! There's no reason to let the sadness override our happiness.

May we live a happy, healthy, and good 'decision making' (long) lives.

Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Nisso

[1] Shemos 14:19
[2] Shemos Rabba 14:3

Parashas Bo - Miracles happen everyday, can you tell?

This week's Dvar Torah has been sponsored for:
Refua Shelema: Leah Ayala Bas Yehudis
May you have health, happiness, and success!
(If you would like to sponsor a Dvar Torah, feel free to email me: SharingTorah@gmail.com)
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It says in this week's parasha that as the Jews left Egypt, not one dog lifted it's tongue at Bnei Yisroel or their flocks because they knew how to differenciate between the Jews and the Egyptians.[1]

That was considered a miracle. What was so miraculous about the dogs not barking at Bnei Yisroel? What significance does this have to us? Why did Hashem perform this miracle when He just made so many bigger, greater, more wonderous miracles?

Not to mention the fact that we've seen this type of miracle before by other plagues. (1) By makkas dam, the Jews were able to have all the water they wanted, while the Egyptians had to buy their water off the Jews, because everything that contained liquid turned into blood. (2) By makkas barad, the hail only destroyed the Egyptian's crops, leaving the Jews' property untouched.

Dogs refraining themselves from barking at the Jews was nothing compared to the other plagues Hashem brought specifically upon the Egyptians. So I ask again, what can I learn from this maaisa? What significance does it have to me, the reader?

Rav Zelig Pliskin expains: "Coming out of Mitzrayim was such a joyful experience. Hashem didn't want to ruin Bnei Yisroel's experience even in the slightest way. So from here we can learn that whenever someone is experiencing a joyous occassion, we should be careful not to say or do anything that would decrease their joy." [2]

I would like to suggest a different lesson. A small miracle like a dog refraining from barking at the Jews, never-the-less is still a miracle. It shouldn't be something we push aside just because Hashem performed other miracles which seem to be greater or 'harder' in our eyes.

Similarly, just because we witness something everyday [for example: Have we ever thought about how hard it would be for us to hold things with our hands if we didn't have any thumbs? How about the times we have a stuffy nose and can't smell beautiful scents? Or even when the water company decides to shut off our water supply to fix something and we don't have water to: take showers, do the dishes, drink something, do laundry, water our plants/crops, etc... Where do you think the water comes from? Hashem!] doesn't take away from the fact that it's still a miracle. The problem is, we get so 'use' to these 'small' miracles that we take it for granted.

Last night I was coming back from the Old City and as I got off the first bus, the second bus had just pulled out of the bus stop. I was a bit disappointed that I would now have to wait an extra 20 minutes for the next bus and it was already way past 11pm. The bus was now two blocks down and I thought I would never be able to run to the next bus stop on time. Baruch Hashem for the wonderful miracles He does, the bus stopped at a red light (two blocks down) and I was able to run all the way to the next bus stop leaving me enough time to get there and catch my breath :) That just seemed like a regular schedule, but it really was not. It was a miracle; but if we are too blinded, we may not notice.

May we be aware of the wonderful miracles Hashem does for us whether they be big or small.

Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Nisso

[1] 11:7
[2] Growth through Torah

Parashas Va'eira - Nothing is hidden from Hashem!

This week's Dvar Torah has been sponsored for:
Refua Shelema: Leah Ayala Bas Yehudis
May you have health, happiness, and success!
(If you would like to sponsor a Dvar Torah, feel free to email me: SharingTorah@gmail.com)
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Pharoh was the king of Egypt, who also liked to be known as 'god'. As a matter a fact, he told the Egyptians that he was a god. He claimed that he never had to use the toilets because he simply didn't need them. Before makkas dam (blood), Hashem asked for Moshe to meet Pharoh by the Nile River - early in the morning - because that's where he would relieve himself. [1] He woke up earlier than anyone else would in order to keep his secret discreet. He might be able to fool the Egyptians, however, nothing is hidden from Hashem!

The posuk says, "Moshe and Aharon came to Pharoh and they did exactly as Hashem commanded them... Pharoh too called his wise men and magicians..." [2] Why does the posuk need to say the word 'too'? It seems extra because the posuk would of read well without it anyways, and we know that the Torah never adds any unnecessary words.

Incidentally, every year I hear the same question, "How is it that Bnei Yisroel sinned with the golden calf? They witnessed Hashem's hand and saw miracles happen right before their eyes! Why did they feel like they needed to make another 'god' just because Moshe was no longer with them?!

I believe both of the above questions can be answered by this one posuk: Hashem said to Moshe, "See, I have made you a G-d to Pharoh; and Aharon, your brother will be your spokesman." [3] Rashi says 'G-d' here means a judge. Yonasan ben Uziel (and perush Yonasan) says on this posuk, "And Hashem said to Moshe, 'Why are you afraid of Pharoh? On the contrary! He's afraid of you, because I have turned you into a G-d. It seems like Yonasan ben Uziel's definition of 'G-d' is different than Rashis. He takes the word literally, where Rashi says it means judge.

Pharoh viewed Moshe as a 'god' (according to Yonasan ben Uziel's pshat in the posuk.) And Moshe had a 'spokesman' (Aharon), who took care of what Moshe instructed. This was Pharoh's judgment. Since Pharoh too viewed himself as a god to the Egyptians, it seemed fit that he too, like Moshe (who he viewed as a god) called his spokesmen (wise men and magicians) to perform witchcraft.

Since the posuk mentioned the extra word, 'too', it showed how much Pharoh believed that Moshe was a god in his eyes. And perhaps we can assume that to some level, Bnei Yisroel felt the same way, which is why they felt they must "create a new god (leader)" once they saw that Moshe was dead.

Pharoh was stubborn and ignorant. He made it as if he was a god, ignoring the fact there's Someone more powerful than him - someone legitimate. One who knows all and sees all. Nothing is hidden from Hashem, and there's nobody who will ever be like Him.

May we always remember that although flesh and blood can't see our actions, however there is Hashem, the One who does.

Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Nisso

[1] 7:15
[2] 7:10-12
[3] 7:1

Parashas Shemos - Man proposes and G-d disposes

This week's Dvar Torah has been sponsored for:
Refua Shelema: Leah Ayala Bas Yehudis
May you have health, happiness, and success!
(If you would like to sponsor a Dvar Torah, feel free to email me: SharingTorah@gmail.com)
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I once ate by someone for Shabbos. They seated me in between two of their little kids (I wasn't too excited.) I couldn't stop thinking about how much I would appreciate it if they didn't get their tiny, little, kiddy, (dirty) fingers on me. I couldn't move my chair to the left or to the right because I was surrounded! I managed throughout the meal to stay clean (not from myself - from them), but for dessert they served gooey fudge chocolate cake. I normally would have been like, "Yes! Awesome dessert!" but here - nuh uh, I just thought, "No WAY!!"

The ba'al habayis was in the middle a dvar Torah, when I noticed the kid on my right looking at me. His face was covered with chocolate! I knew exactly what was about to happen! His mother was going to look over to him and see the mess and clean him right up. Right? WRONG! Instead of what I would have LOVED to have happened, this cute little angel (can you hear the sarcasm?) wiped his whole face on my freshly ironed white shirt. My arm was covered with chocolate! The amazing thing is you'd think I got most of the chocolate off his face but his face seemed like it hadn't even been touched!

After that shabbos, whenever I went to someone's house and saw more than one available seat - I would try to get the seat which wasn't too close to any of the younger kids, someone annoying, or someone who smells. :) The problem is, "Man Plans and G-d Laughs!" I've noticed that if I was destined to sit next to someone, it will happen either way. If G-d intended for hot soup to be spilled on me, or me sitting next to someone who was really smelly (all true stories), then it will indeed happen.

I remember once making sure to sit in between two friends (trying to avoid a specific kid or host's children) picking our seats, but then something happening which interrupted my plan, whether the hosts had already arranged seats for us, or whatnot. Since then, I couldn't care less who sat next to me.

Man proposes and G-d disposes!

In this week's parasha, we see a lot of that going on. Jews were multiplying very quickly and Pharoh was getting nervous. He was worried that maybe the Jews would start to build an army and try to conquer Egypt. He commanded all his men to kill off the male babies. His astrologers told him they see that a baby boy will be born in Egypt (they were not sure whether he would be Jewish or Egyptian) and he will redeem the Jews.

Pharoh tried changing Hashem's plan and commanded that all newborn boys, whether Jewish or Egyptian, be tossed into the Nile. "We must stop this redeemer from growing up and playing the role he was meant to play in life," he thought.

Little did Pharoh know, not only was this newborn saved, but he was raised in Pharoh's own palace! This little boy's name is Moshe.

Hashem has a plan for all of us. If it's meant to be, then it's meant to be. No matter what we do to try and change them, it will still happen. Not to be confused with "free-will"; we have that as well. That is another topic.

Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Nisso