Parashas Tetzaveh - We are what we wear

There are several types of costumes you can always bet you will see on Purim (in my neighborhood.) Little girls want to be Esther, a princess, a mommy with a snood and a baby, or a kallah – and little boys want to be Mordechai, a Kohen Gadol, or a daddy wearing tefillin. Every year, it's the same thing. Last year my daughter was a princess/kallah; can you guess what she is going to be this year? ...Yup! A princess/kallah! My son is dressing up in tefillin (yea, it's fake) and a tallis gadol.

It's a bit cliché, but very cute.

This is my tenth year in Israel and every year I see the most interesting costumes. Some are very creative and others are very denigrating. I have a theory regarding people who choose the costumes they wear. I could be wrong, however, I hold by it with at least 83% of people who dress up.

Theory: You can tell a lot about people based on the costumes they wear. People choose to wear the things they deep down inside want to dress up but wouldn't normally during the year (or at least wondered how it would feel like if they wore such clothing.) I know plenty of people who have admitted it.

Sadly, a lot has to do with the things we've been exposed to. For example, you wont find a little kid dressing up as a vampire in my neighborhood. Believe it or not, they don't even know who Elmo or Cookie Monster is! The reason is because they haven't been influenced by these characters. They grew up learning about spiritual things like; Mordechai in Megillas Esther or the Kohen Gadol in the Torah...

In this week's parasha, the bigdei Kehuna are explained in great detail. Hashem asks for the wise men to make Aharon's garments in order to sanctify Aharon, in order to serve Hashem. [1]

Wasn't Aharon able to sanctify Hashem without wearing the garments? Why did the garments have to be made in a specific way? Couldn't Aharon just wear a nice suit to serve Him?

It seems like a person is influenced by the clothing he wears. You don't see many business men, working in a well known corporation, wearing shorts and a t-shirt to work. Just like you don't see the Kohen Gadol wearing a suit to serve Hashem in the Beis Hamikdash. The things we wear effect our attitude. When someone wears only black, it's usually because they are sad or depressed.

It also says in this week's parasha: Aharon's sacred garments shall belong to his sons after him, to be uplifted through them. Rashi comments: To be put in high position by them... By means of the garment, he became invested in the high-priesthood. [2]*

Until my theory is disproved; We Are What We Wear (try saying that ten times fast.)

For Purim, let's not denigrate Hashem's Name by wearing a degrading costume. The story of Purim was a miracle Hashem did for the Jews. It would seem wrong to take advantage of Him by degrading the holiday and His name.

Good shabbos and Chag Sameach,
Nisso

[1] 28:3
[2] 29:29
*Translated from the Mesuda Chumash

Parashas Teruma - Hashem's shovel is bigger than ours.

Purim is mamish right around the corner. Every year, my friends and I dress up and go collecting (tzedaka) for our yeshivah. It's a lot of fun; we go to stranger's houses and drink whatever liquids they offer (wink, wink), sing some songs, dance some dances, and leave with loads of money (please G-d.)

When we collected last year, we stood in front of someone's door, and a guy carrying a huge box whispered to us, "Go somewhere else! They don't have anything to give, trust me! Go, quickly!" We stood there, a little confused, wondering who he was and why he was trying to brush us aside so quickly. After waiting a minute, we saw him knock on the door, drop the box filled with food, and run away (before they could see who it was.)

In this week's Parasha, Hashem tells Moshe, “Take for Me a donation,” for the construction of the Mishkan. Many Rabbanim ask why the Torah used the loshon of 'take' as opposed to “'give' for Me a donation.”

One answer: When a person gives tzedaka, he is in reality taking. What is meant by 'taking', is that a person only gains from giving tzedaka – both spiritually and physically. Not only does he get the schar for giving but he also gets back more than what he gave.

There is a story of a very wealthy man who was generous when it came to giving tzedaka. His accountant asked him, “How is it you give so much tzedaka and still have a lot of money? Not only do you still have a lot of money, but you even have more than you originally had before you gave tzedaka.” The wealthy man responded, “Let's put it this way; when I give tzedaka I use my shovel, but when Hashem gives back, His shovel is bigger.”

So it's very appropriate for the Torah to use the loshon of 'taking', because in truth, by giving one actually receives.

I would like to introduce another answer: When Hashem says "Take for me a donation," He wasn't only saying to give tzedaka, rather He was also telling us, "Go and (take) collect tzedaka for those who don't have money and can't afford to put bread, salt, and water on their tables. Go and (take) collect for those who are embarrassed to ask others for tzedaka because it's a very hard thing to do.”

It says in Pirkei Avos that it's much better to ask for tzedaka then to give tzedaka. Rabeinu Yonah explains the reason why it's hard to collect money for poor people, or a chassan and kallah: it is because it's embarrassing (and a lot of hard work.)

Can you imagine going from door to door to ask for money, and all of a sudden someone you know answers? You hesitate to ask because you don't feel comfortable. Even the more so, if a person goes collecting money for their own family or themselves!

Perhaps this is a message Hashem wants to tell us. “Go and Take for me a donation! There might be others who are too embarrassed to collect for themselves, therefore you now have a special mitzvah to take a donation from other people and distribute it to those in need. Since this is a mitzvah, you are also doing it for Me.”
Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Nisso Stein
*[url] www.SharingTorah.blogspot.com *[subscribe or sponsor] SharingTorah@gmail.com *

Parashas Mishpatim - Putting the OV (hov) in LOVE

~ This week's Dvar Torah has been sponsored L'iluy Nishmas: Olga bat Nazli Mazal ~
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Picture this: You're walking down the street and you see someone standing by his donkey. His donkey is so overloaded with merchandise, he looks like he's in labor pain. The Torah tells us that it's a mitzvah to help this guy unload his animal. That's pashut, right? The Torah also tells us that there's a mitzvah to help someone reload his donkey.

If there's a choice between those two mitzvos, it's best to help the fellow unload his donkey, since the animal is suffering from the heavy load.

Unloading an animal comes before re-loading another one. Except in one situation...

The Torah says, "If you see your enemy's donkey burdened and you might not want to help him; make every effort you can to help him unload." Sefer Hachinuch adds, “Reloading your 'enemy's' donkey takes precedence over unloading someone elses, in order to break one's hatred of the other.

Doing things for people you don't want to help, can help you love them. The word “ahava” (love) comes from the root word of “hov” (to give.) Chachomim say that when a person gives, it effects him internally and he will come to love the person he is giving to.

An example is the never-ending goodness you do for your children. Your love for your kids is so genuine and it is magnified because you are continuously giving to them. They can't do anything on their own. They are dependent on you, and therefore, your love continues to grow. This applies to all humans: every time you do something for someone, your love increases for them (whether it's someone you like or dislike.)

Chodesh Tov,
Nisso

Parashas Yisro - Teshuva is the best stain remover !

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Half way into reading this week's Parasha last year, I couldn't help but ask myself, "Why was Yisro zocheh to have a Parasha named after him!?" There were so many other characters throughout our Torah and Yisro was someone who was chosen.

Yisro wasn't an ordinary person. He was once a Rasha, an advisor of Pharoh, an idol-worshiper, and a priest!

I came to the conclusion: Someone who has once tasted sin, participated in idol worship etc, and left it all behind in order to join Bnei Yisroel, is not so simple.

The Ba'alei Ha'Mussar say that a person who has done certain aveiros and then repents has more reward than someone who has never been faced with that same test. They explain the reason is because someone who has tasted the taste of the aveira now has a harder time letting go, which ultimately means putting up a stronger fight.

While processing everything above, I was amazed by the concept of Teshuva!

Yisro lived both worlds; the world of idol worship and the world of Judaism. He chose to do complete Teshuva because he recognized the truth and believed in the One above.

However, what about Yisro's past? Yisro never the less did worship idols! It's one thing to compliment Yisro's accomplishments, but to go so far and name a Parasha after him; was that necessary?

I believe it was very necessary. It's a powerful message; it gives hope to those who have sinned in the past; whether stealing, lieing, committing adultry, etc... We see the power of Teshuva!

The difference between Judaism and other nations are pashut here:

Let's say one were to commit murder; you better believe that name will be found on the police record. Or let's say one gets his licence revoked for driving drunk; that person has just stained his 'credit' on insurance policies, and definitely police records. That stain will never come off. You can plead with the cops and judges all you want, but there's no way you will be able to erase the record.

Judaism on the other hand differs here: Let's say one were to rob a bank; once he/she has done teshuva, that 'stain' is now nullified. It's as if he/she had never commited theft in his/her life. [1]

You don't believe it? I think the title for this week's parasha is proof. Yisro had many stains - before he did teshuva, that is. Once he returned to the truth, he was known as a tzaddik.

You can ask, "What about Parashas Balak or Korach? Those were named after rashaiim, so this week's title is no proof?" The answer is; the title is showing you the difference between tzidkus and rishus. Parashas Balak and Korach show how evil those characters were; mah sh'ein kein by Parashas Yisro - the Torah shows how rightous he was.

May we be zocheh to do complete teshuva!

Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Nisso

[1] I heard this idea from Rav Akiva Tatz, shlita's tape.