Parashas Ha'azinu - Nurtured Through Torah

Picture this: You're visiting family who live in a little county in Florida. They have acres and acres of land. On this land, they grow many types of fruits and vegetables. It's beautiful! There are patches of red, orange, yellow, green, purple, brown, red and green, yellow and green, light green with dark green, orange and green, etc.

You're sitting in their kitchen admiring the beautiful crops and suddenly you see leaves fluttering in different directions. The light winds start to come in. You see drops of rain gliding down the kitchen window, one by one. You smell the fresh aroma of rain and grass. Within minutes a light rain storm has developed.

Did you know low wind speeds have positive effects on many plants, leading to thicker and stronger stems? Even for imaginary relatives who own imaginary crop fields!

The Torah in this week's parasha (32:2) says, “Let my instruction flow like rainfall, let my saying drip like dews; like a storm winds on verdure, and like raindrops on grass.”

Rashi comments, “Like storm winds: [Targum Onkeles translates it to be 'like rain winds'], just as the winds fortify vegetation and nurtures it, so do the words of Torah - Torah nurtures those who study it.”

This Rashi is interesting. How does Torah nurture a person? Does Torah make you stronger? Does it protect you, like a parent nurtures their child? In what way?

I believe the answer is that it makes you stronger in Emuna. How?

Learning Torah gives you a direct connection to Hashem. Once you've created that, your trust in Him increases. When a negative event happens in your life, you can look at it in many ways. Someone who has complete trust in Hashem will feel serene. He knows it must have been for a good reason and that Hashem is the only one who can take care of him. That is a feeling of being nurtured by Hashem and that comes via learning Torah. The more one learns Hashem's Torah and realizes the truth it holds, the more a person will feel connected and protected. Even when situations seem bad in our eyes.

Have a wonderful Shabbos,

Nisso

Parashas Vayeilech - Hashem Said To Me...

When I was young, I was taught a few very important halachos in Judaism: (1) It's forbidden to eat pig. (2) If you eat meat, you must wait six hours to eat anything dairy. (3) When Bar Mitzvah-ed, you must wear tefillin, everyday! And a few other things... (FYI, I am a ba'al teshuva; I did not grow up religious.)

Regarding the above mentioned, I had such will power to abide by those “rules.” I didn't think twice about violating them. Well, maybe I craved dairy chocolate after eating meat, but it was only like a fly buzzing in my ear. Meaning, I had the thought, but then I reminded myself how important it was for me to keep this halacha, and so the thought of eating chocolate went away. I knew dairy chocolate was off limits. Like a little fly, I quickly swatted it away from my ear (rather swat the thought away from my mind.)

In the very beginning of this week's parasha, Moshe addressed Klal Yisroel and told them, “I am 120 years old today, I can no longer go forth and return; for Hashem said to me: You will not cross this Yardein.”

Rashi asks, “Is it possible his strength weakened? The Torah taught us that Moshe's appearance was not dulled and his freshness did not fade. Rather, what does it mean when Moshe said, I can no longer go forth? He was saying: I no longer have permission to continue, for authority was removed from me and presented to Yehoshua. For Hashem said to me, I can no longer go forth.”

Hashem told Moshe he can not travel any further with Klal Yisroel to Eretz Yisroel. “If that's what Hashem wants (even though I greatly want to go to Eretz Yisroel) then I will do as He says,” He thought.

When Moshe was commanded to do something, it wasn't even a thought to violate Hashem's words. You might say Moshe didn't have a Yeitzer Hara but we know he did. Ironically, the reason why Moshe wasn't allowed to cross the Yardein was because of the sin he did when hitting the rock (instead of talking to it, as Hashem commanded him to.) That was the only sin Moshe did. Perhaps this was Moshe's way of repenting from his sin; perhaps this is what Moshe meant when he said, “I can no longer go forth, for Hashem said to me...”

These are the days of asseres yemei teshuva; this is the time to repent. We should look back and see if we've done anything Hashem might have been disappointed about and correct it in a way that will appease Hashem.

Just like Moshe who said, “For this is what Hashem said to me,” and corrected the mistake he did when Hashem told him to talk to the rock instead of hitting it, so too, we should find ways to correct the mistakes we've done.

Gmar Chassima Tova and have a wonderful Shabbos,
Nisso

Parashas Nitzovim - You Can Overcome Addictions

Here's a true story: I have a courageous friend who fights battles on a daily basis! What's admiring is that even though he more often loses than wins, he still continues to fight. It can get dangerous at times or even life threatening, but he doesn't care. “I've been put in this world to fight and only death is going to stop me from fighting!” he told me.

Of course, I am not talking about battling people - he's battling his temptations. He has an addiction to (add an addiction of your choice here.)

He told me it's really hard and he often feels like giving up but reconsiders every time. Why? “Because it's not possible Hashem would put me in a situation where I'm destined to fail. I know I can pass this addiction that's bringing me down spiritually (physically, or emotionally.) On the contrary, it's impossible that Hashem would give me a test I can not fulfill!”

In the sixth aliyah in this week's parasha, the posuk says, “For this mitzvah that I am commanding you today, it is not abstruse to you, nor is it distant... For it is close to you.”

Rashi explains that even though what's written in the Torah might be hard to understand, we nonetheless have other sources of explanation. There's an abundance of perushim on the Written Torah, it's called the Oral Torah.

I feel another way to explain this posuk might be, “This mitzvah I am commanding you today is not abstruse nor distant, it's all within your power and means to fulfill it. It might be hard but not impossible.”

Next week will be Aseres Yemei Teshuva, perhaps we can choose one thing to work on. For example: Maybe the next time we have a yeitzer hara to speak negative about someone, we can remember that it is within my means to stop talking. It's better to stop mid-sentence than to finish the statement.

Ksiva vChasima Tova,

Nisso

Parashas Ki Savo - Creating Our Own Enthusiasm

I've been waking up around 5am since Rosh Chodesh Elul. Besides the fact my one year old daughter has an internal alarm which wakes us all up at exactly 5:09am – everyday(!!!) - I also have the custom to say selichot a month before Rosh HaShana. I prefer doing it on my own in yeshivah rather than going to a minyan because I can at least go at my own pace and actually know what I am saying.

For the first two weeks, I was saying selichos with enthusiasm and concentration, however, lately – this past week - I've noticed that I haven't had as much enthusiasm as I did when I started. What can I do to make this more meaningful to me? I remembered a similar situation (see next paragraph) and concluded that I need to create a “meaningful environment” when reciting selichos!

Last year, I made sure that all 8 days of Chanuka I would sing Ma Oz Tzur, Al HaNissim, etc. with joy and enthusiasm because every year (and I see this often with others too,) the first day or two of Chanuka is fun, exciting, joyous, etc but after 3-4 days, we think, “OK, been there, done that. Let's just sing through this quickly... My jelly doughnut is getting stale...” So I decided to just “act” joyous and enthusiastic. Baruch Hashem, I was able to make all 8 days exciting for my kids, wife, and myself!

In the third aliyah in this week's parasha, the Torah says, “This very day, Hashem, your God, commands you to perform these statues and the laws; You shall observe and perform them wholeheartedly and with your whole being.”

Rashi explains, “This very day” – Each day, let them appear pleasantly new to you, as if on that very day, you had been commanded to perform them.

It was such siyata dishmaya reading this Rashi! If I had to learn it, there's no week better than this week to learn it! I seriously thought for the last 3-4 days, what can I do to help my selichos! After reading this Rashi, I felt like Hashem was trying to help me remember the Chanukah story (mentioned above.) Just as I took upon myself to continue reading Ma Oz Tzur, etc with joy, so too, I should sing selichos with enthusiasm! Even though I don't feel like it, I should still do it.

It seems like from this Rashi that IT IS A CHOICE! I have the choice to either read it with exhaustion and no interest, OR I can make It appear pleasantly new and meaningful to me! No different than when I first recited selichos with anticipation, concentration and enthusiasm!

May our prayers be answered for the good and have all the berachos in the Torah!!

Ksiva Vchasima Tova,

Nisso  

Parashas Ki Seitzei - We're Responsible for Our Actions!

It says in this week's parasha, “If a man is guilty of a capital offense and is executed, you shall hang him from a tree. Do not leave his corpse overnight on the tree, but you should surely bury him on that day, for hanging a corpse is an affront to Hashem...”

Rashi says it's an affront to the King, because man is fashioned in His image. Rashi gives an example of twin brothers who look exactly alike. One became a king while the other was apprehended as a thief and hanged. Everyone who saw him exclaimed, “The king has been hanged!” [And so the king issued a command for him to be brought down.]

I feel this is a very important topic because often we find ourselves making a chillul Hashem, even though at times, we truly feel we're right!

A specific incident comes to mind; a “Chareidi” guy in Beit Shemesh saw a young girl wearing something immodest (or not up to par according to his standards) and spat on her, and then gave her rebuke.

This incident traveled through the Jewish world pretty quickly. Everyone was shocked about this incident! I myself felt a bit of anger when hearing this story. I thought to myself that that is NOT the way a Jew should act nor respond. It doesn't matter how she was dressed, he made a stupid decision on how he's going to go about 'teaching her a lesson'. This guy certainly should not categorize himself as “Chareidi.” That's not what the Torah teaches us to do! There are ways to deal with things, and this definitely was not the right way. Unfortunately because of his impudent, obtuse action, the media-world reacted towards all Chareidim maliciously and claimed we're “fanatics” and behave inappropriately.

I agree this one guy's actions were inappropriate. But “All Chareidim?” This was the action of one man. The truth is, we all represent each other! It's unfortunate that people feel they can take actions into their own hands without speaking to a well learned Rabbi beforehand. And because of this, we were all judged as one.

We were all created in Hashem's image. We need to be aware of that at all times. Our actions can either have others praise what a wonderful nation the Jews are or criticize us.

It's no different than someone saying, “Wow, that child shares so nicely with other kids, I wonder who his parents are!” Or, “Wow, that child has bad characteristics, he probably got it from his parents. I'd never let my kids play at his house!”

We want people to praise Hashem and we need to give them a reason to do so!

Have a wonderful Shabbos,

Nisso

Parashas Shoftim - Right is Left or Left is Left?

The Parasha starts off with commanding us to appoint Judges and Police Officers. Then in the 9^th posuk it says, “You are to come before the Kohanim, the Levi'im, and the Judge officiating during those days... You are to act according to the word that they tell you... and you are to be careful to do exactly as they instruct you... Do not deviate from the word they tell you, neither right or left!”

Rashi comments, “Even if he tells you that right is left or left is right...”

The Ramban says, “Even if you know in your heart that they are wrong, and it's pashut what the answer is, you must still obey their words!”

A lesson I got from this week's parasha is that if we're going to ask a well learned Rav a question in law and not do as he says, then we're transgressing a Torah commandment! Furthermore, there are some people who think they know what the answer is going to be but when they ask, to their surprise, the answer is the opposite. Instead of taking the psak they got, they go in search of another well-learned Rabbi, in hope that he will give them the answer they want. Can you imagine what they'll do when the latter Rabbi tells them the same psak as the first Rabbi? You guessed it, they'll go to find another one!

The Gemara in Brachos (4b) says, “Whoever transgresses the words of the Sages is liable to death.” Conversely, the Gemara in Yevamos (20a) says, “Whoever fulfills the directives of the Sages is considered holy.”

In addition to the lesson above, some may take Rabbinic prohibitions lightly and are stringent with Torah prohibitions. Rabbeinu Yona in Shaarei Teshuvah (3:5) explains that one who transgresses a Torah law does so because he was overpowered by his yetzer hara. However, one who transgresses a Rabbinic law does so because he takes their words lightly and not because of his inability to withstand the yetzer hara.

If you think about it, when you transgress a Rabbinic law, you're also transgressing a Torah commandment since Hashem instructed us to listen to our Rabbanim. Either way, we can now see the importance of listening to our Rabbanim, even if we feel they might have been mistaken.

Have a wonderful Shabbos,

Nisso

Parashas Re'ay - Getting to Know Hashem

It says in this week's parasha, “Look, I place before you a blessing and a curse. The blessing for when you listen to the commandments of Hashem, your God... And the curse – if you do not listen to the commandments of Hashem, your God and you veer from the path which I command you today; to follow other gods, which you did not know.” [11:26-29]

Why do the last five words in the posuk say, “...which you did not know?”

Let's say someone worships an idol (which clearly has no source of power,) does the Torah say, “which you did not know,” because you can't see the idol's true worthlessness? As in, you're too ignorant to see you're worshiping something in a state of nonexistence, a.k.a. Nothingness?

Perhaps we can give an alternative answer with one question: Why would someone worship “other” gods? I know someone who has traveled the world to find “himself” and the “right” religion. Eventually, after many years of searching, he found the only religion he felt was worthy – Judaism.

He feels like he really “knows” Hashem. Knows? Yes, he knows Hashem as in connected to Him! The more you do something with a friend, the more you get to know him. In his case, it was Torah and Mitzvos which helped him feel closeness to Hashem. He now does Avodas Hashem instead of Avoda Zara.

One of the ways we can achieve closeness to Hashem is by taking the Mesilas Yesharim's advice.

Mesilas Yesharim says, “When man realizes the great worth of mitzvos and his obligation to them, surely his heart will awaken and not weaken to do the service. However, what can strengthen it, is the observation of the goodness which Hashem does for man, all the time.” [Chapter 8 – Zeal] Observing and appreciating the multiple kindnesses that Hashem does for all of mankind in addition to each individual will help us feel close to him.

There's a lesson this week's Parasha and Mesilas Yesharim teaches us: The importance of getting to “know” Hashem. The more you “know” Hashem, the more your faith and motivation to learn and do mitzvos strengthens.

Have a wonderful Shabbos,

Nisso