Rabbi's Blog

A few weeks ago I did something that I would say happens to others but not to me! While aboard a flight which was about to land in San Diego, the pilot went through his typical, prepared remarks and preparation for landing. in addition to the usual safety instructions, he reminded all the passengers to take their personal belongings and then quipped, ”Some of you will still leave stuff behind.” I thought to myself, ”Boy, I bet he insulted some people with that last comment!” Like, who is going to forget something after he made that statement, challenging everyone not to forget anything. Well…sure enough, right after after I deplaned and was walking to the baggage claim area, I checked my carry on for my phone charger and immediately recalled not seeing it or remembering to put it into my bag. I definitely processed the gathering of my paraphernalia, actually remember thinking about putting my charger into my bag, and…yeah… here I was, the shmugegy whom the pilot was referring to! I went back to the gate, gave the attendant my seat number, explaining that I had forgotten to take my phone charger. Within minutes I was reconnected to my charger and off I went.

Typically, people forget things getting off a plane but do not forget things at the gate boarding the plane. At the gate we don’t usually unload as much stuff as we do once we’re on board. Perhaps the time is too short before boarding so we don’t bother taking things out. Nevertheless, chances are greater that we will forget something when we leave the plane than we line up to board the plane. Another observation, particularly when the policy of the airline is not to have assigned seating, is how people randomly take seats and fill up the plane when boarding. Also, the order in which people board the plane isn’t necessarily the order they use get off. For example, the last person on isn’t necessarily the first person off and vice versa. As much as the airlines try to control the boarding process, passengers will never board in the order of rows and succession of the next row. On the other hand, the deplaning is done in a very orderly fashion, with people allowing the passengers in front of them to retrieve their belongings from the overhead bins, waiting patiently for them to proceed. Despite having plenty of time to gather up the personal items, I still forgot my charger.

When we board a plane there is an agent who checks our boarding passes, scanning them to make sure we are who we are while also checking our hand luggage and carry-ons to see if they meet the allocated space requirements. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an agent escort us off and make sure we have everything we brought with us as we depart? I know this sounds a bit sarcastic and foolish, but for those of us who forgot or will forget, it could really be helpful! A very eerie similar scenario is found in the Torah. In fact, it is the first recorded voyage for a large group that needed to get on board quickly and efficiently and to disembark in an orderly fashion as well.

In this week’s parshas Noach we read of the maiden (& only) voyage/journey and of the survivors of the Mabul, the great flood. In Bereishis 7:7 the Torah states: “VaYavo Noach UBanav V’Ishto U’Neshei Banav Ito El HaTeivah Mipnei Mei HaMabul” - “Noach, along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, came into the ark ahead of the waters of the flood”. Later, in Bereishis 8:18,19, the Torah states: “VaYeitzay Noach, UBanav V’Ishto U’Nshei Banav Ito………Kal Romeis Al HaAretz L’Mishpichoseihem Yatzu Min HaTeiva” - “Noach left the Ark along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives………all that walk the land—left the ark by families. Rashi, commenting on the words: ‘because of the waters of the flood’ states that Noach was forced into the Teivah. Even Noach was of those who had little faith; he believed but also did not believe that the Flood would come; he did not enter the Ark until the waters forced him to do so. It sounds as though Noach, and even the animals, took their time getting onto the Teiva. Only when it was ‘the last call for boarding’ did they all hop on. Apparently, they did not show up in any set formation or order, rather they boarded haphazardly. Random people merge together on a plane (or ship for that matter) and for the duration of the flight have a certain sense of connection that didn’t exist at the gate prior to boarding which disappears as soon as they walk through the exit door. While on the vessel everyone is in the same situation as their fellow passengers, unlike who and what they were prior to and after the trip. One commentary compares this to the year of the flood; everyone and every creature lived together in harmony. Miraculously, all kinds of life, from human to animal to fowl, all coexisted together and lived and came out alive! Noach witnessed and understood what a miraculous ‘happening; this was for thousands of species to live together. Not one creature died in the ark. This was a great kindness that Hashem did for Noach, and Noach saw this miracle and built an altar, offering sacrifices to Hashem for His kindness.

Imagine a plane filled with passengers deciding to remain in the cabin; not one person getting off the plane, each passenger feeling a good and different type of life than experienced by the outside world. As tempting as this may seem, it is highly unlikely that the airline would permit everyone to stay, and even if they would allow such an event, it is not in the best interest of anyone, for as interesting and polite as people are while sitting next to each other during a flight, this is a temporary connection; it is not one intended to last. Moreover, the Pninei Torah says Hashem commanded Noach and everyone to leave the Teivah. Hashem directs Noach to leave the utopian society - where he is only focused on the wellbeing of himself, his family, and the animals onboard - to leave the Teivah, the ark, and go out into the world where they had previously lived. Instead of allowing the sins of the generation that brought the flood upon the world, go out now, return to that world, and stop such sins from occurring again in the future. Go out from the ark and mill around the market place, mix among the people and have a positive influence on them. Ultimately, we have a responsibility to be a source of positive influence, but only after we become strong in our commitments, belief, and sincere depth of Torah scholarship Are we truly able to do so.

Finally, Reb Yitzchok Ben Yehuda HaLevi, in his work Paneach Raza, learns out from the words ‘go out from the Teivah’ that this is the way all of the humans and animals exited the Teivah (the Ark) according to their families. So too, families should leave Shul on Shabbos - family by family - as they leave the Ark, the Aron Kodesh, which they had faced while praying. We should demonstrate our unity, love, and commitment from where we had just read and learned the Torah that we have a mission to guide, be lead, and influence the world we live!

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

This past summer San Diego experienced much warmer than usual weather for a prolonged period with very little relief. In addition to the unseasonable heat, there was an elevated degree of humidity that I had not previously experienced here. As uncomfortable as it was for most of us this summer, San Diego’s humidity didn’t come close to the typical humidity of Charleston, South Carolina, where we used to live. Nevertheless, the weeks of heat we experienced this summer reminded me of something I caught myself doing. A friend of mine from Charleston, named David Rosenberg, drove his car with his windows open and the air conditioning blasting. I could never understand the explanation given by my friend, who told me that he enjoyed the natural breeze while driving, but since it was warm he also needed the cool, artificial air of the a/c. I never fully appreciated this dichotomy until recently when I found myself in a similar but different situation. I will explain.

As is typical in San Diego with desert-like conditions, the change of air temperature drops considerably, morphing from very hot, dry heat to an extremely pleasant, cooler afternoon. I try not to run the air conditioning, but this summer it ran almost non-stop. The few days when the temperature cooled down in the evening, I rushed to shut the air conditioning off and open the windows to let in some cool fresh air. It then occurred to me that I wasn’t only turning off the a/c because of the electric bill but simply because it felt more natural. I was (and still am) getting a sense of being tired, feeling the ‘artificialness’ of the filtered, processed air conditioned room, preferring instead to breathe in the natural, crisp, cool air that we all take for granted living in San Diego. Man has done many things to create an artificial environment that mimics the handiwork of God. Nevertheless, as much as man works to control temperature and humidity, it is never quite up to the level of what Hashem creates. God’s heating and cooling systems are of the natural brand; man uses the artificial kind. Nothing that is artificial is as good as the real thing, and when we compare the two we would all choose the natural over the artificial.

When Hashem created the world, everything came from heaven, but man was given permission to do things on the ground. Hashem created the world Yeish May’Ayin, ‘something from nothing’, while man creates Yeish MiYeish, something from something. The artificial things that we craft are the by-products of what God gave us to work with. We often find the distinction between heaven and earth not only during creation, but also at other times such as Matan Torah, the plagues against the Egyptians, and towards the final parshios of the Torah. Something from the natural or even the supernatural comes down to the artificial and most definitely the superficial.

In this week’s Parshas HaAzinu the Torah states in Devarim 32:1אהַֽאֲזִ֥ינוּ הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וַֽאֲדַבֵּ֑רָה וְתִשְׁמַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ אִמְרֵי־פִֽי “Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! And let the earth hear the words of my mouth!”

The Gerrer Rebbe, in his Chidushei HaRim, explains why there is double meaning in listening and talking. In this verse both words “listen” and “talk” are mentioned. He explains that if you want to listen, Hashem will send you words, but if your ears are not bent on listening, then there are no words. The sages tell us that all who are endowed with Yiras Shamayim, (fear of heaven) - something belonging to the spiritual nature - will have words accepted by the people. If, in Heaven, those words are accepted on the loftiest of levels, then surely, on earth, in the physical part of our existence, those words will be accepted.

Rashi, regarding this verse, teaches that: “I give warning to the people of Israel, that you (heaven and earth) be witness in this matter, for I have told them that you will be witnesses. And why did He call to witness against them heaven and earth? Moshe said: ‘I am flesh and blood; tomorrow I die. If the Israelites will say: We have not taken upon ourselves the covenant, who will come to contradict them?’ Therefore, He called to witness against them heaven and earth: witnesses that exist forever.” Furthermore, the heavens and the earth will control the reward and punishment. If the Jews keep to the bris, the covenant, rain will come down from heaven and the land will produce. But if the Jews rebel and turn away from accepting the Torah, then the heavens will dry up and the fields will not yield their fruit. Rav Alexander Levinson, in his sefer ‘Ayal TaArog, posits a difficult question: Does Hashem really need witnesses regarding whether or not the Jews accepted the Torah? In addition to understanding that the heaven and earth are acting as messengers of God in carrying out reward and punishment, Rav Levinson answers that the Rabbis taught that man can be a partner with God in the creation of the world. When we do something good, something positive, which helps the world exist, we help to bring the world to Shleimus (completeness) and wholesomeness. But if we do something harmful or evil, we are destroying ourselves and the entire world along with us. Every Mitzva builds the world; every sin tears it down.

With this, we can explain the words ‘heaven and earth are witnesses’. Heaven and earth bear witness to the mitzvos or Aveiros - the good or the bad acts that we do - and will testify against us. When a person sins, he brings destruction upon himself; performing a mitzva brings blessing, thereby rectifying and solidifying the world. Hashem gave us the ability to follow the guidance of Hashem, continuing the creation begun by God.Artificial cooling and heating complement the original heating and air conditioning that took place during the six days of creation. Having the windows down while the air conditioning blows is the synthesis of heaven and earth, complementing creation.

The Sadigere Rebbe, Reb Avraham Yakov, relates how heaven and earth refer to the body and the soul representing the spiritual and the physical. It is through the combination of both body and soul that this song of HaAzinu emphasizes the importance of Torah learning and Mitzva observance.

There are few Jewish communities the size of San Diego that boast a late Maariv minyan. Most Shuls daven Mincha and Maariv back to back around sunset. Our success rate with the late Maariv is approximately ninety percent, which, of course, leaves a ten percent chance that there won’t be a minyan. One of the unwritten rules is that we wait until a certain time before we call off the minyan for that night if we did not get ten men. The exception to the waiting rule is when there is a need for someone to say kaddish for a loved one, specifically a mother or father. We try to make extra calls to gather a minyan so that a person in need of a minyan to daven can fulfill his obligation, but we don’t always succeed.

Recently, we had this situation occur twice; it was resolved one time but not the other. This occurred the last night the Beth Jacob summer grill was open, and a family from LA was finishing up their dinner. I mentioned to them that we were going to start soon, but they said they needed to get going back to Los Angeles. Just about the time we would usually call the game I went outside, they were still lingering around, I asked again, and they replied, ‘how many do you need?’ I said we need three and without pause they said, ”We’re coming.’ We made the minyan, and two people were able to recite kaddish. A week earlier, we weren’t so lucky. It was the night I had just flown back from New York, and we only had four people for the late Maariv. An attempt was made to get a minyan by calling some people to no avail. I felt terrible because there was someone who has come to rely on this late Maariv to say Kaddish for his late father. I was embarrassed to face the young man who needs to say kaddish. I sheepishly walked over to him, apologized and said hopefully we’ll have a minyan tomorrow night, and we proceeded to pray individually. As I was walking home a car pulled up next to me in the parking lot. It was the mourner who is saying kaddish. I thought to myself, ”Oh now he is upset, etc, Instead, I received an incredible lesson. Just as I was going to apologize a second time he blurted out saying,“Maariv was really special tonight.” I’m thinking to myself, ”Really? We didn’t get a minyan and you couldn’t say kaddish!” He said, ”This was the first time I was able to say the entire Amidah in Hebrew. You see, my Hebrew reading isn’t up to par and I need to say some parts of the Amidah in English so that I can finish with the group in order to say Kaddish.” I was totally blown away by that conversation. He took a bad situation and created a great opportunity for himself. I stepped back from that two-minute conversation with words from a mussar sefer (book of self-improvement). Imagine a world where everyone took bad and disappointing situations and created positive circumstances from them. Then, keeping that world of people who focus on the positive and take a moment to look within ourselves, seeing how our personal lives could be so much better if we each would try to take the bad situations which too frequently come our way and focus consciously to create something positive from them.

In truth, this sounds so incredible and, in our day, and age it unfortunately is. In today’s world the typical response to a bad situation is to exploit it even further, giving no attempt to look for the possible good which could occur as a result. But that is not the way we are supposed to react. To the contrary, the Torah teaches us to counter a challenging, difficult situation with something positive and good. In this week’s Torah portion Nitzavim, the Torah states in Devarim 30:15 “R’ay Nasati L’Fanecha HaYom Es HaChaim V’Es HaTov, V’Es HaMaves V’Es Horah”. “See! Today I have set before you [a free choice] between life and good [on one side] and death and evil [on the other]. The Midrash Tanchuma in Parshas Pekudei Siman 3 writes that Hashem decrees upon each person before they are even born what they will be. (Until recently people thought this was strictly a metaphor. Now with the discovery of DNA we are coming to know this concept in a new light.) It is pre-determined whether a person will be weak or strong, poor or rich, short or tall, ugly or handsome, thick or thin, ruddy or smooth, and finally the decree on all that will happen! But whether a person is a Tzadik or a Rasha (righteous or wicked) is strictly determined by the person himself. He is not predisposed to either characteristic; he chooses which path – the righteous or the evil – to take. The verse states: ‘Behold I am placing in front of you ‘life and the good’ and ‘death and the evil’. Then later in 30:19 the Torah states: U’Bacharta BaChaim L’Maan Tichyeh: …. and you have chosen life so that you shall live.” The Torah (God) is telling us that the choice is ours; the decision lies within ourselves. If a person chooses to to lean and then to follow towards a certain course – whether it be towards the road to life or the road to death – they are free to do so. The choice is entirely theirs. Therefore, a person will receive punishment for the bad they do (that they chose to do) and others will receive a hefty reward for the good and straight path they chose.

In my humble opinion the pshat (understanding) is the physical life or death and good or bad but not the literal translation of either doing the Mitzvos or not. Rather, the choosing here is not limited to the action but rather the attitude. There is so much to life that is determined by one’s own attitude. It is the attitude and approach to life that literally can be the difference between life and death in this world. A person who always sees and interprets things in the negative will lead a less enjoyable and possibly a physically shorter life. On the other hand, someone who takes everything in stride, determined to figure out a way to take challenging circumstances and make each challenge work for his or her benefit is a person who chooses life. That person will adapt to any situation and come up with a way to shape it to his advantage. A mourner goes through many hoops to make sure he has a minyan to say kaddish. It can be demoralizing when the needed number for the minyan falls short. If we focus on the failure, then we choose feeling bad, and that leads to death. If we attempt to take that situation and come up with something positive, then we are choosing good which ultimately gives us life.

As we close out this year and we welcome the new year, let this new year bring each of us a focus on making the best of bad situations so that we will all have a year of goodness, happiness and the ultimate good life!

Ah Gut Shabbos & Ah Gut Yur

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

When I grew, up school always started immediately after Labor Day. Maybe this “traditional” start date for the new school year is a Northeastern practice, because in the south schools typically open a few weeks earlier. I wouldn’t call the preparation associated with the days leading up to beginning the new school year fun, but there is an air of excitement connected with this time. Teachers are busy setting up their classrooms with new materials, students are excited about purchasing all their new school supplies, and parents are ecstatic that the summer is over, signaling that their kids will soon be out of the house (and hair) for a major part of the day. Nevertheless, with all the preparations, we tend to lose focus on the primary purpose of school. With all the excitement about buying needed supplies, purchasing new school outfits or uniforms, we tend to forget that the most important aspect of going to school is to learn!

10182203. for many schools, one method is used to teach groups – sometimes large groups – of students using similar teaching techniques for everyone.. This method of teaching is the antithesis of Shlomo HaMelech’s - king Solomon’s - words of “Chanoch LaNaar Al Pi Darko”: we should “educate every child according to his way”, his way and not necessarily the way for everyone else. Surely this is a very challenging objective considering our current school systems curricula, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to teach each child according to his or her own ability and learning style. The overall education system, inclusive of Jewish education, has made great strides in affording a learning forum for students who have unique learning challenges or special needs. As important as it is to establish these specific needs, the labeling tends to detract from the overall message of the unique learning style of each student, especially the emergent learners in the primary grades of school. Every child’s education needs to be special in the sense that education for that child is catered specifically to nurture success for that child. Special education as we know it provides an education for certain people, leaving everyone else without a special or unique education. Every single student or is not only entitled to ‘special education.’ Individualization of teaching and learning is exactly what Shlomo HaMelech referred to when he clearly states that every child is to be educated “according to his ways,” applying whatever special way is needed to reach each youngster.

Labeling something or someone in the world is often necessary, but it should never come with negative drawbacks. One must be very careful not to use language that encompasses a lot of different things for fear of including some within that definition and while excluding others. Such is the case with using the word ‘special education’. The Lubavitcher Rebbe is quoted as saying that he did not use the Hebrew word ‘Beit Cholim’: ‘home for the sick’ for a hospital. Rather he emphasized the positive, using many phrases in place of Beit Cholim. He referred to a hospital as a Beit Refuah - a house of healing. We all need ‘special education’ and the flip side is that educators need to know how to teach specifically and appropriately to each and every student.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much to create a child who feels like a failure. Children are fragile; they can be broken at the very outset, turning to negative behavior so as to receive positive reinforcement or approval from their peers through mischief. A child who has been internally labeled a failure by his or her teacher will very likely seek approval from the inappropriate actions and behaviors. Children vie for attention from their parents and peers and will do almost anything to achieve it. They may even go as far as to steal money from parents and further his decline socially by seeking out others who may be self-labeled failures. -Such a child may also drink half a log (about 5 oz) of wine with the meal when his/her parents are not paying attention. This description is part of the rebellious son’s actions that would likely have led him to be put to death. This is the Mitzva of the Ben Sorer Umoreh, a most difficult section of the Torah to understand, but nonetheless important to figure out. How can we understand this section beyond the simple explanation? In this week’s parsha Ki Tetze, the Torah states in Devarim 21:18 “Ki Yihiyeh L’Ish Bein Sorer U’Moreh Einenu Shomeiah B’Kol Aviv U’Vkol Imo, V’Yisru Oso V’Lo Yishma Aleihem”. “When a man has a wayward, rebellious son, one who does not obey his father and mother, they shall have him flogged. If he still does not listen to them, then his father and mother must grasp him and bring him to the elders of the city, to that area’s supreme court”.

The *Zohar describes the situation of the rebellious son as follows. Moshe Rabbeinu said to HaKadosh Baruch Hu, ‘is there such a father who would do such a thing to his own son?’ Moshe suspected that this was a parable to the Jewish people, the people being the wayward son. Hashem replied to Moshe ‘You know things, but I know more than you’. This portion of the Torah gives credit and merit upon the Jewish people; the son is only judged by God Himself and no one else. The son (Am Yisroel) became rebellious because they were exiled amongst the nations and have learned the ways of the Goyim. During exile the Jews are subject to the influence of the host nation. The sway of the nations is caused by our integration into society at large, which led the Jews to stumble in the laws of kashrus, eating forbidden foods. But the nations of the world despise us so that they will pelt us with stones, destroy our homes and tear down the walls of Israel from hatred alone”. Once Moshe heard this entire episode, understanding it to be an allegory for the Jewish people and not an individual boy, he wrote this Parsha of the Torah without fear or hesitation.

Judaism is a beautiful religion and the Torah is what makes it so. Everyone starts off being part of the “inside” - part of the larger group. It is only after something happens that either forces the child - or the nation - to rebel and become part of something else in order to gain acceptance. This is a result of not being taught according to their own, unique way, the way each person needs to be taught. It was the lack of special education by teachers, parents and others who could influence and nurture the child according to his or her special needs. This is a huge responsibility, but knowing the upside of such quality education, we must all embrace it with the greatest of sensitivities and the utmost time and devotion necessary for the future success of each and every one of us.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*The Zohar lit. "Splendor" or "Radiance" is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five books of Moses) and scriptural interpretations as well as material on mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology. The Zohar contains discussions of the nature of God, the origin and structure of the universe, the nature of souls, redemption, the relationship of Ego to Darkness and "true self" to "The Light of God", and the relationship between the "universal energy" and man. Its scriptural exegesis can be considered an esoteric form of the Rabbinic literature known as Midrash, which elaborates on the Torah.

The Zohar first appeared in Spain in the 13th century, and was published by a Jewish writer named Moses de León. De León ascribed the work to Shimon bar Yochai ("Rashbi"), a rabbi of the 2nd century during the Roman persecution who, according to Jewish legend, hid in a cave for thirteen years studying the Torah and was inspired by the Prophet Elijah to write the Zohar. This accords with the traditional claim by adherents that Kabbalah is the concealed part of the Oral Torah.

Candy, candy, candy! Every kids’ dream diet. A universal custom in almost every Shul is to have at least one candy man who has a seemingly endless supply of sweets for children of all ages (typically from three until ninety- three). A second universal custom in almost every Shul is the throwing of candy at an aufruf, the Aliyah a groom receives the week before his wedding, or at the Shabbat Chattan which, in the Sephardic tradition, the Chattan is called up to the Torah the Shabbat following his wedding. On a similar vein there is also the custom to throw candy to/at a *bar/bat Mitzva boy or girl. Showering the new groom or the bar/bat mitzvah with sweets is a beautiful way to send a message of happy sweetness as they enter a new, major chapter in their lives. As the anticipation grows for the release of the candies, all the children position themselves to swoop in and grab as much candy as they can hold. Or chew. It is amazing how quickly the floor gets cleaned up. In fact, so quickly that I can’t help but make my usual corny remark, ”We now continue with Yekum Purkan as the grounds’ crew just finished another amazing clean-up.

The annual Shavuos night candy grab is unique at Beth Jacob. Those who do not know about this annual event should make it their business to be at Beth Jacob for Shavuos. I will stop at that. A new custom has sort of arisen at the Shul: a kiddush sponsored celebrating the birth of a baby girl. This ‘new’ tradition includes cupcakes and an accompanying smorgasbord of sweet, spicy, gooey, array of candy choices for kids to load up on. At the most recent kiddush in honor of the birth of a baby girl, I overheard a parent say to her four-year old child, his pockets overflowing with candy, “I think you’ve had enough sugar for today.” Is it any wonder why our children are so charged up? Children have enough natural energy in their bodies without needing a sugar boost to their systems. It is interesting to note how even infants enjoy something sweet. Yet, as we get older our tastes change and sometimes we remark about an icing or cake that “is too sweet”. Ever hear a child say something is too sweet?

The human body begins its constant change from birth. From the moment we are born until the last breath before we die, our bodies are constantly adjusting to our new weight, height and shifting metabolism. We don’t feel the subtle change from day to day, but from one decade of our life to the next we experience a fluctuation in our bodies’ vital signs. The effects of change in life typically do not manifest themselves immediately. The results of a good habit or bad habit are rarely detected early. It takes years before we realize or begin to feel the effects, whether positive or negative. With regard to sugar, most children are not negatively affected by the consumption of sugar as their bodies tend to burn it off. As we age, however, our metabolism slows, requiring more exercise and less intake of sugar in order to burn off enough calories to keep us from gaining weight. Sugar is so sweet, yet can be deadly. So, too, in religious life and the Torah. There are certain issues, tests, and challenges that we face as a people who are sometimes looking for something too good to be true.

In this week’s Parshas Re’eh the Torah states in Devarim 13:2: “Ki Yakum B’Kirbecha Navi O Choleim Chalome, V’Nasan Eilecha Os O Mofeis.”. “This is what you must do when a prophet or a person who has visions in a dream arises among you. He may present you (or predict) with a sign or miracle, and based on that sign or miracle say to you, ‘Let us try out a different god. Let us serve it and have a new spiritual experience.” These verses are the warning against following a false prophet. Despite the possible miracle or great feat they may do in the beginning, one must look at how it all comes out in the end. Rashi explains the two words ‘sign’ and ‘miracle’. The sign refers to a sign in the heavens; the miracle or wonder referring to something on earth. Nevertheless, despite the performance or even validation of a prediction, one shall not hearken to him (the false prophet). The Ramban and others ask, “Why does Hashem grant the false prophet the power to show a sign?” Rashi concludes, ”For Hashem your God uses it to test you, to turn away from the false prophet and follow Hashem.” The Rashbam and Ramban explain that there are a few people who have a special gift to know the future, but a spirit of impurity influences them to prophecy. This was the power of the prophets of the non-Jews such as the magicians and sorcerers in Pharoah’s court. The sefer Torah U’L’Moadim enlightens us that these are the two reasons a person could rationalize something that is the antithesis of Torah, causing him to stray from the true Torah. The two reasons a person strays are (1) misinformation or false wisdom and knowledge and (2)pure desire and craving. These reasons follow the principles of do not follow our eyes and heart, and thoughts based upon falsehoods and desire are born out of apostasy, which the intellect tends to do. The eyes can see the good, but they are simultaneously able to see the bad. We need to be the chochom (sage/wise person) who is able to look to the future and understand what will come based upon decisions made today.

In life, things don’t necessarily emerge in the end looking as good as they did at the beginning. Sugar seems to be a wonderful treat in the beginning but may cumulatively not be good for us later. A Navi Sheker leads a person down a false path while a true Tzadik,or Talmid Chacham, realizes that the end may not seem as sweet as it was at the start. There are times when difficult, unpleasant decisions need to be made before in order to avoid worse outcomes later. Rabbis need to take a stand on certain issues that are viewed as being too harsh, devoid of the sweetness we enjoy. This may result in the Rabbi or leader becoming less popular. Nevertheless he is trying to evade a much worse outcome later down the road.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

The original custom to throw candy at an Aliyah to the Torah was only for a groom as he approaches his marriage, wishing him a sweet new life with a new wife as an additional component. This custom did not originally apply to a bar or bat mitzvah child transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Nevertheless, the custom evolved to include the bar or bat mitzvah as well.

Growing up in New York city, I never developed an appreciation for agriculture. We had a small patch of grass that made up our lawn which was totally maintained by Tony the Landscaper. I never really developed a ‘green thumb’; the total extent of my interaction with trees, or anything green, was my Friday afternoon job: dusting off the leaves of the tree in the living room in honor of Shabbos!

Moving to California changed my perspective of agriculture because we had a lemon tree in the backyard. Lucky for me (not that I knew any differently), I didn’t have to do a thing to the tree and lo and behold big, beautiful lemons popped off the tree for years. Until there was trouble. From December 2011 to March 2017, the state of California experienced one of the worst droughts to occur in the region on record. The period between late 2011 and 2014 was the driest in California history since record-keeping began. 102 million trees died in total; 62 million died in 2016 alone.

One day during the summer of 2016, I stared at my lemon tree, suddenly realizing that two-thirds of the tree was dead. I was stunned. The issue of the drought didn’t register with me until that very moment. Sure, my water bill had gone up and we stopped watering the lawn, but the fact that my lemon tree was almost dead was unbelievable. At that point I pruned the tree, started watering it every day,, and last week bought garden soil specifically for citrus trees. The tree has a little more life to it but still has a way to go to reach its former days of glory. The front lawn, on the other hand, received a few spritzes of water a few times a week. Most of the grass turned brown, leaving patches of earth exposed. With no end in sight, I thought about ridding the lawn of natural grass and installing a water-free landscape.

The drought came to an official abrupt end and one year later the grass slowly started to rejuvenate. I thought of asking the gardener to re-seed the entire lawn to speed up the process, but I never did. Nevertheless, the grass is slowly growing stronger, but it is not really creating new grass where it had completely dried up. It would require tilling the earth, re-seeding, and watering daily, as though there had never previously been any grass in those areas. I marveled at the once-mighty lawn: a lawn with strong blades of grass boasting a rich deep green color that covered the entire area like a beautiful plush carpet. Now the lawn was alive but due to the lack of water it was drained of its previous vitality, its physical life drying up before my eyes. This condition could be reversed by nourishing the earth with the nutrients it once had and providing daily sustenance such as water and the grooming of its physical body. I came to realize that the lawn had another life, perhaps it was Techiyas HaMeisim, a revival of the dead!

In 2018 every Jew has challenges within their daily lives. Life is always changing and although I am pretty much the same person, I don’t necessarily do the same things I did in the past. By and large everyone I know at one point or another has ups and downs in their religious and spiritual journeys. Many of us go through periods of drought when the demands of life cause us to lose focus on areas of our spiritual beings which require focused care, attention and nurturing. For many of us who have flourished in learning, davening, minyan attendance, doing chessed, performing mitzvos, we have forgotten to keep ourselves “watered”, failing to realize how dry and almost dead we’ve become. It takes awareness of a drought in order to nurse the tree back to its former time of producing the juiciest most delicious fruit. No one should ever think that it is too late; it is never too late to get back and revive ourselves. We are also all intimately connected to the need to be nurtured; like a beautiful fruit tree, we need to conscientiously care for our human roots, branches and leaves. Never give up hope. It’s never too late to put an end to our spiritual drought, as we see in the following narrative from the Navi.

The Navi Yeshayahu in 22:13 states: And behold joy and happiness, slaying cattle and slaughtering sheep, eating meat and drinking wine; ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die.” Rashi explains that Hashem is mourning while the Jews are eating and rejoicing. Instead of worrying about their fate and fearing God’s word, they mocked the prophets and rejoiced. They rejoiced and said, “Since we will eventually die, let us make merry and rejoice as long as we are alive in this world. They said the Nevi’im told them in the name of Hashem that we will not have a share in the World to Come; therefore let us enjoy ourselves during our lifetime.” The Jews at the time believed in the afterlife; they believed that there is a World to Come, but they also believed that they would not have a portion in it. Hundreds of years later, Rambam penned the Thirteen Principles of which one believes with perfect faith that there will be a resurrection in the times of Mashiach. In Judaism there is no denial of another life, but in context of the Navi cited earlier, the Jews at the time felt they were not entitled to it, not that they didn’t believe in it.

We believe life is not only in this world but continues into the next world as pointed out in the Torah. In this week’s Parsha VaEschanan the Torah states in Devarim 4:4: “V’Atem HaDveikim Ba’Hashem Elokeichem, Chayim Kulchem HaYom”. Only you, the ones who remained attached to God your Lord, are all alive today.” The words ‘alive today’ connote today - here in this world and today - in the next world. With reference to the words ‘are all alive today’ the Gemara in Sanhedrin teaches us that the same way you are alive today (physically), so, too, you will be alive in the next world (spiritually). From this we see a hint, or even a proof, that Techiyas HaMeisim - revival of the dead - is a Torah principle.

The Midrash Rabbah 17:6 offers a parable to help us more clearly understand how we can attain this life. Someone who is cast off into the water, The captain of a ship grabs a rope and calls out to a drowning man,”Grab onto this rope with your hand so that I can hoist you up onto the boat or pull you to dry land. Hold tight! Do not let go of the rope! If you let go of the rope, you will have no life.” So, too, Hashem says to B’Nei Yisrael, “As long as you hold onto the Mitzvos and cling to the Torah, then you will live; if not, you are choosing to forego your life in this world and the next.”

Baruch Hashem, I am so pleased how many members have started to address the spiritual drought issue by participating in our annual SEED program. All it takes is some will and desire to cut away the dead parts and add some new ideas and nourish your soul to eat, drink and live for today and continue to eat, drink and live for tomorrow.                                       

Ah Gut Shabbos    Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Rabbi Bogopulsky’s book “Developing A Torah Personality” is available for purchase directly from him or Amazon

Years ago when I was just beginning my career, one of my biggest critics, who also happened to be one of my biggest supporters, gave me some invaluable advice. I got up to speak between Mincha and Maariv and attempted to teach/learn with the minyan. I approached the podium, quietly looking over the material, and bumbled my way through the brief interlude of learning. After the services, this individual put his arm around my shoulder and squarely looked me in the eye and said, “If you are not prepared to speak, then don’t.” That was one of the best pieces of advice I have ever received in my life; I understood that his input was meant to be constructive and it came from his heart. Since that time, I have been consistently careful to follow his sage words. Nevertheless, a different kind of challenge arises from time to time when teaching.

Generally speaking, I encourage and even ask if anyone has any questions. Occasionally, someone asks a question that is directly on the topic and I can handle the question. But there are times when I am caught off guard, finding myself without a clear answer. My slip-up is that I may to try to give an answer without properly researching the material. Sometimes, I do give the correct answer on the spot, but there have been other times when it should have stated, “I’m not sure about this. I will get back to you.” There is a human tendency towards Gaava (haughtiness), offering answers without total knowledge of the material. Sure enough, a few weeks ago I fell into this trap, only this time I really thought I knew the correct answer. Actually, I’m still convinced I was right, even though I am wrong as is clearly stated in Halacha. Someone asked a related question to the material I was prepared to teach, and I gave an answer. Someone in the crowd, (a noted Torah scholar) with great respect sheepishly quoted the opposite of what I had just said. I responded, reiterating my position, emphatically stating that I was correct. During Maariv the gentleman showed me the Halacha, explaining that my response to the question was dead wrong on the Halachic side, but perhaps correct within the spirit of the law. In the end, however, I was wrong. And I felt defeated!

When it comes to Torah and Toras Emes - the truth of Torah - there is no defeat (maybe some agony, but no certainly no defeat). In the realm of Torah and Halacha, we seek out the truth even though it may injure our pride. Immediately after Maariv (I was afraid that by the next day some of the attendees might not be present to hear the clarification), I got everyone’s attention before they dispersed, I said, “I stand corrected. I was wrong,” and proceeded to acknowledge the correct course of action for that Halacha and thanked the person for pointing it out. After the fact, my pride was not hurt. To the contrary, I was proud to admit the mistake and have clarity in the Torah.

I feel that in today’s day and age this is a sticking point that leads to Machlokes - unnecessary disputes and arguments - that lead to an undercurrent of hatred among our people. We should challenge ourselves to face reality of the statement: ‘How can it be everyone is right, and no one is wrong?’ Even when two people are arguing, and one clearly has a stronger argument, it is difficult for the person with the weaker argument to step down and admit defeat. Our egos cloud our judgment, making it difficult to analyze an alternative viewpoint with clarity. Nevertheless, I can understand why a person may believe he is right and the other individual is wrong. I think the message is a bit deeper than thinking I am right and he is wrong. The greatest challenge to our ego is when we are ultimately arguing within our own head. The internal struggle of ‘I am right, and I can do this or that’ while my alter-ego challenges and argues, professing, ’No! You are wrong and the correct thing to do is the exact opposite of what you are thinking!’ It’s the two-sided battle over who is right and who is wrong when the only person in this battle is you. This comes out when we say one thing, but we think and know that the opposite is true. Do we own up to our mistaken analysis of the situation, or are we not strong enough to do so, maintaining that which we said or thought initially is acceptable? This Shabbos we will read something similar to this situation. Its pertinence to the nine days should be clear.

In the first of the two parshios of Matos/Masei which we read this week, the Torah states in Bamidbar 30:3: “Ish Ki Yidor Neder LaHashem, O Hishava Shvua Lessor Issar Al Nafsho, Lo Yacheil D’Varo, Chol HaYotzay MiPiv YaAseh”. “If a man makes a vow to God or makes an oath to obligate himself, he must not break his word. He must do all that he expressed verbally”. If someone says he is going to do something and he doesn’t do it, or says he is not going to do something and he does it, he is breaking his word. The word ‘yacheil loosely translated means ‘break’, but it has greater significance; it means to turn it into the mundane. Our mouths are holy and the words that come out of our mouths are holy. When we don’t hold up to that, we are desecrating our words, as in a chilul Hashem. The Shela”h HaKadosh says that angels are created from our words; good words create good angels, and the opposite is also true. The Chasam Sofer writes that not only someone who vows with his mouth is responsible to follow through; even a thought of doing something obligates us to fulfill it although we can claim that we never said we would do such and such.

Every individual needs to be honest with himself. By committing to something, we must follow through, and if the first part is wrong, then one needs to stand up and correct the situation right then and there. If we make a statement or even think of one and then realize it is wrong, we should stand up to our error and correct it even when it may be uncomfortable. If we become consciously careful with regards to what we say we will or will not do, we will decrease the desecration of our commitment. This, in turn, will create the impetus to be careful with regards to how and what we speak about others. Let’s strive to ‘stand corrected’ so the Beis HaMikdash will also ‘stand corrected’ speedily in our time.

In modern society, the proverb "blood is thicker than water" implies that family relationships are always more important than relationships with friends. Perhaps more important needs to be rephrased to mean that the strength of the bonds of family withstand time.

I grew up in what we could call the American shtetle of Borough Park where three out of four sets of first cousins all lived within a half-mile walk. We davened in a small Shul where one uncle was the Rabbi, the other the gabbai, and the family made up half of the Shul. We were a very close-knit family and were together every Shabbos. Our other cousins would come for Yom Tov and celebrated some of the national holidays together as well. Both my parents and then a generation later I, too, were the youngest among the siblings of my family. Eventually, as my older cousins married, this homogeneous group started to break apart as they moved away. We all attended our first cousin’s weddings. I, as second to youngest and getting married last, had the next generation of cousins at my wedding.

A few weeks ago I flew to New York to attend a wedding of my first cousin’s child, only the third such wedding out of fifty-seven to take place within the last thirty years. As we moved around earlier in our married life and then moved out West, we rarely had the time, money, or opportunity to attend these family simchos. I felt I needed to be a part of this simcha for a few reasons. My cousin was marrying off his first child at an older age; my mother was like a second mother to this cousin; and I felt that I needed to represent my mother at this wedding which she surely would have loved to have attended. Those reasons are what drove me to go in the first place, but it was only when I arrived at the wedding itself that I truly appreciated being together with many, but not all, of my first cousins. Many of them are able to see each other regularly or from time to time get together for simchos, but this was my first opportunity to be part of that strong family bond that I knew and enjoyed in my boyhood.

Even though I am now a middle-aged man with my own family (ba”h), I sat at the table during the wedding feast, surrounded by my older cousins, feeling small and young again. There was a sense of innocence and attention I received as the youngest at the table within the family that was present. Even though we are not all the same religiously, economically, philosophically, in gender or age, there was no judging of one another. As far apart as the family is physically, we have remained close. The Torah states in Devarm 12:23 “Ki HaDam Hu HaNefesh” - It is blood that is the soul of a person. Similarly, it is the blood connection of relatives that keep us alive and connected as though we’ve never been apart. It is a vibrant lifeline to come to acknowledge that no matter where your family members may be and no matter how long it has been since you last communicated with them, they will always be there for you! Although the scenario I posed deals specifically with my family and me, I think this phenomenon applies most acutely to the Jewish nation as a whole, to the exclusion of all other nations. We are not like the other nations of the world; our greatest characterization is our eternal connection to each other – one people, one Torah, one nation unique in the world. We clearly see this concept in daily life and it is planted in the Torah itself.

In this week’s Torah portion Balak, the Torah states in Bamidbar 23:9: “Ki MeiRosh Tzurim Er’en UMigvaos Ashurenu, Hain Am L’Vadad Yishkone U’VaGoyim Lo Yischashav” : “I see this nation from mountain tops, and gaze on it from the heights. It is a nation dwelling alone at peace, not counting itself among other nations”. As we know, Balak hired Bilaam the wicked to curse the Jewish people, who ended up blessing them according to the will of Hashem. The first of three attempts, Bilaam tries to attack and accuse or label the Jews as a nation that does not get along with everyone else, nor do they want to. Bilaam’s words sound a familiar, but yet quite the opposite of another villain the Jews were to contend with in the future. *Reb Shlomo Ganzfried, in his sefer Apiryon on the Torah, explains that Bilaam’s attacks and accusations against B’Nei Yisrael were the opposite of Haman the wicked. Haman proclaimed to Achashveirosh “There is one nation scattered and separated from all the other nations in your kingdom.” Haman’s intent was to show a lack of unity and harmony amongst the Jews. Furthermore, despite the Jewish people being spread out, one would think that those who are closer together would get along better, clinging to their kin. Nevertheless, even those few who were together, hoping to grow stronger, were actually “M’Forad” - separated from each other. Each Jew distanced himself from his fellow Jew. Therefore, Haman argued that it would not be a big deal to get rid of them.

Bilaam’s words are very similar but with a different twist. Bilaam argued “Hain” - ‘yes’, the Jews have unity and peace, even when they are dwelling within themselves and not with their fellow Jews. It’s a wonder how they get along so well even though they all live separately and have nothing to do with each other. Even though they are living as loners, they get along as if they are living together. The key word of Bilaam’s eventual blessing is in the first word “Hain” –‘yes’. These letters, the ‘hey’ and ‘nun’, represent the sociological underpinning of the Jewish people’s unity. The sequential numbers from one to nine match the ends of the spectrum adding up to ten. Take the first and last numbers one and nine, two and eight, three and seven, and so forth, and you get ten. If you do the same for the two-digit numbers from ten to ninety, you will add each combination to reach one hundred. Each number in the sequence of single and double digits has a partner that connects them with two exceptions. In the single digit sequence, number five (‘hey’) has no partner; in the two-digit sequence, the number fifty (‘nun’), has no partner, but they find each other, coming together as the word ‘Hain’ – ‘Yes’!

The dominance of each Jew is that even when we are alone, we are still connected to someone else. This is the strength of the individual family and the extended family of Klal Yisrael. As we begin the three weeks, we should bring our families closer together and reunite with our Father in Heaven back to the Place that we ALL call HOME!

*Shlomo Ganzfried was born 1804 in Ungvar and died 30 July 1886 in Ungvar. He was an Orthodox rabbi and posek best known as author of the work of Halakha (Jewish law), the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch - "The Abbreviated Shulchan Aruch", by which title he is also known.

Ganzfried was born in the Ung County of the Kingdom of Hungary, present-day Ukraine. His father Joseph died when he was eight years old. Ganzfried was considered to be a child prodigy. Ungvar's chief rabbi and Rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Heller, assumed legal guardianship. Heller later moved to the city of Bonyhád, and Ganzfried, then fifteen, followed him. He remained in Heller's yeshiva for almost a decade until his ordination and marriage. After his marriage, Ganzfried worked briefly as a wine merchant.

In 1830, Ganzfried abandoned commerce, accepting the position of Rabbi of Brezovica. In 1849 he returned to Ungvar as a dayan, a judge in the religious court. At that time Ungvar's spiritual head, Rabbi Meir Ash, was active in the Orthodox camp, in opposition to the Neologs. Through serving with Ash, Ganzfried realized that in order to remain committed to Orthodoxy, "the average Jew required an underpinning of a knowledge of practical halakha (Jewish law)". It was to this end that Ganzfried composed the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. This work became very popular and was frequently reprinted in Hebrew and in Yiddish. Rabbi Ganzfried remained in the office of Dayan until his death on July 30, 1886.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Rabbi Bogopulsky’s book “Developing A Torah Personality” is available for purchase directly from him or on Amazon

Throughout our lifetime we witness the coming and going of people, events, and technology. Somethings are here today and gone tomorrow. Yet there are some things that were here before we were born and will still be here after we are gone. Then there are those other categories such as the birth of new venues of entertainment and sporting events, amazing inventions and time-saving contraptions which we attended or make use of, expecting them to last far beyond our life times. It is this last category, things which were created during our lives or beautiful memories, “happenings”, of childhood which we assumed would be around for generations to come that sadden or dismay us when they close or simply cease to be. We are dismayed at the closing or ending of something that predated our arrival, assuming that and just as they were here from time immemorial, they will still be here till the end of time. Not true!

I am sure there are dozens of examples that highlight this notion. I will share three of them with you. All of us alive today were around when the circus came to town. Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth ran for one hundred forty-six years, reinventing itself over time. When the show closed in January 2017, I wondered how that could be?! The circus was here and will always be here. Who could imagine that it has ceased to exist! The circus, especially Ringling Brothers’, was an American icon for decades and decades, entertaining generations and generations of children and their happy parents. Yet it closed.

Last week, the general manager of a successful national basketball team, Bob Myers of the Golden State Warriors, spoke to reporters on the eve of Game 1, said, “This is going to end soon. I definitely know this is ending.” “I don’t need any reminders. The narrative is, ‘This will go on forever.’ On the record, it can’t. Nothing does, especially in a sport where the competition is so great.” Myers was referring to the incredible and great success that his basketball team has shown over the last few years. It takes a lot of money, hard work, and Mazal to make a championship team, but it is much harder to maintain it forever. Every fan thinks, feels, and wants the success to continue, but it just doesn’t. It can’t. Every fan thinks his team will be different. It is not. The GM is realistic, honest and a person who understands the nature of the beast, but this was all to the dismay of the fans, and even individuals within the organization itself.

The third illustration is not an organization or a company but rather the human being. In every generation there are great leaders, outstanding academics, scientists, teachers, and, yes, even Rabbis! Older congregants particularly feel this (the Rabbi will be here forever) when it comes to pulpit Rabbis who have been with a congregation for decades. When a Rabbi feels the need to retire, congregants may react and say, “Who could possibly take over and be like our Rabbi?!” The Rabbi himself may have some reservations leaving the flock sheperdless or without an adequate replacement. As we look at history through our rear-view mirrors, we know Rabbis will leave and congregants will move on, just as this has happened previously and will continue to happen in the future. But in order to process the potential loss, I am reminded by the insightful words of my rebbe, Rabbi Wein YB”L, who once told me, “No matter how good and dear a Rabbi is to his congregation, no matter how essential a leader may be for any organization, it is not and cannot be forever. Even things which are wonderful and positive have limitations. The notion that all good things must come to an end is seen clearly in the Torah.

In this week’s Parshas B’Shalach the Torah states in Bamidbar 14:20-22: “Vayomer Hashem Salchti idvarecha. V’Ulam Chai Ani V’Yimalei K’Vod Hashem Es Kal HaAretz. Ki Kal Ha’Anashim HaRoeem Es mKvodi V’Es Ososai Asher Asisi B’Mitzrayim UVaMidbar, Vay’nasu osi zeh Eser P’Amim, V’Lo Shamu B’Koli”. “God said, ‘I will grant forgiveness as you have requested. But as I am Life, and as God’s glory fills all the world, I will punish all the people who saw my glory and the miracles that I did in Egypt and the desert, but still tried to test Me ten times by not obeying Me”. What are these ten tests with which the Jews tested God in the desert? Rashi explains and lists a few of the tests: two by crossing the Sea of Reeds, two by the manna, and two by the quail. Rashi does not finish the list but informs us the source to be the Gemara Erchin 15a. It is interesting to consider the open question why Rashi either didn’t complete the list or just use the reference and not list any of the ten tests, but that discussion is outside the milieu of this writing. Nevertheless, the remaining tests listed in the Gemara are two tests with water, one with the golden calf and the tenth in the Paran Desert, referring to the spies. We see in general the incredible miracles Hashem performed, sustaining the Jewish people for forty years in the desert, particularly the manna that nourished us throughout the entire time.

Traditionally, Am Yisrael was punished and wandered in the desert for forty years due to the sin of the spies. It was decreed that this generation would not enter the Land of Israel. This generation, according to some, was the greatest generation of Jews. They lived on an extremely high spiritual level, living an almost complete spiritual life in a physical world. Of course it was the miracles which continuously sustained them, allowing them spiritual pursuits. True, Hashem created the scenario, but was this the life the Jews were intended to have forever? From Am Yisroel’s perspective, this incredible life should go on forever. Manna came down every day (double portion on Friday for Shabbos) for a lifetime. Who would have thought that it couldn’t, shouldn’t, wouldn’t continue forever? Life in the desert was unbelievably difficult, lacking all the modern conveniences. It was inconceivable that it should end. With all the miracles of protection, water, and daily food raining down from Shamayim, the Jews would be able to dwell and bask in Hashem’s Shechina forever! Despite this amazing life, that was not the world Hashem had in mind for His people. Rather we were destined to settle and build Eretz Yisrael, with the help of many miracles as well.

13031. only permanent entity in this world - which existed before the world was created and continues to lead us through thick and thin - is the Torah itself. True, ‘all good things must come to an end’, as the cliché goes, but it is the Torah that guides us through all the new creations, technologies, inventions, businesses, and, most precious of all, life. source never ends, because the Torah is the light through which God’s presence guides us, showing us how to live in this world. Hashem was, is and will be, so too His Torah was, is, and will always be. We should use the Torah, which is our endless, timeless roadmap, and apply it well to every area of life. Ki Heim Chayeinu, V’Orech Yameinu: the Torah is our life and the length of our days, not only the days of our personal lifetime but the lifetime of mankind. Torah is truly eternal; it will exist forever as the essence of life and wisdom to the world.

On a recent trip I experienced three different aspects of today’s society. The first is based upon a situation in which we could all find ourselves but might deal with differently than the choice chosen by someone on my flight. Is it better to be delayed an hour on the tarmac before takeoff or wait an hour on the tarmac for a gate to open upon arrival? The last one of the three observances I noticed came about after we landed. As we sat on the tarmac for an hour, passengers were upset, disturbed, and at one point going berserk. With a plane full of people, including children, a passenger began to curse, yelling obscenities at the situation. There was more filth that came out of her mouth than the restrooms had after the flight! Everyone around her was embarrassed for this woman’s behavior, whom, I’m convinced, speaks this way all the time. She simply didn’t care about proper etiquette, not only in public but as human being.

The second thing I discerned mid-flight was the snacks for purchase in flight, displayed to appeal to our need to chew something since the airlines no longer serve meals. The combination of fast food and finger foods has given rise to the same poor manners I was scolded for as a child by the adults who encouraged me to use a fork and knife while eating. Here was just one more indication of how society and our generation have done away with proper manners regarding eating.

The third and final blow came via a commercial for a new brand design of shirts. A relatively new company named UNTUCKit pitches their line as follows: ‘THE IDEAL SHIRT FOR THE UNTUCKED MAN’. These are casual men's shirts designed to be worn untucked because men’s shirts are always coming untucked anyway, so might as well create a shirt that is made to be that way. The company advertises “It's a straightforward look that's often done too little justice. So, we came up with a solution – a shirt that's designed to fall at the perfect length every time. A design fit for comfort, not convention”. Throughout my years in high school, my friends and I heard teachers, principals and administrators barking at us to tuck in our shirts. Could I ever possibly think to myself that I was born a generation early and I would have fit in so happily with the trends of our current times? I believe my answer is an emphatic “NO!”. Certain classifications of clothing are designed for certain occasions; the clothing worn should respect that situation, even today.

Call me old school, old fashioned, or just a plain old stick-in-the-mud, these are just three observations I picked up in the course of one plane ride that sums up the current generation. I consider these examples as an affront to values and behaviors of being civilized that are slowly peeling away basic standards for which the world stands. In general, people are less refined when it comes to their language (foul words), food (eat with their hands) and dress (clothing which demonstrates open disregard for self-pride in personal appearance and for appropriate public attire). My observation is not a religious one – rather, its about society at-large. Kal VaChomer, how much more so does this contemporary relaxation of basic standards speaks about the deterioration of the Torah’s values and standards! The Torah’s standards on issues concerning appropriate laws of propriety and behavior in society are sometimes clear and blatant and at other times hinted to us, such as in the Biras Kohanim - the Priestly Blessings.

In this week’s Parshas Nasso the Torah relates the Kohanim’s responsibility to bless Am Yisrael in Bamidbar 6:22-6:27. The Torah states “Y’Varechecha Hashem V’Yishmirecha”. “Ya’air Hashem Panav Eilecha VeeChuneka”. “Yisa Hashem Panav Eilecha, V’Yaseim L’Cha Shalom”. “May God bless you and keep watch over you. May God make His presence enlighten you and grant you grace. May God direct His providence toward you and grant you peace”. *Rav Shalom Mashash, in his sefer V’Cham HaShemesh, explains that the three verses of the Blessings of the Kohanim correspond to the three stages of life. The first word, Y’Varechecha, is to the infant child who is just beginning to use his limbs and extremities and is just beginning to be aware of those who surround and protect him. At that age they need to eat with their fingers and hands and be watched over. Once the young child has grown through that stage, he/she graduates to using utensils, to eating with a growing awareness of manners and respect for the food which is given. If this stage is not taught, the child will revert to the infant mind-set. The next phase is when the toddler can stand and begin to walk. This is consistent with Hashem’s presence, enlightening each of us to learn to perceive the fear and respect demanded for God. The ‘seeing’ here is the light between good and evil and the accompanying development of understanding and intelligence to all mankind. This leads to VeeChuneka - like education - which begins when a child can speak. The first words we teach a child are Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe, the sweet words of the Torah. A person who curses and blasphemes destroys the beauty of the tongue and insults mastery over language. Finally, in a person’s old age, the last stage Hashem directs His providence is toward you, granting you peace. Typically, as a person grows old, he becomes more tired and weak. An older person is dignified, and the manner of his or her dress should become a symbol of the essence of the life and values he/she has lived. We respect an older person as royalty, a person who represents a lifetime of ever-deepening wisdom. We stand up for them, physically exemplifying respect for these attributes. A king walks around in his finest clothing, wearing the royal robes and the crown befitting his position. As they say, “Clothing makes the man”; being untucked is not cool.

It is critical to receive the proper blessings and perspective in each area to be a well-rounded individual. The three areas that the Torah hints to us are how we eat, how we speak, and how we dress. With this in mind, eating with derech eretz, speaking properly, and dressing suitably we all help us to merit the blessings from God through the Kohanim in our days.

*Rabbi Shalom Mashash, was Jerusalem's chief Sephardi rabbi for 25 years Rabbi Mashash died in 2003 at the age of 90. He was born in Maknes, Morocco, and for many years served as the head of the rabbinical court in Casablanca. After retiring, he immigrated to Israel to serve as chief Jerusalem rabbi, like his cousin Rabbi Yosef Mashash, who served as Haifa's chief rabbi after retiring in Morocco and moving to Israel.

In 1978, then-Israeli Chief Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef asked Rabbi Mashash to come to Jerusalem and become its chief Sephardic rabbinic authority. When he departed for Israel, Rabbi Mashash was escorted to the airport by Morocco's King Hassan himself, who requested that the Rabbi bless him one last time before his departure, and that it be his last act on Moroccan soil.

I heard a story from my Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Wein YB”L, about the Chofetz Chaim. There was a man who owned a dry goods store in Radun. This individual made a decent to above average living for the time. One day, someone opened a store across the street from his store which caused him deep concern. (There was absolutely no issue of Hasagas Gevul – economic competition - in this case). Every day after opening his store, he would peek out of his window to see who was going into the competitor’s store. Were any of his regular patrons going to shop there? As the weeks went by, he felt that the support he had received from many of his long-time customers was slowly ebbing away. At one point he felt that he was making only half the profit he had been accustomed to earning before the other individual opened his store. As his paranoia grew, he stood outside his store watching, staring down anyone who entered the store across the street. He would even stop people walking past his own store, questioning them about what they were buying across the street and what were the prices compared to his own?

Finally,he decided to visit the saintly Chofetz Chaim and ask what he could possibly do in this situation because it was driving him crazy. Rav Yisroel Meir Kagan listened carefully and intently to the man’s issue. After a few minutes the Chofetz Chaim told this person what the problem was and what the solution is to be. The Chofetz Chaim said, “Before the other store opened, you made a living because you only had to mind one store or business. Now you are constantly worrying and watching over the other store as well. Since you are now watching and ‘working’ two businesses, your store is only producing half the amount!” The moral of the story is to mind your own business. The reflection of someone minding his own business and not looking elsewhere demonstrates faith and emunah in Hashem. Deep down, we know we are to receive exactly what we need to live on for the year. We waste so much time and effort trying to control the ‘other’ and neglect our basic work ethic. On top of the monetary loss, a person loses years of life due to self-inflicted anxiety. God can make both businesses not only survive but thrive. In order to develop the understanding and acceptance that Hashem controls everything, we must learn mussar to train our thinking.

The first parsha of this week is replete with Mitzvos that completely rely on having emumah and bitachon - faith and security in Hashem. The challenge to many of the following Mitzvos is that they go against nature and our normal way of thinking. Here are just a few Mitzvos which emphasize that we totally rely on HaShem so that we will be rewarded in greater ways not only in the next world but even immediately in this world: 1. Not to perform work on the land during Shemita; 2. Not to perform work on the vineyard during Shemita; 3. Not to harvest the products during Shemita as normally done in other years. 4. Not to harvest the grapes of one’s vineyard as normally done in other years, but rather to treat the vineyard like Hefker – as though it is ownerless; 5. Not to work the land during Yovel – the Jubilee; 6. Not to harvest the products during Yovel, as normally done in other years, but rather to treat like Hefker, as though it were ownerless; 7. Not to harvest the fruits of one’s orchard during Yovel as normally done in other years; 8. Not to cheat someone in business; 9. Not to sell a field in Eretz Yisrael forever; 10. Not to change the zones/allotments of the outskirts of the Levite cities; and 11. Not to lend money with interest. The common thread among all these Mitzvos is that a person feels he worked for it, he earned it, and he shouldn’t have to give it away. Towards the end of the section the Torah warns in 25:18: ‘Keep my decrees and safeguard My laws. If you keep these decrees, you will live in the land securely.’ But as Rashi clearly indicates because of transgressing the laws of the rest of year Israel is exiled. As it states later in Vayikra 26:34: ‘Then shall the land be paid her Sabbaths….and repay her Sabbaths.’ The seventy years of the Babylonian exile correspond to the seventy rest years which were not observed. But no matter how bad God’s children may act, our Father in Heaven figures out a way to rejoin His children and never abandon them, as can be realized from the following elucidation.

In the first of this week’s two parshios Behar/Bechukosai, the Torah states in Vayikra 25:29 “V’Ish Ki Yimkor Beis Moshav Ir Chomah, V’Haysa Geulaso Ad Tome Shnas Mimaro, Yamim T’hiyeh Geulaso”: “When a man sells a residential house in a walled city, he shall be able to redeem it until the end of one year after he has sold it. He has one full year to the day to redeem it”. The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh explains this verse, referring to the ultimate redemption and not merely the redemption of an individual’s home. Through Remez/hint of the words the passuk is broken up into three parts. The word ‘V’Ish/the Man means God as He is referred in Az Yashir: ‘Hashem Ish Milchama. The next section of selling a house denotes the place where Hashem dwells speaks of the Beis HaMikdash. The Ir Chomah, a walled city, signifies Yerushalayim, which according to the Midrash was already walled when Yehoshua first conquered the land. Why or what is the significance of this interpretation? The reason is so that later in history it can be redeemed. As Chazal explained, God took out His fury on the wood and the stones of the Temple for if He took His fury out against the people, no Jew would have survived. Logically, if there are no Jews left then there is no need for a Beis HaMikdash or the city of Jerusalem. Therefore, this was the redemption of Am Yisrael - the Jewish people - and as a result the need for the rebuilding of the second Beis HaMikdash and resettling of Yerushalayim.

This all took place after the first Beis HaMikdash and for almost two thousand years we are still waiting for the rebuilding of the Third Temple. However, nineteen years after HKB”H returned the Eretz Yisrael to the Jewish people, we had access to half the city of Jerusalem. Only nineteen years later the entire city was unified under Jewish sovereignty. Now, fifty-one years since the reunification of the city of Jerusalem it once again sparkling as the city of Gold. As we recognize Yom Yerushalayim, we should thank Hashem and pray for the last piece of the trio: to rebuild the Bayis Shlishi speedily in our day, Amen!

Research shows that in 2017 the number of smart phones in the world was 2.5 billion; in the United States there were approximately 280 million smart phones - roughly four out of five Americans are using a smart phone. I know two people who only use a conventional cell phone, known as a “dumb” phone. There many adjectives we use to describe people in general. Judaism is no exception. Often, we refer to a person as a ‘tzadik,’ a righteous person, but rarely do we call an individual ‘Kadosh’ - a holy one. The two people I know along with others who choose not to have a smart phone are not only Tzadikim; they are Kedoshim. Chazal explain that the way a person becomes a ‘kadosh’ is by sanctifying himself with items that are permissible: ‘Kadesh Atzmecha B’Mutar Lach’. Jewish life recognizes and uses technology to help us grow in Torah, but, unfortunately, many advances in medicine and science could be used be used for good or bad.

We think and are taught that technology helps us to be more efficient and helpful. While it is true that the cell phone has made life more convenient, it has not necessarily made us into more efficient people. When the vacuum cleaner came on the scene, people no longer had to take their rugs outside, hang them over a fence and smack the dust off with a pole for fifteen minutes every other week. Fast forward…now we only need to vacuum for ten minutes…every day! With any invention, we need to not only look at the benefits;, we also must consider the detriments. I am not implying that we only consider using something if it benefits us and has zero negatives. There will always be a negative side to everything, but we must control the ill consequences that can harm us and society.

Putting aside the obvious dangers of the Internet, there looms the destruction of society through social media. A few months ago, all who attended “screenagers” were educated on the hazards of the smart phone and how vulnerable we ALL are. However, I would like to focus in on one aspect of our world of instant communication: the usage of Whatspp groups and similar platforms of group chatting and sharing. Throughout the Jewish world, last Shabbos was dedicated to Shmiras HaLashon - watching our speech. Now I know what most of you reading this are thinking: “The Rabbi is going to give us mussar. He’s going to talk about how bad Loshon Hora is and will discuss the punishments that result from speaking Loshon Hora”. I hate to say it but (I include myself in this rebuke) I don’t think just saying we must guard our tongues works anymore. We are so immersed in gossiping, it is totally out of control. We can place partial blame on the misuse of technology. We tend to be embarrassed when chatting with a group to speak up and say to a friend or a group that the ongoing conversation harbors on Lashon Hora. The halacha ‘once was’ if a group of friends was speaking lashon hora, someone in the group would try to change the subject. z If that didn’t work, they would excuse themselves. Someone (in a different city) told me he was part of a WhatsApp group and found the content to be questionable. The person found it difficult to ‘leave the group’ which is an option because the other members would then comment on how that person thinks he is better than we are. The truth is that that person is better, but the social pressure is so great that it does not allow for people to do the right thing even though everyone else knows it is true.

The one successful approach Chazal suggest in combating any prohibition is not saying ‘it is forbidden’ but rather to learn about the Mitzva. One of the obstructions that exists in resisting evil speech is the lack of knowledge of the basic Mitzva. Let us all begin right here and now.

Last week’s parsha referenced Loshan Hora, but this week we clearly read about the Mitzva of Rechilus - literally a peddler - but figuratively defined as gossiping and spreading inappropriate information. In the second of this week’s double parshios, the Torah states in Vaikra 19:16 “Lo Seilech Rachil B’Amecha, Lo Sa’Amod Al Daam Rei’Echa, Ani Hashem”: “Do not go around as a gossiper among your people. Do not stand still over your neighbor’s blood (when your neighbor’s life is in danger). I am God”. It is interesting to note that this passuk and the verses that precede and follow it contain two parts. In some cases, we see a direct correlation or continuation from the first to the second half. Our verse has a strong connection as well. I will share a few commentaries that make the link.

The holy Zohar indicates that whoever violates the first part of being a gossiper has automatically violated the second one of killing someone. The Chizkuni, on the other hand, says the first causes the second to occur. A person creates an enemy through his gossiping against his friend, and that, in turn, causes the other person to rise up and kill him. Yehuda Ben Itar explains that Rechilus, which is a form of Lashon Hora, is as harsh as a sword that can kill. The Ba’al HaTurim says the word Rachil in Hebrew is spelled ‘full’ meaning with a letter ‘yud’ which is extra. The extra ytside of Am Yisraelud (which has a value of ten) represents the Ten Commandments. If someone violates this Mitzva of being a gossiper, it is as if he violated the ten major commandments. The Shelah HaKadosh teaches that the Ten Commandments contain all six hundred thirteen Mitzvos. Therefore, by speaking Rechilus a person violates the entire Torah, thereby deserving others to stand by watching his blood and letting it be.

The Netzi”v flips the verse completely upside down. True, one is forbidden to speak and be a gossiper for something that is evil and creates bad will. On the other hand, if a person has something good and positive to say about someone, do not stand idly by and let his blood be shed. Rather, stand up and say something positive in order to save him from having his blood spilled. The Yerushalmi in Peah 1:5 rules that it is permissible to speak Lashon Hora against someone who quarrels with everyone and creates havoc for the Jewish people. This is learned out from the words “Do not gossip among your people,” but someone who acts outside of Am Yisrael does not deserve to be protected.

50. us all take upon ourselves to learn about some of the laws of gossiping and realize that nothing good comes from it. If we all try a little, it will make a big difference in each of our lives and in the lives of others.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

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In every area of life there is more, less, and the average. Whether it is a person’s temperament, character traits, weight, height, looks, intelligence, finances, religiosity, etc. - the list goes on - there are always the extremes that make up the mean average of life. Some people do things quickly while others do them slowly. Several years ago I wrote about the law which clearly states that it is not only forbidden to drive above the speed limit; it is also forbidden to drive too slowly. There is one additional area I would like to critique concerning those who find themselves doing the wrong way, despite being asked not to do so.

There are some individuals who speak very quickly, so quickly that the listener cannot understand what the person is saying. There are differing opinions as to why some people speak quickly, including their ability to visualize the words in their minds - a condition known as ‘cluttering’. Two examples come to mind: one in a religious context, the other regarding our every day lives. On days when the Torah is read (particularly on Mondays and Thursdays) there is a custom to make a ‘Mi Shebeirach,’ a prayer for the sick. After a list of names is mentioned, some attendees will mention a name that is not on the list. They orally say the name to the gabbai. Typically, the person rattles off the name of the ill person, and his/her mother’s name along with it, at lightning speed. I remind you that the gabbai may never have heard this name before and is unable to catch the name not once or twice but sometimes even three times to fully grasp the name being called out. If the person would only say the name slowly the very first time, (which is what happens anyway by the third or fourth repetition) it would save people time, effort, and sometimes embarrassment. The person must realize the gabbai never heard this name and must repeat it verbatim so just slow down when giving over a name. The second scenario is leaving a phone number on a voice mail or answering machine. I can not tell you how many times I need to rewind the message over again to catch a phone number that someone left for me to call them back. It some cases it can take me nine times, repeatedly listening to the message because it was given so quickly that I can only catch and record one digit at a time. There is even a rare time that I just give up because it is impossible to decipher what the number is. Some recorded messages give specific instructions to avoid this issue by stating, “Please speak slowly and repeat the number.” Occasionally this may actually work – but unfortunately, not too often.

One should think about these and other situations when you are asking the other person to do something for you. Simply say it slowly. You are either asking them to return the call or mention a name for a speedy recovery and you are making it so much more difficult for them to do what is asked by speaking too quickly for the listener to understand your request. When someone speaks quickly, and the listener it is unable to accurately hear what you’re saying, the listener it placed in the awkward position of asking the speaker to repeat themselves or to say, “What?” sometimes over and over again. The onus should be on the speaker not the listener to convey a message or a thought properly.

We might all agree that the responsibility of clarity is on the speaker, but it doesn’t always happen. We don’t and can’t control the way a person speaks, and therefore we need to prepare for the inevitable. We need to take measures to listen more carefully and figure out ways to understand the speaker despite their babble. If the speaker is not going to change the way he/she speaks, then we need to change the way we listen. We find a great lesson in listening from Moshe Rabbeinu. There is a great irony in the person who had some type of speech impediment who consistently recognizes the need to be patient when it comes to listening to what others are saying.

In this week’s parsha Shmini the Torah states in Vayikra 10:20 “Vayishma Moshe, VaYitav B’Einav”. “When Moshe heard this, he approved”. Rashi, on this verse, quotes the Midrash Toras Kohanim that says: Moshe admitted and was not embarrassed and did not use the excuse “I didn’t hear”. The Gemara in Zevachim 101b adds to the language of Rashi that not only did he not say “I didn’t hear that,” but to the contrary said, “I heard it and I forgot it,” which is a greater disgrace than just saying I didn’t hear. The Gemara Chagiga 1:8 in Yerushalmi writes: “I sent you a great person, and what is his greatness? That he was never embarrassed to say I didn’t hear. This means that saying I didn’t hear something is a greater disgrace, therefore, by definition, there is greatness to the person.

The commentary Tzion V’Yerushalayim goes on to elaborate this point. It is one thing to understand that the Rabbis and scholars during the times of the Talmud, who have the written and oral laws before them might be more humiliated to admit, ‘I did not hear that.’ But consider Moshe Rabbeinu, the prize student of the Almighty Himself, who learned one-on-one with Hashem and was the first ever to learn Torah and the first teacher of Torah, who would feel the greatest mortification by admitting, “I heard but I forgot.” It takes a great man to stand up and state the truth despite discomfiture to protect his pride.

The Netzi”v Rav Naphtali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin Z”L brings down a midrash that Moshe made a public announcement stating, “I, Moshe, made a mistake, and Aharon, my brother, came and taught it to me.” Why did Moshe do that? Moshe wanted to teach klal Yisrael this Midda, character trait of admitting a mistake. He taught the people that there is nothing wrong with admitting a mistake, and even he, Moshe Rabbeinu, was capable of making a mistake. By admitting a mistake, we come to correct the falsehood and bring truth to the surface. In addition, by admitting a mistake, we admit that we, too, are human and are able to learn and grow from our errors.

Therefore, we see the importance of listening with care so as to hear things properly. The utmost honor is given to someone who can recognize and admit his mistake and not hide behind some other excuse. Listen, pay close attention to the few short words Moshe said so openly and clearly. Ultimately, this admission will be viewed with goodness in Hashem’s eyes as well.

Recently, someone shared an article with me which appeared in the March 15, 2018 edition of the Wall Street Journal. Headlined “Learning to Pray When Words Fail”, it addressed a condition called aphasia, the loss of ability to express or understand speech.. The article focused on a couple, Julie and Avi Shulman. Julie Shulman received her undergraduate degree in linguistics from Israel’s Bar- Ilan University in 2000. Following graduation, Mrs Shulman, a native of Maine, headed to Massachusetts, where she earned a master’s degree in speech therapy, fulfilling her goal of wanting to help people suffering from speech disorders. She never imagined how personal this mission would become. Her husband, Ayal Shulman, worked as a business-development manager for an Israeli startup in Brookline, MA. .The Shulmans returned to Israel in 2009,with three young children and promising careers. Two weeks after their return to Israel, Ayal suffered a massive brain hemorrhage. Miraculously, his cognitive function was intact, but his speech was limited to sentences of three or four words. Mrs. Shulman explained that ”Disorders such as aphasia pose a challenge for adherents of speech-based faiths such as Judaism The underlying principle of our Jewish practices, and involvement in our religion, is the use of speech. Whatever blessing we choose, we express it verbally. The loss of speech is debilitating for family, friends, business, and especially in the way in which we practice our religion. Awareness of the preciousness of the gift of speech should deeply enhance our quality of davening and learning.

Whenever we are called to the Torah, we chant the words out loud. Prayer and Torah study is said out loud, frequently accompanied by melodies and chants which enhance and inspire us as we pray. Men learn Torah by saying the words out loud. This has been a proven method of retention of our studies throughout the millennia.

The power of prayer is the ability to verbalize the words and say them to God. The ‘kavana’, or intent, is in the heart and the mind, but it is the physical formation of the words coming from the mouth that make up the actual prayer. We are not supposed to just read the prayers with our eyes.  We should silently verbalize every word, hearing each of the words being read.. The same is true in learning. It is not sufficient to learn a piece of Torah just by reading it with our eyes. Each word must be said as they are being learned. Please do not misunderstand or misinterpret my words, thinking you cannot learn that way. What I am saying is that the effect, the long-term benefit one has by sounding the words out loud, hearing every word, is immeasurable. I know that people who did not grow up with this idea of praying or learning out loud may have difficulty adjusting to this way of learning. My promise to those of you who fall into this category is that if you try it you will soon see, hear, and appreciate the difference.

In contrast to the Jewish (Orthodox) way of praying is the non-Jewish practice of praying  which is  not as vocal. An even greater contrast can be seen between the study of Torah and how we go about learning secular studies. There are libraries in every community, school, and college campus which typically require that you observe the rule of respecting the environment of quiet, whispering softly only when necessary. Studying is usually done independently and quietly at desks and tables, sometimes with headsets and headphones to maintain the required silence. The complete opposite is found in a Beis HaMedrash where it is noisy, loud and full of the tumult that is the battle of Torah learning. The soldiers are entrenched on the battlefield known as the Beis Midrash facing their foe (the chavrusa) with their ammunition in the form of the Gemara, and their talent in the form of their minds, and their weaponry in the form of their mouths battling for the truth of Torah!

When a person reads a book with his eyes, that is exactly what is being done: reading or scanning the page, but not necessarily learning. When a person reads the words of a sefer, he says the words aloud- he is not just reading the words; he is concentrating on each word, learning in depth. The two components of the Torah are comprised of the Torah She’Bichsav,  the written Torah, and the Torah She’B’Al Peh, the oral law. The Oral law requires that every word is said out loud; it is not enough to just use one’s eyes, scanning across the page. This intense focusing on precise learning is  deduced from a verse in this week’s Torah portion.

In this week’s parsha Tzav the Torah states in Vayikra 8:3 during the episode of the installation of the Kohanim, “V’Eis Kal Ha’Eida HakHel, El Pesach Ohel Moed”: “Gather the entire community at the entrance of the Communion Tent”. I saw a beautiful elucidation of this line in a new sefer, *Malchus Beis Dovid. The author quotes the Netzi”v’s explanation of the purpose for this gathering. Rav Berlin explains in HaAmek Davar that if the gathering day was day eight, the day after the seven-day preparation course for the Kohanim, it could be understood as giving honor to Hashem with everyone gathering there together in order to display honor to the King by having a multitude of people attending. This day of gathering was Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the day the Mishkan was erected. But if the gathering was the previous seven days, known as Shivas Yemei HaMiluim, what and why was the purpose for gathering? It cannot even be compared to gathering when the Leviim were consecrated, because ‘Semicha” was involved, as stated “…and the Bnai Yisrael pressed their hands.” Even though only a few chosen men did the leaning, since it resembled a Korban, this is similar to when a Jew offers his sacrifice. That person needs to be there. From those two cases we know the purpose and the reason for the gathering. But why here?

The answer is found in Toras Kohanim where the Midrash teaches us that there were a few differences which were told to Moshe now and had been taught to him earlier. Because of this, it was necessary for everyone to come together again, this time to receive the tradition with its changes. Because of these changes, everyone needed to be present to hear the differences. From here we learn the power and strength of receiving Torah She’B’Al Peh, the Oral tradition. Even Moshe Rabbeinu himself would listen to Hashem’s oral directive, even though Moshe had written something contrary to that which was in the written law. Now the entire congregation of Israel would understand that the manner of the Torah comes through the Torah She’B’Al Peh, the Oral Torah, which is comprised of the Mishna and Gemara, the Talmud.

Later on in Vayikra 8:36, The Netzi”v explains the words “B’Yad Moshe”- in the hands of Moshe - referring to halacha, Jewish law, which means the Gemara. This is based upon a Gemara in Krisus 13 quoting a verse, “The words that Hashem spoke into the hands of Moshe.” The halacha apparently is the halacha L’Moshe MiSinai. The Gemara Sanhedrin 87 explains the concept of a law that was given to Moshe at Sinai represents strength of argumentation or debate that was given explicitly to Moshe. Here too, Moshe derived something on his own. He was MeChadesh; he created an entirely new depth of understanding - totally new ideas based upon the written law. This is the potency of the Oral law, particularly during the seven-day period of inauguration. Even though it says of the Mishkan, “to make for me a Tabernacle and I will dwell in it amongst you.” How is it possible that we interpret this to mean that Hashem will dwell in our midst? The answer is yes, with the koach HaTorah She’B’Al Peh it is possible to say that God will dwell among us despite the fact it does not say that precisely in the verse. Moshe learned it and Hashem gave His approbation to the learning and teaching of Moshe’s elucidation in the form of the Oral Law.

It is during the month of Nissan we look for ways to hasten the redemption, perhaps by learning and not just reading. Let us raise our voices in davening to Hashem with our Tefillos in Shul, and let the Kol (sounds of) Torah emanate from the Beis HaMedrash and look forward to bringing back the Davidic dynasty in the coming of Moshiach speedily in our day. Amen!                       

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Authored by Reb Dovid Bogopulsky, born 1992 in San Diego, Ca. He is currently an Avreich in Yeshivas Toras Moshe located in Sanhedria Murchevet. Reb Dovid lives in Jerusalem. He authored two other publications, Malchus Beis Dovid on Horiyos and Dudaei B’ni on Shas.  

I have just concluded the year of Aveilus/mourning for my mother, Yocheved Bas Tzvi A”H. I’m not the first person to lose a loved one and go through the mourning process, nor will I be the last. Nevertheless, people ask about the transitions regarding time and status of being a mourner. Following the initial seven day period of sitting Shiva is the thirty-day period of Shloshim, concluded after eleven months by the cessation of saying Kaddish which is then eclipsed by the twelve-month, end-of-year-long process. The answer to the transitions of time and status for the mourner is multi-dimensional. Time, for the mourner, is capable of moving very slowly yet, simultaneously and mysteriously, also very quickly. For the person going through the period of mourning, time isn’t measured daily. Time, at least from my experience seemed to pass in chunks rather than hours or days or even weeks. All of us remark during the milestones of life “Where has the time gone?” For the mourner, or at least for me, the chunks of time moving me through the year seemed to be measured privately, internally. believe I grieved as my mother grieved for her losses. She did not show a great amount of outward emotion; she internalized her grief and moved on with life. She mourned appropriately and Halachikly - no more no less.

A 2008 Psychology Today article articulates that “Time doesn't heal; it's what you DO with the time that causes healing.” I am not going to disagree that keeping oneself busy will distract a person from sorrow and ease the burden during this difficult period of life. Keeping that in mind, a person can keep busy at the initial stages of worry, concern and bereavement and forget their woes altogether. What is the Torah’s perspective on time as a healer - both the long and short term?

The Halacha in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 394:1 states: “One is forbidden to mourn excessively. The first three days are for weeping, the first seven days for eulogy, and the first thirty days for refraining from haircutting and laundering. One should not grieve more than this.” The Sifsei Kohain, known as the Shach, in Y”D 344:9 states: “In mourning for one’s parent, certain laws apply for an entire twelve months. This is an aspect of the Mitzvah of honoring one’s father and mother.” Mourning for thirty days is of Biblical origin, taken from the death of Yakov Avinu and later Moshe Rabbeinu. The extended eleven months for a parent is of Rabbinic nature (For reasons too detailed to list here). The Halacha in Shulchan Aruch which derived the law from the Torah mandates us to mourn for specific times, no longer, no shorter.

Another indication of the time for mourning is the time to erect the monument. The opinions range from immediately after Shiva up until after the twelve months have elapsed, but everyone agrees it should not be later than right after the year concludes. One of the major explanations given by Rebbi Akiva Eiger is that the purpose of the monument is to make sure that the person will not be forgotten. This is not necessary during the twelve months because the memory of the deceased remains fresh in people’s minds throughout the twelve months. The Rabbis taught that the memory of the deceased is forgotten, or dimmed, after twelve months. This does not mean we forget about our loved one. Rather it is stating that the pain and anguish we felt throughout the first year dissipates. This happens because of time. It matters little whether the mourner was busy or not during the time of mourning – when the year concludes, the process of mourning is over. We conclude the year by seeing the power and significance to the yearly cycle of events. Even more noteworthy is the renewal of something after a year has passed.

In a one hundred -eighty degree turn from mourning, we can value another aspect of Jewish life: the blessing of Shehecheyanu that is recited on a new creation, and other new and fresh things which follow a season or a year. There are certain Mitzvos that we are commanded to perform only once a year at a specific time, and therefore we recite a Shehecheyanu in addition to the blessing of that Mitzva. This coming Shabbos there is a Mitzva D’Oraisa, a Biblical commandment (just like Zachor) to read Parshas Parah according to Tosfos in Brachos 13. The Mechaber in Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 685:7 states, “…therefore the people living in villages who don’t have a minyan need to go to a place where there is a minyan to listen to these portions which are Biblically commanded”. There is a story about the Chofetz Chaim, who prior to completing the Yeshiva building in Radun, davened with his students in a private home. On the Shabbos of ‘Zachor’ he went to the local Shul to listen to the reading because a Mitzva of such magnitude requires ‘Hiddur Mitzva” and therefore needed to read it B’Rov Am Hadras Melech - with a multitude of people and not with a small group. This principle holds true a hundred times more regarding the reading of the Megilas Esther. Some believe that they might be doing a good thing by creating more Megillah readings, by splitting into smaller groups. Not so. It is wrong to take away from the larger group to form smaller ones so that people can read privately when the alternative exists for everyone to come together.

Some people feel they can mourn a little more or a little less. They think their decision can be based upon their feelings, believing all fall within the boundaries of Halacha. I’m sorry to inform them that they are incorrect. They are wrong. The unity of the Jewish people does not depend upon the individual’s understanding of the Klal (the group); rather it is their submission to the Kehilla, to the gathering of the Jewish people, and to what we do together as a whole, not to individual parts.

This can be expounded upon through this week’s double Torah portions. The word ‘Vayakhel’ means to assemble - Moshe gathers Am Yisrael together. The second Parsha, ‘Pekudei’ means the accounts or to remember. *Reb Mordechai Yosef Leiner, known as the Ishbitzer. explains the connection between the two parshios in his sefer Mei HaShiloach, explaining that these are the accounts of the Mishkan, said to organize and complete the arrangement of Parshas Vayakhel. Parshas Vayakhel set up all the utensils and Kelim of the Mishkan, while Pekudei sets those items into motion, showing their actual practical use. First the Torah writes about the construction of the Ark (37:1) and later placed the Tablets in the Ark (40:20). In Vayakhel they made the Shulchan (37:10) and in Pekudei they arranged the bread on the Shulchan (40:23). In (37:13) they made the Lamp or the Menorah and later on (40:25) the lamps were lit before Hashem. In Vayakhel (37:25) the Incense Altar was made of gold and later in Pekudei (40:27) the incense was burned on it. In the beginning of Perek 38 the Sacrificial Altar was built, and in Pekudei (40:29) the offering and meal offering were burnt. The last connection in Vayakhel (38:8) the Kiyor, the washstand, was constructed and in Pekudei (40:30) it was filled with water for washing. The word ‘Pekudei’ means to fill in everything that was missing in the utensils made in Vayakhel.

Every person is a Keli/a vessel that Hashem has put into this world. That vessel needs to be filled and used for its ultimate purpose and goal - to serve Hashem with all of Klal Yisrael together. A person cannot pick and choose what goes in or what goes on top. There is a standard held across the board that unifies us all. It’s not about ME; it’s about WE.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica (1801-1854) was a Rabbinic Hasidic thinker and founder of the Ishbitza-Radzyn Chasidic dynasty. Rabbi Mordechai Yosef was born in the Polish town of Tomashov in 1801. At the age of two his father died. Rabbi Mordechai Yosef became a disciple of Reb Simcha Bunim of Peshischa where he joined Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk and Rabbi Yosef of Yartshev, who were also both born in Tomashov. When Rabbi Menachem Mendel became Rebbe in Kotzk, Reb Mordechai Yosef became his disciple there. In 1839 Rabbi Mordechai Yosef became a rebbe in Tomaszów, moving subsequently to Izbica. His leading disciple was Rabbi Yehuda Leib Eiger, grandson of Rabbi Aiva Eiger. Mordechai Yosef Leiner is buried beneath an ohel in the Jewish cemetery in Izbica.