Rabbi's Blog

This Dvar Torah is L’Ilui Nishmas Eliezer Ben Avraham a”h, in memory of Mr. Larry Greenbaum

Throughout history communication has evolved and changed in tandem with society, culture, and vagaries of life. . As we know, speech is a major form of communication, and one outgrowth of speech is the ever-evolving use of slang. Most words have multiple meanings, depending upon context – sometimes connoting positive and good, while at other times conveying meanings which are negative and evil. Two weeks ago my wife discovered that her car was ‘keyed’. ‘Keyed’ in this context, in my opinion, is an act which earns the person who has done this reserved spot in the seventh level of Gehinom. It is the ultimate, senseless act of destruction and malice that a ‘human being’ can commit. A person just takes a key and scratches the length of the side of a car or a portion of it just for the heck of it. When a person sees his car was keyed it’s as if the offender has scratched out the skin of the person. To add insult to injury, these hoodlums never ‘key’ an, old beat-up car - only a nice new one.

Usually the usage of the word ‘key’ is positive. The Hebrew word for ‘key’ is ‘Mafteiach’ , meaning the thing with which one opens an object, idea, or opportunity. A key or Mafteiach opens locks, doors, opportunities, and is the word used for an index and many other things as well. The ‘Key’ is used in many ways to define and describe something. Here is a list of some of the times we use the word ‘key’:

1. A metal instrument by which the bolt of a lock is turned

2.  A means of gaining or preventing entrance, possession, or control
3.  Something that gives an explanation or identification or provides a solution the key to a riddle an aid to interpretation or identification
4. One of the levers of a keyboard musical instrument that actuates the mechanism and produces the tones or a part to be depressed by a finger that serves;  one unit of a keyboard
5. A system of tones and harmonies generated from a hierarchical scale of seven tones based on a tonic such as the key of G major
6. The tone or pitch of a voice and the predominant tone of a photograph with respect to its lightness or darkness
7. A small switch for opening or closing an electric circuit, i.e. a telegraph key
8. The set of instructions governing the decipherment of messages
9. A free-throw area in basketball

In classical Jewish thought we view keys as the entrance way to places and things we need. The Gemara Taanis 2a states: "R' Yochanan said: Three keys the Holy One blessed be He has retained in His own hands and not entrusted to the hand of any messenger: the Key of Rain, the Key of Childbirth, and the Key of the Revival of the Dead". The three keys mentioned here by the sages are all tied to the source of existence. Through them God "touches" our world at three central stations in life - inception, being, and resurrection.

We can infer from Reb Yochanan’s statement that there are other keys that are entrusted to the hands of many messengers. Perhaps we can suggest the key of health, sustenance, and livelihood just to name a few. Have you ever asked yourself, “What key am I holding?” Do the keys that I have work anymore, or are they keys that one time worked but do not now because the mechanisms were changed or because there are new locks? I sometimes find old keys which I have not used in many years, yet they could probably still open something up if only I knew what. Sometimes we have the keys, but for some reason they just don’t work. This situation is found in this week’s Parsha Vayeilech.

In Devarim 31:2 the Torah states: “Vayomer Aleihem Ben Meah V’Esrim Shana Anochi HaYom, Lo Uchal Ode Latzeis V’Lavo, VaHashem Amar Eilaiy Lo Sa’Avor Es HaYarden Hazeh”. “He said to them: Today I am 120 years old and I can no longer come and go. God also has told me that I would not cross the Jordan”. *Rav Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica in his sefer Mei HaShiloach explains the words, “I can no longer come and go”. On this day Moshe Rabbeinu reached wholesomeness and truthfulness and God inscribed His name onto Moshe. For as long as a person does not complete himself in this world, he is still able to reach higher limits. At the same time of pursuit, the person runs the risk that Chas V’Shalom he could lose all that he had gained previously. But once a person reaches that level, he can never fall and lose that which has been gained; He cannot reach any higher. Moshe is declaring he reached a certain height and can no longer go lower or even higher. Moshe states that he can’t lose what he gained in this world because Hashem stamped him for all his deeds that he had already acquired. At the same time he can no longer gain any more.

The Aseres Y’Mei Teshuva are days to help us to get all of our keys together, to figure out which keys still work and which keys are no longer needed.  We are in control of many storehouses of blessing. Each of us has the power to control the key to our destiny for this coming year and for the future of our families and Klal Yisrael. May we a make use of our keys to develop ourselves for the good and to be blessed with a year of brachos, health, and nachas.

Ah Gut Shabbos & a Gmar Chasima Tova

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

 *(1801-1854) was a rabbinicHasidic thinker and founder of the Izhbitza-Radzyn dynasty of Hasidic Judaism.

Rabbi Mordechai Yosef was born in Tomashov in 1801. His father Reb Yaakov , was the son of Reb Mordechai of Sekul, a descendant of Rabbi Saul Wahl. At the age two Rabbi Yosef became orphaned of his father. He became a disciple of Reb Simcha Bunim of Peshischa where he joined Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk and Rabbi Yosef of Yartshev; both also born in Tomashov. When Rabbi Menachem Mendel became Rebbe in Kotzk, Reb Mordechai Yosef became his disciple there; then in 1839 he became a rebbe in Tomaszów, moving subsequently to Izbica.

His leading disciple was Rabbi Yehuda Leib Eiger (1816-1888), grandson of Rabbi Akiva Eiger. His students included Rabbi Zadok HaKohen of Lublin (1823–1900), his son, Rabbi Yaakov Leiner (1828–1878) and his grandson RabbiGershon Henoch Leiner of Radzyn. Mordechai Yosef Leiner is buried in an ohel on the Jewish cemetery in Izbica.