The purpose-driven mitzvah

Hi,

"Know that all deeds of [Divine] service, like learning Torah, praying and performing other mitzvot, are intended only for one to study and to be involved in the commands of Gd, and to turn from the affairs of the world, as though you had involved yourself in Gd and ceased from everything else.

"However, if you pray with the movement of your lips, and your face is to the wall, and you think of your commerce, and you read Torah with your tongue but your heart is in the construction of your home without comprehending what you are reading, or you perform any mitzvah with your limbs like one who digs a hole in the ground or chops wood from the forest without thinking about that deed, the One who commanded it or the goal of the deed, then don't think you have achieved the purpose. You will be one who is 'close', as in Yirmiyah 12:2: 'You [Gd] are close in their mouths, but far from their innards.'"

(Rambam, Moreh haNevuchim 3:51)

כתיבה וחתימה טובה,
Mordechai

The definition of "crooked"

Hi,

[Kohelet 1:15 bemoans "the crooked thing that cannot be straightened."]

"Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: 'Crooked' only refers to something which was once straight, and then became crooked. What is this? A Torah scholar who leaves Torah."

(Mishnah Chagigah 1:7)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

Apology

Hi,

I would like to take a moment to ask everyone receiving this email feed for mechilah (forgiveness) for anything hurtful or offensive I wrote, or should have written and did not, in the past year. I know that people's sensitivities are varied, but I am not always as careful as I could be.

If there was anything at all, please do let me know. I can grow by learning from my mistakes.

May we all be inscribed and sealed for a great new year,
Mordechai

Kohanim serve Gd, not people

Hi,

"Abba bar bar Chana and Rav Huna were sitting and eating, and R' Zeira was standing and serving them. R' Zeira ascended and brought both wine and oil in one hand. Abba bar bar Chana asked him, 'What is your other hand holding [that you use one hand for both]?'

"Abba bar bar Chana's father grew angry at his son, and said, 'It isn't enough for you that you are reclining while he stands and serves? Further, he is a kohen, and Shemuel taught, 'One who uses a kohen is guilty of trespass!' And yet, you mock him?! I decree that he should recline and you should stand and serve in his place.'"

(Talmud Yerushalmi, Berachot 8:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The merit of our ancestors

Hi,

"When the Jews sinned in the wilderness, Moshe stood before Gd and said many prayers before Him and was not answered, until he said, “Remember Avraham, Yitzchak and Yisrael, Your servants,” and he was answered immediately."

(Talmud, Shabbat 30a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A lesson in forgiveness

Hi,

A lesson in forgiveness:

"And Yosef said: I am Yosef, your brother, whom you sold to Egypt. Now, do not be upset or angry for selling me here; Gd sent me here before you, for survival… Gd sent me before you to give you a portion in the land, and to keep you alive with a great rescue. Now: You did not send me here; Gd did it. Gd made me an authority for Pharaoh and master of his house, and ruler over all of Egypt."

(Bereishit 45:4-8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Yonah's conclusion

Hi,

The conclusion of Yonah, that appears in midrash rather than the text of the book:

"Yonah immediately fell on his face and said, “Master of the Universe! I know that I have sinned before You. Forgive my sin of fleeing to the sea, for I did not know the strength of Your power. Now I know.”"

(Midrash, Yalkut Shimoni 551)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Gd vs Truth

Hi,

"R' Simon said: When Gd came to create Adam, the ministering angels formed groups, some saying he should not be created and some saying he should be created… Chesed said he should be created for he performs kindnesses, Truth said he should not be created because he is entirely of lies, Justice said he should be created for he performs acts of justice, Shalom said he should not be created beause he is entirely of quarrels.

"What did Gd do? He took Truth and cast it to the ground, as it is written, 'And You cast truth to earth.'"

(Midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 8:5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

What happens when we sin

Hi,

"R' Yehoshua ben Levi said: Were the nations to know that they are struck due to Israel's sins, they would appoint two officers for each Jew to make certain he kept the Torah and did not sin!"

(Midrash Tanchuma Bechukotai 2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Justify the actions of others

Hi,

"One must always judge others favorably; the Smag ruled that this is a commandment. One must also argue for the merit of the Jewish people before Gd, and to find reasons to justify any [apparently incorrect] practice which the masses perform, which cannot be corrected. However, if one can correct it then one should do so, rather than 'enter a strained gap.'"

(Marganita Tava of R' Yehonatan Voliner, reprinted in Kol Kitvei Chafetz Chaim, #9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

When do we say, 'Gd will provide'?

Hi,

"In truth, when we inquire of a person about his conduct in his household spending, in which he acts as though he was wealthy and great beyond his means, his answer is ready to hand. He says that he cannot reduce his household needs one iota, and he trusts Gd to help him with this.

"However, when a matter of tzedakah and chesed comes before him, he toughens his heart and closes his hand and makes himself out to be needy and indigent, and he does not even give according to his means.

"Regarding this Mishlei 13:7 says, 'There is one who acts as though he is wealthy and he has nothing, and one who acts as though he is poor and he has great wealth.'"

(Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (Chafetz Chaim), Ahavat Chesed, Afterword)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Praying for others' welfare

Hi,

"Among the elements of kindness is to pray for people who are ill, for Gd to heal them... And the same applies to praying for someone who is in some other trouble, even without his knowledge, as we find that Avraham prayed for the people of Sdom, that their city should not be overturned."

(Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan (Chafetz Chaim), Ahavat Chesed, Chapter 8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Waiting for miracles

Hi,

"The Jewish nation [at the time of construction of the Second Beit haMikdash] had a prophetic tradition that before the true redemption there would be miracles in the heavens and earth, and the war of Gog and Magog…

"[They asked:] How may we say the time has come to build, if the time which must come before building, the time of signs and miracles, has not yet happened?

"Also, a condition of building was that they have rest from their enemies first, as they had experienced at the time when Shlomo built the Beit haMikdash, and that time of rest had not arrived; they were bound to the kings of Madai and Paras."

(Malbim to Chaggai 1:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The origin of clothing

Hi,

"They [Adam and Chavah, pre-sin] did not need to wear clothes for the sake of privacy, for all of the parts of the body were sacred. It was only after the sin that they descended from their level, and then bashfulness about one's limbs became relevant as the draw toward sin became more powerful."

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:60)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Fasting due to a dream: Listen to your heart

Hi,

"Regarding observing a fast due to a dream: It is generally appropriate to give appropriate space in one's life for his spirit's feelings as they are, without over-analysis, for this is the wisdom of life. Therefore, it is appropriate to make space for one's spiritual state, which seeks that he fulfill its demands via some pain or infliction, of which the most natural form is a fast."

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Igrot haRa'ayah I 79)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

My derashah from the Shabbos after September 11th

This is the derashah I delivered on Shabbos Parshas Netzavim, September 17, 2001. There are elements I would present differently were I writing it today, but in the interest of authenticity I'm leaving it as is:

I said something on Tuesday night [the night of September 11, at a Tehillim session] , which was not quite true. Of course the Morning Call would quote one line out of a speech and it would be the one line about which I had mixed feelings. I said, “This is not a funeral; America yet lives.”

America yet lives, but thousands of people are dead. America yet lives, but thousands of families have been shattered. America yet lives, but a nation is suddenly terrified at the thought of entering a tall building or entering an airplane. So isn’t it a funeral for the dead? Isn’t it a funeral for a nation which is no longer whole?

On further reflection, though, the answer must be that this is not a funeral, and the answer comes from this week’s Torah portion - Atem Nitzavim HaYom Kulchem, You are standing here today, all of you.

What is the context for this verse? It comes on the heels of a description of horrible punishments which Gd promises he will bring against the Jews if they stray from His covenant. It comes right before a description which is eerily similar to Tuesday’s pictures – Gafris vaMelach Sereifah Kol Artzah, Ash and salt will burn the entire land. Moshe says: Don’t panic, “Atem Nitzavim HaYom Kulchem,” “You’re still standing.”

But how can Moshe say this? Moshe was addressing a group which was a She’eiris, which was a remainder from massive destruction. Thousands died after the Golden Calf, thousands died after the incident with Midian, a generation had been wiped out after the Spies – so how could Moshe say to them, “Atem Nitzavim HaYom Kulchem,” “You’re all still standing?” It’s manifestly false! Most of them were not still standing, at all! Most of them died in the desert!

The answer, I think, lies in the meaning of the word “Nitzavim,” which we translated loosely as “standing.” Onkelos, the ancient Aramaic commentary to the Torah, renders “Nitzavim” as “Kayyamim.” “Kayyam” doesn’t refer to ‘standing,’ in the physical sense; “Kayyam” refers to survival, to endurance. When Moshe says “Atem Nitzavim,” he is saying, “You have Kiyyum,” a lasting existence.

Rav Dovid Kviat points out a similar use of the verb root, “Nitzav.” Yosef had a dream in which he saw himself and his siblings as sheaves of wheat. All of the other sheaves were bowing to his sheaf, and his sheaf is described as “Kamah Alumasi veGam Nitzavah,” “My stalk stood, and was also Nitzavah.” If “Nitzavah” refers to standing, the word is redundant! “It stood and it also stood?!” No – Yosef is saying, my sheaf stood, and endured, and will endure forever. That is the meaning of “Nitzav.”

The Baal haTurim throws in another, similar use of the root of “Nitzav.” The Jews assembled at Sinai, and we are told, “Vayisyatzvu beSachtis haHar.” “They stood at the bottom of the mountain.” They stood at Sinai, yes, but more than that, they committed themselves to an eternal stand, to a covenant with Gd. Their acceptance of Torah rendered them eternal.

In fact, the word “Nitzav” shows up as a base for another word which is, unfortunately, familiar to most of us. How do you say “gravestone” in Hebrew? A Matzeivah. A Matzeivah is a monument, an eternal mark.

Moshe says to the Jewish people, “Atem Nitzavim HaYom Kulchem.” Not “All of you are standing here,” because not all of them were standing there. But “All of you are eternal,” are part of an enduring whole.

What makes the Jew eternal? The answer is also in this morning’s Torah reading – it’s the Torah they accepted at Sinai, but it’s also something extra.

Moshe says to the Jewish people (29:28), “HaNistaros LaShem Elokeinu,” “the hidden deeds are for Gd to deal with,” “veHaNiglos Lanu Ulevaneinu Ad Olam,” but public acts are for us and our children to take care of, forever – Moshe and the Jewish people committed themselves here, as a nation, to the concept of Arevus, and that Arevus is what makes us eternal.

What is “Arevus?” “Arevus” means a mixture, it means joint responsibility. A co-signer on a loan is called an “Arev.” A mixture containing various inseparable elements is an “Irbuvya.” We are Arevim, we have joint responsibility for each other, every Jew has a responsibility for every other Jew. This isn’t meant to be chauvinist against the rest of the world; it’s a family covenant that we accept an extra level of responsibility for each other.

This extra layer of responsibility has important practical ramifications. Rav Soloveitchik held that this joint responsibility is what makes one Jew able to perform a Mitzvah on behalf of another Jew. For example, I can make Kiddush and fulfill the Mitzvah for everyone who says, “Amen.” Why does that work? Because my responsibility isn’t over and done when I complete my Mitzvah; my responsibility includes making sure that everyone else gets done with their Mitzvos. That’s the concept of Arevus.

This is also the source for the concept of Ahavas Chinam, the idea of baseless love. I have a responsibility to love each and every other Jew. Why? What if they haven’t done anything for me? What if I don’t know them? Doesn’t matter – we are part of this contract.

That's the agreement the Jews signed in this morning’s Torah reading, and that’s what made them “Nitzavim,” enduring. When the Jews created a nation – and that’s what they were doing here – they also united themselves with all of their descendants. That verse I just read, about the hidden and public acts, concludes, “veHaNiglos Lanu Ulevaneinu Ad Olam,” the public acts are for us and for our descendants forever – we are all one, across the generations.

And that’s how Moshe could stand before the Jewish people, a tattered remnant which had survived fire, famine, drought, war and plagues, and say, “Atem Nitzavim HaYom Kulchem,” “You are all Nitzavim today.” They weren’t all still alive and breathing – but they were all enduring, all eternal, with the Torah they had accepted and their joint responsibility for each other.

We are still standing, too – as part of America, and as Jews, we are still here. It’s been an awful year, a lifesize nightmare, from stones, firebombs, car bombs, and mortar attacks, to the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. We have lost friends and relatives; we hold out hope that more will make it out of the rubble, or turn up in hospitals. Our confidence is shaken, our certainty that “It can’t happen here” is gone for now – but Atem Nitzavim, but we stand as part of an enduring nation, with a commitment to Torah and a commitment to Joint Responsibility, and a commitment to build a better year.

How to comfort mourners

Hi,

"The fundamental issue in comforting mourners is to comfort them in their pain. The practice of reciting [the formula of] 'May Gd comfort etc', may fulfill the mitzvah of comforting mourners, but it would be better to speak to the mourner's heart and so alleviate his pain through one's words. This is the essential element of providing comfort."

(R' Yisrael Meir Kagan (Chafetz Chaim), Ahavat Chesed Perek 5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Don't leave it for your children to do

Hi,

"Every person should seek to improve, personally, through his own energies, in any way he can find, whether in his Torah study or in his good deeds.

"He should not depend upon his children to complete the task after him through their deeds, or for them to elevate his status [through their good deeds]. Certainly, his children will also be busy with their affairs, and they, too, will not have time to improve their deeds, and they will depend upon their own children, who in turn will depend upon their descendants, and his hope will be for naught!"

(R' Yisrael Meir Kagan (Chafetz Chaim), Ahavat Chesed, Perek 4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The unique shofar of Rosh HaShanah

Hi,

"This holiday [Rosh haShanah] is different from all of the other appointed times, in that we blow the shofar on this day.

"The shofar is always a sign of fright; we normally blow the shofar on fasts for rain or for any other trouble, times when we do not play musical instruments. On Rosh HaShanah, though, the Levites play music in the Beit haMikdash and we also blow the shofar, such that the shofar blast does not frighten the nation."

(Malbim to Tehillim 81:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Adoption

Hi,

"One who raises an orphan in his house is viewed by the Torah as though he had birthed him."

(Talmud, Megilah 13a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The body in which one will be resurrected

Hi,

"The second principle [regarding the ultimate resurrection of the dead] is that it will not only be spiritual, such that the soul would return to a body other than the first one that was destroyed, as thought by Christian scholars. That would be a case of souls returning in different bodies, or a brand new creation and not the resurrection of those who had died.

"The Torah's belief is that the original body will be re-formed from the elements it had originally contained, with their qualities and quantities and blends, and with the soul that originally inhabited it."

(Don Isaac Abarbanel, Introduction to Yeshayah)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Be like a banker

Hi,

"Each individual is obligated to make every effort in pursuit of the honor of Gd, at all times, leaving himself only a little time to earn his household's needs, just as a banker makes do with small amounts of food when he goes off to the army."

(R' Yisrael Meir Kagan (Chafetz Chaim), Chomat haDat, Perek 1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Don't imitate Pharaoh!

Hi,

"We have found regarding Pharaoh that he repented, saying, 'Gd is just, and I and my nation are wicked (Shemot 9:27).' However, his repentance did not endure beyond the time when he was struck by a plague, and when his situation eased then he became the old Pharaoh and a new plague was required, and so on.

"So it is with us, if our repentance is only on that day, when the trouble remains with us, and then when the truble passes a person returns to his old traits. This is not full repentance – and, just the opposite, it can increase Divine wrath, Gd-forbid."

(R' Yissachar Teichtel, Em haBanim Smeichah, Perek 3, citing R' Yosef Tzarfati)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Tzedakah oversight

Hi,

"Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov said: One may not contribute to a tzedakah fund unless it has an overseer who is like Rabbi Chanina ben Tradyon [in his honesty]."

(Talmud, Avodah Zarah 17b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai