Shevat

On Thursday it will be Rosh Chodesh Shevat.he Sages compare Rosh Chodesh Shevat to the sixth of Sivan, the day the Torah was given to the Jewish people at MountSinai.

The reason for this is that on Rosh Chodesh Shevat Moshe began his final address to the Jewish people before he passed away. For thirty seven days (culminating on the seventh of Adar – the day of Moshe’s passing) he told them the entire book of Devarim. He admonished the People for having rebelled against Hashem during the forty years in the desert. He also repeated and taught many of the commandments and elucidated new mitzvos that had not yet been taught. He recounted the blessings and curses to which the Jewish people would be subjected to and prepared them for the entry into and the possession of the Land of Israel and concluded by blessing them before his death.

Just as the 6th of Sivan is particularly suitable in every year for accepting the yoke of Torah and mitzvos, so too on the first of Shevat new wellsprings of Torah are opened within the hearts of Israel for on that day we received the “repetition” of the Torah. All the days between the first of Shevat and the seventh of Adar are therefore particularly suited for renewed inspiration in the study of Torah and fulfillment of the mitzvos.

R’ Adam Philip

The Importance of Commitment

The Torah says that after Moshe commanded the Jewish people concerning the laws of Pesach on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, “The Jewish people went and did what they were commanded” (Parshas Bo 12:28). The Mechilta asks: Did they then fulfill these commands immediately? No,they did not – the first mitzvah didn’t become operable until the tenth of Nissan, when they purchased the lamb of the Passover sacrifice. But since they committed themselves to fulfill these mitzvos, the Torah considers it as if they fulfilled them immediately.

Similarly, Rabeinu Yona explains regarding the verse “Cursed is the person who does not fulfill the words of the Torah” (Devarim 27:26) that it is not the one who does not fulfill various mitzvos who deserves this special curse, but rather the one who refuses to commit himself to the mitzvos in general. Conversely, one who commits himself to fulfill all the mitzvos gets rewarded immediately even for the ones he cannot yet physically do or does not know. Since he is committed to fulfill whatever mitzvos will come his way, the commitment itself is considered their fulfillment.
(Rabbi Zev Leff)

All Black

At the end of this week’s parsha we are instructed about the mitzvah of tefillin. The Talmud (Menachos 35a) teaches us that Moshe was taught that the retzuos (straps) of tefillin must be black. This would seem to mean that the entire top side of the reztuah must be black. The other side can be any colour (not red). Traditionally, this was indeed the appearance of retzuos – black only on the top. However, recently some people have reztuos which are black on both sides. What is the reason for this?

If a retzuah has even the smallest area which is no longer (or never was) black, its kashrus is questionable. To avoid this problem, the following idea was conceived: soaking the retzuah in black paint so as to saturate the entire retzuah. This eliminates doubts regarding white spots on the retzuah because even if a bit of paint fades or scrapes off the surface, the visible part remains black.

Some authorities encourage this whilst others hold that it is not necessary.
(Inside םת”ם – A Complete Buyer’s Guide by Rabbi Reuvain Mendlowitz)

No More Tolerance

The Jewish people were told that Hashem would take them out from sivlos Mitzrayim (6:6). This is normally translated as the burdens of Egypt – Hashem would take them away from the yoke of the burdens of Egypt (Rashi). However, an alternative explanation is offered. Savlanut in Hebrew means patience. As long as the Jewish people could bear and tolerate the exile in Egypt they could not be redeemed. Hashem took this tolerance away from them and made life in Egypt disgusting in the eyes of the Jews. Then they were ready for redemption. (Chidushei HaRim)

Parshas Va’eira

What is it that gives so many of us the option of erring and not believing in G-d (this is not limited to not believing in G-d at all)? Nature. The farmer plows and sows seeds, the rain provide the water and the crop grows. A person who is ill goes to the doctor, gets medicine and is cured. Everything seems to work through cause and effect. The purpose of the exodus from Egypt was so that the Jewish people would reach a level of belief in Hashem that even within the normal workings of nature, there would be an awareness and cognizance of Hashem, and the Hand of Hashem would be obvious to all. This is the meaning behind Hashem’s statement when He said during the plague of beasts that He would distinguish between the land of Goshen (where the Jewish people lived) and the rest of Egypt and there would be no beasts in Goshen, “So that You will know that I am Hashem in the midst of the land” (8:18). In the midst of the land, in the normal, everyday occurences, the Jewish people will be fully aware that Hashem is in charge. (Da’as Chachmah U’Mussar – quoted)

It’s Not The Size Of The Man In The Fight, But The Size Of The Fight In The Man

In this week’s parsha, Va’aira, we find the first seven of the ten miraculous plagues with which Hashem smote the Egyptian nation as a punishment for the cruel way that they had treated the Jews. These plagues were brought about through the involvement of Moshe and Aharon.

After observing the inconsistent order with which the Torah refers to Moshe and Aharon, sometimes Moshe is mentioned first and other times Aharon is mentioned first, Rashi makes a startling comment. He says that the Torah mixed the order in order to relate the fact that these two brothers were absolutely equal with regards to their spiritual greatness. The obvious difficulty with this remark is that the Sages tell us that Moshe Rabainu was the greatest prophet that there will ever be, so how could it be said that Aharon was on par?

An answer offered is as follows, greatness, in G-d’s eyes, is not measured by where one is, but rather how far he traveled to get there. Spiritual success is not measured in absolute terms, but rather, relative to where and with what “tools” one started the journey of life. Of course in absolute terms Moshe was greater, but that’s not how Hashem sees things. This being the case there is little sense in looking over ones shoulder at how good or bad his friend is doing as a basis of chartering one’s own progress. Simply put, our job is to be the greatest person WE can be.

R’ Ezer Pine

Holiness

As mentioned last week, we are now in a period of the year called “Shovavim.” This time is especially apt for matters regarding “holiness.”

The Hebrew/biblical word for “holy” is kadosh, or kedusha. This word is used by the Torah, telling us kedoshim tihiu – you should be holy. It is also used at the marriage ceremony, when the groom says to his bride – harei at mekudeshet li – you are “holy” to me. We also make Kiddush on Shabbos and Yom Tov. Tthe Temple is called Beis Hamikdash and the holy of holiest – Kodesh HaKodashim.

It seems as if translating “kadosh” as “holy” falls short of the true meaning of the term.

“Kodesh” in biblical Hebrew means separation. We are commanded to separate ourselves (kedoshim tihiu). The bride is separated from other women. The Shabbos and Yom Tov are separated from the rest of the days of the year. The Temple was also separated as being unique and so was the most holy of all places, where only the Kohen Gadol – the High Priest, could enter and even that, only once a year, on Yom Kippur.

We are supposed to be a holy people. The Torah commands us to separate ourselves in matters of food, speech, marital relations and in general all aspects of life. We are supposed to conduct ourselves in a loftier manner that the average person, even in matters that are not explicitly forbidden by the Torah. Just like a person of a higher social status or position is expected to behave in a certain manner and certain behavior is unfit for his likes, so too Hashem’s people are supposed to behave accordingly.

As mentioned, we are now reading in the Torah about the “creation” of the Jewish people. The above mentioned is all part of, if not the essence, of being Jewish. It is therefore befitting for this time to be a time especially apt for strengthening oneself in these matters.

R’ Adam Philip

Working For A Purpose

Moshe was initially instructed to tell Pharoah that the Jews wanted to leave Egypt for 3 days of celebration and sacrifice in the desert. Pharoah was not told the real intent of their departure so that he could exercise his free will. Had he been told that the Jews wished to leave forever, he could not possibly have granted their request. The Jewish people, on the other hand, had to be told the truth about their departure even though the prospect of having to conquer the Land might fill them with dread, for the ultimate goal of the Land of Israel gave meaning to the entire Exodus.

Work can be exhilarating, fulfilling and ennobling, but only when it is purposeful work, work with a goal. Purposeless work only serves to break a person’s spirit.

Women many times feel that their work is meaningless with no lasting results. The clean clothes are soon soiled again, the house messed up as soon as it is straightened. The result of hours of toil in the kitchen are not framed and saved for perpetuity, but quickly devoured. The key to making these chores ennobling and exhilirating is constantly remembering their ultimate goal: the creation of an atmosphere enabling each member of the family to fucntion properly and develop his or her ultimate potential. (Rabbi Zev Leff)

Mind The Idol

A person should avoid davening in a place where there are idols. If he has no where else to daven without getting disturbed he may do so, however, he should not face any idols that are hanging on the wall. (Rema, Mishneh Brurah).

What is the source for this halachah? While Egypt was being smitten with the plague of hail, Pharoh asked Moshe to daven to Hashem to remove the hail. Moshe replied that when he leaves the town he will daven. Why could he not daven in the town? Because the town was full of idols (Parshas Va’eira 9:29 with Rashi). We see that a person should not daven in a place that contains idols.

If Moshe should not have davened in a town full of idols, why did he wait until the plague of hail, the seventh plague, until he left the city before davening? He should have left the city when he davened during other plagues (frogs, wild beasts)! Many answers are suggested. Some say that he did indeed leave the city before davening to remove the other plagues. We are only told about it at the plague of hail because Pharoh wanted the plague to stop immediately. Moshe responded that it would not as he had to leave the town before davening (Ramban).

Holy Standings

When Moshe had turned to see the burning bush Hashem told him that the place where he was standing was holy (3:5). This also hints to us an interesting idea. Sometimes a person is in a pressurized situation and it’s hard for him to concentrate on his Yiddishkeit. “When I have more peace of mind, then I’ll give more attention to developing, just not right now,” he thinks to himself. The Torah warns us that the place where you are standing right now is holy, no matter what the circumstances, it is an opportunity to grow and advance in your Yiddishkeit. (Chofetz Chaim – quoted)