Miller’s Musings Parshas Vo’eschanon-Just Look At What You Have Done!

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם בס”ד

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Quote of the Week: “If you aren’t proud of your accomplishments, then what have you accomplished?”

Miller’s Musings

Parshas Va’eschanan

Just Look What You’ve Done!

He pleaded and pleaded, but in the end it was all to no avail. His entire life was perhaps leading to this moment, to enter Eretz Yisroel, but it was not to be. As some form of consolation Hashem instructs Moshe to ascend the top of a cliff and miraculously cast his gaze over the entire scope of the Holy Land. “Go up…and raise your eyes westward, northward, southward and eastward.” The question is why there was a need for Moshe to look to the east? There lay the land of Sichon and Og which did not make up part of Eretz Yisroel and through which he and the people had already traversed.

Perhaps as Moshe’s final throw of the dice, he requested that he at least be allowed to cross the Jordan and see the good mountain of Yerushalayim. Rashi tells us that Hashem showed Moshe every part of the land, something of a comfort for him, granting him more than the small portion that he had requested. The simple answer would therefore be that He was showing him, not every direction from where he stood, atop the mountain. Rather every part of the land, covering every geographical region. But perhaps we could suggest something deeper. In Hashem’s infinite wisdom it would not be right to permit Moshe to enter the land, but anything He could do to lighten the blow He of course would do. He could at least show him the land in its entirety, which He does. And maybe showing him the land in the east was another form of comfort. To look back over all he had accomplished. To see that he had come so far and carried the burden of leadership for so long. The message from Hashem was that you may not have reached where you wanted to be, but you have achieved something so monumental, you have nothing to bemoan or lament. The east represented everything that he had accomplished and it was to this that Hashem asked him to reflect on to give him solace from his regret.

Disappointments, failure and loss. These are all a part of the inevitability of life. What is not inevitable however is how we deal with them. Ultimately it is all down to us and the choices we make. Are we halted by the obstacles or do we prevail over them? Are we drowned by our setbacks or do we persevere through them? Are we crushed by our defeats or do we overcome them? These are the decisions we make and they are what determine our future. Once we have determined that we will endure no matter what, we must look for tools to help us prevail and one of them is knowing and valuing all we have achieved and all that was gained. As we have seen it gives us comfort, but more than that it gives us strength. A disappointment is disheartening, but haven’t we already managed to persist through so much that challenged us. Failure can be shattering, but didn’t we win so many times before. Loss is tragic, but weren’t we blessed so greatly with what we had. Never underestimate how much you have triumphed. Never lose sight of how fortunate you were with the good fortune you possessed. Life can be testing and it is easy to say we can go on no more. But you have done it before and succeeded. You can do it again. And with Hashem’s help, you will.

*May the power of Shabbos give us the strength to overcome*

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Tisha B’Av

Here we are again – another Tisha B’Av. We mourn the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, but lets be honest with ourselves – does it really bother us that we do not have a Beis HaMikdash? Are we really mourning? A person can mourn the passing of a close relative. He understands how he gained from that person and what that persons stood for. A person can only mourn something if he appreciates the role and benefits of it. We do not appreciate what the Beis HaMikdash was.

Someone who was born in prison and is given all his basic needs – he has food, shelter, clothing and even recreation. This is life. He has no idea what goes on outside the jail. He is not missing anything. Life is fine. But if he would be released, he would now appreciate that there is a whole world outside life in prison. And if we were to put back into jail, he miss the outside world. We too have been born in jail. We have no idea what we are really missing. And it is even more than this. The Jewish people without a Beis HaMikdash is compared to a body without a soul (as we say in the berachos after the haftorah – ki hi beis chayeinu, for it is the house of our lives). We may be walking around but our life, our real life, has gone.

The Beis HaMikdash was the home of Hashem, a place of miracles, a place to get atonement, a place of holiness, the source of wisdom in the world, the source of physical berachah (and

much more). The Jewish nation were aggrandized and most importantly, Hashem was glorified.

Disgraced

Sadly it appears that this Tisha beAv, we will be repeating the same laments and reading the Megillah of Eicha, as in previous years.

A theme which is repeated in reference to the destruction of the Beis Hamikdosh is that as a result we became a “disgrace in the eyes of the nations”. The term ״חרפה״- disgrace, implies more than just disdain, a person is disgraced when he didn’t live up to what he should have. The question is what standards were we required keep for the sake of the Nations, in what way are we accountable to them for our failings.
An idea expressed is that HaShem’s “grand plan” for the bettering of humanity was that the Jewish nation were to be a conduit for the spread of His enlightenment throughout the universe- the nations of the world knew this, in their eyes they had been sold short- a disgrace.

We also find in Tehiilim a verse which states ״חרפה שברה ליבי״- the disgrace broke my heart- putting these verses together we arrive at a truly mourn worthy conclusion- more than letting the nations of the world down, we let ourselves down! We became disgraced with ourselves.

The tumbling of the walls of the Beis HaMikdosh were a natural consequence of the true tragedy- the disappearance of the holy Shechinah (Divine presence) from residing amongst the people.

Every person had his own personal, internal sanctuary- בתוך לבי משכן which when that collapsed the rest followed. We sold ourselves short.

Whatever can be broken, seemingly not in line with G-d’s Will, can for sure be restored with heavenly assistance- if we could disgrace, we can surely replace.

May we not have a Tisha beAv at all this week, but if we do may it be meaningful.

R’ Ezer Pine

When The Day After Tisha B’Av is Erev Shabbos

On Tisha B’Av we mourn the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash. Interestingly, the sanctuary was actually only burned towards the evening of Tisha B’Av and continued burning until sunset the next day (the tenth of Av). The sages fixed the date of Tisha B’Av based on the beginning of the tragedy. However, it is an appropriate custom not to eat meat or drink wine on the tenth of Av (Shulchan Aruch). Our practise is only to be stringent until midday on the tenth (Remah). We also do not bathe, have haircuts or wash clothes until that time (Mishne Brurah).

When Tisha B’Av occurs on a Thursday (as is the case this year), the tenth is erev Shabbos and these activities are permitted in order to honour the Shabbos (Mishne Brurah). Does this mean that they are permitted already from Thursday night or only from Friday morning?

Regarding washing clothes there are strong grounds to be lenient. During the Nine Days we do not do laundry so that we should not take our minds away from the mourning of the destruction. In a regular year we keep up this focus until midday after Tisha B’Av. If we are allowed to wash clothes for Shabbos, whenever we wash them we would be losing focus on the mourning so it should not matter whether it is done and night or in the morning. Another reason to wash clothes on Thursday night is that during the regular year we should launder our clothes on Thursday so that we have time on erev Shabbos to prepare for Shabbos (before washing machines laundering was a big time-comsuming ordeal). It is not likely that the custom of not washing clothes the day after Tisha B’Av would infringe upon this institution. (Maadanei Yom Tov)

Haircuts should rather be taken on Friday unless it cannot be done then. The reason why these activities are permitted is to honour the Shabbos therefore a person should not have a shower in the morning and then again in the afternoon for Shabbos (Maadanei Yom Tov). It is also not permitted to listen to music until midday on Firday as listening to music does not involve honouring the Shabbos (R’ Chaim Kaniefsky – quoted).

Merciful Father

Calamity and misfortune are not G-d’s tools of revenge and punishment for the sake of punishment. Rather, they are a means to arouse us to recognize that we have brought spiritual illness and calamity upon ourselves because of our sins, and that this is the physical manifestation of that spiritual malady. Suffering is like pain – a warning that something is wrong and needs to be identified and corrected. It is a method of discipline, as a father disciplines a child who runs into the street in the path of an oncoming truck. The child needs to be chastised and perhaps even physically struck in order to keep him from harming himself in the future.

For this reason, the month of our greatest calamity, the month in which the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed, is called Av (father).

It reminds us that we have an Av HaRachaman, a Merciful Father in heaven, who cares enough about us to punish us in order to prevent us from committing spiritual suicide.

Perhaps this is one way to explain the concluding verse of Eichah, “For if You are truly disgusted with us, You have been excessively angry with us.” If G-d were disgusted with us and sought to destroy us – then why the extended exile? Why bother with us so long? Destroy us and get it over with! From the length and extent of G-d’s involvement with our exile, it is obvious that His intent is not to destroy us, but rather to guide us us back to Him and to the Land of Israel and rebuild the Beis HaMikdash.
(Rabbi Zev Leff)

Miller’s Musings Parshas Devorim: A Real Peace of Work

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Quote of the Week: “When your heart is happy, your mind is free.”

Miller’s Musings

Parshas Devarim

A Real Peace of Work

Replacing Moshe would be an impossible task, but finding people to support the heavy burden that he shouldered alone, was far more feasible. Moshe felt the pressure of contending with the Jewish nation’s foibles and grievances too much for him, so he enlisted the assistance of the greatest men from each tribe to help bear some of the weight. Moshe was told to search for those that were “wise and understanding” but the people selected were described as “wise and well known.” Rashi comments that the implication of this was that he did not manage to procure men who were understanding for this task. This, asks the sefer Har Sinai, seems rather strange. Could he not find one from each tribe that possessed this attribute of understanding?

Of the many aspects of the human psyche, one of our most curious and enduring, is our ability to see others only in ways that confirm our previously held beliefs. No matter what the evidence to the contrary, if we want to believe something of someone else, we will find the substantiation to support this notion. When there is peace and goodwill between people, we are able to recognize and acknowledge their fine points, even if we ourselves pale in comparison. But if there is some acrimony or hostility, no matter how blatant the other person’s qualities are, we will do all we can to ignore and deny them. There may be some virtues that are impossible to refute, such as one whose intellect is indisputable. But if there is a positive trait that can be contested, it will be contested, if there is ill-will within the one who would evaluate it. This Parsha is a masterclass in how to impart ethical teachings. Moshe utilises subtle yet effective hints to ensure the Jewish people understand and, just as importantly, accept his messages. Here too Moshe is alluding to one of their shortcomings. For although he was able to locate men who were wise, as was “well known to your tribes”, for this was something that could not be refuted. But since there was a lack of unity in each tribe, he could not find someone that they would recognise as understanding, a quality that is open to interpretation. The absence of harmony meant that they would not see all the good in each other.

If you can forgive me for harping on once again about the need for peace, let us focus on one more aspect of its significance. We spoke previously of the need to love peace and crave it, but if this is not something one naturally feels it can be a difficult level to aspire to. Considering the tremendous negativity that is generated by bitterness or discord maybe one way of developing these feelings. When we cannot even acknowledge someone else’s goodness, are we not entering this world of negativity? Are we not bringing down all that is around us? This is but one example of the consequence of conflict. But the nature of such feelings is that they cast a dark shadow over so much of our life that we are unable to enjoy or appreciate because of the enmity in our relationships. If we cannot do it for the greater good, to repair the destruction that has brought us into exile, let us do it for our own sake. To bring more light into our existence and to inhabit a space where we see all that is good. There is in truth so much.

*May peace bring light to all we see this Shabbos*

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Parshas Devarim

Obviously, an essential ingredient to all our relationships, be it with our parents, our children, our spouses or our friends, is the need to hear what they say. It is easy to listen to the words, it is another thing to hear them. There can be great differences in the quality of hearing, depending on how much we put our hearts and our souls to the matter.

In parshas Yisro, Moshe Rabbeinu appointed rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties and rulers of tens. They were to judge the people at all times. Every difficult matter they were to bring to Moshe, and every small matter they were to judge themselves. Parshas Devarim also tells us about the appointment of judges but this time Moshe elaborates. “Hear between your brothers and judge righteously… and the matter that is difficult for you, bring it to me” (1:16-17).

In order to be able to judge a case it must first be heard. Before there is a response, the case must be heard with all his soul.

This idea is not limited to court cases. We are all judges in our everyday lives when we interact with others. We should ask ourselves “What does this person really want? What does he really need? Where are the words coming from?” In order to answer such questions, we need to really hear and focus on what the person is saying. (R’ Yaakov Greenwald)

Northward Bound

This week we begin the 5th book of the Torah, the book of Dvarim. The opening parsha, which shares the same name, reports the start of what was to be a long and final speech given by Moshe to prepare the nation prior to their entering the promised land.

Early on in the parsha there is a verse in which the nation are told “Enough of your circling this mountain, turn yourself northward”. There is a midrashic teaching which explains that the word “tzefonah”, which is literally translated “northwards” can also be a reference to the Torah. In the context of the other verses the Rabbi’s explain this instruction to be a command, that when Jews are being persecuted and maltreated, they should run “tzefonah”- they should run to the Torah.

Throughout our roller coaster history, it has been the national obsessive adoration of our precious Torah that has ensured the strength and survival of our Jewish identity.

Similar to what has been expressed regarding Shabbos observance, it could be equally said that “more than the Jews have guarded the Torah has the Torah guarded the Jews “.

In the near future we will (please G-d not) be sadly observing yet another Tisha b’Av- the day which commemorates all calamities that have befallen our nation.

The timing of the message of this week’s parsha is no coincidence- we’ve had enough of circling the mountains of life, it’s time to head “tzefonah”- back to our Torah, back to keeping It the way we know we should.

R’ Ezer Pine

No Meat

From Rosh Chodesh Av (Wednesday) we start a more intense period of mourning in the build up to Tisha B’Av. The Ashkenazi custom is to refrain from eating meat and drinking wine from Rosh Chodesh (except for Shabbos and some other occasions). Even though the Shulchan Aruch mentions the opinion that it is permitted to eat a food that is itself not meat but was cooked with meat, our custom is not to (Mishne Brurah). Therefore a potato from a meat cholent should not be eaten. Parev food that was cooked in a meaty pot (without meat) may be eaten during the Nine Days. If meat gravy for example, fell into a parev soup, if there is 60 times as much soup as meat it is permitted. It is even permitted as long as the meat cannot be tasted (Mishne Brurah, Shaar HaTzion).

It is obvious that meat substitutes such veggie sausages and shnitzels (that do not contain meat) are permitted even if they taste like meat. Even though we are normally not allowed to do an act that to the onlooker appears as if we are doing something wrong (maris ayin), in this case it is permitted because such foods are widespread and people will not assume that meat is being eaten. Similarly, such food may be eaten with cheese as people will not make the mistake of thinking that we are eating meat and milk together. (R’ Yom Tov Zanger based on Shevet HaLevi)

Shabbos Chazon – Seeing the Divine Will in the Mitzvos

Yeshayahu (Yeshayahu 28:10) castigated the Jewish people for serving Hashem, “Command by command, line by line, a little here, and a little there.” His rebuke was based on their failure to integrate the observance of all the mitzvos into a unified service of G-d. Just as Hashem is One, so, too, is His will one. He has one all-encompassing request of man. As the verse says, “What does the L-rd your G-d ask of you other than that you fear Him?” (Devarim 10:12). What Hashem demands from us is a constant awareness of His presence and of our obligation to emulate Him and act according to His will. All the 613 mitzvos are in fact expressions of emunah in Hashem (see Maharsha to Makkos 23b).

Since we are human beings in a physical world, we cannot relate to G-d’s will without it being broken down into segments that we can deal with individually. Imagine a globe of the world encased in a larger globe. In the outer globe, 613 small windows are cut, each window exposing a small portion of the surface of the enclosed globe. A composite picture from all the windows would yield a view of the globe within in. So, too, the individual mitzvos are merely partial manifestations of G-d’s one, all-inclusive will. Each mitzvah is a window through which we glimpse a portion of that will.

Thus there is more to leading a Torah life than merely observing 613 rules. The ultimate goal is to understand the implications of each mitzvah in the context of the overall Divine will that must shape our personality, outlook, and actions. In addition to shemiyah lekol Hashem — listening to G-d’s voice and obeying His commands — one must also have shemiyah bekol Hashem — listening into G-d’s voice, an understanding of the implications and meaning of those mitzvos in their broader context. Observance of the Torah rule by rule, without sensitivity to the aspects of Divine will revealed in each mitzvah, is inadequate.

That was the deficiency of the generation of the Churban (destruction). They kept the mitzvos and learned Torah, but did so perfunctorily. “…With their mouths and lips do they honor Me, but their hearts are far from Me, and their fear of Me is as a commandment of men learned by rote” (Yeshayahu 29:13).

Reb Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz was once invited to be the guest of a certain individual for the Friday night seudah. Arriving home with his host, it was immediately obvious that the hostess had fallen asleep from an exhausting erev Shabbos and had failed to awaken on time to put the finishing touches to the table. Her embarrassed husband berated her for her failure to cover the challos. Reb Shraga Feivel thought to himself how absurd it was for the man to humiliate his wife for not having covered the challos — a minhag designed to keep the challos from being “embarrassed” during Kiddush and to teach us how sensitive we must be to another ‘s honor (we normally recite a beracha on bread before wine, but when there is kiddush we first make kiddush which includes the berachah on the wine). The host, in his concern for the minhag, had completely ignored its implications.
(Rabbi Zev Leff)