Don’t Stumble

The Torah warns us not to place a stumbling block in front of a blind
person (19:14). (Whether this is to be taken literally is discussed).
The verse is understood to mean that a person should not give advice to
someone, who is "blind" regarding a certain matter, that is
inappropriate for him (Rashi). The stress that it must not be
inappropriate for him implies that it is not enough that the advice is a
good idea – it must be good for him. Even if the person giving the
advice has very lofty ideals and wants to help others, if it is not
appropriate for the person requesting the advise, the advice may not be
given. (Brisker Rov – quoted)

Obviously this is a very important lesson for us. Everyday, through our
interactions at work, with friends and of course, at home, we are often
placed in a situation where we are requested to give advice to others.
Where there may be relevance for us, the natural thing is (at least
subconsciously) to put ourselves in the picture and advise according to
our interests. We have to be careful not to allow our own agendas to
creep into the advise and how much more so when we think that there are
lofty causes to gain.

For Your Hear Only

The Torah prohibits us from hating one another. But, interestingly, the Torah does not make a general statement, "Don’t hate your brother." Rather the Torah says, "Don’t hate your brother in your heart" (Kedoshim 19:17). What is the implication of the stress in "your heart?"

Some (brought in Ramban) understand that of course it is prohibited to hate your brother openly. The Torah is just speaking in the normal scenario. The norm is that people who dislike others hide it. Others (Rambam) suggest that the prohibition is only for hating in the heart! Don’t worry. It is still not permitted if it is open as there are other transgressions but a if a person displays his hatred he has not transgressed the prohibition of hating your brother in your heart.

But if a person transgresses in the heart does it not make sense that all the more so he should transgress if he openly displays his hatred? Some (Yad Ketana) say that when a person conceals it and stifles it in his heart, the hatred builds up and may explode. That may be very dangerous. Others (Chofetz Chaim) say that when a person displays his hatred at least the victim knows to be on guard, whereas when a person harbours the hatred in his heart, the potential victim is unaware of it and will not be cautious. Therefore if someone speaks loshan hara about someone that he does not like (where it won’t be related to the victim), according to the Yad Ketana he will presumably not trasgress as he has "let off steam" but according to the Chofetz Chaim, even though the hatred was not kept in his heart, the victim does not know about it, and so is still under threat.

A Holy Jew

The purpose of Torah learning and Torah observance is to transform the Jew into a holy being: "You shall be holy, for I, your G-d, am holy" (Kedoshim 19:2). We must emulate Hashem as much as humanly possible and then we will become holy like G-d. It is the Torah that gives us the ability to develop this G-dlike personality and essence. Through learning and observing the Torah, a Jew literally transforms himself into a living sefer Torah. Thus the Gemara (Makkos 22b) says, "How foolish are people who stand in reverence for a sefer Torah, but do not stand for a person who is great in Torah knowledge and observance!"

There is something about Torah wisdom that transforms a person into a holy being that other wisdoms do not have; there is an essential difference between Torah and wisdom. Wisdom need not influence the behaviour of the one who possesses it. There have been great geniuses in the arts, humanities, and sciences whose personal characters were nevertheless reprehensible. Their lack of integrity did not detract from their wisdom, and their wisdom added nothing to their character. When Bertram Russel, then a professor of ethics in City Colleges in New York, was accused of leading a singularly immoral life, he responded that just as he did not need to be a triangle to teach geometry, he did not have to be a moral person to teach ethics. Torah, on the other hand, must influence the behaviour and character of the one who studies it to qualify as Torah. A person possesses wisdom, but Torah possesses the person.
(Rabbi Zev Leff)

Miller’s Musings – Parshas Acharei Mos

בס”דלעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם and רפואה שלמהאוריה חיים בן חנה יהודית, שרה נעמה בת רבקה עליזהand יהושע יוסף בן מלכה שרה

This week’s Miller’s Musings is sponsored

לעילוי נשמת

Raizel bas Avrohom Moishe O’’H whose 2nd yartzeit is on the 2nd day Rosh Chodesh Iyar

MILLER’S MUSINGS

פרשת אחרי מות

Doing it Right

Being amongst the other nations of the world is an obvious and necessary part of being in golus (exile). Our role, as a light onto the nations, is also beset by a danger of assimilation and influence that cannot be ignored nor underestimated. A strong sense of identity and also right and wrong is essential to ensuring we maintain our moral compass. The Torah warns us of the risk of exposure to two particular nations; Egypt and Canaan. “Like the practice of the land of Egypt…you shall not do…and like the practice of the land of Canaan.” It is an apparent admonition against acting like their immoral conduct, but this could surely have been presented in a more succinct way telling us simply “Do not do the practice of Egypt and Canaan.” Why the verbosity?

The land of Egypt was renowned for its depravity and moral iniquity, so it is abundantly clear why we would be warned to stay clear of their ways. Canaan was steeped in the doctrines of idol worship, the very antithesis of our belief system, and hence they would also be deemed anathematic to Hashem and all who follow His creed. But the need to not do “like” their traditions and habits is more than that. The Siach Yitzchok tells us that it was a warning with regards to even those activities that are permitted, that we all engage in. They were being told that even those actions must be entirely distinct from those of the other nations. When performed by these people, the permissible acts were done with a focus on the physical and in a lowly manner. The Jewish people were enjoined to do even these with a sense of spirituality, an awareness of their necessity but simultaneously their priority level, and an overall manner befitting of a holy nation. Actions must be done with thought, even when they are entirely legitimate, with a sense of their purpose, even when completely allowed, and with a knowledge of Whose presence we are acting in and Whose path we are following, even when He has given us His consent to do them. The instruction is not just to not follow their sinful, prohibited ways, but a warning about the entire way we look at life and what our attitude should be towards it. It was a directive to never allow physicality to be our focus like them, but to know our true purpose and always act accordingly.

Maintaining consistent focus and motivation in everything we do is an incredibly challenging prospect. It is something we can work towards and attempt to improve in small areas, trying to instil some spirituality in even our most mundane daily activities. But one other related point is giving more consideration to those permissible deeds that may strictly be allowed, but may be otherwise inadvisable. A negative character trait or action that is acceptable in certain circumstances or when done to certain people, may not be prohibited, but what does it do to our character if we engage in such negativity? Something may not directly contravene any laws of Shabbos, Yom Tov or holy places, but are they within the spirit of those days and what do they do to our perceptions of these sites of sanctity? Just because something is allowed does not always mean that it should be done. A judgement must be made about the impact and effects of everything we do. Permitted or not is not the only relevant issue. What will bring us closer to Hashem and what will distance us? That is also a question we really need to ask.

*May we do only what is best for our growth this Shabbos.*

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—
Shimmy Miller
Rebbe/Teacher/Counsellor/Tutor| Manchester Mesivta and Private
07531322970 | rabbimiller.mesivta| http://rabbimillersmusings.blogspot.co.uk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/shimmy-miller/9/934/9a3

Parshas Acharei Mos

The verse in Parshas Acharei Mos says, “For on this day atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you, from all your sins before Hashem.” (Vayikra 16:30). Hashemgives us one day out of the entire year to be forgiven from all our sins and to achieve tahara (purity). A very famous Mishna at the end of Maseches Yoma states: “Rabbi Akiva says: Fortunate are you O Israel – before whom are you purified and who purifies you? Your Father in Heaven. As it is written, ‘I will sprinkle upon you pure waters’ – so too the Holy One Blessed be He purifies you.”

What is the meaning of “Ashreichem Yisrael” (fortunate are you O Israel) that the Ribono shel Olam washes you off and cleanses you? He asks, “Is this not a source of embarrassment and disgrace that the King of Kings needs to clean us off?”

Picture in your mind – someone becomes soiled and dirty. Should the king need to wash him off? Why is that “Ashreichem Yisrael?” The answer is your Father in Heaven. The Ribono shel Olam is not acting here as the King of Kings. He is acting as our Father in Heaven. Just like a father has no problem washing off a child who becomes dirty, and the child has no problem being washed by his father because that is what fathers do, so too, Israel is fortunate that they have this relationship with their Father in Heaven. (R’ Frand quoting Zevach Mishpacha quoting Rav Aharon Kotler)

Keep Shabbos or Eat Treif?

We learn from the verse (in Acharei Mos 18:5), "And you should live by them," that when a person’s life is in danger and the way to spare his life involves transgressing the Torah, he should rather transgress and thereby save his life (with the exception of the transgressions of idol worship, murder and immorality, and certain other times involving a desecration of Hashem’s Name).

Suppose there is someone who is critically ill. It is Shabbos and he needs to eat meat. The problem is that there is no kosher meat available, only non kosher meat is available. What should he do? Is it better to transgress Shabbos and slaughter the kosher animal (an act normally prohibited on Shabbos) or should he rather eat the non kosher meat?

Even though, the transgression of Shabbos is more severe than eating non kosher meat, the halachah is that someone should slaughter an animal and he should rather eat kosher meat. Why?

Many answers are given. Below are some of them.
1) In the face of a danger to life it is totally permissible to transgress Shabbos – it is as if it is Monday not Shabbos. There is no transgression of Shabbos at all, as opposed to eating the non kosher meat – even though he is allowed to and is doing a mitzvah of saving his life, the meat is still not kosher.
2) Maybe the person will be repulsed at the idea of eating non kosher meat, and will not eat it thereby endangering himself. To ensure that he will eat the meat, kosher meat should be arranged for him.
3) Slaughtering the animal is a one time liabilty, whereas each volume the size of a kezayis that he eats of non kosher meat is a separate liability and is therefore worse.
(Shulchan Aruch, Mishnah Brurah)

The Ultimate Result

The ultimate purpose of creation is that all of mankind should acknowledge and appreciate that G-d created them (Ramban). The Netziv writes that G-d ordained that recognition of His presence and glory will fill the earth, as it says, "All that I created and made are for My honor" (Yeshayahu 43:7). This is the perfection of the world that will occur when Mashiach comes and history reaches its culmination. As we pray on Rosh Hashanah, "Rule over the entire world in Your glory…and let all who have a breath of life in their nostrils declare that Hashem, the G-d of Yisrael, is King and His kingdom rules over all."

The ten plagues and the Exodus from Egypt brought both the the Jewish people and the Egyptians to the knowledge that there is a G-d who is involved in the world and that He is the G-d of Israel. However, it was imperative that the world know that the very G-d of Israel was also their G-d, and that it was part of the mission of the Jewish people to bring this message to the world. The Exodus from Egypt and all the plagues preceding it showed that G-d was the G-d of the Jewish people – He saw their suffering and intervened to alleviate that suffering. However, it did not show that G-d was also the G-d of the Egyptians. Hence our redemption and recognition of Hashem was not complete until the splitting of the sea (the seventh day of Pesach), which showed that G-d was not only our G-d but the G-d of all the world – even the Egyptians.

When the Telzer Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Avraham Yitzchak Bloch was taken out to be murdered, the Nazi officer taunted him, "Rabbiner, where is your G-d now?" The Rav replied, "He is not only my G-d, but yours, too, and one day the whole world will see and understand that fact."
(Rabbi Zev Leff)

Chol Hamoed Pesach

Shimmy Miller	10:31 AM (4 hours ago)
to me

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Quote of the Week: “We have the choice to focus on what is lost or fight for what is left.”

Miller’s Musings

for חול המועד פסח

All That’s Left

The Yom Tov of Pesach seems to be somewhat synonymous with the word ‘haste’. It seems that almost everything is done in a rush. From the last minute cleaning, the burning of the last remnants of chometz on the morning before and the desperate attempt to consume the afikomen before midnight. Everything is done speedily and this is of course no coincidence. For when the Jewish people finally left Egypt after centuries of servitude it was done in great haste. It was a last ditch attempt to save the Jewish people from plunging into an everlasting descent into impurity from which they would never be able to escape. But why leave it until such a desperate moment? Why court disaster rather than releasing them long before they came so close to plummeting over the cliff’s edge?

The analogy of a seed’s germination, that helps to answer this question, is well-known. It is only when the seed is almost entirely decomposed that the root grows and the process of development begins. Says the Nesivos Sholom, a seed disintegrates until all that remains is its essential life force, from which point it then begins to sprout. It cannot begin anew, until all that it was has perished. Yet if its entirety has vanished, there is nothing left to arise from. So too the Jewish people in Egypt, in order to undergo a rebirth, needed to be at that point where they had lost almost everything, except for that last shred of their soul that remained connected. It was at that imperceptible moment, as they had lost almost everything, but had not yet lost it all, that they needed to be redeemed, with tremendous rapidity, to ensure there was still that potential for renewal. This alacrity was the entire reason our salvation could take place and the reason it takes such a prominent role in these holy days.

Every person has this ember within them. This tiny, last connection, which is their belief in Hashem. It is that spark of a person’s soul, buried deep within, that is its very foundation, rooted in truth and faith. It is for this reason that no matter how low we sink, we have this eternal flame of belief entrenched within us. It is the prayer that we cry out to Hashem when most desperate, “from the depths I have called you Hashem.” It does not just mean the simple interpretation, from the depths of despair and tragedy, but also from the depths of my soul. From that deepest part that is so intrinsically bonded with Hashem. It is from this point that redemption will always begin and it must therefore surely be that part of ourselves that needs closest attention when we need deliverance. This is not just redemption as an individual but also as a people. It will come in the swiftest moment, in the blink of an eye, as redemption must. We must maintain and strengthen our belief in its arrival and Hashem’s presence in our lives, so that it comes for us soon, speedily in our days.

*May Pesach usher in the days of ultimate, everlasting redemption*

If you would like to sponsor a week of Miller’s Musings l’ilui nishmas someone, for a Refuah Sheleima or to celebrate a Simcha please send a message to millersmusingsrabbi or to 07531322970

—
Shimmy Miller
Rebbe/Teacher/Counsellor/Tutor| Manchester Mesivta and Private
07531322970 | rabbimiller.mesivta| http://rabbimillersmusings.blogspot.co.uk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/shimmy-miller/9/934/9a3

Stuck in the Mud

Just before the conclusion of the maggid section of the seder, we said that whoever does not say the following 3 things has not fulfilled his obligation: pesach, matzah and marror. The order is a little strange. We explained the idea behind the pesach is that Hashem saved the Jews during the plague of the firstborn. The matzah reminds us of the speed with which the Jewish people left Egypt and the maror reminds us of the bitterness of the enslavery in Egypt. Therefore the maror should be mentioned before the pesach and matzah as it came first chronologically!

Before the Jewish people experienced the sweetness of freedom, they did not really appreciate the bitterness of their situation. Sometimes a person can be so mired in the mud, that he is not even aware that he is in the mud as he has become so used to his present lifestyle. He only fully comprehends how in the mud he was, once he has been released. (R’ Shlomo Levenstein)

All of us have are own "mud" that we are stuck in, be it bad habits or maybe associates that are not appropriate – yet we are often oblivious to it. Pesach is an opportunity to free ourselves and expose ourselves to the mud that traps us and gives us a chance to watch our steps next time.

Oops. I Forgot To Check The Car!

We know that the night before Pesach we check our homes for chometz and then destroy it the next morning before the time that we are prohibited from owning chometz (unless we have sold it to a gentile). Someone who forgot to check at night must check in the morning.

Chometz is often placed inside a car and therefore a car also needs to be checked for chometz. What happens if a person checked his house at night but forgot to check his car? He needs to check his car in the morning, but he should not say a beracha before checking his car. Why not?

We are obligated to check our pockets and items to ensure that there is no chometz there. However, the main requirement of checking is to check our domain such as our houses, as the verse says "Destroy (loosely translated) chometz from your houses" (Shemos 12:15). Therefore no berachah is made before checking pockets or other items (in a case where he does not have a house to check and did not say a berachah on that checking). Since a car is not considered a house a berechah should not be made. (Chok Yaakov)

Another reason why not to make a beracha on the checking of the car is because he already made a beracha before he checked his house. When he checked at night, he did not destroy the chometz then, he will only destroy it in the morning. As long as he has not destroyed the chometz from the night he is still involved in the checking process because checking without destroying the chometz obviously did not accomplish much – he still owns chometz! So too someone who checked for chometz at night and then bought chometz the next day and did not eat all of it, does not need to make another beracha when he destroys that new chometz. (Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Magen Eleph)

There is a practical difference between these two reasons. What happens if the person only remembers on Chol HaMoed that he did not check his car. According to the second reason he should make a beracha as the original checking process has already been completed. But according to the first reason no beracha should be made as the car is still not considered his house. (Maadanei Yom Tov)