Month: March 2015

An Overflowing Well

The Pasuk in this week’s s Parsha starts off, “Command Aharon and his children as follows…” Rav Shimon Schwab ZT”L, in his sefer Mayan Beis Hashoeva, brings down a Tur, who brings a Medrash in his commentary on the Torah, that Moshe said to Hashem after last week’s Parsha, “Where are all the instructions that were given to the children of Aharon? Hashem, why not give the instructions to Aharon?” Hashem answered, by starting this week’s Parsha, “Command Aharon and his children.” The medrash in Vayikra Rabba (7:1) says, the reason for this is to show that all Kohanim who are doing avoda, are doing it as messengers of Aharon Hakohen, their grandfather, for he is the source of the kedusha that they have until today. We see it in the Bracha the Kohanim make before they Duchen, “That you made us holy with the holiness of Aharon”. Aharon was like a well full of Kedushas HaKehuna, that overflows to his descendants, passing on that extra spark.

When one would ask The Rosh HaYeshiva, HaRav Nosson Tzvi Finkel ZT”L, “What is the proper approach to use in Kiruv Rechokim? He would say, and I still hear it ringing in my ears, with his smile and sweet voice, “You have to be like an overflowing cup full of love for Hashem, that will overflow and affect the people around you.”

Friends, as we approach the great Yom Tov of Pesach and the night of the Seder, a night of giving over the invaluable lessons of Emunah to the next generation, the only way to properly give it over is to prepare early, go through the Haggadah, and learn the Mefarshim. There are so many beautiful Meforshim on the Haggadah, if we come to our sedarim like wellsprings full of Torah and Emunah, we will do our part in raising the next generations. This would be a Nachas Ruach for our dear Father in Heaven who loves us so much, and just wants to bring us home already, if only we really wanted to come to Him.

May we be Zocheh, this year, to bring our Korbanos Pesach,

Good Shabbos,

Zevi

Don’t Sugar Coat

The Torah tells us the Korbon Mincha is never allowed to become Chometz, because no leavened dough or honey was ever allowed to be brought on the Mizbeach. R’ Mordechai Gifter ZT”L asked, “What about salt? We see that salt is used in some korbanos?” R’ Gifter says that this is because salt does not add any flavour, it simply brings out the flavor of the item it is on. However, dough and honey add flavor to the foods they are on. Hashem does not want anything extra on the Mizbeach.

R’ Gifter ZT”L goes on to explain that when it comes to our Yiddishkeit, even if we coat our Avodas Hashem in other things, it has to be real and genuine Avodas Hashem. I saw this vort and I said to myself, “This applies to dealing with people also. We think we need to sugar coat them to see their greatness. NO! A little salt, and you will see that every single person has the most awesome flavor of their own, that comes together as the “Ketores” in front of Hashem.”

Friends, let us all try to learn, as der Heiliger R’ Elimelech of Lizensk wrote in his Tefila, “Put into our hearts that everyone should see the strengths of their friends and not their downfalls. That every person should speak to their friend in a way that is straight, and desired before You (G-d). And we should never let any hatred for our friends into our hearts, G-d forbid, and strengthen us with love toward You (G-d). Just like everything is open and revealed in front of You may all our actions be a Nachas Ruach and true pleasure for You.”

Good Shabbos,

Zevi

Take a Break

This week’s Parsha is about the building of the Mishkan, yet it starts off telling us about the great day of Shabbos. The Ramban tells us that the way to read the Posuk is, “Six days a week, you should do the work.” What work? The building of the Mishkan. “And on Shabbos, you should take a break and rest.” It is from here we learn that the building of the Mishkan did not override the Shabbos.

It has been exactly one year since the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370, the story still makes us tremble when we think about it. There was a famous email that went around then. I think it is worth attaching to this email, as its message is so connected to our Parsha.

The saying goes, “More than the Jews have kept the Shabbos, the Shabbos has kept the Jews.” When I think of that saying, I picture my life as if I was wired for 7 days a week. As it is, I feel like a slave to my digital devices, but the knowledge that Shabbos is right around the corner keeps me going. From sundown Friday evening until the stars come out on Saturday night, it’s 25 hours spent completely offline and it’s blissful. It’s 25 hours spent praying to G-d and consuming obscene amounts of calories, eating scrumptious meals with family and friends. It’s perfect. Sure anyone can always disconnect, but there’s something awesome about the forced routine that can’t be properly explained to one who hasn’t experienced it.

But the saying goes much deeper than that in this story.

On 01/13/14 Andy emailed his travel agent his desired itinerary:

Hi. Hope all is well. Greetings from Hyatt Regency Boston. Thanks for booking it, it’s a pretty nice place. Let me know if there are any changes to my flight back to Sydney tomorrow. Need to do the following trip in March: Mar 1: Sydney – Hong Kong Mar 3: Hong Kong – Kuala Mar 8: Kuala – Beijing Mar 12: Vietnam – Melbourne…

Thanks, Andy

The travel agent, an Orthodox Jew, proposed the following business class itinerary, slightly altering the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight from Saturday to Friday.

Andy, Thanks for the inquiry and your continued business. I know you’re a fan of direct flights. Here’s the most direct option I can offer you. The price will be $3850 ($3050 for the long hauls, and the rest for domestic flights)…

Andy loved the price, but again requested the Saturday morning flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing:

Thanks for the prompt reply. Price is fine…

One amendment, I need the KUL-PEK flight a day later. I need the extra day in Kuala. Once that is set you can lock in.

The travel agent responded that he would not be able to book travel for him over the Sabbath, but that he was free to book that flight by himself:

Andy, I wish I can give you a day later, but I just don’t like booking flights for Jews on Shabbat. I can take out that leg and you can book it yourself. The price would drop $380.

Andy agreed with that and planned to book the flight by himself:

I guess I’ll just book that myself. Lock in the rest.

The travel agent noted that if he changed his mind to just let him know:

Ok, will lock it in. Ticket will be sent in 24 hours as usual. If you reconsider the KUL-Pek please advise.

Shortly afterward, Andy did just that:

Hey, Greetings from LAX airport. Will board my Delta flight in 55 minutes.

I reconsidered, you are right I should be more observant. I’ll manage without that day in Kuala. Since I’ll have an extra night in PEK, any recommendations for a good Friday night dinner in Beijing?

The travel agent recommended a place to get a nice kosher meal and booked him the originally proposed itinerary, flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on Friday early morning instead of Saturday.

Ok, glad to hear. Try this: http://www.chabadbeijing.com/

Fast forward to 2 days later. The travel agent is in Israel and reads this email once Shabbos is over. The email was sent after Shabbos, at 7:15pm Beijing time/1:15pm Israel time:

Holy God, You sure heard what happened to MH370, I cannot stop thinking about this. This is a true miracle for the books. You are a true life saver…

I cannot think anymore! We’ll talk later this week. Don’t know how to thank you enough. Now please change my return. I am not stepping on a Malaysia flight in my life.

And the travel agent wrote back, equally in shock at the realization of Shabbos saving his client’s life:

Andy, I am so happy for you! I am not the life saver. God and Shabbat were your lifesavers. You owe them something.

Indeed, due to the travel agent worrying about the religious observance of a fellow Jew, Andy was persuaded into flying on Malaysia Air 370 exactly one day prior to the ill-fated flight he wanted to take.

It’s not often we hear a story like this. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those still missing.

This article originally appeared on dansdeals.com here (http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/41764) where you can see the actual emails.

Friends, Shabbos is one of the greatest gifts Hashem has given us. Let us never waste it and always utilize it to its maximum use, to get closer with our dear loving Father in Heaven. Connect with HIM!!

Good Shabbos,

Zevi

Make it count

The Torah in this weeks Parsha tells us, When you count the heads of every Jewish person, each and every Jew was counted the same, one might think, that this would imply that everyone is in the same boat and has the same missions. Mordechai and Esther teach us something else. Mordechai tells Esther “who knows if this is the reason you got to the kingdom, if your not going to save the Jewish nation, the salvation will come from somewhere else” Is this the way to get someone to do something as dangerous as facing the king, and asking him to repeal a law? “if you are not going to do it, someone else will”? The Answer is that Mordechai knew that in the end Hashem was going to save the Jewish nation, he was not worried about the big picture, but “Esther, you have an opportunity to be a shliach to save the nation, Hashem put you there so you can do this mission, otherwise why do you need to live, GO!”

Friends, we need to know that not only are we just counted, we also must make our lives count, if G-d put us in certain situations, he wants us to use that position to be Marbeh Kavod Shamayim in the greatest way possible.

Good Shabbos and A Freilicchen Purim from Yerushalayim IR Hakodesh,

Zevi

I just want to add one of the most georges Torahs that I heard last night in the name of Hagaon Harav Ahron LEib Shteinman Shlit”a from my dear uncle Harav Gedalia Finkel Shlit”a.

When we read in the Megila, if you paid attention you would have noticed how when, Haman tells Achashveirosh what should be done with the one who finds favor in the King’s eyes, he says proudly “This is what shal be done that king wants to honor” and we read it “Kach Yeiaseh L’Ish Asher Hamelech Chofetz B’Karo” and Haman says it so proudly, and then we see that when Achashveirosh told Haman to do exactly as he said, to Modechai Hatzadik, and we find he makes the announcement in the same proud tune.

Asks The Gadol Hador, how was Haman able to do this to his staunch enemy? Says the Tzadik, Haman before said it with attitude of Gaiva and while he had that Gaiva, he could not see the truth and therefore he would never have been able to do it. Now, that Achashveirosh put him in his place and told him that “it was not him who the king wanted to honor” rather it was Mordechai, he got over his Gaiva and he was able to see the Emes, and Honor Mordechai accordingly.

The Gadol added, That when a person has Gaiva, his vision of the Emes is tainted, in order to see the world with the clarity needed, it must be without any Gaiva at all.