He loves us so much!

This week here in Eretz Yisroel, we start sefer Bamidbar, in Perek Alef Pasuk Nun Beis, the Passuk tells us that the Bnei Yisroel, camped, each person with his camp and each person with his flag in their commandments. The Medrash Tanchuma, explains this as follows. The Passuk in Tehilim perek Chuf tells us “nirana B’Yishuascha U’B’shem Elokeinu Nigdol” “we will sing with joy to Hashem when he will take us out of Gollus, and in the name of Hashem, we will raise our flags.” What does U’Bshem Elokeinu Nigdal mean? Hashem is his name, just like Moshe is Moshe’s name. He created a special flag for us, as it says “Ish Al Diglo B’osos” Each person by his flag with miracles.

Hakadosh Baruch Hu loves us so much! That he made us flags like he did for the holy Malachim, so that they could be recognised, “this person is from Reuvein” “and this person is from Shimon” How do we know that this is a sign of love? From the Possuk in Shir Hashirm, “Bring me to the wine cellar, and the one that i place a (marker) flag on, that is the one I love”

Imagine for a moment, a king who had a cellar filled with wine, he came down one day, and found that it had all gone bad and became vinegar, then he found one small bottle of wine, and labeled it and set it aside, and paid special attention to this bottle. So too Hakadosh Baruch hu created 70 nations, and he derived no pleasure from any of them until he came to the Jews, as it says “bring me to the beis Hayayin יין the two Yud’s equal 20 and the Nun equals 50 together that is 70, and from all them he did not enjoy except for Yisroel, as it says, “and the one with the (marker) flag, is the one i love.” and it also says, “Shishim Eima Mealchos, Ushmonim Pilagshim, V’Alamos Ein Mispar” The Children of Avraham are 60. To whom, the 80 descendants of Noach are like concubines. “Achas Hi, Yonasi, Tamasi…” Unique is she my constant love, My perfect one.”

Friends, Hashem loves us more than anything in the world, he created us so special, and gave us such a wonderful gift that was buried next to him for 1000 generations before he gave it to us, at the moment of his love, as it says in the Gemara Zevachim Kuf Tes Zayin. Let us show our love back as much as we can, by showing him that we appreciate the wonderful gifts he gives us starting with the Torah, let’s show him we appreciate it, by learning just a few more minutes the we are used to, to show how much we love it. Imy”H if we show Hashem how much we appreciate the wonderful gifts he showers us with, he will hopefully give us his ultimate gift,the ending all pain and suffering, ending all doubt in the world with the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days, AMEN!

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

Held accountable

After The Tochacha in Parshas Bechukosai, we find the Possuk of “Vezacharti Es Brisi Yaakov, V’af Es Brisi Yitzchok, V’af Es Brisi Avraham Ezkor, V’Haaretz Ezkor.” “I remembered the promise I made to Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov, and the Land I remember.” The Shl”a Hakadosh, asks, why is this Possuk mentioned, next to the Tochacha? The Shl”a answers, that when a jew does something wrong, Hashem says, I remember who your fathers are, i expect better from you! I remember the place full of Kedusha which i gave you as a Matana, as a gift, and you go and you disgrace your forefathers and the land they gave up so much for, I am disappointed. When the son of a king, disobeys the king it is much worse than if the son of the mobster disobeys the laws, it is so much worse.

Friends, we can’t let our creator down, he loves us and created us to give us, and he gives us so much. We owe him our lives, let us not let him down.

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

Dignity

This week we will be commemorating Lag Baomer the Yartzeit of two giants who each in their own way changed the course of history for the Jewish nation. Both Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and the Remah (R’ Moshe Isserless). The Remah teaches us what to do, while Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai teaches us why we do. Anybody can know and should know what to do, and the Remah is mostly Torah that is revealed in the Shulchan Aruch. Not everybody has to know why we do what we do because sometimes the reasons run so deep to the core of creation and are beyond our understanding, and most of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s work is in the hidden aspects of Torah, and very cryptic reserved for real scholars who are holy Jews.

This week outside of Israel, we read the Parsha of Emor the Parsha that discusses the Moadim. Pesach, Shavuos, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkos, and Shmini Atzeres, we even discussed last week how the Yom Tov of Tisha B’av is hidden in there as well.
The Remah in the very first Halacha when it comes to Pesach, before the Halachos of cleaning out the Chometz. Or the intricate Halachos of Matza, or the details of the seder. The first Halacha is about the Mitzvah of Maos chitim, to give Tzedaka to the poor so they can purchase the necessary items for the Yom Tov. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai explains it as Klal Yisroel is one unit, and one person is suffering the entire nation suffers.

In Parshas Behar after the Pesukim outlining the Halachos of Shmitah and Yovel, we learn the following Pasuk, “If your brother becomes destitute and sells some of his inherited property, his redeemer who is related to him shall come forth and redeem his brother’s sale.” The very next Pasuk though discusses what to do if he does not have a relative. Rashi asks, What does it mean that he does not have a relative? Rashi explains that it means that he does not have relatives willing to redeem him. I heard from Rav Ephraim Shapiro, in the name of Rav Moshe Feinstein ZT”L, he said what do you mean he does not have a relative? Yes, he does! His relative may not want to help him, but he has a relative!??! Rav Moshe answers that the poor person should know that if he needs help and there is a “relative” that has the means and could help him and is choosing not to, he is not your Karov, he is not your relative.

The Medrash Tanchuma on this Pasuk, brings down the Pasuk from Mishlei where Hashem tells us “Do not steal from the poor person, because he is a poor person” Hashem says Do not steal from the person who is poor, because he is poor, and he is poor because I made him poor, if you mess with him you mess with me” so to speak. The Medrash asks “how do you steal from a poor person when they have nothing left for you to steal?” The Medrash answers, If you were supporting a poor person and one day you decided, I cannot support him anymore and stop giving him money, you stole from that poor person because he relying on you. The Mishna Brura on that first Halacha on Pesach of Maos Chitim, tells us that even a poor person who keeps coming back to collect, you have to help him, that is from the Halachic perspective.

Lag Baomer also marks according to some opinions the day on which the students of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying. The days of Sefiras Haomer remind us of the students of Rabbi Akiva who died because they could not respect each other. To argue in learning is what we see all over Torah, that could not have been their issue, because there were always different interpretations of the Torah, it was because they could not respect the other’s dignity.

Dear friends, there you have it, Lag Baomer, Talmidei Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, The Remah, Parshas Emor, and Parshas Behar. They all come together to teach us this valuable lesson of not taking away a person’s dignity. May it be that not one of us knows of any of these tests, to see who his real family is? To be in a position where you need to rely on people or feel the headache of so many people relying on me. May The Zechus of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and the Remah, be a Melitz Yosher and shine a holy fire for us to follow and grow to see big Yeshuos for all of Klal Yisroel, as individuals and as a whole, and ultimately the Geula Shleima B’mheira Amen

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

Be Holy, and don’t embarrass him!

The second Pasuk in Parshas Kedoshim, tells us “KEDOSHIM TEHIYU, KI KADOSH ANO ELOKEICHEM” Hashem tells the Jewish nation, be holy because I am holy. The Pasuk in Parshas Emor in perek chuf alef Pasuk vuv tells us something very R, “KEDOSHIM YEHEYU L’ELOKEIHEM, V’LO YECHALELU SHEM ELOKEIHEM” “Be Holy for Hashem, and do not embarrass him.

The Yalkut Tov, brings down, that we find in the Talmud Yerushalmi, that there was a certain heretic who asked on the Pasuk, “KI ELOKEIHEM KEDOSHIM HU” Because their G-ds is holy, it seems that that the word Elokeihem implies that there are two powers to G-d, G-d forbid? They answered him, it does not say “Elokeihem Kedoshim Heim” Their Gods are holy, it says, their G-ds’ IS holy, meaning that Hashem is the G-d of the Jewish people and they (the Jewish people) are holy.

However, this can only be said though when the Jewish nation is in truth holy, otherwise, these heretics, have a good question, and this will cause Chilul Hashem. Therefore, the pasuk tells us, KEdoshim Yehiyu L’Elokeihem, that you should be really holy,, so we can explain the PAsuk of ELoki KEdoshim Heim, SH’HU ELOKEIHEM SHEL KEDOSHIM, That he is the G-d of holy people, and then, V’LO YECHALELU SHEM ELOKEIHEM, they will not embarrass G-d, the heretics will then not use that PAsuk to say that there are two powers G-d forbid.

Friends, Hashem does so much good, for, so many things we know about, and even more that we don’t know about, he takes such good care of us, he took us as his partner, he took us as his children, he took us as his constituents, he asks us to live up to the levels of someone intimate in the inner chambers of the king, how dare we embarrass him?

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

This week’s “Just a Thought” is written in memory of my dear father R’ Avraham Yosef Z”L ben HaRav Daniel Yerucham Shlit”a. May The Torah learned from this week’s and every week’s thought be a zechus for his Neshama.

Can’t do it alone Because if I am Holy you must be holy!

In Eretz Yisroel this week we will be reading Parshas Kedoshim, while in the Diaspra outside of Eretz Hakodesh, they will be reading Parshas Acharei Mos, being that this author, dwells in the land of Israel, Just a Thought will follow the Eretz Yisroel schedule. However last week, was Chol Hamoed, and I did not get a chance to send out a thought on Parshas Acharei Mos, this week’s thought will be on both Parshios.

The pasuk in Parshas Acharei Mos says “ Any Jew that wants to bring a Karban and slaughters it outside the Mishkon and doesn’t bring it to the Ohel Moed this Jew will disappear from among the nation. The Medrash Tanchuma talks about how before there was a Mishkan Korbanos were able to be brought anywhere once there was a Mishkan the korbanos could only be brought in the Mishkan. The Mishkon was only built after Kabalas Hatorah when Hashem said V’yisem Li L’am you will be for me a nation. The Medrash compares this to a rich man who isn’t married. Since he isn’t married he doesn’t have a house. People want to bring him things but he doesn’t have a set place. Once he gets married he has a house. So with Hashem once Hashem took us as a nation and “married us” we built the Mishkan which is Hashem’s house. Hashem says you want to bring me things you bring them to my house.

Parshas Kedoshim starts off by telling us “speak to the nation of Klal Yisroel and tell them… Kedoshim Thiyu Ki Kadosh ani Hashem Elokeichem. The Medrash Tanchuma explains this as follows, The Passuk in Parshas Yisro tells us, that Hashem told the Jewish nation, V’atem Tehyu Li Mamleches Kohanim V’goy Kadosh, You must be a holy nation, special from all the nations of the world. Here, Hashem said to the Jewish nation since I was Mikadash you for me, therefore Kedoshim Thihyu you need to be holy, why Ki Kadosh Ani, because I, Hashem your G-d am holy… To better understand this the Medrash compares this to a King who marries a lady and he says since I took you for me and I am the king that makes you the Queen. This is what Hashem tells Moshe, go and be Mekadesh the nation, Lech Vekadeish Es Ha’am,

Friends, Hashem, kaviyachol took us as his wife and built a house with us, and that is where, we bring him things, and “drop them off at the house”. Yet, it is so much more than a wife, If Hashem is Melech Haolam, King of the Universe, that makes us Queen of the universe, and that requires special behaviors, to be different and special than anyone else. This also means that the house, was no simple house, it was a palace, and that palace was destroyed, because of baseless hatred for each other. We are mourning now during Sefirah, in memory of the 24,000 students of Rebbi Akiva, who died during this time of the year, because they had no respect for each other, if they did the wrong thing, then why are we mourning for them? I’d like to suggest, perhaps that in reality, We are mourning their actions, those very same actions, that destroyed our Shalom Bayis with Hashem, and destroyed our palace. When HaShem took us as his queen we were as one mane with one heart at Har Sinai. Let us take these days, and show the king that we are ready to be better and above that, and we are ready to be a loyal queen again and let him bring us home to our new palace, where we can then bring him korbanos once more and do the proper avoda, with the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days.

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

Shave his head

This week’s Parshas discusses a person who has Tzaraas. The Passuk (14:9) tells us that part of the purification process is that the Metzorah must shave his head. Why is this so? The Klei Yakar tells us the reason, and it is so beautiful I could not hold myself back from sharing it.

What is the reason a person gets Tzaraas? There are three Aveiros that can cause it: a) the person was haughty, b) he spoke Lashon Harah, or c) he was jealous of people. All of these things can cause a person to get Tzaraas. The Metzorah shaves the top of his head, so he should not hold his high. His beard and mustache are around his mouth, to tell him to watch his mouth, and his eyebrows get taken off, to remind him to stop looking at what other people have.

Friends, let’s take these three things and learn from them that when we are put into a matzav, yes, you should have the self esteem, but don’t get too full of yourself, don’t be jealous of others, and never speak bad about anyone. If we would just accept our Matzav that Hashem put us in, we would all be in better shape.

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

One at a Time

This week’s just a thought has been sponsored Anonymously
L’Refuah Shleima
Nachum ben Chana
Zehava bas Elisheva
And all Cholei Yisroel

Tzaras was a skin affliction, which needed not the doctor, only son of Aharon Hakohein, the Ohev es Habrios umekarvam L’Torah to look at it and tell you if it was actually Tamei or not. When discussing the topic of Tzaras, the Torah tells us that “When the Kohein looks at the affliction”

What if two people are there together? What if the same person has an affliction in more than one place? Why “affliction” and not “afflictions”?

The Mishna in Negaim 3:1 tells us a Halacha, that you never look at more than one Negah as it is called, at a time. You look, you examine, you determine, and then move to the next. There is no wholesale ruling.

Friends, many times in life, we look at people’s situations and think we know what is going on with the other, where he is holding in life based on our calculations which are based on our experiences and journeys and perhaps the person you are looking at has some very different experiences than you, he has taken a different journey to get here than you. Do not wholesale your judgment. Hillel teaches us that we should be of the students of Aharon, who loved piece, he chased it. He loved people and brought them close to the Torah. Only a person who loves people and just wants to help them get close to Hashem can judge a person’s situation.

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

Ki Orech Yomim

The Parsha starts off “…. It was on the 8th day, and Moshe called out to Aharon and his children, and to the Elders of Klal Yisroel….” Why is it necessary to have the Elder’s of Israel present at this time? What significance do they have, anyway?

In Medrash Tanchuma, R’ Akiva teaches us, “The Jewish People are like a bird, just as the bird cannot fly without wings, so too, the Jewish Nation cannot do anything without their Elders.”

R’ Yosi Ben Chalafta tells us, “ Great is the Elderly, for if a person is older, he is more accepted and if the leader is young, G-d will make him old, so he will get treated that way.”

R’ Shimon Bar Yochai says, “Not once, not twice and not three times, did we find that G-d injected a certain respect and admiration in certain Elders of the Jewish Nation, so the people will respect and admire these giants.”

Friends, this week we lost one of our wings that has kept us flying for a while and it is ok to feel alittle off balance because we are. At the same time we need to know that Hashem will not leve us to fall from up on high, we will have a new leader maybe a younger leader that Hasheshem has decided will be our new wings to keep us soaring to even greater heights.

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 flavor, 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 sugarcoat 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

Mess with Her and you are messing with Me

There was once a king that had an only daughter, for whom he built a fortress to protect her. He proclaimed that anyone who wrongs her, wrongs him. This is the Mashal that R’ Shimon Bar Yochai brings down in the Medrash on this week’s Parsha.

Hashem says “I gave you My daughter – the Torah. I built her a fortress – the Shul where the Torah is kept. mess with her and you are messing with Me.” We have no right to embarrass G-d.

Let us always make a Kiddush Hashem and never embarrass Hashem ever, and in that merit may we only share in good things and see the Beis Hamikdash rebuilt again very soon. The last five weeks all we have talked about in the Torah was the building of the Mishkan, has that motivated us even a moment to say Hashem, just take us home already, we learnt so much about your home, let us finally see it in all its glory, speedily in our days.

Good Shabbos,
Zevi