Compassion 

When we look at the portion of the Torah that discusses the Tzara’s we see how it says that at every step of the way, the Kohen was involved in the process. Why does it have to mention the Kohein every part of the way. Obviously, it is because the Kohein was involved at every step of the way.

Why?

R’ Tuvia Fried, an old friend of my Father’s, once told me a story.He once had a student from NCSY who asked him to officiate his wedding ceremony in a Jewish fashion. While preparing for the wedding, Rabbi Fried asked the girl what her mother’s name was and what her father’s name was. As a result, they found out that the girl was a Giyoros, and the Boy was a Kohein. Halacha dictates that a Kohein can not marry a woman who converted or divorced.

Rabbi Fried told me he felt stuck, so he asked the boy if he would come to a Rov to ask the shaila. They went to R’ Bluth to ask him what to do. R’ Bluth heard them out and spoke to them for twenty minutes. He heard the shaila and a very simple answer he could have given. R’ Bluth said, “let me look it up. Give me an hour, come back then and I will tell you what to do”. An hour later, they came back and R’ Bluth was sitting there crying his brains out. He said, “just look at what it says, we can’t change the rules.”

This boy walked out of the room, called the girl and told her, “it’s over”. Rabbi Fried asked him, “where did you get that energy from?” He said, “if that man can cry for me for an hour because he feels bad and took my feelings into consideration. He doesn’t know me but he felt for me. He knew the answer but he wanted to cry to share my pain, then I know that the Torah is Emes because it makes such people, and I want to keep such a Torah.”

Yes, the Halacha is that a person who has tzara’as has to leave the camp where K’lal Yisroel is, he may have to go Chutz Lamachaneh, but who can tell him that this is his fate? Only an Ohev Shalom V’Rodef Shalom, a descendant of Ahron Hakohein.

Good Shabbos to all,
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
Whose 24th Yartzeit is this week
May The Torah learned from this week’s and every week’s thought be a zechus for his Neshama.

What Does G-d Want?

This week’s Parsha teaches us the tragic story of the passing of Nadav and Avihu. We will not discuss whether they were bad people for bringing korbanos that were not in order, because the fact that they were of the greatest individuals that ever lived on this planet is not up for discussion. However, the Torah tells us that they were burnt whole along with the offering they brought, and we are taught that it was because they brought this extra korban. While extras for a king may sometimes be appropriate, when it comes to Hashem, you are not allowed to bring anything extra unless it says so in the Torah.

We used this example before, but suppose Reuvein hears about his friend Shimon, who went into the hospital at the second seder, with a heart attack, and is now lying in Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. Reuvein runs to Miami airport to fly back to NY on Chol Hamoed to be with his friend. His flight lands in NY at 2pm and the return flight is 4pm, he has 1 hr to visit his friend, and then get back on the flight back to Miami.

Reuvein lands in Laguardia airport, jumps in a taxi, “Mount Sinai Hospital please”. They get to the hospital and Reuvein runs into the elevator to the tenth floor, goes down the hall to find Shimon’s wife, Chana, sitting outside the hospital room reading her tehilim. She picks up her eyes and sees Reuvein. “Reuvein, aren’t you guys in Miami for Yom Tov?”

Reuvein tells her, “Yes, but I flew back when I heard what happened, can I go in and say hello?” Chana tells him, “I feel so bad, you did not have to make the trip. He just went to sleep, he was really tired, I don’t know what to do.”

Reuvein says, “You know what-I’m going to wait here for a few minutes. If he wakes up, I’ll say hello, if not you will tell him I came by.” An hour later, Reuvein said goodbye, and ran to get his taxi back to Laguardia Airport, to catch his flight back to Miami.

Did Reuvein do the Mitzvah of Bikur Cholim, with all the traveling and all? No, he did not. But did he do what Hashem wanted him to do? Absolutely.
Friends, in life, we need to ask ourselves sometimes, “what does our dear loving Father in Heaven want us to do in this situation?” It may not be the answer we want to process, but if we can really answer that question, we will see that He puts us in the right situation to do what is His will.

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

It’s not my Fault, It happened by accident!

Sefer Vayikra starts off talking about the different Korbanos. There is a special Korban brought by someone who did an aveira, and it was not intentional, i.e. he did not know that what he was doing was wrong.

“But it’s not my fault, i did not mean to, if i would have known……” Why should I have to bring a korban if no bad intentions were involved?

The Ramban tells us that the reason we have to go through a purification process, is because every action intentional or unintentional has an affect on a person. If a person wants to greet his creator at the time, he must be without sin, therefore he should purify himself.

Let us remember what the possuk says, it does not say “Adam asher chata” it says “Nefesh ki secheta” A soul which sins. We need to remember we have a soul which came down pure from G-d and we have to return it that way. It is not about a punishment, it’s about accountability, and responsibility, that we have this person bring the korban

Friends, we all make mistakes, it is a matter of what happens after.

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

Do it the way G-d had in mind.

We learn in this week’s Parsha, after all the effort, donations, calculations and chashbonos were done for the mishkon and there was a finished product the torah says, When Moshe saw they did it exactly the way Hashem said to build the mishkon than it says Moshe blessed them.

Rav Yechezkel Sarhna points out there were so many different points that went into the Mishkon. There was Ahavas Hashem, there was nidivas lev they gave lots of gold and silver and there was extra levels of Chachma but this wasn’t what was mentioned. The only praised used after all was said and done was that they did it because Hashem said so and the way He said to do it.

Friends In life there are many things driving us to do the things we do we have a choice how we can react to certain situations. We have to remember the reason we are giving, doing, building is because Hashem said so, and we do it the way Hashem said to, weather its community work or building a shul, being involved in many different organizations we have to realize the main goal is to do it the way Hashem said. At the end of the day that is what we will be praised for if we lived our lives the way Hashem wants us to.

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

Take a Break

The Torah is this weeks Parsha tells us the following Pasuk (31:15) “Six days you should work, and on the seventh day is Shabbos Shabboson ………………………” What does it mean “Shabbos Shabboson”? Rashi explains that this means a real rest, and not a temporary rest. What does that mean? For that we need to see Rashi in Parshas Yisro (20:11) “When Shabbos comes, in your eyes you have to see as though all your work is done, so you should not think about what you have to do after Shabbos.”

Rabbeinu Yonah in Sefer Igeres Hateshuva (Yom Hey, Klal A, 4) writes, it is forbidden for a person to have his heart busy with his business on Shabbos, even just thinking about business, as it says in the Pasuk, “And you shall do all your work.” Rabbeinu Yonah goes on to quote the Mechilta that says that it should be in your eyes as though all your work is done, so you don’t think about it. We say in Ritzei in Birkas Hamazon, “There should not be any pain and anguish on our day of rest.”

The Gemara in Maseches Shabbos (190B) brings down the following story. There was once a chassid, whose fence got a hole on Shabbos. He wanted to go fix it, but he remembered it was Shabbos, so he did not do it. He felt so bad about thinking of building it on Shabbos, that he promised he would never fix it. The Gemara tells us that in the merit of this, Hashem sent a carob tree to fill in the gap.

We have to remember that Shabbos is the source of blessing, but you have to tap into it to receive that blessing. R’ Moshe Feinstein has a very famous Teshuva. R’ Moshe was asked, why there were so many people that came to the United States from Europe after the war and were Moser Nefesh and gave themselves for Judaism but their children did not value Judaism as much. R’ Moshe answered that those who desert the paths of their fathers do so because their fathers used to come home on Friday and say “Oy, tzu shver tzu zayn a Yid” “wow, is it hard to be a Jew.” When these children heard them, it created a bad flavor.

R’ Yaakov Yosef Herman found out on Shabbos that his store was on fire. He responded “It’s Shabbos and on Shabbos I don’t have a store.” After Shabbos, he went to go assess the damages, and realized it wasn’t his store, but the store next door that burned.

Friends, Shabbos is a “Matana Al Minas L’hachzir” “A gift which is yours, on condition we give it back with Havdalah.” “Shabbos is M’ein Olam Habah” In Olam Habah, there is no later, this is it. On Shabbos, there is no after Shabbos, this is it, nothing else exists. Let us all realize the true bracha that Shabbos gives us and thank Hashem for this amazing gift by keeping it with everything that comes with it. On Shabbos, nothing else matters.

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

For G-d’s Sake

Hashem tells us in this week’s Parshah, “Take for me Teruma.” Rashi explains that it is to be given in the name of Hashem. The famous question is asked, “Should it not have said, “Give to me Teruma”? Why the word “take”? There are two explanations to the way I understand it. The Pshat is that you first need to understand is that everything belongs to Hashem, “Milo Kol H’aretz Kivodo”. Once you understand that, then you can understand that even “your” money, is not even “yours”, it belongs to Hashem and He is asking that from the Shefa Bracha that He is showering us with, to please take some aside, to use for things other than yourself. The other Pshat is that whenever we do a Mitzvah we get Schar, Hashem is saying “take it for Me,” in other words, open the bank account, do your hishtadlus, and I will fill the account with so much Bracha, until your mouths will be tired of saying, “enough already”. But you need to to take the first step.

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

We Are Special and DIFFERENT – Asher Bachar Banu

The Doctor was doing his rounds in the hospital, and he walked into one patient, and told his family, let him eat and drink whatever he wants and then walked over to the next patient and told his family, that he had to refrain from certain foods at certain times, and certain drinks at certain times. After leaving the patients, one of the residents walking with the Dr asked him why to this one you said eat and drink all you want and to the other one you you gave very specific diets. The Doctor explained, the first patient you saw is on his deathbed, he will not survive this illness, and is going to die no matter what he eats, so I am letting him enjoy his last few days of existence. The other patient, has his full life ahead of him and will get out of this sickness, he just needs to watch his diet for now.

This story is brought down in the Medrash Tanchuma, on this week’s Parsha, The Medrash asks, why is it such a big problem is one jew takes another to a secular court to fight out monetary business? The Medrash answers with this story, and tells us That the word “Vieila” at the beginning of the parsha, is coming to add praise to the Paassuk of earlier on where Hashem says I gave the Jewish nation Chok and Mishpat, so here is the Mishpat Hashem gave the Jewish people, can’t you see it, the First Patient in the story is the secular court, who are not making it pass the dimyonos and imagination that this world portrays, but the JEwish nation who has the potential to get past this ailment of this world, and can do it, they just need to play by a different ball field and different set of rules, and keep to certain diet constrictions. The Secular courts play by different rule books and we as Torah observant Jews, need to go to a Torah court and follow their ruling.

Friends, We are special and we are different, do not mistake this to be racist, we respect every one of G-ds creations, but just like monkeys are not fish, and fish are not lions, the Jewish people are different, and unique, let us be proud of being part of the Chosen nation.

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

We are not in charge, So…. Bring ‘em In Close!

The Gemara in Megila 2b tell us that the Mem Sofit/Ender Mem/Langer Mem ם and the Samech ס stood in the Luchos through a neis. Isn’t that amazing they were not connected on the side but the middle of the letter was floating in place. You know why that was? The reason is, is that Hashem is the one who puts everything in place, and he was holding it there.

Yisro came after hearing about the great things that were happening to the Jewish People, especially Mattan Torah.

The Medrash, in this week’s Parsha, tells us that G-d told Moshe, “I am the One Who created the world. I am the One Who brings people close, and I am the One Who distances people. I am the One that is bringing Yisro close and not keeping him in the distance, because this man, who is coming to Me, is not coming for anything other than for the sake of Hashem, and he is only coming to join the Nation. You should also bring him close and don’t distance him.”

Many times, in life, there are people who come our way, and they really and sincerely want our help or our guidance to bring them closer to Hashem. Sometimes, we are too busy for them, sometimes we are scared of getting a bad reaction if we say the wrong thing. We ourselves may be scared of saying the wrong thing.

Friends, when that person is relying on you to bring him closer to his Creator, it makes no difference what you say, it matters how you say it. If Hashem is bringing this Neshama closer to frum people, it is because Hashem is the one in charge and making sure is exactly where he should be, and the mission for you is bringing him closer because Hashem feels he is sincere, so how dare we send him away?

Let us all grab every opportunity to help ourselves and those around us get and stay closer to the One Above, and not, G-d forbid, the opposite.

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

Cry, but Real Tears!!

The Jewish people are stuck at the banks of the Yam Suf, with Mountains to the right and to the left, and the Egyptians are behind them. What are they supposed to do? Where do they go? How will they survive?

The Jews begin to cry and G-d tells them to enter the water. The Jews, led by Nachshon, enter the sea, the sea splits and they walk through unscathed. As the last Jew gets out of the sea, it swallows the Egyptians. The Jews cry out in song to their maker.

Real tears can accomplish a lot. I am writing to myself, but feel free to read along. How many of us took the time to cry real tears? I was glancing in the Aleinu Lishabeach written by Rav Yitzchak Zilbershtein, Shlita. I saw this fascinating story, to teach us what a real crying is. Rav Yitzchok writes, that he heard this story from a person who witnessed it.

The story takes place at the time of the First Gulf War in Ramat Elchanan. A yungerman dared to walk to the main shul to check up on the place, and saw something very special, “I walked into the Shul, all the lights were out, the Aron Kodesh was locked, but right in front of the Aron Hakodesh, I saw this young boy, maybe seven years old. He was crying bitterly. He looked like he had been there for a while, as there was this pure puddle of tears falling from the face of this young innocent boy who never tasted sin. So, I stood on the side to watch for a few minutes without interrupting. Then I heard this young boy cry out, “Abba, You and only You know how much I want to go to Cheder to learn. Abba, You know what I do on vacation, I go to the Beis Medrash and learn all day, Abba, how long can I stay home? Abba, I want to learn so much, but who can learn at such a scary time?” The Avreich says, “I was trying so hard to control myself from bursting into loud uncontrollable tears. The boy continued crying for a long time and the he said ‘Abba, if You are not going to kill that Rasha in Iraq, I will. Abba, why are you punishing your children like this? Who gains from it, not us and not You, because if we can’t learn and do Mitzvos, then what did You gain? Abba, I love my Rebbi in Cheder andI want to see him again. Just kill Saddam Hussein already so I can go back to Cheder and learn again.’ The boy continued crying there for a very long time.”

I wish for one time in my life that I could Daven to Hashem like that little boy. But let me share with you one more story that I read in Aleinu Lishabeach. This one is a sad story.

A father brought his four year old son to Shul to daven with him. While the father was davening Shemoneh Esrei, he started crying. The boy saw his father crying while davening so he started crying. The child, however, was crying out loud, as opposed to the father who obviously was engrossed in his Tefillah, had tears rolling down his cheeks. This young boy didn’t understand to be quiet and was crying loudly. Another man in the shul went over to the boy and said, “Don’t worry, your father is not crying because of Davening, it is just because he was tired. You don’t have to cry like that when you daven.” That man did a terrible thing, he killed this boy’s passion to Daven for nothing.

Friends, Our Children know how to cry to Hashem. How dare we stop them? If anything, we should learn from them.

Good Shabbos,
Zevi

You are never alone

For anyone familiar with the Hebrew language, you will pick up on a very interesting language. IF I want to tell you to go somewhere, the word would be Lech – to go. The word Bo means to come. Why if Hashem is telling Moshe to go to Paroh does it say BO, shouldn’t it say Lech?

Says The Kotzker, A Jew is never alone, firstly “Milo Kol Haaretz Kivodo” Hashem is omnipresent and is everywhere. At the same time as Dovid Hamelech says “Ki Atah Imadi” I have nothing to fear because you, Hashem are with me.

Friends, there is no place where Hashem will send you off into harm’s way, he is orchestrating every bit of the Journey and is calling out Bo, Come with me on a journey.

Good Shabbos,
Zevi