I try not to mix politics or fundraising into my Dvar Torah, but this week I simply can not resist.
We know that Torah Judaism is in big trouble in Israel today. The government wants to, G-d forbid, close down Yeshivos, to stop Torah learning, because they feel that it is not fair that “they should protect the country, while the Chareidim sit and learn.”
Who is protecting whom?
The Aron was “Nosa es Nosav”, it carried the ones carrying it. When R’ Leizer Gordon, the Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe HY”D, was engaged, his father-in-law said he would support him. And that’s what happened. The young couple moved in to the home of her parents for a few years. After some time, he was becoming very popular and was getting invitations to become the chief rabbi in many cities. However, his father-in-law kept saying “Am I not supporting you enough?” Finally, one day, the mother-in-law said to her husband “How much longer are we going to support him, let him go out and become a rabbi somewhere.” The day he moved to the next town to be the Rabbi, the father-in-law died.
Who was supporting whom?
Who is protecting whom?
R’ Schach, in his unbelievable wisdom, saw this day coming, many years ago. Back when Menachem Begin was prime minister of Israel, there was no funding for Yeshivos. There was a man on the Knesset by the name of R’ Shlomo Lorincz who approached the Prime Minister, to try getting funding for Yeshivos. Begin said he would give 100% to Yeshivos. He said he felt that it was very important for the country and the nation to have Yeshivos. R’ Shlomo went running to the meeting of all the great Rabbis of Israel who happened to have been in a meeting then and told them the good news. The Rabbis were thrilled they were able to go and learn without having to deal with any financial stress. R’ Shach got up and he said “Let’s not fall into the trap of the Nesiyim, in Parshas Vayekehl, it is spelled without the Yud, Ra”shi tells us it is because they procrastinated in their donation to the Mishkan. G-d couldn’t have provided everything needed to build the Mishkan? Of course, He could have but He wanted to give us the opportunity to do mitzvos, and the Nesiyim should have realized that. They thought it was a regular building campaign, they should have realized that this is the way to get Zechusim. Do you know how many people get Zechusim from being Machshiv Torah and support Torah? How can we take away those Zechusim?
Friends, let us all be Zocheh to grab every opportunity to get Zechusim.
(If you are looking for how you can earn these Zechusim R’ Shach mentions, please feel free to contact me :))
Good shabbos to all,
Zevi