On many holidays, it is customary to read one of the five megillos. There is always a connection between the festival and its megillah. On Sukkos we read Koheles. This megillah was written by Shlomo HaMelech and focuses on how he experienced every pleasure in this world (within the parameters of Jewish law) but discovered that it was all hevel havalim, the ultimate emptiness.
The commentaries observe that the message of Koheles seems to contradict the very essence of Sukkos. This holiday is described as zman simchaseinu, even more joyous than the other festivals. Koheles, in contrast, seems anything but joyous in its stress on the meaningless of this world. What connects Sukkos and Koheles?
In Darchei Mussar, Rav Yaakov Neiman, ztz”l, notes that a primary feature of Sukkos is the command to leave our permanent abode and live in a temporary dwelling. He points out that this move hardly seems conducive to joy. Leaving one’s secure, comfortable home for a flimsy, sparse sukkah sounds downright depressing. Rav Neiman explains, however, that a person can reach true happiness only when he recognizes that the pleasures of this world are illusory and provide no genuine joy or fulfillment. Exchanging the comforts of home for a sukkah facilitates this recognition.
Yet why can one never attain true happiness through this-worldly pleasures? A fundamental tenet of Judaism is that a human being is composed of body and soul. Both demand satisfaction: The body seeks the physical delights of this world, whereas the soul aspires to connect to Hashem, which is possible mainly in the next world. The soul can elevate the body to the point that the body becomes subservient to the soul and facilitates its connection to Hashem. For example, if one says a blessing when he eats, he elevates this mundane, physical act to a spiritual one. However, if a person focuses on this-worldly pleasures, his soul receives no satisfaction, since its aspirations are being ignored. It follows that over- attachment to the physical world excludes the soul and therefore precludes true joy.
We can now understand the connection between the joy of Sukkos and the apparent pessimism of Koheles. Shlomo HaMelech is saying that life is meaningless only when aimed at this-worldly pleasures. We see this idea in the Gemara’s discussion of a contradiction within Koheles. In the second chapter, Shlomo writes, “Joy, what does it do?” suggesting the futility of happiness. However, in the eighth chapter, he tells us, “I praised joy.” The Gemara explains that joy is praiseworthy when it involves a mitzvah and futile when it does not. In other words, happiness rooted in this world is meaningless, but the joy of spirituality is to be praised.
Accordingly, Sukkos and Koheles go hand in hand. Both teach us that the only way to attain true happiness is by recognizing that this-worldly pleasures will never satisfy the soul’s yearning for Hashem. May we apply these lessons to our lives and experience the joy of Sukkos.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
BEING HONEST WITH OURSELVES - YOM KIPPUR
One of the most well-known aspects of Yom Kippur is the moving service 'Kol Nidrei', with which we begin the Holy day. The commentaries point out that, in truth, 'Kol Nidrei' is not a prayer at all, rather it is an annulment of vows. This annulment could have been enacted at any point in time. What is the reason that we annul our vows davke at the beginning of Yom Kippur?
It seems that Chazal are alluding to us a very significant lesson. Yom Kippur is the day when one is supposed to undergo an intense process of self-analysis. He admits his mistakes, and undertakes to rectify them in the future. In order to do this effectively, a person must strive to be brutally honest with himself, and avoid the standard self-deceit that often cause people to stray from what they know to be the truth. In Kol Nidrei, a person stresses his concern with avoiding dishonesty through careless vows. In doing so, he implicitly acknowledges the importance of honesty and the detrimental nature of self-deceit. Accordingly, it is very appropriate to begin the day of teshuva by reminding oneself of the importance of being honest with Hashem and with oneself.
There are numerous sources in Chazal that demonstrate that being dishonest with oneself is the cause of aveiros and terrible life decisions. A striking example of this phenomena is that of Lot. He made a decision to leave Avraham Avinu to live in the evil city of Sodom. Why did he decide to go there? The Torah states that it was based on financial factors - he saw that the land of Sodom was a fitting place for his crops. However, Rashi brings Chazal who say that the real reason why he went was because Sodom was an immoral place, and he wanted to satisfy his desire for znus (immorality) there. The question arises that if Chazal say that his real reason was znus, then why did the Torah say that he came for financial reasons?! The answer is that, on the surface, Lot went for the sake of his livelihood, however, the deeper, and decisive reason was znus. The Torah gives us the external reason, therefore it is revealed in the Torah. Chazal reveal the hidden reason, which is accordingly hidden in Torah shebaal peh (the oral Torah). My Rebbe, Rav Yitzchak Berkovits shlita points out that even Lot himself believed that he was going to Sodom for the money. He even tricked himself as to the ultimate cause in this disastrous move. This is a prime example of how the yetser hara can deceive a person as to his motivations, thereby causing him to sin.
Another example of this is that of Shaul HaMelech. Shmuel Hanavi informs Shaul that Hashem wants him to wipe out the whole nation of Amalek. After defeating them in battle, Shaul inexplicably leaves the Amaleki King Agag and some animals alive. This seems to be an obvious deviation from the word of Hashem, and yet when Shaul meets Shmuel he proudly tells him that he has fulfilled the word of Hashem. He did not even realize that he had clearly transgressed the word of Hashem and committed a terrible sin. He tricked himself into believing that he had in fact done what Hashem asked of him.
These incidents demonstrate the power of the yetser hara to cause us to lie to ourselves. Indeed, it seems that all the major sins recorded in the Torah came about as a result of people deceiving themselves as to the true reason for their motivations . This is the case with regard the very first sin, that of Adam HaRishon. The sefarim write that he reasoned that he would attain a higher level of free will by eating from the fruit. However, deep down, his motivation was to gain some independence from Hashem.
Self-deceit can cause us to think that we don't need to do teshuva in certain areas. There was a man who lived in the time of the Rambam. He told the Rambam that he was certain that he never committed these sins, and therefore saying the vidui constituted a lie. The Rambam answered him that there are many levels of transgression of each sin and that on a certain level he in fact committed all the sins in the vidui. Moreover, the Rambam told him that his very claim that he had not transgressed anything in the vidui was a sin in and of itself. It seems ironic that this man had worried that he was lying by saying the vidui, whereas, in truth he was deceiving himself by believing that he did not need to say it!
It is quite conceivable that a person live his life oblivious of his shortcomings. He may blame all his problems on other people or circumstances, anything but his own flaws. The experience of Yom Kippur forces him to face the truth. May we all merit to genuinely return to Hashem.
It seems that Chazal are alluding to us a very significant lesson. Yom Kippur is the day when one is supposed to undergo an intense process of self-analysis. He admits his mistakes, and undertakes to rectify them in the future. In order to do this effectively, a person must strive to be brutally honest with himself, and avoid the standard self-deceit that often cause people to stray from what they know to be the truth. In Kol Nidrei, a person stresses his concern with avoiding dishonesty through careless vows. In doing so, he implicitly acknowledges the importance of honesty and the detrimental nature of self-deceit. Accordingly, it is very appropriate to begin the day of teshuva by reminding oneself of the importance of being honest with Hashem and with oneself.
There are numerous sources in Chazal that demonstrate that being dishonest with oneself is the cause of aveiros and terrible life decisions. A striking example of this phenomena is that of Lot. He made a decision to leave Avraham Avinu to live in the evil city of Sodom. Why did he decide to go there? The Torah states that it was based on financial factors - he saw that the land of Sodom was a fitting place for his crops. However, Rashi brings Chazal who say that the real reason why he went was because Sodom was an immoral place, and he wanted to satisfy his desire for znus (immorality) there. The question arises that if Chazal say that his real reason was znus, then why did the Torah say that he came for financial reasons?! The answer is that, on the surface, Lot went for the sake of his livelihood, however, the deeper, and decisive reason was znus. The Torah gives us the external reason, therefore it is revealed in the Torah. Chazal reveal the hidden reason, which is accordingly hidden in Torah shebaal peh (the oral Torah). My Rebbe, Rav Yitzchak Berkovits shlita points out that even Lot himself believed that he was going to Sodom for the money. He even tricked himself as to the ultimate cause in this disastrous move. This is a prime example of how the yetser hara can deceive a person as to his motivations, thereby causing him to sin.
Another example of this is that of Shaul HaMelech. Shmuel Hanavi informs Shaul that Hashem wants him to wipe out the whole nation of Amalek. After defeating them in battle, Shaul inexplicably leaves the Amaleki King Agag and some animals alive. This seems to be an obvious deviation from the word of Hashem, and yet when Shaul meets Shmuel he proudly tells him that he has fulfilled the word of Hashem. He did not even realize that he had clearly transgressed the word of Hashem and committed a terrible sin. He tricked himself into believing that he had in fact done what Hashem asked of him.
These incidents demonstrate the power of the yetser hara to cause us to lie to ourselves. Indeed, it seems that all the major sins recorded in the Torah came about as a result of people deceiving themselves as to the true reason for their motivations . This is the case with regard the very first sin, that of Adam HaRishon. The sefarim write that he reasoned that he would attain a higher level of free will by eating from the fruit. However, deep down, his motivation was to gain some independence from Hashem.
Self-deceit can cause us to think that we don't need to do teshuva in certain areas. There was a man who lived in the time of the Rambam. He told the Rambam that he was certain that he never committed these sins, and therefore saying the vidui constituted a lie. The Rambam answered him that there are many levels of transgression of each sin and that on a certain level he in fact committed all the sins in the vidui. Moreover, the Rambam told him that his very claim that he had not transgressed anything in the vidui was a sin in and of itself. It seems ironic that this man had worried that he was lying by saying the vidui, whereas, in truth he was deceiving himself by believing that he did not need to say it!
It is quite conceivable that a person live his life oblivious of his shortcomings. He may blame all his problems on other people or circumstances, anything but his own flaws. The experience of Yom Kippur forces him to face the truth. May we all merit to genuinely return to Hashem.
FULFILLING OUR POTENTIAL - YOM KIPPUR
As we approach Yom Kippur we recognise that there is a great necessity to contemplate our shemiras hamitzvos - where we have erred and where we need to do teshuva. However there is another vital aspect of Avodas Hashem that we are less aware of, that we also need to analyse: In the tefillas for the Yamim Noraim we state that man is judged, ‘maaseh ish u’pekudaso’. ‘Maaseh ish’ refers to one’s shemiras hamitzvos but what does ‘pekudaso’ mean? Rav Shraga Feivel Mendlovitz zt”l explains that ‘pekudaso’ refers to man’s tafkid, his purpose in this world. Every individual is placed in this world with a specific job to accomplish and he is judged according to whether he devoted enough effort into reaching this goal. Even if a person has kept all the mitzvos, he may still be taken to task if he did not fulfil his potential. It seems that this Avoda is even more difficult than that of shemiras hamitzvos as is seen by the following examples.
When Avraham Avinu was about to slaughter his son at the Akeida, the Malach called to him, “Avraham,Avraham” Why did the Malach say his name twice? Rav Yissochor Frand Shlita brings a Yalkut which explains that there are two images of each person - his worldly image and his heavenly image; his worldly image is what he makes of himself in this world, and his heavenly image represents what he could become if he fulfil his potential. Avraham, after he passed the last of his ten tests, finally reached his complete potential and consequently his two images became identical. The Malach mentioned the two ‘Avrahams’ together, the Avraham of olam hazeh and the ideal Avraham of olam haba, indicating that the two of them were now the same. It is astounding to contemplate that had Avraham Avinu not passed this test he would not have reached his full potential. His achievements up to that point were unparalleled in human history; he came to a recognition of Hashem amidst a society of idol-worshippers, he made known the name of Hashem to the world, he excelled in chesed, and he passed nine, extremely difficult tests. And yet, had he not passed this final test he would never have reached shleimus! This can give us an inkling of how much is expected of a person.
One may still nevertheless feel that his own potential is very limited and that he is actually living up to that limited level. It may be instructive to discuss the lives and achievements of people who prove that we can achieve far more than we imagine. When the Netziv completed his commentary on the Sheiltos, ‘Emek Sheila’ he made a seuda, partly because that is the custom when one completes a sefer but he had another, more personal reason. He related that when he was a boy he was not particularly serious about his Torah studies. His parents made every effort to help him change his attitude but to no avail. One day he overheard his parents discussing his lack of success in Torah learning - they decided that he had no prospect of becoming a Talmid Chacham and therefore he should learn to become a cobbler. They hoped that at least he would be a yirei shamayim who would go about his work with honesty and dedication. When he heard this, it shocked him greatly and he decided to take his Torah studies seriously - this event had such an impact on him that it led to a complete change in his attitude and he became a Gadol, he was Rosh Yeshiva of Volozhin and wrote a number of classic sefarim. Imagine if he had never had this change of attitude and he would have become a simple cobbler who observed Torah and Mitzvos with genuine yiras shamayim. He would have gone up to shamayim confident that he had led a Torah true lifestyle, keeping the mitzvos, and being kovaya ittim l‘Torah. Instead they would have shown him the Emek Sheila, he would look at it and have no understanding of its content. They would ask him, where’s your Emek Sheila, where are all the sefarim that you could have written? He would have lived his life with no idea of what he could have become. It was only through a dramatic change in his attitude that he was able to reach his true potential - to be a Gadol b’Yisroel.
One may respond to this story by arguing that not everyone can become such a great Talmid chacham, however, Jewish history shows that one need not necessarily be a Gadol to achieve great things for Klal Yisroel. Reb Dovid Dryan zt”l was a pious shochet known for his shemiras haloshon, but there was one thing that makes him stand out - he was directly responsible for the founding and running of the Gateshead Yeshiva and played a significant role in the formation of the Gateshead Kollel and Seminary. Because of his dedication Gateshead is known as the greatest Torah centre in Europe through which thousands of boys and girls have received a high-level Torah education. Moreover, the Gateshead kollel has been the source of many of England’s leading talmidei chachamim. How did Reb Dovid Dryan achieve this? When he came to live in Gateshead he found that there was no Yeshiva there - he said to himself, ‘how can I live in a place with no yeshiva!?’ This may be a question that many of us would ask ourselves in a similar situation. But the difference is that Reb Dovid did not just ask the question - he took action; he devoted much time and effort to achieve a seemingly impossible task in the face of considerable opposition. Rav Shneur Kotler zt’l, when he told over this story, taught a similar message to that which the Netsiv had said many years earlier. Imagine if Reb Dovid Dryan had not achieved what he did - he would have gone up to shamayim expecting much reward for his yiras shamayim in shechita and dikduk in shemiras haloshon. Instead he would have been shown the Gateshead Yeshiva that was never formed, and the products of the Gateshead kollel who would never reach the heights that they could have had there been such a kollel. He would have been asked; ‘where is the yeshiva, where is the kollel?’ If a normal man could achieve such greatness through sheer dedication, then how can we know that we do not have the potential to attain similar accomplishments?
There are other allusions to this concept in the Yom Kippur davenning. At Mincha we read Maftir Yonah - what is the significance of the story of Yonah for Yom Kippur? Of course it teaches us about teshuva but the Mishna Berurah brings another connection. Yonah shows us that “one cannot escape from Hashem.” He elaborates in the Shaar Hatzion; sometimes a person gives up in life, feeling that he cannot achieve what he is meant to, “however, this is a mistake, for eventually, everything that Hashem wants this soul to fix, he must fix, and return many times to Olam Hazeh [in order to do so]… if that is the case, why should he go through the pain of death and ‘Chibut hakever’ and other difficulties and return yet again?” We learn a vital lesson from Yonah. He tried to escape G-d’s plan but could not: We too are all assigned a task to fulfil, but we have a tendency to try to avoid it; Why? It may be because it seems too difficult, or because we don’t feel we can achieve it or we do not want to take the responsibility. But whatever the reason is, we learn from Yonah that we must not escape our tachlis.
After Mincha we enter into the Neila prayers - the climax of Yom Kippur, the day of teshuva. But strangely, we do not say the vidui in the Neila Shemoneh Esrei; where do we express our feelings of teshuva in Neila? The Chiddushei HaRim zt”l answers that our teshuva is found in the words, “so that we can withdraw our hands from stealing.” Why do we davke mention the sin of stealing ahead of all others in Neila? He explains that this does not just refer to regular stealing, but to the fact that Hashem gives us so many gifts, money, food, housing, talents, opportunities, all in order to help us fulfil our role in life. But what do we do? We misuse those gifts for different goals - that is considered stealing, using gifts that are given for a certain purpose and using them for something else . As we approach the final moments of Yom Kippur we have, hopefully, already cleansed ourselves of our aveiros, but now, at the climax of the holiest day of the year, we also repent for failing to use our G-d given talents for the right reasons, and we express our intentions that, this year, we will do our utmost to use them to fulfil our potential. But we must really mean it: Everyone, at some point in their life is given an opportunity to do something significant for Klal Yisroel. Often, we refuse the opportunity, finding many excuses to avoid it. What is frightening about this is that a person may go through life having missed his golden chance to fulfil his potential and he will never realise it - he won’t necessarily feel that his life was missing anything. However, when he goes up to shamayim he may be faced with the same question that Avraham Avinu, the Netsiv and Reb Dovid Dryan could answer - where is the heavenly you, where is your true potential?
This idea is indeed something that should be a cause of concern for people - a person should often ask himself, ‘am I fulfilling my potential? Am I achieving what Hashem wants me to? How could I do more?’ However, this should also be an exciting idea - each of us has the ability to achieve true greatness, each one in his own specific way. How much can one person achieve? On a visit to Aish Hatorah, Rav Shach zt”l was astounded to see so many baalei teshuva - people who came from nothing but whom, through the efforts of a few dedicated and idealistic people, had returned to Torah. This was at a time when the baal teshuva movement had barely begun and it was not believed possible that it could ever take off. In his astonishment at what beheld his eyes he stood up and spoke: He quoted the passuk that we read in the haftara of Shabbos Shuva: “Return, Israel, to Hashem, your G-d, because you have stumbled in your iniquity .” He asked, that the passuk implies that the fact that we have sinned so badly is a reason why we should be able to return to Hashem - why is this so? He answered by bringing the concept that however much evil can do, good can achieve at least as much. Therefore, if a person can turn away from Hashem so much, then surely he can return to Him to an even greater extent. Similarly, if history has shown us that one man can destroy six million lives, then surely one man can save six million lives! With siata dishmaya, we cannot imagine what we can achieve, but it is surely beyond our wildest imaginations - but if we only try to make the effort and take the opportunities that come our way or even better, create our own opportunities, the we can begin to transform our imagination into reality.
We should all be zocheh to fulfill our true potential.
When Avraham Avinu was about to slaughter his son at the Akeida, the Malach called to him, “Avraham,Avraham” Why did the Malach say his name twice? Rav Yissochor Frand Shlita brings a Yalkut which explains that there are two images of each person - his worldly image and his heavenly image; his worldly image is what he makes of himself in this world, and his heavenly image represents what he could become if he fulfil his potential. Avraham, after he passed the last of his ten tests, finally reached his complete potential and consequently his two images became identical. The Malach mentioned the two ‘Avrahams’ together, the Avraham of olam hazeh and the ideal Avraham of olam haba, indicating that the two of them were now the same. It is astounding to contemplate that had Avraham Avinu not passed this test he would not have reached his full potential. His achievements up to that point were unparalleled in human history; he came to a recognition of Hashem amidst a society of idol-worshippers, he made known the name of Hashem to the world, he excelled in chesed, and he passed nine, extremely difficult tests. And yet, had he not passed this final test he would never have reached shleimus! This can give us an inkling of how much is expected of a person.
One may still nevertheless feel that his own potential is very limited and that he is actually living up to that limited level. It may be instructive to discuss the lives and achievements of people who prove that we can achieve far more than we imagine. When the Netziv completed his commentary on the Sheiltos, ‘Emek Sheila’ he made a seuda, partly because that is the custom when one completes a sefer but he had another, more personal reason. He related that when he was a boy he was not particularly serious about his Torah studies. His parents made every effort to help him change his attitude but to no avail. One day he overheard his parents discussing his lack of success in Torah learning - they decided that he had no prospect of becoming a Talmid Chacham and therefore he should learn to become a cobbler. They hoped that at least he would be a yirei shamayim who would go about his work with honesty and dedication. When he heard this, it shocked him greatly and he decided to take his Torah studies seriously - this event had such an impact on him that it led to a complete change in his attitude and he became a Gadol, he was Rosh Yeshiva of Volozhin and wrote a number of classic sefarim. Imagine if he had never had this change of attitude and he would have become a simple cobbler who observed Torah and Mitzvos with genuine yiras shamayim. He would have gone up to shamayim confident that he had led a Torah true lifestyle, keeping the mitzvos, and being kovaya ittim l‘Torah. Instead they would have shown him the Emek Sheila, he would look at it and have no understanding of its content. They would ask him, where’s your Emek Sheila, where are all the sefarim that you could have written? He would have lived his life with no idea of what he could have become. It was only through a dramatic change in his attitude that he was able to reach his true potential - to be a Gadol b’Yisroel.
One may respond to this story by arguing that not everyone can become such a great Talmid chacham, however, Jewish history shows that one need not necessarily be a Gadol to achieve great things for Klal Yisroel. Reb Dovid Dryan zt”l was a pious shochet known for his shemiras haloshon, but there was one thing that makes him stand out - he was directly responsible for the founding and running of the Gateshead Yeshiva and played a significant role in the formation of the Gateshead Kollel and Seminary. Because of his dedication Gateshead is known as the greatest Torah centre in Europe through which thousands of boys and girls have received a high-level Torah education. Moreover, the Gateshead kollel has been the source of many of England’s leading talmidei chachamim. How did Reb Dovid Dryan achieve this? When he came to live in Gateshead he found that there was no Yeshiva there - he said to himself, ‘how can I live in a place with no yeshiva!?’ This may be a question that many of us would ask ourselves in a similar situation. But the difference is that Reb Dovid did not just ask the question - he took action; he devoted much time and effort to achieve a seemingly impossible task in the face of considerable opposition. Rav Shneur Kotler zt’l, when he told over this story, taught a similar message to that which the Netsiv had said many years earlier. Imagine if Reb Dovid Dryan had not achieved what he did - he would have gone up to shamayim expecting much reward for his yiras shamayim in shechita and dikduk in shemiras haloshon. Instead he would have been shown the Gateshead Yeshiva that was never formed, and the products of the Gateshead kollel who would never reach the heights that they could have had there been such a kollel. He would have been asked; ‘where is the yeshiva, where is the kollel?’ If a normal man could achieve such greatness through sheer dedication, then how can we know that we do not have the potential to attain similar accomplishments?
There are other allusions to this concept in the Yom Kippur davenning. At Mincha we read Maftir Yonah - what is the significance of the story of Yonah for Yom Kippur? Of course it teaches us about teshuva but the Mishna Berurah brings another connection. Yonah shows us that “one cannot escape from Hashem.” He elaborates in the Shaar Hatzion; sometimes a person gives up in life, feeling that he cannot achieve what he is meant to, “however, this is a mistake, for eventually, everything that Hashem wants this soul to fix, he must fix, and return many times to Olam Hazeh [in order to do so]… if that is the case, why should he go through the pain of death and ‘Chibut hakever’ and other difficulties and return yet again?” We learn a vital lesson from Yonah. He tried to escape G-d’s plan but could not: We too are all assigned a task to fulfil, but we have a tendency to try to avoid it; Why? It may be because it seems too difficult, or because we don’t feel we can achieve it or we do not want to take the responsibility. But whatever the reason is, we learn from Yonah that we must not escape our tachlis.
After Mincha we enter into the Neila prayers - the climax of Yom Kippur, the day of teshuva. But strangely, we do not say the vidui in the Neila Shemoneh Esrei; where do we express our feelings of teshuva in Neila? The Chiddushei HaRim zt”l answers that our teshuva is found in the words, “so that we can withdraw our hands from stealing.” Why do we davke mention the sin of stealing ahead of all others in Neila? He explains that this does not just refer to regular stealing, but to the fact that Hashem gives us so many gifts, money, food, housing, talents, opportunities, all in order to help us fulfil our role in life. But what do we do? We misuse those gifts for different goals - that is considered stealing, using gifts that are given for a certain purpose and using them for something else . As we approach the final moments of Yom Kippur we have, hopefully, already cleansed ourselves of our aveiros, but now, at the climax of the holiest day of the year, we also repent for failing to use our G-d given talents for the right reasons, and we express our intentions that, this year, we will do our utmost to use them to fulfil our potential. But we must really mean it: Everyone, at some point in their life is given an opportunity to do something significant for Klal Yisroel. Often, we refuse the opportunity, finding many excuses to avoid it. What is frightening about this is that a person may go through life having missed his golden chance to fulfil his potential and he will never realise it - he won’t necessarily feel that his life was missing anything. However, when he goes up to shamayim he may be faced with the same question that Avraham Avinu, the Netsiv and Reb Dovid Dryan could answer - where is the heavenly you, where is your true potential?
This idea is indeed something that should be a cause of concern for people - a person should often ask himself, ‘am I fulfilling my potential? Am I achieving what Hashem wants me to? How could I do more?’ However, this should also be an exciting idea - each of us has the ability to achieve true greatness, each one in his own specific way. How much can one person achieve? On a visit to Aish Hatorah, Rav Shach zt”l was astounded to see so many baalei teshuva - people who came from nothing but whom, through the efforts of a few dedicated and idealistic people, had returned to Torah. This was at a time when the baal teshuva movement had barely begun and it was not believed possible that it could ever take off. In his astonishment at what beheld his eyes he stood up and spoke: He quoted the passuk that we read in the haftara of Shabbos Shuva: “Return, Israel, to Hashem, your G-d, because you have stumbled in your iniquity .” He asked, that the passuk implies that the fact that we have sinned so badly is a reason why we should be able to return to Hashem - why is this so? He answered by bringing the concept that however much evil can do, good can achieve at least as much. Therefore, if a person can turn away from Hashem so much, then surely he can return to Him to an even greater extent. Similarly, if history has shown us that one man can destroy six million lives, then surely one man can save six million lives! With siata dishmaya, we cannot imagine what we can achieve, but it is surely beyond our wildest imaginations - but if we only try to make the effort and take the opportunities that come our way or even better, create our own opportunities, the we can begin to transform our imagination into reality.
We should all be zocheh to fulfill our true potential.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US? - ROSH HASHANA
We all know that the main Avoda of Rosh Hashana is to mamlich Hashem - to accept Him as King over us. But what does this mean? On one level it means to recognise that He is all-powerful and has total control over the world. But there is another very important aspect to being Mamlich Hashem. The Gra notes that with reference to non-Jews Hashem is called a Moshel, whereas with regard to Jews He is called a Melech. A Moshel is a dictator who has complete power but is not loved by his subjects because they perceive that he is not the source of good for them. The goyim see Hashem as a ruler who may be powerful but they would prefer that He not interfere with their lives.
In contrast, a Melech is a ruler who we accept with love over us because we recognise that He is the source of all goodness - the Jewish people are supposed to have this attitude to Hashem’s kingship. In order to properly mamlich Hashem we must recognise that He and He alone is the ONLY source of meaning and happiness. The antithesis of this is the negative mitzvo of not following after other gods. This is not limited to not worshipping idols, it also requires that we acknowledge that there is no other source of our well-being other than Hashem. If a person believes that there is any other factor in his life that is independently significant to his happiness then he transgresses the mitzvo of not following other gods. There are numerous possible ‘alternative’ sources to attributing our well-being, including money, physical pleasure, material attainment, honour, or even ourselves . A person can say he believes in G-d but if he acts as though any of these factors provide him with any happiness to the exclusion of Hashem, then he cannot properly make Hashem King .
The extent to which we recognise that doing ratson Hashem is the only key to success has a great effect on our shemiras hamitzvos, both avoidance of lavim and performance of positive mitzvos. With regards to lavim, my Rebbe, Rav Yitzchak Berkovits Shlita suggests that the shoresh of many aveiros is a belief that there are other ways of succeeding in life apart from keeping the Torah. For example, a person may be faced with the opportunity to gain financially by doing something which is halachically highly questionable; The outcome of his decision whether to do the issur or not may well be based on his emuna - if he really believes that Hashem is the only key to goodness then he will refrain from doing something that Hashem tells him not to do. But, if, deep down, he feels that there is another way, apart from shemiras hamitzvos, in which a person can succeed, such as cheating in financial areas, then he will likely succumb to the temptation. Another example is when a person is put in a situation where he could speak lashon hara, if he has a clear realisation that doing so, will, ultimately cause him only pain, then he will not do so. But if, b’shaas maaseh he feels that telling over this piece of gossip will give him pleasure, then he will do so. Of course, a person may not be consciously making such cheshbonos, but deep down they are probably the shoresh of the rationalisations that a person makes when he sins. The more a person can mamlich Hashem, that is, to recognise that He is the ONLY source of happiness, then he will be more successful in his avoidance of doing aveiros because he will recognise that doing them would ultimately not provide him with any real happiness.
The same concept applies for performance of positive mitzvos: it is discussed by Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt”l . He asks; the Gemara states that there is no reward for mitzvos in Olam Hazeh - this means that a spiritual act such as a mitzvo cannot be sufficiently rewarded by anything in Olam Hazeh. Yet, Chazal also teach us that reshaim receive the reward for their mitzvos in Olam Hazeh - how can they be satisfactorily rewarded by this-worldly pleasures? He answers that the reward a person receives for a mitzvo is no more than the value he himself attributes to that mitzvo. Therefore, a rasha, who sees physical pleasures as the source of his fulfillment will be rewarded with just that for his mitzvos. When the Gemara says that there is no reward in this world, it means that a mitzvo done by a person who has an appreciation of the spiritual pleasures cannot be rewarded with the transitory pleasures of this world.
Based on this, we can gain a greater understanding of the importance on Rosh Hashana of recognising that Hashem is the only source of true happiness: We are judged on this day according to how many mitzvos we have fulfilled against the number of aveiros that we have committed. However, the Rambam in Hilchos Teshuva writes that each mitzvo has a different potency based on a number of factors, one of the most important being the intentions behind the mitzvo. If a person’s sheifos are largely for this-worldly pleasures then this will surely effect his shemiras hamitzvos; There will be occassions where he will refrain from performing a mitzvo in order to satisfy his desires. Rav Shmuelevitz gives the example of a ben Torah stopping learning in order to earn some money. He is demonstrating that the mitzvo of Talmud Torah is worth less than the amount of money he could gain. Thus, even when he does perform the mitzvo, it is tainted by his underlying attitude that it is worth less than other forms of pleasure such as gaining money. The alarming consequence of this is that the reward he will receive for his mitzvos will only be equal to the value that he himself ascribed to the mitzvo. Thus, it is also apparent in our performance of positive mitzvos, that the extent to which we acknowledge that only Hashem is the source of goodness and that doing His ratson is the only way to succeed in life, bears a great effect on how we emerge from the din of Rosh Hashana.
Rav Yissochor Frand Shlita tells a frightening story that adds another dimension to the idea that a the reward a person receives is directly related to what is important to him. The Chiddushei Harim zt”l once travelled with a man on his carriage that was pulled by two horses. After a few miles, one of the horses died, causing great distress to its owner. A few miles later, the other horse also died. The owner was so distressed at the loss of his horses that meant so much to him that he sat crying for a long time until he cried so much that he died. That night, the Chiddushei Harim had a dream; in that dream he saw that the man who had died, received Olam Haba. But what was his Olam Haba? A lovely carriage with two beautiful horses. This story teaches us that our Olam Haba is created by what we value in Olam Hazeh - for this man, the most important thing in his life was his horses and carriage, so that was what he got for eternity.
One may ask, it does not seem to be so bad for a person to receive in Olam Haba that which a person cherishes so much in Olam Hazeh. Rav Frand answers this question. He says that when he was a young child he always wanted a slingshot with which to play with but his parents refused. Imagine if, at the time of his wedding, his parents would come to him and say, “here is the slingshot that you always wanted!” As a child, the slingshot was valuable to him, but now he has grown out of it. So too, we may strive to acquire various pleasures in Olam hazeh, such as money or kavod, believing that they will provide us with contentment. But when we arrive in Olam Haba we will see the truth of the words of Mesillas Yesharim: “everything else [apart from closeness to Hashem] that people believe are good is nothing but emptiness. ” In the Olam Haemes, we will see with perfect clarity, how meaningless are those things that we put so much energy into acquiring in this world.
We spend much of Rosh Hashana in tefilla - those tefillas repeatedly emphasise how Hashem is our King. When we say these words again and again on the day, let us remember what they mean: that Hashem is a loving King who is the source of all good, if we can internalise that then we can emerge from Rosh Hashana triumphant.
Kesiva v’chasima tova.
In contrast, a Melech is a ruler who we accept with love over us because we recognise that He is the source of all goodness - the Jewish people are supposed to have this attitude to Hashem’s kingship. In order to properly mamlich Hashem we must recognise that He and He alone is the ONLY source of meaning and happiness. The antithesis of this is the negative mitzvo of not following after other gods. This is not limited to not worshipping idols, it also requires that we acknowledge that there is no other source of our well-being other than Hashem. If a person believes that there is any other factor in his life that is independently significant to his happiness then he transgresses the mitzvo of not following other gods. There are numerous possible ‘alternative’ sources to attributing our well-being, including money, physical pleasure, material attainment, honour, or even ourselves . A person can say he believes in G-d but if he acts as though any of these factors provide him with any happiness to the exclusion of Hashem, then he cannot properly make Hashem King .
The extent to which we recognise that doing ratson Hashem is the only key to success has a great effect on our shemiras hamitzvos, both avoidance of lavim and performance of positive mitzvos. With regards to lavim, my Rebbe, Rav Yitzchak Berkovits Shlita suggests that the shoresh of many aveiros is a belief that there are other ways of succeeding in life apart from keeping the Torah. For example, a person may be faced with the opportunity to gain financially by doing something which is halachically highly questionable; The outcome of his decision whether to do the issur or not may well be based on his emuna - if he really believes that Hashem is the only key to goodness then he will refrain from doing something that Hashem tells him not to do. But, if, deep down, he feels that there is another way, apart from shemiras hamitzvos, in which a person can succeed, such as cheating in financial areas, then he will likely succumb to the temptation. Another example is when a person is put in a situation where he could speak lashon hara, if he has a clear realisation that doing so, will, ultimately cause him only pain, then he will not do so. But if, b’shaas maaseh he feels that telling over this piece of gossip will give him pleasure, then he will do so. Of course, a person may not be consciously making such cheshbonos, but deep down they are probably the shoresh of the rationalisations that a person makes when he sins. The more a person can mamlich Hashem, that is, to recognise that He is the ONLY source of happiness, then he will be more successful in his avoidance of doing aveiros because he will recognise that doing them would ultimately not provide him with any real happiness.
The same concept applies for performance of positive mitzvos: it is discussed by Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt”l . He asks; the Gemara states that there is no reward for mitzvos in Olam Hazeh - this means that a spiritual act such as a mitzvo cannot be sufficiently rewarded by anything in Olam Hazeh. Yet, Chazal also teach us that reshaim receive the reward for their mitzvos in Olam Hazeh - how can they be satisfactorily rewarded by this-worldly pleasures? He answers that the reward a person receives for a mitzvo is no more than the value he himself attributes to that mitzvo. Therefore, a rasha, who sees physical pleasures as the source of his fulfillment will be rewarded with just that for his mitzvos. When the Gemara says that there is no reward in this world, it means that a mitzvo done by a person who has an appreciation of the spiritual pleasures cannot be rewarded with the transitory pleasures of this world.
Based on this, we can gain a greater understanding of the importance on Rosh Hashana of recognising that Hashem is the only source of true happiness: We are judged on this day according to how many mitzvos we have fulfilled against the number of aveiros that we have committed. However, the Rambam in Hilchos Teshuva writes that each mitzvo has a different potency based on a number of factors, one of the most important being the intentions behind the mitzvo. If a person’s sheifos are largely for this-worldly pleasures then this will surely effect his shemiras hamitzvos; There will be occassions where he will refrain from performing a mitzvo in order to satisfy his desires. Rav Shmuelevitz gives the example of a ben Torah stopping learning in order to earn some money. He is demonstrating that the mitzvo of Talmud Torah is worth less than the amount of money he could gain. Thus, even when he does perform the mitzvo, it is tainted by his underlying attitude that it is worth less than other forms of pleasure such as gaining money. The alarming consequence of this is that the reward he will receive for his mitzvos will only be equal to the value that he himself ascribed to the mitzvo. Thus, it is also apparent in our performance of positive mitzvos, that the extent to which we acknowledge that only Hashem is the source of goodness and that doing His ratson is the only way to succeed in life, bears a great effect on how we emerge from the din of Rosh Hashana.
Rav Yissochor Frand Shlita tells a frightening story that adds another dimension to the idea that a the reward a person receives is directly related to what is important to him. The Chiddushei Harim zt”l once travelled with a man on his carriage that was pulled by two horses. After a few miles, one of the horses died, causing great distress to its owner. A few miles later, the other horse also died. The owner was so distressed at the loss of his horses that meant so much to him that he sat crying for a long time until he cried so much that he died. That night, the Chiddushei Harim had a dream; in that dream he saw that the man who had died, received Olam Haba. But what was his Olam Haba? A lovely carriage with two beautiful horses. This story teaches us that our Olam Haba is created by what we value in Olam Hazeh - for this man, the most important thing in his life was his horses and carriage, so that was what he got for eternity.
One may ask, it does not seem to be so bad for a person to receive in Olam Haba that which a person cherishes so much in Olam Hazeh. Rav Frand answers this question. He says that when he was a young child he always wanted a slingshot with which to play with but his parents refused. Imagine if, at the time of his wedding, his parents would come to him and say, “here is the slingshot that you always wanted!” As a child, the slingshot was valuable to him, but now he has grown out of it. So too, we may strive to acquire various pleasures in Olam hazeh, such as money or kavod, believing that they will provide us with contentment. But when we arrive in Olam Haba we will see the truth of the words of Mesillas Yesharim: “everything else [apart from closeness to Hashem] that people believe are good is nothing but emptiness. ” In the Olam Haemes, we will see with perfect clarity, how meaningless are those things that we put so much energy into acquiring in this world.
We spend much of Rosh Hashana in tefilla - those tefillas repeatedly emphasise how Hashem is our King. When we say these words again and again on the day, let us remember what they mean: that Hashem is a loving King who is the source of all good, if we can internalise that then we can emerge from Rosh Hashana triumphant.
Kesiva v’chasima tova.
THE DAY OF OPPORTUNITY - ROSH HASHANA
As we approach Rosh Hashana, it is important to understand why Rosh Hashana is such an important time. Furthermore, on a more practical level, it is essential that we are aware of our avoda during this time period. It is a great shame to experience Rosh Hashana without becoming a changed person.
Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler zt"l provides us with some vital insights into Rosh Hashana. He begins by explaining that there are two different ways in which a person can change his spiritual standing. He describes them as bechira klalis and bechira pratis . Bechira pratis describes minor life changes, whereas bechira klalis refers to major shifts in one's level. Bechira pratis is the more common of the two. People generally change in small stages, gradually improving or deteriorating. However, there are times in a person's life when he faces a major decision and the results of that decision will have dramatic effects on the rest of his life. For example, a person beginning his studies of Yiddishkeit may face a decision as to whether he should continue his studies or look for a job without having strong foundations in his Judaism. This is a single decision, however, it will have great ramifications for his future spiritual standing. In a similar vein, there are certain time periods which are mesugal for bechira klalis - Rosh Hashana is one of these times .
Rav Dessler brings the Gemara that states that the g'zar din for a person's year is made on Rosh Hashana and that it is almost impossible for an individual to undo the judgment he received on Rosh Hashana . He asks why this is the case - if a person improves his actions later in the year, why is it so difficult for him to alter what was decreed on Rosh Hashana? He explains that there is a special power on Rosh Hashana. He writes: "The whole matter of the judgment of Rosh Hashana is that Hakadosh Baruch Hu created a unique time period in which a person is aroused to a form of teshuva more powerful than on the rest of the year. And since the arousing power of Rosh Hashana is so great, so too the change that a person can make in himself is very great." Accordingly, if a person reaches a high level on Rosh Hashana then he effects a deep and permanent change in himself. Even if he declines later in the year, his basic standing does not change. His change of level later in the year only represents a superficial deterioration, rather than a fundamental shift on his level. In this way, Rosh Hashana is a time of tremendous opportunity to make long-lasting changes.
The Shem Mishmuel gives us a further insight into the power of Rosh Hashana. He writes that the events of the first Rosh Hashana have an eternal effect on that day through all of history. On the first Rosh Hashana, man was given a whole new level of existence through the soul that he was given. The soul is the driving force behind man's desire to constantly grow in stature and closeness to Hashem. Accordingly, on this day, there is an extra power for man to make a conscious decision to make huge leaps forward in his spiritual standing. With this understanding, he explains the gemara that tells us that Yosef HaTzaddik was released from the Egyptian prison on Rosh Hashana. The name of a person represents his essence. In that vein, Yosef's essence, based on his name, is to have a constant desire to grow in spirituality. Rachel Imanu gave him this name to represent her desire for more children, asking, "Hashem should add for me another son". This reaction seems somewhat difficult to understand - it appears analogous to when a parent gives a child a gift, the child asks for another one instead of thanking the parent ! However, in truth, it seems that Rachel’s desire for more children was not merely a desire for more in the realm of gashmius (physicality), rather it was a result of her great sheifa (aspiration) to strive in ruchnius (spirituality). For Rachel, having children meant playing a key role in the building of Klal Yisroel. Her request to have more children was a reflection of her own desire to merit to play a greater role in building Klal Yisroel. Thus it was not comparable to a child asking for another gift, rather it was more akin to one who has just completed a piece of learning asking Hashem to help him complete another one. That is not a sign of ingratitude, rather it is an expression of the person’s desire to grow more in ruchnius. In this way, the name Yosef represented the desire to constantly increase one's spirituality. The Shem Mishmuel writes that the essence of Yosef is identical to that of Rosh Hashana, in that both epitomize a burning ratson (will) to constantly strive in ruchnius. Therefore it was fitting that the pivotal event in enabling Yosef to achieve greatness, Yosef's release from prison, occurred on the day that is mesugal for greatness, Rosh Hashana.
These sources teach us the immense opportunity that is present on Rosh Hashana. The level that we attain on Rosh Hashana will have a tremendous effect on how the year to come will pan out. Accordingly, it is essential that a person strive to attain a high level on the days of Rosh Hashana. This concept is discussed in halacha. The Mishna Berurah writes that one should be particularly careful not to express any anger on these days. He explains that expressing positive character traits are a simun for a good year. Of course, it is not sufficient to merely act like a tzaddik on Rosh Hashana and return to one's old self the next day. Rather, a person must strive to make a permanent change in his outlook and attitudes on Rosh Hashana. Doing this will provide the foundation for a genuine improvement in one's Mitzvo observance. In this vein, the sefarim write that one is not merely judged on the number of mitzvos and aveiros that he has committed. His life aspirations and attitudes also come under scrutiny.
This perhaps helps understand why there is so much emphasis on tefilla on Rosh Hashana. For much of the day we sit in shul repeating the concept that Hashem is our King. Doing this is intended to help us internalize the recognition that closeness to Hashem is the only true source of meaning. The yetser hara can make a person have a somewhat negative attitude to the long prayers of Rosh Hashana. It can make him think more about going home, having lunch and sleeping, than making Hashem King. It is essential to recognize this nisayon and try to internalize the purpose and opportunity of the day. We have seen that Rosh Hashana is a time of unparalleled opportunity. The Shem MiShmuel points out that from the time that Yosef's release from prison on Rosh Hashana infused an extra power into that day of freeing oneself from his own personal prison - that is, whatever prevents him from being free to achieve his potential. May we all merit to achieve a great and long-lasting aliya on Rosh Hashana.
Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler zt"l provides us with some vital insights into Rosh Hashana. He begins by explaining that there are two different ways in which a person can change his spiritual standing. He describes them as bechira klalis and bechira pratis . Bechira pratis describes minor life changes, whereas bechira klalis refers to major shifts in one's level. Bechira pratis is the more common of the two. People generally change in small stages, gradually improving or deteriorating. However, there are times in a person's life when he faces a major decision and the results of that decision will have dramatic effects on the rest of his life. For example, a person beginning his studies of Yiddishkeit may face a decision as to whether he should continue his studies or look for a job without having strong foundations in his Judaism. This is a single decision, however, it will have great ramifications for his future spiritual standing. In a similar vein, there are certain time periods which are mesugal for bechira klalis - Rosh Hashana is one of these times .
Rav Dessler brings the Gemara that states that the g'zar din for a person's year is made on Rosh Hashana and that it is almost impossible for an individual to undo the judgment he received on Rosh Hashana . He asks why this is the case - if a person improves his actions later in the year, why is it so difficult for him to alter what was decreed on Rosh Hashana? He explains that there is a special power on Rosh Hashana. He writes: "The whole matter of the judgment of Rosh Hashana is that Hakadosh Baruch Hu created a unique time period in which a person is aroused to a form of teshuva more powerful than on the rest of the year. And since the arousing power of Rosh Hashana is so great, so too the change that a person can make in himself is very great." Accordingly, if a person reaches a high level on Rosh Hashana then he effects a deep and permanent change in himself. Even if he declines later in the year, his basic standing does not change. His change of level later in the year only represents a superficial deterioration, rather than a fundamental shift on his level. In this way, Rosh Hashana is a time of tremendous opportunity to make long-lasting changes.
The Shem Mishmuel gives us a further insight into the power of Rosh Hashana. He writes that the events of the first Rosh Hashana have an eternal effect on that day through all of history. On the first Rosh Hashana, man was given a whole new level of existence through the soul that he was given. The soul is the driving force behind man's desire to constantly grow in stature and closeness to Hashem. Accordingly, on this day, there is an extra power for man to make a conscious decision to make huge leaps forward in his spiritual standing. With this understanding, he explains the gemara that tells us that Yosef HaTzaddik was released from the Egyptian prison on Rosh Hashana. The name of a person represents his essence. In that vein, Yosef's essence, based on his name, is to have a constant desire to grow in spirituality. Rachel Imanu gave him this name to represent her desire for more children, asking, "Hashem should add for me another son". This reaction seems somewhat difficult to understand - it appears analogous to when a parent gives a child a gift, the child asks for another one instead of thanking the parent ! However, in truth, it seems that Rachel’s desire for more children was not merely a desire for more in the realm of gashmius (physicality), rather it was a result of her great sheifa (aspiration) to strive in ruchnius (spirituality). For Rachel, having children meant playing a key role in the building of Klal Yisroel. Her request to have more children was a reflection of her own desire to merit to play a greater role in building Klal Yisroel. Thus it was not comparable to a child asking for another gift, rather it was more akin to one who has just completed a piece of learning asking Hashem to help him complete another one. That is not a sign of ingratitude, rather it is an expression of the person’s desire to grow more in ruchnius. In this way, the name Yosef represented the desire to constantly increase one's spirituality. The Shem Mishmuel writes that the essence of Yosef is identical to that of Rosh Hashana, in that both epitomize a burning ratson (will) to constantly strive in ruchnius. Therefore it was fitting that the pivotal event in enabling Yosef to achieve greatness, Yosef's release from prison, occurred on the day that is mesugal for greatness, Rosh Hashana.
These sources teach us the immense opportunity that is present on Rosh Hashana. The level that we attain on Rosh Hashana will have a tremendous effect on how the year to come will pan out. Accordingly, it is essential that a person strive to attain a high level on the days of Rosh Hashana. This concept is discussed in halacha. The Mishna Berurah writes that one should be particularly careful not to express any anger on these days. He explains that expressing positive character traits are a simun for a good year. Of course, it is not sufficient to merely act like a tzaddik on Rosh Hashana and return to one's old self the next day. Rather, a person must strive to make a permanent change in his outlook and attitudes on Rosh Hashana. Doing this will provide the foundation for a genuine improvement in one's Mitzvo observance. In this vein, the sefarim write that one is not merely judged on the number of mitzvos and aveiros that he has committed. His life aspirations and attitudes also come under scrutiny.
This perhaps helps understand why there is so much emphasis on tefilla on Rosh Hashana. For much of the day we sit in shul repeating the concept that Hashem is our King. Doing this is intended to help us internalize the recognition that closeness to Hashem is the only true source of meaning. The yetser hara can make a person have a somewhat negative attitude to the long prayers of Rosh Hashana. It can make him think more about going home, having lunch and sleeping, than making Hashem King. It is essential to recognize this nisayon and try to internalize the purpose and opportunity of the day. We have seen that Rosh Hashana is a time of unparalleled opportunity. The Shem MiShmuel points out that from the time that Yosef's release from prison on Rosh Hashana infused an extra power into that day of freeing oneself from his own personal prison - that is, whatever prevents him from being free to achieve his potential. May we all merit to achieve a great and long-lasting aliya on Rosh Hashana.
OUR APPROACH TO LEARNING TORAH - HAAZINU
“When I call out the Name of Hashem, ascribe greatness to our G-d. ”
Chazal learn out from this passuk the obligation of Birchas HaTorah . The Gemara in Nedarim makes a startling point about the severity of being lax in this mitzvo: It tells us that after the destruction of the first Beis HaMikdosh and the galus that followed, the Chachamim and Neviim did not know what was the cause of such a terrible punishment, until Hashem himself told them that it was because “they left My Torah. ” Rav explains that this does not mean that they were not learning Torah, rather that they did not make Birchas HaTorah before they would start learning . The commentaries find a number of difficulties with this Gemara . How can the Gemara attribute such severe punishments to the relatively minor sin of not saying Birchas HaTorah? Moreover, this Gemara seems to contradict the Gemara in Yoma, which states that the first Beis HaMikdosh was destroyed because of murder, idol worship, and immorality .
The Maharal answers these problems in his explanation of this Gemara . He writes that it is impossible to understand the Gemara literally that they were not saying Birchas HaTorah, rather the Gemara means that they did not say the bracha with the proper intentions. He explains that when a person says Birchas HaTorah, he should focus on his great love and gratitude towards Hashem for giving him the tremendous gift of the Torah. The chachamim of the generation did say the bracha and moreover, did not merely say it out of rote, however they did not focus sufficiently on their love of Hashem when saying the bracha. He continues to explain how this subtle failing was the root cause of the terrible sins that led to the destruction of the Beis HaMikdosh. If a person focuses sufficiently on Hashem in the process of his learning then he merits to have tremendous siyata dishmaya that makes it much easier for him to avoid sin and even if he does falter, it enables him to do teshuva without great difficulty. Rav Hutner zt”l writes that this is what Chazal mean when they say that ‘the light of Torah returns a person to good’. However, if he does not connect to Hashem through his learning then he loses that special siyata dishmaya and if he falters he is far more likely to become trapped in a downward spiral of sin .
Based on this explanation we can resolve the contradiction between the Gemaras in Nedarim and Yoma. The Beis HaMikdosh was destroyed because of the terrible sins enumerated in Yoma .However the failure to say Birchas HaTorah with the proper attitude was the root cause that enabled the deterioration of the Jewish people to the point where they were sinning so greatly. Because they did not connect to Hashem properly they lost siyata dishmaya and consequently fell prey to the powerful temptations of the yetser hara. The Maharal offers a fascinating and somewhat surprising explanation of the reasons why a person may fail to show the proper love of Hashem in his Birchas HaTorah. He argues that it is impossible to love two entities at the same time, and consequently focusing on love of one thing will reduce the focus of the love for something else. Based on this, he writes that there are two possible ‘loves’ that one can express when saying Birchas HaTorah, love of Hashem or love of the Torah, and that it is not possible to feel love for both at the same time! When a person says this bracha he is more likely to express his love for the Torah more than his love for Hashem! He warns that, “one must be very careful that he make the blessing on the Torah with all his heart and soul. ”
This explanation of the Maharal may seem to contradict the approach of Rav Chaim Volovzhin zt”l in Nefesh HaChaim. He emphasized that when one learns Torah they should not be thinking lofty thoughts about Hashem, rather they should delve as deeply as possible into the Torah that they are learning. He argued that this approach is the optimal way through which a person can become close to G-d. The Maharal’s distinction between love of Hashem and love of Torah seems to clash with the Nefesh HaChaim’s emphasis on Torah as opposed to thoughts of Hashem. However, on deeper analysis it seems that there is no disagreement; the Maharal did not say that a person should focus on his love of G-d during his learning. Rather before he begins to learn and says Birchas HaTorah, then he should be careful not to lose focus of G-d. The Nefesh HaChaim himself makes a very similar point with regard to one’s attitude before learning. He writes, “whenever one prepared himself to learn, it is proper for him to spend, at least, a small amount of time, contemplating a pure fear of G-d with a pure heart .” He even argues that at times one should take a small break during his learning in order to rekindle his yiras Hashem .
Thus, it seems that there is agreement amongst these two Gedolim that before a person learns, he must be very careful not to lose sight of whose Torah he is learning. Whist with regard to the actual time of learning, there is no reason to say that the Maharal will not agree with the Nefesh HaChaim’s approach that one should not be thinking lofty thoughts about Hashem. Perhaps, this lesson, that one should not lose focus of Hashem as he begins to learn, is also alluded to in the course of the Chagim that we are presently in. Soon after spending the month of Elul, Rosh HaShana, and Yom Kippur, on intense self-growth, aimed largely at reconnecting to Hashem, we complete the cycle of the Torah and celebrate the beauty and wonder of Torah on Simchas HaTorah. The preparation leading up to Simchas HaTorah can help us adapt the correct focus in our learning - to increase our love and fear of Hashem.
Chazal learn out from this passuk the obligation of Birchas HaTorah . The Gemara in Nedarim makes a startling point about the severity of being lax in this mitzvo: It tells us that after the destruction of the first Beis HaMikdosh and the galus that followed, the Chachamim and Neviim did not know what was the cause of such a terrible punishment, until Hashem himself told them that it was because “they left My Torah. ” Rav explains that this does not mean that they were not learning Torah, rather that they did not make Birchas HaTorah before they would start learning . The commentaries find a number of difficulties with this Gemara . How can the Gemara attribute such severe punishments to the relatively minor sin of not saying Birchas HaTorah? Moreover, this Gemara seems to contradict the Gemara in Yoma, which states that the first Beis HaMikdosh was destroyed because of murder, idol worship, and immorality .
The Maharal answers these problems in his explanation of this Gemara . He writes that it is impossible to understand the Gemara literally that they were not saying Birchas HaTorah, rather the Gemara means that they did not say the bracha with the proper intentions. He explains that when a person says Birchas HaTorah, he should focus on his great love and gratitude towards Hashem for giving him the tremendous gift of the Torah. The chachamim of the generation did say the bracha and moreover, did not merely say it out of rote, however they did not focus sufficiently on their love of Hashem when saying the bracha. He continues to explain how this subtle failing was the root cause of the terrible sins that led to the destruction of the Beis HaMikdosh. If a person focuses sufficiently on Hashem in the process of his learning then he merits to have tremendous siyata dishmaya that makes it much easier for him to avoid sin and even if he does falter, it enables him to do teshuva without great difficulty. Rav Hutner zt”l writes that this is what Chazal mean when they say that ‘the light of Torah returns a person to good’. However, if he does not connect to Hashem through his learning then he loses that special siyata dishmaya and if he falters he is far more likely to become trapped in a downward spiral of sin .
Based on this explanation we can resolve the contradiction between the Gemaras in Nedarim and Yoma. The Beis HaMikdosh was destroyed because of the terrible sins enumerated in Yoma .However the failure to say Birchas HaTorah with the proper attitude was the root cause that enabled the deterioration of the Jewish people to the point where they were sinning so greatly. Because they did not connect to Hashem properly they lost siyata dishmaya and consequently fell prey to the powerful temptations of the yetser hara. The Maharal offers a fascinating and somewhat surprising explanation of the reasons why a person may fail to show the proper love of Hashem in his Birchas HaTorah. He argues that it is impossible to love two entities at the same time, and consequently focusing on love of one thing will reduce the focus of the love for something else. Based on this, he writes that there are two possible ‘loves’ that one can express when saying Birchas HaTorah, love of Hashem or love of the Torah, and that it is not possible to feel love for both at the same time! When a person says this bracha he is more likely to express his love for the Torah more than his love for Hashem! He warns that, “one must be very careful that he make the blessing on the Torah with all his heart and soul. ”
This explanation of the Maharal may seem to contradict the approach of Rav Chaim Volovzhin zt”l in Nefesh HaChaim. He emphasized that when one learns Torah they should not be thinking lofty thoughts about Hashem, rather they should delve as deeply as possible into the Torah that they are learning. He argued that this approach is the optimal way through which a person can become close to G-d. The Maharal’s distinction between love of Hashem and love of Torah seems to clash with the Nefesh HaChaim’s emphasis on Torah as opposed to thoughts of Hashem. However, on deeper analysis it seems that there is no disagreement; the Maharal did not say that a person should focus on his love of G-d during his learning. Rather before he begins to learn and says Birchas HaTorah, then he should be careful not to lose focus of G-d. The Nefesh HaChaim himself makes a very similar point with regard to one’s attitude before learning. He writes, “whenever one prepared himself to learn, it is proper for him to spend, at least, a small amount of time, contemplating a pure fear of G-d with a pure heart .” He even argues that at times one should take a small break during his learning in order to rekindle his yiras Hashem .
Thus, it seems that there is agreement amongst these two Gedolim that before a person learns, he must be very careful not to lose sight of whose Torah he is learning. Whist with regard to the actual time of learning, there is no reason to say that the Maharal will not agree with the Nefesh HaChaim’s approach that one should not be thinking lofty thoughts about Hashem. Perhaps, this lesson, that one should not lose focus of Hashem as he begins to learn, is also alluded to in the course of the Chagim that we are presently in. Soon after spending the month of Elul, Rosh HaShana, and Yom Kippur, on intense self-growth, aimed largely at reconnecting to Hashem, we complete the cycle of the Torah and celebrate the beauty and wonder of Torah on Simchas HaTorah. The preparation leading up to Simchas HaTorah can help us adapt the correct focus in our learning - to increase our love and fear of Hashem.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
GOING UP TO THE HEAVENS - NITZAVIM
After a lengthy admonition regarding the consequences of not following the Torah, Moshe Rabbeinu famously assures the people that despite the seeming difficulty in learning and keeping the Torah, it is actually easily attainable.
“For this commandment that I command you today, it is not hidden from you and it is not distant. It is not in the heavens, [for you] to say, ‘Who can ascend to the heavens for us and take it for us and let us hear it, so that we can perform it?’ Nor is it across the sea, [for you] to say, ‘Who can cross to the other side of the sea for us and take it for us, and let us hear it, so that we can perform it?’ Rather the matter is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to perform it.”
Rashi explains that these verses are referring to the whole Torah as opposed to any specific Mitzvo. On the words, “it is not in the Heavens”, the Gemara observes, that if it was in the Heavens, then we would somehow have to go up there to learn it. And on the words, “nor is it across the sea”, the Gemara points out that if it were across the sea, we would have to cross the sea to learn it.
The following story involving the great tzaddik, Rav Zalman of Volozhin zt”l demonstrates the lesson we should take from this Gemara. On one occasion, Rav Zalman was learning in a small village. On the other side of the river was the great town of Vilna. In the middle of the night, Rav Zalman felt a great desire to study a particular sefer (book) that was in the main Beis Hamidrash (study hall) in Vilna. He didn’t hesitate for one moment, rather he went out in the middle of the night in the freezing cold weather to Vilna until he found the book that he desired. The onlookers were shocked at how he could go to such extremes in such cold weather to get a book. He explained with the verses in Nitzavim that say that the Torah is not in the Heavens and is not across the sea. He then quoted the aforementioned Gemara stating that if the Torah was in the Heavens or across the sea, one would have to go there to study it. The short journey across the river to get to Vilna was nearer than the Heavens and even closer than across the sea. Accordingly, he felt that he had to make the required effort to attain the book that he needed for his Torah learning. We learn from Rav Zalman’s actions that whilst HaShem does not make impossible demands on us with regard to learning Torah, He does expect us to make considerable effort to learn to the best of our abilities.
We further learn from a Gemara in Yoma that any obstacles blocking our ability to learn Torah are not insurmountable. The Gemara says that when a man comes to the next world he will be asked about his Torah learning. The Gemara anticipates a number of excuses that one may use to justify his failure to learn. He may claim that he was too poor, and because of his poverty he had to spend all his time trying to earn a livelihood. Alternatively, he may argue that he was too rich, and that he was too distracted by his business to learn. Moreover, he may maintain that since he supported Torah with his money, he was exempt from learning Torah himself. Thirdly, he may contend that he was too beautiful to be able to avoid the yetser hara of immorality. The Gemara proceeds to provide examples of people who faced the most difficult tests in these areas, and despite this, succeeded in learning and observing the Torah. Hillel was an extremely poor man and he could not even afford to pay the entrance fee to the Beis Hamidrash, yet he went to extreme ends to try to learn. Rebbe Elazar was extremely rich and faced tremendous pressure to focus on his businesses, but he preferred to focus on his learning. Yosef HaTzadik was exceptionally beautiful and faced great tests in immorality, yet he withstood the temptation. This Gemara teaches us that no-one can claim that it was impossible for him to learn or observe Torah because of his circumstances. Of course, there are challenges that must be overcome, but with the requisite effort, everyone can learn and observe the Torah.
What is the key factor that determines whether a person to overcome the many obstacles preventing him from Torah learning? It seems that this can be answered with Rav Yisroel Salanter zt”l’s response to a question he was asked by a businessman. The man told him that he was so busy that he only had a very short amount of time available to learn each day. He asked Rav Yisroel what he should learn in that short time. Rav Yisroel answered him that he should learn Mussar . Once he does that, he would soon realize that he could find considerably more time to learn! Rav Yisroel was communicating to him that the reason that he could not find more time to learn was that learning did not have a high enough priority in his life. By learning Mussar he would develop his appreciation of the importance of learning Torah to his life and as a result he would find more time. We learn from here that if a person appreciates the true value of Torah learning, then he will place it far higher up in his list of priorities. As a result, he will find it far easier to overcome all the barriers and distractions that prevent him from learning.
A person may intellectually realize that Torah learning is very important to their lives, but it still remains very difficult to internalize this and apply it to one’s life. Rav Noach Weinberg zt”l gives a very insightful suggestion in this area. When a person is very tired, it is difficult for him to motivate himself to do anything that involves much effort or thought, including learning Torah. Similarly, if someone were very busy, he would find it very difficult to find any time to learn. However, if one were to offer him a large sum of money to learn Torah for half an hour extra, then he would suddenly find the time and energy! This teaches us that if something is valuable enough then a person will conjure up the time and energy to do it, despite the difficulty. Chazal teach us that one moment of learning Torah is infinitely rewarded, more than any other Mitzvo, needless to say it is of infinitely more value than all the money in the world. Accordingly, when a person is busy or tired, if he would think that of the reward that he could accrue by taking a few minutes to learn Torah, then he could surely overcome the challenges and do so.
As the Yamim Noraim (High Holy Days) approach, it is essential to assess one’s life priorities and ask oneself if he truly devotes as much time to learning Torah as possible. Chazal’s assertion that he must go up to the Heavens and across the sea to learn Torah, teach him he must certainly try to overcome the smaller challenges that he faces.
“For this commandment that I command you today, it is not hidden from you and it is not distant. It is not in the heavens, [for you] to say, ‘Who can ascend to the heavens for us and take it for us and let us hear it, so that we can perform it?’ Nor is it across the sea, [for you] to say, ‘Who can cross to the other side of the sea for us and take it for us, and let us hear it, so that we can perform it?’ Rather the matter is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to perform it.”
Rashi explains that these verses are referring to the whole Torah as opposed to any specific Mitzvo. On the words, “it is not in the Heavens”, the Gemara observes, that if it was in the Heavens, then we would somehow have to go up there to learn it. And on the words, “nor is it across the sea”, the Gemara points out that if it were across the sea, we would have to cross the sea to learn it.
The following story involving the great tzaddik, Rav Zalman of Volozhin zt”l demonstrates the lesson we should take from this Gemara. On one occasion, Rav Zalman was learning in a small village. On the other side of the river was the great town of Vilna. In the middle of the night, Rav Zalman felt a great desire to study a particular sefer (book) that was in the main Beis Hamidrash (study hall) in Vilna. He didn’t hesitate for one moment, rather he went out in the middle of the night in the freezing cold weather to Vilna until he found the book that he desired. The onlookers were shocked at how he could go to such extremes in such cold weather to get a book. He explained with the verses in Nitzavim that say that the Torah is not in the Heavens and is not across the sea. He then quoted the aforementioned Gemara stating that if the Torah was in the Heavens or across the sea, one would have to go there to study it. The short journey across the river to get to Vilna was nearer than the Heavens and even closer than across the sea. Accordingly, he felt that he had to make the required effort to attain the book that he needed for his Torah learning. We learn from Rav Zalman’s actions that whilst HaShem does not make impossible demands on us with regard to learning Torah, He does expect us to make considerable effort to learn to the best of our abilities.
We further learn from a Gemara in Yoma that any obstacles blocking our ability to learn Torah are not insurmountable. The Gemara says that when a man comes to the next world he will be asked about his Torah learning. The Gemara anticipates a number of excuses that one may use to justify his failure to learn. He may claim that he was too poor, and because of his poverty he had to spend all his time trying to earn a livelihood. Alternatively, he may argue that he was too rich, and that he was too distracted by his business to learn. Moreover, he may maintain that since he supported Torah with his money, he was exempt from learning Torah himself. Thirdly, he may contend that he was too beautiful to be able to avoid the yetser hara of immorality. The Gemara proceeds to provide examples of people who faced the most difficult tests in these areas, and despite this, succeeded in learning and observing the Torah. Hillel was an extremely poor man and he could not even afford to pay the entrance fee to the Beis Hamidrash, yet he went to extreme ends to try to learn. Rebbe Elazar was extremely rich and faced tremendous pressure to focus on his businesses, but he preferred to focus on his learning. Yosef HaTzadik was exceptionally beautiful and faced great tests in immorality, yet he withstood the temptation. This Gemara teaches us that no-one can claim that it was impossible for him to learn or observe Torah because of his circumstances. Of course, there are challenges that must be overcome, but with the requisite effort, everyone can learn and observe the Torah.
What is the key factor that determines whether a person to overcome the many obstacles preventing him from Torah learning? It seems that this can be answered with Rav Yisroel Salanter zt”l’s response to a question he was asked by a businessman. The man told him that he was so busy that he only had a very short amount of time available to learn each day. He asked Rav Yisroel what he should learn in that short time. Rav Yisroel answered him that he should learn Mussar . Once he does that, he would soon realize that he could find considerably more time to learn! Rav Yisroel was communicating to him that the reason that he could not find more time to learn was that learning did not have a high enough priority in his life. By learning Mussar he would develop his appreciation of the importance of learning Torah to his life and as a result he would find more time. We learn from here that if a person appreciates the true value of Torah learning, then he will place it far higher up in his list of priorities. As a result, he will find it far easier to overcome all the barriers and distractions that prevent him from learning.
A person may intellectually realize that Torah learning is very important to their lives, but it still remains very difficult to internalize this and apply it to one’s life. Rav Noach Weinberg zt”l gives a very insightful suggestion in this area. When a person is very tired, it is difficult for him to motivate himself to do anything that involves much effort or thought, including learning Torah. Similarly, if someone were very busy, he would find it very difficult to find any time to learn. However, if one were to offer him a large sum of money to learn Torah for half an hour extra, then he would suddenly find the time and energy! This teaches us that if something is valuable enough then a person will conjure up the time and energy to do it, despite the difficulty. Chazal teach us that one moment of learning Torah is infinitely rewarded, more than any other Mitzvo, needless to say it is of infinitely more value than all the money in the world. Accordingly, when a person is busy or tired, if he would think that of the reward that he could accrue by taking a few minutes to learn Torah, then he could surely overcome the challenges and do so.
As the Yamim Noraim (High Holy Days) approach, it is essential to assess one’s life priorities and ask oneself if he truly devotes as much time to learning Torah as possible. Chazal’s assertion that he must go up to the Heavens and across the sea to learn Torah, teach him he must certainly try to overcome the smaller challenges that he faces.
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