KEDOSHIM - LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

"Do not take revenge; do not bear a grudge; love your neighbor like yourself. " The Mitzvo of 'love your neighbor like yourself' is described by Rebbe Akiva as being a great principle in the Torah . Similarly, when a prospective convert asked Hillel HaZaken to sum up the Torah 'on one foot' he answered him with this Mitzvo, adding that the rest of the Torah is an explanation of it . The Ben Ish Chai writes that, given it's centrality to the Torah, a very significant part of this Mitzvo is overlooked by many people. He writes that whilst many people recognize how it requires a person to help his fellow in terms of his physical well-being, they are less aware that it also obliges him to help his fellow's spiritual health. Indeed he argues that helping his friend in the spiritual realm (ruchnius) is a far greater fulfillment of the Mitzvo than benefiting him in the physicalrealm(gashmius). He explains: "When one helps his friend in a physical sense, he expresses his care for his friend's body, however, man's body merely consists of a combination of blood and flesh! The main aspect of a person is his G-dly aspect, his soul, and the soul gets no benefit from kindness in the physical sense. However, if one rebukes his fellow and prevents him from transgressing Hashem's Mitzvos, then he bestows a great kindness on his friend's soul, and love for one's fellow's spiritual side is far more important than love of his physical being. " The Ben Ish Chai teaches that in order to most effectively fulfill the Mitvzo to love one's neighbor he cannot limit his kindness to the help in gashmius, rather he must strive to help his ruchnius to an even greater degree. In this vein, the Orchos Tzadikim tells us that there are three main types of giving: Giving of one’s money; giving of one’s body and giving of one’s wisdom. He goes on to discuss all three but he ends the chapter focusing on the giving over of Torah to others: “One must be especially giving with his Torah wisdom; to teach all men knowledge and to draw their hearts to heaven. This is the greatest of all the types of giving - giving to another to bring him to the life of the World-to-Come.” Similarly the Meiri in Pirkei Avos states; “there is no kindness in the world that compares to the one who gives merit to the many.” Likewise, Rav Aharon Kotler writes: “The main kindness one can do for others is to give over to them Torah and Mitzvos and to distant them from the evil inclination. This is the greatest kindness in the world that one can do for another…” There are a number of ways of helping others in the spiritual realm. The Ben Ish Chai mentioned the greatness of rebuking others, however, in this generation, it is very difficult to rebuke in the correct way and therefore there is the risk that rebuking can do more harm than good. A less threatening way of helping others spiritually is by sharing one's Torah with them; Indeed there are many sources in Chazal that indicate that teaching Torah is a fundamental part of each person's purpose in life: The Gemara in Rosh Hashana 23b says that one who learns and does not teach is like a myrtle tree in the desert. The Maharal explains that the myrtle is the most pleasant smelling tree and it is in the world for people to benefit from its pleasant smell. A myrtle that is in the desert does not fulfill its purpose because no-one can benefit from it. So too, Torah is there to be taught over to others and one who does not do so cannot fulfill his purpose in life. He writes: “The main aspect of the Torah is wisdom that by its very nature is there to teach others and if it is not taught over then it is a waste, because the essence of wisdom is to be given over to everyone.” Similarly, the Mishna in Pirkei Avos states: “If you have learnt much Torah, ‘al tachzik tova’ to yourself, because that is why you were created.” The simple understanding of this Mishna is that a person should not be proud of his achievements in Talmud Torah because learning Torah is his purpose in life. However, many commentaries suggest a different explanation. They explain the Mishna to mean that if a person has learnt much Torah he should not keep its goodness for himself, rather he should teach it to others - why? Because his purpose in creation is to learn and teach.” There are many ways in which a person can share his Torah with others; he (or she) can strive to develop chavrusas (study partners) with people on a lower level of learning. There are numerous outreach organizations, Yeshivas, shuls etc who are in need of people to take out a short time from their schedule in order to teach those less learned than themselves. A mere phone call to one of these organizations may be all the effort necessary to find a suitable chavrusa. Moreover, one need not restrict himself to teaching people face to face; with the added technology available now, one can easily learn with someone in another country on the phone or other mediums. Furthermore, the written medium is another effective way of teaching many people at the same time by writing a short Dvar Torah on the Parsha or some other topic. It is also important to note that teaching Torah need not be limited to formal settings - there are countless opportunities to share Torah wisdom with others in one's daily interactions in life, whether it be with colleagues at work, with the taxi driver, or with friends. We learn from the lesson of the Ben Ish Chai that in order to properly fulfill the fundamental Mitzvo of 'Love they neighbor' one must strive to help others in ruchnius as well as gashmius. May we all merit to fulfill this Mitzvo in its shleimus.

קדושים – הבנה אמיתית במשמעות החסד יהונתן גפן

קדושים – הבנה אמיתית במשמעות החסד יהונתן גפן בפרקים המאוחרים יותר של פרשתנו, מונה התורה את איסורי הקריבה לעריות לסוגיהן ואת עונשי העובר עליהם. לקראת סופו של פירוט זה כותבת התורה "ואיש אשר יקח את אחתו בת אביו או בת אמו וראה את ערותה והיא תראה את ערותו חסד הוא ונכרתו לעיני בני עמם ערות אחתו גלה עונו ישא" בפסוק זה מצויה שאלה מתבקשת ביותר – כיצד ייתכן שמתואר מעשה אסור של גילוי עריות כ"חסד". המילה חסד מתפרשת באופן רגיל כמעשה נתינה ועשיית טוב עם הזולת וכיצד משתייך הוא לעריות? על מנת להשיב על שאלה זו, ראשית עלינו לשנות מעט את תפיסתנו הראשונית לגבי משמעותה הנכונה של המילה 'חסד'. פירושה המדויק יותר הוא מידה המתאפיינת בגלישה מעבר לגדרות, כנגד כל גבול ומחסום. אחת ההתבטאויות המשמעותיות למידה זו היא אכן נתינה והענקה לזולת, כאשר מידת החסד בה אדם נחן גורמת לו לשתף את זולתו בשלו, ללא כל מעצור של אנוכיות. אולם, זהו רק סוג אחד של התבטאות מידת החסד, וככל המידות – גם למידת החסד – נוסף על היבטיה החיוביים ישנם גם היבטים והתבטאויות שליליות. אחת מהן היא כאשר אדם מאבד בעקבותיה כל רגש הערכה לגבולות נצרכים והולמים. איסור עריות כולל בתוכו התעלמות מהגבולות אותן הציבה התורה לבל יקרב האדם אל האסור לו – ולכן מכנה התורה איסור זה כ"חסד". שני אישים בולטים בתורה מייצגים את ההיבט השלילי של מידת החסד; ישמעאל ולוט. חז"ל אומרים שישמעאל היה שטוף באיסורי עריות וגזל שניהם נובעים ממידת החסד שהייתה בו בצורתה המעוותת וגרמה לו להתעלם מגבולות נכונים והולמים. גישה האומרת 'שלי – שלך, ושלך – שלי' וגורמת לאדם להאמין בזכותו המלאה להשתמש באישה שאינה שייכת לו – ובאותה מידה בחפצים שאינם שלו. לוט גדל בבית אברהם אבינו, ולכן הורגל בעשיית חסד עם הזולת – כפי שאכן ניתן לראות בהכנסת האורחים אותה קיים בהידור בסדום. אולם בפירוש ניתן לומר שמושג החסד היה מעוות ביותר אצל לוט. לדוגמא, כאשר איימו אנשי סדום לפגוע ולהתעלל באורחיו – הוא העדיף לתת להם את בנותיו - עצמו ובשרו! כוונתו הייתה לגמול חסד עם אורחיו גם במחיר סבל של בנותיו . מדוע התבטאה מידת החסד אצל ישמעאל ולוט בצורה כל כך מעוותת ושלילית? התשובה לכך היא שמידה זו לא נקנתה אצלם על ידי עבודת המידות, ולא התבססה כלל על הדרך אותה מתווה התורה, אלא הם ירשו אותה באופן טבעי מאברהם ועל ברכיה גדלו. גם למידה שהיא חיובית על פי רוב – כמו מידת החסד,יכולים להיות תוצרים שליליים וכלל לא רצויים כאשר היא אינה מיושמת בדרך הנכונה. לדוגמא, אדם שלו נטייה טבעית לחסד עלול לעשות זאת בצורה שלילית בכמות או באיכות. הוא עלול לגמול חסד עם חבריו מעבר לנדרש ממנו ומעבר לנצרך, ומצד שני לשכוח את משפחתו הוא וכלל לא לדאוג מספיק לצרכיה. דוגמא אחרת היא איש 'חסד' שיתקשה לגדור את עצמו בגבולות הולמים ונצרכים בשטחים שונים בחייו; ייתכן מאד שיקשה עליו לדייק בזמנים, ולעמוד בדיבורו, כיוון שלא יצליח להציב גבולות בסדר יומו ובזמניו. זאת ועוד; אם אדם לא מסוגל מספיק להציב גבולות, עלול הוא להגיע לידי ניסיון בהימנעות משקר, כיוון שיושר מחייב את האדם להיצמד בדבקות אל גבולות האמת. התגלמות של חסד בצורה אמיתית ומאוזנת ניתן לראות אצל אברהם אבינו. ברור שהייתה בו נטייה טבעית לחסד, אולם הוא לא צעד בעיניים עצומות אחר נטייה זו, ולא הניח לה להוביל אותו, אלא הוא ניתב, ולפעמים אף שלל לגמרי את מידת חסדו – כאשר הבין שכך נדרש ממנו. פעמים רבות בפרשיות ספר בראשית ניתן לראות מקרים בהן נדרש אברהם אבינו לעצור בעד מידת החסד שבו . אברהם עמד בנסיונות קשים אלה, אשר הוכיחו בבירור שחסדו לא היה דחף טבעי בעלמא אלא היה מידה טובה בנפשו הרתומה אך ורק ליראת שמים ולעבודת המידות. קורה פעמים רבות שאדם הנוטה לחסד, נכשל בצורה נוספת: הוא מצפה מהאנשים עימם הוא גומל חסד להשיב לו כגמולו במידה שווה. לכן, הוא לא יהסס כלל לבקש מאחרים שיעשו עמו טובות גדולות ומשמעותיות, כיוון שגם הוא היה גומל עמם את אותה טובה. התורה אמנם דורשת מהאדם להעניק ולתת לאחר בשפע ככל יכולתו, אולם באותה מידה היא מורה לאדם שלא להישען ולהסתמך על טובתם של אחרים. ניתן לראות זאת מאמרתו של שלמה המלך במשלי: "שונא מתנות יחיה" . גדולי ישראל היו מעניקים שפע של חסד, ועם זאת פעמים רבות סירבו לקבל אפילו משהו קטן מזולתם. דוגמא מובהקת לכך הוא הרב מבריסק. כאשר הוא כיהן כרב בבריסק, היו מספר ילדים שזהות אביהם הייתה עלומה ואמותיהן לא יכלו לגדלם. לא היה אף אחד שהסכים ליטול על עצמו את העול העצום הכרוך בגידול ילדים אלה. מה עשו האמהות האומללות? הן היו מגיעות באמצע הלילה ומניחות את ילדן מאחורי דלתו של הרב מבריסק. כאשר הגיע הבוקר, היה הרב מוצא ילד בוכה מאחורי דלתו, ומכניסו לביתו. הוא לקח על עצמו את המשימה למצוא מישהו שיגדל את הילד – ואם לא הצליח, דאג הוא בעצמו לכל צרכיו של הילד . עם כל זאת, עם כל עזרתו וסיועו לאחרים, נזהר הרב מבריסק ביותר שלא לקבל אף פעם כל מתנה מכל סוג שהוא, אפילו תחת תנאים קשים ביותר. כאשר הגיע לראשונה אל הארץ בשנת 1941, יחד עם ראש ישיבת מיר, ר' אליעזר יהודה פינקל, הם עוכבו במשרדי בקרת הדרכונים. למשלחת שחיכתה להם נודע כי הגורם המעכב הוא מס כלשהו אותו היו חייבים לשלם כדי להיכנס וחסרה להם חצי עד לירה שלמה (שווי של שמונים שקלים בערך) על מנת להשלים את הסכום. אחד מראשי הסוכנות היהודית הציע לשלם את המס עבור הרב מבריסק, אולם הוא נתקל בהתנגדות נחרצת: "מעולם לא לקחתי כסף מאדם בחיי" – אמר הרב. לאחר מחשבות והתיעצויות רבות, עלה במוחו של אחד מזקני בריסק רעיון – הוא נכנס למשרד, פנה לרב מבריסק ואמר "חברי הקהילה בבריסק שהגיעו לארץ ישראל מעוניינים שהרב ימשיך לכהן כרבם כפי שהיה בבריסק. לכן, ברצוני לתת או להלוות לרב את הכסף עבור המס, ולאחר מכן ינוכה הסכום ממשכורתו". "הצעה זו מוכן אני לקבל" הסכים הרב, וקיבל את הכסף . ייתכן שהרב מבריסק נחן במידת החסד באופן טבעי, וייתכן שלא. ללא כל קשר לנטיות טבעיות הוא הצטיין בעשיית חסד באופן הנכון והמושלם, ובו זמנית נמנע מביטויים שליליים של מידה זו. ראינו אם כן, שאין להבין בפשטות את המילה חסד כמתארת נתינה ועשיית טובה עם הזולת, אלא היא מייצגת השפעה וגלישה מעבר לגבולות, וניתן להשתמש בה לטוב או חלילה לרע. יתירה מזאת, קיים שוני עצום בין אדם שקיבל את מידת החסד בתורשה מאביו או שהורגל אליה באופן סתמי, ובין אדם שפיתח את מידת החסד בנפשו על פי דרך התורה. מי ייתן ונזכה כולנו להשתמש במידת החסד אך ורק לטוב.

אחרי מות - שימוש השפעה שלילית לטוב

בס"ד לפני שמפרטת התורה את האסורים בנישואין, היא מצווה "כְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר יְשַׁבְתֶּם בָּהּ לא תַעֲשׂוּ וּכְמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מֵבִיא אֶתְכֶם שָׁמָּה לא תַעֲשׂוּ וּבְחֻקּתֵיהֶם לא תֵלֵכוּ" רש"י כותב שמצרים וכנען היו שני העמים המקולקלים ביותר מבחינה מוסרית, והמקומות בהם ישבו ישראל בתוך ארצות אלו – היו המקולקלים מכל. מדוע הושיב הקדוש ברוך הוא את עם ישראל דווקא במקומות המושחתים והמקולקלים ביותר בעולם? הר' דסלר זצ"ל משיב על שאלה זו במאמר הדן בתפקיד האדם בהימצאו בסביבה שלילית . הוא כותב שסביבה שלילית עלולה להיות בעלת השפעה מזיקה ביותר על האדם. אולם, אם הוא חזק מספיק, ואינו מושפע לרעה מהסביבה, אזי הוא יכול דווקא להתחזק מאד בעבודתו כתוצאה מסביבתו. כיצד זה ייתכן? מסביר הר' דסלר שכאשר הוא רואה את מעשיהם הרעים של הסובבים אותו - תחושת הסלידה ממעשים אלה רק תגדל בעיניו, כיוון שהוא יגיע להכרה ברורה יותר עד כמה גרועים ושליליים הם, מכך הוא יתחזק בעצמו, ותגדל עד מאד בעיניו ההערכה לטוב ולאמת. על בסיס הבנה זו בנפש האדם, בונה הר' דסלר יסוד הסטורי המסביר מדוע הושיב הקב"ה את היהודים דווקא במקומות הגרועים בתבל: "בכל פעם שהיה צורך לתת אפשרות לצדיק להתעלות למדרגה גדולה עליונה מאד, נזרק הצדיק אל סביבת השפלים היותר גרועים למען ילמד מהם את שחיתות הרע ויתאמץ בטוב עד מרום קצו" הקב"ה הושיב את עם ישראל דווקא במצרים כדי לאפשר להם לפתח שנאה עזה לטומאת מצרים, אשר לדבריו, הייתה הגורם שהביא אותם לצעוק אל ה' שיוציאם ממקום נורא זה. תיעוב זה שחשו כלפי טומאת מצרים, הוא שאפשר להם להתנער לחלוטין ממ"ט שערי טומאה ולהגיע לדרגה הראויה לקבלת התורה. אם לא היו נמצאים קודם לכן בסביבה כה מושחתת - לעולם לא היו משיגים מנגד דרגות כה גבוהות של קדושה ורוממות. על פי זה מובן גם מדוע הוביל הקב"ה את עמו לכנען, שאף היא מלאת זימה היתה. בראותם התנהגות כה שפלה של עמי כנען, תתגבר ותתחזק תחושת התיעוב למעשים אלו, ומצד שני תגדל הערכתם למוסר התורה . הר' דסלר משתמש ביסוד זה להבנת נושא אחר הנידון בפרשה – השעיר לעזאזל. ביום הקדוש בשנה, יום הכיפורים, ציווה הקדוש ברוך הוא להוביל שעיר במדבר ולהשליך אותו לעזאזל. מהי המשמעות המונחת בהובלת השעיר דרך המדבר? הוא מסביר שבמדבר היו בני אדם מקריבים שעירים לשדים. כאשר מובילים את השעיר במקום טמא כזה נחשפים לטומאת המדבר דווקא ביום הקדוש בשנה, ומכך מתחזקים יותר ויותר בעבודת ה'. על פי יסוד זה ניתן גם להבין כמה עניינים הקשורים לחג הפסח. אנו פותחים בהגדה בתיאור אבותינו שבתחילה עובדי עבודה זרה היו. שואל הר' דסלר – כיצד זה מתקשר לסיפור יציאת מצרים? ותשובתו – מתוך סביבה כה שלילית ומלאת עבודת אלילים – דווקא משם צמח אברהם אבינו ודווקא על ידי כך הגיע לדרגות גבוהות של קדושה שמכוחה אנו שואבים עד היום הזה. גם גאולת מצרים נובעת ישירות מאותה קדושה. לכן אנו מזכירים תחילה את אבותינו שהיו עובדי עבודה זרה, להדגיש את התוצאה הישירה של טומאתם – השגיו הרוחניים הנשגבים של אברהם אבינו ודרגות הקדושה הגבוהות אליהן הגיע. וגדולתו וקדושתו – היא זו שעמדה ביסוד הזכות ליציאת מצרים. עתה נוכל לקבל הבנה עמוקה יותר, מדוע מאריכה ההגדה בתיאור ה"גנות" שהייתה "בתחילה" – הכוללת את אבותינו עובדי האלילים, המצרים ולבן. כנראה הכוונה כאן היא לעורר בנו את התיעוב והשנאה כלפי בני אדם בלתי מוסריים כאלה, ומצד שני לחזק בנו את ה"שבח" הגדול, ואת ההודאה לה' שהוציאנו מידם ונתן לנו את התורה. בעולם של ימינו, נסיון ההשפעה השלילית מסביב הוא בלתי נמנע. גם מי שמתגורר בסביבה שומרת תורה ומצוות, השפעת העולם החילוני היא עצומה, ומכה בכל יום מחדש. אין ספק שמומלץ ורצוי לכל אחד להשתדל עד כמה שיותר להפחית את עוצמתה עד כמה שניתן, אולם בכל מקרה, בלתי אפשרי ליצור נתק מוחלט מכל מגע עמהם. דברי הר' דסלר יכולים לסייע לנו לנהוג בחכמה ובזהירות עם ההשפעה השלילית, ואף להשתמש בה לטוב. על ידי שנכיר בחסרונות הגלויים והידועים של העולם החילוני שסביבנו נוכל להגביר את הערכתנו ליופי הטמון בחיי תורה. ייתן ה' ונזכה כולנו לשמור את עצמנו מהשפעות שלילית מזיקות, ולדעת להשתמש בהם לגדול ולהתקרב עוד ועוד להקב"ה.

USING NEGATIVE INFLUENCE FOR THE GOOD - ACHAREI MOS

Before detailing the list of forbidden relationships the Torah instructs us: “Do not perform the practices of the land of Egypt in which you dwelled; and do not perform the practices of the land of Canaan to which I bring you.. ” Rashi writes that Mitzrayim and Canaan were the most morally decadent nations and in particular those parts in which the Jews dwelled were the worst sections of these countries. Why did Hashem deliberately place the Jewish people in the most corrupt places on Earth? Rav Dessler zt”l answers this question in an essay in which he discusses how one should react to negative surroundings . He observes that negative society can have a very detrimental effect on a person. However, if he is strong enough so that the negative influences do not effect him, then, it can actually strengthen him in his Avoda. How is this so? Rav Dessler explains that when he sees the surrounding evil it becomes more disgusting in his eyes because he attains a greater recognition of its chesronos, this enables him to strengthen himself even further in his appreciation of good. Based on this understanding of human nature, Rav Dessler makes a historical observation that can explain why Hashem deliberately placed the Jewish people in the most degenerate places on Earth. “Every time where there was a necessity for a tzaddik to rise to an extremely high level the tzaddik was flung into the most lowly and degenerate environments so that he could learn from them the lowliness of evil and strengthen himself in good to the opposite extreme. ” Hashem deliberately placed the Jewish people in Mitzrayim so that they could develop an intense hatred of its tuma which, he writes, was indeed their motivation for crying out to Hashem to free them from this terrible place. This intense disgust enabled them to rapidly rise from being on the 49th level of tuma to reaching the level of being able to receive the Torah. Had they found themselves in a less immoral environment then they would not have been able to rise to such a high level. This too would seem to explain why the Jewish people had to go to a similarly abhorrent land. Seeing the highly immoral behavior of the Canaanite nations was intended to intensify their disgust at evil and in turn, heighten their appreciation of Torah morality . Rav Dessler uses this yesod to help understand another passage discussed in the parsha - the Seir l’Azazel. On the most holy day of the year, Yom Kippur, Hashem commands us to take a goat through the desert and throw it off a cliff. What is the significance of leading the goat through the desert? Rav Dessler explains that the desert is the makom where people sacrifice goats to sheidim. By leading the goat through this tamei place and being exposed to its tuma on Yom Kippur, the people become further strengthened in Avodas Hashem. Rav Dessler’s yesod also helps us understand some inyanim relating to Pesach. We begin the Haggadah discussing our ancestors who worshipped idols. Rav Dessler asks, how is this connected to the story of leaving Mitzrayim? He answers that through being surrounded by such negativity, Avraham Avinu rose to such a high level of kedusha to the extent that its power would never be nullified. The geula from Mitzrayim sprouted directly from this kedusha.. Therefore, we talk about our idol-worshipping ancestors to highlight that it was directly as a result of their tuma that Avraham emerged to reach such an incredibly high level and it was his greatness in turn that planted the seeds for yetsias Mitzrayim. We can now gain a deeper understanding of why the Haggaddah goes to considerable length to discuss the negative influences that include our idol-worshipping ancestors, the Mitzrim and Lavan. Perhaps this is intended to arouse our disgust at such immoral people and in turn, heighten our appreciation of Hashem for freeing us from them and giving us the Torah. In today’s world, the nisayon of secular influences is unavoidable. Even if we live in observant neighborhoods, the myriad negative influences bombard us daily. It is of course highly advisable to strive to reduce their influence as much as possible but nonetheless it is impossible to completely eliminate any exposure to them. Rav Dessler’s yesod can help us deal with these influences and perhaps even use them for the good. By observing the obvious chesronos of the secular world we can enhance our appreciation for the beauty of the Torah lifestyle. May we all merit to protect ourselves from negative influences and instead to use them to grow closer to Hashem.

METSORA - A NEW START

Parshas Metsora outlines the purification process for a person struck by tzoraas. One of the essential stages of this process is tevila in a mikva. The Sefer HaChinuch suggests a reason for the significance of tevila as a key part in the teshuva process which the metsora is undergoing. He explains that the world was full of water before man was created and therefore symbolizes a return to the beginning of creation. Dipping into water is a gesture of leaving behind past aveiros and starting afresh . When a person sins and then recognizes his failure, there is a natural tendency to feel guilt-ridden and low. This can be directed in a positive way, motivating him to avoid such sin in the future, however, often it has a very undesirable effect, causing the person to fall into a downward spiral of spiritual failing. When a person feels low about what he has done, he may become disconcerted and lose the strength to continue in his Avodas Hashem as before. In this way the ’fall-out’ from a sin can actually be far more damaging than the sin itself. Toivelling in a mikva after a sin symbolizes that the person is saying that he will not be bound by his past errors and will not let them bring him down further. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt”l notes many examples in Tanach where a person sinned or failed in one area and as a result, suffered a great yerida that destroyed their spiritual standing. A striking case is that of Orpah, the daughter-in-law of Naomi. When Naomi was returning to Eretz Yisroel, both Ruth and Orpah were determined to stay with her and convert to Judaism. At this point, Orpah was on the same lofty level as the great Ruth., equally willing to leave her homeland to join the Jewish people. However, after Naomi’s supplications for them to return, she could not withstand the test and gave in and went back to Moav. It would seem logical that after this single lapse Orpah would still stand on a high spiritual level, just a little lower than that of Ruth. However, Chazal tell us that on the very night when she left Naomi, she sunk to the lowest levels of depravity . How could it be that she fell in such a dramatic way in one night? Rav Shmuelevitz explains that when she saw that she failed in the great nisayon to join the Jewish people, she could not leave her sin behind and start afresh. She was greatly effected by her inability to stand up to challenges, and consequently lost all sense of balance and fell to the powers of the yester hara . Rav Shmuelevitz cites another maaseh in Tanach in which a great man failed a nisayon and recognized the danger he was in of falling into the trap of being completely ensnared by the yetser hara. Shmuel HaNavi instructed Shaul HaMelech to destroy all of Amalek, however Shaul left some animals and the Amalekite King Agag alive. Shmuel confronted him and told him that he had forfeited his right to the kingdom with this aveiro. After failing to exonerate himself Shaul admitted his guilt but then made a very strange request of Shmuel. “Please now honor me in front of the Sages of my people and the people of Israel... ” What was the purpose of this request, it was surely not merely an attempt by Shaul to feel better about himself. Moreover, Shmuel acceded to the request, indicating its validity. Rav Shmuelevitz explains that Shaul did not merely want honor, rather he knew that he was in danger of suffering a great fall and he realized that he needed to strengthen himself immediately so that he would not be adversely effected by his sin. Therefore, amidst this great fall in madreigo he asked Shmuel to honor him and thereby help him maintain his sense of equilibrium and start afresh . It seems that Shmuel, despite his displeasure with Shaul, consented to his request because he recognized its importance. We also learn from the actions of Shaul an aitso of how to prevent failure having a disastrous effect. When a person fails, he is likely to feel bad about himself and lose his sense of self-respect. When a person feels that he is a failure he may give up and let himself fall badly. In order to avoid this he must maintain his self-image after failure and recognize that even though he made a mistake he can do teshuva and start again. Shlomo HaMelech makes this very point in Mishlei when he writes: “A tzadik falls seven times but he gets up. ” The Malbim and Metsudos David explain that despite a tzaddik’s setbacks he rises up again. Indeed, a big part of what makes a person a tzaddik is his ability to recover from failure or mistakes. The tevila of the metsora teaches us the same lesson - even though he sinned he need not be doomed to perpetual downfall. If he can put his past behind him he can make a fresh start.

BRIS MILA ON THE EIGTH DAY - TAZRIA

Parshas Tazria discusses one of the most well-known and observed mitzvos; that of bris mila (circumcision). It stresses that the Mila must take place on the eight day, and the Gemara learns out that even if the eighth day falls on Shabbos one must perform the Mila even though it involves one of the Melachos (creative activites) that are usually prohibited on Shabbos. What is the significance of having the bris on the eight day in particular? In order to answer this question it is instructive to analyze the significance of certain numbers in Jewish thought. The world was created in six days, and on the seventh day, HaShem 'rested', thereby creating the concept of Shabbos, the day that we refrain from physical creation and focus on more spiritual pursuits. Accordingly, the number 'six' symbolizes the physical world, whereas seven represents the infusion of spirituality into the physical world. On Shabbos we strive to elevate physicality through using the physical world leshem shamayim (for the sake of Heaven). Thus, there is an emphasis on eating good food, and dressing nicely, but not for selfish reasons, rather to use the physical world as a kli (tool) for connecting to HaShem. The number, 'eight' symbolizes spirituality that is beyond this world, going beyond the laws of nature. Removing part of our body represents elevating ourselves beyond our natural physical drives. Some commentaries write that one of the reasons for bris mila is that it weakens man's natural physical lusts (see Moreh Nevuchim, Rabbeinu Bachaye). In this vein, bris mila represents a Jew's disassociating himself from the regular laws of olam hazeh (this world), and clinging to a completely different level of existence. The idea that bris mila represents transcending olam hazeh is seen in the Torah's account of HaShem's command to Avraham Avinu with regard to this mitzvo. HaShem tells Avraham, "walk before me and be complete." Rashi explains that Hashem was instructing Avraham to perform bris mila and thereby attain completion. Immediately after this, HaShem tells Avraham that He is changing his name, which up till that point, was Avram, to Avraham. HaShem was taking Avraham to a whole new level of existence, and bringing him out of the limits of mazal which had thus far prevented him from having children. It seems clear from the pessukim that this promise and the promise of an eternal bris between HaShem and Avraham's descendants were dependent upon Avraham making his own covenant with HaShem, that of bris mila. Thus, we see that bris mila is intrinsically connected to the fact that the Jewish people live on a whole different plane of existence. Rav Dessler zt"l applies this explanation of the difference between '7' and '8' to clarify a difficult Yalkut. The Yalkut tells us: "Shabbos and mila argue with each other. Shabbos says, 'I am greater than you' and mila says, 'I am greater than you'... from the fact that mila overrides Shabbos , we know that mila is greater than Shabbos." Rav Dessler explains that there are two ways in which a person can go about his avodas HaShem. One is to be involved in the physical world and elevating it for the sake of Heaven. There are numerous mitzvos that fit this category, for example, giving tzedoko (charity) is a way of using one's money to connect to HaShem, and as we mentioned above, Shabbos is the primary example of elevating physicality. The second way of growing in spirituality is by removing oneself from physicality, and thereby separating from his natural taivas (desires). Mila represents this form of avodas Hashem. Rav Dessler points out that there is a great danger in the first type of spirituality where one tries to elevate gashmius (physicality) in that a person can easily fall into the trap of thinking he is elevating the physical world, however, in truth, he is really being pulled after his physical desires and the yetser hara is tricking him into thinking that he is doing it leshem shamayim. The second form of spirituality of removing oneself from gashmius does not pose this threat because one avoids the risks of being trapped. Rav Dessler writes further, that the only way that a person can be sure that he can use the physical world in the correct way is by also somewhat removing himself from it for a time. With this understanding, Rav Dessler explains the meaning of the Yalkut. Shabbos represents the form of avodas Hashem where one uses the gashmius for spiritual purposes, whereas mila represents serving HaShem by weakening one's attachment to the physical world. Mila 'overrides' Shabbos in that it avoids the risks of being trapped by the yetser hara into becoming overly attached to the phsyical world whilst performing seemingly spiritual activities. We have seen that bris mila represents separation from the physical world as a way of becoming closer to HaShem, and how this form of avodas Hashem is essential to one's spiritual growth. In this vein, my Rebbe, Rav Yitzchak Berkovits shlita points out that despite the stress on being involved with the physical world for spiritual reasons, the main way of achieving greatness is through involvement in purely spiritual endeavors. The great Torah Sages did not become great through eating leshem shamayim all the time. They became great by developing an overriding interest in spirituality and a disinterest in the physical world. Numerous stories are told of how unimportant food to Gedolim such as the Chazon Ish zt"l and Rav Yechezkel Levenstein zt"l. May we merit to emulate them and learn from the mtizvo of bris mila to focus on learning, davenning, and growth, as the main ways of becoming great.

PURIFYING OUR SPEECH - TAZRIA

The Portions of Tazria and Metsora discuss in length the spiritual malaise of tzaraat whereby a person is afflicted with white blotches on his skin. He must then experience a period of isolation and finally undergo a process of purification. The Rabbis tell us that this affliction comes about because of a person's sins, in particular that of lashon hara (negative speech) . The process that the metsora must undergo is intended to demonstrate to him the destructiveness of his sin and teach him how to improve himself in the future so that he avoid sinning in such a way again. It seems that there are two lessons in particular that one who speaks lashon hara is taught during the period of his tzaraat: Firstly, the Gemara tells us, "he caused separation between man and his friend [through his lashon hara] and therefore the Torah said that he must sit alone. " Speaking negatively about others inevitably causes friendships to break apart and people to distance themselves from each other. Therefore, measure for measure, one who speaks lashon hara is forced to live alone for a period of time, separated from others. This teaches him the pain that he causes by breaking up relationships. Secondly, the blotches themselves act as a potent demonstration of the damage that one who speaks lashon hara does to his soul. Tzaraat is not a regular physical illness, rather it is the physical manifestation of a spiritual malaise that offers indisputable evidence to the sinner that he has greatly damaged himself in a spiritual sense and is in desperate need of spiritual improvement . Nowadays there is no tzaraat, and superficially this may seem like a good thing. However, the commentaries point out the exact opposite; tzaraat was a kindness of God in that He communicated very clearly to the sinner of his transgression and the need to repent. Without this gift, it is immeasurably more difficult for a person to recognize when he has sinned. And yet, it is very clear that the sin of lashon hara remains as one of the most difficult to avoid. Indeed the Gemara writes that whilst a minority of people stumble in arayot , and a majority stumble in certain forms of theft; "everyone [stumbles] in avak lashon hara. " Given the apparently widespread transgression of lashon hara, what replacement is there for tzaraat - how can a person recognize the spiritual damage one causes himself when he speaks lashon hara and the extent of the damage that negative words can have on other people? Rav Alexander Moshe Lapidus in his, Divrei Emet answers this question . He notes that a person who had tzaraat had to go to a Kohen (Priest) who would guide him through the process of teshuva. Now, there remains a Kohen who continually guides us how to rectify the sin of lashon hara - that is the Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, whose works on this topic are the ultimate authorities in the laws and Torah outlook about guarding ones speech. They teach a person about the damage he causes other when he speaks lashon hara and they show at length the harm that one who speaks lashon hara does to himself. The Chofetz Chaim himself writes in the name of the Maharsha, that when the Gemara says, everyone sins in avak lashon hara, it refers to everyone who does not make a conscious effort to improve his speech . However, if a person learns the laws and outlook about guarding one's speech then he will be able to avoid this pernicious sin. Whilst nobody in this generation is afflicted with tzaraat, it is apparent that everyone who does not work on himself in this area will inevitably speak at least avak lashon hara. Thus, the insight of the Divrei Emet teaches us that it is incumbent upon everyone to learn about the laws of lashon hara from the Chofetz Chaim. One still may ask, why is it necessary to learn the laws of lashon hara, wouldn't it be sufficient to learn ethical works about the damage it does, and thereby one would develop enough yirat HaShem (fear of God) to avoid speaking lashon hara. The Chofetz Chaim addresses this issue in his introduction to his mussar work, Shemirat Halashon. He writes that it is not sufficient to learn this work alone, rather one has to also learn his book of laws, Chofetz Chaim: "What is the benefit of all the mussar in the world that speaks of the severity of the prohibitions of lashon hara and rechillut , since he has permitted himself saying that this thing is not included in lashon hara, or that the Torah did not prohibit speaking lashon hara about this kind of person, therefore one must know which things do fall in the category of lashon hara. " Thus, the Chofetz Chaim teaches us that without knowing the laws of lashon hara a person will inevitably stumble because he is not aware what constitutes forbidden speech. A second reason for the importance of learning the laws of lashon hara can be derived from a teaching of Rav Yisroel Salanter: He taught that learning about a particular area of Jewish law is an excellent way of developing an awareness of ever stumbling in that specific area. Accordingly, when he would find himself in a situation that could potentially lead to transgression of yichud he would immerse himself in learning about it, thus ensuring that he would maintain constant vigilance in this area. Based on the constant test of speaking lashon hara and the Gemara's assertion that no one is free from this sin, it seems that the only way to improve in this area is through constant study of the laws and hashkafa (Jewish thought) of shemirat halashon (guarding ones speech). Accordingly, many Gedolim signed a document urging everyone to set aside a time to learn both Chofetz Chaim and Shemirat Halashon. Moreover, they instructed every institution head to try to include classes about guarding ones speech in the regular learning schedule . In this vein, the Manchester Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Yehuda Zev Segal zt"l developed a daily calendar for learning these two sefarim, and shortly before his passing, he asked the Chofetz Chaim foundation to produce the English work, 'A Lesson a Day' which constitutes a short daily section on halacha and hashkafa . These Gedolim recognized that constant learning about shemirat halashon was the only way to ensure avoiding transgressing the severe prohibition of lashon hara. In earlier times, one who spoke lashon hare was inflicted with tzaraat and guided by the Kohen in his teshuva process. Now, a person is not blessed with such a clear message, and therefore, and he must turn to the words of the great Kohen, the Chofetz Chaim to guide himself how to improve his speech through constantly learning his great works. May we all be blessed with the ability to avoid all forms of negative speech.