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Parsha Page
by Fred Toczek
A survey of parsha thoughts from Gedolei
Yisroel compiled by Fred Toczek. Perfect for printing and
use at your Shabbos tisch.
I. Summary
A. Blessings/Admonitions. The Book of Vayikrah
concludes with Moshe contrasting the different responses
that will follow the Jews' obedience or defiance of
Hashem's commandments. Obedience will lead to peace and
prosperity; abundant crops; and protection from our
enemies. Defiance will lead to (among other things, and
in stages of increasing severity): plagues; enemy sieges;
and national exile. However, if the Jews repent, Hashem
promises to once again remember His covenant with the
Patriarchs and accept us once again as His people.
B. Contributions to the Sanctuary. The following
provisions are discussed for one who made a vow to
contribute towards the upkeep of the Sanctuary:
1. If one dedicates his/his family member's worth,
the amount to be paid varies depending on the person's
age and sex.
2. If one dedicates a kosher animal which can be used
for a sacrifice, he can't substitute another animal for
it. However, he can redeem a blemished animal (i.e.,
unfit for sacrifice) by paying its monetary value plus an
additional 20% to the Kohein.
3. The redemption of land that was dedicated is based
upon its value (which, as noted above, is determined by
calculating the number of years remaining until the Yovel).
4. A firstling (B'chor) can't be dedicated a
voluntary offering, since it is already Hashem's
property.
5. A Ma'aser (tithes of produce -- the first of which
was set aside for the Levites; the second of which was
set aside and taken to Jerusalem to be eaten) can be
redeemed by paying its value plus 20%, but a tithe of
new-born animals (which were set aside for sacrifice)
can't be redeemed.
II. Divrei Torah
A. LilMode U'lilamed (Rabbi Mordechai Katz)
Achdus: United we stand, divided we fall. The
admonitions suggests that if the Jews defy Hashem's word,
they will be smitten before their enemies. The text
suggests that the "enemies" include enemies
from "within" the Jewish people. History has
shown that some of the worst enemies of the Jewish people
have been Jews (e.g., the first person killed in the Maccabean uprising was a Hellenist Jew killed by
Matisyohu when he slaughtered a pig on the Altar).
History has, however, also shown the unlimited potential
when Jews have united (e.g., when the Jews were united
behind David and Shlomo, their prosperity was at a peak
and the Holy Temple was built). We must heed the lesson
of the value of achdus (unity of the entire Jewish
people), not only during times of national crisis, but at
all times.
B. Growth Through Torah (Rabbi Zelig Pliskin)
1. Be happy for others' good fortune.
"And I will
place peace in the land". Rashi states "if
there is no peace there is nothing". Many people
would feel satisfied with their lot, but for the fact
that they're envious that others have more. When one
feels sincere love for others, he isn't envious of their
success and possessions -- this leads to true peace.
2. Be aware of the dangers in rejecting the Torah.
The Chofetz Chaim noted that there are those who are
afraid to read the admonitions in this week's Parsha.
However, he gives the analogy of someone who was
traveling on a dangerous path and, fearful of the narrow
road, the wild animals and the other pitfalls on the
route, blindfolds himself. Clearly, we can see that this
is no solution. Similarly, says the Chofetz Chaim, we
must be aware of the dangers of not behaving properly and
failing to do good; while the main focus should be on the
benefits of behaving properly and doing good, it is
important that we also realize the harmful consequences
of failing to do so.
3. Act in an elevated manner at home. "A person
who sanctifies his home . . . " The Kotzker Rebbe
notes that true holiness is not shown when one is
involved in spiritual matters such as study or prayer,
but when a person sanctifies his seemingly mundane daily
household activities, taking advantage of the many
opportunities for acts of kindness towards others in the
home.
C. Majesty of Man (Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz)
Finding time for Torah study. "If you walk in
My laws . . . " The Midrash tells that King David
explained a verse in Tehillim (Psalms): "I
contemplated my path and my feet returned me to Your
testimony," by noting that each day he decided where
he had to go and what he had to do, but instead his feet
carried him to learn Torah. Clearly, David didn't
disregard necessary tasks; however, he possessed the
wisdom to discern which tasks were truly
"necessary". While we must not shirk our
responsibilities to our jobs, families, etc, we should
follow David's footsteps and inculcate within ourselves
and our children a strong yearning to learn Torah; by so
doing, we will find that we do have some time in our busy
schedules for Torah study.
D. Project Genesis (Rabbi Mordecai Kamenetzky)
A history lesson. This Parsha contains stern
admonitions and treacherous warnings of what will happen
to the Jewish people lest they not observe the Torah. Of
course the prescient predictions of misfortune are
preceded with
a bounty of blessing if we keep the Torah. Unfortunately,
however, the good comes with the bad, and the unfavorable
penalties are not omitted. They are hauntingly clear and
undiluted. The Torah details calamity with Divine
accuracy. It predicts enemies with foreign tongues will
come from foreign lands to capture us. The Torah
forewarns that these conquerors will not act like most,
to leave the subjugated in their own land. They will,
says the Torah, disperse the Jews throughout the entire
world. Frightfully, the Parsha foreshadows the horrors of
the inquisition and Holocaust with descriptions of
barbarism, Jews betraying Jews, and mass starvation. The
predictions are amazing in their accuracy; and more
depressing, we were the victims. It's a very difficult
Parsha, but the Torah must apprise us about the pain and
suffering we will eventually endure. This essay is in no
way attempting to answer why those bad things happened to
good people. But two thousand years before the events,
the Torah accurately predicts events that are
unprecedented in the annals of conquerors and the
vanquished. Yet the Torah doesn't end it's tochacha only
with notes of despair. The strong admonitions close with
a promise that, though we will be spread throughout the
world we will always yearn for our homeland, feel
connected to it, and that an enduring spirit and love for
Judaism and our Father in Heaven will never cease. Three
thousand years and countless massacres, crusades,
inquisitions later it still works. Pretty powerful. That
would have been a great way to end off quite a depressing
portion. It would have even been a wonderful way to end
the Book of Vayikrah. But the Torah ends the portion with
quite an anticlimactic group of laws respecting a
person's right to donate his own value or the value of
any of his possessions to the Temple. He can declare his
home, his animals, even himself as subject to evaluation.
Moreover, the Torah assesses a value to any living soul.
And that value, whether 30 silver shekels or 50 shekels,
is to be donated to the Temple. What connection is the
last part of the Parsha to the stern and ominous portion
that precedes it? After the Nazis invaded the small
village of Klausenberg, they began to celebrate in their
usual sadistic fashion. They gathered the Jews into a
circle in the center of town, and then paraded their
Rebbe, Rabbi Yekusial Yehuda Halberstam, into the center.
They began taunting and teasing him, pulling his beard
and pushing him around. The vile soldiers trained their
guns on him as the commander began to speak. "Tell
us Rabbi," sneered the officer, "do you really
believe that you are the Chosen People?" The
soldiers guarding the crowd howled in laughter. But the
Rebbe did not. In a serene voice, he answered loud and
clear, "Most certainly." The officer became
enraged. He lifted his rifle above his head and sent it
crashing on the head of the Rebbe. The Rebbe fell to the
ground. There was rage in the officer's voice. "Do
you still think you are the Chosen People?" he
yelled. Once again, the Rebbe nodded his head and said,
"yes, we are." The officer became infuriated.
He kicked the Rebbe in the shin and repeated. "You
stupid Jew, you lie here on the ground, beaten and
humiliated. What makes you think that you are the Chosen
People?" From the depths of humiliation clouded in
dust, the Rebbe replied. "As long as we are not the
ones kicking and beating innocent people, we can call
ourselves chosen." The Kotzker Rebbe explains that
the Torah follows the portion of tochacha, the story of
Jews kicked and beaten from their homeland, with an even
more powerful message. No matter what happens, we have
great value as individuals, and as a nation, now and for
eternity. Hashem understands that each and every one of
us is a great commodity. Lying on the ground, beaten and
degraded, a Jewish man, woman, or child can declare his
value to the Temple, for no matter how low any nation
considers him, G-d values his great worth. And he is
considered cherished for eternity.
E. Living Each Day (Rabbi Abraham Twerski)
The deception of underestimation. In this Parsha,
we read the very serious consequences that will follow
abandonment of the Torah. The, G-d says, "I shall
remember My covenant with Jacob . . . and with Isaac . .
. and with Abraham." What is the relevance of this
statement in the context of the admonishment? Shelah
explains that a person is held accountable commensurate
with his capacities. Our actions are judged against a
very high standard since we are the descendants of the
Patriarchs. We had forebears who were saintly people,
thoroughly spiritual, and completely committed to
Hashem's will. The yeitzer hara (evil inclination),
however, never relents. If it cannot undermine our
spirituality by one technique, it will try another. It is
apt to delude us with misguided humility in order to gain
its ends. "Why makes you think that your study of
Torah is of any value?" "You act as though you
are a tzaddik (righteous person), when in fact you are a
degenerate." These negative thoughts are aided by
our natural inclination to laziness and comfort. To
combat the yeitzer hara, we must be aware of our enormous
capacities. Every person has potential that approaches
that of the angels (Psalms 8:6). We must maximize that
potential, and not allow ourselves to be deluded that we
are incapable of reaching the heights of spiritual
achievement.
F. Parsha Parables (Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky)
It's the effort. In this Parsha, the Torah promises
its bounty of blessing -- rain in its proper time, secure
borders, peace and tranquillity. All these promises are
prefaced, however, by the opening words, "if you
follow My commandments and observe my mitzvos."
Rashi, amazingly enough, explains this verse in a
different light. As a prerequisite to its great blessing,
the Torah sets forth the following condition: "if
you shall toil in the Torah in order to do the
mitzvos." There is obviously a great difference
between the literal translation and Rashi's: the Torah
seems to say that you must fulfill the mitzvah, whereas
Rashi explains that you must strive for its fulfillment.
Rashi teaches us that we must "Go in the path of
Torah," meaning toil in Torah and work on improving
our knowledge, level of commitment and observance. In
Torah, it's the effort that counts. (As the Chofetz
Chaim said, "In Torah, the very effort invested in
study of Torah constitutes a mitzvah, even if there is no
product'. If one does not arrive at a conclusion, the
study of Torah is no less meritorious." A Yeshiva
dean was once approached by the parent of one his
students. "I'd like to remove my child from the
Yeshiva," the man said. "After all, he's only
an average student; a Vilna Gaon (a Sage) he'll never
be." The dean asked the father how he earned a
living. He answered that he owned a business. "I
think you should quit your business," the dean said.
"By why?" stammered the parent.
"Listen," said the dean with a smile, "you
may be earning a living, but will you ever become a
Rothschild?" The father understood the message.
There is no mitzvah to become the Vilna Gaon. The mitzvah
is to try to become one.
G. Peninim on the Torah (Rabbi A.L. Scheinbaum)
1. Walking the path of Hashem. "If in My
statutes, you shall walk." What does it mean to
"walk" in Hashem's way? One must retain his/her
spiritual connection to Hashem both in and out of the
synagogue or study hall -- in one's home, business, when
interacting with others, etc. If you "walk" in
Hashem's statutes and affirm your ability to carry
yourself n the path of Torah at all times, despite any
opposition you may encounter, you will be blessed with
great reward.
2. Everyone is valuable. Why does the Book of Vayikrah end with laws relating to (among other things)
vows that a person may make to donate to the Temple the
monetary value which the Torah assigns to a person his
age? The significance is this change of topic lies in the
concern that a person might become demoralized after the
frightening punishments revealed in this chapter, feeling
that he/she has no self-worth. The Torah's message is
that he/she always has worth as an individual. In fact,
the Torah suggests that in moments of distress a person
should make a vow to Hashem, as Yaakov did when he left
his father's home. This sign of solidarity with Hashem
serves as a source of encouragement and reassurance.
H. Living Each Week (Rabbi Abraham Twerski)
Pride with humility.
"And I have made you walk
upright." Rashi's comment on this verse is
"with an upright posture." This is somewhat
surprising, since the Talmud considers walking with an
upright posture to be a sign of a lack of humility, and
indeed frank arrogance. There is, however, a difference
whether one assumes an attitude of pride because one is
boasting about oneself or seeking popular acclaim in
order to appease one's ego, or whether one taking pride
in one's own achievement or prominence as being a
testimony to Hashem's glory. For the person who knows
that any greatness he possesses was bestowed upon him by
Hashem and is not of his own doing, being the recipient
of honor can be a most humbling experience. This kind of
"walking upright" is not only permissible but
is desirable.
I. Tell It From The Torah
Strength In Numbers.
"Five of you will chase 100 and 100 of you will chase 10,000". G-d
tells the Jews that they will destroy their enemies. But, the math
doesn't make sense. If 5 chase 100, then 100 should only be able to
chase 2,000. This reminds us how we can strength from each other. 100
people working together give each other substantially more strength
from merely 5 people doing so.
J. Windows To The Soul
Fitting Cadence. The Book of Vayikra
begins with G-d's call to Moshe to initiate the Divine service and
comes to a disturbing climax with the dire warnings of Divine
retribution should the people go astray. The Torah continues, in
Bamidbar, with a few laws respecting animals sanctified for the Divine
service. Why do these laws follow on the heels of the dire warnings?
The very last passage of Vayikra discusses the laws of temurah, among
the laws of other holy items. An animal sanctified for an offering
cannot be exchanged for another. If the exchanges is attempted, both
animals remain in the holy domain. The Torah repeatedly stresses that
no distinction be made between "good and bad". The laws of this
section thus teach us that once an object attains holiness it must
remain so unless properly redeemed. Upon further consideration, this
law provides a fitting metaphor for the consolation that concludes the
dire warning, when G-d declares "even in the land of their enemies I
will not cast them away, nor will I loathe them to destroy them and
void My convenient with them." We see this promise etched in the
structure of halacha (Jewish law) in the laws of temurah and other
holy items. G-d has invested the Jewish people with holiness by
choosing us. Whether "good or bad," we cannot lose our designation.
We, too, will have redemption.
K. Something To Say (R' Dovid Goldwasser)
In Its Proper Time. "I will
provide your rains in the proper time." The Maggid of Mezritch
explains that the real meaning of this blessing is that the physical
and material benefits we receive in this world should help, rather
than hamper, us in our service of G-d. These blessings, however,
should only come in their "proper time" - we ask that we not be
preoccupied with mundane affairs when we need to be single-mindedly
involved in spiritual matters.
L. Soul of the Torah (Victor Cohen)
1. Striving Upward. "If you
will go in My decrees and observe My commandments and perform them."
"If you will go,' commented R' Bunim, means that we constantly go
higher and higher (and not stay on one level).
2. Always Here. "And I will turn to you." The Chiddushei Harim
commented that this means that G-d always has time for His servants.
M. Growth Through Torah (Rabbi Zelig Pliskin)
1. Torah Gives One Joy. "If
you shall walk in My statutes and observe My commandments and do them
. . . " Rabbi Mordechai Gifter taught that the words "if you shall
walk in My statutes refers to laboring in Torah. This concept of
toiling in Torah is inherent in the study of Torah. It signifies the
ability in Torah study to find all the joy and pleasure for which one
could wish. Toiling in Torah does not mean a life completely
impoverished from human joys and pleasure, but rather the sublime
contentment of the most intimate contact with the Source of all joy
and pleasure.
2. Utilize Traveling Time For
Torah Study. "You shall walk in my statutes." The Ohr HaChayim
comments that the reference to "walking" is to remind us that we
should become accustomed to studying Torah even when we are walking or
traveling.
3. Don't Just Confess Your Sins,
Actually Improve Yourself. "And they shall confess their iniquity
and the iniquity of their fathers, in their treachery which they
committed against me, and also they have walked contrary unto Me. I
also will walk contrary unto them, and bring them into the land of
their enemies." At first glance, it is difficult to understand the
continuity of these two verses. The Torah tells us that they will
confess their sins, a positive act. Why, then, does the next verse
describe more retribution? The Chofetz Chaim explains that here the
Torah teaches us that merely confessing our wrongdoings without
sincerely regretting the wrong we have done and without accepting upon
ourselves to improve in the future is not worth anything. The most
important aspect of repentance is to improve ourselves from now on.
N. Living Each Week (Rabbi Abraham Twerski)
1. The Process Is The Product.
"If you will walk according to My laws." Rashi cites the Toras Kohanim,
noting that "walking according to My laws" means that "you will labor
in Torah." How is this implied in the words of the passage? In the
prayer we say upon completion of a volume of the Talmud, we express
gratitude to G-d for enabling us to study Torah. We compare the
efforts of the scholar in studying Torah to the efforts others expend
in various activities and we say, "we labor and they labor. We labor
and receive a reward, while they labor and do not receive a reward."
The Chofetz Chaim asks, "what does it mean that others do not receive
a reward for their labor? Isn't a craftsman compensated for his work?
The Chofetz Chaim answers that while a laborer is compensated for his
work, it is only if such work results in some type of product. Workers
are only paid because their efforts have borne, or will bear, fruit.
Labor for the sake of labor is seen as futile. This is not so in
regards to Torah. "In Torah, the very effort invested in the study of
Torah constitutes a mitzvah, even if there is no 'product'". If one
does not arrive at a conclusion, the study of Torah is no less
meritorious. In Torah, the searching is the finding, and the striving
is the goal.
2. The Responsibility of Heritage. "I shall remember My
covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My
covenant with Abraham shall I remember." This verse occurs in the
midst of the narration of the terrible consequences that will result
if the Jews abandon Torah, and the Divine promise of remembering the
Patriarchs appears to be a digression from the theme of harsh judgment
that will befall Israel. The Shelah explains that it is not all
digression, but to the contrary a reason why the Divine judgments will
be so harsh. Given our illustrious heritage, our deviant behavior
stands out in stark contrast, and we are judged more harshly than if
we had originated from less illustrious ancestors. If we remember from
whom we derived, and are more cognizant of our heritage, our behavior
will reflect our noble origins.
O. Torah Gems (R' Aharon Yaakov Greenberg)
1. True Peace. "You will dwell
in your land safely . . . and I will give peace in the land. . . "
Isn't this verse redundant? The latter reference refers to internal
peace, between yourselves, between one another.
2. Recognizing G-d's Hand. "But will want contrary to Me . . .
Then will I also walk contrary to you . . . " The source of all sin is
that one denies that G-d controls the world and instead claims that
everything which occurs is mere coincidence." Thus, "if you want
contrary to Me" - if you say that everything which occurs is purely by
coincidence, then "I will also want contrary to you" - I will hide My
face from you and you will not see how I control matters. Then will
have no place to turn when you are in trouble.
P. Rabbi Frand on the Parsha
The Importance of Peace. "And
I will make peace in the land, and you will recline without fear." G-d
promises that things will go well as long as the Jews follow His
decrees. The land will be fertile and the crops will be plentiful.
Then He adds, "and I will make peace in the land." Rashi quotes from
Toras Kohanim, "You might say, 'We have what to eat, and we have what
to drink. But if there is no peace, there is nothing." Therefore, the
Torah adds, 'And I will make peace in the land.'
Q. LilMode U'lilamed (Rabbi Mordechai Katz)
Achdus: United we stand,
divided we fall. The admonitions suggests that if the Jews defy
Hashem's word, they will be smitten before their enemies. The text
suggests that the "enemies" include enemies from "within" the Jewish
people. History has shown that some of the worst enemies of the Jewish
people have been Jews (e.g., the first person killed in the Maccabean
uprising was a Hellenist Jew killed by Matisyohu when he slaughtered a
pig on the Altar). History has, however, also shown the unlimited
potential when Jews have united (e.g., when the Jews were united
behind David and Shlomo, their prosperity was at a peak and the Holy
Temple was built). We must heed the lesson of the value of achdus
(unity of the entire Jewish people), not only during times of national
crisis, but at all times.
R. Growth Through Torah (Rabbi Zelig Pliskin)
1. Be happy for others' good
fortune. "And I will place peace in the
land". Rashi states "if there is no peace there is nothing". Many
people would feel satisfied with their lot, but for the fact that
they're envious that others have more. When one feels sincere love for
others, he isn't envious of their success and possessions -- this
leads to true peace.
2. Be aware of the dangers in rejecting the Torah. The Chofetz
Chaim noted that there are those who are afraid to read the
admonitions in this week's Parsha. However, he gives the analogy of
someone who was traveling on a dangerous path and, fearful of the
narrow road, the wild animals and the other pitfalls on the route,
blindfolds himself. Clearly, we can see that this is no solution.
Similarly, says the Chofetz Chaim, we must be aware of the dangers of
not behaving properly and failing to do good; while the main focus
should be on the benefits of behaving properly and doing good, it is
important that we also realize the harmful consequences of failing to
do so.
3. Act in an elevated manner at home. "A person who sanctifies
his home . . . " The Kotzker Rebbe notes that true holiness is not
shown when one is involved in spiritual matters such as study or
prayer, but when a person sanctifies his seemingly mundane daily
household activities, taking advantage of the many opportunities for
acts of kindness towards others in the home.
S. Majesty of Man (Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz)
Finding time for Torah study.
"If you walk in My laws . . . " The Midrash tells that King David
explained a verse in Tehillim (Psalms): "I contemplated my path and my
feet returned me to Your testimony," by noting that each day he
decided where he had to go and what he had to do, but instead his feet
carried him to learn Torah. Clearly, David didn't disregard necessary
tasks; however, he possessed the wisdom to discern which tasks were
truly "necessary". While we must not shirk our responsibilities to our
jobs, families, etc, we should follow David's footsteps and inculcate
within ourselves and our children a strong yearning to learn Torah; by
so doing, we will find that we do have some time in our busy schedules
for Torah study.
T. Project Genesis (Rabbi Mordecai Kamenetzky)
A history lesson. This Parsha
contains stern admonitions and treacherous warnings of what will
happen to the Jewish people lest they not observe the Torah. Of course
the prescient predictions of misfortune are preceded with a bounty of
blessing if we keep the Torah. Unfortunately, however, the good comes
with the bad, and the unfavorable penalties are not omitted. They are
hauntingly clear and undiluted. The Torah details calamity with Divine
accuracy. It predicts enemies with foreign tongues will come from
foreign lands to capture us. The Torah forewarns that these conquerors
will not act like most, to leave the subjugated in their own land.
They will, says the Torah, disperse the Jews throughout the entire
world. Frightfully, the Parsha foreshadows the horrors of the
inquisition and Holocaust with descriptions of barbarism, Jews
betraying Jews, and mass starvation. The predictions are amazing in
their accuracy; and more depressing, we were the victims. It's a very
difficult Parsha, but the Torah must apprise us about the pain and
suffering we will eventually endure. This essay is in no way
attempting to answer why those bad things happened to good people. But
two thousand years before the events, the Torah accurately predicts
events that are unprecedented in the annals of conquerors and the
vanquished. Yet the Torah doesn't end it's tochacha only with notes of
despair. The strong admonitions close with a promise that, though we
will be spread throughout the world we will always yearn for our
homeland, feel connected to it, and that an enduring spirit and love
for Judaism and our Father in Heaven will never cease. Three thousand
years and countless massacres, crusades, inquisitions later it still
works. Pretty powerful. That would have been a great way to end off
quite a depressing portion. It would have even been a wonderful way to
end the Book of Vayikrah. But the Torah ends the portion with quite an
anticlimactic group of laws respecting a person's right to donate his
own value or the value of any of his possessions to the Temple. He can
declare his home, his animals, even himself as subject to evaluation.
Moreover, the Torah assesses a value to any living soul. And that
value, whether 30 silver shekels or 50 shekels, is to be donated to
the Temple. What connection is the last part of the Parsha to the
stern and ominous portion that precedes it? After the Nazis invaded
the small village of Klausenberg, they began to celebrate in their
usual sadistic fashion. They gathered the Jews into a circle in the
center of town, and then paraded their Rebbe, Rabbi Yekusial Yehuda
Halberstam, into the center. They began taunting and teasing him,
pulling his beard and pushing him around. The vile soldiers trained
their guns on him as the commander began to speak. "Tell us Rabbi,"
sneered the officer, "do you really believe that you are the Chosen
People?" The soldiers guarding the crowd howled in laughter. But the
Rebbe did not. In a serene voice, he answered loud and clear, "Most
certainly." The officer became enraged. He lifted his rifle above his
head and sent it crashing on the head of the Rebbe. The Rebbe fell to
the ground. There was rage in the officer's voice. "Do you still think
you are the Chosen People?" he yelled. Once again, the Rebbe nodded
his head and said, "yes, we are." The officer became infuriated. He
kicked the Rebbe in the shin and repeated. "You stupid Jew, you lie
here on the ground, beaten and humiliated. What makes you think that
you are the Chosen People?" From the depths of humiliation clouded in
dust, the Rebbe replied. "As long as we are not the ones kicking and
beating innocent people, we can call ourselves chosen." The Kotzker
Rebbe explains that the Torah follows the portion of tochacha, the
story of Jews kicked and beaten from their homeland, with an even more
powerful message. No matter what happens, we have great value as
individuals, and as a nation, now and for eternity. Hashem understands
that each and every one of us is a great commodity. Lying on the
ground, beaten and degraded, a Jewish man, woman, or child can declare
his value to the Temple, for no matter how low any nation considers
him, G-d values his great worth. And he is considered cherished for
eternity.
U. Living Each Day (Rabbi Abraham Twerski)
The deception of underestimation.
In this Parsha, we read the very serious consequences that will
follow abandonment of the Torah. The, G-d says, "I shall remember My
covenant with Jacob . . . and with Isaac . . . and with Abraham." What
is the relevance of this statement in the context of the admonishment?
Shelah explains that a person is held accountable commensurate with
his capacities. Our actions are judged against a very high standard
since we are the descendants of the Patriarchs. We had forebears who
were saintly people, thoroughly spiritual, and completely committed to
Hashem's will. The yeitzer hara (evil inclination), however, never
relents. If it cannot undermine our spirituality by one technique, it
will try another. It is apt to delude us with misguided humility in
order to gain its ends. "Why makes you think that your study of Torah
is of any value?" "You act as though you are a tzaddik (righteous
person), when in fact you are a degenerate." These negative thoughts
are aided by our natural inclination to laziness and comfort. To
combat the yeitzer hara, we must be aware of our enormous capacities.
Every person has potential that approaches that of the angels (Psalms
8:6). We must maximize that potential, and not allow ourselves to be
deluded that we are incapable of reaching the heights of spiritual
achievement.
V. Parsah Parables (Rabbi Mordechai
Kamenetzky)
It's the effort. In this
Parsha, the Torah promises its bounty of blessing -- rain in its
proper time, secure borders, peace and tranquillity. All these
promises are prefaced, however, by the opening words, "if you follow
My commandments and observe my mitzvos." Rashi, amazingly enough,
explains this verse in a different light. As a prerequisite to its
great blessing, the Torah sets forth the following condition: "if you
shall toil in the Torah in order to do the mitzvos." There is
obviously a great difference between the literal translation and
Rashi's: the Torah seems to say that you must fulfill the mitzvah,
whereas Rashi explains that you must strive for its fulfillment. Rashi
teaches us that we must "Go in the path of Torah," meaning toil in
Torah and work on improving our knowledge, level of commitment and
observance. In Torah, it's the effort that counts. (As the Chofetz
Chaim said, "In Torah, the very effort invested in study of Torah
constitutes a mitzvah, even if there is no 'product'. If one does not
arrive at a conclusion, the study of Torah is no less meritorious." A
Yeshiva dean was once approached by the parent of one his students.
"I'd like to remove my child from the Yeshiva," the man said. "After
all, he's only an average student; a Vilna Gaon (a Sage) he'll never
be." The dean asked the father how he earned a living. He answered
that he owned a business. "I think you should quit your business," the
dean said. "By why?" stammered the parent. "Listen," said the dean
with a smile, "you may be earning a living, but will you ever become a
Rothschild?" The father understood the message. There is no mitzvah to
become the Vilna Gaon. The mitzvah is to try to become one.
W. Peninim on the Torah (Rabbi A.L.
Scheinbaum)
1. Walking the path of Hashem.
"If in My statutes, you shall walk." What does it mean to "walk" in
Hashem's way? One must retain his/her spiritual connection to Hashem
both in and out of the synagogue or study hall -- in one's home,
business, when interacting with others, etc. If you "walk" in Hashem's
statutes and affirm your ability to carry yourself n the path of Torah
at all times, despite any opposition you may encounter, you will be
blessed with great reward.
2. Everyone is valuable. Why does the Book of Vayikrah end with
laws relating to (among other things) vows that a person may make to
donate to the Temple the monetary value which the Torah assigns to a
person his age? The significance is this change of topic lies in the
concern that a person might become demoralized after the frightening
punishments revealed in this chapter, feeling that he/she has no
self-worth. The Torah's message is that he/she always has worth as an
individual. In fact, the Torah suggests that in moments of distress a
person should make a vow to Hashem, as Yaakov did when he left his
father's home. This sign of solidarity with Hashem serves as a source
of encouragement and reassurance.
X. Living Each Week (Rabbi Abraham Twerski)
Pride with humility.
"And I have made you walk upright." Rashi's comment
on this verse is "with an upright posture." This is somewhat
surprising, since the Talmud considers walking with an upright posture
to be a sign of a lack of humility, and indeed frank arrogance. There
is, however, a difference whether one assumes an attitude of pride
because one is boasting about oneself or seeking popular acclaim in
order to appease one's ego, or whether one taking pride in one's own
achievement or prominence as being a testimony to Hashem's glory. For
the person who knows that any greatness he possesses was bestowed upon
him by Hashem and is not of his own doing, being the recipient of
honor can be a most humbling experience. This kind of "walking
upright" is not only permissible but is desirable.
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