b'shalach

Bishalach

Be'er moshe brings a two interesting medrashim. Immediately preceding the attack of Amalek, the Passuk states that the place where klall yisroel complained about the water was called massah u'merivah because they "argued" with Hashem. The Mechilta explains their argument was that "if Hashem gives takes care of all our needs we will serve him, if not, not. Rashi relates the mashal of a person carrying his son on his shoulders while giving his child his every fancy. After a while the child asked a stranger where his father is whereupon the father threw his son down allowing him to be attacked by a dog.

The medrash relates that when Amalek initialized their attack, they first called out to the shevatim of  Reuvain Shimon and Levi to do "business" with them.

The b'er Moshe explains That when Amalek sensed that klall yisrael's relationship with Hashem was brought down to a level of a "business relationship", Amalek tried to seize the moment and to teach klall yisroel the ways of a business relationship with G-d. To remove the warmth and passion of  "father and son relationship" and to serve Hashem with a distant coldness - al m'nas l'kabel pras -  Instead of relating like a ben and Av, klall yisrael would speak "business" with Hashem. That is the mashal Rashi uses with the son being carried by his father only to then ask a stranger if he knows where his father is…  Their tikkun as well was when in battle they raised their eyes and committed their hearts לאביהם שבשמים .

We see here  the importance of not working al minas l'kabel pras… some mitzvos come with a bit of pras, like we spoke about at Chap, there are some mitzvos that grant peiros b'olam hazeh. But interestingly enough, shabbos is not in the list! The pleasures we enjoy on shabbos are the actual mitzvah itself of Oneg Shabbos! So on shabbos we have the opportunity reap the benefits similar to "pras" but to really serve Hashem with warmth, enjoyment, passion and love to our Avinu Shebashamayim. So now on shabbos shirah let's express that warm relationship & let us join and sing shirah tonight l'avinu shebashamyim!

yisro 78

Yisro 78 R' Shimon Schwabb understands that the "davar gadol" (18.22) was brought to Moshe in order for klal yisroel to realize its great importance. And what was the davar gadol? R' Scwabb explains it is referring to what is noted in the passuk earlier - 18.20 - chukim toros, derech yeilchu bah etc. which the gemara bm 30a expounds on to mean a livelihood, bikur cholim, levayas hameis, & l'fnim mishuras hadin. Mostly "simple" morals and acts of chessed, which, if not for it coming directly from Moshe - and Hashem - people would not give them their full  respect.

Along these lines is what the commentaries tell us regarding the opening statement of Avos. "Moshe kibel torah…" is to remind us that the "morals" stated herein are from Hashem no less important and great than any other part of Torah.

I would like to add, that just as we said Na'aseh v'nishma to Hashem's Torah - there is a similar aspect we must incorporate when it comes to chessed and bein adam l'chaveiro. - Telling someone "call me if you need anything" is a polite way of avoiding chessed.  - Nishma v'na'aseh perhaps would have been ok for Hashem, but it just doesn't work in regards to chessed. In order to help others we must just DO and afterwards we can "hear" if it was really necessary etc. First we must be Na'aseh and then we can be nishma. Similarly by Matan Torah we were "Ro'in es hakolos" you don’t have to wait to hear the kol of someone asking for help - we have to SEE even the unspoken words and take action.

Just as by matan Torah the women were spoken to , for them to then encourage and ensure its fulfillment in the men of their homes, so too I ask now in reverse, let the men hear this and please pass it on to the women. We have a new sister in klall yisrael and it's not often we get to wish our Av, Avraham avinu, a Mazel Tov on his daughter becoming a kallah, but that is what we are doing today as His newest daughter, became a kallah. However she needs a "sisters" to help, guide, advise, and talk to. Please encourage the n'shei chayil to jump in and be Na'aseh before Nishmah don't wait for a call, see what can be done and be there for her.  

yisro 78

Yisro 78 we all say by davening, yismach moshe b'matnas chelko that although Moshe could have kept the Torah for himself, he was happy to give it as a gift to klall yisroel. Similarly the pninei mishulachan haGra brings the gemara brachos 5a that says that unlike when a human gives something away he is a bit saddened, Hashem is happy when giving the Torah to us. This is seen all the more so when we take into account the gemara which says it's not good to give away your first acquisition. The Torah was Hashem's first as it says Hashem kanani reishis darko, and yet still Hashem was happy to give it away.

All this seems a bit strange as we've once mentioned the reason Torah is 'The best s'chora'- "lekach tov", is because even when "peddling" it to another, the original "owner" never loses it! So what exactly is so great about Hashem or Moshe being happy, no one loses anything when giving away Torah! Perhaps it's something special aout Torah, or wisdom in general, but it's certainly nothing specifically special about Hashem or Moshe?

I believe we can answer with the well-known fact that the angels were upset that Hashem was giving away the Torah. What upset them was that we became the "balabus", the authorities on the psak halacha and halacha decisions would now be "lav bashamayim he". We became the deciding factor and not the heavenly courts. This is perhaps also what happened when Moshe listened to Yisro and gave the authority of psak away to the yidden. A simple group of 3 men can now form a court and render decisions which until then were only in the hands of Moshe.

Let's appreciate the tremendous gift of the   Nosein HaTorah!

Kollelh vort on vayeishev pre chanukah

Just as Mikeitz is the Parshah of Chanukah, Vayeishev is the introduction to Chanukah.

The Medrash Tanchumah begins by saying that every vayeishev in Tanach is followed by a tzarah. 

Furthermore the balei tosafos (R A Karr mentioned this to me) note that every passuk in this parshah begins with "Vay" an expression if woe, except for EIGHT p'sukim.

The Tanchumah continues to bring numerous examples and then asks why the story of Yosef follows the Alufei Eisav to which it answers the well known mashal that Rashi brings in vayetzei, when yakov left Lavan. A blacksmith was concerned about a the huge load of flax being carried by a camel when someone enlightened him with the idea that one 'makeh' with his hammer can send forth a spark which can consume all the flammable material instantly. Yakov too, was worried how he could face the multitudes of Eisav but the answer was in his spark - Yosef.

What is the connection between the first part of the Tanchumah & the spark of Yosef?

It seems clear that the way I always understood - that the z'chus of Yosef is the antidote for Eisav - may be quite wrong. From this Tanchumah it seems that the TZAR from Yosef was the antidote for Eisav!

A spark comes from a 'klop'! The greatness of Yosef did not come from the 17 years of easy chinuch - teaching all of Shem's Torah! Rather through the last year of chinuch - before turning 18 - (acc. to one opinion in kiddushin) came the great 'makeh' and spark of Yosef.

This parshah tells us how to approach Chanukah. When there was a Vayeishev - Nisrashlu b'avodah - our tzaros from the yevonim began. And when the Chashmonaim took the initiative to the point of Mesirus nefesh they had the miraculous victory. 

This contains a great lesson. The 'makeh' does not have to come from external sources or enemies, so long as we take the initiative and 'klop' the hammer ourselves! Until vayeishev yakov, there was no need for 'rugzo shel yosef' until nisrashlu b'avodah there was no need for Mesirus nefesh in war. We can be moser nefesh and 'klop' on our own to create sparks. Then we won't need something to hit us. 

'Chanu chaf hey' is a strange name for a Yom Tov. The ShLa"H however notes that it is associated to chaf hey ellul - when the world was created. The first creation was light, with "Yehi Ohr" yehi is = 25 & the word "ohr" is the 25th word in the Torah. What's amazing is that the seforim hak'dkoshim state that the first spark of light 'hayuli' was made by Hashem with a 'klop'! This was certainly without any opposition. Yet a self initiated 'klop' also produces a spark.

Chanukah is described by R Wolbe as Chag HaChizuk. Chazal did nit create an issur melacha because its nit 'downtime'. Whether yeshivahs are off or not whether there's more time for families getting together - its not time off. We must be pro-active in creating sparks through mesirus nefesh for Torah or for achdus and middos, but not to be vayeishev. 

The eight days of chanukah are the 8 p'sukim that do NOT begin with 'VAY'. Be pro-active. Make sparks. And may we all be zocheh to the ohr haganuz in Chanukah.