"And you shall command the Children of Israel that they shall take for you pure olive oil, pressed for illumination, to kindle a lamp continually."
In the beginning of this week's parasha, we are given the commanment of the Ner Tamid - the menorah which would burn in the Temple. This menorah was to be lit by the Kohen Gadol and was of tremendous importance. Indeed, even today shuls maintain some form of a Ner Tamid. Most have a symbolic light hanging near the Aron Kodesh and some have the minhag to light candles by the amud whenever it is time for tefilla.
The Baal Haturim points out a very interesting vort on the first pasuk which Rav Shmuel Kaminetzky expounds upon. He says that if you look at the word תצוה - you shall command, the letter ת has a numerical value of 400 similar to the word נשים - women. This, he says, is an allusion to a woman's obligation to light candles for Shabbat.
Rav Shmuel Kaminetzky adds that from here we can see that the importance of women lighting candles for Shabbat is just as important - just as holy - as the Kohen Gadol lighting the Menorah. Wow!! When a woman lights Shabbat candles, she transforms her home into a mini Bet HaMikdash.
Often I am challenged by my female students with arguments or complaints that (in their opinion) the Torah seems to favor men. From this pasuk we can see that is most certainly not the case!! Clearly, women are held in very high regard by the Torah. Though the roles of men and women are different, they are equally important.
Rabbi David Cohen emphasizes that the time of candle lighting is an ideal time for a woman to pray for her family and herself. He jokes that if a woman's candles are still burning after she finishes praying, she didn't pray hard enough. If she had prayed hard enough - the tears she cried would have put out the candles.
With these thoughts in mind, may the women of Klal Yisrael fulfill their roles in Torah, may they light the candles for Shabbat with kavana and tefilla - knowing that they are doing comparable work to that of the Kohen Gadol. And in this z'chut, may Hashem rebuild the Bet HaMikdash speedily in our days!
Shabbat Shalom!
Friday, February 22, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
What's Your Motivation? (Parashat Terumah)
In this weeks parasha, Hashem instructs Moshe to speak to B'nei Yisrael and tell them to "take for me a portion." With all due respect, this seems like a bit of a strange phrasing. Wouldn't it have made more sense for Hashem to simply said "and you shall give charity"?
Rashi explains that the reason the pasuk says "take for me" is to teach us that our motivation for giving should be to sanctify Hashem's name - not to glorify our own! From this small detail we learn a HUGE lesson regarding our motivations in life.
Hashem is teaching us that when we do something, our motivation for doing so shouldn't be in order to brag about it later or make ourselves look good. Our motivation for doing so should simply be because it's the right thing to do. Indeed, we are taught that the highest form of charity one can give is when they give it secretly - with nobody else knowing.
As an active member of Hatzalah, I've always greatly admired members of Chaverim. In Hatzalah we do truly amazing things - we literally save lives (with Hashem's help of course), but there are perks to the job as well: be it the parking permit, the lights and sirens or the admiration that members get from the community. Chaverim is different. They get no special parking, no sirens and little admiration. There is little or no "great honor" in being able to say that you are a member of Chaverim. And yet, despite this fact members of Chaverim will leave their jobs, families and simchas to run out and help a person change a tire. There motivation: simply to do an act of chessed.
"Take for me a portion" - not because you want to brag or benefit from it but because you want to praise MY name. That is the message Hashem is giving us! May we all have this concept in mind when doing mitzvot in the future and may we truly find the motivation to do things for Hashem - as that is why we should be doing them.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rashi explains that the reason the pasuk says "take for me" is to teach us that our motivation for giving should be to sanctify Hashem's name - not to glorify our own! From this small detail we learn a HUGE lesson regarding our motivations in life.
Hashem is teaching us that when we do something, our motivation for doing so shouldn't be in order to brag about it later or make ourselves look good. Our motivation for doing so should simply be because it's the right thing to do. Indeed, we are taught that the highest form of charity one can give is when they give it secretly - with nobody else knowing.
As an active member of Hatzalah, I've always greatly admired members of Chaverim. In Hatzalah we do truly amazing things - we literally save lives (with Hashem's help of course), but there are perks to the job as well: be it the parking permit, the lights and sirens or the admiration that members get from the community. Chaverim is different. They get no special parking, no sirens and little admiration. There is little or no "great honor" in being able to say that you are a member of Chaverim. And yet, despite this fact members of Chaverim will leave their jobs, families and simchas to run out and help a person change a tire. There motivation: simply to do an act of chessed.
"Take for me a portion" - not because you want to brag or benefit from it but because you want to praise MY name. That is the message Hashem is giving us! May we all have this concept in mind when doing mitzvot in the future and may we truly find the motivation to do things for Hashem - as that is why we should be doing them.
Shabbat Shalom!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Overcoming Our Desires (Parashat Mishpatim)
"And these are the judgments that you shall place before them."
Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Pshischa explains the words "that you shall place before them" to mean that we must put these laws before ourselves. In other words, our human nature will be to do exactly what these laws are telling us not to - we must overcome our nature and follow the laws.
Among these judgments is not to bear a meritless report. Rashi explains this to mean that one should not accept a false report or malicious talk - gossip. I often comment to my students that of all 613 mitzvot, I find that of Lashon Hara to be the most difficult. Apparently, I have good reason for feeling that way! This week's parasha, in accordance with Rav Simcha's interpretation, is teaching us that it is our human nature to speak about or listen to speech about others. We must overcome this nature if we are to be the righteous people that Hashem wants us to be.
This past Wednesday marked my father's first yahrtzeit. At his hascara I mentioned the above concept and spoke about how (in retrospect) good my father was at it. Despite the Torah's telling us how it is human nature to want to hear gossip, it was my father's nature to not want to - it simply didn't interest him.
May Hashem give each of us the strength and ability to put His ways before ours and enable us to fulfill our role as the Chosen Nation.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Pshischa explains the words "that you shall place before them" to mean that we must put these laws before ourselves. In other words, our human nature will be to do exactly what these laws are telling us not to - we must overcome our nature and follow the laws.
Among these judgments is not to bear a meritless report. Rashi explains this to mean that one should not accept a false report or malicious talk - gossip. I often comment to my students that of all 613 mitzvot, I find that of Lashon Hara to be the most difficult. Apparently, I have good reason for feeling that way! This week's parasha, in accordance with Rav Simcha's interpretation, is teaching us that it is our human nature to speak about or listen to speech about others. We must overcome this nature if we are to be the righteous people that Hashem wants us to be.
This past Wednesday marked my father's first yahrtzeit. At his hascara I mentioned the above concept and spoke about how (in retrospect) good my father was at it. Despite the Torah's telling us how it is human nature to want to hear gossip, it was my father's nature to not want to - it simply didn't interest him.
May Hashem give each of us the strength and ability to put His ways before ours and enable us to fulfill our role as the Chosen Nation.
Shabbat Shalom!
Friday, February 1, 2013
The Rules of Life (Parashat Yitro)
In this week's parasha, Hashem instructs Moshe to tell B'nei Yisrael to prepare themselves over a three-day period. At the end of those three days, Hashem is going to give them the Torah. Moshe obeyed and B'nei Yisrael began their preparations - among them was to wash their clothing and abstain from relations.
At the end of the three day period, all of B'nei Yisrael stood at the foot of Har Sinai - this in itself is truly an awe-inspiring image! One can only dream about what it must have been like to stand with an entire people waiting to hear from the Creator of the Universe!! Hashem then addressed His nation....
First, Hashem recited all Ten Commandments simultaneously. The Mefarshim explain that He did this because it is something that no man could possibly do. This way, nobody could argue that the Commandments were recited by a person claiming to be G-d.
Hashem then went on to repeat each of the Commandments individually. In addition, each one was said in the singular tense. This was done so that every member of B'nei Yisrael could hear and understand them. The reason for the singular tense was so that every person should understand that he too is commanded to follow them and not think it is sufficient for the nation as a whole to obey them.
Among the commandments is to Honor Your Father and Your Mother - but why was it necessary to give us such a commandment? Shouldn't it come naturally for us to honor the very individuals who brought us into this world?? The answer is no.
The very fact that our parents brought us into this world and raised us seems to give us a sense of comfort. As such, it doesn't come naturally for us to honor them - rather, we need to be reminded or "commanded" to. Indeed, the extent to which we are supposed to honor our parents goes to great lengths. Chazal teach us that we should honor our parents in the same way that we honor Hashem.
May we all be successful in honoring our parents properly and in doing so may we merit the long life that Hashem promises us that goes along with it. This Wednesday is the first yahrtzeit for my father, a"h. I can only hope that I was successful in honoring him to the extent that I should have. Not because I'm commanded to, but because he deserved it!
Shabbat Shalom!
At the end of the three day period, all of B'nei Yisrael stood at the foot of Har Sinai - this in itself is truly an awe-inspiring image! One can only dream about what it must have been like to stand with an entire people waiting to hear from the Creator of the Universe!! Hashem then addressed His nation....
First, Hashem recited all Ten Commandments simultaneously. The Mefarshim explain that He did this because it is something that no man could possibly do. This way, nobody could argue that the Commandments were recited by a person claiming to be G-d.
Hashem then went on to repeat each of the Commandments individually. In addition, each one was said in the singular tense. This was done so that every member of B'nei Yisrael could hear and understand them. The reason for the singular tense was so that every person should understand that he too is commanded to follow them and not think it is sufficient for the nation as a whole to obey them.
Among the commandments is to Honor Your Father and Your Mother - but why was it necessary to give us such a commandment? Shouldn't it come naturally for us to honor the very individuals who brought us into this world?? The answer is no.
The very fact that our parents brought us into this world and raised us seems to give us a sense of comfort. As such, it doesn't come naturally for us to honor them - rather, we need to be reminded or "commanded" to. Indeed, the extent to which we are supposed to honor our parents goes to great lengths. Chazal teach us that we should honor our parents in the same way that we honor Hashem.
May we all be successful in honoring our parents properly and in doing so may we merit the long life that Hashem promises us that goes along with it. This Wednesday is the first yahrtzeit for my father, a"h. I can only hope that I was successful in honoring him to the extent that I should have. Not because I'm commanded to, but because he deserved it!
Shabbat Shalom!
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