A Promise Is A Promise (Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilech)

"You are standing today, all of you, before Hashem, your G-d...for you to pass into a covenant of Hashem, your G-d, and into His oath that Hashem, your G-d, forges with you today, in order to establish you today as a people to Him and that He be a G-d to you...Not with you alone do I forge this covenant and this oath, but with whoever is here, standing with us today before Hashem, our G-d, and with whoever is not here with us today."

In my experience in speaking with students, I find a common difficulty that people seem to have in committing to religion, namely G-d, is that they feel a disconnect.  Granted, Hashem supposedly had a series of conversations with Israel during their trek through the desert - but what does that have to do with us?  The answer can be found in this week's parasha - and it is beautiful!

I think it's safe to say that human nature is to always put ourselves first.  In fact, I remember the night that I was accepted into Hatzalah.  They gathered all of the new members for an orientation so we could fill out some paperwork and learn a few of the standard procedures.  Among these procedures were the "10-codes" -  every emergency personnel organization has its version of them (10-4, 10-5, etc.).  Hatzalah has a code "10-1" which means call home.  When this code was explained to us, we were told the way to remember it was "the most important person in your life is 'you' so 10-1 means call the #1 person, call your house."

This week, Hashem takes the opposite approach.  He gathers the entire nation and begins making them a promise.  He promises to make us a people for Him and, in return, He asks us to make Him our G-d.  Rashi points out that He takes the initiative - first promising to always be there for us and then asking us to be there for Him.  This promise that He makes us is our proof that this world is created for us - not Him.  If we were the ones making the promise, we would say that if He agrees to be our G-d, we'll be His people.

So what does all of this have to do with us?!  The pasuk  says "not with you alone do I forge this covenant and this oath, but with whoever is here, standing with us today before Hashem, our G-d, and with whoever is not here with us today."  The Midrash Tanchuma points out that in the beginning of the parasha the Torah states that all of Israel was present.  Rather, says Rashi, it is referring to "the generations who are destined to be."  It is referring to us.  This week, Hashem makes us, as well as all past and future generations a promise that He will always be there for us.  All He asks in return, is that we allow him to.

May Hashem grant each of us the ability to set Him before us in everything that we do.  With the Yomim Noraim fast approaching, may we recognize this covenant that we established and carry it out as promised.  In this zechut, may Hashem bless each of us with a year of health, happiness and success and may we merit to see the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days!

Shabbat Shalom!!

The Secret to Success (Parashat Ki Tavo)

"It shall be that if you listen to the voice of Hashem, your G-d, to keep, to perform all of His commandments that I command you this day, then Hashem, your G-d, will make you supreme over all the nations of the earth.  All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you listen to the voice of Hashem, your G-d:

Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field.  Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb, and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your animals; the offspring of your cattle and the herds of your flocks.  Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl...you shall be only above and you shall not be below - if you listen to the commandments of Hashem, your G-d, that I command you today, to keep and perform..."

 

 

People always seem to be looking for the "secret" to being successful.  We attend workshops and seminars on how to improve our skills in whatever business we are in.  When introduced to an individual who has achieved great success, we bombard them with questions - quickly pulling out a pad and paper (okay, these days it's a smartphone) so that we can take notes on how they achieved "greatness."  We do all of these things and more in the hopes that we do will be successful.  However, it is all a big waste!

 

In this week's parasha, Hashem teaches us the "trick" to being successful not only in money and business, but in every aspect of our lives.  He makes us a promise that, if we keep and perform all of the commandments that he gave us, we will want for nothing in life!  Rashi comments earlier in the parasha  regarding the phrasing "that I command you this day," that on each day the commandments should appear new in our eyes as though Hashem is commanding them on that day.

 

Imagine, if we go through life with the mentality that today Hashem commanded me to keep the Torah (and He did!), we would have much less of a struggle in upholding it's laws.  And in return, Hashem would reward us by making us Kings and Queens of the world.  Truth be told, this should be no surprise to us!  Very often, when a person is in need of something (a recovery, help with parnassa. etc) he is instructed to take upon himself to improve in a particular mitzvah.  This parasha is the source for that instruction!  Everyone is always looking for a get-rich-quick scheme, well here it is!  Keep Hashem's commandments and you will be the richest person on earth!

 

 

May Hashem give us the strength and determination to uphold His commandments and, in return, may He keep His promise to provide us with blessing after blessing.  In addition, may He provide us with the greatest blessing of all - the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days!

 

Shabbat Shalom!!

Green Light Doesn't Always Mean Go (Parashat Ki Teizei)

The intersection on my corner happens to be a very dangerous one.  Cars always seem to be running red lights, seemingly with no regard for the pedestrians or the other vehicles.  The other day, I was walking home from shul with a neighbor when - once again - a car ran the light, nearly hitting us.  Naturally, a conversation then ensued about the dangers of the intersection and my neighbor mentioned to me that whenever he is at a red light there, he always waits a few seconds after it turns green just in case a car runs the red.  I found this to be very interesting.  Most people will argue that a green light means that the have the right of way.  There have been numerous times when, if I didn't drive immediately when the light turned green, cars behind me would begin honking as though it is my duty to drive.  My neighbor, on the other hand, feels it is an option - not a duty.  According to this weeks parasha, Hashem feels the same way!

"When you will go out to war against your enemies...and you will see among its captivity a woman who is beautiful of form, and you will desire her, you will take her to yourself for a wife."

Ki Teizei starts out by discussing an interesting halacha.  It states that if, during war, a man finds one of the women from our "enemy" to be attractive, he is permitted to take her as his own wife - regardless of whether or not she is previously married.  What is interesting is that the Torah does not use the standard lashon of "you shall" or "you must."  Rather, it says "you will."

Sefer Zikaron explains that the reason for this is because the Torah is not giving us a commandment in this verse, it is simply giving us permission.  The sefer explains that Hashem understands the fact that a man's desires are heightened when he as at war and so he may be inclined to desire a woman who is, initially, forbidden to him.  For this reason, Hashem makes an exception and allows the man to take this woman as a wife.



However, Rashi points out that several verses later this "blessing" Hashem gives us to take her as a wife becomes a "curse" of it's own: "If a man will have two wives, one beloved and one hated...the firstborn son will be born to the hated one..."  Rashi states that if the man indeed marries this woman, his destiny will be to hate her and to father from her a rebellious son.  If that is our destiny, why does Hashem allow us to do it?  Why not simply forbid the act in the first place??

My 4-year old son likes to sit on the arm of our couch.  I constantly find myself telling him to get off because it is dangerous and he can get hurt.  He, of course, insists that he will not get hurt.  A few weeks ago, he sat himself on the arm.  When I told him he is going to fall and hurt himself, he (once again) insisted it wouldn't happen.  Rather than arguing with him, I said the following "ok, sit on it - but if you fall, don't complain about it."  Sure enough, he fell (b"H there were no injuries) and gave me a look of "ok, you were right."

As parents and educators, sometimes we must allow the child to make a mistake in order to learn his or her lesson.  The fact, however, that we are "allowing" them to do something does not mean we encourage doing it.  In this weeks parasha, Hashem reinforces that concept fully and there is a beautiful lesson to be learned!!  Just like despite the green light, my neighbor doesn't always drive because he knows the risks that lie ahead, so too Hashem gives man permission to take the wife but illustrates the risks that lie ahead.

The moral of it all is that just because we have permission to do something, that doesn't always mean it is a good thing to do.  We must weigh the pros and cons and determine what is the right thing to do - not simply the permissible thing!

May we all be careful to do what is right in life, not only what we are allowed to do.  In this zechut may we merit to see the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days!

Shabbat Shalom!

Be All That You Can Be (Parashat Shoftim)

"Judges and officers shall you appoint...and they shall judge the people with righteous judgement.  You shall not pervert judgement, you shall not take notice of (someone's) presence, and you shall not take a bribe...Righteousness, righteousness shall you persue..."

This weeks parasha discusses the appointment of judges over the cities.  However, I would like to take a deeper look into the parasha and the message it still carries for us today...

Firstly, we are told to appoint judges to will judge with "righteous judgement."  In other words, judges who will hold us to a higher standard - not let us off easily.  While today, most of us are not responsible for appointing judges (except on election day), in actuality we appoint judges for ourselves every day!  When we choose our friends, our mentors and our rabbis - we are choosing the people whose judgments we will follow.  It is important, when doing so, to remember the commandment above - to choose judges who will judge us righteously.  We must associate ourselves with people who will build us up, not bring us down!

Next, we are told not to pervert judgment.  Most, if not all, of us know the difference between right and wrong.  We know what it is that we are supposed to do.  And yet, when placed in a tough situation we will try to manipulate it to our benefit.  The pasuk says we cannot do so!  We can't twist and turn the situation until it fits.  We must accept it as is and do what is right.

Third, we are commanded not to "take notice of (someone's) presence."  Rashi explains this to mean that we should be overly kind to one party (perhaps because we know or like them) and cruel to the other.  There is a profound message within this!  If a judge, whose job it is to judge fairly is capable of judging unfairly because they are fond of one of the parties involved, how much more are we - the "simple" folk - susceptible to falling guilty to this.  We must be sure not to place ourselves in a situation where we can potentially do something wrong because of how favorable we find the other person involved to be.

Fourth, the Torah tells us not to except a bribe.  Again, Rashi comments that a bribe will blind a person, making it impossible for him to do the right thing.  Everybody likes receiving gifts, compliments or being treated to a meal.  However, we must be careful to take each of these things with a grain of salt as they can, potentially, come back to haunt us!  We must remember that, at the end of the day, it is most important to do the right thing and we cannot allow that thing to be "blinded" by the gift someone is giving us.

Finally, all of this culminates to a very powerful commandment that, I fear, many people don't realize we have - to persue righteousness!  We commanded by the Torah to be the best that we can be!!  It's so easy in life to take the easy way out.  So often I'm approached by students asking for a heter (permission) to do things because it would be easier than to keep the halacha.  However, in this weeks parasha Hashem tells us that is not what he wants!  He doesn't want us to find the loophole, he wants us to persue greatness.

I recently had an encounter with a student in which he did persue greatness, and I was so very proud:

I received a text message the other week (as I often do) regarding the kashrut of a particular bakery that I was not familiar with.  Not only was I not familiar with the bakery, I hadn't heard of this hashgacha either.  I then called a colleague of mine who is more familiar with the "out of town" hashgachas who suggested that the student would be better suited visiting a different bakery, though he didn't outlaw the one in question .  My response to the student was a rather cryptic one "I'm told it's not so reliable" - in which case I did leave him the option to still visit the bakery he inquired about.  His response, "Okay, then better not to eat it."

What a perfect answer!!  The student fulfilled the commandment in this weeks parasha to the fullest!  He had an opportunity to take the loophole, but instead he persued greatness!  Chazak u'Baruch to him!!

In today's day and age, it can sometimes be difficult to do the right thing and easier to pervert judgement and do what is wrong instead.  Throughout Tanach we are referred to as a "great nation" and, in order to maintain that title, we must always make sure to hold ourselves to a standard of greatness.

May Hashem grant all of us the ability and strength to always aim higher.  May we set goals for ourselves we never thought we could reach and then blow them out of the park!  In doing so, may we merit to see the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days...

Shabbat Shalom!

Give and Ye Shall Receive (Parashat Re'eh)

"Every firstborn male that is born in your cattle and in your flock, you shall sanctify to Hashem, your G-d...Before Hashem, your G-d, shall you eat it, year by year, in the place that Hashem will choose, you and your household."

In this week's parasha, we are told that we must sanctify every firstborn male in our cattle to Hashem - which means we must give it to the Kohen.  The parasha goes on to tell us that, if you do this, you will eat it year after year.  Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zt"l asks a question on this pasuk - if I gave the firstborn to the Kohen, how is it possible that I will eat it every year?!?  His answer is quite beautiful...

The fact that I possess a firstborn means that my cattle has just started to earn me an income - it has started reproducing.  I can now let out a sigh of relief and know that money is on the way!  Just at that moment, however, Hashem tells me that I must give my cattle away.  How will I ever earn money?

Says Rabbi Feinstein, Hashem commands you to give away your firstborn.  He then promises you that, if you do so, He will provide you with cattle to eat year after year!  In other words, the reward for giving away the little that you have is a gift of having a lot!!  

It is easy to give away something that you have a lot of.  The challenge is giving away something you have a little of.  When a person wins the lottery, he has no problem giving a portion of his victory to charity - but what about before he wins the lottery?  Is he willing to give up a portion of his regular earnings if he isn't rich?Hashem is teaching us that we don't have to wait until we win the lottery to give charity.  Give it now and your reward will be the fact that you never need to win the lottery!

May we all have the emunah to give even that which we do not have.  As a reward, may Hashem bless us with an abundance of wealth, health and prosperity; and in the z'chut of our giving - may we merit to see the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days!

Shabbat Shalom!

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