Opportunities - Re'eh 5772

Rav Pam would say that to do Chesed to another person, you can give him Tzedakah that is Chesed or you can give him a job. That is a greater Chesed. When you give him a job and he is able to earn his keep himself. We all understand that Asakta Bo is a greater Mitzvah.

Says Rav Pam, the Ribbono Shel Olam works the same way. If a person is not deserving Hashem could give him Chesed. Hashem could give him something more than what he deserves. However, HKB”H treats human beings in the best way. What HKB”H does is he gives a person an opportunities to do Mitzvos. When a person is lacking in the Yemei Hadin HKB”H puts in his way an opportunity, perhaps an Aveida (a lost object) that he could pick up and could return. Perhaps he would walk in the street and see a woman and her children having a very hard time pushing a carriage and schlepping her bundles and you can help that person. HKB”H puts in the persons way opportunities to sort of have a job to keep. And that he explained, was the very special Derech of HKB”H as it says in the Parsha 13:18 (וְנָתַן-לְךָ רַחֲמִים וְרִחַמְךָ). HKB”H gives you Rachamim and HKB”H gives you opportunities and then he has Rachmanus on you. With this Rav Pam explained Hashem’s Midda of V’rav Chesed V’emes. Emes means the Ikkur Din. Chesed is more. What is the V’rav Chesed V’emes? Hashem’s Chesed is that he gives you opportunities. B’emes, then Hashem can do the Din Emes and you will have the Zechusim to be Soveil the Din. How beautiful.

This fits so nicely with something that I mentioned a year ago on Avinu Malkeinu Kasveinu B’sefer Zechuyos (write us in the book of merits). Very very mysterious. What is the book of merits? 

Rav Elyashiv said and I have seen this in other places that B’sefer Zechuyos (write us in the book of merits) in the things we do we should have the opportunity to have Zechusim, to have Zechuyos. If we go places and we have the opportunity to do Zechuyos then we will be Zoche to Din, the Ikkur Hadin.

Pre-Temple Regel - Re'eh 5772

Let me move on to a Ramban in this week’s Parsha. This Ramban is very important because it explains a mystery in Nach. The Ramban actually has two parts. One is in 12:8 where the Torah commands (לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן--כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֲנַחְנוּ עֹשִׂים פֹּה, הַיּוֹם: אִישׁ, כָּל-הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו). You should not do as we do today each man what is right in his eyes. What exactly is the Torah forbidding? It is very hard to understand. After all, Moshe Rabbeinu was saying to the people you are doing something wrong, he should have given them Mussar. He seems to be saying that today it is ok but when you enter Eretz Yisrael don’t do what you are doing today. (אִישׁ, כָּל-הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו). The Ramban explains as follows. (וכן אחרי זריקת הדם והקטר החלב בשלמים יאכל אותם במדבר בכל מקום שירצה, כי לא נתן בהם הכתוב מחיצה אבל אוכלים אותם במחנה וחוץ למחנה. והנה אין להם בכל עניין הקורבנות חובה, רק איש כל הישר בעיניו יעשה, על כן ציוה בכאן כי אחרי המנוחה והנחלה לא יעשו כן, אבל יבואו בחובה למקום ידוע ומיוחד נבחר מהשם ויביאו שם הזבחים והמעשרות והבכורות ויאכלום שם במחיצה לפני השם. ומה שאמרו רבותינו (ספרי טז): בדבר הנידר והנדב [שקרב בבמה ושאין נידר ונדב] שאינו קרב בבמה, מדרש מיתור המקרא, כמו שהוא מפורש בפרק בתרא דזבחים (קיז ב):) In the Midbar there was no obligation to bring Korbanos. If one wished he brought a Korban. When a person wanted to eat meat he brought a Korban and ate meat. There was no obligation. Even the Sholosh Regalim there was no obligation to bring a Korban on Yom Tov. Moshe Rabbeinu told them you are going to go to Eretz Yisrael and build a Bais Hamikdash (לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן--כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֲנַחְנוּ עֹשִׂים פֹּה, הַיּוֹם: אִישׁ, כָּל-הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו). Today is voluntary, you bring a Korban when you want. No, when you enter Eretz Yisrael there will be rules and obligations. Every Chag, every one of the Sholosh Regalim you will be Oleh Regel and you will be obligated to bring specific Korbanos.

At the end of Parshas Re’ey in 16:11 (בַּמָּקוֹם, אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְרוָר אֱלֹריךָ, לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ, שָׁם) the Ramban says even more. He says (וכן אמר (פסוק טז): שלוש פעמים בשנה יראה כל זכורך וגו' במקום אשר יבחר.
ולא ידעתי, אם לומר כי לאחר שיבנה בית המקדש לא נאסף להקריב קורבנות הרגלים אלא במקום ההוא אשר יבחר ר', כטעם שיאמר (פסוק ה): לא תוכל לזבוח את הפסח באחד שעריך, או שיבאר כאן שלא יתחייבו לעלות לרגל עד אשר יבחר השם מקום לשכנו שם) B’lashon Efsher that even when the Jews entered Eretz Yisrael for the first 440 years there was no Bais Hamikdash and during those years there was no obligation to be Oleh Regel on the 3 Chagim. 16:16 (שָׁלוֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה יֵרָאֶה כָל-זְכוּרְךָ אֶת-פְּנֵי יְרוָר אֱלֹריךָ, בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחָר--בְּחַג הַמַּצּוֹת וּבְחַג הַשָּׁבֻעוֹת, וּבְחַג הַסֻּכּוֹת; וְלֹא יֵרָאֶה אֶת-פְּנֵי יְרוָר, רֵיקָם). The Mitzvah to be Oleh Regel is only when there is a Bais Hamikdash, however, when there is no Bais Hamikdash there is no obligation to be Oleh Regel. There is a tremendous Chiddush in these 2 Ramban’s. That the Mitzvos that we take for granted, Aliyah L’regel, and many of the Korbanos, the Ramban even mentions the Korban of a B’chor that one was not obligated to bring it to the Bais Hamikdash until the Bais Hamikdash was built. These are the words of the Ramban.

What does this have to do with Nach? Well obviously it teaches us a Chiddush that for 440 years there is no obligation to be Oleh Regel. More than that it explains a mystery. In the beginning of Shmuel Aleph we are told that a man named Elkana would be Oleh Regel, would go to the Bais Hamikdash. A well known Medrash tells us that every year he would take a different route. The reason for this was because people were not being Oleh Regel. By going a different route every time, Elkana who was known as a Gadol B’yisrael would encourage others to follow him and others would come along with him to be Oleh Regel. We wondered this was a great generation, why weren’t the people being Oleh Regel? They needed Elkana? According to the Ramban it is beautiful. There was no obligation to be Oleh Regel it was totally voluntary. Therefore, we understand why Elkana went out of his way to encourage the people to go.

More than that. The Posuk says at the beginning of Shmuel Aleph 1:3 (וְעָלָה הָאִישׁ הַהוּא מֵעִירוֹ מִיָּמִים יָמִימָה). This man would go up from his city from year to year. Chazal Darshun (מִיָּמִים יָמִימָה) as the Metzudas Tzion brings on the spot, that once a year he was Oleh Regel. We always wonder what in the world is going on, Elkana the Gadol Hador is only Oleh Regel once a year? It is a Pliya!

According to the Ramban we understand. There was no obligation to be Oleh Regel and therefore, he would go once a year to be Oleh Regel and in that way to keep the Mitzvah of being Oleh Regel which was not obligatory on a voluntary basis. Obviously this Ramban is a big Yesod in understanding the beginning Pesukim in Sefer Shmuel.

Half-Kosher People - Re'eh 5772

Today the 28th day of the month of Av is the Yahrtzeit of our Rebbi, Moreinu HaRav Pam and I would like to share with you some thoughts connected to ideas that he said.

One of the things that was Margila P’pumai (things that he said very often) regarding the Parsha of Behaimos Temaios in this week’s Parsha we have the Parsha of the Simanim of the animal that is Kosher. Of course the 2 Simanim are that an animal that swallows its cud and has split hoofs is Kosher. The Torah lists the 4 animals that have only one Siman that is Kosher and therefore, are Treif. It appears from the Posuk that these 4 animals are somehow worse because they have one of the Simanei Kashrus.

Rav Pam would repeat the Klei Yakar. The Klei Yakar says that a human being too has 2 Simanei Kashrus and they are 1) Bain Adam L’chaveiro and 2) Bain Adam Lamakom.  Serving HKB”H with things that have to do with the direct service of Hashem such as Davening and Learning and serving HKB”H in Bain Adam L’chaveiro in the service of other human beings and dealing with other people. These are two Simanim of a Kosher Jew. If a person has one Siman and not the other said Rav Pam, is worse. In other words if you have a person who Davens well and Learns well but when it comes to dealing with his fellow man, he is cruel, he is miserable, or he is dishonest, it would be better if he didn’t Learn and Daven well. He brings Chillul Hashem, a shame on the name of Bnei Torah because people look at him as a Ben Torah who Davens and Learns and yet in his Bein Adam L’chaveiro he is disgusting and he is not behaving properly. The reverse is also true. You have people who are very good, very kind, and very nice to others. However, when it comes to serving HKB”H and being careful in Mitzvos there is something missing. They are not careful to Daven and they are not careful to Learn. Such a person too brings down Sheim Shamayim because people will admire his kindness to other human beings and will somehow feel that it is not as important to serve HKB”H in the Bain Adam Lamakom. This was Margila P’pumai, a common expression of Rav Pam in teaching us. You have to have both, be kind to human beings and faithful in serving HKB”H.

The Rambam expands on this idea in Shemoneh Perakim. The Rambam says in serving HKB”H there is an attitude of Rotze Ani U’ma E’se V’avinu Shebashamayim Gozar Olai. I would like to do an Aveira but I won’t because HKB”H said don’t do it. This attitude of Rotze Ani that I would love to do the Aveira but HKB”H said don’t do it, says the Rambam is not an appropriate attitude in Bain Adam L’chaveiro, in Mitzvos Sichliyos. For a person to say I would be cruel to someone else but I am not going to be because the Torah forbids it this is a wrong attitude. A Mitzvas Sichli, a logical Mitzvah, something a person should ingrain in his nature, should do naturally. On the other hand a Mitzva of Bain Adam Lamakom (a Mitzva between man and Hashem) such as shaking a Lulav or eating only Kosher food, there a person should say Rotze Ani I will be happy to eat Treif food or I would be happy not to shake a Lulav U’ma E’se Avinu Shebashamayim Gozar Olai, but what will I do as Hashem commanded me to do as he commanded and that I will do. This is a strong distinction between Bain Adam L’chaveiro Mitzvos (logical Mitzvos) and Bain Adam Lamakom Mitzvos.

We by our nature twist things around. Most people today when it comes to stealing they will say well I would love to steal but what should I do Hashem forbade it and Boruch Hashem they won’t steal. When it comes to Treifos they say pig I would never eat bacon. It is something that goes against the nature of a Jew. This is the reverse of the way it should be. Someone who serves HKB”H properly when it comes to stealing it is disgusting to him, to take someone else’s thing. When it comes to eating Chazeir though, Chazeir is delicious. U’ma E’se V’avinu Shebashamayim Gozar Olai.

In the Sefer Tuvcha Yabi’u on this week’s Parsha he relates that there were some Jews who lived in an apartment house and on the ground floor of the apartment house there was a store that was rented by someone who sold (Nevailos & Treif) forbidden food and even bacon (Chazeir).  It disgusted them every day when they walked in and out of their apartment building to pass this place with the aroma of Treif food. They went to an Adom Gadol to ask for an Eitza. The Adom Gadol said what do you mean? He showed them a Chasam Sofer. The Chasam Sofer says how is one to accomplish the Mitzvos of this week’s Parsha. 14:8 (טָמֵא הוּא, לָכֶם; מִבְּשָׂרָם לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ). A commandment not to eat Treif food. How does one actually actively go and perform a Mitzvah which is Shev V’al Taaseh, which is a bad action? Says the Chasam Sofer when a person sees it he should say to himself wow that is good but I am not eating it because the Torah forbids it. Now these people had a brand new attitude. Every time they walked in and out of their apartment building and they passed the store selling Treif food they would say Harini Muchan U’mizuman L’kayeim Mitzvah, I am now going to perform the Mitzvah of telling myself Avi Shebashayim Gozer Olai.