בקשה ושאלה - Purim 5773

Let us move on to a Purim thought. B'derech Drush there is a GRA. The GRA is going on a word that is found in Tehillim 27:4 (אַחַת, שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת-יְרוָר אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּשׁ). You can request things with the word Shoel or the word Bakasha. We find in the Megillah interestingly that Esther in her discussion with Achashveirosh at the Mishteh Hayayin uses both expressions. She says in 5:7 (וַתַּעַן אֶסְתֵּר, וַתֹּאמַר: שְׁאֵלָתִי, וּבַקָּשָׁתִי). Later Esther says in 7:3 ( וַתַּעַן אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה, וַתֹּאמַר--אִם-מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְאִם-עַל-הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב: תִּנָּתֶן-לִי נַפְשִׁי בִּשְׁאֵלָתִי, וְעַמִּי בְּבַקָּשָׁתִי). Achashveirosh in his reply says in 7:2 (מַה-שְּׁאֵלָתֵךְ אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה, וְתִנָּתֵן לָךְ; וּמַה-בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ עַד-חֲצִי הַמַּלְכוּת, וְתֵעָשׂ). Two things Sheaila and Bakasha. What is the difference?

Says the GRA Shoel is one who borrows. We say that when a person borrows an item Kol Hana'a Shelo all the benefit is his and that is why he is Chayuv even in Onsin. When you are Shoel you ask for something for yourself, for your personal request, for your personal wants, for your personal needs. When someone requests something for himself that is called a Shoel. When someone requests things for other people even if he is included but he requests things for others that is called a Bakasha as it says in Maseches Bava Kamma 92a (21 lines from the bottom) (כל המבקש רחמים על חבירו והוא צריך לאותו דבר הוא נענה תחילה). This is from the Rashi in Beraishis 21:1 (וַירוָר פָּקַד אֶת-שָׂרָה) (סמך פרשה זו לכאן ללמדך שכל המבקש רחמים על חבירו והוא צריך לאותו דבר הוא נענה תחילה). One who asks for mercy for his friend he himself is answered first. Excellent! He himself is answered first.

Bakasha when he asks he asks for others. Getting back to the Megillah, it is very beautiful. Achashveirosh's reply is expressed as is found as 7:2 (מַה-שְּׁאֵלָתֵךְ אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה, וְתִנָּתֵן לָךְ) what is your request for yourself and it will be given (לָך) to you. (וּמַה-בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ עַד-חֲצִי הַמַּלְכוּת, וְתֵעָשׂ). What is your Bakasha for others and I will make sure it gets done (וְתֵעָשׂ). The reply of Esther is in 7:3 (תִּנָּתֶן-לִי נַפְשִׁי בִּשְׁאֵלָתִי, וְעַמִּי בְּבַקָּשָׁתִי). Give me my life because of my request and my people because of my Bakasha. For myself is Nafshi Bish'ailasi, however, Ami is Bakashasi. An absolutely beautiful UpTeitch of words which is typical of the GRA.

However, this GRA is brought with an added Kneitch. I believe it is Rav Brevda's own addition to this Yesod of the GRA and what he says is the following. We have in Tehillim in 27:4 (אַחַת, שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת-יְרוָר אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּשׁ). There is one thing that I request from Hashem that I request. What does that mean? (אַחַת, שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת-יְרוָר) there are things that I want (B'lashon Sh'ila) that I want for myself from Hashem. (אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּש) I am not going to ask for my own good I am going to ask for it for the greater good. (שִׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית-יְָרוָר, כָּל-יְמֵי חַיַּי). People want a lot of things. People want new cars, people want lots of money, people want food to eat. That is She'aila. Instead of asking for yourself always try to ask for others, especially for K'vod Hashechina. Try to ask for the Kavod Hashechina. If you want to be a Talmid Chochom request that there should be more Torah in the world and that you should be Zoche to be part of that additional Torah in the world. אַחַת, שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת-יְרוָר אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּש)).

The Maharal explains that the Yesod of Davening is to request for Kavod Hashechina, to request for the greater Kavod of Klal Yisrael. That is really the Yesod of all Davening.

The Nefesh Hachaim says a similar thing in his explanation of Tefilla. Where do we have the gall to Daven and to Daven for things? He explains that Kavod Yisrael is Kavod Hashechina.

So Al Kol Panim we have here both a Mussar Vort an understanding of how to Daven and a technical Vort an understanding of the word She'aila and the word Bakasha. And as is typical of these things if we take these Vertlach to other places you will find that it fits in numerous places.

The Psychological Effect Of Mordechai's Ride On His Critics - Purim 5775

I would like to share with you a thought on Purim that I think is maybe, perhaps at least a defining moment in the Megillah that we might sometimes miss. As you all know, Megillas Esther is a story of a number of incidents that took place each of which is natural but taken together cause an incredible event to take place and that is what we call the miracle of Purim within nature. Every piece of the Megillah is part of the puzzle. The question is the incident where Haman leads Mordechai through the streets of Shushan on the King's horse and in the King's robes and Haman is announcing as it says in 6:11 (כָּכָה יֵעָשֶׂה לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ חָפֵץ בִּיקָרוֹ). How does that fit in to the puzzle of the Yeshua of Klal Yisrael? It would seem from the Megillah that that contributes nothing. After all, as soon as Haman finished leading Mordechai through the streets, Mordechai goes back to wearing sackcloth and fasting as the decree against the Jewish people is still in effect. The fasting that is taking place in Shushan is still taking place and the Mishteh Hayayin, that moment where the Ribbono Shel Olam saves Klal Yisrael has yet to occur. How does that fit into the story? 

I recently saw a beautiful thought in the name of the Alter of Kelm one of the great Talmidim of Rav Yisrael Salanter and he explained beautifully as follows. He says think about the story of the Megillah. A decree was issued against the Jewish people. There is no doubt that Jews everywhere were in a uproar, they were tumuling. What is going on? They had questions for Hashem and they had questions for each other. The Gemara says that they criticized Mordechai and they said Mordechai did this. After all, didn't Mordechai do it? The rest of Klal Yisrael bowed to Haman and it wasn't just the Amei Ha'aretz (ignoramuses) who bowed to Haman. There were Jews who Paskened, Talmidai Chachamim that Paskened, that from Halacha it is permitted. Tosafos says that they bowed to Haman because Haman is a person and he was not an Avoda Zorah, he was a leader. He demanded that they bow before him. And so, they held that it was Muttar. One man didn't bow and that was Mordechai. Mordechai not only didn't bow but he didn't stand up when Haman passed. He wouldn't show him any type of notice. Klal Yisrael had big complaints against Mordechai. Mordechai was a Daas Yachid, an individual opinion L'halacha, and he is wrong. Klal Yisrael is following the other Poskim and they were very critical of Mordechai. They said Mordechai did this to us. Then they are fasting for three days. One morning they wake up in the morning and there is an uproar in the streets of Shushan. This was not something that they had anticipated. After all, there were no newspapers and no radio broadcasts, everything happened after midnight. After midnight when Achashveirosh could not sleep as it says in 6:1 (בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא, נָדְדָה שְׁנַת הַמֶּלֶךְ). This took place at midnight. Achashveirosh tells Haman 6:10 (מַהֵר קַח אֶת-הַלְּבוּשׁ וְאֶת-הַסּוּס כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ) do it quickly. There was no time to make announcements. There they are in the morning and there is an uproar in the street. What is going on? They look and they see, could it be, Haman is leading Mordechai on a horse dressed in the kings robes on the kings horse and he is announcing before him (כָּכָה יֵעָשֶׂה לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ חָפֵץ בִּיקָרוֹ). The Jews looked at it and they were astounded. They didn't know what to make of it. The decree against the Jews were still in effect. The Yeshua was still to happen. That was the Yeshua in the world. The Yeshua that is revealed in the revealed world. In the hearts of the Jewish people they understood, and they said to themselves we don't get this we don't understand. The one thing we see is that Mordechai knows what he is doing. I don't know how this happened but something that Mordechai is doing is right if this could happen. And suddenly their objections to Mordechai, the blogging, the Lashon Hora, the complaints to Mordechai came to an end. The talk of politics came to an end. The people lined up behind Mordechai. Now the Jewish people were worthy of the Yeshua that was still to take place that evening. Something big happened, something tremendous happened and we end the Megilla with the words as the description of Mordechai Hayehudi as being 10:3 (וְגָדוֹל לַיְּהוּדִים, וְרָצוּי לְרֹב אֶחָיו). That is also a part of V'nahavoch Hu, it is also a change. It is a change that we don't always notice because we know Mordechai as the hero of the Megillah. We don't realize that until that point Mordechai was not a hero to most of the Jewish people. As a matter of fact, they had complaints to him. And so, that is an extraordinary moment a moment from which there is much to learn. 

-- א"ה וכעין זה בשם הגר"א לגבי המן שנשברה רוחו
http://navitapes1.blogspot.com/2012/03/missing-puzzle-piece-purim-5772.html

In The Doorway - Tzav 5771

8:3 (וְאֵת כָּל-הָעֵדָה, הַקְהֵל, אֶל-פֶּתַח, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד) We have at the end of the Parsha the story of the Yimei Hamiluim, of the Kohanim being installed during the seven days of Miluim. We have Kohanim in the Mishkan. There at the beginning of that Parsha the Ribbono Shel Olam tells Moshe gather all the people to the entranceway of the Ohel Moed. Rashi says (הקהל אל פתח אהל מועד: זה אחד מן המקומות שהחזיק מועט את המרובה) that this is miraculous that the opening of the Ohel Moed could hold all of the people. This is an incredible miracle.

The question though is why was it important that the people be gathered at the entranceway to the Ohel Moed. That is something that certainly needs explanation. I would like to take a Vort elsewhere and connect it here. Before I explain this I want to mention that we find this in a number of places in the Torah an idea of people gathering or people standing Dafka at Pesach Ohel Moed.

We find in Parshas Vayeira 18:1 (וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח-הָאֹהֶל) that Avrohom Avinu is sitting Pesach Oholo when Hakadosh Baruch Hu comes to visit him. The Poshut Pshat is that he was sitting there at the door looking for wayfarers that were walking by. It is still interesting that when the Ribbono Shel Olam came to visit him that he would be sitting at the entranceway of his home.

The place however where the strangest expression is found numerous times is in Megillas Esther. We find in the Megillah many times that Mordechai Yosheiv Bish’ar Hamelech. We find it in places that have nothing to do with the story. We find for example when Mordechai overhears Bigsan and Seresh. Mordechai is standing by the Shar of the King and Bigsan and Seresh get angry. This is found in 2:21 (בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם, וּמָרְדֳּכַי יוֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר-הַמֶּלֶךְ; קָצַף בִּגְתָן וָתֶרֶשׁ שְׁנֵי-סָרִיסֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, מִשֹּׁמְרֵי הַסַּף, וַיְבַקְשׁוּ לִשְׁלֹחַ יָד, בַּמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹשׁ).

Or we have after Mordechai is led through the city on the King’s horse in 6:12 (וַיָּשָׁב מָרְדֳּכַי, אֶל-שַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ; וְהָמָן נִדְחַף אֶל-בֵּיתוֹ, אָבֵל וַחֲפוּי רֹאשׁ). Or the expression of the King that he said to Haman in 6:10 (וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהָמָן, מַהֵר קַח אֶת-הַלְּבוּשׁ וְאֶת-הַסּוּס כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ, וַעֲשֵׂה-כֵן לְמָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי, הַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ:אַל-תַּפֵּל דָּבָר, מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ). Or even Haman says this in 5:13 (וְכָל-זֶה, אֵינֶנּוּ שֹׁוֶה לִי:בְּכָל-עֵת, אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי רֹאֶה אֶת-מָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי--יוֹשֵׁב, בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ). Why is the fact that (מָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי--יוֹשֵׁב, בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ) mentioned so many times in the Megillah?

I would like to take a different Miforaish and attach it to these places and explain the significance. There is a Vort I have seen Bish’eim the Kedushas Levi in the Likutim in the back on Tehillim.  We say in Hallel a Posuk of course from Tehillim 118:19 – 20 ( פִּתְחוּ-לִי שַׁעֲרֵי-צֶדֶק;אָבֹא-בָם, אוֹדֶה קָהּ). We talk about Hakadosh Baruch Hu opening for us the (שַׁעֲרֵי-צֶדֶק) and we will enter there and praise G-d. (זֶה-הַשַּׁעַר לַירוָר;צַדִּיקִים, יָבֹאוּ בוֹ). We talk about a Shar to Hashem, again about an entranceway. He explains that an entranceway symbolizes a place where a person is not worthy and can’t enter, like for example a Shar to Tzadikim or a place where a King is. You have a person who feels unworthy of entering and nevertheless has a Teshuka (a desire) so he would stand at the entranceway at the gate.

A good Mashul to this would be in Hilchos Mezuzah. We know that a room that is 49 square feet (Daled Al Daled Amos) is Patur from Mezuzah. Yet if you have a vestibule that is entering into your home, if that vestibule is small it should be Patur from a Mezuzah. However, because it is an entranceway to significant rooms, to the house, that room is Chayuv in Mezuzah. So to speak, a Shar could be small but because it is Meshameish (services) that which is beyond it, it takes on significance, a great significance. 

The idea of sitting (בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ) is always a reference to the Ribbono Shel Olam. The idea of always being a person who is (יוֹשֵׁב, בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ) or (שַׁעֲרֵי-צֶדֶק) is an idea that a person who feels unworthy of being by the King, unworthy of being counted among the Tzaddikim, nevertheless strives to sit by the gateway to the Tzaddikim. In the entranceway to the room where the King is. In that way, in humility a person can have a connection with the Ribbono Shel Olam. That is what we find here with Mordechai constantly (יוֹשֵׁב, בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ). Even though that generation was not worthy, Mordechai sat (בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ) so that he should have a connection to the Borei Olam. Of course he represented Klal Yisrael that Klal Yisrael should have that sort of a connection.    

That is very much the story of the Megillah. A day in which it is not a Yom Tov. We don’t treat it fully as a Yom Tov. Purim is a day in which we are (בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ). We are sort of outside the Yom Tov. It is not a day of holiness similar to the Sholosh Regalim. It is a day that we stand right before the King. We celebrate K’ilu it is a Yom Tov from a slight distance even though we feel unworthy.

The Ger's Kesubah - Mishpatim 5769

There is a Chidush B’sheim R’ Chaim Kanievsky. In 21:5 the Pasuk says if an Eved Ivri says (וְאִם-אָמֹר יֹאמַר, הָעֶבֶד, אָהַבְתִּי אֶת-אֲדֹנִי, אֶת-אִשְׁתִּי וְאֶת-בָּנָי; לֹא אֵצֵא, חָפְשִׁי). The Nidoin is, if someone gets married, and his father is a Goi, it could be a jewish child or it could be a Ger. In a Shtar Kesubah or Get, they write Ben his natural father. Pashtus, this Shtar would be Posul because there is no Yichus after a Goyishe father. Rav Chaim’s Chidush is since this Goy is really his father, it would be a Kosher Shtar. The Raya is, the Toirah says this Eved Ivri says (אָהַבְתִּי אֶת-אֲדֹנִי, אֶת-אִשְׁתִּי וְאֶת-בָּנָי), Ai she is not his wife and they are not his children Al Pi Halachah.

This Vort helps with a Vort from Rav Yoinason Eibushitz. He says Haman was actually a Jew. The Gemara says Haman was an Eved Canani to Mordechai. An Eved Canani when he goes free is certainly a Yid and even while he is an Eved is considered a Yid. So Haman was a Yid. Where it says that Mordechai refused to bow to Haman, it says 3:4 (כִּי-הִגִּיד לָהֶם, אֲשֶׁר-הוּא יְהוּדִי). So Rav Yoinason says that it means that Haman is a Yehudi. The velt asks how can it be that Haman was a Yehudi if it says Zeresh Ishtoi V’es Roiv Bonov? The Pesukim say what he perceived, that it was Ishtoi U’bonov.

Mordechai Knew The Megillah! - Beshalach 5771

17:14 ( וַיֹּאמֶר יְרוָר אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, כְּתֹב זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר, וְשִׂים, בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ:  כִּי-מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה אֶת-זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק, מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם) The Satmar Rebbe writes in the Divrei Yoel in the name of his Grandfather, that we know all of Tanach was given to Moshe Rabbeinu at Har Sinai. That being the case, it would include all 24 books of Tanach that were given at Har Sinai. Naturally, Moshe couldn’t publicize what was written in those books as it had not taken place yet. When we find in the Posuk ( וַיֹּאמֶר יְרוָר אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, כְּתֹב זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר, וְשִׂים, בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ:  כִּי-מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה אֶת-זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק, מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם) Sim B’oznai Yehoshua, meaning put in Yehoshua’s ears, the Satmar Rebbe Teitches this to mean that in every generation the Gadol Hador knew the story that was unfolding. He had already read the book of Nach and knew what was going to happen and nevertheless kept it a secret that was passed from one Gadol Hador to the next.

He writes that Mordechai knew the story of Purim as it unfolded, and says it is a B’feirush in a Posuk. It says in the Megillah 4:1א  וּמָרְדֳּכַי, יָדַע אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה, וַיִּקְרַע מָרְדֳּכַי אֶת-בְּגָדָיו, וַיִּלְבַּשׁ שַׂק וָאֵפֶר; וַיֵּצֵא בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר, וַיִּזְעַק זְעָקָה גְדוֹלָה וּמָרָה So it says that Mordechai knew everything that was taking place. However, it used what was taking place between Haman and Achashveiroish to effect a Teshuva movement by Klal Yisrael.

The Vort itself is a big Chiddush for an Acharoin to say, however, the Mussar from it is extraordinary. Imagine that you are an actor in a play, and you have the script so you know everything that is going to happen. Part of the play is that someone dies and they cry over his death and someone has difficulties like poverty or illness. As all good plays you know that it has a happy ending. When you are acting out the part of sadness, you are not upset or depressed. You are only worried about performing your part properly.

So what the Satmar Rebbe is basically saying is, the mask of Oilam Hazeh is such that our challenge is just to perform our parts properly, however, the sadness that comes with difficulties is somewhat mitigated if one looks at themselves with וּמָרְדֳּכַי, יָדַע אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה, and the person knows what should take place.

Purim Chronology - Bo 5769

In 12:29, the Pasuk says, (וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה). In the song (וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה) that is sung on the Seder night, one of the stanzas refers to when Achashveiroish couldn’t sleep, and he called for the Sefer Hazichroinois to be brought before him. So there we also say that the incident occurred on the midnight of the 15^th of Nisan. The problem with this is that the Megillah says B’feirush that the G’zar Din against Klal Yisrael was the 13^th day of Nisan.  Even if that same day Mordechai was there Bil’vush Sak and everything else occurs on that same day, Esther still asks for fasting of 3 days and nights and after that she said she would go into the Melech. So this would be either Tes Zayin or Yud Zayin of Nisan. Now we know the day after Achashveiroish couldn’t sleep, Mordechai was taken on the horse and Haman came home so late that he had to rush to Esther’s party, this would be now the day of Tes Vav Nisan, Pesach itself, according to the song Vayehi Bachatzi Halayloh. This wouldn’t allow for 3 days and nights of fasting before Esther went into the Melech? It is possible that the 3 days started on Yud Gimmel which would make it Tes Vav.