OnegShabbos
בס"ד
North West London’s Weekly Torah and Opinion Sheets
A Torah publication that enables local Rabbonim and Avreichim to share their insights and Divrei Torah on a variety of different levels, to provide something for everyone
| כ”ג אב תשע”ו | פ’ עקב27th August 2016
מוצש’’ק
LONDON: 8:51 PM K I N D LY S P O N S O R E D
הדלקת נרות
LONDON: 7:44 PM
מברכין החודש
לעילוי נשמת הש"ץ שלמה בן אברהם משה ז"ל לעילוי נשמת חנה בת אלעזר ע"ה
Completely Missing The Point – Again!
For questions on Divrei Torah please contact the Editor in Chief, Rabbi Yonasan Roodyn rabbiroodyn@ jewishfuturestrust.com To receive this via email or for sponsorship opportunities please email mc@markittech.com
Chazan Michael Simon | Author of Mimini Michoel, weekly email on the Torah & Mo’adim The vicissitudes of my work have recently required my spending rather more time than usual away from home. In order to dispel any possible misimpression, I would hasten to add that my destinations have been anything but glamorous or exotic. There is perhaps only one upside (although my family may readily be able to articulate others). I have been frequenting the same hotel chain and have as a result moved up a grade within their loyalty scheme. Again, whilst not wishing to overstate the minimal, additional benefits, the satisfaction derived from knowing that there will be sparkling rather than still water awaiting me in the bedroom should not be underestimated. It can be tempting to view our observance of mitzvos, in a not dissimilar way, as generating loyalty points as we travel through life that we will then redeem after 120 years (plus inflation and VAT) for the choicest celestial spot on the highest heavenly floor that our grand total will purchase. This inaccurate notion, of course lacks a vital element of mitzvah observance. The fulfilment of positive commandments in this world (and the avoidance of the negative ones) is designed to have a profound, beneficial impact on us, by encouraging us to perfect our characters and to make us sholeim – in the sense of ameliorating as far as possible the enduring tension between our spiritual neshomo and our physical guf. On the theme of mitzvah observance, our parshah opens with vehoyo eikev tishme’un, upon which Rashi famously comments that this refers to the ‘light’ mitzvos that a person treads on without care. In similar vein, the Mishnah in Pirkei Ovos [2:1] states in the name of Rebbi, hevei zohir be’mitzvoh kalloh ke’vachamuroh – we must be just as scrupulous in the performance of mitzvos that we view lightly as with those that we take more seriously, she’ein ato yodei’a matan sechoron shel mitzvos – for we know not the extent of the heavenly reward that such mitzvos will attract. Rav Moshe Feinstein zt’’l observes that mortal man cannot comprehend a mitzvah’s roots in shomayim or the wider impact that its performance may generate, whether on the one performing it or indeed on others. Set within these parameters, to which mitzvos is Rashi referring when he terms them mitzvos kallos, which we trample underfoot? Rav Moshe answers that Rashi is actually referring to a person’s ignorance, which all too often
NOW IN THE FOLLOWING PLACES
manifests itself through their failure to treat seriously the fundamental aspects of a mitzvah, because they are far too caught up in, what might be labelled, elements of at best secondary importance. These include, says Rav Moshe, segulos (practices considered efficacious in improving a situation or protecting from harm), chumros (stringencies) and hiddurim (embellishments). He goes as far as to suggest that sometimes what we denote as or discern to be a mitzvah does not in fact have such a status. It is all part of the ingenious ploy by the yetzer horo to lead us astray by creating a fug of ambiguity, guiding us away from fulfilment of Hashem’s commandments as He desires. Rashi’s comment underscores the importance of studying the mitzvos and absorbing the truth of Divine Will. We have to develop, at the very least, sufficient awareness to know when to ask a shailah of a competent halachic authority and to seek clarification of what is demanded of us. Only then will we desist from our habit of side-lining the real mitzvos and from keeping our own version of the Torah. In this way, declares Rav Moshe, can we be reassured that the full measure of heavenly recompense will be allotted to us and we have no need to know the relative reward structure for mitzvos. The Ba’al Shem Tov points out that the word zohir, meaning careful, has its root in the verb zohar – to shine. Thus, the mishnah is encouraging us to let our neshomos radiate and shine from the fulfilment of what we may misguidedly consider a ‘minor’ mitzvah in exactly the same way as for one we think of as being ‘major’. As we move towards Rosh Chodesh Elul, may the perspicacious words of the Ba’al Shem Tov and Rav Moshe act as a timely reminder that we must do all in our power to ensure that we are constantly focused on those things that really count in Hashem’s reckoning. It really is time to stop missing the point.
Riddle of the Week
BY BORUCH KAHAN
This week’s Parshah lists the Shivas Haminim, the seven fruits that Eretz Yisrael is praised for. However the Torah writes Devash so we automatically assume this is dates i.e. honey that comes from dates and not bees. In which Parshah in Sefer Devarim does Rashi confirm this, because he says nothing about it in our Parshah? Any comments can be directed to bkahan47@yahoo.co.uk. Answer on page 14
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