OU Israel Center Torah Tidbits - Parshat Nitzavim-Vayeilech 5784
Avot Chapter 5-6
United We Stand
The Voices of Selichot Rabbi Moshe Taragin Page 50
Crying in Rosh Hashana Davening
Rabbi Daniel Mann Page 62
Rabbi
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
Dr. Adina Shmidman
Rosh Hashana Davening Rabbi Daniel
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt"l
Rabbi Gideon Weitzman
& Accessible
Teshuva is Our Crown, Achdut is Our Shield Rabbi Jay Yaacov Schwartz
Season of Teshuva and Free Choice
& Rebbetzin Billet
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
The Ashkenaz custom is to begin reciting Selichot on this Motzei Shabbat prior to Rosh Hashana. Shabbat Mevarchim is not announced publicly in Shul.
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Please take note that a new edition of Torah Tidbits will be available before Rosh Hashana which will include Rosh Hashana and Shabbat Shuva material. Shana Tova!
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DEAR TORAH TIDBITS FAMILY
DEAR TORAH TIDBITS FAMILY
RABBI AVI BERMAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OU ISRAEL ABERMAN@OUISRAEL.ORG
Rabbi Avi Berman Executive Director, OU Israel
As he has been doing every year since his Bar Mitzvah, last week my son Yechezkel leined his Bar Mitzvah parsha, Ki Tavo. While I was looking forward to hearing him as he made his family so proud, in the end I was in Lawrence on behalf of OU Israel last Shabbat. I spent Shabbat with very dear friends whom I met when they came on an OU Israel mission earlier this year, and my dear friend Rabbi Yaakov Trump, the rabbi of the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst, asked me to speak in his shul on Shabbat morning.
There are many minyanim at their shul, and I davened at the 8:30am minyan Shabbat morning where I was to speak. The baal koreh, Reb Shalom, read the parsha carefully with every nuance of pronunciation. While I was missing hearing my son, I was very impressed with the baal koreh.
Parshat Ki Tavo contains the tochacha, a series of verses describing the punishment that Bnei Yisrael would receive should they reject the Torah’s commandments and fail
May the Torah learned from this issue of Torah Tidbits be in loving memory of
Rifka Edelstein a”h
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to live up to its precepts. Like in Parshat Bechukotai, it is normally read quickly, in a low voice, indicating our recognition of its unpleasantness. The baal koreh, like many of us present at the minyan, evidently realized that a number of pesukim of the tochacha are reminiscent of what Klal Yisrael has experienced in the past eleven months. He got all choked up as he read, to the degree that at a certain point, he had to stop to catch his breath and recompose himself. Our baal koreh was not just reading, but was connecting deeply to the words.
I went over to him after davening and told him how much I admired the way that he related the Torah’s words to what is currently happening in Israel. He came to speak to me after a post-davening shiur and told me that he leined in two other minyanim after ours, and he was saddened that the tears did not flow like they did in the 8:30 am minyan. After his initial reaction, he said, he must have gotten used to it. I responded that this is one of the blessings of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, that we can get used to sorrow because if we experienced emotional pain with the same intensity, day after day, we would never be able to function.
Later that day, I thought about this conversation. There are certainly downsides to this loss of shock and pain. Is it good that we aren’t constantly shocked that so many have been evacuated from their homes and have been living in hotels and worse for the last eleven months? Is it so good that we aren’t
moved to tears anymore by what is going on every day to our soldiers and our hostages? Or when we have to decide how to make a playground bombproof? Perhaps, it’s not always such a blessing that we have the ability to move on, so to speak.
One of the challenges of having a war that hasn’t just lasted for six days, but instead for almost a year and counting, is that we aren’t seeing the unity and drive on the same level as we saw in the beginning of the war when we saw Jews, of every stripe, working together, giving and volunteering. While chesed and care are evident and happening, the numbers and urgency has lowered for many. At the beginning of the war, the OU Israel Center was filling rooms of women tying tzizit for chayalim, buses of volunteers going to help on the farms every week, and I was getting many phone calls from people who wanted to bring missions to Israel. These numbers have decreased significantly in recent months.
While it still pains us, unfortunately, we are getting used to the current situation - 100,000 people living without homes, parents without jobs, soldiers sent to their bases without the fanfare they used to get. It’s just life now, somehow. This is absolutely horrible. It is horrible that we accept this.
This past Motzei Shabbat, my dear friend and colleague Simon Taylor called me because he wanted to introduce me to his friend Jeff Eisenberg. Both he and Jeff heard
me speak in shul that morning. Jeff and Moshe Bodner founded the “Israel Chesed Center” in the Five Towns. They are focused on sending clothing, shoes, and equipment to evacuees and sending gear to IDF soldiers. They are working closely with the IDF and local organizations in order to make sure that they are sending exactly what people need, and not just filling up duffel bags. I was blown away by the numbers. They have sent thousands of duffel bags, reaching agreements with El Al to send them for free, as well as shipping hundreds of 40-foot containers. They are sending flashlights to tactical helmets, and everything IDF units need. They are running events and raising funds, with
one goal - to help the State of Israel and the Jewish People in Israel. It is beautiful to see this passion hasn’t waned for them, and I am sure there are many more such centers throughout North America and around the world involved in tremendous chesed for their brothers and sisters in Israel.
When I spoke in shul Shabbat morning, I described all the work that OU Israel does with evacuees and especially teens who have been evacuated, as well as thousands of other teenagers who are going through a very rough time in Israel. I spoke about how we have been doing this kind of work for the last 25 years, and currently have over 250 staff working with teens throughout Israel. I shared that OU Israel is launching a campaign to raise funds so we can reach and help another 2,500 teens in Israel as well as fix many of our OU Israel Teen Centers that were damaged during the war. We have a goal of increasing the number of teens we are working with on a weekly basis from 10,000 to 12,500 this year. These are teens who are traumatized and hurting from the war. In many cases, their advisor is the only person that can turn to share their fears and get advice. To meet this goal and help shape more lives, we need to hire additional staff, including psychologists, social workers, and advisors.
When we started planning this campaign months ago, the questions on our minds were: how do we give over the impact the war continues to have on these teens on a daily basis? How do we explain that every day that people cannot return to their home further adds to the tragedy they are experiencing, especially for teens? The lack of stability, friends, social groups, privacy and regular
family dynamics is incredibly difficult.
We need these teens to be our future soldiers, workers, leaders and parents in just a few years. I truly believe that the work we do with these teenagers today is securing the future of the State of Israel tomorrow. Our campaign slogan is, “Promise Us Tomorrow,” because providing our teens with the assistance they need today is giving them the tools they will need for the future.
So let’s not get complacent. Let us daven and learn with tremendous kavannah, with even more strength and intensity, focusing on what’s going on and not forgetting it. Let’s continue volunteering. Let’s donate to this campaign and others helping so many Israelis get through this difficult time. Especially leading up to Rosh Hashanah, let’s show HaKadosh Baruch Hu how much we are looking to our future and to each other. We are relying on our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world to help us raise the funds that we need in order to help another 2,500 teenagers.
I encourage you to learn more about our OU Israel Teen Centers “Promise Us Tomorrow” campaign at www.ouisrael.org/promise and support the OU’s lifesaving work for our teens.
הריזגה - repentance, prayer, and charity, are what will get us through this. HaKadosh Baruch Hu will make sure all of the curses of last week’s parsha will be behind us, and even more blessings will come to us.
Wishing you all an uplifting and inspiring Shabbat,
Rabbi Avi Berman Executive Director, OU Israel aberman@ouisrael.org
Keren Malki
Honoring the memory of Malka Chana Roth ד”יה 1985-2001, killed in the Sbarro bombing.
FROM THE DESK OF RABBI MOSHE HAUER
OU EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
The Real You
Who are you really? For better or for worse, we are not identified as much by what we do than by who we are.
As Moshe introduces Klal Yisrael into the covenant with Hashem (Devarim 29:17-19), he addresses those amongst them expressing a commitment they do not really feel, who go along with the group for fear of deviating from the consensus when in their hearts they are not truly committed and connected. Moshe speaks of how even as they may be doing and saying all the right things, that shallow and insincere commitment will result in eventual bitter and negative results, “shoresh poreh rosh v’la’anah,” angering Hashem and stimulating a very strong response. As Ramban expressed it, “mishoresh matok lo yeitzei mar,” bitterness will not emerge from a sweet root. The roots of our being and identity are the feelings and allegiances in our hearts. When those are not in a good place, negative
results will follow.
Evidently external compliance is insufficient as it does not define who we really are and will ultimately unravel. Rachmana liba ba’i, Hashem seeks a deep and heartfelt commitment.
The positive side of this same coin is how we stand before Hashem on the Yamim Noraim. While our parsha speaks of the person who seems to be doing the right things but is lacking in internal commitment, during these days we speak of our failures, of the actions that we do wrong not because of who we are but because of our going with a flow in the wrong direction, ki l’chol ha’am b’shgagah. During these days we dissociate from failures that are external to our true selves while affirming that our true desire is a sincere bond and commitment to Hashem and His will. Maharal of Prague went so far as to explain that the term “kippurim” refers to a surface wipe, such that Yom HaKippurim as the day of our spiritual cleansing reflects a mere wiping away of external and incidental grime that our mistakes have built upon the surface of our sweet and refined selves and that in no way reflects our true essence.
The basis of our standing before Hashem on these days is the assertion of our personal shoresh matok, the sweet and healthy root of dedication to Hashem’s will that lies within each of us. This is the compelling idea articulated by the Rambam (Hilchot Geirushin
2:20), when he wrote that the core of every one of us is our inherent desire and interest to be part of the Jewish people and to do all the good things and avoid that which is wrong, and that it is only the confusion generated by our desires and other fundamentally external factors that get in the way.
The long road from one Rosh Hashana to the next has many twists and turns that often take us far away from that which we value most. These precious days of the Yamim Noraim present the opportunity for us to revisit and restore our true selves, to reconnect to that which is our essential desire: to be a part of the Jewish people, do all that is good and avoid that which is wrong. That is who we really are.
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and our next step will be to plant a fruit tree. I never thought of myself as being the agricultural type, but the feeling of settling and planting a portion of Eretz Yisrael, has been truly euphoric. Iy”H, when we plant our tree, and eat the fruits that will grow one day, I think we will be able to truly appreciate that unique Kedusha found in the fruit of Eretz Yisrael!
To conclude, when you buy your Tu B'shvat fruit this year, don’t search for those dried apricots and banana chips imported from Turkey. Rather, head over to the fresh produce and buy yourself some nice juicy Kedusha-filled Jaffa oranges and thank Hashem for bringing you to this land in order , imbibing that Kedusha in every bite that you take!!
Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary
RABBI REUVEN TRADBURKS RCA ISRAEL REGION
Rabbi Reuven Tradburks RCA Israel Region
PARSHAT NITZAVIM-VAYEILECH
The Torah ends with 4 very short parshiot. The last parsha of the Torah is read on Simchat Torah. After our double parsha, we have only the short parsha of Ha’azinu. So, we are virtually at the end of the Torah.
Let’s frame our parsha in the context of the book of Devarim. Moshe has taken us from past, to present, to future. Moshe is standing on the banks of the Jordan, knowing he will not be with the people in their entry to the Land. The entire book of Devarim is Moshe’s instructions to the people. He begins with the immediate fears and concerns of the people; how will we be successful in conquering the Land? He reviews the past; lessons to be learned, errors to be avoided, successes to remember. You will be successful.
He then paints a picture of the society of ethical monotheism to be created in the Land. And the national institutions of legislature, judiciary and executive. He has gone from past, to immediate present, to imminent future. Then last week he pivoted to the distant future; the exile that will result inevitably
Dr. David M. Feigenbaum
SEDRA SUMMARY
from disloyalty. Though not yet in the Land, Moshe gives a chilling description of exile from the land.
And in our parsha, he looks into the even more distant future; the end of the exile and the return to the Land. Hopeful. Optimistic. He has gone from assurance, to dread and back to confidence. And has taken care to articulate to the people, before he takes leave of them, his profound belief in their ultimate ability to return. That in the deepest recesses of their heart is their desire to connect to their G-d. Moshe believes in us.
Although this double parsha has but 70 verses, the emotional impact is hard to match.
1ST
ALIYA (DEVARIM 29:9-28)
The Brit of Arvot Moav. All the people are gathered, men, women, children, water carriers and woodchoppers to enter the covenant; that G-d will be our G-d and we will be His people. As was said to the Avot. This covenant is with you here today and those not here. Should there be amongst you those chasing idols, rationalizing that they are free to follow their hearts; the consequence of the special bond of this covenant is that your disloyalty, your chasing idol worship will be met with Divine wrath. The destruction of this Land because of your unfaithfulness will be so profound people will look at it and be shocked by its utter desolation. They will recognize that your disloyalty resulted in this desolation and in your being tossed out of this Land.
The covenant is simple. You. And me. You,
G-d will be my G-d. And we will be Your people. It is crucially important to reduce the Torah to this simple, though profound, bond. Sure, there are lots of mitzvot. Some we’ll get right. Some we’ll mess up with. But, after all the detailed mitzvot, it is really You and me. The Jew lives a life walking with the Creator. We are bound together. That bond expresses itself in mitzvot. Certainly. But, Moshe says, it is the walk with the Creator that is our lot in life. A privileged lot indeed.
2ND ALIYA (30:1-6)
When you are cast out of the Land to the 4 corners of the earth, you will take to heart your fate – and return to G-d. He will return to you, returning to you to gather you from the far-flung places. Even if you are at the ends of the earth, He will gather you and take you from there, to bring you back to this Land.
This is the most beautiful paragraph in the entire Torah. It is so good it is split in the middle, to savor it. It is called Parshat HaTeshuva, the section of Return. The word “return” appears 7 times. We to Him. He to us. We take a step; He steps to us. But our first return is described as “we take it to heart”. Heart murmurings is teshuva itself. And He is our cardiologist, He knows our murmurings, as faint as they may be. Once He senses those murmurings, He empowers us, Gives us the strength, the will to build on our deepest pining. He dances with us, but waits for us to take the first step. Then He gives us more strength and more. Just take that step.
3RD ALIYA (30:7-14)
And He will implant in you love of Him. And you will return to Him. And He will be thrilled with you because your return is with sincerity, a full heart. For
this mitzvah is not sublime, as if needing one to ascend the heavens or cross the ocean to retrieve it. Rather it is very close; on your lips and in your heart.
Moshe uses words of affection. Love, love of Hashem. Heart, all your heart. Moshe does not want to be only the teacher of halacha. He wants to be the teacher of our inner life as well. We need tutelage in not only what to do, but also in how to feel. Shake off your inhibitions. Let Him in, with love, with the deepest feelings of your heart, every day. The language is noticeably more emotive than the rest of the Torah. Moshe, as he is departing as leader, and departing from this world desperately wants to convey his deepest feelings and to reach our deepest emotions.
And it is not in heaven. The “it” may be understood to be referring to the entire Torah. As if to say, “I know the Torah looks daunting; but it is not, it is the real you.” Or it could be referring to Teshuva. As if to say, “Change looks daunting; but it is not, it is the real you.” Moshe is expressing his faith in us. That deep down, everyone has a connection to G-d and to the Jewish people. That is exactly what this verse says; we don’t need to adjust, to adapt to a belief in G-d. We need to be sensitive to, to plumb our real selves, to dig deep and discover ourselves. It is close: on our lips and in our heart.
4TH ALIYA (30:15-31:6)
Life and good, death and evil lie before you. Life is a consequence of loyalty to the mitzvot. Destruction awaits lack of loyalty. Heaven and earth stand witness: life and death, blessing and curse lie before you. Choose life. Moshe goes. And speaks to the entire people. I am 120 years old. I will not bring you into the Land; G-d will lead
you. And Yehoshua will lead you. G-d will do for you as He did with Sichon and Og. Be strong and firm, do not be afraid or worried; G-d will be with you. He will not let go of you or leave you.
These words are the last of Moshe’s long speech. He will move on to speak of transition of leadership. But these last words are like a tincture, a dilution. After all is said and done, the stakes of this grand venture of mitzvot are nothing short of life and death. And with these words, Moshe prepares to take leave of the people. Nothing more to say. Choose life.
5TH ALIYA (31:7-13)
Moshe called Yehoshua, and in front of the entire people charged him to be strong and of good courage. For G-d will be with you; He will not abandon you, so be not afraid. And Moshe wrote the Torah and gave it to the bearers of the Aron. Hakhel: Every 7 years, during Sukkot, when all Israel gathers, read this Torah, so all will learn to have awe and observe the Torah.
Moshe encourages Yehoshua a lot – be chazak, strong, and amatz, mighty. Don’t be afraid. Moshe is addressing Yehoshua’s fears. For although there is a promise to the Jewish people, who knows if I, Yehoshua, deserve to be their leader. Maybe I am unworthy. That is the healthy humility that every leader should display. Who am I to lead this great nation?
And the mitzvah of Hakhel continues Moshe’s transition of leadership. He is taking leave. Yehoshua is being invested. Why stick in the mitzvah of Hakhel, of reading and teaching the people to fear G-d? Perhaps, and this is conjecture, the mitzvah of Hakhel is not only to teach the people but to teach the King. The King is to read the Torah in front of the people. Perhaps this is the
Torah’s version of the 7-year itch. Leaders, businesses, institutions often move in 7-year cycles. After 7 years, take stock. Where are you? Where are you going? Are you on track? Moshe is instructing Yehoshua. You are to lead the people. But as a servant of G-d. Lots will happen as a leader that may make you overly confident, haughty, maybe fearful, pessimistic. Every 7 years, take the Torah and read it; take stock, publicly. You are the King; but not the King of Kings. You are His servant, serving His people.
6TH ALIYA (31:14-19)
G-d calls Moshe and Yehoshua. A cloud appears. G-d says: this people will seek idols and abandon my covenant. I will leave them. I will hide my Face from them and they will feel I have abandoned them. I will surely Hide Myself from them. Write this song. Teach them this, so it shall be testimony for them.
This aliya turns rough. This is now not Moshe speaking, but G-d speaking to Moshe and Yehoshua. The Jews will rebel. And Hashem will withdraw, will leave the Jews subject to whatever calamities befall them. The greatest theological mystery is contained in this one verse: “I will hide My Face from you.” Chilling. And it is repeated: I will surely hide My Face. The greatest theological challenge, posed in our time by the unfathomable tragedy of the Holocaust as well as the ongoing terrible price we are paying in our Land, must grapple with this Divine eclipse – Hiding His Face. When and why does He Hide His Face? The Torah states it but does not explain it. And while Jewish history is replete with tragedies, seemingly moments of this Divine eclipse, at least in our time we are warmed by the opposite: we who have returned to His
Land are warmed by moments, fleeting ones, of the Shining of His Face upon us.
7TH ALIYA (31:20-30)
I will bring the people to the Land, but they will respond to their success with rebellion. Let this song be at the ready for when this occurs. Moshe wrote the song, teaching it to the people. He charged Yehoshua again to be strong.
Moshe commanded the Leviim to place the Torah on the side of the Aron, as a permanent testimony. For, I know this people and they are stubborn and cantankerous. Gather all the leaders so I can charge them, for I am sure that following my death, there will be disloyalty. And Moshe spoke the words of the song to the people.
Moshe is generous to Yehoshua. As if to say, “when things turn ugly, don’t take the blame. All you can do is lead. Whether the people follow or whether they rebel is not of your doing. Be strong.” Generosity to the next leader, doing all to help them succeed is the sign of a leader who leads not for his own ego, fearing the next guy will be better than him, but is the sign of a leader who leads as a servant of the people, only wanting their success.
HAFTORAH
YESHAYAHU 61:10 - 63:9
This week’s haftorah is the seventh and final installment of a series of seven “Haftarot of Consolation.” The prophet begins on a high note, describing the great joy that we will experience with the Final Redemption, comparing it to the joy of a newly married couple. Yeshayahu then declares his refusal to passively await the Redemption: “For Zion’s sake I will not remain silent, and for Jerusalem’s
sake I will not be still, until her righteousness emerges like shining light...” He implores the stones of Yerushalayim not to be silent, day or night, until G -d restores Jerusalem and establishes it in glory.
The Haftorah then recounts Hashem’s oath to eventually redeem Zion, when the Jews will praise G -d in Yerushalayim. The haftorah also contains a description of the punishment Hashem will mete out to Edom and the enemies of Israel.
Yeshayahu concludes with the famous statement:
“In all [Israel’s] afflictions, He, too, is afflicted, and the angel of His presence redeemed them...”
Like a loving father who shares the pain of his child, G-d, too, shares the pain of His people, and awaits Redemption along with them.
STATS
Nitzavim:
51st of the 54 sedras; 8th of 11 in Devarim.
Written on 87 lines in a Torah (rank: 52).
4 Parshiyot -1 open, 3 closed.
40 pesukim - ranks 53 (10th in Devarim).
657 words - ranks 51 (8th in Devarim).
Vayeilech:
52nd of the 54 sedras; 9th of 11 Devarim.
Written on 72 lines in a Torah (rank: 53).
3 Parshiyot - 2 open, 1 closed.
30 pesukim - ranks 54th (11th in Devarim).
553 words - ranks 53rd (10th in Devarim).
2123 letters - ranks 53rd (10th in Devarim).
Shortest sedra in number of pesukim; longest pesukim in the whole Torah.
MITZVOT
Nitzavim: No mitzvot.
Vayeilech: 2 positive mitzvot.
his son Shlomo succeed him.
descendants dwell from Egypt to Assyria. Yishmael’s story is brief. He has numerous and powerful offspring. The brevity
Adoniyahu convinces two very significant personalities - the High Priest and the commander of King David’s armies - to
BY RABBI CHANOCH YERES R av, Beit Knesset Beit Yisrael, Yemin Moshe
“G-d, your G-d, He will destroy these nations and go before you, and you shall dispossess them; Joshua, he will go before you, as G-d has spoken.” (31:3)
Before his death, Moshe was informing the Israelites that G-d would lead them into the Land of Israel. Moshe instructs them that those miracles that G-d caused to occur in the past, took place on account of His love to the Israelites. This love will continue even after Moshe’s demise.
When Avraham addresses the people of Cheit, trying to acquire a burial spot for his wife, he says “Ger V’Toshav Anochi Eimachem” (23:4) “A Stranger and a Resident am I with you”
The Meam Loez (Rabbi Yaakov Koli 1689-1732, Constantinople) asks why the need to repeat the phrase at the beginning of the message as well as the end?
This seems to be a contradiction. If one is a stranger than he is not a resident, if he is a resident than he is no longer a stranger. What did Avraham mean?
The Magid of Dubno (Jacob ben Wolf Kranz 1741-1804) explains that Avraham watched how he spoke in this tense situation in order to, both, state his truth and be able to keep the peace -Shalom Bayit. Avraham said, on the one hand, “I am a Resident’ due to G-d’s promise to receive this Land and on the other hand, I still need your agreement to purchase a plot. In other words, Avraham implied “I am the resident” and you are the “strangers”, while they understood him as saying that “they” are the residents and Avraham is the stranger.
The Yalkut Shimonu interprets G-d’s “going before” the people as a reference to their history. After the breaking of the Ten commandments by Moshe at Mount Sinai, the fragments placed in the Ark preceded the people throughout the desert. The first reference of the terminology is stressing that G-d will be the One who will lead you and the last part of phrase refers to Joshua as the one who will lead you; the Torah emphasizes by this that a Jewish leader does not exist for himself but only as a messenger for the leadership of G-d.
Just as G-d will go “before” you so too, any Jewish Leader must “go before you” and not follow from behind. He must lead from the front and go before the people.
The peace was kept, and Avraham remained true to his ideals.
Shabbat Shalom
Shabbat Shalom
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12 TORAH TIDBITS 1440 / CHAYEI SARA 5782
THE PERSON in the parsha
BY RABBI DR. TZVI HERSH WEINREB OU EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, EMERITUS THE
PERSON IN THE PARSHA
BY RABBI DR. TZVI HERSH WEINREB OU EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, EMERITUS
Accepting the Inevitable
All men are mortal. Yankel is a man. Therefore, Yankel is mortal.
You have just read a basic lesson in logic, one that appears in almost every textbook on the subject.
It is undoubtedly true that all of us, Yankel or Yentel, are mortal and will someday die. Yet, it is also true that we deny our mortality and live our lives as though death was not inevitable.
Our tendency to exclude our deaths from our awareness leads to some peculiar results. For example, in the graduate program which was designed to prepare me for a career as a psychotherapist, death was not part of the curriculum. The entire topic of death and dying was not something discussed in the graduate psychology programs of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
How well I remember attending a workshop by the then little known Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross which introduced me and numerous other mental health professionals to the issues of death and dying. Her book, “On Death and Dying”, became the first in a flood of similar works designed to train professionals to be aware of the psychology of the dying person, and of the ways in which
people coped with the death of loved ones. That book continues to occupy a place of prominence on my personal bookshelf.
The Jewish tradition encourages us to contemplate our ultimate end. Especially at this time of year, so soon before the days of awe and judgment, death preoccupies our consciousness. Those of us who are familiar with the Rosh Hashanah liturgy can already hear the cantor chant, “who will live and who will die?”
This week we read two Torah portions, Nitzavim and Vayeilech, the first of which contains the last public address which Moses made before his death, and the second of which tells us so much about his inner feelings as he prepared to die.
A careful reading of these two parshiyot demonstrates that in Parshat Nitzavim Moses stands before a huge audience, all of Israel, judges and chieftains and the lowly wood choppers and water fetchers, and delivers a powerful inspirational message.
Then, Parshat Vayelech opens with the phrase “and Moses went and spoke...” the commentaries tell us that Moses left the podium from which he addressed the public, and went down to the people, visiting each of them individually. He did this in order to take leave of each person, and to assure him that his death did not mean that the people’s mission would fail.
He told them that like every other mortal he was about to die and that he could no longer “go out and come in.” He was exquisitely
conscious of his waning powers and wanted to use his final moments to say his goodbyes to his people face to face.
Rashi tells us that by saying “I can no longer go out and come in”he was indicating that “the traditions and wellsprings of wisdom” were no longer available to him. He sensed that he no longer had access to his inner sources of inspiration and creativity. What a lucid glimpse into the emotional experience of our great shepherd, in his last hours on earth!
As you may know, Rashi is so great a biblical commentator that there are commentaries written upon his commentary. These are known as “supercommentaries”, and one of them, Sifsei Chachamim, offers us an even more profound insight into Moses’s psyche. This author suggests that as Moses realized that his wisdom was failing him, he was better able to accept his impending death, for a life without wisdom would not be worth living.
Toward the end of this week’s Torah reading, indeed just at the point where maftir begins (Deuteronomy 31:28), we find Moses asking that all the elders be again assembled for him to address them. Here Rashi wonders why Moses did not simply call for the trumpets to be sounded, signaling that assembly was in order. After all, throughout the sojourn in the wilderness Moses would gather the people to him by sounding the “chatzotrot”, the trumpets. Rashi suggests that at this moment, just before his death, Moses no longer had the symbols of power and authority available to him. He quotes Kohelet (Ecclesiastes 8:8 ), “there is no authority on the day of death .”
One of the lessons I learned from Dr.
Kubler-Ross so very long ago is the importance of the helper, be he or she a family member or a professional, to help the patient reach this stage of acceptance of impending death. To help teach us about this stage of acceptance, she quoted the following poem by the Indian poet Tagore:
I have got my leave. Bid me farewell, my brothers!
I bow to you all and take my departure. Here I give back the keys of my door -- and I give up all claims to my house. I only ask for last kind words from you.
We were neighbors for long, but I received more than I could give. Now the day has dawned and the lamp that lit my dark corner is out. A summons has come and I am ready for my journey. Studying Parshas Vayeilech gives us a unique opportunity to learn about what a man’s life is like in his last moments, as he prepares for his death. True, that man is Moses, and we cannot all aspire to his example. But there is nevertheless much to learn from this greatest of men, not only about how to live, but about how to die.
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Covenant & Conversation
COVENANT & CONVERSATION
THOUGHTS ON THE WEEKLY PARSHA
RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS ZT"L
RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS ZT"L
FORMER CHIEF RABBI OF THE UNITED HEBREW CONGREGATIONS OF THE COMMONWEALTH
FORMER CHIEF RABBI OF THE UNITED HEBREW CONGREGATIONS OF THE COMMONWEALTH
inheritance.” (Deut. 31:7)
And this is what God says:
“Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I Myself will be with you.” (Deut. 31:23)
May the learning of these Divrei Torah be תמשנ יוליעל HaRav Ya'akov Zvi ben David Arieh zt"l
Leadership: Consensus or Command?
The great transition is about to take place. Moses’ career as a leader is coming to an end, and Joshua’s leadership is about to begin. Moses blesses his successor. Then God does. Listen carefully to what they say, and to the subtle difference between. This is what Moses says:
“Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their
Condolences to Natan Sadon and family of Talmon on the passing of his father
The difference in Hebrew is even slighter than it is in English. Moses uses the verb tavo, “go with.” God uses the verb tavi, “bring.” It is the slightest of nuances, but Rashi tells us the words are worlds apart in their significance. They refer to two utterly different styles of leadership. Here is Rashi’s comment:
Moses said to Joshua, “Make sure that the elders of the generation are with you. Always act according to their opinion and advice.” However, the Holy One blessed be He said to Joshua, “For you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them” – meaning, “Bring them even against their will. It all depends on you. If necessary, take a stick and beat them over the head. There is only one leader for a generation, not two.” (Rashi on Deuteronomy 31:7)
Moses advises his successor to lead by consultation and consensus. God tells Joshua to lead firmly and with authority. Even if people do not agree with you, He counsels him, you must lead from the front. Be clear. Be decisive. Be forceful. Be strong.
Now this is a strange comment from Rashi, considering what we learned elsewhere about the leadership styles, respectively, of God and Moses. Listen first to the comment of Rashi on the words of God immediately
prior to the creation of humanity: “Let Us make man in our image after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). Who are the “Us”? To whom is God speaking and why? Rashi says:
From here we learn the humility of God. Since man was [created] in the image of the angels they might become jealous of him. He, therefore, consulted them. Similarly, when He judges Kings, He consults His heavenly court . . . Though they [the angels] did not help in his creation and [the wording of the verse] may give the heretics an opportunity to rebel, [nevertheless,] Scripture does not refrain from teaching courtesy and the attribute of humility, that the greater should consult and ask permission of the smaller (Genesis Rabbah 8:9). (Rashi on Gen. 1:26)
This is a remarkable statement. Rashi is saying that, before creating man, God consulted with the angels. He did so not because He needed their help: clearly He did not. Nor was it because He needed their advice: He had already resolved to create humankind. It was to show them respect, to pre-empt their jealousy of man, to avoid their resentment at not being consulted on so fateful a decision, and to show us – the readers – the fundamental truth that greatness goes hand in hand with humility. So it was God who acted according to the advice Moses gave Joshua: “Make sure that others are with you. Consult. Take their advice.”
On the other hand, Moses acted the way God advised Joshua to do. “If necessary, take a stick and beat them over the head.” Is that not figuratively what Moses did at Kadesh, when he hit the people with his words and the rock with his staff (Num. 20:1-12), for which he was condemned by God not to enter the Promised Land?
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So we seem to have God saying words we associate with Moses’ type of leadership –firm, strong, decisive – and Moses advocating the kind of leadership – consensual, consultative – that Rashi associates with God. Surely it should have been the other way around.
However, perhaps Rashi is telling us something profound. At the end of his life, Moses recognised one great failure of his leadership. He had taken the Israelites out of Egypt, but he had not taken Egypt out of the Israelites. He had changed his people’s fate, but he hadn’t changed their character.1
He now realised that for this to happen there would have to be a different kind of leadership, one that handed back responsibility to the people as a whole, and to the elders in particular.
So long as there is a Moses performing miracles, the people do not have to accept responsibility for themselves. In order for them to grow, Joshua would have to engage in participative leadership, encouraging diverse views and listening to them, even if that meant going more slowly.
That is transformative leadership and it requires the leader to engage in what the kabbalists called tsimtsum, self-effacement.
Or as Rashi puts it: “Make sure that the elders of the generation are with you. Always act according to their opinion and advice” (Rashi to Deuteronomy 31:7)
As for God, He was not changing His mind. He was not suggesting that Joshua should
1. For a deeper discussion on Moses’ actions at Kadesh and how the people’s need for a leader was evolving, see Covenant & Conversation essay on Chukat, ‘Why was Moses not destined to enter the land?’ https:// rabbisacks.org/covenant-conversation/chukat/ why-was-moses-not-destined-to-enter-the-land/.
become, in general, an authoritarian leader. He was suggesting that Joshua needed to do this just once. Listen carefully to the verse: “For you will bring the Israelites into the land” (Deut. 31:23) Recall that there was one occasion that condemned an entire generation to die in the wilderness – the episode of the spies, in which the people lacked the faith and courage to enter and take possession of the land.
It was then that two men – Joshua and Caleb – stood firm, insisting against the other 10 spies that they could conquer the land and defeat their enemies. God was saying to Joshua that there will be one future trial in which you must stand firm, even against the majority, and that will come when you are about to cross the Jordan. That is when the people are in danger of giving way to fear. That is when your leadership will consist, not in consultation and consensus, but in allowing no dissent. That is when “it will all depend on you . . . There is only one leader for a generation, not two.” Sometimes even the most consensual leaders must lead from the front and bring the people with them. There is a time to discuss and a time to act, a time to seek agreement and a time to move ahead without waiting for agreement. That is what both God and Moses were telling Joshua in their different ways.
A leader must have the courage to lead, the patience to consult, and the wisdom to know when the time is right for each.
These weekly teachings from Rabbi Sacks zt”l are part of his ‘Covenant & Conversation’ series on the weekly Torah teaching. With thanks to the Schimmel Family for their generous sponsorship, dedicated in loving memory of Harry (Chaim) Schimmel. Visit www.RabbiSacks.org for more.
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PROBING THE PROPHETS
BY RABBI NACHMAN (NEIL) WINKLER FACULTY, OU ISRAEL CENTER
Moving Forward.. to the Past
This week’s haftarah, the final one of the seven prophecies of consolation (shev d’n’chemta), closes the post-Tish’a B’av period of comfort that is also designed to repair our relationship with G-d. By doing so, this haftarah series of solace and repair has clearly prepared us for the time of Teshuva – the season specifically reserved for our return to the Creator. But this week’s haftarah selection also affects a powerful response to Moshe Rabbeinu’s tragic prediction of the future destruction of our Land - as detailed in this week’s parsha.
For, while the Torah warns of the complete devastation of the Land, leaving it desolate with bleak hope for its future, the haftarah foresees a time when “ul’artzech lo ye’ameir od ‘sh’mama’ ” - “your land will no longer be considered ‘desolate’ ” or deserted.
Likewise, as pointed out by Rav Yehuda Shaviv, our parasha describes the time of return with the words “V’shav Hashem
The OU Israel family wishes Mazal Tov to Ari & Cheryl Pearl and family on the birth of their grandson
E-lokecha,” which our Rabbis (Megilla 29.) understand as stating that G-d Himself would suffer in the galut together WITH His nation and, consequently, will return WITH them (‘V’shav”) from the exile. Indeed, that very thought is echoed in the closing words of the haftarah when the prophet exclaims: “B’tzoratam lo tzar,” “He (Hashem) suffers with them in their pain.”
The essential message of this reading, however, is that of the joy of Israel that will experience upon her redemption from galut and, with that, her ability to reestablish that loving relationship she once had with G-d. “Sos Assis BaShem” – the very opening words of the haftarah-reflect the entire theme of Yishayahu’s divine message- that Israel will rejoice in G-d as do a bride and groom rejoice in their relationship.
The coming geula promises Hashem’s protection of a rebuilt Zion and His establishment of the Holy City as a light of justice to the nations. In the first perek of Sefer Yishayahu, one that we read on the Shabbat before Tish’a B’av, the navi described Yerushalayim as a city filled with crime and corruption, as a dishonest and unprincipled place that had abandoned justice and righteousness.
In this week’s reading, Yishayahu brings us full circle back to the sinless time when G-d shed His light and His favor upon Israel by promising that, once again, G-d will “wrap” our nation in righteousness (“Me’il tzdaka y’atani”) and Jerusalem would never again be abandoned (“Ir lo ne’ezava”).
metaphorically. We travel our history with G-d in our midst. While the distinct feeling you get in the detailed description of where each tribe encamped is the feeling of an army encampment, there is another layer of meaning. Yes, regimented. Specific. Detailed. Organized. But an army for which purpose? To fight the anticipated foes in the Land of Israel? Or to be the army of Hashem? A fighting army with its G-d in its midst? Or both?
4th aliya (3:1-13) Aharon’s sons’ names were Nadav, Avihu, Elazar and Itamar. Nadav and Avihu died without children. Elazar and Itamar serve as Kohanim with Aharon. Take the Leviim: they are to serve Aharon. The Leviim are responsible for the Mishkan: to support the Kohanim and the people, to facilitate the running of the Mishkan. The Leviim shall take the place of the first-born, who became obligated to me when saved in Egypt.
It is my firm belief that this message of return and repair is a crucial one for this, the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah. As we focus upon self-judgment and self-improvement, we must realize that the glorious future promised by our nevi’im is not one that would arrive through Hashem’s “efforts” alone. Certainly, we remember that G-d is a loving Father who wishes to draw us nearer to Him and establish once more the close and devoted relationship that we had with Him in the past. But it is essential that the desired future, those promised prophecies, can be realized only when we return to the basics - and that means not only returning to G-d Himself, returning to each other, to every one of our people. The horrors of this past year must teach us that we ARE one and that we NEED each other. And only in that way, can we see our plea to G-d to proclaim “renew our days as those we once had in the past.” Or, as Megillat Eicha puts it: “Chadesh Yameinu K’kedem,”
Rabbi Winkler’s popular Jewish History lectures can be viewed by visiting the OU Israel Video archive: https://www.ouisrael.org/video-l ibrary
There are 2 groups mentioned here: Kohanim and Leviim. The lineage of the Kohanim is given. It just doesn’t take much room. Because Aharon is a Kohen and his sons. But he only has 2. So the entire lineage of the Kohanim is 3 people. The Leviim, on the other hand, are an entire tribe,
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households of Gershon, Kehat and Merari, the sons of Levi. The sons of Gershon, Kehat and Merari are listed. Gershon’s family, from a month and above, is 7,500. They camp to the west of the Mishkan. Their task was to transport and be responsible for the curtains and coverings. Kehat numbered 8,600, camping to the south. They were responsible for the vessels: Aron, Menorah, Table, altars. Merari numbered 6,200, camping to the north. Responsible for the structure of the Mishkan; the walls, supports and beams. The total of the tribe of Levi is 22,000. On the front side, the east of the Mishkan, Moshe and Aharon and families camped.
The encampment around the Mishkan had 2 layers. The Leviim were in close, on 3 of the 4 sides of the Mishkan. The 4th side, the leading side, had Moshe and Aharon. The entire 12 tribes were farther removed on all 4 sides.
The 3 sons of Levi were family groups; Gershon, Kehat and Merari. They had full responsibility for the Mishkan. Their tasks fell in categories. Gershon; textiles. Kehat; furniture. Merari; building. Gershon took care of the curtains and coverings. Kehat, the important main vessels of the Mishkan. And Merari the structure of the building.
6th aliya (3:40-51) Count all the firstborn of the age of a month and above. The Leviim are to replace the firstborn. There were 273 more
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ROSH BAIS MEDRASH ENGLISH SPEAKING PROGRAM MACHON LEV
Stop Before Moving Forward
Parshiyot Nitzavim and Vayeilech are often read together. In addition, they also usually read in close proximity to the Yamin Noraim. We will explore the connection between the names of the Parshiyot and Rosh Hashana.
Rabbi Daniel Stein (Chamudei Daniel) citing Pninei Daat explains that the word “nitzav” (בצנ) means to stand still. It is crucial for an individual to take a step back from the hustle and bustle and to contemplate their next move. One cannot simply proceed on auto pilot.
The word nitzav is typically preceded by the word “hinei” הנה. For example, when the angels visit Avraham it states: השלש הנהו וילע םיבצנ םישנא (Bereshit 24:13). When Yosef describes his dreams to his brothers he states: הבצנ םגו יתמלא המק הנהו (Bereshit 37:7). These examples and others depict a sudden pause.
STOP AND THINK
At this juncture, Moshe is addressing Am Yisrael on the last day of his life and telling
Mazal Tov to Dr. Joel Luber and family on the marriage of his grandson
them to stop and think! If one takes time to consider their next move and evaluate the best mode of conduct they are less likely to go with the flow and engage in a transgression.
As Dovid Hamelach says in Tehillim יתבשח ךתודע לא ילגר
(Tehillim 119:29). When I contemplate my next move, I will return to Hashem. Perhaps that is why in the amida we first mention תעד םדאל
that we should be granted wisdom and only afterwards
– do we engage in teshuva.
There are many examples in Tanach where people did not stop and think and that caused their downfall. The Chafetz Haim points out that in Parshat Balak, where the story of Bilam unfolds there are no parshiyot segurot- it is all one parsha. That highlights that Bilam kept on moving to curse Am Yisrael. He never stopped to think it through to understand whether it was plausible.
With respect to the plague of Tzfardea, Rashi quoting Hazal explains that there was one large frog and every time the Egyptians hit it, it split and multiplied. Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, also known as the Steipler, asks a seemingly obvious question: If the frog multiplied each time the Egyptians beat the frog, why did they continue to do so? It completely defies logic! They saw the consequences of their actions, so why didn’t they just stop?
The Steipler explains that we see from here the power of anger. A person can become so angry that he begins to act irrationally. Then, despite the reality that stares him in
the face, he can’t control his reaction. The Egyptians saw that it wasn’t helping to hit the frog, but their anger made them unable to think straight and control themselves. And so, they kept on hitting! If they had only stopped for a second – they would realize what was transpiring.
Chazal tell us that the early Hasidim would sit and think for an hour before davening. That would ensure that they had the proper kavana during davening.
As Rosh Hashana approaches, we need to stop for a moment and think of what we have to work on. To consider what concrete steps we can take in order to improve ourselves. Before ךליו – we need םיבצנ Before we con- . tinue on our path, let’s take inventory and
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Totality of Teshuvah
“This mitzvah is close to you, in your heart and mouth to do”. Ramban notes that this mitzvah is a reference to the mitzvah of Teshuvah. Teshuvah, is something easy for each person to access, and to accomplish in one’s life. Teshuvah is about returning to one’s core relationship with Hashem. The Sefarim Hakedoshim explain that the letters in the word Teshuvah itself hints at the construct to be successful in this endeavor.
ת stands for ךיקלא ’ד םע היהת םימת, a complete dependence on Hashem, no matter what the future might bring. When one understands that the challenges and uncertainties in life are part of the path that Hashem has created for each individual, it enables a person to connect with Hashem despite the unknown.
ש stands for דימת ידגנל ’ד יתיוש, placing Hashem before you at all times. Rema begins the Orach Chayim with this directive, to feel as if we are standing in the Presence of Hashem throughout our entire day. The word יתיוש is related to the word יוויש everything is equal, no matter what we are doing, or what situation we are in, we need to recognize that Hashem is accompanying us on every step on the journey.
ו stands for ךומכ ךערל תבהאו. We need
to love every Jew with the understanding that we are all Hashem’s children. Tanya in the 32nd chapter teaches that the divide is found in our bodies, indeed, all of our souls are connected. When one is able to connect on a soul level, one experiences closeness to others, and ultimately closeness to Hashem.
ב stands for והעד ךיכרד לכב, in all of our ways we should know Hashem. Chazon Ish explains that whatever one needs, one should daven to Hashem to provide this need. No need, is ever too big or small to daven for. Chafetz Chayim notes that when one has these private tefillot, one should turn in the direction of the Beis Hamikdash, where all of one’s tefillot rise to Hashem. In acknowledging that all that we need comes from Hashem, one becomes more connected to Him, and feels more gratitude for all that Hashem does for us.
ה stands for ךיקלא םע תכל ענצה, walking humbly with Hashem. Many of the monumental moments in Tanach happened in private. There was no audience to witness the Akedah, the struggle between Yaakov Avinu and Esav, nor the Kohen Gadol entering into the holy of holies. Judaism is about a private relationship with Hashem, knowing that He is aware of our actions, and we don’t perform for public opinion. When we are able to do a mitzvah, without anyone else being aware, we are cementing this special personal relationship with Hashem; this is the essence of return, returning to this intimacy.
It is noteworthy to point out that four out of the five Pesukim deal with our relationship
with Hashem, and only one with our interpersonal relationship. However, if one would remove the letter ’ו from the word Teshuvah, the result is two words, הב שת it becomes weakened. The only successful way to have a relationship with Hashem, is to work on our sensitivity with others, His children.
Talne Rebbe explains one of the ways to be vindicated in judgement on Rosh Hashana is to work on our interpersonal relationships. Whether it is having patience with our seat mate who may be annoying us, or not being judgmental of those around us. There is also, an imperative, to look around Shul, and daven for others, feel the plight of others, and offer a heartfelt tefilla on their behalf. When we strengthen the ’ו, then Rosh Hashana truly is a day of Teshuvah, and Yom Teruah, a day of reus, friendship.
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RABBI JUDAH
JUDAH MISCHEL
Mischel EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAMP HASC
Executive Director, Camp HASC
Author of Baderech: Along the Path of Teshuva (Mosaica 2021)
AUTHOR OF BADERECH: ALONG THE PATH OF TESHUVA (MOSAICA 2021)
Infinite Possibilities, Baderech
Reb Hillel Paritcher was a baal avodah and dedicated chasid of the Alter Rebbe and his successors. A Chasidic master in his own right, Reb Hillel was an intense eved Hashem known for his lengthy, meditative tefillah and his dedication and attachment to tzadikim.
One Wednesday morning while learning Torah in his hometown of Bobroisk, Reb Hillel was moved by a deep desire to spend Shabbos with his Rebbe in the city of Lubavitch, many miles away. But making it there in time for Shabbos was highly unlikely.
A young chassid eager to assist Reb Hillel offered to bring Reb Hillel to Lubavitch with his strong horses and new carriage; they could make it for Shabbos if they left right away and on condition that Reb Hillel would not take too much time in his davening. They embarked on the journey and spent the night at a kretchma, a roadside inn.
In the morning, long after the young man had finished davening and his breakfast, Reb Hillel was still deeply engrossed in tefillah. Hours went by, and Reb Hillel showed no signs of letting up. The driver continuously checked on Reb Hillel, who remained in a
state of dveykus, completely oblivious to the passing time.
When Reb Hillel finally completed his davening, the young man struggled to maintain his respectful tone and composure: “I just don’t understand! You so wanted to spend Shabbos with the Rebbe, and you promised to not shlep out your davening. It’s now well after mid-day, and there is no chance we will make it Lubavitch in time for Shabbos. We’ll have to stay here, or head back home! Chaval!”
“Young man,” sighed Reb Hillel, “let’s say you set out to Leipzig Fair with the intention of buying some rare and exclusive merchandise. While ba-derech, on the way, you happened to meet another merchant offering those very wares at a below-market price. What a find! Imagine how foolish one would have to be to insist on continuing on to Leipzig. The entire purpose of the journey is not to arrive at some city or another, but to acquire the intended merchandise.”
Reb Hillel’s intense glare then focused on the young man: “Why does one go to their rebbe, if not to draw spirituality and direction in avodas Hashem, and to strengthen himself in tefillah? The goal and purpose of heading to Lubavitch was to be uplifted. I ask you: if on the way there — right here in this inn — my davening is strong and inspired, should I dump the merchandise and run to ‘Leipzig’?”
In Sefer Chayei Moharan, the biography of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, Reb Nosson
praises his great teacher as an ish chai b’emes, “a truly alive, engaged person”. Beyond all of the scholarship, righteousness, and accomplishments, Reb Nosson is describing his master as ‘growing’ — fully connected to the Source of Aliveness. This is the greatest compliment. Rebbe Nachman said the secret to true deveikus is to be connected to תאזה תעב ובלל ךישה הדקנה, “the point that relates to one’s heart at that moment” (Likutei Moharan, 34). This is the goal of our derech, our path.
Indeed, at every moment, the world is changing and in motion. Different situations, changing realities, new stages call for re-evaluation and freshness in our Divine service and personal choices. Along with the world, we too are changing, and therefore the Ribbono Shel Olam’s expectations of us change as well.
The parshiyos we live with in Elul, in this month of reconnecting with the Source of Life and personal growth, reflect the fluctuating conditions in which we serve Him. Sometimes we need ‘אצת יכ’, “to go out” in a movement of ratzo. At other moments we need ‘ץראה־לא אובת־יכ’, to ‘come back to earth’. There are situations in which we are called to be םיבצנ, “standing”, and situations that call us to ךליו, ‘Go forward.’ And just as the best modes of cultivating connection with our Source shift and flow with time, new gates for development and growth are always opening to us.
No man ever steps in the same river twice; not only is it not the same river, but he is not the same man. Reality itself is flowing, ever changing: המכח רוקמ עבנ לחנ, ‘A stream flowing fresh from the Source of Wisdom’ (Mishlei, 18:4).
A life of consonance with the ratzon Hashem embodied through halacha must be lived baderech, ‘in process’. While interpreted colloquially as ‘Jewish law’, halacha literally means walking, traveling along a path. The Baal haTanya teaches that the categories of permitted and forbidden reflect the moment to moment flow of the path to deveikus: The word רתומ, ‘halachically permitted’ means to open or release. The word רוסא, ‘halachically prohibited’, implies a closing, tying or locking something. Sometimes the way is open to move forward, and sometimes the path is closed and we are called to reconsider, turn around and take a different route.
The flow of optimizing life is precisely guided. Navigating the structures and opportunities of halacha is to follow a road map through life, accessing opportunities for deveikus via specific ‘openings’, while respecting ‘road closures’, as well as instructions to make a ‘u-turn’ in teshuvah.
As we travel the path toward a new year, may we remain awake to the infinite possibilities for inspiration, connectivity, consciousness and growth. May we follow the ever-fresh ‘ways of life’, and be written and sealed in the Book of Aliveness for every moment of the coming year.
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simchat shmuel
SIMCHAT SHMUEL
BY RABBI SAM SHOR Program Director, OU Israel Center
BY RABBI SAM SHOR PROGRAM DIRECTOR, OU ISRAEL CENTER
This coming Motzei Shabbat, we Ashkenazim begin to recite Selichot in preparation for Rosh HaShana and the Aseret Yemei Teshuva (our Sefardic brethren have been reciting Selichot throughout this entire month of Elul).Traditionally this period of Selichot is filled with a real sense of community, of belonging to something bigger than ourselves, as we gather together to recite Selichot as a tzibur. This aspect of the Selichot experience will be extremely important and particularly palpable this year. I’d like to focus on one short passage that we will recite many times during this period as part of the daily Selichot .
V’Zacharti et Briti Yaakov, V’Af et Briti Yitzchak, V’Af et Briti Avraham Ezkor, V’Haaretz Ezkor- And I will remember my covenant with Yaakov, and also my covenant with Yitzchak, and also my covenant with Avraham ,I will remember, and the Land I shall remember...
There are numerous questions to be asked about this verse. Why are the Avot listed in reverse chronology? What does it mean that Hashem will remember the covenant with
each of the Avot? What does it mean that Hashem will remember the Land of Israel?
Rav Yaakov Moshe Charlap, zt’l, one of the talmidei muvhakim of Rav Kook zt’l, offers a beautiful explanation of our verse (Sefer Mei Marom-chelek Nimukei Hamikraot), both it’s reverse chronology, and the reference to Hashem remembering the Land.
If Am Yisrael merits to personify the values of Yaakov Avinu, who represents the coming together of the legacies of all three generations of our illustrious Avot and Imahot, then they certainly will be deserving of redemption....
Even if we don’t fully live up to this level represented by Yaakov Avinu, but simply exhibit the character trait of mesirut nefesh-personified by Yitzchak Avinu, the willingness to risk everything to sanctify Hashem, and for the sake of Am Yisrael, we will also be recalled and deserving of redemption.
And if this character trait is not found among us, but we still personify the values of kindness and compassion for our fellow human beings,emulating the ways of
Avraham Avinu, then this too will be recalled, and we will be worthy of redemption.
And even if chas v’shalom none of these important character traits are present, and the only merit that we possess is that we have returned to live in the Land, and revive the ruins and build once again on our illustrious history, even if that is seemingly the only merit we possess, for this reason alone Hashem will bestow upon us His compassion and allow us to return to Him, and His Torah HaKedosha-V’Haaretz Ezkor.
As we reflect on the many painful moments and collective anguish of these past many months, and begin to recite these words each day throughout the Selichot period, may we be reminded of the many merits we each possess, the many fine character traits we have learned from the illustrious generations who came before us, and gain strength in reflecting on the past century of incredible growth and transformation for Am Yisrael, here in Eretz Yisrael- V’Haaretz Ezkor. May we indeed merit through each of these treasured legacies to continue to receive Hashem’s unending compassion, and may we merit to finally experience the Geula Shleima, we have been waiting for, for far too long....Ketiva V’Chatima Tova.....
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it is as if G-d “re-gives” the Jews the Torah and the Jews re-receive it. Each time we learn Torah we are able to discover something new about the exact same words. It’s like we were all at Mount Sinai when the Torah was given, meaning it is every Jews responsibility to follow the Torah as if it was given specifically to him.
Before receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, there were some Israelites that, of their own accord, already kept the entire Torah. Since this is the case, why is this day so important?
On the day of Matan Torah 2 things changed. Firstly the Jews gained a connection to Hashem. Hashem put his essence into the Torah so when he gave it to us both those that had and had not kept the Torah before were now keeping it because of this connection to Hashem’s essence.
Secondly, the Torah given at Mount Sinai is able to have an effect on the physical world whereas before Torah and mitzvot were considered strictly spiritual matters.
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The Talmud (Shabbat 88b) states that when the Jews heard G-D’s divine voice, they all died from its intensity and afterwards G-d brought them back to life. I think this emphasizes why Hashem cannot be openly present in this world. For if he was, the Jews’ free will would no longer be preserved and we would follow Hashem in everything. If his awe and will were so apparent, we would be compelled to follow him without having a real choice.
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In loving memory of Yoni’s wife Tziporah a"h, a true Eishes Chayil, always full of chessed, kindness and laughter, and brought life and strength to so many people, that she touched! She was like Aron, who loved peace and pursued peace.
Yoni thanks Hashem for having the opportunity of having Tziporah in his life, to learn of her caring, patience and happiness, to overcome her challenges. May Tziporah's Neshama be a light onto the world, in a time of darkness, and may her Neshama shine to Gan Eden. Yoni misses Tziporah with tears in his eyes, as Hashem gave him a gift, a crown jewel, now he returns her to Hashem. With thanks and Toda. Love, Yoni
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GEULAS YISRAEL
BY RABBI MOSHE TARAGIN YISRAEL
BY RABBI MOSHE TARAGIN RAM, YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
The Voices of Selichot
Selichot begins, ushering in a period of heightened spiritual focus. Over the next two and a half weeks, we will rise before dawn or stay awake deep into the night, weaving extra tefillot into our daily routines. These prayers of supplication express our yearning to draw closer to Hashem, as we seek not only forgiveness but also teshuva—returning to our more pristine essence. Sephardic Jews have begun the selichot journey from the start of Elul.
Selichot, in our minds, are a crucial component of the broader teshuva process, centered on self-improvement and repentance. Naturally, we might expect these selichot to focus on moral inventory and introspection, and to evoke feelings of guilt, sadness, regret, and remorse. Indeed, many sections of Selichot, especially the heartfelt viduy confessions, turn our gaze inward, urging us to reflect deeply on our lives.
Yet, surprisingly, most of the Selichot piyyutim are not focused on internal self-examination. In our quest for forgiveness, we set aside our personal introspection and instead surrender ourselves to two larger voices. Interestingly, these voices, though not directly linked to classic teshuva, become the pillars of our Selichot prayers.
THE VOICE OF EXILE
The resonance of our long galut echoes through the words of Selichot. The somber piyyutim paint vivid images of the hatred, violence, and suffering we have endured, along with the sense of helplessness that has often enveloped us. From these murky depths, we cry out to Hashem, pleading for an end to our tribulations and for redemption from our dark night of history. We ask Him to heed our tears, remember His ancient covenants, and recall the merit of our forefathers. Selichot is infused with a yearning for geulah and a return to the House of Hashem.
Rather than focusing solely on personal transformation and individual repentance, we set aside our own concerns, allowing ourselves to resonate with the voice of Jewish history. We embody the collective suffering of our people through the centuries, letting our tongues bear the weight of Jewish history. We speak not only for ourselves but for the Jews of every generation, stretching back across two thousand years of galut.
By relinquishing our personal voice and embracing the collective voice of Jewish history and suffering, we aspire to a more sublime form of repentance and transformation. We seek to lose ourselves in the grand narrative of Jewish destiny, hoping to awaken Hashem’s love. When His love is kindled, our sins become less of a barrier.
Though we may not fully atone for them, they are acquitted, absorbed into the boundless depths of His compassion. If we cant
atone for all our sins, we ask that they be covered by His love הבהא הסכת יעשפ
. Hashem’s love flows toward those who grasp the odyssey of the Jewish journey through time. Selichot invokes and evokes this historical struggle, aiming for a loftier form of teshuva.
BEGGING OR DEMANDING
This collective voice of Jewish history should also transform the tone of our tefillah. When we approach Hashem as individuals, we come as beggars, undeserving and without merit:
However, when we envelop ourselves in the mantle of Jewish history, the tone of our tefillah shifts. History has progressed since our departure from Yerushalayim two thousand years ago, and so has Jewish destiny. We have endured a relentless saga of persecution and unimaginable suffering. Under inhuman pressure to forsake Hashem, we stood firm, defending His presence in this world at tremendous cost.
Emerging from the tunnel of exile, we bore the weight of the Holocaust—history’s most terrifying blow—and today, with unwavering resolve, we are rebuilding and settling the Land that Hashem has gifted us, despite fierce hostility and what often feels like global opposition.
At this juncture in history, we can legitimately view ourselves as deserving of Hashem’s intervention and geulah. Hashem desires that we make demands upon Him, just as a parent desires their child to. This voice of demand and expectation reflects connection and relationship. Hashem wants us to care deeply about Jewish history, to feel such
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pride in our past that we believe we deserve better—and that we “demand” better:
As long as we acknowledge that Hashem’s divine calculations exceed our understanding and present our pleas with reverence and humility, our voice of tefillah must evolve after galut, after the Holocaust, after October 7th. We should approach Hashem with sacred boldness and holy “insolence.” We love Him too deeply not to care, and we have suffered too much not to cry out and realize that we deserve more. As long as we approach Him with reverence, this bold voice is what He desires from us.
PRAYING TO HIM, PRAYING FOR HIM
There is a second voice in Selichot, a second current that pulses beneath the surface.
As we beseech Hashem for salvation, we appeal to Him to act for the sake of His name, and to prevent further desecration. Our prayers extend beyond personal pleas for health, prosperity, or forgiveness. They are cries for the fallen state of Shechinah and for the manifestation of the divine presence in our world.
This year, that voice which prays for the amplification of Hashem’s presence in our world echoes more powerfully than ever. October 7th marked the greatest chilul Hashem since the Holocaust, which itself was the most profound desecration of Hashem’s name since the destruction of the Second Beit HaMikdash.
Every assault upon the Jewish people is an attack upon HaKadosh Baruch Hu, for we bear His representation in this world. An assault upon the Jewish people in their homeland is even more grievous. Challenging His divine decision to grant this Land to our people is tantamount to challenging Hashem’s presence in the world.
Moreover, an attack on the Jewish people in their homeland, on the day we celebrate Torah—on Simchat Torah, the commemoration of Hashem’s gift of His word to humanity—represents an even deeper desecration. They rebel against Him and His presence. As they can’t scale the heavens they attack us.
To compound the offense, this violation occurred on Shabbat, the day we affirm Hashem as the Creator of the universe. Attacking the nation that upholds the sanctity of Shabbat and certifies divine creation is an affront to Hashem’s presence.
It is unimaginable that Simchat Torah and Shabbat could be weaponized against our people. Our enemies attempted to
desecrate these sacred days. This possibility is inconceivable in the heavenly courts. In the immediate aftermath, this violation caused a terrible chilul Hashem, a regression of His presence in our world. In the final analysis though, Shabbat and Simchat Torah and what they represent will be part of our victory. It can’t be otherwise.
This year, our prayers surge with even greater urgency, as we yearn for the restoration of His presence.
A G-D OF MERCY
The Gemara in Rosh Hashanah (17b) recounts the first Selichot prayer in history. Moshe, standing in the heavens, fervently prayed for the survival of the Jewish people. The sin of the Golden Calf had cast a shadow over their future, and Moshe passionately pleaded for their survival. In response, Hashem delivered His 13 Middot —the attributes of divine mercy—and instructed Moshe to invoke them in future prayers.
But this moment was more than mere instruction. As the Gemara relates, Hashem not only taught the 13 middot but also donned a tallit, covered His head, and recited the 13 Middot aloud. This vivid and perhaps audacious image is immediately tempered by the Gemara’s caution: “had the pasuk itself not implied that Hashem Himself prayed, it would have been unthinkable and even heretical” . The gemara’s uneasiness highlights how dramatic the image of Hashem davening is.
This remarkable scene suggests that Hashem, too, prays alongside us. He led that first recitation of the 13 Middot, reminding humanity of His boundless mercy.
Our barbaric enemies tarnish this divine image, portraying an angry and vengeful G-d
who revels in the suffering of innocents. By twisting G-d into an angry and belligerent figure, they distort His image and undermine the profound tefillah of the 13 Middot, which Hashem Himself once recited to reveal His boundless compassion. This year, as we recite the 13 Middot, we are not only invoking divine mercy but restoring the image of Hashem’s compassion to a world darkened by brutality.
These two alternate voices of selichot have never been more relevant. We pray with greater demand because of the accumulated merits of Jewish history, Jewish suffering and Jewish heroism. We pray for the return of Hashem’s radiant glory in a world darkened by spiritual emptiness. We pray for G-d to appear in a godless world.
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INSIGHTS
Rejoicing in Restoration
Haftorah Nitzavim-Vayelech Yeshayahu 61:10-63:9
In this week’s Haftorah, we read a profound expression of Hashem’s love for His people, drawn from Yeshayahu’s vision of redemption. The Navi describes the relationship between Hashem and Israel as one of intimate renewal, using the metaphor of marriage, ןתח
, As a youth espouses a maiden, Your sons shall espouse you; And as a bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so will your G-d rejoice over you. (Yeshayahu 62:5).
The Malbim highlights that this relationship is not a return to a former, fractured state of being. Hashem’s return to His people is compared to the joy of a bridegroom for his bride—not one marred by previous conflicts but a celebration of first love, untainted by past grievances. This renewed marriage is not like a man who remarries his divorced wife, where scars of past discord may linger. Instead, Hashem promises a new beginning as fresh and pure as a young man marrying a woman never previously married, untouched by past suffering or separation.
This vision emphasizes not just physical restoration but a complete renewal of spirit, where both the people and the land are
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reborn as though they had never known exile or devastation. It is a vision of healing so profound that the very memory of hardship fades away, replaced with joy and wholeness. The love that Hashem will show His people is new, fresh, and unblemished, filled with the same passion and purity as a groom on his wedding day.
This imagery challenges us to consider how we approach our Elul experience. Teshuvah is not merely a return to what was but an opportunity for true transformation, where we can start anew, leaving the past behind not as a burden but as a foundation for greater joy and closeness with Hashem. May we merit to experience this ultimate joy, where both our relationship with Hashem and our world are restored to their fullest beauty and potential.
Real Life Rescues
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Real Life Rescues
Volunteer EMT Saves Young Woman From Life-Threatening Allergic Reaction
EMT Saves Baby from Severe Allergic Reaction
Following First Taste of Tahini
On a recent Tuesday morning in Jerusalem, parents were feeding their 6-month-old baby and introduced him to tahini for the first time. Within minutes, the baby developed a severe allergic reaction. The infant's parents immediately called emergency services, seeking urgent help.
On Monday night in Ramat Beit Shemesh, a young woman suffered a severe allergic reaction after eating a pastry. She immediately called emergency services.
United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Shalom Klein, alerted to the emergency through his proximity alert system, sprang into action as the first responder on the scene. Arriving promptly, Shalom was confronted with a distressing sight - a baby boy with swollen lips and tongue, struggling to breathe, and covered in a worrisome rash.
United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Naftali Dajilovsky was driving to work when he was alerted about the emergency down the block. He drove to the scene and arrived within a minute at the location of the emergency.
A woman, struggling to breathe, was anxiously waiting in the street. Despite the difficulty, she managed to convey to the first responder that she had eaten a pastry and was experiencing the symptoms she is familiar with due to her allergy to soya. With no intervention, her airways were at risk of being fully blocked due to the rapid swelling of her throat and tongue. While she usually carried an EpiPen on her at all times, she had forgotten it at home.
Recognizing the symptoms as indicative of an anaphylactic shock, the volunteer knew immediate intervention was crucial. Without hesitation, he administered a life-saving EpiPen injection, delivering a dose of epinephrine to counteract the severe allergic reaction. The powerful medication quickly took effect, and the infant's breathing became less labored. The swelling in the lips and tongue began to subside, providing much-needed relief to the child.
As the symptoms continued to recede, the EMT monitored his condition while awaiting the arrival of a mobile intensive care ambulance. Several minutes later, the ambulance team arrived and transported the infant to the nearest hospital for further treatment and observation.
Reflecting on the incident, Shalom emphasized the importance of having an EpiPen readily available. "It's a great thing I had an EpiPen in my medical kit," he stated. "An EpiPen can save a person's life within minutes and is a huge help for both EMTs and patients."
Dajilovsky immediately took out his EpiPen from his medic bag and, after checking the validity of the device, injected it for three seconds in the woman’s thigh. She quickly began feeling better. The volunteer monitored her vitals, which improved gradually until she stabilized and went back to her normal self.
“It’s an incredibly rewarding feeling, the feeling of truly saving a life,” reflected Dajilovsky after the incident. “It really underscores the importance of first responders being equipped with EpiPens and arriving quickly at the scene of these allergyrelated emergencies.”
RABBI
AARON GOLDSCHEIDER
RABBI AARON GOLDSCHEIDER
EDITOR, TORAH
Editor, Torah Tidbits
TIDBITS RAV, THE JERUSALEM SHUL
BAKA, JERUSALEM
Walking to Perfection
While one of the most common phrases in the Torah is “Moshe spoke” (השמ רבדיו), and occasionally we find “Moshe said” (רמאֹיו השמ), nowhere outside Parashat Vayeilech do we encounter the phrase “Moshe went” (ךליו השמ) (Deuteronomy 31:1). Even more curious is the fact that the verse makes no mention of Moshe’s destination. What does this mean?
Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah Kook suggested that the verse is not speaking about physical movement with a concrete destination. It refers to a mindset. On the last day of his life, which is the backdrop of Parashat Vayeilech, Moshe was still mentally agile and spiritually active. He did not slow down. In the words of Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah: Moshe tamid holech, Moshe was always trying to progress in his holiness.1
to Come.”2 Why? They are always in motion, trying to reach the next goal. According to Rav Kook, spiritual achievement brings them the greatest pleasure, so even in the next world they will refuse to rest on their laurels. Their soul continues to rise even in the afterlife.3
Rav Kook made a similar comment on another Talmudic dictum: “One who takes leave of another should not say to him ‘Go in peace (lech be-shalom)’ but ‘Go to peace (lech le-shalom).’”4 What is the difference in this seemingly trivial variation? Rav Kook conceived of shalom as much more than “peace.” He connected it to shelemut , which means wholeness or perfection. In a person’s lifetime, spiritual striving yields the attainment of ever higher levels of perfection. One should constantly, at every moment, be moving towards perfection. The proper salutation is therefore lech le-shalom, to be ever reaching for the next goal and never stagnant or complacent.5
Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook elaborated on this restlessness of our great leaders. The Talmud says, “Torah scholars have rest neither in this world nor in the World 1. Sichot ha-Rav Tzvi Yehudah, 5:501–502.
These two Talmudic teachings, which Rav Kook elucidated so beautifully, appear next to each other at the very end of the Talmud’s first tractate, Berachot. It is almost as if they are urging the student of the Talmud to continue on. There is no rest for the weary in
2. Berachot 64a.
3. Ein Ayah, Berachot, 9:360.
4. Berachot 64a.
5. Ein Ayah, Berachot, 9:358.
this lifetime. There is always more to accomplish, whether it is acquiring more wisdom or achieving spiritual excellence.
Accomplished individuals and leaders in our communities seem to have endless energy. Even in their final years, or even days, they live le-shalom, doggedly pursuing their own perfection and helping others achieve theirs. The following episode involving Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, powerfully brings home this teaching:
Every year [on the festive night of Simchat Torah], the Rebbe’s place of worship, at 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY, packs in thousands of chassidim and all sorts of Jews to celebrate throughout the night with singing and dancing.
On Simchat Torah, 1978, amidst the festivities, the Rebbe turned pale. Suddenly, he turned from his place, walked through the entire hall, up the stairs, into his office and locked the door behind him. Only his wife was able to persuade him to unlock the door.
It became apparent that the Rebbe had suffered a heart attack. Typically, he had not wanted to disturb the festive mood.
The best doctors were immediately called. They had to come to the Rebbe, because the Rebbe refused to leave his office.
When the Rebbe asked what the people were doing in the synagogue downstairs, he was told that they were crying and praying. He made a request: “Tell them the more they sing and dance, the better I will feel.”
The chassidim danced and sang through the night like never before.
The Rebbe spent several weeks in his office under the doctors’ care. It was noted that the healthiest activity for the Rebbe’s heart was
to study [Torah]. The harshest activity was to read the letters that came to him. Many of the letters were from people in distress asking for blessings and advice. The Rebbe’s heart would pulsate erratically in empathy for their sorrows.
When the doctors attempted to stop the delivery of letters to the Rebbe, the Rebbe intervened.
“You are taking away my livelihood,” he protested.6
Moshe treated his last day on earth like any other. He did not sit back and enjoy his achievements. He did not proudly survey what had become of the people he led out of Egypt and through the wilderness. He rose, without faltering, and pressed onward and upward. Only when the call came from above that he must depart this earth did Moshe concede: “I can longer go out and come in” (Deuteronomy 31:2). Moshe was indefatigable in his lifelong ascent to spiritual grandeur.
6. Freeman, Bringing Heaven Down to Earth, 18–19.
Rabbi Goldscheider’s most recent OU Press Publication, “Torah United” on the weekly Parsha, can be ordered directly from Rabbi Goldscheider at Aarong@ouisrael.org at a special price for Torah Tidbits readers.
ERETZ HEMDAH ASK THE RABBI SERVICE
OU VEBBE REBBE
RAV DANIEL MANN
Rav Daniel Mann
Crying in Rosh Hashana Davening
Question: One of our chazanim and a minority of our congregants cry/encourage crying during our tefillot on the Yamim Nora’im. I understand this on Yom Kippur, but I was taught that Rosh Hashana is a happy day on which we coronate Hashem. I am not much of a natural crier. Should I try to cry or not?
Answer: Yom Kippur has a complex character in regard to crying. It is the most important day of teshuva, which includes crying (see Rambam, Teshuva 2:4 & 5:2), but it is also a wonderful day, in that we receive much kapara (atonement) (Vayikra 16:30). In fact, if fasting were not needed as part of the teshuva/ kapara process, it would likely be a mitzvah to have a feast on Yom Kippur to celebrate the positive (see Ritva, Rosh Hashana 9a).
Rosh Hashana is more complex. The Torah tells us little about the nature of the day, but it is presented as equivalent to the three regalim and Yom Kippur. Chazal tell us that mankind is judged on Rosh Hashana (Rosh Hashana 16a), and due to the real possibility of an unfavorable judgment, we do not recite Hallel on the Yamim Noraim (Arachin 10b). On the other hand, there are powerful, happy
things going on, e.g., “coronating” Hashem, hopefully good judgment. The themes associated with the various shofar sounds also conjure up hopeful and foreboding thoughts. How do these mixed indications of the day’s nature and mood factor into halachic practice? A pasuk in Nechemia (8:10), speaking about a powerful event that occurred on Rosh Hashana, instructs the people not to cry or be sad but to feast on that special day. We indeed pasken along these lines: “We eat and drink and are happy, and we do not fast on Rosh Hashana” (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 597:1). The Shulchan Aruch does conclude that we should not eat in a manner that causes lightheadedness, but we should maintain fear of Hashem.
The Gra (see Ma’aseh Rav 207) posits that the above pasuk is a precedent that one should not cry on Rosh Hashana, apparently even during davening. Rav Ovadia Yosef cites others who rule this way and concurs, although he justifies those whose emotions during tefilla bring them to tears (see Yabia Omer IX:51). It is not clear from Nechemia that at no point in Rosh Hashana, including some heart wrenching moments, is one allowed to cry. We note that while the Gra (ibid.) says not to say the powerful tefilla
Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, is headed by Rav Yosef Carmel and Rav Moshe Ehrenreich, founded by Rav Shaul Yisraeli, zt”l, to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in the Israel and abroad. Ask the Rabbi is a joint venture of the OU, Eretz Hemdah, and OU Israel’s Torah Tidbits.
of Avinu Malkeinu, our minhag is to recite it on Rosh Hashana, except when it falls on Shabbat (Rama, OC 584:1).
Indeed, many Acharonim, including the Ba’er Heitev 584:3 and Mateh Ephrayim 582:28, cite the Arizal that one should cry on Rosh Hashana and that there is something wrong with the neshama of one who does not. Elef Hamagen (582:45) even cites those who say that one who has difficulty crying should at least make crying-like sounds. Some understand the Gra to oppose crying only out of fear and not of emotion due to the magnitude of the day and Hashem’s greatness (see citations in Dirshu 582:30).
Multiple sources confirm that the accepted practice is not like the Gra, and most seem to understand that the crying is out of fear of what could happen during the year. Granted, plenty of people do not cry, but realistically, few of those are holding themselves back due to the discipline the Gra promoted (the Gra was famously a highly demanding spiritual person). Rather, some people are not emotionally demonstrative, and some are apathetic to or skeptical about the idea of being judged for the year and how this is critical for their life, an approach that no poskim promote.
Therefore, we assume that those who cry at appropriate junctures enhance their Rosh Hashana and set a good tone for their environs. We strongly discourage faking or artificially amplifying his crying, which in our time and places, is likely and understandably to be
scoffed at. Last Rosh Hashana, I was thinking how young people enjoying “smooth” lives have trouble feeling “fear of judgment.” Tragically, we have lost many dear people of all ages since then, and it should be easier to feel and demonstrate emotion this Rosh Hashana.
Yosef asks: I set up my friend, and everything is going “fine”. She is nervous that the lack of excitement and immediate attraction means that this guy isn’t the right guy. Should I encourage her to keep giving it a chance? What if it really isn’t the right guy for her?
Aleeza responds: The truth here is that thinking about the answer won’t bring her clarity. She can’t simply think her way to knowing whether someone is or isn’t the right person for her. Going out with him and seeing what happens over time is the only right way for her to figure out whether this is or isn’t her soulmate.
It can go one of two ways: There may truly be no attraction at all and this relationship won’t work, or feelings may grow over time and she will end up marrying this person. At this point, the odds are 50/50 and it isn’t worth losing the opportunity to continue dating in order to figure out whether this is her Mr. Right by making an assumption about the situation. In my estimation, it’ll cost her no more than five dates to have the clarity she needs to know whether there is or isn’t potential for this relationship to progress.
I want to add that high levels of excitement and immediate attraction in dating make me nervous because just like real life fireworks, they have a tendency to have big, bright sparks that fizzle out and die fairly quickly. I much prefer a relationship that’s a sloooow groooow because as two people date and get
to know each other over a period of time, they’ll have a lot more data and information to use in their assessment and at that point, if they like what they feel, I know it’s based on much more than first date butterflies or infatuation.
In your case, I would suggest that you share this perspective with your friend and encourage her to go on a few more dates until she has more clarity based on information garnered through her experience dating this guy. If the attraction and excitement hasn’t increased at all over the course of five dates, it would be appropriate for her to end things and move on. If the attraction and excitement has increased to some degree over that time, then it would be appropriate for her to continue dating and see where things go.
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Selichot
In Beit Knesset Beit Yisrael
Saturday Night September 28th 2024 10:00 PM
First Selichot Services led by The Solomon Brothers
Introductory words on Teshuva from Rabbi Chanoch Yeres
Selichot
Beit Knesset Beit Yisrael in Yemin Moshe
Rechov Pele Yoetz 2, Yemin Moshe
during the week will start at 6:00AM
GIDEON
WEITZMAN
Support and Assistance
Last time we discussed the emotional and psychological toll for couples and individuals undergoing fertility challenges and embarking on treatment. These raise personal questions of identity, community connection, self-worth, as well as theological questions. Why does Hashem not answer our prayers for a child? Are we being punished? What can we do to change our fate?
For decades there has been a lot of research concentrated on the way that stress affects fertility and how mind-body programs can enhance the chances of getting pregnant. Most of this effort has focused on women, and only relatively recently has there been more interest shown in the male side.
I recall that several years ago I attended the conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, which
was held that year in London. We presented a paper and the presenter before us showed their work in which they had created models for support groups for fertility patients. One of the novel points was that they had observed interest in such groups from both men and women.
I asked the presenter whether she and her group had actually run such a group as opposed to creating virtual models. She replied that they had not, and I pointed out that it is very possible that, while men were willing to voice that they would like to attend such a group, it is much less likely that they would actually attend a physical meeting.
But in the last few years this has changed and both women and men seek emotional assistance and support groups. Recently, with PUAH’s blessing and encouragement, a support group started in Jerusalem for Charedi men undergoing fertility challenges. A few months ago, one of the founding members had a baby after 18 years of marriage, and he continues to run the group, trying to give
Machon Puah for Fertility and Gynecology in Accordance with Halacha
hope to the other members.
Understanding the need for such groups, PUAH recently partnered with one of our graduates who founded a number of support groups for women. The plan is to expand the number and scope of these groups. This is far from a simple task, since the challenges facing a young woman who is trying for her first child, may be different from those experienced by a woman who has had numerous miscarriages, which may be distinct from those encountered by a woman with a genetic complication. Each group must be able to help and assist a specific group of women and be able to offer her support, guidance and a safe-space to express her fears, frustrations, hopes and dreams.
PUAH has recently invested a lot to address this issue.
More on this next time.
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BINYAMIN CASPER
GUEST DVAR TORAH
IN PREPARTION FOR ROSH HASHANA
Awesome & Accessible
The tefillos of the Yamim Nora’im are beautiful but challenging; Services are longer, paragraphs are unfamiliar, and even the concept of awe—the label for these days—is a difficult concept to grasp.
On a typical day, prayer is ideally a source of strength and direction. In the month of Tishrei, prayers are “supercharged” with power and meaning, which means we have a duty to try grasping the many messages contained within these “magnified” prayers. Amplifying the challenge is that these prayers constantly reference the Kingship and Awesome nature of Hashem—neither of which are simple concepts. Perhaps if we think about how Hashem guides existence, the concepts in our liturgy can become a source of great closeness and comfort.
CLOSENESS IN THE FACE OF
MYSTERY
We must first realize that Hashem runs the world with far more complexity than a system of straightforward reward and punishment. He operates His kingdom shrouded in sod (secrecy/mystery). Hashem’s infinite nature is incomprehensible to our finite brains.
Yet despite these truths, we still have conversations. We might be overwhelmed, but that does not eliminate the ability to speak
with Him face-to-face. During the Yamim Nora’im, when descriptions of Hashem’s greatness are quantitatively and qualitatively at its yearly peak, we are closer than ever to Him. Despite constantly acknowledging that Hashem is beyond us, we are afforded the maximum ability to feel His Presence.
Yaakov Avinu’s statement of ארו
”הזה םֹוקמה, which is one source for the term “Yamim Nora’im”, can be understood as, how awesome and wondrous it is for us to occupy an intellectual and spiritual space where Hashem is so massive and transcendent, yet so close and accessible.
COMFORT DESPITE CHAOS
Furthermore, although tefilla is associated with confusion, truly recognizing that the world is in Hashem’s hands provides us abundant tranquility. The Zohar1 says, “the time of davening is a time of battle: תעש אברק תעש אתולצ.” Tefilla is chaotic. During tefilla we endeavor to connect to the Infinite and immerse in something far grander than the reach of our perceptions. We attempt to find the pieces of ourselves (our values, our essence, priorities) that can become blurred during everyday existence, to figure out where we fit and properly steer our actions. This is not easy.
That said, everything in our lives, whether logical and clear or not, boils down to one thing: “Hashem Melech - Hashem runs the world.” The Baal HaTanya said that Rosh Hashana is a time to anoint Hashem as King
.1
precisely in places we wouldn’t typically think of Him or in areas where Hashem seems to be missing. We remind ourselves that Hashem exists in everything.
Maor VaShemesh2 writes that tefilla converges two opposing realizations: (1) Life has deficiencies, but (2) we can still believe those deficiencies are part of the infinite light of Hashem and somehow fit perfectly in His master plan. During tefilla, we condition those “muscles of faith.” Certainly many aspects of the world are wrong and require fixing, but we simultaneously connect those realities with the boundless goodness of Hashem, knowing that everything is for a divine, albeit currently obscured, purpose. Hashem has a grand narrative for the universe, and we each have a part. We maximize our contribution by constantly seeking d’veykus—cleaving and connecting with Hashem, bringing Him into every moment of our lives.
Bringing these ideals and goals to the tefillos of Yamim Nora’im, and allowing the words and concepts to penetrate our minds, hearts, and souls, helps position us to be the best versions of ourselves in the coming year.
2. Parshas Vayechi
Binyamin Casper lives in Modi’in with his wife, Miriam, and their four children. He works in venture capital and also writes weekly Torah content for Eilecha, teaches Torah courses, lectures in yeshivot and seminaries, and is the developer and editor-inchief of the Koren Yedid Siddur.
The Leifer Family Edition Koren Yedid Siddur is a nusach Ashkenaz, Hebrew/English weekday siddur that uses a tri-color highlighting system to call attention to different types of words and phrases in tefilla. Its aim is to make the tefilla experience more conversational, increase our focus, and enhance our expression of tefilla by infusing our words with greater meaning and emotion.
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LMSW, FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, KANFEY SHEMESH IN RAMAT BET SHEMESH A RABBI JAY YAACOV SCHWARTZ
GUEST DVAR TORAH
Teshuva is Our Crown, Achdut is Our Shield
Yaakov’s eldest son Reuven is lauded as “the forebearer (bechor) of teshuva”1 – though it took serious refinement for him to earn the title! Reuven returned to the borehole where he suggested Yosef be thrown, but he failed to save Yosef from peril. He certainly had the authority to call off his younger brothers from bringing Yosef to harm…
Rabbi Eliezer haGadol suggests Reuven was “returning (vayashev)” from sitting in sackcloth. This language alludes to teshuva, fasting, and penitence. Previously, Reuven took umbrage that after Rachel died, her maidservant Bilhah was made First Wife, instead of his mother, Leah. Reuven demanded that Leah should be honored to lodge in Yaakov’s tent. R’ Eliezer contends that after seeing Yosef’s predicament, Reuven began to repent from the sin of chilalta yatsui alah (intruding on his father’s chambers)2 – a sentiment echoed in the commentary of Rashi and Targum Yonatan3.
1. Midrash Bereshis Rabba 82:11
2. Bereshis 49:4
3. 3. Rashi and Targum Yonatan on Bereshis 37:29
Now, Reuven realized Yosef’s life was hanging in the balance, and he himself might be to blame. A fountain of regret bubbled up as he remembered that years earlier, he brought his mother Leah very fragrant dudaim (jasmine flowers) – an aphrodisiac to entice Yaakov from Rachel4. Had his act triggered the brotherly quarrel over the primacy of the children of Rachel versus Leah? In a crashing, watershed moment, Reuven apparently understood that he, alone, started an avalanche of rivalry that led to Yosef’s current calamity.
Reuven’s course toward conflict started as a trickle but swelled later into a mighty river of jealous anger. Reuven’s remorse was not for the act nearly two decades ago, but for the resultant present moment. He realized it was his fault. For this he donned the sackcloth, fasted, and cried out, What have I done to our People? I have split the Tribes of the Jewish Nation with baseless hatred. Reuven imagined that had he fostered achdut so many years ago, Yosef’s dreams may have been well-received by his brothers, to portend good fortune for the Shevotim (Tribes), as opposed to a divisive, bitter, contentious message from a despised figure.
As a result of these errors in judgment, Reuven – the rightful monarch and spiritual leader – first lost malchut to Yehuda. Yaakov also eventually conferred Reuven’s status of Kohein onto Levi. However, for his unprecedented act of teshuva, Hashem declared 4. Bereshis 30:14
to Reuven, “No man has ever sinned and done teshuva before Me, as you have” . Hashem issues a promise to Reuven that he will always be enshrined as the firstborn of teshuva and prophecy, and his descendant Hosea haNavi would forever open the gates of teshuva for the Jewish People – Shuva Yisroel ad Hashem Elokha ki kashalta b’Avonecha (return to Hashem for you have stumbled in sin) which we read on Shabbos Teshuva5.
We should be always be cautioned against focusing on how people do (or don’t) observe Torah and mitzvot, and recognize the incredible danger of a divided Jewish People. Rebbe Eliezer haGadol, who Zohar proclaims6 is a gilgul of Reuven. Pirkei Avos 2:14 teaches the importance for Jews to pursue an ayin tov, and to look upon each other with compassion. He warned people to display ongoing accountability, not harm fellow Jews; turning avon (sin) into humbleness (anav).
Though Reuven lost the crown of malchut and the breastplate of kahuna, he became the paragon of teshuva and achdus. His Tribe stayed on the other side of the Jordan,
5. Hosea 14:2, Midrash Bereshis Rabba 84:19
perhaps to avoid rivalry between the Tribes of Yosef and Yehuda. Moshe Rebbeinu would send half of the Tribe of Manasseh (descendants of Yosef) to accompany the Tribes of Reuven and Gad There, the sons of Rachel and Leah lived harmoniously; cleansing the dangerous area of Ever l’Yarden from murderous strife7.
After the most challenging year in the history of the Jewish People since the Holocaust, it’s imperative that we petition Hashem to crown us with teshuva and achdus born of humility and unconditional acceptance of every Jew – our shield against catastrophe and our strongest force for the safety and security of Klal Yisrael since our very inception.
L’Shana Tova!
7. Makkos 9A
Rabbi Jay Yaacov Schwartz, LSMW is the Founder & President, Kanfey Shemesh which provides professional counseling and support to Jewish families and individuals www.kanfeyshemesh.org
6. Zohar Chadosh, end of Midrash Eicha
OLIM THINKING ALOUD
REBBETZIN ROOKIE AND RABBI HESHIE BILLET
The Season of Teshuva and Free Choice
In Hilchot Teshuva, In addition to telling us the laws of repentance, Maimonides teaches us an axiom of faith. In the fifth chapter (5:1) he tells us of the principle of freedom of choice. He explains why the option to choose to be obedient to Torah rules or to violate them is ours alone. The omniscience of the Almighty does not deny us our right to choose. There are always two paths on the roadmap of life, and we are free to decide which one to follow through life.
Why teach us this axiom specifically in the Laws of Teshuva? Why not enter this tenet in the laws of the Foundations of the Torah? The rules governing repentance should teach us the process of doing Teshuvah and not philosophical principles of faith!
The Talmud in Tractate Berachot (28b) tells us the story of the death of the great Tana, Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai. When stricken with a fatal illness at the end of his life, he was visited by his students. They were surprised to find their courageous, strong- willed teacher crying. They refer to him as “the light of Israel, the firm foundation, the mighty hammer” and cannot understand his tears. He tells them: If I were
heading to be judged by a fallible, imperfect human king who is not omniscient, who can be bribed with money and who succumbs to flattery, would I not be afraid?” He goes on explaining: “So now that I am being brought before the eternal King who cannot be bribed or flattered, should I not be afraid? Furthermore, there are two roads in front of me; one leading to Paradise and the other leading to Purgatory; I do not know along which road I will be led! And you expect me not to cry and tremble?”
Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik asked why Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai had to add the part about his fear of being led on one of two roads and his uncertainty about whether he was going to Paradise or Purgatory. Wasn’t it enough that he was to be judged by Hashem who perfectly knew his strengths and his flaws? Wasn’t that alone enough to scare him?
The answer he suggested is found in another story (Tractate Gittin 56b). In the year 70 CE, the Romans, led by their general Vespasian, surrounded Jerusalem. There is famine and thirst in the desperate city. Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai defies the Jewish zealots who control the city and want everyone to die fighting the Romans. He sneaks out of the city and meets and impresses Vespasian, who assures him that he will be granted any three requests that he makes. He asks 1) that the great Torah scholars of the Yavneh Academy be spared,
2) a doctor for a gravely ill Rabbi, and 3) that the leadership family of Rabban Gamliel be spared. He did not ask that the Romans spare the Temple and Jerusalem because he feared that if Vespasian saw his requests as too greedy, he would get nothing.
The Rav suggested that for the rest of his life, he was tormented by the possibility that had he made that request, he might have saved the Temple and Jerusalem. And now, on his deathbed, he adds, that in addition to his fear of the Almighty, when he gets to the eternal world, he will find out if he made the right choice on that fateful day and will therefore be led to Paradise, or if he made the wrong choice and will be led to Purgatory.
Our lives are always about choices; forks in the road beckon to us at every turn. We were always fascinated by an idea suggested by Jean Paul Sartre that elaborates on the fundamental truth that we always have choices. He remarks that it is never appropriate to excuse our conduct by saying: ‘I had no choice. I was forced to act the way I acted.’ Sartre says that the human condition is such that we always have a choice. We are fooling ourselves and acting “inauthentically” and denying our basic humanity when we claim we had no choice. In order to be “authentic”, we must always acknowledge that there are choices to be made. True freedom means that we are aware of the choices that lie before us, that we consider them carefully with the God-given sechel (common sense) with which He has blessed us, and we make the wisest and most reasonable choice, given our knowledge and values, and have the confidence to stay the course with that choice, or the strength to change the course if we
feel we have erred.
The days of reckoning about our choices are the month of Elul and the ten days beginning with Rosh HaShannah and ending on Yom Kippur. That is why the Rambam places the philosophical principle of Freedom of Choice in the Laws of Teshuva. May our personal choices, and the choices of our military and political leaders, be wise and successful, and may the Almighty bless our choices to achieve our holy goals for the good.
A recent oleh, Heshie Billet is Rabbi emeritus of the Young Israel of Woodmere and a past President of the Rabbinical Council of America. A recent olah, Rookie Billet retired from a long career as a Jewish educator, principal, synagogue rebbetzin, and yo’etzet halacha in the US.
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P a r s h a t N i t z a v i m
A Part of Rabbi Kashtiel's new book Siman Labanim
The Travails of Repentance
In Parshat Nitzavim, the Torah describes a process of return Bnei Yisrael’s return to Hashem through teshuvah (repentance) and Hashem’s return to them, in response.
You will return and listen to the voice of Hashem…. When Hashem returns to rejoice over you for good…. When you return to Hashem your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul
The root word shuv (return) appears repeatedly in these verses, which serve as the basis for exploration of many fundamental issues concerning teshuvah such as the relationship between repentance and redemption, the degree to which Hashem assists us in repenting, and the specific process of teshuvah.
Significantly, this discussion of teshuvah is preceded by the tochachah, which warns of the horrific consequences of sin. The Torah tells us that these calamities will be visited upon Bnei Yisrael “with wrath, with rage, and with great anger,” to force the people to repent. Moreover, the process of teshuvah itself entails suffering. The Chovot Halevavot states that a person must be prepared for the bitter hardships that he will experience in the process of repentance. This suffering may sometimes be physical, but it is primarily emotional. A person who possesses a powerful drive for growth and grand dreams of spiritual achievement will constantly be distressed by the gap between his aspirations and his actual conduct.
Teshuvah is hard. It is difficult to change a habit, to alter established patterns of thought and behavior, and to free oneself from the shackles of routine and inertia. The suffering caused by teshuvah serves to soften the human spirit; pain opens the heart and makes it more receptive to change. While pain be it physical or emotional saps our strength, it also can make us more open to change. Thus, pain itself facilitates teshuvah.
