Women Doing Men's Mitzvot

Mrs. Leah Golomb, a well known educator, gave her take on women who insist on trying to do those Mitzvot that are reserved for men. She was referring to women who wear Tallit and Tefillin or need to get Aliyot to the Torah or even hold a Torah.Mrs. Golomb explained the concept of גדול המצוה ועושה משאינו מצוה ועושה definitely applies here. One who does certain Mitzvot because they appeal to them, does not nearly get the reward of one who does the Mitzva solely because he is commanded to do so.The Torah is not a popularity contest. We are meant to submit and surrender to the demands of the Halacha whether we agree with them or not. Leah's point is well taken.

Lessons from לך לך

Shavua Tov. A few more ideas from Parshat לך לך: It's written, ולאברם היטיב בעבורה, that it was good for Avraham because of her. The Talmud in בבא מציעא says that if one shows respect to his wife, it is the key to financial success. If it worked for Avraham, it can work for us, too.A second point that was learned from the Parsha is to avoid strife at all costs. Avraham set the example in the way that he handled the disagreement between Lot and himself. Even though he was right, he set the example that it wasn't worth the fight.And the final example learned from Avraham was that he refused to take spoils of war after his military victory. He felt that he would be minimizing the miracle if he made material gain from it. He is teaching us that all of our worldly possessions are a gift from Hashem and we are not entitled to anything.All three of these points are valuable lessons to take with us as we begin the new week.

Appreciating Eretz Yisrael

This week's Parsha, לך לך speaks a great deal about the specialness of Eretz Yisrael. Hashem promises Avraham an everlasting promise that this land belongs to the Jewish people.In the ברית בין הבתרים, that took place in הר חרמון, Hashem makes a covenant with Avraham that Israel will be ours after the exodus from Egypt.The של״ה הקדוש says that the word כנען comes from the word הכנעה, which means surrender, or is another word for humility. We are able to merit the beauty and holiness of the land if we act with humility.We are to see Eretz Yisrael as the closest thing to גן עדן as one day it will actually be the Garden of Eden. We are never to take it for granted and we are to seek out its holiness.Hashem has a special connection with the Jewish people in Israel. This is why the של״ה הקודש says that one who lives in חוץ לארץ is דומה, like someone with no G-d. It's not as if there's no G-d but it seems that way in comparison to Eretz Yisrael.The של״ה suggests that we see ourselves as strangers in ארץ ישראל so that we will never take it for granted. Let's make this Shabbat, "Eretz Yisrael appreciation Shabbat." Shabbat Shalom

Acquiring Love and Fear of Hashem

The מסילת ישרים speaks of certain things that we know instinctively and others that need to be learned. Nobody needs to be taught the need to eat and sleep. A person will satisfy these needs without being taught.However, matters such as love and fear of Hashem are not automatic. One needs to find the means to achieve these cherished qualities. One must work very hard and receive guidance from holy people in order to get there.The Ramchal reminds his readers that one day when one reaches 120, he will be asked why was it that he spent so much time and effort in other endeavors, and did not put forth the effort to acquire love and fear of Hashem.Sometimes we need to be reminded of the obvious or otherwise the obvious could be forgotten or overlooked.

Circumcision

This week's Parsha, לך לך speaks of the Mitzva of ברית מילה. The של״ה הקודש says that there is a connection between circumcision and inheriting the land.From the Kabbala, the foreskin represents the impurity of the sin of the serpent. Removing the foreskin means removing the קליפה, or shell, that might have prevented holiness from entering.We cannot lay claim to the land if such impurity exists on our bodies. With מילה, our 248 limbs are whole.When Yitzchak died, Eisav's descendants stopped performing circumcision. The מילה is a clear sign of the special connection between Hashem and עם ישראל. This is why the nations of the world have continuously tried to prevent Jews from performing this Mitzva.

הפקר בית דין הפקר

There is a concept in the Talmud called הפקר בית דין הפקר. This idea is very similar to the principle of eminent domain in American law. This gives special rights to the courts to enact laws for the betterment of society.The betterment of society in Talmudic terminology is referred to as תיקון עולם.Masechet Gittin is filled with numerous examples of תיקון עולם which is enabled by הפקר בית דין הפקר.An example of this would be a case of damages. The Rabbis wanted to devise a deterrent for people to be more careful so as not to cause damage to one another. Therefore, the law was established that one must pay for damages from his most exclusive property.Similarly, they arranged a system to encourage lending by creating a method for repayment of loans. They were allowed to adjust the legal system in a way that would have society running more smoothly with people co-existing in a healthy productive way.The study of Talmud is fascinating as one is able to appreciate the depth of the wisdom of its authors. It is not only the knowledge that they possessed but it is also the sensitivities used in putting it into practice.

More on Parshat Noach

Two more points from פרשת נח: The first is that we learn that one should always speak with clean language, בלשון נקיה. The Torah used extra words to describe the unclean animals by saying, "And the animals that are not clean", instead of saying the word טמא, which is a much more derogatory word. In Hebrew: ואת הבהמה אשר איננה טהורה instead of simply saying הבהמה הטמאה. Always speak in a clean way.The second point is from the של״ה הקודש who said that the משיח, who is sometimes referred to as בן דוד, will atone for the sin of the Tower of Bavel. In our פרשה it said ונעשה לנו שם, "and we will make a name for ourselves". And by David, as he became known as a great warrior, it was written, ויעש לו שם, that he made a name for himself.

Seven Noachide Laws

Shavua Tov. Today's Parsha lists the seven Noachide Laws or the שבע מצוות בני נח. The seven laws are: No idolatry, murder, immorality, stealing, tearing the limb from a live animal, blasphemy, and setting up courts of justice.The penalty for violating any of these commandments is death. Because they only have seven laws, we are very strict about enforcing them.Special courts were set up to judge cases of בני נח. When there was a Sanhedrin, and Israel ruled, these laws applied to the גר תושב, who was expected to observe these laws.The Rambam in הלכות מלכים, explains the details of these laws. For example, under the heading of immorality, the Rambam writes that there are six that are prohibited in this category. They are: mother, father's wife, a married woman, sister from mother, homosexuality, and bestiality.These seven laws represented the minimum for a society to function on a level where there is law and order.

פרשת נח

In פרשת נח, we typically compare Noach to Avraham Avinu in terms of their both being called צדיק. The take of the של״ה הקודש is that נח did have certain holy traits, such as being born circumcised, that made him a צדיק, but he was far from the level of Avraham Avinu.Noach was not very good at Kiruv, influencing his peers. Avraham was very effective at convincing the people of his generation of the Oneness of Hashem. Noach was afraid that if he mingled with others, he would be brought down by them.It is written that נח "walked with Hashem". He waited for Hashem to lead him or hold his hand to give him direction. Avraham was self propelled. Avraham "awakened" himself in his service of Hashem. Noach waited for Divine inspiration.The של״ה equated Noach with אלישע בן אבויה also known as ״אחר״, who became a heretic after entering the Pardes. Noach witnessed Hashem's protection and had many merits in providing for the animals for a year. However, he fell when leaving the ark, when he planted the vineyard.These comparisons are useful in understanding human nature and learning about the many obstacles we are meant to overcome. Shabbat Shalom

Rabbinic Wisdom

The introduction to מסילת ישרים, Path of the Just, has a fascinating relevance to today and the ongoing lack of morality in today's society.The Ramchal, Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, author of מסילת ישרים points out a very real human tendency to forget basic truths if they are not repeated. He uses the example of love and fear of Hashem and Dveikut, cleaving to Hashem, and acting in the way of Chassidut, doing acts of kindness.All of these are simple basic concepts known very well in Judaism. However, if these basic ideas of Judaism are not repeated on a regular basis, they become forgotten. A righteous person will no longer be viewed as one possessing these character traits, but someone who acts in an extreme way. He will fast all of the time or dip in Mikvaot if snow. All because of a failure to repeat the basics.And so it is today. Because such basic moral points as marriage and raising a family, being of supreme importance; or, "living together" before marriage is wrong; or, saving one's virginity for marriage is right, are not reiterated on a regular basis, they are forgotten.Morality has taken on a new definition of feeling good and doing whatever makes you feel good for the moment.The Rabbis always had such a keen insight into human nature. If we only listened to them!

Combining Love and Fear of Hashem

The Tanya repeatedly mentions that we learn from the words סור מרע, stay away from evil, the obligation to fear Hashem. This fear is expressed by the non-violation of the 365 negative commandments.The other half of the Pasuk, עשה טוב, do good, represents the commandment to love Hashem which is manifest by the observance of the 248 positive commandments.The Tanya goes on to say that if one observes the Mitzvot with an awareness of love and fear of Hashem, he will attach himself to higher and higher levels of holiness.The Tanya warns against the Jew whose worship of Hashem is only love without fear. Such an individual will tend to feel that there is no need to worry about violating the negative commandments of the Torah. Therefore, one must always contemplate Hashem's greatness, in order for his observance of the Mitzvot be a combination of love and fear of Hashem.

Origin of עם ישראל

Following the theme of pure offspring not tainted from the pollution of the serpent, the Kuzari elaborates on the subject. Rav Yehuda Halevi said that every family was affected by this impurity even until Yakov Avinu.This explains why it was possible for Avraham Avinu to father a child like Yishmael, or for Yitzchak to father a child like Eisav. Yakov Avinu was the first person who was able to father an entire offspring of holy, pure souls that all came directly from the side of holiness.It was for this reason that Hashem chose Yakov to take this holy family and turn them into a nation called עם ישראל. From the twelve came seventy and from seventy came 600,000.It is significant that seventy is also the number of the nations of the world. Israel is meant to be unique and different and a "light unto the nations."

The Nature of Man and G-d

The beginning of the Torah according to the של״ה lays down two important principles about the nature of G-d and the nature of man.It is essential that we are aware that Hashem is separate from this world and He is not dependent on it in any way. If the world exists, He exists. If the world would cease to exist, He still exists.Hashem not only possesses the knowledge of all that was and will be, but also the knowledge of what could have been. Hashem is King of the Universe and only allows those who refine themselves, to get closest to Him.Man, on the other hand, was given a יצר הרע, to contend with. For him, it's all about choices. If he chooses the path of goodness and holiness, he can be on the level of an angel. If he chooses the path of evil, he can go lower than an animal.Our attachment to G-d helps us achieve the path of Kedusha.

Reason for Shatnez

Shavua Tov. The Kuzari and the של״ה share the same idea but from a different perspective. Both point out that the reason the Torah only names one of the offspring of each generation, is because only one proved to be worthy and somewhat righteous.The של״ה explains this lack of righteousness as due to the pollution caused by the serpent. This connected these souls to the סטרא אחרא, or the side of evil, that caused them to gravitate towards evil.This was even true of Cain and Abel. Cain's soul was affected negatively by the serpent while Abel was not affected and was righteous.The של״ה adds that this explains the reason for Shatnez. The linen is connected to Cain and the evil that he possessed. And the wool is connected to Abel and his inherent goodness. Therefore, wool and linen must not be mixed in a garment worn by a Jew.

Lessons from Breishit

The Shney Luchot Habrit mentions that there are four primary lessons to be learned from פרשת בראשית. The first is that קנאה, תאוה, כבוד, honor, jealousy, and lust, remove a person from this world. Trouble began with the lust of Eve and the honor the serpent was seeking and his jealousy.The second lesson is that we need to be careful what we eat. Putting unholy food into our mouths causes a great deal of confusion and hurts us spiritually.The third lesson is that we are to model ourselves after our Creator. The Parsha seems to emphasize Hashem's generosity in particular. We are likewise meant to be generous and follow Hashem's example.The final lesson to be learned is humility. Hashem said, "Let us make man" in order to show humility. This is an extremely important trait to acquire that leads to all kinds of good things. Shabbat Shalom

Sin in Garden of Eden

The Kabbalists devote a great deal of time trying to assess the effects of the sin of Adam and Eve and the serpent. It is clear that the world would have been totally different had they listened to Hashem.The consensus is that the most obvious difference would have been that people would not have died. The entire story is very difficult to comprehend. The שני לוחות הברית is of the opinion that what motivated Eve is that she wanted to be like Hashem Himself.It was as if the snake convinced her that if she thought the Garden of Eden was special, imagine what it would be like to actually resemble G-d! It was a kind of lust that allowed her to stumble.The Torah tells us that Hashem made them כתנות עור, clothing of leather skins. Before the sin, they were clothed with כתנות אור, coverings of light. This was an indication of the high level they were on before the sin. The nation returned to this high level at Mount Sinai, only to fall again with the sin of the Golden Calf. Kind of a mystical approach to a well known biblical story.

פרו ורבו

This year's commentary that I will be focusing on in better understanding the weekly Parsha is called שני לוחות הברית. It was written by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz of Prague in the late sixteenth century or early seventeenth century. Like the Alshich, it is based very much on Kabbalah.The majority of his comments on Parshat Beteishit is centered on the Mitzva of פרו ורבו. Apparently, according to Kabbalah and the Talmud, it is a very grievous sin for one not to try to fulfill this commandment of procreation. It was Hashem's intention that the earth be inhabited. If everyone decided not to be engaged in this Mitzva, the world would cease to exist.The Rabbis say, עיקר תולדותיהם של צדיקים מעשים טובים, the main "descendants" of צדיקים are their good deeds. The use of the word תולדותיהם hints that every צדיק is to see to it that he has descendants to carry on the lifestyle that he perfected.Aside from this, nothing is more sacred and precious than bringing children into the world. It is our job to instill them with proper values and Midot. This is how we fulfill the Mitzva of פרו ורבו.

Kiddush Hashem

At this time, people greet one another with חורף טוב, or, have a nice winter. We started משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם today and now that the holidays are behind us, it's time to implement new year's resolutions.The Rambam, in his introduction to ספר המצוות, devotes a chapter to the study of חילול ה׳ and קידוש ה׳. He views the desecration of Hashem's name as one of the more grievous sins. The sanctification of Hashem's name is likewise, a way to glorify G-d.Perhaps this should be our focus during the coming year. In every situation that we are in, we are to be certain that we are acting in a way that makes Hashem look good.The Rambam concludes this chapter by pointing out that one who speaks nicely to people, and his business dealings are always honest, and is always seen engaged in Torah study, and always acting beyond the letter of the law-such a person sanctifies G-d. He fulfills the words of Isaiah 49:3: "And He said to me: You are my servant-Israel, in whom I glory."

Shmini Atzeret-Simchat Torah

Tonight is Shmini Atzeret-Simchat Torah. Even though it's connected with Succot, it is considered a holiday in itself. Hashem has said to the Jewish people, קשה עלי פרידתכם, that it's difficult to separate, so we were asked to stay another day before leaving for the winter.! For this reason, we say שהחיינו tonight both with candle lighting and Kiddush.We also celebrate our completing the Torah, the greatest gift given to the Jewish people and the world. We must remember the words of the Tanya where it is written that the Torah and Hashem are one and the same. They are inseparable. The Tanya also mentions the importance of observing Halacha. The explanation is that when we observe Jewish Law we are actually fulfilling Hashem's will in this world.It's a good idea to resolve to study פרשת שבוע with a little more seriousness this year. Next Shabbat we begin Breishit again. Perhaps we should learn a new commentary this year. In any case, we must constantly appreciate the Torah we were given at Sinai.

Straightening the Crooked

There is a great deal of symbolism in the twelve chapters that make up the book of Kohelet. One such Pasuk that has a surprising Halachic ramification comes from the words מעות לא יוכל לתקון, that which is crooked cannot be made straight.What is learned from this is a Halacha related to the laws of Davening and the question of תשלומים, which we explain as making up a forgotten Shmone Esrei. If we forget a Shmone Esrei, we can only make it up in the next consecutive Davening. For example, if one forgot Maariv, he can make it up with two Shmone Esreis at Shacharit. However, if one did not make it up at Shacharit and only remembered at Mincha that he forgot last night's Maariv, he can no longer make it up.This is an example of מעות לא יוכל לתקון, that which is crooked cannot be made straight.