The Number 400

The brilliance of our Torah scholars, never ceases to amaze me. The purchase of Me’arat Hamachpela for 400 shekels is mentioned in the Parsha.

The Keli Yakar noted two other places in Tanach, where the number 400 was mentioned, and looked for a common denominator. He also realized that our first example concerned Efron, the seller of the cave.

He felt that the name, Efron, was an indication of his nature. He was called רע עין, or, of a bad eye. This is like Ayin Hara, the evil eye, indicating that Efron was very jealous, and not a good person at all.

The second time the number 400 appears, is concerning Eisav, and the 400 men, he brought, to wage war with Yakov. Needless to say, Eisav had Efron’s negative traits, and even surpassed him.

The third example of 400, referred to the size of David’s army. He used his men to protect a horrible person, named Naval. He was married to the saintly and beautiful, Avigail. Naval was extremely miserly, and refused to feed David’s soldiers, or show any gratitude.

His wife compensated David for her husband’s bad behavior. She brought Donkeys laden with food. Naval died of a heart attack ten days later, and David later married Avigail.

It is very impressive to see the vast knowledge of the Keli Yakar, and how he managed to make that connection to the number 400. There is so much joy to be found in the study of Torah. And it is available to everyone, to partake of it.

Finding a Spouse

Over the years, I would give classes on dating, and what to look for in a spouse. I would tell my students that there were certain points that were “deal breakers” from the outset.

The suggestion was to see if the potential spouse had the right priorities necessary to build a solid marriage and a proper, Jewish home.

There needed to be an appreciation for Torah study. This needed to be the foundation and anchor of the home.

There needed to be agreement of the importance of self improvement. Our role is to work on ourselves to become better and better people. And we need to help one another grow in spirituality.

A third point is to stay away from people who demonstrate a jealous nature. This often comes with feelings of entitlement. If this character flaw is found in a potential mate, it will never be possible to make them happy.

This week’s Parsha emphasizes what might be the most important trait of all. This was what Eliezer was looking for in his task of finding a wife for Yitzchak. We are speaking of a person that loves doing acts of kindness. Rivka demonstrated this as she showed that her nature was one of absolute Chessed. She was kind, giving, and generous.

A potential spouse needs to show these traits as well. If the world is built on Chessed, then certainly a Jewish home, and the relationship between husband and wife must be built on Chessed and acts of kindness.

Abraham’s Fulfilled Life

The Keli Yakar noticed a slight difference in the wording of the Torah, in describing the number of years, that both Avraham and Sara lived.

After telling us that Sara lived 127 years, the Pasuk ends with the words, “and these were the years of Sara.” In contrast, when we are told that Avraham lived 175 years, the Pasuk ends just like it did with Sara, but added two important words, אשר חי, “that he lived.”

The complete ending by Avraham was, “And these were the years of Avraham that he lived.” The Keli Yakar viewed these two extra words as being very significant.

Avraham’s life were filled with meaning and significance throughout his life. He really “lived” from a young age until his death. He was always accomplishing, and found fulfillment in all that he did. At three years old, he discovered G-d. He dared to be different and managed to make a huge impact on the entire world.

Sara, or any woman for that matter, does not have that same fulfillment. Women have to go through childbirth and raising children. In addition, they need to deal with taking care of their husbands, which also has its challenges. They are not as free as the man, because of all the duties placed on them. This is why it did not say, אשר חיתה, regarding Sara.

We can only emulate Avraham and his lifetime achievements. He was focused from a young age, as to what he needed to accomplish. We may not be expected to be Avraham Avinu, but it is never too late to gain a focus and determination regarding how we need to contribute to the world.

We begin with serious soul searching and self analysis. This should lead to a desire to do what is right in “the eyes of G-d.” After this, we learn to apply our G-d given gifts, to make our contribution.

The Jewish nation needs us at our best. All of us, can make a difference. Now, more than ever, the world needs to see the Jew, as the symbol of all that is good and decent. We all have a task. We need to go out there and fulfill it.

Death Wish

In Parshat Chayei Sara, there is a great deal of discussion regarding the small letter ״כ״ in the word, לבכותה. It is describing the mourning, eulogizing, and crying, after the tragic death of our Mother Sara.

The Baal Haturim gives the most bolden explanation to this unusual word in the Torah. He wrote that Avraham Avinu was not permitted to fully mourn for his beloved wife. This is because she fell into the category of one who has committed suicide.

He was referring to the time when Sara asked for “Din,” judgement, between her and Avraham’s maidservant, Hagar. She told Avraham that Hashem should judge between her and him. She wanted Hagar sent away, and her husband disagreed. Ultimately, Hashem agreed with Sara.

Nevertheless, the Baal Haturim insisted that asking for judgement, is actually, a death wish. This is the reason for the small letter ״כ״ and why Avraham could not fully mourn.

We must be so careful not to judge others. We must learn to give the benefit of the doubt in all situations. We must not count other people’s money, which is also a form of judging.

The last thing we could possibly want is for Divine judgement. If we judge others, G-d will judge us, and nobody could stand before His judgement-not even our saintly Mother Sara, was able to escape such judgement.

Jewish Debates

There is an interesting discussion related between Rabbi Akiva and the Roman, Turnusrupus. The Roman asked in a mocking manner, why we need to cut the foreskin of every Jewish male. Must we correct or improve the work of Hashem?

Rabbi Akiva responded that G-d also made wheat and barley, and we cannot benefit from them as they are. We must go through the process of harvesting and turning the wheat into flour, before baking bread. The finished product also requires fixing.

This is the reason why Avraham first offered the three angels bread. He was anticipating the possibility that they might make fun of him for doing the Brit Mila, just as Turnusrufus did to Rabbi Akiva. He showed them the bread as a reminder that it is upon us to perfect some of the things in this world.

Throughout our history, we have debated many scoffers of our practices. Jews always won these debates, and often the other side were “sore losers,” and killed the victors of the debate.

How sad it is today that after going through a one day Holocaust, we still need to justify our position, and our right to exist.

We are coming closer to that time when all of the world will recognize the truth of G-d, the Torah, and Judaism. All will acknowledge this truth, and no debating will be necessary. “On that day Hashem will be One, and His Name will be One.”

Sodom Like Behavior

The description of the people of Sodom, is that they were רעים וחטאים מאוד, “Very evil and sinful.” The evil was so great that Hashem had no choice but to destroy them.

When He speaks to Avraham, to explain why their destruction is necessary, He says that זעקת סדום ועמורה באה אלי, “The cries of Sodom and Gomorrah have reached Me.”

It is not a coincidence that this section is being read during this difficult period. We must be reminded of the evil that surrounds us. It must be completely eliminated. It is like a cancer that must removed at its root.

It is very difficult to comprehend the mind of an evil person, as their thinking is not anything that we can relate to, in any way. But we have now learned that if we delude ourselves, and do not accept the reality, we end up paying a heavy price, for our misplaced compassion.

It was particularly painful to hear from a captured terrorist, that he was a worker from Gaza, who was employed in one of the Jewish settlements near the border. He admitted that he supplied the other terrorists with information regarding the layouts and details of his place of employment.

Only now the government is saying that they will no longer employ Gazan’s in Israel. Reality is the best teacher. In the name of the holy Jews who perished, we cannot afford to take chances and make goodwill gestures.

Every Arab, whether in Israel or the territories, must pledge their allegiance to the State of Israel, and condemn the atrocities of October the seventh. If they refuse to do this, it is Sodom like behavior. They pose a threat to our security, and do not belong here.

Abraham’s Unique Faith

There is a question that is often asked regarding the “The binding of Isaac.” Why is this story seen as the ultimate act of sacrifice in the Name of G-d, when nobody died.

There were so many instances in history, where Jews gave their lives, sanctifying Hashem. Why not point to one of these incidents, instead of Akeidat Yitzchak.

Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Berkowitz said that the answer to this question comes from an apparently superfluous word. When Avraham is told by the angel, that he does not need to sacrifice his son, there is a little bit of confusion. The Torah tells us that Avraham lifted his eyes, and behold there was an איל אחר, a different ram, stuck in the thicket. The word, אחר, does not need to be written at all.

The Pasuk could be understood without it. Avraham lifted his eyes and saw a ram, and offered it instead of his son. Why was it written as an איל אחר, a different ram?

This extra word, taught the greatness of the faith of Avraham. His faith was so great, that he no longer saw his beloved son, as his son, but, rather as a sacrifice. This type of faith was rare. This is the reason for the extra word, אחר.

When fulfilling the word of Hashem, it must be done without hesitation or questioning.This is where Avraham was unique. The ram stuck in the thicket, was offered instead of the other intended sacrifice, Yitzchak. This is an extremely high level of faith, that Avraham possessed. We are to emulate such faith. This is why the chapter of Akeidat Yitzchak, is included in our morning prayers every day. We will never go wrong by putting our absolute faith in G-d. Avraham set the example of such faith. It led to the formation of עם ישראל, that will live on forever, with G-d’s help.

Lot’s Obsession With Money

The story of the saving of Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gemorra, carries with it, an important message. It demonstrates Lot’s weakness and obsession with money.

His motivation in choosing Sodom in the first place, was mainly for financial reasons. He had a great amount of sheep and he needed a place that was fertile, so that his flock would thrive.

One explanation why Lot’s wife looked back as the cities were being destroyed, is that it was difficult for her to part from her possessions.

When the angels told Lot to hurry and get out of that place, the Torah uses the word, ויתמהמה, that he hesitated. The note on this word is a שלשלת. There are only four times that this note is sung in the whole Torah. It clearly emphasizes this hesitation. Rashi says it was because he had pity on his money.

This shows how foolish and overly attached they are to their money and possessions. There was a situation of life and death, and survival, and there still was hesitation.

The Mussar books speak of the foolishness of people who believe that their money is their security. The Rabbis speak of how money can be a blessing, a curse, or a test. One must remind himself that the only security we have, is our faith in Hashem. Money can come out of nowhere and can easily be lost. But Hashem never forsakes those who trust in Him.

In many circles, success is judged by how much money he earns. There is emphasis on getting a good education so that one can earn a good living. Sadly, when this is the emphasis, and young people are not taught the importance of good character traits, and faith in G-d, they may not turn out so well.

A life of materialism and comfort, will not make a person happy. It is his ability to give to others, and living a spiritual life, that brings peace of mind.

Lot is not remembered in a positive way at all. His obsession with his possessions prevented him from achieving very much. We must learn from his mistakes.

Separate from Them

The Torah tells us, מדבר שקר תרחק, that we are to distance ourselves from falsehood. Similarly, in our morning prayers, we ask Hashem, to keep us far away from a bad friend, a bad neighbor, or a bad person.

The influence of such evil and negativity, has a bad effect on us. It blocks us from connecting to all that is good and sacred. We are urged to be strong and not feel sorry for such harmful individuals.

After the horrific and tragic events of October seventh, there is a new gauge to know who we must not have any connection with, whatsoever. This has to do with the response to what took place that fateful day. If a friend, associate, co-worker or family member, Jew or non-Jew, cannot condemn what took place that day, he is one with whom we must absolutely sever all ties.

There are many young people who may be naive and feel that it’s okay to worry about the rights of the so called Palestinian people. Perhaps we might succeed in setting the record straight, and convince them of the truth.

But if there is a human being that hears of these Holocaust-like atrocities, and is not shocked and outraged, and cannot condemn it, he is one that must not be a part of our lives.

If he is a Jew, he is self hating. And if he is a non-Jew, he is a vicious and dangerous anti-Semite. We must tell it like it is and not mince words.

These recent events make it abundantly clear, who is with us, and who is not. And if they are not, they are connected to that very evil and falsehood, that the Torah and our rabbis, warned us that we must stay away from.

When the dust settles after this tumultuous time, it will be a different and better world. It will be a world where evil and goodness are clear. We must be wise enough to cleave to the good.

Women and Modesty

When the three angels came to visit Avraham, they asked where Sarah was. They were told that she is in her tent.

The Keli Yakar explained that this was an indication of the wonderful trait of modesty, that Sarah possessed. It was in the merit of such modesty, that she was given a child at her advanced age.

There are numerous Mitzvot observed, when a woman has this trait of modesty. She fulfills the commandment to “Be holy.” She also fulfills her obligation to love and fear Hashem. She acts in a way that sanctifies the Name of G-d. She also fulfills not putting a stumbling block in front of a blind person, by avoiding dressing provocatively.

She walks in the way of G-d and she fulfills the commandment of cleaving to Him. She attains a certain nobility in the manner that she carries herself.

The Vilna Gaon added that the adornment of a woman, is her modesty. It is not only how she dresses, but it is also reflected in the way she carries herself. Women demonstrated this nobility, in that they did not participate in the sin of the spies. And the daughters of Tzlofchad demonstrated their wisdom and love for the land, in the request made to Moshe Rabbeinu for an inheritance.

These beautiful traits of modesty began with our Mother Sara, and is fulfilled by all of the modest women of today.

Kind to the Cruel

It is so critically important, that our values are learned only from the Torah. People foolishly believe that they are capable of being more just or merciful than G-d Himself.

Unfortunately, many Western values have infiltrated the thinking of many Jews. The Midrash Tanchuma teaches a valuable lesson that must not forgotten. This is the source for the quote, “Anyone who has pity on the cruel, will show cruelty to the merciful.”

There is also a verse in Mishlei that says, “When evil is destroyed, there is joy.”

The Sefer Hachinuch adds that when evil is destroyed, the world is a better place. In other words, the destruction of our enemies, is a merciful act. We want the world to function without the terrible influence of evil individuals, and evil concepts.

War is terrible because it inevitably leads to the death of innocent people. But the war that we are fighting for our survival, means that our people come first.

This obsession of not killing civilians, is a ploy to make Israel look inhumane. This is never emphasized in other wars. If it becomes necessary to drop bombs, to destroy the enemy, people will die. It is just so foolish and unJewish, to think that risking the lives of our people, in order to save civilians of the enemy, is praiseworthy.

Obviously, if we can achieve our goals, with less loss of life, that would be ideal. But in a war of survival, we must put ourselves first. At the end of the day, the world will still find reason to fault Israel despite its efforts. There is always a double standard when it comes to Israel.

Everything must have its source in the Torah. The civilian issue must not deter us in achieving our goal. We must destroy our evil enemy. That is the merciful thing to do, and that is what will make the world a better place.

Welcoming Guests

Avraham Avinu is associated with the Mitzva of הכנסת אורחים, welcoming guests. This is connected with his treatment of the three angels who came to visit.

The Talmud explains that this Mitzva is greater than welcoming the Divine Presence. Avraham was in the middle of a conversation with G-d, and asked to be excused so that he could take care of his guests.

The Rambam points out that welcoming guests is not one of the 613 Mitzvot by itself, but is included in the Mitzva of ואהבת לרעך כמוך, love your neighbor like yourself. The Rambam connects this to ואהבת לרעך, because we are to treat others the way we would like to be treated. And this certainly applies to welcoming guests.

A final point made by the Rambam is that in order to properly fulfill this Mitzva, we must make a point to escort our guests, when they leave our home. This is called לווי, or “Livuy.” We should walk with them for at least four cubits, or six feet, past our front door.

As Jews, we are commanded to do גמילות חסדים, acts of kindness. And welcoming guests, הכנסת אורחים, falls under this category of Mitzvot.

We are seeing this openly during the last few weeks, when Israelis have opened their homes to the refugees of the war. The Jewish people are, indeed, very special!

Evil Nimrod

There is a reference to Nimrod at the end of Parshat Noach, and again in Parshat Lech Lecha. In the latter Parsha, he is referred to as Amraphel, the king of Shinar.

Nimrod or Amraphel, was ultimately killed by Avraham Avinu, in the war he fought, to save Lot. But his relationship with Nimrod, began before his birth.

Nimrod was an evil man who ruled the world. He convinced the masses that he was god, and all idols were a means towards worshipping him. He was heavily involved with witchcraft and sorcery.

Just before Avraham’s birth, his advisors told him that a baby would be born who will one day expose him as a fraud, and would ultimately kill him.

Avraham’s father, Terach, was very close to Nimrod, and being that his wife was about to give birth, he assumed his son was the savior. Terach was also very evil, but he did not want his son killed. Instead, he gave Nimrod the baby of a maid servant, who was killed instead of Avraham.

At the age of three, Avraham began pondering the universe. He realized that there had to be a G-d that ruled the world. He confronted Nimrod when he was forty-eight years old, and received Divine assistance in challenging the demagogue. After being thrown into the fiery furnace for three days, it was clear to all, that Avraham was a great man. Nimrod’s son, Eliezer, agreed to be his faithful servant.

When Avraham was in Israel for ten years, he needed to rescue Lot. As fate would have it, he and Eliezer, killed the tyrant.

All of this information is found in the Meam Loez. Avraham succeeded in destroying evil incarnate. Now it is the responsibility of his children, to do the same.

Timing Is Everything

When the Torah describes the conflict between the servants of Lot and the servants of Avraham, there appears to be an unrelated verse.

We are told, והכנעני אז בארץ, that the Canaanites were still living in the land. Avraham Avinu is also promised that his children will return to Eretz Yisrael, as their possession. This will come about after the exodus from Egypt, but not at that time. The reason for this delay is that the sin of the Emorites is not yet complete. It will be complete, when they return. They will no longer have any merits.

This explains the reason for the dispute between the shepherds of Avraham and Lot. Avraham’s shepherds realized that the land was not yet given to Avraham. They needed to be careful where they grazed, so that they would not be stealing.

Lot’s shepherds made two incorrect assumptions. They thought that Lot would be Avraham’s heir, because he was childless. They also thought that the land already belonged to Avraham, and they could graze wherever they wanted. This was the source of the conflict.

We see how everything goes according to Hashem’s plan. He is running the world and will bring about salvation at the appropriate time.

The time for elimination of our enemies is now. I believe that great salvation and joy, awaits us. All of the sadness and mourning, will not be for naught. These holy Jews will not have died in vain. We will see the Hand of G-d and all of our sadness will turn to great happiness. It’s all about timing, and the time is now!

The Key to Abraham’s Success

Avraham Avinu demonstrated his great trust in Hashem, with his willingness to leave his place of birth, and his father’s house, to come to Eretz Yisrael.

He was given many blessings and promises of success, in his holy mission of teaching monotheistic beliefs. All of these promises, ultimately came true, after Avraham successfully overcoming all of his challenges.

At the outset, Hashem reminds him, that he must never forget three things. These were brought in a Mishna in Pirkei Avot. If one remembers three things, he will not come to sin. He must remember, מאין באת, from where he came, ולאן אתה הולך, and to where are you going, ולפני מי אתה עתיד ליתן דין וחשבון, and to whom we will one day, give an accounting.

These were all implied when Avraham was told to leave, ארצך, your land. This was a reminder from where man came and to where he is going. He came from the dust, and will return to the dust. When it says, ממולדתך, from your birthplace, it is a reminder that we were created from a putrid drop. And when it says, מבית אביך, your father’s house, it is a reference to the accounting we will one day give to our Father in Heaven.

In order for Avraham, or anyone, to be successful in their life’s mission, they must not get carried away with themselves. They must never forget their limitations as human beings, and who is really running this world. If he remembers these things, he will receive help from Above, and succeed.

I Am Not That Good

If one studies the various Mussar books, there is a common emphasis on an individual reaching his potential. One must work at improving himself all of the days of his life.

Often we find that others are intimidated when meeting friends who are locked in at self improvement. This could also apply within families, when certain members choose a life of piety, while others do not.

There is a common rationalization that comes with this realization that friends or family members have surpassed them with the lifestyle that they have chosen. Instead of taking the approach that, “If they could make positive changes, so could I,” they give a different answer. They simply say, “I’m not that good.”

This allows their consciences to be put at ease. They are able to tell themselves that they are still pretty much okay. The others are excellent, but they are not that good.

This attitude also applies when people who should know better, decide not to make Aliya. They are able to live with themselves by putting those who made Aliya, on a pedestal.

They are the great Jews that have strong idealism, and are able to fulfill their Jewish dream. We are also very fine people, but, “We are not that good.”

We must have the faith and courage not to rationalize, but to do the right thing. We need to push ourselves to do what is right, as dictated by the Torah. Studying the Mussar books, will help give us the strength and motivation to get to this sacred destination.

Pledge of Allegiance

There are Halachot from the Torah, as to who is allowed to own land in Israel. There are three categories of people, who are given this privilege.

The first group are those who are born Jewish. The second group are called, גר צדק, that are righteous converts, who accept upon themselves the observance of all 613 Mitzvot. The third group are known as גר תושב, translated as resident strangers. They are technically not Jewish, but accept upon themselves the Seven Noachide Laws.

They pledge their allegiance to the Jewish people, and abandon idolatry, or the observance of any other religion. They are loyal citizens, and are given the right to own land.

I once asked the former chief rabbi of Israel, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu, זצ״ל, if I was allowed to sell a property to a Gentile woman, who claimed to be a Noachide. He said that if it could be verified, that she did observe these laws, she was entitled to own property in Israel.

These laws made me think that perhaps something could be done to ease the trauma, Israel is going through. There is an uneasiness in terms of our interaction with our Arab inhabitants. Some have asked that Arab workers be put on leave, until things quiet down.

Perhaps some kind of initiative should be done, where all non-Jews living here, pledge their allegiance to Israel, and condemn the terrible atrocities that has taken place. They would be given recognition for making it clear where they stood, and we would be more at ease when we interact with them.

This may sound outrageous to some, but it is based on the Torah requirements. And if it could create a certain calmness, it may be worthwhile to be considered.

Faith

Avraham Avinu stands out among all our great Jewish leaders, for his unshakable faith in Hashem. He was given ten difficult tests to see how strong his faith was, and he passed them all.

We must realize that during these difficult times that we have been experiencing, it is only our faith in Hashem, that will allow us to face the challenge before us. Without this faith and complete reliance on G-d for our salvation, we will fall apart.

We must not allow ourselves to succumb to fears and doubts, and thinking negative thoughts. This will not help us at all. Worrying about what might be, can certainly be very damaging, as it will not make our situation any better.

Many people are asking how Hashem could allow such atrocities to take place, as witnessed just two weeks ago. It is natural that such thoughts should cross our minds, but we need not think in this way.

A great rabbi once said that he would not believe in a G-d, that he could understand all of His ways. The point being that Hashem’s greatness and ways are not able to be comprehended by man. We must remember that all His ways are just, even though at times like this, it’s hard to see it.

We must not be afraid to put our trust in Him. He has always been there for us, during our long exile, and He is with us now. One day it will be explained to us why this had to happen.

If we look at history, suffering was always followed by redemption. The Jews were slaves in Egypt, and redeemed with the giving of the Torah, and the entering of Eretz Yisrael. The tragedy of the Holocaust, gave us the State of Israel. And the suffering we experienced lately with unspeakable horrors, will bring great things for the Jewish people. Those who died, sanctifying Hashem’s Name, did so, in order that there will be a better tomorrow. We only need to hold on to the faith of Avraham Avinu, to help us get there.

Distance from Evil

Rashi, at the end of Parshat Noach, describes how Avraham Avinu upset Nimrod by breaking his idols. Nimrod acted as if he was a deity.

Rashi goes on to explain how Avraham was thrown into a fiery service, as a punishment. He was miraculously saved by Hashem. His brother, Haran, after seeing this miracle, willingly went into this furnace. Because he did not have the faith of his brother, he perished. This is why Avraham felt responsible for his son, Lot. He also married Haran’s daughter, Sara.

There is an interesting argument in Masechet Avoda Zara, between Rav Yochanan and his brother in-law, Reish Lakish, regarding broken fragments of an idol.

Rav Yochanan is of the opinion that these fragments, especially a recognizable hand or foot of the idol, is still treated as a forbidden fragment of Avoda Zara.

Reish Lakish, on the other hand, disagrees by saying that if someone finds that his idol is broken, he comes to a reasonable conclusion. If this idol could not manage to hold itself together, how could it possibly answer my prayers? This was what Avraham realized as a young boy. If an idol could easily be broken, how could it have any powers?

Nevertheless, the Halacha is like Rav Yochanan, that even fragments maintain their forbidden status, and they must be destroyed.

It is clear that we must distance ourselves from evil and impurities, and not even allow fragments of it, to be around us. All negativity and negative influences, must be kept away from us.

And we are now fighting a battle against the evil that has harmed our citizens. Just like the evil that affects us nationally, must be destroyed, we must also remove it from our personal lives.

The Maze

The Mesilat Yesharim uses a “maze,” to teach an important life lesson. Its author, Ramchal describes a specific type of maze.

He asks his readers to picture a number of bushes that are grown in such a way, that they set a path to a particular desired destination. Because it’s a maze, there are many dead ends, where the traveler must go back to the beginning and start over.

It is possible that there could be someone with an aerial view of the maze. If he sees his friend going in a direction that leads to nowhere, he could shout and warn him, to take a different path. He knows this maze very well, and he is no longer held back by the various obstacles.

The maze refers to our lives and the path we choose to take. We might learn by trial and error, the mistakes we made, that led us nowhere. We were forced to backtrack and take a different course. If we would only listen to those who are older, wiser, and more experienced, they would help us avoid making mistakes in the future.

The Ramchal felt that anyone who succeeds in overcoming the enticement of the Yeitzer Hara, will have the wisdom to lead and help others. He has worked sufficiently in reaching the desired destination of closeness to G-d.

This message has real significance today, when the younger generation genuinely believes that they are smarter, and better problem solvers, than the older generation. How sad this is, when so much can be gleaned from those who have gone through life, and had to learn things the hard way. If they would only listen, they would not hit the dead ends of the maze, and be forced to start over again.