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PARSHA PARABLES

A Nation of One By Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky During the final day of Moshe Rabbeinu’s life, he gathers the entire nation together and addresses them: “You are standing today, all of you, before Hashem, your G-d - the heads of your tribes, your elders, and your officers kol ish Yisroel.” Moshe then details the wide variety of Jews gathered: “From your small children, to your women, to the proselyte in the midst of your camp, from the hewer of your wood to the drawer of your water” (Devorim 29-12-13). Moshe reiterates their covenant with Hashem and the repercussions of transgression, and exhorts them with one final plea to remain faithful to the tenets of the Torah. The way Moshe identifies the group in saying that “everyone is here today”

is quite curious. He says “kol ish Yisroel all men Yisroel.” He does not say kol ish b’Yisroel, all men in Yisroel, nor does he say kol Yisroeli, all Yisroelim. Instead, he

First and foremost, we are Jews. In the eyes of our Creator and in the eyes of everyone on earth. uses a term that literally translates as each of you is Yisroel! Why would Moshe use such an expression? ••••• The Chofetz Chaim’s son, Rav Aryeh Leib, related that one time, as a young man, he was about to leave the house when his revered father called to him. “Rav Aryeh Leib,” said the Chofetz

Giving With Joy A Different View of Simcha By Rav Moshe Shternbuch The following was written by Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis based on a drasha given by Rav Moshe Shternbuch, Rosh Av Beis Din of the Eidah Hachareidis of Yerushalayim. ••••• GIVING TO OURSELVES “When you come to the land that the Almighty has given you as an inheritance and settle there. And you have taken the first of every fruit - the bibkurim - from the land that the Almighty has given you and put it in a basket…and the Kohen will take the basket from your hands” (Devorim 26:1-4). The bikkurim were among the many gifts that the Jewish people gave to the Kohanim and Leviim in exchange for their service in the Bais Hamikdosh. They were also sustained by gifts of fruits and vegetables in the form of terumos and maaser, wool from the reishis hagez, and meat from the zaroyah, lechayim and keivah. At first glance, the Torah seems to have assigned the tribe of Levi to an eternal fate of being “schnorrers,” forever dependent on the “hand-outs” of their fellows Jews for every aspect of their existence. But if we look deeper, we will see that just the opposite is true. Kohanim are the agents transferring Hashem’s blessing to the Jewish people through Birkas Kohanim. By assigning the Kohanim to be the ones to bless the Jewish people, the Torah is showing us that, in truth, when we give to them, we are actually on the receiving end. Giving these gifts allowed us to form a partnership with the Kohanim and Leviim. The Torah gives us the opportunity to support the ovdei Hashem and thereby acquire a share in their holy service. In this sense, the gifts to Shevet Levi were the ultimate bargain - mere worldly produce in exchange for a priceless connection to the Almighty and the World to Come. RECOGNIZING GOOD “And you shall rejoice with all the 22 Elul 5769 • September 11 2009

Chaim, “there is a small stain on your jacket. Surely you are aware that the Gemara says that if a talmid chochom goes out in the street with stained clothing, the chillul Hashem, the desecration of Hashem’s name, is so severe that it is as if he committed a capital crime!” Rav Aryeh smiled. “But father,” he countered. “I am not a talmid chochom!” The Chofetz Chaim became serious.

good that Hashem has given you” (Devorim 26:11). Many of us find ourselves beset by problems in our lives which, if we let them, could cause us to sink into a state of despair. When overwhelmed with responsibilities and troubles, how can we recognize all of the good that the Almighty has bestowed upon us? By giving to others, we can get a real glimpse into how much we have been given by Hashem, and this brings us to a state of simcha. Since it is not always easy for us to feel simcha upon giving away our hard-won earnings, the mitzvah of bikkurim is accompanied by a special viduy. We humbly concede that we have listened to “the voice of Hashem” and done all that He has commanded. In order

“For a chillul Hashem,” he responded, “you are enough of a talmid chochom!” ••••• Moshe specifies all types of Jews: men, women, and children. He details a variety of occupations, water drawers, and wood-hewers. But he prefaces all Jews with three simple words: kol ish Yisroel. Every one of you is Yisroel. With those three words, Moshe relays a giving it away, we are merely carrying out our obligation to distribute it. Even someone so poor that he is not able to give tzedakah can find ways to enjoy the Almighty’s overwhelming kindness. Rav Shternbuch’s rosh yeshiva, Rav Moshe Shneider zt”l, related that the talmidim of the Vilna Gaon learned Torah in a state of dire poverty, something which could potentially lower one’s spirits. How did they ensure that they would stay b’simcha and focus on all the good that Hashem bestowed on them? Every Erev Shabbos, they would visit the local hospital in Vilna. When they saw all of the sick people there, they felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude to the Almighty that He had preserved their health for another week. In this way, they always recognized all of the good that they received and remained in a state of joy. SEIZE THE MOMENT “Because you did not serve Hashem with joy and good-heartedness when you had everything” (Devorim 38:47).

By giving to others, we can get a real glimpse into how much we have been given by Hashem, and this brings us to a state of simcha. to grant the mitzvah its full impact, we need to bear in mind that the Almighty has specifically asked us to give away our money. The Shulchan Aruch obligates us to give tzedakah with joy. Whatever we are able to distribute, we should do it with simcha. Even if we give a large sum, if we do so with a sour face, we are transgressing the Torah’s will, and we do not fulfill the mitzvah of tzedakah. One gaon once said, “It is difficult for me to give tzedakah, as I do not have any money. However, it is even harder for me to refuse in the proper way.” If we can only give a small donation, we should give it joyously and express our appreciation for the opportunity to have a share in this mitzvah. The Torah obligates us to give charity for our own benefit, for the giver actually reaps more benefit than the receiver. For this reason, these gifts are referred to as tzedakah, from the word tzedek, justice. Money distributed to tzedakah is really owed, and by

Based on the above, we can understand why the Torah promises such harsh treatment if we fail to serve the Almighty with joy. Hashem gave us bikkurim and other mitzvos to help us recognize how much good we have. If we are not able to appreciate all He has bestowed upon us, it will be taken away so that we can look back and realize how blessed we actually were. We can apply this concept to the month of Elul and the upcoming judgment on Rosh Hashanah. If we recognize now what is incumbent upon us and prepare ourselves properly while the opportunity is still in our hands, we can hope to receive a year of bracha. Rav Chaim Brisker offered the following parable to help us wake up and internalize our situation as we progress through Elul: There was once a Jew who hired a wagon driver to smuggle his entire fortune

YATED NE’EMAN

subtle message that is almost as powerful as the ensuing soliloquy that follows in Parshas Nitzavim. Whatever we do, or however we identify ourselves on a mundane level, we must remember the words “kol ish Yisroel.” First and foremost, we are Jews. In the eyes of our Creator and in the eyes of everyone on earth. We are not carpenters, we are not lawyers, and we are not doctors. We may not even be men, women, or children. We are Jews. As Winston Churchill told his troops before they embarked to Dunkirk, “You are England.” Moshe tells his nation to remember that in every aspect of our life, our Yiddishkeit transcends any other factor. Though we may do all types of work, though we may act in all different ways, though we may think all sorts of ideas, we are Yisroel! ••••• Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky is the rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Toras Chaim at South Shore and the author of the Parsha Parables series. over the border. Since the Jew stood to lose all of his money if his plan failed, he was plagued by nervousness for the entire month prior to the fateful day. The wagon driver, on the other hand, was used to this type of work, and although he would be punished severely if caught, he only started worrying a week ahead. Only one member of this team was calm from start to end - the horse that pulled the wagon. He had no clue that he was participating in such a dangerous operation and that something bad could happen. Both before and during the smuggling operation, the horse was completely calm. So, too, said Rav Chaim, those tzaddikim who recognize how much they have to lose on Rosh Hashanah start to worry at the beginning of Elul. They fill the entire month with prayers and pleading for Divine mercy. Individuals with less awareness and less at stake only wake up a week before, during selichos. Unfortunately, some people are like the horse and even on Rosh Hashanah have no idea what is transpiring. WAKE UP! Chazal describe two levels of sleep, sheinah and tenumah. Sheinah is a normal state of sleep, and if a person is shaken, he can be woken up. Tenumah is a heavy state of slumber, and arousing a person in this state is much more difficult. The tochachos that we read in Parshas Ki Savo were meant to shake us out of our sleep. In our generation, our hearts are less sensitive and waking up is much more difficult. Only someone who is ready to open up his heart and dedicate himself to Hashem stands a chance of waking up from the deep slumber that envelopes the world today. ••••• Rabbi Travis is a rosh kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim in Yerushalayim, and is the author of Shaylos U’Teshuvos Toras Chaim and “Praying With Joy - A Daily Tefilla Companion,” a practical daily guide to improving one’s prayers, available from Feldheim Publishers. For more information about his work, contact [email protected]. Page 63