Watch Your Step

However, that which he felt that in business he would be free from transgression was a fundamental mistake. It is just the opposite. The business world requires a greater knowledge of halacha to keep one’s hands clean of transgression. When a person gets to the Next World, the first question he will be asked will be, “Were you honest in business?” Why did Moshe Rabbeinu wait so

long to warn Klal Yisroel regarding these mitzvos which are generally trodden on? While the Jewish people were in the Midbar, they dined each day on monn and pheasant, and did not need to concern themselves with financial laws. Now that they were preparing themselves to enter Eretz Yisroel, the reality of the situation necessitated strengthening these halachos. This is the intent behind Eikev tishme’un - i.e., before these halachos become relevant. Even though these laws would only become applicable later, nonetheless, Moshe Rabbeinu mentioned them now. Tanach is filled with warnings about monetary infringements, since Hashem considers them to be among the most serious transgressions. Rav Yisroel Salanter points out that each group of individuals has its own unique daily nisyanos. Bochurim and avreichim need to ensure that they are making the proper efforts to learn Torah, businessmen have to be sure that they act with integrity and give the proper respect to talmidei chachomim, and rabbonim have to make sure that they are making the proper efforts for the sake of Klal Yisroel. The one factor which unites all Jews is that all financial matters should be carried out with integrity. We

should know that whatever money has been decreed for us will come into our hands, not a penny more or less. Efforts made dishonestly to acquire more than our share will lead to nowhere, and will only cause a desecration of Hashem’s name. The Avnei Neizer adds that the reason one must be especially wary of the seemingly insignificant transgressions is because such an attitude destroys one’s whole outlook on Divine service. Repentance is characterized by the recognition that we sinned ‘in front of Hashem,’ and constant repetition wears away at that realization. Because it is so hard to separate oneself from these small sins, the posuk places special emphasis that we should be careful in these matters. ••••• 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].

realize that we must make the effort - then even when it is difficult we will not relax our guard and will keep up our learning time. The Shulchan Aruch’s very first halacha states that a person should arise in the morning like a lion; he should awaken before dawn or at least not come late for davening. Rav Yosef Cairo chose this phrase because it is the most basic concept in regards to keeping mitzvos. The first step is to actively exert energy in mitzvah performance. If we so start the day, our entire day will be geared to serve Hashem, regardless

that if a person commits aveiros intentionally, Hashem will combine those aveiros that he committed unintentionally and hold him accountable for all of them. The Ramban takes a different approach and explains that if a person allows himself to overindulge in hedonism, he will eventually commit acts that were foreign to him, acts of which in his wildest dreams he could not have dreamt of doing, even acts that disgust him. Yet, only because he allowed himself to be uncontrolled does he commit these despicable acts. The Gemara states that the yeitzer harah has seven names. Six

pressures, moreover, can direct him to work against himself. He must find the avenue that will channel his activities on a proper course that never allows him to deviate. The avenue is that which the Mishnah directed us: “Run to perform a minor mitzvah,” as Rav Yeruchom explains. We should not let the mitzvos happen nonchalantly; rather, we should focus on every mitzvah and pay attention to it. We should realize that although it seems relatively easy, nevertheless we are conscious of it and fulfill it with our whole heart. Thus, even when it is difficult to perform we will have the strength and courage to do so. This is the intent of the posuk, “Rak chazak levilti echol hadam Be strong so as not to eat blood.” Although we naturally despise blood as a drink, we must, nevertheless, put forth a concentrated effort when we refrain from it. The reason we refrain is not because it naturally disgusts us; we refrain because Hashem prohibits it. If we take this approach to every mitzvah we do and refrain from aveiros because that is what the Torah directs, and not because we dislike them, we will merit to always fulfill mitzvos and learn Torah regardless of the circumstances.

Watch Your Step Developing Greater Appreciation for the Smaller Mitzvos 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, on leil Shabbos Parshas Eikev. ••••• “Eikev refers to the seemingly insignificant mitzvos that a person treads on with his heel” (Rashi). In truth, every mitzvah is filled with depth and there is no such thing as an insignificant mitzvah. Mitzvos are commandments of Hashem and they must all be treated with the greatest importance. Treating a mitzvah with contempt is paramount to rebelling against the King of kings. Only by studying the halachos can we give mitzvos the respect they deserve. Overcharging, interest and theft are only a few examples of Torah prohibitions that we can easily violate as a result of unfamiliarity with their guidelines.With-

out proper knowledge, we will tread over these mitzvos on a constant basis. Right after teaching us the Aseres Hadibros in Parshas Yisro, the Torah follows with Parshas Mishpatim, which focuses heavily on financial rulings. What is the deeper meaning behind this

We should know that whatever money has been decreed for us will come into our hands, not a penny more or less. juxtaposition? The Torah equates the mitzvos, comparing business law to the severity of the Ten Commandments. A rov once came to Rav Yisroel Salanter and told him that he wanted to resign from his position in rabbonus.As rov, perhaps he had ruled improperly and caused a distortion of Torah law. Instead, he said, he would earn a living as a businessman. Rav Yisroel replied that the rov’s

Easy Mitzvos By Rabbi Nachum Eisenstein Lakewood, N.J. “Rak chazak levilti echol hadam - Be strong so as not to eat the blood” (Devorim 12:23). The Torah’s use of the word chazak, strong, intrigued Rashi. It would have sufficed to inform us simply of the prohibition against eating blood. Why does the Torah need an extra emphasis? To resolve this, Rashi notes that this question also troubled Chazal, who deduced that the Torah is acknowledging human character. Although people detest blood, they cannot rely on that instinct alone and must seek additional means to ensure that they refrain from this practice. Thus, even in areas where a person’s nature is to refrain from a certain practice, he cannot rely solely on his character trait but must find different avenues to protect himself from falling into the trap. This is the meaning of the words rak chazak. Based on this, Rav Yeruchom Levovitz zt”l, the pre-war Mirrer Yeshiva mashgiach, explained a Mishnah in Avos (4:2) which states, “Ben Azzai said, ‘Run to perform a minor mitzvah and flee from an aveirah.” The Mishnah’s intent is not to weigh one mitzvah against another to determine which is greater. A previous Mishnah had already stated that a person should be careful to fulfill an easy mitzvah the same as, what is, seemingly, a greater mitzvah. Thus, the Mishnah is teaching 24 Av 5769 • August 14 2009

concern that he was not fulfilling his role properly was admirable. Ruling halacha for the public is a tremendous responsibility and it should be approached with the greatest severity. In fact, every rov should share these noble sentiments.

us how to perform mitzvos in a manner that we will always be able to execute them. “Easy mitzvah” refers to the ease in which the mitzvah presents itself to us. Giving tzedakah when we are making money is not so difficult. However, when the economy is tough and we are a bit unsure

We should not let the mitzvos happen nonchalantly; rather, we should focus on every mitzvah and pay attention to it. as to the direction of the market, that particular mitzvah becomes a bit more challenging. How can we guarantee that we will always give tzedakah accordingly? The answer is that even when we are doing well we have to exert energy and reinforce the notion that we are doing a mitzvah. In that way, even when it becomes difficult we will be used to it and still properly fulfill the mitzvah. The same holds true for learning Torah. When we have few demands on our time to learn, we readily keep to our schedule. When we are pressured for time, however, we tend to be lax with our study. If, though, when it is easy we exert energy - meaning that we do not take it for granted but

of life’s various pressures. Should we, however, allow ourselves to do things routinely, exerting no energy, we will fall into dangerous traps. The posuk in this week’s parsha states, “You shall eat no abomination.” Rashi explains this to mean those things that the Torah prohibited. The Ibn Ezra explains that the intent is to avoid eating disgusting things. The Ramban also follows this interpretation. Although certain foods are basically disgusting, a person nevertheless can come to eat them. The Torah, therefore, cautions us not to rely on our natural habits and directs us to take strides to prevent ourselves from succumbing to these activities. The posuk (Devorim 29:18) states, “Thereby adding the drunk to the thirsty.” Rashi interprets this to mean YATED NE’EMAN

neviim designated it by a certain name, and Hashem calls it ra’ah, evil. Rav Yeruchom interprets this name to mean that the yeitzer harah needs no proper reason to persuade a person to do wrong. It does this solely because it is evil. A person cannot rely on his good character traits because the yeitzer harah can easily overtake him. Life’s sundry

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