236. Oneg Vaera by Oneg Shabbos

‫פרשת וארא‬

‫כ"ח טבת תש"פ‬ 25 Jan 2020

Mr & Mrs L Noéitzvah

on their grandson's

‫מוצאי שבת ר"ת‬

236

s Team The Oneg Shabbo zel Tov to wishes a huge Ma

Issue

‫הריני בא ללמוד תורה לשמה לעשות נחת רוח לאבינו שבשמים‬

'‫פקד יפקד ה‬

‫בס"ד‬

Barm

‫מוצאי שבת‬

‫קבלת שבת‬

JLM

MAN

LON

JLM

BMTH

GLSCW

GHD

MAN

LON

JLM

BMTH

GLSCW

GHD

MAN

LON

6.23

5.50

5.49

5.45

5.40

5.37

5.29

5.35

5.31

4.29

4.17

4.11

4.20

4.19

IT WAS THE SAME YOSEF THROUGHOUT; IT WAS THE SAME MOSHE THROUGHOUT The pasuk says, “These are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh King of Egypt to take out the Children of Israel from Egypt, this was Moshe and Aharon” [Shemos 6:27]. Rashi is bothered – what does the pasuk mean when it says “This was Moshe and Aharon”? Rashi comments: “These are the ones who faithfully and righteously carried out their mission from beginning to end.” In other words they did not change. They were the same righteous people when they began and when they completed their mission. This comment of Rashi is reminiscent of another Rashi in last week’s parsha, Shemos. On the words “And Yosef was in Egypt” [Shemos 1:5], Rashi states that this teaches us of Yosef’s righteousness throughout. The Yosef who faithfully watched the sheep of his father was the same Yosef who was in Egypt and became King, remaining totally righteous. This concept that it is the same Yosef is totally analogous to Rashi’s comment here that it is the same Moshe and Aharon.

‫ספר דברים‬

Moshe Rabbeinu was eighty years old when he started his mission. From the moment he started his mission, he was in the spotlight. All of Klal Yisrael looked at him and watched his every move. He was in the wilderness for forty years but he talked to the Ribono shel Olam on a daily basis! The fact that he remained a tzadik is hardly surprising. What then is Rashi saying here – “This is the same Moshe from beginning to end”? This is hardly on par with “This is the same Yosef from beginning to end”.

Rabbi Yissocher Frand Rosh Yeshiva, Ner Yisrael Baltimore

corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The chiddush of Moshe’s leadership career was that even though he had absolute power and was “politically untouchable,” he remained the same modest and humble individual from beginning to end. He defeated the greatest ruler on earth (Pharaoh). He brought the Torah down from Heaven to Earth at Sinai. People were hanging on his every word, yet he remained an anav. The power did not go to his head. He was not corrupted by it. That was quite an accomplishment, unheard of in the annals of mankind! It was noteworthy so as Rashi explains, the Torah makes note of it through the phrase “hu Moshe v’Aharon” [this is (the same) Moshe and Aharon].

Rav Simcha Zissel answers this question by citing one of life’s great truths: Power

‫ספר במדבר‬

‫לע"נ ר' יקותיאל זלמן נאה ז''ל‬ ‫בן ר' חנניה יו''ט ליפא הי''ד‬ ‫נלב''ע ט''ז אדר תשע''ז‬

‫לע"נ מרת טויבא רחל נאה ע''ה‬ ‫בת ר' שמואל שמעלקא הי''ד‬ ‫נלב''ע כ''ה מנחם אב תשע''ז‬

Rav Simcha Zissel Brodie zt’’l, the Chevron Rosh Yeshiva, asks as follows: It is indeed a chiddush to teach us that Yosef retained the righteousness of his youth as he went through his travails in Egypt and eventually ascended to greatness such that he had the full power of the throne behind him. One might have thought that he was no longer the same Yosef after having been removed at the tender age of seventeen from the serenity and insulation of his father’s house and having been thrusted into all the temptations and spiritually fraught situations he faced as a slave in the decadent land of Egypt. Yosef probably thought he would never see another Jew in his life. It would have been so easy to throw everything away. This lowly slave becomes the viceroy of Egypt. For him to remain the same tzadik, after having undergone all that turmoil in his life, is indeed worth noting. It is an amazing accomplishment!

‫ספר ויקרא‬

‫ספר שמות‬

Please daven for

‫לע"נ‬

‫הב' אברהם יוסף אריה‬ ‫בן רוחמה אילה נ"י‬

‫לרפואה שלימה בתוך חולי ישראל‬ ‫לע''נ ר' מרדכי בן ר' שלום ז''ל‬ ‫נלב''ע ט''ו סיון תשס''ב‬

‫לע''נ ר' בנימין בן ר' מאיר דוד ז''ל‬ ‫נלב''ע ב׳ אדר תשע''ז‬

‫ספר בראשית‬

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Oneg Shabbos Issue 236. This page is sponsored by M&N Insurance | mninsure.com

Sticks & Snakes As we follow the story of the miracles in Egypt we notice an unusual detail. Time and again Moshe’s staff seems to play a significant role. With each miracle he carries his staff. He has it at the burning bush and he introduces himself to Pharaoh by performing miracles with it. What is so crucial about this staff? If the entire exodus would have taken place without this staff would we have been missing anything? What is its significance? The first encounter recorded with this stick is at the Burning Bush. Moshe is instructed to inform the Jewish people that they are to be redeemed. Moshe argues they won’t believe him and so Hashem instructs him to throw his stick to the ground. He obeys, it turns into a terrifying snake and he runs away in fright. Hashem tells Moshe to grab it by the tail, Moshe does so and it reverts back into a stick. “In order that they should believe that Hashem the G-d of their fathers appeared to you.” Why was this chosen as the sign to be performed by Moshe in front of the Jewish people? Furthermore what is this whole spectacle of casting the staff to the ground turning into a terrifying snake and then subsequently turning it back into a staff? Moshe and Aharon are instructed to go to Pharaoh and when he asks for a sign, take the staff and throw it in front of Pharaoh and it will turn into a tanin - a serpent. Pharaoh ridicules them for such a sign. He calls his magicians who perform the same act. In fact the Medrash tells us that he called all the children to throw sticks to the ground and turn them into snakes. The kids all do so and they mock Moshe and Aharon. The snakes turn back into sticks and then Aharon’s stick swallows all their sticks. That impresses Pharaoh but still he is hard of heart. Why did Hashem make them go through that stage of ridicule first why not go straight for the impressive part? In fact why was there a need for any proof? The ten plagues were to follow, that was going to be more than ample proof! Why does he not just launch straight into the first plague of blood? The English translation of mateh as a stick or staff is somewhat inaccurate, it is actually a branch, implying that there is a tree, a main body, of which this is a branch. The Avos are like the trunk of the tree, in that they firmly rooted the world to Hashem. They connect the world to Heaven and now whatever grows thereafter is a branch of that trunk. The two words for branches in Torah – a mateh and a shevet both also mean the tribes of Klal Yisrael. That is precisely the point every shevet and every mateh is a branch of the Avos. Hashem tells Moshe to prove that he is coming in the name of Hashem the G-d of the Avos. How does he do so? With a branch that connects back to the roots.

the shape and destiny of the universe is in Man’s hand

Rabbi Ilan Halberstadt Rav, Machzikei Hadath, Golders Green

Moreover the world itself is a mateh. The word mateh not only means a branch, it also means to bend. The passuk states “Hashem bends the Heaven and establishes the earth.” In creating the physical world, Hashem bends the spiritual world and then it becomes the physical world. This means that when one looks at the physical world he doesn’t see a straight line back to its source. When a person travels on a journey as long as he is travelling on a straight road he can look back and see his point of origin. As soon as he bends away and turns the corner he no longer can see his origin. If the physical world was in a straight line with the spiritual world we would clearly see the source of this world and there would be no room for free will. Instead Hashem bends the Heavens and creates the earth. The origin is bent, it is not seen at first glance but it is just around the corner and with a little perception one realises this world is a branch, an offshoot of a far greater reality, an outgrowth from a higher source. The physical world doesn’t openly reveal Hashem, it hides Him. One can choose to see just a piece of wood or one can realise that it is a branch, an outgrowth of the spiritual trunk. Who decides whether the world bends and distorts reality or connects it to its root but man? Moshe is told to cast his mateh to the ground. Thrown to the ground, disconnected from Heaven and the branch turns into the snake, the symbolism of all evil. That is the mission of the snake – the evil inclination, to sever all connection to Heaven, to see this world in isolation, to ignore its origin and to have no contact with the Creator. Moshe is being given a lesson in understanding man’s purpose in this world. Finally he is told to grab the snake and as he does it reverts back to a branch; a most powerful lesson that the shape and destiny of the universe is in Man’s hand. In the hands of the righteous, everything reverts back into a branch of the tree, even the evil snake. Moshe is being told the stick is in your hand, it is up to you, grab onto it and it will turn the world into a branch, throw it to the ground and it will turn into a snake. It is this message that Moshe is to deliver to the people. This is not simply a proof of Moshes credentials; it is to teach the Jewish people of what is in store with the upcoming miracles. The world is about to be reconnected to its source. Now we can understand the reason for performing the ‘stick-to-snake trick’ in front of Pharaoh. Of course Hashem knew they were able to replicate this magic. Moshe wanted to let Pharaoh know what this duel is all about. Pharaoh declares himself as a god, comparing himself to the great serpent (Yechezkel 29:3). Hashem now informs Pharaoh he is guilty of the same act as the primordial serpent, of severing the world from it source, disconnecting the branch from the tree. Moshe declares war against Pharaoh - the serpent. The stick is cast to the ground and turns into a serpent as a sign of rebuke to Pharaoh that this is precisely what he is guilty of doing to the world, he has taken this branch and thrown it to the ground, breaking it from the tree and turning it into a place of evil. Of course they are able to replicate this because that is what they are expert at doing. The point was to demonstrate their error. Then Aharon’s stick swallows their sticks. They are connected to the wrong source to the dark side of black magic but Hashem is Master of all of creation and the source of all existence. Aharon’s branch which is rooted in that place of truth totally consumes all their sticks. The story of the Exodus from Egypt is based on this branch. With every miracle that occurs another facet of connection to the source is revealed. Thus the branch is carried throughout to demonstrate the purpose of all the miracles is to teach that the physical world is a branch of a higher reality.

Please daven for

‫עזרא בנימין בן זיסל‬ ‫לרפואה שלמה‬

For questions on Divrei Torah, please email the editor Rabbi Yonasan Roodyn at editor@oneg.org.uk

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25 Jan 2020

‫כ"ח טבת תש"פ‬

‫פרשת וארא‬

Do we value our Values? This week 11 years ago, on Tuesday the 20th of January 2009, the inauguration of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States took place. The event, which set a record attendance for any gathering held in Washington D.C., marked the commencement of the first term of Barack Obama as President and Joe Biden as Vice President. Based on the combined attendance numbers, television viewership, and internet traffic, it was among the most-observed events ever witnessed. But how did Obama get in? The truth is that he had little political experience, and was not the obvious frontrunner when the race for the presidency began. However, he did have two qualities for which he was adored. First, he was a world class orator and inspired millions with his speeches. Obama entered talking. He skyrocketed to prominence after his keynote speech, titled “The Audacity of Hope,” and upstaged both John Kerry, the presidential nominee, and Bill Clinton, the consummate storyteller, at the National Democratic Convention in 2004. Second, he was one of the youngest presidents of the United States, and the American nation were enamoured with his youth and relatability. When it comes to leadership, the Western world appears to look up to those who assume the mantle of leading at a young age. Even Donald Trump, at age 73, appears to take measures to hide his age in various unsubtle ways. A leader must look sharp, young and be well spoken - that is what makes a leader in the Western world. The contrast to Moshe Rabbeinu is stark. The greatest Jewish leader was an “aral sefosayim” - someone who stutters, struggling to speak even as a normal person would. Far from being a master orator, he had to use his brother Aharon to communicate. His age could also be counted against him - Moshe Rabbeinu was in his eighties when he began his career as leader of the Jewish People! What is the Torah teaching us? The Droshos Ha’Ran writes that Moshe’s handicap was part of the Divine plan. If Moshe Rabbeinu had mesmerised his audience with charismatic speeches, it would have limited the ability of his listeners to judge what he was saying. An “aral sefosayim” can only be judged on the content of his message. For a Torah leader age, charisma and outward appearance is irrelevant - the only true criterion is “pnimiyus” - his internal value. A secular leader may first and foremost look to be the part on the outside, but for Klal Yisrael a leader must be complete on the inside. Yet we are so influenced by the society surrounding us! My Rosh Yeshiva used to demonstrate this influence in the following way: when someone pulls up in a fancy car outside Yeshiva everyone asks, “Who is that?!” But in truth, said the Rosh Yeshiva, who said he is anyone at all?!

Even when it comes to spirituality, which by definition is internal, we can make the mistake of looking at it superficially.

Rabbi Benjy Morgan Executive Director of JLE

Later in the parsha it says “Hu Aaron veMoshe,” - “it was the same Aharon and Moshe.” (Shemos 6:26). Rashi notes that the Torah is not consistent in its phraseology - sometimes Moshe is mentioned before Aharon, while at other times the order is reversed. His answer is drawn from the words of Chazal: the varying order is to teach “Sheshkulin Heim” that Moshe and Aharon were equals. But how could this be so? We know Moshe Rabbeinu was the greatest novi who ever lived, so how could Aharon be his equal? But the reason we ask such a question is due to our warped value system, Rav Moshe Feinstein zt’’l explains that we tend to judge everything based on results, but in Hashem’s eyes it is all about the effort. Of course Moshe was a greater prophet and a greater leader than Aharon, but they were equal in Hashem’s eyes because they were putting in equal (maximum) effort! My Rebbe, Rav Yitzchok Berkovits shilt’a, used to give his children prizes before they would take their tests, solely based on how much effort they had put in over Shabbos to study for those tests! How much do we live by that axiom? Do we only praise our children if they get 95% in a test, or do we focus on the effort they put in even if the results were unimpressive? We need to constantly challenge the influences of the world we live in. The Western world worships youth, externality and results, but one lesson from Parashas Va’era is that we must focus on effort and on internal truth - the “pnimiyus” which is real and lasting. In this way, may we merit to see the redemption once again!

Oneg Shabbos Issue 236.

This page is sponsored ‫לע''נ ביילא בת ר׳ משה ע''ה‬

f there is a phrase which permeates throughout our year it is ‘‫’זכר ליציאת מצרים‬. From our twice daily reading of the Shema, to the recital of Kiddush on both Shabbos and Yom Tov, the theme which keeps reoccurring is our exodus from Egypt. So prominent is the concept of ‫ יציאת מצרים‬that it even appears in the first of the Ten Commandments, ‘I am Hashem your G-d who took you out of Egypt’. It was with those words with which our eternal bond with our Creator was formed. Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi1 however, asks a penetrating question. Why did Hashem choose the title of ‘Who took you out of Egypt’? Surely by stating ‘Who created heaven and earth’ would make much more of an indelible impression on the Jewish nation? Heaven and earth which are forever tangible and which will both be in existence until the end of time would certainly make a lasting impact on the Jewish people for generations? In the first of his thirteen principles of faith, the Rambam writes that one must believe that not only did Hashem create the world, but that He also actively controls the world, and only He does so. These three ideas correspond to three levels of faith. The first is that of the atheist. The atheist posits that the world is just a matter of chance, without any purpose or meaning. Even if there was a beginning to the universe, it just happened to be. To this the Rambam writes that it is imperative for every Jew to realise that in fact there is a Creator to this world. The second form of believer is someone who understands that a prerequisite to any creation is a Creator. Yet at the same time he finds it difficult to comprehend how a spiritual being can be involved in the mundane matters of a physical world. Thus, he concludes, after creation the Creator left the world and its inhabitants to its own fate and devices2. The Rambam therefore writes, understand that not only is Hashem a ‫בורא‬ but also a ‫מנהיג‬, who controls everything within creation.

The third type of believer understands that the world was created by a spiritual force and that spiritual forces are involved in our world. However, he does not accept the monotheistic approach that there is only One omnipotent power, rather he supposes that many different independent forces exist in the world. To this the Rambam writes, know and understand that Hashem alone controls the world. If one is to take a closer look at this week’s Parsha he will see that in fact the ten plagues are categorised into three groups which correspond to the three facets of faith contained within the first Ani Ma’amin. The first grouping was the initial three plagues which culminated with the declaration of Pharaohs’ sorcerers, that it is indeed the finger of G-d3. Egypt had begun to realise that Hashem’s creative power was well beyond anything they had ever encountered. The following three plagues were the next set. These were preceded by a strong warning to Pharaoh that from these you will know that I am Hashem in the ‘midst of the land’4. Do not think that I am only a Creator, but understand that I also control everything; I am a ‫מנהיג‬, as I am in the ‘midst of the land’. The final set was the ‫ע’ אבן עזרא פ’יתרו פ’כ פ’ב וע’’ע הרמבן שם‬ ‫וע’ היטב בתרגום יונתן בן עוזיאל בראשית פ’ד פ’ח‬ ‫שמות פ’ח פ’טו‬ ‫שם פ’ יח‬

1 2 3 4

remaining plagues. Moshe declared to Rabbi Dov Fisher Pharaoh that with Torah Temimah Primary School these you will realise that 5‫כי אין כמוני‬, there is no power other than Hashem. Were Hashem to have formed our covenant with Him at Har Sinai as the One who created heaven and earth, the emphasis would have only been on the idea that He created the world. The fact that Hashem alone controls every aspect of creation would have been lacking. ‫ יציאת מצרים‬therefore, is the ultimate testimony that Hashem alone has complete dominion over the entire world. This was the message for generations6. There is perhaps an additional dimension to this idea. Chazal tell us that when Chananya, Mishoel and Azaria were about to be thrown into a billowing furnace they reasoned ‘If the frogs in Egypt who were not obligated to sanctify Hashem’s name threw themselves into Pharaoh's ovens, how much more so we, who indeed are required to do so, should jump into the flames’7. Rav Yerucham Levovitz zt’’l asks, is this really a kal v’chomer? The frogs had no free will; they were forced to jump into the flames? Reb Yerucham answers that everything in this world was created to serve and glorify Hashem. Therefore, it is not that the frogs were forced to jump into the flames, but on the contrary, as soon as they felt within their very essence that the will of Hashem is that they now jump into Pharaoh’s ovens, they ran to do so. They ran to do so because this is what they were created for; to fulfil Hashem’s will. Chananya, Mishoel and Azaria understood that how much more so is it their will to sanctify Hashem’s name for it was for this reason that they were created. ‫ יציאת מצרים‬therefore, serves as a constant reminder as to the will of our inner selves. Just as every element within creation yearns to glorify Hashem’s Name, so too should we. ‫ שם פ’ט פ’יד‬5 ‫ ועם זה מבואר דצ’’ח עד’’ש באח’’ב דר’ יהודה‬6 ‫ פסחים דף נג וע’ תוס ור’ן שם שהקשו למה הם הצריכו קל וחומר בכלל וע’’ש מה שתרצו בזה‬7

Stop trying to prefect your child. Rather, keep trying to perfect your relationship with your child. Torahdaily

25 Jan 2020

‫כ"ח טבת תש"פ‬

‫פרשת וארא‬

This page is sponsored by OGR Stock Denton | ogrstockdenton.com

There’s Empathy And There’s Empathy During the summer of 1914, the world convulsed with the start of World War I. Communities across Europe were whipsawed as the guns of August promised death and destruction. In the middle of the night late that summer, the Chafetz Chaim’s Rebbetzin awoke to find her husband missing from the bedroom. She bolted from her room in anxiety, calling his name. To her surprise, she found him not far at all, asleep on a wooden kitchen bench with his fingers knitted beneath his head. “Why do you sleep here?” she asked. “Go back to your bed!” The Tzadik responded, “Our Jewish brothers and sisters will suffer from this war. Some are already dead, or being driven from their homes. How can I sleep in comfort while all this is happening?” At the start of Parashat Va’era, the Torah records the genealogy of the tribe of Levi just before Moshe and Aharon undertake the great task of being G-d’s intermediary to Pharaoh. Chachamim recount that Levi’s children were given their specific names because of the meanings they would have to their Jewish brethren toiling in slavery. Gershon – because the Jewish nation were gerim, strangers in a foreign land, Kehat – their years were numb and kehim, heavy, and Merari – because their years were mar, bitter. Remember, the Leviim themselves were privileged, and not enslaved. Yet they showed empathy by going so far as to name their children in witness of the pain their people were enduring. Remember too that Moshe Rabbenu worried that Pharaoh would scoff at his words, because of his stuttering voice. The Ran (Rabeinu Nissim 1320-1380 Spain) asks the obvious question: why did Moshe not pray that Hashem take away his disability, and why did Hashem not offer to take it away? Instead, Aharon becomes Moshe’s spokesman. The Ran’s answer is that Hashem did not want the Jewish people to think that their leader was chosen for his eloquence. Instead, the Hebrew nation followed Moshe because they understood his greatness and how much he truly cares. In last week’s Parasha (Shemot 2:11), we are told that Moshe would go out to see his brethren “vayar besivlotam.” He would observe their burden and feel their pain.

Rabbi Meir Sultan

We live in times so filled with distractions that often even the people closest to us, feel that we are not genuinely interested in them or what they have to say. So much so, that if you today, decide to show empathy and care to your next door neighbour, he will probably suspect that you are up to no good. My Rebbe, Rav Noach Orlowek shlit’’a once told me once about a teenager whom nobody was able to get through to, he simply wasn’t willing to open up to anyone. He was brought to Rav Yaacov Horowitz who captured this boy in a matter of seconds. How did he manage that? Rabbi Horowitz sat him down and before listening and empathising with him, he unplugged the phone cord from the wall, so as to communicate to him that he and what he had to say, is the most important thing in the world. When we think about empathy, there is a natural tendency to believe that so long as the sufferer is aware that I empathize, then I’m good. The Torah tells us that this supposition only brings us halfway home. Yes, empathy is important, but by communicating strong non-verbal messages, our empathy can be taken to a whole other level, just like the Leviim, the Chafetz Chaim and Rabbi Horowitz. It is not too much to ask.

Oneg Shabbos Issue 236.

This page has been sponsored anonymously

Daily Inspirational Stories

Listen to over 1270 stories and subscribe to receive them dailyon storiestoinspire.org or Whatsapp: +1 (310) 210-1205

The Rabbi’s Garden

abbanit Margalit, the wife of the renowned HaRav Ovadia Yosef, zt”l took care of all his needs with utmost devotion. While the Rav was entirely engrossed in his holy world of Torah, his wife and children happily nurtured that by taking care of all the mundane details of running the house.

This included the Rabbi’s garden. The little balcony off the Rav’s house had a little garden. This garden had different spices and plants growing. Every Shabbos when the Rav wanted to say the required hundred brachos, the Rav would go to the balcony and say different brachos on different plants, such as borei minei besamim and borei asvei besamim. From time to time during his learning, the Rav would go again to the balcony and say more brachos. The Rabbanit always made sure that Rav Ovadia was not missing anything so that he could grow to be the person that he became. The garden was included in her list of responsibilities. When the need arose, she would call a special gardener who would take care of the garden, groom and nip it and make sure it was nice and beautiful so that Rav Ovadia would be able to say his hundred brachos. After Rabbanit Margalit passed away, nobody called the gardener. After a few weeks, the plants started to wither and die. Rav Ovadia was not able to use the plants on the balcony to say his brachos on besamim. This caused a struggle for the Rav to say the brachos that he wanted to say on Shabbos. One afternoon, a man arrived at the Rav’s home. Nobody knew who he was, so the Rav was surprised when he said, “I’m so sorry about your loss.” “Who are you?” The Rav queried. “I’m the gardener who takes care of the little garden inside your balcony. I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I didn’t know your wife passed away.” “It’s okay,” the Rav reassured him. “You don’t have to be sorry.”

R’ Yitzchak Sakhai

“No, I didn’t know,” the gardener repeated, “That’s why I haven’t come to take care of your garden all this time.” Rav Ovadia asked, “How did you find out? What happened?” He then shared his incredible story, “Last night, the Rabbanit came to me in a dream. She told me, ‘The chacham is suffering because he needs to make his hundred blessings on Shabbat. He needs his garden. Where have you been?’” “When I woke up, I asked around and I found out that the Rabbanit had passed away. I had no idea. She hadn’t called me to take care of the garden – I’m really sorry.” With that, he approached the balcony and started grooming the garden as before. This story teaches us several lessons. Firstly, we see the importance of saying a hundred brachos a day. We don’t realize what a powerful holy impactful they have on our neshama. Secondly, we see that people who pass away know exactly what is happening on this earth, especially what is happening with their family and the things that they cared about. In addition, we learn that if a person was involved with mitzvos in their lifetime, then even after they pass away, they still get merit from the mitzvos that they were involved in when they were alive. That is a zechus for them, because they were the ones that started it and were involved in it. So when you start a mitzvah, a charitable organisation or other worthwhile venture, it is a great merit for you because even after 120 years, every time somebody gets involved in that organization or mitzvah that you helped start, you get merits accrued. You get zechus from that. You get elevated from it because you had a part in it.

Story from StoriesToInspire.org

Don’t think you are frummer then you are

BE frummer than you are

25 Jan 2020

‫כ"ח טבת תש"פ‬

‫פרשת וארא‬

I’m Hurt...Now What?

Mrs Michal Smith

Sarah, aged 76, received the news that her childhood friend Michelle had died the night before. Swept by emotions, Sarah was full of pain, nostalgia, and the bitter taste of regret. You see, 20 years earlier, they had a falling out. A sensitive argument, about the differing ways of life their children had chosen. Both felt personally condemned and left the conversation filled with resentment. During the next two decades, Sarah and Michelle drifted further and further apart. Subsequent encounters were strained. Several times Sarah would reach for the phone to contact Michelle, to explain herself or express understanding. Yet something always restrained her. She could not get past the old hurt. Softened by time, the pain diminished but still flickered in the background. With Michelle’s death, Sarah was filled with remorse. If only she had reached out! If only they had made the effort to repair and rebuild she would not be looking back on 20 years of lost friendship! Regretfully, many people fall into the same trap as Sarah. They find it too painful to express their emotional angst. Or they convince themselves that confrontation is wrong, and they hide their pain. The Torah offers practical advice to counter these sentiments and sustain relationships: Communicate Your Hurt! Say ‘I’m hurting!’ The Torah urges: “Do not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your fellow”. If someone hurts us, we should not let the hurt fester in our hearts until it becomes hatred. What should we do? Take the necessary steps to communicate our feelings and confront the one who has caused us harm! Of course, the manner in which we confront is of paramount importance. We must communicate with the utmost sensitivity. The objective is to rebuild relationships, not further demolish them. Here are some practical tips for effective communication: (1) Wait for a moment when both sides are calm. (2) Start with a positive statement: ‘I value your friendship deeply. I don’t want to lose it’. (3) Speak from a first-person perspective: ‘I felt so belittled!’ Avoid launching an attack: ‘You were so selfish!’ (4) Give the chance for the other person to explain themselves. Repeat and digest their points. (5) And crucially, say sorry just for the hurt or for causing pain – even if you were not necessarily wrong. If approached correctly, communication usually clears the air and can regenerate a fractured relationship. Expressing our hurt provides the opportunity for explanations and apologies. The verse in the Torah that immediately follows the above quoted states: “Do not take revenge or bear a grudge. Love your neighbour as yourself”. This is a chain reaction, in speaking out our hurt to reach a resolution, we help to ensure there is no reason to bear a grudge or take revenge. Love and friendship can then be restored and celebrated. What an empowering concept! A truly insightful formula for successful relationships. Humans will inevitably disagree – often painfully so. The most beneficial response is not to grudgingly hold hurt inside. Let’s not hide it. Let’s deal with it. Let’s not give up on our relationships! They are far too precious to lose.

Everyone Has a Unique Purpose Every single person has an intrinsic value that R’ Yossi nobody else in the world Bensoussan has. We have firm belief that the Ribono Shel Olam has created each and every one of us for a reason. Nobody was created extra. You and I are not alive for the same reason. You and I each have our own unique purpose. When we think about this deeper and understand this properly, we come to an unbelievable realisation. There is never a reason to judge, get angry or be jealous of any other person because if I’m supposed to be me and you’re supposed to be you, then whatever you have, you need and you need whatever you have. And whatever I have, I need and I have everything that I need. Hakadosh Baruch Hu runs the world perfectly. He set it up perfectly. The trick is to find that inner part of ourselves, that inner greatness in ourselves that is dying to come out. We have exactly what we need in order to reach our perfection in this world.

Oneg Shabbos Issue 236.

Restoring the the primacy primacy of of Choshen Choshen Mishpat Mishpat Restoring Under the Under the auspices auspices of of Harav Harav Chaim Chaim Kohn Kohn ‫שליט"א‬ ‫שליט"א‬

Rabbi Meir Orlian Halachah Writer, BHI

ONE-WAY RIDE Reuven was driving from his yeshivah in Lakewood to a friend’s wedding in Brooklyn. He put up a sign that he was driving and had room for six passengers, charging $20 each, round trip. Late in the afternoon, shortly before heading out, Reuven filled all six spots. On the way to the wedding, Reuven and his passengers decided that they would head back after the main course. The wedding was leibedik, but slow paced. The chuppah, the family photographs and the dancing went on a long time. At 9:30 p.m., when the main course had not yet been served, two of the people who had come with Reuven informed him they wanted to head home already, since it was getting late. “We found someone who is leaving shortly,” they said. “We’ll go back with him. “What about payment?” Reuven asked them. “We’ll settle tomorrow, when we get back to yeshivah,” they said. During the meal, Reuven notified people that he now had two extra spots, if anyone needed a ride back to Lakewood. One person joined, and one spot remained empty. For the return Reuven charged him $10. The following day, Reuven asked the two people for his $20 payment. “We only rode one way,” they responded. “We should only have to pay $10 each.” “The agreement was for round-trip, though,” replied Reuven. “You chose to leave early!” “But we heard that you found another passenger to take home,” one of them said. “That covers at least one of us.” “That’s unrelated to you,” argued Reuven. “You each agreed to pay for the round trip. If I got someone else for the empty spots, that’s my gain.” “That’s completely unfair!” they argued. “You certainly can’t make double profit on us.” The three decided to turn to Rabbi Dayan.

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How much do the two fellows have to pay? “The Gemara (B.M. 79b) discusses a similar situation,” replied Rabbi Dayan. “Someone hired a boat to transport his load to a certain destination but unloaded the boat midway. Whether he has to pay for the remaining leg of the journey depends on whether the boat operator can now find an alternate client “(C.M. 311:6). “In cases where the employer retracted before the worker began the job, there is an additional factor of whether the worker had passed up other potential jobs and lost out. However, where the worker already began the job, as in this case, it makes no difference whether Reuven initially had to turn away other potential passengers or not, since beginning the work obligates both sides to the completion of the job” (C.M. 333:1-2; Pischei Choshen, Sechirus 10:7). “Nonetheless, if the worker finds alternate work in lieu of the missing job, what he earns is deducted from the amount that the initial employer owes. “Thus, the two fellows who retracted from the return trip still owe for the round-trip, but they deduct the $10 of the additional passenger. They split the remaining amount (unless one of them arranged the other person in his stead), so that each pays half of the return fare. “In the case of the boat, there is an additional reduction due to the lightening of the load, which eases the job and cuts costs for the operator, but this is irrelevant in our case; one passenger less does not affect the driving or gas usage appreciably. “However, if the passengers prepaid for the roundtrip,” concluded Rabbi Dayan, “Harav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, writes that the Sma (316:3) and the Ketzos (316:1) dispute whether they can ‘rent’ their spot to the additional passenger, or they no longer have any claim, and the driver gains the extra fare. He concludes that the driver and original passengers should compromise and split the extra fare” (Igros Moshe, C.M. 1:74; see also Pischei Choshen, Sechirus 2:[57]).

Verdict: The two fellows must pay $10 for the remaining spot that was not covered. ‫לע''נ אריאל יהודה ז''ל בן ר' פינחס צבי נ''י קליין‬

Provided by Business Halacha Institute. The BHI is a non-profit organization based in New York that educates and guides people in up to date applications of monetary halacha. For more information or to browse the BHI archives, visit www.businesshalacha.com

25 Jan 2020

‫כ"ח טבת תש"פ‬

‫פרשת וארא‬

SHEMIRAS HALOSHON

QUIZ

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I’VE GOT TO MAKE SURE HE BELIEVES ME

e of ‫( ָו ֵא ָר‬the titl The word ‫א‬ s ‘and an e m ) ra Sed this week’s ra d Se ’. What I appeared ich h w rd o w a begins with d?! e ar HE appe means ‘and

You had something that could save your friends from harm. However you’re worried that he’ll just shrug it off. May you dramatise what you heard to make your point?

‫ַו ֵ ּי ָרא‬ 3 How did the plague of blood begin? a) A frog was thrown into the Nile b) It started when som eone pushed ‫ ּ ַפ ְרעֹה‬into the river c) ‫ ַא ֲהרֹן‬hit the river with his stick d) ‫ מ ֶֹשה‬poured real blo od into the river and this began to spre ad.

THE DILEMMA Your son is entering year seven. Your friend told you that your son had a hard time with that particular teacher because he often raised his voice and made the child nervous. Do you want your husband to get your son transferred into the other year group, but his philosophy is that children should learn to deal with teachers they don’t particularly like.

c) ‫ ַא ֲהרֹן‬hit the river wit h his stick

To make sure your husband sees the potential damage, you want to say “I heard he’s always screaming and embarrassing the children they are petrified of him” are you allowed to? 4

gs, the g the fro Regardin ‫ ַו ַּת ַעל ַה ְ ּצ ַפ‬which e s ‫ְר ֵּד ַע‬ frog cam ‫ ּ ָפסוּ ק‬say eans ‘the m es o y d ll w ra o te H li the Nile). ar up’ (from tand this peculi rs e d n u ? ‫ר‬ e ‫ש‬ g ‫”י‬ ngua form of la ossible es two p Rashi giv : answers be frogs can 1. Many ְ i.e. this as ‫צ ַפ ְר ֵּד ַע‬ labelled e noun. collectiv word is a only one frog ly, t 2. Actual river, bu from the emerged d every time the lie it multip s hit it. Egyptian

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THE HALACHA You’re not allowed to exaggerate. The information must be accurate, and it should be the minimum facts necessary to accomplish the constructive purpose. Sefer Chofetz Chaim, Hilchos Rechilus 9:2

The Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation Reviewed by Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Lowy. For discussion only; actual halachic decisions should be made by a rav or halachic expert on a case-by-case basis.

Oneg Shabbos Issue 236.

CO U

Distinctive Insight HALACHIC VIOLATIONS DURING TEFILLAH

:‫ כב‬- ‫הואיל וחטא אע"פ שהתפלל תפלתו תועבה‬

Because he sinned, although he davened, his prayer is despised. - 22b

Based upon our Gemara, Rav Moshe Feinstein zt’’l rules in his Igros Moshe (O.C. 4:14) that whenever a person davens (shmoneh esrei), and he realises that the tefillah was in violation of halachic guidelines, the person has not fulfilled his obligation, and the prayer is invalid. The example which the specific teshuva discusses is where a person davened and then realised that he was not wearing a yarmulke at the time. Because davening bareheaded is the ritually accepted manner among the gentiles, it has become a despicable manner for a Jew to daven without his yarmulke. R’ Moshe suggests that even if the oversight was completely unintentional, the tefillah is still invalid, and must be repeated. This scenario can occur under normal conditions, where a person is davening and his tallis falls to the ground, sweeping his yarmulke away at the same time. Accordingly, the person must stop his shmoneh esrei and retrieve his yarmulke. It should be noted that Rabbeinu Yonah (24b) implies that if one’s yarmulke falls off while he is davening shmoneh esrei, he need not stop. Nevertheless, it could be that he is referring to a situation where the gentiles did not have any specific custom in this regard, and our davening bareheaded is not a to’evah – despicable thing. But R’ Moshe rules that in our day, davening without a yarmulke or other head covering is chukas hagoyim. (O.C.2:27 and 4:68). Brought to you by

"If only our eyes saw souls instead of bodies, how very different our ideals of beauty would be"

ews are being whisked away, stripped of all possessions and left only with a ragged set of striped pyjamas. Every fifth Jew is handed a blanket. Those with a blanket now have a choice. Keep it for oneself ? Or share with the four who were not so lucky? Seeing past their own struggles, many choose to share their blanket, huddling, five on one plank, one cloth to stave off the frost. In this week’s Parsha whilst the Jews are suffering in Egypt. Hashem says ‘Also I have heard the outcry of the Children of Israel’ (Shemos 6:5). The Chasam Sofer explains that ‘also’ is not only referring to Hashem, but that the people ‘also’ heard one another’s cries. Despite their own affliction, they did not forget about the pain of their fellow man. Sometimes, in order to try and understand someone else’s pain it is necessary to tap into the power of the imagination, and to picture what they may be feeling. But what if no imagination is necessary? What if one is going through the same pain? Or has suffered similarly in the past? There is a danger that when a person is experiencing, or has experienced a similar hardship, that instead of empathising, he actually dismisses it, saying to himself, ‘I’m surviving/survived, so can he!’ ‘It’s not so bad’. This pasuk teaches us the importance of not becoming numb to similar suffering around us, rather we should use it as a tool. Similar experiences provide us with opportunities to empathise in a way that others may never be able to. We can try to better understand what that person truly needs. In that way we can view hardships as an opportunity to help others suffering similarly. Share the blanket.

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‫נ“ב‬ ‫בכורותכ"ב‬ ‫ברכות‬

THE

Daf Yomi WEEKLY

WN NTT OW D DO OO NNTT

Siyum Hashas

25 Jan 2020

‫כ"ח טבת תש"פ‬

‫פרשת וארא‬

Sages through Ages THE

Dr Benji Schreiber

Rav Moshe Feinstein Uzda, Belarus 1895 – New York 1986 ‫י”ג אדר ב‬

av Moshe was a leading Posek of the second half of the twentieth century. He learnt with his father, the Rov of Uzda, and also in yeshivos in Slutsk, Shklov and Amstislav, before being appointed Rav of Lubań, Poland, where he served for sixteen years. He married Shima Kustanovich in 1920 and had 4 children - Pesach Chaim, Fay Gittel, Shifra, and R’ Dovid - before leaving Europe. Under increasing pressure from the Soviet regime, he moved with his family to New York City in 1936, where he lived for the rest of his life. His son R’ Reuven was born after they immigrated to the United States.

Public Office Settling on the Lower East Side, he became the Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta Tiferes Yerushalayim. He later established a branch of the yeshiva in Staten Island, New York, now headed by his son Rav Reuven Feinstein while his son Rav Dovid Feinstein heads the Manhattan branch. He was president of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada and chaired the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Israel of America from the 1960s until his death. Rav Moshe also took an active leadership role in Israel’s Chinuch Atzmai, the main chareidi school system.

Writings Rav Moshe’s greatest renown came from a lifetime of responding to halachic shailos (queries) from America and worldwide. He authored approximately 2,000 teshuvos (responsa) on a wide range of issues

affecting Jewish practice in the modern era. In his teshuvos, Igros Moshe, first published in 1959, he gave landmark piskei halacha on many critical topics. Seven volumes were published during his lifetime; and two have been published posthumously by family members. Along with Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Rav Ovadia Yosef, he was a leading authority in applying halacha to the modern world in which we live. He addressed numerous contemporary halachic issues. He opined on organ transplantation, forbidding heart transplantation because he saw it as murder of both the donor and – given how unsuccessful it was at the time – the recipient. Whether he would allow brain death using contemporary medical criteria remains a controversial subject. He clarified the halachic position on other issues such as cosmetic surgery, risky medical operations and withdrawal of care at the end of life. He wrote classic rulings on bas mitzvahs for girls, drinking non-shoimered milk, yom HaShoa, Conservative Judaism, donating blood for pay, mechitzos in shuls and at simchos, mixed-seating on a subway or other public transportation, shaking hands between men and women and even smoking marijuana and cigarettes among many others. In addition, he wrote Dibros Moshe, an eleven-volume work of Talmudic chiddushim (novella). Darash Moshe – his

chiddushim on the Torah, was published posthumously. Some of Rav Moshe’s early works, including a commentary on the Talmud Yerushalmi, were destroyed by the Soviet authorities. At his levaya Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach said “Who am I to eulogise him? I studied his seforim; I was his talmid (student).”

Stories There are many stories of his kindness humility and honesty. “First, there was his incredible warmth. He never just shook your hand – he clasped it with both of his and gave your hand a hug. He gave you a warm smile and you forgot that the weightiest problems in the world rested upon his shoulders.” “While waiting for a car or even upon awakening from a nap, he would review Tanach over and over again” “He would say that it is not enough to learn Torah; one must learn Toras Shalom – a Torah of peace” He was asked why he thought he merited living a long life and he answered: “My whole life I never caused another person pain.”

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