September 19, 1998 28 Elul 5758
| ****************************************************** Pop Quiz: What two occupations are mentioned in this perashah? ****************************************************** BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS by Rabbi Reuven Semah As the New Year rapidly approaches, we all struggle to make our preparations for the holidays. If we take time out to study the text of the prayers of Rosh Hashanah, we see there is almost no mention of our needs, be they physical or spiritual. Instead they emphasize the theme of kabod shamayim - the glory of Hashem. Rabbi Matityahu Solomon, the mashgiah (spiritual leader) of Lakewood Yeshivah asks: How is it possible that for Rosh Hashanah, the day on which Hashem decides who will live and who will die, our Sages instituted prayers that have nothing to do with the Day of Judgment? He answers with a parable: There was once a minister who ruled over a large country. He was extremely wealthy, accumulating his riches through a monopoly over all building supplies, be they wood, stone or cement. He was a benevolent ruler and always treated his subjects well. To one particular young man, he had been especially kind by taking him under his wing and teaching him his building skills. In time, with his great talent, the youth became the head of all builders in the country. One day, this chief builder came to the minister and remarked that as a way of expressing his gratitude to the minister for his kindness, he wanted to build the minister an exquisitely beautiful palace. The minister was obviously very pleased with the suggestion and he told the builder to take all the necessary materials from his warehouse. Every day the builder would come to the warehouse with an entire list of the materials he required, and the minister's servants would quickly run to do his bidding. The other customers were amazed and wondered why this builder merited such quick and impeccable service without even paying, while they had to both wait and pay. All their questions were answered when it became known to them that he was building a palace for the minister. Hashem is the minister; we are the builders. Our prayers on Rosh Hashanah emphasize the concept of Hashem's universal rulership. This helps us focus and dedicate ourselves to serve him. When we apply ourselves to achieving this goal, Hashem will be happy with us and will "open his warehouse" supplying us with everything we need, be it children, health, livelihood...so we can serve him with peace of mind and soul. May Hashem inscribe us all together in the Book of Life, Amen. Happy Holiday! TAKE IT SERIOUSLY by Rabbi Shmuel Choueka "You are all standing here today." (Debarim 29:9) When the Jewish people heard the ninety-eight curses said to them in last week's perashah, the midrash says that they turned white from fear. Moshe then told them, "You are all standing here today," meaning, although you may have done things wrong in the past, you're still around, so don't worry so much. This seems to be self-defeating, for if Moshe is telling them not to be afraid, why then do we read the ninety-eight terrifying curses? The answer is that once we took the message to heart and became afraid, at that point Moshe can console us and say, "Don't worry," because that means we got the message. This is similar to a school teacher who shows his students the "stick" that he uses to punish if they don't behave. He will never have to use it during the year if on the first day, he scares them with the stick to keep them in line. It says in the laws of Rosh Hashanah that we don't say Hallel on this holiday, since the books of life and death are open. How then can we say Hallel? Yet the law is that we dress up for Rosh Hashanah and have a festive meal. Aren't these two things contradictory? The answer is the same. Once we come to the realization that it's such a serious day that we can't even say Hallel though it's a holiday, then and only then can we allow ourselves to dress up and eat a festive meal. We must take these days very seriously, realizing that our whole year depends on how we pray and how we act on Rosh Hashanah. Then we can be assured to be inscribed in the book of life, health and happiness. Tizku leshanim rabot. HAVE A HEART "And it will be when he hears the words of this curse, he will bless himself in his heart saying, 'Peace will be with me, though I walk as my heart sees fit'...Hashem will not be willing to forgive him" (Debarim 29:18-19) The words "bilbabo - in his heart" and "libi - my heart" seem extra. It could have said, "He will bless himself saying...Though I walk as I see fit." A common saying of non-observant Jews is, "I am a Jew at heart." They excuse themselves from putting on tefillin, observing Shabbat, etc. with this ubiquitous saying. The Torah is now talking about a curse, G-d forbid, for the lack of observance, and therefore says of those who excuse themselves "vehitbarech bilbabo" - blessing themselves with a "good heart" - and claiming "bishrirut libi elech" - "It will be sufficient if I go with good thoughts in my heart" - that Hashem will not be willing to forgive their approach to Torah and misvot. *** The Torah consists of six hundred and thirteen misvot, representing the six hundred and thirteen human body parts. The misvot are divided up among the body parts; some are performed with the hand, some with the foot, some with the mind, etc. A wise man once said that a reason why there are so many heart ailments in our times is because there are too many "cardiac Jews" - people who put the entire weight of their Jewishness on their heart and thus overburden it. (Vedibarta Bam) FACE THE FACTS "You shall return to Hashem, your G-d" (Debarim 30:2) Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch explains the notion of "returning" to Hashem in the following manner: Man does not sin unless a foolish idea, which is antithetical to Torah philosophy, enters his mind. This idea festers within him causing him to gradually separate himself from Hashem. A man who cogently reflects upon Hashem's constant proximity to him never consciously sins. He is capable of sinning only after a subconscious feeling of remoteness has permeated his being. At this time he injudiciously believes he is not in the presence of Hashem. In order to effect proper teshubah, one must "return" himself to Hashem's proximity. This transpires when one realizes that he is always near to Hashem. A sense of returning home constitutes the foundation of teshubah. The most important aspect of teshubah is "vidui" or confession of sins. The first step is the most essential and simultaneously the most difficult. Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch poignantly notes that confession is not merely the admission of one's sins to Hashem. Rather it is also the admission to oneself that one has sinned. One must confront the reality of his mistakes. Hashem does not need an avowal from us, for He knows us thoroughly, undoubtedly much better than we know ourselves. We need this unreserved confession; without personally facing our own ego we can never truly improve. Confession is difficult, for within every individual an advocate exists which is constantly ready to blatantly deny every wrongdoing. It is capable of mitigating our most serious transgressions. In a fastidious manner it succeeds in veiling our self image, thereby effectively obstructing the path to self improvement. Consequently, the first and most essential step in the teshubah process is our personal confrontation with the sin, reflected in the act of vidui. (Peninim on the Torah) ****************************************************** Answer to pop quiz: Woodcutter and water-drawer. ****************************************************** ****************************************************** Rosh Hashanah Pop quiz: What Jewish leader was assassinated on Rosh Hashanah? ****************************************************** PAY UP YOUR PLEDGES The Haftarah for the first day of Rosh Hashanah is the story of a woman named Hannah who yearned for a child and, together with her husband, Elkana, would annually make a pilgrimage to pray in the Tabernacle of Shiloh. Eventually she was blessed with a child, whom she named Shemuel because, "I borrowed him from Hashem." The most well-known reason for designating this story to be the Haftarah on Rosh Hashanah is that is was on Rosh Hashanah that Hashem remembered Hannah and made it possible for her to conceive. One may, however, wonder, is this the only thing recorded in Scriptures which took place on Rosh Hashanah? For instance, it was on Rosh Hashanah that the prophet Elisha came to Shunam and blessed the woman with a child. It was also on Rosh Hashanah that the people gathered around Ezra to hear the Torah being read and resolved to follow its teachings. Perhaps we can add another reason for specifically selecting the story of Hannah to be read on Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah is a day when many come to shul with a tremor in their heart, not knowing what the New Year entails for them. They make resolutions and even vows of loyalty to Hashem and donations to charity, etc., hoping that in this merit their wishes will be granted and they will be blessed with a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. Unfortunately, when the inspiration of the crisis disappears and when the danger is over, many pledges remain unredeemed and many vows are violated. This is like the story of the old woman who was about to walk across an old, rickety bridge. She said, "G-d, if I get through safely, I will give one hundred dollars to charity." When she was a quarter of the way across and all seemed well, she said, "G-d, I do not have so much. You won't mind, I know; fifty dollars are also enough." As she walked a little further, the bridge suddenly began to shake underneath her feet. "Oh," she said, "I only made a joke and G-d took me seriously." Hannah was a woman who was lacking fulfillment. She wanted very much to have a child of her own, and for years she came to the Tabernacle, poured out her heart and beseeched Hashem to grant her a son. Together with this she vowed, "If You will look upon the anguish of Your maidservant and give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to G-d all the days of his life." Finally her wish was granted and when the boy was still very young, she brought him to the house of Hashem in Shiloh. Though she could have procrastinated and waited until he became much older, claiming, "A young little boy needs the tender loving care of his mother," she did not look for excuses or loopholes, but made every effort to fulfill her pledge promptly. This may be a reason for reading specifically about this event which took place on Rosh Hashanah. It is a reminder to all of us that when in the midst of our inspiration and fervent prayers we make resolutions, vows and oaths to improve our relationship with Hashem and man, we should remember to carry on tomorrow in accordance with the resolutions we have made today. Hannah was blessed with an abundance of nahat and we, too, will be highly rewarded when we fulfill our promises. (Vedibarta Bam) ****************************************************** Answer to Rosh Hashanah pop quiz: Gedaliah ben Ahikam (he was the last Jewish leader in the Second Temple era) ****************************************************** Please preserve the sanctity of this bulletin. It contains words of Torah and should be treated with respect. Other Torah e-mail you may enjoy: send e-mail to majordomo@sitt.com and put in the message: subscribe aram-soba Please pass this bulletin along to a friend. 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