Action Is The Main Thing

Shabbos Rosh Chodesh
Audio Version By Rabbi Sholem Perl
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All Vaeira Dvar Torahs
The Haftora for parshas Vaeira has two prophecies from our prophet Yechezkel (Ezekiel), plus two verses from a previous prophecy.

The first prophecy is about the destruction of Egypt. Hashem says that He will lay waste to Egypt, it will be uninhabited for forty years, and then they will return, but Egypt will never be a superpower again.

Hashem gives a reason for the downfall of Egypt. Because Egypt didn't keep their word, and come to Israel's aid when they needed it most. They were a "prop of reeds," meaning, that when Israel needed to lean on Egypt, when they were being attacked by Sennacherib, and later by Nebuchadnezzar, Egypt folded as a prop made of weak reeds, and didn't come to Israel's aid.

But then, a few verses later He gives what seems to be a totally different reason. Because of Pharaoh's arrogance and denial of Hashem's providence, as he said, "The river is mine, and I made it."

The prophecy of the destruction of Egypt fits in with the message of parshas Vaeira, which tells of the devastating plagues that Hashem brought on Egypt. It even was for similar reasons. First, for the suffering they wrought on the Jewish people. And second, that Pharaoh be humbled from arrogance and denial of Hashem, as he said, "Who is Hashem, that I should listen to his voice," and come to realize that Hashem is G-d. This attitude was common by all the Egyptians, as we see from the reason Hashem gave Moshe for bringing the plagues, "And Egypt will know that I Am Hashem."

What connection is there between denial of Hashem because of arrogance and treating the Jewish people badly?

The question here itself is the answer. When a person is arrogant, his ego is so great, that there is no room for G-d, let alone another person so he treats others badly. (As we have seen just recently, how so many leaders of countries turned their backs on Israel, by means of a UN resolution, claiming that the Jewish people have no connection to their holy sites, in denial of G-d, His Torah and historical facts.)

The second prophecy in the Haftora, is about Nebuchadrezzar (another name for Nebuchadnezzar). Hashem says that He will give Egypt into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, and his army will enjoy the spoils, as a reward for capturing the city of Tzor (Tyre). Because they put so much effort into the siege of Tzor, but aside for its capture, the soldiers came away with nothing. All this,  because "The action which he carried out," was what Hashem wanted to be done.

The Haftora is meant to resemble the parsha, and bring out its theme. The first prophecy about the destruction of Egypt fits in nicely as explained earlier. But how does the prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar's reward express the message of the parsha? True his reward was the taking of Egypt, but that is merely a detail, and what more, our parsha doesn't mention anything about another empire conquering Egypt.

If we take a closer look at our parsha, it becomes clear. The parsha opens with Moshe's complaint to Hashem. Moshe did what Hashem asked him to do, he went to Pharaoh, and asked him to allow the Jewish people to go and serve Hashem. And ever since then, the servitude only got worse. So he asked Hashem, "Why did You make things worse for this nation?"

Hashem answers, "I also heard the groaning of the Children of Israel, that the Egyptians are enslaving them.... Therefore tell the Children of Israel I Am Hashem, and I will take you out... I will save you... I will redeem you... I will take you... And I will bring you to the land..."

how does this answer the question? He already heard their groaning before Pharaoh made things worse, why didn't Hashem save them then?

We must conclude that the harsh servitude was somehow necessary, and that it needed to get even worse before Hashem could save them. What could possibly be the reason for this?

The reason for our descent to Egypt, was for us to receive the Torah. In order for the Torah to come down into the physical world, two things had to happen. First, we needed to become vessels to receive the Torah. The main idea of the Torah is to do Hashem's will, and to do that, our will had to be completely nullified, and that was done through the servitude in Egypt. This last blow, making it even harder for them, completed the process, now we were ready.

Second, just as it was necessary for the Jewish people to be prepared for receiving the Torah, so too, the world had to be prepared. Being that Egypt was the super power that ruled the world, they needed to recognize Hashem. As mentioned above, the Egyptian attitude was one of arrogance and denial of Hashem. This attitude needed to be broken for the Torah to be given, because the Torah is about the nullification of our will to do Hashem's will. Therefore, Hashem sent the plagues to break Egypt and it worked, as Pharaoh said at the end of the parsha, "Hashem is the Righteous One, and me and my nation are the wicked ones."

So the theme of the parsha, is getting ready to receive the Torah. And our main goal is that through our actions, doing the mitzvahs, we become connected to the One Who commanded us to do them, Hashem.

Now we can understand how the second prophecy aligns with the message of the parsha. Nebuchadnezzar did just that, he did what Hashem wanted, and he was rewarded for that.

You may be wondering. Tzor was a port city on the Mediterranean, and it was also along the road to Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar wanted to capture Tzor for his own selfish reasons, because he wanted to rule the world, and Tzor was a strategic asset. Even the verse says that he was being given Egypt, merely for "The action which he carried out." Which implies that it just was something he did, not that he did it for Hashem. So why is he being rewarded?

This is a lesson to us here, is that the most important thing is the action, to do what Hashem wants, and even when the intentions are not that perfect, the reward is deserved.

This is in line with the Baal Shem Tov's teaching, that we should love every Jew, even those that are at the ends of the earth, and who you have never seen. Because every Jewish person has done many good deeds, as our sages tell us, "They are full of mitzvahs like a pomegranate (is filled with seeds)." Every good deed has an effect on the whole world, as the Rambam says with regards to someone who does a mitzvah "He tips himself and the whole world to the side of merit and causes for himself and for them redemption and salvation." So it turns out, that we each receive redemption and salvation from every Jewish person, even those we never met.

Now that I am unable to do things, I see how special it is. I used to do so much, and from all the things I used to do, I miss helping people the most. There is nothing better than being there for others. At least I am able to lift others spirits with my smile, my heart and through these Dvar Torahs. For these things I am grateful.

May we merit to see the ultimate transformation of the world with the coming of Moshiach. When we will see how it was our actions, mitzvahs and good deeds, that brought salvation and redemption. May it happen soon.

Plant Now Benefit Later

Dear friends,

This is what I wrote for parshas Shemos. I wanted it to be ready for last Shabbos, but Hashem and my computer had different ideas. It's a little bit longer than usual, but I hope that you will enjoy it.

Yitzi

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The Haftora for parshas Shemos has one theme, divided into three parts. The theme is the blossoming of redemption. First, we go down into exile for a reason. Second, in the darkness of the exile is where we are able to accomplish the most, developing ourselves and the world for the ultimate redemption. Third, the gathering of the exiles and how when Moshiach comes, we will reap the fruits of our labor in exile.

There are also hints of how to bring Moshiach, through showing love to our fellow Jews.

The connection to our parsha, is that the parsha begins with the descent of the Jewish people into Egypt. Then it tells of the hard labor and the amazing growth of the Jewish nation. And finally the beginning of our redemption from Egypt, when Hashem sent Moshe to start the process of the Exodus.

What We Do Now Is Most Powerful

Another connection to our parsha is the first verse of the Haftora. The parsha begins, "And these are the names of the Children of Yisrael who came to Egypt." The Haftora also begins, "Those who came," and continues, "whom Yaakov caused to take root, Yisrael budded and blossomed and they filled the face of the Earth with fruit." Just as the parsha tells us, how the Jewish people multiplied.

Both Yaakov and Yisrael are names of the Jewish people. When it comes to taking root it says Yaakov, but by budding and blossoming it says Yisrael. Why the difference?

Yaakov, refers to the Jewish people when they interact with the physical world, which in the time of exile, is a very dark place. Yaakov is symbolic of serving Hashem out of accepting the yoke of His will, which is our main service to Hashem in exile. This form of service is not necessarily very meaningful, but it is the most powerful. It is compared to planting which is hard work. Planting a small tasteless seed in the ground, where it is dark and cold. But it is there where this small tasteless seed takes root, and grows into a great tree. The transformation from a small seed to a large tree, is exponentially great. The same is true about our service in exile. It is hard work, tasteless, it is cold and dark, but here is where our work takes root and the transformation is well beyond our efforts.

Yisrael refers to the Jewish people's interaction with the spiritual and G-dly, which is mainly in the time of Moshiach. Yisrael is symbolic of serving Hashem out of understanding. It is compared to budding and blossoming, and the growth of fruit. Above ground, in the light and warmth, the budding and blossoming is visible and beautiful, and the fruit is tasty and enjoyable. Because in the light and revelation of Hashem in the era of Moshiach, we will have the pleasure of seeing the accomplishments of our actions and the fruit of our labor.

All this will be possible, only because of the seeds we planted in the exile. So our work now as Yaakov, in the darkness of the exile, is what gives us the great pleasure as Yisrael, in the time of Moshiach.

Hashem Will Take Every Jew By The Hand 

The Haftora continues with a rebuke to the Jewish people for their idol worship and then resumes telling about the time of Moshiach. "It will be on that day, Hashem will remove the kernel from the chaff of the river and until the brook of Egypt, and you, the children of Israel, will be gathered one by one. And it will be on that day, the great shofar will be sounded, and those who are lost in Assyria and those who are cast away in Egypt, will come and bow down to Hashem on the Holy Mountain, in Yerushalayim."

Hashem will remove the kernel, which is the Jewish people. From the chaff, which are the nations of the world. The river is Assyria, which was by the Euphrates, until the brook of Egypt. What is the significance of Egypt and Assyria, which are mentioned or hinted to, in these two verses? And why are the exiles in Egypt called "cast away," while those of Assyria are called lost?

There are two types of exiles. Egypt is symbolic of every exile of oppression and servitude. As the name Egypt in Hebrew is Mitzrayim, which means constraints. When the Jewish people were in the Egyptian exile, they were in forced servitude. That is why they are called "cast away," because they are oppressed.

The second kind of exile, is one of abundance and freedom. As the name Assyria in Hebrew is Ashur, which means happy. And when the Jewish people were exiled to Assyria, they had religious and economic freedom. When there is abundance and freedom, it is easy to get lost in the culture of the time and stray from the Jewish way. This is why the exiles of Assyria are called lost.

The verse says, "and you the children of Israel, will be gathered one by one." Literally, "to the one, one." What is the meaning of these words?

First, that every Jewish person will be gathered. Second, that Hashem Himself will be involved personally with taking every individual one of us, as Rashi explains that He will take each of us by the hand. Third, the "one," the essence of every Jew, will be gathered and become united with "The One," which is Hashem.

Alternatively, it is a call to each of us, to reach out to others with love and bring them closer to Hashem.

The Call Of The Great Shofar

"The great shofar will be sounded," what is the significance of a "great" shofar? Also, from the verse, there is no indication as to who is doing the blowing, why?

The sound of the shofar reaches the core of every Jew. The question is, how powerful is its effect? There are four levels in shofar, each of them shakes us up by touching our core.

The shofar of Rosh Hashanah, is a cry from deep within the heart of a Jew, deeper than the reach of our understanding. Therefore, it reaches deep within Hashem, to the divine will, which is far beyond divine wisdom. This causes Hashem, so to speak, to blow the shofar, meaning, shining from his divine will upon us. This is the meaning of the verse, "Hashem our G-d will blow the shofar."

Greater than the shofar of Rosh Hashanah is the shofar blowing of Yom Kippur, which was blown to announce the jubilee year, of which the Torah says, "You must proclaim shofar blasts."

Greater than that, was the shofar that was sounded at the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Of which the Torah says, "The sound of the shofar was going and very strong."

Yet, the sounding of the shofar when Moshiach comes will be even greater than all the previous three, as it is called the "Great Shofar." It will be so strong, that it will reach every Jew, even "Those who are lost in Assyria and cast away in Egypt." It will affect them so much so, that they "will come and bow down to Hashem." Meaning, that they will start to keep Torah Judaism. And at what level? The verse continues, "on the Holy Mountain in Yerushalayim," meaning, the holiest level.

Why will it be so powerful? Because of the blower. While the shofar of Rosh Hashanah, jubilee, and Giving of the Torah are great, they all come from a place in Hashem that relates to the world. However, the sound of shofar of Moshiach, comes from the essence of Hashem, beyond any connection to existence. That is why it doesn't tell us who is doing the blowing, because it is a part of Hashem that is beyond any name or description. This call of the shofar will reach the essence of every Jew, no matter how far they have strayed.

The Rebbe explains, that this is similar to major events in the world, like the Six Day War, where the hand of Hashem was so apparent, that the souls of Jewish people all around the world, were set ablaze.

The Haftora continues with a rebuke to Efraim (the ten northern tribes), for their arrogance and the devastating consequences headed their way. Then it speaks of the future glory of Yehuda and Binyamin, followed by a depiction of their present drunken and irreverent state.

Love Brings Moshiach

The last two verses return to the subject of Moshiach, "So says Hashem to the House of Yaakov, who redeemed Avraham." The simple meaning here, is that Hashem, Who saved Avraham, is speaking to the House of Yaakov. However, it could be read, as if Yaakov is the one who redeemed Avraham. What are we meant to learn from this? And what does it have to do with Moshiach?

Avraham's attribute is love. As Jews, we are obligated to love every Jewish person, irrespective of their observance level. However, when a friend who is observant sins, and even after you approach him and talk to him about it, he continues to do so, the Talmud tells you to hate him.

This is where Yaakov's attribute of compassion redeems Avraham. When you see your friend's failing, you will hate the bad in him, but at the same time, you will recognize that he has good deep within. You will have compassion on his Neshama, which will awaken the love for your friend again.

Since love among Jews is a key element in bringing Moshiach, it is mentioned here.

The verse continues, "Yaakov will no longer be ashamed... When he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they shall sanctify My name, and sanctify the Holy One of Yaakov, and they shall praise the G-d of Israel.

May it happen soon.

A Parent's Living Will

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In parshas Vayechi, we read about Yaakov's last words to his children and Yosef's last words to his brothers. In the Haftora we read of King David's last words of advice and instruction to his son Shlomo.

From both the parsha and the haftorah we see the importance of advising our children before the day comes.

The thing is, that we don't know when that day will come. As for me, Hashem has chosen to give me ALS, and since the diagnosis, the day has been staring me in the face. My wife Dina, and good friends whose parents have passed on, have been trying to impress upon me, the importance of writing a living will. At first, I was being stubborn, not wanting to consider the suggestion that the day might come. But then, a few of my friends suddenly passed, which got me thinking, that it is probably a good idea for everyone to do, even those that are healthy.

Now that I have started, it has become so meaningful to me, as it has given me a clarity of what I really want, for my family in general, and for my wife and each of my children specifically. I don't plan to wait for them to find out, when my time comes. As soon as I am done, I will share it with them, so that they know how I feel about them, what I think they are capable of, and what I wish for them.

A father's and mother's advice, is so powerful and cherished by their children. Even if they ignore it now, eventually it will have a tremendous impact.

My suggestion to every parent, and anyone who has been a teacher or mentor to someone they truly care about. Start the process of writing a living will, and you will find it meaningful, it will give you clarity and your family will be grateful that you did it.

May we be a guiding light to our families and merit Hashem's blessing, to see them turn better than we could have imagined. May they be a nachas to Hashem, to the Jewish people, and especially to us.

Becoming A Man

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All Vayechi Articles
The Haftora for parshas Vayechi, tells of King David's last words and instructions to his son Shlomo and it gives a tally of his years as king.

The connection to our parsha is Yaakov's last words to his children and Yosef's last words to his brothers.

The Haftora begins  to tell us, that when the time of David's passing was nearing, he instructed his son Shlomo. "I am going the way of all the earth, and you should strengthen yourself and become (ish) a man."

At this point, Shlomo was twelve years old, before Bar Mitzvah. These words are a message from every parent to their Bar Mitzvah boys crossing into Manhood, "strengthen yourself and become a man." Why does he need to strengthen himself to become a man?

In Hebrew, there are four terms for the word "man," adam, ish, enosh and gever. Adam, refers to the intelligent aspect of man, the mind, brain, etc. Ish, is the emotional side of man, feelings, heart, etc. The last two, enosh and gever, are the way adam and ish express themselves. Enosh, refers to emotional or intellectual weakness. Gever, refers to emotional or intellectual strength.

What is strange in this verse is the use of the word "ish," which refers to the emotional. The reason why a boy enters Manhood at thirteen, is because, that is when he becomes a Bar Daas, which is the natural development of his intellectual properties. However, here David uses the word "ish," which has to do with his emotions. Wouldn't it make sense to say "adam?"

The intellectual aspect of man, remains in his thoughts and can only be expressed by coming through his emotional self, in speech and action. The development of a person's mind, does not ensure that he will act correctly, that is why we find a lot of smart people doing stupid and destructive things. It takes effort to apply what you know, so that it affects how you act. So while a boy enters Manhood because of the natural development of his intellectual properties, it takes personal effort to apply what he knows to how he acts, because that is not natural. Therefore David's instructions to Shlomo are, as if to say - I know that you are smart, but that won't help you, unless you can apply it to the way you act. So "strengthen yourself," meaning, you will have to put your own effort and hard work, to become an "Ish," an emotionally well developed person. Only then will your great wisdom be useful and serve you well.

The same is true for every Bar Mitzvah boy, if he wants to become an ish, he will have to put in the effort.

The first mitzvah that a Bar Mitzvah boy becomes obligated to do, is the reading of the Shema. Here we see the same idea, that knowledge doesn't necessarily bring to action.

The Shema begins, "Hear O Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is one. And you will love Hashem your G-d, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your means." But between the first two verses, our great sages inserted another verse, "The name of Hashem's glorious kingdom is blessed forever and ever." Why did they feel the need to add this verse? Isn't the knowledge of Hashem's oneness enough to bring him to love Hashem?

The answer is the same as before. Just because you understand something doesn't mean you feel it. The extra verse, is to apply it to yourself, by actively accepting Hashem's dominion over you.

Another mitzvah that comes with Bar Mitzvah is Teffillin. The Torah says, "You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand and they should be as totafos between your eyes." By the Teffillin that goes on the arm, the Torah says, "You shall bind them." However, by the head Teffillin, it says, "they should be." Why the difference? Another interesting thing, is that the head and the arm Teffillin are two separate mitzvahs, but in order to put on the head Teffillin, you are required to first put on the arm Teffillin. Why?

The answer is in the same vein as the previous answer. The head Teffillin sit on the part of the head where the brain is, it is connected to the intellect. Because the intellectual properties of a person develop naturally, all the Teffillin needs to do, is "be" there. Whereas the arm Teffillin are near the heart, which is connected to emotions and the arm and hand are all about action. Therefore, effort needs to be exerted to "bind" them, because emotional development comes through effort. And being that our intellect is expressed via our emotions, the emotional self needs to be developed first, so that the intellect could be properly expressed. Hence the Teffillin of the arm has to be on before the head.

I see this with my children as well. Thank G-d, I have been blessed with smart children, but I see how much work it takes for them to be the great kids they are. For me, there is no greater nachas, than watching my children growing up and becoming a mentch and a Torah observant Jew.

May our efforts we put into our children be fruitful. May we watch them grow into mentchen, and may they always be a source of nachas, to Hashem, to the Jewish people, and especially to us.

A Parent’s Advice

Audio Version By Rabbi Sholem Perl
Print Version
The Haftora for parshas Vayechi, tells of King David's last words and instructions to his son Shlomo and it gives a tally of his years as king.

The connection to our parsha is Yaakov's last words to his children and Yosef's last words to his brothers.

The Haftora begins  to tell us, that when the time of David's passing was nearing, he instructed his son Shlomo. "I am going the way of all the earth, and you should strengthen yourself and become (ish) a man."

At this point, Shlomo was twelve years old, before Bar Mitzvah. These words are a message from every parent to their Bar Mitzvah boys crossing into Manhood, "strengthen yourself and become a man." Why does he need to strengthen himself to become a man?

In Hebrew, there are four terms for the word "man," adam, ish, enosh and gever. Adam, refers to the intelligent aspect of man, the mind, brain, etc. Ish, is the emotional side of man, feelings, heart, etc. The last two, enosh and gever, are the way adam and ish express themselves. Enosh, refers to emotional or intellectual weakness. Gever, refers to emotional or intellectual strength.

What is strange in this verse is the use of the word "ish," which refers to the emotional. The reason why a boy enters Manhood at thirteen, is because, that is when he becomes a Bar Daas, which is the natural development of his intellectual properties. However, here David uses the word "ish," which has to do with his emotions. Wouldn't it make sense to say "adam?"

The intellectual aspect of man, remains in his thoughts and can only be expressed by coming through his emotional self, in speech and action. The development of a person's mind, does not ensure that he will act correctly, that is why we find a lot of smart people doing stupid and destructive things. It takes effort to apply what you know, so that it affects how you act. So while a boy enters Manhood because of the natural development of his intellectual properties, it takes personal effort to apply what he knows to how he acts, because that is not natural. Therefore David's instructions to Shlomo are, as if to say - I know that you are smart, but that won't help you, unless you can apply it to the way you act. So "strengthen yourself," meaning, you will have to put your own effort and hard work, to become an " Ish," an emotionally well developed person. Only then will your great wisdom be useful and serve you well.

The same is true for every Bar Mitzvah boy, if he wants to become an ish, he will have to put in the effort.

The first mitzvah that a Bar Mitzvah boy becomes obligated to do, is the reading of the Shema. Here we see the same idea, that knowledge doesn't necessarily bring to action.

The Shema begins, "Hear O Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is one. And you will love Hashem your G-d, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your means." But between the first two verses, our great sages inserted another verse,"The name of Hashem's glorious kingdom is blessed forever and ever." Why did they feel the need to add this verse? Isn't the knowledge of Hashem's oneness enough to bring him to love Hashem?

The answer is the same as before. Just because you understand something doesn't mean you feel it. The extra verse, is to apply it to yourself, by actively accepting Hashem's dominion over you.

Another mitzvah that comes with Bar Mitzvah is Teffillin. The Torah says, "You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand and they should be as totafos between your eyes." By the Teffillin that goes on the arm, the Torah says, "You shall bind them." However, by the head Teffillin, it says, "they should be." Why the difference? Another interesting thing, is that the head and the arm Teffillin are two separate mitzvahs, but in order to put on the head Teffillin, you are required to first put on the arm Teffillin. Why?

The answer is in the same vein as the previous answer. The head Teffillin sit on the part of the head where the brain is, it is connected to the intellect. Because the intellectual properties of a person develop naturally, all the Teffillin needs to do, is "be" there. Whereas the arm Teffillin are near the heart, which is connected to emotions and the arm and hand are all about action. Therefore, effort needs to be exerted to "bind" them, because emotional development comes through effort. And being that our intellect is expressed via our emotions, the emotional self needs to be developed first, so that the intellect could be properly expressed. Hence the Teffillin of the arm has to be on before the head.

I see this with my children as well. Thank G-d, I have been blessed with smart children, but I see how much work it takes for them to be the great kids they are. For me, there is no greater nachas, than watching my children growing up and becoming a mentch and a Torah observant Jew.

From both parshas Vayechi and the haftorah we see the importance of advising our children before the day comes.

The thing is, that we don't know when that day will come. As for me, Hashem has chosen to give me ALS, and since the diagnosis, the day has been staring me in the face. My wife Dina, and good friends whose parents have passed on, have been trying to impress upon me, the importance of writing a living will. At first, I was being stubborn, not wanting to consider the suggestion that the day might come. But then, a few of my friends suddenly passed, which got me thinking, that it is probably a good idea for everyone to do, even those that are healthy.

Now that I have started, it has become so meaningful to me, as it has given me a clarity of what I really want, for my family in general, and for my wife and each of my children specifically. I don't plan to wait for them to find out, when my time comes. As soon as I am done, I will share it with them, so that they know how I feel about them, what I think they are capable of, and what I wish for them.

A father's and mother's advice, is so powerful and cherished by their children. Even if they ignore it now, eventually it will have a tremendous impact.

My suggestion to every parent, and anyone who has been a teacher or mentor to someone they truly care about. Start the process of writing a living will, and you will find it meaningful, it will give you clarity and your family will be grateful that you did it.

May our efforts we put into our children be fruitful. May we watch them grow into mentchen, and may they always be a source of nachas, to Hashem, to the Jewish people, and especially to us.

One Nation Under Yehuda

Audio Version By Rabbi Sholem Perl
Print Version
The Haftora for parshas Vayigash, is a prophecy of our prophet Yechezkel (Ezekiel), about the uniting of the two kingdoms, Yehuda and Yisrael, in the time of Moshiach.

The Haftora begins with Hashem speaking to Yechezkel, "Take one stick of wood and write on it Yehuda..., and take one stick of wood and write on it Efraim... Bring them close to each other, like one stick, and they will become one in your hand." Then Hashem tells him that when people will ask, what are these sticks to you?  He should tell them, "So says Hashem..., behold I am taking the stick of Yosef, which is in the hand of Efraim..., and I will put together with them, the stick of Yehuda, and I will make them into one stick."

Then the Haftora describes how Hashem will gather all the Jewish people, from wherever they are. He will unite them into one nation, "No longer will they be divided into two kingdoms."

This division is first seen in our parsha with the confrontation between Yosef and Yehuda, "And he stepped close to him (to Yosef)." This is the event that brought us down to Egypt, as Yosef revealed himself to his brothers, telling them to move down to Egypt. Yosef and Yehuda are symbolic of two ways in Jewish life, intellect and action, or in other terms, Torah and mitzvahs. There is a Talmudic debate, what is greater, study or action? They conclude, that study is greater, because it brings to action.

The Haftora continues with Hashem saying that when we become one nation, "My servant David will be king over them." Then later He says, "David My servant will be a Nassi to them forever." This is saying that ultimately David will be the one king over Yosef as well, meaning, that when Moshiach comes, action will be greater than study. How does this work?

From the statement that "Study is greater, because it brings to action," we understand that the point is the action, only that the way to the action is through study. Therefore, today, study is most important. However, when Moshiach comes, the revelation will be so great, that it itself will bring us to action, even without the study. The importance of action was well understood by our ancestors, when receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. They said, "We will do and we will listen." first they said "do," meaning action, and only after, they said "listen," which is study.

Yechezkel's prophecy differs from all other prophecies, in a few ways. First by other prophecies, the job of the prophet was to tell the prophecy to the people right away. However here, he had to get sticks, write on them, and only after he was asked about what he was doing, was he to tell them Hashem's message.

Why the whole display with the sticks? Every good prophecy comes true, although, sometimes we don't get to witness them, because they only actualize in the spiritual realms. This happens when we become unworthy due to our sins, the prophecy gets stuck, unable to descend into the physical. This is what Yaakov was afraid of, when he was going to confront his brother Eisav, not that Hashem's promise of protection wouldn't come true, but rather, that perhaps because of something he did, it would not come into the physical.

By Hashem commanding the action of bringing the two physical sticks together, He was insuring that nothing would block the prophecy, as it has already entered the physical realm.

What are we meant to learn from the people asking Yechezkel about the two sticks? The Baal Shem Tov taught, that a Jew must learn a lesson about his service to Hashem, from everything he sees. Here is a clear indication from the Tanach, that this is in fact the case, and therefore, the natural tendency of Jewish people.

In the two verses about David, there are differences that beg for explanation, and answering them will give us more of an understanding of what King Moshiach's leadership will be like.

The first verse calls him, My servant David. The second verse calls him David My servant. The first verse calls him a king, and the second says that he will be a Nassi, which is the highest position of leadership beneath the king. The first says, he will be king "over" them, while the other says, that he will be Nassi "to" them. The second verse says that he will be Nassi to them "forever," and the first verse says nothing like that.

When the Talmud discusses the Davids in the these verses, it says about the first, that it is referring to another David, but about the second, it says that it refers to King David. It also explains that it is like Caesar and the second to Caesar. How many kings will there be? And why does the Talmud call them Caesar and the second to Caesar, Roman terms, why not use the Hebrew?

The explanation. King Moshiach will be one person but his leadership will take two forms. First he will be a king, bringing law and order. He is called "another David," because he will be different than David. As the Rambam explains, that he will fight the wars of Hashem, and bring the whole world to follow Hashem's will. This is something that is extraordinary, that has never happened before, an end to war, jealousy, etc. He will be king "over" them, because law and order is done even by force.

Why will he have the ability to effect such amazing change? Because of his subservience to Hashem, which will allow Hashem's presence to shine through and make this change possible. That's why he is called "My servant David" here, with the word "servant" first , because it is specifically his subservience to Hashem, that will change the world.

Now we can understand why they use the term Caesar. Tosafos explains why Roman kings were called Caesar.

There was a pregnant woman who died, they cut open her belly and found the baby alive. He later became king of Rome, and being that the word for a cesarean (C-section) in Roman (Latin) is caesar, that was adopted as the title of Roman kings. In Hebrew, a cesarean is called a yotzai dofen, which means, one that exits through a wall. The expression yotzai dofen, is also used for something that is out of the ordinary. Being that Moshiach will do the extraordinary, the term Caesar is used.

Once the world will be changed, the king form won't be necessary any more. That is when the Nassi mode of Moshiach will begin. Nassi was the term used for the head of the Sanhedrin, the chief teacher of Torah. As the Rambam explains, Moshiach will be wiser than Solomon, and teach Torah at a new level, as in the era of Moshiach, there will be a great thirst for the knowledge of Hashem. This will be the purpose of Moshiach, to teach Torah. Though his teaching will be at a level never experienced before, it is nevertheless Torah, which is never changing. You can go deeper but the whole of Torah was given at Mount Sinai, not to be changed. So in this capacity Moshiach will be special but not completely unique and extraordinary, that why he is called "David My servant," David first, because here he will be like David and the kings after him.

Now we can understand why it says that he will be a Nassi "to" them. Because as a teacher, he will be close to the people and rule, not from a position of power, but from a position of acceptance. As there will be no more need for power, because law and order will be natural.

Being that a law and order king won't be necessary any more, Moshiach's position of Nassi, will be "forever," and our only yearning will be for deeper and deeper understanding of Hashem and his Torah.

And as the Haftora concludes, "I will make for them a covenant of peace, an everlasting covenant..., and I will put My Sanctuary in their midst forever. And My presence will be upon them, and I will be to them as G-d, and they will be to me as a nation. And the nations will know that I Am Hashem Who sanctifies Israel, when My Sanctuary will be in their midst forever." May it happen soon.

Young Shlomo's Wisdom

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The Haftora for Mikeitz is not read every year, because it is often Shabbos Chanukah, which has its own Haftora. It is a short Haftora, with little commentary, but at the same time, it is one of the most famous stories in the Tanach.

The connection to our parsha, is that the Haftora begins with Shlomo Hamelech waking up from a dream, realizing that the dream was a true prophecy from Hashem. Similarly, in the parsha, King Pharaoh had dreams and woke up knowing that his dreams were of national importance. Yosef was summoned to interpret the dreams, which he did with G-dly wisdom, which was bestowed upon him. Similarly, in the Haftora, Shlomo's G-dly wisdom is displayed, as he adjudicated a case before the Sanhedrin, in which there were no witnesses. Everyone was amazed by his G-dly wisdom, as in the parsha, Pharaoh was amazed by Yosef's G-dly wisdom. The Haftora ends with "And King Shlomo was king over all Israel." similarly in the parsha, Yosef ruled over all of Egypt.

If we look deeper into the Haftora, we can find a timeless message for us all.

The Haftora begins with Shlomo Hamelech waking up from a dream, however no mention is made of the details of the dream in the Haftora. If you go back a few verses in the chapter, there is the most beautiful dream, a conversation between Hashem and a twelve year old king, who just ascended the throne. Hashem tells him that he will grant him a wish, and Shlomo asked for wisdom. Hashem is pleased with his request, and grants him wealth and fame as well. When he wakes up, he hears birds chirping and understands what they are saying. He realized that the dream had come true.

Why doesn't the Haftora include the dream, after all, in the parsha, Pharaoh's dreams are included?

In the parsha, Pharaoh's dreams are necessary to understand the wisdom displayed when Yosef interprets them. However, Shlomo's wisdom displayed in the Haftora, was not in explaining the dream. It is enough just to tell us that he had a dream. Even more, his dream was a personal one, while Pharaoh's dreams were of national consequence.

The Haftora continues with two women who came before Shlomo. One said that she gave birth to a boy, and a few days later the other woman also gave birth to a boy. They were home alone, when the other woman, while sleeping, laid on her baby, suffocating him. She then switched the babies. When the first mother woke up to nurse her baby, she found that he was dead. At closer inspection though, she realized that it wasn't her son, and understood what happened.

The other woman cried out, "My son is the live one and your son is dead," and they argued before the king.

Shlomo already knew through prophecy, who the real mother was, but he wanted to show with logical proof that she was the mother, so that it be accepted by the people, so he came up with a risky, but creative solution.

He explained, "This one says, 'This is my son, the live one and the dead one is your son,' and this one says, 'Not so, your son is the dead one and my son is the live one.'"Then he said, " Bring me a sword," and they brought a sword. He said. "Divide the live boy in two, give one half to one and the other half to the other."

You could imagine the scene, everyone standing around and a twelve year old king is suggesting the most heinous of judgments. They were losing confidence, that allowing him to be king, was a good idea. But then, the live boy's mother, having compassion on her baby said, "My lord, give the baby to her, just don't put him to death," and the other one said, "Let him be neither mine nor yours, divide him."

The king spoke up and said, "Give her (the first woman) the living child, and don't put him to death." A voice came from heaven and confirmed, "She is the mother."

What is the lesson to be taken from this story?

The two mothers symbolize two influences, the Torah's and modern society's. They are battling over every Jewish child. Modern society's child was smothered and died, because every way of thinking, ultimately dies as a new way of thinking dawns, with the exception of the Torah way, which remains the same. Even more, being that the Torah way is from Hashem, it is always true and not subject to change. Whereas human beings thinking, as noble as they sound, are at best, attempts at being correct. And as history attests, even with the best of intentions, they end up failing, and in many cases, they backfire and end in disaster.

The question is, who will get the child? The judges are the parents. Many make a grave mistake, thinking, I will educate him in both, some for G-d, and some for the world, in other words godlessness. This is cutting the child in half, not physically, but spiritually, mentally, morally, and emotionally. As the real mother said, "Give the baby to her, just don't put him to death." Of course the Torah way is best, but it is better to give the child to the world’s way, than to cut him in half.

Giving your children a Jewish education and upbringing, is by far the best thing that you can do for them. Even the secular studies at Jewish schools are done in accordance with the Torah way of thinking.

May you have nachas from your children, and bring them up in the Torah way. In this merit we will surely merit the coming of Moshiach. May he come soon.