Making Vessels Is The Main Thing

Although this is on the Haftora for the second Shabbos of Chanukah it touches on the essence of  Chanukah.

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Making Vessels Is The Main Thing 

The Haftora for the second Shabbos of Chanukah is about the vessels that king Shlomo and Chirom made for the first Temple. All communities read this Haftora for the second Shabbos of Chanukah, but  Ashkenazic communities read this also for parshas Vayakhel and Sefardic communities read this also for parshas Pekudei.

The connection to Vayakhel and Pekudei is easy to understand, because they speak about the vessels that Betzalel and Elihav made for the Mishkan. But it's difficult to understand its connection to Chanukah.

The Haftora brings out the theme of the parsha or the holiday. Since everyone reads this on the second Shabbos of Chanukah it means that it's more related to the theme of Chanukah. And being that it's read on the second Shabbos of Chanukah, it's proof that it's more related to Chanukah than the Haftora for the first Shabbos of Chanukah, because we have the rule on Chanukah that "We add in holiness," meaning that the theme of Chanukah gets stronger and stronger as the holiday progresses and we light more and more candles. By explaining how it connects to Chanukah, we will get a deeper appreciation for Vayakhel and Pekudei.

It is difficult to understand how this Haftora connects to Chanukah, because it speaks about making the vessels of the first Temple. True it mentions the extra Menoras that Shlomo made to accompany the Menorah that Moshe made for the Mishkan, but that is only one verse at the end of the Haftora. And it only mentions that he made "five (to go) on the right and five (to go) on the left," and where they were to be placed. However it doesn't mention that they were brought into the Temple or that they were lit, which would make it more in line with the theme of Chanukah. There is even an opinion that the Menoras that Shlomo made weren't lit at all. And even more, there are no other details.

When it comes to the Haftora for the first Shabbos of Chanukah, the prophecy of Zechariah about the Menorah in the second Temple, it's a few verses and it gives details. It's a prophecy specifically about the Menorah and the olive oil, in sync with the Chanukah theme. It turns out that the prophecy of Zechariah is also about the third Temple in the time of Moshiach. 

However our Haftora doesn't seem to have any connection with Chanukah.

The question gets stronger, when you consider that the verses following this Haftora, speaks about how they completed all the work. brought the vessels into the Temple and the Chanukas Beis Hamikdash, the dedication of the Temple, which would be right in line with the story of Chanukah, the rededication of the Temple in the second Temple era, in the time of the Chashmonaim. It's not like they had nothing else to use as the Haftora that they had to use this.

Even more, according to the teaching that "We add in holiness," mentioned above, it would make sense for the Haftora of the first Shabbos of Chanukah to be read on the second Shabbos, because it seems to have more to do with Chanukah. 

Nevertheless the law is that we read this Haftora on the second Shabbos of Chanukah in every community, despite all the objections mentioned above. Therefore we must conclude that this Haftora brings out the theme of Chanukah even more than the Haftora for the first Shabbos of Chanukah. How does it do that?

And what important lesson are we meant to learn from this?

In order to understand this, we first need to understand what Chanukah is all about. It's about turning the darkness into light. First, "The Greeks entered the sanctuary," and "They defiled all of the oil," that was the darkness getting stronger. Then the miracle happened, "They didn't find but one cruise of oil that had the seal of the Kohen Gadol, and it didn't have oil but for one day, and a miracle happened that they lit from it eight days."

It's explained in Chassidus that the miracle is from such a high level, at that level, the darkness doesn't darken, not only does the light brighten the darkness but the darkness itself shines.

That is why they established that we commemorate this miracle with lighting candles, and "the mitzvah is from sunset, until the people finish coming from the market place... until the Tarmudai finish coming." Because the light of the Chanukah candles is about lighting up the darkest place, the market place, where the Tarmudai hang out. The Tarmudai were the lowest of people, they denied Hashem's existence.

In our service to Hashem, it means that we brighten the darkness of the world with "The candle which is the mitzvah and the Torah which is the flame," until we even turn the Tarmudai of existence to light.

In order to understand further, we have to understand why Hashem created this world, and our purpose in the scheme of things.

The Midrash tells us and the Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya that the reason that Hashem created this world is because "The Blessed One Be He had a desire that we make Him a home in the lowest realms," which is this lowly physical world.

We do this by the study of Torah, the performance of mitzvos and by making every aspect of our lives for Hashem.

The whole of existence including all of the higher realms, and all the spiritual worlds were created just so we can fulfill our purpose. The same is with our holidays, they are meant to help us with making a home for Hashem, every holiday brings out and accomplishes a different aspect of this, and they are meant to give us the strength to accomplish it throughout the year.

Chanukah also brings out this idea. Chanukah is about transforming darkness into light, to transform the Tarmudai, the opposing forces to Hashem, in this lowly physical world, of which there is no lower.

When it comes to making this world into a home for Hashem, there are two parts that seem to be equal. First there is making vessels to receive G-dliness, then there is filling those vessels with G-dliness.

For example, there is turning a horn into a shofar and then there is using it on Rosh Hashanah for the mitzvah of shofar. There is making the parchment and the ink and then there is writing the mezzuza and affixing it to your doorpost.

But in truth they are not equal, because making a vessel is much more difficult than filling the vessels with G-dliness. Especially when it comes to things or people who are indifferent or opposed to G-dliness. The hardest part is getting them to be open to G-dliness, once they are open to G-dliness, doing a mitzvah with them or filling them with G-dliness is easier to do. To make a vessel, you have to break the resistance of the negative forces, and that is the hardest part.

Especially because this lowly physical world was created to cover over and hide G-dliness. Even more, this world is full of darkness and negative forces that fight the work of making this world into a home for Hashem, making it even harder to make vessels. 

And this is brought out by the Haftora, because it speaks about making the vessels, not using them, not even bringing them into the Temple. And the Haftora is telling us that this is the essence of Chanukah, because in order to turn darkness into light, the main thing is to make the vessels. 

Vayakhel and Pekudei speak about making the vessels of the Mishkan and the Mishkan itself, which was meant to be a home for Hashem. And the Haftora is stressing that the main thing is making the vessels, not using them.

Of course using them is important, but it's the easier part, and therefore less significant.

Once the effort is put in, to break through the darkness and make the vessels, then they could be used for their intended purpose, to be filled with G-dliness.

And this is seen in the miracle of Chanukah, first they had to find the cruise of oil with the seal of the Kohen Gadol, which is the vessel, and only then could they have the miracle of the oil burning for eight days.

The Haftora brings this out in several ways.

The first word of the Haftora, "Vayaas," means and he made, stressing the point that the main work to make a home for Hashem, is action, making the vessels.

Why is action most important to make a home for Hashem? Because action is the lowest ability of a person. Even an animal has the ability to do action. Being that this lowly physical realm, is the world of action, it takes action to make a home for Hashem, making vessels for G-dliness.

The second word is Chirom, Chirom's mother was from the tribe of Dan, the lowest tribe. And the Haftora tells us that he made them out of copper, the lowest metal used in the Temple.

It was through action, Chirom and copper, the lowest, of which the vessels were made for the home for Hashem, the Temple.

And then it says, "And Shlomo made all the vessels," referring to the gold vessels. Because even the king of all of Israel, Shlomo, who was from the tribe of Yehuda, the greatest of all the tribes, had to be involved in making vessels. To teach us that no one is exempt from doing the work of making vessels for the light of Hashem.

The same is true about the vessels of the Mishkan, mentioned in Vayakhel and Pekudei. They were made by Betzalel, who was from the tribe of Yehuda, the greatest of all the tribes, and Elihav, who was from the tribe of Dan, the lowest. From the highest to the lowest, everyone should be involved in making vessels for Hashem.

The lesson we are meant to learn from this, is that we all have to make an effort to make a vessel out of a Jew who perhaps is not a vessel yet, because the darkness of the world is covering his or her neshama. And the main thing is to make them into vessels, to be receptive to Hashem, His Torah and Judaism.

Sure we want our brothers and sisters to study Torah and do mitzvos, but that is the easier part, the hardest and most important part is making the vessels. After that the rest is a lot easier.

What does it take to make a vessel? It's done by saying, good morning, good Shabbos and by being accepting of them. By being friendly, loving and caring, you tear down the walls of division and open their hearts and minds to hear and be receptive to Hashem and Torah.

Once they are open to Hashem and Torah, they will want to learn more. However if they don't become a vessel, if they are not receptive, they have no chance for anything else.

Recently in Israel there has been an amazing togetherness between Jewish people from all walks of life. And because of this, so many people are open to Hashem, His Torah and Judaism. It's truly a blessing. Those who are not open to accepting Jewish people who are less observant than them, have no part in this and they should rethink their mode of service to Hashem, because it's not Jewish to be unaccepting of their brothers and sisters. And it's possible that they are pushing them further away from Hashem.

May we merit to see how it was our efforts to make vessels that brought us the coming of Moshiach. The time has come.

Breaking Through A Dark Place In Your Life

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There are two opinions as to how we should light the Chanukah candles. 

According to Beis Hillel, we light one on the first night and we add an additional candle every night, until the eighth night when we light eight. What is the reason? Because we add in holiness and we don't subtract. 

According to Beis Shamai, we light eight the first night and we subtract one on each of the subsequent nights, until the eighth night when we light one. What is the reason? Because it is like the bulls that were offered in the Temple on Sukkos, on the first day they offered thirteen, and on every subsequent day they offered one less. 

Now we light the Chanukah candles according to Beis Hillel, but when Moshiach comes we will follow the ruling of Beis Shammai. 

My daughter asked this question. 

Why would we light the Chanukah candles according to Beis Shamai when Moshiach comes? Why would we ever light them according to Beis Shamai, isn't it subtracting light? It doesn't make sense! 

The answer. According to Beis Hillel the light of yesterday doesn't exist today, because now that we are in exile, the way we see things is that the light doesn't last. So we have to add every night. 

When Moshiach comes we will see the truth that the light we make in the world is really everlasting. So if we light eight the first night according to Beis Shamai, the second night all the light from the first night is still there, so you don't have to add so many lights to show a greater amount of light, there only has to be seven more the second night.  And we need less and less on the subsequent nights to make a difference. So even Beis Shamai is adding every night. That is why when Moshiach comes we will light the Chanukah candles according to the opinion of Beis Shammai. 

Why all eight the first night? Because in order to break the darkness, you need a tremendous amount of light. Once you break the darkness on the first night, you don't need so much light to continue. Breaking the darkness is the hardest thing, once you do, it's easier from there. 

Doesn't Beis Hillel agree with this? It seems reasonable. Perhaps we can say that Beis Hillel is of the opinion, that even a little bit of light breaks and dispels the darkness. Once there is an opening, it's easy to add more and more light. 

What can we learn from this? 

There are times in a person's life when everything is dark, either for you or someone you know. What can you do to help yourself in this situation, which my wife calls, "The pit"? 

This is what I learned from my wife Dina. 

The pit is a useful place, because every time you are in the pit, you have to learn new coping skills in order to climb out. Sometimes it's going to be a small thing that is going to pull you out of your slump, like Beis Hillel, only a little bit of light breaks the darkness. And other times it's going to take something major to pull you out, like Beis Shamai, it takes a lot of light to break the darkness. Once you have a coping skill, it will remain with you and you will be able to tap into that when going gets tough. 

So the next time you are in the cold and dark pit, you can be strong, take control and look at it as a growth opportunity to learn things that you would never learn if you weren't in the pit. 

When you are in that pit take the time to process emotions in your life that are less than comfortable. Be compassionate to yourself. Life gets difficult and it doesn't do you much good to ignore the logical reactions to your situation. Once you give space to the uncomfortable emotions and let them process, you make room for the joy again. 

That's how you build character and depth of personality. And then you will be equipped to be there for another who is going through a rough patch, because you will truly understand. 

May we all have a happy Chanukah and may Hashem send Moshiach and do away with the pit once and for all. May he come soon. 

A Lesson In Relationships. Where You Are Matters

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A Lesson In Relationships. Where You Are Matters

When you first start to learn Pirkei Avos, questions arise about its location. It's in the order of Nezikin after tractate Sanhedrin, in the middle of the Mishnah.

The first Mishnah of Pirkei Avos begins with the transmission of the oral tradition, which is the basis of the Mishnah, "Moshe received the Torah from Sinai and gave it over to Yehoshua, Yehoshua to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets gave it over to the Men of the Great Assembly."

If it's trying to prove that the oral tradition is from Sinai, then shouldn't it be at the beginning of the Mishnah? Why is it at the beginning of Pirkei Avos, in the middle of the Mishnah?

The entire Mishnah with the exception of Pirkei Avos deals with the details of mitzvos, so we don't have a question if they are from Sinai, because they are mitzvos.

When it comes to Pirkei Avos there are no laws, no mitzvos, it's ethics and virtues of piety, and being that there are many books on ethics from non Jewish sources, one can think that these ethics are just some thoughts from the Rabbis, and not from Hashem, because it isn't laws. Therefore the first Mishnah of Pirkei Avos establishes that these ethics are also from Sinai, from Hashem, and not just the Rabbi's thoughts.

Why is it after tractate Sanhedrin?

Because Sanhedrin is the laws that pertain to judges and Pirkei Avos tells us how judges should act, and how we should treat judges. So it is apropos that Pirkei Avos is right after Sanhedrin.

This brings us to the fourth and fifth rule of Pirkei Avos.

Rule #4: The order of things matter in Pirkei Avos.

Therefore questions like, "Why is this Mishnah before or after this one?" and "Why are these two sages included in one Mishnah, while usually each sage gets their own Mishnah?" are perfectly valid.

Rule #5 : Everything is up for question, every word, every phrase, and even the order of things is up for question.

This is true in all of the Mishnah as well, as the Talmud picks apart every Mishnah. But there is no Talmud on Pirkei Avos, so it is up to us to do the asking. Many of the questions have been answered by the classic commentaries, some of them have been answered by our great sages throughout our history, and there are some waiting for you to find answers to.

What can we learn from this that the order of things matter?

We all are busy with the responsibilities and hardships of life. But every so often, we have to ask ourselves: Where are we holding in life, in our service to Hashem, and in our relationships? This has to be done often in order that you shouldn't fall behind, especially in your relationship with your spouse and your children, because who is more important than them in your life. And if you put it off, you could be causing the ones you love unnecessary suffering and it will be hard to put the broken pieces back together. And this will cause you untold amount of suffering and you will feel alone, just as your loved ones felt when you were there, but absent.

It is easier to repair your relationship with Hashem than with your spouse or your children. So please don't let it get to that point and if it has gotten there already, do everything in your power to get your relationships back to loving and I believe that it's possible to make it even better than it ever was.

May your relationships be void of a hurt and suffering. Having a good relationship with your spouse and children is a prerequisite for having a good relationship with Hashem. Because the pain and hurt will be too much for you to concentrate on your relationship with Hashem, and if you are the cause of their pain, I don't know if Hashem wants to have a relationship with you. At the same time, it's your, your spouse's and your children's relationship with Hashem that will help you rebuild the relationship.

So take the time every day to think about where you are at and work on your relationships with your spouse, your children and Hashem. What can be better than that.

Every One of Us Is Eternal And Can Change The World

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More reasons for saying Kol Yisrael before Pirkei Avos. 

Another reason we say Kol Yisrael before Pirkei Avos is because it's virtues of piety, and one can think that it doesn't apply to him or her. Therefore we preface Pirkei Avos with the Mishnah of Kol Yisrael, to let us know that each and every one of us could keep the words of Pirkei Avos, and is obligated to keep them. 

This brings us to the third rule of Pirkei Avos. 

Rule #3: Every saying in Pirkei Avos pertains to every single one of us. 

That means that you have to take the time to apply the sayings to your life and your circumstances. And that everyone has a personal way of seeing and understanding the teachings of Pirkei Avos, and that is the preferred method of learning them. It doesn't mean that you should make things up, rather within the common understanding of the teachings and according to the accepted commentaries, find what resonates with you and apply it to your life. 

Another reason. The world to come is the reward for the mitzvos we do. And being that a lot of Pirkei Avos speaks about the greatness of the study of Torah and its preservation, therefore Kol Yisrael is said before Pirkei Avos, to stress that, "It is not the study that is the main thing, rather the action." 

Another reason. Pirkei Avos is a preparation for receiving the Torah on Shavuoth. The first preparation has to be in the area of loving your fellow Jew. As our sages say, "Any Torah that doesn't have work with it, will be nullified in the end." And the Baal Shem Tov says that the word "work" here means loving your fellow Jew. A person may think, "Why should I waste my time with this person who isn't so involved, it would be better for me to use the time studying Torah." This is why we say, "Every one of Israel have a portion in the world to come." This world is a false world, we perceive things upside-down, that is why he sees the other person as lower than him. When Moshiach comes and we will inherit the world to come, our perception will be true, and perhaps he will see that the other person is greater than him. 

And when one has success in his work in the mitzvah of loving your fellow Jew, he shouldn't think it's on his strength alone that he had such a tremendous effect on this person, rather it is from Moshe who loved the Jewish people, and he passed it on to Yehoshua, who passed it on to the elders... who passed it on to the leaders of the generations, the Moshe of every generation, until the present time. 

Another reason. Our sages say that the Jewish people and the Torah preceded the world, and the Jewish people preceded the Torah, as "The thought of (the Children of) Israel preceded everything." Therefore, before saying Pirkei Avos, which is a preparation for receiving the Torah, which is eternal, we learn about the eternity of the Jewish people. "All of Israel have a portion in the world to come," the world of the living, which is an eternal reward. And why is that? Because we are, "The branch of His planting," and " the work of His hands." 

And even more, we make this world eternal through our Torah, prayer and acts of kindness, mentioned at the beginning of the first chapter of Pirkei Avos, and justice, truth, and peace, mentioned at the end of the chapter. 

Through our actions and through our love for every Jewish person, we bring Moshiach. May he come soon. 

Why do we say Kol Yisrael before Pirkei Avos?

Dedicated Anonymously 

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כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ לָהֶם חֵלֶק לְעוֹלָם הַבָּא שֶׁנֶאֱמַר וְעַמֵךְ כּוּלָם צַדִיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ נֵצֶר מַטָעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר

“All of Israel have a share in the World to Come, as it is stated [Isaiah 60:21]: ‘And Your people are all Tzaddikim [righteous].’ They shall inherit the land forever. They are the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, in which I take pride.” [Sanhedrin 90a]

Why do we say Kol Yisrael before Pirkei Avos? 

Pirkei Avos has contradicting opposites. On one hand it's teaching us how to be a mentch, meaning that we are at a low state and we have to be taught to be a mentch. On the other hand, it's virtues of piety, beyond the letter of the law, meaning that we are at a higher state and Pirkei Avos is taking us even higher. 

On one hand we say Pirkei Avos between Pesach and Shavuoth, and some say it until Rosh Hashanah, because our bodily desires are stronger in the spring and summer and we need the strength to overcome them. Reciting Pirkei Avos gives us the added strength necessary to overcome our urges. According to this, the reason that we say Pirkei Avos is because of the low state we are at. On the other hand, people who don't have bodily desires also have to say Pirkei Avos. 

This Mishnah explains these dichotomies. 

In this Mishnah, the world to come, refers to the world of the living, when Moshiach will come and after the resurrection of the dead, it will be neshamas in bodies and we will have eternal life. As opposed to Gan Eden, heaven, which is the world of neshamas. This is the reward for doing the mitzvos, which we do mainly with our bodies, physical action, therefore the reward will be for our bodies. The neshama will also enjoy the reward because it was together with the body when the mitzvah was done. That is why we are equal, in that we have a portion in the world to come, because we can all do physical actions equally. And since every Jew does mitzvos, as our sages say, "Even the sinners of Israel are full of mitzvos as a pomegranate (is filled with seeds)," therefore, "All of Israel have a portion in the world to come." 

When it comes to Gan Eden, the world of neshamas, not everyone has a portion. Because it's mainly the reward for the Torah that was studied. When it comes to Torah study, everyone is different, one person has greater abilities than the other. 

It is obvious that the reward will be greater in the world of the living than in Gan Eden, because all of the neshamas in Gan Eden will be resurrected into bodies when Moshiach comes. And if it's a lesser revelation, why would they be punished to get a lower level of revelation of G-dliness, a lesser reward? Therefore we must conclude that the revelation of the time of Moshiach is greater. 

If the revelation of the time of Moshiach is greater than Gan Eden, then why is it that the lesser reward of Gan Eden is for a select few, as it's more difficult to get in, and the greater reward of the time of Moshiach is easier to get, as "All of Israel have a portion in the world to come."? 

On the surface, the reason that we are all equal when it comes to doing mitzvos, is because physical action seems to be the lowest of all our faculties, behind thought and speech, it doesn't take much to do a physical action, one can do the act of a mitzvah without much thought. 

But when you look deeper, you realize that action is the greatest of all, it's the only thing that fulfills Hashem's deepest desire, that we make this world into a home for His deepest essence, the true Him, dwelling openly in this lowly physical world. This by definition, is what the coming of Moshiach is all about, this is the reward, the revelation of Hashem's deepest essence. This is done by doing mitzvos, which are Hashem's will, His essence. And the reason that our mitzvos can accomplish this is because the source of our bodies are from Hashem's essential will, as we say in Yom Tov davening, "You chose us," true choice comes from ones essence, His essence chose our bodies, therefore we can fulfill His essential will, the mitzvos, with our bodies. Every one of us is the "branch of His planting," and "the work of His hands," and because of this, we feel Hashem's will, His purpose, some more some less, and we do what is necessary to fulfill His purpose. When it comes to fulfilling Hashem's purpose, we are all equal. And this is the most important thing, as our sages say, "It's not the study that is the main thing, rather the action." 

Therefore, when our work is done, and the Divine purpose will be completed, the reward will be specifically to neshamas in bodies and it will become clear that not only did Hashem choose our neshamas, but also our bodies. When we finish our work of refining the world, the world will become a home for Hashem, and as it will become clear to us that Hashem also chose our bodies, then we will also understand that the eternal life in the time of Moshiach will be for our bodies as well. 

In light of this explanation, we will understand why Kol Yisrael is said before Pirkei Avos. 

In order to explain how learning and keeping the words of Pirkei Avos - which refines and purifies the body - pertains to every one of Israel, we preface Pirkei Avos with, "All of Israel have a portion in the world to come," meaning the world of the living, neshamas in bodies. Because even the bodies of the Jewish people are the work of Hashem's hands, and only through His handiwork could He "take pride," because we bring His initial and essential desire to fruition. 

Therefore, every one of us has to keep the words of Pirkei Avos, and this is seen in two opposite extremes. 

There isn't a body that can't be refined. Being that it's the work of Hashem's hands, it isn't possible that it can't be refined. And even more, because the body is the work of His hands, not one of us will be left behind, ultimately our bodies will be refined. 

At the same time, there isn't a person that is free from refining his or her body according to their ability. This is the true meaning of, "virtues of piety," to work on one's body, to refine and purify it. Because only through His handiwork could He "take pride." 

What we should take from this is that Hashem takes pride in each and every one of us, and we have the ability to bring Moshiach by refining our place in the world through our mitzvos and actions, and by refining our bodies through the words and the virtues of piety of Pirkei Avos. 

May we merit to see the coming of Moshiach, which will come through our efforts. May he come soon. 

Our Challenges Bring Out The Best In Us

Dedicated Anonymously 

This is based on the speech I wrote for the International  Conference of Chabad Rabbis, it was delivered by my thirteen year old son, Shalom, in front of a crowd of 5800. 

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In parshas Toldos, we read how Yitzchak dug wells, and we are taught that this was his soul's purpose, to find the G-dliness within the physical world and uncover it, to find the water, the source of life within the earth. Not to impose G-dliness from above, but to reveal the hidden treasure that was always there. 

This is what the Rebbe wanted from us, to look deep into every Jew and reveal his or her neshama. 

To take this teaching a step further. Not only is this true about the world and every Jew, but it's also true about every situation and every challenge we face. We are meant to find the good and purpose of the challenge, until we don't see it as a challenge, but as wings with which to soar. 

Many of you have been following my story and my struggles. Many of you have sent me messages of encouragement and I can't begin to tell you how it energizes me. Especially the ones that come from you who have your own struggles. It's incredible the love and strength that you are capable of. 

One thing I have learned from my experience, is that there is hardly a person who doesn't have struggles. Whether it be health, money, Shalom bayis, shidduchim, children, or something else. In my case it's open and impossible to hide, so I am on display. But that doesn't mean that your struggles are any less. 

You need to know that whatever you are dealing with, it's directly from Hashem. That means that He wants something from you that can only be realized through your difficulty. It doesn't mean that your mission and purpose has to end, rather that there is something else being asked of you, a new stage of your purpose and mission. You don't have to fight it, rather, you should find a way for your struggle to take you to the next level. 

We are so lucky to have the Rebbe, this is his way of thinking and that's what gives me the strength to go on. 

This is positivity in the face of any challenge, not only to deal with your challenge, or to learn from your challenge, but to use your difficulty to lift you and your family to heights previously unimaginable, and even more, to use your difficulties as a platform to lift others up. Because there is nothing better than lifting the spirit of a Jewish person. 

When I went for the first round of tests, I was given a devastating diagnosis, "You have bulbar ALS." 

I didn't understand what the doctor was saying, so I asked him to explain. He said, "It's very serious, you are going to lose your muscles and you will be paralyzed, it's the most aggressive form of the disease, you have two years to live." As you could imagine, I was shaken to the core. 

When I left the office I was all alone, walking into the empty hallway I broke down in a fit of bitter tears. When I composed myself, I exited the building, and I saw a man falling on the ground having a seizure and I ran to help him. At that moment, I realized that there is still a lot that I can do. 

I resolved right there and then that no matter what the results of any further "tests," I am going to remain positive and find a way to make a difference. I couldn't imagine how high that way of thinking would take me. 

Another thing I learned is, "don't underestimate the power of friendship and community." 

A lot of people hide their struggles, understandably. But when is the time to confide in a friend? When it's impossible to do it alone. 

It's so important to have a friend or a few friends that you talk with on a regular basis. Just the feeling that you are not alone, will help you deal with the challenge. Just knowing that you have someone that you can call, will relieve some of the stress and the pain associated with your challenge. 

We are living in a beautiful time now, the walls of division between the Jewish communities are coming down, the unity is becoming stronger and stronger and we should embrace it. We all have something to contribute and we have to be there for each other. 

I see this every day, as I have visitors from all walks of life. 

When I was diagnosed, the first to come to our aid were the Chabad Rabbis, then the Chabad community, then the Los Angeles Jewish community, and finally Jews from all over. We were falling and you caught us, and we are grateful. At a time that we could have been drowning, you poured out your love to us, and instead of going down, we were on a high. 

Unfortunately, the nature of this exile is that we have challenges, but it's those challenges that brings out the best in the Jewish people. Just like Yitzchak avinu, who revealed the G-dliness in the world, we reveal the G-dliness in the Jewish people, and our challenges reveals the G-dliness within us, our families, our friends, our communities, and the whole Jewish world. 

I give you a Brocha that you shouldn't know of any devastating challenges, pain or suffering. We should be blessed with happy and healthy children and our children should be blessed with good and healthy parents. 

And I bless my wife and children that Hashem should give them a miracle, that I should return to complete health and be able to be the husband and father they need and want. 

Perhaps seeing the power of our challenges is what's going to be the final blow to the exile and usher in the coming of Moshiach, when there won't be any more challenges, pain or suffering, there will be only revealed good. May it happen now. 

Pirkei Avos: Microcosm of the Torah

Dedicated Anonymously 

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Pirkei Avos: Microcosm of the Torah 

The Mishnah is the basis of the Talmud, which is the basis of all our laws. It is our oral Torah, which was given to Moshe on Mount Sinai. So the Mishnah has within it the whole Torah, its purpose, its goal and the way to bring it to fruition. And because Pirkei Avos is the father of the rest of the Mishnah, it would make sense that it too should reflect these ideas. 

How do we see these ideas in Pirkei Avos? 

Everything has a beginning, middle and end. The beginning is its purpose, its reason for existing, the middle is the action that accomplishes the purpose and the end is the goal, which is the fruition of the original purpose brought about by the action. 

The same is true about Torah, it has a beginning, middle and end. The beginning is the Torah, which came before the world, it's the foundation, the purpose and the reason for the creation of the world. The middle is the world, where we work to fulfill the purpose of the Torah and the purpose of creation. It's where we actualize the goal of the Torah, by fulfilling the mitzvos of the Torah and by Torah permeating every aspect of our lives and every aspect of existence. The end is the redemption, the era of Moshiach, which is the goal of the Torah and creation, a home for Hashem in the physical world. 

And this is reflected in Pirkei Avos. 

Pirkei Avos begins with, "Moshe received the Torah from Sinai." This is the general giving of the Torah, it is the foundation of all the teachings developed through studying the proper way. As our sages say, "Everything that the seasoned student will develop was given to Moshe from Sinai." 

Then it says, "and he transmitted it..." And it continues with the transmission of the Torah through the generations which continues to this very day. This is the development of Torah throughout the ages, every generation having its part in the development of the Torah, its unique mission that comes with its part of the development, bringing the world closer to the goal, the redemption. 

Pirkei Avos ends, "Hashem will reign forever and ever." This refers to the era of Moshiach, the goal of all the Torah that was studied and developed throughout the ages. It is the reason and the purpose that "Moshe received the Torah from Sinai." 

Pirkei Avos: Virtues of Piety 

The Talmud tells us, "One who wishes to be pious, should fulfill the words of (tractate) Nezikin," which means damages. Another opinion, he should fulfill "the words of (tractate) Avos." A third opinion, he should fulfill "the words of (tractate) Brachos," which means blessings. 

When there are multiple opinions on one thing, they have to be connected in some way. 

We could say: The study of Pirkei Avos, nullifies things that are not wanted, (Nezikin) damages, and it brings (Brachos) blessing and redemption.

Pirkei Avos: Why Is It Called iAvos?

Dear friends, 

With thanks to Hashem, I have crossed over two milestones. First I have completed 300 dvar Torahs and second I have entered into the sixth year of writing these Divrei Torah, five cycles on the parsha and Haftora. 

This year, with Hashem's help, I will be taking on a project, to write on Pirkei Avos. It will be based on the Rebbe's teachings and the classic commentaries, and I will be adding how I relate to it. 

I will also put a link on the weekly post to all the divrei Torah of the parsha. 

This will also be easier for me to do, because it is a lot of short teachings, as apposed to the longer Torah thoughts that I have been writing. It is also not time sensitive, as in the case of parshas. Whatever I will be able to write by Thursday, I will share with you and continue where I left off the following week. 

I hope you will enjoy it. 

Yitzi 

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 Pirkei Avos: Why Is It Called Avos? 

There are a few reasons that it's called Avos. 

Pirkei Avos are made up of ethics and "mili dechassidusa, virtues of piety," which is not what you are obligated to do, but the way a G-d fearing person should be. And being that fear of Hashem is a preparation and a prerequisite for learning Torah, as our sages say, "Anyone whose fear of sin comes before his wisdom, his wisdom will be sustained..." 

Pirkei Avos also teaches us how to be a mentch, a decent person. Someone could follow the letter of the law and still remain unmoved and even be mean spirited in their actions and in the way they fulfill the letter of the law. That's not the way Hashem wants us to be, as our sages say, "Derech eretz kadma laTorah," being a mentch precedes the study of Torah. 

In both of these cases, we see that these teachings are before and even what produces proper Torah study, the proper fulfilling of the Torah, Hashem's will. Therefore it is called Pirkei Avos, Chapters of Fathers, because every one of these teachings comes before or produces the Torah that comes after it, just as a father comes before and produces the child that comes from him. 

This brings us to the first rule of Pirkei Avos. 

Rule #1: There are no laws in Pirkei Avos. Everything in Pirkei Avos is beyond the letter of the law. 

If you read something in Pirkei Avos that seems to be a law, it should throw up a flag. You have to question it and figure out what it is really trying to say. Because there are no laws in Pirkei Avos. 

The Talmud tells us, "One who wishes to be pious, should fulfill the words of (tractate) Nezikin," which means damages. Another opinion, he should fulfill "the words of (tractate) Avos." A third opinion, he should fulfill "the words of (tractate) Brachos," which means blessings.

When there are multiple opinions on one thing, they have to be connected in some way.

We could say: The study of Pirkei Avos, nullifies things that are not wanted, (Nezikin) damages, and it brings (Brachos) blessing and redemption.

Another reason that it is called Pirkei Avos. The Tannaim (the sages of the Mishnah are called Tannaim, or in the singular, a Tanna) in Pirkei Avos don't give us their opinion, rather their way of living and their mode of service to Hashem. As the common expression of Pirkei Avos goes, "he used to say," because he didn't just say it once, rather he used to say it all the time, it was the words that he lived by. You can say that they are the fathers of their children, their sayings, it was an expression of who they were, hence the name Pirkei Avos, Chapters of the Fathers. 

Even more. Their way of living and their mode of service to Hashem, as expressed in Pirkei Avos is their modus operandi, and it explains their opinions in the rest of the Mishnah. You can say that their sayings in Pirkei Avos is the father of all they say in the rest of the Mishnah. 

Accordingly it's understood that the whole of the Mishnah is a reflection of what is said in Pirkei Avos. Pirkei Avos is a general tract that is inclusive of the whole of the Mishnah. So you can say that Pirkei Avos is the father of the rest of the Mishnah. In fact, we see similarities between the whole of the Mishnah and Pirkei Avos. For example, Mishnah begins with the Hebrew letter Mem (meiamosai) and ends with the letter Mem (bashalom), so too, Pirkei Avos begins with a Mem (Moshe) and ends with a Mem (haolam). 

This brings us to the second rule of Pirkei Avos. 

Rule #2: In order to really understand what a Tana is saying, you have to know a little bit about them and the time they lived. 

For example, in chapter one, Yehoshua the son of Prachia and Raban Gamliel say the same thing "make for yourself a master," but if you know their history and what was going on at the time that they lived, you will understand clearly that what they are saying is completely different. 

Pirkei Avos: Microcosm of the Torah 

The Mishnah is the basis of the Talmud, which is the basis of all our laws. It is our oral Torah, which was given to Moshe on Mount Sinai. So the Mishnah has within it the whole Torah, its purpose, its goal and the way to bring it to fruition. And because Pirkei Avos is the father of the rest of the Mishnah, it would make sense that it too should reflect these ideas.

How do we see these ideas in Pirkei Avos?

Everything has a beginning, middle and end. The beginning is its purpose, its reason for existing, the middle is the action that accomplishes the purpose and the end is the goal, which is the fruition of the original purpose brought about by the action.

The same is true about Torah, it has a beginning, middle and end. The beginning is the Torah, which came before the world, it's the foundation, the purpose and the reason for the creation of the world. The middle is the world, where we work to fulfill the purpose of the Torah and the purpose of creation. It's where we actualize the goal of the Torah, by fulfilling the mitzvos of the Torah and by Torah permeating every aspect of our lives and every aspect of existence. The end is the redemption, the era of Moshiach, which is the goal of the Torah and creation, a home for Hashem in the physical world.

And this is reflected in Pirkei Avos.

Pirkei Avos begins with, "Moshe received the Torah from Sinai." This is the general giving of the Torah, it is the foundation of all the teachings developed through studying the proper way. As our sages say, "Everything that the seasoned student will develop was given to Moshe from Sinai."

Then it says, "and he transmitted it..." And it continues with the transmission of the Torah through the generations which continues to this very day. This is the development of Torah throughout the ages, every generation having its part in the development of the Torah, its unique mission that comes with its part of the development, bringing the world closer to the goal, the redemption.

Pirkei Avos ends, "Hashem will reign forever and ever." This refers to the era of Moshiach, the goal of all the Torah that was studied and developed throughout the ages. It is the reason and the purpose that "Moshe received the Torah from Sinai."

Simchas Torah: The Greatest Love Is For The Jewish People

Dedicated By Yerachmiel Jacobson 

In honor of the five holy Shluchim who help our family and run the Hurwitz Family Fund 

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The last parsha of the Torah, V'zos Habracha, is read on Simchas Torah, it concludes with telling of the greatness of Moshe, each accolade greater than the previous, culminating with the final words of the Torah "Before the eyes of all of Israel." 

Rashi explains that this refers to when Moshe broke the first set of tablets of the Ten Commandments, which he did, "Before the eyes of all of Israel." He continues to say that Hashem agreed to Moshe's action, saying, "Yasher koach sheshibarta," (i.e. Well done that you broke them). 

Rashi comes to tell us the simple meaning of the verse, but this doesn't seem like the simple meaning. Rashi was explaining how the last few verses of the Torah are telling of the greatness of Moshe. 

"Who knew Hashem face to face," Rashi says, "For he was familiar with Him, speaking with Him at any time he wanted." 

"And to all the strong hand," Rashi says, "that he received the Torah on the tablets, with his hands." 

"And all the great awe," Rashi says, "miracles and great deeds in the great and awesome desert." 

And all of a sudden, Rashi changes his tune, saying one of the worst things, on the final words of the Torah, "before the eyes of all of Israel," Rashi says, "his heart was stirred (literally: he raised his heart) to smash the tablets before their eyes, as it is said, 'and I shattered them before your eyes,' And the Holy One Blessed is He gave His approval, as Scripture states, 'which you broke,' (Hashem said to Moshe) “Well done that you broke them!” 

Other commentaries say that the last words, "Before the eyes of all of Israel," are connected to the accolades that precede. In other words, they were done "Before the eyes of all of Israel." 

However, Rashi chooses to explain these words as a separate thing, and just after the Torah tells us the amazing and positive greatness of Moshe, it turns around and concludes with what seems to be a negative thing about Moshe. Therefore, it seems not to be the simple meaning. 

The commentaries on Rashi say, that this is why Rashi adds the part about Hashem agreeing with him, to show that it is really to bring out the greatness of Moshe, that Hashem agreed to him. 

However, this is difficult to understand, because if it wants to say something positive, why would the Torah say such a negative thing to bring it out? This question becomes stronger, when you realize that Hashem agreed to him on other occasions, that were not negative. Why doesn't it say one of those? And besides, the fact that Hashem agreed to him, is only a side point to the breaking of the tablets. The words that the Torah says, "Before the eyes of all of Israel," hints to the breaking of the tablets, and not to the fact that Hashem agreed with him. 

We also have to understand the words of the verse, "Before the eyes of all of Israel," which according to Rashi means that Moshe broke the tablets. That it was done "Before the eyes of all of Israel," seems besides the point. But the fact that the Torah mentions these words, means that it is an important point. What is the significance of him breaking the tablets, "Before the eyes of all of Israel."? 

Rashi tells us, "he raised his heart to break the tablets." Why doesn't he simply say that Moshe broke the tablets? Why does he add the words, "he raised his heart"? 

Another question. We have a rule that we conclude with something good. Why would the Torah conclude with something negative, the breaking of the tablets? It's not only negative, it is not in the honor of the Torah, which we are concluding. Rashi also concludes his commentary of the Torah with the word "sheshibarta," which means, "that you broke them." Why does he end on a negative note? 

With all these questions, we are forced to conclude that according to Rashi, the breaking of the tablets was the best thing that Moshe ever did, and that it deserves greater praise than the miracles that he did, receiving the Torah and his ability to talk to Hashem whenever he wanted to. Rashi says that Hashem "gave His approval," to prove that it was a good thing. And since it is a good thing, it would make sense to end the Torah on this note. So why is Moshe's breaking of the tablets such a good thing? 

When Hashem commanded Moshe to hew new stones for the second set of tablets for the Ten Commandments. On the words, "hew for yourself," Rashi says, "This can be compared to a king who went abroad and left his betrothed with the maidservants. Because of the immoral behavior of the maidservants, she acquired a bad reputation. Her bridesman [the person appointed to defend the bride should any problems arise] arose and tore up her marriage contract. He said, “If the king decides to kill her, I will say to him, ‘She is not yet your wife.’” 

The King is Hashem, the betrothed is the Jewish people. The troublesome maidservants are the mixed multitude, which were the non Jews that came out of Egypt with the Jewish people, and were the instigators of all kinds of trouble, including the sin of the golden calf. And the bridesman, who saved the Jewish people by breaking the tablets, is Moshe Rabbeinu. 

Moshe, who was the faithful shepherd of the Jewish people, only intention was to save them. Just imagine the sacrifice he made at that moment. He was the one who received the Torah directly from Hashem, and he spoke to Him whenever he wanted to, transmitting the word of Hashem, which is Torah. He was the one who performed the miracles, the content of the Torah, and he was the one who taught the Torah to the Jewish people. The Torah was so very precious to him and he was willing to throw it away to save a relatively small number of Jews who served the golden calf. 

Moshe, who taught them to honor the Torah, broke it in front of their eyes, even though it was the greatest sacrilege, to show them the value of a Jewish person, that he or she is more precious than the Torah, even if he or she sinned a grave sin, he was teaching us how much we must love every Jew. And Hashem agreed with him, He said, "Yasher Koach sheshibarta, well done that you broke them." 

This took great strength and love on Moshe's part, he had to raise his love for the Jewish people over his love for the Torah, that is why Rashi says, "he raised his heart." That is the main point. 

And that is why the Torah ends with this and Rashi ends with this, because it's the best thing that Moshe ever did. 

However we are left with a question. This is the end of the whole Torah, shouldn't it end with the greatness of the Torah? Even though it's positive about Moshe, it seems to be negative about the Torah, the breaking of the Ten Commandments isn't honoring the Torah. 

In Tana D'vei Eliyahu Raba it says, "There are two things in the world... Torah and (the Children of) Israel, but I don't know which one was first. I said, 'My son, it's the way of people to say that Torah was first, but I say that (the Children of) Israel were first.'" 

Isn't it obvious that the Jewish people were first, the whole Torah is addressing the Jewish people, "command the Children of Israel, speak to the Children of Israel." If there were no Jews, there would be no Torah. 

The question that was posed to Eliyahu, was not: Which one was first in time? But: Which is first in importance? And to that Eliyahu said that the Children of Israel is first. The whole Torah is only for the Jewish people, because the Jewish people are more important. 

And that is what Rabbi Akiva says that loving your fellow Jew "is a great rule of the Torah," and Hillel says, that is the "whole Torah." In other words, by ending this way, the Torah is saying that the essence of the Torah is that we should love each other. 

And that is why we read parshas V'zos Habracha on Shemini Atzeres in Israel and Simchas Torah which is the second day of Shemini Atzeres outside of Israel, because while on Sukkos seventy bulls were offered for the nations of the world, on Shemini Atzeres only one bull was offered for the Jewish people. Shemini Atzeres is all about the Jewish people. And that is why we celebrate Simchas Torah on Shemini Atzeres, because the Torah is all about the Jewish people. 

And this is hinted in the words Simchas Torah. On one hand, it means that we are joyous for the Torah, as it's once again completed. On the other hand, Simchas Torah could mean the joy of the Torah, that we make the Torah joyous, we give to the Torah, showing that we are greater, the Children of Israel are first. 

By loving our fellow Jew, we complete the Torah, by loving our fellow Jew, we complete the purpose of the Torah, to make this world into a home for Hashem, which means that we bring Moshiach. May he come soon. 

The Sukka And The Blessing It Brings

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Two mitzvos are specific to the Yom Tov of Sukkos, the mitzvah of Sukka and the mitzvah of the "four kinds," lulov, esrog, haddasim and arravos. If so, why is the Yom Tov called Sukkos, and not after the four kinds? And what are we meant to learn from this? 

There are several reasons that it's called Sukkos. 

One reason is that the mitzvah of Sukka is connected to every moment of the holiday, from when the holiday is sanctified until it ends seven days later. On the other hand, the four kinds begins only in the morning of the first day. 

What more, the Sukka has to be built before the holiday, especially for the mitzvah of Sukka and the building of the Sukka is considered a mitzvah. Whereas it's possible to put the four kinds together on Yom Tov. 

Another reason is that once you do the mitzvah of the four kinds, there is no more obligation. But the mitzvah of Sukka is that you should live in it as you live in your home. This means that it continues all day long, until the holiday is over. 

Another way that Sukka is greater than the four kinds, is that the four kinds are like most mitzvos, they are particular to one part of the body, in this case, the hands. On the other hand, Sukka is with the whole body, the mitzvah envelopes the whole body. And all the mundane things that are regularly done in the home should be done in the Sukka, and they become a mitzvah, so it makes everything you do a mitzvah. 

You have to live in the Sukka as you live in your home. That means that your Sukka is your home for the duration of the holiday. 

Our sages say, "One who has no home, is not a mentch," he is missing a vital part of being a person, a place to call home. When a person doesn't have a place to live, he doesn't feel like a mentch. This means that when a person isn't home, he is affected by the fact that he has a place to call home. On Sukkos, when we call the Sukka home, we are affected by the Sukka even when we are not in it, every moment of Sukkos we are affected by the Sukka. 

Everything that we do in the month of Tishrei, the Holidays, the Ten Days of Teshuva, Shabbos Bereishis, and even the other days, are meant to affect the whole year. 

We are expected to do everything for Hashem, as our sages say, "know Him in all your ways." And the mitzvah of Sukka gives us the strength for this. Because even if you sleep in the Sukka, you are doing a mitzvah, even when you are not in it, you are connected to the mitzvah, connected to Hashem. We have to take the holiness and the joy of the Sukka and bring it into the home throughout the year. 

Our sages say, "a man's home is his wife," this tells us the power of the Jewish woman, that she has an effect on her husband and children, not only when they are home, but even when they are not home, as she is their stability. 

May we all have a wonderful Sukkos, and may it affect our whole year and our homes that they should be filled with nachas and shalom bayis, hope and happiness, light and joy, good health and success. 

Teshuvah Tefillah Tzedakah vs Repentance Prayer Charity

Dedicated By Dr. Ezra and Lauren Kest 
In honor of our children who teach us how to love, listen and be heard.  They should be blessed to find, see and recognize their zivuggim at the right time and always listen well, be heard and feel listened to.  

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The Ten Days of Teshuvah begin with Rosh Hashanah we ask for ourselves and our families blessing for the new year and we are certain that Hashem will grant them. It ends with Yom Kippur when our blessing is sealed in the book of life. As long as we haven't been sealed in the book of life, as long as Yom Kippur hasn't come to an end, we could still achieve more and more blessing from Hashem Who has infinite blessing. And the seven days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is just for that, for accumulating blessing for the new year. 

How do we gain blessing? As we read in the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, it is through Teshuva, Tefillah and Tzedakah. 

Teshuva is usually translated as repentance, Tefila as prayer and Tzedakah as charity, but they are not the right translation and for some it is actually the opposite of the meaning of the word.

Teshuva vs Repentance 

Repentance means to regret the person who you are and change to become a new person. The person you were was no good, and you are going to go against your nature to create a new you. 

Teshuva is the diametric opposite of repentance. Teshuva means to return, which means to go back to your essential self, which was always good. It is a journey inward, not to change entirely, but  to be true to who you really are, your essence, which is truly beautiful. 

Teshuva is easier than repentance, because it isn't a complete change into a new person, which is very difficult, rather a small turn to be the person you are. 

That is why everyone can do teshuva, even the most righteous person, because our essence is infinite, and there is always a deeper level of essence to reach for.

Tefila vs Prayer 

Prayer means to make a request from Hashem. So when there is no need, when everything is just grand, there is no need for prayer. 

Tefila means to connect, it is building, maintaining and refreshing our relationship with Hashem. Therefore we do it even when we don't need anything. Since Hashem is infinite, we can always take our relationship with Him deeper. That is why even the biggest Tzadik davens with so much fervor, because he is constantly taking his relationship with Hashem higher and higher, deeper and deeper. 

Tzedaka vs Charity 

Charity means that you are a good person, and you give to a person or a cause. The person or cause haven't earned it, nor do they deserve it, it is only out of the goodness of your heart that you are moved and you give. 

Tzedaka means that it is the just thing to do, you are obligated to give it to the person for two reasons. 

First, because you know that the money is not yours, it is just that Hashem gave it to you specifically to give that person. 

Second, because you know that you have to rely on Hashem to give to you even though He surely doesn't owe you anything. Therefore you have to do the same, you have to give to the poor person, even though you don't owe him. When you act that way, you evoke in Hashem to do the same for you. And when you give more than you can, you can ask of Hashem that He gives to you more than is coming to you. 

This is especially true when you give to synagogues and Torah institutions, if you give and you give more than your ability, then you can rightfully say to Hashem, "I give more than I can to what You want, give more than what is coming to me, to what I want." Whether it be health, nachas or success. 

Through Teshuva, Tefillah and Tzedakah, we will surely be granted Hashem's overflowing blessings for a year of happiness and good health, nachas and shalom bayis, abundance and success. 

How Shofar Draws The Blessings For A Sweet Year

Dedicated By Dr. Ezra and Lauren Kest 

In honor of our children who teach us how to love, listen and be heard.  They should be blessed to find, see and recognize their zivuggim at the right time and always listen well, be heard and feel listened to. 

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How Shofar Draws The Blessings For A Sweet Year 

On Rosh Hashanah, in the musaf prayer, we hear the shofar blowing three times. Once with the verses and the blessing of kingship, a second time with the verses and the blessing of remembrance, and a third time with the verses and the blessing of shofar. 

The Talmud cites a Braisa that says, "The shofar blasts and the blessings of Rosh Hashanah... Are dependant on one another. What is the reason? Raba says that Hashem says, 'Say before Me on Rosh Hashanah verses of kingship, remembrance, and shofar. Verses of kingship, so that you will make Me King over you, verses of remembrance, so that good memories of you will come to Me, and with what (will you raise the verses before Me)? With the (verses and the blasts of the) shofar.'" 

On Rosh Hashanah there are two main themes that are intertwined. First we ask Hashem to be King over us, we coronate Him as our King, second is that we are accepted as His subjects, meaning that we will do His will and He will bestow upon us His goodness, that our needs are met and more. And this all happens in the musaf prayer. 

How does this work? And why is it that shofar is what makes it happen? 

To explain this, there are two parables. 

The first parable is from the Baal Shem Tov:

There was a king who had an only son. The prince was well educated and was the apple of his father’s eye. The King decided that it was a good idea for the prince to travel to foreign countries to learn and absorb new knowledge and cultures. 

The king gave his son officers, servants and a lot of money, so that he would be able to travel to distant countries and islands, to become more than he could have ever been had he stayed in his father’s house.

Much time passed, all his wealth and supplies were used up because of the pampered lifestyle he was used to; he was accustomed to always indulging his every whim. He eventually sold everything that he had and found himself in a distant land where no one even knew who his father was at all. 

This caused him great anguish. He yearned to return to his father’s country. Because so much time had elapsed, he even forgot his native tongue; what could he do in his own country without knowing his own language?!

When he came back to his country, he began to gesture and signal that he was their king’s son. He came to the courtyard of the king and continued gesturing that he was the prince, but they didn’t recognize him at all, they ridiculed him. 

He began to cry in a loud voice, hoping that the king would recognize it. When the king heard his voice, he exclaimed “Isn’t that the voice of my son crying out in desperation?” The love for his son was evoked, and he embraced and kissed his son.

The analogy is easily understood. The Jewish people are called the sons of Hashem. Just as the prince left the palace to learn and grow, so too, the neshama accomplishes and grows by doing mitzvos down here and reaches higher heights than it did before it descended to earth. 

Alas, because of the body’s self-love and indulgences, the neshama can end up in a distant place where even his own father isn’t recognized, neither his own language. 

Until he returns and cries out in a primal, simple voice. And this is what the cry of the shofar is—a cry from the depths of the heart, deeply regretting everything that he did and resolving to listen to the voice of his father. This cry elicits from the King of Kings a deep love for his “only son” and he forgives him for all he’s done in the past.

This is what the verses and the blessing of kingship accomplishes, but it is the sound of the shofar, a primal cry from the depths of our hearts that drives it home to the essence of Hashem, He accepts and He is our King for the new year. 

The second parable is from Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev:

A King once traveled through a big forest, to the depths of the forest, where he could no longer find the route home. 

He noticed some villagers and asked them for directions. They, of course, didn’t recognize the King, and didn’t know what to answer because they never knew the route to the palace. 

He eventually found a wise man and asked him for directions. The wise man recognized that this was the king, and was shaken. He immediately fulfilled the king’s wish by pointing him in the right direction. Because of his great wisdom, he knew the correct path to the palace and was able to guide the king back to his throne. 

The man found favor in the king’s eyes.

Time passed and this same man sinned against the king and angered him. The king commanded his highest officers to judge this man as those who commit treason are judged. 

The man was extremely pained knowing that he was doomed to harsh judgment for sinning against the king. He fell before the king and pleaded for one final request. He wanted to be dressed in the original clothes that he was wearing when he guided the king from the forest and back to his palace; and the king shall, as well, wear the same clothes he wore on that day. 

The king obliged. When both the king and the man were dressed in the garments from the day they met in the forest, the king remembered the great kindness he displayed for the king by guiding him back to his palace and throne. This aroused compassion and benevolence within the king to forgive the sins of the man and return him to his post.

This is an analogy for Hashem and the Jewish people. At the time of the Giving of the Torah, Hashem approached all the nations of the world, but they didn’t accept the Torah. We, the Jewish people, accepted the Torah with happiness and deep joy to the extent that we immediately said “Naaseh V’Nishma” (we will do and then we will understand). We accepted Hashem as our King and committed to fulfilling the mitzvos and laws of the Torah. 

Now, however, we sinned and rebelled against the king. Therefore we blow the shofar, the same “clothing we wore” at the Giving of the Torah. (The sound of the shofar was heard at the Giving of the Torah, so it serves) as a reminder that we accepted the Torah and we coronate Hashem as king with this same shofar. Through this, Hashem forgives us for all our wrongdoings and immediately inscribes us for a good life. 

This is what the verses and the blessing of remembrance accomplishes, but again, it is the sound of the shofar, the reminder of how when no one would accept the Torah, we accepted the Torah and the mission. His compassion and benevolence is aroused, He accepts us as His subjects for the new year and He grants us our needs and more for the new year. 

There is a question: What is it that actually drives it home to the essence of Hashem, is it the verses or the blasts of the shofar? Therefore we do both. 

On a deeper level, there are two aspects of the shofar, one is accomplished by the verses and the other by blasts. 

The blasts of the shofar are a mitzvah and have the power of a mitzvah, which is Hashem's will, His essence, therefore they reach His essence. 

Reciting the verses is Torah study, Torah is light, which reveals and has the power to draw down the accomplishments of the shofar into reality. And there is an advantage that Torah study has over mitzvos, it reaches the highest levels. Therefore there is an advantage that the reciting of the verses of shofar has over the actual blasts of the shofar. As the Rebbe Rashab says, "The true revelation that will be in the time of Moshiach at the highest level... Is drawn down now, on Rosh Hashanah, by saying the verses of shofar." 

Therefore, on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbos, when we don't blow the shofar, we suffice with reciting the verses of shofar, because it accomplishes the same thing, if not more. 

Through shofar we accomplish the essence of Rosh Hashanah, we choose Hashem, and He chooses us, and He grants us a sweet and happy year.

May we all be written and sealed in the book of life for a happy and sweet new year, with good health and happiness, nachas and shalom bayis, abundance and success. And may we merit to see the coming of Moshiach and an end to this dark and bitter exile. May he come soon. The time has come.


I would like to thank Chana Gurevitch for her help translating the two parables. 

Our Trip To NY: In Love With The Jewish People

Dedicated By Dr. Ezra and Lauren Kest 

In honor of our children who teach us how to love, listen and be heard.  They should be blessed to find, see and recognize their zivuggim at the right time and always listen well, be heard and feel listened to. 

I started to write this last week, but I was too exhausted from the trip to NY to finish it. Although it is on last week's parsha, there is a timeless lesson that can be learned from it. I hope you enjoy it. 

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Parshas Ki Seitzei, tells us the laws of divorce. 

There is a debate in the Talmud as to when a husband can divorce his wife. The school of Shamai says that only in a case of infidelity, can he give her a divorce. The school of Hillel says that even if she ruined his food (on purpose). Rabbi Akiva says that even if he finds another woman prettier than her, he can give her a divorce. 

Both the school of Shamai and the school of Hillel make sense because in each of their opinions, the wife did a negative action against her husband, an act of infidelity or spitefulness. However in Rabbi Akiva's opinion, she didn't do anything inappropriate or negative. Just because he finds another woman prettier, is that a reason that he could divorce her? Is this a Jewish value? Shouldn't he look at what is on the inside? 

The love between a husband and wife is symbolic of the love between Hashem and the Jewish people. As King Shlomo wrote about the love between a husband and wife in Song of Songs, which is a metaphor for the love between Hashem and the Jewish people, Hashem being the husband and the Jewish people being the wife. 

When they were debating which books should be part of our Tanach, many were of the opinion that the Song of Songs shouldn't be included because of the intimate nature of its content. Then Rabbi Akiva spoke up and said that the whole Torah is holy, but Song of Songs is the holiest of all. And Rabbi Akiva was the one who always "found merit for (the Children of) Israel." How could he be the one who says that if he finds another woman prettier, he can give her a divorce, does he mean that if Hashem finds another nation (G-d forbid) more appealing, He would trade us in? Certainly not. 

By Rabbi Akiva saying about the Song of Songs, which describes the love between a husband and wife, that it is the holiest of all, he is telling us that his notion of the love between a husband and wife is holy and beautiful, in other words, he thinks that this love should be deep and meaningful, not just a working relationship. You can say that his view of marriage is the most romantic of all, and when he says, "pretty," he means true beauty, inner beauty, which never diminishes, it only enhances. Rabbi Akiva thinks that every husband should see his wife as the most beautiful woman in the world, and if not... 

I remember having a discussion with someone about the mechitza in shul that separates between the men and the women during davening. And I was telling him that during davening our attention has to be completely on Hashem, we are building a relationship with Hashem. Therefore we have to minimize distractions, and being that it is the nature of men to be distracted by women, we put up a mechitza. He responded to me that his wife doesn't distract him, and he wanted to sit with his wife. I remember thinking how sad it is that his wife doesn't take his attention. If she was the most beautiful to him, she would surely be a distraction. 

The same is with the relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people. He sees what is on the inside of every one of us, and we are truly the most beautiful to Him. No other nation can compare. 

Last week I was privy to what Hashem sees in the Jewish people, that they are the most beautiful. They came together to make the dream of a father come true. A father that is not able to do anything on his own. 

When I came up with the idea of going to New York, I saw on Dina's face that she was exhausted from all of the difficulties that we have, so I let it go. I even told her to forget about it, it was only one of my wild ideas, because I didn't want to burden her with more, but she knows me better than anybody and she knew that it was important to me. 

I guess she was thinking about it, because she said to me the next day that we should try to find a way to do it, because "We can't be so busy staying alive that we are not living." And that set the ball in motion. 

It took a whole army to make it happen, and I am grateful to every one of them. They all did it out of the goodness of their hearts, giving of their time and resources to make it happen. I don't know all of the people who were involved behind the scenes, but I am grateful to every one of them. 

There was the tireless effort of my wife and the five Rabbis of the Hurwitz family fund. Then there was Dovid Raigorodsky, my daughter Fruma and her husband Levi, who arranged supplies and so much more. There were Naftali Berkowitz, and Shalom Wilhelm who did so much, I don't know where to begin. This was all before the trip began. 

The plane ride was amazing with Eli Rowe on Hatzolo Air, it was the best flight. My son Moshe put Tefillin on me and we davened, Eli, Dr. Avishai, Moshe and I discussed Torah. It was the most wonderful flight. On the way back we were joined by Yaakov. Brian, the pilot, bought a new pair of Tefillin for the plane and Shmuly Alenik was the first one to use them. I am truly grateful to Eli Rowe, and the whole crew of Hatzolo Air, for sponsoring the flights and making them so wonderful. 

Transportation from and to the flight was provided by Hatzolo of Crown Heights. I am grateful to them, especially to Chanan Feldman and Yitzchok Rimler, who were the crew that took me, they are long time friends of mine. 

I am so grateful to my aunt Miriam and my uncle Shmuel for opening their home to us and making us feel so comfortable. We had so many visitors, minyanim and kumzitzes there, it was non stop. 

I am grateful for all of you who visited. Family and friends, grade schools and high schools. We had some special visitors, Tzadikim who were in a situation like me, unable to do for themselves and their caregivers, mothers, fathers, husbands and wives who are the real Tzadikim, because it is harder on the caregiver than on the one who is sick. 

I am so grateful to my chavrusa, Berel Gurevitch, who took care of scheduling our appointments. I don't know what we would have done without him. 

Some people made appointments and others just showed up unannounced, I apologize to those who had appointments, only to find other people there when they came. 

I am grateful to those who took my kids out and showed them New York, Yossi, Emmy and Shaiya. 

I am grateful for my incredible nurses Edgar, Joy, Jose and sometimes my daughter Mussie, who went above and beyond the call of duty.

The Highlights of The Trip 

The Bar Mitzvah 

The Bar Mitzvah was amazing, it was full of love and joy. Sababa Orchestra did the music, Eli Marcus and Baruch Shalom sang. It was wonderful. I know that there are a lot of people who we have to thank for the bar mitzvah, but they are so many and I don't know all their names. I am grateful for all of you. 

The Ohel 

The main reason for the trip was to come to the Rebbe with my family and to be with my sons as they got aliyos in the Rebbe's room. 

This was the first time our whole family was at the Ohel together, so it was very meaningful to me, but it was a little bit difficult for us to be in the moment with all the cameras in our faces. Dina and my daughter Chava prepared lists of the people who asked us to daven for them. After we said our private prayers and after I gave an account of all the work we have been doing in the capacity of Shluchim of the Rebbe, Dina took out the lists, and we started davening for them. 

After the Ohel, where the Rebbe and the previous Rebbe are, we went to daven at their Rebbetzins, and then at the Rebbe's mother. There is something special about being at the Rebbetzins, you feel like they understand your pain, like only a mother would, and I broke down in tears. 

Then I went to daven at my grandparents. 

After the Ohel, and my kids having their fill of Ohel cookies, Dina and I went to visit Ben and Devora Schochet, amazing people, she was diagnosed with ALS at the same time as I was. It was an honor to be with them. 

The Rebbe's Room 

The next day, we went to the Rebbe's room, where my family was given the opportunity to be alone for a few minutes. That was very meaningful for my kids, Dina and I. As I asked for good things for my wife and children, tears were streaming down my face. 

Davening started in the Rebbe's room and when it came time to read the Torah, my eldest son, Moshe, got the first aliyah, which was very meaningful to me, because he never had an aliyah by the Rebbe. My Bar Mitzvah boy, Shalom, got the third aliyah. 

I am grateful to Chaim Baruch Halberstam and Rabbi Meir Harlig, who run things in the Rebbe's room. 

Then we had a tour of WLCC and the Rebbe's library. 

And finally, we went to the Brooklyn Artisan Bakehouse for breakfast, just the family. Amazing food. 

This is just a small example of what the Jewish people do, if you were to count all the good that is done on a daily basis, you would be overwhelmed. Hashem sees all of the goodness and kindness that the Jewish people do, He sees how beautiful we are and He is in love with us. 

May the merit of our goodness and kindness stand with us on Rosh Hashanah, and Hashem will surely grant us a good and sweet year.