The Greatest Good Comes Through Our Struggles

Print         Devarim
This week's parsha, Devarim, is always read on the Shabbos before Tisha B'Av or on Tisha B'Av itself and it's called Shabbos Chazon, because we read the Haftora of Chazon Yeshayahu, the Vision of Isaiah. 

Nothing is by chance, being that parshas Devarim is always Shabbos Chazon, there has to be a connection between Devarim and Shabbos Chazon. What is that connection? 

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Bardichev said that on Shabbos Chazon we are shown a vision of the third Temple, a vision from a distance and this is the essence of Shabbos Chazon. 

The book of Devarim is called Mishneh Torah. Mishneh Torah is different from the first four books of the Torah, in that the first four books are talking to the generation of the desert and Devarim is talking to the generation that were going to enter the Land of Israel and therefore would have to know certain things that the generation of the desert didn't have to deal with. 

The difference between the generation of the desert and the generation that entered the Land, is that the generation of the desert was a generation of knowledge, they were at the level of Moshe, who saw G-dliness. However the generation that entered the Land they were involved in physical pursuits, and they didn't see G-dliness, they only heard from their fathers and teachers. As it says in next week's parsha, "And now Israel listen." 

What is the difference between seeing and hearing? When you see something it is unquestionable, no one can convince you out of it, because you saw it. On the other hand, when you hear something, no matter how convincing it is you can be talked out of it if someone questions it, has a more convincing story or argument. 

Therefore the generation that entered the Land had to be told about self sacrifice, because they only heard about G-dliness, they didn't see. However the generation of the desert didn't have to be told about self sacrifice, because they saw G-dliness. 

Although the generation that entered the Land was on a lower level than the generation of the desert, nevertheless they had an advantage over the generation of the desert of which it says, "For you have not yet come to the resting place or to the inheritance, which Hashem your G-d is giving you." Which they could only have after they entered the Land of Israel. Because the true intention of Hashem is specifically brought to fruition through being involved in the physical. Only then can you acquire the resting place and inheritance. 

So Devarim, which is the beginning of Mishneh Torah, is about a descent in holiness, but it is specifically through this descent that brings us to the true ascent. 

The same is true about Shabbos Chazon, on one hand, it comes in the darkest time of year, the nine days, on the Shabbos before Tisha B'Av or on Tisha B'Av itself, when both of our Temples were destroyed. On the other hand, specifically through this descent that brings the ultimate ascent. As the Holy Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Bardichev said that on Shabbos Chazon we are shown a vision of the third Temple. 

The same is true in every challenge or even tragedy, there is an opportunity. And if you train yourself to look for the opportunity, you will be able to take control of the situation and even turn it into a positive or if it can't be turned into something good, at least something good could come out of it. You should ask yourself these questions. What does Hashem want me to gain from this? What does Hashem want me to learn from this? How can I use this for something positive? 

When I was diagnosed with ALS, it was devastating to me and my family. By taking this attitude, I was filled with a mission to uplift as many as I can through these articles and my wife Dina became one of the most inspirational speakers and has uplifted tens of thousands. It doesn't fix the problem, but it makes our lives more meaningful and therefore more bearable. 

May we merit to see these days of darkness turn to light and the happiest days on the calendar and may we merit to see the construction of the third Temple that will be built by Moshiach. May he come soon. 

Don't Be Satisfied

Print         Matos         Maasei
Parshas Maasei begins, "These are the travels of the Children of Israel that they went out of Egypt," the word "journeys" is said in the plural, meaning that in order to get out of Egypt they had to travel many journeys.

There is a famous question asked about this. They only went out of Egypt on the first journey from Ramses to Sukkos, they were already out of Egypt then. Why does it say "journeys" in plural?

Another question. The Jewish people traveled 42 journeys coming out of Egypt until they reached the Holy Land. Egypt in Hebrew is Mitzrayim, which is from the word Maitzarim, meaning constrictions, which is what they broke free from. Why did they need 42 journeys to break free, when with the first journey they were already free?

What are we meant to learn from this?

When it comes to constraints and being free there are many levels, freedom is relative. If you break free from a lower level you are still in constraints compared to a higher level. So although they broke free from Egypt, they still had a way to go, every journey breaking free from the constraints of the previous level, until they reached true freedom, the completion of their journeys, Yarden Yereicho, and they entered the Holy Land. And that is why it says "journeys," in the plural.

The same is true about this dark and bitter exile, we are on a journey, every time we reach a point of freedom, and it gets a little bit comfortable, we are reminded that we haven't reached the ultimate freedom, Yarden Yereicho, which is symbolic of Moshiach, about whom it says, "He will judge by smell," Yereicho is related to the word reiach, which means smell.

The same is true for each and every one of us. What we accomplished yesterday is good, we broke through the constraints of yesterday and it is an accomplishment, but now that we reached this level, this becomes the new baseline, and today we can go higher. It is a big mistake to think that you have already reached high enough, if you can go higher you must, because a person is called a mehalech, which means to go and to not stay put, every day higher and higher.

This is seen in Davening, which is called the ladder of Yaakov, as it says, "A ladder set on the ground and its top reaches the heaven." When you Daven you are reaching up to Hashem, as opposed to Torah study, which is from the top down, it is what it is, infinite, and we try to understand it, each of us according to our ability. However Davening is us reaching up to Hashem, trying to take our relationship with Him to a deeper and higher level.

When we Daven, every section of the prayer is another rung on the ladder, from when we prepare to Daven by setting our minds to focus on prayer, until we reach the Amida, and when we get there we are so one with Him that we don't exist, we are completely nullified before Him to the point where we have to say, "Hashem, open my lips and my mouth will tell your praises." Totally vulnerable and intimate.

And when we Daven every day, we are not doing the same thing as yesterday, rather we are picking up at the closeness we attained yesterday and we reach even deeper and higher than ever.

In a marriage it is the same way. The deepness of love that you reached yesterday is not enough today, every day you have to take it higher and deeper through being open, honest and vulnerable.

If we strive to go ever higher as a nation and in our personal relationship with Hashem, we will surely merit the final journey, the ultimate freedom, the coming of Moshiach. May he come soon.

Only You Can Do Your Part

Print         Pinchas
In this week's parsha, Pinchas, it tells about the aftermath of the story of Zimri, when Pinchas, who was the junior of the group, took action and saved the day.

How do we know that Pinchas was the junior of the group, and wasn't given special attention? The Talmud tells us how Moshe taught the Torah to the Jewish people. First he would teach it to Aaron, then he would teach it to Aaron's sons Elazzar and Ethamar, then he would teach it to the seventy elders, and then he would teach it to all of the Jewish people. And Pinchas got the teaching with all of the Jewish people, he wasn't given special treatment.

And because of his actions he was rewarded to be a Kohen, him and all of his descendants after him, an everlasting reward.

Moshe, Aaron, Elazzar, Ethamar and the seventy elders didn't know what to do, the law slipped their minds, only Pinchas remembered. They said to him, "the reader of the letter should carry it out."

What are we meant to learn from this?

There are things that the leaders of the generation are not going to tell you to do, it doesn't mean that they should not be done. If you see a good thing that is not being done and you can do it, you should. And the reason that greater people aren't doing it, perhaps it is "in order for Pinchas to take the Kohenhood," meaning that it is for you to make a difference, your purpose in the world that you were created for.

Just as physically everyone has his or her part in the world, and "no one can touch the (G-d given) livelihood of his friend," so too, no one can touch the spiritual livelihood of his friend, no one can touch his part in Torah.

His part in Torah doesn't necessarily mean the study of Torah, it means his innovation in Torah, just as the Talmud tells us that Rabbi Akiva taught a law that Moshe didn't know. And it means that no one can do another person's mitzvah, his or her spiritual purpose in the world.

Every person has a unique physical and spiritual mission in the world that only he or she can do and when we do it we refine the  world, making it into a home for Hashem, and that is our part in bringing Moshiach. May he come soon.