A Quick Thought on Parashas B'Haalos'cha

At the beginning of this week's Parashah, after the Torah describes how Aharon had to position the lights of the Menorah, it goes on to describe that the entire Menorah was hewn of a single block of gold; that its branches and its intricate details were all made of one solid piece.

 

The question is, in describing the various karbanos that were brought in the Mishkan, the Torah doesn't describe how the Mizbei'ach was built. Nor does it tell us how the Shulchan was built when it tells us about the lechem hapanim.

 

Why does the Torah have to tell how the Menorah was made?

Furthermore, the passuk says that it was made like "the vision that Hashem had shown to Moshe." Why is this germane here?

 

Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that the Menorah, as Chazal tell us, represents Torah study. The flames of the Menorah, the commentators explain, refer to students and children, those whose flames of Torah are lit by the Kohen -- the parent and the teacher.

For for the education of the child to work, to keep that flame lit, requires that everything be made of a solid piece, that everything be consistent. That what we say and what we do jibe. That we live by the ideals that we espouse. That is how we succeed in inspiring and teaching.

 

But there is another element: our behavior must be modeled after the mareh asher her'ah Hashem es Moshe, the G-d-given directive for how to behave and how to act. The dictates and directives of the Torah.

 

It is then that we can then hope to light flames that will cast the light and and spread warmth of Yiddishkeit to future generations and to all who come in contact with them.

 

May we indeed be zocheh to that.

 

Good Shabbos

Parashas Nasso

At the end of this week’s parashah,  we learn that the nassi of each shevet brought a offering at the inauguration of the Mishkan.

Every day for the first twelve days, one nassi brought a korbon, and the Torah details the individual offering of each nassi. As we read through the descriptions, we quickly note that each of the offerings was identical. Yet the Torah – which is generally sparing with its words to the point that an extra letter can teach us a halachah – repeats each detail 12 times.

A number of the commentators note that although each nassi brought the identical animals and utensils, each one of them arrived at the formulation of his own offering on his own, with calculations and reasons specific to his shevet.

Imagine, however, that you were Avidan ben Gidoni, the nassi of Shevet Binyamin, who brought his korban on the ninth day. You pondered and studied and came up with the composition of your offering, only to realize that it’s the same thing the previous eight nessi’im had brought.

Most of us would go back to the drawing board to recalculate. We’d try to come up with an offering that would not be as spiritually perfect, but would offer unique expression for our shevet. After all, people don’t know our real intentions. If we brought what we initially planned to, they’d never believe we came up with this on our own. Do we need them snickering that we are copycats?

The nesi’im, however, were unfazed. Their heroism, expressed by their commitment to do what was correct, earned them – and their korban – eternal commemoration in the Torah. They have a place in posterity.

The Rema, in the very first paragraph of Shulchan Aruch, adjures: “And a person should not be embarrassed by those who mock him in his service of Hashem.”

Torah and halchah are the blueprints and guidelines for living perfect and fulfilled lives. They are the Owner’s Manuals for our souls. When we comport ourselves accordingly, it is an expression of our commitment to be true to our values.

Emerson famously wrote, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do.”

This parashah teaches us that Emerson was wrong.

Consistency can frequently be a sign of moral fortitude and courage. A brave stand for what is right.

And great souls can often find their fulfillment in consistency, while weaker ones hide behind “creativity” and “expression” to mask their own insecurities and moral bankruptcy.

May we all be zocheh to do what is right, without regard to the opinions of those less committed. Then we, too, will merit to have a place in posterity.

Gut Shabbos.

Parashas Bamidbar

In this weeks' parashah, the Torah directs us to count the Jewish nation from the age of 20, but to count the children of Levi from the age of 30 days.

 

Rashi notes משיצא מכלל נפלים הוא נמנה ליקרא שומר משמרת הקדש, once [the child] is viable. he is counted to be called 'a guardians of that which is sacred ." Rashi then cites a Midrash: R' Yehudah b'R' Shalom observed that Shevet Levi had a history of being counted from infancy, as we find that Yocheved, who was born as Yaakov entered Egypt, was counted among the 70 family members who descended.

 

It would seen that Rashi  and the Midrash he cites are teaching us an important lesson.

 

Initially, the firstborn were to have the distinction of being "guardians of that which is sacred." The sanctity of the firstborn is also a distinction that comes at birth. But following the episode of the eigel, the Golden Calf, Moshe called out "Whoever is for Hashem, come to me." And although all of Shevet Levi responded to Moshe's call, not all the firstborn of the other shevatim did.

 

Apparently, they were unprepared for their mission and lost their opportunity. They forfeited their unique role. It was then that Levi was chosen to be the "guardians of that which is sacred."

 

Shevet Levi, on the other hand, seems to have been imbued with a different set of values. Even in Egypt they were committed to Torah study and were therefore never ensnared into the subjugation there. The chinuch they received inspired every one them to respond to Moshe's call.

 

Every Jew is special and is counted. But if we want our children to become all that they can, if we want them to become part of the honor guard of guardians of that which is sacred, we must, from childhood on, inspire them with a sense of distinction and mission.

 

May we all inspire ourselves and our children to be our best, and at this year's kabbalas HaTorah, may we truly recognize that we are an integral member of Hashem's "Kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation."

 

Gut Shabbos and gut Yom Tov.

Behar-Bechukosai

First my apologies (to those who missed them) for not having posted the past two weeks due to deadlines at work.

There is a seeming contradiction in the berachos the Torah promises at the start of Parashas Bechukosai.

First the Torah tells us that if we toil in Torah and do the mitzvos, Hashem will make peace in our land. In fact, it tells us that things will be so peaceful, armies will not even pass through our land to attack other countries.

Then the Torah tells us that five of the weakest of us will successfully chase a hundred of our enemy and a hundred will chase 10,000.

But who are these enemies? Will be living in peace and tranquility. Why would we have to chase anybody?

Perhaps the Torah is teaching us the following: When Klal Yisroel as a whole does what’s right, when we toil in Torah and we do mitzvos, there will be peace. We won't have challenges physically and we won't have challenges spiritually. And when the core of the nation is strong, even those individuals who are personally weak, will succeed in overcoming their challenges with no problem.

It is only when we fail as a nation, when the strong ones fall short in their commitment and responsibilities, that those on the wayside are unable overcome their challenges. It is then that we all run in fear, but “there is no pursuer”; when we flee from “the sound of a rustling leaf.”

When we fail, we seek bogeymen, but there is no problem on the outside, the problem is on the inside. But we don’t see that.

Until we recognize the truth, as long as we look elsewhere for the cause of our own failings, we cannot correct ourselves. And that is the greatest curse of all.

As Pogo famously said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”

May Hashem give all of us the wisdom and the discernment to correctly identify our problems improve ourselves, so that even those on the margins will be able overcome their challenges, and so Hashem will again make it evident to all that we are His children and His nation.

Gut Shabbos.

Tazria-Metzora

I begin this week’s thought by expressing our profound and unending gratitude to Hashem for the infinite berachos with which He showers our family. May he continue to give us berachah, and may He grant everyone in Klal Yisroel berachos, hatzlachos, yeshuos and nechamos in all their endeavors, in every area of life.

This week’s parashah begins with the korbanos brought after a woman had given birth. We are told that she must bring two korbanos, an olah – a burnt-offering which is completely burnt on the mizbeiach – and a chatas – a sin-offering.

Although the Torah first makes mention of the olah, Rashi cites the gemarah in the Zevachim that when it came to offering them, the chatas actually preceded the olah.

This being the case, why does the Torah refer to the olah first?

Perhaps the Torah is teaching us a distinction between korbanos and our behavior.

A chatas, a sin-offering, should be motivated by a person’s sincere desire to reconcile and grow closer to Hashem, a sentiment that is represented by the olah. The olah is mentioned first because that motivation is to precede the simple wish to cleanse oneself the stain of sin.

On the other hand, when a person acts, when he begins the journey of repentance, he should first endeavor to stay away from evil – סור מרע – as represented by the chatas, and then go on to do good – ועשה טוב – as represented by the olah.

May we all be zocheh to draw close to HaKadosh Baruch Hu and do His will.

Gut Shabbos.

Parashas Tzav

This week’s parashah discusses the Laws of the Korbanos. It Begins with Hashem telling Moshe צַו אֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה הִוא הָעֹלָה..., Command Aharon and his sons saying: This is the teaching of the Olah-offering, this is the Olah-offering…

Rashi explains that the term tzav, command, implies that they were being encouraged or urged, immediately and for generations to come.

What was so important about this particular command that made it imperative for them to be so impelled? Furthermore, why the redundancy; why not just say This is the teaching of the Olah and go straight into conveying the laws?

Rashi explains that since the meat of the Olah-offering was completely burned – unlike other korbanos where the kohen generally gets a portion to eat – the kohanim needed to be cautioned to treat the Olah with alacrity.

Perhaps there is another lesson as well. One being taught to the Kohanim and to all generations.

The kohen was involved with many sacrifices each day. After awhile, any korban might come to be viewed as “just another offering.”

The Torah here is telling us: This is the teaching of the Olah-offering. This is THE Olah-offering – definitively. This one is IT. Don't lose sight just because you deal with many offering. Each one must be treated like it is the one and only offering. Perhaps this is the offering that will tip the scales for the entire world (see Rambam, Hil. Teshuvah 3:4).

This is a lesson not just for Kohanim, but l’doros, for all generations: No matter how much we have done, how many mitzvos, how many blatt gemara we have learned, how many acts of chessed we have done, this is THE olah, this next mitzvah must be treated as if it is the only one.

May we yet merit to bring the Olah-offerings and the Pesach-offering in the Beis haMikdash this year.

Gut Shabbos.

Parashas Vayikra

"Vayikra" the first word of this week's parashah, is written with a diminutive aleph.

Rashi tells us that "vayikra," "and he called," is a term that reflects affection. Each time Hashem addressed Moshe, he first “called” to him with love.

On the other hand, the word "vayikar," "and he chanced upon" - the word used when Hashem speaks to the non-Jewish prophets - reflects an impersonal, cold, functional interchange.

Moshe did not want to flaunt the special relationship he enjoyed with Hashem, and would have preferred to hide it by writing "vayikar." However, Hashem had commanded that word in the Torah be "vaykira." Hence, the "compromise" of the small aleph.

In a similar vein, in last week's parashah, we are told that Moshe carried out his charge of assembling the Mishkan. At each step we are told that he did so "as Hashem commanded Moshe" – not, as would be expected, “as Hashem commanded him.”

Moshe discharged his duties to the nth degree, but he did so with no ego; it was not "as Hashem commanded 'him'," – because Hashem had spoken with him – but "as Hashem commanded Moshe," – because Hashem had spoken, and Moshe took no pride in his status.

In each person's life, there are times he (or her) is called upon to play a role: to lead, to teach, to accomplish.

These parshiyos remind us that though Hashem may have called us and commanded us with love and in His grace to do what needs to be done, it should never be about us.

To the extent that we lessen our focus on ourselves, we will surely be granted greater success in fulfilling Hashem's Will. And that’s what it’s all about.

Gut Shabbos.

Vayakhel-Pekudei

Parashas Pekudei begins with the phrase אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת..., these are the accountings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony….

Rashi explained that the Mishkan, as the “dwelling” for the Shechinah, bears testimony to the world that Hashem overlooked the Jewish Nation’s sin of making the Eigel, the Golden Calf.

The truth of the matter is that the Mishkan’s construction was outlined in the previous parashah. Its final assembly is first outlined at the end of this parashah. Why does the Torah choose this point in the naarative to mention that Hashem rested his spirit among the Jewish Nation?

Perhaps the lesson is this: The beginning of Parashas Pekudei consists of a detailed accounting of the materials donated for the Mishkan’s construction, highlighting the absolute integrity of Moshe and those who together with him collected the contributions and constructed the Mishkan.

To bring the Shechinah to rest in the Mishkan, it wasn’t enough that, as detailed in Parashas Vayakhel, everything was built perfectly to specification. The Mishkan also had to be built with total integrity.

Only as the Torah describes the meticulous honesty of all involved does it become apparent that the Divine Presence would make its home in Mishkan, and that it would bear witness to all that Hashem had overlooked the sin of the Eigel.

May we all merit to live our lives with integrity, and to bring a greater measure of Hashem’s Presence into this world.

Gut Shabbos.

Ki Sisa

In this week' s parashah, we are told the requirement for everyone to contribute a half-shekel towards the census. Everyone was commanded to give the same amount -- "the wealthy man should not add, and the poor man shall not deduct from the half-shekel... to atone for your soul."

Purim highlights for us the power of a single person to change to course of history. Whether it be the Haman who could have succeeded in annihilating an entire nation, Achashveirosh, who encouraged the genocide, Mordechai who was steadfastly committed to what was right and who turned around the nation, or Esther, who risked her life to achieve the turnabout.

But there is more.

Following the Megillah reading on Purim, we say (based on Meseches Soferim 14:6, Yerushalmi Megillah 3:7), "Cursed is Haman...blessed is Mordechai...cursed is Zeresh...blessed is Esther...and Charvonah, too, is to remembered positively."

Haman, Mordechai, Zeresh, Esther -- they are the stars of the show. But what did Charvonah do?

When Achashveirosh was incensed at Haman and decided to kill him, Charvonah is the one who informed Achashveirosh of the gallows Haman had erected. In fact, according the the gemara (Megillah 16a), Charvonah had actually been in on the plot to hang Mordechai, so now he was trying to ingratiate himself with the King and Queen.

So for that 1-line bit-part Charvonah gets honorable mention alongside the big boys?

Machtzis Hashekel teaches us that the wealthy man and the poor man are -- in a sense -- equal. Every individual has something to contribute, everybody a role to play.

Some may have starring roles. Others are walk-ons. None are extras.

Even if we see that others have more talents and abilities and knowledge than us, we still have our equally important half-shekel to give. If we give it, we are up there with them, if we are discouraged and don't, we have failed.

Charvonah played his part. His small piece made the puzzle complete. He gets mention alongside the larger players.

May we be granted the wisdom and the ability to recognize and undertake our roles in this world, and change it for the better.

Gut Shabbos.

Purim

Throughout the Torah, we find that it is always better for a person to do a mitzvah himself, rather than through a messenger.

There is one exception to this rule, and that is the mitzvah of Mishloach Manos, sending gifts to others on Purim. Not only it is preferable to send it with a messenger, some opinions maintain that you may not fulfill the mitzvah if you deliver it yourself.

Rabbi Moshe Goldberger recently suggested a beautiful insight into why this is so.

The miracle of Purim occurred through hester Panim, with God remaining “behind the scenes.” It was a miracle, but the events seemed to transpire naturally; God's Hand was hidden.

A primary lesson of Purim is that whatever happens to us is also from Hashem. The person harming us, offending us, damaging us or helping us is not really the one impacting us, he is just a messenger of Hashem.

Mishloach Manos is meant to reinforce this message. We send it with a messenger – he is the one delivering the package, but he is not the giver of the gift.

May we always be blessed as the beneficiaries of Hashem’s kindness – and may we always recognize His Hand and thank Him for all He does for us.

A Freilichen Purim

Parashas Tetzaveh

In these week's parashah, we are taught how the individual kohanim were inaugurated into their role as servants in the Mishkan and Beis HaMikdash.

As part of that process, they would bring korbanos, and some of the blood would be placed on the kohen's ear, the thumb of his right hand and the thumb of his right foot.

It would seem that the message is that when one dedicates himself to be a Servant of Hashem, he must commits himself to listen - represented by the ear - to study and understand his obligations; to act - represented by the hand - to do what is required of him; and to avoid - represented by the foot - to stay or go away from anything that is inappropriate.

Interestingly, we find that a metzorah undergoes the identical procedure during his purification process. Tzaraas, we are taught, is not immediately brought upon a person. First it strikes his home, then his clothing. If he still does not get the message and change his ways, then his body becomes afflicted by tzaraas.

As this person becomes purified, we send him the message: learn your responsibilities, act properly, and avoid inappropriate situations.

It is also possible that the Kohen must undergo the same process as the Metzorah because it is a kohen who purifies the Metzorah. To ensure that the kohen treats the Metzorah with dignity and sympathy, we have the kohen undergo a similar procedure. Having been on the receiving end, he is in a better position to understand the Metzorah's feelings, and he will be far more effective in inspiring the Metzorah to do a full teshuvah and live a proper life.

May we all use all of faculties properly and dedicate them to serving Hashem.

Gut Shabbos
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Parashas Mishpatim

It is frequently noted that the first parashah the Torah presents following mattan Torah deals with a host of laws related to interpersonal relations and commerce.

In fact, the very beginning of the parashah deals with the laws of a Jewish “slave” – a man who had stolen money and had no money to repay it, so Beis Din sold him to raise money to pay off the the debt.

This “slave” may not be given especially menial or degrading tasks to do. And he is entitled to the same comforts as his master’s family.

Indeed, the gemarah comments that one who purchases such a “slave” has essentially purchased a master for himself, because if there is only one pillow – or one steak – it goes to the slave, since the master cannot have more or better than that which the slave has.

But the Torah teaches us more: While he owns this slave, the master must provide for the needs of the slave’s wife and children.

Part of what happened at Sinai is that we undertook arvus, guarantorship for one another. We each have a responsibility for the spiritual well-being of everyone else.

But how can we meet that responsibility?

There’s a great magnet from Partners in Torah that reads: “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”

To meet our obligations, be must first know and understand how far we must go to take care of one another. That breeds love and camaraderie. It is only then that we can hope to influence and inspire them.

May we truly achieve love of our fellow, and meet our obligations to Hashem and to others.

Gut Shabbos.

Parashas Yisro

As the Jews encamped around Sinai in preparation for receiving the Torah, Moshe was instructed הַגְבֵּל אֶת־הָהָר, cordon off the mountain, וְקִדַּשְׁתּוֹ and sanctify it.

 

What was the significance of sanctifying Mount Sinai?

 

The Torah is Hashem's Word. Indeed, until the Revelation at Sinai, the Torah was the provenance of the angels on High.

 

How could mortals possibly connect to the Divine?

 

Before the Torah was presented to us, Hashem sent a message: A mountain is mere earth and rock. Yet those mundane elements can become sanctified when they are set aside for God.

 

 When we recite a brachah upon performing a mitzvah, we say: אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, Who sanctified us with His commandments. When we learn Torah and do mitzvos our essence changes. we become holy people.

 

One lesson of Har Sinai is that if a simple, inanimate mountain can become holy, certainly we can, no matter how lowly we think of ourselves.

 

May we all be granted that holiness, so that we may fulfill our purpose on earth.

 

Gut Shabbos.

Parashas Beshalach

After the Jews miraculously crossed the Sea on dry land, they sang Az Yashir, the song of gratitude and praise to Hashem.

It is a song so profound, it was instituted as part of our daily Shacharis, and it will be sung at the time of techiyas hameisim, the Resurrection of the Dead (see Rashi 15:1).

When Moshe first approached Pharaoh to allow the Jews to leave Egypt to serve Hashem, Pharaoh responded by harshening his subjugation of the nation. When Moshe cried out to Hashem, Hashem responded by noting that our forefathers had been given many assurances, but although they never actually experienced the “Name Ado-nai,” – they never saw the fulfillment of those promises – they had never complained.

In Az Yashir, it is the Name Ado-nai is the one used almost universally. Az Yashir celebrated the fact that the Jews perceived how all the pieces fit together.

We are taught (Mechilta Shemos 15:2) that when the Jews crossed the Sea, even a maidservant saw G-d more immanently than the Prophet Yechezkel, whose prophecy describes in detail the Heavenly retinue. The Kotzker Rebbe famously commented that somehow, despite this experience, the people did not all become righteous prophets. The maidservant became a maidservant.

Interestingly, when the Jews demanded food in the wilderness, Hashem responded, הִנְנִי מַמְטִיר לָכֶם לֶחֶם מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם וְיָצָא הָעָם וְלָקְטוּ דְּבַר יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ לְמַעַן אֲנַסֶּנּוּ הֲיֵלֵךְ בְּתוֹרָתִי אִם לֹא, Behold I will rain upon you bread from the Heavens, and the nation shall go out and collect the portion of each day on that day so that I might test them to see if they follow in my commandments or not.

G-d could have provided the Jews nourishment and satiation without the manna. The purpose of the manna was not to provide food, it was to see if the Jews had learned their lesson, it was to test whether the experience of the Miracles at the Sea had left a lasting impact.

As Ramban notes, Hashem performs the open, obvious miracles, to show us that he controls all events.

In our own lives, we must thank Hashem for his goodness and kindness not only when we experience open acts of Providence; it behooves us to seek out and acknowledge Hashem at every juncture. We repeat Az Yashir every day to remind us that.

As Chaye and I give gratitude to Hashem for blessing us with the simchah of the upcoming marriage of another child, we thank Him for the infinite other kindnesses that He does for us every day, and be beseech him to continue to grant us and all Klal Yisroel simchos, berachos, refuos and yeshuos.

May the day soon come when all of us merit to sing Az Yashir after techi’yas hameisim, when we will actually again perceive how every event and all of history fits into place in the Divine Master Plan.

Gut Shabbos

Parashas Bo

Among the laws that apply to the eating of the Korban Pesach are that a person must eat it as part of only one group, and he may not move from one group to another, nor may one break any of its bones as he eats it.

 

The Pesach observance marks the celebration of our emerging from bondage to freedom. When the Jewish Nation left Egypt, they were taken l'cheirus olam, an everlasting, true freedom. Theirs was a freedom from bondage, but not freedom from restrictions.

 

The freedom we enjoy as a result of Yetizas Mitzrayim offers us the opportunity to find fulfillment by connecting with Hashem. We can, however, abuse that freedom.

 

So as we mark our Exodus from Egypt, as we relish eating the roasted meat of the Korban Pesach, we are reminded that while are free, rules still apply. And it is those rules that ensure that we have make use of our freedom to find true joy and fulfillment.

 

May we merit to properly use the opportunities we are afforded, and may we enjoy the Korban Pesach in Yershalayim this year, b'vias goel tzedek.

 

Gut Shabbos. 

Parashas Va'eira

In this week’s parashah, Hashem tells Moshe how Pharaoh will refuse to release the Jews, and that He will bring plagues that will lead to the Jews’ redemption. “…And I will take out my legions, my nation, the Childen of Israel from Egypt with great judgments. And Egypt will know that I am Hashem as I stretch my hand over Egypt and I take out the Children of Israel from among them” (7:4-5).

This seems to tell us that the purpose of the plagues, of the miracles, and of the Exodus was for Egypt to recognize Hashem’s greatness.

However, at the beginning of Parashas Bo we are told that the reason for the plagues was “and so that you might recount in the ears of your children and your grandchildren that I toyed with the Egyptians…”.

The purpose of the miracles, then, was so that the Jews would acknowledge Hashem’s control of events.

It would seem that the Torah is teaching that each of these reasons would, in of itself, have been adequate reason to bring about the wondrous events that took place.

In Parashas Beshalach, we find that, only days after the Exodus, the Egyptians regretted setting the Jews free and pursued them to the Sea of Reeds. After the Jews crossed safely, the Egyptians all drowned.

Ultimately, then, the Egyptians recognized Hashem only for those few days and for their final moments as they drowned in the Sea (see 14:25). Yet the many miracles in Egypt and at the Sea were all worth doing just so that the Egyptians would acknowledge Hashem for those short periods of time.

Each day offers us countless opportunities to see and acknowledge Hashem. These parshios should encourage us to take advantage to those moments and use them to mekadesh Shem Shamayim by making a point of recognizing His greatness.

In that zechus, may we merit to the ultimate yisgadal v’yiskadash shmei rabbah, with the arrival of Mashiach.

Gut Shabbos.

Parashas Shemos

In this week’s parashah, the Torah tells us that when Yocheved, the mother of 3-month old Moshe, could no longer hide her child from the officers enforcing Pharaoh’s edict to throw all Jewish boys into the river, she didn’t simply comply. Instead, she took a basket and coated it with tar and plaster. She then placed him inside. Additionally, rather than place Moshe into the water, she left the basket in the reeds at the banks of the river.

Chazal explain that while she put tar on the outside to protect against the water, she used plaster on the inside so that the righteous Moshe would not have to smell the unpleasant odor of the tar.

Oftentimes we meet a person in need – physically or emotionally – and it is beyond our capacity to fully help them.

The Torah’s sharing these details teaches us that we must still do whatever we can to ameliorate another’s distress. Yocheved didn’t have a way to save Moshe, but she could make her infant son’s stay in the basket less distasteful. And rather than place him in the water, she could leave him more securely on the shore.

Interestingly, as a midwife, Yocheved was known as Shifra, because mishaperes es havlad, she would beautify the newborn child.

The word mishaper also means to “improve.” Yocheved lived in a time of crisis. Many of the babies she delivered would soon be put to death. She couldn’t change all that. But her role, her avodah,  was to be mishaper, to do what she could to improve the lot of the mothers and their children.

May we be inspired by her example to do all that we can for others, and may we merit to see bi’yeshuasan shel Yisrael.

Gut Shabbos.

Parashas Vayechi

As Yaakov fell ill prior to his death, Yosef came with his sons, so that might receive their grandfather’s blessing.

Yaakov told Yosef: And now, your two sons that you have borne in the land of Egypt, until I came to you to Egypt, they are mine. Efraim and Menasheh will be to me like Reuven and Shimon – Yaakov declared that the two sons of Joseph would, like his own sons, be the progenitors of Tribes.

After a discussion, he asks that Efraim and Menasheh approach him to be blessed, but as they do, he suddenly asks: Who are these [men]?  

What does that mean? He knew who they were; he had just appointed them as Fathers of Tribes, he just asked that they come over to him. What does his question mean?

Chazal explain that as they approached, the Shechinah, the Divine Presence, suddenly abandoned Yaakov. Yaakov sensed that these two young men would have wicked descendants, and he now doubted whether he should bless them. Yosef prayed, the Divine Presence returned, and Yaakov blessed his grandchildren with Hamalach Hagoel, a blessing that we continue to use to this very day.

We find a similar episode later in the parashah. Yaakov is about to bless his sons. Those blessings outlined the personalities of each son and encapsulated the role and destiny of the Tribe that was to descend from him.

Before those blessings, Yaakov asks his sons to gather so that he might share with them “what would transpire to them at the end of the days.”

They gather and the Shechinah again departs from Yaakov.

Now Yaakov is concerned that perhaps they have abandoned their faith, so they cry out in unison the phrase Shema Yirsael.  Yaakov responds by saying Baruch Shem... . He then proceeds to bless them.

Our sages explain that the Yaakov intended to reveal to them when the ultimate End of Days would commence, but Hashem did not want him to.

It is interesting that before each set of blessings, the departure of the Shechinah caused Yaakov to question the righteousness of those he was about to bless.

Just before Yitzchok blessed Yaakov – transmitting the power of Divine blessing invested in him by Avrohom – we are told וַיָּרַח אֶת רֵיחַ בְּגָדָיו וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ..., and [Yitzchok] smelled the scent of [Yaakov’s] clothes and he blessed him…. Our sages teach (Sanhedrin 37a) that the word בגדיו can also be vowelized בֹּגְדָיו, his traitors, the sinners.

Why was it important for Yitzchok to sense the sinners before he gave the blessing?

The commentators explain that had Yitzchok given the blessing to a son he felt was fully righteous, with no whiff of sinners, those blessings would have been in effect only as long as the descendants were completely good. Hashem wanted him to smell the traitors, so that the blessings would remain effective even when the Jews would be remiss in their spiritual duties.

In our parshah, too, Hashem wanted Yaakov’s blessings -- first to Efraim and Menasheh then to his sons – to always remain in effect. So as he was about to give the berachos, their was the suggestion that they may not be fully righteous. And although they really were, the berachos were given with the recognition that although the Shechinah may depart, the blessings will remain.

May we always be worthy of all the blessings, but even when we fall short, may we always be the beneficiaries of the spiritual and material bounty they offer.

Gut Shabbos.