Parashas Noach

At the beginning of this week’s parashah, Noach is described as a tzaddik, a righteous person, b’dorosav, in his generations.

Rashi tells us that there are two approaches in Chazal to understanding the import of the word b’dorosav.

Some understand it positively: Noach managed to be righteous even in his own generation, at a time when everyone else was wicked. Imagine how much greater he would have been in the generation of Avrohom, when others were righteous as well.

Others, however, understand b’dorosav as deprecating Noach: Noach was only considered great in his own times, when everyone else was wicked. Had truly righteous people, like Avrohom, been on the scene, Noach would not have been considered righteous at all.

Why would one opinion choose to diminish Noach’s stature? After all, Noach was Hashem’s choice to be the individual from whom all future generations would descend. Noach, who was still childless at the age of 480, did not hesitate to heed Hashem’s command to build a teivah, a project that took 120 years and earned him the scorn and ridicule of all those around him.

Why not understanding the passuk as positively as possible?

When the Torah describes a person or event, it does so not only to convey historical and biographical information, but also to teach us a lesson for life.

The Torah’s ambiguous modifier gives us insight into how to approach to two different circumstances, within ourselves and with others.

When a person is seeking to grow in avodas Hashem but is hampered by obstacles beyond his control, and is now in danger of surrendering to despair, we tell him: Look a Noach! He could have been so much more righteous, but he lived in his own generation, not Avrohom’s. The Torah recognized his circumstances and validated that, considering his surroundings, he was a tzaddik.

On the other hand, when a person feels that he has achieved enough, that he is already a respected scholar and tzaddik, we tell him: Look at Noach! Of course you think you’re learned and righteous, just look at those around you. If you associated with true tzaddikim and talmidei chachamim, you would recognize that you are actually undistinguished and need to set your sights higher.

We, too, live b’doroseinu.  And it’s in our hands to determine what that means.

May we each be zocheh to realize our true potential.

Gut Shabbos and a Good Chodesh.

Succos

Succos is Chag Ha’asif the Festival of the Harvest Season. It is Zeman Simchaseinu, the time of our joy, because it is now that the farmers are finally able to enjoy, literally, the fruits of their labor.

The s’chach of the Succah, the covering that is its defining feature, must be made from things that grow from the ground.

But unlike Bikkurim, the first fruits, where the farmer brings his produce in thanksgiving, s’chach cannot be made from the fruits, or any finished useable product. Instead, the covering of the Succah is made from what the gemara calls pesoles goren vayakev, the waste matter of our granaries and wineries - actually, this includes any other non-fruit or unfinished material that grew from the ground and is no longer connected to it.

Why is this so?

The farmers marks his first fruits just as they begin to sprout. He is stil unsure of how his harvest will turn out. As he surveys his field and places a band around the branch bearing the first signs of the year's crop, his heart is filled with prayers to the Almigty to grant him blessing and success.

When Succos arrives, however, he is joyous. His harvest has yielded its bounty. His silos and wine cellars are filled. He risks falling victim to vayishman yeshurun vayivat, of becoming fat with his success and rejecting or diminishing his faith in Hashem.

Now, the Torah says, is the time to leave our comfortable homes and move into the Shelter of Hashem.

When we bring bikkurim and present them to the Kohen, we offer our produce to Hashem. When we move into the Succah, we offer ourselves. We are ourselves enveloped by Hashem's Presence. We make His Divine Shadow our residence.

Pesul denotes invalidation. To commune with Hashem requires pesoles goren vayakev, rejecting and invalidating the comfort and false security of our full storehouses, choosing instead to be protected by Hashem, as our forefathers were in the Wilderness.

As we sit in our Sukkos, may we all merit to connect with Hashem, to sense His Presence, and may we experience His protection and blessing throughout Yom Tov and the year.

Gut Yom Tov.

A Quick Thought for Yom Kippur

During our tefillos on these special days, it seems to me that with the exception of life itself and for forgiveness, the most recurring request is for parnassah, sustenance. It is the subject of several lines in Avinu Malkeinu, we mention it in B’sefer Chaim, and certainly in the yehi ratzons  like those during Avinu Malkeinu and Ayei. Even the tefillah of the Kohen Gadol in the Kodesh HaKadashim was primarily for parnassah.

Parnassah is certainly vital to survival. In fact, Chazal tell us (See Pesachim 118a and Rashi there) that Tehillim 136 is called Hallel HaGadol – the Great Praise – because it includes the verse נֹתֵן לֶחֶם לְכָל בָּשָׂר He provides bread [i.e. sustenance] to all flesh. [Perenthetically, Rav Pam pointed out, based on this Gemara, the great zechus of helping someone find a job.]

Despite this, should the requests for this need – great though it be – outnumber those for health and good children?

Perhaps these many requests to Hakadosh Baruch Hu are meant to do more than simply plead with Him to shower us with plenty; perhaps we continually repeat these requests to reinforce to ourselves that He is the nosein lechem lechol bassar.

It is relatively easy to perceive that we need His help for spiritual attainments and health. But how often, as we are involved in our daily pursuits, do we fall into the trap – to a great or lesser degree – of kochi v’otzem yadi assah lie s hachyil hazeh, that we are the ones who determine our success? How frequently, when we have parnassah, do we forget that our livelihoods depend on Him, that He is the One signing our checks?

As we entreat Hashem again and again to grant us parnassah tovah, we reinforce within ourselves the knowledge that it is He Who is responsible for any of our financial success. And we hope that not only will he grant our wish, but also that we will always recognize His kindness to us in this area.

Dovid Hamelech (Tehillim  23:22) was mispalel יְהִי חַסְדְּךָ ד' עָלֵינוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִחַלְנוּ לָךְ , May Your kindness, Hashem, be upon us, as we have awaited You. We, too ask Hashem to shower us with kindness, to the extent and in the measure that we hope to Him for it.

May Hashem boutifully shower upon all of us, and all Klal Yisrael, a shanah tovah u’beruchah, a year filled with life, health, nachas, blessings, bounty, and everything good, in every area of life.

Gemar chasimah tovah.

Parashas Nitzavim

In this week's parashah, the Torah tells us that we are faced with choices in life:  רְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם אֶת הַחַיִּים וְאֶת הַטּוֹב וְאֶת הַמָּוֶת וְאֶת הָרָע, Behold I have placed before you today, life and good, and death and evil. The Torah then goes on to convey a seemingly obvious instruction: וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה אַתָּה וְזַרְעֶך, and you shall choose life, so that you and your children will live.

Why did the Torah find it necessary to direct us in such a “no-brainer” of a choice?

Secondly, if we “choose life” it seems obvious that it is so that [we] may live. And thirdly why mention our children?

Rashi (29:12) mentions that the fear of curses and punishments are critical motivators to encourage us behave properly. When actively engaged moral/ethical conflict with the Yetzer Hara, we are frequently more successful in vanquishing him through fear of imminent retribution than with the more abstract promise of reward.

Perhaps the Torah is here is telling us that although this sense of fear is vital to our proper behavior, we should primarily choose life. As much as possible, we should do the right thing not to avoid punishment, avoiding “death,” but we should actively choose life, embrace goodness for its own sake and for the blessing it brings.

And that it why the Torah mentions our children: The best way to inspire our children is through joy and the positive experience of uvachata bachayim, of our affirmatively embracing life/mitzvos. As they see us choosing life – so that we live joyfully and fulfilled – they, too will see and absorb how to live, and they too will choose life.

As Rosh Hashanah approaches, may we experience the joy of Torah and mitzvos, and may we all be granted chaim and berachah in every way for ourselves and our families.

Gut Shabbos and kesivah vachasimah tovah.

Parashas Ki Savo

This week’s parashah begins with the mitzvah of bikkurim, in which people would bring their first fruits to the Beis Hamikdash, where it would be presented to the kohen. The Mishnah (Bikkurim Ch. 3) details the great joy, pomp and ceremony associated with this mitzvah.

After coming to the Beis HaMikdash, the person presenting the bikkurim would generally recite a set of verses from this week’s parashah, presenting a succinct recap of Jewish history, thanking Hashem for all his kindness. The story starts with Lavan’s efforts to destroy Yaakov, continues through the Jews’ slavery in and redemption from Egypt, and concludes with Hashem’s having given us Eretz Yisrael. Parenthetically, it is this set of pesukim that forms the basis of our retelling the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim at the Pesach Seder.

Following these pesukim, the Torah concludes its discussion of bikkurim with the following: וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְכָל הַטּוֹב אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לְךָ ד' אֱלֹקֶיךָ וּלְבֵיתֶךָ..., And you shall rejoice in all the goodness that Hashem, Your G-d has given you and to your family….

Rashi (from Pesachim 36b) notes that this verse teaches us that one only reads these verses if the bikkurim are brought during the “period of rejoicing,” during the harvest season, from Shavuos until Succos.

Would it not be more logical to teach us this rule before the verses of thanksgiving, where the Torah tells us the other details of the bikkurim ceremony?

The answer may be that to experience true joy – the וְשָׂמַחְתָּ of the Torah – requires not only that we have reap the fruits of our labor, but that we have shared it with others.

So long as we have not yet reached the Beis Hamikash and actually given the fruits to the Kohen, there can be no real וְשָׂמַחְתָּ. It is only now, that we have already completed the presentation and shared our bounty with others, that we can genuinely rejoice in all the goodness that Hashem, Your G-d has given us and our families.

This is true not only of bikkurim, but of everything – the wealth of resources, talents and abilities – with which each person is blessed. We must, of course, thank Hashem for those gifts. But if we truly want to revel in those riches, we must first share them with others.

May Hashem continue to shower his blessings on all of us and our families, and may we have the sense and the merit to thank Him for them and share them with others, so that we may truly be joyous and happy with all the good we have been granted.

Gut Shabbos.

Parashas Ki Seitzei

In this week's parashah, we are told "When you build a new home, you shall make a fence for your roof...lest one who falls fall from it."

Rashi, citing Sifri, explains that the person who will fall is, in fact, "one who falls" – he is a wicked person whose destiny it is to fall and die. Even so, the Torah tells the homeowner: You do not want to facilitate this occurrence, because bad things are brought about through guilty people.

Let’s think about this for a moment: If the homeowner doesn't put up a gate, the other person, who is guilty, will fall – indicating that the homeowner, too, is a guilty person in some way; yet if this same guilty homeowner puts up a gate, the world is perfect because the other fellow will not fall there.

Does the homeowner’s status change just because he put up a gate?!

Sifsei Chamaim says that it means that if s person falls, people will say that the homeowner is a guilty person. Perhaps he understands the Torah to be giving this not as a reason, but as an incentive: do this to protect your reputation.

But there is another way to understand this.

Building a new home is a tremendous undertaking, involving a myriad of details.

The Torah tells us that even when we are consumed with everything that has to be dealt with – the plans, the “surprises,” the supplies, supervising the work and coordinating all the craftsmen and deliveries – we need to remain considerate of the needs of others, even those who are guilty of sins that would justify their falling to their deaths.

Every one of us has shortcomings and failings. But if we remain sensitive to the needs of others with failings, Hashem will, middah k’neged middah, treat us with compassion.

When a person putting up his new home considers ways to protect those who are liable to fall off, Heaven views the owners shortcomings less severely. Not as a consequence of the fence, but because of the thought behind it.

Conversely, when one is consumed with himself and oblivious to the needs of others, Heaven judges him according to the full measure of his deeds. When that happens, the owner’s guilt may bring about that his negligence will bring about a death.

In the zechus of our consideration for others, may we be granted forgiveness and a kesivah vachsimah tovah.

Gut Shabbos.

Parashas Shoftim

This week’s parashah begins with the following injunctions: שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים תִּתֶּן לְךָ בְּכָל שְׁעָרֶיךָ...וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת הָעָם מִשְׁפַּט צֶדֶק: לֹא תַטֶּה מִשְׁפָּט לֹא תַכִּיר פָּנִים וְלֹא תִקַּח שֹׁחַד כִּי הַשֹּׁחַד יְעַוֵּר עֵינֵי חֲכָמִים וִיסַלֵּף דִּבְרֵי צַדִּיקִם: צֶדֶק צֶדֶק תִּרְדֹּף..., Judges and enforcers shall you appoint in all your cities…and they shall judge the nation a just judgment. You shall not warp justice, you shall not be biased, and you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and distort the words of the righteous. A just justice shall you pursue…

It would seem that the second verse – which appears to apply to the judges – should have been written in the third person, plural לֹא יַטוּ מִשְׁפָּט לֹא יַכִּירוּ פָּנִים..., they shall not warp justice, they shall not be biased….

It has been said that the primary role of beis din is to teach honest and well-intentioned people the proper thing to do.

So perhaps the Torah is telling us that we must certainly establish courts and enforcement mechanisms.

But first we must try to do the right thing and make the proper judgments.

The Torah is saying you – every one of us – must realize that we should live our lives properly judging situations and making decisions without the bias of groupthink and preconceptions and, to the best of our ability, ignoring our personal interests, the “bribe” human nature dangles before us.

Our commitment to honestly view and assess every situation is the best way to live our life wisely and properly.

May Hashem give us the wisdom, discernment and fortitude to fulfill this tall order.

Gut Shabbos.