MAY 7, 1999 VOL 2, ISSUE 32 21 IYAR 5759
Chabad of Northern Beverly Hills, 409 Foothill Road . Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Rabbi Yosef Shusterman 310/271-9063
PARSHAT BEHAR-BECHUKOTAI
The name of the first of this week's two Torah portions, Behar, means literally "on the mountain." The Midrash relates that when G-d wanted to reveal His holy Torah to the Jewish people, all the mountains in the world vied for the privilege. Each mountain in turn came before G-d and boasted of its superiority and beauty, yet it was precisely Mount Sinai -- a small and unassuming mountain that refused to boast -- upon which G-d chose to give the Torah. Neither the mountains' impressive height, prime location or other physical characteristics were taken into consideration. Not only did these features not convince G-d, as it were, to choose them, but their boasting had the opposite effect. For the Torah could only be given in a place where side issues were irrelevant; the Torah was revealed purely for its own sake.
The giving of the Torah on humble Mount Sinai contains a lesson for all of us in how a Jew is supposed to observe G-d's commandments. Personal considerations and motivations, no matter how valid or convincing, are not the real reason we perform mitzvot. Rather, a Jew fulfills the Torah's commandments solely because such is the will of G-d. Nor do we perform mitzvot because of their reward, despite the fact that the Torah promises ample dividends for our compliance. True, we will be more than compensated, but the true reason a Jew obeys G-d's will is only because He wants us to. Some Jews may wish to observe the commandments in order to merit Gan Eden, but this too, is only a secondary issue. Observing mitzvot brings delight to the spirit, refines our character attributes and purifies the soul, but the desire to obtain these personal benefits is not the Jew's genuine motivation.
As Jews we are obligated to emulate the example of Mount Sinai, the only proper "vessel" for containing the Torah. Our motivation and intent in heeding G-d's word must be unadulterated by thoughts of personal gain or advantage. For the true reason we serve G-d and obey His mitzvot is solely for the sake of serving Him. In fact, had G-d commanded us to perform actions which would not be rewarded, we would carry out His will with the same joy, enthusiasm and vitality with which we observe the Torah commandments, solely because He wants us to!
(From: L'Chaim newsletter, Issue# 416, 5756)"If your brother becomes impoverished and his means fail with you, you should strengthen him, proselyte on resident -- and let your brothers live with you." (25:35) QUESTION: Why are the words "umatah yado imach" -- "and his means fail with you" -- necessary? ANSWER: Helping the poor is one of the greatest mitzvot in the Torah. Sometimes the needy may turn for assistance to someone who was once wealthy but is now going through hard times. The Torah instructs that when "umatah yado" -- "his means fail" -- "imach" -- "together with you" -- you too are also experiencing financial hardship. Nevertheless, you must help him as much as possible, with the confidence that Hashem will bless you both. Undoubtedly, Hashem will restore your wealth and "vachai achicha imach" -- both you and your brother will be able to live in accordance with your original level of material comfort.
(From: Vedibarta Bam by Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky)"He shall not exchange it..."(27:33) A wealthy businessman and his coachman arrived in a city one Friday afternoon. After the rich man was settled at the best hotel in town, the coachman went off to his humble lodgings. Both washed and dressed for Shabbos and then set out for the synagogue for the evening prayers. On his way to shul, the businessman came across a large wagon which had swerved off the road and was stuck in the ditch. Rushing to help a fellow in need, the businessman climbed down into the ditch and began pushing and pulling at the wagon together with its hapless driver. But for all his good intentions, and for all his finesse at handling the most challenging of business deals, when it came to extracting
a wagon and a team of horses from a muddy ditch our businessman was hopelessly out of his depth. After struggling for an hour in the knee-deep
mud, he succeeded only in ruining his best suit of Shabbos clothes, amassing a most impressive collection of cuts and bruises, and getting the wagon even more impossibly imbedded in the mud. Finally, he dragged his limping body to the synagogue, arriving a scant minute before the start of Shabbos. Meanwhile, the coachman arrived early to the synagogue and sat down to recite a few chapters of Psalms. At the synagogue he found a group of wandering paupers, and being blessed with a most generous nature, the coachman invited them all to share his meal.
When the synagogue sexton approached the poor and homeless to arrange meal placements for the poor with the town's householders, as is customary in Jewish communities, he received the same reply from them all: "Thank you, but I have already been invited for the Shabbos meal." Unfortunately, however, the coachman's budget was scarcely equal to his generous heart. It would be most difficult to believe that his dozen guests left his table with more than a shadow of a meal in their hungry stomachs. Thus the coachman, with his twenty years of experience in extracting wagons from mudholes, took it upon himself to feed a small army, while the wealthy businessman, whose Shabbos meal leftovers could easily have fed every hungry man within a ten mile radius, floundered about in a ditch. "Every soul," explained Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok of Lubavitch, "is entrusted with a mission unique to her alone, and is granted the specific aptitudes, talents and resources necessary to excel in her ordained role. One must take care not to become one of those `lost souls' who wander haplessly through life, trying their hand at every field of endeavor except for what is truly and inherently their own."
LAWS OF LASHON HARA
"The best medicine of all is silence" (Megillah 18a). "A protective fence for wisdom is silence" (Avos 3:17). Silence is good for the wise, and surely for the unwise. One should guard his tongue like the apple of his eye, for one's mouth can be the source of his ruination and the movements of his lips can endanger his soul. Thus it is written, "One who guards his mouth and tongue guards his soul from tribulations" (Mishlei 21:23). Better to be told, "Speak! Why are you so quiet?' than for others to find one's prattling burdensome and ask that he be silent. Scripture states: "From that which lies within your bosom [i.e. your soul], guard the portals of your mouth" (Michah 7:5). The use of the term portals in reference to the mouth is instructive. An entrance to a house must be opened when necessary, but it cannot be left open all day and all night; to do so would mean to leave the house open to thieves. Similarly, one cannot allow his mouth to be open indiscriminately. A person's most prized possessions are usually kept in a special vault, hidden away in an inner room and carefully guarded. As man's most prized function, the power of speech must be guarded with great care, and its greatest protection is the quality of silence.
(From: Chafetz Chaim, Sefer Shmmiras HaLashon)INSIGHTS TO REDEMPTION
This week's parsha says, "When your brother becomes poor and sells his inheritance, a redeemer close to him" can come and redeem him. On the simple level, this refers to a person who has to sell his land. It also hints to golus and geulah. It is as if Hashem "became poor" in golus, because people went away from Hashem's laws. Therefore Hashem "sold His inheritance" -- the Bais HaMikdosh -- to the nations of the world. But a tzadik will come
who is "close to Him" -- close to Hashem -- and bring the geulah. How will
he do this? He will awaken people to the fact that they are in golus and tell them, "How can you enjoy yourselves here in golus? You should yearn to be close to Hashem again!" He will arouse the people until they better their ways, and in this way he will "redeem Hashem's inheritance" by building the Bais HaMikdosh and bringing the geulah. And when the geulah comes, Hashem will ask all the gedolei Yisroel, "what did you do to help?".
(From: Insights to Geula, Chabad in Cyberspace)
A Sound and healthy body is dependent on a sound and healthy soul.
-The Rebbe
Several of the early chassidim had a Farbrengen sometime between 5544-47 (1784-87) and the core of the discussion was this:
The Rebbe (the Alter Rebbe) had accomplished something novel - that we are not alone. At one time, the Master - Rosh Yeshiva or Talmudic sage - was "alone" and his disciples were "alone." The Chassidic way instituted by the Rebbe is a tremendous Divine achievement, that the Rebbe is not alone, nor are the Chassidim alone.
(From Rebbe's Hayom Yom Iyar 22)