Naso

In discussing certain gifts that are given to the Kohen, the Torah says quite cryptically, ואיש את קדשי לו יהיו, a man's holies shall be his, איש אשר יתן לכהן לו יהיה, and what a man gives to the Kohen, it shall be his. 
Rashi explains the words, “a man's holies shall be his” to mean that if one doesn't give the Kohen what's due him, a tenth, then what would be the tithes will be his: his fields will only produce a tenth of what they normally would. The end of the posuk promises that one who does give the gifts to the Kohen, לו יהיה , he shall have, much wealth. 

Reb Leib the סבא משפולה used to give tremendous amounts of Tzedaka; everything he received, he immediately gave away to the poor. It was said about him that he didn't even check out the people he gave to, rather he just helped everyone. He even went so far as to help out known thieves when they came to him for help! That didn't sit well with the townspeople, though, & one day they approached him & asked how is it that the rabbi is helping out thieves?!?  He answered that they shouldn’t worry; it’s not so bad, for sometimes the gates of mercy in heaven are locked & I send the thieves to go break open the locks! 

Cute story, but what did he mean? What was he trying to tell the people? 

At the time when רב יום טוב ליפן הלר  was Rav of Krakow, there was a very wealthy man in town who refused to give any charity to the poor of the town. So much so, he was nicknamed Shimon the miser.  ‎There were two people in charge of distributing charity & every Friday they would hand out nice sums of money to all those that needed. 

Time passed & Shimon the miser passed away. In order to show their disapproval  of him, they buried him in a very degrading spot at the edge of the cemetery next to the fence. 

A few days later, one by one the poor of the town knocked on the rabbi's door complaining that the people distributing the charity were no longer taking care of them appropriately & were giving them much less than usual. The rabbi called in these two men, the Baalei Tzedaka, to ask what was going on. Did they think the poor suddenly became rich so that they don't need help?    

‎Their answer otally shocked the rabbi. They said that as long as Shimon Hatzadik was alive, we had no shortage of money. He would come every week and give us all the money we needed for the poor people. Now that he's gone, there's no more money. When the rav heard that all the money came from Shimon the miser, who performed the mitzva of tzedaka on the highest level, that of giving without anyone knowing or receiving even the slightest recognition in this world, he said, “I want to be buried next to Shimon Hatzadik”. 

‎Perhaps what the סבא משפולה was trying to tell the people was, “don't be so quick to judge; the only reason you think that these people aren't deserving of help is that you don't know the whole story. The only one who can judge is Hashem; the rest of us just have to be kind & non-judgmental & try to help everyone.
We as a society tend to judge people on very superficial things without looking at the big picture. We evaluate people based on their outward appearance - what we think people should look like - instead of their essence, the inside which we have no way of knowing. Let's take this opportunity to take a step back & not judge people on a first impression; rather believe that everyone is good & leave the judging to Hashem!‎
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Bamidbar / Shavuos

‎‎‎Shavuos always comes out between Parshas Bamidbar and Parshas Naso. This year, Shavuos is actually attached to the Shabbos when we read Bamidbar, The Medrash on Bamidbar tells us,  'בג דברים ניתנה התורה: באש במים ובמדבר , the Torah was given with three things – Fire, water and the desert. 

Rabbi Meir Shapiro z’tl., the Lubliner Rov, explains this somewhat abstract Midrash and offers a powerful insight into our obligation to serve Hashem at all times. He maintains that the Torah is informing us that we must maintain our eternal commitment to the values and lessons of the Torah – regardless of the setting. Fire always rises to a higher plane. Regardless of the direction in which a match is turned, the flame always rises. We have to follow the flame that's lights the way for us.  Water, on the other hand always flows to the lowest possible point. Therefore, Chazal say that the Torah leaves a per‎son who is haughty and goes to one who is humble, for just like water the Torah goes from the high to the low. 

These two elements, fire and water, represent the up-and-down phases in the human being’s life, while the desert represents the love that the B’nei Yisroel displayed to Hashem – following Him in the harsh, barren desert with total bitachon.
Rus, the megillah that is read on Shavuos, highlights the tribulations of Rus and Nomi, two individuals who personified the up-and-down nature of life. Despite the hardships they face, they remain true to following the Torah, the words of Hashem.
The Gemara relates a comment of Rebbi who said that when he learned by רבי אליעזר בן שמוע, there would be six students sitting in the space of an אמה, which is about two feet. Rav Zilberstein asked how is it possible that six students could sit in so small a space? It’s impossible! ‎

Then, he heard a story from an officer in the army that during the Yom Kippur war, when they were in an area up north, one of the tanks suddenly veered off the path & went up in flames. Everyone who was nearby started to run for cover looking for a place to hide which could mean the difference between life & death. The only viable option was another tank that was nearby. The officer continued, that tank which normally could fit only four men at most, now had ten men squeezed in!  How was this possible? It could only be that the desire to live was so great it transcended space! So, too, with the students of Reb Eliezer; their desire to learn was so great it transcended space too! They were the desert that sacrificed comfort for the sake of learning Torah.

 Nachlas Yosef, a commentary of Megillas Rus, makes an interesting point. He directs our attention to the other relative whom Boaz says is closer to Nomi than he is and is therefore first in line to marry Rus. He is referred to as Ploni Almoni rather than his actual name. Nachlas Yosef explains that he didn’t merit having his name mentioned in the megillah, not because he did something wrong but because he didn’t do anything right such as being mekayaim yibum with Rus. Whereas Ploni Almoni remains anonymous in the megillah, Rus and Nomi are highlighted by their endless bitachon in Hashem.

The story of the origin of Gateshead, England, lends support to this concept of not remaining anonymous with Hashem. When Dovid Dryen decided to open a kollel in Gateshead, a place not especially known for Torah scholars, he sent letters to 22 people whom he would consider to be Rosh Kollel. Twenty never even bothered responding; one declined the invitation and the last answered maybe with a request to meet to discuss the kollel. The person who answered, “maybe”, turned out to be Rav Eliyahu Dessler, not particularly well known at that time. His leadership of the kollel gained him prominence. What happened to the other 21 candidates? They remain unknown.

We have to take the lesson of Rav Dessler as well as that of Rebbe Eliezer’s students to heart. We cannot just ride the waves of up-and-down that life affords us. We must take action in the hostile environment – the desert- of our galus, and demonstrate through our behavior, even if it means giving up comforts in order to learn we have to show our total dedication to Hashem!



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Behar / Bechukosai

‎‎‎The second of the parshios that we read this week begins with the blessings that the Jewish people will enjoy as a result of their commitment to Torah study and the performance of mitzvos. אם בחקתי תלכו, if you follow my decrees ואת מצותי תשמרו , and observe my commandments. ‎ונתתי גשמים בעתם and I will give the rains in the proper time & you will have all that you need. 

Rashi explains this to mean that we should be עמלים בתורה., that we should toil in Torah for the principal part is the work that we put into it.  

In the Hadran which we say upon concluding a mesechta, we state, “we work & they work, we work & get reward & they work & don't get reward.” The Chafetz Chaim asks, is that true? Have we ever seen a shoemaker that made shoes & didn't get paid for his work or a tailor that makes a suit that didn't get paid? Everyone gets paid for his work not just the one who studies Torah!

‎He explains that if one were to hire a craftsman to make something & the man works day & night. If in the end he doesn't produce the right product, no matter how much work went into it, he won't get paid.  However, learning Torah doesn't work like that, for we get reward just for the work involved in studying.  If we toil, even if we don't fully understand or don't do the mitzva properly, we still get credit for the effort. 

How does one reconcile this with the gemara that says שכר מצוה בהאי עלמא ליכא , that there is no reward for mitzvos on this world?  Our posuk explicitly states that if you go in my ways you will have plenty!  
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The כתב סופר differentiates between two different rewards; the reward for the actual mitzva will be in the future in the next world, however, the reward for the work & the effort one puts in will be in this world. 
What can we do to assure ourselves of meriting reward for effort in this world? How do we know if we’re really working?

Perhaps an analogy by Rav Nachum Zev of Kelm ‎ could help us understand this. There was a group of friends sitting around the table. As long as everyone is sitting, eating & drinking, everyone seems the same. Finally, all but one leave. At first, one wonders why didn't he get up & go with his friends. 

Upon closer examination, he sees that the man has no legs. At the table, everyone seemed the same but once they leave one can see the difference. So, too, with us; when we are all together, one doesn't see much of a difference between us. However, when we exit our safe environment & go into the world, then we see who still walks with the Torah & who allows it to fall by the wayside. 

That's why the posuk says, אם בחקתי תלכו , if you walk in my ways. When we get up from the table & walk in the world, will we be walking in the way of Hashem? Hopefully we are which translates into toiling in the Torah for which we will be granted all the berachos that Hashem has to offer!

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Emor

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‎‎A posuk in Parshas Emor states: ולא תחללו את שם קדשי ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל ,you shall not defile My holy name, and I shall be sanctified among the Jewish people. 
Rashi explains this seeming redundancy; for if there is no defilement, you will have sanctity. He says that it teaches us that we should surrender ourselves to sanctify Hashem's name. ‎Besides sacrificing one's life for Hashem, one’s daily living can also be a sacrifice to Hashem.  ‎

When the ארי"זל  was asked how Moshiach could come in our generation when he didn't come in previous generations which were much greater than ours, he answered that the challenges of our generation are much greater. It's the mesiras nefesh that Hashem looks at, not the piety of the individuals.  With the number of outside influences we of this generation have, anything that we do to break our nature for Hashem is considered a sacrifice. In addition, when we act the way Hashem wants us to, even when no one is around to arouse our conscience, the sacrifice is so much greater. 

There was once a talmid chacham who went with his family on vacation up north. They stayed in a hotel overnight & when they left in the morning the man's car hit another car that was parked. The man got out & saw the damage. Even though it was small, he knew that he had to pay for what he had damaged so he took a paper, wrote out in detail what happened, what had to be done to fix it & left his address & put it on the windshield. 

A few hours later, upon hearing a knock on the door, he goes to open it; before he has a chance to say anything, the man standing there takes out a camera & takes a picture of him. He says, “you’re the one who left that note on my car. You should know that, when I saw the note, I told my wife that it was some kind of scam because there aren't people in the world that would write a note like that. 

However, when I went to check the car & saw the damage, I knew that it was real. My first reaction was that I need to take a picture of this person, who surely could have gotten away with it, but who was willing to pay money to someone who wasn't even aware of what happened.” At that moment, the talmid chacham got a word in, and said, “What do you mean that no one was asking for the money? Hashem is asking me for it, for the Torah says you have to pay if you damage something!”  “That is exactly why I had to take a picture of you” the man said, “so I can look at it & remember that there are still good people in the world!” The next day he went & got an estimate; the talmid chacham  paid him for the damage, & they went their separate ways. 

A few weeks later, there's a knock on the door a few minutes before Shabbos; standing there is a couple, the man whose car had been hit with his wife smiling at the chacham. They said that, after a few weeks of family discussions, they had decided to become religious; “if your actions were because of the Torah, then we're in!” 
That's how we have to conduct ourselves. We have to cause people to say "wow, these people are exceptional, & if that's what the Torah teaches them, then we want a part of it.” Our goal has to be to have Hashem's name sanctified by us. The harder that is, the greater mesiras nefesh we must display.  It's the mesirus nefesh of our generation that is going to bring Moshiach!
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Acharai Mos / Kedoshim

‎‎While instructing us to be holy, the Parsha of Kedoshim  mentions many ways that we can perfect ourselves, one of which is הוכח תוכיח את עמיתך, that one needs to rebuke his friend. Since we know that every time the Torah says את it comes to include something, Reb Yisroel Salant asks what does the את come to include in our posuk? Also, how does rebuking our friend perfect us?  It seems like we're working on other people instead of ourselves?  

Perhaps we can explain with a mashal from the בן איש חי , There was a thief whom the king sentenced to death by hanging. The thief said, “I accept the verdict of the king.  However, there is a wondrous secret that I know which would die with me, so I would like to teach it to the king so that this knowledge isn't lost from the world.” This peaks the king’s interest so he asks the thief what is the secret. The thief answers that he knows how to plant seeds in the ground with a special preparation; once they are planted, within a half hour a full fruit tree will grow with the most magnificent fruit on it.  
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The king & his ministers are intrigued so they take him out to the garden & bring him an apple. He takes out the pits & asks for some specific spices & a pitcher of water. After mixing the spices & water, he puts the pits into the mixture, let's them sit for a while and then finally says the seeds are ready for planting. Let's plant them & in half an hour we'll have a full tree. However, there is one condition. The one who plants it can never have stolen anything in his life. Therefore, I can't plant them for I have stolen. He takes the bucket with the seeds & gives it to the second to the king, telling him to plant it. The second to the king says, “I can't, for once, when I was young, I went to buy something for my father & told him it cost more than it did so I could keep the rest.” The man then turned to the treasurer telling him to plant it. The treasurer said, “I'm in charge of all the monies going in & out of the kingdom; it's possible that I miscalculated. I can't take the chance.” Finally he turns to the king  saying, “you plant it.” The king said, “I can't. I remember once, when I was little, I took some jewels  ‎from my father's treasury. Let's get someone else to plant it. 

At that point, the thief turned to the king & said, “Your honor, the king, your second in command said he once stole. The treasurer admitted that he wasn't totally clean. Even the king himself admitted that he had stolen from his father! So, why would you sentence me to death because I stole some bread to feed my family? The king understood what this man had shown them & set him free. 

The extra את, says Reb Yisroel Salant, comes to include oneself. As the gemara says, first judge yourself, then you can judge others. If you see something in someone else that you feel needs rebuking, ‎ first look into yourself to verify that you're not doing the same thing. As the Baal Shem Tov explains the repetition of הוכח תוכיח, one cannot see a flaw in someone else unless they, too, have that flaw in some form.Thus, seeing an inadequacy in others is a reflection of one’s own failings. 

Perhaps this is how rebuking our friend can perfect us. When we see imperfections in our peers, instead of degrading them, we should look into ourselves & see what we're doing wrong; perfect it & only then say something to them. Not only will we be helping our friend to grow, but we will be perfecting ourselves, too!‎
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