Vayigash

Finally convinced that his brothers are truly concerned for their brother Binyamin and their father, Yosef can no longer hold himself back and is about to reveal his true identity.

Then, instead of just telling them who he was, he says, הוציאו כל איש מעלי, "remove everyone from before me!" Rashi tells us that the reason he removed all the Egyptians from the room was because he didn't want his brothers to be embarrassed in front of the Egyptians when he made himself known. The midrash says that Yosef put himself in grave danger by sending all his security personnel from the room, leaving him alone with the brothers who, at this point, were very angry. They could easily kill him and no one would be there to protect him. So, why did he order all the Egyptians out? Yosef felt it was better that he be killed rather than embarrass his brothers. 

Reb Leib Chasman takes this a step further, saying that, even though everything that Yosef did was just so that he could see his father again, he didn't tell his brothers who he was right away, for he had  to make sure that they would be forgiven for selling him. Therefore, he carried on the charade until he saw that they really cared. When the time came, he knew that he didn't have to hold back any longer, so he could say who he was and then get to see his father. However, instead of just screaming out “I am Yosef!," he had the presence of mind to throw out the Egyptians in order not to embarrass his brothers. Even though he knew that his father was very attached to him, nevertheless, he was going to let himself be killed, never to see his father again, so that his brothers, who had sold him there to begin with, wouldn't get embarrassed. The Ohr Hachaim says that this is the reason that Yosef never sent a message to Yaakov to tell him that he was fine.  Had he sent a message, then Yaakov would have figured out what happened and might curse the brothers. Yosef didn't want to cause them any pain, so he didn't say anything.

The Gemara tells us the story of Mar Ukva who would give out money to the poor but would put it through the door when no one was looking, so that the poor man wouldn't be embarrassed by knowing who is helping him out. One day, Mar Ukva was late coming home so his wife went to the study hall to find him. On their way home Mar Ukva remembered that he hadn't given his charity yet, so he and his wife went to the poor man's house to put the money in the door. However, the poor man was actually waiting home that day to see who was giving him the money. When he saw them through the window, he came running out to thank them for their kindness. However, they, not wanting to be recognized, ran away. As they were running, they saw a large oven in the yard nearby and went in there to hide. Even though it was very hot in the oven and Mar Ukva's feet were starting to burn, they waited until the poor man gave up looking for them, so that he wouldn't be embarrassed when he saw them. 

In our community this week, we had an unfathomable tragedy with most of us not knowing what to do or how to cope. Hashem is trying to tell us something. Of course, we don't know what. However, if we take the lesson of this parsha, a lesson that recurs throughout the Torah, upon ourselves to be a little nicer, a little kinder to those around us, to be careful not to say things that might embarrass others, then maybe, in that merit, we can demonstrate to Hashem that we learned something. We are listening to Him and we don't need any more tragedies to teach us. Rather, we will have redemption like we saw at the end of the week, when a man who was sentenced to a unfair amount of jail time with no hope of getting out early, was, from one day to the next, let out nineteen years early. Let's do our part; learn from all that happens, know that Hashem can take us out of the exile just as quickly, we just have to show Him we care!

Mikeitz

When Pharaoh has a dream that none of his advisors could interpret to his satisfaction, Yosef is taken out of prison in hopes that he can interpret the dream for Pharaoh. Yosef interprets the dream, accounting for all its details, and then suggests that Pharaoh find a wise man to carry out the plan to save Egypt from famine. The posuk says ועתה ירא פרעה איש נבון וחכם וישיתהו על ארץ מצרים, "And let Pharaoh seek out a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt." The Otzer Hatorah asks, “Why was it necessary to appoint someone wise? Couldn't any grain merchant gather and store the produce?  Couldn’t he then sell it when the time came? Why the need for someone so wise? Reb Shlomo Bloch offers an explanation based on personal experience: “I remember during my youth, that a famine occurred in Vilna. Every day, people were dying of starvation. Had there been someone, years earlier when there was plenty of food, who could have envisioned hungry people roaming the streets desperately searching for something to eat, he would have prepared for the bad times. Only someone with that vision could have convinced people to save for the hard times to come. He would have been able to paint a picture so terrible that the masses would respond to the unthinkable, but impending catastrophe. He would have convinced them that the issue isn't having more food or less food; rather the issue is life or death. Yosef understood that during the years of plenty, no one would even imagine what lay ahead and therefore would be incapable of understanding the need to make do with less. It was necessary to find a wise man who could inspire the people with a vision of the future."

Reb Elyah Lopian compares this world to the years of plenty and the next world to the years of famine. Only in this world does one have almost endless opportunities to study Torah and do mitzvos; in the next world no such opportunities exist; it's a world of famine. We tend to think this life is forever and we will always be able to do mitzvos and store away spiritual provisions for later. It takes wisdom to envision a time when we will not be able to add to our storehouses of merit. If we remember the famine for mitzvos that exists in the next world, we will use our current  time wisely.

A famous parable illustrates this point. A general devised a brilliant strategy to win an extended war. The king had promised him that if he were victorious, he would be rewarded with an hour in the royal vault, free to take whatever he wished. As the great day approached, the king was worried, for he had to fulfill his promise but he was afraid that the general would take too much valuable treasure from the vault. He asked his advisors for an idea. One of them said, “I know that this general is a lover of music. On the day he is to go into the vault, place the best orchestra inside and have them play. The general will be captivated by the music and forget why he came to the vault."

The general appeared at the palace gate; the door to the vault opened and the music began to play. For a moment, he stood there enraptured; then, remembering why he was there, he began to fill his pockets. Suddenly, the intensity of the music increased and again he stopped to listen to the beautiful music. After a minute or two, he began to figuratively scream at himself, “Fool! This is a golden opportunity, do not miss it because of your love for music!” At that very moment, the music intensified yet again and he forgot himself. Suddenly there was a hand on his collar and he was pulled out of the vault. “Your time is up, it's time to leave.” We are all given time in this world to grab treasures by studying Torah and doing mitzvos. Compared to the next, eternal world, this one is like a mere hour, but it's in this short time that we can grab endless spiritual wealth. The yetzer hara, working to make us forget why we are here, bombards us with all kinds of lovely distractions to make us lose out on our eternal reward.

We are in the middle of Chanukah, which symbolizes the light of Torah. It's the time to make a spiritual reassessment and see where we are headed. Just as the Maccabees, small in number, forged ahead with no natural means of being victorious, so too, we, even though we sometimes feel that we are surrounded by a world that totally goes against everything the Torah stands for, can forge ahead and be victorious. Let the light of Chanukah lead us past the distractions so we can collect as much as we can in our “hour”!  

Vayeishev

Yaakov sends Yosef to visit his brothers who are tending the family flocks. Convinced that he wanted to sow dissension thus undermining the family's spiritual destiny, the brothers felt that he warranted the death penalty. As they saw him approaching, they plotted to kill him and say that he was devoured by a wild animal. Reuvain heard what was being discussed and said, “let's not kill him, rather let's put him in a pit so that we don't lay a hand on him.” Then the posuk reveals his intent: למען הציל אתו מידם להשיבו אל אביו, in order to save him from their hands and to return him home to his father. His intentions were to put him in the pit just until the other brothers calm down; then he would take him out and bring him back home.

The אור החיים הקדוש, says that the Torah specifies that Reuvain was saving him מידם, from their hands, but not from the snakes and scorpions that were in the pit. The אור החיים explains that a person who has free will is able to kill another person even if he wasn't supposed to die yet. Conversely, animals can only kill a person if that person has a decree of death on him anyway. Therefore, since Yosef was a tzaddik, Reuvain knew that there was no heavenly judgment against Yosef, so that, even if the pit was full of animals, they wouldn't be able to hurt him.

The midrash writes that, had Reuvain known that the Torah would write, ויצלהו מידם, he saved him from their hand, he would have carried Yosef on his shoulders back to his father. The Otzer Hatorah is astounded by this midrash. Do the sages view Reuvain as one who would only do the right thing if it was going to be recorded? Was he looking for honor?

The Sfas Emes explains, when an incident is written in the Torah, it assumes the dimension of eternity. The Torah is not a history book. We see certain stories that appear in great detail, while there are eras that are ignored completely; we know nothing about Avraham until he was seventy or Moshe from when he was thirteen until eighty. We know nothing of those years and countless other eras that the Torah doesn't tell us about because it's not relevant to us everlastingly. It only records things that we can learn from eternally. Reuvain, who was thinking that his good deed was just the act of a private individual with no historic meaning, did not take it as seriously as he should have. Had he realized the Torah would record his efforts to save his brother, thus making it part of our national heritage, he would have done even more and carried Yosef back to Yaakov on his shoulders.

Only Hashem can differentiate between a passing incident and one with eternal ramifications. Man, on the other hand, often views insignificant events as meaningful while he misses the true significance of actions that he views as inessential. Therefore, says Reb Eliyahu Meir Bloch, one must pour all his energy into each good thing that one does since he never knows how it will affect him, his children, his environment and his community. One never knows which of his actions will be witnessed by others or what small act of kindness can make the difference in another person's life

One may think he is building a sand castle when in truth he's building entire worlds. Let's take this lesson to heart and make sure when we do good thing, we do it right and make it count. We need to be more aware of our actions and remember that we never know who is watching us and what our eternal status will be!

Vayishlach

Our parsha continues Yaakov's departure from Lavan and his travels to his parents’ home. He is wary of Eisav's hatred which is still strong, so Yaakov tries to pacify him by sending messengers to tell his brother that he's coming back. The messengers return with the news that Eisav’s on his way to you with an army of four hundred men. Yaakov is afraid and splits his camp in two so that if one is hurt, the other can get away. Then, he sends an enormous gift to Eisav, crosses the river with his family, goes back alone over the river where he is confronted by the angel of Eisav and they battle through the night.

There are many interpretations of this narrative, specifically why Yaakov went back himself. Rashi relates the midrash that says he went back for some small jugs he left there, while others say they were filled with oil and he went back for the oil. The Rashbam gives us a totally different viewpoint by saying that Yaakov crossed back over the river himself to run away. He was so traumatized by the thought of having to deal with Eisav again, that, after he got the rest of his family across the river to safety, he was just going to run away. Then, the angel fought with him all night to stop him from running away  to show him that Hashem's word will be honored and he won't be harmed by Eisav.

How do we understand this? Why would Yaakov run away?

After the Torah tells us that the angel wrestled with Yaakov all night, striking Yaakov in the hip when he couldn't overcome him, leaving Yaakov with a limp. Then, right after his encounter with the angel, the Torah states, he lifted his eyes and Eisav was coming with four hundred men. Reb Zalman Sorotzkin says that we saw that Yaakov prepared himself with three things, to pray that Hashem help him, to appease Eisav with the gift, and to prepare for war. At the last moment, however, Hashem showed him that he could rely neither on wealth or strength. Some wealth brings nothing but harm to its owners, as He showed him by the fact that by going back for the small jugs he put himself in mortal danger. As for physical strength, a man had suddenly come to kill him, causing him to fight all night and leaving him wounded. Dead tired and limping, he was in no condition to fight Eisav. Yaakov saw that the only path open to him was that of prayer. He lifted his eyes to Heaven and said, “I shall not trust in my bow, neither will my wealth save me. Only You shelter me from trouble.” Then Eisav came in peace, hugged him and kissed him, so Yaakov had nothing to fear.

Rabbi YY Jacobson explains that Yaakov was human and had natural fears.  Even though it had been so many years, the thought of seeing his brother, who wanted to kill him, again, frightened him. Unresolved issues don't just go away; even though it was years later, all the trauma was still there. He didn't want to deal with it, so he decided to run away. When Hashem sent the angel to stop him, Yaakov realized that you can't run away from your problems; one must face his fears, pray to Hashem to help, and, with Hashem’s help, he will succeed. The Torah is teaching us that it's normal to fear. Even Yaakov was afraid. However, the Torah is also showing us that, with prayer, we will be able to overcome any obstacle. No matter what our fears, we shouldn’t run away from our problems, but just put our faith in Hashem and He will help us overcome!

Vayeitzei

This week’s parsha continues with Yaakov leaving home and traveling to his mother's family in Charan, at her request to save him from the anger of his brother. Normally, at the point where a new parsha begins, there is a space which the commentators tell us was to allow Moshe to have some time to think about what he just learned and to delve into it. The Baal Haturim tells us that our parsha is closed, meaning there is no space between this parsha and the last one because Yaakov had to sneak out to run away.

Reb Chaim Shmulevitz asks what does the fact that Yaakov had to run away have to do with Moshe having time to understand the parsha?

The next posuk states, ויפגע במקום וילן שם, he encountered the place and spent the night there. Rashi tells us a few pesukim later that this incident with the ladder did not happen on his way, but a little later. Originally, Yaakov had passed the place where the Bais Hamikdash would be built without stopping. Once he realized that he had passed the place where his father and grandfather had prayed, he started going back for he regretted not having stopped. The gemara tells us that Hashem then uprooted that mountain and brought it toward Yaakov where they met in Beth-el. The Torah uses the word ויפגע, he encountered, for that connotes two parties moving towards each other. As Rashi explains, Hashem didn't cause him to stop when he passed by the first time since he didn't think about it and decide on his own, Hashem wasn't going to force him.

The sefer Zichron Meir writes that we see how far reaching are the words of chazal. The Gemara tells us הבא ליטהר מסייען אותו, one who comes to be purified we help him. When Yaakov passed by the holy site and had no feeling on his own to stop and pray, there was no heavenly intervention to get him to stop. However, when he himself had the thought and wanted to go back and he started on his way, then came an aberration of nature where the land came to meet him.

There are two places in the Torah where we are told that a person was able to cover a long distance miraculously. One is in the current parsha when Yaakov was on his way to the house of Besual to find a wife and the other one was when Eliezer went to find a wife for Yitzchok. The Torah tells us that, miraculously, he reached the well the same day he left. The Bikkurei Aviv tells us that this is a lesson for all time. He says many people fear when their children come of age to get married that they, on their own, won't be able to pay for a wedding or help their children get on their feet to start a new home. The Torah teaches us never to despair for when it comes to marriage, the Torah makes a seemingly long journey go very quickly. We must be like our forefathers to put our trust in Hashem; before we know it, we’ll have arrived at our destination.

Perhaps with this concept we can answer Reb Chaim’s question why this parsha is closed. Didn't Moshe have to think and contemplate this parsha, too? Perhaps not, for he's teaching us that when it comes to things that we won’t understand anyway: how it will work; how we will be able to do it; it's closed, which means, don't think about it too much. If one thinks too much, he'll never do it. When Yaakov decided to go back, Hashem helped him immediately in a supernatural way. So, too, when we need to do something and take the first step without thinking it through too much, Hashem will be there to take us the rest of the way!

Toldos

After the Torah relates the birth of Yaakov and Eisav, it informs us that they grew up and went their separate ways. The Torah tells us ויאהב יצחק את עשו , "And Yitzchok loved Eisav," and ורבקה אהבת את יעקב, "Rivka loved Yaakov." One may think this a little odd; it seems that Yitzchok and Rivka were picking favorites. Indeed, since Eisav was a rasha, how could Yitzchok choose him? 

It's difficult to believe that Yitzchok was fooled by Eisav as the sefer שפתי כהן proposes; Yitzchok knew exactly what Eisav was all about, yet he still was close to him and wanted to bless him. He reasoned that if he kept him close, there was a chance he would turn his life around. 

Rebbi Meir of Pomishlan said that this will be the redeeming factor that saves the Jewish people at the end of time. The Gemara tells us that when Hashem will come to the Avos and say your children sinned, Yitzchok will be the only one to stand up for us and say to Hashem are they my children and not Yours? Then he will say, “I also had a child who didn't go the way I wanted, yet I still loved him, took care of him and blessed him.  I am of flesh and blood, but You who are all merciful, surely should have compassion on your children even if they didn't do what You wanted."

A student once complained to a rabbi that his parents were unusually strict. When the rabbi spoke to the parents, they said this was their way of parenting. The rabbi said to them, “Maybe you’re right, maybe you’re wrong; let's go ask  Rav Shach this question."  Rav Shach answered: “The Torah gave a dual role to parents, to be a teacher while also being a parent, which in a way are contradictory. Parents must give love and teachers must be tough.” The parents, who were listening, thought he was agreeing with them. Then he continued, "That was all in the old days before there were yeshivos and the parents had to do everything. However, nowadays when there are yeshivos who do the teaching, they are the ones who can be strict and the parents’ role is only to give love.” Rav Shach told the parents, “At home, only show love; let the yeshiva discipline him; a home has to be warm and comforting.”

This is why Yitzchok was so close to Eisav, because he wanted to give him the warmth of an inviting home so that he would mend his ways. The Torah says that they sent Yaakov away because Eisav wanted to kill him. On this, I heard a question from Rabbi YY Jacobson, “Why didn't they send Eisav away?" He was the problem. Couldn't they have figured out some good reason for him to go out of town so that Yaakov would be safe? He answered that it was because Eisav needed to be home with Yitzchok; he needed the home environment more. They weren't worried about Yaakov because they knew he would turn out ok. Eisav, however, needed the home more. That's why the end of the parsha states when they sent Yaakov away, רבקה אם יעקב ועשו, that Rivka is the mother of Yaakov and Eisav. We know who she is, we just had a whole parsha dealing with her and her children. Why do we need this identification? It says that Rivka was their mother to teach us that she was Eisav's mother too, not that she just cared about Yaakov.  She sent Yaakov away because she felt that Eisav needed the home more. We need to learn to make our homes inviting and comfortable so that our kids want to stay.  No matter what the challenge, be there for them!

Chayei Sarah

After the events of the Akeida, Avraham, realizing that he almost lost his son with no heirs, decides it's time to find a wife for his son. He sends his servant, Eliezer, back to his old home town to find a wife from the family of Avraham. He comes to the well and sees a girl coming to draw water. The posuk tells us וירץ העבד לקראתה, the servant ran towards her, ויאמר הגמיאיני נא מעט מים מכדך, and said, “let me sip, please, a little water from your jug."

Rashi tells us he ran specifically to her because he saw the water from the well going up toward her. The Ramban explains how we see this from the pesukim. When the posuk tells us that she went to draw water for the camels it says, ותשאב לכל גמליו, "and she drew for all his camels," inferring that she had to draw the water. However, here it says ותמלא כדה ותעל, "she filled her jug and ascended," with no mention of drawing the water. Therefore, we know that the water came up to her which is what Eliezer saw; therefore, her ran to her.

The sefer Kedushos Levi asks, “What's going on over here? If she's a tzadekes so the water comes up to her to alleviate the trouble of drawing it, then why when she went to draw the water for the camels which was much more work, didn't the water come up to her? Why did she have to draw all that water?

He explains that she originally came to draw water for herself, so the water came up to her so she wouldn't have to work too hard.  However, when she was drawing water for the camels to do chesed for someone else, the water didn't come up to her, for when a person works hard to do a mitzva and it doesn't come easy, then the mitzva counts so much more. Therefore, the water didn't come up to her so that she would gain the most from the mitzva.

There's a story told about the Bardichiver  Rebbe who had a stingy miser in his town who died. The chevra kadisha decided that they will at least get some money from him now, so they charged an exorbitant fee for the burial plot. The family came running to the Bardichiver to complain. The Bardichiver agreed and told the chevra to charge them a cheap price and tell him when the funeral would be so that he could attend. Then he told them about three court cases when this miser was brought to him. In the first case, a wine merchant had come into town to buy his stock of wine for the year. He made a deal with the seller, loaded up all the wine, but, when he came to pay, realized that his money was gone. The merchant was devastated; this was his whole livelihood for the year. The miser happened to be walking by, heard the commotion and then said, “Hey, I found your money," and gave him all the money that he lost. The real thief saw what happened and felt guilty, so he wanted to give the miser back his money, but the miser refused. The second time, a man in town couldn't support his family so he decided to travel to try his luck elsewhere. He left town and told his wife to go to the miser for a check every week. The wife went to the miser telling him that her husband said he would give her a check every week until he gets back. The miser, sensing that this family would have no other means of support, gave her a check every week for close to two years. When the husband returned, he was shocked to hear that the miser had taken care of his family. He went to pay him back, but, again, the miser wouldn't take it. The last time, a poor man came to him for a loan.  The miser asked who the guarantor  would be and the poor man answered, “Hashem," so he gave him the loan. A year later, the poor man went to pay him back and he wouldn't take it, saying that Hashem had sent him a few big deals and he was paid up. 

Rabbi Fischel Schachter told over this story with an interesting take on this from his Rebbi. One would think that the Bardichiver was saying this man was really a tzadik and these were examples. He said, “No, really this man was a miser, but he would try to work on himself to change. Usually, he didn't succeed; however, these three times he overcame himself and that was his ticket to eternity. Even though it was against his nature and was difficult for him, he was successful." Rabbi Schachter says this teaches us never to stop trying, for no matter what our struggles, as long as we try, even if we're just successful a few times, it's worth it. The harder it is and the more we work, the greater the reward will be!

Vayeira

On the third day after Avraham gave himself a bris, Hashem, in order that Avraham not be bothered, caused a great heat so that there would be no travelers for Avraham to host. Avraham whose very essence was kindness, was not at all happy about that and was looking out for people that he could help.  Hashem, seeing that Abraham's emotional pain was greater than his physical pain, had three angels that looked like travelers, pass by his tent so that he could host them. 

Avraham sees the angels, runs to them, asks them to stay and says יקח נא מעט מים ורחצו רגליכם, "Let some water be brought, please wash your feet," and ואקחה פת לחם, "I will bring some bread." Rav Shach notes that the Gemara tells us that Avraham went and slaughtered three cows so that he could give each of the three guests the choicest part of the animal. We see that he spared no expense in treating his guests, so Rav Shach asks, why when Avraham said bring water, he said just bring a little? 

He answered with a story. Once, when Reb Yisroel Salanter went to one of his students for a meal, he went to wash his hands. Since at that time they didn't have running water, they had a butler who would have to go to the well, draw the water and bring it to the house. The student saw that his Rebbi was using very minimal water to wash his hands. The student, alluding to the Gemara that says if you use a lot of water to wash for bread you will have abundance and blessing from heaven asked jokingly, "Doesn't the rabbi want to become wealthy?” The rabbi answered, “I don't want to get rich on the back of the butler; he shouldn't have to work harder so I can get bracha."

The Gemara also tells us that whatever Avraham did for the guests himself, Hashem paid back his children himself, and whatever Avraham did with a helper Hashem paid back with a helper. The Torah tells us that Avraham ran to the cattle himself, so Hashem himself brought the Jews meat in the desert. However, the water that Avraham brought by way of a messenger, Hashem sent the Jews water in the desert by way of a messenger. Moshe had to get water from the rock, Hashem didn't give it himself.

So, says Rav Shach, what Avraham did himself, like the cattle, he didn't skimp at all and brought them each the best cut from their own cow. However, the water that he had someone else bring, he said to bring a little, for even a mitzva he didn't want to do in the best way, if it was going to affect someone else. 

It would seem though, that he was punished for this since Hashem didn't give the Jews the water Himself. What did he do wrong? He had his son bring the water to teach him to do mitzvos; why would he be punished? The sefer בני שלמה says that had Moshe brought the Jews into Israel, then the Bais Hamikdash never could have been destroyed. If that were the case, when the Jews sinned, there would have been no hope for them, for then they would have been destroyed. Now, when they sinned, Hashem took out his anger on the Bais Hamikdash and destroyed it instead of the people. 

What caused Moshe not to be able to go into the land? It was because he hit the rock to get water for the people. Now if Hashem Himself had given the water, Moshe wouldn't have hit the rock and he would have gone into the land. It turns out that that would have been the worst thing for the Jews. This shows us that Avraham did the right thing by sending the water with his son, even though then he had to give less. This teaches how careful we must be even when doing mitzvos, not to do them in a way that's going to affect other people. As Reb Yisroel said, “not of the back of the Butler." However, what you can do yourself, do the best you can!

Noach

The first words of our parsha, אלה תולדות נח, "these are the offspring of Noach," are followed by, נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו, "Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generation." Rashi explains that the reason it mentions the offspring of Noach and then goes on to describe his righteousness before listing his children teaches us that the main offspring of a person are his spiritual accomplishments. The next Rashi focuses on the word בדרתיו, "in his generation," saying that some of our rabbis see it as praise - if he was righteous now in this decadent generation, he would have been even greater of a tzaddik had he lived in a good generation. Then there are those that say it's a negative, that compared to his generation he was good but had he lived in a good generation he wouldn't have amounted to much.

Many ask if you can interpret something good, why would we give a second option to interpret it negatively?

Shem MiShmuel points out that Rashi refers to the ones that view Noach in a positive light as our rabbis and the ones who view it negatively as “others” to show us that the ones to learn from are positive people and not ones who view everything negatively.

Another lesson we learn from Noach is that even though he was the only one in his generation that was good, the Torah still tells us that he was תמים, perfect; he didn't have an ego. The Noam Megadim explains why from the next words of the posuk, because, את האלקים התהלך נח, "Noach walked with Hashem." What kept him humble was the fact that Noach walked with Hashem, always aware that it was Hashem who was in control and everything came from him.

This means he understood that no matter what, even though the entire world was being destroyed around him for acting immorally and he was the lone one to be saved, he still felt like he was lacking in what he should be. Perhaps this is why some say that, when Rashi says that others interpret it negatively, it's referring to Noach himself for he felt that he could have still been better.

Noach lived through through the destruction of the world, came out to a world devoid of humanity, a world of utter destruction, yet he came out strong and resilient. From the ruins, he rose and rebuilt. How did he do it? Imagine coming out of the ark to a world with nothing, seeing the aftermath of the total annihilation of the word and having to rebuild. Can we imagine the difficulty? The only way he was able was his completeness with Hashem; he had total trust that Hashem was in control and did it for a purpose, so he was able to rebuild.

This week I lost my grandfather; he was a survivor of the war. Much like Noach, the survivors witnessed the destruction of their world and came out still ready to rebuild. How? They lost everything, families destroyed, no homes, no place to go yet they forged on ready to rebuild. What gave them the strength? There were two qualities that I noticed in my grandfather. First, he always saw the good in everything. I remember once he was telling us about the DP camps. The way he was describing it sounded so good that my grandmother said to stop talking like that; you’re making it sound like a party. He only wanted to focus on the good.

 The second quality was that all he did, he did for Hashem. I remember walking home from shul with him, but I don't remember walking there with him. Then I realized it was because he was always the first one there; he was at shul before I would even think about going, because he had to be the first one there. When it came to spiritual things  there was no comprise. It's these qualities that enable a person to come from the ashes and begin anew. Let's take the lesson of Noach and the survivors and make sure that all we do is for Hashem, then we too will see the good in everything and live happier more fulfilled lives!

Beraishis

As we begin a new cycle of the Torah reading the אוצר התורה brings our attention to the first word of the Torah, בראשית, beginning. Rashi tells us that the word בראשית is a contraction of two words, בשביל ראשית, because of the things that are referred to as ראשית, meaning that the world was created on behalf of the things that are called ראשית. The two things Rashi explains that are called ראשית are the Torah and the Jewish people. Everything that was and will be created, from the beginning of time until the end, came into being to serve the Jewish people, who were destined to accept, study and fulfill the Torah. As the Rambam writes, “it is possible that a person will build a breathtaking palace which serves no other purpose except to one day provide shade for a righteous man. The entire cosmos is that palace and the Jewish people are that righteous man who justify each molecule of creation.

There is an interesting dialogue in the Gemara that can be better understood based on this concept. The Gemara tells us that when the Moshiach comes, Hashem will hold up a Torah scroll and announce that whoever occupied themselves with Torah should come forward and receive their reward. The Romans will step forward and say, “Master of the world, we built many places for public gathering, many bathhouses and greatly increased the financial stability of the nation of Israel. All this we did so that the Jews would be able to practice and study Torah.” Hashem will reply, “Fools! Everything that you did, you did for yourselves.” Then this dialogue will repeat itself with all the nations of the world. Now this is hard to understand; how can it be in a world of truth that the nations will be so brazen to lie straight to Hashem?

Reb Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik explains that if you look at Hashem's answer, He doesn't call the nations, liars, he calls them fools. Why? Because they are not lying, what they did was really for the Jews, for the world was created for the Jews and the Torah, who are called ראשית. Therefore, whatever they did was inspired from Above to benefit the Jews. Nevertheless, since their motives were completely selfish, they deserve no reward. Fools, for by just having the right intentions, they could have gotten credit for the work that they were doing anyway.

The Trans-Siberian railway exemplifies this point. Over a period of decades, the cruel czars of Russia had the peasants lay the Trans-Siberian railway. Fantastic amounts of money and a great many lives were invested to run a railway through the most inhospitable parts of Siberia all the way to the port at Vladivostok which faces toward Japan and the Far East. At the time, the project seemed to make no sense and many wondered why it was done. Years later, the Brisker Rav said we see why this railroad was made. When the students of the Mirrer yeshiva escaped the Nazi inferno and arrived in Shanghai, China by way of Siberia and the Trans-Siberian railway, the whole thing become clear. The railway and all that went into it were justified for it was for the sake of saving the Torah and the yeshiva students that the railway was created. בשביל ראשית, this is another example of the nation’s creating something for the Jews who are called ראשית.

Let's take this opportunity to recognize the things that we are doing anyway. Instead of just going through the motions, recognize that we are doing it for Hashem and His Torah, insuring that one day our reward will be great!

Vezos Haberacha

After our parsha relates the death of Moshe the Torah attests to Moshe's greatness by saying ולא קם נביא עוד בישראל כמשה, there will never rise another prophet like Moshe. This seems to be in contrast, says Reb Elchanan Wasserman, with a statement from the Rambam that says        

“don't be like the fools that say that Hashem has predetermined a person from when he was first created, whether to be righteous or to be wicked; not true, each person has the potential to be great like Moshe Rabbeinu or wicked like Yiruvam.”

It seems that the Rambam is saying that every person can be as great as Moshe while the posuk is clearly saying that no one will ever reach Moshe's level. What does the Rambam mean?

Reb Wasserman explains based on a רד”ק in sefer Yehoshua that explains what the term ‘עבד ה means. We know that whatever a slave owns belongs to the master; everything that the slave has is really the master’s, so, really, the whole being of the slave is just for the master. This definition is befitting of Moshe as the עבד ה for all of Moshe's actions, thoughts and doings were all just for the sake of Hashem; being the servant of Hashem is what defined him. This is what the Rambam meant when he said that every person can reach the level of Moshe. Each person can reach the level where one's actions are all done with Hashem in mind, discerning what Hashem wants from me now. This is the situation He put me in, now how do I maximize whatever I am able to do for the sake of Hashem.

We see this exemplified by the last words of the Torah, לעיני כל ישראל, which Rashi explains to mean that Moshe broke the luchos right before their eyes which Hashem agreed with. The sefer Toras Moshe says, imagine how precious the luchos were to Moshe, as Moshe Rabbeinu himself said. “I gave my blood for this; I gave my soul for this”. On them was the writing of Hashem; we stood by Mount Sinai to receive them; they are what the world stands on. We can only imagine how connected Moshe was to the luchos, yet when he felt that it was in the best interest of Hashem to break them, he didn't hesitate. He didn't worry about all the work he had invested in them or how important they were; he did what he felt had to be done, what was in the best interest of Hashem.  This is the final lesson of the Torah, Moshe as the ultimate עבד ה.

This is the final lesson we must take, that whatever abilities we have, whatever we are blessed with, is given to us so that we can serve our Creator. That was Moshe's greatness. Whatever abilities he had, he used for Hashem. Although none of us can ever reach anywhere near the level of Moshe because we weren't given his abilities, if we use our own abilities in all that we do to bring us closer to Hashem and to do His will, then we too can be like Moshe. We, too, can reach the level of עבד ה!

Sukkos

As we approach the mitzvah of sukka, let's try to understand what we are to take out of it. The Torah tells us to go out from our homes and into a temporary structure. The sefer Menoras Hamaor tells us that the mitzvah of sukka teaches us not to put our trust in the strength of our homes and our possessions even if we have everything. Also, we should not put our trust in any person no matter how rich or powerful he is, rather to put out complete trust in the creator of the world, Hashem.

The fact that this mitzvah comes at this time supports this concept. When we used to live in an agriculture society, this was the time of year when all the produce was brought in, the store houses were all full and the people already prepared their houses for winter, fixing the roof and anything else that needed to be done. Specifically at this time, when the houses are strong and the storehouses are full we are commanded to leave it all behind and move into the sukka, a temporary dwelling with no roof, letting all the elements in to make us realize that all that we have comes to us only through the will of Hashem. That's also why the schach comes from the leftover from the granary, so we are reminded that all our sustenance comes from Hashem. Shlomo Hamelech tells us that wealth is not contingent on the amount of work put in or on the smarts of a person; rather it's contingent on Hashem's blessings.

Rav Nachman brings this point home with a parable. There were two very wealthy men who lived next door to each other. While they were alike in their material possessions, they were far apart in their deeds and actions. One wouldn't give a dollar to charity while the other would host all those that needed a place to stay or eat. One day, a person came to town needing a place to stay and something to eat. One of the locals pointed him in the direction of the benevolent man's house. However, unknowingly he knocked on the stingy man's door and asked for a meal. The man says, “sure, but first I will need you to help me with some work. Feeling he had no option, he obliged. After a few hours of heavy work, when he turned to the man and asked for his food, the man says, “just go next door and ask for your meal.” The traveler goes next door and is given a simple meal like this man gives everyone who comes. The traveler is a little upset. He thinks to himself, “after all that work I did, I just get a regular meal; I deserve a feast. Had I not worked for this, I would be very thankful for a decent meal. However, after all my work I deserve more! The benevolent man, sensing his guest’s discomfort, asked him what's wrong? The guest told him, “listen, I just worked for hours for you next door and all I get is this meal. I deserve so much more!” When the host heard what happened he shook his head and said one has nothing to do with the other; the work you did was for free and the food you got was for free…

Rav Nachman is telling us, that even though in this world we must work and do what is required, the outcome is not tied to the work. The money we get is a gift from Hashem; what we will make was already set on Rosh Hashana. Our job is to realize and internalize that all we get is a gift from Hashem. The more we have this as our mindset, the more thankful we will be for all that we have. Let's take the mitzva of the sukka and remember where everything comes from, so that the more we thank Hashem for the good He bestows upon us, the more He will give us!

Netzavim vayeilech

Normally when Moshe spoke to the people he would address the leaders and then the people. However, here he addresses the nation as a whole. אתם ניצבים היום כולכם לפני ה, "You are standing today, all of you before Hashem." The Alshich explains when we are all standing together before Hashem, everyone is equal. When we are before Hashem, Who knows everyone's true worth, there is no hiding behind titles or appearance. Only then are we all equal. No human being really knows the importance of anyone else for the way we measure and the way Hashem measures are totally different. The most prestigious person in our eyes can be less worthy in Hashem's eyes than the simplest person in our eyes for we cannot know a person's true worth. 

Rav Simcha Bunim of Pshischa proves this from a halacha. The Torah tells us that one who is threatened with death unless he kills someone else has to allow himself to be killed, as the Gemara explains, “Who says your blood is redder (more valuable), perhaps your friends blood is redder." Thus, if the leading Torah sage can save his life only by killing the most ignorant Jew, he must let himself be killed. Prestige and importance cannot always be counted as true greatness for we cannot know who is really more important to Hashem. The otzer hatorah explains with a story. A wealthy diamond merchant who was a follower of the Rashab of Lubavitch asked the Rebbi why he honored simple jews. The Rebbi responded because they have many positive qualities to them. To which the chassid replied, I don't see them. Later the Rebbi asked him if he brought his pouch of diamonds with him. Of course, he said. He opened the pouch and showed the Rebbi the stone and said, "Look, this one is dazzling." The Rebbi said, "I don't see anything special about it." "Rebbe," said the chassid, "excuse me for saying this but to really appreciate a diamond you have to be an expert." "Yes," retorted the Rebbi. "A Jew, any Jew is more brilliant and dazzling than the most precious jewel. But to perceive the beauty of a Jew one also needs to be an expert."

The next parsha we read this week has the mitzvah of הקהל, where everyone has to come, men women and children, to listen to the king read the Torah. The Gemara asks, I understand why the men have come and I understand why the woman have to come, but the children, why do they need to be there? The Gemara answers to bring reward to those that bring them. The chedushai harim asks, why is the Gemara asking why the kids have to come? If the mothers are coming and the fathers are coming, who's going to watch the kids? Of course they have to come! He answers that the Gemara is really asking why you even have to mention to bring the kids if they are obviously coming. He answers it is to give us reward, for the reward is much greater for one who is commanded to do something and they do it, then doing it just because, without a command.

Perhaps another reason is to reiterate the lesson that we don't know anyone's true value. Men, women and children all going to the same class, everyone being taught the same thing all together, from the greatest rabbi to the smallest child, shows Hashem that we are all together. As we approach Rosh Hashana and are going to be asking for Hashem to remember us and want Him to think that we're special, it's important to remember that every person is special and for us to treat each person like they are the most prestigious person. If we do this, all the more so Hashem will treat us that way and we will all merit a great new year! 

Rosh Hashana / haazinu

On Rosh Hashana we eat certain symbolic foods as a good omen for the year. One of the foods we eat is the pomegranate, for which we say the prayer that we should be full of mitzvos like a pomegranate, שנהיה מלאים מצוות כרימון. The Pri Chadash asks what kind of request is that? We know that chazal explain the posuk כפלך הרימון רקתח to mean that even the emptiest Jew is still full of mitzvos like a pomegranate. If that's the case, why do we ask for that as a sign for the year; that's practically a given; shouldn’t we ask for more?

The Ben Ish Chai takes the question a step further and asks if we say that these people are full of mitzvos like a pomegranate, then why do we call them empty ones? They are not empty. He explains that the mitzvah of tzedaka is referred to as mitzvos in the plural because there are times the giver can merit many mitzvos by his one act. For example, when a person gives someone charity, it can literally save his life, so if one does that, then he inherits all of that person's subsequent good deeds on his account.  With your one act of charity, one merits a lifetime of good deeds. Therefore, even one who is empty from Torah and mitzvos, but does one act of tzedaka can be full of mitzvos like the pomegranate.

He takes this a step further and explains what it means that even the empty ones are full of mitzvos. If someone inspires the public, then the merit of the public goes to him. Therefore if a person doesn't do much but takes one mitzvah and does it with excitement, then people will see and say, “look at him; he isn't the most meticulous mitzvah observer yet he's doing this mitzvah so nicely; we should do it too." So this one mitzvah that he did gets him credit for all those that were inspired by him.

Our prayer is that besides these other ways of indirectly getting mitzvos, we should be worthy of getting them directly by doing them ourselves.

At the end of the parsha, Hashem tells Moshe to go up the mountain where he is going to die.  וידבר ה’ אל משה בעצם היום הזה לאמר עלה אל הר העברים הזה, "Hashem spoke to Moshe in the middle of that day, saying, ascend to this mountain." Rashi says there are three times when the Torah says בעצם היום הזה, in the middle of the day. One was by Noach, the people said there is no way we will let him enter the ark and Hashem said I'll show you and brought him in right in the middle of the day. Also, when Hashem took us out of Egypt the Torah says the middle of the day, for the Egyptians had said that they would never let it happen, so again Hashem showed them and took us out right in the middle of the day. The third time is here by Moshe; when Hashem said that Moshe was to die, the Jews said we won't let him, so again Hashem did it in the middle of the day to show that no one can stop Him. How do we understand this? By the first two it makes sense that the Egyptians would try to stop us from leaving or the people would try to destroy the ark but how could the people think they could stop someone from dying? Is that in their control? 

Reb Chaim Shmulevitz says it means that the Jewish people would daven so much and beg Hashem not to take him, that He wouldn't be able to take him because the Jews davened so much for it. This shows us the awesome power of prayer. Even though it was Moshe's time to go, had the Jews been able to daven so sincerely that he be spared, he wouldn't have died. 

As we are entering the days of judgment when our prayers are of utmost importance, we must know that no matter who we are or what our year has been like, now is the opportunity to change it. Even if we aren't the most pious, but now we pray with devotion, other people will look at us and be inspired and they'll pray better too adding to our merits and theirs. Together we can grow until we are full of mitzvos like the pomegranate on our own merit to enter us into a year of only blessing, health and happiness!

Ki Savo

Amidst the multitude of curses that we are told will happen and have happened throughout our history when we didn't listen to the Torah, there are also the blessings that we are told will come to us if we do listen to the Torah. The posuk states if we will listen to Hashem and keep all His commandments, then He will make us supreme over the nations of the Earth. ובאו עליך כל הברכות האלה והשיגך כי תשמע בקול ה אלקיך, "All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you listen to the voice of Hashem."

The Ben Ish Chai says that if one looks at this bracha, it seems to be greater and incomparable to any other bracha. Normally, if one is worthy of a bracha, he has to do something to make it happen; he has to put in some effort, some action to make the bracha come about. He'll have to go to work so that Hashem will make him be successful. Or, as we see nowadays, when people ask Reb Chaim for a bracha he asks the people to do something to make the bracha work. He tells some people to grow a beard while he tells others to do other small things so that the bracha has something to attach itself to. However, our quoted posuk says if we listen to all the mitzvos of Hashem, then, not only will we get all the brachos, but ,והשיגוך, they will overtake us. We won't have to do anything; they will just chase us and come to us without our doing anything.

There's a story told about a simple man. One day, a rumor circulated in his town that since there was an abundance of fish that day in the market, there was high quality fish to be had at low prices. His wife heard about it and asked him to go get one of the good fish. He procrastinated, but she kept asking, so he got up and went. He went to one of the stores that was selling this good fish, but which also had some not so good fish. The merchant, seeing that this guy wasn't so bright, showed him a big fish that he couldn't sell and convinced him to get that. On his way home, he started thinking, “oh, man; what did I do? My wife wanted the good fish and I bought this one. I'm going to be in trouble. That merchant is a bad guy; I can't believe I let myself get taken." So, he figured the only way to save himself would be to take the fish into the shed, clean it up and cut it up so that she wouldn't realize that he got the wrong fish. Even if she did, it would be too late. So, he went and cleaned it. As he was cutting it up, he found a precious stone inside the belly of the fish, which he promptly took to the jeweler and sold for a fortune and became a very rich man.  

This is what the posuk tells us: if we get to this level of תשמע בקול ה אלוקיך, listening to the voice of Hashem. In every situation we're in, we should think that this is what Hashem wants me to do. If we don't deviate from what Hashem wants, then we will get the brachos without having to do anything. They will just come to us. When it's our turn to have wealth, Hashem will see to it that it finds us and there is nothing more that we must do. As the דגל מחנה אפרים explains, we don't always know what's best for us. Sometimes we are running away from the very thing that is good for us, so the Torah promises us that, even if we run from it, if it's in our best interest, Hashem will make sure it chases us until we have what's absolutely best!

Ki seitzei

One of the numerous mitzvos in this week's parsha is the mitzvah of שילוח הקן, sending away the mother bird when you want to take her eggs. It's a relatively simple mitzvah, yet its reward is great, as the posuk says, שלח תשלח את האם ואת הבנים תקח לך, “You shall surely send away the mother and take the young for yourself, למען ייטב לך והארכת ימים, so that it will be good for you and you will prolong your days." The Ksav Sofer asks, “What is so special about this mitzvah that we are promised goodness and long life?” 

He explains, based on the Ramban, that the mitzvah of sending away the mother bird is given to us in order for us to get used to having mercy even on animals so that we act merciful to one another. Chazal tell us that there are three types of people who don't have a life; one of them is the merciful person, because he is always troubled by everyone else's problems. Especially when he can't help, he's bothered even more. However, after the Torah commands us to have mercy on the mother bird in order that we become more merciful, it guarantees us that we won't always be upset and depressed like the usual merciful person, thereby shortening our days. Rather, it will be good for us because we will be able to help our friends, and we will have long life which won't be shortened because of our merciful nature. 

We see a similar concept a little later in the parsha. ארבעים יכנו , “You shall hit him forty times." The Gemara tells us that even though the Torah says that you get forty lashes, the chachamim explain it to mean only thirty-nine. Once, during a conversation between two rabbis, one of them said a very novel interpretation of some Torah concepts. The other one was impressed and said, “I see that you are a great man because you are able to expound the Torah so beautifully.” The rabbi said, “Not true; we see that a Torah scholar is called a great man because of only one teaching. When the Torah said to give someone forty lashes and the chachamim interpreted it to mean only thirty-nine is the only place we see that the rabbi is called great."

What's so special about this teaching? We have a similar teaching by sefiras haomer, when we count the days until we bring the omer. The Torah says, count fifty days and the chachamim say to only count forty-nine days. It's the same type of teaching, yet it's only by the teaching of the lashes that we call the rabbis great; what's the difference?

He answered that a person who can expound the Torah and even come up with his own novel interpretations is not considered great. However, one who could expound the Torah to take away even a little pain from a fellow Jew, like the rabbis who reduced the lashes by one, he is considered great.

Since we are in the days of Elul, which is a preparation for the days of judgment, and we know that Hashem works מידה כנגד מידה, "how we act towards others, Hashem acts towards us," the more we should follow this concept. Try to help others and take away some pain from our fellow Jew, so that Hashem will help us and take away our pain. Let's use this opportunity to pay more attention to the people around us and what they need, to merit Hashem’s attention to our needs and giving us a long and peaceful life!

Shoftim

The Torah commands us to appoint judges in all our cities to lead the people and settle disputes. Then it tells us that if the lower courts don't know the answer or there is disagreement, they should take the case to the high court to decide. The Torah continues and says, “you shall do what they tell you; don't deviate to the right or left.”  לא תסור מן הדבר אשר יגידו לך ימין לשמאל. Rashi explains, even if they tell you that right is left and that left is right, you still have to listen to them. The פני משה explains a little differently and says that the Torah is telling us to listen to the chachamim when they expound the pesukim. 

For example, the Torah states: עשר תעשר, which is pronounced, aser tiaser, which means to give a tenth of your money to charity. The chachamim expound and say pronounce it "tiasher" with the dot on the right side of the shin instead of the left, making it mean, "give the tenth so that you will become wealthy." There are numerous other instances where the chachamim change the dot on the shin from right to left or visa versa to teach us something, so, in this posuk, the Torah is telling us that all those teachings are straight from the Torah. When one listens to the chachamim, it strengthens one’s trust in Hashem, too. If we trust them and listen to what they tell us, then it makes it easier to follow a later posuk in the parsha that says, תמים תהיה עם ה, that we should be complete with Hashem, which, says the חרדים , is the mitzvah of bitachon, to have complete trust in Hashem. 

There's a story told that exemplifies this point. There was a respectable woman who was married to a wealthy man who was not too smart and didn't know much. She would encourage him to go out to the Shir of Reb Moshe Alshich. As the wheel of fortune turned, the man became poor. To support his family, he would take his wagon and go dig up lime and take it to the market to sell. One day, he was at the Shir and the rabbi was telling them about bitachon and said that if a person really believes, then Hashem will give him his sustenance without him doing anything. The man went home and sat in his house and didn't go out to work. When his wife asked him why he's not going, he said that the rabbi said that if you really believe that Hashem will give you what you need, it will happen without you doing anything, so I'm waiting for Hashem to take care of me! Nothing she said to him helped. He was steadfast in his belief. 

Left with no choice, she hired an Arab to go dig up the lime to bring her and she was going to sell it. While the Arab was digging, he found a treasure, put it on the wagon and planned on bringing it home before he went to give the woman her wagon of lime. As he was about to go back, he realizes he forgot his shovel, went back to the pit to get it, when all the dirt that was dug up fell back on him and he was buried alive. The donkey, once no one was there to lead him, goes back the way he was accustomed to. The woman saw the wagon, went out to it and found the treasure. She went in to her husband and told him, “go take what Hashem brought you.”

The woman went to the Alshich and told him what happened and asked, “how does that work?  I believe, you believe and this doesn't happen to us. Why did it work for him?" The Alshich answered her, “your husband is a very simple person with no knowledge, so when you tell him something, he accepts it completely with no questions. However, we who are intelligent, search to understand why and how, so our bitachon is not as complete."

Perhaps what the Torah is trying to teach us is how strong our trust in the chachamim must be, that we believe without a doubt that this is what Hashem really wants. Even if it's against our limited understanding, we have to follow what the chachamim tell us and that will insure that we are complete with Hashem!

Re'eh

This week’s parsha begins by telling us the blessings if we will keep the Torah and the curses if we won't. The posuk states: ראה אנכי נתן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה, see, I present before you today a blessing and a curse. However, why does this posuk start off, ראה, “see” in the singular then switch a few words later to, לפניכם, “before you”, in the plural?

One reason given by the Sefer Hachaim is that Moshe was teaching the future leaders, that when they rebuke their followers, even if only one person is affected, or if they teach and even if  only  one person grows, it's still worthwhile just for that individual.

Reb Menachem Mendel of kotzk says the switch from singular to plural is to show us how to internalize the messages of the Torah, the Torah is first given to all of us by Hashem as a group, then it's up to each person to make the most of it with one's individual effort.

The Vilna Goan explains that posuk this is giving us a tool to help us grow. If one is trying to better himself to grow, but those around him are not on the same page, he should not be afraid to go alone, hence the singular. See that great blessing that will come to those who are not afraid to make their way alone. Perhaps the plural thereafter is teaching us that the reason not to be afraid is that we are never really alone; Hashem is right there with us all the time.

One of the hardest parts of deciding to make change and give yourself a new beginning is how other people react to it. Most of us know the story of Rabbi Akiva who didn't start learning until he was forty and then became the greatest rabbi in history. However, another part of the story is not as famous. Akiva was working for Rachel's father, a very prominent man. Akiva knew nothing about Torah and was even hostile to the rabbis. Akiva and Rachel became very close and Rachel told him that, if he promised to go and learn, she would marry him. He agreed and against her father's wishes they got married. He went to the yeshiva but didn't know anything, so a forty year old man had to sit with the five year olds and learn alef bais. He came home and told his wife, “I can't do this; they are all laughing at me.”

She said, “ok. Go to the market and buy an old donkey”. He went and came home with an old donkey with holes in its back. She filled the holes with dirt and planted flowers in the dirt. A few weeks later, they had a donkey with flowers growing out of its back. She told Akiva, “go to the market with the donkey; don't talk to anyone; just walk around all day with the donkey. When he came home, Rachel asked, “how was your day?” Akiva answered, “I did what you said and everyone was laughing at our funny donkey with the flowers growing out of its back.” She said, “ok, do it again tomorrow”. He went again and same thing occurred.

She insisted that he continue doing this for a few more days. After a week, he notices that no one is even looking at him anymore.  People just got used to the guy with the funny donkey and went back to their own business. Rachel tells him that the same thing will happen at the yeshiva. For the first couple of days they will laugh at the forty year old sitting with the kids, but then they will get used to it and no one will notice. He listened to her and went back to eventually become the leader of his generation.

Additionally, the wording of the posuk teaches us something else, says the Otzer Hatorah - the call for us to choose is constant. Just because one made poor choices in the past has nothing to do with the future. The posuk speaks in the present tense: I present.. constantly the power to choose. Then the posuk says: Today, teaching us that each day is the start of a new beginning.

Let's take this opportunity as we approach the month of Elul to make that choice and better ourselves, not caring what people will say. That won't last, but what we change and the blessings that come with it will be with us for eternity!

Eikev

In this parsha, Moshe informs the Jewish people of all the goodness they will receive by keeping even the relatively small mitzvos. He reminds them how Hashem took care of them throughout the years in the desert and now He would be bringing them to the promised land. He warns them to be careful; when all is going good and one has all that he needs, the tendency is to forget Hashem. “Don't say it is my strength that got me great wealth; remember Hashem, כי הוא הנותן לך כח לעשות חיל, for it is He that gives the strength to amass wealth.”

The Ben Ish Chai says that when a person has to be told to remember something, it's because it's something that's easily forgotten. There are six times that the Torah tells us to remember a commandment. Each one can be attributed to nature or just forgotten. The מהרי”א ז''ל explained by Shabbos, why does it say to remember the Shabbos? Because the nature of a person involves doing all of the activities that you can't do on Shabbos all six days of the week. It becomes second nature to do them, so we need to consciously remember that on Shabbos we can't perform these actions. Similarly, in our posuk, says the Ben Ish Chai, a person is working in all the pursuits of this world and things seem to be “going good." In the natural course, one tends to believe that it's his work, his efforts that made everything come about. To counter that, the Torah tells us here, too, remember that it's Hashem who gives you the strength and who is masterminding everything that goes on. Everything comes to us from Hashem.

Once, a poor man came to the Kutzku Rebbi asking him for help since his daughter was getting married and he had no money for the wedding. The Rebbi gave him a letter and told him to go to a certain town where there was a philanthropist named Moshe Chaim Rotenberg, and to give him the letter in hopes that he would help him. The poor man took the letter and treks from town to town until he came to the town of the wealthy man. He arrived at the house and was greeted warmly by Moshe Chaim, who gave him some food and drink and allowed him to relax a little from the long journey. After a little while the poor man took out the letter, sure that Moshe Chaim would give him all that he needed for the wedding. After all, he has the letter from the Rebbi.

The wealthy man read the letter and handed him a few dollars. The poor man was taken aback. The trip cost him way more than that, but nothing he said would change the wealthy man's mind. Left with no choice, he went on his way. Dejected, he headed back home praying to Hashem to help him.

As soon as he departed, Moshe Chaim went out and bought everything he would need for the wedding, loaded it all on wagons and chased after the dejected poor man. He caught up to him, gave him the wagons with more than enough money to pay for everything else. The poor man was ecstatic, thanked him profusely, then asked, “if you were going to give me everything anyway, why did you not just give it me when I came to you?” Moshe Chaim answered him, “when you came with a letter from the Kutzku Rebbi to Moshe Chaim, you were confident that nothing could go wrong; you had all you needed, the ultimate guarantee. You were relying too much on that letter and forgetting that really everything comes from Hashem, so I didn't give it to you at first, so that you would remember that everything comes from Hashem.  It's not the letter that gets you what you need, rather it's Hashem. When you left, you undoubtedly davened to Hashem to help you,and He did."

We have to remember that no matter what’s going on in our lives or how much we think we're controlling the situation, everything is from Hashem!