Tazria/metzora

After discussing the laws surrounding childbirth, our parsha tells us the law of bris mila, וביום השמיני ימול בשר ערלתו, “on the eighth day he shall be circumcised.” Rabbeinu Bachya explains that we wait until the eighth day to do the bris mila because the bris is compared to a korban, a sacrifice.  By animal sacrifice the blood of the animal sprinkled on the mizbaiach serves as a catalyst for divine forgiveness. Similarly, the blood that comes out at a mila elicits divine forgiveness. Just as an​ animal can't be offered before it's eight days old, so, too, one can't circumcise a child before he is eight days old. The sefer אוצר התורה explains the minhag that people at a bris express the wish that “just as he entered the covenant, so may he enter into Torah, marriage and good deeds” to mean that just as a circumcision is an expression of self- sacrifice, we hope and pray that this child will exhibit self-sacrifice for Torah, for his family and for helping others.

Rabbeinu Bachya goes on to explain that this is also the reason we make a festive meal at a bris, for just as a korban achieves forgiveness only after the appropriate parts are eaten by the kohanim and the owners, so, too, the completion of a bris mila is only after the celebrants take part in the meal.

The second parsha we read this week talks about the metzora and how one gets cleansed from tzaraas. The posuk says והובא אל הכהן – “and he shall be brought to the kohen.” The implication is that he is being brought against his will. If this is the purification process, why wouldn't he go willingly? Reb Chaim Volozhin explains that the most frequent targets of slander are the leaders; people tend to always find fault with the leaders of the community, who at that time were the kohanim. Even though his healing is dependent on the kohen, he still has to be forced because he feels uncomfortable going for help to the one he slandered.

The Gemara tells us that one who judges his friend favorably is judged favorably in heaven. The simple understanding is that because you judged favorably, you will also be judged favorably. Reb Avraham Grodzinsky relates a novel interpretation. When one judges his friend favorably, he causes heaven to judge his friend favorably too. The way a person views someone else affects how that person is judged in heaven. When one speaks ill of others, it not only hurts his standing with his fellow man, it also can have far reaching repercussions. Conversely, when one judges favorably, the merit can be far reaching.

Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev was invited to all the joyous occasions of his townspeople and made every effort to attend. When told about a bris, he would always respond, “I’m ready to come on the condition you must make a festive meal.” Though accustomed to this response, the townspeople felt it was odd, for the rabbi was not generally that concerned with food and drink. One day, one of the people mustered up the courage to ask him why he insisted on a lavish meal for a bris. He explained as follows, “You know that the Satan is always trying to find fault with the Jewish people and says that they fall short on their obligations to Hashem. I always try to defend the people and say to Hashem, look at your people; whenever they do a mitzvah they do it with the utmost joy.  On the other hand, when they sin, they feel very upset. To prove this, I say, ‘have you ever seen a Jew make a party to celebrate sinning? Never! However, when a Jew does a mitzvah, he celebrates with a festive meal, inviting family and friends.’  The Satan remains silent because he has no response. Therefore, I'm insistent that you make a festive meal so that I can prove that you’re doing the mitzvos with joy.”

Reb Levi Yitzchok was demonstrating that the way we judge others, heaven judges us, for even though we make big meals for the mitzvos, like a bris, Shabbos, bar mitzvas, weddings and the like, we're not always doing it for the sake of heaven alone. Yet, that was his claim, that the way he perceived it is how it was perceived in heaven, too. Let's take this lesson to always judge people favorably so that Hashem will too!
  

Shemini

After the Torah goes through a lengthy discussion of the cattle, fish and fowl we can and cannot eat, it then tells us that we cannot eat all things that creep on the ground. The posuk states, אל תשקצו את נפשתיכם בכל השרץ, do not make your souls abominable by means of any creeping thing. It then provides the reason: כי אני ה המעלה אתכם מארץ מצרים, for I am Hashem who brings you up from the land of Egypt.

Rashi notes a change in the normal wording. Here, in our posuk, the Torah uses the phrase “who brings you up” instead of the usual “I brought you out” to teach us that had Hashem only brought the Jews out of Egypt so that they don't make themselves impure through creepy things, it would have been sufficient cause for them to be redeemed, for abstaining is an​ elevation for them. Therefore, the Torah uses the word מעלה, “brings up” for it elevates us.

We see how great the quality of abstention is, says הגרי”ל חסמן , for the Jews already don't defile themselves with creepy things because they are repulsive anyway, yet Hashem says that for that alone we would have been worthy to be redeemed. If that’s the case, imagine the reward we will get from staying away from things we are commanded to stay away from that are desirable and good. He takes this concept even further explaining that one who, in an effort to get closer to Hashem, lessens his pleasure on this world by voluntarily abstaining from even permitted pleasures,​ will receive an even greater reward. According to this, continues הגרי”ל חסמן one who finds himself in a tough situation has a great way to get out of it.  He should make a נדר, a vow, to refrain from something desirable that's​ permitted, so that he will be guaranteed the great merit to be saved.

It's interesting to note, says the כלי יקר  , that the pesukim that talk about the non-kosher animals open with the one kosher sign that the animal possesses. For example, the camel is described as את הגמל כי מעלה גרה הוא, the camel because it chews its cud. It appears that the one sign of purity that the camel has is actually the cause for it not to be kosher. Why does it open with the pure sign if it's telling us the animal is impure, and why does the wording suggest that the pure sign is the reason it's impure? He answers that when something is impure but looks pure, that's when you must be most careful not to be taken in by the facade.

There's a story told about a rabbi who told his students to go to a certain town. They had no idea why or what to do there but they went anyway. It was getting late so they stopped at an inn for the night. The innkeeper was a righteous woman and she offered the students dinner. After grilling her with a hundred questions about how she prepares the food and where it comes from to make sure it was good enough for them to eat, they sat down to wait for the food. While waiting, they started talking to each other and, as usually happens,  the conversation shifted into talking about other people. The innkeeper, when she came to bring them the food, said to them “if only you were as careful with what comes out of your mouth, as with what goes in.” They got their rabbi's message.

I also heard that the Chofetz Chaim said that learning two halachos of lashon hara every day is also a segula to get out of a tzara. We see that what goes into your mouth and what comes out are very closely connected. Let's take this opportunity to not only be careful with what goes into our mouths, but with what comes out as well. Don't be fooled by those that only look good but really aren't. Rather, learn from those that are good through and through and elevate ourselves one step at a time!

Pesach

Originally, the Jewish people were decreed to be strangers in a foreign land for four hundred years. The midrash tells us that the tribe of Efraim mistakenly tried to leave before that time was up and many of them were killed. What did they do wrong? They miscalculated the starting point for the years that Hashem had told Avraham His children would be slaves. Although they counted the correct number of years, they counted from the time of the conversation rather than from the birth of Yitzchok, thirty years later, which was the correct starting point for the count. The פרקי דרבי אליעזר writes that the men of Efraim were great warriors so they took their families and tried to leave Egypt relying on their own strength.

This teaches us, says the אוצרות התורה, that we can’t rely on our own strength, but, rather we must rely on Yad Hashem, the hand of Hashem. Although the Jews had been waiting for years and years to be redeemed, waiting for Hashem to come take them out, the time had not yet come. When the time did come, the redemption occurred immediately, not leaving the Jews there for even an extra second. Had the tribe of Efraim not made its own calculation and just waited another thirty years, it, too, would have gone out with Hashem's strong arm and have seen all the miracles​ that Hashem did for us as we left Egypt.

We must learn not to try too hard to change​ our fate out of the realm of normal hishtadlus. If we do our part and see that nothing has changed yet, we must wait for Hashem to fix things for us. A person with emunah will let go of control instead of trying to manipulate the situation, and must wait for Hashem to come to his aid, for we never really know what's best for us or what Hashem has planned.

There was a wealthy chasid of the חידושי הרי”ם whose wheel of fortune had turned and he became a poor man. He went to his Rebbi to ask whether he should go ask his wealthy brother, who lived far away, for help. However, the Rebbi didn't want him to go. After a few more months of even tougher times, he again went to the Rebbi to request permission to go out of the country to his brother to get help but yet again the Rebbi said no. A few more months went by and his situation worsened; there was literally no food to put on the table. The man couldn’t take it anymore and wrote his brother a letter explaining his situation. The brother felt terrible and sent him everything that he needed to get back on his feet whereupon the merchant rebuilt his business and was back among the wealthy.

One day, the same man became very sick. The doctor who was called told him that this is a very bad, usually terminal, disease. The chasid immediately sent a letter to his Rebbi asking for a bracha for a complete recovery. When the messenger came to the Rebbi with the letter, the Rebbi said, “Why did he ask his brother for help? Why didn't he trust me? Did he think I was being cruel? Didn't he know I would help him if I could?” Sometimes there is a decree on a person that he must leave this world. Poverty sweetens the decree, for a pauper is considered like one who is dead. Had he just waited the allotted time, he would have regained his wealth on his own. Unfortunately, he had to try to manipulate the situation.  “Now,” cried the Rebbi, “he sealed his own fate.”  

Sometimes, when we're in a tough spot we must trust that Hashem knows what He is doing and when it's time for the challenge to pass, it will in an instant. This does not mean that we do not need to put in our effort first, but we need to trust that when all else fails, Hashem is always able to change it. When the Jews were at the sea with the Egyptians chasing them, it seemed like all was lost. They put their trust in Hashem and jumped in causing the sea to split. It was their trust in Hashem that made it happen, so, no matter what’s going on in our lives, we must put our full trust in Hashem knowing it will work out for the best!

Tzav

After the introduction of the concept of sacrifices, the Torah addresses the kohanim and explains the various laws that apply to the korbanos. One of the laws states, והבשר אשר יגע בכל טמא לא יאכל , the flesh that touches any contaminated thing may not be eaten.

The second part of the posuk states, והבשר כל טהור יאכל בשר, but of the flesh, any person may eat the flesh. The משך חכמה notes that it appears that the word והבשר is extra. When the Targum translates this posuk, he explains the words כל טהור, anyone can eat the flesh, to mean that anyone who has purified himself with the intention to eat the holy food. One who wants to eat קדשים has to go to the mikvah with the intent to purify himself for kodshim. Therefore, answers the משך חכמה ,  the Torah states the word והבשר to remind the person that, before you purify, have in mind for the בשר.

There was a person who had often come to see the בעל התניא that, now, started to hang out with the maskilim, people who advocated the abandonment of Jewish observance and embraced secularization. The בעל התניא called him over to tell him that, if he hangs out with these types of people, they could have a very negative influence on him. The man answered, “Rabbi, you think they could influence me? I'm not that easily swayed! Just look at how much time I spend with the chasidim and I didn't become a chasid!”

The בעל התניא answered him that it doesn't work that way. He quoted our posuk which says, “flesh that touches impurity don't eat.” This means that even the slightest touch by something that's impure can make one impure too, whereas, by קדושה, holiness, the Torah says, כל אשר יגע בבשרה יקדש whatever touches its flesh becomes holy. Rashi explains there that it's talking about where the impure korban absorbed the taste of the pure one, that it, too, has to go on the mizbaiach. For sanctity to influence others, it has to be absorbed; contact alone is insufficient. Continued the בעל התניא “you will not be influenced by the chasidim unless you absorb what they have to offer; however, you are endangering your soul by mere contact with the maskilim.

Reb Menachem Mendel of Kotzk asked: why is it that when something that's pure touches something impure it becomes impure; why wouldn't it be the opposite, that the pure has the greater power and makes that which is impure, pure by touch? The Gemara says that Hashem's payback for good is much greater than the punishment for bad, so why wouldn't the pure make the impure pure when they touch?

He answers, that when something is impure it's impure without a doubt so it has the power to make something else impure.  However, with purity, it's much harder to know if someone is totally pure.  Does anyone really know what’s going on with someone else or even themselves, to know if everything is one hundred percent pure that by mere touch can purify? That’s why, just by touch, the purity can't make something else pure. However, when one wants to become pure with the proper intention to become pure, if he goes to people that are pure and can absorb from them, then he can become pure. This teaches us to be very careful who are friends are and to try to attach ourselves to good people with the intention of letting ourselves absorb from them!

Vayikra

With the conclusion of Sefer Sh’mos, the Torah has completed the description of the mishkan and all that went in it.  Sefer Vayikra, then, begins with the bringing of the korbanos, the sacrifices that were brought in the mishkan.
The Torah states, “אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לה , when a person from among you will bring an offering to Hashem”. Rashi derives from the words: “ when he will bring”  that it implies that the korban we are discussing is not an obligatory offering, but rather a voluntary offering.

The לקוטי שיחות explains that the reason the Torah starts with the voluntary offering is to teach that the most important part of bringing a korban is what's in one’s heart; it's a person’s desire to bring that's important. This is true for the obligatory korbanos, too. For them to have the full effect, the desire must be there. The Torah starts with the voluntary ones to teach that the same desire must be there for all.

This concept is evident later as well, when the Torah discusses the bird offering, which is small and brought by the poor man. The Torah states, ריח ניחח לה , a pleasing fragrance to Hashem. Rashi explains that the reason it says ריח ניחוח both by the poor man's korban and by the rich man's korban is to teach us that, whether one gives an​ expensive offering or one gives a modest offering, they are equal in Hashem's eyes, as long as their heart is doing it for the sake of heaven. The poor man shouldn't feel that his small donation isn't worth anything, for Hashem counts what's in your heart. If the desire is there to give, the reward is great.

This concept extends beyond korbanos and charity; it also applies to our everyday life. It's said about the אר”י ז”ל that he would often praise his student ר חיים ויטאל on his great deeds and pureness of his soul. Once Reb Chaim came to his Rebbi and said, “how can you praise me so much? I'm nothing compared to the generations before; the smallest of the previous generation was so great that I don't come to his toes. I don't merit such praise”. The אר”י ז”ל  answered, “the greatness of a person is not necessarily what one sees or even in the person's actions, rather it's what’s in a person's heart. A person is judged according to the time that he lives and the generation that he’s part of. A small action in this generation is equal to many great mitzvos of the previous generation.  In our generation, it's so much harder, for there is so much bad that wasn't present in the previous generations”.

Imagine what he would say nowadays with so many outside distractions and how much bad is on the streets. All of our good intent and our good actions, no matter how small, are of great significance to Hashem.

There is a halacha that one who doesn't have a bris can't go into the bais hamikdash to bring a korban. Rather, he has to send it with a messenger. Every korban needs סמיכה, leaning, that the one who brings it has to put his hands on the animal and lean on it. However, if one brings it through a messenger, there is no leaning. The Chasam Sofer says we see this from our posuk also, from the word “מכם from you”. First, one has to bring a korban from himself, which is the bris mila.  Once he has given from himself, he can come to the beis hamikdash and give to Hashem.
This teaches us that even though we might not be the smartest, greatest, or strongest, we have to know that what we do is nevertheless great in Hashem's eyes. As long as we have the desire  and our hearts are in the right place, then, no matter what our limitations are, to Hashem we are doing one hundred percent!

Vayakel pekudai

As the Torah recounts the building of the mishkan and everything that went into it, it starts with instructing us to keep the Shabbos holy. ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה​, for a period of six days work may be done, וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קודש,but the seventh day shall be holy to you, a day of complete rest for Hashem.

In the Friday night zemiros we say כל מקדש שביעי כראוי לו, whoever sanctifies the Shabbos as befits it, כל שומר שבת כדת מחללו, whoever safeguards the Shabbos properly from desecrating it, שכרו הרבה מאד על פי פעלו, his reward is exceedingly great in accordance with his deed.

The Chafetz Chaim says that this is referring to two different types of people that keep Shabbos. There are those who infuse the Shabbos with a special​ holiness, who spend the whole time with Torah and holiness; on them it's said: כראוי לו, as befits the Shabbos. That's why Shabbos was created, to infuse in us a holiness that lasts the week. Then, there are people that are שומר שבת כדת מחללו, that keep the Shabbos by refraining from doing anything wrong but don't necessarily pursue holiness on that day. They just use it to eat sleep and drink. While both types of people are described שכרו הרבה מאד, the reward is very great, each one, though, will get על פי פעלו, according to his deed.

What kind of person is this really referring to; what does it mean according to his deed?

One of the interesting things about the laws of Shabbos is that the only way one can transgress and be held liable is if one had intent to do the action. For example, if two people pulled a flower out of the ground and one of the people had thought that the flower was already detached, he wouldn't be liable.  Two people can both do the exact same action, yet the one with will be liable while the other one, who didn't have intent, wouldn't be liable. Maybe we can explain על פי פעלו , according to his deed a little differently.

There was a story in Radin about one of the shopkeepers who would keep his store open late on Friday after Shabbos started and open up early Saturday night before Shabbos ended. The Chafetz Chaim spoke to him and said that what he's doing is like the farmer who was selling his apples wholesale; in order to keep count of all the bags of apples, for each bag that was sold, the buyer would put a coin in a bowl. When they were done, they would count the coins and then he would get paid for each bag based on how many coins there were.

As the bowl filled up, the farmer, being a little greedy, made sure no one was looking and stole some of the coins, not realizing that, for every coin he stole, he was actually losing the price of a whole bag of apples. What he took and thought he was gaining, was really losing so much more. So, too, continued the Chafetz Chaim. Hashem gave us the Shabbos. For every hour of Shabbos observance, we are blessed throughout the week. When you steal from these hours, you are only stealing from yourself.

The farmer’s intent was to steal; however, he ended up only stealing from himself. When a person keeps Shabbos, his merit is based on intent, not action. One who, perhaps, only knows how to keep the Shabbos by refraining from doing anything wrong or just by eating and sleeping, hasr intention to be able to keep the Shabbos properly. He might even look forward to it and feel more closely connected to it than someone who, in practice, does the more holy things. That's why it says at the end of the song, על פי פעלו, according to his deed, his reward will be according to his deed. If it was just about what one actually did, it would have used a word like עשה that means according to what he did.  Instead, it uses the word פעלו, which can also be translated to mean influence, telling us that the reward one gets for keeping Shabbos is not about what one actually does but rather what his intent is and what influence the Shabbos has on him. Let's take this opportunity to increase out awareness of Shabbos, feeling connected and letting its influence stay with us throughout the week!