Shavuos

We are all aware that we celebrate the yom tov of Shavuos to commemorate the day we stood at Har Sinai and​ received the Torah. I heard an interesting question regarding this. Why do we celebrate that we received the Torah on Shavuos? When Moshe came down with the luchos, the Jews had already rebelled and were dancing with the golden calf.  Then, Moshe broke the luchos and it wasn't until three months later, on Yom Kippur, that Moshe came down again with the new luchos. Demonstrating that Hashem forgave the Jewish people and  we really got the Torah. Additionally, the Gemara in Taanis quotes a posuk in Mishlay that talks about the wedding between Hashem and the Jewish people. It states: ביום חתונתו, זה מתן תורה , on the day of the wedding, that's the day of the giving of the Torah. Rashi explains that it's talking about Yom Kippur, the day we received the second luchos. In reality it's Yom Kippur that's the wedding. According to this, why don't we celebrate Shavuos right after Yom Kippur, instead of now?

On Shavuos, we read the book of Ruth for many reasons. One of those reasons says the sefer עיני העדה is because it teaches us that, like Ruth, even if one didn't grow up with Torah when they were young and wasted many years with mundane pursuits, one shouldn’t give up and feel bad. Rather, one should open a new page and start fresh. Ruth only discovered the beauty of Torah once she was forty years old. It's possible that she was Rebbi Akiva's inspiration, for he, too, also started at forty. Therefore, we read the book of Ruth on Shavuos to teach us as we're accepting the Torah, that even if we're just starting out, no matter how old we are, it's never too late.

I saw a story by R Dovid Kaplan about a boy, Elisha,  who, back in the seventies, went away from the path of Torah. Elisha worked odd jobs and slept in a rented cellar, headed absolutely nowhere in life. One day, out of a job and out of money, he started looking through the want ads. He saw that Shaar Yashuv, the famous yeshiva founded by Rav Shlomo Freifeld, was in need of a janitor. He went to the yeshiva and spoke with Rav Freifeld. Look, the great man said, seeing something in the young man that many others had missed; I don't want you to be the janitor. What I'd really like you to do is give a Shiur here. I see you have the heart and communication skills necessary to be an effective Rebbi. There is a group of boys here I want you to teach. You can come in your jeans and long hair. I don't care; just come.

Needless to say, Elisha was speechless. It had been a long time since anyone had said anything positive about him, let alone that he could teach Torah. Overcoming his initial shock, Elisha took Rav Freifeld up on the offer and eventually became a great Rebbi and taught Torah to many, many students.

Perhaps this, too, is why we celebrate the giving of the Torah now, when we first received it, even though we messed up at the time. Just as Ruth who didn't grow up with it or like Elisha who lost it originally, the Torah is demonstrating to us the importance of second chances. Even at the onset of the Torah, when we just received it and failed miserably, one might think that we should have lost it.  Instead, Hashem forgave us and He gave it to us all over again, giving us a fresh start. Therefore, we celebrate now when we received it originally, for it was that giving that showed us even if we're not always perfect, there is always a second chance!

Bamidbar

Our parsha begins with the words, וידבר ה אל משה במדבר סיני, "Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Sinai desert." Then it states, שאו את ראש כל עדת בני ישראל, "Take a census of the entire assembly of the Jewish people." Reb Moshe Feinstein explains that we read this parsha before Shavuos because some people may think, "Who am I and what is my Torah learning worth? Even if I study I won't amount to anything so why bother?” To counter this and show that everyone is important, we read this passage that shows that each person counts. Therefore, each person was counted individually; no matter whether big or small, everyone was counted. Each person makes up the whole of Klal Yisroel; each person is an irreplaceable part of the whole unit, and what each person does, no matter how much or little, counts. 

Also, the fact that Hashem gave the Torah in the desert, teaches the message of bitachon, trust in Hashem. Just as Hashem took care of us so that everyone had all they needed, so, too, He takes​ care of us always and gives us all that we need. No one else can take anything that's coming to an individual. Just as when one is in a desert, there is no one around that can take anything from him, so, too, when one is among people, no one can take anything from him. Only what Hashem wants one to have will remain with him;  no one will be able to touch it. 

The mussar rabbis used to say, "A horse kicks with its feet when it goes to the river to drink​ water." Why does it do that? For when it gets to the riverbank, it sees its reflection in the water and thinks another horse is coming to take the water that he's about to drink, so he kicks up the water with his feet, making it all full of sand and undrinkable. 

People are the same.  When someone thinks that someone is trying to take something from him and does something to make sure that the other person doesn't get it either, he will see that he messed himself up as well.  However, one who just trusts that Hashem is in control and no one can take anything from him, will not lose anything. 
A person must realize that every part of his life, down to the last detail, is designed by Hashem What is set aside for him is what he's going to get, not a penny more or less. No one can take it away from him. 

In the Gemara,  Ben Azai says, בשמך יקראוך ובמקמך יושיבוך ומשלך יתנו לך, which Rashi translates to mean that a person shouldn't say, "so and so is taking my business away” because a person is called by name to go sit in his seat and take what is his.  What one gets is what is his from heaven, ואין מלכות נוגעת בחברתה ; when it's time for someone else to get, Hashem will make it happen in an instant. The Ben Ish Chai comments, since Chazal used the word נוגע, "touch" instead of נוטל , "to take," is teaching us that not only can't one take something that's meant for someone else, he can't even get close enough to touch it. Whatever is for destined for him, he will get at the exact moment that Hashem wants him to. 

The Ben Ish Chai brings a true story to demonstrate. There was a group of friends who went camping every summer in the same place. They would all come and set up their tents by knocking pegs into the ground. One year, when they came to the campsite, one of the men, while hammering in the peg, hit something under the ground. Quickly, he dug it up and found a box full of precious stones. The men were astounded, for they had been coming there for years and pitching their tents in the same spot. This time, he hit the peg in a few centimeters off and found the treasure which shows us that we have no reason to worry; we just need to trust Hashem; whatever we're supposed  to get, when it's the right time, Hashem will give it to us in an instant! 

Perhaps we can combine these two messages to teach that we are all individuals, all counted individually. Each one of us matters; Hashem has an individual plan for each one of us which can't be taken by anyone else. As we prepare to accept the Torah this week, let's go in with complete trust that Hashem is in total control!  

Behar bechukosai

The laws of shemittah which, by observing, demonstrate that everything is given to us by Hashem form the opening to our parsha. Since the Torah stresses that the shemittah laws were given on Har Sinai, Rashi asks that all the mitzvos were given on Sinai, so why does the Torah stress that the shemittah laws were given on Sinai?

The Kli Chemda answers that we're taught that the Torah could only have been given to the generation that partook in the manna, for only one who lives with the realization that man's survival depends solely on Hashem, can grow in Torah. Every seven years, as the lands lay fallow, untilled, unsown, untended, we relearn the lesson of the manna. We once again see that man's effort is not the true source of his sustenance, giving us that exalted level of faith we had at Sinai.

The Torah tells us that, if one keeps the shemittah, then וצויתי את ברכתי לכם , I will ordain my blessing for you. The Gemara tells us that Hashem's attribute of mercy is greater than His attribute of justice. We know that once Hashem unleashes the forces of destruction, they don't differentiate between the deserving and the undeserving. So, too, one could reason that Hashem's blessing should be given to all. However, says the Oznayim L’Torah, our posuk teaches us that the blessings for the observance of shemittah are specifically directed for the ones that keep shemittah, to demonstrate clearly that the success of this season is not happenstance. It's Hashem’s acknowledgement of the self-sacrifice of his courageous children.

At the end of shemittah of 1952, the farmers of Komemius, a religious kibbutz, had a problem. The only kernels available to them that hadn't grown on shemittah were some worm infested kernels that a nearby kibbutz had left over from the sixth year. Agriculture experts warned against using those kernels and the neighboring farmers ridiculed them for even thinking about using them. They turned to their Rav for advice who said, “if these are the only halachacally good kernels, then plant them and trust Hashem to make it work. Committed to this course, they had another question, which they asked the Chazon Ish. Would they would be allowed to plow on Chol Hamoed Sukkos to take full advantage of the rainy season? The Chazon Ish answered, “who says you will be too late for the rainy season? Maybe if you plant on Chol Hamoed, you will plant too early and cause a loss? The farmers listened and did not plow on Chol Hamoed. Unbelievably, the rains, that year, did not start until close to Chanukah. All the neighboring kibbutzim who had made fun of them and planted early, lost their crop while the farmers of Komemius had a unusually large crop of wheat. The blessing of Hashem is directed to those who live with the courage to have faith in Him.

The next parsha we read this week opens, אם בחקתי תלכו . Rashi explains these words to mean if you toil in Torah. The Chafetz Chaim says that it's here that the Torah is guaranteeing us reward for the toil in Torah and showing us the greatness of Torah. There is nothing else for which one gets reward for the toil alone, even if he doesn't accomplish anything. If a Craftsman works very hard but doesn't finish the product, he doesn't get paid. However, learning Torah is different. Even if in the end one doesn’t understand what he learned, he still gets rewarded for all the time he put in.

We see a great contrast between shemittah and Torah. In learning Torah, we understand that it's the work, the toil, that one puts in that counts. One gets rewarded for the work. Conversely, by shemittah, we learned that we need to take a year off and not do any work, showing that it's not the work that counts. Which is it? Does the work we put in count or not? The Torah is teaching us a fundamental rule in Judaism. When it comes to spiritual pursuits, we must make the effort and it's our effort that counts. However, by material pursuits, it's not our effort that brings the results; we must do our part, but it's Hashem who decides what we are going to keep. Our monies are decided already on Rosh Hashana. Let's double our efforts where we can accomplish and leave the rest to Hashem!

Emor

Parshas Emor, the portion of which is read on each of the holidays, informs us about Pesach, Shavuos, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos. The last posuk in the laws of Shavuos states: ובקצרכם את קציר ארצכם, "When you reap the harvest of your land, לא תכלה פאת שדך בקצרך ולקט קצירך לא תלקט, you shall not remove completely the corner of your field as you reap and you shall not gather the gleanings of your harvest, לעני ולגר תעזב אתם, for the poor and the proselyte shall you leave them."

This posuk seems out of place; why is there one posuk of gifts to the poor amongst the laws of the holidays? Rashi addresses this question and says it teaches that whoever does this mitzvah properly, is considered as if he built the Bais Hamikdash and brought his offerings inside it.

What is so special about this one type of tzedaka that it can mean so much?

There is another aspect to these laws regarding this mitzvah which Rashi explains. When the posuk says תעזוב אותם, "you shall leave them," it means that you can't even help one of the poor people to take it; you have to leave the stalks and go away. The מעייני החיים asks how this makes any sense. The owner of the field just wants to help the poor person, to make it easier for him; he feels for the poor person and wants to help him. Why would that be forbidden?

He answers that the Torah is addressing what could possibly be in the back of a person's mind as he helps the poor person. Even though he's helping him, he still has that feeling that “I'm the boss who's helping out this unfortunate person”. The poor person can feel these types of thoughts and then the help is more of a burden, for the poor person is reminded again how desperate he is. Therefore, the Torah commands to leave it for them and go away for then they feel like it's theirs; it was given to them as a gift from Hashem with no intermediary. The Torah is teaching us how concerned we have to be with someone else's​ feelings.

There's a story told about ר ישעיה one of the students of the גר”א . One Friday afternoon, a wagon full of Jewish businessmen on their way home from the market passed by his town. Reb Yishaya went out to greet them and invited them to stay at his home for Shabbos. They didn't know who he was and thought he just wanted to make money on them, so they declined. Reb Yishaya pleaded with them to stay saying, “it's a long trip for you. It's already Fri afternoon; you won't make it home, so why take a chance of not having a place to stay for Shabbos? I have everything you need; just stay here”. They refused and went on their way. A little while later, a wheel on their carriage broke, so the wagon driver went back to Reb Yishaya on foot, asking him for a new wheel.  He got it for him but, at this point, there was no way to make it to any city before Shabbos. He told the driver to bring everyone back and stay here for Shabbos. Having no choice, they all came back. 

Reb Yishaya greeted them warmly and had his worker took their horses and fed them while he turned to the businessmen and said, “I’m an innkeeper and I don't like to give the bill at the end of the stay. I want you to know up front what it's going to cost so, for two nights and four meals, the price is five gold coins each. The men were astounded at the price and said to themselves, “this is what we thought at the beginning. He just wanted our money.” Having no choice, though, they agreed. However, once they knew what they were paying, they asked for the best food and drink and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. On Sunday when it was time to leave, each one put his payment on the table and also asked how much they owed him for the new wheel. How shocked they were when he refused to take payment for anything.

When asked why he told them the price up front when he wasn't going to take payment anyway, he said that he wanted them to ask for anything they wanted without feeling any embarrassment. This way, they could eat and drink as much as they wanted and really enjoy as they did. 

This shows how careful we must be with people's feelings. Especially at this time, when we remember the students of Rebbi Akiva, and are told that they were punished because they didn't show each other honor, we must learn this lesson. Rebbi Akiva is the one who brought Torah back to the Jewish people when it was practically forgotten. Maybe this is why the Torah puts this law at the end of the laws of Shavuos, when received the Torah, to teach us that Torah and caring about others are synonymous.  Rebbi Akiva's students were lacking this, so the rebirth of Torah couldn't come through them. The Torah is teaching us how careful we each must be with someone else's feelings, in all circumstances!

Acharei mos kedoshim

Amongst the myriad laws which our parsha discusses, one is mentioned which R Akiva calls the cardinal principal of the Torah, ואהבת לרעך כמוך, you shall love your fellow as yourself. Shlomo Hamelech gives advice how to attain this goal: כמים פנים לפנים כן לב האדם לאדם, as your face reflects in the water, so too, the heart reflects man to man. Meaning, just as you see your reflection in the water, so too the way you love someone, reflects back how they love you.

The Otzros Hatorah asks why is it that when Shlomo Hamelech, who was the wisest of all men, wants to give an example of how one can see himself, thereby learning how to love his fellow Jew, he uses the example of water which flows causing the reflection to be distorted. He could have used an example of a mirror that has a clear reflection? Shlomo Hamelech was telling us something profound about attaining ​love for one another. One must yield and humble himself to one another to be able to love his friend, for if one thinks he's better than the other one, it will be very difficult to have true love for him. When one humbles oneself to his friend, he can truly love him. 

When one stands in front of a mirror, he can stand up tall and look at himself. However, when one looks at his reflection in the water, the only way to see one’s reflection is to bend over the water. It's that bending, that humbling, that Shlomo Hamelech is teaching us that needs to be done to attain true love.

There's a story told about two great friends who​ lived in different towns. One day a false case was presented against one of them and he was sentenced to death. On the day that he was to be killed, the town officials made everyone who was in town come witness so that they would be afraid to commit any crime. His friend happened to be in town that day and went with everyone else to watch. When he saw that the person being put to death was his close friend, he started screaming, "leave him alone, leave him alone! He didn't do it; he's innocent; I did it; put me to death instead!" When his friend saw what the commotion was about, that his friend was asking to be put to death instead of him, he also started screaming and saying, "No, I did it; put me to death; leave my friend out of this!" They kept screaming until the king heard​ what was going on and asked them both to come to him so he could determine who was really the guilty one, as it could not be both. 

The friend said to the king, " I know that my friend, whom you sentenced to death, is innocent, for I know that there is no way he could have done something like this. But if, nevertheless, you sentenced him to death and I was here to witness it, I must deserve death if I must watch my friend die, so it's better that I die instead. Whereas the original guilty friend said, "No, I would rather die than let you die." When the king saw how earnest they were and the great love they had for each other, he said, “both of you go home in peace. However, I want to ask you for one thing, include me, too, in your friendship; I, too, want a bond like this. 

 Therefore הרה”ק מרוזין  says the posuk ends with אני ה for Hashem is saying if you love your fellow as yourself then Hashem too wants to join the friendship. Let's take this opportunity to humble ourselves to seek true friendship, to look up to one another, so that Hashem Himself will want to join our group!