The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do not Reply this message! Please send messages to kehilasmy@yahoo.com Cortesy of [ http://www.partnersintorah.org ] Partners-in-Torah Parsha Partner^(TM) Parshas KI SAVO [ http://partnersintorah.org/parsha/ pdf/kisavo.pdf ] [4da17815a8]Click to Print/View in PDF Parsha At-a-Glance By Ozer Alport The Sidrah details the laws of "Bikurim," first fruits, symbolizing the need to recognize that the best of all our energies must be dedicated to G-d. For the second time (according to the Rambam, referring to the destruction of the Second Temple) the Torah warns and details the consequences of not following the Divine laws. Yet, conversely, the Torah paints a luminous picture of the multiple rewards of the Torah life. ------------------------------------------------ Parsha Perspectives By Ozer Alport "Then you shall call out and say before Hashem your G-d". (26:5) A farmer is required to bring to the Temple the first ripened fruits of the seven species for which the land of Israel is praised. There, he presents them to the Kohen as a sign of appreciation to Hashem for giving him a successful harvest. He must also recite a declaration of gratitude for Hashem's role in the miraculous course of our national history. Rashi writes that this proclamation must be made in a raised voice. Why does the Torah require the farmer to make this statement in a loud voice? The following story may help us appreciate the answer to this question. Amuka, located in the north of Israel, is the burial place of the Talmudic sage Rabbi Yonason ben Uziel. Amuka is famous for its mystical ability to help those who are longing to get married to find their matches. People travel there from around the world to pray for a mate. As it is common to observe people praying in Amuka with intensity that appears to emanate from personal pain, somebody was once surprised to see a married woman praying there with great joy. In responding to the onlooker's curiosity about this, she imparted an inspiring message. "I had a very difficult time with dating. Somebody finally suggested that I travel to Amuka, where I poured my heart out in prayer. Shortly thereafter, I was introduced to the man who is now my husband. I felt that if I came here to cry out from pain, it was only appropriate to return here to joyfully express my gratitude." Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter, better known as the S'fas Emes (1847-1905), explains that while every person's livelihood is dependent upon Hashem's decree, this correlation is often masked by natural events, making it appear that the person earned his income through his own creativity and hard work. A farmer, on the other hand, has no difficulty recognizing that his financial situation precariously rests in the Hands of Heaven. As diligently as he works his land, he realizes that the success of each year's crop depends upon the rains, which are beyond his control. After putting in his best physical efforts, he then pursues spiritual avenues, praying daily with great intensity for Hashem to bring the rains in the proper amounts and at the proper times. When his petitions are answered and he is able to see the first "fruits" of his labors, it would be very easy for him to take credit for the successful harvest. The Torah requires him to bring the fruits to the Temple to remind him that his success is ultimately dependent on Hashem, and he must express the appropriate gratitude for Hashem's kindness. One might assume, however, that it suffices to mutter a quick "thank you" under his breath to fulfill this obligation and to quickly return home. The Torah therefore teaches that in expressing appreciation, it is insufficient to merely pay lip service. The feelings of gratitude must be conveyed with the identical fervor with which one initially prayed. Just as the farmer screamed out with his entire heart beseeching Hashem to bless him with a bountiful harvest, so too must he express his thanks with the identical raised voice. We often cry out to Hashem from the depths of our hearts for a miraculous salvation which we need so desperately. When our prayers are answered, we must remember the lesson of the first-fruits and loudly call out our thanks with the same intensity with which we prayed in our time of need. ------------------------------------------------ Talking Points Rabbi Elazar Meisels 1. Judging Our Leaders "You shall come before the kohein who will serve during those days and you will say to him, "I declare today to Hashem, your G-d, that I have come to the land that Hashem swore to our forefathers to give us." 26:3 * Before The Kohein Who Will Serve During Those Days These words teach us that this obligation extends only to a time when there is a functioning Kohein Gadol [High Priest.] Ibn Ezra - Abraham ben Meir ibn Ezra (1093-1167) * The Kohein Who Will Serve During Those Days And you may not wait until a relative is installed as Kohen Gadol so that your gifts can go to him instead. Chizkuni - Rabbi Chizkiyah ben Manoach Chizkuni circa 1250 * Before The Kohein Who Will Serve During Those Days You have no one except the kohein who serves during your time, as he is Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) Rashi points out that we may not refuse to perform this mitzvah due to our disappointment in the spiritual level of the Kohen Gadol, even if that disappointment is well founded. Each generation merits leaders specific to the challenges of that generation, and not necessarily would an earlier and more scholarly leader, have been as effective as the current leader. Another important idea can be gleaned from this, as well. Regardless of how saintly our leaders may, or may not be; that is never an excuse to cease practicing Mitzvos. Our obligation to serve Hashem transcends the personal morals of our spiritual leaders. 2. No Expiration Date "This very day, Hashem, your G-d, commands you to perform these statutes and the laws; and you shall observe and perform them wholeheartedly and with all your being." 26:16 * This Very Day - Each day let these words appear novel to you, as if, on that very day, you had been commanded to perform them. - Rashi These words were spoken forty years after the Jews stood at the foot of Mt. Sinai, received the Torah, and spent the next forty years studying them. How could Moshe suggest that the people view them as something novel? Moshe's point was not merely to suggest that we pretend that we've never heard these words before, but rather, to emphasize the timelessness of the words of Torah. The people were about to leave the desert and enter Eretz Yisroel where conditions would be altogether different. Yet, the words and ideas of the Torah were equally relevant in the Land of Israel, as they were in the desert. The same is true for each new land, culture, and time period in which we find ourselves. The words of Torah transcend time and location. 3. Hold-Up's Are Good "'Accursed is whoever will not uphold the words of this Torah to perform them;' and the entire people shall say, Amen.'" 27:26 * Whoever Does Not Uphold - Here, he encompasses all of the Torah in its entirety, which they accepted by an imprecation and an oath. Rashi * Who Does Not Uphold Every Jew must accept the Torah's validity in full, and must not claim that even one of the commandments is no longer relevant. This curse however, is not pronounced upon one who merely commits a sin, rather, on one who denies that a part of the Torah is G-d given or applicable. This curse also applies to one who can have a positive influence on others but remains unconcerned with their spiritual welfare and fails to assist them. - Ramban Studying and observing Torah is a vital aspect of Judaism, but monumental as those accomplishments may be, it doesn't end there. Everyone is obligated to do all in their power to "uphold" the words of Torah so that others can learn from them as well. This includes offering financial support to Torah institutions, volunteering of ones time to study with others, and behaving in a manner that reflects positively on those who study Torah. Failure to live up to ones' potential in any of these areas, is tantamount to failing to uphold the words of Torah. ------------------------------------------------ Partners Talk Pay to Pray? No Way! Dear Rabbi, I hope you won't mind my using you as a sounding board for my favorite rant during this time of year. It concerns the common practice of the temples and synagogues to charge a small fortune to join them for High Holiday Services. How can they purposely exclude so many folks who can't, or won't, pay those prices? This is something that I feel turns so many people off from our faith and I don't understand how they get away with it? Is there something we can do about this? Morry R. Morry, Thank you for your letter. Perhaps you won't be shocked to discover that you're not the first person to get worked up over this sensitive issue. It's something I hear about frequently, and I'm very glad you raised this important point because the situation is not as hopeless as you may believe. There is an excellent solution to this problem, which I'll discuss toward the conclusion of this column. First however, I'd like to shed some light on the origins of this practice. I can't speak for all the temples and synagogues, but the ones I'm affiliated with are non-profit in the truest sense of the word. All of the membership dues are used to offset operational costs and usually the last one to collect a paycheck is the rabbi. The officers of the synagogue receive little or no compensation for their heroic efforts on behalf of the synagogue. The membership fees are probably lower than they ought to be, and oftentimes, wealthy individuals are called upon to make up the difference. I have no problem whatsoever with paying my yearly dues because the synagogue provides an important service that I use thrice daily. If we failed to pay our dues, I cannot fathom how the synagogue could continue to exist. Paying synagogue dues is in my mind no less obvious a need than paying property taxes to ensure that the municipality provides vital services such as garbage removal, public safety, and road maintenance. Where I believe this issue turns contentious is over the fact that many people who aren't regular synagogue attendees but are very interested in attending the High Holiday Services, are charged yearly membership. They reason that since they have no intention of attending regularly, there's no reason they should be charged more than a minimal fee that covers the services that they intend to partake of. The synagogues will counter that they couldn't stay open if all they charged was enough to cover the expenses of running the High Holiday services and therefore they must charge for a yearly membership. Obviously, the best thing would be for people to commit to attending synagogue on a consistent basis and then they'd agree that this is a vital service worth paying for. Morry, I assume that you've already thought of these arguments before, but I presented them for the benefit of our readers who may not have thought the issue through completely. Now let me share with you what can be done about this problem. A number of years ago, a group of concerned activists brainstormed over how to deal with this vexing problem and hit upon a fabulous solution. They compiled a list of all the synagogues around the country that offer High Holiday services at no charge and created an easy-to-navigate website that contains all the information needed to make reservations at the synagogue of choice. Many of these services are specifically geared to beginners who lack familiarity with the liturgy, and some even offer babysitting services to allow both parents to partake of the services. Some feature special classes and breakout sessions for those whose limited attention spans demand alternatives to sustained praying. I encourage you to spread the word of this wonderful website [ http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r= 1021899718&msgid=3689993&act=KVLN&c=15331&admin=0&destination=http:// www.nomembershiprequired.com ] www.nomembershiprequired.com to all your friends and acquaintances who will surely appreciate the opportunity to save their hard-earned money while enjoying an inspirational High Holiday service. Wishing you an enriching New Year! Rabbi Elazar Meisels ------------------------------------------------ Soul Talk The well known book titled Mesillas Yesharim (The Path of the Just) by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (Ch. 24) tells us that a person may be driven by two types of "fears" to better serve Hashem: yiras ha'onesh, fear of the repercussion of sin, and yiras ha'romemus, awe of Hashem's greatness. Although both these fears share the same Hebrew word yirah they are, in fact, quite different; a person driven by yiras ha'onesh will refrain from sin because he does not wish to be punished, while someone who is inspired by yiras ha'romemus will not sin because he is overwhelmed by Hashem's greatness. Comparing these different ways of relating to the service of Hashem, Mesillas Yesharim comments that since yiras ha'onesh is based on the natural inherent human fear of punishment a person will not do something, like touch a hot stove, which he realizes will harm him it is really not so difficult for a person to reach a basic level of yiras ha'onesh. As soon as he realizes that he will be punished for whatever shortcomings he has in his avodas Hashem, this natural fear of pain will not allow him to continue to act this way. R' Moshe Tukechinski, the late mashgiach of the Slabodka Yeshivah of Bnei Brak, commented that even in our generation, where we are very far removed from tangibly feeling the reality of Hashem's exacting reward and punishment that will occur in The World to Come, there is still a way to use the feeling of yiras ha'onesh to better serve Hashem. Since we know that Hashem's principle of middah keneged middah (measure for measure) also determines much of a person's life and experiences in this world (see Mesillas Yesharim Ch. 4), a person wishing to reinforce the feelings of yiras ha'onesh within himself need only take notice of what happens to him over an extended period of time, and compare these results to the weaknesses in his service of Hashem. Once he realizes what is causing many of his problems, the natural human tendency for comfort will provide a strong impetus to inspire change. Achieving a measure of yiras ha'romemus, continues the Mesillas Yesharim, is immeasurably more difficult. Since a person has no natural physical way to grasp Hashem's greatness since He cannot be seen nor otherwise tangibly appreciated this feeling does not come as easily as yiras ha'onesh. However, a way in which a person with great concentration may realize a measure of this awe is by spending time contemplating the vast difference between Hashem's over arching greatness (which may be gained from thinking about how Hashem effortlessly manages every single part of the entire world during every second of the day) and inherent human frailty. This way, he will begin to realize a tiny part of Hashem's indescribable greatness. The need to tangibly recognize Hashem's greatness is the reason behind several of the mitzvos of the Torah, as well as a well-known practice instituted by Our Sages. The Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 3:52) tells us that the need to always fear the honored and awesome Name of Hashem is the reason why we wear a yarmulke; this head-covering is to remind us that there is Someone above. Also, the Talmud (Temurah 3b-4a) tells us that the need to maintain awe of Hashem or to fear the honored and awesome Name is the reason behind the prohibitions against destroying, or frivolously or needlessly mentioning, Hashem's Name. The Name of Hashem by which He has chosen to refer to Himself to humanity must be uttered only in a manner that affords Him honor. ------------------------------------------------ Hey, I never knew that! Amazing Insights About the Weekly Parsha By Ozer Alport Q: Moses blessed the Jewish people that if they act properly and fulfill the commandments, all of the nations of the earth will see that the name of Hashem is called upon us and they will fear and revere us (28:10). The Talmud (Megillah 16b) understands the reference to the name of Hashem being called upon us as referring to tefillin, which contain an allusion to one of Hashem's Divine names, which are worn in our heads. Why does the Talmud refer to tefillin as being "in our heads" instead of the seemingly more accurate description of it being on our heads? A: The Vilna Gaon was once lodging at an inn when he heard loud cries and screams for help coming from the innkeeper's room. Although the Gaon was in the middle of the morning prayers, he quickly ran to the aid of a fellow Jew. He threw open the innkeeper's door and discovered a non-Jew mercilessly beating him. The attacker looked up at the door, and upon seeing the Vilna Gaon wearing his tallis and tefillin, was overcome with terror and promptly fainted. After pulling himself together and recovering from the shock of the incident, the innkeeper expressed his tremendous gratitude to the Vilna Gaon for coming to his rescue. He added that while he was certainly appreciative, he was also curious as to the Gaon's "magic weapon" which had inspired such fear in the heart of his attacker. He replied by citing the aforementioned Talmudic passage and explained that the sight of him adorned in his tefillin had caused the non-Jew to faint. The innkeeper respectfully asked for clarification, as he himself had been wearing his tallis and tefillin prior to the attack, but they had clearly proven ineffective. The Vilna Gaon pointed out that the Talmud uses a peculiar expression. It doesn't interpret the verse as referring to the tefillin which are on one's head but rather to the tefillin which are in one's head. He explained that merely placing the tefillin on one's body is insufficient. Rather, one must contemplate the message of the portions contained therein until they are internalized. While the innkeeper had not yet done so, the Vilna Gaon was clearly on such a level, and when the non-Jew perceived his spiritual loftiness, he was overcome with dread to the point of fainting exactly as promised by the Talmud! Q: In mentioning that the shoes of the Jewish people miraculously didn't wear out during their sojourn in the wilderness (29:4), the Torah states explicitly that the Jews wore shoes during their travels through the desert. How can this be resolved with Rashi's earlier comment (8:4), in which he writes that the feet of the Jews miraculously didn't swell during their travels in the desert as is customary for those who walk barefoot? A: Rabbi Yosef Rosen, more well-known as the Rogatchover Gaon, resolves the apparent contradiction by suggesting that when the Jewish people exited Egypt and entered the wilderness, they were indeed wearing shoes. However, after the sins of the golden calf and the spies, they were legally considered in niduy excommunicated until the end of their 40-year sojourn in the desert. Somebody who has been excommunicated must observe certain signs of mourning, including the removal of his shoes. The earlier verse is addressed to the Jewish people, who were forced to wander without shoes for this period, and emphasizes the miracle that their bare feet didn't swell during this time. The latter verse is addressed to the Levites, who remained righteous and didn't take part in these sins, and weren't punished with excommunication. They were allowed to wear their shoes during their sojourn in the wilderness, and this verse refers to the miracle that their shoes didn't wear out while wandering through the hot desert for so many years. Table Talk: For discussion around the Shabbos Table a) Moses promises (28:2) that if the Jewish people will properly observe the commandments, all of the blessings will catch and overtake them, which seems to imply that the Jews will be running from the blessings. Why would they flee from blessings? (Taima D'Kra by Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky) b) The Torah states (28:47) that the terrible curses described throughout the parsha will come as a result of not serving Hashem with gladness. If this is indeed such a terrible sin, why is there no commandment to do so? Parsha Partner^(TM) is a publication of Partners in Torah a division of Torah Umesorah, the National Society for Hebrew Day Schools Share the Gift of Jewish Wisdom with a Fellow Jew or get yourself a learning partner to gain some! 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