Man is comprised of two aspects: spiritual and physical. The guf, body, is his physical dimension; the neshamah, soul, the “chelek Elokah miMaal,” portion which comes directly from Hashem Above, is his spiritual dimension. Life is a constant struggle between the spirit and the physical: Who will prevail? Horav Sholom Schwadron, z.l., cites his rebbe Horav Leib Chasman, z.l., who explained this with the following compelling analogy. It happened that those who sought to undermine the Jewish religion were finally successful in slandering the saintly Chafetz Chaim. The government, looking for any opportunity to put away anyone who was seditious,…
Although Hashem created the heavens on the first day they remained in a state of transition. He solidified them on the second day, creating a separation between the waters above and the waters below. For a deeper explanation of the meaning of this division between waters, one should delve into the various commentaries on the Torah. For our purposes, we look to the end of the pesukim where the Torah writes that “it was so,” followed by the statement that this was the second day. This is the only day of Creation about which the Torah does not say “ki…
ואהבת לרעך כמוך
Rabbi Akiva declares that the mitzvah of ahavas Yisrael, to love one’s fellow as himself, is the fundamental rule of the Torah. Hillel paraphrased this mitzvah, Man d’alach sani l’chaveircha lo saavid, “What is hateful to you, do not do unto others.” When a gentile came to Hillel and asked to be converted “while I stand on one leg,” he responded with the above rule. The question is asked why Hillel did not use the pasuk, V’ahavata l’reiacha kamocha, to respond to the gentile. The Chidushei HaRim explains that, since the fellow was still a gentile, he was unable to…
קדושים תהיו כי קדוש אני
Regardless of how we translate kedushah, holiness, it clearly represents a state of being which is above and beyond the usual. One may be good – wonderful – virtuous, whatever other adjective that comes to mind, but it does not mean that he is holy. It represents the next step. Once one has achieved all of the other appellations which define upstanding behavior – then there is kedushah, holiness. Interestingly, Kedoshim tiheyu, “You shall be holy,” is a mitzvah which is addressed to all of Klal Yisrael – not just a select few. Every Jew is enjoined to achieve a…
כמעשה ארץ מצרים אשר ישבתם בה לא תעשו וכמעשה ארץ כנען אשר אני מביא אתכם שמה לא תעשו
Canaan and Egypt were the two most morally depraved lands in the world. Furthermore, both the area in which the Jewish People lived in Egypt and the area in which they were destined to settle in Canaan were the worst parts of these degenerate countries. The influence of these decadent cultures can be overwhelming. Thus, the Torah warns us to be alert to the dangers which lure the unknowing into an abyss of decadence and immorality. The Ksav Sofer distinguishes between the evil perpetrated by the Egyptians and the degeneracy which was the way of life in Canaan. The Egyptians…
שלח ביד איש עתי המדברה
The man who was appointed by the bais din to lead the he-goat to the wilderness was appointed the day before Yom Kippur. Chazal (Talmud Yoma 663) teach that he was accompanied on this journey by the yakirei Yerushalayim, dear ones, distinguished members of Yerushalayim’s elite, who would drop what they were doing – just to accompany the ish iti on this unique journey. Imagine what these men were relinquishing. They could have remained in the Azarah and been spectators, observing the Kohen Gadol perform the Yom Kippur service. This inspirational experience would have impacted their lives forever. Yet, they…
ונתתי נגע צרעת בבית ארץ אחזתכם
Chazal teach that, when Klal Yisrael was informed that their homes in Eretz Yisrael would be visited with plagues, it was actually good news. Apparently, when the Emorites who had inhabited the Holy Land heard that the Jews were coming, they hid all of their treasures in the walls of the houses. For forty years, as the Jews sojourned in the wilderness, the Emorites occupied themselves with hiding their gold and silver, lest the Jews find them. Now, when a Jew acts in such a manner that he deserves that a plague be delivered upon his house, it will ultimately…
כי תבואו אל ארץ כנען אשר אני נותן לכם לאחוזה וננתי נגע צרעת בבית ארץ אחוזתכם
Rashi teaches us that Moshe Rabbeinu brought good tidings when he informed the people that they would be subject to nigei battim, plagues that would strike their homes. Apparently, when the Emorites heard that the Jews were coming to attack them, they hid their gold, silver and jewelry in the walls of their homes. As a result of the negaim, the homes had to be dismantled, exposing the hidden treasures. To recap, the individual who acted inappropriately was punished with the destruction of his home. As a result of the punishment, he became the lucky winner of a hidden treasure…
וטבל אותם ואת הצפור החיה בדם הצפור השחוטה... וטהרו ושלח את הצפור החיה על פני השדה
What else should he do with the live bird? It makes sense that if one bird dies and the other bird lives, the live bird be turned loose to live out its life. Simply, the reason the Torah underscores the freedom of the live bird is that originally it had been designated as a sacrifice. In the end, it worked out that it was not used for this purpose. I might think that once the term korban, sacrifice, has been designated on a bird, it has been spiritually elevated, thus prohibited for mundane use. The Torah is teaching us that,…
וצוה הכהן ולקח למטהר שתי צפרים חיות טהורות ועץ ארז ושני תולעת ואזוב... ושחט את הצפור האחת אל כלי חרש על מים חיים
Horav Nosson Gestetner, zl, observes that the taharas, purification process, of the metzora involves the four yesodos, foundations, types of Creation: domeim, inanimate; tzomeiach, growing vegetation; chai, living creature; medaber, human who has the power of speech. The water and earthenware vessel are domemim, inanimate objects. The cedar wood and hyssop represent the tzomeiach, growing vegetation. The bird and crimson wool dyed from the blood of a worm, correspond to chai, living creatures. The Kohen who performs the purification is the medaber, symbolizes the human speaking creature. The lesson for us is straightforward: one who speaks lashon hora defiles every…