Parshas Bamidbar

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem, Zekeini Moiri Baruch Moshe Aryeh ben Harav Zev Yehuda, My cousin Zev Yehuda ben Rav Shmuel Mordechai, Avraham ben R' Yitzchok Zev, R' Dovid Meir ben R' Shmuel.

In perek beis posuk beis the Hashem tells Moshe "Ish al diglo b'osos l'veis avosam yachanu Bnei Yisroel mineged saviv l'ohel Moed yachanu" "Bnei Yisroel should encamp, each man at his division according to the signs of their fathers' house at a distance surrounding the Ohel Moed they shall encamp."

 Rashi's davar acher for what "b'osos l'veis avosam" means is as follows. When Yaakov was lying on his deathbed he commanded his sons how they should carry his body out of Mitzrayim. Yehuda Yissachar and Zevulan on the east, and Reuven Shimon and Gad on the south.

The Medrash Tanchuma says like Rashi that the Torah really only needed to say "ish al diglo yachanu" and not "osos". The Torah said "osos" because when Yaakov was lying on his deathbed he commanded Yehuda, Yissachar and zevulan on the east, Reuven, Shimon, and Gad on the south, Dan, Asher and Naftali on the north, and Binyomin, Ephraim and Menashe on the west.
 The Medrash continues that when Klal Yisroel was leaving Mitzrayim Hashem told Moshe to make divisions for encampments. Moshe was afraid that the Shvatim would not like where he placed them and they would argue with him. Hashem calmed him down by saying "Moshe what are you worried about? They already know their place, because Yaakov gave it to them. The way they surrounded Yaakov's bed is how they will surround the Mishkan."
 The Rosh Yeshiva ztl explained that we can see how strong negios are from Moshe's fear. He was the person who spoke straight to Hashem, he was the man who did all the nisim, yet if any given shevet had reason to want to camp somewhere else around the Mishkan, he believed they would argue with him to change it.
 Not only that, Moshe knew the shvatim knew where Yaakov had set them up, he just felt that their negias would even override Yaakov's command. However, Klal Yisroel did not argue with the encampments that Yaakov made because at the time that those positions were accepted, there was no Mishkan and no reason to have negias, once it was set up and negias were created only after that, they did not feel the desire to fight it.

We see from here a few tremendous yesodos. Firstly negias are not some small things that mean nothing, they can be the difference between doing the right and the wrong thing in so many situations. We also can learn that whenever it is possible we should try to look at a situation and figure it out before we are overcome with negia so that we can have an easier time finding the truth.    Good Shabbos

Parshas Bechukosai

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem, Zekaini Moiri R' Baruch Moshe Aryeh ben Harav Zev Yehuda, my cousin Zev Yehuda ben Rav Shmuel Mordechai, Avraham ben R' Yitzchak Zev, R' Dovid Meir ben R' Shmuel....

In Perek Chaf Vav Posuk gimmel the posuk says, "I'm bechukosai teileichu v'es mitzvosay tishmoru va'asisem osam... "If you will go in my chukim and observe my commandments and perform them." The next psukim go on to explain the brachos that one will receive when they go in the ways of Hashem. Rashi explains "I'm Bechukosai teielichu" with the famous words "she'tihiyu ameilim ba'Torah" "You shall be toiling in Torah"

The Medrash brings down the posuk in Tehillim "Chishavti drachay v'ashiva raglay el eidosecha" "I considered my ways and returned my feet to your testimony". Dovid said to Hashem, "Hashem each and every day I would be telling myself all the places I needed to go and I was on my way, but my feet led me to the Batei Knesiyos and Batei Midrashos. "V'ashiva raglay el eidosecha"

 Dovid Hamelech is praising himself that when there were things that he needed to do, probably things that could only get done by the king of the land, his feet led him to learn. The Rosh Yeshiva ztl did not understand this. How could Dovid be praising himself for doing something wrong and against Halacha? If there were necessities for the kingdom that only Dovid Hamelech could do, how could he not take care of them?

 The Rosh Yeshiva explained that obviously Dovid Hamelech was not going against Halacha. The right thing for Dovid to do was to learn. However, he was praising himself because without his tshuka and tremendous love for learning it would be very easy to convince himself that that were so many things to tend to. Even Dovid Hamelech with all his greatness could have been convinced that the correct thing to do was to tend to those things. Not only could he have been convinced, it seems that in his mind he was and he was on his way there, but his feet brought him to where he truly was supposed to be.

 Dovid Hamelech was praising himself for having such a desire for Torah learning that it saved him from mistakes even in cases where he truly believed he should not have been learning.
 Good Shabbos

Parshas Behar

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem. Z'keini Moiri R' Baruch Moshe Aryeh ben Harav Zev Yehuda, My cousin Zev Yehuda ben Rav Shmuel Mordechai. Avraham ben R' Yitzchak Zev, R' Dovid Meir ben R' Shmuel..

In perek chaf Heh posuk chaf ches the end of the posuk says, " v'yatza bayoveil v'shav la'achuzaso" "In the Yovel, it (the field) shall leave and return to his ancestral heritage".

 The Torah commands us that land that we acquire by any means, must be returned to the initial owner by Yovel.

 The Mefarshim write that the mitzva of yovel is from the  "mitzvos sichliyus", the mitzvas that make sense to us.
 The Ramban explains that the reason why the Torah commanded to return the field by yovel was because a man is totally reliant on his field, because from that is his means of supporting his family. Therefore the Torah has mercy on the seller, and commands that the field eventually be returned to him.

The Rambam in his hakdama to mishnayos (Avos:Vav) explains that it is expected of people to keep the "mitzvos hasichliyus" not only because Hashem commanded them, but also because they should understand with their common sense, and believe in their heart that is the correct thing to do. This means that when someone buys a field, he should feel in his heart, that it is correct to return the field to the seller when yovel comes, because it is the sellers means of parnassa.

 The Rosh Yeshiva ztl asks, How is it possible for the buyer to feel this way? Maybe the buyer is a poor fellow and the seller is wealthy and the buyer needs the field to support his family much more than the seller does. How can the Torah expect someone to feel that even without Hashem commanding it, it is what they would do?

 The Rosh Yeshiva explained that we see from here that even when things may be difficult for us, it is possible to put our feelings on hold and to focus and feel for another person and for their needs and worries. It is possible to care about another person so much that even if things are difficult for us, we can still feel for the other person.

 This is not something that many people in Klal Yisroel could do, or even what most people can do. This is something that every single person can accomplish. That is why the Torah considers the mitzva of returning the field a "mitzva sichliyus", a mitzva that can only be fully accomplished with the correct feelings toward another person.
 Good Shabbos.


 

Parshas Emor

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem, Zekaini Moiri R' Baruch Moshe Aryeh ben Harav Zev Yehuda, My cousin Zev Yehuda ben Rav Shmuel Mordechai, Avraham ben R' Yizchak Zev, R' Dovid meir ben R' Shmuel....

In perek chaf veis posuk chaf ches the posuk says, " V'shor o she oso v'es b'no lo sishchatu b'yom echad" "An ox or sheep/goat, it and its child you may not slaughter on the same day".

 The Medrash brings down, Rav Barchay said in the name of R' Levi "Yodea tzadik nefesh b'hemto" "The righteous one knows his animal's soul (their needs) this is Hashem, who wrote in his Torah "lo sikach ha'eim al habanim" "do not take a mother on her children (kill both on the same day). "V'rachamim rishaim achzari" "but the mercies of the wicked are cruel. this is Sancheirev who wanted to kill the mothers and children of Klal Yisroel on the same day. Alternatively the same limud is learnt out from a different mekor with Haman as the bad guy for wanting to destroy of all Klal Yisroel in one day.

The Maharzu explains that the reason why Hashem commanded us not to slaughter an animal on the same day as its child is to place within our hearts the mida of rachmanus and to distance us from the mida of achzariyus. Sancheirev and Haman however, at a time when it was correct to act in a mercifull way acted in a cruel fashion, and wanted to kill mothers and children on the same day.

It seems from Chazal that there was a taayna on Sancheirev and Haman harasha for not acting in a merciful manner. Even though they wanted to completely annihilate the jewish people they should have acted with some rachmanos and not plan to kill the parents and children on the same day..

 The Rosh Yeshiva ztl explained that even Rishaaim gemurim like these that wanted to wipe Klal Yisroel off the face of the map have entrenched somewhere deep in their hearts the mida of rachamim, for they too were created with the tzelem Elokim, and that is something that is impossible to run away from. Therefore it was a taayna on Sancheirev and Haman not only for trying to kill Klal Yisroel, but also for not plannin their genocide in a more merciful fashion.

Even these terrible Rishaim had their natural ingrained yesodos because they are a tzelem Elokim, and therefore were held accountable for fighting their nature. Imagine one of the Bnei Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov, and how special each and every one is for not only being a Tzelem Elokim but for being the true Am Hanivchar.
     Good Shabbos