Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Parshas Ha'azinu and Rosh Hashanah - Cheating Death

~Thoughts On The Parsha~
Parshas Ha'azinu
And
Rosh Hashanah



Cheating Death
By: Daniel Listhaus

וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לֵאמֹר: עֲלֵה אֶל הַר הָעֲבָרִים הַזֶּה הַר נְבוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי יְרֵחוֹ וּרְאֵה אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲחֻזָּה: וּמֻת בָּהָר אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹלֶה שָׁמָּה וְהֵאָסֵף אֶל עַמֶּיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר מֵת אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ בְּהֹר הָהָר וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל עַמָּיו: עַל אֲשֶׁר מְעַלְתֶּם בִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמֵי מְרִיבַת קָדֵשׁ מִדְבַּר צִן עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִדַּשְׁתֶּם אוֹתִי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: כִּי מִנֶּגֶד תִּרְאֶה אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְשָׁמָּה לֹא תָבוֹא אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

“Hashem spoke to Moshe in the middle of that day, saying, “Ascend to this mount of Avarim, Mount Nevo, which is in the land of Moav, which is before Yericho, and see the land of Canaan that I give to the Children of Israel as an inheritance, and die on the mountain where you will ascend, and be brought in to your people, as Aharon your brother died on Mount Hor, and was brought in to his people, because you trespassed against Me among the Children of Israel. For from a distance shall you see the land, but you shall not enter there, into the land that I give to the Children of Israel. ”
-Devarim 32:48-52

            The passukim describe that Hashem told Moshe that it was time for him to die. However, Moshe’s death would not be like most. Rather, as Rashi[1] comments, Hashem told Moshe that He would merit the same type of death that Aharon had gotten, on which Moshe declared, “Fortunate is the man who dies by this death!” After all, the Gemara[2] describes that there are 903 forms of death which were created in the world. The best form of death is what is called “neshika” (literally: a kiss). This neshika from Hashem is so swift and smooth it like pulling a hair out of milk.[3]

Rashi[4] points out the seemingly unnecessary detail in the passuk that Hashem spoke to Moshe in the middle of that day. There are countless times where the Torah relates Hashem’s speaking to Moshe. However, besides for here, it never indicates the time of day. Why is it that the Torah here adds this detail?

Rashi explains that there are three[5] places in the Torah where this phrase is used in such a circumstance. The first is by the dor hamabul (generation of the flood). Rashi[6] there comments that aside from being wicked and unwilling to do teshuva, the people in Noach’s time had threatened Noach and his family that if they would try to enter the teivah (ark), that they would break down the ark and kill them. In response to this, the passuk describes that Noach and his family went to the teivah “in the middle of that day” in order for Hashem to demonstrate openly and clearly that His word stands and no matter how much the people wanted to harm Noach, they were unable to do so.

The second instance that the Torah notes that an event happened in broad daylight, right in the middle of the day in front of everyone, was during yetziyas Mitzarayim (exodus from Egypt) where the passuk[7] says, “And it was in the brightest part of that day that Hashem took B’nei Yisroel out from Mitzrayim with their legions.” Rashi[8] explains that the Egyptians were saying, “We swear that if we see the B’nei Yisroel trying to leave, we will not allow them; and not only that but we will take swords and weapons and kill them.” Again, in response Hashem specifically took us out smack in the middle of the day as if to declare, “This is my word which stands and whoever thinks they have the power to object, let him come and try to object.”

Similarly in our parsha, Rashi[9] explains that upon hearing that Moshe rabbeinu was on the verge of dying, the B’nei Yisroel wanted to do whatever they could to keep him alive. They declared, “If we see that Moshe is about to die, we will not let him. A man who took us out of Egypt, and parted the Sea for us, and brought down the manna for us and made the pheasants fly to us, and brought the well up for us, and gave us the Torah, we will not let him die.” In response to this too, Hashem said, “Behold I will take him at midday, and whoever thinks they have the power to object, let him come and try.”

On the surface this Rashi is difficult to understand. It is beautiful that the B’nei Yisroel joined together and voiced their appreciation for Moshe and all he did for them as their leader, but what did they think they could do already to prevent Moshe from dying? If Moshe’s time was up it’s up.

There is a joke told of a religious Jew on a plane who had a worried look on his face. The person sitting next to him turns to him and asks, “Why are you so worried?” The Jew responded, “Flying makes me nervous.” “But I thought you Jews are G-d fearing and when your time is up in this world, it’s up?” “That’s all true,” the Jew responds, “But what if the pilot’s time is up?”

Obviously the joke is just a joke and reality is that the details of hashgacha p’ratis (divine providence) do not allow for unnecessary punishments to befall someone. However in concept, it is true that when Hashem decides a person’s time is up, there is not much one could do to stop it. So what exactly did the B’nei Yisroel have in mind as an effective way of keeping Moshe rabeinu from dying?

The Be’er Ba’Sadeh[10] explains that the B’nei Yisroel’s strategy was to daven intensely and cry out in tefillos (prayers) to Hashem that Moshe be kept alive. The Be’er Ba’Sadeh continues and writes that in response to this Hashem had no choice but to suddenly remove the thought from their heads.

Imagine the scene: Moshe announces that Hashem told him it is time for him to die. Then, millions of people join together for the biggest Jewish asifa (gathering) and ready themselves for fervent prayer to knock down the doors of Heaven and change the gezairah (decree) in order to keep Moshe, their leader, alive. Upon seeing this, Hashem interfered and removed the idea of praying for Moshe from their minds.

There are two problems with this Be’er Ba’Sadeh. First, Hashem had already told Moshe he was going to die. It was set in stone, his fate was determined. How could the tefillos of B’nei Yisroel change this? Why didn’t Hashem just ignore their tefillos? Hashem had an agenda and a schedule for Moshe’s death, how could mere davening be a “threat” to that plan?[11]

Second, how could we begin to understand why Hashem would interfere and prevent B’nei Yisroel from davening? He is the last One we would think would try to get in the way of prayer. We pray to Him! People sometimes try to interfere, the yetzer harrah sometimes tries to interfere, but Hashem? Doesn’t he want us learning His Torah and davening to Him – our King – Who is in control of the world? Why would Hashem hinder us from doing what we are essentially here to do?

Perhaps based on these two questions we could extrapolate two fundamental ideas. First, we see from here that indeed tefillos are more than a religious ritual or custom, tefillos create realities. The stronger the power source, the stronger the tefillah. An individual mumbling words is one level, a person davening with kavanah (proper intention) is another level, and a tzibur (public [gathering]) of three million people joining together with one heart, davening intensely with tears creates a reality so powerful that it would break straight through a gezairah of death like a hot knife on butter. No tefillah gets ignored – Hashem created our world intertwined with physicality and spirituality. Just like there is a teva (nature) and system of rules put in place with the physical world, there is also a system in place for the spiritual world. A tefillah cannot be ignored because Hashem wills our tefillos to form kochos (powers) and realities which must have a consequence and effect somewhere. The delivery might not get to the exact address we requested, nor may it be delivered with overnight shipping, but then again how legibly did we right the address on our tefillah package?  Was it clear and neat or in scribbles and scrawls? Did we put enough stamps or just slap on a couple hoping for the best? An individual has the ability to define the power of his tefillah based on his state of mind, kavanos and middos, However even that has its limits. The power of davening with a tzibur grows exponentially. Extremely powerful forces could be emerged from a tzibur davening together. Tefillos which could wipe out entire nations, change gezairos, and save from death.

This was the strategy B’nei Yisroel had in mind. It was a good strategy and would have succeeded. Hashem had to cause them to forget why they were joining together, otherwise their tefillos would have produced such a powerful ko’ach in the world that the calendar date with Moshe’s death written on it would have been ripped to shreds. The question which remains, however, is why did Hashem interfere?
           
The Nefesh Ha’Chayim[12] writes that even amongst the most righteous, who could even achieve a level of never sinning in their entire lives, it is still extremely rare that every single mitzvah and good deed ever done was perfect and absolutely pure with no other thoughts or motives whatsoever. Even the best people are people and have biases or natural leanings based on personality – no matter how small or slight

Sometimes, the imperfect mitzvos or tefillos could be considered “imperfect” for reasons even slighter. It could be that one could think he is doing something good for only the right reasons and he thought it through multiple times, yet he could be missing information or the clear foresight of all its ramifications.
           
This was the situation that the B’nei Yisroel found themselves in. It is true that they were joining together with the best intentions of ha’karas ha'tov and chesed to try to prevent Moshe from dying. However, they were lacking insight to what the ramifications of such a powerful tefillah keeping Moshe rabbeinu alive could have on them and the world. Things would have been extremely different if Moshe would have been alive to be the one to lead us into Eretz Yisroel. Things might have worked out really well and looked good in the short-run, but the long term consequences, which is knowledge and details only Hashem is privy to, were not necessarily good for us as a nation.

There are so many levels co-existing in the world simultaneously. The physical domain itself, the spiritual realms carrying tefillos and learning, the invisible world of tuma’ah and taharah, the world of constantly changing causes and effects to perfectly interact with each individual according to their purpose and tolerance, the world of human choice, and the world of Hashem’s desired outcomes. All are perfectly balanced by the Master of the world Himself. Hashem gave the power of free choice to people. However, free choice does not mean automatic results. A person could decide to go to a party but that does not mean he will necessarily make it there. A phone call, a car issue, a wrong turn, an accident – any number of interferences could be sent his way to prevent him from being at that party. The decision he is responsible, but whether it plays out according to his will depends on a lot more.

From the B’nei Yisroel’s perspective, their davening on behalf of their beloved leader to keep him alive was pure goodness; and indeed that may be true from the perspective of their choice, but not necessarily from the perspective of considering the numerous co-existing worlds which effect so much more. The decision they made, although praiseworthy, did not fit into Hashem’s plans so it had to be stopped. Ignoring their tefillah wouldn’t work because at that point it would be a reality with the power to break the gezairah, so Hashem had to ensure that the tefillah would not be said and therefore caused the B’nei Yisroel to forget the purpose of their gathering.

Rosh Hashanah, the birthday of the world and mankind – created to serve Hashem and to recognize Him as King upon Whom everything is completely dependent – is an idea which demands by definition intense davening. Davening to Hashem, the only One worthy of davening to, because we rely on Him completely and He is the Creator and Master of the world. When we gather as a tzibbur on Rosh Hashanah to praise Hashem and to daven for a good year for all of B’nei Yisroel, there is the greatest opportunity to produce extremely powerful tefillos to protect B’nei Yisroel and deliver what we ask for speedily and to the right address.

            May this Rosh Hashanah be one of gathering of all B’nei Yisroel with one heart as one unit with meaningful tefillos and proper kavanos so that we experience a year of becoming closer to Hashem without the tzaros. May Hashem answer our tefillos and shower us this year with blessings, success, health, and wealth.

K’sivah V’chasima Tovah!




[1] Devarim 32:50
[2] Berachos 8a
[3] Aharon received this death as well as Miriam. However by Miriam it is not referred to explicitly as neshika out of modesty.
[4] Devarim 32:48
[5] Really, there is a fourth time where the Torah uses such an expression – by Avraham aivinu. See Sifsei CHochomim and Be’er Ba’Sadeh as to why Rashi left this one out.
[6] Rashi Beraishis 7:13
[7] Shemos 12:51
[8] Rashi ibid.
[9] Rashi Devarim 32:48
[10]Devarim ibid.
[11] A third issue with this Be’er Ba’Sadeh is that although it is a nice explanation, it does not seem to be consistent with the other “b’etzem ha’yom ha’zeh” examples which Rashi brings. All the other examples were ones where despite people threatening to try to interfere, Hashem declared “try to stop Me”! Here though is different. Hashem did not allow B’nei Yisroel even try to move ahead with their plan  and then declare that He was going to take Moshe regardless. Rather, that Hashem had to remove the thought from their heads so that they forget what they were going to do to save Moshe.
[12] Nefesh Ha’Chayim 1:6 in the second Ha’gah (gloss)

Photo Credit: http://thriveathu.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/tisha-bav-at-the-kotel.jpg

Friday, September 19, 2014

Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech - Chutes and Ladders: Our Weakness is Our Strength

~Thoughts on The Parsha~
Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech


Chutes and Ladders:
Our Weakness is Our Strength
By: Daniel Listhaus
אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹקיכֶם רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם כֹּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל: טַפְּכֶם נְשֵׁיכֶם וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶיךָ מֵחֹטֵב עֵצֶיךָ עַד שֹׁאֵב מֵימֶיךָ: לְמַעַן הָקִים אֹתְךָ הַיּוֹם לוֹ לְעָם וְהוּא יִהְיֶה לְּךָ לֵאלֹקים כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָךְ וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב:

“You are standing today, all of you, before Hashem, your G-d; Your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers – all the men of Israel; your small children, your women, and your convert who is in the midst of your camp, from the hewer of your wood to the drawer of your water, for you to pass into a covenant of Hashem, your G-d, and into His oath that Hashem, your G-d forges with you today, in order to establish you today as a people to Him and that He be a G-d to you, as He spoke of you and He swore to your forefathers, to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov.”
-Nitzavim 29:9-12

            The Chizkuni comments that the entire B’nei Yisroel – leaders, men, women, children, converts, and servants – whether prominent or not, were all gathered in from of Moshe to accept the bris of Hashem. The Medrash[1] cites that Chizkiyah the son of Rebbe Chiya taught that the reason why Parshas Nitzavim immediately follows the Parsha containing the tochacha (literally: rebuke) and all the k’lalos (curses) of Parshas Ki Savo, is because after hearing all the horrible consequences of not following the way of Hashem, B’nei Yisroel became very frightened and started thinking that perhaps the Torah is too hard to keep and too much a responsibility to bear. Therefore, Moshe rabbeinu got up and announced: “You are standing here today” – meaning, despite all the bad things you have already transgressed while in the midbar (desert) and despite the transgressions being right after accepting the Torah, you are still alive to tell the tale.

The Malbim[2] brings from the medrash[3] that if we stop a moment to look back at history and those who rebel against Hashem or wage war against B’nei Yisroel, we will find that those nations do not last too long. The Dor Ha’Mabul was overturned and destroyed completely. Sodom was completely wiped out, and Mitzriyim (Egyptians) drowned in the sea. Yet, despite B’nei Yisroel’s history of being repeatedly attacked since its inception as a nation, we are still here. Why?

Mark Twain, in an essay, was clearly bothered by this question as well. He wrote:

 “If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world's list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also away out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in the world, in all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”

           
            Indeed, the aforementioned medrash brings a passuk (verse) from Michah[4], “Rejoice not against me, my enemy; although I have fallen, I will rise; although I will sit in darkness, Hashem is a light to me.” When we fall we get back up. The punishments that Hashem sends towards us are never to annihilate us completely. As much as they may threaten and as much damage as they might do, their destiny is to be wiped out and ours is to remain. Just like a person who sets up a metal beam and shoots wooden arrows at it – the arrows’ points touch the pole, but the arrows crack in half in the process, so too the arrows that are aimed at B’nei Yisroel – their points touch us and their threats are real but they can never pierce us to the core, instead they are snapped in half.

            The world has a general perception that angels are greater than people. They are closer to God, pure, and unaffected by the distractions of this world. However, in truth it is that exact reason which makes people, and particularly B’nei Yisroel, so much more prominent. Malachim are created by Hashem in their form to fulfill a particular purpose. Just like no one would praise a bee for making beeswax and honey, because that is what it is programmed to do by nature, so too there is nothing particularly remarkable about a malach remaining pure because it has no other option. Its very nature is to be in the state it is in and has no choice to be or do anything other than what Hashem commands it directly to do.

            People on the other hand are exactly the opposite. Although there are a number of “life settings” which are determined before birth such as if we will be tall or short, strong or weak, smart or not so smart, and rich or poor, we are also born with the freedom to choose how to use our characteristics and  talents. There is no point in praising someone for being smart – he was born that way. However, someone who decides to use his brainpower to help others is indeed praiseworthy. We are born with bechira (free choice) and are challenged to utilize our bechira correctly. If we choose the wrong things and use our talents in destructive ways, we will be held accountable. However, if we are able to make a conscious decision to do kindness and goodness with our abilities, in essence choosing to fulfill the ratson (will) of Hashem, there is nothing better. In this way we as humans are much dearer to Hashem when we do what is right. Malachim follow Hashem’s word because they must, but we have the unique opportunity to follow because we choose to and want to.

            Malachim are called “omdim” (standing) because their status is static. They cannot choose between good and bad, they must just do what they are told to do. We, however, are called “holchim” (moving) because our levels are constantly changing based on our individual thoughts, speech, and actions. Unfortunately, in the process, we often find ourselves sinking levels and taking steps rapidly down the ladder. However, we must not allow these experiences to mislead us and change our perception to think that bechira is a weakness of mankind. It is not. Bechira is our strength and makes us stand out from all creations and categorizes us as even more prominent than the holiest of malachim.

            During the month of Elul, and certainly as we get closer to the Yamim Noraim, we often think of Hashem as a scary King waiting to punish us for all the things we have done. However it is not like that at all. The fact that we are standing here today is proof that Hashem loves us and is cheering for us to make the right decisions. He does not give up on us and we should certainly not give up on ourselves. Hashem is more than a king who punishes and rewards, He is a king who protects His subjects and even more the B’nei Yisroel who are referred to as His own children.[5] B’nei Yisroel have special roots tied to Hashem which can never be severed. The arrows which sometimes need to be shot at us to give us a wakeup call are meant to do just that. Never will we be wiped out because we are chosen by Hashem as His nation with the privilege of having the potential to use our strength of bechira in ways more powerful than any other nation on Earth. And when we do wake up and choose the path of following ratson Hashem, it becomes impossible, by definition, for enemies and impediments to get in our way.

            May Hashem help us during the time of ani l’dodi v’dodi li (I am to my beloved [Hashem] and my beloved is to me),[6] that Hashem’s role of King and judge over the world includes the fact that we are His beloved subjects and children who He has confidence in and cheers for our success in utilizing our bechira properly.



[1] Medrash Tanchuma – Nitzavim 29:9
[2] Torah Ohr, Devarim 29:9
[3] Medrash Tanchuma ibid.
[4] Michah 7:8
[5] See Avos 3:18
[6] Shir Hashirim 6:3 – the first Hebrew letter from each word in the phrase spells out Elul

Photo Credit: via Google Images http://www.playthepast.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Chutes-and-Ladders.jpg

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Parshas Ki Savo - The Three Lively Hallows: Reign in the Rain Versus Formation Skydiving

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~
Parshas Ki Savo



The Three Lively Hallows:
Reign in the Rain Versus Formation Skydiving
By: Daniel Listhaus

יִפְתַּח ה' לְךָ אֶת אוֹצָרוֹ הַטּוֹב אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם לָתֵת מְטַר אַרְצְךָ בְּעִתּוֹ וּלְבָרֵךְ אֵת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶךָ וְהִלְוִיתָ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים וְאַתָּה לֹא תִלְוֶה

“Hashem shall open for you His storehouse of goodness, the heavens, to provide rain for your land in its time, and to bless all your handiwork; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.”
-Ki Savo 28:12

            Immediately after the Torah lists the curses of those who violate various mitzvos, the Torah writes about the goodness that comes when we in fact listen to the word of Hashem and follow His commandments.[1] The passuk describes that one of the rewards we receive from listening to Hashem is that Hashem will open His storehouse and allow it to rain. The Torah here is clearly communicating the connection between the world of ruchniyus (spirituality) and gashmiyus (material). The fact that there are physical ramifications based on whether we listen to Hashem or not, is no doubt a promise that only Hashem Himself could guarantee.

            The Gemara[2] quotes Rabbi Yochanan as saying that there are three keys which Hashem has kept in His own hands and has not entrusted to any messenger:[3] the Key of Rain, the Key of Childbirth, and the Key of techiyas ha'meisim (the Revival of the Dead). The mishna[4] says that we mention the power of rain in the second beracha of shemoneh esreh – the beracha known as 'gevuros' (G-d's might). It is no coincidence that the other two main topics we mention in this beracha are the facts that Hashem is the One Who sustains life and Who is able to revive the dead. We refer to Hashem as gibbur (strong) because of His power to sustain life, control rain, and revive the dead.

            What is the connection between these three powers of Hashem? And why is rain different than other areas of nature in that it comes only during times when we are following the word of Hashem?

            The Gemara vaguely explains that the reason the power of rain is mentioned specifically in this beracha is because it is equivalent to resurrecting the dead. The meforshim (commentaries) explain that the common denominator between the three keys of reviving the dead, childbirth, and rain is that they all provide life. However, even with this commonality, if one were asked to design a logo representing the power of Hashem, certainly of these three things one would choose to depict an image representing techiyas ha'meisim. After all, revival of the dead is something completely out of this world! It is something beyond comprehension and any scientific explanation. Childbirth may be a close second-place but leaving aside the miraculous aspects of childbirth, starting with where the neshama (soul) comes into the picture if it is external to DNA,  most of the process is understandable and predictable. Rain seems by far the “easiest” feat for Hashem to do. Rain is just so normal and happens so often that it almost seems ridiculous to associate this with Hashem being a “gibbur”. So is there perhaps a deeper understanding in the connection of these three keys which we use to define Hashem as the ultimate gibbur?

            Additionally, the mishna[5] states, “Who is strong (gibbur)? One who conquers his personal inclination”. Is there a connection between why we refer to Hashem as the ultimate gibbur and what the mishna states defines a person as a gibbur?

            There is no question that skydiving is quite a thrilling sport. However, those who just do not get excited enough while free falling through the air and remain clear-headed and bored, often enjoy to go skydiving in groups and do what is called formation skydiving. A group of people jumping out of a plane right after another will be falling pretty close to each other and could easily collide. The game is to instead turn in different ways in the air to direct yourself and catch up to the rest of the group and then hold hands or grips on the skydiving suits to form various mid-air formations. Although the risks of this sport are obvious to all, when it comes to “sky diving” raindrops, it is a completely different story. The medrash[6] relates that Hashem appoints a malach over each and every drop of rain. Despite the fact that the drops fall a great distance from very high up, the drops never attach to each other. Rather each and every droplet of rain is controlled by a specific ratzon (will) of Hashem to serve a unique purpose in the exact location it falls in. There is not even one drop of rain that falls without a specific instruction and intention from Hashem.

            This is precisely the common denominator between the three keys. All three represent the fact that all of life is dependent on nothing other than Hashem Himself. In order for anything to exist at any given point it has to be connected to Hashem's ratzon to exist – for Hashem is the only source of life, as He is Life itself. These three keys demonstrate this point that Hashem is the ultimate gibbur on Whom everything else is dependent. He intentionally sustains us by willing us to be in this world, and could bring a person back even after death, as well as is the source of life for every aspect of all His creations. Everything is here for a purpose and everything is here only because of Hashem's ratzon.

            With this understanding, we could perhaps better appreciate the connection in this week's parsha between the spiritual realm and the physical world. If we listen to Hashem and keep His mitzvos, we become attached to Hashem Himself and He in turn showers us back with life. Indeed the Torah and mitzvos are our life as we say every night during ma'ariv,[7] “...For they [the Torah and mitzvos] are our life and the length of our days and about them we will contemplate day and night....” Our task is to keep the Torah and mitzvos, conquer our yetzer harrah (evil inclination) and become a gibbur. In turn, Hashem deals with us as a gibbur and allows us to attach ourselves to Him.

            As we head into the second half of the month of Ellul and get closer to Rosh Hashanah we must start thinking about the fact that Hashem is the Melech (King) over the entire world. Not merely a Ruler Who has subjects that must listen because they live within His land, but a King whose people must obey because they exist only through His will. We must utilize our bechira (free choice) to want to become gibborim and choose life as the passuk[8] says, “u'v'charta b'chayim” - and you should choose life.

            With this in mind may we merit to achieve what we ask Hashem for in Shemoneh Esreh during the eseres y'mei teshuvah (10 days of repentance from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur) – “zachreinu l'chayim melech chafetz ba'chayim, v'chas'veinu b'sefer ha'chayim, l'mancha Elokim chaim” - Remember us for life, O King Who desires life, and inscribes us in the Book of Life – for your sake, O Living G-d.



[1]    This is then followed by the main part of the tochacha, which describes the horrors that will come if we do not listen to the mitzvos.
[2]    Ta'anis 2a
[3]    The rishonim ask that we see in tanach that there were indeed people who who seem to have had control over one or more of these 'keys'. See Rashi there who learns that Hashem never gave over all three keys at the same time to one person. Tosfos maintain that the Gemara means that although Hashem has granted some people control over these keys, He never gave a key indefinitely. Others learn that Hashem never gave more than one key to the same person at the same time.
[4]    Berachos 33a (Mishnayos Berachos 5:2)
[5]    Avos 4:1
[6]    Devarim Rabbah 7:6
[7]    Evening Prayer
[8]    Devarim 30:19

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Parshas Ki Savo - Stop, Drop, and “Four Score and Seven Years Ago...”

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~
Parshas Ki Savo

Stop, Drop, and “Four Score and Seven Years Ago...”
By: Daniel Listhaus

וְהָיָה כִּי תָבוֹא אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הֹ' אֱלֹקיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בָּהּ: וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר תָּבִיא מֵאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹקיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ וְשַׂמְתָּ בַטֶּנֶא וְהָלַכְתָּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר הֹ' אֱלֹקיךָ   לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם

“It will be when you enter the land that Hashem, your G-d, gives you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it, and dwell in it, that you shall take the first of every fruit of the ground that you bring in from your land that Hashem, your G-d gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that Hashem, your G-d, will choose, to make His Name rest there.”
-Ki Savo 26:1-2

            The parsha starts off with a rather unusual process. After dwelling in Eretz Yisroel, one must bring his bikkurim (first fruits) to the kohen. The Torah[1] relates that each person comes before the kohen and says, “I declare today to Hashem, your G-d, that I have come to the land that Hashem swore to our forefathers to give us.” The kohen then places the basket of bikkurim before the mizbeach Hashem (altar of Hashem) and the individual then continues with a whole Gettysburg address:

“An Aramaean[2] would have destroyed my father, and he descended to Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation – great, strong, and numerous. The Egyptians mistreated and afflicted us, and placed hard work upon us. Then we cried out to Hashem, the G-d of our forefathers, and Hashem heard our voice and saw our affliction, our travails, and our oppression. Hashem took us out of Egypt with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, with great awesomeness, and with signs and with wonders. He brought us to this place, and He gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And now, behold! I have brought the first fruit of the ground that you have given me, Hashem!”[3]

            There are a couple of intriguing aspects to this procedure. First, these passukim (verses) sound like something that should be part of the Pesach seder[4], not something that should be said when bringing first fruits to the kohen. What is the connection between the bringing of the new fruits and recalling a history of all that Hashem has done for us?

            Furthermore, why does the kohen have to suffer through this so many times just to get a basket of fruit? Let each man say it for himself in his field when he is gathering the fruits into the basket. Why does this speech have to be said in front of someone else?

            Perhaps we could come to better understand all of this if we recognize a common fault in human nature. As humans, we are susceptible to fall victim to what is called Hindsight Bias. The concept of Hindsight Bias is the idea that there is a tendency for humans to view a known outcome as having been the most probable outcome since the onset. In other words, people often look back at a series of events and see the order and cause-and-effect relationship which exists between past events, and subsequently think about how predictable the outcome was all along. In 1975, Baruch Fischoff set off to demonstrate this idea with the following study. Fischoff gathered a group of students and provided a historical case which they were unaware of. Some of these groups he told what the real historical outcomes were, while others he did not. For example, he told them about the Anglo-Nepalese War - a fight which took place in the early 1800's between the British and the Gurkhas. He then gave them a few choices of possible outcomes and asked them what they thought was the consequence of that particular war. The results he found were that most of those to whom he had told the real outcome, said that they would have indeed assumed that to be the most likely outcome. However, those who he had not told did not guess the real outcome any more than any of the other choices.

            We live in a world of cause-and-effect; the actions we do seem to create real consequences. Imagine the following: You invest a tremendous effort going through school, go through the strains of finding a job, finally get a job, and work hard. Then, your first pay-check comes and you hold it up high, saying, “Yeah! Now I could go spend some of the money that I made!” One could get so caught up thinking that since he had to work hard to see the desired consequence, he must have been in control from the onset. The Torah[5] though warns against this reasoning, as it says, “...And your heart will grow haughty and you will forget Hashem your G-d... and you will say in your heart: My power and the might of my hand have wrought this wealth for me. Then you shall remember Hashem your G-d, for it is He who gives you the strength to amass wealth....” We cannot allow ourselves to be swallowed by this haughtiness. Rather, we must stop and think about the fact that it is not really us who causes things to happen, it is really all through the yad Hashem (hand of Hashem).

            We often get stuck in this aspect of the Hindsight Bias in that we could look back at events which really only occurred because Hashem worked them out for us. Yet, we fail to see Hashem as part of our lives and instead attribute the past to the most probable series of outcomes.

            There is a story told about an atheist who was late to an important appointment. Upon reaching the parking lot to the office complex, he noticed that all the parking spaces were full. In desperation, he said, “Please G-d let there be an extra space for me so I could make it in time for my meeting.” At that moment, a car pulled out of a space right in front. The man pulled into the spot and finished his first and last prayer saying, “Never mind, I found one.”

            A person who does not want to recognize Hashem as part of his life will indeed never see Him. However, it is our job to realize that Hashem is not merely the borei (creator) of the world, but also the manhig (director).[6] Hashem plays a personal role in each of our lives, and it is our job to acknowledge this. Thinking otherwise constitutes a misuse of the middah (trait) of gaivah (haughtiness) and is comparable to worshiping ourselves, instead of Hashem. This is why a ba'al gaivah is considered to be doing avodah zarah[7].

            Perhaps this is exactly the purpose of the long monologue the Torah commands us to say when we bring bikkurim. We enter into Eretz Yisroel, fight battles, and work hard on our land. When we finally get to the point of benefiting from the fruits of our labor, there are two approaches we could take. One perspective is to look back with a false sense of hindsight and say how everything that occurred was in fact the most probable outcome to have happened. However, this approach is full of sheker (falseness). Instead, the view we must adopt is one of realizing Hashem's integral role in our everyday lives. Each person must take his first fruits and stop to think, “How did I get to this point of being able to benefit from my fruits?” We must go back and remind ourselves how it was all through the guidance of Hashem which got us to where we now stand.[8]

            This is the first step. Stop and think who it really is controlling the world as a whole, and each and every person's individual life. However, as we see from the parsha of bikkurim, to just stop and think is not enough, we must actually verbalize our thoughts and say it to the kohen. Why is this necessary?

            Rashi[9] comments that when the Torah commands each person to say the aforementioned speech to the kohen, the reason for it is to show that you are not unappreciative. This Rashi is pretty vague but is based on a Sifrei[10] that the reason we must actually say this speech in front of an individual, is because that is the only real way to express appreciation. The Hebrew word for 'thanks' is hoda'ah,which is also the same word for 'admit'[11]. This is not a coincidence. When one thanks someone else, one is essentially admitting that he needed their help and depended on them. Therefore, a true expression of thanks only comes by humbling oneself – by admitting his feelings to another person. Therefore, upon bringing the bikkurim, in order to demonstrate that the feeling of appreciation to Hashem is real, each person must speak out his thanks to Hashem's representative, the kohen.[12]

            This concept that a true hoda'ah must be done verbally, is something that used to be relevant on a daily basis. Before the mass-production of siddurim, the role of the chazzan was slightly different than it is now. Members of a shul would listen carefully to every word the chazzan recited, and it would be as if he had said the tefillos himself. This works through the principle of shome'ah k'oneh (hearing is like answering). This principle allows one to listen and have in mind to be yotzei (fulfill one's obligation) with someone else doing so. However, despite the many areas we use this rule, when it comes to the paragraph of modim (“we thank you...”) in shemoneh esreh, it is not enough for one to merely listen to the words of the chazzan. Instead, each and every individual must recite his own personal modim.

            This is the lesson of the parsha – we must take a moment to stop, and drop any illusions that we may have that we are actually in control of our lives and determine the outcomes of our actions. Then, it is time to roll out the script and verbalize an admittance of thanks to Hashem, because, as Rashi says, that is the only way to really show that you have an appreciation for all that He does for you.



[1]    Devarim 26:3
[2]    The mainstream understanding follows Rashi's opinion (26:5) that this refers to Lavan. See Rashbam there who holds it refers to Avraham's father Terach.
[3]    Devarim 26:5-10
[4]    Which they are (in the Maggid section).
[5]    Devarim 8:14-18
[6]    See the thirteenth Ani Ma'amin (Thirteen Principles of Faith).
[7]    Orchos Tzadikkim: Sha'ar HaGaivah
[8]    See also Sifsei Chachomim (Devarim 26:3)
[9]    Devarim 26:3
[10]  Sifrei 299-301
[11]  This is why Jews are called “Yehudim” (which comes from the same root: hoda'ah) because it is our job to constantly recognize, thank, and admit to our dependency on Hashem. In fact, our day starts with this theme every morning, as we say, “Modeh ani l'fanecha” - “I give thanks/admit before you...”.
[12]  Chizkuni (Devarim 26:4) 

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