Parshas R'ei 5768

Commentary by Rabbi Ephraim Nisenbaum

            In the Book of Devarim (Deuteronomy), the prohibtion of idolatry and its punishment is reiterated a number of times. The Torah deals so harshly with those who turn to other gods because it is a rejection of G-d and all He has done for the Jewish people. The idols themselves must be totally destroyed, in order that no memory of them whatsoever remain. There is even a mitzvah to denigrate and mock the names of various idols. The Talmud says that, generally, all forms of mockery are prohibited, except for the mockery of idol worship.

            Although this may seem to be somewhat extreme, the Torah recognizes the powerful lure of alien forms of worship. In order to prevent one from being attracted to heresy it is not enough to present philosophical arguments or even hard evidence. A person must be psychologically removed from it too. This can only be accomplished by viewing idolatry as a total non-entity or as something ridiculous.

            Emphasizing the severity of idolatry even further, the Torah warns that even if a person claims to be a prophet—even performing miracles—if his message is one that negates the commandments he should not be followed. He is a false prophet and his miraculous powers are nothing but a means of testing the   people's faith in G-d.

            Other extreme measures taken regarding idolatry include a person who tries to persuade his friend to serve idolatry. Although he was not successful, the Torah considers the mere effort to be a capital offense. Likewise, a city in Israel where the majority of its inhabitants have served idolatry, is totally destroyed. The worshippers are put to death, and all the belongings are burned.

            The Jews are also prohibited from imitating the ways of the other nations. Excessive grief in mourning, such as scratching one's flesh or tearing one's hair in grief, is prohibited. Although this was common among other peoples, one who realizes that he always has a Father in Heaven, regardless of any personal loss suffered, can deal with grieving a lot easier than someone who does not share this belief.

            The laws of charity are also discussed. Like all other mitzvahs charity too has its Halachic guidelines. The Torah cautions the Jew not to be callous to his fellow's needs and to open his hand generously to offer assistance.

            A person must understand that G-d divides the wealth of the world disproportionately for this very purpose, to allow people to help others.  The money one gives to the poor was not meant for the giver in the first place. It was merely entrusted to him to allocate to others.

 "...If there shall be a poor person among you… you shall open up your hand to him; you shall lend him what he needs... " (Deut. 15:7,8)

            There is a mitzvah to lend a fellow Jew in need, but it is also a requirement to repay one's debt in a timely manner. A word must be kept under all circumstances.

Rav Chaim Kanievsky runs an interest-free loan service in Benei Brak for people in need. A young man who had a scheduled appointment at 9 PM the following Tuesday to repay his loan asked Rav Chaim if he could have an extension, as he could not come up with the necessary funds.

Rav Chaim responded, "Personally I would not mind giving you an extension. However, since that sum of money has already been promised to another person, I really can't do much for you. If it's really difficult I could perhaps extend the loan for an additional half-hour, but not more than that."

Did You Know...

            There is a serious prohibition against eating any type of insect. Microscopic insects are not prohibited if they cannot be seen with the naked eye; however, if they can be seen but are just difficult to notice they are prohibited. One must be very careful when purchasing fruits and vegetables that they are not infested, even if they have passed inspection by the Dept. of Agriculture.

Certain foods simply cannot be cleaned properly, such as Brussel sprouts. Others, such as different berries, need special care in order to be cleaned properly. Proper guidance in preparation is necessary to avoid transgressing several sins by eating tiny insects, even accidentally.

Parshas Eikev 5768

Commentary by Rabbi Ephraim Nisenbaum

            Continuing his monologue, Moshe promised the nation that if they would faithfully keep all of the mitzvos they would receive all types of physical and material blessings. Their crops would be plentiful, their flocks and herds would be fertile and they would be protected from disease and from their enemies. These physical rewards were promised only if the nation, as a whole, observed the mitzvos.

            Moshe reminded the people how G-d had destroyed the Egyptians and all of the other powerful leaders who had stood up against the Jewish people. He also reminded them how G-d had taken care of their every need in the desert for the past forty years. He promised them that G-d would also assist them in conquering the Promised Land easily, as long as they would keep the mitzvos properly.

            Moshe described for them the many virtues of the Promised Land. The land of Israel is rich with beautiful fruits and other natural resources. It is a land that merits G-d's personal attention, and one that responds according to the way its inhabitants behave.

            Moshe also informed the nation that despite their past sins, G-d's love for them remained strong.  Even now, after they had sinned, all G-d really demands of the people is that they fear and love Him by keeping His commandments. Once a person has the proper awe and reverence of G-d, mitzvah observance follows naturally. A person who understands that G-d does not show favor to those who are undeserving of it, nor does He accept bribes or offerings from an unrepentant sinner, will keep all of the mitzvos—not just the ones that he feels are important.

            The Talmud actually understands Moshe's words as meaning that only the fear of G-d is in the hands of man, i.e. the free will to do good or evil. Everything else in the world, i.e. circumstances of health, financial situation, physical characteristics, etc. is in the hands of G-d.

             It is important for a person to realize how little control he really has over most things in life. This is quite a humbling experience for the person who likes to feel that he is pretty much in control of his destiny.

            This understanding is also a prerequisite for prayer, which is also alluded to in this portion. The essence of prayer is the recognition of how much man is really dependent upon G-d. The Rabbis refer to prayer as "service of the heart" and not merely of the mouth, because it is not merely requests, but an admission of man's vulnerability and total reliance upon G-d.
           

"... I prayed also for Aharon at that time… " (Deut. 9:20)

            A friend of mine was waiting to give the name of an ill person to the gabbai to recite a Mi Sheberach, the prayer recited at the Torah for ill people. He kept repeating the name to himself so as not to forget it. To his amazement, however, the fellow in front of him kept rattling off one name after another to the gabbai, off the top of his head.

"How do you remember so many names by heart?" my friend asked.

"These are my kids. Of course I know their names," the man replied.

"How can that be?  They all have different names!"  my friend asked incredulously.

"Well, you see, I'm a pediatric oncologist—and those are my kids' names. I pray for them all regularly."

Did You Know...

A person must offer thanks to G-d after eating any meal. If bread was eaten with the meal, one recites the Grace after Meals. The Grace should be recited in the same place one ate. If one continues the meal elsewhere by eating bread, he may bentch (recite the Grace) in the second location.

One must bentch within seventy-two minutes after completing the meal, as we assume the food has been fully digested by that time. If one eats some more bread after seventy-two minutes have passed, he may still bentch.

If one is uncertain whether or not he bentched, if a few pieces of bread were eaten thus requiring Grace by Torah law, the bentching must be repeated. If only a little bread was eaten, though, it need not be repeated.

Parshas Va-es-chanan 5768

Commentary by Rabbi Ephraim Nisenbaum

             Moshe related how he had hoped after conquering the countries of Sichon and Og that G-d would relent from His decree and allow him to enter the land. G-d, however, refused his request, and all Moshe was allowed to do was climb a mountain and view the land from a distance.

            Moshe also exhorted the people to observe all the mitzvos, and not to detract or add anything to the mitzvos of G-d. The mitzvos can only exert their Divine influence upon a person when they are observed as the will of G-d. When a person detracts or adds to a mitzvah, i.e. introduces five or three sections in the tefillin instead of four, they become the product of his own intellect rather than those of the A-lmighty and they no longer have the same meaning or carry the same value.

            The people were also reminded them that only through keeping the mitzvos properly will they be able to earn the respect of their non-Jewish neighbors. The Torah and mitzvos themselves are the source of the Jew's wisdom, and ultimately they will be seen as such. Although some may think that the more they imitate the ways of the other nations the more respect they will gain from them, Moshe informed the nation that this is not so. Only by the meticulous adherence to all the laws of the Torah, even the ones that may not seem rational, can the Jewish people fulfill their role as a mentor to the nations of the world and thereby earn their respect.

            Moshe reminded the nation about the Divine Revelation they had experienced at Mount Sinai. No other people had ever experienced, or had even claimed to experience, anything along the scale of the Sinai Revelation. It is this experience that is the cornerstone and guarantor of the Jew's faith in G-d and the Torah. It is every Jew's responsibility to transmit this experience to his children, thereby keeping it alive for posterity. 

            The portion contains the Shema, the Jew's daily acknowledgment of G-d's mastery, His unity, and the commandment to love Him. This is considered to be central to the Jewish faith, and is thus repeated twice each day.

            The mitzvah to love G-d with all of one's heart, soul, and resources is the source for many laws. Although life is considered to be sacred in Jewish law, a Jew is obligated to forfeit his life rather than exchange his belief in G-d for any other beliefs. One must also be willing to sacrifice all of his resources in order not to transgress any of the commandments. Ultimately, it is through the sacrifice of time, effort and money that one can develop the proper love for the Al-mighty.

            Moshe warned the people that they would receive the Promised Land only if they would maintain their unique role, and not imitate the ways of the other nations.

"You shall tie them as a sign upon your hand... " (Deut. 6:8)

The Tefillin represent a Jew's devotion to G-d, both intellectually (the head tefillin) and in action (the arm tefillin). The Talmud relates that G-d, too, wears tefillin, representing His devotion to the Jewish people.

Rav Shlomo Lenchner once prayed:   "Master of the Universe! When a Jew drops his tefillin, he picks them up carefully and kisses them, since they carry Your Name. But G-d, Your tefillin carry the name of the Jewish people. Your nation is lying on the ground, trodden upon by all the other nations.  Should You not pick us up and deliver us from exile?"

Did You Know. ..

One must put mezuzah scrolls at the entrance of each room in the house. The room must be at least approximately 36 square feet to need a mezuzah, thus exempting most closets. The bathroom also should not have a mezuzah. The mezuzah must be in the top 2/3 of the doorway, preferably with the bottom of the mezuzah being right at the bottom of the top third.

Some sources recommend placing one's hand on the mezuzah when leaving or entering one's house. Others recommend placing one's hand on the mezuzah and then kissing the fingers. They also suggest offering a short prayer to G-d for success upon leaving one's home.

Parshas Devarim 5768

Commentary by Rabbi Ephraim Nisenbaum

            The Book of Devarim is known as Mishneh Torah, the Repetition of the Torah. It contains Moshe's ethical will to the Jewish nation and many of the mitzvos not mentioned in the first four books of the Torah. Ramban sees the Book of Devarim as the book intended for the nation entering the Promised Land. It was for this reason that Moshe reiterated the severity of serving idolatry so many times; because he foresaw that this would be a challenge for the people in the land.

            Moshe learned from Jacob to postpone his major admonition of the people until shortly before his death. He felt that this way his words would be taken more seriously.

            Moshe began his words by gathering the entire nation together. This was to ensure that no person be able to claim that had he been present at Moshe's words of rebuke, he would have challenged them. Moshe therefore spoke to everyone together, and gave them the opportunity to respond to his chastisements.

            Even while rebuking the nation, Moshe showed consideration. When he reminded them of the history of the past forty years, he only made veiled references to their sins. Though it may be necessary to rebuke another person, one must be careful not to embarrass any individual.

            Moshe reviewed the nation's past sins in order that the people understand the underlying cause behind their sins. Only when this would become clear to them would they be equipped to rectify their misdeeds. As an example, Moshe mentioned that part of the sin of the spies was the way the people had approached him. They clamored around him, rudely demanding that he send spies. This lack of orderliness in itself was improper, even if the request had been appropriate. This, then, may have been the root cause of the sin, and had to be recognized before they could repent for the actual sin of sending the spies and the resulting complaints that they didn't want to enter the land.

            In a similar vein, the Shabbos before Tisha B'Av is called Shabbos Chazon because the Haftara from Isaiah, begins with the words "Chazon Yeshaya: A Vision of Isaiah". It discusses Isaiah's prophecy about the upcoming destruction of the Temple. Isaiah already envisioned a destroyed Jerusalem over a hundred years before the destruction. Although the destruction may have occurred at a later date, the eyes of the prophet already discerned the roots and seeds of the destruction.

"Whoever does not mourn Jerusalem will not merit to see its rebuilding …"  (Talmud)

            Rav Shlomo Wolbe describes a person who sits down to breakfast with the newspaper.  "Ooh! two soldiers killed in an ambush; how terrible…" he murmurs while chewing on his toast. "Oh, Jack's father-in-law passed away. What a shame!" followed by a sip of coffee. "The stock market dropped again. Hmm."  Another sip.  Now imagine a different scene. The same person opens his paper. "The Messiah has come!" screams the headlines. "Interesting," he says as he takes a bite. "A Temple of fire descends from Heaven. Wow!" A sip of coffee. "No obituaries today! How do you like that!" Another sip… One whose heart has become desensitized to other people's pain will not be able to rejoice over the rebuilding of Jerusalem either. Even if he experiences the glory he will not really see it. We must train ourselves to feel the sorrows if we hope to feel the joys.

Did You Know... 

When Tisha B'Av falls after Shabbos, one must complete all eating by sunset. The prohibition against washing on Tisha B'Av also begins at sunset, although one's leather shoes are not removed until after Shabbos is over.

Following Ma'ariv, the blessing on fire is recited before Eicha is read, but Havdala is not recited until Sunday night. On Sunday night, only the blessing on wine and the Havdala blessing are recited.

Although meat and wine are not permitted until noon of the tenth day of Av, as the Temple continued to burn through the tenth day, Havdala may be recited over wine. Even if one is unable to fast on Tisha B'Av, he does not make Havdala until after Tisha B'Av.

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UPDATE: 

It was mentioned that one who is unable to fast need not hear havdalah until Sunday night. There are conflicting opinions regarding this law, and the accepted custom is for an ill person to make havdalah before eating. A child, however, need not hear  havdalah until Sunday night. We apologize for the confusion.