Nahar U'Pashtei Parshas Vayikra

Love Born of Trust

Parshas Vayikra is full of different korbanos; offerings one can or must bring before Hashem. We have spent time in the past discussing the deep hashkafic lessons of one’s korban olah, and I would like to explain this offering from a second angle, strengthening its purpose. An olah is an animal that cost one money to procure, and most of the time produces money in the form of wool, milk, and other staples. When a person offers his animal as an olah it is completely burned on the Mizbei’ach, offering a yardstick to measure his bitachon. Seeing his animal seemingly wasted for this offering should cause one no angst at all, and he should be serene in fulfilling the will of his Creator. Hashem gives and Hashem takes, and everything is His. No possession that one may have is really his own and Hashem can and will give a person what he needs. This is the bitachon of an olah. Sometimes it can be a testament to one’s level; sometimes a test, and other times a push in the right direction. All these themes are essential to the growth of a eved Hashem. But what I would like to discuss further is that an olah presents an element of atonement for a person as well. The Torah says: and it shall be pleasing on his behalf to atone for him. Now, according to what we have presented there is seemingly no place in the olah offering for atonement! How do we reconcile the theme of atonement together with the closeness and clarity of bitachon we spoke of? The answer lies in the type of sins that the olah carries atonement for. The atonement of an olah is mainly for positive commandments that one failed to fulfill. Now, if we examine the difference between abstaining from negative commandments and fulfilling positive mitzvos, a stark contrast emerges. While it is relatively easier for a ben Torah to live as a person who does not cross the line into negative sin, fulfilling the mitzvos to their fullest requires a new medium of motivation. Negative commandments for the most part can be a black and white choice, while a drive to do the mitzvos as Hashem truly desires requires a cultivated desire. And what is it that varies from person to person that in a way measures this drive to do Hashem’s will? It is, of course, bitachon! Bitachon is not just trust, but it is our side of the relationship with Hashem! Those who believe in Hashem and trust in Him also live lives of this trust. Lives where the only thing that can ever matter is His will! It follows then, that they will run to do as He wants and delight in fulfilling the mitzvos! As such, when one is not on the level where he feels this drive to do mitzvos, and he lets some mitzvah slip him by, the olah comes to atone for him. The offering of bitachon serves to strengthen one’s trust, and atone for the trust missing within him. A gut Shabbos! A Project of the YSI Alumni Association Written by R’ Moshe Weiss

Nahar U_Pashtei Parshas Vayikra5781

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Nahar U’Pashtei Parshas Vayakhel Pikudei

Nissan

Seemingly in middle of the redemption, just before the climax of the ten makkos, the Parshah of Rosh Chodesh was told to Klal Yisroel. Hashem gave them this first mitzvahwhile they were yet in Mitzrayim, at the time when they were primed to become His nation. The Rosh Yeshiva ztvk”l would bring out an integral message from this mitzvahto recognize and proclaim the new moon. We are commanded not only to observe the day of the new moon as Rosh Chodesh, but to calculate the precise moment of the new moon’s arrival. Now, this seems puzzling; for this split second is a celestial event, and cannot be viewed from earth! What reason is there for us to mention and recognize something that seems to be of no relevance to us? The reason to recognize and celebrate this moment of rebirth is to remember that we too can always be reborn. Hashem sent us this message at the time of leaving Mitzrayim so that we could build on this fundamental concept. No matter how far one has strayed, even to the point where his holiness cannot be seen with the eye, still he is never lost. His pintele yid remains always and contains the potential to grow into a full moon once more. And this is why the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh was given together with the mitzvah of korban pesach. In the Haggadah we explain the reason for the pesach offering to be in commemoration of the fact that Hashem skipped over our houses on the night of makkas bechoros. And this was, in truth, an act of Divine mercy. For Chazal teach us that at the splitting of the sea the angels cried out, “These are idolaters, and these are idolaters”! Klal Yisroel in Mitzrayim, even those who merited to go out, were steeped in Egyptian culture, down to the forty-ninth level of impurity, and they did indeed have many faults. The very fact that they followed Hashem out into the Wilderness stands for them as a merit for all time. But, at that time they did have many similarities to the Egyptians, and were only beginning their path to holiness. Hashem saw in them the potential borne of being the descendants of Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov, and spared them from death. And indeed, from them a new nation was born. The korban pesach drives the point of Rosh Chodesh home; one must believe in himself the way that Hashem believed in us. When we read Parshas HaChodesh, and prepare to enter the Chodesh of Geulah, we must come forth with a refreshed attitude and a reborn motivation. There is no such thing as being too far away, and no such thing as giving up. As Nissan comes upon us, we must allow ourselves to be enlightened by its message of perseverance and determination. Hashem is behind us and values our potential, and we must do the same. We were chosen in Mitzrayim because we had that spark, that ability to shine forth. Each Rosh Chodesh we can relive this message and create within ourselves a new momentum forward. Let us take advantage of this special time, and perhaps we will yet merit to offer the korban pesach in its proper time. A gut Shabbos! A Project of the YSI Alumni Association Written by R’ Moshe Weiss

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Nahar U'Pashtei Parshas Ki Sisa 5781

Lessons of a Mask

When Moshe Rabbeinu descended Har Sinai with the second luchos on Yom Kippur, the Torah tells us of the incredible light that shone from his face. Moshe was not yet aware of this phenomenon, and his face shone brightly, reflecting his lofty madreigah. Next, the pasuk tells us how Moshe taught the Torah to the nation, and only afterward relates to us that he fashioned a mask to hide the glory of his countenance. The Torah writes that Moshe would remove the mask both when he learned the Torah from Hashem and when he taught the Torah to his students. It is simply a mistake to suggest that this mask was meant to protect the nation from being harmed by the spiritual light that emanated from Moshe’s face, for the Torah explicitly states that the mask was removed from his face each time he taught Torah! What, then, was the purpose of this mask, and why did Moshe Rabbeinu choose to wear it? The answer is that when Moshe learned of the unique spirituality that had been bestowed upon him, his first inclination was to hide it from others. Why should one flaunt his talents and show off his God given gifts? Moshe, the most humble of men, understood this gift from above to be something to aid him in his responsibilities; but certainly nothing to take personal pride in whatsoever. He fashioned a mask to cover the light that shone from his spiritual glory at all times other than when he was learning or teaching the Torah. Moshe understood that the purpose of his madreigah was to inspire and lead the nation, and he therefore allowed his face to shine when he taught Torah. This would instill within the people a great reverence for Torah, and a true yearning for the lofty levels one can attain through it. But, at all other times his face remained hidden. Of course, when he presented before Hashem there was no need for a mask, for there is no concept of hiding anything from Hashem; on the contrary, one is expected to approach learning Torah with every ounce of his given abilities. But most of the time, Moshe wore his mask, for he truly felt that he had no reason to let it shine forth. We must learn this lesson from our great leader, and we must learn it well. Everyone is blessed with different talents, and some more so than others. Some people have money, some great affluence. What a different world it would be if everyone perceived their gifts the way Moshe did, as having been gifted to them for the purpose of completing their unique mission and nothing else. So many pressures of society would vanish in an instant if we would all come to realize that one person’s mission has nothing to do with his fellow’s! Hashem gave each person a purpose, and the exact talents needed to fulfill it. There would be no room for jealousy, no room for negative peer pressure, and free generosity and love for each person. People would allow themselves to live within their means and their abilities, focusing only on the good they could accomplish. Moshe taught us this lesson with his mask; are we ready to listen? A gut Shabbos! A Project of the YSI Alumni Association Written by R’ Moshe Weiss

Nahar U_Pashtei parshas Ki sisa 5781

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