Parshas Devarim July 16, 2021

A Taste of Torah Stories for the Soul Heaven on Earth by Rabbi Chaim Gross No Rush Order Rabbi Moshe Kliers (1876-1934) was the We find ourselves toward the end of what is have prolonged tenure in Eretz Yisrael, “like rov of the city of Teveria (Tiberias) in Eretz known as the Three Weeks, the time period the days of Heaven on Earth.” Again, a cryptic Yisrael. One of his responsibilities in that during which we are meant to mourn the loss statement – what is meant by “the days of capacity was leading Ohr Torah in of the Bais Hamikdash, our Holy Temple which Heaven on Earth”? the city. was destroyed some two thousand years ago. The key to all this lies in our third and final Rabbi Kliers delivered lectures and oversaw We are meant to feel pain and sadness over source: a verse in Tehillim (Psalms 115:16) the spiritual matters of the yeshiva, while his its absence, to realize the void in our lives... which we recite during Hallel. The verse states, son served as administrator. The bulk of the But the age-old question haunts us and tugs at “The Heaven - Heaven is for Hashem and the financial upkeep of the yeshiva fell upon the each of our hearts: How are we to yearn for a Earth He gave to Mankind.” Now what in the shoulders of Rabbi Kliers and his son. reality which, to us, is nothing more than an world is that trying to say? And what is the A major source of revenue came from intangible fantasy that we never experienced? meaning of the repetition at the beginning of overseas contributions of Jews in the Let us take a look at the text that tells the story the verse? Diaspora. Letters were mailed regularly to of this Destruction, let us peruse its verses, The Kotzker Rebbe (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Jews across the world, and they responded and hopefully emerge with a new perspective Morgenstern; 1787-1859), as quoted by Rabbi by sending money back to the yeshiva. on this special time of sadness. Moshe Shapiro, explains that this last verse However, delivery of letters overseas only The second chapter of the Book of Eicha is actually expressing the entire mission of took place once every three months; missing (Lamentations) begins with the following humanity and the purpose of its existence. this shipment meant waiting another three words: “Hishlich mishamayim eretz tiferes Yisrael,” When Hashem created the Universe, He had months. which is translated as, “He (G-d) cast down a vision in mind – that of a utopian reality in It once occurred that Rabbi Kliers’ son from Heaven to Earth the glory of Israel.” which there was complete recognition of His was very busy and was running out of time However, when one carefully scrutinizes oneness, where spirituality and G-dly worship to a batch of letters to the post office the verse, he will see that this is not entirely reigned supreme. However, Hashem did not before the shipping deadline. Missing the accurate. The verse, translated literally, reads, create that reality in one unit; rather, He deadline was no simple matter, as it would “He cast down from Heaven Earth.” There is divided it into two halves. The first, Heaven, result in a three-month delay of the process of obtaining the always-needed funds. no “to” prefix before the Hebrew word “eretz,” was indeed made in that ultimate state of “Earth,” resulting in a seemingly unintelligible perfection, but the second half, the Earth, was On the very last day before the shipment phrase. However, as we journey through the created in a state of imperfection, and was left would be sent, the son called his own son next paragraphs together, we will discover that to Mankind to complete. That is the deeper over, gave him the package of letters, and asked him to hurry to the post office to drop in this fragmented sentence is hidden the two- meaning of the verse: It begins by telling us them off before it closed, explaining how thousand-year-old pain that we are meant to G-d’s ultimate intent that everything should important it was that these letters be mailed. experience today in 2021. be Heavenly. But what did He do? Heaven was The boy was about to depart on his mission Let us attempt to follow these key words, made perfect, as G-d’s domain, and the Earth when he encountered his grandfather, was placed in the hands of flesh and blood to “Heaven” and “Earth,” to three other places Rabbi Moshe Kliers. Rabbi Kliers stopped in the Torah, which can unlock for us the elevate it, to transform it into Heaven. his grandson and said, “Don’t run! If secret of the aforementioned verse. How does one go about accomplishing that? you run, you will lose your sense of yishuv The first is in Parshas Vayeitzei (Bereishis How do we turn this world of physicality into hada’as (calmness of mind and composure). 28:17), where Yaakov stops to rest as he G-d’s domain? Here we return to the verse in It is worth losing one million dollars rather flees from his brother Eisav’s murderous Parshas Vayeitzei. Yaakov sleeps at the future than losing your yishuv hada’as for even a intentions. Yaakov falls asleep at the very spot site of the Bais Hamikdash and dreams of moment!” where the Bais Hamikdash was destined to be a ladder that rests upon Earth but reaches In this week’s parsha, Moshe criticizes built, and dreams – of a ladder which rests Heaven. Yaakov internalizes its message – that the Jewish People for the way they had upon the Earth but its head reaches Heaven this place has the potential to bridge the gap approached him with their request to send itself. Yaakov awakens and exclaims, “Behold, between Heaven and Earth, that through the spies to the Land of Cana’an; they came here will be the house of G-d, and this is the Bais Hamikdash that would one day stand in a disorderly, panicked fashion. This gateway to Heaven!” there, G-d’s presence would rest in this world, inauspicious start eventually led to the The second location is later on in Parshas thereby transforming it into Heaven itself. disastrous Sin of the Spies. Eikev (Devarim 11:21), a verse which we recite Truly, it was the gateway to reach that utopian daily in the Shema. There we are told that we vision of an entirely spiritual universe. must do the will of Hashem so that we will This is also the meaning of the verse in continued on back Kollel Happenings Halacha Riddles Last week’s question: When would different point of departure of the extra Shabbos soul KOLLEL TORAH CENTER parts of Havdala be performed on two different (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 556:1 with DEDICATION EVENT/ days by the entirety of the Jewish People? Magen Avraham 1). (Outside of Havdala, it CHANUKAS HABAYIS ON Answer: When Tisha B’Av occurs on Motzoei is permitted to smell fragrant spices on Tisha AUG. 15 Shabbos-Sunday, Havdala is divided in two. B’Av.) One cannot recite the normal Havdala blessing It should be noted that the Havdala addendum The Kollel will hold over a cup of wine due to the fast. That part of to Shemone Esrei, ata chonantonu, is recited as a Celebration of Torah Havdala is recited on Sunday night, following usual; one who is not reciting ma’ariv must with a Kollel Torah Center the fast. However, the blessing of borei mi’orai make sure to say “Baruch Hamavdil bain kodesh Dedication Event/Chanukas ha’eish, recited over a flame, can only be recited lichol” before doing any melacha (Shabbos- on Motzoei Shabbos, and so it is said in its restricted work) (Mishna Berura ad loc.:2). Habayis on Sunday, August regular time. The blessing on fragrant spices This week’s question: How can the recitation 15. Harav Malkiel Kotler is omitted altogether, since it is inappropriate, of a single blessing prevent the need to repeat shlita, of during the mourning of Tisha B’Av, to smell Birkas Hamazon? of the spices meant to provide pleasure at the Lakewood, will grace the event and present the Lives of Our Torah Leaders keynote address. Musical inspiration by Eitan Katz. Rabbi - Part VIII Visit www.denverkollel.org During his time as rabbi of Galena, Rabbi Agudath Israel (or Agudas Yisroel), and he Shapiro became interested in the activities of began to involve himself in its activities. for more details. MOTZOEI SHABBOS A Taste of Torah NACHAMU KUMZITZ continued from front Parshas Eikev. We are told that if we listen to all that while we’ve never experienced that world in The Kollel’s annual Motzoei of G-d’s commandments, we will live peacefully its totality, we have all had moments of it in our Shabbos Nachamu Kumzitz in the Land of Israel – but not simply live there lives, moments when we suddenly reached that will take place on Motzoei in a state of physicality. Rather, it will be “like exhilarating state of absolute clarity, when all Shabbos, July 24th, 10 the days of Heaven on Earth.” It will be that our doubts and uncertainties dissipate. We can ultimate goal, finally achieved, when the line finally “see” G-d, feel His presence all around pm, at the Kollel Torah between sky and land blurs to the point that us and know that there is nothing but Him. Center Youth Center. Live one cannot distinguish the difference between All at once, we are filled with indescribable joy music, inspirational singing, them, cannot tell where one ends and the next and love for our Creator. For one person, it’s refreshments and divrei begins, for in truth there is no end or beginning a moment at the end of Yom Kippur when he Torah. – it is the days when Earth will have become cries out G-d’s oneness, for another it’s during Heaven. G-d will rest His presence among us, the dancing on Simchas Torah. Someone else SUMMER NIGHT SEDER FOR we will feel His closeness, and we will live with might feel it when, after toiling deep into the the clarity of his oneness. night to understand a section of Torah, it BACHURIM CONTINUES This was the world that the Jewish People lived suddenly all comes together. And a fourth will The Kollel’s Summer Night in while they had the Holy Temple. reach it when witnessing the sun setting in a But then came destruction. Suddenly, all that dazzling array of orange, red and purple hues Seder for Bachurim is in full reflecting in the water beneath it. But everyone swing at the West Denver had been achieved, all that had been elevated, came crashing down. That Earth, which had has such Heavenly moments. And when they Kollle Torah Center. Boys been transformed into Heaven, was Heaven come, how we wish that they would last! join the Kollel’s night seder. no longer. And we return to the verse in And so, when we want so much to connect Refreshments and raffles Eicha, which in just three words encapsulates to the mourning and loss of these weeks and nightly. A weekly stipend the magnitude of all that we lost – “Hishlich wonder where to begin, all we need to do is mishamayim eretz” – G-d cast down from Heaven, close our eyes and envision one of those is available for those who Earth. Hashem didn’t throw something from moments, to feel it and let it envelop us – attend consistently. Contact Heaven to Earth. No! He flung from Heaven and then to realize that this is what they had Rabbi Mordechai Fleisher, the Earth itself – and we found ourselves in when there was a Bais Hamikdash – not for one [email protected], for that ugly world of physicality, that world of second, but for every moment of their lives. more details. Sponsored confusion and unclarity, a world devoid of And then, surely, we will be filled with longing for the time when that reality will return, when in memory of Reuven ben G-d’s presence. We wonder: How can I long for that reality it will once again be days of Heaven on Earth – Yosef. when I’ve never experienced it? The answer is may it come speedily in our days.

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