Va’era 5775 January 16, 2015

A Taste of Stories For The Soul Lost and Found I Can’t Breathe By Mordechai Fleisher Rabbi Chatzkel Levenstein (1895- Things are looking very bleak. Pharaoh Matriarchs are thusly called because their does not seem to be terribly interested in colossal accomplishments formed a spiritual 1974) was once traveling in a taxi allowing the Jewish people out of Egypt – genetic code, genes that are the basis of an driven by a secular Israeli driver. The ever. On the contrary, when he hears from entire nation - just as a parent provides the driver turned to Rav Chatzkel and Moshe that there is agitation to stop working genetic material for a child. Every single told him the following remarkable and go on a three-day spiritual journey in Jew is thus the beneficiary of the greatness story: the desert, he responds by increasing the these giants achieved. Except that we aren’t workload on the Jewish slaves, demanding just born with these traits at the forefront After he had completed his army that they now gather their own straw while of our personas; we need to unlock the duty, he had joined a group of non- maintaining their daily output. Moshe, great potential that lies, latent and waiting, religious soldiers on a safari trip to feeling he has failed in his sacred mission, within our souls. Our Sages comment that returns to Hashem and questions why he has South America. As they trekked a person is obligated to say, “When will my through the jungle one day, a boa been sent, as well as why the Jewish People deeds reach the deeds of my ancestors?” must suffer so. Hashem responds by telling This ambition is not merely a wishful constrictor suddenly attacked one of Moshe, “You will now see what I will do to expression of one’s hope to become great; them, wrapping its huge body around Pharaoh, for through a strong hand will he it is a realization that each and every one of him, squeezing the life out of him. send them out, and with a strong hand will us possesses the greatness of our forefathers he drive them from his land.” (Shemos 6:1) The group threw rocks and stones within ourselves, and that we need to reach at the snake, to no avail. With his last And thus ends Parshas Shemos. deep into ourselves to make it a reality. Which brings me to this week’s parsha, When Moshe, great as he was, erred in remaining breath, the man screamed Va’era. At the outset of this week’s parsha, questioning the Divine plan, thus displaying out the verse of Shema Yisrael. As Hashem tells Moshe, “And I appeared to a lack of the perfect trust displayed by his Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov...” (Va’era soon as the words left his lips, the illustrious ancestors, Hashem informed him 6:3) Rashi cites a Midrashic interpretation boa constrictor loosened its grip and that he failed to manifest that faith that he, that Hashem, responding to Moshe’s slithered off into the jungle. in fact, possessed within himself, that faith question of “Why have you done evil to that was his heritage from the Patriarchs. The victim, his life saved, was this people?” (Shemos 5:23) invoked the profoundly affected by this event, Patriarchs in contradistinction to Moshe’s The Patriarchs live on in this world through behavior. Our Sages tell us that Hashem us, their descendants, as we carry on their and gradually returned to Torah-true said, “Woe for those who are lost and cannot work. But when there is a failure to “reach ; he was now a fully-observant be found. I must grieve over the deaths of the deeds of my forebears”, then they are Jew. indeed dead and gone from this world, lost the Patriarchs… they didn’t question My After hearing the story, Rabbi actions, but you said, ‘Why did you harm somewhere in the recesses of our souls – for this people?’” we have failed to find that greatness within Levenstein turned to the driver and The diction used by Hashem in His ourselves. asked, “What about you? After seeing critique of Moshe is strange. Why does I believe that this can also explain the such a miracle, why didn’t you became Hashem bemoan the Patriarchs as “those apparent verbiage, “lost and cannot be Torah-observant?” The driver looked found”. For within each and every one of who are lost and cannot be found”? Even at the rabbi and replied, “Kevod if they have passed on from this world, us lies the great potential of our Patriarchs Hashem certainly knows where to find the and Matriarchs, greatness that is lost in the Harav, why should I have become souls of our righteous forebears! Secondly, recesses of the soul – and we are charged religious? The snake wasn’t wrapped the statement “lost and cannot be found” with discovering it. If we come up short, around me!” seems to contain an element of redundancy; if we are unable to reveal our ancestors’ Pharaoh, despite the many signs generally, something that is lost cannot be qualities within ourselves, then we, too, found; if it can be found, it isn’t really lost! must accept the scathing criticism that and miracles displayed, refused to Rabbi Zev Leff, Rav of Moshav Matityahu Moshe was subjected to – “it cannot be submit himself to Hashem. We would in Eretz Yisroel, provides a wonderful and found”. do well to avoid making a similar enlightening approach. The Patriarchs and error. Kollel Happenings Increase Your Jewish IQ By: Rabbi Yaakov Zions CONTAGIOUS DISEASES AT Last week we asked: Which haftaros are (and not together with Parshas Vayakhel), they FEB.11 TORAH FOR TYCOONS sometimes repeated twice in one year? share the same haftarah, according to the Sefardic custom. A: 1) When Parshas Ha’azinu is read on a Join Dr. Daniel M. Mogyoros, Shabbos between Yom Kippur and Sukkos, its This week’s question: Which parsha can be infectious diseases specialist, haftarah is the same as that of the seventh day read twice – it its entirety – within one year? and Rabbi Eli Mozes, of Pesach. 2) In a walled city such as , Addition to last week’s answer: An additional Community Scholar of the where Purim is on the fifteenth of Adar and not haftarah that is repeated during the year is the the fourteenth, Purim can occur on Shabbos. Denver Community Kollel, haftarah of Parshas Noach. Half of it is read for When this occurs, the haftarah of Parshas Zachor, as they explore the rethics of Parshas Re’eh and half for Parshas Ki Setze. treating contagious diseases. which was read a week earlier, is recited a second February 11th, 12-1:15 p.m. at time. : 3) If the last day of Chanukah occurs on To submit an answer to Rabbi Zions, email the East Side Kosher Deli. Cost: Shabbos, and Parshas Pekudei is read by itself [email protected]. $25. RSVP [email protected]. Ask the Rabbi INSIDE THE ALEPH-BAIS Blowing out Candles Brian Connack from Jerusalem wrote: There is a unique fascination As for not blowing out candles in general, the with the and Dear Rabbi, following reason has been said in the name of the aleph-bet. Mystical sources Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky (the ‘Steipler’), explain that the letters of the I would like to ask the rabbi a question. I have zatzal: aleph-bet are the building noticed that when people put out their havdalah blocks of the whole world. candles after Shabbos, rather than blowing the There’s an angel whose name is the same as the Discover the world of the aleph- candle out, they put it out in the spilled wine. sound produced when you blow out with force. bet with Rabbi Heyman in this I was also at a birthday party recently and the According to Kabbalistic tradition, it’s improper informative, dynamic class. hostess insisted that the birthday boy not blow to make use of the names of holy angels. Many For time and location, contact out the candles, rather she put them out by people, therefore, extinguish candles by hand in [email protected]. hand. I would like to know if there is any basis to order not to pronounce the name of this angel. this custom and if there is, what is the difference between blowing out a candle and extinguishing Another explanation: The Torah depicts man’s A DEEPER LOOK AT THE it by hand. soul as being a ‘breath’ from Hashem. The soul PARSHA WITH RABBI is also compared to a flame. Using your breath to SHACHNE SOMMERS Dear Brian, blow out a candle is an ironic gesture, using one ‘soul’ to extinguish another. Join Rabbi Shachne Sommers There are actually three customs here: as he discusses a number of -Extinguishing the havdalah candle after havdalah I know a rabbi who puts out candles by saying difficulties encountered in the -Extinguishing it in wine the word ‘Purim,’ forcefully emphasizing the weekly Torah portion, and -Not blowing out candles in general letter ‘P’. And a friend of mine saw his Kung Fu develops a comprehensive instructor put out a candle by punching it! approach to resolve the issue, Before light bulbs were invented, they used simultaneously conveying candles! Extinguishing the havdalah candle Sources: a deeper understanding of immediately after havdalah demonstrated that it Rama, Orach Chaim 296:1 was lit solely for a , and not as a regular Shulchan Aruch HaRav 296:5 the material being discussed. source of light. Kaf Hachaim, Yoreh De’ah chapter 116 halacha 115 Sunday nights, 7:40-8:30 pm, “Wine spilling like water,” says the , “is Responsa Rivevot Ephraim IV 45:35, that one at the Kollel for men, 1516 a sign of blessing.” In order to start the week off shouldn’t blow out a flame-Chulin 105a,b & Tosafos, Xavier, and Tuesday nights right, we fill the cup of havdalah so that a little Berachos 53b and Tosafos at the Southeast Kollel Torah spills out. And not only do we spill wine, but Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 181:1, 10; M. B. 22. center, 8-9 pm, for men and we spill it ‘like water.’ That is, we use it lavishly women. -- to put out a flame; something you would never Reprinted with permission from Ohr Somayach, think of doing with wine. Jerusalem, www.ohr.edu The Torah Weekly is made possible through a generous grant from the Harry H. Beren Foundation of Lakewood, NJ, in memory of Harry H. Beren, z”l. Denver Community Kollel: 1516 Xavier Street, Denver, CO 80204 Tel: 303-820-2855 Fax: 303-820-2806 Email: [email protected] Web: www.denverkollel.org To receive Torah Weekly by email, send an email to [email protected]