PARSHAS ACHAREI MOS – KEDOSHIM SHORT AND SWEET STORY OF THE WEEK Volume 11, Issue 15 A family member, looking out the window, informed Rav th Iyar 12, 5781/April 24 , 2021 , ZT”L, that the Brisker Rav, ZT”L, was coming to SPONSORED BY THE DANIEL PETROV AS A visit. Rav Isser Zalman was so excited, he donned his Shabbos clothing our study shouldZECHUS ideally FORnot be A SHIDDUCH at different FOR times TUVYA every BEN day, AVIVA whenever to we greet can workthe distinguished it into our schedules. guest. ItThe turned Ohr out that the family member HaChaim answersTO SUBSCRIBE,that that day SPONSOR, they ORwere TO SENDcapable of understandingwas mistaken. He hishad lessontaken another based person on the for the Brisker Rav. Rav statement of theFEEDBACK, sages, EMAIL “A personTHE EDITOR, does MENDEL not standBERLIN, on (trulyIsser Zalmangrasp) was the unperturbed knowledge and- opinion treated the of guesthis like royalty. After teacher until after fortyAT [email protected] years” (Avodah Zara 5B). he left, a member of the household asked Rav Isser Zalman why he had treated the visitor so specially. SUGARYThi SAYINGThat OFmeans THE WEEK that withnow after MENACHEM forty years LOMNER they can begin to truly comprehend what Moshe had told “We should really love every Jew and treat every Jew royally,” them back then. Why does it take forty years? Were these not brilliant people? Rav Isser Zalman responded. “Unfortunately, it is difficult to do so, and "Just as Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim (Egypt), we must take the we are remiss in our responsibility. Now that I prepared to treat my Mitzrayim out of ourselves." guest properly, even though it was due to a misunderstanding, should In the Pesukim where it talks about how we are commanded to (Megillah I treat him differently? Do we recognize the importance of all Jews, distance ourselves from immorality, the (Vayikra 18:3) says that we regardless of who they are?” shouldn’t imitate the actions of Mitzrayim and Cana’an. This is because Comment: Even though the Torah tells us clearly (Vayikra they were the world powers and the world leaders in immorality. Also, 19:18) to “love every Jew like yourself,” this is not something every Canaan was terrible in this area; therefore, we were warned to not learn person excels in (but we will still love such Jews regardless). Let us turn from them. The Yetzer Harah places the tests in front of the Jews where the conversation to ourselves and take a challenge: find a Jew we don’t they were living and where they were about to enter because his main necessarily like so much and find something good to love about them goal to trip us up. Let us focus to keep from falling into the trap of (there’s always something positive). Better yet, for extra credit, let’s immorality and with this, become Hashem's holy nation. compliment that Jew. Loving your fellow Jew is an active !

PRACTICAL PARSHA with RABBI ELIYAHU QUEDOSHIM: ACHAREI MOS-KEDOSHIM - WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO ACQUIRE EXCEPT TORAH WISDOM? At a shul’s annual general meeting a wealthy man rose to tell He adds that the only function of a person in This World is to the rest of those present about his Jewish faith. "I'm a millionaire," he serve Hashem and acquire His holy wisdom of Torah. Everything else (to said, "and I attribute it all to the rich blessings of G-d in my life. I borrow a metaphor) is just the recess from class time. It would also be remember that turning point. I had just earned my first dollar and I similar to a father who sends his son to buy Challah for Shabbos from went to shul that night. The speaker was a famous rabbi who was the local supermarket and gives him a few dollars on the side to fundraising for his . I knew that I only had a dollar bill and had purchase some Nosh (snacks). When the child returns and says he only to either give it all to G-d's work or nothing at all. At that moment I got the Nosh and forgot the Challah, it's a travesty. The child acquired decided to give my whole dollar to G-d. I believe that G-d blessed that nonsense and forgot the main acquisition. decision, and that is why I am a rich man today." He finished his story There is a story that drives home the idea of making valuable to an awed ***silence and then moved toward his seat. As he sat down a acquisitions as we traverse This World. Rabbi , little old lady leaned over and said to him: "I dare you to do it again." ZT"L, HY"D, once made a fundraising trip to the U.S. There was a wealthy One of the most elusive and frustrating pursuits in life is the pursuit clothing factory owner in Manhattan whom Rav Elchonon had learned of wealth, as the Medrash (Koheles Rabbah 1:34) teaches that “a man dies together in Baranovitch when they were both children. Rav Elchonon with less than half of his desired possessions in his hand.” Whatever one has, made an appointment to see him in his fancy Manhattan office, which there’s so much more one is yet to attain and upon observation, one sees was situated on the top floor of his clothing factory. "Rabbi Wasserman," that there are many folks who have so much more. As such, many wealthy the man said, "what did you come here for?" people barely even have the time to sit down and truly enjoy that which is Rav Elchonon lifted his jacket toward the man and showed him in their possession, which is one of the greatest and saddest ironies in life. where a button had fallen off. "I've come to have a button sewn on my In this week's double Parsha, Acharei Mos-Kedoshim, we are jacket," Rav Elchonon said. The man chuckled, sure that the Rav was just introduced to the Mitzvah (Vayikra 19:32) of rising in front of an older person warming him up for a donation request. "Excellent. Just come with me (the consensus is that referring to one who is 70+). The Gemara (Kiddushin and I'll have it taken care of." The owner led Rav Elchonon down into 32b) quotes Rabbi Yosi Haglili who says that one who is a Zakein is another the factory area where hundreds of workers were very busy making person that one must rise before. A Zakein is "Ze Shekana Chochma," one clothing. He figured when Rav Elchonon would see how vast his factory who acquired (wisdom). It comes out that even if one is not advanced in was and would feel comfortable to make his appeal. After taking care of years but is wise in Torah, we are obligated to rise when they enter a room. the Rav’s seemingly mundane request, the man pressed: “Dear Rav, The Steipler Gaon, ZT”L, asks why is the language abbreviated to seriously speaking, why did you really come here today?” say "Ze Kana - he acquired" and leaves out the most important point, namely “You find it so hard to believe that I had come all the way from what one acquired! It was only the Sages who added the detail that this Baranovitch to the United States to have a button sewn onto a jacket,” abbreviation is really referring to one with wisdom. Otherwise, maybe we the Rav replied, “but your holy Neshama (soul) came from underneath would think that we should stand up in front of one who has made many the Throne of Hashem and traveled seven heavens to get here. Did your other acquisitions, like a real estate tycoon? soul make that trip just so you could own a factory that sews buttons We can resolve this difficulty as follows. The Gemara (Nedarim 41a) and makes clothes? "The man was shaken to the core by the great writes: "Abaye said that we have a tradition - a poor person is only one Rabbi's words and the sincerity with which they had been delivered. lacking in De'ah (intelligence); In Eretz Yisrael, they say: One who has this That same day he began keeping Mitzvos again. He also began giving attribute of intelligence, in him has everything in him. One who does not generously to Torah institutions, and helped the Baranovitch Yeshiva for have this attribute in him, then what is in him? If he acquired this, what else many years afterward. is lacking? However, if he has not acquired this, what has he acquired?" Let’s remember the famous words of the Mesilas Yesharim A person can have the nicest car, the fanciest house, go on the (Chapter 1) that “man was not created for his welfare in This World; most luxurious vacations - yet, without Torah wisdom that one truly connects rather for his welfare in the World-to-Come.” The purpose of this to and makes his own - he is considered dirt poor. Therefore, it was obvious temporary World is to purchase as much “real estate” for the permanent when the Gemara says "Ze Shekana - one who acquired" without specifying world, the Next World. As such, let us be wise and invest our efforts in an object, that it must be wisdom. After all, what else is valuable? → procuring as much of the long-lasting merchandise as possible.

THE RAMBAN ON THE PARSHA with R’AVRAHAM LEVITT ([email protected]) INSIGHTS INTO THE CLASSIC WORK OF THE RAMCHAL ACHAREI MOS – KEDOSHIM: DEPLORABLE WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE TORAH CH. 10, PART 2 – SELF -REPRESSION IS NOT THE SOLUTION The Ramban begins Parshas Kedoshim in a conversation with Rashi, spanning from Last week, we started discussing the trait antiquity to the Middle Ages and still resonating today. The Torah commands us to be kedoshim, of Nekius, which means to clean oneself off from the as Hashem is kadosh. This notion of kedusha is mostly commonly associated with separation selfish and biased desires that are the motor for the and selection. As such, when the People of Israel are instructed to be kedoshim it is understood many sins we do. The Ramchal explained that one that we are in some way separating ourselves from those who are otherwise impure. Rashi who purifies himself completely will be able to see relates this to sexual morality - anywhere you find temptation and prurience, the Torah requires himself with perfect clarity and his desires will no us to be Perushim , to remove ourselves from the situation. longer sit at the control board in his mind. However, the Ramban doesn’t think this principle should be limited to sexual morality; The Ramchal brings role models to this indeed, he brings language from the Midrash (Sifra Kedoshim 1:2) teaching us to model achievement (cited by the Gemara, Sanhedrin 23a), ourselves afterfas the attr ibutes of Hashem, thus: just as I am kadosh so should you be kedoshim, namely the “Nekiei Hada’as She’biYerushalayim - "just as I am parush, so should you be perushim." According to the Ramban we are not limiting the pure-minded people of .” For instance, ourselves to one sphere of Halachah; rather, there is a totalizing approach to how we should these folks would not sign a document until they conduct ourselves, and how we regulate our own behavior. In exhorting us to become perushim ascertained with whom they were signing. They the Torah is doing more than asking us to be modest or prudent, because these traits are already would also not sit down to eat a meal until they knew governed under the law itself. who would be joining them. This is how dedicated deplorable were they to disassociate themselves from anyone ,נבל ברשות התורה Furthermore, the Ramban says, it is possible for one to be with the permission of the Torah. Somebody can scrupulously follow the laws of morality and who would drag them down from their spirituality. still be a wanton, he can eat only kosher food and be gluttonous, he can become a drunkard on The Ramchal now makes an important kosher wines. What the Torah expects of us in demanding we be kedoshim is to conduct differentiation: “You can now see the distinction ourselves in a manner befitting of Bnei Torah, and if it seems unclear what that entails, then we between the Zehirus (mindfulness) and the clean should consider the attributes that Hashem Himself has modeled for us: restraint, discretion, man. Even though both are similar in their and good judgment in all things. matters, the Zohir is cautious in his deeds and It is interesting to note in this context that the sect of Jewish people that spawned the sees to it that he does not sin in what he already Gemara - and ultimately became the precursors of contemporary Torah - was known knows and which is familiar to everyone that it is as Perushim, Pharisees in the time of the second Beis Hamikdash. When Rashi and Ramban are a sin. But he is still not master over himself to discussing the meaning of being Perushim they are not only quibbling over a semantic approach keep his heart from being pulled by natural lusts to our Parsha, they are commenting on the spiritual and cultural identity of Torah Judaism. so that they do not sway him to rationalize that certain things are permitted regarding the things PIRKEI AVOS, CHAPTER 3 with R’YITZCHAK MEYSTELMAN – RABBI AKIVA’S SECRET TO RESILIENCE whose evil is not so well-known. Even though he “Rabbi Akiva said: Mockery and levity accustom a man to immorality. The transmittal strives to conquer his Yetzer Hara, and to subdue Oral Torah is a protective fence around the Torah; Tithes are a protective fence for wealth; vows his lusts, he won’t change his nature due to this. are a protective fence for abstinence; a protective fence for wisdom is silence.” (Avos 3:17) He will not be able to remove bodily lust from his When I was 24 years old, I was zoche to drive Rabbi Michel Twerski to the Torah heart. At most he will be able to subdue it and be UMesorah Convention. I asked him why Judaism at times felt so constraining due to so many governed by wisdom instead of it. Still, inevitably intricate Halachos. In response, he quoted an Indian philosopher: if you hold a guitar string in the darkness of the physical will do its work to your hands and try to pluck it, it will not make sound. Yet, if you tie down the string on both entice/seduce him.” (Mesilas Yesharim, Chapter 10) sides, beautiful music can be created. We are the strings, and the Torah is the guitar that tightens There is a lot to process here, but one idea us down in order to make it possible for us to express beautiful music in our individual lives. that sticks out is that there is every one of us has an Besides his unmatched mastery of the Torah and Oral Law, Rabbi Akiva was also inner world of thoughts and intentions that is not famous, as many stories throughout the Gemara substantiate, for being an optimist. From the given attention as much as the external world. Inside initial epiphany that he experienced when he witnessed water softening a rock, which helped this world are biases one is taught when they were him realize that Torah could “shape” him as water did to a rock; to finding himself stranded little, and temptations/desires. The Yetzer Hara has without his traveling possessions, but with a steadfast belief that it was all for a good reason a field day if this world doesn’t get its attention. and for the ultimate good; to his standing on the ashes of the Second Temple and smiling while A Torah-observant person who has not yet other Sages were crying. In this Mishna, Rabbi Akiva distilled his breadth and depth of Torah made his passions subservient to him will struggle knowledge and reduced it to four fences that a person should place around four things: Torah, regularly to overcome their challenges. Rabbi Dovid tithing, vows, and silence. Some questions to explore would be, 1) Why specifically these four? Orlofsky explains that there is a term in the science 2) Why do these four need fences? 3) Why fences, which implies keeping away a danger? Finally, of psychology that applies to such a person: what is the difference between optimism and mockery/levity? repression. Such a person will emerge victorious Answering all of these questions is beyond the scope of this article. Our focus here is some of the time, and at other times he will be to attempt to identify a common denominator. All four items - Torah, tithing, vows, and silence upended by his Yetzer Hara – something that, with - involve elevating something from the state of potential to its actualization. Oral Law, through the proper effort and mindset, can be avoided. its rigorous back-and-forth brings to life the steady and fixed nature of the Five Books of Moshe; Rabbi Orlofsky, however, notes this non- tithing elevates one’s possessions from mundane to sanctified; vows elevate a person's actions stop inner battle may dampen a person’s joy of from mundane to holy; finally, silence elevates knowledge to wisdom. When a person sees the Judaism and joy of life. At best, one will fulfill his world through this prism - as Rabbi Akiva did - nothing can distract him from Hashem’s mission obligations in most areas, only to be swayed in to bring This World to its ultimate goal of perfection. creative ways by the Yetzer Hara in matters he has a The Maharal of Prague explains that these traits correspond to a person's wisdom, weak/blind spot for. Rav Yisrael Salanter, ZT”L, actions, and wealth. If we would properly cherish our wisdom, our actions, and possessions - as adds that even Mitzvah-performance for this kind od Rabbi Akiva calls upon us to do - we would immediately see the immeasurable value of placing person is faulty. Instead of being careful not to fences in these areas of our lives; not to limit, but to help reveal the Kedushah and Taharah of offend or hurt anyone on the way to performing our holy souls that only show themselves under such conditions. Hashem’s Will, one who is not a Naki might use the Yitzchak (Igor) Meystelman is a Managing Attorney at the IM Law Group, P.C. ill-advised by an any-means-necessary approach, and a General Studies Principal at Yeshiva High School of Arizona. hurting others in the process. More next week, B”H.