Shabbos: Ta'am Hachaim Shemini 5773

Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Shemini 5773 (From the archives) Shabbos in the Parasha Keep on praying for the Redemption Introduction (1820-1930). For years they had communicated by mail and now a great crowd had gathered to witness the ויבא משה ואהרן אל אהל מועד ויצאו ויברכו Moshe meeting of these two great Torah ,את העם וירא כבוד ה' אל כל העם and Aharon came to the Tent of luminaries. The crowd finally dispersed Meeting, and they went out and they and only the Rebbe’s attendant, Reb blessed the people – and the glory of Shalom, remained in the room where the HaShem appeared to the entire people two leaders were to meet. The Rebbe (Vayikra 9:23) gave his attendant a knowing glance and The Mishkan, the Tabernacle, which will Reb Shalom left the room. Unable to serve as the resting place for the Divine contain his curiosity, however, Reb Presence in the Wilderness, is ready to Shalom remained listening behind the be erected. The entire Jewish People is door, curious as to what would transpire anxiously waiting for a fire to descend in this fateful encounter. At first Reb from heaven, and this revelation would Shalom could not hear anything, and he reflect the love that HaShem had for assumed that the language barrier was them and would also demonstrate that preventing any communication, as the they had earned atonement for the sin of Rebbe only spoke Yiddish and the great worshipping the Golden Calf. Kabbalist spoke in his native Hebrew. Unfortunately, it appears as if they have Finally the two settled on Hebrew as the waited in vain. The fire has not spoken language, and Reb Shalom heard descended, and they voiced their the Rebbe ask in a slow but urgent tone, complaint to Moshe. What could Moshe “tell me, please, when will the Messiah do that would satisfy their desire to have finally arrive to redeem us from this long the Divine Presence in their midst? exile?” The Saba Kadisha replied sadly, “there are those who are preventing the “Am I also preventing the redemption from occurring.” Reb Redemption from occurring?” Shalom listened eagerly for further conversation, but he could not hear The Munkatcher Rebbe, Reb Chaim anything. After a few moments he heard Elazar Shapiro (1872-1937) had finally the Rebbe crying and then through the arrived in Jerusalem for a historic tears, he was able to make out the meeting with the renowned Kabbalist, Rebbe’s muffled cry, “Am I also among Rabbi Shlomo Eliezer Alfandri, known those who is preventing the as the Saba Kadisha, The Holy Elder 1 redemption?” The Rebbe’s sincere query bring us the Messiah and the long pierced Reb Shalom’s heart and awaited redemption. penetrates the hearts of Jews the world over. Are we doing enough to bring the The Shabbos connection redemption? Throughout the week we anticipate the Redemption. On Shabbos, however, we Moshe prays for the Divine Presence feel that we are so close to redemption, to rest on the Mishkan as we recite in the Lecho Dodi prayer, Moshe was confronted by the Jewish karvah el nafshi gealah, draw near to my People’s disappointment that they had soul-redeem it! HaShem should give us not yet merited the Divine Presence to the strength to keep praying for rest on their new edifice. Rashi writes redemption, and in the merit of our that Aharon was also saddened by the Shabbos observance, he will surely fact that despite having offered all the redeem us, with the arrival of Moshiach necessary sacrifices to inaugurate the Tzidkeinu, speedily, in our days. Tabernacle, the Divine Presence had not yet appeared. Moshe then entered the Shabbos in the Zemiros Mishkan together with Aharon and they prayed that the Divine Presence should Eishes Chayil rest on the handiwork of the Jewish People. Immediately a fire went forth Composed by Shlomo HaMelech in from before HaShem and consumed Mishlei she ,סָדִין עָשְׂתָה, וַתִמְׂכֹּר וַחֲגֹור, נָתְׂנָה לַכְׂנַעֲנִי upon the Altar the burnt-offerings and the fats; the people saw and rejoiced at makes a cloak and sells it, and delivers a the revelation of HaShem’s Presence in belt to the peddler. This verse alludes to their midst. the requirement that one make the beds and sets the table prior to the onset of We must keep praying for the Ultimate Redemption Shabbos. Furthermore, the word sadin, when applying mispar katan, digit sum, We are constantly praying for the can be broken down as follows: 6-4-1-5, Redemption, and at times we may and by adding these numbers, equal 16. wonder if there is something more that The number 16 is a composite of 1 and we need to do to hasten its arrival. In 6, which totals 7, alluding to Shabbos, truth, however, just as Moshe did for the the seventh day of the week. The word Jewish People in the Wilderness, we vatimkor can be read vatimgor, from the must keep praying to HaShem to bring idea of dwelling, as the letters kaf and the Redemption. HaShem revealed gimmel are interchangeable (see Rashi Himself to the Jewish People then, and to Bereishis 49:5). It is said veshamru He will certainly answer our prayers and bnei yisroel es HaShabbos laasos es HaShabbos ledorosam bris olam, the 2 Children of Israel shall observe the converting, except one thing stopped Shabbos, to make the Shabbos an eternal him from taking this drastic step - the covenant for their generations. The warmth of the Chofetz Chaim’s coat. Zohar states that the word ledorosam can be read as lederosam, for their dwelling The doctor explained that when he was places, implying that Shabbos is a state still a boy, he learned in Radin, and one of permanency. Thus, in our verse we cold night he fell asleep on a bench in can suggest that when Shabbos arrives, the shul. Suddenly, he was aroused from one can experience a permanency even his sleep, and he saw an elderly man in this world, as the Gemara states that standing above him, removing his coat Shabbos is one sixtieth of the World to and covering him and providing him Come. with some much-needed warmth. Later, he realized that the elderly man was the Shabbos in Tefillah Chofetz Chaim. The doctor added, “This coat warms me until this day, and this is HaShem’s greatness is found next to what keeps me from converting.” (Shaal His humility Avicha Veyegadcha) (www.Revach.net) Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh HaShem A Worthwhile Meddling Tzivakos milo chol haaretz kivodo, Holy, Recently, I had the privilege of meeting holy, holy is HaShem, Master of Rabbi Rafael Grossman, Rabbi of the Legions, the whole world is filled with West Side Institutional Synagogue in His glory. One aspect of this verse is the Manhattan and the Senior Rabbi idea that HaShem is holy beyond our Emeritus of Baron Hirsch Congregation understanding, and nonetheless, His in Memphis, the largest Orthodox glory fills the earth, i.e. the lowly earth congregation in America. Rabbi where human beings reside. This idea is Grossman is a brilliant scholar and an parallel to the Gemara (Megillah 31a) excellent speaker, with a wealth of that states: wherever you find the precious stories from his fascinating greatness of the Holy One, Blessed is life’s many experiences. I took him to He, there you find His humility. visit Migdal Ohr and spent several Shabbos Stories enjoyable hours with him. The following fantastic story is one of many I heard Warmed By The Coat from him during the trip. Many years ago, a prominent member of Rabbi Rav Moshe Schneider once met a Grossman’s congregation invited the renowned doctor who had not only Rabbi to spend Shabbos with him in the veered off the path of Yiddishkeit, but King David Hotel in Jerusalem. fiercely opposed Yiddishkeit as well. Suddenly, the Rabbi heard a commotion The doctor told R' Schneider that he in the streets below his hotel room. would have no hesitations about Looking out the window he could see a 3 group of Chassidic fellows screaming a tzaddik?” the Chassid asked in “Shabbos” at a cab driver, who was exasperation. “According to his frame of yelling back at them, at least as loudly. mind,” explained the Rabbi, “he is a Rabbi Grossman was afraid that the tzaddik.” He does not understand the demonstration might get violent, and Torah as we do, and he thinks he is declared that he must go down and doing a mitzvah.” “Well, we have to intervene. His wife suggested that he just explain to him that what he is doing is a butt out of a situation which he probably very big aveira (sin),” insisted the could not help improve anyway. But the Chassid. “Yes, you are right,” agreed the kind hearted Rabbi insisted that it was Rabbi. But this is not at all the way to his religious and moral duty to at least ‘explain’ it to him. King Shlomo said, try. By the time Rabbi Grossman arrived ‘The words of wise men are heard in on the scene, he found that the cab driver quiet more than the shouting of him who was being accosted by a particularly rules among fools’ (Koheles 9:17). I vocal Chassid who looked like he was have a suggestion. Tomorrow, I am about to deliver blows to the Sabbath having the Shabbos meal at the Plaza violator. On the other end, the cab driver Hotel. Why don’t both of you and your seemed quite ready to return every families come and join me as my guests? punch he would suffer.

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