715 Beis Moshiach

715:Beis Moshiach 26/10/2009 8:29 AM Page 3 contents AVROHOM’S ODYSSEY 4 D’var Malchus | Sichos In English THE REVIVAL OF JUDAISM IN 6 BERDITCHEV Shlichus | Nosson Avrohom THE BATTLE CONTINUES 12 Feature | Avrohom Ber THE CHASSIDIC MUSICIAN BEHIND 19 THE SIMCHAS BEIS HA’SHOEIVA Feature | Yitzchok Wagshul RABBI BENTZION LIPSKER A”H USA 24 Obituary | Menachem Ziegelboim 744 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409 Tel: (718) 778-8000 Fax: (718) 778-0800 [email protected] AS IF IT WAS NEVER THERE www.beismoshiach.org 33 Miracle Story | Nosson Avrohom EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: M.M. Hendel ENGLISH EDITOR: R’ MEIR FRIEDMAN A”H Boruch Merkur 36 Obituary | Shneur Zalman Berger HEBREW EDITOR: Rabbi Sholom Yaakov Chazan [email protected] WHAT IMPRESSED AVROHOM? 40 Thought | Rabbi Yosef Karasik Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082- 0272 is published weekly, except Jewish holidays (only once in April and October) for $160.00 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and in all other places for $180.00 per year (45 issues), by Beis Moshiach, 744 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY and additional offices. Postmaster: send address changes to Beis Moshiach 744 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Copyright 2009 by Beis Moshiach, Inc. Beis Moshiach is not responsible for the content of the advertisements. 715:Beis Moshiach 26/10/2009 8:29 AM Page 4 dvar malchus understanding, or belief, but is instead a response to G-d’s initiative. Our Rabbis [6] underscore this AVROHOMS concept, stating that Avrohom’s service anticipated the bond with G- d made possible after the giving of the Torah. ODYSSEY NEW VISTAS Lech also means “proceed,” indicating the beginning of an ongoing journey of divine service. Sichos In English This concept is also alluded to in the Torah’s description of Avrohom WHAT THE TORAH and a great miracle was performed to as “continuing on his way, steadily HIGHLIGHTS save him. progressing southward,” [7] i.e., in All this, however, represented the direction of Jerusalem, [8] the Every school child knows the merely his own striving to unite with place where G-d’s presence is story of Avrohom - how he G-d. manifest. discovered G-d as a child, broke his Receiving the command Lech Real progress means leaving one’s father’s idols, and then was thrown Lecha, “Go out of your land,” began previous state entirely. into the furnace by Nimrod and a new and deeper stage in Avrohom’s As long as an individual’s saved by G-d. relationship with G-d. For, as our personal growth depends on his own None of these particulars, Sages state, [3] “a person who power alone, his progress will be however, can be found in the Written observes a mitzvah because he is limited. [9] To r a h . commanded to do so is greater than He cannot go beyond the bounds The Torah mentions Avrohom one who observes it without having of his own understanding. When, by briefly at the close of Parshas Noach, been so commanded.” contrast, his progress is guided by G- [1] telling us that he was born, that The word mitzvah and the word d’s commandments, there are no he married, and that he accompanied tzavsa, meaning “together”, share the limits to the potential for growth. The his father on his journey to Charan. same root. [4] Torah and its mitzvos can take a But the focus of those verses is on When a person fulfills a divine person far beyond his own vistas. his father Terach, not on Avrohom. command because he has been To accentuate this point, the It is in Parshas Lech Lecha, with commanded to do so, the act which command Lech Lecha tells Avrohom the command, [2] “Go out of your he performs is G-dly, and connects to proceed “to the land which I will land, your native country, and your him to G-d in all His infinity. If he show you” without mentioning a father’s house,” that the Torah begins performs the same deed without specific destination. For following G- highlighting the history of Avrohom having been commanded to do so, d’s commandments brings a person as the founder of our people. his act, however worthy, remains to horizons which he could not The other stories mentioned merely a good deed: it does not appreciate on his own. previously although part of the Oral establish a connection of the same Tradition, are not included in the nature. Written Torah. SELF-DISCOVERY This is implied by the command, What is at the heart of this choice “Go out.” Avrohom was commanded The expression “I will show you,” of emphasis? to depart from his limited mortal Ar’ecka in Hebrew, can also be Before receiving this command, framework of reference and establish rendered “I will reveal you,” i.e., Avrohom had already attained high an unlimited connection with G-d. through the journey to Eretz Yisroel, rungs in his divine service. It was at [5] By doing so, he defined the Avrohom’s true self was revealed. the age of three that he had nature of the relationship between G- This is also indicated by the “recognized his Creator,” and from d and his descendants, the Jewish expression Lech Lecha, which that age onward, he continued to people of all time. literally means “go to yourself,” i.e., grow in his devotion. He had been Our relationship to G-d is not “to your essence,” [10] to the very willing to sacrifice his life for G-d, dependent on our love, source of the soul. 4 12 MarCheshvan 5770 BEIS MOSHIACH 715:Beis Moshiach 26/10/2009 8:29 AM Page 5 This also points to an unlimited forced to descend to Egypt. Egypt is an attempt to refine it. potential, for a Jew’s soul is “an described as “the nakedness of the Circumcision represents a actual part of G-d.” [11] land;” [13] its very name Mitzrayim “covenant in the flesh,” [21] and A person’s spiritual journey is related to the word meitzarim endows our physical bodies involves transcending his ordinary meaning “ boundaries” or themselves with a dimension of habits and ways of thinking, and “limitations”. [14] holiness. [22] tapping his essential G-dly core. [12] And yet, Avrohom’s descent to As we proceed through life , each Egypt brought him blessing. He left THE PROMISE OF of us is given the chance to discover Egypt “very rich in cattle, in silver, ERETZ YISROEL who he is, what G-d is, and that the and gold.” [15] Moreover, this two are in essence one. material wealth came from spiritual The above concepts also enable effort; Avrohom had elevated the us to appreciate why the promise of Eretz Yisroel to Avrohom’s PASSING THROUGH sparks of G-dliness invested in that land. [16] descendants is mentioned in SHADOWS connection with the mitzvah of In the midst of his spiritual circumcision. journey, a person may be forced to JOURNEY WITH OTHERS Circumcision reflects the confront challenges, situations which A person’s spiritual quest should unification of the spiritual and the require him to struggle to continue to not be a lonely journey. physical in one’s own person, while advance. Nevertheless, since these On the contrary, one of the signs the relationship between the Jews phases of his journey are also guided of one’s personal development is the and Eretz Yisroel reflects the by Divine Providence, he must realize capacity to inspire others to join in unification of spirituality and that the motivating intent for them is this endeavor. Avrohom surely gave physicality in the world at large. also positive. These situations are, to expression to this thrust, as our In this sense, the promise of Eretz borrow an expression from our Sages commented [17] with regard Yisroel represents the culmination of Sages, a descent for the purpose of to the verse, [18] “ And he called in Avrohom’s spiritual journey. For the ascent. the name of the G-d of the universe”: most complete departure from a Why must a person face such “Do not read VaYikra (‘And he particular spiritual environment is challenges? Two reasons are given: called’), read VaYakri (‘And he had the transformation of that a. To bring out the others call’).” environment itself. fundamental power of his soul. As This concept is also reflected in Thus the fulfillment of G-d’s long as a person does not have to the changing of his name from Avram command for Avrohom to leave the confront a challenge, it is sufficient to Avrohom. [19] confines of material existence (Lech for him to rely on his ordinary Rashi [20] explains that Avram Lecha) comes about through his powers; he need not tap his core. has the implication “father of Aram,” descendants efforts to transform When, by contrast, he must face a while Avrohom alludes to the Hebrew Eretz Yisroel into a dwelling for G-d. challenge, he summons up his words meaning “father of many In a complete sense, the promise innermost spiritual resources. nations.” of Eretz Yisroel will not be realized b. In the process of overcoming The change of his name implied until the Era of the Redemption and these challenges, the person elevates that Avrohom had been given the in that sense, the journey of Lech the sparks of G-dliness they contain. potential to inspire and influence all Lecha remains an ongoing endeavor For all existence is maintained by the nations in the world to begin for all of Avrohom’s descendants.

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