Shemos 5773 January 5, 2013

A Taste of Stories For The Soul The Final Decision By Mordechai Fleisher The Broken Knob The exile had reached a new low. Jewish People out of and receive Pharaoh had recently decreed that all the Torah. When I was a boy, a knob once newborn males be cast into the . On This tale, says the Chofetz Chaim, had broken off an appliance. There top of that, Amram, the leader of the ought to bring an important lesson was just a metal stub sticking out Jewish Nation in Egypt, had announced home to us: don’t try to second-guess with no knob to turn it. My father that he was separating from his wife, Hashem. In this particular instance, was very handy. He had cabinets with Yocheved. “If our children will be killed, Hashem wanted people to marry jars filled with nuts, bolts, tools, and why bother bringing them into the and have children, despite the dire widgets. He found a knob and used it world in the first place?” he said. Upon circumstances in which they may find in place of the broken one. hearing of their leader’s actions, the rest themselves. Certainly, we must look to I remember being amazed because of the followed suit, and separated the Torah and our Sages for guidance from their spouses. in complicated situations, but, after the replacement knob didn’t look But then, the strangest thing the Torah has had its say, it is not for anything like the original. I asked my occurred. An announcement went out us to decide when it is worthwhile father how a different knob could that Amram was remarrying Yocheved. to carry out G-d’s will and when it is work. He showed me that although And it wouldn’t be a small ceremony, counterproductive or “outdated”. Had the outside of the knob was different, either – it was to be a gala wedding! Amram kept to his initial decision, if you looked inside, you could see It seems that , Amram’s Moshe would never have been born. that the inner space that fit over the daughter, had convinced her father It took his young daughter Miriam metal stub was exactly the same. that he had acted improperly. “While to make him realize that despite the This memory stuck with me. As Pharaoh has issued a decree against difficulties, there was still a purpose I grew older, I realized it is the same male children, you have issued a decree in bringing children to the world, in with people. We may look and act against females as well!” she argued. accordance with G-d’s desire. different on the outside, but on the “Pharaoh’s decree deprives our children We live in a culture that champions inside, we are all the same. We all of this world, while you deprive them independence above all, be it in have hopes, emotions and desires. of entry into the Next World! And who thought or action. And while we must They may vary, but they need to be says Pharaoh’s decree will be carried certainly cherish the freedoms we have validated and honored in the way that out?! But if you take back your wife, and be thankful for them, let us not best suits the individual. your actions will surely be emulated by forget that when all is said and done, Moshe worked as a shepherd for the rest of the Jews.” (see Sotah 12a) we must abnegate our opinions and Yisro when one day, a sheep ran Well, as it turned out, after Amram conclusions, despite our certainty that remarried Yocheved, she bore him none they are correct, when the Torah tells us away from the flock. Moshe found it other than Moshe, the one who would otherwise. drinking water from a brook. Instead be selected by Hashem to take the of beating the sheep, Moshe said, “If

you are thirsty, you are probably also

tired,” so Moshe lifted the sheep and

Ask the Rabbi carried it back to the flock. Moshe realized that this little Malady or Medicine? sheep needed to be treated with love From: Jennie that’s G-d’s will? Or can we try to cure and understanding. Hashem said, “If the maladies sent by G-d? But doesn’t this is how he leads and cares for his Dear Rabbi, that undermine His intentions? own flock, I want him to lead and care What is the Torah’s position on for My flock – the children of Israel.” healing? Since everything is from G-d, Dear Jennie, Adapted with permission from do ailments have to be suffered because According to Judaism, everything ShulWeek by Rabbi Boruch Lederman. Contiued on back Kollel Happenings Interpersonal Issues FREE CHOICE Creating a Private Lost & Found Policy Join Rabbi Mordechai Fleisher An institution or individual that is the owner. However, this is only valid if for a new three-part series open to the public may create its own the policy is prominently displayed so for women exploring the lost-and-found policy for all individuals that people entering the premises can Torah outlook on Free Choice. entering the premises. Anyone who see it. Wednesday January 2, 9 and comes into the property are doing so on Adapted with permission from “The 16, 7:15 pm at the home of condition that anything left behind will Halachos of Other People’s Money” by Rabbi Yaakov and Rebbetzin Chaya Meyer. For more info, be dealt with according to the rules of Rabbi Pinchas Bodner (Feldheim Publishers) contact Chaya Major at chaya@

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Ask the Rabbi Contiued from front that happens, whether we perceive it as a cure. good or as bad, comes from G-d. This is the meaning of the teaching Of course, in the case of physical of the Sages that G-d allows the doctor to sickness, there are natural causes and heal. G-d brings sickness not because He TORAH FOR TYCOONS venues through which the illness is wants there to be sickness, but because ARMS UNDER FIRE: A SECOND contracted or occurs. But the root of the He wants there to be healing, physical LOOK AT THE SECOND illness and a person’s susceptibility to it and spiritual. A person’s attempt to cure AMENDMENT are from G-d. his body must be accompanied by an G-d often sends the sickness as a attempt to mend his ways. Join Leo Pavlushkin, former warning signal that something is not The Torah describes how the People, Russian Special Forces Unit & only physically out of balance, but audaciously complaining about their Founder and CEO of Xcaliber Protective Services, and Rabbi spiritually out-of-sync also. This is not a condition in the desert, were smitten by Aron Yehuda Schwab, Dean of curse, but rather a blessing in disguise, a plague of poisonous snakes in which the Denver Community Kollel because it enables us to do spiritual many died. They realized they were being as they take a shot at this hot- reckoning and find out where we need punished for their venomous speech button issue. Wednesday, correcting. against G-d and and repented. January 9th 12-1 pm @ESKD. Would a person moving his hand G-d told Moses to fashion a snake and toward fire resent the pain from the heat place it on a pole for the people to see, causing him to recoil before roasting his “and he would gaze upon the copper fingers? Would he complain, “Why did snake and live” (Num. 21:5-9). G-d have to cause me this pain?” Of Commenting on this, our Sages course not! He’d be thankful for the challenged, “And does the copper snake A DEEPER LOOK pain that saved him from serious harm. cause life or death? Rather, those who So, too, sickness is viewed as a warning saw the snake and humbled themselves Join Rabbi Shachne Sommers sign that he may need to adjust what before G-d in repentance were cured” as he discusses a number of he’s doing wrong. (Rosh Hashana 29a). difficulties encountered in The converse is also true: Just as one If we focus on a spiritual malady the weekly Torah portion, and wouldn’t reconcile himself to the pain underlying a sickness, G-d finds favor in develops a comprehensive from the flame based on the reasoning the doctor’s attempt to heal. After all, approach to resolve the issues, that it’s from G-d but would rather the illness was only brought in order simultaneously conveying recoil, so too in healing. Our recognition to alarm us to the need for spiritual a deeper understanding of that illness comes from G-d does not realigning. With this approach, healing the material being discussed. Sunday nights 7:40-8:30 pm mean we are to reconcile ourselves to does not undermine G-d’s intention; it at the Kollel, 1516 Xavier, and the pain. Instead, we must remove the brings us in line with His will Tuesday nights at Aish Denver malady – spiritually by recoiling from Reprinted with permission of Ohr 8-9 pm.call 303-820-2855. transgression and physically by seeking Somayach, , www.ohr.edu

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