Behar 5771 May 14, 2011

Stories For The Soul

A Taste of Torah In the Eyes of the Beholder Cast your Meat Upon the By Rabbi Avraham Abrams Knowing, will be able to perceive what Waters the true intention is within your heart. When we walk in the ways of Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz, the great The Torah is telling us an amazing Torah, amazing things will happen, Rosh of the in thing. A servant goes about his daily some of which we will see during our (1902-1978), was fond of chores, and he thinks every act is as lifetimes, some of which we will not recounting a certain outlook on life that important and necessary as the next. see during our lifetime; but they will his father, Reb Alter, had possessed. Reb He does not see that what he is told to happen, as the following true story Alter was constantly on the lookout do by his master is a possible insult to his illustrates: to find traits that his own father had honor. He doesn’t know, for example, Joe was a very successful Israeli. A excelled in, compared to the average that once he leaves the room, his master son of Holocaust survivors, he rose population. is going to pour the water he just served from a childhood of poverty, and, by the mid-1980s, he had built up a huge, For many years Reb Chaim wondered down the drain. Why, then, does the successful hi-tech company. One day, what the point of this exercise was. Was Torah consider this a serious offense? his wife called, asking him to pick up this some sort of obligation that all What is the harm if the servant will never know the reality of the situation? some meat on his way home from the children had toward their parents? The Torah is telling us that, in office. He stopped at a take-out place After a while, Reb Chaim realized this case, the intention is even more to order basar lavan (pork). As he that indeed this was something important then the act itself. In stood on line, he began to feel uneasy. necessary, and that it played an integral assigning unnecessary work, the master He began to remember a story he had part in honoring one’s parents, Torah is exhibiting a lack of respect for the heard from his parents and it now scholars, and one’s wife – as the Talmud servant. We know that an underlying took on heightened meaning: instructs us, “Honor her more than principle of the Torah is that all people Joe’s maternal grandfather was yourself” (Yevamos 62). are created “B’tzelem Elokim,” “in G-d’s Rav Shraga Feivel of Hungary. Rav The principle that Reb Chaim image.” Shraga Feivel was captured by the learned from his father’s custom was If the mindset of the master is that Nazis about a year before the war ended and imprisoned at a slave that if one doesn’t look at another his servant is an insignificant person, labor camp. After a year, Rav Shraga person as someone who is deserving of then the master will not demonstrate Feivel was about to be freed. The war honor, then it will be impossible to fulfill the proper respect that the Torah was over, and the allied forces were the commandment of honoring him or commands. Only when one recognizes going from camp to camp, liberating her. the spark of the Divine in each human prisoners. In this week’s Parsha, the Torah tells being and the good in one’s fellow At that moment, the head SS us, “Do not subjugate him through hard man, can one recognize the true worth labor – you shall have fear of your G-d,” officer gathered the Jewish prisoners of all human beings – even those who together and announced, “The war (Leviticus 25:43). Rashi explains that seemingly appear to be the lowliest. has ended. In a few hours you will this transgression includes forms of work Reb Alter and his son, the renowned all be free.” “All but you,” he said, that are not necessary, or those that are Reb Chaim, understood that there is pointing to Rav Shraga Feivel, “You given only to place an additional burden no one who doesn’t have at least one must pass one more test. You must on the worker. attribute that they excel in, and when eat this piece of pig’s meat. Only then One might think that no one we make the effort to discover it, we will you be allowed to go free. Refuse will notice the difference. The Torah grow in our ability to respect our fellow and I will shoot you in the head.” therefore tells us, “You shall have fear man. The tension was thick. Rav of your G-d,” because Hashem, the All- Shraga Feivel had been meticulous all through his stay at the camps, not continued on back to eat unkosher meat. He didn’t even eat soup which might contain meat. Rav Shraga Feivel proclaimed, “I will not eat chazir fleisch (pork).”

A shot rang out, and Rav Shraga Feivel’s soul was returned to its creator.

And now 40 years later, Rav

Kollel Happenings Interpersonal Issues Returning Stolen Property Part III PARTNERS IN TORAH AT AISH If the victim is unaware of the theft, and send it to him with no name or the thief may return the stolen item explanation. Join the ’s Partners in Torah program for men at Aish Denver, without informing the victim. For Adapted with permission from “The on Wed., nights at 8 p.m. If example, if one stole money, he may Halachos of Other People’s Money” by Rabbi you’d like to join - and learn simply place the money in an envelope Pinchas Bodner (Feldheim Publishers) the topic of your choice, at your own pace, with a knowledgable mentor - please call the Kollel Ask the Rabbi at 303-820-2855 or email Stolen Charity info@denverkollel. Rivka from Manchester, England I spoke with Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, wrote: shlita, and he said that although a Torah court would not force one to do so, the Dear Rabbi, person has a moral obligation to replace If money that had been put aside for charity is stolen, must one replace it? the money. Reprinted with permission of Ohr FATHERS-AND-SONS PROGRAM Dear Rivka, Somayach, Jerusalem, www.ohr.edu SUN., MAY 15 AT EDOS Stories for the Soul The next Fathers-and-Sons Continued from front spiritual emptiness gnawed at them. learning program will be held on throughout his stay at the camps not They were missing something, but they May 15 at EDOS. Breakfast begins to eat unkosher meat. With pride, Rav never knew exactly what. They spoke for at 9 a.m. with learning following. Shraga Feivel proclaimed, “I will not eat a long time about values and what is im- For information, contact Rabbi chazir fleisch (pork).” portant in life. They decided to attend Yehuda Amsel at 303-820-2855 A shot rang out, and Rav Shraga an Arachim seminar. Joe was enthralled or email [email protected] Feivel’s soul was returned to its creator. by the seminar - it penetrated the murky And now, 40 years later, Rav Shraga mysteriousness of G-d, Torah and Juda- Feivel’s grandson stood thinking to him- ism. It rocked his world and shook his self, “I am waiting in line to pay money soul. to eat that which my grandfather gave Afterwards, Joe ran up to them and his life not to consume. All he had to said, “Why isn’t this incredible message do was eat that one small piece of pork, getting out to the whole world?” They PARSHA AT DENVER TECH and he would be set free. He would be explained that though they had a ter- CENTER, THURS., MAY 19 allowed to return to his family - yet he rific ‘product,’ they lacked the money, Want to add meaning to your wouldn’t do it. I have everything, I am manpower, and marketing to do so. Joe workweek - and Shabbos? Rabbi free to live with my family and have any- would not hear of this. Right then and Yehuda Amsel’s ‘Parsha at the thing I want; yet I am about to purchase there, he became the General Director Denver Tech Center’ for men this meat.” of Arachim - a title which he still proud- will be held on Thurs., May 19. “Either my grandfather was crazy, or ly holds to this day. The biweekly class will be held I am crazy - and I cannot believe that he Joe, now known as Yossi, lives a com- at 2 p.m. at 6565 S. Dayton, was crazy,” thought Joe as he got off the pletely observant life with his wonderful Suite 1200. For information, line and went to buy dinner elsewhere. family. He has estimated that since the call 303-820-2855 or email When he got home, he spoke to his 1980s, 60,000 children have been born [email protected] wife about his feelings and the empti- to families that were re-JEW-venated by ness he had been experiencing. They Arachim. both had to acknowledge that despite Adapted with permission from ShulWeek all their material prosperity, a certain by Rabbi Boruch Lederman. 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]