Dedicated in memory of Rachel Leah bat R' Chaim Tzvi

Volume 4 Number 40 Brought to you by Naaleh.com Parshat Bo: Life’s Illusions Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Mrs. Shira Smiles In Parshat Bo, Hashem instructs the Jewish Egyptians saw this, they were so impressed groom that now his sphere of influence is people to borrow gold, silver, and clothing that they gave them their gold and silver greater. He has another person to think about from the Egyptians. Why was it necessary for without even being asked. There was no and care for. Hashem to use an expression of pleading deceit at all. The Malbim adds that the here? Rashi tells us that the order of the Egyptians were so happy to see the go Similarly, when a woman bakes challah, she verse grows in gradation. First silver is that they eagerly gave them everything. has the ability to impart her essence into the mentioned, then gold, and then clothes. This dough. When she adds the oil, she can ask seems perplexing. Why would clothes be The Gerrer Rebbe explains that the Jews took Hashem for sustenance and sanctity. When considered more valuable than precious the gold and silver from the Egyptians as she pours in the water, she can ask for the metal? How do we understand that the Jews payment for their slavery. The verse uses the Jews to become united through . When were told to borrow valuables that they term ‘borrow’ to tell us that it was borrowed she puts in the sugar she can ask for a good weren’t planning to return? from Hashem. At the very moment when the eye. She can pour all her hopes and prayers Jewish people attained great wealth, Hashem into the challah. When her family consumes it, The Alshich explains that the Jewish people reminded them that the money was not theirs. they will imbibe her tefilot. felt uncomfortable asking their neighbors for When we recognize that we are not the true riches while they were mourning their dead. owners of our wealth, our perspective radically There’s a custom to wear a white kittel at the The explains that Hashem didn’t changes. We should constantly be asking seder to remind us of the day of death. The want Avraham to have any grievances. The ourselves, “What does Hashem want me to do night of the seder is a night of truth. It reminds promise that they would be oppressed was with all that He gave me?” Rav Chaim Palagi us not to fall into the trap of illusions. One fulfilled. Now the assurance that they would points out that one of the reasons that we should imagine as if one has already leave with wealth had to 1happen too. adorn the seder with beautiful ornaments is to ascended to the next world and has been Therefore, He pleaded with them. remind us of the silver and gold we took out of given a second lease on life. Egypt. It is meant to hint to us that all that we The Leket V’halibuv gives a deeper explana- have must be dedicated to Hashem. The Netivot Shalom explains the connection tion. When Avraham left Egypt it says, between the Egyptian exile and Shabbat. The “V’Avraham kaved me’od b’mikneh, u’vkesef, The clothing is mentioned after the gold and Egyptians worked us so hard, we had no time u’vzahav,” Avraham was loaded down with silver to tell us that wealth is not the ultimate. A to think. All week long, we are in exile, distant cattle, silver, and gold. The deeper explana- part of ourselves is invested in the physical from Hashem. Shabbat redeems us. It’s a time tion of “kaved me’od,” means it was heavy objects we own. Yet no matter how much to stop and ponder and re-connect to the upon him. Avraham understood that wealth is impurity is imparted in gold it remains outside Almighty. When we change our clothes for a burden and a trial. If it’s not used appropri- of the person and there is still the possibility to Shabbat, we become transformed like a kohen ately it can be destructive. The Jews had to counter its negative effects. However, clothing serving in the house of Hashem. The Shabbat be forced to take the wealth because they is different. It becomes a part of the person clothes remind us that wealth is only temporal inherited that mindset of Avraham that wealth and affects who and what he is. That is why and all that ultimately matters is to build a is a challenge. As a reminder of the primacy we have to be so careful about what we wear. relationship with Him. of Torah and mitzvot, they took their leftover A groom puts on a tallit gadol after marriage. dough and put it on their shoulders. When the While tzizit fits only on one person, a tallit can expand to include others. This is to remind the Made In His Image: The Integration of Divinity #1 Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Tzvi Feuer The sefer Tomer Devora is an introduction to with fearing, loving, and clinging to Hashem. that man was not created for himself, but the study of and is a part of a larger rather to do good for others. treatise consisting of seventy sections. It In Parshar Re’ey it says, “You should go after discusses how a person must work on himself Hashem …and you should cleave to Him.” The It says in Bereishit, “Vayivra et ha’ to become similar to Hashem by being kind, Gemara asks, how can a person attach b’tzalmo btzelem elokim bara oto.” God compassionate, humble, and patient. himself to the consuming fire of the Divine created man in His image. We can’t see Although the secret depths of the book remain Presence? It answers that the verse means Hashem but we can somehow get to know him a hidden mystery, we can still learn many imitating the middot of Hashem. One might and have a relationship with Him by observing lessons of ethics, morality, and goodness. think that clinging to Hashem means delving His actions. Similarly, we connect to the divine into the Torah or meditating on His wonders. spirit through our deeds. The more we develop The Torah tells us, “V’halachta b’drachav.” Yet the Torah tells us that there’s no greater our sense of kindness and goodness the more You should walk in His ways. This command- connection to our Creator than performing acts we will appreciate Hashem’s kindness and ment is mentioned three times in connection of kindness. The Nefesh Hachaim points out goodness.

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Volume 4 Number 40 Brought to you by Naaleh.com

Made In His Image: The Integration of Divinity #1 Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Tzvi Feuer Continued from Page 1 The Tomer Devora writes, “It is befitting for a us. Our mission is to actualize these character- Man has the strength within him to reach person to be similar to his Creator.” If going in istics. awesome heights by following in the ways of Hashem’s way is a positive commandment, His Creator. why does the Remak use the term befitting? The Tomer Devora states further, “If a person The Tomer Devora is telling us that because acts similar to his Creator, he would then be in we were formed in Hashem’s image, we the mystical secret of the higher form.” A already have the root foundation for all the person’s form may be beautiful, but if his heavenly characteristics and attributes within actions are not, it is a disgrace to Hashem.

The Power of The Soul: Enabling the G-dly Connection Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Eliezer Miller

In Vayikra the verse states, I will put my soul of a person after it departs from this dwelling place among you and my soul will Both the Tov and the Gra taught world. The fear of gehinom is compared to not reject you and I will go among you. The that the main purpose of the creation of man night. The body and soul cry after it leaves this Hachaim asks, why is the verse ordered was for him to refine his middot. The middot world. The Gra adds that the stars and the this way? It should have ended with the come from the heart. The more a person angels cry as well for the damage and words, “And my soul will not reject you.” He purifies his heart, the more it becomes a fitting darkness that came upon them because of the explains that Hashem suspected that klal home for the Shechina. The main revelation of person’s sins. As long as a person is alive, he Yisrael would not believe Him. Therefore, He Hashem is in the heart where man’s desires can repent. But when he dies, creation mourns assured them straightaway that He would not and willpower rest. The lower the place, the the destruction that this person caused. We leave them. Not only that, but V’hit’halachti more nachat (pleasure) Hashem has see the power and the effect a person has on connotes a pleasant walk. He would have there. this world. When he does good, he brings light pleasure from dwelling amongst them. to this world and the upper worlds, and when In Parshat Teruma the writes that joy in he sins he brings darkness. Chazal say, “Al Hashem desired to live in the lower world and mitzvot is the sign of a person in whom the tikra baneyich eleh boneyich.” Every person is he derives joy from it more than in the upper Shechina dwells. The Rambam points out that like a builder. He can build and destroy worlds worlds. The Gra in his commentary on the a person’s behavior and opinions are affected according to his actions. Tikunei HaZohar notes that the Shechina’s by the people surrounding him. Therefore it is home in this world is in the souls of the important to surround yourself with people who tzaddikim. The Nefesh Hachaim adds that live with faith, trust, and inner happiness. every person contains inside him a pattern of the beit hamikdash and all its vessels. If a The Malbim writes that a person should purify Jew purifies himself by keeping Torah and himself until the spiritual spark inside him rules mitzvot he becomes like a beit hamikdash. It over his body. This is accomplished through says “V’asu li mikdash” and then “V’ken tasu.” Torah and mitzvot. The way the world Hashem tells us, “Make a beit hamikdash the functions, the amount of blessing and the lack way I will show you. The Gemara teaches of it, depends upon how much Hashem rests that, “v’ken tasu” refers to future generations. within klal Yisrael. A Jew’s task is to bring the The whole purpose of the building of the beit Shechina into his heart. hamikdash and the vessels was to hint to us that we could become a dwelling place for The Gra says on the words in Eicha, “Bacho Hashem. tivkeh b’layla,” that it refers to the body and

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