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Dvar Torah for Chanukah

Based on Shivchei HaRan (Praises of Rebbe Nachman) #13

As a young child, [Rebbe Nachman] would often take several large coins and change them for small ones. Then he would slip into the synagogue, through the window or somehow. He would recite a Kabbalistic prayer that precedes the doing of a mitzvah and then take a coin and toss it in the charity box for anonymous donors.

Then he would pretend that his attention had been diverted. Then he would repeat the prayer and deposit another coin. He would again “be diverted,” say the prayer and toss in a coin. The Rebbe would do this until he had placed every coin in the charity box, each time reciting the prayer. He did this so that he could do many mitzvot.

I recalled this episode the other morning as I was doing hitbodedut.

When I went to Shachris, I only had a five-shekel coin to give away to tzedakkah (charity). Knowing that Wednesdays are a busy day for collectors here in Yerushalayim, I realized that I would have to get change in order to maximize my giving. So I did.

Afterwards, mid-hitbodedut, I thanked our dear Creator for letting me give tzedakkah. And I made a calculation. Our Sages teach that giving tzedakkah is equivalent to performing all 613 mitzvot. Turning a five-shekel coin into ten half-shekels gave me 10x613 mitzvot. 6,130 mitzvot! In less than one hour! Made my day.

So I thought of the above episode from Rebbe Nachman’s life which made me think of Chanukah. Chanukah is a time for giving tzedakkah. “On Chanukah, we give more tzedakkah than usual because it is a propitious time for rectifying one’s soul through charity giving, especially if one provides support for indigent Torah scholars” (Kitzur Shulchan Arukh 139:1 [end]).

Our Sages teach that Yerushalayim will be redeemed only through tzedakkah (Shabbat 139a). Since Chanukah is a time when geulah

(redemption) is literally in the air, it is a time to engage in activities which bring geulah (and the Geulah) closer. By giving tzedakkah we create an atmosphere of peace and friendship (Likutey Moharan I, Lesson 17:1), the opposite of the sinat chinam (baseless

hatred) which caused and perpetuates our current exile. Because “Torah scholars increase peace in the world” (Berakhot 64a), supporting them gives an extra measure of peace.

Perhaps the Rebbe’s “childish” behavior can give us some ChiNuKh

(education) for ChaNuKah. Even if our gifts seem limited (they are) we can still be creative and stretch them to get “more mileage” out of them. Not for the sake of reward, but for the sake of making within ourselves, and in the great wide world, a deeper, more powerful emunah

(faith) and resolve to do more, better mitzvot, no matter what.

alichtege freilekhen Chanukah!

Chanukah sameach!

Happy Chanukah!

Don't sit here! Talk it out! Parashas Vayaishev.

Taken from Growth Through Torah by Rabbi Zelig Plisking
Don't sit here!

"Vayaishev Yackov/And Yackov sat...."(Beraishis 37:1)

Rashi cites the sages who say that Yackov wanted to live in peace and serenity. But this was not to be, and the troubles of his son Yosef began. Hashem said , "Is it not sufficient for the righteous that they receive their reward in the world to come? Why do they need to live in serenity in this world."

The question arises: Why is it wrong to want to live in serenity? The answer is that there is nothing wrong with a little serenity as long as its a means to the end and not the end. The lesson we learn in this from Yackov avinu is that we can never stop growing, never stop striving for better. The "Mash" Rav Blumenfeld from Neveh Tzion once said that Yidishkeit is like going up a down escalator, once you stop going up you right away are going down. So we can chill, we can have fun, we can enjoy, as long as its in the right way and as long as its in order to give us strength to go on further, higher and higher.

That answer was for us but what's the answer by Yackov? Yackov avinu desired serenity not so that he could devote his time to personal pleasures, but rather to be able to engage in spiritual pursuits. The answer for that is that a life without challenges is a life not lived. Every life situation can bring spiritual growth.

Talk it out!

"Vayeesnu oso vlo yachlu dabro lshalom/And they hated him and they were not able to speak to him for peace." (Beraishis 37:4)

Rav Yonosan Eibeshutz says something amazing here. It is possible that if the brothers would have spoken the matter over with Yosef they would have been able to make peace. The problem was that they were not talking to each other. This is what frequently happens when people are in the midst of a feud. OLne does not want to listen to the other. However, when one person tells another that he wronged him, the other person might apologize and accept upon himself not to do it again. (Tiferes Yonasan)

Parashas Vayishlach

"Hatzilainee nah miyad achi miyad Eisav/ Save me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Eisav." (Brashis 32:12)

Yackov repeated the words "from the hand of" twice. The reason for this repetition in his prayer is because when a brother turns into an enemy, he becomes a much more dangerous enemy than a stranger. (This concept , based on Mishlei 27:6, is found in Tosfos to Tannis 20a.) (Megaleh Amukos; cited in Biurei Hamikubalim Beniglah)
Tosfos adds that just as a one time beloved friend is the worst enemy, so too when two enemies become friends it is the strongest of friendships. So just because someone is your enemy at this time doesn't mean that it has to be that way forever. Just think, you can be the best of friends with that person with just a little bit of work. (Taken from Growth Through Torah)

Vay-ishlach Yackov..... And Yackov sent away the "vay" the sadness! R' Naftali M'Ropshitz Let's send away the sadness people and we will see amazing things!

BRI Weekly
December 03, 2009 / Parshat VaYishlach

PARSHA DVAR TORAH

Dvar Torah for Parshat VaYishlach

Based on Likutey Moharan II, Lesson 4:10

Yaakov said [to Esav], “Please don’t [refuse my gift]. If I have found favor in your eyes, take my offering...For me, seeing your face is like seeing the face of an angel; and you have received me favorably”

(Genesis 33:10).

Said Rebbe Elazar, “When the Temple stood, a person would donate his [annual] shekel and be forgiven. Now that the Temple is not standing, if he gives charity, fine. If not, gentiles will come and take it by force. Nonetheless, it will be considered as if he gave charity, as the verse says (Isaiah 60:17), ‘[Instead of] your creditors, charity’

(Baba Batra 9a).

I don’t know if this is 100% true, but it’s pretty close, “Nothing is certain but death and taxes.” It’s human nature to want to maximize income and making legitimate, legal use of tax loopholes is as natural in Beijing as it is in Brooklyn. (Do I have to say that hiding income and cheating the government may be counter to halakhah, and may also lead to chillul Hashem [disgrace of God’s name]? There—I’ve said it.)

Even though we often see “our tax dollars at work” on various public projects (like fixing traffic lights), we don’t like to pay taxes because we feel that it is money wasted. Well, I hope the following will make you feel a little better, even if it doesn’t save you any money.

The taxes you pay have, to some degree, the same positive effects as giving tzedakkah (charity). Such as? Such as opening the doors to kedushah (holiness). Whatever particular emphasis or improvement you want to make in your Jewishness—stronger faith or more clarity in your Torah study, for example—giving tzedakkah will make it easier, more accessible. In particular, Rebbe Nachman teaches that giving tzedakkah has the strength to fix (and undo) our misguided notion that things happen “naturally,” automatically. Giving tzedakkah increases our belief in God’s ratzon (will), that everything that happens in life is only because God wants it so.

Rebbe Nachman teaches that the real work of tzedakkah requires overcoming one’s greed (a form of cruelty) with generosity (a form of compassion). The Parparot l’Chokhmah explains that though paying taxes requires no victory of compassion over heartlessness, nonetheless paying taxes puts Jews in a nicer light, creating a degree of compassion that at least somewhat tempers potential anti-Semitism a host government may be wont to have.

agutn Shabbos!

Shabbat Shalom!