Author: Shayna Rosenberg

Written by: Rabbi Avrohom S. Moller

This Shabbos we read the haftora of  שובה ישראל where the navi, Hosheah, tells us to return to Hashem as we have stumbled on our sins. The second passuk says, “Take things with you and return to Hashem, say to Him, You have borne all of our sins and even allowed the repentance words to obviate the need for atonement sacrifices.” The cryptic words of this second passuk need clarification. What “things” should we be taking? Why does the navi tell us to return to Hashem a second time? Why do we have confidence that He has forgiven all of our sins? Why don’t we need atonement sacrifices any longer?

The Malbim (Rabbi Meir Leibish Wisser, great Tanach commentator and Rabbinic leader, 1809-1879) interprets this second passuk as a description of the repentance continuum.  A very basic level of teshuva, repentance, happens when a person repents out of fear of Hashem’s might and His anger at our misdeeds. This teshuva is done because the person believes that Hashem can punish him, and he is repenting as an act of self-preservation. This is called yiras ha’onesh, fear of punishment, and it is accepted by Hashem. If a person sincerely regrets his misdeeds because he is afraid of the repercussions, the severity of his misdeeds will be downgraded to minimize his punishment. However, there is a much greater level of repentance. This is done when a person leaves his erroneous ways and comes closer to Hashem. At this point, he contemplates the terrible error of his ways because he has achieved a greater appreciation of Hashem’s greatness and kindness and he feels bad about disappointing Hashem whose closeness he seeks. This is called teshuva me’ahava, repentance out of love. The effect of this form of repentance is that it converts the misdeeds into merits (Yoma 86).

The first verse of the haftora exhorts us to return to Hashem since we have “stumbled on our sins.” This implies that our sins have begun to impact us, and we are repenting out of fear of further pain and suffering. The second verse tells us to improve the quality of our teshuva by doing positive deeds which will help us come closer to Hashem. This will lead to a higher and second type of teshuva, one based on love and awe of Hashem. We can then be confident that our sins will convert to merits and that we will no longer require atonement sacrifices since all that we have done is considered meritorious.

We are in the aseres ymei teshuvah, the ten days of repentance, a time most auspicious for repairing our relationship with Hashem through repentance, reflection, and the betterment of our ways. We add merits to create a closeness that will bring us to the next level. If we succeed, Hashem will consider the entire journey to be one of merit. May we all be inspired to achieve this level of closeness during these days of mercy and forgiveness!

Gmar Chasima Tova!

Written by: Rabbi Mordechai Raizman

The Sounds of the Shofar

As we approach Rosh Hashana, a beautiful teaching comes to mind. In the Sefer Sifsei Chaim written by Horav Chaim Friedlander, ZT”L, he poses the following question. Why are there three different sounds to the shofar?  There is a tekiah (long blast), a shevarim (a series of small blasts) and a treuah (choppy blast). Is there any significance to the different sounds?

He explains that the shofar blowing and the order of its sounds parallels the process of teshuvah (repentance). Each set of shofar blowing begins with a tekiah. This long blast represents our current status, a level representing our complacency. However, no one is perfect. Everyone has an area in one’s life which needs improvement. Therefore, the middle sound changes to a shevarim or a treuah, the broken and choppy blasts, or both, representing our need to scrutinize our behavior, the awareness that a change in one’s behavior needs to be done. The final blast of the set is another tekiah. This long blast represents our resolve to change course and focus on a new direction for the coming year.

As we listen to the shofar this year, let us keep this message in mind. If all of us look into ourselves and accept just one area of our lives to improve, we will have understood the message of the shofar, a call to change and constantly grow in life.

Written by: Rabbi Mordechai Raizman

In this week’s Torah portion Rashi teaches us about the concept of the mitzvah Gorreres which means that when one does one mitzvah it draws one to do another one afterwards.  One who performs the mitzvah of Shiluach Hakan will have opportunities that follow it such as building a fence in a new home, even though these two mitzvos are not similar at all.

The question one needs to ask is how does this work.  Just because one performs a good deed, how does a totally unrelated mitzvah follow that one?  The answer is quite simple. There is a concept in sports when one is in the zone, a reference to when one player is focused on the game and performing at a high level. That is the same idea here.

When one is in the mode of performing mitzvos and seizing opportunities to serve Hashem, that person, shall we say, is in the mitzvah zone focused on getting closer to Hashem.  No matter what the opportunity is, he/she grabs it and moves forward in his/her observance of mitzvos.  Literally one mitzvah leads to another when one is in that frame of mind.

This time of year is a time to refocus and dedicate ourselves to growing in our mitzvah observance. Let us focus and rededicate ourselves to value all of the opportunities that come our way and to literally be in the mitzvah zone for the coming year.

Written by: Rabbi Avrohom S. Moller

This week’s parsha opens with the mitzvah of Bikurim, the obligation to present our first produce of the the land as a gift to Hashem in the Bais HaMikdash. Rashi, at the beginning of Beraishis, quotes a Midrash Rabbah that the mitzvah of Bikurim is the reason that Hashem created the heavens and the earth. What is so monumental about this mitzvah of expressing gratitude that it is the reason for creating the whole world?

The mitzvah of Bikurim frames the relationship between man’s efforts and his attributing his successes to himself. It is easy to attribute blessings to Hashem when we haven’t worked hard to gain that success. If a person buys a lottery ticket and wins, he will be immensely grateful to Hashem because it is obvious that the winnings are not a result of human effort or wisdom. However, if one works hard and sees great success, it is a big challenge to accept that Hashem is the one who brought that success, and it is simply that He wants us to put in the effort. This is the idea of Bikurim, that the farmer who worked hard to grow produce acknowledges that this is all a result of Hashem’s blessing.

This might almost seem unfair, but in reality, this is a source of great happiness in life. When a person sees blessing in life, he is joyful. If he views life as a quid pro quo, you get what you invest, that will grind him down. There are so many blessings and free gifts we receive from Hashem if we care to focus on them, and when we do, we are inspired, grateful and happy.

Rabbi Mordechai Gifter, the Rosh HaYeshiva of Telshe in Cleveland, asked , “Why does the Torah instruct us to rejoice with all of the good that Hashem has given us? Isn’t  rejoicing the natural response to having blessings?” He answers that in actuality man has the ability to disregard all of the goodness that Hashem has given him and to focus on the small frustrations and disappointments. This can remove all  the joy out of life and out of our service of Hashem. The Torah insists that we must rejoice with all of the goodness and recognize that it is from Hashem.

This lesson is very relevant as we prepare to begin a new year and to ask Hashem for a year full of blessings. We must reflect upon ourselves and ask if we have “rejoiced with all of the good” we received previously and has that caused us to serve Hashem with joy and enthusiasm. This will give us the right to request a blessed and fulfilling new year.

Written by: Rabbi Avrohom S. Moller

The first commandment of this week’s parsha is,  “שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים תִּתֶּן – לְךָ בְּכָל-שְׁעָרֶיךָ – You shall designate for yourself judges and enforcers in all of your communities.” This verse teaches us that we must create a judicial system in every Jewish community. This is the mainstay of a just society and Jews have maintained these courts for millennia. However, there seems to be a superfluous word in this passuk, “לך – for yourself.“ It would seem that the commandment would be understood without this word.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (prominent halachic authority and Rosh Yeshiva 1895-1986) answers that the Torah is teaching us that we need to create an internal system of self-judgment and accountability. Just as we need a communal system of justice to assure civil order and justice for all, we need a system to check our own moral inadequacies. If a person cannot restrain his base desires and cannot identify his weaknesses and personal conflicts, he will fail as a human being and as a member of society. Reb Moshe interprets the next passuk, “Do not give recognition (special consideration) to either party,” which warns the judge against playing favorites in the courtroom, to apply to our internal judgment as well. We are warned not to give our own interest and desires the upper hand when we are making decisions that affect our interactions with others.

The Torah teaches us that we need to regulate our behavior by having an internal system of planning and accountability. This system has to work with the realization that we have an emotional and a pleasure-seeking aspect of our personality that shades our judgment. If we are aware of this and really in touch with ourselves, we can remain objective in our decision making. If we don’t think and reflect or if we’re out of touch with the forces within us, we are liable to do the wrong thing and we can really ruin ourselves.

The mussar masters placed great emphasis on identifying the subconscious biases which affect us  even when we are not aware of them. There is a story told about Reb Yosef Yoizel Horowitz, the “Alter of Novarduk,” who once took a train ride to a distant city and then got on the next train back without doing anything at his destination. When he was questioned about this, he explained that he had considered attending to some business in that place but then he had decided against it. He was concerned that this decision came from a place of laziness not from an objective analysis of the question. To clarify this to himself, he chose to make the trip so that the effort and exertion would not be in the equation!

We are now in the somber month of Elul, the time when we prepare for the Yamim Noraim. This special time is especially opportune for us to self-assess our internal system of judgment and make the necessary adjustments so that we can look toward a truthful and an internally honest life.

Written by: Rabbi Mordechai Raizman

Open Your Eyes

This week’s Torah portion, Re’eh, starts with the phrase “Re’eh anochi nosayn lifnaychem hayom borcha uklalla – See what I have placed before you today, the blessings and curses.” Rav Moshe Feinstein, ZT”L, asks why is it that the word re’eh is written in a singular vein addressing the individual while the word lifnaychem is a plural which seems to address the public?

Rav Feinstein, ZT”L, answers his own question sharing a great insight. One has to open one’s eyes to see a complete picture in life. At first glance, one looks at what is in front of him/her and that often makes a strong impression. What society defines as success through materialistic gains is alluring and can influence one’s way of thinking.

With this phrase, the Torah is cautioning the individual – re’eh – take a serious look, gain a deeper insight into what is around you and truly see what is the lifestyle of  lifnaychem, all those around you. Is it really the most famous and wealthy that enjoy meaningful lives of blessing?

Blessings are found internally, in our homes with our family, friends and community. It is the intrinsic blessing that we need to aspire for in life. As we approach the month of Elul, a time of introspection preparing ourselves for the New Year, let us all open our eyes and see the blessings in front of us; let us all stay focused on the internal values that impact the lives of all of our children daily.

Written by: Rabbi Avrohom S. Moller

One of the challenges we encounter while we study Sefer Devarim is to understand the thread, the sequence of topics in any given parsha. In Parshas Eikev, the Torah instructs us to bless Hashem after we eat, the mitzvah of Birchas HaMazon. Immediately after that, the Torah admonishes us, “Do not forget Hashem your God. Lest you eat and become satisfied, and you will build fine houses and occupy them. Your heart will become proud, and you will forget Hashem.” Here, the Torah is warning us against becoming arrogant when we succeed in life. Unfortunately, it is human nature when a person becomes successful, they tend to become cocky and self-arrogant, the equivalent of forgetting Hashem. When a person attributes his success to his own wisdom and skill, he is forgetting that all good originates from Hashem. This includes a man’s ideas and inspirations which leads to his success.

Rav Shamshon Rephael Hirsch, z”l, explains the continuity of these two mitzvos. We bless Hashem for our food, and we should not become arrogant from our success. He says that that the whole idea of blessing Hashem every time we experience something good, whether it is the food we eat, happy experiences, opportunities to connect with Hashem through mitzvos, special times and special days and holidays, our response is to make a bracha. This duty, to always acknowledge Hashem’s kindness in real time, keeps us grounded. It helps ensure that we will always attribute these positive experiences and achievements to Hashem’s benevolence and generosity and not to our own prowess.

It should be noted that this concern is especially relevant today as society makes great strides in the physical aspects of life such as greater longevity, higher living standards, scientific progress and more. This has, in fact, led to a greater alienation from Hashem and from religion. Many people believe that science and knowledge of the physical world are incompatible with faith. This is exactly what the Torah is predicting here. The antidote to this “slide away from Hashem” is to focus on gratitude and the reinforcement of the recognition that it is all by the grace of Hashem and that we are really not powerful at all.

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Written by: Rabbi Mordechai Raizman

True Consolation

In this week’s Haftorah, Hashem tells the prophet Yeshaya to deliver the following message to us.  Nachamu nachamu ami – Be consoled my nation. This is the comforting message we read after experiencing the mourning of Tisha B’Av and the loss of the Bais Hamikdosh. In analyzing this phrase a simple question comes to mind. Why is the word nachamu repeated?

Harav Moshe Feinstein z”l (a 21^st leading rabbinical figure in the U.S.) explains this with another question. In reading Megillas Eicha on Tisha B’Av, the phrase Chayt chotoh Yerushalayim – Jerusalem, you have sinned – is read, another phrase containing repetition, the double phrase of sin – chayt chotoh. He answers sin is said twice because the Jewish people need to reflect on two thoughts.  The first thought is the sin itself, and the second one is the fact that one does not even realize a sin has been committed.

With the above explanation, we can now understand the phrase of Nachamu. Hashem is blessing the Jewish people with a two-fold blessing. The first blessing is His people will be comforted and forgiven for their sins. The second blessing, and perhaps the more important one, is His making the Jewish people aware of their actions and the ability to understand the differences between right and wrong. This second blessing has a long-term impact – once one is given the capability of recognizing a sin, one can change one’s future behavior.

Therefore, this week’s Haftorah delivers a very powerful message.  We live in a world where it is sometimes very difficult to discern the difference between right from wrong and where our values are challenged on a daily basis. Consequently, it is incumbent upon us to spend time to think and reflect on our actions so that we can be recipients of this blessing and see the ultimate redemption and rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdosh in our times.

Written by: Rabbi Mordechai Raizman

From Exile to Redemption

This coming  week is Tisha B’Av (the fast day remembering the destruction of the Temples) where we read from the Kinnos. The Kinnos is a compilation of writings that reflect on the many tragic times in our history during our long exile. There is one kinnah that compares and contrasts the stark difference between when we left Mitzrayim (Egypt) and when we left Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). When leaving Mitzrayim, we were surrounded by a clear hand of G-d. However, when leaving Yerushalayim, we felt all alone. Throughout this kinnah many differences are pointed out between the two events, and at the end of each corresponding contrast the same line is repeated, “This is what happened when we left Mitzrayim; this is what happened when we left Yerushalayim.” A natural question arises: Why the constant comparison between these two experiences? It is clear that we understand the key difference – one was freedom and redemption while the other was exile.

The commentators tell us that the root of the word Mitzrayim is maytzar which means narrow, confined or restricted. On the other hand, the word Yerushalayim is composed of two parts yeru and shalem which means to see the completeness in everything. These words deliver a simple message we tend to overlook in our daily lives. Often we are caught up in our narrow and restricted worlds. We get lost in our personal lives and daily challenges and lose sight of the complete picture, forgetting about the people around us, the rest of Klal Yisroel, our brothers and sisters wherever they are in the world. We must realize that we are one family. To transition from exile to redemption we need to leave Mitzrayim, the narrow place, and change our mindset to Yerushalayim, the completeness of all of us as a people.

These past few months Klal Yisroel has experienced the tragedy of Meron, Erev Shavuos in Karlin, and most recently the collapse of the building in Surfside, Florida. We have rallied together in so many ways as a nation and a people reciting tefillos for these families, learning in memory of those lost, and campaigns supporting the victims of these tragic events. As a people there has been an outpouring of love from Jews all over the world.  This message is spreading. We need to keep it going constantly.  Not just in tragic times BUT ALL THE TIME. We need to leave Mitrayim and see the fuller picture of all our people.  With that mindset and change of attitude, we will merit the rebuilding of the Temple. May it be speedily in our days.

Written by: Rabbi Avrohom S. Moller

These Are the Stations of the Jewish People

This week’s second parsha, Massei, begins with a listing of the 42 places that the Jewish people camped in during their journey from Egypt to Eretz Yisroel. It begins with Raamses in Egypt and ends with the encampment on the plains of Moav overlooking Jericho. What is the purpose of this listing? Rashi gives the explanation that it is a retrospective on all of the travails that our people endured during their stay in the desert and that in spite of those difficulties, Hashem stayed with us and pulled us through.

As a people, we have endured much travail and barely survived many of them. Our survival is a testimony to G-d’s covenant with His chosen people and the tenacity of the Jewish spirit. The challenges to our existence and our eventual triumph over these challenges are not the entire purpose of these difficulties. When Hashem places his people in any setting, it has many positive outcomes for us as a people. Every station that we have been placed in has provided us with opportunities to learn about ourselves and to integrate new abilities into our national character. An example of this is the Spanish period where we developed the field of Jewish philosophy, poetry and Hebrew grammar. Certainly, there were grave threats to our spiritual and physical safety, and it didn’t end well for us, but we did gain these important competencies because of our 500 year stay there. This is true for individuals as well. Every community we live in, every relationship we have polishes us and adds to our competencies.

Parshas Massei is read during the three weeks of mourning for the Churban, the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash. We are sad for the loss of our national pride, the dispersion of our people, our alienation from Hashem and the manifestations of his closeness to us. At the same time we should reflect on how far we have come, the areas we have developed, and the strengths we have gathered during our long exile. This will give us comfort and a feeling of purpose for what  we have endured as a people.