Wednesday Night Shiur - Parshas Acharei Mot - Kedoshim

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Gut Shabbos & Rosh Chodesh Tov

Don't forget next week is our Chinese Auction! Buy and tell your friends & neighbors as well. www.ulyauction.com We need your help in these times! Welcome back to Yeshiva hope everyone enjoyed their Pesach vacation.

This week we read two Torah portions together. The first, 'Tazria' means 'Giving seed' and the second 'Metzora' is translated 'Leprosy' (actually a Leprosy-like Torah disease called Tzoraat caused by speaking with intent to harm).

These seem to be two opposites. Giving seed is good and Tzoraat is bad. But in a deeper sense they are not.

Leprosy is another name for Moshiach  [Talmud Sanhedrin 98b] which is the goal of all our efforts. And giving seed (being positive and productive) is how we bring him.

But at first glance this is not understood. The Messiah, according to Judaism, will bring world peace, health and prosperity, why is he called Tzoraat-Leprosy?

To understand this here is a story. (HaGeula weekly page #460)

A wedding is a joyous occasion, a new beginning, a new world. Even when it is a second marriage… and the bride and groom are in their fifties.

Rabbi Kasreal Kastel, one of the more outstanding figures in Chabad in Crown Heights, has thousands of acquaintances and does tens, even hundreds of favors for people every day. One of his acquaintances was the fifty plus year old groom and one of the favors was attending his wedding.

The bride was a widow and both were fairly recent Baali Tshuva; Jews that 'returned' to their true Jewish identity. She and the groom although he had never married were now they were embarking on a new future.

Now, a wedding, according to Jewish law, although it is very joyous, is also a very serious and complicated matter. There are many details that, if not done correctly, could partially or even completely actually nullify the whole thing; for instance the witnesses and the Ketuba (wedding document).

They were about to begin. The bride and groom were ready, the presiding Rabbi was getting the wedding document and witnesses in order, guests were filing in the band was warming up and the tables were being set.

Rabbi Kastel was in the middle of a conversation with someone when a middle aged, clean-shaven fellow with a small white yarmulke on his head approached and asked if he could talk to him in private.

Rabbi Kastel excused himself and went with the man to a corner.

"Listen, Rabbi, I'm not a very educated Jew, a long time ago I did learn in a Chabad elementary school for a few years but I have to admit I'm pretty simple about all the laws and things. But, well I don't know exactly how to say this, but well, I see you are a good friend of the groom so….

"Well it's like this….. Last night I had a dream about the Rebbe. Now, I'm not superstitious or mystical or any of that and usually I never pay any attention to such crazy things but well…. I had a dream that the Lubavitcher Rebbe came to me and said, very matter-of- factly, 'Don't sign the Ketuba (wedding document) of your friend at the wedding.'

"I wanted to just forget it. And, in fact, I sort of did… until just now. The groom just came up to me and asked me to be one of the two witnesses and sign the Ketuba! I can't figure it out…. I mean, what to do. You know, Rabbi, I'm a bit scared! I mean, it was only a dream but….. I don't know if I should sign or not!"

Rabbi Kastel asked him if perhaps he was a relative of the bride or groom or some other details which would disqualify him as a witness but when the answer was negative he said, "Listen, if the Rebbe appears to someone in a dream it should be taken seriously. Don't worry. I'll talk to the groom and tell him I want to sign in your place. We're good friends, I'm sure he'll agree. No problem! Why take chances?"

And so it was. The presiding Rabbi finished preparing the Ketuba, the first witness signed, the cameras flashed everyone was smiling and happy and then came Rabbi Kastel's turn. He took the pen in hand, bent over the paper to sign it, gave a quick glance at the standard marriage document before him and his eyes widened. "Tell me," He turned to the groom and asked, "What is your name?"

"Why, Isaac" (pseudonym). He answered. Why do you ask? I mean, you know my name."

"Because" replied Rabbi Kastel. "There is a mistake here. Instead of Isaac it's written here; Naftali!"

"Naftali?" Said the groom, why, that's the name of my wife's …. that is…. my bride's father!"

They all took a look. The presiding Rabbi tried smile and say the groom didn't tell him clearly etc. etc. and began searching in his briefcase for another Ketuba form. But he couldn't find one.

"No problem," said Rabbi Kastel. About ten minutes drive from here is a Judaica store. I'll be right back! I'll just jump in my car, rush down there and…."

But the presiding Rabbi said he was in a hurry. He had a busy day before him and a twenty minute wait was out of the question. He would simply put a line through the name he wrote, write the groom's name above it, all the witnesses would sign above the correction and everything would be all right.

Rabbi Kastel was not happy about it but the other Rabbi wouldn't have it differently. So with no choice they made the correction, the ceremony took place, everyone shouted "Mazal Tov" and the music began to joyously play.

But Rabbi Kastel was worried.

True, the wedding was valid but a husband and wife are not allowed to live together without a proper Ketuba and this one was certainly not a hundred percent. Not only that, but there were many unfortunate stories about couples that had troubles because of mistakes in their Ketuba. But what could he do? But G-d helps.

In the middle of the festivities a Chassidic Rebbe, a good friend of the groom, entered with a few of his Chassidim and Rabbi Kastel approached him, asked him to have a look at the Ketuba and give his opinion.

His took the Ketuba, began reading, pointed to the cross-out and his face darkened. He shook his head and agreed that such a Ketuba is very problematic. But being a man of action he immediately called one of the Chassidim accompanying him, sent him to the Judaica store to get a new one and just twenty minutes later he returned out of breath with a brand new certificate that he handed triumphantly to his Rebbe.

"Ehhh?" The Rebbe said "Oy! Look here! He again shook his head sadly no and pointed to one line of the text.

"Look!" He showed it to Rabbi Kastel. "It's a Ketuba for a first marriage not for a second. The store gave him the wrong Ketuba!" He looked at the distraught couple and said handing the document back to his Chassid. "There is a different Ketuba for a first marriage than a second. Don't worry, in just a few minutes we'll have the right one."

And, without hesitation the Chassid rushed out, jumped back in the car, screeched off into the distance, made it to the store just before closing, and returned with the proper document in record time.

Meanwhile the bride and groom didn't know what to make of all this confusion but Rabbi Kastel comforted them saying, "Don't worry. It must be that in heaven this wedding is very important. Otherwise there would not have been so many disturbances!"

After the wedding meal finished the final blessings were said and the guests were leaving, the man that almost signed the Ketuba again approached Rabbi Kastel eyes glistening with tears of gratitude and said, "Rabbi, do you realize what happened? If the Rebbe hadn't come in that dream I would have signed and not noticed anything. Why, they would have an improper marriage for the rest of their lives! The Rebbe saved the day!!

This explains our questions. In the book 'Lequti Torah (pg 22b)' by the first Rebbe of Chabad he explains that Tzoraat was really a blessing in disguise; it brought the faults and evil in a person to the surface… in his skin or garments etc. so he could recognize and correct it properly.

That is why Moshiach is called a leper; because he brings the false egotism and faults of the world to the surface so people can change their attitudes. Something like what the Rebbe did in our story.

The exile is likened to a dream (Psalms 126:1) and the Rebbe's appearance in the dream to tell the man how to avoid mistakes (external ones at that) is like Moshiach appearing in the exile to direct us away from our mistaken ideas and attitudes (external ones at that).

And just as in our story the goal was a proper, lasting marriage so also Moshiach will assure that the marriage between G-d and the Jewish people (the topic of Shir HaShirim- the Song of Songs) is complete and fruitful.

But it all depends on us! The Lubavitcher Rebbe said time and time again that ours is the generation of Moshiach. If we want our dreams to come true we must wake up….. and act!

One more good deed, word or even thought. One more commandment or idea in Torah is enough to tip the scale and reveal….

Moshiach NOW!!

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton

RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Wednesday Night Shiur - Parshas Tazria-Metzora

Listen to this week's shiur of Parshas Tazria-Metzora.
Hear all shiurim at www.shiur.us.

Good Shabbos

This week is Shabbos Mevorchim. Please have in mind when saying Tehilim Ita Sarah bas Miriam.

This week's Torah portion tells us of the sad opening day of the Tabernacle (Mishkan) in the desert. Nadav and Avihu, the two holy sons of Aaron the High Priest, entered the Holy of Holies improperly and died.

The Holy of Holies was the room where the Tablets of Ten Commandments were kept in an ark. The room was so charged with G-dly energy that only the High Priest could enter - only on Yom Kippur and only with the exactly right attitude and thoughts. But the sons of Aaron lacked all these and they perished.

This week's Haftorah portion speaks of similar tragedy. Some four hundred years later the Ark containing the Tablets was taken by the Philistines in war and when King David brought it back to Jerusalem in a great joyous parade one of his men by the name of Uza touched the Ark and died. (Samuel 2:6)

At first glance this is not so clear; how can religious objects like an Ark or Tablets have such destructive power? Even more; the Torah is called a Tree of Life! (Prov.3:18) it should be the source of life and blessing!

To understand this here is a story I just heard.

Once there was a very rich Jew who we will call Yitzchak, who was a follower of the great Tzadik and holy genius Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Kotzk. Yitzchak was known for his warm heart and open hand. He gave a lot of charity. Every day his home was filled with the poor and hungry coming for a handout, a meal or just a place to rest for a while. But where he really shined was on Pesach (Passover).

Every year more than a hundred guests graced his table. People came from far and wide to partake of the joyous celebration of remembering the miracles G-d did thousands of years ago and hoping for even greater ones.

But, as we all know, there is a wheel of fortune in the world and so it was for our hero. Suddenly Yitzchak's fortune dwindled until within months he found himself a pauper with almost nothing to eat.

He was forced to sell his businesses, his properties and even his furniture. His wife sold her jewelry and everything of value in the house including their precious candle sticks until his house was a virtual shell… and it would only be a matter of time till it would have to be sold as well.

But there was one thing that his wife refused to part with. She had sold all her fine dresses and ornaments, even her family heirlooms but she refused to part with the Kos Shel Eliahu; the cup we fill with wine for Elijah the Prophet (who was taken in a wind to heaven some 2,800 years ago and supposedly visits every Passover Seder) at the end of the Passover Seder.

It really made no sense. The cup was made of gold and would surely have brought a good sum. Every so often her husband would add a jewel or golden inscription to it so it was worth a lot of money. But she refused to let it go. "It's our only hope." She said. "Elijah will announce Moshiach and Moshiach is our only hope."

Yitzchak was in no mood to argue with her. If poverty didn't convince her to sell it he surely wouldn't…. And deep down… he knew, or at least hoped, that she was right.

But the morning before the Pesach Seder their house was barren. Somehow they scraped together enough money for a bottle of wine, a few Matzot, some potatoes and a small piece of fish and of course they had a small table and two chairs but except for that… nothing.

So with only hope (which was waning) and an empty stomach (which was waxing) he told his wife he was going to the synagogue that morning and would return only that evening for what was sure to be a lonely, quiet, ghost-of-the-past Seder.

He sat alone in the Shul (Synagogue) and did his best not to weep. But it wasn't easy. The thought of days gone by and of the dismal future; maybe next week he wouldn't even have his house, haunted him.

Close to evening he went to the Mikva, washed up, immersed himself, changed his clothes and tried to keep a smile on his face and a song on his lips as he walked home.

But as he approached and saw his house in the distance his smile faded and he fell silent in awe. His house was….. ablaze….. with light! …. From inside….. it was filled with ….. people!

He thought that perhaps he had lost his mind. He shook his head as though trying to wake up. He rubbed his eyes and held his temples in disbelief and approached.

He opened the door and it was like a dream. His huge frontroom was filled with guests, maybe a hundred of them, all joyously, handsomely dressed and busy arranging their places at a huge, long, decorated table. Lights and candles were shining everywhere! He looked at his wife. She was dressed like a queen! She gazed back at him, her eyes sparkling with sweet tears of joy as she raised her arms and announced,

"My husband! Rav Yitzchak!!"

Everyone stood and applauded and poor Yitzchak broke down in tears and swooned. He would have fallen on his knees and raised his hands in thanks to G-d but it just didn't seem to be the right thing to do so he wiped his eyes, held up his hands for silence and yelled, "Good Yom Tov (holiday) everyone!! Thank G-d for everything!!" and everyone answered "Good Yom Tov!!" and resumed finding and arranging their places.

His wife approached, smiling from ear to ear, and explained.

"Just after you left this morning, a carriage pulled up in front of the house and an important looking Jew got out and knocked at our door. He said that many years ago he had been at our Passover Seder and never forgot it. He said that his carriage happened to break down here yesterday and he just got it fixed. He wanted to know if it was all right if he spent the Passover with us again. But when I told him that we didn't have enough food for guests he insisted that money was no problem and he gave me five thousand guilder! Five thousand!!

"I tried to refuse. I told him it was a thousand times what we needed. But he insisted. In fact he even took the money back and gave it to his servants to buy food and hire workers to prepare it. He even bought new furniture and tapestries! It's unbelievable! In just hours the food and pots and everything were delivered, the stove was burning, the house was busy and people were coming from all over to help. It's a miracle! And soon he'll be here. He told me not to wait for him, that he would be a bit late but I'm sure he'll be here any moment and we can thank him."

That Seder night was probably the best and happiest that Yitzchak and his wife ever had in their lives and, sure enough, when the meal was almost finished, their rich benefactor appeared, hurriedly found a seat, and before anyone knew it finished his Seder quickly and quietly and approached them.

They thanked him profusely to which he replied. "I understand that you've been having a hard time financially. Well, I bless you with greater riches than before." And with those words, he turned on his heels and left.

Sure enough, several of the guests that night were businessmen and as soon as the holiday ended, eight days later, Yitzchak was back in business and in just a few weeks he was making money and giving charity like never before.

Months later Yitzchak visited his Rebbe, told him the entire story and gave a him a huge donation. The Rebbe put his head down for a minute, lifted it and said.

"That rich man was Elijah the Prophet. You merited seeing him once and your wife merited to see him twice! It was all in the merit of that cup and her simple faith. She was right, your only hope was Elijah."

This explains our question. When G-d gave the Torah to the Jewish people He turned the creation 'inside out' and 'downside up'.

Suddenly the most mundane 'outside' deeds became filled with 'inside' spiritual mysteries and this 'downside' physical world became "Higher upside' than the highest levels of heaven. Like the physical Tablets that contained the Ten Commandments.

And that is the secret of Elijah the Prophet; he did not die! In fact his physical body went up to heaven. This was possible because his body was actually HIGHER than heaven. That is why he returns to earth for every Seder Night (and every Brit (circumcision) as well)

Because doing G-d's commandments with physical things on EARTH is higher than any spiritual world.

And that is the reason that Elijah will announce Moshiach. Because this is exactly the message of Moshiach… that this physical world is the most blessed, holy and meaningful of all places. And here will be the Raising of the Dead! The spiritual souls will LEAVE heaven to RISE UP in physical bodies: the physical is higher than the spiritual.

But this can only be revealed through the Torah; that is why the Torah is called the "Tree of Life" because only it can provide the vessels and framework for this eternal, unbounded life.

Therefore there was so much power in the Tablets. Indeed, when they were given on Mt.Sinai everyone present… all the Jews… actually died, they became spiritualized, and G-d re-enlivened them. (Shabbat 88b. See Tanya Chapt 36); the revelation was too powerful for this world… too much life!!! That is what the son's of Aaron and Uza found out in an unfortunate way.

But the heroes of our story realized it in a good way. The faith of Yitzchak's wife was the vessel for fantastic riches in this physical world.

And the Lubavitcher Rebbe said that so is our generation a vessel for fantastic blessings.

Ours is the generation of Moshiach. It all depends on our faith, joy and actions. Even one more good deed, word or even thought can tip the scales and bring the biggest blessing of all ….

Moshiach NOW!

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton

RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Gut Shabbos

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WE WISH ALL OUR READERS A HEALTHY, HAPPY, KOSHER PESACH WITH, MOSHIACH NOW!!

This week's section opens with a double commandment "A constant fire must burn on the altar, it shouldn't be extinguished."

At first glance the last part of the sentence is unnecessary; why tell us not to extinguish the fire when we already know it must burn constantly?

Also this Shabbat is called 'The Big Shabbat' (Shabbat HaGodol) because of a big miracle that happened before the Jews left Egypt: G-d commanded the Jews to take sheep, an Egyptian god, into their houses to be sacrificed before leaving Egypt.

The miracle was that the first born of the Egyptians, instead of getting angry at the Jews, made war against Pharaoh instead, thus fulfilling; "To smite Egypt with their firstborn." (Ps. 136:10)

At first glance this is also not so clear. First of all, what's miraculous about one Egyptian killing another? Secondly, this war of the firstborn was really unnecessary; G-d destroyed the Egyptians and took the Jews out just a day or so later anyway! And finally, is there a connection between this and the commandment to keep the fire burning?

To understand this here is a story (Ma Sh'siper Li HaRebbi pg 146)

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, the father of the last Lubavitcher Rebbe was himself a great leader, Torah scholar and Kabbalist. He was the Rabbi over a huge area of Russia in one of the most difficult periods in Jewish history: the era of Stalin.

Stalin wanted to show that he was an enlightened despot, interested only in the good of the Russian people and in mankind in general, so he didn't kill people for 'no reason'.

But everyone knew that one wrong move, word or even thought against Communism meant imprisonment, torture and even death to the point that under his rule over twenty million Russians found their deaths.

It was in this atmosphere of fear and oppression that Rabbi Levi Yitzchak found himself the spiritual leader of tens of thousands of Jews.

But as dangerous as it was every day of the year when Jews could keep to themselves, how much more so around the holidays when preparations and celebrations were visible to the public.

For instance, before Pesach there is much energy, time and care put into making Matza. First of all, religious Jews eat only Matza made from flour that was observed (Shmura) from the time the wheat was harvested.

According to the Torah, if flour, or even wheat after it's cut, comes in contact with water and isn't kneaded within a few minutes it becomes forbidden for any use on Pesach.

Jews have been doing this for over 3,000 years. But the Communists, in their plan to make a new world, decided to make big changes. They took over all the mills and declared that from now on there would no longer be a need for special flour for Matza making. And who would dare to oppose them!?

But Rabbi Levi Yitzchak did not agree.

It seems that the area of his jurisdiction included thousands of square miles of wheat fields where a very significant percentage of the wheat in Russia was grown. And every year he had been in charge of overseeing the wheat harvest and the grinding of the grains into flour and making sure it was 'kosher'.

The government knew that the Jews bought only special flour for baking Matzos but they were sure they could get around it like they got around everything else; with force.

But their power tactics did not impress Rabbi Schneerson.

As soon as he heard about their plans to change things, he immediately went to the local Party Headquarters and informed them that he would not allow his stamp to be put on the packages of Matzos, unless he was allowed to be in full charge of every step in the production of the flour. And if he saw anything that didn't meet his standards he would not give his approval!

The officials looked at him like a madman. No one ever disagreed! There was no such thing as disagreeing!! It was simply suicidal!

But Rabbi Levi did not care what anyone thought. He quietly but firmly announced that if they wanted to kill him they could do so but he would not go against the will of G-d.

When they told him that they had hundreds of Rabbis that would be glad to put stamps on the matzos he replied that they could do what they wanted but he was certain that no one would buy flour without his stamp.

"If so we will simply make a copy of your stamp and put it on the Matzos, and we will put you into Siberia!" They screamed.

To which he answered. "If you do that then I will advertise in all the papers, or have flyers printed. In any case you can be sure that all Russian Jewry will know tomorrow that the seal is a forgery".

The officials began to really worry. Usually the government made a very nice profit from the sale of Matzos and if there was a lack of sales and it was linked in any way to them…. it might cost them their lives.

They threatened, "You had better not cause even a penny of government income to be lost! If you dare damage the economy you will be arrested as an enemy to the party!! You will be shot! Killed for counter-revolutionary activity!"

Rabbi Levi replied, "Your threats do not frighten me. Only if you give me a free hand to oversee the cutting and grinding of the wheat will I give my approval and Jews will buy Matzos. I am prepared to travel to Moscow and meet with the Prime Minister of Russia if necessary and explain to him that it is impossible to give my stamp on a thing that is not Kosher. This would be against the Jewish law and I will never do that.

"If the Prime Minister wants to punish me that is his business but I will never move from my beliefs; I will never do anything against the will of G-d!"

They became scared. They had never confronted anyone as fearless and certain. They wanted to just have him arrested and killed. But something told them not to do it. Maybe he was right, maybe no one would buy matzos without his seal and then they would really be in trouble.

So they sent an urgent letter to the highest levels of the government, some say it was to Stalin himself, explaining what an incorrigible troublemaker this Rabbi was, how he was impeding progress, clinging to ancient superstitions, opposing the government etc.

The reply came swiftly and mercilessly, it began: "Give the Rabbi what he wants!"

Then it not only continued to list in explicit detail all the exclusive rights of Rabbi Shneerson but even decreed that ALL the bakeries in the U.S.S.R. had to bake according to his qualifications and use only flour with his seal of approval.

That year, every Jew in the U.S.S.R. ate the most Kosher Matzos possible.

Several years later Rabbi Schneerson was arrested, (on the ninth of Nissan 5699) taken to prison and tortured for nine months! He was then sent to exile in Siberia where he suffered terribly for four years and finally passed away just weeks after his release.

Regarding the months he spent in jail an eye witness wrote: "Who could bear such tortures and interrogations! Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Shneerson did not confess! He refused to sign on the accusations! Like a superhuman warrior he accepted the measure of torment and did not surrender. He received with love the decree of heaven and did not divulge secrets to his torturers. In the frightening ocean of blood and murder that had trapped millions, Rabbi Shneerson was literally the only one that the fire of hell did not rule over. This fact was passed from one prisoner to another as a wondrous legend. In all the prisons he was known as a miraculous hero."

This answers our questions. The positive commandment to make the fire burn constantly is not exactly the same as not extinguishing it.
We might think that making a permanent fire i.e., being excited about serving G-d according to His Torah is only when there is no risk or undue difficulties involved.

But perhaps when there are seemingly insurmountable obstacles, like Communists or Egyptians or even internal roadblocks like depression, anger, lust etc. we might think that we are exempt.

Therefore the Torah tells us "It shouldn't be extinguished." Just as Rabbi Shneerson showed us; nothing in creation should dampen our enthusiasm for serving the Creator.

And the first time that all the Jews did so was when they took the sheep into their homes four days before leaving Egypt.

The same Jews that were forth generation slaves and had been afraid of everything, suddenly ignored their inborn slave mentality and became servants of G-d, afraid of nothing; not even the angry, armed Egyptians around them.

And the result was a Big miracle; the Egyptians HELPED them. For the first time in history the enemies of the Jews transformed to be their assistants in serving the Creator.

It was a foretaste of the total redemption that will come by Moshiach when all the world will serve G-d together. (Tzfanya 3:9)

It all depends on us, to be constantly inspired to serve G-D under all circumstances and do all we can to dispel the darkness of this terrible exile we are now in.

We can all leave 'Egypt' now by doing just one more deed, saying one
more word or even having one more positive thought to bring….

Moshiach NOW!

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton

RYYH
ULYOP
In a Rush to bring Moshiach

Wednesday Night Shiur - Parshas Tzav and Shabbos Hagadol

Listen to this week's shiur of Parshas Tzav and Shabbos Hagadol.
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