|
Rabbi Moshe Don Kestenbaum
A Rewarding Search
כָּל חֲמִירָא וַחֲמִיעָא דְּאִכָּא בִרְשׁוּתִי
Any chametz or leaven that is in my possession…
As I once cleaned out some of my personal drawers before Pesach, I found what was no less than a real mess. Tags from the cleaners coupled with piles of papers was the least of the clutter. It was underneath all that mess that I found what I assumed would be inconsequential, yet turned out to be a real goldmine.
I found change. In fact, quite a bit of change. I slowly began gathering it together and placing it into a Ziploc bag, which I then took to the laundry mat and inserted into the coin machine. I generously estimated that the coins would turn out to a nice sum, perhaps $30. Lo and behold, to my sheer surprise, I walked out of the store with $41.67. I was very happy to say the least. But as I quickly realized, there was a valuable lesson to be learned here.
While we are enjoined to not merely rid our homes of chametz in preparation for Pesach, but as well remove the chametz – i.e. ego, self-centeredness, unrefined character – from ourselves, we would be wise to not simply examine our flaws and shortcomings, but our strengths and positive attributes as well. We cannot overlook and miss the treasures we possess in the process of engaging in self-introspection of our failures. Even amid my messy drawer, full of unnecessary and unclean trash, there was a treasure trove of coins hidden. Had I simply searched for the garbage and neglected to pick up the shimmering coins embedded there, I would have forgone a cherished opportunity.
Imagine a car that is in great need of a car wash inside and outside and some touching up over dents and scratches. While the dents most certainly need to be attended to, it would be remissive to avoid noting the beauty of the car and instead only focusing on its flaws. Moreover, it is only important to clean and fix the car altogether because it is inherently beautiful and valuable.
The same is true of us as individuals. Each one of us is so valuable that it would be a waste to allow the cracks to just sit there and not be attended to. Our inherent value and potential is such that we are worth all the investment to perfect ourselves. But such improvements are made only when we recognize our value and find reason to go through with whatever work is necessary.
In this vein, Dovid Hamelech’s instruction in Tehillim takes on new meaning. “Stay away from evil and do good” (Tehillim 34:15). While the simple reading implies two commands of eschewing bad and pursuing good, the verse can alternatively be interpreted, “How does one stay away from bad? Through doing good.” When we focus on the positive and highlight the goodness inherent in ourselves and others, we are in perfect position to only grow increasingly more and more and discover the many inner beautiful treasures we all carry within our hearts.
Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lieff
Beating to the Tune
As the Jewish people finished making their way through the Red Sea, the Jewish men broke out in unbridled joy and song. Yet, as the Torah continues to relate, the women were not without their moments of rejoicing too.
Gathering the women together, Miriam led them along. “And Miriam, the prophetess, sister of Aharon, took the drum in her hand and all the women went forth after her with drums and with dances. And Miriam answered, ‘Sing to Hashem for He is exalted above the arrogant, having hurled horse with its rider into the sea’” (Shemos 15:20-21). The women, following the lead of Miriam, celebrated and reveled in Hashem’s miraculous redemption of the Jewish people.
But a closer look at the above description of how the women actually went about rejoicing begs numerous questions. Why does the Torah depict Miriam as the “sister of Aharon”? Wouldn’t it have been more accurate to say that she was the sister of Moshe, the primary leader of the Jewish people? Moreover, what does it mean that Miraim took “the drum”? What specific drum is being referenced? In addition, what does it mean that “Miriam answered them”? There doesn’t appear to be any question to which she is responding.
The Gemara (Sotah 12a) states that Amram, the Torah giant of the generation, divorced his wife after realizing that the birth of more Jewish children was only leading to an increase in infanticide. Following suit after the great Torah sage, the rest of the Jewish men as well divorced their wives.
But there was a little five-year-old girl, named Miriam, who challenged the decision of her father, the leader of the Jews. “Your decision is harsher than that of Pharaoh’s. Pharaoh only decreed against the baby boys; your decision is against the baby boys and girls [for perhaps the child born would be a girl and be allowed to live]. Pharaoh’s decree only lasts in this world; your decision impacts this world and the Next.”
It was then, upon listening to Miriam’s wise words, that Amram reneged on his decision and remarried his wife, after which he fathered Moshe. That night, Miriam took out her drum and along with her brother, Aharon, danced and rejoiced in front of their parents upon the happy occasion of their remarriage.
For the next eighty years until the Jewish people were freed, says the Divrei Yirmiyahu, Miriam the prophetess danced and sang to all the naysayers who refused to believe that they would ever be redeemed. She lived each and every day according to the beat of her drum of faith in Hashem, of hope for a better future and of redemption from bondage. That very drum, which was used to dance in front of her parents, forecasted the birth of the Moshe Rabbeinu, who would lead the Jewish people to their redemption. Miriam never gave up, but continued to believe in her prophecy which foresaw that the Jews would leave Egypt.
And then the day arrived. The Jewish nation left in a haste and crossed the Red Sea. It was then, after many years of heartfelt anticipation, that Miriam took out the drum. The same drum which Miriam had used to dance in front of her parents with her brother, Aharon, was now taken out and used in fulfillment of her prophecy. Now, once and for all, Miriam could answer all the naysayers who repeatedly questioned if the redemption would ever arrive, that it in fact had. Thus, Miriam, sister of Aharon, took the drum in her hand and Miriam answered all the naysayers, “Sing to Hashem…”
In every generation, there are those individuals who take a stand and beat their drum to the tune of faith, of hope and of inspiring others to grow closer to Hashem and His Torah. Miriam did it in Egypt, and each and every one of can do it today wherever we may be. Miriam charges us with the responsibility to never stop believing in Hashem and His people, no matter the circumstances and how lengthy the wait may be.
The Chovos HaLevavos (Shaar Ahavas Hashem, Ch. 6) in fact writes, “The merit of one who believes in Hashem, even if he has achieved complete perfection of his soul, and even if he is close to the level of prophets in his character and actions, he does not come close to the merits of one who guides people in the right way and towards service of Hashem.” Guiding, teaching and uplifting our fellow Jews with Torah inspiration is our greatest merit. When we share our vision for growing in Torah and dedication to Hashem with our family, friends, neighbors and community, we are picking up the drum which has been beaten for hundreds of years, and preparing the way for the ultimate redemption with the arrival of Mashiach.
Rabbi Bentzion Shafier
The Vastness of the Universe
As we move closer towards Pesach, a time during which we focus on the miracles and grandeur Hashem displayed in Egypt, we would most certainly benefit from taking a moment to contemplate some of the everyday nuances of our universe and arrive at a deeper appreciation for all that our world is.
The Rambam (Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 2:1) writes:
What is way to arrive at love and fear of Hashem? At the time that a person contemplates the wondrous and extraordinary creations of the world and sees the endless wisdom and depth inherent in them, immediately he comes to love G-d and praise Him, only yearning to further understand Him.
There are certain wonders in the world, which if not pondered, will end up completely overlooked. Yet, if even a small amount of time is allotted to delving into their existence, quite quickly, one will realize the profundity behind each and every one of them.
Let’s take a few examples.
The distance between a person at one point and the wall in front of them may be thirty-five feet or so. That is a relatively short distance. From New York to California, in contrast, the distance is approximately 2,900 miles. Flying on a plane, such a distance can be traversed in a matter of 5 to 6 hours. Yet when we talk about distance in terms of the universe at large, such numbers are miniscule. From the earth to the moon, it is 238,900 miles, and from the earth to the sun, about 91 to 93 million miles, depending upon the season.
Let’s continue.
The surface temperature of the sun is approximately 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and rises progressively inward until at its very center, the sun reaches about 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. Given this extraordinary heat, scientists posit that a grain of sand heated up to such temperatures and brought back to planet earth would burn everything in its vicinity for a sixty-mile radius. But because the sun is so vastly distant from the earth, the heat emitted spreads out and allows for 80-degree weather on our planet.
Imagine for a moment that the sun was not 91 million miles away, but only 45. What would life on earth be like? It would be uninhabitable. Rock melts at 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit, and such heat would melt the rock which constitutes planet earth. However, since the distance between the sun and earth is so distant, the heat dissipates and allows for life on earth to be comfortable and inhabitable.
Yet when you look at the larger universe, 91 million miles is not a great distance. The closest star to the sun is Alpha Centauri, which is still so distant that astronomers cannot measure it with the use of miles. Instead, astronomers transfer to a different system of measure, that of the speed of light, which travels 186,282 miles per second and 671 million miles per hour. It would thus take 4 light years for light to reach earth from Alpha Centauri. Such is the vast distance between the two planets.
But there’s even more to our planets than this. In the entire galaxy, there aren’t just a few stars, or even hundreds of thousands. Scientists now approximate that there are about 100 billion stars, and even compare the vastness of the galaxy in relation to earth to that of a coffee cup relative to the United States. It is so large that the human mind cannot begin to fathom its depth and breadth.
But what are we meant to make of this all? Aside from the purposes which each planet serves, a profound thought comes to mind when pondering the universe. What was before? However, as Chazal (Chagigah 11b) tell us, we are not meant to contemplate such a fact, for it will not lead to any definitive and satisfactory conclusion, given the lack of human comprehension.
I remember my daughter coming home one day when she was six years old and saying, “Abba, before Hashem created the world, there really were no trees and no rivers? You mean there was nothing. What color was it then?” Her real question was based upon the premise that if you close your eyes, you see black and would describe to someone that you see nothing. But even black is a color. That which is void implies physicality, which is something that did not exist before there was a world.
When we ponder for even a short period the sheer amazingness of the world and beyond, it fundamentally changes our perception of our life and our relationship with our Creator. Just consider one last observation.
Why doesn’t the earth just float away into the vastness of the universe? The answer is the property called gravity. The gravitational force and weights of the planets keeps them where they are supposed to be in their respective orbits. Hashem created each aspect of the universe with specific properties that would ensure this perfect synchronous dynamic at all points of space and time. It is with the One who created all of this magnificence that we are privileged to share a relationship with and communicate to.
While the many miracles which occurred in Egypt are most certainly breathtaking and a guiding source of emunah in a Creator, the same applies to our world at large. If we will only look closely, we will see the greatness and grandeur that exists right before us.
A Short Message From
Mrs. Shira Smiles
Interestingly, Chazal (Eruvin 19a) tell us, “Even the empty ones among you are filled with mitzvos like a pomegranate.” What is odd, though, is that this phrase is inherent with a contradiction. On the one hand, such individuals are filled with mitzvos; yet on the other hand, they are still called empty? What exactly then are these people? How can you be empty, yet still be filled?
Rav Mordechai Pogramansky zt”l explained that there is a significant difference between a pomegranate and other fruits, such as an apple or pear. The latter possess a core in the middle, wherein the seeds reside. The pomegranate, in contrast, has its seeds located in individual sects spread all throughout and is without a core.
The main difference between the two lays in the core. Those who are “empty” are empty spiritually. They observe the Torah and perform mitzvos, but it is not against the backdrop of a strong heartfelt sense of exuberance and commitment, meaning and purpose. It is rather perfunctory or done for ulterior motives. There is no backbone, or core, to their upkeep. What Hashem wishes most from us is dedication to His Torah with love and devotion, value and respect. When such ideals fill our framework of our Torah and mitzvah observance, we will be filled with true meaning and connection to Hashem.
|
