THE KOL (VOICE) OF YAAKOV TRANSFORMS THE YADAYIM (ACTIONS) OF EISAV – PARSHAS TOLDOS

               Upon
awakening from sleep, we resume our life’s journey. From the moment that the
holy Jewish soul is returned to the body, a fresh opportunity is presented to
actualize our lifelong process of growth. How do we achieve this lofty goal?   

Chazal explain
that sleep is the period of time when our soul (the neshama) ascends to the
supernal realms. The vacuum left behind causes a temporary influx of what we
call – tum’ah – spiritual impurity. Upon awakening this tum’ah recedes to our
hands with our sages giving us the knowledge of how to remove it by
re-sanctifying our hands.

    But even before we do that, t he
first thing we do in the morning is say “modeh ani”, proclaiming our
humble gratitude to our Creator for showing His confidence in us by restoring
our soul to our body, giving us another day of life in which to fulfill Torah
and mitzvoth. We surely appreciate that the renewal of our life each day is a
gift — a fresh opportunity to actualize our lifelong process of spiritual
growth.  How do we achieve this lofty
goal in a practical way? And how, we might ask,  are we  permitted 
to say “modeh ani,” before we have purified our hands?

             In order to try to answer these
questions, we will look a bit more deeply into the spiritual connection between
our hands and our voices.

The Malbim
explains that the hands represent the earthly power and might that lie within
the domain of  Eisav; but the voice,
which emanates from the realm of the soul lies within the domain of Yaakov.

 When Yaakov approached Yitzchok for his
brachos, Yitzchok touched him and felt the “hands of Eisav” but heard the “voice
of Yaakov”, and thus made the immortal declaration:  “…hakol 
kol Yaakov —- ve hayadayim yedai  Eisav.” (Toldos 27:  22)

            Looking
more deeply into these words, we come to learn that, according to the Malbim, Hashem
desired that Yaakov be given both spiritual and material gifts and
blessings.   However, material blessings would come to Yaakov
not by means of natural cause and effect, but only through hashgacha, through
his voice – his Torah and tefillah. If however, G-d forbid, his Torah learning and
tefillah were to be  diminished then the
flow of material blessings would also decrease. 

            And
now we are ready to address our earlier question – how is it that we are
permitted to utter the “Modeh ani…” even before we wash our hands?   First we should recognize that the impurity
that rests on our hands when we wake up is reflected in interesting ways.
Accordingly to one neurologist, the first parts of the body to, so to speak,
wake up after sleep are the hands. Conceptually, we can understand this as
follows: Our Sages have taught us that the first inclination that “wakes” up
within us is the yetzer hara and only later in life does the yetzer hatov
“awaken” thereby becoming proactive. Thus Eisav, the embodiment of the  yetzer hora, proceeded Yaakov and was born
first, the Midrash teaches in order to absorb any extant impurities, so that
Yaakov Aveinu could be born free of blemishes. Another moshal which can clarify
this issue is that many fruits initially are surrounded by an inedible klipah
which actually protects the valuable fruit until it fully develops. 

            Our
precious soul, which has now been graciously returned to us, needs be the
director of all our deeds. Therefore, first thing upon awakening, we proclaim are
the “modeh ani…” to acknowledge that it is our neshoma for which we thank
Hashem. The neshoma is embodied in the voice – the kol, kol Ya’kov, a Divine
gift. And since the praise is of a purely spiritual content, it lies beyond the
realm of any negative influence of impurity. Therefore, we are able to express this
praise  even before washing  our hands. However, for other praises,
blessings and tefillos that are connected with our physical endowments and
pleasures, we need  first annul any
remaining impurity and re-sanctify ourselves through netillas yadayim.

          Interestingly, the nusach of netillas
yadayim, the first blessing of the day, provides a profound insight:  “Blessed ( or: The Source of all) are You,
Hashem, our G-d King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments,
and has commanded us on the washing –“netillas yadayim” – of the hands. Notably,
the Sages did not choose for this blessing the word “rechitza” meaning “washing”
but “netilla” meaning “taking”, as 
in the bracha of  the lulov  where we say “al netillas lulav,” on the
taking of the lulov, Perhaps a deeper reason for the selection of this – nusach
 is  that just as the mitzvah of lulov is
accomplished through the  act of “taking
hold” of  the lulov, so also do we
achieve spiritual success with the use of our hands – our ma’aseh yadayim –  by  “taking
hold of “ , i.e., controlling and directing  our actions toward the fulfillment of the will
of  Hashem.  May we soon merit to raise our voices and
hands together in a unison greeting the Moshiach and the final redemption soon
in our days.              

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia

CAN YOU GO BACK FROM WHERE YOU CAME? PARSHA CHAI SARAH

                                                                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                 

 

                  “Hashem said to Abram,  who was then  living in Ur of the Chaldees, a cosmopolitan city of idol worshippers:  Go away from the land, from your relatives and your father’s  house to the land that I will show you.”  So Abram left Ur and settled in Eretz Canaan where he was able to grow in the ways of  Hashem.  Yet, when it came time for Avraham to find a wife for his son, Yitzchak, he sent his servant, Eliezer , back to that idolatrous setting where he had grown up, saying  and you will take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house,  that is from the very place from which Avram had fled those many years before. 

Avraham Aveinu’s spiritual journey continues to provide  the  road map for our journeys today.  So there is a great lesson for us in these pesukim — a great formula for personal growth in the service of Hashem, When a person decides to relinquish his or her former lifestyle and lead a life of  enhanced holiness,  he or she  remains  vulnerable to the inducements of that original lifestyle for quite some time.  This can create a serious impediment to his or her complete spiritual transformation.   

After Avraham Avinu had successfully climbed up to the ‘mountain of Hashem’ and achieve a new level of understanding  from that vantage point, he was able to infuse these ideals of purity and righteousness into  his son Yitzchak.  Though Avraham Aveinu did not himself return to his point of origin, he had achieved the strength necessary to take some of the good from that place in the form of a wife for his son, Rivka Imeinu.  

                 However Avraham did not himself go back to Ur nor did he send his son Yitzchak.   Avraham had perfected the meda, attribute, of chesed, altruistic loving kindness which at its extreme can see everything and everyone as good. This is a beautiful quality but nefarious people can easily take advantage of such a person. His son Yitzchak had perfected the meda attribute of gevuros, discipline and restraint. This quality when isolated without a balance of chesed can be to structured without a balanced flow which can lead to becoming too judgmental and unforgiving. Perfection lies in the balance of kindness and restraint, the quintessential attribute called teferes – splendor as represented by Yaakov Aveinu. It was therefore through Yaakov Aveinu that the entire Jewish nation could be developed. Thus neither Avraham nor Yitzchak returned to Avraham’s because the Torah wants to teach us that in order to be qualified to overcome the influences of one’s upbringing in a healthy perfected manner it is necessary to balance and blend chesed and gavurot so well that our personality unifies these attributes to the point that all our decisions and action emanate from the newly developed attribute of  teferes.

               Yaacov Avinu lived many years in the home of Lavan who was the prototype deceiver and epitome of unperceived evil but Yaacov didn’t compromise his righteousness throughout his stay. He was successfully able to release all the fallen sparks of holiness that had been trapped in the (klipa) prison of spiritual darkness and raise them back up to the light of kiddusha this being his wives, twelve children, who became the foundational roots of the entire Jewish nation, and the flocks.

                Yaacov Avinu is the prototype of Torah, Avraham Avinu is the prototype (gimilus cassadim) kindness and Yitzchak Avinu is the prototype of (Avoda) Divine service. These are the three pillars of Jewish life and all need to be in place for true service. With them we are then able to confront and challenge any and all people and situations in life. Until we reach that unity and balance we need to withdraw ourselves from any and all negative influences that can distract us from our goal of spiritual enlightenment. Our front line defense is the strict adherence to following the Torah and following the wise dictates of our Sages.

              At every step of the way we need to turn only to the Creator with our sincere heart and soul pleading to be shown and lead down the correct path of life. When we have securely rooted ourselves in Torah, Avoda and Gilmilus Cassidim then when can when called upon safely return – mean interact and confront even the subconscious pulls of our past. Returning to ones place of birth and upbringing – means returning to an environment and mindset whose lifestyle is parallel to that what which had before our spiritual transformation but now being able to differentiate from ones needs and ones wants. Returning to ones family means allowing our old connections and emotional feelings to surface however now being able to properly separate true G-dly emotions from emotions of self interest. Returning to ones parents  means to allow ourselves to as a spiritually mature adult interact without those who had greatly influenced us but not become swayed by any emotion of nostalgia.

          Even after Yaacov Avinu has successfully began his ascent back to the holy environment from which he came, we find that the Torah tells us an episode whereby Eisav confronted Yaacov trying to impede his ascent on the ladder of holiness. It was only through Yaacov’s perfection of Torah, Avoda and gimilius cassisdim that Yaacov was able to overcome Eisav and his angel. Perhaps this is hinted to in to three ways in which Yaacov prepared himself to interact with Eisav, who represents the epitome of evil. The Cazal inform us that Yaacov send gifts to his brother Eisav. First he send gifts which emanate from the media of gilmilus cassidim our spiritual inheritance from Avraham Avinu. He also prepared himself through prayer – this being Avoda parallel to Itzchak Avinu, and finally he prepared himself for war – this being the efforts of learning Torah paralleling Yaacov Avinu himself. This confrontation with Eisav came after the other challenges perhaps to teach us another important and profound lesson. Yaacov and Eisav were born twins. What are we suppose to learn from this? Cazal tells us that until they were the age of bar mitzvah Yaacov and his brother Eisav were indistinguishable – meaning they both acted externally the same. Only later did the evil of Eisav show itself in his actions. Perhaps this is to teach us that even after being successful in subduing our desires in our surroundings, influence from friends and relatives we still have another battle to confront with, that being the inner conflict of overcoming our own evil inclination that vies for power and control. This is our personal (yetzer hora) selfish inclination that exists to a certain extent  no matter how perfect our environment, friends and education was thought to be. This is the face to face confrontation with our Eisav. The Torah therefore teaches us the proper way to subdue, control or defeat our evil inclination through gifts of bestowing chesed a another even if he is you enemy, through prayer thereby showing ones believe in a Higher Source to life and through preparedness for war meaning as a last resort to be willing to stand up and fight for what we believe to be right and just.    When we are able to reach this level of return and tikun then the whole world will be awakened with the revelation of the proper service of Hashem in holiness. We will then be able to raise up not only ourselves but those around us thereby helping to bring the final geula.

            May we merit this so soon in our days.

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia

JEWELRY AND THE JEWISH WOMAN’S ROLE – PARSHAS CHAI SARAH

            Over the past several decades the roles of
both men and women in contemporary society have shifted dramatically leaving both
genders in the midst of  an identity crisis
that simply did not exist in earlier generations. So many people today
unfortunately caught up in this generational “tug of war”, are finding it more
and more difficult to understand and appreciate their purpose and position in
this world.   

The Torah provides for us in this weeks Parsha
Chayei Sarah an invaluable insight within the story of the (shiduk) engagement  between Yitzchak Avinu and his wife to be,
Rivka.  It came to pass that our forefather
Avraham Aveinu sent his servant  Eliezer
to Avraham’s relatives seeking a wife for Yitzchak.   Hashem 
guided  Eliezer and  gave him the opportunity to observe Rivka’s
extraordinary (midos) character and good deeds (ma’asim tovim) through her altruistic
act of chesed. It was her very selfless act of kindness that allowed  Eliezer to understand that he had found that
unique neshama who would be the appropriate bride for Yitzchak. In anticipation
of this eventuality, Avraham had sent with him special gifts for the kallah and
her family to consummate this stage of the(shiduk) marriage proposal.     

The gifts given over to Rivka were a golden ring called
a nezem, and two arm bracelets (
Chayei 
Sarah, 24:22.), therefore there is to endeavor to deepen our
understanding of the profound symbolism that lies within these gifts.    Since our Torah is an eternal document for all
times and all places, these pieces of jewelry are as much a gift for the Jewish
woman of today, as they were for Rivka (Imainu) our matriarch in that they are
capable of offering insights that can help to rejuvenate and revitalize each
women’s connection with her proper role even in the midst of  our spiritually troubled and discordant times.

The words and actions of  righteous Jewish woman emanate from the neshama,
the soul which is rooted in a very pristine place deep within.   Is it then any wonder that the gift for
Rivka was a – nezem – a ring which was used in the place which is the gateway
for the entry of the soul – the place where the Creator breathed the soul of  life into Adam  (Bereishes 2:7).

Our Holy Torah, through this parsha, takes this
opportunity to realign material and spiritual values thereby closing the gap
between them, teaching each women the secret of seamlessly blending within
herself a life of holiness that incorporates softness and strength, kindness
and discipline, generosity and restraint. It is authority that is most
effectively expressed in the absence of overt power – by innuendo rather than
by confrontation.  For all its subtlety
don’t think for a moment that it lacks purpose, direction or strength.  It is the antibiotic camouflaged in the
spoonful of ice cream.  It is pure
empathetic compassion, objectified, tempered by practicality, seasoned by good
judgment and used for the purpose of  nurturing
and healing those  souls given over to
her care.

 This ring has
within it a further message that connects the past with the present in that it had
the weight of a (beka) a half –shekel– and that too is significant.   Each Jew was required to give a half shekel
gift,  a one time gift for the building
of the  Mishkan as well as a yearly
donation of this amount to be used for the communal sacrifices. (Ki Sisa: 30:13;
Shekalim, 1:1; Megillah 29b).

The gift of the half shekel was one that every Jew
was required to contribute toward the building of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle.  It  was
dedicated to the adonim — the silver sockets that held the boards which formed
the walls of the Mishkan.   These sockets
are the foundation of the walls of Mishkan, where we made our home with
Hashem, even as the woman  is the foundation
of the home she establishes with her husband.     

  Eliezer
also gave Rivka two arm bracelets weighing ten golden shekels.  The two arm bracelets represent the two
tablets of the law; and their weight of ten shekels symbolizes the Ten
Commandments. (Chaya Sara, 24:22, Rashi). 
The ring and the golden bracelets are both, being circular, suggestive
of  the fact each woman is able to
complete the connection of the Torah with this world through becoming a conduit
using her unique energy that is provided by her holy soul and binding it with
the performance of good deeds and acts of 
kindness. Through these works of (chesed) kindness every woman is able
to greatly rectify this world as a emissary of Hashem through her home and
hearth thereby allowing a holy dwelling place for the (Shekina) Divine presence.

 

 

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STARS OF THE HEAVENS OR SAND OF THE SEASHORE – PARSHAS VAYERIA

           

               We are all familiar
with Hashem’s oath to Avraham Avinu after the Akeidas Yitzchak – or are we?
“The angel of Hashem called to Avraham a second time from heaven. And he said,
‘By myself I swear – the word of Hashem – that because you have done this
thing, and have not withheld your son, your only one, that I shall surely bless
you and greatly increase your offering like the stars of the heavens and
like the sand on the seashore and your offspring shall inherit the gate
of its enemy. And all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your
offspring, because you have listened to My voice.’” (Vayeria – 22:15-17), What is the nature of
this promise? After all, if we are likened to the lofty, exalted multitude of stars,
what is being added by the words that compare us to the minuscule sand on the
seashore?

   To add to this quandary, the Midrash Or
HaAfelah informs us that this pasuk teaches us the inevitable consequence of
our momentous choices:  When the Jewish
nation complies with the Creator’s will, we will resemble the stars of the
heavens, whom no nation can dominate, however when the Nation is defiant, then
it will resemble the sand of the seashore that is trampled by every oppressive
foot. The Medrash suggests that this promise to Avraham is not exclusively a
blessing, for it also contains an admonition. Since we are told that this
promise is Avraham’s reward for the Akeidah: – “. . .  because you have listened to My voice”, how
can we properly understand this Midrash?

       Perhaps we can find a solution to the implication
of this Midrash, in the pasukim, by considering two well known but seemingly paradoxical
paths in the service of Hashem that are actually complementary to each other.  One path is to serve Hashem, like the stars
of the heavens, by seeing the gadlus haBorei — the majesty of the Infinite
Creator, while the other path is achieved through seeing oneself, like the sand
of the sea, through

 the lens of shiflus atzmo – our
relative minuteness. Through learning Torah we can come to see the gadlus haBorei
in every facet within the creation, whereas our tefillos are designed to aid us
in reaching a place of equanimity through humbly recognizing our total
dependence on the benevolence of the Creator. Just as the waves of the sea
wash over the sand constantly purifying it, so do the “waves” of our nusach in
tefillah flow through us constantly purifying and realigning our “attitudinal
coastlines” according to the will of Hashem.

              Furthermore, perhaps we
can surmise that even though being compared to the sand of the seashore
contains an admonition, there is also imbedded within it a blessing for just
like sand when trampled upon maintains its unique resilience and unity, so how
much more so is the grandeur of our holy Jewish nation has demonstrated time
and time again its resiliency in weathering throughout our shifting historical
galus the political, theological and social “storms” that that, have tried to
erode away our idealism and solidarity
”. Fortunately the blessing given to
Avraham Avinu and his descendants to be like the sand of the sea assures us
that even though some of the nation has drifted away from the service of our
benevolent Creator, soon refreshing “tides of holiness”, captained by Malcus
David, will float everyone back to his or her place within the nation so as to
be in position to usher in the final geula and rebuilding of our holy Temple. We
see expressed in the Min Hameitzar of Hallel as it is said: – “You pushed me
hard that I might fall but Hashem assisted me” and then the Hallel continues
with the inspiring expression: “The stone despised by the builders has become
the cornerstone.”

            Another wondrous moshal that can be culled
from our being compared to the sand of the seashore; just as grain of sand
that becomes imbedded within a oyster can be miraculously become the catalyst
for the formation of a precious pearl, how much more so can we, the Jewish
nation, that has been swallowed up within the troughs of galus, use this challenging
opportunity to reveal the “pearls” of our potential
.

             May we also soon merit
the words at the conclusion of the blessing promised to Avraham Avinu: “And all
the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your offspring, because you
have listened to My voice.”

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THE DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE FOUR KINGS AGAINST THE FIVE KINGS IN PARSAHS LEK LEKA

                             

              Did you ever ask yourself what is
the deeper significance, on a personal level, of this week’s cryptic Torah
portion in Parshas Lech Lecha (14: 1 – 24) that relates the story of the four
powerful Kings, whose armies after conquering the armies of the five kings,
took Lot, the nephew of Avraham, as one of their captives?

                  One of the great Cassidic masters said just
like the world around us consists of the four major elements of earth, fire,
water and air, which parallel the four kings, so also on a microcosmic level we
have these counterpart forces within our personalities. Therefore these four
kings within us if they attack us will take the form of such negative
attributes as an earthly feelings of laziness, as unfettered fiery passions,  as unabated flood of uncontrolled lusts and as
an attitude of the haughty winds of arrogance.

          Then the
Rebbe goes on to reveal that the five kings who were conquered can be understood
to be alluding to our five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch
when they have become corrupt in their own right.

            On the positive side of the coin however the
four basic elements within us as well as our five senses can and should become
our soul’s (which is referring to the qualities of Avraham and our other forefathers
which lies within each of us, allies in our striving for holiness. How so?

            It is
through “planting seeds” of alacrity in fertile “soil” of our holy Torah that “fruitful”
abundance “sprouts” forth.

            It is
through harnessing the attribute of “fiery” enthusiasm in the service of H. that
comes forth an abundance of spiritual “light and energy”.

            It is through
“drinking” from the revitalizing “waters” from the “sea” of the Torah that can truly
“quench” the thirst of our souls.

        And it is through
living within the “atmosphere” of the Torah that has the power to purify and
renew the “air” around us which leads to a more spiritually vibrant life.

All articles appearing on this blog are copyrighted by Rabbi Yehoshua Binyamin Falk. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to share/download/copy this information as long as it is accompanied by the copyright. Separately authored/copyrighted materia