So as we make our bedikas
chumetz or any other mitzvah, we should try to do so with the un-self conscious
innocence, inspiration and joy of a child.

          Now with a better understanding of the need
for the bedika, let us ask but why search in the darkness of night? We might
think that it is not such a good idea as evening symbolizes the powers of the
dark side- the sitra achra.  However, on
this special night, we are given the assignment and ability to enter its realm
on a “search and destroy mission”.  In
those moments, that ner/candle is a holy spiritual beam that is able to
penetrate deeply to expose any sign of ego inflation. In the esoteric tradition
the Ner represents a vessel for the – shefa – the holy influence that channels
the Divine Radiance thereby illuminating any dark or hidden places, allowing us
find, identify and remove any impurities. Through the removal of any “excess
baggage” we are then prepared  to
receive  the special (kiddusha) holiness
that permeates  the night of Passover.

                  One final thought on the multifaceted
value of the bedikas chumetz. The ideal way to perform this minhag is to allow
some member of the house or close friend to hide some small portions of bread
or mezzonos. Many have the custom of 
placing ten pieces for esoteric reasons and also to insure the finding
of some chumetz in an already thoroughly clean home.  But this practical reason is not necessarily
the only explanation.

  This
hunt for chumetz is a joint mitzvah that gets everyone involved in an effort to
accomplish this task.       So in the years when my children were
young, we would use this night to send a not-so-subtle message to them.  Chumetz  would be put in places where old battles were
fought.  So, for the child who would
leave his shoes in the middle of the room for others to trip over, chumetz would
be put in that shoe.  For another

child, a messy closet
was the battle ground and she would find a piece of chumetz there.  We would all end our bedikas chumetz laughing
over things that frustrated us during the year. Pesach is a time of unity and
what better way to nurture this idealistic state than making a bedika  from within and without.  

   This
captivating ritual of bedikas chumetz,  one of the many heart warming mitzvot of
Pesach, transforms a mundane cleaning process  into a sacred and mystical rite. This creates
the atmosphere in which Pesach is renewed each year – And as Pesach is renewed
– so are we. As for the young delivery man who was standing at the entranceway,
may that glimpse into the Pesach experience be just the right “prescription”
for his transformation.

           La Shana Haba bi-Jerusalem  –  La
Shana Haba bi-Jerusalem

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                     It’s just a just time before
takeoff, friends have dropped off packages of gifts for their loved ones. We
wondered how we were going to fit them all into our bulging suitcases. Before
we knew it the car service driver was beeping. We quickly stuffed our cases
closed and hoped the zippers would hold out. At the airport, bags in tow we
followed an interminable line weaving towards the ticket counter. Upon reaching
what was to be the first of many checkpoints the flight security attendant said
with a polite, but serious smile:  “How
are you today”? Passports and tickets please! Where are going? Is this your
first trip there? Where will you be staying? Do you have any relatives there?
Oh yes, who? Where do they live? ” He made light conversation but all the while
his eyes were locked on ours without a flicker. They felt like x-rays and we
got flustered. Somehow we even hesitated over the names of the places are
relatives lived.  

As the grilling continued all  that was needed was a strong white light
focused in our eyes to turn  it  into a full blown interrogation. “Tell me, did
any one pack your bags for you? Do you have any electronic equipment inside
your bags? Where did you get it? Did you take it from a shelf of the store by
yourself or did someone give it to you? Was the package torn? Did anyone give
you anything?” 

After the initial screening the security officer directed
us over to yet another line to have our suitcases ex-rayed in what looked like
a giant MRI machine. After our bags came out unscathed with a negative
diagnosis, we proceeded to the check in counter. As we struggled to lift our
suitcases onto the scales, they seemed to feel quite a bit heavier than they
did at home – maybe it’s the gravity at the airport we chuckled. Miraculously
the employee did not impose a fine for being overweight and with a sigh of
relief we set off to scale our next hurdle.

             Moving further along
the assembly line we were required to place outer garments, hand bags and all
metal possessions on a rolling conveyer belt which passed them through another
x-ray machine. Now, hatless, shoeless, jacketless, feeling slightly vulnerable
and somewhat intimidated, we walk through the metal archway, which will
determine whether we will be “pat searched”. We fortunately passed with good
marks but we couldn’t help but notice another frum passenger who was sent to
the side for a full blown pat down. Admirably he never lost his pleasant smile
as he chatted cordially with the officer, adding after he was exonerated his
appreciation for the fine work that the security personal provided. This was a
real Kiddush Hashem that both we and that guard will never forget.

         
Since everything that exists in the world is founded in the Torah, where
can we find a Torah source for the interrogation
and search of travelers? Yes. The first such search was conducted by Lavan –
Jacob’s father-in-law.  When Lavan saw
that (Ya’akov) Jacob has taken his family and left , he  chased after them,  bombarded them with a barrage of
questions  and then, unsatisfied with the
answers, made his own intrusive and thorough search of their possessions – (Parshas
Vayeitzei). Some years later, the sons of Ya’akov are subjected to an interrogation
and search at the hands of the second most powerful man in all of Egypt, not
realizing at the time that that imposing personage was none other than  their brother (Yosef). (Parshas Mikeitz).

What lesson could we
possibly learn from these two similar events? 
Perhaps the key lies in the intentions of the searchers even more than
the search itself. Lavan is the prototype of a clever swindler whose expertise lies
in appearing to be superficially (lavan) pure even while his intentions were
self-serving and even nefarious. We of course should do our best to steer clear
of such people but when unavoidable we should always make the best out of the
situation as our forefather Ya’akov did in the house of Lavan.

Of course when well
intended loving relatives, true friends and dedicated people “question” our intentions
and “search” into our motivations, like Yosef had done with his brothers, we
should not resent but actually cherish their words and actions. Now also before
Pesach, while we are checking very closely our homes and possessions, let us
also check (bodek) every “nock and cranny” of our attitudes for any “leavened” behavior
that has become “chumatz  or saor”. This
vital search and removal mission is one of the hallmarks of the Pesach
transformation that helps free us from the bondage of corporeal constraints and
limitations thereby allowing us to travel vertically up the Pesach “ladder”.

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               In a few impacting verses (pesukim)
in the beginning of the Book of Exodus (Sefer Shemos) , the Torah sets
in motion the political and emotional forces that were to keep the children of
Israel in bondage for the next two hundred and ten years.  These same forces have operated as a snare
throughout history and are present today, only the stage setting has been
specially designed to lure this generations unwary into its web of spiritual
bondage. The mindset that led to their subjugation in Egypt was their
yearning to be like everyone else – to assimilate into the culture of whatever
country they found themselves in. There are those who in their eagerness to be a
part of the culture, may mistakenly replace their service of the Creator (Hashem)
with loyal service to the governing regime in a manner far beyond and above
that which is required by the ordinary dictates of good citizenship.                     

Pharaoh, who personifies the
Jewish nemesis, the yetzer hara, understood that as long as the Jewish
people were living in accordance with high standard of spiritual development
referred to as the “Children of (Bnei) Israel,” he would not be able to
subjugate them.  They were the
beneficiaries of Hashem’s promise to Avraham our forefather (Avinu) In order to
prevent their assimilation, Hashem transformed the appreciation the Egyptians
previously had into a feeling that the Bnei Israel had become a threat to them.
Pharaoh, then changed its form, face and presentation in order to subjugate the
Israelites and turn them into servants of the state. 

To induce the Israelites to
participate in their building program, the Egyptians hung a brick kiln around
Pharaoh’s neck, inviting the Jews to join him in brick making.  Each man went to work making as many bricks
as possible, which thereafter became the expected quota. The Jews thus became
willing accomplices in their own enslavement, wooed and won over by this appeal
to “love of country.” This technique, oft repeated in Jewish history. 

              Modern society today poses a
different but equally challenging test, by luring its citizens towards the
ephemeral standards of the times. Their value scale of success is graded by
such “yardsticks” as how wealthy and famous one is. The lifestyle that emerges
from this philosophy can be as, if not more, detrimental to spiritual growth
than the servitude imposed by the Egyptians.

          
                              Addicted
to Bondage

By the time the Israelites began
to see the futility and hypocrisy of their alliance with Pharaoh, it was too
late. The Bnei Yisrael were given the task of building arei miskenos,
cities, whose names were Pisom and Ra’amseis. The word miskenos has the
same root as the word miskein which means misfortune or poverty.    Pisom means sudden or
immediate.  It also can refer to the
mouth of the abyss, pi tehom (Midrash Rabba I:10).  Ra’am means loud, like a thunderclap.

            In
our hectic lives, where sudden and immediate claims upon our time are an all
too frequent occurrence, if we are not discerning, we may find that we are
building Pisom.  We may also necessarily
be building Ra’amses, since these calls to duty are usually loud and very
difficult to ignore. One of the ploys of the yetzer hara is to persuade
us that we must accomplish everything we have set out to do which can lead to
feel overwhelmed. Pharaoh well understood that working without respite on
purposeless tasks that could never be completed would weaken the physical,
mental, emotional and most importantly spiritual health of the Nation.

         Acting too quickly and assuming
excessive obligations without enough considered thought as to their value and
purpose can make a person feel as if they are enslaved.  The work was kasha, hard.  This word is related to the word for straw, kash,
to hint to us that work is hard when it is like straw to us, that is, when it
is commonplace and purposeless.   Mortar,
chomer, which in Hebrew also means material, represents that which is stripped
of spiritual content and inspiration. 
Even without purpose and without inspiration we can still produce leveinim,
bricks, but when one works under those circumstances they are reduced to field
laborers (avoda basadeh) deprived of higher motivation, dignity and joy.

                                                            Salvation

But take heart; there is a
way out.  There is an answer that may
surprise us. 

           When we stop and take stock of our
options and our strengths, the time we have, the things we must do in order to
fulfill our obligations as Jews as opposed to those things that we may be doing
to serve some other cultural demand, we may be pleasantly surprised by the
result.  We may be able to simplify our
lives and our goals and live in greater harmony then we ever thought
possible.  The job of the Egyptian
taskmasters was to maximize the burdens upon the Israelites which ultimately
shortened their servitude and enhanced their purification in the caldron that
was Egypt.  It is precisely when the “task masters of
time” bear down upon us that we have the opportunity to cull the necessary from
the unnecessary and focus upon those matters that are essential to our avoda
can be reached by sincerely asking for Hashem’s help in the process. 

This will actualize Pharaoh’s
fear that we will  “go up [be raised up]
from the land.”  “The land” which
represents our physical and mental attachment to this world will no longer have
a hold on us.  When we cleave to Hashem
through His Torah, we will be elevated to a higher level of consciousness
referred to as “the children of (Bnei) Israel.”

The Torah teaches us that the
more the Jewish nation was afflicted the more they increased and spread out.
This means that even during this period when we, as a nation, were far from
reaching the perfect service of Hashem, His Divine Radiance was still with
us.  In the dark and immoral environment
of Egypt,
Israelite slaves, who were deprived of all the benefits that culture and civilization
are thought to bestow, were being forged into a holy nation.  The very harshness of the bondage actually
strengthened the potential in each Israelite, so that when the time was ripe,
Hashem would redeem us. The teaching here is very profound. We do not ask for
tests, but if they come, they can inspire our best performances. From this
spiritual plateau we will not only be free from Pharaoh and Mitzrayim but we
will be able to fulfill the will of the Creator in the holy land of Eretz Israel.

               May we merit this soon in our
days.  

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               On your way to (Pesach) Passover,
don’t  pass over Purim.  Ah Purim, how we all appreciate you even
though you tantalize us,  mystify us
and  laugh with us as we struggle to understand
you.   Like Yom Kippur, you help us to
reach a destination called forgiveness but what a difference in the trip.  You allow us to atone for our sins with
merriment and with eating and with drinking– a lot of drinking.    On Yom Kippur we abstain. On Yom Kippur we
remove our shoes, while you get us to put on an extra pair of clown shoes. On
Yom Kippur we refrain from anointing ourselves while you allow us to us smear
our faces and bodies with extra creams and cosmetics. On Yom Kippur we stay
awake and focused while you – Purim – lead us to take an extra drink and or a
little extra sleep.  How does this happen?

             Maybe we can find an answer using  your mitzvah of drinking wine –everything
becomes clearer with a little wine and even clearer with more wine  . . . 
Let’s see, where was I ? Oh yes, Drinking can easily bring a person to
frivolity and nonsense, yet you, Purim, are (mehapech) the opposite,  you make a switch and the wine we drink takes
us up the spiritual ladder towards purity and strivings towards kiddusha.

You’re really
clever.  You  fool our (yetzer hora) negative inclination
by giving  it just what it wants lots of
wine and maybe even some more and then all of a sudden, it can’t connive or
deceive any more because (nichnas yayin yotzei sod) once wine goes in, on this
unique holy day, then the inner yearnings of our pure Jewish soul come out. 

You put masks on
us to strip our masks away. All of a sudden we may realize that our regular,
ordinary, middle of the road conduct is really the result of our inner battle
between these two forces. Now we get a chance to glimpse at our dark side and
through the special loftiness of this day can actually laugh at it, with that laughter freeing us from its negative influence hopefully
not just for this day, but forever.

When we see beyond
the mask, we learn how not to judge. Throughout the year we may be guilty of
too quickly evaluating and judging others on a very shallow level. On Purim
when a (adel) sweet person puts on a scary mask, we are not frightened because
we know that behind the mask is a precious soul.  So, too, in the real world, every Jew has
good points which we should focus on and therefore not be so quick to judge
anyone superficially.

               Ah Purim, you don’t have us
simply ask (mechila) forgiveness, of our friends, you tell us to say it with
presents.  How so? We give two gifts to
at least one friend and minimally one gift to each of two poor people. One of
the great Rabbis makes an observation asking why are we obligated to give at
least double to a friend and only minimally one gift to each of the poor?  He answers that the poor gratefully accept whatever
we offer, but we might have offended our friends over the course of the year
and they may continue to harbor resentment. On Purim we are commanded to make a
special effort to repair these breaches in all relationships especially those
which have weakened. Therefore we should  “redouble” our efforts with sincere gifts and
send a clear message to both close friends and  estranged acquaintances  that we are sincerely interested in healing the
past and rebuilding the future together. Also we give them gifts that don’t
need preparation – ie. ready to eat – to hint to them that they do not have to
make any – preparations – changes in themselves – in order for us to accept
them as they are.

            On Purim, the poor can make us
rich.  One reason we are only minimally
required to give one gift to each of at least two needy people is because as
long as we don’t see the poor as our friends we ourselves are spiritually poor,
however, if we see every Jew, including the needy, as our friends, then we will
generously lavish them with gifts thereby taking them out of their physical poverty
and ourselves our of our spiritual poverty.

       Ah Purim, leave us with one more gift,
leave us with your special smile which inspires our hearts as we prepare for
the next stage of our journey that being the wonderful Pesach transformation.

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                               PURIM MOOD ENHANCING PRESCRIPTION               

               DOSAGE: Twenty four hour spiritual
“infusion” that keeps us elevated for the whole year.

           SUPERNAL “INGREDIENTS” :
The four essential sacred “compounds” are Mikra Megillah, Shelach Manos,
Matanos Le-Evonim and Seudas Purim along with either  just enough “high octane fluid” or a short
snooze in order  to activate the  ad d’lo yada benefits.

            SOME OF THE IMMEDIATE
RESULTS OF THIS UPLIFTING “REMEDY”: Guaranteed to “turn around” –mehapech hu – and
transform any and all worries, woes and negative moods into joy, happiness and
contentment.

“PRECAUTIONS” THROUGHOUT THE PURIM CELEBRATION: 

1) The first “dose” of the reading of the Megillah
at night is to be “administered” on an “empty stomach” with total concentration
for best “absorption”.

             2) Keeping a smile on
your face is very contagious.

 3)   In order cut down excess “weight”, “trim”
your pocketbook down as much as possible by giving generously.   

PROBABLE AND DEFINITE “SIDE
EFFECTS” : Some people may find themselves irresistibly
drawn to wearing amusing costumes and prancing around,  while everyone will radiate a blissful cheerful
countenance and have a great time.

“CAUTION”:  Beware
that the beneficial “side effects” of matanos l’evyonim and (mishloach manos) will
arouse feelings of deep gratitude to Hashem for this opportunity to share with
others. This will in turn cause even more serious “symptoms” of intense joy and
generosity which can only be “cured” through the “antidote” of sharing with everyone
even a bigger smile and as much as possible.

             HOW TO INCREASE YOUR JOY
–  see the good in yourself and others.

                                                                                              
 PURIM SAMEACH

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               The following is an abridged
version of some of the meaningful ideas of Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch that is wriiten
in his “Collective Writings – pub. For the Rabbi Dr. Joseph Foundation by Feldheim’s
publishers  

          Haman who was a descendant from
Amalak said to King Achashveirosh:     ”There
is a nation scattered and isolated among the nations, in all the provinces of
your realm. Their laws differ from those of every other people…” (Megillas
Ester 3:8).

              Is not Haman’s description of the Jews
before the king, more than two thousand years ago, still valid and accurate?
Indeed, we exist as a people, dispersed and isolated among the nations – yet completely
distinct, governed by our laws.

              The origin, character, purpose and
significance of Jewish law differs from all others. Everywhere else the law is
created and formulated by the people; while the Jewish people were formed by
the Law (Torah).

               Everywhere else the law serves the
people, whereas the Jewish people serve the law.

                Everywhere else law and religion foster
the progress of private and public life, but the private and public goals of
the Jew are achieved only through the fulfillment of the Law.

                Everywhere else both  law and religion are subservient to the social
and cultural needs of men and nations, but we as Jews subordinate our wishes
and desires to the Law.

                   Everywhere else, the law and religion
are two separate entities, however, our religious and social lives are interwoven
and seamless.

                  Everywhere else, religion and the law are
the products of the gradual cultural progress of the nations, whereas our law
was and is absolute and perfectly fitting to guide us throughout all times and
circumstances. From the outset the Torah has been designated as the highest
achievable goal for all generations to come. It is the ideal towards which our
nation strives and it will always remain immutable and unalterable.

             
   Our Torah encompasses all of
life and elevates it into one continuous Divine service. The Law transforms
daily life into a magnificent praise to G-d, where our own homes can be likened
to the temple and our tables to the alter.

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        Purim is the perfect time to invite
guests who think that Judaism is stodgy and restrictive.   As we stomp all over Haman’s name during the
Megilla reading, and then sit down to a meal that’s more liquid then solid, I
most enjoy watching Purim dismantling all of their pre-conceived notions.   I don’t
tell my guests (who are having too much fun to worry about it) that even as we do
something that seems strange or unusual, we are making a powerful statement that
reverberates through time in order to bring the ultimate redemption.

            Stomping Out Haman 

             The custom of stomping at the sound of Haman’s
name begins at the feet, so let us take off our shoes and examine the bottom of
our “soles/souls”.  Most of us have a
live and let live relationship with our feet. 
If they do not bother us, we don’t worry about them.  We don’t usually buy special vitamins or
minerals to enhance their functioning and at best we notice them because we
need them as a place to put our shoes. 

Our feet don’t seem to  “kick up” much of a fuss about this attitude
because they are too busy either standing or walking.  Walking is an amazing process, that we take
for granted, which involves the foot’s ability to be rigid and calloused, yet
flexible and mobile:  taking steps begins
with the foot in a rigid state, the heel 
hitting the ground, it then continues 
with the foot unlocking and flexing so the knee can pass over it.  Our weight is then transferred to the ball of
the foot as we propel ourselves over the toes whereupon the foot again becomes
rigid to provide the momentum for the next step.  Although small in comparison to the body, the
foot is able to support its full weight using muscles, tendons sinews and interestingly
twenty six bones. 

The feet are furthest from the head and seem to be
unconnected from all the other organs.  Yet
according to a fairly popular alternative medical practice called reflexology, applying
pressure to designated points on the feet can restore health and well being to
each part of the body for a wide variety of ailments. According to this system,
there are said to be, even more interestingly, 7200 hundred nerve endings in
the feet which connect to zones so that each part of the foot corresponds to
some part or organ of the body.  For
example, the various organs and systems of the body are represented on the sole
of the foot while the big toe relates to the head.  The ball of the foot relates to the lungs
while the heal of the foot relates to the small intestine and bladder are
located towards the heel.  

The feet also seem to be the farthest removed from
that which is holy and pure.  Yet, it
would be very difficult to interact with the world in the fulfillment of many (mitzvoth)
specific good deeds without their assistance.  And it is that interaction with the world that
Purim is so much about as this holiday begins with an awakening from “below”.

Our generation’s place in history lies on that end
of Hashem’s time line that is embedded deeply within a mindset that often
connects itself to self gratification, that is at the bottom end of  the 
fourth of our four  exiles, [1]
yet, we play a “pivotal” role.  Like the
“soles” of the feet, most “souls” today are distant from the achievements of earlier
generations, yet it is our duty to lift ourselves up, “striding” ever forward
bringing the knowledge of Hashem into the here and now – which time is referred
to as the (ikvei) [heels] footsteps of the HaMasiach.  Although this last exile like our heels has
become somewhat calloused it is precisely that quality that gives us the opportunity
to illuminate this epoch in time so that the ultimate redemption can occur.

Interestingly, our feet play a crucial role in
this epic drama. They serve as the liaison between our “souls” and the ground.
By having “our feet on the ground” – ie. in this material world, we are
vulnerable to the nefarious plans of (Haman/Amalak) those who personify evil,
but at the same time this positions give us a solid “foot-hold” in this battle.

Although our physical “soles” are connected to
earthliness, our holy “souls” are unified with the true Source of All.  We therefore literally have the power to “stamp
out” the influence and memory of  Haman  and Amalek with each “step” bringing us closer
to their “de-feat” and the our ultimate redemption.

 Purim
samayach!!!

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                   As we move further into the
month of Teves  and find ourselves
engulfed by the dark cold winter, it seems difficult to hold onto the imprint (reshima)
of the glow of the inspiring lights of  Chanukah.  Nonetheless, we must not allow ourselves to
succumb to the illusion that the world has fallen prey to the physical and
spiritual forces of darkness.  After all,
Teves is a month in the holy Jewish calendar even as are the months of Nissan
and Tishre.   Teves and in fact all of
the winter months are   also imbued with
sanctity and filled with treasures for us to discover.  But how can we find anything without
light?  In a seemingly paradoxical manner,
the answer lies hidden within that very darkness.

               Historically, these days were
blemished by a spiritual darkness caused by events that weakened respect for
the Torah in the eyes and hearts of the nations. The Greeks forced our
Sages  to translate the Torah into their
language.  This translation was only of
the written part of the Torah (she’bichtav) and was in accordance with the
deliberate alterations purposefully incorporated by the seventy Sages who
simultaneously translated it.  It could
not and was not intended to convey the depth and breath of Torah which is elucidated
by the oral part of the Torah (sh-b’al peh). 

 Why should this be an occasion for spiritual
blemish?  We know that we are not
permitted to reveal the secrets of Torah to pagans and in fact G-d (Hashem)
created a miracle (nes) allowing the Sages who were kept apart  as they made their translations to
simultaneously provide the same alterations of the words of Torah so as to
preserve and protect the Torah from misinterpretation.  Yes, on the one hand, the translation of the
Sages accomplished its purpose and the Torah was protected, however, on the
other hand, the Torah in translation lost the aspect of reverence and awe that
attached to it when it was read and interpreted in the holy tongue by G-d
fearing Jews and respectful non-Jews who had made a commitment to come within
the congregation (k’lal) of Yisrael. 

In the eyes of the
non-Jews the Torah in translation lost its Divine  majesty and became ordinary. The Torah became
available to the masses and perhaps even more disastrously to the  bible critics who labored long and hard to
eradicate our Torah’s Divine sanctity. 

Non-Jews were not the
only people who were affected. 
Tragically,   some Jews were
affected as well.   The ideology that
motivated this translation  has continued
to affect the spiritually vulnerable within the Jewish Nation throughout the
generations and to this day.   Sadly, we
can observe the many unlearned Jews who know the Torah only at its most superficial
level, if at all, and who cannot fathom its depths and its import.

                In demanding a translation of
the Torah, the Greeks intended for it to weaken our holy tradition. Through forcing
us to display the words of the Torah without its commentaries and rules of
derivation,  they  attempted to transform it into a one
dimensional mindset as hinted to through the letters (osios) within the name of
Yavan:  yud-vov-nun. All three of these
letters are externally made up of  a unidirectional
line implying that their beauty and essence only exists on the surface. The
truth is that as descendants of Yaphet, one of the sons of Noach, they were
ideally meant to enhance, not detract from the Torah, by dwelling within the
tents of Shem. The name Yaphet comes from the root of yofe – meaning  beauty.   We can see that Yavan  inherited  this trait because the letters of Yavan when
reversed spell out the word nun-vov-yud – noi–which means attractive. Had they
fulfilled their role properly they would have used their G-d given talents to
enhance the Torah by dwelling within our tents.  This has not as of yet happened.  Instead they attempted to capture our Torah
bringing it into their tents of Hellenism.

                However, fortunately, even the
plans of the evil minded are also under the control and only instrumentalities
of the Creator ( Hashem Yisbarach). They are sometimes sent our way, if we
caused through our inactions or wrong actions to be tested, (us) in order to give
us the opportunity to change and grow. The Greek empire (Yavan): yud-vov-nun
attempted to lower the yud through the vov down to the depths of the nun,
whereas our role is to raise up and reveal the beauty within those hidden lights of holiness
found in the Torah as seen through the letters spelling noi: nun-vov-yud.

                      Indeed, the miracle (nes) imbedded in the
uniformity of the Torah’s simultaneous translations is a word that has three
meanings: It means miracle; it also means a test (nision) and finally it means
banner.  The nes of this translation
becomes a test for us – a test of our own beliefs and of our own ability to
help ourselves and our less learned brothers by revealing the great spiritual
treasures lying hidden beneath the surface 
of our holy Torah.  Because the
challenge is so great and the need for illumination is so palpable – when  we make this effort all important and use our
strengths to this end then  when we are
victorious  we will have the privilege of
being able to raise our Torah to new and even greater levels of appreciation in
this world.

 Perhaps the greatest lesson we can learn from
this  long exile (galus) is that we
cannot be content with the levels we have currently reached in Torah.  Even many of us who learn our holy Torah
written and oral with its holy commentaries every day cannot yet say to
ourselves, “Ah but we have plumbed the depths of her potential.”  We should take these days that are both
physically and spiritually dark and bring illumination into them.  We should take our spiritual scuba gear and
dive deep into the sea
of  Torah.  By going far beneath the surface – meaning by
learning each subject with great profundity and sincerity we will then merit
just like the deep sea diver to uncover valuable treasures from the depths of
our efforts. This will help to restore the  honor of Torah 
in the eyes of the world. May we together merit to achieve this
admirable goal of transforming this darkness into light as we usher in the
advent of our long awaited final redemption (geula).

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

                There are two popular holidays in the Jewish calendar that can be celebrated even as we perform our ordinary weekday activities.  Even though they have no special Yom Tov or Shabbos requirements they do much more than just commemorate  events in history. Chanukah with its lighting of the menorah with, ideally, olive oil and Purim, in which wine is the drink of choice, have concealed within these days of joy and celebration, like olive oil that is extracted from olives and wine that exudes from grapes, heretofore untapped hidden powers that can aid us to help to rectify and elevate the entire creation.

              How is this achieved and why is it necessary? When Adam and Chava ate the forbidden fruit, violating the specific commandment of the Creator, the yetzer hara became internalized causing an admixture within all mankind of tov and rah. Since four of their five senses – of touch (feeling), sight, hearing and taste – acted as accomplices to the primordial sin, we need to now use those very same senses, in the performance of mitzvos and acts and chesed, to rectify this cosmic error which continues to reverberate throughout the generations.

               Partially because of a lack of enough sensitivity and an increase in senseless enmity (sinas kinom), that was a major cause of the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash, our Sages wisely gave us specific additional mitzvos that focus on strengthening our sense of awareness thereby reawakening our sensitivity in our relationship others. How can this best be achieved?

               We can learn how to rekindle the proper feelings between each other, through the teachings of the holiday of Chanukah which call for bending over and lowering ourselves, as the naros are ideally below ten tefakim, so as to be able for the flame of the helper candle, known as the shomus, to touch the Chanukah neros until that are lit up. So too in our relationship with people sometimes it is necessary to bend over in order to share our soul’s “flame” help kindle – ie. inspire – our brethren. The “message” hidden within the Chanukah lights is so enlightening that it even has the ability to remove the surrounding darkness for those who are still out in the shuk  – ie. – the marketplace of spiritual obscurity, thereby inspiring them to be included in the mitzvah when they joyously proclaim: (Sheasa nesim la-avosanu ba-yamim ha-haim bizman ha-zeh.  that Hashem made miracles for our forefathers in this time.

 After Chanukah rekindles our feelings for others and gives us clearer insight on how to be best be of help to them, Purim in its own unique way teaches us not only how to be good listeners, while hearing the reading of the Megilla, but to also learn how to hear – ie. understand – the true needs of others so as to best share our blessings with them. How is this achieved? We accomplish this through the other three mitzvos of the day which are sending gifts – of food that need no preparation – to friends, giving charity generously and opening the “doors” of our homes and hearts for a tasty  meal and flavorable  experience.

    Sending  readymade foods to friends perhaps on a deeper level sends a message to all our acquaintances that just as this food needs no preparation, we are always ready and  prepared to accept you just as you are.

                May we, through these mitzvos, once again regain the proper level of love and respect between all of us, thereby meriting the final Bais HaMigdash 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

           Let us explore a harmonizing correlation
between the joyous holidays of Chanukah and Purim.

             The main tribute of the leader in
the Chanukah story,  Mattisyahu ben
Yochanan, is that he was the Kohan Gadol. The main accolade of the leader in
the Purim story, Mordacai HaTzadik, is that he was the Gadol Ha-Dor. How do
these two important roles complement one another in avodas Hashem?  

                 Perhaps we can say that The Temple service,
as performed by the Kohanim is primarily the paradigm of how to take this finite
physical reality and elevate it, raising its inert sparks of holiness,
whereas learning and deriving Torah laws is primarily the paradigm of bringing down
and revealing an aspect of the will the Infinite and thereby instilling
holiness into this corporal reality.

               This
means that the Kohan’s quintessential role is to perform the Divine service
within the holy Temple and then those spiritual lights will radiate throughout
the creation, whereas one of the Talmid Chachim’s exemplary aspects of Divine service
is drawing down and spreading out kiddusha.

           These two Divine forms of avoda of The Bais
HaMigdash which elevate the kidduha and the Torah of the Talmud Chachom that
draws kiddusha down into this world complement each other, therefore it is very
appropriate that the very same beginning nusach of Al HaNisim is said on both Chanukah
and Purim.

               May the flame within our hearts
rise up like the narot of Chanukah thereby helping us to merit the decent of
the Bais Shlisi 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