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This week's edition of Torah Imecha on
Parshat Pinchas is available on our
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Shabbat Shalom!
-Ashley Klapper and the Naaleh Crew
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Eicha- Echoing Questions Eternal Answers Class 4
Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Mrs. Shoshie
Nissenbaum
This class discusses Chapter Two in Megilat Eicha.
"He drew his sword like an enemy." This refers to Hashem standing to the right of us feeling like an enemy. "He killed all of the ones who were so precious to us in the tent of the daughter of Tzion. He poured out his wrath like fire." When we feel like we are losing everything that is precious to us, when we feel like Hashem is pouring his fire upon our
ohel-
our home which is supposed to be the most secure place a person has, what do we do? The Megilah tells us, "Arise and sing in the night. Arise and learn Torah at night at the peak of the first watch." The Gemara tells us that there are four watches. The first watch is when a donkey brays. The second watch is when a dog barks. The third watch is when a woman whispers to her husband and nurses her baby.
"Pour out your heart like water before the face of Hashem." When we approach Hashem seeking to have
nochach
a first person relationship with him, we will merit
Pnei Hashem
, a close and intimate connection. When we remember the
ohel,
the
beit hamikdash
upon which
Hashem poured out His anger, we pour out our hearts like water before Hashem. When our home is under attack, when our children are hungry, we must cry out to Hashem. This can be understood both on a spiritual and a physical plane. If your children are sad and hungry, not only for physical bread but for spiritual bread, pray to Hashem. When we are in pain, when we're in a state of mourning, in the darkness of night, then "
Kumi runi b'layla
," we must study Torah for only that will protect us. David Hamelech tells us in Tehilim, "
Lulei Torascha shashuei az avadati b'onyi
. If not for your Torah with which I rejoiced, I would have been overwhelmed by my suffering."
"
Rina zu rina shel Torah
." The main song of Torah is at night, when times are difficult. When
Klal
Yisrael
say to Hashem, "We are not looking for consolation anywhere else but with you," this is the
rina
of Torah. In the first watch when the donkey brays, a person is motivated to get up. Rav Tzadok Hakohen says this symbolizes the more materialistic person. The one who makes it to the second stage is
k'lev,
the one who has a heart. The women who whispers to her husband and nurses her baby gets to the third stage. She continues to hope up until the sun is about to rise. This is a metaphor for the era before
Mashiach
. "
Bezechut nashim tzidkoniyut nigalu ovoseinu m'Mitzrayim u'vezechut nashim tzikoniyut asidim l'hegael
- Our forefathers were redeemed from Egypt in the merit of righteous women and in the future we will be redeemed in their merit." The women who continue to hold on, who wait for the redemption, who never give up praying and being hopeful will merit to bring
Mashiach,
may it be speedily in our days.
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I was once sitting in Rav Freifeld's living room and someone came in to talk to him about a problem with his son. The parent was saying that the child was doing so badly in school that he would have to take him out and put him in the veggie bin. He was referring to the school he would put the child in as being a place for vegetables not human beings. Rav Freifeld rose to his full height, banged on the table, and said, "The veggie bin? I belong there, not him. You think I was always so clever at learning?" He then gave it to the father for a good ten minutes for attempting to injure the
tzurah
, the very essence of his child.
Another type of
yetzer hara
is that of
chomer
. A person is drawn to what will make their body happy. The part of them driving them isn't what is complete but what is lacking. The heart embodies
binah
- understanding one thing from another. It is the source of interaction and exploration and it is where evil could enter most easily. Overcoming one's
yetzer hara
doesn't just mean refraining from negative action. It means confession. A person who slaughters the
yetzer hara
and confesses his sins is as though he honored Hashem in this world and the next world as it says, "A person who slaughters a gratitude offering has honored me in this world and the next world." When a person sins, it creates a certain level of
Chillul Hashem
. Sin promotes the illusion that there is no closing of the circle, that there are two power sources - Hashem who is good and something 'other' which is evil. The desire for evil feeds on lack which is the
yetzer hara
. The yearning for good feeds on perfection which is the
yetzer tov
. Therefore a person should employ his
yetzer tov
to fight against the
yetzer hara
. For example, if you have an overwhelming desire to speak
loshan hara
let your
yetzer tov
into the picture. Try to build something. Move yourself from the mentality of lack to the mentality of perfection and giving. If that doesn't work distract yourself by learning Torah. If that doesn't work say the
shema
which asserts Hashem's unity. You want to speak
loshon hara
because you see something lacking in the other person. He seemed to have harmed you and you want to get back at him and release your negative feelings. You think he is empowered. The
shema
tells us there is only one power source. It's all from Hashem. If that doesn't work, remember the day of death. Nobody knows when they will die. Would you want your last words to be
loshon hara
?
Recognizing that Hashem is the unifying force of all reality causes evil to depart. Then only good is left which gives testimony to Hashem's existence. If you acknowledge that everything is from Hashem it means you are affirming that whoever harmed you is taking you to a higher level than you could have been. That moment of cognizance, of ultimate reliance on Hashem's transcendental wisdom, brings you closer to Him. What fills up the vacuum now is
deveikut
(cleaving to Hashem) instead of evil. When the opposite happens, the
yetzer hara
makes you do an action that seems to show that evil is paramount rather than Hashem. When a person slaughters the
yetzer hara
he takes away the false image of two sources of control and honors Hashem both in this world and the next world.
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Part 3
Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Shimon Isaacson
Why are we not obligated to give rebuke for unintentional sins which we know will not be heeded? The Sefer Hachinuch explains, it is not
chesed
, rather it's exacerbating the situation. The Yereim seems to agree with this idea. But perhaps we can say further that the mitzvah of
tochacha
(rebuke) is defending the honor of Hashem. An intentional sin is rebellion. An unintentional sin is ignorance. In the Shulchan Aruch the laws of
tochacha
are found in the laws of
Yom Hakippurim
as quoted in Masechet Beitza. The Shulchan Aruch writes that one should not give rebuke to people who are unaware of the mitzvah of
Tosfot Yom Kippur
. The Rema says this applies to all prohibitions. If the sinner won't listen we don't give
tochacha.
But if the sin is an explicit commandment in the Torah, not something that is extrapolated, then although the sinner won't listen one must still give
tochachah
. The Mishna Berura explains, if you start rebuking the sinner and he demands to see where the prohibition is written, if it's not explicit he won't believe you. But if it is clearly spelled out in the Torah he will listen. So according to the Yereim, if the sin is explicitly written, although the sinner won't listen, it is considered an act of rebellion for which one must take a stand.
The Biur Halacha quotes the Birkei Yosef that although it may be explicitly written in the text, if one doesn't have the power to get the sinner to listen, one should not give
tochacha
. However the accepted view is to give rebuke as one may not be apathetic. On a practical level, the Gemara says giving
tochacha
is a very difficult mitzvah. People don't know how to give
tochacha
and they certainly don't know how to receive it. The best way is to lead by example. If a child sees a parent refraining from talking in
shul
he will follow suit. If we're sincere in our
avodat Hashem
that is perhaps the best
tochacha
.
A young student in the Chofetz Chaim's yeshiva was once caught smoking on Shabbat. It was brought to the attention of the Chofetz Chaim who called the boy in to speak to him. The Chofetz Chaim took the boy's hand in his own and began to cry, "
Shabbos, heilige
(holy)
Shabbos
." Eventually the boy left the yeshiva but that encounter with the Chofetz Chaim stayed with him and he eventually returned to Judaism. The Chofetz Chaim didn't scream or act violently. He was so pained by the boy's act that it touched something very deep in the boy's heart. No amount of rebuke would have accomplished that. This should be our approach to
tochacha.
Condemning didn't work in the time of the
Tannaim
and it certainly won't work today. Yet being too tolerant and accepting of sin isn't good either. We must feel the pain of
chilul
Hashem
. If we are sincere in our
avodat Hashem
and careful with our own mitzvot, we can bring our fellow Jews closer.
In the merit of our increased
ahavat Hashem
and
ahavat Yisrael
, may these days of mourning be transformed to days of joys.
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Reciting Amen Rabbi Ari Jacobson |
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Slaughtering Evil Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller |
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Parshat Pinchas
Rabbi Hanoch Teller
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