Ever wonder what Pesach seder would be like with 3 great leaders?!!! Here’s your chance http://ht.ly/4toSq

Mazal tov to current students Yishai Andersen &Chana Batya Koplen on their engagement. It’s Simcha season at Shapell’s!!!

This morning the women at Midreshet Rachel V’chaya are enjoying the beautiful weather by hiking around Lifta.

When Adar Begins We Increase Our Happiness

Rabbi David Sedley

“When Adar begins we increase our happiness.”

The Talmud (Taanis 29a) tells us that just as in Av we minimize our happiness, so too in Adar we must increase our happiness. Rashi explains that this refers to the joy of Purim and Pesach, for both are times when miracles were performed. However, from the simple reading of the Talmud it appears that the extra happiness is primarily for the month of Adar, not for Nisan.

This seems strange, for the redemption that we experienced in Nisan was greater than the redemption of Adar. One of the reasons the Talmud (Megilla 14a) gives for not reciting Hallel on Purim is that even after the Purim miracles we remained servants of Achashveirosh.  Hallel is only to be recited when we are totally free to serve G-d, just like we became totally free of Pharaoh’s servitude.

Rav Tzadok HaCohen of Lublin explains that the miracles of Nisan and Pesach were all performed by G-d with no human input. The four expressions of redemption (which correspond to the four cups of wine on Seder Night) all describe things that G-d did for us. Bnei Yisrael were so undeserving of this redemption that when the Egyptians drowned in the sea the attribute of Strict Justice complained that the Israelites were no more deserving than the Egyptians were.

Purim, in contrast, was a series of miracles all wrought by people. Mordechai and Esther, along with the rest of the Jewish people, defeated Haman’s evil plans, killed him and his sons, and ultimately succeeded in rebuilding the Beis HaMikdash. This is alluded to in Sefer Yetzira, which says that the month of Adar was created with the letter kuf, which stands for the kedusha, the holiness, inherent within the Jewish people (Talmud Shabbos 104a).

Similarly, the Torah we received when we left Egypt was given entirely by G-d, with only minimal effort and preparation required by the Children of Israel. On Purim, we again accepted the Torah, but this time through our own efforts. This allowed for the development of the Oral Torah and gave us the ability and opportunity to reach even greater heights. The Midrash (Midrash Rabba and Tanchuma on Parshas Chukas) tells us that Rabbi Akiva and his contemporaries saw things that even Moshe Rabbeinu was unable to see. Later in history, the Baal HaTanya (Igeres HaKodesh 19) cites the Arizal who claimed that he perceived worlds that Moshe Rabbeinu was unable to attain. (See Tanya there for an explanation, and see also Rav Tzadok in Machashavos Charutz p.71.)

This new revelation of Torah was only possible through exile. It is because we are still servants of Achashveirosh that we are able to grow in Torah and reveal new aspects within it. Rav Tzadok (Pri Tzadik on Adar) claims that the real development of the Oral Torah was only possible in Bavel. He brings as support the statement of the Talmud (Pesachim 87b) that “Yisrael were only exiled to Bavel… so they could eat the dates and involve themselves in Torah.”

Every single one of us has our own unique contribution to make in Torah. This is the meaning of “Give us our portion in Your Torah,” the prayer that we recite each morning. Each of us has our own unique portion and it is our duty to discover it and reveal it to the world.

This is the true happiness of Adar and Purim. It was at this time that the sanctity and holiness of Yisrael was revealed. It is this that enables us to grow in Torah and to be actively involved in the development of the Oral Torah. May we all merit to go from the holiness of Adar to the redemption of Nisan, and may our growth in Torah lead to a greater revelation of G-d in the world, culminating with the arrival of Mashiach.

Chodesh Tov.

 

Bruchim Habaim/ ברוכים הבאים

All of the postings on this blog have three things in common:

1. They were originally said by faculty members of David Shapell College (Shapell’s)/ Yeshivat Darche Noam and Midreshet Rachel v’Chaya.
2. Their authors’ personalities shine through their words; you might even be able to guess who the author of each is without looking at his or her name.
3. They all involve connecting the Torah we learn with the life we lead, addressing topics that hit home, like developing sensitivity, husbands and wives, connecting with G-d, beauty, following and leading, unity and diversity, and living our dreams.

Divrei Naom reflects the rich range of approaches and personalities that make up the Darche Noam faculty and family. This blog is the beginning of a much larger project to publish, in book format, the first ever collection of divrei Torah from the Darche Noam Rebbeim and Teachers. For more information on how you can help click here

We hope you learn and enjoy.

“For G-d’s Sake”

The Gemara in Yevamot (79a) teaches us that there are three qualities which identify the Jewish nation:  rachmanim – merciful; bayshanim – capable of shame; and gomlei chasadim – bestowers of altruistic kindness.  Each of these three qualities plays a major role in the outcome of the judgment that we should look forward to on Rosh Hashana.

Rachamim, Mercy:

We will be praying many times for rachamim, for mercy from the Almighty.  G-d’s rachamim doesn’t mean that He ignores our mistakes or that they have no consequences.  Rachamim means being erekh apayim, slow to anger.  G-d is patient.  He gives us a chance before  holding us fully accountable for our sins.  Our rabbis teach that G-d judges us with the same attitude that we judge others. So we need to transform ourselves into merciful people.  Rather than looking to extract the last ounce of justice when something goes wrong or someone wrongs us, we must look to help the other person improve, to fix what is broken, and to exhibit patience and understanding.

Busha, Shame:

The Gemara’s source that busha, shame, is one of the Jewish nation’s characteristics is the verse:  “Ba’avur t’hiyeh yirato al pneikhem” – “So that His fear should be on your face” (Shemot 20:16).  The rabbis teach (Nedarim 20a), “Yirato,” His fear, “zu habusha,” refers to one’s shame.

At Sinai, G-d appeared in all His glory to instill in us a constant fear and awe of Him.  A person naturally fears embarrassing situations and controls certain improper behavior to avoid that embarrassment.  But one who lacks shame, is impervious to embarrassment, and has no awe of greatness, lacks the built-in restraints that might control that behavior.

During selichot, we quote a verse in Ezra (9:6) in our confessions to G-d, “Boshti v’nechlamti” – “G-d, I am ashamed to lift my face to You, for our sins extend to the heavens.”

A sense of shame over improper actions is a quality that leads to improving those actions.  And that very Jewish quality is one of the reasons why the Jewish people are so confident of good judgment on Rosh Hashana.

And, finally, Gemilut Chesed, Altruistic Kindness:

The human quality that underlies this Jewish character trait is that of being a giving person.  The Maharal provides an explanation of the greatness of teshuva me’ahava and avoda me’ahava, repentance out of love and service out of love.  True love is the pure desire to give to another, motivated by the giving nature of one’s own personality.  Serving G-d to receive a reward isn’t true giving; it’s really investing.  Teshuva out of love is motivated by nothing except the desire to repair the damaged relationship that created distance between us and G-d.

Avoda me’ahava is to serve G-d out of love, motivated solely by the desire to fulfill our purpose; for G-d’s sake rather than ours.  When we present ourselves to G-d in such a way, we have kiv’yakhol left Him little choice but to inscribe us in the Book of Life, lema’ankha Elokim chaim, for Your eternal sake, G-d.

If we focus on nurturing in ourselves the qualities that identify our Jewish nation: becoming rachmanim, bayshanim, and gomlei chasadim, we can have confidence that each of us and the entire Jewish nation will speedily merit being written and inscribed for a good year and for a good and peaceful life.

Leshana tova tikatevu vetechatemu, le’altar, lechaim tovim uleshalom.