Be'er Mayim Chaim Wellsprings of Chassidus & Jewish Meditation

Shavous and Pirkei Avos and also some cheescake

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:18:00 +0000

Its Erev Chag, we have counted Sefiras HaOmer for 49 days anticipating and leading up to and culminating in . . .Cheese Cake...um no lets try that again, culminating in . . .sleepless caffeine highs while we try to keep our drooping eyelids open over a sefer and dreaming of bed, no that does not sound right . . .how about snoring through Akdumus? scratches his head....something seems missing?!

Yom Kippur has a fast, Rosh HaShanna has a shofar, Purim has a Megillah, Channukah has candles, Sukkos has a Sukka, A Lulav an Esrog, Pesach has Matzo, Marror and a Seder and Shavous has (drum roll) Cheesecake!

Something does not add up!

Rav :evi Yitzchok of Berditchev suggests that the reason Shavous is called Atzeres is because the only mitzvah it has is the cessation of creative work known as melacha whoch charecterizes it as YOMTOV. I would like to suggest the chiddush that the mitzvah of Shavous is the hearing of Aseres HaDibros and acceptance of the Torah. However even putting my chiddush aside, what is it that Shavous means. We dont even count Sefirah on Shavous we finished that the night before...

I learned an amazing insight from the Chasam Sofer today. It is found at the end of his commentary to parshas VaYikra. There he discusses Pirkei Avos, the chapters of the fathers which we have been studying weekly each Shabbos to prepare for Matan Torah.

He asks why is the tractate or Meseches called Avos - he answers with an amazingly novel concept. All of the Oral Torah, the Shas and the Talmud are Toldos or offspring of the written Torah Shebiksav. That is our sages, Chazal based their Oral laws and traditions expounding upon through the principles of logic and derasha to create the corpus of the Oral Torah. Thus the Shas and Torah SheBaal Peh can be seen as offsrping or Toldos of the written Torah.

However this Mesachta, Pirkei Avos is called Avos because it is the opposite. The sages extrapolated and learned out midos and minhagim tovim, good character traits and posiitive ways of actions from - their own hearts - this just straight mussar then lead them to use derashos and logic to base them on the verses of the written Torah. This is why the Mesechat begins with Moshe receiving the Torah from Mt Sinai, because even these where Divinely inspired and received from one shepherd. However since the sages are the founders, teachers and innovators of these teachings of mussar, they are the forefathers and these teachings are the fathers, the Avos whereas their foundation in Torah is the Toldos.

That is a radical chiddush. The Chasam Sofer is telling us that the mussar found in Pirkei Avos was innovated by the sages from the character traits and paths of positive actions drawn from their hearts and later based on the writtten Torah. How can this be? I think the answer is this:

The Gemara says "How foolish are those that rise to honor a Torah scroll, but fail to rise before a scholar!" Why because a true Torah Scholar a real Talmid Chacham is a living, breathing walking Sefer Torah. It is no wonder then that our sages who embodied Torah and were walking sifrei Torah were able to innovate and draw out the mussar from their very own hearts!

This is the mitzvah of Shavous, to absorb Torah so that it transforms us.

Now enjoy a slice of cheesecake.

GutYomTov Chag Sameach
Happy Matan Torah

--

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim Publishing
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
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Tonight the Yorzeit of Reb Mottele of Czernoble

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:38:00 +0000

Connection: Seasonal—176th yahrzeit of the 2nd Chernobyler Rebbe.

From: http://www.ascentofsafed.com Story #805 (s5773-34) 19 Iyar 5773
From the desk of Yerachmiel Tilles < editor@ascentofsafed.com >

Dedicated by the founders of ASCENT-of-SAFED in loving memory of
Rabbi BARUCH-AKIVA (ben Moshe) GREENBERG,
Ascent's very first "summer scholar in residence"
and original Saturday night storyteller,
and THE master of chasidic melody,
who passed away last year on Shabbat, 20 Iyar 5772

A Rebbe's Debt to a Hitchhiker

As he approached Chernobyl, the chasid was in a happy mood. And why not? Silently he counted his blessings: a loving wife and children, a flourishing business, and soon he would be in the presence of his holy Rebbe, the famous Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl.
With these thoughts in mind he was enjoying the scenery, when suddenly he spotted a poor Jew trudging along with a bundle on his shoulders. Stopping the carriage he offered the traveler a lift, which was gratefully accepted.

For the first few miles both men were silent. But after a few minutes the poor Jew turned to the Chasid and asked him where he was headed. "To Chernobyl," the man replied, "to my holy Rebbe."

"Aha!" the traveler said with a smile. "So you're going to Mottele."

The Chasid was immediately offended. How dare this shabby-looking fellow refer to his holy Rebbe in such a familiar manner, as if they were intimates! On second thought, he decided to remain quiet.

"Are you indeed one of Mottele's chasidim?" the stranger persisted. "Yes," the man replied curtly in an attempt to end the conversation. "What chutzpa!" the Chasid thought to himself. Under other circumstances he would have put this impudent clod in his place, but he had no wish to ruin the journey further.

But the stranger was clearly in the mood to talk. "How do I know that you're really a chasid?" he inquired. The chasid was very surprised by the question and said nothing.

"A man is measured by his deeds, and especially by his pocket," the stranger continued.

"I'll tell you what - if you will pay me the 20 gold coins your Rebbe owes me, I will believe that you are his chasid."

The chasid was shocked. What kind of nonsense was this? "If you can prove to me that my Rebbe owes you the money I will gladly pay his debt," he blurted out. The stranger smiled and fished around in his knapsack until he found a piece of paper: a promissory note for 20 gold coins, signed by the tzadik of Chernobyl. The chasid examined it carefully. Yes, it really did appear to be the Rebbe's signature, and try as he might he couldn't find any evidence of forgery. Nodding his head, he folded the note several times and placed it in his snuffbox. He then took out his moneybag, counted out exactly 20 gold coins and pressed them into the stranger's hand.

The rest of the journey was conducted in silence. On the outskirts of Chernobyl they reached a crossroads and the stranger asked to be let off. Before he climbed down from the carriage, he thanked the chasid for his kindness and blessed him with success.

The chasid watched the stranger walk off into the distance. Within minutes the man and his bundle were no bigger than a tiny dot that eventually disappeared over the horizon.

The chasid took out the promissory note and inspected it even more closely, but again could find no fault with it. By that time, however, he realized that he had arrived in Chernobyl. With more important things to attend to, he slipped the note back into his snuffbox and promptly forgot about it.

It was a busy Friday when he arrived, and Chernobyl was filled with hundreds of other Jews who had come to bask in the Rebbe's presence. Shabbat was spent in a state of spiritual elevation. To the chasid, the opportunity to pray with the Rebbe and hear his words of Torah was nothing less than a foretaste of Paradise.

When Shabbat was over the chasid requested a private audience with the Rebbe. Oddly, the first thing the Rebbe asked him was whether he had any snuff with him. "Certainly," the chasid replied, immediately proffering his snuffbox. As he opened it he saw the note he had forgotten about, and after a moment's hesitation handed it over to the Rebbe, who had noticed him pause.

"How did this come into your hands?" the Rebbe asked him. The chasid related the whole unlikely story of the stranger who had claimed that the Rebbe owed him money, and was shocked when the Rebbe verified it as true. "As Divine Providence has led you two to meet, I can reveal to you that that stranger is one of the 36 hidden tzadikim in every generation in whose merit the world exists," he explained, adding that he had taken it upon himself to uphold him financially.

An involuntary shiver passed through the Chasid's body. A hidden tzadik had traveled in his carriage - and he hadn't known! He had even mistaken him for an impudent clod....

Noting his distress, the Rebbe eased his mind. "Don't worry, you've done nothing wrong," he reassured him. "If you were chosen to share in the mitzva of supporting a hidden tzadik, there is no doubt that it is a good sign."

From that day on, each year during his annual visit the Chasid gave the Rebbe 20 gold coins for the hidden tzadikim. And for the rest of his life he hoped to meet stranger again. But it never happened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the rendition on //lchaimweekly.org (#668), with permission.

Biographic note:
Rabbi Mordechai ("Mottel") of Chernobyl [1770 - 20 Iyar 1837], successor to his father, Rabbi Nachum, was the son-in-law of Rabbi Aharon the Great of Karlin and subsequently of Rabbi David Seirkes, an important disciple of the Baal Shem Tov. His eight sons all became major Chasidic leaders. One of them, Yaakov Yisrael Twerski of Cherkassy, the first Hornsteipel Rebbe, married Devora Leah, one of the six daughters of Rabbi DovBer of Lubavitch, son of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (match arranged by the two grandfather-Rebbes), in order to maximize the possibilities for fulfillment of the prediction, "the Moshiach will be born of the elder disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch or the youngest."

--

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim Publishing
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
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Segula tofay Rav Menachem Mendel of Rymanow Yorzeit

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:29:00 +0000

Today is the Yorzeit, anniversary of the passing of the righteous Rabbi Menachem Mendel Riminov Zatzal
He promised that he would do a favor for anyone who would light a candle for his soul.
Light a candle for the benefit of the soul of
Rabbi Menachem Mendel ben Rabbi Yosef
May his merit shield us

--

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim Publishing
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
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Some thoughts on Teshuva

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:35:00 +0000

Remorse and Regret Rubbing Out Sin - The Alexander Rebbe taught that the primary component of Teshuva is remorse. Now true remorse does not mean simply regretting the evil actions and deeds, this is not remorse because you could argue that these deeds are cosmically insignificant and meaningless as our sages put it: why should Hashem care whether we slaughter an animal from the front or backside of its neck?!

True remorse is over the fact that you did not listen to Hashem Himself and to His commandment. Remorse over this causes you to repent and return to Hashem wholeheartedly. Then you will listen and hearken unto Hashem's voice and all that He commands. We see that true regret and remorse is for your act of rebellion against Hashem Himself.

"Charatah," the Alexander Rebbe continued, "can be translated as remorse or regret over past misdeeds. I say however, who doesn't regret past misdeeds? Rather I translate Charatah as from the same linguistic root as the verb to engrave as in the verse (Yeshaya 8:1) Man engraved, one must engrave and rub out those detestable and despicable traits within him, scratch them off and erase them until they are gone." (Chashva LeTova p36 & p38)

Teshuvas HaMishkal - Reb Yisroel the Maggid of Bahapoli explained that in previous generations there was a concept called Teshuvas HaMishkal which meant to repent and do Teshuva in equal measure corresponding to the sins and transgressions committed. He should weigh and measure the amount of pleasure and enjoyment he experienced while sinning and correspondingly inflict just as much pain and torture and afflict himself equally in order to make amends for his misdeeds. Such forms of self mortification and torture including rolling around nude in the snow and immersion in ice cold mikva baths, accepting blows and whipping and similar practices. However in our generation we have a new way to understand this concept. You should weigh and measure in your mind what mussar and what lessons you can learn from your previous misdeeds and misbehavior. See how you ran after sinful acts, how swift and quickly you carried them out and with how much energy you expanded. Whatever sinful passions, lusts and desire you chased whether it was the wanton pursuit of earning money and acquiring possessions or even to cheat, swindle and steal for a life and home of prestige, wealth and luxury; nothing held you back, neither rain, nor sleet nor snow, not cold winter or hot summer days. Or when someone angered you or wronged you, how you endlessly plotted and with hatred you went after that person to defeat and conquer him, and if you succeeded how happy and overjoyed you felt, immeasurably!

These are the types of calculations you must make and now when you repent and return to Hashem you are obligated to use all of your energy and all of your resources to serve Hashem just as much as you did to sin against Him. Serve him with just as much zeal and passion, with as much pleasure and joy, with a glad heart overflowing to the point where nothing could hold you back from serving Him, nether rain nor snow nor any barriers or obstacles that were in your way would prevent you from doing Hashem's will. Then when you study or pray or recite psalms of Tehillim and praise it should be with as much fiery passion aflame with wondrous excitement! (Ateres Yisroel Ki Seitze p162)

Why didn't you do Teshuva?! - The Dezukover once said: On High they do not ask you, what sins did you commit or why did you sin? No! They ask why did you not repent and do Teshuva!? Since you knew full well that you erred and sinned, why is it that you did not repent and do Teshuva!? If you did not even know that you sinned, that is even worse, how could you not have known that or realized?! You were a man not a beast or an animal! You should have realized your mistake and your sin and you should have repented and done Teshuva! (Imrei Noam p20)

Broken Hearts Purify the Vessel - The way Teshuva works is solely based on the amount we nullify ourselves before Hashem. If you are as a worthless and frail as a fragile earthenware pottery shard before Hashem, then when your heart breaks, this act purifies you, since the law is that earthenware vessels are purified when broken. Therefore once you nullify yourself before Hashem you sins are automatically distanced and separated from you as our sages taught (Yoma 85b) just as a the waters of the mikvah ritually purify the contaminated so does Hashem purify the Jewish people (Shem MiShmuel VaErah p59)

Parshas Tazria Metzora

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:31:00 +0000

The Yalkut Lekach Tov cites the Be'er Yosef who asks a fascinating question. Why is it regarding tumah and tahara, impurity and purity that there are some animals, birds, fish and insect that are tameh and some that are tahor and they remain this why forever, their status never changes. Yet man changes status over and over again depending upon many factors he can become tameh or tahor from within or without?!

To answer this question he cites the Midrash quoted by Rashi, that Rav Simlai asked why did the Torah of man's tumah and tahara follow at the end after the Torah of the all the animal kingdom? He observed that just as man was created at the end so his Torah is stated at the end.

The Be'er Yosef based on the Zohar therefore explains that man was created at the end because he was given the segulos, abilities, powers and capabilities of all the animals. (It comes to my mind the teaching of our sages which opens the Tur you should be fierce like a leopard, fast and light as an eagle, run as swift as a gazelle and courageous and brave as a lion, man somehow can emulate the powers of each of these animals because Hashem imbued with them latently)

Thus depending on his actions he can be compared to them and to their state of tumah and tahara, thus while they are immobile and their state of purity or impurity is a permanent fixed and unchanging, man's depends on himself and his environment and contact with others and his relationship(s) with them.

This reminded me of a teaching I saw in the name of the heilige Rizhiner. The holy Reb Yisroel Friedman founder of the regal royal dynasty of Ruzhin asked: How is it that Teshuva pardons us from punishment for our sins and misdeeds? When a person acts inappropriately, that action no matter how much he might regret it, remains done. No amount of remorse and Teshuva can erase the fact that we acted and did that thing. Why then does Hashem not punish the Baal Teshuva? He answered by citing the sages teaching that man only sins if a spirit of foolishness called a ruach shtus enters into him. This, explained the heilige Rizhiner, transforms a person into a state and level similar to that of an animal, as the pasuk says that when we are lowly we are as beasts, "ke'behemos nidmu." When an animal acts like an animal you dont punish it. Even more so once a person does Teshuva, he transforms himself and uplifts himself back to the level of a human. So, who will you punish? Asked the Rizhiner. The animal and beast that "sinned" is gone, there is only a human standing before us now.

The main teaching which forms the common thread through all these ideas is, man is inherently similar to beasts and animals in our physical form and makeup. We are a strange dichotomy, formed of two opposing forces, an animal body and a G-dly angelic soul. If we harness the beast within and his powers, fierce as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer, brave as a lion to serve Hashem, then we have channeled those forces into holiness. However if they take charge of us, then we are no better than the other animals who have them. Thus we rise or fall in our state of tumah and tahara while they stay the same. May we all go from strength to strength in Avodas Hashem. Good Shabbos

For those of you who have asked my sefer The Glaser Edition of Mipeninei Noam Elimelech is back in stock shipping from Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1568714629/ref=ag_xx__xx/?condition=new

Open your heart to the compelling words and thoughts of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk.

As the Rebbe of all Rebbes and the recognized third-generation leader of Chassidus, the Noam Elimelech is revered for his holiness and brilliance. His profound sefer of Torah elucidations has been diligently studied for centuries. But how many can truly understand his lofty teachings? In this groundbreaking English rendition of selections from the Noam Elimelech's classic sefer, Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker has opened the world of Chassidus - the world of the Noam Elimelech - to the English speaking public. With essays based on the weekly parashah and various appendices, including the famous "tzeitel katan" and stirring "prayer before prayer," everyone will be deeply moved and inspired by this important and profound work.

--

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim Publishing
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
VoIP: 516-320-6022 / eFax: 1-832-213-3135
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Author Page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003VH9D48

Mipeninei Noam Elimelech (Hardcover) In Stock on Amazon

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:34:00 +0000

For those of you who have asked my sefer The Glaser Edition of Mipeninei Noam Elimelech is back in stock shipping from Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1568714629/ref=ag_xx__xx/?condition=new

Open your heart to the compelling words and thoughts of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk.

As the Rebbe of all Rebbes and the recognized third-generation leader of Chassidus, the Noam Elimelech is revered for his holiness and brilliance. His profound sefer of Torah elucidations has been diligently studied for centuries. But how many can truly understand his lofty teachings? In this groundbreaking English rendition of selections from the Noam Elimelech's classic sefer, Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker has opened the world of Chassidus - the world of the Noam Elimelech - to the English speaking public. With essays based on the weekly parashah and various appendices, including the famous "tzeitel katan" and stirring "prayer before prayer," everyone will be deeply moved and inspired by this important and profound work.

--

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim Publishing
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
VoIP: 516-320-6022 / eFax: 1-832-213-3135
join the mailing list here: http://groups.google.com/group/beermayimchaim
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Author Page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003VH9D48

Tiferes Shlomo Erev Rosh Chodesh Nissan

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:26:00 +0000

Today Erev Rosh Chodesh Nissan is the Tiferes Shlomo's Yahrzeit

I was speaking with Rav Isaac Shiff a descendant of the Noam Elimelech and the Lizhensker Rebbe of Ramat, Jerusalem' son and he told me the following story which he heard it from Reb Osibil an elderly chossid from Lizensk who had heard it from the gentile boy who knew the protagonist personally.

The young gentile boy from Lizensk was familiar with the elderly gentile neighbor who lived just on the outskirts of the beis ha'chaim - the cemetery in Lizensk where the holy Rebbe Reb Melech is buried.

This elderly gentile had a small home near the beis ha'chaim and he would observe the annual yearly gathering of Chassidim who came on pilgrimage to the holy Rebbe Reb Melech on 21 Adar. Among them, was the tzadik who organized the annual nesiyah, none other than Rav Shlomo HaKohen of Radomsk author of the Tiferes Shlomo. Because he was a Kohen, he could not enter the beis ha'chaim but nonetheless he would stand at the gates and look directly upon the tzion. Out of respect the chassidim lined up on either side and allowed him a direct view in a straight line into the tzion at the Rebbe Reb Melech's maitzeiva which he would gaze upon as he davened from the gates. The gentile neighbor observing this annual ritual and seeing the respect given to the Tiferes Shlomo would come and bring the Rebbe water to drink and wash his hand, as well as a chair to sit on in the shade of a tree just beyond the beis hachaim's boundary. Occasionally he even invited the Rebbe into his home and afforded him a place to rest. The Rebbe told the gentile neighbor that he would merit arichis yamim a long life, "you shall live as long as that tree grows," and he pointed to the old tree which shaded him near the beis hachaim." And so it was. Tzadik Omer, Sigzar Omar VaYakam Lach - just as the tzadik decreed so it was. The gentile boy related that the older gentile neighbor lived to a venerable old age. One day he passed away. That morning the tree had been cut.

Wishing you all a Chodesh Tov and a Chag Kasher veSameyach

--

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim Publishing
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
VoIP: 516-320-6022 / eFax: 1-832-213-3135
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Author Page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003VH9D48

Segula for Rosh Chodesh Nissan

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 12:44:00 +0000

Three Stories that are a Segulah for Parnassah for Pesach

1.) A certain Jew was selling brandy before Pesach, to provide
for the upcoming holiday expenses. He went from country to
country, but at one border, the guards seized his barrel, since he
lacked the proper licenses. The Jew quickly traveled to the Rebbe
Reb Meilech and poured out his heart. The Rebbe Reb Meilech
told him to tell the guards to taste the contents of the barrel; it
was only water. The Jew did as the Rebbe had told him. They
were surprised to find that the Jew was telling the truth! They returned
the barrel to him, but then he went back to the Rebbe,
crying: "Now how can I provide for my family for the holiday?
The barrel of brandy was my only way of earning a livelihood and
now it's full of water!" The Rebbe Reb Meilech told him to taste
the contents of the barrel. To his delight, it was full of brandy
once again!
2.) A king lost his ring. He proclaimed that he would pay a
handsome salary to everyone who searched for it. There was a
poor Jew who had no money for Pesach. His wife advised him to
take up the king's offer. So he joined in the search, and with the
money he earned, he bought all the necessities for Pesach. This
Jew was also a generous fellow; he invited many guests for the
seder that year.
Among the king's advisors was a wicked anti-Semite. On the
seder night he went to the Jew's home and peeked in through the
window. When he saw the Jew eating and drinking and not
searching for the king's ring, he saw his chance. He quickly went
back to the palace. "Your Majesty," he said. "You've been fooled.
I'll show you!" The king followed his advisor to the house of the
poor Jew,and peered in the window. There was the Jew at a table
full of guests, eating and drinking like a king! Still, the king was
loath to think ill of his Jewish subject. He told the advisor, "This
Jew is probably interrogating these men to see if they know the
ring's whereabouts."
This Jew's custom was that at "Dayenu," he would recite each
verse and all the guests would respond, "Dayenu." It so happened
that the advisor's name was none other than Dayenu. Just then,
they all answered in chorus "Dayenu!" The king's advisor paled.
The king understood this to mean that his
trusted advisor had in fact stolen the ring.
He commanded his royal guards to seize
the advisor and jail him, and he confessed
to the crime.
3.) There was a certain Jew who
worked hard for his landlord, the poritz.
One day, the poritz said, "It's lucky for
you that I support you. Otherwise, you
would starve!" In his simple faith, the Jew
answered, "What are you saying? There's
a G-d in Heaven and He provides for all
His creatures. If the poritz won't serve as
G-d's agent, G-d will find me another."
The poritz angrily banished the Jew from
his property.
This occurred right before Pesach.
This poor Jew now had no money to buy
the necessary provisions.
The poritz had a huge treasury where
he kept all his gold. He would go in from
time to time to count and polish his coins.
He would spit on each coin and then polish
it till it shone. The poritz' pet monkey
would go with the poritz into the treasury
and watch him. He saw his master
put the coins close to his mouth; he
thought that the poritz was eating the
coins! Monkey see, monkey do. The
monkey copied his master. It stole alone
into the treasury and feasted on the gold
coins. The monkey ate so many coins that
it died.
When the poritz came into his treasury
and saw the dead monkey, he didn't
realize the cause of its death. His anger
had not abated, and he commanded his
servant to throw the monkey into the
Jew's house, to teach him a lesson. "If I
don't provide for him, no one will!" The
servant threw the monkey in through the
window. When it landed, its stomach
burst and all the gold coins came pouring
out. Then the Jew was able to buy an
abundance of provisions for Pesach.
On the seder night, the poritz sent his
servant to see how the Jew was suffering
without food. But the servant reported
that the Jew's house was full of food and
drink. The poritz later sent for the Jew
and asked him from where he'd had
money. The Jew told the poritz how
someone had thrown a dead monkey
into his house and that hundreds of gold
coins had burst from it. The poritz then
admitted, "Now I truly see that it's
Hashem Who provides for us all."

Parshas Teruma

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:36:00 +0000

The pasuk says from each person whose has a charitable heart shall you take My teruma tithe - MiKol Ish Asher Yadveynu Libo Tikchu es Terumasi

This is how the holy Sabba Kadisha, Rav Avraham of Slonim would explain this verse:

There are those tzadikim who are so charitable that if they could they would give their own hearts to Hashem, however since this is impossible they settle for wholeheartedly giving donations of money. Says Hashem, from this type of person I want you to take my beloved tithe.

--

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim Publishing
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
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Simcha in Avodas Hashem

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:19:00 +0000

Simcha in Avodas Hashem

You should exceedingly rejoice over anything that you do and any service that you perform in the act of serving Hashem. Your Avodas Hashem should be something very dear and precious to you. You should feel as if you have made up your mind to never part with even the smallest act you have done in Avodas Hashem, to the point where if someone were to offer you a large amount of money you would not be willing to sell any of it for all the money in the world! Whether it is a single spoken word or even just one act, even if all it took was a moment's time surely it was not lost. Rather this action has had a great effect and an immense lasting consequence for you and perhaps for the entire Jewish people as well, as is known. Is there any greater joy and happiness than that? That the Creator's will was done and fulfilled and the entire purpose of Creation was actualized? Do whatever you can, and desire to strive and do whatever possible whether it seems to be a small insignificant act to you or not as is known from the tzadikim R' Elazar and R' Shimon [bar Yochai]. As people say, as the folksaying goes – whatever opportunity you can get at the trade fair is good.

(Rav Asher from Karlin Stolin – Intro to Beis Aharon #3 pg 4)

Sadness and Depression

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:53:00 +0000

Sadness, Fears and Phobias

Try not to be too punctilious and exacting with every thing you do, because such thoughts are products of the evil inclination. He causes many to have excessive fears and phobias that constantly plague him causing him to fear that he has not done his religious duty properly and that he has not fulfilled his religious obligations. This brings a person down and causes sadness and despair.

Sadness is one of the greatest obstacles in serving Hashem as is known. Even is you stumble and sin inadvertently, nonetheless do not be overly sad and depressed because this will stop your Avodas Hashem and prevent it. Rather you should be sad or upset about the sin itself you committed and you should return and be happy once more, rejoicing in Hashem, your Creator. because you sincerely regret your mistakes and promise not to do so again.

Even if you are sure that you actually cannot fulfill your religious duty or obligation because of the many obstacles in your path, still, do not be sad or despondent. Rather think to yourself that the Blessed Creator who examines your innermost heart and knows what is really going on inside, He knows what your true sincere intentions are and that your will was to do your best.

(Rav Asher from Karlin Stolin – Intro to Beis Aharon #2 pg 3)

Story and Commentary

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 23:11:00 +0000

The Holy author of the Sefas Emes once retold of his first visit to Kotzk.

He observed that there was no order and no one watching and safeguarding the Kotzker's household and court. People and guests came and went and the doors were always open.

This lack of organization and supervision led to a series of "missing" objects which no doubt went missing along with those "missing" persons who had pilfered them.

The Shamash, the Kotzker's attendant was named Feivel, and his argument with the Rebbitzen was so loud as he bemoaned the missing, presumed stolen silver candlesticks on that erev Shabbos, that everyone in the house heard it. Even the Rebbe himself.

"Feivel what is all the commotion?!" the Kotzker demanded.

Reb Feivel was yelling "And why shouldn't they steal?! Eh? Why not? When everything here is hefker! Open and free for all!? Why should'nt they steal?!"

"What!" roared the Kotzker, "Feivel how can anyone steal, it says in the Torah "Thou Shall Not Steal!!!"

Years later the Sefas Emes related:

"Now when I heard the holy Kotzker roar those words it seemed to me at that very moment that there was no possibility of stealing anything at all because of the negative commandment not to do so!"

This is what the Sefas Emes took back with him from his first visit to Kotzk.

Siach Sarfei Kodesh - Yisro

Commentary:

There is a fine line between should not and can not. We are given free will and we are also challenged with the evil urges and temptations which try and test us to sin. We are free to resist and overcome temptation and thus be rewarded. We are free to give in and succumb to our desires and be punished for our misdeeds. The choice is ours. This is because we do not see or experience Divine revelation first hand. Hashem is hidden from us. We believe and our faith and emunah carries us to the strength needed to overcome those urges temptations and desires. However we do not see. If we did see or hear Hashem first hand we would automatically lose our free choice. There is no choice or freedom to disbelieve that which is clearly and plainly right in front of your eyes. If Hashem 's presence is first hand knowledge and you Hear him command, you are not free to disobey any longer.

It seems to me that the Sefas Emes was transported on that Erev Shabbos to Har Sinai. The holy tzadik, the Kotzker became a channel and a medium for the Shechina which spoke from his throat as he uttered the commandment "Thou Shall Not Steal." The Sefas Emes heard this mitvzva as is from Hashem Himself, and thus at that time for that moment he was transformed from a free willed chooser to one who has no choice but to obey. This is why he felt that at that moment he could not understand how anyone could steal?! How can you steal if Hashem tells you not to! It went from the meaning of "you should not steal" transformed into the words "you can Not steal." It is impossible to steal, it cannot be done, it simply is not a choice.

We all go through such stages in our lives. Our intellect and our logical reason tell us we should not do things, yet the evil urges tempt us beyond reason to do them and so we give in. However at the point where we strengthen our resolve an say, no I can not do this! At the point where we triumph and defeat the evil urge, then we lose the free will to choose evil and we transform the suggestion of "you should not sin" into "you can not sin."
--

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim Publishing
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
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Yisro - Ten Commandments

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 23:00:00 +0000

I wish I could have sent this out an shared these teachings before Shabbos but all these ideas only came to me on Shabbos as I studied them, but there is never too early or late in the Torah as they say:

All 3 of these appear in the collection known as Siach Sarfei Kodesh

1. The Kotzker asked what did David haMelech innovate in the verse in Tehillim 81 "You shall have no foreign gods among you"? Isnt this an explicit Divine commandment from the ten commandmnets, "You shall have no other gods before Me," in parashas Yisro ?! If so what chiddush is there in King David's words?!
The Kotzker answered that King David meant: G-d Himself should not foreign to you!
The posuk in Tehillim reminded me of the idea that "we should have no foreign gods within us!" within us there are evil urges and desires pulling us like foreign deities to worship something else!

2. The Chiddushei HaRim, the first Gerrer Rebbe cited the teaching of our sages in the Midrash that Zachor and Shamor, the commandment to remember Shabbos and Safeguard it mentioned here in Shemos and repeated in Devarim was said simultaneously both as Remember and Safeguard, which Chazal taught is something which the mouth cannot utter and the ear cannot hear. The Chiddushei HaRim asked if these ideas are so lofty that no human mouth can utter them, nor can any hyuman ear hear them, why say them? He answered that nonetheless the act upon the soul.
It occurred to me that this may mean, that even though our mouths cannot utter it and our ears cannot hear it, but our hearts can. Because the heart has the capacity to transcend the barriers of sight and sound. Sight, sound and speech can mold and impress, however the power to love, that emotion transcends them for it transcends all boundaries and defies all logic and reason. We can love without seeing or hearing and so our heart can feel this even if our mouths and ears cannot speak or hear it.

--

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim Publishing
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
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Teshuva

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 00:26:00 +0000

There are two types of Teshuva first one must repent over the sins he
has done, and then one must also repent over the time wasted sinning
which could have been instead used and utilized in serving Hashem and
uplifting oneself to the highest heights!

Mahari (Rav Yehoshua) Belzer

In the place where Baalei Teshuva stand not even great Tzadikim can
stand there: (Gemarra Berachos) The meaning of the word Ba'al Teshuva
is similar to a Baal HaBayis - which literally means master of the
house, to be master over one's home is to be called a Baal HaBayis,
thus a true Baal Teshuva is one who has mastered the art of repentance
and return

Maharid (Rav Yissacher Dov) Belzer

Once a Rav asked Rav Yehoshua of Belz, who was just a young boy at
that time, why Shalosh Seudos was conducted in the dark (as was the
custom then in Belz and many Chassidic courts that Shalosh Seudos the
3rd Shabbos meal was held in darkness). "It does not make sense," he
asked the young lad, "all three meals on Shabbos correspond to the 3
patriarchs the Avos Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, so Shalosh Seudos
corresponds to Yaakov who was known as the bechir haAvos the most
accomplished and complete of the patriarchs, why then is it not held
in the light as a joyful festive occasion such as that warrants and
befits it?!" "You are mistaken," answered the young Rav Yehoshua,
Shalosh Seudos is a time of great yearning and an auspicious time ripe
for repentance and Teshuva, when one repents and does Teshuva he cries
over his misdeeds, thus it is held in the dark so no one can see the
other cry."

Rav Yissacher Dov of Belz used to boast that every Shabbos there were
new guests welcome in Belz, one year Rosh HaShanna preceded Shabbos
and they were attached, Rav Pinchas of Ostila, the Belzer Rav's
son-in-law jokingly asked his father-in-law who the new guests for
Shabbos were this time? since obviously no one new arrived between
Rosh HaShanna and Shabbos? "You are mistaken," answered Rav Yissacher
Dov, Rosh HaShanna has just passed and everyone here has repented and
done Teshuva, the process of true teshuva and repentance transforms
us, thus everyone here is a brand new person, so as usual I am right,
there are always new guests on Shabbos in Belz!"

Channukah from Keser Torah by Rav Meir of Berditchev

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:43:00 +0000

From the upcoming MeOros Kedushas Levi on Moadim

Children in their Father the King's Palace

The Turei Zahav in Orach Chaim Siman 670:3 asks why is the commemoration on Channukah for the miracle of the Menorah [by lighting candles] whereas there is no commemoration established for their physical salvation (that they achieved military victory) as there is on Purim?

It seems to me with the aid of heaven that this is no difficulty at all. In the Chovos HaLevavos in the Shaar HaBitachon he writes that surely a son who is always in his father's palace chambers and someone tried to murder him, that son has no fear at all since he is in his own father the king's palace.

When does he fear? Only if when someone attemots to harm him, he is standing outside his father the king's palace.

Based on this it makes sense, since during the time when Purim historically took place the bais hamikdash had already been destroyed and we were as children outside our Father the King's palace, then it makes sense why we commemorate their physical salvation. Even though the children were outside their father's palace nonetheless they were saved from death.

However historically during the time that Channukah took place the bais hamikdash was still standing, therefore there was no commemoration established for any physical salvation since they were as children standing in their father the king's palace since the holy temple was standing.

Therefore they had no fear of dying and so they made no commemoration at all except for the miracle of the Menorah to praise and offer thanksgiving to Hashem since they witnessed His miracle where He demonstrated His great affection for their mitzvos and their service which is the primary source of life for this world and the next, and this gladdens the Creator as my master, teacher and father (Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev) explained in his sefer Kedushas Levi (Purim third Kedushah) study it there at length. This is easy to understand.

(Channukah Vol I of Kesser Torah)

Kol Tuv,
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Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
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Have a Freiliche Lichtige Channukah

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 22:43:00 +0000

Have a Freiliche Lichtige Channukah

enjoy:
From the upcoming MeOros Kedushas Levi on Moadim

Using The Light of the Channukah Candles

To explain with the aid of heaven the statement of our sages (Shabbos 21b) regarding the dispute about the Channukah candle, one opinion is that it is permitted to use its light and one opinion is that it is forbidden to use its light.

To explain this by way of a parable: There was a great king who visited the home of a pauper, naturally when a great king visits we see his honor and grandeur and wealth. Even the pauper is gladden and rejoices at seeing this display of the king's wealth and grandeur since he has never seen such a thing before him in his life. However if the pauper is wise then he does not rejoice over the king's wealth, realizing that to the king, this display of wealth is but a mere pittance compared to all the wealth he actually has, rather he rejoices at the opportunity to host the king as a guest in his abode.

So is our case, when the Creator does miracles for people, there are those who rejoice at the favor itself and for the actual miraculous act itself that was done, just like the pauper he rejoices at seeing the king's display of his wealth and grandeur, so does he rejoice at Hashem's loving kindness for doing him a favor. Then there are those who do not rejoice over the miracles, knowing that the Holy One created all of the worlds and has the power to do anything, but rather he rejoices over the miracles because through them it is demonstrated that Hashem clothes Himself in man by doing miracles for him, and this causes him to rejoice, since such a great and grand King dwells within him, clothing Himself in man, so to speak.

This is the meaning behind the aforementioned dispute, "One says it is permitted to use its light," this corresponds to he who rejoices over the fact that Hashem does miracles. He rejoices a joy connected to this world, being thankful for Hashem's favors, since this world exists for pleasure and benefit therefore his opinion is that it is permitted to use the light of the Channukah candle [which we light to commemorate the miracles]. "One says it is forbidden to use its light," this opinion corresponds to the one who rejoices in Hashem Himself, at his merit to have Hashem clothe His light in man, and he does not think of himself or any favors that he received, and since he is not thinking of himself or about this world at all rather he is thinking about the world above this one [the spiritual world], and there in that place there is no pleasure since "no eye has seen G-d," (Yeshaya 64:3) and therefore he is of the opinion that "it is forbidden to use or benefit from its light," (since the Channukah candle symbolizes the miracle and he does not derive pleasure or joy from the miracle but from Hashem's presence, he forbids use of the light for mundane things related to this world, since its light is set aside for a mitzvah , for a spiritual purpose and not for mundane use, just as he rejoices in a spiritual sense rather than a mundane one. Whereas the other opinion rejoices in the physical benefit derived from Hashem's miracles, therefore he permits using the Channukah light used to commemorate the miracle even for physical mundane activites.)

The Channukah War – Our Miracles

During Shemone Esrei we recite (in Birkas Modim) "regarding Your miracles which are with us daily."

It says "with us" specifically, this means that what we do causes Hashem to do miracles for us. As opposed to the next statement "and regarding Your wonders and favors which are with us all the time, evening, morning and afternoon," where the words "for us" are absent and missing from this statement because here we are not the cause, rather Hashem sends His abundant kindness so to speak with no need for an awakening from us here below.

I shall explain this to you with the help of heaven, the miracles during the Exodus from Egypt were done by Hashem due to His great kindness with no awakening from us down here below. However that is not the case regarding the miracles on Channukah which were somewhat caused through our actions as well, since Chashmonai and his sons fought the soldiers of Antiochus the wicked may his name be blotted out and erased from memory.

This is the reason why on Channukah we have the custom after lighting the candles to recite "VaYehi Noam," since that verse (Tehillim 90:17) says "and the work of our hands is due to us," which hints at the miracle of Channukah which is somewhat considered our handiwork due to the battles fought, nonetheless the verse concludes saying that Hashem "is the action of our hands," since the Holy One is the reason that our handiwork succeeded altogether that we emerged victorious and won the war.

Why is the Miracle of Channukah Distinct?

I asked the following question in my sefer Kedushas Levi1 which I authored: (Channukah 1^st Kedusha; Purim 4^th Kedusha #1) Why did our sages enact a commemoration for the miracle of Channukah, yet not for the miraculous victories of Gideon and Chizkiah?

A possible answer is that the downfall of Sancherib and Sisera both occurred during the time of Pesach as is mentioned in the Aggadah literature and the Midrashim (Shemos Rabbah 18:5; Poetic Liturgy Az rov Nissim – recited at the conclusion of the seder from the Hagadah Shel Pesach and in some communities on YomTov during the Amidah) [and therefore no additional commemoration is needed since there is already a festival in place to thank Hashem].

However is this is true, [that no additional commemoration is needed since Pesach suffices] why did the sages enact Purim as a commemoration to the downfall of Haman since he too was hung on Pesach as well?! (Megillah 16a; Esther Rabbah 8:7)

The answer is explained by the statement of our rabbis in the Gemarra Megillah (7a) "Esther sent a message to the sages asking them to establish her plight as a holiday for generations." Our sages surely would have established a commemoration eeven without her request in order to praise and thank Hashem. However the sage's reasoning was that since Haman was hung on Pesach, why establish a separate and distinct commemoration for this miracle? During this time we are anyway praising and thanking Hashem for the Exodus from Egypt. Therefore Esther asked them, "establish my plight as a holiday for all generations," and commemorate the month on which they drew lots, "the very same month which was transformed from anguish to joy," (Esther 9:22) and since the primary miracle of Haman's hanging was on the festival of Pesach, therefore she needed to ask the sages to establish her plight as separate and distinct holiday for all generations to come.

(See also KL Derushim on Purim sv Zehu Shebiksha this is why Esther asked to be established for all generations to come, where the KL explains that her request was that she not be simply included on Pesach [translator's note "as we in fact do with the custom to eat saplings on Purim to commemorate Chagai, Zecharia and Malachi's miracle, and to eat dairy on Channukah to remember Yehudis, both these miracles are included in another holiday and have no distinct holiday commemoration of their own."] And this is the meaning of the verse "the very same month which was transformed from anguish to joy," (Esther 9:22) Use this month to commemorate the miracle and do not include it in Pesach.)

Notes:

The original first printing of the Kedushas Levi printed by rav Levi Yitzchak himself was a collections of teachings and discourses on Channukah and Purim divided into chapters which Rav Levi Yitzchak named Kedushos – sanctities, describing the different levels and dimensions of sanctity for each of these miraculous holidays. The Kedushas Levi on the Torah and his discourses on the other festivals and holidays were printed later posthumously by his sons under the same title Kedushas Levi. Thus when the Berditchever refers in his writings to Kedushas Levi, he is referring exclusively to the work on Channukah and Purim.

How Many Candles Do We Light Above and Below?

On Channukah we light thirty six candles, and "through the actions of those down here below we awaken an action on high in response" (Zohar I 77b) and correspondingly on high there are lit also thirty six candles. If we add the thirty six physical candles to the thirty six spiritual lights which are lit on high we have a total of seventy two candles, which corresponds to the Divine name whose gematria is seventy two, Blessed is He.

(The Zohar teaches that the four letter Divine name Y"H"V"H known as the tetragrammaton can be written in one of four ways by spelling each letter out: Yud is written as Yud Vav Dalet, Hay can be filled with either Alef, Yud or Hay and spelled as Hay,Yud, Hay,Alef or HayHay. The same with vav. So that when the four letter Divine name is filled and spelled with Yuds its gematria is equal to seventy two. Yud is spelled: Yud Vav Dalet = 10&6&4 = 20. HayYud = 10&5=15, VavYudVav=6&10&6=22 , HayYud = 10&5=15, together they equal 72 which is the gematria of chessed – loving kindness. Ches=8, Samech=60, Dalet=4, together = 72.)

If we add the shamash, from each night [the additional candle used to light the others] then we have a total of forty four candles which we light on Channukah, and there are another forty four lights on high which correspond to these, so the total between the earthly candles and supernal lights is equal to eighty eight, the gematria of Pa"ch. This hints at the verse (Tehillim 124;7) "The Pach or trap broke and we escaped," the trap or Pach of Antiochus kingdom broke and therefore we light Pach, eighty eight candles above and below.

This is why the Arizal writes (Pri Etz Chaim Shaar Channukah Chap. 4) that the acronym spelled by the initial letters of the verse (tehillim 33:20) "My soul waits yearning for Hashem – Nafshi Chiksa LaShem," spells Nachal which is the gematria of eighty eight or Pach (Nun=50, Ches=8, Lamed=30 = 88) and so is the acronym of the blessing recited over lighting the candles "LeHadlik Ner Channukah," also spells Nachal which is the gematria of eighty eight, study it at length. The acronym of the blessing recited over the Channukah candles is equal to eighty eight alluding to the Pach or eighty eight candles which are lit above and below as we explained.

Channukah Miracles Bound by Time and Performed by Women

The reason why on Channukah and Purim we recite the blessing "who did miracles," and on Pesach a time when a miracle occurred as well we do not recite it. It seems to me that the reason is because the miracle of Channukah and Purim both occurred through a woman (Shabbos 23a; Pesachim 108b).1

It seems to me that sometimes Hashem performs supernatural miracles as He did in Egypt with the ten plagues and by splitting the sea, and sometimes He performs miracles within nature as He did on Channukah when [Yehudis] fed the enemy milk and he slept and she killed him.1 Similarly regarding Esther [the miracle was clothed in nature] since first Achashverosh favored Haman and afterwards Esther (Esther Rabbah Intro 9). We see that these miracles occurred within the bounds of time and nature.

This is the meaning of "He did miracles for our forefathers during those days in this time," this is true regarding Channukah [and Purim] whose miracles occurred within the bounds of time and nature. However the miracle of Pesach was supernatural and above time, therefore we do not recite this blessing since the miracle is supernatural and above the natural order of time.

This is why the miracles occurred through women, since they are the aspect of receivers, and Hashem is the giver and transmitter and the world is the receiver. We have already explained elsewhere that a miracle done within the bounds of nature and time is like a receiver as well and therefore it was performed by a woman who acts as a receiver.2

Notes:

On Purim it was through Queen Esther . The Ran in his commentary to Shabbos 23a (pg 10a in the pages of the Rif) explains that on Channukah, Yehudis the daughter of Yochanan fed the enemy fermented milk and cheese, and when he was drunk she decapitated him. See also Rema in his gloss to Shulchan Aruch O.C. 670:2.

The Story of Yehudis on Channukah (Shabbos 23a Ran [page 10a]).1

Generally speaking when the tzadikim wish to uplift the sparks they must sometimes transgress Torah prohibitions in order to do so as Gideon did (Temurah 28b-29a) when we relate that seven [our version of the text reads eight] things were permitted that night in regards to the altar the Gideon built (Shoftim 6:25-27).2 And the reason for this is because at that time Bnei Yisroel were worshipping idols and foreign gods and therefore when a tzadik wished to do some righteous act and raise and uplift them to Hashem he needed to act as they had acted in order to be able to break the klippos (the husks and shells of impurity).

Similarly regarding the miracle of Devorah, where Yael the wife of Chever the Kayni occupied Sisera and killed him as it says "he bowed and lay dead," (Shoftim 5:27; Nazir 23b; Hurayos 10b)2. And then at that time they were not worshipping idols, therefore there were no Torah transgressions similar to Eliyahu and Gideon (see Nazir and Hurayos ibid). The only thing they needed was to be redeemed and therefore it says "he bowed and fell dead." And that generation did not carry the sin of idolatry heaven forbid as is said in the Gemarrah (Megillah 14a) " 'And she sat beneath the date palm of Devorah,' (Shoftim 4:5) just as a date palm has only one heart so did the Jews in that generation have only one heart towards their Father in Heaven."

Regarding Channukah there was a redemption and therefore Yehudis fed him cheese, the wicked one desired her, and therefore she did what was needed to bring about the needed redemption.

Notes:

The story of Yehudis is mentioned in several primary sources among the Rishonim, see for example Rashi and Ran to Shabbos 23a, Tosfos and Meiri to Megillah 4a, who write that the miracle of Channuka was performed through a woman, named Yehudis (some say she was Yochanan Kohen Gadol's daughter) and that she fed the enemy leader milk until he was intoxicated and that she decapitated him. In Jewish Law the miracle is mentioned as well by the Rema on Shulchan Aruch O.C. Siman 670:3 that there is a custom to eat cheese on Channukah to commemorate the story of Yehudis who fed our enemy milk.
The entire story is found in the apocrypha called Maaseh Yehudis. There she is known as Yehudis Bas Beeri, a leader of the Jewish resistance to the Greek King Eliporni who sought to concquer jerusalem with 120,000 men. She tricked the wicked king Eliporni into falling in love with her. He invited her to a feast and when they were alone and he was intoxicated by milk and wine she stole his sword and with two blows decapitated him, she handed his head to her maidservant and then reported her deed to the Jewish resistance. The enemy's morale was crushed at their leaders death and they fled. Thus the Jews were victorious thanks to her courage and cunning.
The story of Gideon's altar was a special command that Hashem gave to Gideon to build an altar from idolatrous components and offer a sacrifice from animals that had been worshipped, set aside seven years, designated and fattened especially to be used for an offering to idolatry. Normally all these involve various prohibitions which the following Gemarra in Temurah enumerates, however, in Gideon's case Hashem directly commanded him to do this. Our text of the Gemarra in Temurah 28b-29a reads [this explanation and translation follows the commentary of Rashi and Rabbeinu Gershom] : "R. Abba Bar Kahana said eight things where permitted on that night (when Gideon offered sacrifices on that altar), [that are normally forbidden, and they are:] 1. That the offerings slaughtered outside the temple courtyard, 2. The offerings were offered at night, 3. That Gideon was a non Kohen, 4. That he did not use special vessels for the offerings. 5. That the vessels used had been used in serving the idol of the Asheira Tree, 6. That the Asheira itself was cut down and its wood used for the pyre, 7. That the offering itself was set aside for idolatry and 8. That it had been worshipped as an idol."
Yael is praised for her self sacrifice in allowing the wicked Sisera to be with her in order to kill him and save the Jewish army and the entire nation thereby. The topic discussed in Nazir 23b and Hurayos 10b is that of Aveira LiShma – "R. Nachman Bar Yitzchak taught, Great is a transgression done LiShma – with pure and sincere motivations," is a difficult one. At best we should take note that all the examples quoted by the gemarra are of great tzadikim and tzadkaniyos and that we are not on their level and cannot ever try to imitate them, therefore while they may have needed to sin or transgress the Torah's laws and prohibitions, it was done to save the entire Jewish people.

Sandy Relief and Chessed Efforts

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:59:00 +0000

Make sure to tell all your Five Towns neighbors about the food and clothing distribution center at Shor Yoshuv and the Young Israel of Woodmere. They are setting people up with meals, linen and clothing, but not enough people know about it! Please spread the word to those without power or internet access. Thanks!
______________________________

________

Please forward to your friends in NY/NJ who expect to be without power this shabbos.

The Silver Spring Community and others are seeking expressions of interest for another bus from the NY/NJ area to Silver Spring and its environs for this coming Shabbos. If there is interest, a bus will leave Friday morning with a return to the NY (or NJ) area on Sunday evening. Transportation will be free. Home hospitality and meals will be provided.

Please share this message by e-mail, social media, etc.

Send all requests to MDreliefshabbos@gmail.com with any questions or with the family name and the total number of people (adults and children) who would come if the bus were provided.

We will have more formal "registration" once we have identified the need. As with the last one, the registration will be thorough the Young Israel Shomrai Emunah website.

If you do not need transportation, we can still arrange hospitality.

Silver Spring residents who wish to host, we'll post a link for signing up when we've assessed the need. Well over 100 families volunteered to host last time.

Thanks, everyone.

--Chad Miller

HOW YOU CAN HELP THE HURRICANE VICTIMS

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 18:39:00 +0000

From my good friend: Jacob Lehrfeld <jacob@ajcgarfunkel.com>

HOW YOU CAN HELP THE HURRICANE VICTIMS

(Sunday, November 4th, 2012)

Many people are looking to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy, and many different organizations have been assisting them. The following is a list of some of organizations where you can donate and assist your brothers in need.

1) New York's leading Jewish Chesed groups have agreed to create an emergency fund to support local victims of Hurricane Sandy. The Emergency Sandy Chesed Fund will be managed by Chevra Hatzalah with the support of the following organizations: Hatzalah groups, Shomrim, Misaskim, Chaveirim, Met Council, Yad Ephraim and neighborhood Jewish Community Councils. It was formed at a meeting called by Councilman David G. Greenfield. All proceeds of the Emergency Sandy Chesed Fund will go directly to victims and victim services. No donations will be used for administration or overhead.

The community is encouraged to donate generously via this website: www.EmergencyChesedFund.com.

2) There are countless families in the Five Towns, Far Rockaway, Bayswater and Long Island that are totally wiped out, having suffered crippling losses, losing homes, cars, clothing, everything. They are literally left with only the proverbial clothing on their backs and are in a shocking situation. Hundreds of others have been severely impacted.

To assist our community in this time of desperation, the Achiezer organization has begun a campaign, chaired by distinguished baalei batim to allow those of us who are fortunate enough not to be suffering from the after effects of the hurricane, a once-in-a-lifetime direct pikuach nefesh opportunity. The trustees listed below will oversee the funds raised in this campaign to insure that every penny goes directly into the hands of those who have lost so much due to the devastating hurricane. A special accounting of every dollar will be available at the end of this campaign. Any monetary assistance, big or small, will help to alleviate the overwhelming need of our friends, neighbors and brothers. You can donate by clicking HERE.

3) In the community of Sea Gate, the devastation is real, the damage is more than just physical. Families have lost everything. "The only thing left is the shirt on my back", is no longer a saying, it's real.

A fund to assist the local community has been set up and is being administered by Harav Pinchos Meisels, the Dayan of Seagate. You can donate by visiting the website for the Sea Gate Hurricane Emergency Fund.

PLEASE EMAIL THIS STORY TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Yorzeit of Rachel Imeinu

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 13:42:00 +0000

http://kedushaslevi.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-rachel-aids-her-children.html

How Rachel Aids Her Children

Kedushas Levi by Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev
Parshas VaYetzeh

"And he said did you know Lavan the son of Nachor etc." (29:4-5)

Based on the method of Remez (see above) it seems to me that they said "We are from Charan," and Charan alludes to harsh judgments as our sages taught in the holy Zohar1 and as Rashi explains at the end of parshas Noach (11:32) "Charan has an upside down Nun since until Avraham there was Charon Af - anger and wrath in the world." Study it there.

Lavan - white connotes chessed or loving kindness as is known (Tikkunei Zohar Intro 9b) and this is the meaning of "did you know Lavan the son of Nachor etc." from the harsh judgments chessed and loving kindness follows; as our sages taught (Brachos 60b) "All that the Merciful One does, is done for the good." "And they answered we know [him]." "And he asked them is it peaceful for him?" So to speak is there peace up above with no prosecutions when judgments are transformed in chessed and loving kindness. "And they answered him peace."

"And behold Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep." (See Bereshis Rabbah 70:10) Since Rachel is coming with the flocks of sheep which refers to the Jewish people who are called Tzon Kedoshim - holy sheep and therefore she is constantly nullifying the prosecuting agents and causing peace up above, as is written in the sefer Chasdei Hashem regarding a story that whenever there is a time of trouble and calamity Rachel comes and cries out to cancel and nullify all the troubles from Bnei Yisroel.2 Understand this.

Notes:

1.. See Zohar I 147b and Bereshis Rabbah 68:13; 70:11.

2.. See the story in the citation below. See also Bereshis Rabbah 82:10; Zohar II 29b.

Stories & Parables

Rachel Cries in Distress To Save Her Children

from the Sefer Chasdei Hashem

The sefer Chasdei Hashem by Rav Moshe Mordechai Margolios was printed in Cracow in the year 1589. On page 47b he writes:

(Yishaya 53:7) As a Rachel - a sheep is silent before her shearers, so too our Matriarch Rachel is shorn and in distress. As the verse says (Yirmiyahu 31:14) "A voice in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel crying over her children refusing to be comforted."

I must copy a great matter here which I saw written regarding an incident that happened close to our times. In the country of Ashkenaz (Germany) there were several congregations that were forlorn and despondent in their distress from being harassed and maltreated and jailed.

Among them was a great man by the name of Rav Moshe Naiyas. They said that one time during the night they heard a bitter voice call out "Woe is to me, over my children!" They told of the incident to Rav Moshe Naiyas and he answered them: "Do not worry and do not fear, because shortly we will all be able to return to our homes in peace." And so it was.

When he was questioned as to the crying they had heard he said that this was the voice of our matriarch Rachel, and that when Yisroel are distressed Rachel cries over her children and calls out before Hashem until He answers her saying "stop your voice from crying."

http://groups.google.com/group/beermayimchaim/browse_thread/thread/f4cf0f8379f5c041?pli=1

Yahrzeit of Rachel Emainu - How Rachel Helps Her Children in Galus Kedushas Levi

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 13:41:00 +0000

http://kedushaslevi.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-rachel-aids-her-children.html

Kedushas Levi on

Moshe spoke to the children of Israel according to everything Hashem had commanded him about them...

(Devarim 1:3)

[The Zohar explains that] the holy Torah contains great depth and hidden secrets. If we find stories in the Torah — tales such as those of our forefathers Avraham and Yitzchak, of Yaakov and Lavan, of the matriarchs, and of Bilam and his donkey — we must realize that in truth all of these tales contain hidden secrets and depth. On the surface, we can learn a lesson from the tale itself, such as how to develop good character traits. For example, from the story of Avraham we learn the trait of chesed, loving-kindness; from the story of Yaakov we learn about his righteousness.

From the matriarchs we learn of their righteousness, and how the merit of Rachel still stands by us today, as our Rabbis taught (Eichah Rabbasi, Pesichtah 24; Tanna D'Vei Eliyahu Rabbah, ch. 30), "Regarding this it says, 'A voice in the heights is heard, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel is crying over her children, she refuses to be consoled' (Yirmeyahu 31:14)."

The Midrash in Tanna D'vei Eliyahu says that when Hashem sent Bnei Yisroel into exile for their sins He was not going to return them until Rachel Imeinu stood in prayer and said "Master of the World just as I who am only flesh and blood was not angered and did not protest regarding my time of distress when my husband Yaakov who worked seven years for me was given my sister Leah as a bride and I did not speak with him at all so that he would not know the difference between my voice and hers so You who are a merciful King should not be angered by their worship of idols who are actually nothing real," immediately G-d's mercy was awakened and He swore to Rachel that He would return her children back from the exile. Regarding this it says 'A voice in the heights is heard, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel is crying over her children, she refuses to be consoled' .

In the Eicha Midrash it says simply "In the merit of that weeping I shall return you from exile, regarding this it says 'A voice in the heights is heard, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel is crying over her children, she refuses to be consoled' ."

As Long As A Pulse Is Still Beating... (Aish Kodesh Hilula 5773)

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:39:00 +0000

FREE Download

http://www.ravmosheweinberger.com/Product/Topics/Rav_-_Author/Aish_Kodesh/As_Long_As_A_Pulse_Is_Still_Beating..._%28Aish_Kodesh_Hilula_5773%29_HAZZ067020121020.html

Rav Weinberger's drasha start around the 1 hour mark and runs for about 40 minutes. The rest of the file contains the Hilula's singing and music. Yaakov Avinu's (our forefather) desire to be removed from Egypt and be burried in Eretz Yisrael. The neshamah (soul) of a tzaddik (righteous person) can be drawn to whereever people, who need and him and daven (pray) hor his help, are. He is drawn like a magnet to to Jews who learn his Torah and who remember him. Why was the soul of the Ba'al Shem Tov sent into this world? To awaken those who are asleep, even though they appear to be fully "functioning" and observant Jews. Different types and levels of sleep. Barely alive, with a last, almost indiscernible pulse, we can still wake up. Dry, routine Yiddishkeit which contains no love for, awe of, or attachment to Hashem. Our task: reach out and touch the neshamos of tzaddikim.

Tonight Is the Holy Yartzeit Of Rav Meir Shapiro The Founder of Daf Yomi Buried on Har Hamenuchos. Zecher Tzadik V'Kodesh Livracha

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 15:58:00 +0000

Excerpt from the upcoming Moisa Edition of Maasay Avos

Mishna 2:1 "What is the proper path that man should choose for himself?"

The story occurred on Shabbos Bereshis in the Beis Midrash of Rav Yisroel of Tchortokov. Among the many guests was the then Rav of Sanok, Rav Meir Shapira who was later famous as the Rosh Yeshiva of Chachmei Lublin and the founder of the Daf HaYomi movement.

On Shabbos morning after the Krias HaTorah the door to the Rebbe's private room opened and the Rebbe himself made an unusual appearance where before the astounded chassidim he honored the Rav of Sanok, Rav Meir Shapirah to bless the new month and to lead the prayers for Mussaf. This was an unusual occasion to say the least, however Rav Meir took the amud, and led the congregation. His powerful sweet and melodious voice awoke a strong outpouring of the soul and a holy excitement among the chassidim and many later recounted that the aura of sanctity resembled Yom Kippur. The sweet niggun and songs plucked the strings of their souls and they were all moved by Rav Meir Shapira's heartfelt prayers.

Afterwards as the chassidim passed before the Rebbe to receive his Git Shabbos blessing, Rav Meir too passed before him. "I did not know that the Rav of Sanok knew so well how to lead the prayers?!" exclaimed the Rebbe. "I too did not know this," said Rav Meir innocently, "until the Rebbe revealed this to me as well!"

The Rebbe invited Rav Meir to kiddush and after the meal they secreted themselves in the Rebbe's private room for a long drawn out conversation. When Rav Meir left the Rebbe's room his face shone with a supernal other worldly aura.

During that conversation, Rav Meir's powerful gift of prayer was mentioned once again on which he commented, "If I have such a gift perhaps I should become a Chazzan, it would be appropriate since I am a descendant of Rav Pinchas Koretzer before whom all the gates of prayer where open!"

Upon hearing these words the Tchortkover grew suddenly serious and after a few moments he said, "Rabbi of Sanok allow me to tell you a tale about the holy Rebbe Reb Zisha of Anniploi, the borther of the illustrious Rebbe Reb Elimelech of Lizhensk.

Once when Rav Zisha was wandering in self imposed exile from land to land he arrived in Galicia. He had heard of Rav Yuzpa the famous Rosh Yeshivah of Zolkava and decided to travel there since his wondrous shiur, discourses in Talmudic topics were quite legendary. Rav Zisha travelled there and when he reached Zolkova he entered Rav Yuzpa's Yeshivah and Talmudic academy. At that time, Rav Yuzpa was in the midst of a Talmudic pilpul, a deep discussion of the tractate's sugya and all his students were absorbed in his profound words so that no one noticed Rav Zisha's appearance in the Yeshivah at all.

Rav Zisha was dressed as a wandering vagabond, in tattered rags with his walking stick and bundle in hand. He went and sat in the corner and listened as well to the Tamudic discourse Rav Yuzpa delivered without removing his eyes from the orator for even a moment.

After the lecture had ended, Rav Zisha approached the Rosh Yeshiva and said to him, "Thank you so much you deserve such a Yasher Koach for the lecture you delivered! I have heard of your great erudition and scholarliness from afar and about your wonderful lectures and therefore I decided to travel and hear them for myself first hand. Believe me it was well worth the long and arduous journey!"

Rav Yuzpah heard the words of praise and answered, "Well I am glad that you enjoyed the lecture and that you heard words of Torah wisdom which you enjoyed, so I understand why I find favor in your eyes. However how can you find favor in my eyes? Why I do not yet have the pleasure of knowing you, who are you and where are you from?" asked Rav Yuzpa of his guest.

"O' How can a vagabond such as myself find any favor in anyone's eyes? I do not even know how to learn or study Torah. Why I know nothing at all!" declared Rav Zisha.

"Impossible," countered Rav Yuzpah, "It cannot be that you have no wisdom or sanctity. I sense that deep inside you there is some hidden treasure which causes you to find favor in my eyes." concluded the Rosh Yeshivah.

"I only know how to pray," concluded Rav Zisha. "Well, what Jew doesn't know how to do that? Every Jew knows how to pray," exclaimed Rav Yuzpah with wonder. "But I know the proper way to pray before the Master of the World!," added Rav Zisha.

"If so, reveal it to me, teach me the secrets of your prayer," asked Rav Yuzpah. "Very well then, come let us go somewhere private and I will open the gates of prayer before you," suggested Rav Zisha.

"And so," concluded the Tchortkover Rebbe to Rav Meir Shapira, "the two entered a room and secluded themselves. Rav Zisha taught the Rosh Yeshivah the secrets of prayer and they pierced deep into Rav Yuzpah's soul. He grew aflame with excitement and declared, "I will leave my Yeshivah and go after this man! Just as Elishah followed Eliyahu and then perhaps during that time I will learn at least how to pray just one proper prayer in my lifetime! I will learn to stand before the Master of the World in prayer and to concentrate with true purity. Yes I will get up right now and leave my Yeshivah!"

"No, no Rav Yuzpah," countered Rav Zisha. "Let me explain something to you, our sages taught us that just as man's facial features are different from one another so too are their minds different. There are millions and billions of people living in this world, and each one has a different face from the other. And just as their outer appearance differs so does their inner essence, their souls and their purpose in life. And even though each soul can reach its own personal beauty equally. Why did Hashem create so many people, because each of them has his unique personal purpose to fulfill a lofty and supernal goal. Just as there are many people, there are many goals and aspirations for each individual. Each person has to fulfill his own aspirations and goals with the tools, talents and character traits that Hashem has given him. This is why our sages taught that one should always study from where his heart desires. Sincde man's heart aspires to his personal goal which Hashem expects of him to fulfill. You Rav Yuzpa have the talent and power to inspire students and teach them Torah. Heaven gifted you with this ability to deliver such beautiful Talmudic lectures and discourses. Leave the gates of prayer for someone like me," concluded Rav Zisha.

The Tchortkover ended the tale and turned to Rav Meir Shapira, who understood the meaning of the Rebbe's words. Later in life when Rav Meir was the head and Rosh Yeshiva of Chachmei Lublin he told those close to him about that Shabbos in Tchortkov saying, "With that story the Rebbe put me in my proper place and set me on the proper path in life to fulfill my unique mission and purpose, to teach and spread Torah through chinuch of the next generation of Am Yisroel – the Jewish nation."

***for dedications on this finished manuscript to help edit & print the completed manuscript please contact me***

From my good friend Jacob Lehrfeld

Tonight Monday Night Tuesday the 7th of Cheshvan is

The Holy Yartzeit of:

Rabbi Yehudah Meir ben Yaakov Shimshon Shapiro, The Founder of Daf Yomi, Famed Tzaddik and Rosh Yeshiva Of Chachmei Lublin.
Zecher Tzadik V'Kadosh Livracha Zechuso Yagen Aleinu. Amen!!!

Rav Yehuda Meir Shapiro of Lublin (1887-1933). His father, Rav Yaakov Shimshon Katz of Shatz, Romania, was a descendent of Rav Pinchas Koretz, a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov. His mother, Margala, was the daughter of Rav Shmuel Yitzchak Schor, author of Minchas Shai, and a descendent of the author of Tevu'as Shor. He was also a descendent of Rav Bechor Shor of Orleans, one of the Baalie Tosefos. He was married in 1906 and took his first appointment, Rav of Galina, in 1911. In 1921, he became Rav of Sanok, then in 1924 Rav of Piotrkov. It was while there that he wrote his sefer Or HaMeir. Also in 1923, he began the first cycle of Daf Yomi, having shared this idea at the first Knessiah Gedolah of Agudath Yisrael the previous year. That first cycle began on Rosh Hashana in 1923 and was completed 2702 days later on Tu Bishvat in 1931. His other major project was to found the yeshiva Chachmei Lublin, in 1930.

LAST DANCE
Reb Meir passed away on 7th of Cheshvan. A few hours before his petira, unable to speak, Reb Meir wrote a note with shaking hands to his wife. "Why are you crying?" he wrote. "Now we will have the real joy."
Reb Meir asked his talmidim to dress him in a new white shirt and arrange his peyos. Signaling for a pencil, he wrote, "All of you, drink a lechaim."
Beverages and cake were brought. Brachos were made and then each talmid, in turn, stood before Reb Meir and shook his hand. Reb Meir warmly held each talmid and looked deeply into his eyes.
After each one had bid his rebbi farewell, Reb Meir formed the words, "Becha botchu avoseinu," "Our fathers trusted in You." The talmidim understood that Reb Meir wanted them to sing the melody he composed.
As the talmidim sang, they began to dance as they had never danced before. Tears rolled down their cheeks-their hearts were breaking-but they continued to dance around their rebbi's bed.
The talmidim realized that their rebbi would leave them a few moments. Reb Meir detected the students' muffled sobs, and motioned for them to come closer. "Nor mit simcha," "Only with joy," he whispered.
These were Reb Meir's last words. , Rav Yehuda Meir Shapiro's soul then departed. He was 46 years old.
All over Poland, newspapers put out special editions with detailed biographies of the Lubliner Rav. One newspaper described him as "the Jewish king."
Reb Meir's ohel was the only grave left standing in the Lublin cemetery after the Holocaust. In 1958, they brought his remains to a final resting place in Yerushalayim.

About The Founding Of The Daf Yomi And The Esteemed Rosh Yeshiva Of Chachmei Lublin. Zechusoi Yagen Aleinu!!! Amen!!!

The novel idea of Jews in all parts of the world studying the same daf each day, with the goal of completing the entire Talmud, was put forth at the First World Congress of the World Agudas Israel in Vienna on 16 August 1923 by Rabbi Meir Shapiro, then Rav of Sanok, Poland, and future rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin.^[9] In those years, only some of the 63 tractates of the Talmud were being studied regularly, such as Berachos, Shabbos, and Eruvin, which deal with practical laws, while others, such as Zevachim and Temurah, were hardly studied. Rav Shapiro also viewed the program as a way to unify the Jewish people. As he explained to the Congress delegates:

What a great thing! A Jew travels by boat and takes gemara Berachos under his arm. He travels for 15 days from Eretz Yisrael to America, and each day he learns the daf. When he arrives in America, he enters a beis medrash in New York and finds Jews learning the very same daf that he studied on that day, and he gladly joins them. Another Jew leaves the States and travels to Brazil or Japan, and he first goes to the beis medrash, where he finds everyone learning the same daf that he himself learned that day. Could there be greater unity of hearts than this?

Originally RavShapiro saw Daf Yomi as an obligation only for the religious youth of Poland. However, the idea was greeted enthusiastically by the nearly 600 delegates at the Congress, including many Torah leaders from Europe and America, who accepted it a universal obligation for all Jews.

The first cycle of Daf Yomi commenced on the first day of Rosh Hashanah 5684 (11 September 1923), with tens of thousands of Jews in Europe, America and Israel learning the first daf of the first tractate of the Talmud, Berachos. To show support for the idea, the Gerrer Rebbe, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter, learned the first daf of Berachos in public on that day.^[9][11] On 12 November 1924 Tractate Berachos was completed, with small siyumim (celebrations marking the completion of study of a Talmudic tractate) in local communities. At that time, Shapiro published a calendar for the entire cycle of Daf Yomi study.^[9] (For the first cycle, there were only 2,702 pages of Talmud on the schedule; later Gedolei Yisrael increased it to 2,711,^[13] incorporating Tractate Shekalim, taken from the Jerusalem Talmud.) The siyum for the completion of Tractate Pesachim took place after the laying of the cornerstone for Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin. At that time, Rav Shapiro conceived the idea of contributing daily groschen to help raise money for the building. Each day, each person who studied Daf Yomi was asked to set aside a grosh (a Polish penny), and at the end of the tractate, to donate the sum to the yeshiva.^[14] The Gerrer Rebbe immediately contributed the entire sum of 2,700 groschen (27 złoty) to support this initiative.^[9]

The Second World Congress of the World Agudas Israel, held in 1929, coincided with the completion of Tractate Zevachim.^[9]

The 1st Siyum HaShas took place on 2 February 1931 (15 Shevat 5691) in several cities in Europe and in Jerusalem, with the main venue being the newly-opened Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin in Lublin, Poland. Tens of thousands of Jews attended these events. Rav Shapiro presided over the Siyum in his yeshiva in the presence of many leaders of Polish Jewry.^[13] In the United States, Siyums were held in Baltimore and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[15]

The completion of the Daf Yomi cycle is celebrated in an event known as the Siyum HaShas ("completion of the Shas").^[ In America, the main Siyum HaShas is organized by the Agudath Israel of America. Attendance at each Siyum HaShas has grown exponentially. In 1997 the 10th Siyum HaShas was celebrated by some 70,000 participants in the U.S.;^[17] at the 11th Siyum HaShas in 2005, participation had grown to 120,000 in the U.S.^[3] and 300,000 around the world.^[4]

The 12th Siyum HaShas in America was be held on August 1, 2012 at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which had capacity for over 90,000 attendees.

An event that has inspired the Entire Jewish Nation For Love Of Hashem and His Holy Torah.

Zecher Tzadik V'Kadosh Livracha Zchusoi Yagein Aleinu V'al Kul Yisrael. Amen!!!

May the Light of the Holy Tzaddikim Grow And Grow Until The Dawn Of Day. Amen.

An excerpt from:

"A Blaze in the Darkening Gloom"
The life of Rav Meir Shapiro
Feldheim Publishers, 1994 (from p. 365)

The Yiddish manuscript upon which this book is based was written in 1934 by a student of Rav Shapiro's, Rav Yehoshua Baumol, who was killed in the Holocaust. The manuscript was translated into English by Charles Wengrow for publication by Feldheim publishers.

The Great Rabbi Meir Shapiro's Last Moments

The hour of night grew later and later. On a piece of paper he asked that he be shown all the prescriptions which the doctors had written. When they were handed him, he went through them and selected the one for a preparation to cleanse the throat and the respiratory organs and he asked that a new supply be gotten for him. Every few minutes he kept washing his hands while his mind was obviously immersed in distant thoughts. The evident struggle that he had to make to draw breath was heartbreaking. One could feel the frightul, racking agony that he had to undergo to try to get a bit of air into his lungs, and try as he would, he kept failing, because the channels were blocked.

On a piece of paper, her scrawled a request to be carried into another chamber that he designated by its number ("Room number so-and-so"). Interestingly, that room had two doors, each with the name of an organization that had contributed money toward its construction. One door bore the name of the Bikur Cholim society (for care of the sick) of Chicago; the other, of the Chesed Shel Emes Society (for proper Jewish burial) of St. Louis.

When the transfer was accomplished, he asked for a change into a clean shirt and a fresh Talit Katan (a four-cornered garment with Tzitzis, ritual fringes, at the corners). Needless to say, his wishes were carried out. But then his wife, the Rabanit, noticed a change in his countenance, and she began weeping emotionally. Rav Meir did his best to calm her, as he wrote the message, "Now the true Simcha begins"…

In a broken, barely legible scrawl he wrote, "Let everyone drink l'Chayim!" Some liquor was poured out into tiny glasses, and all who were there drank and wished him l'Chayim, "to life!" Then he shook hands with them all, one by one, holding each one's hand in his for a long time. And now he gave his instruction, "Make a Rikud (a little Chassidic dance) to the words, 'b'Cha Batchu Avoseinu' ("In You our fathers trusted, and You rescued them"; Tehilim 22:5). His wishes were obeyed: they joined hands, put hands on shoulders, and lifted their feet in rhythm as they sang the holy words to the melody they knew so well - the melody which he himself had composed.

It was clear that the end was approaching. Into the great Shul (the Hall of Prayer) the young scholars came streaming now to say Tehilim, to implore Heaven's mercy for him../.

[As he noticed some of the dancing students sobbing,] clearly and distinctly he pronounced two Yiddish words: "Nor b'Simcha" ("Only with joy!"); then he snapped his fingers -- and expired. He passed over and away and out of his body. And he was gone from us.

Zecher Tzadik V'Kadosh Livracha Zchusoi Yagein Aleinu V'al Kul Yisrael. Amen!!!

May the Light of the Holy Tzaddikim Grow And Grow Until The Dawn Of Day. Amen.

Fwd: Rav Lieber "HaGadol" of Berdichev - The Founder of Berditchev .Zecher Tzadik Livracha. Zechusoi Yagen Aleinu. Amen.

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 20:37:00 +0000

From my good friend Jacob Lehrfeld

A Gutte Vuch To The Gutte Nation.

Tonight Motzei Shabbos Sunday the 28th of Tishrei is

The Holy Yartzeit of:

28 Tishrei - Rav Lieber "HaGadol" of Berdichev His real name was Rav Eliezer ben Rav Avraham (1771) one of the Talmidim of the Baal Shem Tov. He was a great-grandson (ben acher ben) of R' Shimshon Ostropolier and was also a descendent of the Megaleh Amukos.. Zecher Tzadik VKadosh Livracha. Zechusoi Yagen Aleinu.Amen.

RAV LIEBER HAGADOL Z"L

Courtesy: David Hoffman

The Founder of Berditchev
Born:5427-(1667) - Died:5531- (1771)
Rav Lieber HaGadol had a unique way of combining his "Avodas Hashem" with an incalculable love of every Jew. At night, when he wandered around the giant forests surrounding Berditchev in order to learn, daven and ponder over Hashem's wonders, he simultaneously kept a sharp lookout for any sheep and cattle that may have strayed away from their owners during the day. At the end of the night, he would drive the animals before him back to Berditchev, pausing beneath people's windows to call out, "Here is your goat!" "Here is your cow!"
Although he had never been an official talmid of the Baal Shem Tov, Rav Lieber, the founder of the Berditchev kehillah, sowed seeds of Chassidus in his town that exploded into full bloom during the years of Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev.

THE BEGINNINGS OF BERDITCHEV
It is not surprising that Rav Lieber became one of the greatest Ukrainian "gedolim" of his time as he was the great-great-grandson of two renowned giants, Rav Shimshon of Ostropol and Rav Nasan Shapiro, author of the Megalleh Amukos. This is why Rav Lieber instructed in his will that no descendants of his should ever marry kohanim. He had received this warning from his ancestor, Rav Shimshon of Ostropol who explained that because his family was descended from Dovid HaMelech, combining kehunah with malchus could lead to the family's destruction.
Rav Lieber's father, Rav Avraham, had fled from Krakow to Bistritch in the Ukraine, probably during the Swedish invasion of Poland (5415/1655-5418/1658) when thousands of Jews from Krakow, Kalish, Piotrikov, Poznan and Lublin were slaughtered by Swedes, Poles and the plague. Some historians estimate that about half a million Polish Jews died during these few years. Although most of the Polish Jews returned home afterwards to patch up their lives, many others, including Rav Avraham fled to other countries to make a new start. After all, do not Chazal (see Rosh Hashanah 16b) state, "Shinui makom shinui mazal," "Changing one's place can improve one's mazal?"
Sadly, Rav Avraham's mazal did not seem to have improved since he died while still a young man but he left his young son, Rav Lieber, ten thousand gold coins. Rav Lieber immersed himself so deeply in Torah, it is said, that every night, his famous ancestors descended from the heavens to teach him the secrets of Kabalah.
In those days, Berditchev barely existed. Although first founded in about 5190/1430, reputedly by someone named Berdich, it had been destroyed by the Tartars and then only a handful of Jews lived in its vicinity. Most of Berditchev was still thick, untouched forest.
Something about the wild, unpopulated area attracted Rav Lieber like a magnet and he felt certain that there was something unique about the place. After his father's passing, he would cross the river every morning and evening and stroll among its ancient trees, reveling in the opportunity to be alone with Hashem without disturbances. He maintained this custom for months and years.
One morning, the ducal owner of Bistritch and its environs was traveling in the forest in his coach when his horses suddenly halted and reared upwards, almost throwing the duke out of his carriage. They had been startled by Rav Lieber, who was standing in the forest track in his tallis and tefillin, totally unaware of the coach that had almost run him down. Using every ounce of his strength, the duke's Ukrainian coachman somehow got the horses under control.
Then the infuriated duke ordered his tough coachman to give the insolent Jew a whipping he would not forget. The coachman did not need to be told twice; his whip sang through the air biting into Rav Lieber's clothes and flesh. However, Rav Lieber was so engrossed in his davening that he did not notice a thing.
"What's going on?" the coachman asked his master. "What should I do? No matter how much I beat this person, it makes no impression. He isn't a human being!"
"Leave him alone!" the duke said in disgust. "Let's go."
Back home, the duke leapt from the carriage and strode confidently into his luxurious mansion; suddenly his legs and arms went limp and he collapsed onto the floor.
"Help, help!" he cried out.
The servants who ran in from every direction could not do anything except carry him to his room and put him in bed. There he lay helpless as a newborn, and his doctor declared that his condition was hopeless. Help came from an unexpected quarter. Like most Ukrainian land-owners, the duke had a Jewish arender (estate manager). When he heard what happened, his face turned white.
"Do you know who the person the duke beat up must have been?" he asked the servants. "Obviously our great maggid who crosses the river to pray every day! I am certain the duke will never recover from his paralysis until he begs him for forgiveness!"
The duke immediately sent his doctor to help Rav Lieber recover from his beating and to bear a message begging his forgiveness. This was a golden opportunity for Rav Lieber to fulfill a long-time dream.
"I will forgive the duke if he builds a large shul at the place I was praying and a house next door in which to live," Rav Lieber told the doctor.
The duke hurriedly built the shul and the house and, after his recovery, he visited Rav Lieber and asked if there was anything else he wanted.
"Yes," he replied. "I would like you to build a town next to the shul."
This is how the Berditchev kehillah was founded in about 5451/1691.

A SPECIAL PLACE
It is not surprising that the mere mention of Berditchev's name evokes spiritual longings in Jewish hearts, as Rav Lieber used to say that the shul he built was sited opposite the gateway to Heaven where the prayers of Klal Yisroel stream skywards. This is one reason Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev established his kloiz and home right next door to the old, original shul of Berditchev when he moved there after Rav Lieber's passing.
In addition, Rav Lieber built a beis medrash next to his shul where he taught revealed and hidden Torah to talmidim. Once the Berditchev kehillah began thriving, Rav Lieber served as its maggid. Despite his deep Torah knowledge, he always bowed to the authority of the Berditchev av beis din, Rav Yosef Halperin, known as Rav Yosef Charif because of his sharp mind; the only time he paskened shaylos was when Rav Yosef was unavailable.
On one such occasion, a butcher came to Rav Lieber with an animal's problematical lung.
"This lung seems to have a sircha (lesion)," the butcher told him. "Does this make it treif?"
"Certainly!" replied Rav Lieber who was generally machmir (stringent) when it came to sirchos. "This animal is absolutely forbidden!"
At that very moment, Rav Yosef entered and Rav Lieber asked his opinion about the sircha.
"I say that is kosher!" the rav replied.
"Oy vey!" cried out Rav Lieber. "My apologies to you Reb Yid (the butcher) for almost causing you a great loss, and my apologies to you, lung, for ruling that you are treif!"
If Rav Lieber had such love and consideration even for an inanimate lung, imagine the feeling he had for Klal Yisroel! The depth of his love for every Jew was indescribable. In his home, he always had a special room ready with twelve beds for any tired and hungry wayfarers who might pass by, and he treated his simplest guests like honored personages.
There is a story told that this great hospitality almost led to tragedy when Rav Lieber once remarked to his sons, "In the Next World, I will not be embarrassed of my hachnosses orchim even before Avrohom Avinu!"
As this tiny shred of pride was unfitting for his lofty level, it was decreed on high that he should not live out the year. When Eliyahu HaNavi heard of this impending tragedy, he rushed before the Heavenly beis din and fervently pled in Rav Lieber's defense. How could such a tremendous tzaddik be condemned to perish for making a miniscule error?
The court ordered that Eliyahu HaNavi should come down in the form of a ragged, filthy pauper and test Rav Lieber. If Rav Lieber received him pleasantly and gave him every honor, the decree would be revoked. Of course, Eliyahu's duty was to make this trial as difficult as possible.
Eliyahu HaNavi arrived at Rav Lieber's home moments before Shabbos just as Rav Lieber was about to set off to shul. Physically, he seemed the most repulsive looking person Rav Lieber had met in his life.
"I'm hungry!" the stranger slurred. "Give me something to eat!"
"But it is time to go to shul," advised Rav Lieber.
"I need food now!" retorted the pauper.
Rav Lieber immediately brought him a generous plateful of food. However, the poor man's stomach was a bottomless pit and as fast as Rav Lieber rushed in food from the kitchen, the stranger gluttonously gobbled it down. In one sitting, down went the challah, fish, soup and chicken of Shabbos night, down went the cholent and kugel of Shabbos morning, and down went the fish of shalosh seudos.
"Let us go and daven," suggested Rav Lieber when the stranger was temporarily sated.
"You go yourself," said the visitor. "I want to sleep now – in your bed."
Clambering in Rav Lieber's bed with filthy clothes and muddy boots, the stranger fell into a stupor but not for long. By the time Rav Lieber returned from shul, he was already up like a new man with a new appetite, ready once more to eat his host out of house and home. The same thing happened on Shabbos morning. With no food left in his house, Rav Lieber brought in food from relatives and neighbors.
The guest's coarse behavior all this while was beyond description.
After Havdalah, Eliyahu HaNavi revealed his true identity to Rav Lieber and told him, "Because of your momentary pride, the Heavenly court condemned you to death. I came down to save your life, and because you did not get angry once this Shabbos, your sentence has been transmuted to a year of exile. You may not spend two nights in the same town except on Shabbos and Yom Tov. Set out now!"
The following morning, Rav Lieber instructed a tailor to sew him a suit of coarse traveling garments and took a wagon to Brod, intending to go from there to Austria where no one knew him. He arrived in Brod on Erev Shabbos, made his way to the local Jew in charge of giving people a place to stay and was assigned to spend Shabbos with the uncouth Jew in charge of the beis kevaros.
After enduring a terrible Shabbos night, Rav Lieber went to the local shul that was headed by Rav Ephraim, a son of Rav Tzvi Hirsh Ashkenazi (the Chacham Tzvi) and a brother of Rav Yaakov Emden. During davening, Rav Ephraim noticed Rav Lieber crouching near to the oven and recognized him immediately.
"With my authority as rav of this town," he commanded him, "I hereby order you to sit in the mizrach (the most honorable location)."
After calling him up for shlishi during Kerias HaTorah, Rav Ephraim took Rav Lieber home and honored him like a king. However, Rav Lieber felt as if he was sitting on shpilkes (pins and needles). Is this how he was supposed to be spending his galus?
"Please hurry and bentch," he implored his host at shalosh seudos. "I have to leave Brod immediately.
"What is the hurry?" inquired Rav Efraim.
"I am in galus and cannot stay in one place for more than one night!" he replied.
Suddenly Eliyahu HaNavi appeared with good tidings.
"Yom leshanah!" he told Rav Lieber. "Your one day of galus has been counted as a full year and you are free to go home whenever you wish."
Rav Ephraim was overjoyed to have the privilege of hiring an elegant coach and sending his distinguished guest back to Berditchev.

WITH THE BAAL SHEM TOV
Whenever the Baal Shem Tov visited Berditchev during his travels throughout Poland and the Ukraine, he always insisted on staying at Rav Lieber's.
"Rav Lieber is unique!" he used to say. "While there are a number of Tzaddikim who merit Gilui Eliyahu, by Rav Lieber it is the opposite – Eliyahu merits the Gilui of Rav Lieber!"
Rav Lieber's wife passed away in his old age, and one of his young nieces agreed to marry him on condition that she be blessed with righteous offspring; they named their son Yaakov.
None of Rav Lieber's descendants achieved his fame and renown. This is because Rav Lieber was once asked by Heaven what he preferred – to have sons and grandsons whose fame would spread far and wide, or to contribute a portion of his merit to speed the Moshiach's arrival and Rav Lieber chose the second option. Thus even though this son, Rav Yankele, became the son-in-law of Rav Yechiel of Mikolaiv, one of the Baal Shem Tov's great talmidim, he never achieved his father's immortal fame.
Although Rav Lieber always revered the Baal Shem Tov, he never became his talmid or followed his path of Chassidus. His awe of the Baal Shem Tov increased dramatically after the Baal Shem Tov's passing when the Megalleh Amukos, who appeared every night to study with Rav Lieber, suddenly stopped coming. Concerned, Rav Lieber sent his older son, Rav Yechiel, to the Megalleh Amukos' grave in Krakow to inquire what happened.
"Since the Baal Shem Tov's passing, the yeshivah shel ma'alah has closed down for thirty days," the Megalleh Amukos told him." "It is from there that I get the Torah I study with your father."
Rav Lieber then drew closer to Chassidus, mentioning its wisdom in his Shabbos drashos each Shabbos. Through these teachings, the Jews of Berditchev became receptive to its ideas when talmidim of the Baal Shem Tov, including Rav Leib Sarahs and Rav Yaakov Yosef of Polonoye, began passing through, and by the time Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev arrived in 5545/1785, it was easy for him to create a major Chassidic metropolis. By then, Berditchev had a thriving kehillah of about 2,000 Jews who comprised seventy-five percent of the town's population.
The kehillah reached its highpoint in 5621/1861 when its 46,683 strong community was the second largest in the Russian Empire and the only major town of the empire with a Jewish majority.
Rav Lieber enjoyed an extremely long life, passing away in 5531/1770, aged 104, during a violent plague which was killing so many that survivors were afraid to bury them according to halacha and interred them in mass graves.
"Great destruction has been decreed on the community," declared Rav Lieber. "I hereby accept death upon myself instead!"
Calling four people to him, he promised them a place in Olam Haba if they would perform all the customs of interment on him and bury him properly instead of throwing him into a mass grave. He then passed away and the plague abruptly ceased.
May Rav Lieber's memory be a blessing.

Zecher Tzadik VKadosh Livracha. Zechusoi Yagen Aleinu.

Zecher Tzadikim U'Kadoshim Livracha Zchusom Yagein Aleinu V'al Kul Yisrael. Amen!!!

May the Light of the Holy Tzaddikim Grow And Grow Until The Dawn Of Day. Amen.

Elie Wiesel "Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, the Hasidic Protest"

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 20:52:00 +0000

Elie Wiesel "Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, the Hasidic Protest" Part 1

http://ia601501.us.archive.org/11/items/ElieWieselleviYitzchokOfBerditchevTheHasidicProtestPart1april_183/160aElieWiesel.mp3

Elie Wiesel "Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, the Hasidic Protest" Part 2

http://ia601500.us.archive.org/32/items/ElieWieselleviYitzchokOfBerditchevTheHasidicProtestPart2april/160bElieWiesel.mp3

Yorzeit of Rav Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev author of the Kedushas Levi

tal.zwecker@gmail.com (Rabbi Tal Moshe Zwecker) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:21:00 +0000

Today the 25th of Tishrei is the Yahrzeit of the Berditchever Rav, Levi Yitzchak Derbarmdigger author of the Kedushas Levi ZY"A

From the upcoming MeOros Kedushas Levi

The Passing of the Berditchever

When Rav Yitzchak of Neschiz married the Berditchever's granddaughter, the Berditchever said that under no circumstances could he promise to support the young couple for more than four years. This was quite a surprise to all, since it was customary to support a young couple for longer. It was only when the four-year period was over that everything became clear. At that time, Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev passed away.¹

Not long before the Berditchever's passing, a wealthy Jew living in Berditchev was involved in a dispute with Rav Levi Yitzchak. This wealthy man had invited the Rav Yechiel Michel of Rachov (another tradition says that he was from Morchov) to serve as a rav in Berditchev. When the Rachover arrived, the townspeople were certain he and Rav Levi Yitzchak, who currently served as rav in official capacity, would clash in a difference of opinion.

It seemed that things might come to a head at a bris to which both rabbis had been invited. Since the Berditchever had decreed that all circumcisions were to be conducted in the shul to honor Eliyahu HaNavi, they brought the baby there for the bris. The shamash misunderstood his instructions and instead of inviting just one of the rabbis to the bris, he invited both of them, the Rachover and the Berditchever, to the Bris.

Both rabbis lived close to the shul, one to the right of the building and one to the left, and both set out for the bris at about the same time and ended up arriving simultaneously in front of the shul. This was their first meeting face to face in Berditchev, and each stood at the doorway, waiting to allow the other to enter first. They stood there in silence for some time until finally one of the guests came out and said, "Let the Berditchever go in first since he was the rabbi here before," and so the Berdicthever entered the shul first.

After the bris, the two rabbis parted ways, but it was clear from this incident that the Berditchever respected the Rachover as a great individual. Theirs was a relationship where reproof was out in the open while their precious friendship was kept hidden from the public eye. Nonetheless, the local populace knew of their affection for each other.

When the Berditchever grew ill and bedridden, the Rachover also took ill. The Berditchever passed away that night, and the funeral was scheduled for the next day. That morning the Rachover called over his son Rav Asher and chastised him for concealing the news that the Berditchever had passed away. "Why didn't anyone tell me that the rav has passed away?" he said. "In any case, I knew it in my own way."

They admitted to him that indeed the Berditchever had left this world. The Rachover asked his son to tell Rav Yisrael of Pikov, the Berditchever's son, that when they carried the bier the funeral procession should pass by his home since he had urgent matters to tell the Berditchever. His son promised, and when the funeral procession passed by, he descended from his sickbed and approached the Berditchever's bier. He whispered into Rav Levi Yitzchak ear, speaking at length. None of what he said was audible to anyone except for the last words he spoke, a quote from a verse: "Count for yourself seven weeks" (Devarim 16:9). Seven weeks to the day that the Berditchever passed away the Rachover rav left this world as well.³

There is a tradition from the Maggid of Petriva and Rav Yisrael of Vizhnitz that Rav Levi Yitzchak passed away right after Sukkos. They related that the Berditchever grew weak after Yom Kippur, and his condition was life-threatening. He prayed that he might live a little longer so that he would merit to fulfill the mitzvah of waving the four species, which he yearned and waited for all year long. His prayers were answered and he lived until Isru Chag (the day after Sukkos). He passed away on the night of the twenty-fifth of Tishrei.⁴

When news spread of his passing, one of the chassidim of Rav Baruch of Mezibuzh rushed to tell his Rebbe the news of the Berditchever's passing. Rav Baruch was known to criticize Rav Levi Yitzchak's ways, and the chassid thought he was bringing "good" news. Instead, Rav Baruch practically fainted and began to cry and wail in distress.

He admonished the harbinger of such terrible news. "Don't think that when I spoke against Rav Levi Yitzchak I did so in order to diminish his stature or blemish his honor! Rav Levi Yitzchak rose to the loftiest levels, to the highest spiritual realms above that of even the ministering angels, and I was afraid they would harm him in their jealousy. Therefore I used trickery and guile to hide my intentions and pretended to belittle and mock his holy ways to silence their jealous accusations."⁵

When Rebbe Nachman of Breslov talked about the passing of Rav Levi Yitzchak, he said, "Even the average individual should feel the loss of a Tzaddik such as Rav Levi Yitzchak. Everyone now feels that there is something lacking in the world. There is a depressed mood everywhere. One might feel it in his business, which no longer runs as smoothly as before. Another might feel it in his bones, which somehow seem displaced. If your eyes are truly open, you will see that world has become dark, for a great light has been extinguished in the world. A great candle's light has been snuffed out and the world has filled with a great darkness."⁶

"The Berditchever said before he passed away that when he arrived in the next world he would not rest nor give any other Tzaddik respite rest until he succeeded in bringing Mashiach." Thus spoke Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apta and Mezibuzh on the day he left this world. Before he passed away, the Apter Rav cried and wailed about our bitter exile. Why does Mashiach ben Yishai tarry so long? That is when he mentioned the Berditchever's promise. "However," he concluded, "when he ascended on high, they showed him such lofty spiritual levels and engaged him in such magnificent supernal chambers that he grew distracted that he forgot his mission.

"I, however, will not forget!"⁷

Notes:

1. Zichron Tov, Mei'Avodas Hashem 13, p. 16.

2. See the story in Vayeira entitled "In Honor of Eliyahu" above and the tradition of Rav Shalom Gutman of Yas that corroborates this ruling of Rav Levi Yitzchak.

3. Kisvei Rav Yoshe 32, p. 144; Eser Oros 3:40.

4. Toldos Kedushas Levi (Munkacz) 8:103; see also Sichos HaRan 196.

5. Toldos Kedushas Levi (Munkacz) 8:108; Eser Oros 3:22.

6. Toldos Kedushas Levi (Munkacz) 8:105; see also Sichos HaRan 196.

7. Otzar HaSippurim, vol. 18, p. 25.

From the upcoming MeOros Kedushas Levi on Channukah

Kedushah Shelishis

Why There Are Eight Days of Chanukah

The poskim ask,¹ why are there eight days of Chanukah if the miracle of the Menorah actually happened only on seven days?²

%%%[Since they had enough oil to last for one day, the first day that the Menorah was lit was not part of the miracle.]

It seems to me that the first day was instituted as a holiday to offer praise for the miracle of being saved from the hands of the Greeks, when Hashem "handed over the mighty into the hands of the weak, and the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and those who plotted against us into the hands of those who toil in Your Torah" (from the Al HaNissim prayer), and the other seven days were instituted to praise Him for the miracle [of the oil]. Thus the mitzvah of the first day is to commemorate the physical salvation and the victory of the royal house of Chashmonai. Then they found just one flask of oil, enough to light the Menorah [in the Beis HaMikdash] for one day, and a miracle occurred [and the lights lasted another seven days]. In other words, the Sages instituted days of praise and thanksgiving for two things: for the miracle of their salvation and for the miracle of the Menorah, as we just explained. And the praise of the first day is for the salvation and the other seven days for the miracle of the Menorah.

If the reason for instituting the first day as a holiday was to give praise for the salvation and not for the miracle of the Menorah, why do we light the menorah on the first day? Why did the Sages institute the candle lighting also on that day? It seems to me that the reason for this is because after seeing the miracle of the Menorah, they realized that it was the merit of lighting the Menorah that saved their lives. Their fulfillment of the mitzvah of the Menorah protected them. To commemorate this, they instituted the lighting of the Chanukah menorah on the first day, showing that a miracle was done for them and their lives were saved in the merit of the Menorah.

Also, this miracle occurred through the royal house of Chashmonai, who were kohanim and Levite leaders descended from Aharon, whose offering at chanukas haMizbei'ach, the inauguration of the Altar in the Mishkan, was the lighting of the Menorah, as the Midrash on parashas Beha'aloscha explains.³ This is also why they instituted the mitzvah to light the Chanukah lights on the first day — not to commemorate the miracle of the Menorah, but rather to commemorate the salvation, which occurred at the hands of Aharon's descendants.

It seems to me that the reason the lights of the Beis HaMikdash were so precious to Hashem that He performed a miracle through them, and the reason that in their merit the Jews were saved, is because candles are always used for holy purposes, even outside the Beis HaMikdash. We light candles on Shabbos, for example, and in shul, unlike the other offerings [which could be brought only in the Beis HaMikdash]. Since we continue to serve Hashem with candles even after the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, they are precious to HaKadosh Baruch Hu more than any other offerings. Even when the wicked kingdom of Greece came and interrupted the service in the Beis HaMikdash [and prevented Bnei Yisrael from lighting the Menorah], surely Bnei Yisrael still served Hashem with the Shabbos candles and lit candles in their houses of prayer, These Shabbos candles and the candles in shul went up before the Blessed Creator, the awakening that these mitzvos aroused brought about the Jews' salvation.

We can explain this with a parable. When a child does not see his father, he does not yearn to see him so much. But as soon as his father enters the courtyard, and the child can see him through the window but someone prevents him from going to him, their yearning for each other reach a peak, since they can see each other but are prevented from being together. Similarly, when the Greeks entered the Beis HaMikdash Courtyard, all the offerings and sacrifices ceased, but it was the candles of the Menorah [that Hashem missed the most]. Since the Jews still lit Shabbos candles and kindled the candles in the shuls — the only offerings that could be done outside the Temple — they rose and came before HaKadosh Baruch Hu's Throne of Glory, and since the wicked Greeks prevented us from lighting the candles [of the Menorah] that were part of a service performed inside the Beis HaMikdash, the offering of the candles [on Shabbos and in shul] intensely awakened divine mercy [because the other offerings were completely interrupted, like a father and son who are separated and cannot see each other, but there were still remnants of the service of the Menorah lighting, because there were still candles being lit outside the Beis HaMikdash, so this caused Hashem greater anguish, like a father and son who are separated yet can still see each other].

This is why the miracle happened through the candles and not through the other forms of service. Even though the Greeks had decreed against observing Shabbos,⁴ and they probably forbade lighting Shabbos candles as well, surely the Jews lit them in secret, just as they observed Shabbos itself in secret. Since these candles roused divine mercy and brought about the salvation, the miracle of Chanukah occurred with the candles.

Perhaps this is the meaning of the midrash on parashas Beha'aloscha that the Ramban cites:⁵ "Go say to Aharon, 'Your [offering] is greater than theirs [than the other tribal leaders who donated offerings for the inauguration of the Altar], because the offerings and sacrifices will continue only as long as the Beis HaMikdash stands, but your candles are forever." The Ramban comments:

But the candles of the Menorah are also not lit. Their service also ceased with the destruction of our Beis HaMikdash, due to our numerous sins! In my opinion, the mitzvah continues with Shabbos candles and the candles we light in shul, which have such sanctity when lit that it is forbidden to light other candles with their light.⁶

Furthermore, the Ramban writes that this midrash also hints at the Chanukah candles [that the candle lighting of the Temple continues on in the mitzvah of the Chanukah lighting as well]. Though in Moshe's time, this mitzvah did not yet exist, according to the Ramban, the entire Torah encompasses allusions for all generations [and not just the events described explicitly therein], as he explains with regard to the six days of Creation and the stories of the patriarchs. Study his holy opinion there at length.⁷ According to my explanation, when the Midrash says that the candles are forever, this refers to the candles that we light in shul and the Shabbos candles, which did exist in Moshe's time and would exist for eternity. Furthermore, I wrote that these two mitzvos, the Shabbos candles and the candles lit in shul, caused the miracle with the Menorah. The Ramban's opinion and my own weak opinion both lead to the same conclusion, that this is why the mitzvah of the Menorah was precious to Hashem more than the other forms of avodah, since it lived on even after the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash [through the mitzvos of the candles]. Thus in the merit of the Menorah the Jews were saved and a miracle was done for them [and therefore we commemorate this miracle on the first day of Chanukah as well].

Notes:

1. See Beis Yosef, Orach Chaim 670.

2. See Kedushas Levi, Derushim on Chanukah, s.v. "nireh," and s.v. "yadua," where Rav Levi Yitzchak gives alternate answers to this question.

3. Bamidbar Rabbah 15:3.

4. See Megillas Antiochus.

5. On the verse "Speak to Aharon and say to him, 'When you kindle the lamps…'" (Bamidbar 8:2).

6. It is forbidden to light other candles with the lights of the synagogue. See Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 154:14. As for the Shabbos candles, the Shulchan Aruch does permit lighting other candles from them (Orach Chaim 674:2). See, however, Mishnah Berurah (9) and Sha'ar HaTziyun (8) there, who forbid it.

7. See Ramban on Bereishis 2:3, 12:6, 26:1, 26:20, 32:4, 47:28.