Parshat Vayera: First things First how do we see the good in this?

In this week’s parsha God destroys the wicked city of Sdom. Before doing so however, God gives our forefather Avraham the opportunity to beseech Him to save Sdom’s inhabitants. The Sfas Emes makes the point that only in the case of Sdom does God try and act with Chesed (kindness) before enacting harsh judgment on the people of Sdom but in all situations when God is about to judge others harshly He always tries to see how he can act with Chesed towards others.

We are often quick to judge others for their faults and sometimes it may even be appropriate to rebuke others. However, we must, like God, always strive to look for the good.

May Moschiach come soon.

Good Shabbos, Shabbat Shalom, Gut Shabbes-Gidon Herschander. Yerushlayim Ir Hakodesh Marcheshvan,5776.

Go From Yourself thoughts on the Parsha, the current situation, and some words on Rebbetzin Machlis

 

Liluei Nishmat Rebbetzin Henny Machlis

In the beginning of this week’s parsha the story of our people begins when God commands our forefather Avraham to leave his homeland behind and go to “ the land which I will show you” (Bereisheit 12:1). Our sages teach (see Pirkei Avot 4:3) that Avraham was tested by God ten times and this was one of those tests (the first or second of his tests there is a disagreement between Rashi and Rambam). Many commentators (especially Chasidish ones such as the Nesivos Shalom) explain that just like Avraham we to are tested by God at different points in our lives. These tests are both similar to Avraham or just tests we face in general from day to day.

               According to many Chasidish commentators God telling Avraham Lech Lecha at the beginning of this week’s parsha can also symbolize not just Avraham leaving everything he has behind but a message to us  go away from yourself or to improve yourself.

               It is this deeper meaning of Lech Lecha which I feel is the one we should concentrate on during the times we are in and how we should approach the current situation in Israel. How should we put this into action? I feel it is best to concentrate our efforts on going beyond oneself by doing Chesed (acts of kindness for those around us). Not only is acting with kindness and love the act opposite of the stabbing and pain our enemies our causing our holy people but also Chesed is the main midda (or character trait) of Avraham Avinu.

               Additionally, last Friday shortly before Shabbat, Rebbetzin Henny Machlis Z’’TL left this world. It was her, along with her husband that would have 100’s of guests over in their tiny apartment in Yerushalayim from all different parts of the Jewish world and even non-Jews every Shabbat (see http://www.aish.com/sp/so/Henny-Machlis-A-Truly-Great-Jewish-Woman.html just to get a better idea about how incredible this Tzaddeket was). It would therefore, each according to their own ability, be a beautiful thing to work to improve the chesed we show towards others in her memory.

               There are many ways which we can show more chesed towards others. These acts of Chesed can be more directly related to the current situation (e.g. Davening for one of those recovering from being attacked), saying Tehillim for others, inviting guests for Shabbat if we don’t do so as regularly etc. May the Chesed we demonstrate strengthen ourselves and the entire Jewish people, may we go into a Shabbat of literal Shalom for all Jews in Israel and the world over and may we usher in the era of the Moschiach and the final redemption.

Good Shabbos, Shabbat Shalom, Gut Shabbes-Gidon Herschander Mar Cheshvan,5776 Yerushalayim Ir Hakodesh (the holy city of Jerusalem)!

Beyond the Call of Duty: Thoughts on Parshat Noach and the current situation

Lileui Nishmat  my dear Rav, Rav Binyamin Bein Yitzchak Yehuda whose Yahrtzeit was Rosh Chodesh Mar Cheshvan, Mar Cheshvan 1 this past Wednesday

            In his weekly parsha blog, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks quotes an interesting D’var Torah he once heard from his Rav, Rav Dr. Nahum Rabinovich Shlitta current Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Birkat Moshe in Maalei Adumim, Israel on this week’s parsha. In the D’var Torah Rav Rabinovich quotes a Midrash from Buber’s Tanchuma (also known as the Midrash Yelamdenu). Commenting on the verse in the parsha, “ Then God said to Noah, ‘Come out of the ark’ (Gen. 8:16), ” the Midrash makes the observation that God only told Noach to leave the ark after Noach  first thinks to himself, “ since I only entered the ark with permission (from God), shall I leave without permission? The Midrash then adds that, however, according to Rabbi Yehuda Bar Ilai, If he (Rabbi Yehuda) would had been in Noach’s situation he would have smashed down the doors of the ark before being granted permission ( see http://www.rabbisacks.org/the-courage-to-live-with-uncertainty/#_ftn1).

            Based on this Midrash Rav Rabinovich then teaches a very valuable lesson. That when the world around us  is in a “ flood” state of wreckage we shouldn’t just wait for God’s permission to heal a fractured world but act even before being asked to do so. In general I feel this is an important life lesson. To paraphrase the words of Hillel to be a man in a place where there are none (Paraphrase Pirkei Avot 2:5) to go above the call of duty.

            Unfortunately our people are currently a tremendous time of tragedy and sorrow once again. One only needs to open the newspaper (or read it online) to see the many stabbings and attacked which have occurred to our holy brothers and sisters in our holy land. Currently the army and police have done their job by working tremendously hard to fight against our enemies and protect our people.  However, it is up to all of us even those of us not in the police or army positions in Israel and the diaspora to do our parts to take the initiative to respond to the recent attacks.

            Some responses which  I have seen so  far include learning around the clock a project spearheaded both by my yeshiva in Israel Yeshivat Torat Shraga and my Alma Mater Yeshiva University in New York. I have also seen countless posts via Facebook from fellow Jews in both Israel and abroad which depict what is really going on in Israel right now despite the biased anti-Israel rhetoric which others maybe spreading using social media.

            There is another area however, which thank God I have also seen strengthened during this time which I feel is especially important for strive to improve at and that is increasing or acts of Chesed  (kindness) towards our fellow Jews which has tremendous power to rebuild worlds. Someone pointed out to me this week that the same shoresh or root of the word neshek (small gun) is the same as that of neshika (kiss). Therefore, it is especially important that we go out of our way to take time to do acts of kindness for our fellow Jews or other acts where we think of them before ourselves more so than usual. Whether that be davening for specific people injured in the attacks to be healed or learning in memory of those loss or even extending or even things as small as clearing our place when eating out at a restaurant so the waiter’s and manager’s job there is a little bit easier.

            May we merit to not be passive but active in helping our people get through the current situation despite the current situation and may HASHEM bring us to a time where all the Jewish people are united in peace and tranquility in our holy land of Eretz Yisrael with the coming of the Moschiach and the final redemption may it be speedily in our days.

Good Shabbos, Shabbat Shalom, Gut Shabbos- Gidon Herschander. Yerushalayim Ir Hakodesh 3 Mar Cheshvan,5776.

Vezot Habracha/Haazinu: When We Stand Together

Liluei Nishmat Rav Eitam And Naama Henkin as well as the other recent victims of terroist attacks in Israel H’’yd

Tomorrow in Israel (or Tuesday in the diaspora) we will be reading the last parsha in the Torah Vezot Habracha. The parsha details Moshe blessing the Jewish people before he is about to die as well as the details leading up to his death and burial. Before the Torah details Moshe’s blessing’s to the Jewish people the Torah describes how GOD is king with the Jewish people when the tribes of Bnei Yisrael are united together (paraphrase of 33:5). Rashi makes note of the fact that it is specifically when we, the Jewish people, are united and not when we quarrel with one another that GOD’s presence is strongest amongst us.

               It is essential for us, to view the recent terror attacks that have faced our people in the past few days as not only something to  mourn and condemn as atrocious murders of several of our brothers and sister H’’yd  but we also must fight against these atrocities in another way. We must remember the message of Racheli Frankel mother of Naphtali Frankel Z’’TL H’’yd, who was brutally murdered at the beginning of last summer’s war along with his friends Eyal and Gilad, and fight against this tragedy by uniting the Jewish people together and forget about the differences amongst us.

               One great way for us to unite all of the Jews together is through the Torah which we conclude and restart anew on Simchat Torah. We must remember that all Jews have a share in Torah and have the ability to access it.

May we celebrate the wonderful gift of the Torah over Simchat Torah which we all share as well as all the things that unite us together as Jews not only in the sad times but in joyous times as well.

Chag Sameach-Gidon Herschander, Yerushalayim Ir Hakodesh, 5776