Acharei

I hope everybody had a good Pesach.  Thankfully, ours was probably the best we’ve had.  Everybody behaved well, the weather was wonderful, we took day trips to interesting places, and we actually had good, old-fashioned, “family time.”  We travelled from the Mediterranean to the Kinneret, and hiked in the hills of the Upper Galilee.  Every trip we took turned out to have a spiritual component and a "fun" component.  All in all, it was busy and relaxing at the same time.  Nothing like Eretz Yisroel in the spring!

“No one else shall be in the Communion Tent from the time that [Aaron] enters the sanctuary to make atonement until he leaves” (Vayikra 16:17). 

Every Shabbos night, after coming home from shul, we gather around the table and sing Shalom Aleichim to the two angels that escort us back.  We sing “Shalom Aleichim” (Peace upon you…), “Boachem L’Shalom” (Come in peace), “Barachuni L’Shalom” (Bless me in peace), and end off with “Tzeitzchem L’Shalom” (Leave in peace).  It’s a bit strange.  Welcome, come in, bless me, okay...now leave.  Would we not want them to stay with us?  Why are we asking them to leave?

Rav Shimshon Pincus explains that on Yom Kippur, only the Kohen Gadol is allowed to be in the Holy of Holies with Hashem.  No other being is allowed in, not even spiritual beings.  It is a time of extreme closeness between the Kohen Gadol, representing the Jewish people, and Hashem Himself.

So too with Shabbos, which is a time designated to be between us and Hashem.  We welcome the angels, we ask for their brachos, but then we say, “Listen…it’s nice to have you around and all, but now is Shabbos, and this time is a special time between only Hashem and ourselves.  So, we’ll see you after Shabbos.

This gives us an interesting insight to the uniqueness of Shabbos.  It isn’t simply a “day of rest," but it is a day where we focus on our relationship with Hashem, without letting other issues get in the way.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

My apologies for last week.  Right after Pesach and Sukkos, we have a few days where the kids are back to school and I’m still off from kollel.  They are called the “Days Of Accomplishment.”  My wife and I rented a car for two days and did a lot of shopping and purchases that were put on the back burner and needed to get done.  We also had a lot of fun (car + wife – children = fun).  On the first day, we were running early from our tasks.  Since my daughter was picking up all the kids and bringing them home, we decided to take a detour and check out a certain nature park to see if it’s something to bring the children to in the summer (via one of the Arab buses).  In order to get there, you have to drive through a Druze village.  For those who are unfamiliar with the Druzim, they have excellent land, with beautiful views, and their two-way streets are the size of one-way lanes, without any street signs.  And of course, they have no problem driving their trucks through there at Warp Eight, coming only 5 microns from your car.  The next day, we made it a point to take a little vacation ourselves.  We left early, drove to Tzfas, hiked down the valley to a water stream, had breakfast, climbed back up, drove an elderly couple we saw into Tzfas, went to Meron to a natural food store, drove to another store, ordered a closet for the girls, and came home on time to pick up the kids.  The joy of living up north, is that you can do that.

Okay, on to Torah!

“And there shall be no man in the Tent of Meeting when He (the Kohen Gadol) goes in to make atonement in the Sacred Place” (Vayikra 16:17).

When the Kohen Gadol performed the Yom Kippur service, he, and he alone, was allowed to enter the Kadosh HaKedoshim (the Holy of Holies).  Being human, it’s possible that the Kohen Gadol might become haughty from his lofty status.  Therefore, writes the Degel Machane Ephraim, the Torah gives him a suggestion, “There shall be no man,” that is he should view himself as completely alone, as if there are no other human beings in the world.

This idea is not just for the Kohen Gadol, but also for each of us to counter any haughty feelings that we might have, whether on a daily basis or on occasion when we receive some honor.  Our haughty feelings come from the fact that we are viewing ourselves above everybody else, or at least above certain other people.  By picturing oneself as alone in the world when we receive such honors, we will be able to mentally lessen, if not remove completely, such attitudes from our system.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

Michael Winner

I hope everybody enjoyed their Pesach. Ours was relatively enjoyable. In Israel, the "in-between" days of Pesach and Sukkos are very family oriented. Everybody goes to their families for different meals or has their families come to them. So, it gets hard when you have kids and they have nowhere to go and nobody visiting them. Thankfully, we received two invitations from good friends in the same neighborhood in Yerushaliyim to visit, so we took a quick 24-hour (no shopping!) trip, where we just relaxed and enjoyed “the family.”

For the last day of Pesach, we received an invitation from our neighbor to join them for a meal. Their kids were trying to tell jokes that they knew that were based on English words that also have meanings in Hebrew. However, I didn’t catch half of them, since they were not using the English properly. At one point, my 5-year-old was bothering their 15-year-old and I didn’t see what was going on. He turned to me and asked me how to say “Oaf” in English (why he wanted English, I have no idea). So, I told him “chicken.” He turned around and said to her, “Chicken! Chicken!” I started to get confused, so the father, with food in his mouth, and who knows some words in English, said, “KOAF!” Still confused, I said “monkey” (Koaf in Hebrew), so the 15-year-old turned to her and said, “Monkey! Monkey!” I finally asked him what he was trying to say to her. He explained that he wanted her to go away and wanted to know how to say “L’Oaf” (to fly away) in English. Ahhh . . . that clarifies everything! I then told him how to say “Go away.” and all parties were happy.

Okay, on to Torah!
“He (the Kohen Gadol) shall take the two goats and stand them before Hashem, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting” (Vayikra 16:7)

One of the more well-known parts of the Yom Kippur service is where two goats, who looked identical to each other, were brought before the Kohen Gadol. Two identical lots were brought before him, and he would pick one up in each hand. Depending on which lot came out on which goat, one goat would be offered in the Beis HaMikdash as an offering, and the other would “carry the sins of the nation” and be taken to the desert to be killed.

I saw something in Lekutei Halachos and I want to add my own spin to it.

The Kohen Gadol represents the tzaddik, the righteous person. He does not decide which goat is offered in the Beis HaMikdash and which is killed in the desert. Hashem does, but does it via the Kohen Gadol who serves as a messenger of sorts.

One of the goats represents “truth” and the other represents “falsity.” Like the goats themselves, many times truth and falsity look exactly alike. Sometimes, because of the situation itself that a person is in, it’s not easy to discern the difference between the two. Many times, it’s because one’s yetzer horah deceives a person so much that he cannot see the difference between truth and falsity.

Therefore, when one is confronted with an issue where he cannot make out the difference between truth and falsity, he needs to go to the tzaddik. That tzaddik, being a messenger of Hashem, will help that person discern what is true and what is false. With a clearer picture at hand, that person is now able to make a proper and educated decision.

With that, I wish you a wonderful Shabbos!

Michael Winner

I’ve found one of the keys to a successful Shabbos is to have an activity that all enjoy. When my mother-in-law last came, she bought a deck of Uno, which has become the officially family Shabbos game. The kids know that if they let my wife and me take a nap while they behave nicely, we’ll have a Brachos Party and Uno game.

What’s best is how involved and serious they get. The “Take Two,” “Take Four," “Skip,” and “Reverse Cards” are all called “Tzarot” (“tzar”=pain), and they take extra joy in when they put those cards down against each other. The most amazing part is our four-year-old daughter, who spends half the game in space and has no tactics, will end up winning half the time.

Somebody once asked a rav of mine if after Shabbos he should take his son to the beis medresh to learn with him. He responded, “You know . . . some of the best times I’ve had with my kids was after Shabbos, eating ice cream and playing board games with them.”

On Shabbos, we need to take care of ourselves spiritually, and often that is forgotten. However, when it comes to children, it’s important that they have the physical fun as well (as long as it does not take away the spirit of Shabbos, of course).

Okay, on to Torah!
“They are sacred vestments” (Vayikra 16:4)

I saw a wonderful story in Aleinu L’Shabeich last Shabbos.

A famous outreach professional here in Israel used to work for a certain company. The way he dressed and conducted himself on a daily basis earned him the respect of all his co-workers. Once, the company hired a new worker, a woman who did not dress modestly. After introducing himself, he asked in a polite and gentle way if she can dress more appropriately. Not knowing that she was speaking to such a highly-regarded person in the company, she replied, “What is this? Russia! I will not allow democracy to be trampled in this company!”

He didn’t respond and continued on as if nothing happened.

The next morning, before leaving his home, he soaked a second pair of clothes in vinegar and put them in a bag. When he arrived at the office, he put on the second pair of clothes and walked into the room where this woman worked. Noticing the smell she yelled, “Are you out of your mind? What kind of clothes are you wearing?”

The man replied with one word: “Democracy.”

She understood the lesson and dressed modestly the next day.

People don’t understand that one can easily be offended or disgusted with the eyes just as easily as with the nose. I’ve heard women complain against the idea of modesty with, “Well, that’s HIS problem if he doesn’t like how I dress,” yet will have no problem saying, “It’s MY problem the way he smells.”

Even the way we dress will have an effect on other people. If we dress inappropriately, then don’t be surprised when people look and treat you inappropriately. However, if we dress (and act) in a proper manner, people are more likely willing to treat us with the respect due.

Have a great Shabbos!

Michael Winner

“And Aaron shall come into the Tent of Meeting” (Vayikra 16:23)

Rashi explains that Aaron, after performing his service, would go back into the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting) and retrieve the spoon which he left inside from burning the incense.

The Baal Shem Tov says that from here we see that when a person cleans up the table after serving a Torah Scholar food, that is as part of the mitzvah as much as actually serving him the food.

So too with hachnasos orchim, having guests who are in need of food and/or shelter. Not only is it a mitzvah to serve them food, but it is equally a mitzvah to clean up after them.

Traditionally, Rav Yaakov Kanievsky, otherwise known as the Steipler Gaon, would receive that last aliyah on Simchas Torah. As is custom, he would then host a kiddush held at his house. After the kiddush, the Steipler Gaon, one of the leading rabbis of his generation, would put on an apron and spend the next few hours washing every dish and cleaning every table. “Just because I make a simcha, it doesn’t mean that the household has to suffer”. After cleaning up, he would stay up the entire night to learn to make up for the lost time.

I hope whoever does the dishes in everybody’s home gains extra insight into their holy work 

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

Last week, I was in heaven.

For the first time in years, I ate corned beef.

It’s possible to get it, but only in the center of town, and I don’t have time to go there. However, our local store started carrying some of that butcher’s meat, and I was happy to oblige. On top of that, I ordered some home-made chopped liver that a former Chicagoan makes for every Shabbos. I strip of corned beef rolled up with some chopped liver and a drop of techina… ah!

And what was the price? A “conversation” with my wife about the importance of me eating healthy.

It was worth it.

Okay, on to Torah…
"And Aharon shall come into the Tent of Meeting" (Vayikra 16 23)

Rashi explains that Aharon went this time into the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting) to remove the spoon and the censor that was used in the Yom Kippur service.

The Baal Shem Tov uses this as proof that then someone serves food to a Torah scholar, after the food is already eaten, the actual removal and cleaning of the dishes is part of the mitzvah.

This is a VERY important lesson for my wife to learn, since on Shabbos, I'm the one always doing this part of the mitzvah (and loving it too).

For many years the Steipler Gaon would sponsor kiddush in his home on Simchas Torah. After the holiday was over, he would put on an apron and clean the dishes. He believed that there is no need for the household to suffer when he makes a kiddush. And of course, he would spend the rest of the night, until the morning, learning to make up for time.

So, next time you and your spouse are "discussing" who's going to do the dishes this Shabbos. You now have more reason to want this mitzvah.

If there is one sefer in the world you need to go out and buy today, it's Rav Shimshon Pincus' sefer called "Nefesh Shimshon on Shabbos Kodesh". If you want to understand, appreciate, and use Shabbos appropriately, you MUST go out and buy it now. Before it was only available in Hebrew, but now it's in English as well. I cannot say enough praise for this sefer to do justice.

Instead, I'll paraphrase a very nice thought that Rav Pincus said that is connected with this week's parsha.

When we come home Shabbos night, we sing Shalom Aleichim. In the song, we welcome the angels who walked us home from shul, we invite them in, we ask for their bracha, and we then ask them to leave. The famous question arises, why do we ask them to leave?

The Chofetz Chaim answers. When Yaakov saw angels ascending the ladder in his dream, those were the angels of Eretz Yisroel leaving him. Similarly, the angels descending the ladder were the angels for outside of Eretz Yisroel, and they were going to continue to escort him out. So too on Shabbos, we invite the angels of Shabbos in our homes, and we escort the angels of the week out.

Rav Pincus offers another explanation. In previous chapters, Rav Pincus draws parallels between Shabbos and the Beis HaMikdash. When the Cohen Gadol would enter the Kadosh HaKedoshim on Yom Kippur, it was him and him alone.

"And no man shall be in the Ohel Moed when he enters to atone in the holy place, until he exits." (Vayikra 16 17)

The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Iyov 908) says that when the pasuk states 'man', it includes even angels. It's at this one moment of the year, the Cohen Gadol, representing the Jewish people, is completely alone with Hashem. It is the most intimate moment between Hashem and his people.

On Shabbos night, as mentioned above, we are escorted home from shul by two angels. When we come home, we say "Shalom Aleicheim!, Bo'achem l'Shalom (enter with peace), Barchuni l'Shalom (bless us with peace)..." and then in the words of Rav Pincus, "And then we say to them, 'My dear angels, we are about to recite Kiddush and begin the Shabbos meal. This is the meal of Hashem. At this meal, 'No man shall be in the Ohel Moed'. Therefore we bid you goodbye 'Tzeischem l'Shalom!' The time has come for you to leave, because this is the moment when Hashem is alone with His beloved people, and even angels cannot be present at this holy time."

How powerful is that?

Try having that in mind when you sing Shalom Aleichem this Shabbos. It will help change your entire view on Shabbos.

With that, I bid you all an uplifting Shabbos!

This week I started my new 'semester' at a different yeshiva. Being that it's farther away from my old one, I no longer go home for lunch and I come home later. So, I made a small investment in a Palm Keyboard, which enables me to write my dvrei torah during my break, while overlooking the hills of Jerusalem. Photos are online in the wallpaper section.

Okay, on to Torah!

"Aharon shall place lots upon the two goats; one lot 'for Hashem' and one lot 'for Azazel'" (Vayikra 16:8)

This week's parsha deals with the Yom Kippur service in the Beis HaMikdash. Part of the service dealt with two goats, identical in every way. By lots, one was to be offered on the Altar to Hashem and the other was to be sent out to die in the desert 'carrying our sins'.

Al HaTorah writes about an interesting lesson to be learned from the goat that 'goes to Hashem' and the goat that is sent to the desert.

He writes that it's natural that a person spends a bit of money on 'pleasure'-items. For these things, cost is not so much of an issue, whether it be cars, vacations, sports events, eating out, etc... Some people spend their money in more charitable ways, such as saving the whales, planting trees, protecting the environment, etc...

Unfortunately, for many in both camps, Jewish causes are relegated to a lower priority.

In some places, rich folks, even religious rich folks, who spend their fortunes on SUVs, large homes, and fancy clothing, lament the fact that it's 'difficult' for them to help Jewish education.

Some "Jewish" group, whose name I won't mention, but is a "federation" of shuls and temples actually gave a nice sum of money to Vietnamese Boat People, all the while refusing to help much needed Hebrew schools, forcing them to close down, because they "don't have enough in their budget"!

A person has an obligation to help support Jews in need.

The Kitzur Shulchan Oruch writes, "A person should not think: 'How can I reduce my wealth by giving it to the poor?' He must realize that the money is not his, but rather a trust granted to him in order to carry out the will of the One who entrusted it to him. This is the portion which he will ultimately receive for all his labour in this world... Tzedakah wards off harsh decrees and prolongs one's life"

We are living in very affluent times, where even the poor are living better lives than they did sixty years ago. Unfortunately, we have made it very easy to relegate non-necessities as necessities. We begin to think that the SUV, the large screen TV, the gigantic house, etc... are all priority one, while leftover money can go to charity.

The Shulchan Oruch says differently! We are to view our money as a loan from Hashem, to use in HIS service. Of course, we all need certain things and that is what the money is there for. However, we must also realize that we are to use it to help other Jews in need as well.

The Torah tells us that there should be one goat to Azazel and an identical goat to Hashem. We can learn that just as we give X amount of dollars for our own personal desires (Azazel), so too should we spend at least the same amount to Hashem.

My humble suggestion is that people should try to give some of their money to their local religious schools, who are in dire straights. Unfortunately, certain Jewish groups who claim to use their money for such causes are failing to do so. Perhaps we can help pick up the slack. Perhaps instead of spending thirty dollars on going out for dinner this Saturday night, we can use that money in a more constructive, meaningful, and everlasting way.

Have a great Shabbos!

A shadchen (matchmaker) asked the 'best bochur in Lakewood' what he was looking for in a girl.

After some thought, the bochur replied. "I was driving down the Garden State Parkway last week when I noticed what seemed to be a heimishe woman trying to change a flat tire.

I felt bad that she was obviously by herself and made a u-turn, figuring I would check it out for sure by driving by slowly this time.

Sure enough she was heimish and I helped her change the tire. After I was done and about to drop the spare in the trunk, she put her finger to her lips and whispered, "Please don't slam the trunk. I don't want to wake up my husband - he's sleeping in the back seat..."

The bochur smiled at the shadchen and said, "That's what I'm looking for in a girl!"

:)

Okay, I better get to the dvar torah... another batch of dishes is waiting for me...

In this week's parsha we are told that if a person should bring a korban (offering) outside of the Mishkan or Beis Hamikdash, then "It shall be considered for the man that he has spilled blood" (Vayikra 17:4)

As we know, when the Torah states anything to do with "spilling blood", that means we're talking about murder. So...pretty tough situation. If you do something as small as bringing a korban outside the Beis Hamikdash, it's comparable to murder. So, what's going on?

Rav Avigdor Miller asks this question, and thankfully, he’s nice enough to provide an answer.

Bringing a korban isn't a simple matter of "Slaughter an animal and presto! You're sins are forgiven". A lot more went into it, on the physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. When a person had to bring a korban, he needed to go to Jerusalem himself, and visit the Beis Hamikdash. There he witnessed the kohanim and leviim at work. There he confessed his sins on it, and watched the animal killed, knowing that he himself should have been on the altar. Since he doesn't often come to Jerusalem, he will most likely stay for several days, and be able to listen and meet some of the greatest rabbeim of the generation. He will be able to walk the streets of Jerusalem and be able to partake of its holiness. He will then return home a changed man. A person with a stronger commitment to Hashem and Torah.

Had he never gone to the Beis Hamidash, he would not have changed.

A person has a potential in life. When he makes no effort to reach that potential, then he is in essence, committing spiritual suicide. How does a person make effort? By constantly learning Torah and putting it into practice. A person should try their best to surround themselves in a Torah environment and to be close to those Rabbeim and Rebbetzins who will help them reach their potential. When a person has an opportunity to grow and refuses it, they are guilty of killing themselves in the spiritual sense.

Pesach begins immediately after Shabbos this week. On Pesach, we, as a nation, were born. We then have forty-nine days to work on ourselves to be ready for Shavous, when we receive the Torah. Perhaps this is a good time to make some commitment, at least for the next seven weeks, to show Hashem that we are truly interested in growth on our own level. For some, make a commitment to learn Torah for five minutes a day. Others perhaps should make it a point to learn a little after davening. Some might want to make it a point to daven with a minyan, or to make sure they begin on time with the rest of the shul. Some might wish to be very careful about not talking during shul or not participating in the 'kiddush clubs', that some places unfortunately have. Perhaps increasing ones time doing chesed. Perhaps lighting Shabbos candles, or refraining from eating non-kosher food. The list goes on...

Every day, we have dozens of opportunities to grow. Pesach is a time where help from Heaven is at its greatest compared to the rest of the year. Let's take that opportunity and reach our potential. Have a great Shabbos!

A few facts on Israel for those who are interested: 1) There are A LOT of Jews here. 2) We are surrounded by A LOT of Arabs here that don't like fact #1. 3) If a child comes up to you in the street and says something that sounds like "Gefilte Fish", they want you to walk them across the street.

Thankfully, things are going quite well here. My day begins with davening at 7 am (which is sleeping-in compared to my Chicago schedule) and ends at 10:30 pm. We have a 2 hour break for lunch and a 45 minute break for dinner. This is my schedule Sunday through Thursday. Needless to say, I've been kept quite busy. Also, needless to say, I'm quite tired. But, the important part is, I'm here learning full-time. Ahhhhh....

Okay, my tiredness is causing me to babble. On to Torah!

"With this shall Aharon come to the holy place: a one-year-old calf for a chatas (sin offering) and a ram for an olah (burnt offering). He shall wear a holy tunic of white linen, and white linen trousers shall be upon his flesh. He shall gird himself with a white linen belt, and he shall don a white linen turban. They are holy garments. He shall wash his flesh with water and don them. And from the Children of Yisrael he shall take two he-goats for a chatas and one ram for an olah." (Vayikra 16:3-5)

We have an interesting setup of pesukim (lines) quoted above. For those who do not have the entire Torah memorized, this particular piece is describing the Yom Kippur service. First, Aharon is told to bring two offerings, then he is to wear white garments, then again, it continues to describe further offerings. Okay, that's nice. So, the obvious two questions are: 1) Why is Aharon wearing white garments on Yom Kippur? He is performing the most important services in his life; should he not be wearing his gold garments? 2) Why do they not first speak of korbonos (offerings) all together and THEN speak of what Aharon should wear. Why are the korbonos interrupted with what Aharon should wear? Thankfully, we have the Shem MiShmuel to help us answer the questions.

The Gemara states: "Why does the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) not enter the Holy of Holies wearing his gold vestments to perform the Divine service? Because an accuser cannot become an advocate." (Rosh Hashanah 26a)

Okay, I know what you're all thinking. What accuser are they talking about? Well, I'm not sure if you remember that little "Golden Calf" episode? Let me rephrase that... the "GOLDEN calf" episode... The accuser is the gold.

How about a Rashi from Shemos 32:34, concerning the pasuk, "On the day on which I punish..."? Rashi comments: I will visit a little of this sin upon them with their other transgressions, for no punishment comes upon Yisroel which does not contain a fraction of the sin of the Golden Calf".

Now, after digesting all of that, I think we can all see that it would not be very proper for the Kohen Gadol to go into the holiest place in the world, 'reminding' Hashem of the Golden Calf episode.

Now, what of Aharon? We will remember that it was Aharon who was responsible for actually building the Calf!! Of course, when we look a little further, we see that Hashem completely forgave Aharon for his sin. In fact, when we look into the Medrash, we see that Aharon was only doing the action, without any intention to rebel against Hashem. When we look closely, we see how he tried to minimize the sin as much as possible. Either way, we see in the Torah that Aharon was completely forgiven by Hashem, and had no trace of sin left in him from the Golden Calf episode. Hence, the "Accuser cannot become an advocate" rule does not apply to Aharon personally.

But what of Aharon as the Kohen Gadol? Perhaps, personally he was completely clean, yet as the representative of the Jewish people, he still had a blemish.

The first two korbonos mentioned above were personal korbonos that Aharon brought on behalf of himself and his family. He, in theory COULD wear the golden garments, because PERSONALLY he was fine. Yet, before speaking of the korbonos he was to bring on behalf of the nation, the Torah specifies the need for him to wear white garments only.

Now, I'm sure you're all wondering where the moral lesson is in this story, since I usually end off with one. Well, guess what? There is none! Perhaps the moral lesson is to never take the smallest little details in the Torah lightly. Every letter, every line has a meaning behind it.

Have a great Shabbos!

Hello Everybody,

Just got back from a week in Israel where I was pillaging villages, killing women, running over scared children with tanks, beating pregnant women, and not wearing a helmet as a rode my bicycle, just like every good Israeli soldier was doing. I hope your week has been just as interesting. Once again, I'm considering putting together the 1st Illinois Volunteer regiment to destroy my arch-nemesis, UC-Berkeley. Where the Palestinian supporters (i.e. EVERY POT-SMOKING, DOPED OUT, LONG-HAIRED, NO-BRAINED, YUGO-OWNING, I DON'T BELIEVE IN SHOWERING, HIPPY STUDENT, you like the description Mr. Lyons?) have beaten Jews simply for having a connection with Israel. Ah yes, UC-Berkeley, the hotbed of "open-mindedness". Okay, on to Torah!


"One lot for Hashem and one lot for Azazel" (16:8)

As we ALL know, during the Yom Kippur service, the Kohen Gadol would bring forth (I like that saying) two goats to the Beis Hamikdash, and a little lottery would be played. One goat would be offered on the Altar in the Beis Hamikdash, while the other one would "bear the sins" of Israel, and be chucked off a cliff (called Azazel) somewhere out in the desert. Naturally the person who would take this goat to Azazel would be greeted by hippy students from UC-Berkeley who would protest, throw eggs, and destroy local businesses, for harming the poor defenseless creature, for the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, the environment, and for the Israeli massacres and occupation of the West Bank against the poor defenseless Palestinians.... It's stated in the Gemara, that one of the miracles that occurred during the time of the Beis Hamikdash, was that every year, a giant bolt of lightening would strike the protestors dead. Ahhh...the good old days.... anyways...where was I? Oh yes...

Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein uses these two goats as a metaphor for two people who, at first glance, seem to be the same. But as time goes on, they slowly turn to different paths. This is similar to your everyday Amtrak station. All the rails leading out of the station, at first head out in the same direction. Only after a while does each rail slowly bend towards its destination. This was seen in the case of Yaakov and Eisav. Until they grew up, both boys were identical, physically and spiritually. Only when "the boys grew up", Eisav slowly started to follow his destiny and Yaakov would follow his own.

Jewish assimilation began in a similar manner. There were religious people who sought to reform Judaism. That you can be a good citizen of your host country, do everything they do, AND be a good Jew...with a few changes to halacha of course. They started on the same path as Torah Judaism, but made small changes in Torah, to the point it led them towards a completely different destination. Well...we are currently witnessing the largest holocaust in Jewish history take place, with inter-marriage at an all-time high, with no slowing down.

So, what does any of this have to do with us? Chances are, if you're on this list, you're probably not looking to intermarry, since, why the heck would you want to listen to a right-wing, black-hatted fanatic like me?

The lesson of these two goats are like this. Both are identical at first, but have completely different destinies. One of them carries sins, while the other does not. One goat represents the end of a person's life when he lives a Torah life, while the other represents his fate if he does not. We must understand that the Torah prescribed a life style that can lead us to a life with no sin (if we work on it), yet society in general does not. Many great Jewish leaders today are warning us, that it is important for everybody to work on their independence from the material physical world, now more than ever. We must look in our lives and ask, "is this what Hashem wants from me? Will this improve my relationship with Him?” If the answer is no, maybe we should try to change. Maybe we need to start learning more, davening better, working on our inter-personal relationships, etc...instead of just going out to the bars and "having a good time". By taking small steps in the right direction, we can slowly shift out destination towards Hashem. It will be these things that will make a difference in a person's destiny, whether he will leave this world through the Beis Hamikdash or through Azazel. Have a great Shabbos!