Kedoshim

Bringing Chesed to a Higher Level

by Michael Winner/4/27/2023

My neighbor's oldest son just got engaged. Wonderful young man. Really well put together. In a way, I was hoping he would have a hard time finding someone for a few years, so I could take him for my daughter. Oh well.

So, this past Shabbos, another friend and I were peppering him with questions about his soon-to-be and giving him much needed "advice," like "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

One such question he didn't know the answer to was, "when's her birthday?" And when he didn't know, we told him that that is one of the most important facts to remember.

When my wife heard this, she put on her smug face and asked me, "So… when's MY birthday?"

…

Um…

…

Okay… um… on to Torah!

"And you shall love your fellow as yourself" (Vayikra 19: 18).

Rav Shimshon Pincus notes that there are certain mitzvos that you'll find people "psyching themselves" up for. It could be lulav, baking their own matzas, Seder night, davening, Shabbos, etc. There will be people who will go through extensive preparations beforehand, including extra tefillos based on Kabbalah, going to the mikvah, etc. Yet, you will rarely find people who will do such a thing before giving tzedakah, visiting somebody who is sick, and other such mitzvos that deal with other people. Yes, they do the mitzvah and they do it with a smile, and they enjoy the mitzvah, but there isn't this same level of preparation and excitement beforehand.

He answers that those mitzvos in which you are doing good for another person, most people do them because they themselves feel good about it. It's natural that when you loan money to somebody or give tzedakah, you feel good. When you bring food for a sick person, you feel good about yourself. Nothing wrong with that at all! That's something that Hashem programmed into human beings. But, there is a difference between doing a mitzvah because it makes you feel good about yourself and doing a mitzvah because that is the will of Hashem. Again, we're not talking about good or bad here, we're talking about good and better. While it is definitely good to do chesed for somebody because it makes you feel good, it is certainly better to do it knowing that you are doing what Hashem wants from you. It makes the mitzvah to be on a higher level, if you will.

With this same idea, Rav Pincus says, there is a flipside, a negative that comes from this, and we see this a lot. When it comes to personal danger, a person will weigh chances of something happening with convenience. For example: a person enters his car ... is it worth the convenience to make sure he and his children are buckled up properly, when they are only driving five minutes? Here, the person is thinking from his own perspective rather than a Torah perspective which demands that he fulfills the mitzvah of "guarding ones life." But, we don't think about that, since we are so used to operating our lives according to our own viewpoint instead of the viewpoint of the Torah. Same with smoking. Same with not eating in a healthy way. Or exercise. Or even how we deal with money. In these areas, we're used to thinking from "our gut" and not thinking: "what does Hashem want from me?"

Therefore, it's important to start thinking more often: "what is demanded of me right now?" rather than just doing. Do I have an obligation to buckle up for such a short drive? Am I allowed to continue to eat in such a manner? When I do this chesed for this person, what is the best way to do it? When I loan this money, how can I do it in a way that will make it easy for the person to accept and repay without embarrassment.

By constantly thinking that each action in life is most likely governed in some way by the Torah, we have opportunities to stay away from many sins, and many opportunities to raise the level of the mitzvos that we are currently doing.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

Everything is Set

by Michael Winner/5/5/2022

My children's life experience is 200 percent different than mine was at their age in every way possible. Yet, it's amazing how certain things from my childhood can sneak into their lives without their knowing it.

For example, somewhere in the beginning of my marriage, I used the term I heard from Rush Limbaugh, "With talent on loan from G-d." I don't know, it's a funny line. A true one, as well. It seems that my wife, who was raised in a very liberal house, also found the line funny, even while hating the source, and she started using it more than I. And now, my kids started using it, without having any clue what the source is.

This morning, we had another case. My wife realized that the baby had a dirty diaper, so my six-year-old son used the same line she would use on me, which she learned from me, which I learned from Star Trek. He cried out, with a big smile on his face, "Abba to the bridge!" Of course, he has no idea what that means, but it's something she sometimes says to me when she needs my help (with something gross). And now, my child who can't speak a full sentence in English without some Hebrew in it, is calling out commands from Star Trek.

Do I feel pride or feel bad for them?

I started learning the laws of davening this week, after nearly two years on a previous subject. It's a bit long, but a bit easier, and still very interesting and relevant.

On my first day, I ran into something interesting. Every morning, we start off with a list of brachos, in which we thank Hashem for all the different types of chesed that He gives us every day. Each bracha is in the present tense: "Who spreads out the land over the waters, Who girds Israel with strength, etc."

However, there is one, and possibly a second, bracha that is in the past tense. The first, is "Who provided me with all my needs." Several commentators also have the text, "Who prepared the steps of man," rather than what we have "Who prepares the steps of man."

So, the big question is, why are all these important brachos in the present while one, and according to some, two, brachos are in the past?

Many of the commentators explain that the reason the brachos are in the present is because these are things that Hashem is constantly doing--every day, every moment. In fact, Hashem is constantly "recreating the world." Therefore, we keep the brachos in the present tense.

So, what's different about "Who provided me with all my needs" and according to some, "Who prepared the steps of man"?

I'll offer my own never-to-be humble opinion, and if I'm wrong … well … sorry. But, if not, I claim all the glory!

(Please note: Most of today's siddurim have only one bracha in the past "Who provided me with all my needs. However, some, including, I saw, the Frankfurt Siddur, has also "Who prepared the steps of man" in the past. I'll attempt to answer both, since they are related to each other.)

As mentioned, all of the brachos that we say in this section, are giving thanks to Hashem for different goods that He gives us every day. However, these two could be looked at in a different light. They are a bit more general, and represent not specific goods, but rather represent how we look at the day ahead. How so?

The first: Who prepared for all my needs. When we begin the day, instead of worrying about how we are going to feed ourselves or afford our mortgage or rent, or this or that, we need to understand that Hashem has already taken care of that. What will be will be. Whatever physical actions we take to attain those goods are only "a show." While we do our work, we know that in the end, we only receive what He gives. Therefore, we need to look at our income as "already taken care of" as we begin each day. No need to worry about what is or will be, since it's already been taken care of.

The second bracha, which according to some is: "Who prepared the steps of man" is looked at in a similar way. We don't necessarily control all that happens in life. Many times, Hashem has a plan and has already planned out your day for you. He wants you at a certain place to experience something, and you WILL end up there. He has ALREADY prepared it. While we don't always have free choice on what occurs to us, we DO have free choice on how we handle it (which is itself a source of growth). Therefore, according to those who have this bracha in the past, we are acknowledging that Hashem has already planned out our day, and sometimes we have to "go with the flow," see where He takes us, and learn and grow from the experience.

So, perhaps, this might explain why at least one bracha is in the past tense. Not to say that Hashem created the world and left it at that, but perhaps to teach us that sometimes we need to accept that we are not always in the driver's seat and Hashem has already taken care of whatever physical and spiritual needs that we need.

Have a great Shabbos!

Jews and Nuns

by Michael Winner/5/10/2019

I was speaking to one of my rabbeim the other week, when he told me that he heard a story from somebody who was present at the time. It’s known that Rav Chaim Kanievsky, when asked for brachos, usually responds with “Buha”, which is short for “bracha v’hatzlachah”. After all, you need to shorten things when you’re asked for brachos every two minutes. It’s become sort of a joke in the Israeli Ultra-Orthodox community.

It seems there was somebody who was pushing him for a “real bracha” and “demanded” that he gets a longer one. So, Rav Kanievsky responded “Buuuuuuhhhhhhaaaaaaa”.

Who says talmidei chachamim don’t have any sense of humour?

“Speak to the entire assembly of Bnei Yisroel and say to them: ‘You shall be holy’” (Vayikra 19:2)

Rashi explains that this particular section was specifically said in front of the entire nation because most of the other mitzvos are dependent on it. Plus, this commandment is not to be considered for just a select few, but rather each individual.

I was on the bus last week, when in the middle of the ride a nun gets on with another woman… I assume her sister… not in a “nun”-sense, but in a family-sense. The nun was dressed like a nun in her travelling nun-wear, and her sister was wearing jeans and a shirt. I couldn’t help but think that in Christianity, and many other religions, there’s a hierarchy, and where you are on that hierarchy determines which mitzvos you are commanded to keep. That is why you will always see nuns and priests dressed appropriately at all times. Yet, if you go to a church service, you’ll find plenty of people dressed… well… not like nuns and priests. And that’s fine according to their rules, since the nuns and priests have certain commandments which regular folks do not.

The Torah does not take this stance. Each person has the same general commandments, up until and including: be holy. Yes, in some ways we have our own hierarchies (such as Kohanim, which have a few extra mitzvos), but no matter where you are on that hierarchy, you still have the same basic rules you need to keep. Each and every person has an obligation to be holy.

So, let no person think that rules don’t apply to them or that “be holy” only applies to “holy people”. We all have our obligations to do our best. The uneducated layman has the same obligations to be holy as the greatest rabbeim... even the ones that say Buha!

Have a great Shabbos!

Cause and Effect

by Michael Winner/4/27/2018

My apologies for last week; it was a bit rough.

This week marks the tenth year since the passing of Rav Chaim Moshe Flom, one of the Roshei Yeshiva of Yeshivas Ohr Dovid, former neighbor/chavrusa of mine, and the person after whom I named my first son. I heard rumors that Mishpacha Magazine did an article on him this week. If so, it’s probably worth buying just for that. He was very well known for the chesed he did wherever he went. After his passing, thousands of people who were "victims" of his chesed, came to his small apartment to pay respects to his family. The stories were unbelievable, yet believable at the same time.

Each week he put out a very small dvar Torah on the parsha, with grammar worse than mine (since it was done in a rush, without the help of a great editor as I now have). So, I thought, in his honor, I will use one of his.

“’Rated X-under 18 not permitted’

“’You shall not curse the deaf’ (Vayikira 19:14). Rabbeinu Bachya explains, that even though the one who was cursed didn’t hear it, the act of cursing is inherently bad for the mouth of the one who said it.'

“Too many people think that public violence, profanity, or pornography is bad because it may offend some people or be seen by minors. Judaism tells us that most things forbidden in public, should be forbidden in private also. WHO LET IN THOSE PEOPLE OVER 18?!” –Rav Flom

Now, my addition.

From this Rabbeinu Bachya we see that everybody is affected by things, even "adults" who are, in theory, "mature."

I remember, back in the day, somebody put a game on my computer. Basically, you got to drive around London or San Francisco, hitting other cars, attempting to hit people (but they always jumped out of the way), and trying to lose the police in the process. It wasn’t a violent game, no blood, no real violence, but it certainly was a game that got your blood going. I would play it every once in a while to cool off.

One day while I was driving, I came to a red light. I was the first car in front of the light, and from the other direction, I saw a police car coming. My pulse immediately picked up, and I just caught my foot in time from hitting the accelerator in order to “make a run for it." It was a real shock to me, how close I came from doing something very, very stupid. Needless to say, I went home and took off the game.

Everything we say and do DOES have an effect on us, no matter what age we are or how mature we might be. Therefore, one should always think twice about what they are doing or about to do, to see if it will leave a positive or negative impression on our hearts.

Have a great Shabbos!

Michael Winner

Spiritual Clothing

by Michael Winner/4/25/2014

I don't know why, but I keep getting an error when I select a picture. See attached.

Anyway, here is the edited version:

I hope everybody enjoyed their Pesach.

Ours was tiring, but fun.

We took the children to an isolated beach on the Mediterranean, and allowed them to play in the small pools of water that formed within the rocks. We also went to the “Monkey Farm” in Yodefat (where Josephus was captured by the Romans… I don’t think they had a monkey farm there at the time). We also went to local parks that you could reach via car or bus. And we had relaxing breakfasts together.

We did end up doing something most “Un-Winner”-like (i.e. not planned). A few hours before that last day of Pesach began, we realized that we were all prepared and ready. So, my wife thought, “Hey! Let’s go to Meron" (where Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai is buried). So, we hopped in the car, went and davened there for 10 minutes, and zipped back home. The joys of having a car up north! Too bad I had to return it today…

Oh well…

On to Torah!
“And a garment of shaatnez (mixture of wool and linen), you shall not wear…” (Vayikra 19:19)

Rav Shimshon Pincus writes that the clothing of a Jew needs to be special in three ways.

First, it must be modest. It should not be something that attracts attention to oneself, even if it’s covering up everything it’s supposed to cover up.

Second, it must not contain shaatnez, which is a mixture of wool and linen, which is just as forbidden as eating pig.

And third, if one is of male-persuasion, one should wear tzitzis.

Rav Pincus then brings in a fourth special point of clothing. When a person dresses himself in proper clothing, something that shows that he or she is a ben/bas Torah, that clothing can also serve as a spiritual shield. Hopefully, that person will always be aware that his clothing shows to the public at large that he takes Torah seriously, and in order to properly project that, he will be extra careful in his behaviour and who he associates himself with, and this in turn, will protect him from committing many sins.

My Rosh Yeshivah, Rav Asher Rubenstein, was very stringent in how he expected his students to dress, because it does have an effect on the person. He once mentioned that he wanted to fine students for wearing their shirts untucked, because it was not becoming of a Ben Torah to dress in a sloppy manner. He never did enforce this idea, he simply wanted to make a point.

After Adam and Chava (Eve) sinned, Hashem made for them “Ketonet Or,” or leather clothing. Leather, “or,” is spelled with the letter ah-yin. It can also be spelled with the letter aleph, which would render the word “clothing of light.”

Concludes Rav Pincus that just as Hashem made “clothing of light” to Adam and Chava, so too, anybody who is careful in his clothing and how he dresses himself, will be blessed with “clothing of light.”

Have a great Shabbos!

Thinking of Others First

by Michael Winner/5/4/2012

Oz VHadar

by Michael Winner/4/29/2011

I learned an important lesson this week.

Finally, the kids went back to gan (pre-school) and Chaim’s teacher told us how Chaim was telling all the kids how he went to the Kotel over Pesach and that his Abba said that we say “morid hatal” instead of “morid hageshem” (after Pesach, in the shemoneh esrei we no longer mention rain. In Israel we mention dew, outside of Israel, Ashkanazim don’t mention anything in its place).

Now, Chaim is only two and a half and has no idea what “morid hatal” is or “morid hageshem” is. So, what was he going on about? He heard me one morning talking to Rochel Leah about switching the davening now that Pesach was over.

Imagine if I was discussing the latest sports news or something similar… then he would pick that up instead. I’m not talking about giving lessons or anything… I was just having a conversation with Rochel Leah, that’s it.

So, the lesson? If you want your children to have Torah the center of their lives, make Torah the center of yours.

Okay, on to more Torah!
In this week’s parsha, the Torah warns us off cutting off our payos (corners of the head) and shaving our beards with a razor. The Sforno writes that shaving off the beard was an unusual practice done by the non-Jews and therefore, to remain distinct, the Torah forbids us to do so. The Ibn Ezra disagrees and writes that shaving off the beard was NOT unusual. However, in order to keep us distinct, the Torah forbids us to do so.

So, despite some small differences of opinion, we see that the Sforno and Ibn Ezra both agree that the Torah wants us to keep our mode of dress distinct from the nations around us.

The Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 16) writes, “the physical actions of a person affect his way of thinking, his feeling and his whole inner being”. Our mode of dress not only shows other people who we are, but also affects our inner being. When we dress in an unbecoming way, we act in an unbecoming way. When we dress properly, it helps us act properly. I’ve seen this even within the frum community here, where the standard male dress is black pants, white shirt, and black jacket. Some people walk around with the shirts untucked and in a disheveled way. You see that they treat mitzvos and a similar way. Obviously, it works both ways, the way you dress affects the way you do mitzvos and the way you do mitzvos is reflected in the way you dress.

The Gemara (Zevochim 17b) writes, “When the Kohanim wear their special clothes, they have the proper kedusha of the Kehuna (on being a Kohen); when they do not wear their clothes, they do not have the full kedusha of the Kehuna”. When you dress in a dignified manner, it helps you become more dignified. Note: I said “HELPS” you. Not MAKES you. You have to do that yourself.

Another benefit for dressing in a respectable manner is the affect that it has on the environment. When we went to Park Ranana this Pesach, the park was full of people, religious and secular. Everybody got along perfectly and it was nice to see. However, there was certainly a difference between the two groups. It was a hot day, so obviously, the secular individuals wore whatever they wanted… no matter how little it was (thankfully, it wasn’t bad). They wore shorts, t-shirts, sandals, etc… The religious were dressed up, not only because of modesty reasons, but also because it was Pesach. At minimum, they had black pants and white shirts, at maximum they were in their full Yom Tov dress. It helped lend an aura of kedusha and distinction to the area. This is how a Jew dresses: properly and dignified.

With that, I leave you all with wishes of a great Shabbos!

Modesty Leads to Holiness

by Michael Winner/5/2/2008

Well, my friend Uri and I completed our fourth annual Hike of Death, in the Judean Desert. We hiked at least 25 km in 9 hours. We started off at -360 meters below sea level and reached a peak of 350 meters above sea level.

A couple of hours into the hike Uri pointed to a very tall peak and joked, “We’ll have to climb over THAT before we go down.” A few hours later, we’re standing at the base of “that” with nowhere to go but up.

He was lucky to survive.

On another note, I had an interesting thought about Yom HaShoah which fell out yesterday. For the most part, the religious world doesn’t seem to really partake in it for several reasons. I heard another indirect reason for not making Yom HaShoah a big deal from my Rosh Yeshiva. He was discussing the students of Rebbe Akiva who died during this time period and how during this time, we limit our joy a little bit in mourning. He said that we are not mourning just for the loss of these students, since we do not cry over spilt milk. Rather, we mourn in order to learn from their deaths and improve ourselves spiritually in order not to make the same mistake.

Yom HaShoah, unfortunately, was not created or used in such a way. The unofficial motto is: Never Again! We mourn the loss of the 6 million, and we pound our chests and vow that we will be strong enough to never see the likes of the Holocaust again.

But we never actually learn anything. We never look back and say, THIS is what WE did wrong to deserve the Holocaust. THIS is where WE failed spiritually that allowed Hitler his rise to power.

Had Yom HaShoah been a day of mourning and learning, the religious world would probably partake in it. Rather it was made on the day of the Warsaw Uprising, a show of Jewish “strength”, and was made for us to be proud in our physical (via the Israeli army), political and economical power, depending on THEM, rather than Hashem to save us from future catastrophes.

Just an interesting insight to the day I just thought of.

Okay, on to Torah!
I saw an interesting note from Rashi on the bus the other day.

Last week’s parsha finished with a list of sexual offenses that the Torah takes offense to. This week’s parsha immediately begins with “Kedoshim Tihiyu”, “You will be holy…”

Rashi comments on “You will be holy”: “Be removed from sexual sins, for wherever you find restriction of sexual immorality [mentioned in the Torah], you find holiness [with it]…” and Rashi gives three examples where this is so in the Torah.

The general rule in life that I have believed in is the “Men are Scum, Women are Dumb” rule. Men will do anything and women will believe anything men say. You can email me all day and disagree, but anybody who has been or seen any human between the age of 12 and 120, know this to be an unfortunate truth in life.

Last year, a music concert here in Jerusalem, was either cancelled or severely knocked down in terms of attendance, after a group of Gedolim (Torah leaders) said that that particular concert should not happen (or Bnei Torah should not go, I’m not too clear on the language used since I did not see it first hand) due to negative influences or something of that sort.

I will admit. I don’t keep up with the music industry. I personally cannot stand today’s “Jewish” music and I have no interest in going to concerts. Being that, I was not up to date with what the issue was concerning this particular concert and what “negative influences” were at place. However, this struck me as a little odd. After all, this was a separate seating event, which you would think equals kosher.

So, I asked one of my rabbeim if he knew what was going on. He replied that he was actually planning on taking his son to the concert, since his son happens to like one of the groups singing. Once his wife heard of this idea, and this was before the Gedolim came out with their decision, she basically told him “Absolutely not. You’ve never been to those concerts before and I have, and you’re not going.” I believe she gave him some description on what sort of people go there and what goes on “behind the scenes” (not the singers, put the concert-goers). Based off of her personal experience, she forbade her husband and children from going, in fear of what they might see and get into their heads.

This is the situation within the religious community.

From the non-Jewish end:

My chavrusa told me that when his sister was taking a university class (forgot which one) in the US, the professor asked the assembled student body, “How many of you are planning to commit adultery when you are married?”

Over half of them raised their hands.

Yes, you read that right… I had him repeat it several times to make sure I heard it properly. Half of the students PLANNED to commit adultery.

Society today has broken down nearly every fence possible in this arena. Torah, on the other hand, puts up the fences and guards it vigorously.

My neighbor told me of a non-Jewish Irish woman who lived in Williamsburg, NY for decades. When she asked her why she continues to live where she lives, despite being the obvious “outsider”, she responded, “When I walk down the street at night and I see a group of men wearing all black walking towards me, I know I’m perfectly safe. They will completely ignore more and keep their eyes down. When I see just ONE Puerto Rican walking towards me, I get worried”

Not the most politically correct statement, mind you, but understandable.

As Rashi said, when you put up walls against sexual immodest and sin, you will have kedusha, holiness. That is why the religious world puts an emphasis on the separation of the sexes. That is why a Ben Torah will not go to certain areas if he doesn’t need to, or why he keeps his eyes down or even takes off his glasses when he has to go to those areas.

I have often found women having a bigger problem the men in understanding this. That’s because women are not men and have no concept on how men think. Most men on the other hand, perhaps might disagree with the “fanatiscm”, but at least they have a small understanding on why these rules are in place: Men are scum.

But once we internalize that rule, we can begin to understand where the Torah is coming from. After that understanding and practice, we can expect to see more kedusha in our lives.

Shabbos and Havdalah

by Michael Winner/4/26/2007

I received an Israeli welcome home this morning when I woke up: the thunderous boom of artillery echoing in our community. The army was either practicing or something fun was happening.

During my ten day trip to the States, two things came to my mind:

1. You have A LOT of choices when you go shopping. No wonder so many Americans use up so much time in the 'art' of shopping. For every one product, there are at least 50 varieties. I couldn't stand shopping there, especially with a wife.

2. Americans don't have children. Somehow they produce an infant, stick them in a pod, and take them out when they are ten.

Here in Israel, where there are 4 billion children per couple, a 17 month old girl, however adorable she is, is nothing to turn your head at. In America, everybody turns and smiles or waves, as if this creature is a rarity.

Either way, it's good to be back home in the spiritual atmosphere of Eretz Yisroel. It was very hard to leave, but I guess it just made the homecoming even better.

Okay, on to Torah!
"You shall distinguish between the pure animal and the impure" (Vayikra 20:25)

"It is unnecessary to tell them to distinguish between a cow and a donkey, for they are separate and the difference is apparent. Instead, you must distinguish between that which is pure for you and that which is impure for you - between an animal which has had the majority of its siman cut and one which has had only half cut, for the difference is slight" (Rashi on above pasuk)

Rashi's point is simple. The distinguishing between a clean animal and a non-clean animal isn't about which species is kosher and which is not. It's about a kosher animal that has been slaughtered. If the majority of the siman, the gullet and the windpipe, have been cut, it is kosher; if not, it is not kosher. Hence the difference between kosher meat and non-kosher meat can be as small as a centimeter

The Shem MiShmuel raises a difficulty with this. This havdalah (distinction) that is described here is very subtle. It's between two, nearly identical entities that have a very slight difference between them, which can make the meat kosher or not. Yet, the most famous Havdalah, the one made after Shabbos that separates Shabbos from the weekday, is completely different.

The difference between kosher and non-kosher meat can be a mere centimeter, yet the difference between Shabbos and Chol (the weekday) is like the difference between a grain of sand and the planet Jupiter. Asks, the Shem MiShmuel, how can the Torah describe the act of havdalah, distinction, to be subtle?

"Shabbos is not a time for wearing tefillin, because tefillin represent the yoke of the Heavenly Kingdom, and on Shabbos we are exempt from the yoke of the Heavenly Kingdom" (Zohar HaKadosh 3:29a)

Yep. Read that again. Pretty strange thing to say, no?

How can a Jew be exempt from the yoke of Heaven? Especially on Shabbos?

The Shem MiShmuel continues to quote:

"Mitzvos were not given for personal pleasure" (Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 28a)

"...So that their observance would bring pleasure; rather, they were given as a yoke around their necks" (Rashi on above)

The Shem MiShmuel continues and writes that mitzvos are certainly not to be a terrible burden on a person, since each mitzvah should be done with joy. However, we must first accept them as a yoke to guide us, only then we can rejoice in them.

It is during the week where things are so hectic that we feel as if the mitzvos are a yoke. During that time, we need to take the mitzvos as a yoke and work on using them in a joyful way.

Shabbos on the other hand is the opposite. On Shabbos we tend to focus on the physical delights. We eat good food, we sleep a little more, we relax - we tend to not focus so much on the yoke of Heaven. We take these mitzvos of Shabbos and use them for our personal pleasure. But, it's during Shabbos, that we need to follow Rashi and place these mitzvos on our necks as a yoke. We need to remind ourselves that even on Shabbos we must continue to behave in a manner fitting a Torah Jew.

Thus the Shem MiShmuel concludes, "We thus find that on a weekday we must turn our yoke into a pleasure, whereas on Shabbos, we must turn our pleasure into a yoke. As such, we see that the difference between the weekdays and Shabbos is indeed very subtle. We have thus demonstrated our initial claim: havdalah within a Torah framework requires great skill, for the difference may be a minute as a hairsbreadth".

With that, I wish you all a great Shabbos!

Mitzvos Between Man and Man

by Michael Winner/5/6/2005

My friend, Dovid Becker, shared with me a very deep insight that his four year old, Yaakov Zev, had as sleep was overtaking him:

"Abba, there are three kinds of monkeys: Gorillas, monkeys, and pretend monkeys"

Now how can you possibly get deeper than that? On to Torah!

"And Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying, 'Speak to all the congregation of the people of Yisroel, and say to them, 'You shall be holy; for I, Hashem your G-d, am holy'" (Vayikra 19:1-2)

"This teaches us that this portion was said at the gathering of the entire nation" -Rashi, Vayikra Rabba (24:5)

Rav Mordechai Rogov asks why was this portion, compared to many others, specifically said at the gathering of the entire nation. Why was this portion publicized so heavily?

The parsha begins with the statement, "You shall be holy", and is quickly followed by several different laws: "Do not unjustly withhold that which is due your brother, and do not steal"; "Do not pervert justice”; “Do not hate your brother in your heart"; and "You must love your neighbor as you love yourself".

When people think of 'holiness', they think of somebody who is off in their own spiritual world, cleaving to G-d. People might think some monks on some high up mountain are achieving holiness, while average people live their everyday lives in this world.

Within the Jewish circles, people might say that a person who davens three times a day, wears tzitzis, puts on tefillin, and learns all day, is holy. Says, Rav Rogov, this is not entirely true.

The parsha says, "You shall be holy", and begins listing off a slew of mitzvos. Take a good look at those mitzvos. Did you notice something? None of them seem to be dealing with the relationship between man and G-d, they deal with the relationship between man and man! A person who learns all day, and works for two hours, and is stealing money from his customers, is far from holy!

Says Rav Rogov, the Torah specifically introduces this parsha by declaring "You must be holy", to emphasize that even these rules which govern our day to day interactions, will be fulfilled only if accompanied by an element of spirit. If someone attempts to be honest or fair without being responsible to Hashem, his level of integrity will be far from being adequate.

Two examples pop to mind. The first one is the government. We all know about the stealing and cheating that happens throughout the government. Here are people, representing "the will of the people", who are holding our country's highest offices, accepting bribes and playing 'politics'. The people who are supposed to be representing the best of our country, who preach about fairness and law, are nothing more than crooks themselves (with a few exceptions of course). When a politician says one thing, you can rest assured, the chances are, he/she won't stick with those words.

Another example that springs to mind are, of course, "Peace" activists. Here you have a group of people, proclaiming that we should "love our fellow man" and "cherish mother earth", and bring "peace" throughout the world. Have you ever seen photos of the day after a "Peace" Rally? The places they rally at are full of litter and they always get into a bad habit of destroying property that isn't theirs. Just to make it worse, these 'peace-loving' folks happen to always support groups that would love to see Israel or the US destroyed. Now, don't you think it somewhat ironic that peace groups should support Hamas, Hezbollah, Cuba, North Korea, the Iraqi insurgents, etc...? What went wrong with these two groups? "Kedoshim Tihiyu", Be Holy. That's what went wrong. They don't have any holiness to them. Government officials make up their definition of what is right and what is wrong. Peace groups make up their own definition of what is peace and what is not.

Rashi is offering us a tremendous insight. This parsha was given over in public in order to teach us that being holy is NOT just the responsibility of those living outside this physical world. It is obligatory on every man, woman, and child. When one is confronted on how to deal with his fellow man, he has two choices, look at the Torah and see what it considers 'holy' or make up your own definition. As we see, when you make up your own definition, you have no real boundaries. You can simply make up the rules as they go. However, when you look into the Torah and it says, "do not cheat", it MEANS "do not cheat". No ifs, ands, or buts. If he wishes to fulfill the OBLIGATION of 'being holy', he will look into the Torah and see what it says. This parsha teaches us that this rule does not only apply to mitzvahs "bein adam l'makom", between man and G-d, but also "bein adam l'chavero", between man and man. On top of that, the obligation applies to each and every one of us at all times. With that, I wish you a good Shabbos!

by Michael Winner/5/6/2003

All hail Michael!

I believe everybody here now should show me unprecedented respect.

I, Michael R. Winner, am officially now part of the top 1% of US wage earners!!! Yep, you heard correctly! Remember that tax cut that Congress signed last year? Remember how all the talking heads were saying that only the top 1% of wage earners would be affected? Well, it looks like I was affected pretty well this year. Hence, I am pleased to announce that I am part of the richest 1% of the US population. A special thank you to my accountant who was able to play with the numbers on my tax forms, enabling me to get such a return. Naturally, since IRS agents are probably reading this, I cannot name who that accountant is, so I'll have to refer to him by his code-name: Dad. (IRS Agents, please feel free to call me for his address). Okay, on to Torah!

"You shall be holy, for holy am I, Hashem your G-d" (19:2)

The Medrash comments: "Hashem says to Israel, 'Since I have sanctified you for My name even before I created the world, therefore you shall be holy, because I am holy."

The Dubno Maggid questions this Medrash. Why is the obligation for Jews to be holy based on the fact that we were sanctified BEFORE the world was created? Isn't it enough that we were sanctified after creation?

To answer his own question, the Dubno Maggid offers a parable. You know that it is a Jewish parable based on the fact that it contains at least one of the following items: a king, a small town, a rich man, a poor man who suddenly becomes rich, a beggar, and if it happens to come from a Breslov Chassid, a talking chicken. This particular parable contains 1) a small town and 2) a rich man.

It happened once, that a rich man who was living in a small town decided (along with his rich wife, of course) that it was time for their daughter to get married. So the rich man used the money he received from the federal government in the form of a tax break to invest in the economy and travel to a nearby city. When he made it to the city, the first stop he made was the yeshiva. He pulled the Rosh Yeshiva aside and told him that he is looking for the top student for his daughter. He wants the cream of the crop, the top dog, the best of the best, the cherry on the ice-cream sundae, etc... The Rosh Yeshiva thought about this for a second, and realized he had the perfect match. Within a few days, the boy met the girl; they went to hotel lobbies, to the Hancock building, Navy Pier, etc... in the end they ended up getting married and settling down in the small town where the rich man lived.

At first, everything seem to run all nice and dandy. The young man would run to shul before dawn and learn up a storm throughout the day, and return home at night. This continued for a few weeks. But, things started cooling down. This small town did not have its own yeshiva. For the most part, the people there were not top-notch folks in terms of learning. They were good people, but not learned. Hence, our young man had nobody to learn with. So after a few weeks, he started to sleep in, and arrive later, take longer lunch breaks, and end his day earlier. His father-in-law, who was supporting him at the time, started getting a little disgruntled. "What happened?" he asked his son-in-law. "You used to be the best of the best! Now you're hardly learning compared to beforehand!" The young man responded, "What are you talking about? Ask anybody in town. I'm still spending far more time learning then everybody else here!” The father-in-law shook his head, "Of course you're spending more time than everybody else. That's because everybody else cannot learn. But compared to who you used to be, you're very far behind".

When Hashem told the Jewish people that we are to be holy because we were sanctified before the creation of the world, He was telling us that we cannot hold by the standards of society. It is not that difficult to look around and see how you are on a higher level compared to the rest of world today. The fact is society continues to sink to new lows. But we cannot say, "Look at me! I'm on a much higher level than your average Joe, why should I work on myself any more?" The answer is simple: we have an OBLIGATION to work on ourselves to reach the levels that are beyond this world, not within it. Have a great Shabbos!

by Michael Winner/5/6/2001

Well, summertime is here. I had the pleasure this past Sunday to get my first ballgame in. Didn't do so bad... I was playing second base (I'm a poor infielder), and of course made my predictable two errors. But I did well at bat, batting 4 for 5 with one homerun and three basehits. Not bad at all... Ahh...time for Torah....

"Be holy! For I, your G-d, am holy" (19:2)

Many people like to read this line and say, "How nice, we're supposed to be holy", and move on. Little do they know, that this one line lays the foundation of Jewish living. So we ask, "Why should we be holy?", and Hashem responds, "for I, your G-d, am holy". Of course! That makes sense...

We are put on earth to emulate Hashem, not simply pray to Him, worship Him, and such. We want to be just like Him in every way, we want to be holy. The Torah, in this weeks parsha, then details how to achieve holiness. It focuses on social and moral issues, and then focuses on the observances between man and Hashem.

Many people like to use the good old fashion, "I believe in the 'spirit' of the law, rather than the 'rule' of the law". Well...G-d sort of disagrees with you here...sorry...In order to attain holiness, the Torah clearly speaks of both sides of the coin. The "ritualistic" side of Judaism, ie. Shabbos, Kashrus, etc... is equally important as showing kindness to others and giving tzedakah. It's an error to believe that one should spend all their time recycling and saving the Wild African Ant-Eating Boar from extinction because "G-d gave us the world and told us to take care of it", and then believe it's perfectly okay to eat non-kosher meat because "If G-d didn't want us to eat it, why did He make it?" That makes no sense!!! How do we know what Hashem expects from us? Simple. We look in that one thing in the world that he gave to us, and see what it says. It clearly shows a nice amount of be nice to your friend/give tzedakah mitzvos, and a nice amount of keep Shabbos/keep Kosher mitzvos. Hence, the ONLY way one can achieve his goal in life of being holy, is to follow ALL the laws of the Torah to ones best abilities.

At the end of one's life, it's going to be determined how much holiness you brought to the world, not how many African Ant-Eating Boars did you save. How much chesed did you do? How much Torah did you learn? Did you do your ultimate best to keep the mitzvos? In other words, Did you try to emulate Hashem? Have a great Shabbos!