Parshas Vayakhel:

Vayovo'u ho'anoshim al hanoshim kol n'div leiv. Rashi says, im hanoshim, usmichim lahem.

I've been wondering for many years about this posuk, what about tznius issues? No mechitzah?

Boruch Hashem, today I was zoche to a p'shat! The Yetzer Horah can only find his place in a person who is a mekabel, a 'taker', someone who is a nosein, a 'giver', won't do any aveiros. The essence of an aveiro is [usually] the trying to have the benefits of this world without its corresponding responsibilities. Taking from Hashem without giving Him anything. Someone who is COMPLETELY a 'giver' commits no aveiros.This point is discussed extensively in other threads on this heilige GUARD YOUR EYES FORUM.

The posuk is telling us that those who were COMPLETE 'givers' were able to come together with the women. Vayovo'u ho'anoshim al hanoshim, but only kol n'div leiv. The rest of klal yisroel is mentioned in the following pesukim:

• V'chol ish asher heinif...


• V'chol ish asher nimtza itto...


• V'chol isha chachmas leiv b'yadeihu tovu...


• V'chol hanoshim asher nasah libon osanu b'chochma

Parshas Pekudei:

Vayraki es pachei zahav v'kitzeitz pesulim la'asos b'toch hatecheles ubetoch ha'argomon ubetoch tola'as hashoni ubetoch hasheish ma'asei chosheiv. _(39:3)

As is discussed extensively in other threads of the GUARD YOUR EYES forum, we cannot expect to have everything in life perfect, rosy and beautiful. A yid must always look for the good that Hashem showers upon us in every detail of our lives.

The bigdei kehuna were not made out of big chunks of gold, rather the gold was spread out and cut into many thin strands. Those strands of gold/goodness are woven into the tapestry of life. Some gold can be found woven in the techeles, there are strands in the argomon. The tola'as shani glistenes with gold, and the sheish incorporates it too. It is all ma'asei choshev, a matter of giving it enough thought. We must constantly keep things in their proper perspective.

Parshas Vayakhel

bardichev wrote on 05 Mar 2010 07:43:


We can carry this point into Parshas Vayakhel too.

Rashi says yesh m'raboseinu omrim havarah l'lav yotzo, v'yesh omrim l'chalek yotzo.

When the fire of the Yetzer Hora starts burning in a person, (Think: Noora Bei Amram) Some of our great Rabbis can just say "NO!" to the 'fire'. Others, including us, have to split with him, "Not today, but tomorrow I"ll give in to you." Just keep saying this every day!

Parshas Vayakhel - Pikudei:

We find a similar episode in both parshiyos, lets try to see where they deffer.

In Parshas Vayakhel _(35:27) the Torah states that the Nesi'im brought the avnei shoham & avnei melu'im and Rashi explains that they didn't donate anything at first saying "Let everybody else bring whatever they want and we will fill in the gaps. We will give whatever will still be necessary." K'lal Yisroel brought evrything, so Hashem gave the Nesi'im the chance to bring these gemstones. [The gemstones fell for them together with the Manna.] Due to their lateness in donating they lost a letter in the Torah, the word V'hanisi'im is written missing a yud.

In Parshas Pikudei _(39:33) Rashi says that because Moshe Rabbeinu didn't participate in the making of the Mishkan, Hashem left for him its erection.

Why were the Nesi'im punished while we do not find any 'complaints' or consequences for Moshe's not participating?

Rashi says about the Nesi'im, "Ul'fi shenisatzlu m'techilah," - they were lazy in the beginning. The Torah is teaching us to look deep inside ourselves. They made a very magnanimous offer, but what was the inner source of their offer? What made them decide to make such an unlimited offer? The root was in laziness. There was a good result, but from the wrong origin. Therefore they made sure to be the first donors at the Chanukas Hamizbei'ach.

While we cannot claim to understand an iota of those great Tzadikim, we must learn a lesson from what the Torah is teaching us.

We must concentrate at bettering the reasons behind our reasoning. Lapesach chatos roiveitz, the Yetzer Horah is at the beginning of things. Once he gets the ball rolling, it may oftentimes be too late to stop. We must stay ahead of him.

Parshas Devarim:

Nefesh ki simol ma'al - If someone will switch that which is meant for use in the greatest holiness to the OTHER SIDE, v'chatah bishgaga - and he will start sinning unintentionally, this sin will come to him almost automatically, Mikadshei Hashem - rather than using his energies for holiness.....

The solution is: V'heivi ess ashamo lashem - GIVE UP AND GIVE GOD!!!!!! Leave your nisyonos to Hashem! Ilemamlei Hakodosh Boruch Hu ozer lo, lo yachil lo!!! Bring your sins and Yetzer Horah and drop them at Hashem's doorstep! Let Him take care of them!!!!

Parshas Vayikra:

In the Gemoro in Sanhedrin _(26:) Rav Nachman states that even though someone who commited a sin is disqualified from serving as a witness, the aveiro of aroyos is not as stringent. Tosafos explains that even though the general rule is that a mumar leta'ovin is considered a sinner, the aveiro of aroyos is different. This aveiro has such a big Yetzer Horah that we cannot condemn someone as easily over a slip in this area.

This may be alluded to in this week's parsha: V'im kol adas yisroel yishgu - if a whole generation of k'lal yisroel may stumble [due to the accessibilty of the internet], V'nelam davar mei'einei hakahal - because nobody sees and knows exactly what I am doing online, V'osu achas mikol mitzvos Hashem asher lo sei'asenu - and that will bring the one aveiro which we should not be doing [Hz"l is the WORST aveiro], V'asheimu. V'noda'a hachatos asher chotu alei'ah - even when we realize that we reached rock-bottom, V'hikrivo hakahal - he can still be included amongst the Jewish People.

(An alternative Pshat is: The community of GYE will bring him closer!!!!!!)

Rosh Chodesh Nissan:

Yachol m'rosh chodesh - that is not just a question out if the blue. There must be some aspect where WE CAN start on Rosh Chodesh!!!!

The Bnei Yissaschar in his Sefer Agra D'kalla explains that the essence of the whole month is encompassed in the one day of Rosh Chodesh.
.....And for all those Non-Chasidim reading this, Rashi in Ta'anis _(29.) comments on the words of the gemoroh "Mishenechnas adar marbin besimcha", That these were days of Miracles for Yisroel, the miracles of PURIM and PESACH! The WHOLE MONTH of Nissan is marbim besimcha because of the miracles of the month!

The possuk says: Hachodesh hazeh lachem rosh chadoshim - This month shall be to you THE MAIN RENEWAL! Today is a great time to start fresh. For those of us who are well on our way, today is a day to refresh our batteries, refresh our minds, and refresh our RESOLVE!

Parshas Vayikra:

Ki kol se'or v'chol d'vash lo saktiru mimenu ishe laShem_(2:11) - A person should not use artificial sweeteners and leaveners, or any other external boosts, in his avodas Hashem (i.e. It is not the clothes that make the man. Jewish looking clothes don't automatically turn someone into a good jew.) Do not rely on external factors.

BUT.... Korban reishis takrivu osam laShem - When we are still starting out on our journey (If you are reading this forum, you are still included in this category!) we need all the help we can get. They are necessary to get the ship moving.


[i]Al kol korboncho takriv melach[/i] - All korbonos, even the avodas Hashem of the later stages, will need external preservatives. Gedarim v'seyagim are needed by EVERYONE! Anyone can slip! Al ta'amin b'atzmacha ad yom moscha! ]

Parshas Vayikra:

Included among the species used for Ketoros is Chelbana, a spice that give off a bad scent. Rashi comment _{(Shmos 30:34)} that this is to teach us not belittle in our eyes the inclusion of Poshei Yisroel in our gatherings for fasting and prayer.

Whoever learns this must wonder, shouldn't we be afraid that their presence may detract from Hashem's accepting our prayers? V'od kasha, if they are Poshei Yisroel, what benefit can their be to us, that Hashem is teaching us to include them? Why do they want to come to the tzibur in the first place?

We may try to understand somewhat with a Rashi in Vayikra _(1:17), an Olas Ha'off, a bird, is sacrificed and burned on the Mizbei'ach together with its wings & feathers even though they emit a disgusting smell as they burn. Why did the Torah command us to burn it? So that the Mizbei'ach should be sated and beautified with the korban of an Ani.

The ani is an euphemism for a Ba'al Aveira with few merits, Ein ani ela b'da'as. When a Ba'al Aveira decides to do something for Hashem's sake, even if it something small, Hashem loves and treasures that. This is what Hashem wants on his Mizbei'ach!

If this is what gives Hashem nachas, isn't this the best we can do by including him with our tefilos?!?!

Hagadah Shel Pesach:

V'hi she'amdah.... b'chol dor v'dor omdim aleinu lechaloiseinu v'hakodosh boruch hu ma'tzileinu mi'yadam.

There is no omed aleinu lechaloseinu, no one is conniving and scheming our downfall like the Yetzer Horah. The gemoro says in Sukkah that the Yetzer Horah first comes to person and seduces him to an aveirah, then he goes up to Hashem and bears witness against his victim. When a judgement is decreed on the sinner, it is the Yetzer Horah/Malach hamveis that carries it out.

Ilemoleh Hakodosh boruch hu oizer lo, lo yachol lo! Hakadosh boruch hu matzileinu miyadam!

Parshas Tzav:

Ein tzav ela lashon ziruz, miyad uledoros (Rashi)

When a person wants to make a ziruz ledoros, take it step by step. Work on one day at a time. Let today be a good day. Today we work on ziruz miyad, it will affect l'doros

Yetzias Mitzraim:

K'ma'aseh eretz mitzraim asher yishavtem bah lo sa'aseh, like the deeds of mitzraim that you dwelt in them (in the deeds), do not do. _{(Achrei 18:3)}

But you may ask, how can we say that we were dwelling in the same deeds as the Mitzriem, they were shtufei zimah, they would kill a man & grab his wife (as we find Pharoh told Avraham Avinu _{(Lech lecha 12:19)}), but K'lal Yisroel was pure. Achas hoisah upirsemah hakasiv _{(Emor 24:11)}??

A person can sit in the privacy of his own home and through the internet he can have many different ones. All without 'doing' anything wrong. He can pat himself on the back, thinking that he is a good boy after all, while in reality he is doing nothing less than Maa'seh eretz mistzraim, Rachmana litzlan!

Geula MiMitzraim:

In the brocho prior to shmona esrei we say every morning: Mimitzraim gualtanu Hashem Elokeinu, mibeis avodim p'disanu, kol bechoreihem haragta, ubechorcha ge'alta, v'yam suf bakatah, v'zeidim tibata, v'didim he'evarta,.... They all are in chronological order.

Why is mimitzraim ge'altanu before mibeis avadim p'disanu? If we were still in the beis avadim, to what is the Geula referring to?

The obvious answer is that even while still working in Mitzraim, there was already a Geulah! When Moshe Rabeinu told Klal Yisroel the message from Hashem, Vaya'amen ha'am! Vayikdu Vayishtachavu!!!!_{(Shmos 4:31)} They had Hashem on their team! They still had work to do, but with an end on the horizon!

The torah is for all generations, including our lowly one. We may be not yet be free from our personal mitzraim. We may still be in the vicious cycle of slips and slides. The Yetzer Horah may still be standing over us with a whip. But we are free men. As soon as Rabeinu Guard announced that there is hope, there is a way out, we see the end on the horizon. It may be a distant horizon, but it is there and it is achievable. WE ARE HASHEM"S NATION!    Starting NOW!!! The Geulah was already; it was the day we came to GUARD YOUR EYES .ORG.

K'riyas Yam Suf:

Vayikach Moshe es atzmos Yosef imo ki hashbei'a hishbi'a es Bnei Yisroel _{(Beshalach 13:19)}

Moshe took the atzmius, the essence of Yosef. The midah of Yosef, Midas Yesod, shmiras habris.

Hashbei'a hishbi'a can be read as loshon of Sova. Eiver koton yesh be'adam, masbio ra'av, marivo sava _(Sukkah) Immediately upon entering Mitzraim that was the avoda of Yosef, that is what K'lal Yisroel was holy in the whole time that they were in Mitzraim [i]Achas hoisa upirsama hakasiv[/i]]. When K'lal Yisroel left Mitzraim, they took those lesson along with them.

Hayam ra'ah vayonos - mah ra'ah? Arono shel Yosef ra'ah. _(Midrash). Was the sea afraid of a wooden box (or was it copper?) containing a mummy? It was afraid of the kedusha of Yosef! K'lal Yisroel was carrying Yosef's kedusha boxed up in their hearts & minds!

The gemoro says (Where???) that whoever touches his ever with his hand is as if he brought a Mobil, flood, to the world. If a breach in this matter brings a Great Flood and destroys the world, than someone who is strong in this matter can enter the wild sea and he will come to no harm. All the waters of the world cannot destroy him. The yam saw K'lal Yisroel as a great and HOLY nation. They were pure & clean. The sea fled!

Isru chag:

Amar Reb Yosi, Yetzer Horah batchila domeh l'chut shel buchiya ulebesof domeh k'avosos ho'agoloh shenemar _{(Yeshaya 5)} hoy moshchei ha'avon bechavlei shav uke'avosos ho'agalah chato'oh! The Yetzer Horah starts out as thin as a spider web and slowly gather strength until he as thick as the ropes that pull the wagons. _{(Sukkah 52:)}

Isru chag b'avosim, we must harness the powers of Yom Tov even against the strongest, thickest, toughest nisyonos that he may put in our path!