Parshas Sazria:


V'ra'ah Hakohen acharei hikabeis ess hanega v'hinei lo hafach hanega ess eino. _(13:55)

If, upon examination, even after he tried to cleanse himself of his blemish - his improper actions,

v'hinei lo hafach - he has not changed,

hanega ess eino - his defect is in his eyes!

If you do not Guard your Eyes you cannot be clean in your deeds!

Parshas Sazria:


Isha ki sazria v'yalda zachor.

Sazria = future tense; V'yalda = past tense?

There are two separate entities being born, a guf & a neshama, the body & the soul.
At the moment of inception the pregnancy of the child's body is still a matter of the future, but the neshama has already bean created. That is created during marital relations.

This creation of neshamos happens even if the woman doesn't become pregnant . This is referred to in the possuk "V'ess hanefesh asher assu b'Charan", even though Avraham & Sarah were childless, they 'created' many many holy nefashos!

Therefore, it is of utmost importance for the man to have holy & pure thoughts whilst creating these neshamos!

(Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh)



With the above I understand a bit more about the destructiveness of HZ"L. It is not just that those drops of zera that are going to waste 'could have been' a human being. If that were true, why would it be any different than having relations with your wife during the times when she cannot become pregnant (She is already pregnant, etc.)? Now I understand a bit better. As long as the zera is being emitted in its proper format, it creates holy neshamas [as meant to be], but if it is done in a manner of aveira...........



This may also be why it is a good idea to say the tefila of the Ramban prior to the mitzva even when she won't become pregnant now.

Parshas Metzora:


V'ish ki seitzei mimenu shichvas zara v'rachatz bamayim ess kal b'saro. _(15:16)

If someone is nichshal in HZ"L it is not just a minor isolated incident. His ENTIRE being needs a thorough cleansing. It is a sign that something greater is amiss.

Parshas Metzora:


Eis asher tasig yado ess ha'echad chatas v'ess ha'echad olah al hamincha v'chiper Hakohen al hamitaheir lifneu Hashem. Zos toras asher bo negga tzoraas asher sasig yado b'taharaso. (14:31,32)

The person who relies on his own ability, on where his own hand can reach, will sometimes sin & sometimes rise up.



If he comes to a Kohen for his recovery... He will purified! He will yet stand before God!

THIS is the what a person who has a blemish should do! He should know that he cannot rely on his own powers to attain recovery!



We cannot do it alone!      We NEED to be part of a group, to have someone show us the way. (i.e. a sponsor)

Chodesh Nissan:


Harav Aron Tzvi Rumpler Shlita]
[i]B'Nissan ngalu Ub'nissan asidin l'higael.[/i]

It doesn't say in Pesach we were redeemed, in Nissan! The ENTIRE month has the [i]ko'ach[/i]!

Moreover,
[i]B'Nissan [/i]can be translated wrote:


It is not a coincidence that Nissan is in the springtime, the time of starting afresh. It all happens BECAUSE of the powers inherent in Nissan!

(Imagine what would happen if we wouldn't have leap years. The plants would bloom in the cold winter days & freeze!)



But, the MAIN renewal is the hischadshus that is happening in US!!!!

We can be redeemed from OUR golus!

We can RENEW our connection to Hashem!

We can bloom & begin to grow again!

This is the most important aspect of the renewal powers of Nissan!

Hachodesh hazeh lachem rosh chadashim.

Hachodesh hazeh lachem - the renewal that is happening to you,
rosh chadashim. - that is the MAIN hischadshus!!!!

Parshas Acharei Mos:


Ani Hashem Elokeichem K'maasei Eretz Mitzraim asher yeshavtem bah lo saasu u'ch'maasei Eretz Cnaan asher ani meivi eschem shama lo saasu..... _(18:2-3)

The parsha of Arayos begins with the first few of the 12 Steps:

Ani Hashem - I am Hashem. I am the All-powerful One. You are powerless.  [Steps 1 & 2]

Elokeichem - I am YOUR God. I am here for you. I will help you....  [Step 3]

Eretz Mitzraim asher yeshavtem ba - you were there in the past. You maybe harboring resentments over the past.  [Step 4, Sheet 1]

Eretz Cnaan asher ani meivi eschem shama - You may have fears over what the future holds....  [Step 4, Sheet 2]

The rest of the parsha....  [Step 4, Sheet 3]

Pesach:


Mitchilah ovdei avodah zara hayu avoseinu v'achshav karvanu Hamokom la'avodaso. _{(Hagada Shel Pesach)}


Mitchilah ovdei avodah zara hayu avoseinu & what changed. Why/how are we different??

V'achshav karvanu Hamokom la'avodaso. Hashem brought us close to Him. It is NOT to our credit. Any Kirvas Elokim that we have is ENTIRELY because Hashem draws us close Him. HE allows us to serve Him!



When did this 'drawing close' take place?

V'achshav karvanu Hamokom la'avodaso. - NOW! At this present moment!

Each & every moment that we are close to Hashem is a gift from Him!

Parshas Emor:


Emor v'amarta, l'hazhir gedolim al hakatanim.


Those who hold themselves big over the lesser ones. Those who are haughty & arrogant, they are the ones who need to be warned. They are the ones who are constantly on edge of the cliff. Those are the ones who will easily succumb to the Yetzer Hora.


L'hazhir hagedolim. To cut down these gedolim.



The ketanim, the humble ones, those that do not have an inflated ego, are not in such danger of falling into the Yetzer Hora's net.

Parshas Kedoshim:


Kedoshim tiyhu.

Perushim tiyhu; Hevai perushim min h'arayos.

Perushim = separated.


The word 'separated' doesn't refer to two things which are created at two different places. Those were not 'separated'. Only things which were originally together & afterwards are being moved apart, that is the 'Act of Separating'.

Someone who has no connection to arayos whatsoever is not 'distancing' himself thereof. While the GYE guys who may still be struggling in a deadlock with the Yetzer Horah but are actively trying to get away from the junk are deservingly classified as Kedoshim!!!

Yehi ratzon milfencha.

Does this mean we are asking Hashem to fulfill the k'dei sheyaase retzoncha k'rtzono?

Or is it that we KNOW that Hashem wants to give all the good stuff to the world, but He is waiting for us to daven for it & appreciate Him. We are asking Him to fulfill His will!!!!


(Sounds like Dov Torah?!?!)

Parshas Emor:


V'ish ki yochal kodesh bishgaga...
V'hisiu osam avon ashma b'achlam ess kadsheihem. _(22:16)

The Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh explains that if they will not properly repay what they mistakenly ate, then it will be considered as if they ate itb'meizid - purposely!

We may try to hide behind the "addiction" label; to absolve ourselves from blame for our misdeeds, but that can only work if we properly utilize what is available to us here, on GYE, otherwise we may be considered negligent or even meizidim, R"L!!!

Parshas Emor:


Ki im l'sh'eiro hakarov eilav.
Ein sh'eiro ella ishto. (Rashi)


The Torah is teaching us that a wife ideally should be the CLOSEST person to ourselves!


Even closer than our fathers & mothers!

Parshas Behar:


Mah inyan Shemitta eitzel Har Sinai? To teach us that Hashem taught us EVERYTHING on Har Sinai. (Rashi)


Why is this lesson placed over here? Why was this specific Parsha chosen?

This parsha is about doing business with Emuna.

Parshas Behar is about recognizing that WE are not in control. Otherwise, how can we take a year-long sabbatical? How can we free our slaves? Return our purchases to their sellers? Avoid cheating in our deals - trying to 'pull the wool over their eyes'? All this can ONLY be done if we constantly remember that it is not our work(/job/employment/occupation/profession/You fill in the blank) that is bringing us parnassa & success, rather Hashem is the One who is doing it all.

The Rambam says that the root of all our Emuna comes from Hashem's revelation on Har Sinai.

Being taught on Har Sinai = Emuna Bashem.


This Parsha is where we need to learn this lesson.

We need to learn that ALL the details of our life, even the mundane, even when we are not in the Bais Hamedrash, we are in the midst of our workdays, kol pratteha v'dikdukeha, all the detail are from Hashem & in His direct control!!




Another point:

We need to know that kol pratteha v'dikdukeha ne'emru m'Sinai - every detail of the Halochos of Interpersonal Relationships were commanded by Hashem Himself, they are all of utmost importance!!

Parsha Behar:


Lo yirdeni b'farech l'ieinecha.


It ought not be an extremely difficult task to Guard Your Eyes.

If you are constantly struggling in an extreme manner, you are 'white-knuckling' it. That is NOT the ideal.......

Parshas Behar:


Ki li kol ha'aretz.
Al teira eincha bah, sh'eina shelach. _(Rashi)

If we know that everything belongs to Hashem, everything that happens is from Hashem, then.....

We have no need to damage our eyes!!!


We will not have all this discomfort, we won't seek to 'medicate'!









Sh'eina shelach - - - It is not YOUR problem!