Parshas Tazria
Weekly Chizuk from the Shabbos Zemiros
By: ZemirosShabbos
Bemishna lechem vekidush raba.
Why is lechem mishna mentioned first if we make kiddush on wine beforehand? Mishna lechem can also be thought of as the word lechem twice, which is gimatria yosef. Through rectifying the inyan of yosef - yesod, we merit 'kidush raba' a great amount of kedusha. Tzemach Tzadik (viznitz)
Vera'a hakohen es hanega.
It is taught from this passuk by Rebbe Shlomo Karliner zy'a that when someone goes to a tzadik or a mentor, he should not present his best characteristics or good qualities. Rather, he should reveal his flaws and shortcomings, with the intent and hope that he can find succor for his ailing through the assistance and guidance of the tzadik.
Similiarly, when we open up to others, either in person, via phone, chat or even through the forum of GYE, there is no point in sugar coating what we have done. Minimizing or hiding our past mistakes and flaws only makes us feel better about ourselves, it doesn’t actually make us better. Only when we lay bare our flaws and seek help openly and honestly can we hope to make a real improvement to ourselves.
Journey Through Tehillim
By: TehillimZugger
Shabbos is the 27th of the month, Tehillim is 120-134. The fifteen "Shir hamaalos", the songs of the steps. [Doubtlessly some of you are disappointed not to find twelve steps, rather fifteen]. Midrash on chap. 134 tells us of the opinions of the Tannaim as to what Yaakov busied himself with while living in Lavan's home for twenty years. Some say he recited all of Tehillim, while others say it was these fifteen chapters that he said. We can’t be geonim like Yaakov Avinu, but it always pays to be a tehillim zugger. See also what we wrote last week about the tehillim authored by Moshe Rabbeinu, same applies to the words said by Yaakov Avinu.
120:5-7
אויה לי כי גרתי משך שכנתי עם אהלי קדר. רבת שכנה לה נפשי עם שונאי שלום. אני שלום וכי אדבר המה למלחמה -
Woe is to me for I have lived in Meshach I have dwelled in the tents of Kedar. For a long time my soul dwelt with those who hate peace. I am at peace, but when I speak, they come for war.
I used to look at life as a long road stretching endlessly before me. I was always desperate to skip over a substantial portion of it. Life can be long and tedious that way. Oyah li kee garty meshech - woe unto me if I live in a meshech, a stretch, or something which drags on endlessly. Rather I choose, shachanty im ohalei kedar - I live in tents of Bedouins; one day here one day there never dwelling on anything for too long. If rabas shuchna la nafshi, if my spirit rests too long, im sonei shalom, that is the biggest enemy to my serenity. Because left to my own devices, ani shalom. Intrinsically there is shalom in me, but I chase it away.
We can understand with this why David calls each of these songs "song of the steps". Each song belongs to but one step. While this is true, we need to remember that there is not just one step, there are many steps, but we need to take them one at a time.
121:1
שיר למעלות – Song to the ascents
All other songs here are המעלות-of the steps, this one is to the steps. This kapittel gives up directions to ascend. What are the directions? “Ezri mei'im hashem”: I must admit that I am powerless and recognize Hashem as my higher power. This is the way to begin ascending. [Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch]
122:1
שמחתי באומרים לי בית ה' נלך – I rejoiced when they said to me “Let’s go to the House of Hashem”
The Midrash [and Gemara] tells us that David knew that he would never see the temple built; only his son Shlomo would build it. Nevertheless, he said Somachti beomrim li beis hashem nelech. People of the time said, "When shall this old man die so that we may go to the House of Hashem". David heard them and rejoiced.
In his book the Rabbi and the Nuns, Rabbi Abraham J Twerski recounts a story of his youth. A young mother had undergone an extremely difficult pregnancy and was now watching her child die. She cried to the young Rabbi/Doctor, Rabbi, how can G-d allow this?! Rabbi Twerski could not answer her. Later, he went to his illustrious father the Rebbe of Hornosteipel/Milwaukee and told him that he's extremely bothered by what this woman said. She was right, how can G-d allow this?! His father asked him to reconsider. Are you genuinely bothered by this woman's plight, or are you bothered that in both your capacities, as a doctor and as a rabbi you had no way of helping her?
Sometimes we imagine that we have lofty goals and aspirations. But really it's all based on our own selfish interests. David Hamelech desperately wanted the House of Hashem to be nachon brosh harim – entrenched at the tops of the mountains. He couldn't care less whether it came to fruition through him or through his son.
123:1
אליך נשאתי את עיני – To You I raise my eyes.
We raise our eyes to you Hashem. I give up my right to use my eyes as I wish. I wish to see only what you allow me to see.
127:2
שוא לכם משכימי קום מאחרי שבת אוכלי לחם העצבים כן יתן לידידו שנא –
It is futile for you to arise early, those who sit late eating the bread of toil, so will He give to he who banishes sleep.
There are people who think it their duty to take care of themselves. They cannot sleep when faced with worry. The early morning finds them out of bed already and late at night they're still pacing with their worries.
We know that we're powerless and can accomplish nothing save for Hashem's grace. We have bitachon, but we know we must also do hishtadlus. When we do hishtadlus we know that in reality it is still the bitachon taking care of the problem, not the hishtadlus as it seems.
The thing that gives them unrest is the fact that they don’t see their powerlessness. Accepting our powerlessness gives us a chance to rest. When we note that we're fully powerless and see no hishtadlus available, we know that we can rely on bitachon to take care of us. Only then can we rest peacefully. [Rabbi Hirsch]
128:3-4
אשתך כגפן פוריה בירכתי ביתך בניך כשתילי זיתים סביב לשלחניך. הנה כי כן יבורך גבר –
Your wife will be fruitful like a vine in the innermost parts of your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, so will a man be blessed.
This is how a man should be blessed. We shouldn't bless someone to go on vacation, away from his haggling wife and cranky kids. The greatest blessing is to enjoy being tucked away quietly with your modest wife, watching your growing children.
130
שיר המעלות ממעמקים – Song of ascents, from the depths
On the steps or from the depths? When we are on the steps we must also remember the depths.
אם עונות תשמר י'ה י' מי יעמוד. כי עמך הסליחה למען תורא – If you keep our transgressions G-d, Hashem who can stand? For forgivness is with You, so that You will be feared.
You might think that Hashem has a special account waiting out for you and He's just waiting for the right time to swoop down and administer his revenge. Here's some news for you. You're not unique. Mi yaamod. There is no one in the world that doesn't deserve to be blasted to smithereens. Everyone has their own brand of aveiros and no one can claim to be a special rasha. Despite that Hashem waits for each and every one of us to repent and return, for forgiveness is with Him.
Weekly Chassidus
Chizuk from the weekly portion of the Tanya
By: Nitzotzeloki and skeptical
We previously explained that by doing mitzvos that require action and speech, we elevate our animal soul and body. This is because the person could not have done the mitzvah without his body and animal soul
Perek 38
According to what we have explained, we can now understand the halacha which states that hirhur (thinking) is not k'dibbur (speech), meaning, if a person thought Shema in his mind and heart alone even with full concentration, but did not say the words, he does not fulfill the mitzvah. Conversely, if a person only said the words and had no kavana he
does fulfill the mitzvah after the fact(except for the first bracha of Shema and the first bracha of Shemona Esrei). This is because the G-dly soul does not need to perfect itself but comes into the person’s body to perfect the body and animal soul. This is accomplished through the
action of the body (i.e., speech) Nevertheless, it is said that t'fillah without kavana is like a body without a soul.
All living things possess a body and a soul. Hashem gives life to both body and soul. Even inanimate objects have a G-dly life force preventing them from returning to nothingness, however you cannot compare the G-dly life force which sustains the body to the G-dly life force which sustains the soul. True, both are an equal light in the aspect of haster panim and the garments which clothe and conceal the light. In this world, both body and spirit are formed from the light of G-d which goes through concealments and descents until it clothes itself in Klipas Noga (the intermediary Klipa) which gives life first to all permissible matter, and then to those things which are not permissible.
That being said, the
illumination of G-d's light is not the same for all. In inanimate objects, G-d's light is found in unparalleled concealment. In the vegetable world, less so. In the animal kingdom there is even less than that, and even less by man.
Just as the illumination of G-d's light is different by each of these, so too is the illumination of G-d's light greater in a mitzvah with kavana than a mitzvah without. This is not because the man-generated attachment to G-d is greater than the attachment which comes from the mitzvah itself, rather because G-d's will is that mitzvos should be done with kavana.
Just as physical matter is split up into four categories (Mineral, Vegetable, Animal and Man), mitzvos and kavana are split up into four categories. Mitzvos are split into two: mitzvos that are performed through action, and mitzvos that are performed through thought or speech. Kavanos are split into two: one corresponding to the level of soul in the animal kingdom and one to the level of the soul in man.
A person, who is able to know G-d and reflect on His greatness, awakens a love and awe for G-d and a desire to connect with Him. This kavana corresponds to the soul of man, who possesses intelligence and free will.
The second level of kavana refers to people who don't have the capacity to reflect on the greatness of Hashem. His mitzvos are motivated by recalling the natural love and fear of Hashem, hidden in his heart, which is inherited from our forefathers. With this kavana he brings to conscious thought, his willingness to devote his life to the service of G-d.
This corresponds to the souls of an animal, as animals possess love and fear naturally, not as a product of understanding.