These Divrei Torah should be a Zechus L’Ilui Nishmas my mother Chaya Rochel Bas Dovid Tzvi (Hareini Kaparas Mishkavah), my sister Kayla Rus Bas Bunim Tuvia A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my paternal grandfather Moshe Ben Yosef A”H, my paternal grandmother Channah Freidel Bas Avraham A”H, my uncle Reuven Nachum Ben Moshe & my great aunt Rivkah Sorah Bas Zev Yehuda HaKohein,
They should also be in Zechus L’Refuah Shileimah for:
-My father Bunim Tuvia Ben Channa Freidel
-My grandmother Shulamis Bas Etta
-MY BROTHER: MENACHEM MENDEL SHLOMO BEN CHAYA ROCHEL
-Mordechai Shlomo Ben Sarah Tili
-Noam Shmuel Ben Simcha
_R’ Simcha Yitzchak Ben Mirela Yudka
-Chaya Rochel Ettel Bas Shulamis
-It should also be a Z’chus for an Aliyah of the holy Neshamos of HaRav HaGa’on V’Sar HaTorah Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Ben HaRav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky A”H, Dovid Avraham Ben Chiya Kehas—R’ Dovid Winiarz ZT”L, Miriam Liba Bas Aharon—Rebbetzin Weiss A”H, as well as the Neshamos of those whose lives were taken by terrorists (Hashem Yikom Damam), COVID-19, and other tragedies.
-It should also be a Z’chus for success for Tzaha”l as well as the rest of Am Yisrael, in Eretz Yisrael and in the Galus.
בס”ד
פרשת בהר
“The World is His”
פַּרְשַׁת בְּהַר teaches us about the laws of שְׁמִיטָה and יוֹבֵל.
שְׁמִיטָה is the 7th year when farmers may not work their fields and when all loans are canceled. יוֹבֵל is the 50th year when all Jewish slaves go free.
Question: What is the lesson of שְׁמִיטָה and יוֹבֵל? Why do we need both?
Answer: The lesson of שְׁמִיטָה is simple. The world and everything in it belongs to ה׳. That includes our money. That means that if we ever need anything, we have to rely on ה׳. Just like we stop working every 7 days on שַׁבָּת, we stop working the land every 7 years on שְׁמִיטָה and have faith that ה׳ will provide us our food.
יוֹבֵל takes this lesson to the next level. Not only does all of the land of the world belong to ה׳, but all the people of the world belong to ה׳. Every object and every person in the world is the property of ה׳.
That is why הַמֶלֶךְ דָּוִד wrote in תְּהִלִים,
לַה׳ הָאָרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ תֵּבֵל וְיֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ
“The earth belongs to Hashem, and so does everything that fills it; the world, and all who live in it.” [כד:א]
Everything that we think we own really belongs to ה׳. That means that a Jew cannot keep another Jew as a servant forever. All Jews are ה׳’s servants. We might feel like someone owes us money, but everything really belongs to ה׳.
When we are born, we are selfish and entitled. We complain because we think that the world owes us everything. But, we have train ourselves to realize that ה׳ gave us everything we have as a gift. That means that the world does not owe us anything. In fact, we owe the world to ה׳. Have a wonderful שַׁבָּת!
Rabbi Eisenberg, Grade 3
פרשת בחוקותי
“On the Derech”
פַּרְשַׁת בְּחֻקֹּתַי teaches us about the beautiful בְּרָכוֹת for those who keep ה׳’s תּוֹרָה and the terrible קְלָלוֹת for those who do not. Before listing the בְּרָכוֹת, the תּוֹרָה starts by saying:
אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְאֶת־מִצְוֹתַ֣י תִּשְׁמְר֔וּ וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָֽם
“If you walk in (or with) My decrees and keep My Mitzvot and you do them…”
Yes, ה׳ commands us to keep (ש.מ.ר) and do (ע.ש.ה) the מִצְווֹת. But, before that, He says that we should walk (ה.ל.ך/ה.ל.כ) “in” or “with” His חוּקִים .חוּקִים are decrees of ה׳ which we don’t understand.
Question: We know what it means to keep (ש.מ.ר) and do (ע.ש.ה) the מִצְווֹת. But, what does it mean to walk in or walk with ה׳’s decrees? If it means that ה׳ wants us to listen to them, the תּוֹרָה should just say that. Why does the תּוֹרָה use the שׁוֹרֶשׁ of walking (ה.ל.ך/ה.ל.כ)?
Answer: Of course, we have to keep the תּוֹרָה and מִצְווֹת. But, sometimes, we don’t understand the reason why ה׳ wants us to do something. But, even when we don’t understand, we still follow His decrees. The שׁוֹרֶשׁ of “ה.ל.כ” means to walk, but it also means to follow. We don’t just do what ה׳ says, but we follow Him and His תּוֹרָה all the time. That is why Jewish laws are referred to as הַלָכָה, because we must follow them and walk with them always.
In a way, ה׳ is like a tour guide and His תּוֹרָה is our map. Our job is to follow the tour guide, to follow the map. Not only is the תּוֹרָה our map, but it is our flashlight on the dark road. The תּוֹרָה path also has to be the road that we walk on wherever we go. And it is okay if we have questions. You’re allowed to ask questions on the tour. But, make sure you follow and don’t get lost. I give you, me, and everyone a blessing that we always walk on the דֶרֶךְ of תּוֹרָה.
Have a wonderful שַׁבָּת!
Rabbi Eisenberg, Grade 3