This D’var Torah should be a Zechus L’Ilui Nishmas my sister, Kayla Rus Bas Bunim Tuvia A”H, my mother Chaya Rochel Bas Dovid Tzvi (Hareini Kaparas Mishkavah), 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,
It 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 כי תשא
“Behaving for the Substitute”
פַּרְשַׁת כִּי תִשָּׂא tells the story of one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. That is the story of the חֵטְא (sin) of the עֵגֶל הַזָהָב (Golden Calf). While מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ was up on הַר סִינַי receiving the from לוּחוֹת from ה׳, the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל were worshiping the עֵגֶל below.
Question: How could the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל make such a terrible mistake and turn their backs on ה׳?
Answer: The חַכָמִים taught that the שָׂטָן showed the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל a fake image of what looked like the dead body of מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, floating in the air. And because they thought he was gone, they lost control and tried to make a new “god” to lead them.
Question: But, if that is true, is it really the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל’s fault? The שָׂטָן tricked them! They thought מֹשֶׁה was dead! Of course they lost control!
Answer: It’s true that they were tricked by the שָׂטָן. But, מֹשֶׁה left the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל with a substitute! מֹשֶׁה told the בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל that his brother אַהַרֹן was in charge and that they should listen to whatever he says. But, instead of listening to אַהַרֹן and showing him respect, they lost control. Instead of respectfully asking אַהַרֹן what to do, they started yelling at him and telling him what to do! Even if the שָׂטָן tricked them, they should have not made that mistake.
We can’t just lose control when our regular Rabbis, parents, teachers aren’t looking. If we do, then have we really learned anything from them? We have to trust in what they say even when they are not there. That is because ה׳ is always watching. It shouldn’t matter who the substitute is. It shouldn’t matter who else is watching. Let us make our Rabbis, parents, teachers, and ה׳ proud. Have a wonderful שבת!
Rabbi Eisenberg, Grade 3