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Dear Naaleh Friend,
This week's featured
Naaleh.com class is from the Torah series
Chassidut on the Parsha. The class,
Parshat Yitro: Leaving Refidim, Coming to Sinai is taught by
Rabbi Hershel Reichman.
In his discussion on this week's parsha, Parshat Yitro, Rabbi Reichman examines the Jewish people's lack of self-confidence at Refidim, as well as their method of overcoming the depressed feelings by thinking of the bright future. This Torah class is available now
by clicking on the image below:
This week's Torat Imecha Parsha Newsletter on Parshat Yitro is now available below. Click here for the printer friendly version. Be sure to visit the homepage as well, for many more inspiring Torah classes!
Shabbat Shalom!
-Ashley Klapper and the
Naaleh Crew
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Q&A Series by Dayan Shlomo
Based on a Naaleh.com
Question:
Joey was in the middle of doing some home repairs when he suddenly needed a drill. He went to his neighbor Danny to borrow one. He saw the drill lying outside. Since Danny always let him use his tools, Joey thought it would be ok to borrow the drill without permission for a short while. While Joey was drilling, the drill stopped working. He went back to Danny and told him what happened. Danny took the drill to a repair shop and the repairman told him that a critical component of the drill had broken due to normal wear and tear and it wasn't worth repairing. Does Joey have to pay for damages?
Answer:
According to
halacha
, a borrower is responsible for all damage that happen to the item while it's in his possession except for damage that occurs due to normal use. However, if the borrower receives an item from the lender that wasn't fit for use to begin with, he cannot be held responsible. There's an argument among the Rosh and the Rambam regarding extraordinary situations. For example, what happens if a bolt of lightning hits the item while the borrower was using it. According to the Rambam the borrower would be exempt. According to the Rosh he would be responsible.
A thief, though, is always responsible for damages even for extraordinary circumstances.
In this situation, Joey is considered a thief as he did not have permission from Danny to borrow the drill. If he can't return the property in the same condition he took it, he has to pay its monetary value at the time it was stolen. In this case, although the drill broke because of normal wear and tear, since Joey is considered a thief, he would be responsible to pay the full value of the drill at the time he took it.
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Emunah Explored: Parsht Yitro
Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Mrs. Shira Smiles
The most awe inspiring words ever heard on earth were undoubtedly the first of the Ten Utterances, "I am the Lord your God." There is disagreement among our Sages whether this is an actual command or a general statement of belief. The words themselves are not in the imperative voice but in the declarative voice. In either case, whether to believe is a
mitzvah
in its own right as the
Rambam
states, or that it is a statement and fundamental prerequisite to
mitzvah
observance as the
Bahag
writes, all agree that it is necessary to nurture this belief in Hashem and strengthen it throughout one's life.
Rabbi Wolfson discusses two different kinds of knowledge, acquired knowledge and hereditary knowledge. Acquired knowledge involves reading, studying, and using different intellectual tools as we learn. This knowledge cannot be transmitted. However hereditary knowledge is knowledge we are born with transmitted through the very genes of our DNA. Knowledge of Hashem falls into both these categories. Everyone has the ability to arrive at the belief in the Creator through simple observance of his own body or just by observing the world. This is why even gentiles are required to develop a belief in the Creator. But Jews have an added dimension -- our belief is in our genes, transmitted from the DNA of our patriarch Avraham. Therefore the Torah does not have to command us to believe in Hashem, as it is already a part of who we are. The knowledge may be ignored or buried, but it is not lost. All a Jew needs to do is remember it, not recreate it, and it springs alive again.
A Jew needs to nurture this
emunah
by giving it the spiritual food of mitzvah observance and avoiding the harmful spiritual foods of sins. The Ozharover Rebbe points out that the
Rambam
lists the
mitzvah
as "to know G-d" rather than "to believe in G-d." We have to let that voice come out of captivity and develop it.
The
Netivot Shalom
notes that one of the questions our soul will be asked in the next world
is, "
Nasatah venatatah be'emunah
- Did you handle your business in good faith?" The Netivot Shalom interprets this to mean, "Was belief (in God) the business of your life?" Did you work on making
emunah
a part of you? Rabbi Wolbe teaches, when our children see and hear us making
berachot
, they realize we are talking to Someone they cannot see, yet Who must exist if their parents are talking to Him, and their faith begins to sprout.
Rabbi Schwab explains that having faith is not a matter of yes or no, but rather a matter of degree. Our innate faith should be as simple as extending a small loan to someone. But we must still nurture its growth by putting it into action, by reviewing and meditating on the 13 principles of faith daily and making it a part of our very being.
Rabbi Dessler suggests five steps to working on
emunah
. First, make Hashem an automatic presence in your life by davening and getting into the habit of saying, "
Im yirtze Hashem, Boruch Hashem
," and other similar phrases on a regular basis. Next, do some introspection so that you feel Hashem's presence in your life.
Rav Yechezkel Levenstein suggests keeping a
Boruch Hashem
journal of the daily
chessed
we recognize receiving from Hashem. Write down positive experiences, positive feelings, nurture gratefulness, and you will come to a sense of faith in Hashem's goodness. In a similar vein, Rabbi Solomon tells us to discuss the good things that happen in our family and let our children hear us thanking Hashem for His bounty. If we train them at a young age, their belief will be natural and will remain with them forever.
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The Covenant
Based on a
Naaleh.com shiur by Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller
We write our own history through our choices. Hashem tells us repeatedly in the Torah that He will respond according to our deeds. If we abandon Hashem, He will distance Himself. If we draw close to Him, He will draw closer to us.
In the period before the redemption the suffering will be so profound it will seem as if the world has gone mad. It will be difficult to perceive Hashem. The redemption will be sudden, analogous to what happened to Yosef when he saw he had been forgotten by the cupbearer. At that moment, Pharaoh's advisors appeared to release him.
The Nefesh Hachaim explains that a
mitzvah
and an
aveirah
are its own reward and punishment. The effect of a
mitzvah
bonds a Jew to Hashem, while a sin cuts him off. Hashem says, "Behold I place before you life and death." A person who is caught up in taking is stuck in the root of sin. The desire for power leads to destruction. The opposite of this is giving and benefiting others. When a person keeps
mitzvot
and serves Hashem with love he is in a continuous state of giving to Hashem and the world.
All the blessings and curses in the Torah are Hashem's way of letting us experience the consequences of the choices we make. In Parshas B'chukotai, Hashem says he will give us the blessing of rain in its time, when people are indoors at night. True blessing is when it's good for everyone. A person who keeps
mitzvot
fully deserves complete blessings. When the redemption will come there won't even be any barren trees. All of creation will live up to its fullest potential.
"You'll eat your bread to satisfaction." The people won't need more than a little to feel satiated.
They will feel secure in their land. There will be no reason for war. The Rambam says peace will reign over the land. In the mystic sense,
eretz
is connected to
malchut
. If I'm a sovereign over myself I can dedicate all I have to Hashem. Hashem empowers us to create our journey.
"Five of you will chase away one hundred and one hundred will chase one thousand." Torah will give us victory, not our own strength.
Oftentimes a person will do
teshuva
but traces of the sin will remain. Hashem will cleanse us without leaving any remnant. He will take away our subconscious attraction to evil. "I will walk among you." We'll attain the level of holiness of Adam before the sin.
We are told what will happen if we move away from Hashem. We'll be stricken by our enemies who will oppress us. We'll escape even when no one is running after us. Hashem will afflict us because of our sins. If one doesn't seek Hashem, one will not find Him and other things will draw us instead. But He won't let us fall completely. The punishments are meant to bring us back.
The reason for Hashem's concealment is to bring revelation. If we do
teshuva
we'll merit to perceive Hashem's glory. And if we don't, we'll see Hashem's justice and accountability. We'll fall so low that we'll feel a revulsion that will cause us to change. The "Off the Derech" movement has triggered a revolution in education and parenting which may not have taken place without it. We see this played out in society too. If things get out of hand new laws are enacted. Sin desensitizes us so that people slowly slide down. If evil is allowed to go to its very end it will peter out. People will come to realize that what they thought brought them fulfillment didn't. There's always some good within us that remains. Our inner holy spark will impel us to return.
From this perspective we can understand that
Mashiach
will only come in a generation that's completely meritorious or completely guilty. Kant defined good as what a person can do without it ever reaching a point of disgust and escape. Evil is contradicting yourself. If everyone does evil there will be so many inner contradictions that society won't be able to handle it. They'll move away from it. This is what happened with Communism.
Mashiach
will come when we will fall to a point where there will be nothing left to believe in. Forced to abandon materialism, we will be impelled to search for spiritual meaning and purpose.
The
Amoraim
said, let the pangs of
Mashiach
come but let us not be there to experience it. How then are we at our puny level expected to withstand it? The same question could be asked about Adam who failed in
Gan Eden
. Why was he sent out to the world where he'd surely fail? Through working through his challenges, a person rediscovers himself. Adam needed rediscovery. Similarly we need to see all the establishments torn away so we can rediscover ourselves. This should prompt us to yearn for
geulah,
serve Hashem, feel responsible for others, and to know our destiny and that of our fellow Jews. Together we will uplift the world and bring it to its purpose.
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| Parshat Yitro: Altar Analysis Mrs. Chana Prero |
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| Equal Treatment Of KidsRabbi Hershel Reichman |
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