Pirkei Avos

Follow the leader

, . , - , . "Hillel and Shammai received the transmission from them [the previous generation of scholars]. Hillel said: Be of the students of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving people and bringing them closer to Torah." This Mishna advises us to follow in the footsteps of Aharon in the matters which Aharon is famed for: loving and pursuing peace. It was a great attribute of righteousness that Aharon, the Kohen Gadol who was mainly concerned with the ritual life of the Jewish people, was also very involved in the day to day interpersonal relationships and the troubles of the people he helped lead through the wilderness. However, a further examination of Aharons character will enlighten us as to what it was about Aharon which enabled him to be such a successful negotiator of peace. We are told in the Mishna that Aharon was one of the greatest Kiruv Rabbis in Tanach, he loved people and brought them closer to the Torah. The Lev Simcha explains that for Aharon, bringing people closer to Torah was not simply about teaching them the fundamentals of Judaism and then leaving them to their own devices, he specifically brought them closer to their own portion of the Torah. The Lev Simcha understood this from the Passuk vten chelkenu bToratecha - each Jew has an individual role and segment of the Torah which belongs to them. Since the Torah is the Jewish persons guidebook for life, this means that for a Jew to truly achieve his potential he must acquire his particular portion of the Torah. Delving further still into the depth of Aharons character, we find that Aharon found joy in doing nothing more than bringing people closer to achieving their potential. In Parashat Shemot, Moshe complains to Hashem that he is unfit to lead the Jewish people out of Egypt due to his speech impediment. Fortunately, Aharon comes to meet Moshe. Hashem tells Moshe that Aharon will be Moshes mouthpiece in Egypt enabling Moshe to lead the people out of their bondage. The Passuk tells us that it would bring joy to Aharons heart to help Moshe. The Mussaf Rashi explains that the phrase coming out to meet Moshe means that Aharon was in a mind-set of immense joy that he was able to help Moshe achieve his personal role in life and to reach his full potential. We see that not only was Aharon an exceptional leader who loved all those he led, not only was he a compassionate pursuer of peace, but he was also a phenomenal teacher who was able to bring the best out of those he led. The Mishna earlier in this Perek commands us to Make for yourself a Rav, someone to guide us down lifes winding roads and to advise us in lifes difficult situations. Here it seems that by Hillel telling us to be like Aharon, he is commanding us to become people, friends, and spouses who can bring the best out of those around us. This is no easy task; it is an emotional rollercoaster to fully give of oneself to help another reach their potential. But there is a lesson we can learn from Aharon, if we go about helping others bsimcha and we constantly remind ourselves of the good we are doing, no task is too great and no mountain too high to climb. Above all we must remember that if you believe in yourself, the world will believe in you.

The Hasmonean High School Weekly Sedra Sheet

Dvar Torah

Living Torah
Issue No: Shabbos In: Shabbos Out:

28th January 2012

392 16:25 17:36

Banishing the chametz from within

"But on the first day you shall eliminate Chametz (leaven) If one is always seeking approval from others, whether it be from your homes" - Shemos 12:15 exam result, phone model, social affiliation; then they remain a slave. They won't achieve happiness or freedom unless one In this week's Parsha, we read about the prohibitions of Cha- shifts their focus to the soul's inner goals. Let us look back to metz on Pesach. chametz. What is it? Its dough. But why does it rise? Can dough rise by itself? For what reason does the Torah command us to actually actively destroy all chametz that is in our homes? Whilst it is Anyone who has ever attempted baking, whether in food-tech perfectly logical to have to eat Matzah, the bread of affliction or at home, knows that a substance is needed to make the that recalls our hurried escape from Egyptian servitude, why is dough rise, yeast. The addition of yeast to the dough makes there also a need to declare our homes a chametz-free zone? the natural properties and characteristics change drastically. How does this elimination of chametz relate to the essence of Pesach: freedom and independence? When the Torah instructs us to clear the house of chametz; this symbolises the removal of all the foreign influences and The Lubavitcher Rebbe says that when one wants to improve restraints that act as barriers to us realising our spiritual aspiin any aspect, the natural reaction is to simply do more and rations. These two levels of independence, the physical and more good. However, one needs to first remove the bad spiritual - exist on both the individual as well as the national before one adds any good. An example of this is building a level. Freedom is only achieved through the removal of both house. One can't simply start laying bricks from the ground being a slave physically - having to serve a foreign people; or up. Rather one must build strong foundations, and only then being a slave spiritually - being enslaved by foreign culture. can the house be built and last for an extended period of time. Exactly the same thing applies when we attempt to build Therefore, the greatest challenge to Yetzias Mitzrayim in the ourselves. last moments was these foreign forces. Would the Bnei Yisrael succeed in achieving both physical and spiritual freedom? To Thus says Rav Kook, when we seek to attain absolute freedom commemorate both freedoms being achieved, the chag of there are two stages. First of all, one needs to be physically Pesach requires us to remove all things foreign that can act as independent of all foreign subjugation. But only with the chametz to us. second stage comes complete freedom. This is freedom of the spirit. The soul is not free if it is subjected to external demands In today's day and age, where we are in the footsteps of that prevent it from following the path of its inner truth. Moshiach - Ikva DeMeshicha - we have to purify ourselves from these foreign influences. Just as a smoker realises that What is the difference between a slave and a free man? every cigarette adds additional damage to their health; we Is it simply the social standing? Clearly not. There could be a must realise that in the age before Moshaich, we need to look slave who is in essence a free man; and a free man who is like after out spiritual health. We should not only immerse oura slave. selves in the mikveh, but also allow the mikveh to immerse in us. So how then, do we attain absolute freedom? The Jewish people left Egypt and not long after, received the Freedom comes with we are able to be true to our inner self, Torah. As is taught in Pirkei Avos (6:2) regarding the Luchos: to the Tzelem Elokim - the image of Hashem. Only after that Don't read as meaning engraved, rather read it as can we break through the many barriers that separate us from meaning freedom. this realisation of our inner goodness, whether it be through negative use of one's time or technology, or other matters, Thus it is only through using the Torah as our guide, we can we can go from being slaves to being happy and free people. become truly free. Yoel Lax - Yeshivat Or Etzion - Founder of Judaism 4 U

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Story

Dvar Torah

The master key

One year, The Baal Shem Tov said to Rabbi Zeev Kitzes, one of his main Taalmidim: You will blow the shofar for us this Rosh Hashanah. I want you to study all the kavanos that are included in the blowing of the shofar, so that you should have proper thoughts when you blow the Shofar. Rabbi Zeev applied himself to the task with joy and trepidation: joy over the great privilege that had been accorded him, and trepidation over the immensity of the responsibility. He studied all Meforshim on the meaning behind the shofar blowing, including all Kabbalistic writings that discuss the significance of the shofar and what its sounds achieve on the various levels of reality and in the various chambers of the soul. Most importantly, he also prepared a sheet of paper on which he noted the main points of each kavanah, so that he could refer to them when he blew the shofar. Finally, the great moment arrived. It was the morning of Rosh Hashanah, and Rabbi Zeev stood by the Bimah in the center of the Shul amidst the many Sifrei Torah, and surrounded by the solemn faced community, all engrossed in prayer. At his table in the corner of the room stood his Rebbe, the Baal Shem Tov, his face conveying the severity of the day. An awed silence filled the room in anticipation of the climax of the daythe piercing blasts of the shofar. membered placing it there that morning, but now it was gone. Furiously, he searched his memory for what he had learned, but his distress over the lost notes seemed to have made him forget everything: his mind was a total blank. Tears of frustration filled his eyes. He had disappointed his Rebbe who had entrusted him with this most sacred task. Now he must blow the shofar like a simple horn, without any kavanos. With a despairing heart, Rabbi Zeev blew the Shofar and, avoiding his Rebbe's eye, resumed his place. At the conclusion of the days prayers, the Baal Shem Tov made his way to the corner where Rabbi Zeev sat sobbing under his tallis. Gut Yom Tov, Reb Zeev! he called. That was a most extraordinary shofar-blowing we heard today! But Rebbe . . . I . . . In the kings palace, said the Baal Shem Tov, there are many gates and doors, leading to many halls and chambers. The palace-keepers have great rings holding many keys, each of which opens a different door. But there is one key that fits all the locks, a master key that opens all the doors.

secrets of the makkos

In Parshas Bo we conclude the Makkos, the ten plagues, in which Hashem punished the Egyptians - and Pharaoh in particular - for enslaving the Bnei Yisroel for 20 years. One might ask, why not go straight to Makkas Bechoros? If the whole purpose of the Makkos was to free the Bnei Yisroel, it would have been quicker and more dramatic to engineer their release as a result of one enormous event such as the killing of the firstborns. The wording of the Torah makes it clear that the Makkos had varying aims, and they were grouped separately with special objectives. Each of the Makkos was specially designed to challenge, and refute, a major part of the ideology of the pagan and militaristic empire which was the Mitzri kingdom of Pharaoh. Similarly, the gradual freeing of the Bnei Yisroel during the ten plagues is shown clearly through the Arba Kosos which we drink on seder night, corresponding to the four terms. Vehotzaisi, Vehitzalti, Vegoalti, Velokachti. Each of these terms shows a different stage in the development of the redemption of the Bnei Yisroel. In the first, Vehotzaisi, the Shibud slavery was reduced. After the second Vehitzalti, the slavery was removed completely; however they were still imprisoned in Mitzrayim. After the third, Vegoalti, they became a free people, however they lacked leadership from Hashem, which was supplied via the fourth term, Velokachti. We see clearly now that the events of the Yetzias Mitzrayim were not just a haphazard jumble of unrelated punishments which somehow got us to Har Sinai, but a modulated scheme of developing events planned and executed by the Almighty, Who shows His unlimited power and unlimited Chesed in a series of judgements and Makkos designed to reduce and wipe out the morale and the power of its Mitzri oppressor. If we now turn to the actual Makkos the last three of which were found in Parshas Bo, one can see a fascinating structure. The ten Makkos are split into three groups: Group 1: Dom, Tzefardaia and Kinim Group 2: Orov, Dever and Shechin Group 3: Borod, Arbeh, Choshech and Makkos Bechoros In the first two plagues Moshe warned Pharaoh, but the plague of lice occurs with no warning. Similarly in the next two groups, the first two are presented with a warning to Pharaoh, yet the third comes without a warning. The Ramban suggests that this is because, for the Makkos of lice, boils and darkness, there is no deathly threat to the Egyptians unlike the rest. The same pattern occurs when comparing the location of the plagues, the first two of each group occurred in the environment, whilst the third occurred on the body lice boils and the darkness, which restricted body movement. The three groups of Makkos are specifically designed to respond to Pharaoh's denials: In the first group before each Makko Hashem proclaims, "With this you shall know that I am the Lord" indicating that the plagues in group one are meant to counter Pharaohs denial of Hashems existence. In the second group G-d says That you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land. This specifies that the afflictions are designed to prove reality of divine providence. In the third Hashem Pronounces, and you may know that there is none like Me in all the land. These plagues demonstrate Hashems sovereignty over nature. The tenth and final Makko joins all three elements to there in one devastating blow. This explanation that the plagues are in fact grouped in threes now enables us to understand the famous saying of Rav Yehuda which we quote on seder night. He gave Simonim to the plagues, Dtzach (Group 1), Adash (Group 2), B'achav (Group 3). This is not just a memory aid, but a way of learning the whole meaning of the Eser Makkos and the Yad Hashem being made absolutely clear at the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim.

The kavanos are keys, each unlocking another door in our souls, each accessing another chamber in the supernal worlds. But there is one key that unlocks all Rabbi Zeev reached into his pocket, and his heart doors, that opens up for us the innermost chambers froze: the paper which had all his kavanos he wanted of the divine palace. That master key is a heart crying to bear in mind had disappeared! He distinctly re- out in despair.

Gematria of the Week:

When Moshe ends the Makka of Choshech, Pharaoh says in his frustration: ' - ' Go away with the ensuing threat that if Moshe came before him again, he would kill him. Many Mefarshim point out the irony in Pharaohs curse that he, the king himself, would go desperately searching for Moshe on the night of Makkas Bechoros. The Baal Haturim adds that Pharaoh, without knowing, prophesises the release of the Bnei Yisroel. He says that is equal in gematria with -on Pesach. Pharoah says to Moshe - ' - Go from me. When? On Pesach.

Riddle of the Week:

Two characters in Tanach: one's name makes him sound as though he's his own uncle, and the other's would have him appear to be his own grandfather. Who are they?

Answer to Last Weeks Riddle:

What is the shortest word in the Torah? The word is It is one letter, and appears in the book of Devarim 32:6. In most Chumashim the note in the . margin reads "Hey Rabasi, V'hee Teiva L'atzma" - "Large hey, and it is a word unto itself."