how to balance personal with the other

in last week parasha Yitro we read about Moshe Rabeinu going down from the Har Sinai to talk to Bnei Israel (Ex 19:14)

וַיֵּ֧רֶד מֹשֶׁ֛ה מִן־הָהָ֖ר אֶל־הָעָ֑ם וַיְקַדֵּשׁ֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם וַֽיְכַבְּס֖וּ שִׂמְלֹתָֽם׃ 

Moses came down from the mountain to the people and warned the people to stay pure, and they washed their clothes.

and Rashi comments that he went straight to talk to people and he didn;t stop to attend his own affairs.

מן ההר אל העם. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה מֹשֶׁה פוֹנֶה לַעֲסָקָיו, אֶלָּא מִן הָהָר – אֶל הָעָם (מכילתא): 

מן ההר אל העם [AND MOSES WENT DOWN] FROM THE MOUNTAIN UNTO THE PEOPLE —This tells us that Moses did not betake himself first to his personal concerns but went direct from the mountain to the people (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 19:14).

The natural question here is what affairs? What else was Moshe Rabeinu supposed to do? Check on the latest sports results?
Many commentators mention that he did not stop to pray. He was on such a high spiritual level coming down from Mount Sinai after talking to HaShm himself that it was the perfect time to pray and ask for almost anything. But no, Moshe Rabeinu went straight to the People of Israel to convey the message from HaShem.

I find this interesting and enlightening. I do not know about you but I have hard time balancing my spiritual well being and living in this world (family, wife, work and sometimes terrible weather, ...).

The way Moshe Rabbeinu behaved explains that there is no such a way as "balance" there is only one way to lead  your life - the correct way. Moshe Rabbeine did not stop and made a list of pros and cons of doing this or that he went straight to the people and did what he is supposed to.

Halacha tells us to violate Shabbat for various reasons, for example for pregnant women. Our story tells us we are NOT violating anything we are doing the right thing,

safek berachah l'hakel

every morning we say a blessing ... pokeach Ivrim, (... open eyes of the blind). there is a question if a blind person should recite this blessing.

There is a difference of opinions: one say should not say it, some say he should. There is a rule safek beracha l'hakel (if there is a doubt or disagreement regarding a rabbinically instituted blessing, the blessing should not be said). However, the opinion of the the Arizal is that everyone says all the blessings and we do not use safek beracha ... against the Arial.

btw, the same argument goes for deaf person and noten l'sichvei (when we hear rooster in the morning)

Chanukkah and Pesach: is there a connection?

There is a story about a tish held by Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Rimanov where he sat for few hours without saying a word (apparently it was not that unusual) and then he suggested to burn leftover oil from Chanukkah then doing blur chametz on ere pesach. And some follow this custom.

Natural question arrises: What is the connection between Chanukkah and Pesach?

In the Talmud - masechet Shabbat, there is a story on how Maccabeans  conquered Jerusalem and entered the Tample mount. Then they searched for oil for dedication of the Temple. (that is what the word Chanukkah means - dedication). The other time we search is on Pesach, when we search for chametz to burn as it is forbidden on Pesach to own any leavened products. Both times the Talmud used the word בדק :

hanukkah (Shabbat 21b):
  ...וכשגברה מלכות בית חשמונאי ונצחום בדקו ולא מצאו אלא פך אחד של שמן ...
pesach (pesachim 2a): .
..אור לארבעה עשר בודקין את החמץ 

It is explained that in our life we must search for two things - one to help us illuminate all around us and the other to destroy what stops us from illuminating/influencing and doing what we are supposed to in this world.

Chag Chanukkah Sameach


p.s. i'm not sure how the silence of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Rimanov is relevant to the explanation.

"lech lecha" was the first words to Avram

This week parasha Lech Lecha tells a story of HaShem commanding Avram to go to the Land that HaShem will show him. The Land of Canaan, the Land of Israel.

According to the midrash this is the first time that HaShem is speaking to Avram. We often say the most important things first and therefore it makes sense to infer that living in Eretz Israel is the most important thing HaShem wanted from Avram, from Avraham and all his descendants.

Did you know that in Bereshit Chava touched the forbidden tree?

In last week parasha Berashit we read how Chava was convinced by the snake to eat from the forbidden tree and we know what happened next.

There is an interesting midrash that re-tells the story differently:
Snake asks Chava about the tree.
Chaka tells him that if they eat or touch it they will surely die.
Upon hearing this the snake pushes Chava into the tree and she touches the tree and does not die. This convinces her that nothing would happen if she eats it.

The questions is why did Chava tell a lie about touching the tree? The midrash tells us that Adam made a sayag (a fence) around a mitzvah that he received. Adam was told not to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree and when he was telling Chava he made the very first mitzvah d'rabanan (maybe d'Adaman ??). Now because Chava did not distinguish between the d'orayta and d'rabanan she was convinced she would die if she touched the tree.

The moral of the story is that we should know what is d'orayta and what is d'rabanan. It is important for our everyday life as halachic Jews. And if Chava knew we would still be in Gan Eden.

teshuvah from gvura or from chesed

Yom Kippur is coming and it is appropriate to talk about teshuva - the act of repentence.

is yeshiva granted based on emet (truth) or cheesed (kindness). In other words, are we granted forgiveness because we deserve it or because haShem is kind and loves us and therefore forgives our wrongdoings?

Also, how can we change the decisions made on Rosh haShana? it is written and sealed and licked and posted. Rambam explains that our prayers change something because WE DO CHANGE. This suggests that we are forgiven based on EMET (truth, judgment)

Blowing shofar for Rosh HaShanah and for Yovel

My friend told me during the holiday that when the temple stood the shofar was blown for two reasons - to announce Rosh haShanah and for Yovel.

The Yovel is a year after counting seven cycles of seven shmitah cycles. It symbolized freedom, it is the time when all property is returned to its original owners, when slaves are freed.
On the other hand Rosh haShanah is the day (or two) when we coronate G-d, when we declare that haShem is our King - Melech Malkei haMelakim.

What is the relation between these two uses of shofar?

And the answer is that only one that is free can decide to have a king.

This thought gives us a hint on how to daven (pray) on Rosh haShanah - we have to start with knowing that we are free men with free will and as such we want haShem to be our King and to serve him.