Nahar U'Pashtei Parshas Va'eirah

Equal to Moshe?

There is an age old lesson hidden in the pages of this week’s Parshah, one integral to Klal Yisroel’s mission in this world. The Torah tells us, These are Aharon and Moshe, to whom Hashem said, Take out the Bnei Yisroel from the land of Mitzrayim. Here the pasuk lists Aharon first, giving the impression that he was the greater of the two brothers. Rashi brings this to light, explaining that in different places throughout the Torah we find both Moshe and Aharon placed before the other. This is to teach us that Moshe and Aharon were in fact equal. We all learn this Rashi many times, but do we stop to think about it? How can Aharon possibly be compared to Moshe? Upon Moshe’s death the Torah bears witness that no one arose like him! And similarly, Moshe is branded humbler than any man, his greatness exceeding all others. Furthermore, Hashem described Moshe’s prophecy to be of a higher level that any other prophet. All this, aside from the fact that he was our shepherd that guided us out of Mitzrayim and prepared us to receive the Torah at Har Sinai, and he - only he - who transmitted the Torah to the nation. How can it be possible, then, that the Torah could say here that Aharon was Moshe’s equal? The answer is that we must always be cognizant that a person is judged not by his total accomplishments, but by how fully he clung to his individual mission and purpose, and how close he came to reaching his own potential. Hashem does not care who does the most or who is the best, but rather only if one accomplishes his given purpose. Aharon was not his brother’s equal in total achievements, true, but he ranked right there along with Moshe when it came to his own personal mission. Aharon was given a specific job to do by Hashem, with a unique set of skills tailored to fulfill that mission. He reached a level where he maximized his potential, earning him a place alongside the greatest of men. When a person uses the gifts Hashem gave him to serve to the best of his ability, he is as great as Moshe Rabbeinu himself! This lesson is meant to encourage us and spur us on. How comforting is it to know that we are not expected to be someone else, but rather only the best we can be? Each person is given a purpose to accomplish, and that is what Hashem asks of them. One never has to look beyond the strength he has, or wonder what could have been if only he had greater abilities, because when he does his best, he is by definition doing enough. Whatever skills one has, these are the skills he needs to maximize, and no others. Of course, one should always strive further and higher, but we must not be haunted with jealousy or despair born of these thoughts. There is no reason to look anywhere else. One must work to realize the gifts he or she has, the things only they can do, and work to fulfill the mission handed to them. If you are truly doing what is expected of you, that is always enough. A gut Shabbos! A Project of the YSI Alumni Association Written by R’ Moshe Weiss

Nahar U_Pashtei Parshas Va'eirah 5781

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Nahar U'Pashtei Parshas Shemos

Keeping It Real

One of the benefits of learning in detail about Pharaoh and his lording over Klal Yisroel is that one can observe the way evil can overcome a person and bring him to irrational and illogical behavior. As the yetzer hara takes hold of a person, all reason can slowly but surely be lost, and there are no limits to the evil that can then result. We see in our Parshah that when Pharaoh heard that there was to be a baby boy born who would grow up to be the savior of the Jews, he ordered the Jewish midwives to kill all the baby boys. Why did he do this? Did he have a shortage of soldiers? Was he too merciful to kill babies on his own? Certainly not! He went about his evil in this way because he wasn’t a murderer, yet. Pharaoh still felt the tug of a moral compass, and did not fancy himself a murderer. But, he reasoned, he must be rid of this threat of a savior of Klal Yisroel that was being heralded. So, he concocted a plan to have Klal Yisroel murder their own unborn children, which was not technically murder. Even though these actions are strictly forbidden by Jewish Law, they do not carry the capital punishment of murder. Pharaoh felt in his own mind that he was no killer, and so he devised a plan to circumvent this issue. Pharaoh surely thought he was being a good person. And then what happened just a few pesukim later? Pharaoh commanded his servants to throw the baby boys into the river, in an act of outright murder! What happened here? And the answer is that Pharaoh saw that his plan did not work, so he immediately pivoted to murder. His commitment to follow the law was only in as much as it served his purpose. As soon as he could not fulfill both his will and G-d’s, all laws other than his own fell by the wayside. What began as a willingness to participate in a “non-murderous” extermination, very soon blossomed into full-fledged murder of the Jewish babies. In truth, Pharaoh allowed himself to be governed only by his own agenda; the morals he thought he possessed were shallow and fake, and fell by the wayside when tested. So, the lesson here is twofold. The first thing we must realize is that we are being shown the way of the yetzer hara. He begins with something smaller and builds up within a person until he can pounce and completely take over. And secondly, even if it seems that a person remains committed to the Torah and its morals, will he stand the test of adversity? The Torah’s commandments are a wellspring of knowledge to guide us in every area of our lives. We must look deeply into our actions and take notice. Are we acting as we are because this is what Hashem wants, or are we merely following His Word because it suits our whims and lifestyle? Do not wait for that time where it might become clear that foreign ideals and influence have changed how you think. Stop the evil in its tracks, go back to basics. Live as a Torah Jew and act based on Hashem’s Will, and for that reason only. A gut Shabbos! A Project of the YSI Alumni Association Written by R’ Moshe Weiss

Nahar U_PashteiParshas Shemos 5781

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Nahar U'Pashtei Parshas Vayichi

Daas Torah

Parshas Vayechi begins in the sefer Torah in a most unusual fashion. In most cases, when a parshah concludes, a designated space is left in the sefer Torah to separate between it and the new parshah. Our Parshah, however, begins with no spacing, and starts immediately after Parshas Vayigash. This is know as a parshah setumah, Rashi explains that the reason for this here is to allude to how the eyes and hearts of Klal Yisroel were “closed up” because of the Egyptian slavery. What is puzzling here is that the servitude in Egypt would not begin until after the death of Levi, many years later! At the time of Yaakov’s passing, not a single one of the shevatim had died yet! Furthermore, if the intent here is that Yaakov was to die soon, thus ending the era that was, and ushering in a new one of pain and servitude, this would not happen for several years either - for the parshah opens with Yaakov living for seventeen years in Mitzrayim. What is the depth behind the Torah’s choosing to begin Parshas Vayechi with this symbolism of coming troubles? The answer is that we must remember the lessons taught at the end of Parshas Vayigash. Yaakov and Yosef were trying desperately to settle Klal Yisrael in Egypt with safeguards that would keep them ensconced in their holy lifestyle. They sent Yehudah to establish a Yeshivah, and they settled the nation away from the Egyptian metropolis, in the suburban Goshen. But Pharoah had other plans. He gave the brothers and their families vacation estates in the main cities, and offered them all of the amenities that came with such luxurious living. The Torah ends off the previous Parshah stating that Pharoah’s scheme had indeed proven effective, and the roots of assimilation had been sown. Now, in Vayechi, we will go through the motions of losing our guide and teacher, the pillar that was Yaakov Aveinu, as well as all of the shevatim; but the battle had already been lost. The descent that would bring Klal Yisroel to the brink was already underway. We must understand that no one was forcing us to assimilate, initially. They gave us freedoms, and they gave us liberties. Pharoah wanted the Jews to take over the economy, to run the country, and grow his power. And therein lied the danger. As Klal Yisroel became more successful and integrated into Egyptian society, the influences were too strong to overcome. They became Jewish Egyptians, instead of Egyptian Jews; their values became skewed and adulterated. The same battle is raging in America in our times. People can take the golden opportunities presented by the medinah shel chessed, and work to a position of affluence. Then they can chas v’Sholom forget their Torah values, and instead allow their views to be governed by the morals of the people around them. This is a grave mistake. What use is money and affluence, if it costs a person their Torah integrity? A gut Shabbos! A Project of the YSI Alumni Association Written by R’ Moshe Weiss

Nahar U_Pashtei Parshas Vayichi 5781

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