Gratitude Unlimited

Parshas Tzav

Posted on March 25, 2022 (5786) By Rabbi Naftali Reich | Series: Legacy | Level: Beginner

 

What do released prisoners, recovering patients, seafarers and caravan travelers all have in common? These people have all been in perilous situations, their very lives endangered, and having come through safely, they are required to express their gratitude to Hashem by bringing a thanksgiving sacrifice to the Temple in Jerusalem. The procedure for the thanksgiving offering, the korban todah, is described in this week’s portion.

 

The Midrash provides us with a rather surprising bit of information about the thanksgiving offering. In the End of Days, when the Presence of the Creator will fill the world with holiness and people will live in eternal bliss and serenity, all sacrifices will be discontinued – except for the thanksgiving sacrifice. This immediately leads us to ask: How can this be? If, as the prophets repeatedly assure us, people will be safe and secure, protected from all physical harm and danger, from sickness and imprisonment, how will it be possible for a thanksgiving sacrifice to be brought? The conditions that necessitate such an offering will simply not exist!

 

Let us think for a moment about a phrase most polite people use very often and very casually.

 

What exactly do we mean when we say “thank you” to someone who has done us a good turn?

 

What have we actually given him by thanking him? And why is he gratified? The answers lie in a deeper understanding of gratitude and thanksgiving. In essence, an expression of gratitude is an acknowledgment. By saying “thank you,” we declare that we recognize what the other person has done for us, that we value it and that we do not take him for granted. This is all he needs in return for what he has done – recognition, no more, no less. But a sincere expression of gratitude can only result from a genuine appreciation of the value of what we have received.

 

Without this appreciation, the words “thank you” are but an empty, meaningless formality.

 

If this holds true in our relationships with other human beings, how much more so in our relationship with our Creator. We are endlessly beholden to Him for all the good He does for us, and as a result, we should be endlessly grateful. Unfortunately, however, we live in a benighted world of illusions and delusions, and we often fail to recognize the innumerable gifts and bounty that flow to us from Hashem’s generous hand. And even when we pay lip service to it, how deeply do we actually feel it? How real is it to us? The only things we face with stark reality are life-threatening situations. In the face of danger, our affectations and pretensions quickly dissipate, and we realize how dependent we are on our Creator for our safety. As the old adage goes, “There are no atheists in a foxhole.” It is only when we are ultimately delivered from danger that we are capable of expressing genuine gratitude.

 

In the End of Days, however, the Presence of the Creator will illuminate the entire world and dispel all the foolish delusions which so becloud our vision and befuddle our minds. Then we will see Hashem’s hand with perfect clarity, and our acknowledgments of His guidance and benevolence will carry the ring of true conviction. At that point, we will no longer have to face life-threatening situations to inspire genuine gratitude in our hearts. We will thank Him endlessly for every minute detail of our lives and bring thanksgiving sacrifices to give expression to the transcendent feelings of gratitude that will permeate our souls.

 

A great sage once ordered a cup of coffee in an elegant restaurant. When the bill came, he saw he had been charged an exorbitant sum. “So much for a cup of coffee?” he asked the waiter.

 

“Oh no, sir,” the waiter replied. “The coffee cost only a few cents. But the paintings and tapestries on the walls, the crystal chandeliers, the Persian carpets, the luxurious gardens, the marble fountain, these cost a lot of money, and every patron must pay his share.”

 

“Aha!” said the sage. “You have taught me an important lesson.

 

When I recite a blessing over a glass of water, I must thank the Creator for the ground on which I stand, the air I breathe, the blue sky over my head, the beauty and scent of the flowers, the twittering of birds, the company of other people. Thank you.”

 

In our own lives, we all too often take for granted all the blessings we enjoy, and we forget to express our gratitude to our Creator, the Source of all this bounty. Indeed, when we experience hardship, we are inclined to confront Hashem, saying, Oh, why do we deserve this? But when we experience good fortune, are we as inclined to thank Him? Common courtesy, of course, requires that we acknowledge Hashem’s bounty, but if we offer words of gratitude to Hashem in all situations, we will also discover a deeper dimension to our appreciation and enjoyment of the blessings of life.

 

Text Copyright © 2009 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org.

Rabbi Reich is on the faculty of the Ohr Somayach Tanenbaum Education Center.

 

 

 

Listen Closely

Parshas Vayikra

Posted on March 24, 2023 (5783) By Rabbi Berel Wein | Series: Rabbi Wein | Level: Beginner

 

With the beginning of the reading of the book of Vayikra this Shabat in the synagogue, the title of the book itself calls out to us for understanding what is meant when the Torah tells us that G-d called out to Moshe. Moshe experiences a special and unique method of G-dly revelation.

 

The Torah testifies to this by describing that G-d, so to speak, talks to Moshe ‘face to face.’

 

The prophets of Israel receive G-dly communication while in a dreamlike trance. But the thrust of Jewish tradition is that even though there is no longer any type of G-dly prophecy present in our world, G-d still communicates with humans. But He does so in very subtle means – in reflections of human behavior and world events themselves.

 

Free will allows humans to behave as they will, yet there is a guiding heavenly hand in world affairs visible to those who wish to see it.  A few decades ago, two scientists won a Nobel Prize for proving their ability to yet hear the echo of the sounds of the original birth of the universe at the moment of its creation. We all know that human hearing is possible only within a limited range of wave frequencies. Judaism teaches that good deeds, moral behavior, Torah observance and loyalty to traditional Jewish values help expand our hearing ability – and this enables us to tune into heavenly sound frequencies which were originally blocked to us.

 

The auxiliary message of Vayikra, when G-d called out to Moshe, is that Moshe’s hearing is so perfectly attuned to heavenly communication, he is always ‘face to face’ with his Creator. That is the true indication of the greatness of Moshe and makes him the most unique of all the world’s prophets, teachers and leaders.

 

The word Vayikra, as written in the Torah, contains a miniature letter ‘aleph.’ This indicates to us that G-d’s message to us is subtle, quiet, and easy to ignore temporarily, but persistent and ongoing. As the Lord told the prophet Elijah, ‘I do not appear in the great wind or in earthquakes or other terrifying natural phenomena, but rather in a small, still voice.’  Listening to a still, small voice requires good hearing acumen and intense concentration. Casual hearing will not suffice.

 

In our times, the small ‘alef’ requires us to really listen and pay attention to what transpires in our personal and national lives. Oftentimes, we, like the prophet Yonah, attempt to flee from the still small voice that continually echoes within us. But it remains persistent and waits patiently for our hearing ability to improve in our everyday lives.

 

Backed Up by Action

Parshas Vayakhel

Posted on March 1, 2019 (5779) By Rabbi Label Lam | Series: Dvar Torah | Level: Beginner

 

And Moshe called the whole community of the Children of Israel to assemble, and he said to them: “These are the things that HASHEM commanded to make. (Shemos 35:1)

 

And he made the dividing curtain of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen; the work of a master weaver he made it, in a [woven] cherubim design. And he made for it four pillars of acacia wood, and he overlaid them with gold, their hooks [were] gold, and he cast for them four silver sockets. And he made a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen the work of an embroiderer, and its five pillars and their hooks, and he overlaid their tops and their bands with gold, and their five sockets were copper. (Shemos 36:35-38)

 

Too many times to mention the term “he made” and “they made” crowns the beginning of a verse. There is something great about this doing, this making of the Mishkan with precision. What is it?

 

The Talmud Brochos queries, “Which is more important, learning or doing?” The answer offered is: “Learning, because it leads to doing!” It seems the question is answered and not. Doing seems to be the more important value. The Mishne affirms, “The main thing is not the discussion but the action!” (Pirke Avos 1:17) If Talmud Torah is so great that it is equivalent to all the Mitzvos then how can “doing” be considered greater?

 

An elderly father called out with his weakened voice to his three boys who were in another room, “Can someone please fetch me a glass of water!?” Right away a big discussion erupted.

 

The older son seemed ready to jump into action but his two younger brothers challenged him.

 

“Why should you have the honor to get Abba a glass of water?” He responded emphatically, “Because I am the oldest!”

 

The other two insisted that they find a more fair way of deciding. In the meantime the father called out again for a glass of water. The youngest proposed that that they have auction as they would in Shul for a great honor or an Aliya.

The bidding began immediately for the high honor of getting Abba a glass of water. The numbers climbed quickly and finally the middle son won. He opined, “If I would earn such an honor like Maftir Yona, I would not keep it for myself. I would share the honor and give it to one who is truly deserving of the honor. I would give it to our dear Abba. Abba, get yourself a glass of water!”

 

The story is so absurd on many levels, I know, but it also illustrates that all the talk in the world does not substitute for action. Especially in the case of the building of the Mishkan which was the way to fix the horrific event of the Golden Calf. There is a phrase I saw from Steven Covey that rings so true, “You can’t talk your way out of a problem you acted your way into!” The solution requires action because action demonstrates sincerity.

 

I was witness to a scene where a father was called into the tuition office because his first five tuition checks bounced. Half the year passed and he had effectively not paid any tuition. He bowed his head and apologized. I felt bad for him. The comptroller asked what his plan was. So, he took out his check book. It was comical and tragic. After four bounced checks a fifth didn’t seem more promising.

 

Actions are like money in the bank and words are comparable to checks. There was an old show tune with words that went like this, “Don’t talk of love show me!” A man can say to his wife all day and with passion, “I love you!”, but his words will ring hollow if they are not backed up by action, if the garbage is not taken out, the carpool is dodged, the homework with the kids is not done, and other requests are denied. It’s like writing a big check with little money in the bank. It bounces. Words are only as valuable as there is money in the bank.

 

The sin of the Golden Calf was a major break in trust. Trust must be built slowly and with action.

 

It cannot be demanded or expected with urgency. The greatest proof that the repentance of the Children of Israel about the Golden Calf was sincere was in their doing.

 

Sure, words can work but only when backed up by action.

 

 

How Could This Happen?

Parshas Ki Sisa

Posted on February 20, 2008 (5768) By Rabbi Berel Wein | Series: Rabbi Wein | Level: Beginner

 

After all of the commentaries and explanations regarding the event of the Golden Calf that is the centerpiece of this weeks’ parsha, one is still left, somehow, with an empty feeling of not understanding how such an event could have in fact occurred.

 

After all, did not the splitting of the sea, the war against Amalek, the manna and the miraculous wells of water, the revelation at Sinai, make an impression upon them? No doubt that all of the answers and explanations have validity, but how do we deal with this story? What is the relevance of this story to us, a generation that has many Golden Calves but certainly not that Golden calf of the parsha?

 

I think that the most direct and simple answer to this is to view the event in its simple reality. It is enough to know that such an event, though not understandable or rational, can and does occur. It should teach us about the irrationality of people, nations and political leaders. It should put us on notice that nothing in human affairs is unlikely or impossible.

 

The possibility of a Golden calf incident is always with us. By discounting the whims of human nature we expose ourselves to such sad incidents as described in this week’s parsha. Moshe never imagines that such an event can occur amongst the people of Israel and so he ascends the mountain for his own spiritual development and to bring the Torah down to the Jewish people. Aharon also never thinks that a Golden calf can spring forth from his attempts to placate the frenzied mob that now surrounds him. But, no matter, the Golden Calf arrives, alive and snorting fire. And that is life’s lesson – that the unexpected and impossible is itself always present in our lives and society.

 

Anyone who reviews the events of the twentieth century will stand amazed at the events, wars, changes and profound diplomatic and political errors that shaped its story. Nothing that happened was rational or predictable in 1901.

 

Who could have thought that the great empires of Germany, Russia, France, England, Austria and the Ottomans would never survive that century? And who could have imagined the State of Israel arising and the destruction of European Jewry? That disaster of the Holocaust is a Golden Calf of unbelievably major proportions.

 

All rumors later circulated to the contrary not withstanding, no one really envisioned such a catastrophe of so great a proportion. Since prophecy is no longer present amongst us, the future is always murky and undecipherable. Therefore, the only thing certain in our lives, both personal and national, is uncertainty.

And that is the basic and troubling message of the Golden Calf incident. The parsha is here to warn us of trusting only in our judgments, conclusions and foresight. That is not how life really works and not how events play themselves out.

 

The events of the Golden Calf constantly repeat themselves in our life story. Fortunate are those who are not seduced by that idol and are wary initially of the attempts to construct and deify it.

 

Shabat shalom.

Rabbi Berel Wein

 

 

Our Story is History

Parshas Tetzaveh

Purim

Posted on February 22, 2013 (5773) By Rabbi Label Lam | Series: Dvar Torah| Level: Beginner

And the remaining Yehudim (Jews) that were in the province of the king they congregated and stood up for their life… (Megilas Esther 9:16)

 

What was the secret of the miraculous turnabout for the Jews in the Purim story? The answer is real simple and not simple at all!

 

The Zohar says, “Israel and Torah and The Holy One blessed is He are one!” It sounds unfathomably deep and it probably is but there is a practical value in knowing this hard to understand fact.

 

Even Haman was able to identify a certain weakness and vulnerability of the Jewish People. He declared in his appeal to Achashveirosh, “There is a singular nation distributed and spread amongst the nations.” He recognized the lack of unity curiously of a singular nation.

 

There was also a diminished appreciation of the importance of Torah, as evidenced by their rejection of Mordechai’s advice not to go to the grand party of Achashveivosh.

 

To top it off HASHEM’s face was hidden! Ouch! It doesn’t get worse! When the Jewish People are alienated from each other, they are distant from Torah, and they are simultaneously withdrawn from HASHEM. That’s the three fold problem! How is it resolved?

 

A remarkable story circulated around Eretz Yisrael a number of years ago. Even if it is not confirmed as true, it still conveys a deep and relevant message that may help explain why we are made more vulnerable to an enemy attack when our business practices are less than honest.

 

It was during the time of when a young soldier whose last name was Wachsman was captured. His parents took an immediate and active role in rallying the entire nation to pray and light extra candles.

 

There were huge prayer rallies lead by the parents at the Western Wall and there was a profound sense of unity and common purpose that crossed all kinds of ideological lines and stated philosophies of life.

 

The end of the story, however, is less pleasant. The young man, on whose behalf these forces were set in motion, was brutally murdered and the momentary solidarity faded as fast.

Around that same time a young man who had been in a coma awoke shortly afterward and asked to be brought to a certain luminary personality in our generation. He told the elder Rabbi that he had been visited in a dream by an elderly woman and was told to deliver a specific message. The Rabbi displayed a picture of his deceased wife and asked if that was the woman. He confirmed that it was.

 

She had asked him to relay the following: That the unity at the time of the incident of that young soldier’s capture and the events that followed was so profound that Moshiach could have come at that very moment, if it had not been for the sin of theft and ill-gotten gains in the marketplace.

 

At the conclusion of the Megila it states that the Jews “gathered together and stood up for their lives…” The Sefas Emes notes that the word for standing “Amad” is singular- not plural similar to when the Nation of Israel camped by Mt. Sinai with a singular expression. There Rashi says, “Like one man with one heart!” The unity was powerful and real.

 

Afterwards, in the Megila, there was also a re-reception of Torah, and although still hidden HASHEM’s inclusion in every detail of our lives was revealed.

 

All three alienations were dissolved in one swift movement of unified purpose. The cure could easily come from a rededication to Torah learning or taking the time think very deeply about the reality of HASHEM’s involvement in our lives and how our story is History!

 

DvarTorah, Copyright © 2007 by Rabbi Label Lam and Torah.org.

 

King of Hearts

Parshas Tetzaveh

Posted on February 25, 2026 (5786) By Rabbi Naftali Reich | Series: Legacy | Level: Beginner

 

This week’s Torah portion is devoted primarily to describing in intricate detail the special vestments worn by the kohanim and kohen godol when performing their service in the Bais Hamikdash, and the manner in which these garments were to be crafted.

 

Of these, the most magnificent was the choshen, the breastplate worn by the kohain godol. On its surface were attached 12 precious stones with the name of a tribe engraved on each one.

 

Within the choshen lay the urim v’tumim, the slip of parchment upon which Hashem’s name was inscribed. This name gave the choshen its sublime power through which the individual letters of the tribal names would light up (signified by the word “urim” meaning light).

 

When the illuminated letters were properly aligned, they provided the answers to questions of national import posed by the kohen gadol to Hashem. Various letters of the breastplate would become luminescent, allowing the high priest to unite them into words, in order to read Hashem’s response (signified by the word “tumim,” completeness or wholeness).

 

This miraculous Divine form of communication remained with the Jewish people until King Yehoash hid the urim v’tumim at the time of the First Temple’s destruction, to ensure that it would not fall into enemy hands.

 

Our sages point out that Aharon Hakohen merited to wear this wondrous vestment as reward for a particularly noble deed. When Moshe was chosen as the redeemer of the Jewish people, he was worried that his older brother, Aharon, would feel a tinge of jealousy at his being passed over for this exalted role. Hashem testified to him (Shemos 4:15) that, on the contrary, Aharon rejoiced in his heart at his brother’s appointment to greatness.

 

It was due to this noble and selfless joy at his brother’s lofty position, says the Midrash, that Aharon merited to become the bearer of the choshen.

 

We cannot fail to marvel at Aharon who exhibited such amazing selflessness towards his younger brother. But why was he rewarded specifically with being able to wear the choshen?

 

Couldn’t Hashem have alternatively showered him with wealth or longevity as a reward?

 

The manner in which Hashem communicated his message to His people through the choshen provides us with a fascinating clue as to why this particular reward was most appropriate.

 

Whenever Hashem responded to a question from the kohain godol, the answer was conveyed through the choshen’s illuminated letters. But the response had to be deciphered by aligning the glowing letters in a particular sequence, so that the words they formed would correctly determine Hashem’s precise answer. It required a great measure of temimus, pure faith and wholeness of heart, to correctly interpret the Divine communication.

 

On various occasions we read in the Talmud that the message of the choshen was misread and misinterpreted, often with dire consequences. To correctly decipher the code required a rare degree of pure-heartedness and objectivity. By expunging every trace of ego and demonstrating that he was capable of rejoicing in his brother’s good fortune, Aharon attained this degree of selflessness.

 

Aharon’s quintessence reflected his loving embrace of his fellow Jews. Because he saw each Jew as a beloved brother, he excelled in uniting others, in fostering peace and harmony between people. Untainted by envy or self-aggrandizement, he knew how to draw forth the best in others and how to build on these strengths.

 

Aharon perceived no evil in anyone for he truly saw the inner light that ennobled every Jew. He was thus capable of using the illuminated letters of the urim v’tumim, and interpreting them as Hashem desired.

 

In our own lives we, too, can strive to attain a degree of Aharon’s noble trait of being able to rejoice in another’s good fortune and to discern their special virtues. By emphasizing the inherent goodness of our family members, our neighbors and co-workers, we too will merit the skill of interpreting life’s message appropriately and communicating directly with our Divine source.

 

Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos,

Rabbi Naftali Reich Text Copyright © 2013 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org.

 

 

A Real Story in the Making

Parshas Terumah

Posted on January 31, 2014 (5774) By Rabbi Label Lam | Series: Dvar Torah| Level: Beginner

 

“And they shall make Me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” (Shemos 25:8) It’s a big wonder that the Torah spends so much ink on the description of the construction of the Tabernacle which was a one-time event in history that seems to have little relevance or practicality for us today. Yet we recite nightly, “It is our life and the length of our days…”There are many other important details about Shabbos or the construction Tefillin that would be much more valuable, seemingly for us to know about and yet they are relegated to the Oral Torah after an abbreviated phrase. Why does the Torah take almost 4 and ½ Parshios to tell us how the Mishkan was built?

 

The Chofetz Chaim remarked that on a map of the world you’ll find the names of big cities like New York, Paris, Tokyo, etc. shown in large print on the map. In Heaven G-d has His map of the world and there is Jerusalem, Vilna, Radin, etc. in his day and Jerusalem, Brooklyn, Queens, Lakewood, Bnei Brak, and Monsey in our time. These are the special places where The Almighty has His people who are quietly learning, and praying, and carrying out His will ever so discretely within the four cubits of Hallacha.

 

By extension, perhaps we can say that there is a newspaper on earth and we know already what’s in the worldly paper. It’s a constant recycling of the most sensational combination of jealously, appetite, and glory seeking. We don’t have to guess about the heavenly map either.

 

The Torah is a record of that which catches the Almighty’s attention. Whatever is most treasured is most often repeated, like the story of Eliezer the servant of Avraham, loving the convert, and the Exodus from Egypt.

 

Now we get to a practical point. In a parenting class my wife and I received a most useful piece of advice. If ever children are acting up during mealtime, rather than attending immediately to the trouble maker(s), turn attention to the ones acting civilly. “Look how nice Sara is sitting!” “See how Eli is eating so carefully!” etc.

 

Rather than noticing the rebels and thereby inviting others too, ignore them. Encourage the good quiet behavior. Give proper attention to those who are doing what they are supposed to be doing. It works like this in class daily and at assemblies as well. Just point out the how much you appreciate some display of good behavior and suddenly there is a contagion of cooperation that spreads like whipped butter on warm bread. It works! Just try it!

 

By the way, by failing to do this, the news media is complicit in and even responsible for promoting terrorism and other miscreant behavior in the world by giving free advertisement and attention to their ruinous causes.

 

When it comes to the construction of the Tabernacle in the dessert, we have a unique event in human history. There is a group of people, a whole nation in fact, working in cooperation, setting aside egos, personal opinions, and political agendas while using their unique talents and resources to create a place for G-d in this world and all according to Divine specs. That action is newsworthy in Heaven. The Torah focuses enormous attention on the good news!

 

During the time when these Torah events actually occurred there were no doubt presidential scandals, wars, and social upheaval, but that’s not new, and it’s not news. What’s new and what’s really news is not the child shouting at the dining room table and disrupting. It’s natural to rant and rave, setting the whole house into a state of chaos, and it’s not unusual for the parent to obsess only on that.

 

What would be new and news worthy is the wisdom of a parent who fixes his or her gaze of love on the good one with only a few spots on his shirt and the one who is quietly contributing to the harmony of the family orchestra.