----- Forwarded Message -----From: "Rabbi Moshe Revah" <htcnews-htc.edu@shared1.ccsend.com>To: "mates57564@aol.com" <mates57564@aol.com>Sent: Thu, Feb 29, 2024 at 4:02 PMSubject: Dvar Torah from the Rosh HaYeshiva
Dear Yeshiva Family:
This week's parshah begins by teaching the methodology utilized to count Klal Yisrael. Rather than count individually one by one, the Torah commands that every person donate a half-Shekel coin, and subsequently the coins were counted. Rashi explains that counting something can cause an ayin hara and we therefore do not count Klal Yisrael directly. This is the reason we do not count people for a minyan in the classic way (one-two-three…), but rather, use a pasuk that has ten words to indicate if a minyan is present.
Rabbeinu Bechaya explains this concept slightly differently. He explains that it is never good to be singled out and separated from the tzibbur, the general congregation, and that focusing on someone individually leads to greater scrutiny in Heaven of his actions, and inevitably, a stricter judgement. (Some explain this to be the phenomenon of ayin hara, and therefore this is the same explanation as Rashi.) The general congregation as a whole is not judged as meticulously, and therefore one stands a better chance at receiving a good judgment if he is not individualized.
Rabbeinu Bechaya explains that this is why Rosh Hashana is a day of judgement, for since we are all individualized in front of Hashem on that day, it becomes a day appropriate for judgement.
Isha Hashunamis, a woman in Tanach (Melachim 2:4), was told by Elisha that he would ask Hashem for anything she wanted. She demurred because she did not want to be singled out in tefilla for individual attention, and she preferred to remain anonymously part of the tzibbur. It is always better to be part of the bigger tzibbur.
R' Chaim Shmulevitz (Sichos Mussar 33 18) has a lengthy explanation on this as well. R' Chaim cites a Gemarah (Brochos 20B) stating that whenever we daven we should always daven in the plural, asking for "our" needs. This is not only so we can help out the rest of Klal Yisrael, but it is for ourselves as well, because our tefillos are answered quicker and easier when we are requesting help for a tzibbur. This is because a tzibbur is not just a bunch of individuals put together, but rather it is an entirely different organism. As a part of a larger congregation, one has far greater potential and power than when standing alone. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
With Purim coming up, it is appropriate to see this message in the Megillah as well. The Megillah states that Mordechai sent messages to Esther from the gate of the king's palace but did not venture further because he was wearing sackcloth, and one was not allowed to approach the palace with sackcloth. Why did Mordechai not wear regular clothes to deliver the message himself? Surely that would have been more effective, and with the future of Klal Yisrael at stake, shouldn't he have done whatever hishtadlus was necessary? Perhaps Mordechai felt that leaving the activities of Klal Yisrael and leaving the greater Klal would do less for him and Klal Yisrael then any practical hishtadlus. It is better not to disassociate from the tzibbur.
We are now nearly five months since the outbreak of the war in Eretz Yisrael. The silver lining of this war was that Klal Yisrael banded together in the most amazing way, but we must make sure that we keep up these cords of unity that were created.
Over a billion dollars was donated to support Israel and its people during the first month of the war alone. There have been countless solidarity missions from groups across America and other countries to show solidarity with our brethren who live there, along with so many others traveling to Israel individually. Many people have even flown overseas to join the army, leaving their jobs and families. Nearly everyone has changed in some way. The amount of people who have taken upon themselves different limudim, extra tefillos, achieving higher levels of service and closeness to Hashem, changing their lives immeasurably, is unfathomable.
We have to realize this is the way to go, and what was done was the correct course of action. We must also be cognizant of where we are holding to make sure not to slack off, and to continue to identify as a cohesive unit. We must not allow any fractures in our community, and to maintain our consciousness of the seriousness of the situation.
The end of Zecharia (see Ch. 14) foretells the upcoming war of Gog and Magog, describing a battle where all the nations of the world will gather and wage war against Eretz Yisrael. Perhaps five years ago this would have been harder to fathom; perhaps even just five months ago. Now, for the second time in two weeks, after more than 50 countries sue Israel in the ICJ bringing mind-boggling charges of genocide against us, notably the largest-ever participation in the World Court's history, these prophecies are easier to understand, and expect. We have seen countries across the world openly state that Israel is wrong and are pulling their ambassadors, stonewalling Israel. We have seen antisemitism on college campuses as rampant as Berlin in 1938. One should not be complacent about America's support as well, for although we are extremely grateful for her current support, it is undeniable that it is fickle, and cracks are beginning to show.
It is not at all hard to see that that prophecy is not far off. So how do we go forward? The way to stay safe is by learning Torah and doing acts of kindness (Gemara Sanhedrin 98B). Doing acts of kindness creates a cohesive unit, and acts as another layer of protection to us, for we become a tzibbur, not just individuals and we become greater than all of us combined.
Let us strengthen our resolve to band together as a nation caring for each other, and strengthen our resolve to individually become better people, which will then exponentially help out our Klal!
Rabbi Moshe Revah
Rosh HaYeshiva, HTC - Beis HaMidrash LaTorah
HTC
Hebrew Theological College is a member of Touro University
and a partner with the Jewish United Fund in serving our community
Thursday, February 29, 2024
Fw: Dvar Torah from the Rosh HaYeshiva
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