Vol. VIIII 5765
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I
nt
hi
swe
e
k’
sparsha we are
introduced to Moshe
Rabbeinu who, like many
other leaders of klal yisroel,
was a shepherd before he
was a manhig. The question
must be asked, what is it
about the profession of
shepherding that seems to
be a prerequisite to being a
leader of klal yisroel? Reb
Ma
t
i
s
y
a
huSol
oma
ns
hl
i
t
”
a
explains as follows. The
hallmark of a good shepherd
is his ability to understand
the wants and needs of his
flock. That is, despite the
fact that the human
shepherd and his animal
subjects are on entirely
different wavelengths and
are in no way comparable
when it comes to intellectual
capacity, somehow a
successful shepherd is able
to penetrate the minds of his
flock and see to it that they
get what they need. The
same is true of a manhig
yisroel. On one hand, a
leader must be on a
dramatically higher plain
than those who seek and
rely upon his counsel. Yet at
the same time, he must be
able to fully grasp their
needs and understand their
collective mindsets, no
matter how distant they may
be from his own.
Special Thanx
M & H consulting
Parshas Shemos
Torahs HaRav Shlita
‫הבה נתחכמה לו פן ירבה והיה כי תקראנה מלחמה‬
‫ונוסף גם הוא על שנאינו ונלחם בנו ועלה מן‬
:‫הארץ‬
The Posuk says Paroh gathered his advisors to come up
with a plan how to destroy klal Yiroel. Why did he need a
plan? the gemarah says who ever starts up with klal yisroel
while in golus has the help of above? The Nachal Eliyohu
answers hatered towards klal yisroel only started after the
torah was given. The mountain the torah was given on was
har sinia- a loshon of hate. Therefore without a plan Paroh
would have to deal with the outcry from the world
community.
Chassidc Insights
1."Habo'im Mitzroymoh" - Although the bnei Yisroel are forced to endure exile for
many years, sometimes even for centuries at a time, nevertheless, they should attempt to
retain the atmosphere of Eretz Yisroel. They should feel as if they are just in the process
of COMING, "habo'im," and not as if they have been in the foreign land for a long
period of time. (Rabbi Yisochor Dov Admor of Belz in Sh'eiris Menachem)
2."Habo'im Mitzroymoh" - The bnei Yisroel came to a place that was inherently
restrictive, "m'tzorim." The ability to fully realize one's potential was limited in this
wasteland of spirituality. (Baal Hatanya)
3. "Geir hoyisi b'eretz nochrioh" - These are two statements. Firstly, I am a sojourner on
this world. Secondly, it is now taking place in a foreign land, outside Eretz Yisroel. (Ohr
Hachaim Hakodosh)
4." taavdun es hoElokim al hohor
ha'zeh" - Pirkei Ovos 3:6 says that
whoever accepts upon himself the
yoke of Torah, he will be relieved
of the yokes of the government and
working for his livelihood. This is
the intention of our verse. It is only
through serving Hashem on this
4:08-‫ה‬
‫ח‬
‫נ‬
‫בתמ‬
‫ש‬
mountain, i.e. acceptance of the
5:24-‫ב‬
‫י‬
‫ר‬
‫ע‬
‫מ‬
yoke of the Torah, that you will be
4:33 ‫בת‬
‫בש‬
‫ר‬
‫הע‬
‫ח‬
‫נ‬
‫מ‬
set free and relieved of the
servitude to Egypt, and be
Edi
t
o
r
s
’Not
e
:Pl
e
a
s
et
r
yy
ourbe
s
tt
oma
k
ei
tt
ot
hes
hul
’
s
sustained miraculously in the
melavah
malkah,
Motzie
Shaboss
parshas
Varah,
Jan.
8.
desert. (Rabbi Chanoch Zvi of
Bendin in Y'cha'hein P'eir)
Tilapia will be served.
Zmanim
Shtickel Mer Simcha
www.shemayisrael.com
Moshes Schoirah
1.Rashi brings the Medrash that Miriam told
Amram that he is worse than Paroh, as
Paroh only had a decree on the males and
by separating from Yocheved, Amram was
decreeing on both the males and females.
The Chofetz Chaim points out that in
r
eal
i
t
y
,Amr
am’
scheshbonwast
her
i
ght
one. It did not make sense to continue
having children if there was a decree to kill
all the boys. However, sometimes we have
to be mivatel ourda’
ast
ot
hatofHashem.
Hashem wants us to have children and we
therefore have to be mikayam that mitzvah
although it may not make too much sense
to us. This lesson can be applied to all
mitzvohs. A yid must lead his life and
always do what Hashem wants although
logic would seem to say otherwise.
2.
Thepasuksay
s,(
3,
5)“
ki hamakom asher
atah omad uluv admas kodesh hoo.
”The
Chofetz Chaim writes that the Mishnah in
Av
oswr
i
t
es“
alt
omarl
i
cheshoef
neh
ehneh”
,oneshoul
dnots
ayt
hathewi
l
l
learn when he has the time. This means
that sometimes a person is faced with
financial difficulties or other types of
yisurim and he says to himself that when
Hashem removes these difficulties, life will
be easier and he will have more time and
patients to learn. To such a person the
Mishnah tells him that maybe Hashem
gives you these difficulties because he
wants to give you more sichar for learning
even when it is very difficult. Also, this may
be your nisoyon in life and, chas vesholom,
you will not be relieved of these yisurim.
This is hinted in the pasuk. Ki hamakom
asher atah omad uluv- the situation
(makom) that you find yourself in with
difficulties, admas kodesh hoo- it is really
holy as you can get even more sichar and
shteig even more if you can withstand your
yetzer hara and learn even in the most
difficult of times.
3.
(
1,
1)“
Habaim Mitzraimah”the gematriah of
“
Mitzraimah”i
st
hesameas“
shechinah.”
This is a remez that when the yidin go into
galus, Hashem goes with them.
www.khalbneitorah.com
The Penny Candle
as heard from R. Shlomo Carlebach
I will tell you a story, although you won't believe it. I wouldn't have believed it either, had I
not seen it with my own eyes. But it happened, I was there.
The year was 1942, Poland, in the camps. I was in Auschwitz. We were so many poor souls
clinging together, hungry afraid. We could barely find enough support for ourselves, much
less anyone else. But there was one man in our bunk different from all the rest. He was a
tzaddik. More than that, until today I believe he was one of the thirty-six. You know, the
thirty-six hidden tzaddikim on whom the whole world stands. His name was Reb Naftali. For
the entire time I knew him, I never once heard him complain. It was the deepest hell, yet he
never uttered a bad word. In fact, he managed to give help to others. There was a small group
of us who clung to him, followed him around. What could we do? He was the only warmth
and light we had.
Winter came, and it was bitterly cold. There was such a hopelessness in the air. Then came
the announcement. Several days before Chanukah, the Germans declared that anyone found
lighting candles would be shot. Well, for us, we could not dream of facing that threat. But
what about Reb Naftali? We whispered among ourselves. Could it be that Chanukah would
pass and Reb Naftali would fail to bless the lights? No, impossible. But where would he get
the candles?
The first night of Chanukah arrived. Our little group kept our eyes on him. We weren't going
to let him out of our sight. All night you had to stay in the bunker, if they caught you outside,
they would shoot you. 9:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m., 11:00. I started to doze off. When I caught
myself, I realized that Reb Naftali had slipped out. I roused the others and we stole out after
him. We followed his tracks in the snow, somehow they looked strange. We found him by a
little bunker, protected from the wind. He wasn't wearing shoes. Auschwitz in the winter
without shoes. "Reb Naftali, where are your shoes?" "I traded them in for a candle." "Please,
Naftali," we begged, "don't do it. They'll kill you." "Listen," he said sternly, "Tonight is
Chanukah. On Chanukah, Jews light candles. That's what we do. The Chashmoneans weren't
afraid, why should we be?"
He took out a little pencil-thin candle, made the blessings, and lit it. We all stood there,
frightened, excited. Who would have ever dreamt that one small flame could give so much
light. But there was a tension in the air, as though we should run. Then, suddenly, a German
soldier comes walking out of the night. In one hand he held a whip, in the other, a pistol.
"Who lit that candle?" he barked at us. Reb Naftali stepped forward, "I lit it," he said. The
German whipped him across the face. "Blow it out!" he yelled. "Blow it out!"
Reb Naftali just stood there. He didn't move. He didn't even lower his eyes. Then the German
took out his gun and shot him. That was it. He killed him right on the spot. We stood in fear,
not believing our eyes. "You," he shouted at one of my friends, "drag him this way." He
dragged poor Naftali through the snow into the darkness. The German walked away, but you
know, he forgot to blow out the candle; it was still burning.
Now, you won't believe me when I tell you this, but it's true, I saw it myself. The next night,
when we walked by the place Reb Naftali was killed, we looked over at the small candle -- it
was still burning. Flickering away in the darkness. It lit up such a flame of hope in us. "Do
you see it?" we asked each other. "Do you see it?" We all saw it. The candle was still
burning
Question of the Week: By R. Heshy Wolf
Q. How many years did the Jews actually work in Mitzraim??
...................................................................
Answerwi
l
lbei
nnextweek’
si
ssue.Anyone
who knows the answer should email it to
[email protected]//35
La
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’
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Q. Ican’
tgi
veawayapr
esentwi
t
houtper
mi
ssi
on.Whoam I
?.
.
.
A. A Guest.