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Fast of Tammuz – Redemption or Celebration

The Fast of Tammuz

Rabbi Daniel Leeman

This year, the 17th of Tammuz falls on this coming Shabbat, and so the fast of the 17th of Tammuz is pushed off to Sunday. We have been taught that five tragedies befell the Jewish people on the 17th of Tammuz and another five tragedies (three weeks later) on the 9th of Av [Taanis 4:6].

But why do we have to fast over these historical events that we were not responsible for?

Furthermore, it has been pointed out that the five tragedies on the 17th of Tammuz were the beginning of the five tragedies that occured on the 9th of Av. But if we are anyway mourning over the final tragedies themselves, why is it so important to mourn the beginning of the tragedies?

R’ Eizel of Slonim was once asked by a wealthy enlightened man why we mourn the sin of the golden calf today. He replied, “The sin of the golden calf was indeed a terrible one, but at least people were willing to give up their money for their god. Today the situation is much worse: people are willing to give up their G-d to make money!”

The tragedies that occurred throughout our history were not freak occurrences but rather repercussions of our insufficient spiritual efforts. Each year we do not merely mourn the history, but rather mourn our present status of continually diminishing spiritual efforts and ultimately we repent and improve our ways. If we fail to do this, then we add sin upon sin and tragedy upon tragedy.

But despite our continuous spiritual decline, each year we are given a chance anew to repent and amend our ways. Each year we have the opportunity not only to repent for our sins and their effects, but also to ensure that the full tragedy does not materialise.

If we utilise this valuable opportunity properly, there will no longer be a need to mourn the tragedies, and the 9th of Av will become instead a day of redemption and celebration!

Have a celebratory Shabbat and a redeeming 17th of Tammuz,

Shabbat Shalom

Korach: It’s Not So Simple

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Korach: It’s Not So Simple

 

I once read that R’ Aron Leib Shteinman quipped, “When people tell me they are acting not for their own sake but rather entirely l’shem shamayim, for the sake of heaven, I know they are acting entirely for their own sake and not l’shem shamayim.” I think his point is that the motivations that drive people’s religious actions are usually a mix of righteousness and less than righteousness. Anyone claiming otherwise is suspect.

 

The 250 followers of Korach seem to demonstrate the same phenomenon but the other side of the coin. Though their actions seemed to be entirely wrong, the service they were attempting to do had its merits. The 250 followers met their demise when they took Moshe up on his challenge that each one of them offer the ketores, the incense, each using his own fire pan. Although the Torah mandates that this job be reserved for the High Priest, the Kohen Gadol, Korach and his followers contended that there was no distinction between the Kohen Gadol and any other Jew. Their argument was “we are all holy,” anyone should be allowed to bring the ketores. Of course, the followers of Korach paid the ultimate price for their belief. It is a treacherous act for anyone other than the Kohen Gadol to offer the ketores.  As a result, all of them were immediately killed by a heavenly fire.

 

There is an intriguing aftermath to this story. G-d commanded Moshe to instruct Elazar, the son of Aharon, to collect the firepans because they were holy. They were to be used as a covering for the Altar. The Gemara (Menachos 99a) uses this law to teach that one can elevate holy items, maalin bekodesh. The firepans were holy, and Hashem instructed Moshe to use them for an even holier endeavor, a covering for the mizbeach, the altar. Rashi elaborates that these firepans were holy because they were used as part of a service in the Mishkan.

 

This instruction is confusing. Yes, these pans were used in a service in the Mishkan. However, this service performed by the followers of Korach was a treacherous act, deserving of immediate retribution from Heaven. Why would this act render the pans holy?

 

R’ Yechezkel Sarna (1890–1969) points out a remarkable lesson gleaned from this incident. Although the act of the followers of Korach was a nefarious rebellion against G-d, those people, nonetheless, had a machshava, an intention to serve G-d in that way. They erred greatly and paid the price, but they also thought they were serving G-d. Since that motive was sincere, their service infused the pans with an irrevocable holiness.

 

The lesson is clear. Our religious service matches the complexity of the human dynamic. We tend to prefer clearly delineated lines of good and evil. Yet, we learn from the 250 firepans that we can’t always categorize actions as entirely right or entirely wrong. Even in one of the most seditious acts in Jewish history, where the people were severely punished, a discernable aspect of kedusha was present.

Shelach: Feelings are real, but they aren’t reality

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Shelach: Feelings are real, but they aren’t reality

“Feelings are real, but they aren’t reality”, I found this quote recently and I think its profound. In Shelach we learn about the fateful mission of the meraglim, the spies, sent to report on the land of Israel.  Their mission was meant to fortify the spies and the rest of Israel with a renewed faith/emunah and trust in Hashem. We now know that mission was a spectacular failure, the spies returned with a spiteful report, which led to fear. The nation of Israel was terrified to enter the holy land. As a result, the Jews were punished.  The journey to the promised land was delayed significantly, they would now have to wander the desert for forty years. The very last portion of their infamous report is intriguing.  The spies complained, regarding the might of the inhabitants of Canaan, “We felt as though we were mere grasshoppers, and so were we in their eyes”.   The midrash explains, G-d would have forgiven them for feeling like insignificant insects.  However, it was entirely wrong for the spies to project those feelings and conclude with certainty that the inhabitants of Canaan viewed the spies the same way they viewed themselves.  This interpretation presents an enlightening paradigm. Even when the spies felt insignificant, they should have understood that although they felt small, and that was a real feeling, their feelings were not necessarily in line with reality.

At times, we can feel insecure, inept, or vulnerable.  Although feelings like that are usually inaccurate and misplaced, they are forgivable.  We are creatures of emotion.  It is even forgivable when those feelings point to a lack of proper emunah, belief and reliance on G-d.  However, the midrash teaches us, we must be very careful to separate the way we feel from the way we think.  It is wrong and unforgiveable to allow our fears and vulnerabilities to discolor the world at large.  There is always hope, we have no right to transpose our own insecurities onto other people, and other circumstances. The world is a beautiful place, and Hashem conducts the world in a beautiful way. Our negative feelings and experiences don’t change that.

Shelach – How to see the holiness of Eretz Yisroel

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וּמָה הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הוּא יֹשֵׁב בָּהּ הֲטוֹבָה הִוא אִם רָעָה . . .
And how is the Land in which they dwell; is it good or bad? . . .  (13:19)

Rav Noach Weinberg used to recount when he once met an irreligious tourist on his first trip to Israel.

“Rabbi,” said the young man. “I’ve heard them describe this land as ‘The Holy Land’ but I have to tell you, I’ve been up to the north and down to the south, and to both sides. I’ve been everywhere in this trip and I didn’t see a drop of holiness in this Land!”

“If you were in all of Israel,” asked Rav Noach with his trademark smile, “then let me ask you, ‘How many Buffefists did you meet?’”
“Excuse me?” asked the young man, “What is a Buffefist?”
“I did not ask you if you know what a Buffefist is, I asked you how many you met!”
“How am I supposed to know how many I met if I have no idea what a Buffefist is?” the young man responded clearly irritated by the Rabbis non-sensical question.
However, this was the exact response that Rav Noach had expected. “Tell me young man, do you know what holiness is to say that you haven’t seen it in this Land? Were you expecting white angels walking barefoot in the streets? Or perhaps beautiful light emanating from the rocks? Without an understanding of what holiness is, how can you possibly know what to look for, and even if you find it, how would you recognize it?”

Rav Noach’s words are crucial to understanding how to see holiness in Eretz Yisroel, but knowing how to enjoy the holiness in Eretz Yisrael requires the words of Rav Yisroel of Rozhin who compared the Holy Land to a feathered down-quilt — something that itself does not provide warmth yet keeps the person within it warm by trapping in his own heat. So too, explained Rav Yisrael, someone who is “cold” to holiness will not receive anything from Eretz Yisrael in return, but a person of fire and energy — specifically for Torah and mitzvos — will receive holiness and warmth from Eretz Yisrael in return.

Light up the world

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דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרֹת אֶל מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת

Speak to Aharon and say to him, “When you light the lamps, the seven lamps should cast their light toward the face of the menorah.”  (8:2)

When the Torah discusses the various tasks and functions that took place in the Mishkan, it is easy to “switch off” from searching how to apply these duties to our daily lives. After all, we do not have a Mishkan, we do not even have a Beis HaMikdash, and we may not even be Kohanim! Yet, the Torah’s eternality does not simply mean that the Torah will always be generally relevant, it means that it will always be specifically relevant to every aspect of our lives, during every moment of every day.

On this verse, for instance, Rav Pincus would recall the Gemara which discusses that one who takes care of lighting[1] will merit children who will become great Torah scholars.[2] Rav Pincus would say that this does not merely refer to Aharon in the Mishkan, and it does not only refer to those who light Shabbos or Chanuka candles, but every “mitzvah lighting”. For instance, the Medrash relates that Shaul merited to become king of Israel because his grandfather would concern himself about the public’s safety and light dark alleyways and dangerous places. By bringing physical light to people surrounded in darkness, Shaul’s grandfather merited a grandson who brought spiritual light to the masses through his mitzvos and leadership.[3]

When we take a moment to consider the Torah’s timeless messages and commit to apply them to our lives, we too will undoubtedly light up the world with our own greatness.
 
 


[1] The Rif includes lighting Shabbos and Chanukah lamps to the “blessing” about to be discussed from lighting the lamps (Shabbos 10b). See also Ben Yehoyada for an interesting interpretation why lighting these lamps will lead to children who are Torah scholars (Shabbos 23b).

[2] This is because the “lamp” is analogous to “mitzvah” whereas “light” corresponds to “Torah” (Shabbos 23a with Mishlei 6:23).

[3] TanchumahTetzaveh 8. Interestingly, the Medrash relates that Shaul’s grandfather is referred to as “Ner — lamp” for his defining act of kindness to others (see Divrei HaYamim 1:8:33).

A Peaceful Drink

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Naso: An Elixer of Peace

This week in Parshas Nasso begins with the laws of Sotah.  A Sotah is a woman who was cautioned by her husband to avoid secluding herself with a specific suspect male.  If she violates this warning, she is suspected of improper behavior and is deemed a Sotah. A special concoction is made in which select verses of the Torah are erased in water [these verses include the name of G-d which we are usually forbidden to erase].  The concoction serves to investigate. If she drinks the water and is guilty, she dies a horrible death.

There is a caveat which seems counterproductive. She has the right to refuse to drink the water, meaning she, the accused, has the power to upend the entire investigation.  Why bother investigating? Which guilty woman would choose to drink the water? The following Medrash provides an answer.

The Medrash (MR: Vayikra 9:9) relates: R’ Meir was delivering a sermon on Friday night. The sermon took a while. There was a woman in attendance who stayed until the end.  By the time she came home the candles had already dimmed. Her husband was furious and demanded to know where she had been.  She explained that she was listening to the sermon. The woman’s husband was not pleased. He swore he would not allow her back in the house until she spit in the face of the Rabbi who was giving the sermon. She was out of the house for 3 weeks.  Her neighbors understood something had to be done to rectify the situation.  They approached the woman and told her to come with them to R’ Meir. As they approached, R’ Meir experienced a divine inspiration Ruach Hakodesh (perhaps giving him an understanding of the situation with this woman, a solution, or both).  He feigned as if he had a pain in his eye.  He then asked the group if any of the women knew how to cure his eye.  Her friends nudged the woman forward, and told her “Now go, spit in his eye, you will be permitted to your husband!” She came forward, however in the presence of R’ Meir she could not bear to go ahead with it. She admitted to R’ Meir that she did not know how to cure his eye. R’ Meir instructed her to spit in his eye 7 times, to heal him. She acquiesced.  R’ Meir then told her, go home to your husband, tell him, “You said 1 time, I spit on him 7 times!”

The students of R’ Meir were outraged.  “This is a disgrace to the Torah!  We could have settled this the right way; we could have forced the husband to let her back in!”  R’ Meir explained, “It is sufficient for me to be equal to my creator (I don’t need to be treated any better than the Almighty), for R’ Yishmael taught [regarding the Sotah water], ‘Great is Shalom, for G-d allowed his great Name to be erased in order to bring peace between man and his wife.’”

This Midrash teaches us that the Sotah water is not a method to kill a guilty woman. Rather, the Sotah concoction is an elixir of peace! It is a tool we use to give an accused woman an opportunity to prove her innocence with the end goal being to preserve a Jewish home. A peaceful home in any representation is held in the highest regard. R’ Meir understood that the debasement of being spit on was akin to the debasement caused by erasing the name of G-d. To R’ Meir a self-disgrace of this magnitude is in order when it preserves peace even if that peace is far from lofty.  Even if the only accomplishment is a simple dysfunctional Jewish couple being given the opportunity to live together again.

 

Shavuos: What we really accepted and what they really rejected

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When Hashem went to the nations of the world to offer them the Torah, they each asked what was written in it. To each nation, Hashem stated the law which challenged their individual essence and that they would find hardest to keep: Do not murder; Do not have illicit relations; Do not steal.[1] Each nation, besides the Jewish Nation rejected the Torah. The Jewish People, however, did not ask what was contained in the Torah, they dedicated themselves to it, regardless of what was written thererin.[2]

The question is asked, since the prohibitions of murder, illicit relations, and theft are anyway forbidden to the nations of the world as part of the seven mitzvos that all mankind are bound by,[3] what did they gain by rejecting the Torah? Based on the answer to this question, we can gain a deeper understanding of what was offered at Mount Sinai, why the nations rejected it and why the Jewish People accepted it.

Rav Dovid Cohen answered that although the nations of the world were indeed obligated to keep the seven mitzvos, which included the list of prohibitions we stated above, it remained a list of rules and consequences — but nothing more. To live by rules and the threat of punishment is one thing, but to dedicate themselves to a framework of Torah was something else. If they would agree to accept the Torah, that would mean connecting to the will of Hashem and developping a relationship with Him. This, they were unwilling to do.[4]

With this, we can understand what the Jewish People accepted at Mount Sinai. They were not simply accepting a set of laws encumbent upon them, they were welcoming the opportunity to develop a relationship with Hashem through His Torah and mitzvos. By proclaiming that they will keep the Torah without knowing what is in it, they were declaring their desire to fulfil Hashem’s will regardless of any other factor. As such, it did not matter what was written inside, for they did not view the Torah as a contractual document which set out the rules and punishments of life, rather, they viewed it as a marriage contract which established the depth of the relationship that was about to be developed.

As we approach Shavuos, we have the opportunity to re-accept the Torah in the same framework. Not as a set of rules to follow and fulfil, but as a means of coming close to the Creator of the world.
 
chag sameach
Moshe


[1] Sifri, V’Zos Haberacha, 2.

[2] Shemos 24:7.

[3] Sanhedrin 56a.

[4] Adding to this point, Rav Moshe Tuvia Dinkel explained that whereas the nations of the world are obligated not to kill, for instance, the Jewish People take this “law” as a sign of Hashem’s true will, and thus forbid embarrassing someone, which is akin to killing them (see Bava Metzia 58b).

Shavuos – Connecting Train

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On the festival of Shvuos, when we commemorate the giving of the Torah, we read the vision of the ‘Merkavah’ of the prophet Yechezkel.

What exactly is this ‘Merkavah’ – Divine chariot, and how is it connected to the giving of the Torah?

 

 

Being too small, the schnell-tzug (express train), the tiny village of Kerestir, Hungary, did not merit a station of its own. The frustrated passengers were forced to remain on the train until Uhjel and then return to Kerestir by foot or wagon.

Reb Shayele of Kerestir made a special request to accommodate Kerestir, in particular to accommodate his visitors to his weekly Melava Malke meal after Shabbos, but it was to no avail.

The following week after Shabbos, as the train made its way through the Zempelin region, the engine gave a sudden hiss, the breaks creaked and eventually the train came to a complete standstill. Both the driver and engineer tried to move the train forward – but to no avail. There did not seem to be anything wrong – but the train simply would not move. Eventually the doors were opened and the passengers who were headed towards Kerestir took advantage of the situation and made their way by foot to the nearby Kerestir.

Moments later the train began to work again!

The exact same scene followed the following week.

 

The issue was noted and the authorities suspected the Jews of Kerestir were making a protest. An investigation was made but the Jews insisted that there was no sabotage – instead it was simply an effect of the Rebbe’s will.

After four consecutive delays, each week after Shabbos, and after confirming that Reb Shayele really had such powers, Kerestir was finally granted its own stop!

 

 

One time Reb Shayele had a visitor who began to get agitated about the late hour, worried that he would miss the train home, but Reb Shayele did not appear to be too concerned. Finally he told the visitor, “My righteous Rebbe of Liska, had the power to hold up a train for however long he wanted. I do not have such powers – but for 10 or 15 minutes I can manage.”

After the meeting, the visitor rushed off and just caught his train – which was running 15 minutes late!

 

 

In 1970 – over sixty years later – Reb Menachem Mendel, a grandson of Reb Shayele travelled to Kerestir. As the train approached Kerestir, the conductor called out ‘Bodrog-Kerestir’. Reb Mendel found it strange that only this small station was announced. He asked the elderly conductor for an explanation.

The conductor explained that all those years ago when the station at Kerestir was built, the train simply refused to move until all of the Rebbe’s visitors descended. One week the train seemed to have broken down completely. The conductor began to painstakingly investigate. He found a sleeping Jew in one of the chariots.

“Where are you headed?” the conductor woke the Jew.

“To Kerestir” the Jew replied.

“Here we are” announced the conductor.

The Jew descended and suddenly the train worked again!

“Now I don’t take any chances,” replied the elderly conductor, “I simply announce ‘Bodrog-Kerestir’ to make sure nobody holds us up!”

 

 

Some ‘chariots’ work according to the regular rules of chariots, but others are above the laws of nature.

 

We have been taught that the forefathers are the Divine chariot [1]. Through their connection to spirituality, they lived their lives above the laws of nature.

 

We have been further taught that when we received the Torah and G-d’s presence dwelled amongst us, at least in some respects, all of the Children of Israel became like the forefathers [2].

 

Perhaps this is why, in commemorating the festival of the giving of the Torah, there are no unique commandments. The commandments involve using the physical to connect to the spiritual. But the Torah is about using the spiritual to influence the physical.

 

The more we train ourselves to connect to the Torah and spirituality, instead of being subject to the rules of nature, we will be able to rule over nature! [3]

 

 

Have a supernatural Shvuos,

 

Dan.

 

 

Additional sources:

Stories: Reb Shayele, p. 219-224

[1] Bereishis Rabba 48:7

[2] Ramban, intro. to Shemos

[3] See also Ramban, end of Bo

Celebrating Jewish Freedom

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We refer to Pesach as Zman Cheiruseinu – the Time of our Freedom.  Much like Succos which we call Zman Simchaseinu – the Time of Our Joy, or Shavuos which is called Zman Matan Toraseinu – the Time of the Giving of the Torah, our freedom plays an essential role in the understanding, the feeling, or the ethos of the festival of Pesach.  We are not merely commemorating a historical event. The freedom our ancestors experienced from their enslavement in Egypt still exists, it is still relevant, and we are meant to experience this freedom thousands of years later.  This freedom is particularly significant at the seder.  We drink wine and act as kings and queens, physically role playing the freedom that we are meant to feel.  How do we connect to our forefathers’ redemption from Egypt? Why must we connect to their redemption? And why are we focused specifically on this feeling of freedom?

In an essay titled Cheiruseinu – Our Freedom, Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook (1865 – 1935) contends that the line that separates freedom from servitude and subjugation is often blurred.  A lord can feel as if he is a slave, and his own slave can feel free.  It all depends on their inner spirit.  We have all seen, in one manifestation or another, the content slave who is comfortable with his lot, seemingly unaware of his miserable surroundings. We know he contains a freedom of spirit that eclipses that of a miserable prince. The content slave has a gift of freedom, his miserable circumstances simply won’t destroy his spirit.

When our ancestors left Egypt and then received the Torah at Sinai, an independent Jewish nation was born. The independence was not merely a onetime independence from servitude in Egypt. Through the Torah and our unique connection to the Almighty we are able to transcend whatever miserable circumstances we find ourselves in. We are part of something boundless, an infinitely higher purpose. The Exodus gave the Jew a higher ideal, an ideal that cannot be compromised by outside, external circumstances. Our great national mission defines our independence, our cheirus.

This defines our freedom. We are never really a prisoner of our own circumstances. We are part of a different reality. Throughout the generations our ancestors held seders in hidden caves, cellars, and bunkers; there, they leaned, drank wine, and acted as free men. It wasn’t a farce. In those miserable circumstance they celebrated the idea that difficult external circumstances have no bearing and carry no weight on the undying Jewish soul. Our forebearers showed that a Jew connected to Hashem lives for something which nothing in the world can quash. This is our secret. It is what gives us, the Jewish people the strength to withstand our long and brutal exile.

Pesach is a time when we can take stock and recognize the unique gift of freedom we have. We are blessed with the power to transcend the trappings of our present day and live for something much larger. Although our circumstances are different, we can join our ancestors throughout the ages, and raise our glass of wine to celebrate our cheirus, our freedom!

SHORT VORT, Rabbi Moshe Kormornick. Published by Adir Press. $9.99 in stores worldwide and online here

Whether you are looking for something meaningful on the Parsha, an uplifting thought for Yom Tov, or have been asked to speak at a Simcha – “Short Vort” is the book for you! With over 140 incredible short vorts packed with stories and valuable life messages, you will never be lost for something inspiring to say.

Rabbi Moshe Kormornick is a popular writer whose words are enjoyed by thousands of readers every week.

THE HAGGADAH – THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL OF GRATITUDE

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There are numerous lessons that can be derived from the Hagaddah.  One of them is brought out by Rav Noach Orlowek Shlita.  He points out that the Hagaddah is the single most revealing text about the Torah approach to gratitude.

The significance of the trait of gratitude in Torah thought is very apparent.  Three times a day we thank Hashem in the ‘Modim’ prayer; every time we eat, we thank Hashem for providing us with the food.  Also, in the realm of bein adam lechaveiro, there is great emphasis on showing gratitude to those who help us. The mitzvos of kibud av v’eim and kibud Rav, for example, are largely based on a recognition of how much are parents and teachers have done for us.[1] Yet it is no easy task to retain a constant feeling of hakaras hatov for all the kindnesses that Hashem, and, lehavdil, other people do for us.  How can a person develop himself so that he excels in this most important trait?

The Hagaddah and the halachos pertaining to it, can answer this question:  In order to fulfill the mitzvo of recounting our leaving Egypt, the gemara tells us that we must begin by mentioning the ‘genus’ (bad) before we begin talking about the ‘shevach’ (good).[2]  There is a machlokes as to what exactly this entails; Rav says discussing the ‘bad’ means that before we begin thanking Hashem for taking us out of Egypt, we must first mention how our ancestors originally served idols.  Shmuel argues that the ‘bad’ refers to the initial slavery that we suffered in Egypt before we left.  We appear to pasken like both opinions, because both aspects of the ‘genus’ are in the Hagaddah.  It seems that both opinions teach us a fundamental lesson about how to develop a proper feeling of gratitude.

Shmuel’s opinion that we must begin with the slavery teaches us that in order for a person to feel truly thankful for everything he has, he must first be able to contrast his present positive situation with the past suffering that he endured.  In order for us to truly appreciate Hashem’s chesed in taking us out of Mitzrayim, we must first focus on the terrible suffering that we endured in the slavery in Egypt.  By doing this, we can avoid the trap of taking for granted the physical and spiritual freedom that we experienced after leaving Mitzrayim.  So too, in our daily lives, when things are going smoothly, it is very easy to forget what Hashem has done for us, and how He continues to constantly protect and sustain us.  For example, when a person’s financial situation is stable, he naturally may take for granted his situation and refrain from sufficiently thanking Hashem.  However, were he to think about the times when he did not know how he would support himself, it is far easier for him to contrast his past difficulties with his current security.  This should help him feel gratitude to Hashem.

It is less obviously apparent how Rav’s explanation of discussing the ‘genus’ inculcates us with the mida of gratitude.  How does mentioning the fact that our descendants served idols bring us to a greater appreciation of Hashem?  It seems that one of the main factors that prevents a person from showing gratitude is a sense of arrogance.  A person who feels arrogant will have an attitude that he deserves all the kindness that Hashem, or people, bestow upon him.  Accordingly, there is no ‘hakaras hatov’, recognition of the good that others have done for him.  He does not feel that they have done anything special, rather he has every right to expect them to serve him.  In contrast, a humble person feels that he is not deserving of anything. Therefore, he views anything that is done for him, as a particularly kind act therefore, he truly recognizes the good done for him.  With this understanding, we can explain how reminding ourselves of our former lowly state can bring us to a greater appreciation of Hashem.  We acknowledge that we are not great people with tremendous yichus, rather our heritage is nothing to be particularly proud of.  Moreover, we acknowledge that any spiritual accomplishments that we have achieved are due to Hashem’s chesed. when we say in the Hagaddah, “From the beginning our forefathers worshipped idols, and now HaMakom [Hashem] has brought us close to serving Him.”  By stressing our humble background, we make ourselves far more able to properly appreciate kind deeds done for us.

Rav Shlomo Brevda, zt”l, points out that he knew many Gedolim, each one greatly different from the other.  However, one trait that they all possessed in abundance, was that of gratitude.  This is perhaps because they all felt so humble that they viewed themselves undeserving of anything done for them.  May we merit to emulate them and grow in our capacity to show gratitude to other people, and, most importantly, to Hashem.

[1]  See Sefer Hachinuch, Mitzvo 33, Sichos Mussar, Maamer 73, p.323-4.

[2]  Pesachim, 116a.

SHORT VORT, Rabbi Moshe Kormornick. Published by Adir Press. $9.99 in stores worldwide and online here

Whether you are looking for something meaningful on the Parsha, an uplifting thought for Yom Tov, or have been asked to speak at a Simcha – “Short Vort” is the book for you! With over 140 incredible short vorts packed with stories and valuable life messages, you will never be lost for something inspiring to say.

Rabbi Moshe Kormornick is a popular writer whose words are enjoyed by thousands of readers every week.