Behar 5782 – The Ultimate Frumkeit
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Shiur presented in 5778
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Shiur presented in 5778
Let us take a look at the end of Parshas Emor where the Torah discusses the Yom Tov of Sukkos. The pasuk says: On the 15th day of this 7th month, it is Chag Hasukkos Lahem. A few pesukim later it says: However, on the 15th day of the 7th month, when you gather in your harvest, you should celebrate a chag hashem shivas yamim. The obvious question is why does the Torah repeat these dates twice?
There is a fellow in Eretz Yisrael who is the editor of the Hebrew Yated Ne’eman. His name is Yisrael Friedman. He was extremely close with Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman. He was in his house many times. One day, eighteen years before Rav Aharon Leib was niftar, the phone rings by Yisrael Friedman. He picks up the phone – it’s the rosh yeshivah. Rav Aharon Leib is calling. Rav Aharon Leib tells him, “I have to speak to you right now…”
We’d like to stay on the topic of ‘Getting out of Your Mitzrayim’ and today’s shmooze is on a Chazal we find in Parshas Vayechi on the passuk of ‘לישועתך קויתי ה – for Your salvation I long, Hashem (Bereishis 49:18). We mentioned before that Yaakov Avinu said this passuk in regards to Shimshon Hagibor, when he was at a moment of darkness. It was after Shimshon’s hair was cut, his gevurah was gone and he reached out to Hashem one more time. He asked the child holding his hand if he could take him over to the pillars. He wanted to lean on the pillars.
Special Topics: Moshe Rabbeinu and Elazar Hakohen were commanded to count the Bnei Yisrael (Bamidbar 26:4). The next passuk says: Reuven, the eldest son of Yisrael: the children of Reuven; Chanoch, the family of the Chanochi: of Pallu, the family of the Pallui. The obvious question: If it says Chanoch, do you think it’s Mishpachas Finkelstein?! Obviously, Chanoch is Mishpachas Hachanochi! Obviously Palu is Mishpachus Hapalu’i!
This week’s parshah begins by discussing the galus Mitzrayim, followed by the yetzias Mitzrayim. Every time you learn a sugya, you have to know its essence. Yetzias Mitzrayim has so many lessons, but you have to understand what is the essence of yetzias Mitzrayim. If somebody would ask you, what does yetzias Mitzrayim mean to you, you’d first have to know what galus Mitzrayim means in order to answer that question.
In this week’s parshah, the Torah tells us how the meraglim returned from their tour in Eretz Yisrael and brought back a bad report. Initially, they were very diplomatic; they didn’t say it openly. What they did, was they hinted to it. They spoke about the strength of the great nation that was in Eretz Yisrael. They compared their strength to that of Klal Yisrael. But anybody who could add one plus one would have asked themselves, “What chance do we have against such odds?” In this way, the meraglim created a feeling that it was a helpless matzav.