PINCHAS – PASSION

Published on July 5, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed

A few days ago, I had a meeting with a group of individuals who have taken upon themselves to build a certain religious ritual complex. Due to sensitivity and privacy, I can’t mention it by name. At this time, it does not fulfill the requirements of Halacha nor Hashkafa (proper outlook) according to mainstream Orthodox Judaism. As we spoke of the parameters of the project, I tried explaining to them why Orthodox Judaism and I would take issue with it and thereby not be able to participate. Nevertheless, I could not begin to convince them and, to the contrary, their passion only grew stronger.

In today’s world, there are many misguided “spiritually” charged people. They feel a need to “feel” spiritual because they have this pull or an urge to it. Therefore they turn to organizations such as the “kabbala center’ or the healing center where they feel spiritually charged and closer to God. Most of these movements are here one day and gone the next. People like them because it comes without any responsibility or the commitment to undertake the observance of the Torah. So as long as they “feel “spiritual it’s enough.

Even if their path was correct and kosher, (which it is not) they do not make that connection to follow the Mitzvos of the Torah. These movements attack Orthodoxy by claiming that we are not spiritual, rather we are concerned mainly with the mechanics. If one would only realize how false that statement is. We believe in meditation and practically do it three times a day during our davening. Every Mitzvah that we perform, we are spiritually uplifting our souls to a higher level. But for some reason, they did not hear my point as they CONTINUED to be PASSIONATE about the way THEY see the path to spirituality. Unfortunately, millions of dollars will be spent and wasted on a pursuit of spiritual happiness in a very wrong sense. In this week’s Parsha, Parshas Pinchas we pick up the story from last week.

At the conclusion of last week’’s Torah portion, we read about the act of Zimri and the response of Pinchas. The episode is described as follows:
And a man from the Children of Israel brought a Midianite woman in front of his brethren, in sight of Moses and the entire community, and they engaged in sexual intercourse in front of the Tent of Meeting. Pinchas, the son of Elazar, son of Aaron the Kohen, saw them. He arose from the community and took his spear with him. He approached the man of Israel by the tent and he pierced them both by the tent. The plague in Israel was stopped. (Numbers 25:6-8)

While the story was told last week, in Balak, certain elements about the episode are held in abeyance until this week’’s Torah portion, Parshat Pinchas. Named for the protagonist of this episode, it informs us of the lineage of the perpetrators of the deed:
The name of the man of Israel who was killed, together with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Saluah, a prince from the tribe of Shimon. And the name of the Midianite woman killed was Kozbi, the daughter of Tzur, the head of the nation of Midian. (Numbers 25:14-15)

The Targum (Yonatan, Yerushalmi) identifies Tzur with none other than Balak himself! His hatred was so profound that he was willing to prostitute his own daughter for the chance to corrupt the Jews in the process. Pinchas, upon viewing this scene, acts in what the Torah describes as a “fanatical” rage, and kills them both in order to put an end to the desecration. The act of Pinchas is the archetypical fanatical act; others in the future who acted in a similar manner have been associated with Pinchas. Most notably Eliyahu Hanavi, Elijah the Prophet, is identified by the Sages as Pinchas himself, if not literally, then at least in the mystical sense, whereby the two would be said to share a common soul. (See Targum Yonatan, Shmot 6:18.)

In a sense, Zimri is no less a fanatic than Pinchas; they reflect different sides, very different directions. The fanaticism of Pinchas, and of Zimri, should come as no surprise, as it has an antecedent in Genesis, in another act of fanaticism and revenge. Fanaticism and passion are often linked together. One of the ways to defeat the misguided passions and fanatics is for us, the defenders of Hashem’s honor and the purity of Torah to be as passionate about Torah and Mitzvos as the other groups are in their goals. Rambam, in his Mishna Torah Laws of Shmita and Yovel 13:12 writes, “Not only the tribe of Levi, rather any man of the entire world whose spirit moves him, and causes him to separate and stand in front of God to serve Him and worship Him, in order to know God, and walks along a straight path as God has made him, and he rejects the numerous calculations which occupy most men, this person becomes sanctified — [he becomes] a Holy of Holies, and God will be his lot, his portion forever and ever …”

Any Jew can become the “Holy of Holies.” What is needed is single-minded dedication to God, as was manifested by Pinchas. His love of God required his extreme response. The fanatical behavior of Zimri, which was followed by his tribe of Shimon, had to be stopped and was stopped by the passion that Pinchas displayed.

We, now more than ever before, need to become passionate for the cause of Torah from Heaven and defending the traditions of the Torah and our great heritage.

Ah Gut Shabbos
Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

BALAK – Communication

Published on June 25, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed

The communication business is a multi-billion dollar industry. Yet with all the technical know-how, phones, and satellite systems we still have a problem in talking and understanding each other. Weather it is parents to children, husbands to wives, neighbors and friends, allies and enemies, we still have trouble in communicating our thoughts and intentions to one another.
In this week’s Parsha, Parshas Balak, God opens up the mouth of the donkey to speak to Bilaam. The verse states in Chapter 22 verse 28 “Vayiftach Hashem es Pi HaAsone, VaTomer L’Bilaam Meh Asisi L’Cha Ki Hikisani Zeh Shalosh Regalim” “And Hashem opened the donkey’s mouth and it said to Bilaam, “What have I done to you, that you beat me these three times?” All of the commentators go to great lengths to explain the incident of the talking donkey. One of the most common answers given is in order to show the strength and might of the Almighty. God decides to change the nature of His creations, so much so until He opens up the mouth of the donkey to speak. This is an act of superiority in showing Bilaam and his followers that the entire world is run by God. Hashem does this in order to prevent Bilaam from cursing the Jews.
There are two questions I would like to pose. One, why did Hashem have to discourage Bilaam from cursing the Jews? The Jewish people are a blessed people that should not be affected by the curse of anyone especially from a wicked man like Bilaam. Second, why did Hashem use a talking donkey as a messenger to Bilaam?
I believe the answer to both questions is the uniqueness of human speech. The first question of why Hashem even had to say anything to Bilaam is because Hashem cannot stand to have negative words flow into His world without being countered. More than that, Hashem felt that the words of curse will end up being words of blessing. As to the second question of why the mouth of a donkey? True Hashem could have used any method of communication to Bilaam, but rather than using an angel or some other sign, Hashem chooses the mouth of a lowly animal to teach us a lesson that even if a lowly animal like a donkey can speak properly, how much more so a human being, who is created in the image of God, must learn to speak properly. In Bereishis, Hashem clearly defines and separates Adam Harishon from the rest of creation with the ability of human speech. Talking is not just making noise with our mouths, but rather a holy act in imitating Hashem. Hashem is giving us the lesson of the importance and beauty that the power of speech brings to the world.
When people fight with each other, there might be many things being said, but nothing is being communicated from one to the other. If families are raising their voices on top of each other, there’s a lot of noise, but zero communication. When nations are shooting at each other, the words of diplomacy are being shut out. The world is truly lacking in the ability to communicate ideas and reason from one side to another. If we would be able to communicate properly, then all of the attempted curses will turn into blessings and we will not only act as a lowly human being, but rather emulate and live in the image of Hashem.

Ah Gut Shabbos,
Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

Weekly Torah Message: CHUKAS – Behind The Scenes

Published on June 18, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed

One of the most important lessons in life is to remember that we are not just watching the game of life but rather we are the actors themselves! How often it is do we think that everything bad that happens in life is “for the other guy” but not me. We somehow remove ourselves from the fact that we are also finite within this world.
I was thinking the other day that I work and get paid for me doing the job. But has it ever occurred to someone, that maybe someone is paying your employer just to give you a job and really they are paying your salary? Who knows, maybe it’s all a set-up in order to make me “think” that it is my hard work and effort that got me the job and that I continue to get paid.
Imagine, one day the sustenance and support stops, and only then do we realize that it was coming from someplace else and it really wasn’t “me” who was really making it happen.
We know that for the years that the Jews wandered in the desert, they were provided three things in the merit of three Tzadikim. It was because of Moshe that we had the manna, Aharon brought the Ananei Hakavod/The clouds of glory and Miriam brought forth water from her well. In this week’s Parsha, Parshas Chukas, both Miriam and then Aharon die, as a result the well dried up and the clouds disappeared. There is a question as to why the Jewish people did not cry and eulogize Miriam when she died? The Sefer Simchas Higayon answers that in reality the well stopped giving forth water BECAUSE the Jews did not mourn properly for Miriam. But it started to give water again in the merit of Aharon and Moshe. Unfortunately, because the water resumed after a short while, the Jewish people did not feel the impact of where and from whom the water source was from. I am sure that after so many years, the Jews took it for granted, and forgot in whose merit they benefited from all those years. In fact they may have thought it was in their own merits that they enjoyed the manna, water and protection of the clouds. Then again when Aharon died, the clouds disappeared for only a short while, and resumed in the merit of Moshe Rabbeinu. It was only until Aharon, Miriam and Moshe died did they remember that it was in the merits of those righteous individuals and not themselves that we enjoyed the Manna, Clouds and water. All of a sudden, reality is brought forth and opened up before their eyes.
It is only so clear when the source, the hand that was giving is no longer, that we realize someone behind the scenes is pulling the strings.
Our problem is that we tend to forget that EVERYTHING we have is coming from another source and it is not MY doing but rather from Hashem. We go through life thinking that it is we who are doing everything and even when the true source is sometimes cut off, a new source of merit replaces it. Hashem provides us with everything, for reasons that only He knows. At times we deserve it on our own, and other times because of others. Let us never forget the place that Bracha/Blessing comes from.
We are not in control but rather we are being controlled. There are things happening behind the scenes, and our objective is to remember that Hashem/God is pulling ALL the strings.

Ah Gut Shabbos
Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

Weekly Torah Message: KORACH – Build To Last

Published on June 10, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed

Shlomo Hamelech writes in Mishlei ” chachmas Isha Bansa Beisa”. It’s the wisdom of the woman that builds the home. We see this illustrated in the most obvious way in this weeks parsha, Korach. The Gemara in Sanhedrin relates to us the conversations that two couples had. The first was Korach and his wife and the second Owne ben Peles and his wife. Korach’s wife instigated the rebellion of Korach against Moshe. She claimed Moshe was guilty of nepotism in not only appointing himself king, but his brother Aharon to be the Kohen Gadol the High Priest who would receive gifts from the nation. Furthermore he appointed Aaron’s sons to be the deputy Kohein. Korach himself a Levi of higher stature and greater wealth was egged on by his wife to challenge Moshe. Korach who was probably one of the wealthiest men at the time would eventually lose it all and be swallowed up in the ground. The other conversation between Owne Ben Peles and his wife went as follows. “What difference does it make weather you follow Moshe or Korach, in either case you are only going to be the student not the master. Urging her husband and eventually convincing him to remove himself from Korach and his followers and to remain loyal to Moshe. She did this in a remarkable act of putting her shame at risk by acting in a manner that would be castigated by others. Thereby Korach’s followers would want to kick out Owne for being married to such an immodest woman. Owne who slept through this scene ended up being saved physically in this world and spiritually in the world to come.
Recently, someone asked me the obvious question, “how do I know when to listen to my wife and when not to”? I think that in our day in age we have a clearer picture of right and wrong and not such a great challenge as in the case of Owne. The over simplified answer is if your wife tells you to go to the casino then don’t listen but if she tells you to go Daven or learn in Shul then you should run there. There are a few scenarios that are obvious and we (men) should take heed from the individuals who actually build the home.
As the old cliché goes “it takes two to tango”. The wives and women in our lives who are the builders of the home must feel that responsibility that rests with them. Children will usually follow their greatest role models, their parents. Mothers and fathers must realize that their sons and daughters are looking to them for positive behavior. This isn’t always successful, there are other outside factors that we need to contend with. At least let’s do what we CAN control, and that is we the parents and the environment of our homes.
Let us not be swallowed up by society, but rather stand up as Moshe & Aharon did against Korach and his 250 followers.

If I may add a Bracha/Blessing to this week’s Dvar Torah.
A Bracha to a young woman who started to build her new home with her new husband. They should take the words of Shlomo Hamelech of “Chochmas Isha Bansa Beisa” and the words of Shlomo’ father David Hamelech that the wife is the Akeres Habyis/ the mainstay of the Jewish home and fulfill them to build a Bayis Neeman B’Yisroel. To Yehudis (nee Bogopulsky) and Yaacov Kaplan on their wedding this past week, you should follow the words of Dovid and Shlomo Hamelech as you build your personal kingdoms, may you be Zocheh to build a Bayis Neeman B’Yisroel. Mazal Tov

Ah Gut Shabbos
Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

Weekly Torah Message: Sh’lach– 2C or not 2B CEEN

Published on June 3, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed

I had an eye opening experience as I travelled to New York last week for a wedding. Heading out on the Jet Blue red eye I realized I did not have headphones for the flight. Those who are familiar with Jet Blue know they sell headphones for two dollars that are in a bin at the gate. It works on the honor system and all I had was a five dollar bill. I asked the attendant at the gate for change and she said “oh don’t worry just take a head set “not making me pay for them. As I was holding my five dollar bill in my hand I went to take out my “free set “. At that moment I felt dozens of eyes staring at me perhaps thinking that I was stealing the headphones, as they were unaware of the attendant’s permission. (I was also unsure of weather or not the attendant had the authority to let people take, maybe yes maybe not). At this point I put the headphones back in the bin and actually waited for someone else to purchase a set and with their two dollars, made some change and deposited my five dollar bill. (It actually ended up costing me three dollars for this ordeal) I went over to the attendant an explained the concern I had of the “way it would look” and therefore did not take her up on her offer but nevertheless, thanked her.

The second experience I had was waiting for my luggage back in San Diego after a grueling thirty-six hour turn-around venture to New York for a wedding. After retrieving messages on the phone and returning a phone call or two I approached the carousel to get a better view of the luggage popping out onto the belt. With my phone glued to one ear, I heard from my other ear a woman talking out loud and saying “how rude some people are by just cutting in front of others”, whereby she moved a bit further down. I did not push or shove anyone, or do anything more or less than other people do when they try to retrieve their luggage from a carousel. Nevertheless, in her mind I did something wrong and therefore it was a clear Chillul Hashem on my part! I immediately hung up and walked over to the woman and I apologized and said she was absolutely correct and I was sorry. She was extremely satisfied that I apologized and more so surprised that I made the effort to do so.

The Meraglim/spies were sent out to check out the land of Israel. What was the source of their sin? The commentaries challenge and ask “how was it that such men of great stature sinned and caused an entire nation to sin”? The underlying reason was a lack of emunah/faith in God. They had heard about the giants living in the land and the huge fruits that its trees produced. They questioned their own level of spirituality and determined that they were not worthy of the miracles that would be necessary in order to conquer the land. Yehoshua and Kalev responded to them by saying that in previous situation in the dessert we also did not deserve to be successful and victorious against our enemies. Hashem nevertheless found reason to give the Jews the benefit and gave them salvation despite the fact they may not have deserved it. This time they argued will be no different. Going into Eretz Canaan, Hashem will create the miracles necessary to defeat the giants and capture Israel.

Both the ten spies and the other two, Yehoshua and Kalev both saw the same identical situation but came out with different results. Yehoshua and Kalev chose to view the promise that Hashem made to our forefathers and this conquering of Israel was to take place now. While the ten spies chose to see the situation as we are not deserving of Hashem’s kindness and mercy because we are not Tzadikim, which is a pre-requisite to enter and conquer the land.

Same situation but with two vantage points can change history. How do we see a situation and how are we seen in a situation. We are to look upon every scenario in a favorable way for the Jewish people and not in a denigrating fashion as the world views us. We do not have to look further than this past week’s events in the waters off the Gaza shore. We see a Flotilla and must act in a certain way to defend ourselves and the rest of the world chooses to see it completely different in their eyes. A Jew’s responsibility is to view a situation and not only act appropriately in our eyes but also through the eyes of the world.
A Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

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Weekly Torah Message: Parshas B’Haaloscha “Omissions and Additions”

Published on May 25, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed

The Torah is replete with words that are Chaseir or Malei. A word that is Chaseir is a word that seems to be missing a letter while a word that is malei is written with all its letter’s intact. Generally speaking there are two letters in the Hebrew language, the Yud and the Vav, that can be added to a word but yet seem to be expendable as well, meaning that the word will read the same way with or without these letters. We are all aware that there are no extra words or any extra letters in the Torah. Therefore if a word has the vav and could be read without it, there must be a reason that it is there or not. There are hundreds of examples of this throughout Tanach. The question then arises as to why sometimes the very same word is written full, Malei or Chaseir, missing. Even more challenging are the situations when a word is mentioned twice within a passuk and one time it is written one way and the second time the other way.

In the opening passuk in this week’s parsha B’Haaloscha it says “Dabair el Aharon V’Amarta Aleihem, B’Haaloscha es HaNeir`s (without a Vav) el Mul Pnei HaMenorah Yairu Shivas HaNeiros (with a Vav). *RABBI YISRAEL BE’ERI KOLODNER in his commentary Zahav B’Miluasam on Chumash explains the Chaseir/Malei phenomena in Tanach. The Vav in a word is a sign of completeness and wholesomeness, and its absence connotes that it is lacking in something. In our case of the candles, the word Neiros is first written without a vav because the candles at that point are not set into the candelabra. Rather they were taken outside and lit and are therefore considered incomplete. They can only be complete when they are lit in the holders of the Menorah itself. The Ohr Hachaim HaKadosh explains that when the candles were taken down to be cleaned and then lifted back up to be arranged again in the Menorah the word Neiros is without vav. The Neiros/candles are only a part of what their potential is supposed to be. The second time the word Neiros/candles are mentioned in the passuk is when they have been lit and are IN the Menorah. The candles together with the Candelabra is now Shaleim, it is now complete, so the word Neiros is full with the vav. If one was to analyze each time the word is used you can decipher whether or not it is being used in its full or partial form.
There are times when a person is preparing something to be baked. Even if all the ingredients are mixed together but it’s not yet been in the oven it is not ready to be eaten. So too when it comes to learning and doing of Mitzvos. There are times when we prepare to do a Mitzva but we never finish it off. We go out erev Sukkos and purchase a lulav and esrog and all its trimmings, but when it comes to the last component of actually doing the Mitzva we sometimes fall short. There is a certain excitement in getting ready and preparing for the Mitzva but we sometimes slack off when it comes to finishing. If we only buy the lulav, or clean the chanukiah, practice blowing the Shofar but don’t use it properly at the right time in the right place then we are lacking in the vav of that mitzva. We in our every day lives get bogged down with all the prep and hype of an event, or a mitzva, and never fully appreciate or complete the task at hand. One of the major benefits in completing something is the accompanying feeling of peace and tranquility that comes as a result of our finishing. We find this in that city in Israel known as Yerushalayim, or Ir Shalem and it is the city of peace. Let us all share in the enthusiasm to prepare the mitzvos and have the wherewithal to complete them and bring forth light of the full Neiros (with a vav) that we shall merit to light once again in the Bayis Shlishi B’Meheira V’Yameinu, Amen.
Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

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***Rabbi Yisrael Be’eri Kolodner was born in 1911 in Drohitchin. His father, known as “R. Shmuel Getzel’s” was from a wonderful family in Antopolia. His mother, Sarah, who died when he was only seven years old, was the daughter of an important Drohitchin businessman, R. Getzel Kaplan, who was the father of two rabbis: Rabbi Shmuel Yisrael Kaplan, the rabbi of Kolna (near Lomza), and Rabbi Avraham Yehuda Kaplan, the rabbinical judge of Yanovo.

R. Shmuel strove to maintain the tradition of the family, and provided his son Yisrael with a sound religious education under the teachers in town. At 17, young Israel was sent to study elsewhere. He spent three years in the Novardok yeshiva, Beit Yosef, in Pinsk (headed by R. Moshe Reiz); six months in the Novardok yeshiva in Byalistock under R. Avraham Yaffen; ten years in the Kamenitz yeshiva, Knesset Beit-Yitzchak, under Rabbi Baruch Ber Leibovitz and his son-in-law, R. Reuven Grozovsky.

After receiving ordination from Rabbi Baruch Ber and Rabbi Weinstein (who headed Yeshiva Beit Yosef in Pinsk), Rabbi Kolodner moved to Palestine in 1933, where he spent several years studying in the Hevron Yeshiva in Jerusalem. In 1938, R. Yisrael became the son-in-law of the famous Jerusalem rabbi and kabbalist, R. Yaakov Moshe Charlap, and with the help of his wife, Chana Dina, R. Yisrael was able to devote himself to his studies under his father-in-law.

In 1943, R. Yisrael was appointed a rabbi in the old colony of Nes Ziona, where he excelled in various areas. He taught Talmud to elderly men and was concerned with the education of children; he founded a charity fund for residents of the colony, and created a charity fund for visitors. He also assisted new immigrants to find places to live.

In 1940 he published his first book, Mishnat Rishonim (Part 1), which was well received by the press in Palestine. The second part of his book is to be published shortly. Another book, Higyonei Kedem is still in manuscript form, and he is working on a fourth book on part of the Shulchan Aruch. R. Yisrael also writes Torah articles in various publications in Israel.

Weekly Torah Message: Parshas Nasso “Waking Up and Rubbing your Eyes”

Published on May 21, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed

As we completed two days of Shavuos, I am not sure if I am supposed to go to sleep or stay awake. The change of my internal clock has gone haywire and will need to be reprogrammed. Staying up all night to learn, then sleeping until noon, up for a few hours, then napping in the afternoon. Since I napped in the afternoon, it was difficult to fall asleep at night. Being up a good part of the night (not the entire) required a good nap in the afternoon. Now as the clock is trying to reset itself I look back at one of the blessings that we recite each morning.

The birchos haschachar, (literally morning blessings) are a series of fifteen blessings describing how we wake up in the morning, get dressed etc. The final blessing is “Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who removes sleep from my eyes and slumber from my eyelids” Following the blessing is a beautiful request for the Almighty to distance us from an evil person and an evil companion. We ask Him not to bring us into the power of transgression and sin, nor into the power of challenge, or into the power of scorn. We beg that the Evil Inclination not dominate us.

Reb Shalom Stein of Philadelphia, who was on a business trip in San Diego, told over to me a beautiful insight that he saw in a siddur from Reb Solomon of Worms called Siddur Rabbeinu Shlomo MeGarmeeza from the time of Rashi. There it explains the connection this prayer has to that final bracha. When our eyes are closed, we can focus and choose the only one and correct path, that being of Hashem and His Torah. If we have a choice between good and evil, Mitzvos or sins, we can easily discern and choose the correct path since our eyes are closed and focused on Hashem and only wanting to do the right thing. Comes along Hashem and He opens up our eyes. We look at all the different people and other opportunities around us. We now see the other options of how to live our lives because we see other people doing those things. I no longer am ONLY focused on Hashem but I have a lot of interference since my eyes have now been exposed to other ways of living my life. I see others not observing Mitzvos and following the Torah, and it may be very tempting to me. Therefore, immediately after the Bracha of Hashem who removes sleep and opens up my eyes (to all the challenges, tests and nisyonos of life) I need to ask that Hashem give me some extra protection and help me get through life with my eyes opened. We ask Hashem to protect us from those choices that we see in the Yezer Hara and holding us back from going down the path of sin.

As we are now rubbing our eyes after the incredible experience of Kabbolas Hatorah, the receiving of the Torah on Shavuos we now once again open up our eyes to the outside world around us. We were so insulated and protected with God’s presence for the past forty-eight hours that we did not see anything else except for the Torah and wanting to do Mitzvos. Today, of all days we need to ask God to protect us as we leave nest of Torah. We are going out and being exposed to the “other” options that are the antithesis of what we learned over Shavuos.

One suggestion that we can do in order to keep us on track can be learned from this week’s parshas Nasso. Where all the Princes had offered Sacrifices for the inauguration of the Mishkan. Each of the Nesiim, Princes offered the identical sacrifice with great enthusiasm, even though it was not any different than their fellow. To look at their gift, at their Mitzva as the only one to Hashem made it that much more precious to them. So too when we fulfill the Mitzvos and learn Torah, remember Bishvili Nivra HaOlam, the world was created for me. If I view the delicacy of every Mitzva and my joy and love that I attach in my fulfilling of that commandment then I will surely never look away from Hashem and at some other way of living my life other than to serve Hashem!

Weekly Torah Message: Bamidbar – Economics 101

Published on May 13, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed

The book of Bamidbar, beginning with Parshas Bamidbar will usually always be read the Shabbos prior to Shavuos. Many reasons are given and appropriately connect the “desert” to the giving of the Torah on Shavuos, here are a few. Just as no one owns the desert so too no one person “owns” the Torah, it is available for anyone to take it. A second idea is that the desert is vast, wide and abundant as is the Torah. A third idea is that Torah cannot truly be acquired unless a person humbles themselves and realizes they are miniscule in comparison to the Torah. If one has ever been in a real desert it is truly a humbling place. Finally, a fourth similarity is the desert is full of sand which is inexpensive and plenty of it to take, so too the Torah is inexpensive and free for anyone to take.

The Torah is a commodity that anyone can buy and invest in. Torah is relatively inexpensive to buy and yet it pays out great dividends.

Everyone knows some basic principles of economics. The principle of supply and demand is very common. If the supply is high and the demand is low then the item will usually be cheaper. But if the supply is short and the demand is great, then usually the prices go up. I once analyzed a second principle of cause and effect in that better quality will cost more. For instance, if someone buys a high end car (or any commodity) the cost will be greater than an ordinary car despite the fact that there might be a great supply of that item. Cars, watches, furniture, and even some types of food will cost more because of its quality.

But every rule has its exceptions, and this rule is no exception! When I was growing up as a kid we only ate certain fruits and vegetables in their season. (Unlike today we import from all over the world). We would only eat watermelon in the summertime. When the season began the watermelons were not very sweet, but the prices were very high. As the weeks went by the taste, quality and sweetness of the melons went up but the prices dropped. Even though the quality was better nevertheless the prices went down. This is opposite of that economic principle.

Lucky for us Torah is in season 24/7 and 12/365. Torah defies all the economic principles. The quality of the Torah is high, the benefit of leading a Torah observant life will pay off in the long run and yet it is inexpensive. We have a surplus of Torah today and yet the demand is also on the rise. The correlation of Torah to the consumer does not follow ordinary economics. The amount of Torah being studied, taught and researched today is at an all time high. Torah is being learned in remote places and in area where the study of Torah was forbidden. How do we make sense of the fact that Torah, despite is value can readily be purchased, learned etc…?

It is because the Torah is priceless! This coming week we re-enact Maamid Har Sinai/ The Standing at Mount Sinai during the festival of Shavuos. The main focus of the Yom Tov is not only learning Torah the night of Shavuos, but to take upon ourselves the commitment to more and greater Torah study at a fraction of the price!

A Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

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Parshas Behar/Bechukosai “Lucky Seven”

Published on May 6, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed

“And Hashem spoke to Moshe on Har Sinai…..And the land rested, it was a Shabbos to God” (Leviticus 25:1,2). In the beginning of this week’s double Torah portion God tells Moshe about Shmittah, the law of letting the land lay fallow in the seventh year. The Torah goes out of its way to mention that this particular mitzvah of Shmittah was said on Mount Sinai.
The commentator Rashi asks the obvious question, “what is the point of mentioning Shmittah by Mount Sinai? Weren’t ALL the Mitzvos mentioned at Har Sinai?” Rashi’s famous interpretation is that just as all the details and specifications of Shmittah were said at Mount Sinai, so too the details and specifications of all the other 612 mitzvos were taught on Har Sinai. Shmittah was only the example Mitzva that all the details of every Mitzva was given on Har Sinai at the time of the giving of the Torah.
The author of the book “Bris Shalom” relates a deeper kabbalistic connection in these verses. Quoting the Pirkei D’Rebbi Elazar in Chapter 18 he explains that these pesukim reflect upon God’s favorite number, the number 7. The spiritual dimension of the number seven is seen in how God chooses the seventh option as special.
R’ Elazar says “There are seven lands in the world and Hashem chose Eretz Yisrael to be the most holy. There were seven mountains in the Sinai desert and God chose the last one, Har Sinai. There are seven days of the week, and He selected Shabbos, the final day of the week. From among the forefathers, who was given the privilege to give the Torah? The seventh generation from Avraham Avinu is Moshe Rabbeinu. In the counting of years, the seventh year is special calling a Shmittah. To stop working on the land and let the land rest. Finally, in the ultimate count towards Yovel the jubilee year we count seven cycles of seven years”.
All of these special sevens are hinted in the first two pesukim of the parsha. God spoke to Moshe (the 7th father) on Mt. Sinai (the 7th mountain) about a Mitzva when you come into The Land,the best land of the world (Israel the 7th land) then the land will rest a Shabbos (the 7th year). Finally, the ultimate rest after counting seven cycles of those seven years God sanctifies the fiftieth year which symbolizes the notion above reality and the mundane. Hashem guarantees us if we sanctify ourselves by respecting and observing these special sevens then He will be take us to a holier and higher place above the natural order.
I am writing this thought to you 35,000 miles above the ground on my way to that very special land, Eretz Yisrael. It is most definitely a very lofty place here in the airplane but still part of the mundane. Hashem has built into His magnificent world an opportunity through the Mitzvos to transcend from the mundane to the Holy. Every Mitzva that we perform and fulfill with all of its details will guarantee us become sanctified and holier then we were before doing the Mitzva. If we commit to fulfill these “sevens” in the proper way that Hashem will bring us closer to that ultimate redemption and the coming of Moshiach, B’Mehera V’Yameinu, Amen.

A Gut Shabbos
Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

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Weekly Torah Message: Emor – The Tenth Man on the Team

Published on April 29, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed

Reb Moshe Leib of Sassov used to say: “Come and see how precious of all the priceless items in the world the simple Jew is. If there are nine great Rabbis, who are brilliant, always learning Torah, and all capable, you still can’t make a minyan in order to pray and say Kaddish, kedusha or Borchu”. But if you have ten ignorant men, men who sit idly by and never study Torah and waste their time; they can make up a minyan amongst themselves for every holy prayer requires a quorum of ten adult males.”
The verse in our parsha Chapter 22 verse 32 says “says V’Lo S’Chalilu es Shem Kodshi, V’Nikdashti B’Soch B’Nei Yisrael. You shall not defile my Holy Name, and you shall sanctify me within the midst of the Jewish people.” We have an obligation to sanctify Hashem’s name and not desecrate it. One of the easiest ways to sanctify God’s name is to be part of a minyan that is going to do a mitzvah. Whether that mitzvah is to go daven or be part of a minyan to give up your life.

The Sassover Rebbe would also say that the foundation of a royal palace belonging to the king was not built with gold, silver and jewels, but rather with stones and mortar, lime and bricks. So too with the simple and ordinary Jews, it is the simple whole hearted Jews who are the true foundation of our people. It is those wholesome, pure, humble and pious Jews who are the foundation of the world. It is the ones that come to make up the daily minyanim morning and evening. It is those who always show up to minyan in the rain, snow and ice. These are the true builders and keepers of Jewish society. We only need a few good men, but they should always be at the head of the line.

I believe one of the ways to sanctify God’s name is not only to be among the ten, but to make sure you are one of the first nine! How often it is that when we are looking for a minyan and calling around some people will say “if you have nine and I’m the tenth I will come”. If everyone has that attitude then we will never get a minyan or a quorum. In a certain vain I believe that this is a desecration of Hashem’s name. Rather a person should be inspired, energetic and have the enthusiasm to be a part of the first nine people in trying to make the minyan and not necessarily waiting to come only if they are needed as the tenth. Case in point this past week I officiated at a funeral and was trying to gather ten men in order to recite Kaddish at the grave, mind you, no one knew who the deceased was. I know people are busy at work, school and other obligations and was telling me that if you NEED them to make the minyan they would come, but otherwise, not. Needless to say we got our minyan and said Kaddish but the point struck a cord within me that we should not need to be the tenth man but rather want to be among the first.

A Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

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