Rabbi Yitzi’s Parsha Blog: Audio

Temecula Shliach Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz’s Weekly Parsha Blog is now available in an audio presentation, narrated by Rabbi Sholem Perl of Los Angeles.

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This week’s Parsha Dvar Torah

By Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz

Dvar Torah #1

The third Haftora of consoling is usually read with parshas Re’ei. However, when Rosh Chodesh falls on that Shabbos, it is pushed off and read together with the fifth Haftora of consoling, which is read with parshas Ki Seitzei, because in the book of Isaiah, it follows directly after that Haftora.

In either case, it is read in conjunction with the month of Elul, either the Shabbos before, when we bless the month of Elul, or a couple of weeks later, during the month of Elul. Therefore, there must be a lesson here for the month of Elul, in preparation for the High Holidays. What is the lesson?

Elul, is an acronym for the verse in Song of Songs, Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li, I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me. First, I am to my beloved, and that causes that my beloved is to me. Meaning, that through our effort to come closer to Hashem during the month of Elul, we awaken in Hashem the response, that he comes closer to us. The difference, is that because we are limited, our effort, closeness and love are limited, however, when Hashem, in turn, bestows his love on us, it is unlimited.

The idea is explained through a parable. Before the king enters the city, the people of the city go out to receive him in the field. At that time, everyone is permitted to go out and meet him. He receives everyone with a beautiful countenance and he smiles to all. As he goes to the city, they all follow him. However, when he comes to his palace no one enters unless granted permission, which is only granted to the elite of the nation and a special few others.

During the month of Elul, our King, Hashem, is in the field, He is accessible to all. He receives everyone with a beautiful countenance and he smiles to all, meaning, that He is responding in kind to our gesture, with acceptance. This is because Hashem’s Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are shining bright and He grants forgiveness from a place of love. All you have to do, is to go out into the field, to make an effort to come closer. Your simple act of Teshuva (repentance) during this month brings you so close to Hashem. However, once Rosh Hashanah comes, the King is in his palace, access to Hashem is limited. The awe and fear of His majesty is upon us and we respond in kind, accepting His kingship and doing Teshuva from a place of awe.

In Elul, even though our effort to get closer to Hashem is limited, as we are limited, it is so precious to Hashem, that he showers us with infinite love from above.

This brings us to our Haftora. In the second verse of the Haftora, Hashem says, that when Moshiach comes, “I will make your windows from kadkod (a kind of gemstone).”

What kind of gemstone is a kadkod?

The Talmud tells us (Baba Basra 75a), “Rabbi Shmuel son of Nachmeini said, ‘it is a dispute between two angels in heaven, Michael and Gavriel… one says it is a shoham and the other says it is a yashfei. Hashem says to them, “let it be kidayn u’kidayn, like this one and like that one (together).”‘” Kadkod is a play on the words kidayn kidayn.

Now that we know that kadkod means shoham and yashfei together, we need to know, what is a shoham and what is a yashfei? In other words, what exactly are these two angels arguing about?

There are precious stones that produce their own light from within. Then there are others that if you cut and polish them well, they will reflect light in the most beautiful way. The shoham gives its own light, while the yashfei reflects light.

The debate between the angels, is about the reward we will receive when Moshiach will come. One says yashfei, it will be based on our work, effort and accomplishments. Just like a yashfei reflects light, based on how well it is polished. The other says shoham, which gives its own light. Meaning, that the reward will not be based on our accomplishments, rather, it will be Hashem’s infinite revelation as a gift from above. Hashem says that we will get both, the reward for our efforts, and He will also bestow upon us his infinite revelation as a gift.

This is what the month of Elul is all about. We get both, the reward for our efforts to come closer to Hashem, through Teshuva (repentance), Tefila (prayer) and Tzedaka (charity), and He in turn bestows upon us his infinite love, acceptance and closeness, beyond anything we could have achieved on our own.

Now is the most opportune time to get close to Hashem. The King is in the field. Seize the day, put more effort into your Jewish expression, especially Teshuva, Tefila and Tzedaka.

May our efforts bring pleasure to Hashem, may He grant us a happy and sweet new year and may we merit to receive the biggest smile of all, saying, your work is done, Moshiach is here!

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Dvar Torah #2

This week’s Haftora is read twice during the year. Once with parshas Noach (Noah) and again as the fifth Haftora of consoling, with parshas Ki Seitzei.

The Haftora has a double theme. First, that when Moshiach comes, things will be so good, that we will forget the hardships of the exile. Second, that the redemption will be final, never to be followed by another exile.

The Haftora begins, “Sing, barren one, who hasn’t given birth.” Who is the barren one?

The simple explanation is that Hashem is talking to the city of Jerusalem, which feels like a barren woman, who hasn’t given birth. Because she is desolate during this long exile. Hashem tells her to sing, as now that Moshiach is here, her streets are once again filled with her children, the Jewish people, she doesn’t feel barren any more.

On a deeper level, Hashem is talking to the Jewish person who claims that the Jewish people are barren and have not given birth to him. Meaning, he has totally disassociated himself from the Jewish nation. Hashem is saying, that even he will sing the “Shir Chadash,” the New Song, the song we will sing when Moshiach comes.

The revelation will be so great that we will break out in song, just as we did at the splitting of the sea. Every Jewish person will be included, even the “barren” one, who is in the darkest place. The revelation and transformation will be so great, that he too will break out in song.

The exile will then seem as a fleeting dream as the Haftora says, “For a brief moment I forsook you.” And as it says in Tehilim, when Hashem returns the exiles of Zion, “Hayinu k’cholmim, we will have been as dreamers.” like a dream it feels real, but when you wake up it fades away. This will be because, as the verse continues, “with great compassion I will gather you.” The next verse continues, “With a little wrath, I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness, I will have compassion on you… ”

What is clear from these verses, is that when Moshiach comes, it will be so good, that the exile will feel like a brief moment.

Now the Haftora says, “Like the waters of Noach, this is to me, just as I swore to never again cover the earth with the waters of Noach, so have I sworn not to be wrathful with you and not to rebuke you (ever again).” This verse is self explanatory, except that Hashem calls the flood “the waters of Noach.” Why? Because the word Noach is like the word nachas, indicating that it is positive, because it changed the world for good. The same is true about this exile. When Moshiach comes, we will see how everything we went through in this exile, directly made the world ready for Moshiach. We will see the positive in it all.

The Haftora finishes, that when Moshiach comes “… My kindness will never depart from you, and my covenant of peace will never falter…

Like bookends, this Haftora is read before and after the holidays, which sets the tone for the whole year. Because bringing Moshiach is at the core of our mission as the Jewish people. Like beacons of light, it is read at the beginning and end of the year, to remind us that though our work is difficult and the exile is dark, what we are accomplishing is tremendous and our reward is even greater.

Perhaps it is your effort, your mitzvah, that will finally tip the scale and bring Moshiach.

May he come soon.

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