Day: November 6, 2000

Berashis Special's Weekly Parsha Rabbi Mordechai Dolinsky

Vayechi – Making Tools to Enrich our Relationships (5760)

Bs”d

Vayechi – Making Tools to Enrich our Relationships (5760)
By Mordechai Dolinsky

Yaakov’s blessing to Yehuda has special significance.  Yehuda is royalty-leadership-Torah and Moshiach.  Yehuda is also so special that his name became the name of our nation.  All of Klal Yisroel are “Yehudim”.

Five times there are references in the blessing that Yaakov gave to Yehuda involving wine.  “He ties his he-donkey to the vine”
“To the branch (of the vine) his she-donkey’s foal”
“ He launders his garment in wine”
“ And his robe in the blood of grapes”.
“ Red-eyed from wine and white-toothed from milk”

When Noach came out of the Ark his first preoccupation was the planting of a vineyard.  We must understand why this was such an important priority to Noach.

Do you ever experience the feeling of negativity towards someone and not being able to or wanting to forgive him for the cause of the friction?  Then, when meeting him after having consumed some wine you are overcome with the urge to forgive and forget and let bygones be bygones.  All the rational reasons for your resentment remain yet you have this feeling of warmth and perhaps compassion.  You might find that you are addressing yourself: “One moment, hold on here, let’s no lose ourselves, this absolutely makes no sense, why should I forgive him.  Let’s face it, it’s only a little alcohol that put me in to a good mood.   It’s not rational, logical or sensible.  The issue is whether to allow yourself to be swayed by harnessing the force of wine.

Right before Noach’s  planting the Chumash relates: “Hashem smelled the pleasing aroma (of Noach’s sacrifice) and said in His heart I will not continue to curse again the ground because of man etc”.  This is as if to say that HaShem allowed himself to be swayed by the good smell of the sacrifice.

Chazal tell us that in the time of the Dor Haflaga they revolted against HaShem yet they weren’t destroyed because of the high quality and level of the human relationships that existed between them.  This was lacking in the generation of Noach that resulted in and caused the destruction of the world by the flood.

Wine is a catalystic agent that brings good feelings and good will and a person should allow it to happen.  Harness the power of the wine.

Yehuda—Torah—royalty—leadership and Moshiach: Yehuda the “Yid”, received the blessing of the grapes.  “U’Liven Shinayim MayChalav”—more nourishing than a glass of milk is the joy of the hearty smile.

Berashis Weekly Parsha Rabbi Mordechai Dolinsky

Parshas Vayigash: Sensitivity (5760)

Parshas Vayigash: Sensitivity (5760)

Something that has always been a great puzzle, is what was the criterion for Yosef deciding the crucial point of when it was time to stop pulling the strings and tightening the screws on his brothers, which he was obviously doing for a rational, definite purpose.

When the Tribes first came to Egypt, and Yosef confronted them, they attributed their plight to the wrong they had afflicted upon him.  It wasn’t the basic decision to harm Yosef that they regretted.  It was only that they hadn’t listened to his pleading.  (Incidentally, the Chumash doesn’t mention that Yosef pleaded to his brothers).

In other words, they still felt completely justified, confident and absolutely convinced of the righteousness of their actions.  Yet, they felt that this terrible, traumatic experience they were going through was a result of what they did to Yosef. Not because it was wrong—they felt they were doing something that was 100% right—yet that were having a severe punishment for doing it.  They weren’t sensitive to the heartbreaking cries of Yosef—some lesson!!!  You have an absolute truth, infallible truth, and infinite truth of truths and nevertheless forget the truth, forget the truth.  Open up your heart and listen to the pleas, open up your heart and listen to the cries, SENSITIVITY.

There is a Chazal in the Medrash Rabba I saw which I never heard quoted.  Klal Yisroel, with the Egyptians chasing them from one side, and the Yam Suf on the other side, chose to jump in to the Yam.  The conventional concept is  Emuna and Bitachon, the faith and the confidence motivated Klal Yisroel to leap into the Yam.  The opinion of the Chazal in this particular Medrash is that Klal Yisroel and Moshe decided to return to Egypt.  Emuna and Bitachon did not justify jumping into the Yam.  But then they said how can we do this to the women and children—how can we disappoint their anticipation of freedom, of leaving slavery.  How can we cause them such anguish?  Idealism, the truth, says—return—don’t jump in.  It is wrong and reckless but how can we break the hearts of the women and children?  …………….

“Vilo Yachol Yosef Lahisapek”—Yosef was bursting with emotion.  Yosef’s dealings with his brothers were obviously for a definite purpose but his sensitivity told him that this was the time to reveal himself.

The essence of the Will of HaShem is having sensitivity to one’s fellow man.

Berashis Weekly Parsha Rabbi Mordechai Dolinsky

Parshas Noach (5761)

Bs”d

Parshas Noach (5761)
By Mordechai Dolinsky

Rashi quotes a difference of opinion to the significance of ‘Tamim Haya Bidorosov’—Noach was perfect in his generation.  According to the second opinion it is meant to diminish his greatness, that only to the contrast of the wicked in his generation do we value his greatness. (Interesting to note the terminology used to express this—“If he would have lived in the generation of Avraham Avinu—“Lo Haya Nechshav Liklum”—he wouldn’t have had any value).

What needs delving into is why is it so necessary to be aware of his low rating to the extent that according to this opinion the Chumash itself had to emphasize it by using the word ‘bidorosov’.  What would be wrong if we overrated his greatness?

I wish to offer an explanation that brings us to a most vital principle.  We consider the capacity we have for appreciating or holding individuals in high esteem to be unlimited.   The Torah gives us here an important basic insight—the capacity to appreciate is limited.  If it is “spent” on individuals who are unworthy it is at the expense of feeling and giving the genuine reverence to whom it is due.

This important foundation may very well be the principle behind the Gemarra where we find an Amorra criticized for what is considered overpraising his Caanani servant when eulogizing him.  The Maharsha in Sanhedrin explains that which we find Chazal so strongly opposed to the praising of the wicked is exactly this principle; it will prevent one from attributing the proper greatness to the giants who so well deserve it.

We are living in an era that this principle indeed needs strengthening.  Just an example is the supreme respect, honor, and awe that is given to the (religious, of course) singers and recording stars.  Some are indeed talented musicians but the excitement attached to them is surely out of proportion.  Recently, an acquaintance related to me the experience of walking in the neighborhood and suddenly coming face to face with one of these popular recording stars.  He excitedly said to me: “There he was, just walking down the street, all alone”!  A local wedding recently was interrupted by a huge commotion.  Again, some popular superstar (frum, of course) singer had made a sudden appearance.  I’m sure you are aware of the high pedestal on which many sport champions are placed.  All this is at the expense of limiting the true “Kavod HaTorah” and “Kavod Gedolim”.

Yes, it is indeed imperative to have the proper assessment of Noach and not to attribute to him more greatness than he deserves.  We should all be ‘zocheh’ to recognize and to have the right esteem for our true Talmidei Chachamim, Gedolai Torah and Manhigim.

November 2000
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