Day: June 27, 2005

Berashis Special's Weekly Parsha Rabbi Mordechai Dolinsky

Vayechi – Making Tools to Enrich our Relationships (5760)

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 (5765)

Bs”d

Parshas Noach (5765)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

One can’t help but be awestricken by the great miracle of the salvation of mankind and the whole spectrum of all life on earth through the auspices of Noach’s ark.  This phenomenon is so striking that it is not possible to imagine the multiple creatures from the mammoth elephants to the smallest crawlers and creepers, to say nothing of the flying kingdom.  Hundreds, perhaps thousands of species comfortably perched  and positioned for their crucial, purposeful life preserving, world perpetuating journey, or shall we say ‘stay afloat’.

There is, however, an aspect of the miracle that seems to be infinitely greater and shocking.  This miracle is commonly known to all, however its true appreciation is not delved into, nor the extent of its phenomenal ramifications.  It is the issue of the complete representation of all life on earth coming forth to the ark.  First and foremost, how were the multitudes informed that they should “head” for the taiva?  How did they know its location?  How did the thousands know how to reach the location from every point on the earth?  For many species this meant traveling thousands of miles.  Giving this proper contemplation one would find this unimaginable.  Granted that all living things should be confined to the vessel Noach constructed is a clear demonstration of Divine rule and control, but for a worm to get a message in Mexico or a bull seal in the Arctic, or a rhinoceros in the Amazon, to work its way to the ark is something inconceivable.

The ‘nissim’ are supposed to have a profound effect on our emuna and create a greater closeness and awareness of Hashem; what sort of effect should this miracle have?  The lack of insight to this great miracle brings us to realize that often we are the witness to outstanding miracles and are complete numb to them or their true depth. A contemporary example is the Gulf War; after wiping out thousands in Iran with their missiles, the Iraqis launched 39 attacks on us and all were major failures.

As we proclaim daily in Shmone Esrei—”Al Nisecha Shebichol Yom….”  We express utmost gratitude to Hashem for the miracles that are with us daily and the wonders and the goodness He bestows on us constantly.

June 2005
S M T W T F S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  

Donate To Rabbi Dolinsky’s Kollel in $




Donate To Rabbi Dolinsky’s Kollel In ₪




Archives