Parshas Tazria – The Power to Ignite and the Message of Bris Milah by Mordechai Plotsker

Tazria – The Power to Ignite and the Message of Bris Milah

by Mordechai Plotsker

עָרְלָתוֹ בְּשַׂר יִמּוֹל הַשְּׁמִינִי וּבַיּוֹם ... זָכָר וְיָלְדָה תַזְרִיעַ כִּי אִשָּׁה

If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male,… And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (Leviticus 12:2-3). [Conversely, if the male emits seed first, she (the woman) gives birth to a female (Niddah 31a & Berishis 46:15, Rashi)].

The Kedushas Levi questions the correlation between the birth and circumcision. Answers the Kedushas Levi, there are two energy sources that sustain the world.

1.      One form of Divine stimulation is known as the Ohr Hayashar - Hisohrirus M’limahla (stirring from above) - HSHM. The Ohr Hayashar is an independent source of energy that formed our universe and through which HSHM continues to sustain the world. This attribute is defined by rachum v’chanun - compassion and grace.

The Search for the Mysterious Chilazon: Has it Finally Been Discovered?

Please Note: This article was written in 2007 by my father, Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum Z"L, after Camp Sdei Chemed was given a private tour of the Ptil Tekhelet Association and the boys were able to search for the Chilozon in the Mediterranean Sea. For more recent developments I would suggest reading this new book, The Rarest Blue: The Remarkable Story of an Ancient Color Lost to History and Rediscovered.

Here is a link to the camp video of the tour where we search for the chilozon and learn how to make Ticheilet for Tzitzit. Sdei Chemed Boys - Tekhelet Expedition

I decided to post this article now as it's in this weeks Parsha, Parshat Terumah where we learn about the tekhelet for the first time.

Dovid Teitelbaum

The Search for the Mysterious Chilazon; Has it Finally Been Discovered?
By Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum

Do we conduct our Business Honestly? Dvar Torah Parshas Mishpatim

"Competition is very intense," explained a salesman friend of mine. "If we wouldn't use all these high pressure tactics and clever scams we'd be out of business in no time".

One of the things my father, Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum o"h, is remembered for is dealing with money scams that plagued the frum communities. When you combine a poor education, no job and major bills to pay you get the perfect victim. It was difficult work, my father was brought to Beis Din many times by those who believed he was causing their businesses financial loss. Trying to explain a pyramid scam to those that have no business experience is almost as difficult as building a pyramid itself.

Recently there have been declarations by Rabonim that are finally taking a step against fake mekubalim and other "charity organization" promising you any wish you desire. For someone that is suffering, and who isn't, this is an easy gimmick. What astounds me the most is that we talk about emunah and bitachon but we have so perverted the true meaning. We seem to think it's about getting what we want without working hard, while the true definition is quite the opposite. Bitachon is about doing what is right in Gods eyes when the outcome might not be beneficial for you. Bitochon isn't a get out of jail free card but rather its about knowing you did the right thing despite the fall backs!

Dovid Teitelbaum

Parshas Mishpatim:  Do we conduct our Business Honestly?
By Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum OB"M

One's Ability to Choose; Dvar Torah Parshas Bo

"Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will." Jawaharlal Nehru

Which sign to choose? (S'dei Chemed Camper Hiking in Israel).

Bechirah, being able to choose, is one of the core elements of being an Orthodox Jew. Yet, how much free will one truly has, has always been up for debate. Some find it difficult to recognize free will when there is an all knowing G-d, yet it must exist if we are to believe in reward and punishment. Ancient philosophers tried dealing with what seems like an inherent contradiction, but more interestingly modern science is now having a difficult time with it as well.

A young child is certain that he has free will and yet the more we learn about the brain, evidence keeps piling up that we are nothing more than powerful machines that are just pre-programmed from birth. Just recently an article was released that made quite a stir "Scientific evidence that you probably don’t have free will". It's a remarkable insight into what we now know about the human brain. Yet, while we know so much, science is facing the same dilemma that believers in G-d always did; how much free will do we really have? Being that I'm not a Neuroscientist or philosopher I'm not going to even tackle the question; you can click the link if you so choose.

In this weeks parsha we have the famous question of free will with regard to Pharaoh and so I have chosen to post something my father wrote many years ago. I'm sure you will find it interesting and something to discuss at the Shabbos table. You may also have a look at this article but just keep in mind the date of publication ;-) Neuroscientists: We Don’t Really Know What We Are Talking about, Either.

Dovid Teitelbaum


One's Ability to Choose
By: Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum A"H

When it came to the last five makos we find a most interesting thing. Suddenly, Hashem hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would be unable to do as he pleased. Pharaoh lost his power of choice. He no longer could decide to let the B’nai Yisrael out. Hashem would not allow him to do so. This power of choice, called bechirah, was completely taken away from him. He was totally unable to make a decision to let the Yidden out. He was like a hypnotized subject, totally under the control of the hypnotist. Pharaoh was no longer in control of his decision making power.

This, of course, raises a number of serious questions. Firstly, is it actually possible for a person to lose his power of choice? Didn’t Hashem give a human being this very important power to be able to make his own decisions? Why is it then taken away from him because of his sins? How can Pharaoh now be punished for his actions when he no longer controlled them? How can a person without choice be punished for his misdeeds? Why should he be held responsible for his actions if they are beyond his control? In fact, this actually leads us to a second question. Hashem decreed that we are to be slaves in Mitzrayim for 400 years. Why punish the Egyptians if they are actually doing Hashem’s bidding?

In order to answer these questions, let’s take a look into the Rambam Hilchos Teshuva who devotes the entire Sixth Perek in order to answer these questions. Let’s just give it to you in a nutshell. The Rambam says as follows: "Sometimes a person is so bad that on account of his great wickedness he is punished by losing his power of repentance. He no longer possesses the capability of doing teshuvah for his actions. This special power of teshuvah which every person possesses is taken away from him on account of his terrible sins." Perhaps one can compare it to a person who takes drugs. After taking the drug it becomes impossible for him to stop. He becomes addicted to it to the point where he loses control over himself - even though he knows beyond any shadow of a doubt that it will lead him to complete disaster. He will lose his job, he will destroy his life, he will eventually die from it and yet he is unable to overcome his terrible craving for it. The punishment for his taking of the drug is that he loses his self-control and eventually kills himself because of it.

Great tzaddikim and neviim always prayed to Hashem that He help and protect them so that their sins do not turn into a roadblock and become a barrier which prevents them from doing teshuvah. Even when we sin because of our weaknesses in character, we all know that we all have the possibility of wiping away our sins by doing teshuvah. Yet we must always be on the lookout that our sins don’t chas v’sholom become a barrier and bring us to the point where our desire to do teshuvah is gone. One must therefore always pray to Hashem that He enlighten us to see the true and proper path in everything that we do, and not to be led astray by all the false ideologies that unfortunately have torn many away. We ask Hashem to help us reach the real truth - to understand how to serve Him properly and not to be fooled into believing in false truths that so many millions of others believe in.

Yet, even though Pharaoh lost his power of repentance, it was never decreed upon him to be the one to torture the Jews. This was something that he did on his very own. Never did Hashem decree upon any individual Egyptian that he must be the one to harm or hurt the Jews. All Hashem said was that the Jews would be slaves in Egypt for 400 years. However, which one of the Egyptians would be the one to be cruel to them and torture them was a personal choice and not forced upon him by Hashem. Therefore, he will have to stand trial for his actions.

The Rambam explains this more extensively in the Eighth perek of his famous introduction to Avos and can be found in the back of Meseches Avodah Zoroh. There he explains that Pharaoh wasn’t being punished for not letting the Jews out after the first five makos, since this was beyond his control. He was just being punished for enslaving the Jews and torturing them. He was being punished for the great pain he inflicted upon them. This act of choice was never taken away from him. He did it on his own. He was in complete control of his decisions. Just because Hashem said that the yidden would suffer in Mitzrayim didn’t force him in the slightest to be the one to hurt them. Just because Hashem prevented him from saying they could leave, didn’t mean that he had the right to torture them. He could have allowed them to remain in Mitzrayim and given them full freedom such as Jews have in the U.S.A.. It would be absurd for a murderer to plead to a judge that he be judged not guilty since whatever happened is certainly G-d’s will?!

Was it G-d’s will that decreed that the person he killed deserved to be killed? Yes, this may be true! Yet, nowhere was it decreed that he act as God's executioner! Hashem could have gotten a snake to do his dirty work for him or perhaps have him fall and get hurt or kill himself. He acted of his own free choice and therefore he must be take responsibility for it. So too the Egyptians would be punished for all the pain and suffering they inflicted on the Bnai Yisroel.

Yes, Pharaoh lost his ability to allow the yidden to leave, yet he still had the freedom of choice as to how he would treat them. Any wickedness was certainly punishable. Let’s hope and pray to Hashem that our sins will not chas v’sholom prevent us from doing proper teshuvah.
Good Shabbos.

Published by:
Dovid Teitelbaum
Director, Camp Sdei Chemed International

CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE MY POST VIA EMAIL

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• The Great Harm of Simple Gossip; Dvar Torah Parshas Shemos
• D'var Torah Parashas Chukas: The Rebitzin That Refused to Cover Her Hair.
• Breaking the mold in Jewish Education; Dvar Torah Parshas Toldos
• What's so bad about knowledge? Dvar Torah, Parshas Bereishis
• The Color-War Dilema. Dvar Torah Parshas Vayeishev
• Sheltering our children. Is that really our Mesora? Dvar Torah Parshas V'Yeira

The Great Harm of Simple Gossip; Dvar Torah Parshas Shemos

Reading over my fathers Dvar Torah from many years ago, something hit me. He speaks about gossip, but this was before there were blogs and social media. Instead he writes "The newspapers, fax machines, radio, and telephones all generate gossip". No question that some blogs contain incredible amounts of gossip but I don't remember hearing the topic discussed at any convention, anytime in the past. If we only had discussed the dangers of loshon hora in the early days we wouldn't be suffering this much from it now.

Dovid

By Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum Z"L

As Moshe took his first tour of the Jewish section in Mitzrayim he was appalled at the sight of an Egyptian taskmaster brutally hitting a Jewish worker. Moshe could not tolerate such inhumane behavior so he immediately uttered the Shem HaMeforash and the Egyptian fell dead at once.

Word spread swiftly. There was a young man by the name of Moshe who lived on Pharaoh's palace that killed an Egyptian taskmaster for having beaten a Jew. The story spread quickly. Imagine how proud the Jews felt that there was finally someone in the king's palace that did not tolerate the Egyptian brutality. He came to the rescue of a Jew. He had the power to kill with a word alone. What a deadly power he had. The amazing story soon spread far and wide. It was whispered everywhere. Certainly it could cause no harm, or could it?

The next day when Moshe went out, he beheld a sight that was even more frightening. Now it was one Jew hitting another Jew. He immediately stepped up to the aggressor and said, "Rosho, why do you hit your friend?" Yet the answer he received was a shocker!
"You think that you will kill me as you did that Egyptian yesterday?" was the man's reply.
The Medrash says that Moshe was completely taken aback by this answer. How could this person have known that he had killed an Egyptian unless people were guilty of talebearing? That people had dared repeat what he had done to the Egyptian was absolutely astounding. Didn't they realize that his life was in grave danger if they would find out what he did? If Jews could be guilty of spreading gossip of such delicate nature, then he was extremely worried that they would chas v'sholom not be worthy of being redeemed from Mitzrayim. The entire redemption of the yidden was put into jeopardy because of those Jews who spread gossip.
One can see at once how dangerous it is to spread gossip. So much so, that it threatens the very redemption of the yidden.

Moshe had often wondered, says the Medrash (see Rashi ), why the Bnai Yisroel were being treated in such a harsh and unfair manner. Why were they being singled out from among all the rest of the nations? Why were they being tortured and mistreated? What had they done wrong to deserve all this terrible Golus? When he heard this obnoxious answer he finally understood the reason for everything. It all of a sudden became clear. They were guilty of spreading gossip. It was rampant. He now realized that their suffering might be justified. He now understood why they had been singled out for so much pain. So much for the Medrash, which is also brought down in Rashi. Yet I feel that this very short Medrash must be read over and over again until its meaning sinks into each and every one of us. Until we clearly comprehend the grave danger of simple gossip!

Certainly nobody thought there was anything wrong or disrespectful in repeating the fascinating story of Moshe killing the Egyptian. It certainly would have made the front pages of today's newspapers or the 10 o'clock news. The Jews were proud of what Moshe had done. It must have been repeated with great joy and pride. Certainly nobody meant Moshe any harm. Yet just notice how it was now being used against him. It was being used to blackmail him. He would be denounced to the king and be accused of murder.

Little do we realize what a supposedly innocent word can lead to. Sometimes we may even think we are being helpful, yet it may turn out that we are causing the greatest harm. Modern technology has made the spreading of gossip so easy that we have nearly forgotten it's great danger. The newspapers, fax machines, radio, and telephones all generate business by spreading information. Certainly nobody bothers asking a sheiloh before conveying any information. Will it be harmful? Is it allowed? Does it contain any loshon hora? Perhaps it's motzi shem ra? We've become so calloused to gossip that we don't even realize its deadly poison. We read articles in newspapers without even batting an eyelash, even though it may be filled from cover to cover with rechilus, loshon hora, and motzi shem ra!

When will we come to our senses and realize the great damage we are doing to ourselves? Isn't 1900 years in golus enough? Don't we realize as Moshe so clearly says that all out suffering and pain is on the account of gossip? Don't we realize that this sin is so deadly that it puts the very geuloh into jeopardy?

It may be true - learning to shut your mouth may not be easy. Learning to shut one's ears and eyes to what's happening all around us is certainly a most difficult task. Yet let's just realize the terrible consequences. Let's learn from this short Medrash the great danger of spreading gossip. Next time you want to tell your friend something, you'd better think it over very carefully before you say it. Make sure your not guilty of spreading loshon hora or rechilus.

One of the greatest reasons for the spreading of gossip is curiosity. We are curious to know everything that's happening. We must be kept abreast of the latest developments. In order to combat gossip we must stop being so curious. Sometimes the less we know the better off we'll be. We have to learn to contain our curiosity. Let's train our ears not to listen to all foolish nonsense happening around us. Let's be extremely careful not to listen to any gossip. Only by controlling our curiosity can we hope to eliminate this very grave sin. Good Shabbos

Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum

Published by:
Dovid Teitelbaum
Director, Camp Sdei Chemed International

CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE MY POST VIA EMAIL

Related articles

• Breaking the mold in Jewish Education; Dvar Torah Parshas Toldos
• The Color-War Dilema. Dvar Torah Parshas Vayeishev
• D'var Torah Parashas Chukas: The Rebitzin That Refused to Cover Her Hair.
• D'var Torah Parshas Sh'lach - The Sad Results of Half-Truths and Scare Tactics.

Dvar Torah Parshas Vayigash - The Importance of Escorting Guests

Guest post by: Mordechai Plotsker

וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלָיו אֵת כָּל דִּבְרֵי יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲלֵהֶם וַיַּרְא אֶת הָעֲגָלוֹת אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח יוֹסֵף לָשֵׂאת אֹתוֹ וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם - And they told him all of Joseph's words that he had said to them, and he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, and the spirit of their father Jacob was revived. (Br 45:27)

Rashi comments that יוֹסֵף sent agalos (wagons) and upon seeing the wagons, יַעֲקֹב was reminded of eglah arufah, the last Torah topic they learned together.

Whereas Rashi focuses on the first words, וַיַּרְא אֶת הָעֲגָלוֹת, the Kli Yakar emphasizes - that אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח יוֹסֵף – that יוֹסֵף sent) as the key component that brought יַעֲקֹב back to life.

What can we learn from יוֹסֵף 's action of escorting (liviya) ones guest(s)?

Parsha Stories by Master Storyteller Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum Z"L

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My father, Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum OB”M was a 4th grade Rebbi for over 40 years. One of the highlights of being in his class was hearing his amazing stories. Every Friday he would tell the story of the Parsha with all the Medrashim to his 4th grade class. I have begun to upload the stories to the web. Click this link to visit the audio page. We hope to add more soon… 

Published by:
Dovid Teitelbaum
Director, Camp Sdei Chemed International

CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE MY POST VIA EMAIL

Related articles

• The Color-War Dilema. Dvar Torah Parshas Vayeishev
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• The Peace Agreement between Yaakov and Lovon: Dvar Torah Parshas Va'yetzei
• What's so bad about knowledge? Dvar Torah, Parshas Bereishis
• D'var Torah Parashas Chukas: The Rebitzin That Refused to Cover Her Hair.
• D'var Torah Parshas Sh'lach - The Sad Results of Half-Truths and Scare Tactics.

The Peace Agreement between Yaakov and Lovon: i.e. Israel and Hamas

A D'var Torah from my father Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum Z"L published many years ago, but just as relevant today.

A careful study of Yaakov’s peace pact with Lovon, the world’s greatest swindler, will reveal some amazing similarities to today’s peace pacts with the Palestinians. While Lovon gave the name "Yigar Sahadusa," in Aramaic, to the place where he and Yaakov made peace with each other, Yaakov renamed it by its Hebrew equivalent, "Gal'ed". One wonders why the Torah bothers giving us the Aramaic name altogether? The Torah need only give us the Hebrew name, we can look up the Aramaic in the Targum, if we so desire! Rarely does the Torah use foreign words. Why here of all places? Why did Yaakov translate the agreement into Hebrew? What's wrong with the Aramaic version?

Sheltering our children. Is that really our Mesora? Dvar Torah Parshas V'Yeira

Dvar Torah Parshas V'Yeira
By: Dovid Teitelbaum

After Avrohom and Sarah gave birth to Yitzchok they decide to pick up and move. Chapter 20. “Avrohom journeyed forth from there to the south country and settled between Kadesh and Shur, and he sojourned in Gerar”. Moving to a more isolated location in the desert makes sense, so that Yitzchok can be brought up away from the negative influence, but why did they then spend time in Gerar, the capital of the Philistines?

Rav Hirsch explains that this was exactly their intention, they wanted their child to grow up away from the outside influences yet not in complete isolation. To quote R”H. “To grow up in complete isolation, which denies the student all contact with people that think differently and whose aims and life differ from his own, is a dangerous educational mistake. A child who has never seen a life other than his parents, never had an opportunity to compare his parents’ lifestyle with that of others, and never learned to appreciate the moral contrast between the two, will never learn to value, respect and hold fast to the ways his parents have taught him. He will surely fall victim to outside influences at his first encounter with them.”

Protecting our children from the negative influences of the outside world is the challenge we all face, and so in a previous article in the FJJ, Rabbi Nechemiah Gottlieb: Director of Ichud stated as fact that our Jewish Mesora is to therefore shelter our children as much as possible. But is this really the case?