Friday, April 30, 2010

Emor-

"VeLo TeHaleloo Et Shem Kodshi, VeNikdashti Botech Bnei Yisrael"-And don't desecrate my holy name, and if you don't Hashem will be holy within Bnei Yisrael.

This is talking about Kiddush, and Chilul Hashem.

When Rebbe Akiva(Tanna) was getting tortured, and humiliated, what was his feeling? He was happy, don't get the wrong idea from this. His Students asked "Why are you smiling?" He answered "I've been Davening for this to happen all my life, dying on Kiddush Hashem."

There was another story with Rav Dovid Lebowitz. Where Rav Leibowitz lived, there were many Jews getting killed on the street. So one day Rav Dovid Leibowitz went over to his son Rav Henach, and said-"I wish I was the one getting killed". This may be hard for us to comprehend, but that is the biggest Mitzvah-Dying on Kiddush Hashem.

There was another story in the holocaust, the Nazis (Yemach Shemam, VeShem Zichram), were trying to get women to do immoral acts on a boat. One woman stood up, and jumped off the boat. The rest of the women followed her.

Another story with the "Haylega" Beit Yosef(Rav Yoisef Caro). Every night a Malach(Angel), used to come to learn with the Mechaber. One night, this Malach told him-"You will die on Kiddush Hashem." Maran was thrilled. He lived his life, and he was getting to old age, and was about to die of natural causes. That night, he asked the Malach-"You said I would die on Kiddush Hashem, what happened, I am about to die of natural causes?" The Malach answered-"Just because you didn't get killed for keeping the Mitzvot, or for being forced to not keep the Mitzvot, it doesn't mean that you aren't going to die on Kiddush Hashem. Living a life of Torah, and Mitzvot is dying on Kiddush Hashem also."

Hashem is telling someone killing for not keeping Torah, is not the only way to die on Kiddush Hashem, living a life of Torah,and Mitzvot will also take you there. My Rav said-" Talmidim, if I lived in your time I would surely go off the Derech. It is a big Nisayon(Test), to live in such a world. Everything is so easy to access, and anything immoral can easily be done"!

To end off with this story. A man always gets Haftaras Yonah,but this particular year he didn't get it. This man was very disappointed. That day the Rav of the Shul came to him, and gave a Bracha-"All your Z'chus(Merit), for this Mitzvah you would normally get for doing this Mitzvah, even though you didn't perform this Mitzvah, you get the S'Char". That same year the man passed away. His wife asked him what happened, and he told him that all that S'char that he got forced him into Gan Eden. Showing us the power of Mitzvos(t)! If we just live our life according to the Torah (Also Al Peh), we will succeed in the great Mitzvah of, Kiddush Hashem!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Achrei Mot, Kedoshim-

[Question]In this weeks parsha(Sedra), Moshe tell Aharon abot the process of Yom Kippur. After Moshe tells Aharon, he reminds him about his two sons dieing , while going in the kodesh ha kodoshem (which is forbidden by any one except ahron ha kohen). Why did moshe remind ahrhon about this terrible thing?
[Answer] The reason is that Moshe, let me give a Mashal(Story, explaining)-A doctor tells a patient don't eat radish, or sleep on straw. Another doctor comes in and tells him the same thing, but then sees your cousin died form it. Doctor was more smart,then to make this same mistake again? It's ,We learn from this Mashal, that every one needs a warning even, Aharon HaKohen! So he can be driven more to do the right thing, and so should all of us. Shabbat Shalom!