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Refua Shleima List
Dina Tzirel bat ChavaBinyamin Chaim ben Chana
Rivka bat Yona
Avigayil Bracha bat Miriam
Avraham Yermiyahu ben Golda Rachel
Bracha Sarah Chaya bat Ronit Nava Tehilah
Devorah Chiyenna bat Eliyitta
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Dear Naaleh Friend,
This week we celebrate the Holiday of Tu B'Shevat, the New Year of the trees. In honor of the chag we have featured two Naaleh classes on the subject of Tu B'Shevat one titled Tu B'shvat: Combining Heaven and Earth by Rabbi Hershel Reichman and the other titled Tu B'Shvat: Focus on Eretz Yisrael by Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller. Click on the images below to view these classes now.
 
Below, you will find an assortment of recently added classes on Naaleh.com, along with popular favorites, as well as this week's Torah newsletter, Torat Imecha. Click here for the printable version. Please check out Naaleh.com's homepage as well for many more shiurim on this week's Parsha.
Looking forward to sharing many hours of Torah!
Ashley Klapper and the Naaleh Crew |
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Dedicated in memory of Rachel Leah bat R' Chaim Tzvi
Torat Imecha- Women's Torah
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In Parshat Bo, Hashem instructs the Jewish people to borrow gold, silver, and clothing from the Egyptians. Why was it necessary for Hashem to use an expression of pleading here? Rashi tells us that the order of the verse grows in gradation. First silver is mentioned, then gold, and then clothes. This seems perplexing. Why would clothes be considered more valuable than precious metal? How do we understand that the Jews were told to borrow valuables that they weren't planning to return?
The Alshich explains that the Jewish people felt uncomfortable asking their neighbors for riches while they were mourning their dead. The Midrash explains that Hashem didn't want Avraham to have any grievances. The promise that they would be oppressed was fulfilled. Now the assurance that they would leave with wealth had to 1happen too. Therefore, He pleaded with them.
The Leket V'halibuv gives a deeper explanation. When Avraham left Egypt it says, "V'Avraham kaved me'od b'mikneh, u'vkesef, u'vzahav," Avraham was loaded down with cattle, silver, and gold. The deeper explanation of "kaved me'od," means it was heavy upon him. Avraham understood that wealth is a burden and a trial. If it's not used appropriately it can be destructive. The Jews had to be forced to take the wealth because they inherited that mindset of Avraham that wealth is a challenge. As a reminder of the primacy of Torah and mitzvot, they took their leftover dough and put it on their shoulders. When the Egyptians saw this, they were so impressed that they gave them their gold and silver without even being asked. There was no deceit at all. The Malbim adds that the Egyptians were so happy to see the Jews go that they eagerly gave them everything.
The Gerrer Rebbe explains that the Jews took the gold and silver from the Egyptians as payment for their slavery. The verse uses the term 'borrow' to tell us that it was borrowed from Hashem. At the very moment when the Jewish people attained great wealth, Hashem reminded them that the money was not theirs. When we recognize that we are not the true owners of our wealth, our perspective radically changes. We should constantly be asking ourselves, "What does Hashem want me to do with all that He gave me?" Rav Chaim Palagi points out that one of the reasons that we adorn the seder with beautiful ornaments is to remind us of the silver and gold we took out of Egypt. It is meant to hint to us that all that we have must be dedicated to Hashem.
The clothing is mentioned after the gold and silver to tell us that wealth is not the ultimate. A part of ourselves is invested in the physical objects we own. Yet no matter how much impurity is imparted in gold it remains outside of the person and there is still the possibility to counter its negative effects. However, clothing is different. It becomes a part of the person and affects who and what he is. That is why we have to be so careful about what we wear. A groom puts on a tallit gadol after marriage. While tzizit fits only on one person, a tallit can expand to include others. This is to remind the groom that now his sphere of influence is greater. He has another person to think about and care for.
Similarly, when a woman bakes challah, she has the ability to impart her essence into the dough. When she adds the oil, she can ask Hashem for sustenance and sanctity. When she pours in the water, she can ask for the Jews to become united through Torah. When she puts in the sugar she can ask for a good eye. She can pour all her hopes and prayers into the challah. When her family consumes it, they will imbibe her tefilot.
There's a custom to wear a white kittel at the seder to remind us of the day of death. The night of the seder is a night of truth. It reminds us not to fall into the trap of illusions. One should imagine as if one has already ascended to the next world and has been given a second lease on life.
The Netivot Shalom explains the connection between the Egyptian exile and Shabbat. The Egyptians worked us so hard, we had no time to think. All week long, we are in exile, distant from Hashem. Shabbat redeems us. It's a time to stop and ponder and re-connect to the Almighty. When we change our clothes for Shabbat, we become transformed like a kohen serving in the house of Hashem. The Shabbat clothes remind us that wealth is only temporal and all that ultimately matters is to build a relationship with Him.
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Parsha Beshalach: The Meaning of Manna
Based on Naaleh.com shiur by Mrs. Shira Smiles
In the Hebrew language, the name of something connotes its essence. Rav Hirsh explains that the word mon is derived from the word maana which means to allocate a portion for a certain purpose. When the Jews first saw the mon they didn't know what it was. Therefore they called it mon-a gift of a portion from Hashem. Rav Hirsh notes that it was specifically the women who called it mon. The mon was intended to foster the attribute of contentment and moderation along with good cheer and trusting in Hashem's providence. This depends primarily on the woman, the mainstay of the home. Therefore it was they who recognized the mon as a gift from Hashem.
The idea of mon embodies a fundamental principle in emunah and bitachon. Every person got the precise portion of mon that they needed. Similarly, a person must believe that Hashem gives everyone exactly what they need. The Daas Torah echoes this idea. Putting in more effort doesn't mean you'll have more sustenance because the amount of money we receive for the year is determined on Rosh Hashana.
This also applies to spiritual matters. Rav Rice quotes the Sefas Emes on the verse in Devarim which speaks about how Klal Yisrael were starving and how Hashem sent them the mon. Why do we need to know that they were starving? The verse is telling us that they yearned for the word of Hashem. When the Jews desired a spiritual relationship with Hashem then the mon, the spiritual food of the angels, was able to fill that need. To the extent that they were thirsty for that spiritual connection, they were able to fill it with the mon. Similarly, to the degree that we desire a relationship with Hashem, to that end Hashem will respond and give a person what he yearns for. This explains the Midrash that says that for a tzaddik the mon fell at his doorstep and for someone who was not so righteous it fell outside the camp. It was a question of their level of faith. The stronger it was, the closer Hashem responded.
When the Torah tells us that the people went out to gather the mon, it says, "Vlaktu, vshatu." V'shatu comes from the root word shetus (foolishness). If you let foolishness enter your mind, if you thought there was any other reality other than Hashem, then you had to venture further to collect the mon.
The Creator imbued in food the power to sustain life. But the transformation is not perfect. Its coarser elements are rejected by the body. Likewise, the soul too has nutritional needs requiring a steady diet of wisdom, knowledge, and inspiration. But Torah is divine bread from heaven. It's perfect, utterly efficient, and can be flawlessly digested by every age and culture. Torah is the ultimate mon experience.
The Noam Elimelech taught that Hashem rains sustenance upon us from heaven. However we have to make ourselves a vessel to receive the blessings. The vessel is the level of bitachon we have in Hashem. The Baal Shem Tov explains that there are three elements involved. There's the person who has the faith, Hashem whom one has faith in, and the medium through which Hashem grants us the blessing. Even if we recognize that we need some medium, we still have to believe that even if we didn't have the medium, Hashem could still give us exactly what we need. Rashi says mon is an expression of hachana (preparation). When Klal Yisrael saw the mon they thought they needed to do something to receive this bounty from heaven. They hadn't reached the level of believing that Hashem can give without a medium. Our hachana is to make ourselves into a fitting receptacle to receive the blessing from Hashem. Yes, we must invest hishtadlut (effort), but we must recognize that ultimately it is Hashem who will give us success.
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Heart in the East
Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Mrs. Shoshie Nissenbaum
The Ramban in Parshat Lech Lecha writes that Avraham sinned by going down to Egypt. He placed his wife in a precarious situation instead of trusting that Hashem would save him. It was because of this misdeed that his descendants were sentenced to exile in Egypt.
Many commentators question this Ramban. The Gemara lists several opinions why the Jews were exiled and none are the reason given by the Ramban. The Redak explains that the famine was so severe that Avraham had no choice but to leave Israel. The Abarbanel brings down in the name of the Ran that the Torah says, "
V'chay bahem
,"-In a situation where there's a risk to one's life one may violate the Torah. Avraham fled Israel in order to survive. In addition it says that he went to Egypt, "
Lagur sham
,"-He had no intention to stay there. Furthermore, going down to Egypt is counted as one of the ten tests. How could it be that this was considered a sin? The Zohar says that it was necessary for Avraham to go down to Egypt in order to form
Klal Yisrael
. Avraham paved the way for his descendants so that even when they would be tempted by sin, they would emerge pure. How was this considered a failing?
The Michtav M'Eliyahu explains that when Yaakov went down to Egypt he went with the feeling of
anus al pi hadibur
-of being forced. His heart remained in Israel. Rav Dessler writes that not withstanding all the good intentions Avraham had to conquer and pave the way for his children's spirituality, he was lacking this fine point of being forced. The test of Avraham wasn't going down to Egypt, but rather the feeling that was missing in his heart. This is what caused the exile.
The test of our generation, whether we are living or visiting
chutz l'aretz
, is to remind ourselves where we really belong. Even if we have all the best reasons for living outside the land of Israel, we must think, "Hashem wants me to be here and I accept it with
simcha
and will do my best to serve Him. Yet all I really want is to be in Israel. " We can express our yearning for
Eretz Yisrael
in the prayer of
V'sechezna.
Those of us who live in Israel have to recognize what a treasure we have and how much joy and gratitude we must have.
May we merit to appreciate
Eretz Yisrael
and to be able to tell Hashem, "We've returned, all we are waiting is for you Hashem to come back too."
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