THE WEEKLY PARSHA
"And all the plants of the field were not yet upon the earth because G-d
did not cause the rain..." (Genesis 2:5).
This verse, concerning the sixth day of Creation, is explained by Rashi.
"On the third day it was said, `Let the earth give forth....' At that
time the grasses and plants only came forth to the surface of the earth,
until the sixth day. Why? `...Because G-d did not cause the rain.' And
what is the reason that He did not make rain? `Because there was no
person to work the ground...,' and thus there was no one to recognize
the benefit of the rain. When Adam came, he knew the need for rain, and
he prayed for it. Then the rain came down, and the trees and grasses
grew."
The mashgiach of Yeshivat Mir, Hagaon Rebbe Yerucham Lebovitz z"l,
discovered from these words of Rashi an important principle. In his
sefer Da'at Torah, he wrote: "A person does not receive anything without
prayer!"
This principle can be found in many places in the Torah. For example,
despite their tremendous endowments, the patriarchs did not accomplish
anything without prayer. Thus Abraham prayed, "...G-d, what will you
give me, and I am going childless" (Genesis 15:2). Sarah was barren and
childless, but she was not given a child until she prayed. This was the
case with Yitzchak and Rivkah, as it is well known, and it was the same
with Rachel and Leah. By Leah it is written, "G-d saw that Leah was
despised, and therefore He opened her womb...." Similarly, "...Rachel
was barren" (29:31), until she said, "...Give me children," and
"...Also, He has heard my voice" (30:2,6).
Could it be that our forefathers did not have sufficient merit to be
saved? Rather, it must be concluded, that they could not achieve
anything without prayer.
The Redemption from Egypt had already been promised to the patriarchs.
Nevertheless, it is written, "G-d heard their cries..." (Exodus 2:24).
In other words, if it were not for their prayers, they would not have
been saved. Similarly, at the making of the golden calf, at the time of
the return of the spies, and during the rebellion of Korach, the people
were repeatedly saved only because of prayer.
This principle is a law of nature, imprinted in the creation from its
inception. Nothing grows, nothing is given, neither physical nor
spiritual, until someone takes it through the power of prayer. Although
it appears that the entire world is within the power of humanity to
manipulate, this is true only in the beginning in order to allow people
to recognize the need for their prayers. If they want to achieve a
successful completion of the thing then prayer is a prerequisite, and
only afterwards is there a real accomplishment. Nothing is given away.
A person must take it. And how can he take it? Only through the power of
prayer....
The mashgiach of Mir concluded that the power of prayer "is that it
breaks through and ascends, it breaks through and descends, it brings
gifts to humanity." Furthermore, he wrote, that this is what our sages
meant when they said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer the great, "Prayer is
greater than good deeds. No one had more good deeds than our teacher
Moshe. Nevertheless, he was only answered through prayer, as it is
written, `...Do not continue to speak with Me about this thing' (Duet.
3:26). Immediately afterwards it is written, `Go up to the head of the
Pisgah...'," implying that had he been able to continue to pray he would
have taken what he wanted.
(Yalkut Lekach Tov)
THE PRAYERS OF OUR MOUTH
"AMEN" AND "YEHAI SHEMAI RABBAH" (MAY HIS GREAT NAME BE PRAISED)....
"A person should not speak extraneous conversation during the time that
the sheliach tzibur is repeating the prayer." "He should teach his
children to answer amen because as soon as the child answers amen he has
a portion in the world-to-come" (Shulchan Aruch 124:67).
The Mishnah Berura adds: "One must educate his children to attend
synagogue with awe and fear. It is better not to bring small children
who will run back and forth and fool around there. They might become
accustomed to this behavior and develop a bad habit. Also, they disturb
others during the prayers."
Consider the power effected when children who have never savoured sin
say "Yehai Shemai Rabbah...."
Firstly, Chazal have taught us that the world exists by virtue of the
breath expelled by schoolchildren when they are speaking. Although
Chazal did not specify exactly which speaking performs this function, it
is obvious from their words that they meant the speech of Torah and
prayer.
Also, the saying of "amen, yehai shemai rabbah" is a tremendous virtue.
It nullifies difficult heavenly decrees, it stops accusations against us
in heaven, and it prevents evil events which derive from there. At the
same time it fills the world with good influence, it brings closer our
Redemption and the deliverance of each individual. Thus, Chazal (Sotah)
have said that the world exists by virtue of the saying of "amen, yehai
shemai rabbah...."
Therefore, consider the power of the breath which is expelled from the
mouths of children when they say "amen, yehai shemai rabbah...."
As long as they believe in G-d and Torah, people hope and desire that
their children after them will grow to fulfill the teachings of Judaism
and to be G-d-fearing people. This is true irregardless of the specific
level of Divine Service and fulfillment of the mitzvot which they are
accustomed to practice.
It is the way of children to continue the behavioral patterns of their
parents. This is obvious from experience and from the great amount of
material written about it in mussar books. Therefore, parents who want
their children to pray properly and to say "amen, yehai shemai
rabbah..." at the right time will not easily see fruits if they do not
do it themselves. The child cannot help but see that the moral lectures
of his parents do not really come from their heart because they
themselves do not practice what they preach.
(Mikdash Melech)
STORIES OF OUR SAGES
"Turn away from evil" (Psalms 34:15) ...little by little.
"On the seventh day G-d completed..." (Genesis 2:2).
Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, the founder of the Mussar Movement, came to the
city of Memel in the year 5620 (1860). His arrival caused a spiritual
revolution in the city where the level of Sabbath observance had not
been too high. The shops of Jews were open for business on Sabbath, and
most of the merchants of the city, whose businesses were in the port,
engaged in loading and unloading their merchandise on Sabbath as if it
were any other day of the week.
At first, Rebbe Yisrael gathered all the Jewish residents of Memel into
the synagogue. In simple and clear language he explained to them the
tremendous value and virtue of the Sabbath. "Nevertheless," they said,
"our livelihood comes from trade. We cannot desist from it."
He answered, "Even if you have to load and unload your merchandise on
Sabbath, you do not have to write. At least, do not write on Sabbath."
The merchants agreed to this proposal, and from that time onward they
desisted from writing on the Sabbath.
After a short while Rebbe Yisrael gathered them once again to the
synagogue. This time he said to them, "Unloading your merchandise which
has arrived on Sabbath is necessary. However, you are not obliged to
load the boats with your new merchandise." Once again the merchants
accepted his proposal and desisted from loading on the Sabbath. And
after some time passed Rebbe Yisrael was also able to convince them to
desist from loading on the Sabbath.
Thus, step by step, over a not long period of time, Sabbath observance
became an established fact in the city of Memel.
EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN
"Be careful with the money of others...."
It is written, "Only be sure not to eat the blood, because the
life-force is in the blood..." (Duet. 12:23). Rabbi Shimon bar Rebbe
said: "Blood is disgusting to a person. Nevertheless, he earns reward by
refraining from eating it. All the more so if he refrains from theft and
adultery to which the desries of a person naturally incline. Then he
earns reward, his children receive reward, and their children, until the
end of all the generations.
The son of Rabbi Simcha Bunam of Otbotzk was called Yakov David. When he
was seven years of age he borrowed a belt to be used for prayer from
another Jew. This Jew passed away, and the news of it became known on
Sabbath in the middle of the recitation of kedusha during mussaf. The
young boy immediately removed the belt.
When asked why he removed the belt in the midst of the recitation of
kedusha the boy explained, "This belt belonged to the Jew who passed
away. I borrowed it from him. From the moment that he died, the belt
became the property of his hiers. I did not have their permission to use
the belt, and I did not want to use someone else's property without
permission."
Even as a young boy Rabbi Avraham Bornstien of Socotchov, the author of
Avnei Ezer, could not stand infractions of din Torah, especially deceit
and injustice. Sometimes, in his zealousness he would take the law into
his own hands, and this caused his father considerable financial loss.
Once, while walking in the marketplace he noticed someone selling
baskets of fruit. He saw that the man was putting good fruits on the top
layer of the baskets, whereas beneath them the fruits were rotten.
Buyers were deceived to think that all the fruits in the baskets were
like those on the top.
Immediately Rebbe Avraham approached the man and overturned all his
baskets. The man ran to the boy's father to complain about the loss of
his fruits. Rebbe Avraham's father paid the man for his loss. Realizing
that his son's actions were purely for the sake of heaven, he did not
rebuke him.
While he was still a young boy the Chofetz Chaim already amazed people
with his extraordinary straight character.
Once, when the boys were playing in the marketplace some apples fell
from the stall of one of the women. The children grabbed them up, and
the young Yisrael Meier was among them. Afterwards, he learned in
Chumash the commandments, "Do not steal," and "Do not covet someone
else's property." After school he asked his mother for a few pennies to
buy some apples. He then went to the marketplace, to the same woman, and
bought from her some apples. After he paid her, he took the apples,
quickly put them back in her stall and ran away.
Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman, disciple of the Chofetz Chaim, concluded that
from here it can be seen that as soon as the Chofetz Chaim began to
mature, he already learned Torah in order to fulfill it. This was his
greatness and his glory.
