Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Beshalach

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Shemos 14:3, the Torah states וְאָמַ֤ר פַּרְעֹה֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל נְבֻכִ֥ים הֵ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ סָגַ֥ר עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם הַמִּדְבָּֽר - that Pharaoh told the Jewish people that they are trapped in the land. The famous question is - who did Pharaoh tell this to, as the Jews had left already.

The pashut pshat as said by many meforshim (including Rashi) is that Pharaoh said this about the Jews and not to them. But the Targum Yonasan Ben Uziel explains that Pharaoh said this to Dasan and Aviram, who had not left yet.

R' Frand asked - if Dasan and Aviram were such evil people that they did not leave with Moshe, how were they still around? These were Moshe's historical antagonists, yet we read about them later in the Torah so they obviously got out. Why did they merit to get out of Egypt, when 80% of the Jews did not make it out of Egypt (and died in Choshech) because of their evil nature?

R' Frand quoted the Maharal Diskin who explains that Dasan & Aviram's merit was that they were among the nogsim - the taskmaster/enforcers who were in charge of the Jews in Egypt. These were like the Kapos in the concentration camps who had to carry out the orders of the Nazis on their fellow Jews. Except, in Egypt, these people were beaten by the Egyptians when the Jews did not meet their quotas as they refused to take it out on their brothers. The nogsim (elsewhere known as shotrim) not only took it on the chin, they they took it on their back.. In that zechus and because of their empathy for their fellow Jews because they got hit to prevent people from being beaten, they merited getting out of Egypt.

R' Frand next asked - how did Dasan and Aviram make it out of Egypt? When could they have left, if Pharaoh was talking to them and the Jews are already gone?

He answered by quoting the Be'er Mayim Chaim which analyzes Shemos 15:19 which states  כִּ֣י בָא֩ ס֨וּס פַּרְעֹ֜ה בְּרִכְבּ֤וֹ וּבְפָֽרָשָׁיו֙ בַּיָּ֔ם וַיָּ֧שֶׁב יְהֹוָ֛ה עֲלֵהֶ֖ם אֶת־מֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם וּבְנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָֽלְכ֥וּ בַיַּבָּשָׁ֖ה בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּֽם  - that Pharaoh's horse came into the sea and the Jews walked on dry land. This seems to be out of order. First the Jews went into dry land in the sea and then Pharaoh's horse followed them in!

R' Frand explained that according to the Be'er Mayim Chayim that there was a second Krias Yamsuf. When Dasan & Aviram got there, the sea had already closed up after Pharaoh and his horse went in. But because they had a great zechus, Hashem made a second Krias Yamsuf and they walked into the sea on dry land.

So why and when did they meet their end? R' Frand said that Dasan & Aviram challenged Moshe because they thought - he had a Krias Yam Suf which required 600,000 people and we had one which we merit on our own. We have more z'chusim than Moshe. But of course they were wrong.

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Belated Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Bo

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha last evening (due to being on the West Coast I was unable to blog this yesterday). I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

Rabbi Frand began by quoting the Tolner Rebbi who states that there is a specific aspect of Sipur Yetzias Mitzrayim that Hashem wants us to speak about with our families. In Shemos 10:2 the Torah states וּלְמַ֡עַן תְּסַפֵּר֩ בְּאָזְנֵ֨י בִנְךָ֜ וּבֶן־בִּנְךָ֗ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִתְעַלַּ֨לְתִּי֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם . The meforshim explain that this is Hashem making a mockery of Egypt and Pharaoh himself. There are numerous times that the meforshim call Pharaoh a Rasha based on certain acts that he took. One of the primary examples is that Pharaoh used to bathe in the blood of Jewish children, which is an extreme beyond even what the Nazis did. Similarly, there is a well known Medrash that when the Egytians ran out of bricks they used Jewish children in place of the missing brick.

In Mishlei there is a pasuk which Rashi translates as referring to Pharaoh as a Letz. Pharaoh would make women do men's work which was a torture for them as the work was back breaking. But he also made men do women's work as it was degrading and it led the children of Egypt to laugh at the men. 

R' Frand quoted a Gemara which states that when Hashem punishes someone, the punishment is Middah K'Neged Middah - it is particularly appropriate for the wrong that was committed.

R' Frand demonstrated the concept of the Middah K'Neged Middah as on the night of Makas Bechoros, Pharaoh went looking for Moshe and the Jewish children would joke with him and tell him that Moshe was in this house and then when he got there, he did not find him and then they told him that Moshe was in a different house.

This was the way that it happened in Mitzrayim and this is the way that it will be in the future.

R' Frand said a second vort related to Makkas Choshech. Rashi explains that the reason that this Makkah came was because there were Jews that did not want to leave Egypt and while Hashem wanted to kill them, He did not want them to die publicly so that the Egyptians could not say that the Jews were dying in the same way.

R' Frand noted that while we don't know who the Jews were who died in Choshech, but we do know that Dasan and Aviram did not. The Rosh states that this a proof that while they were evil, they did want to leave. Instead, the Jews who did not want to leave were "sugar daddies" who received payments and had positions of stature and did not want to lose their power.

R' Frand quoted R' Moshe Shternbuch who observed that the Geulah in the future will be much like the redemption from Egypt. If there are people in the future who don't want to leave, they will also not be the subject of the ultimate Geulah.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vaera

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand began the vort by noting that the four Leshonos of Geulah are found in Shemos 6:6-8 and that these Leshonos correspond with the four cups of wine at the Seder. R' Frand then highlighted that the first and fourth of the Leshonos are joined with the word סִבְלֹ֣ת although the first time it is mentioned it is spelled סִבְלֹ֣ת it is spelled without a Vuv and the final time its spelled סִבְל֥וֹת with a Vuv.

R' Frand quoted the Sefer Be'er Yosef who explained that when spelled without the Vuv it appears singular and when it is spelled with a Vuv it appears to be multiple sufferings. He then stated that the first suffering that was mentioned was physical - they had pain from the back breaking labor. But at the same time they were suffering spiritually and were losing what it meant to be a descendant of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaa'kov. R' Frand referenced the famous Zohar which states that when the Jews left Egypt they were on the 49th level of Tumah. But while people are aware of their physical pain, they are not aware that they are slipping spiritually, because they don't have the time or bandwidth to be focusing on their spiritual slide.

R' Frand remarked that although there are stories of people in the Holocaust who were Moser Nefesh to observe mitzvos such as lighting Chanukah candles or making Matzos. But these are exceptional people and not the norm.

R' Frand then noted that when the Torah states that the Jews will be taken out - וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים וִֽידַעְתֶּ֗ם כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם הַמּוֹצִ֣יא אֶתְכֶ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת סִבְל֥וֹת מִצְרָֽיִם - it is indicative that Hashem is aware of the spiritual decline and that He will take them out anyway. 

R' Frand linked this to Shemos 2:23-24 where the Torah states וַתַּ֧עַל שַׁוְעָתָ֛ם אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים מִן־הָֽעֲבֹדָֽה followed by וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־נַֽאֲקָתָ֑ם וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־בְּרִית֔וֹ אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶת־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶת־יַֽעֲקֹֽב. Hashem was not only thinking about their physical pain, but Hashem knew that they were suffering a physical and spiritual pain and decline. But only after Hashem took them out did they know that they had slipped.

R' Frand said a second vort on the plague of blood. He noted that in Shemos 7:23 the Torah states that וַיִּ֣פֶן פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֖א אֶל־בֵּית֑וֹ וְלֹא־שָׁ֥ת לִבּ֖וֹ גַּם־לָזֹֽאת . But why was Pharaoh not bothered by the plague?

R' Frand quoted the Meshech Chachma who quoted the Medrash which states that when Jews and Egyptians took water from the same source the Jew had water and the Egyptian had blood. And this repeated itself even if they took water from the same basin or even if they both drank from the same cup at the same time. The Medrash further states that the Egyptians did not get to drink water until they paid the Jews for it.

But why did Pharaoh not have a problem? The Meshech Chachma explains that the plague was not in Pharaoh's house. Why? Because the Egyptians had to pay back the Jews, but not Pharaoh, because the Jews owed him money. He raised Moshe from an infant to a teenager and it costs money to raise a child! 

R' Frand gave a parallel to illustrate - a kidnapper takes a child and raises him from an infant until he is rescued 10 years later. Would anyone think that the kidnapper should be released because he paid for diapers and clothes and food for 10 years? Of course not.

Meanwhile, Pharaoh only was raising Moshe because Pharaoh's own decree that the babies would be thrown in the Yam Suf required that Moshe be taken from the home where he was found by Basya. And still he does not have to pay for the water because he raised Moshe.

R' Frand tied this to his thought on last week's parsha that every parsha has an element of HaKaras HaTov, as here we see that even for a kidnapper we have to show HaKaras HaTov.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Shemos

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand's first vort was based on the Tolner Rebbi and analyzed Moshe's "dialogue" when he observed the Sneh. When Moshe first observes the Sneh, Moshe says in Shemos 3:3 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר משֶׁ֔ה אָסֻֽרָה־נָּ֣א. But who was Moshe talking to? And why did he say נָּ֣א which means please? Who was he asking permission from? And in the next pasuk Hashem observes וַיַּ֥רְא יְהֹוָ֖ה כִּ֣י סָ֣ר לִרְא֑וֹת. But why is it significant that Moshe went to see the Sneh - its not every day that one sees something like that - so of course he went to look.

Before answering these questions, R' Frand quoted the Rabbeinu Ephraim who comments on the pasuk in Shemos 2:14 where Moshe says אָכֵ֖ן נוֹדַ֥ע הַדָּבָֽר - now I understand why the Jews are being treated this way. They are informers and they speak Lashon Hara, so I understand why they are being treated this way and that they will never get out of Egypt.

Following this event which took place when Moshe was between 12-19 according to the Ramban, and Moshe does not return to Egypt until he was 80. During this time Moshe ran to many different countries, because he was convinced that the Jews would die in Egypt and that they would never get out. And for the next 60 years he runs, until he winds up in Midyan. But he is constantly thinking - what is the future of the Jews - it wont be these people.

And then Moshe sees the Sneh and he says - Hashem is talking to me as the Sneh must be a metaphor for the Jews. And when Moshe says that he is going to look, he is saying to himself. maybe I was wrong about the Jews. He says this out loud because he needs to convince himself that he was wrong and this is why he says please. Once he does see it, Hashem observes that Moshe changes his mind and admits that he was wrong - and this requires great will. This is what makes him worthy of being a leader, as he admits that he was wrong.'

We also see this quality in Yehudah as he admits that he was wrong about Tamar. This is why Ya'akov gives the Melucha to Yehuda - because a great leader needs to admit that he was wrong.

R' Frand said a second vort based on a Mechilta which discusses how before Moshe marries Tzipporah, Yisro makes him swear that he will give his first born son to be a priest for idol worshio. And Moshe surprisingly agrees and makes a vow as it says in Shemos 2:21 וַיּ֥וֹאֶל משֶׁ֖ה.

R' Frand quoted R' Elya Svei who wonders why Moshe wanted to marry Tzipporah in the first place as she was the daughter of the pope of Midyan and why Moshe swore that he would give up his first born son.

R' Frand answered by quoting the Targum Yonasan Ben Uziel who says that when Moshe fled Egypt and came to Midyan, Re'uel the father of Yisro throws him in a pit for 10 years, lest Pharaoh find out and think that he had been giving Moshe shelter. During that entire 10 years Tzipporah brought Moshe food and drink morning and night. Once Moshe was released he came to Re'uel and saw the Mateh and took it from Re'uel's garden. And then he married Tzipporah. Why? Because he had HaKaras HaTov for all that she did. And he had no concern with Yisro's vow, because he knew that one day Yisro would come to the Jews after Matan Torah and he would forgive the vow.

R' Frand observed that there are three instances of HaKaras HaTov in this story. Moshe marries Tzipporah out of gratitude. And when Moshe shows up, the daughters say  אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י הִצִּילָ֖נוּ, but this does not refer to Moshe. Its the Egyptian who was beating the Jew who saved us as because of that incident, Moshe fled and came to Midyan. And finally when they tell the story, Yisro says  וְאַיּ֑וֹ לָ֤מָּה זֶּה֙ עֲזַבְתֶּ֣ן אֶת־הָאִ֔ישׁ קִרְאֶ֥ן ל֖וֹ וְיֹ֥אכַל לָֽחֶם. How can you let him save you and leave him outside - bring him in and let him eat.

R' Frand summarized that because of Tzipporah's acts and Yisro's vision and direction, Moshe married "well below his station" and Yisro got "the best bochur in Lakewood as a son in law."

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayechi

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

The Gemara in Berachos 13b states that R' Yehuda HaNasi would cover his eyes when he said Shema in order to accept Ol Malchus Shamayim. R' Frand said that this is the standard source for why we cover our eyes while saying Shema - so that we won't be distracted.

R' Frand then quoted a Zohar on Parshas Vayigash relating to Bereishis 46:4. Ya'akov had concerns about going down to Egypt as he saw it as a place teeming with Zima. Hashem said to him אָֽנֹכִ֗י אֵרֵ֤ד עִמְּךָ֙ מִצְרַ֔יְמָה וְאָֽנֹכִ֖י אַֽעַלְךָ֣ גַם־עָלֹ֑ה וְיוֹסֵ֕ף יָשִׁ֥ית יָד֖וֹ עַל־עֵינֶֽיךָ. The first part of the pasuk can be simply understood that Hashem told him that Hashem will accompany him down to Egypt and when he is brought back for burial in Canaan. But what is the meaning of Yosef putting his hand on Ya'akov's eyes?

The Zohar states that these words are the secret of Krias Shema. The Shuut Kol Aryeh explains this cryptic statement by quoting a Gemara in Pesachim 50 which asks what is the meaning of the pasuk in Zecharya 14:9 -  וְהָיָ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִֽהְיֶ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶחָ֖ד וּשְׁמ֥וֹ אֶחָֽד? Is there a time that Hashem was not One? 

The Gemara answers in the name of R' Acha Bar Chanina that this world is not like the World to Come. In this world when something good happens we say HaTov V'Hametiv, but when tragedy occurs we say Boruch Dayan HaEmes. But in Olam Haba we will say HaTov V'Hametiv on everything. How is this possible? Because in this world we see good events and bad events, because our perspective on how things occur is limited by time and space.

But in Olam Haba we will have a different perspective and things that seem bad, we will understand why Hashem did certain things. Therefore in Olam Haba it is HaTov V'Hametiv on everything.

In this world we say Shema every morning and night. But the pasuk seems to conflict as we invoke Hashem's names of both mercy and judgment and then we say that it is One. 

The Zohar explains that when a person says Krias Shema he should be thinking that even though I don't understand it, Hashem is both Middas HaDin and Middas HaRachamim. And this is why we cover our eyes, because we say that we believe it, but its too painful right now. 

This is what is meant by Hashem telling Ya'akov that Yosef will place his hand on your eyes. Because Yosef is one person who had many troubles and then became the 2nd in command in Egypt and in so doing saw Hashem's plan and why he had to go through so many troubles. This is the secret of Krias Shema.

R' Frand said he heard this from R' Kalefsky who said it shortly after one of his children was in a car accident which resulted in the death of one of his grandchildren. He was a tremendous Maamin and knew that Hashem is One. But for the rest of us, we need to cover our eyes because we don't understand it.

R' Frand said a second vort on Bereishis 50:16 in which Ya'akov blesses Yosef's sons that וְיִדְגּ֥וּ לָרֹ֖ב בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ. Rashi explains that this was a Beracha that they should multiply like fish.

But a second explanation is that as children of Yosef they would not be influenced by Ayin Hara. Indeed, Ya'akov's beracha to Yosef in Bereishis 49:22 - בֵּ֤ן פֹּרָת֙ יוֹסֵ֔ף בֵּ֥ן פֹּרָ֖ת עֲלֵי־עָ֑יִן - that Yosef will not be influenced by Ayin Hara. (R' Frand referred to the Gemara in Berachos about R' Yochanan sitting outside the Mikva and not being concerned about the influence of Ayin Hara because he is from the offspring of Yosef). The upshot is that because fish are not seen, they cannot be influenced by Ayin Hara.

R' Frand said a second explanation based on the Chizkuni who states that fish are not influenced by Ayin Hara because they are unknown. He notes that Hashem brought all beasts and birds to Adam to be named, but that the fish were not named. This is the way to avoid Ayin Hara - if you are anonymous and do things without drawing attention to yourself, you can avoid Ayin Hara.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayigash

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand began the vort by noting that when Yehuda tried to convince Yosef to pardon Binyamin, Yehuda told him that if Binyamin would not return to Ya'akov it could cause Ya'akov's death. However, at this time Binyamin was already the father of ten children. Why didn't Yehuda try to appeal to Yosef's sense that these children could not live without their father?

R' Frand quoted the Sefer Pardes Yosef who linked this to a story involving the Kotsker Rebbi. A man came to him complaining that he was indigent, but had wealthy children who would not assist him. Meanwhile he had sacrificed to pay for their schooling and made sure that they had what they needed when they lived at home. Is there anything that can be done, he asked? The Kotsker responded that the mercy that a father has for his child is much greater than the mercy the child has for the father - as we see from Yehuda's plea to Yosef which invoked Ya'akov and not Binyamin's children.

He further noted that each Middah that a person has can be traced back to Adam HaRishon. Whether it is anger, or humility or jealousy, each Middah finds its genesis in Adam. However Adam lacked one Middah - he had no feeling of mercy towards his father, because Adam had no father. He had children and his feelings for them were implanted in the human DNA. But he had no concept of a father and as such we do not feel the way about our fathers as we do about our children.

R' Frand closed the vort by quoting the Shela who says that a mother can take care of 10 children, but 10 children cannot take care of one mother.

R' Frand said a second vort related to the children of Binyamin. He made reference to a Rashi in Mikeitz which provides the dialogue between Binyamin and Yosef in Bereishis 43:30. In so doing, Rashi relates that Yosef asked about Binyamin's children and he was told that each child was linked to Binyamin's feelings about his "lost" old brother. One of these children was Huppim - because Yosef did not see Binyamin's Chuppa and Binyamin did not see Yosef's. 

R' Frand quoted the Pnei Menachem who cited the Mishna in Pirkei Avos 1:6 which states עֲשֵׂה לְךָ רַב, וּקְנֵה לְךָ חָבֵר. The Rambam explains that the friend who is referred to is someone that a person can share all of his experiences with - be it his triumphs or failures, with no fear that the person will think less of him because of these acts. 

He further explained that we saw this in Parshas Vayeshev 38:20 in that Yehuda sent his "payment" with רֵעֵ֣הוּ הָֽעֲדֻלָּמִ֔י. The Pnei Menachem notes that this is the first time that the word רֵעֵ֣הוּ is used as friend in Chumash and we certainly see how much faith Yehuda had in his friend. This is the meaning of the Mishna in Pirkei Avos which prioritizes "buying" a friend vs "acquiring" a rav. Because a friend can be there for you throughout your life. 

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