Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Tezaveh

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 focused his vort on the Mizbeach HaKetores which is the last Mitzva in the parsha. He noted that many meforshim, including the Ramban, Ibn Ezra and Seforno all ask why this is commanded in Parshas Tezaveh, since the Klei HaMikdash are all mentioned in Parshas Terumah?

R' Frand answered based on the Sefer Simchas Mordechai who explains that the reason why the Mitzva is in this parsha is because essence of being a Kohain is the Ketores.

R' Frand mentioned many sources including two thoughts from the Medrash Tanchuma. The first was a ma'amar of R' Yitzchak Ben Elazar who noted that the Kohanim did many acts of avodah, but the Shechina did not descend until they brought the Ketores. The second ma'amar was a statement that Hashem said that of all the sacrifices that are brought, none is as dear to Him as the Ketores. The Medrash explains that all of the sacrifices come in order to atone, such as the Chatas and Asham, while the Ketores is just Simcha for Hashem.

R' Frand also noted that on Yom Kippur, the only sacrifice that is brought in the Kodesh HaKodashim is the Ketores.

R' Frand quoted the Medrash that when Moshe went up to receive the Torah there was an argument with the angels. After the argument subsided, each angel gave Moshe a present and the gift from the Malach HaMaves was to teach Moshe that Ketores can abate a Mageifah.

[R' Frand noted that at the beginning of Corona, people were saying Parshas HaKetores as a Segulah].

R' Frand also observed that the Ketores was the test when Korach chose to challenge Moshe and Aharon.

R' Frand then pivoted to discuss how the Ketores was emblematic of Aharon. He quoted Pirkei Avos which states that Aharon was Ohev Shalom and Rodef Shalom and would bring Jews together. As a result he was Zoche to wear the Choshen on his heart. Much like Aharon who brought people together, the Ketores was made of 12 spices, including the Chelbanah which had a foul smell, but with the other spices created such a sweet aroma that women did not need to wear perfume. So too, the Jews need to be united and to include all kinds of Jews when we come together on Ta'anis Tzibur as taught by the Gemara in Kerisus as well as we see in the beginning of the Kol Nidrei prayer.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Mishpatim

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 noted that R' Yisrael Salanter passed away on the 22nd of Shvat in 1883 which was Erev Shabbos of Parshas Mishpatim. His greatest talmid, the Alter of Kelm said at his levaya that it was no coincidence that R' Yisrael died on that Erev Shabbos, as Parshas Mishpatim is all about Mitzvos Ben Adam L'Chavero and that is what the Mussar movement is about.

R' Frand then told a story about the recertification of Ner Israel recently by the State of Maryland. This occurred at the same time that ARTS (a Yeshiva accreditation organization) was visiting as well. R' Frand met with the women who were visiting from the State of Maryland and told them that this institution is not only interested in intellectual growth, it also is interested in producing good human beings and that we devote significant time for introspection and personal growth.

R' Frand also discussed the crossover of the two visiting bodies. He mentioned that ARTS had sent R' Yisrael Reisman from Torah V'Daas and after sitting in on some shiurim, he went to visit the Kollel where the boys were learning Hilchos Ribbis. As R' Reisman had written a sefer on Hilchos Ribbis, the 40 members of the Kollel were firing questions at him on Hilchos Ribbis, as one of the women from the State of Maryland was observing from the back of the room. She remarked "I have never seen a thirst for knowledge as I have seen in this session."

R' Frand also quoted R' Hutner who quoted a Rashi in this week's parsha that Hashem said all 10 dibros simultaneously - a feat that is impossible to say and impossible to comprehend. So why did Hashem do this if people cannot understand it? R' Hutner answered that it was done to demonstrate that no one Mitzva has priority over another.

R' Hutner also cited a Rashi on the pasuk in Shemos 24:6  וַיִּקַּ֤ח משֶׁה֙ חֲצִ֣י הַדָּ֔ם וַיָּ֖שֶׂם בָּֽאַגָּנֹ֑ת וַֽחֲצִ֣י הַדָּ֔ם זָרַ֖ק עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ. Rashi explains that an angel came down from Shamayim to make the exact split of the blood so that precisely half would be on the Mizbeach and half would be sprinkled on the people. R' Hutner explains that this was symbolic that the Ben Adam L'Chavero was as important as Ben Adam L'Makom.

R' Frand also noted that in 1983 the Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Israel (which bears the Israel name after R' Yisrael Salanter) said a shmooze on the 100th yahrtzeit of R' Yisrael. He recalled that when he was in Europe he had been in a shul where the minhag was to wear a Kittel on Hoshana Rabbah. One year the Ba'al Mussaf did not wear a Kittel because the Shamash forgot to bring it to shul. A member of the kehillah laced into him publicly. The Rosh Yeshiva lamented that the wearing of the Kittel was a minhag, but not embarrassing another Jew is a D'Oraysa.

R' Frand closed the vort by telling a story about a group of students in the Mirrer Yeshiva in Poland who were being chased by a group of people. They ran into a dormitory and locked the door, but the people pounded on the door and it turned out to be the police. They opened the door and the police demanded to see everyone's papers. One of the boys did not have his papers and explained that his papers were in a different dormitory. The police went with him to see his papers and then let him go. 

The following day, R' Yerucham Levovits said that he was ready to close the yeshiva. He explained that he was aghast that the boys would allow one bochur to be escorted by the police by himself, without others making sure that he would be Ok. The yeshiva was not closed, but this shows the level of concern that R' Yerucham had that the boys should have looked out for each other.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Yisro

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 quoting the Gemara in Kiddushin 31a about the story of Dama Ben Nassina. The Gemara recites the story about how the Kohanim needed the precious stones for the Urim and Tumim and Dama's father had them in a safe and the keys were under his father's head. The Gemara relates that Dama "Lo Tziaro" which can be translated as he did not "trouble him" and as a result, he lost the ability to sell them for 600,000 coins. Dama was rewarded a year later with a Red Cow and when they came to buy it from him he said that all he wanted was the money that he lost from not being able to sell the stones.

The question that many meforshim ask is why is it that we learn the mitzva of Kibbud Av V'Aim from Dama Ben Nassina? 

R' Frand quoted the Avnei Shoham which explains that we don't learn any rules of the mitzva from the story. Instead, we see how far a person is willing to go in order to honor his parent. 

R' Frand noted that this mitzva is one of the hardest in the Torah because it is a constant mitzva and when a parent ages it becomes more difficult to do the mitzva. We learn from Dama Ben Nassina that a person can be willing to forego a fortune just to honor his parent. But not only did he give up the money, but it did not bother him. The Avnei Shoham explains Lo Tziaro as - it did not trouble Dama to pass up the sale.

R' Frand then quoted the Sefer L'Meromem which stated that the Chazon Ish would go to sit and visit with his mother for an hour every day. Even though the Chazon Ish was scrupulous never to waste time, he felt it important to sit and shmooze with her daily.

R' Frand said that his father's mother came over from Germany with his own mother. The grandmother lived in their home until she needed more care and was placed in a nursing home. But every day, his father would go visit her. R' Frand said that he could not do the same for his mother as they lived on different ends of the country, but every time that he had a West Coast trip he would make an effort to visit her.

R' Frand recalled the last time that he visited his mother. She had Parkinson's and was no longer able to speak. When R' Frand could not keep the entire conversation by himself they sat and watched the US Open golf tournament, even though his mother hated golf. But this was the tournament where Tiger Woods wrecked the field and they sat together and watched.

R' Frand also told a story about someone who traveled from Jerusalem to Bnei Brak to get a beracha from the Chazon Ish. At the time it was a difficult and expensive journey. When the man was complaining about his illness, the Chazon Ish asked him - was this an expensive trip? The man replied that it was. He then asked - are your parents alive? The man said, yes. And are they well off? No, the man replied, they struggle financially. The Chazon Ish then asked - why are you spending money to visit me for a beracha that may or not be successful? Spend the money on your parents and then ask Hashem to heal you as he promises a reward of long life for honoring your parents and I am just flesh and blood.

R' Frand told a final story about the Sar Shalom (original Belzer Rebbi) whose mother joined him for a seder. When the soup pot came out, she dipped her matza in the soup because she had no teeth and needed to soften it. The Chassidim watched as the Belzer Rebbi not only did say anything, but he took from the soup that the matza had been soaked in. They asked the Rebbi - gebruchtz - chametz! He responded, gebruchtz is a chumra, Kibbud Av V'Aim is a D'Oraysa. 

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Friday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Beshalach

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha last 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 parsha begins by stating in Shemos 13:17 - וַיְהִ֗י בְּשַׁלַּ֣ח פַּרְעֹה֘ אֶת־הָעָם֒. Chazal teaches that the word וַיְהִ֗י denotes trouble or pain. Who was in pain? R' Frand answered that Pharaoh was in pain.

R' Frand then told a story about R' Zevulun Groz who was the Av Beis Din in Rechovot. The Sefer Meir Derech states that before R' Groz went away to yeshiva his father told him a Medrash. A person found a pile of pearls and did not know what it was. He asked someone on the road, do you want these balls? The man took them. He then went into the town and sorted them by size and set up a "pop up shop." The seller later entered the town and saw a line outside the pop up shop. People were asking for the price of the smaller and medium pearls and when he heard their price, he tore his clothes and exclaimed "I had it all in the palm of my hand, but did not know its value."

The Medrash said that the nimshal is Pharaoh who when he saw that he had 600,00 Jews after Moshe counted them, he cried out woe is me that the Jews were leaving.

Sefer Meir Derech asks - what is the parallel? The man who gave up the pearls did so voluntarily. But Pharaoh did not give them up by choice!

The answer is that Pharaoh realized that he had 600,000 wise and industrious people and he used them as brick layers. This is the mashal and nimshal.

R' Groz's father said to him - you are going off to Yeshiva. Don't waste your time. A Yeshiva career is finite and you don't want to look back and say - I had Gan Eden - I had no concerns and could have sat and learned without distraction. And I wasted it.

R' Frand said that he got a text from a former student who had been in mechina. He remembered sitting in a shmooze from R' Tendler who said to him - don't waste your life. One day you will have children and your son will ask you to teach him a perek of Gemara and you would want to be able to do so.

R' Frand said a second vort related to Tu BShvat in 1944. The Belzer Rebbi's father and uncle had miraculously made his way out of Europe to Israel on Tu BShvat. At the time there were a few Belzer Chassidim in Israel, but not many. The Chassidim came to him and said that they had all lost family in Europe and they wanted some Chizuk. He told them that the Jews sang Az Yashir on the 7th day of Pesach. But these are the same Jews who must have lost most of their relatives in Choshech in which 80% of the Jews died. How did they say Shira? He answered based on Rashi who said that they sang that in the future there will be Techiyas HaMeisim - when everything will make sense. 

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Bo

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 said two vorts tonight which were predicated on the Ramban on Parshas Bo. The first vort related to Shemos 10:6 where after Moshe tells Pharaoh that the plague of Arbeh was coming, the Torah writes  וַיִּ֥פֶן וַיֵּצֵ֖א מֵעִ֥ם פַּרְעֹֽה. Thereafter, the Torah writes that Pharaoh's slaves try to convince Pharaoh to let the Jews leave and then Moshe and Aharon were brought back to Pharaoh.

The Ramban writes that when Moshe left, it was before receiving a response to his request that the Jews be allowed to leave. The reason for his departure was to allow the Egyptians to confer about his warning. In fact, this occurred each time that Moshe warned the Egyptians that a plague was coming. 

R' Frand quoted R' Simcha Zisil Brody who explained and developed the Ramban. He asked - why did Moshe leave? Shouldn't he have stayed around and been available for questions or to offer advice? He answered that Moshe knew that human nature is to resist being told to do something and that if he stayed and offered advice it would be rejected. So Moshe left and allowed them to come to their own conclusions as to how to proceed. 

R' Frand also quoted R' Brody for the principle that a person has problems seeing his own flaws. How then can we get direction? From our spouse who is not seen as an outsider and who (hopefully) will be able to tell us when we are being an idiot. R' Brody tied this to a Gemara in Yevamos 63a in which R' Elazar says that any man without a wife is not a (complete) man. This is not an exaggeration as we can see from when we make the Beracha Yotzeir HaAdam. It is not said at birth, nor at the bris or at the Bar Mitzvah. Instead it is said under the Chuppah as a man is not a complete man until he is married.

R' Frand also quoted the last Ramban on the parsha which asks - why do we have so many mitzvos which are intended to remind us of being taken out of Egypt? He answers that with Yetzias Mitzrayim, Hashem answered the skeptics who questioned if Hashem existed, or if He is aware of what takes place on earth and if He is in control. By taking the Jews out of Egypt with great open miracles, He showed that He does exist, is aware of what takes place here and does care about what happens.

The Ramban further explains that Hashem does not make open miracles daily and for that reason, people can forget His involvement. Therefore we are given so many Mitzvos that cause us to remember Yetzias Mitzrayim. Because for a person to have a portion in the Torah he needs to be aware that just like there were open miracles, there are also hidden miracles and that what happens here is not simply "nature", it is Hashem's divine acts which are all hidden miracles.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Va'era

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 quoting the pasuk in Shemos 6:5 - וְגַ֣ם | אֲנִ֣י שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי אֶת־נַֽאֲקַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִצְרַ֖יִם מַֽעֲבִדִ֣ים אֹתָ֑ם. The pasuk begins with the words - וְגַ֣ם | אֲנִ֣י שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי - and also I heard. R' Frand quoted the Chassam Sofer who asked - who else heard the cries of the Jews?

The Chassam Sofer explains that the Egyptians were so cruel that they would not allow the Jews to cry about their troubles. The only exception was when Pharaoh died they were allowed to cry, although their tears were for their tragedies and not Pharaoh's death.

R' Frand observed that when someone is generally undergoing troubles, it is hard to be sympathetic to someone else's troubles. It's not that the person is callous, it's just that when a person is in pain, he does not necessarily feel someone else's pain.

However in Egypt the Jews were able to do just that. Not only did they cry about their individual troubles, but they were able to cry about other people's troubles as well. It was this crying for others that Hashem said "I also heard" - I have people's crying for themselves and that they can still cry for others as well.

R' Frand tied this into a story in the sefer L'Mromem about R' Gud Eisner (sp?). He had been in the camps towards the end of the Holocaust at a time when the Nazis knew the end was near. They ordered the weak prisoners to march through the snow in a "death march" where anyone who fell was immediately shot.

R' Eisner was marching with his friend R' Nechemia Blustein when R' Eisner felt that he had no more energy and he fell to the ground. R' Nechemia yelled at him "Gudele, run." And he got up and began running and was not shot. He lived through the march and eventually became the Mashgiach at the Yeshivas Sfas Emes.

R' Eisner said that he learned three things from this: (1) that everyone has hidden strengths that just need to be unlocked as he did not know that he could push through; (2) that encouragement has the power to help someone who is down get back up, and (3) that knowing that someone else cares is significant enough to help someone persevere.

R' Frand closed the vort by acknowledging that we live in a world where people are very lonely. This is not just a COVID, or post-COVID effect. He observed that when you see people on a train or a plane they are all absorbed in their screens and he theorized that the smart phone and internet cause people to feel isolated and alone because others are not interacting with them. But a little encouragement and showing that you care can be enough to help someone who is lonely feel that they are no longer by themselves.

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