Parsha Ki Savo
We are now finishing the Second Drasha of Moshe that started in Parsha Re’eh. We are finishing off the confession over the Bikurim mentioned at the end of Sefer Vayikra but never codified. It could be that it was known in the Oral Torah and not written Torah but now it is being written down by Moshe. The whole Drasha must have lasted a few hours and I wonder if like the Lubavitcher Rebbe during his Drashos there were sons in the middle. For it is hard for somebody to speak straight for so long and the congregation to learn so much without a break. There are about 177 Mitzvos in this section and a lot to digest even over time not to mention one Drasha.
26:1 And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and dost possess it, and dwell therein;
Rabbi Yosef Serebryanski Shlita: Patience is a virtue but for those in pain it can be unbearable. In their eagerness to embrace a non-violent future, those who patiently await its evolution may unwittingly open the door to those who will spread falsehoods in an attempt to take advantage of others. By utilizing catch phrases they entice many to believe that they represent the model of ethics and moralistic behavior. If a person does not ‘know’ the enemy then patience and peace are inherently harmful as, ultimately, the trust that they generate can be destructive.
Each individual is charged with a responsibility and challenge to balance his/her own space in this world. Many things affect the weakening of people’s bodies and minds. Our food intake, as well as the air we breathe, has a serious effect on our ability to function. The language we choose to use or not to use can serve to weaken our resolve or efficiency at dealing with issues.
As if our own devices were not enough, others may attempt to divert our attention in order to jar the secure ground upon which we stand. This is another ploy that can be harmful. The ability to determine the difference between those things that are important as opposed to those things that are mere diversions can make the difference that allows for positive growth and survival. Patience becomes an important attribute when one decides to take the time necessary to correct oneself, and remove the negative influences that the world is only to eager to share en masse with us.
The Hebrew word for “curse” “Orur” also means “to spit” or “to pluck.” To pluck or remove a person from his/her own space and to spit on them is part and parcel of the movement of curse and diversion.
There is an energy flow that comes forth from blessings as well as one that issues forth from curses. While the two flows may move with a similar velocity, they do not move in the same direction. Detecting the difference between the two is difficult, but crucial to one’s journey. Becoming more aware of the various flows in creation assists in the journey. Keeping a broad impression of all that is unfolding in the world helps to place things in proper perspective.
Receiving the appropriate flow of life force that is custom tailored to your body and soul, and is respectful of the Creator’s placement of you in this realm, is the definition of a blessing.
Recognizing misplacement of soul is often part of a lifetime search for guidance to find one’s proper personal placement. It is a blessing to recognize that one is misfit to his/her surroundings. That person may choose to undertake an arduous journey to find his/her Genesis and portal of return.
This differs from people who dabble in the tempting spiritual (or other) “diversions” that sporadically come their way. All of us are vulnerable to those things that falsely promise an alternative to properly working on and correcting our issues. They seek to rectify us by instilling within us a flow of life that is not natural to our direct correction with the Creator of all existence.
Following those systems that are not synonymous with the Creator’s chosen destination will fail those who have abandoned their blessings in favor of these changes. Only by connecting directly with the Creator can we know our true direction.
(Deuteronomy 26:1) “When you to come to the place of desire (the land) that the Creator gives to you as your portion to inherit and you settle it.” One must constantly recognize that everything that comes from the Creator allows a person to envision and achieve a healthy balance. Then with joy and song the person opens further depth in their balance.
The famous kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria is reported to have said that the reason he was able to comprehend hidden wisdom to such a depth was because he felt incredible joy in doing each mitzvah (each action of connecting with the Creator). It was a joy and pleasure beyond all other existing pleasures in the world.
“A patient spirit is better than a proud spirit” (Ecclesiastes 7:8). Patience allows balance to flow while pride allows a person to divert the flow. When a person has an inner balance, the flow of Creator in creation reaches its proper destination.
The things that must be rooted out are part of the structure of today’s society. There is much work that must be done in order to give individuals and society the desire and ability to clear itself after so many years of being inundated with false information as well as ill-begotten gains of money and/or power.
Time is a factor in both spiritual and physical growth and development. Those who open up spiritually can have a long and lonely journey. After a period of time a person may find that they are not alone in their quest. Traditionally it is family or being part of a group that saves a person from loneliness. For some it is angels or spiritual forces that allow this feeling. For others it is just the act of being at one with all of existence.
Problems in society breed a sense of loneliness. The more sensitive a person is, the more likely it is that he/she will suffer that loneliness for a lengthy period of time. Connecting to something that fills that void is a very powerful and moving experience. It is challenging to deal with these issues when those around you cannot relate to these concepts.
It may require much patience to balance one’s patience with wisdom, knowledge and the inner feelings and thoughts within our physical and spiritual existence. This is why we must constantly focus on the essence of our being here, maintain our balance, and then allow everything to fall into its proper place.
2 that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in from thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee; and thou shalt put it in a basket and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there.
At first it was the Mishkan and eventually it was replaced by the Mikdash in Yerushalayim.
3 And thou shalt come unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him: 'I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the land which the LORD swore unto our fathers to give us.'
This is the introduction to the confession over the Bikurim.
4 And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God. 5 And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God: 'A wandering Aramean was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. 7 And we cried unto the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression. 8 And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders.
The words are said not only in the Confession but in the Haggadah and at my first Seder (That I also conducted in my non-religious household at the age of 9. I wondered to myself what is this for an answer to the four questions. It is good for a confession over the first fruits and gives the background before slavery but it certainly does not answer: “Why is this night different from all other nights?” to a child. Yes, it does say HE brought us out of Egypt … but as a child close to 10 the answer did not satisfy me.
9 And He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Good for the Bikurim Confession but this did not happen on the night of Pesach that a 9year old plus would accept it.
10 And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land, which Thou, O LORD, hast given me.' And thou shalt set it down before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God. 11 And thou shalt rejoice in all the good which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thy house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is in the midst of thee.
There is more to this than meets the eye that the fruit did not nurse off of the land of the neighbor with its roots.
12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, to the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be satisfied, 13 then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God: 'I have put away the hallowed things out of my house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all Thy commandment which Thou hast commanded me; I have not transgressed any of Thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them. 14 I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I put away thereof, being unclean, nor given thereof for the dead; I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God, I have done according to all that Thou hast commanded me. 15 Look forth from Thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Thy people Israel, and the land which Thou hast given us, as Thou didst swear unto our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.'
All the confession includes that it is only from his land and testifies that this is the land of milk and honey.
… 27:1 And Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying: 'Keep all the commandment which I command you this day. 2 And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over the Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God gives thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaster them with plaster. 3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over; that thou may go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of thy fathers, hath promised thee. 4 And it shall be when ye are passed over the Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Eval, and thou shalt plaster them with plaster. 5 And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones; thou shalt lift up no iron tool upon them. 6 Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of unhewn stones; and thou shalt offer burnt-offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God. 7 And thou shalt sacrifice peace-offerings, and shalt eat there; and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God. 8 And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.'
The Torah written on stone slabs like a billboard that passers through could read.
Now below is the essence of the blessing and the curse and which tribe will stand on Har Gerizim and which on Har Eval to say Amen.
… 11 And Moses charged the people the same day, saying: 12 'These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are passed over the Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin; 13 and these shall stand upon mount Eval for the curse: Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice:
Reuven ended up on this side because of the moving of the beds and the tribes coming from the lesser wives but Zebulun I cannot figure out as he donated his earnings that Yissachar could learn Torah only that he was the last of Leah’s boys.
15 Cursed be the man that makes a graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret. And all the people shall answer and say: Amen. 16 Cursed be he that dishonors his father or his mother. And all the people shall say: Amen. 17 Cursed be he that removes his neighbor's landmark. And all the people shall say: Amen. 18 Cursed be he that makes the blind to go astray in the way. And all the people shall say: Amen. 19 Cursed be he that perverts the justice due to the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say: Amen. 20 Cursed be he that lies with his father's wife; because he hath uncovered his father's skirt. And all the people shall say: Amen. 21 Cursed be he that lies with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say: Amen. 22 Cursed be he that lies with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say: Amen. 23 Cursed be he that lies with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say: Amen. Cursed be he that smites his neighbor in secret. And all the people shall say: Amen. 25 Cursed be he that taketh a bribe to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say: Amen. 26 Cursed be he that confirms not the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say: Amen.'
Cursed Be the Faker
Later, the parsha mentions a very unique ceremony that occurred only once in the history of Klal Yisrael. When they came into Eretz Yisrael there were two adjacent mountains—Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Eval. Six Tribes stood on one mountain and six Tribes stood on the second mountain. A series of Blessings and Curses were recited, to which everyone needed to respond Amen.
The Torah mentions which tribes were to be positioned on each mountain, and then it proceeds to list the eleven “Curses” (Arurim) which were to be part of this recitation. These are eleven sins for which a person who transgressed them should be cursed. It was like a national Kabbalas Shevuah (acceptance of a binding oath) not to be in violation of these eleven transgressions.
The specific sins for which it was proclaimed “Accursed be he who…” include the following:
- Makes a graven image and places it in secret.
- Degrades his father or mother.
- Moves back the boundary of his fellow.
- Causes a blind person to go astray on the road.
- Perverts a judgment of a convert, orphan, or widow.
- Lies with the wife of his father.
- Lies with any animal.
- Lies with his sister.
- Lies with his mother-in-law.
- Strikes his fellow in secret.
- Takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.
Let me ask something: Are these eleven things the worst sins in the Torah? It does not say “Cursed be one who desecrates the Shabbos.” It does not say “Cursed be one who eats Chametz on Pesach.” Some of the things mentioned do not involve the serious Kares penalty, nor even the less serious penalty of makkos (lashes). If we had to pick a list of “the worst eleven,” maybe we would have listed some of the eleven items, such as those involving Avodah Zarah or Arayos. But most of them do not seem to be “all that bad” that they should be worthy of this unique curse. So why were these eleven singled out?
The Sefer Darash Mordechai suggests a common denominator to all eleven items. These sins are all done behind closed doors in which a person can act hypocritically (Echad b’fnim, v’echad b’Chutz). A person can act as the biggest Tzaddik out in public, and behind closed doors he can treat his parents with utter disrespect.
“Cursed be he who encroaches on the boundary of his fellow man.” A person can promote himself as one of the most honest businessmen there are, and yet in the stealth of night he will move the boundary demarcation a couple of inches, and no one will know the difference.
“Cursed is he who leads the blind man astray on the road.” The commentaries dispute what this applies to, but according to Rambam this refers to giving bad advice. You tell a person “Listen, you invest in this deal and you will make a fortune!” when you are purposely giving him bad advice, for your own advantage. All of these things, a person can in fact externally promote himself as a most upstanding citizen, but in secret – behind closed doors – (v’sam ba’seiser) it is quite a different story.
Chazal say that in the times of Yoshiyahu haMelech, the king thought he succeeded in cleaning out all the Avodah Zarah that existed in Eretz Yisrael. The King had guards going to people’s houses searching for idols. The wicked people hid their idols on the back of their doors, so that when the doors were open the idols would be hidden. As soon as the guards closed the doors behind them, the idols reappeared. That is an instance of “and emplace it in secret” (V’sam ba’seiser) [Devorim 27:15].
So, what is this unique ceremony all about? It is about being fakers. That is why these are Arur (cursed behavior). A person needs to be “Tocho k’Baro“—the same on the inside as on the outside. A person must be who he is everywhere—in the privacy of his home and in the public arena. All these people here are acting behind closed doors, secretively. Such behavior is intolerable. The Ribono shel Olam cannot suffer such hypocrisy.
One of the themes of the Yomim Noraim is “V’Taher Leebeinu l’Avdecha b’Emes” (Purify our hearts to serve you in truth). We must be honest. We must act with integrity. What you see is what you get. What is apparent to people must be what you really are. When you are “one way with your mouth and one way with your heart” or “one way outside and one way inside” then you are a faker. This is what the Torah condemns as deserving the Arur curse. That is why these eleven things—although perhaps not the most egregious of Aveiros—nevertheless have this element of fakery which the Torah singles out for explicit condemnation. Copywrite Rabbi Frand @ Torah.org received permission using credit.
28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
The blessings will overtake you in this world and the next.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the young of thy flock. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou come in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou go out. 7 The LORD will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee; they shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee seven ways. 8 The LORD will command the blessing with thee in thy barns, and in all that thou put thy hand unto; and He will bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 9 The LORD will establish thee for a holy people unto Himself, as He hath sworn unto thee; if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in His ways. 10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the LORD is called upon thee; and they shall be afraid of thee. 11 And the LORD will make thee over-abundant for good, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, in the land which the LORD swore unto thy fathers to give thee. 12 The LORD will open unto thee His good treasure the heaven to give the rain of thy land in its season, and to bless all the work of thy hand; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow. 13 And the LORD will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them; 14 and shalt not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
You will be blessed even if you think that you do not deserve it for all the good things that HASHEM has heaped upon you.
15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. 16 Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. 17 Cursed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough. 18 Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the young of thy flock. 19 Cursed shalt thou be when thou come in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou go out. 20 The LORD will send upon thee cursing, discomfiture, and rebuke, in all that thou put thy hand unto to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the evil of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken Me. 21 The LORD will make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until He have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou go in to possess it. 22 The LORD will smite thee with consumption, and with fever, and with inflammation, and with fiery heat, and with drought, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. 23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. 24 The LORD will make the rain of thy land powder and dust; from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed. … 67 In the morning thou shalt say: 'Would it were even!' and at even thou shalt say: 'Would it were morning!' for the fear of thy heart which thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. 68 And the LORD shall bring thee back into Egypt in ships, by the way whereof I said unto thee: 'Thou shalt see it no more again'; and there ye shall sell yourselves unto your enemies for bondmen and for bondwoman, and no man shall buy you.
Off all the curses for disobedience this last one is a secret blessing that one cannot sell himself to be a slaves for none will buy him.
69 These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which He made with them in Horev.
29:1 And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them: Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; 2 the great trials which thine eyes saw, the signs and those great wonders; 3 but the LORD hath not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.
You are to bear witness to the next generation.
4 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. 5 Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink; that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.
You were sustained miraculously by HASHEM so that your only worries were learning Torah and Halacha. You had no worry about food and clothing and your flocks and herds lived off of the land that had no ownership other than HASHEM let you use it.
6 And when ye came unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote them.
Miraculously, without any loss of a human being, you conquered defeated and killed these powerful warrior kings.
7 And we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of the Manassites. 8 Observe therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may make all that ye do to prosper.
Observe the commandments and prosper.
All for the daughter by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles
http://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=1186-49
In the venerable chasidic book, Toldos Yaakov, a woman from the community of Mezibush is quoted as having said: "The Jewish people have done well to have chosen G·d as their G-D, but He too has selected well by choosing Israel as His nation, for even Feivish, 'The Lowest of the Low,' consecrated His holy name."
Reb Nachman Kahana, the Spinker Bebbe in Bnei Brak (?-1976), explained her words with the following story: There once lived in the vicinity of Mezibush a fabulously wealthy man who had an only daughter. When the time came for her to be married, her father approached a local rosh yeshiva in search of a likely candidate. The rosh yeshiva suggested Reb Feivish, a gifted young student with a brilliant mind and equally admirable character traits.
The wealthy man, a learned man himself, spoke with the young man and was so impressed, he immediately asked the rosh yeshiva to propose the match to the young Feivish. To further entice Reb Feivel, the father guaranteed a substantial dowry and promised to support his son-in-law for the rest of his days so that he might be free to pursue the study of Torah.
It goes without saying that Feivish was pleased with these conditions and agreed to the match.
The wedding took place after several months and the young couple went to live next door to her parent's home. Feivish continued studying Torah while his father-in-law continued to manage his business, providing for the young couple as he had promised. To the wealthy man's delight, Feivish, being clever and sharp, found favor among the townspeople and they began coming to him with their various problems.
Many years passed and two daughters were born to Feivish and his wife.
The years claimed their toll on the rich man and he felt that he could no longer carry the burden of his business upon his shoulder.
One day, while discussing the future with his wife, she offered this suggestion: "My husband, you are already old. You cannot continue devoting the same attention to your business as in the past for you simply do not have the strength. Is it not true that your laborers take advantage of you and try to cheat you at every occasion? You simply cannot continue this way indefinitely. You have children and grandchildren to support, and we too, must be provided for in our old age. I suggest that you take our son-in-law into the business. Let him start with an hour a day until he gets acquainted with all its workings. He is a clever man and will eventually be able to considerably lighten your burden. And besides, he will eventually have to take over the business when, after 120 years, you depart from this world."
The man
listened to his wife's words but thoroughly disagreed. "It is not fair to
Feivish," he argued. "He agreed to marry our daughter on the
condition that he would not be required to concern himself with business
matters. It would be totally unfair to involve him in worldly affairs when he
is so diligent and devoted to his study. That is, after all, much more
important."
The controversy raged back and forth. One day the daughter entered her parent's
home to find her mother sitting and sobbing.
"Whatever is the matter, Mother? Is everyone well? What is wrong?"
The mother explained her feelings, describing her concern for the future of the family. She reviewed all her arguments while her daughter listened.
"But Mother," the daughter finally said, "you know that Feivish studies day and night, never wasting a minute. When could he possibly learn the business?"
The mother responded, "He doesn't have to assume complete responsibility at once. Let him but put in an hour a day to acquaint himself with the business."
The daughter, seeing her mother's deep concern in the matter, promised to speak to Feivish about it. The following day, when Feivish returned from the Beit Medrash (study hall), his wife greeted him despondently. Concerned, he asked her why she seemed so troubled. She told him of her conversation with her mother and begged him to begin taking an interest in her father's business, if only for an hour a day. At first Feivish was strongly opposed, but the mighty power of the evil inclination is overwhelmed him and he finally agreed.
Feivish began going to the store for an hour a day, but even during this hour, he would immerse himself in a sefer (book) and study all the while.
The 'Accuser' was not satisfied with the state of things and laid further plans to tear Feivish away from Torah study.
"You scroundel! You dirty thief!" were the words that Feivish heard one day as he sat in the store, pouring over a sefer. An angry merchant had burst into the store and was now accusing his father-in-law of dishonest dealings.
". . . . and don't think that this is the first time you've cheated me! I pay you in full each time for all the merchandise that I order and then you go ahead and swindle me in the amount that you deliver!" accused the enraged customer.
The father-in-law opened the package thrust before him on the counter and saw that his customer's accusation was quite valid. He cross-examined his workers until he found the culprit who had been stealing the merchandise. He settled the matter with his disgruntled customer and fired his dishonest worker.
This scene had its effect on Feivish. He realized that the workers took advantage of his father-in-law, stealing whenever his back was turned. He decided that it was up to him to take a more active interest in the business to prevent such unpleasant scenes in the future. He started coming for two or three hours daily, becoming engrossed with the comings and goings of the laborers and customers. His father-in-law, relieved to shed some of his responsibility, relied more and more on Feivish as he saw the capable young man grasp all the facets of the business.
Feivish, seeing that the present laborers could not be trusted, dismissed all of them and hired others to replace them, reorganizing the whole business. Thus it happened that when the father-in-law passed away, Feivish was left totally involved in financial affairs. The Accuser had won the first round.
By now, Feivish was spending the whole day at the store. This left him virtually no time for Torah study. He set aside an hour in the mornings before prayers and another in the evenings, but the business soon encroached even upon these precious hours. He found that during business hours he had to tend to customers so that he was required to review his accounts in the evening.
Since Feivish stayed up till late at night over his accounts, he was too tired in the mornings to adhere to his schedule of one hour of study. His shacharit (morning) prayers became increasingly hurried until he stopped praying with a minyan (prayer quorum) altogether.
The business prospered and Feivish soon found it necessary to expand. This naturally meant more responsibility and less free time. When Feivish was appointed the king's agent, the added burden left him with no time even for his prayers. On Shabbat he still managed to pray in a synagogue. But soon he stopped this too, being so worn out from his strenuous efforts of the week. He would spend the whole day in bed, just recovering his strength for the week to come. The Accuser had won again.
His position as
official supplier to the king once presented an excellent business opportunity
to Feivish. He was invited to the prime minister's home to sign a contract on a
large order. Since he felt it unseemly to appear as he was, he trimmed his
beard, acquired different clothing, and went to keep his appointment.
As he sat discussing business, the prime minister's wife entered with
refreshments. Feivish did not wish to insult his hostess and tasted one of the
cakes laid before him. By way of compliment, he casually asked her what they
were made of, and was relieved to hear that they contained no treife (non-kosher)
ingredients. And thereafter, when his affairs brought him to the prime
minister's home again, he would partake of the refreshments without pangs of
conscience. Little did he realize that the woman did, in fact, use lard and
fats to enhance the flavor of her baking.
Once he had become lax in his eating habits, he felt no compunctions about eating treife, eventually bringing such food into his own home.
His wife,
distressed by Feivish's downfall, was powerless to do anything. It pained and
grieved her deeply to see the metamorphosis of her husband from a Torah scholar
to an unobservant Jew, but she no longer had any influence upon him and was
forced to remain silent. His G·dless ways were apparent to the whole community
and Feivish acquired the name, "Feivish, Lowest of the Low".
* * *
The years passed and Feivish prospered. The time arrived for him to marry off
his older daughter. Although he realized that he was a sinner, Feivish desired
the best for his daughter: a Torah scholar and an upright young man. But no one
who knew Feivish or had even heard of him would be likely to consent to become
his son-in-law. He decided to take a business trip, combining it with a search
for a suitable young man. He took along with him his tallis and tefillin,
though he had long ceased using them.
His travels brought Feivish to Hungary where he stopped at a village. When he entered the synagogue, he encountered a fine young student, whose very face bespoke his greatness. Upon inquiry, he learned that he was the son of the local rabbi and head of the Beit Din - the rabbinical court. After talking with the youth and becoming enamored of his fine qualities, Feivish desired him as a son-in-law.
Feivish returned home and summoned a penniless shadchan (matchmaker). He offered him a substantial sum to go to the village in Hungary and try to arrange a marriage for his daughter with the young man he had previously met, all the while concealing the current character of her father.. The shadchan accepted the project and immediately set forth.
When the shadchan reached the village, he went straight to the rabbi's home. Posing as a grain merchant, he said that business had brought him to Hungary where he was required to remain for several weeks. Since he was very particular in observance of Kashrut, he begged the rabbi to accept him as a paying guest. The rabbi, who barely subsisted upon his meager salary, agreed to the arrangement. The shadchan made himself very amenable during his stay. He possessed a glib tongue and would entertain the whole household with his amusing and interesting anecdotes.
One day he approached the rabbi with a suggestion. "I see that your son has already reached marriageable age."
"Yes, that is true. Indeed, he has had many offers for a shiduch, but they all require that we put up a large sum of money, which in our circumstances, we cannot possibly afford."
"Then I have just the prospect for you. You see, before I left my home town I was approached by a genuine Torah scholar, a man expert in Talmud and Jewish Law, who is extremely wealthy to the bargain. He told me that he sought for his accomplished daughter, a fine youth who would be willing to spend the rest of his days in Torah study. If I were to come across such a youth, I should feel free to represent him and suggest the match. After having lived here for a while, I feel I know you both, the honorable father and the learned son, well enough to feel that something might come of my humble suggestion.''
The rabbi listened to his guest's words and agreed to meet with the father. The shadchan immediately wrote to Feivish that the rabbi was amenable and that he was to come and make his acquaintance.
Feivish's trip took several weeks but when he arrived he was loaded with expensive gifts for the entire family. Although his outward appearance did not make the most favorable impression, the rebbetzin assumed that this wealthy businessman certainly came in contact with high officials and must alter his appearance for their sake. When the rabbi himself spoke to Feivish, he was truly amazed at his erudition in Torah knowledge.
The couple now desired to see the daughter, but Feivish convinced them to first announce the engagement. If his daughter did not meet up with their expectations, when she came with her father on his next business trip, the engagement would automatically be declared void.
A grand feast, paid for by Feivish, of course, was made to celebrate the joyous occasion. Many poor people were invited and the chatan (bridegroom) delivered a brilliant speech. Feivish discussed several points, posing contradictions and resolving them with his vast knowledge. The chatan and his parents were very happy and eagerly awaited further developments.
Feivish took leave of his future mechutanim (relatives through marriage), again showering them with gifts. He promised to return soon with his daughter. When he did return with her, she was approved by the rabbi and his family. Feivish then suggested that they celebrate the wedding right away.
"Why must you be bothered by such a lengthy trip to our city. It is both tiring and expensive. How, too, do you propose to leave your city without its leader? Let us celebrate the wedding here and now, and then I will take the young couple back with me to their new home."
The rabbi agreed and the wedding took place. Hundreds of people attended from the chatan's side but the kallah (bride) and her father were the only ones to represent their side of the family. Feivish explained that they had few relations and that distance prevented their friends from attending.
After the seven
days of celebration following the wedding, Feivish and the young couple packed
their things and set out for home.
* * *
When they finally reached their destination, they were greeted by many servants
who rushed to take in their things and make them comfortable. The young husband
was not accustomed to the splendor and wealth that was apparent all around him.
They first entered a large courtyard lit up by many lanterns, surrounded by
orchards and gardens from whence emanated a mixture of heavenly fragrances. The
rugs and tapestries that adorned the rooms of the mansion within stunned the
youth who had never seen such wealth in all his days.
The chatan and kallah were taken to their room to refresh themselves. Just as they had made themselves comfortable, a knock was heard at the door. It was Feivish, who begged to speak several words with his new son-in-law.
"I think it is only fair to inform you of certain things before you become a member of my household. I am known in these parts as "Feivish, Lowest of the Low": this is because I transgress all the commandments of the Torah. I wish you to hear it first from me before you hear it from outsiders. You may accuse me of having deceived you, but first let me state my case.
"Even though I myself am no longer an observant Jew, I desire a pious and scholarly husband for my daughter. I will give you your own home complete with new furniture and dishes and you need have no contact with me at all. I agree to continue to support you for the rest of your days. If however, you still wish to back out, you must give your wife a divorce immediately and renounce all claims against me. Either way, you may keep all the gifts I have given to you until now. But whatever you decide. I want that decision to be made by morning."
The poor young man was thoroughly shaken up. What a disgrace for his eminent father and for himself as well, to be thus connected with a man known as "The Lowest of the Low"! His decision was clear; he would divorce his wife the very next day and return home.
When he had time to reflect, his mind was filled with conflicting thoughts.
"Does it not say 'He who divorces his first wife - the very altar sheds tears for him.' How can I return home and tell everyone that my father-in-law is an unobservant Jew. Who will believe me after the wonderful impression he made upon my whole village? They will all whisper that it is my fault alone that the marriage did not succeed. And it won't be easy for me to find myself another wife after this."
Opposing arguments now rushed into his mind. "Perhaps this is a plot fostered by the evil inclination to ruin me. Just as my father-in-law was seduced into abandoning the tenets of Judaism, so might I be led astray."
Suddenly he was reminded of his new wife. Why must she be punished for her father's sins. She was a good woman and had every right to live a Torah-true life.
He confronted his wife with this question : "Would you then be satisfied with leading a Torah life in contrast to the life you have led under your father's roof ?"
"My dear husband," said the young woman earnestly, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Do you not realize that it is not you alone that I married, but all that you stand for! How I have hated this life I lead here! How I have yearned to live a Torah life. Never fear - I will not hinder you from your studies but will do all in my power to encourage you and help you."
The entire night had passed while the young man had considered and weighed all the aspects of his situation. Early the next morning, a knock was again heard at the door. The young husband told the waiting Feivish that he had decided to remain. Feivish then took his son-in- law and showed him his new lodgings and told him that he would have furniture delivered that very day. The young man then went to the Beit Medrash (study hall) join a minyan for the morning prayers.
The people
there greeted the newcomer and, noticing his Hungarian manner of dress, asked
if he had come to stay. The young man then explained that he had married
Feivish's daughter. Everyone was shocked to hear this and hastened to warn him
about his father-in-law's irreligious ways, lest he be influenced by them.
He listened to their warnings politely and then went home to study.
The holy Baal
Shem Tov lived not far from Feivish and the young son-in-law began to
frequent the rebbe's Beit Medrash. In a short time, he spent
several days each week studying there.
* * *
Two years passed and Feivish's second daughter became of a marriageable age.
Feivish reasoned that his chances for getting a scholarly husband for her were
even slimmer than before, for his first son-in-law had surely written home
about him. He would now be notorious even in Hungary. He decided therefore to
travel to a distant part in Russia and begin his search there.
Eventually, he arrived at a certain village and entered its Beit
Medrash. There he found the rabbi, a follower of the Baal Shem Tov, seated
at a table surrounded by his students, engrossed in Torah study. Impressed by
the scene, Feivish made inquiries about this rabbi. When he learned that he had
a son who was likewise a pious scholar, he was overjoyed. He hurried home and
summoned the shadchan to him once again. This time however,
the shadchan was loath to perform the deceptive mission and it
required a doubling of the previous fee to persuade him.
The shadchan arrived at his destination and went to the Beit Medrash. The rabbi was again seated with his students. The shadchan sat down and joined them at their study. Eventually he brought the talk around to the Baal Shem Tov, about whom he knew many fascinating stories. His audience listened to him spellbound, their admiration and affection towards the capable storyteller growing by the minute. When the shadchan felt that the chassidim knew him well enough, he approached the rabbi's young son with his proposal for a shiduch.
The young man listened respectfully and then referred him to his mother. The rebbetzin also listened with interest but told him that it was her husband, the rabbi, who made all such decisions. After much pleading on the shadchan's part, she finally agreed to personally approach her husband in this matter. She relayed to the rabbi all the information that the shadchan had told her, of Feivish's wealth and of his scholarly son-in- law, husband to Feivish's first daughter. The rabbi did indeed recall seeing the young man by the Baal Shem Tov but he refused to commit himself without first seeing Feivish.
The shadchan duly summoned Feivish to come and discuss the matter with the rabbi. But as soon as the rabbi beheld Feivish's face, he intuitively felt that it was the face of a sinner. Loath to discuss the matter, he asked Feivish to leave the next day.
That evening, the rabbi prayed that it be revealed to him in a dream what course of action he was to take. That night he had a dream in which he was told that even though Feivish himself was a sinner, his daughter was the predestined wife for his son. The rabbi was not to do anything to prevent this match for it was heaven-ordained and would come to pass in any event. The rabbi immediately awoke and hurried to Feivish's room with his answer.
Feivish had been lying in bed when suddenly he heard footsteps coming towards his room. He hurriedly donned a robe, and went over to his table to pore over a gemarra (Talmud), pretending that he had been studying all evening. The rabbi knocked and was told to enter.
"You have nothing to hide from me," the rabbi told his startled guest. "I know just what kind of a man you are and all your sins have been revealed to me. However, I agree to go through with the match for I have been informed that it is so willed in heaven."
Feivish was relieved with this news, as well as by the fact that he need not maintain his pretenses any longer. He therefore decided to hold the wedding in his city. He set a date for the event and returned home.
Feivish's family was overjoyed to hear the good news, most of all the first son-in-law. He would now have a companion with whom he could study. It was he who made all the arrangements for the forthcoming wedding making sure, of course, that all the food would be of the highest degree of kashrut.
The week of the wedding arrived. The rabbi and his students arrived in the city before Shabbos. Their arrival made a big stir in the community, but when the townspeople learned that the visiting rebbe was to be Feivish's mechutan, they simply shook their heads in bewilderment. They tried to forewarn him of Feivish's true nature but the rabbi's mind was made up.
The wedding day arrived and all rejoiced -- Feivish, on having succeeded in again acquiring a scholarly son-in-law, the rabbi, on having married off his son so painlessly, and the first son-in-law on having acquired a pious brother-in-law.
During the festivities, the rabbi stood up and proposed a toast. "To your true repentance, mechutan."
"No, rabbi." answered Reb Feivish, "Such a time has not arrived as yet."
"When then will you repent?"
"Ah, if only I knew when I was to die, I would repent three days before my death."
"Let me
have your promise on that," said the rabbi, and he leaned over to grasp
Feivish's hand firmly. The week of festivities over, the rabbi returned home
with his talmidim (students) and the new husband assumed his
new responsibilities. Feivish provided a home complete with new furnishings and
utensils for the couple, and life settled down to normal. The two
brothers-in-law now went together to the Baal Shem Tov where they studied and
received guidance.
* * *
The years passed and the rebbe, the father of his second son-in-law, departed
from this world but Feivish lived on, steeped in his evil ways. One Shabbos
night he returned home from a wild party he had attended and threw himself down
upon his bed. Suddenly the door of his chamber opened slowly and a man dressed
all in white entered. Feivish was shocked to realize that it was the father of
his second son-in-law.
"I have come from Heaven to remind you of the promise you made at your daughter's wedding. In three days time you will die. The time has come for you to repent your wicked ways."
The rabbi disappeared as silently as he had come. Feivish sat up in bed all shaken. Is it possible to repent in three days time, he wondered, what I have transgressed during thirty years?
Suddenly he fell into a fit. He screamed and struck his head against the wall and no one could restrain him. A doctor was quickly summoned but Feivish did not let him get near. Finally the two sons-in-law were called. When they appeared, Feivish calmed down somewhat and told them what had happened.
"What am I to do? How can I possibly repent all my sins? Maybe you can take me to the Baal Shem Tov? Right now! If anyone can still help me, it is he."
The two young men immediately ordered the carriage prepared and were soon speeding towards the Baal Shem Tov.
It was already after midnight and their only concern was how to get in to see the holy Baal Shem Tov at this late hour. But as the moment they arrived, the Rebbe's attendant hurried out to them and asked:
"Has Reb Feivish arrived?"
As soon as they entered the study, Feivish threw himself down at the Baal Shem Tov's feet and burst into uncontrollable sobbing, his life's story emerging between his racking cries.
"You can still repent, Feivish," said the Rebbe. "Now listen. You must fast for the next three days and spend the entire time in the Beit Medrash in prayer and repentance. When the people come to pray in the morning and evening, you are to throw yourself down at their feet and exclaim, 'I am Feivish the Sinner who has transgressed all the commandments of the Torah. I regret it all and have accepted upon myself the burden of repentance as specified by the Baal Shem Tov. In addition to this, you are to throw yourself down at the feet of anyone who enters the Beit Medrash during the day and repeat what I have just told you."
"Is that all, rebbe? How can these actions atone for thirty years of heavy sinning?"
"You just do as I have instructed and all will turn out well."
Feivish set out immediately for the Beit Medrash to begin his program of tshuvah ('repentance'). He recited Tehilim (Psalms) all day and night, he confessed his sins before everyone who entered the shul, and he wept and fasted all the while. By the third day he was at the end of his strength.
These developments irked and inflamed the Accuser. The man whom he had ensnared in his nets for thirty years was now making amends for them in three days time! It was just not fair! All of his work was being nullified. He raised a riot in heaven at the injustice of such instant tshuvah and the heavenly court ruled that Satan might descend to have another try at corrupting Feivish. If Satan could succeed in forcing Feivish to taste a bit of treife food again, his repentance would not be accepted.
On Tuesday afternoon a distinguished-looking person entered the Beit Medrash. Feivish rushed over, and throwing himself down at his feet, made his usual confession.
"What kind of silly behavior is this for a grown man?" asked the stranger.
Feivish explained his situation and said that the Baal Shem Tov had instructed him to thus prostrate himself at every newcomer's feet. The man sat himself at a table and opened a volume of Talmud. He began learning out loud, pretending that he could barely understand the text. Feivish politely interrupted him.
"Please forgive my impertinence, but that is not the way one should understand that particular passage."
"If you are indeed a learned man, than why must you abase yourself in such a manner? Does it not say that if a scholar sins let him study two pages of Talmud and he will be strengthened by Torah?"
Meanwhile a minyan had gathered in the Beit Medrash to pray mincha (the afternoon prayer). Feivish, greatly weakened by his three-day fast, struggled to stand up and go over to them, but the stranger tried to detain him.
"Does it not also say 'You shall guard your lives exceedingly.' If you continue fasting any longer you may not last the day. How then will you propose to repent the sin of suicide on top of all your other transgressions?"
Feivish hurried nevertheless to fulfill the Besht's instructions and threw himself down before the men who had assembled. Then he returned to the stranger, who had meanwhile taken out a package of food.
Feivish was literally dying for just a taste of fresh bread. The stranger offered to share his meal. Feivish wavered. Suddenly he noticed that a drop of candlewax, which was made from animal fats, had fallen into the stranger's soup.
"I wouldn't touch that soup, it's treife!" he shouted. The stranger then tried to make him taste some challah. But since Feivish had not washed his hands he refused to eat the bread.
"Here you are on the very threshold of starvation and you still stand on ceremony? Come with me, I will help you wash your hands."
The stranger took Feivish to the sink but somehow there was no water in the faucets. He then led the weakened but resisting Feivish to the mikveh (ritual bath) where there was sure to be water. But here too, the man was disappointed. Poor Feivish summoned up his last ounce of strength to wrench himself away from his persuasive captor and jumped into the empty mikveh. As he was falling he felt the Baal Shem Tov's hands on him and he heard his voice.
"Feivish, it was such a self-sacrifice that we had hoped of you. Now all your sins are atoned for. Rest now in peace."
It was
concerning this Feivish that they said, "Feivish the Lowly sanctified
G-d's holy name in public."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Freely adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from a story in Tales
of the Baal Shem Tov (vol. 2) by Y.Y. Klapholtz (English translation
by Sheindel Weinbach), as posted on the www.baalshemtov.com website of
Tzvi-Meir HaCohain (Howard M. Cohn, Patent Attorney).
Biographical note:
Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer [of blessed memory: 18 Elul 5458- 6 Sivan 5520
(Aug. 1698 - May 1760 C.E.)], the Baal Shem Tov ["Master
of the Good Name"-often referred to as "the Besht" for short], a
unique and seminal figure in Jewish history, revealed his identity as an
exceptionally holy person, on his 36th birthday, 18 Elul 5494 (1734 C.E.), and
made the until-then underground Chasidic movement public. He wrote no books,
although many works claim to contain his teachings. One available in English is
the excellent annotated translation of Tzava'at Harivash, published
by Kehos.
Connections (2):
1) ELUL, the last thirty days before Rosh Hashana is the month of tshuvah.
2) Early next week, Sun. night- Monday, is the 322nd anniversary of the
birthday of the Baal Shem Tov.
Strive for Greatness by Ariella Schiller
https://www.aish.com/sp/so/Yakov-Henigson-Striving-for-Greatness.html?s=ss2
Husband, father, Torah scholar, actuary, active community member – Yakov never stopped utilizing every moment.
For the past three and a half months, I would get the email: Can you please bake challah for the merit of a complete healing for Refoel Yakov Chaim ben Malya Lieba?
And we baked. Women, girls, grandmothers worldwide. The emails kept pouring with entreaties to pray, joyful progress, and heartbreaking updates. An absolute roller coaster of emotions but we were all holding on tight.
On Monday morning, July 13, 2020, the last email pinged into our inboxes: Baruch Dayan HaEmes. Mr. Yakov Henigson, who fell ill Shabbos HaGadol with coronavirus and remained in the ICU almost the entire time, had passed away.
Even though I never met him, I cried with a broken heart. Mr. Yakov Henigson was a quiet man. The man who unlocked the shul in the wee hours of the morning before the sun came up, and then sat learning until sunrise. He wanted to know about you and if you needed help, but he didn’t need you to know him.
Yakov was a Vice President, Actuary at Prudential Financial Life Insurance, yet when asked what he did for a living, his answer would always be: I work as an actuary.
Never, “I’m an actuary.” Because he wasn’t an actuary, he was a Jew striving to grow in Torah. Not only did Yakov work eight to ten hours a day, fit in a learning regimen, and make time for his wife and children after work, he would also guide and place actuaries into jobs. Every second was accounted for, yet he had all the time in the world for any person in need. He gave of his expertise, his experience, his connections. And he had all the time in the world for his family.
It was only during Shiva that his friends and family found out just how prestigious a position he held in the company. During his career, he was offered numerous promotions that would greatly benefit him financially, but each time he turned them down. His family and his time with them were his priority. It’s very easy to get blinded by money or prestige, yet Yakov understood that adding more to his workload would take away cherished time with his wife and children and no money in the world could make up for that.
In stereotypical actuary manner, Yakov was meticulous about details, listing and charting almost everything in his life. During Shiva, his family found papers of time logs he charted during his learning hours. On each line on the left side was a new date with the exact minutes he spent learning. If at any point he was interrupted, he would write “-4min,” – and make sure to make it up before ending his learning session.
Yakov would also meticulously write down his thoughts on different matters, clearly outlining his concerns, cares, and consequent opinions.
Yakov exuded a genuine sweetness, positivity and humility. He put his family before everything and would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need.
Every morning, with almost no exceptions, Yakov would wake at 4:30 AM to learn Torah for hours before going to work. He would daven neitz (the sunrise minyan) in his Passaic shul, call his elderly mother living in Florida to wish her a good day, and then drive to work listening to classes on Jewish law. Yakov also spent time learning during his lunch hour, and on his way home, he would stop off at shul to learn some more.
For the times that Yakov couldn’t keep to his calculated schedule, whether for work or family reasons, he would calculate the amount of hours he would be missing from learning and then wake up that amount of time earlier the next morning to make up for it, even if that meant waking at two a.m. There were numerous times that Sora Meira, the younger of his two daughters, recalls her father learning through the whole night because the number of hours he “had” to make up left him no time to sleep.
Yakov grew up in an unobservant home, a fourth-generation assimilated Jew, where Yom Kippur, kosher food, and Orthodox Judaism were completely unknown, let alone observed. Growing up his Judaism consisted of the one day a year his mother would keep him and his siblings home from school. This made him furious because as an honors student, it was crucial to attend every class. Once he became religious later on in life, he realized that the day he was kept home every year was Yom Kippur.
Yakov was set to attend an Ivy League MBA program on a full scholarship, and the summer before he was set to begin, he went to Israel. Yakov knew something was different about the country the moment he stepped off the plane. By the end of the summer, Yakov decided that going home to attend college wasn’t an option, he wanted to keep seeking the truth he had discovered. He joined the Aish HaTorah Fellowship program and reached out to the university to see if they could hold his spot. He was devastated to hear that if he chose not to return in September for the program, he would lose not only his full scholarship, but his slot in the university.
Yakov was distraught and felt so torn. Finally, some hours later, he looked at himself in the mirror and told himself that he would get into a good university when he was meant to go, because leaving Aish at that point in his life just wasn’t an option.
Yakov was constantly working on himself and seeking growth, sitting for hours and hours every day with a Hebrew-English dictionary and an English-Aramaic dictionary, struggling to understand the Talmud.
His best friend of over 25 years, Michoel, whose nephew would go on to marry Yakov’s daughter Sora Meira, adds: “Torah made intellectual sense to him on every level. Once Yakov started learning Talmud, it was clearly a case of “boy meets Talmud.” He fell in love. He realized the genius of the Sages and marveled at their world of thought and incredible levels of consciousness. Yakov also loved mussar and the moral teachings he was learning. He loved hearing any words of Torah that taught sensitivity to people. He was amazed at the level of care for one’s feelings that the Sages taught and the carefulness of all their actions. This made a big impression on him because he was naturally someone with great carefulness and sensitivity and he seemed to finally find kindred spirits like himself in Judaism.”
It was a love that grew and grew for the rest of his life.
Although Yakov was extremely busy with his learning and work schedule, the three Henigson children, Shevy, 22, Sora Meira, 20, and Aharon, 14, knew they were the main priorities in their father’s life. Every morning growing up the children would find a personalized note written by Yakov waiting at their kitchen seat. Whether it was wishing them good luck in school, good luck on a test, or how proud he was of something they did, he made it a point to specify how proud he was of each of his children. Sora Meira and Aharon both saved their notes throughout the years and at the Shiva, they each had stacks and stacks of love letters that their father had so affectionately written to them.
Sora Meira fondly recalls how before a hard test, she would call her father from school, scared that she wasn’t going to do well. No matter how busy Yakov was, he would know it was one of his kids calling from school and answer the phone. He would calmly and tenderly ask his daughter to grade her effort, and when she replied with a mark, he said “Great! I’m so proud! That’s an excellent grade! I know how hard you studied and to me effort is all that matters.”
Aharon, the youngest, was the apple of Yakov’s eye. Every Motzei Shabbos was “boys’ night.” Yakov would take Aharon to various restaurants to make sure he never got overshadowed by his two older teenaged sisters and to constantly remind Aharon how cherished he is.
After 23 years of marriage, Yakov and Debbie still tried to sit together every night alone for dinner. Their three children didn’t really allow for the date to actually take place, but they still tried. No matter how exhausted or hungry Yakov may have been, that didn’t stop him from making Debbie feel like a queen. It was a regular occurrence for a Henigson child to pull open the fridge in search of a snack and find a container of cut-up fruit or a Diet Snapple on the shelf with a small Post-it note proclaiming, “For Mommy only.” He understood how much mothers give to their children and he wanted to make sure that Debbie understood how much she meant to him and how much he appreciated her.
“In his short life in This World," his wife Debbie says, "Yakov succeeded in becoming a walking Kiddush Hashem.” We still bake challah, but now it’s in the merit of elevating the exalted soul of Yakov Chaim ben Dovid. May his family be comforted amongst the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
Elul
This Motzei Shabbos is the last one before we starting the Selichos forgiveness prayers. It is our time to reflect and repent. All the Mussar in the world that I can write cannot compare to the example above. Yacov in our story above was a relatively young man. Young enough that under normal circumstances should have grown old with his wife Debbie and seen children and grandchildren. Instead, he was called to the Beis Din Shel Ma’alah (heaven court). He died not because he did not do Chessed or did not learn Torah but because his mission in this world was complete.
We do not know when a Covid, traffic accident, bullet, snake, old age, etc. will have us recalled to the heavenly court. It is for us to be prepare at any minute with Teshuva, Tephillah and Tzeduka so that if called there or the soul recalled there, that we have had a complete life.
New Troponin test for heart in saliva. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-researchers-spit-test-could-allow-10-minute-detection-of-heart-attacks/
Intense heat wave across Israel. https://www.timesofisrael.com/intense-heat-wave-settles-in-across-israel/
Space rocks brought water to early earth. https://www.timesofisrael.com/blue-planet-study-proposes-new-origin-theory-for-earths-abundant-water/
NBA Player converts to Judaism. https://www.timesofisrael.com/amare-stoudemire-completes-his-conversion-to-judaism/
Israel to reach herd immunity in two weeks. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286194
Ed-Op on Uman. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/HyAopJtQP
Iron Dome the movie: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286427
Rabbi Yitzchak interviews RFK.JR. on vaccine with subtitles for both languages. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286470
Israel launches Nano-satellite. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286519
Israel has new electricity usage high. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286551
Inyanay Diyoma
4 US Citizens arrested they wanted to sell Iranian Oil to China. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286144
89 die from Corona this week. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286141
Senator attacked by mob near White House. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286146
UAE ends boycott of Israel. https://www.debka.com/the-uae-ruler-formally-lifts-long-boycott-against-israel/
24 new fires today. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286157
Biden condemns arson against Chabad. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286165
Hungary to close borders. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286160
If there is a lockdown we may leave gov. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286138
Dr. Sherman: Right brings knives to a gunfight. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286124
More anti-Netanyahu protests. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/anti-netanyahu-protesters-march-down-jerusalems-jaffa-street/
Arafat’s widow accuses PLO. https://www.timesofisrael.com/suha-arafat-says-under-attack-by-pa-after-uae-deal-will-open-gates-of-hell/
Balloon take-off post attacked. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286184
Arabs attack IDF no reply. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286178
GA Pedophile Ring is busted. https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-marshals-find-39-missing-children-in-georgia-in-operation-not-forgotten I guess the Devil really went down to GA.
New Settlement evacuated on Shabbos. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286177
This violates not only Shabbos but IDF rules as unnecessary movement on Shabbos is forbidden.
Child can carry Corona for weeks. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286185
Fall from Middle Class to Poor likely. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1EYoYvmv
Next week or in the future Israel could have Death Valley Temperatures. https://www.ynetnews.com/environment/article/Bk92ZPFMv
Ministers approve the “traffic light” idea for cities. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/HJCL5vKXD
Energy use hits a new high in heatwave. Official 47C or 116.6F. Unofficial Near the Kinneret, 51 C or 123.8F. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/HJFIaOFQP
Hezballah has more opposition in Lebanon. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1i6MWF7P
Budget Chief Quits. https://www.timesofisrael.com/treasury-budget-chief-quits-lashes-government-for-shattering-red-lines/
Arabs spray paint cars on the border of E. Yerushalayim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286251
Egypt kills 70 Jihadists in Sinai. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286252
Israel to reach herd immunity in two weeks. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286194
Hezballah vows to kill an Israeli Soldier for every member of their organization. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286220
New Sherriff https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286202
Senior French Officer spied for Russia. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286224
Antisemitic Islamist now eating kosher in jail. https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/08/30/incarcerated-muslim-preacher-who-called-for-murdering-jews-complains-about-being-forced-to-eat-kosher-food/
More Arab and Muslim countries to follow UAE. https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/08/30/senior-trump-adviser-sees-more-arab-muslim-partners-for-israel-after-uae-deal/
An attack in Syria after they tried to blow up border fence. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286327
We cease and they fire. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/BJjZNT9mw
Islamist attacking Synagogues in Austria. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286324
Explosion in UAE prior to delegation. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286287
UAE still wants PA State. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286336
17year old shot protesters self-defense? https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286335
Ukraine antisemitic attacks. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286285
Covid deaths in August much higher. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/Bk00ja00qXD
Ed-Op on Uman. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/HyAopJtQP
Schools opened Covid still rampant. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286424
Betrayed. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286431
Pelosi do as I say not as I do. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286429
Jewish School buckles to BLM. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286425
Holocaust Denier from US Army under investigation. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286406
NYPD Chief Chaplin mugged on morning walk. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286405
Kushner meets Saudi Crown Prince. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286430
T4 Airbase in Syria attacked. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286505
Israel approaches lockdown! https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286529
Bahrain may be next. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286517
Saudi Crown Price, MBS, removes corruption and opposition. https://www.debka.com/saudi-crown-prince-targets-princely-opponents-to-his-accession/
Israel has now the highest number of new cases per million. Israel 199, Brazil 188, USA 159. Death toll 995 already. https://www.debka.com/thirty-israeli-covid-19-hotbed-towns-consigned-to-lockdown/
Israel at war with Corona. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rylmQqCmv
Japanese Robot to test 2800 Corona samples a day. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3847583,00.html
UAE hotels to offer Kosher Meals. https://www.ynetnews.com/travel/article/ryBm1jCXP
Suspect who killed Trump Support dies in shootout. https://www.foxnews.com/us/suspect-in-portland-fatal-shooting-has-been-killed-reports
Antisemites hiding in the Biden Campaign. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286594
Khmer Rouge chief jailer dies at 77. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/khmer-rouge-s-chief-jailer-guilty-of-war-crimes-dies-at-77/
Ed-Op Shaw on if Biden wins. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286532
Ed-Op Dr. Sherman keep your powder dry. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286587
Watch 7.1 quake sway hi-rise Mexico. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286595
Bomb terror attack thwarted. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/286503
Victim of statutory rape was used. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/H15g3ET7P
Israel heading to a one State solution. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/SJ78yHq7v
Annexation suspended. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ryjunH67v
Hamas waiting for the next fight. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ryo00tepQD
Days are getting shorter rapidly if you are above the equator and it is time to get ready for an earlier and earlier Shabbos each week. Keep cool and healthy, reflect on your deeds and prepare for the day of Judgement. Enjoy your Shabbos Rest.
Rachamim Pauli
