Saturday, January 14, 2012

Rav Moshe Weinberger - Shalosh Sheudos Parshas Vayechi (sorry late) - Sfas Emes

Once again, see below for Dr. Efrayim Nudman's write-up of Rav Moshe Weinberger's Torah from Shalosh Sheudos at Aish Kodesh. This is from last Shabbos, Parshas Vayechi. He wrote it up earlier last week, but neglected to post it because of some craziness at work. Sorry! My fault. Not Dr. Nudman's. Also, this is a chazaka [bli neder] for him I believe!  You can see past write-ups of Rav Weinberger's Shalosh Sheudos Torahs here and get thousands of his shiurim in mp3 format at ravmosheweinberger.com.

Shalosh Seudos Drasha Parashas Vayechi 5752

This is the last Torah of the Sfas Emes. It was said a few weeks before he was niftar and it’s the basis for Sefer being called Sfas Emes. And it’s a Torah that speaks directly to us and the situation we are in today.

On the passuk (Bereshit 49:1) “הֵאָסְפוּ וְאַגִּידָה לָכֶם” (Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you) the Midrash writes (Rabbah 98:3) “שזכו מכאן לקריאת שמע וכו” (from this they deserved Krias Shma).

For Shma Yisrael to exist there needs to be a metzius of אסיפה (gathering). Hashem cannot be “אחד” unless Klal Yisroel is in a state of complete unity. ֿ

It says in Avos (4:14) “כל כנסיה שהיא לשם שמיים, סופה להתקיים” (any gathering that is for the sake of Heaven will endure). And this כנסיה (gathering) was obviously for the sake of Heaven. And because of this it will endure forever. As it says (Bereshit 49:1) “אֲשֶׁר-יִקְרָא אֶתְכֶם, בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים” (that which shall befall you in the end of days). That this gathering was a preparation for all generations. ֿ

The Shvatim were completely different from one another. They had different yeshivas, different Batey Midrashim, they wore different levushim, different hats and yarmulkas. But Yaakov needed them all gathered around him together.

And also the receiving of the Torah later was due to this כח (power), as it is written (Dvarim 33:4) “מוֹרָשָׁה, קְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב” (an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob).

Kabalas HaTorah can also happen only when Am Yisrael is completely united. They need to be in a state of “קהלת יעקב” Like we know from the passuk “וַיִּחַן-שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל” that Rashi explains to mean that they encamped there like one man, with one heart. Only in that state were they able to receive the Torah.

And any אסיפה (gathering) that is for the sake of Heaven draws from the כח (power) of Yaakov, because Yaakov is included in it as it says in the Zohar Hakadosh (Zohar Vayigash 207a and Vayechi 234a).

During the Holy Shabbos, that is a time of אסיפה (gathering), we merit נחלת יעקב (the inheritance of Yaakov) (Shabbos 118a). And all Yisrael is called in the name of Yaakov and Yisrael. Thus we see that the root of all כנסיה (gathering) comes from Yaakov.

Shabbos is unity, where everything goes back to the אחד that is Hashem. Shabbos is for Kehillas Yaakov. And any division and separation comes only from the פסולת (impurity). It’s from that פסולת that all hatred and all anger comes. It’s only from that פסולת inside a Jew that he can spit chalilah on another Jew.

Shabbos cleanses all the פסולת, because Shabbos is Kulo Tov. And once the פסולת is cleaned up from inside a Jew then obviously he’s going feel connected to every other Jew, he’s going to be able to see the beauty of every Jew.

This is the meaning of the passuk “בִּקְהָלָם אַל-תֵּחַד כְּבֹדִי” (unto their assembly let my honor not be united). That he knew that all the Kehillos will gather through his כח and he warned “אַל-תֵּחַד כְּבֹדִי” that his Kovod (honor) not be joined with them unless it will be a gathering for the sake of Heaven.

Rashi explains this passuk as referring to Korach. Korach is the prime example of a gathering that is NOT for the sake of Heaven. He is the source of all Machlokes. And Yaakov did not want to have any part of it. And that’s why the passuk only relates Korach’s lineage “בֶּן-יִצְהָר בֶּן-קְהָת בֶּן-לֵוִי” but does not connect it all the way to Yaakov.

As it’s written (Micah 7:20) “תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב” (Truth is given to Yaakov). And a gathering that is for the sake of Heaven is called אמת (truth). As it’s written (Yirmiahu 10:10) “וה’ אלקים אמת” (and Hashem is a G’d of Truth) and He is מתקיים.

As we say on Rosh Hashana “וקיים אמת מלכינו ובדרך “.

Yaakov is אמת and because of that he is קיים (permanent). Because only אמת can be קיים. The people causing all the problems are filled with שקר (lies) and emptiness and therefore all of their actions in Beit Shemesh and Yerushalayim cannot possibly have any קיום, any enduring effect, or meaning.

Thus the reading of the Shema comes from within the אסיפה of Klal Yisrael.

Only through אסיפה can Shma Ysrael be קיים.

Because the testimony about Hakadosh Baruch Hu cannot be from one individual but only from Klal Yisrael. Like it’s written (Dvarim 6:4) “שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל”: Shema is a joining together and a gathering, and only on this can there rest the names of “ה׳ אלוקינו”. And only then it will be להתקיים. Like it’s written (Mishley 12:19) “שְׂפַת-אֱמֶת, תִּכּוֹן לָעַד” (Lips of Truth will be established forever).

These were the last public words of the Sfas Emes. The words of Mishley “שְׂפַת-אֱמֶת, תִּכּוֹן לָעַד”. The “lips of Truth”. And this is why his sons and sons-in-law chose them for the title of the Sefer.

This week we’ll again be zoche to have the great Tzaddik Rav Mottel Zilber visit us. He wants to give over to us a maamar on the Essence of Chassidus Today. This is what the Baal Shem Tov came to reveal to us; the need for unity, for Jews to love each other, and gather together in Avodas Hashem. This is what we are doing right now, sitting together “שֶׁבֶת אַחִים גַּם-יָחַד” Singing and learning together.


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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

you may have meant to write that you neglected to post the torah but it seems like you are saying it was Dr. Nudman's neglect

Also its not neglect you weren't able to do it because of other responsibilities. If you had all the free time in the world and din't post it than maybe it would be neglect.