Rabbi Doniel Staum, LMSW
Rabbi, Kehillat New Hempstead
Rebbe/Guidance Counselor – ASHAR
Principal – Ohr Naftoli- New Windsor
STAM
TORAH
PARSHAS
VAYISHLACH 5776
“ON GUARD”
Rabbi Paysach
Krohn relates a beautiful story[1]
about a Jerusalem Jew named Yosef Gutfarb who was extremely meticulous to
always pray with a minyan. Even the worst weather could not deter Yosef, and he
was invariably one of the first people to enter the synagogue whenever it was
time to pray. If he had to travel he would ensure that would be able to attend
a minyan along the way.
One night Yosef
arrived home at 3 a.m. and had not yet prayed ma’ariv. He traveled from his
neighborhood of Shuafat, to the Zichron Moshe synagogues near the Geulah
neighborhood. By the time he arrived it was 3:15 a.m. To his dismay, the place
was virtually deserted, save for one man who also had not yet prayed.
R’ Yosef thought
for a moment. Then he pulled out his phone and called a local taxi company. He
asked the dispatcher if he could send eight taxis to Zichron Moshe. He also insisted
that they all be Israeli drivers. The dispatcher replied, “Who has eight taxis
available at this hour?” R’ Yosef replied, “How many do you have available?”
“Five” “Okay, please send them as soon as possible. And remember, only Israeli
drivers.”
He then called
another taxi company and asked them to send three taxis, only with Israeli
drivers. Both taxi companies were sure a wedding had just finished and many
guests needed rides. The cabbies were surprised when they pulled up in front of
the deserted building of Zichron Moshe.
R’ Yosef walked out
to greet them. “Gentlemen, please start your meters. And then please follow me
into the synagogue.” He explained to them that he needed them to complete a
minyan so that he could pray ma’ariv. Although they were all familiar with
reading Hebrew, some of the drivers were unfamiliar with the prayer text. They
had to get yarmulkes from the glove compartment of their cars and be shown the
page on which the service began.
After the
prayers had concluded, R’ Yosef excitedly offered to pay each of them for their
time. But none of them would accept his money!
The great
confrontation was imminent. Yaakov and his family were heading home to Eretz
Yisroel, and his wrathful brother Eisav was heading towards him, with an army
poised for battle. Yaakov dispatched emissaries to portend his arrival. The
Torah states, “He charged them saying, ‘Thus shall you say, ‘To my lord, to
Eisav, so said your servant Yaakov: עם לבן גרתי ואחר עד עתה - I have
sojourned with Lavan and have lingered until now’.”
Rashi explains
that Yaakov utilized the unusual terminology "גרתי" (I have
sojourned) to intimate to Eisav that, although he had lived in the home of the
duplicitous Lavan until now, "תריג מצות שמרתי ולא למדתי ממעשיו הרעים
-
The six hundred and thirteen commandments[2]
I have safeguarded, and I did not learn from his (Lavan’s) evil ways.”
Yaakov’s message
to Eisav is surprising. In fact, it seems to be blatantly untrue! During his years in the home of Lavan, Yaakov
married two sisters. Although Yaakov was unquestionably justified - in fact
obligated - to marry both Rochel and Leah[3],
still-in-all the Torah expressly prohibits one from marrying two sisters[4].
Although Yaakov may have literally been ‘above the law’ in regards to the
prohibition against marrying sisters for various reasons, how could he say that
he observed all 613 commandments of the Torah, when he clearly violated one[5]?
For many
summers, Camp Dora Golding, where I have spent (and spend) many of my summers, would
host a concert. A Jewish music star/group would perform for the delight of the
campers and staff, and it was always a memorable event.
A number of
summers ago, the camp hired a certain Jewish group to perform. The members of
the group were known to be somewhat ‘unconventional’ in their performance,
sometimes becoming hippie-like and wild.
Rabbi Mordechai
Finkelman[6]
was then the ‘spiritual leader’ of Camp Dora Golding, and he met with the band
members beforehand in order to discuss various guidelines.
Suffice it to say
the guidelines were not adhered to.
The next
morning, Rabbi Finkelman spoke to the older division of campers. He explained
that before the administration of the camp agreed to bring in that band to
perform they had sought the counsel of Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky shlita. At the
time Rabbi Kaminetsky told them that if the band members were “shomer Torah
and mitzvos” then they could be brought in.
Rabbi Finkelman noted
that Rabbi Kaminetsky did not say if they were ‘mikayem Torah and mitzvos’
they could be brought in, but rather if they were ‘shomer Torah and mitzvos’.
‘Mikayem’ means to fulfill, and indeed refer to one who is Torah
observant as a mikayem Torah and mitzvos. But a ‘shomer’ is a
guard. A guard doesn’t just react when confronted. A guard must be vigilant and
ready; a guard must be proactive.
Rabbi Finkelman
continued by explaining that the performers who came to camp were good Jews
with good hearts. They were mikayim Torah and mitzvos by observing
Shabbos and putting on tefillin each morning. However, they could not be
classified as ‘shomrei Torah and mitzvos’. He explained that when they met before the
concert to review some guidelines, the bandleader replied, “Rabbi, you need to
understand that sometimes I just lose myself in the music!” Rabbi Finkelman countered
that a Torah Jew can never justify his actions by claiming that ‘he just loses
himself’. He is obligated to always maintain control over himself and his
actions. One who admits to ‘losing himself’ may be observant most of the time,
but he isn’t much of a guard.
With this
poignant idea in mind, we can understand Yaakov’s message to Eisav. Yaakov did
not say that in the home of Lavan he had observed all 613 commandments,
for that would indeed be untrue. Rather, Yaakov said that in the home of Lavan
he safeguarded all 613 commandments. Yaakov may not have observed the
letter of the law per se, but in regards to the spirit of the law he was
meticulous to a fault. There was a precise calculation to his every action and
he never proceeded an iota without first ascertaining that his actions were in
accordance with the Will of G-d. In that sense, Yaakov was the epitome of a shomer,
vigilant and attentive, to G-d’s Will.
Rabbi Shlomo
Wolbe zt’l clearly expresses this same idea. At the beginning of parshas
Vayeshev, the Torah records the dreams of Yosef, which symbolized Yosef
becoming the ruler over his brothers and parents. Yosef understood his dreams
as being an expression of prophecy and he felt obliged to recount them to his
brothers. His brothers did not take kindly to the dreams and they developed an
enmity for him.
Although Yaakov
externally chastised Yosef in order to mitigate the envy of the brothers
towards Yosef, the Torah relates “ואביו שמר את הדבר – His father guarded the matter.” Rashi explains that the word שמר connotes
that Yaakov waited and anticipated the fruition of the matter.
Rabbi Wolbe
notes that when Yaakov told Eisav that he was “shomer” the 613 mitzvos, he also
meant that he waited and anticipated fulfilling the mitzvos. Throughout his
years in the home of Lavan Yaakov was perpetually searching, pining, and
anticipating opportunities to serve G-d and fulfill mitzvos[7].
Rabbi Wolbe
continues that in our daily prayers we beseech G-d, ותן בלבנו בינה להבין
ולהשכיל לשמוע ללמד וללמד לשמר ולעשות ולקיים את כל דברי תורתך באהבה" – Place in our hearts understanding to comprehend and to discern, to perceive,
to learn, to teach, to safeguard, and to perform, and to fulfill all the words
of Your Torah with love.”
Here too, לשמר means to anticipate and to yearn. We pray that G-d not only grant us the
ability to understand and perform His commandments, but that He also grant us
the wisdom to safeguard ourselves from transgression and fulfill our obligations
properly. To do so we cannot be ‘passive fulfillers’, we must be proactive
guards.
On Shabbos
morning there is a well-known zemer (song) with the refrain, השומר
שבת הבן עם הבת לקל ירצו כמנחה על מחבת" – One who safeguards the
Shabbos, the son with the daughter, to G-d it is desirous like a
Mincha-offering on a flat pan.”
The commentators
explain that the shomer which the lyricist refers to is one who
anticipates and is excited about Shabbos[8].
The ‘shomer Shabbos’ passionately looks forward to Shabbos and prepares himself
– mentally and physically – for Shabbos well in advance. His whole week centers
around Shabbos, and he yearns for the holy day to commence. One who observes
Shabbos in such a regal and excited fashion is analogous to one who offers a
Mincha offering to his Creator.
The holiday of
Chanukah is inextricably connected to this idea as well. In fact, the miracles of
Chanukah would never have occurred if the Hasmoneans (Maccabees) did not
possess this level of inextinguishable love.
After their
miraculous victories over the far superior Syrian-Greek forces, the Hasmoneans entered
the Holy Temple
If the
Hasmoneans merely fulfilled the letter of the law the holiday of Chanukah would
have never come about. Therefore, the Chanukah holiday is an elongated
celebration that emerged because of those who were ‘shomer’ Torah and mitzvos,
seeking to serve G-d in the most ideal manner possible.
It is for this
reason that the mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah candles can be performed on
three different levels[10].
The holiday created out of passion and excitement contains opportunities for us
to demonstrate our own desire to fulfill its mitzvos in the optimal manner.
The holiday of
Chanukah is essentially a celebration of our national unyielding passion and
desire to go beyond the letter of the law and prove that we not only fulfill,
but we seek to safeguard as well. It is a testament that we don’t only do what
we have to do, but we seek to do whatever we can, however we can do it.
“I have
sojourned with Lavan, and the 613 commandments I have guarded”
“Place in our
hearts understanding… to safeguard”
[1] In the
Spirit of the Maggid, p. 133
[2] The
numerical value of the word תריג is 613, the amount of commandments that there are in the Torah.
The letters of the word גרתי (I have sojourned) are the same as in the word תריג (613).
[3] The
commentaries expend great effort to explain why Yaakov had to do so. For
example, Ramban writes that the Patriarchs only observed the Torah in Eretz
Yisroel. It was for that reason that Rochel had to die as they were re-entering
Eretz Yisroel. [That explains why it was permitted for Yaakov to marry two
sisters. Many other commentaries offer lengthy explanations as to how Yaakov
knew that he was expected to do so, because the Jewish people had to come from
Rochel and Leah.]
[4] See Vayikra
18:18 “You shall not take
a woman in addition to her sister.”
[5] I am grateful
to my dear friend and colleague, Rabbi Yehoshua Kohl, who first mentioned this
question. Rabbi Kohl related to me that his daughter had asked him this
question at their family Shabbos table last year.
[6] Mashgiach,
Ohr Hachaim, Queens , NY
[7] In fact,
Rabbi Wolbe learns that this must be Yaakov’s intention when he said he kept
all 613 mitzvos, because he clearly did not observe all 613 mitzvos, as
we mentioned.
[8] He does not
seem to be referring to one who guards himself from desecrating Shabbos,
because he makes reference to one who guards the Shabbos from desecration later
in the song (“Kol shomer Shabbos kadas maychalilo”).
[9] Some
commentators explain that although there was sufficient oil for one day’s
lighting of the menorah (and thus the miracle of the burning oil would
seem to have only been for seven days), we celebrate Chanukah for eight days
(not seven) as the first day is a celebration of the fact that they found the
jar of oil in the first place.
[10] The
mitzvah itself is to light one candle each night of Chanukah. Mehadrin
(beautified level) is to light a candle for every member of the family each
night of Chanukah. Mehadrin min hamehadrin (the ultimate level) is to
light candles for every member of the household corresponding to the night of
the holiday.
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