STAM
TORAH
PARSHAS
VAYISHLACH 5778
“ULTIMATE
INFLUENCE”[1]
The Chofetz Chaim related a story about
“chossid echad”[2]
who set out to influence the world. He arrived in a city and offered to speak,
but was surprised to find the people to be disinterested. “How much are you
charging?” “Why should we listen to you?”
He left that city and arrived in a second
city and made the same offer. He was disheartened when he was met with the same
pessimistic resistance. The same occurred in the third city he went, and even
in some smaller villages.
Instead, he decided to sit down in a Bais
Medrash and study Torah. He hoped to influence the masses in that manner. He
indeed had a profound influence upon his surroundings, not through his
speeches, but through his example.
The Brisker Rav related that he has a
tradition that whenever the Chofetz Chaim spoke about “chossid echad”, it
referred to the Chofetz Chaim himself![3]
After Yaakov
struggled with the Angel, and then emerged unscathed from his encounter with
Eisav, the Torah states: “Yaakov arrived complete in the city of Shechem… and
he camped at the entrance of the city.”[4]
Ramban
explains that the day Yaakov arrived at the entrance of the city was Erev
Shabbos, so he immediately set up techum Shabbos.
The Gemara[5] relates
that Avrohom fulfilled the mitzvah of eiruv tavshilin, whereas
Yaakov created techumin.
Meshech
Chochmah explains that these two mitzvos contrast the different approaches
in avodas Hashem of Avrohom and Yaakov. Each was a conduit for
spreading and teaching about the Glory of Hashem in this world, but each did so
in his own unique manner.
The mitzvah
of eiruv tavshilin allows a person to cook on Yom Tov for Shabbos, thereby
enabling him to invite guests to join him.
Rambam[6] explains
that Avraham would gather masses of people to publicly prove to them about the
existence of the one true Creator.
Avraham performed
eiruv tavshilin, an allusion to his inviting guests to
partake of his food so he could teach them about Hashem. He would indulge them
with delectable food and then convince them to thank Hashem for the enjoyment
they experienced.
Yaakov Avinu
utilized a vastly different approach. The Torah describes him as a yoshev
ohalim – one who dwelled in tents and studied Torah. Yaakov didn't
go out to influence the rest of the world per se. He foresaw that he was to
father the twelve tribes, which would comprise the Jewish People. Therefore, he
understood that his ultimate role was to prepare his progeny for the integral
role they would fulfill. He could only do so, by setting parameters and
boundaries to protect them from the negative influences surrounding them.
Yaakov had
to engage in enacting techumin – boundaries, to prevent outside
influences from penetrating the home he was building. Instead of bringing the
Shechinah to others, he made his home a place for the
Shechinah.
We see this
same pattern in other examples throughout their lives. Avraham Avinu went down
to Mitzrayim to influence people. Yaakov, on the other hand, was resistant to
allowing his children to descend to such an immoral country. Yaakov was upset when
he was accused of stealing his father-in-law’s idols, because unlike Avrohom
who engaged and persuaded idolaters, Yaakov kept completely distant. When he
met Eisav, Yaakov hid Dinah, because he did not want to risk him seeing her and
wanting to marry her.
Yaakov
sought to separate himself from the outside world, and to build from within.
Ramban[7] explains that
each of the Avos sanctified the Name of Hashem. The Torah states numerous times
that Avraham called in the Name of Hashem, and it says it once about Yitzchak.
Regarding Yaakov, however, the Torah never says that he called in the Name of
Hashem, because he sanctified Hashem in a different manner.
Yaakov
spread emunah by devoting himself to instilling that faith in his own family.[8] There
can be no greater publicizing of emunah than that. Building his own family bred
continuity, creating a nation that would follow the ways of Hashem for all
generations.
Yaakov
didn't have to go out and actively influence people, because people were
influenced by the example that his family demonstrated wherever they were.
Often, when
people begin to improve in a certain area, whether in areas of health, such as
a diet, or in religiosity, such as when they assume greater levels of
stringency or punctiliousness in their observance, they feel inclined to preach
about it to others.
Rabbi
Mordechai Finkleman[9]
relates that, when he was an elementary school Rebbe, each year he was able to
influence a few talmidim to give up watching television. He would always
emphasize to them that they should not go home and preach to their parents and siblings
about the negative effects and spiritual damage that television causes. Rather,
they should merely walk by the room and not say anything. The greatest message
is conveyed by one’s quiet and pleasant example.
In Tehillim,
Dovid Hamelech states: “Ahalelah Hashem b’chayei azamrah leilokai b’odi
– I will praise Hashem with my life, I will sing to Hashem with my existence.”
Rabbi Finkelman explained that Dovid was saying that, not only would he
constantly praise Hashem while he was alive, but on a deeper level, his very
life and his very existence would praise Hashem. By living correctly and
observing Torah and mitzvos, that in and of itself would serve as a living
praise of Hashem.
One of the
hallmarks of Chanukah is the mitzvah of perusmei nisa – spreading and
publicizing the miracles that transpired. The gemara states that the basic
mitzvah is “ner ish ubayso – a candle for each man and his home”. The
mitzvah of reflecting divinity outwards begins from the sanctity within our own
homes.
Like Yaakov
Avinu we seek to ignite the spiritual light from within, and then that light can
radiate and resonate outwards.
Our society
expends tremendous effort and resources to publicize and advertise. Most of what
they are advertising in antithetical to what we seek to advertise and publicize
with our Chanukah candles. But we are strengthened by the fact that our little
candles have withstood the test of time, and continued to burn in the face of
the greatest and most ominous darkness.
We have no
doubt that they will continue to burn, and their message will ultimately
outshine all the other messages we encounter constantly.
“Yaakov camped
at the entrance of the city”
“A candle
for each man and his home”
Rabbi Dani Staum,
LMSW
Rabbi, Kehillat New
Hempstead
Rebbe/Guidance
Counselor – Heichal HaTorah
Principal – Ohr
Naftoli- New Windsor
[1] Based on the
lecture given at Kehillat New Hempstead, Shabbos Kodesh parshas Vayishlach 5777
[2] “one chassid”;
chasid not in the sense of one who is a proponent of the Chassidic movement,
but one who is extremely pious and meticulous in his mitzvah obersvance
[3] Heard from
Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman
[7]
Bereishis 12:8
[8] שהוליד בנים רבים כלם
עובדי ה', והיתה לו קהלה גדולה נקראת עדת ישראל ונתפרסמה האמונה בהם, ונודעה לכל
עם.
[9]
Mashgiach in Ohr Hachaim in Queens, NY, and a personal rebbe
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