Learning to Appreciate

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

The Gemara teaches that Chananyah, Mishoel and Azaryah were inspired by the frogs of Mitzrayim to give up their lives al kiddush Hashem.

The Gemara in Pesochim (53b) explains that they learned a kal vachomer from the actions of the frogs during makkas tzefardeia, when the frogs jumped into the flaming Egyptian ovens.

They analyzed the pesukim and concluded that the frogs could have fulfilled their obligation by simply hopping around Mitzrayim and making a general nuisance of themselves. For them to fulfill G-d’s will during that makkah, it was not necessary for them to be roasted to death.

After all, Chananyah, Mishoel and Azaryah reasoned, frogs don’t have the commandment of kiddush Hashem, yet they carried their devotion to this extreme. Certainly, Chananyah, Mishoel and Azaryah who were obligated to be mekadeish sheim Hashem should be prepared to die al kiddush Hashem.

My great-uncle writes in his classic sefer Nachal Yehudah that since animals are not baalei bechirah, they do not receive reward for their acts.

If he is correct, how is it that Chananya, Mishoel and Azaryah assumed that an element of free choice was manifest in the manner in which the frogs carried out their shlichus? If animals act purely on instinct, how could the three nevi’im have drawn any kind of lesson or inspiration from their acts?

There are instances when the Torah ascribes human attributes and motives to animals. One example is regarding petter chamor, the mitzvah to redeem a firstborn donkey.

Chazal explain: “Why are firstborn donkeys set apart from firstborn horses or firstborn camels? First, because the Torah decreed it so. Second, they helped Am Yisroel during Yetzias Mitzrayim, for there was not a single Jew who did not have 90 donkeys loaded with the silver and gold of Mitzrayim” (Bechoros 5b).

Chazal are saying that the Torah commanded us to redeem every firstborn donkey for all generations in recognition of the help these animals extended to our forefathers when they were departing Egypt. Stated simply, Chazal are saying that this mitzvah is a way of showing hakoras hatov to the donkeys.

To imprint this lesson in our minds and on our hearts, the Torah bestows on firstborn donkeys the kedusha of a cheftzah shel mitzvah, the sanctity of an object that can be used to perform a mitzvah.

If an animal has no bechirah and thus merits no reward or punishment, why do we reward the donkey for having helped us in Mitzrayim?

The dog, too, received a reward for its good behavior toward the Jews who were leaving Egypt. As the posuk says, “Be a holy people to Me. Do not eat flesh torn off by a predator in the field. Cast it to the dogs” (Shemos 22:30).

Rashi, commenting on this posuk, asks, “Why does the Torah specify the dog? To teach that Hashem does not withhold reward from any creature. As it is written, ‘A dog will not even whine to the Jewish People’ (Shemos 11:7). In return, Hashem said, ‘Give [the dog] its reward.’”

The question, once again, is obvious: If an animal has no bechirah and thus earns no reward or punishment, why do we reward the dogs for having helped us in Mitzrayim?

A closer examination of the aforementioned Gemara in Maseches Pesochim may help us understand the lesson derived from the frogs during makkas tzefardeia, as well as the purpose behind the rewards bestowed on donkeys and dogs. It may also explain Moshe Rabbeinu’s reluctance to strike the water and the earth prior to the makkos of dam and kinnim.

The Gemara doesn’t actually say that Chananya, Mishoel and Azaryah learned a kal vachomer from the tzefarde’im. The Gemara is discussing Todus ish Romi and asks whether he was a gavrah rabbah, a great man, or a baal egrofin, a tough person who people were scared of.

The Gemara proves that Todus was a gavrah rabbah because of the way he searched for the source of the mesirus nefesh displayed by Chananya, Mishoel and Azaryah to die al kiddush Hashem. Todus darshened that they derived their sense of obligation from the pesukim that describe the way the tzefarde’im went about their duty in Mitzrayim.

He reasoned that if tzefarde’im, which are not commanded to be mekadeish Hashem, were moser nefesh, certainly we, who are commanded to be mekadeish Hashem, are obligated to put our lives on the line.

How does the Gemara deduce from this teaching of his that Todus was a gavrah rabbah? If we can assume that what it says in the sefer Nachal Yehudah is true, and animals have no bechirah and thus no reward and punishment, then it must be that Todus didn’t learn his kal vachomer from the way the frogs actually acted. Rather, he learned his kal vachomer from the way the pesukim describe the frogs’ behavior. From the way the Torah detailed how the frogs swarmed about to every corner of Mitzrayim, Todus determined that there was a lesson to be learned from that description for Jews of all time, including nevi’im.

A person who examines pesukim so carefully, with the aim of deriving inspiration and moral teaching from the stories in the Torah, is a gavrah rabbah. Someone who can extrapolate such timeless lessons cannot be a baal egrofim.

The salient message is that the precepts commanding us to redeem firstborn donkeys and to throw the bosor treifah to the dogs are not intended to reward the animals, but to teach us a serious lesson.

Moshe Rabbeinu could not turn the Yam Suf into blood during makkas dam, for, as Rashi explains, “The Yam Suf protected Moshe when he was cast into it [as a baby]. For this reason, he did not bring about the makkos of dam or tzefardeiah and they were done instead by Aharon” (Rashi, Shemos 7:19).

Likewise, Moshe Rabbeinu did not strike the ground to bring forth lice during the plague of kinnim because, as Rashi explains, the dirt “protected him when he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand” (Rashi, Shemos 8:12).

Hakoras hatov is a preamble to Torah. We treat donkeys and dogs differently not to reward them for what they did in Mitzrayim, but to train ourselves to acknowledge those who did us favors and express appreciation for those acts of kindness.

The dogs don’t know the difference, and neither do the donkeys. The ground wouldn’t have any way of knowing that Moshe struck it, and neither would the Yam Suf. The point is that Moshe himself knew. Striking something to which you are indebted demonstrates ingratitude. To ingrain into us the middah of hakoras hatov, we treat these inanimate objects with deference.

Chazal say, “Ro’asah shifcha al hayom mah shelo ra’ah Yechezkel ben Boozi...”

The maidservants at Kriyas Yam Suf merited seeing the greatest visions of G-d’s wonders, even greater than those of the nevi’im. How can that be?

In order to be a makir tov, you have to be mokir tov. In order to recognize greatness in this world, you need to be a person who is appreciative of the goodness that is out there. You need to be the type of person who appreciates the good that is in the world. In order to qualify as a nobler kind of person who can perceive the good, you have to first train yourself to express gratitude for the good you have received.

The humblest servants at the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim had absorbed the lesson taught by Moshe Rabbeinu when he couldn’t strike the inanimate objects that had protected him in his time of need. They had learned that although dirt and water have no feelings or bechirah, we still must show appreciation for the benefits we received from them. And we must draw a lesson from them when warranted.

People who are makir tov to water and sand can learn lessons from frogs as well. Such people are anoshim gedolim, great people. The shfachos al hayom had been so deeply inculcated with lessons from Moshe and his ethical conduct that by the time of Kriyas Yam Suf, they were able to see the gadlus haBorei in a way never repeated by man.

The ultimate hakoras hatov is to appreciate everything that Hakadosh Boruch Hu placed in this world for our benefit. The epitome of hakoras hatov is to recognize the chassodim that are bestowed upon us by G-d, moment by moment, every day of our lives.

But there is more. The Medrash Rabbah (Shemos 1:8) and Rabbeinu Bachya on the same posuk say, “One who denies the favors his friend does for him will eventually deny what Hashem does for him.” One day he dismisses the favors his friend has performed for him, and the next day he dismisses all the good that his Creator has done for him.

In order to be a good Jew, one must be a good person. Man comes into this world alone and helpless. That dependency is meant to teach him a lesson. We are not alone. We are part of a group and we are all members of one large family. We have no hope of surviving on our own merit or resources. We need people’s favors. We need services that other people provide in order to stay alive. Life is sustained by give and take. We have to be prepared to accept the assistance of other people if we are to live a meaningful life.

Kol Yisroel areivim zeh bozeh, but friendship and brotherhood come with obligations. Sometimes you help your friend and sometimes you have to let your friend help you. You cannot live by yourself. Some people have a problem with that, because they don’t want to be encumbered with a sense of obligation to anyone. Some would rather experience misery and loneliness than accept anything that would produce a feeling of indebtedness to another person.

To be a gavrah rabbah, you have to be prepared to learn from others. As our nation was being formed, that lesson was rigorously instilled along with the imperative to appreciate all we have and all who helped us along the way.

Let us appreciate what Hashem does for us and thank Him for the blessings He showers upon us daily.

Let us thank our friends for their friendship and all they have done for us. Let us show gratitude to our parents for investing so much effort into raising us and enabling us to become who we are today. Let us demonstrate our appreciation for our rabbeim, moros and teachers for inspiring us and helping us discover the beauty of Torah learning and the Torah way of life.

Let us thank and appreciate our spouses, who help us in so many ways that we have come to take for granted, and our children, simply for being who they are. Let us not forget all our family members and loved ones.

Too often, it is only when something bad happens that people appreciate all the good they had until that point. We tend not to appreciate our blessings until they are taken away from us.

Perhaps, if we would be better makirei tov and wouldn’t need to suffer tragedy in order to appreciate Hashem’s steady kindness, we would merit to experience more times of joy and fewer periods of sadness.

Let us all be thankful for what we have and be more vocal about expressing our appreciation. In that merit, may we be zoche to much more simcha in our lives.

The Truth

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

There are all types of people. Some see the positives in this world and others see the negatives. Taking a look at what is going on now, you can almost fall in with those who see the sky about to fall.

The president and his administration have proven to be totally inept. They can do nothing right. Inflation is raging and nobody is sure about the economy. Covid is far from gone and nothing anyone has tried has accomplished anything to stop it. Government mandates promoted by the administration and Democrat states have been held off by the courts, and even where they have been enforced, they show no signs of slowing the virus. The Democrats and media spread hysteria throughout the population and shutdowns begin again.

Crime is rampant in America’s big cities, as “woke” Democrat policies reach their natural conclusions. The stock market teeters, waiting in vain for sensible monetary policy. Ever since assuming power, Biden and Co. have spent their time and energy putting together and promoting their deficit-busting, tax-raising, inflation-boosting Build Back Better bill. Senator Joe Manchin likely killed that bill for now, saying clearly on Sunday that there is no way he would vote for it.

The threat from Iran as it works towards procuring nuclear weapons is not new, but it is getting more pronounced daily. Successive Western governments have declared that they would never permit Iran to get the bomb, but it is hard to conceive Biden and his administration doing much besides issuing strong statements. For all of Israel’s bravado, military experts doubt they have the capability to put an end to the Iranian nuclear effort on their own. The danger is real and the solution is far off.

The Israeli government leaves much to be desired, and although not too many people thought the cynical coalition predicated upon selfish interests would survive for long, it has weathered many storms, and the longer it remains in power, the more people acclimate to it. They disagree on much, but are united in their goal of secularizing the country and changing its relationship with religion and religious people. We have been running weekly features on their initiatives, and to date no one has been able to stop the frenzied pursuit.

Fake news has taken over. Very little of what we read and hear is real. It is getting increasingly difficult to trust anybody in a position of power, and most people no longer assume that anything is what it appears to be.

It’s no way to live and not a good way to be. Despite everything that is going on, we should always maintain our faith and recognize that nothing happens on its own. Everything is designed by Hakadosh Boruch Hu for reasons not yet apparent.

While it is commonly thought that President Trump invented the concept of fake news, he merely gave the phenomenon its name. Apparently, Paroh was its inventor.

The posuk states (Shemos 1:8), “Vayokom melech chodosh al Mitzrayim asher lo yoda es Yosef - And a new Paroh arose over Mitzrayim who did not know Yosef.” Rashi quotes a Talmudic dispute between Rav and Shmuel. One explains that the posuk is saying that there was a new king. The old Paroh died and the one who assumed the position did not know Yosef. The other opinion maintains that the Paroh of Shemos was the same Paroh with whom we became familiar in Sefer Bereishis. He knew who Yosef was - after all, Yosef had saved his kingdom - but Paroh acted as though he did not know him.

According to the second explanation, Paroh is referred to as a melech chodosh because he pretended to have forgotten Yosef. He worked with the talented, reliable, efficient young man who stepped out of the ignominy and obscurity of prison to save the country. He followed Yosef’s advice, which saved his country from starvation and ruin. And then, he abruptly erased the many accomplishments of the Jew who had made Mitzrayim into a world superpower and established a system that filled his coffers.

Paroh did that because he had an agenda. There were many Jews, and Paroh began perceiving them as a threat. They had to be contained, stopped and subjugated, and his advisers suggested enslaving them. But he had a problem: What about the debt of gratitude he owed Yosef?

Paroh craftily rewrote the history and convinced himself, and his people, that the Jew had contributed nothing to the rehabilitation of Mitzrayim. His marketing people launched a campaign to change the public perception of Yosef and his people.

They likely started small, with a comment here and some innuendo there. But that was followed by: “Yosef? Who’s Yosef? I don’t know any Yosef.”

Paroh invented the art of discrediting, which is used to perfection by politicians all the time. That tool is often used against us and our community, as we are regularly tarred with a wide, filthy brush. He used fake news to the fullest, and by the time his campaign was over, he had convinced the rest of the population that the Jews were a menace; they were never good and were never going to be any good.

Everyone went all in, and taking advantage of them, Paroh enslaved them and tormented them.

The Jewish people remained loyal to their heritage and weren’t taken in by the fake news which played as an endless loop in the media of their day. The children of Yaakov stood apart in Mitzrayim. As Chazal say, “lo shinu,” they didn’t assimilate and adopt the Mitzri culture. Despite everything that was thrown at them, lo shinu - they remained faithful to the Torah that Yaakov had transmitted, which was taught in the institutions Yehuda had established. Lo shinu - they appreciated what was true, what was lasting, what was fictitious, fleeting and temporary. They knew that to survive as a people in a foreign country, they had to remain steadfast in their dedication to Yaakov’s ideals.

The temptations to assimilate into the prevailing culture were great. The thought that if we became like them they wouldn’t hate us was always there, yet they didn’t allow themselves to be convinced by the media messaging.

Despite their challenges and obstacles, the Bnei Yisroel in Mitzrayim lived with the ideal of “lo shinu,” remembering where they came from and remaining cognizant of the promise that they would be redeemed.

Paroh’s essence and leadership were based on fabrications, as Rashi states on the words “Hinei hu yotzei hamoymah” (7:15). Paroh created a narrative about himself that anyone could have seen through had they cared enough to follow him around one day. No one did, because they were content to play along with the story. As long as the going was good, they didn’t care what the truth was.

The posuk states repeatedly that Paroh was unable to redirect his life even in the face of the makkos, because Hashem hardened his heart. Though the hearts of the country’s citizens were not hardened, they feared that were they to confront the king, the good life would be jeopardized.

In our day, as well, people learn to get along and play along, and although they know that the ruler of the land and his administration are incompetent and unqualified, they follow the media narrative, lest the balloon burst.

The Alter of Kelm asked a question pertaining to the way the Jews were rushed out of Mitzrayim. The Torah (Shemos 12:42) refers to the night we left Mitzrayim as a “leil shimurim,” which the Ramban explains to mean that that evening was set aside for the Bnei Yisroel to leave Mitzrayim. If so, why did Hashem have their exit take place in a fashion that they were chased out and did not have time to prepare their bread? Hashem could have prepared them for their exit and allowed them time to leave calmly.

The Alter answers that Hashem was testing them to see if they would be able to observe the Torah, which requires those who accept it to live peaceful, calm, accepting lives. If they would be able to withstand the pressure and the rush to leave without having been properly prepared for the dramatic change in their lives, they would be able to be given the Torah and live as proper, believing, faithful Jews. But if the tumult would overwhelm them and break them, the Torah was not for them.

Concurrent with being a Torah person is the obligation to recognize that our lives are centered around Torah, its study and its precepts, and acknowledging that since everything that transpires is from Hashem, there is never a need to lose yourself and become overwhelmed with stress and grief.

Every week, as Shabbos ends, we light a candle, sniff besomim, and begin to think about the upcoming week. We proclaim, “Hinei Keil yeshuosi evtach velo efchod.” We don’t know what the week will bring, but we aren’t afraid, because we know that Hashem will be with us. As we leave the holiness and peace of Shabbos, embarking on a venture into the mundane, we are prepared for all eventualities.

We say to Hashem, to ourselves and to our families that we are about to go out into the storm that is life, but we will do so as believing Torah Yidden.

By following the Torah and its mitzvos, we will succeed in olam hazeh. Through reinforcing ourselves with Torah and mussar, we will accomplish the missions we were sent here to carry out.

It was in the climate of Mitzrayim, ruled by fiction and dominated by lies, that the People of Truth began distinguishing themselves, a goy mikerev goy standing proud, a nation of truth and destiny.

We see many people unsure of their identities and insecure about their destinies. Many are rootless and guided by superficiality, gullibly chasing whatever seems appealing, without any examination. We see vacuous people without values, living selfishly and hedonistically, covering their impulses with a fig leaf of religiosity. Some are jealous of them, wishing they had the wherewithal to lead what they view as the blessed life.

To survive in golus, we need to remain a people of depth and intelligence, loyalty and determination. We should think about how our forefathers would perceive our conduct. If we feel that our actions will help bring us closer to the geulah, then we should continue with them. If they don’t measure up, we must be honest enough with ourselves to recognize the error of our ways.

As clever as we think we are, we are seduced by clever marketing, convinced by silly slogans and taken in by slick graphics. The superficial arguments and enticements overwhelm and engulf us. We should be better than that.

If we don’t fall prey to false narratives, and we recognize what is important and what isn’t, we can rectify that which needs correcting and reinforce that which requires strengthening.

We are the people entrusted with the Torah because we do not become flustered and overwhelmed by issues of the moment. We are a people of truth, who are dedicated to living lives of truth. If we remember where we come from, what we stand for and why we are here, we will merit to be brought home.

May the geulah come speedily in our day.

Secret of Endurance

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

Parshas Vayechi completes the Torah’s discussion of the founding of the world, and the first adherents of Yahadus and their families. Seder Bereishis contains many stories that can be understood on many levels. Gleaning from them lessons for how to conduct ourselves is the foundation of our belief. Through the Torah’s narrative, we have met Adam and Chava, Noach and his sons, and Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yaakov and their families. This week, the circle is closed, as the last of the avos grows old in exile, blesses his children with eternal brachos, passes away, and is brought for burial to the Me’oras Hamachpeilah in Chevron.

The parsha is filled with lessons. From the first word, vayechi, there is much to learn. I have learned this parsha many times without stopping to wonder why the Torah uses the word vayechi, which means he lived, to describe Yaakov’s time in Mitzrayim. After all, his time in that country was apparently spent in exile; he was in golus away from his home in Eretz Yisroel, which circumstances forced him to leave.

Another question posed by meforshim is that when telling us how many years the other avos lived, the Torah doesn’t split up how many years they lived in each place. Rather, it presents a total number. Why, when discussing Yaakov, does the Torah say that he lived in Mitzrayim for seventeen years?

An answer that is given is that the best years of Yaakov’s life were those that he spent in Mitzrayim, for until then, his life beheld much misfortune. Prior to his birth, he was already beset with Eisov, who tormented him from that period until he forced him to flee from the home of their parents. For twenty years, he suffered under the rule of Lovon, and when he left, his beloved wife passed away in childbirth. He had trouble with his sons Shimon and Levi when they destroyed Shechem and later when Yosef was sold. After 22 years of fretting over Yosef’s disappearance, his joy returned to him when he learned that Yosef had survived and was a ruler in Mitzrayim.

His ruach hakodesh returned and he immediately set out to join Yosef in Mitzrayim. He stopped in Be’er Sheva, where Hakadosh Boruch Hu encouraged him to continue to Mitzrayim without fear, for his offspring would form a great nation there. Hashem promised Yaakov that He would go down there with him and would return home with him.

Yaakov knew that by him going, the sorry chapter of golus which Hashem had foretold to Avrohom would begin, but nevertheless he continued on to Mitzrayim with his family and their possessions.

It was all worth it to be with Yosef.

It was the 17 years that followed, as he lived in Golus Mitzrayim, that the Torah describes as vayechi, relating that he lived them to the fullest. What does that mean? Tana Devei Eliyohu (Perek 5) states that those years were so great that they were for Yaakov a mei’ein Olam Haba, like being in the World to Come.

Although he was in a foreign land, he lived with his family in the semi-autonomous region of Goshen. What is better than living with your children and their families, watching them grow, and interacting with them on a daily basis? Yaakov had sent Yehudah ahead of them to establish botei medrash, where they could study Torah and do their avodah. In Goshen, they were free to live as they pleased, unaffected by the pervasive decay and moral and physical corruption of their host country.

During the painful years in which he mourned Yosef, Yaakov did not merit speaking with the Shechinah, but during his final 17 years, which he spent in Mitzrayim, Hashem would appear to him.

Now Yaakov finally lived the life he pined for, and therefore the Torah refers to his final years as a time in which he lived - “Vayechi b’eretz Mitzrayim.”

Yaakov was the av of golus. He was the first to live for an extended period of time outside of Eretz Yisroel, paving the way for us, teaching and showing the unfortunate generations who followed how to survive and flourish in foreign lands.

The novi (Micha 7:20) says, “Titein emes l’Yaakov,” attributing the middah of emes to Yaakov Avinu. The secret of his endurance through the rough years and then of his flourishing during the years of Mitzrayim and what he bequeathed to his children was to always remain loyal to the truth of this world.

Despite all that is going on around us, and all the different pressures, temptations, ups and downs, the one constant that a Jew beholds is to know that Hashem created the world and controls everything that happens. In periods of darkness as well as periods of great light, we know that behind everything is Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Nothing happens by itself.

Whether you are making – or losing – great amounts of money, if you recognize that at the root of your good – or not-so-good – fortune is Hashem, then you are able to deal with what is happening in your life.

You appreciate that your money was directed to you for a higher purpose than just living a luxurious life. You earned it because Hashem wants you to live a better life, a life such as the one that was lived by Yaakov in Mitzrayim.

As a Jew in golus, you can either remain loyal to the greater truth of Torah and mitzvos or you can seek to ingratiate yourself among the prevailing culture and embrace their values and lifestyles.

The Bnei Yisroel thrived in Goshen under Yaakov’s direction because he didn’t allow them to acclimate to Mitzrayim. As we read in the Haggadah Shel Pesach, “Vayogor shom, melameid shelo yorad Yaakov lihishtakeia shom.” The Maharal (Gevuros Hashem 55) and the Vilna Gaon (in his commentary on the Haggadah) write that because Yaakov did not want to settle in Mitzrayim, they merited to be redeemed. In golus, it is incumbent upon us to know that we are in golus.

Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin, in his sefer on Chumash, expounds further and says that as long as the Jews remained in Goshen, the Mitzriyim didn’t bother them. It was only after the passing of Yaakov that his offspring began to feel comfortable there and started spreading across the land of Mitzrayim. The posuk (Shemos 1:7) states that they became plentiful and strengthened, and the land became full of them. Then, “Vayokom melech chodosh,” a new king arose, and Mitzrayim began tightening the noose, enacting restrictive laws and strictures on them, eventually leading to infanticide and servitude.

Yaakov’s path proved itself throughout the ages. As the Netziv writes in his work on anti-Semitism which is printed together with his peirush on Shir Hashirim and in Harchev Dovor in Parshas Lech Lecha, when the Bnei Yisroel are nivdolim min ha’amim, they are left alone.

In our time, we appear to be at a tipping point. Jewish assimilation into the prevailing cultures around the world is at all-time highs, a result of the warm relations and treatment throughout the Western world. But as assimilation grows, so does a growing resentment, which is becoming more prevalent and brazen.

Ever since the days of President Harry Truman, the United States has publicly been a strong, dependable ally of Israel, with a few marked exceptions. That began to change under President Obama, with a brief interlude, and ever since him the Democrat Party has been adopting an increasingly stronger animosity toward the Jewish state.

The current American administration has been pressuring the Israeli administration since its inception, insistent on opening the consulate to service Palestinians in Yerushalayim that former President Trump had closed.

That probably pales in comparison to the bigger issue in the area, the necessity to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. While the Biden administration says the right things in public, Israel and other states within range of Iran fear that the U.S. will capitulate to the radical terror state which presents to them an existential threat. President Trump recognized the danger and pulled out of the flawed deal Obama struck with Iran. Trump also saddled Iran with tough sanctions and allowed Israel to wage a secret war against them.

Trump was a close friend of Israel and its prime minster, Binyomin Netanyahu, helping the country in many ways, public and private. But ever since he lost the election, he has been on a tear against people who didn’t stick with him as he contested the election. Within the past few days, bitter quotes have been published from him castigating Netanyahu for congratulating Joe Biden upon his declared victory. In Trump’s book, accepted diplomatic decorum has no place, despite the fact that since Israel would be at the mercy of Biden and his gang of progressives, a welcome was in order.

Trump’s words are alarming, because he had been so close to Netanyahu, Israel, and the Jewish people. With one perceived slight, he threw it all out the window.

This is what the man who wants to be the leader of the free world again said: “I liked Bibi… But I also like loyalty. The first person to congratulate Biden was Bibi… I was personally disappointed in him. Bibi could have stayed quiet. He made a terrible mistake. I haven’t spoken to him since.”

And once again, we are hearing those words being said about Jews: They aren’t loyal. They can’t be trusted. It’s not worth being nice to them. It’s not worth dealing fairly with them. They don’t make for good friends or neighbors. 

And then he went on to insinuate that Israel doesn’t really want peace, but the Palestinians do.

Many Jews felt safe with Trump in the White House. They believed his friendship was deeply felt and genuine. He acted as a true friend and helped Israel in many unprecedented ways.

With time the quotes will be explained and forgotten and Trump’s actions on behalf of Israel will speak louder than his words, but the episode is a reminder that we can never be complacent.

Though we are currently in the most comfortable golus our people have ever experienced, the lessons passed down from Yaakov Avinu are as valid as ever.

The golus our brethren are experiencing among Jews is not faring too well, as a new gang squeaked into office under false pretenses and declared war on religion. Hopes that the coalition would quickly collapse under the weight of its supposedly competing interests were dashed as they celebrated six months in power this week.

Yaakov, back in Goshen, showed us how to live. He first established botei medrash for the Bnei Yisroel to center their lives around, while remaining under the radar of their compatriots.

“Titein emes l’Yaakov.” If we remember the lesson of Yaakov and remain loyal to the truths of the world, Hashem and the Torah, and we recognize that everything that happens is an outgrowth of our devotion to the emes in all times, then we can be confident that we will be granted “vayechi – chayim tovim bein ho’amim,” a good life in golus.

Three times a day, in Shemoneh Esrei, we ask Hashem, “Pesach libi beSorasecha uvimitzvosecha tirdof nafshi – Open my heart to your Torah and allow my soul to pursue your commandments.” Then we say, “Vechol hachoshvim olai ra’ah, meheirah hofeir atzosom vekalkeil machshavtom – And all who plot against me, quickly disrupt their plan and ruin their plot.”

It is commonly understood that these requests follow each other, we make one request and then another and another. But I see something else here: We ask Hashem that we be enabled to study and be connected to Torah, and that we pursue and observe the mitzvos. And then we say that since we will be properly learning Torah and performing mitzvos, Hashem will protect us from the evil plans of our enemies.

Academics debate whether Judaism is a nationality or a religion, a culture or an ethnicity.

A story is told that a debate was being held in a large public secular hall about who is a Jew. An old-time ehrliche Yid was walking by, and seeing people coming and going, milling around and debating, he asked what the tumult was about. Someone told him about the debate. He was bewildered. He said, “Vos dreyin zei ah kup? Ah Yid iz ah Yid!”

Ah Yid iz ah Yid. We all know who a Jew is. We all know what it means to be a Jew. But that’s not enough. To lead a blessed life, a life of vayechi, we need to think like a Yid, act like a Yid, and live like a Yid, like Yaakov Avinu and all of our forefathers who followed in his path. Were we to do so, many of our current communal problems would quickly dissipate.

May we all merit the redemption from golus very speedily in our day.

Rise Like a Lion

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

The emotional meetings between the brothers and Yosef reach a crescendo in Parshas Vayigash. The brothers came several times to Mitzrayim in search of food, each time harassed by the Egyptian viceroy. Finally, after the man told them that he intended to jail Binyomin on trumped up charges, Yehudah confronts the ruler and tells him that the charade must come to an end.

After exhibiting strange behavior when the sons of Yaakov arrived to purchase food, the man in charge said that they would have to bring along their youngest brother on the next trip or face jail on espionage charges. The extended family was running low on food and was facing starvation, yet their father would not permit them to bring along their youngest brother. It was Yehudah who convinced the family’s patriarch to allow Binyomin to join the food trek to Mitzrayim. When Yehudah accepted personal responsibility for Binyomin’s welfare, Yaakov was relieved and blessed the return trip to Mitzrayim.

When the family’s worst fears were realized and Yosef announced that he was going to jail Binyomin, Yehudah was the one who stepped forward.

The posuk states, “Vayigash eilov Yehudah.” Yehudah approached Yosef. The posuk quotes the respectful terms with which Yehudah spoke. He was deferential to the viceroy, stating, “Bi adoni,” and referred to himself as a slave of the Mitzri boss using the term “avdecha” to describe himself.

While the Torah presents the conversation as cordial, Rashi teaches that Yehudah was tough as he spoke to Yosef: “diber ito kashos.” Choosing his words carefully and speaking respectfully, Yehudah made clear that he would do whatever it took to gain Binyomin’s freedom.

In a classic showdown between two powerful men, one a leader in his country, the other a leader in his family, Yosef faced down Yehudah, matching his threats and pleas with wile and negotiation.

But when Yehudah repeated to him the conversation with Yaakov and that he had accepted arvus, responsibility, for his brother Binyomin, Yosef decided that it was the proper time to reveal himself to his brothers. When he saw that Yehudah cared enough about their father to sacrifice his own welfare, he sensed that the brothers had done teshuvah for selling him and would now be able to live together in a peaceful and loving manner. When he saw that one among them had displayed acts of malchus, he was assured that they would not return to divisive ways.

However, as Yosef reunited with his brother Binyomin, Yosef felt that something was wrong; the arvus between the Bnei Yisroel would not last. He wept on the shoulder of Binyomin, for he foresaw that the two Botei Mikdosh that would stand in Binyomin’s portion of Eretz Yisroel would be destroyed. Binyomin wept, as it was revealed to him that the Mishkon that would be constructed in Yosef’s portion of Shilo would be destroyed. The achdus and arvus would not stand the test of time. The effect of the sin of the brothers at mechiras Yosef would afflict their children for thousands of years.

It is incumbent upon us in this generation of ikvesa d’Meshicha to adopt the conduct of Yehudah, rectify the flaw, and remove it from our midst. It is the only way that we will get out of here, and although we have come so far, we still have a way to go.

It is often repeated that Yehudah earned his eternal hold on malchus through his middah of achrayus, responsibility. He was the one who accepted upon himself the responsibility for Binyomin so that the family would have what to eat, and he was the one who confronted Yosef when Binyomin’s safety was threatened.

The Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 93:2) adds a deeper meaning to the exchange, referencing the posuk in Tehillim (48:5) which reads, “Ki hinei hamelochim noadu ovru yachdov, heima rau kein tomohu nivhalu nechpozu.” The simple translation of the posuk is, “Behold, the kings assembled, they came together, they saw and were astounded.”

The Medrash interprets the posuk to be saying: “The kings, Yehudah and Yosef, came together and became angry at each other. The other brothers saw and were astounded. They hastily fled.”

The Medrash adds that the other brothers said to each other, “Melochim medaynim eilu im eilu, the kings are battling each other, onu mah ichpas lonu, what do we care?” Let them fight it out between themselves and let’s keep out of it.

It is with this remark - “onu mah ichpas lonu” - that the brothers revealed what separated them from royalty and how Yehudah was crowned with the role of malchus for all time.

Others say, “Mah ichpas lonu.” They witness injustice and say, “It is not our problem. We can’t do anything about it anyway.” A melech cares about everyone and everything that happens. “Levavo levav kol Yisroel,” the Rambam says (Hilchos Melochim, perek 3, halacha 6). A king feels what is in the heart of every person and is affected by that.

Yehudah epitomized this. If there was a problem in the family, it was his problem. If something had to be made right, he was the one who stepped forward to do what had to be done. Ichpas lo. Yehuda was the leader because he cared.

The most effective leaders are those who are able to identify with the concerns of their subjects and followers, acting out of a sense of responsible concern. Some leaders demagogue about the various issues of the day, using everything as a vehicle to enhance their ambition and career. But their leadership is short-lived, because eventually people sense that they don’t really care about them, but about hitting the proper notes and striking the perfect talking points.

Yehudah doesn’t look for a good speech. He looks for action and to get the job done. It is easy to find problems and touch people’s emotions, but only a person who is “ichpas lo” will come up with solutions.

I was at a meeting with my rebbi, Rav Elya Svei, where a pressing issue was discussed. There were many leaders in attendance, and many of them spoke about the problem and proposed solutions. Rav Elya didn’t say much. When the meeting ended, I asked him why he didn’t join in the spirited conversation and express his opinion about the issue as the others had done. He explained, “They don’t really care. They will go home and it will all be forgotten. But tomorrow morning, I will get on the phone with the person who has the ability to rectify the situation and will work with him to make sure it gets done.”

Leadership is not about the speech. It’s not about the posturing. It’s not about impressing a crowd. It’s about caring enough to thoroughly analyze the problem and come up with a responsible solution, and then carrying it out.

Chazal say, “Man malki, rabbonon.” In our time, when there are no longer ruling kings, as we don’t have an established royalty, rabbonim are the kings. They are our royalty. Someone who is suffused with Torah and has raised himself through the 48 middos through which Torah is acquired is a person who cares deeply about Torah and Am Yisroel.

But there is more to the middah of malchus as expressed by Yehudah and his actions, and by talmidei chachomim, rabbonim and gutte Yidden who follow in his path.

A Yerushalmi Yid once shared an apocryphal story with me. With the gentle humor and wit unique to residents of the Holy City, he spun a tale about a dog that entered a small shul. The animal noticed that on top of the aron hakodesh, there was an image of two crouching lions hovering over the Luchos.

The dog was incensed. He asked the people in shul why the lion merits such honor. The shul Yidden responded to the dog that the lion is the king of the animals, and thus his image is placed in a special place.

The dog wasn’t satisfied. “Why is the lion king? I am king!” the dog said.

The people in the shul explained to him, “A lion sits patiently. If you throw an old piece of meat or a bone in its direction, it won’t react. You can’t buy its love with rotten food. The lion decides what it will eat and what is worth lunging for.

“But you, the dog, come bounding over no matter what is being offered. Rotten or decayed, you accept it. If someone throws a stone, you chase it. If it is a rock, you run for it. You will chase after a Frisbee as if it were a steak. That’s why you’re never going to be on a paroches.”

Yaakov blessed the shevotim before his passing. He turned to Yehudah (Bereishis 49:9) and said, “Gur aryeh Yehudah,” comparing him to a lion, king of the animals. Certainly, this has to do with the readiness of a lion to roar, to spring into action, and to react. “Miteref beni olisa, you rose at the time when I believed that my son Yosef was ripped apart.” For it was then that Yehudah displayed his malchusdike behavior. When the brothers wanted to kill Yosef, Yehudah interfered and said (Bereishis 33:26), “Mah betza ki naharog es achinu,” and saved him from death.

The yehi ratzon recited by some before lighting neiros Chanukah contains a request that Hashem open our eyes so that “Be’orcha nireh ohr, we will be able to see the light.” In life, there are things that we see as light, though, in truth, they are darkness. We can interpret something good as being bad, because the light we see with is faulty. Thus, we ask Hashem, “Be’orcha nireh ohr. Shine Your light upon us so that we may see things and judge them with the proper clarity and depth.”

But there is something else as well. A lion is discriminating. It is selective. It is careful about what it accepts. It doesn’t sell itself for cheap kavod, for a stick or an old piece of meat. The lion is disciplined. It is malchusdik because it can’t be bought. It isn’t easily won over or corrupted.

We can understand that when Chazal taught that in the period leading up to Moshiach, the pnei hador will be k’pnei hakelev, they were predicting that the people and their leaders at that time will exhibit the middah of the kelev and would be undiscerning. They wouldn’t care much about others, about problems and solutions. They would be easily corrupted and convinced to act in an irresponsible manner.

We, who study and follow the Torah, should remember that we must act and think responsibly, even when others aren’t.

Like a lion, the good person is disciplined to only accept that which is emes. That attitude results in malchus, uprightness and concern.

The Gemara in Maseches Nedorim (24a) states, inter alia, that a dog says, “Ana demis’hanina minoch velo mishanis minoi, I benefit from you, but you won’t benefit from me.” A relationship with a dog is always one way: the dog takes and the man gives. A king says, “Ana demanina loch v’at lo mehanis li.” Everyone benefits from a king, but he doesn’t take anything from anyone.

A melech is a nosein, a benevolent giver. A kelev is a mekabel, a taker. Thus, in the time of ikvesa d’Meshicha, Chazal said that people would become apathetic, selfish, and caught up with themselves and their own concerns. Thus, they are compared to dogs. They don’t have time or room in their hearts for other people.

With this, we can understand why the Chofetz Chaim writes (Ahavas Chesed, 14) that if people would do chesed with each other, the final geulah would come. We can bring about the geulah through helping others and feeling their pain.

We may understand that in the period of ikvesa d’Meshicha, pnei hador k’pnei hakelev. There is a klipah of selfishness in the world that is mekatreig. To remove that curse from upon us, we must act as the lion does, conducting ourselves with dignity, forthrightness and selflessness. We have to think and act like Yehudah. If we would show that we care, we could create new worlds for ourselves and improve the one in which we live, as the posuk (Tehillim 89) says, “Olam chesed yiboneh.”

There is no shortage of situations in which we can show that we care. Get involved when there is a problem that goes unaddressed and work to solve it, not for any reason other than to make the world a better place and to prepare it for Moshiach.

We must always bear in mind that we are bnei melochim. When we see people acting improperly or people who have been wronged, and when we can make a difference in someone’s life or for a cause, we have to rise like a lion.

If we help someone find a job, get a child into a school, or find a shidduch, or we listen to someone’s problems and provide a shoulder to cry on, we are following in the ways of Yehudah and acting in a way that will help restore his kingdom.

By emulating Yehudah and caring enough to act with kindness, empathy and a sense of responsibility towards others, we will not only help save our brothers, but will help build a new world, ushering in the era of malchus bais Dovid, bemeheirah beyomeinu. Amein.

Strike a Match

By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

As the winter begins to set in, bringing with it early nights and cold weather, Chanukah arrives, warming our hearts and souls, and bringing much light to a dark world. How blessed we are!

As we light the menorah each day, we endeavor to perform the mitzvah in the best possible way, going beyond the exact strictures of halacha to fulfill the obligation with all the many hiddurim. We seek to light with olive oil and the best type of wicks. Every member of the family is provided with a menorah on which to light, increasing the lights every day of the chag.

The halacha is that it is not necessary to relight the menorah if it was properly lit and the fire became extinguished shortly thereafter. And the question is why is there no obligation to relight the flame so that it should remain lit the proper amount of time. 

The gemara derives that “hadloka osah mitzvah,” the essence of the mitzvah is the act of lighting the menorah. We can understand the reason by realizing that we light the menorah to commemorate the heroic actions of the Chashmonaim. At the heart of the celebration is that the Chashmonaim had the courage of their faith to battle the Yevonim and the Jews who had fallen under their influence. After years of occupation, they said, “We must initiate to fight the forces of darkness. Hashem will help us succeed.”

According to the rules of armies and battles, they didn’t stand a chance, but because they were fighting for Torah and kedusha, and placed their faith in Hashem, they were able to defeat the nation that was widely respected by the rest of the world and considered unbeatable.

They undertook to do what needed to be done without considering the chances of victory. They saw what was happening to their people. They saw the ongoing erosion of Torah and holiness and decided that if they would continue to cower and submit, very quickly there would be little left to fight for. Since they didn’t make decisions based on the natural order of governance and battle, instead relying on Hashem’s assistance, they merited a historic and eternally celebrated victory.

Because they cared enough to go to war against their oppressors and upon their victory undertook to search for undefiled oil with which to light the menorah, Hashem revealed to them a small container of holy oil. Though the oil wasn’t physically sufficient to light a long time, Hashem miraculously caused the menorah to be lit for eight days, until they were able to produce a batch of shemen zayis zoch.

Each night, as we light the menorah, we are celebrating the first time the Chashmonaim lit the menorah and that Hashem rewarded their dedication by causing the menorah to remain lit  until they were able to produce more oil.

Our lighting is a celebration of the Chashmonaim’s devotion to their mission of kehunah and kedusha. Immediately upon the military victory they set out to perform the mitzvah of lighting the menorah in its purest form and searched for oil with the seal of the kohein gadol. The mitzvah, therefore, is to acknowledge their greatness and devotion by lighting a menorah.

Klal Yisroel didn’t feel itself strong enough to throw off the yoke of Greek tyranny until Matisyahu showed that it could be done. Forces of evil are permitted to remain in power because the people they dominate do not appreciate their own power and are afraid to undertake to bring down the wickedness. Evil is toppled when one good man decides that he can bear it no longer and begins to rally people around him.

The miraculous military victory over Yovon is a dramatic example of how the laws of nature are suspended when dedicated people join to increase Torah and kedusha. The reversal of the natural order was made possible by the great acts of courage and heroism carried out by Matisyahu and his small group.

Though according to the laws of science, the flask only contained enough oil to burn for one day, it fueled the flame for as long as was necessary. So too, although in physical terms those who were virtuous were outmatched by those who were evil, to paraphrase Rabi Chaninah ben Dosah, mi she’omar l’shemen viyidloke omar sheheim yinatzchu, and thus they won.

When Rav Aharon Kotler arrived in America and proclaimed that he was going to open a yeshiva where the talmidim would learn Torah lishmah, people laughed and thought that he wasn’t thinking properly. Yet, from that small pach shemen tahor which he infused with the pure light of Torah, great torches burn brightly all across the country.

Very often, we hear tales of wonder about how people succeeded in building Torah where no one thought it was possible. How many times have we heard of the rov who came to a town and was told that hair would grow on hand-palms before a yeshiva would take root? The naysayers are long forgotten as Torah blossoms across the country.

People are moser nefesh to do a mitzvah and in the long run they gain from it. People who work lesheim Shomayim, with selfless dedication, are not limited by logic or the laws of nature. They go where everyone says you can’t and they succeed because they know that the task is to light the fire. The rest is up to Hashem.

On Chanukah, we pay tribute to the ideals of mesirus nefesh of the Chashmonaim. They took a brave, determined stand against the evil tyranny that brutalized them and sought their destruction as a people. The Chashmonaim were unpopular, as much of Klal Yisroel succumbed to the temptations presented by the Yevonim. They had good press and an able marketing team, and were widely promoted as the nation and philosophy of the future. The in-crowd all bought in and joined them. It was only a few outmoded die-hards who didn’t buy in.

The Bach (Orach Chaim 670) writes that during that period, the Yevonim were able to enact gezeiros, because there was a hisrashlus b’avodah, a general weakening in the commitment to religious obligations.

The Chofetz Chaim would talk of a similar situation in ikvesa deMeshicha, the period leading up to the arrival of Moshiach. He would say that prior to Moshiach’s arrival, chizuk and encouragement for Torah would decline. But there would be a few resolute individuals who would fight battles on behalf of Torah. He foretold that while they might be few, they would be effective.

Every one of us can be among those few. We can dedicate our efforts to fighting the battle of Torah, halacha, kedusha and tahara.

We don’t always realize that there is an ongoing battle against shomrei and lomdei Torah. If you read between the lines of public declarations and articles, even those from religious people, you can often discern that they despise those who devote their lives to Torah study and live among like-minded people, leaving behind the enticements of the greater world and its institutions of higher learning. They pounce when they think they have found a fault and propagandize against us. They create issues to paint us all in a bad light to assuage any guilty feelings and emptiness in the hearts of those who have slackened in their halachic observance.

The State of Israel, under its current leftist government, is engaged in a full-fledged battle against all that we hold dear. It is not hyperbole to say that they are determined to ruin kashrus in the Jewish state, undermine Shabbos, make a mockery of the conversion process, starve kollel people, and destroy everything Jewish about the Jewish state. The battle to allow Reform and Conservative services at the Kosel is only the first step of a campaign to equate the status of those who have directed millions of Jews from Judaism to those who follow the laws, rules and customs that define Judaism and who is a Jew.

Yet, by and large, we stand idly by and don’t get involved in the battle. Many ignore what is going on, and most who follow the developments read of the battles with a feeling of resignation and detachment. We don’t take the situation to heart and don’t inquire to find out what we can do to stop the debasement and defilement of the Holy Land.

But there are yechidim who do. As the government cuts support for kollel families, people on our side of the ocean step up their financial involvement, pumping tens of millions of dollars into Israeli yeshivos and kollelim. As the government battles kedusha, organizations such as Lev L’Achim expand the gevulei kedusha, bringing more children and families tachas kanfei haShechinah every day.

In this country as well, heroic people are working to expand and fortify the growing tents of Torah. Singular people committed to a goal have raised and given unprecedented amounts of money to support the kollel of Bais Medrash Govoah, the greatest citadel of Torah today. These people are expending much time and energy to accomplish a historic feat. In a time when we hear lots of complaints about the wealthy, it may be a good idea to keep in mind that we should not generalize. Among them are remarkable people who tremendously raised the musogim of giving to Torah causes.

When the Chofetz Chaim foresaw the onslaught against the Torah way of life and the many battles and threats it would endure, he also saw good people of our generation giving their all to bolster Torah and its people.

On Chanukah, we celebrate the Chashmonaim and their mesirus nefesh for kedusha. They rose to restore a nation that was having its light source blocked. They were the me’atim, the tzaddikim, the tehorim, the people who performed Hashem’s service in the Bais Hamikdosh and in the bais medrash. And they themselves fought the battles and did what needed to be done.

Too often, we look in the wrong places for saviors and salvation, not knowing that the solution is within us. If we improve ourselves and make ourselves worthy, we can overcome whatever stands in our way. And if it isn’t us who can accomplish the goal, we can assist those who can. It is very difficult to work in a vacuum. Those intrepid souls who do so need all the help and support they can get. And you don’t necessarily need to be blessed with financial recourses to be able to affect change.

A very wealthy philanthropist lost his fortune and went to the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Yoel Teitelbaum, to share his pain. The rebbe comforted him. “It’s a difficult nisayon,” he said, “but now you have been given a new role, a new shlichus. Now you will demonstrate for others how to assist mosdos even if you don’t have money. You will help raise money, you will develop good ideas, and you will utilize your connections and business acumen. By doing so, you will show that anyone can be a tomeich Torah.”

A heartbroken almanah shared her tale of woe with Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky, the famed rov of Vilna. Her husband had been a wealthy industrialist and was a patron of yeshivos. His business went into a downward spiral and, before he knew what had happened, he was left with an empty bank account. He died shortly thereafter from a broken heart.

The woman told the rov that she went to visit her son, who was learning in a prominent yeshiva, and was appalled by the squalor in which the bochurim were living. After listening to her problems, Rav Chaim Ozer said to her, “It’s your fault.”

The woman reacted with astonishment to the charge. Rav Chaim Ozer explained, “You and your husband were generous and caring friends of yeshivos, and then, unfortunately, you were no longer able to give money. You thought that you were absolved of your obligation to support Torah, but that isn’t true.”

He continued, “You can still do so much. Here,” he said, handing her a sum of money, “take this and buy straw. I’m sure that with your determination, you will be able to get sacks donated. We can fill them with the straw and the bochurim will have new beds to sleep on. Go with hatzlocha. You can still do so much.”

The almanah left, not just with money, but with a new mission in life.

There are many missions for the taking. There are causes waiting for champions.

The miracle of Chanukah that we celebrate is primarily that of the tiny flask that burned longer than was thought to be realistically possible. The menorah’s lights signify that the power of light overcame the power of darkness. The oil lasting longer than one day signifies that if you expend the effort and work bemesirus nefesh, physical rules will not apply.

Take a look around you and you will see people who overcame the odds, building Torah where no one thought it was possible, restoring lives others had given up on, and fighting abuse that people thought was part of life. We see teachers touching souls and impacting them forever. We see righteous men and women not taking no for an answer, standing up to an apathetic society, and awakening people’s consciences. We see people rallying to fight for those who have been wronged.

We see people working with selfless dedication and are amazed that it seems as if logic and the laws of nature don’t apply to them. They tread where no one has dared step before, and they succeed where lesser people vowed that success was impossible.

Many others worked alone, mocked and derided as failing dreamers, yet they placed their faith in Hashem and lived to see much success. We can all have that impact if we discover our mission and set out to right wrongs and make the world a better place. We have to light the spark lesheim Shomayim. Hashem does the rest.

If each of us would internalize the lesson of the Chashmonaim, we could free ourselves from much oppression.

As we light the menorah, we should remember the lesson of the Chashmonaim, and of the gedolim, roshei yeshiva, admorim, rabbonim, mechanchim and mechanchos who have led us on a path of greatness and be motivated to do what we can to complete their missions and ours.

Rav Yitzchok Blazer would relate from his rebbi, Rav Yisroel Salanter, that on Chanukah, it is forbidden to be sad. If someone would tell Rav Yisroel something depressing, he would respond, “Shhh. On Chanukah it is forbidden to say hespeidim and be despondent.”

How can a person be unhappy on the Yom Tov that commemorates Hashem helping those who actively place their faith in Him? The menorah reminds us of the successes of those who refused to be depressed or suppressed throughout the ages.

The mitzvah is to have the faith to get the fire lit. How long it stays lit, how much light it brings, and how much darkness it chases away is up to Hashem.

Let’s get committed. Let’s get to work. Let us strike the match. Hashem will do the rest.

Ah freilichen Chanukah.