D'Var Torah - Parshas Emor - 5762      

When we reap our harvest, the Torah commands us to leave some of the crops remaining in the field, so that the poor can gather them for themselves(Lev 23:22). We can never become so wrapped up in our business or careers that we forget our responsibility to protect the lives and well being of others. We must realize that this is why Hashem (G-d) gave us the resources that we have as the following true story illustrates: 

        As soon as Rabbi Aharon Kotler escaped to the United States at the beginning of the Second World War, he established the famous wartime Vaad Hatzalah (Rescue Committee) which all through the war kept alive many refugees in Europe, Russia, and Shanghai. Rabbi Kotler went to the American Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Henry Morgenthau, a Jew, and asked for his assistance.

        Accompanied by an interpreter, Mr. Irving Bunim, to translate his Yiddish into English, Rabbi Kotler pleaded to Mr. Morgenthau for government cooperation in the rescue work.

        "If I am seen to favor my Jewish brethren, I will soon be out of office," said Mr. Morgenthau.

        To this Rav Aharon told the interpreter to reply: "Saving Jewish lives is more important than holding even twenty positions like yours."

        At first the interpreter refused to translate these words. Noticing the argument, Mr. Morgenthau insisted that he be told what Rabbi Kotler had said, and the interpreter acquiesced. Rabbi Kotler's reply so impressed him that he said, "If so, I will do my utmost and face the consequences."

        As it turned out, Mr. Morgenthau's efforts proved invaluable in setting up the War Refugee Board, and he continued in office until after the death of President Roosevelt, who had appointed him. [Submitted by Rabbi Berel Simpser, Des Moines Kollel]

 

Dedicated in loving memory of Yosef ben Simcha, by his brother Dr. Al Salganick.
 
D'Var Torah - Parshas Emor - 5761
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman

Alexander the Great sought conquest of Cartagina, a city of women. A delegation was sent to meet him saying, "You have no glory to gain here, and everything to lose. If you conquer us, it won't be thought of as a big deal because you just beat a bunch of women. If you lose to us, it will certainly be a humiliation for you to be beaten by women." Alexander understood this and was so impressed that he procalimed, "I Alexander was a fool until I came to Cartagina and took advise from the women." (Vayikra Rabbah Emor 27:1) They taught him a life lesson and he absorbed it. Alexander understood the value of wisdom, he understood that a new insight becomes part of you and changes you into a different person forever. He realized this to such an extent that he considered himself beforehand to be a fool in comparison to the wise man that he was now. He appreciated that the absorbtion of one insight is like the difference between fool and wise man.

A Rabbi once said to the Vilna Gaon, "We were both together in cheder (school), then yeshiva, yet I turned out to be a regular Rabbi and you turned out to be the great Vilna Gaon. What did you do different?" The Gaon said to the man, "Did you ever the learn the gemorah that says, 'One who learns a tractate 100 times is no comparison to one who learns it 101 times.'?" Yes replied the Rabbi. "Did you believe it?" "Of course I did!" Well then that's the difference," answered the Gaon, "I didn't."

DVAR TORAH: Emor

“You shall not desecrate My holy Name, I shall be sanctified amidst the children of Israel. I am the L-rd Who sanctifies you, Who took you out of the land of Egypt…” (Lev. 22:32-33)

 

Hashem (G-d) took us out of Egypt so that we may sanctify His holy Name. When we exert ourselves for Hashem’s honor, He does miraculous things for us as the following true story illustrates:

 

One day Reb Yitzchok, a winemaker, struggled to earn a meager living. He was walking home after a hard day gathering grapes in the fields of Troyes, France, when he noticed a shiny object on the ground. He picked it up and saw it was a stone. He figured it must be worth at least a few francs. It would make a nice present for his wife Miriam. He always sought ways to make her happy, particularly in light of the sadness in their lives of having no children after years of marriage.

 

He presented the stone to his wife who said, “Yitzchok, thank you so much; but this looks like a precious stone, not just a trinket. It is probably worth a hundred francs (a lot of money in those days). Let me sell it in town tomorrow. You can buy me another stone for a few francs and we can use the rest to put food on our table.”

 

She went to the local jeweler and was shocked to discover that the stone was worth a hundred thousand francs! They were now the wealthiest couple in the entire Champagne region of France. In an effort to find a buyer who could afford this stone, they put the word out far and wide.

 

Before too long, there was a knock on their door. It was a soldier of the emperor himself. The emperor desired just such a stone and was ready to pay top franc for it. Life was looking good.

 

“The emperor requests that you accompany us to personally hand the jewel over to him and receive your payment. The jewel shall adorn the emperor’s idol, which is missing the jewel from one of its eyes. The emperor is very excited that your exquisite jewel will fit perfectly. We sail tomorrow morning.”

 

Reb Yitzchok was now filled with fear and trepidation. There was no way he could allow his jewel to be used for idolatry, but you didn’t say no to the emperor – not if you wanted to live.

 

He spent the night praying and tearfully beseeching Hashem for a way out of his dilemma. The next morning he showed up at the boat. No inspiration had come to him.

 

After days of sailing, he got an idea. Reb Yitzchok began loudly bragging to all the sailors about the great treasure he was about to bring to the emperor and the great reward he as about to receive. Standing by the side of the ship, he held the jewel high for all to see. Suddenly, the ship rocked and the jewel flung from his hand into the sea where it plummeted down, lost forever.

 

Reb Yitzchok began wailing hysterically, “My jewel, my jewel. I was going to please the emperor. I was going to be a wealthy man. Woe is me now.”  He threw himself down to the floor and began kicking his hands and feet and weeping uncontrollably and inconsolably. The imperial officers looked on at the pathetic scene.

 

When they arrived, they told the emperor all that had transpired on the boat. Although he could just as easily had him killed, the emperor felt pity for Reb Yitzchok and ordered him to be sent home. Little did anyone suspect that Reb Yizchok had actually staged this entire ‘accident.’

 

Upon arrival home in France, Reb Yitzchok was approached by an old man at the port who grabbed his arm and said, “You threw your precious jewel to honor Hashem (G-d), by this time next year your wife will give you a son who will be a precious jewel unequaled in all of the world.”

 

Before Reb Yitzchok could see who the man was, he had disappeared into the crowd. For the rest of his days, Reb Yitzchok was convinced that the old man was none other than Eliyahu Hanavi (Elijah The Prophet); for within a year, a son was born. The boy was named Shlomo and grew up to be Rav Shlomo Yitzchaki, who is still famous to this day; though he is better known by the acronym - Rashi.

 

Dedicated in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Joshua Okrent of Seattle by his uncle Steven Moss.

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