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D'Var Torah - Shavuos - 5764
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman
3316 years ago, Hashem (G-d) gave us the most precious gift
- The Torah. We became Hashem's nation and He has watched over us ever
since. We need to train ourselves to be grateful (Hakaras Hatov) for all the
big things and all the little things Hashem does for us as the following
true stories illustrate:
An Ezer Mizion ambulance driver, Eli spends most of his day transporting
sick and handicapped people to hospitals, medical appointments or other
destinations. After dropping a patient off one morning at Hadassah Hospital
in Ein Karem, Eli was approached by a man who asked him if he was heading
towards central Jerusalem.
Eli said yes, and offered the man a ride. During the drive, Eli found out
that the man travels from Hadassah Hospital to central Jerusalem every
morning.
A few days later, Eli was in Hadassah again, and another man came over to
him. "Did you give someone a ride from here to central Jerusalem a few days
ago?" the man asked.
"Yes," Eli recalled.
"That person was my brother," said the man, "and you saved his life. My
brother takes the #19 bus every morning from Hadassah. Because he got a ride
with you, he didn’t take his usual bus the morning of the #19 bus bomb …"
I heard the following from Mrs. Ros Dimenstein: When Reb Zushia was beset
with stabbing pangs of hunger, he would thank G-d for a healthy appetite
because someone who doesn't experience hunger when he doesn't eat could,
nebach, be ill. We should all think of that next time we complain that
dinner is 5 minutes late!
D'Var Torah - Shavuos
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman
Rabbenu Yeruchem Levovitz used to say that every person, regardless of
his level of understanding, has the ability to derive pleasure from his Torah
studies. Just as great sages like Rabbi Akiva and the Vilna Gaon derived
pleasure from their level, so too a young child can appreciate what he studies
on his own level. That is one of the greatest beauties of the depth of Torah.
This is not true of any other work.
When the Jews stood on Har Sinai, they
proclaimed in unison, "naaseh v'nishmah (we will do and we will learn)," meaning
that the Jews agreed to obey the Torah before they knew everything it said. How
is it that they signed on the dotted line, before reading the contract? The
Talmudic scholar Rava explained that the Jews loved and trusted G-d like a child
trusts his mother. A child doesn't doubt that anything the mother gives him/her
is good for him/her. We knew that if Hashem was giving it, then it had to be
good and there is no need to first see what it says. When we learn Torah we can
feel that excitement as if we are standing at Har Sinai for the first
time.
Rav Dovid Leibowitz came to America from
Eastern Europe in the 1920s and founded the Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva in 1933. At
that time America was in the middle of the Great Depression. People told him
that Americans were not interested in the 'European style' of Torah study. Many
European Jews cast off religiousity when they arrived at the shores of the new
country. Those who had any interest in Torah study could at most handle a light
fare of Torah.
Reb Dovid refused to accept such a short
sell of the ablility of the American student and of the capacity of Torah to be
learned in its fullest depth, breadth and brilliance in any time, place or
mileau. He pushed forward with the vision that Torah could and would flourish -
even in America -the Triefe Medina.
As Reb Dovid believed, the American boys,
who seemed by all standards to be inferior to their European counterparts were
drawn to Torah and ignited by its flame. As a result, his students and student's
students were inspired to became great Torah scholars and dedicated their lives
teaching Torah to hundreds of thousands of Jews throughout the United States and
around the world.
D'Var Torah - Shavuos: 5760
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman
We all wish that we could see miracles today like they saw in the Bible.
What an inspiration that would be to us. The greatest and most
significant biblical event is the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The
mountain was smoking, not to mention floating in the air, the letters of
G-d's words took fiery form and were visible to all, each letter wearing
a crown. Blind people had their vision restored. The Jews were so moved
that they literally died of fright to be revived by Moshe and Aharon.
Miracle upon miracle, each more and more amazing. Would that we could see
such miracles today. The Noda B'Yehuda tells us that today we are
witnessing a far greater miracle. As the Torah was being given, each Jew
had one nagging thought in his heart, "I am here, being inspired by the
miraculous Sinai experience. I will certainly be propelled by this event
and follow the Torah for the rest of my life. But what about after my
life, what about my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren
who are not alive now to see this. Will they have that same fire in their
hearts and follow the Torah?" They would have given anything to see what
would happen in the future. We can see now, that 3312 years later,
through exile and torment, Torah has not been forgotten, but in fact,
continues to flourish. This is the greatest miracle. The fire lives on.
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