Parashat Vayikra by Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

Pearls of the Parashah - "Is it possible for a Jewish soul to sin?"

"Young children begin their study of the Chumash with the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus) (Vayikra Rabbah 7:3 and Tanchuma Tzav 14), because children represent the breath of the mouth that contains no sin (Shabbat 119b; see also Torah 282), which is the secret of the Cherubim. The Etz Chaim states that the Cherubim preceded the entire creation of the world; this is brought in Tanna Devei Eliyahu (Rabbah, Chapter 31). He (the Etz Chaim) says this preceded Adam Kadmon (Primordial Man)—it preceded everything. The Arizal brings in the introduction that the Cherubim are prior to Adam Kadmon. And this is the meaning of the verse (in Parashat Naso, Numbers 7:89), 'And Moses heard the voice speaking from between the two Cherubim'—this indicates the proximity, that Moses heard the voice speaking specifically from between the two Cherubim." (Perhaps the intention is that the Voice reaches the Cherubim before it reaches Moses Rabbeinu).

"If a person speaks about someone, about a friend, about a fellow Jew, he is obligated to fast—for a Jew, one week, and for a friend, two weeks. He should not eat, (only regret and think): How did a slip of the tongue against a Jew escape my mouth? There was Yaakov Ze'ev Barzevsky; he walked on foot to Uman from Poland and returned on foot to the Land of Israel. He did everything on foot. As a small child, before his Bar Mitzvah, he already walked from Poland to Uman, some thousand kilometers. There were pogroms, (and he arrived in Uman) amidst the pogroms. There is a prophecy that Rebbe Nathan said there would be a Rosh Hashanah where only ten people would arrive. He was the tenth one who arrived, after candle lighting, because of the pogroms. (Even though they threw him into a pit of corpses), he continued walking; he was forbidden to stop on the way."

"Then the 'Bandes' (Ukrainian nationalist militants) detained Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Bender (zt"l) together with two others. They (had already) said Vidui (confession prayer). The Bandes released the two others—suddenly released them—but kept him (Rabbi Levi Yitzchak). When the others reached the nearby city, in that very city, the militants killed all the Jews. They could still see the dust from the horsemen who killed the Jews there; they slaughtered every Jew. They understood that by being detained there for four hours, they were saved, because they hadn't entered the city. This is like the story (in Berachot 60b) with Rabbi Akiva and the rooster (where because the rooster died, the soldiers did not discover him). So, one cannot know—Jews went through the Bandes, went through Holocausts; we have no comprehension of these Jews. In general, a Jew who went through the Holocaust, went through the Bandes—we have no grasp of it, we know nothing. Regarding such a Jew, even if we live for billions of years, we will have no comprehension of what those fears were, what it meant to survive day and night through it all."

"In any case, we are telling the story of Yaakov Barzevsky. We mentioned now that he walked to Uman twice. The first time was at age 13 during the time of the Bandes, and afterward, he walked to the Land of Israel via Poland, Romania, Turkey, Syria—he did it all on foot. There is a sea that is one kilometer wide—the narrowest point is a kilometer—so one only needs to cross that section. Like this, he walked until the Land of Israel; such was his mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice). So, (once) a word slipped out (about a friend), and he could not calm down. Even (after) he went to the Beit Midrash to comfort that (friend), he (himself) did not want to be appeased. (Even when the friend told him), 'Calm down, let's make up, you didn't do anything,' (he said), 'I cannot calm down. How did I do such a thing?' (The friend said), 'But I forgive you?' (And he replied), 'But I do not forgive myself.'"

"This is how it should be. (Even if the friend I spoke about says) 'I forgive,' (the one who spoke should say), 'But I do not forgive myself. How can I even say a word about a friend? How is it possible that I would say a word to a friend? I do not forgive myself.' (Even if) the other person (whom I pained) forgave within a second, (and if so, one might think), 'Okay, I said a word to him, he forgave, (and we are again) friends.' (Even if the friend tells him), 'It's okay, it could happen to me too,' (he says), 'But I do not forgive myself!' This is the point! For such a thing, he cannot forgive himself."

"R' Shmuel Horowitz told me an explanation. (The verse) says 'If a soul shall sin'—Vi kumt a Yiddishe nefesh gezindikt? (How does a Jewish soul come to sin?) How can a Jew sin at all? 'If a soul shall sin'—is it possible for a Jewish soul to sin?"

"Now we are in Parashat Vayikra. The soul is a portion of God from above. (The verse continues and says), 'And heard the voice of an oath' (kolah)—durch gehert dem kol fun Har Sinai—she heard the voice from Mount Sinai, she heard the voice of the oath from Mount Sinai."

"'Love your neighbor as yourself' (is like) all Ten Commandments. (And you shall love) includes the entire Torah. So if, at the very least, you don't like it when people say a word to you, then don't say a word to another. What is 'Love your neighbor as yourself'? A person might say, 'How do I know that this is insulting?' (But truly) you know! (If) this were done to you, would it be insulting? If they said such a word to you, would you be insulted? 'No, no, I wouldn't be insulted.' (But the truth is that when) they say it to you, you will be insulted, only they haven't said it to you yet (so you imagine you wouldn't be insulted). I am not telling you to love the friend more than yourself, (but only) 'as yourself.' What is hateful to you, do not do to your friend—this is the whole Torah. (As is told in the Gemara, Shabbat 31a, that) a convert came to Hillel. A convert came to Hillel wanting to learn the whole Torah while standing on one foot. Shammai chased him away: 'On one foot? Are you crazy?'"

"And truly, R' Tzadok of Lublin writes that the souls of converts are greater than all other souls. He says that Rabbi Akiva was the son of converts, and the Torah could only be transmitted through him, because the souls of converts are the highest of all souls. Rabbi Meir (was a descendant of) Nero Caesar. R' Tzadok writes that the souls of converts are the highest, and therefore it was necessary specifically to bring Rabbi Akiva, who would be born to Yosef the Convert, and then he could receive the entire Torah. For only a convert possesses the lowliness, the humility, and the shame. A regular Jew has no shame; on the contrary, he insults the other even more. Like Rabbi Akiva who expounded 'Love your neighbor as yourself' (this is a great rule in the Torah)—it was Rabbi Akiva who said to love the other. To love the other is the first rule."

Pearls of the Haftarah - "A Jew was created only to sing, praise, and thank Hashem Yitbarach."

"A person must know to sing to Hashem in prayer, melodies during Kaddish, to sing to Hashem for the miracles. Every day we see miracles, every second we see miracles, every minute we see wonders. So a person must sing without ceasing about the miracles, 'For Your miracles that are with us every day and for Your wonders.' To see miracles, not to fall into despair, to see new miracles every second, 'For Your miracles,' to see miracles and wonders. Every moment a person lies in bed (out of despair thinking that) he won't have a miracle."

"The entire purpose of a Jew's creation is only to sing, praise, and thank Hashem Yitbarach. For this he was created, and it is a tremendous wisdom that he is able to sing and praise Hashem Yitbarach. He cannot just simply sing and praise and testify to His existence, may He be blessed, to testify to the miracles of Hashem Yitbarach. And this is the secret of 'Whoever elaborates on the story of the Exodus from Egypt is praiseworthy.' For whoever recounts more miracles merits to see more miracles. According to how much he prolongs the Seder night until the light of morning, telling of the miracles and wonders, so too he merits that miracles and wonders that never existed before are revealed to him. Because Hashem wants to perform miracles and wonders in every generation that have never occurred before, and all of this now depends on the joy of Pesach, on the mochin (spiritual consciousness) of Pesach that are received on the Seder night and are drawn down throughout the seven days."

"So the essence of all creation is only to testify about the Creator, as it is written, 'This people I formed for Myself; they shall recite My praise' (Isaiah 43:21). A person was created only to praise Hashem, only to thank Hashem, only to sing before Hashem—this is his entire creation. And prayer is the thanksgiving; this is it—prayer is the true acknowledgment (Hoda'ah) where he enjoys singing to Hashem Yitbarach."

The Chiddushei HaRim (the first Rebbe of Ger) had a gigantic door fall on him six months before his passing (histalkus). He had asked the gabbaim to fix the door, but they didn't listen to him. Somehow, when he returned—he was at some place and said, 'I am returning soon, fix the door,' but they didn't listen—as he returned, the door fell on him and injured, crushed his entire leg. He lay for six months until his passing in excruciating agony. The doctors said they had never seen such suffering in the world. They told him, 'Rebbe, you are exempt from prayer.' He said, 'I am exempt from prayer? The only thing keeping me alive is prayer! This is the only thing from which I have vitality. (Only) this is what still gives me life, what holds me together in this suffering. Only prayer holds me together in this suffering. If not for prayer, I would not withstand this suffering. I pray, sing to Hashem, thank Hashem, believe in Hashem—only this holds me together in these sufferings.'"

"(It is necessary) for a person to reach the level where he feels that only prayer gives him life. What does it mean 'exempt from prayer'? (A person has all kinds of excuses): 'Now I am tired,' 'Now I have no strength to get up.' (But one must feel that) this is the only thing that gives life to a person, that sustains a person. 'This people I formed for Myself; they shall recite My praise.' (If so), how can a person get up late? How can he miss a prayer? How is such a thing even possible? For this, for this prayer was created; this is the only strengthening force in life. So, 'This people I formed for Myself; they shall recite My praise.' And through the exile in Egypt, they were refined in the 'Iron Furnace,' and in everything through which the Jewish people were refined, they were refined in the Iron Furnace—it was all (so that) they would be able to sing songs of praise (so that 'they shall recite My praise')."

Courtesy of Kevavas Shamrem Newsletter - 058-500-63-18