Avraham vs. Tevye

The first of Avraham's ten נסיונות (trials) is contained in the first pasuk in Parshat Lech L'cha. Avraham had to leave all the comforts of his home and break out for a new life in Eretz Israel. This might be a little similar to the experience of a religious Zionist making aliyah from suburban America. No more Trader Joe's. Goodbye Target and Netflix. HaShem wants me to live in Israel and I will give up these creature comforts for the sake of the Lord. I do believe that life in the 21st century CE is a little easier than life in the 21st century BCE. Also, I would not have a wisp of a chance of passing this נסיון of Avraham, while he aced that test with flying colors.

The Ishbitzer Rebbe explains that Avraham had to forgo his affluent life in Charan - Avraham needed to focus on the מידה of שמח בחלקו.

We usually explain שמח בחלקו as being content with what you have. According to the Ishbitzer, it was not enough for Avraham to appreciating the good things in life - he had to be happy with what he had. We know that according to Hilkhot Tzedakkah, if someone asks you for money to help pay for their chauffeur - you are obligated to give them tzedakkah. Should Avraham ask for tzedakkah in Eretz Israel to help him live a similar life that he had in Charan? The Ishbitzer Rebbe takes this idea one step further, what should Avraham ask from HaShem? What level of basic needs and פרנסה should Avraham daven for? This was Avraham's נסיון, not only did he need to be content with his new frugal lifestyle, he had to be happy and to thank HaShem for whatever material well being he had.

The Ishbitzer uses this explanation of Avraham's נסיון to explain the pasuk when Avraham returned from Mitzrayim.

Bereshit 13:2 "Abram was very rich (כבד מאד), with livestock, silver and gold"

R. Aryeh Kaplan brilliantly translates the phrase "כבד מאד" as, very rich. However, literally the phrase means, very heavy. The Ishbitzer states that Avraham was weighed down by all of his newfound wealth which completely contradicted his new outlook on life as a result of the first נסיון. After adjusting to a spartan lifestyle and to be genuinely happy and satisfied, Avraham felt that being wealthy was an actual burden.

One final note - the Ishbitzer's explanation of כבד מאד contradicts one of my favorite lines from Fiddle on the Roof. I will paraphrase Tevye who said, "If money is a curse, may HaShem smite me and may I never recover!"

Parshat BeShalach - Who is free and who is a slave?

One of my favorite divrei Torah of the Ishbitzer Rebbe from the Mei HaShiloach appears in Parshat BeShalach. The Parshah is discussing the journey that B’nei Israel takes from Mitzraim to the famed Yam Suf. The Torah states that HaShem did not want B’nei Israel to travel on the Plishtim road, which is the faster route to Eretz Israel. Instead they marched in a zigzag pattern making various stops along the way to Yam Suf. One of the cities that they camped near was called, “Pi HaCherut” which is translated as: The Entrance to Freedom. (Shemot 14:2)

In the next pasuk, Paroh realizes that he has allowed all of B’nei Israel to escape from Mitzraim and describes them as, “crazy in the desert.” He then girds his loins, and takes his army to chase after B’nei Israel which brings us to Kriat Yam Suf.

The Mei HaShiloach explains that this place was called Pi HaCherut because it was a city dedicated to hedonism. (Not unlike modern day Las Vegas. Although the phrase, “What happens in Pi HaCherut, stays in PiHaCherut,” doesn’t really flow.) The Mei HaShiloach continues and states that Paroh’s observation that B’nei Israel are, “crazy in the desert,” does not refer to their circuitous march. Rather this phrase refers to the contrast between the inhabitants of Pi HaCherut and B’nei Israel.

B’nei Israel have already begun the process of accepting the yoke of Torah and Mitzvot. They have already begun to limit their choices in life - for example, they will only eat kosher food, and they will not practice adultery. B’nei Israel are crazy when compared to the population of Pi HaCherut. Why would anyone willingly choose to deny themselves physical pleasure?

The Mei HaShiloach emphasizes that in reality Paroh’s observation is completely wrong. The former slaves, B’nei Israel, are now showing their true freedom because they can choose what actions to take in life. Whereas, the free inhabitants of Pi HaCherut are actually slaves to their own physical desires.

I first read this piece by the Mei HaShiloach over ten years ago, but this powerful message has stayed with me since. True freedom is not an expression of freedom of action; true freedom is an expression of choice. Similar to the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot:

איזהו גיבור? הכובש את יצרו.
Who are strong people? Those who can control their passions.

Shabbat Shalom

Photo Credits - www.stockphotography.com

Gedolei Yisrael - The Ishbitzer Rebbe

My son actually has a once a week class at his school called Gedolei Yisrael (I believe that the class is actually pronounced in an Israeli accent and not in Ashkenazus) where they learn about a different great Rabbi every week. So I thought I should do a Kabbalah u’Madda version - no rationalist non-mystics allowed. (Don’t worry I will go back and discuss the great rabbinic mystics that were mentioned in earlier posts. For example, Ramban, R. Tzaddok and others.)

The Ishbitzer Rebbe is R. Mordechai Leiner (1801-1854) and his sefer that he wrote is called the Mei HaShiloach (The Running Waters). Actually, his sefer was written by his talmidim and is based on divrei Torah that he gave either on Shabbat morning or at Seudat Shlishit.

(It is common amongst seforim “written” by Chassidic Rebbes, that they were actually written by their talmidim. The best example of Chassidic ghost-writing is R. Nachman of Breslav. R. Nachman only wrote Likkutei Maharan, and the other billions and billions (said in a Carl Sagan accent) of Breslover seforim were actually written by his talmidim - most notably R. Nosson.)

The Ishbitzer Rebbe was one of the main talmidim of the Kotzker Rebbe - R. Menachem Mendel of Kotzk. The Kotzker had a number of well known talmidim and he was known for his uncompromising approach to all aspects of life and his acerbic wit. The Kotzker is certainly worthy of his own post as a Gadol b’Yisrael (Israel?) and I will discuss him at a later date.

I would emphasize two aspects of the Ishbitzer Rebbe's divrei Torah:

• He often has very creative insights to the Parshah and Torah ideas.
  

• He will often justify the actions of the רשעים the wicked personalities in the Chumash. See his explanation of the stick gatherer (איש מקושש) in Bamidbar 15:32,
  

This second aspect often made his ideas controversial and not coincidentally R. Shlomo Carlebach z"l was a big fan of his sefer. The Mei HaShiloach is a two volume sefer, mainly on the Parsha but also contains some ideas on shas. His descendants would later create Radzhyner Chasidut.