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Brought to you by Naaleh.comVolume 4 Number 34

Dedicated in memory of Rachel Leah bat R' Chaim Tzvi

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Hashem created man in His image. Just as He “Noten lechem l’chol basar,” gives sustenance to all of his creations, we should train ourselves to become givers.

In Kuntres Hachesed, the Michtav M’Eliyahu speaks about the love a man should have for his wife. The Gemara in Yevamot says that one should love his wife as much as he loves himself and respect her more than himself. The Torah already commanded, “V’ahavta l’reaicha kamocha.” Why is ahavat ishto a unique obligation? The Michtav M’Eliyahu explains that it’s a means of expressing gratitude for all the good a wife does. Is this really the purpose of marriage?

The Gemara says, an unmarried man lives

without simcha (joy), bracha (blessing), and tova (good). The highest level of simcha can only be attained through a wife. Bracha comes through the home. It says, “Lo tov heyot ha’adam l’vado.” It is not good for man to be alone. In order to grow and work on himself, a man needs a wife. He can only come to sheleimut (perfection) through marriage. Each spouse complements the other. Completion in marriage is achieved through love, and love entails giving.

The Gemara puts love for one’s wife before respect. The Rambam puts respect before love to teach us that if one respects his wife more than himself, he will come to love her. When taking overpowers giving, when both ask “How much will I get?” then the marriage

falters.

Does love bring a person to give or does giving give rise to love? Contrary to popular belief, one can only love a person if one gives. A person can come to the level of nedivut, of being content with himself and trusting Hashem, by becoming a giver. A person should drive himself to help others in all situations. He should work on being grateful. Gratitude is a prerequisite to giving which brings to love.

Give of yourself and don’t look for recom-pense. It will come. And if it doesn’t, you will have become a greater, giving, person.

Self Mastery: A Study of Michtav M’Eliyahu – Giving and Taking #4Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Yitzchak Cohen

In Parshat Vayeira, Hashem sends three angels to visit Avraham and Sarah. Each comes with a mission. One was charged with telling Avraham that he would have a son. This seems strange as when Hashem commanded Avraham to circumcise himself, He already told Avraham he would have Yitzchak. What was the angel’s message?

The Shem Mishmuel explains that Avraham was the epitome of chesed (kindness). The promise of Yitzchak, who personified din (justice), came to Avraham during his recuperation from his brit milah (circumcision). The Shem Mishmuel quotes the Baal Hame’or who explains that milah falls under the mitzvah of “U’be’arta hara mikerbecha. You shall remove the evil from within you.” The destruction of impurity, the removal of the orlah (foreskin), is a manifestation of din.

Avraham believed in the spark of goodness within every person. No matter how evil a person may be, he can be redeemed with love and kindness. Avraham prayed for the cruel people of Sedom even though they had

no saving grace. Yet Hashem said they had to be destroyed. He gave Avraham the mitzvah of milah so that he might realize that despite the great potential of man there are some people, as the Rambam writes, who lose their humanity completely and have to be destroyed.

Hashem told Avraham, “Hit’halech lefanai vehai tamim.” Walk before me and you will be perfect. Avraham’s display of chesed had to be tempered with justice. Circumcising himself, decimating evil and thereby integrating din within himself, would bring him to perfection. When Avraham learned this lesson he merited to have Yitzchak.

Yitzchak’s name comes from the root word tzechok, laughter. The tzechok of Yitzchak was the sweetening of his din. Chesed produces the joy of tzechok and he was given this name to modify his fundamental tendencies of gevurah. Because Avraham successfully integrated chesed and din, Yitzchak too was able to achieve this balance.

Some people have a tendency for chesed and some for din but there needs to be a balance of both. We must be firm at times and bend and give in at other times. Knowing the proper medium is a part of the greatness of the Jew and the Torah.

While Avraham represented chesed, Sarah signified din. We see this with the story of Yishamel. Avraham was reluctant to send him away, while Sarah insisted that he leave. Avraham attained din by fulfilling the mitzvah of brit milah. However, Sarah still needed to reach a level of chesed. In a prophetic way, she achieved this by serving the meal to the angels. Sarah baked the bread, usually eaten by day, which signifies chesed. She brought out the milk and butter which are white, the color of kindness. By mitigating din with chesed she could now give birth to Yitzchak.

May each of us in our own lives find the correct balance of chesed and din so that we will be worthy to sanctify Hashem’s name.

Chassidut on the Parsha: Parshat Vayeira – Chessed and DinBased on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Hershel Reichman

visit us online at: www.naaleh.com | for questions, suggestions, or dedication opportunities, email contact@naaleh.com 2

Brought to you by Naaleh.comVolume 4 Number 34

Dedicated in memory of Rachel Leah bat R' Chaim Tzvi

Help support Naaleh by searching the web! For more information visit www.iGive/Naaleh.com & www.iSearchiGive/Naaleh.com

The blessings of the morning were enacted by the sages to praise Hashem for various abilities, gifts, and opportunities He gives us each day. They were initially meant to be recited in conjunction with specific events. For example, the Gemara tells us that when a person hears a rooster he must make the bracha, “Hanoten l’sechvi binah.” When he opens his eyes, he must say, “Pokeach ivrim.” The common practice today, as already recorded by early authorities, is to recite all of the blessings together at the beginning of davening.

Some translate sechvi as a rooster and some say it means the heart. We praise Hashem for the ability to discern between day and night. Therefore, the Kitzur says this bracha should not be recited before the appearance of the amud hashachar, an hour and twenty minutes before daybreak. However, the Mishna Berura rules that if someone hears a rooster crow during the night one can say the bracha any time after chatzot (midnight).

In Pokeach ivrim we praise Hashem for the gift of vision. One who is blind still says the bracha because he benefits from the ability of others who can see. We learn from here the importance of expressing gratitude. Obviously the blind person would prefer to see on his own. Still he is obligated to express thanks for benefiting from others.

If a person mistakenly said Zokef kefufim before Matir assurim he is not obligated to say Matir assurim afterwards. Since one has already thanked Hashem for straightening up, there’s no need to express gratitude for the gift of mobility.

The last bracha of Hama’avir sheina concludes with Hagomel chasadim. It appears mistakenly as two separate paragraphs in

many siddurim, when in fact it is really one long blessing. We thank Hashem not only for awakening from sleep, but for giving us the energy to move on with the day. We ask Hashem that the day be productive, that we should be involved in Torah, and that Hashem should protect us. We conclude with praise to Hashem for bestowing kindness upon us.

What does Hagomel chasadim tovim mean? Isn’t all chesed good? A bad chesed is when a person was sick and Hashem sent him a speedy recovery. It’s when a person had financial problems and now he’s back on his feet. But chasadim tovim is when the problem never occurred in the first place. We must appreciate what we have while we still have it.

What brachot can one recite if one was up all night? The Kitzur rules that one can recite all the blessings except Al netilat yadayim. The practice in such a case is to wash ones hands six times without saying the bracha. The Mishna Berura rules that if one went to the bathroom one can say it together with Asher yatzar. The bracha of Elokai neshama is questionable. Some say that one can say it. Others disagree. The same question arises with the bracha of Hama’avir sheina. The halacha is safek brachot l’hakel. When in doubt in regard to recitation of a blessing, one doesn’t say the bracha. Saying Birchat HaTorah after being awake all night is also debatable. Here too one doesn’t recite the bracha when in doubt. The best solution would be to go to shul, listen to someone else’s brachot, and answer amen.

If a person forgot to recite Birchot Hashachar, there is a dispute among the authorities whether one can say them after davening. With the exception of Al netilat yadayim and Elokai neshama, the Kitzur says one can recite them. Rav Shlomo Kluger rules that the Birchot Hashachar follow the rules of

Shemone Esrei, which ideally should be recited prior to the end of the fourth hour or at the very least prior to chatzot. Some say one can say them until sunset. The Gra held that the night follows the day regarding Birchot Hashachar, so if one didn’t say them during the day one could still say them at night.

There is a dispute among the authorities whether one says the bracha She’asa li kol tzarki on days when we don’t wear shoes. Those who follow nusach Ari, minhag Hagra, and minhag Sefard, do not recite it. Those who follow the Ashkenazic custom do say it. The Gra’s personal practice was to wait till Yom Kippur was over when he would put on his shoes and recite the bracha.

If one didn’t say Birchot HaTorah before davening one can rely on the blessing of Ahava Rabbah on condition that one immedi-ately learns something after davening. If one didn’t intend for Ahavah Rabbah to count instead of Birchot Hatorah, but did learn after davening, the Kitzur rules that one does not have to recite Birchot HaTorah again. However, most follow the Mishne Berurah that when in doubt, one should recite them again. However, it’s enough to say only the bracha of Asher bachar banu.

If a person is called up to the Torah before he recited Birchot HaTorah, if he could say at least one bracha and learn at least one verse, he should do so beforehand. If he can’t, he should go up to the Torah and say the blessings but omit Asher bachar banu when he recites the Birchat HaTorah afterwards.

Practical Judaism: Blessings of The Morning #11Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Ari Jacobson