Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei 5783

 “RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”

Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei – Parshas HaChodesh

Mevorchim Chodesh Nissan – Shabbos Chazak!

24 Adar 5783/March 17, 2023

 

לזכר נשמת נטע יצחק בן אלכסנדר ז"ל

NOSTALGIC ANTICIPATION

My first position in chinuch about two decades ago, was as an elementary school social worker in Yeshiva Bais HaChinuch in Spring Valley, NY. During those years, I taught a class about emotions vocabulary. It began with a discussion about the common emotions of mad, sad, glad, and bad. It then moved on to discussing more complicated emotions like disappointment, frustration, excitement, surprise, etc.

The final classes were about dual emotions and even conflicting emotions. The human experience is never clear cut and smooth sailing. Life entails balancing conflicting feelings of joy and sadness, often at the same time.

This past Shabbos, 18 Adar, our family marked the first yahrtzeit of my late father-in-law, Mr. Nathan Mermelstein a’h, Nuta Yitzchok ben Alexander. The following day was the hakamas matzeivah (unveiling).

Beforehand I discussed the event with our nine-year-old son Dovid. I told him that it would mostly be a sad event, but there would be a tinge of happiness as well. We are sad because we miss Zayda and would like to see and speak to him again. Yet, at the same time there is a tinge of comfort and happiness, knowing that he is free of pain, and enjoying his place in Olam Haba.

At the same time, this week is a special milestone for me. Two books that I worked on for some time have been published simultaneously. They are both already available in seforim stores in Eretz Yisroel and will iyH be available in American seforim stores imminently.

The first is entitled “Nostalgia for Eternity”, published by Feldheim. It contains a collection of lectures from my rebbe, Rabbi Berel Wein. The book contains a treasure trove of his ideas about many topics including prayer, Jewish pride, marriage, post-pandemic life, dealing with disappointments, and ideas about the Yomim Tovim of the year.

Rabbi Wein is renown throughout the Jewish world as a lecturer, author, historian and scholar. But for myself and countless others he is foremost our Rosh Yeshiva and rebbe. I was privileged to be part of the last class of Yeshiva Shaarei Torah to graduate with Rabbi Wein as its Rosh Yeshiva. That summer, the summer of 1997, Rabbi Wein and his Rebbitzin a”h made aliyah.

I always appreciated Rabbi Wein’s timeless insights, candid reflections about life, and his love for Torah, Eretz Yisroel and the Jewish People. But now, over 25 years later, I have a far deeper appreciation for the poignancy and accuracy of his messages.

Rabbi Wein often speaks fondly about his great Rabbeim and the Gedolim of the previous generation that he was privileged to know personally. He recounts that they imparted to his generation the need to appreciate being part of the eternal people and the responsibility it entails. He also speaks of our need to pridefully convey those messages to our progeny.

My goal in transcribing and adapting his lectures for print was to help others feel the nostalgia for eternity that Rabbi Wein evokes.

The other book is entitled the “Ateres Frumah - Striving Higher Haggadah”, published by Mosaica Press. The Haggadah contains a brief, running commentary on the Haggadah that allows the reader to understand the beautiful passages of the Haggadah as he reads them. There are also footnotes containing lengthier explanations and ideas, often with novel and contemporary stories and parables that help explain the words of the Haggadah.

Following the Haggadah section is a collection of essays about the Seder and Pesach, with a touch of (attempted) humor and (attempted) sophistication.

The fact that the Ateres Frumah Haggadah bears the name of my late beloved Bubby, Rebbetzin Frumah Kohn, makes it all the more endearing to me. I was privileged to have my Bubby in my life for almost four decades and that my children knew her as well. She serves as our link to a lost generation.

No book merges past, present and future quite like the Haggadah. Through its timeless words we are inspired by reading about the past, to anticipate and await a wonderful future. Grandparents and grandchildren sit around the Seder table symbolizing the bridging of generations.

My rebbe, Rabbi Wein teaches us to appreciate that we are a vital link in an eternal chain, an idea represented by the Haggadah. Our nostalgia for the greatness of the past, helps us yearn for the eternity of our future.

 

 

The books are currently available for preorder:

Nostalgia for Eternity: Ideas, insights, and inspirations from Rabbi Berel Wein https://a.co/d/9xltS3Z

 

https://mosaicapress.com/product/the-striving-higher-haggadah/

 

Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,

            R’ Dani and Chani Staum       

 

Pashas Ki Sisa 5783

 

“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”

Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Ki Sisa – Parshas Parah

17 Adar 5783/March 10, 2023

 

לזכר נשמת נטע יצחק בן אלכסנדר ז"ל

 

This Shabbos, 18 Adar, marks the first yahrtzeit of my beloved father-in-law, Mr. Nathan Mermelstein, נטע יצחק בן אלכסנדר. There is a tremendous void in our hearts, and we miss him.  

I will iy”H write more about him next week.

May his neshama have an aliyah in Gan Eden and may we continue to bring him nachas.

 

SECURITY MATTERS

 

In a recent article I noted how interesting it is when El Al security agents ask Jewish customers why they are flying to Israel, as if they need a reason.

As any El Al customer knows, that question is actually only one of a slew of questions security asks: “Who is flying? What is the purpose of your trip? Where will you be staying? How do you know those people? What are their names? Who packed your bags? Where were your bags since they were packed? Has anyone given you anything to bring?”

A student told me he was even asked what his bar mitzvah Parsha was and was asked to recite the first pasuk from memory.

A friend of mine related that when he was going back to Eretz Yisroel for a second year in Yeshiva, he felt he was already a veteran of the El Al system. When the security agent asked him who is flying and he stepped forward, he looked at her and said “no, no, yes, no, yes, yes, no.” She stared at him for a moment and then replied stoically, “That’s not funny.” And then she proceeded to ask him the whole litany of questions he had just preemptively answered.

A reader noted that it makes him very upset when El Al security agents asks if anyone gave you anything to take along!

Many people indeed have something. (Has a Jew ever come to Eretz Yisroel without bringing things for others?) But, if the passenger answers in the affirmative, security will follow up with numerous other questions and will likely order the passenger to unpack before them or they may rummage through the baggage themselves. This undoubtedly causes many people to lie.

He added that El Al security personnel are well aware that most responses are untrue, but they want to see how the passenger will respond. I haven’t spoken to El Al personnel to understand their perspective, but I definitely hear the point.

However, I recently gained a new perspective on the irksome questioning that gives it a different and even exciting twist. In a sense, the El Al security questioning is preparing us for Moshiach! Allow me to explain:

Recently, I was listening to a lecture entitled, “Getting Ready for the Beis HaMikdash”. The lecturer described a scene in the not-too-distant future with a person excitedly setting out to visit the Beis Hamikdash.

He arrives at the Temple gates where he is met by a Levite guard. (Seforno in Parshas Korach writes that it is the responsibility of the Levite guards to ensure that no one impure enters the gates of the Beis HaMikdash.)

The Levite greets him and welcomes him to the Beis Hamikdash, and then asks him if he is ritually pure. The man replies that he went to the mikvah that morning. The Levite continues, “Since that time have you made sure to remain pure and not come into contact with anyone or anything impure?” The man nods confidently.

The Levite then asks him to report on what he did before arriving at the Temple Mount. The man recounts everything he did and everywhere he went, and how vigilant he was to remain pure. As an aide he notes that on the way out of his house, he grabbed a garbage bag and placed it in the bin outside. The Levite asks him to describe the contents. The man recounts its contents from memory and mentions that there were disposable plastic cups in there from the family’s supper two nights earlier. The Levite looks up. “Didn’t your wife have a baby a week and a half ago?” The man nods. The Levite says, “One of those cups were used by your wife and she is still ritually impure from childbirth. Her saliva (tumas rok) generates impurity by anyone who carries it, and we must assume that some of her saliva remained on the cup (chazaka). That renders you impure until you go to the mikvah and then wait for sunset. I am sorry to inform you that you cannot proceed onto the Temple Mount.”

With that in mind, El Al security questions are actually preparing us for the spiritual security questions we will be asked prior to entering the Temple Mount. So now when the El Al security guard start asking you those vexing questions about your luggage you can picture yourself standing outside the Beis HaMikdash waiting and hoping to be allowed entry.

One of the less appreciated components of Purim is its direct connection to the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash.

One of the first acts Achashveirosh did upon becoming king was ordering the immediate halting of the already begun process of rebuilding the Beis HaMikdash. The rebuilding had begun when the previous King Cyrus proclaimed that the Jews could return to Yerushalayim and rebuild the Beis HaMikdash.

Being the king of 127 countries, Achashveirosh was fearful of any challenge to his authority or threats to his empire, as it could easily trigger more widespread rebellions. He was convinced that the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash would entail the Jews having independence in Eretz Yisroel. An independent country right in the center of his empire could have disastrous consequences. Therefore, Achashveirosh made it his mission to stop the rebuilding and the return of the Jews to Eretz Yisroel. It was also the source of his enmity towards the Jewish people.

At the massive party of Achashveirosh, he wore the Kohein Gadol’s exclusive garments and served wine and food on goblets taken from the Beis HaMikdash. Part of his sinister, hidden intention in doing so was to demonstrate to the Jewish attendees that he was their new Kohain Gadol and his palace was their new Beis HaMikdash. He wanted them to forget Yerushalayim and become like everyone else, so he could feel more secure about the cohesion of his empire.

His preoccupation, and practical obsession, with not allowing the Beis Hamikdash to be rebuilt is clear later in the Megillah as well. When Esther appears before him uninvited and he has no idea what she wants, he tells her he will give her up to half the kingdom. The Gemara explains that “half the kingdom” is a coded reference to that which halves his kingdom, i.e., Yerushalayim and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash. It must be realized that at that point Achashveirosh had absolutely no idea that Esther was Jewish. Yet he emphasized that rebuilding the Beis HaMikdash wasn’t negotiable.

In various places in the Megillah there are references and allusions to the Beis HaMikdash. The Gemara record that the names of the seven ministers of the king hint to different parts of the avodah performed in the Beis HaMikdash. When Haman arrives to lead Mordechai through the streets of Shushan he asks Mordechai what he had been studying. Mordechai replies that they were learning the laws of the Omer offering which would have been brought in the Beis HaMikdash that day.

Very shortly after the Purim story occurred, Achashveirosh died and was succeeded by his and Esther’s son Daryavesh (Darius). Daryavesh allowed the completion of the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash.

At the time of the Purim miracle, we achieved renewed feelings of national unity, and loving reacceptance of Torah and its values. It’s no wonder that the Beis HaMikdash was rebuilt shortly after.

As we again celebrate this joyous and beloved holiday, we anticipate the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash and the coming of Moshiach.

When that happens, El Al security will not ask how long we are going for. They will all know that it’s a one-way ticket. At that point the only security questions we will have to answer are to the spiritual security personnel at the gates of the Beis HaMikdash.

See you there.

 

Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,

            R’ Dani and Chani Staum       

            www.stamtorah.info 

Parshas Tetzaveh 5783

 

“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”

Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Tetzaveh/Zachor

10 Adar 5783/March 3, 2023

 

לזכר נשמת נטע יצחק בן אלכסנדר ז"ל

VERY FRESH

In my sixth-grade literature book there was a section explaining that words can have different meanings. To elucidate the concept, it contained the following joke: “Why did the baker get so angry at the bread? Because it was so fresh.”

Any humor whatsoever in a school textbook was so exciting to me that I remember it now, decades later (and that’s the only thing I remember from those textbooks).

 

One of the best parts of every holiday is the preparation period beforehand. The excitement and anticipation continuously grows as we invest in the upcoming holiday. Primarily, that refers to our spiritual preparations. However, the physical preparations do a great deal to help get us into the festive mood.

Before Purim that includes buying foods for shalach manos. I wonder what the cashier in Target thought when I put tens of cans of the same soda on the cashier belt. When she asked me how I was doing, and I replied that I was very thirsty, she replied, “I can see that!” Of course, preparing for Purim also includes hamantaschen baking. The only thing better than the incredible smell of fresh hamantaschen is eating them.

One day last week my daughter baked an assortment of hamantaschen, some with raspberry jelly, some with chocolate, some with vanilla frosting, and some with lotus butter.

I don’t want to say loshon hora about anyone but it’s possible that the author of this article sampled a couple of each type to make sure they were good. (They were!) There’s nothing quite like freshly baked pastries.

But lest you think I was just indulging, there is actually a greater connection between fresh hamantaschen and the celebration of Purim then you realize.

 

In Parshas Emor, the Torah details the holidays of the year – Pesach, Shavuos, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Succos. Of course, the Rabbinic holidays of Chanukah and Purim are not mentioned in the Torah. However immediately following its discussion of the holidays, the Torah instructs about the daily lighting of the Menorah, a clear reference to the holiday of Chanukah.

The Torah then commands about baking the lechem hapanim, the twelve showbreads placed upon the Shulchan (table) in the Temple sanctuary each Shabbos. The breads would remain upon the table all week, until they were replaced the following Shabbos. Miraculously, when they were removed from the Shulchan they were as fresh as when they were baked, a week earlier.

Rabbi Elazar of Worms (1176-1238), in his sefer Rokeach, writes that the fact that the Torah instructs about the lechem hapanim right after the Menorah is a veiled reference to Purim, particularly to the feasting and joyous nature of Purim.[1]

What is the connection between Purim and lechem hapanim?

The gemara (Menachos 29a) relates that when the nation came to the Beis HaMikdash for their tri-annual pilgrimage on Pesach, Shavuos and Succos, the kohanim would show the assemblage the Shulchan with the fresh lechem hapanim upon them and would declare “See how beloved you are before the Omnipresent”.

The bread remaining fresh all week symbolized that our connection with Hashem also remained fresh and vibrant.

When Haman maligned the Jewish people to Achashveirosh in his efforts to convince the king to sanction his evil plan for mass genocide, he began by saying “yeshno am echad – there is one nation”.  The Gemara (Megillah 13b) explains that the word yeshno is similar to the word yeshenim – sleeping.

Haman was hinting to Achashveirosh that he need not be concerned that the Jewish people would be protected by their G-d, because the Jewish people were not fulfilling the mitzvos properly. “They are asleep in their performance of mitzvos”.

The salvation and celebration of Purim demonstrated that our connection with G-d had not become stale and trite but was still strong and fresh. Purim brought about renewed dedication and commitment to Torah and our mission to be the Torah nation. There was a national wave of joy and excitement and pride.

Just as the lechem hapanim symbolized the freshness of our connection with Hashem, so did Purim symbolize that same connection.

With that in mind, I think it’s fair to say that the tantalizing smell of fresh hamantaschen (and all baked goods – I don’t discriminate) is part of the Purim celebration. It reminds us that Purim is a celebration of excitement and euphoric joy that results from feeling connected. It’s a joy that has to remain fresh in our minds long after the hamantaschen are eaten or are no longer fresh.

 

Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos

Freilichen Purim Sameiach,

            R’ Dani and Chani Staum       

---

[1] סימן רמ' – "רמז בפרשת אמר אל הכהנים לאחר פרשת המועדות שמן זית זך רמז לחנוכה ואחריו ולקחת סלת ואפית רמז לפורים משתה ושמחה"

Parshas Terumah 5783

 

“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”

Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Terumah

3 Adar 5783/February 24, 2023

 

לזכר נשמת נטע יצחק בן אלכסנדר ז"ל

 

ROYAL RESTRAINT

 

By now the world has moved on from the news of the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth. But a few weeks ago, it was all everyone could talk about. There were endless articles, tributes and anecdotes about the Queen and her lengthy reign.

At that time, the Jewish Press featured an article, entitled “My Mother and Queen Elizabeth”. Written by Mrs. Naomi Klass-Mauer, the author recounted that during the late 1950s her mother, Irene Klass, the Women’s Editor of a newspaper, received an invitation to meet Queen Elizabeth during the Queen’s official visit to the United States.

The guest list included many other prominent women, and it was a great honor to have been invited. For weeks before her mother debated what she should wear to the event. In addition, her mother realized that she would likely only have a brief encounter with the queen, and she ruminated over what she would say and how she would say it.

Then on the big day, the author came down with a high fever. She begged her mother to stay home with her, despite the fact that it meant missing the opportunity she had so anticipated.

Her mother decided to remain home with her feverish daughter. Afterwards when the author recovered, she tearfully apologized to her mother. Her mother was quiet for a moment before replying that nothing in the world was as important to her as the welfare of her family and she would never regret her decision.

That was my favorite article about the queen. It was the story of someone who never met the queen because she put her child first.

A few days ago, someone m shared with me the following text that he received from a friend of his. I have no idea who wrote it, but I thought he made a point worth sharing:

"Last night, I was learning in my home, when I realized that there was an important email I needed to respond to. I briefly closed my Gemara and went to the computer. Like most people that open the computer for an email, once I was on the computer, I went to check the news.

“When I opened the news website, it mentioned that Lebron James was 6 points away from breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record to become the NBA's All-time leading scorer. Being that I grew up an avid basketball fan, I figured it wouldn't hurt to take a few minutes to see the historic moment. After watching for a few minutes, Lebron was just 2 points away from breaking the record.

“A timeout was called and as the commercials began, I started rationalizing that although this was the time that I was supposed to be learning, when else would I have the opportunity to watch this seminal moment in basketball history? But then another thought came up... when else would I have the opportunity to not watch Lebron James break the historic record in order to learn for 5 extra minutes?!

“This was indeed a once in a lifetime opportunity. So, I closed the computer and opened my Gemara and learned while Lebron broke the record.”

This week 113 million people tuned in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. At the same time there were a handful of Jews who used the opportunity to learn Torah while not watching the Super Bowl.

Our son Dovid attended a beautiful siyum learning Mishnayos with my father during the Super Bowl. In addition, 110 of our students at Heichal HaTorah attended “Super Seder”, voluntarily learning in the yeshiva Bais Medrash during the big game.

Anyone in one knows that good relationships are not only fostered by the things one does to invest in the relationship, but also by the things one sacrifices for the sake of the relationship. Flowers, cards, gifts, and vacations are all important in a marriage. But equally important, and in some ways more important, are the things one doesn’t do in honor of one’s spouse.

The same is true regarding our Avodas Hashem. When we perform a mitzvah, we recognize that we have done a good deed and invested in our spiritual growth. The blessing we say when performing a mitzvah makes this clear - “Blessed are you Hashem… Who has sanctified us through (performing) His mitzvos and commanded us…”

Refraining from doing something because we know it will be spiritually damaging however, may not make us feel as holy and spiritual. But we need to realize the value and significance of such actions. What we sacrifice for spiritual growth can be even greater than what we invest for spiritual growth.

There are worse things one can do than watch a football game. But one who decides to give it up for a higher ideal demonstrates a desire to connect with and prioritize something greater.

A mother who gives up a meeting with the queen to care for her ill daughter, a person who gives up the chance to watch sports history for spiritual growth, and any other sacrifice one makes for higher ideals, makes a deep lasting impression.

That’s true royalty!

 

Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,

            R’ Dani and Chani Staum       

 

 

Parshas Mishpatim 5783

 

“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)”

Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Mishpatim

Shabbos Shekalim – Mevorchim Chodesh Adar

27 Shevat 5783/February 17, 2023

 

לזכר נשמת נטע יצחק בן אלכסנדר ז"ל

PRECONCEIVED LOVE

On one occasion, after my wife and I had gone out for breakfast together (an occasion that doesn’t happen enough), we went to one of the local Jewish groceries. As we were entering, we saw the rebbe of one of our sons holding a few bags about to exit. We began schmoozing (not about our son. No teacher appreciates improv PTAs…) and the Rebbe shared with us the following personal story:

Some time ago, he was driving on the FDR Drive in Manhattan and was pulled over by a cop for speeding. After scanning his license, the cop came back to the car and told the rebbe he was being arrested for driving with a suspended license because of an unpaid ticket. Without giving him a chance to defend himself, the cop handcuffed the rebbe and put him in the back of his cruiser. Thankfully, the Rebbe’s wife was with him and, although quite concerned, she was able to follow the cruiser in their car to the police station.

When they arrived at the station, the rebbe took a receipt out of his wallet that proved he had paid the ticket two years earlier. I asked the rebbe if he always keeps receipts, and he replied that he never does. For some inexplicable reason the day he paid the ticket he placed the receipt in his wallet, and it stayed there.

The officer took the receipt and told him they would investigate. They took a mug shot of the rebbe and placed him in a jail cell.

The common refrain among those in jail is “So, what are you in for?” His driving without a license seemed rather petty compared to what some of his fellow jail-mates were in for.

After two hours the police told him that the receipt proved that he had indeed paid the ticket. However, there was a $30 surcharge that hadn’t been paid and that was why his license had been revoked. He was released and told that he should go to the DMV the following day and pay $260, and the matter would be dropped.

This particular rebbe is an excellent storyteller and speaker. But he admitted that this is one story he doesn’t share publicly.

I was amazed by the story. He himself couldn’t explain why he put that receipt in his wallet and why he never threw it out? But that little piece of paper saved him from far greater aggravation.

As I was marveling over the story, I realized that something similar occurred to me. Though thankfully, I’ve never been in jail, I did have an experience where something that seemed so insignificant ended up being crucial.

When I graduated Fordham University with a master’s in social work, I began seeking employment. At that point we had two children, and I would soon have to start paying back student loans. I was considering rabbanus but didn’t know how to go about it. As far as counseling was concerned, I wanted to work in the orthodox community but it’s not easy to break in and start building a reputation. I had no idea where to turn.

My wife and I met with Rabbi Moshe Possik, director of personnel resources for Torah Umesorah and lived in my in-laws’ neighborhood. He was gracious with his time, and we discussed different options for rabbanus and the possibility of visiting out-of-town communities for Shabbos.

I was too nervous to start looking into such ideas without any support system and I began to feel more despondent. I left the meeting feeling very dejected. I quipped to my wife that I had no idea why we wasted his time and our time.

That summer I worked in Camp Elyon, a local day camp. To date, that was the only summer since I was 10 years old that I didn’t attend overnight camp. It was hard for me to adjust to day camp after so many years in sleepaway camp.

One summer night I received a phone call from Rabbi Naftali Eisgrau asking me if I would be interested in becoming the social worker in Yeshiva Bais HaChinuch, a warm and vibrant Yeshiva for students who struggle academically. Rabbi Eisgrau had recently become the menahel of the yeshiva. He heard that I was working in Camp Elyon, where he had worked a few summers prior, and had spoken to the camp director about me.

Bais HaChinuch seemed like a great fit for me, and after one meeting in Rabbi Eisgrau’s home, I accepted the position. I was the social worker in Bais HaChinuch for 9 wonderful years.

It was only several years into my employment in Bais HaChinuch, when I was schmoozing with Rabbi Eisgrau, that I found out the rest of the story about how I was hired.

The summer after I graduated Fordham, Rabbi Eisgrau attended a Torah Umesorah employment event. While there he was speaking with Rabbi Possik and Rabbi Possik asked him what positions he needed to fill at Bais HaChinuch. Rabbi Eisgrau replied that what he needed was not in Rabbi Possik’s line of expertise. When Rabbi Possik retorted, “why don’t you try me?”, Rabbi Eisgrau replied “I’m looking for a social worker for my Yeshiva.” It was very shortly after I had met with him, and Rabbi Possik immediately replied, “I have someone for you.”

At first Rabbi Eisgrau brushed him off because he thought Rabbi Possick was referring to a particular individual that Rabbi Eisgrau didn’t think would be a good fit for the yeshiva. But when Rabbi Possik said Rabbi Eisgrau should meet this person who is, “young and excited...” Rabbi Eisgrau realized it wasn’t who he thought. That was when Rabbi Eisgrau called me, and I was hired.

My years at Bais HaChinuch served as my foundation and introduction into the world of chinuch. During those years, I gained a great deal of experience, and forged many important connections. More significantly, I developed a wonderful friendship with Rabbi Eisgrau. Not everyone is privileged to call his (former) employer a dear friend and mentor.

It was amazing to me that a meeting I thought was pointless ended up being vital for my future.

We have no way of knowing why and how a quick decision we make will have significant implications later on. I’m sure my son’s rebbe would rather not have gotten handcuffed and jailed. But that was no less divinely ordained than the receipt he had in his wallet that served as his way out of jail.

The third chapter of Megillas Esther relates about Haman being elevated to a position of authority and orchestrating the heinous decree of genocide of the Jewish people. The chapter begins, “After these matters”. The Gemara asks what matters the Megillah refers to, and explains that it was after the future salvation was set in place with Esther becoming queen. Regarding the Jewish people Hashem ensure that the healing is present before the affliction takes effect.

What is the difference whether the remedy/salvation is arranged before the tragedy arises or afterwards if in the end the salvation occurs?

A loving parent would never put their child through an ordeal without planning it thoroughly first. A parent ensures they will have the best care possible for their child and will make sure everything is in place beforehand.

Hashem is our loving parent. Although things often don’t turn out how we would like or expect, we know there is a reason for all that occurs. We also are strengthened by the knowledge that the salvation we need has already been arranged before the difficult situation arose.

Our relationship with Hashem is always one of preconceived love.

 

Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos,

            R’ Dani and Chani Staum       

            www.stamtorah.info