Divrei Torah Simchas
Divrei Torah Simchas
Torah Table of Contents
The Simcha of Bris Mila - Circumcision", Divrei Yisrael Har Bayis = Man and Woman, Imrei Shaul, in "Mishirei Ahodenu" On Using a Ring for Weddings, "Mishirei Ahodenu" Why is the Wedding Contract Called a Kesuva?, Mishirei Ahodenu Natural Medicine, Torah Style (For Sheva Brachos, after a Wedding)
Based on the Divrei Yisrael, as brought in the kuntress Bris Avos [5757] by Rav Shraga Zalmanov Shlita
It is well known that one of the most important criteria of fulfilling a Mitzva properly is to do so with Simcha - true heartfelt joy. We see the importance of this expressed (on the negative side) in the pasuk (verse) - "Tachas Asher Lo Avadta Es Hashem Elokecha B'Simcha"... - "[These awe-full events happened]... because you didn't serve Hashem with Simcha" (Devarim 28:47).
Even though there is no reward in this world for the Mitzvos we accomplish ("Sachar Mitzva B'hai Alma Leka"), nonetheless, Sefarim Kedoshim bring down that there is reward for the Simcha shel Mitzva - the joy we express in fulfilling our Mitzvos.
This explains the pasuk in Tehillim
(119:162) - "Sas Anochi Al Imrasecha K'motzei Shalal Rav" -
I am joyous about your Mitzvos/Statements like one who has
found a vast treasure". [And the Gemara (Megilla, 27b) teaches
us that "Sasson - zu Mila" - Sasson/Joy (same root as
"Sas Anochi" above) refers to Bris Mila.] Thus, the
Simcha that one experiences in fulfilling Hashem's Mitzvos
is like a vast treasure - something that is relevant in
this world.
Translated by Reb Eliezer Weger of Rechovot, a Modzitzer Chasid
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Har Bayis = Man and Woman
Based on a ma'amar from Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar in "Mishirei Ahodenu"
The Imrei Shaul explains this in the light of the Holy Zohar on Parshas Yisro [69b]. The Zohar associates the verse that Yisro came to the mountain of G-d with a verse in Yeshayahu (2:3), "And many people shall go and say, 'Come, let us go to the mountain of Hashem, to the House of the G-d of Yaakov'..." The Zohar explains that there will come a time when the other nations will trudge along wearily to come to be under the wings of the Shechina [Divine Presence]. "Let us go up" they will say, because all the religions of the world are descending. But in regards to Hashem, whoever clings to Him ascends.
The mountain of Hashem refers to Avraham, and just as a mountain is open and accessible to all, so is the holy place [Temple Mount] open and accepting to all who desire it. The House refers to Yaakov, who called the holy place "the House of G-d."
Even though "mountain" and "House" refer to the same thing, they differ. "Mountain" is for the other nations, who come to be under the wings of the Shechina; while "House" refers to Klal Yisrael, who are with Hashem like a woman is with her husband - in one dwelling with joy.
Reb Shaul then explains that it's for this reason that the Temple Mount is called "Har HaBayis": mountain [Har] for the nations of the world, and House [Bayis] for the Jewish people. Remarkably, "Har Bayis" and "Ish Isha" [man, woman] have the same gematria [numerical value, they both equal 617]. This indicates that the main aspect of Har HaBayis is that of man and wife in one dwelling, that is, for the Jewish people.
The Jewish connection to "mountain" is through Avraham Avinu, whose character trait of chessed reaches out to all (the nations as well). "House", coming from Yaakov, is from the quality of Rachamim [mercy] - which depends on one's being deserving of mercy.
Thus we can understand the zemer: Establish Your House, so that Your sheep [Yisrael] can rest - refers to Klal Yisrael, like a man and woman in one dwelling.
Help the remnant, O Hashem, Who formed the mountains refers to the other nations, as the Zohar says, "mountain" is for the other nations.
Translated by Reb Yitzchak Dorfman of Yerushalayim, a Modzitzer Chassid,
on the occasion of his
25th wedding anniversary,
Lag B'Omer 5759, the Hilula of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, author of the Zohar
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The Medrash Breishis Rabba relates a story that once a matron asked Rav Yosi Bar Chalafta "How many days did it take for Hashem to create the world?" He answered, "It took 6 days, as it says in the pasuk in Breishis "Ki Sheshes Yamim Asa Hashem es HaShamayim V'es HaAretz...". The matron responded, "So what has He been doing ever since then?" Rav Yosi Bar Chalafta answered that Hashem is busy matchmaking - so and so's daughter to the son of such and such, "ploni" will pay this sum to "'almoni", etc. The matron retorted that this is no big deal, even she can do that with ease. Rav Yosi's wise response was that it may seem simple in her eyes, but Hashem sees it as difficult/complex as Krias Yam Suf - splitting the Red Sea.
The matron went home, took a thousand of her servants, a thousand of her maidservants, lined them up, and paired them on the spot, marrying them all off in a single night. Morning came, and the results of her escapade came to light - this servant came with a black eye, that maidservant with a broken arm, one over there with his head bandaged, still another with a broken leg, etc. As she found out in each case what happened, it became clear that "matchmaking" is no simple task.
The matron called for Rav Yosi Bar Chalafta, and acknowledged "There is absolutely no G-d like your G-d". Rav Yosi complimented her, and reminded her of his first statement - that it may seem simple in her eyes, but Hashem sees it as difficult/complex as Krias Yam Suf - splitting the Red Sea.
The Imrei Aish explains - the matron's mistake was that she thought that matchmaking was a task based on nature (teva). In the end she learned that it really is "the Finger of Hashem", something that is truly made in Heaven.
This is why we use a ring (taba'as), the grammatical root of which is teva (nature). Although this match that was made looks superficially to be simple and natural, it really is supernatural - full of Divine involvement. That is why the ring is placed on the Kallah's finger - to further demonstrate that the "Finger of Hashem" is directly involved in determining the appropriate match for each and every Jew.
No better words can be found to express the sentiments of all of us for the present
Chasan and Kallah.
Translated by Reb Eliezer Weger of Rechovot, a Modzitzer Chasid
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Based on a Ma'amar by the Rebbe Shlita Mishirei Ahodenu
PLEASE NOTE: This ma'amar is connected to the previous "Joy on Earth - The War with Amalek". The reader is kindly requested to read that first.
The verse (Breishis 48:9) says, "And Yosef said to his father, '[They] are my sons that G-d has given to me with this.'" Rashi explains that "this" refers to the engagement and Wedding contracts that Yosef showed his father. Yosef prayed concerning this matter, and the Divine spirit [ruach haKodesh] rested upon him (Yaakov). The Rebbe Shlita asks, why is it that Yosef didn't pray until showing him the kesuva?
Why is a Wedding contract called a kesuva and not a ksav? When a man [ish] and a woman [isha] unite, they form one-half of the Divine Name. The letters Aleph and Shin are common to both ish and isha. The difference is that ish has a Yud, and isha has a Heh. So when they unite, they join the Yud and Heh to form one-half of the Divine Name. From where does the other half come? The Vav and the second Heh come from the kesuva, for it could have been called ksav (the additional letters are Vav and Heh). Therefore, when Yosef noticed that the Shechina departed from Yaakov, he showed him the kesuva which represented the completion of the Divine Name, and only then did he pray.
With this, the Rebbe explains a Gemara (Sanhedrin 99b), which says that Timna was a princess, as it is written (Breishis 36), "The tribal chief of Lotan..the tribal chief of Timna..." This type of tribal chief, says the Gemara, is like being a king without a crown. Timna wished to convert [to Judaism]. She came to each of our forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, but was not accepted. She then went and became a concubine to Elifaz, the son of Esav, saying that it's better to be a maidservant to this nation, than to be a mistress over another nation. The nation of Amalek was descended from her, who greatly distressed the Jewish people. Why did this happen? The Gemara answers, because they [the forefathers] should not have rejected her.
The Rebbe then explains the Gemara: as mentioned above, ish and isha united have
the letters Yud and Heh, and with a kesuva they complete the Divine Name with Vav
and Heh. Since Timna was not accepted, she became a concubine to Elifaz, without a
kesuva, thereby lacking the completion of the Divine Name. Therefore, Amalek was
descended from her, about whom it says, "for the hand is on G-d's Throne", and
G-d's Name is spelled therein 'Yud-Heh'. Our Sages say that His Name will not be
complete until Amalek is eliminated. Since our fathers caused the letters 'Vav-Heh'
to be lacking in Timna's wedding, so, measure for measure, Amalek, as it were,
removed these letters from the Divine Name. Therefore, they cause distress to the
Jewish people, for they cause Hashem's Name to be incomplete.
Translated by Reb Yitzchak Dorfman of Yerushalayim, a Modzitzer Chassid,
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based on the idea from the Divrei Yisrael, as quoted in MeShiri Ahodenu
The last of the 7 Brachos said at a chasuna says "Asher Bara Sason V'Simcha...", "(Hashem), who Created Happiness and Joy...".
The Divrei Yisrael quotes his Grandfather, Rav Yechezkel of Kuzmir (who's yahrtzeit is on the 17th of Shvat), - the word "Bara" as relating to the root "Bari" - healthy. The Sason and Simcha Shel Mitzvah - happiness and joy - that one expresses at a chasuna makes a person healthier.
To this, the Rebbe Shlit"a added that this same idea is hinted at in the pasuk in Mishlei (15:30) - "a good report makes the bones fat.".
Translated by Reb Eliezer Weger of Rechovot, a Modzitzer Chasid
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