ephraim@TECHUNIX.BITNET (Ephraim Silverberg) (09/11/85)
UNITED WE STAND
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"You are standing this day, all of you, before Hashem, your G-d, your
leaders, your tribes, your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel,
your children, your wives, and the Ger [1] that is in your camp, from the
chopper of your wood, unto the drawer of your water." [2] Although this week's
Parasha deals with Moshe Rabbenu's speech to the Jewish people shortly before
his passing, I would like to concentrate more on the essence of the assembly of
the Jewish people rather than the contents of the Parasha.
We see the emphasis that the Torah makes in stressing that in the gather-
ing of the Jewish people, all facets of society were included illustrating the
importance of true unity among Jews regardless of spiritual or material stand-
ing.
In his discourse of Shabbat Re'ey [3] , Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson,
the Lubavitcher Rebbe, stressed the need to act in a kind and merciful manner
towards one's fellow Jew, especially in the month of Elul -- "the month of
mercy". Furthermore, he emphasized the severe prohibition of talking dispar-
ingly about a Jew or a group of Jews: if one wishes to try to correct the
improper behavior of his friend, this should be done through loving persuasion
and not, heaven forbid, through anger. With so many enemies of the Jewish peo-
ple throughout the world, it is essential that we be united, especially during
this time of year when we need the mercies of Hashem as He judges us.
Last year, I had the unique privilege of spending Yom Kippur at an Israeli
army base. The Ba'al Tfilah addressed the Minyan prior to the services; I
would like to share his words with the readers of net.religion.jewish:
One of the more memorable passages of the Rosh Hashana/Yom Kippur prayers
is the passage:
"And Teshuvah, and Tfilah, and Tzedakah dispels the evil of the decree".
This sums up the three main types of divine service of a Jew during these Days
of Judgement. What are the meanings of these actions? The common English
translation is "repentance (teshuva), prayer (tfilah), and charity (tzedakah)".
All three translations are inexact and do not convey the true meaning of these
words.
"Teshuvah" means not only to repent, but to return. The essence of a Jew
knows no evil; only through exterior influences does the Neshama (soul) err and
stray from the just path. When a Jew does Teshuvah he returns to Hashem, his
Source, and regains his former position before he strayed from the path. [4]
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[1] Convert.
[2] D'varim 29:9.
[3] Four weeks ago.
[4] Even more so, for "In the place that Ba'alei Teshuvah stand, not
even the completely righteous can stand".
Rosh 25 Elul, 5745 Hashana
Parashat - 2 - Nitzavim
"Tfilah" is of the same root of the verb "Tofel" (bind, attach) as in the
Mishnaic expression "HaTofel Klei Cheres" [5] The "Tfilah" of a Jew does not
only consist of a series of requests and praises, but through Tfilah, he binds
his soul to Hashem, the Giver of Life.
"Tzedakah" derives from the word "Tzedek" (justice). The giving of
Tzedakah is not only an act of charity or kindness -- it is an act of justice
indicating that we recognize that we do not justly deserve to be richer than
the Jew receiving the Tzedakah and through our giving of Tzedakah, we rectify
this situation and give him what, in just terms, should be his as much as that
of the giver of Tzedakah. [6]
May we all have a Shana Tova U'Mitukah (a good and sweet year) and may
each and every one of you, along with the rest of the Jewish people, be blessed
with a year of material and spiritual [7] blessings and may you all have a
Ktiva V'Chatima Tova and may this coming year be the year of the coming of
Moshiach Tzidkeinu with the Full and Final Redemption of the Jewish people soon
in our days. Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova.
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[5] One who binds or combines clay vessels.
[6] This, in itself, does not diminish, heaven forbid, the tremendous
merit in the giving of Tzedakah, but only indicates that one should take
care not to become arrogant as a result of one's generousity.
[7] This expression which puts material blessings before spiritual
blessings dates back to the Ba'al HaTanya (founder of the Chabad move-
ment), but that's a Dvar Torah in itself.
Rosh 25 Elul, 5745 Hashanamartillo@csd2.UUCP (Joachim Martillo) (09/11/85)
I was under the impression there was a dagesh in the lamed in tfilah and that the root was p-l-l and not t-p-l.