Shoftim שופטים 2024 Who are You?

Is there any part of your personality that opposes the service of Hashem? Dena goes out to meet the daughters of Canaan and she gets abducted. The Torah tells us that she liked to go outside just like her mother, like the phrase “ like mother like daughter”. The question is that if Torah doesn’t talk negatively about anything, even a non-kosher animal, why is there a negative association here?The answer is that what Torah is telling us now about Dina is positive about her personality. Rather, someone else happened to abuse it and therefore something negative happened. When Yakov and his kids meet Esuv, he hides Dina. Yakov fears that Esuv will see her and like her- yet Yakov is punished. Dina had an outgoing personality and coupled with her power of persuasion she could have affected Esuv and made him into a better person. The takeaway is that no personality should be suppressed , but should be harnessed and utilized to serve Hashem. Even a mother that’s usually home nourishing her family, but if she has an outgoing personality, she can harness and utilize that quality appropriately to affect and uplift people.לקו״ש לה-ג

Although the Avos kept the whole Torah before it was given,Yakov Avinu married two sisters, because at that time it wasn’t considered a negative mitzvah, just a stringency. At that time, since society deemed honesty as a fundamental behavior, and since Yakov had promised Rachel that he would marry her, that vow had the power of a mitzvah. Marrying two sisters was only considered a stringency at that time. We derive from this that when it comes to keeping the basics, we don’t pay attention to stringencies. The takeaway is to be more focused on helping someone else with their basic needs -whether physical or spiritual- as opposed to being occupied with perfecting ourselves and having no time for others. לקו״ש ה-ב

There are two types of characteristics: one is kindness, giving in abundance, and one is strength, limiting the amount you give. These characteristics actually reflect the way you physically look. Avraham Avenu was the epitome of kindness while Yitzchak represented strength. Hashem changed Yitzchok’s features to be similar to Avraham Avenu because of the scoffers in the generation who didn’t believe that Yitzchok was Avrohom’s son. At its core- strength is really similar to kindness and even a greater form of kindness. Strength tempers the kindness so that it doesn’t overwhelm the person- which is true kindness. However, it’s even deeper than that. It is actually through strength/ limitations that you are able to help another to function on his own as opposed to just always giving him, thus, enabling him to function independently. That’s how it is at its core. However, the way it is in this world is that when you have a choice to deal with somebody with kindness or strength, you must choose kindness. לקו״ש כ-א

Our Teffillos are answered quicker than other times depending on two factors: 1. Our closeness and oneness with Hashem 2. Our goal to merge the physical and spiritual worlds Three examples of individuals who were answered right away: 1. Moshe Rabbeinu davened that Hashem show him that He rests his holiness on humans 2.Shlomo haMelech asked that the Shachina should rest on the Bais haMikdash again- merging the two worlds 3.Eliezer, Avrohom’s servant, davened for the marriage of Yitzchok and Rivka. Yitzchok came from a holy home, unlike Rivka - again beseeching to merge the two worlds. Conclusion: the closer these two worlds unite the quicker the realization of the Bracha. לקו״ש כ-ג

The mitzvah of visiting the sick is a big mitzvah. Hashem visits Avraham Avinu on the third day following his bris - the time when a person naturally heals. It is known that when you visit another, you take away some of their sickness. Therefore, one doesn’t visit on the first two days, because the idea of a mitzvah, especially from after Matan Torah, was that the holiness of a mitzvah should penetrate the physical object in its natural state without it being altered in a miraculous way. One shouldn’t also avoid any hardship in a miraculous way. Rather, the mitzvah should be done in it’s natural state. The mitzvah itself, the preparation and any outcome that comes from it can then be elevated without anything being altered or being affected by any outside powers - thus enabling it to be refined and elevated properly. לקו״ש ה

The difference between an employee and the agent is that an employee works together with the employer or at least with his possessions. Also, an employee is primarily focused on himself. He gets the job because he has to take care of his family. A Shliach/agent on the other hand, is sent far away and is actually representing/replacing the person that sends him. This is the difference between the month of Tishrei vs. the rest of the year. The month of Tishrei is compared to an employee. We are busy in Hashem’s space, taking it all in- the learning and everything the Yomim Tovim have to offer. But then the month is over. At this point Hashem tells us ‘I need you to be my agent to go into the world and to make a difference’. This is exactly what Hashem tells Avraham. ‘Until now you discovered me on your own. You’re spreading my light all on your own, but now I need you to go out as my agent into the world and to make a difference’. This is the lesson that we have. Although the month of Tishrei is over, now we must go into the world, and although it seems a bit dark and scary, as agents of Hashem and with his power, we have nothing to worry about. לקו״ש כ

Hashem remembers Noach and stops the Mabul, thus transforming judgment into compassion and creating a new reality in this world . This enabled a world that normally conceals G-dliness and ultimately becomes extinct to become another reality. The new worldly reality is one which reveals the power of Hashem; where seasons change, where day and night never ceases. In our own lives the ultimate service to Hashem is when a person achieves self sacrifice. Although this is a world of challenges, he’s able to transform those challenges and connect on the highest level, changing judgment into compassion and darkness into light. לקו״ש כ-ג

Unity represents holiness; both the Sukkah and the Lulav and Esrog represent unity. The holiness of the Sukkah penetrates the physical wall which become holy. The Lulav’s holiness is represented in the four different kinds, each one representing unity its own way, and then we bring them together in unity. However, there’s a difference between the two. The Sukkah in its oneness, is an overwhelming power of unity. It’s beyond division and breaks through boundaries; therefore is able to penetrate the physical Sukkah. A lower level is the unity of the Lulav and Esrog, where there is division and differences - and yet you overcome your ego and come together as one to find the oneness of Hashem. However, the ultimate level of unity is to realize that you don’t have to break down the walls You can find the oneness of Hashem within the differences. לקו״ש י״ט-ב

During the year, if you sin then you do do Tshuvah however on Yom Kippur, everybody has to do Tshuvah because Yom Kippur elevates us to a place beyond this world a very heightened state were we get to see our potential and we’re like angels we’re at that time we realize that we must change and that person we were yesterday is not the person we want to be today.Tshuvah as well is beyond time because it’s at a moment of recognition where we want to change and become better, and utilize our true potential that we can correct all the past, and this mode of the Tshuvah is brought down into the actual time of Yom Kippur and therefore the time of Yom Kippur itself calls For Tshuvah for everybody to see their true potential and return to Hashem. לקו״ש כט

The reason for not observing many customs from Shabbos Mevorchim Chodesh Tishrei through Rosh Hashana is enlightening. They are: blessing the new month, mentioning on Rosh Hashanah that it is Rosh Chodesh, starting the beginning of the Torah on Rosh Hashanah and blowing the Shofar erev Rosh Hashanah. This is to weaken the resolve of the Satan, since he sees that we are so confident that we are not even observing these things. In a deeper sense, the pain that results for us by not doing these things (because we don’t want the Satan to prosecute us) brings us to a very deep level of Tshuva. לקו״ש כד