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Motivation

Author: Rabbi Moshe Pruzansky

When yosef finally revealed his true identity to his brothers, they were utterly speechless. Regarding their silence, the Midrash comments, “Woe to us on the day of judgment; woe to us on the day of rebuke. If the brothers could not reply to yosef’s rebuke, how will we possibly answer Hashem’s rebuke on our personal day of judgment?” (Bereishis Rabbah 93:10).

What is the Midrash talking about — what rebuke did yosef give? All he did was reveal his identity to his brothers. Additionally, what relevance could yosef’s rebuke possibly have to the rebuke that we will each receive in Heaven?

The Beis HaLevi answers that yosef was pointing out to his brothers the glaring inconsistencies in their behavior. He was asking them, “How could the very same people who sold their father’s favor- ite son, causing him twenty-two years of inconsolable anguish, come with a sincere plea to take pity on their father?” The brothers had no answer to this rebuke. The Midrash is stating that the Heavenly court will point out similar glaring inconsistencies regarding our own behavior: “How could you have been so driven and capable when it came to making money and at the same time told yourself that your Jewish responsibilities were too difficult? How could you have lost your temper so easily at home and yet maintained legendary calm- ness in public? How could you say it was too difficult for you to wake up on time for morning prayers if you enthusiastically headed to the airport at 5:00 am when you were on your way to vacation?” When we are reminded of these discrepancies, we too will be speechless.

What is the Midrash trying to teach us with this message? Is its intention to de-motivate us? Is it to inform everyone that they are doomed to speechless guilt when they go to Heaven? What purpose could this knowledge possibly serve?

The experts all agreed that human beings were not physically capable of running a four-minute mile. It wasn’t just dangerous; it was impossible. We didn’t have the endurance, they claimed, much less the speed. Scientists even conducted studies that proved we could never run that fast — and no one in history ever did. People ran a mile in 4 minutes and 6 seconds, 4 minutes and 4 seconds, and even 4 minutes and 3 seconds, but no one ever broke a four-minute mile.

Then, on May 6, 1954, roger Bannister shocked the world when he ran the mile in just 3 minutes and 59 seconds! But the story does not end there. Suddenly, everything changed — within months, another runner accomplished the same feat. The next year, dozens of other men did, and the following year, hundreds. Today, to simply qualify as a world-class runner you must break the four-minute mile barrier.

What revolutionary breakthrough was responsible for this inexplicable change in mankind’s running ability? There weren’t any startling improvements in running shoes, pavement, or uni- forms, and the law of wind resistance wasn’t repealed. rather, be- fore roger Bannister, nobody broke the four-minute mile simply because they didn’t believe that it was possible. afterward, how- ever, that mental barrier was broken. This was the sole provable reason behind mankind’s newfound endurance and speed that has changed history and continues to until this very day.

Of course the Midrash is not coming to discourage us by inform- ing us that one day, Hashem will point out our glaring inconsisten- cies regarding how we showed so much resolve and strength to attain earthly pleasures, but not to attain spiritual ones. On the contrary, these words are intended to be our greatest motivation! They are meant to demonstrate to us that we are much more capable than we allow ourselves to believe. Indeed, if we can do something when it is convenient, then we are capable of doing so in other situations as well. This understanding is the key to succeeding in life because when we know that we are capable, we become capable. The history of the four-minute mile demonstrates this fact beyond a shadow of a doubt.

In our own lives, we too often sell ourselves on a self-sustaining story: “This is who I am, and this is all I can do.” But what if we are wrong?* It is this question that the Midrash of “Woe to us on the day of judg- ment” is bringing into focus. By pointing out the strong inconsisten- cies that we sometimes display in life, the Midrash is making a case in point on human capability: you are incredibly powerful. If you need any proof, simply look at what you actually accomplished every time you felt the push to do so! The Midrash is saying: take a look at the fact that you can suddenly get so much done when your financial security is at stake, that you can be so well-mannered in public, and wake up so early for a good vacation — and realize just how capable, driven, and powerful you can be.

The knowledge of how capable we are is the secret to living it in practice. May we use this Midrash to serve as a reminder of just how successful we can be and utilize that understanding to shatter each of our personal “four-minute miles.”

The Best gift Buyer

Author: Rabbi Moshe Pruzansky

When cupBearer presented yosef to Pharaoh, he tried to denigrate him by describing him as a “young lad,” a “Hebrew” (a foreigner), and a “slave.” Despite this, Pharaoh was so impressed with yosef’s interpretation of his dream that he immediately appointed yosef as viceroy over egypt. What could yosef have possibly said that impressed Pharaoh so greatly — enough for him to dismiss all of yosef’s “flaws” and immediately declare that he wanted yosef, an inexperienced slave, to be the vice- roy? Additionally, although we know that it was Hashem’s will for yosef to rule egypt, what specific merit earned him this incredible position of power?

Reb Shimon lived in Jerusalem and was known for always paying special care and attention to the mitzvah of Birkas haMazon. When questioned about this practice, reb Shimon explained that his commitment to bentching in this manner be- gan when he was eleven years old. The great rav Meir Shapiro (founder of the daf Yomi system) visited his school in Poland and told the students that the Sefer haChinuch (mitzvah 430) states that when one makes a blessing, he is supposed to con- centrate on the fact that hashem is the source of all blessings.

Rav Shapiro went on to relate the following tradition that he received: if somebody makes sure to recite bentching with concentration, which is a concrete manifestation of this atti- tude (rightfully acknowledging that all blessing is solely a gift from hashem, and not due to one’s own greatness or talents), hashem will provide him with his sustenance with dignity and honor throughout his life. right then and there, young Shimon decided that he would always make sure to recite Birkas ha- Mazon with concentration. Shimon admitted that it was not easy to always stay behind to bentch while all of his friends ran out from lunch to recess, but he fulfilled his pledge, and despite the difficulty it entailed, he always recited Birkas haMazon with careful concentration.

During World War II, when the Nazis took over Poland, Shimon found himself waiting on line for a selection. Those whom the Nazis deemed capable of working were allowed to live, while the rest were sent to be killed. Shimon was very concerned, as he was relatively young and had no special skills. as his turn drew near, the man behind him whispered, “Tell them you’re a chef and I’m your assistant.” With hashem’s kindness, the plan worked, and Shimon was sent to work in a kitchen, where he was well fed. he clearly saw how the promise of sustenance with dignity was fulfilled.

Several months later, a Nazi officer was inspecting the site and was dismayed to see a Jewish worker who was so well-fed. he angrily brought Shimon outside, handed him a hammer, and, pointing to the frozen ground, made an absurd demand: “You have a few hours to dig a bunker two meters deep and two me- ters wide for hiding in case of a russian attack. If you complete the job in time, you can continue working in the kitchen. If not, you’re finished.” It was obvious that this was an impossible job. Shimon turned to hashem and said, “I have a guarantee that You would sustain me my entire life. I am still young. Please sus- tain me and continue blessing me.” a short while later, a truck full of Nazi soldiers drove by. They were carrying large amounts of food, and for fun, they threw lots of it at Shimon. Somewhat humiliated, Shimon suddenly found himself surrounded by pota- toes and other vegetables.

Not too long thereafter, however, another truck passed by, this one carrying Polish soldiers. They saw Shimon sur- rounded by food and thought that he was in charge of food distribution. The truck stopped, and the soldiers asked for some food. hashem gave Shimon the wisdom to reply that he would only give them food if they dug a bunker two meters deep and two meters wide. They went back to the truck, got out their tools and shovels, and got to work. Soon enough, the job was completed, and Shimon gave them food. he did not have to lift even a finger. When the Nazi officer returned, he could not believe his eyes! he knew that the task he had given Shimon was impossible. “I always knew you Jews have your G-d watching you,” he said, and sent Shimon back to the kitchen. Shimon went on to live a long life and always had his sustenance provided. he properly recognized that all blessing is solely from hashem, and that he alone is responsible for all blessing. (This story appears in the work Sefer Birkas haMa- zon BeKavanah, and was recently recounted by rabbi Nissan Kaplan at a Yarchei Kallah in Israel.)

Rav Avraham Pam (in Ateres Avraham) explains that after yosef interpreted Pharaoh’s dream so brilliantly, he could have requested anything he wanted — wealth, power, etc. Instead, yosef profusely gave all of the credit solely to Hashem and repeatedly described him- self as merely being Hashem’s mouthpiece in conveying the inter- pretation. This fundamental character trait of recognizing that all of his talents and accomplishments are a gift from Hashem earned him Pharaoh’s respect and his promotion from slave to viceroy. Indeed, the most repulsive character trait — both in the eyes of Hashem and man alike — is when someone is full of himself and drunk with feelings of his or her own superiority. Conversely, man’s most en- dearing trait is genuine humility. The fact that yosef embodied the attitude of “There is no strength in my own hands; rather, I am the lucky one to whom Hashem has granted the opportunity to do His will,” is what earned him such incredible power from Pharaoh, and more importantly, from Hashem.

Chanukah

The importance of recognizing that all of our talents and accomplish- ments are only made possible by the grace of Hashem plays a central role in Chanukah as well. Through it, we can answer the following fundamental question: The Gemara (Shabbos 21b) states that the main miracle of Chanukah was the fact that the Menorah’s oil lasted for eight days. If so, why does the bulk of Al HaNissim (the prayer we add on Chanukah to Modim and Birkas HaMazon to commemorate the miracle) focus on the war with the Greeks, and only mention the miracle of the oil in passing? Rabbi Nachum Lansky answers that the purpose of bentching, as well as reciting Modim three times a day, is to internalize that all of our accomplishments, tal- ents, possessions, etc. are an absolute gift from Hashem and not due to our own superiority. Therefore, it is appropriate that when the Sages added Al HaNissim they placed special emphasis on thank- ing Hashem for winning the war, since it could have easily been misconstrued as the result of our own superior military strength, and strategy. When it came to the miracle of the oil lasting miracu- lously for eight days, however, there was no risk that we would take personal credit for it as it was clearly a miracle outside of the power of man. An underlying theme of Chanukah is recognizing that just as the oil that burned for eight days was miraculous and a complete gift from Hashem, so too, our victory in war was a tremendous gift from Hashem and not due to our own military prowess. Indeed, Chanukah is intended to be our reminder that everything we have in life is a gift from Hashem!

It has always been the practice of great Jews to regard their accom- plishments as gifts from Hashem. Following in their example is not only a mitzvah; it is also the best method to living a happier and more meaningful life. Let’s explain with the following parable:

A millionaire couple had two sons. one son was never happy and always felt that his parents didn’t give him enough. The other was the happiest kid alive. What caused the difference in their respective outlooks?

One originally lived in an impoverished orphanage until he was ten years old, when he was adopted by the wealthy couple. he recognized that every single thing that his parents gave him was an absolute gift and therefore he didn’t take even the small- est favor for granted. The outcome was that he constantly felt incredibly loved and cherished by his caring parents. The parents loved their other son as well, but as a result of being spoiled his whole life, he felt that everything his parents gave him was owed to him, and that he had nothing to be excited about. Therefore, no matter what he received, he never felt truly loved or any rea- son to be happy.

The underlying message of this week’s parashah and the celebra- tion of Chanukah, is that Hashem is involved in every aspect of our lives and everything we have is a gift from Him. This attitude is a present itself — for when people adopt such a mentality, they will always be on a high for they realize that they are constantly receiving incredible gifts from Hashem Himself! Who wouldn’t be smiling if they had this knowledge? In fact, it is for this very reason that Hashem commands us to make blessings before enjoying any pleasure. He wants us to wake up and realize how truly blessed we all are and how He is constantly showering us with pleasures and presents! Constant gifts from G-d? What can be better than that?! Let us always regard all that we have in life as gifts, notice that there are so many people who don’t have the things that we sometimes take for granted, and always have a tremendous sense of pride in the fact that we are cared for and loved by Hashem Himself!

The secret to achieving harmony

Author: Rabbi Moshe Pruzansky

The moment that eisav learned that yaakov had “stolen” the blessings from him, he decided to take revenge on and kill his brother. As yaakov traveled from Lavan back to eretz yisrael, eisav gathered a small army and marched toward him and his camp to finally exact his revenge. Despite the fact that thirty-four years had passed (fourteen years at the academy of Shem and eiver and twenty years in Lavan’s house), eisav’s anger still flared. yaakov took the fol- lowing relatively small measures to calm eisav’s wrath: (1) He sent emissaries to eisav bearing gifts. (2) He gave his messengers specific instructions to announce to eisav that their gifts were a tribute from “your servant yaakov.” (3) When he saw eisav approaching, he bowed to him seven times.

These tactics may seem to be a rather weak attempt to reconcile a long-standing passionate grudge. yet, incredibly, when eisav reached yaakov he “embraced him, fell upon his neck, kissed him, and cried” (33:4). Many commentaries, Rashi among them, explain that this was a genuine show of brotherly love and that eisav did these acts with all of his heart. Rav Hirsch points out that one does not cry unless he is genuinely moved, for tears flow as a result of one’s innermost feelings. Indeed, yaakov’s endearing actions had marvelous results: over the course of just a few hours the feelings of hatred that eisav had harbored toward him for so many years entirely evaporated.

How can this be? eisav’s anger had not been ignited over a trivial matter. He genuinely felt that yaakov had stolen the blessings that yitzchak had intended for him. eisav was certain that as a result of yaakov’s “treachery,” he and all of his descendants had lost out on an eternity of incredible blessing. He had every reason to be furious! Furthermore, eisav was a tough hunter and warrior. How could a few presents and kind words possibly work such wonders on him?

rabbi Yishmael, who was the head of his local beis din, hired a worker who would tend to his field and bring him a basket of its produce every Friday. once, the worker brought the basket of produce to rabbi Yishmael on Thursday, one day early. rabbi Yishmael asked him why he changed the regular delivery time. The worker answered, “I came to you now because I have a court case in your beis din, and I figured that I may as well bring it to you early.” rabbi Yishmael adamantly refused to accept the produce that he brought for him and explained that this was considered bribery. Furthermore, he told his worker that despite the fact that he didn’t even accept the kind gesture, he was still disqualified from adjudicating his court case, as even witnessing that someone desires to do an act of kindness for you deeply affects you. rabbi Yishmael then promptly appointed a group of Sages to adjudicate the case in his place. on the day of the court case, rabbi Yishmael passed by the courthouse and overheard what was transpiring inside. he was very surprised to find that indeed, despite the fact that he had never even accepted what his worker brought him — which was really his fruit to begin with — he still found himself internally making a case for the worker. a voice within him said, “If only he would make a claim like this, if only he would make a claim like that!” rabbi Yishmael said, “how much more influenced would be someone who actually agreed to accept even the slightest favor from someone!” (See Kesubos 105b.)

When dealing with eisav, yaakov harnessed one of the single strongest forces on the human psyche: endearing gestures — also known as bribery. In fact, this force is so strong that, halachically, even someone as great as Moshe Rabbeinu would become partial and be disqualified from judging a case if someone did something as trivial as giving him a hand up a flight of stairs. Why do favors have such an incredible effect on a beneficiary? The Gemara explains that “shochad,” the Hebrew word for bribery, is a blend of the two words shehu chad, “that he is one.” This means that when someone accepts a favor, he becomes “one” with the giver. The same way that it is natural for a person to overlook his own flaws and only see the good in himself, when a person receives something from another he will naturally look out for and only notice the good in the giver (Kesubos 105a–b; see Rashi). yaakov understood this well. With a strong desire for peace, he gave to eisav monetarily (the gifts), verbally (“your ser- vant yaakov”), and through actions (bowing to him). Through these acts, he accomplished the “impossible” — he succeeded in bringing eisav to embrace, forgive, and forget. yaakov turned what may have resulted in an incredible tragedy into a reunion of true brotherly love. Indeed, the power of sincere and thoughtful gestures is simply in- credible!* Whether with our boss, co-workers, friends, spouse, children, etc., we all desire to have a good relationship with those around us. Through this week’s parashah and the Gemara (Kesubos 105a–b), Hashem is teaching us that one of the most powerful methods of creating peace and unity is through sincere acts of respect, affection, and courtesy. Indeed, bribery is only a negative act when used to sway a court case or for other nefarious purposes. However, when used properly, it can be a tremendous tool for good. If such actions could melt even eisav’s wrath and bring him to fall on his brother’s neck and cry, consider how much greater an effect it can have on an acquaintance or some- one we are already in good standing with! Something as simple as holding a door open for another, greeting others with a bright smile and in a positive manner, and giving compliments are easy gestures that promote healthy harmony and make you “one” with others. In fact, most of the people that we all already enjoy being with often display many of these qualities.

When you need to make peace with another or simply desire to promote good will among the people around you, never underesti- mate the power of a sincere kind word or a small favor. If we would all do small sincere acts of respect, affection, and courtesy for each other, it would work wonders on our state of harmony and make the world we live in a truly better place.

Express Yourself before It’s Too Late

Author: Rabbi Moshe Pruzansky

WHEN YAAKOV WAS impersonating Eisav in order to receive Yitzchak’s blessings, he politely asked his father to “please stand up.” The verse states that when Yitzchak heard this,he immediately became suspicious of his son’s true identity (27:22). Rashi explains that when Yaakov spoke respectfully and said “please,” this aroused Yitzchak’s suspicion. After all, Eisav always simply said, “Stand up” when he wanted his father to rise.

How can this be? The Zohar states that (for whatever reason)Eisav mastered the mitzvah of kibbud av to the greatest degree in history (Chelek Alef 146). In fact, even great Tannaim attest that as hard as they tried to excel in this area, their actions of honoring  their father never rivaled the incredible actions performed by Eisav (Bereishis Rabbah 65:12,13). If so, how could it be that the very same man who performed legendary acts of love and respect for his father never expressed it verbally, so much so that Yitzchak was surprised to even hear the word “please” from him? Is it possible for someone to love and respect another through actions, and yet to never artic- ulate his love through the art of speech?

Calm, Cool, and Collected

Author: Rabbi Moshe Pruzansky

THE TORAH RELATES that after Sarah passed away, Avraham’s in- tense desire was to give her a proper burial in a place befitting her greatness: Me’aras  HaMachpeilah. In order to acquire it, he had to first negotiate with Ephron. The process was far from enjoy- able. In front of a large crowd that had gathered, Ephron toyed with Avraham in his time of need. First — in order to impress his gen- erosity upon the onlookers — he informed Avraham that he would give him Me’aras HaMachpeilah for free. Afterward (in private), he demanded an exorbitant price of one million shekels (Bava Metzia 87a). Ephron made his falsely generous offer for the sole purpose of winning over the masses, who indeed crowned him to be their leader after watching his “charismatic” actions of “caring” for the great Avraham Avinu (Rashi 29:10). Despite knowing all of this, Avraham acted humbly and respectfully toward him — he even bowed to Ephron ceremoniously multiple times.

Rabbeinu Yonah (Avos 5:3) records this as Avraham’s tenth and final test. In fact, the Midrash attests that Avraham’s behavior and self-control here were so impressive that afterward the Satan himself declared, “I now know that Avraham Avinu is truly perfect.”

The Secret behind Every Billionaire

Author: Rabbi Moshe Pruzansky

CONTRARY TO POPULAR belief, the very first World War in re- corded history did not occur in 1914. Rather, it occurred in this week’s parashah, when four of the mightiest countries battled five equally powerful countries. When Lot, Avraham’s nephew, was taken captive by the four kings, Avraham gathered a tiny group of men to wage war against them and rescue him. Avraham’s “army” was minuscule — according to one opinion, it consisted of only 318 men. According to another opinion, it consisted of even less — merely Avraham and his trusted servant Eliezer. Incredibly, Avraham won the battle in a stunning triumph, thereby rescuing Lot as well as the five kings. The king of Sedom was one of the captives who Avraham rescued. In a seemingly gracious gesture, he offered to reward Avraham with all the spoils he had won in battle and asked that Avraham simply return his subjects to him.

Strangely, Avraham vehemently declined the gesture. He did not stop there either. Avraham went on to raise his arm and state (14:22), “I lift my hand to Hashem, G-d [as an oath]… if I take anything from you! So you shall not say, ‘It is I who made Avraham rich.’”Avraham’s reaction, at first glance, seems a bit dramatic. Was anyone accusing Avraham of taking the spoils for the wrong reasons? Furthermore, was there really such a great concern that the king of Sedom, who had publicly been rescued by Avraham, would take credit for making Avraham wealthy? Everyone had seen Avraham publicly win the battle. All the king of Sedom had offered was for Avraham to keep the loot that he had rightfully won in battle. Why, then, did Avraham refuse to keep it? Furthermore, why the seemingly over-dramatic raising of his arm and statement?

What Were They Thinking?

Author: Rabbi Moshe Pruzansky

THE TORAH RELATES that civilization decayed so terribly in  the eyes of Hashem, that He regretted having ever created man in the first place and decided to destroy all of mankind. In this week’s parashah, we learn in detail that Hashem destroyed the entire planet — except for those on the teivah — through the mabul.

Toward the end of our parashah, the Torah tells us about another disappointing occurrence in Man’s history — Migdal Bavel, The Tower of Bavel (11:1–9). After the mabul, the nations of the world recognized that Hashem was in full control. They also understood that He rewards those who do good and, as the mabul demonstrated, punishes those who do bad. They began to fear that if they sinned, they too would suffer the same fate. In an attempt to break free of Hashem’s control, the leaders of the nations devised a “sophisticated” plan: to build a very tall tower that would reach Heaven and utilize it to wage war against G-d Himself. Hashem stopped them by changing the language that each one understood to an entirely new language, causing them to mis- understand each other, and thus bringing an end to their wicked plans. What were these people thinking? If the nations recognized that G-d is real and almighty, how could they even fantasize about the idea of fighting Him — and by building a tall tower no less! Were they out of their minds? There must have been more to their strategy than meets the eye. What was it?

Earning a Living

Author: Rabbi Moshe Pruzansky

THE TORAH STATES that vegetation was created on the third day of creation. Yet, the Torah also states that the vegetation did not actually sprout and bloom until the sixth day of creation. Why  didn’t the vegetation sprout immediately? Rashi explains (2:6) that on the sixth day Adam was created, and the grass only sprouted after he had davened for it. This is to teach us that the world only receives sustenance in the merit of tefillah — in the merit of recognizing that all of our sustenance is solely in the hands of Hashem.