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Shabbat Shuva - Parshat Haazinu Daf Yomi: Sanhedrin 3
Understanding the Generations In this week�s portion we read: Zchor ymos olam, binu shnos dor vador, shial avicha
v�yagaidecha zkainecha v�yomiru lach" - "Remember days gone by; understand
the years of each generation; ask your father and he will tell you, your
grandfather and he will say it over to you". This pasuk, even on a very simple and basic level, is
telling us that a person has to have an appreciation for history. A Jew, especially, has to have an appreciation of what was
before him. If a person has an appreciation of what was, of tradition, of
what has transpired over the years, then he is a person that can deal with
the present even better. A person has an obligation to remember and to
understand and to try to see the Hand of G-d (Hashgocha) in history. On a simple level, "binu shnos dor vador" - understand
each and every generation - is redundant. It would appear to be a poetic
restatement of the beginning of the verse. On a homiletic level, however,
the Menachem Zion offers a very nice interpretation of this expression. Yes, one must understand history and take the lessons of
history and apply it to our generation, but also "binu 'shnos' dor vador".
He homiletically says the word "shnos" is derived, not from the word "shana"
- year - but, from the word "shoneh" - different. The meaning is that you
must understand the changes from one generation to the next. A person can not blindly apply the same rules that worked
in the past to the present situation. If he tries, he will fall short.
Each generation is different. A person can not glibly say, "That's the way
it was; therefore, that's the way it has to be". A synagogue that I used
to daven in had many activities that were done in the time of the late
founding Rabbi that many in the congregation felt must remain the same
even today even though there may or may not be a purpose in maintaining
some of these practices. We cannot emphasize enough the holding on to ones� family
customs that have been passed down from one generation. I once gave a
shiur regarding sitting or standing for Kiddush. Those who have been to my
table know that my custom is to sit. However, after going through all the
sources regarding this matter and seeing that there is what to rely on to
stand or to sit, I concluded by saying that more importantly , shial
avicha viyagaidecha, ask your father and he will tell you, holding on to
your family customs is also very important. Additionally, I have heard this story from numerous
students of Rabbi Soloveitchik, ZT"L, that when they would go to ask the
Rav what his custom on a certain matter was, the Rav would answer, "none
of your business, ask your father". Binu Shnos Dor V'dor -- take the lesson of history, but
bear in bind the changes from generation to generation. Times change,
people change, and circumstances change. Sometimes a person has to alter
and redirect and not merely go with what was. Understand the changes ('shnos') in each generation.
Understand that each generation has its own set of problems and own set of
rules and own set of circumstances. The way that one dealt with the
teenagers in a previous generation may not work in today's generation.
Today's generation expects to receive everything on a silver platter and
that makes dealing with them much more difficult. We must remember the days gone by, but couple that
remembrance with an understanding of the changes that take place in each
generation.
Daf Yomi: Sanhedrin 5
How can it be that Yom
Kippur has as part of it's primary observance, a mitzvah to "afflict
oneself" (we do this by - - fasting; abstaining from washing, anointing,
and wearing leather shoes and by not engaging in marital relations) and at
the same time be described by the gemorah as one of the happiest days of
the year? The answer should be clear to us. Yom Kippur is a day of
tremendous love between G-d and man. It is a day that is designed to
engender a very deep connection and feeling of closeness between us and
our Father in Heaven. The Chovas HaLevovas explains that when a person sins, it
should be immediate that the Al-Mighty would strike the person down and
wipe him from existence. How could it be that the King of the universe
should allow one of His servants to disobey a command and not be punished
severely and quickly. It is however only through a supreme act of kindness and
graciousness that HaShem gives us time before retribution is carried out.
This time is so, that hopefully, the sinner will understand his crime,
turn from his evil ways and repair the damage done to the relationship
with his Creator. The opportunity to do tshuva for our mistakes is not
only a tremendous chesed, but also shapes the character of the day. Even
if one chooses not to take advantage of the opportunity, just the fact
that HaShem allows us to come back to Him, and that He commands us to come
back to Him, should be enough to stir even the most calloused of hearts. One time I was flying from Las Vegas to Edmonton. Sitting
in the back of the plane, I realized that I was surrounded by a group of
Baptist ministers. When men of cloth sit together, they talk about their
clothes. After awhile and when we were all comfortable with one another, I
turned to one of the ministers and asked him if after I die, will I be
going to Hell? He responded by saying "technically yes, but I have my own
ideas." I said, "Let's talk about the technicalities." After he explained
his position, I asked this cadre of clergy if any of them have children.
They were all newly married and the answer was no. At the time I had three
boys and explained, "In my worst nightmares, there is nothing that I could
imagine any of my children doing, that would compel me to permanently shut
them out of my life. I'm a pretty nice guy, but I'm not more merciful than
G-d. If I couldn't shut my children out, I can't conceive G-d shutting His
children out." They didn't get it. There are two parts to this process: the first is tshuva
and the second, is developing a true identification with Klall YIsrael.
There are four steps to the tshuva process: stop doing the mistake, regret
ever having done the mistake, make a commitment to never do it again and
finally, verbally confessing the mistake to G-d. Most people spend most of
Yom Kippur focusing only on this. Developing a true identification with the Jewish People in
some ways is actually more difficult. The mishna says that "All of the
Jewish People have a share in the world to come." The deeper connection
one has with our people, the deeper connection he will have with HaShem
and that will be reflected in their portion in the world to come. This idea is alluded to in the viduy prayers. All of the
viduy is said in the plural. This is because even though I did not steal
or slander, somewhere out there is a Jew who did. I am confessing for him.
But if I didn't do it, how can I confess for him? The answer is that we
are all responsible for one another. To what extent? If we were doing what
we were supposed to be doing, we would have such a positive influence on
the rest of our nation, that no one would steal or slander. Therefore when
we confess, it is not that we did the crime, it is that we didn't exert a
positive enough influence towards our neighbor, to prevent him from doing
the crime! The person who identifies with the Jewish People so deeply
and who does tshuva and returns to his Creator, will surely feel the
intense love that our Father in heaven has for all of us. Yom Kippur will
then truly be the happiest day of our year.
NCYI's Weekly Divrei Torah Bulletin is sponsored by the Henry, Bertha and Edward Rothman Foundation - Rochester, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; Circleville, Ohio
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Today is Thursday, May 24, 2012
