Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 07:48:26 +0200 (IST) B"H "Path Markers" Shemos: By: Yaacov Silverstein e@mail: hm16@popeye.cc.biu.ac.il HomePage: http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~hm16/ Year: 5760 This Weeks Dvar - Torah was prepared in the memory and merit of: My grandfather: Rav Yitzchak Zev Ben Yisroel Mordechai Hakohen Solomon Z"L Please Note: 1) I have added a "Subject:" to this weeks DT, comments are welcome. Please tell me if you have any difficulty because of this. 2) Since I am using a system which I am not sure if it is Y2K compliant, I am not sure if I will be able to send the DT the regular way next week B"H. If I have difficulty, I will try to find a replacement ASAP. Shabbat Shalom!! Pasuk (2:11): "It happened in those days that Moshe grew up and went out to his brethren and observed their burdens..." Even though Moshe had been brought up in the splendor and anti-Semitism of Pharaoh's palace, he still remained a Jew. As he grew older and matured, he displayed the compassion for the down trodden that stamped him as the future redeemer of the Bnei Yisroel. Moshe was sensitive to the plight of his brethren and he identified with their pain and suffering. Rav Frand explains (Book - Listen to your messages), the meaning of "Vayigdal Moshe", means that Moshe became a Gadol, a great person. How did Moshe become a great person? So the Pasuk continues that he went out to see the trouble of his brothers. He didn't become a Gadol by sitting in the luxury of Pharaoh's palace, but rather by going out amongst his brothers and sharing in their agony. A Gadol is one who thinks about others. A Gadol is not just one who is full of Torah knowledge and Yiras Shemayaim, rather one who is also dedicated to his community, one who steps out of his selfish self and feels responsibility for his community. Rav Aharon Kotler explains that the Pasuk was not teaching us that Moshe became older, this we already knew in the previous Pasuk. Thus he grew up by going out to his brothers and feeling their pain. He lent his shoulder and helped all people, it didn't make a difference what their background was, he became "Great" by "Going Out". We need to help people who are on different levels than we, whether they are Spiritual or Physical levels. A person can't consider himself too high, to help others less fortunate people. Rav Michel Berenbaum explains that Moshe possessed the trait of "Nosei BeOl", which literally means, "sharing someone's burden" Moshe also was "Sonei Avel", this is spelled when changing around the words, for he also "hated injustice". One may ask, how much did his sharing in their burden actually help? Rav Yeruchum Levovitz states that the point was that Moshe did not stand on the side and just watch, he did something which would enable him to feel the pain, and thus he was chosen to redeem the Bnei Yisroel from Egypt. I would like to end off with the following story related by Rabbi Twersky (Twersky on Spirtuality), about a Tzaddik who once came upon a poor family and he gave them a substantial sum of Tzedakah to help them out. The next day, he returned to the family and gave them some more money. When asked why he didn't give them the whole sum in one shot, he explained: "When I saw the hungry children, their suffering and anguish; my giving of Tzedakah relieved me of my distress at their plight. Thus, explained the Tzaddik, my Tzedakah was tainted with self-interest. I then returned and gave them Tzedakah again, however this time, it was solely to fulfill the Mitzvah, since my discomfort had already been relieved. A Jew's greatness is not in his status, rather it is judged by the way one puts himself in the other's shoes and feels their plight, and does action to relieve their plight, and not his own plight. ******* I would like to thank my mother (S.M.F) for helping me out by looking over the first draft. (The above Halacha is not Psak, it is there to try to help to increase ones Torah awareness, for final Psak, please consult your : Local Reliable Orthodox Rabbi.) ------- **********--------- --------***********--------