Drasha Nuggests for Rosh HaShanah 5771

Chaim Marder

Key Source: Ramban Bereishit 22:1

Description of Key Source:

Ramban discusses the concept of nisayon and writes that from the perspective of
the person that is being tried it is called a "trial" that determines whether he will
make the correct decision. However, from the perspective of God, it is not a trial
but a commandment so that the trial not only provides an answer to the question
but so that there is an action that actualizes and concretizes the trial. The trial is
for the benefit of the one who is being tried.

Application:

Everyone has their own unique challenges. Our goal is not to purge the impulses
that cause these challenges. Rather it is to identify the uniquely positive within and
being it forward. Teshuva is not only about getting rid of the bad, but connecting to
the good.

Additional Sources:

• Likkutei Yehuda to Shmuel II 22:24 and Mei Shiloach Ki Teitzei, Ma'amar no.
2, discuss how each individual has his own unique challenges (nisyonot) that
he must overcome.

• Mei Shiloach, Va'etchanan states that each person must the mitzvah that
relates specifically to him and this becomes his mitzvah by which he must be
moser nefesh for.

Key Words:

Trial, Nisayon, Challenges

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Dani Rockoff

Key Source: Bereishit 18:18-19

Description of Key Source:

There are many reasons why God would had a close relationship with Avraham: His
passing of the nisyonot, his great chesed, his dedication to monotheism, etc. Yet,
the verses teach us that it is Avraham's dedication to tzedakah and mishpat that
allowed him to have such a close relationship with God. We see examples of this in
how Avraham conducted himself in dealing with the dispute between his shepherd's
and Lot's shepherds (13:7 and Rashi), in his refusal to accept the spoils of war
(14:22-24) and in his purchase of Me'arat HaMachpela (chapter 23). He also
reprimands Avimelech when his servants violate theft (21:24-25).

Application:

We often put a focus on Avraham as the paradigm of chesed and lose sight of the
importance of righteousness and justice. We are involved in types of acts of
chesed, but are we as meticulous when it comes to how we conduct ourselves in our
business affairs?

Additional Source:

Netziv, in his introduction to Bereishit writes that Bereishit is called "Sefer

HaYashar" because the Avot were considered yesharim. Their dealings with the
nations of the world were exemplary. This was so important that it is considered a
major theme of Sefer Bereishit such that some refer to the book as "Sefer
HaYashar."

Key Words:

Avraham, Yashar, Justice

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Jonathan Schwartz

Key Source: R. Avraham Moshe Chevroni's Maseit Moshe on Mussar no. 8

Description of Key Source:

The Gemara, Rosh HaShanah 16a, quotes R. Avahu that we use a ram's horn on
Rosh HaShanah in order to remember the ram that Avraham sacrificed at the
akeidah. The obvious question is: Why are we commemorating the akeidah with
symbols that occurred after the akeidah? What was the great nisayon in sacrificing
the ram? Furthermore, why does the Mishna (Avot 5:6) state that the ram was
created especially for this occasion? What was so special about the sacrifice of this
ram? R. Chevroni answers that when a person has a moment of inspiration, he
must follow through on that inspiration and use it as a means of elevating oneself.
The akeidah was Avraham's ultimate chance to reach great heights. When he was
told that he shouldn't sacrifice his son, he didn't want to listen. He didn't want to
come down from that great spiritual high. Therefore, a special ram was set aside
for him so that the sacrifice of the ram could be considered tantamount to the
sacrifice of Yitzchak.

Application:

We all have moments of inspiration, but the ties that bind come not in the moment
of sacrifice but when given the chance to make something more lasting – like
Avraham’s desire to still bring the korban in order not to lose the moment.

Key Words: Akeidah, Shofar, Inspiration

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Leonard Oppenheimer

Key Source: Mishna, Avot 5:19

Description of Key Source:

The Mishna contrasts the students of Avraham Avinu to the students of Bilam
HaRasha. This seems like a strange contrast. Why was Bilam chosen as the person
who is the opposite of Avraham? If one looks at Avraham's preparation for the
akeidah and Bilam's preparation to curse the Jewish People, there are a number of
similarities. First, they both get up early. Second, they both load the donkeys
themselves. Third, they both say that they will only do what G-d instructs them to
do. Fourth, they are both celebrated as holy men. When one digs below the
surface, there is a complete contrast. Bilam knew that G-d did not want him to
go, but he tried every which way to get around this, and to find a way to get G-d’s
favor in doing what Bilaam wanted to do. Avraham could have had lots of reasons
to question G-d’s will. He had some very tough questions he could have asked, but
he silenced his ego, and did what Hashem wanted.

Application:

Are we trying to get G-d to do our will, or are we trying to get ourselves ready to
perform G-d’s will – that is a crucial question we need to ask ourselves on Rosh
Hashana. We may be outwardly doing the same thing, but what counts is what we
are trying to do inside.

Key Words:

Avraham, Bilam, Akeidah

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Jonathan Schwartz

Key Source: R. Soloveitchik (cited by R. Menachem Genack in Beit Yitzchak, Vol. 29,
page 796)

Description of Key Source:

On the second day of Rosh HaShanah, we read about the akeidah, but we continue
to read about the children of Nachor. Why does the story of the children of Nachor
have to do with Rosh HaShanah? R. Soloveitchik explains that part of Avraham's
nisayon was that he had to compare his life to his brother's. In his mind he saw his
brother have twelve children without much nisayon. Yet, he struggled to have one
child and that child was almost taken away from him. We read the portion about
Nachor's children because it was part and parcel of the akeidah.

Application:

R. Genack adds that Avraham realized that destiny required a trial. Avraham
realized that true destiny didn’t lie with an Utz or a Buz but rather through Yitzchak
(Kee B’Yitzchak Yikareh Lecha Zara). And true destiny – true kiyum needs
something more. That something more comes to the forefront in times of trial and
challenge. It happens in nisayon. This idea – the appreciation of the challenge as
well as the resolution of it – forms the core of our hallel to hashem. We declare
Odecha Ki Anisani – I thank you HaShem for challenging me – for putting me into
moments that made me realize VaTehee Li L’Yishuah.

Key Words:

Challenge, Nisayon

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Marc Spivak

Key Source: Rashi Devarim 6:6

Description of Key Source:

Rashi states that G-d commands us to always relate to the Torah as a new doctrine.
He explains that people are always interested in the new, but as soon as we know it,
it becomes old and we lose interest. Rashi is not just giving us mussar or lecturing
us. He is telling us that this is just the way people are we are constantly seeking out
new stimulation.

Application:

Rosh Hashana and teshuva challenge us to take the old and renew it. We must find
ways to challenge ourselves to revisit those aspects of our lives that we thought we
could never change and attack it from a new angle to not just take it for granted but
spend the time and figure out ways to improve it and it happens that as we grow
older we see that we can tackle challenges that we never thought possible before.
We come to appreciate aspects of our lives that we just took for granted because
we are now viewing them differently. Take the time over these next few days and
revisit parts of your life that you want to change and you might just find something
amazing.

Key Words:

Renewal, Fresh Perspective, Change

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Eliezer Zwickler

Key Source:

Chasam Sofer (Hagahos to Rama, O.C. 683)

Description of the Key Source:

The Rama in the Shulchan Aruch tells us that on Rosh Hashana the custom is that
we refrain from eating nuts. He offers 2 reasons as to why this is the case. The first
is that the gematia, numerical value of egoz, which is Hebrew for nut = (ChT) sin,
and we do not utter that word on Rosh Hashana. The second reason given is that
nuts dry a persons mouth and will thus cause a person to very thirsty causing a
disturbance to their davening, the main point of the day. What is interesting is that
the Mechaber Rav Yosef Karo does not mention this halacha. The Chasam Sofer in
his commentary on the Shulchan Aruch brings a midrash that explains an additional
reason as to why we do not eat nuts on Rosh Hashana.

He says that the Jewish people are compared to a nut, in that when a nut falls into a
dirty place the shell becomes dirty, the nut inside however remains covered, clean
and edible. The Midrash explains that as the Jewish people have fallen in galus
there have been times when our surroundings have caused us to become very dirty
yet the nut inside remains clean and useful. We therefore do not eat nuts because
it is a sign of the galus and we do not want to be reminded of the galus on Rosh
Hashana since it was our sins that led us into Galus.

Application:

On Rosh Hashana many of us are embarrassed to be sitting in shul because we feel

that we are so dirty. The truth however is that Hashem sees us beyond our shell.
He sees how we truly feel deep inside.

Key Words:

Shell, Clean, edible

Comments:

I gave this Drasha using a story from Yaffa Eliach’s Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust.
The story was about a kapo who was helping the Nazis and was killed because he
refused to eat on Yom Kippur. The story is as follows. I divided the story in half and
opened and concluded the drasha with it.

In the Janowska Road camp there was a Kapo, a Jew from the town of Lvov named
Schneeweiss. He was a person that everyone tried to stay away from. A wicked
man who would beat his fellow jew for little or no reason. The Bluzhover Rebbe was
also from Lvov but had hidden his identity and only a few Chasidim knew who he
was. As the Jewish holidays were approaching everyone became frightened since
they knew that the Nazis would use these days to terrorize and slaughter Jews. It
was Erev Yom Kippur, the tension and fear were at their height. Mendel Freifeld and
a few other Chasidim approached the rebbe and asked him to reveal himself to
Schneeweiss and request that on Yom Kippur his group not be assigned a harsh
task in which they would have to violate Yom Kippur. The Rebbe was nervous but
after having revealed himself he made the request and was told that the Kapo will
see what he can do. The Rebbe noticed a shiver in the kapo when he made the
request, he took his hand and told him, “I promise you as long as you live it will be a
good life. I beg you to do it for us so that we may still find some dignity in our
humiliating existence”. When Yom Kippur came the Kapo told the Rebbe and the
group that they were to shine a large wooden house, the S.S quarters in the camp.
The Kapo instructed, you fellows will shine the floor without polish or wax and Rabbi
you will clean the windows with dry rags. He then left the room without saying a
word. The Rabbi was on a ladder davening out loud with Chasidim polishing the
floor davening with him. At noon the door flew open and 2 SS came in with a food
cart filled to capacity. One of them announced “Noontime, time to eat, bread, soup,
and meat. Everyone just froze and didn’t respond.

They started yelling to eat but nobody responded. The men sent for the Kapo
Schneeweiss . When he came in they yelled that if he didn’t get the Jews to eat
they would kill the kapo with them. Schneeweiss looked the German directly in the
eyes and said “We Jews do not eat today. Today is Yom Kippur, our most holy day,
the day of Atonement.” He was then told that I command you in the name of the
fuhrer and the third reich to eat!!! Schneeweiss said again , “We Jews obey the law
of our tradition, today is Yom Kippur, a day of fasting.” The German pulled out his
revolver and pointed it at Schneewiess’ temple, Schneiweiss held his head high and
then a shot was heard, Schneiweiss’s blood now pooled on the floor. The Germans
left the room.
Leonard Oppenheimer

Key Source: Nesivos Shalom Moadim pp. 112

Description of Key Source:

The Slonimer Rebbe has a beautiful essay in which he discusses many aspects of
this paradoxical nature of Rosh Hashana. His main idea is that the fact is that we
are a myriad of inconsistencies. But if we work through the shofar to achieve
Malchius, to make Hakadosh Baruch Hu our King completely, then the small
differences melt away. This is difficult, and requires much work and thought, but
done correctly will lead to great joy.

Application: To appreciate the complexity of our emotions as we stand on this day

and listen to these sounds, as an expression of our angst and mixed feelings in
looking at our lives and world — to pray for unity in our world by striving for unity
within Israel.

Keywords: emotions, shofar, complexity, unity

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Steven Miodownik

Key Sources: Bnei Yisaascher; Bereishis Rabbah 70:17;Daas Zekeinim on Parshas

Vayeitzei; Yirmiyahu 31 with Rashi

Description of Key Sources:

The Bnei Yissaschar points out that the rabbis only used simanim on the first night
of Rosh Hashanah, and specifically NOT on the second night. And then the Bnei
Yissaschar offers a reason for this distinction between nights: The first night of
Rosh Hashanah is for Leah, and the second night of Rosh Hashanah is for her sister
Rachel. Rachel gave away the simanim to Leah, so on her night of Rosh Hashanah,
we don't use simanim. What does this mean? The Midrash Bereishis Rabbah (70:17)
describes the extent of Lavan's deception: He enlisted all his kinsmen in the scheme
and took securities from them so they wouldn't reveal the plot until it was too late.
The festivities themselves took place before the actual marriage, which was
accomplished by the man taking the woman into his tent, like a chuppah without
kiddushin. Where were Rachel and Leah at this point? Still in their father's house,
with Rachel making wedding preparations. At which point Lavan entered, and did as
predicted. And when Rachel saw that her sister was being taken to be Yaakov's
bride, and that Leah would likely be humiliated publicly when Yaakov refused to go
through with the wedding, Rachel did something incredible. Out of love for her
sister, she violated her agreement with Yaakov. She shared the simanim with Leah.
She gave away the husband of her dreams so her sister would not suffer. Let us not
fall into the trap of the omniscient reader of Tanakh. At this point in time, Rachel
had no idea that Yaakov would work another seven years for her. She didn't think
Yaakov would want to take a second wife, and her marriage to him would come to
fruition, just with a seven-year delay. She signed away her happiness by delivering
the simanim into Leah's hands. The ultimate sacrifice. But what were the simanim?
What were the signs between husband and wife that the marriage was kosher? The
Daas Zekeinim Mibaalei HaTosfos offers: Yaakov would know that the bride was
right, if she could tell him of three laws - marital purity, separating challah, and
lighting Shabbos candles. A proper relationship between husband and wife, sharing
one's food with others, and bringing kedushah into the home by observing the
Jewish calendar. Rachel secretly passed this information on to Leah, so Yaakov had
no problem marrying her. A few simple words, given from Rachel to Leah, but
representing much more. These simanim feature prominently in Rachel's legacy to
us. Why is it that we (read this morning/will read tomorrow morning) of Rachel
crying over children? It is no coincidence that the the Haftorah from the 31st
chapter of Yirmiyahu concludes with Rachel imagery: Rashi immediately comments:
Rachel demonstrated the ability to part with something that was rightfully hers. She
passed simanim to Leah, and she greets the Jewish people upon their return to
Eretz Yisrael. We don't need simanim on the second night of Rosh Hashanah,
Rachel's night - we rely on Rachel's. We are automatically linked to our mother
Rachel and her selflessness. We only need simanim on the first night, Leah's night,
but on both nights, the concept of simanim is essential to the Rosh Hashanah
experience. After all, Leah only became one of our four mothers because she
received simanim from Rachel.

Application:

We can't express ourselves properly with mere words. So Hashem gave us a siman
with which to approach him. And it's called the shofar. Is the sound of the shofar
triumphant? Mournful? Is it a cry or a song? Or all of the above? Or, as I suspect, is it
different for every person in this room? The shofar is the ultimate symbol, far more
intimate than words, far more personal. And if our vehicle for approaching Hashem
in shul is through simanim, then simanim must be passed between members of the
household. Yes, this means the apple and the challah dipped in honey, the cabbage
and the fish, but it also means non-verbal communication. It means smiles and
looks of encouragement parents give children, even when honey gets all over the
new tablecloth. It means members of a household being able to read each other's
body language, and sense when someone is sad or distant, and reach out to them.
At our Rosh Hashanah tables, food should not be the only simanim passed around.
Far more satisfying than delicious food is the warmth provided by a caring glance, a
silent embrace, or music emanating from a Yom Tov table.

Key Words:

Symbols, Communication, Body Language

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