Spirit of the Law: Sefiras Haomer 10

10) “The custom is that men and women refrain from melachah-labor during the nights of sefira from sunset until they count the omer.” (According to Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt”l, this refers to skilled labor that would distract them. However, it is permitted to turn on a light or do something that is not distracting.)

One reason for refraining from labor is so that one will not forget to count. One of the things we focus on in the count is the fact that everything we do counts and that we should make every single instant of each day count by utilizing it to the hilt.[1] As the verse says: "למנות ימינו כן הודע ונביא לבב חכמה"—“Teach us to count our days, and we will bring forth a heart of wisdom.” (Tehillim 90) We must not allow ourselves to get distracted and instead take some time to focus on what the counting represents and that our avodah during this time affects the entire year.[2]

It is important to conclude with the words of the Maggid of Kozhnitz, zt”l. The verse states: “For seven weeks we will count, until m’macharas ha'Shabbos hashevi’is (the day after the completion of the seventh week) we will count fifty days.” The Maggid said that "until mi'macharas" teaches that even if we haven’t merited to do teshuvah and count with proper focus during the entire sefira, we can still rectify the counting even the very last day.

The same holds true if we catch ourselves at any point and re-commit to proper fulfillment of the mitzvah. Even if we only manage to do so on the very last day (m’macharas ha'Shabbos), it is still as though we had counted all fifty days in the very best way how much.

Rebbe Nachman said: “If you believe you can destroy, believe you can repair!”

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[1] Likutei Halachos, Hilchos Pikadon 4:5

[2] Rashash in Nahar Shalom

Spirit of the Law: Sefiras Haomer 8 & 9

8) “On the day before a bris the father, sandak, and mohel can cut their hair…”

The reason why we mourn during sefira is because the students of Rabbi Akiva didn’t merit to work together in love and fellowship. If they had been worthy, they would have merited to bring Moshiach and rebuild the Beis Hamikdash.

A bris is likened to the bringing of a sacrifice. For those who make the bris, it is as though the Beis Hamikdash has already been rebuilt. This is why they may take a haircut even during this time of mourning. Bringing their “korban” is a much higher avodah than maintaining the state of mourning, and it is only fitting that the one bringing the “offering” (the father is offering up the child, the mohel is like the kohein making the sacrifice, and the sandak is like the altar on which the sacrifice is brought) should lack nothing for this momentous event.

9) “To make shiduchim is permitted during these days…”

A person without his or her match cannot possibly be spiritually complete. For this reason, even Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon, were not able to bring the incense. Lacking wives, they lacked the ability to really make this rectification. Rav Nosson of Breslov explains that the tikkun of ketores is the transformation of anguish into joy. This can only be done through learning how to relate to another person—and for such a relationship to really work, one must be unselfish and giving. It is only by overcoming the challenges to one’s self-absorption that marriage presents that one elevates the sparks. This is accomplished by learning how to be joyous through what used to cause them anguish. Nadav and Avihu wanted to be in a continual ascent on high without having to cross any barriers. They thought that this is what would bring them to the highest rectification—that of the ketores. However, because they never had to exercise self-restrain in order to maintain shalom bayis with their spouses, the Arizal called them “halves.”

Once we understand the greatness of the spiritual work of marriage, we can more easily comprehend why it is permitted to finalize a shiduch even during these days of mourning. If a person finds the correct shiduch, he should immediately make a commitment and not wait, since inaction would mean that he might lose the prospective match to another, G-d forbid.

(Spirit of the Law 7 discusses Lag B'omer and will B'ezras Hashem be posted presently.)

Spirit of the Law: Sefiras Haomer VI

6) “During these…days, the students of Rabbi Akiva died…”

The Gemara tells us that Rabbi Akiva didn’t treat one another with the respect that they deserved. Rav Nosson explains (Likutei Halachos, Purim 6:19) that their main mistake was in their being overly punctilious with each other. Instead of acting with love and kindness, they descended into anger and pettiness.

Rav Wolbe, zt”l, writes that the main way to avoid becoming angry with another is to learn how to bear his or her idiosyncrasies, especially when one feels frustrated that the other person is not changing quickly, or perhaps at all. One should repeat to himself, “I have to tolerate them, just as they have to bear my problems and character defects. Even if I was treated improperly, I should continue to show understanding and compassion for my friend.”

The Ramak writes that this is one of the Divine attributes that we must learn to emulate. Despite the fact that all of our strength comes from Hashem at all times, we still rebel against Him often. Even so, He allows us to persist in our behavior and bears our stupidity and smallness without preventing us from sinning further by depriving us once and for all with the life-force that sustains us.

The spiritual work of sefiras ha’omer is to refrain from anger and to act instead with kindness and love toward others. As the Baal Shem Tov taught, when I see bad in them, it is only a projection and reflection of my own character defects. If I can’t tolerate my friend, it seems that it is my own defects that I am not willing to overlook! Rav Chaim Vital, zt”l, writes, “Why get angry at your friend and not at yourself for driving out your Divine soul by losing your temper!”

Spirit of the Law: Sefiras Haomer V

5) “…We say the maaravis [a piyut said during maariv in certain communities] for the second day of Pesach on that day even if the first day fell out on Shabbos (and we didn’t say the first day’s piyut because of this). The reason why is because it speaks of the cutting of the omer which was on this night…”

Rav Nosson explains the tremendous significance of the omer offering. The omer is made up of barley, a grain used as animal fodder. The kohein takes the grain and waves it up and down and in all four cardinal directions to represent that even our experiences which seem to be divorced from holiness, that are “dispersed to the ends of the earth,” are all manifestations of Divine providence. We reveal the unified inner essence of all of our diverse experiences by searching for Hashem in everything we do. Nothing is really divorced from the Divine; it merely seems that way to us. The word for waving the sacrifice around is tnufa. This can be read as two separate words: tnu peh—literally, “give a mouth,” or “express it.” One reason why we don’t “express it” or pray is because we feel that the challenges that we face are divorced from the Divine. The moment we reveal that He is truly everywhere and waiting for our petitions, we regain a mouth with which to plead with Hashem for help.[1]

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[1] Likutei Halachos, Masa U’Matan 4:9

The Chazaras HaShatz

Someone once asked the Kotzker Rebbe, zt”l, “Why do we still repeat the shemonah esrei nowadays? After all, everyone says the shemonah esrei, don’t they? What need is there for a shaliach tzibbur?”

The Kotzker Rebbe responded, “As you know, if one wishes to bring merit to the soul of a person who has died, electing to lead the prayers is one way to do it. One of the reasons for this is of course the kaddish. But one can say kaddish even without being the chazzan! The truth is that the chazaras hashatz also helps the souls of those who have passed away. And this is why it is an injunction that will never be revoked, even though it has been many long centuries that people have already known how to pray for themselves. One would be hard pressed to find someone who really doesn’t say the entire service for himself.

When someone put these questions to the Chazon Ish, zt”l, he answered differently. “We still recite the chazaras hashatz for the am she’basados, the people stuck in the fields, of today. They are those people who do not pray because they don’t know better. Either they or their parents were taken in by the modern sectarian and ‘enlightenment’ movements, and they don’t understand the importance of prayer at all. Since these people are considered like people taken captive while young and raised among non-Jews, they are hardly responsible for their failure to come to synagogue. We recite the chazaras hashatz for them!”

Kavod HaTorah

For Gedolei Yisrael, the main concern is doing the Creator’s will. There are many astonishing stories about the boundless devotion for doing ratzon Hashem exhibited by Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l.

One of Rav Moshe’s talmidim once recounted, “Rav Moshe saw as part of his responsibility as a Rosh Yeshiva that he ought to invite along a group of talmidim whenever the unusual mitzvah of chalitzah was performed. That way, we would have the opportunity to see how it is done properly.

“Rav Moshe would examine the shoe to be sure that it was valid. He would then crouch down on the floor to examine the foot of the yavam for any trace of dirt that could invalidate the procedure. He would have a receptacle of water nearby. If the Rosh Yeshiva found dirt, he himself would rinse the grime off of the yavam’s foot.”

Perhaps such behavior seems unbefitting for a great Rosh Yeshiva and poseik? The Rosh Yeshiva’s attitude was the exact opposite: What could be more respectable than fulfilling a mitzvah properly?”

On his way to America, Rav Moshe stopped in Latvia. His brother-in-law suggested that he take a position there, since he was afraid that if Rav Moshe came to America he would not be respected as a talmid chacham of his stature deserved. Rav Moshe decided not to remain in Latvia even though he was offered a very prestigious position. When he arrived in America, his brother-in-law asked, “Why didn’t you take my advice?”

Rav Moshe answered, “I left Russia not for my own comfort but for the sake of raising my children as Jews. It is not clear to me that Latvia will stay suitable for this aim. Since my whole purpose in leaving Russia is to raise my children as Jews, I would rather raise them in America which is free and likely to remain so. It is far better to come to the U.S. where I will be able to raise my children to do Hashem’s will even if it means working as a street cleaner than to take an honorable position in a place where the future of Yiddishkeit is insecure!”

The Power of Chessed

There is a very great level of unity that can only be achieved when we selflessly help our fellow Jews. Such pure devotion, however, is generally only seen in those rare individuals who have transcended the natural human tendency toward self-absorption. By overcoming this deeply entrenched flaw, their acts of kindness can have profound effects on the emotional and spiritual life of their beneficiaries.

Rav Eliyahu Lopian zt”l once recalled that the non-observant communal head of his town was surprisingly close to him and the boys in his yeshivah, and went out of his way to help them at every opportunity. He was always astounded by the paradox of a powerful man who opposed the Torah path, but would nevertheless go to great lengths to help them. Rav Elya zt”l once asked him about this inconsistency, and the man’s answer took him completely by surprise.

He said, “You were close to the Chofetz Chayim, and as a young man, I tried to enter his yeshivah in Radin. My heretical views came to light right after I took my entrance exam, and because the administration saw me as a threat to the other students they told me to buy a ticket for the next train out of Radin. Since it wasn’t leaving until the next day, I asked to sleep in the yeshivah. Permission was denied, but I was invited to sleep in the Chofetz Chayim’s own home. The only space available was a small loft above the Gadol’s room. The night was bone-chillingly cold, and I couldn’t sleep. The Chofetz Chayim obviously thought that I could, for after midnight, the door opened and he quietly entered my room. He removed his own coat and laid it over me gently, and then went back down to his studies. And that coat has kept me warm to this day!”

“And from the Desert, a Gift”

A prerequisite for Torah greatness is true humility: the “gift” of Torah can only be received by the person who makes himself barren as the desert as we learn from the verse, “and from the dessert, a gift.[a]” It is only afterward that a person can come to greatness. The Gedolim were always filled with this precious middah of humility.

When the Ahavas Yisrael of Vizhnitz, zt”l, was already elderly, he felt ill and consulted a doctor. The doctor said that the Rebbe should go to the famous Carlsbad spring to convalesce. When the Rebbe arrived there, Rav Sofer, a grandson of the Chasam Sofer, was also there for his health. One of Rav Sofer’s friends recommended that he should take advantage of the opportunity and go to see the famous tzaddik. Rav Sofer decided to take this advice and made his way to where the Rebbe was staying. When he arrived, he saw an elderly man learning.

Before Rav Sofer had time to open his mouth, the old man said, “What does your honor, a grandson of the holy Chasam Sofer seek?”

“I have come to where I understood the Rebbe of Vizhnitz is staying since I would like to meet with him,” Rav Sofer answered.

“What for?” interjected the old man. “Who is the Vizhnitzer after all? An elderly man who knows a how to learn a little, put on a long coat, and became a Rebbe. Why waste your time visiting him? Wouldn’t you be better off learning a daf Gemarah instead?”

“Nu, nu,” acceded Rav Sofer. And he returned to his rooms.

A little while later, the same friend told him that the Rebbe was in shul and asked him to join him for a visit of his own. Rav Sofer acquiesced once again.

When they arrived, he was surprised to find that the Rebbe was the very same elderly man who had dissuaded him earlier!

Rav Sofer protested, “The Rebbe tricked me with his words earlier.”

The Vizhnitzer Rebbe shook his head and replied, “Not at all. I know the Rebbe better than anyone, and you can take it from me that every word I told you was absolutely true!”

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[a] Nedarim, 55.

Spirit of the Law: Sefiras Haomer IV

4) “Before one counts, one should know what that day is so that his brochah is said with the proper day’s number in mind. If one did not know the number during his brochah, he nevertheless discharges his obligation. One who counted the wrong day by saying today is five days instead of six and does not correct this cannot count sefirah with a brochah for the remainder of that year's sefirah.”

The Sefas Emes, zt”l, writes that one merits to receive the Torah on Shavuos in accordance with one’s yearning for it during Sefiras HaOmer.

Rav Pinchas of Koritz, zt”l, said that although the word “sefirah” means “to count,” it also means “to shine.” Through fulfilling the mitzvah of couting sefirah, one merits to do teshuvah which causes one to shine with supernal light. The Maggid of Kozhnitz, zt”l, says similarly that the days of sefirah “shine into” or shed light on all the places in ourselves that we need to correct.

When we say a brochah it is only a tikkun inasmuch as we focus on what it really means and on what we are about to do. Rav Wolbe, zt”l, brings the Ramchal who says that in accordance to how much we recognize Hashem, to that degree does He bestow His blessing on the world. The ha’aras panim or “shining countenance” of Hashem graces the world. One who does not recognize Hashem in the world and acts as though He is absent draws the opposite, a “darkened countenance,” and invites the opposite of abundance, G-d forbid.

One who makes a brochah with intense concentration (or some degree of focus, at the very least) draws Hashem’s shining countenance into the world. One who tosses off brochos without considering what he is saying does the opposite. This is all the more true of the mitzvah of sefiras ha’omer which is predicated on yearning for Hashem through the counting! The more we are yearning for the Torah, the more we will grasp of it on Shavuos. This doesn’t only mean how much content we will learn, but how much connection with Hashem one will experience in fulfilling the Torah’s mitzvos. One who doesn’t know which day it is when he makes the brochah has failed to embody the most basic element of the brochah, and according to Rashi the blessing is invalid. Although post-facto we do not follow Rashi’s opinion, the halachah is that one should be careful from the outset to fulfill Rashi’s condition. How can we illuminate our souls with the sefirah if we don’t even know what night it is when we make the blessing? This is an easy task. Just check the day’s number before making the brochah.

One who counted the wrong day didn’t do the mitzvah at all and this is like skipping a day. If a person is careless with the day, it is likely that skipping one doesn’t worry him too badly! If, however, one stood to win or lose a large sum if he counted all the days, I highly doubt that he would get confused at all. It would be important to him, and he would act accordingly. We must try and internalize the fact that every mitzvah is worth far more than mere money!

Spirit of the Law: Sefiras Haomer III

3) “One who asks his friend during or after bein hashemashos: ‘What is today in the Omer?’ He should respond: ‘Yesterday was so-and-so.’ If he says that day’s count, he may not count with a brochah for himself afterward.”

The Mekor Chaim, zt”l, cites the Zohar Hakadosh which states that the seven weeks of the Omer parallel the seven days that a woman counts before she immerses. Perhaps this is one reason why, according to the Kabbalah, women do not count sefirah., Since they do a micro-counting of seven days that represents becoming cleansed so that they can connect properly to Hashem, the macro-counting is superfluous. (This will be discussed at length, with Hashem’s help, in chapters 157 and 159.)

If a person misses one day, his count is lacking in completion; he can no longer count with a brochah. When we consider the present halachah, of one who said the day’s count aloud unthinkingly and failed to make a brochah, we find that such a person has a flippant attitude about the sefirah. Not only did he forget to count with dveikus, he didn’t even make a minimal brochah. Since the count was lacking completion and vitality, he cannot go back and make the blessing. (One who answered his friend’s query with that day’s number but had in mind not to discharge his obligation may, in fact, count with a brochah afterward. The fact that he was conscious enough to mentally exclude his own future counting shows that his providing the day’s number was not forgetful and careless.)

Spirit of the Law: Sefiras Haomer II

2) “If one forgot to count the entire night, he can count during the day without a brochah and the rest of the nights he may count with a brochah. If he did not count during the day either, he may not make a brochah on subsequent nights.”

Rav Nosson, zt”l, writes that counting the Omer represents our yearning to receive the Torah on the 49^th day. This represents our time of waiting to become purified. We all have things that we wish to improve. Most of us have very long lists indeed! Rav Yisrael Salanter, zt”l, taught that it is common for a person who is coming closer to Hashem to actually feel that he is getting worse. Because he has started to pay more attention, he begins to see the negative within. Everyone else, however, notices that the person is really getting better and easier to live with. Rav Nosson writes that one must yearn and yearn until he is enabled to change his bad behavior a little at a time. While we are yearning we must do what we can and keep on yearning. Matan Torah represents when we move up a level and finally improve ourselves with help from above. We are helped only if we yearn as much as we can to change. If we conveniently turn a blind eye to our faults and ignore them, we will never change, G-d forbid. This has nothing to do with how religious we are. One can be very religious and, yet, still be completely oblivious to his glaring faults.

Rav Wolbe, zt”l, recounted that when he was in Mir he stayed at the home of a certain baal habayis. When Elul came this man checked all of his mezuzos and tefilin to ensure that they were kosher. When the young gadol saw this he was jealous at how careful this man was in his mitzvah observance. When the lady of the house came home, she confessed that she had paid extra for vegetables in the market. The man became livid and launched into a tirade that lasted an hour. His badgered wife then complained of a headache and went to lie down. A short time later she died! Hashem Yishmor!

Rav Wolbe commented, “For an extra twenty grush spent on tomatoes, this man indulged his terrible temper and paid a terrible price! The fact that it was Elul didn’t mitigate his bad middos in any way!

The first step is seeing our faults and yearning to change them. If we keep yearning, we will see that one day when we do a self-examination we will find that we have overcome our fault to a certain extent and now have a different area to work on. What used to be a challenging situation for us will no longer appear to be a challenge at all. However, we must be “counting the days” until we are rid of our defect. If we forget even for one night, then we are really in trouble.

The night represents spiritual darkness and challenges. Although it is hardest to stay focused during the more trying times, if we do, we see a tremendous brochah afterward. If we will only have the presence of mind to cry out to Hashem when it’s hard we can overcome our troubles much more easily. It is only our arrogance that prevents us from asking Hashem to help us face whatever challenges might lie ahead before they come upon us. This is why the brochah is said specifically at night. If we succeed in connecting to Hashem through our test, we will truly see a blessing in our efforts to improve. If we only remember to count during the following day, this indicates that although we are yearning we are not really thinking about the inevitability of nisyonos. One who merely recalls to count the Omer during the following day has slipped and must know that he has lost out on the brochah that he might have gained. However, he may still count since he hasn’t completely lost sight of his spiritual goals. If one misses a full day, however, he has completely lost track of his mission. Such a person must start again from scratch (obviously not with counting, but in the spiritual sense), a task that is much harder to accomplish.

Dovid Hamelech concludes Tehillim 119 with the moving words: “Seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your mitzvos.” Rebbe Nachman, zt”l, explains that a sheep that strays from the flock recalls the shepherd’s call for a while, but if it strays for too long it will not even respond to the shepherd’s call. It has already forgotten what the call signifies. So too, Dovid Hamelech beseeches Hashem to call him back while he still remembers the mitzvos and has not strayed for too long. One who didn’t even remember to count the following day represents one who has strayed so far that he can longer continue the process without doing a great teshuvah.

The Gemara in Menachos explains that this world was created with the letter hei to teach that although it is easy to “fall” through its open bottom, nevertheless the “foot” offers an opportunity to climb up and re-enter through the smaller opening up above. Although teshuvah is possible, it is a difficult path because the temptation to fall again is very difficult to resist. One needs to achieve a much higher level than one needed to merely resist the original sin. In short, the rest of this same counting and yearning which ended so abysmally will usually yield much more brochah than it potentially could have.

Even though it is possible to do teshuvah and change the bad trait to good, it is human nature not bother exerting effort for merely forgetting or refraining from doing good. For this reason, most people start to work on changing only to fall away. This is because they do not engage in the required toil of teshuvah and self-introspection that would have allowed them to claw their way back to transforming their blunder into something positive. This is one way to understand why the person who forgets the entire day doesn’t make a brochah for the rest of his counting that year.

Spirit of the Law: Sefiras Haomer I

Kitzur Chapter 120:1) “On the second evening of Pesach we start to count the Omer…”

Rav Nosson, zt”l, explains that we count the Omer to internalize that everything that we do counts. Our days are numbered, and every little motion makes a tremendous difference. We add the days cumulatively because each good point combines with all the rest. Everything that we do in this world builds our place in the next. The good that we do builds our place in Gan Eden. The bad characteristics that we are not actively trying to change (at least by praying about them and feeling humility because of our failings) unfortunately builds our place in Gehinnom. Obviously, teshuvah wipes one’s slate clean of the negative. Thankfully, one can never wipe one’s slate clean of the good he has done.[i]

The halacha is that although one may hear the blessing from his friend, one must count for himself and not allow his friend to count for him. This teaches us not to be discouraged if we feels as though others are doing better spiritually then we are. Every individual must count for himself since we are all individual worlds and cannot be compared to anyone else. Of course, we should not feel superior to anyone else merely because we seem to be more successful than they are. On the contrary! Rav Wolbe, zt”l, would say, “If I have more potential than my friend, I have to work and toil to utilize my potential. If I see someone with mediocre capabilities, I should respect him since he may be utilizing his potential to the hilt!” As Rav Yisrael Salanter, zt”l, taught, “If I have the head of one thousand people, I must do the avodah, the spiritual work, of one thousand people!”

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[i] Likutei Halachos, Pesach, 9, Mekor Chaim, 489

Sanctify Yourselves…

Rav Gad Eizner, zt”l, used the following parable to explain Rava’s exhortation to, “…sanctify yourself by abstaining from that which is permitted.”

“Imagine a father who went out walking with his son. Every time they passed a toy store, the child would see a toy and beg, ‘Tatte, won’t you please by this toy for me?’ The father obliged, and for a little while the child was preoccupied with the gift. As soon as another toy in a different window caught the child’s eye, the first toy lost its charm completely until he was ready to toss it in the trash.

“The child pointed to the new object of his fancy and implord, ‘Tatte, I would really like that toy instead. Won’t you please get it for me?’ Once again, the parent capitulated. However, when they passed a third store and the child asked for yet another toy, the father finally put his foot down. The child began to scream violently and held his breath until he was literally blue. Some concerned passerby observed that if the tantrum were to continue, the child would certainly need to be brought to the emergency room! Feeling as though he had no recourse, the father paid for the third toy. A little down the road was a candy store. Of course by this time, the child knew full well that if he pleads for some sweets his father won’t have strength to refuse. And he was absolutely correct.

“We can leave an analysis of how the child’s chinuch got so off track for another time. But anyone would say for certain that such a state of affairs is very bad for the child and his future. Why should this be so, though? The father is not accustoming his son to anything particularly terrible, since everyone knows that children do need to play, and sweets in moderation are fine. The problem here is that the father is training to child to believe that he must have everything he wants! This is one reason why we must place a limit on that which is permitted. Only if we accustom ourselves to refrain from excessively indulging in the permitted will we have the inner controls needed to refrain from sin when temptation strikes!”

My friend, Dixie Yid requested that I share the following:

Click here for more information on the upcoming Elul/September visit to North America by Rav Itamar Shwartz, the author of the Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh seforim. Your yeshiva or mosad can bring him to your community, which is a very exciting opportunity.

You can also get to Rav Shwartz's shiurim from his last trip to the U.S. at the link: http://dixieyid.blogspot.com/2008/05/bilvavi-author-availble-to-speak-in.html

Building on the Positive

An assembly was convened in Baranovitz to develop strategies that would galvanize the community to avoid laxness in Torah observance. Rav Meir Karelitz and the famed Mirrer Mashgiach, Rav Yerucham Levovitz, zt”l, attended.

When Rav Karelitz spoke, he elucidated an important principle in education, in how to set other Jews back on the right path. “The main way to build up a true connection to spirituality is by developing the positive. This is the best way to destroy another’s tendency and attraction to negative behaviors. This principle underlies a dictum we find in Nedarim 40a, ‘The building of youth is really destruction, while the destruction of elders is really building.’

He continued, “When the young and inexperienced wish to build, they think that the best way to go about new construction is by first breaking down the bad. The elderly and more experienced educators realize that this will never work. The best way to destroy the bad is by strengthening and building on the positive that is already in place!”

The Chazon Ish, zt”l, acted on this principle. One time, he worked hard to convince a certain yeshiva to accept a weaker student. The yeshiva found that this boy had not severed ties with some very inappropriate friends who hung around in the worst areas of town.

When they complained to the Chazon Ish about his protégé, he requested that they summon the boy. One member of the yeshiva’s staff was present at their meeting. The Chazon Ish took an obvious interest in every aspect of the boy’s learning and growth during their conversation, and spoke about his feelings and assessments at great length. When the he left, the young man was glowing with joy.

The staff member was confused, “But wasn’t the entire purpose of calling him here to correct his associating with such bad friends?”

The Chazon Ish responded, “Until now, he had no real pleasure in spiritual things; the only delight he took was with his old friends about town. If we deprive him of his old associations, he will have no pleasure in life. First, I must help him find pleasure in learning. Only then can he be weaned from the street!”

Fire!

Once, Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, zt”l, was informed that an ostensibly observant Jew had been seen violating the Shabbos by lighting a fire. The Rav rushed to the home of the perpetrator and, indeed, spied a column of smoke rising from the man’s chimney.

Without even so much as knocking, the Rav burst in the house and exclaimed, “Could it be that you profaned the holy Shabbos and lit a fire? It’s an act that is chayav kares!”

The homeowner remained absolutely calm. He had anticipated all along that his pious neighbors would surely take offense at his blatant disregard for Shabbos and react violently. With aplomb, he retorted with a question of his own.

“How can you burst into my house without even knocking?” the man fired back. “Is this proper etiquette—to barge into another man’s domicile without even asking his leave? Have you no respect for the rights of a man over his own private space?”

Rav Sonnenfeld shot back vehemently, “Rules of etiquette hardly apply when there is clear and present danger to life and limb! I heard that there was a fire in your house—naturally, I burst in to try and avert the catastrophe!”

A Philosophical Question

Many years ago, in the Provencal city of Montpellier, the community was violently split over the issue of their children’s education. One group held that the best thing they could do was to teach their children classical studies like Greek philosophy in addition to Torah. The second group noticed that, in far too many cases, students who began the path of secular studies were drawn further away from Judaism in the long run. This group felt that not only was it inappropriate to teach such potentially dangerous material to children, they felt that it should be forbidden to anyone under the age of twenty-five.

There was a lot of heated debate about the two approaches, but both groups remained intractable. The anti-philosophy group eventually decided to devolve on themselves and their descendants a cherem if any one of them would pursue secular studies prior to the minimum age. The pro-philosophy group tried to circumvent the force of this declaration by declaring the first group in cherem if they were to follow through with their ban. In return, the anti-philosophy faction declared this tactic non-halachic and considering putting their opponents into cherem for their audacity! Fortunately, both groups eventually agreed to place their controversy before the Rashbah, zt”l.

He responded, “This question could be compared to a group that decides to issue a cherem on another group to force them to refrain from eating onions because the food can be detrimental to the heart, as we see in Nedarim 26. Since there is no halachic prohibition against eating onions, such a cherem will certainly not take effect. All the more so in our case, where one group wishes to issue a ban against what they perceive to be a spiritual threat and their opponents wish to obstruct them.

The Rashba concluded, “Do you think that if someone wished to refrain from wine and used the force of a formal ban on himself to assist him in his effort, the community could stop him by issuing a cherem against him? On the contrary, the Torah calls this man holy! All the more so does the cherem of the proponents of secular studies not take effect against a group who feels that they are simply trying to save their spiritual lives. They are merely trying to do what they can to prevent this chochmah that has been responsible for causing so many to fall from spreading in their community!”

Shabbos for Hashem

Rav Yissochor Dov of Belz, zt”l, was staying in Vienna with his father and he decided to go for a walk one Shabbos afternoon. He passed a small shul, and even from the street he could hear someone singing the words of the Gemara he was studying at the top of his voice. The Rebbe could not believe his ears, and moved closer to the shul so that he would be better able to hear the deep joy and yearning clearly audible in the stranger’s voice. He stood by the door so as not to disturb the masmid, but eventually he couldn’t hold himself back and decided to enter the shul. What he saw surprised him; the “masmid” was dressed in a simple soldier’s fatigues.

The Rebbe said, “Tell me, what brought you here, learning with such diligence?”

The soldier explained, “When I was drafted into the army, I begged Hashem to save me from chillul Shabbos. Miraculously, I was attached to the private staff of a certain officer who was willing to give me Shabbos off. I took upon myself that Shabbos would be devoted to serving Hashem, and that I would waste as little time as possible in bittul Torah. This is my time off, and I must use it to come close to Hashem to the best of my ability!”

Afterward, the Belzer Rebbe said, “Who knows if this soldier isn’t holding up the redemption since his sacrifice might be more pleasing to Hashem than the korban tamid! But this cannot be. Of course his dedication is only bringing the geulah that much closer!”

Joy and the Gra

Once, Rav Moshe Shapiro, zt”l, attended the sheva berachos of a close student and wished to arouse the attendants to gladden the choson. He said, “In order to make the chosson joyous, we must first really feel his happiness ourselves. This will make us elated and we will naturally do the mitzvah of gladdening the heart of the chosson and kallah!”

He immediately started to sing a joyous refrain. Everyone joined in and things turned very lively. Everyone there was warmed by the joy of that sheva brochos which continued long into the night.

He would say, “At the end of Kesuvos 16b the gemara asks the famous question, ‘Kietzad merakdin lifnei hakallah—How ought one dance before the bride?’ Rashi explains this to mean, ‘What does one say before her?’ But this seems difficult, since the gemara merely asks how we dance before her.”

He answered his own question, “We see from this that the dance one does before the kallah should really make a statement; it has to speak the sentiment all by itself!”

Indeed, whenever Rav Shapiro would dance at a wedding, one would see how he lived what he taught. It was almost as if sparks were flying up from beneath his feet.

At all times, the Rosh Yeshivah would share in his fellow Jew’s joy. He was fond of quoting the Iggros HaGra: “They say to a person during his judgment, ‘Did you allow your friend to rule over you—did you make his will your own?’ This ought to be done in a pleasant way, because most of the underpinning of the Torah is the duty to impart joy to one’s fellow man!”

Rav Shapiro would say, “The Gaon is teaching us a novel concept. One must give sovereignty to his friend, not as an obligation or chore, but with pleasure, since most of Torah is to gladden one’s fellow man!” Even the most learned person who fails in this area has failed to fulfill most of the Torah!

Splitting the Sea

It often seems as though learning any part of Torah thoroughly is as difficult a as splitting the sea! But there is a way. We must "plunge in," by doing what we can even though the effort seems insignificant. If we persevere, we will find to our surprise that Hashem has indeed split the sea. Unfortunately, most people are too lazy even to try.

Since many people work during the day to make a living, the indictment of laziness really means that they don’t take advantage of the time available to them when they are “off hours.” If one learns with diligence, even a little a day goes a long way.

In Kelm, the schedule included a wake-up call in the middle of the night for a five or ten minute seder. During that time, the bochurim were permitted to learn whatever they wanted with a chavrusah. After some time, all of the bochurim noticed how much they were advancing because of those extra five or ten minutes of learning. The practice always fulfilled its purpose: that the bochurim would come to see the vast potential hiding within the short span of five minutes.

The Imrei Menachem of Alexander, zt”l, was once with a group of people and one of them said, “I became a talmid chacham from just ten minutes a day! I was very busy with my business, but before breakfast every day I would learn Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim for a quick ten minutes. After doing this for some time, I found that I had acquired a broad base of knowledge in this area of halachah.”

The Rebbe commented, “When I was younger, there were times when I had errands to run and tasks to deal with which took up a great deal of my time. However, I was always careful that I would sit and learn right up until the moment I left and from the moment I returned. While I was on the way, I would also be thinking in learning. Every free moment is potentially of immeasurable worth! I knew people who were such great masmidim that even on their wedding day they learned right up until the chuppah!”

The Joy of Being Jewish

In order not to be construed as chillul Shabbos, the korban Pesach must be slaughtered “for its own name,” for its own sake and not as any other kind of sacrifice. It must be, in the words of Rav Tzadok HaKohen zt”l, “meyuchas,” or linked by name to its origins. Pesach alludes to our chosen status as a people, expressed in Hashem’s “jumping” over our homes in Goshen, a manifestation of His “having mercy on us,” as rendered by the Targum. We relive the redemption through the korban Pesach, how Hashem distinguished us from every other nation and made us into meyuchasim. This clarifies why the korban itself must be meyuchas l’shem Pesach to be valid—it is the statement of “shelo asani goy” for the entire Jewish people!

One morning, the Chassidim noticed that the holy Chozeh of Lublin zy”a refrained from saying the blessing, “She’lo asani goy…” during the morning prayers. They were dumbfounded by this apparently inconsistent behavior, but didn’t have the nerve to ask the Chozeh for an explanation. After Shacharis, the Rebbe turned to his followers and said, “I’m sure that you are all wondering why I failed to say the brochah ‘she’lo asani goy’ this morning, and so I will tell you my secret. I already said it early this morning when I woke up.

“As soon as I awoke, I did my usual cheshbon hanefesh but I was dismayed to find myself without a single merit to my credit! I felt like the lowest of the low, the very worst person in the world. But, just then, I found a way to console myself. I said to myself, ‘I am still a Jew! I may not act the way I should, but I am still so blessed that I am not a goy!’ My heart overflowed with joy, and I immediately made the blessing right then and there!”

False Advertising

In the hectic days before Pesach one must be extra vigilant not only to clean but to think creatively where chametz may have been placed or entered into the house in unusual ways. Unfortunately, one must either learn form the experience of others or one’s own, chas v’shalom.

One young man found a roll in a cupboard of his small apartment on Pesach, much to his horror. He couldn’t believe it. “How can that possibly be? I checked the entire house, including that cupboard which I distinctly remember was empty.”

After some careful questioning, his four-year-old admitted to have secreted the roll there from the final meal just before the biur. The lad explained, “Everyone told me there would be no more bread and I was afraid I would get hungry and have nothing to eat…”

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A person once needed to send matzos abroad. Although he wrote “fragile” on the boxes, the matzos were broken when they arrived. Subsequently, the man decided to write the word “glass” on the boxes, and his solution worked. Afterward, the man’s friend asked, “Who said you are permitted to lie in writing in order to safeguard an object?”

The question was presented to Rav Yosef Shalom Eliashiv, shlit”a, and he permitted the action. Rav Chaim Kanievsky, shlit”a, explained Rav Eliashiv’s psak: “In Yevamos 115b we find that even if a barrel is marked ‘terumah’ we assume that the contents are chulin, since it was common practice to label a barrel terumah merely as a means of safeguarding the chulin contents from thieves. Clearly, then, there is no prohibition against falsifying the nature of the contents of a container in order to safeguard them!”

Dayan Yaakov Yisrael Fisher, zt”l, dissented, however. “Although I also permit the action, I rely on a different reasoning. The Gemara in Yevamos is no proof at all. No one actually marked a vessel filled with chulin with the sign for ‘terumah.’ Chulin was merely placed in a vessel which had once contained terumah and was marked appropriately at the time it was originally filled! In our case, the word ‘glass’ was actually written on boxes containing matzah!”

Rav Chaim defended his proof, though. “What’s the difference? The point is that by placing the chulin in a vessel marked as ‘terumah’ the sender is fooling people into thinking that the contents are terumah. Just as writing ‘glass’ on a boxes of matzos fools the handlers into believing that they contain glass. We see from the Gemara that this is permitted as long as one does it to protect his property.”

Rav Fisher still disagreed. “There is no correlation between the two cases. Placing the chulin in a vessel marked ‘terumah’ is a form of shev v’al taaseh since the person didn’t actually commit a lie to writing. He merely stored one item in a box that had been duly marked when it contained something else. Writing glass on a box of matzah is an overt action. I permit because he did not write that the contents are glass, he merely wrote the word ‘glass.’”

The Rebbe of Toldos Aharon, zt”l, explained further: “The man is merely requesting that they handle his packages like glass!”

Outwitting the Sages

Once, while traveling through Lithuania, a certain Rabbi spent time with one of the local Rabbonim in a small town. During the course of their conversation, the visiting Rabbi complained, “I always find it so difficult to arrange the sale of chometz for the Jews of my community. I don’t speak Lithuanian, and it’s very hard to explain the process to a goy when there is a language barrier.”

The local Rabbi was surprised. “I don’t speak the language either, but I’ve never had a problem. I just sell the chometz to a non-observant Jew!”

The visitor was shocked. “How can you sell it to a Jew? That chometz cannot be used after Pesach!” The man then went and told this story to the townsfolk, who were naturally outraged. After hearing this, they demanded that their Rabbi tell them who had ordained him. To their indignation, they found that he was not ordained at all.

When the town insisted upon his resignation, the local Rabbi said, “Just wait one month. If within that time I don’t bring you a semichah from Rav Chaim Ozer, Rav Chaim Brisker, and Rav Itzele Ponevezher, I will leave.”

Sure enough, before the month was out, the local Rabbi returned with semichah from all three gedolim! One man suspected foul play, and after talking with the returned Rabbi in learning, he was certain of it. This man traveled to Rav Chaim Brisker and, together, they figured out what had happened. How had the false Rabbi managed to fool such great sages? He had brought a forged semichah from Rav Chaim to Rav Itzele, who was known to be such a masmid that he would never waste time to test someone whom Rav Chaim had already approved. Once the false Rabbi had a genuine document from Rav Itzele, it was a simple matter to use it to procure another letter from Rav Chaim Ozer. And once he had that, Rav Chaim Brisker gave his own based on the two reliable witnesses who had preceded him!

Korban Pesach , Heseibah and Simple Jews

Rav Nosson of Breslov, zt”l taught that whenever we are about to begin serving G-d in earnest, we have to make haste—just as the original korban Pesach was eaten in haste, while later ones were not. At the start, we must detach ourselves from the worldly desires that entrap us. As soon as we feel the stirrings of inspiration to change, we must take advantage of the momentum and break out of the ties that bind us to the vanities of this world. Who knows if we will be given the opportunity again to make a radical break with our past behavior? Later, when we have already broken free to some extent, we can relax a bit and progress gradually—just as the Pesachim of later generations were unrushed.

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The Imrei Emes zt”l asked a pointed question on Pesachim 99 which states that a poor person must do hesibah and drink the four cups during the Seder: How could we entertain the thought that a poor man is exempt from heseibah or the four cups? He’s a Jew, isn’t he? But since poverty here signifies poverty of the mind, and leaning during the meal represents mental freedom, harchavas hada’as, we can see why the Mishnah must clarify that even a “poor” Jewish man must recline while he eats. He must likewise drink all four cups of wine—for they parallel the four terms of redemption, and represent the four spiritual worlds of atzilus, beriyah, yetzirah, and asiyah. Even the most down-trodden Jewish soul reaches up and touches the highest of all worlds.

Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev zt”l once met a poor Jew, an apprentice, who had grown out his hair in imitation of the prevailing non-Jewish fashion.

“I’ll give you a gold piece if you’ll shave that chupchik off,” offered the tzaddik, but the man refused.

“I’ll give you five.”

“Sorry.”

“How about ten?” pushed the Rebbe.

“No thanks,” demurred the man.

“Twenty? Twenty-five gold pieces…” offered the Rebbe, but the man would not give in.

“If you cut your hair, I can promise you a place in the world to come!” exclaimed Rav Levi Yitzchak. At that, the man immediately agreed, and went to have it done.

Rav Levi Yitzchak raised his eyes to heaven, and said: “Master of the universe! This poor man is just an apprentice who slaves for months to earn twenty-five rubles. And what he was unwilling to do for twenty-five rubles, he raced to do for the promise of Your reward that he’s never seen in his life! Are these Jews not worthy of the world to come?!”

“Tonight, We Eat Only Matzah…”

The Likutei Halachos brings down that avoiding chometz and eating only matzah during Pesach represents the cleansing of the mind and heart from all forms of philosophical doubts and hesitations that block our avodas Hashem. Just as chometz becomes leaven through the act of waiting, so too does the mind get filled with negative thoughts through brooding and hesitating over negative ideas. This is why it is important not to let one’s mind “become chometz”—instead, it should be kept in the clear, pristine, and pure state symbolized by the simplicity of matzah. This is especially relevant to the avodah of prayer, because wherever our minds are, that is where we are.

One day in the beis medrash, as the prayers were drawing to a close, Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev zt”l seemed to be observing a group of his Hasidim. While everyone was busy wrapping up their talleisim and tefillin, he made his way over to them. To their surprise, he approached them with a hearty greeting. “Shalom aleichem!” he thundered.

They looked somewhat puzzled to hear their Rebbe offer the greeting traditionally given only after returning from a journey of at least three day’s duration. “But Rebbe,” they protested, “we haven’t been anywhere! We’ve been here in Berditchev all along!”

Rav Levi Yitzchak continued to make the rounds, shaking their hands vigorously, as if they were newly-arrived travelers, all smiles.

Suddenly, he turned serious and said, “From the way you were praying, it was clear that your minds were elsewhere! So, welcome back from Odessa, welcome home from the market in Lodz! Since none of you were actually here while you davenned, I was glad to welcome you back once you returned!”

The Elements of Creation

Pesachim 115 states that matza is called “lechem oni” because it is a type of bread over which we recite many things (the haggadah.) The Shem M’Shemuel zt”l of Sochatchov asks: since the haggadah is actually recited over the pesach and the marror as well as the matzah, why did Chazal tie it in to the matzah alone?

The answer lies in the nature of the lechem oni. Only three of the four essential elements that make up the universe are present in the physical matzah: earth is represented by the wheat itself, water is combined with the flour, and fire is the heat of the baking. Air, however, is absent. The four elements parallel the four letters of Hashem’s Name, but without air, the matzah lacks an essential ingredient. When we raise our voices in the recitation of the haggadah, however, we incorporate the element of air “into” the matzah, making it complete.

It is brought down that, as the Chasam Sofer zt”l grew older, he adopted the practice of uttering his prayers in barely a whisper, focusing instead on building inner fervor in the most astounding way. His laser-like intensity was turned completely inward, rendering his tefillos all the more powerful.

But even during those latter years, he would change his normal custom on the first two nights of Pesach. At the sedorim he would recite the haggadah with a fiery enthusiasm, in a voice that thundered loud enough for people to hear him throughout the city!

He taught: “Seder night is when we fulfill the mitzvah of ‘vi’higadita l’vincha’—‘and you shall tell it to your children.’ Certainly saying it out loud is preferable!”

“And Your Faith is in the Nights…”

The Yismach Yisroel, zt”l, writes in the name of the holy Zohar that while matzah is the food of faith, the sukkah is the shade of faith. On Sukka 27 we find a clear parallel drawn between the two festivals. “Just as it is a duty to eat matzah on the first night of Pesach which begins of the fifteenth of the month, so too is it a duty to eat in the sukkah on the first night of Sukkos which begins on the fifteenth of the month.” Faith is mainly developed during the “nights,” in the darkness of mental obscurity. As the verse says, “Your faith is in the nights.” (Tehillim 92:3) What one grasps with the light of one’s intellect is not faith, emunah; it is knowledge, or yediah. Faith is that which transcends what one can grasp at the present time. During Sukkos, emunah surrounds us, and on Pesach we absorb it into our innermost being. This process must be reflected in our actions—if not, the emunah is not really genuine.

David Ben Gurion went to meet with the Chazon Ish, zt”l, and tried to convince the gadol to overturn his adamant opposition to the draft of religious girls into the Israeli army.

During the presentation of his case, Ben Gurion said to the Chazon Ish, “I am also a believer!”

“Really,” replied the gadol. “And how does that obligate you?” he asked.

“This does not obligate me in any way whatsoever,” responded the Prime Minister.

“It would be interesting to know which philosopher asserts that belief in something does not obligate one to do anything,” chided the Chazon Ish.

Ben Gurion was silent as the gadol concluded, “If you find any truly deep thinker who does make this claim, let me know. I find the concept very interesting!”

Understanding the Question

Rav Yisroel Salanter, zt”l, would say, “Yene’s gashmiyus iz mein ruchniyus”—caring for another’s material need is my own spiritual concern.

One erev Pesach, a man came to ask a shailah of the Beis HaLevi, zt”l.

The petitioner asked humbly, “Could the Rav please tell me if it is permitted for me to use milk for the arba kosos at the seder?”

The Beis HaLevi answered straight away, “Absolutely not. However, I think that I might be able to help you in another way.” Reaching into a drawer, he pulled out a handsome sum of money and handed it to the man.

The Rav said kindly, “Please go out and buy the wine that you need for the seder.”

The man thanked the Rav effusively, excused himself, and rushed off to buy what he needed for the festival.

The Rebbetzin had overheard the exchange, and after the man left she asked pointedly, “I can understand that you gave him money for wine. But why did you give him such a huge sum? There was much more money there than he needed for just wine!”

The Beis HaLevi answered, “I didn’t need to be told outright that he needed more than just wine. If he was asking about using milk for the arba kosos, it meant that he hasn’t got meat either! And if he couldn’t afford meat, do you think that he could afford all the matzah that he’ll need for Pesach?”

Seder Night

There were two brothers; one was a simple and pious tailor, and the other was an accomplished scholar and mystic. They met on the first day of Pesach, and after exchanging wishes for a gut yom tov, the simple brother could see that his brother was bursting with good news. He asked his learned brother why he seemed so especially joyful that day.

Somewhat smugly, the mekubal replied, “You may not know this, but the kavannos for the Seder are so intricate, I’ve never been able to focus on them perfectly before. But last night, I finally did it! That’s why I’m so happy!”

The simple brother sighed and said, “All of your kavannos are really over my head, but I have to say that I too was very joyous last night.” He lit up, and went on. “All I could think about was how grateful I am that Hashem took us out of Egypt and made us His chosen people!”

The learned brother suddenly looked crestfallen. “Oy vey!” he exclaimed, “That’s the one kavannah I forgot!”

Parshas Metzorah: Plain Hyssop

With regards to the hyssop used for the purification of a metzorah, the gemara disqualifies all subspecies with a prefix added to the word hyssop since this indicates an entirely different variety. Only plain hyssop may be used.[1]

The medrash teaches that hyssop represents humility, and the Mei Hashiloach zt”l notes there are nevertheless many “species” of humility that are disqualified from use. “Greek hyssop” represents strategic humility, like that seen in a person who knows enough about the nature of his opponent to refrain from shouting during an argument, since this will make his claim seem irrational. “Blue hyssop” is the humility seen in a person who acts humble only because he knows that others respect a modest man. “Desert hyssop” is the humility of a person with poor self-esteem. Such a person feels like a desert, devoid of all good. His humility has little worth because he actually feels himself deserving of humiliation. “Roman hyssop” is the apparent modesty of a person who doesn’t bother “lording it over” simple people. He saves all his arrogance for people of stature. The only kosher hyssop is the plain and ordinary variety. This is the person who knows that everything good in him is a gift from Hashem, and so he feels no pride in borrowed finery.

Rav Pinchas of Koritz zt”l would say, “Most sins entail misusing one’s body in some way, but the sin of arrogance is an exception to this rule. All a person has to do to fall into the worst type of pride is to lie in bed and think, “I am the absolute greatest. There is none like me!”

Rav Simcha Bunim of Peshischa zt”l shared his view on humility. He said, “Why do we have two eyes? One helps me see how far my friend has gone, and the other lets me see how far I still have to go!”

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[1] [1] See Sukkah 13 and Rambam, Hilchos, Tumas Tzaras, chapter 11 #1

The Essence of Shabbos

“These are the elements of the offering of the korban Pesach that supersede Shabbos…” The Torah teaches us that the Shabbos testifies that Hashem created the universe. Although Shabbos is the first memorial of the ma’aseh bereishis and His Providence, it is nevertheless one that goes beyond our actual experience—no person witnessed the act of Creation.

Rav Hirsch zt”l explains that the korban Pesach, like all of the sacrifices of the festivals, takes precedence over the prohibition of certain melachos on Shabbos because it is part of our historical experience. The korban is the means through which we draw near (“karov”) to Hashem at the special moment when we recall acts that revealed Him to us, and our historical memory is the strongest evidence possible. Instead of the korban violating the Shabbos, it actually uplifts it, by revealing the essence of the Shabbos itself.

Rav Eliyahu Lopian zt”l was visiting with the Chofetz Chayim zt”l for Shabbos, and when he and a few others entered the tzaddik’s home after the Friday evening prayers, he stood to greet them. They expected him to begin singing Shalom Aleichem, as is customary, but he surprised them with an interesting explanation.

He stood before them and said, “Right now, I ought to be singing Shalom Aleichem—but the angels have no appetite, and will forgive me if I make them wait a bit. It is clear that my guests, on the other hand, are very hungry…so let us make kiddush straight away.” It was only after kiddush, when everyone had washed and eaten a k’zayis, that they sang Shalom Aleichem and Eishes Chayil.

We greet the angels because they draw down the holiness of Shabbos. But feeding a Jewish guest at the Shabbos table is the very essence of the sanctity of Shabbos! This is the way of tzaddikim—they understand the essence, and can see when it might be necessary to give precedence to that which seems secondary. But only when it upholds the true meaning of that which was primary!