Kesher Update - Vayakhel Pekudai

A new Shiur has been added to the Shiur-Line for Parshas Vayakhel Pekudai To listen to the Shiur In the US call 646-439-3000 In Israel call 072-224-3000 To download the Shiur in MP3 click here By request of our Talmidim, Rav Nissan's cell can now be reached via local access numbers: From the US call 917-480-2000 From the UK call 07452 205 041

Kesher Update - New Shiur for Chanukah - Kesher Shel Kayama Shabbos Chanuka - English

A new Shiur has been added to the Shiur-Line for Chanukah To listen to the Shiur In the US call 646-439-3000 In Israel call 072-224-3000 Ask your average person what the nes of Chanukah was - invariably the answer will be the following - how upon entering the Bais Hamikdosh the Yidden discovered that everything was made tamei by the Yevanim. However in the end, the Kohanim found one sealed container of pure oil - enough to burn for one day. Yet it burned on and on for eight days. Examining the Tefila of Al Hanisim however, we do not any mention of the nes of the oil. We see mention of the military victory - many in the hands of few, resha’im won over by Tzadikim. The Yevanim tried to make us give up the Torah and Hashem saved us from their hands. Noticeably absent, is any mention of the small flask of oil that burned for eight days. Explanation is needed. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz explains that without a doubt the most important thing that happened was that Hashem saved the Yidden. No more would we be at the mercy of the Yevanim and their evil decrees. The nes of the oil - while definitely something special wasn’t a necessity; after all, the Halacha is that when the entire tzibur is impure they are allowed to use impure oil. Besides, it had been some time since the Menorah was last lit in the Bais Hamikdosh….. Would it have been so terrible to wait until they procured pure oil to light the Menorah as proscribed? Keeping this in mind the question returns. If lighting the menorah with Tahor oil at that time wasn’t crucial, why do we choose to commemorate the Nes of Chanukah with the Menorah? Rav Chaim explains with a mashal. If one were to walk into a room and observe a woman changing a baby – it might be difficult for him to know for certain whether she’s a babysitter or the child’s mother - there’s no way of knowing. However if when she’s finished she gives the baby a kiss we can be sure it’s the mother. A child has much to be thankful for - the mother changes the baby, dresses and feeds it - but that’s not what makes the baby happy and smile. It’s when the mother kisses the baby that he feels and appreciates his mother’s love. So to with the Nes of Chanukah. There was no doubt that Hashem would save us. Hashem promised that the Torah would never be lost from the Jewish people. The pach shemen however was something extra - something that was not necessary for the survival of the Jewish people and yet Hashem gave it to us. A special kiss from our Father in Heaven, and it’s that kiss that clearly expresses Hashem’s love for us. Of course we are thankful to Hashem for saving us from the Yevanim - and for that Chazal composed the tefilla of Al Hanissim. But for Hashem’s extra kiss of the pach shemen, we say thank you with the Menorah - by lighting a new candle every night and by going the extra mile to make this mitzva special - in appreciation of the Nes of the pach shemen, because that is where we see Hashem's love shining through. ______________ The Gemorah in Shabbos tell us that the mitzvah of Chanukah is for each household to light one candle each night of Chanukah. A family who wants to fulfill this mitzvah “l’mihadrin” has everyone in the house light a candle every night. Those who want to perform the mitzva in a “mehadrin min hamihadrin” fashion start the first night with one candle and add a candle each night, lighting eight candles each on the last night of Chanukah. We are not satisfied at merely performing this mitzvah in a “mehadrin min hamihadrin” way. One could use regular candles – but we try to find the best, purest olive oil, wool wicks, and of course a beautiful silver menorah! Why do we do this? Where else do we find a concept of going so far beyond what is required by Halacha? One candle per night is sufficient for the mitzvah of Chanukah - yet we go on, seeking more and more hidurim to make this mitzvah as special as possible – and this is only a mitzvah d’rabanan! Chazal tell us that when Klal Yisroel left Mitzrayim and entered the Yam Suf, Hashem performed all typed of spectacular nissim for Klal Yisroel; there were even sweets and delicacies available for the picking from the walls of the sea! Here too we need to ask, why? What was the point? We just left Mitzrayim! Centuries of slavery were finally behind us! We saw the mighty Egyptians crushed by the ten plagues. As Klal Yisroel approached the Yam Suf even the lowliest maidservant was exposed to Nissim greater than those seen by the Navi Yechezkal. And yet, despite all these incredible miracles, the Torah sees fit to stress that we received candies!!! Who cares about candies when you just walked through the ocean?!!!? However, the truth is that even after all these wonderful Nissim, Klal Yisroel might still be wondering “Why did Hashem take us out of Mitzrayim?” There were two possible answers to that question. Either because Hashem has promised Avrohom Avinu that he would take us out and so He did, even if we weren’t deserving - because a promise is a promise. Or - possible reason number two; Hashem loves us and that is why He took us out of Mitzrayim – no more, no less. Which would explain why He gave us sweets - those extra gifts that weren’t necessary. He did it for one reason, to show us His love. Hashem wasn’t doing this because He had to, but because He wanted to……. He wanted us to feel the love He has for us. At that moment what did we do? We returned that very love to Hashem! There is one mitzvah that Klal Yisroel tries very hard to keep, yet it’s a mitzvah that Hashem never gave us. We say it every day in Davening; “Ze Kali V’anveihu.” After Kriyas Yam Suf, Klal Yisroel sang Shira to Hashem and promised to reciprocate the great love that exists between us, back to Hashem. Hiddur Mitzvah, Hashem never asked us to do this for Him, yet we do so on our own initiative and volition - to show Hashem that we love him, and we are happy to do His Mitzvos. More than that – we actually want to do His Mitzvos and are not merely doing so out of obligation. And so when it comes to Chanukah we go above and beyond, to acknowledge the love that Hashem showed us and to try in our own small way to show him that we too love him. We take that small mitzvah d’rabanan and make it beautiful, adding a candle of oil every night – for each member of the family, not because we have to – but because we want to! (Adapted from Rav Nissan Kaplan’s Kesher Shel Kayama)

Kesher Update - Parshas Ki Savo - R' Nissan Kaplan

A new Shiur has been added to the Shiur-Line for Parshas Ki Savo To listen to the Shiur In the US call 646-439-3000 In Israel call 072-224-3000

Civil trial attorney Baruch C. Cohen meets HaRav Nissan Kaplan of the Mir

TNU KAVOD LATORAH! R' Nissan Kaplan's LA Schedule

Baruch Cohen learning with Reb Nissan Kaplan in the Mir

Reb Nissan Kaplan visiting Baruch Cohen's office

Baruch Cohen meets Reb Nissan Kaplan at Shai Stern's home 

A Gmar Chasima Tova. 

In preparation for the upcoming Yom Hadin, R' Nissan gave a Shiur B'hilchos Teshuva. To listen to the shiur click here. The shiur is followed by a Shmooze with practical advice for preparing for Yom Kippur.

Kesher Shel Kayama Parshas Shlach

“We were like grasshoppers in our eyes and so we were in their eyes” Why was it necessary for the spies to repeat themselves, if they were trying to say how big the natives of the land are it would have been enough to say once, we were like grasshoppers compared to the giants.  Rashi appears to be explaining this issue when he quotes the Medresh that the spies overheard the giants saying “there are grasshoppers in the vineyards that are like people”. Meaning to say the spies not only felt as small as grasshoppers compared to the giants, but also the giants noticed how small we were as we heard them say “there are grasshoppers like people in the vineyards”.  However there is another way of explaining the spies’ observation. The reason why the giants looked down at the spies as if they were grasshoppers was only because the spies themselves felt that they were grasshoppers. Since they looked at themselves as lowly as a grasshopper, that’s how others saw them as well. As they heard the giants say that there are people the size of grasshoppers in the vineyards.  There is an important lesson to be learned from here, if a person feels that he is insignificant and incapable, that he doesn’t have the abilities to be successful then the end will indeed result in failure. Only one who believes in himself and feels that he can do it will be successful in the end.  This is the meaning behind Rabbi Akiva’s statement to his students, “what mine and yours is hers”. Rabbi Akiva had just returned home with twenty four thousand students, when his wife Rochel tried to reach him to greet him. The talmidim tried to push her away but Rabbi Akiva let her in telling the talmidim everything we have is in her merit. How is it possible that such a successful empire of Torah was all because of Rochel? This is what Rabbi Akiva meant; I never felt that I had the ability to become a Talmud Chacham, I was only a shepherd. Yet Rochel came and encouraged him and gave him the self esteem and the motivation to succeed. Without that there would never have been a Rebbe Akiva.  This is one of the Yatzer Hara’s most powerful battle moves, to discourage a person and to make him focus on his shortcomings, to confuse a person until he loses the self confidence to go out and succeed. A person may already be slipping when the Yetzer convinces him to do one more Avaira, because “you will never be anyone anyways”, until a person gives up and continues to sin and follow the Yetzer’s instructions.  But if a person realizes the strength and the abilities that he has inside, and that every person has his goals and directive in this world, than he too will be able to succeed and leave this world pure and clean, as Chazal say Hashem rejoices when a person comes before him pure and clean. There is no person out there that does not have the strength and the abilities to reach this level, he just needs to believe in himself , for if you don’t the result inevitably will be “and so we were in their eyes”.

When Rebbe said this over last year in the Chumesh Shiur, he was approached afterwards by Rabbi Grunburger (St. Louis – Yerushalayim) who told over a story about the Israeli general Effi Etam. After Effi Etam retired from the IDF, already a grandfather several times over, he decided to travel around the world. Over the course of his trip he ended up in the North Pole. Before the group headed out on their expedition he asked the guide what to do in the event of meeting a polar bear. The guide told him he has nothing to worry about as polar bears are rarely found in the areas that they will be heading to. But Effi persisted what would I do if we happened to bump into one. The guides turned to Effi and said if you do come face to face with a bear stand up straight and tell the bear “My name is Effi Etam, I am a decorated general in the Israeli Army, and I am here touring and would appreciate it if you please went away! Not sure if the guide was serious or joking they began their expedition.  Sure enough Effi got separated from the rest of the group and next thing he knew he was facing a huge polar bear. Terrified Effi thought his end was near, after a lifelong career in the IDF he was about to meet his end with a polar bear in the middle of nowhere. Then he remembered the guides instructions, figuring he had nothing to lose he stood up straight and tall and told the bear “I am Effi Etam a decorated general in the Israeli Army, I am here touring and ask you to go away!” Sure enough the bear turned around and lumbered off.  Shocked and confused Effi made his way back to the rest of the group, he could not understand what just happened, was this some sort of magic trick or something similar that charms bears? He found the guide and told him what had transpired, and asked him to explain the bear’s behavior. The guide explained to him that polar bears in these parts rarely attack people. Unless they come upon a person who is panicking and unsure of himself – those are the ones who get attacked. This was my advice to you, stand up confidently without showing signs of nervousness and the bear will pick up on the self confidence and leave you alone. What you actually tell the bear is irrelevant what’s important is to exude confidence.

The Chofetz Chaim also explains the chet of the meraglim along these lines. The spies felt that in order to merit Eretz Yisroel they would have to be perfect Tzadikim, but since they felt they were not on that level they would not be successful in conquering the land.  To see the Chofetz Chaim inside click here With this in mind let’s take the time to focus on the abilities that Hashem has given each one of us, and to use those strengths to serve Hashem accordingly to grow in Torah, to work on our Davening, and not to say “I can’t” and with Hashems help we will succeed.  Rebbe has a new phone number for those who have been trying to reach him. The number is 011-972-54-843-3750. Emails sent to rebnissan@gmail will get passed on as well normally within 24 hour