At the end of this week's parsha, the Torah

continues the narrative of kabolas haTorah. The

Torah describes in detail how Moshe Rabeinu

officiated over a bris between Klal Yisroel and

HaKadosh Baruch Hu, concretizing Klal Yisroel's

commitment to the Torah, and Hashem's choice of

Klal Yisroel as His am segulah. It is in this week's

parsha that we read about the pinnacle of Klal

Yisroel's kabolas haTorah; their declaration of

naase v'nishmah, pledging to fulfill the Torah

even before hearing what was involved. The

Gemara in Shabbos relates that at the time that

Klal Yisroel prefaced nishmah with naase, six

hundred thousand malachim descended and placed

two crowns on the head of every member of Klal

Yisroel. Additionally, at that time a bas kol came

forth, and exclaimed, “Who is it that revealed to

my children this secret that only the malachim are

privy to?” The Gemara further says that it was the

zechus of naase v'nishmah that justified Hashem's

reference to Klal Yisroel as b’ni b’chori Yisroel.

There are many aspects to the tremendous

madreigah of kabolas haTorah that are reflected

in the declaration of naase v'nishmah. Two

fascinating angles are discussed by the Nesivos

Shalom in this week's parsha.

The Nesivos Shalom explains that every individual

experiences different periods in his life. At times

everything is going well, and one feels good and

positive about his situation, looking forward to

every new day. At such times a person can feel

connected to HaKadosh Baruch Hu through his

simcha. One must realize that the bracha in his

life comes from HaKadosh Baruch Hu and utilize

that bracha to strengthen his connection by means

of hakaros hatov, as he turns to Hashem in

gratitude. However, at other times life seems more

bleak. A person may feel overwhelmed by life's

difficulties, as if he merely exists from day to day

with nothing to brighten his horizon. One must use

these times as well to strengthen his connection

with HaKadosh Baruch Hu. When one realizes

that everything is in Hashem's hands, even the

most difficult situation is an opportunity to

connect to Hashem through tefillah.

These different tekufos that occur in everyone's

life are represented by naase and nishmah. When

things are going well it is a period of nishmah,

when it is easy to connect as we hear the loving

voice of Hashem. However, Klal Yisroel preceded

that with naase, the times when we are just going

שקלים- משפטים פרשת

By: Rabbi Ephraim Weiss

זתשע" שבט כ''ט February 25, 2017

through the motions, plodding through what seems

like the endless doldrums of life. Even through

times of such darkness, Klal Yisroel pledged to

maintain and indeed to strengthen their relationship

with HaKadosh Baruch Hu. This is truly a

madreigah worthy of malachim, whose matzav

does not change. However, the zechus of kabolas

haTorah allows us to continuously develop our

relationship with Hashem despite our constantly

changing situation. This makes us worthy of being

referred to as Hashem's beloved son, for the love

between father and son is similarly something

which can flourish through times of both turmoil

and tranquility.

However, there is another angle to naase

v'nishmah as well. Klal Yisroel accepted not only

nishmah, to listen to the direct instructions of

Hashem, but naase too. It is one madreigah to

obey every direct command of Hashem. However

at times we encounter scenarios where it is not

clear what the razton Hashem is. That is when

naase comes into play. Klal Yisroel accepted that

every action that they would take would be

weighed with the question of, ‘What does Hashem

want?’ It is this middah that allowed Avrohom

Avinu to keep the Torah even before it was given.

Avrohom desired so strongly to fulfill the ratzon

Hashem, that his neshama instinctively understood

what to do in any situation. The zechus of naase

v’nishmah gives us the strength to figure out the

course of action that Hashem desires when

confronted with an unclear situation, so long as we

are deeply and sincerely committed to acting al pi

ratzon Hashem.

This is what it means to be Hashem’s children. The

love that a child has for a parent is one that pushes

the child not only to obey his parents’ instructions

in a perfunctory manner, but rather to try to bring

them nachas ruach with everything that he does.

When we strive to live our lives entirely in

accordance with ratzon Hashem, we are elevated to

the level of malachim, whose entire existence is

one of ratzon Hashem.

May we be zoche to utilize the tremendous strength

that is represented in our declaration of naase

v’nishmah, so that we may enhance our own

kabolas haTorah, and continue to constantly grow

in our avodas Hashem.

Rabbi Weiss is a member of the Kollel.

To sponsor or receive this publication for free please email passaiccliftonkollel@gmail.com

HALACHA CENTER

By: Rabbi S.Y. Fryshman

הלכות שמנה עשרה 13#

We have learned that there is an issur to sit within four amos of one davening Shmoneh Esrei. The Mechaber (102) paskens that this applies to the front and sides of the mispalel. The Rema there adds that behind him is assur as well and the Mishne Berura writes that this is the consensus of the Acharonim (unlike the Aruch Hashulchan). Tosafos (Brachos 31B d’’h Mekan) and other Rishonim quote the Geonim who explain that this issur applies only to one who is “yosheiv u’batel,” someone sitting and doing nothing. But one who is occupied with Krias Shema and its brachos may sit. The Tur quotes this with a slight variation: one who is occupied with tefila, for example Krias Shema and its brachos. This would therefore include Pesukei D’zimrah etc. as pointed out by the Bais Yosef. The Mechaber in Shulchan Aruch writes that even one who is saying Eizehu Mikoman or Birchos Hashachar or other “Divrei shir vashevach” may sit. This would seem to imply that saying Tehillim would also be mutar. (See Bais Yosef from Rabeinu Yonah and Bach, although the sefer Dalet Amos B’halacha is quoted as forbidding this.) We shall discuss learning Torah in a future article be’’H, however the Mishne Berura (102:5) writes that saying Pirkei Avos on Shabbos afternoon would also be mutar. The location of this Mishne Berura indicates that even if learning is forbidden, Pirkei Avos would be mutar.