This Lelamed Dvar is also available in your local App Store (iTunes and
Android). As you hopefully enjoy this Dvar, it would be nice to share these
thoughts with as many people as you can think of, either via email which I
will gladly include in these distributions, or by word-of-mouth...
Parshat Noach has G-d proclaiming Noach as being both a "Tzaddik"
(righteous), and "Tamim" (perfect). What's tricky about that is that the
term "Tzaddik" denotes a person that's been accused of something and has
been proclaimed righteous, while the term "Tamim" describes a person that
required no defense or exoneration. So which one was Noach?
In "Darash Moshe", Rav Moshe Feinstein explains that if you're an
individual, working on yourself and no one else, your goal should be to
perfect your actions and in using the guidelines of the Torah to achieve
that perfection. However, if you're a leader, or in a position to influence
others, many times that involves saying or doing things that can sometimes
lead to allegations and accusations. For this reason, many people would
rather stay away from communal affairs, and lead a quiet life. However, G-d
told Noach and us that although Noach could have kept to himself and become
perfect, He preferred that we stand up for the Torah even if it means
facing opponents because of it. The biggest scholars of our past weren't
known as Tamim, but as Tzaddikim (righteous people), because they stood for
something. And the best way for us to achieve this goal is to find ONE
Mitzvah (consider reading Guard Your Toungue, learning an Aliya a day,
outreach,supporting underprivileged and/or abused women and children, etc,)
that we're willing to embrace and stand up for. By becoming a
"mini-Tzaddik" in this one aspect, may we grow in rank, and one day become
Tamim (perfect) Jews.
Shlomo Ressler
Quotation of the Week (thanks to Debbie):
"Worrying does not empty tomorrow of it's troubles, It empties today of
it's strength."
This Lelamed Dvar is also available in your local App Store (iTunes and
Android). As you hopefully enjoy this Dvar, it would be nice to share these
thoughts with as many people as you can think of, either via email which I
will gladly include in these distributions, or by word-of-mouth...
_______________________________________________
Parshat Noach has G-d proclaiming Noach as being both a "Tzaddik"
(righteous), and "Tamim" (perfect). What's tricky about that is that the
term "Tzaddik" denotes a person that's been accused of something and has
been proclaimed righteous, while the term "Tamim" describes a person that
required no defense or exoneration. So which one was Noach?
In "Darash Moshe", Rav Moshe Feinstein explains that if you're an
individual, working on yourself and no one else, your goal should be to
perfect your actions and in using the guidelines of the Torah to achieve
that perfection. However, if you're a leader, or in a position to influence
others, many times that involves saying or doing things that can sometimes
lead to allegations and accusations. For this reason, many people would
rather stay away from communal affairs, and lead a quiet life. However, G-d
told Noach and us that although Noach could have kept to himself and become
perfect, He preferred that we stand up for the Torah even if it means
facing opponents because of it. The biggest scholars of our past weren't
known as Tamim, but as Tzaddikim (righteous people), because they stood for
something. And the best way for us to achieve this goal is to find ONE
Mitzvah (consider reading Guard Your Toungue, learning an Aliya a day,
outreach,supporting underprivileged and/or abused women and children, etc,)
that we're willing to embrace and stand up for. By becoming a
"mini-Tzaddik" in this one aspect, may we grow in rank, and one day become
Tamim (perfect) Jews.
Shlomo Ressler
_______________________________________________
Quotation of the Week (thanks to Debbie):
"Worrying does not empty tomorrow of it's troubles, It empties today of
it's strength."
