BOSTONER ‘CHASSIDUS’ IN ENGLISH PARSHAS RE'EH – ROSH CHODESH ELUL 5776 Bostoner Rebbe shlit”a – Yerushalayim Secretariat Email: [email protected] ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

SPONSORED BY SHEM-TOV KONTOROVICH IN HONOR OF JAMES ROSNER ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

"You shall surely tithe the entire crop of your planting, the produce of the field, year by year, and you shall eat before Hashem Elokecha in the place that He will choose to rest His Name, tithes of your grain, your wine and your oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and your flocks, so that you will learn to fear Hashem Elokecha forever" (Devarim 14:22-23). The Sfas Emes (5646) quotes in the name of his grandfather, the Chidushei HaRim, that the juxtaposition of ideas 'you shall eat before Hashem' and 'so that you will fear Hashem' provides a source that any Mitzvah which involves eating will bring one to Yiras Shamayim or Fear of Heaven. In addition, to the Mitzvah recorded here to eat Maaser, the Chiddushei HaRim includes other 'Mitzvah meals' such as the three Seudos of Shabbos. He explains that naturally food must nourish both our bodies and our souls, which is why foods naturally contain components of both 'digestible' and 'indigestible' food or 'good' and 'evil' for the body and/or the soul. When one performs the Mitzvah of separating Maaser from the Tevel, it endows the entire mixture with sanctity, both the Maaser and the leftover Chulin. We see a hint to this in the words ‫' עשר תעשר‬you shall surely tithe' that the action of tithing has an impact on the leftover food. Similarly the meals we eat on Shabbos will shower blessing on the other meals of the week. Through eating this rectified food, one increases his fear of Heaven. Even though today we cannot eat Maaser Sheini in Yerushalayim, we can achieve this Fear of Heaven through eating, since the Pasuk also says 'forever', which includes even times when there is no Beis HaMikdash. Similarly, as the next Pasuk says, "If the road will be too long for you, so that you cannot carry it, because the place that Hashem Elokecha wil choose to place His Name is far from you…then you may exchange it for money" (Devarim 14:24). The 'long road' refers to the generations without the Beis HaMikdash and the 'exchange for money' refers to that our desire to pray and learn should be as strong if not strong to one's desire to amass money. We should eat food with the proper blessings and the proper intention that we are eating in order to be healthy so that we may observe the Mitzvos of Torah. Just as we can fulfill the daily offerings today through our daily prayers and through study of the offerings, we can reap the benefits of Maaser Sheini and Maaser Behayma by reciting blessings with proper intention. Rav Ovadiah Bartunura suggests that the Mitzvah of not eating or cooking milk and meat comes immediately prior to the section of ‫ עשר תעשר‬involving tithes, because in both cases, by separating or preventing these mixtures, we are endowing all of the food with sanctity. In the Aseres HaDibros we find, "And He performs kindness for thousands [of generations], to those who love Me and observe My commandments" (Devarim 5:10). The words 'my commandments' normally written ‫מצותיו‬, is written here Chasayr, without a Yud, ‫מצותו‬, as if it could also be understood as 'His commandment', in the singular. The idea derived from here by many passages in the Talmud is that even the reward of one Mitzvah contains boundless reward and kindness from Hashem for thousands of generations. One example is the Mishnah (Kiddushin 1:10), "One who performs one Mitzvah is benefited by long life and a portion of the land" However, one could also understand ‫ שומרי מצותו‬as one who 'observes his commandment' referring to the 'individual's Mitzvah' rather than 'Hashem's Mitzvah'. This would mean that one who meticulously observes one Mitzvah in the most optimal way for an entire lifetime is worthy to receive kindness from Hashem for thousands of generations. And this is how Rebbe Yossi the son of Rebbe Bon explains this Mishnah in his comment recorded in the Talmud Yerushalami, "One who designates a particular Mitzvah and does not transgress it for his entire life". Some of our fellows Jews who may have failings in many areas of observance but who meticulously fulfill one Mitzvah with great regard, for example 'Keeping Kosher', we should not dismiss them but rather if Hashem recognizes them as worthy of being part of the Jewish People so should we. Basar V'Chalav, ‫בשר בחלב‬, separating between milk and meat is a Mitzvah that is possible to keep to its utmost, even with all of the Rabbinic stringencies and merit through this one Mitzvah the right to inherit a portion of the World to Come. May we all merit a year of life, blessing, peace and the coming of the Go'el Tzedek, speedily in our days.