From the seemingly superfluous words, “against the enemy who oppresses you,” Rambam derives that there is a mitzvah to sound the trumpets and pray to Hashem over any form of oppression, be it a drought, plague or other trouble. He writes that this is part of the process of teshuvah/repentance, and that through teshuvah one causes his troubles to depart. The biggest sin, Rambam writes, is to ascribe one’s troubles to fate or coincidence.

R’ Yaakov Yitzchak Halevi Ruderman z”l added (during the Yom Kippur War): Even those who ascribe troubles to coincidence start to pray when the troubles are their own. That is how we must see the troubles of our brethren in Israel – as our own.

Moreover, said R’ Ruderman, Chazal teach that every person should believe, “The whole world was created for me.” This obligates each of us to believe that his prayers can make a difference. (Masat Levi p. 332)

Rashi quotes the midrash which says that the term “officers” refers to those people who were assigned by the Egyptians to whip Jews who failed to meet their work quotas. In fact, these officers failed to do their “duty” and were beaten themselves.

R’ Aharon Kotler z”l asks: Why is this a qualification to serve on the sanhedrin/high court? He explains that a Jewish leader can succeed, not in his own merit, but only in the merit of the Jewish people. It is therefore incumbent upon a would-be leader to demonstrate his total commitment and self-sacrifice for his people. Moshe, too, the midrash tells us, used to help his brethren with their slave labor although, as a Levite, he was exempted by Pharaoh. (Mishnat R’ Aharon Vol. II, p.113)

What does it mean when the Torah says the Moshe was a “servant of Hashem”? R’ David Kimchi z”l (“Radak”) explains (in his commentary to Yehoshua 1:1) that someone who devotes all of his powers to serving Hashem and who, even when he is engaged in mundane matters, does them for the sake of serving G-d, is called a “servant of Hashem.”

R’ Elchanan Wasserman z”l hy”d elaborates: Slaves cannot own property; everything they acquire belongs to their masters. Similarly, when a person recognizes that all of his powers and belongings belong to Hashem and must be used exclusively to serve him, he can be called a “servant of Hashem.” [Ed. note: Hebrew uses the same word – “eved” – to mean “slave” and “servant.”]

In this light, adds R’ Wasserman, we can understand Rambam’s statement that, although no person will ever be as great a prophet as Moshe, one can be as great a tzaddik as Moshe. Anyone can choose, as Moshe did, to direct all of his actions to serving G-d.

Of course, it was easier for Moshe to do this than it would be for any of us. However, the gemara teaches that a poor person’s sacrifice of wheat is as beloved to Hashem as a rich man’s sacrifice of an ox. One must only make the sacrifice. (Kovetz Ma’amarim p.48)

How can one serve G-d all of the time? R’ Eli Reingold shlita (maggid shiur/lecturer at the Yeshiva of Greater Washington) answered with the following parable:

Imagine that you need to move your car from City A to City B, but you do not wish to drive it there yourself. There are companies whose business is finding people who need to travel from City A to City B but who have no cars. These companies match car to driver, collect a fee, and everyone’s needs are satisfied.

To ensure the delivery of the car, the company gives the driver a deadline by which he must arrive at the destination (after which the police will be called). The length of time that the driver is given depends on the distance; however, the driver is not expected to drive 24 hours a day. Time is built in to the schedule for an appropriate amount of rest and relaxation.

As long as the driver keeps his destination in mind, a reasonable amount of time may be spent on diversions. So it is with serving Hashem. One is not expected to learn Torah and perform mitzvot 24 hours a day or even at every waking moment. One is expected to keep the ultimate destination in mind and to relax so that he will be able to serve Hashem better. If he does that, even his diversions become part of serving Hashem. (Heard from R’ Reingold)

This week marks thirty days since the passing of one of the most influential lay leaders of 20th century Orthodox Jewry. As Executive Vice President of Agudath Israel of America from 1941 to 1963 and then its President until his death, Rabbi Sherer helped develop the group into a politically and religiously significant force, both in the U.S. and in Israel.

(The “Agudah,” as the group is known for short, was founded in 1912 by a group of rabbis, roshei yeshiva and chassidic rebbes which included the Chafetz Chaim and the Gerrer Rebbe. From the beginning, it served the dual function of promoting Torah values and Torah study amongst Jews while representing Torah-true interests to the secular world. For example, amongst the Agudah’s most famous leaders was R’ Meir Shapiro, who instituted the Daf Yomi program at the 1923 Agudah convention and also served in the Polish Senate as a representative of the Agudath Israel party.)

R’ Sherer was born in Brooklyn and, at a young age, was drawn into Agudah activities under the leadership of the young R’ Gedaliah Schorr (later rosh yeshiva of Torah Vodaath). R’ Sherer studied in Torah Vodaath under R’ Shlomo Heiman and in Baltimore’s Ner Israel under R’ Yaakov Yitzchak Halevi Ruderman. He also became close to R’ Elchanan Wasserman, and served as his attendant during the latter’s stay in the U.S. in 1938-39. Still later, R’ Sherer became close to R’ Aharon Kotler, whom he considered to be his teacher.

With the outbreak of World War II, R’ Sherer was drawn into rescue and relief efforts by his cousin Elimelech “Mike” Tress, president of the Agudah’s youth movement. After the War, R’ Sherer was active in organizing food shipments to displaced Jews in Europe and assisting those who wished to immigrate.

In postwar years, the Agudah under R’ Sherer has continued to be involved in Torah-related activities such as promoting the study of Daf Yomi (and sponsoring the once-in-7«-years Daf Yomi siyum at Madison Square Garden) and in legal and lobbying activities on behalf of Jewish causes. In that role, Agudah representatives frequently appear before the U.S. Supreme Court and at Congressional hearings. (However, unlike the many advocacy groups whose policies may be defined by politicians or pollsters, Agudath Israel’s agenda is set in consultation with a “Council of Torah Sages” made up of roshei yeshiva and chassidic rebbes.)

In 1988, R’ Sherer published Be’shtei Enayim, a collection of his articles, memoirs and divrei Torah. Among other subjects, that work explains the Agudah’s philosophy on political activism, Zionism and other issues of the past five decades. (Sources: The New York Times, May 19, 1998, p. A22; Be’shtei Enayim)v

Copyright © 1998 by Shlomo Katz and Project Genesis, Inc.