Special thanks to Rabbi Moshe Katz and Rabbi Doni Deutsch of the Chicago Torah Network for their contribution of this week’s dvartorah.
TORAH PORTION: SH’MOS (EXODUS 1:1 – 6:1)
1. AND MOSHE WENT OUT TO THE DESERT … AND G-D APPEARED TO HIM. G-D SAID: ” – THE PLACE UPON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY – NOW, GO TO PHARAOH, AND TAKE THE JEWS OUT OF EGYPT.” (3:1-10)
The place where Moses stood was holy.
Why?
What happened there that was special?
The answer is – nothing.
Except that it was there that he is presented with his mission.
And his challenge
… And that makes it holy.
It’s a very Jewish lesson – one that’s important for all of us.
Because life puts us in many different situations.
At work. At home. With family. Friends.
Or just by ourselves.
And in a way, they all have a holiness.
Because each situation, no matter how small, presents us with a challenge.
How can I make the most of this moment?
As a human being.
And as a Jew.
Rise to the challenge – and we’ve captured the holiness of the moment.
2. RABBI MOSHE FEINSTEIN.
Recognized as the world’s greatest authority on Halacha. Torah Law.
He was an unbelievably busy man. Who never wasted a minute.
He was almost always studying or teaching Torah. He would interrupt, only to respond to the thousands of questions on Jewish Law, from around the world. And to people who needed his advice. Or his help.
And as soon as he put down the phone he went right back to his Torah study.
… Rabbi Feinstein was once out of town. And was staying in the home of a local Jewish family.
His days were spent in meetings with members of the community.
And with more Torah study.
His hosts had a cute five year-old daughter. She came over to the elderly Rabbi as he sat over his books.
“Hi. My name is Sara. What’s yours?”
“Moshe”, he said with a smile.
“I’m five years old. How old are you?”
At this point, the girl’s mother came running over.
“Sara. Rabbi Feinstein is really very busy. Maybe we should let him get back to his work?”
Rabbi Feinstein turned to the mother.
“Mrs. Levy. Right now, the most important thing in the world for me to do, is to answer your daughter’s questions.”
Good Shabbos.
Text Copyright © 1998 Rabbi Dovid Green and Project Genesis, Inc.