Highlighting: “Rav Nosson Tzvi Speaks: Insights on Chumash From the Beloved Mir Rosh Hayeshivah.” ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications. Hardcover. 382 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1422631287.
(Courtesy of Artscroll) All who were privileged to attend the Erev Shabbos shmuessen of Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim, understands that it was much more than a simple parsha shiur. The experience for every English-speaking bachur was that of the warmth and love of a father sharing his love of Torah. With his trademark smile and delight in Torah, Rav Nosson Tzvi would share thoughts on the parsha and personal insights on life.
Indeed, so many miss Rav Nosson Tzvi. His warmth. His authentic caring for every talmid; indeed, for every Jew. His ahavas haTorah, his vision, his humility, and his extraordinary determination not to let a debilitating illness stop him from teaching—and building—Torah.
Now, we can still be enriched by Rav Nosson Tzvi’s teachings in the new “Rav Nosson Tzvi Speaks,” published by ArtScroll/Mesorah. This volume contains the aforementioned shmuessen, carefully chosen and adapted for print. As you read these beautifully thought-out pieces, you will be treated not only to Rav Nosson Tzvi’s chiddushim, but also those of his rabbeim, Rav Chaim Shmulevitz and Rav Chaim Kamiel, whose teachings influenced him so greatly.
Few people in our time have had such a profound influence on adults and talmidim as Rav Nosson Tzvi. That an “American boy from Chicago” could not only become the head of a great yeshivah, but make it the largest Torah institution in the world, would be astounding enough. But that he did so while delivering shiurim and despite a severe physical handicap is what made him one of the most beloved and inspiring Torah leaders in the world.
This collection of his Chumash shmuessen is profound and illuminating. They show us how to achieve major levels of ameilus and hasmadah, and lofty levels of bein adam lachaveiro, urging us to seek and achieve greatness. They will help us feel and, yes, emulate the achrayus, ahavas haTorah and ahavas Yisroel that defined Rav Nosson Tzvi.
The following is an excerpt from the book relevant to this time of year.
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An Expression of Gratitude
.וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר תָּבִיא מֵאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר ה’ אֱלֹקֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ
You shall take of the first of every fruit of the ground that you bring in from your Land that Hashem, your God, gives you (Devarim 26:2).
The foundation of the mitzvah of bikkurim is expressing gratitude to Hashem. When a person carries that precious first fruit of his crop to the Beis HaMikdash, he recalls that these fruits—along with all other delights of Olam Hazeh—are gifts of his Creator, and this insight fills him with profound sentiments of gratitude to Hashem. The mitzvah of bikkurim thus illustrates the overriding imperative of hakaras hatov to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for the countless miracles and wonders that He performs for us every moment of every day, and conversely, the gravity of spurning His everlasting kindness. Moreover, just as the mitzvah of bikkurim highlights our obligation to feel and express gratitude to Hashem, it likewise points to our moral duty to express appreciation to our fellow man.
Some believe that hakaras hatov means repaying a kindness to another, yet its true definition is actually discerning the kindness that someone did on your behalf, and this recognition is truly the greatest recompense that the giver can receive from the recipient. The same applies to the hakaras hatov that we owe Hakadosh Baruch Hu; the very recognition of the kindness that He performs for us every hour of every day is the ultimate manifestation of hakaras hatov.
We are currently at the height of the days of mercy and atonement, when Hakadosh Baruch Hu showers Klal Yisrael with love and closeness and grants us the process of teshuvah.
Rabbeinu Yonah writes (Shaarei Teshuvah 1:1): “Among the great kindnesses that Hashem bestows upon His creations is preparing for them a path to rise from their lowly actions and flee the abyss of sin… And if they sinned greatly and rebelled against Him, He still does not close the doors of repentance to them.”
Teshuvah is an unparalleled gift from Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
Kovetz He’aros (Yevamos Ch. 21 §24) notes that whereas the repentance of a gentile takes effect at the time that he repents and impacts his future so that he will not be punished in Olam Hazeh, the repentance of a Yid works retroactively as well, erasing his misdeeds as if he never sinned at all.
This is an incredible idea, as logic dictates that a person who sinned and rebelled against Hakadosh Baruch Hu should be undeserving of any clemency. Yet Hakadosh Baruch Hu, Who is a loving and compassionate Father, bequeathed to His children the priceless gift of teshuvah, which uproots sins retroactively at their source, and we must value this deeply.
Let us examine why Hashem saw fit to create the power of teshuvah and what we can learn from His ways.
Man experiences many ups and downs throughout life and can be considered “alive” during his good periods and “dead” during his difficult periods. His temperament and feelings shift constantly, especially since the yeitzer hara baits him day and night. Yet man’s duty is to choose life—uvacharta bachayim—and this is a recurring choice that presents itself every day anew. It’s a choice we face every morning as we recite Modeh Ani, and a choice we face before every tefillah, and during every moment of life.
The novelty of teshuvah is not that a sinner can erase his sins, as this is but a consequence of teshuvah. Rather, it is the fact that a person who sinned previously, but now faces new choices at each and every juncture, can still choose the proper path. And it is this choice and yearning for spiritual life that bring about the erasure of his sins.
Had the world been created for life in Olam Hazeh alone, there would have been no purpose in the concept of teshuvah. Yet man’s purpose in this world is to prepare for Olam Haba, as Chazal teach that this world is compared to a corridor to Olam Haba (Avos 4:16).
Life in this world is about choosing between good and evil: If man chooses good, then he merits to enter Olam Haba—which is the ultimate objective of teshuvah.
