Reb Usher Freund zt’’l many call him the Ba’al Shem Tov in our time.

 

“One must rely on the Creator…devote oneself to Him…speak to Him…Let your ego, which brings hatred toward others, fade away.”   These were the teachings of the tzaddik, Rav Asher  Fruend zt”l.   Rav Freund never believed in titles or acronyms.   He demanded truth in character and yet held infinite patience toward those who lacked it.

“If I had ten people who were willing to venture out to a desolate field with me and who were willing to negate all worldly materialism and devote their entire being to G-D…we could bring Moshiach right away.

This is how Rav Asher, as he was best known, expressed his desire and ambition to serve G-D and strive towards truth – without compromise, and without ego.

Rav Asher was a wondrous man who is dearly missed by many around the world.  On the night after Yom Kippur,  on the 11th of Tishrei, we remember and mark the anniversary of his passing.  He was a unique servant of Hashem, a rabbi and father to hundreds of people without preconditions and attitudes.

He certainly had ruach hakodesh and had the ability to do miraculous things, and yet, he gave the impression of being a simple person.   A rare benefactor of kindness and a man of sincere truth, he had the ability in one sentence to be short and sharp and yet bring about a mental transformation into a person’s heart, from one end of the spiritual scope to the other.

Rav Asher was born on the 25th of Elul 5670 within the walls of Jerusalem.  His parents came from a Chasiddic family, the decedents of the “holy Jews of Peshischa”, who were Karlin Chasiddim.  As a youngster growing up among the tzaddikim of Yerushalayim, he was instilled with great character and shown various pathways to serve Hashem.   His grandfather, the saintly Rav Aharon Kalmanov, learned the attribute of performing Chesed in its most lofty form – by giving anonymously.    His acts of kindness were part of his passionate desire for complete devotion to Hashem, all of which were passed down to his son and grandson.

 “…and I am a worm, not a man – a disgrace and a despicable person,” was always on his lips and he instructed his students with the understanding that everything a person obtains and owns is from Hashem.   If he stands alone, he has nothing and without the help of Hashem to grow (spiritually), he will certainly fall to the lowest depths.

 To establish this group of devoted servants to the Creator, R. Asher sought only such people who would agree to follow his lead and commit to give all of himself to the Creator, with total unity and unconditional love.   The students would also go out among themselves to all kinds of groves and forests.   In pairs they came out, but only after first establishing the steadfastness of his partner’s service to Hashem and together look for ways to strengthen each other.  Only after that, was each one close enough with his Creator to be able to speak with Him as a son speaks to his father.

In those excursions to the field, R. Asher guided his students to speak at all times with the Almighty and depend on Him completely.  Understandably,  R. Asher was the living example for  the Torah way of life that he taught to those he guided. 

Light in the Darkness

Reb Usher said, the possibility to see light in every darkness and to understand that the darkness is not a real darkness, but rather, a way to see the light of Hashem, is only through Emunah Peshutah. Because all the time that you want to be in a situation of understanding your Emunah, you will always find that darkness as darkness, and it will be a Hester Panim. But when a person throws himself into Emunah Peshuta, where he does not want to understand or to feel, he does not want anything, but only to live with the Ribono shel Olam, then he will see the real metsius. There is no such thing as darkness in the world of Hashem. There is not bad and there is no darkness. Ach tov v’chesed yirdefuny kol yemei chayai. Chayav inish ibsima bparaiye – when we get to Purim, we have to get to ad de’lo yada, to only live with the light of the Emunah, and there is no difference if it is arur Haman or Baruch Mordechai.

 Amalek

One of the chaverim asked Reb Usher, “This Shabbos, we are reading Parshas Zachor. Maybe it is time we should ask for a mapala to all the Ameleikim that hate Klal Yisroel in our generation?”

Anwerred Reb Usher: “the fact is that we are the biggest enemies of ourselves. We are doing just the opposite of what is good for us. We are the ones who bring all the problems. If we would be acting the way we are supposed to, and give hachna’ah andbitul gomur to Hashem, then the sonei Yisroel would not have any chance to stand up against us”. 

The reason for trouble

Reb Usher says: “the chessed Hashem done with us is ein sof, is infinite. Even though we do not understand how much time we are still going to be in galus, and we are suffering so much, and the days and weeks and years go by and the galus is still there, we do not see the end of all the tsaros, we have to know that as long as we are still in galus, it is a chessed from Hashem. Hashem is sitting and waiting for all of us to do teshuva, and every day that goes by, is an opportunity for a person to be chozer be’teshuva. Learn the Thora Hakedosha and do lots of maasim tovim”. 

Pride and Tsedakah

One of the chaverim was walking in the street, and a poor man came over to him, and he gave the poor man five shekels. After walking a few feet, the chaver found five shekels on the ground, the exact amount he had just given to the poor man. He came to Reb Usher and told Reb Usher the hashgacha pratis that he had just given five shekels, and a few minutes later, Hashem

gave it back to him. Reb Usher told him, ‘’What do you think? The ribbono shel Olam gave you back your money? You were such a ba’al gaiva when you gave that tsedaka that Hashem decided to throw the five shekels back in your face”. 

Hitboddus

One of the chaverim came to Reb Usher. He was very angry: “Reb Usher, you told me to go to the feld for hisboddus and to scream to Hashem about all of the pains that I have. I went to the feld. I screamed. Whe I left, I felt that I am leaving with bigger pains and more sorrow than when I got to the feld”.

Reb Usher looked at him and smiled, “You created yourself an illusion of the Ribono Shel Olam that is not here at all. You screamed to Him. And it hurts you that He does not you. You think the Ribbono Shel Olam, He is the One who has to take care of your problems, and that is why you have to scream to Him? No, you have a mistake. The Ribbono Shel Olom is the One who made those problems in order that you can get close to Him, not that you should use Him to get rid of your problems and get far away from Him. When you understand that the Ribbono Shel Olam made the problem, then there is no problem whatsoever. That is actually the answer. Then you will find the Ribono Shel olam. But not your illusion and dimyonos of the Ribbono Shel Olam that you created, because then you will only have more pain and bitterness”. 

Chillul Shabbos

Once on Shabbos three chaverim went with Reb Usher when they saw a frum woman doing an action of chillul Shabbos. It looked like she did not know that it was chillul schabbos and they wanted to tell her. Do not tellher anything said Reb Usher, just start thinking – if you saw such an action, it must be that you also must have something of chillul Shabbos.

All three checked and found that they had been doing something on Shabbos that is not meant to be done.

They went to tell it to Reb Usher – Nu you see what a big zechus this woman has that she helped refrain you from chillul Shabbos”. 

No value of the money - Moshiach 

Reb Usher says: “when Moshiach will come all of the money will not be worth anything. Just like money that went out of circulation, and has no value, the same thing will be with money then. There will be such a ‘sirachon’ from money that people will try to get rid of it and say it is not mine. The only way a person will be valued will be through Thora, mitsvos and ma’asim tovim”. 

Either fix or damage the world

Reb Usher says: “Whatever a person does in this world, he has to know that the whole world is relying on him. He can either damage everybody or he can help the whole world. 

Always pray

Reb Usher says: “the main thing when a person does something, he should always daven do Hashem. because it is Hashem that gives you the koach. Just like the Midrash tells us about Yosef HaTzadik, whatever he did, he davened before that. the sar Beis Hazohar from the jail saw that Yosef’s lips were always moving, and asked him, what is going on?

Yosef told him, “I am always mispallel to the Ribbono Shel Olam, whatever I am doing here in jail, Hashem should make matzliach and that you will be happy with what I am doing”. 

Important minhagim for Pesach

Reb Usher answered: “My minhag is to keep quiet when somebody gets me aggravated”. So then he asked: “What other minhagim do you have?”

Reb Usher answered: “When you are finished with this one, I will tell you more.”

Source: Yad Ezrah, www.jadezra.nl

Rabbi Yisroel Chaim Weiss of Spinkah spinkarebbe@gmail.com

 

 

 

Did the Talmud Predict Today's Crisis in Israel?

Moshe was stuttering, what do we learn from this?

 

Moshe finds himself assigned the most momentous task in Jewish history, to stand before Pharaoh and represent G-D by demanding that he “Let My People Go!” he meekly begs off.  He demurs. 

He says, I can’t. 

“Please, my L-rd, I am not a man of words, not since yesterday, nor since the day before yesterday, nor since You first spoke to Your servant, for I am heavy of mouth and heavy of speech.” (Shemot 4:10) 

Rashi teaches that G-D pleaded with Moshe for seven days to accept the role of leader.

But he said, I can’t.  I am a kevad peh.  I am kevad lashon.

What exactly did these excuses mean? 

In Vaeira (Shemot 6:12) Moshe again proclaims his inadequacy in speech.  “B’nai Yisrael don’t listen to me; how then would Pharaoh listen to me, after all I am aral sefatayim?”  He is a man of “sealed lips.”

 Daat Mikra understands aral sefatayim to be an idiom which means that he could not speak articulately; he could not “get his message across” to listeners. 

Kevad peh.  Kevad lashon.  Aral sefatayim.   With these descriptions, the Torah seems to suggest that Moshe’s speech impediment involved stuttering, articulation and psychological fear.  As Aryeh Kaplan teaches, “I find it difficult to speak and find the right language” and – aral sefatayim – “I have no self-confidence when I speak.”  

Moshe, it seems, has good reason to try and beg off the task G-D is assigning him. 

We should have sympathy for him, no?

Let us accept that Moshe had these very real impediments.   So, what?  If G-D wanted Moshe to lead the people, couldn’t He have simply healed him?

Three times a day, we pray, “Heal us, Lord, and we shall be healed.”  

We see this often with stutterers.  They need an initial push – “heal us!” – and then they put in the hard, hard work of training and retraining themselves to speak without a stutter.  Certainly, Moshe could have been successful in overcoming his own speech inadequacies!  Yet he didn’t.

Why not?

In a beautiful piece in Aish.com, entitled “Insulting G-D”, Rabbi Benjamin Blech relates how, as a young boy, he asked his teacher, “Since G-D can do anything, why didn’t He heal Moshe?” 

The teacher answered that, yes, Moshe would seemingly be better off with the gift of eloquence but G-D didn’t grant him that because, “…Moshe never asked.” 

Our Rebbe, Rav Asher Freund ZT’L asks, what then is G-D’s response to Moshe’s seemingly legitimate point.  Yes, G-D makes a mouth for man, but Moshe is a stutterer who can’t speak to Pharaoh.  Pharaoh will mock him.  G-D’s response hardly changes that?

Rav Asher explains by returning to the most foundational aspect of our emunah – It is all in His hands.  Without G-D, we are helpless.  With Him, we can do anything.  This simple statement of faith is one Rav Asher taught throughout his many decades of sharing wisdom, inspiration and faith.  

Rav Asher hears in G-D’s response a very human message, what are you saying?  So, you’re a stutterer.  You think if you were a perfect speaker then all will be well? 

G-D is clear in his message, If I send you to speak with Pharaoh, there is no difference if you are a stutterer or a polished speaker. Whatever will happen at Pharaoh’s court, it is all from Me.  Without My granting you the chiyus every second, you can’t utter even one word. (Ohn mein chiyus vos ich gib dir yeden sekunda hostu nisht kein ein vort).  

We are helpless without Him.  We are powerful with Him.  Stutterer or orator, strength and success come only from G-D.

This lesson, is plain in Parashat Terumah, as well, when G-D tells Moshe, “Veasita – you shall make – a Menorah of pure gold, hammered out shall the Menorah te’ase – be made.”

“You shall make.” 

“It shall be made.”

Active voice.  Passive voice.  These are at odds, no?  A contradiction.  But in this “contradiction” we find a pure example of Rav Asher’s tremendous insight. 

Rashi cites the Midrash Tanchuma which teaches that making the menorah was such a difficult task that Moshe was unable to visualize how the menorah was to appear, so G-D showed him a menorah of fire. But even then, Moshe could not visualize it, whereupon G-D instructed him to throw the ingot into the fire, and lo and behold the completed menorah appeared!

That is why the posuk says ‘te’ase’ – it shall be made and not, as initially phrased, ‘you shall make’.  Rav Asher asks again, If the menorah appeared miraculously (it was “made”), why then does the posuk begin, “You shall make”?  

Rav Asher answers that Moshe claims that he can’t make this menorah. G-D’s response is that even if Moshe did “make it” did he really think it was he who made it?  All is from G-D.  Without G-D, nothing is made or done in this world.

Which crystalizes Rav Asher’s insight into the issue at hand.  Knowing that he cannot utter one word without G-D enabling him to utter it, is exactly why Moshe can go to Pharaoh! 

Many years ago, I sat at Rav Asher’s holy Shabbos table and I reminded him of something he said about a particularly difficult event many years earlier.  He listened closely, looking at me with his piercing and shining eyes, and suddenly said, Ani amarti ka’zeh davar? 

“I said such a thing?”

Yes, I said, you said that.

Rav Asher responded, Atah choshev she’ani medaber?  “You think that I am speaking? My voice is simply a Keli, a vessel, through which whatever G-D wants me to convey comes through.”  He reiterated, “You think I am speaking?  I say nothing. G-D sends me a message which He wants me to utter through my vocal chords, but it is not me.”

That is precisely what G-D responded to Moshe, stutterer or not. “Who makes a mouth for man, is it not I Hashem?”

Go and say what I tell you to say. Externals are irrelevant. All that is relevant is the chiyus I grant man to accomplish.

It is true when we stand before the “pharaoh’s” in our lives.  Our success is by G-D’s hand, not our own.

By: Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Safran

How to deal with anger - a Fiddler on the Roof

 

One of Rav Asher's students asked him: "How is it possible that I will not get angry if someone really annoys me?"

"All kinds of desires (Ta’avot), when they come they come slowly, and we have time to be aware of them and to fight it beforehand. However, anger comes suddenly," said Rav Asher.

"It is like a person balancing on a roof of tiles. How come this person does not fall off the roof while he is standing on a slope?"

"Because he knows he’s in a danger. He does not forget for a second about his danger, he has to keep his balance".

"The same thing when it comes to anger. If you live every second with the awareness of your anger that you can fall any moment in a burst of anger, and you are aware that you are in danger, this the way you can rescue yourself from getting angry" Said Rav Asher.