This lesson is dedicated Leilui Nishmat Rabbi Chaim Dahan, a beloved Rebbe who taught in Yeshivat Shaare Torah for over twenty years, who passed away, lo Alenu, tragically yesterday.
Many people have passed away over the last two weeks or so. Rabbi Dahan was the first that I knew personally and intimately. He was a very special man. He was a rebbe that was passionate about his teaching. He taught first grade and other classes for many years. I knew him as a Pre1A Rebbi. He put his heart and soul into making sure every boy was learning. By the end of the year we knew he’d have every boy reading. He was able to reach and teach even the most challenged child. He had a magic and a dedication. He was excited about his teaching. He would jump over desks. He was a young, energetic man plucked from amongst us. We have to put on our Emunah glasses when these things happen. People are asking questions.
I’m talking about him because I know him, but there are many great people who have plucked from amongst us. People are asking questions.
Where is Bitachon? Didn’t these people have Bitachon? What is going on? What is Hashem doing?
We have to put on our Emunah glasses and know that Hashem knows what He’s doing. We have to respect what Hashem is doing and not, Has V’Shalom, question Him.
I want to share a very heavy Or HaChaim Hakdosh in Parashat Ki Tisa, because these are heavy times.
He explains a pasuk:
כִּ֣י תִשָּׂ֞א אֶת־רֹ֥אשׁ בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֘ל לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם֒
When you count the Jewish people
וְנָ֨תְנ֜וּ אִ֣ישׁ כֹּ֧פֶר נַפְשׁ֛וֹ לַיהוָ֖ה בִּפְקֹ֣ד אֹתָ֑ם
Each person gives a half a coin
וְלֹא־יִהְיֶ֥ה בָהֶ֛ם נֶ֖גֶף בִּפְקֹ֥ד אֹתָֽם׃
And it will prevent a plague from coming upon them
The simple explanation is that we don’t count people, because that could heaven forbid cause a plague, so we count the coins instead.
As it happens, we read this in beginning of Adar, in Shekalim, which was basically when we were introduced to the entire corona story.
The Or HaChaim HaKadosh tells us that this pasuk reveals G-d’s hidden secrets. He says: People see things and they’re amazed. How does it happen that a righteous man is taken before his time? It’s something that’s deserving of someone that is wicked. People think one of two things. Either something is wrong with the religion, that Sadikim toil and don’t get paid, Or maybe there is something wrong with this man? What’s going on?
Therefore, he says, when you see someone was taken, Know that sometimes Hashem takes a great man because heaven forbid there was a harsh judgment, and large amounts of people were supposed to pass away.
When the Chafetz Chaim’s son-in-law passed away, his daughter came to him and asked what was going on? Out of all the Jewish people why was her husband was taken? The Chafetz Chaim said that half the Jewish people were supposed to die and that her husband had prevented it. At the time they thought that he was exaggerating. Nobody could imagine half the Jewish people getting killed. In truth, however, not long after that, the Holocaust happened. The Chafetz Chaim knew prophetically that his son-in-law had prevented that from happening earlier.
The Or HaChaim Hakadosh continues and says when that a Sadik is taken, we all have to give a kaparah, an atonement. What is that atonement? We have to feel that we have to fix our deeds. This is not directed towards any specific individual. This is for Klal Yisroel We obviously need to fix something. Who is the Jewish people? Me, you and everybody else.
There’s a pasuk that says that Hashem takes away the Sadik because of the evil. What does that mean?
The Ramchal says Middat HaDin comes and gives a strong judgement that was gathered up for many years of issues and problems (we don’t want to speak bad about the Jewish people). G-d runs the world with justice. At times He has to somehow put this prosecutor to rest by giving him a big Sadik.
Therefore, everyone else at that time has to look into himself, and at his deeds, and fix himself. This has to be done immediately. If people watch as the righteous path away and don’t do anything, and no Teshuva is done.... he says things I don’t want to mention. Let’s leave it at that. We should just take these righteous people’s passing to heart.
I remember many years ago when Shelly Cohen ah passed away in Deal. She was a special lady. I was a young rabbi at the time and I gave a class in the home. I was young and I was just sticking to the standard things I learned in Yeshiva. Maybe I wasn’t empathetic or sympathetic enough.
I quoted the pasuk in Shir Hashirim that says: My beloved one G-d, goes into the garden to pluck roses.
I told them sometimes G-d takes us a Sadik from amongst us. He wants that beloved rose. He can’t wait. He takes the rose.
There was a tenth-grade girl in the group. She had a Deal Yeshiva uniform, and a ponytail, and raised her hand and said, “So maybe I shouldn’t be a rose. Maybe I should be a dandelion and be safe”. Her name at the time was Natalie Fallack she was later Natalie Cohen ah. At her arayat, He brothers said that Natalie thought she was a dandelion but she became another rose, that Hashem plucked.
What does it mean? God is not here to just pluck everybody.
But there are times when there is Middat HaDin in the world. When someone is plucked we have to ask ourselves what do WE have to change? What do we have to do?
Bitachon is important. We have to rely on Hashem. But at the same time, we Have to do to Teshuva. We have to do something.
I have no idea what anyone else has to do, but we have to know that these things are not happening coincidentally. We want to do something seriously, to change ourselves. This was a young man with a wife and children. His whole life revolved in Hinuch... I know his wife also for many many years. She is also involved in Hinuch. She’s an educated woman. I first met her in a program called Hidden Sparks, trying to educate ALL children. It’s a family of servants of Klal Yisrael.
Do we even appreciate people like this?
Smart educated people that sacrificed their lives for the education? These are not people who had nothing better to do so they just become a Rebbi and a Morah. They had degrees, they worked hard. Very smart, understanding peoples who put their lives into it. These are special people.
BeEzrat Hashem we will all do Teshuva and Hashem will protect us
We should hear B’Sorot Tovot