By Rabbi Yehoshua Berman
(“לא תשחית” (כ:יט
“I was once speaking to Rebbi about potential problems of bal tashchis in regards to leftover food. Rebbi told me, ‘Better to throw it out than to throw it in!”
(Reb Nesanel Seif)
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לא ראינוהו ופטרנוהו בלא מזונות ובלא לויה (רש”י כא:ז)
“I recall being in Har Nof on a motzaei Shabbos together with a friend of mine. After Shabbos was over, we went to Rebbi’s house to hear havdala. He made havdala and we were ready to dash out and make our way back to Yeshiva.
However, almost immediately, Rebbi had a plate of cake ready for each of us. We really were not interested in having cake just then, but he insisted that we have some. ‘And if you are not going to stay to eat it now,’ Rebi said, ‘take it with you as tzeidah l’derech.’ To this day, I can still hear those heartfelt words reverberating in my ears…”
(Reb Elie Ciment)
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“When I ate at Rav Twersky’s house on Friday night for the first time, I was his only guest that week. Since it was a first experience for me, I was not at all familiar with the streets of Har Nof. After the seudah, Rav Twersky would not suffice by just walking me a few steps out of his house and explain to me the way to get back to Yeshiva. He insisted that he accompany me all the way to Kanfei Nesharim Street! And that’s what he did.”
(Reb Mordechai Twersky)
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חודש אלול
If one looks forward with excitement and anticipation – to cherish every moment of the forty eight hours of Rosh Ha’Shana, plus the addition before and after – then the month of Elul goes by quite quickly. However, if Rosh Ha’Shana feels overbearing and burdensome, what will be with the whole Elul?! Of course, this is not to minimize the fact that Rosh Ha’Shana is the yom ha’din. Someone who has fear of the upcoming judgement, it is in place, it is appropriate, and, indeed, it should be. After all, our lives are hanging in the balance. However, one should not emphasize the fear of yom ha’din to the extent that it disables a person from connecting to the main theme of the day. Namely, our teffilos that revolve around malchiyos, zichronos, andshofaros; and, the mitzvah of tekias shofar. If you focus too much on the fear of the judgement, you can miss out on Rosh Ha’Shana, and it would be such a shame to miss out on Rosh Ha’Shana.
(Audio recording available here.)
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