This Shabbos Rectifies All the Days of Shovavim
In most years, this Shabbos is the last one of Shovavim. Rav Tzadok of Lublin zy”a (Sefer Pri Tzadik) writes that even if someone failed to rectify himself during the previous days if Shovavim, he can do so on this Shabbos. He writes that “if the end is good, it is all good.”
For this reason, this Parshah (Mishpatim) is situated right after the Aseres Hadibros (Parshas Yisro). This teaches us that a person should never despair. Even if he transgressed the entire Torah, he can still fix himself on this Parshah. Just like Shemittah and Yovel (which are discussed in this Parshah) represent freedom and redemption, one can free himself from the yeitzer hara and become a true servant of Hashem.
The Meeting With His Sister:
The following story was related by Rav Nosson Gestetner zt”l (quoted in Chodesh B’Chadsho 5766, page 1):
In the years of “Tach V’Tat” (5408-5409) many pogroms took place against the Jews and the Shach had to flee from the marauding bands of murderers. The Shach’s sister also fled from her father’s home, and she made her way to the home of a wealthy man who took her in as a servant in his house. When the Shach came to this city, he also stayed in this man’s home, without knowing that sister was there, and he sat and learned all day in a loud voice, as he was accustomed to do.
As he learned, the wealthy man heard the servant girl crying in a neighboring room. When he asked her what was wrong, she said that her brother, Rav Shabsi, had learned in her parents’ home, learning with a sweet voice. When she heard this masmid learning, it reminded her of her brother, and how she had no idea what happened to him. After she described her brother to her boss, he realized that he was, in fact, the masmid learning in his house.
At that time, the Shach blessed his sister to merit a family of offspring that would be great in Torah and mitzvos and who would light up the world with their Torah. Several years later, she married Rav Yitzchok zt”l, and her sons included Rav Meir Eisenstadt zy”a, author of Shu”t Panim Me’iros.
The Debate With the Magen Avrohom:
Sefer Sar Torah relates the following story:
The Shach once came to the city of Kalish, where he delivered a drasha in the bais medrash. The Magen Avrohom zy”a was in attendance and had a question on the Shach’s words. When the Shach returned to his lodgings, the Magen Avrohom sent his student to ask his question. He told the student, “I assume that when you ask this question, he will offer such-and-such answer. If he says this, ask him such-and-such question...”
When the student met the Shach, he spoke with clarity and wisdom, as he had been instructed. After they finished discussing the drasha, the Shach began speaking to him about other Torah topics. He saw that the student was not as fluent in them as he seemed to be on the topic of the drasha and realized that he must have been sent by someone else. He demanded that the student tell him who sent him and, with no other choice, the student revealed that it was the Magen Avrohom.
The Shach told him to return to his teacher and to tell him that he wished to speak to him in person. When the Magen Avrohom arrived, he began speaking in learning with the Shach and their discussion became very heated, developing into a full-blown debate.
In the midst of the learned debate, there was a man in the house who he had come for a din Torah and had fallen ill. The other people in the house saw that the man was near death and told the Shach that he must hurry and leave the house because he was a kohen.
The Shach banged on the table with his cane and said, “I command him to wait.” He added, “As long as we are here, he will not die. So I am permitted to stay here.” And so it was. As long as the Shach was arguing in learning with the Magen Avrohom, the man remained alive. But as soon as he walked out the door of the house, the man died.
1 Adar – The Yahrzeit of the Ibn Ezra
One Gets Only What is Meant For Him:
The Ibn Ezra was extremely poor. He was destitute throughout his entire life. His good friend, the Rambam, wanted to help him financially, but the Ibn Ezra vehemently refused to accept monetary support from anyone.
The Rambam tried to think of a way to help him and he came up with an idea. He knew that the Ibn Ezra davened Shacharis every day in the bais knesses near his house and that he crossed a bridge to get there. He decided to put some money on the bridge. According to halacha, if one finds loose money with no identifying marks, it belongs to the finder. Therefore, the Ibn Ezra would be able to keep the money without having to take tzedakah.
The Rambam left the money on the bridge the next morning, right before the Ibn Ezra came along. He then hid behind a tree and saw the Ibn Ezra coming. However, he was shocked to see his friend walking with his eyes firmly closed, and he didn’t even notice the money.
The Rambam ran over to the Ibn Ezra and asked him, “Why are you walking with your eyes closed?” The Ibn Ezra answered, “I cross this bridge every day. Today, I wanted to see if I knew it so well that I could cross it with my eyes closed, and I discovered that I could!”
The Rambam then told the Ibn Ezra about his plan to leave money on the bridge and the Ibn Ezra said, “There is a fundamental rule that a person only receives what he is meant to have. If one is not meant to have something, there is no way for him to get it. Even if someone gets ahold of something not meant for him, he will somehow lose it.”
May their memories be a blessing for all of Klal Yisroel.
