That Number 45

A few more 45's I've noticed, for those who are interested. [See 45 is the number of Geula]

In Hebrew, 45 is מה  - in the soul  מה is the trait of self-nullification. It is the primary tool for peace and unity.  [Source Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh]

Each missile launched from Gaza costs $45,000. [Source]

Count 45 days from the Meiron tragedy [L'ag B'omer] and you end up on Gimel Tamuz.

The Right Path

"Of Yetzer, the Yitzri family; of Shilem, the Shilemi family" [Bamidbar 26:49]

This verse, said the Chofetz Chaim, can be expounded upon in the following manner:

"Of Yetzer" - One who succumbs to the lure of the yetzer hara (evil inclination) will immediately find himself in the company of the "Yitzri family" - the members of the yetzer hara's family are all more than ready to help him along the path of wickedness.

"Of Shilem" - But one who strives for perfection (sheleimus) will find himself in the company of the "Shilemi family" - those who fear Heaven and have achieved spiritual perfection will help him along the upright path.

"In the path that a man wishes to go, he is led" [Makkos 10b]

Another Brick in the Wall

Thanks to Rahel for transcribing this:

"The Chofetz Chaim brings down an idea that the Mashiach asks 'Who would like to donate to the construction of the Third Temple.' 

What Jew wouldn’t wish to have his name on even one brick? Many would rush to donate. 

The Chofetz Chaim says, 'I can give you a way to donate right now!' 

Every word, every sentence which avoids loshon ha’ra emplaces a brick to build the Heavenly Temple.

'That is the End,' says the rabbi. 

With that begins the descent of the Heavenly Temple into the physical world. From there, the shechina goes out into the entire world and ends this nightmare called “galus”—exile."

--R.Mendel Kessin from "Hashkafa of Tragedy in Meron"

The 3 Levels of Forgiveness

Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. [Oscar Wilde]

The people criticized G-d and Moshe: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There's no bread and no water, and we're sick of this unwholesome (manna) bread." G-d sent venomous snakes upon the people, and they bit the people. Many people of Israel died. The people came to Moshe and said "We have sinned! For we have spoken against G-d and against you! Pray to G-d that He should remove the snakes from us!" Moshe prayed on behalf of the people. [Chukas 21:5-7]

Even after the people criticized Moshe heavily, resulting in a punishment of venomous snakes, we nevertheless find that Moshe did not bear a grudge and prayed for the people to be saved. "From here we learn" writes Rashi, "that if a person asks you for forgiveness you should not be cruel and refrain from forgiving."

This principle is recorded by Rambam in his legal Code, the Mishneh Torah, in three places and there are a number of variations which need to be explained.

1) In Laws of Personal Injury, Rambam describes the method and process of forgiveness. "Once the attacker has asked forgiveness once, and then a second time, and we know that he has repented for his sin and he has abandoned the evil that he has done, then one must forgive him". However in Laws of Teshuvah these details are omitted. Instead, we are told that "When the sinner asks him for forgiveness, he should forgive him with a full heart and a willing spirit." Similarly, in Laws of Moral Conduct: "If the person returns and aks him for forgiveness, then he should forgive."

2) The person who forgives is given a different name in each of the three laws. In Laws of Moral Conduct he is called the "forgiver"; in Laws of Teshuvah a "person", and in Laws of Personal Injury he is called the "injured party".

3) One further detail is that in Laws of Teshuvah a person is told not to be "difficult to appease". Why does Rambam use this phrase, and why only in Laws of Teshuvah?

The Explanation

Forgiveness can be carried out on three levels:

1) When one person sins against another, he becomes liable to be punished for the sin that he committed. In order to be relieved of this punishment he needs to appease both G-d and the person that he sinned against. Therefore, through forgiving a person for his sin, one alleviates him from a Heavenly punishment.

2) A higher level of forgiveness is to forgive not just the act of sin but the sinner himself. i.e. even though one person may forgive another for a particular bad act (thus relieving him from being punished) there still may remain a trace of dislike for the person in general. Thus, a higher level of forgiveness is to forgive the entire person completely for his wrong, so that there remains no trace of bad feeling between them.

3) The highest level of forgiveness is an emotion that is so strong and positive that it actually uproots the sins of the past, making it as if they never occurred at all. After such a forgiveness, the sinner will be loved by the offended party to the very same degree that he was loved before the sin.

It is these three types of forgiveness which Rambam refers to in his three different laws:

1) In Laws of Personal Injury, Rambam discusses the laws of compensation for specific damages that one person causes another. Thus, when he speaks there of forgiveness for a sin, he is speaking of the forgiveness that is required to relieve the sinner from the punishment of that specific sin. Therefore, Rambam spells out the precise method of forgiveness that is required to achieve atonement ("when the attacker has asked forgiveness once, and then a second time, and we know that he has repented for his sin etc. then one must forgive him"), because only by following this precise method can we be sure that the sinner will be acquitted of this punishment.

To stress the point further, Rambam speaks in terms of an "injured party" and the "forgiving" of the injury, as we are speaking here of a specific sin and its atonement.

2) In Laws of Moral Conduct, the focus is not on the actual sin and its atonement, but rather, the character of the forgiver. And, if a person is to be of fine character, it is insufficient to forgive a person just so that he will be freed from punishment. Rather, one should forgive another person completely (i.e. the second level above). Therefore, in Laws of Moral Conduct, Rambam stresses that "When one person sins against another, he should not hide the matter and remain silent" for it would be a bad character trait to harbor resentment, keeping one's ill feelings to oneself. Therefore "it is a mitzvah for him to bring the matter into the open".

Thus, we can understand why Rambam omits here details of the process of forgiveness, for the main emphasis here is not the atonement of the sinner, but the required character traits of the victim.

To stress the point further, the person is termed here not as the "injured party" but as the "forgiver".

3) In Laws of Teshuvah, Rambam is speaking of the highest level of forgiveness which is required for a person to achieve a total "return to G-d". For this to occur, the forgiveness must be done in a manner that is so deep that one uproots the sin totally; as if it had never occurred at all. This is because total forgiveness is a crucial factor in the sinner's overall return to G-d, as Rambam writes: "Sins between man and his fellow man... are not forgiven until... the person has been asked for forgiveness..."

Thus, Rambam stresses here that "A person should be easily placated and difficult to anger, and when the sinner asks him for forgiveness, he should forgive him with a full heart and a willing spirit" (despite the fact that these details are more appropriate to Laws of Moral Conduct), because the goodwill of the victim is a crucial part of the sinner's teshuvah. Only when the victim is completely forgiving - to the extent that the sin is uprooted, as if it never existed - can we be sure that the sinner has returned to be as close to G-d as he was prior to the sin.

To stress this point further, Rambam writes "It is forbidden for a person (not an "injured party" or "forgiver") to be cruel and difficult to appease" - i.e. here we are not talking merely of the minimum forgiveness that is required to relieve the sinner from his punishment. Rather, here we are talking of the victim as a "person". And one can hope that he will not merely "forgive" his fellow who hurt him, freeing him from punishment, but that he will allow himself to be "appeased" completely, thereby helping his fellow Jew to come to a complete Teshuvah.

Source: Based on Likutei Sichos Vol 28 Lubavitcher Rebbe

45 is the Gematria of GEULA

Following on from Rabbi Kessin's shiur below, a couple of things I have just read.

Firstly, from R' Avrohom M. Alter:

Over this past Shabbos, one of the survivors from Meron, gave over something quite unbelievable, when relating his experience: 

When he was entangled among all the other trampled people, he (this survivor) managed to find a small passage of air that kept him alive. In those precious minutes, this survivor heard another person saying Shema, knowing clearly that he was about to return to His Creator. And then, this victim, after saying Shema, continued: "Whoever is on top of me, I am moychel (forgive) you completely." And those were the last words heard from him. 

Clearly the people who passed onto the Next World, were not simple people! A person whose focus and final thought in this world, is to be concerned about the possible feelings of guilt of the one who is pushing him down (even though it was unavoidable), is not a simple person! 

Though we can not comprehend the Cheshbonos of Shamayim (Hashem's perfect wisdom), we do know that there is always what to be learned for US ALL! Each person knows where they can improve.

Perhaps one lesson we can learn is to always consider the feelings of others, even when we are in difficulty. Reb Chaim Vilozyner said: "A man was born for others, not to serve himself." May this be a zechus for the iluyos neshomos of all the victims z"l.

The second one came via a What's App group, sent to me by Sharon:

"To what could we compare this tragedy to? 45 holy tzaddikim were taken while a hundred thousand Jews were all united, all different types of Jews together in one place, singing and praising Hashem. As we look at the pictures of the pure innocent children, as well as the fathers and brothers who have passed on, we can help, but cry. The Ben Yehoyada writes ( בניהו ר”ה דף מ”ח ) Chazal have taught us that our final geula will be in the merit of 45 tzaddikim. 45 is the numerical value of geula. 

The Gemara says( Zevachim 92:19) the world is held up by 45 tzaddikim. There is no question that these tzaddikim are now enjoying the delights of gan eden with all of the other tzaddikim from the previous generations.  They have completed their mission in this world. It is us who are left bereaved and speechless. It’s a time to cry. We cry over the 45 tragedies that came about, and we cry because we don't know what to say. We don't know exactly what Hashem wants from us. 

We learned in yesterday’s Daf Yomi how during the shalosh regalim that here was so many people cramped into the courtyard of the bet hamikdash that it appeared like the people were floating above the ground, yet when it came time for them to bow Hashem gave each person ample space to make a full bow and not encroach on his friend's space. When the Shechina was dwelling amongst us, crowding was not a problem. When the Shechina was dwelling amongst us, we knew what the ratzon Hashem was, but now what do we do? We don't know exactly what to do, but we can't just do nothing. 

We must react with action. I can't help but think of Rabbi Akiva. After he lost 24,000 precious students, all great tzaddikim. Although he was broken, he immediately took action and went to find more students to teach Torah to. At a time that he could have questioned and given up, Rabbi Akiva said so long as I have life I must continue to be the best eved Hashem that I could be. It was because of that decision that we have Torah today, as we know it.

At a time when our hearts are open and we want to help so badly, the best thing we could do is improve ourselves. Whatever we were thinking of maybe changing, now is the time to do it. We need Mashiach. We could also additionally, work on bringing more life to those people around us, going out of our way to give honor to people and to give them encouragement. 

That gives people more life. Everybody could use a good word, and we are the ones who are able to give it to them. And it doesn't cost us anything. It's not good enough just to hold back from dishonoring people. 

We have to proactively give honor. The gemara says, if someone gives money to a poor man, he deserves six berachot. But if he gives the poor man chizuk, if he lifts him up with elevating words, then he deserves 11 berachot. Tell somebody “you're doing a great job. Keep it up.” Be free with compliments, compliment your spouse, your children, your friends, your coworkers, give people kavod. It'll bring more unity and more love. 

We pray that those who are injured should have a Refuah Shelemah. We pray for those in mourning to have a complete Nechama that only the Ba’al Hanechamot can give them. And we pray that these 45 tzaddikim will go in front of the kiseh hakavod and plead with Hashem to bring us mashiach. 

Then we will see the fulfillment of the pasuk בלע המוות לנצח ומחה ה’ דמעה מעל כל פנים - death will cease to exist and Hashem himself will come down in all of  His glory and personally wipe off the tears of every single person's face. And then we will be able to live together forever in a complete state of joy.

Rabbi Kessin: Tragedy in Meron and Why Moshiach Isn't Here

 Audio from Rabbi Mendel Kessin - given 5/3/21

Instead Of

 

As night fell on Thursday, and Lag BaOmer spread its joyous light throughout Israel, Rabbi Shimon Matlon shared an envelope with a friend, instructing him not to open it until Sunday. 

Later that night, Shimon was among the 45 men and boys who lost their lives in the tragic crowding in Meron. 

As revealed by Israeli journalist Yossi Elituv, the envelope contained a single sheet of paper with the following lines (roughly translated from Hebrew):

Instead of being filled with disappointment, Accept everything with love. 

Instead of being rigid, Be flexible. 

Instead of complaining, Let your mind be in control. 

Instead of harping, Be more grateful. 

Instead of seeing problems, Filter out negativity. 

Instead of drowning in water, Know it's all from G‑d. 

Instead of blaming everyone, Remember Who is the greatest of all. 

Instead of getting angry, Take a deep breath and stretch. 

Instead of being upset, Exercise your faith. 

Instead of choosing darkness, Choose the full half of the glass. 

Instead of sinking into despair, Remember that everything is a test from G‑d, Who saves. 

Because G‑d decides what's going to happen, But you decide what your attitude will be.

Source

Ani Ma'amin @ Meron

L'ag b'Omer at Meron, the yarzheit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.

At the core of his teachings Rabbi bar Yochai taught that there is more than meets the eye in any situation.  

Minutes before the fatal crush the men are singing Ani Ma'amin b'emunah shleimah b'viat ha Mashiach..... I believe in perfect faith in the coming of Moshiach.