Parshas Matos-Maasei 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- Jul 24
- 2 min read
לא יחל דברו ככל היצא מפיו יעשה ... (ל-ג)
A son was born to a talmid of the Mir Rosh Yeshivah, HaGaon R’ Nosson Tzvi Finkel zt”l, and the thrilled father asked his beloved Rebbi if he would honor him with sandakaus at the bris. The Rosh Yeshivah expressed his excitement at the news and told him that he would be delighted to attend the bris. However, although he would be honored to serve as sandek, practically speaking, he hadn’t been feeling well recently and would have no way of knowing if he would have enough strength to do so until the actual day of the bris. Indeed, on the day of the bris, the Rosh Yeshivah’s family sent a message that unfortunately, the Rosh Yeshivah was feeling very weak and unwell and would not be able to serve as sandek at the bris. The talmid was disappointed, but without any choice in the matter, he gave the kibbud to someone else.
As the bris was about to begin, a small commotion arose at the entrance to the hall. The word went out: R’ Nosson Tzvi was outside! As quickly as he could, the father ran out to the car where the Rosh Yeshivah was sitting, looking pale and weak.
“Rebbi! I don’t understand!” the talmid said. “The Rosh Yeshivah said he was unwell ...” R’ Nosson Tzvi smiled, and replied, “To be sandek, I do not have the koach, but I said I would come to the bris - and a yid must always keep his word!”
Rabbosai, we are now entering the tekufah known as the “Nine Days” leading up to Tishah B’av. As is known, the Bais HaMikdash was destroyed through sinas chinam. But the Chofetz Chaim zt”l explains that this does not refer to sinah - hatred per-se, but to the lashon hara it engendered. How careful we must be with what comes out of our mouths!
Indeed, Sefer Maalos HaTorah states that if lashon hara destroyed the Bais HaMikdash, our words of ameilus baTorah will rebuild it. Let us now be mischazek - both in speaking words of Torah, and in keeping the words that emanate from our lips. Torah is emes and our words must be emes and with that we will be zocheh to the geulah sheleimah b’karov!