Modern masters | Aaron HaCohen's Yortzeit | Rabbi Sam Shor | July 22, 2025

this coming to read two parios and we're also going to be commemorating Shabas which as we'll see in a moment happens to be the yard site of Aron. So this morning we're gonna kind of weave a tapestry like we usually do and we're going to discuss a little bit about who Aron Cohen was. We're gonna discuss a little bit about our sedra in terms of why even though we're first told of Aaron's passing a few weeks ago on parukat why we're told again in our sedra this week um that passed away and we're given the specific date of his petira in our sedra this week. Okay. So we're going to just jump right in. We're going to begin with the Mishna. We're all very familiar with the pavos and shamai received the ms from the generation that came before them having you shall be like the students of o shalom shalom. You shall love shalom and chase after shalom. you shall love your fellow human being and bring them close to the Torah. So I if you notice when I translated the Mishna the word shalom I did not translate to peace because really the word shalom is a double antandra here the word shalom not only means peace but the word shalom is one of the names according to the zorosh it's one of the names of the shalom one of the names of god it's a kinoi it's a way in which we refer to and therefore when we're told to be like the students of our own. It's not only that we're peacemakers. What motivates us to be peacemakers? It's our love for it's our desire to chase after and be close to the sham in all circumstances and to bring others closer to his kadosha. Okay, that's the Mishna. So that's a beautiful idea. But what does it mean for us? What does it mean that we're meant to be amongst the students of Aron? We're going to come back to that question. As I mentioned just quickly in text number two, if you look at towards the end, we're to the this is the para para kukat as we mentioned a few weeks ago and we're told that aon passed away. We went up to the mountain and he passed away and so three weeks ago already we're told of the pet of aroncoin. So the question is why in the second of our two creo this this coming Shabas and para mas we're told once again in the midst of all the discussion the Jewish people all the sojier and the journeys of the Jewish people for the 40 years they were wandering in the desert right why why are we told once again of our material let's take a look at those aronai let's and Aram went up to the the mountain and he passed away there in the 40th year of their sojourn from Mitim and he died specifically in the fifth month on the first day of the month and Aaron was 123 years called when he passed away on the mountaintop. Okay. So, let me ask you a question. Are we given the dates of the yard of any of the do we know their yard sites? Are we given the dates of the passing of Mosherenu? Even the answer is no. So the question is why does the Torah number one not only mention twice the passing of Aron but also give us the exact date the exact date he passed away and also why is that date only mentioned here in the second time that his that his passing is mentioned and why is it only mentioned here in the midst of para mas which is describing the soldier and the journeys of the Jewish people. Okay, we're going to come back to those questions in order to begin to answer all these questions. What does it mean to be our own Talid? Why why does the Torah mentioned the exact date of his yard and not anyone else's? Why does why is the Torah mentioned his passing twice? Why is the date of his yard given in the second mention of his passing and not in the first mention? We're going to please God answer all these questions. And as we as we know this course is called modern masters. We're going to hear from four or five different modern masters today. Um to begin to address these questions, we're going to begin with Rabbi Aram. Rabbi Ramshaw and his beautiful cafer Leu. This is the this is the volume of Leivot. And Rabbi Ramshore says the following words. Ara auh our kazal thank you ma'am our kazal see a connection between au and kohhane and kiv regarding both of them it's written in the priosyan [Music] that we should what try strive to be their students doesn't say this about mosher by the way we're not told to be the students of mosher kazal use that language be of the students of Arau and like the students of Aron. Okay. So the so the the question is why and he says we learned this idea already. It's already brought and cited by the Rebi of Redsk. Okay. In the beautiful Eric Schlommo. The Rebi of Red Verdun was a late 19th century um early 20th century master and he says the following. The reason why we're told to be like the students of Abraham as well as be like the students of iron is really both and Abraham are connected one to the other. Their legacies are very similar and he's going to explain this as follows. with Hashem because what is Abraham famous for? He was the first Kiru worker. He went out and he spread the name of God. Taught the world about belief in okay and brought others to begin to have a relationship to come close to Hashem. This also was the work. Okay. Was the sacred work of okay and therefore for this reason regarding both of them we're told to what not just be aware of their legacy or or strive but literally become their students. We have to I don't know about you, but if there are teachers in my life that have so impacted and and and and transformed my my understanding of Torah, my understanding of the way I see the world that I can't imagine I can't imagine my life's trajectory without being the student of those teachers. Okay? And so too, we're told to be the students of both Abraham and Aar. Meaning, as a Jew, we should what? consider Abraham our rebi and our rebi in the same way we consider any of our other teachers as our why because their work was what to bring every single soul to come to have a relationship with And so to every single one of us who are living in this generation which doesn't look at face value to be the strongest generation in terms of our in terms of the commitment to have but in reality it's what we know that we are in the door just before the the we're in the footsteps of Mashiau. Therefore, now more than ever says, we need to take to heart these two that tell us what to be of the of au and that we every single one of us it's incumbent upon every single one of us to what to strive to bring people closer to Torah. We'll take questions at the end of the year. Okay. So that's the that's that's Ramshore. Now last week I think I think we learned from the safer bait arum. We're going to learn two pieces from the bum today. One that's on your sheets, one that's not because I saw it this morning on my way on my way to Shul this morning. So it didn't make the source sheets. Um but the uh the bonar is raisit known as a pakar. The pakar was a dion in multiple kasidic courts in Europe before World War II. He survives the shalah miraculously. There's a beautiful story that's not maybe before before sukus will have a chance to share the story of his survival and he ends up on the lower east side of Manhattan and uh Rabbi Mosha was very much of him. He is a direct descendant of the balent um and he becomes a a rabbi of a small little on the lower east side and his family published posimously two beautiful works one on and and another on aos and we're just going to learn a little bit from the pedar speaking about iron this is text number five on our sheets mashra Sorry, can't see it. He asked our question. He says, "We have to understand and explore why is it that the Torah specifies specifies the exact date of Zart of his passing?" Something that he the Torah doesn't do for any of the aos or even from okay we have to ask even further even further and we have to ask why is the date of his passing mentioned specifically now just before or in the midst of reading all of the all the sojourns of the Jewish people the 40 years that we wander through the desert and it wasn't stated the date of his passing was not stated in the f first mention of his passing in when three weeks ago. Okay. So now he's going to begin to explain this. It seems that hidden within this okay is a a important message for all of us. who we know that the month of is the time which we recall the destruction of both the both temples and our teach us that the reason why the temple was destroyed is the result of what unwarranted hatred and is what? He's the penultimate example of what? Shalom. Of peacefulness, of unity. Shalom. Shalom. He's someone who's who loved peace and sought after peace. He loved every single person and he strove to bring them closer to Torah. And through his deeds, he was able to what? to fix any when he was alive through his deeds in his lifetime, he was able to fix any spark of unwarranted rivalry and hatred amongst the Jewish people. Okay? And this is why Hashem destined the would would pass away. If it's true that the came during okay it means what? It's a sign. It's a result of what? the fact that our own's presence and everything he taught us and represents represented as the coen god okay was taken from us and therefore without a leadership and presence the Jewish people became susceptible to what Aon was such a powerful personality in terms of being a uniting force being a a unifier bringing people closer to one another bring bring bring bring bring bring bring bring bring bring bring bring bring bring bring bring bringing people closer to Torah that when he was alive the Jewish people were protected from any disunityity and rapture and rupture but once he leaves the world we become susceptible okay and therefore and therefore the Jewish people are reminded of the passing of Aon and to remind who our own is and was and what he represented because what sadly the subsequent generations no longer were following in his ways. So it's a rem that you know we need to be careful. We're going to be susceptible without our own presence. Okay? If we forget about who our own was, if we're not reminded of who he was, then sadly we're going to be susceptible to our own our own worst midote. Okay, if this is all true, if this is all true, says the says the then that's why his passing and the date of his passing is mentioned specifically here in the midst of all the journey the sojourns of the Jewish people. Samuel, it's a sign of what? Galut of our dispersion. because we rejected his ways, the ways of peace and it's that's what caused ultimately what us to experience all the g various galot that we have experienced as a people. What is what has caused the Jewish people to be to be suffering for all these years to be in diaspora to be in gullus? It's what our in inability to maintain the standards of Arono to live up to the legacy of Aron Hako. Okay. And therefore And therefore the Torah places in his Torah a reminder for all of us, okay, of the significance of this time of it's no coincidence that leaves this world on Roesh because it's a reminder for all subsequent generations what caused us has caused us to experience galut. What has caused us to experience galut? It's the lack of living up to that expectation of being of the students of the And therefore it reminds us that how can we fix the the reality that we are now in that we find ourselves the galut that the extended galut that we now find ourselves in. The way to fix it is what? To be reminded that we're meant to follow the ways of Arono. And if we can live up to his standards of bringing others closer to one another and to Hashem, then maybe just maybe we can turn things around. Okay. So that's that's a we're now going to learn from the you turn your page text number six. of course is a the great great great grandson of the kajniti also known as the avot is of kajnit and he come came in ali in the 1920s um he's one of threeidic masters that involved in in forming uh a trying to form aidic farming enclave known as karidim which still exists today not as aidic farming enclave near near khifa And um it's a very fascinating story. The story of it obviously didn't succeed as a kidic farming enclave. The the goal of these rebum was that uh that we bring here and they be able to live off the land that they become farmers. we'd return to the agrarian society that was of the time of and of our kazal that they be able to keep all the mitzvah and of course sadly they brought you know a bunch of who are yeshiva that didn't really have a lot of a lot of knowledge in terms of how to succeed in farming and the enterprise did not succeed there was a an outbreak of malaria many people died and ultimately the po mis have to come and rescue the community. They step in, they save the yeshiv and it exists today as still by the name even though they're very few that live there today. Um at any rate so the ends up moving to Tel Aviv where he spends most of his the rest of his life. He's actually buried here in the in the cemetery in Sanhedrin. You can actually go visit his cover. It's a just a few meters away from the of Lev and Vad Ysef there. It's a Anyways, we're going to learn a little bit of his Torah on on our on our Sedra as well. This is text number six. And he says, He says, "We always read this para which includes the story of Aron Cohen's passing and the date of Aron Cohen's passing. We always read it close to Ro or before Rohav. In this case, we're reading it on Rokav Shabas." And of course, this is no coincidence. He says, "And we have to explain obviously there's a interconnection okay between these days and the reading of this para as our sages have taught us the second temple was destroyed because of unwarranted hatred shalom great is shalomara shalom is if even if people are involved in idolatry, if they are kind to one another, there's unity, they're nice to one another, then what? theatas that Hashem will have compassion on us of on us even if what we're engaged in a vodara which is a pretty powerful statement. That's how important that's how important and unity is that even if we're doing other horrendous that are okay as long as there's shalom then Hashem will have okay and the the explanation or the understanding of these words is as follows. If the Jewish people, okay, as long as they don't sin towards their fellow golimar, okay, had they not sinned against their fellow Jew, they would not have been what? Sent into Gal, okay? And even though they had transgressions between them and God, if it was just if they were just guilty of what? Of sinning against God. So Hashem would punish them where where in their place where they are the lowim and they would not be sent to galut. Think about this by the way even even um in Shalom. Someone accidentally kills someone. They're guilty of they're guilty of manslaughter. And they're worried therefore that what that the family of the person that they accidentally killed might seek might seek to to you know what? Might seek what? >> Revenge. Good. >> Uh to avenge good might that's better than revenge. Might seek to avenge the the the the lost their lost loved one. So what's ala we have what ariklah we have cities of refuge okay cities of refuge where the individual who accidentally took a life can go and be protected so there's an idea of going galut which is connected specifically to what to acts where we where we transgress against our fellow but acts against hashem punishes us where we No, we don't have to we don't have to change our maka. We don't have to go to galut. So it's very interesting, right? So so listen to how the listen how the rabbi brings us all together. [Music] And therefore during these days of in the three weeks where we recall the the destruction therefore we read this para the passing of because his yard sight falls in these days in order to return to our hearts. Okay. The ways and remind us of the ways of because he loved peace and he sought after peace. And if we can be like our own then we'll merit to what? To fix the transgression of of unwarranted hatred and will merit to return un mass to erat like we are meant to be as we were destined to be. Okay. Rabbi Barak Simon who was one of the young Russia yeshiva of yeshiva university he takes us in a slightly different direction. So far the pakarav seems to be echoed very nicely by the kaju rabbi but rabbi bar sim is going to quote rovetic. So in this piece we're actually going to hear from two moder masters. is going to hear Rabbi Simon quoting Rabbi Salvat and this is text number seven on our sheets who is the first thing we need to know is that what is the primary role of a coane to teach Torah to the Jewish people wait a minute most of us when we think of the co we think about what the carbonus the mikdash but here Rabbi K Rabbi Simon says the primary tki the primary role of the coen is not the in the mdash but rather to be a Torah to is to the Jewish people as I learned in the name of the essential role of the was to teach Torah. wrote because every coin had a a a a turn, right, that they had to do the there was a rotation, okay, of when the coin would work in the basa mdash. And on average, he says approximately every one of those turns was approximately two weeks total throughout the entire year. and the rest of the year. They only have the role of what to be a source of flowing from their mouths. And that's why the of the of our own and his descendants is what is to to love peace and to seek peace. Because the reality in which Torah is transmitted, the Torah is transmitted from generation to generation is what? Through our sitting together as friends either in a kabura like this or sitting asos and sharing and discussing and delving in together. Okay? And if we don't get along with one another, if we don't like one another, then how are we going to do that? Okay, how are we going to sit together? Okay, and therefore, and therefore the only way that we can succeed at this is what is if there's love and respect between the friends. Okay? And unity and peace amongst them. And therefore says Rabbi Simon based on this beautiful idea that Rabbi Salvich introduced and that's why the Torah mentions the exact date of Aon's passing and as we said earlier that it's dka mentioned now and here because it's going to be it's it's in the midst of the discussion of the Jewish people being extended in their gall, right? Okay. In order to teach us to be contemplative and understand the reasons why we went into galut and we continue to be in galut and the destruction of this month of It's because the were taken from us. Aon's presence and teaching and leadership was taken from us because he passed during this month to love peace and to seek peace. What is it that enables us to succeed in? It's h it's dependent on what? On the unity that we feel on the warmth and clinging we have and the capacity to discuss with one another. And if we don't love one another, then there's no we can't truly learn Torah. And this therefore should strengthen us and give us life during this long bitter galut. And if we're able to come together to learn Torah together, then we'll merit that we will once again be gathered together and brought back to Israel that we will merit to experience the in gathering of the exiles and bring us speedily back to our land. Now that's the end of your I'm ankit. Now that's the end of your source sheets. And this morning my on my on my way to shul this morning I actually saw one last idea that I want to share with you that's not on your source sheets. So the very next puk after the puk in our center that gives us the passing of and the date of his yard site is this are these words. And the king of the canonite king, okay, heard or was sitting in the negative initan. He heard of that which transpired for the Jewish people. Now happens to be kazal teach us that this malani was none was none other than what? Amalik. Okay, there's he has an alias. He has a he has a another another name but this is when we become susceptible to Malik. So what is it? What is it that they heard? The says they heard of what transpired for the Jewish people. What is it that they heard? So Rashi in a very famous Rashi listen to Rash's words. What is it that they heard? They heard that Aon had passed away. Okay? And therefore what And therefore, the clouds of glory that protected and hovered over the Jewish people the entire 40 years they were in the desert had dis dissipated and disappeared and therefore they were susceptible. They could be attacked. Okay? And therefore because the disappeared they theorized what that it was okay for them to attack the Jewish people. And therefore that's why the passing of iron is mentioned once again here. So what is Rashi telling us? What is Rashi teaching us? We all know there's a famous there's a famous gamar when it talks about talks about the mitzvah of yeshiva basuka sitting in a suka. What are the two reasons that are given for what a suka is meant to represent? One of the two things that a silk is meant to represent one opinion is that it's actual actually actually sukkot that in the desert in the desert rag fish that in the desert one she is that in the desert we actually lived in portable huts and therefore the our sukot represent those sukot those portable huts that we lived in during the desert and what's the other day that they rep it represents the ankav that's sitting underneath our and looking up to the sky is meant to remind us of the clouds of glory that protected us the entire 40 years and the kazal teach us that it's through the merit of our our own that we were able to be experience that protection of the anakov. So what exactly does that mean? And just to bring this all together we're going to return back to Rabbi Schlomma and Harowitz. Unfortunately, I'm sorry it's not on your sheets because I literally photocopied this literally as I was walking out the door to SH this morning. He in a in a in a beautiful teaching that he shares about the about the Y ofus and this idea he brings a Torah from the rebar of he says the following. Why were these clouds called the clouds of honor? We know that in nature, two people who were really close to one another and they really love one another and they're when they speak to each other, they speak closely to one another. If we're facing one another, we really love one another and we're speaking closely to one another, then when we speak this the the steam that might come out, you know, sometimes in the winter, I don't know if we don't really experience this here in Israel so much, but I don't know if you remember in the Alahheim, right? Sometimes in the winter, you'd walk outside and you when you'd speak, you'd see like this this steam coming for coming out every with every word we'd say. So two people are re really like one another and they're speaking close to one another says the re vision then what happens then the steam that comes out of their mouth joins together okay and it becomes one and therefore he says the most beautiful idea [Music] okay and we know that what is our own sacred work was to bring that level of love and and tranquility and unity complete unity amongst the Jewish people. Therefore, we find says the vision because there was such unity such and everyone loved each other. So if everyone loved each other and they're speaking like this and there and the steam is joined together then rather than just join together as like a little nice cloud they become great clouds in the heavens and that becomes the anav the the clouds of glory of honor of honoring one another of mutual respect and all this is the merit of shalom they It's all in the merit of Aon who taught them the ways to pursue peace and to love peace and caused all this kazoo in it was a great cover for the Jewish people that we were able to achieve this level of unity and therefore these clouds that were the result okay these clouds that became the greatest shmeir for the Jewish 40 years. It was the result of that uttered unity in Akus that we learned through the presence of Arono. My friends, as we prepare for not only to read the set the the the crea of Mas coming Shabas, we prepare for a and the nine days. Let's take to heart all these beautiful ideas that we learned together this morning. Let's be reminded that the reason why sadly we're still longing for the BA mikdash is that we haven't merited to live up to what it means to be the talum of let's strive to do so. Let's strive to bring one another close to Torah. Let's strive to have aus. Let's strive to return the anana. Let's strive to see the bdash be built. Have a great week.