music - the avoda of the leviim

Bereishis (43:11) “Kechu mizimras ho’oretz – take from the gleanings of the land.” The Modzitzer Rebbe explains this pasuk by citing the Kedushas Levi’s commentary to the words “The songs of your servant Dovid” (in the berocha Boruch She’omar preceding Pesukei Dezimra) that music is also a form of avoda and this was the avoda of the Levi’im – to sing and play music. These musical scales are named octaves and have levels one above the other. For example, just as there are levels and scales for our love and fear of Hashem, so there are in niggunim. This is the meaning of “the songs of your servant Dovid.” (Kedushas Levi Likkutim s.v. uveshirei)

serve hashem with pride

The Modzitzer Rebbe, in Divrei Yisrael, cites the Toldos Yaakov Yosef (Parshas Eikev), who explains that the pasuk (Divrei Hayomim II 17:6), “His heart was uplifted in the ways of Hashem,” refers to serving Hashem with a feeling of pride and self esteem, that Hashem values and esteems you and that if we have in mind that “the entire world was created for our sake,” (Sanhedrin 37a Rashi ad loc) then this feeling of pride and self esteem will save him from sin.

Therefore, the opening pasuk in Parshas Emor says, “Speak to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon.” The Modzitzer explains that the pasuk is saying: “Remind them that they are the sons of Aharon. Remind them of their lofty status and importance, because they might forget their own importance, since Tzaddikim tend to be humble, as it says, “[Moshe and Aharon asked,] What are we?” (Shemos 16:7). Since they might forget who they are, we remind them that they have yichus – pedigree – and that they were born holy, not to make them arrogant or give them vanity or haughtiness, but rather that they should remember not to “make themselves impure among their people,” because if they transgress, they will blemish their soul. Thus they need to be protected from such an event.

serve hashem with pride

The Modzitzer Rebbe, in Divrei Yisrael, cites the Toldos Yaakov Yosef (Parshas Eikev), who explains that the pasuk (Divrei Hayomim II 17:6), “His heart was uplifted in the ways of Hashem,” refers to serving Hashem with a feeling of pride and self esteem, that Hashem values and esteems you and that if we have in mind that “the entire world was created for our sake,” (Sanhedrin 37a Rashi ad loc) then this feeling of pride and self esteem will save him from sin.

Therefore, the opening pasuk in Parshas Emor says, “Speak to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon.” The Modzitzer explains that the pasuk is saying: “Remind them that they are the sons of Aharon. Remind them of their lofty status and importance, because they might forget their own importance, since Tzaddikim tend to be humble, as it says, “[Moshe and Aharon asked,] What are we?” (Shemos 16:7). Since they might forget who they are, we remind them that they have yichus – pedigree – and that they were born holy, not to make them arrogant or give them vanity or haughtiness, but rather that they should remember not to “make themselves impure among their people,” because if they transgress, they will blemish their soul. Thus they need to be protected from such an event.

music - the avoda of the leviim

Bereishis (43:11) “Kechu mizimras ho’oretz – take from the gleanings of the land.” The Modzitzer Rebbe explains this pasuk by citing the Kedushas Levi’s commentary to the words “The songs of your servant Dovid” (in the berocha Boruch She’omar preceding Pesukei Dezimra) that music is also a form of avoda and this was the avoda of the Levi’im – to sing and play music. These musical scales are named octaves and have levels one above the other. For example, just as there are levels and scales for our love and fear of Hashem, so there are in niggunim. This is the meaning of “the songs of your servant Dovid.” (Kedushas Levi Likkutim s.v. uveshirei)

serve hashem with pride

The Modzitzer Rebbe, in Divrei Yisrael, cites the Toldos Yaakov Yosef (Parshas Eikev), who explains that the pasuk (Divrei Hayomim II 17:6), “His heart was uplifted in the ways of Hashem,” refers to serving Hashem with a feeling of pride and self esteem, that Hashem values and esteems you and that if we have in mind that “the entire world was created for our sake,” (Sanhedrin 37a Rashi ad loc) then this feeling of pride and self esteem will save him from sin.

Therefore, the opening pasuk in Parshas Emor says, “Speak to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon.” The Modzitzer explains that the pasuk is saying: “Remind them that they are the sons of Aharon. Remind them of their lofty status and importance, because they might forget their own importance, since Tzaddikim tend to be humble, as it says, “[Moshe and Aharon asked,] What are we?” (Shemos 16:7). Since they might forget who they are, we remind them that they have yichus – pedigree – and that they were born holy, not to make them arrogant or give them vanity or haughtiness, but rather that they should remember not to “make themselves impure among their people,” because if they transgress, they will blemish their soul. Thus they need to be protected from such an event.

a fools gathering at a foolish place

Mishna Avos 3:3 – Rav Chanina son of Tradyon used to say: Two who sit together and do not exchange words of Torah are a gathering of mocking cynics, as it is stated (Tehillim 1:1): “And among a gathering of cynics he did not sit.”

The Modzitzer Rebbe says in Kelalei Oraisa (os shin): I once heard from the Chassid, the elder Rav Meshulem of Plontsk, how my grandfather, the Kuzhmirer Rebbe, was once visiting the town of Plontsk, and a wealthy gvir, who was a learned lamdan and a Misnagged and knew my grandfather, invited him to stay at his home. The gvir prepared a meal in my grandfather’s honor, and as they sat at the table, the host was in a good mood and invited my grandfather to say a few words.

My holy grandfather grabbed the table by both hands and gave it a shove, pushing it far away, to emphasize and underscore his words: “[Chazal say,] ‘If two are sitting together but there are no words of Torah shared between them, then this is a gathering place of fools.’ It should have said that they themselves are fools. [Why does the Mishna’s criticism seem to focus on the gathering place rather than focusing on the fools themselves?] Rather, the reason for this is because if two Torah scholars sit together and they have no words of Torah to share, it must be due to the impurity of the place where they are sitting, because that table served previously as a gathering for fools [their negative influence affected and infected it].” Afterwards, says the Modzitzer, I found this concept and explanation in the name of Rav Michele of Zlotshuv. (Kelalei Oraisa os shin)

mishna 2:2 “any torah study that has no work and livelihood together with it is destined to cease.”

The Modzitzer Rebbe explains our Mishna as follows: [The acquisition of Torah requires hard work.] Therefore any Torah study that lacks hard work, diligence and effort in its application will eventually cease, as Chazal say (Megilla 6b): “If someone makes the claim that he succeeded in Torah without any effort, do not believe him.” (Kelalei Oraisa os kaf)

remove these concerns like removing shoes from your feet

Mishna Avos 2:10 – “Beware of their fiery coals; their bite is like a fox bite, their sting like a scorpion’s sting, their venom like a serpent’s venom and all their words are fiery coals.” (Avos 2:10)

The Modzhitzer Rebbe, in Divrei Yisrael, tells us about a meeting that took place between his grandfather, Rav Yechezkel of Kuzhmir, and Rav Nosson Duvid of Shidlovitza. At the beginning of the Shidlovitza’s career as Rebbe, he had many detractors who made his life difficult. When he once complained about them to the Kuzhmirer, Rav Yechezekel told him the following peshat in pasuk, based on a novel interpretation of the Mishna in Avos. “Don’t let them bother you, make you angry or upset. When Moshe Rabbeinu became leader of the Jewish people, Hashem gave Moshe the same advice in His very first command. Hashem told Moshe, ‘Remove their concerns from you just as one removes his shoes from his feet. Remove your shoes from your feet.’ (Shemos 3:5)

“The pasuk is understood this way in light of the statement of Chazal, who said, ‘Beware of their fiery coals; their bite is like a fox bite, their sting like a scorpion’s sting, their venom like a serpent’s venom and all their words are fiery coals.’ (Avos 2:10) The acrostic formed by the roshei teivos, the spelling of the first letters of each word of their bite, sting, venom and all their words spells “your shoe” – na’alcha – in Loshon Kodesh – Neshichosom, Akitzosom, Lechishosom, Kol Divreihem kegachalei aish –[נשיכתן עקיצתן לחישתן כל דבריהם כגחלי אש – ר"ת נעלך]. Hashem was saying to Moshe, and I am saying to you, that a leader of the generation must remove all concerns of opposition from any other Jews. Remove these concerns from you as Moshe removed them at Hashem’s advice. Remove all four forms of their oppositions cited above from your concern and do not be angered or concerned over them at all. (Divrei Yisrael Modzhitz Shemos s.v. shal na’alcha me’al raglecha)

mishna avos 4:17 – “just one hour of teshuva in this world is better than all of the next world.”

The Modzitzer Rebbe in Kelalei Oraisa (os yud) cites his grandfather the Kuzhmirer, who explained our Mishna as follows: One hour spent in teshuva in this world filled with inhibitions, difficulties and delays is more precious and beautiful [to Hashem] than the entirety of the coming world, which is a place of rest like a retreat tent, where there are no troubles or difficulties.

torah in the name of the author

Mishna Avos 6:6 – “Whoever quotes something and cites the original author or speaker…”

The Modzitzer Rebbe explains our Mishna as follows: Whoever studies the Torah reciting it vocally in the name of The Author – Hashem – meaning that he studies Torah with the motivation to know Hashem and His Name as One and Only, this brings the Redemption to the world. (Kelalei Oraisa os kaf)