The Weekly Shtikle - Bereishis

This coming Monday, 28 Tishrei, is the 24th yahrtzeit of my dear friend, Daniel Scarowsky, z"l. This week's shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmaso, Daniel Moshe Eliyahu ben Yitzchak.

This week started with so much joy – the release of the hostages followed by Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah. But it was unfortunately met with the sorrow of the sudden passing of Rabbi Moshe Hauer, z"l. The loss is shocking and immeasurable for Baltimore, American Jewry and klal Yirsrael as a whole. I was fortunate enough to have had numerous personal interactions with Rabbi Hauer. The shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmaso, Moshe Yisrael ben Binyamin. I will endeavour to quote Rabbi Hauer throughout the year when possible.

The following thought is from a piece published on All Parsha four years ago. Although it is a simple thought, it very much underscores how Rabbi Hauer observed the world and understood our role as the inhabitants of HaShem's world.

Rabbi Hauer explains that the very foundation of creation is HaShem bestowing goodness upon the world and upon us. There are six times over the course of creation that the word tov is used. Rabbi Hauer observed that there is a striking symmetry in kesuvim as we find six instances (five in Tehillim and one in Divrei HaYamim) of the pasuk, "Hodu laShem ki tov, ki l'olam chasdo." We are mirroring the good that HaShem has provided us with matching praise and gratitude.

To add to this, he points out that the last mention of tov is the culmination of the six days and declaration of the whole of creation as tov me'od (1:31). He suggests that this ultimate goodness is mirrored in the shir shel yom we recite on Shabbos which begins with the declaration (Tehillim 92:2) "tov l'hodos laShem." The ultimate goodness that we can affect in this world is to acknowledge and praise HaShem. Yehi zichro Baruch.

Have a good Shabbos.

 

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: Do you Sea what I Sea

Dikdukian: And the Days Was
AstroTorah: Emunah in Time and Space

AstroTorah: The Two Luminaries

 

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