Anash.org presents a weekly Dvar Torah for children by Rabbi Yekusiel Goldstein, author of the book Divrei Torah for Children.
‘לזכות הרה”ח הרה”ת ר’ עקיבא גרשון בן רחל בתי
לרפואה שלימה וקרובה
For a printable PDF of the Dvar Torah for Parshas Shemos, click here.
שְׁמוֹת
Here for Hashem
Dasan and Aviram got into a fight and one of them was about to hit the other. Before he actually struck, the Torah calls him a rasha.
Question – We can understand why someone who strikes another Yid is called a rasha. But why does the Torah call a person a rasha for just wanting to hit, before actually doing so?
Answer – Every Yid is created with the purpose of serving Hashem every moment of his life. Every limb in our body is designated to serve Hashem according to its ability. Our feet run to do mitzvos and our hands give and share. Therefore, even just raising a hand to hit another Yid is already a violation of the purpose for which it was created.
It is for this reason that the Torah calls such a person a rasha – for using his hand for the exact opposite for which it was created.
Lesson – We must never raise our hand against another Yid. That, however, is not enough. We must serve Hashem with our entire body our entire life. When we have a free moment, we use it to call a friend to see how he is doing; or to learn another possuk, and so on. Only then are we truly fulfilling our mission!
(Based on Likutei Sichos vol. 31 p. 3)
Let’s Review
Question #1 – What does the Torah call someone who raises his hand against his friend?
Question #2 – Why is it considered a sin for just raising a hand, if no one was hurt?
Divrei Torah for ChildrenVolume 2 can be purchased online or in Crown Heights bookstores.
