VAYAILECH

There are some iniquities which can be considered as unintentional sins, or s intentional transgressions. How they will be considered depends upon the will f G-d. If we are doing the will of G-d, then He relates to us through His quality of Mercy, like a father to his children. Then these iniquities are considered like unintentional sins.

On the other hand, if we are not doing the will of G-d, G-d forbid, then He considers this group of iniquities as intentional transgressions. His relationship to us, then, is like a King to his servants.

In the daily prayers we say, "Excuse us, our Father, for our sins; forgive u , our King, for our transgressions...." When He relates to us as a Father, then our iniquities are considered as unintentional sins. However, if because of our many iniquities He relates to us as a King, then we ask His forgiveness of our intentional transgressions, for all our iniquities are considered as belonging to that category.

Albeit, concerning them all we hope and ask for forgiveness, pardon and atonement.

Torat Habayit Ch.12

The wiliness of the evil inclination is often unrecognizable. He knows to hi e from a person the very obstacle which will trip him. In this respect, a person often thinks that some thing is unimportant, whereas the evil inclination knows its importance very well. A story which illustrates this matter was once told by Rabbi Teitelbaum z"l who heard it from the Ponovitzer Rav z"l about the Chofetz Chaim.

For some time after his marriage the Chofetz Chaim lived in poverty and hard hip. The Rabbanit bought the lowest quality bread which the baker sold at the cheapest price. When she brought it home her husband would have to soak it in order to eat it.

One time the baker refused to sell her anything because the bill which she owed him had grown so high. The Rabbanit returned home empty-handed. When she serve her husband a cup of coffee without any bread, she burst out in tears.

The daughter of the Chofetz Chaim, who was present at the time, afterwards told the Ponovitzer Rav, that the Chofetz Chaim remained quiet and did not answer a word. Afterwards, he pounded twice on the table and said: "Satan, Satan, I know what you want. You want me to put aside the gemorah. Know that I will not listen o you."

Rabbi Teitelbaum concluded with the following remark. "Today we all know that the Chofetz Chaim did not listen to the voice of the evil inclination. What would have been if he did listen? We would not have the Mishnah Berurah, the Chofetz C aim, or Likutei Hilachot. We also would not have thousands of talmidim spreading Torah. However, at the time no one knew such a thing except... the Satan. That is why he was able to do what he did."

"R. Elazar ben Azariah expounded on the verse: 'Gather the people, the men, omen and children...' (Duet. 31:12). The men come to learn, and the women come t hear; but why should the children come? ...In order to reward those that bring t em" (Chagiga 3).

It is related in the Mechilta (Bo, 16) that when R. Yehoshua heard these words of R. Elazar ben Azariah he praised them and said, "I am about seventy years o d and I did not merit to this thing until today. Happy is our father Avraham that Elazar ben Azariah came forth from his loins. The generation in which R. Elazar en Azariah resides is not orphaned."

Hagaon Rabbi Chaim Arentroi z"l in his sefer, Kometz Mincha, gave a reason f r the special happiness R. Yehoshua ben Chanania felt when he heard these words f R. Elazar ben Azariah. He reasoned that it was connected to that which R. Yochanan ben Zakai said about R. Yehoshua ben Chanania himself: "Happy is the one who gave birth to him" (Avot 2:8). The cause for this happiness is explained by Rav Ovadia Bartenura.

The mother of R. Yehoshua would go to all the places of study in her town an she would ask of the sages there: "Please pray for mercy for the fetus which is in my womb, that he should be a sage. From the day R. Yehoshua was born she took his crib into the Study Hall and never took it out in order that nothing except words of Torah should enter his ears.

The gaon reasoned that R. Yehoshua was especially pleased with the words of . Elazar because they were an affirmation of the deeds of his mother.

And from the deeds of R. Yehoshua's mother we must learn that the subtlest influences leave an impression upon the psyche of a child, impressions that will g with him all his life; and this potential should be exploited for the good.

Those who bring the children will reap reward. In the course of time they will see that their striving to bring their children to yirat shamayim and Torah will bear fruit.

Furthermore, upon hearing these words of R. Elazar, R. Yehoshua added to that for which his mother had been praised. He said, "Happy is our father Avraham that R. Elazar ben Azariah came forth from his loins." Our father Avraham was the fir t who was praised for educating his children. "I know him, that he will command is children and his household after him..." (Genesis 18:19). In other words, Avraham was the first to recognize the importance of teaching his children, and now . Elazar explained that the mitzvah of education even includes unconscious influences.

Understandably, the education of a child begins in his first days. During these early years of childhood he cannot discern between good and evil, but this time is the antechamber to the period of real education and learning. It is true that our job as parents is not only to supply the child with good feelings and experiences. It is our job to transmit to him real information in order that he will recognize and know and do those things for which he will be responsible with a conscious understanding. Nevertheless, we must learn from this teaching of R. Elazar ben Azariah that the foundation of this understanding is already built in the stage of pre-consciousness.