In the beginning of this week’s parsha it states “And you shall come to… the judge that shall be in those days” (Devarim 17:9). Rav Yissochar Frand asks what is added by saying “in those days” We know that the Torah does not waste a single letter, so why do we need these few extra words? Rashi helps us with an answer. He says that one may think that since the judges and leaders of today are nothing compared to those in the past, we might not need to go to them. No one in our generation is as great as the Chofetz Chaim. Today there is no one that can make decisions like Rav Moshe Feinstein or Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. The addition of these few words in the Torah, though, tells us that in our generation, we still must honor our great rabbis. The great leaders we have today, although they might not be as great as those that have preceded them, are still great and we are required to listen to them.

Therefore, we should make our best effort to listen to our Rav’s Divrei Torah whenever we can. I remember one time between Mincha and Ma’ariv, while the Rav of the shul was speaking, I decided to learn with a friend in another room. Later I realized the great mistake that I made. This was a time when I could have heard beautiful gems that the Rav spoke about but instead I learned with a friend that I could have learned with a different time. Although my friend and I learned a lot during that time, I missed hearing this Rav’s insights.

We should strive to attach ourselves to our rabbaim anyway we can. When I lived in Boston, I was lucky enough to live on the same block as my Rav. One of the most important times each week for me was walking with him to shul on Shabbos morning. It was only a ten minute walk, but those ten minutes were worth ten hours. I got to ask any question I wanted. I got to hear deep insights into the parsha and mussar (discipline). I got to build a relationship with a great rabbi of our generation.

We are very lucky to live in this generation. There are so many ways that we can hear the Divrei Torah of our greatest leaders. You can dial up Torah on the phone. You can get emails from great rabbis and rebbetzins. You can even send a personalized email to some rabbis with questions. The Internet has so many files that can be downloaded. MP3s, CDs, and tapes are available so we can listen to them in our car. We have so many options to listen to the gadolim (greatest rabbis of the generation).

It is true that in our generation, the leaders cannot compare to previous generations. But they are still great. They are the gadolim of our generation. Therefore, we should make our best effort to connect with the rabbis and rebbetzins that are alive today. If you don’t, you are missing a great wealth of knowledge.

Good Shabbos!
-yes
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