Please
Take
One
A collection of divrei Torah from around the world.
Vol XIX
Parshas Vayishlach
13 Kislev 5774
OHR SOMAYACH
HALACHA-OVERVIEW ............................................ 16
ASK THE RABBI ........................................................... 1
WEEKLY HALACHA ................................................. 17
by Rabbi Yirmiyahu Ullman
by Rabbi Doniel Neustadt
ASK THE RABBI II ....................................................... 1
LEGACY ....................................................................... 18
by Rabbi Yirmiyahu Ullman
by Rabbi Naftali Reich
by Rabbi Dr. Azriel Rosenfeld
PARSHA Q&A ............................................................... 2
SHEMA YISRAEL TORAH
NETWORK
THE WEEKLY DAF ...................................................... 3
SEDRAH SELECTIONS ............................................. 19
TORAH WEEKLY......................................................... 1
by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair
by Rabbi Mendel Weinbach ZT”L
by Zvi Akiva Fleisher
INSIGHTS INTO HALACHA ...................................... 4
by Rabbi Yehuda Spitz
TORAH MITZION ...................................................... 20
by Rabbi Ben Zion Sobel
AISH HATORAH
WEEKLY CHIZUK ..................................................... 21
OUTLOOKS AND INSIGHTS ..................................... 6
CHAMISHOH MI YO'DEI'A ..................................... 22
by Rabbi Zev Leff
By Rabbi Eliezer Parkoff
by Zvi Akiva Fleisher
TORAH TEASERS ........................................................ 7
JERSEY SHORE .......................................................... 23
By Rabbi Moshe Erlbaum
CRASH COURSE IN JEWISH HISTORY ................. 8
BIGDEI KEHUNAH .................................................... 24
by Yehuda Katz
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
A LIFE LESSON .......................................................... 11
BELOVED COMPANIONS ........................................ 24
by Rabbi Yisroel Pesach Feinhandler
by Adam Lieberman
OTHER
TORAH.ORG
DEVAR TORAH .......................................................... 11
RABBI WEIN ............................................................... 25
By Rabbi Berel Wein
by Rabbi Label Lam
HONESTY..................................................................... 12
HOD V'HADAR ........................................................... 27
By Rabbi Yisroel Belsky
PROF FOX.................................................................... 27
HONESTY II ................................................................ 12
By Rabbi Dr. Dovid Fox.
FOR THE FAMILY
By Rabbi Yisroel Belsky
CHANUKA ................................................................... 13
By Rabbi Naphtali Hoff
WOMEN IN JUDAISM ............................................... 28
RAV FRAND ................................................................ 14
by Mrs. Leah Kohn
INTEGRITY ................................................................. 15
WOMEN IN JUDAISM II ........................................... 28
by Mrs. Leah Kohn
by Rabbi Daniel Travis
INTEGRITY II ............................................................. 16
AISH HATORAH - FAMILY PARSHA .................... 29
by Nesanel Safran
by Rabbi Daniel Travis
L'Iluy Nishmas: R' Boruch ben Yehuda Aryeh Baker
Niftar 4 Teves 5742
L'Iluy Nishmas: R' Noach ben Avrohom Moshe Hurwitz
Niftar 4 Tammuz 5769
The editor of Temima wants your feedback. If you would like to comment about any of the
Divrei Torah contained (or not contained) here or would like to receive the Temima for free by
email, please contact Benyamin Hurwitz at [email protected] .
Tax deductable weekly sponsorships of Temima are available. Email for details
ASK THE RABBI II
OHR SOMAYACH
For the week ending 9 November 2013 / 6 Kislev 5774
by Rabbi Yirmiyahu Ullman
Voting Validation
ASK THE RABBI
From: Lena
For the week ending 16 November 2013 / 13 Kislev 5774
by Rabbi Yirmiyahu Ullman
Dear Rabbi,
Matrimonial Misjudgment
My question is: Does a Jew have an obligation to vote in an
election?
From: Anonymous
Dear Rabbi,
*
A friend of mine from Seminary is getting married, and I
notice she's "availing" herself of many of the free provisions
offered for needy brides – which is a great thing – it's just
that I get the impression that she is not so needy and I'm
wondering whether this is right since it will deprive others of
what they really need.
Dear Lena,
In countries where one is obligated by law to vote, such as
Australian and Belgium, one would be obligated to vote based on
the concept "dina d'malchuta dina” - the laws of the land are law.
This means that a Jew is obligated to follow the laws of the
country in which he lives. (Of course, this only applies when the
local Law does not contradict Torah Law.)
*
Dear Anonymous,
In countries where voting is not obligatory by civil law, a Jew
nevertheless has a responsibility to actively help in establishing a
just society. As our Sages say, "Pray for the peace of the
kingdom (government) for if not for the fear of it, people would
swallow each other alive." Voting is one way of helping establish
a better society, and hence one has a responsibility to do so.
I understand your concern, but it is really not right for you to
judge her. In most cases we have no way of knowing what a
person's financial situation is, and the fact that the person is
seeking help should be enough of an indication that they need it.
And even if it seems to you that she can afford these provisions
on her own, she very well may not be able to do so and also
afford all of the other costs, which are very great. Also, by
receiving help with these items now, she may have in mind that
she is relieving the burden on her newlywed husband who might
be learning etc.
Regarding voting in the State of Israel, some are of the opinion
that since a Jewish government ruling over the Land of Israel
must do so only according to Torah Law, one is forbidden from
voting in the national elections which perpetuates secular, nonTorah rule in Israel. The majority of Torah leaders are of the
opinion that this prohibition may be suspended in order to protect
and promote Torah observance in Israel, which the secular
majority actively seeks to undermine.
So you see, there are just too many variables and unknowns here
to pass judgment, and in any case, it's up to the organizations to
scrutinize, if they want to; it's no one else's business. And in
truth, those who distribute such provisions are usually very
happy for anyone who wants to benefit from their services.
Regarding participating in municipal elections in Israel, some
who forbid voting on the national level uphold their prohibition
for local elections. Others are lenient for local elections based on
the distinction that they do not assert national sovereignty over
the Land of Israel but rather regulate the communal needs of
cities. Therefore, the vast majority of Rabbis permit voting in
municipal elections.
One of the great Chasidic Torah scholars, Rabbi Chaim of Tsanz,
was known to provision needy brides and grooms. Once, a father
of a bride entered his study in the presence of Rabbi Chaim's son
and another rabbi, and hinted that he lacked the money for the
tallit and shtreimel customarily given to the groom. Rabbi
Chaim's son questioned the father's sincerity, exclaiming that he
saw the father buy these items just recently. Greatly embarrassed,
the father left in haste without saying a word.
Sources:
Bava Kama 113b
Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 369:2
Rabbi Chaim was very upset and chastised his son for
embarrassing the poor father and doubting his need. "How do
you know he didn't receive the items on credit and yet needs to
pay? And even if he's paid, it was most certainly at the expense
of his own family's needs, which he'd obviously be embarrassed
to admit! Go apologize to him immediately!"
Ethics of the Fathers 3:2
--------------------------------------------------------------------(C) 2014 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved.
TORAH WEEKLY
by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair
For the week ending 16 November 2013 / 13 Kislev 5774
The rabbi's son found the man, apologized profusely, but the man
refused to be appeased. He demanded that the issue be brought
before Rabbi Chaim. The rabbi turned to the father and said,
"Listen up, don't accept my son's apology until he pledges to pay
for the tallit and shtreimel himself, as well as paying for all the
other expenses of the wedding too!"
Parshat Vayishlach
Returning home, Yaakov sends angelic messengers to appease
his brother Eisav. The messengers return, telling Yaakov that
Eisav is approaching with an army of 400. Yaakov takes the
strategic precautions of dividing the camps, praying for
assistance, and sending tribute to mollify Eisav. That night,
Yaakov is left alone and wrestles with the Angel of Eisav.
Yaakov emerges victorious but is left with an injured sinew in
his thigh (which is the reason that it is forbidden to eat the sciatic
nerve of a kosher animal). The angel tells him that his name in
the future will be Yisrael, signifying that he has prevailed against
man (Lavan) and the supernatural (the angel). Yaakov and Eisav
Rabbi Chaim of Tsanz had such empathy for the needy that he
didn't spare heavily fining his own son, who himself was an
accomplished rabbi, for having questioned the honesty of a
request for help for a bride and groom.
--------------------------------------------------------------------(C) 2014 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved.
1
meet and are reconciled, but Yaakov, still fearful of his brother,
rejects Eisavs offer that they should dwell together. Shechem, a
Caananite prince, abducts and violates Dina, Yaakovs daughter.
In return for Dinas hand in marriage, the prince and his father
suggest that Yaakov and his family intermarry and enjoy the
fruits of Caananite prosperity. Yaakovs sons trick Shechem and
his father by feigning agreement; however, they stipulate that all
the males of the city must undergo brit mila. Shimon and Levi,
two of Dinas brothers, enter the town and execute all the males
who were weakened by the circumcision. This action is justified
by the citys tacit complicity in the abduction of their sister. G-d
commands Yaakov to go to Beit-El and build an altar. His
mother Rivkas nurse, Devorah, dies and is buried below Beit-El.
G-d appears again to Yaakov, blesses him and changes his name
to Yisrael. While traveling, Rachel goes into labor and gives
birth to Binyamin, the twelfth of the tribes of Israel. She dies in
childbirth and is buried on the Beit Lechem Road. Yaakov builds
a monument to her. Yitzchak passes away at the age of 180 and
is buried by his sons. The Parsha concludes by listing Eisavs
descendants.
Yet, however compelling is the evidence of design in the
Creation, this is not the reason that the Jewish People believe in
G‑d.
We believe in G‑d because the entire Jewish People had a firsthand experience of the Divine during the Exodus from Egypt, at
Sinai and the forty years of daily miracles that followed. Ah, you
will say, that was them — what about me? What connects my
belief in G‑d to the experience of people I never met a couple of
thousand years ago?
The answer is that parents don’t lie to their children about
essential life information. If indeed G‑d did speak to the Jewish
People at Sinai and miraculously guided us through the desert, if
He indeed gave us a Torah which tells us how to live our lives,
then this certainly qualifies as information that our forbears
would deem essential to pass on to us.
“Tradition” is infinitely more than the rhapsody of a RussianJewish milkman named Tevye. “Tradition”, the passing over
from parent to child of that encounter at Sinai is the lifeblood of
Judaism.
Dynasty
One of the ways we express that link is by referring to ourselves
as the son/daughter of so-and-so. For example, my Hebrew name
is Yaakov Asher ben Dovid. Yaakov Asher the son of David. My
father’s name is Dovid ben Shmuel, and his father’s name is
Shmuel ben Tanchum Yitzchak. An so on.
“Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of
Edom…” (36:31)
Why do Jews believe that there is a G‑d?
The famous English physicist Sir Isaac Newton had a colleague
who was a staunch atheist. Newton would frequently cross
swords with his colleague on this subject.
My name — who I am — is inextricably linked with from where
I come. I am a link in a chain that spans the millennia. My very
name says that.
One day, when the atheist came to visit Newton in his library, his
eyes fell upon a most beautiful sight. Sitting on Newton’s desk,
basking in the rays of the afternoon sun, was an exquisite
astrolabe — a brass machine that depicted the solar system in
three dimensions.
At the end of this week’s Torah portion, there is a list of the
kings of Edom. If you look at this list you’ll notice that not one
of these kings was hereditary. Every one of them founded and
finished his own dynasty.
Edomis descended from Esav. Esav despised the birthright and
sold it to Yaakov. Esav viewed heredity as disposable,
insignificant. He was prepared to sell it for a bowl of lentils.
Esav’s worldview is that of unmitigated meritocracy. Nothing
else counts. This is his view to this day.
“How beautiful!”, remarked the atheist.
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” said Newton. “Do you see the
small lever on the base? Move it towards you.”
As the atheist moved the lever, the entire engine slowly came to
life. At its center the orb of the sun started to revolve. Further
out, turning on brass cogs, the earth and the planets began their
revolutions around the sun; each planet accompanied by its own
moons, all moving in wonderful precision.
“This is amazing!” remarked the atheist. “Who made it?”
Meritocracy has much to recommend it. However, when you are
building a belief system which will rely on a chain of
transmission spanning millennia, to despise dynasty is to
disqualify yourself from the job at hand – the eternal witnessing
of G‑d’s interaction and interest in Mankind.
“No one” replied Newton, deadpan.
Thanks to Rabbi Mordechai Perlman
“What do you mean ‘No one’?”
--------------------------------------------------------------------(C) 2014 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved
“No one. It just sort of fell together, you know.”
PARSHA Q&A
“No, I don’t know! I insist you tell me who the maker of this
priceless object is. I refuse to believe that this object merely ‘fell
together’.”
For the week ending 16 November 2013 / 13 Kislev 5774
Parshat Vayishlach
Questions
“This...” said Newton, pointing to the astrolabe, “This you insist
has to have a maker. But this...” Newton spread his arms wide,
indicating the Creation, “how infinitely more beautiful and
complex! This you insist has no Maker?”
1.
What sort of messengers did Yaakov send to Esav?
32:4 - Angels.
2.
Why was Yaakov both "afraid" and "distressed?"
32:8 - He was afraid he would be killed. He was
distressed that he would have to kill.
3.
In what three ways did Yaakov prepare for his
encounter with Esav?
32:9 - He sent gifts, he prayed, and he prepared for
war.
You don’t have to be able to invent the First Law of Motion to
read the world like a book.
Just as the book testifies to the existence of its writer, so too the
world testifies to the existence of a Divine Author.
2
4.
Where did Dina hide and why?
32:23 - Yaakov hid her in a chest so that Esav
wouldn't see her and want to marry her.
5.
After helping his family across the river, Yaakov
remained alone on the other side. Why?
32:25 - He went back to get some small containers he
had forgotten.
36:6 - Esav knew that the privilege of living in the
Land of Israel was accompanied by the prophecy
that the Jews would be "foreigners in a land not
their own." Therefore Esav said, "I'm leaving. I
don't want the Land if it means I have to pay the bill
of subjugation in Egypt."
-------------------------------------------------------------------(C) 2014 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved.
6.
What was the angel forced to do before Yaakov agreed
to release him?
32:27 - Admit that the blessings given by Yitzchak
rightfully belong to Yaakov.
7.
What was it that healed Yaakov's leg?
32:32 - The shining of the sun.
8.
Why did Esav embrace Yaakov?
33:4 - His pity was aroused when he saw Yaakov
bowing to him so many times.
9.
Why did Yosef stand between Esav and Rachel?
33:7 - To stop Esav from gazing at her.
THE WEEKLY DAF
For the week ending 16 November 2013 / 13 Kislev 5774
by Rabbi Mendel Weinbach ZT”L
Yoma 9-15
Three in One
Why, ask our Sages, was the first Beis Hamikdash destroyed?
The answer given is that our ancestors were guilty of the three
grave sins of idol worship, promiscuity and murder.
It was because of these three sins that Hashem brought upon
them three different sorts of destruction described by the Prophet
Micha (3:12): "Because of you, therefore, shall Zion be plowed
as a field, Jerusalem shall be in ruins and the Temple Mount will
be like the mounds of a forest."
10. Give an exact translation of the word nisa in verse
33:12.
33:12 - It means "travel". It does not mean "we will
travel." This is because the letter nun is part of the
word and does not mean we as it sometimes does.
Since Hashem's retribution is measure for measure, the
commentaries offer parallels between each of the three sins and
the punishment of destruction which it wrought. Abandonment
of allegiance to Hashem in favor of man-made religions,
disregard for the discipline of self-control in regard to animalistic
passions and disrespect for the sanctity of life all contribute to
the disintegration of the individual and of human society. The
Divine message is that the physical destruction of city and
sanctuary, and the concomitant loss of homeland and
independence, are reflections of the self-destruction of the
individual and community which preceded them.
11. What happened to the 400 men who accompanied Esav?
33:16 - They slipped away one by one.
12. Why does the Torah refer to Dina as the daughter of
Leah and not as the daughter of Yaakov?
34:1 - Because she was outgoing like her mother,
Leah.
13. Whom should Shimon and Levi have consulted
concerning their plan to kill the people of Shechem?
34:25 - Their father, Yaakov.
But what about the second Beis Hamikdash? ask our Sages. We
know that the people of the era were dedicated to studying
Torah, fulfilling mitzvos and performing acts of kindness. Why
did they deserve to have the Beis Hamikdash destroyed?
14. Who was born along with Binyamin?
35:17 - His two triplet sisters.
Because, comes the reply, they were guilty of unwarranted hatred
towards each other. This teaches us, concludes the gemara, that
the sin of unwarranted hatred is equal in its gravity to the three
sins of idol worship, promiscuity and murder.
15. What does the name Binyamin mean? Why did Yaakov
call him that?
35:18 - Ben-Yemin means "Son of the South." He
was the only son born in the Land of Israel, which is
south of Aram Naharaim.
In line with the aforementioned poetic justice, visiting physical
destruction upon the perpetrators of human and social
destruction, we may see in unwarranted hatred the most deadly
seeds of such destruction. Neither the individual nor society can
effectively function, or even survive, without tolerance of the
differences distinguishing one individual from another and
forgiving those who wrong us. The catalyst for the destruction of
the second Beis Hamikdash was the unremitting hatred shown
towards Bar Kamtza (Mesechta Gittin 56a). This hatred led to
Bar Kamtza being publicly embarrassed with ejection from a
feast, and to his wreaking vengeance upon his people by libeling
them to the Roman emperor. This was a Divine lesson that the
hatred which destroys man and society literally led to the
destruction of the Beis Hamikdash.
16. The Torah states, "The sons of Yaakov were twelve."
Why?
35:22 - To stress that all of them, including Reuven,
were righteous.
17. How old was Yaakov when Yosef was sold?
35:29 - One hundred and eight.
18. Esav changed his wife's name to Yehudit. Why?
36:2 - To fool Yitzchak into thinking that she had
abandoned idolatry.
19. Which three categories of people have their sins
pardoned?
36:3 - One who converts to Judaism, one who is
elevated to a position of leadership, and one who
marries.
(Yoma 9b)
The price of Parsimony
20. What is the connection between the Egyptian
oppression of the Jewish people and Esav's decision to
leave the land of Canaan?
Although
certain mitzvos do
not
apply
to
women,
the gemara points out that regarding the mitzva of placing
a mezuza on the door of her home, a woman's obligation is the
3
same as a man's. Another home-based mitzvah which applies
equally to both genders is the procedure required when a house is
struck with a spiritual leprosy called "tzara'as batim."
and 793 chalakim (or 44 minutes and onecheilek). In the times of
Chazal, based on eyewitness accounts of the New Moon, any
month could have had 30 days (called a chodesh malei or full
month) or 29 days (referred to as a chosesh chaseir). In our 19year cycle Jewish calendar, established by Hillel II (HaZakein),
every other month alternates between 29 and 30 days. Whereas
the Gregorian calendar maxim might be “Thirty Days has
September, April, June, and November”, in the Jewish calendar
the colloquialism would probably be “Thirty Days has Tishrei,
Shevat, Nissan, Sivan, and Av. Teves, Adar[3], Iyar, Tamuz, and
Elul only have 29 days[4]”.
Why does the gemara find it necessary to point out that these
two mitzvos apply to women, when there is no reason to assume
that they are exempt?
The answer is that regarding both of these mitzvos, the Torah
uses a masculine term in its command: "You shall write them
upon the door posts of your (masculine) home" (Devarim 11:20).
This gives the impression that only males are obligated in the
mitzvah of mezuza. Regarding the owner of the afflicted home,
the Torah says "he whose house it is shall come and relate it to
the kohen," (Vayikra 14:35) giving the impression that a female
homeowner would be exempt from initiating this procedure.
An easy way to tell if the month you are in has 29 or 30 days is
by seeing how many days of Rosh Chodesh the following month
has. If it has two-days of Rosh Chodesh, that means the first day
of Rosh Chodesh is actually the 30th day of the preceding month.
For example, the first day of Rosh Chodesh Elul is
actually LamedAv. Even so, since it is connected to the month of
Elul, there are halachos how the date is supposed to be written in
official documents. Take our date of Lamed Av.Halachically it is
to be written as “Rosh Chodesh Elul, Shehu Yom Shloshim
L’Chodesh (which is the thirtieth of the month of) Av”[5]. On
the other hand, if it is a one-day Rosh Chodesh, it is simply the
1st of that month.
The truth is that in both cases the mitzva applies to women. The
passage following the command about mezuza states "in order to
increase your days and the days of your children." Hashem
certainly wants women to enjoy the life-giving power ofmezuza,
so it must apply to them as well. The meaning of the word
"beischa" which was understood to mean only a man's home is
therefore interpreted as conveying a different message. You must
place the mezuza on the door post which is at the right of your
entrance (beischa) and not that of your exit.
Wild Cards?
The laws of afflicted houses apply to women because the Torah
introduces those laws with the phrase "in a house in the land of
your inheritance," (Vayikra 14:54) which indicates universal
application. So why does the Torah use the masculine expression
"he whose house it is?"
As you probably realized, there were two months missing from
the “adage of the months”. Cheshvan and Kislev were not
mentioned. The reason is that there is no hard and fast rule
regarding them. They are the only months that can either have 29
or 30 days depending on the year. Some years both
are chaseirim; other years both are malei’im, and others one
is chaseir and the other malei. The reasons and rules governing
the whys and whens are too complicated for this discussion;
suffice to say that when the Mishna Berura discusses this issue
he simply writes “ain kanmakom l’ha’arich”, that this is not the
place to expound in detail[6]. What is a given is that this is one
of the changing variables in our set calendar. In fact, it is this
variable that allows a Bar Mitzvah to occur before the actual Bar
Mitzvah date.
A house is afflicted to punish one who habitually refuses to lend
his neighbors any of his furniture or vessels, using the excuse
that he does not own what they request. Before
the kohen inspects the afflicted house to determine its spiritual
impurity, all the contents of the house are removed so that they
will not be contaminated. At that time the homeowner is exposed
to his neighbors as a stingy liar. This is communicated in the
words "he whose house it is." Only when one acts in a selfish
fashion, refusing to share the contents of his home because "it is
his house," will he be condemned to having his parsimony
exposed.
Will the Real Adar Please Stand Up?
But this is not the only time that a calendar quirk changes a Bar
Mitzvah. It is widely known that adding a leap year into the mix
always has interesting Bar Mitzvah ramifications. The majority
consensus is that if a boy was born in a non-leap year, one in
which there was only one Adar, and on the year of his Bar
Mitzvah there are two Adars, his Bar Mitzvah will occur in the
second Adar, since it is considered the true one[7]. The same
holds true if he was actually born in Adar Sheini. In fact the only
way one would celebrate a Bar Mitzvah in the first Adar is if he
was actually born in an Adar Rishon.
(Yoma 11b)
--------------------------------------------------------------------(C) 2014 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved.
INSIGHTS INTO HALACHA
For the week ending 11 July 2014 / 18 Tammuz 5769
by Rabbi Yehuda Spitz
Bar Mitzvah-ed Beofre His Time?
“Mein Alte Shachein”, the esteemed Bobover Rebbe, Rav
Shlomo Halberstamzt”l, was known to have remarked[1] that
he personally started laying Tefillin as a Bar Mitzvah Bochur
one day prior to his Bar Mitzvah. His intent was not that the
Bobov minhag was to prepare for a Bar Mitzvah by laying
Tefillin only one day before the actual Bar Mitzvah, but
rather that he himself was full-fledge “Bar Mitzvah-ed” (in
the vernacular) before the date of his Bar Mitzvah! The
reason why is quite interesting, due to a cosmic “quirk” in
our calendar; one that actually comes up again this year.
This makes for a remarkable dichotomy. If one boy is born on
the 21st of Adar Rishon, and his buddy a week and a half later on
the 2nd of Adar Sheini, then in any standard year that follows, the
second one would be celebrating his birthday almost 3 weeks
before his “older” friend. Since there is only one Adar, the
second born’s birthday would be the 2 nd of Adar while his
“older” friend’s would be on the 21st. In fact, only in a leap year
would the older one truly be considered older. This would also
affect their Bar Mitzvahs. If their Bar Mitzvah is in a standard
year, the younger lad would become a man several weeks before
his older compadre[8].
30 Days Has November…
As is well known from Chazal, and actually millennia later
approbated by NASA[2], the Lunar Month is 29 days, 12 hours
4
[2]Rabban Gamliel’s statement (mekublani m’bais avi abba) in
Gemara Rosh Hashana 25a. See Rambam (Hilchos Kiddush
HaChodesh Ch. 6, 2 & 3), Tur’s Seder HaKvius, Mishna
Berura’s Seder La’asos Luach B’Ketzara (end O.C. 428), and
Chazon Ish (O.C. 138, 4). This comes out to 29.53059 days.
According to “Discovery” by Rabbi Shraga Simmons (pg. 31),
“After years of research based on calculations using satellites,
hairline telescopes, laser beams, and super computers, scientists
at NASA have determined that the length of the ‘synodic month’,
the time between one new moon and the next, is 29.530588
days”!
One Day
th
In a similar vein, we find that if a boy was born on the 30 of
Cheshvan (obviously in a year that Cheshvan was malei), which
would also be the first day of Rosh Chodesh Kislev, and in his
Bar Mitzvah year Cheshvan is a chaseir, meaning there is no
30th, our little lad does not become a man until the 1 st of
Kislev[9]. The reason is thathalachically one cannot truly
become a Bar Mitzva until he completes 13 entire years[10].
Since there is no 30th of Cheshvan in his Bar Mitzvah year, he
does not actually reach that milestone until the next day, which is
Rosh Chodesh Kislev.
Yet it is when the flip side of that equation occurs that it gets
really interesting. The Elyah Rabba, based on a ruling of the
Bach[11], maintains that if a boy is born on the 1 st of Kislev in a
year when Cheshvan had only 29 days, and in his Bar Mitzvah
year Cheshvan has 30 days, then the boy becomes Bar Mitzvah
on the first day of Rosh Chodesh Kislev, which is actually the
30th of Cheshvan! Since he completes 13 full years on that day
(as there now is an extra day added to that year), he is obligated
in Mitzvos on the day prior to his birthday! His birthday might
be Alef Kislev, but his Bar Mitzvah is Lamed Cheshvan[12]!
[3]This is in a regular year; in a leap year Adar Rishon would
have 30 Days and Adar Sheini would have 29.
Although the Birur Halacha opines that it might still be
preferable not to count this boy for a minyan until his actual
birthday[13], and the rule would not apply foryahrtzeits[14],
nevertheless, this obscure ruling of becoming a Bar Mitzvah
before the birthday is actually cited as halacha by the consensus
of many great Acharonim, including the Shaarei Teshuva,
Chavas Daas, Rav Akiva Eiger, Pri Megadim, Machatzis
HaShekel, Levushei Srad, Mishna Berura and Kaf Hachaim[15].
[7]Rema (O.C. 55, 10; based on Shu”t Mahar”i Mintz 15),
Levush (O.C. 685, 1), Magen Avraham (O.C. 55, 10), Pri
Chadash (ad loc. 10), Pri Megadim (ad loc. E.A. 10), Levushei
Srad (ad loc. s.v. eino), Korban Ha’Eida (Megillah Ch. 1,
Shiyarei HaKorban s.v. hada), Shaarei Teshuva (O.C. 55, 11),
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (15, 2), Aruch Hashulchan (O.C. 55, 14),
Mishna Berura (ad loc. 45), and Kaf Hachaim (ad loc. 59); not
like the Mahara”Sh HaLevi (Shu”t O.C. 16). However, this
might not hold true for observing yahrtzeits, as that is
a machlokes between the Shulchan Aruch and Rema (O.C.
568,7), as explained by the Mishna Berura (ad loc. 41) as to
which Adar is ikarfor that. See also Shu”t Igros Moshe (Y”D
vol. 3, 160) who concludes that even foryahrtzeits the essential
Adar is Adar Sheini.
[4]See Biur Halacha (428, 1, end s.v. eilu hayamim).
[5]This wording follows the Shulchan Aruch’s opinion (O.C.
427, 1). However, the Bach (ad loc. s.v. v’kosvin) and Pri
Megadim (ad loc. M.Z. 1) maintain that the order should be
reversed and written as “Yom Shloshim L’Chodesh Av, Shehu
Yom Rosh Chodesh Elul’. See Mishna Berura (ad loc. 1).
[6]Biur Halacha (428, 1, end s.v. eilu hayamim).
BaYamim HaHeim BaZman HaZeh
This is why the great Bobover Rebbe zt”l claimed he became Bar
Mitzvah one day before his Bar Mitzvah date. He was born
on Alef Kislev in a year when Cheshvan was chaseir (5668), and
in his Bar Mitzvah year (5681) Cheshvan was malei.
This fascinating, albeit relatively unknown, psak would apply to
this upcoming Rosh Chodesh Kislev as well. For, 13 years ago
(5761), Cheshvan had only 29 days and this year (5774) it has
the full 30 days. Therefore, a young lad who was born on the
1st of Kislev almost 13 years ago, and who is now on the cusp of
manhood, would actually become Bar Mitzvah on the first day of
Rosh Chodesh Kislev, which is actually the 30th of Cheshvan
5774, and not on his actual birthday, the second day of Rosh
Chodesh Kislev, which is the 1st of Kislev.
[8]Although the Magen Avraham (ibid., based on his
understanding of the Mahar”i Mintz’s position) maintains that
even a boy born in an Adar Rishon’s Bar Mitzva gets deferred to
Adar Sheini, and the Olas HaTamid agrees with him,
nevertheless, the consensus of poskim is that one who is born in
an Adar Rishon’s Bar Mitzvah is observed in Adar Rishon as
well; if he was born in a standard Adar or Adar Sheini his Bar
Mitzvah
would
be
observed
in
Adar
Sheini.
These poskim include the Shulchan Aruch (ibid.), Levush (O.C.
685, 1), Pri Chadash (ad loc. 10), Shvus Yaakov (Shu”t vol. 1, 9;
who writes that the Magen Avraham misunderstood the Mahar”i
Mintz), Elya Rabba (O.C. 55, 9 & Elya Zuta 5), Rav Dovid
Oppenheim (cited in the Ba’er Heitiv ad loc. 11), Me’il Tzadaka
(Shu”t 21), Shaarei Teshuva (O.C. 55, 11), Ma’amar Mordechai
(ad loc. 13), Pri Megadim (ad loc. E.A. 10), Ikrei HaDat (3, 7),
Maharsham (Daas Torah ad loc. s.v. u’shnas), Kitzur Shulchan
Aruch (15, 2), Aruch Hashulchan (O.C. 55, 14), Mishna Berura
(ad loc. 43), and Kaf Hachaim (ad loc. 59). The Ba’er Heitiv
(ibid.) concludes that “v’chein haminhag pashut eitzel kol ba’alei
hahora’ah”! On an anecdotal level, this halacha affected me
growing up as my birthday was Rosh Chodesh Adar and my Bar
Mitzvah occurred on a leap year. I am certain it will affect my
son who was born on my birthday as well.
The Gemara in Shabbos (75a) stresses the importance of
knowing the calculations of our calendar, with many Rishonim
understanding that there is a specific mitzvah to do so. The
Chazon Ish[16] explicitly mentions the calculations of the Lunar
Month as a prime example of this. Now, at least we can say we
are one step closer.
The author wishes to thank R’ Shloime Lerner for raising
awareness of this unique issue, and whose Mareh Mekomos
served as the impetus for this author’s interest and research in
this topic. We would like to wish him a hearty Mazal Tov on his
grandson’s becoming Bar Mitzvah this Sunday, Rosh Chodesh
Kislev, one day prior to his actual birthday.
[9]Magen Avraham (O.C. 55, end 10 s.v. u’mi), Elya Rabba (ad
loc. 9), Levushei Srad (ad loc. s.v. d’naaseh), Derech Hachaim
[1]See Gilyon Shoneh Halachos, Chodesh Nissan 5771, pg. 11,
ina letter from Rav Yehoshua Shalom Nosson Rubin. Thanks are
due to R’ Shloime Lerner for sending me this source.
5
(Dinei Kaddish B’Asarah 4), Shulchan Aruch HaRav (O.C.
55,13 ), Mishna Berura (ad loc. 45), Kaf Hachaim (ad loc. 60).
Yaakov distressed that he might be put into a position of having
to kill Esau or one of his 400 wicked companions? Wasn't this an
opportunity to rid the world of evil - a reason to rejoice, not to be
distressed?
[10]See Shu”t HaBach (HaYeshanos 145), Sm”a (E.H. 35, 2),
Elya Zuta (O.C. 55, 4), Magen Avraham (ad loc. 10), Ba’er
Heitiv (ad loc. 11), and Mishna Berura (ad loc. 45).
Rabbi Feinstein answers with the words of Beruria to her
husband, Rebbe Meir (Talmud - Brachos 10a): Better to pray that
evildoers repent than to pray that the wicked die. Yaakov was
distressed that he might have to kill to remove evil from the
world.
[11]Elya Rabba (O.C. 55, end 9) based on the Bach (Shu”t
HaBach HaYeshanos 145).
[12]A potential additional reason for this ruling is that the Aruch
LaNer (Shu”t Binyan Tzion 151) maintains that both days of
Rosh Chodesh have a status of one day (meaning they are
considered somewhat connected). Therefore, once our growing
lad’s 13 years are complete and it is already Rosh Chodesh (as he
was born on Rosh Chodesh) he would already be considered a
Bar Mitzvah, even though his true birthday is the following day
(of Rosh Chodesh). The Aruch Hashulchan (O.C. 55, end 15)
implies this way as well, and this logic is also mentioned in Ishei
Yisrael (pg. 135, Ch. 15, footnote 26, inthe parenthesis).
There is an inherent danger in using methods that are normally
associated with negative values to achieve desirable goals. The
classic example is the sin for the sake of Heaven, which the
Talmud (Nazir 10b) says is equal to a Mitzvah done for ulterior
motives. The Vilna Gaon asks if so, why do the Sages advise one
to engage in the performance of Mitzvos for ulterior motives, and
not in the performance of noble sins?
He answers that while the result in both cases may be the same,
doing Mitzvos without the proper intention, at least conditions a
person to performance of the Mitzvah, and eventually he will
perform the Mitzvah with the proper intention. On the other
hand, acting in a way that is normally a sin, but which is
transformed into a Mitzvah by virtue of the intention with which
it is performed, conditions one to the sinful act. And the next
time the action is done it might be without the proper intention
and remain a sin through and through.
[13]Birur Halacha (Rav Yitzchak Isaac Zilber, in his comments
on the Mishna Berura ibid., pg. 133). He opines that although our
protagonist may take on the Mitzvos of a Bar Mitzva Bochur, it
is nonetheless preferable to wait until his actual birthday to count
him for a minyan or zimun, unless it is shaas hadchak. As
mentioned this is not the normative halacha.
[14]An interesting side point is that this ruling would not apply
to yahrtzeits (see Yoreh Deah 402, 1; Magen Avraham O.C. 568,
20; Taz Y”D 65, 8; and Aruch Hashulchan O.C. 568, 15). The
reason is that a yahrzeit is observed on the date when someone
is niftar; therefore it has to be on the date. Whereas a child
becomes Bar Mitzvah on the day he completes 13 full years.
For this reason, immediately after the Torah commands us to
destroy a city in which most of the inhabitants have been seduced
to idolatry, God tells us He will give us the quality of mercy
(Deut. 13:18). Since fulfilling this Mitzvah can condition one to
be cruel and merciless, the Chafetz Chaim explains, God
promises a special blessing to counteract its effects.
[15]Shaarei Teshuva (O.C. 55, 11), Chavas Daas (Derech
Hachaim, Dinei Kaddish B’Asarah, end 4), Rav Akiva Eiger
(O.C. 55, 10 s.v. v’am”sh), Pri Megadim (ad loc. E.A. 10),
Machatzis HaShekel (ad loc. s.v. ad sheyavru), Levushei Srad
(ad loc. s.v. ad sheyavru), Mishna Berura (ad loc. end 45), Kaf
Hachaim (Falaji 13, 2 and Sofer O.C. 55, 60), Amudei
Hashulchan (on Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 15, 1), Ishei Yisrael (pg.
135, Ch. 15, footnote 26, inthe parenthesis). The Elya Rabba
adds that the Magen Avraham would even be maskim to this!
The Aruch Hashulchan (ad loc. end 15 implies) this way as well.
The Midrash relates that Yehudah intended to pass by Tamar
when she stood at the crossroads masquerading as a harlot. But
God said to Himself, as it were, If you pass by, where will the
future kings and prophets come from? From where will
Mashiach come? God then sent the angel of desire to force
Yehudah to confront Tamar. The Midrash ends that this was
done against Yehudah's will and not for his benefit.
The obvious question is if God's purpose was to produce kings,
prophets, and ultimately Mashiach himself, how could this action
be described as "not for his benefit?" The answer is now clear.
The undesirable conduct posed a continuing threat to Yehudah
that he might become habituated to such actions.
[16]They are divided though, whether it is a Mitzva D’Oraysa or
DeRabbanan. See Rabbi Yisroel Reisman’s excellent “Pathways
of the Prophets” ppg. 272 - 311, who expounds upon practical
examples of understanding calendar calculations at length. The
Chazon Ish (O.C. 138, 4) writes that knowing the calculations for
the Lunar month are considered Torah.
A person is punished for achieving a desirable result if it could
have been done in a way that would bring less pain or discomfort
to others. In taking Esav's blessings, Yaakov caused Esav to cry
a great and bitter cry. And that cry found its parallel, hundreds of
years later, when Esav's descendant Haman caused Mordechai to
let out a great and bitter cry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------(C) 2014 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved.
AISH HATORAH
Similarly, Yaakov castigated Shimon and Levi for using methods
stolen from Esau - murder and deception - to accomplish the
rescue of Dinah. Part of the remedy for the blemish left by their
deeds was that the descendants of Levi became teachers of little
children.
OUTLOOKS AND INSIGHTS
by Rabbi Zev Leff
Vayishlach(Genesis 32:4-36:43)
Its ways are ways of pleasantness
"And Yaakov was very frightened and distressed."
(Genesis 32:7)
Levi made the mistake of thinking that the ends justify the
means. In the education of children the exact opposite is true.
When we teach a child to perform Mitzvos, we are not concerned
with the end, the Mitzvah, since a child's actions are not
themselves Mitzvos, but with the means, the performance of
Rashi comments that Yaakov was frightened lest he or members
of his family be killed, and he was distressed that he might be
forced to kill others. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein asks: Why was
6
Mitzvah actions. These Mitzvah actions, in which a parent is
required to educate his child, conditions the child to function in a
like manner when he matures. Hence the Mitzvah of chinuch
banim (teaching children) is the antithesis of the mistaken
ideology that the ends justify the means.
Furthermore, if one utilizes improper means to achieve a
Mitzvah, he will be punished if his intentions are not completely
pure. Since the action itself is a sin - and only the person's
intention transforms it into a Mitzvah - where that intention is
lacking, the action reverts to its original status. Thus, when
Pinchas killed Zimri and Kozbi for desecrating God's Name, God
Himself had to testify that Pinchas' intentions were pure, to
answer the complaint of the tribes that he was a murderer. Had
his intentions been tainted, he would, in fact, have been a
murderer.
TORAH TEASERS
By Rabbi Moshe Erlbaum
Parshat Vayishlach
1. This parsha begins: "And Yaakov sent
messengers" to Esav. Where does the Torah state:
"And Yisrael sent messengers"?
Numbers 21:21 states that "Yisrael sent
messengers" - i.e. the Jews sent messengers to the
Emorite king for permission to cross his land.
The commentator Sforno (Leviticus 24:23) points out that even
when a criminal is executed, the penalty must be inflicted only in
fulfillment of God's command, and not out of any personal desire
for vengeance. The Jewish king Jehu lost all his reward for
wiping out the house of Achav because he too subsequently
served idolatry, and thereby showed that his motives were not
pure. Since he was not motivated by his disgust with the evil of
idolatry, he was nothing more than an ordinary murderer.
2. In this parsha, what verse has 8 words in a row
ending with the lettersyud-mem?
In Genesis 32:15, the gifts of Yaakov to Esav are
enumerated, with 8 words in a row ending with the
letters yud-mem.
In the Amidah prayer we invoke God's curse on the heretics and
informers in the blessing "velamalshinim." When this blessing
had to be added due to the physical and spiritual persecution the
Jews were suffering at the hands of evildoers, Shmuel Hakatan
was chosen to compose it, the same Shmuel Hakatan who said,
"When your enemy falls, be not glad" (Pirkei Avos 4:24).
Although he did no more than quote a verse in Proverbs, Shmuel
Hakatan's statement is recorded in Pirkei Avos because he lived
it. His entire being and conduct proclaimed the verse. Only one
with such pure feelings toward his enemies could compose a
prayer calling for their destruction.
3. What competitive sport is mentioned in this
parsha?
Wrestling is mentioned in Genesis 32:25: "And a
man wrestled with him [Yaakov]."
4. Where in this parsha is a question used as an
answer? (2 answers)
The blessing against evildoers was instituted in the Israeli town
of Yavneh, writes Rabbi Yaakov Emden, and the name hints to
wine, spices, light, and the blessing of havdalah. One should first
try to draw the sinner close with joy and happiness and by
helping him feel the pleasant savor of Torah and its illumination.
Only when all these fail, should he separate himself totally. He
should utilize spices to insure that his actions will have a pleasant
aroma and not cause a stench. The way to do this is through
illumination and enlightenment with the pure light of the candle.
Rather than attacking the darkness, one should transform it into
light.
After the unknown "Ish" changes Yaakov's name to
Yisrael, Yaakov asks his name. The "Ish" responds
with a question: "Why do you inquire of my name?"
(Genesis 32:30). After Yaakov berates Shimon and
Levi for killing the city of Shchem, they respond,
"Should he treat our sister like a harlot?" (Genesis
34:31).
Rabbi Chaim Brisker pointed out that there are two types of
zealots - one praiseworthy and one not. They can be compared to
a housewife and a cat. The housewife and the cat both want to rid
the house of mice. There is only one difference: the housewife
hopes there will never be another mouse to eliminate; the cat is
hopeful that there will be many more mice.
Yaakov walks with a limp after he is injured in the
wrestling match (Genesis 32:32).
Before we are zealous to attack the evils of the world, let us
make sure that we are acting as housewives not as cats, so that
we can merit through our ways of pleasantness to attract our
estranged brothers to Torah and Mitzvos.
The following people have names of animals:
Chamor (donkey) is the father of Shchem (Genesis
33:19). Devorah (bee) is the wet-nurse of Rivka
(Genesis 35:8). Rachel (sheep) is one of the
Matriarchs. Aya, which means "buzzard" (Genesis
36:24). Dishon, which means "elk" (Genesis
36:25).
5. Who is mentioned in the Torah as walking with a
limp?
6. In this parsha, who has a name that is also the
name of an animal? (5 answers)
---------------------------------------------------------© 2014 Aish.com
7
7. In the Torah, what names are types of animals?
(5 answers)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tachash, which means "dolphin" (Genesis 22:24).
Becher the son of Benjamin, means "young camel"
(Genesis 46:21). Tzipporah (bird) is the wife of
Moshe (Exodus 2:21). Tzippor (bird) is the father of
Balak (Numbers 22:2). Chaglah, one of the
daughters of Tzelofchad, means "partridge"
(Numbers 26:33).
CRASH COURSE IN JEWISH HISTORY
8. In the Prophets, what names are types of
animals? (14 answers)
by Rabbi Ken Spiro
(Part 27 of 68)
THE GREEK EMPIRE
To the Greeks, what was beautiful was holy; to the
Jews, what was holy was beautiful. These views were
bound to clash.
Devorah (bee) is a prophet (Judges 4:4). Yael
(ibex) is the woman who kills Sisra (Judges 4:17).
Ze'ev (wolf) and Orev (raven) are officers of Midian
(Judges 7:25). The Jewish leader Tolah means
"partridge" (Judges 10:1). Nachash (snake) is
defeated by King Shaul (1-Shmuel 4:17). Layish,
who was the father-in-law of King Saul's daughter,
means "lion" (1-Shmuel 25:44). Eglah, a wife of
King David, means "calf" (2-Shmuel 3:5). Shafan,
meaning "rabbit," was the scribe of King Yoshiyahu
(2-Kings 22:3). Aya, which means "buzzard" (2Shmuel 3:7). Chulda (weasel) is one of the seven
female prophets (2-Kings 22:14). Tzivia (deer) is
the mother of King Yehoash (2-Kings 12:2). Yona
(dove) is a prophet (Yona 1:1).
The 4th century BCE has been eventful for the Jewish people:
9. In this parsha, Shchem and Chamor who are
killed "at the point of a sword." Who else in the
Torah is killed "at the point of a sword"? (2
answers)
The nation of Amalek is killed "at the point of a
sword" (Exodus 17:13), as is Sichon (Numbers
21:24). Bilaam is also killed by sword but the verse
states "with the sword," not "at the point of a
sword" (Numbers 31:8).

Exiled to Babylon, they witness the fall of a mighty
empire before their very eyes as the Persians invade.

Permitted to return to the land of Israel by the Persian
emperor Cyrus in 370 BCE, they reluctantly take up the
offer, with only 42,000 of their number actually
returning.

The returnees' attempts to rebuild the Temple in
Jerusalem are aborted early as their angry neighbors, the
not-so-good Samaritans complain to the emperor.

In Persia, Haman, the chief minister to King
Achashverosh, hatches a plot to annihilate the Jews. But
Queen Esther (who is secretly Jewish) comes to the
rescue in 355 BCE.

The next Persian monarch, Darius II, Esther's son,
allows the rebuilding of the Temple in 347 BCE.

The Jewish people living in the land of Israel are reenergized spiritually thanks to the leadership of Ezra
and the Men of the Great Assembly.
It is now 312 BCE and the last of the Men of the Great
Assembly, Shimon HaTzaddik, is High Priest. On the other side
of Mediterranean, a new threat is looming. It is called Greece.
10. In this parsha, who dies during childbirth?
Where else in Tanach does a woman die during
childbirth?
Rise of the Greek Empire
The origins of Greece are shrouded in mystery and date back to
the time of Abraham, 18th century BCE, or perhaps even earlier.
Historians disagree as to where the Greeks came from. They
could have been people migrating down from Asia down through
Europe and settling in the Greek Isles, or they could have been
seafaring people who settled along the coast.
Rachel dies when giving birth to Benyamin (Genesis
35:18). In Tanach, the wife of Pinchas ben Eli dies
in childbirth (1-Shmuel 4:20).
11. Which married couple in this parsha have
names that begin with the same letter? Which
other married couples in the Torah have names
that begin with the same letter? (2 couples - one
found in Rashi)
Whoever they were, the earliest inhabitants of mainland Greece
(called Mycenaeans after excavations found at Mycenae)
developed an advanced culture. But, around 1100 BCE, the
Mycenaeans were invaded by barbarians called Dorians and all
their civilization disappeared. Greece went into a "Dark Age" to
re-emerge hundreds of years later.
Esav is married to Ada, both beginning
with ayin (Genesis 36:2). Aaron married Elisheva,
both beginning with aleph (Exodus 6:23). The wife
of Noach is Na'ama, both beginning
with nun (Genesis 4:22 with Rashi).
The classical Greek period begins as early as 7th century BCE,
though we tend to be more familiar with its history in the 5th
century when Greece consists of a group of constantly warring
city-states, the most famous being Athens and Sparta. The Greek
victory at the Marathon (490 BCE),(1) the destruction of the
8
Persian fleet at Salamis (480 BCE) and the victory at Plataea
(479 BCE) brought and end to the Persian Empire's attempts to
conquer Greece. During the last three decades of the 5th century,
Athens and Sparta waged a devastating war (Peloponnesian War
431-404 BCE) which culminated in the surrender of Athens.
More inter-Greek fighting followed in the 4th century but later in
that century all of Greece would succumb to Phillip II of
Macedon, who paves way for his son, Alexander the Great, to
spread the Greek civilization across the world.
Alexander, born in 356BCE, was the son of Phillip II (382336BCE), the King of Macedonia in northern Greece. (And
considered a barbarian by the southern Greek city states). Phillip
created a powerful, professional army which forcibly united the
fractious Greek city-states into one empire. From an early age,
Alexander, displayed tremendous military talent and was
appointed as a commander in his father's army at the age of
eighteen. Having conquered all of Greece Phillip was about to
embark on a campaign to invade Greece's arch-enemy, the
Persian Empire. Before he could invade Persia he was
assassinated, possibly by Alexander, who then became king in
336BCE. Two years in 334 BCE he crossed the Hellspont (in
modern-day Turkey) with 45,000 men and invaded the Persian
Empire.
The late 5th and the 4th century are as eventful for the Greeks as
it has for the Jews. Despite constant warfare, this is also the
golden age of classical Greek culture ― the birth of democracy,
the time of Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato.
Greek Inhumanity
The backbone of Alexander's Macedonian army was his infantry.
They carried extremely long pikes (spears which may have been
as long as 21 feet/ 3 meters.) These pikemen moved in giant
squares called a phalanx, shields locked together, 16 men across
and 16 deep-the first five rows of pikes pointed straight ahead
creating a lethal wall of spear heads.
While admiring the Greek contributions to civilization ― its
politics, philosophy, art and architecture – it is easy to forget
what Greek society was really like.
For example, we've heard of the "Spartan lifestyle," but what did
that mean in practice? Well, for starters, at the age of seven,
Spartan boys were separated from their parents; they lived in
military barracks where they were beaten, and not even given
minimal food to encourage them to steal. To be Spartan meant to
be tough.
In three Colossal battles, Granicus, Issus and Gaugamela, that
took place between 334 and 331 Alexander brilliantly (and often
recklessly) led his army to victory against Persian armies that
may have outnumbered his own as much as ten to one. His chief
tactics were to always be on the offense and always do the
unexpected. In battle he would lead his Campanion Cavalry right
at the strongest (rather than the weakest) point of the enemy line.
When he fights the Persians, for example, he goes for the most
heavily protected point of the Persian force surrounding the
Persian Emperor, aiming to destroy the leadership. When the
Persian emperor Darius flees at the battle the Persian army
collapses. By 331 BCE the Persian Empire was defeated, the
Persian Emperor Darius was dead, and Alexander was the
undisputed rival of the Mediterranean. His military campaign
lasted 12 years and took him and his army 10,000 miles to the
Indus River in India. Only the weariness of his men and his
untimely death in 323BCE at the age of 32 ended the Greek
conquest of the known world. It is said that when Alexander
looked at his empire he wept for there was nothing more to
conquer.
The Athenians, not as tough as the Spartans, were not what you'd
describe as "soft" either. For example, they thought nothing of
killing infants (a common practice in all ancient civilizations
even the "elevated" ones). One of the most influential thinkers in
Western intellectual history ― none other than Aristotle- ―
argued in his Politics (VII.16) that killing children was essential
to the functioning of society. He wrote:
"There must be a law that no imperfect or maimed child shall be
brought up. And to avoid an excess in population, some children
must be exposed [i.e. thrown on the trash heap or left out in the
woods to die]. For a limit must be fixed to the population of the
state."
Note the tone of his statement. Aristotle isn't saying "I like
killing babies," but he is making a cold, rational calculation:
over-population is dangerous; this is the most expedient way to
keep it in check.
At its largest, Alexander's empire stretched from Egypt to India.
He built six Greek cities in his empire, named Alexandria.
(Today the best known is the city of Alexandria in Egypt at the
Nile delta.) These cities and the Greeks who settle in them
brought Greek culture to the center of the oldest civilizations of
Mesopotamia.
In warfare, the Greeks invented the "pitched battle" ― with
thousands of foot soldiers colliding with the enemy, slaughtering
and being slaughtered as they advanced. (The 80 pounds of
armor and weaponry carried by the average Greek hoplite
(infantry man) also necessitated a pitched battle since after about
30 to 45 minutes the soldiers were all exhausted) While we tend
to think today of the Greeks as cultured and noble, it is shocking
to learn how brutal their civilization (like all ancient
civilizations) could be.(2)
Hellenism
The Greeks were not only military imperialist but also cultural
imperialist. Greek soldiers and settlers brought their way of life:
their language, art, architecture, literature, and philosophy, to
Middle East. When Greek culture merged with the culture of the
Middle East it created a new cultural hybrid-Hellenism (Hellas is
the Greek word for Greece) whose impact would be far greater
and last for far longer than the brief period of Alexander's
empire. Whether through the idea of the pitched battle, art,
architecture or philosophy, Hellenism's influence on the Roman
Empire, Christianity, and the West was monumental.
The other great Greek innovation was the phalanx. Instead of the
undisciplined," free for all" combat common in ancient warfare,
the Greeks fought in disciplined battle lines; infantry advanced
with shields "locked" together and spears pointing straight ahead.
A well-disciplined phalanx created a formidable wall of shields
and spears which was used with deadly efficiency.(3)
The one who took the Greek conquests to new heights was, of
course, Alexander the Great.
The Greeks showcased all human talents ― literature, drama,
poetry, music architecture, sculpture, etc. They glorified the
beauty of the human body, displaying athletic prowess in the
Alexander The Great
9
Olympics. Nothing regarding the human body was considered
embarrassing, in need of hiding, or private for that matter.
actions he answered: "I did not bow before him but before that
God who has honored him with the high Priesthood; for I saw
this very person in a dream, in this very apparel."
(Athletic competitions performed in the nude were the norm in
Greece. Our modern word "gymnasium" is derived from the
Greek word "gumnos" which means naked. Public toilets often
consisted of a bench on main street with holes in it; people sat
there and did their business as others walked by.)
Alexander interpreted the vision of the High Priest as a good
omen and thus spared Jerusalem and peacefully absorbed the
Land of Israel into his growing empire. As tribute to his benign
conquest the Rabbis decreed that the Jewish firstborn of that time
be named Alexander (which is a Jewish name until today) and
date of the meeting (25th of Teves) was declared a minor
holiday.
{Paragraph about Hellenist perversions edited out}
Even Greek gods were described in human terms and were often
bested by human beings in Greek mythology; with time, it
became the style of intellectual Greeks to denigrate their gods
and speak of them with biting cynicism and disrespect.
So Alexander the Great does not destroy the Temple. And he
listens when Shimon HaTzaddik tells him that the Jews are not
enemies of the Greeks but the Samaritans are. The Talmud
relates the interaction between Alexander and the Jewish
delegation
In short, the Greeks introduced into human consciousness an idea
which is going to come into play as one of the most powerful
intellectual forces in modern history ― humanism. The human
being is the center of all things. The human mind and its ability
to understand and observe and comprehend things rationally is
the be-all-and-end-all. That's an idea which comes from the
Greeks.
They (the Jews led by Shimon HaTzaddik) answered, "Is it
possible that these idol worshippers should fool you into
destroying the House where prayers are offered for you and your
kingdom that it should never be destroyed!" Alexander said to
them, "What idol worshippers do you mean?" They replied, "We
are referring to the Samaritans who are standing before you
now." Said Alexander, "I am handing them over to you to do with
them as you please."(4)
Above all, the Greeks thought that this was enlightenment, the
highest level of civilization. They had a strong sense of destiny
and believed that their culture was ordained to become the
universal culture of humanity.
As a result, the Jews are given free rein to go trash the
Samaritans, which they promptly go out and do. And Israel and
Jerusalem are peacefully absorbed into the Greek Empire.
The Jews had a different vision. The Jews believed that a world
united in the belief in one God and ascribing to one absolute
standard of moral values ― including respect for life, peace,
justice, and social responsibility for the weak and poor ― was
the ultimate future of the human race.
At first, the Greek authorities preserve the rights of the local
Jewish population and do not attempt to interfere with Jewish
religious practice. The Jews continue to flourish as a separate and
distinct entity for 165 years ― a rare phenomenon in the
Hellenistic world.
This Jewish ideology was wedded to an extreme,
uncompromising exclusivity of worship (as demanded by the
belief in one God) and a complete intolerance of polytheistic
religious beliefs or practices. There was only one God and so
only one God could be worshipped, end of story.
The vast majority of the peoples conquered by Alexander the
Great have willingly allowed themselves to be Hellenized. The
fact that the Jews ― with the exception of a small minority ―
reject Hellenism is a strong testament to that ever-present Jewish
drive and sense of mission.
To the Jews, human beings were created in the image of God. To
the Greeks, gods were made in the image of human beings. To
the Jews, the physical world was something to be perfected and
elevated spiritually. To the Greeks the physical world was
perfect. In short, to Greeks, what was beautiful was holy; to the
Jews what was holy was beautiful.
The famed classical historian Michael Grant, in his From
Alexander to Cleopatra (p. 75), explains:
The Jews proved not only unassimilated, but unassimilable,
and... the demonstration that this was so proved one of the most
significant turning-points in Greek history, owing to the gigantic
influence exerted throughout subsequent ages by their religion...
Such disparate views were bound to clash, sooner or later.
The Greeks vs. the Jews
During his military campaign against Persia, Alexander takes a
detour to the south, conquering Tyre and then Egypt via what is
today Israel. Alexander is planning to destroy the Temple, egged
on by the Samaritans who hate the Jews There is a fascinating
story about Alexander's first encounter with the Jews of Israel.
(Who were until that time subjects of the Persian Empire).
But with time, Judaism, with its intractable beliefs and bizarre
practices, begins to stand out as an open challenge to the concept
of Hellenistic world supremacy.
For the generally tolerant Greeks, this challenge becomes more
and more intolerable. It is only a matter of time before open
conflict will arise.
The narrative concerning Alexander's first interaction with the
Jews is recorded in both the Talmud (Yoma 69a and in the
Jewish historian Josephus's book Antiquities XI, 321-47.) In both
accounts the High Priest of the Temple (in the Talmudic
narrative he is Shimon HaTzaddik ― the last surviving member
of the Men of the Great Assembly) in Jerusalem, fearing that
Alexander would destroy the city, goes out to meet him before he
arrives at the city. The narrative then describes how Alexander,
upon seeing the High Priest dismounts and bows to him.
(Alexander rarely, if ever, bowed to anyone.) In Josephus's
account, when asked by his general, Parmerio, to explain his
1) The modern Marathon race of 26 miles commemorates the
tradtion that a runner ran that distance from the Marathon to Athens
with news of the victory and then dropped dead.
2) For a more detailed explanation of the brutality of the ancient
world see my first book:WorldPerfect-The Jewish Impact on
Civilization, Health Communications Inc., 2002
3) For an excellent overview of Greek warfare see: Peter
Connolly. Greece and Rome at War.London: Greenhill Books, 1998.
4) Talmud ― Yoma 69a.
--------------------------------------------------------
10
© 2014 Aish.com
If you think about "what you have" in the same terms as Esau,
then you are certain to have a life filled with frustration,
disappointment, and unhappiness. But if you understand the lifechanging statement of what Jacob said and you think about all of
the irreplaceable and priceless things you have in your life right
now, then you now will wake up each and every morning
confidently knowing that you really do have everything.
A LIFE LESSON
by Adam Lieberman
Vayishlach(Genesis 32:4-36:43)
True Wealth
Jacob saw his brother, Esau, for the first time after many years of
hiding from him. During their childhood, Esau was angry at
Jacob because he thought that Jacob had stolen his birthright.
Jacob now wanted to give Esau some of his flocks as a peace
offering, but Esau declined, saying:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------© 2014 Aish.com
TORAH.ORG
"'I have plenty ... let what you have remain yours.' But
Jacob said, '...I have everything.' " (Genesis 33:9-11)
DEVAR TORAH
by Rabbi Label Lam
A LIFE LESSON
Parshas Vayishlach
There is a world of difference between what Esau meant when he
said he has "plenty" and Jacob declaring that he has
"everything". Esau, a selfish person caring only about his
materialistic possessions, proclaimed that "I have plenty"
because "plenty" is quantitative. His material possessions are
what he saw as his net worth. If he would ever lose a majority of
his possessions, then he would be plenty no more.
Filters
And Yaakov sent angels in front of him to Eisav his
brother to the land of Seir to the field of Edom. And he
commanded them saying; "So you shall say to my
master to Eisav; So says Yaakov your servant; “I have
lived with Lavan and tarried till now and I have oxen
and donkeys and sheep and servants and maid servants
and I am sending to my master to find grace in your
eyes…”(Breishis 32:3-5)
Jacob, however, who had his entire family with him, proudly
declared, "I have everything." Our most valuable and prized
possessions will always be what money can never buy - our
lives, our health, our families. For thousands of years, the wisest
men have been preaching this truism. But why do we fail to
embrace it?
And Yaakov sent angels: Real angels! (Rashi)
It’s quite remarkable that Yaakov had such control over the
angelic world that he could direct them to represent him and
speak on his behalf. Not many people who have walked on this
planet can make such a claim. It’s hard enough for us to have
control over our own actions, words, thoughts, and emotions.
Yaakov must have been a master of his world. The truth is that
we too produce angels daily and constantly.
In interviews with elderly people who look back on a life gone
by, they dejectedly speak about how they should have spent more
time with their families, taken better care of themselves, and
certainly focused less on their careers. In fact, there isn't a
headstone that could be found on a single grave site that states
that the one buried achieved great success in business, real estate,
athletics, or the arts. Rather, it proclaims the virtues that the
deceased possessed as a grandparent, parent, sibling or spouse.
The Nefesh HaChaim writes; “Every Jewish person should not
say in his heart, heaven forfend, ‘what am I and what impact do
my lowly deeds have in the world?’ Rather, he should understand
that every minute detail of his actions, and his speech, and his
thoughts, each and every moment is not lost! How powerful are
his actions and very great and lofty too, for everyone according
to the root of his soul, to impact and effect in the highest of
heights, and the purest of lights. In truth, a man who is wise and
understands this clearly, his heart will tremble within him a great
shuddering when he considers his actions that are not good and
how far they reach to destroy and ruin with even a slight
misstep…”
And this is the world's most ironic paradox. While society, the
media, and the world-at-large shower accolades and praise on
those who achieve business or personal success, when you pass
away this isn't at all how your life is judged - by man or by God.
Monetary and career success are wonderful things. We're all
designed for greatness and should strive to succeed and grow in
many aspects of our lives. But it's the priceless things in our lives
that we tend to take so much for granted and never fully
appreciate until we, God forbid, no longer have them or are faced
with a fear of losing them.
Everyone has power to release angels, extraordinarily productive
and destructive too! The Sefas Emes says that these are the
angels sent by Yaakov, and that according to the Zohar there are
angels created from both the Yetzer Hora and the Yetzer Tov! He
states that the angels generated from the Yetzer Hora can have
more protective powers than those created from the Yetzer Tov!
This is why Jacob knew he had everything. Is there not a dying
wealthy person who would without hesitation give his entire
fortune to live another year? How about for just another week?
Would you ever want to switch places with him? Of course not.
Yet, billions of people who still have so much physical life in
them choose to walk the earth being unhappy, discontented, and
miserable.
A person might just be sent into a panic mode with the power of
the information provided here. After all, one the things a person
is not save from each day, the Talmud tells us, is “bad thoughts”.
What’s a person to do?!
The reason for this is that they're usually focused on only the
same things that Esau was. Their idea of wealth is exactly what
the zombies of society and the media have said that it should be.
So instead of appreciating and loving their tremendous and
endless amount of true wealth that constantly surrounds them,
they instead choose to dwell on missed and lost opportunities,
the things they don't have, and all of the possessions they long
for.
Here is an important life-saving point. Imagine for a moment a
player for one of the famous sports teams is standing in his
position, let’s say, center fielder for the Yankees. A fan throws a
Frisbee onto the field and he jogs over casually to toss it back
into the stands so no one will stumble on it. Nobody will fault
him for this Frisbee toss. However, if he starts to have a catch
11
with the left fielder, and during live game time, he’s a candidate
for bench warming.
But if the lecture is being given in a public place, where you
could walk in, the Rosh Yeshiva can't prohibit him from listening
to his Torah -- as long as it doesn't deprive others of listening.
It was once explained to me by a great person, that just as there
are arenas, and stages by which things come into reality, through
“thought, “speech” and “action”,so too in the world of thought
there are levels, such as “the “thought of thought”, the “speech of
thought” and, the “action of thought”.The same goes for the
realm of speech and action as well. “I’ll spare you.
QUESTIONER
So if there's room in the back - there are extra seats - then he
probably would not be depriving anyone else. So you think it
would probably be all right?
RABBI BELSKY
Based on this we can understand a very important question.
“What is the difference between crazy people and everybody
else?” The answer is simple! Filters!
Yes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Text Copyright © 2014 by Rabbi Pinchas Winston and Torah.org.
We don’t say everything we think! We don’t even develop every
thought that “pops up” on the screen of our mind. We have
filters. Once something is halted at the “thought of thought” and
is prevented from entering the “speech of thought” or the “action
of thought”, we are then spared from its harmful effects.
However, a crazy person has a broken filter.
HONESTY II
By Rabbi Yisroel Belsky
Doctor Forgiving Deductible
QUESTION 38: DOCTOR FORGIVING DEDUCTIBLE
When our family goes to the doctor at the start of each year, we
must pay a deductible amount, after which the insurance
company pays most of the cost of the doctor visits. During the
period before our deductible is reached, our family doctor lets us
pay a portion of each visit now, with the intention that we will
pay the rest later in the year - even though he reports the entire
cost of the visit to the insurance company. If later in the year, he
forgives us our debt, is that fraud?
He may say whatever he thinks. Even more dangerously he can
act on a wild unscreened thought. When we hear about the
depraved behavior of a lunatic letting loose his fury, we can
understand well that that what lost before his sanity, was his
filters.
------------------------------------------------------------------------DvarTorah, Copyright © 2014 by Rabbi Label Lam and Torah.org. Permission is granted to
redistribute, but please give proper attribution and copyright to the author and Torah.org. Both the
author and Torah.org reserve certain rights.
RABBI BELSKY
It's not fraud if he decided later to forgive the debt, because that's
his personal gift to your family. In other words, let's say his price
is $50 a visit, and that's what he reported to the insurance
company, and that's what he would charge ordinarily, and what
he did charge, except that some sort of payment plan was
decided upon. And then when he decided to forgive it, that's his
personal decision. But this shouldn't be done if he planned all
this from the outset. These things are done all the time - people
pad the bills and make believe that these are deductibles.
HONESTY
By Rabbi Yisroel Belsky
Attending a Large Shiur Without Permission
QUESTION 36: ATTENDING A LARGE SHIUR AGAINST
THE WISHES OF THE ROSH YESHIVA
A person is in a shiur (class) at a Yeshiva where the Rosh
Yeshiva (head Rabbi of the Yeshiva) makes it clear that he
doesn't want anyone to attend for more than two years. There are
about 400 students in the shiur. Can a person stay a third year by
sitting all the way in the back, hidden from view, so that the
Rosh Yeshiva doesn't notice?
Perhaps I once told you the story I had with a deductible. Many
years ago I took a car to a body shop that I had crashed. The car
had collision insurance, but there was a $500 deductible. The
damage was about $8,500. So what did the mechanic do? He
padded the bill to $9,000; he got $8,500 from the insurance
company and he told me to forget about the deductible.
RABBI BELSKY
Torah is distinct from other things. There is no ownership of
Torah, and the Shach (a well-known authority on Jewish law)
writes that it is not gezel (theft) to steal Torah.
I took the car home, and the next day, I started the car and it
seemed to run, but there was a signal to go see the mechanic. I
took it to the mechanic and he told me the computer in my car
had been stolen (this was when they had just started putting
computers in cars). I asked him how could it be stolen without
breaking into the car. He said it's possible ... the thief stuck his
head under the car and unscrewed the computer and took it out. I
asked him how much it cost. The collision insurance didn't cover
this - it was theft. He told me it costs $500, exactly the amount of
money that I had 'saved'.
Because of that, it would seem that a person would be allowed to
sneak in and listen to the Torah even if the Rosh Yeshiva
discouraged it. In fact, evidence for this can be drawn from Hillel
the Elder. The Talmud says that he lay on the window and
listened to the words of Torah in the yeshiva, although he didn't
pay for it.
On the other hand, it's possible that he's taking from others,
because perhaps there's no room, and the current students may
suffer because the older students have remained there. That's
probably why the rosh yeshiva wants that no one to be there for
more than two years. So if the person attending the shiur is
hurting others, and hindering them from listening, that's already a
more difficult issue.
I felt very happy that at least the Ribono Shel Olam (G-d,
literally Master of the world) didn't let me hold on to the money
that I shouldn't keep - money that wasn't mine. I should have
paid the $500 to begin with, and the tainted money was cleared
from my property.
Another way of presenting the question is whether a person has a
right to sit in the place where the shiur is being given. The Rosh
Yeshiva may have ba'alus (ownership), of the place, and he can
decide whom he wants to use it. In that case, if the person were
prohibited, that person would only be able to listen from outside.
You can't l'chatchiloh (from the outset) pad the bills and make
believe the deductible was taken care of. The action has to be
legitimate, because that was the type of the insurance you
bought. The insurance was like an item you purchased, that
12
comes with certain rules and restrictions. However, if the action
is legitimate, and the doctor forgives your debt, then there's
absolutely nothing wrong.
I once read an essay by Rav Shimon Schwab, zt"l, where he said
that the whole role of the sitra achra (the evil inclination) is to
entrap us into doing things just like this. Since I've read that
essay, I've wondered if it is possible that giving into the
temptation of krumkeit (crookedness) has a negative effect on
our neshomah (soul).
QUESTIONER
You're really saying the law for the doctor - he can't l'chatchiloh
(from the outset) have this intention. But if he says to you, "Just
pay me now," and he has the intention to do this trick, what
responsibility is it to you as a patient?
RABBI BELSKY
It does. But just to refer to our case once more, if where I feel
that the doctor honestly intended to have me pay the bill, and
then later he forgave the bill, I have no liability. I can accept that
the doctor forgave the bill and it doesn't involve the insurance
company, nor is it 'pogem' (something that taints) the soul.
RABBI BELSKY
How do you really know? One thing is certain. You could tell
him I'll pay you later. I want to meet my deductible. Thank you
very much. I'm paying $25 now, and I'll pay you the rest later.
QUESTIONER
QUESTIONER
But what if there's a haromoh (trickery) going on?
But let's say you know that he has intentions to 'help' you later?
RABBI BELSKY
RABBI BELSKY
The haromoh shouldn't be done.
You can't make up an explicit agreement with him to do such a
thing. If it happened once, next year tell him, "Thank you, but I'd
rather pay the whole thing."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Text Copyright © 2014 by Rabbi Pinchas Winston and Torah.org.
CHANUKA
There's a reasoning used for permitting this practice, but I'm very
wary. The reasoning runs like this: If the doctor ordinarily
charges $50, but the insurance company would also pay when the
doctor writes in $75 - since that's what the Park Avenue doctor
will charge - so the insurance company will pay if he says it's
$75.
By Rabbi Naphtali Hoff
Tightening the Hellenistic Screws: A History of Chanukah,
Part I
In our long history, few individuals have threatened the spiritual
survival of the Jewish people as did Antiochus IV Epiphanes,
who ascended to the Seleucid (Syrian-Greek) throne in 175 BCE.
In an effort to solidify his empire and fashion his own everlasting
legacy, Antiochus IV worked diligently to hellenize all of the
peoples living under his control. However, no nation felt the
effects of this effort more than the Jews living in the small
province of Judah.
QUESTIONER
Even though the patient is only paying $50?
RABBI BELSKY
Right. If the $75 is a legitimate cost because the insurance
company recognizes that as a legitimate price, there is a
reasoning for leniency. But I don't believe it is a correct one. The
whole idea of deductibles is that you should pay a certain amount
and have the rest be insured, It's designed that way so as to avoid
frivolous use of medical services. And that's the amount and the
type of insurance that you purchased. The insurance company
knows it will cost them a certain amount if they insure fully, and
the sale price of the policy is determined by that cost. If they
insure it only beyond the deductible, it's entirely different. It may
then be primarily a 'catastrophy' policy meaning that maybe for a
couple of years they'll profit and then, should a catastrophic thing
happen, they'll pay a lot of money for it. If you end up getting
more than you purchased, so it's gezel (robbery) - taking more
than you purchased.
Early on in his tenure, Antiochus, with the help of his personally
appointed high priest Jason, had a gymnasium erected in
Jerusalem, within direct sight of the Temple. This gymnasium
would serve as a center of hellenistic education and athletics,
where nudity and immoral behavior was the norm. Pagan statues
and altars were present as well; sacrifices were offered to Greek
gods prior to the commencement of sporting events.
These changes attracted many Jews, particularly Jewish youth.
Many priests were also influenced by this new culture,
neglecting their sacrificial duties in favor of these new centers of
diversion.
(Jason) gladly built a gymnasium under the Temple
itself, and brought the chief young men under his
subjection…The priests had no more courage to serve
at the altar, but scorning the Temple, and neglecting the
sacrifices, rushed to partake of the unlawful behavior in
the gymnasium. (II Maccabees 4:12–14)
Thus the various justifications concocted by logicians don't
address the real issue. I've told you many times that I feel a slight
deviation from the regulations is not the thing that matters. The
thing that bothers me all the time is when a person ends up taking
something that's not his. He paid for one thing and he takes more
- with some kind of dreying mit dem grubben finger
(figuratively: rationalizing to his advantage). Whether he ends up
taking twice as much, or 2% over what he's entitled to, is
immaterial. It's gezel (stealing). Perhaps gezel is more damaging
when it's accompanied by a 'sevoro' (reasoning) because it
corrupts your power of reason, which is the holiest and most
precious possession a person owns.
Most of the Jewish population, however, was stunned by the
introduction of immoral Greek culture into their holy city and
refused to embrace it in any way.
At approximately the mid-point of his reign, Antiochus
intensified his efforts at hellenization. He outlawed such core
Jewish practices as sacrifices, Sabbath observance, circumcision,
and the study of Torah, at the pain of death. Simultaneously, he
introduced pagan activities and worship amongst the Jewish
populace.
QUESTIONER
13
The king sent agents with written orders to Jerusalem
and the towns of Judea, introducing ways and customs
foreign to the country. Burnt-offerings, sacrifices, and
libations in the Temple were forbidden; Sabbaths and
feast-days were to be profaned. Altars, idols, and
sacred precincts were to be established. Swine and
other unclean animals were to be offered as sacrifices.
They must leave their sons uncircumcised; they must
make themselves in every way abominable, unclean,
and profane, and so forget the law and change all their
statutes. The penalty for disobedience was death. (I
Maccabees 1:44–50)
They also include a Hellenistic Jew named Yoseph Meshisa, who
was brutally murdered for refusing to enter the Temple at the
behest of Greek soldiers.
When his edicts were violated, Antiochus responded with intense
cruelty. On one occasion, he had two mothers arrested after
circumcisions were performed on their sons. They were paraded
through the streets of Jerusalem, with their sons clinging to them.
All four were then thrown down to their deaths from the city’s
walls.
Rabbi Frand on arshas Vayishlach
Of course, no story better depicts the spirit of Jewish
martyrdom than the account of Chana and her seven sons, which
pits the demands of a maniacal tyrant against a noble, defenseless
woman and her family.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted to redistribute, but please give proper attribution and copyright to the author
and Torah.org. Both the author and Torah.org reserve certain rights. Email [email protected] for
full information.
RAV FRAND
The Antidote for "And Yaakov Remained Alone"
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of
Rabbi Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the
weekly portion: Tape # 835, "You Look Great" – Permitted
Flattery? Good Shabbos!
The Seleucid-Greeks also took aim at defiling the purity of the
Jewish home. The Greeks declared that all women must first be
brought to the local governing officer, who would first violate
her. The profanity of this decree caused some Jews to marry on a
day of the week when the Greeks were less vigilant. Others who
were unable to circumvent the meddling officers abstained from
marriage altogether, or did so in secret.
In this week's parsha, The Torah says that Yaakov battled with a
mysterious 'Ish' [man], who Chazal tell us was Eisav's guardian
angel, who was also the embodiment of the Evil Inclination
(Yetzer HaRah) and the Satan. The Medrash here in Bereshis
Rabbah associates the pasuk describing Yaakov's battle with
Eisav's angel, with the pasuk in Parshas Zos HaBracha "There is
none like G-d O Jeshurun, a rider of the heavens at your
assistance, and in His majesty, the skies." [Devorim 33:26]. The
Medrash expounds homiletically: "Eyn k'Kel" means there is no
one like G-d. But who IS like G-d? Yeshurun (Israel) is like G-d!
There are members of Klal Yisrael (the Jewish people) who are
similar to the Almighty.
Most significantly, the Temple in Jerusalem was polluted. On 15
Kislev, 168 BCE, an idol was erected in the Temple. Ten days
later, exactly three years before the Chanuka miracle, swine was
offered as a pagan sacrifice upon the altar. The House of G-d was
sacrilegiously converted to a House of Zeus.
What is most compelling here is the fact that paganism is has
always been a tolerant, inclusive religious system. Polytheism by
its very nature accepts that presence of other religious ideas and
forces. Upon no other group did Antiochus impose such religious
limitations. Clearly, he perceived that most Jews would continue
to stubbornly resist any attempts at hellenization.
The Medrash then gives examples. Everything that G-d is going
to do in the future in this world was already done by the
righteous of Klal Yisrael in this world. Just as G-d will bring the
dead back to life, so too Eliyahu already brought back to life (the
son of the Shunnamite woman); G-d has the ability to cause a
drought, so too Eliyahu caused a drought; G-d can bless a small
quantity and make it into a large amount; Eliyahu blessed a small
quantity and made it into a large amount. G-d can make barren
women have children; Eliyahu made barren women have
children; etc. etc. Finally the Medrash concludes its list of
comparisons between the Almighty and the righteous of Israel
with the statement: Just as G-d is by Himself as it is written
v'Nisgav Hashem L'vado baYom haHu [Yishayahu 2:11; 2:17],
so too the "Jewish Grandfather" (I.e. -- the Patriarch Yaakov)
remained alone as it is written ("And Yaakov remained alone."
[Bereshis 32:24]).
Jewish Martyrdom
And indeed many Jews complied with the king’s commands,
either voluntarily, or out of fear of the penalty that was
announced. But the best and noblest men did not pay him
attention… every day they underwent great miseries and bitter
torments; for they were whipped with rods, and their bodies were
torn to pieces, and were crucified…. They also strangled those
women and their sons whom they had circumcised… And if
there were any sacred book of the law found, it was destroyed,
and those with whom they were found sorrowfully perished as
well. (Josephus, Antiquities 12:255–6)
This last "example" does not seem to fit into the pattern of the
earlier items. It is one thing to cite situations which are
supernatural and miraculous -- resurrection, stopping the rain,
barren women conceiving, and so forth are indeed acts which
require G-d-like abilities. However, the Medrash is saying that
G-d's ability to be alone is itself a G-d-like quality! "And Yaakov
remained alone" is itself as miraculous as resurrection, as
cessation of rainfall, as conception for a barren woman. There
must be something very supernatural about being alone.
Throughout, the Jews responded with a tremendous resilience
and strength of spirit, despite the threat of painful torture and
death that hung over them. They resisted passively, preferring
martyrdom to revolution.
Numerous instances of passive Jewish resistance are recorded.
They include the story of Elazar, an elderly priest and leading
sage, who refused to eat pork, despite the torturous death that
awaited him. (Under normal conditions Jewish law permits, even
demands, consuming non-kosher food when the alternative is
death. However, these were far from normal conditions.)
What does that mean? Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky says (in his
sefer) that the reason Yaakov Avinu was attacked when he was
alone is because most human beings are unable to maintain their
spiritual level and stature when they are alone. Most people need
a support system, a society, a "chevra" to keep them on the
14
straight and narrow path of righteous behavior. To go it all alone,
without peer pressure and peer support, without losing one's
"level" (madreigah) is a phenomenon which is extremely
difficult for the average person to attain.
halacha, Rav Shlomo Zalman he finally told him his own opinion
on the matter:
"In our times, to our great distress, intermarriage rates have
greatly increased -- especially in America. They have reached
unprecedented numbers! We need to ask ourselves what we are
doing wrong. We know what Chazal did when they wanted to
prevent intermarriage. They instituted all the prohibitions
regarding the food of Gentiles. It would seem to me that if we
live in a situation where intermarriage is rampant then the place
to be stringent (machmir) is in the matters of bishulei Akum
(food cooked by Gentiles). Even though we Ashkenazim follow
the Ramoh, who was relatively lenient in these matters, it might
be appropriate for us to be stringent like the opinion of the Beis
Yosef and not rely on the loop holes suggested by the Ramoh."
No one knew that better than Eisav's guardian angel. The Satan =
Yetzer Harah = Saro shel Eisav attacked Yaakov specifically
when he was alone, thinking "Now I got him because he's alone."
When one is alone, he does not need the support of others. But
the Angel saw "that he was unable to defeat him". He saw that
Yaakov Avinu was so strong and so perfect that he could not
affect him. Yaakov was the personification of humanity in the
Divine Chariot upon which the Shechina resides. But the Angel
was able to touch the hollow of the thigh of Yaakov. That meant
that Yaakov is untouchable. He can’t be affected even when
alone, but his children can be affected. They do not have that
capability of maintaining their spiritual strength and honesty
even when alone. The children will not be like that. If there is
ever a way to bring down a human being, it is when he is
isolated, when he does not have "chevra", when he does not have
a society. At that point, he is vulnerable to fall from his spiritual
level.
My purpose is not to cast aspersion on any Hechsherim that rely
on the leniencies of the Ramoh in these matters and I am not
saying that I do not personally rely on many of these leniencies
myself. I just felt it is beneficial to share Rav Shlomo Zalman's
insightful observation that he felt it worthy to strengthen these
practices in light of the intermarriage situation we are confronted
with in our time.
That is why this incident is immediately followed by the
statement "Therefore the Children of Israel shall not eat the
sinew of the thigh-vein (Gid haNashe)." [Bereshis 32:33] What is
the connection? The connection is that at that moment, the
Almighty instituted something which would require that Jews
always stick together: the prohibition of eating forbidden foods.
All of this is because when a person is alone he becomes
vulnerable. He is subject to spiritual descent. The way for a
person to retain his spiritual level, to remain strong, to remain an
upright Jew, to remain a Ben Torah, is to put himself in an
environment such that if he begins to slip, the peer pressure of
the society in which he lives will prevent him from slipping.
When one tries to "go it alone," he is asking for trouble. To be a
"Lone Ranger" is a very difficult thing to maintain. If one is like
Yaakov Avinu, then he can manage "And Yaakov remained
alone", but for the rest of us, we need the encouragement and
support of a "chevra". That is why the Almighty instituted
forbidden foods and that is why the Sages carried it even further.
The prohibition to eat the Gid haNashe and the subsequent
mitzvos regarding forbidden foods reduce our ability to relate to
so much of society. If we cannot eat with people, we cannot
socialize with them, and we cannot be with them. But people
need socialization, so who will they go to? They will go to other
Jews -- people they can eat with and therefore people who they
can socialize with. They will stick together. They will have their
chevra, their society that keeps them straight. This is the
brilliance of the mitzva "Therefore the children of Israel will not
eat the Gid haNashe."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------© Torah.org.
INTEGRITY
by Rabbi Daniel Travis
Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky writes, before the destruction of the
Second Bais HaMikdash [Temple], when the Jewish people were
about to go into exile, our Sages, in their great wisdom, extended
the list of forbidden foods in the Torah and instituted their own
category of forbidden foods: They forbade the bread of a nonJew, they forbade the cooking of a non-Jew, they forbade wine
touched by a non-Jew. The rationale for all these Rabbinic
prohibitions is to limit socialization with non-Jews. Jews who
cannot drink with their Gentile friends, neighbors, and business
associates and who cannot eat with them will have no other
choice but to socialize with their fellow Jews.
Small Oaths II
And I will establish my covenant with you; never again
will all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood. There
will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.
(Bereshith 9:11)
The previous essay mentioned that one must be extremely wary
of inadvertently taking a vow, for if one intends to do so even the
words “yes” and “no” can be considered oaths. This prohibition
applies regardless of which language one spoke in and even if
one does not explicitly mention one of God’s names.1 However,
if one does mention a Divine name, the words are considered an
oath even if one does not say that they are an oath. Therefore one
should not say, “B’emeth (in truth) this is so,” for Emeth is one
of the names of God.2
This is our insurance policy. This is the antidote of "And Yaakov
remained alone."
*
An Observation From Rav Shlomo Zalman
Why is an oath viewed with such awe? In essence, when
someone makes oath, he is comparing the accuracy of the
statement he has made to the truth of God’s existence. Therefore
if a person violates his oath it is as if he has denied God’s very
existence. For this reason, our Sages say that at Sinai, when God
pronounced the prohibition of swearing falsely, the entire
universe trembled.3
I would like to share an observation from Rav Shlomo Zalman
Auerbach. Someone asked Rav Shlomo Zalman a series of
questions regarding leniencies in the law of "bishul Akum"
[prohibition of eating food cooked by a non-Jew]. Rav Shlomo
Zalman was hesitant to talk to him about these things because he
thought he was looking for "heterim" [loop holes in the
prohibition]. When he was finally convinced that he was not just
looking for loop holes but was interested in understanding the
A man once left some money with a widow. The woman placed
the coins in the flour jar, but soon forgot that she had done so.
15
4. Sha’arei Teshuvah 3:174-176.
When she baked bread with that flour, the money that she was
given was accidentally mixed into the dough. A poor person
came to her door, and she gave him the bread, unaware that she
had also given him the coins.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Integrity, Copyright © 2014 by Rabbi Daniel Travis and Torah.org.
HALACHA-OVERVIEW
The owner of the coins came back to the widow and asked for his
money. Anxious to affirm her honesty, she exclaimed, “May
deadly poison affect the children of the woman who benefited
from those coins.” Shortly after she made her exclamation one of
her children died. Concerning this incident the Sages said, “If
this is the punishment for one who makes a true oath, (for in
truth she did not receive direct benefit from the coins), imagine
what the punishment for a false oath is.”4
by Rabbi Dr. Azriel Rosenfeld
Note: It should be stressed that the statements in a summary
must not be interpreted as halachic rulings no matter how
definitively they are worded. When such rulings are needed a
qualified rabbi must be consulted.
Torah Study - Talmud Torah
a) The Importance of Torah Study
Every Jew is required to set aside time for the study of Torah by
day and by night, as it says "And you shall speak about it day
and night".1,a He should divide this time appropriately among
the written Torah, oral Torah, and Talmud (this last refers to the
reasoning by which laws are derived from the Torah).b Torah
study is as important as all the other commandments combined
because study leads to action.c The way of Torah requires great
effort, but the reward is proportionate to the trouble taken.d
1. Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 237:1.
2. Sefer HaYirah of Rabbeinu Yonah, p. 217; Reishith Chochmah, Kedushah Ch.
14; Teshuvoth V’Hanhagoth 1:525.
3. Shavuoth 39a.
4. Gittin 35a.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Integrity, Copyright © 2014 by Rabbi Daniel Travis and Torah.org.
b) Teaching Torah
INTEGRITY II
Every man who knows the Torah is commanded to teach
students, as it says "And you shall repeat them to your sons" -"these are your students".2,e A father is required to teach his
sons Torah, as it says "And you shall teach them to your sons"3;
and it says "And you shall make them known to your sons and
your sons' sons".4,f If necessary, he is required to hire a teacher
to teach his sons.g Every community is required to provide
teachers for children.h If a person was not taught by his father he
is required to teach himself, as it says "And you shall learn
them".5,f
by Rabbi Daniel Travis
Good Humor
These are the chronicles of Terach: Terach fathered
Avram. (Bereshith 11:27)
Terach was a professional idol salesman. One day he had to go
out of town, and he left his son Avram in charge of his shop. A
customer entered the shop with a handful of fine flour to offer as
a sacrifice to the idols. Avram, who had already begun to
recognize the futility of idolatry, took a hammer and smashed all
the idols except the largest one. When his father returned, he told
him that there had been an uproar among the idols over who
should get the offering, until the largest one took a hammer and
smashed all of them. Furious, Terach sent Avram to Nimrod to
be killed.1
A teacher of Torah must be a worthy person i and should teach
Torah only to worthy students.j The teacher must be patient with
his students and the students must not be ashamed to admit that
they do not understand.k A person must respect his teacher even
more than his father, for his father brought him into this world
but his teacher brings him into the world to come.l The sanctity
of a house of study is greater than that of a synagogue.m
Under such circumstances Avram was not expected to relay to
Terach what had actually transpired. Since it was clear that his
father would be enraged when he saw his entire enterprise
destroyed, why didn’t he give him a more believable excuse?
Why did he have to make matters worse by fabricating such an
absurd story? Furthermore, since mockery is generally viewed as
an extremely harmful trait2, how could he employ such tactics?
c) Respect for Torah Scholars
We are commanded to respect a wise man even if he is not our
teacher, as it says "Rise up before gray hair and honor the face of
an old man" -- "of one who has acquired wisdom".6,n Scholars
should be exempt from taxes and other services to the
community and should be given priority in all their affairs.o A
person who is disrespectful to a scholar or to a rabbinical court or
who scoffs at a rabbinical law or a commandment is subject to
excommunication; he must keep apart from others, like a
mourner, until the ban is lifted from him.p
All forms of mockery are forbidden except for that of idol
worship.3 In order to comprehend why it is permitted to mock
idols, it is first necessary to understand why ridicule is usually a
serious offense. When a person makes fun of someone, he causes
irreparable damage by disgracing him. Speaking publicly makes
matters worse, because he is undermining any possible benefit
that could come to the object of his scorn. Since idol worship is
complete falsehood, for these reasons it is actually beneficial to
mock idol worship. Furthermore, when someone mocks another
person, implicit in his words is a derision of God, for everything
and everyone has a Divine source.4 Since idolatry claims to be
independent from God, this is not applicable. Avram therefore
set up this absurd scenario in order to show the world the true
nature of idol worship.
1. Joshua 1:8
2. Deut. 6:7 and Sifrei on it
3. Deut. 11:19
4. Deut 4:9
5. Deut. 5:1
6. Lev. 19:32 and Sifra on it
a. 1:8
b. 1:11
c. 3:3
d. 3:12,1
e. 1:2
1. Bereshith Rabbah 38:19.
2. Sotah 42a.
f. 1:1-2
g. 1:3
h. 2:1
i. 2:3
j. 4:1
k. 4:4-5
l. 5:1
m. 4:9
n. 6:1
o. 6:10
p. 6:14,7:4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Megilah 25b.
Halacha-Overview, Copyright © 2005 by Rabbi Dr. Azriel Rosenfeld and Torah.org.
16
seat is behind the bimah) to come to the front of the shul so that
they can follow the Torah.
WEEKLY HALACHA
by Rabbi Doniel Neustadt
Parshas Vayishlach
It is customary and considered correct chinuch for
people to bring their young children forward so that they can
respectfully kiss the Torah mantle. 25 Some have the custom that
adults also kiss the Torah when it passes, 26 while others frown
upon this custom and allow only touching or pointing at the
Torah and then kissing that hand. 27
HONOR AND RESPECT FOR THE SEFER TORAH
A Sefer Torah, which is the living testimonial of God’s covenant
with the Jewish people, must be treated with the highest degree
of respect and dignity. Accordingly, there are special halachos
which are associated with the removal and returning of the Sefer
Torah when it is taken out of the Aron ha-Kodesh for Kerias haTorah, the Reading of the Torah. The following is the proper
procedure:
When some people carry the Torah to the bimah, they detour or
bend down to allow those who are not within reach of the Torah
to kiss it or touch it. Some poskim refer to this as an act of
degradation, and those who do so should be strongly
reprimanded. 28
The sheliach tzibbur should not be the one to take the Torah out
of the aron. To accord the Torah due respect, another person is
appointed to open the aron, 1 take out the Torah and hand it to
the sheliach tzibbur to carry to the bimah. 2 If no one was
appointed to the task, the sheliach tzibbur may “rush to grab this
mitzvah for himself.” 3
When two or more Sifrei Torah are taken out of the aron, the
ones that are not currently being used are entrusted to a
responsible individual to hold until they are to be used. It is
improper to allow a child to hold the Torah, 29 and it is
prohibited to leave a Torah unattended even if it is left in a safe
place. 30
The Torah is taken out of the aron with one’s right hand although
the left hand may be used to help. A left-handed person may take
out the Torah with his left hand. 4 But the Torah is always
handed, received and held with one’s right hand5 even if it is
being given, received or held by a person who is left-handed. 6
It is prohibited to turn one’s back to a Torah. 31
Accordingly, those who sit in front of the shul directly in front of
the Torah must turn around during Kerias ha-Torah. When,
however, the Torah is read from a bimah32 [or from a table
which is over forty inches high33 ], this prohibition does not
apply.
At the time that the Torah is being taken out of the aron, it is
customary7 to recite Berich Shmei, 8 which is a section of Zohar
written in Aramaic. 9 Some recite Berich Shmei before the Torah
is removed from the aron, 10 while others insist that Berich
Shmei be said only after it has been taken out. 11 One who
neglected to recite Berich Shmei at the proper time may recite it
until the Torah is unrolled. 12
Often, those holding a second or a third Sefer Torah
(e.g., on Yom Tov) sit behind the Torah reader or the person
being called to the Torah, who are then turning their backs
towards those Sifrei Torah. While some poskim disapproved of
this, 34 the custom to do so is widely accepted. 35 All agree that
while reciting Yekum Purkan, Av Harachamim or Ashrei the
sheliach tzibbur should be careful to move to the side of the
bimah so that his back does not face the Sifrei Torah36.
When the sheliach tzibbur recites Shema and Echad he should
face the congregation. He then turns to face the aron, bows
slightly, and recites Gadlu. 13 He should raise the Torah slightly
when reciting each of these verses. 14
After the keriah is over, a half-kaddish is recited. Whenever there
is a maftir aliyah the kaddish is recited before maftir; when there
is no maftir the kaddish is recited after the last aliyah37. This
kaddish should be recited by the Reader. 38 If a mourner or one
who has a yahrtzeit received the last aliyah (shelishi on a
weekday or the last aliyah on Shabbos or Yom Tov) he may
recite this kaddish39. Other poskim maintain that this kaddish
belongs to a mourner or one who has a yahrtzeit even if he was
not called up for the last aliyah40, and some congregations
follow this opinion. 41
One is required to stand, 15 without leaning, anytime the Torah
is “in motion.” [Many poskim attempt to give the benefit of the
doubt to those who sit on Simchas Torah during the hakafos even
though the Torah is in motion. 16 Still, it is proper for a Godfearing person to stand during the hakafos unless he himself is
holding a Torah. 17 ] Thus when the Torah is being carried from
the aron or being raised for hagbahah, one is obligated to stand
until it is placed on the bimah or until it is no longer within view.
18
[When the Torah is not “in motion” the following rules apply19
: 1) If the Torah is in the aron and the aron is closed, if it is
placed on the bimah or is being held by someone who is sitting
down, there is no reason to stand. 2) If it is being held by
someone who is standing up (e.g., during Keil maleh rachamim),
or it is standing upright in the aron and the door of the aron is
open, it has become standard practice to honor the Torah by
standing—even though one is not required to do so. 20 3) If,
while being carried, the person carrying the Torah stops to rest,
one is required to remain standing, as this is considered “in
motion” 21 .]
If, by mistake, the kaddish was omitted before maftir, it is recited
after the final blessing after the haftarah. 42 If, on a day that
three Sifrei Torah are used, the kaddish was mistakenly recited
after the keriah of the first sefer, the kaddish is repeated before
maftir. 43
1. It is considered a segulah bedukah for an easy labor, for the husband
of a woman in her ninth month of pregnancy to receive the honor of
opening the aron; Chida, Avodas ha-Kodesh, Moreh B’etzba 3:4.
2. Aruch ha-Shulchan 282:1, based on Mishnah,Yuma 68b.
As the Torah makes its way through the right-hand side of the
shul towards the bimah, it is considered proper for the
congregants to honor it by following behind and escorting it22 as
it passes by them. 23 Others hold that it is considered “haughty”
to do so and it should not be done. 24 All agree that there is no
point for those who are not in the path of the Torah (e.g., their
3. Sha’arei Efrayim 10:2.
4. Sha’arei Efrayim 10:2.
5. Rama, O.C. 134:2.
6. Mishnah Berurah 282:1. The Chazon Ish held that the “face” of the
Torah should be towards the person who is holding it (Tefilah
17
K’hilchasah, pg. 312), but many people hold the Torah facing away
from themselves.
30. Igros Moshe, O.C. 1:38.
31. Y.D. 282:1.
7. German communities do not recite Berich Shmei; Siddur Avodas
Yisrael, pg. 122. Many Sefaradim recite it only on Shabbos; Ben Ish
Chai, Toldos 15.
32. Rama, Y.D. 242:18; Mishnah Berurah 150:14.
33. Taz, Y.D. 242:13. See, however, Pischei Teshuvah, Y.D. 282:2, who
seems to imply otherwise. See also Minchas Yitzchak 5:78.
8. Several Kabbalists attach great importance to the recital of Berich
Shmei, since the time when the Torah is removed from the aron is
considered an eis ratzon (auspicious time) in which one’s prayers are
more readily answered; see Yeshurun Torah Journal, vol. 2, pg. 579.
34. Mishnah Berurah 147:29.
35. Halichos Shelomo 1:12, note 21.
36. Eimek Berachah, pg. 43.
9. Since Aramaic prayers may be recited only b’tzibur, it is important to
recite Berich Shmei together with the congregation; see Mishnah
Berurah 101:19. See also Yesod v’Shoresh ha-Avodah 5:8 who says that
an individual should recite Berich Shmei even in middle of Ve’hu
rachum (during the week). Other poskim disagree with that; see Ishei
Yisrael 25, note 48. All agree that during Pesukei d’Zimrah or Birchos
Kerias Shema one should not stop to recite Berich Shmei; Teshuvos
Maharshag 1:52.
37. Whenever a keriah takes place before Shemoneh Esrei, the kaddish
is delayed until after the Torah is returned to the aron.
38. Mateh Efrayim (Kaddish 3:1); Sha’arei Efrayim 10:9.
39. Ibid. Rav S.Z. Auerbach explains that this kaddish was specifically
reserved for those who passed away and do not have a relative to say
kaddish for them. This kaddish, therefore, is not be recited by an
individual mourner or someone who has a yahrtzeit, unless he was
called for the last aliyah (Halichos Shelomo 1:12-27). See Sdei Chemed
(Aveilus, 163).
10. Darchei Chayim v’Shalom 196. This also seems to be the view of
Aruch ha-Shulchan 282:1, and is the custom in many places.
11. Mateh Efrayim 619:48; Rav Pealim 3:8; Igros Moshe, O.C. 4:70-9,
based on Sha’arei Efrayim 10:1; Az Nidberu 8:48. Rav S.Z. Auerbach
(Halichos Shelomo 1:12-9) maintains that either way is acceptable.
40. Elef ha-Magen (Kaddish 3: 3).
12. Mi shnah Berurah 134:13. Pischei She’arim to Sha’arei Efrayim
10:1 maintains that it may be said during hagbahah as well.
42. Mishnah Berurah 282:29.
41. Orchos Rabbeinu, vol. 1, pg. 72; Shevet ha-Levi 8:163-3.
43. Igros Moshe, O.C. 1:101.
13. Aruch ha-Shulchan 282:1. See Ketzos ha-Shulchan 25:6.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Weekly Halacha, Copyright &copy 2014 by Rabbi Neustadt, Dr. Jeffrey Gross and Torah.org. Weekly
14. Mishnah Berurah 134:13.
15. “Stand” means that if one is sitting he must stand up and if one is
walking he must stand still (until the Torah passes by); Aruch haShulchan,Y.D. 282:3.
LEGACY
by Rabbi Naftali Reich
Parshas Vayishlach
Let's End The Blame Game
16. See Aruch ha-Shulchan, Y.D. 282:5; Shulchan ha-Tahor 149:2;
Minchas Shelomo 1:33; Halichos Shelomo 1:12-13; B’tzeil haChochmah 5:139; Teshuvos v’Hanhagos 2:319 and Tzedakah u’Mishpat
Yaakov has overcome the tremendous trials of living for over
twenty years in an alien environment and being subjected to
severe challenges and injustices. It was under these trying
circumstances that Yaakov married and raised the 'shivtei kah;'
the founding pillars of the Jewish people. After fleeing Lavan's
home, he encountered Eisav and succeeded in subjugating his
brother's angels, and was finally ready to make a triumphant
return to his parents' home.
16, note 37.
17. Orchos Rabbeinu, vol. 2, pg. 308.
18. Mishnah Berurah 146:17, based on Y.D. 282:2. According to some
opinions, the requirement is to stand as long as one can sense that the
Torah is being carried, even if it is not visible to him.
19. Based on Sha’ar ha-Tziyun 146:18; Igros Moshe, O.C. 5:38-4;
Minchas Shelomo 1:33.
Yet his ordeals were far from over. Just when he looked forward
to a period of respite, the tragic story of Dina's abduction and
violation at the hands of Shechem ben Chamor, befell him,
followed by his sons' devastating strike against Shechem in
retaliation for the outrage.
20. Accordingly, a w eak or ill person may sit; Meishiv Halachah, O.C.
248.
21. Shach, Y.D. 282:2.
22. Some poskim mention that it is proper to follow until it reaches the
bimah (Chayei Adam 31:42), while others write that it is sufficient to
follow along “a bit” (Sha’arei Efrayim 10:4; Halichos Shelomo 1:12,
note 17).
How did this tragic chain of events come about? How could
Providence have permitted Dina to be subjected to such a
humiliating assault?
Our tradition teaches that many factors contributed to this
disaster. The Torah tells us that Dina went out to associate with
the 'daughters of the land'; the local girls. It seems her objective
was simply to examine their culture and lifestyle. She was taken
to task for this choice, as the verse says: 'kol kevuda bas melech
pnima'; a princess' place is in the home. In mingling with the
gentile population, she compromised her modesty and so she, in
turn, was compromised.
23. Mishnah Berurah 149:7.
24. Aruch ha-Shulchan 149:3; 282:1.
25. Rama, O.C. 149:1.
26. Sha’arei Efrayim 10:4; Kaf ha-Chayim 134:10; 149:10.
27. Pischei She’arim 10:4 quoting Kitzur Shelah; Siddur Tzelosa
d’Avraham, pg. 375; Rav Y.E. Henkin (Eidus l’Yisrael 63); Rav
Y.S.Elyashiv (Ashrei ha-Ish, vol. 1, pg. 133).
In another place, our sages indicate that her behavior was
influenced by her mother, Leah, who, our sages call a "yatzanis;"
one who tends to put herself forward even when not wholly
appropriate. Leah went out to the field to greet Yaakov,
informing him of her desire to be with him that evening. Dina's
desire to go forth "among the daughters of the land" is seen as an
28. Teshuvos Yad Yitzchak, quoted by Beis Baruch 31:171; Teshuvos
Rivam Shneituch, quoted in Tzitz Eliezer 12:40. [Possibly, if the detour
is for the sake of a person who is unable to come to the Torah, i.e., a
handicapped person, it would be permissible.]
29. Mishnah Berurah 147: 29.
18
SHEMA YISRAEL TORAH
NETWORK
outgrowth of her mother's tendency to act in an immoderately
forward manner.
Our sages also view Yaakov as carrying an element of
responsibility for the tragedy that befell Dina as well. Rashi tells
us (chapter 32; verse 22) that before his encounter with Eisav,
Yaakov placed Dina in a chest so that Eisav should not gaze
upon her and desire her as a wife. For this, he was punished by
having her fall into the hands of Shechem. Had Eisav married
Dina, Rashi says, she may have influenced him so profoundly, he
would have repented.
SEDRAH SELECTIONS
by Zvi Akiva Fleisher
PARSHAS VA'YISHLACH 5774 BS"D
Ch. 32, v. 4: "S'dei Edom" - The field of Edom - Why mention a
field? This really means the land of Edom. "The field of" is used
when referring to an inheritance land that is roomy and beautiful.
We similarly find "s'dei Moav, s'dei Arom, s'dei Plishtim."
(Rada"k)
Dina's experience of being locked away from the world in a chest
likely piqued her curiosity, sharpening her desire to investigate
her surroundings. After all, when we excessively restrict our
children from engaging the outside world, the temptation to taste
the forbidden fruits and wander off the reservation is so much
more acute.
Ch. 32, v. 23: "V'es achad ossor y'lodov" - And his eleven sons Rashi comments that Dinoh is not mentioned because she was
hidden in a container. Yaakov feared that Eisov would place his
eyes on her and would take her by force. Rashi goes on to say
that Yaakov was punished through the incident with Sh'chem for
hiding Dinoh from Eisov, because she might have brought him
back to the true path.
Lastly, our sages tell us that Yaakov deserved to have his
daughter abducted for tarrying excessively before returning home
to his parents, who surely missed him and longed to see him.
(Rashi Chapter 35;verse 1).
This is most difficult to understand. Earlier Rashi cites our
Rabbis who praise Leah for crying her eyes out in response to
her possibly becoming Eisov's wife. We find nowhere that she is
criticized for so strongly being against becoming his wife.
The sad and sorry saga that unfolded in Shechem was
precipitated by a complex interplay of factors, as we have seen.
From the perspective of our sages, we gain access to an even
deeper dimension. Through these bizarre events, Hashem was
planting the seeds and orchestrating events for later generations.
Mei'am Loez cites Sefer Chasidim who says that he who is the
grandchild of a "chosid" who is also the child of a "chosid," and
is himself a "chosid" is guaranteed that all his household
members will be good people. Leah was the daughter of Lovon
and was scared and rightfully cried. Dinoh was the daughter of
Yaakov, the son of Yitzchok, so there was nothing to worry
about, hence Yaakov was punished.
Our sages tell us that the union of Dina and Shechem gave birth
to Osnas, who later became the wife of Yosef, the forbears of
two of the twelve tribes, Ephraim and Menashe. For the Divine
plan to be brought to fruition, it was necessary that Yosef marry
one who was born of the union between polar opposites; the
profane and the sacred. Dina's daughter, Osnas, chose to connect
to her mother's spiritual legacy of sanctity.
We might add that this explains why the Torah stresses that
"Dinoh the daughter of Leah went out." Yaakov, by hiding
Dinoh, did not rely on the meritorious three generation
"Chasidim," and hid her. Hence the incident of Dinoh and
Sh'chem is predicated on her being the daughter of Leah and not
being protected by the three generation safety shield. (n.l.)
This fascinating story is but one example of the
multidimensional underpinnings of events that appear
deceptively simple on the surface. The Divine plan that drives
human events is so sublime and unfathomable, we are only
afforded a tiny glimpse from time to time of its breathtaking
sweep.
Ch. 32, v. 27: "Lo asha'leichacho ki im beirachtoni" - I will not
release you unless you have blessed me - The Holy Zohar asks
that Yaakov should have said "t'vorcheini." "Beirachtoni" is in
the past tense. He answers that Yaakov asked of the angel, as the
representative of Eisov, to agree to the blessings that Yitzchok
bestowed upon him and Eisov would thus no longer contest it.
In our own lives, we can learn from the events in this portion
how to view our own lapses of judgment. We tend to blame
ourselves, and often find fault with our upbringing. We examine
our parents' disposition and deflect the blame for our own poor
choices onto our forbearers. But all of this is an exercise in
futility and misses the point.
On a simple level we might say that Yaakov was saying that
even if the angel agrees to bless him, he will not relase him.
"Only after you have already blessed me will I release you."
(n.l.)
This week's portion teaches us that our job is to embrace the
circumstances of our life even if they seem to be the product of
our own faulty judgments. Instead of turning to recrimination,
our task is to view Divine providence, in the context of history
and our own personal lives, as the supreme guiding force. In the
end, all will be understood and revealed as being part of a Divine
plan designed for our own personal benefit and the benefit of the
world at large.
Ch. 34, v. 3: "Va'ye'e'hav es hanaar(oh)" - And he loved the
maiden - Wherever we find the word "naaroh" written without a
letter Hei at its end, it means a quite young girl. When it appears
with a Hei it means a girl who is close to physical maturity.
(Seichel Tov)
Ch. 35, v. 17: "Al teeri ki gam zeh loch bein" - Fear not for this
is also a son to you - Do not fear that you are giving birth to a
girl. (Girls are wonderful. The issue was that Rochel was bent on
being the mother of another tribal head.)
Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos,
Rabbi Naftali Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------Text Copyright © 2014 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org.
Fear not that this is a girl as indicated by your severe labour
pains, as per the statement of our Rabbis, that the birthing pangs
19
for a girl are more severe than for a boy. "Ki gam zeh," even
though this, the more severe pains, "loch bein." (Sforno)
Eisov's household serves numerous idols, so they were
"n'foshos," in the plural form. Yaakov's household served one
Deity only, hence "nefesh." (Vayikra Raboh 4:6)
With each of the boys a twin girl was born. With Binyomin an
extra girl was born. Rochel gave birth to triplets. (Medrash
Lekach Tov)
The word "nefesh" also means a liking, as in "Im yeish es
naf'sh'chem" by the incident of Avrohom and the bnei Cheis. We
can thus say that the household of Eisov was splintered. Each
and every member had a different pursuit. One was into sports,
another theater, another was addicted to the computer, etc., etc.,
etc. This splinters and literally destroys the family fabric. Not so
with Yaakov's family. Everyone was focused on Torah and
mitzvos. (n.l.)
Ch. 35, v. 23: "Bnei Leah" - The sons of Leah - The order of the
listing of the mothers of Yaakov's children is Leah, Rochel,
Bilhoh, and then Zilpoh, (see next three verses). Leah is
mentioned first because she had children first. Although Bilhoh
had a child ahead of Rochel, Rochel is mentioned next, as she
was not a maidservant-wife. Bilhoh was mentioned next because
she gave birth ahead of Zilpoh. (Seichel Tov)
Ch. 36, v. 24: "Hu Anoh asher motzo es ha'yeimim" - He is Anoh
who discovered the mules - Rashi explains that Anoh crossbred a
horse with a donkey and a mule resulted. Rashi comments in
parshas Toldos where everything Yitzchok touched became
fabulously successful that people said, "We prefer the dung of
Yitzchok's mules to the gold of Avimelech." Since mules had not
existed until Anoh crossbred there were no mules.
Ch. 35, v. 29: "Va'yik'b'ru oso Eisov v'Yaakov bonov" - Anf
Eisov and Yaakov his sons buried him - Eisov is mentioned
ahead of Yaakov because he was the firstborn. Yaakov did not
make an issue of Eisov's being given primary position at the
burial because they had finally made peace with each other and
he did not want to upset the situation. However, by the burial of
Avrohom the verse says that Yitzchok and Yishmo'eil buried
him, mentioning Yitzchok first. This is because Yitzchok was the
son of Soroh, while Yishmo'eil was the son of the maidservant
Hogor. (Rada"k)
The gemara Psochim 54 cites Rabbon Shimon ben Gamliel who
says that mules only came into existence through Anoh's doing,
while Rabbi Yosi says that they were around since the creation of
the world. Rabbi Yosi could surely explain "motzo" of our verse
to mean that he discovered a group of mules or that he
discovered a way of reproducing them. However, Rashi's
comment on our verse follows Rabbon Shimon ben Gamliel and
his comment earlier is perplexing. Help would be appreciated.
The Meshech Chochmoh says that it was of utmost importance to
mention Yitzchok ahead of Yishmo'eil by Avrohom's burial.
Yishmo'eil openly declared that Yitzchok was not even
Avrohom's son, but rather Avimelech's. Rashi mentions that
Yishmo'eil repented. The need to repent for claiming that
Yitzchok was the son of Avimelech was a foremost component
in his repentance. This is why the verse says that he took second
place at the funeral. This was his public display of admitting that
Yitzchok was indeed Avrohom's son.
------------------------------------------------------------------
TORAH MITZION
by Rabbi Ben Zion Sobel
VAYISHLACH
"And it came to pass on the third day, when they were
in pain, that two of Ya'akov's sons, Shim'on and Levi,
Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and they came
upon the city confidently, and killed every male"
(Bereishis 34:21).
Ch. 36, v. 1: "V'eileh toldos Eisov" - And these are the
generations of Eisov - Why is it necessary to list his
descendants? Some commentators say that since there will be a
prohibition to attack Edom, by listing the names of the
descendants we can (up to a point) know who is an Edomi.
Rashi brings a Midrash which says that this passage is meant to
criticize Shim'on and Levi that although they were Ya'akov's
sons, they acted as if they were not, since they did not take
counsel with him.
Seichel Tov answers that we read through them and clearly run
into a problem understanding the chain of genealogy, as Rashi
points out. To answer these issues we come to the conclusion
that there was severe sinning, fathers mating with their
daughters, etc. thus the lesson imparted is that we should know
that Eisov's descendants were illegitimates, "mamzeirim."
One of the basic tenets of Judaism is that one should always
confer with a Tzaddik (a righteous man) and ask his advice.
However, it is not enough to ask; one must also hearken. The
following story is about two people; one obeyed and one did not.
Ch. 36, v. 1,8,9: "Eisov hu Edom, Eisov hu Edom, Eisov avi
Edom" - Eisov is Edom, Eisov is Edom, Eisov the father of
Edom - Which is it? Is he Edom himself or the father of Edom?
Rabbeinu Myuchos writes that he himself was called Edom and
he was the father of the people who were the nation of Edom.
Rabbi Shlomo Brevda, shlita, tells that in the Yeshiva of Mir
there were two American students who were very sick with a rare
disease which the local doctors did not know how to treat. The
Mashgiach of the yeshiva, Rabbi Yeruchem Levovitz ztvk"l, sent
them to a big Rabbi who lived far from Mir to ask him about a
certain doctor who lived in his neighborhood. He warned them to
be careful of two things: 1) to tell that Rabbi every single detail
and to obey him strictly; 2) to visit the holy Chofetz Chaim on
the way and ask for his blessing. Under no circumstances, he
said, should they continue on their journey without a blessing
from him.
Ch. 36, v. 4: "Elifoz" - The Rokei'ach (ksav yad) writes that this
name is sourced from his serving a golden form of a goat. This is
"eili," my god, "poz," is gold.
Ch. 36, v. 4: "U'Vosmas yoldoh es R'u'eil" - And Bosmas gave
birth to R'u'eil - In verses 2 and 3 we see that Eisov first married
Oholivomoh and then Bosmas. Why then does our verse mention
whom Bosmas gave birth to ahead of Oholivomoh in the next
verse? Eisov married Oholivomoh first but Bosmas gave birth
first. (Rabbi Avrohom ben hoRambam)
The two traveled to Radin and visited the home of the Chofetz
Chaim. The family let them in but warned them that due to his
advanced age, the Rabbi was libel to fall asleep during the
conversation and not awaken for several hours. Sure enough, as
soon as they finished telling him their problem, the old Tzaddik
Ch. 36, v. 6: "V'es kol nafshos beiso" - And all the souls of his
household - The 70 members of Yaakov's household that
descended to Egypt were called "shivim nefesh," in the singular.
20
dozed off. After several hours had passed and the Rabbi still had
not awakened, the fellows began to worry that they would miss
their train. But suddenly the Chofetz Chaim awoke and gave
them his blessing.
bearing totally confounded the hoodlums, and they became even
more violent. When their frenzy reached its peak, the Rav
abruptly stood up and unbuttoned his shirt! With his chest
revealed, he addressed the gang in a loud and determined voice:
"I am prepared to sanctify Hashem's name! Shoot me! I promise
you I will not move one inch!" R. Zonnenfeld then proceeded to
give a short synopsis of his basic views and beliefs. In reaction to
this unexpected move, the stunned hoodlums quickly left the
house.
After that they visited the other Rabbi who told them that if the
doctors advise that they be operated upon, they should insist
upon a certain surgeon only. One of them obeyed and insisted on
that surgeon. He was healed of his disease. When he returned to
the USA, he told his doctors what he had undergone and they
said that only one doctor could have performed that operation
successfully. They told him his name and, sure enough, it was
the surgeon who had worked on him.
Later on, the Rav explained his strange behavior and the secret of
his success, relating the following story to his students:
In Poland there was a shtetl called Schadik. A moser (an
"informer," a Jew who reported on his fellow Jews and was a
lackey of the authorities) lived in this shtetl, and he caused
tremendous problems for the Jewish townsfolk. The people were
terrified of provoking him, and fulfilled his every demand in the
hope of keeping him pacified. In his chutzpah, he insisted that
they seat him in the mizrach section (reserved for the most
respected members of the community) of the town's main
synagogue, and that on Shabbos they give him the most
honorable aliyah of the day - the sixth one. Unfortunately, the
town's elderly Rav was sick and frail, and was powerless to do
anything about the situation.
The other student was not as lucky. When it was his turn to be
operated upon, that surgeon was not available and the doctors
told him that it was not wise to put off the surgery and that the
other surgeon is just as capable. He listened to their advice and
not to the Tzaddik's, and, unfortunately, he died three days after
the operation.
The students of the Mirrer Yeshiva tell that for half a year the
Mashgiach mentioned these two students at the end of every one
of his discourses. He would say: "One of them obeyed; the other
did not."
May we always follow the good advice of our Torah Sages. Then
we will surely be happy in this world and in the World-to-Come.
When the old Rav passed away, a younger and very capable
Torah scholar was appointed in his place. This new Rav was
looking forward to his new position in a quiet small town, so that
he could concentrate on his studies with little disturbance. He
had a small beis midrash built next to his house, where he prayed
and served his Creator with tremendous devotion, studying Torah
day and night.
----------------------------------------------------------
WEEKLY CHIZUK
By Rabbi Eliezer Parkoff
Parshas Vayishlach
Think Good of Your Enemies
Eventually, the moser's wickedness and his arrogant behavior in
shul came to the new Rav's attention. He immediately resolved to
perform the mitzvah of "do not fear any man" and put a stop to
the informer's impudence.
And he prostrated himself on the ground seven times
until he came near to his brother. (Bereishis 33:3)
Excerpt from Trust Me!
That Shabbos, the Rav appeared in the main synagogue. When
the gabbai called up the moser for his aliyah, the Rav banged on
his podium and cried out, "What business do you have in this
holy place?! How can you say a blessing over the Torah with
your filthy and disgusting mouth that betrays the money and
lives of our people?! Your presence here is a mockery and an
affront to God. I demand that you leave here and never return!"
The Chovos Ha-Levavos: Sha'ar Ha-Bitachon, ch. 4 writes:
When you are confronted by people seeking to degrade you, put
your trust in the Creator and endure their calumny. Do not return
their deeds in kind. Rather, treat them benevolently and seek out
their well-being. Remember that one's lot - whether good or ill is determined by the Creator Above. Therefore, if your enemies
succeed in harming you, it is the Almighty who is responsible
and not them. It follows that you should judge them favorably
and instead fault yourself and your own actions in sinning
against God. Beseech and entreat Him for atonement of your
transgressions. When you conduct yourself in this fashion, your
antagonists will be transformed into your allies, as is written:
"When a person's ways are favorable to Hashem, even his
enemies make peace with him." (Mishlei 16:7)
The shocked moser was caught totally by surprise. He made as if
to attack the new Rav, but was prevented from doing so by the
congregants. Having no choice, the enraged man departed in
shame. However, before taking his leave, he faced the Rav and
ominously pronounced, "I'll teach you a lesson yet!"
Several months after this clash, the Rav was invited to serve as
mohel at a bris in one of the neighboring towns. Some of his
students accompanied him on the journey. As the group was
making their way toward the shtetl, they discerned the moser
galloping toward them on his horse. The students were paralyzed
with fear, but the Rav remained calm and tranquil. The moser
bore down upon them in seconds. He alighted from his horse and
swiftly made his way towards the Rav. The students expected the
worst, but to their astonishment, the moser stood before the Rav
with a bent head and humbly asked, "Please, Rebbe, forgive me
for my sinful and grievous behavior against you." As soon as he
finished speaking, he mounted his horse and rode off.
* * * The Siddur HaGra in Keser Rosh, section 119 writes:
The Vilna Gaon teaches us a tried and true method for dealing
with our adversaries: If we honestly bring ourselves to consider
them perfect tzaddikim and judge them favorably, they will have
an immediate change of heart and hold us in high regard.
* * * The following is excerpted from Ha-Ish Al Ha-Chomah,
vol. 3, p. 346, also cited in Yalkut Lekach Tov, vol. 1, p. 190.
Once, a gang of hoodlums broke into the home of R. Yosef
Chaim Zonnenfeld zt"l, the Rabbi of Jerusalem, and threatened
to kill him. At first the Rav answered them calmly and coolly,
seemingly oblivious to their ranting and raving . His tranquil
As the astounded students accompanied their Rebbe to their
destination, he explained the wondrous turn of events they had
21
witnessed: "When I saw the moser galloping toward us, I
mentally searched the Tanach for a strategy to save us. I
suddenly thought of the verse in Mishlei (27:19): 'As water
reflects one's face, so does one's heart reflect that of his fellow.'
With this in mind, I immediately started to judge the man
compassionately. I began to think: 'He has sunk to the lowest
level of humanity and deserves our pity. How sad and dejected
he must be! Who knows? Perhaps if he would have received the
right education when he was a child, he wouldn't have descended
to such depths.' I focused on thoughts such as these, trying to
find some way to excuse his behavior until I truly felt sorry for
him and uprooted from my heart all feelings of enmity toward
him. When I did so, my compassion was reflected in his heart,
just as Shlomo Ha-Melech said. He started to reconsider our
previous encounter. 'Perhaps the Rav is right. He certainly acted
solely out of pure intentions. He didn't mean to start a fight. ' As
he thought about this, his heart started to soften and melt until he
finally came to regret his actions and ask forgiveness."
Torah he would be protected from an army coming to war
against him?
2) Ch. 32, v. 7: "Bonu el ochicho el Eisov" - We have come to
your brother Eisov - Why doesn't the verse say that they also did
Yaakov's bidding, namely to relate Yaakov's message of verses 5
and 6?
3) Ch. 32, v. 9: "V'hoyoh hamacha'neh hanishor lifleitoh" - And
the camp that will remain will escape - How was Yaakov assured
of this?
4) Ch. 34, v. 30: "Va'yomer Yaakov el Shimon v'el Levi
achartem osi" - And Yaakov said to Shimon and Levi you have
made me murky - How can we explain Yaakov's complaint to
Shimon and Levi not as a concern that they riled up the
surrounding people to fight in response to their killing out
Sh'chem, but as a complaint that they have shown that they are
weak?
5) Ch. 35, v. 5: "Va'y'hi chitas Elokim al he'orim asher
svivoseihem" - And there was the fear of Elokim upon the cities
surrounding them - What brought on this fear?
Concluding the story, R. Zonnenfeld noted that Ya'akov Avinu
employed this very same strategy in his encounter with Eisav
(parashas Vayishlach). When Ya'akov's messengers returned
from their meeting with Eisav, they told him: "We came to your
brother, to Eisav" (Bereishis 32:7). Rashi explains that their
intent in identifying him both as "your brother" and as "Eisav"
was to tell Ya'akov that, "You might have said he is your brother,
but he is still consumed with hatred and relates to you like the
wicked Eisav."
ANSWERS:
#1
Bris Sholo-m cites a gemara Yerushalmi Taanis that very much
parallels this concept. In chapter 3 the gemara relates that a
regimen of warring soldiers was on its way to the community in
which Levi bar Sissi resided. He picked up a Torah scroll and
announced, "If I am lacking even one mitzvoh written in this
Holy Torah Scroll may the soldiers come and attack our
community, but if not, may they avoid our community." They
immediately took a detour and avoided his community.
"But," continued R. Zonnenfeld, "this was not the end of the
story. While it is true that Eisav hates Ya'akov, Ya'akov also
hates Eisav, as it says in Tehillim (139:21): 'Your enemies,
Hashem, I shall hate.' Thus the story in Bereishis continues: 'And
Ya'akov lifted up his eyes and saw and behold, Eisav was
coming with four hundred men.' What did Ya'akov do when he
saw the danger drawing near him? 'And he prostrated himself on
the ground seven times until he came near to his brother.'
(Bereishis 33:3). In other words, Ya'akov bowed down and
humbled his thoughts. He searched for any good points he could
think of about Eisav 'until he came near to his brother' - until he
considered him as being his brother. The result was not long in
coming, for immediately afterwards we read: 'Eisav ran toward
him and hugged him.' By thinking about him in a good light,
Ya'akov succeeded in arousing feelings of brotherly compassion
in Eisav. Rashi, quoting a Midrash, states this explicitly: "R.
Shimon bar Yochai said, 'It is a known axiom that Eisav hates
Ya'akov. However, at that moment he was overwhelmed with
compassion and he kissed him wholeheartedly.'"
#2
Yaakov sent his messengers to get an understanding of Eisov's
attitude. He reasoned that if Eisov would be found in Sei'ir, the
place of his residence, then his ire was not aroused and Yaakov
could feel secure. If however, they would find Eisov on the road
to Canaan, and possibly with a sizeable army in tow, then it was
obvious that Eisov was ready to do battle. It was only if they
would find Eisov relaxed that they should relate the words of
appeasement. If it seemed that he was coming for a confrontation
it would be counter-productive to speak kindly to him, as this
would indicate weakness on Yaakov's part. When they saw that
Eisov was on his way to meet Yaakov, having left his residence
to enter Canaan, and with 400 men in tow, they said nothing to
Eisov, and quickly returned to report to Yaakov. (Abarbanel)
Gut Shabbos!
#3
---------------------------------------------------------------------
He placed the second camp a distance of further than one day of
travel from the other. Rivkoh said/ prophesied that she would
lose both her sons in one day. Yaakov remained in the camp that
Eisov would encounter earlier. If Eisov would be successful and
ch"v kill them to a man, including Yaakov, he would not remain
alive beyond that day, and in turn could not reach the second
camp. They would surely be saved. (Chanukas haTorah and
Nachal K'dumim) A somewhat similar story is told of the GR"A.
A rabid anti-Semite heard of the great sanctity and wisdom of the
GR"A. He was held in great reverence even by the gentile
population, and this especially made the anti-Semite's blood boil.
He captured the GR"A and told him that he would now disprove
the GR"A's ability to know all. He asked the GR"A when he, the
GR"A would die. He added, "If you answer 'Today,' then I will
keep you alive until tomorrow. If you answer any later day, then
© Rabbi Eliezer Parkoff
Rosh Yeshiva
Yeshiva Shaare Chaim.
CHAMISHOH MI YO'DEI'A
by Zvi Akiva Fleisher
FIVE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON
PARSHAS VA'YISHLACH 5774 - BS"D
1) Ch. 32, v. 5: "Im Lovon garti" - I have sojourned with Lovon Rashi comments that "garti" has the numeric value of 613,
"taryag," and Yaakov sent a covert message to Eisov. "Don't do
war with me because I have the merit of keeping all 613 mitzvos
of the Torah." Where in the Talmud do we have an incident that
is similar to this message of Yaakov, that through the merit of the
22
I will kill you today." The GR"A answered that he would die on
the same day that his capture would die. He had sufficient fear of
the GR"A's spirituality to not harm him, and had to let him go.
The story, of course, ends with - and they both died on the same
day. This is "mipi hashmu'oh" and not confirmed.
they were holy Jewish people who, due to circumstances beyond
their control, didn't know better. He was careful not to speak
down about them even in a situation where he was involved in a
battle for the sake of Torah. Our words have great effect. Use
them with care.
#4
Shabbat Shalom. Rabbi Reuven Semah
Mei'am Lo'eiz cites the Sha"ch who explains Yaakov's words as
follows: Until now all the surrounding communities were afraid
of us, assuming that we are exceedingly powerful and capable of
vanquishing any number of people. Now that you have slain the
men of this city through the use of a ploy, rather than simply
warring with them when they are hale and hardy, they will
assume that we are not as strong as they thought, and would be
willing to fight us.
***
"Esav said, 'I have plenty'…And Ya'akob said, 'I have
everything'" (Beresheet 33:9-11)
When Esav saw the lavish gift given to him by his brother,
Ya'akob, he tried to demur and say he has plenty, he doesn't need
this gift. However, Ya'akob insisted and in his statement back to
Esav, he said, "I have everything." This slight contrast in their
attitude towards materialism says much about their different
values and priorities. Esav, who favors this world and all of its
alluring possessions, says he has plenty. He may have a
tremendous amount, but he still says it's only plenty, not all.
There's always room for more! Ya'akob, whose goal in life is to
become closer to Hashem, using his worldly possessions to
achieve spiritual accomplishments, says, "I have it all!
Everything I have is enough for me. I am not missing anything!"
#5
1) The nearby communities reasoned that if two young sons of
Yaakov were able to wipe out Sh'chem, surely all his sons
combined would be victorious over even a large army. (Medrash
Lekach Tov)
2) The nearby communities witnessed Yaakov lifting up the
"olloh" tree, placing the "elohei neichor" under it, and replacing
the tree into the ground, all this with his bare hands. This display
of great strength threw fear into them. (Medrash Hagodol)
There is a fellow who was buying a new car, and after weeks of
shopping and planning, finally got the one he was looking for.
The right color, the right interior, and all of the right accessories,
as much as he could afford. His happiness lasted one day,
because the next day, his neighbor bought the higher priced
model with all the new gadgets, and parked it right next door.
The first one who bought the car that he could afford all of a
sudden lost his excitement because he didn't have it all!
3) The nearby communities wanted to go to war, but Hashem
broke up the ground below them to a very great depth, and also
set fire to an area between them and the bnei Yisroel. This put
great fear into their hearts. (Medrash Agodoh)
----------------------------------------------------------
Are we similar to Esav, who could always use more and are not
happy with what we have because something can always be
added, or are we like Ya'akob, that whatever we have is
everything? Shabbat Shalom. Rabbi Shmuel Choueka
JERSEY SHORE
PARASHAT VAYISHLAH
Haftarah: Obadiah 1: 1-21
NOVEMBER 15-16, 2013 16 KISLEV 5774
***
RABBIS' MESSAGES
MAGNIFYING GLASS
"And it came to pass as her soul was departing - for she
had died." (Beresheet 35:18)
When I was young, a boy with a magnifying glass could easily
be the center of attention during recess or after school. He would
gather his friends, get a piece of paper, and focus a beam of
bright sunlight through the magnifier until it was concentrated on
one tiny spot. Seconds later the paper would start to burn ,and his
friends would shower him with accolades as if he had just hit a
game-winning home run.
Rachel Imenu passed away tragically at a young age during
childbirth. The Zohar says the reason she passed away young
was due to a statement made by Ya'akob Abinu. When Ya'akob
left Laban's home to return to his homeland, he left without
informing Laban. Laban pursued Ya'akob and when he finally
caught up with Ya'akob, he accused Ya'akob of stealing his idols.
Ya'akob was sure no one had stolen his idols, so he said, "With
whomever you find your gods, he shall not live" (Beresheet
31:32). Little did he know that Rachel had stolen the idols. The
Angel of Death took the words of Ya'akob and used them to hurt
Rachel until she passed away. From here we learn how important
it is to be careful with one's words. Do not say anything that
gives an opening to the Angel of Death. This is even more
important concerning a Torah scholar, because his words are
more potent, as we can see with Ya'akob, who declared that the
thief should die even though he didn't know that it was Rachel
who took them.
The boy's great feat was really not so difficult. It was merely a
matter of concentrating the sun's power on a single spot.
In contrast, many of us can't focus our energy on the spot where
it will be most effective. Overwhelmed with multiple
responsibilities, and surrounded by "time-saving" devices that, in
actuality, consume out time, we try to do it all - simultaneously.
As we attempt to multi-task, we pile up lists of unfinished
business and incomplete projects until our "to do" list becomes
overwhelming and meaningless.
The trick to success is to focus your energy on the task at hand.
When you are reading, you should not be listening to the radio,
and when you are eating, you should not be reading. Whenever
you are involved in something, do it to the exclusion of all other
distractions that come your way. Turn off your electronic
interrupters when praying, working on a project, or having a
serious conversation.
We find great Rabbis who were very careful not to speak
derogatorily about Jews despite the fact that they desecrated the
Shabbat. Rabbi Aharon Rokeach zt"l, the late Belzer Rebbe, was
speaking about secular Jews. He described them as "Jews who
don't differentiate between Shabbat and Sunday." In his eyes
23
When you are involved in something and an "intruder" tries to
interrupt, finish what you're doing! Do it well, and then you can
attend to something else. Your concentrated efforts will unleash
powers that will enhance your success rate day after day. (One
Minute With Yourself - Rabbi Raymond Beyda)
partners, and the matter was brought before the local rabbi, who
was younger than Rabbi Ya'akov and also less learned. The local
rabbi heard both sides, and then ruled in favor of Rabbi Ya'akov's
partner, saying that Rabbi Ya'akov had to pay his partner
damages.
---------------------------------------------------
Vayishlach
Rabbi Ya'akov was convinced that the decision was mistaken
and he left the rabbi angrily. In the evening his partner went to
visit him, and rebuked him for his behavior, saying that he
should have accepted the rabbi's decision.
"and he (Yaakov) arose in the night and took his two
wives......and his elevan children........(32:23)
Rabbi Ya'akov answered, "How can I accept a decision that is
wrong?"
Rashi comments based on Medrash Bereishis Rabbah(80:3) that
why does the verse say elevan children instead of
twelve.......where was Dinah? Dinah was hidden from Esau
because Yaakov feared that perhapes Esau would wish to marry
her........,and thus Dinah was molested by Shechem(verse 34:1)
as a punishment to Yaakov for withholding a kindness from Esau
his brother (refer to Rashi(32:23) and the medrash rabbah (80: 3)
A question can be asked,why did the Torah teach us the reason
for Yakovs punishment in such a round about manner, wouldnt it
be better to tell us outright the reason for Dinahs tragedy? We
can Bezer Hash. learn a very valuable lesson in that just as the
Torah is hiding the reason for Dinahs tragedy, a persons
motivations are also hidden from the public domain.
"Well, if that's what you think," challenged the partner, "Let's
take out the Shulchan Aruch and look it up. Then we'11 see if he
was right or wrong."
BIGDEI KEHUNAH
by Yehuda Katz
After searching in the Choshen Mishpat section of the Shulchan
Aruch, Rabbi Ya'akov found to his surprise that the local rabbi
was actually correct in his decision, and he was the one who had
made a mistake.
"You see," said the partner "now I think it appropriate that you
go and ask forgiveness from the rabbi for the way you acted
when he gave his decision."
"Just askforgiveness?" repliedRabbiYa'akov, "Ihaveto go andask
him to give me an official reprimand (nezifah) for my despicable
behavior."
However, only G_D knows a persons real intent.For every action
there are 2 basic components (1) the action itself, and(2) the
motivation behind the action......For a deed to be considered
complete and pure , both these components must be pure. To
mere mortals an act might appear proper, but only G-d knows a
persons true intent.......Hiding Dinah at first glance seems to be
justified,namely protecting her from an evil man, but how do we
know if yakovs intent was pure? Was Yakov concerned about
Dinah or did he wish to withhold a kindness from Esaw? Only
the Torah can reveal the truth , because only G-d knows a
persons real motivations............The lesson to us is that we must
analyze our motivations....A person should be ever cognizant of
the fact that G-d is aware of our intentions ..........However, when
dealing with our inner selves we must always be kind and
gentle....Never should a person ,chas vesholom,feel a sense of
frustration from his or her lack of good intent.......Our goal is to
grow and improve at a resonable pace which is suitable for our
unique persona........Even if we discover our intentions to be
dainted, we should still do good deeds.......and if we try to
improve ,surely Hash. is aware of our efforts to better ourselves
.......................Have a good Shabbos......
With that RabbiYa'akov wentto see the rabbi. When he gotthere,
he took off his shoes, and admitted that the rabbi was correct in
his decision, and he then asked to be given an official reprimand.
This incident made a great impression on the people of the town,
since Rabbi Ya'akov, a renowned posek and author, had enough
humility to admit that he was wrong and to insist that he be
reprimanded by the much younger rabbi. As a result of this
incident the two rabbis became friends, and greatly respected and
loved one another. (HIZAHARU Bl-CHVOD CHAVRElCHEM,
p. 231)
Rabbi Ya'akov managed to use his mistake to begin a true
friendship and to engender love between himself and the other
rabbi. So too must we use all means possible to establish and
enhance the love between ourselves and our spouses. Love must
be expressed constantly in order for it to flourish.
Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish said, "G-d and Israel share a love
described with three phrases of endearment: clinging, desiring
and wanting.
Clinging, as it is written, 'And you, who cling to G-d, your L-rd;'
desiring, as it is written, 'G-d desires you;' and wanting, as it is
written, 'That you will be a wanted land.'
---------------------------------------------------------------
BELOVED COMPANIONS
by Rabbi Yisroel Pesach Feinhandler
We learn it from the descriptions of [the love for Dinah felt by]
the wicked one [Shechem, son of Chamor]. The Torah used the
phrase 'clinging': 'And his soul clung to Dinah the daughter of
Ya'akov.' He used the phrase 'desiring': 'The heart of my son
Shechem desires your daughter.' He used the phrase 'wanting':
'And the young man did not hesitate to do the thing, because he
wanted the daughter of Ya'akov. (YALKUT 134)
Vayishlach
Expressing Love
And his soul clung to Dinah the daughter of Ya'akov, and he
loved the maiden, and spoke kindly unto her... And Chamor
spoke with them, saying, "The heart of my son Shechem desires
your daughter; please give her to him for a wife."... And the
young man did not hesitate to do the thing, because he wanted
the daughter of Ya'akov; and he was the most honored person in
all of the house of his father. (BERESHIS 34:3, 8, 19)
How is it possible that we can we learn how to articulate our love
for G-d from the descriptions of the love felt by such a wicked
person as Shechem?
After his marriage, Rabbi Ya'akov Lorberbaum, the famous
author of Chavas Daas, went into business with a partner. It
happened once that a financial disagreement arose between the
Do we need to find different phrases to express our love?
24
There is a general principle, that we can learn from our physical
urges how we should yearn to fulfill our obligations to G-d. This
rule is demonstrated in the verse where it says: "If you will seek
it as silver, and search for it as a hidden treasure, then you will
understand the fear of G-d." Since the craving for wealth, such as
silver and treasure, is a deeply imbedded human desire, we
should learn from it the amount of effort required of us in our
search for the fear of Heaven.
activity in the world more important than your marriage?
Marriage is like a flower that must be nurtured and carefully
tended; without the necessary attention it will wither. Make
yourself a note to help you to remember to bring home a small
gift for your wife or to take her out somewhere at least once a
month or even once a week It is also a good idea to call home
from work in the middle of the day just to show your wife that
you love her.
When we are searching for a way of expressing our love for G-d
and our desire to be close to Him, we cannot find a hefter
example than that of how Shechem expressed his passion for
Dinah. Shechem was a person who lived only for love and desire.
His desire was so strong, that he convinced his father and later
his entire nation to comply with the unusually severe terms that
the sons of Ya'akov had imposed upon them, just so that he could
be able to satisfy his desires.
When a person first gets married, love is expressed constantly.
But as time goes on, it is taken more for granted. In reality, the
longer people are married the more they should show their love
for their spouses since they have much more to be thankful for. If
love is not shown, it can eventually disappear entirely. The way
of strengthening love between a couple is for each partner to
show the love that they feel in their hearts through words and
actions.
And so this is why, when we want to learn how to express love
for G-d, Shechem is the best example to follow, because the love
and desire he felt was the most ardent possible. We can apply his
example of physical love to learn how strong and deep a love can
possibly be, then apply this lesson to a spiritual context in order
to teach us how much we must strive to love G-d.
When a spouse shows love, the other must be careful to return it.
If a woman went out of her way to make a special dish or to get
dressed nicely for her husband, then he must show that he notices
it and reciprocate. If a husband brings a gift to his wife, or he
offers to help her, she must show her love in response. When a
spouse initiates an act or words of kindness it is doubly
important to respond in kind lest the other feel hurt.
To develop such a powerful love requires expressing one's own
feelings of closeness and appreciation in a variety of ways. It is
not enough to say simply that you love someone; when you say it
in many different ways, you show how strong that love is. The
love itself becomes stronger in your heart when you talk about it
sincerely and ardently. This is true of both human love and our
love for G-d. We see that just as it works in the case in human
love, so too, when we find a variety of ways to express our love
for G-d, then the love in our hearts grows stronger.
Just as G-d shows His love to us by expressing it in so many
ways, so must we also express our love to our spouses in many
different ways. This can only strengthen a marriage and make it
blossom like a beautiful flower.
--------------------------------------------------------------This article is provided as part of Shema Yisrael Torah Network
Permission is granted to redistribute electronically or on paper, provided that
this notice is included intact. For information on subscriptions, archives, and
other Shema Yisrael Classes, send mail to [email protected]
Express Your Love for Your Spouse in Words
OTHER
In marriage it is very important and necessary to learn to I
verbally express your love. If you feel love in your heart, your
spouse needs to be told about it, so that she can return the love
that you feel.
The more ways you express your love, the more the message will
get across to your spouse that you deeply love her. It should be
conveyed through verbal expression, and of course these words
must be accompanied by suitable actions, such as helping out,
spending time together, bringing your spouse an occasional gift,
etc. Each time a spouse expresses love, the love itself becomes
stronger. Every expression of love adds a new layer of
reinforcement to the structure of a marriage.
RABBI WEIN
By Rabbi Berel Wein
VAYISHLACH
Monday, November 11, 2013
Some men try to demonstrate their love by showing physical
affection to their wives. But women need more than that. They
also want to hear words that express admiration. They long for
their husbands to tell them how much they are appreciated. You
must show your love in words as well as actions. Words will
give deeper meaning to your actions, and in actions will give
content to your words.
Many commentators over the ages have seen in the two
confrontations between Yaakov and Eisav – first the struggle
with Eisav’s angel and then the meeting with Eisav in the flesh –
the two-front war that Judaism and the Jewish people have been
forced to fight over millennia in order to simply survive.
The struggle with Eisav’s angel, as described in the parsha,
represents a spiritual and intellectual fight, a contest of ideas,
beliefs and debate. The meeting with the physical Eisav in turn
represents the struggle of the Jewish people to simply stay alive
in a bigoted, cruel, and nearly fatal environment.
Every person needs encouragement. By giving our spouses the
proper encouragement, the bond between us becomes stronger,
since our spouses see that we believe in them. Do not hesitate to
express to your spouse something positive you perceive about
them. These words of encouragement greatly help your spouse to
succeed, and also generate more love between the two of you.
Yaakov does not escape unscathed from either confrontation. He
is crippled physically and somewhat impoverished financially.
Eisav’s “evil eye” gazes upon his children and Yaakov is
relieved to escape alive, even if damaged in body and purse,
If a person is involved in business or other activities, he is liable
to forget to express his love for his wife. Is business or any other
25
separating himself from Eisav physically and from his
civilization and worldview.
Judaism and Jewish life to help reverse current trends and
demographic and social realities.
The scenario is pretty much set for the long dance of Jewish
history, with the Jews always attempting to survive in a
constantly challenging and brutal society governed by Eisav. The
rabbis of Midrash discussed the possibilities of coexistence and
even cooperation with Eisav.
For decades, official American Jewry has been trapped by its
own public relations sloganeering. No one can be against a more
soulful Jewish public. But what exactly does the word soulful
mean? In what context is the word to be translated into deed and
attitude? In short, what and where is the key to reaching and
opening the shriveled soul of American Jewish society?
Though this debate did not result in any permanent or convincing
conclusion, the opinion of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai that Eisav’s
hatred of Yaakov is completely irrational and implacable seems
to be borne out by history, past and present. The anti-Semitism in
today’s seemingly enlightened world is so pervasive as to be
frightening. And we seem to be powerless to do anything about
it.
Truth be said, it does not appear to be in the existing structure of
organized Jewish life in America. Organizational meetings,
banquets, dinners and conferences are all important events but
none of them really create a soulful atmosphere. The scruffy
business of fundraising and organizational turf protection or
expansion all gets in the way of soulfulness.
As is painfully obvious to all, these struggles for continued
Jewish existence are ongoing and seemingly unending. All of the
foreign ideas and current fads of Western society stand almost
unanimously opposed to Torah values and traditional lifestyle.
The angel of Eisav changes his program from time to time, but
he is always opposed to Torah and moral behavior.
This, by the very nature of the matter, apparently cannot be
helped or avoided. But it is a reality that should be recognized. It
is apparent that it is outside of the realm of official organized
Jewish leadership that soulfulness must be created and pursued.
Organizational life, no matter how efficiently structured and
well-intentioned can only achieve practical results in the physical
world. It is too sterile an enterprise to affect the soul.
He wavers from totalitarian extreme conservatism to wild
liberalism but always is able to wound the Jewish psyche and
body no matter what philosophy or culture he now advocates.
We limp today from this attack on Jewish values and Torah study
and practice.
In Jewish tradition the house of worship, of prayer, was meant to
be a soulful place. It was not meant to be a place of
entertainment or even of the mere fulfillment of a religious
obligation. It was meant to be a place where one could converse
with one’s own inner self and thereby with one’s Creator. It was
and is governed by physical rules and set texts in order to help
the one praying to achieve that goal of inner and lofty
communication.
Jewish parents in America sue school boards for anti-Semitic
attitudes, policies and behavior. Yet they would not dream of
sending their children to a Jewish school or giving them an
intensive Jewish education. The lawsuit is the indicator of the
limp inflicted upon us by Eisav’s cultural angel.
But the rabbis characterized it as a place of “kavanah” – a
Hebrew word that almost defies translation because of its
exquisite sense of nuance. The word is loosely translated as
direction or intent or concentrated fervor but in terms of prayer it
really signifies connection with one’s own soul and thereby with
its Creator.
All agree that Europe is currently a lost continent as far as Jews
are concerned. The question most asked of travel agents by Jews
today is “Can I wear a kippah on the street there?” Billions of
dollars of Jewish treasure pillaged during World War II and
immediately thereafter still lie in the hands of Eisav.
I have experienced such a place a few times in my lifetime. The
first was as a child in my father’s large synagogue in Chicago on
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur when the synagogue was filled
with Eastern European Jews and their prayers rose as a storm
sweeping all before it. Their roar of anguish and awe was a
soulful experience.
And yet we certainly would be satisfied if the world just let us
alone but that seems to be a forlorn hope. So our struggle
continues but the Lord’s promise to us that we will somehow
prevail remains valid and true. And that is our hope for
continuing on as loyal and steadfast Jews.
Shabat shalom
Later in life I read about the experience of the great Jewish
philosopher Franz Rosenzweig serving with the German army in
Poland in World War I. A completely assimilated German Jew,
engaged to marry a non-Jew, he wandered into a small
nondescript synagogue in a Polish village on Yom Kippur night
and the experience of that prayer service transformed him
forever. Our synagogues and prayer services are certainly sterile
and cold in comparison.
Rabbi Berel Wein
The house of study was also meant to be a place of soulful
inspiration. I remember the moment when, at fifteen, the study of
Talmud was transformed within me from a chore and an
assignment into a joy and a spiritual experience, I had teachers
that enabled me to feel that way and that allowed me to draw
inspiration from the white spaces and not only from the black
letters on the page.
MORE SOULFUL
Monday, November 11, 2013
The organizations that claim to represent American Jewry meet
this week in their annual General Assembly gathering. Once
every five years this meeting takes place in Jerusalem, while
rotating around American cities the other four years of the cycle.
Surveying the wreckage of much of current American Jewish
society, there is now a call for a much more soulful approach to
Torah study was meant not only to provide necessary knowledge
but it also, just as importantly, was meant to create a conduit to
one’s own soul and being. That is why the rabbis stated that there
26
stating, “Not from a thread to a shoelace nor from anything that
is yours will I take; you shall not say, ‘I have made Avram
rich.’” (Bereshis 14:23) Our forefathers uniformly refused to
accept the largesse of evil people, knowing the dangers lurking in
too close a connection, particularly a financial connection,
between themselves and those who pose a spiritual threat.
were seventy facets to every word and idea of Torah. Every
individual finds a different facet of spirituality to attach one’s
self to. There is no one size fits all when it comes to matters of
the soul.
But the ignorant and unlettered – tragically, most of American
Jewry - are almost automatically precluded from such an
attachment; the Torah for them remains an unexplored and
forbidding dark continent. It is within the synagogue and the
study hall that soulfulness in Jewish life can be regained and
fostered.
Rav Dessler writes extensively regarding the effect a gift has on
both a giver and recipient in a positive fashion. Rav Gifter
teaches us that the same dynamic works in reverse. This is no
small lesson for our trying economic times.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
It will require new ideas and tactics, much determination, and
human and capital investment to achieve this. But the Jewish
soul is not dead within us. It needs nurturing and will. Maybe
organized Jewry will yet devote its talents and resources towards
this pursuit of soulfulness and not continue to flounder in slogans
and the wilds of organizational life.
Printed with permission of the author
PROF FOX
By Rabbi Dr. Dovid Fox.
A Thought On Parshas VaYishlach
"...atziga na im'cha min ha'am asher iti..."
Shabat shalom
"...let me please assign to you some of my people..."
(33:15)
Berel Wein
Once Yaakov and Esav prepare to part ways with a better
understanding of their world roles, Esav offers to help out with a
vanguard for Yaakov as he travels on. Yaakov has already
demurred his brother's offers yet Esav seems to tack on this final
suggestion. It is actually worded as a request in our verse, as the
word "na" suggests. He seems to be saying, "May I please give
you someone?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------© The Destiny Foundation/ Rabbi Berel Wein- Jewish historian, author and international lecturer
offers a complete selection of CDs, MP3, audio, video, DVDs, and books on Jewish history at
www.RabbiWein.com.
HOD V'HADAR
Vayishlach
When Yaakov is finally facing his long-feared and potentially
lethal confrontation with his brother Esav, he presents Esav with
a huge gift, a bribe to appease his anger and to diffuse his threat.
After convincing his older brother to accept his gift, Esav makes
a feeble attempt to proffer a gift in return. Apparently even the
lowest among us have a natural inclination to reciprocate a gift.
But since Esav had prepared for murder and not reconciliation,
he had nothing to offer Yaakov. As a result Esav offers Yaakov
some of the soldiers who were accompanying him, “[Esav said,]
‘Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me’ and
[Yaakov] said, ‘What purpose would that serve?’ May I find
favor in the eyes of my lord.’ ” (Bereshis 33:15)
Esav seems not to be prone to speaking so politely, and has been
civil yet hardly gracious with his rival Yaakov. There is
something almost plaintive about this request. What is the deeper
meaning here?
The Panae'ach Raza notices this and considers the words to be a
bakasha - a plea on the part of Esav. What is he really begging
his weaker brother for? What can Yaakov, now the champion of
the spirit in lieu of having returned to Esav the role of being the
conqueror of the material world, have to offer that the latter can
not deftly grab for himself?
Rashi zt’l writes that Yaakov answered, “don’t repay me with
any reward.” The Ramban z’tl writes that Yaakov wanted no
connection whatsoever with Esav, especially since he intended to
go in a completely opposite direction and put as much distance as
possible between them as soon as he could.
The Panae'ach Raza points out that the gematria value of the
three words atziga na im'cha equals "zeh Ovadiah" - "this refers
to the prophet Ovadiah." Who was Ovadiah? According to our
tradition, he was a descendant of Edom - Esav's tribe - who was a
servant in the palace of King Achav (Ahab). Ovadiah became a
convert - a ger tzedek - and went on to protect and assist the
pious Jews and prophets who were being pursued by Achav who
wanted to kill them. The Book of Ovadiah is the shortest one in
TaNaCh, being only one chapter. His prophecy deals with the
fate of Edom and its downfall through the treachery of its own
allies.
Rav Mordechai Gifter zt’l also writes about Yaakov’s absolute
refusal of Esav’s gift, saying that we often find ourselves in
situations in which we must deal with wicked people, and gifts
and respect are appropriate, but we must put significant distance
between ourselves and the wicked around us. Yaakov sets an
example by teaching us to put a boundary between ourselves and
those people whose lifestyle is antithetical to ours.
In asking Yaakov "please let my people accompany you", Esav
was giving voice to a moment of clarity. He had a glimpse of
those times ahead when the spiritual trajectory would exceed that
of mortal strivings for power and conquest. He was actually
begging Yaakov - "will you please accept those from my people
who will one day turn to you as converts?" This was Esav's final
request, and in centuries to come it was honored.
To take this idea further, it is inevitably problematic when you
take gifts from evildoers, whether family or strangers or
governments. Taking gifts from those who fail to share your
values puts those values at risk when the purse strings tighten
and try to pull you away from your roots.
Yet since Yaakov needed nothing from his brother – he had
already stated “yesh li kol” (I have everything) (33:11) -- what
would have been the harm in a little diplomatic compromise?
V'alu moshi'im b'HarTzion lishpot es Har Esav. Good Shabbos.
D Fox
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The harm is that once you accept a gift from someone evil, then
you are endangered by that gift. We see that Avraham Avenu
rejected the gifts offered by the King of Sedom, explicitly
Printed with permission of the author
27
FOR THE FAMILY
dead body - and those that are permitted as "tahor," the Torah
teaches us that the food we eat affects us on a spiritual level.
Furthermore, food appears to maintain life, the connection
between body and soul. How can a physical substance maintain
the connection between the body, which is physical, and the soul,
which is spiritual? We would think it is impossible for a physical
substance to maintain and nourish spirituality, however, food is
not just physical: "lo al halechem levado yichye ha'adam" (Man
shall not live on bread alone). The word of G-d created the food.
Every substance, whether animate or inanimate, has G-dliness in
it - it is this power or energy that gives it the ability to exist, and
it is this G-dliness in the physical that nourishes the soul.
WOMEN IN JUDAISM
by Mrs. Leah Kohn
Menu for the Soul
Rebbetzin Leah Kohn with Naomi Abrahami
In Genesis, the same word, "va'yitzer," is used to describe the
creation of both man and the animals: "va'yitzer Hashem Elokim
et ha'adam afar min ha'adamah," "And the Lord G-d formed man
of the dust of the ground." (2:7); "va'yitzer Hashem Elokim min
ha'adamah kol chayat hasadeh," And out of the ground the Lord
G-d formed every beast of the field" (2:19). In the latter case,
"va'yitzer," from the root "yatzar" is spelled with one "yud;" in
regard to human beings, however, it is spelled with two "yud's."
According to the rabbis this additional "yud" comes to teach us
that man is composed of the physical - the body, through which
we gain information and take action - and the spiritual - the soul,
that is connected to G-d. The second "yud" in "va'yitzer,"
however, is silent. From this we learn that the soul must lead and
the body follow - the body should be the medium that enables us
to gain information about the world around us and then carry out
what the soul decides to do. The body is a partner with the soul
in carrying out G-d's mission in the world. A Jew must not
neglect her body, in order to maintain the best tool to serve G-d.
Through the laws of kashrut, G-d teaches us which foods contain
the most G-dliness and are therefore more suitable as food for the
Jew. According to Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, if we look at
the animals that are forbidden to us, we see that they are
carnivorous (i.e. hunt down and eat their prey). Conversely, those
animals, such as cattle, sheep and goats, that are permitted to us
are herbivorous, and chew their cud. Thus, much of their time is
spent in a state of passivity. Their tamer nature makes them more
human and allows them to be domesticated. Being relatively less
"animalistic," they are more suitable to be taken in and
assimilated into the human body.
No food, however, can really give life. It is the will of G-d that
maintains us. If this is the case, why do we have to eat
altogether? Eating represents a challenge, and hence, a tool for
growth. When we eat, it seems to us that food is what sustains us.
It is our test to realize that we are really sustained by G-d, who
created us to eat in order to challenge us with the ability to see
beyond our need for physical nourishment to the fact that He is
the source of life.
The very first commandment G-d gives to man in the Garden of
Eden pertains to eating: "And the Lord G-d commanded man
saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayst freely eat: but of
the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat"
(Genesis 2:16-17). From the beginning G-d created us so that we
must eat, but also gave us laws that delineate our relationship to
food: for example, "kashrut" (eating certain foods and not others,
separating dishes, only eating certain parts of animals, waiting
between eating dairy and meat, proper slaughtering of animals);
blessings before or after eating; certain days on which we must
eat (e.g. three meals on Shabbat); times we must desist from
eating (e.g. Yom Kippur); giving away before we eat ("terumah"
- tithing, challah - setting aside a corner of the dough on
Shabbat); and not wasting food.
Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, in his book, Strive For Truth,
goes so far as to say that it should have been that when a human
being eats, he will die, and when he does not eat, he should live.
By eating, the person seems to say that food is the source of life.
Refraining from eating should nourish us because by this we
declare that it is G-d who sustains us. The reason this is not so,
however, is because G-d has given us free choice, and with this
free choice He challenges us: eat and drink, but know that you
are alive only because G-d wants you to exist.
Although the Torah's laws surrounding food can be seen to
encompass issues of health (e.g. food that is made kosher is
considered healthier), self-discipline (by regulating how and
what we can eat) and morality (slaughtering in the most merciful
way, giving food to those who are needy) these aspects do not
fully explain them in all their minute details. The rabbis tell us
that kashrut comes under the category of "chok," a law that we
cannot fully comprehend. However, the Torah still encourages us
to strive for understanding even if we cannot fully achieve it.
Usually we view the universe and our existence as reality and
look for ways to get the best out of it. The Jewish view, however,
sees G-d as having started creation with an idea and then
constructed the world and human beings in a certain way, in
order to fit His purpose. Therefore, we do not eat in order to
exist. Rather we eat in order to develop spiritually. Food, the
Torah laws teach us, is a tool for spiritual growth - by promoting
self-discipline, showing us the body must follow and the soul
lead, bringing us to the understanding that the source of life
comes not from the physical substance in food, but the spiritual,
and ultimately to the revelation that G-d alone gives life.
In Leviticus, when the Torah discusses animals that are
forbidden and permitted, we read, "You shall not make
yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps,
neither shall you make yourselves unclean with them, that you
should be defiled with them" (11:43). The Hebrew word for
defiled is "nitmetem," from the root "tameh" (impure), which is
usually spelled with an aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew
alphabet. Since here the aleph in "nitmetem" is missing, the
Sages connect this word to a different root meaning "blocked,"
thus interpreting the phrase to mean that the heart will be blocked
to spirituality if these foods are eaten.
---------------------------------------------------------Women in Judaism, Copyright &copy 2014 by Mrs. Leah Kohn and Torah.org.
WOMEN IN JUDAISM II
by Mrs. Leah Kohn
Bread Larger Than Life
The subject of this class is "challah" - one of three special
mitzvot given by Hashem to Jewish women - the other two being
Shabbat candles and family purity. Before focusing specifically
on challah, a brief overview of these three obligations will clarify
what they share in common, and why challah has a place among
In referring to animals we cannot eat as "tameh," impure terminology also used in reference to coming into contact with a
28
them. (Challah and candles are obligations for men as well, but if
a woman is present, she performs them for him. If no woman is
present, a man performs them for himself. Nidah is the only one
of the three mitzvot that is exclusively a woman's).
By revisiting our matriarch Sarah, we gain a fuller understanding
of challah and the central role it has always played in Jewish life.
The Torah tells us of the blessing in Sarah's challah dough,
which transported it to a spiritual dimension - the realm of
Hashem, unrestricted by physical limitations. As a result, Sarah's
challah satisfied each of her guests, no matter how little each ate.
Till today, it is the Jewish woman's task to follow in Sarah's
footsteps, reminding herself through the mitzvah of challah to
elevate every aspect of her life and her home.
The obligation of family purity ("nidah"), simply stated includes
the laws that govern the physical relationship between husband
and wife, elevating this relationship to a spiritual dimension. The
obligation of candles ("nerot") involves kindling lights before
Shabbat. And the mitzvah of challah obligates a woman to
separate a small portion of her challah dough, burn it and throw
away. In Temple times, the separated piece was given to the
Kohen - the priest - who had to be in a state of ritual purity when
he ate it. Today, we have lost the ability to be ritually pure, but
we still continue the practice of separating challah dough. These
three mitzvot enable each Jewish woman to bring purity, light
and blessing into her surroundings. Because the Torah puts us in
charge of the home, our sages tell us that nidah, nerot and challah
are tools for bringing Godliness into this realm.
---------------------------------------------------------Women in Judaism, Copyright &copy 2014 by Mrs. Leah Kohn and Torah.org.
AISH HATORAH - FAMILY PARSHA
by Nesanel Safran
Vayishlach(Genesis 32:4-36:43)
Facing a Bully
It isn't pleasant, but there may be times in our lives when we
encounter bullies -- people who aren't very nice to us or may
even want to harm us. In these situations are we helpless or is
there anything we can do to increase the odds of having a happy
ending? There sure is! We learn in this week's Torah portion our
forefather Jacob's strategy for dealing with his wicked brother
Esau. First Jacob prayed to God to protect him and his family.
Second, he sent messengers to Esau with pleasant words and
valuable gifts, to show Esau that Jacob prefers peace. Third, in
case all else fails, Jacob prepared to fight with all his strength if
he had to.
What is accomplished through the mitzvah of challah and why is
it a woman's obligation? In order to best answer this question, we
can explore the difference between the taking of challah and
several other similar mitzvot - "terumah", "maaser" and
"bicurim" - that also involve separating a portion of food from
itself, and giving it away. These latter obligations are related to
the harvest, a part of which is given away before the harvest is
permitted for general consumption. Terumah, maaser and
bicurim take place outside, before the harvest is turned into flour
and brought into the home. By contrast, the separation of challah
comes after the dough is kneaded, at the end of a process that
essentially started with planting the grain crop.
Another distinction is that terumah, maaser and bicurim are
performed in the field, traditionally the workplace of the man,
whereas challah happens in the home, traditionally the domain of
the woman. The mitzvot of the field represent the fruit of a man's
labor; challah the fruit of a woman's labor. What is the basis of
this difference? Field work requires a great deal of faith on the
farmer's part, since his success is so dependent upon nature,
beyond his control. When a farmer harvests his crop, he
acknowledges his dependence upon and gratitude to Hashem
through terumah, maaser and bicurim. It is clear to him that he
would have no crop without the harmony of elements - proper
rain, soil conditions, etc. - sent by Hashem.
In our story, a boy uses Jacob's three-step plan to deal with a
bully in his life.
"TAKING THE BAIT"
The fish were practically jumping out of the water that day. In
fact, Jon and Ethan couldn't remember a better day of fishing at
Meadowbrook Pond. But it was getting late so the boys packed
up their "catch" onto the backs of their bikes and started heading
home.
It was a pleasant ride along the gently curving country roads. But
as the boys approached Thompson's farm they began to tense up.
Everyone knew about Chuck Thompson, the local bully, and how
his favorite pastime was terrorizing anybody with enough gall to
ride past his house. Chuck had a big mouth and even bigger
muscles and he was known to give anybody who crossed his path
a good cursing out -- if they were lucky, and a black eye if they
weren't.
With challah, Hashem's participation is less apparent. It is the
woman's responsibility to recognize that even her challah,
seemingly produced by her own hands, depends completely on
Hashem's blessing. Our sages tell us that in a Jewish home the
woman will be a source of blessing for the entire family if she
embraces the mitzvah of challah, among other obligations: "A
man should always be careful to respect his wife, because the
blessing in the home is not there but for her" (Baba Metzia: 59).
A home is blessed when the woman recognizes the hand of
Hashem in even the least obvious places. Since our job as Jewish
women is to bring Godliness into this world by acknowledging
that Hashem pervades every facet of our lives, the more we
connect to this reality, the more blessing Hashem bestows.
Failing to do so detaches us from the ultimate source of blessing.
This happens when we take full credit for our accomplishments,
rather than acknowledging Divine participation. Through s
eparating challah, we transcend the physical, material and selfcontrolled aspects of our existence, reconnecting our
accomplishments to their source - God.
As they rode on, Jon noticed Ethan mumbling something under
his breath. "You talking to me?" Jon called out.
Ethan smiled. "No, I was just asking God to let us ride safely
past Thompson's farm. It's part of my plan."
"Oh. Put in a word for me too, okay?"
As they got closer to Thompson's farm, their hearts sank. Sitting
right out on his front porch was Big Chuck holding a baseball
bat!
29
Sure enough, when he noticed the two boys on their bikes,
Chuck jumped up and started calling them all sorts of terrible
names.
A. Most of us are reasonable people and we would like to think
that everyone else is too. But unfortunately there exists in the
world people who simply aren't open to listening to reason. Their
values are so different from ours that meaningful communication
is virtually impossible. With people like this, the age-old strategy
of prayer, flattery/bribery, and counter-violence as a last resort is
the sanest way to deal with them.
Jon started to turn red with anger. "Ethan, did you hear what he
said?! We don't have to take that. You know karate. Let's go put
that bully in his place!"
But Ethan motioned to his friend to calm down. "Look if he
attacks us, we will have to fight," he whispered. "But I hope it
won't come to that. I have a plan..."
Q. Why do you think that prayer was an important part of Jacob's
strategy to deal with his aggressive brother?
A. People tend to underestimate the power of prayer. It is much
more than expressing a hope or wishful feeling. Praying to God
accesses a powerful spiritual force that can improve our lives and
accomplish things that would be otherwise impossible. In fact,
our sages comment on the biblical verse "The voice is the voice
of Jacob and the hands are the hands of Esau." This is an ancient
teaching that while the 'Esau's of the world -- the bullies -- rely
on their physical strength and cunning, we, the spiritual
descendants of Jacob, have as our main weapon our voice -prayer. Jacob and the boy in the story knew the value of this
weapon and it served them well.
With that, the boys slowed down their bikes as they neared
Chuck who was by now blocking the road. He seemed to be
waiting for the boys to answer back his insults, or try to run
away. But to his surprise, Ethan got down off of his bike, waved
to him with a really big smile, and said, "Hi Chuck. Thanks for
letting us ride by your place. Here's a couple of big fish we just
caught as a token of our appreciation. I hope we didn't bother
you."
The bully looked their way and scratched his head. He seemed
confused. After a moment he put down his baseball bat and came
over to take the fish. "No problem," he grumbled. "Thanks for
the fish. They sure are a couple of beauties." Chuck paused, and
said, "No one has ever given me a present before. Thanks."
Q. Can you think of a time that you saw your prayers answered?
----------------------------------------------------© 2014 Aish.com
The boys mounted their bikes and quickly went on their way.
"Wow, how did you do that?" asked an amazed Jon.
Ethan smiled. "The right prayer, a nice gift, and a clenched fist
were all it took."
Ages 3-5
Q. How did the boys feel when the bully came out to face them?
A. They were scared and angry. But Ethan had a plan what to do.
Q. How did they feel after they were able to pass by without a
fight?
A. They were grateful to God, and glad they had used their plan.
Ages 6-9
Q. Was Ethan's plan a good one? Why or why not?
A. Ethan understood that they were in an uncomfortable and
perhaps dangerous situation. His plan was the best way to face it.
By praying, he gave himself and his friend a big spiritual
advantage. The kind words and the gift softened the bully up, and
made him less angry. The fact that Ethan was ready to fight if he
had to gave him the courage to put his plan into action.
Q. If someone insults you, do you think you have to answer
back?
A. Not necessarily. Bullies are usually just looking for a good
excuse to hurt people. Nothing you will say is likely to help.
They aren't interested in intelligent debates. Generally it's better
to just ignore them and remember that whatever they say to you
doesn't change the good person that you really are.
Q. Why do you think Jon's plan worked?
Ages 10 and Up
Q. Do you think that bullies and aggressive people can be
reasoned with?
30