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ShabbatonJoin us for davening & shiurim
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This Shabbat is the 306th day (of 354), 44th Shabbat (of 50) of 5769
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Correct for TT 870 • Rabbeinu Tam (J'm) 8:56pm7:01 (6:11) Yerushalayim 8:16pm7:18 (6:13) S'derot 8:17pm7:16 (6:11) Gush Etzion 8:16pm7:18 (6:13) Raanana 8:18pm7:17 (6:12) Beit Shemesh 8:17pm7:18 (6:13) Rehovot 8:18pm7:18 (6:13) Netanya 8:19pm7:14 (6:12) Be'er Sheva 8:16pm7:17 (6:12) Modi'in 8:17pm7:01 (6:13) Petach Tikva 8:18pm7:01 (6:11) Maale Adumim 8:15pm7:17 (6:12) Ginot Shomron 8:17pm7:16 (6:11) Gush Shiloh 8:16pm7:16 (6:11) K4 & Hevron 8:16pm7:16 (6:11) Giv'at Ze'ev 8:16pm7:17 (6:13) Yad Binyamin 8:17pm7:18 (6:14) Ashkelon 8:18pm7:07 (6:12) Tzfat 8:18pm
This Shabbat isJuly 31 August 1
Obvious and Very Tempting...Ed. note: I've gone back and forth and back and forth in my mind withdifferent topics for this Lead Tidbit. Va'etchanan provides a variety of choicetopics. The obvious and very tempting topic is the importance of living inEretz Yisrael Moshe Rabeinu says it this week over and over again. But wefocused on it with the Lead Tidbits of MatotMas'ei and D'varim. On the otherhand, the message jumps right out at you from this week's sedra. On the
other hand, maybe it's too obvious. Onthe other hand, it's an importantmessage, probably our main one inTorah Tidbits. On the other hand, we'llbe mentioning it in the sedra summaryand elsewhere in this issue. Andthere's next week, IY"H Eikev's agood sedra for that too.
So with all that said, let's take a lookat a special connection between thesedra and its haftara especiallybecause it is wellknown that thehaftarot of Chazon and Va'etchanan donot officially relate to the sedra, ashaftarot are supposed to.
Word of the MonthExcept for the dedicated GRAminhag followers, mostpeople will say KiddushL'vana after the fast ofTish'a b'Av. Different fromMotza'ei
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WORD of the MONTH cont. from p.2A weekly TT feature to help clarify practical and conceptualaspects of the Jewish Calendar, thereby enhancing ourappreciation of Gd's gift to us of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem...
Yom Kippur, when many people sayKiddush L'vana (except the GR"A folkagain), for after Tish'a b'Av, one shouldpreferably break his fast first (and puton leather shoes, if possible) and thensay Kiddush L'vana. This is notnecessary for Yom Kippur.If there will be a problem keeping aminyan together for KL because peopleare having their juice and cookies first(because root beer soda was unavailable), then KL can be said beforebreaking the fast.The ARI Z"L felt that KL on Motza'eiTish'a b'Av is a sign of belief andconfidence in the forthcoming Geula,because the texts of KL speak of therestoration of the Moon to its originallight, as a MASHAL to the restoration ofIsrael at the time of the Geula.
Va'etchananSTATS45th of 54 sedras; 2nd of 11 in D'varim
Written on 249 lines in a Sefer Torah, rank: 7th
21 Parshiyot; 5 open, 16 closed, rank: 7th (tied)
122 p'sukim ranks 17th (2nd in D'varim)same as Vayak'hel & Ki Tavo; Va'etchanan is larger
1878 words; ranks 10th (2nd in D'varim)
7343 letters; ranks 10th (2nd in D'varim)
Va'etchanan's p'sukim are longer than average,hence the jump from 17th to 10th in rank.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTZZZZZZZZZZZZZVVVVVVVVVVVVVOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTT12 of 613 mitzvot, 8 positive and 4 prohibitionsand many more that are counted elsewhere
AliyabyAliyaSedra SummaryNumbers in [square brackets] are theMitzvacount of Sefer HaChinuch ANDRambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot. A=ASEI(positive mitzva); L=LAV (prohibition).X:Y is the perek and pasuk from whichthe mitzva comes.
[P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicatestart of a parsha p’tucha or s’tumarespectively. X:Y is Perek:Pasuk of thebeginning of the parsha; (Z) is thenumber of p'sukim in the parsha.
Kohen First Aliya11 p'sukim 3:234:4[S> 3:23 (7)] Moshe Rabeinu continues his farewell words to thePeople. He tells them that he hadasked Gd to rescind His decreebanning Moshe from entry into theLand of Israel.
SDT: The Baal Shem Tov commented thatMoshe, who had learned the entire Torah,Written Word and Oral Law, from GdHimself, used the term "You have begun toshow me Your greatness..." The more onelearns Torah, the more one learns aboutGd, the more one will realize that he hasjust begun to understand Who Gd is.
Gd refused this request andforbade Moshe to ask again. Mosheascended a mountain from wherehe saw the Land. Gd then told himto transfer the authority ofleadership to Yehoshua.
According to the Vilna Gaon'sanalysis of D'varim, this ends thefirst section of Moshe's message tothe People.
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[P> 4:1 (24)] He (Moshe) proceedsto review the laws and statutes(Torah and mitzvot) by which thepeople are now to live... in EretzYisrael.
Neither should the Torah be addedto nor detracted from [these mitzvotare counted elsewhere].
Another warning against idolatryfollows. Then, "And you who clingto Gd are all alive today". (TheGemara teaches that this is one ofthe many references to T'CHIYATHAMEITIM in the Torah.)
MitzvaWWWWWWWWWWWWWaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttccccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhThe twin prohibitions of neitheradding nor subtracting from theTorah, are mentioned in Va'etchananand again in R'ei (where they arecounted among the 613). The VilnaGaon points out that the plural formis used one time and the singularform is used in the other case. This,he says, alludes to two differentaspects of these prohibitions. It isforbidden to add to or subtract froma particular mitzva for example,one may not take 5 species or 3species on Sukkot for the fulfillmentof the mitzva of "Lulav & Etrog". Normay one add or subtract to the totalof the mitzvot. To treat a Rabbinicmitzva as a Torah law, or vice versa,would be an example of the otheraspect of these prohibitions. Thespirit of these prohibitions (if not theactual definitions) would includetreating (and/or teaching) aCHUMRA as if it were required, orvice versa (claiming that somethingthat is prohibited is "only" a chumraor custom). Aside from people who
intentionally do this (very wrong), itis more common to find people doingit one way or the other inadvertently, either because of ignoranceor because of a sincere (but slightlymisguided) desire to enhance theobservance of mitzvot. This isespecially important for parents andteachers of young children.
Don’t say ASUR if you mean, strictlyspeaking it isn’t actually forbidden,but it is considered a proper thing toabstain for doing such and such. Itsounds more complicated, but it ismore “honest” and therefore it is themore proper way to transmit Torahto your children and students.(Obviously, when a child is veryyoung, you have to simplify matters.But don't forget to upgrade thechild's level of understanding as heor she grows older.)
Levi Second Aliya36 p'sukim 4:540Once again, Moshe emphasizesthat the mitzvot are meant to bekept in Eretz Yisrael. (This not onlyapplies to Landrelated mitzvot, butto the entire range of mitzvot.)
There is repeated reference in thebook of D'varim, and especially inParshat Va'etchanan, to Eretz Yisraelbeing THE reason for our havingbeen taken out of Egypt, formed intoa Nation, and given the Torah andmitzvot.
Prolonged exile has taught us thatthe Torah can be kept, must be kept,no matter where a Jew finds himself.This was one of the reasons that theTorah was given at Sinai, prior toentry into the Land. On the other
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hand, one should not lose sight ofthe fact, repeated often by MosheRabeinu in D'varim, that Gd hasalways intended us to observe Hismitzvot IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL.Are there more mitzvot to keep inIsrael than outside? YES. But maybemore significantly, every mitzva even those that are performed allover the world, can reach their fullpotential ONLY in Israel. This is amessage that each of us has torealize, understand, and internalize.Then we must spread this messageto family and friends abroad who feelthat they "have everything we needto be fully Jewish" in their respectivereligious communities around theworld. AND the vital significance ofTorah AND Israel to our lives as Jewsmust be taught to those lesscommitted Jews here in Israel andabroad.
On the other hand, we must notforget that Israel today is not therealization of The Dream, but rathera step on the road to the CompleteRedemption, the restoration of Zionand Jerusalem, the rebuilding of theBeit HaMikdash, and the coming ofMashiach. This idea helps us refocusafter the mourning period that endswith the 10th of Av, and is anappropriate theme to usher in theperiod of consolation and T'shuva.
Let’s put it like this: T’rumot andMaasrot do not apply outside ofIsrael. They are observed in real buttoken fashion in Israel today. Theywill IY"H be able to be fully observedwhen Yovel comes back into activeobservance, when we will have aSanhedrin, ability to become TAHORfrom all forms of defilement, etc.Shabbat: Observance in Chutz
LaAretz required. Potential maximumfulfillment of the mitzva 50%. InEretz Yisrael today: max. possiblefulfillment is 8085% (percentagesare made up for illustrative purposesonly. The point is that Eretz Yisrael iswhere Gd has always wanted us tobe. That means something even inour time). IY”H in the time of theMikdash, etc. Maximum potential offulfillment of Shabbat and all othermitzvot 100%.
We must be careful to preserve andperform the mitzvot because(among other reasons) it is themitzvot that project Judaism as anintelligent religion to the nations ofthe world. This in turn, sanctifiesGd's Name. We must be infinitelycareful to remember and transmitto our children, the "SinaiExperience".
Moshe describes for the newgeneration the details of MatanTorah. He includes a specificwarning against the potentiallyidolatrous thoughts caused by thecombination of the magnificent,tangible universe in which we liveand the invisible, intangible Gd.A primary cause of idolatry is thenatural human tendency to relatebetter to something concrete,visible, tangible rather than something abstract and intangible. TheSun is in the sky. It's hot, full ofenergy, gives us light, and sustainslife as we know it. People foundSunworship easier to accept thanthe worship of He Who created theSun and everything else, but cannotbe seen. True worship of the OneGd was what Avraham and Sarataught many people. And, as OR
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9:00, 12:00, 6:00, 3:00Right after Tish'a b'Av & right before Rosh HaShana
LAGOYIM, a light unto the nations, itis what we are supposed to teachand show the world.
Gd had taken us out of Egypt inorder to make us His Nation. Hegot angry at me, says Moshe, andforbade me to enter the Land.Again, Moshe warns the Peopleagainst abandoning the covenantwith Gd after his (Moshe's)passing.
[P> 4:25 (16)] The next portion isread on Tish'a b'Av morning... Inspite of the many warnings againstidolatry, Moshe prophesies (predicts) that there will come a timewhen the People will turn from Gdand be exiled from their Land. Itwill then come to pass that thePeople will seek out Gd and returnto Him. Moshe emphasizes theuniqueness of the People of Israeland their special relationship withGd and beseeches the People toremain faithful to Torah andmitzvot. One can hear a pleading inhis voice, as if he is begging thepeople not to go in the direction ofhis prophecy.
This theme is oftrepeated in theTorah. Do what Gd asks of you.Don’t turn away from Him. If youremain faithful to Him, wonderfulthings will happen to and for you. Ifyou turn away from Him, terriblethings will happen. You will turnaway from Him; terrible things willhappen; and then you will turn backto Him...
The Torah keeps presenting this tous, many times. Sometimes it is long
& heavy (Tochacha) and sometimesshorter and milder. And we readthrough the entire Torah in a yearand we read the Torah year afteryear, and we hear the propheciesand the challenges and the commandments. So...
Shlishi Third Aliya9 p'sukim 4:4149[P> 4:41 (9)] Although the cities ofrefuge will not function as suchuntil conquest and settlement ofEretz Yisrael, Moshe (with enthusiasm to do Gd's bidding, eventhough he knows what's comingsoon thereafter) designates the 3cities on the East Bank Betzer inthe Mishor Wilderness area forReuven, Ramot in the Gil'ad areafor Gad, and Golan in the Bashanarea for Menashe.
These (the mitzvot about to bepresented) were taught by Mosheto the People following the Exodusin the lands on the East Bank of theJordan.
(Note the detail in the description ofthe location of the people, therepetition of their successes inconquering the "east bank" lands. Itseems meant to be encouraging tothe people.)
V'zot HaTorah... said when theTorah is lifted, comes from D'varim4:44. In the Siddur, the words AL PIHASHEM B'YAD MOSHE are added.That phrase appears four times inBamidbar, but 9:23 seems the onefrom which it is taken.
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R'VI'I Fourth Aliya18 p'sukim 5:118[P> 5:1 (5)] Moshe begins thereview of mitzvot with a restatement of the Aseret HaDibrot. Heemphasizes that the Covenant atSinai was not just between Gd andthe previous generation, butbetween Gd and all generations ofJews to come.
MitzvaWWWWWWWWWWWWWaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttccccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhThe most wellknown differencebetween the two presentations ofthe Aseret HaDidrot is "Shamorv'Zachor" of Shabbat. Generally,"Zachor" is interpreted as referringto the positive mitzvot and aspectsof Shabbat, whereas "Shamor" is acommand to preserve Shabbat bynot violating the prohibitions. Thetraditional minimum of two Shabbatcandles (although one candle satisfies the halacha), are said to represent these two facets of Shabbat.
It is this intertwined nature of thepositive aspects of Shabbat and itsprohibitions that is "responsible" forKiddush on Friday night beingobligatory upon women. Rather thantreat Kiddush as a pure "timerelatedpositive mitzva" which would (probably) mean that women would beexempt (as they are from the mitzvaof Sukka, for example), we viewKiddush as part of the wholeShabbat package, which means fulland equal obligation for men andwomen. The two sides of Shabbatwere commanded B'DIBUR ECHADand are inseparable.
On a hashkafa level, we can see theprohibitions of Shabbat as more thana restrictive list of DON’Ts. Abstention from Melacha can be seen asDayan Grunfeld z"l puts it in TheSabbath as laying Gd’s gifts ofcreative activity to us at His feet (soto speak) in homage to the Creatorand Master of All. This, on a weeklybasis, so that we will not take thesegifts for granted nor assume that ourabilities and talents are selfproduced. There is a subtle differencebetween not doing Melacha andabstaining from Melacha. If weunderstand and appreciate the distinction, our Shabbat observanceand enjoyment can be greatlyenhanced.
MitzvaWWWWWWWWWWWWWaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttccccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhThe Aseret HaDibrot in Yitro contains14 of the 613 mitzvot. (The 2ndcommandment has four prohibitionsrelated to idolatry, the 4th has twomitzvot related to Shabbat, and oneeach from the other 8.) The first 9commandments in Va'etchanan contain the same 13 mitzvot as theircounterparts in Yitro. Those mitzvotare counted from Yitro. The 10th isworded differently here and iscounted separately (in addition to"Thou shalt not covet") as theprohibition of "lust and unhealthydesire" [416,L266 5:18]. Althoughthe first part of the tenth commandment uses the term LO TACHMOD(covet), the second part introduces anew term which deals exclusivelywith thoughts and feelings; itscounterpart in Yitro involves actingon those feelings. V'LO TIT'AVEH in away, completes a set of prohibitions,that starts with obviously sinful acts
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murder, stealing, etc. to a feelingin the heart (LO TACHMOD) whichcan, and often does, lead to actswhich are "milder", but nonetheless"problematic". For example, if a person is jealous of a friend's pocketcomputer, and comments about itoften enough, the friend might justfeel uncomfortable enough to give itto the jealous friend. Nothing wrong,per se, in complimenting someone'sPC, but in this case it is part of theprohibition of LO TACHMOD. AndV'LO TIT'AVEH is the feelings evenwithout anything else happening as aresult of the envy.
The Aseret HaDibrot lay out in thefollowing manner:
[S>5:6 (5)] Anochi and LoYihyeh L’cha, which we considerthe first two “dibrot” are containedwithin a single parsha s’tuma.[S>5:11 (1)] The prohibitionagainst taking Gd’s name in vain(vain oaths) is its own parshas’tuma. [S> 5:12 (4)] The Shabbatcommandment is its own parshas’tuma. Not only does this command begin with SHAMOR (incontrast to ZACHOR of Yitro), butthe “reason” for Shabbat given hereis to serve as a reminder of havingbeen slaves and having been freedby Gd (in contrast to Creation asthe “reason” in the Yitro version).Both of these ideas are mentionedin our fulfillment of this mitzva namely, Kiddush on Friday night.We refer to Shabbat as ZIKARONL'MA'ASEI V'REISHIT, commemorative of Creation, and ZEICHERLITZI'AT MITZRAYIM, commemorative of the Exodus. Shabbat's
commandment is a Parsha P'tuchain Yitro. [S> 5:16 (1)] Honoringparents is a s’tuma. [S> 5:17 (¼)]Do not murder, [S> 5:17 (¼)] Anddo not commit adultery, [S> 5:17(¼)] And do not steal (kidnap),[S> 5:17 (¼)] And do not bearfalse witness. These four dibrot areeach a separate parsha s’tuma, all inthe same pasuk! [S> 5:18 (½)]And do not covet another man’swife and [S>5:18 (½)] and do notlust after anything that anotherperson possesses are each a s’tuma,from the same pasuk, and countingas a single (the 10th) dibra (ordibur). In general, we see thatDibrot, Parshiyot, and P’sukimdon’t match or line up the way onemight have expected.
Chamishi 5th Aliya15 p'sukim 5:196:3[S> 5:19 (15)] Moshe next remindsthe People that those who werepresent at Matan Torah were afraidto continue hearing Gd's Voiceand agreed to listen to the words ofa prophet speaking in Gd's Namein lieu of direct communication.(Actually, take a look at the pasukright before the Aseret HaDibrotand you'll see that Moshe Rabeinuwas saying the same thing "right upfront".)
This is a very crucial episode inunderstanding our Chain of Traditionand the method of transmission ofthe Oral Law. It made not onlyMoshe Rabeinu vital to our hearingand understanding of Gd's Word,
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but so too the Moshe Rabeinus ofevery generation. This is so forprophets, during the period ofprophecy, and also extends to thisday in the way Tradition is passedfrom one generation to the next. Wecan say that we have a seriousobligation to accept Torah from ourparents and teachers, preciselybecause those that stood at Sinai didnot want to hear Gd's voice directlybeyond the first two commandments.
Moshe emphasizes that Gd agreedto the People's request.
And yet again, Moshe linksobservance of mitzvot with theonly proper environment for Jewishlife Eretz Yisrael. (This idea isactually expressed in THREEdifferent ways in the final p'sukimof this Aliya.)
Shishi Sixth Aliya22 p'sukim 6:425[P> 6:4 (6)] The first portion ofthis Aliya is the first parsha ofSH’MA. "...HaShem is One." Thisstatement of Jewish faith is alsoconsidered the mitzva to believe inthe unity and uniqueness of Gd[417,A2 6:4].
Note that Gd's unity is also part ofthe mitzva to believe in Him [25,A1Sh'mot 20:2], but warrants its ownmitzva to emphasize this essentialelement of belief, in contrast tomany other religions.
"Love" Gd with your entire being[418,A3 6:5]. (Many mitzvot,Jewish practices and the attitude
with which we do mitzvot are allconsidered manifestations of Loveof Gd.) We must study and teachTorah [419,A11 6:7] (for practicalpurposes AND purely for the sakeof learning). We are to recite theSh'ma twice daily [420,A10 6:7],wear T'filin on the arm [421,A136:8] and frontcenter on the head[422,A12 6:8], and put a Mezuzaon our doorposts [423,A15 6:9].
SDT: The mitzva of learning and teaching Torah can be fulfilled with one's head,one's intellect. Tell someone a Dvar Torahand you both have fulfilled V'SHINANTAML'VANECHA. But, tell that same DvarTorah in an animated way that shows loveof Gd and that ignites the emotion of thelistener, so that he not only adds to hisknowledge of Torah, but his excitement andenthusiasm for Torah and Mitzvot hasincreased, then you have fulfilled anadditional mitzva, V'AHAVTA ETHASHEM ELOKECHA, to love Gd withall your heart (Sefer HaChareidim).
We can generalize this aspect of AHAVATHASHEM to include all mitzvot. Shabbat,for example. Someone can go through allthe motions and not violate the Shabbat;but do it with love and that fulfillsV’AHAVTA, in addition to Shabbat.
[S> 6:10 (6)] Now we are issuedanother warning. You’ll go intoEretz Yisrael, have big homes filledwith all good things, that you didnot work for... Still remember thatGd took you out of Egypt... don’tturn away from Him...
It is said that a wealthy person has aharder time with faith in Gd than apoor person. A poor person tends toturn to Gd, to complain, but also toexpress his faith that his lot will
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Lead Tidbit cont. from front page
The whole book of D'varim is MosheRabeinu's farewell message to thepeople. It is multifaceted, includinga review of the basics of Judaism, areview of the mitzvot of the Torah, areview on the brief but colorfulhistory of the People.
In Va'etchanan, Moshe expresses hisconcern and even anxiety that thepeople might "go off the derech", touse a current phrase. Specifically,he expresses concern based on thefact that the people did not see anyimage of Gd on the day He spoke tothem at Choreiv (Sinai). This, combined with the many tangible andvisible elements in the world mightlead people to venerate variouselements of nature to an extent thatwould constitute idolatry. "But youshall greatly beware for your souls...lest you act corruptly and make foryourselves a carved image... andlest you raise your eyes to theheaven and you see the sun and themoon and the stars... and you bedrawn astray and bow to them andworship them...
Moshe's warning to the people is inthe form of "Spritual danger bevery careful!"
One who takes Moshe's warningseriously, might think that the bestcourse of action is not to studynature too closely. Dangerous. Itcan currupt us and take us awayfrom Gd. Probably not what Moshewould recommend, but Yeshayaspells out what we should do. "Raiseyour eyes on high and see Whocreated these (stars, etc.)" By allmeans, study science and nature.But never forget Who created it alland Whom we venerate and worship.
improve. A wealthy person tendstowards patting himself on the backand taking credit for that which heshould be thanking Gd. (Generalizations, of course, but something tothink about, nonetheless.)
[S> 6:16 (40)] Do not test Gd...(as you did repeatedly in theMidbar). Understood as the prohibition of overly challenging a trueprophet and demanding signs fromhim (beyond what is reasonable todetermine his claim as a trueprophet) [424,L64 6:16]. Keep themitzvot... be straight with Gd... sothat things will be good for you inEretz Yisrael... (there it is again!)
[S> 6:20 (6)] When your child willask you tomorrow... tell him “wewere slaves to Par’o in Egypt andGd took us out... and He commanded us... and it will do us goodto listen...
Sh'VII Seventh Aliya11 p'sukim 7:111[S>7:1 (11)] Finally, Moshe tellsthe People that the nations in EretzYisrael whom we will encounterare mightier than Israel. But Gdwill give them over into Israel'shands. We are required to destroythe "Seven Nations" [425,A1877:2], not to show mercy toidolaters in the Land [426,L507:2], and certainly not to intermarrywith them [427,L52 7:3] or anyother nonJews.
Regardless of how secure one is inone's belief, intermarriage and otherclose contact with alien cultures will
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have an adverse effect upon theindividual Jew and on the JewishPeople. In addition to the Torahprohibition against intermarriage,there are many Rabbinic prohibitionsgeared to restrict social contact withnonJews.
We must destroy the idolatry in theLand. We must always keep inmind the basis upon which Gd hasbuilt His relationship with us.
It is because of Gd's love for usand His promises to our ancestorsthat He has taken us out of Egypt.
Know that Gd is trustworthy tokeep His promises and rewardthose who properly follow Hisways, as well as punish those whodo not.
The final 3 p'sukim of the sedra arereread for the Maftir.
Haftara 26 p'sukimYeshayahu 40:126First of the 7 Haftarot of Consolation, (all of which come fromYeshayahu). Yeshayahu as aprophet of destruction and Divinepunishment for faithlessness, canbe seen in ch.1 which was thehaftara last Shabbat, and in subsequent chapters through 39. Withour haftara this week, ch. 40, wesee another side of the prophet.Gd commands the prophets(through Yeshayahu) to bring themessage of comfort and the end ofBabylonian captivity. How appropriate a choice as the haftara for theShabbat following 9'Av.
When reading parshat Va'etchananwe are transfixed by Moshe's description of the revelation at Har Sinaiwhereby the all the people heardHashem's voice emanate from the firethat arose from the smoking mount.
Moshe indicates that there wereseveral aspects to this phenomenon:The people gathered at the mount inorder, "to learn to fear Me all thedays that they live on earth and [inorder that] they shall teach theirchildren" (D'varim 4:10). Mosheimplores the people not to forgetwhat their eyes have seen and furtherurges them to safeguard and performall the decrees (Chukim) andordinances (Mishpatim). Why? Sothat, inter alia, the other peoplesshould say: "Surely a wise and greatnation is this great nation… that has aGd who is close to it."
For those who study the growth ofJewish identity and spiritual intelligence, there is a lesson to belearned. For while empirical experience, emotional associations, andcollective memory surely contributeto the internalization of our cherishedJewish values, it seems that whatothers say about us is another,intriguing, factor that influences thedevelopment, dissemination andpreservation of the sacred body ofknowledge that informs the veryessence of our holy nation. This mostunquestionably imposes upon us agreat responsibility.
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from the virtual desk of theOU VEBBE REBBEThe Orthodox Union – via its website – fields questions of all types in areas of kashrut, Jewish law andvalues. Some of them are answered by Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies,Jerusalem, headed by Rav Yosef Carmel and Rav Moshe Ehrenreich, founded by HaRav Shaul Yisraelizt"l, to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in Israel and abroad.Ask the Rabbi is a joint venture of the OU, Yerushalayim Network, Eretz Hemdah... and the Israel Center.
QQQQQQQQQQQQQ When I was a katan (under barmitzva) I made tzitzit for myself.
Someone told me that they are no longervalid, now that I am fully obligated inmitzvot. Is that so? If it is, may I untie oneknot and upon retying it as a gadol (abovebar mitzva), fix them, or must I dosomething else?
AAAAAAAAAAAAA The gemara (Menachot 42a) citesRav’s statement that a nonJew
may not make tzitzit for a Jew, based onthe pasuk regarding tzitzit that addressesBNEI YISRA'EL, which excludes nonJews. Tosafot (ad loc.) comments thatthis implies that women would be ableto make kosher tzitzit, as only nonJewsare excluded, and this is how theShulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 14:1)rules. On the other hand, the gemara(Gittin 45b) learns from the p’sukim“You shall fasten… You shall write… ”(Devarim 11:18,20) that only those whoare involved in putting on tefillin canwrite tefillin, mezuzot and sifrei Torah,not nonJews, women, and children.Tosafot (ad loc.) cites Rabbeinu Tam assaying that this is part of a general rulethat only those who are obligated in amitzva can create the halachic objectneeded for the mitzva. Therefore, hesays, tzitzit tied on to a garment by awoman, are not valid. Tosafot disputethis based on the aforementioned
gemara and the one that validates asukka made by a nonJew. The Rama(OC 14:1) mentions the strict opinionand recommends being careful in thefirst place not to have a woman maketzitzit. He says that if it was done, thenb’dieved they are valid.The Magen Avraham (14:2) suggestsanother reason why women should notmake tzitzit: the words “the Sons ofIsrael” often exclude not only nonJewsbut also the “daughters of Israel”. ThePri Megadim (ad loc.:3) says that while,according to Rabbeinu Tam, the issue ofnot being obligated in the mitzvaexcludes minor males as well, thelimitation on the daughters of Israeldoes not apply to minors, to whom themitzva of tzitzit applies even ifpresently they are too young to be fullyresponsible for any mitzvot. In any case,the Magen Avraham equates betweenwomen and children in this matter,giving your tzitzit of a questionablestatus. The Mishna Berura says that it isproper to avoid a katan making tzitzitfor a gadol (apparently only forAshkenazim). However, he also says(Bi'ur Halacha, ad loc.) that once thetzitzit were made when one was a katan,when he must decide if he can, as agadol, use them, it is a question ofb’dieved and he can use them as is.
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Ask the Rabbi Q&A is part of Hemdat Yamim, the weeklyparsha sheet by Eretz Hemdah. You can read the entireHemdat Yamim at www.ou.org or www.eretzhemdah.org and/or you can receive Hemdat Yamim by sending anemail to info@eretzhemdah.org with the message:Subscribe/English or Subscribe/Hebrew leave subjectblank. Ask the Vebbe Rebbe is partially funded by the
Jewish Agency for Israel. testify about sorrel soup?
In at least one way, a katan lacks what awoman possesses: the ability andreliability to do things in a kosher way.Regarding the physical element, one cancheck to see if it was done properly.However, what about the requiredkavana (intention) to act to create validtzitzit? The gemara (Sukka 9a) says thethreads of the tzitzit must be spunlishma (on behalf of the mitzva). TheRambam (Tzitzit 1:12) says that this isnot a requirement for the attaching tothe garment, but the Rosh says attachingmust also be done lishma, and we try tofollow the latter position (ShulchanAruch, OC 14:2). Therefore, evenregarding b’dieved, only if an adult wasstanding with the katan and training himto have in mind lishma would the tzitzitbe valid (see Mishna Berura 14:4 andBiur Halacha, ad loc; see Gittin 23a). Inyour case, the situation is significantlybetter. You don’t have to convincesomeone else that you had properintention. Rather, if you are confidentthat you had in mind that the tying wasbeing done for the mitzva of tzitzit(which is highly likely), you cancontinue to use them (Bi'ur Halachaibid.; Tzitzit (Cohen) 14:8). If you arenot confident that you had the rightintention or if you want to follow theopinions that are stricter than what wepresented, you should undo the tzitzitfully so that the whole tzitzit will beformed properly.
ttRIDDLESPrizes for best solution sets (when awarded) arefurnished by Noam Productions and/or Big Deal.
Last issue’s (D'varim) TTriddles:
[1]
The presentation of this TTriddle was in the form ofa line score for a baseball game between theShabbat team and the Chol team. Shabbat "scored"once in the top of the second and Chol scored threetimes in the bottom of the third. With the writing ofthis solution comes the realization that Shabbatalso scored once in the bottom of the third and Cholscored only twice. That, of course, would ruin theTTriddle had this error (good choice of word,under the circumstances) been realized, thisTTriddle would never have existed. Too bad, theidea is a good one. The TTriddle revolved aroundthe pasuk D'varim 1:11, which is read as the firstpasuk of the second Aliya, making it a "score" in thetop of the second. On Monday and Thursdaymornings, that pasuk is read as the last on in thethird Aliya, "last of the third". Monday and Thursdayaccount for two of the three times the first part ofD'varim is read. The other time is Mincha on theprevious Shabbat. Okay, how's this: let's renamethe teams Chazon and Before; then the TTriddle canstand as it is presented. The point is, the pasukbelongs at the end of the first Aliya but is held backon Shabbat to start the second Aliya so that theAliya does not begin with the word (and tune of)EICHA. Oh well, nice try.
[2] They hum while they calculate
In D'varim 2:20, the Torah tells us that the Amonimcalled the R'fa'im ZAMZUMIM. ZIMZUM is humming,a very onomatopoeic word. Targum Onkelesrenders ZAMZUMIM as CHUSHBANAI, a word thatseems related to CHESHBON, so these R'FA'IM humwhile they calculate.
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2 and 5 from the same but different huh? When else?
[3] The questions' follow up: zyyiiddda``
The questions refer to EICHA, as in Parshat D'varim,the Haftara of Chazon, and in the opening ofMegilat Eicha. In the Torah, the question EICHA isfollowed by the word ESA Moshe asks how he cancontinue to "carry" the people by himself. In theHaftara, it's EICHA HAYTA. And in Megilat Eicha, thequestion is EICHA YOSH'VA, how did Jerusalemcome to sit alone, to be abandoned. If you take theletters of ESA, HAYTA, and YOSH'VA all togetherand alphabetize them, you get the sequence ofletters in the TTriddle.
[4] And two of the twelve
The book of Yeshayahu and the Haftara of ShabbatChazon begin with the words CHAZON YESHAYAHU...For which other prophets to we find the wordCHAZON preceding their names? The answer isOVADYA and NACHUM, two of the twelve socalledminor prophets of the book of TREI ASAR.[5] two lunar cycles
A lunar cycle is 19 years. The pattern of 13monthyears is found in the lunar cycle. Years number 3, 6,8, 11, 14, 17, and 19 of each cycle have 2 Adars;the other 12 years have one Adar, 12 months each.Two lunar cycles is 38 years. Because we keepusing the number 40 for the years of wandering inthe Midbar, we sometimes overlook the reference inD'varim 2:14 "And the time from our leavingKadeshBarnea, until we came over the brookZered, was thirty eight years..."
[6] three others and, two
Parshat D'varim begins with the words EILEHHAD'VARIM. Which other sedras begin similarly?EILEH TOL'DOT NO'ACH (NO'ACH). EILEH F'KUDEIHAMISHKAN (P'KUDEI). EILEH MAS'EI V'NEIYISRA'EL (MAS'EI). AND, TWO refers to two othersedras that begin with V'EILEH namely, SH'MOTand MISHPATIM. But so does TOL'DOT, so there arethree another error on our part. Sorry about that.
[7] he's "(the) man"
D'varim 3:11 "For only Og king of Bashanremained of the remnant of Refa'im; behold, his bedwas a bed of iron. Is it not in Rabbat of the sons ofAmmon? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubitsits breadth, according to the cubit of a man." On thefinal words of this pasuk, Rashi says B'AMAT ISH,B'AMAT OG. OG is (the) man, in this context.
[8] UNEXPLAINED in ParshaPix
The photo is that of lecurer and guide BarneaSelavan, who recently spoke a couple of times atthe Center together with David Willner and AsherAltshul on the topic of the ELAH FORTRESS. Barneaas in KadeshBarnea occurs occurs 10 times inTanach, 6 times in the Torah and 4 more times inthe book of Yehoshua. 3 of the 6 times in the Torahare in Parshat D'varim.
[9] UNEXPLAINED in ParshaPix
At the bottom of the ParshaPix is a photo of theTATE Britain, one of four art museums in the TateGallery network. The word TEIT, spelled TAVTAV,occurs 14 times in the Tanach, of which, 3 are inthe Chumash, of which two are in Parshat D'varim.The word seems to jump out at you when you readit of hear it. It has the highest gimatriya of alltwoletter words, 800 (obviously). Equally obviousare the lowest gimatriya of any words in Tanach AV and BA, spelled ALEFBET and BETALEFrespectively, with a numeric value of 3.
[10] Bullet of the ParshaPix explanations
Sometimes (most often) the bullet used of theexplanations of the ParshaPix elements has aconnection to the sedra. Speaking of twoletterwords, another one that jumped out in D'varim wasREISH, spelled REISHSHIN (not to be confused withthe spelling of the letter REISH which is REISHALEFSHIN). ALEI REISH (in D'varim 1:21) is translatedas GO UP AND POSSESS, related to Y'RUSHA, inheritance.
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Upper left is a plus and minus in anegation circle. The Torah forbids(a few times) adding to the Torahor detracting from it.
Once again, the Torah tells us ofthe mitzva to designate cities ofrefuge 3 on the east side of theJordan (and 3 on the west side).
The LUCHOT in the TORAH on themountain stands for the repetitionof the Aseret HaDibrot (withdifferences) and reminds us thatthe whole Torah was given by Gdat Sinai, not just the Big Ten.
Mezuza is one of the mitzvot fromVa'etchanan, from the first parshaof the SH'MA.
Shabbat candlesticks representSHAMOR and ZACHOR. They arecontained B'DIBUR ECHAD, in onespeechbubble.
The hearing ear represents SH'MA,not just the famous one, but themany times the Torah commandsus to listen (and understand).
The warning lights representMoshe's warnings to us to remainfaithful to HaShem and not to beconfused by what we witnessedbut cannot totally comprehend.
The big number 1 is for HaShemEchad, as well as the other pasukthat emphasizes Gd's Unity,4:35, ...there is none besides Him.
The reminderfinger is for thecommand to never forget the Sinaiexperience and to pass on the
memory to future generations.
The Seder plate is for theChacham's question and theanswer of We were slaves to Par'oin Egypt... both of which are foundin Va'etchanan.
The Simchat Torah scene is for thepasuk ATA HOREITA LADA'AT...which is associated with SimchatTorah (for Nusach Ashkenazdaveners; in Nusach S'fard, thepasuk is said on all Shabbatot andChagim).
The speaker and an Xed out videomonitor: On that great day ofRevelation at Sinai, we HEARDwhat was said, but we did NOTSEE any image. This is mentionedmore than once, and is a reasonfor Moshe's deep concern andwarnings to the people.
The (clock) face in the face is forthe term PANIM BIFANIM, thedescription of the direct, intimatecommunication of Gd to thepeople of Israel.
The space telescope is forYeshayahu's words at the end ofthe Haftara: Lift your eyesheavenward and see Who createdthese... This serves as positivemotivation for our study ofnature...
The pen is for the 5 PENs in thesedra and another two U'FENs.Not so remarkable, but they areassociated with the remember don't forget things that Moshetalks about. Hence, the PEN nearthe reminder string on the fingerimage in the ParshaPix.
Then there is the grasshopper.The word K'CHAGAVIM, like grass
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THE JERUSALEM INSTITUTE OF JEWISH LAWRabbi Emanuel Quint, Dean
hoppers, appears only twice inTanach. Back in Parshat Shlach,the Meraglim told the peopleabout the giants in the land, "wefelt like grasshoppers (comparedwith them) and so were we intheir eyes". Commentaries pointcritically to this statement. Theother place the word appears isYeshayahu 40 the haftara ofVa'etchanan Nachamu. In thatcontext, the inhabitants of Earthare called grasshoppers inperspective of the "One Who sitsabove the circle of the earth".
Extended pinky is for V'ZOTHATORAH... said when the Torahis lifted at the conclusion of eachTorah reading. The words are fromVa'etchanan.
The palm is for the wayAshkenazim cover their eyes forthe first pasuk of Sh'ma.
The three fingers form the letterSHIN and is the way S'faradimcover their eyes for Sh'ma. Thethreefingered SHINon theirforehead and the pinky and thumbtips in the corner of each eye.
Lesson # 486
Betrothing With MoneyThroughout some of these lessons dealingwith betrothal with money the term“dinar” will be used. It is a coin ofconsiderable value, while we shall use thep'ruta to indicate the coin of the smallestvalue. There are 144 p'rutot in a dinar.The most common way to betroth is for aman to say to a woman you are betrothedto me with this dinar, or other thing ofvalue, such as a gold ring.
Assume a man says to a woman “you arebetrothed unto me with this dinar oncondition that you return this coin to me.”That is not valid kiddushin (betrothal);there is not even a hint of kiddushin andshe does not require a Get (divorce) to befree to marry anyone else.
In the following situation there is validkiddushin. A lady gave the man a ring oncondition that he return it to her in 30days. She gave it to him so that he could
use it to betroth her in this 30 day period.He did give it to her within this 30 dayperiod to betroth her with it, thekiddushin is valid.
Sarah said to Reuven, “Give a set sum ofmoney to Shimon and I will be betrothedto you with this giving of the money.”He gave the money to Shimon and whengiving the money said to Sarah “You arebetrothed unto me with the benefit thatyou have in my giving the money toShimon on your instructions” it is validkiddushin. There is an opinion that evenif he did not say that “You are betrothedunto me etc” but gave her money toShimon while they were discussinggetting betrothed and she gave him theaforesaid instruction, it is valid kiddushin. The sequence must be that she firsttold him to give the money to Shimonand then he gave the money to him andsaid the words of betrothal.
Similarly if she said to Reuven, “Lend$100 to Shimon and I will become
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7 There is no such thing as fighting alosing battle with the evil inclination. Inthat battle, as long as one is fighting, heis winning.
From "A Candle by Day" by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
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betrothed to you” and he loaned themoney to Shimon and while lending themoney to Shimon said to Sarah, “You arebetrothed to me with the benefit that youderive from my lending the money toShimon”, the betrothal is valid. But ifShimon already owed money to Reuvenand he said to Sarah, “I will extendShimon’s time to pay the debt to me andwith this extension of time you arebetrothed to me,” it is not a validkiddushin.Sarah said to Reuven, give a dinar toShimon and I will become betrothed toShimon with this giving of the dinar toShimon, and Shimon said to Sarah, “youare betrothed to me with this benefit youhave from Reuven's giving me the dinar”,there is valid kiddushin and Sarah isbetrothed to Shimon.Reuven gave a dinar to Sarah and said toher “become betrothed with theacceptance of this dinar to Shimon” andShimon had appointed Reuven to be hisagent for the kiddushin, she is betrothedto Shimon. Even if Shimon had notappointed Reuven his agent but Shimonsaid to Sarah be betrothed to me with themoney that Reuven gave to you, it isvalid kiddushin.Shimon said to Sarah “Become betrothedto me with a dinar, but I do not have thedinar now, but take this object ascollateral security that I will give you thedinar”, it is not valid kiddushin. Similarlyit is not valid kiddushin if he gave her apromissory note to secure the money forkiddushin that he does not have to give toher. Of course, if he said to her “becomebetrothed to me with this object that Igive to you”, it is valid kiddushin. If hesaid to her become betrothed to me withthe dinar that is in the value of the
collateral that I give to you to hold, it isvalid kiddushin, if the value of the objectis worth a least a dinar.Reuven said to Sarah “become betrothedto me with 100 dinars”, and he gave herone dinar, she is betrothed if she acceptedthe dinar; he still owes her 99 dinars. Shecan sue him for the 99 dinars. The resultis the same if he gave her 99 dinars or100 dinars and one of them is rusty andworthless. There is also a view thatdisagrees and holds she is not betrotheduntil she receives the entire 100 dinars.The foregoing view that she is betrothedholds true if he did not say to her withthese 100 dinars, then she is not betrotheduntil they count and see that there are 100dinars in his hands to give to her. Eitherparty may stop the procedure until theentire 100 dinars are counted out andgiven to her. Even is she agrees to takethe lesser amount he may change hismind because the kiddushin had not yetbeen completed.Reuven says to Sarah, “Be betrothed tome with this cup”, if it was filled withwater, the betrothal is valid for we saythat the value of the cup and its contentsis worth a p'ruta. If it was filled with winewe look to see if the cup was worth aperutah without taking into account thevalue of the contents. If it was filled withoil we look to see if the contents wereworth a p'ruta.
CHIZUK ! IDUD (for Olim & notyetOlim respectively)
"Let me go over, I pray Thee, and see the good land that is beyondthe Jordan, that goodly hill country and Lebanon. (D'varim 3:25)"
Thus Moshe beseeched God to be allowed to enter western Eretz Yisrael.Our Sages teach us that Moshe’s desire to enter the Land was motivated
by a spiritual need: Rabbi Simla’i expounded: Why did Moshe wish to enterEretz Yisrael? Did he need to eat of its fruit or fill himself of its goodness?Rather, Moshe said: “Many mitzvot have been commanded to Israel and canbe fulfilled only in Eretz Yisrael; I will enter in order to fulfill these mitzvot.”(Sotah 14a)
Or HaChayim (R. Hayyim ben Attar, 16961743) relates Moshe's request tothe Talmudic statement: “One who walks four cubits within the Land ofIsrael is guaranteed that he is a ‘son of the World to Come’” (Ketubot 111a).Moses wished to enter the Land for the “benefit of his soul and for thedesired pleasure, which is the World to Come.”
Iyun Ya’akov, in turn, relates this Talmudic statement to another: “The HolyOne, blessed be He, has only the four cubits of Halakha.” He explains thatone who walks the four cubits of Halakha within the Land of Israel, whoseatmosphere conveys wisdom, is guaranteed the World to Come, as ourSages say: “One who repeats Halakha on a daily basis is guaranteed theWorld to Come.”
We wish to suggest another expla nation, based upon the approach of theMaharal of Prague, who comments that “four cubits” represents one’spersonal space. Walking four cubits represents leaving one’s space. Thus,the Talmud is saying: One who takes advantage of the Land of Israel tofurther himself spiritually is indeed guaranteed that he is a “son of the Worldto Come.”
Shani Taragin, Jerusalem
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Jewish Law cont. from previous page
Shimon had several vessels in front ofhim or types of food or other objects, andSarah said to him “give me some ofthese” and he replied “if I give them toyou will you become betrothed to mewith this transfer of objects to you?” andif she said “yes” and he gave her theobjects, they are betrothed. But if she hadreplied give them to me, there is nobetrothal if he gave her the objects, since
she did not respond to him in theaffirmative. Even in this latter case if ashe gave her the object he said to herbecome betrothed to me with this objectand she accepted the object there is avalid betrothal. The context of theconversation governs to see if she agreedto become betrothed with the object thathe is giving to her. But in all of theseinstances if he utters the words ofbetrothal and she accepts the object, thereis a valid betrothal.
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The Puah Institute for Fertility and Gynecology in Accordance with Halacha is based in Jerusalem and helps couplesfrom all over the world who are experiencing fertility problems. Puah offers free counseling in five languages, halachicsupervision, and educational programs. Puah has offices in Jerusalem, New York, Los Angeles and Paris. To contact the
Puah Institute please call (02) 6515050 in Israel or in the US 7183360603. website: www.puahonline.org
Fertility Preservation TechnologiesWe have been discussing the halachicissues of male fertility preservation, aprocess in which a terminally ill patientfacing possible sterility has his spermpreserved for future use. Male fertilitypreservation is a relatively simpleprocess, since freezing sperm is astraightforward and easy process thathas been in use since the advent offertility medicine.Female fertility preservation and thefreezing of human egg cells for futureuse is a much more complicatedprocess than the freezing of spermcells. Human egg cells are the largestcell the human body produces (spermis the smallest). The genetic materialscontained with the cells are essentiallyidentical with the difference betweenthe two types of cells being the amountof cytoplasm contained within.Cytoplasm is the liquid inside the cell,as opposed to the genetic materialwhich is contained within the nucleusof the cell. The cytoplasm reacts totemperature similar to water. Unlikeother materials, Cytoplasm (and water)expands when it is frozen. In a smallcell, such as sperm, the expansion ofthe cytoplasm is insignificant. However,the much more significant amount ofcytoplasm contained in the eggexpands to such a significant degreethat the surface of the egg is ruptured,making it unviable. Furthermore,standard freezing processes lead tothe formation of ice crystals, which alsodestroy the egg.
Thus, although it was possible to safelyand successfully freeze other cells,including fertilized eggs, unfertilizedhuman eggs could not be frozen andsaved for future use. Fertilitypreservation has therefore been aviable option for male candidates aswell as married females, for whomfertilized eggs could be preserved forfuture use. Unfortunately, single womendid not have an option to preserve theirunfertilized eggs and were not eligiblefor fertility preservation.Recently, technology advanced toallow for the freezing of unfertilized eggcells. This new technology, calledvitrification, utilizes either a rapid freezing method and/or the employment ofspecial beads of glass that are used inthe freezing process. These methodsretard the expansion of the cytoplasm,preventing the egg membrane rupture.Vitrification has successfully frozenunfertilized human eggs that have laterbeen thawed and used for fertilization.Another recently invented method offreezing eggs involves using cryoprotectants to protect the egg and itsmembrane so that it will not bedamaged during the freezing andthawing process.Due to these methods it is nowpossible to offer egg freezing as aviable method of female fertilitypreservation. Fertility preservation istherefore an option that is available(according to the vast majority ofposkim) to all terminal patients,regardless of their gender or maritalstatus.
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next page
Rabbi Weinreb’s Weekly Column:The Person in the Parsha
for Parshat Va'etchanan
“Answering Unanswered Prayers”Did you ever really pray for somethingyou wanted? I mean, really fervently,desperately, pray hard for somethingthat was vitally important to you?If you did, and I think we all pray thisway at moments of urgency, youviolated an anonymous piece ofwisdom: "Be careful what you prayfor, because you just might get it."I have not been able to determinewho said that. But I know clearly whathe meant. In my own life, I have hadmore than one occasion to look backat answered prayers, which achievedwhat turned out to be very trivialobjectives. And I have certainly beendisappointed in prayer, only to learnthat in the long run, I was much betteroff without the benefits of whatever Iprayed for so earnestly.We think we know what is good forus, we think we know what we need,but we really don't. Often, we aremuch the better for having certainprayers rebuffed, and we frequentlydiscover that the things we thoughtwere important are not important atall.In the Torah portion this week,Va'etchanan, Moshe confides to ushow he powerfully beseeched theAlmighty, begging Him to reverse Hisdecision to frustrate Moshe's greatestdream, that he be permitted to enterthe Promised Land. Moshe uses asynonym for prayer, CHANAN, which
connotes imploring, pleading for theundeserved favor, MATNAT CHINAM.
But Moshe is denied his dream. Hispetition is torn up in his face. His isthe archetypal unanswered prayer.Joel Cohen, in his book Moses, aMemoir, puts these poignant words inthe mouth of Moshe:"I lowered my knees and begged Himonce again. I could muster no tearsthis time... I needed badly to reachand walk about the land He promisedto Abraham for us, so long ago... Mywork is incomplete. My prophecy hasachieved no reality for me in mylifetime... There will be no future forme. My staff, the instrumentality ofmiracles against His enemies, ispowerless against His will."Beautifully put, by this author of abook I recommend to you all.What are we to learn from the story ofthe unanswered prayer of thehumblest, but greatest, of men? Manythings, in my opinion.We learn that the gates of prayer arenot always open. In the words of theMidrash, they are sometimes openbut sometimes closed. And we arenot to rely upon them exclusively.Rather, we are to do our own part toachieve our objectives in mundaneways.Judaism insists upon a balancebetween faith in the divine and theexercise of practical human effort. Itacknowledges that while there mustbe "bitachon", trust in Gd, there mustalso be "hishtadlus", oldfashionedhard work on our part. As the rabbishave it, never rely upon miracles.
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1118 = z¤x¤f ,dvi ¦n §w ,dn © ,r©A §v ¤ ,o ¤dAThe fingers that cover our eyes for Sh'ma = the gimatriya
of the pasuk for which we cover our eyes
Dvarim, D'varim, D'varim, Nechemia, Nechemia
We can never allow prayer to becomea substitute for our doing all we cando. We must not simply expect theAlmighty to achieve Jewish sovereignty for us, but must do our partspolitically and militarily. We cannotexpect manna from heaven, but mustearn our livelihoods by dint of thesweat of our brow. And when we areill, yes, we must pray, but we mustalso diligently seek out competentmedical assistance.There are other lessons, to be sure,to be learned from the unansweredprayer of Moshe Rabeinu. His graveremains a secret, so that it notbecome a shrine and that he not beidolized or heaven forbid, deified. Foranother important lesson aboutprayer from the Jewish perspective, isthat we pray to the One Above only,and not to saints and holy men, bethey alive or be they dead. Cemeteries are not synagogues.By not granting Moshe his request,the Master of the Universe was ineffect telling him that he did all that hecould, and that no more is expectedof him. Humans are expected to do allthey can, and not necessarily toaccomplish everything."It is not necessary for you tocomplete the task, but neither are youexempt from doing all that you can."Moshe is being told, "You did all youcould, even if you did not achieve allof your personal ambitions." Nohuman is complete, no man isperfect.And then there is a final lesson, onethat we learn from the very fact thatMoshe persisted in his prayer,
although he knew well that hisrequest would be spurned. Hemodeled the importance of hope,even in the face of impossible odds.Jewish history contains a long list ofMoshelike figures, whose vision itwas to enter the Holy Land. Theyinclude men like the Gaon Elijah ofVilna, who longed to spend the lastyears of his life in Eretz Yisrael. Andcloser to our time, the great sageYisrael Meir Kagan, the ChofetzChayim, prayed and carefully plannedto live out his life in Israel.Ironically, they, like Moshe, had theirdreams frustrated by the Hand ofProvidence. Like Moshe, they wereready to try almost anything to realizetheir ambitions. And like Moshe, whowas told that he would not enter theland but his disciple Yehoshua would,various leaders of Jewish history,however reluctantly, took comfort inthe fact that their disciples realizedtheir dream in their stead.This is possibly the most importantlesson of all. When our prayers gounanswered for ourselves, they mayyet be answered for our children andgrandchildren.Unanswered prayers are mysteriouslyanswered, in inscrutable and unpredictable ways.
OU Israel Center TT 870 u22u Va'etchananNachamu 5769 XtraLite version
TU b'Av •a`a E"hIn the last Mishna of Taanit, Rabban Shimon b.Gamliel tells us that there were no more joyousfestivals in Israel than TU b'Av and Yom Kippur.In the middle of this "tragic" month, the monthwhose entrance was accompanied by the diminishing of our joy, we find the most joyous offestivals.If you will ponder the various reasons for TUb'Av, you can see in each one a message ofconsolation and promise... and joy.• In the aftermath of the "Sin of the Spies", Gddecreed that the entire adult male population ofthat generation should die out during 40 years ofwandering. Not only was this decree handed downon Tish'a b'Av, but the "sentence" was carried outon Tish'a b'Av each year. Tradition tells us thateach year on the 9th of Av, the men of Israelwould dig graves and sleep in them. In themorning, Moshe would announce "let the livinglive separate from the dead". Each year,approximately 15,000 men were thus buried, theothers living on for at least another year. In thefinal year of wandering, none of the remaining15,000 dies. Not on Tish'a b'Av eve, nor the nextnight, nor the next. The people thought they haderred in the calculation of the days of the month,but when the full moon of Av took its place in thesky, all joyously realized that the decree againstthe remaining men had been rescinded throughGd's mercy. The 15th of Av was thus marked as aday of joy. It marks the existence of forgiveness,even from very serious sins.• TU b'Av was the end of the season forwoodgathering for the Mizabei'ach. After thisdate, the power of the sun begins to diminish dueto the shortening of the day. Since it is essentialthat the wood for the fires of the Mizbei'ach befree of worms and insects, it was feared that afterTU b'Av the wood might not sufficiently dry outto avoid infestation. The end of the woodgathering season was an occasion for specialkorbanot in the Mikdash, and TU b'Av was
celebrated as a family festival by those involved inthis mitzva.Note that just as Tish'a b'Av and TU b'Av wereopposite sides of the same coin visavis the Sin ofthe Spies, so too are they here in that Tish'a b'Avmarks destruction of the Temple; TU b'Avcelebrates wood gathering for the BeitHaMikdash.• Following the terrible episode of the "pilegeshfrom Giv'a", there was a ban on marrying into thetribe of Binyamin. This ban was lifted on a TUb'Av.• For a long period of time, due to a misunderstanding in the rulings concerning who thedaughters of Tz'lofchad should marry, there waslittle or no intertribal marriage. After a laterSanhedrin clarified the issue, intertribal marriagesbecame commonplace. This reuniting of all ofIsrael, was associated with TU b'Av, and the causeof great joy.• The mishna referred to above, tells us that theyoung maidens of Jerusalem would wearborrowed white dresses, so as not to embarrassone who had no dress... and they would dance inthe vineyards.. (so that eligible young men mightchoose their brides).The two items mentioned above, and the fact thatthere have not been weddings during the ThreeWeeks (or at least the Nine Days), combine tomake TU b'Av a special day for Shidduchim andmarriages, and a truly joyous day.• Following the fall of Beitar about 65 years afterthe destruction of the second Beit HaMikdash (ona Tish'a b'Av, noncoincidentally), the Romans didnot permit the bodies of the dead Jews to beburied, as a punishment for rebelling against andresisting Rome. A few years later, a new emperorallowed burial of the bodies. Tradition records thatthis was on the 15th of Av. The bodies were foundnot to have decayed in the years that they layunburied. The Sanhedrin at Yavne declared this amiracle and composed the fourth bracha of BirkatHaMazon HaTov V'ha'Meitiv, to thank Gd forHis kindnesses, even in darkest of times.
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T'hilim 20:10 is a statement among many others ofour belief: HaShem hoshiya,Gd, save! May the King answer us onthe day we call. The we may nay, mustpray to Gd and our firm belief in Hishearing our prayers, are fundamentals ofJudaism. This pasuk joins a special pasukin Va'etchanan that is also a major statement of our belief: SH'MA YISRAEL,HASHEM ELOKEINU HASHEM ECHADThese p'sukim are gimatriya twins (1118)
Rakel Berenbaum'sPortion of the Portion
FEEDback to berenbau@gmail.com
V'NISHMARTEM M'ODL'NAFSHOTEICHEM
In the summer we hear of manytragedies of kids who drown at thebeach, in pools, or on their way to funadventures. A verse in this week'sportion is very appropriate to keep inmind during the remaining weeks ofvacation."Watch yourselves very carefully, sinceyou did not see any image... at Choreiv"V'nishmartem M'od L'nafshoteichem"(4:15). The Midrash asks what is theverse talking about? What kind ofwatching? From what? What is theconnection with the rest of the verses?The word here used is NEFESH soul,but if we are being instructed to guardour soul it should have writtenUshmartem M'od et Nafshoteichem.For that reason the Rabbis learned thatthis verse is refering to guarding ourphysical well being ( B'rachot 32:). Butthe verse is written in such a way toteach us that by safeguarding ourphysical health we are also protecting
our spiritual health. (Mayana shelTorah).The Chofetz Chayim is famous for hisbooks on Shmirat HaLashon whosepurpose is to help people protect theirspiritual health with his guidance onhow not to speak gossip but somepeople might not be aware how muchhe stressed the importance of guardingone's physical health as well. In hisYeshiva he insisted that his student'sgot enough sleep. He used to say thatthe evil inclination will try to havesomeone study late into the night for awhile so he would become weak andnot be able to study later on.I even heard of a case where a Rabbirefused to officiate at the funeral of anoverzealous congregant who fastedon Yom Kippur even after his doctorand Rabbi told him that he shouldn't forhealth reasons. He died as a result ofthe fast, and the Rabbi told the familynot to sit shiva because the man ineffect had taken his own life. Extremecase, but it reminds us how careful wemust be to protect ourselves from alltypes of health hazards.So how should we take care ofourselves?Drive safely, swim only where there isa lifeguard, do physical exercise, (suchas joining Melabev's walkathon), keepup your brain health and memory in aplace like Brainspa, as described in arecent lecture at the Israel Centerwww.brainspa.co.il, get enough sleep,and be sure to eat well, such as theMediterranean diet. The Mediterraneandiet, characterizing the traditionalcooking style of countries bordering theMediterranean Sea, incorporates thebasics of healthy eating fruits,vegetables, fish and whole grains, olive
OU Israel Center TT 870 u24u Va'etchananNachamu 5769 XtraLite version
D'varim 4:4 "But you whoheld fast to HaShem yourGod are alive every one ofyou this day."The gemara "darshens" this pasuk: Youwho cling to Gd are not only alivetoday, but even if everyone else weredead, you would be alive. You are alivetoday, and so will you be in the worldto come. The gemara concludes with,"from here we learn that T'CHIYATHAMEITIM (revival of the dead) is aconcept from the Torah.Torah T'mima (the other TT) explainsthat the people to whom Moshe isspeaking are certainly alive "this day".Rather, we can understand the verse assaying, You who cling to Gd will bealive in the world to come as you arealive today.Note that the word for LIFE in Hebrewis plural. This is so only for Hebrew.And this fits with our belief in OlamHaBa and T'chiyat HaMeitim.Sh'mot 1:6, "And Yosef died, and all hisbrothers, and all that generation."These two p'sukim have the samegimatriya. They died... but they live!
oil, and a bit of red wine and limitsunhealthy fats.This week's recipe for paella, a ricedish originating in the coastal regionsof Spain, is an example of Mediterranean cooking. It usually containsshellfish which is not kosher , so hereis a vegetarian version. It is served in a"paellera" a round flat pan with twohandles which is then put on thetable. If you don't have such a pan usethe widest and shallowest pan youhave.
VEGETARIAN PAELLA¼ cup olive oil5 cloves minced garlic1 large onion, chopped4 cups vegetable broth2 cups rice4 medium tomatoes, skinned,seeded and chopped1 small red bell pepper,seeded and cut into thin strips1 small green bell pepper,seeded and cut into thin strips1 small yellow bell pepper,seeded and cut into thin strips1 cup green peas2 cups artichoke hearts, tough outerleaves removed and quartered1 lemonLemon wedges, to garnish
Heat the olive oil in a paella pan andsaute the onion and garlic until theonion is tender and translucent. Heatthe broth in a separate saucepan till itsimmers.
Pour the rice into the pan and saute forabout 3 minutes. Add the bell peppersand tomatoes and cook for a further 3minutes. Add the simmering vegetablebroth and cook over medium heat for20 minutes or until almost tender andalmost all the liquid has beenabsorbed. Stir in the peas.Sprinkle the artichoke hearts with a fewdrops of lemon juice and arrange overthe rice in an nice pattern. Continuecooking until the liquid has beenabsorbed and the rice is tender.Serve the paella straight from the pan,garnished with lemon wedges.
OU Israel Center TT 870 u25u Va'etchananNachamu 5769 XtraLite version
(exaggerated pause here)
Concerning Gd's namesand other issues from Va'etchanan• Gd's fourletter name occurs over 6800 times inTanach. Over 98% of the time, the name ispronounced as if spelled ALEFDALETNUNYUD.Around 130 times, the name is pronounced as if it were spelled ALEFLAMEDHEIYUDMEM (ELOKIM). In a Sefer Torah or in KLAFscrolls of the books of NACH,the names are indistinguishable. In printed Chumashim and Tanachs, differentNIKUD (vowels) are used to distinguish between the two pronunciations.The "regular" YUDKEIVAVKEI (as it is called) is voweled with a SH'VA,CHOLOM CHASEIR, and KAMATZ for the first three letters. In many editions, novowels are used at all, for this name. For the ELOKIM pronunciation, a CHATAFSEGOL, CHOLOM CHASEIR, and CHIRIK are used for the first three letters,matching the vowels of the name ELOKIM in its regular spelling.Of the 130 or so ELOKIMs in the fourletter form, only four occur in the Torah one is in Va'etchanan and another next week in Eikev, which is why we arereviewing this topic in this particular issue. Most of these names are in Yechezkeil,some in Yirmiyahu, and the remaining few in other books of NACH.(When we print up Torah reading and Haftara at the Israel Center, we use a HEIwith an apostrophe commonly referred to as a SHMICHIK with nothing under itfor the ADO*** name and a CHATAFSEGOL when it is pronounced ELOKIM. '¡d• Here's a good pasuk to use as a review of NASOG ACHOR. D'varim 4:25 (thefirst pasuk of the Tish'a b'Av morning reading). "When you shall give birth tochildren and grandchildren, and will have been long in the land, you will growcorrupt and make (VA'ASITEM) a graven image, a likeness of anything, and you willdo (VA'ASITEM) evil in the sight of the HaShem your God, to anger Him."Notice that the two identical words are accented on different syllables: the first isMIL'EIL (on the next to the last syllable) and the second one is MILRA, on the lastsyllable. The correct accenting of the word is MILRA (va'asiTEM). The firstoccurrence of the word in the pasuk is followed by the word PEsel (idol), which ispronounced MILEIL. Because vaaSItem and PEsel are in the same phrase, theaccent on vaasiTEM regresses to the next to the last syllable and becomesvaaSItem. This is called NASOG ACHOR.The phrase that follows vaaSItem PEsel also has a NASOG ACHOR. "A likenessof anything", t'MUnat KOL (rather than t'muNAT, which would be the regularaccenting of the word). In this case of NASOG ACHOR, the second word (thatcauses the accent of the word before it to NASOG ACHOR) is monosyllabic.This pasuk, then, has the two situations for NASOG ACHOR a twosyllableMILEIL word and a one syllable word, linked to the previous word in a phrase.• D'varim 4:39 is quoted in ALEINU. It is important when reading it in the Torahand when saying it in davening, to pause before the last two words and say themdistinctly on their own. mi ½¦dl| ¡«d `Ed 'Æd i³¦M ¼L ¼¤aa §lÎl ¤ »za «¥W£d«©e mFÀI©d ´Y§r©c«i§e :cF «r oi ¥ z©g®Y ¦n u ¤x ¨dÎl©r§e l©r ½©O ¦n m¦i ©nX©A
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Spiritual and Ethical Issues in the Bamidbar Storiesby Dr. Meir Tamari: Korach & Co. {1}
All our sources make it clear thatKorach and those gathered around himin their revolt against Moshe, wereimportant, influential and giftedpersonalities in Israel. In addition, theystress that these were not merely ascattered few individuals but actuallyan assemblage congregation, a gathering of leaders and opinion makers. Thisis consistent with bearing in mind thatall the people that the Tanach dealswith or describes or reports about, areoutstanding, powerful and importantones, even the most evil and sinfulones amongst them."Our sages taught that Korach was agreat and wise man who had meritedbeing one of the bearers of the AronHaKodesh and the vessels of theMishkan on their very shoulders.VAYIKACH, this means to draw peopleby temptation; Korach drew around himby his speech all the great of Israel, theSanhedriot, the special men of thecommunity, the famous ones known toall, and the wise ones who knew howto determine the leap years andsanctify the months of the year"(Bamidbar Rabba 18:23;8).Together with all this, Korach and hisfaction have, throughout the ages,been seen as the epitome and thesymbol in Judaism of controversy,divisiveness, and strife. The veryopening word of the whole storyVAYIKACH, conveys the self interestand presumption of their revolt. "Thisverb designates an unjustifiedprocedure in one's own interests. Justas Avsalom (Shmuel Bet 18:18) 'took',
that is assumed to himself the right topresumptuously erect a monument tohimself during his lifetime" (S. R.Hirsch). However, at the same time, itwould be a serious spiritual loss for usto see those involved only as ambitiousegoists, or as simple seekers of powerand control, or as mere politicalopportunists. Undoubtedly these negative factors existed; Chazal sees eachof the parties to Korach's revolt ashaving his own agenda. Nevertheless,we should not thereby lose sight of theimportant spiritual, religious andcommunal questions and issues thatwere raised by the various personalities that led this congregation.Similar questions and issues havebeen at the root of the communal andreligious movements that have rebelledduring the centuries, as did Korach andhis Eida, in essence, against ToratMoshe."Which is a controversy for the sake ofHeaven? Such was the controversybetween Hillel and Shammai. Which isa controversy not for the sake ofHeaven? Such was the controversy ofKorach and all his gathering" (Avot 5:20)."This mishna and the following twomishnayot teach us the truth of divinereward and punishment. One whodisagrees with his fellow, not to simplyopposes him, but solely to discover thetruth, will find that his opinions will besustained. Whoever brings peopleback to the straight and true path willbe rewarded by Gd, and kept from sin"(Rambam's commentary on theMishna).
OU Israel Center TT 870 u27u Va'etchananNachamu 5769 XtraLite version
His is no mixed choir
World history and Jewish history alikeare replete with examples of movements, individuals, schisms and revolutions that originated in a desire to solvereligious, social and ethical questionsor to promise redemption from thetroubles of the world. However, just asfrequently, some arrogance, somedegree of selfinterest or some attemptto thereby earn material or politicalpower have created hatred, injustice orimmorality often greater than anythingthey came to change. "How can wedistinguish between those disagreements that are for the sake of Heavenand those that are not? Those in whichthe disputants do not hate or persecuteeach other but rather like Hillel andShammai, display friendship andcordiality to each other, are for thesake of Heaven" (Rabbi YehonatanEybeschutz). "It is not mere assumption or pious apologetic claim that theircontroversy was above personal rancoror rivalry. There is actual evidence:despite the differences on matters ofmarriage, the families of the twoschools intermarried; despite differences in questions of tum'a v'tahara,they borrowed and lent each other theirvessels" (I. M. Bunim, Ethics fromSinai).It has been very common in moderntimes to view the halakhic controversies of Hillel and Shammai simplyas the reflection of the differences intheir personalities with Hillel as themoderate and kind sage whereasShammai is the narrow uncompromising ritualist. Alternatively, Shammai hasbeen portrayed as representing the richclasses, while Hilllel represents thepoor and working classes. Therebyboth of the views as well as the manyvariations of them, simply deny that
these controversies were simply for thesake of Heaven in order to find Gd'struth; they are simply variants ofKorach and his factions."Every time the Gemara refers to acontroversy of Hillel and Shammai itends with by saying 'the halakha isaccording to Bet Hillel', showing us thattheir purpose was truly only todetermine the halakha" (Rivash). Thisconcept that these were purelyhalakhic differences becomes evenclearer if we take an example of such acontroversy. "According to BeitShammai, we kindle all 8 candles ofthe first night of Chanuka, decreasingthe number on each successive night;Beit Hillel argued that since we rise inholiness, on the first night there is onelight and we increase the number oneach subsequent night. This isbecause they maintain that man isunable to SUR MEIRA, depart fromevil, all at once, whereas he can do alittle good each day (ASEI TOV) untilhe finally achieves SUR MEIRA. BeitShammai taught that to do goodwithout having first left off evil is worthless. The first steps require maximumeffort and spiritual strength so the firstnight there are 8 lights, but afterwardsthey decrease as less effort is required.At the present, because of our weaknesses, the candles are according toBeit Hillel, but in the future, people willbe able to SUR MEIRA first and thehalakha, as in all cases, will beaccording to Bet Shammai" (ShemMiShmuel).
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ArtScroll Series • Mesorah Publications Ltd.
WISDOM & WITby Shmuel Himelstein
There are many people who believe that Hashem is in Heaven, but the truebeliever believes that Hashem also rules this world.
R’ Chanoch Henich of Alexander
Shmuel Himelstein has written a wonderful series for ArtScroll: Words of Wisdom, Words of Wit; A Touch of Wisdom,A Touch of Wit; and "Wisdom and Wit" available at your local Jewish bookstore (or should be). Excerpted with permission
As the Rav of Ponevezh, R’ YosefShlomo Kahaneman was involved in allcommunal and domestic matters.
Once, a man came to him anddemanded a divorce from his wife. Hiswife, he said, left their home in acomplete mess, and he who was astickler for neatness simply couldn’tlive with such disorder in his home. R’Yosef Sholomo eventually sent the manhome to think things over, but whenthe man returned he was as insistent asbefore. Again the Rav sent him home,and again he returned, reiterating hisdemand for a divorce.
This time, R’ Yosef Sholomo sent himaway, but asked him to return the nextmorning to the Rav’s house, rather thanto the shul, where they had beenmeeting each time until now.
That night, the Rav and his wife turnedtheir home upside down insuring thatit looked as if a cyclone had struck it.
The man returned the next day andlooked around the Rav’s house it wasin a far worse state than his own home.“Well,” said R’ Yosef Shlomo, “do youthink that I should divorce my wife aswell?”
The man was pacified, and consequentlyshelved his demand.
A young man was about to be draftedinto the Russian army. For a Jew servicein the Russian army was incomparablyworse than for a nonJew, with blatantdiscrimination and physical abuseheaped upon the Jews in the army. Hecame to R’ Chaim Ozer Grodzinski andasked R’ Chaim Ozer to bless him, thathe not be drafted.
“Do you wear tzitzis?” R’ Chaim Ozerasked him. “Rebbe, I won’t lie to you,”replied the young man. “I don’t wearthem.”
“And do you lay tefillin?” Again theyoung man replied that he did not.
“And Shabbos? Do you keep Shabbos?”
“Rebbe, I don’t keep those laws either,”said the young man. By now, he wasconvinced that all that he would receivewould be a tonguelashing from R’Chaim Ozer. Instead, R’ Chaim Ozersaid to him: “I hope that the Russianarmy is as disappointed in you as I am.”
A few weeks later, the young manreturned to R’ Chaim Ozer with thegood news that the army had turnedhim down. This time, though, he waswearing tzitzis, and he soon adopted areligious life style.
Pirkei Avot fourth perek
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R. Yehuda says, Be cautious in teaching, for anerror in teaching may amount to presumptuoussin.
Alternately: Be careful when you study, for aninadvertent error in study is tantamount tointentional sin.
If we allow TALMUD to mean eitherstudy or teaching and more likely,both then we see this Mishna as awarning to teacher and student alike which means all of us.
To be sure, when one teaches youngchildren, the blame for careless errorsin teaching rests on the teacher's head.With older students and adults, someof the blame can be shared, but theteacher has an awesome responsibilityto be as thorough and as accurate andas clear as possible to minimize themisunderstandings that can lead a person to serious error.
Even a perfect teacher they don'texist still runs the risk of a student'snot understanding, confusing, or insome other way walking away with apiece of misknowledge that is not atall what the teacher thought he wasteaching.
This mishna is not meant to discourageteacher or student; it is meant to warneach to be very careful in transmittingknowledge on the teacher's part andto ask for review and clarificationwhen there is any doubt as to whatthe student thinks he learned.
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Merak and Dubhe in theBig Dipper are known as the"pointers". They point to theNorth Star, a.k.a. the Pole Star,a.k.a. Polaris, the alpha star of Ursa Minor,the Little Bear. The North Star in Hebrew isa ¤hFT ©d a©kFM in dP ©h §T ©d dAEC ©d
Speaking of the North Star and of Yeshaya'swords r"ny It is not particularly bright, butit is the only star in the sky that remains inthe same place (just about) from our perspective. At Jerusalem's latitude (approx.32°N), the Pole Star is 32° above the horizon.This is so for all northern latitudes.At the North Pole, the Pole Star is directlyoverhead i.e. 90° above the horizon, just asthe latitude of the North Pole is 90°.The North Star is not visible from theSouthern Hemisphere of the Earth.
Apropos Yeshayahu 40:26 (Haftara of Shabbat Nachamu):b Ursa Minor, a.k.a. Kochab, HR 5563, HD 131873
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