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Page Zero of Torah Tidbits 841Lead Tidbit cont. from page 1 (below)
Kislev of Chanuka fame with a previous 25 Kislev related to the BeitHaMikdash, goes back much further. As far back as can be gone back, as faras the Mikdsah is con cerned. The Midrash says that the first Mishkan wascompleted and ready to be inaugurated on the 25th of Kislev! Its dedicationat the time was postponed until Nisan, the month in which Yitzchak had beenborn. Yitzchak Avinu was originally designated as a korban. At the lastminute, an angel told Avraham to stop. Avraham found a ram caught up inthe bramble, and brought it as an offering to Gd instead of Yitzchak. But theAkeida gives us the association between Yitzchak and the Mizbei'ach, andGd chose Rosh Chodesh Nisan for the first Chanuka (dedication). As oursources put it (well, not exactly the way they say things), Gd owed the 25thof Kislev big. And the rededication of the Mikdash by the Chashona'im wasthe repayment.
That's at least twice that the 25th of Kislev can be viewed as "a holidaywaiting to happen".
But let's go back even further. How far back? All the way. The Gemara(Avoda Zara 8a) tells us that when Adam HaRishon realized that the day wasgetting shorter and shorter (during his first approach of winter), he fearedthat it was his fault that the world was slowly but surely returning todarkness and chaos and that this must be the death that Gd warned himabout if he ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Gemarasays that Adam declared upon himself an 8day period of fasting and prayer.When the days began to lengthen, Adam realized that it was part of naturefor the days to shorten and lengthen, and he celebrated his "reprieve" withan 8day festival. He (Adam HaRishon) intended his festival in Gd's honor,says the Gemara, and they (the pagans of subsequent genreations),perverted the festival to their gods.
Hello! An 8day holiday dedicated to thanking Gd for miracles and victories.Sound familiar?
Chanuka was always meant to happen. It doesn't have to be spelled out inthe Torah; our Sages are wise enough to take the hints from AdamHaRishon, from the dedication of the Mishkan (guess what makes up theTorah reading for the postBiblical holiday of Chanuka the account of thededication of the Mishkan), from the building of the Beit HaMikdash, from theevents of the Chanuka story. In Maoz Tzur, we acknowledge our Sages asB'NEI VINA, who established Y'MEI SH'MONA, eight days for singing praisesto Gd. They didn't invent it they were wise enough to perceive that it wasmeant to be.
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Correct for TT 841 • Rabbeinu Tam (J'm) 6:01pm4:07* Yerushalayim 5:23pm4:25 S'derot 5:26pm4:22 Gush Etzion 5:24pm4:22 Raanana 5:24pm4:23 Beit Shemesh 5:24pm4:23 Rehovot 5:25pm4:22 Netanya 5:23pm4:23 Be'er Sheva 5:26pm4:22 Modi'in 5:24pm4:07* Petach Tikva 5:24pm4:07* Maale Adumim 5:23pm4:21 Ginot Shomron 5:23pm4:21 Gush Shiloh 5:22pm4:23 K4 & Hevron 5:24pm4:22 Giv'at Ze'ev 5:23pm4:23 Yad Binyamin 5:25pm4:25 Ashkelon 5:26pm4:08 Tzfat 5:20pm
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841h"qyz elqk 'lDec. 2627 •
Shabbat 3:00pm (Mincha 4:00)
Dr. Moshe (Murray) KuhrMotza'ei Shabbat 8:30pm
"Singing of the Heart" Concert
This Shabbat is the 89th day (of 354), 13th Shabbat (of 50) of 5769
e lki l`xyd zexpiewilc,n mzeevw mcevz`,yl`npzexzcenr,ioinndfef;iynzwelg:iynmitiqe...
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Tel: (02) 9998440US toll free: 1866376[email protected]
cont. p. Zero, above
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l`xyi axdonciif ongp
* See box on page 3 for the explanationof the asterisk for candle lighting inJerusalem, Petach Tikva, Maale Adumim
A Holiday Waiting to HappenIn the book(let) of Chagai, we read of Gd's appearing to the prophet Chagaion the 24th day of the 9th month (Kislev) and commanding the building ofthe second Beit HaMikdash, which was destined to be greater than the firstBeit HaMikdash. One can imagine the work commencing on the followingday, the 25th of Kislev, a date with which we are quite familiar. Theprophecy to Chagai was we were under Persian rule. That prophecy tells of
another kingdom that will take overfor the Persians. Reference is to theGreeks. More than 200 years after thecommencement of the building of thesecond Bayit, on the same 25th ofKislev, the Chashmona'im rededicatedthe Beit HaMikdash following the greatvictory over the Greeks. We can saythat the 25th of Kislev was a holidaywaiting to happen. And it did!
But there's more much more. Theassociation of the 25th of
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Word of the MonthRosh Chodesh Tevet is theonly Rosh Chodesh onwhich we say whole Hallel;Tishrei's is the only one onwhich we do not say Hallelat all.
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Ranges are 10 days, WEDFRI
27 Kislev 4 Tevet (Dec 24 Jan 2)Earliest Talit & T'filin 5:425:45am
Sunrise 6:376:40amSof Z'man K' Sh'ma 9:079:11am(Magen Avraham: 8:198:23am)
Sof Z'man T'fila 9:5810:02am(Magen Avraham: 9:269:30am)
Chatzot 11:3911:43am(halachic noon)
Mincha Gedola 12:0912:14pm(earliest Mincha)
Plag Mincha 3:383:43½pmSunset 4:464:52pm(based on sea level: 4:404:46pm)
OU ISRAELSeymour J. Abrams • Orthodox Union • Jerusalem World Center
OU Israel Center programs • Makom BaLev • Lev YehudiPearl & Harold M. Jacobs ZULA Center • Machon MaayanNESTO • The Jack Gindi Oraita Program • Mashiv HaRuachBeit Kharkov • OU Israel Communities • OU Kashrut Israel
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OU Israel and Torah Tidbits do not endorse the political or halachicpositions of its editor, columnists, or advertisers, nor guarantee thequality of advertised services or products. Nor do we endorse thekashrut of hotels, restaurants, caterers or food products that areadvertised in TT (except, of course, those under OUIsrael hashgacha).We recommend that readers check with the advertisers themselves to
clarify kashrut and shmita details of their services and products.
cont. p.3
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Concerning the asterisks for the Shabbat candle lighting time for Shabbat Chanuka...
There are two ways to go. One way is to ignore the asterisk and light Shabbat candlesat candle lighting time, as you would on any other Friday. Just remember that Chanukacandles are to be lit right before Shabbat candles even if different people are doing thelighting of the one or the other.
The other way to go is to postpone Shabbat candle lighting for about 20 minutes forthis Shabbat only and only in Jerusalem and other places that light extra early everyweek. That extra time can be taken back for Shabbat Chanuka in order to light Chanukacandles closer to its preferred time. Chanuka candles still go first, followed by Shabbatcandles.
WORD of the MONTH from p.2
A weekly TT feature to help clarify practical and conceptual aspects of the Jewish Calendar, therebyenhancing our appreciation of Gd's gift to us of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem...
Sort of a nice balancing effect, don't you think?
As we mentioned last week, Tevet's is one of the two Rosh Chodeshes that issometimes two days (common) and sometimes one day (less common). WithChanuka starting on 25 Kislev, 29 Kislev is always the 5th day. This makesthe 6th candle always Rosh Chodesh sometimes it is 30 Kislev and sometimes it is 1 Tevet. The seventh candle is usually Rosh Chodesh too.
Mikeitz STATSRosh Chodesh & Chanuka too10th of 54 sedras; 10th of 12 in B'reishit
Written on 254.6 lines in a Sefer Torah, rank: 6th
The sedra is a single Parsha P'tucha (open)(the LONGEST parsha in the whole Torah)
146 p'sukim ranks 8th (5th) tied with B'reishit
2022 words ranks 3rd (2nd)
7914 letters ranks 2nd (first)
SH'VII for Rosh Chodesh:7 p'sukim, 94 words, 388 letters
MAFTIR for Shabbat Chanuka:6 p'sukim, 66 words, 248 letters
MITZVOTNone of the 613 mitzvot are found in MikeitzMaftir for ShabbatRosh Chodesh (which this week isSH'VII) has 2 positive mitzvot Musaf of Shabbatand Musaf of Rosh Chodesh
AliyabyAliyaSedra Summary[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.
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Kohen First Aliya 14 p'sukim 41:114[P> 41:1 (146)] Two years havepassed since the wine steward hadpromised to tell Par'o about Yosef.Extra years of languishing in prison,for putting too much faith in ahuman at the expense of completefaith in Gd (and possibly creating aChilul HaShem in Yosef's case,because of who he was and thespecific circumstances being whatthey were).
Let's clarify... In "normal" circumstances, a person in Yosef's situationshould take steps to get himself outof prison by asking the wine steward(or whomever) to help. But in thiscase, we can see that the SarHaMashkim spoke condescendinglyabout Yosef, calling him a NAARIVRI. This probably means that herelished the idea that the "Jew boy"relied on him to get out of jail. This,after giving Gd credit for the dreaminterpretation. We can imagine thatin Yosef's particular situation, hisasking the Sar HaMashkim for helpwould not be the right way to go.
Par'o has two dreams 7 emaciatedcows consuming 7 fat cowswithout showing the effect of their"meal", and 7 scorched ears ofgrain consuming 7 fat, good ears.These dreams upset him verymuch. He summons his counselorswho fail to ease his mood withtheir unsatisfactory interpretations.
The wine steward finally remembers Yosef and approaches Par'owith his story. "With us there was
this Jewish kid..." Par'o ordersYosef's removal from prison andYosef is prepared to meet Par'o.
SSSSSDDDDDTTTTT::::: Rashi points out (actually, hecurses) that wicked people, even when theyare acknowledging good that was done ontheir behalf, will belittle those to whomthey owe a debt of gratitude. The WineSteward refers to Yosef as a NA'AR(connotation of a fool), IVRI (a foreignerwho doesn't belong amongst us), EVED (aslave unworthy of leadership).
SSSSSDDDDDTTTTT::::: There is a Tradition that Yosefwas "remembered" on Rosh HaShana andremoved from prison to the palace of theking. What happened to Yosef was part ofthe Divine Plan for enslavement andsubsequent redemption of Bnei Yisrael.Perhaps, this gives Rosh HaShana one ofits claims to be called ZEICHER LITZI'ATMITZRAYIM, commemorative of theExodus, as we say in Kiddush. (Also, thePlagues began on Rosh HaShana, andactual slavery ended then).
SSSSSDDDDDTTTTT::::: When Yosef was brought beforePar'o, the Torah tells us that he shaved.Rashi says that it was a sign of respect toroyalty. Some say that Yosef was a NAZIR,and he did not drink wine or cut his hair.Nonetheless, he shaved for Par'o.
Levi Second Aliya 24 p'sukim 41:1538Par'o tells Yosef about his dreams(making some significant changeswhich Yosef corrects, thus signaling to Par'o the Divine origin ofYosef's dream interpretations).Yosef tells Par'o that his twodreams are in fact a single message
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from Gd of His intention to bringseven years of plenty which will befollowed by seven years of devastating famine. The years of plentywill not even be remembered(unless measures are taken toproperly prepare for them). Thedoubling of the dream indicatesthat the events are soon to occur.Yosef suggests what to do duringthe years of plenty to prepare forthe famine. Par'o is highlyimpressed by the godly person,Yosef.
There is an impressive list ofparallels between the story in thissedra and Megilat Esther. Specifically, in Par'o's treatment of Yosefand Achashverosh's instructions toHaman about how to paradeMordechai through the street. Thetextual similarities are extensive.
Shlishi Third Aliya 14 p'sukim 41:3952Par'o, convinced that Yosef is thewisest person around, appoints himas viceroy over all of Egypt. Par'ogives Yosef his royal ring andspecial garments (again garments!)and parades Yosef through thestreets so that the Egyptians willknow of the authority the king hasgiven Yosef. Yosef is given As’natas a wife. (Some say that she wasDeena's daughter.) At age 30, Yosef ismaster over Egypt. As’nat bearsYosef two sons, before the years ofthe famine Menashe and Efrayim.
Note that Par'o acknowledges thatGd is the source of Yosef's wisdom.Apparently, not all Egyptian rulershad the disdain for the Gd of Israelthat a successor of this Par'o hadyears later. Although it is worded inthe form that a "new king arose whodid not know Yosef", we can see thatit was also Gd that the new kingchose not to know. This phenomenon seems to be repeated in JewishHistory. Of relevance to the Chanukastory is the attitude towards Gd andthe People of Israel of Alexander theGreat compared with some of hissuccessors.
R'vi'i Fourth Aliya 23 p'sukim 41:5342:18The seven years of plenty end andthe famine begins. All neighboringcountries are devastated by thefamine, but Egypt has preparedwell. Yosef manages the distribution of food supplies and amassesgreat wealth for Par'o.
Meanwhile, Yaakov, aware thatthere is food in Egypt, sends "thebrothers" (but not Binyamin) to buyprovisions.
SSSSSDDDDDTTTTT::::: The Torah says that Yaakov SAWthat there was plenty... Rashi asks: What isthe meaning of SAW; would not HEARD bemore accurate? Rashi answers that YaakovSAW in a propheticlike vision that therewas plenty in Egypt. Rashi adds that thiswas not full, clear prophecy, as Yaakovstill did not SEE that Yosef was on thescene. A prophet sees only what Gd wantshim to see, and understands only that partof a vision that he does see.
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SSSSSDDDDDTTTTT::::: The Gemara in Taanit says thatYaakov and family were still wellsuppliedwith food at this stage in the famine. Yet hesent them to Egypt, rather than inflame thejealousy of others. When others have not, itis improper to flaunt what you have.
Yosef sees his brothers, recognizesthem, (they do not recognize him,)and remembers his dreams. Hetreats them harshly and accusesthem of being spies. They deny thecharges and tell Yosef of theirfamily history and honorableintentions.
SSSSSDDDDDTTTTT::::: Rashi says that the brothers(unknowingly) uttered a prophetic statement saying "WE are all the sons of oneman". Consciously, they were talking aboutthemselves. But the statement is very truewhen Yosef is included We are ALL...
Yosef proposes a test of theirsincerity they must bring theiryounger brother down to him. Helocks them up for three days to"think things over".
The Baal HaTurim points out that thephrase VAYISHTACHAVU LO, andthey (the brothers) bowed to him(Yosef) has the same numeric value(772) as B'CHAN NITKAYEIMHACHALOM, with this, the dream(Yosef's) was actualized. TT addsthat VAYITNAKEIR ALEIHEM, And he(Yosef) acted like a stranger to them(the brothers), is also 772. Part ofwhat Yosef did to complete theDivine plan expressed by hisdreams, was to hold back inrevealing himself for a while. SHEVASHANIM, 7 years, a significantfeature of this episode, is also 772.B'ZOT, with this you shall be tested.Yosef said that the children of Israel
will be tested B'ZOT. With ZOT. ZOT= 7 + 1 + 400 = 408. The threemajor "tools" to achieve forgivenessfrom Gd are T'FILA, T'SHUVA,TZEDAKA. This is what we say inMusaf of Rosh HaShana and YomKippur. Some machzorim haveanother set of words printed abovethese three. They are not said, butthey are there. Prayer = KOL(voice). Repentance is aided byTZOM (fasting). And TZEDAKA isperformed with MAMON (money).Each of these three words isnumerically equal to 136. 100+6+30= 90+6+40 = 40+40+6+50. TheG'matriyas of these synonyms beingequal speaks of an equality ofsignificance in the quest for Divineforgiveness. Add them up and youfind 136+136+136 = 408. B'ZOTTIBACHEINU This is how we aretested with Prayer, Repentance,and Acts of Kindness are theChildren of Israel tested.
Chamishi Fifth Aliya 35 p'sukim 42:1943:15Yosef tells them that one of themshall remain as a hostage (Yosefselects Shimon, so as to split thedangerous team of Shimon andLevi) and the others are to return toCanaan to bring "the little one"down to Egypt. The brothersexpress sincere remorse for whatthey had done to Yosef (considering their present predicamentas a punishment for that). Reuvensays the equivalent of "I told youso". All are unaware that Yosef islistening and understanding their
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conversation. Yosef goes off on hisown and weeps (for what he isputting his brothers through). Yosefcommands that their bags be filledwith food and that their money bereturned to them as well.
When each brother opens his sack,he is frightened to find his moneythere. They return to Yaakov andreport to him what has happened.
Yaakov laments the loss of Yosefand now Shimon and announcesthat he will not risk losingBinyamin as well. He refuses topermit his sons to return to Egypt,in spite of (or because of) Reuven'sridiculous suggestion that his ownsons be put to death if anythinghappens to Binyamin.SSSSSDDDDDTTTTT::::: The Gemara says that the curseof a wise (righteous?) person, even whenmade conditional, comes true (in some wayor other). Reuven offered that his sonsshould die if Binyamin is not returned. Theoffer was refused. And Binyamin did returnto his father. Nonetheless, Reuven saidwhat he said. His "two sons" refer to twofamous descendants of his who DID die Datan and Aviram. One has to beexceedingly careful of what one says! (Notonly did they die in the wake of Korach'srebellion, but even earlier, they arereferred to as dead. Gd tells Moshe toreturn to Egypt because those who wereafter him had died. Rashi says this meansDatan and Aviram, who became poor andwere considered as dead they died twice!)
The famine in Canaan intensifiesand Yaakov finally agrees to entrustBinyamin into the hands of Yehudafor the return trip to Egypt. Yaakovgives them twice as much money
as they will need and sends gifts ofthe finest spices to the "Egyptianleader". Yaakov blesses his sons;they return to Egypt and presentthemselves to Yosef.
Shishi Sixth Aliya 14+22 p'sukim 43:1644:17SHISHI and SH'VI'I of Meiketz are combined and read as SHISHI, so the RoshChodesh reading can be SH'VI'I and theChanuka reading can be MAFTIR.
Yosef sees Binyamin and tells hisattendant (probably Menashe) toprepare dinner for them all. Thebrothers fear the summon to Yosef,convinced that it has to do with thereturned money from the previoustrip. They tell Yosef what hadhappened in order to forestall hisanger. Yosef asks them about theiraged father.
The brothers bow to Yosef, thusagain fulfilling the essence of hisdreams (and this time it includesBinyamin). Yosef sees Binyamin,asks about him and blesses him.
Yosef is having a hard timecontrolling his emotions. He criesin private again, washes his faceand returns to the brothers. At thedinner, he seats his brothers in ageorder (which alarms them "Howcould he know?"). He gives themgifts, more to Binyamin.
(Yosef was creating the potential forjealousy so that the brothers wouldbe put into a similar situation as
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previously. This sets the stage for"complete" repentance. Was heacting consciously, subconsciously,divinely guided...)He next orders that food and theirmoney be put into their respectivesacks and that his (Yosef's) specialcup be placed among Binyamin'sbaggage.
He sends the brothers on their wayto Canaan, and then sends his"man" after them to accuse them ofstealing the cup. The brothers areappalled by the accusation andpledge that if the cup is found withthem, the "guilty" party shall be putto death and the others wouldbecome slaves to Yosef. Yosefoffers to enslave only the guiltyone; the others would be free togo. The search reveals thatBinyamin has the cup. Yehuda, asspokesman, offers that all shouldbecome slaves. Yosef insists thatonly Binyamin should remain; theothers should return to their father.
Deja vu all over again! Onceagain, the brothers can go to Yaakov without one of Rachel's sons andclaim extenuating circumstances.And this time, it would be true! Thissets the stage for the possibility ofreal T'shuva. Will the brothers seethis as an opportunity to savethemselves and claim that they werepowerless to do anything, or willthey stand up to this enigmatic rulerof Egypt and be prepared to fight forBinyamin? And this time, it would beeasier to do, because they didnothing wrong.In classic "cliffhanger" style, theparsha ends with this question. One
must stay tuned to the same station,same time next week, for theanswer.
Sh'VII seventh Aliya2nd Torah 7 p'sukimBamidbar 28:915Chapters 28 and 29 in Bamidbar(Parshat Pinchas) deal with thedaily and Musaf korbanot(sacrifices) in the Mikdash. Sincethe two Shabbat p'sukim arefollowed by the five that deal withRosh Chodesh, both portions areread for the Maftir on ShabbatRosh Chodesh. Notice that theMusaf of Shabbat is an expandedversion of the weekday sacrificesand Rosh Chodesh's Musaf is likethose of the Chagim. Makes sensewhen you think about it. Six days...and on the 7th Shabbat is one ofthe days of the week and theunique one among them. TheChagim belong to the Jewishcalendar, which is based on themonths and Rosh Chodesh.
Maftir Third Torah 6 p’sukimBamidbar 7:3035Aside from the first and last days ofChanuka, whose Torah readings are long,the Reading of the "sandwich six days"consists of 6 p'sukim from Bamidbar 7,describing the gifts of the Nasi of the day.During the week, the portion is read andreread to three people. On Shabbat, the
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portion is read for the Maftir. (On RoshChodesh on a weekday, the portion of theChanuka day is read by the fourth Oleh.)
This year, Shabbat Chanuka is thesixth candle, and the portion forMaftir is that of Gad's leader,Elyasaf b. D'u'el.
Haftara 21 p'sukim Zacharya 2:144:7The special Haftara for Shabbat Chanukapreempts the regular Haftara of ParshatHaShavua (which happens to contain thefamous story of Shlomo HaMelech and thebabies this is only read 10% of the years;Mikeitz is almost always Shabbat Chanuka the one or the second of two). TheHaftara is "borrowed" from B'ha'alo't'cha,the Menora being the obvious connection.Chanuka has parallels throughout history.
The opening words of the Haftaraare Gd's promise to dwell amongus. This is the purpose of havingbuilt the Mishkan and the BeitHaMikdash in the first place, and
this is the purpose of rededicatingit, as was done on Chanuka.
The Haftara contains the vision ofolive oil miraculously flowing intothe gold menora flanked by olivetrees. This vision is the basis of theemblem of the State of Israel. Thisis particularly significant in light ofthe interpretation of the vision. Themessage to the king, to Jewishleaders in general, is that oursuccess is not measured by mightand power, but rather by the spiritof Gd. This was an importantmessage for the Chashmona'im andit remains a vital message for theleaders of the modern State ofIsrael.
Rosh Chodesh is not acknowledged in thehaftara only Chanuka. (This, at least, isthe Ashkenazi practice.) If a shulmistakenly reads Chanuka in the secondTorah, they then should read RoshChodesh in the third Torah and, in thiscase, the haftara is the one for ShabbatRosh Chodesh, not Chanuka. The rule ofthumb is that the haftara is connected tothe last read portion of the Torah.
THE JERUSALEM INSTITUTE OF JEWISH LAWRabbi Emanuel Quint, Dean
Lesson #455 Robbery continued
We have been discussing the laws ofrobbery in our attempt to familiarize thereader with some aspects of HalachicCriminal Law.We now continue with the crime ofrobbery.
Assume a situation where there are fivepeople each of whom alleges that Reuvenrobbed him, and none of them can provehe is the victim of the crime. Each of thefive sues the robber in a civil action andaccording to strict Halacha the robbermay hand the object over to the Beit Din
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and Beit Din will then decide who isentitled to the object. Since there is adoubt that any one of the five is the actualvictim, the robber would only have toplace the object in Beit Din and Beit Dinwill have to sort out who is entitled to theobject. The Rabbis of the Talmud,however, imposed the following rulesbecause the robber should be penalized.He has to pay each of the five claimantsthe value of the robbed object. However,each claimant must swear that he is theone who was robbed.The Talmud also has the followingexample where it discusses the abovesituation. In this situation the robber saysto two people that I robbed one of youand I do not know which of you. If therobber wants to fulfill his moralobligation he pays each one the value ofthe robbed object. According to stricthalacha the robber would have to payonly the amount that he robbed into BeitDin and the two would share it equally.Neither of the claimants knows he wasrobbed except by the admission of therobber. Since there is no payment, theRabbis did not impose a penalty on therobber.
There are other cases where there is adoubt regarding the robber. For example,if the victim pleads that Shimon robbedhim of $100 and Shimon pleads that hedid not rob him. Then Shimon takes aRabbinic oath that he did not rob him andthe case against Shimon is dismissed.This is similar to all cases when oneclaims that the defendant owes himmoney and the defendant denies the claimin its entirety. But if Shimon admits thathe robbed $40 and denies the balance of$60 claimed by the plaintiff, Shimon paysthe $40 and takes a Torah oath that he
does not owe the balance claimed by theplaintiff. This is similar to all cases inwhich a defendant admits part of theplaintiff's claim and denies the balance,the defendant takes a Torah oath of denialregarding the balance he claims he doesnot owe.Assume that Dan accuses Naftali ofhaving entered Dan's house and of havingrobbed him of certain objects. Naftaliadmits entering Dan's house andremoving certain objects. However,Naftali claims that he took the object as apledge that he alleges that Dan owes tohim. Dan pleads that he does not oweanything to Naftali. In this situationNaftali may take an oath and take theamount he alleges is due to him from Danout of the object he removed from thehouse of Dan. This is because there areno witnesses who saw Naftali take theobject from Dan's house. The soleknowledge that we have of the removal ofthe object from Dan's house is thestatement of Naftali and there is aprinciple in halacha that the mouth thatforbids is the same mouth that permits.The oath that is taken in this instance istaken by holding a sacred object.
Witnesses saw Pinchas enter Chaim'shouse while Chaim was not home. Theysaw Pinchas take objects out of Chaim'shouse. Chaim claims that the objectswere taken by robbery. Pinchas pleadsthat Chaim sold him the objects or gavehim the objects, or took the objects for adebt that Chaim owed to him. Pinchas isnot believed since if a person enters intosomeone's house while the owner of thehouse is not present and the intruder tookthings out he is deemed to be a robber.Therefore Pinchas must return the objectsto Chaim. After Pinchas returns the
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objects to Chaim, Pinchas may sueChaim for what he alleges is due to himfrom Chaim. The situation would besimilar if there was only one witness andChaim claims that the object that Pinchasholds was obtained by Pinchas robbinghim and Pinchas pleads I bought it fromyou or I collected it for a debt or it wasmine and I deposited it with you.
In all these situations Pinchas must returnthe object to Chaim. Had there been twowitnesses then Pinchas would have had toreturn the object to Chaim, now that thereis only one witness, he should take anoath, but here he cannot take an oathsince his oath does not contradict thewitness that he took the object.Then there is the wellknown case in theTalmud of the seized bar (See T. Shavuot47a). It once happened that Reuvenseized a bar of silver from Shimon in thepresence of one witness. Reuven thencame and stated "I did seize it but what Iseized was mine." The Rabbis orderedhim to return the bar of silver he wasobligated to swear because of thetestimony of the one witness, but hecould not do so since he admitted whatthe witness said. Had there been nowitness present he would have take anoath of Rabbinic origin confirming thatwhich he seized was his. Or had hepleaded that he did not seize anything atall, he could have taken a Torah oathconfirming that he did not seize the bar.
If Reuven seized gold coins from Shimon
in the presence of one witness and thenhe says "I seized my own property andthere were 20 of them", he must repaythe 20 coins although the witness doesnot know how many were seized.However, if Reuven says "I seized 20coins that were mine, and Shimon claimsthat he seized 100 coins and the witnessdoes not know the number involved,Reuven must pay 20 coins and takes aTorah oath regarding the remaining 80coins, since he admitted part of the claim.Similarly if Reuven enters Shimon'shouse in Shimon's absence, and there isone witness present but the witness doesnot know how much he has taken, and theowner says there were 20 objects in myhouse while Reuven says the were onlyten objects and they belonged to me" hemust give Shimon back the ten objects headmits. He has no obligation to take anoath regarding the remaining objectssince Shimon cannot back up his claim.In the next few lessons we shall continuethe topic of robbed objects sincefortunately in our society this is not acommon occurrence and people are thusunfamiliar with this aspect of halacha,and our purpose is to familiarize thereader with various aspects of halacha inthe field of jurisprudence that he mightnot know.
The subject matter of this lesson is more fullydiscussed in A Restatement of Rabbinic Civil Law byE. Quint. Copies of all volumes can be purchased atlocal Judaica bookstores. Questions to [email protected]
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The Challenge of MoneyA special column for Parshat Miketz by Dr. Meir Tamari
The drought and the famine that occupy this and the following parsha raise thewhole issue of the ethical and moral treatment of basic foods and essentialgoods and services in any economy. The issue is who is to be responsible toalleviate the suffering and hardship that result from shortages or disasters.Should every person be left to his or her own choice and devices in order tofind protection, or does society have a responsibility in this area? This questionapplies irrespective of whether it is natural disaster, war or economic disruptionthat causes damage, shortage or famine.In all cases, it is clear that Judaism argues that in the last resort, society has anobligation to protect the basic needs of those unable to provide for themselvesin this respect, irrespective of the cause. This flows primarily from thecommunal/national nature of Judaism, but also from the under standing thategoism and selfishness necessarily limit the power of personal morality so thatpeople will take advantage of disruptions in the market to the detriment ofothers. We find therefore halakhic rulings and communal enactments that cometo ensure the welfare of the ignorant, the weak or the needy. Generallyspeaking, we can discern four forms of such intervention:Restrictions on MarketingFor example: "One may not earn twice on the sale of eggs" (Baba Bathra 91a).There is a difference of opinion among the Sages, as to the meaning of theword "twice"; one, refers to 100% profit and the second, to the middlemen inthe chain of marketing, but most authorities hold the latter opinion. Similarly,while Maimonides rules that the injunction refers specifically to eggs, themajority opinion presented in the Shulchan Arukh, sees eggs as only anexample and therefore extended the injunction to all basic foods (ChoshenMishpat 231). "A person may not earn a livelihood in Eretz Yisrael by trading inbasic commodities... however, where oil is plentiful, it is permissible to earnone's livelihood from trade in it" (Talmud op. cit). Such restrictions, bypreventing middlemen or profiteering from the scarcity should ensure thatprices would not be inflated thereby. However, where extensive distribution bymiddlemen is to the benefit of the consumer, it is quite permissible.Price control:All the codes and rabbinic decisions maintain "that the Beit Din is obligated toannounce the fixed prices [of basic goods] and to appoint inspectors for thispurpose.. They only allow a profit rate of one sixth [calculated as a percentageof the costs] and the seller shall not earn more than this. [Furthermore, all theauthorities agree that people of a city, through a majority vote of all citizens orthrough their representatives] "can fix the prices of goods of bread and meat,
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as they see necessary. Anyone not complying with the ruling may be punished"(Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Mechira 14; See Choshen Mishpat 231 for a slightlydifferent definition of basic goods). Should prices in general rise as a result ofchanges in demand or supply, the individual seller is free to charge whateverhe likes until a new communally adjusted price is announced.Affecting Demand:There is plenty of evidence that the Talmudic sages understood the effect ofdemand on prices, so they took steps to affect demand. In principle such stepshave their source in the following mishna. "The price of the pigeons sacrificedby women after childbirth reached one golden dinar. Rabbi Shimon benGamliel announced that he would not leave the Beit Midrash until he reducedthe excessive cost of the pigeons. He then taught that a woman could bringone set of pigeons, irrespective of the number of births. This [halakhic changein the demand] led to a decline in price that very same day to a quarter of asilver dinar [1000 of a golden dinar]" (Keritut 1:1). This method of frustratingrises in prices and monopolies by changing religious rulings has continued toserve halakhic authorities throughout the ages. For example, the eating of fishwas ruled out for Shabbat, because of the rise in their price by a cartel offishermen (Tshuvot Tzemach Tzedek 21). In our own day, the sale of Etrogimin closed boxes thereby minimizing customer competition in order to get themost perfect etrog, has been introduced under rabbinic instructions.Encouraging Supply:"It is forbidden to export from the Land of Israel goods essential to life [motzreichayei nefesh]... Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi permits the transfer of goods from oneprovince to another in the land of Israel" (Baba Bathra 90b). It is interesting tonote that Rabbi Ben Beteira permitted the export of wine on the grounds thatthe decrease in supply would lessen the immorality that so often flows fromexcessive drinking. This is another example of the interplay between generalmoral considerations and purely economic ones that is so typical of the Jewishtreatment of economic questions.The rabbis clearly understood the economic wisdom of "cornering the market"at a time of excess supply and then selling when demand increases or whenshortages occur. However, they were concerned with the resultant moralproblem of inequity. "Those who hoard produce, those who lend money atinterest, use false weights and the price gougers are those referred to by Amoswhen he says, 'Gd has sworn that he will never forget their actions". At thesame time, while they forbade speculation by middlemen, they allowed theproducers themselves to retain their produce in order to benefit from theshortage (Baba Metzia, 90b)Moral Teachings:Any form of price control, rationing, or intervention aimed at changing patterns
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of demand or supply when an economy is in a state of disequilibrium [thatcauses shortages etc.] must give rise to a black market or to illegal pricechanges. The only protection against this is a consensus that the intervention ismorally justified. When there is no such consensus controls arecounterproductive and tend to create moral problems that may be greater thanthat they came to solve. There are innumerable teachings, halakhic rulings andTanachic commentaries that construct such a moral consensus of interventionand regulation of market forces. In this consensus, society acquires the right tolimit private economic freedom in the interest of justice and mercy.It must be borne in mind that in such legal and communal intervention, therabbis knowingly distorted the market forces that they were familiar with andeven accepted as efficient and essential.
MISC section contents:[1] Vebbe Rebbe[2] Candle by Day
[3] From Aloh Naaleh[4] Wisdom and Wit
[5] Parsha Points to Ponder[6] Portion from the Portion
[7] micro Ulpan[8] EcoRabbi
[9] from Machon Puah
[10] Guest Article[11] Gimatriya Match
[12] Y8?[13] 3 Kugel Stats
[14] Divrei Menachem
[1] From the virtual desk of the OUVEBBE REBBEThe Orthodox Union – via its website – fieldsquestions of all types in areas of kashrut, Jewishlaw and values. Some of them are answered byEretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced JewishStudies, Jerusalem, headed by Rav Yosef Carmeland Rav Moshe Ehrenreich, founded by HaRavShaul Yisraeli zt"l, to prepare rabbanim and
dayanim to serve the National Religiouscommunity in Israel and abroad. Ask the Rabbi isa joint venture of the OU, Yerushalayim Network,Eretz Hemdah... and the Israel Center. Thefollowing is a Q&A from Eretz Hemdah...
QI was trying on some pairs oftzitzit in a store to see what sizewould be best for me. Afterwards
I wondered whether what I had donewas okay since the actual tzitzit were notyet attached. Isn't it forbidden to wearthe garment without tzitzit?
AThere is an interesting questionabout the timing of the mitzva oftzitzit. Is the mitzva is to attach the
tzitzit to the tallit katan (the garment thattzitzit are attached to) before it is put on(see Rambam, Tzitzit 3:10)? Alternatively,does the mitzva to put on the tzitzitactually begin, at least in theory, only afterone puts on the garment (see Tosafot,Yevamot 90b)?
In any case, since you knowingly put onthe garment with the intention to take it off(albeit, relatively soon thereafter) withoutattaching tzitzit, your question is a goodone. There are actually two reasons whyputting on the garment without tzitzit wasfine in your case.
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The Gemara (Chulin 136a) infers from thepasuk regarding tzitzit that refers to "thefour corners of your (singular) garment"(D'varim 22:12) that one is exempt fromtzitzit on a borrowed garment. (Afterborrowing it for 30 days there is a rabbinicobligation because it already appears thatthe garment is yours). This ruling iscodified in the Shulchan Aruch (OrachChayim 14:3). The Shulchan Aruch doessay that the mitzva of tzitzit would apply ifone used someone else's completed tzitzit.This is because we assume that the owneris willing to transfer ownership (on thecondition that it will be returned) to the onewho is wearing it so that the latter canfulfill the mitzva (Mishna Berura, adloc.:11). However, neither you nor thestoreowner is interested in your acquiringownership in a manner that you would thenbe forbidden to wear the tallit katan.
This logic also explains the rationale ofwhat most people do when they use ashulowned tallit for an aliya or the likeand do not make a b'racha before putting iton, as the original halacha suggests (seeMishna Berura, ibid. at length). Theexplanation of most people's practice isthat this would take too much time as thecongregation is waiting and, therefore, theyleave the tallit in the congregation'spossession and do not make a b'racha on it.(Whether or not this is the preferredpractice is a good question for a differenttime.)
There is another reason that you were notrequired to have tzitzit on the garment youput on, and this one would apply even ifyou were trying on a tallit katan at homeafter it had been bought. First we have tosee a halacha regarding another halachicissue affecting clothing. The mishna(Kilayim 9:5) says that one may wear agarment containing shaatnez as part of the
process of selling it [to a nonJew] oncondition that he is not intending to alsobenefit from it as a garment at the sametime. The Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah301:6) accepts this ruling. Commentariesexplain that the wearing is considered adavar she'eino mitkaven (something onedoes without intention) in that he is notinterested in the wearing the garment perse. (The exact explanation of theapplication of this rule in this context isquite complicated, but this is the bottomline.) Tosafot (Nida 61b, accepted ashalacha by the Magen Avraham 19:2) saysthat the same leniency applies to wearing atallit katan without tzitzit for the purpose ofselling it. The requirement to have tzitzitapplies to garments that are being worn asgarments for the purpose of benefit. Thesame logic that applies to one who puts onthe garment in the process of selling itapplies to one who puts it on momentarilyin the process of trying it on for size("Tzitzit," Halacha Psuka 19:(4)).
Therefore, what you did was certainly fine,and the store is not causing anyone to fallinto a "halachic trap".
Ask the Rabbi Q&A is part of Hemdat Yamim, theweekly parsha sheet published by Eretz Hemdah.You can read this section or the entire HemdatYamim at www.ou.org or www.eretzhemdah.org.And/or you can receive Hemdat Yamim by emailweekly, by sending an email to
[email protected] with the message:
Subscribe/English (for the English version) orSubscribe/Hebrew (for the hebrew version).Please leave the subject blank. Ask the VebbeRebbe is partially funded by the Jewish Agency forIsrael
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[2] Candle by DayWe often mistake our personality forour essential natures, not being awareof how artificial a thing personality canbe, not realizing how many differentpersonalities we assume and shed in alifetime, very much in the samemanner as we discard old clothes thathave outlasted their usefulness.
From "A Candle by Day" by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
A Candle by Day • The Antidote • The World of Chazalby Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
Now available at 0542099200
[3] CHIZUK and IDUDfor Olim & notyetOlim respectively
We usually refer to Yosef as the Dreamer,the Zaddik. Permit me to add another title,Yosef the Realist. With these three titles,he went about his daily affairs, oftenintertwining all three. His firmcommitment to the reality of these dreamsencouraged him to relate those dreams tohis brothers and father. But they toobelieved his dreams would come true, andthey acted on that belief. Par'o believedthat Yosef would be a "true" interpreter,and disregarded all of his personal "dream"staff. His economic decisions thereafterwere based on Yosef's prophecy.
Our lives also have the elements of bothitems. We dream and we awaken to thereality. Sometimes dreams are nightmaresand we try our best to eradicate thepossibility of that nightmare coming true.The good dreams we file in our "hopedfor" file, maybe they will actually cometrue. We make plans, we "dream" of apossible future, and oftentimes we workvery hard to attain and fulfill that goal.Sometimes we ignore the reality in order toattain our "dreams".
The Jewish people dreamt of a Jewish Statefor 2000 years, many scoffed at such adream, and some still do, waiting forMashiach.
But by the Grace of Gd, that two millenniadream came true, 60 years ago. Some of uswere injected with the excitement andbeauty of a "dream come true". Otherscontinued in the "dream world".
Chanuka is the story of "dreamers" whofelt that the few can overcome the many,that one cruse of oil which was sufficientfor one day will somehow miraculouslyburn longer, and they lit that one cruse,dreaming of a miracle to take place. Theirdreams created the reality of the miraclesof Chanuka.
We, who have joined our people in thisBlessed Land, await the multitude of AmYisrael, who is still dreaming, to becomeRealists and join us here in our Homeland.
Rabbi Yaakov Zev, Jerusalem
THOUGHTS as contributed by Aloh Naaleh members forpublication in the Orthodox Union's 'Torah Insights', aweekly Torah publication on Parshat HaShavu'a
[4] Wisdom & WitR' Yosef Dov, the Beis HaLevi, showedfrom his very earliest years that he wasdestined to be as great Torah scholar.When the time was right, he was marriedoff to the daughter of a very wealthy man,who guaranteed to pay all his family'sexpenses, so that R' Yosef Dov could learnTorah undisturbed by the need to earn aliving.R' Yosef Dov applied himself fully tolearning, spending all the day and a goodpart of the night engrossed in Torah study.A friend once asked him why he drove
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himself so mercilessly. After all, his friendsaid, R' Yosef Dov's fatherinlaw wouldsupport him fully even if he did not learnso many hours."You don't understand", said R' Yosef Dov."There are two factors involved here. Onthe one hand, there is a positive mitzva tostudy the Torah. As far as that mitzva isconcerned, there are all types of reasonswhy I can be excused for not spending asmuch time as I do learning.However, there is another factor at workhere as well. I made an agreement with myfatherinlaw to devote myself totally tolearning Torah. If I waste any time when Icould be learning Torah, I will violate thenegative mitzva of "Do not cheat yourfellowman."
Shmuel Himelstein has written a wonderful series forArtScroll: Words of Wisdom, Words of Wit; A Touch ofWisdom, A Touch of Wit; and "Wisdom and Wit" —available at your local Jewish bookstore (or should be).Excerpted with the permission of the copyright holder
[5] Parsha Points to PonderMIKEITZ
1) Why does the Torah emphasize thatPar'o's wise men could not interpret thedream TO PAR'O (L'FAR'O) (41:8)? Isn'tit already clear from the story that theywere attempting to interpret the dream forPar'o?
2) Why does the Torah repeat the fact thatYosef recognized his brothers (42:7 & :8)?
3) The Torah describes that the brotherswere perplexed (43:33). Many under standthat this was because of the fact that thebrothers were seated according to theirages which no one in the king's palaceshould have known. The problem is, theTorah does not say AND THEY WERESEATED (VAYASHIVU) but, rather,
AND THEY SAT (VAYEISHVU) whichimplies that they sat down on their own.So, why were they perplexed?
POSSIBLE ANSWERS...Ponder the questions first, then read here
1) The Ohr HaChayim answers that sincePar'o was not his actual name but adescription of the position of the Egyptianking, these words are not extra. The wisemen came up with interpretations for thedream but, as the words TO PAR'Ocapture, all of their interpretations werepersonal in nature and not related to hisstature as Pharaoh. Par'o was looking foran explanation which related to his role asthe king.
2) The Kli Yakar explains that the firsttime it refers to simply recognizing whothey were physically and the second relatesto a deeper level of recognition in whichYosef began to really feel the brotherhoodand compassion towards his brothers.
3) Da'at Zekainim MiBaalei HaTosfotexplain that their perplextion relates to theprevious verse. There, the Hebrews andEgpyptians were separated because itwould be an abomination for these twonationalities to eat together. However, itdescribes Yosef as eating completely on hisown. This led the brothers to be perplexedabout Yosef's nationality for if he was notEgyptian as indicated by his not eatingwith the Egpytians and if he was notHebrew as displayed by his not eating withthe Hebrews then what was he?Parsha Points to Ponder is prepared by RabbiDov Lipman, who teaches at Reishit Yerushalayimand Machon Maayan in Beit Shemesh and is theauthor of "DISCOVER: Answers for Teenagers(and adults) to Questions about the Jewish Faith"(Feldheim) and "TIMEOUT: Sports Stories as aGame Plan for Spiritual Success" just released byDevora Publishing. [email protected]
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[6]
by Rakel BerenbaumFEEDback to [email protected]
Yosef, Chagai,Zecharia, the Temple,
and ChanukaIn this week's portion, Yosef is takenout of jail and brought before Par'o todecipher his dreams. Before going toPar'o, Yosef shaved himself andchanged out of his dirty prison clothes(41:14). This is one of the manyconnections that we see from thisweek's portion to the Haftara we readthis Shabbat from the book of Zecharia(2:144:7). In the haftara, Yehoshua,the Kohein Gadol is clothed in filthygarments in front of the angel. In thevision, his dirty clothes are changedinto festive garments.But this is not the main reason for thechoice of just this section from theprophets. It seems this section ischosen for its connection to Chanuka.First, the vision has a golden Menorahin it as well as olives.But Chazal's choice of this prophecymight be trying to teach us otherthings. Zecharia, and his propheticcolleague Chagai, lived during thereign of Daryavash after Koresh'sdecree that the Jews could build thesecond Temple. And yet, two yearsafter the decree, nothing had beendone. There was a famine in the land.On the 24th of Kislev, Chagai
prophecized that the famine was aresult of the selfcenteredness of theJewish people in those days. Theywere more concerned with buildingtheir own homes then the "Home ofHashem" the Temple. The peopleunderstood the message and the nextday they started work on the Templeby dedicating the MIZBEACH thealtar.This 25th day of Kislev continues tohave significance throughout history.During the time of the Greeks it is theday that Menelaus puts an idol into theTemple , and the day three years laterthat the Chashmona'im purify andrededicate the Temple. There are nocoincidences in Jewish history.Everything is tied together. RavYaakov Emden in M'OR V'KEZIYAstates that the dedication of the altar inthe time of Chagai & Zecharia on the25th of Kislev is MAASE AVOT SIMANL"BANIM, a footprint for theHasmoneans to follow in to rededicatethe Temple on the same day in theirtime. Their forefathers efforts in thetime of Chagai & Zecharia werefollowed by the Maccabees selfsacrifice for the purity of the nation.May we also follow in their footstepsand soon be able to dedicate theTemple as well.
BIMUELOS S'fardic Chanuka Treat
1½ cups warm water2 cakes yeast (room temp.)1 egg, beaten½ tsp. Salt1 Tbsp oil
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3 cups flourcinnamon to sprinkleoil for deep frying
Syrup:1 (24 oz. Jar) honey¼ cup water
Bring honey and water to boil for syrup.Dissolve yeast in cup water. Add egg,salt and oil. Add all at once to flour andstir. Add remaining water slowly. Letrise 1 hour. Drop dough from atablespoon into hot oil. (Be sure oil isn'ttoo hot or too cold. Put a piece ofcarrot in the oil for better frying). Theywill puff up. Turn over until evenlygolden. Drain on paper towel. Dip inwarm syrup and sprinkle withcinnamon to taste. Best servedimmediately, but may be fried aheadand dipped in hot syrup at time ofserving.
[7] MicroUlpanMore on Metal
Metal = MATECHET, Iron = BARZEL
Steel = PLADA (older word: ESHET)
Stainless steel = PLADAT ALCHELED
[8] EcoRabbi www.GreenProphet.com
Excerpts from a weekly blog byYaakov Reichert, drawing lessons inecology from Parshat HaShavua
Making all of the Years, Years of PlentyYosef was sent down to Egypt by hisbrothers to remove him from the picture.Their father had favored Yosef and hisbrothers were not too happy about that.
Upon arriving in Egypt, Yosef foundsuccess wherever he went. Originally hewas sold as a slave, but very quickly hefound himself in charge of his master'shouse. Due to unfortunate circumstancesYosef found himself in jail, but there toohe was promoted to a position in charge.Yosef was taken from prison to interpretPar'o's dreams.
Yosef explains that in Par'o's dream, the 7healthy wheat stalks and 7 healthy cowsrepresent 7 years of plenty that Egypt willhave. The 7 sickly stalks and cows are 7years of famine. Yosef continues to explainthat if Par'o would like to avoid the famine,he should save during the years of plentyso that when the famine hits, he will haveenough food in storage to last them until itis over. Par'o listens to Yosef's good adviceand Yosef goes on to become the secondmost powerful person in the country.
During the current economic crisis onecould argue that we are living through theyears of famine already. But that does notmean that it is too late to begin saving.Living an environmentally friendly life isabout being aware of your effects on theenvironment and making sure that you arenot to being wasteful. This goes for anykind of saving, whether it's energy, wateror money. Audit yourself, your income andspending. See what you absolutely need,and what you can cut. Check your electricand water bills and see if you can monitoryour use of these utilities as well. You'll besurprised by how much a few cents hereand a few gallons of water there can addup.
Take these difficult times and use them as amotivator to becoming a more consciousspender. The little bit you save each daycan add up to quite a nest egg over theyears. Both for your pocket and yourimprint on the environment
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[9] From Machon PuahThe Perfect ChildMenachem and Aviva had been married foronly three months when they turned to thePuah Insitute in Jerusalem to ask theirquestion about assisted reproduction. Theywere both in their twenties and had neverbeen married, nor did they have any knownfertility problems, so it may seem strangethat they were turning to ask advice so soonafter their marriage.However, this was their question. Aviva hadbeen born with a rare genetic disease thatcaused her hair to fall out. Her hair was sothin that she had taken to covering her hairwith a wig even before she got married. Thiscondition had caused her great suffering andembarrassment in her younger years and shewas very frightened about bringing a girlinto the world who would have to endure thesame fate that she had done.Another concern that Menachem and Avivahad was that a girl with severe hair losswould have great difficulty in finding a goodshidduch when she reached that age. As itturned out Aviva had also experienceddifficulties finding a shidduch. Menachemhad his own medical condition, so they hadmarried each other and while they had awonderful marriage their worries over theirchildren's later shidduchim was very real forthem.They had recently heard a lecture where oneof the Rabbis from the Puah Institute spokeabout PGD. They wanted to know whetherthis could help them and if they couldundergo an IVF with PGD to check theembryos and remove any that were affectedby the genetic condition.The Rabbi who spoke to the them was facedwith two major problems, first not everygenetic condition can be treated by PGD.Only when the genetic marker is known, thatis, the site of the defective piece of DNA,
can the embryos be checked. The secondproblem was whether halachically it wouldbe permitted to perform PGD to remove anonlifethreatening condition such as hairloss.The medical question was easy to solve. Onetelephone call to a genetic expert and a littleresearch on the Internet revealed that therewas a known marker for this condition.The halachic concerns were more severe.The Rabbi first tried to speak to Menachemand Aviva and convince them that theyshould have children naturally and that hairloss was not a serious condition."But, Rabbi," Aviva said. "With all duerespect, you did not have to grow up witheveryone staring at you all the time; I knowwhat it is like to be called names throughoutmy school years and to be told that you willnever get married. I cannot do this to mychild.""But you did get married to a wonderfulman," the Rabbi replied."I was lucky," Aviva agreed. "But mydaughter may not be so lucky, why shouldshe suffer if we can do the procedure andhave a healthy child?"The Rabbi at Puah spoke to the couple'srabbi and he also agreed that it was adifficult situation. He had also tried to talkthem out of it, but since they were adamant,he claimed that, while it may not be actuallycondoned, it was not forbidden by thehalacha.The Rabbis at Puah discussed this caseamong themselves and they were divided asto whether it could be allowed or not, butsince the couple's Rabbi had allowed it, theydid not feel that it was right to prevent thecouple from undergoing the treatment.The couple listened to their Rabbi and withhalachic supervision did the PGD and had ahealthy girl with a full head of hair.
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The Puah Institute for Fertility andGynecology in Accordance with Halacha isbased in Jerusalem and helps couples fromall over the world who are experiencingfertility problems. Puah offers freecounseling in five languages, halachicsupervision, and educational programs.Puah has offices in New York, Los Angelesand Paris. To contact the Puah Instituteplease call 1800071111 in Israel or in theUS 7183360603. Visit our website:www.puahonline.org
[10] Guest articleThe Menorah's Eternal Flameby Rabbi Ephraim SprecherDean of Students, Diaspora Yeshiva, Jerusalem
By lighting the Chanuka Menorah, each andevery Jew becomes like a Kohen in the BetHamikdash. We are transformed into virtualKohanim for the eight days of Chanuka.
Why does Rambam call Chanuka the mostprecious Mitzva, after all, it's not even aTorah Mitzva, only Rabbinic? The answer isbecause the Chanuka miracle happenedthrough the oil SHEMEN. The Hebrewword for oil is an acronym for SHABBAT,MILA, NIDA which sum up the entireJewish religion. On SHABBAT we sanctifytime by making Kiddush and Havdala.Through the Mitzvot of MILA and NIDA wesanctify our bodies.
The Mishna in Avot Ch. 4 teaches, "Thereare three crowns: The crown of Torah, thecrown of Kehuna [priesthood] and the crownof monarchy." Corresponding to these three,with which Israel were crowned, there werethree crowns on the Temple vessels. Thecrown of Torah corresponds to the goldcrown, which was set on the ARONHAKODESH (the "Ark of Testimony",which contained the Two Luchot). Thecrown of Kehuna corresponds to the incense
altar, for only regarding the kohanim does itsay, "They shall place incense in YourPresence, and consume sacrifices on Youraltar" (D'varim 33:10). Finally, the crown ofMonarchy corresponds to the Table in theSanctuary, for tables, which in Biblical andlater Hebrew can symbolize wealth andbounty (see T'hilim 23), may here be viewedas evoking the economic and political powerof the state.
However, the Mishna adds that there is yetanother crown, "the crown of a good name,"which "surpasses them all". This crown isnot enumerated amongst the others. Rather,it is kept separate from them and it stands onits own. To what does this crown correspondin the Temple?
The Maharal MiPrague associates this crownwith the fourth vessel of the Temple thepuregold Menorah. The Menorah has nogold crown encompassing it. Neither is itmade of acacia wood inlayed with gold.Rather, the whole Menorah is like a puregolden crown, embellished with goldencups, spheres and flowers. The crown of theMenorah is not something extrinsic to it. TheMenorah itself is a crown.
It is the same with a man's good name. It isnot an external crown that is placed upon hishead. A man's good name touches on hisvery essence. It includes his wholepersonality in all its components. It is not anexternal image, fashioned by public relationsprofessionals, photographers, and newsmen.A man's good name is the reputation that heearns for himself through his whole life'swork, all his deeds, and ventures. That iswhy this crown surpasses all the others.
A man's good name does not find expressionat the beginning of his life. Rather, it isacquired through strenuous, daily toil overthe course of one's whole life. King Solomontherefore said, "A good name is better thanprecious oil" (Kohelet 7:1). But, howevergood it may be, oil is applied externally to a
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person's body, while a person's good name isthat person himself.
Moreover, that same verse concludes, "andthe day of death is better than the day ofbirth." Only on the day that a man dies is thegood name that he acquired for himselfduring his life fully revealed.
Chanuka is a time to reflect on the type oflife we are living.
[11] GimatriyaliteThere is a wellknown connection betweenChanuka and Sukkot, but we found anobscure, additional connection betweenChanuka outside Israel and Hoshana Rabba.NUN, GIMEL, HEI, SHIN add up to 358,the gimatriya of YOM CHAVUT ARAVA,which is Hoshana Rabba.
[12] Y8?That's the question people have been askingand answering about Chanuka for a longtime. It usually has to do with the one daysupply of oil miraculously lasting anadditional 7 days so why 8 days? Miraclesof oil and victory could have beencommemorated in a one day holiday; no rulesays that the number of days match anythingthat happened. Based on the Torah readingand connection to Chanukat HaMizbei'ach,we shouldn't have been surprised with a12day festival. So why 8? The oil miracleseems to pat an answer. Gd favored us witha miracle to equal the days needed to get afresh supply of oil. Doesn't seem like enoughreason to establish an 8day holiday.
The Greeks chose Brit Mila as a major issueand forbid it under threat of death. Theirculture and philosophy venerated theperfection of the body and nature. They sawMila as a mutilation of the body. Milarepresents all of Judaism. That's what was atstake. 8day holiday makes a statement: We
won! We clung to Torah in general and Milain particular and that is what we are all about Mila is alive and well, and so is Judaism.
Finetuning our mitzvotWhen using oil cups or tea lights without aChanukiya, one should put eight in a rowand light that which is required rather thanjust using the number to be lit. This focuseson the number eight on each night, which iswhat Chazal wanted us to do.
[13] 3 Kugels StatsThere is a custom (where did it start? when?who?) to make one kugel for Shabbat foreach Torah we read from. When RoshChodesh Tevet falls on Shabbat, we readfrom three Torahs (Parshat Mikeitz, RoshChodesh, Chanuka). Hence this Shabbat is a3Kugel Shabbat. How often does thishappen? It happens when Chanuka runs fromMonday to Monday, i.e. when the firstcandle is Sunday night. That happens 27.9%of the time, which is the most commonsituation of six possible days of the week forthe first (and last) candle. FYI... first candlecan be Wednesday night, Thursday night, orMotza'ei Shabbat 10.0%, 10.1%, and11.5% of the time respectively these are thelow frequency days; Friday (before Shabbat)and Tuesday night, 18.4% and 22.0% let'scalls these days middle frequency, andSunday night, as mentioned is the highfrequency day.
Okay, Shabbat Chanuka gets 3 kugels almost28% of the years. When else do we readfrom 3 Torahs?
On Simchat Torah we read from threeTorahs every year. But outside Israel, thatnever happens on Shabbat, so we won'tinclude it in our review of 3kugelShabbatot. However, it does happen inIsrael, so we can include it here, with thetraditional asterisk (which used to be used
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for Roger Maris's 61 homers). In Israel,Simchat Torah is Shabbat 28.5% of the time.
There are two other 3 kugel Shabbatot thatare possible equally so for Israel andChu"l: Shabbat Parshat Sh'kalim, when RoshChodesh Adar is Shabbat; Shabbat ParshatHaCHodesh, when Rosh Chodesh Nisan ison Shabbat. These occur 11.5% and 28.0%of the time never in the same year (i.e. forSh'kalim and HaChodesh).
4.3% of the time, in Israel, Simchat Torahand Sh'kalim will both be 3kugel Shabbatot.And 9.9% of the time, all over the world,Shabbat Chanuka and HaChodesh will bothbe 3kugel Shabbatot. And that's the wholestory.
Well, there is a little more to the "story" thatwe can add...
At most, a year can have two 3kugelShabbatot.
In Israel, 18.2% of the time, there are none.Outside Israel, there are no 3kugelShabbatot 42.4% of the time.
In Israel, there is one 3kugel Shabbat 67.5%of years. Outside Israel, 47.6% of years haveonly one.
In Israel, 14.3% of the time there are two3kugel Shabbatot. For Chutz LaAretz, thefrequency of two is only 10.0%.
This year, 5769, is a one 3kugel Shabbatyear, everywhere and this Shabbat is it!
[14] Divrei MenachemSometimes it takes hard times before peoplein the Diaspora (and in Israel) take stock oftheir station and purpose in life. From oursedra of Miketz, which spells out the earlydays of Yosef's sojourn in Egypt, we mightexact some fruitful lessons in this regard.
First, we witness Yosef's continued loyaltyto Gd in an alien environment. Hewithdraws from the enticements of his
master's wife and, even though dragged fromthe dungeon, refrains from taking personalcredit for interpreting Par'o's dreams. Then,later, appointed viceroy with the highestauthority, he is lacking in nothing, especiallywealth.
So we are amazed, perhaps, that when henames his second son Efrayim he does sobecause, "Gd has made me fruitful in theland of my suffering" (B'reishit 41:52). TheAbarbarnel explains, of course, that despitethe greatness and splendor he enjoyed inexile, Yosef still regarded himself as the sonof Yaakov and a native of the Holy Land.
Our rabbis note that only when faminestruck so suddenly were the Egyptiansreminded of Yosef's existence (ibid41:5556). They had been complacent in theyears of plenty and now they cried. Perhapswe, too, forget the true Source of our bountyand, once in a while, we get our wake upcall.
Shabbat Shalom, Chodesh Tov, ChanukaSamei'ach, Menachem Persoff
Towards better Daveningand Torah Learning
SUPERSIZEDBenchingIf there is something to add to thebenching we do it this Shabbat. (Thelongest benching would be this Shabbatwith a Sheva Brachot and a Brit. But, LOL'HAGZIM.)
Al HaNisim is added in the second bracha,because it is a prayer of thanks andacknowledgment to Gd for miracles andvictories, as that bracha is thanks andacknowledgment for the Land of Israel, forTorah and Mitzvot, etc.
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R'tzei and Yaale V'yavo are added to thethird bracha, which focuses on therebuilding of Yerushalayim and the BeitHaMikdash. Because of the specialkorbanot on Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, andChagim in the Beit HaMikdash, theirmention in the third bracha adds to it.
Omitting R'tzei for the two main meals ofShabbat, invalidates the benching and onemust bench again. Omitting Yaale V'yavoof Rosh Chodesh does NOT invalidate thebenching, nor does omitting R'tzei atSeuda Shlishit.
Omitting Al HaNisim does not invalidatethe benching either, but if one hasn'tconcluded the benching yet when herealizes his omission, he can say AlHaNisim with a slightly modified beginningas a HARACHAMAN, after that ofShabbat and Rosh Chodesh.
When the halacha says that the benching isstill valid, repeating is NOT an option. Wecannot repeat benching (or an Amida)unless required to do so.
There are more details for this issue perhaps we will find some space to includethem elsewhere in this TT. (Alas, not.)
At the top you have the seven fat(and happy) cows and the sevenfull, healthy stalks of grain. Rightbelow them are the seven skinny(and unhealthy) cows and stalks.They're all from Par'o's dream(s).
Mickey Mouse, in his famous roleas the sorcerer's apprentice,represents the wizards of Egyptwho were unable to satisfactorilyinterpret Par'o's dreams. (Just asMickey was unable to stop the
mops from drawing more andmore water.)
When the Wine Steward finallytold Par'o about Yosef, he (Yosef)was brought up from the dungeonand cleaned up. Tradition tells usthat it was Rosh HaShana whenYosef was brought before Par'o hence, the Shofar. The Torah tellsus that he shaved for the occasion hence the electric shaver withthe Shofar. (No, they didn't haveelectric shavers then.)
The scarab ring represents the oneParo gave Yosef when he decidedto appoint Yosef "over Egypt"
20% was part of Yosef's plan forPar'o, to take that percentagefrom each producer during theyears of plenty, so that therewould be enough to go aroundduring the years of famine.
10+1+? was the brothers' answerto Yosef's question about theirfamily. We are 10 brothers, son ofone man. Plus one other brotherwho is at home, plus anotherwho's whereabouts are unknown.(Ironically, there answer wascompletely true, even though theywere not telling all.)
Botnim (now peanuts but originallypistachio) were part of Yaakov'sgift package.
The cup is Yosef's (got it for hisBar Mitzva?), used to frameBinyamin.
The double sacks is the doubleportion of money the brothersfound returned to their sacks.
Emblem of the State of Israel isdesigned after the prophecy of
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Zechariya, which we read about inthe haftara of Shabbat Chanuka.
In the lowerleft is a scene fromMegilat Esther, with Hamanleading Mordechai through thestreets. There are manyremarkable similarities betweenthat Megila scene and what wasdone with Yosef. This one isparticularly obvious paradinghim... calling before him... (Yosef,Mordechai).
The bell (on the right side of theParshaPix, just under the parchedcorn) is for the word VATIPA'EMRUCHO, his (Par'o) spirit wastroubled. The word appears onlyone other place in Tanach, in thebook of Daniel,
where it has the same context:being troubled as a result of adream. Rashi in Mikeitz explains itas having the feeling of a bellringing inside (one's chest orheart, perhaps).
The shirt with the 6 on it is a playon BIGDEI SHEISH, garments oflinen, that Par'o clothed Yosefwith.
Club 365 is associated with thedepartment store chainHAMASHBIR. That is what Yosefwas for the Land of Egypt HAMASHBIR (B'reishit 42:6).
That leaves two Unexplaineds,which are your visual TTriddles.
BTW, the bullets for the PP explanations this week and last are rainclouds to remind us to daven wellfor rain.
TTRIDDLES... are Torah Tidbitsstyleriddles on Parshat HaShavua (sometimes on thecalendar). They are found in the hardcopy ofTT scattered throughout, usually at the bottomof different columns. In the electronic versionsof TT, they are found all together at the end ofthe ParshaPixTTriddles section. The bestsolution set submitted each week (there isn'talways a best) wins a double prize a CD fromNoam Productions and/or a gift (game, puzzle,book, etc.) from Big Deal.
TTriddles are scattered through the hard copy ofTorah Tidbits and are listed in the email andweb versions. They are in the order in whichthey are found in the hard copy, but notnecessarily in the order in which they wereoriginally conceived. In the wild, they aresometimes overlooked. If you are interested, gopage by page and keep your eyes peeled.
Last issue’s (VAYEISHEV) TTriddles:
[1] Date her and have a punny time
This one was on the easy side, but we included itfor the sake of the punsters among the TTreadership. We are talking about Tamar, not necessarilythe one in Parshat Vayeishev, but anyone namedTamar. Tamar means date and therefore any guythat dates a Tamar should be expecting that thepuns will not stop with her name.
[2] 67, 11, 12, 57, 15; 35, 1
If one were to open the Chumash to ParshatVayeishev and start counting letters from thebeginning of the sedra, he would arrive at the 67thletter, which is CHET. Continuing to count 11 moreletters brings you to a NUN. 12 letters later is aVAV. 57 letters more and you get to a KAF. and 15more letters, you get a HEI, whch spells CHANUKA.Semicolon represents the end of a word. 35 letterslater (not 34 as was mistakenly stated in thepresentation of the TTriddle) comes a BET and oneletter later is an ALEF, spelling BA as in CHANUKAIS COMING, which was correct for last week, but asyou read this, Chanuka is already well upon us.
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[3] He shares his second description with agreatgreatgreat... grandnephew
Yosef is described in the Torah as Y'FEI TO'AR VIFEIMAREH, two terms describing different aspects ofphysical beauty. His brother Yehuda's descendant,namely David HaMelech (who was a GGGG...nephew of Yosef's) is described as Y'FEI MAREH,beautiful in appearance.
[4] Akeida and twice in Vayeishev
VAYHI ACHAR HAD'VARIM HAEILEH... and it cameto pass after these things... is a wording that occursonly 5 times in Tanach. In Chumash, we find it threetimes: As the opening phrase of the portion of theAkeida in the end of Vayeira, and twice in ParshatVayeishev introducing Potifar's wife's attempts toseduce Yosef and the beginning of the Torah'stelling us of the dreams of the royal wine stewardand baker. The other two times occur in MelachimAlef.
[5] What besides a prediction of heavy snow canprompt adding another snow vehicle?
This one is a groaner, but there are enoughpunsters to appreciate it, even is a groanautomatically escapes their lips. Yosef's telling hisbrothers of his second dream, resulted in VAYOSIFUOD S'NO OTO, and they hated him even more. InTTriddlese, VAYOSIFU (and they added), OD(another) SNOW AUTO, a snow vehicle.
[6] Went out, settle, went common feature inminor key
Went out refers to VAYEITZEI. Settle refers toVAYEISHEV. Went is VAYEILECH. Minor key refers tothe Haftara. When I was at Yeshiva University, a yearof music was required of all students. I rememberlearning about songs in major key and songs inminor key. When I asked the instructor what thedifference between them was, he tried all kinds ofways to explain it. He used many songs to illustratemajor or minor key. Finally, after seeing less thanclear understanding in my face, he wet over to thepiano and played a little bit of Torah reading and
then a bit of Haftara. Torah reading is in major keyand Haftara is in minor. I'm still not sure what thedifference is, but minor key became then for me(and for TTriddlers) a code word for Haftara.Vayeitzei's haftara and Vayeilech's each have thepasuk of SHUVA YISRAEL. Vayeishev has the pasukfrom which we learn that the Shofar is one of theways to instill people with a feeling of trepidationand wake them up to the call of T'shuva. A bitconvoluted, but that's the common feature.
[7] He questioned receiving the first letter
This refers to SHEILA, the third son of Yehuda. If hisname were to receive the first letter (of the AlefBet), and it were put into the right place, theresulting word would be SH'EILA, meaning question.
[8] Happy ECATLILBH
One way to render CHANUKA into English isCHANUKA. That's standard. But if we take the wordChanuka as an acronym for CHET NEIROT V'HAHALACHA K'VEIT HILLEL, we would translate that asEight Candles And The Law Is Like Beit Hillel, whichin initials would be ECATLILBH. So Happy Chanukaand Happy ECATLILBH as well. And Happy TROTTF
[9] The Mazal Pic for the Zodiac sign of Tevet is abust. We used the wrong sign. The picture on page2 was hard to make out, but is is a photo of asattelite scheduled to be launched next yearsometime by the United States. It will help measurethe salinity of the oceans of the world in a moreaccurate way than heretofore possible and will helpus get a better picture of climatic changes, globalwarming, and other such information. The problemis that the sattelite is called Aquarius and that isNOT the mazal for Tevet. We apologize for themistake and you will find a correct MazalPic on page2 in the Word of the Month box.
In addition to TTriddles, we posed two Chanukamath problems of differing levels of difficulty. Weoffered prizes for solutions to either or both. Andwe have received several correct answers. Pleasebe in touch concerning picking up your prizes (ifyou submitted correct answers).
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The first question was: Had our Sages declared a12day holiday for Chanuka to match the originaldedication of the Mishkan rather than the 8 daysthat we know and love, and if the lightingprocedure would be the same as we know it, howmany candles would we need?
With 8 days, we use 44 candles, which we get byadding 2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9 (which includes theSHAMASH for each night) for a total of 44 candles.For the additional 4 nights, we add to our totalanother 10+11+12+13, which is another 46candles, bringing our total to 90.
Of course, it isn't that hard to add up the numbersfrom 2 to 13 and get 90. But what if the questionconcerned the 49 nights of the Omer (lightingcandles in the same style as we do for Chanuka)?Then it would be truly a pain in the neck, unless youuse the formula for adding arithmetic sequences,said formula being attributed to Euler (appropriatefor Chanuka since his name is pronounced OILER).For 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12, 13, we take the firstand last numbers and add them (2+13=15), takethe number of numbers (nights) 12, multiply thetwo numbers 15x12=180 and divide by two. Total90. Even easier, is to half one of the two numbersbefore multiplying do it with the even one, 12 inthis case. That gives 15x6 which is 90 withoutneeding the higher math of threedigit numbers. Forthe Omer, with a SHAMASH each night, we wouldneed to add the numbers 2 through 50. 2=50 =52. Half of that is 26. Number of numbers is 49.Multiply 26x49 and get 1274 candles. Someanswered this question with 78, which neglected toinclude the 12 SHAMASHes.
The harder question was: How many candles forour 8 days if we follow Lucas rather than Hillel orShamai? Lucas was a mathematician whose namewas given to a Fibonaccilike series that begins with2 and 1 rather than 0 and 1 as in the "regular"Fibonacci series. Don't be discouraged.Let's back up a step or two. Leonardo of Pisa wasan Italian mathematician, a contemporary of theRamban. His nickname was Fibonacci and hediscovered a fascinating number sequence with
many interesting properties and connections tovarious elements of nature. The starting point of theFibonacci series are its first two terms, F0=0 andF1=1. Each further number in the sequence isobtained by adding the two previous numbers.Adding 0+1, we find the next term is also 1. Thencomes 2 (1+1). Continuing in this way, theFibonacci sequence is 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55...Each new number is the sum of the previous twonumbers. Another sequence that uses the samerule of generation as Fibonacci's was named for the19th century French mathematician Edourd Lucas.Lucas numbers begin with 2,1 rather than 0,1 butthe rest of the sequence follows the same rule asthe Fibonacci series. The first eight Lucas numbersare 2,1,3,4,7,11,18,29. If we would light candlesaccording to Lucas, rather than Hillel or Shamai,we'd need 75 candles plus 8 more for theSHAMASH each night, for a total of 83. What's extranice about "lighting Lucas" (as it shall be nowknown) is that the gimatriya of CHANUKA is 83.(That's without the VAV, which seems to be thecorrect spelling of CHANUKA, CHANUKA messe upthe CHET NEIROT V'HAHALACHA K'VEIT HILLELthing, but...) YYW had the best solution to this one,
because not only did he get the 83, but he alsopointed out the other possible answer, based onthe fact that the 2 at the beginning of the Lucasseries is not the "first" term, but the zeroth term(that is, L0). If we count Lucas numbers 1 through8 for "lighting Lucas", we get 1,3,4,7,11,18,29,47which gives 120 candles +8, i.e. 128. Although theCHANUKA gimatriya doesn't work for this way ofcounting, it does fit Hillel's preference of increasingin number each night MAALIN B'KODESH...
Personal note: This TTriddle and its explanation ispresented in memory of my father z"l, whointroduced me to Fibonacci and Lucas as otherfathers introduce their sons to Little Red RidingHood and Jack and the Beanstalk.
And don't think this was "just" math. The Fibonacciseries and its occurrences in nature are no less MARABU MAASECHA HASHEM than a Pygmy Marmosetor a Blue Whale.
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This week's TTriddles and/or Chanuka puzzles:[1] Spin a dreidel four times. If you get all four letters, you win. If it costs a
shekel and a half to play, what's a fair payoff for winning?[2] Sofei Teivot rather than Rashei Teivot would be ambiguous in Tel Aviv but
not in Teaneck.[3] Nachmi, Gadi, Heshy, and Shimon played dreidel together over and over
again. Nachmi, Gadi, and Heshy were quite satisfied throughout their play.Shimon was very disappointed. Where did these children play dreidel?
[4] Avraham, Yosef, Par'o, Moshe, Alka Seltzer[5] They were playing s'vivon for a while and they decided to take a break for
drinks. What drinks make the most sense for them to choose?[6] Did Poti Fera buy him a Borsalino?[7] visual TTriddles from the ParshaPix
We thought you too might find this interesting...When it is 6:00am on Thursday in Israel, it would be possible that a Jew in
Hawaii and another in Kiribati could be lighting Chanuka candles at the samemoment the former lighting the 4th candle and the latter lighting the 5th. Hawaii
and Kiribati have the same time on the clock... but they are 24 hour apart.
Check out the PDF pagesfor Chanuka
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