Upload
others
View
0
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Page Zero of Torah Tidbits 852Lead Tidbit cont. from page 1 (below)
the experience of Matan Torah and feel Torah as fresh as if we todayreceived it.
Part of that process of reliving Jewish history not just remembering it,part of internalizing and personalizing Jewish experiences of the Torah andhistory is to work towards personal and communal change for the betterthat will bring about different, new, and better results than happened thefirst time around.
And here is where we find ourselves with an advantage over Dor HaMidbar. First of all, we know what happened after each particular event. Weknow what happened after the Cheit HaEigel that generation didn't knowuntil after the fact. But when we find ourselves in a similar situation, weshould know what to do differently.
We (should) know better than to say "These are my gods" or "let's goback to Egypt". We should know not to leave over the Manna for the nextday and not to go looking for it on Shabbat. If we learned our Chumashand History well, then we should not repeat the mistakes of our forebearers. We should be able to be worthy of the Geula, not just so that Gdavoids a desecration of His name and not just because of promises Hemade. We have the advantage of hindsight to hasten the Geula.
We wouldn't allow even a remnant of Amalek to survive. Would we? Wewouldn't eat and drink at the party of Achashveirosh knowing the consequnces. Would we? Well, we don't alway learn so let's try harder.
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...
we read of Geulat Purim, we sit down to the Seder table to celebrate andrelive Geulat Mitzrayim. We have a hefty agenda for the next several weeks,with halachic reviews, practical shopping and preparation, spiritual andemotional focusing that will help take us from Geula to Geula to the completeGeula, `"aa.
Hearing Parshat Para is temporarily substituting for the whole mitzvaand procedure of Para Aduma and our purification process. Hear it well.
h0h
Our advantage over the Dor HaMidbarThe first generation of the Jewish Nation the people who came out ofMitzrayim, the people who crossed the Sea and witnessed the most wondrous of miracles, the people who stood at Har Sinai and lived through theRevelation of Gd's Presence and Matan Torah these were the same peoplewho sinned with the Golden Calf a mere 40 days after Matan Torah. It isimpossible for us to really understand that generation; its experiences are so
vastly different from ours. We canshrug our shoulders and shake ourheads in disbelief, but we cannotunderstand them. How could they?!
We've got something more importantand vital for us to ponder. Not thatgeneration nor any other generationthroughout Jewish History. We mustconcern ourselves and spend our timethinking about and trying tounderstand OUR generation.
We try to see ourselves as if WE cameout of Egypt. We try to relive
h1h
h2h
n"e` p"fl
zxn l`wfgi 'x za lgxd"r
In loving memory ofRuth G. Chernofsky d"r
on her 11th yahrzeit, xc` h"i
Always in the hearts of her family and friends
Ki Tisa STATS21st of 54 sedras; 9th of 11 in Sh'mot
Written on 245.17 lines in a Sefer Torah, rank 8th
14 Parshiot; 10 open, 4 closed
139 p'sukim ranks 10th, 1st in Sh'mot
2002 words ranks 5th, 1st in Shmot
7424 letters ranks 8th, 1st in Sh'mot
Large sedra in general plus relatively long p'sukim,which explains the jump in rank from 10th forp’sukim to 5th for words. Only 4 other sedra havemore than 2000 words.
Add the 346 words of the Maftir for Para and thisweek's reading moves into first place in number ofwords read. (Not counting combined sedras.)
MITZVOTContains 9 mitzvot; 4 positive and 5 prohibitions
And as long as we're talking numbers, 9 doesn'tseem like very many mitzvot, but only 17 of theremaining 53 sedras (less than a third) have moremitzvot than Ki Tisa.
Summary: 17 sedras have doubledigit mitzvot; 17sedras have no mitzvot. The other 20 sedras have19 mitzvot.
AliyabyAliyaSedra SummaryNumbers in [square brackets] are theMitzvacounts of Sefer HaChinuch ANDRambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot. A=ASEI (positivemitzva); L=LAV (prohibition). X:Y is the perekand pasuk from which the mitzva is counted.
[P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicate startof a parsha p’tucha or s’tuma respectively.
X:Y is Perek:Pasuk of the beginning of theparsha; (Z) is the number of p'sukim in theparsha.
Kohen First Aliya 45 p'sukim 30:1131:17There are three sedras that havefewer p'sukim than the first Aliya ofKi Tisa. It's the longest First Aliya inthe Torah, by far (but not thelongest for Monday, Thursday, andprevious Shabbat Mincha reading,since we don't read all of this firstAliya at those times Eikev's is thelongest in that category). The reasonit is so long is so that the episode ofthe Golden Calf will be in the secondAliya, which is read by/for a Levi the only one who need not beembarrassed, so to speak, by thestory of the Calf.
[P> 30:11 (6)] The first 6 p'sukimof the sedra are the portion of theMitzva of the Silver HalfShekel[105,A171 31:13], which we justread three weeks ago as the Maftirfor Parshat Sh'kalim.
MitzvaWWWWWWWWWWWWWaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttccccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhThe halfshekel was used to countthe People and to create the fund forthe purchase of communal offeringsthroughout the year, as well as other
h3h
spiritual needs of the community.The halfshekel was required ofmales from age 20 and up. It wasoptional for women. (Since thehalfshekels were used to count thestanding army, it was necessary tokeep separate records of a woman'soptional contribution. Nonetheless,women could participate in thismitzva.) Although Kohanim werealso required to give a halfshekel,they were not forced by the courts inthe way that nonkohanim were, asa courtesy to their standing andfunction in society. Sh'kalim wereNOT accepted from nonJews. (Therewere funds in the Beit HaMikdash towhich a nonJew may contribute, butNOT the halfshekel. It is sort of likemembership dues in Klal Yisrael formembers only.) Collection took placein Adar, so that the fund would beready for Nissan, the beginning ofthe "Beit HaMikdash year".
The mitzva applies during the timeof the Beit HaMikdash, at which timeeven Jews living abroad contributed.
Without the Beit HaMikdash, we donot perform the mitzva, but we havecommemorative practices, namelythe reading of Parshat Sh'kalim (onthe Shabbat of or right before RoshChodesh Adar, which was whenSh'kalim were "announced") and thegiving Zeicher L'Machatzit HaShekelbefore Megila reading (there is anconnection between our mitzva ofSh'kalim and the sh'kalim thatHaman promised the king in returnfor permission to kill the Jews in thekingdom).
We can say that participation in themitzva of the HalfShekel indicatedthat a person wanted to be part ofKlal Yisrael, thereby including the
individual in the atonement of thePeople.
Remember: Today we don't giveMachatzit HaShekel, we just commemorate it. This is an importantdistinction.
[P> 30:17 (5)] The next portiondeals with the Laver and its stand(KIYOR V'KANO), for the Kohanimto wash their hands and feet beforetheir sacred work [106,A20430:19]. A kohen who does notwash (sanctify) his hands and feetbefore doing "service" in the BeitHaMikdash is liable to "death fromHeaven" and the korban he hasbrought is invalid.
What might this say to us? OurSages have commanded us to washour hands before eating a breadmeal. (This "Rabbinic Mitzva" isattributed to Shlomo HaMelech andhis Sanhedrin.) There are severalp'sukim in the Torah that areconsidered to be the inspiration forthe mitzva to wash our hands. Thisis one of them, based on the famousconcept that our (dining) table is likethe Altar. We are challenged toelevate the mundane act of eatingand invest it with a spirituality whichis the hallmark of Judaism and aTorah way of life.
Before we approach our "Altar" toserve Gd, we too wash our hands.Just like the Kohen. Well, not really.We wash hands only. And not withthe same penalty for not washingproperly (thank Gd). Could youimagine a Heavenly death penaltyfor not washing for HaMotzi? No. Butthe comparison SHOULD promptsome serious reflection on our part,
h4h
and hopefully, an improvement ofthe way we relate to this everydaymitzva.
Concerning our Netilat Yadayim, aperson should examine his ownobservance of mitzvot. First, am Icareful about washing for HaMotzi? Iam? Good. Am I careful to dry myhands BEFORE washing, so that thewater has its intended purpose ofremoving ritual impurity in the bestway. It might seem like a smallmatter, but there are opinions thatwashing wet hands does not fulfillthe mitzva properly. And do Iproperly dry my hands afterwashing? And do I complete thebracha before my hands are completely dry? Another small detail, butimportant in its own way. Am Icareful not to interrupt betweenwashing and HaMotzi? Of course.Good. I don't talk until after HaMotzi(actually, there should be no talkinguntil after the first swallow of theHaMotzi). But silence is also aninterruption (less severe) and oneshould try to minimize the gapbetween washing and HaMotzi. It'snot always practical, but it can bedone. The point is, to THINK aboutwhat we do and why we do it, andHOW we do it. Washing for HaMotziis an example of a mitzva that iseasy to take for granted, to go on"automatic pilot". But if we do, we'llbe missing so much. Let's washbetter, bench better, daven better,do mitzvot better, treat each otherbetter. Let's be thinking and feelingTorah Jews all across the board.
[P> 30:22 (12)] Next follows thecommand to take specific quantities of various spices, mix themwith olive oil, and prepare the
special "anointing oil". The KohenGadol and kings of Israel are to beanointed with this oil [107,A3530:31], as were the sacred vesselsof the Mikdash. It is forbidden touse this oil for personal use [108,L84 30:32], or even to daredishonor the Mikdash by copyingthe spiced oil for personal use[109,L83 30:32].
[S> 30:34 (5)] We are next commanded to compound the K'toret,the incense offered twice daily inthe Mikdash. The mitzva of K'toretis presented and counted inT'tzaveh; here we have theprohibition of compounding thesame formula for personal use[110,L85 30:37].
[S> 31:1 (11)] Gd tells Moshe thatB'tzalel shall be in charge of theactual construction and fashioningof the Mishkan and its contents.His assistant shall be Aholiav ofDan, and a team of skilled artisansshall join in the work. All theobjects in and of the Mishkan areenumerated, as the tasklist ofB'tzalel and his team.
[P> 31:12 (6)] At this point, Gdreminds Moshe that the Shabbatmay not be violated, even for theconstruction of the Mishkan. (Wemight have thought otherwise, dueto the sacredness of the endeavor,hence, the reminder.) Shabbat isthe eternal sign between Gd andthe People of Israel.
SSSSSDDDDDTTTTT::::: Shabbat and Mikdash "rubelbows" several times in the Torah. Theycomplement each other, in that Mikdash
h5h
represents the Sanctity of Place, andShabbat represents the Sanctity of Time.One may not build the Mikdash onShabbat, but the functioning in theMikdash "pushes aside" Shabbat. And welearn many rules and details for Shabbatfrom the construction of the Mishkan.There is an equation of sorts, certainly alink established, with the pasuk MyShabbats you shall preserve, and myMikdash you shall revere.
We know that Shabbat steps aside forPiku'ach Nefesh (lifethreatening situations) and for Communal Offerings in theBeit HaMikdash (and for testifying forKidush HaChodesh). That these things areable to be done on Shabbat, we learn fromspecific sources in the text of the Torah.That Shabbat steps aside for ANYTHING islearned from the passage here ACH ETSHABTOTAI TISHMORU. The word ACH but, however is generally considered tobe limiting. My Shabbats you shall keep,would mean, with no exceptions. ACH indicates that there are situations whenthat which is usually forbidden on Shabbatis to be done. Again, what the specificthings are, are learned from other p'sukim.The ACH here teaches us the general stateof affairs Shabbat can be "violated",under specific circumstances.
[Note too. It is not the word ACH thatteaches us its meaning; it is our Oral Lawthat teaches us the meaning of the ACH,when it applies and when it doesn't.]
Levi Second Aliya 47 p'sukim 31:1833:11The longest Second Aliya in the Torah,tied with that of Parshat Pinchas innumber of p'sukim, but longer inwords and letters.
[S> 31:18 (7)] The Torah nowreturns to telling us of MatanTorah, which was "interrupted" (soto speak) by the parshiyot of theMishkan, i.e. all of T'ruma andT'tzaveh and the first part of KiTisa. Gd gives Moshe the Tabletsof stone... When the People saw(or thought) that Moshe wasdelayed in returning from Sinai,they feared that they would beleaderless, and they appealed toAharon to do something. Exactlywhat he did is the subject ofdifferent opinions, but his delayingtactic resulted in the emergence ofthe Golden Calf. Most of thepeople were confused and didnothing (that was part of theproblem), but 3000 men arose andreveled in the Calf, declaring it thegod of Israel.
[P> 32:7 (8)] Gd told Moshe tosee what the People were doing inhis absence. Gd indicates toMoshe that the People aredeserving of destruction.
The first part of Moshe's reaction isPRAYER. (This isn't always first onhis list, but it is here. Part of thegreatness of Moshe Rabeinu is hisknowing when to pray long, whenshort, and when to take actionimmediately and leave prayer forlater. This is something that weshould try to learn from him). Hispetition before Gd starts with thepractical argument, "what willEgypt say?". Then Moshe mentionsthe Avot and asks Gd to forgivethe people because of them, andthe promises Gd had made to
h6h
them. The combination of thesetwo points seem to succeed,because Moshe is "rewarded" withGd's expression of regret (so tospeak) for what He had said Hewould do to the people.
These arguments of Moshe on ourbehalf do not include our own merit just the Chilul HaShem factor andpromises to the Avot. This idea findsitself expressed very clearly in thehaftara. Note, however, that this isthe haftara for Parshat Para not forKi Tisa. Nonetheless, the haftaraechoes the sedra. Specifically, it isthe former argument, what we calledthe Chilul HaShem factor that isstressed in the haftara. "Therefore,tell the house of Israel, thus saysHaShem: Not for you do I do... butfor the sake of My holiness whichyou have defiled... This is repeatedfurther on in the same portion. Thereis also a slight reference to thepromises to the Avot.
[P> 32:15 (21)] Next, Moshe turnsand descends the mountain withthe Luchot in his hands. When hesees the Calf, the Tablets either slipfrom his hands and break or heintentionally smashes them (opinions differ). He seizes the Calf,destroys it, spreads its ashes overthe water, and prepares a potionfor the people to drink. He asksAharon what happened.
He calls to those "who are on Gd'sside"; the Leviyim rally to his calland kill those who dared "worship"the Calf.
On the following day (the exactsequence of events is debated by
commentators), Moshe castigatesthe people, tells them of theenormity of their sin. Then he tellsthem that he is returning to Gd (soto speak) up the mountain, tocontinue pleading Israel's casebefore Gd. Gd promises to punishthose at fault.
[S> 33:1 (11)] As a result of theGolden Calf, Gd distances Himselffrom the People. He does,however, reiterate His promise togive them (us) the Land. And, Hetells Moshe to have the peoplecontinue towards Eretz Yisrael, butwithout Gd in their midst. ThePeople are distraught by Gd'swords. Moshe too removes himselfand his tent from the midst of thecamp. Moshe remains in directcontact with Gd... and Yehoshuawas constantly in the Tent.
Shlishi Third Aliya 5 p'sukim 33:1216[P> 33:12 (5)] Moshe argues thatGd must remain in the midst of thePeople in order to demonstrate thatHe truly chose us. One senses theunique relationship between Gdand Moshe that permits Moshe tospeak to Him the way he does. Atthe same time that our relationshipwith Gd was changing because ofthe Golden Calf, Moshe was askingGd for a more intimate understanding of the Divine Essence.
h7h
R'vi'i Fourth Aliya 7 p'sukim 33:1723[P> 33:17 (7)] Gd agrees toMoshe's request, because of Hisspecial feelings towards Moshe.Then Moshe asks that Gd revealmore of Himself to him (Moshe).Gd tells Moshe that such arevelation is impossible, but thatMoshe will be able to experiencemore of Gd's essence. This, withthe understanding that it won't beeverything. The p'sukim in thisportion of very enigmatic.
Here's a thought... Is it notstrange that specifically when BneiYisrael is/are in the midst of a veryrough time that Moshe asks Gd toreveal Himself to Moshe more thanHe already has? Perhaps Moshe hada bit of a "spiritual panic" in thatGd, Who had been so close to thepeople at Sinai was about to distanceHimself from us. And Moshe fearedthat he too would lose out. Mixedwith his efforts on behalf of thepeople, Moshe wants to safeguardand enhance the relationship that hehas with HaShem. This will also helpin his pleading for and leading of thepeople.
Chamishi Fifth Aliya 9 p'sukim 34:19[P> 34:1 (26)] This portion (readon Fast Days) contains the 13Divine Attributes. One can say thatnot only did Gd forgive the Peoplefor the Golden Calf, but He alsogave them (us) the method of
approaching Him in prayer. Notonly are we to recite these 13Attributes, but we must emulate asmany of them as possible. "Just asHe is merciful, so too must we bemerciful..." In this way we willKNOW His Attributes, live bythem, and not just mechanicallyrecite them.
Gd next tells Moshe to cut newstones to replaced the ones he hadbroken. Moshe again ascends Sinaito receive the Luchot, theAttributes, and Divine Forgiveness.This 40 day period Elul throughYom Kippur, become days ofspecial closeness between Gd andus.
Shishi Sixth Aliya 17 p'sukim 34:1026Our position relative to othernations is conditional upon ourkeeping of the mitzvot. We areforbidden to make covenants withthe nations in Eretz Yisrael.Specifically, we are forbidden toeat or drink of idolatrous offerings[111, this is the only mitzvacounted by the Chinuch that is noton Rambam's list; there is oneRambam mitzva that the Chinuchdoesn't count. 34:15]. All this toavoid falling to their temptationsand to avoid intermarriage. Wemust destroy their idols.
We are commanded to keepPesach in the Spring. (This is oneof the p'sukim responsible for ourtwo Adars.) In a direct link to theExodus, we have three types of
h8h
B'CHOR mitzvot human (whichmust be redeemed), kosher farmanimals (which are given as a gift toa kohen and may not be redeemed,but are holy and to be brought as akorban this mitzva exists today,even without a Mikdash, renderingthis mitzva highly problematic.Hence, our Sages commanded usto avoid this mitzva by taking anonJew as partner in the ownership of the pregnant animal.), anddonkey (which should beredeemed PIDYON PETERCHAMOR) a mitzva which alsoapplies in our time and does nothave the problematic side sincethere is no sanctity involved, just aprohibition of benefiting from thebaby donkey until it is redeemed.Hence, the Shulchan Aruch forbidsone to use their suggestion for thekosher animals in order to get outof this mitzva. In fact, every sooften one hears of a Pidyon PeterChamor here in Israel.
Shavuot and Sukkot complete thecycle of the Pilgrimage Festivals;males are required to appear at theBeit HaMikdash (and not emptyhanded). This mitzva (and others)guarantees our hold of the Land.Shabbat and the Land's Shabbat,Shmita [112,A135 34:21], arementioned.
Korban Pesach may not be offeredwhile its owner has Chametz, normay we leave K.P. over to themorning.
Bikurim are to be brought to theMikdash and meatmilk mixtures
(that are cooked together) may notbe eaten [113,L187 34:26].Rabbinic law forbids eating mixturesof milk and meat even if they havenot been cooked.
Sh'VII Seventh Aliya 9 p'sukim 34:2735[P> 34:27 (9)] Gd commandsMoshe to write the Torah (and notthe Oral Law and explanations,which must be transmitted orally).Moshe spent 40 days and nights onHar Sinai, not eating or drinking,during which time, the second setof Luchot were written.
When Moshe came down from theMountain, he was unaware of thespirtual radiance that glowed on hisface. Aharon and the People wereafraid to approach. Moshe called toAharon and the Leaders of thePeople, and spoke to them wordsof Torah and their explanation.Then all the people came to Mosheto be taught what Gd had spokento him at Sinai.
When Moshe finished speaking tothe people, he covered his facewith a hood (mask/veil), which heremoved whenever he spoke toGd. He would then transmit Gd'swords to the people.This would be repeated over andover again. Moshe would cover hisface until the time he communicated with Gd.
h9h
Maftir second Torah22 p’sukim; Bamidbar 19Parshat Para is read on the Shabbatbefore Parshat HaChodesh whichpresents us with the mitzvot ofKorban Pesach, because the mostcommon and important time forritual purification on the part ofmost of the people was around thebeginning of Nissan, as part ofone's preparation to be inJerusalem for Pesach and to bringand eat K.P. Parshat Para fromParshat Chukat, contains to mitzvotof Para Aduma that is, thepreparing of the potion from theashes of the Red Heifer, thegeneral mitzva of the concept ofritual limpurity from contact with acorpse, and the mitzvas of purifyingoneself with the Para Adumapotion.
Parshat PARA is considered bysome to be a Torah requirement,similar to Parshat Zachor.
Haftara 23 p'sukim Yechezkeil 36:1638S'faradim end 2 p’sukim earlier
The Haftara takes the concept(from the Maftir) of an individualbecoming TAMEI and requiringpurification with special water as ananalogy for the people of Israelwho defiled themselves with thesin of idolatry and other sins, andtheir (our) need for a purificationprocess with "Gd's spiritual watersof the Torah".
[In Va'eira, we find Gd's promise totake us unto Him and then He willbring us to Eretz Yisrael, in thehaftara, the order is switched.]
The last p'sukim refer to amultitude of sheep for sacrifices...This is a reminder of the largenumber of sheep brought toYerushalayim for Korban Pesach.
The S'fas Emes explains the fact that Para followsZachor: Amalek is the source of the deepestimpurity. We therefore, need the purification ofthe Para Aduma to cleanse our souls from thedefilement that stems from Amalek.
THE JERUSALEM INSTITUTE OF JEWISH LAWRabbi Emanuel Quint, Dean
Lesson #466 Lost Property part 9Restoring the Lost Object
Assume that Reuven, the finder of thefound object, knows the owner of theobject. It may be unique and everyoneknow that this belongs to Shimon, theowner. Or it has an identification mark or
even Shimon's name on the object.Reuven must restore the object toShimon. The finder should contact theowner by the best method available:telephone, fax, email, or whatever
h10h
method that will best inform Shimon thatthe finder has the lost object and wishesto return it to Shimon. After contact hasbeen made the owner should come to thefinder to retrieve his lost object.Assuming that the finder cannot contactthe owner, the finder mat leave the objectat the home of the owner with a person ofsuitable age with instructions to give theobject to the owner. Or the finder mayleave the object in a courtyard or otherplace belonging to the owner that isguarded so that it will not be stolen fromthat place. This may be done although theowner is not aware that the object is leftat his guarded premises.
If the object was left in a place that is notguarded, then the finder is responsible ifthe object gets lost or stolen.
If the restored object is lost again and thefinder finds it he must restore it again andagain. For example, the finder without theknowledge of the owner restores the lostgoat to an enclosed pen that the ownerkeeps for his goats. As the finder leaves,he sees that the goat has again escapedfrom the pen. The finder must again takethe goat and restore it to the pen. In thefinal analysis, Beit Din will have todecide if the finder exercised appropriatecare in restoring the object to the owner.
Reuven finds an object that has anidentification mark but the mark does notshow to whom it belongs. For example,Reuven finds a sweater that wasobviously knotted at home asdistinguished from a storeboughtsweater, the knitting being loose andsloppy. Also the colors are very uniquesuch as the first knotted line in purple, thenext line pink, the next line orange, thenext line aqua, the next line red and so
forth and the pattern repeats itself atcertain intervals. Reuven must announcethat he found something. Theannouncement must be made in suchmanner and in such places as will make itlikely that the owner who lost the objectwill come to claim it by identifying it.The Codes speak of making theannouncements in the synagogue on thosedays when most people frequent thesynagogue and at such intervals in theservices where it will be heard by thegreatest number of people. Where best tomake the announcement depends uponthe community and Beit Din may advisewhere to make the announcements. Itmay be that the most effective way is toadvertise in a newspaper or in thecommunity or synagogue bulletins (or inTorah Tidbits) or to place notices onlamp poles or trees or in school bulletins all according to Beit Din directives.
In those societies where it is dangerous toannounce that an object has been found,the finder must initiate a wordofmouthannouncement to reach the owner.There was a decree of the Rabbis in theeleventh century that the owner who lostsomething should also make anannouncement, so that the one who findsit will know where to restore it to theowner and also so others will be able totell the person who found it where to findthe owner.
The wording of the announcement has tobe in language that it is not too obviouswhat was found so as to reduce thelikelihood that a dishonest person cancome forward to claim the object, normust it be so obscure that the owner willnot know that it is his object that has beenfound.
h11h
One of the purposes of the announcementis to enable anyone who may own suchan object to go home or to look into hispockets or other place to see if he has lostsuch an object. The announcement maytell him that it may be his object that thefinder found. The owner will go to thefinder and describe the object that he lost.Or the owner knows that he lost theobject but does not know who has foundit.
There are three categories ofidentification of lost objects by thealleged owner.
1) The alleged owner states that he haslost a blue coat, the announcement havingbeen said that a coat was found. This typeof identification does not carry anyweight; it may be a fortuitous guess.Identification such as "the coat that I lostis blue with black buttons" likewise doesnot rise to the level of good identification.2) There is a higher level ofidentification. For example, the coat isblue with black buttons and is a size 44,or was lost in Cohen's restaurant, thesame place where Reuven found the coat.
3) There is the highest level ofidentification. For example the ownerstates that the coat has a tiny hole on theinside lining about four inches from the
zipper of the lining on the right side.Only the true owner could be so specific.Beit Din should establish criteria for theidentification of lost objects dependingupon the type of object that was found;they should set up categories in eachcommunity.If a person is a known liar he should notbe given the object that he lost even if heidentifies the object by category 2. He isto be given the object if he produces twowitnesses that he lost the object or if heidentifies the object by a category 3identification.If the alleged owner employs category 2identification, he must be known as anhonest person or have witnesses testifythat he is honest, in order to get the objectfrom the finder. Traditional Codes givesome rules in determining who hasestablished the identification in a mannermore satisfactory than other claimants.Beit Din has to establish rules and is tojudge each case anew, because veryrarely are two situations exactly alike.If the loser states that the wallet he losthad cash in it and now is empty, thefinder need not take an oath to buttresshis claim that the wallet contained nomoney. He should take an oath that thewallet was restored in the same conditionas he found it.
Spiritual and Ethical Issues in the Bamidbar Storiesby Meir Tamari
"The People Murmured" {3}
Over and above the people's demandfor food in general and for meat inparticular, they complained about the
Manna, about the miraculous food fromHeaven that had the taste of all foods.While the Manna could satisfy the
h12h
physical needs for sustenance, it camewith spiritual and moral demands thatlie at the very basis of humanexistence. We see our ancestors aslacking in faith, greedy or stupid whenwe read of how they could not obeythese demands even though they hadclearly witnessed Gd's power andredemption in the miracles in Egyptand at the Red Sea, yet we react in thesame way to the challenges of ourlivelihood and our parnasa.The Manna was not brought to them.Rather each day they had to go outand collect their own needs. The textdifferentiates between two differenttypes of savings; one permissible andthe other frowned upon. On Friday theywere told HEINICHU, to leave asidefrom what they had gathered on thatday for their use on Shabbat. This isakin to saving or investment wherebyone does not squander but rathercarefully sets off against reasonablerisk. This is what the farmer does withthe seed for the next crop. RabbiMoshe Feinstein ruled that insurance isnot an indicator of the lack of beliefobjected to above (Iggrot Moshe,Orech Chayim 2:111). However, thetext also talks about those whoHOTIRU left over; this is akin to theword for a bowstring that is pulled tautbeyond its norm. This is the forbiddenact that flows from a lack of belief thatGd will provide for our tomorrow.Because of uncertainty and their fear ofthe unknown future, they could notobey Moshe and tried to gather morethan they needed for that day. And onShabbat they went out to gatherManna, even though Moshe had toldthem that there would not be any.Here, it should be noted that the text
(Sh'mot 16:1) tells us that the entirepeople of Israel complained about thelack of food. This is not restricted tojust some disgruntled group or amarginal sector. Rather, everybodyshares in the fear that they will nothave sufficient to protect themselvesagainst the future. Who knows whatwill happen to the economy, whoknows what will happen to their wealthand who knows what demands will beplaced on them due to illness, old ageor even acts of nature or war? Soeverybody has this great need toprotect themselves and their familiesagainst the uncertainties of the future.If there was no uncertainty theneverybody could be satisfied andmoral. Therefore, in our perception oflife, we try to seize as large a piece ofthe economic cake as possible;devoting all our energies to this andusing the most unscrupulous andaggressive measures in order toachieve it. Our fears convince us thatthis is always necessary, so wewitness people who have equities sogreat, that neither they nor theirchildren nor their descendants canever use them, garnering even more,to the exclusion of any other activityand often with the most unethicalactions; white collar crime is themonopoly of the rich.In order to guard against this, Israel istold that they can be confident that Gdwill provide for them. "One who hasenough for one day, yet says, 'what willI have for tomorrow', is lacking in faith"(Rabbi Eliezer HaModai in Sh'motRabba 42). "When Chazal tell us thatour commerce should be 'in faith',BEEMUNA, this does not mean that itshould be conducted honestly, sincefor this we have other halakhot. Rather,
h13h
it means, in the faith that only Gd isable to support our needs and thatindeed He does so" (ArukhHaShulchan, Orech Chayim 156). "Onewho says Ashrei, [as we do three timesdaily] but does not say, 'He opens Hishands and satisfies all the living', withconviction, does not fulfill theirobligation".Ovadiah of S'forno presents a seriousspiritual perspective that is particularlyrelevant to us who live in a world thatknows more wealth than any other inworld history. He points out that theManna freed Israel from the slavery ofproviding a living, since this wasguaranteed by Gd, and therebyreleased them from the race tocontinuously gain a greater share ofthe market. Such freedom meansleisure to devote oneself to moral andspiritual perfection. His question iswhether they or we have this ability.Throughout history men havesacrificed their freedom for security. InMedieval Europe, they exchangedfreedom for the physical and politicalsecurity offered by feudal overlordswhile in modern times socialism andcommunism have offered economicsecurity in exchange for giving upindividual freedom. It was this securitythat Israel, despite everything that theyhad witnessed, craved and regrettedabout leaving the galut of Egypt. TheManna is not an isolated incident butcomes between two others that relateto Israel's cries for water. Taken alltogether, they reflect Torah's answersto the uncertainty in our economic andbusiness affairs. "And they came toMara and they could not drink of thewater because it was bitter... and thepeople complained to Moshe, "What
shall we drink and there He placedbefore them chukim and mishpatim"(Sh'mot 15:2325). The Talmud(Sanhedrin 56b) teaches that at Mara,Israel was given Shabbat [chukim] andthe social laws [mishpatim]. Shabbatcame to teach that just as Gd hadprovided for them by sweetening thewater, so too, even though the Shabbatdisrupts the economic activity of theweekdays, Gd would provide in theweekdays to come. This message isthe crux of the Sabbatical Year,Shmita, where Gd would providedespite the fact that no productiveagricultural work was permitted duringthat year.Mishpatim assure us that if wescrupulously keep the social lawsregarding the earning and spending ofour money, we need not have anyfears of not having enough.
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] EcoRabbi
[8] from Machon Puah[9] MicroUlpan
[10] Birkat HaChama[11] Leftover Mishloach Manot
[12] Torah from Nature[13] Divrei Menachem
h14h
[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 anddayanim 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 accidentally made the b'racha of"al mitzvat tefillin" when puttingon my tefillin shel yad. What
should I have done regarding b'rachotfrom that point?
ABefore addressing the heart of yourquestion, let us guess yourbackground. You must be an
Ashkenazi, who usually makes a b'rachaeach on the tefillin shel yad and the shelrosh. A S'faradi makes al mitzvat tefillinonly when he talks in between putting onthe two tefillin (Shulchan Aruch, OrachChayim 25:9) or when he can put on onlythe tefillin shel rosh (ibid. 26:2). He wouldnot have made the mistake that you did,which is common for Ashkenazim, whomake al mitzvat tefillin daily. We will seelater why being Ashkenazi makes adifference.
The Gemara (Menachot 36a) cites R.Yochanan who says that when fasteningthe shel yad, one makes the b'racha of"l'hani'ach tefillin" and upon placing theshel rosh he recites "al mitzvat". On theother hand, the Gemara cites Rav Chisdathat one makes a b'racha on the shel roshonly if he talks in between the two tefillin.The Gemara answers that if one is silent,he makes one b'racha, and if he talks he
makes two b'rachot. One approach inRishonim (including Rashi, ad loc,accepted by S'faradim see ShulchanAruch, OC 25:6) is that the number is thetotal of b'rachot for the two tefillin. One isrecited before fastening the shel yad. If hetalks, a second one is said on the shel roshinstead of saying nothing then. Accordingto Rabbeinu Tam (see Tosafot ad loc.), onealways recites al mitzvat on the shel rosh.If he spoke, he also repeats then l'haniach.The Rama (OC 25:6) accepts and sets theminhag among Ashkenazim to follow thisapproach.
The Rosh (Pesachim 1:10), followingRabbeinu Tam's approach, says that bothb'rachot apply to both the shel yad and theshel rosh. However, Chazal preferred thatwe not recite two b'rachot on one mitzva.Therefore, they attached the b'racha that ismore appropriate for one who is about tostart putting on tefillin (l'hani'ach) to theshel yad and the more general b'racha of almitzvat to the shel rosh, upon completionof the mitzva of tefillin. The Taz's brother(in a teshuva found in the Taz, OC 25:6)says that al mitzvat applies to theremembrances that tefillin conjure up andl'hani'ach applies to the mitzva's specificdetailed actions.
The following halachic ramificationsemerge from this generally acceptedapproach. Since both b'rachot go on bothtefillin, if one recited al mitzvat at the timeof putting on the shel yad and l'hani'achwhen putting on the shel rosh, he fulfilledthe b'rachot requirement despite theimperfect order. Therefore, says theShaarei Teshuva (25:5, based on theMichtam L'Dovid), if one already said almitzvat and completed fastening the shelyad, he recites the remaining b'racha ofl'hani'ach before putting on the shel rosh,and all is covered. Although some argue
h15h
(see ibid.) this is the best solution (see B'erMoshe V, 10).
The matter would be different if youcaught your mistake before fastening theshel yad. Since l'hani'ach was in factinstituted to precede the shel yad andcovers the shel rosh as well, you shouldhave recited l'hani'ach after al mitzvat andbefore fastening the shel yad. At this point,with both b'rachot already recited, youwould not have made any b'racha beforeputting on the shel rosh (Shaarei Teshuva,ibid.). If you had caught and corrected themistake quickly enough by inserting thewords "l'hani'ach tefillin" within around asecond and a half of saying al mitzvat, thenwe could apply the regular rule thatmistakes in b'rachot can be fixed TOCHK'DEI DIBUR (B'er Moshe ibid, incontradiction to the Kaf Hachayim's(25:39) novel ruling; see Piskei Teshuvot25:12).
If a S'faradi had for some reason recited almitzvat when he makes his single b'racha,he would have fulfilled the mitzva andwould not make a b'racha upon putting onthe shel rosh (Michtam L'Dovid, ibid.).
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
[2] Candle by DayThe most valuable acquisitions of oureducation are those things which wemistakenly assume we knew before they
were taught to us and those things which weassume we could learn even if they were nottaught to us.
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
MAH YOM'RU HAGOYIM what willthe nations of the world say. Throughoutour history and our personal lives, this hasoften been an injunction, both for good andsometimes, perhaps, for less than good, tosee our actions from the perspective ofothers. In the case of potential chilulHashem, it is obviously most necessary.But in the political arena, for example,often the right thing to do is overshadowedby the need for approbation from others.
Yet it is this very same thought that MosheRabenu uses to convince Gd, after CHEITHA'EIGEL, that Am Yisrael should bejudged with compassion. LAMAHYOMRU MITZRAYIM... (Shmot 32:12).A little disconcerting since when areGd's decisions susceptible to publicopinion?
I think that an answer can be found in thefollowing pasuk wherein Moshe states hissecond argument on behalf of Bnei Yisrael the promise of Eretz Yisrael to AmYisrael "...eten l'zarachem v'nachalul'olam". As Rashi teaches us in the firstpasuk of the Torah, this promise will becontested over and over again. Thispromise is not a private convenant. It is apublic irrevocable statement that affects allthe nations of the world and it is thereforemost appropriate that Moshe pleads withHashem to consider world opinion. Theyare the ones who must know that the
h16h
promise is permanent.
May we merit that the nations of the worldfinally understand the divine nature of ourconnection to this Land.
Tova Rhein, Efrat
THOUGHTS as contributed by Aloh Naaleh members forpublication in the Orthodox Union's 'Torah Insights', aweekly Torah publication on Parshat HaShavu'a
[4] Wisdom & WitWhen a student would come to the ChasamSofer to bid him farewell before leaving, theChasam Sofer would make a point of tellingthe student a chidush a new Torah thoughtto take with him.
After leaving the Chasam Sofer, one studentcontinued on his way to a relative, in orderto say goodbye to him as well. The relativeasked if he had heard any recent chidushim,and the student repeated what he had justheard from the Chasam Sofer. This relativewas a very unscrupulous man, and a fewweeks later he went over to the ChasamSofer and repeated the chidush in his ownname, as if he had originated it himself.Taking him aside, the Chasam Sofer told theman, "I know that you did not come up withthat chidush, but actually heard it from mystudent."
Some time later, when the Chasam Soferwas at a summer resort, along with R'Mordechai Bennett, the Rav of Nikolsburg,the Chasam Sofer repeated the chidush. Theunscrupulous relative, who was also present,had the gall to jump up and exclaim: "Rebbe,how could you say that that was yourchidush, when I was the one who told it toyou on suchandsuch a date?" The ChasamSofer did not say a word, but let thingsstand.
Later, R' Mordechai Bennett found out thetruth that the chidush was indeed that of the
Chasam Sofer. R' Mordechai then told theChasam Sofer: "I am utterly amazed by yourability to remain silent, even in the face of sogreat a provocation."
Shmuel Himelstein has written a wonderfulseries for ArtScroll: Words of Wisdom,Words of Wit; A Touch of Wisdom, ATouch of Wit; and "Wisdom and Wit"available at your local Jewish bookstore (orshould be). Excerpted with the permission ofthe copyright holder
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 PonderKI TISA
1) Why does the Torah repeat the wordsWHEN YOU COUNT THEM (BIFKODOTAM) when it describes the donationmethod of counting considering that it isalready clear from the verse that it isdiscussing when the people are counted?(30:12)
2) Moshe pleads with GD to keep Hispresence with the Jewish people and GDaccepts this request. (33:1214) Why, then,does Moshe say in the very next verse, IFYOUR PRESENCE DOES NOT GOALONG...? GD already agreed to thisrequest?
3) What prompted Moshe to put a maskover his face after speaking to the Jewishpeople? (34:33) There is nothing in thestory which indicates that this wasnecessary for the Jewish people even withthe description of Moshe's face radiating(34:35)!
h17h
POSSIBLE ANSWERS...Ponder the questions first, then read here
1) The Ohr HaChayim answers that onemight have thought that this method ofcounting only applied at a time when thepeople were deserving of punishmentbecause of the sin of the Golden Calf.However, if we were to have a census in asituation where we had not sinned, perhapsthis method would not be required. Thus,the repeated words WHEN YOU COUNTTHEM come to include all situation ofcounting in the command to use thismethod.
2) Daat Zekainim MiBaalei HaTosfotteaches that when GD said MYPRESENCE WILL GO (PANAIYEILEICHU) in verse 13, He wasinforming Moshe that he alone would feelGD's presence as they traveled but not therest of the nation. This explains why GDsaid, AND PROVIDE YOU REST, usingthe word LACH for YOU in the singular.Moshe responded that this was not enoughand he demanded that the people be able tofeel GD's presence as well.
3) The Kli Yakar explains that Moshe'shumility prompted this action. BecauseMoshe's face radiated, the people could notstop staring at him. Moshe wasembarrassed by all of the attention and hemasked his face so that he would not seethem staring at him.
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" recentlyreleased by Devora Publishing. [email protected]
[6]
by Rakel BerenbaumFEEDback to [email protected]
PARA ADUMATHE RED COW
This week we read parshat PARA, thethird in a serious of four special maftirreadings read before Purim andPesach. PARA is taken from Bamidbar19, the first verses of the Torah portionof CHUKAT. The section describeshow the potion from the ashes of theburnt red cow when sprinkled onsomeone who has become impurebecause of contact with a dead bodymake that person becomes pure again.This is an example of a CHOK, amitzva for which we don't know thereason. Whenever teachers teachabout CHUKIM, they bring PARAADUMA as " the" example. Who hasn'tlearned about PARA ADUMA inschool?But the Torah describes other mitzvotas chukim as well. It even uses theword CHOK when talking aboutPESACH and the paschal lamb(Sh'mot 12:43).The Midrash in Sh'mot Rabba (19:2)picks up on this starting with the versein Tehilim (119:80) "May my heart beperfect in Your CHUKIM", where theword CHOK appears in the plural form.The Midrash goes through a comparison of the CHOK of the PARA ADUMA the red cow, and the CHOK of theKORBAN PESACH paschal lamb.
h18h
The Midrash asks which CHOK is thegreater one? That of PARA ADUMA orthat of the paschal lamb? The Midrashconcludes that the PARA ADUMA wasgreater because without its ashes onewould not be spiritually fit and thereforeunable to consume the KORBANPESACH.In order to help us understand thisconcept, SHEM MISHMUEL explainsthe difference between CHUKIM. Heexplains that there are two types ofCHUKIM. The first type have a reason,but are so profound that man couldnever fathom them. They are out of therealm of human understanding. Thesecond type of CHUKIM couldtheoretically be understood by man,but Hashem chooses to hide theirreasons. Why does HE hide this fromus? So that we would perform thecommandment for the sole reason thatit was commanded by Gd and notbecause we understand it.The PARA ADUMA is the first type ofCHOK. It could never be understood bya human being. Proof of this is what isrelated in Bamidbar Rabba (19:6)about King Solomon, who was blessedby Gd with wisdom. He tried tounderstand the PARA ADUMA butfinally gave up trying, because hecame to the realization that even forhim, the wisest man, it was impossible.The PESACH is the other type ofCHOK. We are told the reason for thegeneral MITZVA because Gd passedover (PASACH) the Jewish houses andsaved them (Sh'mot 12:27). What wedon't understand are all the little detailsinvolved in the sacrifice such as notbreaking any of the bones or eating itall together in one house. Hashemwants us to eat the PESACH not
because we understand it, but as anexpression of our loyalty to Him thatwe are willing to follow Him even if wedon't understand.By bringing the PARA ADUMA andhumbling ourselves to the realizationthat some things are totally outside ofour intellectual grasp and that ourintellects are the will of Hashem, wehave prepared ourselves for Pesach,whose purpose is to bring the Jewishpeople to a higher level ofcomprehension of Gd. Byacknowledging that we don'tunderstand we really understand more.
Red Meat withBulgar and Vegetables
1½ lbs. (approx. 700g) red meatfor stew2 cups bulgar wheat1 tsp parsley4 stalks celery4 to 5 carrots2 onions2 tomatoes1 red pepper¼ cup oilPaprika to tasteSalt and pepper
Soak bulgar in 4 cups of boiling waterfor 1/2 hour. Chop vegetables. Cutmeat into dice size cubes. Saute meat,vegetables, garlic and parsley in oil.Add 2 cups water and cook untilvegetables are tender. Add soakedbarley and 3 to 4 cups additional water.Bring to a boil. Season with salt,pepper and paprika. Serves 4.
h19h
[7] EcoRabbi www.GreenProphet.com
Excerpts from a weekly blog byYaakov Reichert, drawing lessons inecology from Parshat HaShavua
Purim!Celebration of CommunityThis week we celebrate(d) the festival ofPurim, which I would call the festival ofcommunal identity.
The beginning of the Megila opens withAchashveirosh's party, a sevendayallouteatyourheartout party. After spending anentire halfyear celebrating throughout thecountry, the king wanted to impress thepeople in his capital. If you wereANYONE, or wanted to be, you HAD tobe there. The commentaries describe how itwas a celebration of the temple NOT beingrebuilt, how Achashveirosh took out theplunder of the holy vessels to show off, andhow there was blatant disregard of thecommandments. Talk about low communalselfimage.
The Megila story is about a people cominginto their own. This cannot be donewithout leadership, and is rarely donewithout some unifying experience.
There are several points during the storywhere people are forced to choose wheretheir loyalties lie. Whether it's loyalty totheir personal tenets, as Mordechai'sdeciding NOT to bow to Haman; or loyaltyto communal tenets, as Esther's decision tostand up for her people, not to mention theJews of the city fasting for three days alongwith Esther once she decided to take on thechallenge.
It is clear by the conclusion of the storythat the process that these peopleunderwent is seen as a point ofreunification of the community.
Esther and Mordechai, at the end of theMegila, establish a holiday to rememberhow this day transformed from a day ofmourning to a day of celebration. Thecommunal pride was so great thatconversion to Judaism became a fad.
There are several things that we arecommanded to do in order to rememberthese events: Reading the story over,feasting, giving gifts to one another, andgiving to the poor. Each of these acts aredeclarations of being part of a community.
Retelling of the story is remembering thatwe were grouped together, and no amountof "trying to be more Persian" wouldseparate us out.
Feasting, by its very nature brings peopletogether.
Giving gifts also creates connections withone another.
Giving to the needy is a fundamentalelement of a community, ensuring thateveryone has the bare necessities.
These acts are clearly designed to bringpeople together, and some 2400 years laterpeople are still celebrating in the very sameway as Mordechai instructed. There isgood reason why people love Purim. It is acelebration of coming together duringdifficult times and being a community.There is a strong sense of power in thisfeeing.
Communities are very powerful entities.Through the support of the communityEsther was able to stand up to the king.And because the community beganrespecting themselves, and stood up forthemselves, their enemies did not wipethem out as the king had originally orderedthem to do.
It is when people stand together that real
h20h
change can happen.
Let us band together and work as acommunity to effect the changes we needto become sustainable. Celebrate thecommunity of people who care aboutwhere they live, care about their future andare dedicated to ensuring that their childrenand children's children will be able to live,grow and build. So in another twomillennia our progeny will be talking aboutthis great pivotal moment in which we arenow standing and how we overcame it.Let's hope they will be celebrating OURcommunal power.
[8] From Machon Puah
Purim for the Infertile CoupleFertility Treatments and the EconomicCrisis
Once, in an interview for a Californiannewspaper, I was asked whether, in light ofthe difficult security situation in Israel,people were undergoing less fertilitytreatments. I answered an unequivocal no,that maybe the opposite is the case, that aworthy answer to war and terror is to havemore children. In fact, sometimes we findcouples who lost a child who come to haveanother child feeling that this is their bestresponse to their loss.
However, the present economic crisis hasadded a dimension to fertility treatmentsaround the world and I would like todiscuss this over the next couple of weeks.
We will speak about the situation abroadnext week, but I would like to concentrateon Israel in this column.
The current law in Israel is that the KupatCholim (the Israeli equivalent of an HMO)
is required to pay for most fertilitytreatments until the couple have twochildren. While there are other countries inEurope that offer some insurance coveragefor fertility treatments, Israel's is still aunique situation. When we compare thiswith the US where couples can paythousands of dollars for treatments and canexpect to pay tens of thousands of dollarsin order to achieve a healthy child, it istruly remarkable.
In addition, this has catapulted Israel to theforefront of fertility treatments; doctorshave a tremendous amount of experiencewith difficult cases and unusualcircumstances not often seen in otherplaces around the world.
This law that offered fertility treatmentthrough the Kupat Cholim has been ineffect since there has been a HealthMinistry and was passed in 1995.
However, recently there was talk ofchanging this law and making fertilitytreatments available only through privateclinics, or at least severely limiting theaccessibility of treatments.
This would have changed the dynamic offertility treatments in Israel and would haveprevented thousands of couples from everholding their own children, ever dressingthem up for Purim, ever shepping nachas attheir Bar or Bat Mitzva.
Several secular fertility support groupsmobilized in order to explain to thepoliticians the importance of not changingthe law and of encouraging demographicgrowth. The Puah Institute joined withthem to form a strong alliance that cutacross party and religious lines and it mayhave been this incredible unity that wasable to keep the law as it remains to thisday.
h21h
The Puah Institute for Fertility andGynecology in Accordance with Halacha isbased in Jerusalem and helps couples from allover the world who are experiencing fertilityproblems. Puah offers free counseling in fivelanguages, halachic supervision, andeducational programs. Puah has offices inNew York, Los Angeles and Paris. To contactthe Puah Institute please call 1800071111 inIsrael or in the US 7183360603.
Visit our website: www.puahonline.org
[9] MicroUlpanAnyone for a game of CHESS?MISHEHU ROTZEH L'SACHEIKSHACHMAT?
Let's start with the obvious pieces, Kingand Queen. They are MELECH andMALKA. No surprise there.
Rook (some call it Castle, not really thecorrect term) is TZ'RI'ACH.
Knight (a.k.a. Horse) = PARASH.
Bishop = RATZ (lit. runner).
Pawn = RAGLI (infantryman)
[10] Birkat HaChamaGemara B'rachot 59b Our Rabbis taught:He who sees the Sun at its season (turningpoint)... says (the B'racha), BARUCH...OSEH MAASEI V'REISHIT. And when isthis? Abayei says every 28 years whenT'KUFAT NISAN (the vernal equinox*)falls on YOM R'VI'I (the eve ofWednesday, which we refer to as Tuesdayevening), at the beginning of the night (i.e.6:00pm).
Plain & Simple
There is a Great Cycle of the Sun, which is28 years long. On the Wednesday morningfollowing T'KUFAT NISAN (according to
the calculation of Shmuel), when the bodyof the Sun is completely above the horizon,one recites the bracha OSEH MAASEIV'REISHIT upon seeing the Sun. Thebracha can be said until the end of the thirdhour of the day (some say until noon), butit is preferable to say it as soon aftersunrise as is feasible.
Birkat HaChama takes place when the Sunis in the same relative position to Earth thatit was when Gd placed the Heavenlybodies into the heavens, on the fourth dayof Creation.*
* Remember that this is the Plain andSimple section; later on, we will see that"reality" differs from the Traditional timingfor Birkat HaChama and that the Sun onWednesday, April 8th, 2009 is not really inthe same position it was during the week ofCreation. And we will see that it does notmatter that it is "off" and we will hopefullyalso understand (a little) about why Chazalfixed Birkat HaChama the way they did.But that's for later.
Birkat HaChama will be said IY"H onWednesday, April 8th which is ErevPesach, the 14th of Nissan. It might seemstrange that it is the secular date that is theissue and the Jewish date is merelycoincidental. We'll have more on this as weproceed to explain Birkat HaChama.
Besides the bracha, there are many otherpassages to say as part of Birkat HaChama,but the essential requirement is the bracha.We will elaborate on this aspect of BirkatHaChama IY"H in a future issue of TT.
End of Plain & Simple; beginning ofcomplicated and headacheinducing readslowly and carefully.
This 28year cycle is based on theapproximate length of the Solar Year, i.e.365 days. This figure is actually longer
h22h
than a Solar Year, but it has been the basisof many solar calendars and is the basis ofthe T'KUFOT according to Sh'muel.
The term T'KUFA is used for a fullthreemonth season as well as the startingpoint of each season.
T'KUFAT NISSAN is the Spring season,consisting of the months of Nissan, Iyar,and Sivan.
T'KUFAT TAMMUZ is the Summerseason, consisting of Tammuz, Av, andElul.
T'KUFAT TISHREI is the Fall season,consisting of Tishrei, Cheshvan, andKislev.
T'KUFAT TEVET is the Winter season,consisting of Tevet, Sh'vat, and Adar.
The three months in each season are notexactly matched to their season, becausethe seasons are based on the Solar Year,i.e. the time it takes the Earth to completean orbit around the Sun, and our monthsare based on our LuniSolar calendar inwhich months are based on the orbit of theMoon around the Earth and an extra monthis intercalated (fancy word for inserted)every so often (7 times in 19 years) toarrange that Pesach will always be in theSpring (and Sukkot in the Fall).
Be that as it may, the above description ofthe T'KUFOT is the way we see themonths belonging to the seasons.
The other usage of the term T'KUFA, asmentioned above, if for the beginning ofeach of the seasons. This means that:
T'KUFAT NISSAN is the beginning ofSpring, corresponding to the astronomicalevent known as the Vernal Equinox, themoment that the Sun crosses the celestialequator, the moment that day and night areof the same length.
T'KUFAT TAMMUZ is the beginning ofSummer, corresponding to the SummerSolstice.
T'KUFAT TISHREI corresponds to theAutumnal Equinox.
T'KUFAT TEVET corresponds to theWinter Solstice.
The T'KUFOT according to Sh'muel,remember, are based on a neat, butinaccurate approximation of the length ofthe Solar Year. Furthermore, they arecalculated as if each season were of exactlythe same length of time which they arenot.
Inaccuracy notwithstanding, the T'KUFOTaccording to Shmuel are the basis of twohalachic items:
The beginning of saying TAL UMATARin Chutz LaAretz, which is 60 days afterT'KUFAT TISHREI.
And, Birkat HaChama, the once in 28 yearsbracha which we are discussing.
How long is a Solar Year?
The average person and it is specificallythe average person that is taken intoaccount when the decision was made to useShmuel's T'KUFOT for halachic matters will say 365 and a quarter days. He willsupport that statement by saying that aregular year has 365 days and a leap yearhas 366 days. And that February 29th isadded every four years.
And this average person will be almostcorrect. The fact is that the every four yearrule for leap year was used for a very longtime. That calendar was and is known asthe Julian Calendar. The discrepancybetween the 365.25 days per year based onaveraging regular and leap years on the onehand, and the actual, astronomical calculation of the year as slightly less (specifically
h23h
365.24219 days, which, BION, is also anapproximation based on averaging certainfactors) is small if we look at one year, butaccumulates to a significant number ofdays over many years.
The secular (also called Christian) calendarin use today is known as the Gregoriancalendar and has a modified leap year ruleto minimize the gap. to be continuedIY"H
[11] Leftover Mishlo'ach ManotNo, not the kind that you can eat, the kindyou have to finish up before the frenzy ofPesach cleaning sets in... it's aboutsomething we wrote last week.
...to send at least two different food items asMishlo'ach Manot (preferably, requiringdifferent brachot).
JA emailed (and his wife called?) about oneof his pet peeves, the "myth" in theparentheses above. He claims that hechecked thoroughly and found no source forany suggestion that the two food items needto be of different brachot.
So we began checking and it seems JA iscompletely right. According to RAZ, its anAmerican Jewish myth, practically unheardof elsewhere.
There is a discussion about what constitutesdifferent foods: two different portions ofmeat? Two different cookies. Two differentfruit? Some say yes, some say no. Perhapsthe notion of a preference for differentbrachot makes it clear that the MM hasdifferent foods.
And here's the clincher for JA's side: (thiswas not in the hard copy of TT)
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach was quotedin Halichot Shlomo as saying that a portionof white meat and a portion of dark meatFROM THE SAME CHICKEN! count as
two "manot" for Mishlo'ach Manot becausethey have different "flavors".
[12] Torah from NatureMilkIn honor of the second of three occurrencesin the Torah of the prohibition of cooking aG'DI in its mother's milk...Milk is defined as "a white or yellowishliquid consisting of small fat globulessuspended in a water solution, secreted bythe mammary glands for the nutrition of thenewborn."We are familiar with 3% regular (cow) milk,2% and 1% reduced fat milk, and skim milkwith 0% fat... but let's take a look at the milkof different mammals.Cow milk actually ranges from 31/2%5%fat, depending upon breed.Human milk, by the way, has 4 fat.Here are some mammals with lower fatcontent than humans or cows:Donkey (1.2%), antelope (1.3%), horse(1.6%), bison (1.7%), kangaroo (2.1%).Kangaroos, BTW, produce milks of differentcomponent proportions to match the needs ofits young at different stages of development.Furthermore, kangaroos can produce twodifferent milks simultaneously if it is nursingtwo offspring at different ages.Here are some of the highfat mammal'smilk:Dog (8.3%), cat (10.9%), rabbit (12.2%), rat(14.8%), elephant (15.1%), deer (19.7%).Think that's high? How about polar bear(31%), whales (34.8%), and seals (53.2%).As there are differences in fat content, so tooare there differences in percentages ofprotein, lactose, and many other componentsof milk.The quality of the fat differs too.
h24h
[13] Divrei MenachemParshat Ki Tisa is one of the most profoundparshiyot in all the Torah. After the Sin ofthe Golden Calf, Moshe, despite hisoverwhelming grief, tells the iniquitouspeople that, "I shall ascend to Hashem",hopefully to win atonement for their sin.
This "ascent" was a process of dialog thatwould take another forty days in whichMoshe would garner Gd's conciliation anddraw increasingly close to a perceptiveunderstanding of the Divine essence,illustrated by the progressively bold requeststhat Moshe made of Hashem (cf. Ramban).
Initially, Moshe implores Gd to forgive thepeople. Then, on hearing that He would sendan angel to accompany Bnei Yisrael representing the now diminished Presence Moshe left the tainted community for theisolation of the Tent of Meeting where hecould meet Hashem more intimately, as itwere.
Now Moshe needed to fathom how he foundfavor in Gd's eyes. In his everpenetratingsearch for the answer, he again ascends Mt.Sinai. And in as close an association withGd that man can endure, Moshe is rewardedwith an incredible formula. He is taught howeven the most sinful Jew can tap intoHashem's unending, benevolent mercy.Clearly, if we could but comprehend thatnotion, we too might rise to untold spiritualheights!
Shabbat Shalom, Menachem Persoff
Towards better Daveningand Torah Learning
SEE/FEAR
VAIYIRU means and they saw.This word occurs 39 times inTanach. Its 3 syllables are VAI,YIR, and U. (since the YUD has aDAGESH in it, we gave both thefirst and second syllables a"flavor" of the YUD. VAI, ratherthan VA)
9 times, the word occurs asVAIYIRU, its syllables beingVAI, YI, and R'U, and it meansAnd they feared. Another 14times, the word is spelledVAIYIRU and it too means Andthey feared, with the syllablesbeing VAI, YI, and R'U. MeaningFEAR, the SH'VA under theREISH is NA; meaning SEE, it isNACH.
The sedra begins with thecommand to count the people.The abacus is for keeping tally,halfshekel (?) coin representsthe silver halfshekel that wasused for the count. (At today'sprice of silver and the NIS value
u
h25h
relative to the dollar, the originalhalf silver shekel was worth a bitless than 18?.)
The faucet stands for thewashing basin and the kohein'srequirement to wash hands andfeet before doing service in theMikdash
Mortar & pestle, used to grindthe spices for the incense(K'TORET) and the specialanointing oil
Bottle of olive oil for that sameSHEMEN HAMISHCHA
The two fellows checking theblueprints represent Betzalel andAholiav, the two chief craftsmenin charge of the construction ofthe Mishkan
Finally completing the topics ofthe first Aliya of Ki Tisa, we haveShabbat candles, representingthe reminder of the command tokeep the Shabbat
An edited version of Davka'sGolden Calf graphic
Another Davka graphic of Mosheholding the Luchot high (perhapsjust before he smashed themand/or upon his return to thepeople with the second pair)
The hatchet can be that whichMoshe used to destroy the Eigel,or the tool used to fulfill thecommands at the end of thesedra to destroy the Avoda Zarain the Land of Israel upon ourentry and conquest
There is a slab of meat togetherwith an ice cream pop in a fryingpan over a camping stove. This,of course, stands for the
prohibition of MEATINMILK. InKi Tisa, it is eating cookedmixtures that is prohibited.
The welder's mask might be themost appropriate method ofshielding the people fromMoshe's radiance
The quill and feather remind usof the command of Gd to Mosheto write the Written Torah downfor the people
Matza is matza, as in areiteration of the command toeat matza on Pesach
The ear with the gold earringrefers to the stalling tactic ofAharon which resulted in theGolden Calf
The eraser stands for Moshe'spowerful statement to Gd: Ifyou don't forgive the people thenerase me from the Book whichYou wrote
The black goblet was used togive the people the Golden Calfpotion that Moshe prepared fromthe remains of the destroyedcalf.
But that isn't really it. Look againat the goblet. It is a famousoptical illusion. Focus on thewhite on either side of the stemof the goblet (rather than on theblack goblet itself) and you willsee two facetoface profiles, asin PANIM EL PANIM, thedescription of the directcommunication between Gd andMoshe Rabeinu.
At the bottom of the ParshaPix isa rare S'farditAshkenazis VisualTTriddle. The KEY is the KI, as in
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
h26h
KI SEESAW, if you follow the KEYwith the SEESAW below it or KITISA, if you follow the KEY withthe El Al flight number.
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 (T'TzavehPurim) TTriddles:
[1] cow 18 (French, Hebrew/Swahili)
Cow 18 without the parenthesized hints wouldprobably make this TTriddle too hard. Hence, thehints. Cow in French is VACHE, pronounced something like VASH. Monsieur Maurice Mashal (wholater became Marshal in a futile attempt toAmericanize himself he was just too French to pullthat off, and was born in Egypt, no less.) isresponsible for my knowing a little bit of French two years in HS, including the French expressionthat he used often on his students: You speakFrench like a Spanish cow Phil. Anyway, that's thecow part. 18 is CHAI. CHAI that spelling but notour pronunciation of the CH in Swahili (and abunch of other languages) is TEA, giving us VASHTIof Megila fame (or infamy).
Coincidentally, another meaning of Cow 18 is thiscoming Shabbat Parshat Para which will be on 18
Adar. Totally not intended in the formation of thisTTriddle, but if the shoe fits...
[2] a QUESTION TO THE WOMAN AND THEMAIDEN and THE DOCTORS about a SIEGE INR'FIDIM AND BULLS FROM THE GROUND
QUESTION in Hebrew is SH'EILA. Numeric value is300+1+30+5, which is 336. TO THE WOMAN isLAISHA, 30+1+300+5 (anagram of QUESTION) isalso 336. AND THE MAIDEN is V'HANA'ARA = 6+5+50+70+200+5 which is 336. See a pattern?THE DOCTORS, HA'ROFIM, 5+200+80+1+10+40, yes, 336 again (the CHOLOM of the REISH iswithout a VAV in the Torah). SIEGE is MATZOR, 40+90+6+200 = 336. IN R'FIDIM is BIRFIDIM, 2+200+80+10+4+40 (no YUD before the MEM),equals 336. AND BULLS, U'FARIM, 6+80+200+10+40 = 336 (and it is an anagram of our TTriddlesolution), FROM THE GROUND, MEIHAARETZ, 40+5+1+200+90 = 336. And that's the TTriddle. Thesolution? PURIM, 80+6+200+10+40 = 336.Hope you had a happy one (or will have or arehaving, depending upon when you read thesewords). Just for your information, this is being typedon Motza'ei Shabbat Zachor and will IYH be printedin the morning. Hopefully, the whole issue will beready on Tuesday morning, with some delivery onthat day, some on Wednesday, and most onThursday and Friday.
[3] What in the sedra measures the squareroot of 5 over 2 whats?
The CHOSHEN was a doublesquare rectangle thatwhen folded in half measured a ZERET square. AZERET is half an AMA. By the way, ZERET is thename of the pinkie, but it is also the Hebrew for aSPAN, the distance from the tip of the thumb to thetip of the pinkie when the hand and fingers are heldopen as wide as possible. The AMA is the distancefrom the elbow to the tip of the middle finger which is called the AMA with the hand held straightand continuous with the forearm. 1 AMA = 2ZERETS. 1 ZERET = AMA. The unfolded CHOSHENmeasured 1 AMA by and AMA. The diagonal of the
h27h
unfolded CHOSHEN calculated courtesy ofPythagorus, is the squareroot of 5 divided by 2amot (that is approx. 1.118 amot).
[4] Mentioned in both the Amalek episode inthe Torah and in Megilat Esther
A little bit of a trick question, but not excessively so.Certainly not too much for a TTriddle. The answer isCHUR, son of Miriam and Kalev. One of Moshe's"supporters" in Parshat Amalek and not a person inthe Megila which is what made the question a bittricky. CHUR, KARPAS, UTCHEILET refer to some ofthe decorations of Achashveirosh's party. CHUR is awhite fabric of some sort.
[5] The most powerful tastegiver it's acinch
Tastegiver in halachic parlance is NOTEIN TAAM,also known by its RASHEI TEIVOT, NUNTET. "Themost powerful..." in today's slang can be renderedas "The father of..." The father of is AV, giving usAVNEIT, as in the sash/belt of the Kohein. Cinch, inaddition to meaning "easy" is also a beltlike widesash (sort of).
[6] Front page pictogram
The one to the right of the Hamantash bowtie of thePurim Samei'ach clown. It consists of Raggedy Annand a telephone receiver. Raggedy Ann is a doll,giving us DOLLPHONE as in DALFON, one ofHaman's ten sons. Not the kind of guy you'd like tohang around with.
This week's TTriddles:[1] Look back: parts of 2 and 6, all of 5,
instead of part of 1
[2] Different, but both purifications
[3] Common to Taanit Esther and Purim,Common to Taanit Esther and Purim
[4] The the wise men and Bil'am: In the end,arrows will flower in his eyes.
[5] Prebovine readings: Once they listened;once they didn't
[6] Between water & see but usuallybetween...
[7] No hafsaka; reverse order
[8] Double meaning of PP bullet this week(old one)
h28h