Post on 27-May-2018
Ki Tavo • Rabbeinu Tam (J'm) 8:22pm6:32 (5:47) Yerushalayim 7:44pm6:49 (5:50) S'derot 7:46pm6:48 (5:48) Gush Etzion 7:45pm6:49 (5:49) Raanana 7:46pm6:48 (5:48) Beit Shemesh 7:45pm6:49 (5:49) Rehovot 7:46pm6:49 (5:49) Netanya 7:47pm6:47 (5:49) Be'er Sheva 7:45pm6:48 (5:48) Modi'in 7:45pm6:32 (5:49) Petach Tikva 7:46pm6:32 (5:47) Maale Adumim 7:44pm6:48 (5:48) Ginot Shomron 7:46pm6:47 (5:47) Gush Shiloh 7:44pm6:48 (5:48) K4 & Hevron 7:45pm6:48 (5:48) Giv'at Ze'ev 7:45pm6:49 (5:49) Yad Binyamin 7:46pm6:50 (5:50) Ashkelon 7:47pm6:37 (5:47) Tzfat 7:45pm
This Shabbat is the 341st day (of 354), 49th Shabbat (of 50) of 5769
:W«a §cE alg z¬©af u ¤x ²¤ z ½G©d u ¤x ´ dÎz ¤ ÆEp ¸lÎo¤Y¦I©e...h:ek mixacPIRKEI AVOT: Finally, this Shabbat and next, we are on the same page
`eaz ik zyxt
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ld"e
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"And we lived happily ever after"AMEIN, KEIN Y'HI RATZON. So may it be Gd's Will.
Any collection of Divrei Torah on Parshat HaShavua needs to crossindex itsentries in order to put things in proper perspective, in order to fill out anidea, in order to have another opportunity to "hear", understand, and reflect.Take Parshat Ki Tavo, for example. (Good choice for this week's TT, no?)
Specifically, to the Bikurim Recitationwe find at the beginning of the story.Read those p'sukim to anyone and youcan safely bet that if you ask themwhere the words are from, they'llanswer from the Pesach Hagada,rather than giving the primary source,namely, Parshat Ki Tavo.
These p'sukim are in the Hagadabecause the Mishna in P'sachim tells usthat we are to tell the story of theenslavement in Egypt and the Exodustherefrom by reading and analyzingthese p'sukim, from ARAMI OVEID AVI.The "editors" of the Hagada chose a4pasuk summary of the story, ratherthan the
Word of the MonthLast opportunity for KiddushL'vana this month (and thisyear) is all night Thursday,Sept. 3rd until dawn of Fridaythe 4th. The last night of KLcorresponds pretty
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Ranges are 10 days, WEDFRI1322 Elul (September 211)
Earliest Talit & T'filin 5:195:25amSunrise 6:126:17amSof Z'man K' Sh'ma 9:259:27am(Magen Avraham: 8:388:41am)
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WORD of the MONTH cont. from p.2A weekly TT feature to help clarify practical and conceptualaspects of the Jewish Calendar, thereby enhancing ourappreciation of Gd's gift to us of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem...
much to full moon. To be more specific the last opportunity for KL is themoment of the NIGUD, opposition, i.e.when the Sun and Moon are oppositeeach other from our perspective onEarth. The side of the Moon facing us isfully lit at opposition hence, full Moon.After that instant, the Moon begins towane and it is no longer appropriate tosay KL. However, the times we use forthe halachic zmanim of KL are based onaverage duration of a lunation (thetime it takes the Moon to go through itscycle of phases) and the actual fullMoon can occur several hours earlier orlater than the time of NIGUD. On theother hand (the first hand, that is), theMoon appears to us as full for a coupleof nights. At this time of the month, theMoon is "out" just about all night long.
Ki Tavo STATS50th of the 54 sedras; 7th of 11 in D'varim
Written on 233 lines in a Sefer Torah (rank: 13)
21 Parshiyot; 5 open, 16 closed(ranks 7th, tied with Vayikra and Va'etchanan)
122 p'sukim ranks 17th (2nd in D'varim)Same number as Vayakhel & Va'etchanan; Ki Tavo islarger than Vayakhel, smaller than Va'etchanan
1747 words ranks 16th (2nd in D'varim)Same as Ekev. Ekev is a bit larger than Ki Tavo
6811 letters ranks 15th (4th in D'varim)
P'sukim are longer than average for the Torah, butshort for D'varim
MMMMMMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTZZZZZZZZZZZZZVVVVVVVVVVVVVOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTT6 of the 613; 3 positives and 3 prohibitions
AliyabyAliyaSedra SummaryNumbers in [square brackets] are theMitzvacount of Sefer HaChinuch ANDRambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot. A=ASEI(positive mitzva); L=LAV (prohibition).X:Y is the perek and pasuk from whichthe mitzva comes.
[P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicatestart of a parsha p’tucha or s’tumarespectively. X:Y is Perek:Pasuk of thebeginning of the parsha; (Z) is thenumber of p'sukim in the parsha.
Kohen First Aliya11 p'sukim 26:111[P>26:1] When we come to theLand and settle it, we are commanded to take of the First Fruits[the mitzva of Bikurim has alreadybeen counted back in ParshatMishpatim] of the "Seven Species",put them in a basket and go toTHE Place (i.e. the Beit HaMikdash). We are to go to the kohenon duty, announce our presenceand present him with the basket.He shall take it and place it beforethe Altar. We are then to recite theBikurim passage [606,A132 26:5].
MitzvaWWWWWWWWWWWWWaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttccccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhIt is said of Bikurim: "Do this mitzva,for in its merit you will enter theLand". The ARI HaKadosh singles outBikurim as the mitzva which is the"tikun" (repair) for the Sin of theSpies. Bikurim has a Torahordained,builtin recitation that helps us tofocus our thoughts in a particulardirection. With this recitation, the
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Jew identifies himself with his JewishHeritage and announces to one andall the centrality of Eretz Yisrael inGd's plans for the People of Israel.Bikurim makes the statement thatwe are glad to be here. Being happyabout being in Eretz Yisrael grantsus the "z'chut" to be here. Joyfullythanking Gd for our being herehelps "repair" the opposite attitudeas expressed by the 10 spies andechoed by the multitude. The Sin ofthe Spies was committed by whatthe Meraglim SAID, and it was whilethey were displaying fruits that theybrought from the Land, no less.Bikurim is the mitzva that isperformed by what the Bikurimbringer SAYS (in addition to bringingthe fruits), and while he displaysfruits that he brought from the Land."A perfect match!" (in opposites).
Bikurim is a prime example of"Hakarat HaTov", recognition andacknowledgement of the good thatwas done for us by Gd. This lessontoo must be applied to other areas ofmitzvot and life in general.May we soon be privileged to bringBikurim with all the joy and Jewishpride that says that we are trulypleased to be chosen by Gd as HisPeople and that we are genuinelythankful for this wonderful Land.
The first four p'sukim of theBikurim recitation form the maintext for the Pesach Seder; theysummarize the Egyptian enslavement and subsequent Exodus. Thefifth pasuk speaks of coming toEretz Yisrael. This corresponds tothe fifth term of redemption and isrepresented by Eliyahu's cup.
We all bring Bikurim (including the
Levi and the convert) with feelingsof joy and thanks to Gd for all wehave.
SDT: If Lavan is the Arami referred to inthe pasuk (as many commentaries hold),then the pasuk implies that Lavan wasresponsible for our going down into Egypt.Yet Yaakov returned to his father's houseafter the time spent with Lavan, and onlymany years later ended up in Mitzrayim.Commentators point out the followingsequence: Lavan deceived Yaakov andgave him Leah as a wife instead of hisbeloved Rachel. When Yaakov subsequently married Rachel too, theredeveloped a rivalry between the twosisters. This rivalry transferred to the nextgeneration in the form of the "problems"between Yosef and his brothers. Yaakov'sgiving the Striped Coat led to Yosef beingsold into slavery. His descent into Egyptlater brought the whole family down there.Therefore, Lavan IS the appropriatebeginning of that process that found us inEgypt, hence the pasuk: ARAMI OVEDAVI, VAYERED MITZRAIMA.
The Bikurim recitation is perfectlysuited to form the heart of the storyof the Exodus, more so than any ofthe original passages from Sh’mot.The editors of the Hagada found inARAMI OVEID AVI the “whole” storyin only four p’sukim something weare all capable of handling at theSeder table. The original material istoo copious. Furthermore, theBikurim recitation is in first personsingular, rather than narrative formof the original account of theEgyptian experience in the Book ofSh'mot. This fits very well with themaxim: In every generation aperson shall portray himself as if hehimself came out of Egypt. There areother factors that also favor the
canary's rife
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Bikurim parsha for Seder purposes.
Levi Second Aliya4 p'sukim 26:1215[S>26:12 (4)] After one has completed proper separation and distribution of T'ruma, Ma'aser, andMa'aser Ani (during the third andsixth year of a Shmita cycle), one isrequired to formally declare thatnone of the "holy produce" remainsin his possession and that it wasactually given to its intendedrecipients [607,A131 26:13]. Thisdeclaration is made on the last dayof Pesach in the 4th and 7th year ofa Shmita cycle.Vidui Maaser implies that there issomething wrong in our performanceof the mitzvot mentioned. Yet thestatement specifically says that wedid everything that we were supposed to do. In fact, a person whomight have transgressed does notmake the statement. Only someonewho did not sin at all can make thedeclaration. Why then, do we get theimpression that something was not100%? Rav Soloveichik zt"l pointedto the word K'CHOL (like all), whichis mentioned twice. The implicationis that our performance was almostperfect, but not quite. Also, thestatement implies that the individualdid only that which he was requiredto do, and did not (often) go beyondthe call of duty. Or perhaps we did amitzva sort of like it is supposed tobe done, but maybe without fullKAVANA. These implications mightbe responsible for the title VIDUI.
What an important message this isas we approach Rosh HaShana,when we have to answer for what AND HOW we do mitzvot.
It is forbidden to eat Maaser Sheni(the second tithes of years 1, 2, 4, 5of a Shmita cycle, which remainthe owner's property but whichmust be eaten "with sanctity andritual purity" in Jerusalem or beredeemed) while one is a mourner(here it refers to the status of themourner before burial of the dead ANINUT) [608,L151 26:14] or in astate of ritual impurity [609,L15026:14] (the person and/or the food).It is also forbidden to use theredemption money of Ma'aserSheni for purposes other than foodand drink in Jerusalem [610,L15226:14].
The literal meaning of thisprohibition is not to use the moneyfor "the dead". This can narrowlyapply to shrouds, casket, etc., but isalso generalized to include all nonfood uses.
We next call upon HaShem to"look down" upon His People fromon high and bless us and the Landof Israel. [We have kept ourpromise, we say to Gd (so tospeak), now You keep Yours. Rashi]
Many a Baal Korei (a.k.a. Baal K'ri'a)raises his voice and emphasizes theword HASHKIFA. This is based onthe Talmud Yerushalmi.
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Is that anything like the YVAN?
Shlishi Third Aliya4 p'sukim 26:1619[S>26:16 (4)] This short portion isa summary of our relationship withGd. We are to keep, preserve,observe, practice all the mitzvot,statutes, laws which Moshe hasreiterated for us, with all our heartsand souls. We have pledgedallegiance to Gd, promised tofollow His ways [611,A8 26:17]and to listen to Him. He pledges totake us as His "Chosen Nation" andto elevate us above the nations ofthe world IF we keep His mitzvot.
MitzvaWWWWWWWWWWWWWaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttccccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhTo follow in Gd's footsteps means todevelop and practice various traitsthat are attributed to Gd. As He ismerciful, so too shall we BE merciful.As He is holy, so too must webehave in ways that lead to ourbecoming holy. From general traits,we can also use specific examples as Gd clothed the naked, visited thesick, buried the dead, comforted thegrieving... so too must we. There aremitzvacounters who define thismitzva as Bikur Cholim, visiting thesick, in addition to generalizing toinclude all types of acts of kindness.
R'VI'I Fourth Aliya10 p'sukim 27:110[P>27:1 (8)] Moshe Rabeinu andthe Elders command the Peopleconcerning the inscribing on 12
pillars of stone the words of theTorah (parts thereof; the Book ofD'varim or parts of it); this to bedone upon crossing the Jordan.
Subsequently, another set of pillarsis to be erected and inscribed onHar Eval where a Mizbei'ach is tobe built (of whole, uncut stones)and sacrifices are to be offered.
[S>27:910 (2)] Moshe and theKohanim next declare to thePeople that they have grown intocomplete nationhood at this point,with all the mitzvot of the Torahhaving been reviewed. Privilege ofnationhood goes handinhand withthe responsibilities of keeping themitzvot.
SDT: Moshe, the Kohanim and Leviyim,say to all the people, "on this very day youhave become Gd's nation". Rashi says thatthe Torah emphasized THIS VERY DAY, toteach us that our commitment to Torah andmitzvot should be as if we have enteredinto a covenant with HaShem on this veryday i.e. everyday. We are challenged torefesh our Judaism continually. This, ofcourse, is not the only place this lesson islearned. But that fact just reinforces thesignificance of the idea.
Chamishi 5th Aliya22 p'sukim 27:1128:6[S>27:11 (4)] Moshe describeswhat will happen after the Peopleenter the Land. Six tribes will standon Mt. Grizim and six on Mt. Eval.There they will hear the blessingsand curses that will be the fate ofthose who keep or don't keepTorah and mitzvot.
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Twelve curses are enumerated inthis portion touching upon manydiverse areas of Jewish lifeincluding "between Jew and Gd"as well as interpersonal mitzvot.Each K’LALA is a pasuk long andits own parsha stuma (almost). Toeach curse, the people are torespond AMEN...
[S>27:15 (1)] he who makesidols...[S>27:16 (1)] he who degrades hisfather or mother...
[S>27:17 (1)] he who encroacheson his neighbor’s boundary...
[S>27:18 (1)] he who misleads a“blind” (figuratively) person...
[S>27:19 (2)] he who perverts thejudgment of orphan or widow... hewho sleeps with his father’s wife...(Note that these two curses share aparsha.)
[S>27:21 (1)] he who engages insexual behavior with animals...
[S>27:22 (1)] he who sleeps withhis sister (or halfsister)...
[S>27:23 (1)] he who sleeps withhis motherinlaw...
[S>27:24 (1)] he who secretlystrikes his fellow...
[S>27:25 (1)] he who takes a bribeand an innocent person is killed...
[S>27:26 (1)] he who does notuphold the words of the Torah todo them...
[P>28:1 (14)] Once again, MosheRabeinu tells us that following
Gd's commandments will earn ussuperior status among the nationsof the world. We will also beshowered with blessings for hearkening to Gd's voice. We willflourish economically and agriculturally, and be blessed with ahealthy increase in population. Ourevery coming and going will beblessed.SDT: The blessings begin with the letterBET BARUCH. The curse begin with theletter ALEF ARUR. This is how somecommentators explain the large BET of theopening word of the Torah B'reishit. Gdwanted to start the Torah on a note ofblessing, not the opposite.
Shishi Sixth Aliya63 p'sukim 28:769Longest of the 378 Aliyot in the wholeTorah (not counting combined Aliyotwhen a doublesedra is read)
The blessings continue with thepromise of victory over ourenemies. Gd will "command" Hisblessings upon us and the Land,and will establish us as a holynation... on condition that we keepthe mitzvot and follow His ways.
[The Torah's expression V'HALACHTA BIDRACHAV is repeatedhere emulating Gd is defined asbeing kind, merciful, charitable, etc.]
The nations of the world will seethe special relationship we havewith Gd, and be appropriatelyreverent towards us and fearful ofus. Gd's heavenly treasurehousewill open for us and we will
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epidl|` dzrePrayer is an essential element of Elul micenmyl milldne jl epgp`jzx`tz
flourish. Gd's blessings are conditional upon keeping the mitzvot.
[P>28:15 (54)] "But, if we don'tlisten to Gd..." Thus begins the"Tochacha". The admonitionagainst disobedience of Torah.
There is a custom to read this part ina low voice because of how devastating it is to realize that Gd needsto warn us in such graphic terms,what will happen if the Jewish Peopledo not remain faithful to Him.Unfortunately, we need these harshwords of reproach. Unfortunately,they have turned out to be propheticmore than once. The Tochacha iscontained within one Aliya (resultingin the longest Aliya in the Torah) soas not to prolong the discomfort inhearing it. And it is sandwiched (soto speak) between "good" p'sukim,so the Aliya begins and ends on agood note.
The first portion of the Tochacha isthe negative mirror image of theblessings previously pronounced inthe Torah. The p'sukim thenproliferate and describe in shockingand grisly detail that which willoccur if we do not remain faithfulto Gd. The final pasuk of the Aliyareiterates the "simple" but eloquentcovenant with Gd: Keep the Torahand all will be good, if not...
The contrast between the "goodtimes" that Bikurim brings to mindand the terrible times as describedin the Tochacha is overpoweringand frightening. It is the differencebetween contentment and respect
on the one hand, and devastation,despair and degradation, on theother. Prosperity in our own Landvs. poverty and exile. The key tothe difference is Torah & Mitzvot.
SDT: One of the famous “sum it all up”p’sukim in the Tochacha is 28:47, whichsays that many of the terrible things willhappen to us because we did not serve Gdwith joy and a good heart (even while westill had all good things). The KotzkerRebbe gives this pasuk an interesting spin.Because, not only did you not serve Gd,but the not serving Him was with simcha toyou. When a Jew does mitzvot, there is theextra aspect of doing them “with a smile”.And, conversely, when a Jew sins, there isthe extra aspect of sinning with a smile.Does one who eats nonkosher cry abouthis betrayal of Gd (probably not), or doeshe lick his fingers with relish and joy(sadly, probably yes). And if and when thejoy of sinning leaves a person, or is drivenout by him, then and only then will theperson be on the path to T’shuva.
In more general terms, this pasuk speaks toJews who just "go through the motions" ofreligious observance. They were broughtup that way, perhaps, but there is little joyin their religious behavior. How sad! TheBaal Shem Tov would say: S'CHARMITZVA, SIMCHAT MITZVA the rewardfor a mitzva is the joy one derives fromdoing a mitzva.
[S>28:69 (1)] After all thosedreadful p’sukim of the Tocheicha,this long aliya is concluded withthe statement: These are the wordsof the covenant that Gd commanded Moshe to make with thepeople of Israel in the territory ofMoav besides the covenant ofSinai (Chorev).
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Sh'VII Seventh Aliya8 p'sukim 29:18[P>29:1 (8)] Moshe Rabeinu callsto the People, and tells them thatthey now have seen (and know) allthat has happened from the Exodusthrough the 40 years of wanderinguntil this very moment. It is incumbent upon us to keep our "deal"with Gd. "And Gd did not giveyou a heart to know, nor eyes tosee, nor ears to hear, until this veryday." This realization comes afterliving all the experiences andmiracles of 40 years of wandering.The last 3 p'sukim are Maftir.
Haftara 22 p'sukimYeshayahu 60:122This is the 6th of the Seven Haftarot ofConsolation, all coming from the book ofYeshayahu, from chapter 40 on, where hechanges mood from a prophet of tragediesto a prophet of consolation and redemption.
The uplifting message of the haftarais the coming of the Geula, whenGd will restore His People to theLand and the nations and peoplesof the world will flock to Jerusalemto pay homage to Gd and HisPeople.
The concluding words of thehaftara are enigmatic: "...I Am Gd,in its (the redemption's) time, I willhasten it." Will the Mashiach comein his appointed time, or sooner?That depends upon us. If weenhance the overall conditions ofJewish Life, increase Torah observ
ance, improve relations betweenJew and his fellow then we mightbe privileged to an "early" arrival ofthe Mashiach and the Geula. If wedo not lay the proper groundworkfor his coming, then he will comein his (pre ordained) time.
This is a major part of our Elulchallenge. Let's put it this way thefirst level of our Elultime task ispersonal, individual. This addsanother level, that of the community, of Klal Yisrael. Rambam inHilchot T'shuva "suggests" that weeach consider ourselves, and ourcommunity, and the entire world tobe precariously balanced betweenmerits and demerits. One tinymitzva on our part cannot only tipour personal scale to the good sidefor us, but that of our communityand that of the whole world aswell. One person can make adifference. Each of us has thepower to hasten the Mashiach. So,let's do it.
Here's the gloomy side of thisissue, (as pointed out by YL in anemail, a while back). There is alsothe possibility that Mashiach'sdeadline will come and we won'tbe ready we will not haveprepared properly for it, personallyor communally. Let alone that wedidn't hasten its coming, but weweren't near ready for its arrival.Then, bad things will happen... let'sleave it at that and just say that it isreally important to Klal Yisrael thatwe lay the groundwork for thesmooth arrival of the Geula. Thegood news is we don't have to
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Lead Tidbit cont. from front page
half of Sh'mot which has the originalaccount of slavery and freedom.
This is what we mean by crossindexing. This will make a nice DT atthe Seder table, but it is also appropriate for this week, with the additional benefit that we are not tiredout from Pesach preparation.
The Mishna mentioned earlier tellsus to start with the Lavan story andproceed through the p'sukim withthe summary of our descent intoEgypt, oppression and slavery, ourcrying out for help, Gd's hearingour cries and taking us out of Egypt.Then the Mishna instructs us tofinish the whole parsha. Which wedo not do at the Seder table.
But the Bikurimbringer says thewhole thing. After You took us out ofEgypt, You brought us to EretzYisrael, and You gave us the Land.
The Bikurimbringer is the Jew whocame out of Egypt AND went intoEretz Yisrael. He lives (t)here (fortunate are those who don't need thet to prefix the word here) with theBeit HaMikdash and everything thatcomes with it. Which basicallymeans the complete infrastructurefor a full Jewish life living by theTorah in the place where Gd wantsHis people to live that life.
In other words, completing thewhole parsha means finally reaching, "and we lived happily everafter". At Pesach, we are not readyto do that. Today living in ChutzLaAretz or even in Eretz Yisrael weare still not ready for the wholeBikurim scenario, including "and youshall rejoice in all the good". May wesoon be so.
PPPPPaaaaarrrrrssssshhhhhaaaaa PPPPPoooooiiiiinnnnntttttsssss tttttooooo PPPPPooooonnnnndddddeeeeerrrrrKI TAVO
1) Why does the Torah begin its command regarding the bringing of firstfruits with the passive term AND YOUWILL TAKE (V'LAKACHTA) instead ofthe command AND YOU SHOULDTAKE (TIKACH) which is normally usedto begin a new mitzva (26:2)?
2) Why does the Torah use the doublelanguage of V'ANITA V'AMARTA tointroduce the statement made uponbringing the first fruit (26:5) but justV'AMARTA for the statement madeupon completing the maaser process(26:13)?
3) Why does the Torah use the doublelanguage of OBSERVE THE WORDS OFTHIS COVENANT AND DO THEM(29:8)? Aren't these the same thing?
Parsha Points to Ponderis prepared by
Rabbi Dov Lipman, who teaches atReishit Yerushalayim and Machon Maayan in BeitShemesh and is the author of "DISCOVER: Answersfor Teenagers (and adults) to Questions about the
Jewish Faith" (Feldheim) and"TIMEOUT: Sports Stories as
a Game Plan for Spiritual Success"a recent release by Devora Publishing
ppp@ouisrael.orgAnswers are somewhere else in this issue
Look for them, but only after a good pondering
obsess and focus on the coming ofthe Geula; we have to become thepeople and Jews we are supposedto be NOW. In other words, "all"we have to do is live a Torah wayof life, infuence in a pleasant wayour fellow Jews to do the same,and the Geula takes care of itself(as mentioned above).
Shmuel Himelstein has written a wonderful series forArtScroll: Words of Wisdom, Words of Wit; A Touch of
Wisdom, A Touch of Wit; and "Wisdom and Wit" available at your local Jewish bookstore (or should be).
Excerpted with permission
The Taz would always make Kiddushfrom a siddur rather than by heart. Hisreason, as he explained it, was thatsometimes he might have a guest whodid not know the Kiddush by heart, andhe did not want that guest to feelembarrassed to have to recite it from asiddur.
R’ Eliyahu Dushnitzer was invited tosomeone's home for kiddush. Whenthe Kiddush was over, as he was readyto leave, he asked to see the lady ofthe house. After thanking her for herhospitality, he told her: ‘When I madekiddush, I am afraid that I inadvertentlymight have spilled some wine on yourtablecloth. It is possible that otherswho were present might have done thesame. I would like to beg you to forgiveme and anyone else that might havespilled anything.”
The housewife reassured him that itwas all right. Only then was he able tosmile and he left the house cheerfully.
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ArtScroll Series • Mesorah Publications Ltd.
WISDOM & WITby Shmuel Himelstein
Divrei MenachemMenachem Persoffmenp@ouisrael.orgParshat Ki Tavo, as its name suggests,brings the people as close as could beimagined to that momentous day whenthey would finally leave the barrenwilderness with all its incumbentmiracles and cross the River Jordan toset foot in Eretz Yisrael. What could bea more profound way of expressing themeaning of that occasion than Moshe'ssuccinct exclamation that, "This dayyou have become a people to Hashem,your Gd" (D'varim 27:9).What does it mean to become a peopleof Hashem? Earlier in the parsha weare given some clues: By walking inHis ways we, "distinguish Hashem tobe our Gd" (v.17); and then, in thenext verse: "Hashem has distinguishedyou today to be for Him a treasuredpeople." Clearly, described here is astrong mutual bond that is contingenton our following in the footsteps of ourCreator.How different is this concept of nationality from current, popular definitionsof nationalism! How much richer is thisnotion of peoplehood than the puregeographical ties that link nations totheir Land and the selfrighteousrelative moralities propounded bynation states according to personalwhims and geopolitical exigencies.Surely, if our leaders and communitieswould internalize this message, wewould be but a stone's throw awayfrom achieving our national purpose asdefined in the consequent narrative,namely, "to make you supreme over allthe nations… so that you will be a holypeople to Hashem, your Gd, as Hespoke."
from the virtual desk of theOU VEBBE REBBEThe Orthodox Union – via its website – fields questions of all types in areas of kashrut, Jewish law andvalues. Some of them are answered by Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies,Jerusalem, headed by Rav Yosef Carmel and Rav Moshe Ehrenreich, founded by HaRav Shaul Yisraelizt"l, to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in Israel and abroad.Ask the Rabbi is a joint venture of the OU, Yerushalayim Network, Eretz Hemdah... and the Israel Center.
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QQQQQQQQQQQQQ I saw a situation on Shabbat inwhich, unexpectedly, a digital camera
fell out of the carriage my friend waspushing, onto the sidewalk. The questionarose whether she was allowed to move it orwhether she had to leave it, with thelikelihood it would being taken. If it ismuktzeh machamat chisaron kis (MMCh"K)an object that is so precious that its ownerwill use it only for its main purpose, onewhich is forbidden on Shabbat, then Iassume there is no way to move it. However,if it is cheap enough that the owner woulduse it for other things, then as a klishemelachto l’issur (KS"L a utensil whosemain use is for forbidden activity), would itbe permitted to make up a use for the cameraat home (e.g. as a paperweight) that wouldenable it to be moved?
AAAAAAAAAAAAA The categorization of an object asMMCh"K depends on the specific
owner, object, and circumstances. Allwe can say is that usually digitalcameras fall under that strict category.Yet, according to most poskim, it is stillpossible to protect the object.The gemara (Shabbat 43b) discusseswhether TILTUL MIN HATZAD (moving something muktzeh by pushing itwith a nonmuktzeh item he is holding)is forbidden. We rule that it is permitted
when one does the moving for thepurpose of using an adjacentnonmuktzeh object or to make theplace of the muktzeh item available; it isforbidden when the muktzeh object isindirectly moved for its protection(Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 311:8).Rishonim are bothered by the Mishna(Shabbat 141a) that says that if onewants to sleep on a bed where pieces ofstraw are laid out uncomfortably, hemay not straighten them out with hishands but may do so with his body.Why isn’t the latter TILTUL MINHATZAD, which should be forbiddenin order to use the rearranged straw?The Rosh (Shabbat 3:19), as understoodby most poskim (see Shulchan Aruchibid.; Mishna Berura 308:13), says thatmoving something with a part of thebody one does not usually use formoving things is not forbidden TILTULand is permitted even to use or protectthe muktzeh object. Ostensibly, then,one can kick the camera to a placewhere it will not be as vulnerable.Two minority opinions will reject thisleniency. The Pri Megadim (introduction to Mishbetzot Zahav 308) says thatthe leniencies regarding indirect TILTUL do not apply to MMCh"K. Thisopinion is not widely followed by theposkim (see Sh'mirat Shabbat K’hil
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Ask the Rabbi Q&A is part of Hemdat Yamim, the weeklyparsha sheet by Eretz Hemdah. You can read the entireHemdat Yamim at www.ou.org or www.eretzhemdah.org and/or you can receive Hemdat Yamim by sending anemail to info@eretzhemdah.org with the message:Subscribe/English or Subscribe/Hebrew leave subjectblank. Ask the Vebbe Rebbe is partially funded by the
Jewish Agency for Israel.
This or ThisThis title doesn't really work in English,but in Hebrew "this" is both ZEH andZOT.The following phrase is from Ki Tavo:
z`®G©d d ´xFY©d x¤t ¥q§AAnd these are from Nitzavim & Vayeilech
:d«¤G©d dxFY©d x¤t¬¥q§Ad®¤G©d dxFY©d x¤t¬¥q§A
Which is correct? ZEH or ZOT. Theanswer is both or it depends. Look at theTaamei HaMikra (TROP). In the Ki Tavocase, there is a TIPCHA under B'SEFER,indicating a pause and that it is HATORAthat is being modified hence, HAZOT,the feminine form, matching TORA. In theother two cases, the TROP is a MERCHAwhich links the words B'SEFER and HATORA, so that SEFER TORA is beingmodified with HAZEH, masculine, like theword SEFER.Sometimes, pausing in the wrong place ornot pausing when there should be a pause,doesn't change anything. Here it does.And in many other cases, as well. Weneed to pay better attention, read morecarefully and daven more carefully.
You can't have everything; Where would you put it?
chata 20:(80)). A second problem is thatthe Chazon Ish (OC, 47:12) says thatthe Rosh is too widely applied, as heonly explains why the Mishna allowsone to inadvertently move the strawwhile lying down on it but did notpermit using unusual parts of the bodyto purposely move muktzeh for itsprotection. While some poskim adoptthis opinion (Igrot Moshe, OC V, 22.6),most permit this type of moving(Mishna B'rura 308:13, Sh'mirat Shabbat K’hilchata 22:34). One maycertainly be lenient in a case of possible
significant loss (Igrot Moshe, ibid.) likethat of the camera.Regarding your idea of employing theleniency of moving a KS"L for apermissible function (Shulchan Aruch,Orach Chayim 308:3), this can beentertained if you can determine that thecamera is not MMCh"K. Even when themain purpose is to protect the KS"L, theMagen Avraham (308:8) allows movingit when it will be used for a permitteduse. The Mishna B'rura (308:16) acceptsthe premise of a secondary intention,but perhaps only for an existing need.The Machatzit HaShekel (to MagenAvraham ibid.) and Yalkut Yosef(Orach Chayim 308:3.7), though, allowcontriving a need. However, your friendwould have had to have a real plan touse the camera on Shabbat afterbringing it home. Realize also that someposkim require that the situation iswhere there is no nonmuktzeh objectreadily available for that use (MishnaBerura 308:12; Sh'mirat Shabbat K’hilchata 20:8 is equivocal on the matter).In any case, if you can be creativeenough, your idea could also solve theproblem.
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The Puah Institute for Fertility and Gynecology in Accordance with Halacha is based in Jerusalem and helps couplesfrom all over the world who are experiencing fertility problems. Puah offers free counseling in five languages, halachicsupervision, and educational programs. Puah has offices in Jerusalem, New York, Los Angeles and Paris. To contact the
Puah Institute please call (02) 6515050 in Israel or in the US 7183360603. website: www.puahonline.org
Motherhood and Ovarian TransplantsIn our review of treating ovarianfailure, we most recently reviewedovarian transplantation. In this form oftransplant, a section of ovary isgrafted onto the failing ovary of therecipient. The transplant continues toproduce eggs and the recipient canbecome pregnant and have childrennaturally.The invention of this procedure raisesa serious halachic question. Who isconsidered the mother of a childconceived and borne by the transplant recipient? The donor, fromwhom the eggs originated, or therecipient, who conceived and bore thechild?This case differs from egg donation(which is a matter of significantdebate among Rabbinic authorities).Egg donation entails the extraction ofa viable, mature egg (or eggs) from adonor. These eggs are fertilized in alaboratory and implanted in therecipient's womb for pregnancy andeventual childbirth. In this case theegg matures in one woman, it isfertilized outside the body and theprocess of pregnancy and birthoccurs in another woman's body.Ovarian transplants generate eggsinside the body of the recipient whothen becomes pregnant. Thus, theentire reproductive process happensnaturally, within one woman.Many poskim would claim that the
recipient is the mother in such a case.There is an interesting source to"prove" this. A Mishna in Orla discusses issues regarding a youngshoot that is grafted to an older tree.Normally, the fruit of a tree less thanthree years old is considered ORLAand cannot be eaten. The Mishnadiscusses a case where an orla tree(or section of one) is grafted to a treethat is more than three years old.The Mishna clearly states that thefruit is not liable to the laws of orla inthis case. It explains that once theshoot is attached to the old tree itloses its own halachic identity.Essentially, the shoot becomes partof the host tree for halachic purposes.By extension, any item that is transplanted becomes part of the host orthe recipient. Accordingly, a transplanted heart, lung or even a transplanted section of ovary is consideredto be part of the recipient's body.Since the ovary is considered to bepart of the recipient's body, she wouldbe the halachic mother.There is a dissenting opinion in thismatter. One posek wrote an opinionthat the orla analogy is flawed. In theorla case, the fruit that grows isdeveloped as part of the growthprocess of the host tree. The budsand fruit are developed usingnutrients provided by the host. Sincethe fruit in question was created onlyafter the grafting, the shoot is clearlyconsidered part of the old tree, as are
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7 Some, in pushing things off, fail tonotice the cliff.
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
its fruit.However, an ovary contains all of thecells that will eventually grow to beeggs when it is formed. Some ofthese cells develop and mature eachmonth as part of the female reproductive cycle. In essence there is nooogenesis, creation of eggs, butrather a maturation of existing eggcells, or potential egg cells.The transplanted ovary is notproducing new eggs (of the recipient).It is instead developing and maturingthe pre existing eggs of the donor.These eggs were formed as part ofthe donor's body and are stillconsidered to be so even aftertransplant. The posek argues that thedonor, whose body formed the eggsis the mother, not the recipient.Interestingly, continuing research inthis area may soon clarify this issue.There has been some evidencerecorded demonstrating that thetransplanted section of ovary may be"creating" egg cells. If this is proven tobe accurate, this would seem tonullify the dissenting opinion. Thus allauthorities would agree that thetransplant recipient is considered themother.As always, one should consult theirlocal Rav or the Puah Institute in eachspecific case.
Rabbi Weinreb’s Weekly Column:The Person in the Parsha
for Parshat KI TAVO
Walls Have EarsWe all have our secret lives.I don't mean to say that each of ushas a sinister side, which we wickedlyact out in some deep, dark, privateworld. What I do mean is that we allact differently when we are alone, orwith a few close intimates, than weact when we are out in public, amongothers.There is no one who is so behaviorally consistent that he is the sameperson in the privacy of his own homeas he is in the workplace or marketplace.Nor do I suggest that there is anything wrong with the fact that we eachare two persons, and perhaps evenmultiple persons, depending upon thesocial context in which we findourselves.It is problematic, however, when weact hypocritically, presenting a piousand altruistic face to the world, whileacting cruelly and crudely in our ownhomes and with our families.In this week's Torah reading, thereappears a particularly piercing andperceptive verse: "Cursed be he whostrikes his fellow in secret and all thepeople shall say, Amen."In no way does the Torah imply thathe who strikes his fellow in public is tobe blessed. Rather, the Torah recognizes the tendency humans have toreserve the worst side of themselves
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for their secret social settings, evenwhen they behave meritoriously intheir public social worlds. It is thefaçade, the contrast, between publicdemonstrations of righteousness andprivate acts of fiendishness that iscursed.Sinning in secret is particularlyoffensive in the religious personality.He or she who believes in a God whois omniscient, and who yet sins inprivate, is guilty, not merely ofhypocrisy, but of heresy. If Godknows all, how can you deludeyourself into thinking that your secretmisdeeds can go undetected?The Shulchan Aruch opens with astatement recognizing that a person'sbehavior, when he is alone at home,is very different from his behaviorwhen he appears before a great king.And it urges the religious person to beaware that he is always in thepresence of the great King of Kings,the allknowing God.But it is not only from a spiritualperspective that it is wrong to actdemeaningly in private. There is apractical aspect as well to theimportance of behaving properly evenin secret. There always is the veryreal possibility that our secrets will be"leaked" and that things we were surewould never be known will becomeembarrassingly exposed.I know of no place where this isconveyed more cogently than in thesewords of caution, to be found inKohelet (10:20):
Don't revile a king, even in yourintimate thoughts.Don't revile a rich man, even in
your bedchamber;For a bird of the air may carry theutterance,And a winged creature may reportthe word.
Indeed, as our sages say (B'rachot8b), the walls have ears.The passage in this week's Torahportion which condemns secretviolence also gives quite a comprehensive catalog of other sins whichtend to be performed behind closeddoors. They include elder abuse,criminal business practices, deceivingblind persons, subverting the rights ofthe helpless, incest and bestiality, andthe acceptance of bribery. Quite a list,and one that has certainly not lost itsrelevance over the centuries.I am not so naïve as to think that weare required to act in an absolutelyidentical fashion in our "secretchambers" as we do out in the "realworld". To a certain extent, it isnecessary and right that we maintaina façade of sorts when we interact inpublic. We all have, and need, ourmasks and personas.But many times, we go too far andindeed split our personalities betweenthe Dr. Jekylls of our external visiblebehavior and the Mr. Hydes of ourinner sancta. How well advised wewould be to set as an objective forourselves the words of the dailydavening:"A person should always beGodfearing, privately and publicly,acknowledging the truth and speakingit in his heart."
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Spiritual and Ethical Issues in the Bamidbar Storiesby Dr. Meir Tamari: Korach & Co. {5}
Gd instructed Moshe to commandAharon and the 250 firstborn to bringpans and to offer incense (ketoret), theacceptance of which would determinethe question of the selection of Aharonto the kehuna over the rights of the 250firstborn. The incense offering, thepans which were vessels of theMishkan and fire thereon were theprerogative of the kohanim and thiscommand to ordinary Israelites toperform this Avoda has been seen bothas a punishment of the arrogance ofthe firstborn and a recognition of theirspiritual desires. "'Morning will determine who is chosen' (Bamidbar 16:5);the Manna came every morning buteach person received a portion commensurate with their spiritual and moralstatus so that the righteous receivedmore while the wicked were punished.Here too, morning would distinguishbetween Aharon and the rebels"(Maharam Schiff)."If they are really convinced of the truthof their assertions, then let Korach andhis whole congregation dare to putthem to the test; let them, in accordance with their assertions approachGd with a highpriestly function. Thehighest spiritual point of the KohenGadol's office is the offering of theKetoret that symbolizes the ultimatedegree of giving oneself completely,without any reservations whatsoever,to giving satisfaction to Gd. Theincense offering is completely sublimated, leaving no residue whatsoever,and so is the most spiritual of all thekorbanot. [Its offering by the KohenHagadol in the Kodesh HaKodashim
during the Avoda, is the key point ofYom Kippur.] Since they claim that theyare all worthy of being priests, let themoffer the ketoret and stand ready forGd to decide. But let them be warned,not only for all the rest of the tribes buteven for the Leviyim who stood quitenear to the Mishkan, that it was afateful arrogant assumption" (S. R.Hirsch)."The men who offered the firepanswere not sinners but saintly persons forwhom the deprivation of priestly officespelt the forfeiting of a coveted opportunity for a closer connection with theCreator. They harbored no illusionaryworldly ambitions nor hankered afterthe sweets of office but longed tosanctify themselves with and achievegreater spiritual heights through thesacred service. They were well awareof the authenticity of of the Divinemessage given through Moshe andAharon and none of them denied it .Inspite of that, they longed to do the willof Gd and gave their lives for the loveof Gd for love is stronger than death"(Ha'amek Davar).The test of the ketoret was a radicallydifferent one from the test of the stavesof the tribes that were placed beforethe Mishkan. In that case, Gddetermined which tribe was to bechosen for His special service throughthe flowering of the stave of AharonLevi. In order to make the test impartialand nonsuspect, the people of eachtribe and not Moshe, chose therepresentative of the tribe. The ketoretcame to show and to punish the
Brushes have bristles.How do you say bristle in Hebrew?
mi ¦ti ¦f si ¦f
Yaakov, Moshe, and the VM declarer
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arrogance those seeking to usurp thepriestly functions with the cry, "all thepeople are holy".
The spiritual and religious striving andthe fire of Gd that consumed the 250firstborn, parallels the story of Nadavand Avihu, the two sons of Aharon,who offered strange fire on the ketoretand were consumed by the fire of Gd(Vayikra 10). These are both examplesof the yearning for ecstasy andspirituality unfettered by the permittedor forbidden halakhic requirements. Assuch, ideologically and conceptually,they represent movements within theJewish People but also many religiousand spiritual trends and movementsamongst the nations of the world, whoseek and have sought a nonhalakhicor a nonnormative or a nonactionrelated religious experiences andliving. All of these, it seems, fail torecognize the exquisite balance thatthe Divine Wisdom of Torah MiShamayim presents between spiritualityand deeds, between din and chesed,between Gd's love as a father and Hisbeing the sole source of reward andpunishment, between the requirementsof formality and ritual and the individual's need for personal spiritualexpressions, between disciplined religious acts and ecstasy, between theneeds and abilities of the individual andthose of a nationcommunity devotedto the service of Gd.There is an important differencebetween the wrongdoing of the sons ofAharon and that of the firstborn of thecongregation of Korach. In the case ofNadav and Avihu, as at the normalAvoda of Yom Kippur, the ketoret wasplaced on the fire, whereas the 250men placed the incense on the pansbut not on the fire. As the sons of
Aharon were entitled to officiate, theactual offering itself was unlawful sincethey were not commanded to offer it.The 250 men had been commanded tobring the offering so that it was a legalact, however, the unlawfulness lay inthe people who were presenting themselves as priests and justified toperform priestly functions. Irrespective,both cases were a distortion or arebellion against the commands of Gdand so all were burnt by the DivineFire.Yet strangely enough, the fire pans hadto be beaten and then used to coverthe Mizbe'iach. This was to be amemorial, warning Israel not to repeatthe sins of rebellion of Korach and hiscongregation; alternatively other commentators have seen this as a promisethat the punishment of that congregation will not be repeated. To R'Menachem of Kotsk, the use of thesepans which symbolized spiritualarrogance to cover the altar of Gdseemed inappropriate, rather theyshould have been buried out of sight.However, he taught that this shows usthat the striving for honor, normally adetestable characteristic, whenattached to the Mizbei'ach and sodevoted to Gd, becomes a desirableand positive one.
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Does the Coming of Mashiach Depend on Our Teshuva?Guest article by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher Dean of Students, Diaspora Yeshiva
The coming of Mashiach and the subsequent redemption of Israel is a basic beliefof Judaism.Gd will bring the redemption in His own time. If all Israel were to return to Gdthrough T'shuva, the Mashiach would appear and the final redemption would beushered in immediately. Otherwise, the redemption will not occur until the finaltime decreed by Gd. This is the meaning of the verse, "I, Gd, will accelerate it inits due time" (Yishayahu 60:22). That is, if Israel is worthy, Gd will hasten theredemption; if they are not, it will still come, but only in its due time.Thus, we find two contradictory concepts regarding the advent of the MessianicEra in the Bible. There are many passages which indicate that the Messianic Erawill be ushered in with miracles, such as, "In visions of the night, I beheld the likesof a human being who came with the clouds of heaven… and he was given… aneverlasting dominion which will never pass away" (Daniel 7:1314).On the other hand, numerous pas sages in the Prophets indicate that theMashiach will come in a more natural manner, such as "Behold, your king comesto you… humble and riding upon a donkey" (Zecharya 9:9). Here again, we aretaught that there are two basic ways in which the Messianic Era can commence. IfIsrael is worthy, it will indeed be accompanied by heavenly miracles. If not, theMessianic Era will arrive through a natural unfolding of historical events. In eithercase, Gd Himself will guide the forces of history to eventually bring about theMessianic Era.The Machiach will be a direct descendant of King David, from the tribe of Yehuda.He is therefore known as Mashiach ben David or "The anointed son of David".Kabbalah teaches that there will be another Mashiach, from the tribe of Efrayim,the son of Yosef, who will precede Mashiach ben David. He is therefore known asMashiach ben Yosef or Mashiach ben Efrayim.The Zohar tells us that Israel's enemies will only succumb to a descendant ofYosef. Thus, Mashiach ben Yosef will be the one who will lead Israel to a victoryin the war of Gog and Magog. This is the meaning of the verse, "The house ofJacob will be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esavstubble. They will set them ablaze, and consume them; there will be no survivor ofthe house of Esav, for God has spoken" (Ovadya 1:18)Concerning the relationship between the two Mashiachs – the initial one,Mashiach ben Yosef, and the final one, Mashiach ben David the prophetdeclared, "Efrayim's envy will depart and Yehuda's adversaries will be cut off.Efrayim will not envy Yehuda and Yehuda will not harass Efrayim" (Yish. 11:13).That is, each Mashiach will perform his appointed task, without jealousy. It islikewise written, "Son of man, take a stick and write upon it, 'For Yehuda, and the
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children of Israel, his companions.' Then take another stick, and write upon it, "ForYosef, the stick of Efrayim, and all the house of Israel, his companions." Join themtogether into one stick, so that they are one in your hand." (Yechezkeil 37:1617).According to Kabala, the initial Mashiach will fight and be killed in the war of Gogand Magog. He will be mourned by all Israel, as it is written, "They shall look toMe because they have thrust him through, and they shall mourn for him, as onemourns his first born son" (Zecharya 12:10).Before the appearance of the final Mashiach, a prophet will arise to announce hiscoming and to draw the Jewish people back to Gd. This prophet will be Eliyahu. Itis thus written, "Behold, I will send you Eliyah the prophet before the coming ofthe great and awesome day of Gd" (Malachi 3:23). His primary task will be tobring peace to the world by leading all people back to Gd. The prophecy thusconcludes, "He will turn the heart of the fathers to their children and the hearts ofthe children to their fathers so that I (Gd) should not strike the world withdestruction" (ibid 3:24)May Mashiach come speedily in our time.
ttRIDDLESPrizes for best solution sets (when awarded) arefurnished by Noam Productions and/or Big Deal.
Last issue’s (KI TEITZEI) TTriddles:
[1] The other Purim connection
We should have said "connections" since YJ foundone that we missed. KiTeitzeiPurim connectionsinclude Parshat Zachor (the last three p'sukim ofthe sedra) about Amalek, Haman's nationality andcharacter. Then there is the command of V'TALITAOTO AL EITZ, hanging the body of some who wereexecuted for a capital offense. This is, of course,reminiscent of Haman's being hanged, his sons,and Bigtan and Teresh. Remember though, thathanging is NOT a method of execution in Judaism; itis what is done to the body already executed, for abrief time before burial. In the parsha of YIBUM, theTorah describes the Chlitza process and states:KACHA YEI'ASEH LA'ISH ASHER... Thus shall bedone to a man who... The exact words we find inAchashveirosh's instructions to Haman when he(Haman) paraded Mordechai through the streets ofShushan.
[2] Is this fruit required?The Torah gives permission to a worker with rawproduce, to eat of the yield. (Not while doing thework just during his breaks, and not to take homewithout special permission.) When you work in yourfellow's vineyard and you eat grapes... V'ACHALTAANAVIM is permission to eat, but it sounds like acommand: And you shall eat grapes. Making grapesthe required fruit.
[3] IGERET HAGRASome of the writings of the Vilna Gaon are collectedunder the name EVEN SH'LEIMA (according toRabbi Hershel Schachter, the name of the work ispossibly based on the GRA's name: Eliyahu BenShlomo. IGERET HAGRA is either part of EVENSH'LEIMA or another name for it. The phrase EVENSH'LEIMA is in Parshat Ki Teitzei (and in MelachimAlef and Mishlei).
[4] chuteroleum / bolarifyThis is a word play for MAAKEH, known in English asa PARAPET, the protective barrier (wall, fence, etc.)that one must build to prevent someone's beinginjured by falling from a roof, falling into a pit, etc.PARAchute and PARAbola each supplied the firstsyllable PARA. And PETroleum and PETrify suppliedthe second syllable.
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[5] The violinist on and what around?The violinist or, shall we call him, the FIDDLER ison the ROOF. And the MAAKEH is to be built aroundthe roof. That's it. Simple.[6] Remember Scotland's first Jewish doctor
Asher Asher (1837–89), born in Glasgow, was thefirst Scottish Jew to enter the medical profession.The only book he published was The Jewish Rite ofCircumcision... prominent member of the localJewish congregation... studying medicine at theUniversity of Edinburgh, graduating as Doctor ofMedicine in 1856, as the first Jewish doctor ofScotland... was appointed secretary of the GreatSynagogue... first secretary of the United Synagogue... medical attendant and personal friend ofthe Rothschilds... Looking for better conditions forJewish immigrants, Asher undertook journeys toPalestine, America, and Russia... And the connection to Ki Teitzei? We are commanded to ZACHORET ASHER. To remember Asher. Had the Torahcommanded that only once, we could have used anyperson with a first name or family name of Asher.But we find that phrase twice hence the"command" to remember Scotland's first Jewishdoctor. The biogrphical material was abridged fromWikipedia and included here as a salute to a Jewwho made a significant mark in his time.
[7] Its gimatriya is really 590, not 600 butthis time it's only 87
The answer is TZITZIT. There is a famous gimatriyawhich is meant to illustrate the connection betweenthe mitzva of Tzitzit and the Torah's statement thatone should see them and remember ALL themitzvot of Gd and do them. TZITZIT = TZADI (90)+ YUD (10) +TZADI (90) + YUD (10) + TAV(400) = 600. Add the 5 double knots of the Tzitzitand the 8 strings and the total is 613, the numberof all the mitzvot in the Torah. The "problem" is thatTzitzit is spelled in the Torah without the secondYUD, so its gimatriya is only 590. But in Ki Teitzei,Tzitzit are called G'DILIM, which has a gimatriya ofonly 87. (Shouldn't say "only", since 87 is PAZ,meaning fine gold.)
[8] Come, Carry, Go
Come = BO; Carry = NASO; and GO = KI TEITZEI.These are the three sedras that each has a falsestart, so to speak. Before the BO EL PAR'O thatbegins Parshat Bo, there is an earlier, close by,parsha that starts the same way. A BK (Baal Koreior Baal K'ri'a) has to pay extra attention whenpointing out the sedra's starting point to the Kohenwho receives the first Aliya. The same is so forNASO and KI TEITZEI. And don't think this is anunnecessary warning. This past Shabbat in the mainshul in one of Jerusalem's neighborhoods (we won'tmention which), the BK pointed to the wrong KITEITZEI, the Kohen made his bracha and when theBK was about to start reading, he realized his error.If the correct starting place is also on the open,visible columns of the Torah when the Aliyabrachais said, then you can read from the correct pointwithout any problem. But, if the correct startingpoint is not visible to the Oleh, then he has torepeat the bracha but not the BAR'CHU intro.Fortunately, the shul in question has a knowledgable gabbai on the spot.
[9] totally on Shabbat, partially on weekdays
One of the 39 categories of MELACHOT forbiddenon Shabbat is CHARISHA (HACHOREISH), plowing.On Shabbat, it is totally forbidden. But, as we learnin Ki Teitzei, even during the week it is partiallyforbidden specifically, to plow with an ox and adonkey together.
[10] What the teacher repeatedly said to themisbehaving student
When going to a poor person's house, one to whomyou lent money, you may not enter to takesomething of value as a security, but rather, youmust remain outside... (this, for the dignity of theborrower). BACHUTZ TAAMOD. "Stand outside theclassroom door" is something said to a misbehavingstudent whose offense does not yet warrant hisbeing sent to the principal's office.
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THE JERUSALEM INSTITUTE OF JEWISH LAWRabbi Emanuel Quint, Dean
Lesson # 490
Torah Matrimonial LawIn another case decided by Rabbi MosheFeinstein, the following were the facts:
A woman was divorced in a civil courtfrom he first husband, but he refused togive her a Get. She married husbandnumber two in a civil court and adaughter was born to them in this secondmarriage. The first husband then decidedto give her a Get according to halachawhich he sent by messenger as providedfor in halacha and then a second daughterwas born to the woman and her secondhusband. The woman and her secondhusband then had a religious marriageceremony. The question asked of RabbiFeinstein by the rabbi who was nowcounseling the couple is what is the statusof the daughters of this couple. RabbiFeinstein answered that regarding thesecond daughter there is no doubt as toher legitimacy in halacha, since she wasborn after the first husband gave the wifea Get. The question as to the status of thefirst daughter was different. There was noway to make her halachically legitimatesince she was born before the womanreceived the Get from the first husband.This daughter was a true mamzeresaccording to Torah law. The rabbi wroteto Rabbi Feinstein that the woman toldhim that immediately after they weremarried they had constant fights andquarrels. This is of no avail to undo thefirst marriage. The claim by her that hadshe known of his bad character she wouldnot have married him is of no avail. For if
that were so, then many marriages wouldbe null and void. The fact that thehusband was not told that his wifetobewas quarrelsome is no reason to dissolvethe marriage. And even if he was toldwhen getting married he would probablythink that he would be able to cope withthis and avoid quarrels. Now that they aremarried the thoughts that he had beforemarriage are not always present and hesees that he cannot cope with herquarrelsome personality. But themarriage cannot be annulled on thataccount. I cited two recent cases as I hopeto IYH do, to show how the laws that Iam describing are applied to real livecases.Continuing on with the Torah/RabbinicMatrimonial laws:In a previous lesson it was stated that aman betroths a woman in one of threeways, with money or money equivalent,with a written document or withcohabitation. We have been discussingbetrothal by money or a thing of valuewhich is the equivalent of money. Weshall now discuss how a woman isbetrothed with a writing. (This is not tobe confused with the Ketuba which is anagreement by the husband that in theevent of a divorce he will pay to the wifea certain sum of money or if he dies hisestate will pay to her that sum of money.)[Ed. note: We are not familiar with marriages bydocument because the norm in our time issomething of monetary value i.e. a gold ring.Nonetheless, it is one of the three ways that "a manacquires a woman", i.e. one of the three ways ofKiddushin.]
The husband or his agent writes on apiece of paper or on a piece of potteryalthough neither is worth a p'ruta) “Youare betrothed unto me” and he hands it toher in the presence of witnesses. Thewriting must be written with proper intentfor this particular woman. (In this way itis similar to a Bill of Divorce (a Get) thatmust be written for this particular womanto be divorced. Like a Get, the marriagedocument must contain the name of hercity and his city. If the writing waswritten without being specifically for thiswoman it is of no value in establishingbetrothal. Also it must be written with herconsent. If it was written without herspecific consent and was given to her andshe accepted it, the betrothal is in doubt.The doubt arises since the value of thepaper may be worth a p'ruta and she isbetrothed with its value. Also if therewere witnesses who signed the writingthe betrothal is in doubt.If the writing failed to comply with therequirements of a document of betrothal,since the paper is not worth a p'ruta thebetrothal is not valid. If it is doubtful ifthe paper is worth a p'ruta, the betrothal isin doubt. Whenever there is betrothal indoubt, there must be a second betrothal ora Get given to her to free her to marrysomeone else.If the girl to be betrothed is a minor andthe betrothal is accepted on her behalf byher father, the writing will state “Yourdaughter is betrothed to me”. There is anopinion that the writing must contain thenames of the man and the woman as isrequired in a Get.If the writing was written on a thingattached to the ground, such as on leaf ofa tree, there is an opinion that thebetrothal is not valid. Similarly, if thewriting was on a paper from which it is
prohibited to derive any benefit from,there is an opinion in halacha that thebetrothal is not valid, and an equallystrong opinion that the betrothalis valid. There is no necessity for thewriting to contain a time of writing.If, when he gave her the writing, he statedthat the paper belongs to me, there is novalid betrothal.As was stated several times in theprevious lessons, the third way to betrotha woman, besides with money or awriting is through cohabitation. Inanother chapter of the Shulhan AruchEben haEzer (chapter 25) the author ofthe Shuhan Aruch writes, that the Sagesprohibit to so betroth a woman onaccount of "looseness". If he did sobetroth her, he is flogged, but thebetrothal is valid. It does not mean thatthey cohabited in the presence ofwitnesses, but rather he made a statementthat he and she are going to cohabit forthe sake of betrothal. If this is the methodemployed, there is only betrothal but thisdoes not constitute their being married.These laws lend themselves to severoutcomes sometimes. They may not haveintended it as such but when two peoplecohabit, it could somehow be construedto be valid betrothal since in mostinstances people are not promiscuous andtherefore intended their cohabitation to befor the sake of betrothal.There are differences of opinion wherethe cohabitation had to take place to beconsidered as a valid betrothal. There isan opinion that it is only if it was in herfather’s house. In his house, thecohabitation may result in their beingmarried rather than only betrothed.In future lessons, we shall IYH begin togo through the beginnings of thebetrothal/marriage ceremony.
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ParshaPix explanationsBIKURIM basket of first fruits placed atthe side of the Mizbei’ach. The bringer issmiling the ultimate smile, as the Torahcommands us to rejoice in all that Gd hasgiven us. And smilie is reciting (speechbubble) about going down to Egypt andabout being brought out of Egypt andtaken to Eretz Yisrael.
HASHKIFA Gd, look down upon usfrom on high (telescope)...
One of the blessings mentioned in thesedra is that if we keep the Torah, thenwe will be "heads" not "tails". See the twoshekel coin images. Just for yourinformation, heads and tails is Americancoin terminology. The formal numismaticterms are obverse and reverse. Thecolloquial terms for Israeli coins are PALIand EITZ. PALI is short for Palestine, thename of the country in prestate days andthe word that appeared in three languageson the obverse of coins. EITZ is for thepalm tree that was common on thereverse side of the coins.
12 stones upon which were engraved theTorah (or parts of it).
Opened treasure, as we ask of Gd. Thattreasure is in the form of beneficial andtimely rains, and the bumper crops thatresult from good and plentiful rain.
The skate is for the word HASKEIT. It is aunique word in Torah and Na"Ch. Wordsthat appear only once are often difficult totranslate, since they provide only onecontext with nothing to compare it with.HASKEIT is rendered as "pay attention" or"be silent" or "form groups". It is followedby USHMA, and listen (or understand),hence the different possibilities forHASKEIT.
The successful basketball shot is for
BARUCH TANACHA, blessed is yourbasket (i.e. fruit, Rashi), or V'SAMTAVATENE and put it in the basket.
Thumbs up pointing to a cityscape and afield is BARUCH ATA BA'IR UVARUCHATA BASADEH.
The green pepper with yes and no on itrepresents the term in the Torah PRIADAMA, fruit of the ground. YES, that'sthe bracha it gets (double meaning wesay BOREI PRI ADAMA and Gd sends HisBRACHA (if we follow Him) to our PRIADAMA. On the other hand NO,pepper is not one of the PRI ADAMAreferred to in the context of BIKURIM,since we are taught that for the mitzva ofBIKURIM, PRI HADAMA means only theSeven Species, which do not includepepper.
The golf club under the stones is an iron.The haftara says: "For bronze I will bringgold, and for iron I will bring silver, and forwood bronze, and for stones iron..."(Yeshaya 60:17) In Hebrew: V'TACHATHA'AVANIM BARZEL and under thestones, iron.
At the top of the ParshaPix is a (spice)rack, representing another promise forour faithful behavior, that will will beRACK L'MAALA, just at the top.(HebrewEnglish groaner.)
The opened lock is for the prophecy in thehaftara, that your gates will be openalways, day and night they will not beclosed...The flower next to the 12 stones is a"forgetme not", as in "... I did not violateany mitzvot, nor did I forget." Part of ViduiMaasrot.
The cow and the bee in the lowerrightrepresent CHALAV and D'VASH, as inERETZ ZAVAT... A phrase that occursmore in Ki Tavo than anywhere else.
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i³¦M...` ¬l mz`H©g §lE m½pe £r «©l Æg ©l §q ¤:cF «rÎxM§f ¤bl:`l edinxi
This pasuk is from a prophecy of the time of the Complete Geula, when our commitment to Gd will bepermanent and our knowledge of Him as complete as possible, and He promises that He will forgive all
our sins and He will not remember our iniquities anymore. The boxed words initials: ELUL
This week and 4 weeks ago and that's all
3/5 of D'varim; 3/10 of Torah; 3/13 of Tanach
knee dur Caesar
Pavorati in Brooklynese
What the Gileadites smoked
1's first & last, 3'stwo and 4's two
We double up chapters of Pirkei Avot in order to complete the fourth cycle before RoshHaShana. This adds an appropriate sense of urgency to its lessons
The little elephant at the bottom of theParshaPiz represents the mitzva that anelephant assuming his reputation isdeserved cannot fulfill, the mitzva ofSHICH'CHA, forgetting the bundles ofproduce (one or two of them) in the field.As elephants (supposedly) never forget,they would never do this mitzva. But theywould be very good at the mitzvot thatrequire us to remember Shabbat, MaamadHar Sinai, Amalek, what happened toMiriam, and others. This, assuming that anelephant is either born to a Jewish motheror converts.
And then there is AYIN with a SEGOLunder it and a MEM (sofit) with a SEGOLunder it. AYINMEM spells AM, nation.This then is an AM SEGULA, as in ChosenNation, a phrase that occurs twice inParshat R'ei and once in Ki Tavo.
Parsha Points to PonderSUGGESTED ANSWERS1) The Ohr HaChayim answers that this isnot the beginning of the command as itmight seem at first glance. In fact, it is thethird command in this general mitzva. Thefirst is to recognize that GD isresponsible for our settling of Israel andnot our own strength (WHEN YOUCOME TO THE LAND WHICH HASHEMYOUR GD GIVES TO YOU AS ANINHERITANCE). The second mitzva is toactual settle the land and push enemiesout of the land (AND INHERIT ANDDWELL IN IT). Then the third mitzva ofbringing the first fruits comes and since itis not the first command, it does not usethe language used to begin a new mitzva.
2) Rashi explains that V'ANITA means theraising of the voice. Daát ZekainimMiBaalei HaTosfot explain that for thedeclaration of the good which GD hasdone to us upon bringing the first fruit, weraise our voices and say it aloud, ascaptured by V'ANITA. The statementregarding the maaser is viewed as aconfession and for confessions we lowerour voices, hence the ommission of theword V'ANITA.
3) The Kli Yakar understands that thisalludes to the idea of one mitzva leads toanother mitzva. If we observe thecovenant, this will lead to us doing moremitzvot.
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CHIZUK ! IDUD(for Olim & notyetOlim respectively)
In his comment on the first verse of our parsha, Rashi quotes the Gemarain Kiddushin (37b) which states that the mitzva of Bikurim became
obligatory only after the Jewish people conquered all of the land of Canaanand divided it among the twelve tribes of Israel .
It is well known that the conquest took 14 years to complete. The questionthat presents itself is why the mitzva of Bikurim did not go into effect aftereach section of Eretz Israel was conquered and as soon as each part wascultivated and bore fruit. After all, the mitzva of Bikurim is primarily ademonstration of HAKARAT HATOV, appreciation and thanks to God forhaving granted us the privilege of living in Eretz Yisrael and enjoying itsfruits. Why then was it necessary to wait until all of Eretz Yisrael wasconquered and apportioned?
The Gemara in Pesachim (36b) emphasizes that the mitzva of Bikurim isfulfilled between Shavuot and Sukkot because that is the time of theingathering of the fruit, when the joy is greatest. Why, then, were theJewish people not required to give thanks for the land and its fruit duringtheir first 14 years in the land?
The Torah seems to be teaching us that our personal happiness cannot becomplete until all of Eretz Yisrael is conquered and settled. While mitzvotpertaining to the land of Israel must be fulfilled on every inch of the holyland, the mitzva of Bikurim, thankfulness and apprecia tion to God forhaving given us the fruit of the land, cannot be fulfilled until all of the land isours and until all Jews dwell therein. To be com plete, our personalhappiness must be coupled with the happiness of Klal Yisrael .
While the conquest of all of Eretz Yisrael may appear to be something in thedistant future, Jews settling in the land which is already ours can beachieved right now.
We hope and pray that all Jews will settle in the land and that God will grantus the privilege of possessing all of Eretz Israel in our own time.
Rabbi Binyamin Walfish, JerusalemTORAH THOUGHTS as contributed by Aloh Naaleh members for publication in the Orthodox Union's 'Torah Insights', a weekly
Torah publication on Parshat HaShavu’a