Special Features
for Parshat Eikev
* words in red are
transliterated Hebrew
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
AW is the prize for the best PPP
solutions; AW is the prize for the best solution to the Radio Riddle on Torah Tidbits
Audio, Thursdays 10:08-11:00pm, on Arutz-7, which just moved to 98.7FM; AW is the source
of a dvar Torah in Torah Tidbits and a different one on the radio show; some of the songs
from the AW will be played (are being played, were played - depends upon when you are
reading this) on TTA.
This week's Album of the Week:
ONE of a KIND
Michoel Streicher with The Yeshurun Boys Choir
It's called ATA ECHAD in Hebrew. There are nine songs in Hebrew and one in English (guess
what it's called?). For this week's AWDT (Album of the Week D'var Torah), let's take a
look at the words of the opening and title song of the album.
Each of the Shabbat davenings (Amida) highlights a different theme of Shabbat. Friday
night, the focus is Shabbat B'reishit. The statement is: We have Shabbat because G-d
created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, etc.
At Shacharit, the focus changes to the
connection between Shabbat and Y'tzi'at Mitzrayim and Matan Torah, as expressed in the
Aseret HaDibrot.
Musaf, appropriately, consists of the
theme of the special Musaf sacrifices of Shabbat.
At Mincha, the Amida looks to the future, in Messianic times when the whole world will
recognize G-d and His Oneness, and the uniqueness of the People of Israel. The
opening words of the middle bracha of the mincha amida reflect the words of Zecharia
(14:9) which conclude Aleinu and Shirat HaYam everyday - "And G-d shall be King over
all the Earth; on that day, G-d shall be One and His Name One."
At the end of the middle bracha of each Amida of Shabbat, we say: ...Your holy Shabbat,
and Israel, who sanctifies Your Name, shall rest on it... In Hebrew - V'Ya nuchu Vah... In
most standard siddurim, the pronoun VAH is used. This is the feminine form and is
considered to be referring to Shabbat, which is feminine in gender.
In Shacharit we say VO, the masculine
form, referring to Yom HaShabbat, which is masculine. This fits in light of the connection
to the Aseret HaDibrot where the phrase Yom HaShabbat is used. On the other hand, the
bracha in the Amida does NOT use Yom, just Shabbat, which means that VAH should be used.
In fact, Birnbaum siddur uses VAH for all Shabbat davenings. For Mincha, the pronoun VAM
is used, which is plural, referring to future Shabbatot. In fact, some of the recently
rewritten siddurim use the phrase "Shabbtot Kad'shecha" to match VAM. Most
siddurim leave Shabbat in the singular, even though it has a plural pronoun at Mincha. The
author of the Torah T'mina (fondly referred to as the other TT), in his commentary on
T'fila (called Baruch She'amar), also considers the VAH-VO- VAM to be in error.
Noam Productions albums, and many, many other CDs and cassettes spanning the range of
Jewish music are available at:
Noam Productions Music Stores
6 Malchei Yisrael, Geula, Jerusalem
59 Rabbi Akiva Street, Bnei Brak
and, soon to open, Noam Productions Music and Jewish/General Computer Software Store at
the Rav Shefa Mall in Jerusalem (near T'nuva, where the old zoo was)
THE FIRST THIRD
The beginning of the Book of D'varim
tells us that we arrived at the door step of Eretz Yisrael (a.k.a. the Plains of Moav) on
Rosh Chodesh Shvat in the 40th year of the Wandering. Tradition tells us that on the 7th
of Adar, Moshe Rabeinu left this world. The Book of D'varim is the account of those 37
days of the farewell of Israel's greatest leader.
The opening verses of the Book indicate
that the 37 day period was divided into three parts (the actual durations o the
three parts is unknown... and probably irrelevant). We can see the rough breakdown by
putting D'varim Va'etchanan, and Eikev in the first third, R'ei, Sho'ftim, an
Ki Teitzei in the middle portion, and the rest of the book in the final phase.
Although this is but a rough sketch, what characterizes the first third is Jewish History
101 - the first 40 years and Judaism 101 - Fundamental Principles of the Faith and
Religion. The course work for the second trimester focuses almost exclusively on Mitzvot
613 - an extensive survey and review of the mitzvot. The end of the term is taken up by
various subjects that the People needed for graduation. We'll get there, IY"H, in due
time.
As to the first three sedras, they contained exciting and frightening reviews of the
events of the previous generation, as well as the review of the Decalogue and the Shma,
parts I and II, and a presentation of a special group of mitzvot which form the foundation
of Judaism. These include basic elements of belief, as well as fundamental concepts of
Prayer and Blessings, prohibition of Idolatry, and the basics of the Judicial system. The
170 mitzvot and more presented in the "middle" three sedras construct the
building of Judaism upon its solid foundation.
One theme keeps emerging in these early sedras of D'varim - the centrality of Eretz
Yisrael in G-d's plan for the People of Israel.. As often as Torah Tidbits repeats this
idea - that G-d took us out of Egypt in order to give us the Torah and to take us into
Eretz Yisrael - two facts remain, that require attention: The Torah was given at Sinai,
outside the Land of Israel, and the Jewish People have survived - and even thrived -
outside of Israel. They have built great Torah communities, self-sufficient Jewish
communities, in many places around the globe.
The Torah was given outside of Israel to make sure that we all understand that the Torah
must be kept wherever we live. Had we entered the Land first, and then received the Torah,
Jews might make the terrible mistake of thinking that the Torah way of life does not apply
in Chutz LaAretz.
Torah is the basis of our lives. It is our spiritual oxygen, water, and nourishment. It is
our shelter, our occupation, our lives.
Okay, so is the specific venue of Eretz Yisrael so important to a Jewish way of life? The
answer is a definite YES. The Torah in Chutz LaAretz is like a spiritual oxygen tank
strapped to our backs. The Torah in Israel allows us to breathe the air around us. It's
the difference between packaged TV dinners and delicious, whole some home-
cooked meals. Eretz Yisrael always was the intended place for the Jewish People to live
and thrive.
We haven't always deserved to be here, and when we were exiled, we took the Torah with us,
so that our lives would continue.
But even during the long exile, when Jews did not physically live in E. Yisrael, they
always lived here in spirit. The longing to return has sustained us for centuries. We have
never been without Torah, nor without Eretz Yisrael, even when we weren't here.
THE DEAL
G-d took us out of Egypt in order to give us the Torah and bring us to Eretz Yisrael.
That's the deal. Here is a beautiful numeric demonstration of it, courtesy of R. Yaakov
Auerbach z"l.
In the third passage of the Sh'ma, G-d
says: I AM HASHEM, YOUR G-D WHO TOOK YOU OUT OF EGYPT TO BE YOUR G-D = 1+50+10 + 26 +
1+30+5+10+20+40 + 1+300+200 + 5+6+90+1+400+10 + 1+400+20+40 + 40+1+200+90 +
40+90+200+10+40 + 30+5+10+6+400 + 30+20+40 + 30+1+30+5+10+40 = 3035.
In the book of Yehoshua it says:
U'SH'MARTEM ET MISHMERET MITZVAT HASHEM ELOKEICHEM (and you shall keep the faith with G-
d's mitzva) = 6+300+40+200+400+40 + 1+400 + 40+300+40+200+400 + 40+90+6+400 + 26 +
1+30+5+10+20+40 = 3035.
And we have G-d's promise LATEIT LANU ET HAARETZ ASHER NISHBA LAAVOTEINU (and He took us
out of there in order) to give us the Land that He promised to our forefathers - D'varim
6:23 = 30+400+400 + 30+50+6 + 1+400 + 5+1+200+90 + 1+300+200 + 50+300+2+70 +
30+1+2+400+10+50+6 = 3035.
ET HASHEM ELOKECHA TIRA - The word ET comes to include Torah scholars, that we must revere
G-d AND Torah scholars. Adds a Chassidic Rebbe, ET comes to
include Torah Scholars, that THEY too must revere G-d.
MITZVA WATCH
Today, there is a very uncomfortable feeling about the idea of swearing. We are taught to
avoid swearing at all costs. It is common to strike out the word on legal forms and
substitute the word "affirm", which has the same legal affect as an oath,
without the religious overtones. We know how serious it is to swear falsely or in vain.
Yet, the fact of the matter is, that it is a mitzva (according to the Rambam and others)
to swear - in a proper Beit Din situation - to the truth.
There are many situations when G-d lent
His Name, so to speak, to us so that we can find the "truth" of a situation and
have it accepted in society. Basically, a person SHOULD be accepted for his word. But this
is not always possible, especially when there are contradictory versions of the truth. In
some specific cases, one party to a dispute is allowed/required/expected to swear in G-d's
Name. Assuming the person in question is reputable, he should swear to the truth. The
situation of doubt will them be
cleared up.
The Ramban disagrees with the Rambam. He says that one never needs to swear, if he does
not choose to. We have PERMISSION to swear to the truth - neither an obligation nor a
mitzva.
ANOTHER WORD ABOUT DAVENING...
Taking the Ramban's viewpoint, the
Torah did not command us to daven - the Sages did. But it is clear that they were inspired
to do so by the Torah. In addition to the
references to "Serving HaShem" and "Service of the Heart", there are
also the many references to prayer. The Avot prayed. Moshe Rabeinu prayed. What we have
then (in this way of looking at things) is an example (there are others) of G-d saying, so
to speak, "I don't have to tell them this time; let them look and draw the obvious
conclusions themselves". It might mean more this way. Sometimes we don't have to be
told - we can figure things out for ourselves.
OOPS! I forgot to say...
R'TZEI for the Friday night meal or the main Shabbat day meal...
If you have not yet said G-d's name at the conclusion of U'V'NEI YERUSHALAYIM, then go
back to R'TZEI, say it, and continue as usual.
If you have finished the third bracha (that's the one we're talking about - RACHEM, R'TZEI if, YAALEH V'YAVO if, U'V'NEI YERUSHALAYIM) AND have already begun the fourth bracha (HAKEIL AVINU...,
known as HaTov V'HaMeitiv), then stop wherever you are and start the benching over
again. This rule applies whether you've said one word of the fourth bracha or have already
finished the whole benching. If you remember that you skipped R'TZEI within 72 minutes after
finishing the meal, you have to go back and bench again.
If you have said G-d's name in U'V'nei
Yerushalayim, but have not begun HaTov V'HaMeitiv,
then finish Bonei b'rachamav Yerushalayim Amen. and then say the
following self-contained bracha for Shabbat in lieu of R'TZEI.
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOHEINU MELECH HA'OLAM ASHER
NATAN SHABBATOT L'M'NUCHA L'AMO YISRAEL B'AHAVA, L'OT U'L'BRIT. BARUCH ATA ADONAI
M'KADEISH HASHABBAT.
R'TZEI for Seuda Shlishit or any further
meals on Shabbat...
If you have not yet said G-d's name at the conclusion of U'V'NEI YERUSHALAYIM, then go
back to R'TZEI, say it, and continue as usual.
If you have finished the third bracha AND have already begun the fourth bracha - even the
first word of it - then continue with Birkat HaMazon (at least remember to say the
HaRachaman for Shabbat - but if you don't, there is no difference in the rule). DO NOT GO
BACK. It follows that if you have finished the entire benching after Seuda Shlishit and
realize that you forgot R'TZEI, you do nothing about it. (Just be more careful next time.)
If you have said G-d's name in U'V'nei
Yerushalayim, but have not begun HaTov V'HaMeitiv,
then finish Bonei b'rachamav Yerushalayim Amen. and then say the following self-contained bracha for
Shabbat in lieu of R'TZEI.
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOHEINU MELECH HA'OLAM ASHER
NATAN SHABBATOT L'M'NUCHA L'AMO YISRAEL B'AHAVA, L'OT U'L'BRIT.
As to why this bracha is missing the ending that the first one has, see further for
explanation.
We suggest keeping this bencher supplement in your bencher drawer, box, or whatever, so
that you can refer to it on those rare occasions that someone says OOPS.
Yaaleh V'Yavo on Rosh Chodesh...
If you have not yet said G-d's name at the conclusion of U'V'NEI YERUSHALAYIM, then go
back to YAALEH V'YAVO, say it, and continue as usual.
If you have finished the third bracha AND have already begun the fourth bracha - even the
first word of it - then continue with Birkat HaMazon (at least remember to say the
HaRachaman for Rosh Chodesh - but if you don't, there is no difference in the rule). DO
NOT GO BACK. It follows that if you have finished the entire benching after a Rosh Chodesh
meal and realize that you forgot YAALEH V'YAVO, you do nothing about it. (Just be more careful next time.)
If you have said G-d's name in U'V'nei
Yerushalayim, but have not begun HaTov
V'HaMeitiv, then finish Bonei b'rachamav
Yerushalayim Amen. and then say the following
self-contained bracha for Rosh Chodesh in lieu of YAALEH V'YAVO.
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOHEINU MELECH HA'OLAM ASHER
NATAN ROSHEI CHODOSHIM L'AMO YISRAEL L'ZIKARON.
YAALEH V'YAVO on Yom Tov - two main meals...
If you have not yet said G-d's name at the conclusion of U'V'NEI YERUSHALAYIM, then go
back to YAALEH V'YAVO, say it, and continue as usual.
If you have finished the third bracha AND have already begun the fourth bracha, then stop
wherever you are and start the benching over again. This rule applies whether you've said
one word of the fourth bracha or have already finished the whole benching. If you remember
that you skipped R'TZEI within 72 minutes after finishing the meal, you have to go back and bench
again.
If you have said G-d's name in U'V'nei
Yerushalayim, but have not begun HaTov V'HaMeitiv,
then finish Bonei b'rachamav Yerushalayim Amen. and then say the following self-contained bracha for Yom
Tov in lieu of YAALEH V'YAVO.
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOHEINU MELECH HA'OLAM ASHER
NATAN YAMIM TOVIM L'AMO YISRAEL L'SASON U'L'SIMCHA
pesach ET YOM CHAG HAMATZOT HAZEH.
shavuot ET YOM CHAG HASHAVUOT HAZEH.
sukkot ET YOM CHAG HASUKKOT HAZEH.
simcha torah ET YOM HASHMINI CHAG
HA'ATZERET HAZEH.
BARUCH ATA ADONAI M'KADEISH YISRAEL
V'HA'Z'MANIM.
YAALEH V'YAVO, other Yom Tov meals
Same rules as Rosh Chodesh. The bracha in lieu of YAALEH V'YAVO, when applicable,
is like the Yom Tov - two main meal bracha, but without the ending.
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOHEINU MELECH
HA'OLAM ASHER NATAN YAMIM TOVIM L'AMO YISRAEL L'SASON U'L'SIMCHA
pesach ET YOM CHAG HAMATZOT HAZEH.
shavuot ET YOM CHAG HASHAVUOT HAZEH.
sukkot ET YOM CHAG HASUKKOT HAZEH.
simcha torah ET YOM HASHMINI CHAG
HA'ATZERET HAZEH.
Notice that the fuller bracha goes together with having to say Birkat HaMazon over again
if one leaves out the addition to the third bracha. The "short" bracha (no
concluding BARUCH...) goes together with not repeating the benching.
Also note that S'faradim apply the above "two main meals" rule only to the Seder
and the meal of the first night of Sukkot. Otherwise, they follow the "other Yom Tov
meals" rule.
YAALEH V'YAVO on Chol HaMoed
Same rules as Rosh Chodesh and "other Yom Tov meals", with a slight change in
the text of the special bracha.
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOHEINU MELECH HA'OLAM ASHER
NATAN MO'ADIM L'AMO YISRAEL L'SASON U'L'SIMCHA
pesach ET YOM CHAG HAMATZOT HAZEH.
sukkot ET YOM CHAG HASUKKOT HAZEH.
YAALEH V'YAVO on Rosh HaShana
Some say that Rosh HaShana follows Yom Tov rules, in which case there are two brachot, one
for the two main meals with a BARUCH ending and one for "other meals", without an
ending.
Others hold that Rosh HaShana follows Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed rules, with no ending
to the bracha for any meals.
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOHEINU MELECH HA'OLAM ASHER
NATAN YAMIM TOVIM L'AMO YISRAEL ET YOM HAZIKARON HAZEH. [BARUCH ATA ADONAI (MELECH AL KOL
HA'ARETZ) M'KADEISH YISRAEL V'YOM HAZIKARON.]
YAALEH V'YAVO on Yom Kippur
One who eats on Yom Kippur says Yaaleh V'Yavo in the benching. But if he forgets to say
it, there is no substitute bracha - one just continues with the benching.
Shabbat + Yom Tov or Rosh Chodesh
Example: If on Shabbat - Rosh Chodesh, one says R'TZEI but forgets YAALEH
V'YAVO, then Shabbat is "covered" and
Rosh Chodesh forgetting Yaaleh V'Yavo rules apply. If this means that the Rosh Chodesh "in
lieu of Yaaleh V'Yavo bracha" is to be said, no mention is made of Shabbat in it. It means
that if the fourth bracha has been begun, one does not go back, because Shabbat was
mentioned.
Similarly, whenever R'TZEI and YAALEH V'YAVO are
supposed to be said, and one of them is and the other isn't, the rules of the omitted one
only apply.
[Whenever one repeats the Birkat HaMazon because of one omission, both R'TZEI and YAALEH V'YAVO
should be said in the repeated benching, even though you already said one of them. The
benching has become invalid, so the new one must be complete.]
But if both R'TZEI and YAALEH V'YAVO are omitted, then...
If you have not yet said G-d's name at the conclusion of U'V'NEI YERUSHALAYIM, then go
back to R'TZEI and YAALEH V'YAVO, say them, and continue as usual.
If you have finished the third bracha
AND have already begun the fourth bracha - even the first word of it - then if either
omission requires repeating the benching, do
so and say both R'TZEI and YAALEH V'YAVO in the repeated benching.
If you have said G-d's name in U'V'nei
Yerushalayim, but have not begun HaTov V'HaMeitiv,
then finish Bonei b'rachamav Yerushalayim Amen. and then say the appropriate one of the following brachot
that will be in lieu of R'TZEI and YAALEH V'YAVO. When an ending is appropriate, we include both Shabbat and
Yom Tov (or Rosh Chodesh) even if the latter would not get an ending by itself.
But remember... if we did say R'TZEI, for example, then we DO NOT mention Shabbat in the "in
lieu of Yaaleh V'Yavo" bracha. And if we only forgot R'TZEI, then we use the Shabbat
bracha and we do not mention Yom Tov or Rosh Chodesh.
Shabbat Rosh Chodesh
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOHEINU MELECH HA'OLAM ASHER
NATAN SHABBATOT L'M'NUCHA L'AMO YISRAEL B'AHAVA, L'OT U'L'BRIT, V'ROSHEI CHODOSHIM
L'ZIKARON. BARUCH ATA ADONAI M'KADEISH HASHABBAT V'YISRAEL V'ROSHEI CHODOSHIM.
Shabbat Yom Tov
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOHEINU MELECH HA'OLAM ASHER
NATAN SHABBATOT L'M'NUCHA L'AMO YISRAEL B'AHAVA, L'OT U'L'BRIT, V'YAMIM TOVI L'SASON
U'L'SIMCHA
pesach ET YOM CHAG HAMATZOT HAZEH.
shavuot ET YOM CHAG HASHAVUOT HAZEH.
sukkot ET YOM CHAG HASUKKOT HAZEH.
simcha torah ET YOM HASHMINI CHAG
HA'ATZERET HAZEH. [BARUCH ATA ADONAI M'KADEISH HASHABBAT V'YISRAEL V'HA'Z'MANIM.]
Shabbat Chol HaMoed
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOHEINU MELECH HA'OLAM ASHER
NATAN SHABBATOT L'M'NUCHA L'AMO YISRAEL B'AHAVA, L'OT U'L'BRIT, U'MO'ADIM L'SASON
U'L'SIMCHA
pesach ET YOM CHAG HAMATZOT HAZEH.
sukkot ET YOM CHAG HASUKKOT HAZEH. [BARUCH
ATA ADONAI M'KADEISH HASHABBAT V'YISRAEL V'HA'Z'MANIM.]
Shabbat Rosh HaShana
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOHEINU MELECH HA'OLAM ASHER
NATAN SHABBATOT L'M'NUCHA L'AMO YISRAEL B'AHAVA, L'OT U'L'BRIT, V'YAMIM TOVIM ET YOM
HAZIKARON HAZEH. [BARUCH ATA ADONAI (MELECH AL KOL HA'ARETZ) M'KADEISH YISRAEL V'YOM
HAZIKARON.]
There are several factors that combine to produce the above set of rules of omissions from
Birkat HaMazon.
(1) The first three brachot of Birkat HaMazon are considered the fulfillment of the
Torah's requirement to bench. The fourth bracha and the additional passages
following it are required by the Sages.
(2) Once we say AMEN following the third bracha, the Torah portion of benching is
complete.
(3) Before we continue, we can
substitute a stand-alone bracha for R'TZEI and/or YAALEH
V'YAVO, but once the next part of benching is
begun, there is no repairing the first part - we either have to repeat it, or leave it as
is - as the case may be.
(4) Two meals of Shabbat and Yom Tov require HaMotzi. HaMotzi requires benching. Therefore
Shabbat (or Yom Tov) requires benching. And therefore, the benching is defective if
mention of the day was omitted.
(5) Other Shabbat and Yom Tov meals, Chol HaMoed and Rosh Chodesh, require benching IF
bread was eaten. Mention of the day is proper but no essential to the validity of the
benching.
OOPS! I forgot to say...
AL HANISIM on Chanuka or Purim...
If you skip AL HANISIM and catch your mistake before saying G-d's name of the second bracha - AL HA'ARETZ V'AL HAMAZON - then back up a bit, say AL
HANISIM and continue as usual.
If you have already said G-d's name in the bracha, DO NOT GO BACK (dnpgdnc$200). Continue
to the HARACHAMAN section where AL HANISIM should be added with a modified beginning, as follows:
[Since Chanuka and Purim are Rabbinic holidays, the omission of mention of them does not
render the Birkat HaMazon invalid. Nonetheless, we take an opportunity to say Al HaNisim
in the "Rabbinic" portion of the benching.]
HARACHAMAN HU YAASEH LANU NISIM K'MO SHE'ASA
NISIM LA'AVOTEINU BAYAMIM HAHEIM BAZMAN HAZEH.
BIYMEI...
either MATITYAHU or MORDECHAI as the case may be.
OLIVES, DATES, GRAPES, FIGS, POMEGRANATES
The five fruits among the 7 Species in D'varim 8:8 are arranged in order of priority for
the bracha based on their position following the word(s) ERETZ in the verse.
This means that even though grapes
precede dates in the verse, grapes are the third-mentioned species after the (first
occurrence of the) word ERETZ, and dates (called
D'VASH - honey - meaning, in this verse, the fruit from which honey comes, viz. dates) are
the second-mentioned fruit after (the second) ERETZ. If one is going to eat both grapes
and figs, the honor of the bracha goes to the dates.
Similarly for other combinations of these fruits.
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