Special Features
for Parshat B'ha'a'lo't'cha

From the virtual desk of the OU VEBBE REBBE
The Orthodox Union – via its website – fields questions of all types in areas of kashrut, Jewish law and values. Some of them are answered by Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, founded by HaRav Shaul Yisraeli, zt"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. The following is a Q&A from Eretz Hemdah...

Q I am a woman who lives alone. Do I need to make Havdalah on Motzaei Shabbat?
A There is a disagreement whether women are required to make what we call Havdalah (they certainly make 'Hamavdil' before doing work forbidden on Shabbat) on Motzaei Shabbat or not. The issue is as follows. Havdalah is a mitzvat asei shehazman g'rama (time dependent mitzva) and, as such, women should be exempt. On the other hand, Havdalah is similar to Kiddush, as we sanctify Shabbat when it enters and exits. Since there is a special source that women are obligated in the positive mitzvot of Shabbat, including Kiddush (Berachaot 20b), they should be obligated in Havdalah as well. Yet Kiddush is different in that it is more linked to the Shabbat experience than Havdalah, Thus, the exception to the rule, which obligates women in Kiddush, may not apply here.

The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 296:8) brings two opinions but prefers the opinion which obligates women in Havdalah. However, the Rama, who serves as the primary authority for Ashkenazic Jewry, instructs women to avoid the issue by hearing Havdalah from a man, who certainly is obligated. The Bach (ad loc.) takes issue on the need to hear from a man, saying that a woman could always

accept upon herself to make a Havdalah even if she is not obligated.
There are an additional two issues, which arise when a woman makes her own Havdalah, which make it preferable to hear Havdalah from a man. There is a serious question whether she can make a bracha on the candle, as this is a time-dependent mitzva, which is only tangentially related to Havdalah (see Biur Halacha ad loc). Also, there is a minhag that women do not drink from the cup of Havdalah, but on the other hand, someone has to. In the final analysis, if a woman will not hear Havdalah from a man, she can and should make Havdalah and drink from the cup (see Mishna Berura 297:35 and Sha'ar Hatziun, ad loc.).

A complication about hearing Havdalah from a man (which applies even to a husband and wife) is as follows. If one has fulfilled a mitzva, he can perform the mitzva again for someone else, if that other person is obligated in the mitzva. Since a woman may not be obligated, a man who already fulfilled Havdalah can make it again only if it is on behalf of another man (or male child) who has yet to hear Havdalah. If this is not the case, it is better for the woman to make Havdalah herself, which is possible, according to the Bach, even if she is not obligated.

Ask the Rabbi Q&A is part of Hemdat Yamim, the weekly parsha sheet published by Eretz Hemdah. You can read this section or the entire Hemdat Yamim at www.ou.org or www.eretzhemdah.org. And/or you can receive Hemdat Yamim by email weekly, by sending an email to lists@eretzhemdah.org with the message: Join Hemdatya - Please leave the subject blank.

Ask the Vebbe Rebbe is partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel

Hasidic Wisdom from the book by Simcha Raz (Elkins/Elkins)
“As wisdom grows, torment grows.” - (Kohelet 1:18)
And what is this? Perhaps it is worthwhile to increase one’s torment provided that one increases one’s wisdom as well. -
- Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk

Millions of people are born like mice, live like mice, and die like mice.
Make sure you are not one of them.
- Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav

Rite & Reason by Shmuel Pinchas Gelbard
The Shulchan Aruch says that it is customary to cover the Sefer Torah in between Aliyot. The Rama holds in addition that the Sefer Torah should be rolled closed between Aliyot.

Reason: It is disrespectful to the Torah to leave it open, waiting until the next person comes up (Levush).

Reason: This custom is based on what the pasuk (Sh’mot 34:33) says: “And [when] Moshe finished speaking with them, he put a mask over his face”. (Keter Shem Tov)

[Ed. notes: Whereas the first reason is the obvious, logical explanation for the common practice of covering the Sefer Torah, and the second reason is superfluous, the second reason adds a very nice element to the topic. Both moshe Rabeinu and a Sefer Torah transmit to us the Words of G-d, and therefore both are covered by a veil when they temporarily stop transmitting.
On a related issue, I saw mentioned in the name of the Rav (R’ Soloveichik zt”l), that the person receiving the Aliya is the one who should open the Sefer Torah, rather than the Baal Korei. It is the Oleh who has the obligation to read, even though he delegates that job to the Baal Korei, and the CHIYUV (obligation) is initiated when the Sefer is opened. Therefore the Oleh should do it himself, rather than let the Baal Korei do it.]

ArtScroll Series • Mesorah Publications Ltd.

WORDS OF WISDOM WORDS OF WIT by Shmuel Himelstein
A dead body was found in the town in which the author of the Machatzis HaShekel was the RAV. The deceased had been stabbed to death, and next to the body lay a knife - one which appeared to have come from the rav’s kitchen. The Jews of the town understood that this was a deliberate attempt to frame the rav, for there had indeed been a robbery in his house and this knife had been stolen.

His friends suggested that he deny that the knife was from his kitchen, but he refused to follow their advice. When called for questioning he freely admitted the knife was his while denying any connection to the crime. The judges were so impressed with his honesty that he was immediately released.

Later he explained why he had insisted on telling the truth: “I emulated the actions of Yehuda, when he was sent by Yosef to bring back his brother Binyamin. Yehuda could have assumed that the Egyptian ruler would not know the difference and brought back any other man of the same age. But he insisted on bringing back Binyamin himself because his conscience would not allow him to do otherwise. By the same token”, the rav concluded, “I simply am unable to let falsehood pass my lips, regardless of the possible consequences”.

Excerpted with the permission of the copyright holder

A few issues ago, there were stats on the occurrences of the name Yerushalayim in Tanach. To get the results presented, we used the DBS database and search program. Putting the name YUD-REISH-VAV-SHIN-LAMED-MEM and marking the word GRAMMAR (which is supposed to include the word with prefixes and suffixes and extra letters in the word) found almost all YERUSHALA- YIMs in Tanach. Almost, but not quite. It missed 9 V’LIRUSHALAYIMs. A call to tech support received the answer, “Seems to be a problem”. No kidding. They’re working on it.

And so Aharon did... Rashi says that this comes to praise Aharon, that he did not change. The plain meaning (p’shat) is that he did not change any- thing of the procedure of tending and lighting the Menora. DRASH on “he did not change” refers it to himself. Despite the loftly spiritual position on which Aharon served, his personality did not change. He did not become haughty or arrogant.

“Not so, my servant Moshe, in all My household, he is NE’EMAN” (Bamidbar 12:7).

Says the Magid of Mezrich, notwithstanding the fact that Moshe Rabeinu could have attained everything with his intellect, he served HaShem via his great EMUNAH.

Who were ELDAD and MEIDAD? The Midrash says that ELDAD was ELIDAD b. KISLON (Binyamin’s leader in the MAS’EI list) and MEIDAD was K’MU’EL b. SHAFTAN (leader of Efrayim in the MAS’EI list). Targum Yonatan ben Uziel says they were sons of ELITZAFON b. PARNACH and YOCHEVED after she was divorced by AMRAM and before MOSHE was born. That needs explanation.

Whenever the topic of PESACH SHENI is at hand, the mind wanders over to the only other thing in halacha that resembles it - TASHLUMIN for a missed davening. As different as the two are, there are some interesting similarities.

A person who misses the first Pesach does not really get another chance to bring Korban Pesach. Once the 14th of Nisan passes, one cannot bring Korban Pesach. Its time is in the afternoon of Nisan 14. A person who misses Maariv, cannot really daven it when it is already daytime. Maariv is at night only. G-d commanded the one who misses K.P. to fulfill a different mitzva by bringing a different sacrifice, namely Pesach Sheni or Pesach Katan. Its time is the afternoon of the 14th of Iyar. Pesach Sheni is very much like Pesach Rishon in many ways, but it is a different korban.

The second Amida that the Maariv- misser davens at Shacharit is NOT Maariv. It is a duplicate of the Amida of Shacharit, and is in lieu of the Maariv missed. But it isn’t that Maariv.

That’s basically how Pesach Sheni and Tashlumin are alike.

A person who missed Korban Pesach because he was sick or hung-over or forgetful or negligent, brings Pesach Sheni. One who was sick, hung-over, forgetful, negligent and missed Maariv, has Tashlumin available to “repair” some of the “damage”. Same.

What about a person who intentionally didn’t bring Korban Pesach. Maybe even spitefully? Does he too get a chance to bring Pesach Sheni? YES.
And he who intentionally misses a davening? Doesn’t want to miss the end of a ballgame, notices the approaching sunset and dismissively waves Mincha away while saying that he’ll make it up at Maariv instead? NO. You forgot? Okay. You fell asleep? Okay. Tash- lumin. You purpoesly didn’t daven? Sorry. No Tashlumin for you.

Maybe this reminds us that human beings - even our Sages - are finite. They have limits up with which they will put.

Not HaShem. He is willing to give even the spiteful person who refused to be part of a K.P. chabura, another chance. Maybe. But a nice lesson to learn.

From the Desk of the Director
In parshat Beha'alotcha Moshe yet again confronts Hashem regarding the lonely task of leadership that he has to bear. So burdensome is the labor of dealing with a quarrelsome people that, according to the Sforno, he is even prepared to die and make way for another leader (B'midbar 1:14).

Hashem's response is to order Moshe to convene a Sanhedrin of seventy elders. The Mishna (Sanhedrin 2a) distinguishes these dignitaries from those appointed earlier to judge judicial matters (Sh'mot 18:13). This body of elders was designated to assist Moshe in leading the nation and is better equated with the Great Sanhedrin.

Who, then, were the men selected for this onerous yet elevated task? What were the criteria for their selection? Rashi notes that the elders were the previous Jewish taskmasters in Egypt! And our immediate reaction is surely to question how taskmasters tainted by Egyptian mores qualify for leadership?

Rashi suggests that the answer be found in the Exodus story. These very task- masters, he notes, actually pre- ferred being beaten by their Egyptian bosses to inflicting punishment on their poor brethren (Sh'mot 5:14). Moral sensitivity and readiness to risk lives for others is surely the mettle of which leadership is composed. However, citing the Midrash, Rashi reminds us that these elders also displayed the crowning characteristic of Jewish leadership - "Beloved are they since they… hear the Divine utterance from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed be He."

Shabbat Shalom, Menachem Persoff, Director, Israel Center