Special Features
for Parshat B'har-B'chukotai

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 Who is supposed to say the Kaddish after Kri’at Hatorah: the Ba’al Korei or a mourner?

A Allow us to start with a little background. Each Kaddish has its own independent function, but there is also a strong interest to get to a minimum total of 7 Kaddeishim each day, in line with the pasuk: “Seven [times] in the day I praised you” (Tehillim 119:164; see Beit Yosef, Orach Chayim 55). The backbone of Kaddish is “y’hei shmei rabba…” which keeps the world intact (Sota 49a). In addition to general sanctification of Hashem’s name in the world(s), there are specific reasons why it is important for a mourner to say Kaddish. Firstly, the resulting kiddush Hashem can cause atonement for the deceased for chilul Hashem he might have been involved in and for which he had not completed the teshuva process (Gesher HaChayim 30:4). It also can serve as tziduk hadin (acceptance of Divine judgement) (ibid). 

When a mourner serves as shaliach tzibbur, he has the opportunity to say the Kaddeishim which are part of the tefilla. In addition, Kaddish Yatom was instituted to provide mourners (one or all, depending on the local minhag) an additional oppor- tunity, even if they are not the shaliach

tzibbur. Kaddish Yatom, even though it can help unrelated Jewish deceased, in general, should not be said by one whose parents are both alive (Rama, Yoreh Deah 376:5; Pitchei Teshuva, ad loc.).

Kaddish after Kr’iat HaTorah is not a Kaddish Yatom to the full extent, and the Ba’al Korei can recite it even if he has both parents (Gesher HaChayim 30:8). However, several sefarim (Sdei Chemed Aveilut 163; Gesher Hachayim, ibid.; P’nei Baruch 34:14) cite a teshuva of the Rashbetz that mourners have the right to say this Kaddish. Although a mourner can do so even if he neither is the Ba’al Korei nor received the last aliyah (Elef Hamagen 3:3), sometimes it is arranged that the one who will say Kaddish gets the last aliyah (Kol Bo al Aveilut, pg. 374).

On the other hand, we have heard in the name of Rav S.Z. Orbach z.t.l., that the Kaddish after Kri’at Hatorah belongs to the Ba’al Korei. In practice, different congre- gations have different customs in this regard, and many have no set policy on the matter.

It is critical to remember, regarding Kaddish, the Gesher Hachayim’s warning. Since Kaddish is designed to rectify chilul Hashem, it is tragically counter-productive to fight over it and create further chilul Hashem.

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) 

"I will establish My dwelling place among you, and My soul will not treat you with scorn." (Vayikra 26:11)

So that the soul will not scorn the body (the dwelling place of the soul).
— Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg

This is one of the reasons that we consider G-d’s returning our souls to our bodies each day as an act of CHEMLA RABBA.

"His (G-d’s) Greatness cannot be fathomed." (T’hilim 145:3)

Meaning: G-d’s Greatness cannot be determined though scientific inquiry, but only through faith.
— Rabbi Moshe of Kobrin

This is a play on words: CHEIKER - CHAKIRA.

Rite & Reason by Shmuel Pinchas Gelbard

It is customary to read Megilat Ruth on Shavuot. 

Reason: To teach us that the Torah was given only through difficulty and affliction (Magen Av.)

Reason: Naomi and Ruth returned to Beit Lechem, “at the beginning of the barley harvest” (Ruth 1:22). Shavuot is called (Sh’mot 23:16) “Chag HaKatzir”. (Avudraham)

Reason: Ruth converted Judaism, accepting upon herself the yoke of Torah and Mitzvot... hence we read Megilat Ruth on the Festival on the giving of the Torah. (Avudraham)

Reason: Ruth entered the community of Israel (married Boaz) despite the words of the Written Torah, that a Moabite shall not enter... Her acceptability is based on a DRASH in the Oral Torah. Reading Megilat Ruth underscores the inseparability of the Written and Oral Law. This makes a statement about what we received at Sinai. (Sefer HaToda’ah)

ArtScroll Series • Mesorah Publications Ltd.

WORDS OF WISDOM WORDS OF WIT by Shmuel Himelstein

R’ David of Talna used to say: “Modesty is a very important trait, and each person must be exceedingly humble - yet even, modesty has its limits, as I learned from my own experience.

“My father was an extremely great man, and hundreds of people came to seek his advice. As is the custom, they would leave sums of money for him to distribute to various holy causes.

“Soon after my father died, a wealthy follower of my father came to see me to receive my blessing. He also placed a large sum of money on the table.

“I asked him, ‘Why are you leaving such a large sum of money?’

“It’s the same amount I used to leave for your father,”. he replied.

“Indeed, but I don’t begin to approach my father’s deeds,” I told him.

“Without another word, he picked up the money and left.

“From that I learned a lesson. Even modesty must have its limits.”

Excerpted with the permission of the copyright holder

From the Desk of the Director

Parshat Behar offers us several means of helping those of our people who have befallen hard times, including the mizvot associated with Shemitta (the seventh year) and Yovel (the jubilee). These and the following laws - concerning ways to remedy the inequalities of wealth - are all inspired by the ideals of social justice. 

Our parsha employs the emotive term "your brother" four times in describing the progressive downfall of the destitute Jew who finally sells himself to a stranger. In each case the text tells us how he should be treated. Rashi, however, reflecting the Torah's concern, teaches that we would do even better to strengthen the "hand that fails" before it is too hard for the person to recover.

The "Eved" is not a slave but a servant. Rambam notes that the servant was not to be humiliated but treated with respect. He was to be as a "sojourner with you," which the Midrash interprets to mean that the Hebrew servant was to share the same standards of food, drink and apparel as the master.

Penetratingly, Nehama Leibowitz summarizes the Torah's perspective: "Not the idea of human equality, nor even the idea of human freedom underlies the motivation for this humane treatment." Rather the prime message for both master and servant is that, "Avodai Hem" - in the eyes of Hashem we are all servants. 

Shabbat Shalom, Menachem Persoff, Director, Israel Center