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 lent a neighbor a few eggs, and she returned bigger eggs than I gave her. Isn't that ribbit (interest)? What do I do now?
A Let's start with what to do when asked to lend the eggs and proceed to after the fact.
The mishna (Bava Metzia 75a) states that one may not lend an object in a way that obligates the borrower to return the same type and amount of the object. This Rabbinic form of ribbit, known as se'ah b'se'ah, is forbidden out of fear that the object will go up in price, and the borrower will have to return more value than he received. The problem, which begins at the time of the loan, exists even if the object's price did not change.

Several methods and cases of leniency are found in the gemara and poskim, but some are too complex to explain in this forum. One example, which works well with things like eggs (at least in Israel) is the concept of yatza hasha'ar (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 162:3). It permits loan of a commodity with a stable price, which is either set by the government or is otherwise stable for at least days at a time (i.e. if there is a manufacturer's recommended price, even if some retailers give reductions- see Torat Ribbit 7:14). This heter is on condition that the commodity is readily available (ibid.) and that the lender can return his loan as early as he wants (Rama YD 162:3). In such a case, it doesn't matter if the price goes up before payment is made.

The most practical heter applies to cases of healthy, neighborly relationships. The gemara (ibid.) rules that one can lend loaves of bread to a friend without stipulations. The Rama (ibid.:1) rules like those who explain that the possible small changes in the value of small quantities of a product is not considered purposeful interest. Rather, it merely represents a loose manner of accounting between friends. Although it seems that the Shulchan Aruch rejects this position (Gra ibid.:5), causing problems for the Sephardic Jews, it appears from the Beit Yosef (ad loc.) that if a set of neighbors has a clear, preferably long standing policy of not caring exactly how much is returned, then even Sephardim could be lenient.

Both of these heterim are problematic when the borrower returns a clearly larger quantity than he borrowed (Torat Ribbit 7:(7); Brit Yehuda 17:(4)). If the "lender" states honestly when he lends the com- modity that, from his perspective, he is giving a present and not a loan, then it is irrelevant if he receives more (see Rama, Orach Chayim 170:13).

Even if you should not have received the larger eggs (which we cannot determine from your question), it was Rabbinic-level ribbit because the additional payment was voluntary. Such ribbit need not be returned (Shulchan Aruch YD 161:2; see Rama ad loc.). One must try to avoid causing unpleasantness with neighbors, not learned in halachic intricacies, which can occur when one makes simple, neighborly activities overly legalistic and taxing.

Hasidic Wisdom from the book by Simcha Raz (Elkins/Elkins)
One can learn a great deal from the Evil Impulse (YEITZER HARA) - for example, the great lengths it will go to achieve its purpose.
Now humans, on the other hand, do only the absolute minimum.
— Baal Shem Tov

A broken heart is not the same as sadness.
Sadness occurs when the heart is stone-cold and lifeless.
On the contrary, there is an unbeliev- able amount of vitality in a broken heart.
— Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi

Rite & Reason by Shmuel Pinchas Gelbard
The custom among Yemenites and in some Chassidic communities is to wear a tallit for Friday night davening.
Reason: The Torah says (Sh’mot 20:11): “...Therefore HaShem blessed the Shabbat day and made it holy.” Our Sages remarked, Rebbi taught in the name of R’ Natan: He made it holy by blessing it. From here the Sages derive the law of reciting Kiddush over a cup of wine when Shabbat begins. Rebbi says: He sanctified it with ATIFA (wearing a tallit). Said R’ Chanina: One should wrap himself (on Shabbat eve in a tallit).
Reason: Regarding each day of sreation the Torah says (B’reishit 1:5): “And it was evening and it was morning...” - except on Shabbat. This implies that on Shabbat we do not differentiate between evening and morning. Therefore we should wear a tallit on Shabbat evening.
[Ed. note: Don’t know if this at all fits with the above, but notice that the nighttime Amida and the daytime Amida (not counting Musaf) are basically the same, for weekdays and Yom Tov, Rosh HaShana, and Yom Kippur. Only Shabbat’s night and day Amida are different.
Back to the issue at hand. When one wears a tallit in the evening (as we all do on Leil Yom Kippur, and as some do on Leil Shabbat - see above), it is important to put it on before sunset and to make the bracha when it is still definitely daytime, since it is disputed as to whether the mitzva of tzitzit applies at night or not. This dispute would not allow us to say a bracha on the tallit at night, because of SAFEIK, doubt. Putting the tallit on during the daytime and continuing to wear it into the night solves the bracha problem.

ArtScroll Series • Mesorah Publications Ltd.
WORDS OF WISDOM WORDS OF WIT by Shmuel Himelstein
When R’ Nachman was the RAV of Horodna, the non-Jewish governor was a notorious anti-Semite, who sought to harm the Jews whenever possible. The only Jew whom he respected was R’ Nachman because of his reputation as a tzaddik and for never lying.

On January 1, the Jewish leaders would visit the governor to wish him a happy new year. One year, the governor accepted their greetings and dismissed them. Only R’ Nachman was asked to remain behind.

“Rabbi”, said the governor, “I’m no fool. I know exactly what the Jews think of me, and I even know why. I’m sure that they are upset with me for all types of reasons. I also understand that they come to wish me a happy new year as a common courtesy, even though none of them means a word. What surprises me is that you come too. After all, you are known as a truthful man, so how could you come to wish me a happy new year?”

“Your excellency”, replied R’ Nachman, “we meant every word we said. We wished you a happy new year. Now what would you consider to be a happy new year? No doubt, the best thing that could happen to you would be to be promotede. Then you would leave Horodna. And that is something that every Jew in Horodna wishes you.”

Who's who in the Parsha
Korach was very wise. He was one of the carriers of the Aron. (Bamidbar Raba)

Kayin, Korach, Bil’am... cast their eyes upon inappropriate things; what they desired they did not receive, and what they had was taken from them. (Gemara Sota)

There were two fabulously weathy men in the world - Korach from among the Jews and Haman from among the Nations... and they both lost all and perished from the world. Why? Because their weath had not come from G-d but rather what they took for themselves... (Bamidbar Raba)

What gave Korach the arrogance to do what he did? He saw that Shmuel was to descend from him... (Bamidbar Raba)

Korach was smitten more severely than all the others. He was burned with the Ketoret-offerers and was swallowed by the Earth afterwards. (Bamidbar Raba)

G'MATRIYA MATCH
The computer searches which supply the material for this column are done with the Torah Codes 2000 CD of Torah Education Software. The searches are like taking a metal detector to the beach and scanning (combing) for metal objects in the sand. Sometimes you don’t find any, and sometimes you do. Even when you do, the question then becomes, “Is it worth anything?”

Most of my “finds” over the last few years have been pointers to Divrei Torah that would stand on their own without a G’matriya Match (GM). But the GM adds a nice touch. The cherry on the top of the ice cream... or something like that.

Moshe Rabeinu calls to Datan and Aviram, and they refuse to go to him. They arrogantly say: LO NA'ALEH, we will not go (up). And they add: HA'M'AT KI HE'ELITANU MEI'ERETZ ZAVAT CHALAV UDVASH LAHAMITEINO BAMIDBAR KI TISTAREIR ALEINU GAM HISTAREIR.
Is it a small thing that you have brought us out of a land that flows with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you also make yourself a prince over us? (Bamidbar 16:12-13)

They said more, but we’ll stop here with a G’matriya of 5636. One pasuk in Tanach turns up with the same G’matriya. U'VATA EL HAKOHEN ASHER YI-H'YEH BAYAMIM HAHEIM V'AMARTA EILAV HAGADTI HAYOM LASHEM ELOKECHA KI VATI EL HAARETZ ASHER NISHBA HASHEM LA'AVOTEINU LATET LANU - this proud and joyful expression of thanks to G-d for His bringing us to Eretz Yisrael is so much the antithesis of the statement of Datan & Aviram. Same G’matriya.

MA RABU MAASECHA HASHEM... (T'hilim 104:24)
Ornithorhynchus anatinus, the platypus is a semi-aquatic egg-laying mammalof Tasmania and easternAustralia. Also called duckbill, duckbilled platypus, duck-mole, and tambreet (local name), it is a monotreme, the most primitive group of living mammals. (The only other member of this group is the echidna or spiny anteater, of which there are two species.) The head, trunk, and tail of the platypus are broad and flattened and covered with thick dark brown fur. The muzzle is shaped like a duck's bill and is soft and rubbery. It contains ridges used for crushing food; the platypus has no teeth. The eyes are small and there are no external ears. The five-toed feet are webbed. The heel of the male bears a hollow spur connected to a poison- secreting gland; this spur is probably used as a weapon. (The platypus is the only poisonous mammal.) The adult male is about 60 cm long, including a 13-15 cm tail; it weighs about 2 kilo. The female is slightly smaller. The platypus is found from tropical swamps at sea level to cold lakes at high altitudes. Its diet consists entirely of small freshwater animals dredged from muddy bottoms. Prey captured underwater are stored in cheek pouches and eaten at the surface or on land. Platypuses live in pairs in simple burrows in stream banks, except during the breeding season, when the female makes a separate and more elaborate burrow containing a nesting chamber approached by a long tunnel. One, two, or three eggs are laid at a time and are incubated, in birdlike fashion, by the female. The female lacks nipples, and the young lick milk from the fur around the many small abdominal openings of the mammary glands.

We confuse percision with perfection.
From A Candle by Day by Shraga Silverstein

Some mistake indignation for righteousness.
From A Candle by Day by Shraga Silverstein

Ibn Ezra says that the wickedness of Datan and Aviram was greater than that of Korach, because the Torah testifies that Korach’s sons did not die (in fact they were the progenitors of great people), but the children of Datan and Aviram perished with their fathers.

Moshe called to Datan and Aviram. From here we learn that a Beit Din sends agents to summon the principles in a case. This is an example of many, of halacha being derived from a "story" portion of the Torah.

From the Desk of the Director
Parshat Korach never fails to conjure up images of the motley crowd plotting to impugn Moshe's authority. We see the provocative instigator Korach, his rebellious cohorts Datan and Aviram, and an angry mob of discontented rogues all ganging up on the most modest man on earth.

The test of Moshe's validity as the chosen leader finally comes and the punishment for the rebels is swift and decisive. The earth swallows Korach, Datan and Aviram, while a heavenly fire consumes the 250 insurgents. Why, asks Rabbi Miller, is there a difference in the nature of the divine retribution between the two groups?

The Maharal notes that the rabble joined the dissidents because they coveted the priesthood. Datan and Aviram, however, tagged along mainly out of a sheer love of mischief. Their goal was to humiliate Moshe through slander and contentiousness for no ostensible personal motive. Their objective was to cause divisiveness. And for this reason they were swallowed up in the pit.

According to Chidushei Agadot (Sanhedrin 110a) the pit was formed on the second day of Creation, the day which symbolizes division - the separation of upper and lower waters - and the day of which there is no mention of "good." The pit is thus a place of nothingness. It befits the crime of those whose belligerence deprives entities of their essence. Clearly, we now better understand that those who deny value to other human beings ultimately negate their own worth in this world.

Shabbat Shalom, Menachem Persoff, Director, Israel Center

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