MISC section - contents:
1. Vebbe Rebbe
2. Rite & Reason
3. Hasidic Wisdom
4. Words of Wisdom; Words of Wit
5. Candle by Day
6. G'Matriya Twins
7. Hebrew Words
8. Torah from Nature
9 Chizuk V'Idud
10. From the desk of the director

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 Last Friday night, my electricity blew. To save my chulent, which was on an electric hot plate, I brought it to a neighbor and put it on her blech. Was that okay?
A In order to take a pot from off the fire and place it on the fire, there are several requirements. Among them is that one must remove the pot from the fire with the intention to return it and/or (see different opinions in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 253:2) that the pot remains in his hands the whole time.
The application in your case depends on a simple CHAKIRA (analytical dilemma). Does one need a positive connection between past and future stays on the fire by holding the pot and planning to return it? In your case, when the electricity went out, nothing positive demonstrated the pot would be going to your neighbor's blech. But perhaps food that was on a fire may remain or be transferred to another fire unless it was actively removed in a way that makes it unfit for return. Over here, you never removed it at all.
Explicit discussion of equivalent scenarios, which include age-old cases like a flame going out or a pot falling off the blech, is found primarily in the latest poskim. Harav Moshe Feinstein z”l (Igrot Moshe, OC IV 74.39) and Harav Sh. Z. Orbach z”l (see Shemirat Shabbat K'hichata ch. 1, footnote 69) support the position that one's intention when putting up the food that it remain on the fire, is sufficient unless one consciously removed the pot. Shmirat Shabbat K'hilchata (in the body of the work, 1:23) prefers that one not rely on this logic without additional room for leniency. He suggests that one put the pot on the new heat source, not directly on a blech, but separated by an overturned pot or plate.

There are other points of leniency and stringency that one should consider. The Rama (OC 253:2) says that it is possible to rely on the RAN's novel opinion, that if food is removed on Shabbat from a flame without intention to return it, he can return it to a blech (or a non-adjustable hot plate), in case of great need. Also, if one acts quickly, he can obviate the problem. Although the electricity is the cause of the heat, halachically, the hot plate's surface is the heat source for the pot. Thus, if one takes the pot into his hands to bring it to the neighbors when the hot plate is still hot, then it is permitted, like moving any pot from one blech to another. The fact that the surface would have cooled off soon does not change that. (Some Sefardic poskim never allow moving food from one heat source to another- see Yalkut Yosef 253:(10)).

One must make sure that all of the food in the chulent pot, including beans and bones that are eaten, are fully cooked before returning them to a blech and that the food is still hot (slightly, for Ashkenazim; YAD SOLEDET BO, for Sefardim). Otherwise, there would be actual cooking, not just rabbinic issues of HACHZARA.

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 eretzhem@netvision.net.il with the message: Join Hemdatya –Please leave the subject blank. Ask the Vebbe Rebbe is partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel

Rite and Reason by Shmuel Pinchas Gelbard
One of the morning blessings is: SHELO ASANI GOY - You did not make me a gentile. (Why is the text in the negative rather than SHE’ASANI YISRAEL, He has made me a Jew? Doesn’t that say the same thing in a “nicer” way?)

Reason: The reason for using the negative rather than the positive wording is because our Sages concluded that it would be better for a person not to have been created rather than to have been created (see Eruvin 13B). So the meaning of the bracha is: It would have been better that HaShem not have fashioned me; now that He has created me, I am grateful that he did not make me a gentile. (BACH)

Reason: If we were to recite the bracha “Who made me a Yisrael”, we could not subsequently recite the blessing, “Who did not make me a slave”, because the term Yisrael implies one who is a free person, and not a slave. Since we do not wish to decrease the number of brachot we recvite daily, but to speak to Hashem’s praises at length, we add a blessing for every act of His lovingkindness individually.

Ed. note: In a siddur of Nusach Italki, the Italian version of prayers, the bracha is indeed SHE’ASANI YISRAEL, and not SHELO ASANI GOY. I have no doubt that the change was pressured or forced by the Catholic Church which took particular offense to the SHELO ASANI GOY format.
We should be mindful of the various places in the davening that the Church forced its way upon us. E.g. the censorship of SHE’HEIM MITPAL’LIM... sentence in ALEINU, the presence of the opening pasuk and concluding words of the SH’MA in the Musaf Kedusha of Shabbat and Yom Tov.

Hasidic Wisdom from the book by Simcha Raz (Elkins/Elkins)
"You shall not make molten gods for yourselves.” (Sh’mot 34:17)
This means: Do not have an overly rigid image of G-d.
That is, do not make G-d into an idol.
— Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk

ArtScroll Series • Mesorah Publications Ltd.
WORDS OF WISDOM WORDS OF WIT by Shmuel Himelstein
A famous maggid was known far and wide for the impact of his words of rebuke. After his death, all his sermons were pub- lished, but for some reason they had little effect on readers. Yet those who had heard the maggid, attested that the con- tent was identical. What was missing, they decided, was the deep sighs, coming from the heart, with which the maggid punctuated his sermons.

We should make it a point to visit with ourselves every now and then. - From A Candle by Day by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein

G’matriya Twins
V'R'CHATZU Y'DEIHEM V'R'AGLEIHEM V'LO Y'AMUTU V'HAYAT L'HEM CHAK OLAM LO U'L'ZARO L'D'ROTAM:
The mitzva for the kohanim to wash their hands and feet before service in the Mikdash is a prime example of the function and significance of water in our quest for Kedusha in this world.

In the Midbar, the source of water for the People of Israel was the Well that miracu- lously accompanied them throughout their wandering. This miracle was in the merit of Miriam for her standing watch over Moshe when he was placed in the basket on the water of the Nile. She was rewarded for that vigil by the people remaining encamped until Miriam rejoined them after her “bout” of Tzora’at.

VA'T'SAGER MIRIAM M'CHUTZ L'MACHANE SHIVAT YAMIM V'H'AM LO N'SA AD HA'A'SEIF MIRIAM:
¿These two p’sukim are G’matriya Twins.

Another word from the ACADEMIYA L’LASHON HA’IVRIT — for something that most people call by their LO’AZI (foreign language) names without realizing there is a Hebrew word for it.

One TT reader asks why the ACADEMIYA doesn’t find a word for itself that isn’t foreign. Good question. In the meantime, here’s this one...The design and/or stylized initials that a company, organization, or individual uses on stationery, signs, labels, etc. Logo. Right! In Hebrew? LOGO? Nice try, but no. SAMLIL.

MA RABU MA'ASECHA HASHEM KULAM B'CHOCHMA ASITA MAL'A HA'ARETZ KINYANECHA • Porcupines
The adult porcupine is a medium-sized animal that weighs about 14 kg. It's total body length can reach up to 100 cm... small head, short legs, and a rounded shape. It is covered by a thick coat of hair that hides thousands of quills... Porcupines are found in wooded regions... vegetarian and eats only plants, shrubs, and trees... many kinds of grasses, dandelions, twigs, and aquatic plants ... The main enemy of the porcupine is the fisher. It is also hunted by great horned owls, coyotes and wolves... The porcupine is a solitary animal... most active during the night. In winter, they like to spend time in evergreen trees where they are protected from the wind and can eat the green needles... doesn't have good eyesight but does have excellent hearing and smelling skills. Did you know that a porcupine's quills are soft when it is born? A newborn's quills harden after about thirty minutes. Without this favorable timetable, it's doubtful there would be any porcupines... their quills are hollow and buoyant, porcupines will swim across wide streams and lakes without hesitation... slow-moving, docile rodent... The North American porcupine has over 30,000 quills on its back and sides...

Porcupines don't actually throw their quills, but quills are easily dislodged when they shake their tails. ...very fond of salt and will gnaw on wooden handles of tools just to taste the salty perspiration of humans.

CHIZUK and IDUD (for the Oleh & not-yet-Oleh respectively)
Once again we read the incredible story of the golden calf. Moshe Rabeinu's response to the sin seems almost as surprising as the sin itself - smashing the 'luchos' at the foot of the mountain, and then rallying the Leviyim to slay their brothers and friends.

Rav Kook (Orot Hakodesh 2:21) derives an important lesson from Moshe's be- havior: although under normal circumstances holiness is a constructive force, which fosters growth through positive actions, there are times when an act of 'holy destruction' is called for.

Rav Kook explains that this lesson is relevant to each and every person as he navigates his way through life's concerns. A person who is not whole- heartedly committed to seeking out "the light of good and truth", will choose the comfort one experiences when clinging to familiar ground, never questioning well worn beliefs and opinions. Moshe's act of 'holy destruction' teaches us that in order to achieve the highest level one can, maintaining the status quo is not enough. One must be willing to lay physical and spiritual well being at risk, 'smashing' outdated elements of the self, thus preparing the ground for the building of a more spiritual structure.
It is time to listen to the voice of G-d as it calls to us through the unfolding of Jewish history in our time - Come home, come home to the Land where the Jewish people can truly build a sacred nation. - Avi Roness, Ramat Beit Shemesh

TORAH THOUGHTS as contributed by Aloh Naaleh members for publication in the Orthodox Union's 'Torah Insights', a weekly Torah publication on Parshat Ha'Shavuah

From the Desk of the Director
Parshat Ki Tissa describes the scandalous Sin of the Golden Calf, leading us, perhaps, to overlook the requests of Moshe to prepare the sacred anointing oil (Shemen Hamishcha) and the incense (Ketoret) (Vayikra 30:22-28). The Ketoret, offered up twice a day, symbolized Israel's desire to serve Hashem in a pleasing way. Both these holy mixtures were largely composed of specific spices, as delineated in the text.

It is interesting to compare aspects of these two compounds: Their creation reads like emerald petals floating down on our senses: The oily mixture was composed of cassia, pure myrrh, and fragrant cinnamon and cane, while stacte, onycha, galbanum and frankincense contributed to the Ketoret. So special were these recipes that any unauthorized person creating them would be cut off from his people.

Understandably, selected perfumed ingredients formed the basis of the anointing oil designated for holy vessels, priests and kings. Rashi and Sforno learn from its specification as "remaining for Me, oil of sacred anointment, for your generations" (30:31), that this was a one-time prepa- ration that would be divinely preserved until the anointing of Melech HaMa- shiach at the end of days.

While Moshe had to make the anointing oil in a unique combination of spices, the Ketoret was to be made in equal amounts of the designated components (30:34). One of these, galbanum, has a foul taste. This led our rabbis to note homiletically that even evil doers have a right to serve Hashem along with the righteous. There is, of course, a message here as to how and when God-fearing individuals should embrace those for whom the Golden Calf is still pervasive.