The Israel Center Board and Staff
wish the participants in the OU/RCA Solidarity Mission under the
leadership of Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb a meaningful Shabbat and
a successful conclusion to your mission. May you return to your
respective communities newly charged with enthusiasm, conviction,
and commitment to making Israel a significant and special part of
your lives on many levels The deadlines for the SH'MA and the Shacharit Amida can be calculated in two ways. Either considering the day to be from sunrise to sunset or from dawn to stars out. The first way of reckoning is known as the opinion of the GR"A, and is the first time given in each case. The second method is known as the Magen Avraham, and is presented in parentheses. Aside from candle lighting and havdala, the times are presented as a range, from the current Thursday of the issue of Torah Tidbits until the coming Thursday, a span of 8 days. Days between the two Thursdays can be determined by interpolation (which means: a method by which to estimate a value of between two known values - this is something that people above a certain age might remember from high school trigonometry and logarithms, but younger people who went to school during the calculator era might not be familiar with). It is usually wise to "pad" the
times with a minute or two in the "play it safe" direction. E.g.
Plag Mincha. Better to finish Mincha a minute or two before the
given time. But, better to not light candles until a minute or two
after the given time. How about matters of belief? If we take the Rambam’s (and many others) approach to the first Statement of the Aseret HaDibrot, the “10 Commandments” — ANOCHI, I Am HaShem your G-d... that we are dealing with a mitzva (among the 613) that commands us to believe in G-d, then we are also dealing with a halachic topic among the many that make up our lives as Torah-committed Jews. And this means that we should be able to ask our rabbis and religious mentors questions in this area. If we can ask a Rav if white wine is acceptable for Kiddush on Friday night, then we should be able to ask a Rav if it is “kosher” to question G-d’s “role” in the Holocaust. If we can ask a Rav about a dairy spoon that was accidentally used to stir a pot of tomato sauce with pieces of chopped meat in it, then we should be able to ask a Rav about your understanding of what happens to a person’s Soul after he dies. To be sure, many rabbis would be nervous about questions of belief and hashkafa and more comfortable with what to do if you forget Yaaleh V’yavo or how much of a chipped letter requires taking out another Sefer Torah. And the answers to these belief questions are rarely going to be yes or no. But the questions need to be asked. It’s the only way we can grow in our fulfillment of mitzvot such as ANOCHI. This kind of mitzva is dynamic, always changing and growing. It is not like what bracha do you make on Chumus? A child begins to develop a
belief in G-d. That belief continues to grow and reshape as the
person grows into adulthood. And it doesn’t stop there. Throughout a
person’s life he has experiences – and reads and hears about the
experiences of others – that challenge his belief. Each of those new
questions is an opportunity to fulfill anew the mitzva of ANOCHI
HASHEM ELOKECHA. [SDT] The straight reading of this portion indicates that Yitro heard about the Crossing of the Sea and of the battle with Amalek. These are the events recorded in the previous sedra. Other commentaries point to certain textual references about Sinai and are of the opinion that Yitro came after Matan Torah, sometime during the almost one year that the People remained camped near Mt. Sinai. If the latter opinion is correct, then we have an example of "there is no set order in the Torah's account of what happen(ed/s)". And we can add the events of Sinai revelation to the list of what Yitro "heard and came". [SDT] The Torah says that Yitro heard things, came to join the People (to convert to Judaism), and then Moshe proceeds to tell Yitro all that has occurred. Did not the Torah just tell us that he heard things before? Did Moshe just repeat that which Yitro had already heard? Of course, hearing the stories from Moshe Rabeinu directly must certainly be better than catching the reports on CNN. Rabbi Sholom Gold suggests another reason. Our sources say that Yitro came to the People of Israel, not just for a family visit, but to convert to Judaism. If his main incentives for coming were hearing of the wonders of the Exodus, the Splitting of the Sea, and Matan Torah, then his interest in converting might be suspect. Moshe tells Yitro ALL that has happened AND all the travail, the problems that had befallen the fledgling nation. About the thirst and the hunger, the uncertainty. Only after hearing of how "tough it is to be a Jew", would Yitro be able to be accepted into the nation by Moshe. And so it was. Yitro knew it all and still wanted to be part of the Jewish People. On those terms, we are willing to accept converts. VAYICHAD YITRO, Yitro was
delighted with all of the good that G-d had done for the people of
Israel. That’s the “plain” meaning of the word. Rashi mentions
another possible meaning of the word – of the skin breaking out in
“goosebumps” (cutis ansirina), per- haps a subconscious feeling of
mortifi- cation for the downfall of his former colleagues. (This portion of the sedra definitely seems to have occurred after Matan Torah, even if you want to say that Yitro's original arrival was before.) [SDT] "On the following day..." The plain meaning would be, on the day following Yitro's arrival. Rashi, however, quotes the Midrash in saying that the day was the morrow of Yom Kippur, that first Yom Kippur when Moshe came down from the mountain with the second tablets. This makes an important statement, that not only is building the Mishkan an essential part of the "getting back to life following the Golden Calf disaster" period, but so is the every day social and civil functioning of the people. In the big picture, we see that Parshat Yitro with the main description of Matan Torah precedes Mishpatim with its mundane, everyday, down-to-earth laws. Yet at the beginning of Yitro, we find this out-of- sequence portion of the Mishpatim idea. And at the end of Mishpatim, we have the rest of the story of Maamad Har Sinai. So which really comes first - the lofty, spiritual dimensions of Judaism, or everyday life. We can (and should) look at it as a package deal. However you look at the first part of the sedra, the story of Yitro seems to be an interruption between the events of the Exodus and the Splitting of the Sea on the one hand, and Matan Torah on the other. Seems. But it isn't an interruption - it is a pre-requisite for Matan Torah. Moshe's view of the judging process, as he explains to Yitro who asks him what he's doing, is that the people come to him LIDROSH ET HA'ELOKIM, to seek out G-d. Yitro's point is that there is a lack of civility among the disputing individuals which must be handled BEFORE they can pursue Knowledge of G-d. This interlude about civil justice can teach us that good interpersonal relations allows us to really benefit from Matan Torah. Similarly, DERECH ERETZ KADMA LATORAH. Here's another way of looking at the "Yitro intro" to Matan Torah. Perhaps the Torah is telling us how to relive the experience of Matan Torah in our own lives. Its suggestion is "be like a convert". Take a fresh view of Jewish life. Marvel at all the things that G-d has done for Bnei Yisrael. Don't take things for granted. Approach your Judaism like Yitro did. Even if you are a Jew by birth, work on being a Jew by choice. G-d put the dramatic stories of the birth of the nation on hold, to let us take a close look at someone who doesn't have the Mountain poised above his head. Matan Torah was the mass conversion of a family-based group that is attaining nation- hood. But the individual still counts. This we can learn from Yitro, the individual. Many of the details of the
Torah’s des- cription of the Yitro-Moshe-judging episode have become
part of the procedures for Jewish courts. Judges sit; parties to a
dispute and witnesses stand (unless the court offers to seat them).
Major cases - idolatrous city, false prophet, and the like - are
heard by the Sanhedrin of 71. Moshe sends Yitro off on his
journey to Midyan (to convert his family, says Rashi). The Torah now returns to the sequence of Y'tzi'at Mitzrayim to Matan Torah. On Rosh Chodesh Sivan (six weeks after leaving Egypt) the Children of Israel arrive at Sinai. A famous point, worth
repeating... Today is the first day of the
rest of our lives. The words of Torah which we learn and live should
never become stale. They should be in our eyes as if TODAY we have
received them. We should learn Torah and do mitzvot with the
freshness and enthusiasm of a first-time experience. This too fits
well with the "Yitro model". The challenge: Be a true Torah Jew all
your life, for as many years as G-d gives you, but have an
enthusiasm that is more common with converts and Baalei T'shuva. What follows is/are the Aseret HaDibrot, the Ten Commandments. They are comprised of 13 p'sukim which contain 14 mitzvot out of the Torah's 613. The Aseret HaDibrot can be viewed as both specific mitzvot as well as "chapter headings" for many of the Torah's mitzvot (e.g. LO TIGNOV is specifically the prohibition of kid- napping, and generally, the category of all prohibitions related to stealing - robbing, burglary, cheating in business, pressuring someone into selling you something that he doesn't really want to sell, moving a boundary marker... and others). MITZVA WATCH The second commandment contains several prohibitions related to idolatry. Specifically, not to believe in other gods [26,L1] (this mitzva includes the prohibition of having no belief - atheism), not making idols [27,L2], nor bowing to them (even without believing) [28,L5], nor worshiping idols in any manner [29,L6]. Note that this commandment deals with both thought and with action. The third commandment prohibits swearing in vain [30,L62]. This is defined as (1) swearing to the truth of something that is obviously true and well-known - that the Sun is hot; (2) to swear in denial of an obvious truth - that the Moon is made of cheese (interestingly, this is not considered a lie or a false oath, since everyone knows that the Moon is not cheese. Only when the truth of a matter is unknown do we use the term lie and false oath. A vain oath is just as serious as a false one, so this distinction is largely academic, but it emphasizes the seriousness of being flippant in regard to swearing.); (3) to swear to violate the Torah - e.g. that one will eat pork. Such an oath is immediately void since we are considered to have taken a prior oath (at Sinai) to not eat pork. Hence, the oath is in vain and a disrespectful use of G-d's name; (4) to swear to do something that is impossible - e.g. to stay awake for a full week. The common denominator of these types of vain oaths is that they all "cheapen" the use of G-d's name and threaten the smooth functioning of society which often must rely on the seriousness of a real oath. Commandment #4 deals with Shabbat and contains the positive mitzva to remember the Shabbat with Kiddush [31,A155], and the prohibition of all manner of M'lacha, specific types of creative activities [32,L320]. The mitzva of ZACHOR includes Kiddush as Shabbat enters, and Havdala as Shabbat leaves. The prohibitions of M'lacha are divided into 39 categories, each of which contains other related activities, usually with the same goal. E.g., PLANTING is one of the 39 categories; watering, pruning, fertil- izing all help the growth of plants and are TOLADOT of PLANTING. The fifth commandment is to honor one's parents [33,A210]. Grand- parents, in-laws, older (or possibly oldest) siblings, and teachers are included (with differences). Honor of parents is usually considered to refer to that which one does for one's parents, as opposed to reverence (fear) of parents which include that which should not be done because it would be disrespectful. #6 is the prohibition of MURDER
[34,L289], which is considered the antithesis of Belief in G-d,
since murder directly negates creation of human being in His image. #8 is LO TIGNOV [36,L243], which, as mentioned earlier, is specifically defined as kidnapping, but is also the category header of many mitzvot in the Torah. Maybe they can all be summed up as indicating that the person who violates these kind of mitzvot puts himself above other human beings. It is obvious how this is harmful to society, and to the individual's striving for Kedusha. #9 is the prohibition of "bearing false witness" [37,L285]. We can see in this mitzva, as well as many others, how important it is to G-d, so to speak, that we be able to function as a society. Both oaths, and to a greater extent, perhaps, testimony, are necessary for the establishment of TRUTH, in the absence of having direct knowledge of the truth ourselves. So much of the dealings between people involves the trust we place in each other's word, especially when backed by an oath, and in the confidence we place in the testimony of two witnesses. Without these elements of our interpersonal relationships, we would be incapable of functioning as a society. #10 commandment against COVETING
[38,L265] sort of sums things up in that it focuses on the thought
process that can lead to all types of sins. Being part of "The Big
10" points to the significance of thoughts in the whole picture,
which usually consists of deeds. G-d tells Moshe to remind the People that they heard G-d speak; that they shall make no graven human images (even for art) [39,L4]; they shall make an altar and offer sacrifices upon it; if the altar be of stone, its stone shall not be cut with metal tools [40,L79]. Metal implements represent the sword, which shortens life; the Altar represents the lengthening of life. From this rule comes the custom to remove or cover the bread-knife during "benching", since our table is likened to the Altar. (Some authorities say that this minhag applies only during the week, not on Shabbat.) The Altar may not be approached with immodest steps [41,L80] but rather via its ramp. Rashi points out that with one of
the kohein’s 4 garments being pants, there really wouldn’t be actual
immodesty in walking on steps; nonetheless, it has the appearance of
immodesty and is therefore inappropriate as an approach to the
Mizbei’ach (Altar). Rashi adds that if the Torah showed concern for
inappropriate behavior vis-a-vis stones, how much more so must we be
careful not to treat our fellow human beings, who were created in
the image of G-d, in a deprecating manner. Another common theme between
sedra and haftara is the concept of holiness. In the sedra, G-d
tells us that we will be to Him a kingdom of Kohanim and a holy
nation. As Rabbi Jacobs points out in his “A Haftara Companion”, it
is important to remember the difference between the perfect holiness
of the Heavenly angels and the Jews striving towards holiness,
without being ever able to achieve perfection. However, there are times when the seller sells because of coercion or duress. If this is true, then the seller does not have the requisite intent to sell and without intent on the part of the seller to sell and the buyer to buy, there is no sale, even though the outer trappings of a sale has taken place. The halachah recognizes that coercion or duress is a reason for a person not to be held responsible for his acts. There must be a procedure for Beth Din to follow in those few instances where such an allegation is raised by the seller. This lesson and the next lesson examines the rules relating to that situation. Whether the seller receives the full consideration for the sale or receives an unfair price or no money at all, makes a difference in whether the seller can raise the plea of duress. However, there may even be an opportunity for the seller who receives full consideration and states at the time of the sale that it is being sold of his own free will and without coercion, to later claim that it was really a sale under duress. If the seller makes a protest before the sale, he may, under the circumstances stated in this lesson, raise a plea of coercion. What type of coercion is considered sufficient for Beth Din to set aside the sale? When must the seller make his protest and what form must it take? Do all the laws of protest apply to gifts? There are times when the seller,
in order to obtain money from the buyer for a debt due from the
buyer to the seller, pretends that he is selling. Is this a case of
sale without intent? The situation when a Jew consents to pay
interest to a Gentile lender after the loan has been made is similar
to that. (A Jew cannot charge or pay interest to a fellow Jew. He
may pay interest to or receive interest from a Gentile.) Did the Jew
really intend to have interest paid, or was it paid because of
duress? Many communities have laws and court decisions dealing with sales in made under duress, and such laws will ordinarily be binding on the parties. The first thing to know is that there must be intent of both parties to conclude the sale. If one of the parties to the sale does not have the intent to sell or to buy, the sale is voidable and can be set aside in a lawsuit by the party alleging lack of intent The burden of proof is on the party pleading lack of intent. * If the seller receives a fair and full consideration for the item sold, whether real estate or personal property, and admits at the time that he is selling of his own free will, then the seller cannot plead that the sale was under duress. The value need not be in cash; it could be in merchandise equivalent in value to the item bought by the buyer. There is a difference of opinion as to whether there had to have been witnesses present to preclude the seller pleading duress in the sale in which he received full compensation. According to one opinion if there were no witnesses present when the seller received the money, he can plead duress in the sale even though he later admits that he received the full consideration. He has to return the money to the buyer if Beth Din finds there was duress. According to the second opinion, if the seller admits that he received the full consideration, then he can no longer plead duress in the sale even if there were no witnesses present when he received the money. There is a difference of opinion if the seller receives a promissory note of the buyer instead of payment in cash or equivalent at the time that he gives the deed to the buyer. According to one opinion even if it is acknowledged that the buyer's promissory note can be relied upon to be paid, it is not the equivalent of cash and the seller is not precluded from pleading that the sale was under duress. The other opinion holds that if the promissory note can be relied upon to be paid, and if the seller does so, he has the requisite intent to sell. If the seller does not receive a fair consideration and can prove it, then he may plead that the sale is under duress. This may be true even if the seller does not make a prior or contemporaneous protest against the sale. There is also a view that if the thing being sold is real estate, and if there is no protest, the sale cannot be undone on the basis of duress. Even if the seller receives a fair and full consideration from the buyer, there are times when he can plead that he sold under duress. If the seller protests prior to the sale that he is going to give a deed or bill of sale to the item, although he is being forced into doing it, the protest lays the foundation for his later lawsuit to set aside the sale as being under duress. On the other hand, even if it is known to the persons who witness the transfer of the item to the buyer that there is duress, but no protest is made, the transfer will not be undone on the basis of duress. The protest must be made before the seller writes or instructs the writing of a deed for realty or a bill of sale or personal property, where the custom is to prepare such instruments. If the seller could protest after the writing of the deed no deed would have any value. The fact that the seller in the presence of the witnesses later states that the sale is not under duress does not vitiate the earlier protest since the statement that he is not under coercion might itself be coerced. The subject matter of this lesson
is more fully presented in Volume VI Chapters 205 of"A Restatement
of Rabbinic Civil Law" byE. Quint, published by Jason Aronson, Inc.
and on sale at local Judaica bookstores. The gemara asks where the number 39 comes from, and two answers are given: either the melachot correspond to the thirty-nine different types of labor which were necessary in the Mishkan (Tabernacle), or alternatively they correspond to the 39 different times the word melacha appears in the Torah in the forms melakha, melakhot (labors), or melakhto (his labor). This actually amounts to forty mentions. The gemara then asks if the verse referring to Yosef going to the house of Potiphar to perform “his labor” should be omitted, or alternatively the verse “The labor was enough” which states that the materials which the people brought for the construction of the mishkan was sufficient (Shabbat 49b). This seemingly technical passage is given a profound meaning by Rav Kook. The two different sources for the 39 melachot give two different answers to the question, what is the meaning of the sanctity of Shabbat? Does this sanctity come to accentuate the essential contrast between the holy and the mundane? Or on the contrary, is this sanctity meant to allude to the ultimate unification of holy and mundane? According to the first approach, that Shabbat comes to heighten the contrast between holy and profane, then not only should Shabbat be a day of rest from labor, but those labors themselves should come from a source which is totally holy. The Jewish people labored, and continue to labor, to build a holy sanctuary in a profane world; but Shabbat, which is like the World to Come, is removed even from this level of holiness. According to the second approach, that the sanctity of Shabbat comes to remind us of the holiness which is immanent in our everyday activities, then our Shabbat rest should relate to these labors. This approach is exemplified by the opinion which states that the 39 melachot are learned from all 39 mentions of this concept in the Torah. These mentions include sublime kinds of labor such as HaShem’s creation of the world and the intricate artistry which went into building the sanctuary, as well as mundane instances such as Yaakov telling Esav that the camp can only progress according to the “pace of our labor” (Bereshit 33:14); the statement that abdominal fat of animals permissible for “all labor” (Vayikra 7:24); or the statement that vessels are susceptible to defilement when they are made for some practical use (Vayikra 11:32). “Even higher than the specialized direc- tion corresponding to the labors of the sanctuary, is the general direction which encompasses holy and mundane, nature and artifice, all together in a single connection stand to be sanctified by the Sabbath day, by the day which is all rest.” However, a doubt arises regarding the verse telling of Yosef’s work. Perhaps this type of work, which was entirely for a foreign master in a foreign land, is really not susceptible of complete sanctification. On the one hand this type labor was performed by the righteous Yosef, and continues to be performed today by holy Jewish individuals. On the other hand, the venue and objective of this kind of labor are so far removed from the realm of holiness that perhaps it is not even dignified with being the kind of labor Shabbat withdraws from and sanctifies. The resolution of this doubt
depends on a further question: Is Shabbat rest merely a result of
having no more labor to do, or is it a value in itself? However, if we conceive that the Shabbat rest has inherent value, and does not merely signify that we’ve reached our objective in terms of achievement, then “The labor was enough for them” doesn’t belong in the count. But according to this approach Yosef’s labor does count; since our focus is on the cessation of the process of exertion, any kind of exertion is susceptible to sanctification, even if the work itself is not directed towards any particularly useful goal. So if we omit this verse, then Yosef’s may be counted. — Ein Ayah Shabbat 49b NEW BLURB; read on...• “Meaning in Mitzvot” is now undergoing intensive editing; which will be followed IYH by printing. With the help of loyal supporters, we hope to have the book on the shelves by Rosh HaShana. If you would be interested in helping with publication, please contact Rabbi Meir about making a dedication or subscription (advance purchase): E-mail mail@asherandattara.com, fax 02-642-3141. Rabbi Meir authors a popular
weekly on-line Q&A column, "The Jewish Ethicist", which gives Jewish
guidance on everyday ethical dilemmas in the workplace. The column
is a joint project of the JCT Center for Business Ethics, Jerusalem
College of Technology - Machon Lev; and Aish HaTorah. You can see
the Jewish Ethicist, and submit your own Qs — www.jewishethicist.com
or www. aish.com Q Is it a good idea to change the
name of a person who is very sick, and how does one go about doing
it? What are the long-term implications of this change? However, the step of changing a name should not be taken lightly, as a person's name could have not only psychological importance to him, but could actually be the source of spiritual strength and longevity for him, as well. Therefore, great rabbis who have a special expertise in and sensitivity to the more hidden world of the Torah should give approval to such a decision. For the reason we have mentioned, we also have the practice not to uproot the old name but to add on another name before the old one. (The practice of having double names is itself hundreds, not thousands of years old.) The name is changed in a "ceremony" done with a minyan, which starts with the recitation of several perakim of Tehillim, and includes a special "Yehi Ratzon." This is found in some complete siddurim or Tehillim books. We have brought the order of the ceremony with the differences between the Ashkenazic and Sefardic communities in Bemareh Habazak IV, pg. 44. The idea of the change is not to
be ceremonial alone, but it is supposed to represent an actual
change in the name. While it is not forbidden for a person to use a
name other than the one he was given at his brit, the official name
should be the new one. This has weighty consequences if the person
gives a get (see Shulchan Aruch, Even Haezer 129:18 and the responsa
found in the Chelkat Mechokek, ad loc.). It also affects how the
person is called to the Torah, how a "Mi Shebeirach" will be said on
his behalf, and how he should be referred to in death, whether on a
tombstone or in memorial services (Gesher Hachayim I, pg. 31). 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 Reason: The commandments were
given to the Children of Israel in a loud voice. It is therefore
proper to raise one’s voice when reading them in shul to stimulate
the listeners to imagine they are now rejoicing with the
commandments as when they were given on Har Sinai. “The reason is simple,” said R’
Meir. “When I come to the next world, if I take revenge and exact
retribution in this world, they may criticize me for having done so.
Now what can I tell them in my defense - that I’m a talmid chacham?
And what happens if they disagree? What can I possibly say to
justify my actions? If, on the other hand, I do not take revenge in
this world and am criticized in the next world for not having done
so, i have a simple defense: I can always claim I didn’t know I was
a talmid chacham. The source for brit milah is the biblical commandment for Avraham to circumcise himself and all his male descendants (Genesis 17:10). Jews throughout history have risked their lives to circumcise their children, as the brit milah was a symbol of Jewish distinctiveness. Circumcision does not determine
the Jewish status of a child: having a brit milah does not make a
non-Jewish child Jewish just as not having a brit milah does not
make a Jewish child non-Jewish. This act represents a transi- tional
moment, as the newborn now carries a testimony, symbolizing his link
to the Jewish people. Like every other important subject, this, too, can be found in the Torah. And so we turn to this week's Sedra. There Moshe, on his way to Eretz Yisrael, confronts his father-in-law Chovav (Yitro) and implores him: "Come with us, and it will be good for you, for Hashem has spoken well of Bnei Yisrael." (10:28) Yitro shakes his head. "I will not go; but to my land and my family I will go - Ki im el artzi v'el molad'ti eilech." In 7 choice words, Yitro employs the classic arguments against making Aliyah: My LAND: "All my real estate, all
my business interests, all my accumulated wealth is there. How can I
leave it all behind for the uncertainty of an unsown land?" My Family: "You know, family is everything. How am I going to leave my elderly parents, my brothers & sisters, my aunts & uncles? I need them, they need me, we need each other. IF they were all coming, OK. But THEY are staying put, so I have to do what the majority wants." Moshe tries one more plea with Yitro: "I beg you, do not forsake us," and then he returns to his first point: "If you go with us, then the good which Hashem does for us, he will do for you, too." Moshe the Wise knows that he cannot counter the emotional arguments of kin and comfort. So he reiterates the same promise Hashem told Avraham when He said "Lech-LECHA," go FOR YOU, namely: "ISRAEL IS GOOD FOR THE JEW!" While Diasporas appear comfy and cushy, they all eventually turn tragically hostile. Centuries of Jewish settlement in
the Galut can disappear in short order, taking all the shuls,
schools and people with it. History, alas, does not lie. 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 Male donkey is called a JACK,
female a JENNET, and baby is called a FOAL. As Moshe's father-in-law, it is not surprising that Yitro sought to reunite Moshe with his wife Zipporah and children who had previously been sent away (Rashi, 4:20). However, Yitro's message to Moshe is bizarre: "I… am coming with your wife and her two sons." Rashi elaborates that, "If you will not come to greet me for my sake, then [do so] for your wife's sake [or] for the sake of her two children." Rabbi M. Miller comments on Yitro's formality. Was he afraid that Moshe was embarrassed at having married a non-Jew? Or, having heard how Moshe sat at judgment while the people stood (18:13), did he fear that Moshe neglected rules of protocol? In court, Moshe conforms to
Hashem's injunction to Avraham (Ber. R. 48), "Sit and I will stand
[and] this will be a sign to future judges, as it is written: 'G-d
stands in the congregation of G-d' (Psalm 82)." Yet Yitro, who
rejected all forms of evil - real or imagined - was scrupulous in
promoting "proper" behavior and the outright impression that his
daughter and children were accepted. Clearly, Moshe's positive
responses to Yitro indicate something about the impor- tance of
regarding other people's sensitivities. The Leviyim faced west towards the Mizbei'ach and the Bayit; their backs were turned towards the people assembled in the Ezrat Yisrael further to the east. When the Kohein poured the Nisuch Hayayin - the wine libation which accompanied the daily required morning and evening Tamid - into a silver cup embedded in the southwestern corner of the Mizbei'ach, the Levi'im sang the psalm assigned for that day. Other Leviyim playing lutes, harps, lyres, flutes and a cymbal, accompanied the singers. The flutes were played only on special occasions. The Leviyim entered the Azarah through Sha'ar Hashir - the 'Gate of Singing"- on the northern side of the Azarah. The order of gates cited in the Mishna seems to give credence to the view that the Sha'ar Hashir is the northern of the two gates of the Beit Hamokeid - the Chamber of the Hearth. "And there were rooms underneath the Ezrat Yisrael which opened into the Ezrat Nashim - Court of the Women (further to the east). There (in these rooms), the Leviyim stored their harps, lyres, cymbals and all other types of musical instruments." (Middot 2:6) Possibly these underground chambers, called Lishkot Hashir - the "Singing Chambers", were not only store- rooms but were also used as studios where the Leviyim honed their musical skills. The Mishna preserves a description of the Levitical choir, in place, instruments in hand, waiting for the signal to begin. "They gave him (the Kohein Gadol)
the wine for the Nisuch Hayayin libation and the S'gan - the
adjutant Kohein Gadol - stood beside him at the corner 'horn' of the
Mizbei'ach with scarves in his hand and two Kohanim stood by the
(marble) 'table of the fat pieces' with two silver trumpets in their
hands. (This table was one of two located between the ascending-ramp
south of the Mizbei'ach and the Bayit.) They blew a prolonged blast,
a quivering blast and again a prolonged blast. Then they came and
stood by Ben Arza (the choir master) - one at his right hand, one at
his left. When the Kohein bent down to pour the Nisuch Hayayin, the
S'gan waved the scarf as a signal, Ben Arza struck the cymbal and
the Leviyim burst into song. When the Leviyim reached a break in the
singing, they blew a prolonged blast on the trumpet and the people
in the Azarah prostrated themselves. At every break they blew a
prolonged blast and the people would prostrate themselves." (Tamid
7:3) "No minor could enter the Azarah to participate in the Temple service except when the Leviyim stood to sing. They (the minors) did not accompany the song with lyre and harp but only with their voices to add sweetness to the melody. They did not stand on the DUCHAN but rather they stood directly on the floor so their heads were visible between the feet of the Leviyim. They (the minors) were called the 'tormentors of the Leviyim.'" (Arachin 2:6) The Hebrew word 'Tzo'arei' could also be translated as 'young.' These young boys "tormented" the older Leviyim because they had better voices and could hit the high notes. When the question arose whether the omission of the vocal singing and accompa- nying music invalidated the sacrifice, it was ruled that the Leviyim's voices were sufficient even if they were not accompanied by the musical instruments (Note Arachin 11a). On Shabbat, the Leviyim sang but were unaccompanied by musical instruments. The vocal singing was considered an Avodah - an act of Temple service - and therefore was permissible on Shabbat; the instrumental accompaniment was not considered an Avodah and therefore was not permissible on Shabbat. (Sukkah 50a, 50b) The Mishna (Tamid 7:4), recording the Shir Shel Yom sung by the Leviyim in the Beit Hamikdash has long been incorporated into the Siddur and is recited during Musaf on Shabbat. Every day during the week the Leviyim sang the same psalm twice; once each during the Nisuch Hayayin, which accompanied the morning and afternoon Tamid. During the Korban Musaf offered on Shabbat, the Leviyim sang selections from Parshat Ha'azinu (Devarim 32:1-43) in a six week cycle. On Shabbat afternoons they sang excerpts from the Shirat Hayam (Shemot 15:1-18) and from the Shirat Habe'air (Bamidbar 21:17-20) in a three week cycle. (Rosh Hashannah 31a) The Musafin - additional sacrifices - offered on Rosh Chodesh and on the Shalosh Regalim were accompanied by Tehillim related to these occasions. (Sukkah 55a, Rosh Hashannah 30b) When the Ma'amadot - organized companies of Olei Regel from the outlying districts of Eretz Yisrael - who accompanied the 24 priestly Mishmarot, came up to Jerusalem and entered the Azarah, the Leviyim would greet them with, "I will exult Thee O L-rd, for Thou has raised me up and not made my enemies to rejoice over me." (Bikkurim 3:4, Ps. 30:2) Catriel Sugarman gives illustrated lectures on the Beit Hamikdash and related topics. He can be reached at (02) 652-7531 or by email: acatriel@netvision.net.il. Catriel is in the process of writing a book entitled: The Temple of Jerusalem, A
Pilgrim's Perspective: A Guided Tour through the Temple and the
Divine Service. Here’s another one from DL’s list. It appears 29 times in Tanach, so we should mention it here. In English it is Jezreel, as in the valley, with some of the most fertile farm land in the country. In Hebrew, the name is YIZ- then REISH with a SH’VA NA followed by AYIN-SEGOL and an unvoweled ALEF which does not influence the pronunciation, and finally an ALEF. I’m almost sorry we brought it up. Not really. Thanks DL. Oh, all right, we’ll be thorough. One more from DL. Appears only once in Tanach. Hoshei’a 10:14, to be specific. ALEF-REISH-VET-ALEF- LAMED. Second ALEF is a NACH NISTAR. The name is AR-VEIL, as if the ALEF were not there. Back to the ALEF-BET and various
warnings about easily mispronounced and interchanged letters. VET
and FEI (V and F sounds). YIVTACH as in BARUCH HAGEVER ASHER YIVTACH
BASHEM... Blessed is the person who trusts in G-d... As contrasted
with YIFTACH, as in YIFTACH HASHEM L’CHA ET OTZRO HATOV, May G-d
open for you His good treasure house... or YIFTACH the GIL’ADI who
lead the people of Israel in battle. With a TAV as the next letter,
it is natural to mispronounce the VET as a FEI. That’s because FEI
and TAV are both “voiceless” consonants, and they go together better
than a voiced VET and the unvoiced TAV. (The voiced counterpart of
the TAV, by the way, is a DALET). More of these next week, IY”H. (or
maybe this wk.) Upper-left is the hearing ear of VAYISHMA YITRO, and Yitro heard. You can ask and/or answer the famous question, what did he hear that brought him to Judaism. And you can add another meaning to the hearing ear by relating it to what Bnei Yisrael heard at Sinai. And what they saw, which is usually heard. B"H in upper right is a quote of Yitro when he heard all the things that G-d had done for Israel. From that we are taught that one makes a bracha on miracles. The scales represent the justice system, Yitro's suggestions, Moshe's response, etc. One of the outcomes of Yitro's advice was the assignment of "captains" of groups of 1000, 100. 50, and 10 - represented by the Roman numerals M,C,L,X. When Bnei Yisrael arrived at Har Sinai, they displayed a unity that is captured by the word VAYICHAN, and as Rashi puts it, we were like one person with one heart. That's the graphic under the ear. The Shofar with feet is from the
phrase, and the sound of the SHOFAR GOES (HOLEICH) and gets
stronger. The Korean Klita Connection • A
high-ranking Korean ministerial delegation recently visited the
Jewish Agency's Mevasseret Zion Merkaz Klita (Absorption Center),
mentioned in this issue's "Here To Stay" column. The delegation came
to study methods of integrating their new immigrants - North Korean
refugees. The absorption centers of Bar Giora, East Talpiot's Beit Canada, Gilo, Katamon Tet in Jerusalem, Mevasseret Zion and Kfar Adumim near Jerusalem, Abba Khoushy in Haifa and centers in other cities were the first station for many North American olim. The Merkaz Klita, suitable for olim with little knowledge of Hebrew and prior experience in Israeli life, provides temporary housing, classes and activities before holidays and sometimes an Ulpan. Olim in the Mercaz Klita have an opportunity to adjust to Israeli smaller living quarters - since the apartments can only get bigger from the cramped apartments offered in many of the centers. The emotional support, warmth and openness that North American olim shared with each other helped with their klita. Most olim remember fondly the friends they made, and the friendships that lasted after they moved to other parts of Israel. Meeting olim from Latin America, Europe, Ethiopia and the Russia is also part of the klita experience. Akiva Werber, director of the Jewish Agency's North American Section discusses the Merkaz Klita and North American olim: "Over the years, the majority of North American olim went to direct rentals and not the Merkaz Klita. There is an advantage to being in a Merkaz Klita with other newcomers - everyone is in the same milieu sharing a new adventure. The disadvantage is not benefiting from the experience of more veteran olim or Israelis." As of December 1st, '02, Western olim started to receive the "sal klita" (absorption basket) for eight months. According to Werber, these olim have the option of staying in Merkaz Klita buildings for up to two months. The Jewish Agency and government bodies develop programs to encourage employment, sometimes using the Merkaz Klita as a residential center. Werber describes a program in the north: "College graduates interested in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) have the opportunity of a 15-month program in the Merkaz Klita in the north. They will then be accredited ESL teachers for the 2004 school year." This program, involving the Merkaz Klita, helps olim to become productive Israeli citizens. Eretz Yisrael in Our Sources • The Land of Israel is irrigated by the Almighty Himself; He irrigates the rest of the world through an emissary, as it is written (Job 5:10), "…Who gives rain upon the Land, and sends water upon chutzot (outside of Eretz Yisrael). – Ta’anit 10 Assisting the Oleh • The MiLev Center for Crisis Counseling was founded in 1997 by Prof. Joshua Ritchie to meet the needs of the large and varied English speaking population in Israel. It is a volunteer, non-profit organization that provides necessary services and educational programs. The MiLev Center receives hundreds of distress calls on the Crisis Hotline each month from all over Israel. Conversations are anonymous and confidential. The Crisis Hotline is staffed by specially trained MiLev community members. MiLev takes any call, simple or severe, and endeavors to provide the caller with whatever help they need and whatever help can be offered. The immediate focus is to help people return to a state of safety and competence vis-a-vis their situation. MiLev has an extensive Resource Directory for Jerusalem and Israel, and refers the caller to further help if necessary. MiLev is looking for volunteers to be trained by the MiLev Center to work on the Crisis Hotline. The next 30-hour professional Crisis Counseling Training Certificate Program begins on Tuesday, February 4. For registration, please contact Yocheved at 055-992-383, or email: chasidot@pobox.com. • MiLev Crisis Hotline: 9:00am - 11:40pm • 02-654-1111 • MiLev Office Line: 02-652-1970 Aliya Pen Pals • Potential olim have contacted this list for advice. Please continue sending your name, year of aliya and city of origin, profession and email address to David Magence at magence@netvision.net.il if you are willing to correspond with potential olim, providing whatever assistance possible. Potential olim can email magence@netvision.net.il for names and addresses. Here to Stay • Inspiring stories of olim from different periods of aliya are welcome. The essay should be up to 450 words long and emphasize one of the following: motives for aliya, contributions to Israel, how Israel contributed to the oleh, the main challenge in aliya and overcoming it. Please avoid publicizing businesses. Send the essay to: aloh-naaleh@aaci.org.il. In a few years, perhaps your young children will have similar feelings to those of Ilana Lipshitz of Efrat. It all started when the applause
of all the passengers got so loud that we woke up and realized that
in a matter of minutes we would be landing at Ben-Gurion Airport. We spent the first two years of our life in Israel at the Merkaz Klita in Mevasseret Zion. Not only coping with the miniature house (the size of our bathroom in chutz la'aretz), but also having Ethiopian neighbors on one side and Russians on the other, was something which took a lot of getting used to. I don't know how my parents did it, but playing Barbies with an Ethiopian was definitely an experience that I won't forget. If people would have asked how we managed during the first two months of living in Israel, I just think of my mother talking on the pay phone in the pouring rain, and that would be enough. What kept my family going was looking at our special neighbors and knowing that, yes, we're from diverse backgrounds and live different life styles, but we were all in Eretz Yisrael together. We all felt that we could no longer "sing a song of Zion in a strange land". After an interesting two years in the Merkaz Klita we moved to Efrat. I was upset with my parent's decision of moving to a heavily American environment, but as the years went by I realized that being an Israeli does not mean that you must erase your identity. It's much deeper than that. Being an Israeli means understanding that the commandment to be a "king- dom of priests and a holy nation" means being a holy nation in the Holy Land. It's understanding where we are and why we're here, and that we have a reason to live and unfortunately a reason to die. The most challenging difficulty that I had was school. I'm from Richmond, Virginia. We were 10 kids in the class, with 30 students in the entire school! The class in Jerusalem was big; the school was huge! It took a long time to get used to it. I was in a school with many Americans, so I didn't feel strange or different. The girls, espe- cially the Israelis, were really nice and friendly, and helped me feel at home. My sister finished university after two years of Sherut Leumi, my brother completed his army service, and I am now in my second year of Sherut Leumi. We all feel that we had wanted to give to our country before we started our personal lives. Packing your life in a suitcase is very hard. We all did it with a lot of dreaming, love and G-d's help. May we be worthy of seeing more and more families join us here. "…Then our faces will be full of joy and are mouths full of song". Efrat by David Magence, Licensed Tour Guide • Efrat, located in Gush Etzion, appears eight times in the Bible as the alternate name for Beit Lechem. The modern town is named for its proximity to Beit Lechem, about six kilometers away. Seven of the eight times Efrat is mentioned, the name appears as Efrata (with HEI added to the end). Although maps and official road signs identify the town as Efrata, the majority of the town's residents prefer the form Efrat. Efrat is built on hills named for the seven species with which the Torah praises the Land of Israel. It is a short drive via the modern Tunnel Road to Jerusalem, where many of its residents are employed. One of the founders of Efrat in 1983 was American oleh Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, who serves as the town's Ashkenazi chief rabbi. The ideal of the founders of Efrat was to create a mixed religious and secular community. Today, the overwhelming majority of Efrat's popula- tion of 8,000 is religiously observant. Many educational institutions for all ages have been established in Efrat. About a third of the population
is English-speaking. The fact that Efrat continues to grow is a
clear statement of dedication to living in the heartland of Biblical
Israel. Yet besides their public role,
these busy people find time to be dedicated fathers. At the meetings
at the beginning of the school year, they introduce themselves as
"Abba shel…", like Israeli parents do from their children's
pre-school days. On parent- teacher's evening where waiting time can
sometimes be 45 minutes for a two-minute meeting with the teacher,
they wait their turn on line like all the other parents, although at
times they are called away on urgent calls! “May my eyes behold Your return
to Zion in compassion” V'TECH'E'ZENA EI'NEI'NU B'SH'V'CHA L'TZION
B'RACHAMIM OU ISRAEL CENTER Seymour
J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center [The
Parshat Yitro Homepage]
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