Shabbat Parshat No'ach
TT #591 -
This Shabbat is the 36th day (of 355); the 6th (of 51) Shabbat of 5764
ZOCHER HA'BRIT V'NEEMAN BIV'RITO V'KAYAM B'M'AMARO
Halachic Times for Jerusalem Israel
Standard (Winter) Time
Correct for TT #591 • Ranges are for THU-THU, 4 - 11 Cheshvan - October 30 -
November 6
Candle lighting - 4:16pm
Havdala - 5:29pm (Rabbeinu Tam - 6:03pm)
Earliest Shacharit 5:02-5:08am
Sunrise - 5:53-5:59am
Sof Z'man Kri'at Sh'ma - 8:38-8:40am (7:52-7:55am)
Sof Z'man Shacharit - 9:32-9:34am (9:02-9:04am)
Chatzot (halachic noon) - 11:23-11:23pm
Mincha Gedola (earliest Mincha) - 11:54-11:53pm
Plag Mincha - 3:43 - 3:39pm
Sunset - 4:57 - 4:51pm (4:52-4:46pm)
Shabbat times for other cities: (No'ach)
Candles city Havdala
4:32pm Raanana 5:29pm
4:32pm Beit Shemesh 5:29pm
4:32pm Netanya 5:29pm
4:32pm Rehovot 5:29pm
4:12pm Petach Tikva 5:29pm
4:32pm Modi'in area 5:29pm
4:33pm Be'er Sheva 5:30pm
4:31pm Gush Etzion 5:30pm
4:31pm Ginot Shomron 5:28pm
4:16pm Maale Adumim 5:28pm
4:23pm Tzfat 5:27pm
4:31pm K4 & Hevron 5:31pm
Jerusalem lights candles 40 minutes before sunset. (Except for those who
don’t follow that custom.) Which sunset? Important question. The standard
practice is to count 40 minutes before “sunset of elevation”. Jerusalem is a
little over 800m above sea level. If one could see the sun set over a
horizon at sea level (which can be done from some
parts of J’lem), it would set about 5 minutes later than someone watching
from sea level, or seeing the sun set beyond mountains that are approx. the
same height as Jerusalem is. Since the sunset on the same plane is 5 minutes
earlier, and for Shabbat purposes is the sunset we would have to consider
because of the strictness of Shabbat, then J’lem candle lighting time
is really only 35 minutes before “the other” sunset.
All other places at some height above sea
level have similar problems.
Tzfat lights candles 30 minutes before
sunset. Official candle lighting for Petach Tikva is 40 minutes before
sunset, just like Jerusalem. Not everybody holds by that timing.
Some communities calculate Shabbat out at
33 minutes after sunset. Some use the angle of the sun below the horizon to
“end Shabbat” (8.5 deg).
Bottom line for now: until we get the
chart running smoothly, don’t rely on it exclusively. Cross-check times with
calendars and charts. Please report discrepancies to us, so that we can
improve our time table.
Also realize that Sfardim and Ashkenazim
often has differences in minhag.
Explanation of the Z'manim
Sunrise for Jerusalem does not take into account elevation, since the
eastern horizon (where the sun rises) consists of the Hills of Moav across
the Jordan River, which are approx. at the same elevation as Jerusalem
Sunset, on the other hand, is given for
an elevation of 825m and, in parentheses, as if at sea level. There are
different opinions as to which sunset time should be used for halachic
purposes. We present both times.
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.
WORD OF THE MONTH
A weekly feature of Torah Tidbits to help clarify practical and conceptual
aspects of the Jewish Calendar, thereby better fulfilling the mitzva of
HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem...
Those who take Kiddush L'vana seriously,
cannot just rely on there being a clear visibility of the moon after Maariv
on Motza"Sh.
Especially during the rainy season. Greeting the Divine Presence each month
can be difficult during the winter. Some poskim who opine in favor of KL
after 7 full days following the Molad and/or KL specifically on Motza'Sh,
ease those rulings during the rainy (which means clouds and no clear view of
the moon) season and suggest saying KL when we have a clear view of the
moon, even before 7 days and even not on Motza"Sh. Some opinions do not
allow this, so it is important to clarify your practice vis-a-vis KLin
consultation with your Rav.
Except for Minhag Yerushalayim people who have already said KL as early as
this past Tuesday, this Motza"Sh is perfect of KL, weather-permitting.
Lead Tidbit
We are human beings
From next week's sedra Lech L'cha and on throughout the whole Torah, we
read about the Jewish People. Its Avot and Imahot. The family from
which it came. Experiences, good times, bad times. The Jewish People. Of
course we also find parts of the Torah that deal with Yishmael and Eisav and
Bil'am and Balak. But all that relates to the Jewish People. We read the
Torah with pride here and embarrassment there. With awe and fear and love.
But we read it as Jews. The Torah is the story of the People of Israel.
Except for the first two sedras of
B'reishit and No'ach. The Jewish People don't exist yet. The family that
became the Jewish People doesn't exist yet. Even the progenitor of the
Jewish People, the first Jew, Avraham Avinu doesn't come into the picture
until the very end of Parshat No'ach. This gives us the important
opportunity to begin our study of the Torah as human beings. And that is
important, because in addition to being Jewish, we are also human beings.
Many individuals and nations throughout the history of the world refused to
see us as that; and many of our own people also do not appreciate the fact
that we are human beings in addition to being Jews.
Talmud Yerushalmi tells us that when
Rabbi Akiva said that "Love thy fellow (Jew) as you would love yourself" is
a KLAL GADOL BATORAH, a major principle of the Torah, Ben Azzai replied that
"This is the Book of the Descendants of Man" is even a greater principle.
In the Zichronot bracha of Rosh HaShana
Musaf, we speak of Avraham Yitzchak, Yaakov, and the Tribes of Israel. But
we also include No'ach. We remember, and G-d remembers, that we are His
Chosen People, and that we are also created in His Image, as are all human
beings.
Each of us must strive to be the best possible Jew... and the best person.
Sedra-Stats
2nd of 54 sedras (2nd of 12 in B'reishit)
Written on 230 lines in a Sefer Torah, rank: 15th
18 Parshiyot; 5 open, 13 closed; rank 12th
153 p'sukim - ranks 4th Largest in B'reishit - tied with Vayishlach
1861 words - ranks 11th (6th in B'reishit)
6907 letters - ranks 13th (6th in B'reishit)
The noticeable drop in ranking for words and letters in both the whole Torah
as well as in B'reishit, is due to No'ach's very short p'sukim. No'ach ranks
49th in words/pasuk and 51st in letters/pasuk. No sedra in B'reishit has
shorter p'sukim.
Mitzvot None of TARYAG are counted from No’ach, yet there are mitzvot in the
sedra.
Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary
[P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicate start of a parsha p’tucha or s’tuma
respectively. X:Y is Perek:Pasuk of the beginning of the parsha; (Z) is the
number of p'sukim in the parsha.
Kohen - First Aliya - 14 p'sukim - 6:9-22
The sedra of B'reishit began with the glorious account of creation and "went
downhill" from there: The exile of Adam and Chava from Gan Eden, Kayin and
Hevel, the continuous degeneration through successive generations until G-d's
"regret" for having created the world and his "decision" to destroy it.
The only high note of this universal
downslide comes at the end of the sedra: "But No'ach found favor in G-d's
eyes".
[P> 6:9 (4)] The sedra of No'ach
continues this thread and tells us that No'ach was "completely righteous IN
HIS TIME".
SDT Rashi presents the divergent opinions
as to whether "in his time" is complimentary or derogatory. Was No'ach great
EVEN in his very wicked generation, or was he great only by comparison to
the generation in which he lived. Although Rashi does not seem to favor one
possibility over the other, it seems obvious that No'ach was not as great as
Avraham Avinu. A look at the fifth chapter of Pirkei Avot will reveal a
significant difference between No'ach and Avraham. Ten generations between
Adam and No'ach and between No'ach and Avraham, both to teach us about G-d's
long patience. Same. Yet when the first full run of ten generations was up,
the Flood came. When the second one was up, the Mishna tells us, that
Avraham's merit sustained the whole world. No'ach's merit seems to have been
only enough only to save his own family. On the other hand, there was a
significant difference between the generations of No'ach and Avraham that
cannot be ignored, and make comparisons unfair.
The Torah essentially repeats that No'ach
had three sons - Sheim, Cham, and Yefet, and that the world was totally
corrupt.
[S> 6:13 (48)] Then No'ach is informed by
G-d of His plans to destroy the world and is commanded to build an ark,
bring into it two of every kind of animal and sufficient food for his family
and the animals.
Commentaries point out that No'ach was
given ample time to try to influence his generation to mend its ways. He
either didn't succeed or didn't try too hard. He did exactly as he was told
(and not more?).
Think about this...
G-d could have destroyed the world and saved No'ach and family and the pairs
of animals with a miraculous snap of His finger. In no time. With no human
involvement. He could have, but He didn't.
He could have left No'ach on his own, to
do the whole job of saving his family and sample pairs of all the animals.
He didn't do that either. (It probably would have been humanly impossible
for No'ach to have done the whole job on his own.)
What G-d did do is command No'ach to
build an ark of a specific size, a three-tiered floating structure, and to
gather all the food necessary to feed many, many animals and his family for
a year. This, say some commentaries, cannot be done without a heavy dose of
miracle, of suspension of the laws of nature.
But it wasn't all supernatural. No'ach
was part of it. And that is what G-d usually wants when it comes to
miracles. We, as humans, relate so much better to that kind of miracle.
Nachshon b. Aminadav needed to jump into the Sea before it would split. We
need to see some familiar nature inside a miracle... and we also need to see
the miracle inside nature.
SDT Baal HaTurim points out that the
Torah says EILEH TO-L'DOT... four times (as opposed to V'EILEH -PC), and
each time it comes to negate what came before it. EILEH TO-L'DOT SHAMAYIM
VA'ARETZ... nullifies the TOHU VAVOHU (chaos and emptiness that preceded
formation of this world). ...NO'ACH, to negate the generations that came
before him. SHEIM (No'ach's son), to negate CHAM and YEFET. ...YAAKOV, to
negate EISAV.
The MABUL was KEITZ KOL BASAR, the END of
all "flesh"... KEITZ, KUF-TZADI is 190, corresponding to the 40 days of rain
and 150 days of surging water that made up the destructive aspect of the
Flood.
Levi - Second Aliya - 16 p'sukim - 7:1-16
G-d tells No'ach and his family to go into the ark and to take with him
seven pairs of each kind of kosher animal and bird. Noa'ch is told that in
seven more days it will rain for 40 days and nights during which time all
life on earth will be wiped out. No'ach was 600 years old at the time of the
Flood. And so it was.
G-d's commands to No'ach to take pairs of
animals as well as 7 pairs of kosher animals and birds, are two separate
matters. The pairs of animals were for the survival and continuation of the
species. These animals, we are taught, came on their own by instinct of
self- preservation. On the other hand, No'ach had to bring into the Teiva
the other animals, whose destiny, so to speak, was the Altar and the dinner
table.
How many deer were in the Ark?
Seven pairs because the deer is a kosher
animal, or only two (one pair) because the deer is never brought as a Korban?
Since some say that the reason for the seven pairs was because of
sacrifices, and others say it was to provide kosher food, what's the answer
for deer? Similarly, how many chickens? Sacrifices? No. Food? Yes. So which
was it?
Rabbi Zev Leff explains that B'nei No'ach
are permitted to offer sacrifices from ANY kosher animal or bird; No'ach was
not restricted to cow, goat, sheep, and two types of doves - the only
acceptable animals and birds for Korbanot of a Jew in the Mikdash. Hence,
for either reason, it would seem that there were seven pairs of deer,
giraffe, gnus (nothing much, what's gnu with you?), chickens, sparrows, etc.
Shlishi - Third Aliya - 22 p'sukim - 7:17-8:14
The rains fell and the waters of the deep surged for 40 days and nights, but
the Flood remained at its highest for an additional 150 days. G-d
'remembered" No'ach and all with him in the ark, and the waters began to
recede. The ark settled on Mt. Ararat and 40 days later (Remember the first
40 days? This time the 40 represents the rebirth of those who survived the
Mabul),No'ach opened the" window" of the ark and sent out a raven. Then he
sent out a dove, and again, and finally after a full (365 day) year, the
earth was ready to receive its new inhabitants.
SDT Rashi states that the word YONA
(dove) is treated grammatically as feminine throughout the Tanach,
regardless of whether it is actually a male or a female
R'vi'i - Fourth Aliya - 15 p'sukim - 8:15-9:7
[S> 8:15 (15)] G-d tells No'ach to leave the ark with his wife, his sons and
their wives, and all the animals and birds. No'ach builds an altar and
sacrifices upon it from all the kosher species. G-d's "reaction" to No'ach's
offerings is that in spite of the basic evil potential of human nature, He
will "take things in stride" and not destroy in the "wholesale fashion" of
the Flood (but rather punish on a more restricted basis). The laws of nature
are altered to provide the world with a never-ceasing cycle of seasons and
climactic conditions.
HERE'S A THOUGHT... We can see in the
account of the Flood and its aftermath, a continuation of creation. It is as
if stage 1 of creation was recorded in Breishit and here we have stage 2. In
other words, the world as we know it came into existence during the 6 days
of creation AND during the Flood which took place 10 generations later. Sort
of like a rough draft and a further revision. We learn about the world from
all that the Torah tells us.
G-d blessed and commanded No'ach and his
family (and all of mankind) to be fruitful and multiply".
No'ach receives permission to eat meat
(this was denied to the previous generations), but was warned not to eat
from a live animal. Murder and the other Noahide Laws are referred to and/or
inferred, at this point. Again (third time?), No'ach and family are told to
be fruitful and repopulate the world.
Chamishi - Fifth Aliya - 10 p'sukim - 9:8-17
[S> 9:8 (10)] G-d makes a promise to mankind that He will never again
destroy the world as He did with the Flood. The rainbow will serve as sign
and reminder of this promise.
We acknowledge the significance of a rainbow by reciting a bracha when we
see one "...He Who remembers the Covenant, is faithful to it, and keeps His
word.” Note that of the 10 items mentioned in Avot as having been created at
the instant between the Six Days of Creation and the first Shabbat, all but
the rainbow are supernatural. The rainbow, then, can be seen as a bridge
between the natural and the supernatural. Put differently, we should see G-d's
handiwork in all the elements of nature, not just in obvious miracles. "The
mouth of the Earth" was a one-time creation to dispose of Korach and his
gang. But regular rocks and hills, crags and clefts are no less part of G-d's
handiwork.
Some say that a rainbow is a sign that
G-d is angry with the world and would want to destroy it - except He
promised not to.
On the other hand, Yechezkel describes
the Heavenly Throne as like a rainbow, and the radiance of the Kohen Gadol
upon leaving the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur is also likened to a rainbow
in the sky. And it's beautiful, too.
Shishi - Sixth Aliya - 44 p'sukim - 9:18-10:32
Second longest Shishi in the Torah.
[P> 9:18 (12)] Some time after leaving
the ark, No'ach becomes a tiller of the soil and a grape grower. He produces
wine and becomes drunk. One of his sons, Cham, behaves immorally with his
father in his drunken state; Shem and Yefet behave admirably in the
situation. When No'ach realizes what has happened, he curses Cham and his
son Canaan, and blesses Shem and Yafet. No'ach lives 350 years after the
Flood, and dies at the age of 950.
The arithmetic of No'ach's years (600
before + 350 after = 950) seems not to take into account the year of the
Flood. There is a good case to be made for not considering the duration of
the Flood in calculations of the chronology of the world. We might look at
the Flood as a period of "suspended animation" - laws of nature were not in
effect; perhaps time as we know it cannot apply to that interval. The
animals in the ark did not function in their normal ways. No'ach had no
sleep during the whole period (if we take statements made as literal).
[P> 10:1 (14)] The Torah next outlines
the generations that followed No'ach including mention of Nimrod, the mighty
rebel against G-d, and the nations that came from Sheim, Cham and Yefet.
These are the descendants of No’ach
(numbers in brackets count the 70 nations of the world).
We’ll call NO’ACH the zero genera- tion. That makes SHEIM, CHAM, and YEFET,
the first generation after No’ach.
The Torah starts the genealogy with Yefet. Generation 2 from Yefet are:
[1] Gomer, [2] Magog, [3] Madai, [4] Yavan, [5] Yuval, [6] Meshech, and [7]
Tiras (who Rashi says is Paras).
Third generation from Noach via Yefet’s children:
From Gomer: [8] Ashkenaz, [9] Rifat, and [10] Togarma.
From Yavan: [11] Elisha, [12] Tarshish, [13] Kitim, and [14] Dodanim.
2nd generation from No’ach via Cham:
[15] Kush, [16] Mitzrayim, [17] Put, and [18] K’na’an.
3rd generation via Cham’s children:
From Kush: [19] S’va, [20] Chavila, [21] Savta, [22] Ra’ma, [23] Savt’cha
Ra’ma had [24] Sh’va and [25] D’dan. (These two being 4th generation.)
Kush also fathered Nimrod, not numbered among the 70.
From Mitzrayim: [26] Ludim, [27] A- namim, [28] L’havim, [29] Naftuchim,
[30] Patrusim, [31] Kasluchim, (from either 30 or 31 came [32] P’lishtim),
[33] Kaftorim.
No one from Put.
[S> 10:15 (6)] From K’na’an: [34] Tzidon, [35] Cheit, [36] the Yevusi, [37]
the Emori, [38] the Girgashi, [39] the Chivi, [40] the Arki, [41] the Sini,
[42] the Arvadi, [43] the Tz’mari, and [44] the Chamati.
So far, 25 from Yefet, 19 from Cham.
[S> 10:21 (12)] From Sheim: [45] Eilam, [46] Ashur, [47] Arpachshad, [48]
Lud, [49] Aram.
From Aram: [50] Utz, [51] Chul, [52] Geter, [53] Mash.
From Arpachshad came [54] Shelach and from him came [55] Eiver. Eiver is 4th
generation. He had [56] Peleg and [57] Yaktan (5th generation).
From Yaktan: [58] Almodad, [59] She- lef, [60] Chatzarmavet, [61] Yerach,
[62] Hadoram, [63] Uzal, [64] Dikla, [65] Oval, [66] Avima’el, [67] Sh’va
(same name as 24), [68] Ofir, [69] Chavila (same name as 20), and [70] Yovav.
That’s 26 from Sheim. Total 70.
It should not be lost on us that the birth of the world population is
describe as the 70 nations, and the birth of Israel begins with “70 souls”.
Sh'vi'i - Seventh Aliya - 32 p'sukim - 11:1-32
This is the longest Sh'vi'i in the Torah
[P> 11:1 (9)] The Torah tells us of the attempt to build the "Tower of
Babel", the symbol of rebellion against G-d. G-d thwarted the plans,
confused the languages of mankind and scattered the people far and wide.
Commentaries contrast the two sinful
generations in this sedra. Dor HaMabul was destroyed because their sins
included the destruction of society by total disregard of a person for his
fellow. Dor HaPlaga sinned against G-d alone, not against each other.
Society (albeit altered) can survive; G-d can permit it to continue under
these circumstances.
[P> 11:10 (2)] The sedra returns to the
lineage of No'ach, this time tracing only through Sheim. We find for each
generation, the name of the "main" person, his age when his son was born,
how many years he lived after his "main" son was born, and the fact that
other sons and daughters were born.
Sheim was 100 when he had Arpachshad (two
years after the Flood). He lived a further 500 years (600).
[P> 11:12 (2)] Arpachshad had Shelach at
35. Lived 403 more years (438).
[P> 11:14 (2)] Shelach was 30 when he had Eiver. Then another 403 years
(same as his father). (Total: 433).
[P> 11:16 (2)] Eiver was 34 when Peleg was born. He lived another 430 years
(464).
[P> 11:18 (2)] Peleg was 30 when R'u was born. He lived another 209 (239).
[P> 11:20 (2)] R’u was 32 when S'rug was born. Plus another 207 yrs (239).
[P> 11:22 (2)] S’rug was 30 when he had Nachor. He lived another 200 years
(230).
[P> 11:24 (2)] Nachor was 29 when Terach was born. He lived 119 more years
(148).
[P> 11:26 (7)] Terach was 70 (there's that number again, and also notice how
much older Terach was when he had children, compared with all previous
generations back to Arpachshad.) Terach had three sons, Avram, Nachor, and
Haran. Haran had Lot. Haran died. Avram married Sarai and Nachor married his
niece Milka, Haran’s daughter.
The Torah makes a point of telling us
that Sarai was barren.
Terach takes his son Avram, his grandson
Lot, his daughter-in-law Sarai, they leave Ur Kasdim and head out for the
land of K'naan. They make it as far as Charan and settle there. Terach dies
in Charan at 205 years of age (the only one since No'ach with a recorded age
at death).
The events the Torah mentions at the end
of Parshat No'ach did not happen in the sequence recorded. Commen- taries
explain why.
The sedra thus ends with the stage set for the next major phase of world
development - the return to belief in one G-d and the "birth of Judaism".
MITZVA WATCH
Although no mitzvot are counted in this sedra among the 613, there are
mitzvot in Parshat No'ach. For example, Be Fruitful & Multiply is repeated
to No'ach, having been previously said to Adam. We count this mitzva at its
first occurrence, from Parshat B'reishit. On the other hand, the prohibition
of eating limb & meat from a living animal appears in No'ach, but is not
counted among the 613 until it reappears in Parshat Re'eh. In this case, the
first occurrence is considered to be directed at the people of the world;
the second time it is a command to the People of Israel - therefore it is
counted later. There's more; these were just samples.
The final 4 p’sukim are reread for the Maftir.
Haftara - 22 p'sukim -Yeshayahu - 54:1-55:5
Yeshayahu draws a comparison between the covenant that G-d made with all
mankind via No'ach and the promises to the People of Israel concerning their
future. Just as G-d promised never to flood the whole Earth again, so too
does He promise not to rebuke and punish Israel (in the future).
THE JERUSALEM INSTITUTE OF JEWISH LAW - Rabbi Emanuel Quint, Dean
Lesson # 207 (Gifts - part nine) • Gifts Made in Contemplation of Death
We continue on how a gift causa mortis is made by the donor.
In the case of gifts causa mortis, the declaration effects the gift. If the
gift is of real estate, it is ''as if" a deed were written and delivered to
the donee during the lifetime of the donor; if a gift of personal property,
it is ''as if" an act of acquisition was performed by the donee during the
lifetime of the donor. Thus, in many respects, the donee of a gift causa
mortis is deemed to be a priority heir.
The gift cannot be deemed to be truly effective during the lifetime of the
donor at the time that he made the gift, for if it were, it could not be
automatically rescinded by the recovery of the donor, nor would the donor be
able to rescind the gift while he is yet alive.
The declaration of gift may provide that
it takes effect when the donor dies since it is ''as if" the gift had been
made during the lifetime of the donor (when the declaration was made).
The critically ill person declares by one
of the four methods stated in last week's lesson, that he makes gifts of all
of his assets because he is critically ill, that he makes gifts of all, or
even part, of his assets under apprehension of imminent death, or such other
words to indicate that he is making these gifts because he believes that
death is imminent. There are times when, if he makes a gift of all of his
assets, even if he did not specifically state that he made the gift because
he is critically ill, Beth Din may still ascertain, depending on the facts
of the case, that it was his intent to make a gift causa mortis. There is an
opinion that within the first three days of his illness, the donor must
state that it is a gift in apprehension of imminent death if it is of less
than all of his assets. After three days of this critical illness, or even
within the first three days if he is obviously not going to survive, it is
not necessary for him to mention that he makes the gift as a critically ill
person.
If the gift is of less than all of the
assets of the donor, it cannot qualify as a gift causa mortis (unless it is
accompanied bywords of the critically ill donor that he intends this
specific gift as the gift of a person under apprehension of imminent death).
Thus, it is a gift causa mortis if the gift is: (1) of all of his assets,
even if he did not explicitly state that it is such a gift but the facts so
indicate; (2) of part of his assets if he expressly states that he wants it
to be a gift made in apprehension of imminent death or a gift causa mortis.
If it is only a part of his assets, it is not a gift causa mortis unless
this is expressly stated.
The critically ill donor states, "I make
a gift of all of my assets, parcel of real estate A and parcel B." Although
it may indicate that he owns other parcels, since the donor used the words,
"all of my assets," this will be deemed to be a gift of all of his assets
and will qualify as a gift causa mortis.
If the critically ill donor states that
he gives the donee "a gift of my assets," without specifying all of his
assets, then Beth Din has to ascertain the meaning of the words "of my
assets." Does it mean "some of my assets" or "all of my assets"? Unless the
donee can prove otherwise in beth din, it will be held to be a gift of only
a part of the assets of the donor, and unless the donor specifically states
that it is intended as a gift causa mortis, the gift will fail as a gift
causa mortis and the natural heirs will inherit the donor's assets. The
heirs can plead that perhaps the donor had other assets and thus the gift
was not a gift causa mortis. This assumes that there was no kinyan
performed. However, if a kinyan was performed, the gift of only part of the
assets may qualify as a gift of a healthy person if it was so intended. In
that event, the donor cannot rescind the gift, and it is not automatically
rescinded if the donor recovers from his illness.
There is an opinion that unless it is
known that the donor had other assets, the term "of my assets" means "all of
my assets" and will qualify as a valid gift causa mortis.
Even if the gift is of less than all of
the assets of the donor, it will still be treated as a gift causa mortis if
the donor specifically states that he wants the gift to be so treated. Or if
he uses other words that indicate such an intent. The gift will be treated
as a gift causa mortis, and the donor has all of the rights of rescission
that a donor has in cases of gifts causa mortis; if the donor dies, the
donee keeps the gift. However, if the critically ill donor gave away less
than all of his assets (that is, he retained any part of his assets for
himself, whether real estate or personal property, and did not declare that
he wanted the gift treated as a gift under apprehension of imminent death or
a gift causa mortis), the gift is not a gift causa mortis. However, it may
qualify as a valid gift of a healthy person if it complies with the
requirements for making such a gift, such as a kinyan having been performed.
There is no difference, regarding a gift
causa mortis, as to how many donees there are. Thus, if the gifts of the
critically ill donor are made one after the other within a moment of each
other, and without pause between the gifts, they all qualify as gifts causa
mortis. When the donor dies of this illness, all of the donees will acquire
their gifts. If the donor recovers from the illness or if he rescinds all or
any part of the gifts, all of the gifts fail.
However, if there is a longer time
interval between the giving of any of the gifts, it will be deemed that
there is, at the outset, a gift of only part of the assets to the first
donee and then a further gift of part of the assets to the second one, and
so on, and none of the gifts except the last one will qualify a gifts causa
mortis. If there were several gifts all given together as the last gifts,
then all these last gifts will be deemed to be valid gifts causa mortis.
The subject matter of this lesson is more
fully presented in Volume VII Chapters 250 of"A Restatement of Rabbinic
Civil Law" byE. Quint, published by Jason Aronson, Inc. and on sale at local
Judaica bookstores.
Questions to quint@inter.net.il
MEANING IN MITZVOT by Rabbi Asher Meir
Each week we discuss one familiar halakhic practice and try to show its
beauty and meaning. The columns are based on Rabbi Meir's Meaning in Mitzvot
on Kitzur Shulchan Arukh
BOREI NEFASHOT
After eating non-vegetable foods and most processed foods, we bless "borei
nefashot", thanking HaShem "Who creates many souls and their deficiency; for
everything He created, in order to enliven all living things. Blessed is the
Life of the Worlds."
The Tur (OC 207) explains that this berakha consists of three distinct
parts, almost like three separate blessings:
First, we acknowledge that HaShem provides the needs of all souls, of
everything He created. "Who creates many souls and [fills] their
deficiency", that is, provides for their needs.
Second, we thank Him for everything He
created in order to enliven us. This includes enjoyments which are not in
the category of a need or lack, but rather are pleasures which enliven us.
"For everything He created, in order to enliven all living things."
Finally, we acknowledge that HaShem is the "life of the worlds".
The first section, as we have translated
it, seems straightforward. After we have eaten, we thank God for having
provided for our needs and by extension for providing the needs of all His
creatures. But Rebbe Natan of Breslav points out other more subtle
connotations.
First of all, the wording of the phrase
suggests that the main praise we are offering HaShem is that He has created
"many souls". Without the additional word "and their deficiency", we would
think that these "souls" refer to the food for which we are giving thanks!
Indeed, according to the Yerushalmi (Berakhot
6:1), the body of this blessing says merely: "Who creates many souls in
order to enliven the soul of every living thing." Here it seems clear that
the term "nefashot" or souls refers to the food we eat. According to the
Yerushalmi's wording, the blessing explicitly refers to the hidden
spirituality present in all permissible pleasures of this world; and even
the customary wording implicitly hints at this spirituality and soulfulness.
Secondly, the plain sense of the wording
suggests that we are thanking God for our deficiencies! We interpreted this
as thanks for filling deficiency. Yet the concepts are related, for we get a
sense of satisfaction from eating only because we feel hunger. And on the
spiritual level, we are able to assimilate and absorb the "souls" of the
permitted food only because they correspond to a particular spiritual
hunger, which we have exactly because of our "deficiency" - which is just
another way of saying a potential for growth.
The second part of the berakha continues
in the same vein, referring to the ability of God's creation to enliven and
invigorate us spiritually - to enliven the soul of all living things. Again,
the emphasis is on the ability of material pleasures to provide spiritual
sustenance. Rebbe Natan explains that this is why we give precedence in
blessings to foods we like better: our personal likes and dislikes testify
to our spiritual needs.
The closing of the blessing refers to HaShem as "the life of the worlds". In
the mystic tradition, this particular appellation refers to that aspect of
God's providence that provides an interface between the material and the
spiritual worlds. (See for example Zohar Chayei Sarah I:132a.) It is through
this interface that the material world is enlivened, for without spiritual
force from on high the world would wither instantly.
Paradoxically, this interface also
enlivens the upper, spiritual worlds! Their light is meant to illuminate the
lower worlds; when the door is open to this illumination, this Divine light
is stimulated and augmented. So this interface is indeed the life of the
worlds - the spiritual and material worlds alike. This is an appropriate
closing for a blessing that mentions the presence of God's spirit in the
seemingly base elements of our material enjoyments.
“Meaning in Mitzvot” is undergoing
intensive editing, and BE"H and the help of loyal supporters, we hope to
have the book out soon. If you would be interested in helping with
publication, please contact Rabbi Meir about making a dedication or
subscription (advance purchase): 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
Spiritual and Ethical Issues in the Historical Books of Tanach; JOSHUA,
JUDGES, SAMUEL, KINGS (Nevi’im Rishonim) by Dr. Meir Tamari
Political Leadership and Kingship (Shoftim 17-21)
These last chapters of the book of Judges tell 3 stories of idolatry, sexual
immorality and bloodshed that occurred just after the death of Yehoshua,
right at the beginning at the period of the Shoftim. They were not placed in
the text chronologically so as not to shame Israel by describing how they
sinned immediately after their entry into the Promised Land.
First came the idol of Micah. He had
stolen from his mother and subsequently, on hearing her violent curse
whoever had stolen it, returned the money. She then dedicated the money to
making the idol and its vestments. Still, like all dishonest people, she
only gave some of it since she was reluctant to give all that she had
pledged. So, theft was followed by idolatry. As the priest for his idol,
Micah took the grandson of Moshe; out of respect this is hidden in his name
Menasheh ben Gershon that is written with a small raised Nun, so that it
could disguise the name Moshe. This apostasy was caused by the advice of
Yitro to afford Gershon the possibility of examining all avoda zara and then
make up his own mind, rather than just following in Moshe's way. The Kotsker
Rebbe taught that such examination was necessary before Matan Torah; after
that simple faith was sufficient.
The theft followed by idolatry, was
followed again by theft. When part of the tribe of Dan found that they were
unable to conquer all of their allocated territory, they went north to where
Tel Dan is today. This was contrary to their Divinely appointed borders. On
their way north they stole the idol of Micha and Manashe went with them.
Given the indivisibility of morality
whereby a society cannot be moral in one area while it is immoral in others,
it is easy to understand the sexual immorality that took place at the time
of Micha's idol.
A stranger and his concubine faced with
the approaching nightfall on their way northwards from Bet Lechem to his
town in Har Efrayim, decided not to spend the night in the gentile city of
Yevus [Pre-Israelite Yerusalayim] but rather to make their way to the Jewish
city Giveah, a town in the territory of Binyamin [between present day
Shuafat and Neve Yaakov]. In Giveah, after first being denied hospitality,
they were later taken into the house of an old man. While they were there,
the stranger's concubine was gang-raped by a mob. The language of the text
is very reminiscent of Sodom, except that it stresses that the perpetrators
were evil individuals not as, "all the men of Sodom surrounded the house,
both old and young, all the people from every quarter" (Bereishit 19:4). To
raise the national abhorrence and awareness of this sexual evil, the
stranger then killed her, dissected her body and sent the 12 parts
throughout the tribes of Israel. "And all who saw it said, 'There has not
been such a deed done nor seen from the day that Israel came up from Egypt
till this day; consider it, take advice, and speak your minds" (Judges
19:30). The unified response was immediately to raise an army to force
Binyamin to hand over the culprits of "the abomination that had been done in
Israel". Binyamin, jealous of its tribal independence, refused; a refusal
that led to battles as a result of which Binyamin was decimated.
However, many men of Israel too were
killed in those battles. Since they had, as was required by halakha,
enquired and received the consent of G-d, as to whether they go to battle
against Binyamin in Israel, Chazal queried Israel's losses. ""Why did they
suffer losses? They did not rebuke Micha or the tribe of Dan for the idol.
So HaShem said, ' You did not concern yourselves for My Honor, yet you
protested the insult to Man' (Sanhedrin, 26a). Furthermore The Great
Sanhedrin and Pinchas ben Elazer, should have bound themselves with iron
chains and gone through the towns of Israel to teach Israel so that HaShem's
Name should be made great. However, on their entry into the Land each one of
the leaders, busied himself with his vineyard and with his fields and said,
'My soul shall be at peace', to escape the bother of teaching the people. So
when the people of Binyamin did terrible things [the idol and the concubine
at Giveah], G-d said, 'I only gave them that Land in order that they should
learn and busy themselves with Torah in its appropriate times. Since they
did not do so, they are guilty of the losses of Israel'" (Eliyahu Rabba 11).
We have to see all 3 stories in the light
of a verse that is repeated in all of them, " In those days there was no
king in Israel" (17:6; 18:1; 19:1). Our sages saw this lack of a central
authority capable of enforcing moral and religious patterns of behavior, as
the cause of Israel's depravity. This is in keeping with the coercive nature
of Judaism in regard to social, political, sexual and religious life. "Pray
for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear of it, men
would swallow each other alive" (Mishna Avot 3:2).
This is the eleventh installment in Dr. Tamari’s series on “Tanach and its
messages for our times”
MISC section - contents:
1. Vebbe Rebbe
2. Words of Wisdom; Words of Wit
3. Candle by Day
4. MicroUlpan
5. G'matriya
6. From Aloh Naaleh
7. From the desk of the director
[1] 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, headed by Rav
Yosef Carmel and Rav Moshe Ehrenreich, 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 Someone made the beracha of "Shehakol" on a food which required a
different beracha (e.g. "Mezonot"). I know he is yotzei b'dieved (fulfilled
his obligation, after the fact). However, does that mistaken beracha work to
exempt other foods, either those which require "Mezonot" like the food he is
eating or those that require "Shehakol" like the beracha he made?
A In order to answer your question, we
will have to investigate some of the concepts which you correctly assume and
see how they apply to your case.
One does not have to make a separate
beracha on every food he eats (even if it is not part of a meal, which he
began with bread). Rather a beracha can pertain to any other food that he
will eat at that sitting which shares the same beracha (Shulchan Aruch,
Orach Chayim 206:5). The idea is that while the person's most direct
intention was on the first food upon which the beracha was said, he had some
level of intention that other foods would or might be eaten afterwards, and
that the beracha should pertain to them as well (see Rama, ad loc. and
Mishna Berura 206:20).
Another assumption you make is that "Shehakol"
works for foods that should have gotten a different beracha. This is true
and is part of a rule that more general berachot work b'dieved for ones for
which a more specific, and, therefore, preferable beracha should have been
said (Berachot 40a).
When we put these two facts together we
have the following problem. If one makes "Shehakol" on milk, and then he is
about to eat cookies, why should he make a beracha on them, as the "Shehakol"
which was already said is capable (b'dieved) of exempting even cookies from
a beracha? Rashi (Berachot 41a) answers that the idea of being yotzei with
the more general beracha applies only when one makes it mistakenly on a
certain food, but it does not extend to exempt other foods. Rabbeinu Yona
(ad loc.) says that it actually all depends on intention. If one is
correctly making "Ha'adama" on a vegetable, there is no reason to interpret
his intention as one to exempt a beracha on a fruit that he will eat at the
same sitting, as "Ha'etz" is the beracha it rightly deserves. The Shulchan
Aruch (206:1), adopting Rabbeinu Yona's approach says that if for some
reason, one had in mind to use the beracha of "Ha'adama" for the vegetable
and a fruit that was there as well, then he would not subsequently make "Ha'etz."
Along similar lines, one who makes "Shehakol"
on something which he later realized requires "Mezonot" had in mind
(generally) not only for that food but also for everything else with that
beracha, and all "Shehakol" foods are exempted (based on Mishna Berura
209:8). As we have seen, it is his intention that is crucial, not the fact
that the new foods being brought out have a different beracha from the food
he mistakenly made "Shehakol" on. On the other hand, foods that require "Mezonot"
are not exempted, because he did not have them in mind when making "Shehakol,"
as, to the best of his knowledge, it was the wrong beracha, l'chatchila.
The more interesting question is in
regard to foods which share the beracha that he made, yet he presumably did
not have them in mind. This can occur if the mistake was not in identifying
the beracha of the food, but that he intended to correctly say "Mezonot" and
"Shehakol" slipped out. In this case, the Har Tzvi (Orach Chayim 106-7) says
that his intention for "Mezonot" foods excludes "Shehakol" foods from the
beracha, and they would require a new beracha. He implies (and Piskei
Teshuvot 206:6 states) that "Mezonot" foods are exempted with the "Shehakol,"
because he intended to make a "Mezonot."
The situation may be different for foods
that were not present when the mistaken beracha was made, but that
discussion is beyond our present scope.
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 info@eretzhemdah.org
with the message: Subscribe/English (for the English version) or
Subscribe/Hebrew (for the hebrew version). Please leave the subject blank.
Ask the Vebbe Rebbe is partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel
[2] ArtScroll Series • Mesorah Publications Ltd.
WORDS OF WISDOM WORDS OF WIT by Shmuel Himelstein
A chazan once boasted to R' Abush of Frankfurt that his prayers were so
powerful that immediately after the Geshem ("Rain") prayer which he had
recited on Shemini Atzeret, the skies had become overcast and it had rained.
R' Abush, who knew the chazan to be far
from virtuous in his religious observance, said, "You're absolutely right.
People like you indeed bring rain to the world. In fact they can even bring
about a flood."
R' Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev once approached a certain Rav and asked him to
accompany him while they made the rounds collecting money for a family in
very great distress.
"Could you wait for just a few minutes?"
asked the Rav. "I have a certain number of Tehillim to finish saying, my
regular daily quota."
"Please leave what you're doing and come with me immediately," said R' Levi
Yitzhak. "Hashem has tens of thousands of angels which sing his praises even
if you don't do so this instant, while this poor man and his family are in
immediate danger of drowning in their troubles."
If you’ve enjoyed these stories, look for Shmuel Himelstein's new book,
"Wisdom and Wit", at your local Jewish bookstore - an entirely new
collection.
[3] Candle by Day
The teacher (and parent) should be a stabilizing force without being a
paralyzing one. - From A Candle by Day by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
[4] Micro Ulpan - a word (or two) from HaAcademiya LaLashon Ha-Ivrit
Been to the bakery lately? Let's take a look at the Hebrew words for three
popular kinds of cakes.Honey cake. DUVSHAN. Your Hebrew-speaking friends
probably know this one, so don't make any bets. What about sponge cake?
LUVNAN. Bet they don't know that one. And what about strudel? (No, not @)
K'RUCHIT.
[5] G'matriya
With the drying of the land on the 27th day of the second month (probably
Cheshvan, because Iyar didn't get its number until after Y'tzi'at Mitzrayim,
and Cheshvan has that number from Creation - at least according to the
opinion that the world was created in Tishrei), the first major era of the
existence of this world comes to an end. From Creation to Gan Eden and the
expulsion from there of Adam and Chava, to their children and the ten
generations until No'ach, then the Flood that (almost) destroyed the entire
world. Parshat B'reishit and Parshat No'ach so far. That chapter or section
of the Book of the World is being closed by this pasuk and the next section
will begin in many ways, just like the World began 1656 years earlier.
Animals and humans start all over with a
new world and the command to be fruitful and multiply. And a new set of
laws. B'reishit 9:15 starts all over again (almost).
The first era, which began with B'reishit
1:1 B'REISHIT BARA ELOKIM ET H'SHAMAYIM V'ET HA'ARETZ: concludes with
B'reishit 9:14 U'VACHODESH HASHENI B'SHIVA V'ESRIM YOM LACHODESH YAVSHA
HA'ARETZ. These two p'sukim, the matched "book- ends" to the first section
of the Story of the World, have the exact same G'matriya (2701).
[6] CHIZUK and IDUD (for Olim & not-yet-Olim respectively)
"To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the
heavens" - Kohelet 3:1
"There was a time for Noah to enter the ark… and a time for him to leave…" -
Kohelet Rabba 3:1
Although Noah had advance warnings (120 years) and a precise forecast (7
days) of when the MABUL would strike, he leaves his home and enters the ark
only after the floodwaters are lapping at his door. Perhaps Noah was one of
those of "little faith" who doubted that the catastrophe would really occur
(Rashi on Gen. 7:7). But it is quite understandable that people become so
attached to their surroundings that they are reluctant to uproot themselves
even in the face of credible threats. We have seen this happen many times in
our history as a people.
But if Noah's entrance to the ark is instructive, his exit is even more so.
Once the rains cease and the waters recede, Noah tests to make sure the
outside is safe yet he does not leave the ark! Only after G-d directly
orders him to do so, does Noah go. Was this proper behavior? Rabbi Yudan
said: "If I was in Noah's place I would have broken down the door and left!"
(Yalkut Shimoni)
Perhaps the ark can be seen as a metaphor for the lands of Exile where Jews
have taken refuge. Once the stormy waters have receded and the road to home
is open, do each of us really need a personal invitation from G-d to leave
the "galut"? Surely over 50 years of vibrant Jewish statehood, with over 5
million Jews and Jerusalem the capital, is sign enough that Jews are being
called home. Indeed there seems to be a tone of impatience in G-d's curt
call to Noah: TZEI MIN HATEIVA! (Gen 8:16) as if to say "For heaven's sake,
what are you waiting for!!"
Rabbi Shubert Spero, Jerusalem
TORAH THOUGHTS as contributed by Aloh
Naaleh members for publication in theOrthodox Union's 'Torah Insights', a
weekly Torah publication on Parshat Ha'Shavuah
[7] Divrei Menachem
Parshat Noach introduces us to several genealogical trees as if to remind us
that we should always be cognizant of our ancestors. The descendants of Shem
are listed - from Aparachshad to Terach - replete with data on their life
spans and an almost benign mention of their children.
B'reishit 11:26 tells us that when Terach
had lived seventy years he begot Avram, Nahor, and Haran. Beyond possibly
pondering the absence of daughters, we could almost overlook this sentence.
We might then ask why the Torah so introduces us to the revolutionary genius
who changed the face of history and reintroduced monotheism into the world.
Perhaps this obscure initial rendez- vous
with Avraham is precisely what shows up his essential greatness. Unlike the
other prophets, he was not chosen; he emerged from simple roots. And now the
text immediately reintroduces Terach and his family's journey that will
change Avraham's life forever: Terach will depart from Ur Kasdim for the
land of Canaan - only to die on the way in Haran.
From this bare account we learn a most
profound lesson. The wicked idol worshipper Terach had set his eyes on Eretz
Yisrael but would never make it. Avram, however, would set off again for the
"Land which I shall show you" at G-d's bequest. Only then could Avram merit
to be called Avraham, "Father of all nations." And, who knows, if is not in
that merit that we now maintain our intrinsic connection to the Land of
Israel.
Shabbat Shalom, Menachem Persoff
SHEYIBANEH BEIT HAMIKDASH...
A series of articles on Beit HaMikdash-related topics by Catriel Sugarman
intended to increase the knowledge, interest, and
anticipation of the reader, thereby hasteningthe realization of our hopes
and prayers for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash.
Gerim, Bnei No'ach and Korbanot
"And Yitro, the father-in-law of Moses took an Olah and Zevachim to G-d, and
Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with Moses'
father-in-law before G-d" (Shemot 18:12). Ramban posited, that after abiding
with Bnei Yisrael for a period of time, Yitro became a Ger, a proselyte and
"entered into the Convenant (as did Bnei Yisrael) by Mila, immersion, and
the sprinkling of blood" i.e. Korbanot (Keritot 9a).
Therefore, according to Ramban, the
Korban Olah that Yitro brought was the particular Olah, Korban HaGer, that a
Ger was required to bring upon his conversion to Judaism. Actually a Ger had
the option of bringing one animal sacrifice or two birds (Isurei Bi'ah
13:5). But after the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, the question arose,
now that a Ger is unable to bring Korban HaGer, is his conversion valid? The
Torah says, "If a Ger sojourns with you… throughout your generations" (Bamidbar
15:14). This Pasuk teaches us that it must always be possible for Gerim to
join the House of Israel even in the absence of the Mikdash and the abeyance
of Korban HaGer. The Gemara continues, "Our rabbis taught, 'These days, in
the absence of the Mikdash, a Ger must put aside a fourth (of a Dinar) for
his sacrifice of birds'", or the equivalent animal sacrifice. Gerim were
instructed to put aside this money in order to buy their Korbanot in case
the Mikdash would be rebuilt in their lifetime. The Gemara resumes, "R.
Yochanan ben Zakkai held a vote on this ruling and (together with the Sages)
abolished their putting aside of money for fear of misuse." This money, once
put aside for a Korban, acquired sanctity and therefore could not be used
for "common" purposes. Today, since there is no Korban HaGer, only Mila and
immersion in a Mikva under the supervision of the Beit Din are required for
valid conversion, Gi'ur K'halacha. Once the process of Gi'ur was completed,
"One law shall there be for the native (the born Yisrael) and the Ger who
lives among you" (Shemot 12:49).
In Vayikra 22:18, it states, "Any man of
the House of Israel and of the Gerim among Israel who will bring his
offering… they will offer it to G-d as an Olah…" The Amora R. Huna quoted R
Akiba as saying that the Korban was accepted because the non-Jew's "heart is
directed towards Heaven" (Menachot 73b). Tosafot notes that this Pasuk
"expressly includes non-Jews" who have not converted. Consequently, the Olah
was the only sacrifice accepted from Bnei Noach (non-Jews) in the Beit
HaMikdash. Rambam writes, "If a non- Jew brought a Shelamim, they are
offered as Olot." Why? Rashi posits "that in his heart the non-Jew wants to
devote the entire Korban to Heaven and burn it on the Mizbei'ach. He does
not want it to be eaten." And of course the non-Jew would not necessarily
know the differences between the various Korbanot, that some are totally
burnt on the Mizbei'ach, others are eaten by the Kohanim, others by the
Ba'alei Korban. "R. Simon said… 'If a Ben Noach sent his Olah from abroad
and he sent the (money to buy the) Nesachim (the fine flour mixed with olive
oil and wine which accompanied the Olah), they were to be offered with the
Korban. But if he did not send (money), the Nesachim were to be (added to
the Korban and) offered at public expense." It was assumed that the non-Jew
acted out of ignorance. Rambam, (Ma'asei Korbanot 3:2) rules that Olot to be
used for Korbanot Tzibur (e.g. T'midin) are not accepted from Bnei Noach.
"From the hand of a stranger you may not offer the bread of your G-d… (Vayikra
22:25). Following the lead of the Sifra ("Torat Kohanim", a running Halachic
commentary on Vayikra originating in the school of R. Akiva), he interprets
"bread" as Korbanot Tzibur. Therefore Bnei Noach also could not contribute
to the yearly half-shekel fund, the "Temple tax" collected from all of
Israel, from whose proceeds the Korbanot Tzibur were paid for. Rashi
comments, "With reference to the Ben Noach who brought a Korban to the
Kohein, it is written, '…you shall not offer for him a (sacrificial animal)
having a blemish'. And even though a Ben Noach may offer a Korban with a
blemish (unless it actually lacked an organ), that only applies to a Bamah,
a "field altar".
But upon the Mizbei'ach of the Mishkan
(or Beit HaMikdash), '…you shall not offer it'. Therefore it is said above,
'Any man" (Ish Ish) to include the Bnei Noach who make vows and bring
free-will offerings." Rambam concurs, "Shelamim, Menachot (meal offerings),
Chata'ot (sin-offerings), Ashamot (guilt offerings), or any Olah which is
not voluntary or in the fulfillment of a vow, such as the Korban brought by
the mother who had just given birth, are not accepted from them" (ibid). An
Olah was accepted from the non-Jew "even though he was (and remained) an
idol worshipper." This was not the case with the Yisrael; the Korban of a
Mumar, an apostate, was not accepted. "One may accept Korbanot from the
sinners in Israel so that they be induced to repent but not from a Mumar… or
someone who publicly desecrates Shabbat. (Chulin 5a)
When the Torah ordained the laws of Korbanot, the very first words were,
"Adam Ki Yakriv Mikem Korban, … a man, a person among you who brings a
sacrifice." The term Mikem, "from you, but not all of you," excludes the
Mumar but includes the Ben Noach. We can see in this an adumbration (yes,
dear TT reader, it is a word - PC) of the idyllic conditions which will
prevail in the soon to be rebuilt Beit HaMikdash. "And I shall bring them
(the nations) to My Holy Mountain, and I shall cause them to rejoice in my
House of Prayer, their burnt offerings and their sacrifices willingly shall
I accept on My Altar, because My House shall be called a House of Prayer for
all peoples" (Yeshiyahu 56:7).
A Surprising Postscript for Today!
The concluding Halacha in Ma'asei Korbanot - Rambam's "handbook" on "Korbanics"
(my term!) - practical sacrificial procedure - is truly astonishing. "Today,
a Nochri, i.e. a Ben Noach, is permitted to offer Olot to G-d anywhere he
chooses". Quoting Zevachim 116a, he continues, "Therefore every Ben Noach
may build himself an altar and offer upon it whatever he wishes." However
the offering is considered an authentic Korban, only if the altar is
artificially constructed as it is written, "And Noach built an altar…" (Bereishit
8:20). Rambam continues, "It is forbidden for a Jew to help them
(physically) …because we are not permitted to offer sacrifice outside of the
Mikdash. We are, however, permitted to teach them how to offer sacrifice to
G-d". The Mishne Lemelech, commenting on the Rambam, explains that the Ben
Noach's Korban may be "cattle and other animals or birds, perfect or
blemished, however the sacrificial animals must be pure (i.e. Kosher) and
not impure". And in fact, there are non-Jews today in Eretz Yisrael and
abroad, who, in full cognizance of what they are doing and why, offer
Korbanot to the G-d of Israel as elucidated by Rambam and countenanced and
regulated by Halacha.
Catriel Sugarman (acatriel@netvision.net.il,
02-652-7531) gives illustrated lectures on the Beit Hamikdash and related
topics. Catriel is in the process of writing a book:
The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrim's
Perspective: A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service.
Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading
Column #90. Contents of this weekly column are (mostly) based on the sefer:
EIM LAMIKRA HASHALEIM, by R' Nissan Sharoni, Ashdod, a guide to correct
pronunciation of Hebrew, specifically in davening and Torah reading.
Here's another reader's email that will
make the bulk of this week's TBDATR column. Thank you Yoel for your
continued interest in this column and your helpful and insightful comments.
YL writes...
R. Pinhas (that's me, Phil), shalom
uv'racha!
In the last two TBDATRs you have mentioned the quite extraordinary cases of
an ALEF with a dagesh (B'reshit 43:26 and Vayikra 23:17): VAYAVI-U and TAVI-U.
(The dots in the ALEFs were added as graphics because DavkaWriter does not
allow an ALEF with a dot.) To the best of my knowledge nobody treats these
two instances in a serious manner. It remains for me to postulate an
explanation, and for you to decide if you want to buy it.
You have noticed, of course, that in both
cases the root concerned is BET-ALEF, i.e., the root of the verbs "to come"
and "to bring", LAVO and LE-HAVI, and (probably) the original root of the
noun NAVI ("prophet") and the verbs derived from it ("to prophesy"). This
root is probably responsible for a majority of words in Tanach with an ALEF
in a non-initial position (either medial or final). In final position an
ALEF is always silent (as opposed to its pronunciation in initial position,
when it is pronounced like a Cockney would pronounce "bottle", i.e., bo'l).
That is what is called a "glottal stop" in linguistic parlance. In medial
position the ALEF is rarely silent (see what happened to MELACHA, ROSH, TSON,
B'REISHIT); in all other cases it is supposed to be pronounced like that
glottal stop. However, when it appears between vowels, it often tends to be
transformed into a glide, especially a "Y". So TAVI-U tends to be pronounced
TAVIYU.
Since the dot in an ALEF is certainly not
a DAGESH CHAZAK (the ALEF is not supposed to be doubled), nor is it a DAGESH
KAL (an ALEF does not have two mutually supplementary pronunciations, like
BET/VET or GIMEL/GHIMEL etc.).
We must thus assume it is being used in a
special manner. I for one can well imagine that back when the vowel pointing
was introduced (1300 years ago, more or less) people tended to misread such
words as VAYAVI-U as VAYAVIYU. And the MEDAKDEKIM put in that dot to remind
them that it was VAYAVI-U etc. The two examples we have of this may well
have been the very beginning of the trend which the MEDAKDEKIM tried to nip
in the bud, so to speak.
Thanks again, YL, for your feedback. I'm
not on the level to "buy" your theory or reject it. I think it is a
suggestion with merit. I wonder, however, why we find only these two
examples in all of Tanach. The word VAYAVI-U occurs 25 times in Tanach and
there are 6 TAVI-Us. And there are probably other words that have the same
pronunciational pitfall, yet only these two ALEFs have dots. On the other
hand, we do find a dot having other uses besides DAGESH CHAZAK which doubles
the letter, DAGESH KAL which indicates which sound the letter with two
sounds is to have, and a MAPIK which tells us to sound the HEI that would
otherwise be silent. There is a dot in the LAMED of LEIMOR in the oft
repeated pasuk VAYDABEIR HASHEM EL MOSHE LEIMOR. The dot doesn't do what the
"regular" DAGESHes do. It has another function. I think it draws an emphasis
to the whole word within the sentence. MEM and NUN also have a dot (I'm not
even calling it a DAGESH) some- times when they are the first letter of a
word. E.g. ANA HASHEM HOSHI'A NA. So the dot in these two ALEFs can also
have another function. Could be like an asterisk in English have different
uses. (Thank you MW for these tidbits of dikduk knowledge which we shared at
a 7-Brachot earlier this evening.) Let's say that the jury is still out on
these rare dotted-ALEFs. Readers are invited to join in the
information-sharing on this issue (and others).
Parsha Pix
A classic ParshaPix we've used for a number of years, but with some changes
and additions this year.
The top row is based on an old joke about the worm coming in an apple, but
all the other animals coming in pears (pairs). So a sample of animals are to
be found in pears. They represent the animals that came into the Teiva.
There is also a fish to remind us that fish were not taken on the Teiva, but
survived the Mabul in a column of water under the Teiva that did not have
the destructive forces of the rest of the floodwaters.
There is also a Triceratops, which was a rhinoceros-like dinosaur. One
possible explanation for finding fossil remains of pre-historic animals is
that they existed in antediluvian times, but did not survive the Flood.
Then there is the famous dove with olive branch, cloud with rainbow and
cloud with rain.
The grapes and wine flask are references to No’ach post-Flood.
The people figures represent the proliferation of human beings after the
Flood.
The ear of corn, TIRAS in Hebrew, stands for one of the 70 nations that came
from No'ach - the one called TIRAS, which Rashi says is Paras, or Persia.
The Tower of Babel is accompanied by words of many languages. They all mean
"please", but no one would be able to understand what the others were
saying.
TTRIDDLES...
are Torah Tidbits-style riddles on Parshat HaShavua (sometimes on the
calendar). They are found in the hard-copy of TT scattered throughout,
usually at the bottom of different columns. In the electronic versions of TT,
they are found all together at the end of the ParshaPix-TTriddles section.
Some TTriddles are alsopresented for call-in solution on Torah Tidbits Audio
(Arutz-7, Thursday night). The best solution set submitted each week (there
isn't always a best) wins a double prize a CD from Noam Productions and/or a
gift (game, puzzle, book, etc.) from Big Deal
Last issue’s (B'reishit) TTriddles:
[1] Had he known in advance, he might have done commercials for Carmel's
Brandy
[2] The Kayin-Yissachar connection in what mitzva?
[3] Sort of supports the Big Bang theory
[4] Taninim, Adam & Chava, Shabbat
[5] Can't resist: Parsha connection to the WS
[6] This time he doesn't back up R' Chananya's words
[7] Whose children were like the pre-tree couple?
And the envelope please...
[1] Carmel’s Brandy is known as SHEVA-SHEVA- SHEVA, 777. That was the
lifespan of LEMECH, father of No’ach. As No’ach’s father and M’tushelach’s
son, (not to mention sharing a name with KAYIN’s descendant and accidental
killer), LEMECH would have been a good choice for advertizing Carmels’ 777
(had it been known that he would become associated with that number).
[2] The word ROVEITZ appears only three times in Tanach, all three
occurrences being in the Torah. It means to lie, crouch, stretch out (and a
few other things). The first occurrence is in Parshat B’reishit (which is
why it’s a TTriddle now), when G-d challenges Kayin for being upset and
depressed when his offering was not accepted (by Hevel’s was). The
expression used is “sin crouching in wait...” (B’reishit 4:7). We next
encounter the word in Yaakov’s bracha to Yissachar, (49:14). Yissachar is a
strong donkey, stretched out between the saddlebags. Not exactly
complimentary in today’s culture, but the connotation of this bracha is very
positive (see commentaries). BTW (by the way), the word ROVEITZ does occur
more than these three times, but in other grammatical forms. The third and
only other appearance of ROVEITZ is in Parshat Mishpatim in the context of
the positive mitzva known as PEIRUK MASA, unloading another’s overloaded
(hence, lying of crouching under its burden) beast of burden (donkey is the
example in the pasuk), even if the owner of the animal is someone you hate.
So this is the mitzva that goes with the Kayin-Yissachar connection.
SHILU’ACH HAKEN would also be an answer, if we didn’t want to stick
exclusively to ROVEITZ. The mother bird is described as ROVETZET, sitting on
the chicks or eggs...
[3] The scribal tradition is to writing the opening letter of the Torah with
a big BET; association to a BIG B,and from there to the Big Bang theory of
the beginning of the universe. The especially fits if we use the title of
Prof. Gerald Shroeder’s book: Genesis and the Big Bang.
[4] This one was kind of easy. In the Torah’s first account of Creation, G-d
gives three blessings. VAIVAREICH (OTAM) ELOKIM... The recipients of these
brachot were the TANINIM, created on Day 5, ADAM (and CHAVA), created on Day
6, and the SEVENTH DAY (Shabbat).
[5] This isn’t really a TTriddle, mostly because it isn’t original. It’s
from an old riddle about baseball in the Torah. There is a list of various
phrases from different p’sukim. Most answers are puns which elicit groans.
This one is certainly one of the groaners. The connection beteen B’reishit
and the World Series (aside from game six being played on Motza’ei Shabbat
Breishit) is the phrase: In the Big Inning. (In the beginning, B’reishit,
big innining, get it?) Sorry, but as we said in the TTriddle - Can’t resist.
[6] Rabbi Chananya ben Akashya says (in the mishna at the end of Makot,
which is quoted at the end of each chapter of Pirkei Avot, and which is used
countless times at the conclusion of a shiur, as a lead-in to Kaddish
D’Rabbanan), G-d wanted to merit the people of Israel, therefore he heaped
upon them (us) Torah and Mitzvot. The mishna concludes with a supporting
quote from Yeshayahu (42:21). This chapter is the regular haftara of
Br’reishit. But this year, it was preempted by the haftara of Machar Chodesh,
so we don’t have the back-up to R’ Chananya’s words.
[7] Let’s use this TTriddle to show you how some TTriddles are made. It
starts with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Tree itself is
mentioned twice. Then the NACHASH uses the term YO-D’EI TOV VARA as a
G-d-like quality, “knower of Good and Evil”. There term comes up once more
in the “decision” to expell Adam and Chava from Gan Eden. Four occurrences
of TOV VARA raise a TTriddle-potential which leads to the next step: a
search of Tanach for the phrase. Using DBS’s database of zillions of
Sifrei-Kodesh (but restricting the search to Tanach only), resulted in only
one other occurrence of TOV VARA in all of Torah and Tanach). In the
beginning of D’varim, Moshe Rabeinu is telling the people about the Sin of
the Scouts. He mentions that the previous generation was worried out the
innocent children, who turned out to be the generation that would enter the
Land (the people that Moshe is telling this to). The phrase of innocent
children are those who don’t even know the difference between TOV VARA, good
and bad. Definitely, TTriddle material. What’s left is to formulate it.
Sometimes, they come out better than others. Here, it is the pre-tree
couple, i.e. Adam and Chaya BEFORE they ate from the Tree, and were not yet
YO-D’EI TOV VARA, just like the children of DOR HAMIDBAR.
What remains of the TTriddles of Shabbat B’reishit 5764 is to await the
solutions...
This week's TTriddles:
[1] No'ach, (Ushpizin-Yosef), Gid'on Shmuel, Shaul
[2] No'ach, Avraham, Rachel, and...?
[3] The narrow one cycle per second wanted trouble - confused?
[4] It attempts to retore 11:1
[5] Remembers, trustworthy, fulfills
[6] Almost like Yaakov, Par'o, and Shimshon
[7] Small letter small - how many children?
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Yavne with Dr. Henry Goldblum
11:36am (women) • The Mitzva of Judging People Favorably (from Rabbi
Yissocher Frand) with Aviva Nissim
SLIM FOR LIFE Group weight-loss program for women, No obligation for the
first session • Qualified nutritional advisor on hand; Mondays, from 11:35am
• Elisheva 999-6479
Monday, November 3, 12:30pm • Lunch and Video: Parshat B'reishit by Dr.
Avivah Gottlieb Zornenberg
Fit Forever: Look & Feel your Best! Exercise class for women of all ages at
the Israel Center, Gentle exercises to improve your flexibility,
circulation, posture, etc.Breathing and relaxation skills to use every day.
Satisfaction guaranteed! Mondays, 12:45-1:45pm Call Sura Faecher, 9932524
Mondays (and Wednesdays) 2:00pm, Hebrew-reading Ulpan with Chani Abramson
Women's Beit Midrash • Acquire study skills and knowledge crucial to your
life as a Jew - join us! Guided Chavruta study with Pearl Borow, In-Depth
study of Chumash B’reishit with Rashi, - Shiur by Rabbi David Derovan
Pri Chadash Women's Writing Workshop • Mondays: 5:30-7:30pm with Ruth
Fogelman (628-7359) & Mindy Aber Barad (643-5276)
Mondays at 7:30pm (and Wednesdays at 9:00am) • The Avrom Silver Jerusalem
College for Adults presents...Parshat HaShavua with Dr. Avivah Gottlieb
Zornberg
NEW! Mondays 7:00-8:30pm • Jerusalem Congressional Task Force, Meet and
discuss ways in which to communicate with U.S. Congress people abroad
concerning vital issues of the day in Israel of which they may not be aware
8:30pm • AM SEGULA: “Curing the Jewish Heart” series with Eli Yosef: Yosef
Trumpeldor
MASK - Mothers & Fathers Aligned Saving Kids • J'lem Chapter at the OU
Israel Center • Dr. Judy Belsky, PhD - Group Facilitator; Join us at our
next bi-weekly meeting - MONDAY, Nov. 3, 7:30-9:00pm • http://maskjerusalem.cjb.net
• Also in Ramat Beit Shemesh: Call (02) 999-6686 or 999-6162
Tuesday
N'SHEI LIBRARY - CLOSED
The Israel Center and the Old City Free Loan Association 14th year • over
3000 loans granted, Gemach - Free Loan Society to provide interest-free
loans for people in financial distress. Interviews at the Center on Tuesdays
from 10:00-12:00 • Please bring ID
Yad Yaakov Center for Jewish Education classes at the Israel Center,
Tuesdays, 9:00-10:30am, Call 054-690-330 for further information
9:00-10:00am • The World of Mishna; Halacha, Hashkafa, and History by Rabbi
Aharon Adler
10:15-11:15am • Parshat HaShavua with Phil Chernofsky; Rabbi Gold will be
back IY"H on Nov. 18th
9:00am • The Carpenter & the Goldsmith with Dr. Hayim Abramson
9:55am • Spirituality is Stronger than Reality (on moving mountains and
shuls) with Dr. Hayim Abramson
10:50am • Parshat HaShavua with Rabbi Mordechai Spiegelman
11:55• Chabad insights into Parshat HaShavua and the Actualia of Our Time
(women only) with Raizel Zisk
Jewish Values Education Institute presents Wellsprings of Creativity; Come &
discover your own writing ability! Each of us is a wellspringof thoughts,
memories, stories & poetry. Let your inner voice emerge...12 1½-hr. sessions
with Esther Sutton; Tuesdays, 12:00-1:30pm... beginning October 28
Video and Lunch • Tuesday, November 4th, 12:30pm • Avraham vs. the Dark Side
of Genius by Rabbi Sholom Gold
Tuesday, Noivember 4th - 8:00-10:00pm • Kiss Your Fear, Anxiety, and Sadness
Goodbye! Gain calm freedom from fear, sadness, stress anxiety, overeating
and other cravings, limiting physical pains, angry behavior, and progress
more in learning. This is not a talking psychology technique. Tonight, you
will learn and gain immediate personal progress at this demonstration of
Emotional Freedom Techniques by ourExecutive Director: Rabbi Immanuel Yosef
Legomsky MA Neurotherapist. Gain this tool which has worldwide success as
documented in the Journal of Clinical Psychology and the #5 bestseller on
the NY Times booklist, and which will bring you much happiness.
Tuesday, November 4, '03, 8:00pm • The Judith M. Yellin Memorial Lecture •
9th yahrzeit shiur • Lessons from the Book of B'reishit; Guest speaker:
Rabbi Berel Wein • Aliya LaKever will take place earlier in the day, the 9th
of Cheshvan. We will meet in the parking lot of Har HaMenuchot for Mincha at
3:30pm.
Wednesday
9:00am • Dr. Aviva Zornberg on Parshat Hashavua
10:45am • Rabbi Macy Gordon on The crisis of the Religious Court System
9:30am • Towards More Meaningful Davening with Dr. Joel Luber
Lunch and Video • Wednesday, November 5th, 12:30pm • The Blessing of a
Broken Heart, Sherry Mandell Mother of Koby, HY"D
(Mondays and) Wednesdays 2:00pm; Hebrew-reading Ulpan with Chani Abramson
Women's Beit Midrash • Acquire study skills and knowledge crucial to your
life as a Jew - join us! Guided Chavruta study with Pearl Borow
3:00pm • (men & women) • Women in Tanach with Pearl Borow
7:30pm •Jewish Philosophy • Road Map to the Prophets - Rambam's Guide for
the Perplexed, Now studying: Taamei HaMitzvot - Criminal Law with Rabbi
Chaim Eisen
Wednesday, November 5th, 8:00pm • Book evening with Victor Geller
8-10pm • Aliya Counseling with Miriam Bass
Thursday
10:30am • Shiur while you fold...New topic: Chassidut with Rabbi David J.
Derovan
Shmooze while you fold • Divrei Torah, verbal tidbits, Q&A, and... with
Phil; Some time IY”H, sometimes B”N
Thursday, Noc. 6, 7:00pm, Singles over 28, "You can reach your Goals!,
workshop with Ron Bowman, 30NIS, for more info. call Ezer Kenegdo
Matchmaking: 02 566 6039
8:00pm • Legends from the Gemara with Reb Yosef Schreiber
Friday
9:00am • In-Depth Pirkei Avot with Rabbi Chaim Eisen
upcomings at the Israel Center
Rabbi Mendel Kessin on Ahavat Yisrael & the Geula (Motza"Sh Nov. 8, 8:30pm)
and on Current Events and the Divine Agenda (Tue. Nov.18, 8:00pm)
Walk Well; Feel Well Lecture and "hands-on" workshop in improving one's
walking. Sunday, November 9th, 11:30am. With Tai Chi master Arieh Breslow.
Call 99-333-94 for further details
Motza"Sh Nov. 15, 8:30pm - Upsurge in Worldwide anti-Semitism after 9/11,
Causes and Prospects for the future from a Torah Perspective. Lecture and
slide show by Dan Altura, Ph. D
Mother - Daughter Bat Mitzva Course with Pearl Borow beginning Tuesday,
November 4th. call 566 7787 x 261 to reserve
November is Jewish Book Month at the Israel Center • Watch for details of
Upcoming programs
How to Talk so Kids will Listen with Sherry Miller, Mondays at 7:30
beginning Nov. 10, call 566 7787 x 261 to register
Rain, Rain, don't go away
From Musaf of Shmini Atzeret (a.k.a. Simchat Torah in Israel, but that might
confuse readers in Chutz LaAretz - and even some from here) until Musaf of
the first day of Pesach, we refer to G-d as The Rainmaker, among the many
other descriptive terms in the second bracha of the Amida (see box to the
right).
An Amida during the rainy season without any reference to G-d’s role in
making the weather is considered fatally flawed, and must be said over.
Specifically, if one omits MASHIV HARU’ACH UMORID HAGASHEM (hereafter MHUH)
from the second bracha of the Amida, AND does not say MORID HATAL either,
the Amida must be repeated. In Israel (and in many
communities around the Diaspora), where MORID HATAL is said when MHUH is not
said, it is considered that G-d’s role as Weather Maker is acknowledged
throughout the year. Therefore, if one forgets MHUH, he can assume that he
said MORID HATAL and his Amida is not invalid.
That’s the big picture. Let’s do some fine-tuning. The rule for repeating or
not repeating, as above, has another application. If one continues the Amida
beyond the second bracha, and then realizes he hadn’t said MHUH, then
without the MORID HATAL alternate, the person stops cold and starts the
Amida over. With the MORID HATAL alternate, the person just continues the
Amida to its conclusion and “ignores” the omission.
And what if you remember within the second bracha? There are two different
opinions. One opinion is that as soon as one realizes the omission
(remember, within the second bracha), he goes back to ATA GIBOR and tries
again. Some say that it is only necessary to back to MHUH, the ATA GIBOR
part was said and untainted by the omission.
The other opinion is that one says MHUH wherever the omission was realilzed,
without going back to the beginning of the bracha. But one should say MHUH
between phrases, not within one. For example, one can say SOMEICH NOFLIM,
MHUH, V’ROFEI CHOLIM, but should say SOMEICH MHUH NOFLIM. The text of the
second bracha of the Amida is printed in the box at the upper-right of this
page with each phrase on its own line, to help understand and apply this
ruling.
Furthermore, the last phrase before the ending of the bracha - V’NE-EMAN...
must precede the ending, without MHUH interceding. So if one has already
said the V’NE-EMAN phrase and then realizes he forgot MHUH, he says MHUH,
then repeats V’NE-EMAN... and then concludes with BARUCH...
That’s the fine tuning. The point of it all,is that davening is serious and
real and so is rainfall. And we have the power of prayer and should use it
properly.
and...come again another day.
On the previous page, the issue was HAZKARAT G’SHAMIM, the mention of
rainfall, the mention of G-d as the rainmaker. That began, as already
mentioned, on Shmini Atzeret. The issue for this page is SH’EILAT G’SHAMIM,
asking for rain.
This request, known to Ashkenazim as TAL UMATAR, involves the addition of
two words - TAL UMATAR and the prefix of a LAMED to the word BRACHA (with
the drop of the dot in the BET) to become LIVRACHA. Two words and a letter.
S’FARADIM call the issue BAREICH ALEINU, which is the winter bracha that
replaces BA-R’CHEINU. In both cases, we are talking about a change in the
6th of the 13 middle brachot of request of the weekday Amida.
In Eretz Yisrael, the request for rain begins at Maariv on the eve of the
7th of Cheshvan. (This year, that’s Motza’ei Shabbat Parshat No’ach,
November 1st.) In Chutz LaAretz, asking for rain begins on December 5th or
6th (depending upon the number of days in February).
A weekday Amida in the rainy season without a rpetition to G-d for TAL
UMATAR, renders the Amida invalid, and requires repeating the whole Amida.
This is so if the omission is discovered after one completes the Amida, i.e.
after ...HaShem Tzuri v’Go’ali (even before steps back).
If the omission is realized while one is still in the Amida, then...
If you are still in BIRKAT HASHANIM (Barech Aleinu), then stop, say V’TEIN
TAL UMATAR LIVRACHA (hearafter called T&M) and continue from there.
If you already said HaShem’s name in the end of BAREICH ALEINU, then
continue the Amida and in the final bracha of request, SH’MA KOLEINU, say
T&M after KI KEIL SHOMEI’A... T’SHIVEINU, and then continue with KI ATA
SHOMEI’A...
If you started KI ATA SHOMEI’A but have not yet said G-d’s name in the end
of the bracha, then stop, say T&M, and repeat from KI ATA SHOMEI’A...
If you already said G-d’s name at the end of SH’MA KOLEINU, then finish the
bracha and immediately say T&M as an add-on (so to speak, as opposed to the
preferable add-in) to SH’MA KOLEINU.
Once the word R’TZEI is said,or even just the R’ of R’TZEI, you must stop
where you are, go back to BAREICH ALEINU (not just to SH’MA KOLEINU) and say
the Amida from there all the way to the end. This rule applies if the
omission of T&M is realized anytime until one completes the pasuk YIHYU
L’RATZON...
Although many of the details above are geared to avoiding or minimizing
wasted brachot, if one finished the Amida without T&M, the entire 19 brachot
of the weekday Amida must be repeated. Avoiding BRACHA L’VATALA is a high
concern, but asking G-d for T&M during the rainy season is paramount.
The fine details of Halacha are important, but one mustn’t lose sight of the
concepts that produce those details. As mentioned earlier, prayer is real,
it is serious, it is powerful. And so is rain. Scoffers and cynics will say:
“Does it really matter if my Amida was two words short?” And the answer is,
YES.
More on Tal U'MATAR...
What should someone who lives in Chutz LaAretz but finds himself in Israel
this Motza"Sh when we will be starting to say T&M do? Some say that if he
intends be in Israel less than a year, he should NOT say T&M, but rather
wait for Dec. 5th, like B'nei Chutz LaAretz. Furthermore, he should avoid
being Shali'ach Tzibur - but if that is unavoidable, then he must say T&M in
the repetition of the Amida. (Because there is no repetition for Maariv, he
can lead that service.) Some say that he should begin T&M with us. In this
case, there is further disagreement as to what he does if he returns to
CHU"L before Dec. 5th. Some say he should continue V'TEIN BRACHA in BAREICH
ALEINU, but should say T&M in Sh'ma Koleinu. Best advice? Ask your Rav.
ISRAEL CENTER SCENE • Bringing you reports of selected activities of the
Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center
Sukkot happenings...
As has now become custom, during the first day(s) of Sukkot the Israel
Center hosted NCSY graduates learning in Israel for a YomTov program of
Tefila, Ru'ach, learning and inspiration. The activities also served as a
springboard for those (former) NCSYers who are interested in further
training to become advisors on their return to the US. 36 students
participated under the watchful guidance of Rabbi David Markowitz. They
hailed from yeshivot that included Yeshivat Shaalvim, Torat Shraga, KBY, and
Mevaseret.
The boys appreciated having a place to
stay with friends and since they had no family in Israel, the Center was
exceptionally pleased to host them. On the Second day of Sukkot there was a
huge minyan of some 200 people that joined in the davening. Executive Vice
President of the OU, Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hirsch Weinreb also participated and
addressed the Tzibur. Among other rabbanim who spoke during the chag were
Rabbi Blachman, Rabbi Orlowek and Rabbi Yitzchak Berkowitz.
More at the Center...
The Center was very busy hosting different events that included the book
launching of "Wisdom From All My Teachers: Challenges and Initiatives in
Contemporary Torah Education". Rabbi Chaim Brovender, President of ATID -
The Academy for Torah Initiatives and Directions, founded to help train
future educators - spoke about his reflections on teaching and learning.
This was followed by an insightful discussion with several of the twenty
authors who contributed to the book, including Rabbi Hayyim Angel, Yael
Unterman, Yael Weiselberg, Rabbi Avraham Walfish and Rabbi Moshe Simkovich.
The evening was not only successful but also left participants intrigued by
the various and eclectic approaches to Jewish education.
Simcha was the keyword in the Israel
Center and the three well-attended concerts during Chol Hamo'ed were ample
proof. These were the Simchat Beit HaShoeva for women by the Tofa'a Women's
Band, the Bubby Goose concert for mothers and children, and a very special
presentation of "unique compositions that embrace the joy and hope of the
Jewish people," by Sam Glaser. "These concerts were all, in their own way,
uplifting at a time when Am Yisrael is in need of reasons to be joyful,"
remarked Phil Chernofsky, the Israel Center's Education Director.
One of our special events was the Wine &
Cheese evening held in our large Succah on the roof and sponsored by Simcha
Publishing. Over 100 participants who enjoyed the delicacies, also heard the
renown psychologist Lisa Aiken give a review of her new book, "Guide for the
Romantically Perplexed". Josef Carmi also spoke about his new book, "The War
of Western Europe Against Israel" along with several other authors,
including Heszel Klepfisz, Rabbi Dr. Yonatan Sraya, Chaim Rockman, Rabbi
Sholom Wexler, Michael Porter, Zev Golan and Rabbi Levi Meier, PhD who came
to personally sign their books.
Leil Hoshana Rabba was a notable occasion
marked by a reception in the Israel Center's Succah-on-the-Roof at which
Menachem Persoff, Programming Director, and Phil Chernofsky addressed the
crowd. Menachem referred to the aspect of the lowly Arava making it through
Sukkot to the heights of the Altar in the Temple as an analogy of how each
of us has the potential to grow in Torah. Phil attended to some of the
halachic issues pertaining to Mashiv Haru'ach, stressing the importance of
the public aspect of proclaiming this exclamation together. These were two
worthy introductions to a packed evening of shiurim that went through the
night to be climaxed by Tefila at the Kotel Hama'aravi and in the Wolinetz
Family Shul - Ohel Shmuel - at the Israel Center.
A special note of thanks to Ita Rochel
for her dedication in making all these - and other Sukkot events - possible
and for being there for all of us.
Beit Kharkov: A new staff launches a
new year
The Israel Center is happy to welcome the new team for this special project
and thanks Chaim Pelsner for all the hard work put in over the last year.
The new Director of Beit Kharkov, Yoni Nahum, was a shaliach in Kharkov a
number of years ago and recently directed the OU summer camp in the Ukraine.
His assistant Na'ama Gamliel has also has served as a shlichah to Kharkov
and has been very active in promoting the project. Lastly, Bat Sherut Sofi
completes the team. Rabbi Shlomo Asraf, Director of the Project in Kharkov,
continues in the role of advisor and mentor to the program in Israel. We
wish them all well in the coming year.
On Sunday the first day of Chol HaMoed 50
chanichim of Bet Kharkov left for a two-day trip. They began the day biking
in Park Canada and then continued to the Museum in Latrun. They also
participated in the Hachnasat Sefer Torah in Nofei Nechemia, a settlement in
the Shomron where many of the graduates of the Kharkov program live. here an
additional 30 graduates of the program joined them. Among the people who
attended were Clara and Simon Nikov, the parents of Alexai Nikov HY"D whose
self-sacrifice as a soldier in Gush Katif consequently saved many children's
lives. The band, music and people all contributed to the atmosphere and made
this an event to remember; it was very beautiful and lively with much
dancing and spirit.
The next day the group overlooked Shechem
from Har Grizim and visited the sect of Shomronim (who keep only the Written
Law). While somewhat unsure if they had made the right decision in bringing
the chanichim to meet these people, the madrichim were gratified to see that
after a few minutes of discussion the Beit Kharkovers were very defiant
about the attitude and outlook on Torah taken by the members of the sect.
This site served as a sound basis from which to later learn at Tel Shilo
about the Mishkan that was once located at this place.
Israel Center Travel Desk
Shaarei Chessed Tour. We opened the new Jewish year with a special double
header: a delicious lunch at the Heimishe Essen restaurant in Rechavia,
where we had the honor of hearing the most inspiring words of the Israel
Center's Director General of the OU, Rabbi Dovid Cohen. Shulamit, our tour
co-ordinator par excellence surprised us with platters of fruits used for
the Rosh Hashana evening meal ("simanim"). They were beautiful and
delicious. An explanation was given on the symbolism of fruits and
vegetables for a blessed year. Esther Schlisser met us at the restaurant and
guided us to the nearby neighbor- hood of Shaarei Chessed where she grew up.
Her explanation of her child- hood and what it was like growing up in that
area in those crucial but special years was fascinating. Her accounts of the
Gedolim who lived in the neighbor- hood left us all spiritually uplifted.
Sukkot Tour to Binyamin. During Chol
Hamoed Sukkot two busloads left the Israel Center to visit two communities
in Western Binyamin - Dolev and Neve Tzuf. At Dolev we visited with private
families in the Succah for snacks and conversation with residents. We were
very impressed by the community's dedication to their Jewish/Zionist ideals.
At Neve Tzuf, we were divided into smaller, more manageable groups and
guided through the forest trail to an archeological sight dating from the
Second Temple period. For those who wanted, there was a new indoor swimming
pool with separate hours. Our impressive guide, Gideon Abromowitz, explained
the geography, showing us the areas of Jewish population and desolate
unpopulated areas, and indicating where bypass roads had to take a long
round about route to avoid Ramallah. We all went home renewed vigor and
faith in our people.
Latrun & Mini Israel Trip. At this recent
tour, the first stop for the 50 participants was the Latrun Tank Corp
Memorial to the Fallen. We visited impressive rooms where soldiers were
memorialized as well as the amazing tank display. A tank model portrayed how
the four men in a tank inter-communicate with one another and with their
supervisors outside. At Mini-Israel we saw the 350 model buildings, 3,000
moving vehicles, and landscape that portray Israel's history. The tour was
so successful that the next repeat is now being planned.
Lichyot BeYachad
Lichyot Beyachad is the Israel Center's program that brings dati and chiloni
young people together. After the successful two day seminar held in the
North this past summer, many of the participants from Giv'at Brenner High
School kept in touch with us and asked for additional programs.
Consequently, before Sukkot there was a pre-YomTov program to which 40
students came. The program began at at the "Shuk Arba Minim" in Mea She'arim
where the participants enjoyed looking around the colorful booths.
Afterwards, at the Israel Center, Gai Mintz who is a well-known Baal Teshuva
and musician played for the group, followed by a talk given by Rav Michi
Yosefi on the topic of "Simcha".
The seminar continued with a visit to the Kotel and a tour of the graves of
fallen heroes on Mount Herzl given by Yochai Attias. Only at 1:00 A.M.,
after a long and special evening, did the group return home. It is important
to note that many of these kids come from totally secular backgrounds: since
the seminar in the summer many are becoming more observant and are now
wearing kippot.
NESTO
The new year began with so many senior NESTO participants crowding in to the
Teichmann Youth Center that it was decided to separate the large group into
two smaller groups, according to age. As is known, we also have a junior
group for grades 7 and 8. In all we are proud to report that we now have
well over 100 young people in the program.
While the Seniors were privileged to
participate in the Bet Shemesh Chassidic Music Festival during Sukkot, on
Isru Chag 40 members of NESTO's Senior Plus group went on a tour of the
border of Old Jaffa and Tel Aviv. The goal was to learn about the period of
the underground groups during and before the War of Independence. Around the
beach and near Bet Ha'Etzel the excited NESTOers played a simulation game of
this underground activity. They were required to display heroic acts, as it
were, such as building a reservoir of water and protecting or to be double
agents! The NESTOers also presented through skits different episodes from
this period such that the Madrichim were able compare the troubles of the
era with the situation we find ourselves in today.
These days if you come to NESTO you are
likely to be accosted by a young NESTOer asking for your support for his or
her candidacy for the new NESTO Board. So watch out!
Gesharim…
The Israel Center's Bar-Bat Mizva project started two years ago with a
handful of children. Today no less than 364 children are currently
registered in classes in Bet Shemesh, Lod, Kiryat Gat, Ramle, Bat Yam,
Jerusalem, Netanya, Raanana, Sederot, Maale Efrayim, Nahariya, Ramat
Hasharon, Gedera and Ma'ale Adumim. "This is an impressive list," remarked
Rabbi David Cohen, Director General of the OU in Israel. "It reflects the
hard work and solid investment that the Board and Staff of the Israel Center
are making in today - and tomorrow's youth."
Makom BaLev
During Sukkot the Center's Makom Balev branches throughout the country were
bustling with a activity. The different branches that are now spread over 25
towns across Israel all had their brand of programs. In addition to day
trips around Israel, the local coordinators and madrichim very kindly hosted
hundreds of tha chanichim in their family Succot for refreshments and a mini
Simchat Beit Hashoeva.
For some of the 40 teenage chanichim of
the moshavim branches of Chadid and Beit Uziel, their trip to Jerusalem was
a first-time experience! These children come from a mixed traditional and
secular environment, so the experience at the Kotel was in some ways novel.
The trip also incorporated Ammunition
Hill where they saw the museum, toured the area, and learned about the
sacrifice of the soldiers who fought for the liberation of Jerusalem.
Other tiyul experiences included boating
in Ganei Yehoshua for the Beit Shemesh branch; the Palmach Museum in Tel
Aviv for the girls from Sederot; a park and cookout in the Shefela for the
Bat Yam contingent. And for the secular children in Ramat Hasharon just
coming to experience a succa in their neighbor- hood was an enthralling
experience, so much so that 12 parents joined in the festivities as well.
"The activity in Ramat Hasharon is a breakthrough in the field of outreach,"
comments Yisrael Goren, Makom Balev Director. "When you see these parents
and children dancing together at a Simchat Bet Hasho'eva you know that you
are achieving…"
All in all both the chanichim and the
staff fulfilled the mitzvah of Simcha on Sukkot in no short measure.
Makom Balev Training Event. Recently, as
part of a series of training events designed to increase the educational
skills of the Makom Balev staff, 100 madrichim met at the Ort-Spanion
technical High School where Makom BaLev has for several years been active in
strengthening the Yiddishkeit of many of the students. Speakers included
Rabbi Elisha Vishliski on "Emuna", School principal Yehezkiel Yisraeli on
"Growing up as a Jewish Teenager", and Shulamit Lechiani who introduced this
year's educational theme, "The World of Values". Besides handling content,
the participants were introduced to several techniques to help them deal
with dilemmas which teenagers searching for meaning confront. All agreed
that the day left them all the richer for meeting the challenges which
Israel's increasingly open society has laid at their feet.
Makom Balev - Tzohar Yom Kippur Program.
Looking back a little, Yom Kippur 5764 will be remembered as the first time
that the OU Israel Center conducted Yom Kippur services for totally secular
Israelis (in cooperation with the Tzohar Organization). The program was
designed in such a way that every Jew who would attend would feel
comfortable," notes Rafi Danan, Director of the Israel Center's youth
Department. A special "Machzor" was designed for the hundreds of
participants, all of whom were residents of Ramat Hasharon. This marks a
major step forward in our efforts to reach out to the Israeli public, Rafi
adds. It is part of a much bigger plan to build on our very successful
Kehilot Yisrael community outreach activities in the Golan and the Jordan
Valley. Moreover, building on our successes we have been able to reach many
more native Hebrew speaking adults," he remarked.
The feedback was unbelievable. Some
participants, for example, wrote:
"Thank you for the initiative and the beautiful service. We were happy to
take part." - Shira Noylender
"The stone the builders have despised has become the cornerstone." This is
the most important and timely community project that I have seen in Ramat
HaSharon in the past decade. May you succeed in your work and you may count
on me to help you as much as possible. - Zev Peleg
Thank you so much! Thanks to you we were able to understand the prayers in a
meaningful way. All this was done in a pleasant and warm manner. - Alona
Abet
I enjoyed the way you conducted the service and gave an explanation before
each passage. - Noff Korkovski
OU ISRAEL CENTER
Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center
Yitzchak Fund, President
Rabbi Emanuel Quint, Senior Vice President
Prof. Meni Koslowsky, Vice President
Sandy Kestenbaum, Vaad member
Rabbi Dovid Cohen, Vaad Member
Menachem Persoff, Director, Israel Center
Phil Chernofsky, Educational Director and TT editor
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