Shabbat Parshat Eikev
TT #682 - August
26-27, '05, 22 Menachem Av 5765
The Orthodox Union along with its Israel Center extends its
condolences to the family of Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hirsch& Chavie Weinreb
on the passing of her father - Rabbi Chaim Yitzchak Taub z"l
This Shabbat is the 346th day (of 383); the 50th Shabbat (of 55) of
5765
We read/learn the FOURTH perek of Pirkei Avot this Shabbat
...KI AL KOL MOTZA PI HASHEM YICHYE HA'ADAM (D'VARIM 8:3)
HALACHIC TIMES
Ranges are THU-THU 20-27 Men. Av (Aug 25 - Sep 1)
Earliest Talit & T'filin - 5:18-5:23am
Sunrise - 6:10-6:14½am
Sof Z'man Kri'at Sh'ma - 9:25-9:26am (8:38-8:40am)
Sof Z'man T'fila - 10:30-10:30am (9:59-9:59am)
Chatzot (halachic noon) - 12:41-12:39pm
Mincha Gedola (earliest Mincha) - 1:14-1:12pm
Plag Mincha - 5:51-5:44pm
Sunset - 7:16½-7:08pm (7:12-7:03pm)
*Concerning "Earliest Shacharit", the time is actually the earliest
time for Tallit & T'fillin. In extenuating circumstances, one may
daven earlier than T&T time, but will have to do so without T&T,
until their later time. A fast begins earlier than T&T time, namely
Olot HaShachar.
Candle lighting (regular and earliest) and Havdala times - Israel
Summer Time (DST) - Correct for TT 682 • Rabbeinu Tam (J'm) - 8:25pm
6:35pm (5:50) Jerusalem 7:47pm
6:53pm (5:53) Gush Katif 7:50pm
6:52pm (5:52) Raanana 7:49pm
6:51pm (5:51) Beit Shemesh 7:48pm
6:52pm (5:52) Netanya 7:49pm
6.52pm (5:52) Rehovot 7:49pm
6:32pm (5:51) Petach Tikva 7:49pm
6:51pm (5:51) Modi'in 7:48pm
6:51pm (5:51) Be'er Sheva 7:48pm
6:50pm (5:50) Gush Etzion 7:47pm
6:51pm (5:51) Ginot Shomron 7:48pm
6:35pm (5:49) Maale Adumim 7:47pm
6:50pm (5:50) K4 & Hevron 7:47pm
6:45pm (5:50) Tzfat 7:48pm
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...
It is rare that a mazal
stays with this box for five weeks in a row, but such is the fate of
Snagglepuss, our stand-in for HaAri, Leo, the mazal of Menachem Av.
21 Av - 87th yahrzeit
of R' Chaim HaLevi Soloveitchik, also known as Reb Chaim and the
Brisker Rav, was a rabbi and Talmudic scholar considered the founder
of the "Brisker method", a method of highly exacting and analytical
Talmudical study that focuses on precise definition and
categorization of Jewish law as commanded in the Torah, with
particular emphasis on the legal writings of Rambam.
His primary work was
Chidushei Rebbe Chaim HaLevi, a volume of insights on Maimonides'
Mishna Torah which often would suggest novel understandings of the
Talmud as well...
Lead Tidbit
Fiery Furnace Revisited
The Mishna in Pirkei Avot tells us that Avraham Avinu was tested
with ten tests of faith, and he withstood them all. Rashi defines
withstanding such tests as not challenging G-d's "traits", not
becoming a skeptic (nor even entertaining sceptism). Commentaries on
the Mishna differ in what is included in the list of Avraham's
tests. Rambam states that all ten are specified in the text of the
Torah. He then proceeds to emunerate them. Others, including
Bartenura, include events that are only recorded in the Oral
Tradition. Let us take as an example, the first test of faith on
Bartenura's list - being thrown into the fiery furnace by Nimrod,
for preaching belief in One G-d. The fact that Avraham miraculously
survived that experience is not relevant to the nature of the test.
Being thrown into a fiery furnace is the test; the result in
Avraham's case might be viewed as a reward for his faith... or not.
Avraham Avinu was by no means the only Jew thrown into a fiery
furnace, literally and figuratively, throughout Jewish history. The
question is, what does each person think when confronted by a fiery
furnace. One will say Sh'ma Yisrael with what he thinks is his dying
breath. Another will ask where is G-d or how can G-d allow such a
terrible thing. Another will waver between the two options. Whether
or not the person survives the experience is not necessarily
indicative of his success or failure in the test. In fact, we might
even say that a contradictory or puzzling result of an ordeal
becomes a test of faith of its own.
What does that mean?
Here's the point. With all of the prayers and chessed and justness
of the residence of Gush Katif, Aza, and north Shomron yishuvim, how
is it possible that the disengagement plan went through? How is it
possible that G-d allows Hamas to assign credit for their "victory"
to suicide bombers and to Islam. The question itself is not a
problem. If one finds G-d or his faith in G-d lacking - that is the
problem. That is the failure of the test.
We must have total
confidence in G-d that He knows what He is doing. We use our finite
human intellect to figure things out as best we can, do what we
believe to be the right thing, and hope and pray that G-d will help
things along the way we'd like them to go. But to know too, that He
sometimes says "no".
We can be disappointed
in the behavior of people - how true this has been of late - but not
disappointed in G-d. Our lives have their share of fiery furnaces.
Let us hope that, with G-d's help - we make the right decisions, and
He rewards our efforts.
EIKEV Stats
46th of the 54 sedras; 3rd of 11 in D'varim
Written on 231.83 lines in a Sefer Torah; rank:14
10 Parshiyot; 6 open, 4 closed
111 p'sukim - ranks 26th (4th in D'varim) Same number of p'sukim as
Vayikra, but larger
1747 words - ranks 16th (3rd in D'varim) Same number of words as Ki
Tavo; Ki Tavo has more p'sukim; Ekev has more letters
6865 letters - ranks 14th (3rd in D'varim)
Ekev's p'sukim are long - 3rd longest in the Torah in words and
letters per pasuk. This accounts for rise in ranking in the words
and letters categories.
Mitzvot:
8 of the 613 mitzvot, 6 positive and 2 prohibitions
Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary
Numbers in [square brackets] are the Mitzva-count of Sefer HaChinuch
AND Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot. A=ASEI (positive mitzva); L=LAV
(prohibition). X:Y is the perek and pasuk from which the mitzva
comes.
[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 - 25 p'sukim - 7:12-8:10
[P> 7:12 (5)] Moshe Rabeinu reiterates the "simple" deal that HaShem
offers us: If we observe the mitzvot then He will keep the promises
that He made to our ancestors. He will love us, bless us, and see to
it that we flourish. We will be the most blessed among all the
nations.
It behooves us to
consider this fact that G-d repeatedly presents us with the
alternative results of our faithfulness to Him and the opposite.
This is what makes the second passage of the Sh'ma (see later in
this sedra) so important to our daily routine. Although there is
much overlap between the first two passages, it is the second one
that states "the Deal", and it is supposed to be a daily reminder
and warning.
Following this, Moshe
issues another of the many warnings against idolatry.
SDT In the context of
the opening p'sukim of the sedra, the word EKEV means "in the wake
of..." (following G-d's words).
Rashi takes the word to
indicate mitzvot that people belittle and crush under their heel.
With the careful observance of these mitzvot, G-d will keep His side
of the deal.
Baal HaTurim presents a
mini-mussar lesson based on the choice of the word EKEV. The heel
represents humility, in that it always follows the toes and the rest
of the foot (and body). Since it does not initiate action*, it does
not run the risk of becoming arrogant. We must realize that humility
is an important key in our following G-d's words. Thus, the opening
words of the sedra can be saying: "If you are humble and follow G-d's
commands, then..." (Note also that the heels support the entire
body.)
*This does not suggest
that initiative is a negative character trait. Done properly, while
safeguarding against arrogance (shall we say), it is admirable and
very positive.
[S> 7:17 (10)] Do not
wonder how it will be possible to prevail against the many nations
in the Land and do not fear them. The miracles witnessed in Egypt
(and in the Midbar) will be repeated with other nations. Conquest of
Eretz Yisrael will be slow so that the Land will not be overrun by
wild animals.
Ponder this...
Commentators ask, could not G-d Who split the sea and performed
countless other miracles, prevent the problem with animals without
drawing out the period of conquest. They explain that the period
from Yetziat Mitzrayim until entering the Land was supernatural,
filled with miracles, but it was an unnatural time. Food from
heaven, miraculous well- water, clothes that we did not out- grow,
shoes that did not wear out, and protection from the Clouds of
Glory, all demonstrated G-d's special relation- ship with the People
and helped develop within them a special faith in G-d, but was not
to be their way of life. Just as the fetus is protected and provided
for during gestation and then emerges from the womb into the less
perfect but "natural" world, so too Israel is soon to emerge from
its womb to face the reality of the natural, "real" world. Hence,
the warning about the animals. One can say that by warning us about
the length of the period of conquest, G-d is telling us that the
period of open miracles is ending (not completely), but a more
exciting, more alive period is to come.
No one will be able to
stand before Israel. The idols of the nation shall be destroyed and
we shall not desire their rich trappings. It is forbidden to derive
benefit from the adornments of idolatry, even if they have not been
worshiped [428,L22 7:25]. Nor may we have anything to do with
idolatry, directly or even peripherally. We may not benefit from
that which is consecrated to idolatry [429,L25 7:26].
[S> 8:1 (18)] All that
G-d commands us in the Torah is for the purpose of living... in
Eretz Yisrael.
SDT This is an
oft-repeated theme of Moshe's words to the new generation that is
soon to cross the Jordan River. It emphasizes the interdependence
and inseparable nature of the three fundamental events that define
the Jewish People - the Exodus, Matan Torah, and entry into Eretz
Yisrael.
Moshe next asks us to
remember the experiences of the years of wandering, the miracles as
well as the tribulations. That was a testing period which set the
stage for real life in Eretz Yisrael.
The Land is beautifully
described and the Seven Species are enumerated.
This gives prominence
to grain products (bread, pastry, etc.) in the realm of brachot and
gives priority to wine and the five special fruits.
The Torah commands us
to "bench" after meals [430,A19 8:10].
MitzvaWatch
Chazal augmented this rule with a wide range of brachot to be
recited before and after partaking of food, by which we express our
appreciation and thanks to G-d for the bounty of His world. So too,
the Sages required us to say brachot before mitzvot, as well as
blessings of praise, request, and acknowledgment - to make us
constantly aware of G-d and His role in the Creation and continuing
maintenance of the world.
Based on the words of
the command to say Birkat HaMazon, we are not only thanking G-d for
the food, as would be expected, but also for the Land. This is
reflected in the texts of Birkat HaMazon and "Al HaMichya" Since
Birkat HaMazon is a mitzva which applies in all places (not just in
Israel), commentaries ponder the significance of the reference to
the Land.
Ramban says that when
one looks back at the oppression in Egypt and remembers the
harshness of the Wilderness, and is now enjoying the bounty of the
Land of Israel, there is special cause to thank G-d. Even during
times of exile, the significance of the Land (and the Torah) to the
life of the Jewish People must not be over-looked. To paraphrase a
chassidic interpretation of the pasuk which commands us to "bench":
One can eat anywhere and be satisfied physically, but to be
spiritually satisfied as well - that happens only in THE natural
environment of the Jew and his Torah - in Eretz Yisrael. Perhaps
this is why Sefer HaChinuch speaks of the brachot for Torah-learning
in the same context as Birkat HaMazon. "And you will eat and you
will be satisfied..." - this refers to both physical and spiritual
food - food of the body and food for the mind and soul.
The implication of
Ramban's words is that only in Eretz Yisrael can one be genuinely
fulfilled in the performance of mitzvot. One can keep (many) mitzvot
outside of Israel, but there is something vital lacking under those
circumstances.
In the Midbar, Moshe taught us to thank G-d for our sustenance - the
Manna. This is the theme of the first bracha of Birkat HaMazon. When
Yehoshua brought the People into Eretz Yisrael, he inspired the 2nd
bracha, acknowledging that there is much more to thank G-d for - the
Land, the Torah, the Covenant with HaShem. These add the spiritual
dimension to the otherwise physical act of eating.
Levi - Second Aliya - 13 p'sukim - 8:11-9:3
Until now, the People have periodically displayed lack of faith in
G-d in troubled times (hunger, thirst, fear). At this point, Moshe
issues a very different kind of warning. When the People will enter
the Land, successfully defeat the nations therein, and begin to
benefit from the spoils of war and the bounty of the Land, the
potential exists to discount G-d's role in their good fortune. Moshe
warns: be careful to remember the One Who took us out of Egypt and
fed us in the wilderness. Do not say: look what I accomplished with
my own powers. Always remember that it is G-d who continuously keeps
his promises to our ancestors.
[P> 8:19 (2)] Know well
that turning from G-d towards idolatry will result in annihilation,
as with other nations. [Perhaps we can infer this additional point:
Don't think that the specialness of the relationship G-d had with
the Avot and the special relationship He has with us allows us to
turn away from G-d and embrace idolatry with impunity.]
[P> 9:1 (26)]
Notwithstanding the might of the nations we are about to face, have
confidence that G-d will lead us to victory.
Note that the words
that Moshe uses to describe the nations that we will face in Eretz
Yisrael are very similar to the words used by the Meraglim when they
panicked the People with their evil report on the Land. Moshe is not
glossing over the difficulties that lie ahead. He is rather
instilling confidence in the People that will come from faith in G-d
and His promise to fight on our behalf.
Shlishi - Third Aliya - 26 p'sukim - 9:4-29
Moshe next "put things in perspective". We must not think that we
deserve all that G-d is giving us, but rather we must remember the
many times we angered G-d in the wilderness AND even at Sinai!
[Some mitzva-counters
consider this ZACHOR to be among the 613; Rambam and the Chinuch do
not. This does not, however, minimize the significance of this
command. Some people have the custom of reciting a list of 6 or 10
Remembrances daily after Shacharit.]
Moshe now recounts for
the People the devastating event of the Golden Calf. How glorious
the events should have been when Moshe descended the Mount with the
first Luchot. Moshe tells how G-d wanted to destroy the People and
how he (Moshe) smashed the Luchot, interceded on behalf of the
People, and returned to the mountain for an additional 40 days and
40 nights of fasting and prayer.
Aharon too was subject
to G-d's anger.
Rashi explains that G-d
was angry at Aharon for "going along" with the People as far as he
did. The implication, is that Aharon lost his sons as a result of G-d's
anger with him. Moshe's prayers on behalf of his brother were
partially successful - Aharon's other two sons lived.
Inter alia, Moshe
mentions other places and events where the People angered G-d.
Moshe tells the People
that he smashed the Luchot when he saw the Golden Calf. He also
tells them of the different “arguments” he put before HaShem to
obtain His forgiveness.
R'VI'I - Fourth Aliya - 11 p'sukim - 10:1-11
[P> 10:1 (11)] Moshe continues by telling about the second set of
Luchot and the ARON constructed to contain them.
Rashi explains that
this ARON was not the one made by Betzalel for the Mishkan. That
came later. Specifically, the construction of the Mishkan and its
furnishings did not take place until after Yom Kippur. Moshe came
down with the second set of Luchot on Yom Kippur. Where was he to
put them? This ARON was made to contain the LUCHOT until THE ARON
would be built. Rashi says that this was the ARON used to accompany
the people into battle - the ARON of the Mishkan did not go to war
until the time of Eli HaKohen. It should not have, and as a Divine
punishment, it was captured by the enemy and kept from us for many
years.
He then tells of the
travels of the People, the death of Aharon, and the succession of
his son, Elazar. Moshe also tells of the special role given to the
tribe of Levi as a result of the (improper) behavior of the rest of
the People.
SDT The juxtaposition of the breaking of the Luchot and the death of
Aharon teaches us (among other things) that an irreparable, invalid
Sefer Torah is to be buried next to a Talmid Chacham. (Baal HaTurim)
Chamishi - Fifth Aliya - 20 p'sukim - 10:12-11:9
[S> 10:12 (20)] "And now, People of Israel, what does G-d want from
you? ONLY to revere Him, follow His ways, love Him, and serve Him
with all your heart and soul. To fulfill all that He commands - for
our own good."
Moshe tells the People
that even though G-d is the Master of all, He has a special
relationship with our ancestors and their descendants (us). We must
not be stubborn; we must be good, for G-d is truly great and not
subject to bribery.
We are required to especially love the convert [431,A207 10:19] - we
know how it is to be a stranger among others.
Revere G-d [432,A4 10:20], serve Him [433,A5 10:20], cling to Him
(by adhering to Torah scholars) [434,A6 10:20], and swear in His
Name [435,A7 10:20] when necessary to swear.
MitzvaWatch
Rambam counts the commandment to pray daily as Biblical, based on
"and Him you shall serve" and "and to serve Him with all your
heart", defining service of the heart as prayer. Ramban, on the
other hand, holds that prayer is a rabbinic mitzva altogether,
albeit inspired by the p'sukim in the Torah and stories of the Avot,
who prayed on various occasions.
At first look, it seems
problematic that there is no specific command in the Torah "Thou
shalt daven" (or words to that affect). The use of the indirect form
- serve Him, serve Him with all your heart, what is service of the
heart? Answer: Prayer - leads to different views on exactly what is
commanded here.
If you think about it,
SERVE HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART is the best way to command us to daven,
because it tells us clearly the high premium placed on KAVANA in
respect to davening. Of course, all mitzvot should be performed with
proper intention, thought, and feeling. But if one falls short in
the Kavana Department, most mitzvot are still acceptable that way.
With davening, kavana is the whole story, not just a component of
the mitzva. This is so, specifically because the Torah did NOT
command us to pray, but rather to serve G-d with all our hearts.
He is our G-d and He
formed a mighty nation from a family of 70 souls. Love Him and do
His mitzvot (do His mitzvot out of love for Him). Learn the lessons
of Jewish history - the miracles and wonders of the Exodus, the
crossing of the Sea, and the punishment of Datan and Aviram (here
singled out for their arrogant, unforgivable insult to Eretz Yisrael,
as opposed to Korach whom Moshe was able to forgive, sort of.
Once again, Moshe
emphasizes that the purpose of mitzvot and the proper environment
for Torah is Eretz Yisrael.
Shishi - Sixth Aliya - 12 p'sukim - 11:10-21
[S> 11:10 (3)] The Land that the People are about to enter is a land
that is "accountable to G-d" in obvious (and less obvious) ways. G-d
is demanding of it and of its soon-to-be inhabitants (us). The main
physical distinction mentioned is Israel's reliance upon rainfall.
G-d is demanding of the
Land of Israel and of the People of Israel - always, from one end of
the year to the other.
[S> 11:13 (9)] This
Aliya concludes with a restating of the "deal" that opened the sedra.
This parsha is the second passage of Shma. If we keep the mitzvot
then we will have bountiful rain and abundant yields; if not,
then...
The juxtaposition of
the mitzva of davening and G-d's promise of bountiful rain teaches
us to include the mention of G-d as Rainmaker and the request for
rain in the Amida.
T'filin, Torah
learning, and Mezuza are restated as is the correlation between
mitzvot and long life in the Land. This second portion of the Shma
is one of the two passages in a Mezuza and one of the four portions
in T'filin.
Sh'vi'i - Seventh Aliya - 4 p'sukim - 11:22-25
[S> 11:22 (4)] Once again, the "deal" that the sedra began with is
repeated at its conclusion - If we will keep all the mitzvot,
motivated by a love of G-d; if we follow in his footsteps (by
performing acts of kindness) and cling to Him... then we will
prevail against mightier nations than ourselves. Every place in
Eretz Yisrael that we walk upon, will be ours. No one will stand up
against us. The sedra concludes with promises of successful conquest
of the Land - if we keep our side of the deal. That's all it takes.
These 4 p'sukim are Maftir too.
Haftara - 27 p'sukim - Yeshayahu 49:14-51:3
2nd of the 7 Consolation Haftaras read between 9'Av and Rosh HaShana.
G-d's message through the prophet, is that He has not forgotten Zion
nor forsaken His People. It might seem that He has abandoned His
People and His Land, but there will come a time when the People will
return to their roots and be restored to their Land. Exile is not
permanent; there was never a "divorce" between G-d and the People of
Israel. G-d will help in the battles against the mighty nations that
oppress His People. G-d has (will) comforted Zion; the desolated
areas will flourish; joy and gladness, thanks and song will be found
in Zion.
THE JERUSALEM INSTITUTE OF JEWISH LAW - Rabbi Emanuel Quint, Dean
Lesson # 298 • Rabbinic-Declared Robbery
We shall IY"H revert to the topic of Dina D’Malchuta Dina in future
lessons.
There are many actions
that a person may take that are not categorized as robbery according
to Torah law, but since this conduct verges on robbery, the Rabbis
of the Talmud prohibited these types of behavior. They became
classified as Rabbinic-declared robbery.
This lesson sets forth
the actions so declared and the underlying reasons for the Rabbis so
acting.
The Reasons for the
Rabbinic Enactments
All of these decrees were made for the welfare and peace of society,
so that people will not get into quarrels with others. In the case
of gamblers, the decree was made since they are busy gambling,
therefore do nothing to enhance the well-being of society. None of
my friends or acquaintances raise or fly pigeons. So why do I devote
so much time to the topic of pigeons? First of all, the halacha
does, and equally important, it shows how meticulous the halacha is
so as not to take things that don’t belong to us, even when actual
robbery or theft is not involved.
Examples of
Rabbinic-Declared Robbery
Gamblers
If individuals play with cards, dice or similar devices, and agree
among themselves that the winner of the game receives a certain
amount of money from the others, this is deemed Rabbinic- declared
robbery. It also applies to racing animals, birds or any other
similar wager. This holds true though the winner obtains the
winnings with the consent of the loser.
Gambling with a Gentile
does not involve robbery, but entails the prohibition of wasting
time in useless pursuits, for it is not fitting for a person to
spend any part of his life other than on gaining knowledge and
furthering civilization. There are those who say that gambling with
Gentiles is permitted only if the Jew has a gainful employment, but
if he earns his livelihood through gambling, it is also prohibited.
Seizing from traps
If a person laid traps for wild animals, birds or fish and the traps
have prey and someone takes them, he is liable for Rabbinic-decreed
robbery. If the traps have a receptacle and fish are caught therein,
then it is actual robbery. As soon as the fish or animal enters the
receptacle, it was acquired for the owner of the trap.
Robbing swarms of bees
Bees are ordinarily not under human control. Yet by decree of the
Rabbis of the Talmud, one can acquire ownership of them. Thus if one
obtains a swarm of bees by robbery and keeps it from the owner when
it enters his premises, this is Rabbinic-declared robbery.
Accordingly, if a swarm of bees left one person’s domain and came to
rest in his neighbor’s domain, the owner of the swarm has the right
to walk across his neighbor’s field until he has recovered his
swarm. If he does damage he must pay for it, but he may not cut off
a branch even though he intends to pay for it.
Unowned fruit from
trees
If a poor person is lopping off forgotten olives from the top of an
olive tree and another poor person comes and picks them up from the
ground, this is deemed Rabbinic-declared robbery. However, if the
person on top of the tree after holding them in his hands throws
them to the ground, the other commits robbery according to Torah
law, for as soon as the person on top of the tree holds the olives
in his hands, he acquired ownership of the olives.
A person with a Legal
Disability Finds an Object
If a deaf-mute or mentally deficient person or minor find an object,
the object would not legally belong to them under Torah law. They do
not have the capacity to acquire a thing unless the seller or the
employer or donor gives it to them or to some qualified person
enable them to acquire the object. But in the case of found objects
that have been abandoned by the owner, there is no one to aid them
to acquire the object. Thus if an adult were to take the objects
they found, the taker would not be robbing them since legally it did
not belong to them. The Rabbis of the Talmud, to protect the peace
of society decreed that objects found by these classes of people
should not be taken away from them and that they may keep that which
they find.
Remedies of the Victim
If one has in his possession anything obtained by what is Rabbinic
declared robbery, it cannot be extracted from him by a Beth Din.
However, such robber is disqualified from taking oaths in Beth Din
and as acting as a witness in Beth din.
Pigeon-Related
Activities
No one may fly a pigeon in an inhabited area because it may come
back attracting non-owned pigeons together with owned pigeons. This
is taking other people’s property. It is not technically robbery,
because the owner of the attracted pigeons is not really the owner
unless he raises them in his home or his barn. (The attracted
pigeons that he has in his dovecote feed in the fields of others or
in public places and the “owner” does not usually have full control
over them.
However, if the pigeons
return to the same dovecote every day and are fed by the owner who
trains them and raises them, then if anyone takes such pigeons he is
a robber according to Torah law.) If one sends out a male pigeon it
may attract female pigeons from someone else’s dovecote, or if he
sends out female pigeons it may attract male pigeons from someone
else’s dovecote. All that is said about pigeons applies to any other
bird or wild or domestic animal.
Similarly the Rabbis prohibited the catching of pigeons in inhabited
areas because they probably belong to someone else. Traps for
pigeons may not be set except at a distance of four mils (2.65
miles) from an inhabited area. However, in a region where vines are
cultivated, traps may not be set even a at distance of one hundred
miles, because the pigeons belong to the owners of the vines. Also a
person may not set traps among dovecotes even if they are his own,
unless they are a hundred miles away from any inhabited region,
since other doves are likely to come to any collection of dovecotes.
A dovecote must be at
least 100 feet from a town.
A person may not set up
a dovecote even in his own field unless there are at least 100 feet
of his own field on each side of the dovecote, so that the young
birds will not cause any damage in nearby fields and eat from
another’s property. However, if someone buys a dovecote, although it
does not meet the requirement of the last sentence, he does not have
to move it since the prior owner acquired a prescriptive right to
keep it there.
The subject matter of
this lesson is more fully discussed in volume IX chapter 370 of A
Restatement of Rabbinic Civil Law by E. Quint. Copies of all volumes
can be purchased via email: orders@gefenpublishing.com and via
website: www.israelbooks.com and at local Judaica bookstores.
Questions to quint@inter.net.il
Meaning in Mitzvot
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 by Rabbi Asher Meir
Plowing in the Land
of Israel
The Mishna in Shabbat enumerates 39 distinct archetypical labors, or
melakhot, according to a number of series. The first is the series
of making bread, which begins with sowing and is followed by plowing
(Shabbat 73a).
The gemara objects that
in practice plowing precedes sowing; why does the Mishna reverse the
order? The answer: the sage who taught this Mishna "was in the Land
of Israel, where one sows and then plows". Rashi explains that the
earth in the Land of Israel is unusually hard; thus, even after the
initial plowing to enable the seeds to go into the earth, an
additional plowing is needed to cover them up properly. The Mishna
needs to tell us that even this kind of plowing falls under the
rubric of the melakha of plowing.
While Rashi does not
say so explicitly, it is fairly clear that without this hint in the
Mishna, we would think that this second plowing would be considered
an extension of the melakha of sowing, which includes any action
done to help seeds sprout or plants grow. The gemara at the
beginning of Moed Katan records a dispute between Raba and Rav Yosef
regarding the liability of weeding and watering; Raba states that
they are a kind of plowing because they incidentally soften the
earth, whereas Rav Yosef considers them a kind of sowing because
they are primarily intended to help the seeds grow. (See Tosafot MK
2b, d.h. ka.) But in the case of actual plowing, both agree that
plowing is the more appropriate category.
Perhaps we can find an
interesting hint here regarding the unique nature of cultivating the
land of Israel. The land of Israel is a good land, as we say in the
Grace after Meals, it is a "land of delight, good and broad".
Yet it is also a hard
land, making unique demands on its inhabitants.
There is a certain
measure of preparation that we assume, based on our experience in
exile, is sufficient. We plow the land, preparing the earth, or the
human environment, for a new kind of growth and taking root. We
perceive that our preparations are sufficient and we move on to plow
a new row, or build a new community. But we are not aware that the
land of Israel is hard; we can't just sow and move on, rather we
have to continue the work of plowing, of softening and preparing the
environment, even after sowing takes place. Though we have every
reason to think that a new planting, a new community, is completely
ready to grow on its own, we need to realize that in the land of
Israel we need to cultivate the natural and human environment more
intensely in order to guarantee that our plants truly take root.
However, when we do
take these steps then the very hardness of the earth is our ally.
The hard and stubborn earth of the land of Israel holds fast to any
plant which is firmly rooted in it, and the sometimes hard and
stubborn Jews who live here are well accustomed to holding fast to
any part of their country which is adequately prepared, and which
they have been properly educated to appreciate.
This doesn't mean we
need to apologize for the way we have plowed and sown in the past,
as our efforts were based on the best knowledge of cultivation from
our experience among the nations. But we do need to learn from our
recent experience, as well as from the message of our sages, and
adjust our approach to the unique character of the land and the
people of Israel.
TANACH
SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE BEREISHIT STORIES by Dr. Meir
Tamari
"UNTO YOUR SEED WIIL I GIVE THIS LAND"
Instead of the very first revelation vouchsafed to Avraham being a
spiritual one as befits the chosen of a new religion, we find two
apparently materialistic promises; that of becoming a great nation
and that of a special land. Indeed, it is only much later, after
going down to Egypt, separating from Lot, the war against the 4
kings, and the birth of Ishmael to Hagar that Avraham received the
first intimations of a special religious relationship when he is
told: "And I will be their G-d". This was part of the Covenant
wherein Hashem spoke to Avraham of the 400 years of galut and the
redemption of his descendants. By the time that covenant was made,
the designation of the Promised Land was known and its borders
detailed and specific. Furthermore, only with the promise of a son
to Sarah and Avraham, when Ishmael was already 13 years old, came
the first religious commandment, the Brit Mila.
The promise of nation
was made when Ahraham and Sarah were already old, and both
childless; the promise of the land that was made at the same time
was vague and nameless, only "The land that I will show you". Then
when Lot, his nephew and presumptive spiritual and material heir,
separated from him, a revelation came negating the possibility of
Eliezer, Avraham's disciple, inheriting, but specifically promising
a son. That revelation, while still leaving the actual borders
vague, for the first time also specifically promised, "All the land
that you see I will give to you and your children for ever. Walk
through the land, in the length and breadth of it, for to you I have
given it" (B'reishit 12: 14-15). For as long as Lot was with him,
there was no such revelation since Hashem had commanded Avraham 'Lech
Lecha', go alone without Lot" (B'reishit Rabba 41:8; also Rashi).
Later, after the birth of Ishmael, came Brit Bein HaBitarim, the
covenant that made the borders of the Promised Land clear, defined
and unequivocal. Yet there was still something missing from the
nation, land and religious equation, there were no mitzvot and
Sarah, wife of Avraham was still barren, so then there came the
first mitzva, that of circumcision, the promise to be the G-d of
this nation as well as foretelling the birth of a son to Sarah and
Avraham who alone would inherit Torah, Land and Abrahamic Nation.
So these 3 elements -
land, nation and faith - were intertwined right from the outset, to
form something new and specific only to Judaism. All three possess
an individual sanctity that was merged together and exquisitely
balanced into an integral unity; nevertheless, they continue to be
holy even when they are separated. All three did not originate from
the desires, actions, experiences or thoughts of human beings but
rather were the workings of Divine Wisdom. The Torah, Israel's Law,
was revealed externally from on High, the Nation of Priests did not
evolve but was chosen - "Has G-d proved Himself, to come to take a
nation unto Himself from the midst of another nation, as G-d, your
G-d did before your very eyes" (D'varim 4:34), and the Holy Land was
not acquired by them but rather "When the Most High directed the
nations to their inheritance, He set the boundaries of the nations,
for G-d's portion is His people Yaakov, His inheritance (Dvarim
32:8-9)." (S. R. Hirsch).
The founder of this
Holy Nation is of a spiritual caliber different from the rest of the
nations. "Avraham is called HaIvri; he is on one side and the
nations on the other" (B'reishit Rabba 41) [- 'avar' being past or
other side]. "Those who follow after righteousness, that seek the
Lord, look to your father Avraham and to Sarah who bore you; for
when he the only one [who would listen] I called him and blessed
him" (Isaiah 51:2). "The children of Heth said to Avraham, You are a
Prince of G-d in our midst" (B'reishit 23:5). "He will command his
children and his household after him that they shall keep the way of
G-d to do righteousness as a duty and justice" (B'reishit 18:19).
So too, this Land is
spiritually different from any other in that it has a religious and
a G-d-orientated soul. "The earth is called 'eretz' because it runs
after the Heavens. These in turn reject the materialism and
earthiness of the earth. We know that the more intense the rejection
is, the stronger is the desire of the rejected one to pursue the
loved one. The power of this rejection and the equally powerful
pursuit keeps the earth-heaven relationship in equilibrium. Now
Eretz Yisrael is the closest point to the heavens and so its
yearning is strongest" (Shem Mi Shmuel). It is, "the land which the
Lord, your G-d cares for; His eyes are upon that land from the
beginning of the year until the end of the year" (D'varim 11:12).
"There are 10 levels of Holiness, each higher than the other, and
Eretz Yisrael is the Holiest of all lands.
Wherein lies its
exceptional holiness? In that we bring from its produce the Omer,
the Bikurim and the Two Loaves on Shavuot; these are all brought
only from that land' (Mishna Keilim 1:6). Because of its heightened
Kedusha, there is also a greater susceptibility to impurity and
tum'ah. " You shall not take any ransom for the life of a murderer
that is guilty of death so you shall not defile the Land, for I the
Lord dwell in the midst of the Children of Israel" (B'midbar
35:21-34). "So that the Land does not vomit you out as it did to the
nations that dwelt there before you" (Vayikra 18:27-28).
This is the 96th installment in Dr. Tamari’s series on “Tanach and
its messages for our times”
MISC section - contents:
[1] Vebbe Rebbe
[2] Candle by Day
[3] From Aloh Naaleh
[4] A Touch of Wisdom, A Touch of Wit
[5] Some Special P'sukim
[6] MicroUlpan
[7] Parsha Points to Ponder
[8] Torah from Nature
[9] 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...
There is no question
this week, just an announcement and an invitation, which we hope
will interest our readers. We have been sharing "Ask the Rabbi"
questions for more than five years (along with the rest of Hemdat
Yamim) and have received very positive reactions from our readers.
The questions we have been asked have included many varied and
interesting ones. We have tried not only to give answers that
instruct people what to do but also to explain the background and
give perspective on the halachic process.
We have decided to take
the opportunity to gather and re-edit some 250 questions and answers
into a book. For one, this will make our existing literature more
readily accessible. However, we would like to do more than that. We
want the sefer to serve as a significant learning tool. We hope that
this can be done on different levels and with different styles to
broaden the opportunity for readers to gain according to their
needs. Of course, in the learning process, the teacher, the student,
and the subject matter all contribute to determining the style of
teaching. Since our readership differs in orientation, background,
and Torah experience but shares intellectual maturity, we now take
the opportunity to ask your advice. How can we re-edit our Ask the
Rabbi columns into book form and add to it in order to make it a
better educational tool for you and your peers?
In order to give you a
point of reference, we will share some of our own existing ideas.
One is to help the relative beginner in the world of halachic
scholarship in the following manner. We propose including a simple
but significant introduction to the development of halachic
literature over the centuries. This can highlight the place of the
Talmud, Rishonim, Acharonim, etc. We plan to include a glossary,
which highlights key terms. Footnotes in the text of the responses
can alert the reader to certain noteworthy phenomena. An extensive
bibliography, similar to the one found in our Hebrew series, Bemareh
Habazak, can be of service to beginner and advanced learner alike.
We have another idea
for the more advanced learner, which is a unique idea that modern
technology affords us. In order for such a reader/learner to more
fully appreciate the topics discussed, it is worthwhile to be able
to study the key sources upon which the conclusions are based. This
enables the learner to understand the matter better and to draw his
own conclusions and compare and contrast them with ours. This writer
used this system to study several of these topics with semicha
students, and they found the experience very rewarding.
How do we do bring
whole texts in the context of a book without making it monstrous?
The answer is simple. We hope to transcribe several sources per
response on an accompanying CD that will be attached. An index
system will connect source sheets to a given response. These source
sheets cannot only be of value to the individual learner but can be
a wonderful resource for group learning. A rabbi can use it for an
adult education class, downloading and photocopying for
participants. A school- teacher for various ages and levels of
students can choose a topic appropriate for his forum. These are a
few of our ideas. We invite your reaction to them and your own
ideas, as well. You can send them to
info@eretzhemdah.org
We invite your input in
the following matters as well. If you recall an answer with which
you had an issue but thought it would not be of value to point it
out, you are now invited to do so. This could be a learned comment
by those with learning experience. It could also be a report of a
custom or a local ruling, to which we did not refer. (Of course, we
cannot refer to every, even legitimate, opinion and custom, but we
would be happy to hear your reports.) We also would like to hear
examples where you feel we did not deal with an issue with the
proper sensitivity, even if you have no argument with the ruling and
analysis. We thank our readers in advance for their input.
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] Candle by Day
We must be stubborn enough to give a plan a fighting chance, but not
so stubborn as to cling to it when it has clearly proved itself
unworkable.
From A Candle by Day by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
[3] CHIZUK and IDUD (for Olim & not-yet-Olim respectively)
A basic natural instinct of every human being is to strive to live
as long as possible. Since the beginning of time, people have
channeled much of their energies into discovering the secret formula
for long life. According to Jewish tradition, living in the land of
Israel is a key to longevity. The verse at the end of Parshat Eikev
states (Devarim 11:21): "That your days may be multiplied, and the
days of your children, in the land which God has promised to give
them, as the days of heaven upon the earth." Longevity is promised
to those who live in Eretz Israel.
It is for this reason
that R. Yochanan could not understand how there could be people
outside the land of Israel who merited long life. He asked his
students in disbelief whether it was really true that there were
elderly Jews in Chutz La'Aretz. When they answered in the
affirmative, he questioned how could that be since the Torah
promises long life only to those who live in Eretz Israel. When R.
Yochanan heard that the Jews in Chutz La'Aretz wake up early in the
morning to go to shul and come home only late at night after having
completed their prayers, he understood. R. Yochanan said that these
Jews merit long life because they attend shul.
Why does living in
Eretz Israel lead to long life? Residents of Eretz Israel who
experience the Shechina every moment find it easier to maximize
their spiritual potential. One who maximizes spiritual potential
merits longevity. People living outside Eretz Israel who want long
life must also strive to live a spiritual existence. This is much
more difficult outside the land of Israel where the Divine Presence
is not felt as strongly. Only by going to shul twice a day are they
able to boost their spiritual existence and merit long life.
Rav Chayim Soloveichik,
Ramat Beit Shemesh
TORAH THOUGHTS as contributed by Aloh Naaleh members for publication
in the Orthodox Union's 'Torah Insights', a weekly Torah publication
on Parshat Ha'Shavuah
[4] A Touch of Wisdom, A Touch of Wit
When R' Naftali became the rabbi of Ropshitz, the first question
that was asked of him was one where he would have to rule that the
matter was forbidden. He was loathe to begin with a negative ruling,
so he answered as follows:
"Had the circumstances been as follows" - and here he spelled out
the conditions that would be necessary - "it would have been
permitted. Now that the circumstances are not such, you may draw
your own conclusions as to what the halacha is."
The Chafetz Chayim would say: One who is haughty is not a sinner,
but a fool.
Shmuel Himelstein has written a wonderful series for ArtScroll:
Words of Wisdom,
Words of Wit; A Touch of Wisdom, A Touch of Wit; and" Wisdom and
Wit" —
available at your local Jewish bookstore (or should be).
Excerpted with the permission of the copyright holder
[5] Some Special P'sukim
The pasuk with the mitzva of Birkat HaMazon (D'varim 8:10) and the
pasuk telling us to remember Jerusalem (T'hilim 137:6) have the same
g'matriya (3824). Think Ps. 126 or 137 before benching.
Remember: If you are present when there is Birkat Zimun (Rabotai
N'vareich), you should answer Y'HI SHEIM HASHEM... whether you are
male or female, whether you have eaten or not.
Take a look at these p'sukim (D'varim 8:7-10):
The question is asked: A Land of wheat and barley... plenty of
bread... lack for nothing... [A Land whose stones are iron and from
whose mountains you will quarry copper.] When you eat and are
satisfied, you shall bless G-d for the Land... Food (Seven Species),
food (bread), food (no lack), [iron and copper], food (eat, be
satisfied, Birkat HaMazon). What are iron and copper doing within
the food sequence? One commentator says that the iron and copper
represent the vessels and utensils for food - part of the "no lack"
and the "satisfied". Got another answer? Let us know. tt@ou.org
Here is an elaboration of an answer suggest by MEY...
That sequence of
p'sukim is about the Land that G-d is about to bring the people to.
"For G-d is bringing you to a good land, a land of flowing streams
and underground springs, flowing from valley and mountains. A land
of wheat and barley... A land where you will not eat bread in
poverty (different understandings of this phrase), and you will lack
nothing, a land whose stones are iron... When you eat and are
satisfied, you must therefore (Rav Aryeh Kaplan's wording in The
Living Torah) bless G-d for the good land which He has given you."
The command is NOT to
bless G-d for the food He has given you, even though eating is the
specific experience to which the blessing is attached. We do call it
Birkat HaMazon - the blessing of the food - but it should be clear
from the pasuk - and from the text of the "benching" that our
blessing of G-d and our acknowledge of Him goes way beyond food.
The first bracha of
Birkat HaMazon does a very good job of thanking G-d for the food
which He provides for us. The second bracha - no less a part of
Birkat HaMazon than the first - continues the fulfillment of the
command of D'varim 8:10 by acknowledging and thanking G-d for the
Land of Israel and for Torah and Mitzvot. The third bracha focuses
on Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash.
The fourth bracha -
officially a Rabbinic addition to the Torah-required three brachot -
extends the scope of acknowledging an thanking G-d to just about
EVERYTHING.
U-VEI-RACH-TA (and you
shall bless) is not restricted to the ERETZ CHITA US-ORA pasuk (8:8)
and the reference to not eating bread B'MIS-KEINUT (8:9), but for
the good land with streams and springs described in 8:7 and the iron
and copper of 8:9.
Furthermore, the
p'sukim that follow our selection contain a variation of the now
familiar phrase, but couched in a warning - PEN TOCHAL V'SAVATA...
perhaps you will eat and be satisfied and build and live in good
houses, and herds and flocks will proliferate, and gold and silver
will increase... and this will lead to a haughtiness that will cause
you to forget G-d and forget to acknowledge Him as the source of all
blessing.
Food does not stand
alone. The promise of a good land mentions grain and fruit and
bread, but goes way beyond that. Birkat HaMazon is specifically
linked to eating a satisfying meal (by Rabbinic decree, we even say
it for less), but includes so much more. A good meal has a context.
That context is a comfortable life, Torah and Mitzvot, and Eretz
Yisrael. All of this is part of the mitzva of UVEIRACHTA.
[The invitation in the
box on page 32 is still open. If you find other explanations for the
inclusion of iron and copper in the "food sequence", please let us
know (tt@ou.org) and we will share your find with our TTreaders.]
[6] MicroUlpan
Here's another useful, everyday, word for your vast store of
Hebrew-English. Use it well. Speed trap - MICHMONET
The natural force of attraction between any two massive bodies,
which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and
inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Gravity or Gravitation - KVIDA
[7] Parsha Points to Ponder - EIKEV
1) Why does the Parsha only refer to MISHPATIM, laws which have
reasons, when teaching that G-D will reward us for our observing His
laws?
2) Why does 8:1 begin ALL THE LAW WHICH I COMMAND YOU in the
singular form and end SO THAT YOU WILL LIVE? in the plural?
3) The Torah teaches (10:17) that G-d is the only Divine being and
that He DOES NOT TAKE BRIBES. How could anyone have possibly thought
that there is a way to bribe G-D thereby necessitating the Torah to
teach us this point?
THESE ARE THE ANSWERS
Ponder the questions first, then read here
1) The Meshech Chachma answers by pointing to the fact that Moshe
was speaking to the generation who lived in the desert. They were on
a high level where there was no distinction in their minds between
laws with reasons and laws without reasons. Thus, all laws were
essentially MISHPATIM for them.
2) The Kli Yakar explains that the first part of the verse is, in
fact, addressed to even one person and the last part of the verse is
specifically in the plural. This teaches us that just one righteous
person choosing to do the right thing has the power to provide
sustenance and merit for the entire world.
3) The Ktav Sofer explains that many think they can transgress
aspects of the Torah but the large sums of charity they give will
save the day in their final judgment. This is the bribery which does
not work in G-d's court.
Parsha Points to Ponder is prepared by Rabbi Dov Lipman of Beit
Shemesh ppp@israelcenter.co.il
[8] Torah from Nature
CARACAL - Another mammal of Israel (we've had several in recent
weeks), is found in many natural areas around the country - Lachish,
north- western Negev, northern part of the Arava... resembles the
Lynx in having characteristic dark tufts on its large, pointed
ears... the name is pronounced MILRA, ca-ra-CAL... often referred to
as the Desert Lynx, however the caracal is not closely related to
the true lynx... the caracal is slimmer and less stocky, its legs
are thinner and its tail longer... up to a meter long... generally
yellowish brown to a darker red/brown, with the undersides of the
cat, areas around the eyes and under the chin being white. The backs
of its ears are black (its name is from the Turkish for "black
eared")... Caracals' ears are each controlled by about 20 muscles to
help these hunters better determine where prey is hiding. The tufts
of fur offer an added advantage in pinpointing prey... in hunting,
the caracal is mainly nocturnal, but will also use the twilight
hours to search out its prey... strong and fast... prey include
jerboas, sand rat, ground squirrel rock hyrax, it can also bring
down a small antelope... also uses its agility and superior jumping
ability to catch birds just after take-off... pigeons and guinea
fowl... fasted "cats" of their size... mostly terrestrial, also
excellent climber and jumper... no set breeding period ... litter is
usually between 1-6 kittens after a gestation period of approx. 71
days... reach maturity at about 16-18 months...
[9] Divrei Menachem
Sometimes the words of the Torah and the Prophets need no
explanation. In their clarity, they make known to us exactly what
we, the Jewish people, are expected to do: "And now Israel, what
does Hashem, your G-d, ask of you? Only to fear Hashem your G-d, to
go in all his ways and to love Him, and to serve Hashem, your G-d,
with all your heart and with all your soul…" (D'varim 10:12).
And they inform us
clearly that there is ultimately only one authority to whom the Jew
owes allegiance. "For Hashem, your G-d, He is the G-d of the powers
and the Lord of lords, the great, mighty and awesome G-d - Who does
not show favor and who does not accept a bribe" (ibid 10:17).
From everything written
in this week's parsha we can be sure that if we maintain the
relationship of subject to King and take heed of these concepts then
the nations will be driven from us. However, if we declare that, "My
strength and the strength of my hand made me all this wealth," and
follow a trend that puts us in league with the nations, the opposite
is true.
Like recent events,
this week's haftara forces us to confront these notions head on. We
can but take solace from the words of the prophet: "For Hashem shall
comfort Zion, He shall comfort all her ruins. He shall make her
wilderness like Eden and her wasteland like a garden of Hashem. Joy
and gladness shall be found there, thanksgiving and the sound of
music" (Isaiah 54:11).
Shabbat Shalom,
Menachem Persoff
Towards Better Davening and Learning
Let's revisit the topic that inspired this column in the first
place: the prefixed VAV that switches the tense of a verb from past
to future (or command).
Let's sing the words
from Parshat Eikev that are quoted in Birkat HaMazon. Here is a
representation of the way it sounds, with loads of misplaced
accents.
ka-a-KA-tuv v'a-CHAL-ta
v'sa-VA-ta u'vei- RACH-ta...
Let's start with the
first word and get it out of the way. The correct pronunciation is
ka-ka-TUV. The extra -a- comes from singing and I don't know if we
need get rid of those extra syllables that always come into singing
the davening, benching, etc. Reader feedback on that is welcome. The
singing of a MIL-RA word as MIL'EIL in this case does not change the
meaning of the word, but we should (maybe) try to sing words
correctly, in all cases.
But now let's look at
the other three words - three verbs. All second person, singular.
Each, without the VAV in front of it, would be past tense, and
accented MIL'EIL (next-to- the-last syllable). a-CHAL-ta (you ate),
sa-VA-ta (you were satisfied), bei-RACH-ta (you benched). The
tense-flipping VAV also (usually) sends the accent to the last
syllable. v'a-chal-TA, and you shall/will eat. Not v'a-CHAL-ta, like
most of us sing it (and probably say it). And this time, the meaning
of the word changes. v'a-CHAL-ta means "and you ate" - not what the
pasuk is saying. We need to learn to accent these words correctly.
As we've said in this column many times in the past, it is hard to
change habits that have been reinforced over years of davening and
benching, etc. But v'a-CHAL-ta is just as wrong as v'a-TAL-cha would
be. Let's get into the habit of saying v'a-chal-TA -- even when we
sing it! The same goes for the fourth word above. u'vei (the DAGESH
drops out of the BET with the VAV prefixed to the word) rach-TA ET
ha-SHEM elo-KE-cha.... And you shall (mitzva) bless G-d... Not "and
you blessed", u-vei-RACH-ta.
What about the third
word - v'sa-VA-ta? That one stays MIL'EIL. The accent does not shift
to the last syllable when the word is at the end of a pasuk or at an
ETNACHTA (strong stop, like a semi-colon). Also, if the three-letter
root of the word ends with an ALEF or HEI, then the accent stays put
when a tense-flipping VAV is attached. u'an-NI-ta (and you will
build - root BET-NUN-HEI), stays MIL'EIL. So does v'ka-RA-ta (and
you shall call his name Yitzchak, for example). ka-ka-TUV
v'a-chal-TA v'sa-VA-ta, u'vei-rach- TA... It's really important to
get these kind of words right. The SH'MA has many too.
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 hastening the realization of our
hopes and prayers for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Beit
HaMikdash.
"He who sees the cities
of Judah in their destruction must say 'Your holy cities become a
wilderness' and tears his clothes on the left side and says 'Blessed
be the Righteous Judge…'"
From the Mikdash
Mailbag - Challa in Chutz LaAretz
We received this truly
WONDERFUL email from Josh Hossein of of New Jersey:
I read your article... regarding the Berachot the Kohanim say on the
various Mitzvot in the Beit HaMikdash and upon eating T'ruma and
other gifts to the Kohanim.
I had been researching
a question about separating Challa – Someone forgot to separate
Challa from bread that they baked, and wanted to know if it was too
late to still separate the Challa from the bread. I remembered that
the Halacha outside of Israel is that we may even eat the bread
before Challa is separated, and then just leave a little bit over at
the end to be burnt as Challa. In Israel this is not allowed.
"As I verified that I
had remembered the Halacha correctly, I stumbled across what is
written in the Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 322:5. Here is my
translation: 'Challa outside of Israel, since it is only a rabbinic
Mitzva, is only prohibited to be eaten by a Kohein that has Tum'a
(impurity) coming out of his/her body such as a Ba'al Keri, a male
or female Zav/ Zava, Nida, and Yoledet (a woman after giving birth -
40 days for a boy, 80 days for a girl). But Kohanim "tainted" with
other forms of Tum'a, even Tum'at Meit (a Kohein who came into
contact with a corpse - the most severe form of impurity), are
allowed to eat Challa. Therefore, either in Syria, or other places
outside Eretz Yisrael, one may separate a single Challa, by setting
aside 1/48, and this may be eaten by a minor who has not yet seen
'Keri' or a young girl who has not yet become a Nida. One does not
need to take a second separation (to be burnt).'"
"And even an adult
Kohein who has been to the Mikveh during the daytime, and nightfall
has not yet arrived (normally the purification of the Mikveh only
applies after nightfall), may eat this Challa, and a second
separation of Challa does not need to be taken outside of Israel."
The Rema (Rav Moshe Isserles) adds that the custom in Ashkenazic
countries is that the Challa is not eaten even by a child Kohein
since Challa is not eaten in Israel, and the custom is to take just
one separation of Challa and burn that. The Shach (Siftei Kohen)
distinguishes between all year round and during Pesach, where on
Pesach apparently some do have the custom to give the Challa to a
child Kohein to eat (perhaps out of a concern that burning it in the
oven might cause it to become Chametz). And according to the
Chochmat Adam Shaarei Tzedek 14:4 in Vilna they in fact did have
child Kohanim eat the Challa on Pesach following the opinion of the
Vilna Gaon. I seem to recall hearing that among the North African
Jews (maybe Tunisia) their Kohanim did eat Challa. I am curious to
know if there is a record of Jews in any other communities where the
Challa was given to the Kohanim to eat. The Yemenite Siddur "Tiklal"
still in use today lists the Beracha for a Kohein outside of Israel
who is eating Challa.
Accordingly, it would
seem that Kohanim Sefardim in Chutz La'aretz could eat Challa after
reciting the special B'racha associated with it, and even Ashkenazim
could do so on Pesach, but that would be extremely difficult to
arrange. As a Kohein who follows the Sefardic Minhag this interested
me a lot, since it meant thatI could fulfill this Mitzva outside of
Israel without much difficulty. I live in New Jersey, and after
checking with my Rav (I put this in "bold" for a reason! CS.), I
asked my mother-in-law to bake a bread large enough to require
separation of Challa but to not burn the portion that was separated.
I went to the Mikveh and that night I recited the Hamotzi and then
the special B'racha …Asher Kid'shanu Bikdushato Shel Aharon
V'tzivanu Le'echol Teruma. Then I fulfilled the Mitzva by eating the
Challa that my mother-in-law had separated."
Mourning in Moderation
"Our rabbis taught, 'When the Mikdash was destroyed for the second
time, large numbers in Israel became ascetics, binding themselves
not to eat meat or drink wine. R. Yehoshua got into conversation
with them and said to them, "My sons, why do you not eat meat and
drink wine?" They replied, 'Shall we eat meat which used to be
brought as an offering on the altar, now that the altar is in
abeyance? Shall we drink wine which used to be poured as a libation
on the altar, but no longer? R. Yehoshua said to them, "If that is
so, we should not eat bread either, because the meal offerings have
ceased. They said, "That is so and we can manage with fruit." He
said, "We should not eat fruit either because there is no longer an
offering of first fruits." They said, "We can manage with other
fruits." He said "We should not drink water either because there is
no longer a water libation." To this they could find no answer. He
said to them, "…not to mourn is impossible because the blow has
fallen. To mourn overmuch is also impossible, because we do not
impose on the community a hardship which the majority cannot
endure..." (Baba Batra 60b).
"They quoted R.
Yehoshua ben Levy, 'The Kadosh Baruch Hu called the ministering
angels and said to them, 'A king of flesh of blood, when there is a
death, and he mourns, what does he do? They said to Him, 'He hangs
sackcloth on his entrance.' He said, 'I too shall do it.' As it is
said, 'I clothe the heavens with blackness and I make sackcloth
their covering (Yeshiyahu 50:3). He asked them, 'What else does a
king of flesh and blood? They said, 'He extinguishes the lights,' He
said 'I too shall do it.' As it is said, 'The sun and the moon are
become black, and the stars withdraw their shining" (Yoel 4:15). He
asked, 'What else does a king of flesh and blood do?' They said to
Him, 'He goes barefoot' He said, 'I too shall do it.' As it is said,
'The Lord, in the whirlwind and in the storm is His way, and the
clouds are the dust of His feet" (Nachum 1:3). He asked them, 'What
else does a king of flesh and blood do? They said, 'He rends his
purple garments.' He said, 'I too shall do it.' as it is said, 'The
Lord has done that what He devised, He has performed His word" (Eicha
2:17). He asked them, ''What else does a king of flesh and blood
do?' They said to Him, 'He sits and is silent." He said, 'I too
shall do it.' as it is said, 'Let him sit alone and keep silent
because He has laid upon him" (Eicha 3:28). (Eicha Rabbah)
Catriel's book in
progress: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrims Prospective; A Guided
Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service
Parsha Pix
Dvarim 8:8 describes E. Yisrael and presents us with the famous list
of the Seven Species. Wheat in the upper left; barley between
grenade and elephant. Grapes. Pomegranate is the hand grenade, known
as a RIMON in Hebrew. The olive is in the martini glass, and there
is a date (the 31st) on the calendar. No fig.
The Land is also described as being a land whose rocks are iron (Fe
on the piece of rock), and from whose mountains you can extract
copper. Penny on the hill.
It is in Parshat Eikev that Moshe recounts for the people the story
of the Golden Calf, the breaking of the Luchot, and the second
Luchot. Pair of stone tablets and Davka Judaica Clip Art's scene of
the Golden Calf.
The second passage of the Sh'ma is in Eikev. It contains the mitzva
of Mezuza and a reminder of the "deal" we have with G-d. If we
listen to the Mitzvot (preserve them, keep them, practice them),
then we will receive rainfall in its proper time. That's the cloud
with drops of rain. But if we don't observe and preserve the mitzvot,
then G-d will "lock" the heavens and there will not (G-d forbid) be
rainfall, and the ground will not give up its bounty, and we will be
lost...
Elephant is a reminder of the many times (in this sedra and
elsewhere) that the Torah commands us to remember and warns us never
to forget.
Yellow jacket (wasp) is the TZIR'A that G-d says he will send
against our enemies.
Loaf of bread and a key below it. The key is not on the loaf, KI LO
AL HALECHEM...
Baby and tomatoes. PRI VITN'CHA (the fruit of your womb)
UF-RI ADMATECHA, the fruit of your ground.
XL is Roman numerals for 40. ARBA'IM appears 136 times in Tanach,
referring to days and nights or to years. 12 times in Parshat Eikev.
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. 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
Kol HaKavod to Big Deal - Lunz and Geula stores for their donation
of toys that were distributed by us to children from Gush Katif who
are staying at several Jerusalem hotels and in Kfar Pines
Last issue’s (VA'ETCHANAN) TTriddles:
[1] A Litvak-Galitziana bovine misspelled reconciliation
[2] given, seen, called, begun, taught
[3] R' Yehuda HaLevi's second connection to sedra & haftara
[4] that we were slaves (5), the whole way, and ?
[5] not between 4 & 5, used sometimes when 3 is violated
[6] Yisrael 147, Yosef 110, Moshe 120
[7] plus two unexplained items in the ParshaPix
And the envelope, please...
[1] One of those TTriddles that comes from a sequence of words in
the sedra that says: make us into a TTriddle. Cow in Galitziana
pronunciation of Yiddish is KI (like key). KO is closer to the way a
Litvak would say cow. So KI IM KO from the beginning of D'varim 7:5
indicates a bovine (cow) reconciliation, except that the IM that
would mean with is spelled with an AYIN, not an ALEF. Get it?
[2] R'EI - see! Of 126 REISH-ALEF-HEIs in Tanach, 29 are in Chumash.
Of those, 8 are followed by a verb in first-person singular past
form. Four of them are R'EI NATATI, see, I have given... the others
are RA-ITI, KARATI, HACHILOTI, and LIMADTI, the last one being in
Va'etchanan.
[3] Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi is the composer of the Shabbat day Z'mira -
YOM SHABBATON. His second stanza contains the line
CHAKUK BISHNEI LUCHOT AVANIM, MEIROV ONIM V'AMITZ KOACH
The first half refers to SHAMOR, preserve Shabbat, as being engraved
on the Luchot, as we read in the sedra of Va'etchanan. The second
half of the line is a straight quote from Yeshayahu 40:26, the last
pasuk in the haftara of Nachamu.
[4] V'ZACHARTA - And you shall remember... appears 9 times in Tanach,
7 of which are in the Chumash. 5 of those 7 are either KI EVED
HAYITA B'MITZRAYIM or B'ERETZ MITZRAYIM, that you (we) were slaves
in Egypt. One time, the phrase is And you shall remember KOL
HADERECH, the whole way, the journey from Egypt to the Jordan
River... And the other one is V'ZACHARTA ET HASHEM... remember
G-d... Who gave you strength...
[5] BARUCH SHEIM K'VOD MALCHUTO L'OLAM VA'ED is not between p'sukim
4 and 5 of D'varim 6 (SH'MA YISRAEL...). But it is used after a
B'RACHA L'VATALA, which is a violation (opinions differ if it is
actually a violation of LO TISA, or something else) of Commandment
#3. Sometimes, because there are other violations of LO TISA, such
as an oath in vain, which are not associated with BARUCH SHEIM...
[6] It is not enough to say that these are the ages at which each of
the individuals died. What's TTriddly about that? The correct
solution is ANOCHI MEIT... Yaakov (as Yisrael), Yosef, and Moshe
each said those words. No one else did.
[7] One of the unexplained elements of the ParshaPix is a PEN. There
are 5 PENs in the sedra and another two U'FENs. Not so remarkable,
but they are associated with the remember - don't forget things that
Moshe talks about. Hence, the PEN near the reminder string on the
finger image in the ParshaPix.
[8] Which leaves the grasshopper. The word K'CHA- GAVIM, like
grasshoppers, appears only twice in Tanach. Back in Parshat Shlach,
the Meraglim told the people about the giants in the land, "we felt
like grasshoppers (compared with them) and so were we in their
eyes". Commentaries point critically to this statement. The other
place the word appears is Yeshayahu 40 - the haftara of Va'etchanan-
Nachamu. In that context, the inhabitants of Earth are called
grasshoppers in perspective of the "One Who sits above the circle of
the earth".
This week's TTriddles:
[1] 2 from 13 of 11 of 5
[2] Moshe, Yirmiyahu, Shmuel, Nechemya
[3] Had it been the US instead of Canaan, then one thing that was
sent in would be humorous irony
[4] G-d told Moshe to take another two, G-d set aside Levi, and one
other who & what?
[5] wordwise matchup of the Land and the week
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The Teichman Youth Center
For over four years, the Teichman Youth Center has been the central
address for the youth activities that take place in our thriving OU
Israel Center.
Unbeknown to many, this
youth center has attracted hundreds of young people who have found a
"home away from home," no less than the many adults - old-timers and
newcomers - who take advantage of the wide range of programs and
projects offered by the Israel Center.
Most prominent among
the beneficiaries of the Teichman Youth Center are the members of
NESTO (Native English- Speaking Teen Olim). For years now the Israel
Center has run what was originally a grass-roots self-help group,
and is now a thriving youth organization. Notes the director of this
program, Chaim Pelzner: "We could not have asked for a better
facility, for we have a place we can call our own, together with the
backing of all the Israel Center's varied services. The young people
are really appreciative of the opportunity given them." Chaim has
followed the progress of this 120-strong group ever since they moved
into the Teichman Youth Center.
"The last time I
visited the group they were busy doing what is commonly called 'art
therapy'", adds the Center's programming director, Menachem Persoff.
"It was thrilling to see the creative spirit at work."
Every week, however,
the activities vary. One time you will hear a raucous crowd howling
away during a talent show; another time the group may be deadly
silent as they hear a first-hand account from a Holocaust survivor.
Another group that
takes advantage of the Teichman Youth Center is an offshoot of our
program for kids-at-risk, the Pearl & Harold M. Jacobs Jerusalem
Outreach Center, fondly known as 'the Zula'. Once a week, a group of
up to twenty girls meet at the Teichman Youth Center for a session
of music, meditation and group discussion. Victoria Soker is the
group moderator. She explains: "The girls have 'graduated' from the
Saturday night Zula. They are ready for more intense group
interaction. These activities allow them to express themselves,
contemplate on their life and give each other support."
On a different note
altogether, the Teichman Youth Center has been host to a very
interesting set of lectures designed for the younger set in
conjunction with Am Segula. The series, called "Curing the Jewish
Heart", is conducted by Eli Yosef. This unusual class discusses the
history of the Zionist movement from the perspective of the
teachings of the Maharal of Prague.
The Teichman Youth
Center, dedicated by the Teichman family of Los Angeles, California,
has seen many different kinds of activities within its walls over
the years of the Israel Center's tenure at 22 Keren HaYesod. These
include Mothers' and Children's workshops, NCSY reunions, children's
programs on Chol HaMoed and even a show of our interactive theater,
part of the Israel Center's Dor LeDor, an intergenerational project.
May we see the Teichman
Youth Center go "MiChayil el Chayil" for many, many years to come..
Sundry
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In loving memory of
Malka Chana Roth HY"D murdered in the Sbarro bombing, 9 Aug. ‘01,
Donations are tax-deductible. Please check our website or call for
details.
THE TRAVEL DESK...
for making reservations and receiving info of Israel Center tiyulim.
And, to help you - whether you live in Israel or are visiting - plan
private tiyulim and make in-Israel travel arrangements. At your
service 9:00am-1:00pm, Sundays to Thursdays. Call the Israel Center
Travel Desk, 566-7787 ext. 244; fax: 566-0156• tiyul@israelcenter.co.il
LUNCH? When a tiyul says “bring your own lunch”, you can order one
instead from the Israel Center Cafe. When you make your reservation
for the tiyul, request a box lunch, or call the CAFE (ext. 257) up
to the day before the
TIYUL. 18nis will get you a sandwich (your choice), a refreshing
drink (regular or diet) and a dessert. Your lunch will be ready for
you when you board the bus.
CANCELLATION POLICIES We reserve the right to charge a cancellation
fee in case of last-minute cancellations. Also... Price of tiyul is
based on a minimum number of participants.
Students from Abroad
Parents visiting you some time this year? If so, you want to speak
to us! (566-7787 ext. 244). We have many attractive deals for
them... and you. Let us turn an ordinary “been there, did it” visit
into an unforgettable, special one!
KASHRUT POLICY Food for
Israel Center In-House programs is supervised by OU in Israel -
Mehadrin. Israel Center sponsored trips and programs are Mehadrin.
Hotels, restaurants, and tiyulim advertised by the Travel Desk or by
outside parties are not necessarily Mehadrin and are not endorsed by
the OU or the Israel Center.
Calls from abroad:
People from abroad should fax 972-2-5660156 for the attention of The
Travel Desk or email to
tiyul@israelcenter.co.il
Israel Center tiyulim
are partially subsidized by the Jewish Agency for Israel
Please note: When a tiyul is listed as BOOKED - call to be wait
listed, and you call, you will be called back if there is a
cancellation or when we fix a new date for the same tiyul.
Israel Center In-House Shabbaton - Shabbat Parshat Ki Tavo
Friday-Shabbat, September 23,24, Mincha 5:05pm • Early
candle-lighting 5:20pm, Earlybird price: 200NIS (230 non-mem),
Prices go up after Monday, September 12th, Prepare for the Yamim
Nora'im in the warm atmosphere of an Israel Center Shabbaton - great
camaraderie, delicious meals, quality shiurim, Divrei Torah,
tidbits, Question & Answer session...
Tuesday, August 30th, 8:45am check-in • 9:00am Herzl Tour, 10:30am
Yad Sara Tour • Tiyul ends noon, appro, Herzl Center Experiential
Museum with Nachman Kupietzky, Followed by a tour of Yad Sarah incl.
refreshments and a video presentation, 30/40NIS • Limited to 25
people
BOOKED - A boat, a bus, many trains... and more, Tour to the North
Coast Shore...Tuesday, August 30th • 8:00am - 7:30pm (approx.) with
Auri Spigelman, Licensed Tour Guide, Haifa Railroad Museum: Located
in Haifa's old eastern railway station... houses an interesting
collection of renovated locomotives and railway cars, as well as
stamps and various memorabilia related to Israel Railways from its
beginnings in 1888, Boat Ride: enjoy lunch (bring your own lunch)
while cruising Haifa Bay and getting an interesting view of its
port, fishing facilities, and industries, Israel Electric Company:
exhibits and a film on the history of electric power in Israel... a
close look at the power station equipment and a visit to the room of
the founder, Pinchas Routtenburg, Yad LaYeled: Kibbutz Lochamei
HaGeta'ot was founded in 1949 by Holocaust survivors and established
a museum in memory of Holocaust victims, especially fighters in the
ghettos... Yad LaYeled museum, established in 1996, especially for
young people, as an educational center about the experiences of the
million and a half Jewish children who later perished in the
Holocaust, Tunisian Synagogue of Acco: a uniquely decorated shul,
with mosaics depicting Biblical scenes, prayers, Holocaust, and
other subjects. Unforgettable! 125/135NIS • Call the Travel Desk to
reserve: (02) 566 7787 ext. 261 or 244
BOOKED - New state-of-the-art Historical Pavilion at Yad Vashem, The
remarkable Rena Quint will be our guide, 30NIS p.p. (including
headphones) Wednesday, August 31st (12:45pm), Advanced reservations
required, Call the travel desk to reserve and pay (02) 566-7787 ext.
261 or 244
Tiyul from Beginning to End - See how bread is baked • See how
Tefillin are made, Thursday, September 8th (4 Elul), 2:30-5:30pm
(approx.), Angels Bakery is the biggest bakery in the entire Near
East, Guided tour of the bakery followed by a video and guided tour
of the Oter Yisrael Tefillin Workshop, 25/36nis • limit 25
participants, Sign up immediately with the Travel Desk, 566-7787
ext. 261 or 244
Hamei Yoav Spa has announced that on the last Sunday afternoon of
each month, 5:30-8:30pm the spa will be open for women only, Mark
your calander, reserve these dates, sign up with us now. Don’t wait
for details and prices, Those who remember, this special spa of
geyser water that has many pools that flow into each other. They
have a larger pool that is a joy to bathe in. Their most unusual
invigorating showers are some reasons that draw crowds to the spa,
Sign up immediately with the Travel Desk, 566 7787 x 261 or 244
For reservations at the hotels listed below or any other Israeli
hotels, please call the Travel Desk 566 7787, ext. 244.
Please note: Hotels are sometimes booked by the time you respond to
the deals on this page. Or sometimes they make last minute changes
in their deals. It is frustrating to both you & us. We ask for your
understanding. We will do our best to help out.
King Solomon, Tiberias, Glatt-Mehadrin for these dates
MIDWEEK, 890NIS per couple, per night, H/B
Aug. 28-31 (min. 3 nights)
WEEKEND, 740NIS per couple, per night, H/B
Aug. 25-28 (min. 3 nights)
Sheraton Moriah, Tel Aviv,valid August 24 - September 1
1 child (to 12) free in parents' room, 849NIS per couple, per night,
B/B
(Aug. 25-27, min. 2 nights)
Shalom Plaza Hacienda, valid until end of August
MIDWEEK, 620NIS per couple, per night, B/B
Kibbutz Lavi, valid September 7-11
CHAZZANUT long weekend, 3600NIS per couple (4 nights), F/B
King Solomon, Jerusalem, valid October 3-5
ROSH HASHANA package, 2230NIS per couple (2 nights), F/B
Jerusalem Pearl, valid October 3-5
ROSH HASHANA package, 2400NIS per couple (2 nights), F/B
Ruth Rimonim, Tzfat, valid October 2-6
ROSH HASHANA package, 4500NIS per couple (3 nights), F/B
Sheraton-Plaza, Jerusalem, valid October 3-5
ROSH HASHANA package, 3800NIS per couple (2 nights), F/B
B/B = Bed & Breakfast • H/B = Half Board (breakfast + one meal) •
F/B (3 meals a day), Midweek = SUN, MON, TUE, WED nights • Weekends
= THU, FRI, Motza"Sh nights (some, not all hotels)
The Back Page of TT682
The Avrom Silver Jerusalem College for Adults is the educational
component of the Seymour J.Abrams • Orthodox Union • Jerusalem World
Center and incorporates all the classes & lectures of the OU Israel
Center. "Regular" classes & lectures - 20NIS members, 25NIS non-
members. Life members, 5NIS (except for programs of/ with other
organizations). No one will be turned away for inability to pay.
Membership 250NIS couple, 180NIS single. Programs of the Center are
partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel
Schedule for Erev Shabbat to Erev Shabbat (Fri-Fri), 21-28 Menachem
Av (Aug.26 - Sep.2)
Friday
9:00am (men & women) Overview of Pirkei Avot with Rabbi Chaim Eisen
Friday Eve
"Early Shabbat" Eikev, Fri. Aug. 26, Mincha will be 5:35pm, Plag is
5:50pm, Kabbalat Shabbat, Maariv, R'ei 5:28pm • Sho-f'tim 5:20pm •
Ki Teitzei 5:12pm • Ki Tavo 5:05pm
Shabbat day
Shabbat Parshat Eikev - August 27th, 5:00pm • Mincha 6:00pm, Rabbi
Eddie Abramson on Pirkei Avot
Motza'ei Shabbat, August 27th: What Went Wrong? What Now? with David
Bedein, Investigative Journalist
Sun - Thu in the Ganchrow Beis Medrash (first floor)
10:00am Masechet Kiddushin with Rabbi Pesach (Paul) Greenman
1:20pm Mincha (this time stays the same throughout the year)
on hold Daf Yomi by Rabbi Shmuel Halpern
on hold Shiur in Masechet Sanhedrin by Rabbi Hillel Ruvel
Sunday
N'SHEI LIBRARY CLOSED
(Resumes Sep.4 IY"H) Mystical Insights into the Months of the Year
by Golda Warhaftig
(resumes Sep. 4, IY"H)10:30am (women) Let's Learn Chumash with Tonia
Frohwein
10:30am - Leftover Cholent - a look back at Eikev's Mitzvot with
Phil Chernofsky
11:30am (men & women) Parshat HaShavua with Shprintzee Herskovits
Sundays 12:30pm • Creative Life Education • Presenter: Aharon Romm,
The Master Key to Living (not just Exisitng)
Sunday 7:30pm (men & women) Issues in Jewish Thought as they emerge
from the Torah with the help of Ramban's Commentary - Migdal Bavel:
Who said they did anything wrong? with Rabbi Chaim Eisen
Sundays at 9:00pm - Nesivos Shalom on Pirkei Avot with R' Yaacov
Yisroel Bar-Chaiim, IY"H we will be building a coherent picture of
how this classic contemporary Chassidic sefer approaches character
development
Monday
N'SHEI LIBRARY closed
9:15am (men & women) Excursions into the world of the IMAHOT with
Mrs. Pearl Borow
On sale: Jewish Books for Adults and Children by Simcha Publishing •
Mondays 10:00-12:00
10:30am (men & women) (Some of) R'EI's 55 Mitzvot with Phil
Chernofsky
Resumes IY"H September 12th - Mondays, 11:35am- Jewish History
Series by Dr. Henry Goldblum
Fit Forever: Look & Feel your Best! Exercise for women of all ages,
Mondays 11:35-12:30pm, Gentle exercises to improve flexibility,
circulation, posture, etc. Breathing and relaxation skills to use
every day
Monday, August 29th, 12:45pm, in the Library (free) - Torah video
and lunch: Yaakov Avinu: The Unlikely Model of Teshuva by Rabbi
Yaakov Moshe Poupko
Women's Beit Midrash MON (and WED) 3:00-5:00pm: Acquire study skills
and knowledge crucial to your life as a Jew - join us!, Guided
Chavruta study with Pearl Borow, Fine Tuning Shabbat (with text) -
Phil Chernofsky
Pri Chadash Women's Writing Workshop with Ruth Fogelman (628-7359) &
Mindy Aber Barad (643-5276)
MASK - Mothers & Fathers Aligned Saving Kids: J'lem Chapter at the
OU Israel Center • www.maskjerusalem.cjb.net • 050-754-2717, NEXT
MEETING: Monday, August 29th, 7:30-9:30pm with Judy Belsky
Monday, August 29th, 8:00pm: You read his first-person accounts from
Gush Katif. Now hear him on From Gush Katif... to Where? Rabbi Chaim
Eisens
Mondays, 8:30pm • AM SEGULA presents:: “Curing the Jewish Heart”
with Eli Yosef, The History of the Zionist movement understood
through the teachings of the Maharal of Prague
Tuesday
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 (living in the
Jerusalem area). Interviews at the Center on Tuesdays from
10:00-12:00 • Please bring ID - New additional hours for the Gemach-
Tue. 7:00-8:30pm
9:00am: Dr. Hayim Abramson: Nazi Actions in Eastern Europe
11:00am Women in the Holocaust
11:00am: Rabbi Spiegelman on Parshat HaShavua
12:00pm (women) Review of the weekly Farbrengens of the Lubavitcher
Rebbe with Raizel Zisk
Tuesday, August 30th, 12:30pm, in the Library (free), Lunch and
Video Rachel and the Ingathering of Exiles by Mrs. Pearl Borow
Resumes September 6th - Circles within Circles Tuesdays,
12:00-2:00pm - The Growth of the Self within Avodat HaShem A
workshop series combining study, discussion, and writing... with
Mrs. Esther Sutton
B'OR HA'TORAH - ISRAEL CENTER LECTURE SERIES - Celebrating the
publication of volume 15 of the B'Or Ha'Torah Journal of Science,
Art & Modern Life in the Light of the Torah (all lectures in
English)
Tue. Aug. 30 • 8:00pm: "From Diminishment to Full Stature: The
Kabbalistic Stages of Feminine Development" - Sarah Yehudit
Schneider, Author of Kabbalistic Writings on the Nature of Masculine
and Feminine (Jason Aronson, 2001)A biologist by training, Ms
Schneider directs the Still Small Voice correspondence course that
provides weekly teachings in classic Jewish wisdom to subscribers
around the world
Upcoming dates & speakers in this series: Tue. Sep. 6, Rabbi Gideon
Weitzman; Mon. Sep. 12, Yakir Kaufman, MD; Tue. Sep. 20, Judith
Bendheim Guedalia; Tue. Sep. 27, Prof. Nathan Aviezer,
www.borhatorah.org • info@borhatorah.org • tel/fax (02) 642-7521
Wednesday
Wednesdays, 9:10am (resumes Aug. 31): Current Issues in Halacha •
Rabbi Macy Gordon - What price Jewish Unity? The Aftermath...
Wednesdays, 10:30am: Rabbi Yosef Wolicki on Parshat HaShavua
Wednesdays, 10:30am (women only) • Chani Abramson: Songs from the
Siddur - Meaning & Melodies
Wednesdays, 11:30am (men & women): Stories of Inspiration & Chesed,
Share these stories and make a difference with Jackie Lowenstein
Wed. August 31sth, 12:30pm, in the Library (free), Rebbe Nachman: A
New Approach to Teshuva by Rabbi Chaim Brovender
3:00pm: (men & women) Women in the Talmud with Pearl Borow, Women's
Beit Midrash MON (and WED) 3:00-5:00pm, Acquire study skills and
knowledge crucial to your life as a Jew - join us! Guided Chavruta
study with Pearl Borow
7:30pm (Men & Women) Jewish Philosophy: Rambam's Guide for the
Perplexed - New Topic: Mussar in the Guide, Rambam's extraordinary
conclusion to his epic work with Rabbi Chaim Eisen
JAP - Performance for women - Rachel Factor will be performing at
the Israel Center on Wednesday August 31 at 8:30 pm, Through music,
dance, and storytelling, one woman details her journey to Judaism
with humor and compassion. Written and performed by Rachel Factor
who appeared on Broadway and in numerous film and television shows,
Advanced ticket sales can be made online at RachelFactcor.comor in
Rechavia at Chalak (Nemerov’s) 26 Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael, Tickets
can also be purchased at the door, Reserved section seating 100nis •
General section seating 60nis, For information call (02) 567-1393
Thursday
Dvar Torah by Menachem Persoff
12:00 (BN): Shiur while you fold. with Phil Chernofsky
JOIN US AT THE ART WORKSHOP THURSDAYS 10:00-12:00, call Rachael @
(02) 627-1577
Root & Branch Association in cooperation with the Israel Center
Thursday, September 1st • 19:00: "Israel and Western Civilization's
Problem with History, Memory and Survival" by Dr. Eugene Narrett
Info: rb@rb.org.il/www.rb.org.il, NIS 25 per person, members NIS 20,
students NIS 10
8:00pm: Legends from the Gemara with Reb Yosef Schreiber
Friday
9:00am (men & women) Overview of Pirkei Avot with Rabbi Chaim Eisen
UPCOMING at the Israel Center
Shabbat afternoon Shiurim (5:00pm, followed by Mincha at 6:00pm)
Shabbat Parshat R'ei Sep. 3rd Rabbi Alan Greenspan
Shabbat Parshat Shoftim Sep. 10th Yaacov Peterseil & Co.
Shabbat Parshat Ki Teitzei Sep. 17th Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Poupko
Shabbat Parshat Ki Tavo Sep. 24th Shabbaton speaker (4:45pm)
The Power of Chasidic Storytelling: A portrait of the Baal Shem Tov
presented by Chana Sophia Yaffe; Chasidic Stories & Melodies: an
invitation to explore the never ending spiritual journey through
Heaven & Earth - MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th, 11:30am
ICVC - Tuesday, Sept. 6th, 2:00pm - "Judgment at Nuremberg", The
classic depiction of the Nazi war crime trials with Spencer Tracy,
Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich, Maximiian Schell,
Judy Garland, Montgomery Clift, William Shatner, and others. A
provocative, revealing, disturbing portrayal... (more than 3 hrs.)
Tuesday, Sept. 20th, 7:00pm - "Cast a Giant Shadow": (Replay for the
evening crowd.) Kirk Douglas as Mickey Marcus, the US army officer
who came to Israel in '48 to help form and lead an army for the
fledgling state. Also with John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Yul Brynner
Book Launch & Signing
Rabbi Asher Meir will be at the Israel Center on Wednesday,
September 7, 8:00pm to talk about his new book, Meaning in Mitzvot,
distributed by Feldheim publishers, Meaning in Mitzvot has been a
weekly feature in Torah Tidbits for almost six years! The book will
be available for sale as will his other book, The Jewish Ethicist,
published by Ktav. Rabbi Meir will happily sign copies for those
present
In honor of the publication of his new book: Grow with Gemara – A
Hands-On Guide to Improving Gemara Skills, Rabbi Chaim Perlmutter
will deliver a special lecture: How I can help my child (or
grandchild) excel in the study of Gemara. The lecture will take
place at the Center on 10 Elul, Wed. Sep. 14 at 20:00. It will
provide hands on advice how to motivate and to provide tools for the
study, understand, and establish a connection with the sacred text
of the Gemara. The book “Grow With Gemara” (English), and Rabbi
Perlmutter’s previous book: “Tools for Tosafos” (English or Hebrew)
will be available at the Center at the night of the lecture
Announcing First Slichot in OHEL SHMUEL - The Wolinetz Family Shul
of the Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center (the
Israel Center), Motza'ei Shabbat Parshat Ki Tavo, September 24th,
9:15pm - First Shiur, 10:15pm - Slichot, 11:30pm - Second Shiur,
12:30am (after Chatzotz) Slichot, Details to follow
Gush Katif
POSTSCRIPT to Menachem Persoff's Reflections on a visit to Gush
Katif in last week's Torah Tidbits
It is now a week later. Now we can sit shiva for Gush Katif. The
last Sifrei Torah were taken out today. Today they also came to
remove the contents of Avi and Shira’s house from what remains of
Neve Dekalim.
I am on my way to see
the tent camp set up by the evacuees from Atzmona: Jewish refugees
in a Jewish state. Their only sin is that they want to stay together
as a community. My children are “safe” in a hotel in Upper Nazareth,
that is, until they are thrown out of the hotel with the rest of the
yeshiva on Erev Shabbat.
My daughter Dina
recovered from her two-day ordeal in the Bet Knesset in Neve Dekalim.
Nowadays, she is busy running to the Kotel to meet the evacuees,
entertaining some of their children in a hotel in Yerushalayim, or
visiting one of her summer campers from Netzarim (who lost 4 family
members by terror).
Now the recriminations,
now the soul-searching, now the wander at our youth, now the
determination to rebuild shattered dreams. Now the resolve to do a
Tikkun, now the time to pray, now the time to reach out, now the
time to ask questions. Now is the time to pick up the pieces. -- M.P.
FEEDBACK on FEEDBACK
Re Howie Kahn's letter (last week's TT) regarding on my (second)
article from Gush Katif, criticizing two statements... I feel
obliged to respond.
Mr. Kahn first
challenges my reference to a "wave of looting and burglary," during
the standoff in Kefar Maimon, because the government siphoned so
many forces away from the major cities that it knowingly left them
with insufficient police to maintain law and order. In fact,
numerous news broadcasts and newspapers corroborated what I stated.
Channel 1 ("Mabbat")
even showed televised footage from various business establishments,
whose closed-circuit cameras captured thefts in progress.
Unfortunately, as the newscasters noted, despite promptly alerting
the police to the crimes as they were taking place, there were no
officers available to capture the criminals in person.
Mr. Kahn's second
criticism concerns my statement that the people of Gush Katif "have
already buried, in the young and unnaturally expanded cemetery of
Gush Katif, their parents and grandparents and siblings and spouses
and children - victims of Arab terror and government indifference."
This is clearly an emotionally charged issue. I certainly do not
intend to "insult our martyrs", as Mr. Kahn accuses me. However,
nothing in my statement could possibly justify his conclusion.
Undoubtedly, even the present government occasionally deemed
military actions unavoidable, because of the terror threat to
Sederot and other communities within the "GreenLine" or to
communities Israeli governments built over more than three decades
in the Gaza strip. This included posting soldiers in Gaza, to thwart
terrorist attacks inside and outside the "Green Line." Obviously, we
salute and revere every soldier who answered his people's call and
forfeited his life protecting them. But does our holy soldiers'
selfless dedication excuse an official policy that was halfhearted
or worse? More specifically, do occasional concessions to security
considerations absolve this government (or its predecessor) of
ongoing indifference to the fate of Gush Katif citizens, during a
five-year relentless terror war unilaterally waged against them? I
personally witnessed endless artillery shell barrages and even
Qassam rockets raining down on Neve Dekalim with nary a firecracker
shot back by the IDF in response, because the government forbade it
to return fire. I reiterate, too, what I reported in my first
article from Gush Katif: Even when two middle-aged grandparents were
ruthlessly murdered on the Kissufim road in a hail of bullets, the
army remained under orders to refrain from any response. The
terrorists were eliminated only by the swift intervention of the
local civilian security chief, who was wounded in the process. Mr.
Kahn, is there anymore charitable description of this deadly program
than "government indifference" - perhaps "criminal negligence" would
be a more apt designation? Moreover, having thoroughly compromised
the IDF's role in combating and deterring terror, did the
government's decisions accomplish anything other than emboldening
the terrorists and exacerbating their murderous campaign against us,
with inevitable consequences?
Indeed, if Mr. Kahn is
truly animated by righteous indignation over those who "insult our
martyrs", there is manifestly one address only to which he should
direct his rage. This government cynically converted the IDF into an
instrument of its political agenda. It is the government's
indifference, together with its political machinations, that makes a
mockery of our holy, martyred soldiers' supreme sacrifice and the
bereaved families they left behind. - Chaim Eisen (edited and
shortened by PC)
YOU can help Gush Katif Evacuees!
Join the OU International Campaign to assist the children evacuees
from Gush Katif (Gaza) and North Shomron. These funds will be
applied to special spiritual and educational needs of the children
and youth.
Send checks to the Israel Center, P.O. Box 37015, Jerusalem 91370
The check should be made out to the Israel Center and marked
“Children”
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
Rabbi Dovid Cohen, Vaad member
Moshe Kempinski, Vaad member
Sandy Kestenbaum, Vaad member
Simcha Rock, Vaad member
Zvi Sand, Vaad member
Harvey Wolinetz, Vaad Member
Menachem Persoff, Director, Israel Center
Phil Chernofsky, Educational Director and TT editor
Ita Rochel Russek, Production Assistant and Advertising Manager,
Torah Tidbits
22 Keren Ha'Yesod POB 37015 Jerusalem 91370
Phone: (02) 566 7787 Fax: (02) 561-7432 email: tt@ou.org
websites: www.ou.org/torah/tt and www.ou.org/israel/ic
Orthodox Union • National Conference of Synagogue Youth
This publication and many of the programs of the Israel Center and
NCSY b'Yisrael are assisted by grants from The Jewish Agency for
Israel
TT is published and printed "in house" at the Israel Center
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