MISC section - contents: [1] From the virtual desk of the OU VEBBE REBBE Q: Sometimes a minyan does what is called a heiche kedusha (=HK), where the chazan says Shemoneh Esrei (=SE) aloud through Kedusha before anyone has said the silent SE, after which everyone davens quietly. When this is done, should the tzibur start SE along with the chazan or answer the beginning of SE and begin their own SE after Kedusha? A: The Shulchan Aruch and Rama discuss starting SE along with a chazan in two different contexts. One is where the tzibur did things normally, but a latecomer is ready to start SE when chazarat hashatz (the repetition of the Amida) is about to begin (Orach Chayim 109:2). The other is where, for extenuating circumstances, e.g., the end time for davening is approaching, the tzibur wants to do HK (Rama OC 124:2). (We will discuss neither the question of when a congregation should choose the HK system nor the origin of our minhag that the chazan stops reciting aloud after Kedusha.) In the former case, the Shulchan Aruch describes the individual as starting to recite SE along with the chazan. Rav Ovadya Yosef posits that this is the correct approach both regarding the case of the individual and that of HK (Yalkut Yosef, vol. I, pg. 279). Even though one should normally not answer Kedusha during one's silent SE, he may in this case because he is reciting it in its correct place along with the tzibur (see Tosafot, Berachot 21b). However, the Rama says that the individual should preferably commence SE only after answering Kedusha. The Mishna Berura (ad loc.:14) cites significant Ashkenazic opposition to the Rama. They say that it is fine to start with the chazan and it may be preferable, especially in Shacharit, where the alternative is answering Kedusha at the precarious juncture of “Shira Chadasha”. Regarding HK, the Rama (ibid.) talks about starting along with the chazan, as long as someone delayed starting SE in order to answer Amen. This seemingly answers your question. However, the Rama referred to a case where there was not enough time to daven normally, and some commentaries understood that there was not even enough time to start SE after Kedusha. If there were, it would be proper for the tzibur to wait (Mishna Berura 124:8). This, then, answers your question in the opposite direction. It is unclear what the issue is. It could be a matter of having people answer Amen to the b'rachot, which is more of an issue for a tzibur than for an individual (implication of Divrei Chamudot, B'rachot 4:15). Alternatively, the problem could be answering Kedusha in the midst of one’s SE. If it is the latter, as the Magen Avraham (109:9) implies, the reason may no longer apply (see Levushei Serad, ad loc. – we cannot presently address the details). There are significant reasons to say that it is preferable for the tzibur to start SE together. Kaf HaChayim (OC 124:10) points out that when everyone listens to the chazan, he appears to be doing chazarat hashatz for them, but it is not possible to do chazarat hashatz before the tzibur has said the silent SE. Rav H. Schachter posits that it is appropriate to say Kedusha only in the appointed place within one’s SE. During chazarat hashatz, it is as if the whole tzibur is in the midst of SE. However, regarding HK, where everyone is reciting their own SE, if one has not begun yet, Kedusha is not in the right place (Nefesh HaRav, pg. 126). Rav Schachter also reports that Rav Soloveitchik had the practice of beginning SE with the chazan in HK. Both positions on your question have significant support, and the stakes seem low, as the participants in the debate agree that under pressing circumstances the other approach can be followed. Yet, the majority opinion and the more prevalent practice for Ashkenazim is to wait until after Kedusha before starting SE during HK (at least for Mincha, when HK is more common). People who follow Rav Soloveitchik’s rulings start along with the chazan. Ed. note: Aside from those extenuating circumstances for which HK seems to have been custom-made (pun intended), it should preferably not be used merely as a time-saving device. It might come in handy for a bus load of people at a late afternoon Mincha stop on the roadside, but when at all feasible, the regular system should be used. 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 [3] CHIZUK and IDUD (for Olim & not-yet-Olim respectively) In the modern world, a census may be taken for various purposes: political, business, medical, etc. In the Diaspora, a census is taken at regular intervals to assess the state of the Jewish people. The census of American Jewry shows that there continues to be a steady drop in the number of Jews and an increase in the number of mixed marriages. Surely Rashi would not have said that such a census is beloved upon God. God rejoices with continuity of family structure that is dedicated to the Torah way of life. In the S'fardic community the Shabbat before Shavuot is called Shabbat Kalla. Shavuot, the festival that celebrates the giving of the Torah, emphasizes the fact that the relationship between God and the Jewish people is similar to the relationship between a Chatan and his Kalla, a relationship of love and a long list of commitments. Among other things, God gave us a dowry, "to your seed will I give this land." We dare not reject this dowry especially since each successive census shows ever increasing losses. It is incumbent upon us to thank God for His dowry and have the love and courage to consider coming on Aliya. TORAH THOUGHTS as contributed by Aloh Naaleh members for publication in the Orthodox Union's 'Torah Insights', a weekly Torah publication on Parshat HaShavu’a [4] A Touch of Wisdom, A Touch of Wit "Why," asked R' Eliyahu "don't you study the Tikun Shavuos as is customary?" "I'll tell you a story," said R' Yaakov: "Go out into the marketplace and see what everyone else does, and follow their lead," his father-in-law advised him. The young man went into the marketplace and saw that there were many stores, each with its merchandise displayed outside. He rented a store, bought a few pieces of material, and hung them outside his store. When the customers came into the store, they saw the store was empty, and left. Finally, the young man returned to his father-in-law and complained, "I did everything you suggested, and I haven't even a penny to show for it." And he told his father-in-law the whole story. "Fool," the father-in-law said angrily, "Whatever you saw hanging outside the other stores was simply a sample of what they had inside the store. People see the samples outside and then come in to buy the merchandise inside. However, if your store is empty, what is the use of samples outside?" "The same applies to me. Tikkun Shavuos is only a sample of the Torah," said R' Yaakov. "A chapter of each book, a Mishnah here and there, a sample of the Talmud, and so on. You, who know the whole Torah, can settle for samples. I however, who do not know the Torah or the Talmud, of what use are samples to me?" 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). [5] Parsha Points to Ponder - BAMIDBAR THESE ARE THE ANSWERS 1) Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky teaches that Moshe could not have established the encampment right after leaving Egypt since this would have led to all kinds of strife with various tribes questioning why they were not closer to the front and the like. Now, in the second year, the Mishkan had been established in the center of the Jewish camp. With the Mishkan in place, everyone was able to maintain continued focus on the fact that the goal of life is serving G-D and every tribe and every person has a different and unique role to play in that service. Who is in front and leading is up to G-D and everyone would accept their role. Thus, the encampment could not have been success- fully established prior to this time. 2) The Kli Yakar answers that had Nadav and Avihu had children, G-D would not have punished them right away but would have delayed the punishment for a few generations (if the subsequent generations would have continued similarly sinning). The reason they were punished immediately was because they had no children thus making this information extremely relevant to their deaths. 3) The Meshech Chochma explains that Gershon and Merari used wagons and cattle to do their carrying and according to the Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (154) this is not a melacha on Shabbat. Thus, the Torah describes it as AVODA. The family of Kehat, however, did their carrying on their shoulders, something which is a melacha on Shabbat. Therefore, the Torah uses the word MELACHA. Parsha Points to Ponder is prepared by Rabbi Dov Lipman Mashgiach Ruchani, Yeshivat Yesodei HaTorah in Bet Shemesh, author of "DISCOVER: Answers for Teenagers (and adults) to Questions about the Jewish Faith", soon to be republished by Feldheim - ppp@israelcenter.co.il [6] Portion for the Portion by Rakel Berenbaum In our sedra, Moshe is commanded to "Take a census of the entire Israelite community. Do it by families following the paternal line, according to the names of each male, taken individually" (1:2) In Parshat Pinchas, the words "by families" is left out. That is because the first census was to determine how the tribes would camp, so that Hashem could dwell in their midst. For this they needed to know who belonged to each family. Each person gave their family "yichus". This would also help later when they actually divide the land among the tribes. The second census (in Pinchas) is solely for the purpose of tallying how many soldiers there would be. There- fore it wasn't necessary to mention "by families". (Daat Mikra) The book is filled with numbers. But that is not the only reason the book is called Numbers. There is a significance to these countings that give the frame to this book. The people were counted for a military reason - all men over 20 were counted. All those who would go out to war to conquer the Land of Israel. As all the stories that are related in this book of Bamidbar, the countings are significant because they show us how the people prepared to enter the Land. Everything is related to what Moshe tells his father-in-law, "we are now on our way to the place that G-d promised to give us." The book is filled with the anticipation and immediacy of going into the Land of Israel and the unfortunate circumstances that caused this to be postponed and the Jews to wander in the desert for 40 years. When learning this book of Bamidbar, we should not let the complaints the people listed against the Holy Land influence us. Rather we should hear the message of the excitement of coming to the Land of Israel and let us all be counted in the people who actually come to the land to "conquer" it. The recipe this week has to do with numbers. Take a package of "bisquitim" [flat rectangular cookies, choose the ones that are the biggest]. On half of the biscuits write the name of the tribes with icing, on the other half write the number of people that were counted for that Tribe. You can make your own biscuits if you want, but there's enough work here just with frosting all the biscuits. Have everyone at the table match the numbers with the appropriate tribe. Check if the totals are correct. Then ask them some questions: Which tribe has the most people? Which the least? Which Machane had the most? The least? Why don't the three families of Levi tally correctly with the Levi total? (See Rashi) Reuven 46,500 • Degel Machane Reuven 151,450 • Degel Machane Yehuda 186,400 • Degel Machane Efrayim 108,100 • Degel Machane Dan 157,600 ICING [7] MicroUlpan [8] EIRUV TAVSHILIN Shavuot is on Thursday-night-Friday this year, so we will be making an ET on Thursday, Erev Yom Tov, which will permit cooking, baking, and lighting candles on Friday (Yom Tov) for Shabbat. Sometime before Yom Tov, one takes a Challah or Matza and a cooked food (hard boiled egg, piece of gefilte fish, piece of chicken, etc.) which will be eaten on Shabbat (many eat the ET at Seuda Shlishit, but it only must last until Shabbat to be effective). With baked & cooked items in hand, one recites the following bracha...(in hard copy of TT) and then makes the Eiruv declaration, which is in Aramaic, because it must be understood and Aramaic was the vernacular of the time. It follows from this that one should make the declaration in whatever language he understands. It is still traditional to say it in Aramaic, but you should feel free to follow the Aramaic with Hebrew and/or English, as follows...(in hard copy of TT) With this EIRUV it becomes permitted for us to bake, cook, to “hide” food (refers to packing food into an oven in such a way that not only will heat be maintained, but increased as well), to light candles, and do all other needs from Yom Tov to (for) Shabbat - for us and all Jews who live in this city. After the bracha and declaration (it is also a good idea to explain the basics of Eiruv to the members of your household, if not at the time of making the Eiruv, then at least at the dinner table), one places the Eiruv items in a secure place so that they will not accidentally be eaten before cooking for Shabbat is completed. Usually, if one forgets to make an ET, he can rely on the ET of the Rabbanim of his city (town, moshav, yishuv...). Purposely not making an ET and relying on the ET of others does not work. When in doubt, consult your Rav. One school of thought holds that we can't really cook on Friday for Shabbat, but with an ET, one may cook on Friday so that in case unexpected guests should happen to come to our home, there will be food for them. If no guests show up, the food can be used for Shabbat. This opinion insists that one finish his cooking on Friday a reason- able amount of time before Shabbat, so that the food could really be served to unexpected guests on Yom Tov. ET is a rabbinic mitzva that was meant to solve the problem of fresh cooked food for Shabbat, and at the same time to preserve the proper observance and respect for Yom Tov. ET does not permit anything that is a Torah prohibition, but it does (properly) bypass what would otherwise be a rabbinic violation. [9] Divrei Menachem For example, the Torah tells us that the house of Kehat (of the tribe of Levi) was to dwell south of the Mishkan (Bamidbar 3:29). As HaRav Neventzal reminds us, the placement of the tribes and their respective families was ordained by G-d; the positioning of the dwellings was not the result of subjective desires of tribal leaders. Yet with respect to Kehat, Rashi cites the Mishnaic idiom: "Woe to the evil person; woe to his neighbor!" Rashi is referring to the fact that because Korach of the Kehati family dwelt next to the tribe of Reuven, the children of Reuven got caught up in Korach's rebellion against Moshe with all the tragic consequences. One questions how this happened considering that the tribal neighbors were located near each other by Divine command. One answer is that initially Korach was on a high spiritual level. When Korach slipped, however, Reuven failed to act. Perhaps Reuven could have learned from Avraham who finally kept his distance from his own protégé Lot rather than risk Lot's negative qualities influencing his household. [The Parshat Bamidbar Homepage]
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