Shabbat Parshat Lech L’cha This Shabbat is the 43rd day (of 355) and the seventh Shabbat (of 51) of 5767 ...V’NATATI L'CHA ULZAR-ACHA ACHARECHA... ET KOL ERETZ K’NAAN LA’ACHUZAT OLAM... (B’reishit 17:8) HALACHIC TIMES Candle lighting and Havdala - Standard (winter) time, WORD OF THE MONTH As we enter the rainy season, we must be all the more careful to make sure we say KL, since we will often run into cloudy nights when KL is not to be said. Kiddush L'vana is said from when the moon begins to "Shine its light on the Earth" (which is understood as not including its first few days when the light is not yet bright). The bracha is appropriate as long as the moon is waxing. When it reaches its fullness and starts to wane, KL is not said anymore. The fact that the moon will appear full to us for a while after it actually is full, justfied some authorities' opinions that KL can be said after the half-way mark. However, the prevailing opinion is that the deadline for KL is the midpoint between the previous and the next molad. This month: Mon. Nov.6, 2:22am. We thank you, HaShem our G-d... Perek 19 begins with Avra(ha)m at age 99. G-d tells him: "Walk before Me and be perfect (TAMIM)." Easier said than done, but G-d tells him what is involved. G-d is going to enter into a covenant - a BRIT - with Avra(ha)m. He changes his name to Avraham and promises him many, many descendants. That said, G-d tells Avraham that the covenant is between Him and Avraham and his descendants - not just Avraham alone. And that's where we come in. So listen up. This covenant will be an ever- lasting covenant. For Avraham and his seed. This is repeated over and over. G-d's part of the deal is that He will be our G-d. And He will give us the land... ALL the land of Canaan... FOR AN EVERLASTING POSSESSION. Our part of the covenant is HIT- HALEICH L'FANAI... to be faithful to G-d, to serve Him... we would sum this up as "keep the Torah and Mitzvot". He causes the descendants of Avraham to propagate. He becomes our G-d. He gives us Eretz Yisrael. We follow Him, His Torah, His commands. And, as part of the covenant and the sign of the covenant, G-d commands us to circumcise our males. [Included in the "deal" is that Sara will have a son. That Sara will be the progenitor of a multitude. Subsequently, the promises are repeated to Yitzchak and Yaakov, which makes it clear that it is the Jewish People that is the intended partner with G-d in this EVERLASTING covenant. And this part also includes women in the covenant as well. BRITO SHEL AVRAHAM AVINU is not just for half of the Jewish People - it is for all of us.] Torah, Eretz Yisrael, and Brit Mila are acknowledged together - as a package deal - that we reconfirm on many occasions and in many ways - including-after every meal. Acknowledging and reconfirming is good, but we must also DO IT ALL. Torah & Eretz Yisrael. Lech L'cha STATS MITZVOT There are several disputed premises for the following statement, so do take it too seriously. Parshat B'reishit spans approx. 1536 years; No'ach spans approx. 487 years. Lech L'cha spans only 24 years. Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary Kohen - First Aliya - 13 p'sukim - 12:1-13 Ed. note: In last year's sedra summary for Lech L'cha, VAYOMER was referred to as less frequent, in addition to being softer. This year, we decided to count - with interesting results. Searching only for VAIDABER HASHEM and VAYOMER HASHEM, the totals for the Chumash are an amazing 96 times for each. Comment: none. Just an observation. But there is more: VAIDABER HASHEM EL MOSHE... accounts for 91 of the 96 VAIDABER HASHEMs. VAYOMER HASHEM EL MOSHE, 66. For those who cannot stand statistics, we'll stop here. SDT: "Leave your land, birthplace, father's house." Ramban explains that each "point of departure" was progressively more difficult for Avraham. Leaving one's land is difficult, even more so if he was born there. Leaving one's family is most difficult. Ramban says that the Torah is showing us the great extent of Avraham's love of G-d. Someone raises a question on this Ramban. What was so difficult in Avraham's leaving the place where he was ridiculed, persecuted and thrown into a fiery furnace for his beliefs. Would he not have left joyfully? The question actually carries the answer. The Ramban was pointing out a significant aspect of human nature. No matter how bad conditions are, how much a person wants a better life, there still will always remain a sadness and regret for the "good old days" and “the old country” - even when they weren't so good. This aspect of human nature explains a lot of Jewish History. (For one example, Jews were expelled from France (at least) three times. And each time they were subsequently invited to return. And they did. Go figure.) SDT: Avra(ha)m is promised great rewards and benefits for listening to G-d. Yet pasuk 4 states that he went "as G-d had spoken to him". His "aliya" is considered a test of his faith. He passed this test because he came to the Land because G-d asked him to, not for any material promises. The call to the Jew to come on Aliya continues. THE only real "right" reason to come is because it is a mitzva and this is what G-d wants of us. All blessings that will follow are fringe benefits. And the difficulties one might encounter are parts of the test of our faith. Avraham Avinu led the way when there were no Aliya Shlichim and no Nefesh b’Nefesh to facilitate Aliya and K’lita. Actually, there was One Shaliach Aliya and One supporter, and He is still in that role. Avra(ha)m was 75 years old at the time he came to Eretz Yisrael with Sarai, nephew Lot and many people who were brought over to monotheism by Avra(ha)m and Sarai. [P> 12:10 (29)] Driven from the Land by a famine, Avraham and Sara go down to Egypt. Their plan is to say that they are brother and sister, rather than risk Avraham's being killed. Midrash P'li'a points to this episode as proof that one may violate Shabbat to save someone else's life. The idea that one may violate one Shabbat so that he will be able to keep many Shabbatot of the future - V'CHAI BAHEM - is part of the understanding of the Torah's permission to violate Shabbat to save one's own life. This permission can be seen to be extended by Avraham's request to Sarah that she put herself at risk to save him. SDT: Ramban states that "Avra(ha)m sinned a great sin (inadvertently)" by leaving the land to which G-d had sent him (even though there was a famine) and by risking Sarai's life and honor by asking her to say that she was his sister. Ramban also says that as "punishment" for going down into Egypt, Avraham's descendants were destined to go down into Egypt. On the other hand... Other sources teach us that we derive halachic permission to leave Eretz Yisrael in the event of severe famine BECAUSE that's what Avraham Avinu did. Furthermore (still on the same other hand), Pirkei Avot testifies that Avraham Avinu "passed" all his "tests of faith". Being driven out of Eretz Yisrael by the famine and having to subject Sarai to the perils of Paro's Palace are both counted (by some) among the Ten Tests of Faith. A possible answer might be that how a person behaves in a difficult situation is one thing, and how the situation affects his faith in G-d is another thing. G-d sends someone to a new land, and then hits him with a famine. Regardless of how that someone handles the situation, he might be disillusioned, to say the least. That would mean failing a test of faith. That didn't happen to Avraham. His faith was as strong as ever. Ramban thinks that he erred in judgment as to what he should do. Avraham chose the self-help, HISHTADLUS option. His choice was "approved of" by the subsequent halachic ruling. Maybe he should have chosen the stay-put and trust in G-d option. Ramban thinks he should have. An inadvertent sin, says Ramban. But no deterioration of Avraham's faith. Those are two different issues. This idea is readily applicable for many of the situations we as a community and/or we as individuals find ourselves in, from time to time, during our lifetimes. How we handle a situation is one thing and what it does to us is another. Both are important. May G-d give us strength to handle both ends of any difficulties well, and may He spare us the difficulties in the first place. May He always be our OZEIR, MOSHI'A, and MAGEIN. Levi - Second Aliya - 11 p'sukim - 12:14-13:4 Avra(ha)m and company, heavily laden with riches, return to Eretz Yisrael via the Negev. Avra(ha)m returns to the Altar he had built and continues to proclaim G-d's Name. SDT: Avraham on the run from his hometown, a stranger in a strange land, has his challenges and tests. Avraham loaded with wealth and prominence, has new challenges and tests. Poverty and famine are tests; so is wealth. And it is hard to know which is harder. In the opening passage of Rosh Chodesh Benching, we ask G-d for many things - long life, a life of peace, blessings, etc. There is one thing we ask for twice - Yir'at Shamayim, fear of G-d. Why? Because after asking for it the first time, we ask for a life of wealth and honor. If we are blessed with that, then we must humbly ask for Yir'at Shamayim again, because wealth sometimes blinds a person to his obligations to HaShem. Shlishi - Third Aliya - 14 p'sukim - 13:5-18 (This, too, is a recurring theme in Jewish life, containing warnings for us all - sadly, many Jews moved away from Jewish neighborhoods to places with country clubs, golf courses, and other "important" things; often the shuls and schools were far away from their new home...) Only after Avra(ha)m is rid of Lot, does G-d once again appear to him, encouraging him to look over the whole land to the north, south, east, and west, which will some day belong to his descendants. G-d also tells him that his descendants will be too numerous to count. (Hidden message: They will sometimes be lowly, like the dust of the ground, trodden underfoot by our enemies.) Avra(ha)m settles in Hevron and builds an altar to G-d. SDT: One commentary says that although Avraham knew that his spirituality was compromised by Lot's presence, he nonetheless did not chase Lot away until he had no choice. Avraham felt a moral obligation to take care of Lot (including saving him after they parted) even though he knew that G-d was "keeping His distance" with Lot around, so to speak. There are some interesting ramifications for us, of this behavior of Avraham's. How do we view time spend doing chessed and kiruv, or Hachnasat Orchim, at the expense of Torah learning and personal growth. Think about it. R'vi'i - Fourth Aliya - 20 p'sukim - 14:1-20 Rashi refers to the Gemara which suggests that Avraham took only his servant Eliezer with him to rescue Lot. The numeric value of the name Eliezer = 318. As G'matriya go, this is one of many. What makes it unusual, is that Rashi says it and bases it on a number in the text of the Torah. Avra(ha)m launches a successful surprise attack and frees the people of S'dom. Victory is celebrated with a religious ceremony of thanking and blessing G-d in the presence of Malki-Tzedek (a.k.a. Shem b. Noach). A tithe of the spoils of war is given to this servant of G-d. Rashi tells us that AMRAFEL, king of Shin-ar is none other than NIMROD who was the one who tossed Avraham into the fiery furnace for challenging polytheism in public and espousing belief in One G-d. Ironic, is it not, that Avraham has this opportunity to do successful battle against Nimrod. Malki-tzedek is king of Shalem. Targum Onkeles identifies Shalem as Yerushalayim. SHALEM is the part of the city’s name contributed by Sheim. Avraham gave it the first half of its name after the Akeida - YERU Chamishi - Fifth Aliya - 10 p'sukim - 14:21-15:6 Avra(ha)m did accept payment on behalf of his allies who helped him. SDT: From here we learn, says the Chafetz Chaim, that one who wants to be "machmir" (strict), should accept the strict practice for himself but not impose it on others. Avraham did not want to be a TZADIK at the expense of others. G-d then takes Avra(ha)m outdoors and promises him that his descendants will be as countless (and exalted) as the stars in the heavens. The GR"A cites the Talmud's mentioning that Avraham Avinu was the first person to address G-d as "Adon" (Master). We acknowledge this by beginning Shacharit - Avraham's davening - with the poem Adon Olam. Furthermore, the reference to a thread and shoestrap is linked the mitzvot of Talit and T’filin, both of which are also associated with Shacharit. Being compared to dust and sand and to the stars of the heavens is not just a matter of numerousness, but also to the quality of life. We can be like the dust of the ground - stepped on, trodden upon... Or we can be as lofty, wondrous, grand as the stars of the heavens. The terms reflect the ups & downs of Jewish History. Shishi - Sixth Aliya - 37 p'sukim - 15:7-17:6 Both Rashi and Onkeles understand the term M’SHULASH/M’SHULESHET to mean that Avraham took three each of calves, goats, and sheep for the BRIT BEIN HA-B’TARIM. Tos’fot and others define the term as “prime, of the best quality”. They hold that there was only one each of the animals. Others say the animals were to be third-born or three years old or part of a triplet. [S> 16:1 (16)] Sarai, being barren, gives her hand-maiden Hagar to Avra(ha)m to bear him a child. When Hagar becomes pregnant, she taunts her mistress. Hagar then flees from Sarai's retaliation. An angel finds her, promises that her child, too, will sire a countless multitude, that her son to be born shall be called Yishmael, and that she is now to return to Sarai. Yishmael is born when Avra(ha)m is 86 years of age. [S> 17:1 (14)] When Avra(ha)m is 99, G-d appears to him and asks him to "be complete". G-d changes Avra(ha)m's name to Avraham, symbolizing hiss role as father and spiritual guide to great nations. Once again Avraham is promised "countless" progeny. Sh'vi'i - Seventh Aliya - 21 p'sukim - 17:7-27 MITZVA WATCH: This mitzva is the first "non-natural" commandment. Until this point, the 7 categories of Noahide mitzvot are all logical, rational, reasonable, common- sense laws. This 8th mitzva, for the 8th day, represents the challenge to the Jew to rise above nature and complete his spiritual form just as he is being commanded to complete his physical form. The mitzva is ideally performed on the 8th day, counting the day on which the baby was born - even if he was born 5 minutes before sunset. Mila may not take place at night. Only an 8th day Mila (as opposed to a Brit that was postponed because of health reasons, for example) can be done on Shabbat. A baby delivered by C-section on Shabbat, will have his Brit on the following Sunday (the baby's 9th day). Due to a technicality based on the analysis of the text in Tazria, only a Brit of a natural birth can take place on Shabbat. The mitzva of Mila is "repeated" in parshat Tazria. Its specific wording there, teaches us some details. With the two texts dealing with BRIT, it is noteworthy that most mitzva- counters count MILA from LECH L'CHA rather than TAZRI'A. Lech L'cha's context is the story of Avraham Avinu. In Tazri'a we have a straightforward command - Speak to the people of Israel and say to them... on the 8th day, you SHALL circumcise... Most significantly in the matter of Brit Mila is this: The physical removal of the foreskin is only part of the mitzva of Mila. This can be seen by looking at the brachot that are said for the Brit. The first bracha is AL HAMILA. This bracha is immediately followed by a second Birkat HaMitzva (very unusual to say two mitzva-brachot for the performance of one mitzva), "to enter him into the covenant of Avraham". This is not just a HINENI MUCHAN U'MEZUMAN type of introduction to a mitzva, not a peripheral concept, but an integral part of the mitzva. The challenge of raising the child to be a good Jew and a good person is an obligation of the parents which is part of MILA (we can say) and THE part of the mitzva that takes much more time and energy than "the cut". The context of Lech L'cha says it all. Its choice as the "official source" of the Mila helps us understand this important mitzva. Note too that when a Mohel does the Mila at the behest of the father, the Mohel says the Mila bracha, but the father nonetheless retains the second bracha (and Shehecheyanu). Parents can use an agent to perform the Mila part of BRIT MILA, but the Brit part remains theirs. [S> 17:15 (13)] G-d then changes Sarai's name to Sarah. Name changes represent changes in character, role, and destiny. G-d promises that Sarah will bear the true heir of Avraham. Avraham laughs with joy upon hearing that he will be a father at 100, and Sarah a mother at 90. He thought that Yishmael was the son that G-d had repeatedly promised him, but G-d assures him that it will be Yitzchak who will fill that role. Yishmael will also be blessed and give rise to great nations, but the Covenant will be passed down through Yitzchak. Avraham circumcises himself at age 99, Yishmael at age 13, and the other male members of his household, in fulfillment of G-d's command. The last four p'sukim of the sedra are reread for the Maftir. Haftara - 21 p'sukim - Yeshayahu - 40:27-41:16 We can see in the sedra-haftara pair a manifestation of MAASEI AVOT SIMAN L'BANIM, the deeds of the ancestors set the patterns for the their descendants. THE JERUSALEM INSTITUTE OF JEWISH LAW - Rabbi Emanuel Quint, Dean Flogging This lesson concerns itself with matters that many of us have heard about but don’t fully know, the flogging of persons by the Beit Din. This usually results from a transgression against Hashem. In these situations the, objectives of the Beit Din are expiation and deterrence. Accordingly, the remedial power exercised by the Beit Din, public flogging of the violator, stands in sharp contrast to the previous remedies employed in cases involving private litigants. The Mishna states: “Cases involving flogging [are judged] by three.” Flogging refers to the public imposition of 39 lashes, unless it is determined beforehand that the person could not survive that number, in which case a lesser amount divisible by three is given. Rambam in his code, enumerates 207 cases wherein one may be flogged. He introduces this discussion by setting forth several general categories. 1. The following incur the penalty of flogging: one who transgresses a prohibition involving the punishment of excision but not death by the court, as when one eats fat, or blood, or chametz on Pesach; one who transgresses a prohibition carrying with it the penalty of death by divine intervention, as when one eats tevel [grain that has not been properly tithed], or when a kohen while unclean eats of the clean heave offering [t'ruma]; one who transgresses a prohibition involving a tangible action, as when eats meat (cooked) with milk, or wears a garment made of wool and linen, all these are subject to flogging. But a prohibition which does not involve a tangible action, such as tale carrying, revenge taking, grudge bearing, or spreading a false report, does not entail flogging. 2. One who transgresses a prohibition, involving no tangible action, is not punished by flogging save in the following instances: one who takes an oath and does not fulfill it, one who exchanges a beast set aside for a sacrifice, and one who curses by the Name. Any prohibition that is intended as a warning that the violation thereof involves a death sentence by the court, such as the injunction “Thou shall not commit adultery” and “Thou shall not do any manner of work on the Sabbath”, does not carry with it the punishment of flogging; neither is there flogging for a negative command, the breach whereof renders the offender liable to compensation, such as the injunction “Nor shall you rob him:” and “You shall not steal” Nor its there flogging for a prohibition, such as the injunction “You shall not take the dam with the young” and “You shall not wholly reap the corner of your field .”That is unless it becomes impossible to carry out the act enjoined in the positive command. One controversial issue regarding flogging is the threshold question of whether the Beit Din actually has jurisdiction to hear these cases and to decree this penalty. There is the opinion in the Mishna that Rabbi Yishmael holds that the court of 23 judges should have jurisdiction over these cases. However, the Talmud and the subsequent codes hold that the Beit Din of three judges hear cases involving the flogging penalty. The fourth and final jurisdiction of the Beit Din deals with the area of marital law. Slandering the bride (1) where the husband is the accuser and claims that his bride committed adultery between the time of betrothal and the time of marriage. In Jewish law as practiced in Talmudic times, betrothal bound the couple as husband and wife, save for cohabitation and a few other issues, and the marriage took place some time later. (Under current practice, the official betrothal takes place minutes before the marriage as part of the same ceremony.) Should the allegations of the husband be proved (under the appropriate burden of proof in capital cases) then his wife is put to death. Should he fail to prove the allegation of adultery, the husband must pay a penalty of 100 coins to the father of the bride. In addition the husband is further penalized by being forever deprived of the power to summarily divorce her, as he cold have done in ancient practice. (2) where a husband is the plaintiff and he alleges that his wife was not a virgin at the time of marriage. When the husband raises this allegation, the bride may suffer the loss of half of the amount payable to her under the ketuba. The ketuba, generally payable to the wife upon divorce or upon the husband’s death, provides among other things, for the settlement on the wife of a minimum of 200 coins is she is a virgin and 100 coins if she is not a virgin at marriage. The husband’s allegation of nonvirginity is accepted by the court even upon his mere assertion without further evidence, and the wife’s ketuba is reduced by 100 coins. Regarding these three situations, the Mishna sets forth two differing opinions as to which court should have jurisdiction. “Cases involving slander by a court of three; so says Rabbi Meir. But the Sages hold that a case of slander requires a court of 23, since it may involve a capital charge. There is much discussion in the Talmud regarding how many judges are required. Rambam in his code states: “A case of slander is judged in the first instance by a Lesser Sanhedrin [23 judges] because it may involve capital punishment if the allegation of the husband is proved, in which case the wife is stoned to death. If the husband is not believed because his witnesses were shown to be perjured witnesses and the father comes to court to collect the penalty from the husband, the father’s case is judged by three judges.” IYH, in the next lesson we shall continue with the jurisdiction of the Beit Din in other marital cases. The subject matter of this lesson is more fully discussed in volume 1 chapter 1 of Jewish Jurisprudence by Emanuel Quint & Neil Hecht. Copies of both volumes can be purchased at local Judaica bookstores. Questions to quint@inter.net.il TANACH The Sages have mixed feelings about dreams and their spiritual value or meaning (Berachot 55a). Some hold that dreams have no effect, being merely expressions of the desires of a person's heart, others, that their significance lies in the mouth of the interpreter, while some hold that they actually foretell good or bad futures. The Rambam (Hilkhot De'ot 7) clearly states that it is one of the forms of prophecy when G-d appears to the prophet in a dream. We have to relate to the whole episode and its consequences in the light of this view of Yosef's dreams. We are told of two dreams and each one of them is different not only in its content but also in its interpretation and reception by the brothers and by Yaakov. The first dream is of the brothers binding stalks of wheat so that they can be collected into larger sheaves. Yosef describes his bundle arising and those of his brothers bowing to it or as walking around it in homage. All the twelve brothers are working together, so that Yosef, unlike his brothers did not see in it a disruption of the principle of the unity of the Abrahamic family, destined to become a nation. "Not only did his bundle stand up, showing his rise but the text adds 'and it stood erect', of its own accord, showing that Yosef did not desire his greatness nor that they would confer it on him. Rather it was Divine Providence" (Abarbanel). Sforno sees the standing erect as a reference to the length of his reign, 80 years, which is the longest reign mentioned in the Tanach. The agricultural scene of harvest and gathering of sheaves is part of the spiritual change envisaged by the Patriarchs. "The evil son in the Haggada asks: 'What is this service to you?" The previous generations, Adam, Sheit, No'ach, Shem and Eiver had sought their service of G-d and His Avoda in withdrawal from the materialism of everyday living. Now the Avot, by their involvement in flocks and herds, by digging wells for water, and by their planting and harvesting, were teaching a new kind of Avoda; that Avodat Hashem concerned the sanctification of materialism not its eradication. Such service the Rasha could not envisage" (Shem MiShmuel). "The ingathering of the wheat sheaves is in conflict with the usual economic activity of the sons of Yaakov who are repetitively shown in the text as shepherds. To them therefore, the dream showed a radical change from their normal life style and social structure and they hated Yosef for foretelling the demise of their present way of life. This is similar, to the hatred by certain circles before the Holocaust, of the religious Zionists teachings that the physical existence, the lifestyle and institutions of Eastern European Jewry faced destruction and change" (Rabbi Yosef Ber Soloveichik, Boston; Iturei Torah). The brothers understood that this dream symbolized that Yosef's rule over them would be through their dependence on him for their parnasa. A different perspective was introduced by the second dream, where the sun, the moon and 11 stars bowed down to Yosef. Here there was no more allusion to national unity but a definite reference to spiritual superiority symbolized by the involvement of the heavenly bodies. While the brothers could relate with natural hatred to the idea of being dependent on Yosef for their material sustenance, the idea of his spiritual superiority as symbolized by this second dream, filled them with jealousy. " When the brothers saw that Yaakov taught Yosef a special aspect of Torah, they feared that this meant that like Ishmael and Eisav they were merely the husk that would be cast aside, and so were jealous of him". (Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetsky). In introducing his dreams, Yosef uses the form of speech used by many prophets introducing their prophecies. This shows that he did not relate to them merely as flowing from the promptings of his own heart or as reflecting a youthful daydream. If there was any such doubt in his mind, we would find evidence of protest at his mission such as we find with Moshe or Yirmeyahu. "Rather, he was convinced that they were words of prophecy. This explains why he found it necessary to tell them to his brothers, even though he knew full well that telling them would only serve to increase their anger and displeasure. However, not to reveal his dreams would mean transgressing the injunction forbidding a prophet to hide his prophecy" (Vilna Gaon). Their response to Yosef was: "Would you then be a king [as a result of your sustaining us] or a ruler over us [because of your spiritual superiority]?" "It is written in Ovadia (1:21): "For the Kingdom is G-d's and He rules over the nations"; G-d is now King of Israel since we accept His Kingship willingly, whereas He rules over the nations forcibly. However it is written in Zecharia (14:9): "G-d will be King for ever"; in that day the whole world will freely choose Him as their King" (Vilna Gaon). MISC section - contents: [1] From the virtual desk of the OU VEBBE REBBE Q: We had a chatan (groom) in shul the week after his wedding, and thus we omitted Tachanun and Av Harachamim, respectively. Someone suggested this was incorrect because the bride and groom had both been previously married. Who is right? A: A minyan omits Tachanun in the presence of a chatan, whether it is held in the chatan's home or he comes to shul (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 131:4). This is because those properly joining the chatan's simcha should make the morose subject matter of Tachanun inappropriate. The Beit Yosef (OC 131) points out that it is possible to omit Tachanun because its recitation is regarded as relatively optional. Generally, a couple is in a festive state during the shivat y'mei hamishteh (seven days of celebration, commonly called Sheva Berachot week) (see Shulchan Aruch, Even Ha'ezer 62:6). However, the Rama (Orach Chayim 131:4) says that the chatan eliminates Tachanun only on his wedding day. The Shiyarei Knesset HaGedola (131:16) suggests that the Rama only intended that it does not begin prior to the wedding day but he agrees it lasts beyond. In any case, the minhag is that Tachanun is omitted for the full seven days (ibid; Mishna Berura 131:26). The issue is that Sheva Berachot is curtailed in the case of those who were previously married (even to others). There are two main elements to the status of the week of Sheva Berachot. First, meals the couple takes part in are considered festive ones, warranting special berachot. Additionally, the husband must remain home from work and provide his wife with an atmosphere of simcha (Shulchan Aruch, Even Ha'ezer 64:1). The berachot are recited when either newlywed is in his or her first relationship. However, regarding a couple both of whom had been married, the berachot are recited for only one day (Ketubot 7a; the discussion of how to count that day is beyond our present scope). Regarding staying home, the period of time is reduced to three days, at least regarding a couple who were both previously married. There is a machloket regarding a man who was never married with a woman who was (Shulchan Aruch, ibid.:2). So we must ask which element determines the exemption from Tachanun? It is generally agreed that when one of them is in a first relationship there is no Tachanun for seven days, as it is considered the days of festivities, as is evident from the berachot. Regarding both spouses who were previously married, although there is only one day of Sheva Berachot, the fact that they are to be happy together is sufficient to eliminate Tachanun for three days (Mishna Berura, ibid.). Ha'elef Lecha Shlomo (OC 60) explains as follows. The reason that a chatan eliminates Tachanun from an entire shul is that he is like a king. He posits that the comparison is in regards to the fact that the ascent to the new status of each causes his sins to be forgiven, which, as is evident from the gemara, applies even in a later marriage. Chesed L'Avraham (I, OC 10) takes the comparison to the king differently. The king's special status finds expression in the halacha that he is not able to relinquish his right to be honored. So too a first time couple has an objective status that cannot be relinquished; therefore, the chatan brings the whole congregation along with him. Regarding a second marriage for both, the bride can waive the rabbinically imposed obligation for the chatan to create simcha for her (Rama, EH 64:2). Therefore, in this non-objective state of simcha, the chatan cannot bring others along. He rules then that only if the minyan takes place at the place of celebration would Tachanun be omitted. However, other poskim do not accept the Chesed L'Avraham's chiddush. In summary, in the case you referred to, Tachanun should have been omitted for three days. When Tachanun is left out, Av Harachamim and Tzidkatcha, at their respective times, follow suit (see Shulchan Aruch, OC 284:7; 292:2). 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) Similarly, as explained in Parashat Ki Tavo, the pilgrim who brought Bikurim had to make two separate statements. The first: "I have come to the country that G-d swore to our fathers to give us," and the second: "... G-d brought us here, and gave us this country flowing with milk and honey." When recounting G-d's goodness in the second statement, the pilgrim mentioned milk and honey. But when speaking about himself in the first statement, he mentioned only "the country that G-d swore to our fathers." He wasn't motivated by milk and honey but by the desire to receive what G-d had promised. 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] Wisdom and Wit When he came home, he went to his wife and apologized to her profusely, because - unlike his standard practice on leaving his home - this time he had forgotten to say goodbye to her. When the Gaon of Vilna went to the local bathhouse, he would make a point of entering as soon as possible and not stand in the doorway. He reasoned that if he kept the door open for any length of time, the heat in the bathhouse would be dissipated, and that would be tantamount to theft from the community. 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] Portion for the Portion by Rakel Berenbaum - FEEDback to berenbau@actcom.net.il So why didn't Abraham split the birds? Rashi brings verses where these animals are used to refer to the nations of the world and others where birds refer to the nation of Israel. Hashem hints to Abraham that the nations of the world will eventually be split apart like the heifer, goat and ram, but Israel will remain whole throughout history. Cornish hens with sweet potato Preheat oven to 190°C. Cut sweet potato. Another "vort" on the parsha: Come join us on the 3rd annual "DON'T FORGET US" Walkathon which will benefit people suffering from Alzheimer's disease. See beautiful parts of Israel, meet nice people and do a mitzva. For more information about walking, or sponsoring a walker, such as myself see www.friendsofmelabev.com --RB [6] Parsha Points to Ponder - LECH L'CHA THESE ARE THE ANSWERS 1) The Ohr HaChayim teaches that in 12:4 the Torah wants to show us how Avraham left his home town without any hesitation the moment G-D finished the command to do so. (It also mentions Lot following Avraham since he did so immediately as well because of his close connection to Avraham.) After capturing that idea by reporting that he left right away, the Torah returns back to describe the details of his trip as it would have without that first interrupting verse. 2) The Chafetz Chayim answers that the Torah is teaching that once Avraham put his mind to going to Eretz Canaan, he made sure that he actually arrived in Canaan. This is in contrast to his father, Terach, who left to go to Canaan (11:31) but paused along the way and never made it there. The eternal message, says the Chafetz Chayim, is that once a person decides to go to the Land of Canaan (Eretz Yisrael) one must make sure to actually get there and not get caught up in other pursuits. 3) Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky offers two explanations for this peculiarity. First he suggests that the gentiles at that time engaged in beastiality (see Avoda Zara 22a) and, therefore, they gave Avraham slaves together with the donkeys and camels specifically for this purpose. He also suggests that whereas cattle, sheep, and donkeys were viewed as assets, donkeys and camels were owned for the work which they performed. To display this point, the donkeys and camels were grouped together with the slaves and maid servants who also served this function. Parsha Points to Ponder is prepared by Rabbi Dov Lipman, who teaches at Reishit Yerushalayim, Tiferet, and Machon Maayan in Beit Shemesh and RBS and is the author of "DISCOVER: Answers for Teenagers (and adults) to Questions about the Jewish Faith",just re-published by Feldheim, ppp@israelcenter.co.il [7] Torah from Nature Kouprey a wild forest dwelling ox found mainly in northern Cambodia... Vietnam... discovered in 1937... very large ungulate, males stand up to 2m tall at the shoulder and weigh as much as 1700kg... large but narrow bodies, long legs and humped backs... grey, dark brown or black. The horns of the female are lyre-shaped... eating grass in the open at night and under the forest cover during the day... estimated to be less than 250 kouprey left in the world. - From Wikipedia [8] Torah KidBits by Yaffa Ganz (©2006) popular author of Jewish children's books, creator of Savta Simcha and other delightful characters. What a whopping promise! It's the first promise Hashem makes to Avram and to his children - the future Jewish People - who don't even exist yet! How would you like to receive a promise like that? But before he can receive this blessing, Avram has to do something very difficult. He must leave his home, his city, his family and go far away, to an unknown place. It wasn't as if he could just hop into the family car, fill up on gas, open a map and go out for an afternoon drive. Avram was elderly - seventy-five years old - and traveling was difficult and dangerous. It took time. And how can you go someplace if you don't know where the place is? And how could he ever become a great nation if by the age of seventy-five he still didn't have any children? Like No'ach before him, Avram didn't ask any questions. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, his animals and servants and set out towards the east, in the direction of Canaan. He knew that G-d would show him exactly where to go and what to do. And when he arrived at the land of Canaan, even though the Canaanites were idol worshippers who did not believe in G-d, Avram understood that this was the place Hashem wanted him to be. Avram went straight to Shechem, an important city right in the center of the country. It was there that G-d appeared to Avram and made His second momentous, eternal promise - To your children shall I give this land! (Remember - Avram didn't have any children yet!) On the very spot where that promise was made, Avram built an altar to thank Hashem. It was the first of many altars Avram's future children - the Jewish people - would build in Eretz Yisrael. (You can bet the Canaanites weren't too happy about this!) G-d commanded Avram to leave his old country, birthplace and his father's house so that He could give him a new and holy land, "birthplace", home. Avram became Avraham; Sarai became Sarah; and Canaan became the Land of Israel - the eternal home and heritage of Am Yisrael - the Children of Avraham. [9] Divrei Menachem Among his other worthy characteristics, Avra(ha)m clearly demonstrates that his choices are steeped in morality, and that what he achieves should, more than anything, result in a Kiddush Hashem, the sanctification of G-d's name. Thus when Avra(ha)m rescued his nephew Lot (among others) from the hands of Sodom's enemies, he refused to take, "even so much as a thread to a shoe strap," from the King of Sodom, lest the latter should say that he made Avraham rich. What a lesson for so many of our so-called political leaders! In contrast, we, the rank and file, can learn from Lot what not to do. For when Avra(ha)m offers his nephew the option to choose his own pastures, Lot opts to take the most fertile territory, even though its inhabitants were the cruelest and most corrupt. And when we later learn of Lot's eagerness to cede his daughters to the local people - "to do to them as you please" (B'reishit 19:8) - we clearly see the corroding effect of associating with those who believe that they are above the Law. Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading SHEYIBANEH BEIT HAMIKDASH... Hygros ben Levi Goes Public! “This Chatzrotzra which we use is a narrow bore trumpet and therefore it produces a brighter, more penetrating sound than the conventional instrument. In fact, all our Klei Negina are special, nevertheless, as important as musical accompaniment is for our choir, it is the human voice that is the Ikar. The ‘Leviyim, who were the singers – Asaf, Heman and Yedutun and their sons and brothers – arrayed in fine linen, with symbols and lyres and harps…" participated in the festivities that surrounded the dedication of Bayit Rishon. In Bayit Sheini, the question arose whether the omission of the vocal singing and accompanying music invalidated the Temidin. The Sages ruled that the Leviyim's voices were sufficient even if they were not accompanied by musical instruments. Note Arakhin 11a. On Shabbat, the Leviyim sang, but were not accompanied by musical instruments. The vocal singing was considered an Avoda and therefore was permissible on Shabbat; the instrumental accompaniment was not an Avoda and therefore was not permissible on Shabbat (Sukka 50a/b). For this reason, while we do not neglect our musicians, we place particular emphasis of the quality of our singers. Remember how the righteous Chezkiyahu HaMelech restored the Beit HaMikdash to Divine service after it was desecrated in the days of Ahaz his father. II Divrei Hayamim (29:25–30) relates how this worthy king ‘set the Leviyim in the House of the Lord with cymbals, lyres and harps…’ The Leviyim did not only play musical instruments but also ‘sang praises with gladness.’" Sipping some freshly squeezed orange juice, Hygros ben Levi leaned back in his chair and continued, “Choral singers vary greatly in their ability and performance. Our best choral singers and musicians – and our Meshoririm are the best in the world – must possess (among others) the following abilities: to sing or play precisely in tune and with a pleasing vocal “timbre” or quality which blends with the other singers; “The most important thing is for everyone to remember – and make sure that you emphasize this in your forthcoming article – is that we are not entertainers; our Shira is an indispensable and integral part of the Avoda of the Beit HaMikdash! Know before Whom you stand or in our case, know before Whom you sing or play your musical instrument! We do not go on tour as other choirs do. If I told you the astronomical sums we’ve been offered to appear at various music festivals abroad, you wouldn’t believe me. Absolutely staggering, staggering, staggering!” “You know that a great number of composers have written choral works. However, composing instrumental music is in many ways different from composing vocal music. The requirements of including text, making it intelligible and catering to the special capabilities and limitations of the human voice makes composing vocal music in some ways more demanding than composing instrumental music. Due to this difficulty, many composers have never composed choral music. However, the greatest composers of them all, David HaMelech and the other inspired composers of T'hilim did not shrink from this daunting task. Tehillim are ideal for vocalists accompanied by instrumental music and the singing is in the antiphonal method.” Mystified, I asked for an explanation. Assuming a professorial air, Hygros ben Levi pontificated, “One group of Meshoririm sings a line to which the second group of Meshoririm responds. This is facilitated by the extreme ‘parallelism’ of T'hilim. ‘Parallelism’ can take a number of forms. Perhaps the most common form of the antiphonal method is ‘synonymous’, where the same thought is expressed in different ways. I’ll give you an example. “Lord, who shall sojourn in Thy Tabernacle? Who shall dwell upon Thy holy mountain?’ (15:1) Then there is the ‘antithetic’ method where the thought is reinforced by means of contrast, ‘For the Lord regardeth the way of the righteous; But the way of the wicked shall parish” (1:6). Finally, there is the ‘synthetic’ method where the thoughts build up to a crescendo. “Happy is the man that (a) hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked, (b). nor stood in the way of sinners, (c) nor sat in the seat of the scornful…’ (1:1). Everything has a structure!” I thought, I’ll never listen to the Meshoririm sing Shir Shel Yom the same way again. Catriel's book in progress: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrim’s Perspective; A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service Parsha Pix TTRIDDLES... Last issue’s (No'ach) TTriddles: NachKwestion of the Week This week's TTriddles: Israel Center Miscellany Judaism A-Z Hotline Looking for donations of MEZUZOT for our ZULA - call 054-584-4974 or 050-259-1234 Who's Who and What's What - The People and Programs of OU Israel “What have I gotten myself into?” he thought. "The northern cities are not at all prepared for this! What do we have to do now? Provide food? Games? Shelter? Help get the population out of there?” Immediately, Rabbi Berman geared up the Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center, where OU Israel is based, for war. Working with Israel Center President Yitzchak Fund, Rabbi Berman instituted a series of programs to bring aid and comfort to the beleaguered people in bomb shelters, or who were forced to leave their homes and proceed south. That was not all Rabbi Berman had to do. The OU’s NCSY had several summer groups in Israel, with their activities revolving around the Israel Center. He also had to return to Vancouver for the Maccabi Games being held there. Many days, he worked literally around the clock. “Sleep? What is that?” Rabbi Berman wondered. “A good night was about three hours. Between the war, NCSY summer programs, settling in, moving, getting the kids into schools, buying furniture, the Vancouver Maccabi Games, starting a new job... I really had no time to think.” Rabbi Berman’s results showed that even with little time to reflect, he was prepared for action. He sent an email to OU offices in New York. OU President Stephen J. Savitsky, Executive Vice President Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, and Eliezer Edelman, Executive Director of Operations and Management, “responded so fast and started putting funds together so efficiently that I realized that I was dealing with a true leader of the Jewish people. That is the biggest advantage of an international organization, such as the OU.” Rabbi Berman had served the OU for the previous five years in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the West Coast of Canada, having been hired based on his reputation for youth work. Born in Brooklyn, NY, Avi Berman and his family made Aliya when he was nine years old, living in Kedumim, Maaleh Adumim, and Har Nof. He went to high school in Ohr Etzion and Hesder Yeshiva in Shilo. After finishing his army service, he went back to Yeshivat Shilo and studied for semicha for four years. For 12 years, his personal Rav was Israel’s then-Chief Rabbi, Mordechai Eliyahu. While in Shilo, Avi Berman ran the Bnei Akiva post-high school Midrash Torah and Avodah program – taking annual recruiting trips to South Africa and Australia. These trips “went very well”, Rabbi Berman recalls, “and the program reached its full capacity.” Rabbi Berman’s reputation for youth work at Bnei Akiva preceded him, leading to the offer to come to Vancouver. He left with Rabbi Eliyahu’s blessing to stay for two years, which was extended to three and then eventually to five. Rabbi Steven Burg, National Director of NCSY, was so impressed with Rabbi Berman that he hired him based only on a phone interview. Rabbi Burg’s judgment proved to be right on the mark. “Avi Berman is a powerhouse”, declared Rabbi Burg. “In five years in Vancouver he took a chapter of 30 and built it into a chapter of 500.” The chapter became a Region, expanding from Vancouver to American cities in the Pacific Northwest such as Seattle and Portland, and to the Western Canadian cities of Edmonton and Calgary. Fortunately for the OU, the Vancouver powerhouse was on the scene in Israel when hostilities began; he demonstrated the same energy and resourcefulness in war as in peace. After touring the North, Rabbi Berman wrote: “Major cities like Haifa, Tiberias, Tzefat and Nahariya were shocked into paralysis for fear of a deadly strike. We walked through the cities during the day and noticed that no stores were open for almost the entire month. Where were the kids playing? Where was the hustle and bustle of thriving city centers? The answer was that many families had fled southwards; others, less fortunate, were stuck in public shelters for most of the war.” Rabbi Berman and his staff quickly recruited 700 volunteers who went north to the bomb shelters, bringing entertainment for the kids and food and other supplies as well as entertainment for the adults. “During the war itself, the OU joined many organizations which provided the basics for those who could not afford to buy them, or for those who could not leave their shelters to purchase things on their own”, he wrote following the war. The Israel Center in Jerusalem itself became a gathering place for refugees, and brought in volunteers to assemble packages and to perform other activities to assist the people of the North. When the missiles stopped falling and other organizations went home, the Israel Center adjusted its programming to meet post-war needs. Rabbi Berman had asked himself throughout the hostilities, “Who will be there to help these stricken communities recover after the war? The question occupied my mind during these fateful days. At that point, I decided that the OU’s involvement in the North was not going to be fleeting, that we would find money, invest in each community, and not leave, at least until we saw that every child was receiving proper attention, proper care.” “Baruch Hashem, our initial plans came through and the Israel Center has already started implementing its many programs throughout the North during the past month; we expect to exponentially increase them in the months and years to come. We call these programs Project Tzafona (To the North),” Rabbi Berman said. The programs emphasize healing, particularly for the children. OU psychological teams are working in schools throughout the North using the sophisticated techniques of their profession to provide counseling in larger and then in smaller groups. In addition, the OU, with its partner, United Jewish Communities, is creating centers for children and adults offering psychological support and comfort. Another program, Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) is setting up facilities in six cities in the North to function as walk-in centers for adults, providing them with places to learn and to engage in discussions and Jewish activities. “OU Israel was there from the start, and we are going to be there day in and day out during the foreseeable future,” Rabbi Berman declared. He expresses great pride about “the caring and love that our staff and volunteers give to the people of the North.” Rabbi Berman is available in the OU Israel office at 22 Keren Hayesod, almost around the clock. With his dynamic and jovial personality and his determination and commitment to changing the face of Israel, the OU Israel team has a leader in whom they can trust, and whose call they will follow for, G-d willing, many years to come. NESTO Native English-Speaking Teen Olim Jr. NESTO is for 7th, 8th, and 9th graders, Travel Desk: 566-7787 ext. 261 LAST CALL: Jerusalem Month by Month - CHESHVAN led by DAVID MAGENCE our exceptional licensed guide; this time - MOTSA'EI SHABBAT, November 4th from 7:30-9:30pm (approx), "IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF SIR MOSES MONTEFIORE" - Establishment of the first neighborhood outside the Walled City. This took place in the month of Heshvan 1860 (=5621)(and Sir Monetfiore was also born during this month), We will visit the famous windmill, the Montefiore Carriage, Mishkenot Shaananim and Yemin Moshe, The Panoramic View of the area is breathtaking in itself. You must register in advance, Call travel desk 566-7787 ext. 261 • NIS36 members / 40 non-members “The Loss and Recovery of Jewish Sovereignty in Eretz Yisrael” featuring Avi Dobuler, veteran licensed tour guide The Palmach Museum, Tel Aviv with Nachman Kupietzky; Wednesday, December 20th Chanuka - Check-in 10:30am • Leave Center 10:45am PROMPTLY • Return 3:30pm (approx.), See the newest state-of-the-art museum vividly portraying the pre-state defense army of Israel, 85NIS (100NIS non-members) • must pay in advance, Limit: 25 people • Call Travel Desk (ext. 261) to reserve The Back Page of TT738 Schedule for Erev Shabbat to Erev Shabbat, 12-19 Cheshvan (NOV 3-10) Friday Friday NIGHT Shabbat day Motza'ei Shabbat SUN-Thu in the Ganchrow Beis Medrash (first floor) Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Upcoming at the Israel Center Invitation: In addition to the Convention Shabbat opportunity, members of the OU family in Israel are invited to join convention participants for shiurim and sessions throughout the convention. NCSY Alumni Reunion Melave Malka - Motza'ei Shabbat November 25th, Jerusalem Renaissance Hotel - Enjoy a great evening together with old NCSY friends from throughout Israel as well as hundreds attending the OU Convention from abroad SING ALONG with HOWiE KAhN - Evenings of Music, Humor and Nostalgia, Motza'ei Shabbat, October 28th WAS A SMASHING SUCCESS, B"H, Motza"Sh, Dec. 2nd 8:30pm, Songs from Israel, (Chasidic Song Festival/Naomi Shemer), American Folk Music (Peter, Paul & Mary/Bob Dylan) and a bit of SHLOMO CARLEBACH, Motza"Sh, Jan. 6th, 8:30pm, American Chasidic Music (Ruach Revival/Neginah Orchestra), Popular Hits from the 60s, (The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel) and a bit of SHLOMO CARLEBACH, Each show: 40NIS members,45 NIS, n/m, "A Splendid Time is Guaranteed for All" OU ISRAEL CENTER [The Parshat Lech L'cha Homepage]
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