MISC section - contents: [1] From the virtual desk of the OU VEBBE REBBE Q: I am nervous this year, with the first day of Chanuka on Shabbat, that my Chanuka light may go out too early. Is there a halachic solution to the problem? A: Indeed, the Chanuka lights must last quite a while on Friday evening. There are two opinions as to whether the mitzva to light normally begins at sheki'a (sunset) or tzeit hakochavim (stars out). Chanuka lights should remain lit half an hour past that time. Generally, one must set up the Chanuka lights with enough fuel to last half an hour and if they unexpectedly go out earlier, he does not have to relight them (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 673:2). The question is whether this is true even when lighting them for Shabbat, which has to be done during the day and, in this case, before Chanuka has begun. The Terumat Hadeshen (I, 102, accepted by the Shulchan Aruch, ibid.) makes an interesting argument on the matter. Although the purpose of the lighting on Friday is for the lights to burn into the night, the lighting itself is an important part of the mitzva, specifically the hechsher mitzva (the necessary facilitator). He notes that we recite the b'racha at this time, although it is still not the mitzva’s classic time. This is so because this is the necessary time to perform the lighting, considering the approaching Shabbat. Thus, however long the lights end up shining, even before Shabbat, is sufficient. The Terumat Hadeshen’s main proof is from the gemara (Shabbat 21b). The gemara says that the reason Rav allows one to use low-quality wicks or oil for the Chanuka lights of Shabbat-Chanuka is that it is not a problem if they go out. Even if it is possible to relight the extinguished lights before Shabbat, it is unnecessary. (We note that several poskim say that although it is not necessary, it is worthwhile to relight the lights, even during the week and certainly before Shabbat (see Mishna Berura 673:27)). Certainly then, you should not feel you have failed halachically if the lights accidentally go out sometime after Shabbat has begun when you cannot relight them. The Taz (673:9) does take issue on the Terumat Hadeshen and requires relighting an extinguished Chanuka light if one has not yet accepted Shabbat. However, he does not reject the Terumat Hadeshen’s entire thesis. Rather, he says that the fulfillment of the mitzva begins with the acceptance of Shabbat. If the lights are still burning at that point, it is equivalent to their being lit a little into a regular night of Chanuka and it is not necessary to rekindle them. However, according to the Taz, one cannot be credited with the mitzva before accepting Shabbat and must light again. Not only do we not accept the Taz’s opinion, but the Taz agrees to the Terumat Hadeshen in the case you are certainly concerned about, when the lights go out after one accepted Shabbat, that the mitzva has been fulfilled. If you would still feel better to ensure that Chanuka lights do make it to their desired time, we present two suggestions. Again, these are in no way halachically required but may give you a better feeling. After the first day, you would pretty safely assume that at least one light will survive long enough, which is sufficient according to the basic halacha (see Mishna Berura 679:2). Even on the first night, if more than one adult is lighting, you can have everyone intend that if some lights go out prematurely, the remaining one(s) should count as a household Chanuka lighting. (After all, the basic halacha is to have one light per household - Shabbat 21b). Another possibility is to light a wax candle rather than olive oil this night (the usual preferences are beyond our present scope), as wax is generally more reliable. More general advice is to do a trial run to see that your wick/oil combinations work well. Just as importantly, get used to following halacha normally and not being more nervous than halacha expects. 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) The Midrash appears to be a non sequitur. How does the fact that Ya'akov's father and grandfather desired to live in Eretz Israel make someone who lives outside of Israel comparable to an idolator? The Midrash is teaching us a fundamental lesson. To have dreams, desires, and priorities that are different from those of the many generations of Jews that came before us is tantamount to heresy. A good gauge of our commitment to true Torah values is the extent to which we yearn for that which our forbears yearned. For centuries Jews worldwide prayed and yearned for the day that would herald the possibility of returning to Eretz Yisrael. If we do not long for the same, we are forsaking the value system of Judaism. The Rambam in Hilkhot Melakhim 5:11 states: "The great Sages used to kiss the borders of Eretz Israel, kiss its stones, and roll around in its dust." In this "halakha", the Rambam is teaching us that we are supposed to develop a love for Eretz Israel. Just as those who came before us kissed its stones and rolled around in its dust, so too must we cultivate that love and yearning. Rabbi Pesach Wolicki, 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 HaShavu’a [4] Wisdom and Wit One day, the Chafetz Chayim’s wife came to Vilna to buy merchandise. The Chafetz Chayim accompanied her on her various errands. When he arrived back in the Beis Midrash, he found food waiting for him but he refused to eat it. “I did not learn here today, and thus I am not entitled to eat of the food,” he insisted. Even when the donor told him clearly that she would be happy if he ate, he refused to do so. ### If one studies mussar without any emotion, it is like a blacksmith without a bellows. - R’ Avraham Zalmans 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 In Tractate Shabbat (22a) it says: "Rav Tanchum taught that Chanuka lights that were placed higher then 20 amot are not kosher... And Rav Tanchum taught the verse says " the pit was empty; there was no water in it (B'reishit 37:24) If it says that it was empty, isn't it obvious that there was no water in it? What does it come to teach us? There was no water, but there were snakes and scorpions." At first glance there doesn't seem to be any connection between how high one is allowed to place their chanukiya and what was actually in the pit that Yosef was thrown into by his brothers. A simple answer is that both things were said by the same Rabbi, Rav Tanchum. But there must be some greater connection. The drasha about the pit is taken from the Torah portion that is sometimes read on Chanuka. It seems probable that Rav Tanchum chose to elaborate on this particular verse from the parsha in his Chanuka speech because he saw a connection between it and Chanuka. Torah Temima says that the pit was 20 amot deep. Reuven didn't want to actively kill Yosef, that's why he chose to throw Yosef into a pit that didn't have water in it, so Yosef wouldn't drown. Reuven didn't know that Yosef was in greater danger because the well was filled with snakes and scorpions. Reuven didn't know this because the well was 20 amot deep and he wasn't able to see the snakes and scorpions. This is one simple connection, but it points to an even bigger connection between both the story of Yosef and the miracle of Chanuka. It has to do with types of miracles and blessings over miracles. People always ask what are we celebrating on Chanuka, the miracle of the flask of oil, or the few beating the many in battle? The answer is that we are celebrating both a hidden miracle - the battle, and an open miracle - the oil. The blessing of AL HANISIM is said on the obvious miracle, the NES GALU'I. The Abudarham says that this bracha is said on miracles that include a change of nature. That was the miracle of the oil. People could say that the Jews won the battle against the Greeks because they had a stronger army, not because G-d intervened on their behalf, but the oil lasting eight days was an obvious miracle that people couldn't argue with. The same is the case with Yosef. The Midrash says that he returned to the location of the pit to say the blessing SHE'ASA LI NES BAMAKOM HAZEH, "...Who made a miracle for me in this place." Why did he say the blessing there and not in Egypt where he became the second to the Par'o? The Meshech Chochma says that Yosef was grateful to G-d for letting him reach such heights in Egypt but the blessing could only be said on an obvious miracle - being saved from the snakes and scorpions. As the Maharal teaches, in both cases, Yosef and Chanuka, the miracle that gets the blessing isn't necessarily the most important miracle in the story, but we say the blessing only on the part where there is an obvious change in nature and where no one can argue with the fact that there was a miracle. Moroccan Chanuka doughnuts [6] Parsha Points to Ponder - VAYEISHEV 2) Reuven is credited with saving Yosef’s life by advising the brothers to throw him into a pit, according to our Sages, contained snakes and scorpions. (see 37:21-22 and Rashi). How can Reuven receive such credit, considering the halacha that a man who falls into a pit with snakes and scorpions is presumed dead and his wife can remarry? Furthermore, Yehuda convinced the brothers to remove Yosef from the pit to sell him into slavery and our Sages teach (Sanhedrin 6a) that Yehuda should not be praised. Why not? After all, didn’t Yehuda save Yosef from death in the pit? 3) When Yosef refuses the advances of the wife of Potifar, he says HOW THEN COULD I DO THIS GREAT ACT OF WICKEDNESS AND I WOULD THEREBY BE SINNING AGAINST G-D. (39:9) Why didn’t Yosef say anything about this relationship being improper for her as well since adultery is prohibited for a Noahide? THESE ARE THE ANSWERS 2) Rav Chaim Volozhin answers with that despite the fact that that Reuven caused Yosef to be in danger, his plan kept Yosef in Eretz Yisrael. While Yehuda might have removed Yosef from immediate danger, he caused Yosef to be taken out of Eretz Yisrael. It is better, Rav Chaim teaches, to be in danger in Eretz Yisrael than to be safe outside of Eretz Yisrael. 3) Rav Gifter answered that Yosef didn't view this challenge as simple happenstance. Rather, he assessed that this situation came about because he had failed to maintain the level of holiness and purity which was expected of him as a child of Yaakov. Since he attributed the entire challenge to his own shortcomings he focused on himself despite the fact that it was prohibited for her as well. 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 KidBits Everyone knows that a rasha is a wicked person, but there's another kind of wickedness which we don't usually think about or pay attention to. It's when a person is "k'fui tova" - ungrateful. Someone who doesn't appreciate the tova - the goodness that Hashem and other people create for him. How many times have you forgotten to say "Thank you"? How many times has someone done you a favor for which you replied "Thank you", but when the time came to do a favor in return, you forgot all about the favor you received? Do you ever sit down and think of all the things you have to be thankful for? Parents, family, a home? Food, clothing, friends? Health, school, camp? A new pair of shoes, a digital camera, a bike? When Yosef was thrown into prison in Egypt, two of Par'o's ministers - the head baker and the cupbearer of Par'o's wine - were also imprisoned. (Par'o had found a stone in his bread and a fly in his winecup.) Both men dreamt strange dreams which Yosef offered to explain and what he explained is exactly what happened. He told the cupbearer that in three days he would be released from prison and reassigned to Par'o's service, while the baker would be killed. The cupbearer was, of course, very grateful and Yosef asked him for a favor in return: "Please remember me when your fortune improves and remember me to Par'o so that I can be released from prison." Yosef repeats the word remember twice, to make sure the cupbearer wouldn't forget. Now wouldn't you think the grateful cupbearer would mention Yosef at the first opportunity? But no, the Torah tells us, "He did not remember Yosef; he forgot him." The Torah repeats itself too. He forgot about Yosef the day he was freed, and later on, he forgot about him completely! Only much later, when Par'o himself began having strange dreams and the entire kingdom was looking for someone to interpret them, did the cupbearer suddenly remember Yosef. And even then, he was nasty. He called Yosef "a Hebrew slave boy". The Torah doesn't think very much of the cupbearer. Someone who only accepts favors and gifts but who isn't thankful and doesn't reciprocate is a selfish, self-centered person who cannot possibly serve Hashem or do good in the world. We know that no one can do everything alone. We all need each other, and if we don't appreciate the help we get, and help others in return, the world will become a horrible place. Hashem grants us everything we have and we try to be as like Him as possible - to give as much as we can to as many people as we can. And we try to always remember to say Thank You. [8] Dvar Torah from a Seminary girl Rav Aron Soloveitchik explains that the water represents Torah learning and spirituality. We live our lives in a vacuum; whatever time and space is not filled with one thing will be filled with another. Whatever time we do not spend learning Torah will be filled with activities and thoughts that are not necessarily conducive to our own spiritual growth. When we do not educate ourselves about our religion and do not spend the appropriate amount of time on Torah study, we put ourselves into a frighteningly realistic risk of assimilation. We need the knowledge of our heritage in order to apply its basics into our daily lives, and in order to gain the most from it’s teachings. During the times of the Chashmona'im, the Greeks banned many Jewish practices, and many Jews were not careful about continuous Torah study. They were impressed by the ways of the Greeks ran their government, and were eager to be just like them; Assimilation was at its peak. The Maccabees, however, stood strong. They believed in God and in keeping the Jewish religion alive. They fought hard for what they believed in, because they knew that it was their fighting and their dedication that would eventually save the Jewish people. From the noble fight of the Maccabees, Judaism was sustained. A light was found amidst the darkness that was beginning to surround our nation, and the holiday of Chanuka was formed. Chanuka is a holiday that celebrates the victory of the Maccabees and gives us light during the dark winter months. It is a time for us to be proud of our religion, and to display our Chanukiyot in our windows in a way that shows the world that we are not ashamed of our heritage, nor would we ever again dream of ignoring it. By celebrating Chanuka, learning Torah, and doing other Mitzvot, we can fill our lives with positive substance to fill the spiritual pits within us. by Elana Q. Wenner – MMY Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim (MMY) is an institution of advanced women's Torah education with a unique approach that has made it one of the foremost options for English-speaking post-high school students in Israel. MMY students are a small, select and diverse group of Bnot Torah from across the United States, Canada, England and other countries. They come to MMY to study Torah on the highest academic level in an environment uniquely suited to growth in Yirat Shamayim, intellectual stimulation and an intense Eretz Yisrael experience. [9] MicroUlpan [10] Divrei Menachem Yes - Yehuda marries a Canaanite woman, something his fathers despised. Then two of his sons are evil in the eyes of Hashem and are "taken early". And Tamar - rebuffed by Yehuda's refusal to let her marry his third son Shela - resorts to prostitution to entice Yehuda. Our rabbis, however, explain that Tamar was a beautiful and righteous woman who, as a descendant of Shem, wanted to fulfill her holy mission to become the ancestress of the Davidic dynasty. Rambam, moreover, notes that before Sinai, harlotry was not essentially forbidden. Furthermore, the Midrash cites that Yehuda would never have consorted with Tamar without the Divine intervention of the "angel of lust". Interestingly, positive attributes of both Tamar and Yehuda emerge from this episode. For Tamar consciously avoids shaming Yehuda in public (cf. Breishit 38:25) and Yehuda does not refrain from publicly admitting his guilt. Clearly, from these perspectives, we might better comprehend the pitfalls of superficial readings of Scripture. [The Parshat Vayeishev Homepage]
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