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MA ZAL T R ABBI Y ROV TO OO & HIS FAM DYN ON THE OC ILY CA OF YEDID SION Y BAR MITZ A’S VAH
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פרשת נח
ד' חשון תש"פ 2 Nov 2019
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILISATION
ithin the first several perakim of Sefer Bereishis, we find two of humanity’s attempts at civilisation. Both of which came crashing to a halt, but, for very different reasons. The juxtaposition of these two civilisations is a powerful message to us all, fundamentally portraying the inherent shortcomings of a G-dless world. The events of Noach’s life are set against the backdrop of the Dor Hamabul which came to its ultimate end because they created a world beset with chomas1, which Rashi2 tells us means gezel- theft. But what was the nature of this theft? These where no highwaymen holding people at gun point, rather they would take from one another, consistently, in small amounts, never enough to initiate a valid judicial process3. But with time this behaviour would erode the property of their fellow. This constant disregard for each other’s property wore away the very fabric of society until it was no longer sustainable. In short, the civilisation of the dor hamabul’s disregard for ownership was unmaintainable to the point of no return. However, when we take a closer look at the next civilisation that ended abruptly, the dor haflaga (the architects of the Migdal Bavel,) the question of their error is much more apparent. At a cursory glance there is no apparent wrongdoing, in fact, their intentions seem quite noble. To unite all humanity under one flag. In fact, the plain reading of the posuk4 seems entirely innocentAnd they said, “Come, let us build us a city, and a tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves; else we shall be scattered all over the world.” So why then did they deserve to be punished? What was Hashem’s great intrigue with their activities? The dor hafloga clearly understood the power of unity. As a united entity humanity is near indestructible. Klal Yisroel ascended to this level of unity just before they were given the Torah5. In fact, so powerful is the unity of humanity, that the armies of the notorious King Achav were successful in their battles, despite the fact that they were idolatrous, precisely because they did not speak lashon hara6!
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N OW R E AC H
Rabbi Uri Debson JLE
R’ Chaim Friedlander zt’’l7 explains there are two types of unity that exist; There is superficial unity based upon mutually derived benefit, essentially a business partnership. Each party enjoying their “share of the pie.” Yet, this relationship exists as long as there is a “pie” to be enjoyed. Real unity, comes from a recognition of a greater good, that whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Only when the striving for something beyond the collective populous. For something greater than the collective “I, for the “us,” can there be real unity. But to achieve this level of cohesion requires sacrifice; the ability to forgo “my” needs for the needs of the whole. The clue ultimate clue to the transgression of the dor haflaga, lies in their call to action, “Come, let us build us a city, and a tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves; else we shall be scattered all over the world.” The underlying motivation of their utopian society was selfaggrandisement, to make a name for themselves. To enshrine their ideology of self-proclaimed centrality, as the binding core of all humanity. But, this was an ideology based purely upon human prowess, lacking a fundamental moral calling, it bore no purpose, it held no meaning. An ideology that is rooted in the arrogance supremacy, is sure to corrupt to the core, however functional the society may be. The ideology of the dor Haflaga was all about their name. Building a tower to the reach the havens was a symptom not a cause. By uniting themselves they sought to remove Hashem from the equation. In doing so they were removing the very cause of human meaning, they were doing battle with G-d. continued on page 3 שפתי חיים בראשית נו7
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’ג: בראשית י’’א4 ’ג: רש’’י שמות י’’ט5 ח: מדרש שוחר טוב ז6
י’’א:’ בראשית ו1 רש’’י שם ד’’ה ותמלא2 ב: ירושלמי ב’’מ ד3
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ING
OPLE 24,000 PUENTRIES I N 24 C O
So, the dor haflaga were certainly onto something. They had, in some capacity realised a utopian dream, a truly united society. But this should be a cause for praise not punishment!
Yerushalayim, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Baltimore, Beit- Shemesh, Birmingham, Borehamwood, Budapest, Cancun, Detroit, Edgware, Elstree, Gateshead, Gibraltar, Glasgow, Hale, Henderson, Hong Kong, Ilford, Johannesburg, Lakewood, Larnaca, Las Vegas, Leeds, London, Los Angeles, Manchester, Melbourne, Memphis, Miami, Milan, New York, Oslo, Paris, Petach Tikva, Philadelphia, Pressburg, Radlett, Rio de Janeiro, Ruislip, Santiago, Sao Paulo, Stanmore, Southend, Tallinn, Tarzana, Toronto, Uman, Vienna, Zurich
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Oneg Shabbos Issue 224
Migdal Bavel: The Root Cause of Anti-Semitism?
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n recent years, we have seen a steep rise in Anti-Semitism that seems truly incomprehensible, unfathomable and beyond reason. Why is this and what connection does this have with the Tower in Bavel? The Gemara relates (Sanhedrin 109a) that the Generation of the Rift were divided into the three groups. One said, “Let us ascend on High and sit there,” meaning let us act as rulers and sit on top of the world, literally - from there and below is within our possession. Another group said, “Let us ascend on High and go to war with Him,” and the third said, “Let us ascend on High and worship idols.” In the end, all three groups meant the same thing. Despite their dispersion, this remains their ideology and they can therefore cannot imagine an opposing entity. The ideology whose banner they raise is inherently one that must encompass the entire world and anyone who does not join hinders it and practically annuls it entirely. Whether they exist as a united force or as separate nations is irrelevant; the very nature of the ideology is worldwide and anyone who represents its reverse is a hindrance. Their aim was, “Come let us make a name for ourselves” They sought to make a name for themselves in direct opposition to the Names of Hashem, which are the revelations of His guidance. Hashem is the One Who guides the world and every form of guidance has a unique Name e.g. Kindness, Justice, Glory etc. all have names as does every attribute. The people of the Generation of the Rift sought to take the concept of Names for themselves. Meaning, the entire guidance of the world which is the Names of Hashem, belongs to us - and in principle, they had the power to achieve this. The Creator eliminated their power by dispersing them and establishing seventy languages—but this only means that the single language split into seventy
Leonard Ormonde
languages, each nation taking this outlook to its country and to its language. Thus, overall, the world still exists in the shadow of the Tower of Bavel. Consequently, if there is a place in the world whose essential concept is the connection of heaven and earth, the joining of the upper and lower worlds, the united existence of above and below, the locus of the ladder whose base is on earth and whose top reaches the heavens, then it breeds the hatred of the nations and this is where we Am Yisrael come in. The name of this place is Sinai, the source of sin’ah, the root of their hatred. They cannot bear our very existence, our very presence in the world, because it opposes their determination of a single language and unified words, which translated into seventy languages, permeating every country. They have never retracted their original decision and it remains in place. As a united force, they had the power to accomplish anything, as the Creator Himself attested: “Now, nothing they plan to do will be unattainable for them” that is why Hashem took the action he did but each nation continued what the Generation of the Rift did in its own land and in its own language. According to this interpretation of Harav Moshe Shapiro zt’’l we can now begin to understand why there are still many people around the world who despise us for being the conduit of combining the spiritual and the physical worlds and by keeping Shabbos we declare each week that there is a Creator and no, we are definitely not the ones in control of this world. Moving on from here, one could then ask that if Anti-Semitism was a direct result of what the Generation of the Rift did, why didn’t Hashem take the opportunity to destroy such an evil and powerful force at the time? Perhaps one could offer a solution to this question with a great one-liner that
I heard from Rabbi Isaac Bernstein zt’’l in the name of Rav Chaim Volozhiner, “if the Jews don’t make Kiddush on Friday night then the Nations of the world make the Havdalah! We know that Hashem never created anything evil so perhaps we are forced to say that he has allowed these people to continue to live - to keep us in check and to remind us that we are Jews. We must hope that by keeping Hashem’s mitzvos and being the light unto the nations, that the time will come when each nation will actually use their tongues to speak the absolute truth and no longer carry the torch of falsehood which has distorted reality for centuries. We have witnessed major distortions within the media quite recently whether this may have been due to the aspirations of Generation of the Rift or through the influence of manmade religions, nevertheless they are both closely related. At the time of Hashem’s revelation we will see the words of Zephaniah being fulfilled (3:9) “when I will transform (the tongues of) the nations into a clear tongue – שפה ברורהso that they will invoke Hashem’s name and serve him in unison”. This time the nations after having seen the light will certainly utilise their speech for the right purpose in praising the name of Hashem. M
ד' חשון תש"פ
2 Nov 2019
פרשת נח
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l e v e L r e h g Hi f Love o ,“אלה תולדות נח נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו 6:9 ”את האלקים התהלך נח
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“These are the offspring of Noach – Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations; Noach walked with Hashem.”
he Torah tells us explicitly that Noach was a complete Tzaddik; he walked with Hashem. Yet we know, that in Noach’s time, there was a flood that completely eradicated human and animal life, with the exception of him and his family. The Zohar Hakodosh says that the Mabul was called, “ – ”מי נחthe “waters of Noach” for Noach did not save his generation when he potentially could have, and that is why the Mabul is named after him. Chazal tell us that Noach did not daven on behalf of the world nor did he seek to influence them. If he was such a tsaddik why didn’t he do so?
The parsha starts with the famous words, “ ”אלה תולדות נחso why does the Torah need to repeat in the very next posuk “ויולד ”?נחThe Torah stresses that these three children were his only children rather than him being the ‘father’ of the generation he should have searched for a Limud Zechus for his compatriots, and then daven on their behalf. ()באר משה
Klal Yisroel said, “ – ”נעשה ונשמעthey will do and listen; they voluntarily accepted upon themselves to heed the Torah. Later on, Hakodosh Boruch Hu placed a mountain over their heads and told them that if they accept the Torah, good, if not, they would be buried there on the spot. Why did Hakodosh Boruch Hu have to force Klal Yisroel to accept the Torah, when they had previously already accepted the Torah voluntarily? There are two types of אהבה, love. There is one called, “ – ”אהבה רצוניתlike a love of one to his friend. Due to this love, one wants to satisfy the will of his friend. Then there is a second type of Ahavah called, “”אהבה עצמית – this a true love, like the love of a parent to his or her child. This love is a love rooted within that person. Everything he does is for the benefit of his child. There may be times that it appears that the parent is acting against the will of the child. The reason that the child sees it that way is due to a lack of knowledge. The parent continued from cover page: THE
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Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Schechter Author of Seforim, Parshah Pshetl
will do anything and everything that is for the good of the child, for the parent has a true love for his child. The same is true with Hakodosh Boruch Hu to Klal Yisroel. Hakodosh Boruch Hu only gives His children, Klal Yisroel, good. That good is in His eyes, for He truly knows what is good, although in the eyes of the children, Klal Yisroel, it may not seem good. Hakodosh Boruch Hu gave us the Toras Emes, for that is the lifeline of this world. Hakodosh Boruch Hu placed the mountain over our heads and forced us to take the Torah, to teach us that He has a true love for us. Receiving the Torah is certainly something good, whether we know it or not. Hakodosh Boruch Hu is going to do good for us no matter what we think, for He has a true love for us. ()דברים אחדים
As the Torah attests, Noach was a Tzaddik. He was righteous in his deeds, and wanted to do Rotzon Hashem. Perhaps Noach even had a love for the people of his generation, but at most, it was an “ – ”אהבה רצוניתa love like one has for his friend. Noach asked them to repent, but they refused. Being that they did not want, Noach did not push, for he only sought to help them with their will. Although Noach knew that it was not good for them not to do Teshuva, for it would mean their demise, nonetheless, that was their choice. Noach did not have the higher level of “אהבה – ”עצמיתthe true love, like a parent to a child. In that type of love, it is not about the desire of the other person, but because it is a pure love, it is to do what is best for that person, notwithstanding that persons will. Had Noach had that Ahavah for his generation, he certainly would have been Mispalel for them, and could have saved his entire generation. Noach could have been called the “”אב – the father of his generation, had he treated his generation like his children. Being that he didn’t, he was only an “ – ”אבover his own children, and he did not save his generation from the Mabul – and the Mabul was called, “מי נח.” While not everyone can become the אבof his generation, we all have the opportunity to think and help others. We must try as much as we can to seek to help others, and do what is best for them, not necessarily their Rotzon. M
DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILISATION
In this vein a notable difference between the events of the dor hamabul and those of the dor haflaga can be highlighted. In the dor hamabul, Hashem is always referred to as Elokim1, denoting Hashems as omnipotent- all powerful. But in the events of the dor haflaga, Hashem is referred to with the name יקוקdenoting Hashem as merciful in relation to humanity. They were trying to remove Hashem from the equation, so the Torah indicates Hashem’s interaction with them specifically with the name of יקוק, denoting the inherent mercy and kindness of Hashem, that is the very foundation of our existence. In attempting to uproot this recognition the transgression of the dor hafloga was indeed a sin of the psyche. Therefore, the dor hafloga, was punished with dispersion and confusion of their language. For their perceived unity transcended no deeper than their ability to communicate with one another, there was no common language other than their spoken word. Why, because their pursuit was barren of purpose and meaning, it brought nothing to the human experience other than shared indulgence. The greatness of man is not in our ability to give to ourselves. Rather true human greatness is found in how much we can do for others. Upon this stage enters Avrohom, willing to give to others at every opportunity. Indeed, these were the bricks upon which he built his civilisation. M
ב’ ד’’ה ורבי אברהם: רמב’’ן י’’א1
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Oneg Shabbos Issue 224
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RE-ENTRY PLAN: A ROUTE TO SALVATION
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o doubt, you are all still basking in the afterglow of all the Yomim Tovim. The re-entry into the atmosphere, however, is fraught with danger. When one has become habituated to the rarified spiritual stratosphere, a re-entry plan is vital. The space shuttle needed special solar panels to absorb the intense heat generated upon re-entry. Deep-sea divers need to decompress to avoid ‘the bends’. If we attempt to re-engage with the world without having formulated a strategy to do so, it could well all end in tears. The possible disaster scenarios are either to ‘crash-andburn’, or to revert to type, to accept mediocrity and the banal, and give up the good fight. The first few Parshiyos of Bereshis seem to offer scant comfort. From the heady delights of גן עדן, Paradise is Lost, and man degenerates all too quickly, ultimately descending into the anarchy which sets the scene for the failed generation that has no redeeming feature, and must ultimately be obliterated. Yet, there is a critical message in this tale of moral turpitude that signposts a route to elevation and salvation. The fate of the world is sealed, we are informed, not on the basis of the rampant immorality, the ubiquitous עבודה זרה, but rather the carefully cultivated culture of theft. ’ הinforms Noach that He intends to destroy the world, Ki Mal’ah Ha’Aretz Chamas. Rashi comments on these words ‘Lo Nechtam Gezar Dinam Elah Al HaGezel’, the judgment of the world was finalised on account of the sin of stealing. This, despite the fact that (per Rashi’s comments earlier )(פסוק י”א that the generation was guilty of idolatry and immorality, sins which are far more greivous than stealing. Why is it that the decree of destruction was sealed on account of an עבירהwhich is not as severe as others they committed? Furthermore, as the רמב”ןpoints out, they had not specifically been commanded not to steal! This leads to an astounding observation – how could ’ הeffectively destroy everything, only to start again, on the basis of a violation of societal norms which had not been proscribed?!
Rabbi Dovid Roberts Rav and Mara De’asra Kahal Adass Jisroel, Berlin, Germany
The Ramban provides an answer that is intuitive, yet sadly, occasionally resisted because its parameters are often misunderstood. והטעם מפני שהיא מצוה משכלת אין להם בה 1 צורך לנביא מזהירThe moral authority to desist from theft derives not from explicit Revelation, a prophetic injunction, rather from a self-awareness that correctly identifies the innate divinity that manifests through the שכל הישר2. At its root, this is not even unique to Jews, but צלם אלוקים. The proof to this is to be found in רמב”םin הלכות תשובה3 when he discusses בחירה and utilises two separate prooftexts, one from אדם הראשון, the other from דברים, clearly indicating the development and acknowledgment of צלם אלוקיםthat is a prerequisite to accepting the ( תורהthe ספר הישרthat is בראשית4, serving as the חינוךin דרך ארץthat must necessarily precede תורה.5 (In a series of astounding מאמרים, The Mirrer Mashgiach R Yeruchem Levovitz ZTL develops this concept quite fully, understanding this to be the hallmark of the Ovos, their commitment to negotiating the world of דרך ארץsolely under the tutelage of ‘The Rebbe’ (his exact words) that ’הprovides for every human being – only when this Divine Teacher is heeded, can one progress to the next level. This Rebbe has a name – its called our !שכל
The image of a little voice within our head, the one of reason and consideration, actually being Divine in origin is an extremely powerful one. R Yeruchem ZTL informs us that this Rebbe has its own set of demands (he actually calls it a )שלחן ערוך, whose instructions must be followed with the same precision and דקדוק בהלכהthat all other הלכותdemand. He opines that יעקב אבינוmeasured the distance between the flocks that he sent to his brother as a present with the same exactitude as ריבוע תפילין
Only when one has mastered this שלחן ערוךcan one possible hope to progress to the more explicit דבר השם, as represented by Revelation, ie תורה.)
The telltale signs were evident, the indication that they were well aware of their degeneracy was their devious practice of carefully avoiding violating any potential threshold of theft, by pilfering tiny, insignificant amounts, clearly being cognisant of the morally odious nature of such activity. R Gedalya Schorr ZTL explains in the name of the Chidushei HaRim that the basis of all sins is stealing. This can be seen from the fact that the halacha of וידויin the mitzvah of תשובה 1 אבן עזרא,י”ג-’ר’ בחיי בראשית ו, ר”מ בשמונה פרקים פ”ו ובמו”נ ח”ג פי”ז,וע”ע הקדמת רב נסים גאון לתלמוד חו”ה שער, ד”ה ועל אותה.א’ (ומשקול הדעת שנטע השם בלב האדם וכו’) הגהות יעב”ץ גיטין נ”ח-’שמות כ ותורת אברהם קונטרס תורת שכל, והסכמת הנצי”ב לספר אהבת חסד,עבודת האלוקים פ”ג ופ”ה דברים נפלאים האנושי 2 This now becomes the resolution of the Euthyphro dilemma, (often used as an argument against Divine command theory) which sees good and evil as being either Revealed through Divine command (and thus apparently arbitrary) or intuited (and thus holding ’ הaccountable to a standard of behaviour higher than Himself, )ח”ו וע”ל, neither of which are palatable for different reasons. It is posed as a false dichotomy, as in reality ’ הas טוב, implants into man via the שכלthe ability to discern good and evil – the challenge being to attribute this faculty to Him! Bertrand Russell struggled with this, but failed to ‘join up the dots’ when he said, “I cannot see how to refute the argument for the subjectivity of ethical values, but I find myself incapable of believing that all that is wrong with wanton cruelty is that I don’t like it” 3 עי”ש פ”ה ה”א וה”ה וע”ע מש”כ בהל’ מלכים 4 ע”ז כ”ה 5 ט”ז ובהקדמת הנצי”ב לפירושו העמק דבר לספר בראשית-’עי’ היטב לשונו הזהב של ר’ יונה אבות ג
2 Nov 2019
ד' חשון תש"פ
פרשת נח
is derived from פרשת נשיאin the section dealing with גזל הגר, stealing from a convert (per the Rambam in the beginning of )הלכות תשובה. Why is such a fundamental concept and halacha derived from a somewhat obscure topic in the Torah? The answer is because stealing is a fundamental prohibition when understood in its broader sense. Man was created for the purpose of following the word of Hashem and bringing Kavod Shamayim to the world. When man uses the different resources and objects of the world to achieve his own personal desires and goes against the word of Hashem, this is the most objectionable form of stealing. When Rashi says the final verdict for destruction was on account of stealing, it includes within it the sins of idolatry and immorality. By worshipping false idols and being promiscuous, the Dor HaMabul were stealing from Hashem the opportunity for Him to be manifest through His creatures. They denied their own Divine image, and the cause was indeed lost. At the very height of our lofty עבודהof נעילה, we acknowledge this by asserting that the תכלית הבריאהitself is למען נחדל מעושק ידינו6 - that we may refrain from theft!! The most elemental challenge that any human being, let alone a Jew faces, is the acknowledgment that this is His world and that we would do well to foster that constant awareness. Hence the piercing cry of ה’ הוא האלוקים that accompanies ’ הback to שמים at the climax of the יום הקדוש. This now becomes our focus and our constant companion even as we ‘re-enter’ the world of the humdrum, the inane. We hear the echoes of that cry, and seek every opportunity to re-affirm for ourselves and all those we encounter – the שויתי ה’ לנגדי תמיד – we see in every engagement with this alien world the challenge to highlight His existence through our behaviour, שהכל ברא לכבודו. M
6 ובזה מובן האזהרה של הסמ”ג ל”ת ע”ד ע”ש
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WHAT YOU DO WITH IT Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe zt’l3 notes: In our day and age one who lives to the age of one hundred has been blessed with longevity. In fact, the Mishna4 states, “At one hundred years old one is as if he had died, passed on, and become irrelevant to the world.” Yet during the first twenty generations from creation people lived many hundreds of years. Before the flood, most of the personages mentioned in the Torah lived past 900 years old. After the flood their life expectancy was ‘reduced’ to 200-400 years with the exception of Noach5.
Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW Rabbi, Kehillat New Hempstead, Rebbe/ Guidance Counselor – ASHAR, Principal, Ohr Naftoli, New Windsor Sign up to receive Stam Torah via email each week at: www.stamtorah.info
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“And all the days of Noach were nine hundred fifty years.2” he owner of one of the largest kosher American confectioners was also a major supporter of the famed Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ. On one occasion, at a large function, he had the privilege to introduce Rabbi Shneur Kotler zt’l, the then Rosh Yeshiva of Bais Medrash Govoha. The businessman began by explaining that he and the Rosh Yeshiva had a great deal in common: “Both of us went to cheder in Europe, survived the war, and now run major institutions. Both of us provide the public with an excellent product that is sweet and enjoyable. Many people stand in line to speak with me, and many people stand in line to speak with the Rosh Yeshiva. We are both well-known and try to help others.”
The great Rambam6, with all his writings and the incredible legacy he left behind, lived a mere seventy years. We can only imagine how much more he could have accomplished if he lived as long as Noach. In fact, he would still be alive today and we would be able to personally ask him the myriad questions that have been asked about his teachings throughout the centuries. Thus, we must understand what were the original generations doing throughout their elongated lives?
Then he paused and smiled, “However, there is one fundamental difference between us. You see, I produce lollipops; the Rosh Yeshiva produces men!”
The Ramchal7 explains that the generations living before the flood and the first few generations after the flood as well possessed tremendous insight and wisdom into the esoteric secrets of creation and
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empty jar. n a h it w r a Start the ye h a good it w te o n a add Each week ppened. a thing that h r mpty the ja e , a n a h s a Next Rosh H ut the amazing year bo and read a you had.
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Oneg Shabbos Issue 224
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remained the most humble person on the face of the earth9. The difference lay in the fact that Moshe saw his knowledge and prophecy as a responsibility that he had to live up to. Bila’am on the other hand saw his virtues as proof to his own greatness and, therefore, it led him to become hedonistic and relentlessly demanding honor and aggrandizement. In the Military chapel at the United States Military Academy at West Point, the soldiers recite the “Cadet Prayer”:
the workings of Hashem, as it were. The older they became the more privy they were to deeper and more penetrating secrets of the world. Hashem granted them added years to allow them that wisdom so they could utilise it to raise the world to its ultimate rectification and sanctification. Ironically however, the more wisdom they attained the more corrupt and morally depraved they became. The sardonic truth was that their greatness in wisdom was in direct proportion with their spiritual decline. After the flood, as each generation continued in the iniquitous path of its forbearers, Hashem began to shorten their years so they would not have the opportunity to cause as much malice and
wrongdoing. After twenty generations, with the birth of Avrohom and a far shorter life expectancy, there was a tremendous shift in the ‘content of life’. From that point onwards no one was privy to those secrets of life and of the Ways of Hashem unless he toiled and invested unyielding effort to achieve it. The first to utilize that approach to life was Avrohom Avinu, and that is why he was worthy to become the first patriarch. The later patriarchs, and consequently all of his descendants, followed the precedent that Avrohom had begun of searching and seeking Hashem in every facet of life and creation. The lesson that emerges from the discrepancy between the life of Avrohom and his predecessors is that it does not matter how much one knows, but rather what one does with that knowledge. What truly counts is how much one internalizes the wisdom he attains and consequently seeks to inculcate that knowledge into his soul and essence. This is a concept that appears on numerous other occasions as well. Most notably, the infamous prophet Bila’am merited an incredible level of prophecy and tremendous levels of divine revelation. Yet instead of becoming a person of noble character he became the total opposite. “Those who have an evil eye, an arrogant spirit, and a greedy soul, are disciples of the wicked Bila’am.8” His knowledge and prophetic sagacity did not make him into a greater person, but rather caused him to become nefarious, arrogant, and self-centred. Bila’am’s foil was Moshe Rabbeinu who, despite his lofty level of direct prophecy,
“Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole truth can be won. Endow us with the courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy.” Greatness does not come from material possessions, vapid praise, or even great breadth of knowledge. Rather it comes from inner pondering and soul-searching, and a passionate drive for truth. Avrohom ‘discovered G-d’ because he earnestly pined to know the truth and he was unsatisfied with the mendacity that the world had accepted. He infused that search into his progeny. Avrohom became a great man during the 175 years of his life, while his predecessors became increasingly wicked, despite staggering knowledge, during their lifetimes of hundreds of years. The legacy he taught us is that the hallmark of a Jew is not how many pages he has studied, but how much of his learning he has internalized. That is the way one produces a nation of great people. “Look to Avrohom your father and Sarah your birth mother10” “A good eye, a humble spirit, and a meek soul11” M 1.The following essay is based on the lecture given at Kehillat New Hempstead, parshas Noach 5770, on the occasion of the Bar Mitzvah of Binyamin Pomerantz. 2. Bereishis 9:29 3. Shiurei Chumash Bereishis 4. Avos 5:21 5. With them living for so long, we can only imagine how big the dais was at their children’s Bar Mitzvos. With so many generations still living they must have needed to add so many extra aliyos… 6. 1135-1204 7. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, 1707-1746; Adir Bamarom 8. Avos 5:22 9. Bamidbar 12:3 10. Yeshaya 51:2 11. Avos ibid
2 Nov 2019
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os e
THE
E T A M I ULT ANTOR shidduch. Hashem, please send her husband and I will consider this as a payment of the loan.”
round forty years ago, a wealthy Jewish philanthropist in London suddenly lost his fortune. He did not tell anyone what happened, because he did not want those in need to hesitate approaching him to ask for help. He loved giving, and he did not want to stop even after his financial collapse. The man went to a prominent wealthy Jew in Manchester and requested a loan so that he could continue helping people. He explained that he has a number of investments that would be maturing in two years, and so he asked for a two-year loan of two million pounds. The man was prepared to provide the loan to the philanthropist but asked if he had a guarantor for the loan. The man from London explained that he’d rather not give any guarantors because he did not want anyone to know about his reversal of fortune. Therefore he preferred borrowing the money without a guarantor. “You are asking me to do the impossible,” the man from Manchester said. “How can I lend you so much money without a guarantor?” “I am doing this l’shem Shamayim,” the man explained, “in order to help people. I know Hashem can be the Guarantor.” The man from Manchester, with complete faith in Hashem, responded, “You are correct. Because this money is needed l’shem Shamayim, we will name Hashem as the Guarantor.” And he gave him the sum he requested! Two years later, the man from London returned to Manchester – without the money. He explained that he did not yet have the funds to repay the loan, and that he needed another two months. The man from Manchester began thinking that he would never see the money again, and so he went into his private room and spoke to Hashem. “You are the Guarantor for this loan,” he said, “and the time has come for it to be repaid. But I don’t want the money. I have a daughter who is already of age and has not been able to find a
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The man’s daughter was engaged less than three weeks later. He also closed a profitable business deal that yielded almost the complete sum he had lent to the man from London. Two-and-a-half months later, the man from London returned, ready to repay the loan. But the lender refused, explaining that Hashem, the “Guarantor” had already repaid the debt in full, and the man did not owe him anything. But the man from London insisted, saying that he did not take free gifts and was intent on repaying the money he had borrowed. An argument ensued between them as each party was insisting that the other keep the money. Remarkably, they brought the case to a beit din in Israel. One of the judges who presided over the case, Rabbi Zickerman, who related this story, said that the judges were all in tears and overcome with emotion upon seeing the honestly and sincerity of these two Jewish men. They eventually ruled that the money should be returned to the “Guarantor,” to Hashem. It happened to be a shemittah year, and so the money was given to a special fund set up to assist farmers in Israel who observed shemittah. Both these men put their faith in Hashem: the one who borrowed the money in order to continue giving tzedakah, and the lender who gave the loan relying on Hashem as the Guarantor. And Hashem did not let them down; He was there ready to catch them. As David HaMelech says (Tehillim 25:2), My Hashem, I trust in You, so I shall not be shamed.” May we all be able to make sacrifices with our heart in order to get closer to Hashem and may we always have the same enthusiasm for our mitzvos and tzedakos whether we have something to gain or not. May we also learn from Hashem to be careful with our neighbour’s honour, no matter what his financial situation is. M Reprinted from the Parashat Tzav 5779 email of Rabbi Amram Sananes as written by Jack E. Rahmey.
He that gives should never remember, he that receives should never forget
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Oneg Shabbos Issue 224
Restoring the primacy of Choshen Mishpat Under the auspices of Harav Chaim Kohn שליט"א Rabbi Meir Orlian Halachah Writer, BHI
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT Mr. Gold planned to be with one of his children for Yom Kippur. Two days beforehand, though, his plans fell through and he had to stay at home. He approached the gabbai of his shul to ask whether there were any seats still available. “We’re almost at 100% capacity,” said the gabbai. “All the regular seats, including where you usually sit during the year, are sold. I’ll see what I can do. There is one seat toward the back of the shul with a question mark that might be available.” Mr. Gold looked at the seating chart. The seat with the question mark was right next to Mr. Fine. “This will be interesting,” Mr. Gold mused to himself. “Mr. Fine borrowed money from me almost a year ago and claims that he cannot pay. I know that he’s in an extremely difficult financial situation, but perhaps my sitting next to him on Yom Kippur will pressure him to pay. I don’t see how he can bear facing Hashem when he has that debt to me still outstanding!” Later in the evening, the gabbai called Mr. Gold. “I checked, and the seat in the back is available,” he said. Mr. Gold thanked the gabbai for arranging the seating. He mentioned casually that Mr. Fine owed him money and that perhaps some additional good would come out of the seating. The gabbai listened attentively. “Hmmm,” he said quietly. “I don’t know that Yom Kippur is the time to seek repayment of debts.” “Why not?” replied Mr. Gold. “Repaying debts is also part of teshuvah. Anyway, I don’t plan on saying anything to Mr. Fine. Some tact I have!” When Mr. Gold came to the shul that evening, he saw that the seats had been rearranged, and that he was placed far from Mr. Fine. During the break, he approached the gabbai and asked why the seats were rearranged. “When I heard your story, I wasn’t sure whether I should seat you near Mr. Fine,” explained the gabbai. “I spoke with Rabbi Dayan, and he said that you should not be seated near him.” What’s wrong with seating Mr. Gold near Mr. Fine? “Undoubtedly, the borrower must make every effort to repay his debt; repayment of debt is a mitzvah,” explained
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Rabbi Dayan. “Nonetheless, the Torah (Shemos 22:24) teaches that the lender cannot act as an [oppressive] creditor. The Gemara (B.M. 75b) interprets this to mean that he should not demand from the borrower when he knows that he cannot pay. He should not even pass before the borrower, since this will cause the borrower to feel embarrassed” (C.M. 97:2). “It’s true that you occasionally bump into Mr. Fine in shul. Aruch Hashulchan (97:2) writes that if time has already passed so that the borrower has gotten used to the situation, and the lender does not intend to embarrass him and cause suffering, he is allowed to pass before him. But you should not be seated deliberately near Mr. Fine.” “What if the lender doesn’t know whether the borrower is able to pay?” asked Mr. Gold. “If the lender doesn’t know, he may demand repayment of the loan,” replied Rabbi Dayan. “In addition, if the borrower has assets or belongings beyond his basic sustenance that Halachah would require him to sell, the creditor may demand the loan (C.M. 97:23; Minchas Chinuch 67:1; Kesef Kodashim 97:2; Shulchan Aruch Harav, Halvaah #2). Thus, in many situations the prohibition would seemingly not apply. Nonetheless, some write that if the lender does not expect the borrower to sell his belongings, but rather pressures him to procure money that he does not have by borrowing or receiving tzedakah from others, or if the borrower has prior debt greater than his assets, the prohibition applies” (Beis Aharon V’Yisrael, vol. 23, pp. 68-76; Pischei Choshen, Halvaah 2:8). Ruling: A creditor may not demand payment from a borrower or intentionally pass before him when he knows that he is unable to pay.
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DAYS DAYS
Distinctive Insight שתים בימי עיבורה ואחת בימי מניקותה
In the Mishnah (7b), R’ Eliezer taught that four categories of women, including women who are meuberes or meinekes, only cause tum’ah to terumah or taharos from the moment they notice their flow, and we do not consider these items they handled to be t’mei’im retroactively for twenty-four hours. R’ Yose taught that only if a pregnant or nursing woman experiences three re’iyos without seeing do we say that the halacha is that next time she sees will be דיה שעתה. Until a ninety-day period elapses, if a meuberes or meinekes sees a flow, we would apply a twenty-four hour period of tum’ah to items she touched. When one of the chachomim taught a Beraisa in front of R’ Elazar regarding this halacha, he said that R’ Yose holds that both for a meuberes and for a meinekes, under the conditions mentioned in the Mishnah “the law for her is דיה שעתה.” R’ Elazar immediately noticed that the wording of the Beraisa began with two women (meuberes and meinekes), but concluded with a singular phrase “for her.” R’ Elazar suggested that the Beraisa must have been referring to one woman, either a meuberes who gave birth and is now nursing, or a meinekes who became meuberes. The chiddush of the Beraisa would therefore be that this woman’s conditions may combine to a total of three periods without seeing, even though two of the periods was during pregnancy and one was while she was nursing. This interpretation is corroborated in another Beraisa which presents this halacha as suggested by R’ Elazar.
Rambam (Hilchos Mishkav u’Moshav 4:6) rules that if a meuberes or meinekes was ro’ah dam, but then ninety days elapsed without her seeing, and she then saw again, we would say דיה שעתה. The Kesef Mishnah explains that Rambam rules according to R’ Yose, and that Rambam understood that R’ Yose agrees with Tanna Kamma of the Mishnah (7a-b) that a woman is immediately considered to be halachically pregnant once the foetus is noticeable, and her status would be eligible to declare דיה שעתה. However, this would be true if she would see one time after not having seen for ninety days. If another ninety days would pass without her seeing, and then she would see again, in this case we would say that the tum’ah applies מעת לעת. This is unlike Rashi’s explanation, that R’ Yose disagrees with Tanna Kamma’s definition of when a woman is halachically pregnant. The Sidrei Taharah (189:#34) notes that if Rambam rules according to R’ Yose, and a woman may be halachically pregnant even without her not seeing for ninety days, the law of two months during pregnancy and one while nursing becomes inapplicable, because she would be מסולקת דמים, which is automatically דיה שעתה. Rather, he explains that Rambam rules according to Tanna Kamma, but that multiple sightings change her status. M
‘Shooting the messenger’ is a well-known phrase used to describe the act of blaming the bearer of bad news. In war a messenger would be sent from one camp to another and the receiver might take out their anger on the unlucky envoy upon receiving negative information. When Noach wanted to see if the flood water had subsided, he sent out a dove to see if she would find a resting place. Had the dove returned with a piece of vegetation this would show Noach that the waters had lowered.
Unsuccessful in her mission, she returned to the ark ‘empty-handed’.
The Netziv points out that the dove did not fly into the ark. She thought that her master would not allow her to come back inside as she was not presenting him with what he wanted to see! Noach however had compassion, and took her into his hand to warm her, ’and he put forth his hand and took her, and brought her to him into the ark’ (Bereishis 8:9)
An important lesson. If we ask someone to do something for us and they are unsuccessful, we must still treat them as if they were successful, not forgetting to express gratitude for the attempt. We need to see the person behind the actions. Even if our emotions tempt us otherwise, we must always treat people with kindness and compassion.
(Ideas adapted from Love Your Neighbour by Zelig Pliskin) Brought to you by
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2 Nov 2019
Oneg Shabbos Issue 224
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MIDDOS דרגה יתירה Rabbi Zalman Guttman Ramat Shlomo
ויחל נח איש האדמה ויטע כרם וישת מן היין ‘וישכר וכו )'כ:'(בראשית ט
The Torah informs us - right off the bat - that Noach was a Tzaddik, a righteous man in his generation. A bit further on, however, the Torah calls him ” “איש אדמה- a man of the earth. How does one slide from the heights of " "איש צדיקto the apparent depths of ” ?"איש אדמהWhat happened to Noach that he lost his exalted status - and in such a short time? In the era of the horse and buggy, traveling was a slow and arduous ordeal. Although it was primitive and very time-consuming, yet if the horses scraped each other or the wagons collided, there was little damage and few casualties. Today, in our “space-age,” when it takes a few short hours to fly from one end of the world to the other - it is fast-paced and hassle-free - but if two jets collided in midair, that would be the end of both planes - there’d be nothing left! After the mabul, Hashem put a special blessing into the world that events that would normally take many years, occurred in one day. The very first thing Noach did when he came out of the ark was plant a vineyard. The vines grew, the grapes blossomed, the juice squeezed, the wine fermented, and Noach became drunk - all in one day! Since the power of time was so great, the damage Noach did to himself was equally great! He went from being an “ ”איש צדיקto an “ ”איש אדמהso rapidly for he neglected to seize the opportunity of rebuilding, regenerating and growth for tzidkus - spirituality and righteousness. Instead his own earthly efforts brought about his immediate and precipitous downfall! How careful we must be to utilise those special opportunities in our own lives to achieve more than we ever imagined! . M
SHEMIRAS HALOSHON
FOOD FOR THOUGHT TO SPARK N CONVERSATIO
EVEN THE COHENS MAKE FUN OF THE COHENS
Some families joke cynically about a family trait. It might be their seemingly bad luck, their lack of talent in some area, such as business or math, their lack of musical ability or some other idiosyncrasy. Even if they freely discuss that trait, may you?
THE DILEMMA
A teenage girl is visiting her cousins for Shabbos. After a few rounds of beautiful, harmonious zemiros, her uncle says to her jokingly, “I’ll bet you the “Tone-deaf Tannenbaums” don’t sound like this.” The next week at home, when her family makes a weak attempt at singing, she pipes up: “Even Uncle Sruly knows we’re the Tone-deaf Tannenbaums!” Is that rechilus, or sharing a family joke?
THE HALACHAH
It’s rechilus. No matter what people say about their own group, whether it’s a family, a school, a community or a company, they don’t appreciate hearing that others are joking about them. Such a report is likely to sting a bit and thereby stir animosity. . M Sefer Chofetz Chaim, Hilchos Rechilus 3:3
The Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation Reviewed by Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Lowy. For discussion only; actual halachic decisions should be made by a rav or halachic expert on a case-by-case basis.
2 Nov 2019
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Sages through Ages THE
Dr Benji Schreiber
The Chozeh of Lublin Łukowa, Poland 1745 – Lublin, Poland 1815, ט' באב Rav Yaakov Yitzchok HaLevi Horowitz was born in Łukowa, near Tarnogród. His family were very meyuchas, stemming from Rav Yeshayahu HaLevi Horowitz, the Shlah HaKadosh, ten generations earlier. He was raised largely by his maternal grandfather, Rav Yaakov Kopel of Łukowa, a wealthy and generous landowner who turned down community posts. He learned under different Rabbonim including Rav Shmelke of Nikolsburg in Sieniawa, who first spread chassidus in Poland. Here he was known for his very intense prayer and for covering his eyes so he could only see his immediate surroundings. In Sieniawa he had his first marriage. Legend has it that on the eve of the chasuna he asked to see his kallah but trembled when he did saying he did not see a ‘tzelem Elokim’ (Image of G-d). At the insistence of the family he went ahead with the marriage but ran away from the yichud room and sent her a get. It transpired that she had already lost her emunah entirely, but no one knew it. From his youth Rav Yaakov Yitzchak clung to Chassidus and he travelled to the Maggid of Mezerich (Rav Dov Ber) who was the talmid of the Baal Shem Tov. The Maggid had tremendous talmidim around him, including Rav Shneur Zalman of Lyady, Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk, Rav Aharon of Karlin – the fathers of Chassidus. He made an impact with his arrival. He was a beloved younger talmid of the Maggid and the Maggid delegated to him the resolution of a local dispute. After the Maggid died, Rav Shmelke of Nikulsburg became head of the group and the Chozeh continued under his
guidance, as well as that of Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk (Leżajsk), who lived closer to the Chozeh’s home town of Łańcut (18 miles away). Rav Elimelech, the author of Noam Elimelech, was the main force spreading Chassidus in Galicia. As Rav Elimelech became older the focus moved to the Chozeh in Łańcut thousands came to him as Rebbe, and less were coming to Rav Elimelech, which caused him distress. The Chozeh decided to move to the outskirts of Lublin.
Lublin In Czechov his name quickly spread and new chassidim flocked to him while the misnagdim were up in arms. The leaders of Lublin gave him permission to set up his own minyan and with support from town philanthropists who became chassidim he was able to set up a fitting court in Lublin. The Chozeh became a leader of Chassidus in Poland, drawing thousands of Chassidim. He was called the Chozeh, Seer, because of supernatural vision of which stories abound. He was close to the Maggid of Kozhnits (Rav Yisroel Hopstein of Kozienice, 1736-1814) and Rav Menachem Mendel of Rimenov (Rymanów 1745-1815) who were the other Chassidic leaders of their day. They supported Napoleon in his war against Russia, while the Baal HaTanya, living in the Russian empire at the same time, supported the Tsar.
Talmidim The Yehudi HaKadosh (Rav Yaakov Yitzchak Rabinovitch, 1766-1813) was a leading talmid. One theory for his unusual
nickname is that his contemporaries didn’t want to use his name as it would be disrespectful to their Rebbe, the Chozeh, who has the same first names. The Yehudi broke way from the Chozeh, who he continued to greatly respect and became a Rebbe in his own right, starting the line of Peschisch (Przysucha) which was then continued by Rav Simcha Bunim of Peshisch and then the Kotzker Rebbe. The Yehudi HaKadosh wanted less emphasis on miracles and drew a smaller group of Chassidim. They emphasised davening with great kavanah and were criticised for delaying the time of davening while they sought inspiration. He wrote three sefarim: זכרון,זאת זכרון זאתand דברי אמתbased mostly on Chumash, introduced with mussar and focused on Tzaddikim. On the night of Simchas Torah 1815 the Chozeh fell from an upstairs window in in circumstances which remain obscure. He was bedbound from then until his death that Tisha B’Av. M
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