Issue
229
בס"ד
הריני בא ללמוד תורה לשמה לעשות נחת רוח לאבינו שבשמים מוצאי שבת ר"ת
מוצאי שבת
פרשת ויצא
ט' כסלו תש"פ 7 Dec 2019
קבלת שבת
JLM
MAN
LON
JLM
BMTH
GLSCW
GHD
MAN
LON
JLM
BMTH
GLSCW
GHD
MAN
LON
5.53
5.03
5.04
5.15
5.00
4.52
4.45
4.52
4.50
3.58
3.48
3.30
3.25
3.35
3.36
Reaching Great Heights And Yaakov went out from Be’er Sheva, and he went to Charan (Bereishis 28:10) Why the need to mention the place from which Yaakov left? Rashi draws attention to the impact a tzaddik’s presence has on his surroundings. ‘A tzaddik’s departure makes an impression, for as long as a tzaddik dwells in the city, he intensifies its glory, splendour and beauty… as he departs, the glory, splendour and beauty vanish’. Why is this related specifically to Yaakov and not the other Avos? Only in his case was there anyone on such a sufficient level to feel this void – his father, Yitzchak. The story of Yaakov’s journey to Charan is the story that relates to the soul’s descent from the spiritual to the physical world. Leaving Be’er Sheva, literally translated as the ‘The Well of Seven’, referring to the seven levels of Divine attributes or the ‘sefiros’ from where the soul is derived. This place must have been a paradise of spirituality, a place where one can connect fairly simply with Hashem. The destination that is Charan translates to that of ‘Wrath’, seemingly a place of lies, deception and hardships. A place that obscures the clarity of why one is going in the first place. With this being said, Yaakov doesn’t establish the Shivtei Kah, as expected, in the comforts of the Holy Land, rather he marries and raises eleven of the twelve tribes, from Charan within the company of the deceiver, Lavan. Yaakov was a Talmid Chochom and Tzaddik on a level that is far beyond our comprehension, but perhaps if he had remained in Be’er Sheva, surrounded by the wellsprings of Torah learning, his significance as one of the Avos to B’nei Yisroel may have gone unnoticed. Similarly the neshamah reaches its fulfilment from its descent to ‘Charan’ – olam hazeh – only as a physical being, invested within a physical form inhabiting a physical environment can it fulfil its purpose, to build a dwelling for Hashem’s presence in this world. And he encountered the place (Ibid. 11) “Vayifga ba’makom” - We know that the place that Yaakov rested on was Mount Moriah, the place which would become the Makom Hamikdash. Rashi offers two explanations of ‘Vayifga’, a meaning of prayer which alludes the fact that this is where Yaakov institutes
ספר דברים
ספר במדבר
לע"נ ר' יקותיאל זלמן נאה ז''ל בן ר' חנניה יו''ט ליפא הי''ד נלב''ע ט''ז אדר תשע''ז
לע"נ מרת טויבא רחל נאה ע''ה בת ר' שמואל שמעלקא הי''ד נלב''ע כ''ה מנחם אב תשע''ז
Rabbi Alex Nadler Rabbi and Educator of Meor Boston
Maariv and Mount Moriah was miraculously moved to Yaakov. The Sfas Emes views both explanations as being thematically related. Even in times of spiritual darkness when one does not sense the light of Hashem, he can still bring ruchnius into his life through heartfelt prayer. If one craves Hashem’s closeness, his prayer will pierce the darkness and allow the light to shine through. The ladder, sulam, that appeared in Yaakov’s dream shows the point of contact between heaven and earth. The word also has the same numerical value as money, mamon, this is because in reality ‘its top reaches heavenward’ for it is among the most effective tools to advancing a spiritual agenda. Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin homiletically explains the Mishnah in Avos, ‘Know what is above you’, that one must know that whatever occurs in the Heavenly spheres is a result of the actions on earth. If we use what we have to spread Torah and do Hashem’s Will then we are giving much nachas ruach to Hashem on high. Hashem provides us with avenues of connection to His Higher Truth in both arenas: tefillah is a spiritual path of connection to Hashem, while giving tzedaka is a physical path. And He provides us with a guide - our rational mind - with which to navigate both areas of life. A ladder stood on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; (Ibid. 12) A lesson that comes from this parshah was taught to me by a Rebbe in Yeshiva and is one that I remember every day of my life. The ladder rose to Heaven - that is where one should be reaching for, there is no limit to where one can master. The important point to recognise is that the ladder also had its base firmly on the earth – wherever we may reach for, we have to remind ourselves to keep our feet on the ground at the same time as recognising the amazing lofty heights that we are attaining. M
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Oneg Shabbos Issue 229..
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Yaakov’s Ladder & the Ascent to Nationhood
T
he opening scene of Vayeitze presents a celestial dream experienced by Yaakov which cries out for a profound interpretation. What is the meaning of the mysterious malachim who ascend and descend their stairway to heaven? And what is their precise relevance to Yaakov as he embarks upon a crucial journey, hardearned blessings in hand, to establish his credentials as the third and final forefather of the Jewish people? R’ Chaim Volozhiner, in Nefesh Hachaim, explains the Zohar’s approach to the dream, in which the ascending and descending angels provide Yaakov with a visual demonstration of the interplay which exists between the spiritual and physical spheres. The ladder is based firmly on the ground, with its upper rungs scaling the heavenly heights until they reach Hashem. The angels moving up and then down the ladder represent the spiritual ‘ripple effect’ of good deeds, first moving up towards the heavens, and then descending with the resultant divine bounty. R’ Chaim explains the apparent difficulty of the angels first rising up the ladder and only then descending – an order which seems to suggest that their journey begins in the physical world rather than in the heavens by saying: “The primary task of mankind is to first raise the world from a lower to a higher level, and after that the (divine) light will be drawn from above to below.” This interpretation of the dream as an allusion to the dynamic role of spirituality within the physical world is reinforced by a dramatic midrashic subplot, which tells of squabbling stones uniting beneath Yaakov’s head. Maharal explains that division and separation between objects is a purely physical phenomenon. The intense spiritual level to which Yaakov soared during his dream made an impact on the physical objects within his vicinity, uniting the squabbling stones into a single unit. The clear message emerging from both the dream and the quarrelling stones is that spiritual forces generated by good conduct, control and manipulate objects and events in the physical world. As Yaakov travels to Charan to build a family, household and nation, the lesson of his dream holds particular relevance. Rivka’s diversion of the blessings of prosperity to Yaakov propels him from the tents of meditation and study to the ruthless, amoral business world of his uncle Lavan. There he amasses significant wealth, and is forced into situations that challenge his inherent honesty and integrity. The dream sent to Yaakov is intended to guide his perspective throughout this rite of passage, so that his newFor questions on Divrei Torah, please email the editor Rabbi Yonasan Roodyn at editor@oneg.org.uk
found wealth and status remain a Rabbi Shmuel Phillips means with which Author, “Judaism Reclaimed” to build his nation rather than being an end in their own right. Yaakov’s response to the dream is that “All that You will give to me I will surely tithe to You” - an indication that this lesson has been duly internalised. And when Eisav suggests ‘walking together’, Yaakov firmly refuses, choosing instead to build booths for his cattle, in a symbolic recognition of the ephemeral nature and secondary importance of Yaakov’s worldly possessions. Yaakov’s dream also plays an important role within the very different worldview of Rambam, for whom the ladder teaches the role of the prophet. While Rambam understands prophecy to be the preserve of those who have greatly developed their intellect, Yaakov’s dream teaches that the prophet, having scaled the heights and gained a great intellectual insight, must return down to the masses to lead and be involved with their affairs. With this message, the Torah rejects the stereotype of the prophet as a reclusive ‘Man of Hashem’, who is removed from and unconcerned with the fate of those around him. As Rambam’s describes in the conclusion of Moreh Nevuchim, a person’s ‘ultimate perfection’ requires studious development of the intellect in order to perceive divine truths. Such a development must however be accompanied by the perfection of one’s character traits in order to imitate Hashem’s attributes of chessed, mishpat and tzeddakah. The message of Yaakov’s dream is, therefore, that if one has truly internalised ‘knowledge of Hashem, he will be motivated, like Hashem, to descend back down the ladder to demonstrate through his own conduct the G-dly attributes of “chessed”; holding the hand of the common man and encouraging him to take his first tentative steps up the rungs of the celestial ladder. With Yaakov poised on the threshold between the era of holy individuals and the emergence of a ‘G-dly nation’, the timing of his dream with its instructive message could not be more appropriate, establishing for eternity the hallmark of the Jewish prophet and Man of Hashem. M This is an excerpt from the newly-published Judaism Reclaimed: Philosophy and Theology in the Torah by Shmuel Phillips. The related discussion continues to analyse the Midrash regarding the stones uniting beneath Yaakov’s head and its interpretation by Maharal and Ibn Ezra. This is then used as a basis for an expanded analysis of the different approaches to interpreting aggadah and the philosophical worldviews which prompt them. Available on Amazon and in Jewish Book stores.
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7 December 2019
ט' כסלו תש"פ
פרשת ויצא
APPRECIATING THE TZADDIK Bereishis, 28:10: “And Yaakov departed from Beer Sheva and went to Charan.” Rashi, 28:10: sv. And Yaakov departed: It only needed to say ‘and Yaakov went to Charan’, so why did it mention his departure? Rather it tells us that the departure of a righteous person from the place makes an impression; for when a righteous person is in a city, he is its magnificence, he is its splendour, he is its grandeur. Once he has departed from there, its magnificence has gone away, its splendour has gone away, its grandeur has gone away… Rashi explains the seemingly repetitive language of the Torah in describing Yaakov Avinu’s departure from Beer Sheva. The Torah emphasizes this point to teach that the leaving of a tzaddik such as Yaakov causes a great void. The Kli Yakar asks that this was not the first time that a tzaddik left a place – Avraham and Yitzchak also travelled in their lifetimes, so why does the Torah choose to teach this lesson only with the leaving of Yaakov?1[1] The key to answering this question is to note that there was something unprecedented about this particular departure; it was the first time that a tzaddik left a place where other tzaddikim remained. When Avraham and Yitzchak travelled, there was nobody remaining who attained the level of ‘tzaddik’, 1
Kli Yakar, Bereishis, 28:10. See there for two answers. The answer given here is similar, though not identical, to his second answer. [1]
whereas on this occasion, Yitzchak and Rivka remained in Beer Sheva. How does this help answer our question? There are many people who do not appreciate the value of a tzaddik; this includes reshaim who actually despise the tzaddik and see him as an obstacle to preventing them from fulfilling their desires. Yet even people that are not reshaim do not recognise the true greatness of a tzaddik, accordingly they would not necessarily comprehend the scale of the less upon his departure. Only someone who is on a high level themselves can fully recognise the value of a tzaddik and the corresponding vacuum that is created on his parting. Therefore, the Torah only taught the lesson about the inestimable value of a tzaddik when other tzaddikim remained – the first time that this took place was when Yaakov left his parents. One interesting lesson that can be derived from this explanation is that recognising the qualities of a person is a quality in and of itself. A person with a highly developed sensitivity to positive traits will more eagerly seek them out and notice them in others. The obvious application of this is to strive to learn from the tzaddikim that are in their vicinity. This includes speaking to them as much as possible, but also simply observing their ‘mundane’ actions and speech. In this way one can derive great practical lessons about how to behave in a variety of life situations. M
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Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen Rabbi for Keter HaTorah
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Oneg Shabbos Issue 229..
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The Jewish Calendar part 2 Why do we start V’sein Tal Umotor in December?
T
his year we have an interesting phenomenon that in the Diaspora, we start saying v’sein tal umotor (“tal umotor”) at Maariv on 5 December 2019 rather than 4 December. This is because 2019 is the year before a civil leap year (namely 2020) and in the year before a civil leap year we begin saying this tefillah for rain on the night of 5 December. This article explores the reason for commencing the recital of tal umotor depends on the civil date and why it shifts depending on civil leap years.
Eretz Yisroel Before explaining why tal umotor is dependent on the civil date in the Diaspora, it is important to note that the situation is different in Eretz Yisroel. Like the Diaspora, Jews in Eretz Yisroel begin saying mashiv haruach on Shemini Atzeres, the start of the rainy season for Eretz Yisroel. However, unlike mashiv haruach which is a praise of Hashem being the source of the blessing of rain, tal umotor is an actual request for rain. At the time of the Beis Hamikdash, the Jews of Eretz Yisroel chose to delay their request for rain (i.e. saying tal umotor,) in the interests of those that were oleh le’regel to Yerushalyim to allow them to arrive home without getting drenched by rain (Taanis 10a)! This is the custom followed by Jews living in Eretz Yisroel until today.
In the Diaspora For much of Jewish history, the primary Jewish community in the Diaspora was based in Bavel (modern-day Iraq), where the terrain is on a lower altitude than Eretz Yisroel and they do not need rain until much later. Therefore, the Sages in Taanis 10a instituted that Jews living in the Diaspora should start praying for rain only 60 days after the start of the halachic autumnal equinox, which is known as Tekufas Tishrei (see Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 117:1). Nowadays, although Jews live round the world in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and need rain at different times, we all still start asking for rain on the day established for the Jews in Bavel (applying a “lo plug” concept), regardless of when rains are actually needed in the respective locales (see Tur, Orach Chaim 117:1 and Teshuvos HaRosh 4:10).
When is 60 days after Tekufas Tishrei?
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The tekufos or turnings, refer to the beginning of a new season. The four seasons of the year depend on the position of the sun relative to the earth. During the earth’s orbit around the sun, there are four turning points or tekufos during the course of a year. At the beginning of spring and autumn (known as the vernal and autumnal equinoxes respectively), the sun passes directly over the equator and the nights are equal in length to the day in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The sun is then spoken of as “turning” relative to the earth until it reaches its greatest distance north of the equator and is directly overhead in the North Pole which is known as the summer solstice. The winter solstice is when the sun is directly overhead the South Pole, being the maximum distance south of the equator. Given that the tekufos are solar events, the Jewish calendar needs to provide a means of calculating the day in which they occur, in particular Tekufas Tishrei, the autumnal equinox. The Gemara in Eruvin (56a) states that Shmuel calculated the length of the solar year as being exactly 365¼ days. The year is then subdivided into the four seasons/tekufos, each tekufah being 91 days and 7½ hours (365.25 ÷ 4 = 91.3125). The solar calendar according to Shmuel corresponds exactly to the Julian calendar, which was widely used from the year 45 BCE until the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582. Based on this, Tekufas Tishrei was initially set as beginning on 24 September of the Julian calendar and 60 days into Tekufas Tishrei would be 22 November (counting the day of the tekufah as the first day). The next section explains why we don’t start saying tal umotor on 22 November!
Calendar reform by Pope Gregory XIII The length of the year according to both Shmuel and the Julian calendar (being 365.25 days) is longer than the astronomical solar year, which is 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds long
7 December 2019
ט' כסלו תש"פ
פרשת ויצא
(365.24219 days). This works out annually to being 11 minutes and 14 seconds too long. Over a period of 128 years, this equates to approximately 1 day. This discrepancy between the Julian year and the astronomical solar year resulted in a “drift” between the calendrical equinox and the astronomical equinox. For example, by the year 1582, the vernal equinox had retrograded to 11 March, rather than its calendrical date of 21 March. To deal with the accumulated difference between the calendar and reality, Pope Gregory XIII directed that the dates of 5 Oct 1582 to 14th October would be eliminated, thereby truing-up the calendar with the seasons. To ensure that the calendar would not drift again, Pope Gregory implemented that every 128 years (or, more roughly, three times every 400 years), one day would be removed from the calendar. The extra day that would normally be appended to the month of February every four years (causing a leap year) would not be added to all century years, except for those years which are multiples of 400. Thus, it was not added in the years 1700, 1800 and 1900. However, it was added to the years 1600 and 2000. This resulted in a reformed Julian calendar, known as the Gregorian calendar, which is the civil calendar now used throughout the world. Although the Gregorian calendar uses more elaborate leap year rules than the Julian calendar, it is not perfect either and compared to the astronomical solar year, it is 27 seconds too long resulting it being off by 1 day every 3236 years.
Reconciling Tekufas Tishrei from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar Since the date of beginning to say tal umotor is based on the calculation of Shmuel (and the Julian calendar), we need to translate this date into our Gregorian calendars as depicted in the table below: Date Autumnal equinox (Tekufas Tishrei) per Julian calendar
24-Sep
Calendar drift adjustments: - 10 days from Pope Gregory XIII
04-Oct
- century years not divisible by 400 (1700, 1800 and 1900)
07-Oct
Addition of 60 days per Taanis 10a*
05-Dec
* we always count the day of the tekufah as the first day
Table 1: Reconciliation between the Julian Calendar and Gregorian calendar Keeping in mind that the Gregorian calendar chopped off 10 days from the Julian calendar, this results in the Gregorian Calendar being 10 days ahead every year. Furthermore, the century years 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not leap years resulting in the Gregorian calendar being a further 3 days ahead of the Julian calendar. Taking into account the missing 10 days from Pope Gregory XIII and the missed century leap years, the Gregorian calendar gallops 13 days ahead of the Julian calendar every year until 2100 where this increases to 14 days. 7 October is therefore the date of Tekufas Tishrei per the Gregorian Calendar. If one adds the additional 60 days from the Tekufas Tishrei as required by Taanis 10a from when to commence reciting tal umotor (counting the day of the tekufah as the first day), one arrives at 5 December. Since the halachic day starts on the preceding night, we start reciting tal umotor during the Maariv Amidah on the night preceding 5 December, namely 4 December. To join the author’s daily Daf Yomi Whatsapp group, please send a text to 07913 763 641
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Why do we start saying tal umotor a day later in the year before a civil leap year? Some siddurim say that we begin saying tal umotor at Maariv on 5 December in a leap year. This is slightly inaccurate as it is in the winter period preceding a civil leap year, that we begin at Maariv on 5 December. The reason for this is that Shmuel’s calculations assume a solar year of 365 days and 6 hours. Assuming Tekufas Tishrei commences at 3am in year 1 on 7 October, then assuming we add 365 days and 6 hours each year, the Tekufas Tishrei will move to after sunset on the year before a leap year as per the table below:
Year
Day
Time
Year 1 leap year
7 Oct
3AM
Year 2 (no leap year)
7 Oct
9AM
Year 3 (no leap year)
7 Oct
3PM
Year 4 (no leap year)
7 Oct
9PM
Year 5 (leap year)
7 Oct
3AM
In other words, although the Gregorian calendar adds a day to the month of February every four years for a leap year, the extra day has been accumulated at the start of the winter season via Shmuel’s calculation. Therefore, every December preceding a leap year, the 60 days after Tekufas Tishrei is adjusted to 6 December (as the Tekufah began after sunset on 7 October) and we begin saying tal umotor on the Maariv preceding it, namely 5 December.
Conclusion In summary, until the year 2100, in a regular year we start saying tal umotor at Maariv on 4 December, and in the year before a (civil) leap year, at Maariv on 5 December. As we begin to recite the tal umotor tefillah this winter, let us have in mind that one day we will all be in united in Eretz Yisroel and be able to begin davening for rain on the same date and for the same place as we herald the coming of Moshiach.
Sources Shurpin, Y. Why Is the Prayer for Rain Based on the Civil Calendar? https://www.chabad.org/ library/article_cdo/aid/2060070/jewish/Why-Is-the-Prayer-for-Rain-Based-on-the-Civil-Calendar. htm#footnote8a2060070, (Accessed: 4 Nov 2019) Bleich, J.D. Bircas Hachamah - Blessing of the Sun, Renewal of Creation, Mesorah Publications, 2009. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar https://www.timeanddate.com/date/perfect-calendar.html
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Yaakov & Leah וירא ה' כי שנואה לאה ויפתח את רחמה ורחל עקרה
“And Hashem saw that Leah was hated and he opened her womb and Rachel was barren.”
H
ere we have a most difficult pasuk to understand. How can it be that Leah is hated? We are talking about the great Yaakov Avinu, how could it say that he hated his wife?
The previous pasuk says: ויאהב גם את רחל מלאה - “And he loved Rachel more than Leah” so that means he loved Leah as well, except his love for Rachel was greater. So how do we understand that Leah was hated? They have a child and she calls him Reuven. Why does she do so? כי אמרה כי ראה ה' בעניי כי עתה יאהבני אישי- “For she said Hashem has seen my affliction and now my husband will love me.” So central is this issue of Yaakov’s relationship to Leah that she even names her son after their sholom bayis?! How are we to understand this? In case you were not convinced that this is a big issue looks why she calls the next son Shimon… ותאמר כי שמע ה' כי שנואה אנכי ויתן לי גם את זה ותקרא שמו שמעון - “And she says because Hashem has heard that I am hated and He has given me also this one and she calls him Shimon.” Again she calls him after her connection to Yaakov but here the language is stronger “He has heard that I am hated.” Finally they have a third child… ותאמר עתה הפעם ילוה אישי אלי כי ילדתי לו שלשה בנים על כן קרא שמו לוי- “And she says and now this time my husband will accompany me for I have borne to him three sons therefore his name shall be called Levi.” After the third son Yaakov now has to accompany her therefore he is called Levi -“accompany.” Now Baruch Hashem everything is OK. What is the meaning of all these names? How do we understand this most challenging parsha?
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In Parshas Toldos we are told that Yitzchak loved Esav. Now it is clear that Yitzchak also loved Yaakov – of course he would, Yaakov is a tzaddik, so what does the pasuk mean? The Zohar on Parshas Toldos (137b) explains that “each type loves its type and is drawn after it.” Yitzchak was middas hadin and Esav was also middas hadin. Therefore when it says that Yitzchak loved Esav it was not to the exclusion of Yaakov but rather it is telling you that Yitzchak and Esav were from the same side, middas hadin. Using this Zohar we can begin to explain our Parsha. When it says that Yaakov loved Rachel it means they were suited for each other. Rachel was the bas zug (soul mate) of Yaakov. The medrash tells us, everyone knew that there were two daughters to Lavan and two sons to Rivka. Rachel was destined for Yaakov and Leah for Esav. That’s why Leah’s eyes were tender because she constantly cried about having to marry Esav. When Esav sells the Bechora to Yaakov, Yaakov now has another job in the world. Not only does he have to fulfill his own task of Yoshev Oholim - learning Torah and furthering his spiritual ascent but he must also achieve what Esav should have - battling and overcoming the challenges of this world. He has to fulfill his purpose and the original purpose of Esav. He therefore has to marry both sisters, his own destined Rachel and now in addition, Leah, in place of Esav. But he is still Yaakov and his neshama doesn’t fit with Leah. That’s what it means when the pasuk says “she was hated.” It means their neshomos were not fully connected. There was not, chas vesholom, anything wrong in their relationship. Their interactions were harmonious and perfect, they were tzaddikim. The Torah is speaking on the deepest level about the root of their neshomos. Since their neshomos were from different sides and she should have been for Esav it didn’t fit and as explained by the Zohar this is called “hate”. This is why it says… “And Hashem saw that Leah was hated” It was only seen to Hashem who knows the roots of the neshomo. Leah knows this and calls her first son Reuven convinced now that the gap between their neshomos has been closed. But there was still a gap. The next son she names Shimon –“ Hashem has heard my affliction” the pain that Leah, the spiritual giant that she was, was still aware of the gap. Finally after a third child “My husband will accompany me, therefore He called him Levi.” He is Hashem (see Rashi) who testifies that the gap between their neshomos had been closed. By now Yaakov had completely mastered that Esav side of himself and was totally at one with Leah, their souls had fused. The Torah is speaking on the deepest level. This is only scratching the surface of a much broader topic which also relates to why Leah had to “pretend” she was Rachel in order to get married. This is beyond the scope of this forum. I only mention this idea, which needs further elaboration, so that we don’t misread this story as some sort of problem in marriage. These were great people on a level beyond anything we could imagine. The Torah is not a story book, it must not be learnt superficially. We must always look deeper at the stories of our great Avos and Imahos. M
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Reb Osher Chaim Levene
I
WD-40
t is an open secret that when it comes to handiwork around the house, I suffer from two left hands. Good thing then - that I am blessed with a very handy 11-year-old son to help me out. Recently, he came across an aerosol can of “WD-40” and at his urging asked me to find out about this unusually named product. WD-40 was created in 1953 by a chemist called Norm Larsen. He was working in a small lab in San Diego attempting to create a product to prevent corrosion on missile and aircraft skins. The idea was to get rid of moisture from electrical circuitry – through “water displacement” abbreviated by the letters “WD”. Time-and-time he tried but without success. His persistence finally paid off when he perfected the formula on his “40th” attempt – which explains the non-glamorous but highly-inspirational name “WD-40”. Now a household name, its popular uses include everything from silencing squeaky hinges to protecting tools from getting rusty. It is used in industries including hardware and home improvement, manufacturing, construction, and farming. All thanks to Norm for not throwing in the towel despite his 39 early failures. Somehow he rejected the natural urge to quit and continued until he struck the mark to produce a product that would benefit so many around the world. “Persistence” separates the quitter from the non-quitter. One moment can, quite literally, make a “world of difference”. In the words of the nineteenth century writer Elbert Hubbard, “A little more persistence, a little more effort – and what seemed a hopeless failure may turn to a glorious success”. In fact, this inspirational tale of “persistence” recalls the famous story of Rabbi Akiva. A poor and illiterate shepherd, he married his rich master’s daughter, and with her encouragement, dedicated himself to his studies for 24 long years! Finally, he emerged as the foremost Talmud scholar of his age. But where did Akiva learn to exercise such a resolve? He once observed a natural phenomenon how the persistent dripping of water droplets over a long period bore a hole in the tough stone below. So too, Akiva concluded, if he would doggedly dedicate himself to his studies – he would also emerge successful no matter the obstacles placed in his path. Tales of “persistence” are a hallmark of the national Jewish story. The Jewish People have tenaciously held onto their values throughout. Despite facing untold hardships, they have not given up but persisted. Remarkably, they have remained committed to their religious beliefs and their eternal legacy to be a shining light onto the nations.
Jews are not quitters. Consequently, their persistence and perseverance has always paid off.
jthought.org
THE TWO MILLION DOLLAR ERROR
R’ ARIEL MIZRAHI
The huge clothing store in Manhattan, Century 21 was badly hit on the infamous day of 9/11. The owner, Al Ghindi, lost a lot of money and filed a claim with his insurance company. A few weeks later, his son, Raymond walked excitedly into his father’s office waving a cheque from the insurance company. Elated, he told his father, “Dad, we hit the jackpot! They made an error of two million dollars. Dad, it’s a gift from G-d.”
There was no way of the insurance company tracing back their two million dollar error. Al could have easily deposited the check and nobody would have found out about the mistake. Al refused to do anything dishonest. Without batting an eyelash, Al told his son, “Take that cheque and give it back. That’s not our money.” At Al’s levaya, his son, Raymond, shared the story of how his father sanctified Hashem’s name and gave up the two million dollars.
– שויתי ה’ לנגדי תמידI place Hashem before me always. We know that every aspect of our lives is holy. Everywhere we go is holy. We can’t hide from Hashem and we can’t log Hashem out of our business. תמידis always. Our tefillin are holy, our Torah is holy and let us keep our business dealings holy too.
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Oneg Shabbos Issue 229..
Restoring Restoring the primacy the primacy of Choshen of Choshen MishpatMishpat Under Under the auspices the auspices of Harav of Harav Chaim Chaim KohnKohn שליט"א שליט"א
Rabbi Meir Orlian Halachah Writer, BHI
“I’ll have to speak with the bakery about this after Shabbos,” said Mrs. Schiff. “I think they owe us a refund. I’m embarrassed to put out the cake. Can I even serve the cake with Hashem’s name on it?” Mr. Schiff glanced at the crowd. “Rabbi Dayan is sitting over there,” he said. “We can discuss the issue with him.” “Can you come into the kitchen for a moment?” Mr. Schiff asked Rabbi Dayan. “There’s an issue with the heilige (holy) cake.” Can the cake be served? Does the bakery owe a refund?
MISSING DALED
“It is prohibited to destroy even part of G-d’s sacred Name,” said Rabbi Dayan. “This includes detaching letters of sacred Names, even if each letter remains intact. Thus, one cannot cut between the letters of G-d’s Name in a Siddur or Chumash (Y.D. 276:9; Pischei Teshuvah 276:17; Kesses Hasofer 11:3).
In honor of the occasion, they ordered a large cake and instructed the bakery to write the boy’s Hebrew name on the cake. Friday was short, and there was a lot of hustle and bustle at the Schiff’s house.
Nonetheless, the Gemara (Shabbos 104b) indicates that letters of the Name acquire sanctity only when a person intends to write G-d’s Name. However, when there was no such intent, as in our case, it is permissible to cut the letters on a weekday, or to separate them on Shabbos (Radbaz 1:77; Maharshdam, Y.D. #187; Rama, O.C. 340:3; Shemiras Shabbos K’hilchasah 9:[51]).
“The bakery said that the cake is ready,” Mrs. Schiff called out to her children. “Someone has to pick it up.”
“What about a refund from the store?” asked Mrs. Schiff. “They botched the job!”
“I can whip around and get it,” said Avi. “What should I do with it?”
“Had you noticed the mistake before Shabbos, you would be entitled to return the cake, since it is defective merchandise. A spelling mistake in the bar mitzvah boy’s name is clearly something that people are particular about (C.M. 232:6).
The Schiffs were celebrating the bar mitzvah of their son, Efraim Yehuda.
“Bring it straight to the shul,” replied Mrs. Schiff. “The caterer is setting up now.” When Avi arrived at the bakery, the cake was ready in its box. He paid and took it to the shul. “What are we doing with the cake?” Sara asked her mother. “It will serve as the centerpiece of the dessert table,” Mrs. Schiff answered. “It will look nice with Efraim Yehuda’s name displayed prominently.” Toward the end of the meal, Mrs. Schiff went into the kitchen to oversee the caterer. The cake was out of the box and sitting on the table. Something looked strange, though. Then she realized… The bakery had omitted the daled from Yehuda, and had accidentally written Efraim Y-H-V-H. Mrs. Schiff ran to call her husband. “What do we do with the cake?!” she said. “They left out the daled from Yehuda and now it has Hashem’s name written on it!” “That’s an interesting question,” mused Mr. Schiff. “I always knew that Efraim Yehuda aspired for holiness, but this is a bit much.”
This page is sponsored by nextgenrealestate.co.uk
It’s already Shabbos, though, and I suppose that you want to serve the cake. Generally speaking, when the customer uses an item after discovering a defect, he foregoes his claim of defective merchandise; it is considered mechilah. Nonetheless, when there isn’t a reasonable option to avoid using the item, some poskim write that it doesn’t constitute mechilah (C.M. 232:3; Pischei Teshuvah 232:1). In this case, though, you are able to eat the entire cake, so that there is no actual loss to claim. At most you could ask the bakery to refund the amount they charged for writing the letters, which was not done properly. Halachah would not impose an additional liability for your possible embarrassment. Verdict: The cake could be returned as defective merchandise, but if used, the bakery is at most required to refund the amount charged for writing the letters. M
לע''נ אריאל יהודה ז''ל בן ר' פינחס צבי נ''י קליין
Provided by Business Halacha Institute. The BHI is a non-profit organization based in New York that educates and guides people in up to date applications of monetary halacha. For more information or to browse the BHI archives, visit www.businesshalacha.com
7 December 2019
ט' כסלו תש"פ
פרשת ויצא
MIDDOS דרגה יתירה Rabbi Zalman Guttman Ramat Shlomo
"הפעם אודה את ה’ על כן )לה:קראה שמו יהודה" (כט
Our matriarch Leah gave birth to her fourth child and said “’ ”הפעם אודה את ה- “This time I thank Hashem.” The Medrash explains that it was at this very special moment that Leah truly acquired the middah of Hakaras HaTov - appreciation for others. Not only that, but since Leah channeled her immense joy into a special appreciation for Hashem, she merited to have two very special descendants who also achieved this lofty level of Hakaras HaTov. They were Yehuda who said ”ממני “צדקה- admitting that he had been with Tamar and that she was indeed the righteous one, and Dovid HaMelech, who wrote in Tehillim, ""הודו לה’ כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו “Praise to Hashem for He is good; for He does righteousness forever.” It makes sense that Dovid Hamelech, who sang Hashem’s praises, should be regarded as Leah’s descendant as a zechus for her great show of Hakaras HaTov, but what does Yehudah’s confession have to do with appreciation? R’ Yitzchok Hutner zt’’l answers that the two words “appreciation” and “confession” in Hebrew are both “”הודיה. They share the same essence. In truth, a real expression of thanks comes from the admission that you are needy and dependant on others and certainly on Hashem. One who is too egocentric to recognize his helplessness, can never really become an appreciative person! Hakaras HaTov is the stepping stone to greatness. When you focus on the negative and COMPLAIN - you beCOMe a PLAIN person. However, if you are filled with GRATITUDE - you will have a GReat ATTITUDE towards everyone in your life because you are humble enough to admit how needy you are and how thankful you must be for all that is yours. M
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AHAVAS YISROEL REB YOSEF LOOKED AROUND AT HIS EMPTY JEWELRY SHOP. WHERE WAS EVERYONE? Mr. Gross didn’t come as he did every year to buy his wife a birthday present. Mr. Landau didn’t drop by to find something sparkly with which to surprise his wife for their anniversary. Pre-Pesach, the place was usually packed with the town’s wealthiest citizens, all seeking something special and unique for their wives — but not this year. Even the engagement bracelets and rings seemed to sit unwanted. A high-end jewelry store in the midst of deep economic recession can be a lonely place. Without the usual flow of income, Reb Yosef’s expenses became overwhelming. Debts were piling up and creditors were getting anxious. They, too, were suffering. Patience and trust were yesterday’s virtues. Aggressive phone calls, letters and threats were now the order of the day. Finally, unable to hold out any longer, Reb Yosef decided to invite his creditors to his shop to take whatever they wanted to satisfy the debts he owed them. First and foremost he called Mr. Goodman, a long-time friend and diamond dealer with whom he did business. “You come down as soon as you can and take first pick of what I’ve got here,” Reb Yosef offered. Mr. Goodman arrived the next day with a truck and four workers. The two friends greeted each other warmly if a bit sadly, and Mr. Goodman looked around. His eyes settled on an office desk, some chairs and a small couch for waiting customers. “That’s just what I need!” he told Reb Yosef. “I was going to buy some new furniture, but this stuff is beautiful. This will really save me money!” When Mr. Goodman returned to his office and his workers carried his haul through the door, his office manager tared in confusion. “What do you need with this stuff?” he asked. “We have plenty of furniture.” “I know,” said Mr. Goodman. “But Reb Yosef is my neighbor. If I don’t take something of value from him, his heart will sink every time he sees me. No one likes to see the person he owes money to. This way, he can hold his head up. His debt is paid – his slate is clean.” M Adapted from Stories That Warm the Heart by Binyamin Pruzansky
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.
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Oneg Shabbos Issue 229..
33 X
DAYS
CO U
Distinctive Insight THE AGE AT WHICH VOWS ARE BINDING
בן שתים עשרה שנה ויום אחד נדריו נבדקין
The Mishnah lists the halachos which apply at various period of a person’s life. Some halachos become relevant during the year prior to when a person attains majority. The Mishnah details the laws of oaths. The rule is that if a boy or girl makes an oath, it is valid if either the girl is in the year prior to her turning twelve or if the boy is within his turning thirteen, provided the child understands the concept of before Whom it is we make oaths. When they issue an oath, we have to investigate this particular child’s capacity to comprehend what he or she has said, and if they indicate a level of competency, the oath is valid. Before this age the oath has no meaning, and once the girl has turned twelve or the boy has turned thirteen, the oath is certainly valid, and we do not have to quiz them regarding their understanding.
A question was presented regarding a case of a girl in her twelfth year who made an oath, but she was not cross-examined to determine her competency until she was twelve. At that time she was found to be aware of the importance of the concept of oaths. Mishnah Achronah writes that this girl would be prohibited to violate her oath, because we are dealing with a doubt in the realm of a Torah law. Although we are not sure whether the girl would have proven to be aware at the moment she made the oath when she was still eleven, it could be that she was mentally astute at that time, and that the oath is binding. She would not be believed now to tell us that she was uninformed earlier when she made the oath, because this would be comparable to the Gemara (Kesubos 28a) that says that a person who is an adult is not believed to tell us what he saw as a child.
Mishnah Achronah adds that if we were to quiz her now that she is twelve, and we find her not competent, although due to her age any oath she would make would be considered valid, her currently being unaware of the significance of her oral statements is enough for us to at least question the validity of the oath she made when she was still eleven. Sefer Rav Pe’alim (Y.D. 1:38) writes that if a boy is twelve years old and is literate and understands that which is written in sefarim, we do not have to interrogate him, and we can rely upon his educated status to qualify him as being understanding of the meaning of oaths. Sefer Lehoros Nosan (7:67) also writes that if a boy has studied Torah and we know that he learned the passage of oaths and vows, he is certainly considered competent. Similarly, if the children are accustomed to prohibit their personal items from one another using the terms of vows, this indicates that they understand the importance of this issue, and it would not be necessary to quiz them specifically in this regard. M
R
ochel sacrifices her future, solely to spare her sister from embarrassment.
Realising that Leah would be led to the chuppa in her stead, Rochel teaches her the secret signs that she and Yaakov had prepared between them. Rochel does not know at the time, that she will still one day have the merit of marrying him. It is strange though, that later on when Rochel asks Leah to give her some of her Dudaim, a plant known to bring fertility, Leah responds by saying ‘Isn’t it enough that you took my husband...?’ (Bereishis 30:15). A strange response, considering what Rochel had done for her!! The answer to this, brings to light the extent of Rochel’s incredible act of chesed.
Her entire life, Rochel never told Leah what she had done for her! The Daas Zekenim explains that the secret signs between Rochel and Yaakov were actually halochos of ‘the three women’s mitzvos’. According to Rav Shalom Shwadron, Rochel never actually told Leah why she had taught her these halachos! When Yaacov asked her about these mitzvos, Leah gave the answer not knowing this was actually a secret code.
Not only did Rochel make a life changing sacrifice, she did it with incredible sensitivity.
Leah never found out what her sister had done for her. In fact, quite the opposite, to her it appeared that Rochel had taken her husband! This was an act of continuous hidden love, and a powerful message for us.
When we help people, be sensitive, try not to reveal any inconvenience or cause embarrassment.
Spare the receiver the pain of being a recipient.
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7 December 2019
ט' כסלו תש"פ
פרשת ויצא
11
Sages through Ages THE
Dr Benji Schreiber
The Chofetz Chaim Zhetl, Grodno 1839 – Radin, Poland 1933 כ”ד באלול
Biography The Chofetz Chaim was Rav Yisroel Meir HaCohen Kagan. The name Kagan means he was a Cohen but the real family name was Poupko. He was a shining example of an outstanding talmid chochom and tzaddik. His year of birth is not known for sure. When he was ten his father, Rav Arye Zev, died and his mother moved to Vilna, where he learnt in the Talmud Torah. His mother remarried (Epstein) and moved to Radin. At 17 he married his step-sister, Frieda and settled in Radin. His main influence was Reb Nachum’ke of Horodna (1811-1879). He lived simply. He always refused to receive a salary for being a Rov. His wife ran a small grocery store and he did the bookkeeping. In Radin he was town Rav and then set up a Yeshiva. He had 2 sons and 2 daughters from his first wife. The eldest, Rav Arye Leib HaCohen Poupko, worked closely with him in writing and distributing his Seforim. He became Rav of Radin after the Chofez Chaim and wrote a biography of his father. In 1903 Freida died and he married Miriam Freida with whom he had two children, Aharon and Feiga Chaya. Rav Aharon became a Rosh Yeshiva in Radin. He never married and he
moved with his mother eventually to New York where he died in 1957.
Communal Affairs He travelled widely and toiled for communal affairs, taking a leadership role in setting up Agudas Yisrael and strongly supporting the Beis Yaakov network of schools. He even wrote to the diamond bourse in Antwerp urging them to close on Shabbos as most of the traders were Jewish. He toiled to improve taharas hamishpacha, giving public talks to women in Vilna and writing טהרת הביתfor this purpose. He tried hard, together with Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinski and others, to help the Jews of Russia. He set up a network to supply kosher food to Jewish soldiers in the Polish army between the wars. He also wrote a halachic guide, מחנה ישראל, for the soldiers. He did not support Zionism but loved Eretz Yisrael and planned to move there in 1925. He tried to calm tension between Rav Sonnenfeld and Rav Kook in Yerushalayim.
Writing The Chofetz Chaim wrote 21 Seforim. His first work was חפץ חיים, which lays out the laws of loshon haroh, along with שמירת הלשון.
His major work was the Mishnah Brurah (18941907), his commentary on the Orach Chaim section of Shulchan Aruch, the single most important halachic work for contemporary psak halacha. He passionately looked forward to the coming of Moshiach and wrote a sefer on the topic, ציפית לישועה. He set up a kollel where Cohanim would learn the halachos and be ready for the Avodah. He wrote ליקוטי הלכותfor this purpose.
Talmidim His talmidim include Rav Elchonon Wasserman HY”D (1874-1941), Rav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman (1888-1969) – the Ponevizher Rav, who set up the Ponevitz Yeshiva in Bnei Brak in 1944; Rav Eliyahu Dushnitzer (1877-1949) who taught in the Lomze Yeshiva in Petach Tikva and others.
Stories Stories abound about the Chafetz Chaim’s simple living, his honesty, his dedication to helping others and his pure speech. M
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