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North West London’s Weekly Torah and Opinion Sheets

A Torah publication that enables local Rabbonim and Avreichim to share their insights and Divrei Torah on a variety of different levels, to provide something for everyone

‫ | ז’ אלול תשע”ו | פ’ שופטים‬10th September 2016

‫מוצש’’ק‬

‫הדלקת נרות‬

LONDON: 7:12 PM

LONDON: 8:17 PM K I N D LY S P O N S O R E D

For questions on Divrei Torah please contact the Editor in Chief, Rabbi Yonasan Roodyn rabbiroodyn@ jewishfuturestrust.com

‫לעילוי נשמת הש"ץ שלמה בן אברהם משה ז"ל לעילוי נשמת חנה בת אלעזר ע"ה‬

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Shortcuts Rabbi Joseph Dweck | Senior Rabbi Of The S&P Sephardi Community Don’t take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and make crooked the path of the righteous. (16:19) Faithfulness and integrity are essential ingredients for building an ethical life. Having integrity means that we are consistent in doing what is right even when no one is watching. Bribes devastate integrity. Moshe opens this week’s parashah by warning us that bribes are powerful blockades to wisdom and righteousness and anyone interested in building a real life, as well as a just society, had better steer clear of them. Steering clear, however, is not as easy as it may sound. We tend to think that bribes only apply to people like judges and politicians, but payoffs come in a variety of fun flavours that everyone is capable of enjoying. Every day we are tempted to abandon, in a large or small way, a commitment to faithful selfcreation, and to destroy the integrity of our lives in exchange for cheap stand-ins. Some persuade us to eat what tastes good rather than what is good for us, some entice us to stay awake instead of getting our needed rest, others convince us to engage with people who dim our identity rather than with those who build and brighten it. We are encouraged to make a buck, but destroy our virtue or toss away sportsmanship in lieu of a score. All of these are bribes, and

NOW IN THE FOLLOWING PLACES

when we make a habit of accepting them, we leave our identity in tatters. Sell-outs corrode the weave of the human soul that allows for G-d’s presence to rest within us. There are only so many cracks that a single life or a single society can maintain before it falls apart. We read this week of the importance of our personal dignity. It encourages us to love what is right not only as an ideal, but as a means to create a viable life. We are encouraged to be proud enough not to compromise our identity and instead to weave each of our days into a beautiful and substantive tapestry.

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Parashat Shoftim describes to us a society that is built on truth and justice, and bound together with lives developed in faithfulness and integrity. It is a society that cannot be mechanically constructed, but one that emerges, gradually honed by individuals who are committed to righteous thoughts and acts. A society is then born of citizens who BY BORUCH have come to know, deep KAHAN within their souls, that truth, as King Solomon If you look BEFORE SHENI IN BOTH this week’s wrote [1], must be acquired Sedrah and next week’s Sedrah you will find a well-known two word expression, but they mean at all costs, and never sold.

torahanytime .com

Riddle of the Week

completely different things. What is it and what do they mean?

[1]

Proverbs, 23:23

Any comments can be directed to bkahan47@yahoo.co.uk.

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PARSHAH

Listen To Your Own Words Rabbi Yossi Goldberg | Speeches by Design )'‫ כ‬- '‫לא תטה משפט לא תכיר פנים וכו' צדק צדק תרדוף (טז' יט‬ “Don’t twist the judgement, don’t recognise faces (ie don’t treat people differently) etc. only the absolute truth you should chase.” Why is the word ‫ צדק‬written twice?

Reb

Simcha

Bunim

A Talmid once came to his Rebbe and bemoaned his situation. “I’m not learning well enough and I’m not being a good enough Jew,” he cried. “I simply have nothing to

from

show for myself!” “How much money do you have

To be a Dayan in Beis Din, you

Peshischa zy’’a, explains the use

have to be a very honest and

of the word ‫ צדק‬twice in the pasuk,

righteous person. Imagine you have

a bit differently. Even when as a

to listen to a Din Torah between a

Dayan you are searching for the

“About £1000,” replied surprised.

very Choshuve person with a long

truth, make sure that you search for

“You have NOTHING!” The rebbe

white beard and a tramp who is

the absolute truth, truthfully. This

dirty and unkempt.

double expression emphasises how

“With respect, but I do have

so easy it is to miss the truth even

something,” the Talmid protested,

The

Torah

warns,

‫תטה‬

‫לא‬

‫ משפט לא תכיר פנים‬Don’t twist the

when you’re searching for it.

judgement, don’t recognise faces

Rabbi Yisroel Salanter zt’’l would

(i.e. don’t treat people differently).

say that this pasuk is not only a

You must hear each one out with no

reference to the Dayan in Beis Din

predetermined opinions.

but it is relevant to every single

When the Torah stresses the word

‫ צדק‬twice in the pasuk, the Seforno writes that the Torah is addressing the person who is choosing the Dayonim. If you find a Dayan who has this quality of absolute truth and honesty even if he lacks other qualities, you should still appoint him. Because, this is the primary quality of a Dayan.

person. When one reflects on his own behaviour he must use these same qualities to judge himself. ‫לא‬

‫ תטה משפט‬Don’t twist the judgement

in your bank account?” the Rebbe unexpectedly asked his Talmid.

said emphatically.

“though it may not be much.” The Rebbe smiled. “Listen to your own words. You have something though it may not be much.” “There

always

room

for

improvement but that doesn’t mean to say that what one has managed to achieve so far is worthless!”

He needs to be honest with himself

As we now usher in the month of

Equally ‫ לא תכיר פנים‬don’t treat

Elul and our mode of preparation

people differently, meaning not be

for Rosh Hashonah begins, we

unrealistic in his own expectations

reflect on our behaviour throughout

of himself, more than one would

the past year. We should take the

expect from others who are similar.

approach of the Dayan: to be truthful

Only with this approach of genuine

and honest with ourselves, but not

‫ צדק‬can a person grow.

unrealistically harsh either.

THE TORAH IS NOT LACKING, EVEN TO THE MOST ACCOMPLISHED SCHOLAR, NOR IS IT BEYOND THE GRASP OF THE SIMPLEST SCHOOLCHILD. The Alter of Slabodka, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel (1849-1927)

Rabbi Chaim Zundel Pearlman | Machzike Hadath and Rosh Beit Midrash, Hendon

In this week’s parsha we read about the role of the Mashuach Milchamah – the specially anointed Kohen whose main duty was to raise the morale of the soldiers before they engaged in battle. At the end of Maseches Taanis, there is a beraisa which indicates that the deputy Kohen Gadol had a higher status than the Mashuach Milchamah h. On the 15th of Av the eligible daughters of Yerusholayim would walk out in the streets in borrowed white clothing, so that the poor would not be embarrassed. A princess would borrow from the daughter of the Kohen Gadol, who would in turn borrow from the daughter of his deputy (segan), who would likewise borrow from the daughter of the Mashuach Milchamah, who would borrow from the daughter of an ordinary Kohen. The clear implication is that the segan was of a higher status than the Kohen Hamoshiach. Yet at the end of Maseches Horiyos, the mishna states that the Mashuach Milchamah had priority over the segan. This apparent contradiction is noted by Rav Yaakov Emden (Yaavetz) and Rav Shlomo Cohen (Cheishek Shlomo). Unlike all other appointments which were hereditary, the position of Mashuach Milchamah was specifically excluded from being inherited. The post of King, Kohen Gadol, or less prestigious offices could be inherited by a son if he was fit for the role. The Chasam Sofer explains that there is a difference between an appointment of ‘seroroh’ and that of ‘kedusha’. The king and other offices were positions

of seroroh whereas the offices of Kohen Gadol and Mashuach Milchamah were derived from their kedusha. Hence to permit the son of a Kohen Gadol to succeed his father an explicit possuk is required but the normative rule is applied to the Mashuach Milchamah, so the son does not inherit his father’s position. Hence, the Chasam Sofer is of the opinion that there is no inheritance entitlement of a son to succeed his father in a Rabbinical post. With this principle in mind, Rav Kook explained that the above apparent contradiction can be resolved. In Horiyos, the mishna clearly states that the Mashuach Milchamah has a higher status than the deputy Kohen Gadol. His role as a leader in battle, which determines long term survival ‘chayei olom’- confers upon him this higher status and therefore where there is a choice between sustaining him or sustain the segan, he has priority. However, in matters of inheritance of his legacy, (or as described by Rav Kook as ‘chayei sho’o’) his daughter cannot claim priority over the daughter of the segan. The sanctity of the Mashuach Milchamah cannot be inherited and remains with him alone. On the subject of war and peace, let me share a gem from my greatgrandfather the Kamenitzer Maggid in a

FEDERATION

The Mashuach Milchamah

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fading pencil footnote to a commentary on Koheles. Koheles writes there is a time for all different items. In most of the 28 cases which he enumerates he employs the use of the infinitive, eg

‫ֵעת לָ לֶ ֶדת וְ ֵעת לָ מּות‬ The chapter concludes with

‫ ֵעת ִמלְ ָח ָמה וְ ֵעת ָׁשלֹֽום‬: It would have been more consistent to write

‫עת להלחם ועת להשלים‬. Why did Koheles grammatical form?

change

the

The Kamenitzer Maggid explains with great perception. All the examples brought by Koheles are direct opposites. Birth and death, planting and uprooting, killing and healing etc. This dichotomy is illustrated by the use of the infinitive which emphasises the contrast. However, in the case of war and peace, even when one is engaged in battle, at the same time there must be a peace plan. Without an end plan for peace there will be no purpose to the war. On the other hand, when one negotiates a peace, if in the background there is no army to back up the peace, the peace negotiations will result in a surrender. War and peace are thus not absolute concepts which exclude each other. When at war we must think of peace, and when negotiating peace, we must back it up with the threat, as a last resort, of war. Therefore, it is inappropriate to use the infinitive which emphasises the exclusivity of each concept.

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Rabbi Shimshon Silkin | Chazon UK The atmosphere of the world we live in is charged with dishonesty – just observe the world’s media coverage of the current situation in Eretz Yisroel. It appears as if society has been doused in the fuel of falsehood so that the single spark of a lie can cause a widespread wildfire. For the voice of truth to be heard, it must struggle. Politics, power, money… the items that make the world go round, blind the eyes of the wise (see Devorim 16:19). It has become virtually impossible to maintain a perfectly objective mindset. Unfortunately, this state does not just effect politicians; it can impact upon even the greatest of the great. As R. Dessler points out, the mere fact that one’s thoughts originate from one’s private mind already creates a position of bias. Chazal relate how R. Yishmoel refused to litigate a case involving his own employee despite the fact working for a living cannot be considered a kindness. Even more to the extreme is the case of Ameimar who refused to preside over a case of a litigant who had done nothing more than shoo a bird away from him (Kesubos 105b). The Gemoro in Shavuos (31a) further details the lengths to which a judge must go to ensure impartiality: “How do we know that if two come to court, one clothed in rags and the other in fine raiment worth a hundred maneh, they should say to him ‘Either dress like him, or dress him like you’? Because it is said: From a false matter keep far. When they would come before Raba bar R. Huna, he would say to them, ‘Remove your fine shoes, and come down for your case.’” Similarly the Gemoro (ibid.) prescribes

Everyone has a potential soulmate. Shidduch.im gives you a better chance to find yours

equality with regard to the timing of the presentation of their defence. If such rigorous safeguarding is required for men of great stature, how much more so for the common man. For this reason we are all enjoined in this week’s Parsha: Tzedek Tzedek tirdof, righteousness, righteousness you shall pursue, which the Targum renders: Truth, truth you shall pursue (Devorim 16:20). This double expression reflects the difficulty of the directive: pursue truth relentlessly because any relaxation in the pursuit of truth can result in a less than honest result. Therefore Chazal use an expression of “emess la’amito”, true to its truth, in describing the ambition of an honest judge (Bava Basra 8b) – the quest for establishing the honest truth has to be unyielding. R. Leib Lopian z”l (Lev Eliyohu, Shoftim) advises that the way to guarantee that one is on the path to truth is to ensure the “sechel”, one’s intellect, is fully engaged. Bias, prejudice, partiality and subjectivity are all the product of the emotions. As the Sheloh teaches, the Shoftim and

Shotrim of this week’s Parsha are the powers of the mind and the intellect which need to control the emotional elements of our decision making. One particular piece of advice learned from Chazal is to avoid engaging excessively in idle chatter as the Gemoro says: A man shall not let his ears hear idle matters (devorim beteilim) because they are burnt first of [all] the organs (Kesubos 5b) – how much more so words of heresy (Rambam Hil. Teshuva 3:6). It is essential therefore to keep the mind clear and sharp to avoid falling into the trap of prejudice. One aspect mentioned above requires special attention: Raba bar Rav Huna’s issue with clothing. How worrying it is that we are likely to judge people by the clothes they wear! Shakespeare famously said: “Clothes maketh the man”. Actually, “clothes betrayeth the man” as the Maharal teaches the root of the word for clothing – begged – is that of betrayal – bigud. Perhaps this is what is alluded to in the Mishna: “Judge the whole person favourably”, not by his external clothing or status. As we approach Elul and enter into the season of judgement, we seek to gain favour in Hashem’s eyes and hope that we are considered for who we are and not for who we sometimes appear to be. Perhaps such an attitude begins at home with our own estimation of our fellow Yieden. Before broadly classifying and categorising, let’s “remove their fine shoes/hats/coats” and appreciate them for the holy souls they truly are.

Rabbi Kimche - Ner Yisrael

PARSHAH

Clothes Betray the Man

IF MAN IS NOT ASCENDING, HE IS INEVITABLY DESCENDING. The Vilna Gaon, Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna (1720-1797)

Rabbi Zev Leff | Rav of Moshav Matityahu

When you go out to war against your enemy and you see horses and chariots, an army greater than you, do not fear them, for Hashem your G-d, Who took you out of Egypt, is with you. (Devarim 20:1). How can we possibly expect to achieve such a high level that we do not fear when we go into battle? Even Moshe fled in terror when his rod was transformed into a snake. Yet if the Torah commands us not to fear the impending battle, it must be something within the capability of every Jew.

that a single stone represents a person standing perfect before Hashem. A mizbe’ach of many stones, by contrast, represents the quest for perfection of a yet imperfect individual. If a Jew deludes himself into thinking he has reached perfection, disaster is sure to follow.

The Gemara (Berachos 60a) raises a seeming contradiction between the verse, “Fear in Zion, you sinners” (Yeshayahu 33:14), which implies that fear is a sin, and the verse, “Fortunate is the one who fears constantly” (Mishlei 28:14). The Gemara resolves the apparent contradiction: fear of losing one’s Torah learning or mitzvah observance is positive; all other fear is negative.

The next prohibition against offering a blemished animal teaches us, says Sforno, that our goal is perfection and quality, not quantity.

A careful consideration of the mitzvos of our sedrah provides important clues as to how we can attain the proper fear and avoid all other fear. The unifying thread running throughout is the necessity to pursue perfection. The sedrah begins with the command to appoint judges and enforcers of the law to ensure tzedek, complete and perfect righteousness. Our right to occupy Eretz Yisrael, the land of perfection, depends on our pursuing this goal diligently. Life, meaning an attachment to Hashem, is possible only where that quest for righteousness is in progress. For this we require judges to discern what is right. And they must be given the means to enforce that judgment. The Alter of Kelm explains that judges and enforcers parallel chochmah and mussar on the individual level. Chachmah is the ability to discern what actions and thoughts are an expression of G-d’s will; mussar is the ability to translate that knowledge into action. The Torah continues with three prohibitions that put our quest for perfection into perspective. First we are told not to plant an asheirah (a tree) near the altar. The message is that one is not to be misled, by that which is attractive or fruitful — such as an asheirah, from the path of total subjugation to Hashem. The cold, unattractive stones of the mizbe’ach represent total devotion to Hashem, and it is the sacrifices, which appear to involve the destruction of an aspect of the physical world, that in reality preserve and give sustenance. For this reason we are commanded to salt the portions of the sacrifices that are to be burnt on the altar. Salt is a preservative. We salt the portions about to be consumed on the altar to show that they are in fact being preserved eternally by being offered to Hashem. Next the Torah enjoins us not to set up a matzeivah, a monolith, but rather a mizbe’ach. Sforno explains

‫הלכה‬ ‫ומעשה‬

Practical Halachic Solutions

If one deviates even slightly from following G-d’s will, the quest for perfection cannot succeed. “Justice, justice pursue” — righteousness is a result of righteousness; it can never result from unrighteousness. R’ Yisrael Salanter relates the following mashal. King A bet King B a million rubles that he could convince King B’s prime minister to disrobe publicly. King B could give his prime minister any instruction he wanted as long as he did not reveal the wager. King B called in his prime minister and informed him that he was being sent to King A’s country, where he could do whatever he pleased with one exception — under no circumstances was he to disrobe publicly. After a few days, King A called in the prime minister and asked him how he had become a hunchback. The prime minister responded that he was not a hunchback. King A countered that he most certainly was a hunchback, and he was willing to wager a half of million rubles to that fact. To establish who was right, the prime minister was to disrobe in front of the royal court. The prime minister eagerly accepted the wager, despite the king’s orders. He reasoned that the bet was a sure thing, and he would split the profits with King B. The prime minister disrobed. The royal court unanimously concurred that he was not a hunchback, and the king gleefully gave him his half of million rubles. Upon returning home, the prime minister told King B his windfall and offered to split it with the King. But instead of being delighted, the King was enraged. “You think you won me 250,000 rubles, you fool. You cost me a million rubles because you failed to heed my command,” King B shouted. So, too, says R’ Yisrael, do all those who attempt to reach Hashem in non-prescribed ways deceive themselves. Theirs is the path of idolatry, the next subject in the sedrah. Only by obeying the Torah leaders of the generation can one be assured that his path leads to

PARSHAH

The Rebellious Son and the Fundamentals of Education

perfection, and not the opposite. Thus the need for such obedience is the next topic in the sedrah. When the quest for perfection is the driving force in a person’s life, the fear that he is deluding himself or is failing to achieve this perfection is always with him. He can be compared to someone who is afraid of mice and finds himself in a burning building with a mouse standing at the only exit. That person will quickly forget his fear of mice. So, too, will every other fear pale for the one who seeks above all to draw close to Hashem — besides the fear of losing his closeness to Hashem: “G-d is my light and salvation, from whom should I fear; Hashem is my life’s strength, from whom should I dread?...If an army encamps against me,...in this do I trust...that I will dwell in Hashem’s home all the days of my life, that I will see the pleasantness of Hashem and visit in His inner sanctum” (Tehillim 27:1-4). When such a person goes into battle to fight the enemies of Israel and Hashem, the only thing that concerns him is the strengthening of G-d’s rule that will result from victory. In this vein, Sefer Hachinuch (Mitzvah 525) explains the foundation of the mitzvah not to fear the enemy in battle: Every individual Jew should put his trust in Hashem and not fear for his own personal life in a situation where he can give honour to Hashem and his people. He should not think about his wife or children or property, but rather divert his mind from everything and concentrate only on the battle. And further he should ponder that the lives of the entire nation depend upon him...One who fights with all his heart, with the intention of sanctifying G-d’s Name, is assured not to be harmed and will merit for himself and his children a faithful home in Israel and eternal life in the World to Come. Because his only fear in battle lies in not achieving the kiddush Hashem of victory, he does not fear the enemy because he is thinking only of his own awesome responsibilities. It is not fear which is prohibited but fearing “them.” The fear of the enemy pales into nothingness next to the fear of the chillul Hashem of being vanquished in battle.

Riddle Answer Pi Shnayim. In our Sedrah, this means the mouth of two, i.e. that 2 eidim have to give testimony in a court case and generally one is not enough even though there are exceptions. Pi Shnayim in Parshas Ki Seitze tells us that a Bechor gets double portion of Yerushah compared to the other Yorshim.

Rabbi Aron Litwin Rabbi, Seed Manchester

‫כל מקדש שביעי‬

Creating our Continuity

riday night in a Jewish home, the scene is set. The aroma of fresh Shabbos food fills the room, everyone is dressed in their finest and the table is laid, fit for a king. The reflection of the deep red wine glistens on the silver cup and everyone can feel how this is an auspicious moment. The very first zemer we sing is Kol Mekadesh Shevii. What special message lies in these words that they were chosen to stand at the very beginning of the Shabbos meal? There is a glaring question on a famous verse regarding Shabbos; The verse states; “V’eshamru Bnei Yisroel es HaShabbos la’asos es HaShabbos” “And the children of Israel shall guard the Shabbos, to make the Shabbos” If one ‘guards’ the Shabbos, he is effectively ‘making’ Shabbos, so the obvious question is, why does the verse repeat itself? Rabbi Chayim ben Moshe ibn Attar (1696-1743) in his sefer ‘Ohr Hachayim’ gives a fascinating insight. He tells us that when Hashem created the world, in effect He only created six actual days. The power for the world to continue another week was not yet in existence. It is only through Klal Yisroel keeping Shabbos that the energy for another week of days comes to be. The continuity of the world directly depends on us guarding this holy day.

her car was a dwarf. Suddenly he caught sight of a picture lying on the passenger seat. “How do you know that man,” he said pointing at the picture, “Where is he? I have been looking for him for over two years.” The picture was a portrait of Chana Malka’s father, Rav Eliezer Geldzahler, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Ohr Yisroel. Rav Geldzahler had tragically passed away when the bus he was riding on crashed near Meron in Eretz Yisroel. As she broke the news to the midget, he began to cry. Now it was his turn to explain; “Being a midget isn’t an easy life, people come by every day and try to look away when I serve them. They shift awkwardly when I am nearby. I found things so hard I was contemplating calling it a day… and then… your father drove by. He looked me in the eye and said; “Young man, you are an inspiration, many people in your shoes wouldn’t get out of bed but you choose to live your life to the fullest”. The midget concluded, “That Rabbi literally saved my life, for the very first time in my life I felt tall!” Sometimes it is hard to see which of our actions are small and which ones are tall. A few kind words from Rav Geldzahler could be perceived as a nice, cute gesture, however to this young fellow, it saved his life. The same is true for many of our actions, but especially Shabbos.

With this, the Bnei Yissaschar (Rabbi Zvi Elimelech Spira 17831841) explains our troublesome verse; “And the children of Israel shall guard the Shabbos” if we ‘guard’ Shabbos, the verse continues; “to make the Shabbos” it will ‘make’ a new existence… the existence of another week.

When a person keeps Shabbos he can mistakenly think that he is doing a small, trivial act of observance, however as previously explained when we keep Shabbos, we are in effect ‘creating worlds’. The opening words of Kol Mekadesh Shevii tell us this exact message;

My brother, Reb Mordechai Shlita shared with me the following powerful story;

“Whoever guards the Shabbos correctly… his reward is way beyond the scope of his actions”

Chana Malka Geldzahler was driving along the Garden State Parkway from New Jersey to New York; she was running low on petrol so she stopped at the next gas station. The attendant who came to service

So as we begin Shabbos, it is important for us to know that we are not embarking on a small, minor journey. Instead when we keep Shabbos, we are creating our continuity!

“Kol mekadesh shevii k’roi lo… Sechoro harbeh meod al pi pe’olo”

Please could you ensure that there are ample sheets left in shuls for Shabbos before taking one home -as there have been few left in shuls.

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