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North West London’s Weekly Torah and Opinion Sheets

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‫ | כ”ז אייר תשע”ו | פרשת בחוקתי‬4th June 2016 LONDON: 10:25 PM

‫מוצש’’ק‬

‫מברכין החודש‬

LONDON: 8:55 PM ‫פרקי אבות‬

Pirkei Avos

‫הדלקת נרות‬

’‫ פרק ה‬:‫פרקי אבות‬ see back page

THE TOCHACHA

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THE BLESSINGS WITHIN THE CURSES

Rabbi Pinchas Hackenbroch | Senior Rabbi, Woodside Park Synagogue The Parsha of the tochacha is perhaps one of the most troubling and painful parshios for us to read in the Torah. Emunah dictates that the situation unfolds, it is ultimately for our own good and thus there is within the tochacha a message of hope. He who carried out the punishments listed in the tochacha will ultimately carry out the vision of geulah. The Maharal in Netzach Yisrael suggests that the most convincing proof of the prophecy of redemption is the fact that we see the tochacha so clearly.

The Chofetz Chaim said that a person should never say that something is bad, rather he should say its bitter. It’s like medicine, it can be bitter but ultimately it is for the person’s benefit and therefore is good. Thus we find1 that after the destruction of second Beis Hamikdash, when R’Akiva saw foxes running out of what had been the kodesh kedoshim he rejoiced and famously declared “He who kept His word concerning the punishments will also keep His word regarding His promise of retribution and reward.

The Gemara2 says that this world is not like the next. In this world we make the bracha Hatov Vehametiv on good things and Baruch Dayan Emes on the bad. In the next world it’s all Hatov V’Hametiv. This does not mean that in the next world it’s only going to be good. If that were the case then there wouldn’t be any distinction between this world and the next, since if everything would be good in this world there would also be only one blessing to make.

1 Makkos 24b 2 Pesachim 50a

K I N D LY S P O N S O R E D

Rather what the Gemara means as Rav Leff Shlita suggests is that in the next world when we look back in retrospect on the whole picture of our lives, we will realise that what we considered was bad was in reality good, and what we blessed Dayan Emes on should really have been Hatov V’hameitiv. But since we live in a world that is governed by time, we have to bless Dayan Ha’emes, according to our time bound perception.

Dayan Ha’emes doesn’t mean that He is the true judge but rather He is the judge of truth. In His infinite wisdom he knows the best way to bring about truth. Sometimes He has to bring it about in a way that appears negative.

There are many situations that if a person were to perceive the whole picture he would realise that many things that appear as negative are actually positive. The Chofetz Chaim famously commented that if someone were to walk into Shul and hears Shomer Hashem es kol ohavav v’es kol hareshayim….and then he leaves, what did he hear? That Hashem takes care of those he loves and all the wicked in other words there is no justice in the world both righteous and wicked are dealt with the same. Likewise someone who arrives late for davening may only hear es kol ohavav, ve’s kol hareshayim yashmid, Hashem destroys all those He loves and the wicked together. This person will have the wrong perspective for leaving too early or arriving too late so too we don’t do not see the whole picture being in the world for a small fraction of time in terms of the cosmic clock and thus we have questions about what appears to us as injustices in the world.

We should always bear in mind that our perception is limited and both the pain that we experience in galus and the ecstasy of geulah are two halves of a whole which are part of Hashem’s ultimate Divine design.

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

This weeks Oneg Shabbos Publication is sponsored ‫לעילוי נשמת‬

‫מלכה‬ ‫בילא‬ ‫בת‬ ‫הרב יונה‬ ‫שמואל‬ ‫ע"ה‬ Yahrzeit ‫ג' סיון‬

Riddle of the Week

BY BORUCH KAHAN

“So you think you know Sefer Vayikra”

Which subject comes in every one of the last five Sedros in Vayikra (Achrei Mos , Kedoshim, Emor, Behar, Bechukosai) but DOES NOT come in any of the first five Sedros of Vayikra, (Vayikra,Tzav,Shemini,Tazria and Metzora)?

To help you a clue the word changes its form in those five last Sedros some of the time and does not always mean exactly the same thing in each Sedrah but its something that everybody is familiar with.

Any comments can be directed to bkahan47@yahoo.co.uk. Answer on back page.

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

Rabbi Yissochor Frand | Magid Shiur, Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, Baltimore This week’s parsha contains the first of the two tochachas that are present in the Torah.

Hashem warns us about what will be if we do not keep the Torah. The curses enumerated are very graphic – and if one, after hearing of all the terrible tragedies which have befallen the Jewish people, now has doubts about emunah, all he has to do is read this chapter and he will realise that everything that has been warned of in these curses has unfortunately been fulfilled.

Unbelievable descriptions such as women having to eat their children in order to survive are things that have unfortunately occurred in our own lifetime. is a relatively small parsha of bracha —

a blessing, that unfortunately, after 2000

a wonderful thing when two people love

years of not having a Beis HaMikdash,

each other. However, unfortunately, we

we cannot even contemplate; but it is

know that when two people have loved

a tremendous blessing to be able to

each other and then they fall apart, there

feel Hashem’s holiness in our midst.)

is no greater hatred than love spurned.

However, that same pasuk which begins

This pasuk is saying that Hashem is

by speaking of Hashem placing His

promising that he will love and cherish

Mishkan in our midst ends with the

and take care of the Jewish people.

words “…and I will not detest you”, v’lo

However, Hashem prophesises that He

sigal nafshi eschem.

Knows that they will not be faithful and

The commentaries are bothered by

He will have to chase them out of Eretz

this pasuk; it does not seem to make any

Yisrael. Chazal and the Medrashim use

sense. When Hashem is telling us how

the analogy of a husband and wife who

much He loves us and He is promising

have to separate to explain Hashem’s

us all the brachos, is this the place to

need to drive the Jewish people out of

conclude with the sentiment “I will not

their land.

Hashem then informs us that when

Imagine a chosson proposes to a kallah.

He splits with us — it will not be a bitter

After having met a number of times, he

divorce. Even then, I will never come to

is finally ready to “pop the big question.”

hate you. I will never detest you. Even

He begins, “I am going to love you, I am

when I have to send you out and we need

going to cherish you, I am going to take

to — so to speak — separate, I will always

care of you…” and then he concludes, “…

love you, I will never detest you. This is

and I am not going to be disgusted by you

the greatest blessing.

would get him?

Torah enumerates many wonderful things.

Hashem however says, that when He finds it necessary to discipline the Jewish

That, at first glance, would seem to

people, He will never detest us. We will

be what this pasuk is saying. The words

always be special. This is a special bracha

“sigal nafshi” have connotations of being

indeed, one that we have been constantly

We will have plenty, there will be peace in enemies, we will become populous and

The Shemen HaTov explains that it is

either.” Imagine… How far would that

what will be if we keep the mitzvos. The

the land, we will be able to conquer our

my mishkan in your midst…”1 (This is

despise you?”

But, before the tochacha begins, there

PARSHAH

I LOVE YOU AND I WILL NOT BE DISGUSTED BY YOU

prosperous — all the wonderful things.

And then Hashem promises us that He will live with us: “And I will place

nauseating and despicable! What does the pasuk mean?

1 Vayikra 26:11

benefitting from until today.

That is why it appears in the brachos and not in the klalos.

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Parshas Bechukosai contains the tochacha. We have another tochacha in Parshas Ki Savo. Why the need for two times curses? What is the difference between them?

Rabbi Yaakov Hamer | Finchley Central Federation/Shaarei Orah Indeed, this is considered to be a very

The sedra of Bechukosai, contains a lengthy section which describes in great detail the punishments and consequences of living with sin. As it is something which we are uncomfortable to listen to, over the years, various customs have evolved regarding how it should be read and by whom to demonstrate this feeling of uneasiness.

serious consequence for sins which are

liable to kareiss. When one does a sin which carries with it this ‘punishment,’ it

Someone who has done an aveira

means that the soul, at this stage is no

whose consequence is kareiss may

longer in its real place and therefore is

natural feel dejected and discouraged

unable to properly connect with its source

from continuing their spiritual climb as

and the rest of its nation.

there might be a feeling of hopefulness Let us see what the implications of kareiss are.

In Parshas Emor, the Torah mentions kareiss as a punishment for someone who refrains from fasting on Yom Kippur.

In the following possuk, it mentions the word v’ha’vadeti es ha’nefesh ha’hee.

What does v’ha’vadeti mean? Rashi quotes the Medrash (Toras Kohanim)

Rav Shlomo Elyashiv (The Leshem) zt’’l, in his sefer, ‘Hakdamos U’shearim’ develops this idea of the Malbim and says that one sees from here that there is no such thing as a Jewish soul being eternally lost and hence essential to always charge ahead to improve and better oneself spiritually. He adds that all ‘punishments’ in general are only there to improve, perfect and fix the soul in order that it will be able to connect

which gives us a very important insight

with its source in the most meaningful

into this concept of kareiss. The medrash

and profound way. The nature of the

says that we learn from the juxtaposition

‘punishments’ of the Torah are not

of kareiss with v’ha’vadeti to teach us that

sadistic or vengeful but are solely there

kareiss, is in fact a form of ‘avadon.’ What

to improve and cleanse. This explanation

does avadon mean?!

The Malbim explains and says that there is a fundamental difference between kareiss/kerisa and aveida/avadon. The former connotes that the actual item itself has been severed and cut whereas

The Mishna in the beginning of Maseches Kerisus lists thirty-six aveiros in which a person is liable to the kareiss punishment. Thirty-four of them involve a person transgressing a prohibition and two of them are for the failure to do a positive mitzvah (Bris Mila and Korban Pesach). We usually translate kareiss as an individual who is spiritually cut off from his nation and his source.

too is the individual who is

considered to be very grave.

and that all is lost.

In the modern, liberal world, many people struggle with the concept of harsh punishment. Indeed, there is more and more legislation directed at sympathising and understanding the criminal as opposed to meting out harsh punishments.

Let us examine one of the most severe punishments which the Torah hands down to gain a better understanding of the concept of punishment in general and this one, specifically.

FEDERATION

THE SEDRA OF BECHUKOSAI

the latter means it is lost and misplaced.

The Malbim says, this is what Chazal are teaching us that kareiss is referring to! It does not mean that the soul has

is corroborated by several Rishonim of the medieval period. Rabbeinu Nissim in ‘Drashos HaRan’ [Drash Asiri] also explains that as a loving parent gives a ‘punishment’ to a child solely for the sake of improving the child’s behaviour and ultimately bringing out the child’s potential, so too is the focus and intent of all ‘punishments’ which are mentioned in the Torah.

been annihilated or destroyed but rather

This can be summed up in the

that it is temporarily lost or misplaced.

words, ‘Derache’ah darchei no’am v’chol

Similar to a lost item – an aveida, which

nesivoseha shalom.’ The ways of the

by definition usually means someone is

Torah are pleasant and all of its paths

seeking it out and trying to recover it, so

bring to peace and completion.

T H I S P A G E I S K I N D LY S P O N S O R E D B Y T H E F E D E R A T I O N

DO YOU HAVE A SHAILA? ASK THE federation

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How does the parsha of erchin fit into Sefer Vayikra?

3

Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen | Rabbi for Keter HaTorah Vayikra, 26:14: And if you will not listen to Me and will not perform all of these commandments…

degree, that the Torah’s mitzvos should

of ‘Judaism’ challenged the observance

be observed, they ascribe various

of two days of Yom Tov in chutz l’aretz.

reasons to the mitzvos and then decide

He discarded Chazal’s explanations as

that those reasons do not apply today.

to why this observance continued after

Consequently,

the original reasons for this decree

they

conclude

that

there is no need to keep such mitzvos

Seforno, 26:14: And since you did not follow my Statutes to do all the mitzvos, rather you will only do those of your own choosing...

PARSHAH

KEEPING THE WHOLE TORAH

ceased to apply.

in the ‘modern era’. One example is

However, it is very important to note

the prohibition to eat pork. The Torah

that this problem can also effect people

does not give a reason as to why pork

who believe in the Divinity of all the

is forbidden. Indeed it is considered to

Torah, yet, the power of the yetzer hara

be in the category of ‘chukim’ – statutes

causes them to be lax in certain mitzvos.

for which we do not know the reason

The most common factors behind this

for its observance1. However, certain

phenomenon are social influence and

The Torah begins its outline of the

heretical groups posited that the reason

the force of habit. If a person is brought

devastating curses that will befall the

pork was forbidden was because it

up in a society where certain mitzvos

Jewish people if they do not follow

spread certain diseases.

Nowadays,

are partially or totally ignored, then it

the Torah. The Seforno deduces from

no such threat exists, therefore the

will be very difficult for that person to

the Torah’s words that It is not simply

‘reason’ to observe this mitzva does not

break free from the social influence and

warning against discarding the whole

apply. Included among the numerous

instead cling to the truth of the Torah.

Torah. Rather, the Torah warns against

mistakes in this line of thinking is that

The mitzvos which certain groups most

‘picking and choosing’ which mitzva to

human beings have a right to decide

often tend to ignore are those that the

observe and which mitzva to ignore.

whether a mitzva applies to us – the

Gemara testifies, ‘nafsho shel adam

true Torah approach is that we keep the

mechamdasan’ – that people naturally

mitzvos because HaShem commanded

desire these pleasures – those that

them, whether we understand them or

relate to immorality and money.

We know that the words of the Torah are eternal and apply to all generations.

Accordingly, the fact that the Torah

not.

2

places such emphasis on this problem,

Despite the societal influence, it is

indicates that it has been prevalent

This error has historically also applied

essential to remember that each Jew is

throughout Jewish history, up to and

to questioning of various Rabbinic

imbued with the power to break away

includign the present day.

prohibitions and Commandments. One

and strive to observe all the Torah. He

of the founders of one heretical stream

inherits this internal strength from

In what

ways does this malaise still apply?

The

first,

and

most

blatant

1 It is important to note, that, in truth, we do not really know the underlying reasons for any of the Mitzvos. However, in many cases the Torah does provide a ‘taste’ of the Mitzva (known as Taamei HaMitzvos) to give us some idea of the purpose of the Mitzva on a most basic level.

2 This does not mean to say that a perosn should blindly observe Mitzvos – the commentaries offer numerous ‘reasons’ to the Mitzvos. But they certainly do not mean to make their observance dependent on these reasons.

manifestation is when certain groups intellectually reject certain mitzvos of the Torah that do not fit with their logic.

Moreover, even if they accept to some

Rabbi Gefen has written four books: two on the Parsha, one on the Jewish Festivals, and one on the Characters in the Torah

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Avraham Avinu who broke away from everything his society believed in order to live a life of Truth.

May we all merit to strive to keep ALL the mitzvos with all their beauty.

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How does the gabbai in shul decide who to give the aliya of the curses?

Sefarim, Do You Know Hilchos Shabbos?

Rabbi Michoel Fletcher |&Mechaber Do You Know Hilchos Brachos? Menucha Publications.

Question: I was a guest in someone’s house over Yom Tov and as I made myself comfortable in the dining chair, one of the arms fell partially off. I was worried that the whole chair might be muktza so I requested another chair. My host was not convinced that the chair was muktza but graciously provided another one. Was there any reason for me to have been concerned?

ANSWER If you thought it was muktza and your host didn’t have a halachic proof that it wasn’t, you were entitled to be machmir. But now we have the opportunity to look into this very good question with the benefit of halachic sources to see if there really was a reason to be machmir. We will learn some important and relevant halachos concerning broken chairs, beds, buggies and even glasses on Shabbos which will stand us in good stead in the future.

today of the broken chair we will have to look into a particular statement in the Gemara and to examine it’s ramifications.

is no prohibition at all. These chiddushim of the Taz are quoted unchallenged by the Mishna Berura (308:69).

The Gemara Shabbos (138b) brings a braisa that says “If one of the legs of a cooker fell off, the cooker may be moved but not if two legs have fallen off. Rav said that even if one has fallen off we may not move it because we are afraid that a person might repair it.

Rabbeinu Chananel explains that a cooker is anyway muktza because it is used for cooking. But that form of muktza allows an item to be moved if one needs the space or the item itself for a permitted purpose. If two legs have come off it is no longer a working utensil and becomes muktza on the more serious level of a broken utensil which may not be moved at all. Rav held that even if only one leg has come off and the cooker is still usable with difficulty, the cooker also acquires this serious level of muktza because of the danger that a person might want to use it in its usual way and will in fact re-attach the leg, transgressing a Torah prohibition. Rabbeinu Chananel then says that the halacha is like Rav. The Rambam, Rif and the Rosh all agree that the halacha is like Rav and this is brought in the Tur.

One practical question which is relevant to this halacha is if one earpiece of one’s glasses comes off.

It is possible to wear glasses with one earpiece but they can easily fall. Following this halacha not only may we not screw the earpiece back in and not only is the earpiece muktza but the glasses are muktza because of the worry Chazal had that one might repair the glasses. The chiddush of the Taz, however, gives a leniency if the screw has gone missing or one hasn’t got a screwdriver or if there is another reason why a non-professional person cannot repair it. If a lens fell out because the frame has lost its proper shape, the glasses are not muktza because only an expert can repair the glasses.

The Beis Yosef at the end of siman 313 brings the Trumas Hadeshen who discusses the case of a long bench, one of whose legs has come off. The Trumas Hadeshen says that some say that we may not move the bench and put the broken side on top of another bench similar to the prohibition concerning the cooker as brought in the Gemara. He says that possibly one could argue that here the danger of fixing the bench is less than the danger of fixing the oven precisely because of this possibility of putting the broken end on another bench. However he concludes that one should be machmir because in the case of the cooker as well, one can manage with difficulty without one leg but nevertheless we are worried that he might repair it. Therefore we should also be worried in the case of the bench. The Shulchan Aruch (313:8) brings the case of a bed with a leg which has come off and says that some are machmir and the Rama (308:16) says explicitly that we may not move the bed to put it on to another bed unless one has sat on the broken bed before Shabbos. We will come back to this extra phrase of the Rama later.

The concept of muktza on Shabbos is well known to most of us. Our Chazal had the awesome task of protecting us from transgressing the laws of the Torah and where they saw fit, they created some rabbinic laws as part of a ‘fence’ around the Torah.

For instance, although we are not allowed to write on Shabbos. there is no Torah prohibition forbidding us from holding a pen. One of the halachos of muktza says that we may not hold a pen on Shabbos under normal circumstances. We can understand this very well. If we were allowed to hold a pen we might, in a forgetful moment, write something down. Anything which is usually used to do a melacha during the week is similarly muktza in case we do that melacha on Shabbos.

Another area of muktza is something which is not a utensil like stones, twigs and coins. Because they have no designated use and we have no need for them on Shabbos, Chazal told us not to move them, partially as a protection against the possibility of carrying them in the street and partially to add to the special nature of Shabbos. Something which broke into small pieces on Shabbos, for instance a china plate is similarly muktza. This article is not the place to go into all the halachos of muktza which are complex. However to look into our question

HALAHCAH

THE BROKEN CHAIR

The Taz (308:14) makes a significant point in his comments on this halacha. He says that the prohibition is only when the leg has come out and is no longer attached when it is relatively easy to repair. However if the leg is broken which means that extensive repairs would have to be done before re-attaching the leg or the leg is not there which also means that there is no danger of a quick repair, there

If a wheel of a child’s bicycle comes off and it could be repaired by screwing it in, not only are we not allowed to screw it back, but the whole bicycle becomes muktza. If the child is under three years old and he himself can screw the wheel back on, we don’t need to stop him as he has not reached the age of chinuch. If the lower atzei chaim of a sefer Torah falls off, the sefer Torah becomes muktzah unless there is no way for a layman to repair it because it is broken or there is no suitable glue available. In cases where the full halacha should apply, Piskei Teshuva (313 note 147) brings some Poskim who allow asking someone to take (in an unusual way), the part which has fallen off to hide it thus removing the muktza status.

Now let’s return to our broken chair. On first thought, it does seem similar to the cases we have been discussing. Our case concerned a chair whose arm had partially come off. Seeing that a non professional person could fix it with glue, perhaps the whole chair becomes muktza. However there is a difference between a chair without a leg which is unbalanced and a chair without an arm which is perfectly useable as a chair. One is not so likely to repair it. On the other hand perhaps an armchair is more than just a chair with arms. It is a new beriah – a new type of chair which is designed to provide extra comfort and the loss of an arm is an essential loss like the loss of a leg to a bed. Most poskim seem to be lenient on this question if the chair is perfectly suitable to sit on. If however the broken arm makes it difficult to use even as a normal chair, one should be machmir. We can certainly be lenient if the chair had been used in its broken state before Shabbos as we quoted earlier from the Ramo. However if the chair had been used in a broken state before Shabbos but it was repaired and broke again on Shabbos this leniency would not apply.

Rabbi Fletcher is the mechaber of

Do You Know Hilchos Shabbos? Do You Know Hilchos Brachos? From Strength to Strength, Dancing in our Hearts, Do You Know Shas? (Brachos to Pesachim) and many other Torah articles.

If you want to purchase any of these sefarim or want to be on Rabbi Fletcher’s mailing list please write to rabbimfletcher@gmail.com

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When and why does the baal korei some pesukim loudly and others quietly?

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‫פתוח תפתח‬

Excerpts from the sefer Easy Giving / ‫( פתח תפתח את ידך‬which includes extensive notes and comprehensive halachic sources), authored by Eli Katz and Emanuel Meyer and available from sefarim shops in NW London.

Contact us at info@tzedokoh.co.uk tzedakah

book cov

katz meyer

Mar14 COVER

SPREADS

v10.indd

1

11/04/2014

16:18

HALACHAH PARSHAH CHARITY

Easy Givi ng – ‫את ידך‬

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE HALACHOS OF COMMUNAL OBLIGATIONS, MITZVAS TZEDAKAH AND MA’ASER KESAFIM

In Section A, we clarified the obligation to support the essential communal infrastructure and its precedence over mitzvas tzedokoh.

In Section B, we focused on the mitzvah min hatorah of tzedokoh, its exclusive purpose to financially support aniyim / poor people and the prohibitions related to tzedokoh including the obligation not to ignore the requests of an oni. In Section C, we discuss the laws relating to the custom of ma’aser kesofim - donating 10%-20% of your income, the two primary sources as well as the ma’aser kesofim income and expenditure calculations. We then enumerated the four categories for distribution, in order of precedence: - 1) tzedokah & Torah support for aniyim, 2) chesed (non-aniyim / good causes), 3) other mitzvos and 4) restricted uses. In Section D, we conclude by providing an overall summary of all 3 Sections – Communal Obligations, Tzedokoh and Ma’aser Kesofim.

Section D – Conclusions & Summary

Chapter 1 - Key Points

d. Priority 4 – Chessed.

A. INTRODUCTION.

i. Money for chessed or Torah activities which could not be classified as going to aniyim. (Section C 5:A.4)

1. In this section, all three components, namely Section A – Communal Obligations, Section B – Tzedokoh and Section C – Ma’aser Kesofim, are addressed as one, taking into account the differing priorities and rules of precedence.

2. First the key facts are summarised, following which there are a series of practical tables depicting both how your funds should be allocated in general, as well as specifically a Tzedokoh Guide for North West London.

ii. Ma’aser kesofim funds may be used. iii. 33% of your money can be used for these causes.

C.

SOME KEY LAWS OF TZEDOKOH.

1. An oni is eligible to receive a sum that covers all his family requirements, household expenditure, school and health, up to the standard of living he had before becoming an oni. (Section B, Chapter 1:D)

B. PRIORITIES. When distributing funds the order of preference is: a. Priority 1 – Personal obligations, including all your children’s education fees.

2. You must always give tzedokoh to an oni who has made a request. (Ibid. 2:A.4)

i. You may not negotiate discounts on any of your children’s school, yeshiva or seminary fees, and then donate tzedokoh elsewhere. (Section B, Chapter 4:A.4.)

a. Consequently, you must always answer the door to an oni, even when you are learning. b. You can place a notice on your door informing collectors that you are only available at fixed, reasonable times.

ii. If your children’s education fees do not cover the full costs per child, it is preferable that you top-up the difference prior to donating tzedokoh elsewhere.

c. In this case, if an oni rings the bell outside these fixed times and you are learning, you do not have to interrupt your session.

iii. These fees should come out of your own personal income and NOT from ma’aser kesofim funds.

d. However, if an oni rings a bell outside these fixed times and you are not learning, you should answer and give a donation. (Ibid. 2:D)

b. Priority 2 – Your share of the essential local communal infrastructure, including schools, mikvahs and welfare funds. (Section A, Chapter 1:D and ibid 2:A.2)

e. You must not embarrass an oni who requests tzedokoh, nor should you give him a donation with a sullen demeanour or accompanied by harsh words.

You should also be careful to give your donation with positive thoughts.

(Ibid. 2:C)

i. Ma’aser kesofim funds may be used. c. Priority 3 – Tzedokoh for aniyim. i. The order of priority is: Life threatening situations, Family and rebbeim, Neighbours and close friends, Local community, Yerusholayim, Eretz Yisroel, Rest of the world. (Section B 4:C) ii. Ma’aser kesofim funds may be used. iii. At least 66% of your total ma’aser kesofim must be allocated overall to aniyim. (Section C 5:B.3). iv. At least 50% of your total donations must be allocated to supporting aniyim who are learning or teaching Torah. (Section C 5:B.5). v. Typically, Torah scholars are technically aniyim, and therefore you would fulfil all your quotas by donating 66% of your ma’aser kesofim to Torah study. (Section B 1:C.8)

D.

SOME KEY LAWS OF MA’ASER KESOFIM.

1. Ma’aser kesofim is a well-accepted minhag, which applies to all your net income, benefits-in-kind, capital or investment gains, inheritance and cash gifts. Taxes and National Insurance payments are allowable deductions. (Section C 3) 2. A minimum of 10% is required, but the optimal level is 20%. It is particularly meritorious to separate exactly 10% (and then adding extra if you are able, as a separate, general tzedokoh donation), or twice 10%, as your ma’aser kesofim.

(Ibid. 1:A.4) 3. These amounts should be donated as soon as possible. (Ibid. 2:A.5)

To Be Continued ....

NEW COMMUNITY INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS CHINUCH FINANCIAL CRISIS EARLY SUCCESS FOR GGBH CHOMESH L’CHINUCH The “Chomesh L’Chinuch” initiative launched by the Golders Green Beth Hamedrash at Shovuos last year has already raised almost £50,000 for the benefit of our cashstrapped local schools. Chomesh L’Chinuch is a kehilloh-based project whereby members are encouraged to prioritise and allocate one-fifth (a ‘Chomesh’) of their Tzedokah distributions to the local schools attended by their children.

The first distribution to the schools took place last month at the Golders Green Beth Hamedrash, with a gathering of the Rav, Rabbi Yisroel Meir Greenberg, the founders of the new initiative and the Chairs and Governors representing more than 10 local schools. The school’s were delighted with the Kehillah's generosity, initiative and foresight.

Any local Kehilloh looking to launch the Chomesh L’Chinuch initiative are encouraged to contact Mr Katz or Mr Meyer – info@tzedokoh.co.uk

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QUIZ TIME

6

livingwithmitzvos.com

5. How many different types of things can a person give to hekdesh (mentioned at the end of Parshas Bechukosai)?

Rabbi Chananya Silverman | Beis Yaakov Primary School

A couple of years ago, a remarkable young man passed away. His name was Stephen Sutton. He was 19 and he died after battling 4 years of cancer. Stephen made national news headlines for raising over £3million for The Teenage Cancer Trust charity. He had initially set out to raise just £10,000.

He had cancer four times and after each time he thought he was cured. But the remarkable thing about Stephen was his incredible positive attitude and drive to achieve something in his short life.

He made a bucket list of 46 things he would like to do before he died including skydiving for charity, crowd surfing in a rubber dingy and inspiring someone else to become a doctor, which is what he was going to do.

However, as he ticked more and more items off of his list, and he completed over 30 of them, his focus began to change and some of his goals shifted as a result. A year ago, he said that he wanted to live life to the fullest by experiencing amazing things. But soon before he died he was not so much concerned with ticking the remaining boxes as using his time to have as much positive impact as possible on other people.

He said, “I don’t see the point in measuring life in terms of time anymore. I’d rather measure life in terms of making a difference.”

Why and how did this young man become so remarkable?

To answer this I would like to share a profound insight by Rabbi Eliyahu Hoffmann on this week’s parsha The majority of Bechukosai is devoted to the tochacha, in which Hashem warns the Jewish People that if they fail to live up to their obligations, they will become the victims, G-d forbid, of great calamities and harsh punishments.

Immediately following this, the Torah describes the laws of erchin, which explain what happens if someone pledges the value of themselves or another person to the Temple. A fixed amount must be given, corresponding to the person’s age and gender. [For instance, the erech, or standard value of a Jewish male between the ages of 20 and 60 is fifty shekels. It doesn’t make a difference whether the individual was a brain surgeon, a Rosh Yeshiva, or a street-sweeper, the amount donated is dependent only on age and gender.]

Why do the laws of erchin follow the tochacha? What’s one got to do with the other?

The Kli Yakar, in addressing this question, makes reference to a most unusual Gemara1 In the other section of rebuke found in Devarim it says:

‫וְ ָהיָה ּכִ י ִת ְמ ֶצא ָן אֹתֹו ָרעֹות ַרּבֹות וְ ָצרֹות‬ “’And it shall be, that when many evils and troubles come upon [this nation]...’2 The Gemara explains what sin a person would need to commit for evil and troubles to come upon them?

Shmuel says they will happen to one a person who lends money to the poor when they are desperate.”

Halevai, would it only be, writes the Kli Yakar, that the worst punishment ever to befall a Jew was because he lent money to a poor man in his time of need! In fact why should you get punished for this?

1 Chagiga 5a 2 Devarim 31:21

PARSHAH

WHAT’S GOING TO BE IN YOUR BUCKET LIST? What could Shmuel possibly mean?

Unfortunately, he writes, it is human nature that as long as the sailing is smooth, and life is good, we tend to ignore many aspects that in truth deserve our greatest attention.

ANSWERS

If one were to hear of a close family member who had, G-d forbid, fallen deathly ill, he would no doubt begin making generous donations to tzedaka on his behalf hoping the sick person might receive a speedy recovery.

1. The tochacha is mentioned twice in the Torah – here in Parshas Bechukosai, and again in Parshas Ki Savo. The Ramban (26:16) explains two main differences.

Here is describes them in the first person and it is said in the plural. These curses happened during the churban of the first Beis Hamikdash. The tochacha in Parshas Ki Savo is spoken in the third person and is said in the singular. The punishments mentioned there happened by the churban of the second Beis Hamikdash and in the following exiles that continues even until today.

The one actually suffering this illness would likely spend many hours in deep introspection. He would think what he had accomplished in life so far, and what he would still like to do if Hashem would grant him additional years.

“If I pull through this,” he promises, “I won’t waste my days like I have in the past on amassing wealth and indulging in physical pleasures. I will spend more time learning with my children; I will daven slower instead of rushing through; I will give more money to tzedaka...”

Isn’t it a crying shame, says the Kli Yakar, that it had to take suffering and desperation just to get a person to have a few worthwhile thoughts of repentance and introspection.

It is this sorry fact, he explains, that the Torah is alluding to when, immediately following the tochacha, it gives the laws of pledges to the Temple. Sadly, it is often the troubles in life that awaken us from our habitual slumber to increase our charity and examine our mitzvos, instead of doing so while the going is good.

And this is what Shmuel meant when he said that the verse which describes the “evil” and “trouble” that will befall the nation refers to one who lends to the poor in his time of need. Not the poor man’s time of need, as one would normally understand, but rather in his own time of need, when he himself is desperate. The punishment therefore comes when he only thought to give generously and lend whole-heartedly after troubles came on him, and he realized it was either “do or die” in quite a literal sense.

It’s very interesting that Stephen said that he actually saw his first cancer diagnosis as a good thing. He said it was a huge kick.

That diagnosis taught him to take nothing for granted and gave him a lot of motivation for life.

He said that when he looked back at his bucket list, although he was very proud of his achievements and he made so many wonderful memories, but he couldn’t help thinking that it’s a shame that he had to rely on tragedy to remind him to have a good time. He said that it shouldn’t be like that. If you want to go out there and achieve stuff, you should do that. Life is for living.”

In one of Stephen’s talks to over 4,500 business people and leaders in the O2 Arena in January of this year he gave the following analogy: “Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with £86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening, the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every penny, of course, and make the most of it.

“Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, we are credited with 86,400 seconds. Every night, any of this time you have failed to invest for a good purpose is written off and lost.

These seconds carry over no balance. The bank of TIME allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours.”

Each of us is given 86,400 seconds with which to do whatever we want, and we’re not getting that time back. That’s why it’s important to use the time we’ve got as positively and productively as possible.

And the only way to maximise our time in this world is through the Torah and mitzvos we do and the extent that we make a difference to those around us.

So what’s going to be in your bucket list?

T H I S P A G E I S K I N D LY S P O N S O R E D B Y T H E F E D E R A T I O N

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Beis Hamedrash Nishmas Yisroel 4 Brent Green, London NW4 2HA

A COMMUNITY SERVICE OF THE

2. After the tochacha comes the parsha of erchin, fixed values for people at different ages. The idea here is one of comfort.

After hearing curses which are a punishment we may feel valueless.

Therefore erchin comes to teach us that we all have a value.

3. The gabbai usually calls up the Baal Korei for the curses in order that no one should think that the curses should be placed on a different person who is being called up for them. (See Mishna Berurah 428:17.)

4. These curses are read by the Baal Korei quietly while the pesukim that deal with comfort, like those remembering the covenant, is read loudly. The rise and lowering of voice expresses our fear and hope. (See Kitzur Shulchan Oruch 78:4).

5. There are ten types of hekdesh – all mentioned in Chapter 27.

Riddle Answer Shabbos In Acharei Mos it says it but Chazal says it means Yom Kippur.

In Kedoshim it does not say Shabbos but twice it says Shabsosai which refers to Shabbos.

In Emor some say it means Yom Tov, but does come later in the Sedrah with the Lechem HaPanim and does mean Shabbos In Behar it means weeks and is found in the plural form Shabsos In Bechukosai it refers to Shmitta.

‫פרקי אבות‬

Pirkei Avos

Reproduced with permission from the ArtScroll / Mesorah Heritage Foundation:

The Noé Edition PIRKEI AVOS

‫פרק ה’ משנה י”ב‬

... ‫בארבעה פרקים הדבר מתרבה‬ ,‫ובמוצאי החג שבכל שנה ושנה‬ .‫מפני גזל מתנות עניים‬

At four periods [of the seven-year Sabbatical cycle] pestilence increases ... and annually, at the conclusion of the festival [of Succos], for robbing the poor of their gifts.

Succos is the time of the harvest when those who own fields are commanded by the Torah to leave ‫ ִׁשכְ חָ ה ּופֵ ָאה‬,‫ ל ֶ​ֶקט‬- the harvest gleanings, the forgotten and dropped sheaves, and a corner of the field – for the poor (see Leviticus 19:9-11).

Likewise, one who harvests grapes must leave ‫עוֹלְ לוֹת‬, single grapes which have not formed clusters, or ‫ּפֶ ֶרט‬, those which have fallen to the ground (see Rambam). King Solomon advises: Do not rob the impoverished... for Hashem will take up their cause and despoil the life of those who despoil them (Proverbs 22:2223). Once the Succos festival is over and all agricultural work is done, either one has met his obligations, or he has robbed the poor of what is rightfully theirs and will be punished immediately (Machzor Vitry, Rambam, Rashi).

The phrase ‫גֶזֶ ל מַ ְּתנוֹת עַ נִיִ ים‬, robbing the poor of their gifts, seems to be a contradiction in terms. How can one who does not give a gift be accused of theft? Midrash Shmuel sees in this an expression Hashem’s mercy. Even though one is obligated to support the poor and deserves no special recognition for meeting this obligation, Hashem still rewards charity as if it were done willingly rather than dutifully. Nonetheless, if one

refrains from contributing, it is as if he had stolen Hashem’s property. Thus, the poor recipient has received a gift, magnanimously given by the giver; but the one who refuses to give is regarded as a thief, for he has stolen from Hashem, by keeping something that was given him only to pass along to the poor.

sooner had he done so than his fortune plummeted, leaving him with almost nothing.

Mikveh Yisrael views this as an allusion to a donor who formerly spread his contributions among many poor people, but now contributes the same sum to only a few, to the deep disappointment of the former recipients, who always relied on his contributions. This, too, is tantamount to stealing the gifts of the poor.

Realising that he had done something wrong, he went to appease R’ Zusia. The holy tzaddik of Anipoli told him, “Listen, my dear friend. As long as you gave me without investigating whether I was the most worthy recipient, the Heavenly agents also did not check too carefully to see if you were the one most deserving of wealth. However, now that you are careful to give charity only to a great tzaddik like the Maggid, they are also more careful in Heaven about whom they bless with prosperity.”

In the days before he became famous, R’ Zusia of Anipoli had a secret benefactor who would give him one gold coin every week. The benefactor became fantastically wealthy, and his friends constantly begged him to reveal the secret of his success. Finally, he told them of his support of the holy R’ Zusia. His friends replied: “If that is the key to wealth, you would do even better to support the famed Holy Maggid of Mezritch, instead. You will become even wealthier.” The man listened to their advice, and stopped his stipend to R’ Zusia, and gave it instead to the great R’ Dov Ber of Mezritch. No

We are sometimes tempted to reevaluate where we will spend our tzedaka money. We might be wise, however, not to remove persons or institutions from our list of causes too hastily, even if we feel we have found worthier recipients. Our regular beneficiaries rely on our contributions and experience great disappointment when we are not forthcoming. Furthermore, we never know which charitable cause is the one for which Hashem rewards us. If we become selective about whom we support, Hashem may also re-evaluate whether or not we deserve His support.

T H I S P A G E I S K I N D LY S P O N S O R E D B Y

Rachel Charitable Trust 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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