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NORTH WEST LONDON’S WEEKLY TORAH & 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
פרשת האזינו סוכות י"ג תשרי תשע”ט 22
ND
SEPTEMBER 2018
נב:לב-א: דברים לב:קריאת התורה
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SEE PAGE 2 FOR
Rabbi Alex Chapper Community Rabbi of Borehamwood & Elstree Synagogue
The author can be contacted at rabbichapper@borehamwoodshul.org
Have you ever thought that having Parshah more money would be the answer to all your problems? Did you ever consider that being financially secure would bring an end to the stress in your life and that everything would be happy and peaceful?
O
f course, the Torah does not demand a life of aestheticism. On the contrary, we are expected to enjoy all the permitted pleasures of this world within reason as the Yerushlami teaches: In the future we will be judged for all that our eyes saw and we did not eat. But we also recognise the challenge of wealth as Chazal say: A person who possesses 100 desires 200; one who possesses 200 desires 400. In his final discourse to the people, Moshe Rabbeinu relates, with prophetic vision, a future when the nation will succumb to excess. ‘And Yeshurun became fat and rebelled; you grew fat, thick and rotund; and abandoned Hashem Who made them, and spurned the Rock of their salvation.’ (Devarim 32:15)
entrance of a house of immorality. What should that son do so that he does not sin? The irony that these statements convey is that we perceive material wealth as a blessing, we even pray at the beginning of each month, amongst other things, for osher v’kavod - wealth and honour but the truth is they pose a real and present danger. The more divine gifts with which we are blessed the greater the propensity we have to forget their source. Therefore, it is for good reason that we constantly refer to our humble beginnings as slaves in Egypt and recall how Hashem delivered us to freedom and sustained us throughout our wandering in the desert. This acts as a failsafe against appreciation amnesia.
This is analogous to a person who had a lean and bony cow. He fed it vetch and it would kick him.
As Moshe prepares to leave the people on the verge of their entry into the Promised Land, he imparts one final message. Israel is a land of plenty, it is ‘flowing with milk and honey’ and you will be able to indulge in all its delights to your hearts content. But beware. This may not be the end of all your problems; this might just be the beginning of them because when you focus solely on your physical needs you live in real danger of becoming obese and bellicose. By all means enjoy the pleasures of this world but remain attuned to the spiritual source of everything.
This is analogous to a person who had a son. He bathed and anointed him, gave him food and drink, hung a purse around his neck and sat him at the
So we may think that money is the answer to all our problems but money may also be the root cause of them.
In a similar vein, the Gemara (Berachos 32a) presents three powerful aphorisms that encapsulate this concept. A lion does not roar in a basket of straw but in a basket of meat.
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To my amazing Parents Thank you for building me up into who I am today. from an Anonymous Donor
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Rabbi Menachem Salasnik Director, Journey to Better Speech
The author can be contacted at menachem@journeytobetterspeech.com
SEDRA SUMMARY Thank you to Chabad.org
T
he majority of Haazinu consists of a 70-line “song” delivered by Moshe to the people of Israel on the last day of his earthly life. Calling heaven and earth as witnesses, Moshe Rabbeinu exhorts the people, “Remember the days of old / Consider the years of many generations / Ask your father, and he will recount it to you / Your elders, and they will tell you” how Hashem “found them in a desert land,” made them a people, chose them as His own, and bequeathed them a bountiful land. The song also warns against the pitfalls of plenty—“Yeshurun grew fat and kicked / You have grown fat, thick and rotund / He forsook Hashem who made him / And spurned the Rock of his salvation”—and the terrible calamities that would result, which Moshe describes as Hashem “hiding His face.” Yet in the end, he promises, Hashem will avenge the blood of His servants, and be reconciled with His people and land. The Parshah concludes with Hashem’s instruction to Moshe to ascend the summit of Mount Nevo, from which he will behold the Promised Land before dying on the mountain. “For you shall see the land opposite you; but you shall not go there, into the land which I give to the Bnei Yisrael.”
TIME4MISHNA
Thursday
Shemiras Haloshon
Doing Teshuva for Lashon Hara [Part 1]
W
hen we look at the ‘Al Chets’ there are a shocking 13 out of 44 that are specifically to do with speech (and a further 6 that can be transgressed through speaking, but not exclusively)! Why is speech so important that when we are trying to repair ourselves we have such a skewed focus towards it? In Shemiras HaLashon the Chafetz Chaim explains that we see in the natural world that forces with little substance have greater power than solid forces. Strong winds can destroy anything in their path however solid, fire too can travel great distances decimating everything in its way. When something isn’t really physical it is not bound by physical boundaries, its strength is almost limitless. So too with speech. If you want to hurt someone physically you normally have to be in front of them. (Modern technology has used the concept of nonphysical fire to help get somewhat past this issue, but it is still not limitless). With speech you can be anywhere and it will spread like wildfire, a slight subtle word change can completely distort the truth and cause real long-term repercussions. If a person has gone through their life without thinking, saying what they want to say, they will have left behind a trail of woe and destruction that they themselves may not even be aware of. With that in mind, let’s explore how one does Teshuva for misplaced and damaging speech. The Shulchan Aruch explains that while Yom Kippur is only mechaper for averos bein adam l’makom. In contrast, aveiros bein adam l’chaveiro, Yom Kippur will not atone until one placates the person who was affected. This applies even if there was no actual physical harm and the person was only caused upset through words. Nor is it enough to attempt to apologize to the person only once and when they don’t accept your apology to wash your hands of them. The Halacha is that if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again - a person must persist three times, the latter times with three people accompanying who should try and work to create peace between the two parties. Furthermore, one has to explain exactly what they did to the person, they cannot just go up to the person and
apologize in general (e.g. please forgive me for anything I may have done to hurt you this year) when they are fully aware of a specific wrong they wrought (the exception to this is if the person who was hurt will actually be embarrassed if they are reminded in detail of the hurt and disgrace they received, in which case a more general apology would be acceptable). The Chafetz Chaim explains how these laws apply to Lashon Hara. If when the Lashon Hara was said, the people listening shrugged it off, (e.g. not accepting that it is true or insisting that there must be a positive explanation for the apparently negative information they are receiving), or even if they do accept the negative report, but the person spoken about never suffers pain or damage from the statement, then no apology to the person is needed. The speaker needs only to go through the regular forgiveness process which involves the following three part formula, 1) To regret what they did, 2) To verbally confess to Hashem, 3) To sincerely accept upon oneself not to transgress again. If however the statement caused physical or monetary damage or emotional pain then apart from the three stage repentance above, a person must also approach the person they hurt and apologize and placate them for the specific comments that they said before they can be forgiven. Most commentators also point out that if monetary damage was caused, this should be repaid and if there was damage to a person’s reputation and it is possible to repair the damage e.g. by approaching those who you spoke to and telling them that you were mistaken (even if you were not really mistaken at all - because one is allowed to lie to bring peace and harmony into the world) plus approaching all the people that the listeners went on to tell etc. etc., then you should make every effort to do so. Similarly if you have already broadcast your statement but so far no damage/pain has been caused although it is quite possible that with the fullness of time it may well get to that stage, the Chafetz Chaim says that you should try your best to pre-empt the outcome by approaching the listeners and retracting your statement. To be Continued…
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This page is sponsored by Federation
Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Guttentag
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Rabbinic Coordinator, KF Kosher; Federation Shailatext The author can be contacted at rabbi.guttentag@federation.org.uk
Halachah
Shabbos Kettles
The Technical and Halachic story Part 1: What makes them tick? FedTech, the Federation Beis Din’s department for Shabbos compliance, was launched last year; its focus – domestic ovens, fridges and freezers. Since its launch, we have received countless requests for assistance with a wide variety of shailas relating to the use of technology in Halocho. Shabbos kettles have featured high on the list of Frequently Asked Questions. Responding to the need, FedTech have undertaken research into some of the appliances commonly available here in the UK. This week, we launch a new series of articles which will shed some light on how Shabbos kettles work and the halachic principles which underpin their use.
I have noticed that the red light on my urn goes on and off intermittently. How does the urn operate? An urn, like other kettles uses a heating element to heat the water. Unlike your weekday kettle which heats the water until it has boiled and then switches itself off, the urn continues to heat the water over an extended period of time; yet, it must also ensure that it does not boil dry. This balance is achieved by operating the heating element in on/off cycles. There are two ways in which these heating cycles can be controlled:
Simmerstat – When using a simmerstat, the lengths of the cycles are determined by the setting which the user has chosen and will repeat in a uniform manner. A dial is provided to controls these timings. Changes to the heat of the water will not affect the length of the heating cycles, as all control of the heating elements is purely time-based. Thermostat – The length of the heating cycles will be determined by the heat of the water at any specific time. The thermostat reacts when the temperature dips below the tolerance level set by the user, and the heating element will be activated. When the desired temperature has been achieved, the heating element ceases to operate. It is unlikely that the heating cycles will be accurately predictable in their length and frequency.
My urn’s light seems to be lit all the time. How is it controlled? Some urns are not controlled by on/off cycles. Instead, the amount of power used by the heating element is regulated to control the heat of the water. In some cases, the kettle will have a dial. The dial is turned to high to boil the water and then turned down to a level that will maintain the temperature of the water. This manual control of the temperature can be inconvenient, and users will generally prefer an urn which automatically regulates its own temperature. This automation can be achieved by providing two heating elements – a high-
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powered boiling element and a lower-power maintenance element. A thermostat is set to operate the high-powered element only when the water is particularly cold. When the water is cold, the urn’s thermostat will instruct both heating elements to operate. Once the water has reached boiling point, the main heating element is switched off. The lowpower heating element will continue to operate and maintain the temperature of the water. It is rare for the high-powered heating element to trigger on once the urn it has been initially boiled. The lower-powered heating element will generally suffice to keep the water hot for a long time. The frequency of these occasions when the kettle boils itself will vary depending on the kettles design. In some kettles, the water will boil very rarely – in fact as rarely as every few days. In other cases, this will take place a few times a day.
How can I tell if my urn is thermostatically controlled or if it uses a simmerstat? Our experience has demonstrated that an appliance’s paperwork does not necessarily provide an accurate indication of its method of operation. Even discussions with sales teams or customer services may not yield results.
Read next week’s article which will provide a fuller understanding of the halachic principles behind the Shabbos use of an urn which is controlled by a thermostat.
PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL RESPONSE TO SHAILOS ON ANY TOPIC WITHIN FOUR WORKING HOURS Wherever possible it is preferable to take shailos to your own rov who knows you personally. ShailaText is not intended to be used as substitute for a rov but L’zakos es horabim. For more information visit federation.org.uk/shailatext/ To sponsor a day/week/month of Shailatext, please email Batsheva.pels@federation.org.uk
A Quick Vort: Ma’ayanah shel Torah
This week’s Shailatext is
לע”נ שמעון בן שרגא ז”ל
by Yisroel Avrohom Kaye
The pasuk says (Devorim 32:2) “May my teaching drip like the rain, may my utterance flow like the dew, like storm winds upon vegetation and like raindrops upon grass”. The Ma’ayanah Shel Torah brings a saying from Rav Yisroel Salanter zt’’l “True the mouth is said to be as far away from the heart as the heaven is from earth but we all know that when rain drops down from heaven it causes things to grow on earth”. He adds a pasuk from Yeshayahu (55:10-11) from the Haftorah of a Taanis Tzibbur “ For just as the rain and snow descend from heaven and will not return there, rather it waters the earth and causes it to produce and sprout and gives seed to the sower and food to the eater. So shall be My word that emanates from My mouth, it will not return to Me unfulfilled unless it will have accomplished what I desired and brought success where I sent it.” Such is the impact of the mouth on the heart.
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Rabbi Aubrey Hersh Lecturer, Historian & European Tour Provider
The author can be contacted at aubrey@jle.org.uk
Succos
Luggage Vs. Baggage The Jewish People spent 2,000 years wandering; collecting varied and diverse items along the way. As a result, whenever any of us now travel, we do so with centuries of accumulated history in our suitcase, even if we are just staying overnight. Have you ever observed people at airport carousels? Look closely and you will be able to identify the individual by their luggage. You have the tried and tested travelers, who pack exactly what they need – their luggage reflecting their experience of life. Then there are those who bring along so little you wonder how they will cope – the lost souls of air travel. Finally, you notice the group who schlepp everything but the kitchen sink. Their cases contain not so much luggage as baggage.
between the luggage and baggage accrued, so as to jettison the overweight. Otherwise we may end up as Charles Wade did after buying Snowshill Manor estate in 1919. Being an avid and eclectic collector, he soon amassed an enormous inventory of random items which included butter stamps, cowbells and suits of Samurai armour. By 1951, he owned over 22,000 pieces, and had filled the entire mansion. Faced with the prospect of either having to part with some of his collection, or run out living space, he opted to move out of his country manor into a small cottage at the back of the garden - thus ultimately confusing luggage with baggage!
This observation is equally true of us as a nation. We travelled even before the destruction of the second Beis Hamikdosh. Sometimes as merchants, emissaries or teachers, but most frequently as exiles. Communities sprang up everywhere from China to Argentina, from Alaska to New Zealand, and in the process we encountered every groundbreaking philosophy and revolution that the world has seen. However, spending the last two millennia journeying, has not only affected our lives, it has had added layers to our identity. We need to be able to distinguish therefore,
QUIZ TIME
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But how do you define authentic luggage? Where do you get the checklist that advises you what to carry and what to discard?
1. livingwithmitzvos.com
The answer lies at the origins of our national history, where the first recorded instruction to the very first Jew, Avraham Avinu, was to travel. To ensure that he did so successfully, G-d told him what to pack – or more precisely what not to, “Lech Lecha Me’artzecha, Mi’moladetecha U’mibeis Avicha.” “Journey from your land, your birthplace, and your father’s household.” All of those things that would weigh him down, that would prevent him from living a life based on eternal values, he was told to leave behind when he left town; packing only that which would endure, that which was worth preserving. The three cardinal sins – idolatry, immorality and murder - held little weight for most ancient religions. Whereas education and social responsibility held little value. Society
How does Parshas Ha’azinu appear in a Sefer Torah?
5 was lacking a moral foundation and that put Avraham at great odds with those around him.
Once outside I found myself face to face again with Father. We stood there just the two of us, a sixteen year-old boy heading into the maelstrom alone, and Father, a communal leader, who would not abandon his flock, who valued loyalty and responsibility above his own life. He placed his left hand upon my head and blessed me.
However as time progressed, society changed and though their outlook was still very different, Judaism was influenced by these cultures. This was especially so over the past 500 years. The influences came in various shapes and sizes, some helping and others hindering our ultimate goals.
Then speaking about the tragic end of European Jewry he quoted from Yirmiyahu: ‘Both the great and the small shall die in this land; they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament them… neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink.’
As Rav Samson Refael Hirsch remarked: The Creator has endowed the human soul with the sense of beauty which in itself is a first step towards higher perfection. As such, Civilization is certainly capable of creating and spreading ideas of justice and liberty. Yet on its own it cannot impart the knowledge of truth nor produce neither true spiritual enlightenment, nor a way of life for the individual and society. Yefes can control the minds of men, but G-d dwells only in the tents of Shem.
RABBI MOSHE CHAIM LAU HY”D – WHO WAS MURDERED IN TREBLINKA ON 21ST OCTOBER 1942
During World War II, Naftali Lau embarked upon a life’s journey with his younger brother, that was to last nearly three years. He records the heartrending parting from his father - the Rabbi of Pietrokov – in October 1942, and his father’s instructions as to how to travel.
He spoke of his close relations and of the future of his sons. He named several generations of distinguished rabbis from his and Mother’s side, to emphasize the responsibility on any surviving son to continue the heritage of an unbroken chain of thirty-seven generations of rabbis. 1
“When I got home, I found Father sitting in his study. We exchanged glances. Father came over to me and kissed me, his warm tears falling onto my cheek. ‘We must act as our Patriarch Jacob did when faced with confrontation,’ he said. ‘He divided his camp into three, in the hope that at least one would survive’
‘Take special care of Lulek (R’ Yisrael Lau – the future Chief Rabbi of Israel - then only five years old).’ I was gripped by his words. Not even the sounds of shots, screams and rumbling vehicles could distract me. Father believed that I would come out alive from this inferno and by his parting words was transmitting to me his values and guidelines for the future. His face did not reflect his inner tension, even when he voiced the possibility that this might be our very last meeting. His voice was clear, concise, and articulate.
The rumble of gunfire was growing louder. We could feel time running out. Mother pulled a few things from Milek’s backpack and put them in mine. She admonished me to walk carefully, to avoid being seen by the murderers. She held me tight - a hug that was to last me a lifetime. Only with great effort did I manage to move to the stairwell.
QUIZ TIME
He did not attempt to counsel me how to behave in the face of unforeseen challenges, but stressed that whatever I do, should be
2. livingwithmitzvos.com
‘You are young and must not despair. Yirmiyahu’s prophecy is not just a figure of speech, but a recommendation to those who come out of this. G-d willing, you will know how to find your home, not here, not on any alien and hostile soil. Your home will be in Eretz Yisrael, even if it has to be acquired at cost of great pain and suffering.’ Had there been a choice, I would have stayed there forever clasping Father’s warm hand, but the inexorable ticking of the clock meant the last chance for me to leave the ghetto. There was nothing left to do except one last, strong hug. It was Father who finally pushed me away and led me to the stairs. His brimming eyes looking straight at me, he again put his hand to my head, then sent me on my way. At the war’s end only the two boys had survived. Whilst recuperating in France, Naftali Lau contemplated where to start life anew and how to preserve the family heritage, and recalled his father’s advice.
The challenge we face as a nation, becomes a personal one each year over Sukkos, when we are asked to undertake a personal journey. To relocate from a permanent residence to a temporary state of existence. And during this move we are invited to consider which items to take with. What is actually our luggage for life? Something an American air-force crew discovered, when they found themselves adrift for weeks in a small raft in the Pacific Ocean. On being rescued, one of them was asked what he had gained from his ordeal? He replied: “I learned that if you have enough to eat and all the fresh water you need to drink, then you should never ever worry about anything.”
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in the firm knowledge that there was an overriding factor, watching over us.
“At times I had visions of Father, particularly of our last conversation. I remembered his words when we parted on our last night. I saw them as an obligation to follow the road that he and his forefathers had traveled for so many generations. I also remembered the posuk he had quoted: כי יש תקוה לאחריתך ושבו בנים לגבולם. And there is hope for your end, and your children shall return to their own borders.” 2 Naftali Lau would continue the long journey he had begun in Poland a lifetime earlier, bringing with him both the younger brother whom he had protected all those years, and the promise he made to his father. And eventually they and their genuine luggage - which their ancestors had proudly carried through the many years of a long and bitter exile - would make it home. As we contemplate a new year, it is appropriate for us to spend time in thought. To reflect what it is that we actually want, and what we spend our energies pursuing. And to then decide to what degree each of these pre-occupations are indeed genuine luggage or accumulated baggage. Thus ensuring that our future journeys through life are unburdened by overweight. ————————— 1 Naftali Lau mentioned to me that many years after the war he found his father’s Ksav Semicha from the Maharsham (Rav Sholom Mordechai Schwadron), in an archive in Krakow. Rabbi Lau also had Semicha from Rav Meir Arik. 2 Based on Naftali Lau’s memoirs and on personal conversations with the author in Yerushlayim in August 2009.
What does the Shira of the Leviyim in the Beis Hamikdosh have to do with Parshas Ha’azinu?
Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz
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Author The Observant Jew, Migdal Ohr
The author can be contacted at gewirtzj@optonline.net
Parshah
“Remember the days of old; understand the years of generation after generation…” Moshe Rabbeinu urged the Jewish People to reflect on what their ancestors had done to anger Hashem, and what previous generations had done to deserve the annihilation of mankind in the flood. By looking to the past, we are able to avoid following their ways and making the same mistakes.
On this posuk, the Daas Zekainim M’Baalei HaTosfos says: “Remember the days of old – From now on, you should recall the kindnesses Hashem has done with the Jewish People.” In other words, the way to remember the past is by calling to mind the results of those past actions in the form of the rewards earned by previous generations and given to us.
The question we might ask, though, is how we can “remember” things that didn’t happen in our lifetimes. We may be able to remember the stories we were told, but if we didn’t experience it ourselves, how can we “remember” it? How can we bear witness to something we never saw, but only heard?
By the same token, we are to understand and reflect upon the fact that our decisions and behavior will affect generations that follow us. Most parents wish to give their children better lives than they had; to prevent them from making the same mistakes, and ensure that they have what their parents were lacking.
In truth, this is one of the basic tenets of the Jewish faith. The Ramban makes the logical argument that a parent does not generally lie to his child, and the fact that millions of Jewish parents have passed along the same stories and history to their children is proof of its veracity.
The way to do this, says the Torah, is to remember the results of behaviors of previous generations, when they were evil and when they were good, and the ultimate legacy they left to their children. By acting properly and earning Divine approval for our behavior, we leave succeeding generations to reap what we’ve sown in the beneficence of HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
In this case, however, there is more than simple belief at work. Though we were not witness to the actions of previous generations, we are witness to the results. We have only heard stories of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, yet the promise to give Eretz Yisrael to their children was something the Jews of later generations witnessed the fulfillment of themselves.
Sukkos is the time we are supposed to be happy, when we harvest the crops planted months ago, and reap the benefits of the work that came before. Interestingly enough, the Torah portion read on the first two days of Sukkos is the same as that read on the second day of Pesach. Perhaps this acknowledges that
QUESTION
riddle
Parsha
We find in the Gemoro that the Tanna Rabbi Meir had an ability to be “Medayek Bishmay”, size up a person’s character just from their name. It then relates that he took a few words from a Possuk in this week’s Parsha to realize that the person he was involved with was not good and stayed away from him. Chazal recount two further occasions that Rabbi Meir was able to be “Medayek Bishmeih”. On both of these occasions the fact that he did this was not to help him out in a situation but just to explain the relevance of their names in the stories in which they occur. What are the three separate incidents in total and bring all the sources?
Thank you to Boruch Kahan bkahan47@yahoo.co.uk
QUIZ TIME
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CLUE
Be careful who the innkeeper is; the Megila of Shovuois; some kings from Parshas Lech Lecho.
3. livingwithmitzvos.com
the joy of Sukkos, commemorating the Ananei HaKavod, the Clouds of Glory that protected us in the desert, begins with the Exodus from Egypt, when we willingly agreed to be HaShem’s servants, and Shavuos, when we happily accepted His Torah, knowing that we were the ones to benefit most from the deal. As we leave the Aseres Yemei Teshuva, having achieved forgiveness through Rosh HaShana, Yom Kippur, and a desire to change our ways, let us be ever mindful that our actions will always bear fruit, of one kind or another, and make sure that we act in such a way that our children and grandchildren will look back upon us and know that we must have done something right. The Gemara in Taanis (23a) tells us that Choni HaMa’agal, who famously stood in a circle drawn on the ground until Hashem sent rain, once encountered a man planting a carob tree. “How long does this species of tree take to bear fruit?” he asked the man. The fellow replied, “It takes seventy years to produce good fruit.” Astounded, Choni asked him, “And do you really believe you will be alive in seventy years to reap its fruit?” “When I came into the world,” said the man, “I found a carob tree here. Just as my father planted it for me, so I am planting it for my son.”
ANSWER FROM LAST WEEK [Question: There is a letter in our Parsha that is distinct and is the last of a group of six letters spread out in three of the Chamishoh Chumshei Torah. What is the letter, what are the other five and what makes them all so different.]
The Vov from the word Veoidoh (Perek 31 Possuk 28). The other five are in Sefer Bereishis, Shemois and Bamidbar: • Beys at the beginning of Parshas Bereishis (Perek 1 Possuk 1) • Yud of Yehuda in Parshas Vayechi (Perek 49 Possuk 8) • Hey of Haboim in Parshas Beshalach (Perek 14 oPossuk 28) • Shin of Shemoir in Parshas Ki Sisoh (Perek 34 Possuk 11) • Mem of Mah in Parshas Bolok (Perek 24 Possuk 5) The unusual thing is that the Minhag of Soifrim is that every column written in a Sefer Torah should start with the letter Vov except for the above five where the Soifer tries to make sure to begin with these letters only in those particular Parshios. The problem is that Veoidoh already has a Vov so why is that included in the list. An answer might be that the Soifer must make sure to Davka start the column with that word Veoidoh which has a Vov as opposed to any other words that are near to it that also might start with a Vov.
What is special about Shiras Ha’azinu?
Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier
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Founder, Shmuz.com
The author can be contacted at office@theshmuz.com
Parshah
The Eternal People
“Remember the days of old; study the years of generation after generation; ask you father and he will relate it to you, your elders and they will tell you.” [Devarim 32:7] As one of his final addresses to the Jewish nation, Moshe Rabbeinu gave this counsel for the generations:
the plane taxis to the runway, the world is in normal relief. Houses are the size they always are. Cars are just as they should be. However, as you take flight, a perspective shift begins. The normally large apartment buildings begin to shrink. Highways start to look like ribbons winding around in patterns, and entire blocks of houses appear like models set in orderly patterns.
Rashi explains that the words “understand the years of generation after generation” as a criticism against the Jewish people. “If you had paid attention to history, you would see that Hashem has the power to care for you and that He will bring you to the days of Moshiach and the World to Come.”
At 35,000 feet, you see the world in from an entirely different perspective. Patterns emerge. Neighbourhoods can be identified. Cities can be seen for their true size and scope, and your entire viewpoint changes.
Rashi seems to be saying that by studying Jewish history, a person will come to a powerful faith in Hashem. The problem with this Rashi is that just the opposite seems to be true. A study of Jewish history shows an oppressed people chased from exile to expulsion, from tyranny to oppression. From the destruction of the second Beis HaMikdash until now, the Jewish people have lived through every imaginable horror inflicted on man.
This is a powerful moshol to life. While we live life on ground level, we only understand it at 35,000 feet. In the thick and thin of our daily routine, it becomes impossible to see the larger patterns. At 35,000 feet, we begin to understand the bigger picture. An historical perspective allows us to see the rhyme and reason behind things.
We have lived through the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, blood libels, pogroms, persecutions, mass murders and the Holocaust. Throughout the annals of mankind, everything changes: beliefs, culture, language, dress, and modes of government. It seems that there is only one constant, one immutable law of nature. Everyone hates the Jews.
This seems to be the answer to this Rashi. The inexplicable reality is that we the Jews have survived. After millennia of torture and oppression, this nation is still intact. Oddly enough, of all the ancient peoples, the only one that remains is the Jews. Where is the Egyptian monarchy now? The Greek / Syrian dynasty? The powerful Roman Empire? All of these “great” nations had their moments. Their star shone bright for a time, but now they are gone, never to be heard from again. Of all the ancient peoples, we alone survive. The lone wolf amongst the 70 nations – always hated, hounded and oppressed – she alones survives while all the powerful enemies that loom over her are no more.
This being the case, how can Rashi tell us that studying these events will strengthen our emunah? Quite the contrary, they seem to be a great challenge to our faith. The answer to this question is based on seeing the big picture and the reasons behind what happens. When you look out the window of a plane, you experience a change of perspective. As
The final piece in the puzzle is that we have kept our ways. We study the same Torah that echoed in the Batei Medrashim of ancient Rome. We keep the same mitzvahs with the same precision as did the Jews who lived during the first Bais Hamikdash. We wear the same tefillin with the same ten criteria as did the Jews who lived during the time of Dovid Ha’Melech. Rav Yonason Eibichitz defines this as a miracle even more stunning than the splitting of the Red Sea. According to all the laws of nature, the Jewish nation shouldn’t exist. We should have been wiped off the face of this planet long ago. Yet, we survived and we flourish. To this day, we adhere to Hashem, and now we find with millions of our brothers and sisters back flourishing in our homeland, as alive and as vibrant as ever. The message is clear to anyone who wishes to see it. The Jewish people is an exalted and mighty nation. We are Hashem’s people. With a unique destiny and role to play amongst the nations, Hashem shepherds us from country to country, from exile to exile, all the while keeping us separate and holy, maintaining us as His Chosen nation. Our very existence is the greatest proof of the Master Who watches over and protects us. It is incumbent upon us to study this phenomenon and understand its implications, thereby gaining strength in our emunah to truly trust in Hashem and devote ourselves to His service. May Hashem hastily usher in the Moshiach to bring us all back to our land to serve Hashem fully. For more on this topic please listen to Shmuz #1 - Eternal People, and Shmuz # 172- The Tisha B’Av Shmuz
ANSWERS 1. Parshas Ha’azinu is known also as Shiras Ha’azinu and is written in a special
3. The Sifri (Ha’azinu 43) brings that this shira is greater than all the others since
way of shira. This is where some words are written at the beginning of the line followed by a gap of letters and then the end of the line has again letters. This patterned is repeated with each line of the shira.
it encompasses all of time. It contains in it the present, past and future as well
2. The Gemara Rosh Hashana 31a brings that the shira sung by the Leviyim on Shabbos by the Mussaf offering was Shiras Ha’azinu. It is from the way that they split the parsha that we do the same by the reading of Parshas Ha’azinu on Shabbos. Why is the shir for Shabbos Mussaf taken from the shira of Parshas Ha’azinu?
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4. livingwithmitzvos.com
as both this world and the next. 4. The Rambam (Hilchos Tefilla 13:5) says that this is because the shira in Parshas Ha’azinu is to rebuke the people and make them to teshuva. The question still remains then why do we not do the same by the other places of rebuke in the Torah – namely the tochacha of Parshas Bechukosai and Parshas Ki Savo?
The Halocho is that when reading from the Torah, we make sure to stop and start at places that talk about something good. However, this is not the case with the pauses during the shira in Parshas Ha’azinu. Why?
Rabbi Daniel Fine
8
Community Rabbi, Stanmore and Canons Park US; Hasmonean Beis Programme
The author can be contacted at danielpfine@gmail.com
Prophetic Hibernation
P
arashas Haazinu contains one of the final - and most cryptic - prophecies of Moshe Rabbeinu, which gives us ample room to ask a question about Moshe’s prophecy in general. Rashi writes in Sefer Yechezkel[1] that all prophets must begin their ‘careers’ in Eretz Yisrael. Only a prophet who has first received prophecy in Eretz Yisrael can then prophesy elsewhere in the world. Yet, it seems that Moshe did not observe this rule - his first prophecy was in the desert at the burning bush - a far cry from Eretz Yisrael. Why did Moshe not follow this rule? In fact, there are two other opinions in the Rishonim regarding the extent of the dependency of prophecy on the Land of Israel. The Radak[2] cites an opinion that even one’s first prophecy does not need to be in Eretz Yisrael; just that all prophecies must take place in a particularly pure place in chutz l’aretz (at the very least). The Kuzari, on the other hand, writes[3] that all prophecies must either take place in or concern Eretz Yisrael. The Radak would have no problem with the location of Moshe’s prophecy, for they all occurred in pure places in chutz l’aretz. A desert does not seem particularly impure - nobody has lived there to invest the place with spiritual lowliness. The Kuzari would also be able to explain Moshe’s prophecy easily, for he maintains[4] that Har Sinai and that area of desert is actually part of Eretz Yisrael – so according to the Kuzari all of Moshe’s prophesies were within the borders of Eretz Yisrael. Nevertheless, Rashi’s approach still eludes us: how could Moshe have begun his prophetic career outside the Land of Israel? We shall present two principle answers to this question. First, it could be that the ‘first in Eretz Yisrael’ rule only applies when the Beis Hamikdash is standing, which indicates that Eretz Yisrael is at its full capacity and at a heightened state of kedushah, as Rashi[5] appears to suggest. Therefore, since there was no Beis Mikdash during Moshe’s lifetime, this rule did not apply. Certainly, if the ‘Eretz Yisrael first’ rule is a measure aimed at recognising the importance of the land, it seems quite logical that this should only apply once the land reaches its full capacity of kedushah. Moreover, this answer might also explain why Daniel managed to prophesy in Bavel despite never having received prophecy in Eretz Yisrael, although there might be other answers regarding Daniel.[6] However, there is another - perhaps more simple - explanation
as to how Moshe could prophesy despite not starting off in Eretz Yisrael. When Rashi writes that prophets must begin their prophecy in Eretz Yisrael, he is only referring to other prophets, but Moshe Rabbeinu’s prophecy is not bound by this rule. Apart from Moshe Rabbeinu’s prophecy being qualitatively superior to that of all other prophets, there are actually different requirements to be a prophet of Moshe’s calibre than to qualify for the prophetic level of other prophets.[7] Therefore, we can suggest the following explanation: if the ‘Eretz Yisrael first’ rule is because this imbues the prophet or prophecy with a certain level of holiness, Moshe Rabbeinu certainly did not require such ‘help’, for he had the most direct connection and relationship with Hashem ever attained by man. As the Torah Temimah writes,[8] Eretz Yisrael’s spiritual superiority and uniqueness stems from the fact that it reflects the Torah. As the wording of Dayeinu (in the Haggadah) suggests, had we not received the Torah, the gift of Eretz Yisrael would have been meaningless, for if there is no Torah to reflect, then Eretz Yisrael is bereft of its spiritual shine. Thus, Moshe, the person who managed to bond with the Torah to such an extent that it was given through him after he received it directly from Hashem, did not need a spiritual boost by being in Eretz Yisrael, which reflects the Torah; he experienced the ‘real thing’ - the Torah itself. Alternatively, if the ‘Eretz Yisrael’ first rule is a form of official ‘semichah’ for prophecy, Moshe certainly would not have needed such an official recognition he had ‘semichah’ from Hashem in front of the entire nation. Let us now take this ‘Eretz Yisrael first’ rule as a mashal and lesson for life. Mashgichim in recent generations have stressed the importance of spending a focused period of time[9] immersed in an atmosphere of sanctity and religious growth, away from the hustle and bustle of the big wide world. What this usually means is going to yeshivah or seminary after high school, although others have found it equally beneficial to spend some more time in their respective place of learning later on in their lives too. Many have even adopted the highly worthwhile practice of going back to yeshivah before entering the world of work. This imbues a person with a focus, aim, and priorities in life, ideally buffering the various pulls and attractions prevalent in the outside world which tend to be morally detrimental too. Moreover, this concentrated period in yeshivah or seminary should provide a person with a heightened sense of
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Parshah self, being more aware of his or her internal makeup and skills. Much depression and most mid-life crises can ultimately be traced back to faulty appraisal of who one is, what one’s skills are, and what one can achieve in life - an appraisal which this focused period in yeshivah or seminary serves to set accurately. That is all apart from the Torah-study skills and knowledge picked up in this period - skills which will hopefully be used throughout one’s life - as well as the mitzvah performance and religious growth that is essential for healthy living in this world and the next. The ‘Eretz Yisrael first’ rule is symbolic of this concept of spending the beginning period of one’s adult life immersed within an atmosphere of spirituality, in order to align one’s aims and spiritual awareness before going out into the wide world. There are other mini-Eretz Yisraels which one can constantly tap into even when one has entered the big wide world. For example, the Vilna Gaon and the Kli Yakar[10] reveal that the shuls and Batei Midrash of chutz l’aretz have a certain aspect of the holiness of Eretz Yisrael, and both are places in which we essentially begin and end our days (or at least we should try to do so). Similarly, we have days which give us the opportunity to re-align ourselves and become immersed in spirituality, such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. As the Malbim writes, the words yamim nora’im do not just mean ‘days of fear’ (from the word yirah), but also ‘days of seeing’ (from the word re’iyah), for they are days when we can tap into a heightened awareness – comparable to vision - of Hashem’s Presence. [1] Rashi Yechezkel 1:3. It is also hinted at in the gemarra Mo’ed Kattan. [2] Redak Yechezkel 1:3 [3] Sefer Kuzari, towards the beginning of maamar 2 [4] According to the Kuzari, one would have to explain why Hashem did not settle us in the desert if it was part of Eretz Yisrael. It seems that Hashem wanted us to live in the main body of Eretz Yisrael - either because that part has more kedushah or because He wanted us all to live in close proximity to each other. See Ramban Bamidbar 21:21. There could be room for discussion regarding the fact that Moshe seemed to have some prophetic contact with Hashem in Egypt itself - see the end of parashas Shemos. [5] Rashi Taanis 17a ‘debai’ [6] The Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 2:45) and the Maharsha (Sanhedrin 94a) are of the opinion that Daniel was not a prophet; he ‘merely’ had ruach hakodesh. Rashi (Megillah 3a) and the Kuzari seem to disagree. Interestingly, the Kuzari writes that Daniel managed to achieve prophecy in Bavel partly due to the fact that he was in Eretz Yisrael during the times of the Beis Hamikdash (he was taken to Bavel aged 13), and thus received its special spiritual influence. [7] See Kesef Mishnah, Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 7:1 [8] In his Hagaddah Baruch She’amar page 55 [9] Each person’s case and needs vary, of course. [10] Kli Yakar on the second paragraph of Shema in parashas Eikev
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