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their own women and children is G-d’s work, we have nothing to fear.
A True Jewish Military Leader
Many people have seen the most inspiring letter which was sent by Colonel Ofer Winter of the Givati Brigade to his reservist soldiers as they were being called up to serve in Gaza years ago. It perfectly captures the Jewish spirit of righteous battle.
This is what he wrote:
We have been bestowed a great privilege to command and serve in the Givati Brigade at this time.
History has chosen us to be on the cutting edge of the war against the terrorist enemy, the “one of Gaza” [cf. Yehoshua 13:3] who curses, reviles, and defames the G-d of the battalions of Israel. [Cf. Dovid’s encounter with Golias, the Plishti,
Shmuel I 17:10, 26, 36, 45.] Let us prepare and ready ourselves for this moment when we accept upon ourselves this mission with a sense of agency and complete humility and with a readiness to put ourselves in danger or give up our lives in order to protect our families, our nation, and our birthplace.
Let us work with resolve and strength and with initiative, strategy, and hard work in our encounter with the enemy. We will do everything we can to fulfill our mission to cut down the enemy and to remove fear from the people of Israel. Our credo is “We do not return before the mission is done.” Let us work and do everything we can to bring back our boys in peace by utilizing every means at our disposal and with any effort that is required.
I am relying on you, on each and every one of you, to do your duty in this spirit, the spirit of Jewish warriors who go out in in front of the camp. “The spirit which is called ‘Givati.’” I lift up my eyes to Heaven and say with you, “Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad.” May Hashem, the G-d of Israel, bring success in our mission in which we stand to do battle for the sake of Your people Israel against the enemy who curses Your Name. In the name of the warriors of the IDF generally, and in particular, in the name of the warriors and commanders of our Brigade, may
Hashem act and fulfill in us that which it says in the pasuk, “Hashem your G-d goes out with you to do battle with your enemies for you to save you” [Devarim 20:4], and let us say Amen. “Together, and only together, will we be victorious.”
Ofer Winter, Aluf Mishneh
Commander, Givati Brigade
Colonel Winter’s words leave no doubt in the hearts of his men that he understands that G-dliness and actively doing battle to protect the Jewish people and defend Hashem’s honor are not mutually exclusive.
The parsha is named after our “journeys,” not our encampments. Why? Because the main thing is that in life we do not stop. We must keep moving forward, looking for how G-d’s will expresses itself in all of the various permutations of life’s challenges.
May each of us and all of our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisroel merit to reach a level on which we can contain all of the disparate aspects of life in this world within us. May we recognize that we must serve G-d in all of the different ways the Torah demands for the vast array of differing life circumstances we encounter in our journeys. And may Hashem take vengeance upon every terrorist snake who has harmed even a single hair on the head of any Jew. May Hashem soon send Moshiach to remove every evil regime from the earth to make way for the great-grandson of the greatest king, Dovid Hamelech, soon in our days.
Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, is the founding Morah d’Asrah of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY, and serves as leader of the new mechina Emek HaMelech.
PLANNING IS YOUR STABILITY IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY
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All halachic documents are under the supervision of the Bais HaVaad in Lakewood.
Delving into the Daf
Shopping Cart Considerations
By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow
One Thursday night, I was shopping at a supermarket. That store is open until midnight on Thursday nights, which is perfect for people who wait until the last minute to do their Shabbos shopping. I can’t say I’m proud of this distinction, but I was the last shopper in the store that night. All the workers were waiting to go home. The only obstacle in their path was my shopping cart overflowing with groceries waiting to be scanned or weighed. I can’t blame my wife for the long shopping list; if she gets me to go shopping, she has to milk the opportunity for all its worth.
After the groceries were rung up and paid for, I told everyone that I was sorry for being so late, and I made my way to the exit. The manager unlocked the door for me, and I went to the parking lot. After I unloaded all the groceries into my car, I noticed a case of seltzer on the shelf underneath the shopping cart. I made my way back to the exit and banged on the doors. (It’s not worth coming back as a gilgul for a case of seltzer!) Needless to say, the workers were not happy with me. However, most of the wrath was directed to the cashier who rang me up and missed the seltzer.
The following week, unfortunately, I had the same distinction of being the last shopper at the store. On my way out, the same manager as the week before unlocked the door and let me out. I told him that he doesn’t need to worry – this week I remembered to pay for the seltzer. He responded that he remembered what happened last week and noticed the seltzer again on the bottom of my cart. He told me that he thought about asking me if it was paid for, but then he thought better of it. Better leave well enough alone. (To his boss: don’t be so hard
on him, it was late. Everyone wanted to go home.) By the way, I, baruch Hashem, have since improved, and it has been a long time since I was the last shopper in the store.
If this manager did not know whether or not I paid for my carbonated beverages, would a casual observer know? The second time around, there was a small red “paid” sticker on top of one of the bottles. However, since it was under my cart, it was hardly visible. Is that a problem? Would someone think I was stealing?
Rav said it would constitute a chillul Hashem if he would not pay the butcher soon after his purchase (Yoma 86a). Rashi explains that the butcher might assume that Rav does not intend to pay. However, it may simply be that Rav is waiting for the butcher to come and collect the money owed, or perhaps he intends to pay in a few days. Still, since this is not the most common practice, Rav says it is a chillul Hashem.
According to Rashi, the reason it is only a chillul Hashem for him, is that people view him as a role mod-
el and would learn from him. Keeping things on the bottom of a cart without any indication that they were paid for is a common enough practice that it would not constitute a chillul Hashem to the general public. People realize that the items were probably paid for.
However, the Ben Yehoyada has a different approach to our Gemara. He understands that Rav is saying that even if it is the common practice not to pay right away, an adam gadol should pay right away. An adam gadol should always keep himself above even the slightest suspicion. Perhaps, according to the Ben Yehoyada, an adam gadol should always make sure that everything in his shopping cart is bagged or clearly marked “paid,” although now it is a common sight to see people carrying loads of groceries in their hands to avoid paying for plastic bags.
It is interesting to note that the Chasam Sofer has an altogether different approach to this Gemara. He points out that Rav specifically mentioned meat being purchased from a butcher as opposed to any item being bought from a store. The Chasam Sofer says that a rav should not accept free meat from a butcher. People might erroneously assume that the free meat was a tradeoff for a lenient ruling on a question of the kashrus status of an animal. Moreover, an onlooker might mistakenly assume that a delayed payment for meat is, in fact, free meat. To clear himself of any suspicion, Rav said that he must make payment immediately specifically for meat purchased from the butcher.
Mazal tov to all those who finished Yoma!
