Issue
230
בס"ד
הריני בא ללמוד תורה לשמה לעשות נחת רוח לאבינו שבשמים מוצאי שבת ר"ת
מוצאי שבת
פרשת וישלח
ט"ז כסלו תש"פ 14 Dec 2019
קבלת שבת
JLM
MAN
LON
JLM
BMTH
GLSGW
GHD
MAN
LON
JLM
BMTH
GLSGW
GHD
MAN
LON
5.55
5.02
5.03
5.17
5.00
4.51
4.44
4.52
4.50
4.00
3.47
3.27
3.23
3.34
3.35
Yaakov vs Lavan Yaakov vs Esav
Rabbi Yaakov Hamer Bridge Lane Beis Hamedrash
Rabbi Yitzchak Karo [1458-1535], the uncle of the famous Rabbi Yosef Karo who authored the Shulchan Aruch, raises a number of apparent inconsistencies between the meeting of Yaakov and Lavan and the meeting of Yaakov and Esav. 1 Why did Hashem warn Lavan not to speak or argue with Yaakov but did not do the same to Esav? 2 Why do we say in the Hagada that Lavan tried to uproot and destroy Klal Yisroel, but we make no mention of Esav’s intent to do the same thing? 3 Why didn’t Yaakov daven to Hashem to save him from the potential harm of Lavan as he did before meeting Esav? 4 Why was it necessary for the angels to accompany Yaakov when their accompaniment was unessential whereas when he desperately needed their assistance against Esav, they left him alone and vulnerable? 5 Why didn’t Hashem assure Avraham and Yitzchak in their respective difficulties that He will be with them the way He did with Yaakov when He told them that He would safeguard him? 6 Whenever promises and assurances were given to Yitzchak, he was told that they were being done in the merit of his father, Avraham. With Yaakov, however, he was not told that they were being done in the merit of Yitzchak or Avraham.
Reb Yitzchak explains that the key to all the aforementioned differences lies in the following concept. Avraham’s life and challenges signified and served as a sign of his descendants’ difficulties throughout the Egyptian exile. Yitzchak’s tests corresponded to his descendants’ difficulties in the Babylonian exile. Yaakov’s trials and tribulations foreshadow the difficulties his descendants will experience in the final exile which began with the Romans’ destruction of the temple until this very day.
ספר דברים
ספר במדבר
לע"נ ר' יקותיאל זלמן נאה ז''ל בן ר' חנניה יו''ט ליפא הי''ד נלב''ע ט''ז אדר תשע''ז
לע"נ מרת טויבא רחל נאה ע''ה בת ר' שמואל שמעלקא הי''ד נלב''ע כ''ה מנחם אב תשע''ז
Let us go back and see how all of the questions are resolved. 1 The reason Hashem did not warn Esav against speaking to Yaakov is because Esav and his descendants have been tasked with tempting Yaakov and his descendants away from the straight and narrow. It follows that warning Esav to leave Yaakov alone would have defeated the whole point. 2 It is for this reason that we do not say in the Hagada that Esav tried to uproot and destroy Klal Yisroel. It is not something which he and his descendants did in the past. It is ongoing and will continue until the end of days! 3 This also explains why he did not request divine assistance against Lavan but only against Esav. The Avos requested assistance in situations where their descendants would struggle. The struggle against Lavan was more of a personal one and therefore did not meet with the same request for divine assistance as did the struggle against Esav. 4 The angels left him alone when he came face to face with Esav. This battle Yaakov needed to find his own inner strength, just like we, his descendants need to muster up our strength to resist succumbing to the various temptations which Esav’s descendants offer us. 5 It is for this reason that Hashem did not assure Avraham and Yitzchak. Unlike Yaakov, whose exile would last thousands of years, their respective exiles were milder and shorter. They, therefore din not need promises and assurances. 6 This also explains why Hashem did not tell Yaakov that in the merit of his father and grandfather he would be spared. As the exile which corresponds to Yaakov Avinu is the final one which will be horrendous in length and in severity, we will need more than simply zechus avos [merit of the Patriarchs] but will need our own input and the merit of the Torah, which is characterised by Yaakov Avinu, to help us.
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Oneg Shabbos Issue 230.
The
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Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz Author The Observant Jew, Migdal Ohr
Good Fight And Yaakov was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.(32:25)
H
aving moved his family across the river to be safe from the onslaught of his brother Esav, Yaakov returned alone to retrieve some small vessels (according to some, this would later be the jug of oil found at the time of the Chanukah miracle!) While doing so, he encountered an angel which Chazal tell us was the Ministering Angel of Esav. The two began to fight, kicking up dust as they wrestled to and fro, each trying to control his opponent. They passed the night this way until the break of dawn when the angel had to leave to sing Hashem’s praise. Yaakov would not let the angel go until he gave Yaakov a blessing. This match symbolises the daily struggle of the Evil Inclination to get each of us to sin. Just as Yaakov was alone, so too, no one can fight the battle for us. It is up to us alone to change ourselves and no one can force us to be good and overpower our Yetzer Hara. Indeed, if not for the fact that Hashem gives us the power to stand up to him, the Yetzer Hara, Hashem’s messenger sent to test us and strengthen our resolve, would win every time. However, as we see from Yaakov, we can fend him off. The battle raged until daybreak. This represents the end of a person’s life, when everything is illuminated by the truth of Hashem. The lights in the theatre come up and all the props become visible and apparent. It is at that point that there is
For questions on Divrei Torah, please email the editor Rabbi Yonasan Roodyn at editor@oneg.org.uk
no more struggle, just a review of how well we performed. It is noteworthy, though, that the Torah doesn’t give us a “blow-by-blow” report of each time Yaakov overpowered the angel or the angel overpowered Yaakov. Undoubtedly, over the course of the night, each was in a dominant position at various times, and in a subordinate one at others. Yet, the Torah groups all of these together into “they wrestled until daybreak.” This is very important. As we said, this battle represents the battle we fight with our yetzer hara. At times, we will get the upper hand, and at other times he will have it. Sometimes we will succeed, and sometimes we will fail. However, we must not rest on the laurels of our victories nor give up when we are defeated. This is a match that will continue so long as Hashem gives us life. Even if today we are brought low, tomorrow, or even later today, we can get up again, dust ourselves off, and put the yetzer hara in his place.
Adventure, we learn that Hillary had to grow into this success. In 1952, he attempted to climb Mount Everest but failed. A few weeks later a group in England asked him to address its members. Hillary walked on stage to a thunderous applause. The audience recognized an attempt at greatness, but Edmund Hillary only saw his failure. At one point, he walked to the edge of the speaker’s platform. He made a fist and pointed at a picture of the mountain. He then said in a loud voice, “Mount Everest, you beat me the first time, but I’ll beat you the next time because you’ve grown all you are going to grow… but I’m still growing!” M
This is the lesson of Yaakov’s battle with the angel of Esav. Don’t be content to live in this world without seeking spirituality like Esav, and never feel you’ve been dragged down and beaten. We are Yisrael, who grapple with angels and men, and are capable. Let’s keep fighting the good fight. On May 29, 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary became the first man to climb Mount Everest. It wasn’t easy, and in his book, High
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14 December 2019
ט"ז כסלו תש"פ
פרשת וישלח
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A Blessed Life
I
n this week’s parsha we are riveted by the Torah’s description of the tense encounter of Yaakov Avinu with Eisav; it is the first time they have met since Yaakov Avinu had “deceived” their father in taking the blessings which Yitzchak intended for Eisav. Having waited for Yitzchak to die to exact his revenge upon Yaakov Avinu, Eisav collects a massive army and approaches Yaakov Avinu’s encampment. In his fear and anticipation of this showdown, Yaakov Avinu prepares accordingly and places his children and wives in separate camps, ensuring that there will be at least some survivors.
Rabbi Naftali Kassorla Maggid Shiur, Yeshivas Tiferes Yisroel, Yerushalayim
Yaakov understood the important truth: Wealth comes and goes, status can be gained and lost in a matter of hours, but a life mission lasts forever. M
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erything and anything He doe
With this we arrive at יסודof the message Yaakov Avinu wanted to send to Eisav: The true value of the בכורהis not judged by the accumulation of material wealth; it was much more than that. The blessing of Avraham and Yitzchak are in
Once we know this, we can now appreciate even more deeply Yaakov’s response to Eisav: יש לי כל. Yaakov truly had everything – not only in the material sense; he had attained everything in a much more profound way. Yaakov had the sense of mission and purpose that would be a guidepost for his entire life.
ig • Thank Hashem publicly for ev
However, we must ask, if Yaakov Avinu is referring to the בכורה, by saying – קח נא את ברכתיhow can he simply offer up the blessing back to Eisav? Did Yaakov Avinu not go to great lengths to receive it in place of Eisav? How could he, in a sense, imply to be “giving it away” now?
truth a life mission: a life of purpose and of meaning for ourselves and for others. The wealth and honor were a means to fulfill their holy mission for the world, not the ends in-and-of-themselves. A gift to be utilized to bring קדושהinto the world, to be מגלהthe דבר ה׳and to raise up a Nation to receive the Torah.
In no uncertain terms was Yaakov Avinu giving away the blessings; rather he was defining for Eisav the true value of any blessing which Hashem bestows upon us. For even if Yaakov Avinu were to give him all his wealth, it would still not remove the true ברכהfrom Yaakov Avinu. The mission of the ברכותwould forever remain with Yaakov Avinu.
Finally they meet. Yaakov Avinu is completely self-effacing, bowing towards Eisav in a show of respect. Eisav (as Rashi explains) is overcome with mercy and runs towards Yaakov Avinu to embrace him, even kissing him.
I believe that Yaakov Avinu was trying to send a message to Eisav. By using the word ברכתי, Yaakov Avinu was trying to make reference to the ברכותwhich Yaakov Avinu “took” from Eisav. As mentioned previously, when Eisav comes upon Yaakov Avinu, he is faced with the tremendous blessings that Hakadosh Baruch Hu has bestowed upon his brother; Eisav sees first-hand Yaakov Avinu’s great riches, a clear קיוםof the blessings of Avraham and Yitzchak, which Eisav felt he was supposed to receive. This is not just any ברכה. This is the ברכה.
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Yaakov Avinu’s message to Eisav was clear and direct, saying: “Eisav – if you think the blessings are so superficial that the sum of their parts is just the גשמיות, then yes – take it!”
Included in Yaakov Avinu’s preparation are gifts for Eisav – a large quantity of animals – in order to steer his brother away from his rage.
Despite Eisav’s supposed contentment, Yaakov Avinu’s attempts to appease Eisav do not stop there. He entreats Eisav to take the gifts that he had prepared for him, exclaiming: “ – קח נא את ברכתיPlease accept my homage, which was brought to you” (Bereishis 33:11). Interestingly, the Torah uses the word ברכתיas opposed to מתנהor מנחה, which would be more fitting for the context. Even more curious, is that the Torah previously used the word מנחתיspecifically in referring to these gifts (Ibid. 32:14). Rashi, seemingly bothered by this change, explains that in fact ברכתי does mean מנחתי. But still, why change now? What is the significance of Yaakov Avinu using the word ברכתיinstead of ?מנחתי
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Oneg Shabbos Issue 230.
This page is sponsored לע''נ ביילא בת ר׳ משה ע''ה
WHAT CAUSED YAAKOV TO START OBSERVING SHABBOS? ) כה:ׁשחַ ר׃ (לב ֽ ָ ּ ַַו ִּיּוָתֵ ֥ר יַ ֲע ֖ק ֹב לְ בַּד֑ ֹו ַוּיֵָאבֵ ֥ק אִ יׁש ֙ עִ ּ֔מֹו עַ ֖ד ֲעלֹ֥ות ה
Yaakov was left alone, and a Man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.
ֲׁשר ֙ ּבְ אֶ ֶ֣רץ ּכְ ַנ֔עַ ן ּבְ ב ֹא֖ ֹו ִמּפַ ּדַ ֣ן א ֲָ֑רם ַו ִּי ֖חַ ן ֶ ׁש ֜ ֵלם עִ ֣יר ְׁש ֶ֗כם א ָ ַו ָּיב ֹא֩ יַ ֲע ֹ֨קב ) יח:אֶ ת־ּפְ ֵנ ֥י הָ ִעֽיר׃ (לג
Yaakov arrived intact at the city of Shechem which is in the Land of Canaan, upon his arriving from Padan-Aram, and he encamped before the city. The Midrash (')ב”ר י”א זbrings the following:
ירש את העולם במדה,אברהם שאין כתוב בו שמירת שבת שנאמר וכו’ אבל יעקב שכתוב בו שמירת שבת שנאמר ויחן את ירש, נכנס עם דמדומי חמה וקבע תחומין מבעוד יום,פני העיר 'את העולם שלא במדה שנאמר וכו
Avraham, with regard to whom the observance of Shabbos is not written, inherited the world in a limited measure… But Yaakov, with regard to whom the observance of Shabbos is written, as is stated, ‘And he encamped before the city’; meaning that Yaakov arrived at the city before sunset on Friday afternoon, and established the two-thousand-amah Shabbos boundary for himself while it was still day, inherited the world without a limited measure…
The Commentators explain that although the Gemara in Yuma 28b says that – אברהם אבינו קיים כל התורה כולה Avraham Avinu fulfilled the entire Torah; even so, in regards to Shabbos, Avraham had no choice but to refrain from its observance. This was in accordance to the Gemara in Sanhedrin 58b which states that – עכו"ם ששבת חייב מיתה A gentile who ceased working for an entire Shabbos is liable to death; Avraham Avinu was not certain whether he had the status of a Jew and was permitted, and even commended, to observe Shabbos, or if he had the status of a non-Jew and was prohibited from doing so. Therefore, he had no choice but to be stringent and desecrate Shabbos. We need to understand why Yaakov, who did observe Shabbos, was not faced with the same doubt and uncertainty that gave his grandfather, Avraham, no choice but to desecrate Shabbos. Furthermore, we don’t find any reference of Yaakov observing Shabbos until after his encounter with the Angel, which would seem to imply that only after that encounter did Yaakov start observing
Shabbos. That definitely begs for an explanation; what happened at that encounter that gave Yaakov reason to start observing Shabbos? It seems from the pesukim, that the angel who struggled with Yaakov all night could not defeat him until the break of dawn, and even then it was only due to the “Shira”, the Praise of Hashem that the Angels sing, that he was able to defeat Yaakov. What’s this all about?
We can explain this all through the following. The Gemara in Sanhedrin 93a states that גדולים צדיקים יותר – ממלאכי השרתThe righteous are greater than Angels. The reason for this superiority is because the righteous not only study the Torah, but also observe its Mitzvos, while the Angels can only study the Torah, and the Gemara in Bava Kamma 17a says that – גדול למוד התורה שהלמוד מביא לידי מעשה ופרש"י אלמא מעשה עדיף- The study of Torah is important because it leads to the performance of Mitzvos. This clearly indicates that studying Torah is secondary to its practice, and due to this superiority, the Angel was unable to overpower Yaakov throughout the night. But at the crack of dawn, when it was time for the Angels to sing “Shira”, this merit shone in virtue of the Angel. This is because Tosfos in Sanhedrin b43writes that although the angels can sing Hashem’s praise every day, Klal Yisroel can only sing it on Shabbos, and since at that time Yaakov was still not observing Shabbos, he never had the opportunity to sing the “Shira”. Thus, this merit of the “Shira” gave the Angel superiority, and enabled him to defeat Yaakov. When Yaakov saw what had occurred, that the Angel was unable to defeat him the whole night, he realized that it must have been because of his superiority over the Angel, which was due to his observance of the mitzvos. It was then that Yaakov understood that it must be that he is has the full status of a Jew, as the mitzvos of a non-Jew would not be on a high enough level to make him superior to an Angel. As soon as he realized that he is considered a complete Jew, he started to observe Shabbos, just as he observed the rest of the Torah. זרע שמשון פרשת וישלח אות י”א
14 December 2019
ט"ז כסלו תש"פ
פרשת וישלח
The Enormity of that Truth
A
nd Yaakov said, “O G-d of my father Avraham and G-d of my father Yitzchok, Hashem, Who said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your birthplace, and I will do good to you. I have become small from all the kindnesses and from all the truth that You have rendered Your servant, for with my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.” (Bereishis 32:9-10) What does Yaakov mean when he says that he has become small from all the “kindnesses” and the all the emes -“Truth”? What is “all” the “Truth”? Why is Truth singular and “kindnesses” plural? How do kindness and truth make someone small? The Baal HaTanya has a powerful approach to these words. He explains that “the kindnesses of Hashem come from the side of chessed- generosity and they serve to draw us closer.” When we are feeling distant Hashem seems to us small but when we come closer we begin to realise how great He is and how small we are. For example, when looking from a great distance, even the largest and brightest object in the sky can be made negligible. From 93,000,000 miles away I can block the sun with my thumb. I realise that I am not really blocking the sun at all and this is a childish perspective. However if we could fly to within closer proximity of the sun then we would gain the more true perspective of how huge the sun is and in proportion how tiny we are. We would feel extremely small. This explains the foolish and arrogant posture of those who would close their eyes to the kindliness of Hashem and even deny the existence of Hashem. It is only because they feel distant, and exist with an unawareness of the kindliness they benefit from constantly, that they feel confident to block Hashem. It is also true that because they are in denial of Hashem’s existence that they cannot recognize His continuous flow of kindness. Now let us consider a true disparity in size that cannot even be calculated. I once heard, many years ago, from the
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Rabbi Label Lam Torah.org
Lubavicher Rebbe zt’’l that “Any number, no matter how large, is still infinitely shy of infinity!” That is why we refer to Hashem in the seforim hakedoshim as אור אין סוף- Endless Light. There cannot be a positive attribution. We can only describe Hashem as without end. We lack the language or the ability to even conceptualise whatever language we have, “Infinity”. Now when we begin to appreciate that everything in creation is entirely dependent upon the constant renewal of Hashem’s will and the world was initially established as a gigantic expression of ultimate kindliness then we can feel that we are being drawn into the orbit of that source of kindness. We begin to shrink in the face of that ultimate truth. At those times when our mind is open to meditate on this awesome reality, then we can appreciate why Yaakov declared to Hashem, “I am small from the super abundance of kindnesses and also the enormity of that truth!” M
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Oneg Shabbos Issue 230.
Achieving Spiritual Greatness Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman The young yeshiva bachurim were not the only ones who were deported to Siberia. The Russians had also imprisoned a large part of the Lithuanian government including the parliament and many of the military leaders. The Russians took great pleasure in demoralizing the prisoners.
The higher of a position a person had held in Lithuania, the more humiliating of a job he received in Siberia. The Minister of Education of Lithuania was a brilliant man who spoke fifteen languages. He was awarded with latrine duty. All the prisoners had a tremendous amount of respect for the yeshiva bachurim. When the prisoners would get into arguments amongst each other, they would go to the yeshiva bachurim to pasken their din Torahs, as they knew the bachurim could be trusted. One night, one of the yeshiva bachurim, Yankele, later the well-known maggid in Eretz Yisrael, Rav Yaakov Galinsky, awoke to soft rustling. From the corner of his eye, he watched how a fellow prisoner awoke and was rummaging through a bag. The man took out a uniform, got dressed and stood in front of window. The night was black and he was able to see through the window’s reflection how this prisoner, dressed in a Lithuanian high ranking uniform, started saluting, marching, and strutting back and forth for fifteen minutes. Yankele watched in fascination. Eventually, the prisoner took off the uniform, returned it to the bag under the bunk and went back to sleep. The next morning, Yankele approached his fellow prisoner. “What was going on? I saw you get dressed in middle of the
night – what was that all about? What are you up to?” The prisoner confided, “I’ll tell you the truth. I was a general in the Lithuanian army. Now in Siberia, the Russians use every opportunity to humiliate me. I must keep reminding myself who I really am. Therefore, every night I stand in front of the mirror, put on my uniform, and I remind myself that I am an honorable general, as I march back and forth, saluting myself. That is the way that I will not forget who I am.” This is our avodah in this world. We are the precious children of the Ribono Shel Olam and we must remind ourselves of this at every opportunity. I was privileged to be involved in raising money for a young chosson who is a ger tzedek. Among the donations, I received a three page letter from a woman, who wrote the following: I see that you’re raising money to marry off a chosson who is a ger tzaddik. I want to share with you the story of our son-in-law. Our son-in-law was a non-Jewish young man who lived in Mexico. He was a soccer star. When he came onto the fields, the crowd on the stands would erupt into cheering and screaming. His future ahead of him held anything he could ever dream of. He was the star. Inside, however, he felt hollow. The cheering was great, but once it was over, there was nothing there. Once while he was walking back home, he heard strains of beautiful singing. When looking where the inspiring tunes were coming from, he saw that the house he was passing by had the front window wide open. He watched in amazement at the regal looking grandfather dressed in honorable clothing who sat around the elegantly set table with his son and grandchildren. They
were all sitting at a Shabbos table, singing zemiros. He stood there transfixed. He began to tremble. He was watching and watching. He couldn’t get over what he saw. He stood there seeing for the first time in his life the Shabbos table of a Yiddishe family. After that, he never turned back. He never went back to his fans. He never went back to soccer. He found a Rav. He began to learn. He was megayer. Today, he sits and learns day and night. He says he feels the same rush of adrenaline when he comes into beis hamedrash as he felt when going onto pitch. When he’s learning a Tosfos, he hears the storm. He says that is the same feeling that he felt when he had thousands of fans cheering for him. The difference is stark, however. When the cheering was over, the feeling would disappear. When learning Tosfos, the feeling lasts eternally. Can you imagine what it means to turn your back on all that fame? Where does that come from? It comes from greatness. There is a spiritual greatness that we all have. We must energize it and never forget that we have it. Let us always understand the greatness of our neshama, which will affect our relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu so positively. Story from StoriesToInspire.org
14 December 2019
ט"ז כסלו תש"פ
פרשת וישלח
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THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME Rabbi Malcolm Herman Associate National Director Seed UK
T
his famous phrase was articulated by Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz” in those final scenes of this seasonal classic. In that penultimate scene, Dorothy closes her eyes, repeats the words and wakes to find herself surrounded by her family and friends. Her timeless phrase could not be more appropriate for our society.
We need to recognise an important distinction between a “house” and a “home”. A “house” is a place where people live. It is a residence that shelters from the elements. But “home” is a place where people become. This is certainly true for a home in which there are children. Children’s first impression of themselves is simply a reflection of the way they are perceived by others at home. If they grow up with confidence that is often because those at home have invested them with trust and if they grow up with uncertainty that is often because those at home have enveloped them with criticism. Within the familiar rooms of a family home, children learn to enjoy success without it going to their heads and manage failure without it going into their hearts. It is within those four walls that they will discover the need to make space for themselves and the necessity to create space for others. Around a classic Shabbos seudah, there is a further dimension: past becomes present and present becomes future. Children learn that they are part of a Continuum of Jewish history. In short, the “home” is the classroom where children learn to become wholesome adults. It is the laboratory where curiosity is encouraged. It is the gymnasium, the library, the surgery and cafe all rolled into one. We live in a world where the “ideal HOUSE exhibition” is presented as the “ideal HOME exhibition”. Yet what is on exhibit are the physical furnishings rather than the essential emotional furnishings. It is curious to note that in Hebrew, there aren’t separate words for “house” and “home”. There is just one word: “bayis”. This is expressive of the aspiration that in the “ideal world exhibition” the two should be synonymous.
jthought.org
It’s Better to be Calm There is an unbelievable freedom that we develop when we are able to understand the idea of It’s better to be calm. We have R' Yossi no idea of what freedom this Bensoussan brings. You can choose any situation in your life and think of how the ramifications would have been so different if you would have stayed calm and just walked away. Some of the worst things in our entire lives happen because we were so afraid and so insecure and don’t stay calm. How would we like to react ideally? A calm reaction makes us better parents, better children, better siblings, and better spouses. Everybody around us gains when we radiate a calm attitude. Imagine any fight that you have been involved in and picture how it would have changed if you would have reacted in a calm manner. It would have turned out so differently or it could have been avoided entirely. Furthermore, when we work on reacting in a calm fashion, then we actually build a much stronger bond with people we may be in a disagreement with. A calm reaction creates a much deeper, richer bond with the person we don’t agree with; with our siblings, with our parents, and with our children. They start trusting in us more because we become a rock of strength. We become so important to them in their lives.
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Oneg Shabbos Issue 230.
Restoring the primacy of Choshen Mishpat Under the auspices of Harav Chaim Kohn שליט"א
Rabbi Meir Orlian Halachah Writer, BHI
AMBULANCE CALL Shimon was driving along the highway. Somewhat ahead of him, he recognized the car of his neighbor Chaim. He watched in horror as Chaim’s car suddenly swerved sideways and hit the barrier with a thud. Glass shattered and steam erupted from the engine. Shimon pulled over. He immediately alerted the emergency services and ordered an ambulance. Chaim was sitting in the car, slightly dazed. The airbags had deployed, preventing serious injury. “How are you?” Shimon asked Chaim. “I think OK,” Chaim replied. “Just a little shocked, but the seat belts and airbags did their jobs, so I’m not injured. A little water will help, if you have.” Shimon got a water bottle from his car. He helped Chaim get out of his car and rest on the roadside. Two minutes later the police arrived. Shortly afterwards, they heard the ambulance siren, making its way to the accident with flashing lights. The paramedics came out. “How are you feeling?” they asked Chaim. “Thank G-d, I’m OK,” replied Shimon. “I just need to rest a little. I have to wait anyway for the tow to take my car. “Are you sure that you don’t need to go to the hospital?” asked the paramedics. “Sometimes there can be internal injuries that are unnoticed.” “Yes, I’m sure,” replied Chaim. “I feel fine.” “Who ordered the ambulance?” asked the paramedics. “I did,” said Shimon. “I was concerned that he would need to be taken in.”
“Then you’re going to have to cover the bill for the call,” said the head paramedic. Shimon looked at Chaim. “Why should I have to pay?!” he asked. “I was trying to save your life!” “I appreciate it,” said Chaim, “but I didn’t ask you to order the ambulance. Had you asked me, I would have said not to bother.” “The accident seemed serious to me,” replied Shimon. “I knew that every minute could count!” “Let’s take up the issue with Rabbi Dayan,” Chaim suggested. Who is responsible to pay the ambulance bill? “If a person incurred expenses on his own initiative to save someone’s life, the latter is required to compensate him,” replied Rabbi Dayan (C.M. and Sma 426:1; Y.D. 252:12). “Similarly, Rama rules that if two people were imprisoned, and one of them incurred expenses to gain their release, the other person is liable to compensate him, even if he claims that he would have been released regardless. However, if the other person was in fact released on his own accord and the expense proved unnecessary, he does not have to compensate his friend, unless the expense was stipulated initially (Rama, C.M. 264:4). “Chavatzelet Hasharon (C.M. #24) addresses the case of someone who was seriously ill, and another person decided to bring a doctor from afar at great expense. Meanwhile, the patient’s condition improved. He writes that when a person’s life is in
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danger, there is implicit authorization of beis din to spend in order to save him. There is not even a need to ask, when time is of the essence. “Moreover, although Chavatzelet Hasharon initially compares his patient to one who was saved of his own accord, he rules that since the other person did what was needed at that time – bringing the doctor from afar – the patient is required to compensate him fully as one who fulfilled his mission on behalf of the patient, whether it ultimately benefited or not (B.K. 116a-b). Although sometimes, even one who acts with authorization is entitled to compensation only when he provides benefit, in this context, the implicit authorization of beis din includes entitlement to reimbursement, since otherwise, people will not be willing to spend money to save others (Pischei Choshen, Nezikin 12:5[11]). “Accordingly, Chaim is liable for the ambulance bill,” said Rabbi Dayan. “However, Maharshdam (Y.D. #204) seemingly presents an opposing logic. Chavatzelet Hasharon also concludes that beis din should compromise on a partial payment.” Verdict: Chaim should compensate Shimon partially, in accordance with the seeming need for the ambulance.
לע''נ אריאל יהודה ז''ל בן ר' פינחס צבי נ''י קליין
Provided by Business Halacha Institute. The BHI is a non-profit organization based in New York that educates and guides people in up to date applications of monetary halacha. For more information or to browse the BHI archives, visit www.businesshalacha.com
14 December 2019
ט"ז כסלו תש"פ
פרשת וישלח
MIDDOS דרגה יתירה Rabbi Zalman Guttman Ramat Shlomo
)ח-ויירא יעקב מאד ויצר לו וכו’ (ל
The Torah tells us that when Yaakov Avinu heard that his brother Esav was coming to greet him with an army of 400 men, he was very afraid. This seems to contradict the tremendous emunah that Yaakov, the great and pure tzaddik, had in Hakadosh Boruch Hu. Do we not read clearly that Hashem Himself promised Yaakov that He will be with him and protect him wherever he will go (כח- ?)טוThe simple answer is that a tzaddik is not a Malach! He is not an Angel!
Rashi explains that Yaakov was afraid that due to the many years that he spent in Lavan’s house, he believed that perhaps he lost his merit to Hashem’s special protection! That he may have “used up” his zechusim while being protected from the designs of Lavan. So what did Yaakov do? He did what a tzaddik does. He looked into himself, davened to Hashem and took immediate action to correct his situation. Tzaddikim also have human emotions. They can be afraid just like regular individuals. It is what one does with that feeling of fear that determines the type of person he really is. A tzaddik sets himself apart by conducting introspection on his own self and righting the wrong!
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SHEMIRAS HALOSHON
FOOD FOR THOUGHT TO SPARK N CONVERSATIO
DON’T MENTION IT
You’re touched. You’re grateful. at a nice You want to let others know wh Can thing someone has done for you. that be rechilus? THE DILEMMA You are making a wedding and the expenses are overwhelming. Your neighbour, a man of means, comes to you and hands you an envelope with £5,000 in cash. “Just a little something to help out,” is all he says. When you see your neighbour’s wife, you want to tell her how grateful your family is for her husband’s generosity. Does she know what a tzaddik her husband is? Well, she should! Is there any violation of halachah in telling her this?
The Medrash contrasts Yaakov’s fear of meeting Esav, to the fear the Jewish People had of Haman many years later. R’ Henoch Lebowitz zt’’l points out that Yaakov’s fear led to teshuva and hope, whereas Bnei Yisroel’s fear of the wicked Haman led to despair. Pain, fear and sadness are all normal human emotions. It is one’s reaction and subsequent actions that prove his true level in Avodas Hashem. This must be our reaction as well in order for us to truly grow.
THE HALACHAH You can run into a problem if the wife resents her husband’s gesture, perhaps because she feels that he shouldn’t give away so much money, or because she has someone else in mind to whom she would rather give it. However, because creating ill-will wasn’t your intention, your words are called “avak rechilus,” meaning the “dust” of rechilus, which is a Rabbinic prohibition. Sefer Chofetz Chaim, Hilchos Rechilus 8:2
The Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation Reviewed by Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Lowy. For discussion only; actual halachic decisions should be made by a rav or halachic expert on a case-by-case basis.
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Oneg Shabbos Issue 230.
26 X
DAYS
CO U
HALACHA Highlight
SHEHECHIYANU ON SMELLING SEASONAL SPICES FRAGRANCES
ריחני The Gemara teaches that a beracha acharona is not recited after smelling spices. Rashi1 explains that the reason there is no beracha acharona after smelling spices is that the benefit is mini mal. Divrei Chamudos2 suggests that this is also a reason why we do not recite a shehechiyanu when smelling a spice that is out of season. The beracha of shehechiyanu was enacted only when one derives a significant amount of pleaseure and the degree of pleasure from smelling spices is minimal. He then cites another explanation why there is no beracha of shehechiyanu when smelling spices. The Gemara in Berachos (43b) cites the pasuk (Tehillim 150:6), “Every soul shall praise Hashem” as support for reciting a beracha when smelling spices. The Gemara then explains that smell is the sense that provides satisfaction to the soul rather than the body. Being that smells provide spiritual satisfaction rather than physical satisfaction it follows that the beracha of shehechiyanu should not be recited. The beracha of shehechiyanu is an expression of thanks for continued physical life. Since the soul is eternal it would not be an appropriate expression of thanks.
Teshuvas Shvus Yaakov3 maintains that the reason we normally do not recite shehechiyanu when smelling spices is that spices are available all year round. However, if one obtains spices that are seasonal and have not been available since last season one would indeed recite shehechiyanu on those spices. Teshuvas Haradvaz4 was also asked why people do not recite shehechiyanu when smelling spices that are seasonal and he responded that the practice is incorrect. Just as a person derives pleasure from foods so too does a person derive pleasure from smells and it is for that reason that Chazal instituted the recitation of a beracha when smelling spices. Therefore, there is no reason why one should not also recite shehechiyanu on a seasonal spice. Mishnah Berurah5 records the dispute whether one should recite shehechiyanu when smelling seasonal spices and writes that the custom is not to recite the beracha. Brought to you by
. רש”י ד”ה ריחני1 . דברי חמודות ברכות פ”ו אות ק”כ2 . שו”ת שבות יעקב ח”ב סי’ ל”ז3 . שו”ת הרדב”ז ח”א סי’ רצ”ז4 . מ”ב סי’ רכ”ה ס”ק ט”ז5
Y
aakov and his family are dramatically Rochel sacrifices her future, solely to sparestep her reunited with Esav. The Mothers sister from forward, embarrassment. followed closely by their children behind to them, but when comes Realising that Leahled the chuppa in it her to Rochel, Yosef her son steps in front of her! stead, Rochelher the secret signs that she and Why? had prepared between them. Rochel does Yaakov not Rashi know explains at the time, shewanted will still day have thatthat Yosef toone protect the meritfrom of marrying Rochel Esav. Hehim. realised that because Rochel wasItbeautiful could that be inlater danger if Esav laid is strangeshe though, on when Rochel his eyes on her. (33:7) asks Leah to give her some of her Dudaim, a plant known to bring responds But why did Yoseffertility, bother?!Leah Firstly (according by ‘Isn’tHadoros) it enoughhethat took to saying the Seder wasyou only six my years old, so husband...?’(Bereishis 30:15). A strange response, there is no way he could completely block Rochel, considering what Rochel had done for her!! and secondly, surely Esav would ask him to move aside he would seebrings Rochel Theand answer to this, to anyway! light the extent of Rochel’s incredible act of The Tolner Rebbe shlit”a has an enlightening approach to this Yoseftold understood thatshe Her entire life,question. Rochel never Leah what evendone though he may only block her partially and had for her! forThe a couple minutes, it was still it. Asigns half Daas of Zekenim explains thatworth the secret loaf is better than no loaf ! (The Medrash tells us between Rochel and Yaakov were actually halochos end miraculously he did indeed ofthat ‘thein3the women’s mitzvos’. According to Ravblock her). Shalom Shwadron, Rochel never actually told Leah
a beautiful attitude to life, and to chesed. whyThis she is had taught her these halachos! There Yaacov are times thather we about may bethese powerless to When asked mitzvos, completely change a situation, but in most cases Leah gave the answer not knowing this was actually something that can still be done. athere secretiscode. We might notRochel be a doctor, a lift, or Not only did make but a lifea meal, changing simply an enquiry after a sick person’s welfare sacrifice, she did it with incredible sensitivity. can goLeah a long way.found We can’t someone who never outbring what back her sister had done has passed away, but we can, in some form show for her. In fact, quite the opposite, to her it appeared thatRochel we care.had Perhaps change someone’s that taken we hercan’t husband! financial situation, but something small can make a An act of continuous hidden love, and a powerful temporary difference. message for us. Like Yosef, a ‘giver’ does not go through life with When we, be sensitive, try not to reveal any an ‘all or nothing’ attitude, but rather, ‘something is inconvenience or cause embarrassment. better than nothing’! Spare the receiver a recipient. (Torah ideas adapted from the Dvarpain Torahof by being Rabbi Frand)
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14 December 2019
ט"ז כסלו תש"פ
פרשת וישלח
11
Sages through Ages THE
Dr Benji Schreiber
Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk Butrimonys, Lithuania 1843 - Riga, Latvia ד’ אלול1926 Rav Meir Simcha HaCohen is best known for his two great works, the Ohr Sameach on the Rambam and the Meshech Chochmah on Chumash.
gentle, patient and peace loving. His home was warm and open. He was frequently called on to resolve disputes which he did with wisdom.
He was born in a small Lithuanian town. His father, Rav Shimshon Klonimus Kalman was a lamdan, a teacher of Torah, generous and hospitable. His mother was called Asnas. He was a brilliant child, mastering fluency in Tanach by the age of 7 and, by the age of 9, having learnt Seder Nezikin and half of Seder Nashim with Rashi and Tosafos. At the age of 13 a talmid chochom was passing through the town collecting haskomos for his sefer. The Rov entered the shul and found the young Meir Simcha writing on the manuscript. When he discovered that this boy had incredible insights and knowledge, word spread of the ilui, the young genius. He started to give shiurim in the town standing in for his father. After his Bar Mitzvah his father took him to Eishyshok (Eišiškės) to learn under Rav Moshe Danishevsky.
His mastery of the Talmud Yerushalmi was such that when in 1906 Shlomo Friedlander alleged to have discovered the missing Talmud on Kodshim he was able to immediately determine that it was a forgery.
At the age of twenty he married the daughter of a gvir, Reb Zvi Paltiel Makovsky from Bialystok. His wife continued in business and supported his ongoing learning. He sat in the ‘Gemilus Chasadim’ Beis HaMedrash in Bialystock learning night and day for 18 years.
While he was the Rov of the Misnagdim in Dvinsk, the Rogachover was the Rov of the Chassidim. When people came to the Rogachover for a bracha he would frequently say “gei zum Cohen” – go to the Cohen.
Community Rov He was recommended as a Rov for the major Jewish community of Dvinsk at the hesped for the previous Rov although he had no rabbinic experience. He gave wonderful drashos each week which were extremely popular. He set up chesed organisations for the community. He lived plainly. He refused to take money for mechiras chometz and did not allow the community to raise his salary. He was
He turned down offers of the rabbinate in other great cities. In response to the approach from Yerushalayim 20 prominent leaders of Dvinsk wrote: “We of the Russian Golah in the city of Dvinsk rise up in response to the report that the sons of Yerushalayim wish to take away our master, our teacher … not only will they destroy us but the entire Golah for whom he is the teacher..” He had only one daughter who tragically died of an illness shortly after her marriage.
He was a strong supporter of the yishuv ha aretz and greeted the opportunities presented by the Balfour Declaration with enthusiasm. During the First World War he tirelessly supported his community. He would distribute funds and work to support the wives of soldiers. As Dvinsk was being shelled, many left the town. He said “as long as there are nine Jewish men here, I’ll be the tenth to make the minyan”. Anyone with means left the city and he remained with the poor and the
isolated, helping them through shelling and through a big flood in 1922.
Writings Rav Meir Simcha wrote the Ohr Sameach on the Mishne Torah of the Rambam; chiddushim on the Talmud Yerushalmi; the Meshech Chochmah (Meshech is the acronym of Meir Simcha Kohen) on the Chumash and comments on the Sefer HaChinuch. The Meshech Chochma was being published while he came to Riga for medical treatment, and it was only published after his death. He is often quoted as having predicted the Holocaust in an important piece on the tochacha (Vayikra 26:44): “They think that Berlin is Jerusalem...from there will come the storm winds that will uproot them”. He also wrote chiddushim on Shas but these are almost completely lost. When he became ill he came to seek medical advice in Riga. Unfortunately, he died there shortly after and was eulogised across the Jewish world. M
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