ik `eaz - Torah Tidbits

Transcription

e"dl
`eaz ik
website:
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The opener of the 8th of dozen
1151
'c-'b wxt :zea` iwxt
d"ryz'd
lel` `"k
Sept. 4-5 '15
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SHABBATON THIS SHABBAT - KI TAVO
FIRST SLICHOT - THIS MOTZA'EI SHABBAT
Pre-Slichot Shiur at 9:30pm by Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Poupko
SLICHOT at 10:30pm - Led by Dr. Ronnie Wachtel
Pre-Slichot Shiur at 11:30pm by Rabbi Jeff Bienenfeld
SLICHOT at 12:30am - Led by Rabbi Nachman (Neil) Winkler
Shabbat Shuva Drasha - Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
Shabbat 5:00pm • September 19th
JERUSALEM in/out times for Shabbat Parshat KI TAVO
4 6:25PM (Plag 5:41PM) • %32 7:36PM • Rabbeinu Tam 8:11PM
Pi x
ParshaP
Explanations further
K
Ironically, the only molad that we don't
announce in the course of a year is that of Tishrei, and Tishrei's molad
is the most important one in our fixed calendar. All moladot - including Tishrei's - are used in calculating first and last oppotunity for
Kiddush L'vana. But Tishrei's molad is used to determine when Rosh
HaShana is. And two consecutive RHs are used to determine the
lengths of Marcheshvan and Kislev, the two variable months. And
once that's done, all the Chagim and fast days are determined. That's
how important Tishrei's unannounced molad is. Details IYH next wk.
Candles Plag
KI TAVO
Havdala
Nitzavim
6:25 5:41
Yerushalayim / Maale Adumim
7:36 6:16 5:33 7:26
6:42 5:43
Aza area (Netivot, S'deirot, et al)
7:38 6:33 5:36 7:29
6:40 5:41
Gush Etzion
7:36 6:31 5:33 7:27
6:41 5:42
Raanana / Tel Mond / Herzliya
7:38 6:32 5:35 7:28
6:40 5:42
Beit Shemesh / RBS
7:37 6:31 5:34 7:27
6:41 5:43
Netanya
7:38 6:32 5:35 7:28
6:40 5:42
Modi'in / Chashmona'im
7:37 6:31 5:34 7:27
6:41 5:42
Rehovot
7:38 6:32 5:35 7:28
6:39 5:42
Be'er Sheva / Otniel
7:37 6:30 5:35 7:28
6:25 5:42
Petach Tikva
7:38 6:16 5:35 7:28
6:40 5:41
Ginot Shomron
7:37 6:31 5:34 7:27
6:39 5:41
Gush Shiloh
7:36 6:30 5:33 7:26
6:32 5:42
Haifa / Zichron
7:38 6:22 5:34 7:28
6:40 5:41
Chevron / Kiryat Arba
7:36 6:31 5:34 7:27
6:40 5:41
Giv'at Ze'ev
7:36 6:31 5:33 7:27
6:42 5:43
Ashkelon
7:38 6:33 5:36 7:29
6:30 5:40
Tzfat
7:36 6:20 5:33 7:26
6:41 5:42
Yad Binyamin
7:37 6:32 5:35 7:28
6:41 5:43
Tel Aviv
7:38 6:32 5:35 7:29
R' Tam (Jerusalem) - 8:11pm • next week: 8:02pm
Ranges are 11 days, Wed-Shab.
18-28 ELUL • September 2-12
Earliest Talit & T'filin
5:24-5:31am
Sunrise
6:15-6:21am
Sof Z'man K' Sh'ma
9:26-9:28am
(Magen Avraham: 8:49-8:51)
Sof Z'man T'fila
10:30-10:30am
(Magen Avraham: 9:59-10:00)
Chatzot
12:39 -12:35½pm
(halachic noon)
Mincha Gedola
1:11-1:07pm
(earliest Mincha)
Plag Mincha
Sunset
5:42½-5:31½pm
7:07-6:54½pm
(based on sea level: 7:02½-6:49½pm)
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Ki Tavo is always read on the next to
the last Shabbat of the year.
Nitzavim and Vayeilech combine or
split to facilitate Ki Tavo's position
as well as Nitzavim's as the Shabbat
before Rosh HaShana - always

Are the Mets blessed or cursed when they play at home?
Bees vs the A's: 27-21
Hakatan, Moshe, Rabi, Akavya, Ben, B'asara, Shanu
mobile skunks grimace
In Shir HaShirim and in the dictionary
One who does great deeds out of a
desire for glory is acting from
impure motives, but one who
seeks glory as an incentive to the
doing of good deed is being nobly
motivated.
 Genius is one hundred percent G-d,
with perspiration thrown in for
effect.
 Being great does not excuse one
from being good.
from "A Candle by Day"
by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein z"l
www.createspace.com/4492905
Revisiting the Simcha Factor
SIMCHA was the topic that struck me
for this Lead Tidbit. Then I saw that
last year's Ki Tavo Lead was about
SIMCHA. Then I saw that SIMCHA is
discussed a few times in the Sedra
Summary as well. But you know
what? It's bears reviewing. That's
how important it is.
Back in R'ei we find the 'command' of
V'SAMACHTA, and you shall rejoice,
several times. Its context is the
eating of Maaseir Sheni in Yerushalayim and then in the context of
the Chagim - rejoice in your holidays.
In Ki Tavo, we encounter the
command to rejoice in the parsha of
Bikurim. The command there is to
rejoice in ALL that HaShem has given
you. This broadens the scope of
rejoicing significantly. It applies not
just to the eating of sacred foods,
but to all that we have, to all that
HaShem has given us.
would turn away from HaShem. Even
if we did not succumb to the allure
of idolatry, we still have something
very serious to account for.
Here's what it says: All these curses
will befall you... to destroy you
because you did not obey HaShem,
your God... (and) because you did
not serve HaShem, your God, with
happiness and with gladness of
heart, when [you had an] abundance
of everything.
IVDU ET HASHEM B'SIMCHA - we
must not only be faithful to G-d and
keep His Mitzvot, but we must be
happy, thrilled, and delighted to be
His people.
And again, the command to rejoice
when you will bring korbanot after
having crossed the Jordan into Eretz
Yisrael.
And then comes the flip side of the
SIMCHA issue, and its context is
devastating.
Within the TOCHACHA, almost as a
summary of why all the terrible
things will happen is we don't
remain faithful, is G-d's explanation,
so to speak. It is not just because we
OU Israel Center TT 1151 M page 4 i Ki Tavo 5775 (and RH&YK)
Ki Tavo
50th of the 54 sedras;
7th of 11 in D'varim
Written on 233 lines (rank: 13th)
21 Parshiyot; 5 open, 16 closed
122 p'sukim - rank: 17th (2nd in D'varim)
Same as Vayakhel & Va'etchanan;
Ki Tavo is larger than Vayakhel,
and smaller than Va'etchanan
1747 words - ranks 16th (2nd in D'varim)
Same as Ekev. Ekev is a bit larger
6811 letters - ranks 15th (4th in D'varim)
P'sukim are longer than average for the
Torah, but short for D'varim
Kohen - First Aliya
11 p'sukim - 26:1-11
[P>26:1] When we come to the
Land and settle it, we are commanded to take of the First Fruits
[the mitzva of Bikurim has already
been counted back in Parshat
Mishpatim] of the "7 Species", put
them in a basket and go to THE
Place (i.e. the Beit HaMikdash). We
are to go to the kohen on duty,
announce our presence and
present him with the basket. He
shall take it and place it before the
Altar. We are then to recite the
Bikurim passage [606,A132 26:5].
6 of the 613; 3 pos. and 3 prohibitions
[P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicate start
of a parsha p'tucha or s'tuma. X:Y is
Perek:Pasuk of the beginning of the
parsha; (Z) is the number of p'sukim in the
parsha.
Numbers in [square brackets] are the
Mitzva-count of Sefer HaChinuch AND
Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot. A=ASEI
(positive mitzva); L=LAV (prohibition). X:Y
is the perek and pasuk from which the
mitzva comes.
It is said of Bikurim: "Do this mitzva,
for in its merit you will enter the
Land." The ARI HaKadosh singles
out Bikurim as the mitzva which is
the "tikun" (repair) for the Sin of the
Spies. Bikurim has a Torah-commanded, built-in recitation that
helps us to focus our thoughts in a
particular direction. With this recitation, the Jew identifies himself with
his Jewish Heritage and announces
to one and all the centrality of Eretz
Yisrael in G-d's plans for the People
of Israel. Bikurim makes the
statement that we are glad to be
here. Being happy about being in
Eretz Yisrael grants us the "z'chut"
to be here. Joyfully thanking G-d for
our being here helps "repair" the
opposite attitude as expressed by
the 10 spies and echoed by the
multitude. The Sin of the Spies was
committed by what the Meraglim
SAID, and it was while they were
displaying fruits that they brought
from the Land, no less. Bikurim is
the mitzva that is performed by what
the Bikurim bringer SAYS (in
addition to bringing the fruits), and
while he displays fruits that he
brought from the Land. "A perfect
match!" (in opposites).
Bikurim is a prime example of
"Hakarat HaTov", recognition and
acknowledgement of the good that
was done for us by G-d. This lesson
too must be applied to other areas
of mitzvot and life in general.
May we soon be privileged to bring
Bikurim with all the joy and Jewish
pride that says that we are truly
pleased to be chosen by G-d as His
People and that we are genuinely
thankful for this wonderful Land.
The first four p'sukim of the
Bikurim recitation form the main
text for the Pesach Seder's MAGID
section; they summarize Egyptian
enslavement and the subsequent
Exodus. The fifth pasuk (which is
not in the Hagada) speaks of
coming to Eretz Yisrael. This
corresponds to the fifth term of
redemption and is represented by
Eliyahu's cup (which we don't
drink - future, not past).
We all bring Bikurim (including
the Levi and the convert) with
feelings of joy and thanks to G-d
for all we have.
The Bikurim recitation is
perfectly suited to form the heart of
the story of the Exodus, more so
than any of the original passages
from Sh’mot. The editors of the
Hagada found in ARAMI OVEID AVI
the “whole” story in only four
p’sukim - something we are all
capable of handling at the Seder
table. The original material is too
copious. Furthermore, the Bikurim
recitation is in first person singular,
rather than narrative form of the
original account of the Egyptian
experience in the Book of Sh'mot.
This fits very well with the maxim: In
every generation a person shall
portray himself as if he himself
came out of Egypt. There are other
factors that also favor the Bikurim
parsha for Seder purposes.
Levi - Second Aliya
4 p'sukim - 26:12-15
[S>26:12 (4)] After one has com-
pleted proper separation and distribution of T'ruma, Ma'aser, and
Ma'aser Ani (during the third and
sixth year of a Shmita cycle), one is
required to formally declare that
none of the "holy produce" remains
in his possession and that it was
actually given to its intended
recipients [607,A131 26:13]. This
declaration is made on the last day
of Pesach in the 4th and 7th year
of a Shmita cycle.
Vidui Maaser implies that there is
something wrong in our performance of the mitzvot mentioned
(based on the term VIDUI, confession). Yet the statement specifically
says that we did everything that we
were supposed to do. In fact, a
person who might have transgressed does not make the statement, since it might not be the truth.
Only someone who did not sin at all
can make the declaration. Why then,
do we get the impression that
something was not 100%? Rav
Soloveichik zt"l pointed to the word
K'CHOL (like all), which is mentioned twice. The implication is that
our performance was almost perfect,
but not quite. Also, the statement
implies that the individual did only
that which he was required to do,
and did not (often) go beyond the
call of duty. Or perhaps we did a
mitzva sort of like it is supposed to
be done, but maybe without full
KAVANA and/or enthusiasm. These
implications might be responsible
for the title VIDUI. What an
important message this is as we
approach Rosh HaShana, when we
have to answer for what - AND
HOW - we do mitzvot.
It is forbidden to eat Maaser Sheni
(the second tithes of years 1, 2, 4, 5
of a Shmita cycle, which remain
the owner's property but which
must be eaten "with sanctity and
ritual purity" in Jerusalem - or be
redeemed) while one is a mourner
(here it refers to the status of the
mourner before burial of the dead
- ANINUT) [608,L151 26:14] or in
a state of ritual impurity [609,
L150 26:14] (the person and/or the
food). It is also forbidden to use the
redemption money of Ma'aser
Sheni for purposes other than food
and drink in Jerusalem [610,L152
26:14].
The literal meaning of this prohibition is not to use the money for "the
dead". This can narrowly apply to
shrouds, casket, etc., but is also
generalized to include all non-food
uses.
We next call upon HaShem to "look
down" upon His People from on
high and bless us and the Land of
Israel. [We have kept our promise,
we say to G-d (so to speak), now
You keep Yours. - Rashi]
It is a common practice (based on
the Talmud Yerushalmi) for the Baal
Korei (a.k.a. Baal K'ri'a) to raise his
voice and emphasize the word
HASHKIFA.
Shlishi - Third Aliya
4 p'sukim - 26:16-19
[S>26:16 (4)] This short portion is
a summary of our relationship
with G-d. We are to keep, preserve, observe, practice all the
mitzvot, statutes, laws which
Moshe has reiterated for us, with
all our hearts and souls. We have
pledged allegiance to G-d, promised to follow His ways [611,A8
26:17] and to listen to Him. He
pledges to take us as His "Chosen
Nation" and to elevate us above the
nations of the world - IF we keep
His mitzvot.
To follow in G-d's footsteps means
to develop and practice various
traits that are attributed to Him. As
He is merciful, so too shall we be
merciful. As He is holy, so too must
we behave in ways that lead to our
becoming holy. From general traits,
we can also use specific examples as G-d clothed the naked, visited the
sick, buried the dead, comforted the
grieving... so too must we. There are
mitzva-counters who define this
mitzva as Bikur Cholim, visiting the
sick, in addition to generalizing to
include all types of acts of kindness.
R'VI'I - Fourth Aliya
10 p'sukim - 27:1-10
[P>27:1 (8)] Moshe Rabeinu and
the Elders command the People
concerning the inscribing on 12
pillars of stone the words of the
Torah (parts thereof; the Book of
D'varim or parts of it); this to be
done upon crossing the Jordan.
Subsequently, another set of pillars
is to be erected and inscribed on
Har Eval where a Mizbei'ach is to
be built (of whole, uncut stones)
and sacrifices are to be offered.
[S>27:9-10 (2)] Moshe and the
Kohanim next declare to the People
that they have grown into complete nationhood at this point with all the mitzvot of the Torah
having been reviewed. Privilege of
nationhood goes hand-in-hand
with the responsibilities of keeping
the mitzvot.
Moshe, the Kohanim and
Leviyim, say to all the people, "on
this very day you have become G-d's
nation." Rashi says that the Torah
emphasized THIS VERY DAY, to
teach us that our commitment to
Torah and mitzvot should be as if
we have entered into a covenant
with HaShem on this very day - i.e.
every day of our lives. We are
challenged to refesh our Judaism
continually. This is not the only
place this lesson is learned. But that
fact just reinforces the significance
of the idea.
Chamishi 5th Aliya
22 p'sukim - 27:11-28:6
Moshe describes
what will happen after the People
enter the Land. Six tribes will stand
on Mt. Grizim and six on Mt. Eval.
There they will hear the blessings
and curses that will be the fate of
those who keep or don't keep
Torah and mitzvot.
[S>27:11 (4)]
Twelve curses are enumerated in
this portion touching upon many
diverse areas of Jewish life
including "between Jew and G-d"
as well as interpersonal mitzvot.
Each K’LALA is a pasuk long and its
own parsha stuma (almost). To
each curse, the people are to
respond AMEIN...
[S>27:15 (1)] he who makes idols...
[S>27:16 (1)] he who degrades his
father or mother...
[S>27:17 (1)] he who encroaches
be blessed with a healthy increase
in population. Our every coming
and going will be blessed.
Shishi - Sixth Aliya
on his neighbor’s boundary...
63 p'sukim - 28:7-69
[S>27:18 (1)] he who misleads a
Longest of the 378 Aliyot in the whole
Torah (not counting combined Aliyot
when a double-sedra is read)
(figuratively) “blind” person...
[S>27:19 (2)] he who perverts the
judgment of orphan or widow... he
who sleeps with his father’s wife...
(Note that these two curses share a
parsha.)
[S>27:21 (1)] he who engages in
sexual behavior with animals...
[S>27:22 (1)] he who sleeps with
his sister (or half-sister)...
[S>27:23 (1)] he who sleeps with
his mother-in-law...
[S>27:24 (1)] he who secretly
strikes his fellow...
[S>27:25 (1)] he who takes a bribe
and an innocent person is killed...
[S>27:26 (1)] he who does not
uphold the words of the Torah to
do them...
[P>28:1 (14)] Once again, Moshe
Rabeinu tells us that following
G-d's mitzvot will earn us superior
status among the nations of the
world. We will also be showered
with blessings for hearkening to
G-d's voice. We will flourish economically and agriculturally, and
The blessings continue with the
promise of victory over our
enemies. G-d will "command" His
blessings upon us and the Land,
and will establish us as a holy
nation... provided we keep the
mitzvot and follow His ways.
The Torah's expression V'HALACHTA BID-RACHAV is repeated here emulating G-d is defined as being
kind, merciful, charitable, etc.
The nations of the world will see
the special relationship we have
with G-d, and be appropriately
reverent towards us and fearful of
us. G-d's heavenly treasure-house
will open for us and we will
flourish. G-d's blessings are
conditional upon keeping mitzvot.
HOWEVER...
[P>28:15 (54)] "...if we don't listen
to G-d..." Thus begins the
"Tochacha". The harsh rebuke
against disobedience of the Torah.
There is a custom to read this part in
a low voice because of how devas-
tating it is to realize that G-d needs
to warn us in such graphic terms,
what will happen if the Jewish
People are unfaithful to Him.
Unfortunately, we need these harsh
words of reproach. Unfortunately,
they have turned out to be prophetic
more than once. The Tochacha is
contained within one Aliya (resulting
in the longest Aliya in the Torah) so
as not to prolong the discomfort in
hearing it. And it is sandwiched (so
to speak) between "good" p'sukim,
so the Aliya begins and ends on a
good note.
The first portion of the Tochacha is
the negative mirror image of the
blessings previously pronounced in
the Torah. The p'sukim then
proliferate and describe in shocking and grisly detail that which
will occur if we do not remain
faithful to G-d. The final pasuk of
the Aliya reiterates the "simple" but
eloquent covenant with G-d: Keep
the Torah and all will be good, if
not...
The contrast between the "good
times" that Bikurim brings to mind
and the terrible times as described
in the Tochacha is overpowering
and frightening. It is the difference
between contentment and respect
on the one hand, and devastation,
despair and degradation, on the
other. Prosperity in our own Land
vs. poverty and exile. The key to
the difference is Torah & Mitzvot.
One of the famous “sum it all
up” p’sukim in the Tochacha is
28:47, which says that many of the
terrible things will happen to us
because we did not serve G-d with
joy and a good heart (even while we
still had all good things). The
Kotzker Rebbe gives this pasuk an
interesting spin. Because, not only
did you not serve G-d, but the not
serving Him was with simcha to you.
When a Jew does mitzvot, there is
the extra aspect of doing them “with
a smile”. And, conversely, when a
Jew sins, there is the extra aspect of
sinning with a smile. Does one who
eats non-kosher cry about his
betrayal of G-d (probably not), or
does he lick his fingers with relish
and joy (sadly, probably yes). And if
and when the joy of sinning leaves a
person, or is driven out by him, then
and only then will the person be on
the path to T’shuva.
In more general terms, this pasuk
speaks to Jews who just "go through
the motions" of religious observance. They were brought up that
way, perhaps, but there is little joy in
their religious behavior. How sad!
The Baal Shem Tov would say:
S'CHAR MITZVA SIMCHAT MITZVA
- the reward for a mitzva is the joy
one derives from doing a mitzva.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: We are
commanded V'SAMACHTA B'CHAGECHA, to be joyous on the
festivals. Perhaps this refers to an
added dimension of joy, because
the fact of the matter is that the
Bikurim bringer was 'commanded' to
be joyous for all the good that G-d
has bestowed on him. That is not
really a one-shot burst of joy, merely
on the day that the Bikurim are
brought. Rebbe Nachman had it
right when he said, MITZVA G'DOLA
LIHYOT B'SIMCHA TAMID. TAMID
can mean always, but it can also
mean every day. We are rebuked in
the Tochacha for not having served
G-d with joy and a good feeling. That
is an everyday kind of thing - we
serve G-d every day, with every
mitzva we perform. If we can rearrange the words in the Rebbe
Nachman statement, we might say
that it is a great thing to be joyous in
the fulfillment of mitzvot, constantly.
After all those
dreadful p’sukim of the Tochacha,
this long aliya is concluded with
the statement: These are the words
of the covenant that G-d commanded Moshe to make with the
people of Israel in the territory of
Moav - besides the covenant of
Sinai (Chorev).
[S>28:69
(1)]
Sh'VII Seventh Aliya
8 p'sukim - 29:1-8
[P>29:1 (8)] Moshe Rabeinu calls
to the People, and tells them that
they now have seen (and know) all
that has happened since the
Exodus through the 40 years of
wandering until this very moment.
It is incumbent upon us to keep
our "deal" with G-d. "And G-d did
not give you a heart to know, nor
eyes to see, nor ears to hear, until
this very day." This realization
comes after living all the experi-
ences and miracles of 40 years of
wandering. Maftir: Last 3 p'sukim.
Haftara 22 p'sukim
Yeshayahu 60:1-22
The uplifting message of the
haftara is the coming of the Geula,
when G-d will restore His People
to the Land and the nations and
peoples of the world will flock to
Jerusalem to pay homage to G-d
and His People.
The concluding words of the
haftara are enigmatic: "...I Am G-d,
in its (the redemption's) time, I will
hasten it."
Will the Mashiach come in his
appointed time, or sooner?
That depends upon us. If we
enhance the overall conditions of
Jewish Life, increase Torah observance, improve relations between
Jew and his fellow - then we might
be privileged to an "early" arrival of
the Mashiach and the Geula. If we
do not lay the proper groundwork
for his coming, then he will come
in his (pre-ordained) time.
This is a major part of our Elul
challenge. Let's put it this way - the
first level of our Elul-time task is
personal, individual. This adds
another level, that of the community, of Klal Yisrael. Rambam in
Hilchot T'shuva "suggests" that we
each consider ourselves, and our
community, and the entire world
to be precariously balanced
between merits and demerits. One
tiny mitzva on our part can not
only tip our personal scale to the
good side for us, but that of our
community and that of the whole
world as well. One person can
make a difference.
Each of us has the power to hasten
the Mashiach. So, let's do it.
Probing the Prophets
This sixth of the seven Haftarot of
Consolation opens by depicting G-d
as the source of eternal light Who will
illuminate the future of our people by
chasing away the darkness of Galut.
Continuing this theme, the prophet
goes on to describe the return of
Israel from the Diaspora as a
triumphant return, as the exiles bring
with them much wealth and the
allegiance of those who once
oppressed them. The glorious
prophecy closes with the vision of
Zion, blessed with great material
success as well as with the security of
divine protection. As the haftara
ends, the prophet refers back to his
opening words that the sun would
never again set for Israel, for G-d
Himself will serve as their light
forevermore.
arrival. This statement has given rise
to a number of rabbinic interpretations, most well-known, that G-d will
bring the geula either B'ITAH, in its
time or ACHISHENAH, he will hasten
its arrival. What the simple translation and the rabbinic drash have in
common is that we have the power to
hasten the redemption, but, if, G-d
forbid, we fail to do so, there will be a
redemption nonetheless! This most
important idea is reflected in the
Torah itself, as the Ramban openly
states in his commentary on the song
of Moshe, in the parsha of Ha'azinu.
How remarkable for us to stand today
as witnesses to the truth of these
words. Each day, we see the miracle
of return to and survival in our land in
face of cruel enemies. Many might
deny that this is the "real" geula,
arguing that we are not deserving of
redemption today. But the prophet
says differently. The words of the
navi in today's haftara give much
comfort to our people of past
generations and great encouragement to us today.
G-d has decided that the time is right
and, given the events of the past
century, he is, indeed, hastening our
geula.
Probing the Prophets, our new weekly insight
into the Haftara, is written by Rabbi Nachman
(Neil) Winkler, author of Bringing the Prophets
to Life (Gefen Publ.)
Most interesting are the very last
words spoken by the navi: ANI
HASHEM B'ITAH ACHISHENAH - G-d's
promise that once the time of
redemption arrives, He will hasten its
mgpn ixac VEBBE REBBE
Divrei Menachem
[email protected]
Parshat Ki Tavo reintroduces the upcoming,
momentous event in the life of the generation
that conquered Eretz Yisrael - the Ceremony
of the Blessings and Curses between Har Eival
and Har Gerizim, two mountains in the center
of the country. This event would amount to a
reconstitution of the Covenant between
Hashem and the people that would have a
status no less than the Revelation at Sinai.
The people were to split into two camps
while each camp stood, respectively, on the
slopes of either Mt. Eival or Mt. Gerizim. The
Aron HaBrit rested at the bottom of the
valley, surrounded by the Kohanim and the
Leviyim. The valley, known for its outstanding
acoustic qualities, carried the curses and
blessings across the wind and the people
responded with a roaring, "Amen", the echoes
of which resound until this day.
In contrast, the event at Sinai was, in the
words of Yoel Elizur, a mirror image. At Sinai,
there was no valley, but a thunderous mount;
the people had but to listen passively to the
voice of Hashem from above. Now, in the
valley (an inverted mount), the Aron HaBrit
represented the Divine Presence and the
decrees were proclaimed from below by the
Leviyim whose feet were rooted in the Land.
Now the people had to be proactive: To
respond and, as a remembrance, to carve for
themselves the words of Torah on to stone
slabs.
The two camps and the two mountains
parallel the two parts of the "Covenant of the
Pieces", the original covenant between
Hashem and Avraham. In place of the sacrificial animal, Eretz Yisrael, the new living
source of life, is split into two, as it were, on
either side of the valley. Now, no longer in
Galut (exile), a rekindled relationship with
Hashem bestows upon our people a proactive
responsibility to build in Eretz Yisrael an ideal
society based on the ethics denoted in the
blessings and curses.
Indirect Fire Damage
Question: We went away and lent out
our apartment for Shabbat. Due to the
guest's gross negligence, a fire broke out
that caused significant damage. Our
sefarim were actually more damaged from
water than fire/smoke, as I will explain.
Good-hearted people (=sprayers) sprayed
down the sefarim with water in a way that
may have been unnecessary. I will not make
claims against them, but can I demand that
the guests pay for water damage they did
not do? (They feel very bad and, despite not
being rich, want to pay everything they
should.)
Answer: May Hashem make up
your losses and reward both parties
for their good intentions under trying
circumstances.
We will assume in this discussion
what we do not know - that the guests
were at least causatively responsible
(gerama) for the damage, including
from water, which was at least an
understandable course of action by the
sprayers. In many cases of gerama,
the damager (mazik) has a moral
obligation to pay (chiyuv latzeit y'dei
shamayim - see Bava Kama 56a).
However, one should not demand pay
unequivocally when there is only a
moral obligation (K'tzot HaChoshen
75:4). Therefore, you must determine
before making claims how much you
believe the guests owe in legal, not
just moral, terms. Of course, realize
that we have heard only your
presentation and can say nothing
conclusive, other than what we think
you can ask for based on your version
of the story. Your guests have every
right to present their version to a
halachic expert of their choice, and
you will then see if there is a need for
dispute resolution. This is very
healthy when people do it in the right
spirit.
If the sprayers acted in a way that
professional firefighters would have,
then the guests would be obligated to
pay even for water damage. It is not
only the direct damage one causes that
one is responsible for, but even the
continuing naturally results. This is
similar to the halacha of one who
wounds another and must pay for new
medical problems that develop later
from the old ones (Bava Kama 85a).
What if the spraying was uncalled
for? The closest Talmudic precedent
we found regarding such third-party
damage is the gemara (Sanhedrin
74a), regarding damage done while
trying to prevent murder. The
attempted murderer is exempt from
payment due to the fact that he is
simultaneously subject to being
legally killed to save his would-be
victim (see Sanhedrin72a). If a
third-party savior damages someone's
property during his efforts, he is
exempt due to a special Rabbinic
enactment to not discourage people
from helping. This implies that
according to standard halachic rules,
he is considered the mazik. Similarly
your sprayers appear to be the
mazikin regarding water, although
they likely fall under the exemption of
the above enactment (see Chiddushei
Anshei Shem, 44a of Rif, Bava
Kama). The simple reading of the
sugya is that the attempted murderer
who precipitated the need for strong
action is not a candidate for being
obligated to pay. Thus, in your case,
the mazikin for waterlog damage are
the sprayers rather than the guests.
However, there is a different reason to
obligate the guests - they were
shomrim (watchmen). While shomrim
are generally not obligated for damage
to land, including houses (Shulchan
Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 301:1), that
applies only to that which is
connected to the ground. However,
there is cause to obligate them for the
sefarim, which are movable. If guests'
negligence caused valuables to be
stolen, they would be obligated to
pay, as this preventing theft is within
the implied responsibilities of one
who "borrows a house". Similarly, the
guests are obligated for both fire and
water damage to sefarim that their
negligence caused. (The mechanism is
halachically complex - see Shulchan
Aruch, CM 291:5; Pitchei Choshen,
Pikadon 2:(47)).
One thing to be careful about when
making demands is estimating value.
Halacha grants compensation for the
drop in value of the damaged
property, which often does not suffice
to replace with new items (Shulchan
Aruch, CM 387:1).
Rav Daniel Mann, Eretz Hemdah Institute
Rabbi Weinreb's Weekly Column:
KI TAVO
"Walls Have Ears"
We all have our secret lives.
I don't mean to say that each of us
has a sinister side, which we
wickedly act out in some deep,
dark, private world. What I do mean
is that we all act differently when we
are alone, or with a few close
intimates, than we act when we are
out in public, among others.
There is no one who is so behaviorally consistent that he is the same
person in the privacy of his own
home as he is in the workplace or
marketplace.
Nor do I suggest that there is anything wrong with the fact that we
each are two persons, and perhaps
even multiple persons, depending
upon the social context in which we
find ourselves.
It is problematic, however, when we
act hypocritically, presenting a pious and altruistic face to the world,
while acting cruelly and crudely in
our own homes and with our
families.
In this week's Torah portion, Ki
Tavo, there appears a particularly
piercing and perceptive verse:
"Cursed be he who strikes his
fellow in secret - and all the people
shall say, Amen."
In no way does the Torah imply that
he who strikes his fellow in public is
to be blessed. Rather, the Torah
recognizes the tendency humans
have to reserve the worst side of
themselves for their secret social
settings, even when they behave
meritoriously in their public social
worlds. It is the façade, the
contrast, between public demonstrations of righteousness and
private acts of fiendishness that is
cursed.
Sinning in secret is particularly
offensive in the religious personality. He or she who believes in a
God who is omniscient, and who yet
sins in private, is guilty, not merely
of hypocrisy, but of heresy. If God
knows all, how can you delude
yourself into thinking that your
secret misdeeds can go undetected?
The Shulchan Aruch opens with a
statement recognizing that a person's behavior, when he is alone at
home, is very different from his
behavior when he appears before a
great king. And it urges the religious
person to be aware that he is
always in the presence of the great
King of Kings, the all-knowing God.
But it is not only from a spiritual
perspective that it is wrong to act
demeaningly in private. There is a
practical aspect as well to the
importance of behaving properly
even in secret. There always is the
very real possibility that our secrets
will be "leaked" and that things we
were sure would never be known
will become embarrassingly exposed.
I know of no place where this is
conveyed more cogently than in
these words of caution, to be found
in Kohelet (10:20):
Don't revile a king, even in your
intimate thoughts.
Don't revile a rich man, even in your
bedchamber;
For a bird of the air may carry the
utterance,
And a winged creature may report
the word.
Indeed, as our Sages say (see
Rashi on B'rachot 8b), the walls
have ears.
The passage in this week's Torah
portion that condemns secret
violence also gives quite a
comprehensive catalog of other sins
which tend to be performed behind
closed doors. They include elder
abuse, criminal business practices,
deceiving blind persons, subverting
the rights of the helpless, incest and
bestiality, and the acceptance of
bribery. Quite a list, and one that
has certainly not lost its relevance
over the centuries.
I am not so naïve as to think that
we are required to act in an
absolutely identical fashion in our
"secret chambers" as we do out in
the “real world". To a certain extent,
it is necessary and right that we
maintain a façade of sorts when we
interact in public. We all have, and
need, our masks and personas.
But many times, we go too far and
indeed split our personalities
between the Dr. Jekylls of our
external visible behavior and the
Mr. Hydes of our inner sancta. How
well advised we would be to set as
an objective for ourselves the words
of the Daily Prayer Book:
"A person should always be
God-fearing, privately and publicly,
acknowledging the truth and
speaking it in his heart." 
The following is from
Sapphire from the Land of Israel
A New Light on the Weekly Portion
from the Writings of
Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook
by Rabbi Chanan Morrison
website: ravkooktorah.org
The Farmer's Declaration
Adapted from Ein Eyah vol. II, pp. 406-407
Tax reporting in the Torah? In a way,
yes....
Twice every seven years, in the
fourth and seventh years of the
Sabbatical cycle, the Jewish farmer
must testify that he correctly
distributed tithes from his crops. He
makes the following declaration,
preferably in the Temple itself:
I have removed all the sacred
portions from my house. I have
given the appropriate ones to the
Levite and to the orphan and
widow…. I have not violated Your
commandments, and have forgotten
nothing (D'varim 26:13).
What exactly is this declaration?
The Mishna explains as follows: “I
have not violated Your commandments” - I have been punctilious in
all the laws of ma’aserot, such as
tithing each type of produce
separately. “And have forgotten
nothing” - this does not refer to
forgetting the mitzva, but its
spiritual context: I did not forget to
bless You and mention Your Name
when tithing (Ma’aser Sheini 5:11).
What is special about tithing, that
only this mitzva requires such a
declaration? Why must we testify
that we were punctilious in all its
minutiae, and remembered to praise
God when distributing ma’aser to
the Levite and the poor?
Meticulousness in Mitzvot
There are two aspects to every
mitzva. First, each mitzva has its
own unique function and purpose. In
addition, all mitzvot are Divine
commands, enabling us to connect
to God. They elevate our emotions
and character traits, as they resonate with the innermost soul.
How do we show that we are
performing a mitzva as a command
from God? By carefully complying
with all of its rules. Many mitzvot
have a clear and obvious purpose.
Were they simply a matter of good
citizenship or societal obligations,
we would perform them anyway but without such meticulous observance. Punctilious attention to each
detail demonstrates our awareness
that we are fulfilling God’s Will.
The mitzva of tithing serves obvious
purposes. Some of the produce
goes to feeding the poor and needy
(ma’aser ani), while the rest (t'ruma
and ma’aser rishon) supports Torah
study and Divine service by
providing for the kohanim and
Levites, the spiritual leaders of the
nation. Especially with regard to
mitzvot whose purpose seems
obvious, it is important that we
recognize that our intellectual
powers cannot fully grasp all of their
significance and beauty; nor can we
truly appreciate the extent of their
national and universal benefit
throughout the generations.
For mitzvot with revealed reasons
such as tithing, it is important to
declare that we discharged them
meticulously. We should look at
mitzvot just as any other creation of
God. The commandments have
exact parameters, just as the laws of
nature operate according to precise
rules and processes.
The Privilege of Giving
Why is it so important that we praise
God by reciting a blessing when
performing the mitzva of tithing?
An individual who supports others
could mistakenly believe that he is
the one providing assistance. He
may harbor thoughts of his own
greatness and importance, leading
him to look down on those who
receive his help. Such an attitude
could undo any spiritual benefit
gained from the charitable act. This
danger is particularly serious with
regard to the kohanim. It is not
enough that the nation supports the
kohanim’s efforts to disseminate
Torah. The kohanim and their
spiritual activities need to be
beloved and respected by the
people. How sorry are those who
measure success by the amount of
glittering metal they manage to
hoard!
In order to prevent this misconception - that those giving are
superior to those receiving due to
their greater financial means - the
benefactors must truly understand
that not only are they giving, they
are also receiving an immense
benefit. By supporting Torah study
and the Temple service, they
become
partners
in
spiritual
endeavors that uplift the entire
world.
Therefore, they must not forget to
bless God, and express their gratitude for the wonderful privilege to
be part of this great enterprise. 
Mitzva of Oleh Regel - Why
NOT on the Days of Awe?
by
Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher
Dean of Students, Diaspora Yeshiva
Why does the Torah not require for us
to be present in the Beit HaMikdash
on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur?
By Torah law, on the 3 Festivals of
Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, Jews
were required to ascend to Jerusalem
and visit the Holy Temple.
Yet, on Rosh Hashana and Yom
Kippur, the days which are the holiest
and most significant of all days, Jews
were not commanded to be present in
the Holy Temple. This is very
interesting in light of the fact that the
Holy Temple Service of Yom Kippur
was the holiest service of the entire
year.
Let us attempt to analyze the reason
for the Mitzva of Oleh Regel (The 3
Pilgrimage Festivals). It is clear that a
main facet of this Mitzva is that we
worship G-d through SIMCHA (joy).
There are two elements that advance
one's ability to observe this aspect of
the Mitzva 1. Presence in the Holy Temple
and 2. communal worship.
There is no better location to worship
G-d through joy than the Mikdash, for
this is the unique place where the
Presence of G-d is most manifest.
Concurrently, one's ability to be joyful
and to express that joy is enhanced
when one has others with whom to
share his joy. When alone, it is hard to
become exuberant, and if one actually
becomes joyful, he becomes frustrated
in that he has no one with whom to
share his joy. This is one reason for
the Torah's requiring us to make the
pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the
Mikdash for the Three Festivals - to
share our joy with others.
However, the nature and function of
Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (The
Days of Awe) are quite different from
that of the three Pilgrimage Festivals.
During the Days of Awe, the
emphasis is on serving G-d through
Awe. Rosh HaShana, The Day of
Creation of Adam, is also the day
when Adam sinned. Because of
Adam's sin on this day, all humanity
is judged each and every year on this
very day of Rosh HaShana.
Yom Kippur, which falls nine days
after Rosh HaShana, is the day on
which G-d promised Israel that He
will accept our T'shuva for the Sin of
the Golden Calf. Thus, Yom Kippur
became the Day of T'shuva on which
any negative verdict, handed down on
Rosh HaShana, can be canceled.
As such, the emphasis of Rosh
HaShana and Yom Kippur consists of
recognizing G-d as the Universal
Judge of all mankind and doing
T'shuva for our sins.
True Teshuva is best done in solitude,
when one can focus on introspection
and self improvement (Cheshbon
HaNefesh). Therefore, the Torah does
not command us to make pilgrimage
to the Holy Temple during the Days
of Awe, because crowds are a
distraction to the T'shuva process. 
Guidelines from Nezikin
for the Yamim Nora'im [1]
by Dr. Meir Tamari
The spiritual success of our Shabbat
depends on our preparations on the
6th day of the week. So too, the
spiritual successes of Yomim Nora'im
in the 7th month, are a function of our
preparations during the 6th month of
the Jewish calendar [a.k.a. as the
Babylonian Elul). Such preparation is
concentrated on t'shuva, which should
include a way out of the moral maze
inherent in making, spending and
saving money. Basically that way
needs the ability to waive some legal
and legitimate property rights in favor
of others; litigation only results from
unwillingness or inability to waive
those rights. Since ethics begins
where the law ends, Nezikin, in
addition to being the source of Jewish
monetary legislation, is also a
guideline to its ethical behavior that
helps us to minimize, if not to prevent,
wrong behavior.
"Do that which is right and good in
the eyes of G-d" (D'varim 6:18-19).
Our Sages interpret this as referring to
compromise and going beyond the
letter of the law. "This principle
includes, first and foremost, the
concept of fairness which commands
us not to avail ourselves of a right if
the advantage we gain from claiming
it is comparatively small compared to
the advantage the other party would
gain" (S. R. Hirsch).
"There is no better antidote to
weakness of the heart [yeitzer hara]
than a combination of truth and
justice. Therefore, be zealous for the
welfare of others, even lifnim mishurat hadin, keep your word and do
not evade your public and your
private promises made either verbally
or in writing. Reject and avoid
fraudulent and underhand or unlawful
practices. Do not partake of anything
whether small or large, that is not
yours. Know that one who starts
taking small things or takes things
secretly later takes much and in
public. Be proud of your moral values
for there is no more glorious
inheritance" (Will of Rambam).
Like everything else in Judaism,
doing good and right is not left to
personal choice but is binding
halacha. In our real world, the last
person we would like to sell property
to is the neighbor who has a free
benefit of proximity enabling expansion or additional family use, etc. Yet
the Sages of Nehardea [in Bavel] said
and this is the halacha, "they can force
the owner to sell to them [at market
price] under the law of bar metzra
because of 'you shall do that which is
right and good' [and one should not do
anything which is immoral or
unrighteous even if he has a legal
right to do so]" (Baba Metzia 108a).
"If a person wants to sell a piece of
land or a house [or a share in a family
corporation], he has to give the
owners of adjoining or contiguous
property-shares the right of first
refusal (the law of bar metzra). If the
bar meztra is not interested then, a
resident of the same town has precedence over a non-resident. Between
two residents of a town, the one in his
neighborhood has precedence, if one
them is his friend and the other his
relative the friend has preference. This
law of precedence is a commandment
of the Sages fulfilling the verse, 'and
you shall do that which is right and
good in the eyes of G-d" (Shulchan
Arukh Baal HaTanya, Hilchot
M'chira).
"You shall walk in righteous ways."
"And you shall love your neighbor as
yourself" (Vayikra 19:18). Rabbi
Akiva teaches that this is a great
principle since many mitzvot are
contained in it. Rav Hirsch notes that
the text reads v'ahavta l'rei-acha, to
your neighbor, meaning that the love
is to be expressed in actions. "One
who loves his neighbor will not steal
from him nor oppress him financially
nor encroach on his livelihood nor
harm him in any way" (HaChinuch
mitzva 243). "If one gathers everything into his house leaving no
blessing from which the poor could
benefit, he displays an evil heart and a
mean spirit; by the yardstick with
which a man measures, by that he is
measured so evil will equally befall
him" (HaChinuch mitzva 216).
"Shimon, who is wealthy with no
dependents, wishes to open a liquor
store in competition to Reuven who
has been operating one for many
years. Legally we cannot prevent
Shimon, however, I rule against him,
since Reuven is poor and has no other
livelihood. The Bach (Responsa sec
12) rules that a court can force
Shimon to waive his legal rights
lifnim mishurat hadin. Opening the
store would be an act of S'dom and we
can force somebody not to act midat
s'dom" (T'shuvot Hatzemach Tzedek).
The case of a man who had seized the
cloaks of the porters who had broken
his wine casks, came before Rava.
"Return their cloaks" ruled Rava. "Is
this din", queried the man. "Yes,
because you shall walk in righteous
ways". Then they asked for their
wages and Rava ruled that they had to
be paid. The man asked "is this din?
Rava replied, "Yes; they are poor and
you are obligated to walk in righteous
ways" (Baba Metzia 83a). 
CHIZUK ! IDUD
Divrei Torah from the weekly sedra
with a focus on living in Eretz Yisrael Chizuk for Olim & Idud for not-yet-Olim
This week’s parsha begins with the
Mitzva of Bikurim, and the detailed
statement (Vidui) made as the first
fruits are brought before the Kohen.
Reading through the Torah's description, one is struck by the repetitive
usage of the verb “to give” N-T-N
which appears no less than seven
times in quick succession. Six of these
verses reference the Land which the
Almighty has chosen to give us
(D'varim 26:1,2,3,9,10,11).
The 4th time the verb N-T-N is
employed, the context is strikingly
different: D'varim 26:6 does not
describe a divine act of giving, but
rather the "gift" we received from the
hands of the Egyptians - VAYITNU
ALEINU AVODA KASHA. In stark
contrast to the benevolent gift we
received from G-d, the Egyptians
"gave" us enslavement. Were we to
apply a similar mode of description to
the events of the twentieth century, we
would note how shortly after the
Germans "gave" us the Holocaust, the
Almighty chose to give us back the
sovereignty over the Holy Land as
promised to Avraham.
It would seem that the juxtaposition of
these two "gifts" assumes that a true
appreciation of the Divine gift of the
land is borne out of the realization of
how very different the alternative
could have been.
(The contrast between the two types
of giving was proposed by Nechama
Leibowitz in “Pirkei Nechama” pg.
520, quoting Martin Buber in “Bein
Am V'Artzo”.)
After acknowledging the Chesed of
having been saved from the hands of
the Egyptians, one proceeds in the
Vidui Bikurim to describe how G-d
brought us into the Land, concluding
with the statement that I now
reciprocate by bringing the first fruits:
“And He brought us to this place and
gave us this land, a land flowing with
milk and honey. And now, behold, I
have brought the first fruits of the land
which You, HaShem, has given me”
(D'varim 26: 9-10). The shift from the
plural tense used in verse 9 - "gave us
the land", to the individual declaration
made in verse 10: “I have brought the
first fruits of the land”, hints to the
interplay between the singular and the
communal. The relationship between
the experience of the sole individual
and the life of the community as a
whole can easily be appreciated by
Olim.
Most Olim will speak to the fact that
the decision to come home, in
fulfillment of the command to
Avraham - LECH L'CHA, brings to
the fore the idea that we are all part of
Klal Yisrael. Yet, just as each
individual, qua individual, brought his
own first fruits, so too, each person
must bring themselves here, and
continue to work hard once arriving at
these blessed shores.
This past Friday I was privileged to
attend a reunion of a group of Olim
who made Aliya starting off in the
Merkaz Klita in Gilo, Jerusalem, 30
years ago. A number of them noted in
conversation how next to choosing a
spouse, the most important decision
they ever made was deciding to come
on Aliya. Their children and grandchildren will forever be grateful.
They arrived as young families, and
thirty years later they could show off
the fruits of their labor. It was
inspiring to see how a high percentage
of the doctors had advanced to become
the heads of departments at top quality
hospitals here in Israel. A physician
proudly tells how his daughter having
graduated Med school will be joining
his practice. What Nachas! Social
workers described how they had
advanced to positions of leadership in
their field, while high tech professionals shared stories of traveling the
world to sell their Israeli products.
Others, who had never stopped
studying and teaching, are currently
Rabbis as well as academicians, at
different universities and shuls around
the country.
Many, who came here with teenagers,
have since married them off and now
proudly show off pictures of their
“Israeli” grandchildren.
Each Oleh, together with the bearers
of the Bikurim, can proudly declare
before Hashem: “…I have come to
this country which Hashem swore to
our fathers to give us”, (D'varim
26:3).
V'SAMACHTA
B'CHOL
HATOV - Whether our fathers were
wandering Arameans living in Canada
and the US, Great Britian, Russia, or
Iran - we can stand together rejoicing
in the good that Hashem our G-d has
given to our house and to our families.
For those who have yet to make
Aliya: Come and rejoice with us - you
won’t regret it!
Rabbi Yerachmiel Roness, Ramat Shiloh, Beit Shemesh
OzTorah
NO GREAT FUN
What a terrible list of threats in the
"Tochecha", the warning of doom,
that we read in this week’s portion!
Nakedness, hunger, poverty and
subjugation are no great pleasure.
These and other horrible experiences are predicted in the relentless
series of curses. True to Biblical
theology, they all come as
punishment for not serving God
(D'varim 28:47).
But there is something new and
unexpected - not just that we didn’t
serve God, but we didn’t serve Him
joyfully.
It doesn’t mean that we joyfully
rebelled against Him or defied Him
with glee, but we failed to serve Him
with joy. What God wants of us is
not only to serve Him, but to serve
Him happily - not merely routine,
perfunctory service, but getting
pleasure from observing His will,
finding fun in faith.
Pinhas Peli points out that man is
capable both of making God happy
and of making Him sad (B'reishit
6:5-6). Not what we would have
expected - a God who feels emotion,
who has times of joy and times of
sadness. Speaking about Him in
human terms is metaphor, it’s
poetry. It uses human language not
because it is really the truth but
because it helps us to understand
things from our limited human
perspective. It helps us to see the
message.
We can’t simply turn on a switch
and become instantly happy, but if
we look at whatever mitzva lies in
front of us and find an aspect that
makes us feel good, we make God
feel good too.
Portion
Rosh HaShana, Time,
and Looking Forward
Last Shabbat, Parshat Ki Teizei, no
Torah Tidbits were printed. That
meant I had an extra week to work
on my column. I thought I would
actually be able to finish my column
in good time and hand it in early for
once. Somehow that extra week
has disappeared and I find myself
on Motza'ei Shabbat trying to
decide what I should write about. I
won't be handing in my column
early, I'll be lucky if I hand it in on
time. How did all that time slip
away? I so much wanted to hand in
the column early - how was I not
able to accomplish my goal? I was
upset at myself wondering if I will
ever be able to plan my time
properly?
This was especially on my mind
because of one of the things I read
in Rabbi Jonathan Sacks's introduction to the Koren Rosh HaShana
Machzor. He writes that on Rosh
HaShana the court is in session and
we are on trial, giving an account of
our lives. We must ask ourselves
and give an account of how we
have used God's greatest gift to us
- time. We stand before God
knowing how short and vulnerable
life really is, and how little time we
have here on earth. Life has a
purpose. Each one of us is here for
a reason. How can we fulfill our
mission?
Rosh HaShana really highlights the
significance of time. Rabbi Sacks
points us to the Musaf of Rosh
HaShana. Whereas on all other
holidays there is only one central
blessing, K'dushat HaYom, that
relates to the sanctity of that special
holiday, on Rosh HaShana there
are three. These three central
blessings are Malchiyot/Kingship,
Zichronot/Remembrances, Shofarot
- verses about the shofar. These
correspond
to
the
sentence
"Hashem Melech, Hashem Malach,
Hashem Yimloch l'olam va'ed Hashem is King, Hashem was King,
Hashem will be King forever and all
time." All of time is mentioned in the
musaf. Malchiyot refers to the
present.
Zichronot
is
about
memories of the past, and Shofarot
is about the future. The shofar is
always a signal of something about
to come: the king, a warning of
danger, or the sound of a trial about
to begin. God relates to all of time.
T'shuva sensitizes us to the full
significance of time. To be a Jew is
to live positioned between past and
future, and realizing that one must
not let their past deeds determine
their future. Just because we may
have sinned in the past, just
because we may have missed the
mark, doesn't mean we are doomed
to always sin, and to be labeled a
sinner. We always have the free will
to act differently next time. In
Judaism our future can actually
determine our past. Our choice to
improve ourselves, to commit to a
more faithful, honest decent life in
the upcoming year gives us the
courage to face our past and admit
its shortcomings. Such a choice can
be life changing. However many
times we may have failed to live up
to our aspirations, God always
gives us the chance and power to
begin again. That is the gift of
t'shuva.
Rabbi Sacks quotes his predecessor Lord Jakobovits who pointed
out that though Rosh Hashana is
the first of the Ten Days of Repentance, it does not contain any
explicit confessions or penitential
prayers. What is the reason that
these types of prayers are part of
Yom Kippur but not Rosh Hashana?
Lord Jakobovits said this could be
because of the two components of
t'shuva; commitment to the future
and regret for the past. Rosh
Hashana is about the first - "Rosh"
meaning "head". The natural
position of the head is looking
forward, not back. Rosh Hashana,
coming before Yom Kippur highlights that our decision to act better
in the future precedes and impacts
on our feelings of remorse about
the past. The sounds of the shofar
on Rosh Hashana also turn our
attention to what lies ahead, not
behind.
May we all start this New Year
facing forward and taking advantage of God's gift of t'shuva to
improve ourselves and our relation-
ship with God and the world around
us. (Hopefully next week I'll hand in
my column early.)
SINCE IT'S TRADITIONAL to eat
apples and honey on Rosh
Hashana, here is an easy chicken
recipe with apples and honey. It's
easy, so as not to waste precious
time.
APPLE & HONEY CHICKEN
2 chickens, quartered
1 cup apple juice
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey
1 small tart green apple, minced
2 to 3 sweet apples, cut in wedges
1 onion, minced
2 Tbsp oil
Salt, pepper to taste
Ginger and nutmeg (optional)
Season chicken. Spread oil in 9x13
inch pan. Add onion and chicken
(skin side up). Combine apple
(green) and lemon juice. Pour over
chicken, bake, uncovered, at 190°C
for 40 to 50 minutes until golden,
basting occasionally with pan
juices. Place apple juice and honey
in another saucepan. Bring to boil.
Simmer 5 to 7 minutes more until
thickened. Drop apple slices in
sauce to glaze. Arrange chicken on
serving plate, add drippings to
sauce. Combine and spoon over
chicken.
Reprinted (with permission) from
Shabbat Shalom
Parsha Booklet (3) by
Rabbi Berel Wein
One of the most bitter curses that
the Torah describes in the tochacha
that forms such a major portion of
this parsha itself is that one's labor
and efforts, even all of one's life
struggles and sacrifices, will turn
out to be empty, fruitless, of no
purpose or benefit. We all work in
life to achieve certain goals financial, personal fulfillment, family
serenity, and the wish to be remembered and appreciated. There is
therefore perhaps nothing in the
tochacha that is as deflating and
saddening as the statement that all
of our efforts will be for naught, all
of our ambitions, ideas and struggles ultimately pointless and of no
lasting value.
It is clear to most of us, not
particularly blessed with enormous
wealth or unique creative genius,
that there are relatively few ways
that we can make our mark on the
world and our lives purposeful. One
of those ways however is in building
family ties and harmony. People are
able to see their accomplishments
in the accomplishments of others if
those others are their offspring or
close relatives.
That is the reason that family
relations, especially parent-child
relationships, are so delicate and
emotional. For even if one feels that
one's efforts in life have been
successful, we feel that the verdict
on our achievements is yet to be
rendered and that it depends upon
the continuing success of our future
generations as well. And therefore
the words of the tochacha are truly
frightening for it portends that the
future generations can undo all
previous achievements of their
predecessors. We are all too bitterly
aware that this is true especially in
our generatrions.
This inconsonance between generations is emphasized further in
the tochacha when the Torah
describes "that your children shall
be given to another nation and that
you will be powerless to prevent it."
The Torah refers here not only to
actual enslavement and imprisonment of one's children but it also
implies being given to a foreign,
non-Jewish culture and way of life.
The effects of the secularization of
the youthful generations of Eastern
European Jewry and of American
and Israeli Jewry are so serious as
to be almost catastrophic.
Our generation and times are left to
pay the bill for those previous
defections from Jewish life. And,
what the appeal of false ideals that
overwhelmed the Jewish street then
did not destroy, the Holocaust described in minute detail in the
tochacha - completed. If it were not
for God's promise that ends the
tochacha, that Israel will survive
and rejuvenate itself, we would
almost be without hope or comfort.
But it is the sad fact that the
tochacha, in all of its awful prophecies and events, has literally taken
place before our eyes. And, this
paradoxically gives us the hope and
promise for the better times that
God's promise extends to us.
As we contemplate the shambles of
the tochacha that surround us
currently, we may take hope in the
future - that the times of peace,
spiritual
accomplishment
and
serenity of soul will also be literally
fulfilled in the great and good year
that is about to dawn upon us and
all of Israel. 
TtRiDdLeS
Previous (SHO/KITE) TTriddles:
[1] 6000 but in reverse order
Divrei HaYamim Alef 23:4 states: Of
these (38,000 Leviyim), to conduct
at the service of the House of the
Lord, were twenty-four thousand,
and officers and judges were six
thousand. Officers and judges V'SHOTRIM V'SHOFTIM (reverse
order compared with Parshat
SHOFTIM V'SHOTRIM) there were
6000.
[2] Bos taurus & Equus Africanus
asinus
That's cow (or ox) and donkey, as in
If you see your brother's one or the
other wandering, return it to him - or
- Do not ignore your brother's one or
the other collapse on the road... - or Don't plow this them together.
[3] One of 54 / One of 11 / One of 24
/ One of 8
SHOFTIM is one of the Torah's 54
sedras, one of D'varim's 11 sedras;
the other SHOFTIM is one of the 24
boks of Tanach and one of the 8
books of NEVI'IM.
[4] FPTL: Age at which No'ach
became a father
No'ach became a father at age 500.
CHAMEISH MEI'OT SHANA =
8+40+300 (348) + 40+1+6+400 (447)
+ 300+50+5 (355) = 1150.
[5] FPTL: Price of S'dei Efron
400 shekels = ARBA MEI'OT
SHEKEL = 1+200+2+70 (273) +
40+1+6+400 (447) + 300+100+30
(430) = 1150.
FYI: Ten generations from No'ach to Avraham No'ach, Sheim, Arpachshad, Shelach, Eiver,
Peleg, R'u, Nachor, Terach, Avraham. Avraham
was born in 1948 from Creation, at which time all
nine of his ancestors from this list were alive. His
great-great-grandfather, Peleg, died in 1996, and
his grandfather Nachor in 1997. Eiver was the
only ancestor who outlived Avraham. (In case
you were wondering... this has no connection to
anything in the sedras covered by TT 1150.)
MACHON PUAH
Casts and the Halacha (2)
Last time we discussed the problem
of immersing in the mikva while
wearing a cast. Some permitted a
woman to immerse in the mikva ith
the cast since this is not considered a
chatzitza, a barrier between the skin
and the water of the mikva. Rav Tzvi
Pesach Frank (Har Tzvi, Yoreh Deah
169), who was the Chief Rabbi of
Jerusalem for over two decades until
his death in 1960, only permits this
since the woman is particular not to
remove the cast. In such a case this is
considered to be part of the body,
similar to a temporary tooth crown.
However some do not permit a
woman to immerse with the cast
since this is considered a chatzitza
and the woman would have to wait
until after the cast is removed in
order to go to the mikva.
As we stated last week the problem
with a regular plaster of paris cast is
that the cast cannot get wet and if it
does it begins to disintegrate. In
addition if the bandage underneath
the cast gets wet it can take a long
time to dry and this will have adverse
effect on the skin and can cause
infections and fungus to grow.
There is an opinion (see Shiurei
Shevet HaLevi 198:10,2) that a woman
can cover the cast with nylon and
then go into the mikva. Since she is
particular that the cast cannot get
wet and the entire body is immersed
under water this is considered to be a
kosher tevila. But there are a number
of opinions who disagree with this
lenient position.
In more recent years an alternative
cast is being used that is made of
fiberglass which can be wet and
therefore there is no limitation on
washing, showering or going to the
mikva with the cast. This cast is
lighter than the plaster of paris but it
cannot be molded so well and tends
to snag on clothing, it is also more
expensive.
This cast still presents a problem in
that the bandage underneath still
takes a long time to dry. There is
another problem and that is whether
such a cast can be made on Shabbat.
Both types of cast require wetting
and squeezing the bandage as well as
the formation of the cast which is
boneh, building, something from a
loose structure to a solid, hard case.
This is similar to the prohibition
against making cheese where the
milk is churned and becomes hard
which is not allowed on Shabbat.
Recently there is a new type of cast
which may solve both the problem of
Shabbat and not be a problem with
regarding immersion in the mikva.
More on this next week.
Rabbi Gideon Weitzman, Director, Puah Institute
BIKURIM - basket of first fruits placed at the
side of the Mizbei'ach • The bringer is smiling
(he's a smiley), as the Torah commands us to
rejoice in all that G-d has given us • And he's
reciting (speech bubble) about going down to
Egypt and about being brought out of Egypt
and taken to Eretz Yisrael • HASHKIFA - G-d,
look down upon us from on high (telescope yes, we know that He doesn't need one) • One
of the blessings in the sedra is that if we keep
the Torah, then we will be "heads" not "tails".
Two shekel coins. FYI, heads & tails is
American. The numismatic terms are obverse
and reverse. In Israel, the sides of a coin are
PALI and EITZ - a throw back to pre-state
days • 12 stones upon which were engraved
the Torah (or parts of it) • Opened treasure, as
we ask of G-d. That treasure is in the form of
beneficial and timely rains, and the bumper
crops that result from good and plentiful rain •
THE SKATE is for the word HASKEIT. Words
that appear only once in Tanach are often
difficult to translate. HASKEIT is rendered as
"pay attention" or "be silent" or "form groups".
It is followed by USHMA, and listen (or
understand), hence the different possibilities
for HASKEIT • The successful basketball shot
is for BARUCH TANACHA, blessed is your
basket (i.e. fruit - Rashi), or V'SAMTA
VATENE, and put it in the basket • Thumbs up
pointing to a cityscape and a field is BARUCH
ATA BA'IR UVARUCH ATA BASADEH • The
green pepper with yes and no on it represents
the term in the Torah PRI ADAMA, fruit of the
ground. YES, that's the bracha it gets (double
meaning - we say BOREI PRI HAADAMA and
G-d sends His BRACHA (if we follow Him) to
our PRI ADAMA. On the other hand - NO,
pepper is not one of the PRI ADAMA referred
to in the context of BIKURIM, since we are
taught that for BIKURIM, PRI HAADAMA
means only the Seven Species • Golf club
under the stones is an iron. The haftara says:
"For bronze I will bring gold, and for iron I will
bring silver, and for wood bronze, and for
stones iron..." (Yeshayahu 60:17) In Hebrew:
V'TACHAT HA'AVANIM BARZEL - and under
the stones, iron. • At the top of the ParshaPix
is a (spice) rack, representing another promise
for our faithful behavior, that will will be RACK
L'MAALA, just at the top. (Hebrew-English
groaner) • Open lock is for the prophecy in the
haftara, that your gates will be open always,
day and night they will not be closed • The
flower next to the 12 stones is a "forgetme-not", as in "... I did not violate any mitzvot,
nor did I forget." • Cow and bee represent
CHALAV and D'VASH, as in ERETZ ZAVAT...
A phrase that occurs more in Ki Tavo than
anywhere else • Elephant represents the
mitzva that an elephant - assuming his
reputation is deserved - cannot fulfill, the
mitzva of SHICH'CHA, forgetting the bundles
of produce (one or two of them) in the field. •
AYIN with SEGOL under it and MEM (sofit)
with SEGOL under it. AYIN-MEM spells AM,
nation. This then is an AM SEGULA, as in
Chosen Nation, a phrase that occurs twice in
Parshat R'ei and once in Ki Tavo • Abundance
of camels - from the haftara: SHIF'AT
G'MALIM • Below the camels... a play on S'I
SAVIV EINAYICH (haftara). S'I (lift your eyes)
sounds like C • Two doors with smiles is for
M'SOS DOR VADOR, a joy for each
succeeding generation. DOR - door, get it? •
Upper-left corner - the Sederplate, for the
p'sukim borrowed from Ki Tavo for the core of
the Magid portion of the Hagada • The first of
the two doors has a K on it, making it a
reference to KEIDAR, a place mentioned in
the haftara • Next to the K-door are pictures of
a set of golf clubs - specifically, the drivers.
They used to be called WOODS because
that's what their heads were made of. Under
the woods is a copper penny. And under that
is a double eagle, a $20 gold coin. This is all in
the haftara, which mentions TACHAT (to
replace, but literally, under) WOODS,
NECHOSHET and TACHAT NECHOSHET,
ZAHAV. Additionally, the penny is a wheat
back design, so we have one of the Seven
Species that could be brought as Bikurim.
z̈`äE
'Regular' accent MIL-EIL - u-VA-ta, unless the word
that follows it begins with an ALEF, then it's MILRA
u-va-TA, except for D'varim 12:26 where it has a
strong pausing vowel.
Parsha Points to Ponder
by Rabbi Dov Lipman
Ki Tavo
1) Why does the person declare
that he has both NOT TRANSGRESSED the laws and has NOT
FORGOTTEN them (26:13)? If he
has not transgressed them then of
course he has not forgotten them?
2) Why are the Leviyim suddenly
included among the leaders commanding the nation to fulfill the
commandments
(27:9),
something which does not occur
anywhere else in the Torah?
3) Why does the Torah mention
children first followed by wealth
when promising blessings (28:4)
while placing wealth before
children with regard to the curses
(28:17-18)?
Suggested answers
1) The S'fat Emet answers that there are
two elements to a mitzva - the action
and the intent. A person can NOT
TRANSGRESS and fulfill the commandments but still forget them by not
focusing and having any intent while
doing it. The person declares that he
has performed them and also had
proper intent.
2) The Meshech Chochma teaches that
this command refers to the new
covenant which the Jewish people had
to make with God following the sin of
the golden calf. Since the Leviyim did
not sin with the golden calf and were
not in need of this new covenant, they
switched to the side of those who were
doing the commanding.
3) The Chatam Sofer explains that
wealth is often a curse for children
because they grow up spoiled, with no
work ethic. That is why regarding the
blessings, children come first because
the other way can be a curse. When we
are being cursed, the Torah says you
will be poor and even that won't help
because your children will also be
cursed

ik `eaz - Torah Tidbits

Transcription

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