Chazal state that a koton is patur from mitzvos because he is a lav bar da’as (see Chagigah 2b). The simple understanding is that he

lacks intelligence. Yet daily experience seems to contradict this. There are many children far younger than 13 who are intellectually precocious. Furthermore, the Gemora (Sanhedrin 69b) reports that whilst Bezalel only started building the Mishkan on his 13th birthday, he was assigned the task before that, based on his outstanding wisdom (Berachos 55a).

Another reason given for the petur from mitzvos before the age of 13 is based on the Avos de’Rebbe Nosson, which says that a child only receives his yetzer tov at that age. Again, this seems to contradict experience – many kids busy themselves with ma’asim tovim and chessed well before the age of bar mitzvah.

Perhaps the answer to these questions, writes the Sefer Shimusha shel Derosha, lies in a Rashi in Pirkei Avos. The Mishnah (5:22) says that “ben shelosh esreh le’mitzvos”. Rashi sources this in a posuk that only an ‘ish’ (or ‘isha’) is held accountable for doing an averia (Bamidbar 5:6) and that we know the minimum age of an ‘ish’ in the Torah from Levi; Rashi calculates that Levi was 13 at the time that he and Shimon attacked and killed the town of Shechem, in revenge for what their leader’s son had done to Dinah. The posuk in Vayishlach refers to Levi as an ish “taking his sword” (Bereishis 34:25).

Yet this seems a surprising source for the age of obligation in mitzvos. To elaborate, in this week’s parsha, Yaakov says to Yosef:

“And as for me, I have given you Shechem – one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Emori, with my sword and with my bow” (Bereishis 48:22).

Rashi cites a Medrash (Bereishis Rabba) which explains what Yaakov’s “sword and his bow” refers to. After Shimon and Levi had wiped out the city of Shechem, the neighbouring nations gathered together to wage war. Yaakov was forced to take up arms – his ‘sword and bow’ - and fight against them.

Indeed straight after Shimon and Levi’s decimation of Shechem, Yaakov had rebuked them: “I am few in number and should they [the Cana’ani and the Perizi] band together and attack, I will be annihilated – me and my household”

(34:30). Yaakov’s fears materialised, but he miraculously won the war.

So from Yaakov’s perspective, Shimon and Levi made a mistake, leaving him vulnerable. He disapproved. Yet, says Rashi, Levi’s “taking his sword” is the source for 13 as the age of bar mitzvah!

The answer is that Shimon and Levi had a decision to make, and not a straightforward one. On the one hand, they risked leaving Yaakov vulnerable. Yet on the other hand, their sister had been cruelly defiled, which should not go unpunished – as they retorted to Yaakov: “ha’kezona ya’ase es achoseinu?” (34:31).

The crucial point is that they took responsibility to make a decision. Whether they were right or wrong was something that they and Yaakov debated. But they made a decision. That is why the Torah refers to Levi as an ‘ish’ – he showed the ability to take a stance, to take responsibility beyond his own personal circumstances or convenience.

This explains what Chazal mean when stating that a koton is potur from mitzvos because he is a lav bar da’as. It does not refer to a lack of IQ. Rather it means that he does not yet have the facility to use his da’as to take a lead in areas of wider importance. Bezalel was supremely intelligent; yet only when he was 13 could he take actually take up a role on behalf of the nation. This too sheds a new light on what Avos de’Rebbe Nosson meant when saying that a child only receives his yetzer tov at 13. Certainly younger kids can act with kindness. Yet only the neshomah of an ‘ish’ can take the responsibility to forge a decisive path in the complicated dilemmas that life presents.

בס"ד

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234 פרשת ויחי

י"ד טבת תש"פ

11 Jan 2020

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Knowing that he will soon be departing from this world, Yaakov Avinu gathers his sons to gives them each their unique and special brachos.

ם׃ לי חמס מכרתיה ים כ מעון ולוי אח ש“Shimon and Levi are a pair; their weapons are tools of

lawlessness.”Shimon and Levi receive their blessings together and

because of their past behaviour with Shechem, Yaakov makes his disappointment and concerns very clearly known

ם“ “ ארור אפ“Cursed be their anger so fierce, And their wrath so

relentless. I will divide them in Jacob, scatter them in Israel.”Interestingly, at the very end of the Torah in parshas vezos

habracha, Moshe Rabbeinu gives his brachos to the Shevatim, where Levi receives a wonderful though different bracha.ך וכליל אפ ימו קטורה ב ב ותורתך לישראל יש טיך ליעק פ יורו מש

ך׃ ח על־מזב“They shall teach Your laws to Jacob and Your instructions

to Israel. They shall offer You incense to savour and whole-offerings on Your altar”.

Shimon, however, is noticeably absent! Why?Many years ago I was zocheh to hear these issues raised by

Rabbi Mordechai Miller zt’’l, who explains as follows: During our life we are given opportunities to discover our

true potential. Our strengths and weaknesses ought to become more and more obvious as we mature and grow as Torah True Jews. This is especially true if we are fortunate enough to have a teacher who can honestly and clearly reveal our strengths and weaknesses to us.

Once we develop this awareness, it behoves us to act upon our newly found wisdom, and integrate and assimilate our teacher’s observations.

When Yaakov was giving Hashem’s blessings to his children he was helping them understand themselves, to truly appreciate their individuality and to learn where their strengths and apparent weakness lay.

Often we find that if our teacher points out an area which appears like a weakness, he is also identifying a potential strength which can harnessed for the good in the very area which has thus far manifested itself as a weakness.

So, for example, being zealous without due consideration of ramifications can have frightening consequences, as in the case of Shimon and Levi’s response to Shechem. However that same zealousness used for the sake of Hashem, as seen by Levi in his response to the Golden calf, can catapult him to great leadership.

Likewise we see Pinchas, also from shevet Levi, in his attempt to quell the immoral practices of Zimri and Kozbi, using the very weaponry, and zealousness, which had caused Yaakov to admonish his tribe, now being rewarded with kehunah and a covenant of peace.

From Bereshis all the way through to Devorim, Shevet Levi display a dramatic redirection of their apparent weaknesses, and uses the blessings endowed by Hashem in a controlled and directed way for Hashem’s sake. Sadly we don’t see such a change from the tribe of Shimon. Moreover, in the incident with Pinchas, it is actually a member of the tribe of Shimon who is the instigator of the painful and immoral rebellion.

As the Rambam tells us in Hilchos Deios, nearly all character traits can be used or abused.

Let’s take for example “chutzpah”. It’s a very tough thing for teachers and parents to have to deal with! We have all witnessed the negative ramifications of uncontrolled chutzpah. However, a parent or teacher who knows how to channel that chutzpah can help discover an incredibly creative and innovative individual, who has the self-belief and confidence to build great institutions and change us all for the better. That has to be our response and obligation to discovering our strengths and apparent weaknesses.

Through learning from Shevet Levi’s journey and transition we can, besiyata dishmaya unleash our greatest blessings!

Unleash our Greatest Blessings

Agivort

Oneg Shabbos Issue 234. 2

Rabbi Danny KirschChairman of JLE

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A central section of our parsha deals with the berachos which Yaakov gave to each of his sons before he passed away, indicating the particular role that each tribe would play in the future of the Jewish People.

If we would ask: of what benefit were these for the Jewish People, we would probably answer that there was none forthcoming for the next two hundred, since they only really pertained to the future when we were already in our land; and the reason Yaakov gave these now was very simply because he was soon to pass away and it was not feasible to give them any later than this. However, from a comment of the Meshech Chochmah later on, in Chumash Shemos,[1] we can discern that the significance and benefit of the to the brothers expressed themselves in a much more immediate way.

As we know, the Midrash[2] states that the Bnei Yisrael were redeemed from Mitzrayim in the merit of the fact that they maintained a distinct sense of national identity. This was reflected in the fact that they did not change their names or their language from Hebrew to Egyptian. What gave them the fortitude of spirit to maintain this identity and resist the pressure to try and integrate fully into Egyptian society? The answer is, they had already received, through Yaakov’s , a vision of their national destiny, including the specific role that each tribe would play in the fulfilment of that destiny. This vision gave them strength to withstand the difficulties of all that they would endure in Mitzrayim during the two hundred years that they were there. Thus, the impact of Yaakov’s was felt long before we entered the Land of Israel; indeed, the were what strengthened us throughout our exile and to endure and ultimately to get to our Land.

Indeed, with this in mind, the Meshech Chochmah offers a fascinating explanation of a comment made by the Midrash. There is a well-known idea that the tribe of Levi were not subjected to the hardships of slavery in Mitzrayim, on account of their unique dedication to Torah pursuits. However, the Midrash[3] states that, from a certain point of view, it was not only Levi who were spared from all those hardships, rather, the tribes of Reuven and Shimon were likewise subjected to less persecution. In the words of the Midrash, “Reuven, Shimon and Levi enjoyed authority status (הנהיגו שררה) in Mitzrayim.” Why were these three tribes different?

The Meshech Chochmah explains that, as mentioned above, the Jewish people were able to withstand the difficulties of oppression and persecution because they were encouraged and fortified by a consciousness of their role in the future destiny of their people. However, the which Yaakov gave to the first

three brothers were not encouraging, neither in tone nor in substance! Rather, they consisted of words of rebuke over various traits and tendencies which these brothers exhibited in the various episodes of Bilhah and the city of Shechem.

Now, in truth, these too were blessings, as they served to make these brothers aware of these tendencies and to know to circumscribe them or perhaps even to channel them toward positive purposes. Nevertheless, the fact remains that these three lacked the positive tone which could serve as a source of chizuk during the difficult years to come. Without a as a source of strength, there was a concern that had these three tribes been subjected to the same hardships as the other tribes, they would not have been able to withstand them and might very well lose hope and disintegrate. It is for this very reason they were not subjected to the same level of hardship and enjoyed a relatively privileged status that their harsher would allow them to endure!__________[1] 6:13.[2] Mechilta Bo sec. 5.[3] Bamidbar Rabbah 13:8

Rabbi Immanuel BernsteinJourneys in Torah based on the Meshech Chochma

This vision gave them strength to withstand

the difficulties of all that they

would endure in Mitzrayim

The Short & Long-Term Effects of Yaakov’s Blessings

11 Jan 2020 י"ד טבת תש"פ פרשת ויחי 3

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Hand-to-Hand Battle

During the last days of his life, Yaakov Avinu blessed the two sons of Yosef, and uttered the words that Jewish fathers have used for more than 3,000 years – “Yesimcha Elokim k’Ephrayim V’chMenashe.” After blessing them, Yaakov informed Yosef that he would receive the city of

Shechem as an additional portion of his inheritance in Eretz Yisroel. Rashi comments that this gift was a reward for Yosef ’s efforts in arranging the complex logistics of his father’s burial in Eretz Yisroel He explains that since Yosef buried his father, he was rewarded with the gift of a burial place for himself as well. (Yosef was buried in Shechem – after his temporary interment in Egypt). When describing the city of Shechem, Yaakov referred to it as the city that he took from the Emori “b’charbi u’vikashti” (Bereshis 48:22) – with my sword and my bow.

At first glance, it would seem puzzling that Yaakov would take credit for gaining territory in Eretz Yisroel by use of his weapons. After all, we find no mention of Yaakov going to battle in any of the previous parshiyos. Rashi, in his first p’shat, forewarns this question by explaining that after Shimon and Levi destroyed the city of Shechem, members of the surrounding nations attacked Yaakov and his children. It was this defensive battle that Yaakov was referencing when he mentioned his use of military weapons – his sword and bow.

This clarification of Rashi does not, however, address a broader question. Why would Yaakov mention the conquest of Shechem at this time, when this subject was something that was a source of discomfort to him? In fact, Yaakov was so upset at the actions of Shimon and Levi that

he admonished them in rather harsh terms several pesukim later (Bereshis 49:5-7).

Compounding the difficulty is the fact that Yaakov was referred to as a yoshev ohalim (Bereshis 25:27); one who dwells in the tent of Torah, while his brother Eisav was the fierce warrior. Why, then, did Yaakov refer to his success in the battlefield in the last days of his life if it was contrary to his very nature?

I would like to propose that the difficulty posed by these questions may be the reason that Rashi offers a second interpretation of those words to mean his wisdom and his tefilah (This p’shat of Rashi concurs with Targum Unkelus). According to this view, Yaakov was informing Yosef that his victory over the Emori was a spiritual one – represented by his night-long battle with the angel of Eisav. Yaakov utilized his

power of tefilah and Torah just as a warrior wields his weapons. This explanation would be very much in line with the life that Yaakov led. As his days on earth were drawing to a close, Yaakov informed his children that although we need to defend ourselves with real-life weapons when the time calls for it, the real struggle for a Jew in this world is our battle with our own yetzer ho’rah.

The Koheles Yitzchak offers an interesting insight into the reason that Rashi and Unkelus depart from the literal translation of the sword and the bow. The cherev, sword, is a short-range weapon ideal for hand-to-hand combat. The keshes, bow [and arrow], is suitable for long-distance combat. When entering a battle, the keshes would normally be used first, and then as the enemy draws nearer, the cherev would come into play. The fact that Yaakov reversed the order and listed the sword before the bow proves that the enemy Yaakov was referencing was an internal one – his yetzer ho’rah.

When one seeks to grow spiritually, to acquire middos tovos, to become a more complete person, he or she will need to vigorously fend off the temptations of the yetzer horah, who is part of us from the moment we enter this world (see Bereishis 4:7). This is represented by the hand-to- hand battle of the sword – the daily struggle to achieve our goals; success in our kodesh and general studies, refraining from engaging in lashon horah, becoming a more supportive friend, maintaining respect for our parents. Even after one is victorious, however, one must keep the bow and arrow handy – remaining vigilant to keep our bad habits far away.

Yaakov, in his final days, was leaving an everlasting legacy to us – his future generations of children. His message to Yosef ’s sons was congruent with the theme expressed during the brachos given to the first three of his twelve sons. Yaakov was informing us that the road to becoming a complete person and achieving our goals is not through impulsive behaviour (which Reuvein had exhibited when he moved his father’s bed) or hasty, aggressive actions (Shimon and Levi with regard to Shechem).

Perhaps this would explain why he used the possessive term in describing his victory over the Emori, (Eisav, according to Rashi). “Yosef, I am giving you the city of Shechem, which I acquired with MY sword and MY bow,” not the weapons of war, but rather the tools that Yaakov devoted his life to perfecting – the wisdom of Torah, and the passion that he devoted to tefilah.

May we all be zoche to live meaningful, spiritual lives.

Rabbi Yakov Horowitz Founder and dean of Yeshiva Darchei Noam in Monsey & Program Director of Agudath Israel’s Project Y.E.S. (Youth Enrichment Services)

Oneg Shabbos Issue 234. 4

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It is troubling. First, Sefer Bereishis ends in a state of limbo. Yoseph is not even buried; he lies dormant in a box through the entire ensuing exile. He asks his children to remember him and eventually bury his bones with them upon their exodus. Why does he not seek immediate burial in Canaan like his father Yaakov?

Second, the entire juxtaposition seems inappropriate. After we end Sefer Bereishis and declare that “Yoseph was put in a box in Egypt,” we all shout almost as in a cheer, “Be Strong and be strengthened.” Are those sombre words a proper lead-in to the shouts of Chazak?

Would it not have been more fitting to end the book of Genesis with the passing of Jacob, his burial in Israel, and the reconciliation of Yoseph and his brothers? That would have been a morally uplifting ending and would have left the congregation with a sense of closure.

Yet, it seems that there is a definitive purpose in ending Genesis with Yoseph’s state of limbo. What is it?

Alexander the Great (356-322 B.C.E.), king of Macedonia, and ruler of most of the civilized world, died at a young age. Before he embarked on his conquest of Asia, he inquired into the welfare and stability of his loyal followers, lest their dependents fall destitute during the long battle. After assessing their needs he disbursed nearly all his royal resources amongst his faithful. His friend General Perdiccas was surprised.

“What have you reserved for yourself?” he asked the mighty ruler. “Hope,” answered the king. “There is always hope.” “In that case,” replied his followers, “we who share in your labour shall share

in your hope.” With that they refused the wealth that Alexander allotted them. Perhaps there is great meaning behind the Torah’s abrupt conclusion

leaving a congregation to ponder as they hear the words “and he was put in a box in Egypt” juxtaposed with shouts of rejuvenation.

Yoseph’s quest was to leave this world with more than memories. He wanted to declare to his survivors that he, too, would not find his final rest during their tenure of suffering. Yoseph, the first of the sons

Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky Rosh Yeshiva,Yeshiva of South Shore

Hope in a Box

“And Yoseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years and they put him in a coffin in Egypt.” (Genesis 50:26) Thus ends the Book of Genesis. With those words the entire congregation rises in unison and shouts, “Chazak! Chazak! V’nischazek!” Be strong! Be strong! And may we all be strengthened!

of Yaakov to die in a foreign land, understood that with his passing, the long exile would slowly emerge. The children of Jacob would slowly and painfully transform from saviours to visitors, and then from visitors to strangers. Finally they would be considered by their hosts as intruders worthy of enslavement. But Yoseph also knew that one day the exile would end and that his people would once again be free. By remaining in a box, Yoseph concurrently declared his message of hope and solidarity to the multitudes that simultaneously awaited his final burial and their redemption. Silently, in an unburied box, he waited with them as the echoes of his pact rang in their memories. “When Hashem will indeed remember you, then you must bring my bones up with you.”

It is a message for all generations. It is a message for all times. When we see the bones of Yoseph, unburied and in a box — “we must not see a box of bones — see the hope that lies therein.” We see the hope and faith that the patriarch declared to his children. “Do not bury me now, as you surely will be remembered one day. My hope is your hope.”

And as the congregation finishes the Bereishis on that unfinished note, they stand up and shout in unison, “Chazak! Chazak! V’nischazek!” Be strong! Be strong! May we all be strengthened!” For one day we will all be free.

TorahDaily

11 Jan 2020 י"ד טבת תש"פ פרשת ויחי 5

The story is told of a quarry worker who, many years ago, worked in the hills near Yerushalayim. He had just finished loading his donkey with a heavy, white slab of Jerusalem stone and giving the donkey a whack on her

side, the pair started to head up the slope and out of the quarry. Then, after only a minute of walking up, she ground to a halt. The irritated worker tried again, in vain, to get the donkey to move forward as he perspired under the midday sun that was beating down on the unlucky pair. The donkey would not move, just shrugging her head and stamping one foot.

The worker then drew a black cloth from inside his tunic, placed it across the donkey’s eyes and tied it tightly under her chin. Sure enough, the donkey started to plod forwards, eventually completing her journey to the top of the quarry.

An onlooker confronted the worker and asked how he knew this mysterious trick. The worker just laughed: “There’s no magic to it! Sometimes when she looks up and sees how far there is still to climb, she gets intimidated and feels that she can’t do it. When that happens, she just needs some help to focus on where she is now and to stop thinking about how far she still needs to climb”.

Yissachar, in our Parsha, is likened to a burdened donkey. What’s the deeper meaning of this analogy? Yissachar was the tribe that “rejoiced in the tent”; the people who devoted their lives exclusively to the study of Torah. Part of the message that the Torah is teaching us here is that when we have a great task ahead of us, we shouldn’t be scared of the great task which lies before us, but move forward step by step, just like how a burdened donkey successfully carries its load; she takes each step at a time.

Klal Yisrael has just started learning shas. Flipping through the pages of one masechta and seeing how much work lies ahead can be intimidating, all the more so when it’s the entire shas! Starting a new school, repairing a deeply damaged relationship or changing jobs seems daunting when we consider all the new adjustments and things we need to achieve to be successful. That could lead someone feeling like they just want to give up. But if we do that, we’ll never grow or do difficult but important things that make us better people and closer to where we need to get to.

A healthy perspective is to be like the burdened donkey; look at the road just ahead of you now and deal with each obstacle as it comes. Don’t worry about what will be in five steps time; cross that bridge when you come to it.

(Mishlei 2:14) ”את פני מבין חכמה, ועיני כסיל בקצה הארץ““The knowing person keeps wisdom right before him

whilst the fool drifts his eyes to the ends of the land”

Rabbi Chaim BurmanRabbi and Educator, Kollel Rabbonim Tzvi Ashkenazi, Mesilah Community Development, Amsterdam

One Step at a Time…

A Thought to Help Us Think About Hashem

A person who truly trusts in Hashem is truly rich. But a person who is only reputed to trust in Hashem

is like a person who is only reputed to be richRAV YISROEL SALANTER

TATC

Oneg Shabbos Issue 234. 6

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Backseat DriversAnyone who takes to the road or has ever driven a vehicle

with others, will be familiar with the dreaded “backseat driver”.

This is the title given to a passenger, often sitting in the backseat, who offers free, unsolicited advice to the driver as if they were actually in the driving seat. More broadly, this term has come to refer to anyone who criticises from the side-lines by wanting to “take charge” over something that lies outside their control.

Much as I hate to admit it, I am an excellent “backseat driver”. On a recent car ride, together with a couple of other passengers, we went about instructing our friend driving the car where to go, how to get there, and which road to turn into. Not taken in by our commands, she turned around and shouted: “Listen to me. There is only one driver in this car and that is me!”

Perhaps it is true to say that in all aspects of life, each one of us is a “backseat driver” if not a full-blown “control-freak!”

We truly want to be in control of every aspect of our life – be it our health, our livelihood or our happiness. But often, things do not pan out as we had hoped. We get frustrated about our fate. We get angry or mad. And we look to blame our misfortunes on others.

There is only way how a traveller can successfully become a “backseat passenger” rather than a “backseat driver” and that is by placing your full trust in the driver to safely transport you to your destination taking the best route.

Trusting in Hashem means that although man plans and does the best he can, ultimately he is not in control. Hasehm introduces Himself in the Ten Commandments, not by saying “I am Hashem the G-d”, but “I am Hashem your G-d”. This is because, as the saying goes, “It is easier to believe that Hashem runs the world than to believe that He runs your life”.

Hashem is in control of your life and your destiny. Faith does not mean that everything will work out well. Faith means that whatever happens in life, both the good and the bad, the easy and the hard, is all meaningful.

Bitachon is about knowing that Hashem – and not you – is in the driving seat.

Consequently, there is therefore little point playing the “backseat driver”. And we trust that the Divine Driver knows not only the right destination for us but also the best way to get us there.

516.668.3725meaningfulminute.org@meaningfulminute

Prepare for ShabbosEvery week in the tefillah of lecha dodi, it

says, meirosh mikedem nesuchah. Meirosh means from the beginning and mikedem means from the beginning. This seems to be the same thing repeated twice? What is the significance of this repetition?

There are a 144 hours in six days of the week. That means that from when Shabbos ends to when Shabbos begins, there’s exactly a 144 hours. Remarkably, the gematriya of the word kedem is also 144.

The more from the rosh and the kedem of the 144 hours, from the beginning of the week that we invest in Shabbos, then nesuchah – the more we are going to feel the queenliness of Shabbos. If only we prepare for Shabbos more, we will feel Shabbos more.

The foundation of anything is the preparation. The more we prepare, the more we are going to have a foundation and the more we are going to feel Shabbos.

Mrs Tali Barwin

Toraharoundtheclock

Agitvort

R’ Yaakov Mizrahi

11 Jan 2020 י"ד טבת תש"פ פרשת ויחי 7

Restoring the primacy of Choshen MishpatUnder the auspices of Harav Chaim Kohn שליט"א

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

Restoring the primacy of Choshen MishpatUnder the auspices of Harav Chaim Kohn שליט"א

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

Rabbi Meir OrlianHalachah Writer, BHI

MISTAKEN PRICE LABELChanukah was in the air. All around town, menorahs burned brightly in people’s windows.

“We need some more oil,” Mr. Sherman said to his wife “Could you please pick up a bottle this afternoon? Judah’s Judaica is selling oil for a good price.”

“What kind of oil do you want?” Mrs. Sherman asked.

“Olive oil, of course,” he said. “The store sells both oil for lighting and finer quality, edible oil. Although the oil for lighting is fine, I prefer the higher quality for the mitzvah, even though it costs a little more.”

Mrs. Sherman stopped off at Judah’s Judaica in the afternoon. Stocked on the shelves were bottles of oil. The sales signs affixed to the shelves listed oil for lighting at $10 a bottle, and the edible oil for $13.

Mrs. Sherman looked at the shelf of edible oil. She noticed that all the bottles also had price labels of $13, except for one that had a $10 price label on it.

“How much is the edible oil?” she asked a salesperson.

The salesperson pointed to the sign affixed to the shelf. “$13,” he replied, “like it says on the sign. We also have oil for lighting, which runs for only $10.”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Sherman said. She picked up the bottle of edible oil that had the $10 price label. “The mistaken label will save $3,” she said to herself, thoughtfully. “A mini Chanukah miracle for us!”

She was hesitant, though, whether she was allowed to buy at the lower, mistaken price, so she called her husband.

“I think that by law, the store has to honor the price label,” Mr. Sherman said. “However, I’m not sure whether this applies halachically. I would not want to light with dishonest oil!”

Mr. Sherman called Rabbi Dayan, and asked:

“Are we allowed to demand the lower price that was affixed in error?”

“Indeed, some states have consumer protection laws, which require retailers to honor the price listed on the item,” replied Rabbi Dayan. “Since this law is enacted uniformly with the overall goal of fair business practice, the rule of dina d’malchusa dina applies according to some authorities, even in the case of a Jewish-owned store and customer (Rama 369:8).”

Moreover, since licensed stores operate according to government laws, according to some authorities it also becomes minhag hamedinah. Nonetheless, some disagree, and maintain that dina d’malchusa dina does not apply here. Some apply the rules of onaah, which depend on the discrepancy between the price mistakenly listed and the going market rate for the product (not necessarily of that store). However, where the buyer and seller have differing expectations of the price being charged, the laws of onaah are less relevant (Mishpatecha l’Yaakov 6:22).Moreover, where there is an apparent mistake, there is a mitzvah of hashavas aveidah to alert the store manager or staff to the error. Hashavas aveidah entails not only returning lost items, but also sparing another person unexpected loss. For example, if you see water about to flood your neighbor’s property, you are obligated to try to divert it. Presumably, this applies also to the store owner’s potential loss from a mistaken price label (C.M. 259:9).Therefore, you should not take the cheaper bottle with intention to take advantage of the mistake. It would almost be like taking a lost item with intention of keeping it, rather than returning it to the owner. Rather, you should notify the manager (not cashier) before checkout and ask if they will honor the lower price. If they do, the store is willingly mochel the difference, which also addresses the possible issue of onaah. If they refuse, you should not insist on your legal right.If you discovered the error after going through checkout, and the store does not want to honor the lower price, you can return the item and get a refund.Verdict: You should get the manager’s approval of the lower price before checkout.

Oneg Shabbos Issue 234. 88

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MIDDOS דרגה יתירה

Rabbi Zalman GuttmanRamat Shlomo

FOOD FOR THOUGHT TO SPARK

CONVERSATION

The Chofetz Chaim Heritage FoundationReviewed 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.

WHEN TO PUT JOY ON

HOLDThe fortunate students of students of Mesivta Chaim Berlin knew that had someone with whom they could truly joys and sorrows. The Rosh Yehisa, HaRav Yitzchok Hutner zt”l was exceptionally close to his Talmidim, and the bond stayed strong long after they left Yeshiva. Part of their joy in reaching new milestones in their lives was the anticipation of calling of calling Rav Hutner and hearing his delighted “mazal tov!”.

That’s why when on Talmid called to share the good news that his wife had given birth to baby girl he was surprised by the Rosh Yeshiva’s muted response. “Call me back in about 15 mins”, he said softly and then the conversation was over.

At the appointed time the Talmid called back. The Rosh Yeshiva was quick to explain his earlier response.

“When you called before I had someone here who is childless after many years of marriage. Had I given you a big Mazal Tov infront of him, he may have felt bad because of his situation. But now I'm alone “Mazal Tov!”.

ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים שבע עשרה שנה )מז-כח(

Why is the parsha in which Yaakov Avinu dies called Parshas Vayechi? Explains R’ Gamliel Rabinowitz Shlit’a that in fact by calling the parsha “Vayechi” we are focusing on the death of Yaakov, because true living is preparing for death! In fact, the very moment that a baby is born and everyone is shouting “Mazel Tov” with great excitement, that is the very beginning of the countdown to his final day. You might think that this sounds quite morbid, and why think about the day of death when one is alive, vibrant, filled with energy and passion for living? The answer is because living without knowing WHY one is alive, defeats the true purpose of one’s life. We came to this world to earn a beautiful share in the next world, the real world, in which every single moment that was spent in olam hazeh is weighed and measured, rewarded or punished. As R’ Gamliel expresses so succinctly: “We came to this world to accomplish. We did not come to this world to eat pizza!”

True living means preparing for death. It means that one wakes up in the morning with a song in his heart, a smile on his lips and a purpose and a goal. The posuk not only tells us how long Yaakov lived, but it begins by singling out the 17 years that he lived in Mitzrayim. Why 17? Because the gematria of “טוב” (good) is 17! Even in Egypt, Yaakov lived a good life because he was focused on preparing for the next world, as Dovid Hamelech tells us, "!ואני קרבת אלקים כי טוב"The only thing that is truly GOOD is being connected to Hashem which is the reason for life in this world altogether, as well as the purpose of death, the next REAL world and the ultimate achievement for all Yidden for all eternity.

AHAVAS YISROEL

Just because you are hectic, doesn’t mean you are making progress

(Busy fools don’t accomplish things)

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Hashas

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Halacha HighlightTHE PROPER TIME TO REVIEW PARASHAS HASHAVUA אמר רב הונא בר יהודה אמר רבי אמי: לעולם ישלים אדם פרשיותיו

עם הצבור שנים מקרא ואחד תרגום. - ח.Rav Huna the son of Yehuda said in the name of Rav Ami:

One should always complete the weekly Torah portion with the community with reading the Torah text twice and the Targum

translation once.- 8aThere are many opinions as to what time frame qualifies as

“with the community.”1. From Shabbos Minchah: The opinion of Tosafos1 is that

once the community begins to read the Parasha, namely from Minchah of Shabbos, that is already considered reading with the community.

2. From Sunday: Rabainu Peretz2 holds that one can start reading from Sunday. He explains that although the Parashah for the next week has already begun to be read Shabbos afternoon, still since the previous Parashah was read on that day one cannot read the next week’s Parashah as well.

3. From Wednesday: The Tashbatz3 cites this opinion, and indicates that this was their custom.

4. Friday morning. It is brought4 in the name of the Ari that it is proper to read the Parashah after Shacharis on Friday morning.

5. Friday afternoon: The Shelah HaKadosh5 holds that it should be read Friday after midday (חצות).

6. On Shabbos itself. The Maharam MiRotenburg6 writes that the one should read the Parashah on Shabbos day, since this is truly completing the Parashah with the community. The Shulchan Aruch7 writes that from Sunday and on is “with the community.” The Mishneh Berura8 understands -this to mean from Shabbos Minchah. However, many9 understand the Shulchan Aruch to refer specifically to starting from Sunday.

1 ח ע"ב ד"ה ישלים. ועי' ברא"ש (סי' ח') וכן במרדכי (סי' יח) ובהגמ"י (פי"ג מהל' תפלה אות ש') הוב"ד בדרכי משה(סי' רפה אות א'). עי' שו"ת הרדב"ז (ח"א סי' רפח)

2 רבינו פרץ בהגהותיו לתשב"ץ קטן (סי' קפד), וכן ס"ל להטור (סי' רפה). ודברי רבינו פרץ הובאו בארחות חיים (דין קריאת שמו"ת אות ב').

3 חידושים לברכות ח:. ושו"ר כן בנמוק"י כאן. אבל רבים חלקו על דעה זו. 4 שע"ת שם (ס"ק א') ובכפה"ח (שם אות ג' וכד).

5 מובא במג"א (סי' רפה ס"ק ה') 6 תשובות מהר"ם מרוטנבורג (מהד' רי"ז כהנא, ח"א פסקים אות רמז). ושו"ר בס' העתים (סי' קעד, עמ' 253) בענין המנהג

בזמנם. ע"ש. 7 סי' רפה ס"ג

8 שם ס"ק ז' ובשער הציון ס"ק יב 9 עי' יפה ללב (שם אות ד) ובני ציון ליכטמאן שם ובשו"ת ישכיל עבדי ח"ה (סי' לט) ובשו"ת קנה בשם ח"א (סי' טו). ועוד.

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True KindnessA wonderful 100 year old woman, with not much

family, lay very ill in hospital. Her health had very quickly deteriorated, and unfortunately her passing was imminent. GIFT volunteers sat with her around the clock, ensuring that after 100 years surrounded by people, her final moments were not alone. A kindness that she can never repay.

Yaakov is reaching the end of his life. He asks his son Yosef ‘deal with me kindly and truly’ (Bereishis 27:49), and asks him to bury him in Israel explaining that even though he had been living in Egypt for 17 years, the homeland of the Jewish people is Israel. His final request was to bury him there. (Hirsch’s Commentary on this verse)

Rashi comments on the phrase ‘kindly and truly’, that kindness shown to the dead is ‘true kindness’. Kindness when the giver will not be looking forward to any payment from the receiver. Chesed shel Emes.

‘True kindness’ though is not limited to kindness for the dead. Chesed done for those who show no appreciation also contain elements of Chesed Shel Emes. Mothers caring for young children who do not appreciate it, or caring for someone with special needs who can never express their love or thanks, these can be actions of pure giving.

It is important to realise how valuable these actions are, and an important lesson to apply to all acts of kindness. To give with the correct motivations, purely for the sake of the other person, expecting nothing in return.

True kindness. Chesed Shel EmesLet’s keep our motives pure.

(Torah ideas are adapted from Love Your Neighbour by Zelig Pliskin)

Lilui nishmas the lady featured - Miriam bat Moshe

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Oneg Shabbos Issue 234. 10

Sages AgesthroughTHE Dr Benji Schreiber

Sarah SchenirerKrakow, Poland, 1883 – 1935 כ”ו באדר א

Sarah Schenirer was born in Cracow to a family of Belzer Chassidim. From the age of 13 she left school and worked as a seamstress to help the family finances while continuing her studies.

During the First World War, the family escaped to Vienna where she learnt from weekly teachings of Rabbi Moshe Flesh in his shul. She was unmarried for most of her life, but when she was older she married Reb Yitzchok Landau. they had no children.

Girls’ educationIn those days, girls usually received only a basic Jewish education at home including davening and practical halochos. If they attended school it was often in a non-Jewish school.

She wrote in her diary: “People are such perfectionists when it comes to clothing their bodies. Are they so particular when they address themselves to the seeds of the soul?”

“And we stay at home, the wives, daughters, and the little ones. We have an empty Yom Tov. It is bare of Jewish intellectual content. The women have never learned anything about the spiritual meaning that is concentrated within a Jewish festival. The mother goes to the Shul, but the services echo faintly into the fenced and boarded-off women’s galleries… Outside the Shuls, the young girls stay chattering; they walk away from the Shul where their mothers pour out their vague and heavy feelings. They leave behind them the wailing of the older generation and follow the urge for freedom and self-expression. Further and further from the Shuk they go, further away, to the dancing, tempting light of a fleeting joy.”

Working as a dressmaker, Sarah Schenirer stayed up late at night after work to study the weekly Sedra and Novi: “I enjoyed it tremendously,” she wrote, “as it enriched my understanding of the Jewish heritage and its beauty and depth of thought. But I also took a great interest in secular knowledge: education, history, literature. I especially admired the classical works of Polish and German writers. I loved reading them.”

DeterminationShe decided to devote herself to girls’ education after attending a Shabbos lecture of Rabbi Dr Flesch, in Vienna, during World War I. Inspired by the Rabbi’s Chanuka-themed drosho about the heroine Yehudis, and the power of Jewish women to continue her legacy, Sara Schenirer began attending R’ Flesch’s lectures

regularly, studying Torah through the lens of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch.

She initially faced some opposition. Her brother took her to the Belzer Rebbe, Rav Yissachar Dov Rokach zy’’a, in Marienbad, today in the Czech Republic, and wrote in the kvittel “אחותי חפצה my sister wishes to teach – ”לחנך את בנות ישראל ברוח התורה והמסורהJewish girls in the spirit of Torah and Tradition. The Rebbe blessed her with “brocho vehatzlocho”.

She also obtained the Chofetz Chaim’s support which was crucial at the time. He realised that women needed to receive good quality kodesh education and fully supported her initiative.

SchoolsShe opened the first Beis Yaakov in 1917 in Krakow, teaching 25 girls aged 13-14 in a small room. Sarah taught them Chumash, Rashi, Mussar, Toldos Yisrael (history), handiwork and other subjects. In 1923 she set up a teachers’ seminary to train staff for her rapidly expanding network of schools.

Rav Eliezer Gershon Friedenson was a noted askan who helped establish the Beis Yaakov movement across Poland with “Bnos Agudas Yisroel” – a women’s division of the Aguda,

LegacyWhen she died of cancer aged only 52 in 1935, more than 200 Beis Yaakov schools were teaching approximately 35,000 girls. She wrote twenty volumes in Yiddish of stories and Jewish education.

Sages AgesthroughTHE Dr Benji Schreiber

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Please be careful to dispose of this sheet in the proper manner as required על פי הלכה.Please do not read this publication during קריאת התורה ,קדיש or חזרת הש''ץ. Please do not read the adverts on Shabbos or Yom Tov.

Please would you ensure that there are ample sheets left in shuls for Shabbos before taking one home.בברכת שלא ימוש התורה מפי זרעינו ומפי זרע זרעינו מעתה ועד עולם

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