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oqip c"i `"tyz'd• March 26-27, '21

YERUSHALAYIM in/out for Shabbat HaGadol - TZAV4 6:19PM Plag 5:38PM • 4%2 7:32PM* R' Tam 8:13PM*

Notes: These times are Israel Summer Time (we spring ahead early FRI morning).Shabbat out time is earliest time to light Yom Tov candles (from pre-existing flame).Havdala is combined with Kiddush on the first cup at the Seder - see YKNHZ link

BIRKAT ILANOT during Nissan - see top link

See CALnotes for details about the switch to Morid HaTal & V'tein B'racha.

See for details of the Kiddush-Havdala combination on Leil HaSeder

Philo-Torah - 1 - All@Once file

CALnotesMorid HaTal

v'Tein B'rachaFor full details see link.

Here's the short version:

Last time for V'TEIN TAL UMATARLIVRACHA for this year is Mincha onErev Shabbat HaGadol.

We begin saying V'TEIN B'RACHA inMaariv of Motza'ei Yom Tov.

We say MASHIV HARU'ACH UMORIDHAGESHEM through Shacharit of thefirst day of Pesach.

We begin saying MORID HATAL atMusaf of the first day of Pesach.

Kiddush L'vanaWe'll keep it simple this time.

By the time you read this, KiddushL'vana will have been said, accordingto all opinions as to when the firstopportunity is.

If, for any reason, you have not saidKL yet for Nisan, it can be said untilThursday night (B'dikat Chameitznight) - all night.

If you miss that night also, you cansay KL on Seder night.

Even though we usually don't say KLon Leil Shabbat or Yom Tov, if thelast opportunity is on Shabbat orYom Tov, then the b'racha can be(should be) said.

Friday night is not good this time,because it isn't the last opportunity.Leil HaSeder is good this time.

Note: Last minute Kiddush L'vanaissues are not common in Israel,except occasionally in a very rainyand cloudy winter month. But it is areal concern in some places at sometimes of the year when the Moon isconstantly being hidden by clouds.

Daylight Savings Time

Better known in Israel as SHA'ONKAYITZ or Summer Time.

Since 2013, the rule for changing theclock is: IDT begins on the Fridaybefore the last Sunday of March, andends on the last Sunday of October.

Before then, the starting and endingdates changed from year to year,very often. Furthermore, the govern-ment took Pesach Seder and YomKippur into account, in an attempt tohave the Seder earlier rather thanlater, and that Yom Kippur shouldend earlier rather than later. Alas, notany more. as evidenced by the factthat we change the clock on ErevErev Pesach. So make sure kids (andyou too) nap on Shabbat this year.


TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV -----------------------------HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddddddddddddddddddddooooooooooooooooooooooooooooolllllllllllllllllllllllllllll25th of 54 sedras; 2nd of 10 in Vayikra

Written on 169.8 lines in a Torah (38th)

8 Parshiyot, 7 open and 1 closed

97 p'sukim - 36th (3rd in Vayikra) same as Sho'f'tim, which is a bit larger

Sources say that TZAV has TZAV (96)p'sukim. Our Chumashim have 97. Eitherone-off is acceptable for Gimatriyapurposes, or there was a slightly differentp'sukim-division way back.

1353 words - 38th (3rd in Vayikra)

5096 letters - 38th (3rd in Vayikra)

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT18 mitzvot; 9 pos. and 9 prohibitions

What other sedras have same number ofASEI and LO TAASEI mitzvot? Ki Tavo has3 & 3. Matot has 1 & 1. And seventeensedras have 0 & 0. And now you know.

Aliya-by-AliyaSedra Summary

[P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicate start ofa parsha p'tucha or s'tuma. X:Y isPerek:Pasuk of the beginning of the parsha;(Z) is the number of p'sukim in the parsha.

Numbers in [square brackets] are theMitzva-count of Sefer HaChinuch ANDRambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot. A=ASEI; L=LAV(prohibition). X:Y is the perek & pasuk fromwhich the mitzva comes.

Kohen - First Aliya 11 p'sukim - 6:1-11[P> 6:1 (6)] After the preliminarydescriptions of the different kor-banot in last week's sedra, we nowfind the description of the dailyservice in the Mikdash.

After burning all night, the fires of theMizbei’ach are tended first thing inthe morning (before sunrise). Thisfirst task of the day is relatively lessimportant than other tasks, althoughit was enthusiastically sought after byyoung kohanim who vied for thehonor of performing the mitzva of"T'rumat HaDeshen" [131, A30 6:3].The kohen performing this task wouldremove the ashes from the Mizbei’achfires and place them beside theMizbei’ach. He would then changeinto other garments (of a slightlylesser quality than those worn for"regular" Temple service) and take theashes to a specific "clean" place outsidethe camp.

The fire of the Mizbei’ach was to burnalways [132, A29 6:6] and was notallowed to be extinguished ever [133,L81 6:6].

[P> 6:7 (5)] The Torah next returns tothe topic of the "meal-offerings", theMINCHA. A small amount of theflour-oil mixture and all of thefrankincense (L'vona) was scooped upand placed on the Mizbei'ach to burn.The "mincha" was not to be madeChametz [135, L124 6:10] (there are


exceptions to this rule, notably someof the Menachot - if they are evencalled Menachot - that accompaniedthe TODA offering, which thereforewas not brought on Pesach - this iswhy we do not say "Mizmor L'Toda",T’hilim 100, on Erev Pesach andPesach. The other exception is/are theSH'TEI HALECHEM, the two-loavesoffering of Shavuot). The rest of the"mincha" is eaten by male kohanim onduty in the Beit HaMikdash at the timeof the offering [134, A88 6:9].

Levi - Second Aliya 22 p'sukim - 6:12-7:10[P> 6:12 (5)] Each day, the KohenGadol is to bring a meal-offering of atenth of an eifa of flour (plus oil &spice) - half in the morning and halfbefore evening [136, A40 6:13]. Thismincha was not to be eaten [137, L1386:16], but rather was completelyconsumed on the Mizbei'ach.

[P> 6:17 (7)] The CHATAT [138, A646:18] was slaughtered in the sameplace as the "Olah" (viz. the north sideof the Mizbei'ach). An integral part ofa sin-offering is the eating of its meatby the kohen (kohanim) who broughtit on behalf of the sinners.

SDT: Meshech Chochma points outthat the kohen who dealt with thesacrifice is the one who should eat fromit, because only he would know if hiskavanot (thoughts and intentions) werecorrect or not. His eating of the

sacrifice makes the statement that heindeed did and thought all that wasrequired. (The punishment for a kohenintentionally eating of an invalidsacrifice - in this case, he being the onlyperson who could know of its invalidity -is punishable by "death from heaven".)We see in this issue, a high level ofaccountability a person carries for hisown actions.

On a different level, it's sort of like aMashgi’ach certifying the kashrut of arestaurant - would he himself eat there?One would hope so.

Certain chata'ot, the blood of whichblood was brought into the Mikdash,were not to be eaten [139, L139 6:23],but rather completely consumed onthe Mizbei'ach.

Shlishi - Third Aliya 28 p'sukim - 7:11-38[P> 7:11 (17)] The Torah next discussesthe Sh'lamim [141, A66 7:11], begin-ning specifically with the "Toda". Theanimal sacrifice is accompanied byvarious types of wafers and cakes.Parts of the animal are burned on theMizbei'ach, parts are given to thekohen, and the remainder is to beeaten by the bringer of the korban.The korban must be eaten bymidnight (actual deadline is dawn;midnight is required as a precautionagainst violation of the dawndeadline). It is forbidden to leave overany of the korban until morning [142,


L120 7:15]; that which is left overmust be burned [143, A91 7:17]. If theSh'lamim is in fulfillment of a vow, itcan be eaten for two days, becoming"Notar" on the 3rd day.

Various notes:The counterpart of the Korban Toda inour time - i.e. without a Beit HaMikdash- is BIRKAT HAGOMEIL. Admittedly,saying that b'racha in the presence of aminyan, usually at Torah reading, is a farcry from the involvement and expenseof a Korban Toda. Nonetheless, we mustbe grateful to HKB"H when success-fully recovering from an illness, whenreleased from prison. As to journeyingacross an ocean or traveling through adesert - neither might be as dangerousas such experiences once were, but aperson should consult a Rav in casesthat might or might not requireHaGomeil.

Interesting sidepoint: HaGomeilrequires a minyan to answer AMEIN andrespond with the traditional statement.This is different from, for example,saying Kaddish, where the sayer(s) isincluded in the required minyan.

The difference in time-limit for eating ofa TODA compared with a voluntarySh'lamim has been discussed in varioussources.

SH'LAMIM, usually translated intoEnglish as a Peace Offering, takes theword Sh'lamim to be related toSHALOM. Some say the name of the

korban expresses the completeness ofthe offering, relating it to the wordSHALEIM. It deserves this descriptionbecause G-d (via the Mizbei'ach, so tospeak) and the kohanim and the bringerof the korban all partake of it, asopposed to the other types of korbanot.

It is forbidden to eat "Pigul" [144, L1327:18]. Pigul is a type of invalid korban,where that which rendered thekorban unfit for the Mizbei’ach wasnot something physical nor a mistakein the kohen's action, but rather anincorrect thought (kavana), of certaintypes. It is significant that improperthoughts alone can effect the status ofa korban.

SDT: The most severe lapse in akohen's kavana is one concerning time.A lapse regarding place of the eating ofthe korban, for example, still rendersthe korban invalid, but is less severe,punishment-wise. If the kohein has inmind to eat from the korban at a timewhen it is no longer allowed, then thatmis-kavana renders the korban “Class-APigul” (our term).

This indicates that the sanctity of timeis somewhat greater than the sanctityof place, which fits with our previousnotions concerning the sanctity ofShabbat and the sanctity of theMikdash. From a long time ago - but memorabledrasha by Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld z"l.

It is forbidden to eat of a korban thatis tamei (ritually unclean) [145, L1307:19]. This is punishable by makot. It is


required to burn tamei korbanot [146,A90 7:19]. A person who is tamei whointentionally eats of a korban is liableto "koreit" ("cut off" by G-d).

Certain fats of kosher animals areforbidden to eat [147, L185 7:23]. Thisis the prohibition of CHEILEV. Thereare differences between the cheilev ofa korban and that of a regular CHULIN(non-sacred) animal.

Eating blood of a bird or mammal is acapital offense (from Heaven) [147,L185 7:26]. Eating meat with bloodstill in it is a lesser offense, butnonetheless forbidden. This is whymeat has to be "kashered", not justkosher.

SDT: Rashi teaches us that the specificmention of mammals and birds in theprohibition of blood teaches us that theblood of kosher fish and locust are notforbidden. Note that birds and mammalsrequire sh'chita, and they are also thetwo classes of warm-blooded animals,as opposed to fish and insects - factswhich may or may not be relevant.

On this note, what about the blood of adolphin? Clearly, eating dolphin blood ordolphin meat with its blood is a no-no asfar as kashrut is concerned. Not thequestion here. The question is, do weconsider a dophin to be a fish, becauseit lives its life in the water and swimslike a fish (sort of), and has fins like afish... or do we say that it is a mammalbecause it fits the modern definition ofa mammal, the most significant

characteristic being that it feeds itsyoung with milk produced by the femaleof the species. What difference does itmake? It isn't kosher either way. Itdoesn't have scales - so it isn't a kosherfish and it doesn't chew its cud (or haveany hooves to be split or otherwise), soit isn't a kosher mammal. Was it createdon the fifth day of creation or on thesixth? Does that make a differenceand/or does that impact on thequestions of the prohibition of bloodand certain TUM'A and TAHARA issuesthat are different between fish andmammals?

All indications are that a dolphin (and awhale, and others) is considered to beamong the fish on the issues of bloodand tum'a. The fact that what we todaycall aquatic mammals breathe air withlungs and cannot get oxygen from thewater via gills that they don't have, isnot a factor for this issue of blood.

What about animals that spend most oftheir time in water but do come ontoland for certain reasons? We'll leave thequestion of the seal and other animalsfor another time.

[P> 7:28 (11)] What follows are moredetails of the SH'LAMIM: what partsgo on the Altar, what parts go to thekohen, etc.

R'vi'i - Fourth Aliya 13 p'sukim - 8:1-13[P> 8:1 (36)] Having set down the


rules, G-d now commands Moshe totake Aharon and his sons, thegarments of the kohanim, thesacrificial animals, and the anointingoil, and perform the inauguralceremonies for the Mishkan in thepresence of the People, as Moshe wascommanded to gather them. Moshedresses Aharon in the garb of theKohen Gadol, anoints him, the Altar,and the vessels of the Mishkan. He alsodresses Aharon's sons.

Chamishi 5th Aliya8 p'sukim - 8:14-21A bull as a sin-offering is brought andAharon and his sons "lean" on it. (Thisis a vital element of most personalkorbanot. It facilitates a psychologicalidentification with the animal andadds meaning to the act of thesacrifice.) Leaning (s'micha) isaccompanied by confession (vidui) orwords of praise to G-d, dependingupon the type of korban. The bull wasslaughtered and part of its blood wasput on the corners of the Mizbei’achand on its base. Parts of the bull wereplaced on the Mizbei’ach; theremainder was burned outside thecamp.

The first of two rams was next offered,as an OLAH.

It is very important for us to understandthat Korbanot were not "hocus-pocus,we're forgiven" offerings. It doesn'twork like that. Never did. A Sin Offering,

whipping by the Sanhedrin, even a deathpenalty, had to be accompanied by realT'shuva and Vidui for atonement tohappen. Without the heart in thekorban-equation, the people werecontinually castigated by G-d for hollowmeaningless acts and lip service. Theceremonies have deep significance andmeaning, but the heart and soul of aperson must truly be involved, other-wise the korban is (less than) nothing.

Shishi - Sixth Aliya 8 p'sukim - 8:22-29The second ram was then offered (as aSH'LAMIM called EIL HAMILU'IM) andseveral procedures, as specified in theTorah, were followed. Note: MosheRabeinu was an active participant inthe 7-day inauguration period for theMishkan. Thereafter, Aharon and hissons (and all kohanim) are the oneswho perform the sacred service of theMikdash.

Sh'VII Seventh Aliya7 p'sukim - 8:30-36Further anointing of Aharon, his sons,and their garments. Then Moshe toldthem to prepare part of the meat foreating with the accompanying cakesand wafers. That which was left overwas to be burned. During the 7inaugural days, the kohanim were notto leave the Mishkan; they remainedthere as honor-guards.


SDT: Rashi reminds us that in additionto this one-time isolation of 7 days,there were two other times the KoheinGadol was isolated for a 7-daypreparatory period. One is the weekbefore Yom Kippur - this was every year,of course. And the other was for thepreparation of the Para Aduma - thiswas once in a (long) while - Para Adumawas not a common event. This idea isalluded to by the words LA’ASOT (Para)and L’CHAPEIR (Yom Kippur).

Aharon and his sons did all that G-dhad commanded via Moshe.

The last 4 p'sukim are reread for theMaftir.

Haftara 21+1 p'sukimMal’achi 3:4-24He's the TZAV story.

In all PLAIN years (P'shuta, 1 Adar, 12months), TZAV is the Shabbat beforePesach, making it Shabbat HaGadol, forwhich there is a special haftara,pre-empting Tzav's regular haftara. Thatalready covers 63.16% of the years. 12 ofevery 19 years (like this year, 5781).

Among the 7 different types ofM'UBERET (2 Adar, 13 months) years,sometimes Tzav is Zachor (6.66%) andsometimes it's Para (16.3%).

Outside Jerusalem, that makes 86% ofthe time, Tzav's haftara is pre-empted.14% of the years, it is read. That's anaverage of about once in seven years.

In Jerusalem, Shabbat Purim is onParshat Tzav in another year-type, bringthe frequency of Tzav's haftara beingpre-empted to 90%. That means that weread the regular haftara, on average,only once in ten years.

Unlike the four recent special Shabbatot(and Shabbat-Purim in Yerushalayim),when we read a special Maftir in asecond Torah and then, the matchinghaftara, for Shabbat HaGadol that is notthe case. We use only one Torah forParshat HaShavua. No special Maftir.We do read a special Haftara. Some sayto read this haftara only when ShabbatHaGadol is Erev Pesach. Others say touse this haftara only when ShabbatHaGadol is NOT Erev Pesach. Commonpractice is to read it on ShabbatHaGadol in all cases, preempting theregular Haftara.

The haftara speaks of faithfulness toTorah and the promise of the comingof Eliyahu HaNavi as the harbinger ofthe Complete Redemption. That thesecond, to some extent, depends onthe first can be seen in the closenessof the following two phrases: ZICHRUTORAT MOSHE... (remember theTorah, and keep it), and HINEIANOCHI SHOLEI'ACH LACHEM and ifyou do, then I will send Eliyahu...

Note: The penultimate (next to the last) pasukis repeated as the concluding pasuk of thehaftara. This is done to end Trei-Asar on apositive note. (This is done three other times -end of Yeshayahu, Eicha, and Kohelet.)


Bringing theProphets to Life

Weekly insights into the Haftaraby Rabbi Nachman (Neil) WinklerAuthor of Bringing the Prophets to Life (Gefen Publ.)

After studying this week's haftara,one is struck by the fact that thereseems to be no hint at all that this isthe final Shabbat before the chag ofPesach. Indeed, as opposed to theprevious special readings that areordained by the Tana'im in theMishna, Shabbat HaGadol carrieswith it no obligation to read a specialMaftir or prophetic reading in theTalmud. Interestingly, the earliestsource we have for reading thishaftara dates back to the 12thcentury, some 800 to 900 years afterthe other readings were codified inthe Mishna. And yet, the only reasonwhy the later Rabbis chose toestablish a special prophetic reading,rather than the haftara we wouldordinarily read, one that ties into thetopic of the parsha itself, is the factthat this Shabbat comes right beforePesach! Yet there is no mention ofPesach in the haftara at all!! Quitecurious, to say the least.

More troubling is the fact that thereading is taken up by the navi'spointing out Israel's failures andshortcomings. The prophet contrastsHashem's faithfulness to His people

to their faithlessness to G-d. Malachicries to the people that the verysurvival of the nation was proof ofHashem's love for them and heimplores the people to return toHashem. Given these harsh criti-cisms, it is difficult to understandwhat Chazal saw in the words of thisfinal prophet of the books of thenevi'im that would have them chooseit for the Shabbat preceding theHoliday of Freedom.

I would suggest that the Rabbisaimed to connect this haftara to thetheme of Pesach, the theme of Ge'ula- not the past redemption from Egyptbut the future and ultimate redemp-tion of Y'mot HaMashi'ach, theMessianic Era. The final redemption isalso part of our Pesach observance.Indeed, with a close look at thehagada we would uncover how thepre-meal theme revolves around theEgypt experience (B'tzeit Yisra'elmimitzrayim): the slavery (AvadimHayinu), the oppression (Vayarei'uotanu haMitzrim, vay'anunu) and theplagues (Dahm, Tzfarde'a…) while thepost-meal theme revolves aroundpraise (Hallel) and thanksgiving toHashem ("Hodu LaShem ki tov") forthe future redemption (invitingEliyahu into our home). That is whythe haftara from Sefer Mal'achi isparticularly fitting, for it was he who,in his final message, relays Hashem's


promise that He will send EliyahuHaNavi to Israel who would harbingerthe arrival of the Yom HashemHAGADOL, the great day of G-d, theday of redemption. In effect, there-fore, when we read these finalprophetic words, we remember thatthe message from Hashem relayed tothe nation was that geula will becoming and the future redemption isassured.

We should understand that ourchagim do not simply mark ahistorical event from the past. Asimportant as that miracle, thatexperience, may have been, it is notenough - by itself - to establish achag. The Jewish holiday must besuffused with a message for thefuture. There must be, in that time ofcelebration, a lesson to learn thatwould be significant and impactivethrough all generations. Our redemp-tion from Egypt was, indeed, worthmarking. But our realization thatHashem promises that there wouldbe yet another redemption from theoppressions, from the ghettos, theattacks and the murders our nationwould suffer, THAT would be an evengreater reason for celebration. Yes,there WILL be another Geula!

And, truly, as we hear the veryfootsteps of the Mashiach drawingcloser to us each day, we pray that

we merit to see that day, that YomHashem HaGadol, in the very, verynear future. o

Solutions of last week's Unexplaineds

VAYIKRas plus two Unexplaineds

s Winnie the Pooh and his hunny potcrossed out. Honey was not allowed onthe Mizbei'ach.

s A circle divided into 5 with one sectorcolored red represents the fraction, onefifth. The US coin is a 25¢ piece known


as a quarter, one fourth of a dollar. Thequestioned equal sign asks if a fifthequals a fourth. Mathematically, no. Butin a way, also yes. When you take anamount, say 100 shekels and add afourth of it (25 shekels), you get 125shekels. What was added (the 25) is onefifth of the new total. This is how thepenalty of a CHOMESH was calculated.

TZAV-HaGadoln fire is for the fire on the Mizbei'achn green-checked matza, sinceMenachot were made by matza rulesand n not as chameitz with the red Xmark (interesting, in that Tzav is mostoften the Shabbat that leads us intoPesach n the Kohen Gadol is obviousand is prominent in the sedra n rightear n right thumb n right big toe -for the application of some korbanotn clay oven n and frying pan repre-sent two types of Menachot n 3 linksof a chain for the rare SHALSHELET tropnote - only four in the whole Torah (seeRabbi Sacks z"l article) n the familiarWho knows 5? is one of the challengesn the friendly turtle with the terriblespelling represnts the name of the sedrawhich is TZADI-VAV, a misspelling ofthe Hebrew for turtle, TZADI-VET nthe Ner Tamid from a shul is commem-orative of the eternal flame on theMizbei'ach n the no-circle on the fireextinguisher is for the prohibition ofextinguishing the fire on the Mizbei'achn there is a basket of matza for theterm in the sedra - SAL MATZOT n the

finger with the string next to the Torahis for ZICHRU TORAT MOSHE,remember the Torah - from the haftaraof Shabbat HaGadol n we'll leave the13, the swimming pools, the words, andthe two guys, which is really the sameguy... Unexplained - for you to explain

And here's an extra Unexplained -

p"rldix` cec x"a iav awri axd

l"fRabbi Jonathan Sacks l"f

The Courage ofIdentity Crises

Good leaders know their own limits.They do not try to do it all themselves.They build teams. They create space forpeople who are strong where they areweak. They understand the importanceof checks and balances and theseparation of powers. They surroundthemselves with people who aredifferent from them. They understandthe danger of concentrating all power ina single individual. But learning yourlimits, knowing there are things youcannot do - even things you cannot be -


can be a painful experience. Sometimesit involves an emotional crisis.

The Torah contains four fascinatingaccounts of such moments. What linksthem is not words but music. From quiteearly on in Jewish history, the Torahwas sung, not just read. Moshe at theend of his life calls the Torah a song.Different traditions grew up in Israeland Babylon, and from around the tenthcentury onward the chant began to besystematised in the form of the musicalnotations known as ta'amei hamikra,cantillation signs, devised by theTiberian Masoretes (guardians ofJudaism's sacred texts). One very rarenote, known as a shalshelet (chain),appears in the Torah four times only.Each time it is a sign of existential crisis.Three instances are in the book ofB'reishit. The fourth is in our parsha. Aswe will see, the fourth is aboutleadership. In a broad sense, the otherthree are as well.

The first instance occurs in the story ofLot. Aftet Lot separated from his uncleAbraham he settled in Sodom. There heassimilated into the local population.His daughters married local men. Hehimself sat in the city gate, a sign thathe had been made a Judge. Then twovisitors come to tell him to leave, forGod is about to destroy the city. Yet Lothesitates, and above the word for"hesitates" - vayitmahmah - is ashalshelet (B'reishit 19:16). Lot is torn,conflicted. He senses that the visitorsare right. The city is indeed about to be

destroyed. But he has invested hiswhole future in the new identity he hasbeen carving out for himself and hisdaughters. The angels then forcibly takehim out of the city to safety - had theynot done so, he would have delayed untilit was too late.

The second shalshelet occurs whenAvraham asks his servant - traditionallyidentified as Eliezer - to find a wife forYitzchak his son. The commentatorssuggest that Eliezer felt a profoundambivalence about his mission. WereYitzchak not to marry and have children,Avraham's estate would eventually passto Eliezer or his descendants. Avrahamhad already said so before Yitzchak wasborn: "Sovereign Lord, what can Yougive me since I remain childless and theone who will inherit my estate is Eliezerof Damascus?" (15:2). If Eliezersucceeded in his mission, bringing backa wife for Yitzchak, and if the couplehad children, then his chances of oneday acquiring Avraham's wealth woulddisappear completely. Two instinctswarred within him: loyalty to Avrahamand personal ambition. The verse states:"And he said: Lord, the God of mymaster Avraham, send me… good speedthis day, and show kindness to mymaster Avraham" (24:12). Eliezer'sloyalty to Avraham won, but not withouta deep struggle. Hence the shalshelet(24:12).

The third shalshalet brings us to Egyptand the life of Yosef. Sold by hisbrothers as a slave, he is now working in


the house of an eminent Egyptian,Potifar. Left alone in the house with hismaster's wife, he finds himself theobject of her desire. He is handsome.She wants him to sleep with her. Herefuses. To do such a thing, he says,would be to betray his master, herhusband. It would be a sin against God.Yet over "he refused" is a shalshelet,(39:8) indicating - as some rabbinicsources and mediaeval commentariessuggest - that he did so at the cost ofconsiderable effort. He nearlysuccumbed. This was more than theusual conflict between sin andtemptation. It was a conflict of identity.Recall that Yosef was living in a new andstrange land. His brothers had rejectedhim. They had made it clear that theydid not want him as part of their family.Why then should he not, in Egypt, do asthe Egyptians do? Why not yield to hismaster's wife if that is what shewanted? The question for Yosef was notjust, "Is this right?" but also, "Am I anEgyptian or a Jew?"

All three episodes are about innerconflict, and all three are about identity.There are times when each of us has todecide, not just "What shall I do?" but"What kind of person shall I be?" That isparticularly fateful in the case of aleader, which brings us to episode four,this time with Moshe in the central role.

After the sin of the Golden Calf, Moshehad, at God's command instructed theIsraelites to build a Sanctuary whichwould be, in effect, a permanent

symbolic home for God in the midst ofthe people. By now the work is completeand all that remains is for Moshe toinduct his brother Aharon and Aharon'ssons into office. He robes Aharon withthe special garments of the KohenGadol, anoints him with oil, andperforms the various sacrificesappropriate to the occasion. Over theword vayishchat, "and he slaughtered[the sacrificial ram]" (Vayikra 8:23)there is a shalshelet. By now we knowthat this means there was an internalstruggle in Moshe's mind. But what wasit? There is not the slightest sign in thetext that suggests that he was under-going a crisis.

Yet a moment's thought makes it clearwhat Moshe's inner turmoil was about.Until now he had led the Jewish people.Aharon had assisted him, accompanyinghim on his missions to Pharaoh, actingas his spokesman, aide and second-in-command. Now, however, Aharon wasabout to undertake a new leadershiprole in his own right. No longer would hebe one step behind Moshe. He would dowhat Moshe himself could not. He wouldpreside over the daily offerings in theMishkan. He would mediate the avoda,the Israelites' sacred service to God.Once a year on Yom Kippur he wouldperform the service that would secureatonement for the people from its sins.No longer in Moshe's shadow, Aharonwas about to become the one kind ofleader Moshe was not destined to be: aKohen Gadol.


The Talmud adds a further dimension tothe poignancy of the moment. At theBurning Bush, Moshe had repeatedlyresisted God's call to lead the people.Eventually God told him that Aharonwould go with him, helping him speak(Sh'mot 4:14-16). The Talmud says thatat that moment Moshe lost the chanceto be a Kohein: "Originally [said God] Ihad intended that you would be theKohein and Aaron your brother would bea Levite. Now he will be the Kohen andyou will be a Levite."

That is Moshe's inner struggle, con-veyed by the shalshelet. He is about toinduct his brother into an office hehimself will never hold. Things mighthave been otherwise - but life is notlived in the world of "might have been".He surely feels joy for his brother, buthe cannot altogether avoid a sense ofloss. Perhaps he already senses what hewill later discover, that though he wasthe prophet and liberator, Aharon willhave a privilege Moshe will be denied,namely, seeing his children and theirdescendants inherit his role. The son ofa Kohein is a Kohein. The son of aProphet is rarely a Prophet.

What all four stories tell us is that therecomes a time for each of us when wemust make an ultimate decision as towho we are. It is a moment of existentialtruth. Lot is a Hebrew, not a citizen ofSodom. Eliezer is Avraham's servant,not his heir. Yosef is Yaakov's son, notan Egyptian of loose morals. Moshe is a

Prophet, not a Kohein. To say 'Yes' towho we are, we have to have thecourage to say 'No' to who we are not.Pain and struggle is always involved inthis type of conflict. That is the meaningof the shalshelet. But we emerge lessconflicted than we were before.

This applies especially to leaders, whichis why the case of Moshe in our parshais so important. There were thingsMoshe was not destined to do. He wouldnever become a Kohein. That task fell toAharon. He would never lead the peopleacross the Jordan. That was Yehoshua'srole. Moshe had to accept both factswith good grace if he was to be honestwith himself. And great leaders must behonest with themselves if they are to behonest with those they lead.

A leader should never try to be all thingsto all people. A leader should be contentto be who they are. Leaders must havethe strength to know what they cannotbe if they are to have the courage to betruly their best selves.

QUESTIONS (around the Shabbat table)

Are there other instances in Tanachwhen we might have expected tofind a shalshelet?

How was Lot's story of hesitationdifferent from the other three?

Do you think struggles with identitycreate better leaders?

jexa exkf idi

(1)

(2)

(3)


PT-DTPhilo-Torah D'var Torah

We know what Yaakovand his sons didn't

Sort of. I'm always nervous when I usetitles like this one. But I do it anyway,with hesitation.

Here's what I mean.

When Yaakov Avinu was on his (notreally) deathbed, he gathered hischildren with intention of telling themwhat would happen in the end of days.Certainly, when their 'stay' in Egyptwould end.

And he was not permitted by HKB"H toreveal that information to his children,so instead, he blessed them.

When we relive the Egyptian experienceand our emergence from AVDUT(slavery and oppression) to CHEIRUT(freedom), we start with AVADIMHAYINU... and progress to the Exodus,and then continue beyond that to theGeula of the future.

Technically, the Pesach Seder is forpersonalizing and reliving the Exodus.

But it continues beyond that, in anumber of places. Dayeinu is a goodexample. It starts out with beingthankful to HaShem for being taken outof Egypt, proceeds to the Splitting ofthe Sea, and into the Midbar, receivingthe Shabbat, being brought to Har Sinai,being given the Torah, brought into

Eretz Yisrael and building the BeitHaMikdash, with G-d's help.

The b'racha of Geula follows that sameidea.

The filling of a fifth cup and singingL'SHANA HABAA BIRUSHALAYIM is alsobeyond the official range of events forPesach. But for us, it is the light at theend of the tunnel of galut, exile.

Chazal, in deciding on the haftara forthe Shabbat that comes right beforePesach - Shabbat HaGadol, chose toreveal to us - so to speak - what wasdenied to Yaakov Avinu - to knw whatwill happen in the future.

HINEI ANOCHI SHOLEI'ACH LACHEM...

HaShem's promise to send us EliyahuHaNavi and announce the coming of theGeula Sh'leima. And Chazal put thisbefore Pesach. Not after. Not as thehaftar of the last day of Pesach. Butright up front.

(True, the haftara of the eighth day ofPesach also prophesies the MessianicEra. But we all get the glimpse of whatwill happen, before we are once againtemporarily AVADIM to Par'o.)

The reminders and hints towards thecomplete Geula in the Hagada are verysear to us. But there is something extraspecial in the choice of haftara forShabbat HaGadol. It gives us a healthyand comforting perspecive on morethan just the Mitzrayim experience; itspeaks to us about all of our GALUIYOTand of our GEULA SH'LEIMA, `"aa.


Walk through the Parsha

with Rabbi David Walk

Guard That Mitzva!When I was in the IDF, I did a lot ofguard duty. Plus, living in GushEtzion, during the 80s, we wererequired to do night guarding in ourcommunity twice a month. Eventhough I may not be an expert on thetopic, I definitely know enough toinform you: It's extremely boring!! It'sup there with watching grass grow orpaint dry. You're basically justwaiting for your shift to end. So, it's alittle disappointing to me thatSHMIRA or guarding is a majorcomponent of our Pesach obser-vances. It all begins in Chapter 12 ofSh'mot, where that dreaded termappears in three guises.

The first appearance concerns theKORBAN PESACH (a lamb or goat).We're told, 'And it will be for you as aMISHMERET' (verse 6). This term isvariously translated as: keep closewatch, take care, a safeguarding.Rashi says that this is a demand forexamining the animal for invalidatingblemishes (MUM). Prof. Robert Alter,recognizing that this is just the firstof numerous appearances, explains:The Hebrew MISHMERET is anabstract noun derived from the

verbal stem SHIN-MEM-REISH, whichhas meanings that range from 'keep'to 'watch' to 'observe' (in the ritualsense); all these meanings come toplay as the root is repeated throughthe passage.

The next appearance of this verb is,perhaps, the most famous: And youshall guard (U'SHMARTEM) theMatzot, for on this very day I broughtyour hosts out of the land of Egypt.Therefore, you shall observe(U'SHMARTEM, again) this day,throughout your generations, as astatute forever (verse 17).

This is the source of the concept ofSHMURA MATZA, whose grain isclosely watched from the time ofharvest until the baking. Even'regular MATZA' (MATZA P'SHUTA) iscarefully monitored, just from a laterstage of preparation, either milling orkneading. In all cases, those involvedin the preparation should have inmind that these MATZOT are for thesake of the MITZVA of MATZA. Andthe second U'SHMARTEM in theverse? Is about the special nature ofthis first day of Pesach, whichinvolves many observances whichrequire care.

Then we come to verses 24 and 25:And you shall observe (U'SHMAR-TEM) this event as an ordinance foryou and your children forever. When


you enter the land which the LORDwill give you, as He has promised, youshall observe (U'SHMARTEM) thisrite.

Ibn Ezra explains that the first'observe' emphasizes that the Pesachoffering must be observed forever,and then the second verse remindsus that the observance of offerings isdependent upon Eretz Yisrael. This isan important reminder that theExodus was aimed at the settlementof the Holy Land. We left Egypt to goto Israel.

And, finally, verse 42: It was a nightof watching (LEIL SHIMURIM) by theLORD, to bring them out of the landof Egypt; so, this same night is anight of watching (LEIL SHIMURIM)kept for the LORD by all the people ofIsrael throughout their generations.

What is meant by this expressionLEIL SHIMURIM? The most famousinterpretation is that Jews are safeon this night. This is why we open thedoor for Eliyahu, and drink 4 cups,even though we don't like evennumbers. The Talmud (Rosh HaShana12b) understands this to mean thatGod had set aside this evening forspecial events from the time ofCreation. The Midrash counts manyevents which happen on this night:Avimelech had his dream savingSarah, Lavan had his dream saving

Ya'akov, God appeared to Bilaam,Sancherev's army was destroyedoutside Yerushalayim, King Achash-veirosh couldn't sleep, and the futurecomplete redemption, may it comespeedily in our days.

So, there you have the six times ourSHIM-MEM-REISH, meaning watch,guard, or observe, appears in ourchapter. However, just for compari-son, one other word appears once inour section, and that is ZIKARON(verse 14), meaning 'memory'. Ibelieve that this root is there forcomparison, to let us know that onthis special night 'remembering' or'mentioning' isn't enough. We haveother mitzvot where ZEICHER issufficient, but we must carefullypreserve the historic experience ofthis special night.

So, how can accomplish SH'MIRA, asopposed to Z'CHIRA? According toRav Soloveitchik, the answer isTALMUD TORAH, Torah study. Hesaid on this evening, 'there is SIPURY'TZI'AT MITZRAYIM, which isactually a mitzva of Talmud Torahand MESORA (transmission of thetradition).' Rav Yair Kahn of YeshivatHar Etzion further explained, 'SIPURis meant to revive the past and infuseit into the present, whereas Z'CHIRAserves to recall the past and to leaveit there, while reaching the conclu-


sions relevant to the present.'

On this special night, we perform avigil of story and study to make thisunique night significant to our livesand our destiny. That's the greatestform of SH'MIRA, and must be theopposite of boring. p

Rav KookTorahby Rabbi Chanan Morrison • www.ravkooktorah.com

'How Splendid This Tree is!'In the spring of 1950,Rabbi Tzvi YehudaKook published anarticle entitled “TheBeauty of the Tree”.The articleaddresses the sharpdivide that some people makebetween their inner spiritual life andthe outer world, especially theuniverse and its natural beauty.

The Sages taught that we shouldappreciate the spectacular renewalof life in springtime. One who seesfruit trees blossoming in the monthof Nissan should recite BIRKATHA-ILANOT, the blessing for trees:

“Blessed are You... Ruler of theuniverse, who left nothing lacking inHis world, and created in it goodly

creatures and goodly trees to givepeople pleasure in them.”

And yet, we find in Pirkei Avot whatappears to be the exact oppositeposition:

“Rabbi Yaakov taught: One who isreviewing his Torah studies whilewalking along the way and interruptshis study to exclaim, ‘How splendidthis tree is!’ ‘How fair this field is!’ —Scripture considers this as if he hasforfeited his soul.” (Avot 3:9)

Why did Rabbi Yaakov object sostrongly to appreciating the beautyof nature?

Artificial Split BetweenInner and Outer Worlds

The error of one who exclaims “Howsplendid this tree is!” is not that hevoiced his aesthetic appreciation forgraceful trees and scenic views. Thatis perfectly legitimate. Indeed, theSages formulated a special blessingto express our wonder and marvel atnature’s springtime reawakening,with its effusion of colorful flowersand trees in bloom.

Rather, his error is that he sees thiswonder as an interruption from hisTorah study. Such a personmistakenly compartmentalizes life,isolating his inward-directed spirituallife of prayer and Torah from the


http://www.ravkooktorah.com

beauty of the outside world. By doingso, “he forfeits his soul” — heabandons his soul’s sense of beautyand its harmony with the naturaluniverse.

The wondrous power of creation isrevealed in the blossoming of plantsand trees. Creation is a continuousprocess — ASHER BARA ELOKIMLAASOT - “that God created [so thatit will continue to] to develop”(B'reishit 2:3). The universe’s devel-opment is completed with mankind’shighest capabilities. At our mostperfected state, we become partnerswith God in creating the world(Shabbat 10a).

We need to integrate the beauty ofnature — “How splendid this tree is”— within the context of Torah. Weneed to recognize that this naturalbeauty appears within it and throughit. The Torah itself is called a “tree oflife for those who grasp it” (Mishlei3:18).

This inclusive outlook reveals thespiritual splendor of the naturalworld. It is this insight that inspiresus to recognize and thank the One“Who created goodly creatures andgoodly trees”.

This World and the Next

Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda noted that theauthor of this mishna is Rabbi

Yaakov. In another teaching, RabbiYaakov compared this world to anantechamber. This world is areception area where we prepareourselves to enter the palace itself —the World to Come (Avot 4:16).

The significance of this statement isthat there exists a fundamentalconnection between the physical andspiritual realms. They are not twoseparate worlds, but rather comprisetogether a complete structure.Therefore the lofty splendor of thepalace (the spiritual realm) is able topenetrate and ennoble the ante-chamber (the physical world).

This approach is particularly valid inthe Land of Israel. As the Midrashteaches, “Do you wish to see theSh'china in this world? Study Torah inthe Land of Israel!” Torah study inEretz Yisrael enables us to perceiveGod’s Presence in this world. Weexperience the beauty of the worldand perceive the inner splendor ofblossoming trees.

Adapted from Lintivot Yisrael vol. II, pp. 144-146.


PT-misc #15

Yak Neh - what?YKNHZ - pronounced YaKNeHaZ

When Yom Tov is on Motza'ei Shabbat(as is the second night of RH was, and isthe first night of Pesach this year), wecombine Havdala for Shabbat andKiddush for Yom Tov on a single cup ofwine.

This, says the Gemara (in P'sachim'stenth chapter, Arvei P'sachim) is fine,even though combining mitzvot isgenerally not considered respectful tothe mitzvot. In this case, though, themaking of a "package deal" (CHAVILOT,CHAVILOT) of Kiddush and Havdala isokay, because both practices are part ofthe same mitzva of ZACHOR ET YOMHASHABBAT L'KAD'SHO, remember theShabbat (and Yom Tov) day, to sanctifyit - with Kiddush as it enters and withHavdala as it exits (in davening, and byRabbinic addition, also on a cup ofwine).

The YaKNeHaz situation (we'll explainthe name below), occurs when RoshHaShana is Shabbat and Sunday. Thishappens 28.5% of the time.

In Chutz LaAretz, in those same years, italso happens for the second day ofSukkot and for Simchat Torah, both ofwhich are on Motza"Sh- Sunday.

It happens when Pesach begins onMotza'ei Shabbat, which happens 11.5%of the time. In Chutz LaAretz, there isalso YaKNeHa (no Z) one week later onthe eve of the 8th day of Pesach.

In Chutz LaAretz, it also happens whenthe First day of Pesach is Shabbat andthe second Seder is on Motza'Sh.

And it happens when Shavuot isMotza'ei Shabbat, 28.0% of the time.

In one year-type - this year, 5781 - we inIsrael have YaKNeHaZ twice. (In ChutzLaAretz, they have it 5 times this year.)

63.7% of the years have at least oneYaKNeHaZ - that's more often than not.

Combining Havadala for the departingShabbat and Kiddush for the enteringYom Tov, raises the question as to whatorder we perform these two mitzvot.First is the question of which goes firstand then there is a further question asto the order of the brachot to be recited.

Since we know what the conclusion is,we are not giving the end away byexplaining YaKNeHaZ before presentingthe various opinions.

YaKNeHaZ

YUD for YAYIN (meaning thebracha on wine - BOREI P'RI HAGAFEN)


KUF for KIDDUSH (in this case, thebracha that ends with - M'KADEISHYISRAEL V'HAZ'MANIM)

NUN for NER, candle (meaning thebracha of BOREI M'OREI HA-EISH, saidover the Yom Tov candles or anotherflame - even if it is a single flame, orover a special small havdala candle thatis being sold for this purpose, that mustbe lit from a pre-existing flame and leftto burn out on its own, since kindlingfire and extinguishing fire are bothforbidden on Yom Tov). You can alsotake two little birthday candles, holdthem together, light them from apre-existing flame, watch out fordripping on your hand or on the table.After YaKNeHaZ is done, carefully placethe candles down on a safe surface togo out on their own. If you have time toprepare a YaKNeHaZ candle beforeShabbat: take a birthday candle, cut orbreak it in half, expose wicks on eachhalf, hold them together and insertthem into a pinch of plastilina (clay). Usethe aluminum cup of a tealight or a small square offolded aluminum foil to placeyour YaKNeHaZ candle on.

HEI for HAVDALA (in this case, thebracha HAMAVDIL BEIN KODESHL'KODESH, differentiating between thehigher sanctity of Shabbat and thelesser sanctity of Yom Tov)

ZAYIN for Z'MAN (the bracha ofSHEHECHEYANU...)

YKNHZ

This is the definitive halachic procedureto follow. Note that Kiddush precedesHavdala. The opposite opinion exists -that Havdala should go first, thenKiddush. This opinion (which we don'tfollow) is explained in one of two ways.Since Yom Tov follows Shabbat, it islogical to first say farewell to Shabbatand then to usher in Yom Tov. TheGemara also gives us a MASHAL, ananalogy. When a king (or in this case,the Sabbath Queen) is visiting with youand is about to leave, and a governor isknocking at your door to pay you a visit,you do not tell the king to wait while yougo greet the governor. Rather, you willask the governor to wait while youescort the king or queen out of yourhome.

The other opinion (the one we do follow)argues that saying Havdala first mightshow that you consider Shabbat to be aburden you wish to rid yourself of assoon as possible. Rather, allow the spiritof Shabbat to linger while you welcomethe Yom Tov, and then say a reluctantgoodbye to Shabbat. Also, sayingKiddush and then Havdala gives us anoverlap of sanctities, rather than leavinga brief gap between the two sanctitites.

We are not here going into the 8different opinions as to the order of thefour brachot - YAYIN, KIDDUSH, NER,HAVDALA. Each one has its logic andreason.

We start with BOREI PRI HAGAFENbecause that is the first bracha of both


Kiddush and Havdala. We then say theKiddush bracha, because we arefollowing the opinion that Kiddush goesfirst. Candle and Havdala are also intheir regular order, once we've saidKiddush.

There is an additional dispute as towhen to say SHEHECHEYANU. We say itat the end, to include the Yom TovKiddush and the Havdala from Shabbatto Yom Tov (which is even rarer thanYom Tov Kiddush). The other opinionsays to say it after Kiddush becausethat's what we always do on Yom Tovnight. Havdala doesn't get that brachaon a regular Motza"Sh.

Some practical points...

If one usually stands for Kiddush andsits for Havdala, or vice versa, then forYaKNeHaZ, one should do what he doesfor Kiddush throughout. Either sitthroughout or stand, whichever you dofor Kiddush.

There should be no unnecessary delaybetween the Kiddush bracha and thebracha on the fire - since the winebracha also goes for havdala and therehas already been a separation betweenHaGafen and HaEish.

Although the standard practice is thatwomen do not drink the wine of Havdala(unless they are making Havdala - whichis not preferable, but is permitted), inthe case of YaKNeHaZ, they do drink thewine (without any worry aboutmustaches).

Those who usually overfill their Havdalacups, do not do so with YaKNeHaZ. Theyfill the cup as they do for Kiddush (eventhough Havdala is also being said).

If one says the Yom Tov Kiddush andforgets to add the Havdala brachot,then immediately upon realizing theomission, everyone stops eating, a newcup of wine is filled and Havdala isrecited. If one usually drinks wine duringhis meal (not just the cup of Kiddush),then the Havdala is said with a cup ofwine but no BOREI P'RI HAGAFEN - justthe fire bracha and HAMAVDIL BEINKODESH L'KODESH. If one usually doesnot drink more wine than the cup ofKiddush to drink, then a wine-bracha isrecitied on the Havdala cup during themeal.

No B'SAMIM on Yom Tov that isMOTZA"SH, because Yom Tov does thejob that B'SAMIM usually does. Itcomforts our soul for having lost theNESHAMA Y'TEIRA that "visited" forShabbat. (This, according to oneunderstanding of the role of B'SAMIM inthe regular Motza"Sh Havdala.)

Or, some explain that the NESHAMAY'TEIRA of Shabbat, stays for Yom Tovthat follows it.

his opinion has to deal with why there isno B'SAMIM after Yom Tov. One answeris that the Yom Tov mood sticks aroundafter havdala, as was the practice in thetime of the Beit HaMikdash, to stayYomTov-dik for ISRU CHAG.


CHIZUK ! IDUDDivrei Torah from the weekly sedra

with a focus on living in Eretz YisraelChizuk for Olim & Idud for not-yet-Olim

Shabbat HaGadol 2016

On Pesach night do we do so manydifferent things in order to attractthe children's attention and involvethem in the Seder activities. Weexpectantly turn to the youngest ofall participants, eagerly awaitingtheir shy and hesitant rendition ofthe four questions of the MaNishtana. As regards to the olderchildren, no Seder would be the samewithout the Afikoman "treasurehunt" (which for many will becomeingrained as the peak memory of theSeder night for years to come…). Howare we to understand this unusualfocus on the younger generation?Surely, many reasons have been putforth, and yet I find the answersuggested by Rav Soloveitchik zt"l tocarry unparalleled force. R.Soloveitchik highlights a uniquecapability which all children possess,one which we, the adults, have longforgotten. Children have a naturalcapability to relive a story, injectingthemselves into the tale they hearand directly experiencing the events.

Whereas the adult perceives himselfas removed from historical experi-ences, at best commemorating past

events as anniversaries of days goneby, children have the ability toimmerse themselves into the ancientstories, and via their imaginationbreathe life into the dry words.

The Rambam writes that on the Sedernight, CHAYAV ADAM LEHAR'OT ETATZMO, one is obligated to show, orpresent himself as one exiting Egypt.Amongst Yemenite Jewry manyfollow this directive by having theleader of the Seder put on a knapsackand gather a walking stick to show heis literally prepared to leave Egypt.While the adult may view suchbehavior as frivolous play acting, forthe children this is a way of steppingback into history, viewing the Exodusthrough the present tense. Perhapsthe great emphasis we place on thechildren, stems from the fact thatthrough the wondrous look we see intheir eyes, we too, the adults canshare in their magical journeythrough time.

Many Chassidic thinkers havediscussed how the Jewish calendarassumes that there is a circular,repetitive, aspect to time. As RabbiMoshe Bamberger writes in his workon "Hallel", we regard time: "Not in alinear fashion but in a circular one.Events around the Jewish calendarare analogous to train stations on acircular time track".


On the Seder night our goal is not to"turn the clock back" and return toan earlier era, but rather to tap intothe Geulat Mitzrayim taking place inthe present.

This perspective can radically changethe way we look at this night: If theentire process is reenacted on ayearly basis, then we realize that thestakes are exceedingly high. After all,although we tend to overlook it, weknow that during the original Exodusmillions of Jews were not includedamongst the fortunate. As the Sedernight arrives we must pause andcandidly ask ourselves: Are wedeserving to be counted amongst thechamushim (one-fifth, or one in 500)who leave, or will we be amongstthose left behind?

Indeed, what was it that led so manyof our brethren to choose to stay inEgypt? - In order to break away frompast mistakes, we have to under-stand their causes.

The Midrash Tehillim (107,114), asquoted by the Rosh HaYeshiva ofKerem b'Yavneh teaches us that:"When Israel went out of Egypt,Hashem "took one nation from themidst of another nation" (Devarim4:34) - Like a shepherd extracting thefetus from its mother's womb".

The Maharal (Gevurot Hashem 3)

writes that the point of the Midrash isto explain that at the time of theExodus we were enslaved not onlyphysically but spiritually, as well. Wehad become so intertwined with theEgyptian values and mores, sointermingled with the Egyptian wayof life, that we were like a fetusresiding within its mother's womb,woefully incapable of independentexistence.

As we near the end of the Seder wewill all proclaim: L'SHANA HABA'ABIRUSHALAYIM! - and yet we knowthat only a small proportion of Jewswill actually board the "JerusalemExpress" and be here next year. Whyis that? What inhibits Jews fromleaving galut and being amongst theChamushim who get up and comehere?

Continuing the Maharal's line ofthought, it seems that today too,many have become enslaved by thecorporate mentality and by suburbanvalues and culture - they too havebeen swallowed up by the West,viewing themselves like the embryowhich cannot survive outside itsmother's womb.

Shabbat HaGadol is a reminder thatone can tear oneself away. It can bedone. On Shabbat HaGadol wecommemorate the heroic actions ofour ancestors who daringly captured,


and slayed, the Egyptian deityreclaiming thereby our own culturalindependence.

Once every year as we chantL'SHANA HABA'A BIRUSHALAYIM,the Jerusalem Express prepares toleave the station. As the conductorbegins to chant: "All aboard, allaboard last call for Jerusalem!" - takeone long look into your childrens'wide open starry eyes, and I'm sureyou will muster the courage to hopaboard!

Rabbi Yerachmiel RonessRamat Shiloh Beit Shemesh

Excerpted from Living the Halachic Processby Rabbi Daniel Mann - Eretz Hemdah, withtheir permission [www.eretzhemdah.org]

Note: Last week's Q&A onShabbat Erev Pesach can befound in the Previous Week'sFiles section of the grid of links.

One who Failed to Recline WhileDrinking Wine at the Seder

Question: What do I do if I forgetto recline while drinking one of thecups of wine at the Seder?

Answer: Our main focus in ouranswer will be on Ashkenazi men. (ManyAshkenazi women do not recline whiledrinking, and a woman who does reclinehas more room for leniency if sheforgot.1 We will present the simplerinstructions for Sephardim at the end.)

The gemara2 says that, in principle, onemust recline only for two of the fourcups of wine. However, since it couldnot conclude whether that means thefirst two or the last two, the ruling is torecline for all four. The Rosh3 stipulatesthat if one was supposed to recline(while eating matza or while drinkingwine) and did not, he did not fulfill themitzva properly and must eat or drinkagain. (One does not repeat the sectionof the Seder related to the cup, just thedrinking.) However, the Rosh wonderswhether the repetition is appropriatefor the third or fourth cup. There is anobligation to drink four cups, but oneshould not drink more than that in amanner that gives the appearance thatone is drinking as a formal part of theSeder. Since one is not allowed to drinkwine after the third cup (obviously,excluding the fourth cup) or after thefourth cup,4 drinking more suggests that

1. See Rama, Orach Chayim 472:4.2. Pesachim 108a.3. Pesachim 10:20.4. See Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 479:1 & 481:1.


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one is adding a fifth official cup of wine.This makes repeating potentiallyproblematic. On the other hand, theRosh reasons that since one did notfulfill the mitzva properly if he drankwithout reclining, that cup did notcount, and he can and should drinkanother. The Rosh provides noresolution to the quandary.

The halachic implications are even morecomplex nowadays for Ashkenazim. Theoriginal reason to eat and drink whilereclined was that it demonstrates thatwe are liberated people, as that is howimportant people once ate at leisure.The Ra’avya5 makes the argument thatsince, nowadays, important people eatsitting erect, reclining no longeraccomplishes its intended function, andit is therefore no longer necessary. TheRama factors this argument into hisrulings. He uses it not only to explainthe minhag of women in his time not torecline,6 but also as a reason not torequire a man who forgot to recline torepeat the eating7 or drinking. However,the Rama concludes that regardingwine, one should implement the Rosh’sdistinction in the following manner.8 Forthe first two cups, where there is nohalachic downside to drinking more, heshould repeat. For the latter cups,where there is a problem of appearing

as though one is adding cups, oneshould rely on the Ra’avya that drinkingerect is sufficient and avoid furtherdrinking, which would be unnecessaryand improper according to his view.

The Magen Avraham9 found an issueeven with repeating the first cups. Aswe discussed above, drinking a cup ofwine that one normally should not bedrinking makes it look like a mandatorycup. Logically, making an additionalb'racha on the wine also makes it lookformal. The Magen Avraham points outthat even though one may drink winebetween the first two cups, we are nolonger in the practice of doing so.10

Therefore, one’s intention with theb'racha over the first cup is for that cupalone. Repeating the cup would thusentail reciting another b'racha, whichmakes it look like a problematic addi-tional cup. The Magen Avraham arguesthat we should thus rely on the Ra’avyarather than repeat the first cup.

Regarding forgetting to recline for thesecond cup, if one had any thoughts ofdrinking wine during the meal, anotherb'racha would not be necessary, and itwould be preferable to repeat the cup.11

The Magen Avraham says that it is best,when preparing to drink the first cups,

5. 525, cited in the Tur, Orach Chayim 472.6. 472:4.7. Regarding matza, he rules to repeat eating the matza, but not to repeat either of the berachot.8. Ibid. 7.9. 472:7.10. See Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 473:3.11. Magen Avraham op. cit.


to have in mind that the b'racha shouldapply to any further drinking.12

The Mishna Berura13 seems to endorsethe Magen Avraham’s approach. Giventhat the Magen Avraham’s criteria aresubjective and hard to determine, andsince the matter is a Rabbinic one with afew mitigating doubts, one can resolveambiguity on the side of leniency (i.e.,not to repeat). (If and when one doesrepeat, drinking grape juice is a wisechoice.)

For S'faradi men, the situation issimpler. The Shulchan Aruch14 does notrely on the Ra’avya on this subject.Matters are further simplified by thefact that according to the rulingsaccepted by S'faradim, the b'rachot onthe first and third cups exempt theberachot on the second and fourth,respectively. Accordingly, a S'faradiman should always repeat the cup if heforgot to recline while drinking.

Rabbi Nachman Kahana

Tzav - Erev Pesach 5781

This is being written on the 23rd ofMarch 2021 on the fourth election day intwo years. But from my angle of visionas one retired from active participationin Israeli life, now perched high abovethe din, babel, cacophony anddiscordance of our political system, Ican say that it really doesn't matter whowins or loses the election.

I will explain towards the end of thisarticle.

Every verse, word and letter in theTorah is meaningful and significant, tothe extent that if even one letter ismissing or corrupted that Torah scroll isinvalid for public reading.

Notwithstanding this adjudication, it isfor us who are not erudite in theprofundities of Kabala and the myriadsecrets behind the Torah's text, torelate to the verses of the Torah in amanner meaningful for us.

One of the most intriguing verses in thebook of Sh'mot is in Parshat Yitro:

VA'ESA ETCHEM AL KANFEI N'SHARIM

And I have borne you (when leavingEgypt) on the wings of eagles.

12. We note the likelihood that if one is not remembering to recline, he would also forget to have another cup in mind, asthe two occur within seconds of each other.13. Ad loc. 21.14. Orach Chayim 472:7.


Did Hashem actually provide every freedslave with his personal NESHER?

So in addition to the literal meaning ofthe verse, I suggest the following:

The Torah records the physical charac-teristics of animals which render themto be kosher - chew its cud and havesplit hooves and fish must have fins andscales; however, there are no suchindications regarding species of fowl.But there is a rabbinic tradition thatstates that kosher birds have fourcharacteristics: it is not a bird of prey;has an extra toe, a crop, and a gizzardthat can be peeled. There aredifferences of opinion whether a birdneeds to have all or just some of thesefeatures for it to be considered kosher,unless there is a tradition that it iskosher.

An eagle does not have even one koshercharacteristic, it is mehadrin treif.

HaShem is telling us in this pasuk thatHe brought the Jews out of Egyptdespite the fact that they were likeeagles with not a sign of what a ChosenPeople must be. They had no Torah nomitzvot. They were boorish and ignoranthaving undergone slavery for genera-tions.

Yet HaShem freed them in order tobecome His chosen nation by virtue ofthe holy Jewish neshama that was theiressence being direct descendants ofAvraham, Yitzchak and Ya'akov, which

provided them with great spiritualpotential.

The book of Sh'mot ends withinstructions for erecting the Mishkanand forging its implements; the kohanicgarments and choosing of the kohanim.

The book of Bamidbar details thearrangement of the tribes around theMishkan which stood in the center ofthe encampment.

The mishkan was erected within a largerectangular courtyard whose dimen-sions were measured in "amot" (appr.half a meter): 100 amot long in the northand south and 50 amot wide in the westand east. App. 50 meters long by 25meters wide, in all 1250 meters squareor 4100 square feet)

Immediately surrounding the Mishkan tothe north, south and west encamped thefamilies of the tribe of Levi. To the east,by the entrance to the courtyard leadingto the Mishkan were Moshe, Aharon andtheir immediate families.

On the outer perimeter of the courtyardto the north were the tribes of Dan,Naftali and Asher; to the south Re'uven,Shimon and Gad; to the west Efrayim,Menashe and Binyamin and to the eastthe tribes of Yehuda, Yissachar andZevulun. What was the rationale behindthe division of the respective tribes oneach of the four sides.

i submit that Dan Naftali and Asher wasplaced in the north because that theywere destined to receive their


homesteads in the north of Eretz Yisrael(Lebanon is an extension of the tribalareas of Naftali and Asher).

Reuven Shimon and Gad were placedtogether in the south because they weredestined not to receive their home-steads on the western side of theJordan. The homesteads of Reuven andGad were to the east of the Jordan andShimon was allotted an enclave withinthe tribe of Yehuda.

Efrayim, Menashen and Binyamin weretogether because they were descen-dants of mother Rachel.

To the east at the opening to thecourtyard of the Mishkan and neighborsof Moshe and Aharon were the tribes ofYehuda, Yissachar and Zevulin. why?

The gemara in Shevuot 16a states thatthe classic Jewish government iscomposed of four separate branches:the king who was responsible for civilmatter, including the military; theKohen Gadol; the Sanhedrin which dealtwith the adjudication of halachicproblems and the reigning prophet ofthe time.

As stated above, to the east at theentrance to the courtyard was the tribeof Yehuda from who came the kings ofIsrael; the tribe of Yissachar were greatscholars with the tribe of Zevulunsupplying Yissachar with the materialneeds to permit them to study Torah;Moshe was the prophet and Aharon thekohen gadol. Meaning, at the entrance

to the Mishkan's courtyard were all fourbranches of the holy Jewish govern-ment who received their spiritualdirection to lead HaShem's chosennation.

A leap to our times. In some way we arethe Biblical "eagle" which has no koshersigns, yet HaShem is bringing about ourredemption from galut based on ourspiritual potential.

Today the Medina has no king, nosanhedrin, no Kohen Gadol and noprophet, yet HaShem establishedMedinat Yisrael because of the greatspiritual potential within the Jewishpeople here in Eretz Yisrael.

What is important to note is that all fourbranches of a Torah government arecentered in the Temple Mount inYerushalayim. The king's palace wasadjacent to the Mount. The Sanhedrinsat in one of the Temple's chambers, theBeit HaMikdash was obviously there andthe source of prophecy came from theHoly of Holies.

All future meaningful activities ofworldwide repercussions will centeredaround Yerushalayim.

At the onset of our national unity,HaShem was aware of all the diversepossibilities of social and nationaladministrations, including democracy.Yet He deemed most suitable for theJewish people a monarchy supported bythree other branches of governmentwhich were positioned to guide the king


to be an autocratic although"benevolent" leader. This is theappropriate and compatible form ofgovernment which can dictate commongoals and direction to unify the diversecharacteristics of the Jewish genius.

At some time in the non distant futuredemocracy will be replaced here by areligious monarchy which will reformthe chaos we are experiencing now.

I write this not because it will be thedesire of the majority, but it will happendue to the necessity to have a strong,charismatic leader at the helm of ournation who will guide the nation back tothe Torah values for which we werechosen at Sinai by HaShem.

PESACH KASHER V'SAMEI'ACH

Remember the three Bs:B careful • B healthy • B here

Nachman Kahana

The Fate of the Wicked SonAmongst the most loved sections ofthe Seder is the story of the foursons, the wise, the wicked, thesimple, and the one who knows nothow to ask.

The word "son" is not to be taken tooliterally. It really indicates a human

type. All varieties of human beingsare needed in society, even the"wicked sons" who are known fortheir negativity.

It's not nice to be called a "wickedson", an outsider such as Pharaoh,Haman or Titus, or one of the moremodern rebels, or one of the peoplewe know. We are all like Miss Marplewho always knew someone in St.Mary Mead who resembles a charac-ter in one of Agatha Christie's cases.

The most famous rasha of Jewishhistory is the second son in theHaggada. He takes many forms,proving that there are peopleperceived as wicked in everygeneration.

The rasha pictures in illustratedHaggadot depict villains that rangethrough Roman soldiers; RussianCossacks, often with a dog; amaterialist with a monocle; a Maskil(a proponent of the often irreligiousEnlightenment); an old atheist; or ateenage dropout (as in more recentHaggadot). All share the character-istic that it wasn't outside factorsthat made them "wicked" but theirown misguided choice.

In the Haggada's list of sons, therasha is an "odd man out". The wiseson is a role model; the third("simple") son can't help himself; the


fourth son ("he who knows not howto ask") will eventually mature. Butthe rasha will always be with us.

What are we meant to do with him?The Haggada says, "blunt his teeth"and insists that if he had been alive inthe age of slavery, "he would nothave been redeemed". If he had beena Hebrew slave in ancient Egypt, hewould have stayed there.

In its commentary on the four sons,the Baruch SheAmar has a differentview; it says that God would havestruck dead all the wicked sons, whowould thereby lose their chance ofredemption.

What is the rasha's wickedness?

Religious - he denies fundamentaltenets.

Intellectual - he does not ask buttells.

Social - he mocks family tradition.

Psychological - he is eaten up by hisnegativity.

Ethical - he undermines thecommunity.

Behavioural - he is a rebel andnon-conformist.

Theological - he leaves God out ofhistory.

The rasha's punishment is "blunt his

teeth". Not that this means to hithim: it is a metaphor for "rebut hisargument". If he sticks to his guns,intellectual honesty would keep himfrom the Seder; but blunting histeeth means that he finds his match.

In the past he would have been leftbehind, but in real time he can't stayaway. Something in him still wants tobe there. As the old phrase has it, hecan't overcome his gut feeling ofidentity. Eventually he will be wonover.

I somehow like the rasha. He hasspirit and a mind of his own. Thewicked son has to be himself. Heaccepts nothing on trust, norautomatically obey instructions.

"What does this service mean toyou?" he demands (Sh'mot 12:26-27),implying, "To you - not to us". I knowthat according to the Biblicalcommentators, he gets punished forsaying "to you". But - strangely - thewise son also says "to you" (D'varim6:20-21), and no-one thinks ofrebuking him! Why give the wickedson such a rough ride for saying "toyou"?

Compare his words with those of thewise son and you have the answer.

Says the rasha: "What is this serviceto you?" Says the wise son, "What arethe laws which the Lord our God has

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commanded you?" The wise sonmentions God whilst the wicked sonleaves Him out. To the wise son, all isfrom God, even the difficult things.The rasha doesn't bring God into thereckoning.

How did Pesach come to be, accord-ing to his reasoning? Presumably itjust happened: its source is sociologyor anthropology, not religion. That'sthe "denial of a fundamental prin-ciple" of which the wicked son isguilty.

Imagining the world can managewithout God, that's his offence. He isa secularist for whom God isirrelevant, though as our age hasshown, his view is a god that hasfailed.

Do I still like the rasha? Certainly…but I would be the first to try andpersuade him that he is wrong.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII- Jacob Solomon

See how good and how pleasant it isthat brothers dwell together. It is likethe fine oil running down onto… thebeard of Aharon, that runs down tothe collar of his garments (Tehillim133:1-2).

Though brothers dwelling together is

more generally understood as allIsrael living in harmony, S'fornoexplains that this refers specificallyto Moshe and Aharon. The Radakcombines both: when Israel livestogether in peace, it is as pleasant aswhen Aharon himself was anointed asthe Kohen Gadol.

Chizkuni observes that unlike thevessels and other items of theMishkan that were anointedseparately (8:10), Moshe anointedAharon and his sons whilst they werewearing their bigdei kehuna, theirspecial garments with 'the fine oilrunning down onto… the beard ofAharon, that runs down to the collarof his garments'. As the Parsharecounts: 'Moshe took from the oil ofanointment… and sprinkled it onAharon and his garments…' (8:30).

Remember that Aharon, as Moshe'sbrother started out as his subordi-nate, as his communicator. He was indue course to receive the highestspiritual honor. As Kohen Gadol, heand nobody else - not even Moshe,was eligible to serve once a year inthe Holy of Holies on behalf of KlalYisrael (16:34). What special qualitiesdid Aharon have to be selected byG-d for this unique office?

It could be that Aharon was chosenbecause he advanced the Creation,indeed humanity, in finally rising


above the crippling force of siblingrivalry and the distress that it brings.Simply, brothers quarreling is a majortheme that repeats itself over andover again in the Book of B'reishit.

Sibling rivalry saw Kayin killing Hevelon finding that only Hevel's offeringwas accepted. Kayin was doomed tospend the rest of his life as a vagrantand a wanderer.

Sibling rivalry saw Yishmael expelledfrom Avraham's household as hespread false rumors about identity ofYitzchak's parents in order to be thesole inheritor of Avraham's property(according to the S'forno's interpre-tation of B'reishit 21:9). The siblingrivalry meant that Yitzchak andYishmael were permanently sepa-rated until Abraham's death (25:9).

Sibling rivalry saw Ya'akov and Eisavstruggling over the issue of thebirthright and the blessing. Here, theseparation was shorter, and markedwith some progress: an uneasymeeting and reconciliation.

Sibling rivalry was behind Yosef'sbrothers leaving him for dead, andfinally selling him into slavery. Butoverall there was more progress here:the brothers indeed regretted thesale and were subsequently fullyreconciled with one another.

But in sharp contrast to their

antecedents, Moshe and Aharonbroke through the very core of siblingrivalry. They rose above its divisiveinfluence by functioning as a jointteam to serve others, and to set inmotion the Yetzi'at Mitzrayim of thesuffering Israelites in Egypt. Moshehad the key position, and Aharongladly put himself out to assist him ina clearly subordinate role eventhough he was the older brother: "Hewill speak for you to the people; hewill be your communicator, and youwill be his leader" (Sh'mot 4:16).Indeed, "Aharon is going out to meetyou. When he sees you, he will rejoicein his heart" (4:14).

It was that purity of Aharon motives"when he sees you, he will rejoice inhis heart" that advanced the Creationin enabling siblings to work togetherfor the common good and putpossible differences to the side. Andthat was a merit that was behindAharon's ultimately being selected tolead the Priesthood, which Mosheinitiated and sealed in the act ofanointing Aharon who was wearingthe very clothes that were madeunder his guidance for Aharon: as G-dcommanded him: "You shall makeholy garments for your brotherAharon, for honor and splendor" (ibid28:2).

"See how good and how pleasant it is


that brothers dwell together." Moshedressed and anointed Aharon and hissons with the bigdei kehuna, whichunlike the coat of many colors ofYosef, publicly and demonstrativelyturned the evils of sibling rivalry intothe merits of working together incommon cause. That was for theglorification of G-d and Klal Yisrael,and for the bringing of the Shechina,the Divine Presence, to the people.

An MP is a member of the British ParlimentOur MP is also originally from England -

Menachem Persoff

Blood: Food for Thought?Our Parsha proclaims that we shallnot consume blood in any of ourdwelling places. And if so, thatperson's soul shall be cut off from itspeople (Vayikra 7:26). However, weknow that sprinkling blood on thealtar was a significant part of thefulfillment of bringing sacrifices toHashem.

So, what is Judaism's attitudetowards blood? The Torah (D'varim12:23) supplies the answer succinctly:"…for the blood is the life - and youmay not eat the life with the flesh."

We tend to think of eating blood asbarbaric. We conjure up images ofDracula. Or we recall idol worshipperssitting around eating sacrifices to

their gods while leaving the blood forthe spirits with whom they wished tocommune (Rambam: Guide to thePerplexed). Notably, having beenexposed to such practices duringtheir slavery, Bnei Yisrael in thewilderness was only allowed topartake of meat that was part ofpeace-offerings brought to theMishkan.

Rambam remarks that only concern-ing idol worship and the consumptionof blood does Hashem employ such aharsh phrase as, "I shall set my faceagainst that man (20:4-5). Why so?Because in Halacha, blood is pure. Nowonder, for example, that when aJewish woman has a discharge, shebecomes ritually impure. The lostblood is symbolic of the lost potentialfor life.

In contrast to the barbaric ritual, inour biblical tradition, pure blood wasa means of purifying other objects byits touch. For instance, Aharonbecame hallowed by the sprinkling ofblood upon his garments.Furthermore, the sprinkling of bloodon the altar "made an atonement foryour souls" (17:11).

It appears, therefore, that inJudaism, not only does the prohibi-tion against eating blood eradicatethe heathen practice, but also theemployment of blood in ritualbestows positive spiritual energy.


Indeed, for Ramban (cited byNechama Leibowitz), blood is not thesoul, per se. "The blood bears thespirit of life. Blood is the instrumentof the soul through which it carriesout its activities" (David Hoffman). Assuch, blood is not to be abused.

This worldview was extended by RavKook, who frowned upon meat-eatersin general - for even the souls ofanimals ultimately belong to God."Food for thought!" MP

The Daily Portion- Sivan Rahav Meir

Meeting grandpafor the first timeTranslation by Yehoshua Siskin

"Shalom Sivan, This is Hila Moradfrom Tz'fat. During the first lockdownlast year, on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, Igave birth to our son Moshe Yitzchak.We have almost forgotten about thecrisis at that time. A paralyzing dreadwas in the air. For consolation, Ithought about the women of Egypt,the righteous ones who gave birthdespite Pharaoh's decree (that babyboys were to be thrown into the Nile).Inspired by their strength, I gavebirth in the shadow of that terriblefear of the corona. In those days

when we shut ourselves at home andprayed for redemption, we decided tocall our precious newborn Moshe, theredeemer of Israel.

The brit took place without anyonepresent, in accordance with thecorona restrictions. Just the moheland us. The second name that Moshereceived was Yitzchak, the same asgrandpa Yitzchak who very muchwanted to be the sandak (godfather)at the brit, but did not get thatprivilege. For a full year they told usnot to visit grandpa and grandma inorder to protect them and to protectus. Everything happened at adistance, with immense longing. Inthe course of the past year, wecaught the coronavirus butrecovered, and now Moshe Yitzchakis one year old.

Several days ago we went to visitthem. Moshe Yitzchak saw grandpaYitzchak and grandma Sarah for thefirst time - and he just cried andcried. He didn't know who they were.All babies born this year were shutinside their homes and now everyadult is a stranger to them. We arenow working on establishing a newand different connection between aone-year-old baby and 'new' grand-parents. And now, Baruch Hashem,it's finally possible to sit togetheraround the same table.


How ironic that the very same holidayin which we first experiencedseparation a year ago is now theholiday in which we reunite. Howsymbolic that this holiday is all aboutthe connection between generations- 'and you shall tell your son.' 'It isthat promise to Avraham thatprotected our fathers and us.' 'Whoredeemed us and redeemed ourforefathers.' We feel that the story ofour Moshe Yitzchak is anotherchapter in this unique, never-endingstory of our nation."

Dvar torah onParshat HaShavua byRabbi Chanoch Yeresto his community

Graciously shared with Philo-Torah

STILL TO COME

Weekly column byRabbi Jeff BienenfeldIn distinguishing between the mitzva ofremembering the Exodus (L'MA'ANTIZKOR...) which is observed twice dailyand the mitzva of telling of the event(SIPUR) which occurs once a year at theSeder, Rav Chayim Brisker (Solo-veitchik) offered a number of distinc-tions. One of them was this: the mitzvaof ZACHOR only obligates us to recallthe actual deliverance from Egypt. On

Pesach, however, we are required to tellthe story in accordance with theprinciple of MATCHIL BIGNUTUMSAYEIM B'SHEVACH, beginning withfirst discussing our denigration andthen concluding with praise. The Talmud(Pesachim 116a) records a disagreementas to what exactly the G'NUT shouldconsist of. The opinion of Shmuel isreadily understood. We must mentionthat we were once slaves to Paro inEgypt (AVADIM HAYINU). The view ofRav, however, is a bit puzzling. Heclaims we must admit that once ourancestors worshiped idols. The questionis clear: Why was it necessary toreference this aspect of our earlyhistory? And why on the Seder night?

Many answers have been given, and inreviewing them, the explanation of R.Eliyahu Dessler zt"l, appeared quitecompelling and elevating. He begins bydramatically portraying the indomitablecourage of Avraham who not onlyrebelled against the idolatry of hisfamily, but went on to daringly proclaimthe truth of monotheism to a generationawash in pagan, polytheistic cults. Inthis battle, Avraham was completelyalone. In fact, in trying to convince hiscontemporaries of the absurdity of theiridolatrous beliefs, he was nearlyexecuted.

Rav Dessler maintains that because ofAvraham's heroic determination not tosurrender to the regnant culture of hisday, the Almighty promised that thisincredible inner strength and fortitude


would remain forever implanted in thereligious DNA of his descendants. Thereason then for beginning with the earlypagan roots of our ancestors is tohighlight this defiance of our greatancestor. It is an essential part of ourHaggada in order to remind us that ourredemption from Egypt was in no smallmeasure a consequence of thiscourageous toughness that, whiledormant for hundreds of years, finallyerupted in all its powerful faith andresoluteness when triggered by thetowering spiritual presence of Mosheand Aharon (Michtav M'Eliyahu II:21-23).

There are two important take-aways wecan learn from this insightful under-standing of Rav Dessler. The first is thatno matter the overwhelming zeitgeist ofthe times, no matter its appeal andallure, if its values and practicescontradict those of our sacred Mesorah,then the choice should be absolutelyclear even if we stand as the few againstthe many.

The second lesson is no less significant.Every Jew contains within his and herneshama this spark of spiritualgreatness bequeathed to us byAvraham. All it takes to fan that emberinto an impassioned religious person-ality is to introduce that soul to itsrighteous intrepid forebears. Tell thestory of an Avraham, of a Moshe who intheir encounter with Gd became giantsof ethical and spiritual stature. Tellthese souls of a downtrodden mass ofhumanity who almost sunk into oblivion

only to be rescued because theyremembered their noble roots. Wearthat story on your sleeve, let thosearound the Seder table sense theemotional vibes of your pride andreverence. Draw them in so that theycan re-experience along with you theglory and majesty of what it means to beelected by HaShem to implement Hisgrand design for the redemption of theworld. And then be eternally gratefulthat you have been chosen to be a partof this exalted vision and mission.

Our Haggada combines the opinions ofboth Rav and Shmuel. Taken together,the contrast of denigration and praise,G'NUT and SHEVACH, serve to makesus appreciate all the more how HaShem,in His bountiful chesed, has shepherdedand cared us over the millennia to bringus to this day (Maharal, GevurotHaShem 52).

May this day, our Seders, be theharbinger of the great things to come.Mashi'ach can come at any moment!

Shabbat HaGadol In this haftara that prophesies the

coming of Eliyahu HaNavi as the harbin-ger of the Geula, we find sort of acondition for the coming of Y'MOT HA-MASHI'ACH. That is remembering andfollowing the Torah. Malachi 3:22 -

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"Keep in remembrance the teaching of


Moshe, My servant - the laws andordinances which I commanded him inChorev for all Israel."

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"It must be done only in the place thatGod shall choose in [the territory of] oneof your tribes. Only there shall yousacrifice burnt offerings, and only thereshall you prepare all [the offerings] that Iam prescribing to you."

Pesach is the reliving of the first Geulaas a nation. Malachi points us towardsto Geula Sh'leima. It will come - whetheror not we are ready for it or whether ornot we are worthy of it. But the bestcase scenario is our Remembering ToratMoshe, making its values our values,learning and teaching it, keeping itsmitzvot, loving it, and engendering thatlove and commitment within our fellowJews.


YERUSHALAYIM in/out for PM 538 4%2 732PM 13 · 2021. 3. 24. · YERUSHALAYIM in/out for Shabbat...

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Transcript of YERUSHALAYIM in/out for PM 538 4%2 732PM 13 · 2021. 3. 24. · YERUSHALAYIM in/out for Shabbat...