Shabbat-B'Shabbato – Parshat Behaalotecha No 1377: 9 Sivan 5771 (11 June 2011) AS SHABBAT APPROACHES What are "the Seven Lamps" of the Menorah? - by Rabbi Mordechai Greenberg, Rosh Yeshiva, Kerem B'Yavne "When you light the face of the the seven lamps the face of the the lamps, the seven lamps shall shine their light towards Menorah" [Bamidbar 8:2]. This is not easy to understand – are an integral part of the Menorah, how can they light up vessel? Rashi's answer to the above question is that the "Menorah" in the verse is the central lamp. But then the verse should really write about "the six lamps" – which would light the main lamp in the middle. We will preface our answer with the words of the Talmud, "'You brought a grapevine out of Egypt' [Tehillim 80:9]. This nation is compared to grapes. The branches are the property owners, the clusters of grapes are the Torah scholars, and the leaves are the simple folks... The clusters should ask for mercy for the leaves, because without the leaves the clusters could not exist..." [Chulin 92a]. Rashi explains, "The leaves on a grapevine are struck by the winds and protect the clusters of grapes from being harmed by heat, the sun, and the wind. In the same way, the simple folks plow, plant, and harvest, and they provide food for the Torah scholars." Yisrael can be compared to a grapevine, a single organism, made up of Torah scholars, scientists, farmers, soldiers, and others. It is true that the Torah masters are the clusters of fruit and that they stand at the top of the pyramid, but if these men of the spirit disassociate themselves from the other practical people then the Torah scholars will not be able to exist. In any season when a storm or a heat wave comes and dries up the flowers of the vine, there will be no crop. Here is what Sforno writes about the Menorah: When the priest turns the six surrounding lamps so that they are turned towards the central lamp, in the middle, such that all the flames light up the center of the Menorah, then "the seven lamps will shine." All seven lamps will light up and shine their Divine light on Yisrael. Then "the light from the left and from the right is turned towards the central lamp, which is the main element of the Menorah... The lamps on the right side are related to the people who are involved in the eternal world, and those on the left who are involved in the life in this world help those on the right. Without the leaves the clusters would not exist... And together they will all raise up G-d's name, as they agreed to do... 'And the entire nation replied in unison' [Shemot 19:8]." That is: The structure of Yisrael is that of a grapevine. The clusters cannot exist without the fruit, Torah scholars cannot exist without simple folks, those oriented towards the right. And that is why everything has an appointed place in the Menorah. "'It will happen on that day that I will look for Jerusalem with the light of lamps' [Tzefani 1:12]. Bnei Yisrael replied: "Where is the glory that You promised to give us, as is written, 'The sun will no longer light the day for you... G-d will be your eternal light' [Yeshayahu 60:19]? How can You now say that You will look for Jerusalem? The Almighty replied, You do not understand... Just as I showed Zecharia that image of the Menorah... and I also commanded Moshe 'You shall make a Menorah out of pure gold' [Shemot 25:31] – this refers to the community of Yisrael." [Pesikta]. Using lamps to search for Jerusalem does not mean that there is a dim light, rather it refers to the lamps of the Menorah. When Bnei Yisrael will be unified just as the lamps in the Menorah, then we will truly be in possession of the light of G-d. POINT OF VIEW Virtual World Culture - by Zvulun Orlev, MK, Chairman of the Committee on the Rights of the Child 1 In the beginning of this week's Torah portion, the Natziv discusses various issues in his commentary Haamek Davar that are still important for our generation today. "The Holy One, Blessed be He, commanded us that the lamps should be turned towards the face of the Menorah, to imply that general wisdom will help to better understand the wisdom of the Torah. In the same way, He commanded us to make the Menorah out of a single block of gold, to teach us that all other wisdom was carved out of the Torah ... From the holy source of the Torah, all the other branches of wisdom were divided into many different secondary sources." An Unfamiliar Culture The following strong sentiments are very significant for everybody who is involved in education in this generation. The culture of the internet, facebook, and all the other systems and programs which provide electronic amusement involve a threatening element that is a danger in terms of both education and morality, and this matter is especially serious because most of us are not aware of the dangers involved. New cultures and subcultures are being created under our very own noses. An entire new world and its empty character are freely available with a flick of the wrist, and neither parents nor educators have any real way of supervising what is happening. Research shows that about 80% of today's youth, including those in the religious sector, spend many hours of every week on this culture, and in many cases this is true for every single day. This fact highlights the central nature of the internet and the social networks, and it implies a sharp change in leisure habits of the adults, which in turn leads to challenges that must be met and struggled against immediately, in an honest way. Research shows that a large majority of the parents do not know about this, are not involved, and do not share the cultural lives of their children on the internet. The same is also true of the educational system, which pays no attention at all to the culture of virtual worlds. We should not ignore the fact that the internet is a good tool which makes a large quantity of detailed information available to everybody. But it is important to realize that the internet, especially the social networks such as facebook, twitter, and so on, is especially dangerous for children in physical and emotional terms. Anonymity on one hand and widespread availability on the other hand are fertile grounds for the creation of situations that are the very antithesis of good education. Violent content and explicit challenges based on violence, readily available pornography, the spreading of malicious gossip about friends, boycotts, and oral harassment and abuse – all of these are examples of issues which have led to suicides in the past, and we do not seem to have any way to deal with these problems. Dramatic Social Changes The virtual world has led to changes in the social relationships of the youths. They prefer to send a text message rather than having a face to face conversation. They tend to interrupt a personal discussion in order to report to twitter about their activities and their emotions. A virtual life is seen by them as something very valuable. They want to be "part of the crowd" without being bound by any of the obligations that are necessary in order to develop true friendships. To put it another way, the social networks create an illusion of contact with another person, but in actual fact the people remain isolated and alone. Anybody who suggests that the struggle against this issue can concentrate on prohibitions and curtailing the use by the young generation of computers, the internet, and the social networks should know that he is mistaken, and that any such approach is destined to fail. As parents and teachers, we must be aware of the new culture, we must relate to it, and we must develop a proper educational response to the challenge. The virtual worlds must not be left exclusively in the realm of the young people. Aside from technological solutions to this problem – filter programs, putting the computer in an open space in the home, putting limits on the total number of hours spent with a 2 computer – the parents must make it their business to talk to the children about what is happening on the internet, about the dangers that they face, and about the ways to prevent harm from coming to them and to their friends. To Wake up and to Enlighten The educational system is aware of the situation, and it has developed programs for the next school year that will address these problems. But the parents and the home will still remain the main focal point which must relate to this new world. It is important for the parents themselves to know how to use these new tools, so that they will not appear to their children to be dishonest. Parents who are part of the new virtual worlds will best be able to discuss them with their children. As people who observe the mitzvot, it is harder for us than for others to adjust to cultural change, because of our desire to remain true to our traditions. We are loyal to the culture of books and deep study, and not to virtual worlds. The words of the Natziv at the beginning of this article should serve as a motto for us. The Torah lights up external wisdom and all other cultures! It is our responsibility to keep our eyes open and to listen so that our children will be able to separate the chaff from the wheat. * * * * * * A Facelift for Shabbat-B'Shabbato: A NOTE BY RABBI YISRAEL ROZEN Returning to the Torah The many Shabbat bulletins that are distributed in the synagogues started out as a modern replacement for classical and traditional sermons. It has long been a custom to gather in the synagogues and study halls on Shabbat to listen to Torah lessons and insights. But some time now we have been quite upset by the inundation of the synagogues on Shabbat with what can best be described as newspapers, with all the trimmings of journalism. It is hard to complain about advertising, which serves as "flour" – and as is well known, "If there is no flour there will be no Torah" [Avot 3:21]. If not for the ads, this method of spreading Torah would not be able to exist at all. But what is the "Torah" that is supported by this "flour" of advertisements? The editors of Shabbat-B'Shabbato have decided to cut down on the number of columns in our bulletin that are devoted to journalistic subjects, no matter how important and interesting they are. These articles appear in abundance in the "real" newspapers that fill our living rooms and that appear on our computer screens. We will therefore concentrate in the future on bringing to our readers Torah-based material that is worthy of being brought into the synagogue, and we will try to avoid being merely one more link in the "community media channels." Let everybody who picks up a copy of ShabbatB'Shabbato know that this is not a newspaper but an educational Torah bulletin. We call out to the editors of other Shabbat bulletins to follow our lead. A New Department: Talk-Backs We hereby announce the start of a new department in Shabbat-B'Shabbato: short reader comments. We will start publishing this in the next issue, if we receive such comments. These will be accepted from our nimble readers only as notes about the immediately preceding issue, and they must be in Hebrew and sent to us in the evening after Shabbat or at the very latest on Sunday. The e-mail address is: zomet@netvision.net.il. Or, they can be sent by fax, at 02-9931889. SOMETHING FOR THE SOUL The Almighty and Moshe are Partners in the Torah! - by Rabbi Yehoshua Shapira, Rosh Yeshivat Ramat Gan The momentous occasion at Mount Sinai, when the Torah was given to Bnei Yisrael, is the greatest event that ever took place in history. At that 3 moment in time, G-d descended onto Mount Sinai not in order to perform heavenly signs and miracles within the confines of the world but rather in order to provide a framework for human beings to take hold of and to adjust their lives to correspond to an eternal life. This occasion is deeper than the seas and is made up of an infinite number of internal stages. In each and every generation, our sages were able to light up different aspects of the events, each time according to the needs of the era. In every case, what was presented to the people was a drop in the huge ocean of the allencompassing and eternal Torah. Our sages taught many of these facets of the Sinai events through parables describing the wonders of the moment when Moshe ascended to heaven. Usually what is important in these allegories is not historical events but rather the internal contents. Here is one of the most unique of these parables: "Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi said, When Moshe ascended to the heavens he found that the Holy One, Blessed be He, was adding tags (literally: crowns) to the letters of the Torah. The Almighty said to Moshe: Don't you greet each other in your city? Moshe replied, When is a slave expected to initiate a greeting to his master? And the Almighty replied, You should have helped me begin! So Moshe immediately replied with, 'And now let the power of G-d increase, as You have said' [Bamidbar 14:17]." [Shabbat 89b]. It is necessary to explain the meaning of this parable. Didn't the Almighty have "enough time" to add all the crowns to the letters of the Torah? Does He ever need more time for anything? What did Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi want to teach us with this strange-sounding allegory? Evidently the goal of the Almighty in this story is to teach Moshe that the Torah is not merely a matter of "channeling" something by throwing it down from above, but rather the result of creating a link between the worlds above and below. When the Almighty waited for Moshe and did not finish the labor of adding the tags to the letters by Himself, he hinted that Moshe too would be a partner in the finalization of the Torah and in fashioning its final form. But Moshe stood in silence and surrender, waiting for a hint of how to proceed. So the Holy One, Blessed be He, asked Moshe whether in his own city it was proper not to expect to be greeted. That is: You came here to My home, why are you standing there in silence? Is that the way the world typically acts? And you can see that I am attempting to act in the way that the world does... Why didn't you bless Me in the way that a person greets his colleague, with a greeting of "Shalom"? And still when Moshe hears this he remains silent. He does not apologize, and he does not reply with a greeting. Rather, he explains his position: When does a slave initiate a greeting with his master? It is true that two sides are meeting in this encounter and that there is a relationship between them, but it is a relationship not of two colleagues but of a slave and his master. When a slave meets his master, he bows his head in surrender and waits silently for his instructions. There is such a huge gap in this case that it is unthinkable for Moshe to begin a conversation, as if with a colleague. But in spite of the correct approach by Moshe, the Almighty continues the discussion. You should have helped me! All that you said is correct, but you do not comprehend the moment in which we stand – the time of the giving of the Torah to Bnei Yisrael. You can see with your own eyes that I am sitting here and waiting for you to come and help Me finish the labor. Only then will it be possible for the Torah to be given to Bnei Yisrael. Moshe cannot reject a direct demand from the Almighty, even though he does not really agree, because he knows that the Torah is Divine and not a human artifact at all. The Torah was stored away for thousands of generations before the world and humanity were created, what can a human being do to enhance it? What, then, can Moshe do that will take both sides of the situation into account? Moshe therefore said: "Let the power of G-d increase!" What is the meaning of this? We are partners, but in what way? We do not want to receive the Torah merely as slaves, who are in fear of being punished or even in awe of the great holiness of the master, which causes us to serve Him. Rather we stand here as a mate, as a lover who yearns and waits for the revelation of her lover. Our only real desire is to see our King. 4 The desire of Yisrael is that the power of G-d will increase, and that He will reveal to us the Divine Torah, the Torah of "Anochi," the first word of the Ten Commandments – an anagram for the phrase, "Ana nafshai ketiva yahaveit – I have recorded the essence of My soul here" [Shabbat 105a]. We want Him to reveal Himself to us. By sending these yearnings and desires to G-d, we do our part in finishing the labors. But we do not do this on our own initiative, rather we wait for the command, "As you have said" – the end of the above verse. You have taught us that this Torah consists not only of laws and mitzvot but is also based on love: "Go out and look, daughters of Zion, at King Shlomo, at the crown which his mother made for him on the day of his wedding and the day of his happiness" [Shir Hashirim 3:11]. As the sages have taught, "The day of his wedding" is a reference to the giving of the Torah. HALACHA FROM THE SOURCE Why is the "Bima" at the Center of a Synagogue? - by Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Rimon, Rabbi of Southern Alon Shevut and a teacher in Yeshivat Har Etzion A great man has been taken from our midst: Rabbi Uri Dasberg, one of the leaders of the Zomet Institute, and an editor of Techumin, the Talmudic Encyclopedia, and Shabbat B'Shabbato. Rabbi Dasberg was interested in many areas, and he wrote about many different subjects. Examples are: recycling paper on which holy material is printed; Shabbat in the police force; milking on Shabbat; how long the chazzan should wait for the rabbi to finish prayers; and a worker who is willing to relinquish his rights. Since we have been discussing the rules of prayer in this column, we quote today something that Rabbi Dasberg wrote about the subject of prayer in Techumin, Volume 28, with a few comments. There was a large controversy in the Jewish world about 150 years ago about where to put the "bima" in a synagogue – the place where the Torah is read and the chazzan sometimes stands. In a conference of Hungarian rabbis that took place in Checkoslovokia in 5626 (1846), it was declared among other things that "it is forbidden to enter and pray in a synagogue which does not have a bima in the middle." The reason for this controversy was an attempt to maintain a distance from the practices of the Reform movement and from the architecture of Christian churches, where the bima is in the front of the hall. There are also other reasons in principle to place the bima at the center of the synagogue. The Chatam Sofer discusses this issue without any reference to copying the practices of Gentiles (Orach Chaim 28). He quotes the Rambam, "A bima is erected in a synagogue, in the middle of the house... so that everybody will be able to hear" [Hilchot Tefilla 11:3]. It can be assumed that there is another reason for putting the bima in the center of the room. The problem with the setup used by the Gentiles is not only the place of the bima itself but the fact that the Christian priests stand facing the congregation. But a chazzan is not an actor. He should not be facing the listeners, as in a play. Both the community and the chazzan are standing together facing the Almighty. Therefore everybody should face in the same direction, towards the holy Shechina. Even though in the Ashkenazi synagogues there is a second "amud," a place at the front of the synagogue where the chazzan usually stands, the design is very different from the Gentile houses of worship, because the chazzan faces the holy ark together with the rest of the people. The Christian practice is to have a family gathering in the church, to have family prayer. However, every individual among the Jews stands by himself before G-d (See: Rabbi Soloveitchik, "A Leader of the Community"). For the Jews the prayer is not a show and not a play. Both the men and the women in their separate sections stand equally before the Holy One, Blessed be He. The "mechitza" is a boundary between men and women, but it has no effect on the essence of the prayers. We do not stand in front of an exhibition which requires that we watch it. Both men and women stand in front of the holy presence of the Shechina! 5 We should note that another reason for placing the bima in the center is that this is the place of the Torah scroll. The Torah belongs in partnership to everybody, to the entire community of Yisrael. It is not the individual possession of the one who reads it or of the rabbi. As the Rambam writes, "Yisrael were given three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of the priesthood, and the crown of royalty. The crown of the priesthood was given to Aharon, as is written, 'and he and his offspring after him will have an eternal covenant of priesthood' [Bamidbar 25:13]. The crown of royalty was given to David, as is written, 'His descendents will exist forever, and his throne will be before Me like the sun' [Tehillim 89:37]. The crown of Torah has been put down and is ready for anybody to take it, as is written, 'A heritage of the community of Yaacov' [Devarim 33:4]. Let anybody who wants to come and take it." [Hilchot Talmud Torah 3:1]. Everybody is linked to the Torah: "The crown of Torah has been put down and is ready for anybody to take it." Putting the bima in the middle is also reminiscent of the Temple, where on Succot the Altar was surrounded by people carrying the aravah, a branch of a willow tree. The bima in a synagogue is surrounded by people praying. As opposed to the chazzan, the rabbi may sit facing the congregation, but that corresponds to the different roles played by the rabbi and the chazzan. The rabbi teaches and guides the community, while the chazzan is the spokesman for the community with respect to the holy presence. He is a "Shaliach Tzibur," a representative of the community. Thus, the way to stand in prayer is to stand before G-d, in a straight manner, without any intermediaries – standing directly in front of the Shechina. A LESSON FOR THE CHILDREN Who Deserved such a Great Honor? - by Rabbi Yikhat Rozen, Director of the Or Etzion Institute – Publishing Torah Books of Quality Was there anybody who was not familiar with Rabbi Akiva Eiger? He was one of the greatest Torah scholars of his generation who lived about two hundred years ago. His commentaries on the Talmud and on the Shulchan Aruch rapidly became important basic reading material. People from all over the world sent him complex halachic questions, and he replied to each one in turn. He was one of the most prominent leaders of Judaism in Poland, and he was concerned about the fate of every Jew, no matter where he was. Is there any surprise therefore that the inhabitants of the town Lissa were so excited? It was not every day that they had the privilege of greeting such a great genius in their town, but now he was about to visit. Men, women, and children talked about the important guest. Torah scholars asked about the lectures they would hear, the simple folks hoped to receive a blessing from the great man, and the children were excited by the fact that they would get to see the famous man that everybody talked about. Days before the visit, the leaders of the community planned out all the details – where the rabbi would eat each meal, where he would sleep at night, where he would give Torah lectures, and when he would be available to meet with the general community – to answer the questions of the people and to bless them and give them advice. And finally the day arrived. Hours before the expected arrival of the rabbi, the streets of Lissa were filled with waiting crowds who had come out of their homes. They waited to see the carriage of the great man pass by, and they hoped that they might even hear the great man say something. Near the entrance of the town there was a "crush" of people who wanted to be the first ones to see the rabbi. The feeling of anticipation was high. The sound of the wheels of his carriage finally gave the news that the rabbi had arrived. The first one to greet the illustrious guest was the local rabbi – Rabbi Yaacov of Lissa. He was immediately invited to enter the carriage and to sit down next to Rabbi Eiger. The two rabbis – Rabbi Akiva Eiger and Rabbi Yaacov from Lissa – immediately started to discuss matters of Torah and to share their insights. The carriage continued slowly on its 6 way, with the two rabbis deep in conversation. They had both prepared many issues for their discussion and they were happy that they had an opportunity to talk about them. The surrounding crowds of course could not hear the conversation, but they felt the awe of the moment, and the holiness of the Torah that could be felt coming from the carriage lit up the entire surroundings. It never occurred to Rabbi Akiva Eiger that this huge crowd had come to show their respect for him. His mind was on the words of Torah, and he did not notice the noise all around. The crowds were very agitated, and the people tried to get a glimpse of the great rabbi and perhaps to help him fulfill any of his desires or to provide help for some small detail that had not been taken care of in advance. And then one of the people had an idea. He released the horses that were pulling the carriage and gave them to some other people to take away, and the people took hold of the carriage itself and began to pull it on its way. Everybody who was nearby wanted to be have the privilege of pulling the righteous man. The organizers tried to establish order and to make a list of the people so that the ones pulling the wagon would rotate the job every few minutes. When the carriage approached the center of town, Rabbi Yaacov from Lissa decided that he too wanted to show his respect for the great rabbi by pulling the carriage. He finished the matter that the two were discussing and he left the carriage and joined the people who were pulling it. Rabbi Akiva, who as we said was deep in thought about Torah matters, had not noticed at all that the carriage was no longer being pulled by the horses. Now, when his friend left the carriage, he realized what had happened and that the horses had been replaced by people. Once again, Rabbi Akiva Eiger, who was extremely modest, could not imagine that all this had been done in order to honor him, and he thought that perhaps the horses had become tired or that some other mishap had happened – and that therefore these people had volunteered to pull his carriage by themselves. Otherwise, would Rabbi Akiva Eiger have agreed to let other people make such a great effort on his behalf while he sat idly by? In spite of his age, Rabbi Eiger did not hesitate for a moment. He went down from the carriage and joined those who were pulling it. He could not be persuaded to stop what he was doing. He kept pulling the carriage until it arrived at its destination... (Source: "Rabeinu Moshe Hasofer") Reactions and suggestions for stories: yikhat1@smile.net.il ONE ON ONE – Interview of the Week Bringing the Young People back to Judaism - by Assaf Golan Rabbi Avi Berman (35), the director of the Israeli branch of the OU (the Orthodox Union), was nine years old when he moved to Israel from New York. His parents, who were dedicated Zionists, decided that they had fulfilled their task abroad. "My parents, who were active in Bnei Akiva in their youth, first brought me to Kedumin, and then we moved to Shilo." In high school, Rabbi Avi studied in Yeshivat Or Etzion. He then continued in the Hesder yeshiva in Shilo, did his army service, and then returned to study in a yeshiva. All the time, he kept in touch with his New York upbringing through the American youths with whom he worked as a counselor. "As a boy who moved to Israel and studied here, I am well aware of the huge difference between the education in Israel and the teaching methods abroad. I therefore decided that I wanted to expose the kids from abroad to the many wonderful things that I was privileged to experience within the framework of religious Zionism in Israel. From a very early age I knew that I wanted to be involved in education. I didn't know exactly how and in what capacity, 7 but I always had a desire to influence the next generation and to help young people to be strong." This desire led him to Vancouver in the year 5761 (2001) as the head of a religious Zionist organization. "After my third year in post-graduate yeshiva I was married, and at the same time that I continued in the yeshiva I studied for a teaching degree and in Shilo I directed a program for young people from Canada, South Africa, and Australia who came to Israel to study in yeshiva. But when the second Intifada began and people from abroad stopped coming to Shilo in particular and to Yehuda and Shomron in general, my wife and I tried to find another way to bring young people closer to the educational values of religious Zionism. I also asked my mentor Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu for advice and in the end we decided to go abroad on an educational mission. Rabbi Eliyahu sent us to Vancouver." Q: What did you do there? A: "I was the director of NCSY, the youth organization of the Orthodox Union (OU), which has an outreach program for young people of high school age, to bring them closer to Judaism and to Torah. When I arrived, the local branch of the organization had fifteen members. During the five years that my wife and I were there, the number of members grew steadily, and we finally had about 1,500 regular participants. Then, in 5766 (2006), Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu asked us to return home. We came back, and I joined the OU as the director of the Israeli branch." In addition to his job with the OU, Rabbi Avi Berman has joined the Torah garin (seed group) in Givat Zeev, near Jerusalem, and he serves as the rabbi of the local Bnei Akiva branch. As if this is not enough, he also teaches and speaks in various places around the country, meets people from Jewish communities all over the world and in Israel, and moderates Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu's weekly program on the Galei Yisrael radio station. "But most important," he says with a smile, "my wife and I are raising six sons and daughters. Without a doubt, this is my most important occupation." Q: What is the essence of your job with the OU? A: "Our main task is educational activities among youth in danger and young people from outlying areas. We have a moral duty to invest in these people and to help them develop and become strong. They have tremendous potential, but it is necessary to help them fulfill this promise. The age of puberty is a complex time and it presents difficulties for young people all over the world. But when we add the local elements of the difficult life in Israel – such as security concerns, economic difficulties, family and social problems – the result is a youthful population that is confused and frustrated. It is possible and it is indeed our duty to help them achieve strength and to accomplish worthwhile things. And that is what we try to do. Above all, we put great emphasis on warmth and love for every young person that we encounter. Everybody needs this. In all my endeavors during many years, I have never met a young person who was not in need of warmth and love. The children of Yisrael deserve to receive this from us, the adult population, without any limitation. Only on the basis of love is it possible to build up all the rest, including teaching moral values. This is the essence of the mission of the OU in Israel and in the world. It is how we bring the Jewish youth back into the Jewish nation." E-mail: assafgolan3948@gmail.com PEOPLE OF YISRAEL When Aharon saw "One Spoon," he was Upset - by Rabbi Uri Dasberg, Z"L, the Zomet Institute At the same time that the Chafetz Chaim was writing his book Mishna Berura in Lita - as a commentary on the Orach Chaim of the Shulchan Aruch with additional halachic ruling from other sources often as a source for original 8 halachic rulings – a similar book was written in Jerusalem by Rabbi Yaacov Chaim Sofer, the "Kaf Hachaim" (the spoon of life). Rabbi Sofer moved to Eretz Yisrael at the age of thirty-four from Baghdad, and he lived most of his life in Jerusalem. In a small attic next to the "Soshanim Baderech" synagogue in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood, he sat and wrote his books. One of the features that distinguishes his book Kaf Hachaim from the Mishna Berura is that Rabbi Sofer included halachic rulings based on the mystic lore of the Kabbala, which he learned from his mentor Rabbi Yosef Chaim, the "Ben Ish Chai" in the yeshiva for Kabbala Beit El and in the yeshiva Rechovot Hanahar, together with his colleague and teacher Rabbi Chaim Shaul Dwek Hakohen (we wrote about Rabbi Dwek in the Torah portion of Vayigash this year, issue number 1352). Another advantage of the Kaf Hachaim is that it is not limited only to the book Orach Chaim of the Shulchan Aruch – two of the ten volumes of Kaf Hachaim are devoted to the Yoreh Dei'ah (up to chapter 119). Since the general rule is that halachic rulings should follow the opinion of the most recent rabbis, it might seem that we should give preference to Kaf Hachaim over the Mishna Berura, since Rabbi Sofer passed away in 5699 (1939), six years after the Chafetz Chaim. (Rabbi Sofer passed away on Shabbat, the ninth of Sivan. This year the ninth of Sivan is also a Shabbat.) His family name Sofer denotes the fact that he was a scribe, and he wrote the book Kol Yaacov about the laws for scribes. It is said that one of Rabbi Sofer's students had a question about the kashrut of a chicken that he had bought for Shabbat. When he asked the author of Kaf Hachaim, the answer was that the chicken was not kosher. The student feared that as a result he would not have a proper meal on Shabbat, and he also turned to another rabbi, who had a reputation of being lenient, but he did not tell the second rabbi that he had already shown the chicken to Rabbi Sofer. The second rabbi declared that the chicken was kosher, but when he saw that the student was confused (after all, the same chicken had previously been declared unkosher), the rabbi cut off a piece of the wing and threw it into the pot of "cholent" that was cooking on the stove. So the student went home happy, put the chicken into a pot of soup to start it cooking and then moved it into his pot of cholent. But when he came home from the synagogue Friday night, the man was startled to find that there had been a fire and all the soup had burned. And the next morning, when his wife went to pick up her cholent from the neighborhood oven, it turned out that the workman had forgotten to put her pot inside. The student understood all of this as a sign that Rabbi Sofer had been right in his ruling, and he was happy to see that at least he was on such a high level that the Almighty prevented him from sinning. The student told the "lenient" rabbi about the chain of events, he replied: But my cholent wasn't burned! I think you were punished because you hid from me the fact that you had already asked about this chicken, while I was not punished, since I did not know about your previous answer. But don't assume from this story that Rabbi Sofer was always on the stringent side, rather he often took a lenient position – for example in the matter of a woman wearing a wig. And I want to end this article on a personal note: Our sector (religious Zionist and Chareidi religious Zionist) have never refrained from quoting the Kaf Hachaim and have refused to give automatic preference to the Mishna Berura. This is true even though it was rumored that Rabbi Sofer rejected Rav Kook, prohibited reading his book "Orot," and ordered to burn it. This is true because our sector refuses to declare a ban on any great Torah scholar. We accept what was written by Rabbi Yaacov Ariel: "The decision is according to the majority, but only on condition that each rabbi heard the words of the others or saw their opinion in print. But anybody who refuses to look at what another rabbi says is not to be included in the count of the majority." [Techumin volume 11, page 23]. Words of Torah by our Subject: "Speak to Aharon and say to him: When you light the lamps" [Bamidbar 8:2]. It would have been sufficient to write "when the lamps are lit" since the Almighty is speaking to Aharon. However, in this way G-d hinted to Aharon that lighting the Menorah leads to a personal benefit for the one who lights it, since after all the Almighty has no real need for the light. In addition, the lighting of the lamps is an act that raises Aharon himself to 9 a higher level. This corresponds to Rashi's comment, that when he saw the tribal leaders bringing their own sacrifices Aharon was upset because it seemed that there was nothing left for him to do. STRAIGHT TALK Who's Afraid of Summer Vacation? – by Yoni Lavie, Manager, "Chaverim Makshivim" Website There are some parents who immediately become physically ill, almost with a high fever, as soon as they hear the words "summer vacation." They say: "Who needs such a long vacation? What will the children do with themselves for a whole two-and-a-half months?" Well, it is true that the vacation is probably too long, and it is not always an occasion for pleasant memories. But on the other hand, we should realize that the vacation provides us with a perfect educational opportunity to accomplish various things that are hard to do during the year. What, for example? Well, first of all: To educate! We can return to the natural and healthy situation, where we, as parents, raise and mold our own children instead of sending them to an institution that will perform the task for us. Nothing can influence a child like a father or a mother, there is absolutely no replacement for what parents can give their children. The long vacation is also an opportunity to strengthen the family unit. During the school year everybody is busy with his or her own interests and is studying in a different school. This period, when everybody is home, provides an opportunity for exciting experiences as a family and for making up for any lack or gaps in the family togetherness (and don't forget the very important visit to the grandparents). Here are some ideas that might help transform the vacation into a more meaningful and healthier experience: (1) Rules and limitations – Vacation is not a time without any limitations. There must be some rules, even if they are different from the normal school year. The parents should get together in advance and establish policies about such matters as: the time to return home, when to go to sleep, how much time each child has with the computer, the same for television, how much money each one will be given, and so on. One possible idea is to give each child a "bank" of time (for example, on the computer) or of money and to let him or her manage the resource. This can be a great success, and it also has educational value in that the child shares the responsibility for setting his own priorities. (2) Planning – For a vacation to succeed, it must be planned in advance. Children have many plans and desires, but they need us, the parents, to help them build a plan that will help them fulfill their needs. If this does not happen, the alternative of spending the whole time sitting next to the television or connected to the internet (facebook...) starts to become very attractive. It is best to sit down with each child individually, to listen carefully to his or her plans, and to make our own suggestions. (3) "To differentiate between night and day" – Make every effort to prevent a total disruption of the concepts of day and night. The fact that the child wakes up late and misses the time for prayer is not the main problem, rather it is the late-night wandering around with problematic friends. The cycle is a familiar one: After going to bed late the child wakes up late, and the entire day begins "on the left foot." At night, he or she is no longer tired and once again goes out until late, and the cycle begins again... (4) Prayers – It is good to encourage maintaining a strict schedule of prayers not only for boys (in a minyan) but also for the girls. This gives the day a meaningful framework and raises all the activity to a more positive level. (5) A home, not a hotel – Vacation is a time when all the excuses are no longer valid. This is a time for the children to learn that they must share 10 the responsibility in running the home. It is important to teach them to take on parts of the burden. We live in a family home, not in a hotel. (6) "Labor is our life..." – The time has come to help the older children find work for part of the day. This provides several benefits: It helps to fill the time, it means that the child is doing something productive, and it is a positive way of using up some of their energy. In addition, when they earn their own money they will learn to appreciate the value of what their father and mother do for them all year round. (7) Set aside time for Torah – Even if this is only a quarter of an hour every day, a firm schedule should be maintained. What is important is not the amount of time spent but rather the attitude. This is true for both boys and girls. If the children have been given "vacation assignments," they should be done at the beginning of the vacation and not left for the end. (8) A healthy spirit in a healthy body – Anything that will keep them away from the screens for a few hours is good, especially if it also enhances physical wellbeing and contributes to better social interactions. Examples might be basketball, swimming, or dancing. Buy the children a gift for the vacation: rollerblades, a bicycle (with a helmet!), a basketball, or a ping pong table. (9) Quality time – Set aside some time to let the child choose something to do. This may be a game, some creative activity, sports, study together, and so on. (10) "Be careful" – Life is too valuable to lose it because of foolish pursuits. Everybody should be wary of hitchhiking and hikes in dangerous places. (While we are at it, is the internet line in the house protected?) There are those who view vacation time as a relief from the pressure of studying. The truth is just the opposite. The study year provides an opportunity to prepare the young boy or girl to have a proper experience during the time of the vacation. Vacation time is a time for taking on responsibility, for building a framework with quality content, and for making productive choices instead of bad ones. Everybody is familiar with the exams during the school year, but the real test is summer vacation. Good luck to all! E-mail: yoni@makshivim.org.il INSIGHTS FOR THE SHABBAT TABLE (In memory of my late father, Rabbi Uri Dasberg) The Message of the Menorah What is the connection between the passage of the Menorah and this week's Torah portion? The answer may be indicated by two other times that the Menorah is described in the Tanach: one is the construction of the First Temple and the other is the prophecy by Zecharia about the Second Temple. King Shlomo finished building the First Temple by putting ten copies of the Menorah in place. He said: "I have built a house of living for You, a place where You can dwell for all eternity" [Melachim I 8:13]. The Midrash criticizes Shlomo for his arrogance in this sentence (Midrash Rabba Bamidbar 14:3). At the time of the Second Temple, Zecharia sees a vision of the Menorah and does not understand its meaning. (See Zecharia 4, in this week's Haftara.) The historical background for all three instances of mentioning the Menorah is the fact that the nation of Yisrael had achieved independence and national sovereignty. In this week's Torah portion, the nation is organized according to the tribal banners and prepares for a journey "under its own power" (as we discussed last year). Shlomo built the Temple after he had succeeded in establishing his kingdom. The people who returned to the land at the time of the Second Temple were starting to organize an independent life. All three times, the Menorah appears together with the prophetic 11 message, "Not with military might or with physical strength but with my spirit, that is the message of G-d" [Zecharia 4:6]. A Descent leading to an Ascent - by Bar-on Dasberg Rabbi Nachman of Breslev tells a tale about "the heart and the spring" that were at the tops of two mountains. The heart yearns to reach the spring. However, "as long as he remains on the top of the mountain he can see the other mountain where the well is, but if he wants to approach the spring he will be forced to go down into the valley. And then the second mountaintop will disappear from his view and he won't be able to see the spring. But if the heart of the world cannot see the spring for even one moment he will die, G-d forbid." This is a perfect description of the dilemma that faced Bnei Yisrael when they left Mount Sinai. In order to get to a land "of springs and underground water" [Devarim 8:7], they left the mountain, as noted in the Torah portion, and this led to the entire chain of sins that will be described as time goes on. But this move was necessary in order to get to Eretz Yisrael. (The nation left Mount Sinai on the twentieth of Iyar, the day my father was killed in a tragic accident. Let us hope that we will know how to rise up again after this great downfall.) This was also the dilemma of the Jewish people in the last few hundreds of years. Was it right to leave the Diaspora which was so full of Torah in favor of Eretz Yisrael, which was a spiritual wilderness? In Rabbi Nachman's case, his heart was not able to reach the spring, and he continued to yearn for it. In Zionist history, the heart reached the spring after a harsh journey, and ever since that time the two have continued to develop together more and more. A CHASSIDIC THREAD Shabbat Shalom and Farewell, with many Thanks to You All - by Rabbi Shlomo Shok, Principal of the Michmas Talmud Torah That's it, then. We have come to the end of our "thread." For eight years I have picked up the thread with my pen and I have written, but now the time has come to stop. Stopping is more than just interrupting an overt movement. Stopping at the right time and place can be more than just a long pause. To cease doing something means to combine the past with the future and to focus on a time that is beyond both – the present. We will no longer continue what we did in the past, and we have not yet turned to what we will do in the future. To stop means to take a deep breath, to fill our lungs with air. As we have done in the past every Shabbat, we will tie all the threads of time in a proper way to what is happening in the tiny instant of Shabbat that is now. Perhaps we will meet tomorrow or some other time, on Sunday or on Monday. Perhaps not. Now the time for Shabbat is here! At the end we will write A simple poem About the time of Shabbat That is no more. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SHABBAT-ZOMET is an extract from SHABBAT-B'SHABBATO, a weekly bulletin distributed free of charge in hundreds of synagogues in Israel. It is published by the Zomet Institute of Alon Shevut, Israel, under the auspices of the National Religious Party. Translated by: Moshe Goldberg To subscribe, write to dan@zomet.org. Visit the Zomet Institute web site: http://www.zomet.org.il 12 Contact Zomet with comments about this bulletin or questions on the link between modern technology and halacha at: zomet@netvision.net.il Or: Phone: +972-2-9931442; FAX: +972-2-9931889 (Attention: Dan Marans) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 13