Third decade
Second thousand
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Sept 19-27 '14
OU Israel Center • 22 Keren HaYesod • POB 37015 • Jerusalem • (02) 560-9100
Things to know without even opening TT
TT#
1107
1108
covers
Yom Kippur • Sukkot • B'reishit
No'ach
due out
W Oct 1
W Oct 22
submissions by
Sun Sept 28
Mon Oct 20
Shabbaton (Sept 19-20): People in walking distance are invited to
join us for davening and shiurim. See inside for details
If it is WED or THU, you can still sign up for the Shabbaton - call 560-9125
Motza"Sh (Sept 20): 9:30pm Shiur, 10:30pm S'lichot; 11:30pm Shiur, 12:30am S'lichot
Shabbat Shuva (Sept 27) Drasha by Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, 5:00pm
Tzom Gedaliya (Sept 28) beg. 5:19am, ends 6:55pm - see inside for schedule
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Jerusalem in/out times for Shabbat Nitzavim-Vayeilech
Candles 6:05pm (5:24pm) • Havdala 7:15pm • Rabbeinu Tam 7:51pm
Pi x
ParshaP
Explanations further
K
The separate or combined status of Nitzavim
and Vayeilech is unrelated to Shana P'shuta or M'uberet. Simply, when Rosh
HaShana begins on a Monday or Tuesday, there is a Shabbat between Yom
Kippur and Sukkot which requires Haazinu as the reading for that Shabbat.
In those years, Vayeilech breaks away from Nitzavim to be read on Shabbat
Shuva. (There is ALWAYS one and only one Shabbat between Rosh HaShana
and Yom Kippur.) When R"H begins on Thursday or Shabbat, there is no
Shabbat between Y"K and Sukkot, so Haazinu is read on Shabbat Shuva and
Nitzavim & Vayeilech are both read on the Shabbat right before RH. Nitzavim
is ALWAYS read on the last Shabbat of the year, with or without Vayeilech.
Oz
OzOzOz
OzOzOz
OzOzOz
OzOzOz
OzOzOz
6:05
6:22
6:20
6:21
6:21
6:21
6:20
6:21
6:19
6:05
6:20
6:19
6:11
6:20
6:20
6:22
6:09
6:21
5:24
5:26
5:24
5:26
5:25
5:25
5:25
5:26
5:26
5:25
5:25
5:24
5:25
5:24
5:24
5:27
5:23
5:26
Havdala
Nitzavim-Vayeilech
Yerushalayim / Maale Adumim 7:15
The Aza area (Netivot, etc.) 7:18
7:16
Gush Etzion
Raanana / Tel Mond / Herzliya 7:17
7:16
Beit Shemesh / RBS
7:17
Netanya
7:16
Modi'in / Chashmona'im
7:17
Rehovot
7:17
Be'er Sheva / Otniel
7:17
Petach Tikva
7:16
Ginot Shomron
7:15
Gush Shiloh
7:17
Haifa / Zichron
7:16
Chevron / Kiryat Arba
7:16
Giv'at Ze'ev
7:18
Ashkelon
7:15
Tzfat
7:17
Yad Binyamin
For Rosh HaShana and Shabbat Shuva (Haazinu) times
see the Rosh HaShana Pull-Out&Apart section
Candles plag
R' Tam (Jerusalem) - 7:51pm
American children's game
counterpart of Israeli
DAG MALU'ACH
Six five, no jive
for us and our children and 70
Ranges are 15 days, Wed-Wed
22 Elul - 7 Tishrei • Sept 17 - Oct 1
Earliest Talit & T'filin
Sunrise
Sof Z'man K' Sh'ma
5:34-5:43am
6:24-6:33am
9:28-9:30am
(Magen Avraham: 8:52-8:55am)
Sof Z'man T'fila
10:30-10:29am
(Magen Avraham: 10:00-10:00am)
Chatzot
12:34-12:29pm
(halachic noon)
Mincha Gedola
1:05-1:00pm
(earliest Mincha)
Plag Mincha
Sunset
(based on sea level:
5:26-5:10pm
6:47½-6:29pm
6:43-6:24½pm)
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of OU Israel, the Israel Center or Torah Tidbits
Mostly to Yehoshua; also to Shlomo

A person's almost every
reaction to things constitutes
an interpretation of them.
We must sometimes "blink"
our minds to clear them, just as
we do our eyes.
We
must prevent "single-minded"
from becoming "selfish".
from "A Candle by Day" by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
www.createspace.com/4492905
The American Fabius, Jack &Jill
As 5774 flows into 5775...
A couple of Editor's Notes:
First of all, please know, dear
TTreaders, that producing Torah
Tidbits is a labor of love. You cannot
imagine how many man (and
woman) hours go into its production
- week in and week out.
Many TTreaders often express their
frustration with typos and other
mistakes of mis-information that
find their way into these pages.
Believe me - we share your frustration, and then some. And in the
spirit of Elul and the Yamim Nora'im
- we ask your forgiveness and indulgence. We try. We really do.
More: As often happens, we have
more material and ads than fit into
the pages of Torah Tidbits. We try to
squeeze here and shorten things
there, but when we go to print, some
things get left out. And for this we
are sorrier than for the typos.
Case in point: A couple of week's
ago, Rabbi Sprecher wrote about the
Heter Mechira for the upcoming
Sh'mita year. We added the comment that TTreaders with other
opinions were welcome to submit
their comments.
History of the Heter Mechira. It
presents a different perspective
than that of Rabbi Sprecher, and it
should have been included this
issue, so that TTreaders would have
a broader perspective on the issue.
Perhaps (but only perhaps), we'll
include it in the YK-Sukkot issue,
which will probably be more
TZAFUF (as we say) than this issue.
At this very moment, our printers in
Rishon are impatiently awaiting this
last file of this week's TT.
So allow me a short thought on
Rosh HaShana.
Yamim Nora'im - Days of Awe.
Hallel? No, because the Heavenly
Books of Life and Death are open
before G-d - so how can we say
Hallel?
On the other hand, RH & YK are not
sad days. They are happy days with
a heavy mix of Awe and Trepidation.
The Shofar shows us the mix. The
long blast of the T'KI'A is a proud
and happy sound. We are G-d's loyal
subjects; He is our King. That long
blast reminds us of Creation, of
Matan Torah, of the Ingathering of
the Exiles and the Messianic Era.
One such person who took us up on
that offer was none other than one
of the authors of Guidelines Questions and Answers about the
Laws of Shemittah (not my spelling,
but...)
But the broken sounds of SH'VARIM
and T'RU'A should bring us to tears
and to a broken heart. They are the
call to T'shuva and the challenge for
self-improvement.
Deepest apologies for our not being
able to include in theis Rosh
HaShana issue his submission - A
The combination of moods defines
Jewish Life. We should not run from
it, but rather embrace the challenge.
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 4  from 5774 to 5775
NitzavimVayeilech
STATS
of 54 sedras
of 11 in D’varim
lines in a Torah
rank
Parshiyot
P'tuchot
S'tumot
P'sukim
rank (Torah/D’v)
Words
rank
Letters
rank
MITZVOT
positive
prohibitions
Nitzavim Vayeilech
51st
8th
87
52
4
1
3
40
53/10
657
51/8
2575
51/8
0
0
0
Kohen - First Aliya
3+3+14 p'sukim - 29:11-28
N&V
52nd
—
9th
—
72
159
53
(41)
3
7
2
3
1
4
30
70
54/11 (48)
553 1210
53/10 (42)
2123 4698
53/10 (39)
2
2
2
2
0
0
N & V are the two shortest sedras in the
Torah, but their p’sukim are the two
longest in the Torah. Look at the
(hypothetical) rank of the combined N/V
and notice the jump from p'sukim thru
words to letters.
Having so recently
heard the frightful Tochacha and
the curses that are invoked against
those who betray G-d, Israel is
understandably "nervous" about its
future, to say the least. Nitzavim
therefore, begins on the positive,
reassuring note that we are ALL
standing before G-d and entering
again into a covenant with Him.
These opening p'sukim call our
attention to the "inclusiveness" of
the People of Israel. We are made
up of scholars and leaders, judges
and functionaries, men, women,
and children, converts, wood cutters and water gatherers (Ashkenazim and S'faradim, religious
and secular, Mitnagdim and
Chasidim). But together they all
stood to reaffirm their commitment
to G-d. Jewish Unity has always
been our strength, its lack, our
greatest weakness.
[P>29:11]
Rav Aharon of Karlin pointed
out that ATEM is made of the letters
of the word EMET, truth. This, he
said, is the only way to achieve
LIFNEI HASHEM, standing before
G-d.
[P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicate start
of a parsha p'tucha or s'tuma. X:Y is
Perek:Pasuk of the beginning of the
parsha; (Z) is the number of p'sukim in it.
Numbers in [brackets] are the Mitzvacount of Sefer HaChinuch AND Rambam’s
Sefer HaMitzvot. A=ASEI (positive mitzva);
L=LAV (prohibition). X:Y is the perek and
pasuk from which the mitzva comes.
The Alshich points out that
the Torah describes the People as
"all of you, before G-d", and then
proceeds to delineate different
types of Jews. Before G-d, we ARE all
the same. Whatever differences
might exist pale into insignificance
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 5  from 5774 to 5775
in comparison with the fact that we
are all G-d's creations. Differences
become important from our perspective. We view some people as
more valuable than others. But we
really have no way to know how G-d
views us. In His eyes we are all
standing erect this day...
And there is more. The second
three-pasuk set proclaims that it is
not just the entire People of Israel
who were alive at the time, who
are making this covenant with
G-d, it is also our ancestors to
whom G-d made His special
promises, and to the generations of
Jews in the past AND the future,
whose spirit (souls) were present at
this covenant.
Perhaps this is the meaning of the
prophecy to Avraham Avinu that his
descendants will be as countless as
the stars of the heavens. Take the
millions of Jews alive today, add the
millions who have preceded us, add
the - how many more? - future
generations, and we can truly be
called "without number". Nations
that have come to an end, can be
numbered. An eternal people cannot
ever be counted.
As he has done several times
before, Moshe Rabeinu presents
both sides of the covenant with
G-d before the People: You have
been in Egypt and you are aware of
their abominable practices and
those of the other nations which
you have encountered. Perhaps
there is a rebellious individual
among you who will turn from
G-d and embrace another faith.
The phrase describing what
we would today refer to as a "rotten
apple" is SHORESH POREH ROSH
V'LAANA, literally a poisonous root
of gall and wormwood. The initial
letters of this phrase rearrange to
spell SHOFAR, the antidote to this
negative facet of Jewish life. The
Shofar must awaken the one who
stray and start him on the road of
T'shuva.
A person who turns to another
religion will be severely punished,
even if he thinks otherwise. These
p'sukim are a miniature version of
the Tochacha from last week.
The portion concludes with the
statement that there are mysteries
of this world that are G-d's and
there are revealed truths that
belong to us and our children. Our
challenge is to remain faithful to
the Torah.
Rashi interprets this pasuk in the
narrow context of the punishments
presented in the previous p'sukim.
However, this pasuk also has wide
applications. In all areas of human
knowledge - science, math, history...
- there are mysteries and there are
revealed truths. But remember,
today's mysteries can be revealed
tomorrow, next year... or never.
And/or we can apply the concept of
the pasuk to things that happen in
this world that we don't understand.
Whether it is the classic, "TZADIK
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 6  from 5774 to 5775
V'RA LO...", that righteous people
sometimes have a very hard life, and
wicked people seem to enjoy their
lives, or whether it is coping with the
death of a child l"x, or attempting to
understand the SHO'AH, and a
myriad of things that strike us as
unfair, things that prompt us to
"question G-d" - for all of the above,
this pasuk succintly tells us that
there are mysteries in this world that
are understood by G-d only, and that
(only) those He chooses to reveal to
us, become ours to understand. This
concept does not "answer" nagging
questions, but it must become part
of our belief system, because it is a
truth that can help us cope, and
understand that we are not capable
of understanding everything. People
resist this notion, but it is no less
true because of that.
Levi - Second Aliya
6 p'sukim - 30:1-6
[S>30:1 (10)] From the perspec-
tive of absolute justice, if we break
our agreement with G-d, punishment should be swift and complete.
But we could not survive such an
existence. This portion of Nitzavim
tells us that if (when) we break the
covenant and are dispersed among
the nations as punishment, all hope
is not lost. We have the golden
opportunity to return to G-d - and
He will help the process along. This
too becomes part of the agreement
with G-d. The concepts of return
in a physical and spiritual sense
are intermingled in this portion.
The wayward Jew turning back
towards HaShem and the Torah,
and the Jew exiled to a distant land
coming back to Israel are presented simultaneously. This represents the dual nature of T'shuva.
What a wonderful opportunity
beckons each Jew - and the Jewish
People as a whole - in being given
a second chance to live a true
Torah life.
Rambam and Sefer HaChinuch (and
others?) do not count T'SHUVA per
se among the 613 mitzvot. Sefer
HaCharedim, the SMa"K, and others
do count T'SHUVA as one of
TARYAG. There is no need to
"justify" counting Repentance as
one of the mitzvot in the Torah - The
Torah commands, V'SHAVTA AD
HASHEM ELOKECHA, And you
shall return to HaShem, your G-d.
But how do we explain the absence
of T'shuva from the some list of
mitzvot.
One can say that Rambam counts
only specific, distinct mitzvot. A
command which is all-inclusive,
such as "Keep My mitzvot", "Be
holy", "Be straightforward with G-d",
is not numbered on its own,
because it is really part of all
mitzvot, rather than its own distinct
mitzva. T'shuva can be viewed the
same way. Part of the mitzva to
Recite the Sh'ma is that if one does
not, or does it without kavana, then
he must repent his ways and say the
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 7  from 5774 to 5775
Shma correctly. Part of the prohibition of speaking Lashon Hara is
that if one does, then he must
repent. More than T'shuva being its
own mitzva, it is an add-on to all the
others.
Or, we can look at T’shuva as a gift
from G-d. He doesn’t HAVE to command it. He just has to let it be
possible. And we should jump at the
opportunity. The Torah does not
have to command us to breathe. We
do it because it is essential to living.
So is T’shuva. The Torah doesn’t
have to tell us to repent, just that we
can and how to do it.
On the other hand, there is one
aspect of T'shuva that IS counted by
Rambam as a mitzva among the 613
- Vidui, verbal confession. This is a
specific aspect of T'shuva that
DOES "qualify" for the Rambam's
count. And yet, as mentioned earlier,
some mitzva-counters DO count
T'shuva among the 613. Just know
that whether T'shuva is numbered
among the 613 or not, everyone
agrees that it is an extremely
important mitzva, always applicable
- but especially at this time of year.
The last pasuk of this portion
contains one of several ELULs, in
the form of Rashei Teivot, initial
letters. And G-d will circumcise ET
L'VAVCHA V'ET L'VAV zar'echa,
your heart and the heart of your
children. Baal HaTurim actually
says that this is why we say Slichot
during Elul.
Shlishi - Third Aliya
4+4 p'sukim - 30:7-14
If we return to G-d, then G-d will
rain the curses upon our enemies.
We have only to be faithful to
HaShem and keep His mitzvot, and
all His blessings will be showered
upon us. Again a "pitch" is made
for T'shuva. And again. And the
T'shuva should be completely
sincere.
[S>30:11 (4)] But how can we hope
to keep our part of the agreement?
Is not the Torah so exalted and
remote that a mere mortal has no
chance of attaining spiritual
heights? The answer is eloquently
stated in the famous words of the
Torah - For this mitzva is not in the
heavens nor is it across the ocean.
It is so very close and attainable
that every Jew can feel confident in
taking up its challenges. It is up to
us to make the commitment, feel it
in our hearts, and ACT upon it.
R'VI'I - Fourth Aliya
6+3+3 p'sukim - 30:15-31:6
The fourth Aliya is ALWAYS the bridge
between the two parts of a double sedra
[S>30:15 (6)] The concept of Free
Will is beautifully expressed in the
concluding portion of Nitzavim. It
marks the difference between
human beings and all other
creations. The sun and the moon
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 8  from 5774 to 5775
"fulfill" G-d's commands without
conscious decisions. A bee doesn't
think things out and decide to
pollinate a flower. Nor does a lion
attacking a weak zebra evaluate
the morality of his act. Only
humans have the choice to do good
or evil. G-d recommends and
pleads (so to speak) with us to
choose Life and Good, but He
leaves the choice to us. That is why
we are accountable for our actions;
and that is why we stand before
G-d in judgment on Rosh HaShana
- animals do not. The choice is
offered, but not only does G-d
"command" us to choose Life, He
warns us again of the devastating
results of the wrong choice.
Heavens and Earth are called upon
to witness this most significant fact
of human existence. It is the Land
of Israel that is the "prize" for
choosing wisely, as G-d had
promised Avraham, Yitzchak, and
Yaakov. G-d reconfirms His
covenant and promises to us.
We have Free Will. We can be
whatever kind of people we choose
to be. We have His recommendation and encouragement to choose
Life over Death, Good over Evil.
Our proper choices will earn us
long life and a firm hold on the
Land that He promised our
ancestors.
Let us heed the warnings of
Nitzavim, let us be inspired by the
beautiful challenges of Nitzavim, let
us be uplifted by the lofty messages
of Nitzavim, and let us have a
"successful" Rosh HaShana and
Yom Kippur, and a happy & healthy
year of peace & prosperity. It is no
mere coincidence that Nitzavim
ALWAYS is read on the final
Shabbat of the year, right before
Rosh HaShana.
Moshe Rabeinu
concludes his words to the People
and tells them that at his age of
120 years, he is no longer able to
lead them.
[P>31:1
(6)]
And that G-d has told Moshe that
he will not be crossing the Jordan
River, so his journey is truly over.
He tells them that G-d will be with
them, destroy the nations that they
will encounter in Eretz Yisrael, and
that Yehoshua will be the one to
lead them. Moshe reminds the
People of the victories they have
had, and tells them to be strong
and courageous. G-d won't
abandon them (us).
Chamishi 5th Aliya
3+4 p'sukim - 31:7-13
[S>31:7 (7)] Moshe then speaks to
Yehoshua in front of the assembled
people, and asks him to be strong,
for he will be leading the people
and he will be in charge of
conquering and settling the Land.
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 9  from 5774 to 5775
G-d will be guiding you "every step
of the way".
When Moshe finished writing the
Torah, he gave it over to the
Kohanim, the carriers of the Ark.
Moshe next commands the People
concerning the mitzva of "Hak-hel"
[612, A16 31:12]. On Sukkot following a Sh'mita year, when the
people gather in Jerusalem for the
Chag, the king shall read (parts of)
the Torah to the multitude. The
people are to gather at the Beit
HaMikdash - men, women, and
children - in order to learn, to fear
G-d, to hear and understand, and
to commit to fulfill all the
teachings of the Torah. And the
youngsters who have not yet
learned, will hear and learn to
revere G-d "all the days they shall
live in the Land your are about to
enter."
Shishi - Sixth Aliya
6 p'sukim - 31:14-19
them. This is a reference to "hester
panim" which manifests itself as
G-d "working behind the scenes"
only, in hidden, subtle ways.
This prophecy by no means
“obligates” that generation, or any
generation, to turn to idolatry. It is
possible for the prophecy never to
come true. And this would not
impugn the truth of Torah or
Moshe’s status as a prophet. We
always have the challenge not to
turn away from G-d, and the ability
to remain faithful to Him.
Next is the command to write "The
Song" (namely the whole Torah), to
teach it to the people, so that it
should serve as a testament among
the People of Israel. This is the last
mitzva of the Torah [613, A18
31:19], to write a Sefer Torah.
[P>31:14 (17)] G-d calls to Moshe
Our Sages include in this mitzva the
significance of acquiring Sifrei
Kodesh (holy books) from which to
learn, study and teach Torah. Since
the Torah itself specifies that the
"purpose" of writing a Torah scroll is
to learn and teach from it, then
writing, buying, acquiring all learning
texts would be in the spirit of this
mitzva.
G-d tells Moshe that after his
death, the people will rebel against
Him, stray from the proper path,
and embrace other gods. G-d
announces that He will show His
anger by "hiding His Face" from
The RO"Sh (Rabeinu Asher) takes
this idea one significant step further
- he says that since in our day, the
Torah scroll has been relegated to
the Aron Kodesh in shul and is used
for public reading, but no longer as a
to take Yehoshua and appear with
him at the "Ohel Moed". G-d's
Presence descended to the Tent in
the form of a Cloud.
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 10  from 5774 to 5775
teaching text - the MAIN fulfillment
of this mitzva "to write a Sefer
Torah" is the building of a personal
Torah library (that will be used). Buy
Torah texts from which to learn and
teach. He adds that it is also
praiseworthy if one is privileged to
write a Sefer Torah as well. This is
an unusual turn-about, which
emphasizes the importance of buying s'farim - AND USING THEM.
Sh'VII Seventh Aliya
11 p'sukim - 31:-20-30
Because, G-d explains, I am
bringing the people to a Land
flowing with milk & honey, the
People will eat in contentment and
turn from G-d. The Torah,
however, will not be completely
forgotten from the lips (and hearts)
of future generations. (This will be
"their ticket back".) Moshe wrote
the Torah on that day (Rambam
says that he wrote 13 Torahs - one
for each tribe and one in the care
of the Kohanim/Leviyim) and
taught it to the People. G-d
"commanded" Yehoshua to be
strong and courageous in his new
role as leader. Moshe completed
the writing of the Torah.
(Some say that Moshe even wrote
the final 8 p'sukim of the Torah,
which discuss his death; others
disagree and say that Yehoshua
wrote those verses.)
(Some say that the Torah was in the
Aron; others say that it was on a
shelf attached to the side of the
Aron.)
Moshe asks for the leaders of the
People to assemble for his final
words to them. Moshe tells of the
prophecy/prediction of the rebelliousness of the People. Moshe
speaks the words of the Song here probably referring to Haazinu
- to all the people, in its entirety.
The last 3 p'sukim are reread for
the Maftir.
Haftara 23 p'sukim
Yeshayahu 61:10-63:9
Seventh and final of the Haftarot of
Consolation. Yeshayahu prophesies
of when there will be universal
peace and Jerusalem will not only
be rebuilt, but will be the center of
universal worship of G-d. Not only
will the nations of the world
recognize The One G-d, they will
also acknowledge the People of
Israel as His People. The idea of
universal acceptance of G-d fits
with our notion that ALL people
are judged by G-d on Rosh
HaShana, not just the Jews.
Moshe commands the Leviyim to
take the Torah and place it at the
side of the Aron.
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 11  from 5774 to 5775
mgpn ixac
Divrei Menachem
mpersoff@ouisrael.org
For the last few weeks we have been
reciting, morning and evening, one of the
most poignant psalms written by David
Hamelech. The psalm expresses the
author's fervent longing for Hashem's
protection, even as foes assemble to
devour flesh, even as armies besiege. How
appropriately do these words resonate as
we recover from the recent military
campaign in Israel; even as terrorists close
in from near and far on our borders.
Yet, as our Chassidic masters consistently
remind us, our adversary is even closer to
home than we imagine. Indeed, at this time
of the year when we search our very souls,
we (re)discover the internal mechanism
that causes our (spiritual) downfall. Our
rabbis call this negative phenomenon or
drive, the Yetzer Hara, the evil inclination.
This side of our personality induces us to
question our traditional values in the
modern age, to rationalize why we might
better not observe Mitzvot or why tried
and tested traditional customs seem
outdated - why it is politically incorrect to
cling to past teachings and ways of life.
Perhaps this is why King David wrote that
the one thing he asks of Hashem is to live
in the House of the Lord... and to visit His
sanctuary (Ulvaker Beheichalo). The term
ULVAKER is suggestive of the Hebrew
word BOKER or morning, indicating a consistent daily ritual. Alternatively, the term
matches the Hebrew word for "Seeking
Out" - as if to say that King David wished
to overcome the natural tendency to
derive one's own concepts of right and
wrong. He sought instead to search for the
truth from the Kohanim, the teachers in the
Temple. Either way, in our days, his visions
seem highly worthwhile to adapt.
Vebbe Rebbe
Shortening Blowing of
T’ru'a to Conform to Teki'a
Question: The makri (person who
supervises the Shofar blowing) signals me
(a ba'al tokeia) to stop my t'ru'a earlier
than I want, out of a concern that if I blow
more than 9 micro-blasts, the sh'varimt'ru'a may be longer than the teki'a. I
wasn't taught that is a problem. Is it?
Answer:
The gemara (Rosh
HaShana 33b) says that the length of
the teki'a is like that of a [set of] t'ru'a.
It does not say that one is longer than
the other, and it is impossible for them
to be exactly the same. Apparently,
the t'ru'a is used as an objective point
of reference for the teki'a - it must be
at least as long as a normal set of
t'ru'a. This may be one of the reasons
that all opinions found in the Tur/Beit
Yosef/Shulchan Aruch and classical
commentaries assume that it does not
matter which is longer in a given
series. We will bring a few of many
possible proofs.
Poskim use an individual t'ru'a short
blast (tarmut) as a unit to describe the
various blasts. For example, there is a
machloket whether each shever must
be at least 3 tarmutin long or less than
3 (see Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim
590:3). We assume that a teki'a in a
t'ru'a series is 9 tarmutin long and in a
sh'varim-t'ru'a it is 18 or so, each
corresponding to the middle part (see
Mishna Berura 590:14). No one says
that these numbers are irrelevant if the
middle part is the slightest bit over
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 12  from 5774 to 5775
average.
A major timing concern is that doing a
longer than necessary shever that
reaches the minimum length of a
teki'a would preclude its being a
shever. The poskim say that according
to the opinion that a t'ru'a set contains
9 blasts (there is an opinion of only 3),
the length of a teki'a is at least 9
tarmutin, and therefore an individual
shever could be up to (but not
including) 9 tarmutin (see Mishna
Berura 590:13). In theory, in a
sh'varim-t'ru'a series, where the teki'a
is at least 18, each shever can be up to
18. But if one did that and posits that
the middle cannot exceed the teki'a,
the teki'a would end up being upwards
of 60 tarmutin, a length found only by
a teki'a g'dola.
Regarding the debate whether it is
proper to do more than 3 sh'varim
blasts in a set, the P'risha says we
avoid doing that because in a
sh'varim-t'ru'a one might run out of
steam before getting to the 9 subsequent t'ru'ot. In contrast, he says, we
do not care about extra t'ru'ot (see also
Shulchan Aruch, ibid.), as he can stop
when he is tired. He is unbothered that
a long t'ru'a following a sh'varim
could cause the middle to exceed the
previous or subsequent teki'a. The
reason, again, is that the minimum
length of the teki'a depends on the
length requirement of the middle
section and is unaffected by unnecessarily long t'ru'ot.
At least one contemporary posek, the
Moadim Uzmanim (I:5), mentions a
"practice of the stringent" to have the
teki'ot be as long as the middle section
in practice. He concedes that this
opinion is not found in the poskim and
identifies one Rishon (not cited by the
Beit Yosef) and one Acharon (the
S'fat Emet to Rosh HaShana 33b, not
in a psak context) who share this
opinion.
I do not oppose unnecessary chumrot
to fulfill fringe opinions regarding this
important mitzva. The problem is that
in your case, the tiny gain causes
greater problems than it is worth. As
one who has served in both capacities,
I believe that a ba'al tokei'a is much
more accurate at counting t'ru'a blasts
than a makri. If the makri tries to stop
the ba'al tokei'a after 9-10 blows
before the latter planned, it is very
possible he will stop him before 9,
which would very likely disqualify the
set (see Mishna Berura 590:15). The
Moadim
Uzmanim's
stringency
assumes the minhag to do longer
t'ru'ot than necessary and instructs
lengthening the t'ki'ot. He does not
suggest being stingy with the t'ru'ot,
certainly not to the point that a slight
miscounting would cause them to be
fewer than 9.
While a ba'al tokei'a should follow his
makri's stringencies, at least if he is
the rabbi, here we suggest you show
the makri the evidence we have
presented. If his opinion is unchanged,
you should follow whatever the rabbi
says.
Rav Daniel Mann, Eretz Hemdah Institute
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 13  from 5774 to 5775
Rabbi Weinreb's Weekly Column:
Nitzavim-Vayeilech
"Lessons of Equality"
For the past several weeks, certain
ideas have dominated my consciousness. Don't worry, these are
not obsessive thoughts, and I am
not a candidate for a psychiatric
diagnosis. Rather, whenever I prepare a speech lately, or sit down to
write a column such as this, I can't
help but think about a particular set
of political principles.
The principles I ponder are the
principles of democracy. The lessons of the equality of all human
beings and the concepts of freedom
and tolerance have been demanding my attention. Why now? Why at
this time of year?
One possible reason immediately
comes to mind. As I write this
column, it is just days after the
United States commemorated the
thirteenth anniversary of the tragedies of September 11, 2001. For
me, this event was a day of grief
and mourning for all the victims and
their families, but especially for
those several victims whom I knew
personally. One of them, Abe
Zelmanowitz, will be remembered
by the world for his heroic attempts
to rescue handicapped coworkers.
Another, Nancy Morgenstern, was
one of the most creative and vivacious women I ever knew. A third,
Shimmy Biegeleisen, grew up just a
few houses away from my childhood home.
But beyond the grief and the
mourning is the recognition that this
tragedy affected all kinds of people:
old and young, great and not so
great, Jew and non-Jew. It is almost
as if our enemies knew that if they
were to strike at the heart of our
great democracy, they would have
to aim at a target that would
symbolize democracy because of
the diversity and ultimate equality of
the victims.
It was only natural that as an
immediate after-effect of the events
of thirteen years ago, so many of us
came to a new appreciation of the
great gifts of democracy in general,
and of the privilege to live in these
United States in particular. It is also
to be expected that when we
commemorate any anniversary of
that catastrophe, which we will do
as long as America stands, our
appreciation for our country and for
its democratic way of life will be
renewed and reinforced.
Thus, it was certainly unavoidable
that thoughts about democracy
would fill my mind at this particular
time of year. But as I introspected
further, I realized that there is more
going on around me during this
particular time which stimulates
these thoughts.
For one thing, there is this week's
double Torah portion, NitzavimVayeilech. If there is one parsha in
the Torah which conveys the
principles of democracy most
eloquently, it is this parsha. "You
stand today, all of you, before
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 14  from 5774 to 5775
HaShem your God; the chieftains of
your tribes, your elders, your
leaders - every person in Israel.
Your little children, your women,
and the stranger who is within your
camp; from your wood choppers to
your water fetchers" (D'varim 29:
9-10). I first became aware of the
fundamental principles of democracy long, long ago, when I first
learned these words in the early
grades of the Jewish school I
attended.
There is another factor which
evokes in my mind the fundamental
values of democracy at this time of
year. As we approach the end of
the Jewish year, it is natural that
our memories reflect upon its
beginning, indeed upon all beginnings. For me, and I'm sure that this
is true for most of you, thinking
about beginnings means thinking
about the lessons that my parents,
may they rest in peace, taught me.
explicitly teach me these lessons at
this time of year. "The Yamim
Nora'im, the Days of Awe, are
approaching", he would say. "It is
time to learn what some of the
melodies are these days." And he
would sing them to me. "It is time to
learn some of the lessons of these
days." And he would teach them to
me.
The lessons he taught were
basically religious lessons, but in a
deeper sense were also political
ones. For he stressed to me, and
this is obvious to anyone who but
glances at the words of the liturgy
of the High Holidays, that God
judges all of mankind on Rosh
HaShana. He put it quite bluntly:
"Rosh HaShana may only be celebrated by Jews. But it is not only a
Jewish holiday. It is the birthday of
the world, and the Master of the
world judges us all, with no
discrimination."
My parents, one born in America,
and one an immigrant from Poland,
were both proud Americans and
proud Jews. And they both inculcated in me and my sisters a
profound appreciation for the values
that our country and our religion
had in common. They taught by
example that we were not to
discriminate between the extremely
powerful and the lowly, between the
rich and the poor, between the Jew
and the stranger, between the
doctor or lawyer and the wood
chopper and water fetcher.
These words of the prayer book,
quoted below, anticipated the
source works of American democracy by many centuries:
My
"...kol ba'ei olam ya'avrun lefanecha
father
in
particular,
would
"And therefore, cast Your awe,
HaShem our God, upon all your
handiwork, and your fear upon all
whom you have created... let all
creatures bow before you, and may
they all together form one united
group..."
Indeed, in the words of the Mishna,
which have been incorporated into
the High Holiday prayer book:
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 15  from 5774 to 5775
kivnei maron..." "…all the inhabitants of the world pass before you
like a flock of sheep..."
Next week, HaShem will sit in
judgment over all of us, whatever
our nation, whatever our race,
whatever our gender, whatever our
faith.
May He judge us with mercy and
compassion and guide us in His
ways so that we find peace.
"The land shall keep a Shabbat
unto G-d" (Vayikra 25:2). [1]
by Dr. Meir Tamari
"[The approaching year is Sh'mita]
and the details its observance is
connected to Matan Torah even
though at that time the object of their
application - Eretz Yisrael - was
lacking for Israel. Furthermore, after
our exile, it would not be in our
possession for centuries. This was to
establish the divine source of all the
Torah's laws and their details as given
at Matan Torah" (S. R. Hirsch). This
makes their spiritual meanings and
religious teachings relevant to all
times; even when their actual
observance is not universally possible
or applicable at a certain point in time.
Our verse continues, "Your field you
shall not sow and your vineyard not
prune, the after growth of your harvest
you shall not reap, a year of cessation
of work". The number of Jews
engaged in agricultural work in Israel
is today relatively small; the number
with gardens is larger but still
relatively small, and those with
houseplants obviously far more
significant yet here too the economic
or spiritual aspects are marginal. This
means that the halakhic study and
implementation of work cessation for
the majority of us is of limited
importance. While the effect of
Sh'mita on us as consumers is greater
than the cessation of agricultural
work, here too the spiritual and
religious aspects are limited since we
all follow our usual kashrut
authorities. On the other hand,
however, the positive mitzvot flowing
from Sh'mita affect our relationship to
earning and possessing money and
wealth, our social obligations and
even the economic conduct of the
Jewish state in which we live very
greatly, so their study and observance
should lead us to re-evaluate and
change our lifestyles not only during
this year but perhaps in future years
too.
"'Sh'mita is called Shabbat Lashem to
compare it to Shabbat Bereishit'
(Rashi). It is difficult to understand
the comparison in view of the
differences between the types of work
forbidden in each case. The Or
HaChayim explains that Creation was
only for one week and then after that
Shabbat, Hashem recreated the world
anew for the next week thus perpetually ensuring its renewal. What is
true in the world generally is also
specifically true to Eretz Yisrael and
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 16  from 5774 to 5775
Am Yisrael. We were given this land
to work and create only for one week,
then there is Sh'mita-Shabbat Lashem,
after which Hashem gives it to us
again and so further. The Torah does
not write regarding Sh'mita, 'when
you come to Canaan', or 'when you
come into the land' as it does in other
cases but rather 'when you come into
the land which I, G-d, give to you'.
This makes the fruit which we eat
from this land, fruits from His Table
on high" (Shem MiShmuel).
Sh'mita is Shabbat Lashem just as
Shabbat Bereishit is Shabbat Lashem
and just like the weekly one, this too
involves, in addition to the cessation
of work, increased study of Torah, the
enhancement of our prayers to communicate with Him and letting our
spiritual thoughts dominate our minds.
None of these are limited to the
agricultural worker and none depend
on whether we use the heter m'chira
or imported food or otzar bet din and
so they affect all of us and require
such intensified adherence during this
year. Our Sh'mita gave birth, interalia, to the concept of the academic
sabbatical the world over, but in
addition, also to a particular Israeli
concept. Israel's secular socialism,
had, in addition to Marxism, deep
Jewish roots, so Sh'mita led the
Histadrut General Trade Movement to
institute sabbaticals for workers where
they, their employers and the union
paid for a study period unrelated to
professional advancement.
required cessation of work, Sh'mita
comes to abrogate the farmer's
ownership over his crops which
become hefker, ownerless. The
Torah's injunction against working the
land on Sh'mita, and its abrogation of
the rights over the fruit, is followed by
a very human question, "what will we
eat in the 7th year? The answer could
be for the farmer to insure himself for
6 years or to have recourse to public
charity, but the Torah's answer is
different. "The purpose of all of this
is to teach us not to regard man as
absolute lord over the produce of the
land. Rather, a person is required to
have faith in G-d that He will provide
adequate crops in the 6th year, not
only for that year and for the 7th one,
but even for the eighth one until the
new harvest is gathered" (Kli Yakar,
Sh'mot 23:11). "This comes to teach
us the attribute of voluntary renunciation of property rights and the
resultant generosity which follows
from this attribute. A man who at the
Divine commandment regularly relinquishes his ownership over his fruit
for this year, will never lack for trust
in the bounty of G-d" (Sefer
HaChinuch).
These two ideas in Sh'mita, man's
limited ownership over his own
property and its profits [fruits] and the
trust that G-d will provide for all his
needs, are part of Judaism's framework for purifying the legitimate pursuit of earning and having wealth. 
"During the seventh year you shall let
[your land] rest"; in addition to the
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 17  from 5774 to 5775
The following is from
Sapphire from the Land of Israel
him off from the roots of his very
being, from the light of his soul.
A New Light on the Weekly Portion
from the Writings of
Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook
by Rabbi Chanan Morrison
website: ravkooktorah.org
This estrangement is sin’s worst
punishment. T'shuva, on the other
hand, redeems the sinner from this
darkness. It rejuvenates him, restoring his previous state of life and joy.
T'shuva for the
Generation of Rebirth
The word T'shuva literally means
“return”. It is not an escape from the
world. On the contrary, it is “precisely
through genuine,
pure
T'shuva that we return to the world
and to life” (Orot HaT'shuva 14:30).
Adapted from Mo’adei HaRe’iyah, pp. 52, 55.
Celebration of the Soul, pp. 26, 28-29
For some time I have been struggling with an inner conflict, and a
mighty force impels me to speak
about T'shuva. All my thoughts are
focused on this topic. T'shuva holds
a primary place in Torah and in life.
All the hopes of the individual and of
society depend on it.
So begins Rav Kook’s introduction
to Orot HaT'shuva, perhaps his most
popular work, first published in 1925.
The compact book was beloved by
its author, and Rav Kook himself
would study its teachings during the
month of Elul after morning prayers.
One student reported hearing Rav
Kook say: “I worked extensively on
Orot HaT'shuva. Whoever studies it
properly will find light in every word.”
He also declared: “Orot HaT'shuva
should be studied endlessly.”
What is so special about the book’s
outlook on T'shuva?
T'shuva - Returning to Life
Orot HaT'shuva illuminates the concepts of sin, punishment, and penitence. It explains that sin primarily
harms the one who sinned, as it cuts
Already in his introduction, Rav
Kook described T'shuva as an
underlying force that influences all
aspects of life, not only the realm of
the sacred: “T'shuva holds a primary
place in Torah and in life.” Thus one
who frees himself from unhealthy
habits - this is also a type of
T'shuva.
Additionally, Rav Kook posited that
this powerful force is not limited to
the failings and triumphs of the
individual. It also applies to failures
and successes of the nation and the
entire universe: “All hopes of the
individual and society as a whole
depend on it.”
National and Spiritual Revival
Rav Kook firmly believed that a
secular national revival, the entire
program of rebuilding the Land and
the nation, could not succeed
without a parallel revival in holiness,
with lofty manifestations of this
holiness expressed in both personal
and public spheres.
But what path would lead the
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 18  from 5774 to 5775
generation of rebirth to the gates of
T'shuva? The routine approach is
doomed to failure. One cannot reach
out to the idealistic youth of such a
generation, brimming with life, vigor,
and creativity, with a severe
demeanor and punctilious demands
of small, everyday deeds - demands
that they consider to be a sign of
weakness and a feeble spirit.
not from isolated, fragmented souls,
but from the treasury of the nation’s
collective soul, Knesset Yisrael... In
this way, the united soul of Israel is
prepared to return to its former
strength, as in days of old. 
No, the generation must be awakened via an optimistic spirit of
greatness and courage. “T'shuva
comes not to embitter life”, Rav
Kook taught, “but to make it
pleasant” (ibid. 15:6). “T'shuva is
essentially a return to [our] origins,
to the source of supernal life and
existence in their wholeness” (ibid.
12:8).
The Torah portion says of God’s
Word, “It’s not in heaven or across
the sea” (D'varim 30:12). Even if it
were in heaven or over the sea we
would still be duty-bound to strive
for it, but it’s not as distant as all
that. It is accessible wherever we
happen to be.
In an article printed in HaYesod in
1934, he explained:
T'shuva is the great key to
redemption. Many things inhibit
T'shuva, but the major obstacle,
particularly to collective T'shuva, is
the misconception of T'shuva as
atrophy of the soul, as the
enfeebling and debilitation of life.
This false image also impairs the
T'shuva of the individual. But more
than anything, it hinders collective
T'shuva, the T'shuva of the nation.
We must disclose the secret that the
genuine T'shuva of the entire nation
of Israel is a mighty, powerful vision
that provides reserves of might and
strength, imbuing all of our spiritual
and pragmatic values with a lofty
spirit of vigorous, surging creative
energy from the power of the Rock
of Israel. This living T'shuva flows
OzTorah
It is not in Heaven
There must be a symbolism in the
use of the words “in heaven” and
“across the sea”. Possibly it is this:
The Torah is neither spiritually and
intellectually beyond us, nor is it
geographically inaccessible.
Take each category on its own. The
first says that the Torah is not too
high for us – “in heaven”, as it were.
God bless you if you’re a saint or a
genius, but most people aren’t.
Saints and geniuses can find their
way to the Torah; so can the rest of
us. On one level or another, we can
all comprehend and adopt Torah
ideas and insights.
The second category says that the
Torah is not “across the sea”. If you
live in the Diaspora, forget about
saying, “Things are different in
Israel. There it is easier to follow the
commandments”. Israel is certainly
different and superior, but don’t
make it an excuse for not raising
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 19  from 5774 to 5775
your religious levels in whichever
place you happen to be.
And if you do have the blessing of
being in Israel, don’t make an
excuse out of that either, saying, “If I
were in Jerusalem things would be
different”. In Jerusalem things would
be different, but that shouldn’t stop
you elevating yourself anywhere
else.
Maharal on the Sedra
Thisty and Slaked
D'varim 29:18 - Despite hearing the
words of this oath, he will bless
himself in his heart, saying, "I will
have peace though I go as my heart
sees fit", adding the drunk with the
thirsty.
Rashi - He will consider himself
blessed with peace, to say that
none of these curses will reach me,
despite doing as my heart sees fit
[as my heartstrings draw me].
alcohol. Liking the experience, he
advances from shogeg [inadvertent
sin] to meizid [intentional sin].
Whereas he is initially forgiven, his
declaration of intent converts the
act to a more serious sin, and the
punishment for the inadvertent sin
is piled on to the more serious
punishment for the intentional sin.
MDK - The drunk and thirsty
analogy is suggestive of addiction,
especially in the English translation.
Drunk can mean inebriated or
slaked, watered. If one drinks al
hasova [not being thirsty], it is not
such a meaningful act, but if he
thirsts for the sin and needs it, it is
no longer inadvertent.
Column prepared by Dr. Moshe Kuhr
Reprinted (with permission) from
Shabbat Shalom
Parsha Booklet (4) by
Rabbi Berel Wein
Gur Arye - Even though this is
certainly not a blessing, for a curse
will come to him, he is reflexively
blessing himself, as he thinks of it
as blessing. Grammatically, the
reflexive verb is how he sees
himself even when it is not true, as
in "Some MITASHER [enrich themselves, in their minds] having
nothing" [Mishlei 13:7].
The second of this week's double
sedra is the one with the fewest
psukuim in the Torah - Vayeilech.
Nevertheless, it is one of the most
powerful parshiyot in the Torah.
Moshe's final message on the day
of his death combines warnings of
dire fears and predictions, and of
hope, confidence and holy vision.
Our verse speaks of a person who
turns from Hashem to worship the
gods of others, perhaps initially
under the influence of drugs or
The final parshiyot of the Torah Nitzavim, Vayeilech, Haazinu and
V'zot HaBracha - are to be viewed
as one message. For the purpose
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 20  from 5774 to 5775
of our Torah readings, they appear
as different and separate parshiyot
but they are in reality one unit. The
common denominator that binds all
of these seemingly disparate and
even contradictory messages is the
realization of the uniqueness of
Israel and of Jewish experience and
survival.
This is the point that Moshe
stresses above all others. The
Jewish people are special, and
every Jew is special. No matter how
much individual Jews, and the
nation generally, may wish to
escape their special role and place
in the human story, they will
eventually be unable to do so
successfully.
Terrible events, glorious achievements and triumphant moments fill
Jewish history. All of these serve to
reinforce the idea of uniqueness,
choseness if you will, which is the
integral ingredient of the Jewish
story.
This little parsha speaks to us about
calamitous events that will have
befallen us but promises that,
somehow in the end, G-d will make
it all come right. Israel will return to
its land and to its God, will observe
and treasure His Torah and fulfill its
manifest destiny of being a holy
nation and a kingdom of kohanim.
But the road to this final glorious
destination is strewn with pitfalls
and
detours,
mistakes
and
betrayals. Moshe does not offer up
any honey-coated formulas for
survival. He does not propose
instant
solutions
or
original
panaceas. He tells the Jewish
people how hard and long the road
back
home,
physically
and
spiritually, will be.
The almost brutal honesty of his
description of the problems and
situations that Israel will have to
overcome lends veracity and
confirmation to his final message of
blessing and confident hope.
In this season when we ask God to
grant us a good and healthy year,
we should be wary of asking Him
for a free lunch. We must offer, in
return for God's gifts, our own
commitments for a strengthened
Torah presence within us and within
our homes. We must commit to a
renewed loyalty to the Jewish
people and to Torah values as
enunciated to us throughout the
ages, and a feeling of solidarity with
the land and people of Israel.
We cannot merely ask God for
more without also exhibiting our
willingness to contribute in every
way that we can to the great goals
of Jewish destiny. God's blessings
are assured but only if we are
willing to work to achieve them.
Nitzavim, Vayeilech, and Haazinu
all precede V'zot HaBracha. There
are no shortcuts to get to the
blessings, but we will surely arrive
there in this coming good year that
G-d bestows upon us.
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 21  from 5774 to 5775
A word from each sedra coming up
and a review of a pet topic...
Nitzavim: zk
º© R¥ d§ n© M«§ - a HEI with a
SH'VA in the middle of a word - the
HEI is sounded (like a MAPIK-HEI
at the end of a word) and the
SH'VA is always NACH. K'MAHHPEI-CHAT
Vayeilech: l´¥
dw§ d© - Difficult to pronounce correctly. First syllable is
HAK, second is HEIL. Read carelessly, the word comes out HAKEIL
- the HEI being dropped. Takes
practice. So too, VAYK-HEIL.
Haazinu: DF
© ĺ'`
¡ - Most often mispronounced of G-d's names. First
syllable is ELO. Second syllable is
NOT! HA. The PATACH under the
HEI is pronounced first, then the
aspirated HEI. Either ELO-AHHH or
(the S'faradi way), ELO-WAHHH.
Not ELOHA. (Just like wind is not
RUCHA, but RU'ACH, so too here.)
Finally, the AMEIN CHATUFA.
When answering AMEIN to a
b'racha, one must wait until the
b'racha is completely completed
and then answer. Not to say
AMEIN before the Chazan finishes
the b'racha. Even if he stretches
the ending out. Wait, then answer.
TtRiDdLeS
Previous (Ki Tavo) TTriddles:
[1] Gatas and Pulot-pukyutan
That's milk and honey in Tagalog
(Filipino language). As in ERETZ
ZAVAT CHALAV UDVASH. The
phrase as is occurs 14 times in
Tanach, three of which are in Ki
Tavo. There are an additional 5 or so
slight variations. And then there is
the infamous misuse of the term by
Datan and Aviram who used it to
describe Egypt and thereby Taunt
Moshe Rabeinu.
[2] Mets' home is doubly blessed
The New York Mets play their home
games in Citi Field, in Queens, New
York. The name of that ballpark
brings to mind: BARUCH ATA BA'IR
UVARUCH ATA BASADEH. (Of
course, there is the double-other
thing, but we won't mention that the Mets are having a tough enough
time as it is.) Several TTreaders got
this one and even dubbed it cute or
very cute. High praise for a TTriddle.
[3] The keys of the Torah: SHATZBO
The names of three sedras in the
Torah begin with the word KI: TISA,
TEITZEI, and TAVO. The send word
of the name in each case begins
with a TAV and ends with an ALEF.
The different middles of the second
word are the letters SIN, TZADI, and
BET-VAV. Put them together and
you get SHAZBO.
[4] Lavan is connected to Bikurim;
so is his father, sort of
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 22  from 5774 to 5775
The declaration of the Bikurim
bringer begins with ARAMI OVEID
AVI, which we are taught, refers to
Lavan and Yaakov. The sedra in
which are the mitzva and text of the
Declaration, is Ki Tavo. The gimatriya of KI TAVO is 20+10 (30) +
400+2+6+1 (409) = 439. The gimatriya of B'TU'EL (father of Rivka and
Lavan) is 2+400+6+1+30 = 439.
[5] Unexplaineds in the ParshaPix
Upper-left corner - the Sederplate,
for the p'sukim borrowed from Ki
Tavo for the core of the Magid
portion of the Hagada.
The first of the two doors has a K on
it, making it a reference to KEIDAR,
a place mentioned in the haftara.
Next to the K-door are pictures of a
set of golf clubs - specifically, the
drivers. They used to be called
WOODS because that's what their
heads were made of. Under the
woods is a copper penny. And under
that is a double eagle, a $20 gold
coin. This is alll in the haftara, which
mentions TACHAT (to replace, but
literally, under) WOODS, NECHOSHET and TACHAT NECHOSHET,
ZAHAV.
Additionally, the penny is a wheat
back design, so we have one of the
Seven Species that could be
brought as Bikurim.
Rabbi Atik z"l used to ask...
For KI TAVO: What object is mentioned 4 times in the Sedra and no
where else in the Torah?
times in Ki Tavo - twice in the
context of Bikurim and further in the
Sedra among the blessings and...
What metal is mentioned 3 times, and
in what contexts?
BARZEL (iron) occurs 3 times. The
stones of a Mizbei'ach cannot be cut
with iron. In the Tochacha it states
that the land will be as iron. And that
the enemy will place an iron yoke
around the neck of Bnei Yisrael.
Eretz K'naan is described as ERETZ
ZAVAT CHALAV UDVASH. To whom
does Hashem first describe the land
that way? And what other land is
described with the same expression?
The first occurence of the phrase
ERETZ ZAVAT CHALAV UDVASH
is Parshat Sh'mot, when Hashem
describes the land of K'naan to
Moshe at the Burning Bush.
Datan and Aviram taunt Moshe by
describing the land of Mitzrayim
with that special phrase.
Rabbi Atik z"l used to ask...
For Nitzavim: Where else in the
Torah is the term Nitzavim used and
in what contexts?
For Vayeilech: What unique
distinction does Parshat Vayeilech
hold in the cycle of Torah reading?
For Haazinu: What 4 types of
percipitation are mentioned in the
beginning of the sedra?
Taken from the book: Rabbi Atik's Torah
Teasers by Rabbi Moshe Erlbaum
Amazon.com keyword Torah Teasers
TENE (fruit basket) is mentioned 4
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 23  from 5774 to 5775
by Benjy Caplan = xiW
¦ n§ gª
It's not in the heavens, up high
Nor beyond the deep ocean - here's why
You'll get a head start
Use your mouth and your heart
In the end, you'll succeed if you try.
MF writes: I would just like to add a possible
dimension to your short paragraph on
pomegranates (from TT 1105). The granate
element meaning seeded apple is probably
the same root as grain which would be like
seed. I have always understood that the
Hebrew garin is most likely the origin of the
English grain... That would actually make
the pomegranate half Hebrew as well! Also, I
would guess that the rock granite is of the
same root as when you look at it, it is made
of little granules or grains.
CHIZUK ! IDUD
Divrei Torah from the weekly sedra
with a focus on living in Eretz Yisrael Chizuk for Olim & Idud for not-yet-Olim
KI CHEILEK HASHEM AMO, G-d's
portion is his nation (D'varim 32:9).
In its immediate context, this
enigmatic phrase explains why the
allotment of lands to the nations of the
world is in accordance with the
number of Jews residing therein:
"… when he separated the children of
men, He set the borders of the peoples
according to the number of the
children of Israel" (Devarim 32:8).
Indeed, world history has shown that
the rise and fall of nations, is often
directly proportional to the number of
Jews permitted to freely live within its
borders. However, this phrase has
served as the underpinning of various
fundamental teachings.
Rav Chaim of Volozhin was once
studying a text in “Tanna D'vei
Eliyahu” where the Almighty is
described as being content with His
lot, with His portion. This perplexed
Reb Chaim: “Is Hashem not master of
the universe? Does he not yield power
over all of existence? What does
"content with his lot" mean? His
Rebbe, the Vilna Gaon, answered him
pointing to our verse. KI CHEILEK
HASHEM AMO, G-d's nation is his
portion - G-d is content with the
Jewish people, considering us to be
his chosen nation whether we act
properly or not. Indeed, this is Rabbi
Meir's approach as found in the
Talmud Kiddushin 36a. The Talmud
says that Rabbi Yehuda opined that
we are considered Hashem’s children
only when we act in a befitting
manner, while Rabbi Meir utterly
rejected this notion saying that BEIN
KACH U'VEIN KACH KRU'IM
BANIM, one way or the other - we
are always considered to be G-d's
children. 'Hashem is content with his
lot' signifies G-d's continued love and
concern for the Jewish people even
when we fail to live up to His
expectations.
Returning to our verse, we note that
the phrase KI CHEILEK HASHEM
AMO, can be interpreted in a totally
different direction. The verse may not
be stating that we are G-d's portion,
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 24  from 5774 to 5775
but rather describing a much more
intimate connection between G-d and
His people: the Jewish people are no
less than a CHELEK HASHEM, part
and parcel of the Divine. This verse
could very well be the source of the
famous phrase describing how our
souls are a CHELEK ELO'AK
MIMA'AL, a part of G-d on high (the
phrase originally appears in Iyov 31:2
meaning something else entirely).
This unique relationship is echoed in
the liturgy, in the distinction between
the wording of the blessings made
when one comes into contact with a
Jewish or non-Jewish scholar. The
Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 224,
6-7) says that the blessing to be
recited when seeing a Jewish scholar
is: SHECHOLAK M'CHOCHMATO,
that He apportioned from His wisdom
to those who fear Him, while the
blessing said when meeting scholars
from the nations is: SHENATAN
M'CHOCHMATO, that has given
from his wisdom to humankind. The
Torah scholar, writes the Beit Yosef,
is CHELEK MEI'HASHEM, a part of
the Divine, and the Aruch HaShulchan
(Orach Chaim 224, 6) points out that
this is attested to in our verse - KI
CHELEK HASHEM AMO. (I now
understand the true meaning of the
expression “A Yiddishe Kop”!).
The Bach comments that the
difference lies in apportioning His
inner wisdom of the Torah which had
been transmitted to us “face to face”,
whereas world wisdom was given to
the nations. This understanding of our
unique relationship which is manifested in the Torah, is the basis, the
Bach explains, of the famous
Midrashic adage: “If you are told there
is wisdom amongst the nations believe it; Torah amongst the nations do not believe it.
G-d is always content with His
people, his portion, he always
welcomes us for we are CHELEK
HASHEM, a part of the Divine. I was
recently reminded of this important
lesson when hearing of someone who
had consulted with his spiritual
mentor asking whether he should
make Aliyah. The mentor replied that
G-d only welcomes to his land those
who act properly within it, and "since
you still have much room for
improvement", it is best not to make
Aliyah. My somewhat impatient
reaction is to remark that in my eyes it
is this “spiritual mentor” who has
much room for improvement!
KI CHELEK HASHEM AMO – G-d
always awaits our return to Eretz
Yisrael – come home!
Rabbi Yerachmiel Roness, Ramat Shiloh, Beit Shemesh
Parsha Points to Ponder
by MK Rabbi Dov Lipman
Nitzavim
1) Why does tradition teach to make
the letter LAMED large in the word
VAYASHLICHEIM which describes
our being sent into exile?
2) Why does the Torah first describe
exile as the place to where G-D
OU Israel Center TT 1106  page 25  from 5774 to 5775
CAST us (30: - HIDI- CHACHA) and
then a few verses later describe it as
the place where G-D DISPERSED us
(30:3)?
the positive command- ments is
then described in verse 8 - AND
YOU
WILL
DO
ALL
HIS
COMMANDMENTS.
3) Why does the Torah speak about
G-D helping the people repent (30:6)
if the Torah already described the
people having repented a few verses
earlier (30:2)?
Portion
Suggested answers
1) Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch
answers that the large LAMED
captures the goal of our going into
exile. LAMED means TEACH and
LEARN. We have a responsibility to
go into exile and teach the nations
of the world about G-D through our
and and way of life. This is suported
by the Talmud which teaches that
the purpose of exile is to ADD
CONVERTS to our nation (Pesachim
87).
2) The Kli Yakar teaches that
CASTING us away refers to the
Jewish people feeling distant from
G-D and a lack of connection to
mitzvah observance. DISPERSED
describes our physical exile from
our homeland. First, G-D will heal the
former and once we are back on
track spiritually He can begin the
process of bringing us back from
physical exile.
3) The Ohr HaChayim explains that
the first return to G-D refers to the
people choosing to study Torah.
That leads to the second step of
repentance which is ceas- ing to
violate negative command- ments
as captured by the removing of
barriers to the heart in this verse.
The third step, a return to fulfilling
Rosh HaShana and Time
Rosh HaShana is around the corner.
Some people around me are worried
about the "three day Yom Tov" meaning two days of Rosh HaShana
followed by Shabbat. Three holy
days in a row are unusual in Israel
(more common abroad) and lots of
women ponder how will they keep
their families and their guests fed for
so many yom tov meals.
Although I will be having a lot of
company, I'm not worried as much
about that aspect of the holiday as
the frightening thought that a whole
other year has gone by. I begin to
wonder - What have I accomplished
in this year? Am I going in the right
direction? Am I using the gifts that
God has given me to the maximum?
And how should I be using this
opportunity of Rosh HaShana? I
climb up the ladder, to take down my
machzor and dust it off. Reading
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks's poetic
introduction to the machzor puts me
in the mindset of this time of year.
He writes "these are days of reflection and introspection when we stand
in the conscious presence of Infinity,
knowing how short and vulnerable
life really is, and how little time we
have here on earth." This concept
sticks with me when I ponder the
birth of my new grandson against the
backdrop of my friend grappling with
an elderly relative succumbing to the
cancer that is attacking his body.
Although at different stages of the life
cycle the baby and older gentleman
are both ephemeral.
Rosh Hashana is about time. This
we can see in the three central
blessings in the Musaf Amida Malchiyot-Kingship, Zichronot-Remembrances; and Shofarot-Shofars. Malchiyot refers to the present, Zichronot is about memories of the past,
and Shofarot is about the future.
Teshuva sensitizes us to the full
significance of time. As Jews we live
hanging between past and future.
Our Teshuva and God's forgiveness
mean that we are not prisoners of
the past rather we can change and
move on to a better future.
Rabbi Sacks brings something he
learned from his predecessor Lord
Jakobovits. He asks why on Rosh
HaShana, which is the first of the
Ten Days of Repentance, don't we
say any explicit confessions. In other
words, why don't we say Vidui on
Rosh HaShana? He answered that
Teshuva is driven by two different
mindsets: commitment to the future and remorse about the past. Rosh
HaShana is about the first and Yom
Kippur is about the second. Rosh
means head, which faces forward
(not backward). Placing Rosh HaShana before Yom Kippur means
that our determination to act better in
the future comes before our feelings
of regret about the past. That could
be another reason why we blow the
shofar on Rosh HaShana. The
shofar always turns our attention to
what lies ahead (an upcoming battle,
a new month…).
We must take this Rosh HaShana
and realize that this life is all we have
and we must use it well. We will
never finish the task that God has set
before us. But we are not free to
stand aside from it (Pirkei Avot 2:16).
Wishing everyone a Shana Tova
The Rabbis suggest eating certain
foods on the evening of Rosh
HaShana, symbolizing a good year.
This salad is made with a number of
the suggested ingredients.
POMEGRANATE, BEETS,
APPLE & PUMPKIN SALAD
4 medium beets, cooked and diced
1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
1-3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
1 sweet apple, grated
Pinch of salt & pepper (to taste)
Cook the beets in a pot of boiling
water until tender, 45 to 50 minutes.
Cool, peel and dice. Place in a
medium mixing bowl. Add lemon
juice, grated apple, salt & pepper to
taste, and combine. Set aside for
about 15 minutes to let the flavors
combine. Toss beets with cilantro,
pumpkin & pomegranate seeds,
drizzle with olive oil and serve
immediately.
going (5773) and coming (5774) at the top
of the ParshaPix • The family in upper-left
represents the beginning of Nitzavim that
describes all who are standing today
before G-d. Included are men, women, and
children • 11 dots above Lanu Ulvaneinu...
• and all types of people, including the
woodcutter (George Washington, as in the
cherry tree) • and the water-drawers (Jack
& Jill) • The family also stands for those
who were to participate in HAK-HEL - men,
women, and children • HAK-HEL is also
represented by the crowned Torah-reader the king, and by the Torah in the Sukka, in
the lower-right, since Hak-hel takes place
on the Sukkot after Sh'mita • The feather
writing letters is for the mitzva to write a
Sefer Torah, also represented by the open
gemara, since acquiring S'farim to learn
from is also part of the mitzva • The Xed
out moon, planets, and stars is LO
BASHAMAYIM HI, it is not in heaven... •
Acid rain symbol is for the punishment for
turning away from G-d • The Megila is for
the hidden "clue" to Esther in the Torah HESTEIR PANIM • The questioned road
signs is the choice of choosing Life or
Death, Good or Evil • Plant growing a
Tzedaka box is from the haftara, referring
to G-d, YATZMI'ACH TZEDAKA, will cause
tzedaka to grow... • Chatan & Kallah under
the Chupa is also from the haftara • The
chemical expression is sulfur and salt
burning... • Musical note is for HASHIRA,
the Song, which is a poetic way the Torah
refers to the Torah • Other musical note is
for the Song which Haazinu is • Shofar is
for the RASHEI TEIVOT of the phrase
SHORESH POREH ROSH V'LAANA, a
reference to bad people among us - in the
"warnings of Nitzavim". The Shofar is a call
for SHIPUR (same root), improvement, of
ourselves, our community, and all of Klal
Yisrael - and stands in opposition to its
Rashei Teivot "namesake" • YO-YO, a
RETURNING top, is for T'SHUVA, return.
Specifically, the fact that a person can stray
and sin, return, stray again, return, and
again and again... and G-d is still eager (so
to speak) for the T'SHUVA rather than
punishing the person. The Yo-yo keeps
coming back too. But beware: if the string
breaks, the yo-yo keeps getting further and
further away and return is not very
probable • Butterfly in Hebrew is a
PARPAR. That makes it 2 PARs, or PARIM
(lit. bulls) in Hebrew. The butterfly goes
with the lips, which have replaced the
PARIM, as stated in the haftara of Shabbat
Shuva. This does not mean that davening
relaces korbanot on a permanent basis.
Nor does it mean that when we have a Beit
HaMikdash and korbanot that we won't
daven anymore. Davening was not
"invented" to take the place of korbanot. It
has always been with us and will continue
to be with us. It is doing double duty during
the time that we are without a Beit
HaMikdash • The scene with sky and
ground and an ear on each is for Haazinu
HaShamayim... and V'tishma ha-Aretz... •
Cloud with rain (gently) falling from it is one
of the poetic images in Haazinu for the
lessons of Torah • Negated wine is for the
prohibition of YAYIN NESECH. According
to the Rambam, it is the one prohibition of
the Torah that is found and counted from
Haazinu • Apple of the eye - K'ISHON
EINO • red man is for Nitzavim, and the
green man is for Vayeilech • Unexplained...