epar76006.rtf
an agricultural settlement, Kefar Mordechai. At the beginning of the
Yom Kippur War, one of the brothers disappeared from sight. His
brother was serving in Sinai, and when his unit was preparing for
action the commander asked if anybody had any specific problem. The
PARASHA : Shemot
twin told his commander that his brother was missing, and that he
Date :21 Tevet 5776 02.01.16
would therefore prefer to remain behind and not take part in the
“The Best of Parashat HaShavuah” Articles taken from list subscriptions
on the internet, edited, reformatted and printed for members of Kibbutz action. The officer understood and let him stay. As soon as the others
had left, a powerful missile struck the tent where the boy was and
Sde Eliyahu (Editor: Arieh Yarden , temp. editor Shimon Soreq)
Dedicated to the loving memory of
killed him. After the war, his brother's body was also found. They were
Avi Mori Moshe Reuven ben Yaakov z”l
buried together in Gedeira, in a heart-rending funeral. This was the
Immi Morati Channa bat Moshe Eliezer z”l
only time in all of Israel's wars that two twin brothers were killed.
Reufa Shelema : Arieh Shimon Ben Hana ‫יבל"א‬
‫בס"ד‬
PARASHAT HASHAVUA 
                   
1 - SHABBAT B’SHABBATO
(Tzomet)
Shabbat-B'Shabbato – Parshat Shemot
No 1605: 21 Tevet 5776 (2 January 2016)
AS SHABBAT APPROACHES
G-d's Plan will Prevail - by Rabbi Mordechai Greenberg, Rosh
Yeshiva, Kerem B'Yavne
"And Pharaoh commanded his entire nation, saying: any son that is
born shall be thrown into the river" [Shemot 1:22]. The sages taught
us that Pharaoh's astrologers predicted that the one sent to help
Yisrael would be struck down by water, and therefore their decree
referred to "every son that is born," including their own sons.
However, "Man has many thoughts in his heart, but G-d's plan will
prevail" [Mishlei 19:21].
Not only was there no possibility to thwart G-d's plan, in the end it
turned out that what they did to interfere with His goal were
important elements in the way it took shape. The very fact that Moshe
was thrown into the river led to his being saved and to his being raised
and educated in Pharaoh's home, as a way of preparing him for
leadership. Out of all the names which Moshe had, the Torah chose to
call him by a name given to him by Pharaoh's daughter, related to his
rescue from the water. This shows us that the very fact that he was
thrown into the water led to his becoming the leader of Yisrael.
The same lesson can be seen from earlier events. Yosef's brothers
wanted to thwart his plans, asking, "Will you reign over us?" [Bereishit
37:8]. They therefore sold him as a slave. And this sale, which was
meant to block his dreams, was part of the process by which the
dreams came about. Thus, when the brothers bowed down to Yosef in
Egypt, sages wrote about the verse, "One man said to his brother,
behold, the man of the dreams is coming. Let us kill him... And we will
see what comes of his dreams..." The sages interpreted the events as
follows: "This is what the holy spirit said: The brothers said, let us kill
him, and the verse replies, let us see what comes of his dreams. Let us
see which dreams come true, Mine or yours."
We are taught the same lesson in the Megillah of Esther. Whatever
Haman thought to do to Mordechai is what happened to him, and
whatever he wanted to have done to him he did to Mordechai. This is
what King Shlomo meant when he wrote, "One who digs a pit will fall
into it, and if one rolls a stone away it will return to strike him"
[Mishlei 19:21].
In addition, Shlomo himself lived through an example of this very
same principle. He had two royal scribes. One time Shlomo saw that
the Angel of Death was sad. When he asked why, the angel explained
that he had been sent to take the two scribes. So Shlomo had two
demons take the scribes to the area of Luz, where they were saved.
The next day Shlomo saw the Angel of Death in a happy mood. When
Shlomo asked him to explain, the angel said: You sent them to the very
place where I needed them. And Shlomo immediately reacted by
saying: A man's feet bring him to the place where he is wanted.
I will end with an incident in which I was personally involved. About
fifty years ago, I had two students in a high school where I taught, in
Gedeira – Chagai and Ehud Gordon. They were twins from a moshav –
POINT OF VIEW
"Jewish Terrorism" – Way out of Proportion - by Rabbi
Yisrael Rozen, Dean of the Zomet Institute
It is quite possible that by the time this article is published you will
know a lot more about the "affair of Jewish terrorism" than I know
now, as I write. At the moment the matter is blurred in terms of the
facts, for example about the "torture" to which the arrested people
were subjected, about the contents of their confessions (if they will
confess at all), and about the main question: Has the Jewish section of
the Security Forces actually succeeded in suppressing the
revolutionary, antagonistic, anarchist section of the "hilltop youth" or
not? From my side of the blurry fog, I want to make two comments
about this affair, from two somewhat opposite angles.
No Apologies are Necessary
Let me start with an important declaration: The murderous gangs of
ISIS are not the fruits of religious Zionism! Everybody knows very well
how to put the blame on us, as a combined and well-defined sector. As
in response, possibly as a foundational echo, "They beat me in the
house of my lovers" (see: Zecharia 13:6), referring to rabbis and
prominent people from the religious Zionist sector who fire from the
Bayit Yehudi (the party, the "Jewish Home") straight into our own
"armored car." "Ashamnu, bagadnu..." We are guilty, we have sinned,
we are wicked. We are skilled at doing this, from the days of the Rabin
assassination. I do not accept any responsibility for the actions of the
"hilltop youth" (who are suspected of having perpetrated the recent
hate crimes), or for the "Shlissels" who are filled with hate (such as the
man who murdered a girl in a parade). And we were not responsible
for the crucifixion of the "Messiah" either...
Whether we are the collective of "kippa wearers" or the collective of
the "politically right," we have no greater responsibility than the
collective of irreligious people who bred other horrible criminals, like
Daniel Maoz, who killed his parents in order to inherit their money, or
Marie Pizam and Olga Borisov, who drowned their own children in the
Yarkon River and in the sea, or other horrifying events which are too
gory to be listed in detail here. Does the collective of the "Ethiopian
Sector" bear the responsibility for the murders of members of their
own community in order to take a cigarette or because of drug-related
anger? And what about the "Russian speaking" collective? Or "children
of the kibbutzim" who committed gang rape – among other possible
groups?
The "sector" which is not clearly defined, at which the barbs of
criticism are directed, is called the "hilltop youth" in the media. It is
not known who their leaders and rabbis are, or which "guru" they pray
to, and in fact there is no way to tell if such figures even exist. This is
an anarchist gang, but it has nothing at all to do with religious Zionist
or Torah-Zionist education which these people received in any of the
institutions of religious Zionism. On the contrary – their entire
ideology is anti-Zionist and anti-religion. And, here is a clear sign that
the hate criminals are not part of the religious Zionist camp. One of
the "main tenets of faith" of religious Zionism is the "sanctity" of the
country and its institutions, including an obligation to serve in the IDF.
However, these criminals, the "Givonim," deny the state and its
authority, and this removes from them any basis for their alleged
1
"Zionism."
I therefore suggest to the important figures of religious Zionism, such
as the rabbis and the educators, not to get caught up in a panic of
"self-reckoning." (And if quoting my previous articles is a fault, I
apologize for repeating in the above three paragraphs what you
already read, word for word, in my column of four months ago, for the
Torah portion of Re'eih, issue 1587.)
No Symmetry Here
And now let us go on to the issue of the "torture," and the application
of draconian emergency laws against the "Givonim," in a supreme
effort to overcome their right to silence by using severe investigation
procedures the likes of which "have never been applied within Israel."
I want to ask myself and you too: What makes these crimes any
different than other organized crimes and evil gangs which operate in
our country? As far as I know, in the duel between such groups and
police investigators, the draconian methods that are being used
against the hilltop criminals have not been implemented.
The standard answer to this question is the following: The deviation
from standard procedures and the tough style of interrogation, which
even borders on illegal methods, is needed because "Jewish terrorism"
causes great harm to our foreign relations and to our national security.
"The hilltop youth put the country in danger by their incitement of the
Palestinians, and they distort our moral and democratic image among
other nations whose support we are trying to obtain." I cannot accept
such claims of "foreign policy and security," any more than claims
against settlement activity or the acts of Jews who want to pray on the
Temple Mount. All such attempts bring out antibodies in many
countries which attack us and awaken waves of Palestinian incitement.
However, we usually do not bow down to such demands but rather we
argue that they are unjust. We can also explain and convince our
detractors that this tiny and very extreme faction does not represent
any community within Israel.
In reality, whoever views the crimes of the hilltops out of all
proportion can be accused of creating a false picture of the
responsibility of the entire religious Zionist movement, or at least the
sector of the settlers. I would ask such a person to look again at the
beginning of what I wrote... In brief, we cannot escape the feeling that
this affair has been blown up beyond any reasonable proportion.
Treating the hilltop youths as "an existential or a security risk" for the
country is a false representation, or at the very least a great
exaggeration. Do I get the feeling of a hint of a "hate crime" against
legitimate rightist groups?
******
Here is a completely different subject: "The officers of Bnei Yisrael
were struck" [Shemot 5:14]. "The officers were Israelites, and they had
pity on their fellow Israelites and didn't want to put pressure on
them... And [the Egyptian overseers] would strike them... Those
officers therefore were privileged to be appointed to the Sanhedrin."
[Rashi].
(Written at the end of Shabbat, portion of Vayechi)
In recent months, we have been exposed to difficult stories about
women in Tel Aviv. These stories revealed a dark world of exploitation,
humiliation, objectification, and a loss of human identity. Today we
know that most of the women who have seemingly chosen on their
own to "take to the streets" experienced harsh family lives or abuse
during their youth. Such women are in need of a life preserver, and
our society should not force them to the sidelines while ignoring their
suffering.
In discussing "tikun olam" – the improvement of the world – the Torah
commands us to protect the orphan and the widow, which serve as
symbols of the weakest sectors of society. The prophets demand of us
that we establish a moral society, overcome evil, and demand justice.
As far as I can see, religious Zionism should serve to spearhead the
struggle for such factors. There can be no greater sanctification of the
Holy Name than such activity.
On my desk in the Knesset I have a proposed law which I see as an
expression of a vital mission. According to this proposal, anybody who
is involved in sexual exploitation of women will be charged with
criminal activity. I am confident that this law will help eliminate the
phenomenon of trafficking in women which has reawakened, after
Israel managed in the past to almost completely suppress this malady
in response to threats by the Department of State in the United States.
The newly proposed law is based on a model which has been very
successful in Sweden ever since it was put into effect in 1999,
according to a report recently published by the Swedish government.
The report shows that there is much left to be done, but it is filled with
positive results. The Swedish police force, which had harsh criticism
for the law at first, agrees that their law works and that it greatly
diminishes the terrible harm performed by pimps and traffickers in
women. Statistics by criminal law forces show that the Swedish
government leads Europe in this matter of criminalizing those who
exploit women.
This struggle in Israel is based on partnerships between organizations
and individual activists who are religious and nonreligious, from the
right and from the left, and who understand the great social harm on
many levels that is caused by abuse of women, which is also linked to
drug addiction. Women arrive in shelters showing signs of posttraumatic stress and also the results of harsh physical treatment. This
criminal activity is currently expanding and has reached the
proportions of an industry revolving around the worlds of drugs,
violence, theft, and vandalism, in neighborhoods which are steadily
becoming more and more dangerous, and it can be viewed as a
"ticking time-bomb." The fact that thousands of men see women as
objects is harmful to the moral status of society and harms its
resistance.
"You shall eradicate the evil from your midst." This statement is
repeated many times in the Torah. We must take on the responsibility
for the darkest corners of Israeli society. As I wrote above, religious
Zionism must take on the leadership and spearhead a change in the
current situation. It is up to us to take the lead in the social struggles
about the subjects of personal rights and the treatment of women.
A WOMAN'S ANGLE
Eradicate the Evil from your Midst - by Shuli Mualem- THE GOOD LAND
Refaeili, MK from the Bayit Yehudi
Pomegranates and the Altar at Badan - by Yoel Yaacobi,
The desire to mend G-d's world is one of the building blocks of
religious Zionism. You can find the social enterprises of the religious
nationalistic communities at every place on the map of Israel, from
north to south. They include Torah garinim, Emunah children's homes,
the "Bat Melech" shelter for battered women, and much more. The
concept of social justice has been known in religious Zionism not just
in recent years but for all the years in our past. However, in the matter
of personal rights, the situation leaves something to be desired. The
activities of our social organizations are centered on charity and not
justice, and they are less involved in the really difficult and dark
corners of Israel.
Institute for Torah and the Land
"Rabbi Meir used to say: Only produce that is individually counted
causes the entire batch to be forbidden as orlah (fruit grown during
the first three years) if it is mixed in. The Chachamim say, only six
specific items will ruin the mixture, while Rabbi Akiva says there are
seven. Here are the items: nuts from Perech, pomegranates from
Badan... Whatever is suitable for orlah becomes orlah and what is
suitable for kelayim (the prohibition of mixed species) becomes
kelayim." [Mishna Orlah 3:7].
Pomegranates Which Are not Cancelled by a Majority
Some products are famous because of the places where they are
2
grown, and there are places which are famous because of the produce
that grows there. The first type includes the fairly new types of
vegetables grown by the methods of Gush Katif, without any insects.
The second type includes pottery manufactured in Beit Chanina, on
the border between the upper and lower Gallil, and the pomegranates
of Badan. These pomegranates grew in the town of Badan, near the
site of Tirtza (which was the capital of the Kingdom of Yisrael for a
while), and they were famous during the era of the sages for their high
quality.
The pomegranates of Badan are mentioned in the above Mishna in
one context, and they are also mentioned in the tractate of Keilim
(17:5) with respect to two other issues – ritual purity and impurity,
and setting aside maasser. In Orlah, the issue discussed is whether the
prohibition of a fruit can be ignored if it is mixed in with a majority of
fruit that is not orlah. While by Torah law prohibitions are indeed
suppressed if they are mixed in with a majority of food that is not
prohibited, the sages implemented stricter limits before a prohibition
will be cancelled. For orlah, the limit is especially strict – one forbidden
fruit out of 200 permitted fruits. If a fruit of orlah falls into 199
permitted fruits, the entire batch is forbidden. Only if there are at
least 200 pure fruits in the batch can the prohibited fruit be ignored.
There are some specific items where even a majority of 200 is not
enough for the prohibition to be cancelled. Rabbi Meir feels that any
item which is not sold by weight but is counted individually is never
ignored. The Chachamim disagree, and they give a list of six specific
items which are never ignored because of their great importance.
Rabbi Akiva adds a seventh item. The Rambam accepts the opinion of
Rabbi Akiva (Hilchot Maachalot Assurot 16:3). He illustrates this point
using the pomegranates from Badan as an example: "How is this? If a
single pomegranate from Badan which is orlah is mixed in with even
thousands of other pomegranates, no benefit can be obtained from
any of them" [16:4]. (Note that orlah is prohibited not only as food but
for achieving any benefit at all.)
The Successful Formula
What was so special about the pomegranates of Badan? In his doctoral
thesis, Akiva London (following the lead of Prof. Felix) suggests that
their taste was superb, their seeds were soft, the fruit was large, and
their shape and color were very good. Evidently this was a strain with
unique traits, but it may be that the genetic characteristics are not the
only important factor. Evidently the geographic location was also
important.
Badan is an ancient city established during the time of the First
Temple. It is identified as being close to the large springs of Ein Bidan,
northeast of Shechem, at the southern source of the Tirzah River.
Today this is the largest spring of flowing water in the Shomron. It is
possible that the name of the site comes from Badan, a descendant of
Menasheh, who inherited this area. This is one of the warmest areas in
the mountain regions. Since the water starting out from this point
flows along the channel to the Jordan River, the pomegranate
orchards began at this point and continued far to the east. London
suggests that the combination of flowing water all year round, mild
mountain heat, fertile land, and high quality of the water, all added to
the high quality of this variety of pomegranate, giving a unique fruit.
Pomegranate orchards still existed until the nineteenth century, but
they were replaced by citrus orchards, which took over the entire
market in the land because of their higher economic value.
Was this the First Altar in the Land?
However, Badan is not only known for its pomegranates. Avraham
Frankel ("Hamaayan," Nissan 5775) makes an attempt to identify in a
liturgical poem written by the ancient French author Rabbi Yosef Tov
Alam a remnant from a missing Midrash which preserves a tradition
(also missing) that at Badan Avraham built his first altar in the land. In
the Torah it is written that he built the altar at Eilon Moreh, but the
question is where the Biblical site of Eilon Moreh was. This
liturgical poem might suggest that the site was at Badan, not far from
today's settlement Eilon Moreh, which is located on Mount Kabir,
south of Badan.
THE MAP AT THE SHABBAT TABLE
"The Nation of Bnei Yisrael" - based on the book "The Shabbat
Map (Tablecloth)" by Amos Safrai
Pharaoh was the first one to call Bnei Yisrael a nation: "And he said to
his nation – Behold, the nation of Bnei Yisrael is great and more
powerful than we are..." [Shemot 1:8-9].
There are a number of sites in Eretz Yisrael which include the word
"am" – a nation - in their names.
Near the city of Katzrin on Ramat Hagolan is the Moshav Ani'am. It
was established by new Olim who came to the land from the Soviet
Union, which as we well know did not allow Jews to make Aliyah for
many years. The slogan of the struggle was the phrase which appears
in this week's Torah portion, "Let My people go" ("shalach et ami").
Ani'am is a name of one of the sons of Menasheh, and the area of the
Golan was part of their heritage.
In the eastern upper Gallil, near the Lebanese border, there is a
kibbutz, Baram. It is named for a Jewish settlement in the area from
the time of the Talmud. Artifacts from the ancient settlement were
found in the Baram national park, including a synagogue which has
been restored. Nearby is Kibbutz Misgav Am. It was established by
people of the Palmach from Tel Yosef and Daphna in the year 5705
(1945). The name of the kibbutz indicates that the site is "nisgav" –
high above the surrounding area.
On the western side of the upper Gallil is the kibbutz Yechi'am, named
for Yechi'am Weiss who fell together with thirteen colleagues when
the Achziv Bridge was blown up together with a number of other
bridges, in the summer of 5706 (1946). Nearby is the Yechi'am Fort,
which the defenders of the kibbutz held in the War of Independence.
During the battles ammunition was dropped to the site from an
airplane piloted by Ezer Weizmann, who later became the President of
Israel. In the spring of 5708 (1948), the Yechi'am Convoy left from the
fort. But it was attacked and 47 of the 90 participants were killed. The
threat to the kibbutz was removed by Operation Chiram, during the
summer of that year.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Today's Youth - by Yaacov Etzion
A common process in language is that two synonyms which at first had
exactly the same meaning become separated, and each one gets its
own meaning. For example, today the word "ma'on" refers to a prekindergarten school, but in the past this was a general word meaning a
place to rest. (See, for example, the parallelism in the verse, "G-d, I
love the place (ma'on) of Your house and the resting place (mishkan)"
[Tehillim 26:8].O Similarly, the word "goy" took on the meaning of a
"person from a foreign nation," while originally it simply meant the
same thing as "am," a nation. See, "And he will judge among the
'goyim' and scold many 'amim.'" [Yeshayahu 2:4]. (In a parallel
prophecy in Micha 4:3, the words are reversed.)
A similar phenomenon took place with respect to words in our sources
that refer to children. Today we differentiate between yeled (a child),
tinok (a baby), and na'ar (a youth), using each for a different range of
ages. In our sources, however, there is no such differentiation. In this
week's Torah portion we are told that Moshe's mother took a box
made of reeds, where she put the "yeled." And then, it is written that
the maid of Pharaoh's daughter "opened it and showed her the yeled,
and behold, it was a na'ar crying" [Shemot 2:6]. Thus, we see that a
newborn infant can also be described by the word na'ar. Similarly,
with respect to the birth of Shimshon, it is written, "Let the man of G-d
whom You sent come again to us and instruct us what to do with the
na'ar who will be born" [Shoftim 13:8].
The same is true of the word "tinok." In modern usage, this refers to a
very young baby, no more than a few years old. However, in the
3
language of our sages, who invented this word, a "tinok" can even be
as much as eighteen years old. "Rebbi taught that a 'tinoket' eighteen
years old who entered thirty days into the year..." [Tosefta Nida].
Today the only time somebody might use the term tinok for an older
person is in the phrase, "tinok shel beit rabban" – a child studying in a
school. Thus, in the language of the sages tinok was a general word for
child, from birth until maturity.
A well-known verse is, "Teach a 'na'ar' according to his way, and when
he grows old he will not turn away from it" [Mishlei 22:6]. Today this is
usually understood to be a reference to an educational method which
takes the traits of each and every young person into account.
However, it would seem that the straightforward meaning of the verse
is to teach a child "al pi darko" – at the beginning of his education (like
"pi hab'eir" means the opening of the well). As noted, na'ar in the
Torah is not necessarily a youth but also a very young child. Thus, the
verse advises us that a child should be taught from a very early age,
and then he will follow this path as he grows older.
RESPONSA IN THE LAND
Blessing "Hagomel" after Traveling the Roads in
Yehuda and the Shomron - by Rabbi Re'eim Hacohen, Rosh
Yeshiva and Chief Rabbi, Otniel
Question: Is there an obligation to recite the "Hagomel" blessing
(thanking G-d for protecting us from danger) after riding on the roads
of Yehuda and the Shomron in view of the current situation?
Answer: The source of the blessing for giving thanks is in the Talmud:
"Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: Four types of people are
required to give thanks – Those who travel in the sea, those who go in
a desert, one who was sick and was cured, and one who was released
from prison..." [Berachot 54b].
To answer our question, we must define the meaning of "going in a
desert" and decide if this can be extended to somebody who travels
on the roads.
Which People "Who Go in a Desert" must Recite Hagomel?
The Rambam modified the above text, and instead "those who go in a
desert" he wrote "those traveling on the roads, when they reach a
settled area" [Hilchot Berachot 10:8]. Beit Yosef discusses this
modified text:
"It is customary in Ashkenaz and France not to recite the blessing
when going from one city to another, since the obligation was for
those going in a desert, where bad animals and robbers are frequent.
And the statement in the Talmud Yerushalmi that all the roads are to
be considered dangerous refers only to 'Tefilat Haderech' (the prayer
when going on a trip) – that for every road a person must ask for
protection. However, the Hagomel blessing was instituted in place of
offering a sacrifice.
"Therefore, with respect to a sick person, Rav Rabeinu Yosef wrote
that this specifically refers to one who fell into a sickbed, but one who
has a pain in the head or the stomach is not required to bless
Hagomel. And Raavad also wrote that this only applies to a possibly
fatal blow. However, the Rambam wrote that one is required to recite
the blessing for every road and for every sickness, since it is written in
the Yerushalmi that all roads should be considered dangerous. And it
is also written in the Aruch that even one who feels ill in his head or
his eyes must recite the blessing.
"This is indeed the custom in Spain."
[Orach Chaim 219].
The source for the wise men of Ashkenaz is the ROSH (Berachot 9b),
while the custom of Sephard (Spain) appears in Avudraham (page 340)
and in the Ramban (Torat Ha'adam). The Shulchan Aruch also
describes the dispute between the opinions of Ashkenaz and Sephard.
Based on these considerations, Sephardim recite Hagomel after every
trip, while the Ashkenazim do not do so.
Another question is the length of the trip for which one is obligated to
recite the blessing. The Ramban (Torah Ha'adam) feels that any length
of road is considered dangerous, and that there is no minimum limit of
travel. As opposed to this, the Baal Halachot Gedolot feels that there is
a minimum distance of one Parsah (about 4 km). Orchot Chaim quotes
this ruling of BAHA"G (Hilchot Sheini Vachamishi, 24), and this is also
the ruling of Beit Yosef and the Shulchan Aruch, after giving a review
of these opinions. The Mishna Berura explains why there is no need to
recite the blessing for a distance of less than four Parsot: "A close
place should not be considered to be dangerous."
A Dangerous Road close to the City
Our question is whether according to the custom of Ashkenaz, that the
blessing is not recited if the road is not dangerous, it is necessary to
bless Hagomel after a trip in Yehuda and the Shomron.
With respect to a trip shorter than 4 Parsot, it is written in the
Shulchan Aruch, "If the place is considered especially dangerous, the
blessing should be recited even for less than one Parsa." It would seem
that the wise men of Ashkenaz will agree with this, as can be seen
from several sources.
The early commentators discuss whether a blessing can be recited for
a miracle that does not fit into the four defined categories that are
listed in the Talmud. The Beit Yosef quotes from Avudraham:
"It is not said that only these four specific types must give thanks and
that others who recite the blessing are making a blessing in vain... And
this is true of any place where the Talmud gives a number."
The Beit Yosef quotes a different opinion:
"It seems that one is obligated to recite the blessing, since the reason
that those traveling in a desert must give thanks is because of the
danger of lions and thieves who can be found there. Therefore, if a
lion attacks a person, even in the city, or if thieves or night robbers
come at him and he is saved, or if other miracles occur, it is definitely
clear that the person should recite a blessing. The only reason that
these four were mentioned in the passage is because they are
commonly in some danger. And this certainly applies to one who was
directly rescued from death by a miracle. After all, a person is
obligated to recite a special blessing when passing the site where a
miracle took place: 'Blessed is He who performed a miracle for me in
this site.' And it is clear that one who was saved should recite a
blessing as soon as it happens, like the four who are required to give
thanks." [Rivash 337].
The author of the Shulchan Aruch ruled that in this case the blessing
should be recited leaving out G-d's name, but in spite of this the
Mishna Berura writes, "One who goes on the roads in a place which
was not dangerous but was attacked by bandits who wanted to kill
him and was saved, should recite Hagomel, according to all opinions."
It seems clear that he means the full blessing should be recited,
including G-d's name. This implies that the Mishna Berura feels that a
road which is dangerous is included in the definition of a desert even
by the rabbis of Ashkenaz, and they therefore agree that the full
blessing should be recited in this case. This is also implied by the Aruch
Hashulchan, who brings the dispute between Sephard and Ashkenaz
for a well-traveled road. This implies that for a road that is not welltraveled the wise men of Ashkenaz accept the Sephardi ruling. It also
corresponds to a ruling many years ago by Rabbi Dov Lior.
Public Hagomel
On the other hand, if Hagomel will be recited all the time, this will
become a case like what is discussed in the Talmud: "One who reads
the Hallel every day is cursing all the time" [Shabbat 118b]. In addition,
to institute a practice of reciting Hagomel regularly might enhance the
feeling of fear. I therefore recommend, in my humble opinion, that
only one person who is called to the Torah should recite the blessing,
in the plural, as is brought in the memorial book for the Chatam Sofer
(page 25). After his city was bombarded for many days in a war, he
writes:
"On the day of the surrender, I was called to the Torah, and I recited
the Hagomel blessing in the plural. And the people of the
4
congregation who were there with me responded, in the plural: 'He succeed on the recalculated route."
who was good to us...' And a different congregation did the same with Right then, we reached the gates of the Ulpana. My fears had not
Rabbi Mordechai Task."
disappeared completely, but I had achieved new levels of faith that
WHEN THE CHILDREN OPEN THEIR HEARTS
there was somebody up there looking out for me.
Recalculating the Route - by Meirav Maggeni, Author of What about you, my readers? Do you sometimes feel that the Holy
Content and Stories in Chemed, the Religious School System
One, Blessed be He, is guiding you and showing you the proper route?
"That's it, I'm ready," I said to Imma, and I got into the car. I sat down, Can you suggest any other ways that you can use to connect to Him?
waiting to start our trip. Imma didn't know the way, so first she turned HOLY AND SECULAR
on Waze, and we followed the instructions. "Take the second exit from Burning the Books would be Better - by Rabbi Amichai
the intersection," the voice on the phone said. The beautiful scenery Gordin, Yeshivat Har Etzion
flew by, one view replacing another, just like the thoughts racing We must admit the truth. Most of the "hilltop youths" are wonderful
through my mind. "What will happen if they did not accept me? I want young people. Idealistic youths, filled with a remarkable inner truth.
very much to study in Ulpanat Chedva, which has a wonderful Even if their political outlook is different from mine, this does not
atmosphere and where most of my friends will be studying. But what decrease my appreciation for the "silent majority" of these hilltop
if I don't succeed in the entrance exam? What if I am not able to youths.
answer all the questions in the interview, or if I clam up from But at the same time, alongside the silent majority there is a loud
embarrassment and am not able to say a word? If only time would minority among the hilltop youths which has unfortunately been
stop in its tracks and I could stay in the eighth grade forever, where I drawn into satanic realms. Yes, that is what I said, satanic realms – no
am so happy now."
other definition can be used to describe the dozens of youths who
Waze said, "In four hundred meters, at the circle, take the first exit."
were not disturbed by the image of a baby with knives stuck into it and
"And what if I am accepted in Ulpanat Chedva but I don't have a good who continued to jump around in excitement with their knives drawn.
time there? What if I don't find any friends, or I don't like the I have not investigated this evil minority group in any detail. It is quite
teachers? What if I will be homesick all the time?"
likely that there is more than one reason why this minority group
Imma, who is a world-champion mind reader, gave me an encouraging formed. Today I want to point out one factor that should be very
smile.
upsetting for every parent of adolescent children.
"Stay in the left lane," the phone told us. Imma kept smiling at me, and Five years ago, my mentor, Rabbi Yaacov Medan, called out publicly to
she suggested that I take a piece of chocolate and a deep breath. She burn the book, "Torat Hamelech" - The Laws of the King. "While some
said that she understands my excitement and my fears of the coming of the hilltop youths will listen to the halachic rulings and will
interview.
therefore be sitting in prison, this rabbi who wrote the book will sit at
As you probably realized from reading this, I am about to start a new home, giving public sermons, and peacefully singing the Shabbat
"route" in my life. Yael, my teacher, told us that whatever we choose Zemirot." Rabbi Medan spoke, but he did not realize how prophetic his
to do will have an effect on us for the rest of our lives. "The years words would be.
spent in the Ulpana are a very important time that can shape our I published the following paragraphs five years ago in the newspaper
personality," she says.
"Besheva," as an extension of the horrible prophecy by my mentor
Waze said to us, "In four hundred meters, turn left." Imma looked at Rabbi Medan. I returned to look at them in recent days, and I could
me again and tried to calm me down in another way. She turned on not stop my trembling.
the CD player, and the car was filled with a pleasant melody. "Turn
******
left," the phone insisted. But it was too late! Imma missed the turn, General Dan Chalutz was asked, "What did the pilot feel when he blew
and by mistake kept going straight.
up the building where the arch-terrorist Shechada was and at the
"What will we do now?" I asked, upset. "I might be late for my same time killed other people who were not terrorists?" The general
interview!" Imma stopped at the side of the road, and the Waze made answered in a bragging tone: "A light knock on the wing."
a funny sound which I had never heard before. "What is that?" I asked. "Peace" organizations turned to the Supreme Court to demand an
Imma said, "Waze is calculating a new route for us." I was very injunction against the appointment of Chalutz as the IDF Chief of Staff
surprised. I asked, "How does it know that we made a mistake?"
because of this statement. Unfortunately, the court rejected their
"Waze uses information from a satellite that is above us in the sky," request. Let me state this clearly: The bombing which eliminated
Imma explained. "Using some very smart programming, it knows at Shechada and others close to him was more justified by far than any
any moment exactly where we are, and it tells us how to go. If we other similar act. Even if the people around him were completely
make a mistake, it calculates a new route. All we have to do is to stay innocent, it was right to drop the bomb and kill them too. The very
connected to the Waze. See, it is continuing on a new route, not much serious claim against Chalutz is not that he justified dropping the
longer than the original one. Perhaps it will even be more interesting bomb, but rather the calm way that he reacted to the killing of Arabs
than the first one it gave us."
who might have been innocent bystanders.
We watched the scenery going by. And then, suddenly, I said, out loud Even though Shechada should have been killed, there is no
in a very calm voice, "Everything will be fine." Imma was so surprised justification for viewing killing innocent people as a "light knock on the
by the sudden change in my manner that she almost missed another wing." This death, which was fully justified, should have made us feel
turn.
sad. We must indeed fight an absolute war against terrorism, and
I said, "Look, Imma, the Holy One, Blessed be He, high above us, is unfortunately this will include harming innocent bystanders, but this
watching over me and showing me the correct path. But if I make a should never be done apathetically and with a dull sense...
mistake, He will recalculate a new route for me."
The same man who treated the harm to innocent people with haughty
"What a great idea!" Imma said (and again almost missed a right turn). arrogance later on treated the stupid and cruel expulsion of thousands
And then, after she thought about it, she said, "That will work, as long of Jews from Gush Katif with equanimity. A sharp and clear line runs
as you stay connected..."
from ignoring the pain of the Arabs who were injured in the Shechada
I wondered, "What does that mean, connected? How can we be bombing to the disregard for the pain of his own Jewish brethren
connected to the Holy One, Blessed be He?" And suddenly, I had the whom he cruelly expelled, without any real attempt to take care of
answer. I prayed with all my heart: "Master of the Universe, help me them...
5
[Besheva, issue, 409, 5771 (2011].
******
In addition, I wrote the following in the above article:
The book Torat Hamelech should be burned. The rabbi who wrote it
should have his right to teach halacha revoked. "While some of the
hilltop youths will listen to the halachic rulings and will therefore be
sitting in prison, this rabbi who wrote the book will sit at home, giving
public sermons, and peacefully singing the Shabbat Zemirot." That is
what my mentor, Rabbi Yaacov Medan, said in the yeshiva.
They asked the rabbi, "Where is your moderation? Where is the open
approach? Why are you ready to sit with Prof. Ruth Gavison but not
with the author of that book? After all, we know the adage that 'In the
place where they burn books they will in the end burn people.'"
The answer to these questions is simple and painful. Those who asked
them complained bitterly about the fact that a book might be burned.
But a much more serious worry should have bothered them – the fear
that people might be burned. My mentor called for the burning of the
book Torat Hamelech, a book which encouraged the idea of burning
people...
There are many situations when we are duty bound to injure innocent
people. There is no argument that this is true. The disagreement is
about the calm and indifferent attitude that appears in the book with
respect to taking a life. Kayin was punished for killing Hevel even
though he had not been given a previous command not to commit
murder. Kayin should have been able to understand this principle by
himself. And we should demand from the author of Torat Hamelech
that he should have the same instincts that were demanded of Kayin.
'If one spills another person's blood, his own blood shall be spilled'
[Bereishit 9:6].
[Besheva, ibid].
******
If killing an Arab can be compared to killing a sheep, then the problem
with the dance of the knives is one of esthetics. It is not nice or
pleasant to dance around a picture of a slaughtered sheep. That is the
spirit of some of the reactions to the movie of the dance. But what can
we do? Everybody has different tastes. Something that an adult might
feel is inappropriate may well be acceptable to an adolescent. The
spirit of Torat Hamelech, which compared the blood of a Gentile to the
blood of a bothersome mosquito, is the spirit which could be felt over
the heads of those who took part in the horrifying dance.
******
The sages tell us favorable things about Bitya, Pharaoh's daughter,
who defied her father's command to kill a baby from the nation which
threatened her own, showing pity for a crying Jewish child and
stretching out her hand to rescue him. There is a gap of light years
between Pharaoh's daughter, the Gentile, who saved a Jewish baby,
and the gang which danced around the stabbed picture of an Arab
baby.
For reactions and comments: benkodesh@gmail.com
ZOMET AT THE CROSSROADS
A New Zomet Product: A "Portable" Gramma Switch by The Zomet Institute
As is well known, we at Zomet Institute develop halacho-technical
solutions for devices whose use is vital on Shabbat. Within the realms
of security and health we allow turning devices on and off through the
use of the method of "gramma" – indirect action. Details of the theory
and practice of the method can be found at the Zomet website. In
principle, a person is not required to activate anything or to initiate
any process, rather he or she indirectly allows a cyclical mechanism to
turn an important device on or off.
There are cases when there is a need to press an electric switch which
cannot be permanently connected to a gramma mechanism. For
example, this could be buttons in an elevator needed for a
handicapped person (in a place where it is not possible to install a
Shabbat elevator), or the on/off switch of an existing medical device.
For such cases, Zomet has developed a portable gramma device given
the (temporary) name "Mitogram." It is placed next to the necessary
switch, and a button on the gramma device is pushed. This initiates a
gramma sequence which releases a mechanical "finger" that presses
the switch. Note that the use of this new device is limited to vital
needs, and it is best to consult a rabbi before using it on Shabbat.
RIDDLE OF THE WEEK
by Yoav Shelosberg, Director of "Quiz and Experience"
Shemot
In this week's portion we read that Tziporah circumcised her son:
"And Tziporah took a sharp stone and cut off her son's foreskin, and
she threw it at his feet..." [Shemot 4:25].
What Hebrew idiom (which in a literal sense is not relevant at all to
this event) can be used to describe Tziporah's action?
Answers for last week, Vayechi – The riddle was: Zevulun is here and
Asher is there, Yissachar is here and Reuven is there.
(1) "Lechof yamim" – on the coast of the sea
- It is written, "Zevulun will dwell on the coast of the sea, at the port of
the ships, and his furthest border will reach Tzidon." [Bereishit 49:15].
- And, "Asher dwelt on the coast of the sea, he remained at the
borders" [Shoftim 5:17].
(2) "Bain hamishpetayim" – between the boundaries
- "Yissachar is a donkey of burden who rests between the boundaries"
[Bereishit 49:14].
- "Why do you sit between the boundaries and listen to the bleating of
the
flocks?
The
indecision
of
Reuven
should.=
= = = = = = = =
3 - NCYI
NCYI Weekly Divrei Torah, From:
http://www.youngisrael.org/
"A Most Technical Usage Of Terms"
Rabbi Moshe Greebel
Associate Member Young Israel Council of Rabbis
It is always very intellectually exhilarating to discover through our
Rabbanim of blessed memory, that a very popular perception of
something in the Torah is not in fact, what the general public seems to
think of it. The unearthing of such Torah phenomena always
dramatically alters that which we imagined prior. In this week’s essay,
we shall delve into the words of the second edition of the text K’hilas
Yitzchak (published 1900) by Rav Yitzchak Ben HaRav Nissan of Vilna of
blessed memory, in which we find some very interesting perceptions.
To begin with, the Torah tells us of the ‘re-marriage’ of Moshe’s
parents:
“And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took for his wife a
daughter of Levi.” (Sh’mos 2:1)
On this Passuk (verse), Rashi cites from the Gemarah of Sotah 12a:
“And there went a man of the house of Levi. Where did he go? Rabbi
Y’huda Ben Z’vina said that he (Amram father of Moshe) went in the
counsel of his daughter (Miriam). A Tanna taught, ‘Amram was the
greatest man of his generation. When he saw that the wicked
Pharaoh had decreed “Every son that is born you shall cast into the
river” (Sh’mos 1:22), he said, “In vain do we labor (to have children)!”
He arose and divorced his wife (Yocheved his aunt). All (the B’nai
Yisroel) thereupon arose and divorced their wives. His daughter said to
him, “Father, your decree is more severe than Pharaoh's, because
Pharaoh decreed only against the males, whereas you have decreed
against the males and females. Pharaoh only decreed concerning this
world, whereas you have decreed concerning this world and the World
to Come (drowned babies would live in the hereafter, unborn ones
would not). In the case of the wicked Pharaoh there is a doubt
whether his decree will be fulfilled or not, whereas in your case,
because you are righteous, it is certain that your decree will be
fulfilled, as it is said, ‘You shall also decree a thing, and it
6
shall be established unto you!’” (Iyov 22:28) He arose and took his
wife back; and they all arose and took their wives back.’”
Concerning the birth of Moshe, the Torah soon tells us:
“And the woman (Yocheved) conceived, and bore a son; and when she
saw that he was a good child, she hid him three months. And when
she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark made of reeds,
and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child in it; and
she laid it in the rushes by the river’s brink.” (Sh’mos 2:2-3)
Rashi explains why Moshe could be hidden from the Egyptians for
three months:
“And when she could no longer hide him….. Because the Egyptians
counted her (pregnancy) from the day that he (Amram) took her back.
She bore him (Moshe) after (only) six months and one day.….. And
they searched after her at the end of nine (months from when Amram
took her back).”
The K’hilas Yitzchak poses a question on the two P’sukim (verses) in
this week’s Sidra. In LaShon HaKodesh (holy tongue), there are two
words which translate into ‘hide’ or ‘conceal.’ The letters of the root
of one of them are Tzadik, Fay, Nun Sofis. The letters of the root of
the other are Tes, Mem, Nun Sofis. Very simply then, the two terms
would be referred to as Tzafun and Tamun. Why, poses the K’hilas
Yitzchak, do our above two P’sukim make use exclusively of Tzafun
and not Tamun? What then, is the difference between both terms?
The K’hilas Yitzchak instructs that the term Tzafun refers to the
concealment of something spiritual such as a concept or idea. But
wait! The term Tzafun in our above P’sukim seems to speak of the
hiding of a physical male baby from Egyptians. This is not something
spiritual, but something very corporeal. Let us however, leave this
question for the moment, because it will soon be very well resolved.
Some other examples in Mikra (Scripture) of Tzafun (hiding something
spiritual) are presented:
“I have hidden Your word (Tzafun) in my heart, that I might not sin
against You.” (T’hillim 119:11)
“And these things have you hidden (Tzafun) in your heart; I know that
this is with you.” (Iyov 10:13)
As can clearly be seen, both P’sukim are speaking of the hiding of
spiritual matter such as concepts. The second term Tamun however,
refers to the concealment of something physical or corporeal. Several
examples can be seen:
“And they gave to Ya’akov all the strange gods which were in their
hand, and all their rings which were in their ears; and Ya’akov hid
them (Tamun) under the oak which was by Sh’chem.” (B’raishis 35:4)
“And he (Moshe) looked this way and that way, and when he saw that
there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him (Tamun) in the
sand.” (Sh’mos 2:12)
“When I (Achan) saw among the booty a good garment of Shinar, and
two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels
weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are
hidden (Tamun) in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver
under it.” (Y’hoshua 7:21)
“And when these lepers came to the outer edge of the camp, they
went into one tent, and ate and drank, and carried from there silver,
and gold, and garments, and went and hid it; and returned, and
entered into another tent, and carried there also, and went and hid it
(Tamun).” (M’lachim II 7:8)
The difference between Tzafun and Tamun is very well illustrated, as
per the K’hilas Yitzchak, in the two spies that Y’hoshua sent to Y’richo,
who came to the house of Rachav. First, it states:
“And the woman took the two men and hid him (Tzafun), and said
thus (to the men of Y’richo), ‘There came men to me, but I know not
from where they were.’” (Y’hoshua 2:4)
At this point, the K’hilas Yitzchak poses two questions:
1) If Rachav is hiding spies (physical objects), why is the term Tzafun
(for something spiritual) utilized?
2) If Rachav is hiding two spies, why does it state, “And hid him,” and
not, “And hid them?” The next Passuk seems to use the term Tamun
(for something physical) correctly:
“But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them
(Tamun) with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the
roof.” (ibid. 2:6)
In answer to our first question, the K’hilas Yitzchak informs us that
what is actually meant in Passuk #4 by “And hid him (Tzafun)” refers
not to the spies themselves, but rather to Rachav’s knowledge of any
spies, which of course, refers to a concept or something spiritual
which she kept hidden from the men of Y’richo.
And, since we in essence are speaking of an idea instead of two spies,
the Mikra states, “And hid him,” or as would be said in English, “And
hid it.” Both our questions are resolved.
And, concludes the K’hilas Yitzchak, that is why the Torah utilizes the
term Tzafun (something spiritual) when speaking of the hiding of
Moshe. For, the Torah is not speaking of hiding the physical baby
Moshe, but rather of hiding the idea that he was born three months
premature, as we see in a similar sense with Rachav and the spies.
And so, all our questions are resolved.
= = = = = = = = = =
4 – RAV RISKIN
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin http://www.ohrtorahstone.org.il/
Efrat, Israel - The Book of Exodus begins the story of the people of
Israel, the nation which developed from the household, or the family
of Jacob. Many are the differences between the Book of Genesis and
the Book of Exodus, but perhaps the greatest change lies in the
"personality" (as it were) of God Himself.
Genesis, the book of creation, refers to God at first as Elohim, the sum
total of all the powers of the Universe, who created the heavens, the
earth and all of their accouterments. And this God of the creation,
actually the God who was there before creation and who brought
creation into being, works very much alone: God creates, God speaks,
God calls forth.
Very different is the God of the Exodus; at the opening of this book,
God defines Himself as Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, "I will be what I will be,"
the essence of being into the future, the God of history. In effect, God
is saying that He will be, He will effectuate, He will bring about
freedom and redemption, but in an indefinite time which cannot be
revealed to Moses.
Why not? Because God now has partners. Firstly His Israelite
covenantal partners from the Covenant Between the Pieces of
Abraham (Genesis 15); secondly, the nations roundabout and
especially the very powerful Egypt; and of course the leaders of Israel,
especially Moses, and Moses's brother Aaron and sister Miriam.
You see, if Genesis is the book of creation, Exodus is the book of
history and history is an ongoing process between God and His Chosen
Nation, between God and the nations of the world; God will
effectuate, but only together with the cooperation of His partners.
For the remainder of the Five Books of the Bible (Pentateuch), Moses
will be the strong towering figure, from servitude to freedom to
revelation, to wandering in the desert, to our entry into Israel. And
strangely enough, he is introduced in our biblical portion with no
personalized mention of pedigree: "A certain man of the House of Levi
went and married a Levite woman; the woman conceived and bore a
son... and she hid him for three months."
Why are Moses's parents anonymous? Perhaps because it really
doesn't matter who your parents are: It matters who you are. And
perhaps because we shall learn that he had a second mother who
nurtured him, who saved his life from the baby-slaying Egyptians, who
named him her son (Moses, in ancient Egyptian, means son) and
brought him up in Pharaoh's palace - perhaps to teach us that only
someone who came from the "outside" could free himself of the slave
mentality and emancipate the Hebrew slaves, or perhaps
7
to teach us that although the Egyptians enslaved us, it was also an
Egyptian woman who endangered her life to save a Hebrew child.
It is only in Chapter 6 of Exodus that we learn the names of Moses's
biological parents, and trace his pedigree from his parents Amram and
Jochebed all the way back to the Children of Jacob; and this study of
his roots comes just at the time that he is about to confront Pharaoh
for the first time and begin his mission to free the Hebrew slaves.
Nevertheless, the Bible tells us nothing at all about Moses's parents,
their characters or their activities; we are only informed as to their
names.
To be sure, we will learn much from the Bible about the almost
superhuman achievements of Moses, who was not only a great
political liberator but who also "spoke to God face to face" (as it were)
and revealed God's Torah laws for all posterity. We will also come to
know his remarkable siblings, Aaron and Miriam.
But we cannot help but be curious about the two individuals who bore
and to a great extent raised the three greatest leaders in Jewish
history.
I may not know much about the parents of Moses, Aaron and Miriam,
but I do know volumes about the grandparents of these three
extraordinary people. Just imagine the circumcision ceremony which
was made for Moses' father and the simhat bat for Moses's mother,
rituals which must have occurred in fearful secrecy during a period of
slavery and persecution.
The history of the children of Israel seems to be ending almost before
it began, in the hellholes of Pithom and Raamses, in the turpitude of
debasement and oppression.
Nevertheless one set of parents choose to name their son Amram,
"exalted nation," and the other set of parents choose to name their
daughter Jochebed, "glory to God." These grandparents had
apparently been nourished on the Covenant Between the Pieces, upon
the familial prophecy of "offspring who will be strangers in a land not
theirs, who will be enslaved and oppressed, but...in the end will go
free with great wealth" (Genesis 15:13-14), and will return to the land
of their fathers.
And these grandparents apparently inspired their grandchildren with
faith in the exalted status of their nation, a nation which will
eventually bring the blessing of freedom and morality to all the
families of the earth and with the ability to give glory to God in the
darkest of times because they knew that eventually His great light
would shine upon all of humanity. Yes, I may not know much about
Moses' parents, but by the names they bestowed upon their children I
know volumes about Moses' grandparents!
Shabbat
Shalom!
Shabbat
Shalom= = = = = = = = = =
5 -PROJECT GENESIS (torah.org)
deaf, or dumb, sighted or blind? Is it not I, Hashem!" (Exodus 4:10-11)
Hashem patiently responds to each of Moshe's excuses with a clearly
defined rebuttal. Except when Moshe makes what proves to be his
final plea. After exhausting all of his excuses, Moshe, seems desperate
to absolve himself of the task and declares, "Send the one whom you
usually send!" (Exodus 4:13) According to Rashi, Moshe was referring
to Ahron, who prophesized to the Jews even before Moshe and
throughout the time that Moshe was hiding in Midian.
Suddenly, the conciliatory answers cease. "The rage of Hashem burned
against Moshe." Hashem declares to Moshe that Ahron is elated with
the decision. "Ahron is going to greet you with joy in is heart!" (Exodus
4:14). There are no more protestations. Moshe journeys back to Egypt
and into eternity. The question is obvious. What did Moshe finally say
that inflamed the ire of Hashem to the extent that the Torah tells us
that His "anger burned"? Hashem responded calmly to each of
Moshe's previous justifiable issues. Why did Hashem only become
angry when Moshe evoked the concept of using Ahron, the one who
normally and previously did the prophesizing?
The Story
As a result of lower-level mismanagement, poor earnings, and low
moral, the Board of Directors dismissed the CEO of a major
corporation who had served faithfully and successfully for many years.
His wisdom and experience, however, were well respected in the
industry and the new boss looked to the former executive for
introductory advice.
"I can't tell you much," said the seasoned executive, "but I will give
you something." The older boss, handed the neophyte executive two
envelopes. One of them had a large#1 written on it, the second was
marked #2. "Young man," began the former CEO, "when you are
challenged with your first major crisis open envelope number one. If
things have not calmed down after a few days, then open envelope
number two."
After a brief turnaround, things began to fall apart. Soon a crisis
erupted, the employees were disgruntled, and chaos began to reign.
The Board of Directors were once again looking to make major
changes, and the unseasoned executive's job was on the line. As hard
as the young executive tried to calm the situation, it was futile. He
locked himself in his office and opened the first envelope. In small but
clear typewritten letters were the words, "Blame your predecessor."
He followed the advice but the results were short-lived.
The following weeks were not productive. In fact, things were getting
worse. It was time for the second envelope.
The young CEO opened it. When he saw the message typed on the
small piece of paper, he knew his time had come. It read, "prepare
two envelopes."
The Message
The Bechor Shor explains that as long as Moshe's hesitations
engendered reasons that entailed his own perceived shortcomings,
Hashem responded with a clear and precise rebuttal. But when Moshe
exclaimed, "send the one who used to go," and did once again not
offer any reason for his own failing but shifted the responsibility to his
brother Ahron, Hashem became upset. And at that point, "the rage of
Hashem burned against Moshe."
When challenged with difficult tasks we must face the mission
presented to us and deal with our own abilities. By shifting the
responsibility to someone else, even if we feel he is better suited, we
may be inviting wrath. Because when we are asked by Hashem to
perform, then there is no one better to do the job.
= = = = = = = = = =
The Jewish Learning Network http://www.torah.org/
This week's portion introduces us to Moshe Rabeinu, the messenger of
Hashem who redeems the Jewish nation from Egypt. We are told of
Hashem's proposal to Moshe to lead the Jews out of Egypt, and how
Moshe refuses the opportunity.
First Moshe responds, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?"
(Exodus 3:11) After Hashem assures him of his ability Moshe asks,
"When I go to the nation and they ask me, 'what is His name?' what
shall I say?" (Exodus 3:14)
Hashem responds again. Then Moshe respectfully demurs, "But they
will not believe me, and they will not heed my voice, they will say
"Hashem did not appear to you!'" (Exodus 4:1) Again Hashem
responds by giving Moshe two miraculous signs that he, when
6 - HAR ETZION (VBM)
challenged, should in turn show to the Jewish nation.
And again Moshe is hesitant. "Please my L-rd," he cries, "I am not a Virtual Beit Midrash, Alon Shevut, Gush Etzion 90433 e-mail:
man of words, for I am heavy of mouth and heavy of speech." Once yhe@virtual.co.il,
again Hashem rejoins, "Who made a mouth for man or makes one Home Page: http://www.vbm-torah.org/
8
.The Signs – A Serpent and Tzara’at Harav Yaakov
Medan
“And Moshe answered and said, But behold, they will not believe me,
nor hearken to my voice, for they will say, The Lord has not appeared
to you.” (Shemot 4:1)
In response to this claim, God gives Moshe two signs (“otot” – the
serpent and the tzara’at) and one “wonder” (“mofet” – the blood). I
shall address the “otot.”
Chazal, Rashi, and other commentators criticize Moshe for his lack of
confidence in the faith of Am Yisrael, and view the staff that is
transformed into a serpent, causing Moshe to recoil in fear, as a
punishment to him for speaking ill of the Jewish people. The idea that
these signs come as a sort of punishment is even clearer in the second
sign – his hand being struck with tzara’at.
“Reish Lakish said: One who entertains suspicions against innocent
people is punished bodily, as it is written, ‘But behold, they will not
believe me…’ – but it was known to the Holy One, blessed be He, that
they would indeed believe him.
He said to Moshe: They are believers, and descendants of believers,
whereas you will ultimately disbelieve. ‘They are believers’ – as it is
written, ‘And the people believed;’ ‘and descendants of believers’ – as
it is written, ‘And he [Avraham] believed in God.’ As for you, ‘you are
destined to disbelieve’ – as it is written, ‘Because you did not believe
in Me….’” (Shabbat 97a)
The reader is left wondering, in what way did Moshe sin at the burning
bush? His prediction as to the sort of difficulties that he would
encounter was actually quite accurate! After all, Bnei Yisrael rebelled
against him on so many occasions, having lost faith in his mission. In
fact, the verse that Resh Lakish uses to prove Bnei Yisrael’s faith –
“And the people believed” – is preceded by the information that “he
performed the signs in the sight of the people.” In other words, Moshe
was quite correct in seeking signs so that they would believe him.
Perhaps the episode can be understood in exactly the opposite way,
justifying Moshe who identifies at the outset the problems that he will
encounter as leader of Israel. God is supportive of him in his
reservations, and demonstrates to him, through the signs He gives, the
promise that “I will be with you.” According to this reading, God tells
Moshe that if anyone dares not to believe him and to undermine his
mission, God Himself will punish him. In a similar manner, God later
makes a similar commitment concerning every prophet who will arise
for the nation: “And it shall be that whoever will not hearken to My
words which he shall speak in My Name, I will require it of him”
(Devarim 18:19).
Miriam was the first to be punished with these signs. In conversation
with Aharon, she undermined the uniqueness of the prophecy of
Moshe, their brother:
“And Miriam spoke, and Aharon, against Moshe… and they said, ‘Has
the Lord indeed then spoken only with Moshe? Has He not spoken
also with us?’ And the Lord heard it.” (Bamidbar 12:1-2)
God rebukes them for this: “Why then were you not afraid to speak
against My servant Moshe?” (Bamidbar 12:8). And Miriam is punished
with tzara’at.
Once again, using the same expression, in describing the journey of
Bnei Yisrael from Hor ha-Har around the land of Edom, when they
grew impatient with the way, the Torah records:
“And the people spoke against God and against Moshe: Why did you
bring us up out of Egypt, to die in the wilderness…” (Bamidbar 21:5)
And the punishment quickly follows:
“And God sent venomous serpents among the people, and they bit the
people, and many people of Israel died.” (Bamidbar 21:6)
Here it is the sign of the serpent that acts against those who speak
against Moshe and God.
*
In both instances, the relief for the suffering comes in similar form.
Miriam and Aharon are forced to beg Moshe to pray for them, and
likewise the people:
“Then the people came to Moshe and said, We have sinned, for we
have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord, that
He take away the serpents from us.” (Bamidbar 21:7)
Those who questioned or undermined Moshe’s mission or his
message, were ultimately forced to recognize his prophecy and his
ability to pray on their behalf. In a similar way, God tells Avimelekh
concerning Avraham: “…for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for you,
and you shall live” (Bereishit 20:7).
Here the flip-side of the sign becomes manifest. By virtue of Moshe’s
prayer, the deadly serpent becomes an inanimate brass serpent that
gives life, just as the serpent at the burning bush returned to being a
lifeless staff in Moshe’s hand. By virtue of Moshe’s prayer, Miriam’s
leprosy was healed, just as his own hand had been healed.
*
Am Yisrael was destined to learn two lessons from the signs given at
the burning bush. The first was that the prophet is God’s emissary,
bringing His word to the people, and woe to anyone who denies or
questions this. The second lesson is that the prophet is also the
nation’s emissary before God. He is able to stand in prayer for them
with the assurance that God hears and answers him.
= = = = = = = = = =
7- AISH HATORA
(C) 1999 Aish HaTorah International - All rights reserved.
http://www.aish.com/
Vayechi(Genesis 47:28-50:26)
Shmot(Exodus 1:1-6:1)
The Three Signs
When God spoke to Moshe at the burning bush, Moshe was concerned
that klal Yisrael, crushed by the terrors of the Egyptian slavery, would
not believe that he was to be the agent of God who would bring about
their redemption:
Moshe answered and said, "But they won't believe me, and they won't
listen to my voice, for they will say that God did not appear to you."
(Shemos 4:1)
God thus provided Moshe with three signs, miracles he could perform
at will before the people to convince them that he really was the man
to lead them out of Egypt. The first sign was a stick that Moshe would
throw to the ground, where it would change into a serpent. When he
grasped the serpent by the tail, it reverted to a stick. The second was
that when Moshe thrust his hand into his breast, it contracted leprosy.
When he returned it to his breast, it reverted to its healthy state.
Finally, Moshe was to take some of the waters of the Nile and pour it
onto dry land, where it would become blood.
***
DISBELIEF
Before analyzing these signs in any depth, let us consider for a moment
why klal Yisrael needed them to convince them of Moshe's
authenticity. Why couldn't they simply believe that he was the
redeemer without this proof? We may first of all rule out the possibility
that klal Yisrael doubted that God had the power to redeem them from
their oppressors and thus needed the signs to prove that He was
capable. This is highly improbable, as they had a tradition from their
ancestors that God was omnipresent and powerful and would one day
redeem them. In reality, their disbelief was prompted by a much
deeper and personal motive. They did not feel ready for redemption;
they knew that the exile had a specific aim, which they believed had
not yet been realized.
***
THREE SINS, THREE GENERATIONS
To appreciate the underlying function of the Egyptian exile, we must
go back in human history to three crucial earlier generations. These
were the generation of Enosh, that of the Flood, and that
9
of the Tower of Babel. Each of these generations had a particular
spiritual function to fulfill: they were each given a specific proclivity for
one of the cardinal sins, which they were to overcome, thereby
perfecting the world.
In the days of Enosh, idolatry was invented. The Torah tells us little
about Enosh, but the Rambam explains that it was in the lifetime of
Enosh that people assumed that, since God had appointed the
heavenly spheres to control the world, it was appropriate to worship
them. From that error onward, the world slid into idolatry. Enosh's
contemporaries could have perfected the world by using their powers
for good. Instead they used them to introduce idolatry.
The generation of the Flood were sexually immoral. The Torah tells us
the reason for their destruction:
The world was corrupt before God... (Bereishis 6:11)
Corrupt - this is the language of sexual immorality and idolatry. (Rashi
loc. cit.)
The great evil instigated by this generation was sexual misbehavior.
Again, they had a particular proclivity for this sin, could have overcome
it and improved the world, but failed.
Finally, the builders of the Tower of Babel are characterized, if not as
murderers, at least as people with no regard for the sanctity of human
life:
If a person fell down and died, they paid not the slightest attention, but
if one brick fell down, they sat down and wept, saying, "Woe to us!
When will we bring up another to replace it?" (Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer
24)
So these three special generations failed to cleanse the world from the
three cardinal sins - idolatry, sexual immorality, and murder - instead
introducing and consolidating them.
The consequence of the Tower of Babel incident was that the world
was divided into different nations. From this division came the 70
primary nations and Avraham, the forerunner of the Jewish people.
The Jews were to be the torchbearers of morality, in some way the
conscience of the peoples of the world. As such, the 70 progeny of
Yaakov and their descendants had to go into exile in Egypt to rectify
the three cardinal sins before they could become the nation of God.
They had to undergo a series of oppressive decrees to wipe out even
the slightest trace of these sins left in their collective consciousness by
the three earlier generations.
***
HAD THE TIME ARRIVED?
At the time of Moshe, only slightly under 210 years had elapsed since
Yaakov and his family had arrived in Egypt. However, the exile was
supposed to last for four hundred years, as God had originally
promised to Avraham. The Midrash states:
When he went and said to the Children of Israel, "You will be redeemed
in this month," they replied, "Moshe Rabbeinu, how can we be
redeemed? Did not God say to Avraham Avinu that the exile would last
for 400 years? Only 210 have passed!" (Pesikta Rabbasi 15:8)
This is why Moshe thought that klal Yisrael would not believe that he
was the redeemer - they knew that they needed 400 years of slavery to
achieve complete rectification for the sins of the three generations of
which they were the spiritual inheritors.
In truth, the time had not yet arrived, for indeed the rectification was
not complete. But another consideration had become relevant: klal
Yisrael were sinking into the spiritual perversion of Egypt; they had
reached the 49th level of tumah (impurity). If allowed to deteriorate
further, their spiritual status would have become so bad that they
would never have been redeemed. So God chose to redeem them at
this stage in the exile, despite the fact that 190 years remained. They
would succeed, despite the incomplete exile process, in the merit of the
fact that they would eventually accept the Torah. Admittedly they still
needed to rectify the faults that the exile had not purged, but this was
now to be achieved at the Giving of the Torah.
***
UNDERSTANDING THE THREE SIGNS
We now appreciate why Moshe feared rejection from klal Yisrael. God
thus gave him three signs to perform before them, which would make
them realize that He had decided to end the exile at this premature
stage.
The stick turning to a serpent pointed to idolatry. It was the snake in
the Garden of Eden who first introduced the rebellion against God
which lies behind idolatry. The leprous hand corresponded to sexual
immorality. We can see this from a punishment promised to immoral
women:
Because the daughters of Tzion are proud and walk with outstretched
necks and fluttering eyes, walking and floating as they go, and with
their feet they spit poison. And God will strike with leprosy the crown
of the heads of the daughters of Tzion... (Yeshayahu 3:16-17)
Finally, the blood corresponded to the sin of murder.
Thus, when Moshe performed these miracles, the nation knew that he
understood their concern (that their rectification of the three cardinal
sins was incomplete) and that God would redeem them nevertheless.
***
A SUBTLE DIFFERENCE
There is, if we look closely, a slight difference between the miracle of
the blood and those of the serpent and the leprosy. We mentioned that
after the stick was transformed into a serpent Moshe turned it back
into a stick. Likewise the leprosy - after his hand had become infected,
he thrust it back into his breast, restoring it to full health. Not so with
the blood. Moshe poured some water on to the ground, where it
became and remained blood. We may suggest that the return of a
miracle to its original state conveys a great meaning in our context while there was a problem in that particular subject, it has been
rectified, restored to its correct state. So the serpent and leprosy
miracles, which symbolized the sins of idolatry and sexual immorality,
indicated to klal Yisrael that the rectification had already been
achieved in those matters.
Concerning the blood, Rashi tells us:
Egypt worshipped the Nile, so He smote first their god and then they
themselves. (Rashi, Shemos 7:17 et. al.)
Blood is the connecting force between the physical and spiritual,
between life and death. Indeed, murder is called "bloodshed" - through
spilling the blood, the connection between the soul and the body is
severed, resulting in death. Once blood is spilled, it cannot be rectified,
for we cannot bring the dead back to life. This explains why the blood
that Moshe poured on the ground did not revert to water after the
miracle was over: the blood that had been spilled and would still be
spilled in the downfall of Egypt could not be undone.
Excerpted from Shem MiShmuel by the Sochatchover Rebbe, rendered
into
English
by
Rabbi
Zvi
Belovski,
= = = = = = = = = =
8 Covenant and Conversation
Covenant and Conversation, a unique new Torah commentary from
Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks
Genesis ends on an almost serene note. Jacob has found his long lost
son. The family has been reunited. Joseph has forgiven his brothers.
Under his protection and influence the family has settled in Goshen,
one of the most prosperous regions of Egypt. They now have homes,
property, food, the protection of Joseph and the favour of Pharaoh. It
must have seemed one of the golden moments of Abraham’s family’s
history.
Then, as has happened so often since, “There arose a new Pharaoh
who did not know Joseph.” There was a political climate change. The
family fell out of favour. Pharaoh told his advisers: “Look, the Israelite
people are becoming too numerous and strong for us”[1] – the first
time the word “people” is used in the Torah with reference to the
children of Israel. “Let us deal shrewdly with them, so
10
that they may not increase.” And so the whole mechanism of
oppression moves into operation: forced labour that turns into slavery
that becomes attempted genocide.
The story is engraved in our memory. We tell it every year, and in
summary-form in our prayers, every day. It is part of what it is to be a
Jew. Yet there is one phrase that shines out from the narrative: “But
the more they were oppressed, the more they increased and the more
they spread.” That, no less than oppression itself, is part of what it
means to be a Jew. The worse things get, the stronger we become.
Jews are the people who not only survive but thrive in adversity.
Jewish history is not merely a story of Jews enduring catastrophes that
might have spelled the end to less tenacious groups. It is that after
every disaster, Jews renewed themselves. They discovered some
hitherto hidden reservoir of spirit that fuelled new forms of collective
self-expression as the carriers of God’s message to the world.
Every tragedy begat new creativity. After the division of the kingdom
following the death of Solomon came the great literary prophets,
Amos and Hosea, Isaiah and Jeremiah. Out of the destruction of the
First Temple and the Babylonian exile came the renewal of Torah in
the life of the nation, beginning with Ezekiel and culminating in the
vast educational programme brought back to Israel by Ezra and
Nehemiah. From the destruction of the Second Temple came the
immense literature of rabbinic Judaism, until then preserved mostly in
the form of an oral tradition: Mishnah, Midrash and Gemara.
From the Crusades came the Hassidei Ashkenaz, the North European
school of piety and spirituality. Following the Spanish expulsion came
the mystic circle of Tzefat: Lurianic Kabbalah and all it inspired by way
of poetry and prayer. From East European persecution and poverty
came the Hassidic movement and its revival of grass-roots Judaism
through a seemingly endless flow of story and song. And from the
worst tragedy of all in human terms, the Holocaust, came the rebirth
of the state of Israel, the greatest collective Jewish affirmation of life
in more than two thousand years.
It is well known that the Chinese ideogram for “crisis” also means
“opportunity”. Any civilisation that can see the blessing within the
curse, the fragment of light within the heart of darkness, has within it
the capacity to endure. Hebrew goes one better. The word for crisis,
mashber, also means “a child-birth chair.” Written into the semantics
of Jewish consciousness is the idea that the pain of hard times is a
collective form of the contractions of a woman giving birth. Something
new is being born. That is the mindset of a people of whom it can be
said that “the more they were oppressed, the more they increased
and the more they spread.”
Where did it come from, this Jewish ability to turn weakness into
strength, adversity into advantage, darkness into light? It goes back to
the moment in which our people received its name, Israel. It was then,
as Jacob wrestled alone at night with an angel, that as dawn broke his
adversary begged him to let him go. “I will not let you go until you
bless me”, said Jacob. That is the source of our peculiar, distinctive
obstinacy. We may have fought all night. We may be tired and on the
brink of exhaustion. We may find ourselves limping, as did Jacob. Yet
we will not let our adversary go until we have extracted a blessing
from the encounter. This turned out to be not a minor and temporary
concession. It became the basis of his new name and our identity.
Israel, the people who “wrestled with God and man and prevailed”, is
the nation that grows stronger with each conflict and catastrophe.
I was reminded of this unusual national characteristic by an article that
appeared in the British press in October 2015. Israel at the time was
suffering from a wave of terrorist attacks that saw Palestinians
murdering innocent civilians in streets and bus stations throughout the
country. It began with these words: “Israel is an astonishing country,
buzzing with energy and confidence, a magnet for talent and
investment – a cauldron of innovation.” It spoke of its world-class
excellence in aerospace, clean-tech, irrigation systems, software,
cyber-security, pharmaceuticals and defence systems. [2]
“All this”, the writer went on to say, “derives from brainpower, for
Israel has no natural resources and is surrounded by hostile
neighbours.” The country is living proof of “the power of technical
education, immigration and the benefits of the right sort of military
service.” Yet this cannot be all, since Jews have consistently
overachieved, wherever they were and whenever they were given the
chance. He goes through the various suggested explanations: the
strength of Jewish families, their passion for education, a desire for
self-employment, risk-taking as a way of life, and even ancient history.
The Levant was home to the world’s first agricultural societies and
earliest traders. Perhaps, then, the disposition to enterprise was
written, thousands of years ago, into Jewish DNA. Ultimately, though,
he concludes that it has to do with “culture and communities”.
A key element of that culture has to do with the Jewish response to
crisis. To every adverse circumstance, those who have inherited
Jacob’s sensibilities insist: “I will not let you go until you bless me.”
That is how Jews, encountering the Negev, found ways of making the
desert bloom. Seeing a barren, neglected landscape elsewhere, they
planted trees and forests. Faced with hostile armies on all their
borders, they developed military technologies they then turned to
peaceful use. War and terror forced them to develop medical
expertise and world-leading skills in dealing with the aftermath of
trauma. They found ways of turning every curse into a blessing. The
historian Paul Johnson, as always, put it eloquently:
Over 4,000 years the Jews proved themselves not only great survivors
but extraordinarily skilful in adapting to the societies among which
fate had thrust them, and in gathering whatever human comforts they
had to offer. No people has been more fertile in enriching poverty or
humanising wealth, or in turning misfortune to creative account.[3]
There is something profoundly spiritual as well as robustly practical
about this ability to transform the bad moments of life into a spur to
creativity. It is as if, deep within us were a voice saying, “You are in this
situation, bad though it is, because there is a task to perform, a skill to
acquire, a strength to develop, a lesson to learn, an evil to redeem, a
shard of light to be rescued, a blessing to be uncovered, for I have
chosen you to give testimony to humankind that out of suffering can
come great blessings if you wrestle with it for long enough and with
unshakeable faith.”
In an age in which people of violence are committing acts of brutality
in the name of the God of compassion, the people of Israel are proving
daily that this is not the way of the God of Abraham, the God of life
and the sanctity of life. And whenever we who are a part of that
people lose heart, and wonder when it will ever end, we should recall
the words: “The more they were oppressed, the more they increased
and the more they spread.” A people of whom that can be said can be
injured, but can never be defeated. God’s way is the way of life.
..= = = = = = = = = =
9 Rabbi Mordechai Elon
Redemption by name Parshat Shemot 5776
Edited and translated by students of the Rav.
Who knew not Joseph
This week's parsha starts a new book with a new king
"And there now arose a new king who knew not Joseph"
This new king, with his new and terrible laws, is the central theme of
this and the next few parshot. Despite this, the Torah decides to open
our parsha, and our new book with "old news", that we already know:
"Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt
with Jacob; every man came with his household: Reuben, Simeon,
Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;Dan and Naphtali,
Gad and Asher.And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob
were seventy souls; ."
11
This is not just a list - the whole book of Shemot is named after it!
Furthermore, at the end of the list there is another old-news item:
"and Joseph was already in Egypt"
Only someone who has slept through half of Genesis could have
missed out on that peace of information! What does this teach us?
Rashi asks these two questions
"Despite the fact they were counted by name in their lives, the torah
recounts them after their death.. What does this come to teach us?
We wouldnt know they were in Egypt?"
We all know that a name is always very important, and that the name
of a chumash has an intrinsic importance that sheds light on its
contents.
Bringing a name to Egypt.
We dont take enough notice of the fact that "Joseph was in Egypt" is
actually a very important point. When he was 30 years old and
appointed to be Pharoah's deputy - he was given a new name "Tzafnat
Peaneach" (the interpretor of secrets) - this is not a negative name,
simply a job description - as interpretor of dreams and secrets. Joseph
is unique among his brothers, as the only one given a new name in
addition to the one given by his parents.
Was Joseph's new name ever used? Even Pharoah, after answering the
Egyptian's complaints about the famine says :
And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to
Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians: 'Go unto
Joseph; what he saith to you, do.'
He sends only Joseph, he speaks only with Joseph - what about
"Tzafnat Peneach"?? Even Pharoah understands that his only name is
Joseph.
"Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt"
- It is not suprising that Reuven, Shimon and Levi came with their
names - they came from Canaan! But Joseph was in Egypt - and yet he
stayed Joseph. The torah starts explaing about the new king, summing
up his ideology in a few words : who knew not Joseph . The new king
doesnt know what a name is - in his eyes, everyone is a number in a
giant manpower company - a house of slaves.
Every man has a name
"Every man has a name" -a famous Hebrew poem written by Zelda,
with a midrashic source
"A man has three names - one given by his parents, one by people,
and one he earns himself"
Why is our chumash called "Shemot" - names ? Just as BereshitGenesis speaks of the genesis of the world, of the nations and of the
Jewish People, The chumash of Shemot deals with the power to give
names in a world that tries to turn names into numbers - and tries to
tattoo them on to our arms. In our chumash, Am Yisrael will teach the
world that every man has a name. Pharoah believes there are no
names, no differences between people, there is no value to a man's
unique contribution to the world "They would give men's jobs to women and women's jobs to men"
This is torture, "And they made their lives bitter with hard
service".But, against Pharoah a new world will arise that will teach the
value of names. Who is the first person to give a name in the book of
Shemot (names)? - Suprisingly, the first giver of names is no other
than Pharoah's daughter.
And she called his name Moses, and said: 'Because I drew him out of
the water.'
In other words - even in the inner circle of Egypt there is a need for
names, there is a holy spark hidden there that gives a name to the
redeemer of Israel.
And let my name be named in them, and the name of my fathers
How does Bereshit begin? When G'd created the world, and placed
Adam in the garden of Eden, he was given a task, as if G'd couldnt do it
himself, to give names to all living things
"and whatsoever the man would call every living creature, that was to
be the name thereof"
How does Bereshit end? How does Jacob begin the blessings of his
children? by calling Joseph to bring his two children, Menasheh and
Efraim, and the blessing he gave them.
"bless the lads; and let my name be named in them, and the name of
my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in
the midst of the earth.'"
"let my name be named in them , and in the name of my fathers" - this
is the blessing. They are about to begin a long exile, may they always
remember that they have a name, and never forget it. How is this
done? How can one remember individuality, and one's special task in
a world that tries to wipe out names?
Calling names
In the talmud, Mesechet Brachot, there is a midrash
"Come, behold the works of the LORD, who hath made desolations
(shemot ) in the earth." - read "names" instead of "desolations".
Desolations/shemot are disasters -something terrible. The root of the
word is "shem" - shemma - emptyness. "Shem" - name is something
within a framework , "sham" means "there" as in "over there" "ay
sham" - the middle of nowhere. Sham/Shem by itself means an
emptyness without a framework. It is a law of physics that nothing
stays a vacuum - there is no "shemama"/emptyness over time, it will
be filled with "desolations" - shemot.
Man has one task in the world - to give names/shemot. To define that
for every "sham"-there as a "shem"-name. It is interesting to note
that G'd, who's name we dont know is called "HaShem"? THE name,
the name of names. Baruch hashem - Thank G'd is actually - thanking
the name, Beezrat Hashem - with the help of the name, Im yirtze
hashaem - if the name will wish it .... The explanation is amazing
Hashem is emowering me not to allow "sham" the framework, the
constrictions (Metzarim in Hebrew - like Mitzraim - Egypt) to turn me
from emptyness - shemama to shemot-desolation.
Bezrat Hashem
When we say Bezrat Hashem , we mean to say that there is no "sham"
that will take control . Evem when we come to Mitzraim, to egypt, we
come with our names. We see that not just "every man has a name" ,
but even in the depths of Paroah's house, Pharoah's daughter from
her low place teaches us that the small baby, soon to be thrown in to
the river - into the "nothingness" - shemama , will make a name for
himself, and do great things in G'd's name.
Bereshit/ Genesis is named after the beginning. Shemot is named after
the people who after going down into egypt show that every man has
a name. From there they receive the Torah in Sinai, and then build the
tabanacle in His Name. From there G'd wil call Moshe by his name - as
he calls to all who have names, to enter the tabanacle, and make
"there"- sham , a name "shem" .
Every one that is called by My name, and whom I have created for My
glory, I have formed him, yea, I have made him.'
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