Shabbat Parshat No'ach - Rosh Chodesh October 8-9, '10 - 1 Marcheshvan 5771 www.ttidbits.com for PDF files of TT (whole, lite, XL), ParshaPix, text file, Palm version, Torah Tidbits Audio mp3 files... and more! Orthodox Union OU Kashrut <> NCSY <> Jewish Action <> NJCD / Yachad / Our Way <> IPA <> JLIC <> Synagogue Support Services <> OURadio.org <> Young Leadership <> Project Areivim <> OU West Coast Stephen Savitsky, President, Orthodox Union Harvey Blitz, Chairman of the Board, Orthodox Union Rabbi Steven Weil, Executive Vice President Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Exec. V.P. Emeritus Headquarters: 11 Broadway, New York, NY 10004 212-563-4000 <> website: www.ou.org OU ISRAEL Seymour J. Abrams <> Orthodox Union <> Jerusalem World Center Founders and initial benefactors of the Israel Center: George z"l and Ilse Falk OU Israel Center programs <> Makom BaLev <> Lev Yehudi <> Pearl & Harold M. 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Candle lighting times are rounded down to the minute, in other words, seconds are ignored. Havdala times, on the other hand, are round up to the next minute. Further explanations and notes on Z'manim are available on the website www.ou.org/torah/tt - click on Halachic times * Important clarifications concerning the Candle Lighting times Petach Tikva officially accepts upon itself to light Shabbat candles according to the Jerusalem custom. (This is due to the fact that the Ashdkenazi community of PT was founded by people from Jerusalem who brought their customs with them.) Up until this week, we understood that to mean that in PT one lights candles 40 minutes before sunset, just like we do in Jerusalem. We contacted the Religious Council in PT and found out that the official candle lighting time for PT is the same as Jerusalem's (not 40 min. before sunset, but the same time as J'lem). Petach Tikvians (or whatever they are called) must realize that their sunset is earlier than Jerusalem's and therefore they do NOT have 40 minutes after the posted time until sunset - more like 30-35. So too for Maale Adumim. They light candles at the same time as J'lem too. Sunset is also earlier in Maalei Adumim. One of the rabbis from Ascent of Safed (that's Tzfat) told us that there are differing opinions concerning when Candle Lighting is there. All say 30 min. before sunset, but some say the sunset that does not take into account the elevation of Tzfat, and some say to use the sunset time that does take elevation into account. We print the earlier time, in case. Halachic Zmanim and Shabbat times in Torah Tidbits are calculated by CHAZON SHAMAYIM, a computer program by R' Eitan Zakuni of Netivot. The latest version (beta), called HAZON NET is available as a free download on www.sky-view.co.il Word of the Month A weekly feature of Torah Tidbits to help clarify practical and conceptual aspects of the Jewish Calendar, thereby better fulfilling the mitzva of HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem... Mevorchim HaChodesh 5771 chart inside (see pdf files) First Kiddush L'vana (Minhag Yerushalayim): Monday night, October 11th. There is a custom to honor Rosh Chodesh with a special meal. This is a bit tricky when Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbat, since the day already is honored with three meals. Some suggest a fourth meal in honor of Rosh Chodesh - others have a more practical suggestion: Prepare or buy an extra fancy dessert or a special, additional side dish - something more than is usual for a "regular" Shabbat. ### 30 days hath September, April, June, and... what about Marcheshvan? It depends. There are three possible arrangements for Marcheshvan and Kislev. 'Regular' (K'SEDER) years, with Marcheshvan having 29 days and Kislev having 30 (almost 30% of yrs). 'Deficient' (CHASEIR), both having 29 days (a bit more than 25%), and 'full' (SHALEIM) with both months having 30 days (just under 45% of years). ### Marchershvan always has two days Rosh Chodesh. Marcheshvan "regularly" has 29 days, but in SHALEIM (full) years (like 5771) it has 30 days. ### Reminder: Mashiv HaRuach Umorid HaGashem but still V'tein b'racha, until Thu. Oct. 14th at Maariv when we begin T&M LEAD TIDBIT: MASHIV HARUACH U'MORID HAGASHEM Remember: Although we have been saying MASHIV HARUACH UMORID HAGASHEM since Musaf of Shmini Atzeret (in Israel, a.k.a. Simchat Torah), we are still saying V'TEIN B'RACHA - we will begin saying V'TEIN TAL UMATAR LIVRACHA at Maariv of the eve of 7 Marcheshvan, Thursday night, Oct. 14th. We mention that G-d is the Rainmaker in the second bracha of every Amida and we will soon ask Him to give us blessed, beneficial, and sufficient rain in the Bareich Aleinu bracha of the weekday Amida. Both the mention and the petition presuppose something, that perhaps does NOT go without saying. Before saying what, let's review the definition of the word "presuppose". From Answers.com - To believe or suppose in advance. To require or involve necessarily as an antecedent condition. Please read the definition again, and then the earlier sentence that used the word. That done, we can proceed. Simply put, when we say that G-d is the One Who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall, we must believe it. When we ask G-d to give us blessed rain, we must believe that it is He Who can do so, that it is He Who is in charge of the weather. It is not sufficient to believe that G-d created the world and everything in it, and that He created the Laws of Nature which determine how things in this world behave. Not enough. We must also believe that G-d has maintained supervision and control of everything that takes place in nature, and continues to supervise and control everything until this very day, and beyond. Mashiv HaRuach and Morid HaGeshem are both in present progressive tense - not past tense. Before we continue, let's make something clear. If a Jew has doubts in any area of belief, this should not prevent him/her from doing mitzvot, davening, making brachot, etc. It is not hypocritical to say or do things that one doesn't believe in completely - or even at all. In our example, if someone does not really believe that G-d determines the weather, he still is obligated by halacha to daven, and to declare that G-d is the Mashiv HaRu'ach, etc. Hope- fully, the person will come to develop his belief. It might not happen overnight, but it is a goal towards which one should strive and for which one should invest time and energy to achieve. Before getting back to GESHEM, let's look at another example - REFU'AH. We believe - or should believe - that G-d is the ultimate ROFEI CHOLIM, the Healer of the sick. Of course, we have medical science and doctors and medicines that we must use and are thankful for, in situations of illness. But concomitant with medical treatment of illness, disease, injury - is prayer. Our praying to G-d for healing and help does not negate the medical treatment. But it does recognize that we believe in a partnership between G-d, the Rofei Cholim and medical science. Our prayer will be powerful and sincere is there is a strong belief in G-d's role in the world. So it is with the weather. High fronts, low fronts, wind, moisture, temperature, atmosphere, clouds, and many other factors determine the weather. Everyone of those factors is ultimately controlled by G-d. Perhaps He often lets the nature He created take care of things. But we believe that His hand, so to speak, is always on the switch. In general, the stronger and deeper a person's belief is, the more he/she will invest in prayer. The child who asks his father to buy him a bicycle knows that his father is capable of doing so. And even inclined to do so, if that's what his child really wants. Most normal children would not seriously ask their parents for an elephant, or a trip to Mars. It is not something that they are capable of providing to their child. But AVINU SHEBASHAMAYIM, our Father in Heaven, is capable of all. Therefore, there is almost nothing that we cannot ask of Him. (We do have limits - T'filat Shav and miracles, but that's for another presentation.) Perhaps what we are saying in this Lead Tidbit is the way a person can improve his davening is by working on his belief. How can we do mitzvot better? Make your belief stronger - better performance of mitzvot will follow. And how does one strengthen his belief? Read the right material, talk to the right people, think and ponder, be open to belief. And may HaShem help us all in that endeavor. No'ach 2nd of 54 sedras (2nd of 12 in B'reishit) Written on 230 lines in a Torah, rank: 15th 18 Parshiyot; 5 open, 13 closed; rank 12th 153 p'sukim - ranks 4th Largest in B'reishit - tied with Vayishlach 1861 words - ranks 11th (6th in B'reishit) 6907 letters - ranks 13th (6th in B'reishit) Drop in ranking for words and letters is due to No'ach's very short p'sukim. No'ach ranks 49th in words/pasuk and 51st in letters/pasuk. No sedra in B'reishit has shorter p'sukim. MITZVOT None of the TARYAG mitzvot are counted from No'ach, yet there are mitzvot in the sedra, specifically (but not only) references to the Noahide laws. So too is P'RU URVU repeated to No'ach - it is counted as a mitzva from B'reishit, when it was commanded to Adam and Chava. It could have been counted from No'ach - the phrase actually occurs three times in Parshat No'ach (only once for Adam & Chava). Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary [P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicate start of a parsha p'tucha or s'tuma respectively. X:Y is Perek:Pasuk of the beginning of the parsha; (Z) is the number of p'sukim in the parsha. Kohen - First Aliya 14 p'sukim - 6:9-22 The sedra of B'reishit began with the glorious account of creation and "went downhill" from there: The exile of Adam and Chava from Gan Eden, Kayin and Hevel, the continuous degeneration through successive generations until G-d's "regret" for having created the world and his "decision" to destroy it. The only high note of this universal downslide comes at the end of the sedra: "But No'ach found favor in G-d's eyes". [P> 6:9 (4)] The sedra of No'ach continues this thread and tells us that No'ach was "completely righteous IN HIS TIME". SDT: Rashi presents the divergent opinions as to whether "in his time" is complimentary or derogatory. Was No'ach great EVEN in his very wicked generation, or was he great only by comparison to the generation in which he lived. Although Rashi does not seem to favor one possibility over the other, it seems obvious that No'ach was not as great as Avraham Avinu. A look at the fifth chapter of Pirkei Avot will reveal a significant difference between No'ach and Avraham. Ten generations between Adam and No'ach and ten between No'ach and Avraham, both to teach us about G-d's long patience. Same. Yet when the first full run of ten generations was up, the Flood came. When the second one was up, the Mishna tells us, that Avraham's merit sustained the whole world. No'ach's merit seems to have been only enough only to save his own family. On the other hand, there was a significant difference between the generations of No'ach and Avraham that cannot be ignored, and make comparisons unfair. Ponder this: Concerning the two different ways to evaluate No'ach's righteousness. Remember back a few short (but busy) weeks to the Musaf of Rosh HaShana, specifically to the ZICHRONOT bracha. Not only is one of the 10 p'sukim from Tanach about G-d's remembering of No'ach, but the pasuk is introduced in a way that the following p'sukim of G-d's remembering the cry of the people in Egypt and of G-d's remembering the Avot are not similarly introduced. "Of Noah also You were mindful in Your love, and did remember him with a promise of salvation and mercy, when You brought the waters of the flood to destroy all flesh on account of their evil deeds. So his remembrance came before You, HaShem our God, to increase his seed like the dust of the earth, and his offspring like the sand of the sea." The Torah essentially repeats that No'ach had three sons - Sheim, Cham, and Yefet, and that the world was totally corrupt. [S> 6:13 (48)] Then No'ach is informed by G-d of His plans to destroy the world and is commanded to build an ark, bring into it two of every kind of animal and sufficient food for his family and the animals. Commentaries point out that No'ach was given ample time to try to influence his generation to mend its ways. He either tried and didn't succeed or didn't try too hard. He did exactly as he was told (implying, and not more). Think about this... G-d could have destroyed the world and saved No'ach and family and the pairs of animals with a miraculous snap of His finger. In no time. With no human involvement. He could have, but He didn't. He could have left No'ach on his own, to do the whole job of saving his family and sample pairs of all the animals. He didn't do that either. (It probably would have been humanly impossible for No'ach to have done the whole job on his own.) What G-d did do is command No'ach to build an ark of a specific size, a three-tiered floating structure, and to gather all the food necessary to feed many, many animals and his family for a year. This, say some commentaries, cannot be done without a heavy dose of miracle, of suspension of the laws of nature. But it wasn't all supernatural. No'ach was part of it. And that is what G-d usually wants when it comes to miracles. We, as humans, relate so much better to that kind of miracle. Nachshon b. Aminadav needed to jump into the Sea before it would split. We need to see some familiar nature inside a miracle... and we also need to see the miracle inside nature. SDT: Baal HaTurim points out that the Torah says EILEH TO-L'DOT... four times (as opposed to V'EILEH -PC), and each time it comes to negate what came before it. EILEH TO-L'DOT SHAMAYIM VA'ARETZ... nullifies the TOHU VAVOHU (chaos and emptiness that preceded formation of this world). EILEH TO-L'DOT NO'ACH, to negate the generations that came before him. ...SHEIM (No'ach's son), to negate CHAM and YEFET. EILEH TO-L'DOT YAAKOV, to negate EISAV. Levi - Second Aliya 16 p'sukim - 7:1-16 G-d tells No'ach and his family to go into the Teiva (ark) and to take with him seven pairs of each kind of kosher animal and bird. Noa'ch is told that in seven more days it will rain for 40 days and nights during which time all life on earth will be wiped out. No'ach was 600 years old at the time of the Flood. And so it happened. G-d's commands to No'ach to take pairs of animals as well as 7 pairs of kosher animals and birds, are two separate matters. The pairs of animals were for the survival and continuation of the species. These animals, we are taught, came on their own by instinct of self-preservation. On the other hand, No'ach had to bring into the Teiva the other animals, whose destiny, so to speak, was the Altar and the dinner table. How many deers were in the Ark? Seven pairs because the deer is a kosher animal, or only one pair because the deer is never brought as a Korban? Since some say that the reason for the seven pairs was because of sacrifices, and others say it was to provide kosher food, what's the answer for deer? Similarly, how many chickens? Sacrifices? No. Food? Yes. So which was it? Rabbi Zev Leff explains that B'nei No'ach are permitted to offer sacrifices from ANY kosher animal or bird; No'ach was not restricted to cow, goat, sheep, and two types of doves - the only acceptable Korbanot for Jews in the Mikdash. Hence, for either reason, it would seem that there were seven pairs of deer (each and every species?), giraffe, okapi, gnu (nothing much - what's gnu with you?), yak, chicken, sparrow, pheasant, etc. Shlishi - Third Aliya 22 p'sukim - 7:17-8:14 The rains fell and the waters of the deep surged for 40 days and nights, but the Flood remained at its highest level for an additional 150 days. G-d 'remembered" No'ach and all with him in the ark, and the waters began to recede. The ark settled on Mt. Ararat and 40 days later (Remember the first 40 days which represent death of all living things? This time the 40 represents the rebirth of those who survived the Mabul), No'ach opened the "window" of the ark and sent out a raven. Then he sent out a dove, and again, and finally after a full (365 day) year, the earth was ready to receive its new inhabitants. R'vi'i - Fourth Aliya 15 p'sukim - 8:15-9:7 [S> 8:15 (15)] G-d tells No'ach to leave the ark with his wife, his sons and their wives, and all the animals and birds. No'ach builds an altar and sacrifices upon it from all the kosher species. G-d's "reaction" to No'ach's offerings is that in spite of the basic evil potential of human nature, He will not destroy in the "wholesale fashion" of the Flood (but rather punish on a more restricted and specific basis). The laws of nature are "adjusted" to provide the world with a never- ceasing cycle of seasons and climactic conditions. HERE'S A THOUGHT... We can see in the account of the Flood and its aftermath, a continuation of creation. It is as if stage 1 of creation was recorded in Breishit and here we have stage 2. In other words, the world came into existence during the 6 days of creation AND during the Flood which took place 10 generations later. Sort of like a rough draft and a further revision. And we, by the way, constantly affect the continuous further dynamic revisions. G-d blessed and commanded No'ach and his family (and all of mankind) to "be fruitful and multiply". (Let the point in the use of the two verbs not go by without notice: The ability to have children and raise a family is a mitzva and a wonderful blessing as well.) No'ach got permission to eat meat (this was denied to the previous generations), but was warned not to eat from a live animal. Murder and the other Noahide Laws are referred to and/or inferred, at this point. Again, No'ach and family are told to be fruitful and repopulate the world. Chamishi 5th Aliya 10 p'sukim - 9:8-17 [S> 9:8 (10)] G-d makes a promise to mankind that He will never again destroy the world as He did with the Flood. The rainbow will serve as sign and reminder of this promise. We acknowledge the significance of a rainbow by reciting a bracha when we see one - "...He Who remembers the Covenant, is faithful to it, and keeps His word. Of the 10 items mentioned in Avot as having been created at the instant between the Six Days of Creation and the first Shabbat, all but the rainbow are supernatural. The rainbow, by virtue of its inclusion on this special list, can be seen as a bridge between the natural and the super- natural. Put differently, we should see G-d's handiwork in all the elements of nature, not just in obvious miracles. "The mouth of the Earth" was a one-time creation to dispose of Korach and his gang. But regular rocks and hills, crags and clefts are no less part of G-d's handiwork. Some say that a rainbow is a sign that G-d is angry with the world and would want to destroy it - except He promised not to. On the other hand, Yechezkel describes the Heavenly Throne as like a rainbow, and the radiance of the Kohen Gadol upon leaving the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur is also likened to a rainbow in the sky. And it's beautiful, too! Shishi - Sixth Aliya - 44 p'sukim - 9:18-10:32 Second longest Shishi in the Torah [P> 9:18 (12)] Some time after leaving the ark, No'ach becomes a tiller of the soil and a grape grower. He produces wine and becomes drunk. One of his sons, Cham, behaves immorally with his father in his drunken state; Shem and Yefet behave admirably in the situation, protecting their father's honor and modesty. When No'ach realizes what has happened, he curses Cham and Cham's son Canaan, and blesses Shem and Yafet. No'ach lives 350 years after the Flood, and dies at the age of 950. The arithmetic of No'ach's years (600 before + 350 after = 950) seems not to take into account the year of the Flood. There is a good case to be made for not considering the duration of the Flood in calculations of the chronology of the world. We might look at the Flood as a period of "suspended animation" - laws of nature were not in effect; perhaps time as we know it cannot apply to that interval either. The animals in the ark did not function in their normal ways. No'ach had no sleep during the whole period (if we take statements made as literal). [P> 10:1 (14)] The Torah next outlines the generations that followed No'ach and the nations that came from Sheim, Cham and Yefet. These are the descendants of No'ach (numbers in brackets count the 70 nations of the world - based on the Living Torah by R' Aryeh Kaplan z"l). We'll call NO'ACH the zero generation. That makes SHEIM, CHAM, and YEFET, the first generation after No'ach. The counting of the 70 nation- progenitors begin with the children of Sheim, Cham, and Yefet. The Torah starts the genealogy with Yefet. Generation 2 from Yefet are: [1] Gomer, [2] Magog, [3] Madai, [4] Yavan, [5] Yuval, [6] Meshech, and [7] Tiras (who Rashi says is Paras, which partners him nicely with his brother Madai [3]). Third generation from Noach via Yefet's children (from only two of them; no descendants are named from the other five children): From Gomer: [8] Ashkenaz, [9] Rifat, and [10] Togarma. From Yavan: [11] Elisha, [12] Tarshish, [13] Kitim, and [14] Dodanim. 2nd generation from No'ach via Cham: [15] Kush, [16] Mitzrayim, [17] Put, and [18] K'na'an. 3rd generation via Cham's children: From Kush: [19] S'va, [20] Chavila, [21] Savta, [22] Ra'ma, [23] Savt'cha Ra'ma had [24] Sh'va and [25] D'dan. (both 4th generation.) Kush also fathered Nimrod, not numbered among the 70. From Mitzrayim: [26] Ludim, [27] Anamim, [28] L'havim, [29] Naftuchim, [30] Patrusim, [31] Kasluchim, (from either 30 or 31 came [32] P'lishtim - according to Rashi, Patrusim and Kasluchim swapped wives a lot and the P'lishtim came from both of them), [33] Kaftorim (who might also have come from Patrusim/Kasluchim or from Mitzrayim - disputed by commentaries). No one mentioned from Put. [S> 10:15 (6)] From K'na'an: [34] Tzidon, [35] Cheit, [36] the Yevusi, [37] the Emori, [38] the Girgashi, [39] the Chivi, [40] the Arki, [41] the Sini, [42] the Arvadi, [43] the Tz'mari, and [44] the Chamati. So far, 25 from Yefet, 19 from Cham. [S> 10:21 (12)] From Sheim: [45] Eilam, [46] Ashur, [47] Arpachshad, [48] Lud, [49] Aram. From Aram: [50] Utz, [51] Chul, [52] Geter, [53] Mash. From Arpachshad came [54] Shelach and from him came [55] Eiver. Eiver is 4th generation. He had [56] Peleg and [57] Yaktan (5th generation). From Yaktan: [58] Almodad, [59] Shelef, [60] Chatzarmavet, [61] Yerach, [62] Hadoram, [63] Uzal, [64] Dikla, [65] Oval, [66] Avima'el, [67] Sh'va (same name as 24), [68] Ofir, [69] Chavila (same name as 20), and [70] Yovav. That's 26 from Sheim. Total 70. It should not be lost on us that the birth of the world population is describe as the 70 nations, and the birth of Israel begins (later) with "70 souls." Sh'VII - Seventh Aliya 32 p'sukim - 11:1-32 Longest Sh'vi'i in the Torah [P> 11:1 (9)] The Torah tells us of the attempt to build the "Tower of Babel", the symbol of rebellion against G-d. G-d thwarted the plans, confused the languages of mankind and scattered the people far and wide. SDT: Commentaries contrast the two sinful generations in this sedra. Dor HaMabul was destroyed because their sins included the destruction of society by total disregard of a person for his fellow. Dor HaPlaga sinned against G-d alone, not against each other. Such a society (albeit warped) can survive; G-d can permit it to continue under these circumstances. [P> 11:10 (2)] The sedra returns to the lineage of No'ach, this time tracing only through Sheim. We find for each generation, the name of the "main" person, his age when his "main, named" son was born, how many years he lived after his "main" son was born, and the fact that other sons and daughters were born. Note that the total length of life for these second "10 generations" is not given, as it was in the first set of 10 generations. For example, Yered (back in B'reishit) was 162 years old when Chanoch was born. Yered lived for 800 more years after Chanoch was born. Yered's total number of years was 962 - adding for us. Here, in No'ach, we get the two numbers and have to add them up on our own. Sheim was 100 when he had Arpachshad (two years after the Flood). He lived a further 500 years (600). [P> 11:12 (2)] Arpachshad had Shelach at 35. Lived 403 more years (438). [P> 11:14 (2)] Shelach was 30 when he had Eiver. Then another 403 years (same as his father). (Total: 433). [P> 11:16 (2)] Eiver was 34 when Peleg was born. He lived another 430 years (464). [P> 11:18 (2)] Peleg was 30 when R'u was born. He lived another 209 (total, 239). [P> 11:20 (2)] R'u was 32 when S'rug was born. Plus another 207 years (239). [P> 11:22 (2)] S'rug was 30 when he had Nachor. He lived another 200 years (230). [P> 11:24 (2)] Nachor was 29 when Terach was born. He lived 119 more years (148). [P> 11:26 (7)] Terach was 70 (there's that number again, and also notice how much older Terach was when he had children, compared with all previous generations back to Arpachshad.) Terach had three sons, Avram, Nachor, and Haran. Haran had Lot. Haran died. Avram married Sarai and Nachor married his niece Milka, Haran's daughter. The Torah makes a point of telling us that Sarai was barren. Terach takes his son Avram, his grandson Lot, his daughter-in-law Sarai, they leave Ur Kasdim and head out for the land of K'naan. They make it as far as Charan and settle there. Terach dies in Charan at 205 years of age (first one since No'ach with a recorded age at death). These events mentions at the end of Parshat No'ach did not happen in the sequence recorded. Commentaries explain why. The sedra thus ends with the stage set for the next major phase of world development - the return to belief in one G-d and the "birth of Judaism". Maftir in Second Torah 7 p'sukim / Bamidbar 28:9-15 Chapters 28 and 29 in Bamidbar (Parshat Pinchas) deal with the daily and Musaf korbanot in the Mikdash. The two Shabbat p'sukim followed by the five that deal with Rosh Chodesh are combined for the Maftir on Shabbat Rosh Chodesh. Notice that the Musaf of Shabbat is an expanded version of the weekday sacrifices and Rosh Chodesh's Musaf is like those of the Chagim. Makes sense when you think about it. Six days... and on the 7th - Shabbat is one of the days of the week and the unique one among them. The Chagim belong to the Jewish calendar, which is based on the months and Rosh Chodesh. Haftara 24* p'sukim Yeshayahu 66:1-24 The Haftara for Shabbat-Rosh Chodesh, the last chapter of Yeshayahu, preempts the regular Haftara (usually). The obvious reason for the choice is found in the next to the last pasuk, which mentions both Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh. This pasuk is reread after the last pasuk, so that the book of Yeshayahu - and this Haftara - can end on a brighter note than its real end provides. This chapter, as all chapters in Yeshayahu from 40 and on, contains a message of consolation. Specifically, this chapter tells us that G-d cannot be contained in the physical Mikdash, nor is He interested in sacrifices that are not offered with sincerity. This message is appropriate always, and the association with Shabbat - week in & week out - Rosh Chodesh - month in & month out, fits. THE JERUSALEM INSTITUTE OF JEWISH LAW, Rabbi Emanuel Quint, Dean Lesson # 533 (part two) Jurisdiction of the Beit Din It was shown in the prior lesson that the present-day Beit Din has a broad and liberally construed jurisdictional base in cases of commercial matters, as long as the type of case both occurs frequently and involves a loss of money, Continuing on with the jurisdiction of the Beit Din, there are cases of personal and property damage. One example of personal property damage is the case of damages by fire or by a "pit". Damages caused by a pit includes not only the situation where a wrongdoer has dug a hole in a public place, but encompasses all kinds of pitfalls which one might place in a public area. Rabbi Yosef Karo mentions in Shulhan Aruch Choshen Mishpat 410, that the above categories include the case of an ox pushing another ox into a pit. Rabbi Karo points out that the owner of the aggressor ox could not be judged by the non-ordained judges since it deals with an animal causing injury to another animal "with its horn" which only ordained judges could adjudicate. However, the owner of the pit could be judged by non-ordained judges so that he would have to bear his share of the damages. (The case of "with its horn" shall be explained IYH in a future lesson, and is something familiar to students who have studied Tractate Bava Kama.) Regarding cases of damages caused by fire or by a pit, there is an impressive array of scholars who disagree on whether non-ordained judges have jurisdiction over these cases. (The following was gleaned from research which I did for the Quint and Hecht, two volume set entitled "Jewish Jurisprudence", which bears the very rare approbation of Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik zt"l.) Those in favor of jurisdiction include Hananel Gaon (990-1055) on Talmud Bava Kama 84b as quoted by Ozer HaGaonim; Avi HaEzri (1160-1235) as quoted by Mordechai (1240-1298) on T. Baba Kama 8:80; Yad Rama (1180-1235) as quoted in Sheetah M'Kubezet (1520- 1591) T. Bava Kama 84b; Or Zarua (1180-1250); Sepher haMachria (1200- 1260) part 3, #325; Meiri (1249-1306); Shevut Yaakov (1670-1733); Minhat Chinuch (1800-1874) commandments 53 and 56; and Aruch haShulhan (1829-1908). Those opposing jurisdic- tion include Reban (1090-1170); Maharshal (1510-1574); Shach (1622- 1663) on Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat 1:2; Netivot haMishpat (1760- 1832); and R'Im (1789-1866). Maharik (1150-1217) as quoted by Hagahot Asheri (14th century) is undecided. The basic problem is that there is no Talmudic source giving the non- ordained judges jurisdiction over these matters. Certain authorities follow R'Im's premise that non-ordained judges originally had no jurisdiction over any cases but were later given jurisdiction over a limited group of cases. Therefore, if they were not expressly given jurisdiction over a specific matter, they could not judge it. Others feel that jurisdiction was intended to be conferred upon non- ordained judges unless they were specifically prohibited from judging certain types of cases. Following the latter premise, all doubts should be resolved in favor of non-ordained judges acquiring jurisdiction. "BOTH A LENDER AND A BORROWER BE" (part one) - THE CHALLENGE OF MONEY by Dr. Meir Tamari The role of the lender-creditor and his relationship with debtors-borrowers - but above all, the question of the morality and justice of interest, have, throughout the ages and all the cultures, been the most persistent and most discussed issues in business, economics and daily life. In the Jewish world, these issues are halakhically and spiritually, probably the most complicated of all. In addition, they have been at the center of anti-Semitic ideology and literature inducing persecutions, expulsions and even Jewish thought and self-evaluation. As a result there is much, among Jews and non- Jews alike, that is distorted, misunderstood and false regarding how the subject is dealt with in Jewish sources. "IM [when] you lend money to [any] of My People, you shall not take interest from him" (Shmot 22:24]: "It is a positive Torah mitzva to lend money to the poor of Israel [even to the rich at a time when their money is not available to them (Tur, Shulchan Arukh 93:1)]" (Hilkhot Malveh v'loveh 1:1). Making interest-free loans a binding obligation rather than a voluntary act, is the basis for a correct Jewish perspective of borrower and lender. This positive mitzva to lend money is one of the examples in Judaism of CHESED, acts of loving kindness, as distinct from charity that are obligatory acts of righteousness. "Greater is the merit of lending money than that of giving Tzedaka" (Shabbat 63a). Greater too than the spiritual and moral strength required to give charity, is lending money interest-free, forgoing thereby our own benefits to somebody who will use our money to earn profit for himself. "The noblest form of charity is to give the poor person a gift, loan, employment or create a business partnership with him, whereby he is strengthened and therefore does not require charity. This fulfills the verse 'if your brother becomes poor, you shall strengthen him' (Vayikra 25:39)" (Hilkhot Matnat Aniyim10:7). Charity merely alleviates temporarily the suffering or difficulties of the poor but does not break the poverty cycle, so the poor remain poor. On the other hand, there is plenty of empirical evidence that the extension of credit and loan-capital to the unemployed, underprivileged or disadvantaged prevents them descending into poverty and enables them to free themselves from dependence on charity or the public purse. While the Torah's injunction against charging interest was adhered to by medieval Christianity, and is observed to this day in Islam, the concept of gemilut chesed financing never spread beyond Judaism. It is easy to look at this Torah injunction as being pertinent to a primitive agrarian economy where transactions were between a person and his fellow farmer primarily to tide him over till the next harvest. How- ever, one does not have to go far in history to prove that interest-free loans have always been and continue to be an integral part of Jewish spiritual thinking and religious life. The masses of Jewish migrants from Eastern Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries had neither the assets for collateral nor the personal history of financial activity necessary for recourse to the banking systems of their new host societies. Their astonishing economic development would have been totally different to what actually materialized, were it not for the existence of Jewish free loan societies in every country. In modern Israel we saw how deeply rooted in Jewish thinking and practice this concept of gemilut chesed funds was. Despite the secularism that they embraced, the architects of its macroeconomics made the provision of what was in reality free credit and loan capital the corner stone of the economy. Such subsidized funding made possible economic development by a people lacking equity and savings; it remained in force until the 1980's by which time it had become morally and economically counterproductive. "The original basic calling of Israel was to become the social community of G-d. Not the service in the Temple but rather the social life that they were to build that stamped them as the People of G-d. 'Loveh' clearly refers to the attachment of one person to another; the lender attaches himself to somebody to further that person's interests. 'By lending to the poor you are lending to My People, My social community'. It is not the abstract theory of fairness that the interest-free loan stresses but the concrete building of a Jewish community on the thought that everything we possess really belongs to G-d. Not Mishpat but tzedakah, the idea of doing one's duty" (S. R. Hirsch Shmot 22:24). MISC section - contents: [1] Vebbe Rebbe [2] Candle by Day [3] Wisdom and Wit [4] From Aloh Naaleh [5] Parsha Points to Ponder [6] Portion from the Portion [7] From Machon Puah [8] Person in the Parsha [9] Praying with Passion [10] Towards Better Kashrut Awareness [11] MicroUlpan [12] Maharal on the Sedra [13] Unlocking the Torah Text [14] Oz Torah [15] Guest Article [16] "How much kugel do we need?" [17] Gimatriya match [18] Divrei Menachem [1] From the virtual desk of the OU VEBBE REBBE The Orthodox Union - via its website - fields questions of all types in areas of kashrut, Jewish law and values. Some of them are answered by Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, headed by Rav Yosef Carmel and Rav Moshe Ehrenreich, founded by HaRav Shaul Yisraeli zt"l, to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in Israel and abroad. Ask the Rabbi is a joint venture of the OU, Yerushalayim Network, Eretz Hemdah... and the Israel Center. The following is a Q&A from Eretz Hemdah... Question: Question: What are the sources, if any, for the idea of a makom kavua (set place) for parents at a dinner table? Does this apply only when the parents are present? Does it also apply to guests? Answer: The Torah commands us to show respect (kavod) to our parents (Sh'mot 20:12) and treat them with awe (morah) (Vayikra 19:3). The gemara (Kiddushin 31b), in delineating morah, includes not standing in their place or sitting in their place. What is considered "their place"? Regarding standing, Rashi explains that it is referring to a communal place where some fathers congregate for people to seek their advice. He does not explain what the place of sitting is. The Ramah, cited by the Tur (Yoreh De'ah 240) says that one should not sit in his parent's seat (literally, place of lounging) at home. The Tur implies that Rashi felt that a seat at home lacks the importance for the prohibition to apply, but the Beit Yosef says that Rashi agrees with the Ramah. He says that sitting in a parent's seat at home is obviously forbidden, and Rashi needed to explain where standing would be problematic, as such a formal place does not exist at home. In any case, the Shulchan Aruch (YD 240:2) forbids sitting in a parent's spot at home as well. The Beit Yosef (ibid.) and Shach (YD 240:1) say that it is permitted to stand where one's parents usually sit, as this is not taking his place in a manner that equates the child's importance to his parent's. A contemporary posek (Hilchot Bein Adam Lachaveiro 5:79) says that it is also forbidden to sit in a parent's physical chair if it is unique (special upholstery, arm rest, etc.) even if it is in an unusual location. Most sources seem to indicate that the prohibition applies even if the parent is not present. However, there are some opinions that if the parent is not present and it is not a case where all have assumed their regular places except that the son has taken his father's place, then it is okay (Rishon L'tzion, pg. 94). What several poskim discuss and a consensus permit is after the parent's death (Chayim B'yad 125). The parent's place is not holy, and to the contrary, inheritance is very much about taking over that which the parent left behind. (There are opinions that one should avoid sitting in a father's place in shul during the year of aveilut.) A parent can only waive his right to honor (Kiddushin 32a) and so with his permission, one can sit in his place. Although there is a machloket whether he may even allow his disgrace (see discussion in Yaskil Avdi 7:21), it seems clear that sitting in one's place is rarely a disgrace (ibid.). In many cases, permission may be assumed. For example, the Aruch HaShulchan (YD 240:9) uses such an assumption to explain the standard practice that boys sit in their father's seat in shul when the latter is not there. In general, it seems from the poskim that a practical, logical approach is called for. Rav Elyashiv is quoted (Bein Adam Lachaveriro 5:77) as saying that the prohibition does not apply to a parent's bed, which is not a place of honor. It is possible, in many families that there is a true parent's "seat of honor" only at a Shabbat table and that at other times or in a different room things are not as set or viewed as seriously (it depends on the family). Certainly there is no need to create such a seat, and if a parent moves around often for whatever reason, we would not grant the seat he sits in most frequently "his seat". In a similar vein, the Aruch HaShulchan (ibid.) said that while the halacha applies to a mother, it was less common in his time for a mother to have a set seat. Regarding a guest, certainly the stakes are lower as we are not discussing the serious commandment of honoring a parent. However, it is worthwhile for a guest to ascertain whether there is a very set place for the head(s) of the family. If there is, it would be appropriate for him to respect it as well. Ask the Rabbi Q&A is part of Hemdat Yamim, the weekly parsha sheet by Eretz Hemdah. You can receive it by sending an email to info@eretzhemdah.org with the message: Subscribe/English or Subscribe/Hebrew - leave subject blank. Ask the Vebbe Rebbe is partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel. [2] Candle by Day It is sometimes better to salvage nothing than to be hindered from the recovery of a great loss by the cheap consolation of having salvaged some- thing. A Candle by Day - The Antidote - The World of Chazal by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein Now available at 054-209-9200 [3] Wisdom and Wit by Shmuel Himelstein No column this week [4] CHIZUK and IDUD for Olim & not-yet-Olim respectively The Dove and the Jew The Torah relates (B'reishit 8:8), "And he (Noah) sent forth the dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from the face of the ground; but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned to him into the ark." The Midrash says (B'reishit Rabba 33:8) "Had she found rest she would not have returned." The Midrash then applies a verse from Eicha (1:3), "She dwells among the nations, she finds no rest." Says the Midrash: "Had she found rest she would not have returned (to Israel)." The Rabbis likened the dove to the Jewish people and the ark to Eretz Yisrael. The Midrash teaches us that like the dove, the Jew will come home to Eretz Yisrael only when he can find no rest elsewhere. When self-satisfied abroad; when one feels he has "made it" elsewhere, and in his mind "Berlin is Jerusalem", or New York seems to really be the 'New Israel' - he will not return. Indeed Aliya often picks up in periods of social or economic turmoil, and I have heard Olim recount how upon losing their job they decided to give Aliya a try. Yet there is a contradictory characteristic of the dove which Rav Kook was wont to refer to, and that is its wondrous homing instinct. Yeshayahu 60:8 poetically refers to the future Olim returning home as part of the ingathering of the exiles saying: "who are these who fly like a cloud, like doves to their nest". Rav Kook explained that amongst those returning, some are likened to the wind driven clouds, as they too allow themselves to be swept along in any direction the wind may take them. Others, however, are likened to the dove who will prevail against the elements returning home even in the face of a stormy wind. Israel today welcomes and embraces all: those fleeing from their Diaspora trials and tribulations, as well as those within whom the primal instinct has awakened again - propelling them to return home. V'Shavu Vanim Ligvulom. Rabbi Yerachmiel Roness, Ramat Shilo, Beit Shemesh TORAH THOUGHTS as contributed by Aloh Naaleh members for publication in the Orthodox Union's 'Torah Insights', a weekly Torah publication on Parshat HaShavu'a [5] Parsha Points to Ponder - NO'ACH 1) G-D begins the parsha by describing Noach as a COMPLETE TZADIK (TZADIK TAMIM). He then calls Noach just a TZADIK without the reference to his being a complete tzadik (7:1). Aside from the Midrashic lesson that one only speaks in half praises in front of a person (and in the first description G-D was not talking directly to Noach), is there any reason why Noach's standing would have dropped from G-D's perspective to warrant this lower level praise? 2) Why doesn't the Torah identify the 7 pairs of birds which Noach must gather to the ark as being pure/kosher birds (7:3) the way it does regarding the seven animals (7:2)? Furthermore, why does the Torah teach that these 7 pairs of birds are in order TO CONTINUE LIFE if the purpose of these pairs was for sacrifices? 3) Why does the Torah follow the laws of murder with the words AND YOU BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY (9:6-7)? What does one command have to do with the other? Parsha Points to Ponder by Rabbi Dov Lipman, teacher at Reishit Yerushalayim and Machon Maayan in Beit Shemesh; author of "DISCOVER: Answers for Teenagers (and Adults) to Questions about the Jewish Faith" (Feldheim); "TIMEOUT: Sports Stories as a Game Plan for Spiritual Success" (Devora);"SEDER SAVVY" (Targum) - ppp@ouisrael.org Ponder the Qs first, then... Suggested answers 1) The Chatam Sofer answers that No'ach did not react to news of the world's destruction by praying to G-D to save the world, as Avraham did regarding S'dom. Thus, he could no longer be called a COMPLETE TZADIK. 2) The Meshech Chochma points to the Gemara in Nida (50) which describes a bird called TARNEGOLA DAGMA, whose males are non-kosher and whose females are kosher to explain this verse. G-D could not command No'ach to take seven from all the kosher birds since this would have meant not taking seven male TARNEGOLA D'AGMA birds. The Torah also mentions that some of these birds will not be sacrificed but will CONTINUE LIFE in reference to these males who could not be sacrificed. 3) The Meshech Chochma explains that people might feel that in a world filled with murder or a time of terrible decrees, people might think that it is not worth getting married and having children. G-D, therefore, follows the mention of murder with the immediate declaration that no matter what is happening in the world, YOU BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY. [6] Portion from the Portion by Rakel Berenbaum FEEDback to berenbau@actcom.net.il Food for You and for the Animals G-d tells No'ach about His plans to destroy the world with a flood and tells him to build an ark. He is to stock the ark with food and supplies and, of course, all the animal types existent. In this vessel he and his family would survive the flood. In the instructions to No'ach we read a verse that says, V'ATA KACH L'CHA MIKOL MA'ACHAL ASHER YEI'ACHEIL... V'HAYA L'CHA V'LAHEM L'OCHLA - Take with you all the food that will be eaten, and keep it in storage. It shall be food for you (6:21). This seems like a very straightforward verse. Rashi doesn't even make one comment on it at all. But Rav Sorotzkin in his commentary OZNAYIM LATORAH asks a very interesting question. We all learned in kindergarten that we must never eat until we feed our animals first. This injunction is learned from the verse we recite in Sh'ma: V'NATATI EISEIV B'SAD'CHA LIVHEMTECHA, VACHALTA V'SA- VATA - I have given grass in your fields for your animals, then you can eat and be satiated. The animals get their feed first - then you can eat. And many a mother may have gotten rid of unwanted pets in her house by saying to her children, "you don't take care of them properly - you don't feed them before you eat". But here, with No'ach, we see something different. He is told V'HAYA L'CHA V'LAHEM L'OCHLA" - first he should eat - then the animals can eat. What is the difference between No'ach's existence in the ark, and ours - that No'ach is instructed to eat before the animals and we are told to partake of food only after we have made sure our animals have eaten? Not only does Rav Sorotzkin raise the question - but he brings three different answers. In the ark, No'ach wasn't taking care of his own animals who would produce for his own benefit and if he ate before them he might belittle them and take advantage of them. On the contrary. No'ach was doing a big Chesed every day by taking care of the world's animals. Therefore, he was allowed to eat before them. Also, a regular person who owns animals has only a few species and they all eat at about the same time. No'ach was caring for hundreds of different types of animals - and they had to be fed at different times of the day. If he only ate after he fed all the animals he would never have had a chance to eat. The third answer brought in the OZNAYIM LATORAH is related to another question - how was No'ach able to take enough food for himself, his family and all those animals for a whole year? It's true the ark was big but was it really big enough for a years supply of food for the world's largest zoo? How and where could he preserve that food without refrigeration? Really the ark only held enough food for all its passengers for one week. But Hashem put a blessing on the food so it should be enough for a whole year. But this kind of blessing rests in the food when a Tzadik eats from it first. This we see in the episode of Eliyahu HaNavi and the widow. She told him that she had no food - so he told her to bring him a small cake first - BARISHONA, from the bit of flour that she had and then she and her son would eat BAACHARONA - afterwards. After Eliyahu ate from her flour and oil, it was blessed and continued to supply her with sustenance - KAD HA- KEMACH LO CHALATA, V'TZAPA- CHAT HASHEMEN LO CHASEIR (Melachim Alef 17:16). So No'ach ate first - V'HAYA L'CHA - and then the food was blessed so there was enough for all the animals V'LAHEM - for the whole time they were together in the ark. As support for all the animals in the ark, just for a change, I thought this week to give a recipe for lion food. But who can eat so many kilos of buffalo? So instead, here is a recipe I got from the supermarket chain FoodLion. And if we are talking about Lions - don't miss the benefit screening of the movie SECONDHAND LIONS in the Melabev Center in Talpiot, Tuesday Oct. 12th at 6:00pm. See ad for all the information in the Torah Tidbits or on the website www.melabev.org/posts/316 or call (02) 6555-826. This family film (PG) is appropriate for all ages. And when you register for the film you can sign up to walk or sponsor a walker for this years Melabev Walkathon, November 23-25th, www.melabev.org/posts/243 Chicken Kebabs With Ginger 6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 Tbsp oil 2 Tbsp vinegar (try rice, white wine or apple cider vinegar) 1-2 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1 stalk lemon grass, chopped (or zest from half a lemon) 1 two-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced 2 cloves garlic 4 scallions, cut into 1 inch lengths 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted Process oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, lemon grass, ginger and garlic cloves until lemon grass is fully chopped - about 3 minutes. Transfer and add chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight, or up to 2 days. Alternate chicken pieces and scallion on skewers. Grill or broil, turning once, until chicken is firm and opaque, about 6-8 minutes per side. Arrange skewers on serving platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. [7] from Machon Puah - for Fertility and Gynecology in Accordance with Halacha Genetic Testing for BRCA Last time we wrote about the possibilities of performing genetic testing for a couple who may both be carriers for a genetic disease. In this manner and with careful guidance we are now capable of almost eradicating these well known Jewish genetic diseases. We left open the question as to whether we should promote the same genetic testing to prevent the cancers related to BRCA. The problem is that there is a significant distinction between BRCA and the types of genetic conditions mentioned above. All those genetic diseases are recessive meaning that they are only expressed when both of the parents are carriers, and even then not all of their children will be necessarily affected by the disease. However BRCA is a dominant genetic disorder, meaning that if a woman has it she is automatically at a higher risk for contracting the associated cancers. She is also at a risk to pass it on to her own daughters who will in turn be at a greater risk. As such genetic testing cannot prevent the disorder expressing itself, nor can it prevent the disease. So the question then comes what do we gain by testing a woman who has not yet contracted the cancer? However there is still a reason to undergo genetic testing for the BRCA genetic mutation, especially for a woman who is at a greater risk due to a family history of certain types of cancer or a family member who has been diagnosed with BRCA. As we have already written, the only cure that we now know is early detection and possibly suggesting treatment, such as surgically removing the ovaries or the uterus as soon as possible after a woman has completed her reproductive years. As such, the earlier we know that she is at risk the more we can send her for testing and continual assessment that may save her life. So the testing here does not prevent disease, but it does give us important information. The Torah teaches us that we have to be extremely careful regarding health (see D'varim 4:15) and this means that we are commanded to protect our- selves and prohibited from partaking in any activity that could be dangerous and detrimental to our health. Some authorities hold that since there is a risk, a woman is halachically obliged to undergo testing for BRCA. However Rav Zilberstein has written that while it is important to test, this should not be done at too young an age. Medically we can test even a baby to see whether she has the mutation. However by doing so we could create a panic among the community and this needs to be avoided at all costs. Therefore he suggested that testing should only be done at an age when the woman is capable of digesting this information and not be overly distraught. If a woman has tested and is found to be carrying the BRCA mutation, is she obliged to reveal this in a shidduch? More on this next time. [8] Person in the Parsha by Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb no column this week [9] Praying with Passion - V'ani Tefillah Foundation - Praying with Fire Birchot HaShachar (part seven) BARUCH ATA HASHEM ELOKEINU MELECH HAOLAM HANOTEIN LA'YAEIF KOACH. Translation: Blessed are You, HaShem our God, King of the Universe, Who gives strength to the weary. Theme: An essential concept of the prayer The Strength To Strive G-d gives strength to the weary, enabling us to keep striving both as individuals and as a nation. Insight: Deeper meanings... Jewish Endurance After a difficult day, there is an indescribable pleasure in lying down in bed, closing one's eyes and shutting out the world for a few hours. Knowing that "tomorrow is another day" is one of the key elements of hope. That G-d structured the world in such a way as to give us a break, to divide our worldly mission into manageable 24-hour packets that include a beginning, middle and end, is a kindness we seldom think about. Even more miraculous is the strength that arises in a person just when he believes there is nothing left. Exactly when we've expended all our power, G-d grants us His special Divine Assistance and inspires us to try just one more time, to take just one more step, and there, at last, we find our success. This explanation leaves open the question that this blessing, coming immediately after two blessings related to the Jewish people as a whole, seems out of sequence. It appears to belong with the earlier blessings that relate to a person's experience as he rises and faces the new day. However, according to the Abudraham, the blessing HANOTEIN LAYA'EIF KO'ACH is directly linked to the Jewish people. He explains that this blessing addresses the weariness inherent in our age-old struggle against persecution and exile. As we wade through centuries of suffering, it is natural to become despondent and despair of ever fulfilling our role as a "light unto the nations" - This blessing teaches us that we need not despair, for G-d continually gives us the strength to overcome every obstacle and survive with our G-dly mission and our Torah intact. It is this miracle that we recognize in this bracha. Mark Twain recognized this miracle publicly in his famed essay, which recounted that: ...Egypt and Persia rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded and passed away; the Greeks and the Romans followed, and made their impact, and they are gone...The Jew has seen them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains... The vast Torah world that has flourished in America and Eretz Yisrael since the Holocaust is but one more dramatic chapter in the miraculous saga of the Jewish People. From where did a devastated, broken- hearted remnant find the strength to nurture a rebirth that defies all odds and expectations? G-d's Hand is there, apparent as daylight, granting strength to His people Israel. Visualize: Images that bring the prayer to life The Miracle Of Energy The city finally decided to repair the main road outside the Newman's apartment building. To avoid traffic disruption, the work was scheduled from midnight to 4:00am. Dovid Newman was awakened every night by the sound of jackhammers and steam shovels. When his alarm rang at 6:30am, his eyes were sticky with fatigue and his limbs felt as though they were made of lead. He dragged through the day, day after day, forgetting what it felt like to approach life with energy and enthusiasm. Both his body and his mind were consumed with one desire - rest. His actions became slow, his daily tasks became burdensome. He felt like an old man. At last, the work was finished and Dovid was able to sleep through the night. When he awoke, he instantly felt that something remarkable had occurred. His eyes were clear, his limbs energized -- it was as if he were 20 years younger! "BARUCH ATA HASHEM." he recited that morning with the thrill of one who has witnessed a miracle. "HANOTEIN LAYA'EIF KO'ACH!" Try this: Imagine the feeling of Dovid in the above story when he realized that G-d had granted him renewed energy. Or imagine yourself in a similar situation - having recovered your strength after an illness, having your first full night's sleep after a new baby joins the family, etc. Try to recall that re-energized feeling when saying the words "HANOTEIN LAYA'EIF KO'ACH" [10] Towards Better Kashrut Awareness no column this week [11] MicroUlpan No special word in English for one's brother- or sister-in-law's siblings. Just, who's he? My sister-in-law's brother. But in Hebrew: GISON - GISONIT [12] Maharal on the Sedra - Column prepared by Dr. Moshe Kuhr B'reishit 6:9 - These are the offspring of Noach - Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations; Noach walked with Hashem. Rashi: This teaches you that the main toldot [offspring, products] of the righteous are good deeds. Gur Arye: Deeds are the "fruit" man gives birth to. By saying "main products", Rashi is alluding to the precedence of deeds over children. It appears to me that in the case of children, man is a partner with his wife and the Holy One, blessed be He, with the latter being the more important, for He contributes ten parts and each parent only five [Nida 31a]. However, when a man creates a deed, it is his alone. The main products of man are good deeds because children are not intrinsic to him while deeds are intrinsic to him. It is as if man gives birth to himself. [13] No'ach Adapted from Unlocking the Torah Text by Rabbi Shmuel Goldin Across the Great Divide: Between Jew and Non-Jew Context: A monumental shift in focus takes place as the Torah moves from Parshat Noach to Parshat Lech Lecha. Until this point, the narrative has been universal in scope, as the text has chronicled the world's creation and man's early generations. Now, however, the Torah's range narrows as it begins to tell the story of Avraham and his descendents, the chosen Jewish nation. Before this shift takes place, however, a universal moral code for the world is laid out by God. This code, referred to in rabbinic literature as Sheva Mitzvot B'nei No'ach (the seven Noahide laws) is derived from a passage found at the end of the No'ach narrative and consists of seven basic commandments. Taken together, these commandments form a moral blueprint for all civilizations. The seven Noachide laws are the following: do not steal, do not kill, do not eat the limb of a living animal, do not commit acts of sexual immorality, do not practice idolatry, do not blaspheme God, and establish courts of law. Questions: How can the existence of the Noachide code inform our understanding of and our relationship with the non-Jewish world? How does God relate with the non-Jewish nations after He "chooses" the Jewish people? Can we morally defend a two-tiered system in God's relationship with the nations of the world? Approaches: A. The seminal nature of the Noachide code can be seen in the rabbinic tradition that Midrashically roots these laws in the commandment concerning the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the very first commandment given by God to man. According to the rabbis, God would not have created the human race without simultaneously producing a moral code of behavior. Once commanded, these laws remain in force for the entire non-Jewish world even after God chooses the Jewish nation. God's relationship with all of humanity is clearly eternal and His expectation of moral behavior from all never diminishes. After Avraham begins his journey, God's relationship with the Jewish nation may be unique but it is certainly not exclusive. A dramatic reference to the nonexclusive nature of God's bond with the Jewish people can be found in a powerful sentence in the Brit bein Habetarim, contracted between God and Avraham in Parshat Lech Lecha. In this covenant God predicts that Avraham's descendants will be strangers in a land not their own, where they will be made to work and to suffer for four hundred years. God then proceeds to tell Avraham, "And the fourth generation will return here (to the land of Canaan) for the iniquity of the Emorites will not be complete until then." At the dawn of Jewish history, God delivers a clear and sobering message to Avraham and his descendants: I do not relate to you alone and, therefore, your fate will be determined not only by your merit but by the legitimate rights of other nations as well. You will not return to this land until its inhabitants have become so corrupt that they deserve to be expelled. Until that time, their rights to the land will trump yours. Even if the Jewish nation has to pay the price, God will not overlook the rights of others. All peoples and nations potentially have independent value and validity in the eyes of God. The retention of that value will depend upon their own moral behavior. B. If "chosenness" does not connote exclusivity, what, then, does it mean? From the beginning of time, the answer is made clear. The Jewish people are chosen for obligation. In the aftermath of the failures of both the generation of the flood and the generation of dispersion, God selects a nation of teachers. The Jewish people, designated at Sinai as "a kingdom of priests and a holy people", are enjoined to teach through example by setting the standard for human behavior and achievement. The very nature of this arrangement indicates an inherent value to those whom we are meant to "teach". The role of the Jewish nation is only meaningful if we acknowledge the intrinsic worth and moral potential of the non-Jewish world. This point is underscored immediately to Avraham at the very start of his journey when God commands: "And all the nations of the world will be blessed through you." C. Is there not, however, a degree of hubris in the contention that we are a "chosen" people? Doesn't the existence of two moral standards, the Torah for the Jewish people and the Noachide code for the rest of the world, create a theological structure that is prejudicial at its very core? How are we to defend ourselves against the accusation heaped upon us, generation after generation, that the very idea that we are the "Chosen People" reflects an inexcusable sense of superiority on our part? D. As is often the case, the truth lies not in lofty theological concepts, but in the practical facts on the ground. Jewish tradition actually chooses the most broad-minded and tolerant of all possible approaches in determining its attitude towards others. To prove this point, one need simply review the three potential options available to any faith tradition when defining its attitude towards those outside of its circle of belief. 1. A tradition can preach that its adherents have a lock on the ultimate truth and that all who dare to believe differently are doomed to distance from their Creator. The task of all those within the tradition is to somehow convince "outsiders" of the error of their ways. This choice, historically made by the Catholic Church in its dealings with the Jewish people, has led to all sorts of seemingly logical, yet horrific excesses. After all, if I believe that I am right and you are wrong, if I believe that you are damned and I have the ability to save you, then I am doing you a favor as I attempt to convince you, through any means possible, of the one singular truth. Physical torture and pain is a small price for you to pay if I ultimately succeed in persuading you to "see the light." How much torment has been inflicted across the ages by those who have ostensibly only had the best interests of their victims at heart? 2. A tradition can preach that its adherents have a lock on the ultimate truth and that no one else can join. Once again, there is only one true way. In this case, however, anyone outside of the circle is doomed and beyond salvation. 3. Finally, there is a third path. This path, chosen by Jewish tradition, is philosophically the most complex and difficult, yet ultimately the most tolerant and open- minded. Judaism, unlike other faith traditions, preaches that there is more than one way to reach God, that what is right for one individual is not right for someone else. Each human being has his own personal potential, and his own learned traditions. As long as that potential is used for good, and as long as those traditions are moral at their core (in consonance with divinely ordained standards), that individual can develop a personal relationship with God. While the Jewish nation has its own particular mission, other nations have their valuable missions as well. Our task as Jews is to follow the laws of the Torah and to serve as an example to the nations of the world. Other peoples are challenged to define their own tasks. In the process, however, they can never deviate from a basic set of God-given moral principles: the Noachide code. Our challenge, as Jews, is not to make everyone else Jewish but to convince the world of the benefit of moral behavior and of the beauty of a relationship with the Creator. If people wish to convert to Judaism (for the right reasons) they are, of course, to be welcomed. We do not, however, consider such conversion to be a prerequisite to the attainment of a relationship with God. [14] From "OzTorah" www.oztorah.com by Rabbi Dr Raymond Apple AO RFD Emeritus Rabbi of the Great Synagogue, Sydney Q. How was it that God was able to punish Cain for killing Abel when the Ten Commandments had not yet been given, or even the Seven Noachide Laws? How was Cain to know that murder was not permitted? A. Let's first talk about Abraham. Rabbinic tradition says that he kept the Torah even before it was given (Kiddushin 4:14) because he had the spiritual instinct to know what God required (Ramban on B'reishit 26:5). In supporting this assertion, the Mishna quotes the verse, "Abraham obeyed my voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My Laws" (B'reishit 26:5). In analyzing the differences between "charge", "commandments", "statutes" and "laws", Rashi states that "commandments" indicates laws that would have applied even if they were not written in the Torah - i.e. laws that human beings were capable of working out for themselves, like the prohibition of robbery and murder. So we can take it that Abraham knew that murder was wrong, but did Cain? Philip Henry wrote, "When anger was in Cain's heart murder was not far off". Now surely God knew that human history was only beginning and Cain needed guidance against anger and what it leads to. The Midrash implies this when it puts into Cain's mouth the words, "Master of the universe, if I have killed him (Abel), it is You who created the evil inclination. Why did You permit me to kill him? It is You who killed him, for if You had accepted my sacrifice as you accepted Abel's, I would not have become jealous of him" (Tanchuma, B'reshit). Yet despite this, it is Cain himself who is unequivocally blamed for the murder. The reason is implied in the sequence of verses in the Biblical text. B'reishit 4:8 reports the killing; the previous verse provides the warning - "If you do well, shall you not be lifted up? If you do not do well, sin couches at the door and it desires you - but you can rule over it" (B'reishit 4:7). Thus Cain knew that human passions were dangerous and had to be controlled. [15] Did Dinosaurs Exist in Gan Eden? Guest article by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher Dean of Students, Diaspora Yeshiva "And G-d created the Giant Reptiles" (Taninim HaG'dolim - B'reshit 1:21). Ramban wonders why the Torah uses the word VAYIVRA, which means to create YEISH MEI-AYIN, ex nihilo (something from nothing), the same word used by the creation of Adam (B'reshit 1:27), as opposed to VAYA'AS ELOKIM ET CHAYAT HAARETZ... (Bereshit 1:25) which means to make something from something, YEISH MIYEISH. Ram- ban explains that since these reptiles were so huge and enormous they required a separate and unique creation different from all other creatures. Obviously, the Torah according to Ramban is describing here the creation of Dinosaurs. There are remarkable similarities between the account of the creation as given in B'reishit and the theory of evolution. First, light was created, then the firmament, followed by sea, land and vegetation. The creation of the heavenly bodies was followed by fish and birds, and then by land animals. Only finally, as the culmination of G-d's work, was man created. Indeed, the Torah's description of the creation in a natural progression points to its divine origin because no mortal at the time of Moshe could have known that modern geologists also agree that plants and water-based animals were the first to be created. The Ramban on B'reishit 2:7, writes about the guided evolution of life, from inert matter to Adam. The Ramban also says the six "days" of creation in the Biblical account were six periods or stages of creation. In any case, the length of the first three days before the placement of the sun must have been different in length from our measurement of time, based on the sun. A thousand or even a million years are in G-d's sight is as only one day, Psalms 90:4. What is suggested by the six "days" is that the time of creation, however long in itself, was insignificant to the Eternal. Once the principle of Divine creation is accepted, Judaism allows much latitude in belief as to how the creation was effected. According to Rav Kook, there is no Torah objection to the acceptance of the theory of evolution provided it is agreed that each stage in the evolutionary process was brought about by G-d. Rav Kook explains in his book Orot HaKodesh that just as the nation of Israel evolved spiritually from 49 levels of impurity to 49 levels of purity, so too did G-d use evolution in the physical process of creation. Because our physical world is only a reflection and manifestation of the spiritual world. The numeric value (gimatriya) of the word nature, HATEVA, equals one of G-d's names, ELOKIM (both 86). R' Ovadia Sforno states that the creation of Adam was the end of a long process that began with an animal that gradually evolved until this creature was given the G-dly soul and received the image of G-d. Rav Yehuda Halevi, in his philosophical work the Kuzari, explains that G-d designed evolution to bring forth the highest essence of the human being. In his opinion, the evolution of man can be observed in the Yom Kippur prayer UVCHEIN TEIN PACHD'CHA (and You, G-d, place your Awe) which mentions first KOL MAASECHA (all of Your handiwork), then L'AMCHA (to Your nation), and finally TZADIKIM (the righteous), who represent the purest and most exalted essence of humanity. The traditional Jewish method of reckoning years from the creation of the world appears at first sight to be a difficulty. No scientist would accept that the world was created only some 5771 years ago. However, if the Hebrew date is reckoned from the end of creation of the sixth day when fully developed man was created, the difficulty disappears. Science would agree that fully intelligent man as we know him is not older than some six thousand years. There is no conflict between science and Torah. Science reveals a world charged with G-d's splendor and greatness. The more our scientific knowledge increases the more we will be able to appreciate the marvels and wonders of G-d's creation. [16] "How Much Kugel Do We Need?" - The Theory of Constraints and a Kiddush in Shul By Saadia Gopstein, Adv., MBA - Gabai of the Neveh Hagivah Congregation of Givat Zeev For those of us who have had the honor of being a gabai or committee-member in our shul, the above question should be familiar. The joy of celebrating the birth/wedding of a child (and many other occasions) is accompanied by worries about how exactly to throw the Kiddush in honor of the occasion. There are those shuls that are well- organized, with a team of professional volunteers of the congregants that handles all the aspects of the Kiddush, and leaves only the burden of funding to the Kiddush sponsor. Sometimes there is also the option of caterers that will make you a beautiful affair for a pretty penny. However, in many (most?) shuls, this is not the case, and the people making the Kiddush are left alone to deal with this challenging logistic task. This is a process that usually starts with the list of what to buy (which most of us know from many a Kiddush we have attended), and continues with the much more complicated question of "how much do we buy?" Our natural tendency is to begin with counting the number of people expected in shul that Shabbat, and based on that to start calculating quantities. It's customary to think (for example): "OK, there will be 100 people, and we need 1 bottle of drink for every 5 people (and if hot outside, maybe even more), and therefore we need 20 bottles of drink"- Sounds reasonable, right? We'll simply multiply the number of people by the expected consumption, and this gives us the quantities we should buy, right? In theory, maybe. In practice - far from it. The above calculation ignores a seemingly simple rule we learn from the Theory of Constraints - a management and industrial engineering theory developed by Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt (an Israeli physicist and another source of pride to the Jewish people!) - which is taught as mandatory course material in the business faculties of every leading university in the world (and practiced by every leading company in the world). This rule states that the rate of consumption/progress (as the case may be) is determined by the slowest/most restricted factor in the process. In other words "the bottleneck." According to this rule, the amount that people want/tend to/can eat at a kiddush is not that important, as usually the bottle- neck is not our stomachs, but rather the physical limitations of the shul (such as the size of the catering hall, the number of tables for serving, etc.). For example, in our shul, there is an average of 150 mouths at a normal Kiddush. According to the above calculation of 1 bottle for every 5 people, we should be buying 30 bottles, which is exactly what we used to do in the past. However, in our shul we make our kiddushes using 6 tables (each approx. 6 feet long), and how many bottles can you reasonably put on each table? From experience, and taking into account all the other things we serve on the table, no more than four bottles. The result? 24 bottles at most. Of course the above rule is presented very simplistically. Even when a bottle is finished, we can bring out another one to replace it, correct? The answer is clearly yes, but for that you then need a dedicated team of waiters, and even in our shul where there is an organized Kiddush committee, waiters are already too much to ask for (especially considering how delicious our kiddushes are }). And of course, it's possible to buy more tables in order to serve more food, but then we need to examine whether we have enough room to add more tables, and lo and behold, we then discover that the bottle neck has "shifted" from the number of tables to the hall space available for making the Kiddush. This leads us to another basic rule in the Theory of Constraints: it's never possible to eliminate the bottleneck entirely, the most you can do is move it from one place to another (and hopefully to the most sensible/efficient place). Remember, the bottleneck can be anything and anywhere - from the number of tables, to the amount of space in each platter for stacking the kugel. So, in conclusion, before running to the supermarket late Thursday night with a long shopping list and filling up shopping cart after shopping cart, stop and think for a minute of the limitations aside from our stomachs. Of course the people at the later mincha will be happy to have your leftovers, but with all due respect, let someone else donate the seuda shlishit! Shabbat Shalom and B'tei-avon! Ed. note: This is a 2-kugel Shabbat [17] Gimatriya Match B'REISHIT BARA ELOKIM ET HASHAMAYIM V'ET HAARETZ" - This pasuk started things going. U'VACHODESH HASHEINI B'SHIVA V'ESRIM YOM LACHODESH YAVSHA HAARETZ: This one ended the whole first era of the world. Next pasuk and everything starts again with No'ach. These two p'sukim, same gimatriya! [18] Divrei Menachem Parshat Noa'ch describes the individual who was to bring about the renewed future of mankind after the Flood. Notably, No'ach was no super- man; rather, as our rabbis noted, he was a passive person, his major virtue being that, "he walked with G-d". Unlike Avraham who "walked before G-d" and proactively taught Hashem's ways to a dispassionate and idol-worshiping community, No'ach is seen as a lonely, isolated individual who spent some 500 years of his life without a partner, largely enduring the jibes of his countrymen as he prepared the Ark that would save humanity. Finally, No'ach begat three sons in an age where many wives and children were the norm. Here, however, we see his strength. For, as our commentators remark, not only did No'ach hesitate to bring offspring into a world of moral depravity, he also limited their number so that he could better nurture them in the face of social corruption. Each of his sons had unique characteristics: wisdom (Shem), emotional excitement (Cham), and aestheticism (Yafet). These diverse propensities existed before the Flood and were saved by G-d as part of a bigger plan. For Rabbi S. R. Hirsch this was a source of greatest hope. For he thus anticipated, as we might, a time when the disparate nations of the world will work in tandem under the higher principle of, "Walking with Hashem". Shabbat Shalom, Menachem Persoff We would greatly appreciate your feedback on the new features (and old ones) in Torah Tidbits [Please send to tt@ou.org] Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading Does G-d bless His people Israel with fat? We've reviewed this topic countless times over the years in this column, and even before this column existed, we dealt with this topic under the head of B.A.S.H. (Break Annoying - or anti-halachic - Shul Habits). We're doing it again for Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, where the problem rears its ugly head in too many shuls. Just as it did on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur and throughout Sukkot. And what is that problem? AMEIN CHATUFA the Premature AMEIN Let's take as an example, that bracha from which the title of this column comes. At the end of the Amida, say of Shacharit, on Rosh Chodesh or Chag, the Chazan (SHATZ, Baal T'fila) signals the approaching Hallel be stretching the end of the bracha with a familiar "tune" - HaM'vareich et Amo Yisrael BA-SHA-LOOOOOOOOOM. Many congregants take the stretched ending of the bracha as a call to join the Chazan with their AMEIN as he finishes the bracha. Aside from it sounding like SHAMEIN, rather than Shalom and Amein, it is simply forbid- den according to halacha (Shulchan Aruch) to say AMEIN before the completion of the bracha - regardless of how long it takes the Chazan to get out that last word. We must be patient and answer a resounding AMEIN after the last word of the bracha is completed. Answering to early is an AMEIN CHATUFA, and is wrong, ASUR, a no-no. A chazan can help out by ending the bracha before the kahal chimes in with AMEIN, but the real responsibility is the congregation's to wait until the bracha is finished before saying AMEIN. And not to wait too long, because a delayed AMEIN is called an AMEIN Y'TOMA, an orphan AMEIN, and is also forbidden. AMEIN is important - so let's do it right. Parsha Pix At the top left to center are the outlines of three pears with different animals in them. This is based on the old joke about the worms coming to the Teiva in an apple, but all the other animals coming in pears (pairs). The animals represent the passengers in the Teiva. The swan and sheep are marked with x7, since, as kosher animals, they came in seven pairs. The fish reminds us that fish were not taken on the Teiva, but survived the Mabul, according to Tradition, in a column of water under the Teiva that did not have the destructive forces of the rest of the floodwaters. Triceratops was a rhinoceros-like dinosaur. One possible explanation for finding fossil remains of pre- historic animals is that they existed in antediluvian times, but did not survive the Flood. This does not explain everything "satisfactorily", but... The famous dove with olive branch... the cloud with rainbow is obvious as is the cloud with rain. Which not only represents the rain of the Mabul, but l'havdil, the beneficial rain we pray for. The grapes and wine flask are references to No'ach post-Flood occupation of vintner. The people figures represent the proliferation of human beings after the Flood. Top row are No'ach and his wife (Naama, according to Tradition). Below them are their three sons and their wives. Below them are the successive genera- tions that came from them to repopulate the world after the Mabul. The (leaning) Tower of Babel is accompanied by words of many languages. The words all mean WATER, the main theme of the first part of the sedra. Languages are: Luxembourgish, Zulu, Chinese, Swedish, Tamil, Gaelic, Italian (and Latin), Carib, Finnish, Welsh, Hungarian, Albanian, Bengali, Korean, Indonesian. Note that the Indonesian word for water is air (another of the ancient four elements, in English, of course). Note too that tuna fish probably began being packed in water (and not just oil) because of the Carib word for water - tuna. (Just kidding, it's only a TTriddle theory.) There are several representations of descendants of No'ach who became the 70 nations of the world, scattered around the ParshaPix... The ear of corn, TIRAS in Hebrew; a KUSH ball; GOMER Pyle; an OVAL for one of the sons of YOKTAN ben EIVER; Another son of Yoktan was SH'VA, represented by the SH'VA in the oval; a 12-inch ruler represents one of the sons of Cham, PUT, as in U'FOOT The buttons are for KAFTORIM, descendant from Cham via Mitzrayim; The airplane in the lower-left is a British RAF aircraft known as the Nimrod MR2. Nimrod is mentioned in the sedra as the son of KUSH, great-grandson of No'ach through Cham (not numbered among the 70 descendants, but significant, nonetheless). Top center is a package, in Hebrew, CHAVILA - not spelled the same as the two of No'ach's descendants, but sound-alikes. Between two pears and two clouds is a "falafel", the army insignia of a major in the Israeli army. In Hebrew, the rank is RAV SEREN and is known by its acronym, RESEN, which is the name of one of the cities built by Nimrod in the expansion of his kingdom. The letter CHET in the lower-right is for CHEIT, one of the descen- dants of No'ach via Cham via K'naan. The real pronunciation of the 8th letter in the ALEF-BET is CHEIT, spelled CHET/YUD/TAV, even though it is commonly pronounced CHET. Above the CHET are razor blades, in Hebrew, LEHAVIM, descendant of Mitzrayim. Debating whether the others should be Unexplaineds (that is, visual TTriddles) or should we explain them. Okay, we'll give you one more. But you should see if your (grand)children or Shabbat guests can get it on their own - as with most of the other pictograms) - Railroad crossing sign and the rat (it isn't a mouse) go together to make R R rat. If it is said just right, you get the resting place of the Teiva after the floodwaters receded sufficiently. We'll leave the remaining two PP elements as Unexplained. This way, you also have a challenge. Here's a hint for the upper-right pictogram: The sound of the alorm clack Also, don't forget the MazalPic in the Word of the Month box (p. 2) - we leave it unexplained for the first time it appears and explain it in the following issue. This makes it another challenge for this week's Torah Tidbits. TTRIDDLES... are Torah Tidbits-style riddles on Parshat HaShavua (sometimes on the calendar). They are found in the hard-copy of TT scattered throughout, usually at the bottom of different columns. In the electronic versions of TT, they are found all together at the end of the ParshaPix-TTriddles section. The best solution set submitted each week (there isn't always a best) wins a double prize a CD from Noam Productions and/or a gift (game, puzzle, book, etc.) from Big Deal Last issue's (SUKKOT) TTriddles: Ed. note: The work was great and the time short for the Sukkot-B'reishit issue, and consequently, there were woefully few TTriddles. Apologies to TTriddlers. [1] We say to G-d: Mi casa SUKAsa This wasn't even a TTriddle. It just came to mind. A variation of the Spanish saying, expressing hospitality: My house is your house. In this case, we say on Sukkot, that my (our) house is the Sukka, in fulfillment of the dictum that during the seven days of the Chag, we make our Sukka like our permenant home, and our regular house becomes temporary. [2] Blue leaves trim fog Not much of a TTriddle either. Just a nonsense sentence with words hiding in it. Let's rewrite it using upper- and lowercase letters to reveal the answer - bLUe LeAV | Es TRim fOG. [3] Not on Shabbat; yes on Shabbat The only real TTriddle. 13 Midot. We don't say them on Shabbat when taking out the Torahs on Yom Tov that falls on Shabbat, but we do read them in the Torah on Shabbat Chol HaMoed. [4] Charmed dreams in my area vote Companion to [2]. Here it is written in the same style as [2]'s solution. cHArmeD dreAmS In My AReA VOTe This week's TTriddles: [1] Sukkot - 22 = Rosh Chodesh [2] Rosh Chodesh but the end of the sedra [3] wind blown oil [4] The word that contained a name [5] Math done last week, now you do it [6] His father; his, together with his brothers; his; his great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson [7] He is the singluar to the plural of his first-cousin-once-removed [8] The cousins who collaborated on bourbon [9] No'ach was different from Yaakov, Par'o, Par'o, and Shimshon [10] G-d, No'ach, and Avraham did this [11] Did you sea that guy? He's a 6th generation Noahide [12] We say Hallel on 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,15,16,45,(46) seedtime [13] From 69 to 12 to 66 Israel Center Miscellany See website for the "standard" entries of this file. Help young couples (evacuees and children of evacuees) from Gush Katif and N. Shomron get ready for the arrival of their babies - Tzedaka - Matan B'Seter; The money collected will be used to buy carriages, cribs, layettes... Make checks out to the Israel Center. Write on the envelope: Gush Katif - Baby Fund, Also collecting good second-hand baby items, For more info. call Sara 0505-444-397 Thank you to all who contributed to the CHESED FUND over the Chagim. Baruch Hashem, you assisted no less than 20 needy families and individuals. However, the desperate needs continue...With best wishes, Menachem Persoff Remember: Chagim are each once-a-year events; Tzedaka is year round. Please continue to help us help others in need Make checks to "Chesed Fund" and send to: Chesed Fund Israel Center att. Menachem Persoff POB 37015 / Jerusalem 91370 Do you "do" Facebook? If so, how about beoming a "fan of Torah Tidbits" - follow this link: tinyurl.com/m2t6u4 Sponsor a Shiur or a morning or a whole day's learning Sponsorship can be in memory of a loved one...or in celebration of a birth, Bar/Bat mitzva, engagement, marriage, anniversary, special birthday, Aliya of family or friends... The dedication will be included in Torah Tidbits, will be announced at the beginning of the shiur, and will be posted at the entrance to the room. Obviously, we need advance notice to properly process your sponsorship. Please call Sara Berelowitz at (02) 560-9104 Name: ________________________________ Phones: ____________________________ Dedication (circle one): Single Shiur (180NIS) What shiur? __________________________ Morning (360NIS) or full day (500NIS) Indicate which day: ________ In honor of _______________________________________ Occasion (birth, Bar/Bat Mitzva, graduation, engagement, marriage, anniversary, special birthday, recovery, Aliya), other - specify:_______________________________ In memory of _______________________________________ Occasion - yahrzeit, how many years; other: ____________________________________ Schocketino Shabbat Take-Home Prices are per portion - Minimum order - 4 portions per item Appetizers Sweet & sour meatballs 14nis Stuffed peppers 14nis Gefilte fish 10nis Grilled fillet of salmon 18nis Potato/mushroom blintzes 8nis Stuffed cabbage 14nis Main Courses Honey mustard turkey 18nis Corned beef 28nis Brisket Italian Style 25nis BBQ chicken 14nis Chicken in fruit sauce 14nis Shnitzel 12nis Salads Coleslaw 5nis Potato salad 5nis Cucumber salad 5nis Cherry tomato salad 6nis Sun-dried tomato pasta salad 5nis Quinoa/wheat salad 6nis Side dishes Sweet noodle kugel 5nis Potato kugel 5nis Yerushalmi kugel 5nis Rice with mushrooms & onions 5nis Herbal garlic potatoes 5nis Zuchini in tomato sauce 5nis Stir fried vegetables 6nis Tzimmes 5nis Shabbat orders must be placed by Wed. 9pm with Chaim 052-855-1538 Pickup - Friday at the Israel Center 10:30-12:00 Travel Desk - DIRECT LINE: 560-9110 or 050-725-8392 THE TRAVEL DESK is for making reservations and receiving info about Israel Center tiyulim. Please note that ALL Israel Center tiyulim require advance registration. Please note Travel Desk Hours": At your service SUN 12:00-5:00pm - MON 11:00am-4:00pm THU 11:00am-3:00pm - Other times, leave message at 560-9110 Call Naomi at the OU Israel Center Travel Desk, 560-9110 or 050-725-8392; fax: 566-0156; email: tiyul@ouisrael.org - Outside Travel Desk hours, please leave a message... Call Shulamit Neaman at 050-593-7932 on the day of a tiyul or the evening preceeding it. Also, if you are running late for a tiyul or for last minute cancelation. CANCELLATION POLICIES: We reserve the right to charge a cancellation fee in case of last-minute cancellations. Also... Price of tiyul is based on a minimum number of participants, meaning that we can cancel a tiyul with too low registration BOOKED? When a tiyul is listed as BOOKED - you can call to be wait-listed; you will be called back if there is a cancellation, if we add a bus, or when we fix a new date for the tiyul. KASHRUT POLICY: Food for Israel Center In-House programs is supervised by OU-Israel Mehadrin. Israel Center sponsored trips and programs are Mehadrin. Hotels, restaurants, and tiyulim advertised by outside parties are not necessarily Mehadrin and are not endorsed by the OU or the Israel Center. Calls from abroad: Due to time differences, we recommend that people from abroad, email tiyul@ouisrael.org or fax 972-2-5660156 for attention of OU Israel Travel Desk Please be sure to include email or fax number for reply, in addition to phone number. Israel Center tiyulim are partially subsidized by the Jewish Agency for Israel Travel Deal Israel in cooperation with the Israel Center NOW offers you a dedicated phone number, (02) 999-6035 with daily service: Sunday 9am - 6pm, Monday-Thursday, 9am - 11pm and Friday, 9am until noon When our offices are closed, callers will be able to leave messages that will be recorded as being via the Travel Desk of the Israel Center. TRAVEL DEAL - www.traveldealisrael.com LAST CALL - Lech Lecha - "Let's Go" to the Nir Etzion Hotel located on the Carmel mountain ridge for an inspiring Shabbaton with our very own, well-known Rabbi Zev Leff - Friday morning 9:00am thru Motza'ei Shabbat October 15-16, Parshat Lech Lecha Rooms are available in the balconied main building or in the deluxe garden rooms. There is a beautiful heated covered pool and a dry sauna. The hotel cuisine is Glatt Mehadrin all year round. Prices are per person, double occupancy, full board Main Building: 890nis, Deluxe Garden rooms: 840nis, Don't wait until the last minute to reserve Call Naomi at the Travel Desk (02) 560-9110, 050-725 8392 Shulamit's tiyulim are always a treat; Come! You will enjoy her delicious sweets! "Once There was a Shtetl" They were the first professional farmers in modern Palestine. They beat the secular Zionists by 2 decades, and the religious Zionists by 4. The history books deliberately ignore them. They defied their patron, Baron Rothschild and nearly paid with their lives. They lost their grandchildren to secularism Come with us to beautiful MAZKERET BATYA Guided by Sam Finkel who is authoring a book on the history of Mazkeret Batya Tuesday, Oct. 26th - 8:30am to 2:30pm We will visit the museum and slideshow presentation. See the beautiful synagogue built by Rothschild in 1925 View a stirring video about their rebellion against Rothschild And we will tour nearby Yesodot, one of the rare Charedi agricultural communities in Israel with the dynamic young lady Chava Rivka Landau 90NIS members / 110nis non-mem Call Naomi at the Travel Desk (02) 560-9110, 050 725 8392 Shulamit's tiyulim are always a treat; Come! You will enjoy her delicious sweets! Approaching the Land with your Soles and Souls - A memorable and emotional day with the one and only Celery Lady, Anita Tucker Sunday, Oct. 31st 8:00am - 6:00pm Visit the old and new Gush Katif sites...How different populations in Israel have met on these Gush Katif sites and begun to learn and appreciate each other. The Nachal Sorek regional council - Netzer Hazani in Yesodot Meet the first families, planners and dreamers, who are building on the site... Understand the challenges of land and infrastructure for modern farming. Visit the Barkan Winery Visit the new community of Ganei Tal coming up in Chafetz Chaim Visit the Land and Torah Institute that was rejuvenated by a Gush Katif farmer. See the unbelievable changes from the sleepy "no place" to the dynamic town! Visit with new American immigrants in Yad Binyamin and the Gush Katif residents in their new homes for a deeper understanding... Learn about the new industries and new people... Mehadrin Lunch in Kibbutz Ein Tzurim Meet with families in the Ein Tzurim caravilla See the maps of Rachel Sapperstein's new Lachish community building anew at 70+ Nitzan the old and the new Meet the planners of the new town Be'er Ganim where the beautiful streets will bear the names of the previous Gush Katif moshavim Come, see and hear what is happening so close to Jerusalem yet so few really know or understand. You will feel with your soles and souls what it is like to gradually leave a long trek through a desert to reach land, our land given to us by Hashem 150nis members / 165nis non-members Register now with Naomi at the Travel Desk (02) 560-9110 or 050-725-8392 Shulamit's tiyulim are always treats; come! you will surely enjoy her delicious sweets Travel Deal Sukkot SPECIALS exclusively thru Travel Deal Kibbutz Lavi: midweek 2nd night 50% or 3rd night free Seasons, Netanya: Great midweek deals K' Chafetz Chaim: Special low rates for this Shabbat Oct 8-9 - Royal Gardens, Riviera, Marina Club Great Family Deals in Eilat! - Oct 10-14 Holiday Inn Ashkelon Special rate for Oct 10-14 (02) 999-6035 - res@traveldealisrael.com - Check out our web site and BOOK NOW for discounted rates !!! www.traveldealisrael.com The Back Page of TT925 The Avrom Silver Jerusalem College for Adults and OU Israel's Project YEDID are the educational components of the Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center and include the classes & lectures of the OU Israel Center - Rabbi Sholom Gold, Dean - Phil Chernofsky, Educational director "Regular" IC classes & lectures - 25nis members, 30nis non-members. 5nis maintenance fee for life members. Special rates for mornings with two or more shiurim: 40nis members, 50nis non-members. 10nis for life members. Yearly membership 360NIS couple, 275NIS single. Life membership, call us. Programs of the Center are partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel, No one will be turned away for inability to pay. Yom R'vi'i 28 Tishrei - WED October 6th 9:00am Parshat HaShavua Dr. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg 9:20am Contemporary Halachic Issues Rabbi Macy Gordon 9:45am Parshat No'ach with Reuven Wolfeld 10:45am Parshat HaShavua R' Yosef Wolicki 12:30pm Dr. Maurice E. Joseph Jewish Video Resource Center presents... VIDEO in the LIBRARY: Rabbi David Aaron "Understanding the Spiritual Foundations of the Book of Genesis" various MINI-Shiur/Divrei Torah while you fold 12:45pm TaiChi for Health with Avi Hirsch 1:30pm Medical Chi Kong with Avi Hirsch 050-7671-722 2:30pm Women's Beit Midrash - Pearl Borow First hour: the KUZARI; Second hour on Chumash with Rashi 7:30pm Rabbi Chaim Eisen's shiur - "Truth Will Sprout from the Earth" Yom Chamishi 29 Tishrei - THU October 7th Exercise Class for Women Thursdays, 9:00-10:00am - Focus on balance, correct posture, back and abdominal strengthening Given by DR TOVA GOLDFINE Chiropractor/Rehabilitation - FOR WOMEN OF ALL AGES AND EXERCISE FITNESS LEVEL - Contact Dr Tova 052-420-1201 chirodivine@gmail.com 10:30am (to 12:30) Aggadata and Midot Tovot Dr. Hayim Abramson various MINI-Shiur/Divrei Torah while you fold 1:30pm Verna with the knitting needles (and D'var Torah) in the library - Knitting 101 on Thursdays in the library, 1:30-2:30. Open to men and women who are beginners. Questions? Please call Verna 054-842-6696. No charge for this class. Thursday night, October 7th 7:30-9:00pm - Video and Discussion with Rabbi Nachum Amsel - THE expert in teaching Jewish concepts with movies, TV shows, etc. This week's topic: Who shall live and who shall die? How do you choose? Yom Shishi 30 Tishrei / Rosh Chodesh - FRI October 8th 8:30am Kollel Yom Shishi - call 02-5609105 for details 9:00am Rabbi Eisen's shiur on Aggada 11:00am RCA Daf Yomi Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Marcheshvan - October 9th 3:30pm Flooding the World with Kindness - Shabbat afternoon shiur with Rabbi Binyamin Wolff The shiur is dedicated by Shirley Rabinowitz in memory of her husband Bob Rabinowitz z"l on the Shabbat of his Bar Mitzva Sedra 4:30pm Mincha Sun-Thu in the Ganchrow Beis Medrash (first floor) 10:00am SUN/TUE/THU Rabbi Jeff Bienenfeld - Brachot - 4th perek 11:15am RCA Daf Yomi by Rotation (and Fri. at 11:00am) 1:20pm Mincha (this time stays the same throughout the year) (3:15pm) Tu/W Hilchot Shabbat - Rabbi Chaim Sendic 4:30pm Gemara Kesuvos with Rabbi Hillel Ruvell not TUE 5:30pm Maariv following Rabbi Ruvell's shiur. Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Sh'vat Yom Rishon 2 Marcheshvan - SUN Ocotber 10th 9:15am - L'ayla program for women - call Mrs. Rivka Segal for details - 02-625 3634 9:30am Let's Study Chumash - Tonia Frohwein (for women) 10:30am 'While on my journey I told a story'... Rabbi Nachman's Stories - New series with Golda Warhaftig women 12:00pm Hebrew for Beginners Learn to read and converse in Hebrew and feel more comfortable when you daven. Starting anew Given by Haya Graus with Cecily Davis 10nis per session 12:30pm Life: A fantastic adventure - Alan Romm 2:00pm Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher - Adam & Eve's Legacy: How to overcome the fear of death 5:20pm Pri Chadash Women's Writing Workshop (2 hrs) - Contact: Ruth Fogelman (628-7359) and Judy Caspi (054-569-0410) 7:30pm Rabbi Eisen's Shiur - Ramban's Torah Commentary Current Unit - Lech L'cha: Whence the selection and identity of Eretz Canaan as G-d's Land 7:30pm The Book of Nechemya with Rabbi Mordechai Machlis 8:30pm The Book of Shmuel - Rabbi Dr. Joseph C. Klausner/Yedidyahu Yom Sheini 3 Marcheshvan - MON October 11th N'SHEI LIBRARY: 10:00-12:30 MOMMY & BABY MUSIC CLASSES with Jackie - Mondays at the Israel Center 9:30am for 6-18 months - 10:30am for 1-3 year olds Call Jackie to register for classes: 999-5524 / 054-533-9305 9:15am Excursions into the Book of Shoftim Pearl Borow 10:30am Rambam's Principles Rabbi Zev Leff 11:35am Fit Forever: Look & Feel your Best! Exercise for women of all ages - Call Sura Faecher 993-2524 12:30pm Dr. Maurice E. Joseph Jewish Video Resource Center presents...VIDEO in the LIBRARY: "Madrid Before Hanita" Special, first time showing at the Center - Documentary on the hundreds of Jews who left Palestine to fight with the International Brigade against the Fascists in the Spanish Civil War. Bundists, Communists, Zionists, they recognized that Fascism was the main enemy of humanity and especially of Jews and that the war in Spain was Hitler's war by proxy. Using archival footage and photos and interviews with the fighters more than 60 years after the war, this extremely well-made film relates a fascinating part of the history of Eretz Yisrael. (1 hour - in Hebrew and a little Spanish and German but all subtitled) Women's Beit Midrash 2:00pm "Bring on the Blessings" - Pearl Borow 3:00pm Mishna, Mitzvot, and More - Phil Chernofsky 7:30pm Parshat HaShavua Dr. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg 7:30pm NEW CLASS with Rabbi Francis Nataf: - Lesser known Tanach personalities - RACHAV 8:30pm Rabbi Dr. Elie Assis, a senior lecturer of Tanach at Bar Ilan: The Book of Melachim (in Hebrew) Contact Sam Finkel 052-469-1263 MASK - J'lem Chapter at the Israel Center - maskjerusalem.cjb.net 050 754 2717 NEXT MEETING: Monday, OCT 18, 7:30-9:30pm with Dr. Judy Belsky Yom Sh'lishi 4 Marcheshvan - TUE October 12th The Israel Center and the Old City Free Loan Association 21st year well over 5500 loans granted Gemach - Free Loan Society to provide interest-free loans for people in financial distress (living in the Jerusalem area). Interviews at the Center on Tuesdays from 10:00-12:00 and 19:00-20:30 - Please bring ID 9:00am Guest presenter - TBA - Rabbi Adler will be back next week IY"H 10:15am Phil Chernofsky - Mitzvot in the Sedra - Rabbi Gold will be back next week IY"H 11:20am Esther Sutton's inspirational series for women 11:30am Jewish History, 2nd Temple Period - Dr. Henry Goldblum 12:30pm Dr. Maurice E. Joseph Jewish Video Resource Center presents...VIDEO in the LIBRARY: "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" - In the 1930s, Jewish mothers would ask their sons: "What kind of day did Hank have?" The two time MVP who came close to breaking Babe Ruth's season home run record and led the Detroit Tigers into four World Series was not only a superstar on the field. A gracious gentleman and model citizen, Greenberg became "the baseball Moses", an icon and an inspiration for every Jew in America. A top professional athlete and a proud Jew. In the midst of a tight pennant race, Greenberg did not play on Yom Kippur... endured anti-Semitism throughout his career. This documentary is much more than the story of a very special athlete and man. It also tells the story of the Jew in 1930s America. Full of wonderful archival footage, stories, interviews... and Mandy Patinkin's rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" in Yiddish! (90 minutes) 1:00pm Writing as self-discovery (women only) Exploring the stories of your life - Esther Sutton 7:15pm and 8:30pm L'Ayla shiurim 8:00pm NEW SERIES with Gabriella Liscko: Exploring Israeli Society and Culture - "If this series is anything like Gabriella's Monday morning sessions - and all indications are that it will be - then this is a series NOT TO BE MISSED!" - anon. Yom R'vi'i 5 Marcheshvan - WED October 13th 9:00am Parshat HaShavua Dr. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg 9:20am Contemporary Halachic Issues Rabbi Macy Gordon 9:45am Parshat Lech L'cha - "A cut above" with Reuven Wolfeld 10:45am Parshat HaShavua R' Yosef Wolicki 12:30pm Dr. Maurice E. Joseph Jewish Video Resource Center presents... VIDEO in the LIBRARY: Rabbi Zev Leff on "Yizkor" various MINI-Shiur/Divrei Torah while you fold 12:45pm TaiChi for Health with Avi Hirsch 1:30pm Medical Chi Kong with Avi Hirsch 050-7671-722 2:30pm Women's Beit Midrash - Pearl Borow First hour: the KUZARI; Second hour on Chumash with Rashi 7:30pm Rabbi Chaim Eisen's shiur - "Truth Will Sprout from the Earth" 8:00pm and 9:00pm L'Ayla program - Yom Chamishi 6 Marcheshvan - THU October 14th 9:00am Exercise Class for Women 10:30am (to 12:30) Aggadata and Midot Tovot Dr. Hayim Abramson various MINI-Shiur/Divrei Torah while you fold 1:30pm Verna with the knitting needles (and D'var Torah) in the library 7:30pm VIDEO RERUN - for those who can't get here during the day "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" See Tuesday 12:30pm for details Remember: We (in Israel) start to ask for rain with V'TEIN TAL UMATAR LIVRACHA in the Amida of Arvit, the eve of the 7th of Marcheshvan, Thursday, October 14th Yom Shishi 7 Marcheshvan - FRI October 15th 9:00am Rabbi Eisen's shiur on Aggada 11:00am RCA Daf Yomi UPCOMING... Critical Financial Issues 3-part series by Financial Resource Network at the Israel Center Sunday, Monday, Tuesday - October 17,18,19 4:30pm SUN Buying a Home in Israel - Where to begin? Where does it end? MON Investing opportunities in Israel TUE Easing Your Retirement: Making Good Decisions for Yourself and Your Loved Ones 20 nis per class - Pay for two seminars, get the third one free Registration/information 052-762-6830, (02) 991-0029 or Shelley@Isrenet.com Monday, Oct. 18th 11:35am "Who's who?" Israeli orthodox communities - 70 faces of the Chassidic world- composers, mastereducaters, rebels and spodek instead of streimel." Medium size and small chassidic communities with Polish origin: Amshinov, Alexander, Modzitz,Biala, Radzin, Piasetzna Interactive lecture with pictures by Gabriella Licsko researcher Tuesday, Oct. 19th 7:00pm - David Bedein, www.IsraelBehindTheNews.com presents a master plan: "How to Galvanize Public opinion in Israel to Prevent the Establishment of a PLO Islamic State" 7:45pm - Video: "For the Sake of Nakba" - Filmed in May on location in UNRWA refugee camps followed by reaction by UNRWA 8:30pm - California investigator Lee Kaplan, whose warnings of terrorists aboard the flotilla went unheeded, will discuss ten years of selfless devotion to expose a movement which seeks to demonize and destroy the state of Israel. Wednesday, Oct. 20th 8:00pm Lose It! The Center for Weight Loss and Stress Management presents A LIFE-CHANGING SEMINAR at the Israel Center Don't Diet! Diets can be Hazardous to your Health! Discover the most recent findings and tips on how to improve your quality of life. If your health and happiness matter to you, don't miss this unique opportunity to learn about the Lose It! integrated approach to achieving Wellness Phone: (02) 654-0728 - email: info@loseit.co.il - website: www.loseit.co.il Motza'ei Shabbat Parshat Vayeira - Oct. 23rd 8:00pm - GAMES NIGHT for beginners as well as serious (but fun) game players - single person challenges (work on your own or with a partner), two people games, four people games, board games, card games, pencil & paper games, old games, new game - Join us for a fun-filled evening 10nis admission - refreshments - Come on your own, bring a friend, bring your child(ren), grandchild(ren), parents, grandparents, siblings, niblings... ONGOING SUPPORT GROUP FOR SENIORS in formation at the Israel Center - Call (02) 625-4328 Physical and Mental Independence - Presented by the Senior Social Worker from Anglo Agency, Doreen Winter, M.S.W with over 23 years experience Three new courses beginning the week of Oct. 17th 1. The Memory Workshop - 5 week course Sun. and Thurs. 10:30am- 12:30pm 2. Care Giving course - 6 sessions, Tuesdays, 4:00-6:00pm 3. Aging - Be Smart About Your Future - 9 sessions - Wednesdays, 10:30-12:30 All given by Bernice Schwartz For More info. call 651-0090 x 2 or email barbara.avitan@touro.edu Yeshivat HaKotel in cooperation with the Israel Center offers men (seniors) a companion Yeshiva bocher for an hour or two a week (in your home, at the Center, or elsewhere) to learn, talk, walk, play chess, checkers, Scrabble... If you are interested, call 560-9125 for further details Save the Date - Motzai Shabbat, December 11 7:30pm when the RCA-Israel Region will proudly be honoring Phil Chernofsky at its Annual Melava Malka, to take place at the OU Israel Center - More details to follow