Parashas Noach 5772- Is it Possible to Make up a Missed Opportunity

Posted on March 4, 2012 by tasteofyeshiva

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Is it Possible to Make up a Missed Opportunity?

Taste of Talmud

An Ammorah, (a great rabbi from the time period of the Talmud 400-800 C.E.) said, “One who erred and did not pray the afternoon prayers may make it up by praying the evening prayers (Shemoneh esrei) twice.” The Talmud asks: This seems to go against a statement made previously by a Tanna (a great Rabbi from the time period of the Mishnah 50 B.C.E. – 400 C.E.): One who has missed a prayer cannot make it up. The Talmud answers that it is clear from the choice of words which was used in his statement that the Ammorah is not contradicting the words of the earlier sages. The Ammorah stated that a makeup prayer may be said if the prayer was missed “erroneously”, i.e. unintentionally. He did not make a blanket statement that prayers can always be made up. The Talmud adds two more rules that limit the use of a make-up prayer. 1) It may only be said in conjunction with the prayer immediately following the missed prayer. 2) The make-up prayer must be said after the obligatory prayer of that time period has been said. For example, if one missed Mincha on a Shabbos afternoon (due to an unintentionally long Shabbos nap!) he may make it up after Maariv on Motzai Shabbos. In this event, he must recite the Havdalah insertion in the first shemoneh esrei for his regular Maariv prayer and only then may he recite another shemoneh esrei (without the Motzai Shabbos insertion).

Taste of Halacha

What is the benefit in reciting a make-up prayer after Shabbos to make up for a missed Shabbos Mincha prayer? One would think that since it is no longer Shabbos and one cannot pray the Shabbos prayer that there would be no point in saying an additional weekday prayer. This, however, is not true. Tosafos explains that one should say a second weekday shemoneh esrei to make up for a missed Shabbos prayer. This is different than a situation where one realizes that he neglected to recite the Rosh Chodesh insertion during his afternoon prayers the following evening. There is no point for him to repeat a regular prayer since it is no longer Rosh Chodesh and he will not be making that insertion. In this case he did not miss a prayer. Rather, he missed a “special occasion” insertion, in contrast to a person who did not say any prayer at all for Mincha on Shabbos. Rabbi Chaim Brisker makes another distinction between a person who neglected to say the insertion of Yaaleh V’Yavoh on Rosh Chodesh and one who neglected to say the correct formula to ask for rain in the 9th blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei. In the event that one did not say the correct formula to request rain, it is as though he did not pray at all since that is an integral part of the 9th blessing. In contrast, the mentioning of Rosh Chodesh in Yaaleh V’yavoh is a separate obligation.  Therefore, if one realized that he did not make the request for rain on a Friday afternoon, he should repeat the Shabbos evening prayer twice because it is like he did not pray at all on Friday afternoon.

Taste of Parasha

In the town of Lomza there was a very old hospital built out of thick wood. Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian writes that it was so old that no one could remember the exact year it was built. The people of the town were very distressed when they noticed a number of cases where people entered the hospital due to one ailment and shortly thereafter died of an ailment which they did not have before. They began to realize that rather than helping to cure their sick, this old hospital was actually the cause of death for a number of patients. They called in a number of professors from Warsaw to make some recommendations. After analyzing the situation for a while, the professors told the town of Lomza that over the years a lot of bacteria had built up in the building and was growing in the walls of their hospital. These bacteria were causing the death of their patients. There was no other choice but to destroy the entire building. Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian explains that there is a corollary to this in the spiritual world as well. Even if you have a very righteous person such as Noach, if the whole world around him has fallen to a deplorable level, their spiritual bacteria had attached itself to the wood and stones of the world around him and anyone living in such a world was in danger of dying spiritually from these “bacteria.” It was therefore necessary to cleanse the world in much the same way as we clean non- kosher pots – with boiling water!

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Parashas Vayishlach 5772- Effort and Trust: Reaching the Right Balance

Posted on December 9, 2011 by tasteofyeshiva

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Effort and Trust:  Reaching the Right Balance

Taste of Parasha

Yaakov Avinu blazes a path for us to follow while living amongst the descendants of Eisav in exile.  His actions and reactions are the protocol for our ability to withstand the tests of the “Eisavs” we encounter in our exiles. In order to handle today’s society, we must be well represented in forums of diplomacy, much as Yaakov prepared gifts for Eisav. We must be prepared to stand our ground to defend what is near and dear to our hearts, much as Yaakov prepared to fight.  Finally, and most importantly, we must pray, much as Yaakov prayed to G-d and said, “Save me from my brother from Eisav”.  The full implications of that prayer being: Save me from the kind overtures of Eisav my brother which could cause my children to assimilate into his culture, and, save me from the sword of Eisav who although he is my brother is not acting like a brother in his desire to kill me.  These are our marching orders for exile, says the Ramban. We must spare no effort in furthering the cause of good and truth.  We must make every effort possible to achieve our goals.  After all that is said and done, we must realize and appreciate that any success that is achieved is not from our deeds; but, rather from the blessings of G-d Himself.  In Hebrew literature this dynamic is known as Hishtadlus U’bitachon (effort and trust).

Taste of Hashkafa

The thousand dollar question is: How does one achieve this Hashkafa (outlook)? How is it possible that after I put in so much effort I am supposed to believe that it was not my effort that brought about the results?  Rabbi Mordechai Katz Zt”l provides for us a window of understanding into this topic. In this week’s Parasha, the verse says, “Yaakov arrived, ‘complete,’ in the city of Shechem” (Genesis 33:18). Rashi explains that he was complete in three areas: In his body, his money and his Torah.  The Maharsha (Shabbos 33a) explains that it was a miracle that made it possible for him to be ‘complete’ in his body: even though he had been hit by the angel of Eisav.  It was a miracle that allowed for him to be ‘complete’ in his money as he had given a large gift to Eisav. G-d enabled him to make the money back again in a good business deal at his next stop: Succos.  The Malbim adds that it was miraculous as well that he was complete in his Torah; namely, that he was not affected negatively by the angel of Eisav who had tried to sway him to sin.  Sometimes we realize it and sometimes we do not, but ultimately it is the hand of G-d that is the deciding factor as to how, when, and where success will come.

A good litmus test as to whether we are marching to the beat of Yaakov Avinu’s drum or not, is: Are we within the friendly confines of Halacha?  One who knows that all his efforts will be in vain if G-d does not bless them will not be tempted to cut corners in following the directives of the Torah.  He will not take short cuts in his Torah observance in order to achieve his objectives, for he knows that in the long run it will all be futile if G-d is not pleased with him.  Rabbi Katz Zt”l explains that this is true not only in the physical realm but in the spiritual realm as well.   We are required to expend as much effort as possible in the understanding of the word of G-d.  This is the only way in which to grow in all areas of service to G-d- be it Middos improvement, prayer, faith, or Mitzvah observance.  How can one expect to grow in his connection to G-d if he is not willing to listen to G-d?  When one studies Torah in depth, it is the antidote against the yetzer hora and the fuel for our Neshama.  May G-d bless our efforts with success in all areas.

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Parashas Vayeitzei 5772- Marriage: A Bond of True Love

Posted on December 3, 2011 by tasteofyeshiva

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Marriage:  A Bond of True Love

Taste of Parasha

“And G-d saw that Leah was hated and He opened her womb.”    (Genesis 29:31) Then, after Leah gives birth to Reuvain, Leah says, “Now my Husband will love me.” The first question we must ask ourselves is: Did Yaakov really hate Leah?  What about the Mitzvah of love your neighbor as thyself, even if he was forced into this situation? Leah is no worse than any other Jew whom he is commanded to love.  Furthermore, if he really did hate Leah, how would the birth of a child change their relationship to one of love?  There is another verse in this week’s Parasha which presents a similar dilemma.  In Chapter 30, Verse 1, it says, “And Rachel saw that she did not give birth to Yaakov… and she said to Yaakov, ‘give me children otherwise I will die’”. Was she merely using hyperbole, why would not having children be the cause of her death?  Rabbi Aharon Taub, in his work “Yismach Dodim” brings a beautiful answer to these questions from a work entitled “Chamudei Tzvi.”   In order to appreciate his answer we first need to get a Taste of Talmud and a Taste of Halacha.

 Taste of Talmud and Halacha

The Torah condones hatred for one reason, as King David wrote, “Those who love G-d should hate evil.”  Yaakov found himself in a questionable marriage situation.  On the one hand he had already created a Kiddushin bond with Rochel the moment he had completed the seven years of labor for her.  His union with Leah was therefore prohibited according to the strict letter of the law.  On the other hand, according to Rabbi Chanina in Tractate Sanhedrin (57b) his union with Leah was binding whereas the monetary acquisition he created for Rochel was not binding, as they were not, as of yet, Jewish.  The Talmud, in Tractate Avoda Zara says, “In reality, when a man transgresses the word of G-d and plants legumes and grain together they should not grow.  Nor for that matter should a child be born from a union which G-d prohibited.  However, G-d does not intervene.  He allows the world to function according to the way he designed it. He ‘so to speak’ says, “I will not change My world just because of this fool.” If however a man and woman do not have the ability to give birth, G-d will not make a miracle take place for them in their forbidden union.  Our sages teach us that G-d desires the prayers of the righteous; therefore he made all of the Matriarchs barren so that these great men and women would pray to Him and develop a close relationship with Him.  Leah and Rachel were both unable to bear children naturally. This was known to Yaakov.  By making a miracle for Leah, G-d gave His approval as it were to Yaakov’s union with Leah.  This is why Leah understood that now the only impediment to true love had been removed. This was true for Rochel as well.  If she did not give birth, she was afraid it would be a sign that she was the one living with Yaakov in sin, thereby being liable to death.  Ultimately, G-d showed His satisfaction with both of these unions by blessing them with the holy tribes ofIsrael.  This was a union born from true love, a purposeful love, an eternal love.

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Parashas Chayei Sora 5772: Tying the Knot of Kindness

Posted on November 22, 2011 by tasteofyeshiva

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Taste of Parasha

How did the act of drawing water from the well demonstrate that Rivka was worthy of being a matriarch of the Jewish nation?  What can we learn from her act of kindness about what it takes to be a good Jew?  The Bais Halevi sees in the way Rivka provided the water for Eliezer an example, of how Chesed should be done: With fore-thought and sensitivity to the feelings of the recipient.  Not only did she give this stranger water directly from her jug but she was careful that he should not feel insulted by her spilling out the remaining water from the jug.  That is why she poured it into the camels’ trough.  She showed an even greater level of kindness and sensitivity by continuing to provide water for all of the camels so that Eliezer should not get wind of the fact that she spilled out his leftover water out of fear of his germs.  Rav Meir Robman Zt”l adds that by running to and fro so expeditiously to provide for all of the men and all of the camels, she showed that she had a good heart.  In Pirkei Avos, Rabbi Yochanan taught that a good heart, a “lev tov,” is the best attribute because it is the basis for all positive qualities.

A person with a good heart is always looking to see the good in others and therefore will be a good friend and a good neighbor.  The question we must ask ourselves still, is: Does the fact that a person is kind to others have an effect on his belief and service of G-d? Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, Zt”l, answers with an emphatic, “Yes.”  He explains that the attribute of giving is actually indicative of the fact that a person has moved beyond living in a self-centered world to living in a Theo-centric world.  Only when a person gives enthusiastically to others do we know that all of his service is not just for his self-aggrandizement, be it in this world, OR the next.  By giving to others, a person shows his awareness that there is a lot more to life than the pursuit of his personal pleasure.  A person who can give with sensitivity and to the degree that Rivka gave is truly a person who is aware of G-d.  Rav Dessler concludes: Only through emulating G-d, by providing for others, are we able to understand G-d, the Ultimate Provider.

Taste of Talmud and Halacha

Avraham Avinu said to Efron, “I have given you the money for the field, ‘take’ it from me” (Genesis 23:13).  In regards to marriage, the Torah uses the same term, “when a man ‘takes’ a woman to be his wife…” (Deut. 24:5). The Talmud (Kiddushin 4b) derives from this similar word usage that a man and woman may use money to create the marriage bond called Kiddushin.  The Talmud asks: What added laws are derived from the fact that we learn this law from Avraham’s acquisition of the cave of the Patriarchs (Mearas Hamachpaila)?  The Talmud answers: We learn from here, that just as Avraham was the one making the acquisition, so too, when kiddushin is done with money, the man must be the one to say, “Harei at mekudeshes li.”  There is another lesson that we can learn from this connection. Just like Avraham Avinu and Efron both thought that they were getting the better end of the deal, so too, both the husband and wife should always focus on the good in each other and feel that they are the ones who got the better end of the deal.  In order for a marriage to work, both partners have to learn to be givers.

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Parashas Vayeira

Posted on November 12, 2011 by tasteofyeshiva

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Enthusiasm, The Key to Success

Taste of Talmud

The Jewish wedding ceremony includes seven blessings which include a wide gamut of topics.   We begin by praising G-d for creating us, we then proceed to make note of loss of the Bais Hamikdash.  The blessings also include blessings to the new couple for happiness and success.  The Talmud teaches us that whenever there is a quorum of men who dine together with the bride and groom during the first seven days following the wedding they have a Mitzvah to make these blessings.  Rabbi Yehuda adds one important caveat.  He states that there must be “panim chadashos” (a new face) within the quorum of men.  What does this mean?  Tosafos explains that he is learning that the blessings must be said only if there is a quorum of men dining with the bride and groom and among them is at least one who was not at the wedding ceremony.  He qualifies his remarks further by saying that it must be a person whose presence actually adds a dimension to the festivities.   The Rambam qualifies the rule of panim chadashos differently.  According to the Rambam, Sheva Brachos are said by a quorum of men who are dining with the bride and groom only when there is someone in attendance who did not yet hear the seven blessings recited in honor of this bride and groom.  Rav Kulefsky Zt”l, asks: What is the Halachic difference (nafka mina) between these two ways of defining panim chadashos?

Taste of Halacha

Case 1:  A friend of the groom, who did not attend the wedding, makes a cameo appearance at a dinner in honor of the new couple.  Unfortunately he was not able to stay until the end of the dinner.  The remaining assemblage had attended the wedding; do they still have a Mitzvah to say the sheva brachos?  Rav Kulefsky Zt”l explained that according to Tosafos the fact that the groom’s friend had been in attendance and enhanced the happiness and enthusiasm of the occasion is reason enough for the entire assemblage to be obligated to recite the blessings again.  However, according to the Rambam, they may not say the blessings, because the only way a new person creates a new obligation is if he is there to hear the blessings, because they are for him.

Case 2:  The Bride’s nine year old brother and six year old sister were not able to attend the wedding because they were still contagious from having had the chicken pox.  Thankfully, three days later they were cleared and were able to attend a festive dinner held in honor of the new couple.  Does the attendance of a person who is not obligated in Mitzvos create a new obligation to recite the wedding blessings?  Here, too, according to Tosafos the added excitement of having the bride’s siblings in attendance creates a new obligation on the adults even though they had previously heard the blessings.  However, according to the Rambam, the attendance of a new person only creates a new obligation if that person is obligated in Mitzvos, because it is their obligation, and therefore in this case they would not be able to say the Sheva Berachos.

Taste of Parasha

The Hebrew word “middah” literally translated means measure.  Middos, the word used by our sages to refer to character traits, are the way we act and how we think and feel; they are the measure of man.  In the classic mussar work entitled “Chovos Halevavos,” the author gives us an appreciation for the importance of developing proper middos.  In reference to the trait of Zerizus, a combination of alacrity and enthusiasm, he says, “Zerizus beautifies all the other traits and improves them.”  Harav Mordechai Katz Zt”l explains why a person who acts with alacrity and enthusiasm will become a person of refined character traits.  A person’s external behavior affects his internal feelings so much so that by acting enthusiastically we develop in our heart a real desire and yearning to do what is good and just.  By carrying out good deeds with alacrity, enthusiasm, vigor and vim we develop a love for Hashem.  This is why it says in the Medrash that in the merit of the fact that Avraham Avinu “ran” to feed his guests, G-d said, “I will attach Myself to him and his descendants.”  A lazy person will always find excuses and an enthusiastic person will always find a solution.

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Parashas Lech Lecha

Posted on November 5, 2011 by tasteofyeshiva

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Taking the Plunge; Learning how to Commit from Avraham Aveinu

Taste of Talmud

The first step of the Jewish marriage process is called “Kiddushin,” which literally means to become holy or to separate oneself from the mundane.  In English it loosely corresponds to what we would call, “betrothal.”  In our time this state of holiness is created when a man gives a woman a ring under the Chupah. The first Mishna in Tractate Kiddushin says that a woman will agree to become betrothed if a man gives her a significant amount of money (a perutah) or with an object of equal value.   Tosafos comments that there are two other situations in which Talmudic law permits the use of an object of monetary equivalence in place of direct monetary payment.  These two situations are: a) For redeeming a slave and b) for paying a fiscal obligation incurred due to damages.  Tosafos adds that even though in regards to betrothal the verses only allow for the use of money, the Talmud is telling us that we can derive from the laws of damages that when money is required to make a payment, it is sufficient to use a monetary equivalent.  The Maharsha (Rabbi Shmuel Eidels Zt”l) asks: It should follow then, that if the laws of damages are the source for this law, that we must follow the specifications given by the laws of damages for the use of a monetary equivalent.  Are we to learn from here that if a man would want to betroth a woman through a gift of land he may only use a piece of land that is of superior quality, as is the case in the laws of damages?

Taste of Halacha

My Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Kulefsky, Zt”l, answered in the following manner.  We have to ask ourselves what is the reason the Torah requires the use of superior quality land in paying for damages?  The Halacha is that if the defendant has money or chattel he must use that to pay and cannot use land.  Why?  It is clear from this law that when the Torah allows the use of a monetary equivalent that it is not redefining money simply as anything with value.  Rather, it is saying that one who damages another must return the amount of the loss to the one who was damaged in the best way possible.  This is because the damager owes a debt to him that the damagee would rather not have had to deal with.  Based on this explanation we can understand why when this law is applied to the laws of betrothal the law is different.  There is an integral difference in the reason for the two payments. When a woman agrees to enter into marriage she is doing so willingly and could agree to commit herself to this marriage by means of receiving any object which she values. This is because the man does not owe her anything but rather they are coming to a consensus between the two of them that they want to enter into this bond.  This is unlike the situation with damages where one is receiving the payment due to an undesired occurrence of damage.  Once we know from the laws of damages that a monetary equivalent may be used in place of money, then, when it comes to the laws of betrothal, any object of significant value, that the bride and groom agree upon, could be used to create this holy bond.

Taste of Parasha

Our fore father Abraham set the course for the Jewish nation through his exemplary service of G-d.  He showed himself worthy of becoming the father of the nation of G-d by passing ten tests.  The Medrash asks a peculiar question:  Which of the tests were greater?  Abraham’s willingness to follow the command of “lech lecha,” to relocate to the land of Israel in order to become the progenitor of the Jewish Nation, or, was the willingness to sacrifice his beloved son       (the akeida) the greater demonstration of moral caliber?  On the surface, this does not seem to be a question whatsoever, how can one equate the ability to push aside all logic, and to devotedly (seemingly recklessly) go to sacrifice his one and only beloved son with the seemingly beneficial and innocuous relocation to a land which will be given to him and all of his future generations?  The Nesivos Shalom explains that the command of lech lecha demanded of Abraham a commitment to the constant and daily challenges of personal development. This was not a one time test as was the “Akeida.”  G-d was asking him to be ready and willing to be on a constant voyage of self-discovery.   Abraham was to set the path with this act for every Jew to find his own unique path of service of G-d.   To grow from each and every circumstance which G-d sends our way.  To realize that nothing is by chance and that if we are placed in a certain situation it is because it is for us to use as a way to accomplish our mission on this earth, both from the exciting and happy moments, and, the challenging ones; day in and day out.

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Parashas Noach

Posted on October 29, 2011 by tasteofyeshiva

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When Can you Make up a Missed Prayer

 Taste of Talmud

An Ammorah, (a great rabbi from the time period of the Talmud 400-800 C.E.) said, “One who erred and did not pray the afternoon prayers may make it up by praying the evening prayers (Shemoneh esrei) twice”.  The Talmud asks: This seems to go against a statement made previously by a Tanna (a great Rabbi from the time period of the Mishnah 50 B.C.E. – 400 C.E.): One who has missed a prayer cannot make it up.  The Talmud answers that it is clear from the choice of words which was used in his statement that the Ammorah is not contradicting the words of the earlier sages.  The Amorrah stated that a makeup prayer may be said if the prayer was missed “erroneously”, i.e. unintentionally.  He did not make a blanket statement that prayers can always be made up.  The Talmud adds two morel rules that limit the use of a make-up prayer. 1) It may only be said in conjunction with the prayer immediately following the missed prayer. 2) The make-up prayer must be said after the obligatory prayer of that time period has been said.  For example, if one missed Mincha on a Shabbos afternoon (due to an unintentionally long Shabbos nap!) he may make it up after Maariv on Motzai Shabbos. In this event, he must recite the Havdalah insertion in the first shemoneh esrei for his regular Maariv prayer and only then may he recite another shemoneh esrei  (without the Motzai Shabbos insertion).

Taste of Halacha

What is the benefit in reciting a make-up prayer after Shabbos to make up for a missed Shabbos Mincha prayer? One would think that since it is no longer Shabbos and one cannot pray the Shabbos prayer that there would be no point in saying an additional weekday prayer.  This, however, is not true.  Tosafos explains that one should say a second weekday shemoneh esrei to make up for a missed Shabbos prayer.  This is different than a situation where one realizes that he neglected to recite the Rosh Chodesh insertion during his afternoon prayers the following evening. There is no point for him to repeat a regular prayer since it is no longer Rosh Chodesh and he will not be making that insertion.  In this case he did not miss a prayer, but rather a “special occasion” insertion, as opposed to a person who did not say any prayer at all for Mincha on Shabbos.  Rabbi Chaim Brisker makes another distinction between a person who neglected to say the insertion of Yaaleh V’Yavoh on Rosh Chodesh and one who neglected to say the correct formula to ask for rain in the 9th blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei.  In the event that one did not say the correct formula to request rain it is like he did not pray at all, since that is an integral part of the 9th blessing; as opposed to the mentioning of Rosh Chodesh in Yaaleh V’yavoh which is a separate obligation.  Therefore, if one realized that he did not make the request for rain on a Friday night he should repeat the Shabbos evening prayer twice because it is like he did not pray at all.

Taste of Parasha

In the town of Lomza, there was a very old hospital built out of thick wood.   Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian writes that it was so old that no one could remember the exact year it was built.  The people of the town were very distressed when they noticed a number of cases where people entered the hospital due to one ailment and shortly thereafter died of an ailment which they did not have before.  They began to realize that rather than helping to cure their sick, this old hospital was actually the cause of death for a number of patients.  They called in a number of Professors from Warsawto make   some recommendations.  After analyzing the situation for a while the professors told the town of Lomzathat their Hospital had many bacteria growing in the walls of the hospital.  This was what was causing the deaths of their patients.  There was no other choice but to destroy the entire building.  Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian explains that there is a corollary to this in the spiritual world as well.  Even if you have a very righteous  person such as Noach, if the whole world around him has fallen to a deplorable level their spiritual bacteria has attached itself to the wood and stones of the world around him and anyone living in such a world was in danger of dying spiritually from these “bacteria.”  It was therefore necessary to cleanse the world in much the same way as we clean non- kosher pots, with boiling water.

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Parashas Ha’azinu

Posted on October 1, 2011 by tasteofyeshiva

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The Shofar:  Cutting through Us to Rejuvenate Us

Taste of Talmud

Is there a requisite amount of time for the sound of the Shofar, or does it just depend on how long the baal tokeiah (the one blowing) can hold his breath?  According to the Raavad, the length of the sound of all of the long blasts (Tekios) is identical.  The sound must last an amount of time equal to nine short blasts.  This is also the amount of time it takes to blow three medium blasts.  According to the Raavad, all Tekiah blasts must be approximately 9 seconds, regardless of the length of the particular sound that is made in between the two Tekiah sounds.  The Geonim, however, make a distinction between the length of the different Tekiah sounds.  They are of the opinion that the length of the long blasts (tekiah) varies, depending, on how long you blow the broken sounds that are between the long blasts.  It would follow that according to the Geonim, the Tekiah sounds made surrounding the combined Shevarim-Teruah sounds must be approximately 18 seconds in order to be as long as all of the broken sounds made in that set.  This is longer than the Tekiah sounds surrounding the Teruah or the Shevarim sounds.  This dispute is brought in the words of the Ran, and revolves around the question as to how to interpret the words in the passage of the Talmud in Tractate Rosh Hashana (33b) “Bhai Vadai P’ligi.”

Taste of Halacha

How many sounds of the Shofar is one obligated to hear on Rosh Hashanah? The basic requirement is nine.  Why then is the shofar blown so many times?  The answer has to do with a dilemma in our understanding of what the Torah meant when it said that we should blow a “Teruah.”  We do know that we must blow a Teruah three times bracketed by a long blast, tekiah, on either end.  What is unclear is the nature of the Teruah sound.  There are three possibilities:  1) A Teruah may be nine short blasts or 2) It may be three medium blasts or 3) It may be a combination of the two.  In order to ensure that we have fulfilled our obligation we blow all of the three different possibilities.  They are all bracketed by the requisite long blast, prior to, and following, the “Teruah” sound.  This accounts for thirty sounds.  There is another halachic dilemma in regards to the blowing of the three short blasts followed in quick succession by the nine blasts.  The Ramban is of the opinion that they should all be blown in one breath without pausing to take a breath of air between the three medium blasts and the nine short blasts.  The Rambam, however, is of the opinion that a breath could be taken in between the two parts of this form of Teruah.  Therefore it is our custom to repeat this set a second time in order to fulfill both opinions.  This accounts for another 12 sounds.   All the other sounds blown in Synagogue are based on a Jewish minhag (custom).

Taste of Parasha

When a person has a sincere feeling of embarrassment for having done a misdeed he is forgiven.  A good Teshuva Drasha touches upon many areas in which we may have been remiss during the year.  In this way, the words of the speaker may be like harsh rain that is painful to bear.  The result however is a life giving dew, for these words allow a person to achieve a forgiveness which brings with it blessings of life, health and prosperity for the New Year.  This is what is meant by the verse “My words come cutting down like rain and are like the blessing of dew”.  With this concept, The Chasam Sofer explains a perplexing Medrash.  The Medrash says that one is permitted to violate the laws of Shabbos in order to heal a person who is having difficulty hearing.   The question is: Why is the loss of hearing considered to be a matter of life and death which allows for the desecration of Shabbos? The Medrash is speaking about Shabbos Shuva.  On this Shabbos, if a person cannot hear the Teshuva Drasha he may miss out on the purifying effect of the Rabbi’s words on his soul.  As a matter of fact, the Chasam Sofer says, Moshe Rabbeinu said the entire Parashas Haazinu on the day of his death which was a Shabbos.  These poetic words of inspiration fell like rain into the hearts of the Jewish nation, and just like dew improves the ground, they enlivened their devotion to Hashem anew.

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Parashas Nitzavim and Vayelech

Posted on September 24, 2011 by tasteofyeshiva

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Believe in Yourself; Believe in G-d

Taste of Talmud

Rabbi Elazar Ben Azariah taught:  Those who have transgressed a positive commandment will be forgiven immediately upon fulfilling the necessary requirements for repentance.  Those who have transgressed a negative commandment will not be totally forgiven until they also fulfill the requirements of Yom Kippur, as it says, “For on this day I will forgive you for all of your sins” (Leviticus 16:30). One who has transgressed a commandment which carries with it the punishment of excision (G-d forbid), however, will not be fully forgiven until his death (Yoma 86a).  Rabbeinu Yona of Gironde illuminated the path of repentance for the Jewish nation for all time in his magnum opus, Shaarei Teshuva (Gates of Repentance).  In the fourth chapter he prescribes a number of actions one could take which have the power to nullify an evil decree.  These include: A) Charity, B) Kind Deeds, C) Speaking warmly to poor and downtrodden people, D) Visiting the sick, E) Burying the dead, F) Comforting mourners, G) Gladdening the heart of a bride and groom and, above all, H) to increase one’s study of Torah, as it says, “with kindness and with truth (Torah) sin will be forgiven (Proverbs 16:6).”

Taste of Halacha

We are commanded to do Teshuva in this week‘s Parasha (Deut. 4:30).  What does this entail?  The Rambam delineates the four integral components of a proper teshuva.  A person who is entangled in sin must first leave his old ways. This includes making a serious resolution in his heart not to continue to sin any longer.  Without this step anything else is like going to the Mikvah while still holding a dead carcass in your hand.  The second step in teshuva is to feel remorse over one’s past misdeeds.  Remorse is the feeling one has when he is not happy with the way he behaved and he chastises himself for not having the fortitude to control himself.  The third step is for the penitent to express in words the specific actions which he is resolving to mend.  Finally, for the teshuva process to be complete, he must accept upon himself a plan of improvement for the future.  Rabbeinu Yona has a far more detailed version of the Teshuva process.  His version includes a 20-step process of repentance.  Most notably, he includes 1) guiding others away from the particular misdeed, 2) searching for positive ways to help others, 3) Praying to G-d to erase his sins, 4) To study the severity of the sins which he had committed, 5) Curtailing his physical indulgences, 6) a feeling of embarrassment over past misdeeds, and 7) developing feelings of pain and sorrow for acting in ways that have angered G-d.

Taste of Parasha

Five inmates stealthily burrowed a tunnel through which to escape to freedom.  Low and behold, the dawn of a new day found four of the five prisoners well on their way to freedom.  Just as surprised as the jail warden was that his prisoners had flown the coop, he was even more shocked to see one of the prisoners sitting meekly in his cell.  The warden began to beat and berate the man for having remained behind.  By not even attempting to escape, he had shown himself to be not only imprisoned in body but in spirit as well.  The prisoner had shown that he was not even willing to attempt to begin life anew; to turn over a new leaf.  He had shown himself to be so enmeshed in his evil ways that he was not even able to hope for a better future.  Rabbeinu Yona says: Repentance too, is an escape hatch which G-d gave to us as a gift. We must always be looking for those tunnels and avenues which will lead us to see the light of truth.  We must know that we can always refresh and renew ourselves. All we have to do is merely open our mouths and tell G-d that we want to improve and we are on the road to improvement.  In Deuteronomy (14:30) it says, “This matter (repentance) is very close to you, it is in your mouth and your heart to do.” Rabbi Yechechezkel Levenstein Zt”l learns from here that our escape to freedom, from the shackles of our sins, begins with our hearts and our mouths.  We have to tell G-d that our desire is to return to Him and ask Him to guide us through the dark tunnels back to Him.”

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Parashas Ki Savo

Posted on September 17, 2011 by tasteofyeshiva

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What is the Purpose of Life?

Taste of Talmud and Halacha

Rav says: G-d’s name must be included in a blessing in order for the blessing to be efficacious, Rabbi Yochanan says that you also have to mention the fact that G-d is the King of the universe for the blessing to be valid. Abayey explains that this dispute is based on their varied understandings of the verse which tells us what the farmers say when they bring Bikurim (the gift of their first fruit).  The farmers say, “I have properly completed the tithing in all of its details   (Deut. 26:13).”   All agree that one of the requirements for a proper tithing is that a blessing should be said.  They are only arguing as to what must be included in the formula of the blessing (Brachos 40b). Rashi comments, the wording of the blessing is: Blessed are you our G-d, King of the universe, Who has commanded us to separate the tithes and priestly gifts.   Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky Zt”l points out that we can learn from this Rashi that he is of the opinion that this blessing is biblical in origin. From Rashi’s commentary to Deuteronomy (26:13) it is also clear that he understands that there is a command to make a blessing prior to separating tithes.  Great scholars of later generations were troubled by these words of Rashi.  They asked: In regards to other Mitzvos such as blowing the Shofar or performing a Bris Milah, the blessing is Rabbinic in origin. Why is the Mitzvah of tithing different? Therefore, they amended Rashi’s statement to say that there is a biblical command to praise G-d prior to separating tithes but not necessarily to make a blessing prior to the Mitzvah.  Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky Zt”l provides us with a novel insight which removes the necessity to amend the words of Rashi.  The Mitzvah of separating the tithes is different than other Mitzvos such as blowing the shofar and Bris Milah.  It is readily apparent when one performs Mitzvos which do not give us physical pleasure, such as these, that they are being done because G-d commanded us to do them.  The blessing that is said prior to their performance is rabbinic in origin because it is merely intended to help us clearly express the otherwise obvious. The Mitzvah of separating tithes, however, has two aspects to it.  The first is very physical.  One must remove the forbidden food from this mixture in order to be able to enjoy his produce.  The second part, giving the gift to the Levites and Kohanim, is clearly a spiritual act in service of G-d.  Since, when a farmer first removes the fruit, it is not clear from his actions whether he is doing it in order to serve G-d, or just to enjoy the produce, there is a biblical command to make a blessing prior to the tithing.  In so doing, he makes it clear that not only is the spiritual side of this Mitzvah being done to serve G-d but the physical aspect is being done to sanctify G-d’s name in this world as well.

Taste of Parasha

The Medrash, in Bereishis Rabba 1:15, relates an interesting debate between the great sages Shamai and Hillel.  Shamai is of the opinion that heaven was created before earth, whereas Hillel is of the opinion that earth was created before heaven. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai commented on this debate: In my opinion, they were created at the same moment.  The Nesivos Shalom explains: These sages are not arguing about the physical creation of the world, rather, they are conveying to us their different approaches as to the purpose of life itself. What is the loftiest goal in life?   Shamai is telling us: The most important objective in life is to do Mitzvohs that are purely spiritual, heavenly.    Hillel says there is an even loftier objective.  In his opinion, the main purpose of life is to uplift all earthly matters to be used in the service of G-d.  To this, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai says, “Both ways of serving G-d are commendable.  G-d’s name can be sanctified both through Mitzvos that do not have physical pleasure and through those that do.” With this insight, we can now understand why our sages say that the world was created so that the Jews would bring the gift of Bikurim (first fruits) as gifts to the Kohanim.  This is a Mitzvah in which both ways of serving  G-d come together in an ideal manner.  We too, can learn from here to look for ways through which to elevate all aspects of our lives towards a more meaningful existence in the upcoming year.

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