Download File for - Translated by Moshe Goldberg

Shabbat-B'Shabbato – Parshat Shemini
No 1669: 26 Nissan 5777 (22 April 2017)
AS SHABBAT APPROACHES
Unnecessary Stringencies - by Rabbi Mordechai Greenberg, Rosh Yeshiva, Kerem
B'Yavne
"To distinguish between the ritually impure and the pure" [Vayikra 11:47].
The Natziv writes, "Separating between the impure and the pure is a positive
mitzva. Thus, if there are any doubts that can be analyzed in order to
decide whether to permit something or prohibit it, the Beit Din is obligated
by a positive mitzva to clarify the matter. Just as it is wrong to be
lenient in a case where it is proper to be stringent... so it is forbidden
to be stringent in a case where it is possible to be lenient." [Haamek
Davar].
Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, the sage of moral teaching in our generation, wrote an
entire chapter about this subject in his book "Alei Shur." He writes that
"frumkeit" (exaggerated stringency) is an egotistical urge which is not
related at all to surrender to a higher power and that it does not lead to a
closer approach to the Holy One, Blessed be He. This is because it is clear
that the holy Shechina will not be revealed through selfishness, and anybody
who bases his or her service of G-d on "frumkeit" is acting selfish. And
even if he piles on himself many stringent actions – he will not become a
pious person, and he will never reach a level of doing things for the sake
of heaven.
The subject of stringency appears in the Talmud. For example, "Mar Ukva
said: With respect to the following matter I can be compared to vinegar that
was made from wine. When my father ate cheese he would not eat meat for the
next twenty-four hours, while I do not eat meat during the same meal but I
will eat it in the next meal." [Chulin 105a]. The conclusion is that a
person who is not at as high a level as his father was should not be as
stringent as his father was.
This issue is discussed in "Pitchei Teshuva" where the author quotes from a
book named "Solet LeMincha," that one who wants to be stringent and take on
a prohibition that was not accepted by the Amora'im, the rabbis of the
Talmud, such as ignoring something prohibited if it is less than onesixtieth of the total amount of food, is "like an apostate, and his loss
outweighs any possible reward for this action" [Yoreh Dei'ah 116:10].
In "Chiku Mamtakim," a book published in memory of Rabbi S.Z. Auerbach, a
story is told of a student who asked if he was allowed to use thin planks
for Sechach in a succah, which was permitted by the rabbis of Jerusalem but
which was not approved by the Chazon Ish. Rabbi Auerbach replied that it is
permitted, and he added: How can you be stringent? You are only a young
student, you are not allowed to be stringent using your parents' money, and
you should also not cause extra expenses for your wife by being especially
stringent. Rabbi Auerbach taught his students that if they wanted to be
stringent they must first study the matter in depth. And they should be
stringent only if they reached a conclusion that it was a halachic
necessity, but they should never simply imitate somebody else. He said that
the GRA was surprised to be considered pious. It is true that a pious man
burns his fingernails after they are cut (Nidda 17a), but not everybody who
does this (such as the GRA) is necessarily pious.
Rav Amital said that a student once asked him why he was not stringent in a
certain matter about which the Mishna Berura writes that a G-d-fearing
person should be wary. Rav Amital replied that it is indeed written that a
G-d-fearing man should be stringent in this matter, but that it is not
written that stringency will lead to a greater fear of G-d.
In a letter to the ultra-religious Badatz organization in Jerusalem, Rabbi
A.Y. Kook wrote, "It is important to note how careful we must be when we try
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to be stringent in matters for which we could be lenient according to the
law, so that we will not incur a greater loss than any possible gain."
POINT OF VIEW
The “Bayit Yehudi” Party is a Home without a Mezuzah - by Rabbi Yisrael Rozen,
Dean of the Zomet Institute
In my eyes, the month of Iyar which begins this week is the month of Zionism
in general, and specifically religious Zionism. In this month political
Zionism is represented by Yom Ha’atzma’ut (Independence Day), and the
religious sector reached a new level with the advent of Yom Yerushalayim
(Jerusalem Liberation Day). This sector, which was put to shame by a
marginal scribe in the newspaper Ha’aretz (who was duly followed by the
editor), is in fact alive and well, and can often be seen “kicking.” It
evidently brings out such emotions as jealousy and even hatred. Religious
Zionism is deeply entwined in all walks of life in Israel, except for its
basic foundational issue, which is known as “religion and the state.” (Note
that I prefer to use the term, “Judaism and the state.”)
Classic Religious Zionism
From my earliest memories, I was educated along the lines of organized
religious Zionism, which was the soul of the now defunct Mafdal, a political
party which fought to implant a Jewish face on the State of Israel. This was
one of its banners, which inspired thousands of youths just like me, above
and beyond such issues as nationalism, settlements, integration into all the
sectors of the new nation, while taking on responsibility for the nation in
terms of leadership, development, and its advancement. The religious youth
movement Bnei Akiva was an integral part of the “mother party,” and within
it grew ranks of members who were loyal to these ideals.
Personally, all my time has been spent aimed at these goals, ideologically
and in a practical sense, in an effort to integrate Judaism and the country.
This started with Hesder service in the IDF, in the very beginnings of this
religious Zionist enterprise, and continued with my active participation in
the Torah circles of the Mafdal, eventually serving on the central committee
of the party and on the presidium. More than 40 years ago, I founded the
Zomet Institute, which annually publishes “Techumin,” a collection of
halachic discussions with the purpose of combining the concepts of “Torah,
society, and the State.” (Every year, in the month of Iyar of course, a new
volume is published. This year Volume 37 will appear, with G-d’s help.) This
“curriculum vitae” is not a matter of personal nostalgia but rather an
attempt to give a flavor of the public aspect of my life – “showing
confidence in the correctness of the path,” and providing an overview of the
religious Zionist outlook.
And now, on the ruins of the Mafdal Party, the Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home)
has risen, and it has burst out of the previous boundaries. I have often
expressed my support of the new “Home” and its policies in terms of
nationalism, settlement policies, and politics. I also expressed my support
for changing the name of the party from “religious” to “Jewish.” I am a
member of the leadership committee of the new party and its presidium (I was
chosen without any special support group, after I sent a single text message
to the voting committee). I assume I was viewed as a representative of the
issues of religion and state, or “Judaism and the state,” which could be
expected to come up in the Bayit Yehudi Party.
Is this Purposeful Neglect or Indifference?
It is no secret that at present there is room for disappointment. The Bayit
Yehudi has now locked its doors and shuttered the windows to block out any
mention of such issues. It can be assumed that the reasons for this have to
do with electoral considerations: in order not to be branded as a strictly
religious party, and also a refusal to take any strong positions and an
attempt to avoid discussions about issues pertaining to the Jewish character
of the state. Well, it is true that no consensus has been reached on some of
these issues, not even within the party itself. But in spite of this, in my
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opinion, it is unthinkable that a “Jewish Home” party will refuse to take a
stand and will not get involved at all in questions which have recently come
up, within the category of “religion and the state.” These include the
public character of Shabbat, work performed by the government on the public
day of rest, areas of prayer at the Western Wall, systems for managing
kashrut through the Chief Rabbinate, dual-sex combat units in the IDF, and
many, many more.
These issues have been “abandoned” by the masters of the “Bayit” and left to
Chareidim on one hand, and to MK’s who are sons and daughters of traditional
religious Zionism in other parties, who were chosen specifically to
institute liberal innovations in matters of “religion and the state” (I do
not say that we must continue everything as it was in the past, but I call
for discussions from a modern viewpoint.) The Bayit Yehudi is facing
challenges from both sides ... And the “Home” is solidly locked. (Note in
passing that the achievements of the Minister of Justice in appointing new
judges to the High Rabbinical Courts are by definition not a matter of
“religion and the State”).
To summarize: Today there is no political haven for religious Zionism which
can be involved in issues of “Judaism and the State” and cooperation between
the sectors as a regular agenda. Everybody regularly pays lip service to the
ideal of “a democratic and Jewish state,” but we are left with an unanswered
question: What has the Bayit Yehudi done for the element of “Judaism?”
Let me finish this article with a postscript to the personal note I wrote
near the beginning. On the first of Nissan, a few weeks ago, I sent a letter
to a dozen or so ministers and MK’s from the Bayit Yehudi and a few other
relevant people, with the following subject: “Is the Bayit Yehudi Party the
right place for me?” Three of the more “religious” people who received this
letter responded (with a shrug of their shoulders, more or less). Nobody
else felt any need to relate to my letter.
(Written after the end of Shabbat, Chol Hamo’ed Pesach.)
A PARSHA INSIGHT
“Who Gave Man a Mouth?” - by Rabbi Asaf Harnoy, Rabbi of “Aderet Eliyahu”
Community, Gilo, Jerusalem
One of the most important and significant organs which plays a prominent
role during Pesach, which we have just finished celebrating, is the mouth.
It is through our mouths that we performed the many mitzvot of the holiday
which involve eating, such as matza and marror, and drinking, such as the
Four Cups of wine. It is also the organ which we used in order to observe
the main mitzva of the Haggadah – the retelling of the story of the Exodus
from Egypt.
If we study the power and unique properties of this very important organ in
depth, we can see that in effect it is what provides us with a link between
our inner self and the external world.
The mouth serves as the channel which connects,
which is external to us and which we bring into
hand, at a deeper level, provides a link to our
feelings, which we express through the power of
come out through our mouth.
on one hand, between food
our bodies and, on the other
innermost thoughts and
speech and the words which
In essence, the mouth provides for “input” and “output,” for a link between
our internal lives and the outside world, in a two-way process.
These two processes – eating, which consists of taking in something from the
outside, and speech, which entails sending out something that begins on the
inside – are the two main aspects of the mitzvot of Pesach. They are also
the two main subjects which appear in this week’s Torah portion.
“A Thin Sound of Silence”
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In one of the most tragic and sad passages in the entire Torah, we read this
week about the death of two of the sons of Aharon, who brought a “foreign
flame” as part of the sacrifice on the Altar.
This took place when the Tabernacle was set up for the first time. There was
great excitement when the new and holy edifice was dedicated before it was
put to use. All the priests were happy about the privilege that had been
given to them, to serve in the Tabernacle. And the one who led the entire
operation was Aharon, the High Priest.
Just at that moment, a terrible and tragic event occurs, and the two oldest
of his four sons die an untimely death. Everybody looked at Aharon. All the
people anticipated, waited, and wanted to know – What words would come from
his mouth, what would his first sentence be in reaction to such an event?
However, Aharon chose at that very moment – to remain silent. Aharon chose
to keep his mouth closed, and he cried out with the strongest possible cry,
specifically through a response of silence.
Enjoy your Meal!
And then, not far from the description of the death of Aharon’s sons, the
Torah presents us with a long passage that describes which food is unfit for
Yisrael to eat and which food is acceptable.
At first glance, the position of this passage in the Torah, right after the
description of the dedication ceremonies of the Tabernacle and the deaths of
Aharon’s sons, would seem to be questionable and ambiguous. What link is
there between forbidden foods and the dedication of the Tabernacle, together
with the story of the deaths?
The answer to this question is that we can understand a very significant and
important lesson from the fact that these two passages are juxtaposed with
each other.
Everything has its Proper Time
After we spent our time during Pesach, involved with the positive powers of
the mouth – speech and eating – the Torah teaches us that there are times
when it is just as important to know how to keep our mouths closed and
refrain from speaking and from eating.
Just like there are times when we must be aware of the importance of speech,
so there are times when silence becomes significant. It takes greater wisdom
to know what not to say than to know what to say. This is the great lesson
to be learned in a very moving manner from Aharon’s silence.
And the same approach is also true for the second role that the mouth plays
– that of ingesting food into our inner selves. The act of eating is vital,
it is the foundation of our physical existence. It is the manner in which
many mitzvot are performed. However, at the same time, we must remember that
just as there are elements which we are allowed to put into our mouth, so
there are substances which we must avoid.
The passages of Aharon’s silence and the forbidden foods appear close to
each other. Each one represents one important aspect that is related to the
mouth, teaching us the proper limits of our use of the great power that
exists in this vital organ.
WHEN THE CHILDREN OPEN THEIR HEARTS
The Blessing of Brothers - by Meirav Maggeni, Author of Content and Stories in
Chemed, the Religious School System
“Can’t we get some quiet here?” I yelled at them, and I slammed the door of
my room shut. That is how it is when you live in a house full of little
children who are very loud. As you can understand, I am the oldest, a girl,
and I was followed by six other brothers and sisters. We are considered “a
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family blessed with children.” But when Yoni eats a cracker on my bed and
fills it with crumbs, when Shira opens up my drawer and takes away the
prettiest labels that I managed to collect, when Moishe cries at the top of
his lungs, and when Talia cannot stop talking and laughing for even one
minute...
And what really gets on my nerves the most? It’s the twins Dvir and Moriah,
who are always fighting. I am really not sure that the title “blessed with
children” is appropriate. What is so blessed about the situation? I put my
head under my pillow and tried to take some deep breaths, like Imma taught
me to do when I was boiling over on the inside. I thought, “Why couldn’t I
have been an only child? Just Abba and Imma, and me!”
One day, completely normal and routine, not outstanding in any way, our
teacher gathered us all around her and she made a surprise announcement: “In
two weeks we will have a Shabbat for friends.”
Just what is a Shabbat for friends? The class is divided into hosts and
guests by choosing lots. Everybody is either a host or a guest. When the
teacher mixed the lottery slips there was a tense quiet in the room. We were
all curious to know what fate had in store for us. And then, finally, it was
my turn to pick out a slip. The words jumped out from the slip of paper:
“You will be Tamar’s guest.” At first I said to myself: “Why, from all my
classmates did I have to pick Tamar, the new girl who just moved here from
Haifa? I barely know her, how will I spend a whole Shabbat with her?” But I
changed my mind right away. “On the other hand, this is a good opportunity
to get to know her better. She seems to be nice. And anyway, Imma always
says that nothing happens unless it has been decreed in heaven.”
Two weeks went by quickly. On Thursday I packed a bag with some clothing and
personal things, I put in my best Shabbat clothing and some snacks, and I
remembered to take along the bottle of nice wine that Imma bought to give to
Tamar’s family. Friday morning I said goodbye to Abba and Imma and I hurried
to school. At the end of the day, when I was walking home with Tamar, I
asked her to tell me about her family and how many brothers and sisters she
had. But Tamar was surprised: “What, don’t you know that I am an only
child?” And now it was my turn to be surprised.
I said, “Tell me what it’s like to be the only girl in the house.”
Tamar said, “It’s very cozy and nice. But sometimes, in the quietest time of
night, all alone, I pray that I will have some brothers and sisters.”
I wanted to tell Tamar that from my experience it was not easy and not
always the most pleasant feeling, but I didn’t have time, there we were at
her house. It was clean and neat, and it was filled with the scents of
Shabbat. Tamar’s mother gave us fresh cookies that had just come out of the
oven.
“Come, let me show you my room,” Tamar said, and she took me there. I was
really impressed. I said, “Wow! I have never even imagined such a nice room,
a home for a real princess!” Tamar laughed out loud. We read some books, we
listened to some nice music, and we talked. Then we took showers and got
ready for Shabbat. In every corner of the house you could feel the quiet and
the peaceful atmosphere.
The Shabbat meal was very pleasant. Tamar’s father recited the Kiddush, and
her mother served the wonderful food. Tamar repeated the Torah insights that
we had learned in class, and we all sang the Shabbat Zemirot and then
recited the blessing after the meal. And then everything became quiet, which
again came as a great shock to me.
Suddenly, without knowing why, I began to miss having Talia talk and laugh a
little bit. I missed the jokes and the funny faces of Moishe, and Yoni’s
sweet smile. I even missed hearing the arguments between Dvir and Moriah. I
remembered that in my house everybody brought different Torah insights, and
that we filled the house with song, while all the time the house was full of
happiness and mischief. And then I understood what a privilege it was to be
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born into a family “blessed with children.” It was truly “blessed.” And I
understood why Tamar wanted to have brothers and sisters too. I decided to
pray for her too.
After that Shabbat, whenever my little brothers and sisters get on my nerves
I remember the Shabbat I spent with Tamar, take a deep breath, and thank G-d
for all my blessings.
Mail your reactions to me: [email protected]
HOLY AND SECULAR
Don’t call me “Messianic” - by Rabbi Amichai Gordin, Yeshivat Har Etzion
Recently the leader of the coalition faction in the Knesset accused MK
Yehuda Glick that the only thing that interests him is to pay a visit to the
Temple Mount. Statements opposing going up the Temple Mount are nothing new,
and they are completely legitimate. And the halachic problems that prominent
rabbis see with respect to rising up to the Mount, alongside with security
risks that cannot be ignored, are all weighty considerations indeed.
However, the statement made by MK David Beton is very serious. To disparage
the honest yearning to rise up to the Mount and to transform a Jew who
honestly wants to do so into a “messianic” fanatic is illusionary and
borders on an example of “Jewish bankruptcy.” We must never be willing to
accept such disparagement of the desire to visit the Temple Mount. Even if
the doors of the area are kept locked (for reasons of security or halacha),
the yearning to rise up to the Mount must be kept alive in the hearts of
each and every one of us.
* * * * * *
Nobody could ever suspect my late mentor, Rav Amital, of being messianic or
of not being sensitive to security challenges. Rav Amital was the object of
severe criticism for his moderate political opinions. However, in spite of
this, in a talk that he gave to us, his students, sixteen years ago, the Rav
explained that causing harm to the Temple Mount would interfere with the
unity of the Jewish people.
* * * * * *
In 1961, Rav Amital heard from Teddy Kollek, the mayor of Jerusalem, that
“Nasser, the President of Egypt, declared that there would never be peace
between Israel and the Arab world because of the unsolvable problem of
Jerusalem. It did not even occur to Nasser himself that any Jews would ever
agree to handing over the control of the Temple Mount to Islam.”
However, the Rav said to us sadly, “Today there are people among us who are
ready to hand over the Temple Mount to the Palestinians, out of a belief
that such a move might lead to peace...” He declared in a definitive way
that “such surrender is contrary to the Jewish view. Just as an individual
life is not the supreme value, and we have been taught that a person must
allow himself to be killed rather than violate three basic prohibitions –
the same applies to the life of the nation as a whole. There are values for
which the nation and the country must allow themselves to be put in danger.
Specifically, in our life as a nation there are ‘red lines’ which we cannot
cross, even in the face of mortal danger.”
A society which puts at its center “the sanctity of life” but whose set of
values does not include “a life of sanctity” is fated to descend into a
state of corruption and moral decay. Even peace – which is definitely very
important – is not an exclusive vital value. There are things which we can
never surrender even for the value of peace...
Giving the Temple Mount to the Arabs would in effect be to disassociate
ourselves from our historical Jewish identity. From the very beginning of
its existence, Judaism has held high the banner of Jerusalem and the Temple
Mount. This is the center where the world was created, it is where Avraham
took his son to be sacrificed, it is where Shlomo built the Temple in which
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the holy presence of the Shechina rested, and the Jews in all generations
and from all the exiles turned towards that point, with the prayer, “Return
to Your city Jerusalem with mercy.”
Rav Amital feared that “surrendering the Mount, together with the disconnect
from traditional Judaism that this would involve, might be a fateful move
related to one of the existential threats to Judaism in modern times – the
fact that so many Jews are moving further and further away from Judaism.
Only our national historic identity, based on yearning for Jerusalem for
thousands of years and our desire to rebuild the Temple there, can reunite
the entire nation and serve as a central beam that can hold all parts of the
nation together.”
* * * * * *
A story about the incoming head of the Gush Etzion Council, Shlomo Neeman,
is a perfect illustration of the importance of the Temple which Rav Amital
felt so strongly, with the Mount serving as a link between the national and
religious identities of the nation.
People in the office of the Council Head say that in his meeting schedule
there is a fixed Wednesday morning time slot that can never be moved.
Twenty-one years ago, Neeman arranged with a friend to go up on the Temple
Mount every Wednesday morning. At the time, Neeman had trouble sticking to
the schedule, while his friend did visit, every week. Seven years ago his
friend, Yitzchak Aimes, was murdered, together with his wife Tali, on the
way to their home. From that time, Neeman makes every effort possible to
continue the visits.
How is this connected to Rav Amital’s feelings? Shlomo Neeman was born in
the eastern section of the Soviet Union, very close to the Chinese border.
He was familiar with very few aspects of his Judaism. There were 20,000 Jews
in the city where he was born, about a quarter of the total population, but
there was not even one active synagogue.
As a youth Neeman felt deeply religious, so much so that he almost converted
to Christianity. What saved him was a deep national Jewish feeling that
burned in his heart. And when Neeman understood that there is a direct
contradiction between Jewish nationalism and Christianity, he decided to
remain a Jew. The nationalist Jewish feeling won him over.
It is not surprising to see that many of those who regularly rise up to the
Temple Mount grew up in foreign lands. They are able to understand the deep
significance of the Temple Mount for us. Evidently we who were born here
have a lot to learn about the essence of Zionism from our brethren who came
here from the exiles, together with the place of the Temple Mount in our
religious and national identity.
For reactions and comments: [email protected]
RIDDLE OF THE WEEK
by Yoav Shelosberg, Director of "Quiz and Experience"
Shemini
First – the slave brought ten
Second – “Not tremendous”
Third – Missing in Greek
Fourth – Change the first vowel to get one of the priestly shifts
What are these four?
- Answers for last week – the riddle was: What word in the Torah portion is
related to sacrifices but in modern Hebrew belongs to the realm of health?
- The answer: “Hamechatei” – The one who purifies.
- In the portion of Tzav, we are told about the role of the priest: “the
kohen who purifies it is privileged to eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy
place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. [Vayikra 6:19].
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- Today “chitui” refers to destroying microorganisms which cause disease in
the body.
(With thanks to Yemimah Zonnenfeld from Maaleh Chever.)
* * * * * *
We will be happy to publish your riddles here, with proper credit to the
author. Send your suggestions to the e-mail address given below.
Do you have a bar/bat mitzva coming up? Are you looking for a special quiz?
To order: www.hidonim.com
e-mail: [email protected]
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SHABBAT-ZOMET is an extract from SHABBAT-B'SHABBATO, a weekly bulletin
distributed free of charge in hundreds of synagogues in Israel. It is
published by the Zomet Institute of Alon Shevut, Israel, under the auspices
of the National Religious Party.
Translated by: Moshe Goldberg
To subscribe: http://www.zomet.org.il/eng/?pg=subscribe&CategoryID=165
Visit the Zomet Institute web site: http://www.zomet.org.il
Contact Zomet with comments about this bulletin or questions on the
link between modern technology and halacha at: [email protected]
Or: Phone: +972-2-9931442; FAX: +972-2-9931889 (Attention: Dan Marans)
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