Author: Rabbi Milder

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Torah Riddles Test #130

1.    Question: Why is a person who accidentally says a bracha on a new fruit, allowed to say shehecheyanu during the 3 weeks but a pregnant woman or sick person who has to eat a new fruit to feel better does not say a shehecheyanu during this time?

Background:

A. Since we diminish our joy during the 3 weeks between 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B’Av one should not put himself into a situation where he would have to say a shehecheyanu.

B. Shehecheyanu was enacted for the joy of eating a new fruit as per The Responsa Hisorirus Teshuva (347).

C. The Mishna Berura (551:17:99) says a pregnant woman and sick person should not say a shehecheyanu.

Answer: See Dirshu Mishna Berura (551:17:99:122) in the name of the Responsa Hisorirus Teshuva (347) that a sick person or pregnant woman is different than one who mistakenly said a blessing on a new fruit since the blessing of shehecheyanu was enacted on the joy of eating a new fruit and if one took a new fruit and said a blessing on it, the reality is he does have a sense of joy right now and therefore he must say a shehecheyanu. On the other hand a sick person or pregnant woman who are only permitted to eat the new fruit because of their sickness or state when everyone else in the world is not eating it, and they themselves don’t really want to eat the fruit now, therefore it must be they are really feeling despondence over the exile and not joy, and that is why they don’t say shehecheyanu.

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Mattos/Maasei –

For Food for Thought in Spanish: Haga clic aquí para leer en español. Please share this with your Jewish Spanish speaking family, friends, and associates.
Subtle Differences Between a False Sense of Security and True Security
Does trust in Hashem lead to doing His mitzvos, or does doing mitzvos lead to trust in Hashem? And, vice versa, does trusting in some one or something other than Hashem lead to sin, or does sin lead to trusting in others other than Hashem? Both could be true, and the Chovos Halevavos in his introduction to the Gate of Trust observes in terms of trusting in Hashem, “The benefits in religious matters: Among them, peace of mind, and trusting in G-d as a servant must trust in his master. Because if one does not place his trust in G-d, he will place his trust in something else, and whoever trusts in something other than G-d, the Al-mighty will remove His providence from such a person, and leave him in the hands of the one he trusted, and he will be as it was written: ‘For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the spring of living waters, to dig for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that do not hold water’ (Yirmiyahu 2:13). (Click here for Hebrew text.)

This pasuk in Yirmiyahu is read in this week’s Haftorah, which is read during the three weeks between the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B’Av, discussing the wayward, rebellious state of the Jewish people on the eve of the destruction of the First Beis HaMikdash. The Radak details the parable made of Hashem to a wellspring of flowing water, which is true security, to idolatry and the other nations which are a false sense of security. The Radak observes, “The prophet compares the good that influenced the Jews while they still strongly held onto Torah observance, to the source of a living spring which brings forth water without stop, so to [Hashem says] ‘I am the same way and you left me to serve gods which for them are like broken wells.’ Wells or cisterns are man made to gather in them rainwater and if they are broken all their water will leak out of them just as it came in. Behold those that trust in them are flawed, and behold it is good to rely on Hashem who is compared to an ever flowing live water spring for 2 reasons: (1) For the water doesn’t come to him from any other place rather from its place do they flow, (2) it never stops flowing. Similarly, it is good to rely on Hashem because the good comes to them from Him, Himself and He doesn’t receive the good from any place else and His good never stops. On the flip side, comparatively the good that the Jews receive from gods and from nations who observe them, and they in fact trusted in the king of Assyria and the king of Egypt to help them from the enemy which was harassing them at the time, are like broken wells, for even if they were full to the top with no cracks, they have a stopping point when they run out of the water which was poured into them, not emanating from themselves. So to the power of those that Israel was seeking help from came from elsewhere because the king can’t do anything without his army and servants, of course also without the help of Hashem, as it says ‘the king does not save with most of his valor.’ If they are relying on their gods to help them, behold they are like broken wells that can’t retain water, for even if someone pours water into them, it would leak out through the cracks and no water would be found, similarly one who trusts in other gods even if they are a very big nation with weapons, they are like nothing and their enemies can defeat them. Also, if they were low on food supplies and turn to their allied nations for sustenance then they might turn to them to ask for a lot but they will only have so much to offer.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
After understanding the parable it would seem obvious that it is better to trust in Hashem and observe his mitzvos because the starting point is that Hashem is the Almighty, All Powerful, and ever flowing with good and favor, (one only receives that goodness when he reciprocates with Torah observance and doing Hashem’s will.) Why would anyone reject this especially if the flip side is relying on someone who is finite and imperfect who can’t even take care of himself but must rely on human manpower for strength and control. Also, though they have opportunities to rely on Hashem to fortify their strength why rely on third hand help or sustenance instead of getting help from the source, Hashem Himself, even if it is through His intermediaries it is still better than relying on a human leader which winds up being at least third hand help. Certainly, if these human allies don’t trust in Hashem, but rely on others then you are trusting in something which is imperfect and has faults that relies on nonperfect, faulty material to bring imaginary hope and reliance. To put it in this vane why would anyone ever choose relying and trusting in others and not have full trust in Hashem? Isn’t it an obvious choice?!!

However, the reality is that one’s full trust in Hashem that He will sustain and take care of him is dependent on his level of observance and commitment to Hashem’s Torah and mitzvos. For the more a person does Hashem’s will then Hashem reciprocates with security and reward therefore a person will understand and strengthen his trust in Hashem but because people make mistakes and don’t always serve Hashem properly then there are repercussions which makes life not so easy which in turn makes it harder for one to put full trust in Hashem, (though he should have full trust in Hashem even if one makes mistakes but one should trust that Hashem is doing what is right for you and you should strive to do better so that you will deserve the ultimate good which Hashem wants to bestow upon you,) and that is why people turns to other things to trust in, and once one loosens his connection and trust in Hashem then Hashem allows him to trust in what he begins to rely upon in his imperfect state. This is what the Chovos Halevavos quoted above means.

One might say Hashem never takes care of me directly any way. He always sends his messengers to ensure I get what I need. Hashem usually works through nature so what’s the difference between relying on him and relying on His messengers? But that itself is the difference. It is all in the attitude. If the attitude is I am relying on Hashem, then your reliance is on an infinitely perfect entity that can send anything your way to help you and He never stops giving, you just stop properly receiving if you don’t do what is good for you. But if your attitude is why should I rely on Hashem, he’s not directly in my life in any sort of way and my life is miserable and bumpy any way, so I might as well trust in something that I can see and understand, though it is only human, or finite, so imperfect, then what you get is to be put into the hands of what you choose to rely upon, and even if it may look trustworthy in the beginning, but since nothing in this world is perfect, then you will run into trouble at some point, and by then it will be harder to get out of the mess you have made for yourself.

So in fact we see it is not so easy to choose the obvious choice of trusting in Hashem, but the key is that it is easier and better to trust in Hashem if you try to put all your efforts into serving Him properly and perhaps imbibing this parable into one’s kishkes will make it easier to adhere to doing the right thing which will result in a more fulfilling and enjoyable life style which you can put full faith into.

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Sefer Chofetz Chaim Chapter 6 halacha 3,4

Halacha 3: Don’t think that because there is a Torah level prohibition to just listen to lashon hara then you are stuck and can’t keep your ears open to avoid problems that might come your way. Rather you are allowed to listen to lashon hara if it could be used constructively for yourself in the future or if you can fix a matter for someone else or change the person being talked about and the like. What one should do is if you see someone coming over to you tell you something you must ask him, “is it constructive for me or can I help to resolve an issue?” If he replies yes then fine you can listen but don’t accept what he says as truth until you look into the matter yourself but if he sounds like he’s speaking out of hatred and is about to just go all out degrading someone then you should tell him you don’t want to listen or at least give him a disparaging look. This is essential in order so that he won’t come over to you again with more lashon hara and he might even stop speaking altogether because of the shame you caused him.

Halacha 4: There are times when it’s a mitzvah to listen to lashon hara which is when you figure out yourself that you think by listening fully to what he says you can convince him and others listening that he is wrong and defend the person being spoken about by judging the person being talked about favorably. If you feel the speaker will just twist whatever positive words you have and make things worse then you should stay quiet until he walks away and then defend the one being talked about in front of the listeners. Even if you started to listen unlawfully there is a way to fix your sin of “lo sisa shema shav” and retroactively it’s as if you never sinned by judging him favorably and defending him so that people will believe you and not the one who spoke the lashon hara. And if you can convince the one speaking that he is wrong you Also fixed your sin of placing a stumbling block in front of the blind. If you can break up a fight it’s a mitzvah to listen to lashon hara just as the Gemara in Avoda Zara 18b says it’s forbidden to go into non-Jewish entertainment centers like movie theaters but if you can save a wayward Jews from these places then you are permitted to go in there and get him out, for example there are many stories of rabbis going into movie theaters or bars to save teenagers from these immoral places and the like. Also, if a person feels he has to vent to someone after someone did something nasty to him, or the like, then a person should listen to the venting if he will be sure not to believe what is being said and it will calm down the person who got riled up so hope no argument will ensue. It is a mitzva to listen so that hopefully he won’t speak to anyone else who might accept what he says and you creating peace amongst the Jews and the world. For this reason, you can even ask the guy venting why he dislikes his friend so that maybe you can fix the matter.

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Torah Riddles Test #129

2.    Question: The Minchas Chinuch (mitzvah 51) asks: What is the difference between selling an animal that gored before being found guilty and making it ownerless before it was found guilty?

Background:

A. The Tur says if one’s ox gores and then the owner declares it ownerless, he is exempt from paying damages even if he acquires it again before it is found guilty in court.

B. The Tur also says that if one’s ox gores and then he sells it he is liable. Which seemingly means you don’t need to have one owner of the ox in order to be liable (as Rashi holds) but that would mean there is a contradiction between selling and making ownerless.

 C. Even the Tur holds that you need ownership from the goring through the court case without any break.

Answer: By buying and selling there is always someone owning it even while changing hands so the obligation sticks. But when made ownerless even if picked back up by the sane person there is now a break in ownership which causes an exemption. [/exand]

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Torah Riddles Test #128

1.    Question: If a bar mitzvah boy who turned 13 Friday night did not develop 2 hairs until Shabbos morning is still obligated to say the night time kiddush during the day then why is an onen, someone who is waiting to bury his dead relative, in this case over Shabbos, exempt from saying havdala after the burial on Sunday according to the Rosh?

Background:

 A: The Minchas Chinuch (mitzvah 31) says that if the bar mitzvah boy could not say Kiddush for himself on the Shabbos night he is obligated according to the Torah to say kiddush on Shabbos day because the kiddush during the day would not make up for what was skipped rather there is just a Torah level mitzvah to say the night time kiddush at some point during the whole entire Shabbos. (The daytime kiddush we say is rabbinic.)

B. The Rosh brought in the Tur Yoreh Deah 341 says that since an onen was not obligated to do havdala on motzei Shabbos at the beginning of his obligation to say havdala then he is exempt from saying havdala the next day after the burial, for since he was not obligated by the main time of obligation he is not obligated anymore (though havdala technically could be said until Tuesday normally.)

C. The obligation of kiddush comes because of the concept of Shabbos but the obligation of havdala comes because of the separation between Shabbos and weekday.

Answer: The obligation of kiddush is because of the day and the whole day is Shabbos so the bar mitzvah boy is still obligated once he produces his two hairs. But the obligation of havdala is the separation between Shabbos and weekday which is really a moment in time, once it passes and the onen was exempt at the time then he is not obligated any more or get a renewed obligation once he buries his relative. [/exapnd]

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Pinchas – Human Perfection

For Food for Thought in Spanish: Haga clic aquí para leer en español. Please share this with your Jewish Spanish speaking family, friends, and associates.

 Hashem decreed Moshe Rabbeinu’s death by the hitting of the rock in the Torah portion of Chukas. Now, Moshe is faced with the reality for the first time that he will pass on before entering the Promise Land in this week’s Torah portion of Pinchas, “Hashem said to Moshe, “Go up to this mount Abarim and look at the land that I have given to the children of Israel. And when you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother was gathered…” (Bamidbar 27:12, 13). Responding,  “Moses spoke to Hashem, saying: “Let the Lord, the God of spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation…” (Bamidbar 27:15, 16).

The Ralbag learns from Moshe’s response that those who have lived a complete, well-rounded life are not afraid of death, for they don’t greatly choose the life in this physical world, as there is something much better after they acquire all their intellect, which can only be appreciated in its entirety after one loses his physicality. For this reason we don’t find that Moshe was scared of dying;at this point and in any other place in time rather, Moshe requested from Hashem to appoint a person over the congregation who would put all his efforts into leading them, because his intentions were to do what was good for as long as possible. (Click here for Hebrew text.)

There is an innate drive in every living being to stay alive and to cower from death. It is in everyone’s natural instincts to do whatever they can to stay alive, to the point that a person will automatically recoil when faced with a burning fire. 

Anyone who feels the opposite is deemed to be unhealthy and possibly dangerous to themselves or others. Yet we find here that those who have reached human perfection, who have fulfilled their potential in life, do not fear death. Indeed, on the contrary, those individuals would rather die than live in this finite world. How does this seem appropriate for such an upstanding citizen of society and leader as Moshe Rabbeinu?

Furthermore it seems that Moshe did request from Hashem (in the Torah portion of Vaeschanan) to change the deadly decree on him, and get permission to enter the Promised Land with the Jewish people. So what does the Ralbag mean?
It would seem that in fact Moshe felt he was not finished yet with his mission in life. He believed that he could gain better insights to take with him to the Land of Eternity, if only he could enter the Holy Land. Which is why he davened 515 prayers to enter The Land. But he was not terrified of death itself, because he understood that his physical body in fact hindered the ultimate spiritual and intellectual experience of basking in the Presence of Hashem and appreciating the Torah he learnt in this world on a more pure and Divine level.

Only one who has nearly completed his mission in life and feels no need for his body anymore can wholly appreciate this, if not then on whatever level one is  on there is this natural pull and drive to stay physically alive.


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Sefer Chofetz Chaim chapter 6, halacha 2, footnote 2 continued and footnotes 3, 4

Footnote 2 continued: The Chofetz Chaim proved from a gemara in Shevuos daf 31a combined with the Rambam (hilchos Sanhedrin 21:7) that even listening to lashon hara is forbidden since it might lead to accepting it as truth. So it’s logical to say that if the Torah definitely forbade accepting lashon hara then it also forbade what would lead to it which is just listening. The Gemara in Shavuos and the Rambam were talking about judges listening to statements by one party before the court case officially starts. If that’s a problem because they might accept the first aide as fact even if he will eventually hear the other side of the story, all the more so in any other situation of just listening where many times the person talked about doesn’t defend himself therefore it’s for sure forbidden because it is easier to accept what you hear. The Pirkei Di’Rebbe Eliezer warns that just sitting among those who speak lashon hara, no mention of accepting what you hear, you are considered wicked and one who hangs around slanderers, that means just by listening. Finally, the Sefer Chareidim says straight out in the negative mitzvah that have to do with one’s ears that just listening to lashon hara is prohibited by the Torah. You can’t get any clearer than that but the Chofetz Chaim says he must know this because of all that was quoted earlier.

Footnote 3: When a person is allowed to listen to lashon hara for a constructive purpose like to avoid future feuds then you have to have two things in mind:

 1. If the person is speaking out of hatred you can’t listen to him because he won’t be careful the prerequisites of permissibly speaking lashon hara for a constructive purpose listed later on.

2. You can listen in only if he had already started to speak with others so that you aren’t the one placing a stumbling block in front of the blind.

Footnote 4: When it says that if you are in a position to help someone correct his ways then you can listen to lashon hara in order to investigate if it is really true or not that is only if there is an inkling of possible truth to the matter but if you feel there is no way the guy you are listening to is telling the truth you have no obligation to be cautious about what you heard to rebuke the would be wrong doer.

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Torah Riddles Test #127

2. Question: Why does the Pri Megadim hold you should first make a blessing on the Tallis then say shehecheyanu but by a new fruit you first say shehecheyanu and then the blessing on the fruit?

Background:

A. The reason why the Tallis is considered important in your eyes to warrant a shehecheyanu is because of the mitzvah.

B. The fruit itself is what causes the need to say a blessing of Ha’etz and the blessing of shehecheyanu.

C. Saying the blessing of Haetz is for the benefit you get and shehecheyanu for the joy you get.

 Answer: Since the mitzvah causes the Tallis to need a shehecheyanu then it’s not fitting to say the blessing on the Tallis then the shehecheyanu but by the fruit since the reason for each blessing is different one for enjoyment and the other for joy and they are both caused by the fruit itself independently then it would be a separation /hefsek between the blessing and eating if shehecheyanu was said in the middle. (Also could say before and not after eating because really the joy starts from when the fruit is seen on the tree, so technically can say shehecheyanu then but we wait until we eat it when the joy intensifies.)

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Torah Riddles Test #126

1. Question: Why can a kohen wear his priestly garments which has shaatnez in them even when not doing the holy service but the Raavad holds you can’t wear tzitzis which has shaatnez in them at night since there is no obligation at night?

Background:

A. These are examples of a positive mitzvah pushing off a negative mitzvah, in this case the mitzvah of tzitzis or priestly garments pushing off the prohibition of shaatnez/forbidden mixtures.

B. Really when it comes to the priestly garments the Torah didn’t just push off the prohibition of shaatnez but completely permitted it because that’s the only way to perform the service in the Beis hamikdash.

C. You don’t have to wear shaatnez by tzitzis but if you have a linen garment and the techeiles/blue string (when worn) was supposed to be wool then the positive mitzvah of tzitzis pushes off the negative mitzvah of shaatnez.

D. Why does the priestly garments permit the prohibition of shaatnez but the tzitzis only push off the prohibition if shaatnez.

Answer: The Kovetz Ha’aros (40 in new edition) answered that the Raavad holds that since there is no other way to wear the priestly garments while doing the Holy service then the prohibition became permitted even after the service was done and before it took place but by tzitzis you can always wear a linen garment with linen tzitzis so you wouldn’t need to mix wool and linen together. The Torah just permitted you to do so if you wish for the sake of the mitzvah so the mitzvah only pushes off the prohibition so when there is no mitzva, like at night then the prohibition won’t allow you to wear the garment.

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Chukas/Balak – Clarifying Comes to Clarity

For Food for Thought in Spanish: Haga clic aquí para leer en español. Please share this with your Jewish Spanish speaking family, friends, and associates.
One might think it is obvious that the best teacher one can possibly have is Hashem Himself. However, Hashem thinks otherwise in this week’s haftorah for Chukas and Balak, which takes place in the Book of Micha.

In the middle of the Haftorah, Hashem sends Micha to the Jewish people to “verbally fight” against them for rebelling against Him, right around when the First Beis HaMikdash was destroyed. “Hear ye, O mountains, the controversy of Hashem; and you mighty ones, the foundations of the earth; for Hashem has a controversy with His people, and with Israel He shall contend. O My people, what have I done, and how have I wearied you? Testify against Me. For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam” (Micha 6:2-4).

Hashem goes on to say in the next pasuk, which is the link to this week’s Torah portion, “My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab planned, and what Bilaam the son of Beor answered him. From Shittim to Gilgal, may you recognize the righteous deeds of the Lord.” The Haftorah concludes with the fact that Hashem does not want their sacrifices and offerings but rather, “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what Hashem demands of you; but to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and to walk discreetly with your G-D” (Micha 6:8).
When Hashem first claims ‘what have I done wrong to you,’ and He reminds them of how He took them out of Egypt with great leaders, the Ibn Ezra says an amazing thing! Hashem is telling the Jews of the time, “That only a tremendous favor did I do for you when I elevated you and took you out by means of a person who can speak with you and tell you all you need to know, and to inform you of My ways. This was Moshe who came to Pharaoh and Aharon who prophesied for the Jews before Moshe came and Miriam who prophesied for the women. Also, the Torah was given through the hand of Moshe, and Aharon who was his spokesman. Both taught the mitzvos to the men and Miriam to the women. For the word of Hashem was with him face to face just as a person speaks to his friend mouth to mouth, and not in a dream or vision, or with riddles. This is a great favor and is amazing, for the words were clear like a father to his son and a rabbi to his student.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
Hashem challenges the Jewish people: ‘how can you rebel against me? I did so many favors for you and acted so kindly towards you, for example, I brought you out of Egypt and taught you the Torah through emissaries, not directly.’ Why was sending emissaries a kindness and a favor? Imagine watching videos of the most perfect orator, who spoke clearly and eloquently, better than you can imagine. Isn’t that exactly a depiction of what Hashem could have done, through dreams, visions or prophetic riddles, if Hashem were to have Himself given the instructions to leave Egypt, to each person, and taught each of them the Torah? How much better could it have gotten?

However we all know that the video sometimes is scratchy; there can be a blip in the system; the audio is bad; the bandwidth is weak. So as perfect of a speaker as He might be, there is a possibility of a glitch in our system, and of some disparity in understanding that might come about. So too if the Jewish people would not have had Moshe, who was on such a high level of prophesy, unlike anyone else, learning and getting direction from Hashem “face-to-face,” where he could question and clarify matters with Hashem, “mouth to mouth” and then teach it to Aharon and Miriam in order to help spread it to the masses so they could also question and clarify, then the Jewish people would have had to rely on their individual interpretations of dreams or visions or prophesy on lower, possibly unclear, levels, depending on where everyone was holding. In receiving direction and the Torah from Hashem directly they would not be able to respond back,  since they weren’t on the same level as Moshe was, to properly respond to Hashem. Therefore, it was a tremendous favor of Hashem to send Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam as His emissaries on His behalf to take them out of Egypt and teach them the Torah.

We see from here how important it is to have a father or rabbi in your life that you can talk to ask questions and clarify matters so they will be clear. Just watching videos, even if the speakers seem to be very clear, or reading books, even if you think they are clearly understandable, will not put you in the proper framework to serve Hashem properly compared to having someone who you can turn to and not be afraid to ask questions, as well as help you make applications to other matters, and to be sure you are doing the right thing. If Hashem could say it was better for them to have Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam as their guide and teacher, though it doesn’t make a difference how great they were, they still aren’t G-D, then it shows the opportunity to have a relationship with a rabbi to a student or a father to a son must be priceless. All the more so in our day and age even if our mentors and teachers aren’t as clear as professional speakers, but the professional speakers and expert writers aren’t G-D either.

 Bottom line the opportunity to be able to clarify matters, the give and take on a personal level to ensure clarity and to be able to apply one’s self is the best way to ensure you are doing the right thing and serving Hashem properly.
Take advantage!