How can one merit a long life? |
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Thursday, 09 February 2023 |
In Parshat Yitro, B’nai Yisrael received the Ten Commandments. The
fifth commandment (Shmot 20:12) stands out because not only is it a
commandment, there is also a reward attached:
Honor your father and your mother, so that your days will be
lengthened upon the Land that HaShem your God gives you.
Which Land did God give us? According to the Netziv, this refers
specifically to The Land of Israel.
This sounds similar to the last line in the “Vehaya” paragraph of
the Shma which we recite twice a day (Dvarim 11:21):
In order to prolong your days and the days of your children upon
the Land that God has sworn to your forefathers to give to them…”
If the reward of a long life is specifically in the Land of Israel
then how do people merit to live long lives outside of the Land of Israel as
well?
The Talmud, Brachot 8a relates an incident:
Rabbi Yochanan was told: There are elderly people in Babylonia.
Rabbi Yochanan was surprised and said: It is written “In order to prolong your
days and the days of your children upon the Land…” meaning the Land of Israel.
However, outside of Israel, there is no promise of a long life. They then
explained that the elders in Babylonia are people who arise early to attend
shul in the morning and stay late in the evening. He said: That is the merit
that has gained them long lives.
We learn in the Talmud, Megilla 29a:
It is taught in a braita: Rabbi Elazar HaKappar says: In the
future, the shuls and Batei Midrash in Babylonia will be transported and
established in Eretz Yisrael.
According to Maharsha, since these synagogues and Batei Midrash
will later become part of Eretz Yisrael, when one prays or studies in them it
is as if they are in the Land of Israel and therefore they deserve a long life
even if technically they are not in the Land.
We already see some of this vision taking place in our time. The
Mir Yeshiva, the largest yeshiva in the world is based in Jerusalem with 9000
students. It was originally founded around the year 1814 in the small town of
Mir (now Belarus). It remained in that same location for about 100 years.
During World War I and World War II the yeshiva moved around to Poltava
(Ukraine today) and later Keidan, Lithuania. Whoever was left at the yeshiva fled
to Shanghai. After the war, many of the students joined the Yeshiva in
Jerusalem which opened in 1944 with ten students.
The Mir is just one example of a yeshiva that was uprooted and is
now flourishing in Israel.
May we merit to bring more yeshivot to Israel, not based on the
need to flee persecution but based on the ideal that Israel is the best place
to live and study Torah
as it says in Yishayahu 2:3:
Ki Metzion Tetze Torah u’Dvar HaShem m’Yerushalayim
For out of Zion shall go forth Torah and the word of God from
Jerusalem. |
Where was Tziporah at the time of the Exodus? |
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Wednesday, 19 January 2022 |
In Parshat
Yitro, Shmot 18:2-4 we read:
Moshe’s
father-in-law, Yitro, took Moshe’s wife, Tziporah, after Moshe had sent her
back home along with her two sons. The name of one was Gershom, because he
(Moshe) had said, “I was a stranger in an alien land.” The name of the other
was Eliezer, because the God of my father was my help, and rescued me from the
sword of Pharaoh.
In Shmot 4:19-20
it looks like Moshe brought Tziporah with him to Egypt so how did she end up in
Midian with her father?
God said to
Moshe in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt, for they have died- all the men who had
sought your life. Moshe then took his wife and his sons, set them to ride on
the donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt...
Rashi explains
what happened: When God said to Moshe in Midian: “Go and return
to Egypt,” Moshe took his wife and his two sons…When Aharon went out towards
him and met up with him at the Mountain of God (Shmot 4:27), Aharon asked
Moshe, “Who are these?” Moshe replied to him, “This is my wife whom I married
in Midian and these are my children.” Aharon said to him, “And where are you
taking them?” Moshe answered “To Egypt.” Aharon said to him, “We grieve for the
earlier (enslaved) ones and now you come to add to their numbers!”
At that point, Moshe told Tzipora to return to her
father’s house in Midian.
According to Siftei Chachamim, Moshe was worried
that the Egyptians would enslave Tziporah if she came with him to Egypt.
Therefore, he sent her back to Midian.
Since Tzipora and their sons were safe, there was no
point in endangering them in Egypt.
We now see how Tziporah and their sons ended up meeting
up with Moshe after the Exodus from Egypt, just in time for the Revelation at
Sinai. |
Will the entire people arrive at their destination? |
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Thursday, 04 February 2021 |
Sponsored by Steven Toberman and
Bonnie & Micky Kamel
in blessed memory of
their mother, Marion Tomsky Toberman,
Miriam bat Yaakov Hirsch Halevi
and Devora,
in commemoration of her 12th
yahrzeit anniversary כ"ו בשבט
In Parshat Yitro, Moshe’s father in
law advises Moshe to bring judges to help him out so that he doesn’t have to
serve the entire nation alone. In this way, Moshe can share the burden as the
smaller disputes will not have to be brought to him and he will be able to
focus on the major issues.
Yitro then tells Moshe (Shmot 18:23):
If you do this—and God so commands
you to do so—you will be able to endure; and this entire people, as well, shall
arrive at its destination in peace.
Why does it say “and this entire people”,
rather than “each person will arrive at his destination in peace.”
Kli Yakar answers that the verse
refers to a general place that is unique to the entire nation as a whole; and
that can only be the Land of Israel.
It
says in Dvarim 16:20: "Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may
thrive and occupy the land that the Lord, your God is giving you."
Rashi
explains: The appointment of honest judges is sufficient merit to cause Israel
to live and to settle them securely in their land. This is why it does not say
"This entire people will dwell in its place in peace" rather it says
"will arrive in peace." It informs us that by virtue of appointing
proper judges, this entire nation will arrive in peace at the place that is
special to the entire nation- that is the Land of Israel.
It
says "will arrive" because they had not yet arrived there. The verse
teaches that injustice corrupts the Land. The generation of the flood proves
this. The Jews of the First Temple were exiled because of lack of justice, as
it says, "Your rulers are rogues and associates of thieves, every one avid
for presents and greedy for payments; They do not judge the case of the orphan
and the widow’s cause never reaches them" (Yishayahu 1:23) and in the
future "Zion will be redeemed with judgment, and those that return to her
with righteousness" (Yishayahu 1:27).
In regard to Moshe, the verse says "You
will be able to endure" (here in the desert). But the end of the verse
"And also this entire people will arrive in its place in peace"
excludes Moshe because it was already decreed that he would not enter the Land
in any event, as it says (Shmot 6:1) "You will see what I will do to
Pharaoh: For with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand
will he shall drive them from his land."
Rashi comments: You (Moshe) will see what will
now be done to Pharaoh, but you will not see what will be done to the kings of
the seven nations of Canaan when I will bring them (the Israelites) into the Land
(of Israel).
We see from here that Moshe is unfortunately
left out. While he started the process of bringing them out of Egypt, he is not
able to bring them to their final destination.
We once again have the privilege to live as a
nation in the Modern State of Israel. Some take it as a given while others
spent their lives yearning to get here and appreciate every minute. The recent
airport closures made us contemplate the fact that just as Moshe couldn’t get
in even though he wanted to so badly, so too we can’t always take getting into
Israel for granted.
Shabbat Shalom from Yerushalayim,
Sharona Margolin Halickman |
The message of the fig |
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Friday, 14 February 2020 |
In Parshat Yitro, B’nei Yisrael
received the Torah as a community, yet each individual’s relationship with the Torah is personal
and unique.
In the Talmud, Eruvin 54, Rabbi Yochanan asks why the words of the Torah
are compared to a fig tree as it says in Mishlei (Proverbs) 27:18, “He who guards the fig tree shall eat its fruit.” Rabbi Yochanan’s answer
is that in the case of the fig tree, every time a person handles it, they find
a ripe fig, the same is true for the words of Torah: Every time a person
studies them, they find flavour in them.
Every time that we study Torah, we can always find a new idea. We just
need to know where to look. Some find new ideas by reading the text more
closely, others study commentaries that they have not read before while others
choose to study with a teacher with whom they have not yet studied, who can
give them a whole new perspective.
While we celebrated Tu B’Shvat this past week, we were reminded to
internalize the messages that the seven species of Israel, including the fig,
teach us.
The compilation of midrashim, Yalkut Shimoni Yehoshua 2, presents a
similar question to the one mentioned in Eruvin: Why is the Torah compared to a
fig? Because most fruits contain something inedible- dates have a pit, grapes
have hard seeds and pomegranates have a peel. But every part of a fig is good to
eat. So too with the Torah- every part of it contains wisdom.
I have been writing a Dvar Torah (short sermon) about the weekly Torah
portion each week for the past fifteen years and I have found the words of this
midrash to be true. There is always something new to find and ideas that one
may have overlooked in previous years can suddenly become relevant.
One idea about the fig that I especially find meaningful this year is in
Micha 4:2-5:
But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and
none shall make them afraid for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken it.
For let all people walk everyone in the name of his god and we will walk in the
name of the Lord our God forever and ever.
Just a few weeks ago, delegates from around the world came to Jerusalem
to mark 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. Let’s hope that this is the
beginning of the fulfillment of Micha’s words, hoping for a time when the
nations of the world will be at peace with Israel and when members of all
religions will have respect for one another while enjoying the beauty of Israel’s
grape vines and fig trees. |
Where are the exemplary leaders? |
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Saturday, 26 January 2019 |
In Parshat Yitro, Moshe is
overwhelmed with judging the nation on his own. Yitro, Moshe’s father in law
noticed this and told Moshe that he will wear himself out if he continues to do
everything on his own.
Yitro’s suggestion is found in Shmot
18:21-23:
You must seek out from among all the
people “anshei chayil”, capable men, “yirei Elokim”, God fearing men, “anshei
emet”. men of truth, “sonei vatza” who despise unjust gain. You must then
appoint them over the people as officers of thousands, officers of hundreds,
officers of fifties and officers of tens. Let them judge the people at all
times. Every major problem they will bring to you, and every minor problem they
shall judge by themselves. It will thus be easier for you since they will bear
the burden with you. If you do this and God commands you to do so, you will be
able to survive, and also this entire people will come to their place in peace.
Moshe listened to his father in law
(Shmot 18-25-26):
Moshe chose “anshei chayil”, capable
men from among all Yisrael and appointed them leaders over the people; officers
of thousands, officers of hundreds, officers of fifties and officers of tens.
They judged the people at all times. The difficult problems they would bring to
Moshe, and the simple problems they would judge by themselves.
Rashi explains the meanings of these
characteristics:
“Anshei Chayil”, capable men who are
wealthy and do not need to ingratiate themselves nor show favoritism.
Chizkuni adds that they were brave
men who were able to handle the work and not be afraid of the people.
Ramban points out that “Anshei
Chayil” are strong and quick just like the “Eshet Chayil”, woman of valor in
Mishlei (Proverbs) who is strong and quick with taking care of her household
tasks.
Rashi continues:
“Anshei Emet”, men of truth who
command confidence, who are trusted and listened to.
“Sonei Vatza”, hate unjust gain,
they “despise” their own property when they can obtain it only through
litigation. As it says in Bava Batra 58b, “Any judge from whom property is taken
through litigation is not fit to be a judge.” A judge should be extremely
sensitive to the possibility that he may be in possession of something that he
is not entitled to, that the case should never even get to court.
Rashbam adds that bribery and
robbery are always called vatza.
We see from here that Moshe sought
out good and honest leaders and judges and he found many who were able to help
him in judging the nation.
Why is it that today we are having
such a difficult time finding honest leaders and judges?
There are so many scandals in the
news that even if there are some good leaders, we don’t hear about them because
when you are a law abiding citizen, you don’t usually make the news.
With the Israeli elections coming up
soon, we really need to search out good candidates and focus on the prayer of
“Hashiva Shofteinu”, “Restoration of Justice” and hope and pray that good,
honest people will lead us:
Restore our judges as in earliest
times and our counselors as at first, remove from us sorrow and groan; and
reign over us- You, God, alone- with kindness and compassion, and justify us
through judgment. Blessed are You, God, the King Who loves righteousness and
judgment. |
God spoke to each individual at Mt. Sinai |
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Thursday, 16 February 2017 |
The Aseret HaDibrot, the Ten Commandments,
were declared to B’nei Yisrael as a group while they stood at Mt. Sinai.
If the commandments were told to B’nai
Yisrael as a group, then why are they written in singular form?
Let’s take the first commandment for
example (Shmot 20:2):
“I am HaShem, Elokecha, your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves.”
Why does God say “Elokecha”, your
God (singular) and opposed to “Elokeichem”, your God (plural)?
The answer is that God is a personal
God.
Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heshel ben Rav
Shmuel of Apt (1755-1825) known as the Ohev Yisrael explains: It says “Elokecha”,
your God (singular) since at Mt. Sinai God spoke to each and every person
individually according to their understanding, according to the depth of their
knowledge, according to their strength and according to their level. In this
way, each member of B’nai Yisrael was able to appreciate God’s glory.
This past week, I had the honor to
conduct six Tu B’Shvat seders for different populations in Tel Aviv, Yafo,
Jerusalem and a Kibbutz near Hadera: teenagers at a special needs boarding
school, senior citizens with special needs, mothers who attend Torah classes
with their babies, two groups of at risk elementary school students and a group
of independent senior citizens. Each seder was tailored to the needs of the group
that was attending and although they participated as a group, each individual
connected to the holiday in their own way. Some connected through song, others
through dance, the readings or the eating of the fruits.
Receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai was
a communal miracle. B’nai Yisrael received the Torah as a group. However, it
was also a personal miracle since each individual in attendance formed a
personal relationship with God and felt as if He was speaking directly to them. |
You Take the Good, You Take the Bad: Why Yitro Waited to Convert |
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Thursday, 28 January 2016 |
In Honor of Melitta Oppenheim’s Bat Mitzvah In Shmot 2:16-17, we see that
Yitro’s daughters were treated disrespectfully by the shepherds: “The Kohen of
Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water (from the well) and fill
the troughs to water their father’s sheep. Then the shepherds came and chased
them away. Moshe got up to their aid and watered their sheep.”
Yitro was a revered Midianite
Priest, so why did the shepherds disrespect his daughters?
According to Rashi, Yitro was
the most prominent of the Midianite Priests. However, when he abandoned idol
worship, the Midianites shunned him.
We see from here that Yitro
had already stopped worshipping idols even before he met Moshe yet we only see
him speak about God after the exodus from Egypt when Moshe returns in Shmot
18:10-11: “Yitro said: ‘Blessed is God who rescued you from the hand of Egypt
and from the hand of Pharaoh; who rescued the people from under the hand of
Egypt. Now I know that God is greater than all the gods, because the very thing
they plotted came upon them.’”
Rashi comments that Yitro was
saying: “I was aware of God in the past but now, all the more so.” Yitro was
acquainted with all forms of idol worship in the world.
Ramban explains that we see
Yitro’s official conversion in Shmot 18:12: “Then Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law,
brought a burnt offering and peace offerings to God. Aharon and all of the
elders of Yisrael came to eat bread with Yitro, Mosh’s father-in-law, before
God.”
Why did Yitro, wait until now
to convert?
Rashi ties Yitro’s choice to
convert to the first words of Parshat Yitro (Shmot 18:1) “And Yitro, Kohen
Midian, Moshe’s father in law heard about all that God had done for Moshe and
for his people Yisrael, when God brought Israel out of Egypt.” The Mechilta
states that he chose to convert after hearing about the splitting of the Red Sea. Rabbi Yehoshua taught that Yitro came because he
heard about the war with Amalek (Zevachim 116a).
Rabbi Kazryel Fiszel Tchorz,
1896-1979, a
founder of HaPoel HaMizrachi, comments: The splitting of the sea showed the Mesirat
Nefersh (martyrdom) of B’nai Yisrael as they jumped into the water up to their
necks and saw miracles that even Yechezkel the prophet did not see. The attack
by Amalek showed a nation attacking B’nai Yisrael when they were weak, spilling
innocent blood. At that time, Yitro took it upon himself to stand with B’nai
Yisrael and to join them.
Yitro understood that we will
experience miracles but we will also have to fight many wars in order to defend
ourselves. He was ready to commit in the good times as well as in the bad
times.
Living in Israel is also
a mixed bag. We see miracles being performed on a daily basis while at the same
time our enemies are attacking innocent men, women and children. Whether one
converts to Judaism or makes aliya, they have to understand that there will be
easier times as well as more difficult times and that is the reality of being
part of the Jewish people. |
Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut, Sometimes You Don’t |
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Friday, 17 January 2014 |
Parshat Yitro describes God’s revelation to B’nai Yisrael at
Har Sinai.
According to Yalkut Shimoni, Shir HaShirim 992, B’nai
Yisrael who were sanctified at Har Sinai are compared to a nut. When the shell
is broken, the nut emerges. When the Jewish people are sanctified and their
evil inclination is broken they become soft and gentle to both God and other
people.
Midrash Shir HaShirim Raba 6:11 explains: There are three
types of nuts. The first kind has a shell that is very simple to open and it is
easy to remove the nut. The second type has a medium shell, if you bang it hard
then it will break open. The third variety is very hard to crack and you need a
tool such as a nutcracker to smash it open. So too are the Jewish people: Some
give Tzedaka by themselves, some give when asked and others don’t give even
when asked. Fortunately most of the Jewish people are like the first two types
of nuts.
Rav Azariya taught: If a nut (that is still in its shell)
falls into the dirt, then it can be wiped clean, washed and restored to edible
condition. So too the Jewish people, they may get tainted by wrongdoing and sin
during the year but when they return to God before Yom Kippur and do Tshuva
(repent) their sins are forgiven.
The same Midrash also explains that the Jewish people are
like a pile of nuts. If one nut is removed from the pile, all of the other nuts
are disturbed.
We saw this idea very clearly last week when a high school
student from Boston
was missing and Jewish people from around the world offered their help to look
for him. The Boston
police said that they never saw such an outpouring of concern for a missing
person.
Just as the pile of nuts was shaken, the Jewish community
was unable to sit comfortably until the boy was found.
With Tu BiShvat behind us this is a good opportunity to
examine our deeds and see if in fact we are acting as the right kinds of nuts.
Do we give Tzedaka generously? Do we do Tshuva and apologize if we hurt our
fellow person? Do we open our shells to the teachings of the Torah? Do we go
out of our way for others even if we may not know them personally? |
What Does Bais Yaakov Have to do with the Giving of the Torah? |
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Friday, 01 February 2013 |
In Parshat Yitro, Shmot 19:3 we read: “Moshe went up to the
Presence of God and God called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘Ko tomar
liveit Yaakov v’tagid livnei Yisrael’, This is what you shall say to Beit
Yaakov (the house of Yaakov) and tell to B’nai Yisrael.”
Rashi comments that Beit Yaakov refers to the women. Moshe
was asked to speak to the women (before the men) in a gentle voice.
How do we know that “beit”, “the house of” refers to the
women?
In Vayikra 16:17 we read: “He shall atone for himself and
for “beito”, “his wife”.
How do we know that the word ‘tomar’ refers to a more gentle
voice?
Rashi explains in Bamidbar 12:1 when he comments on the
words “Vatidaber Miriam”, where Miriam spoke negatively about Moshe: “Dibur
(the pronunciation of the words) always connotes harshness but amira (the ideas
underlying speech) connotes softness and pleading.”
In Yishayahu 2:5 we read: “Beit Yaakov, come and let us walk
in the light of God.”
The “Beit Yaakov” school system which was founded by Sara
Schenirer in Cracow
in 1918 got its name based on the fact that the words “Beit Yaakov” in the
TaNaCh referred to the women.
How was Sara Schenirer able to institute formal religious
and secular education for girls?
At that time, the boys were only receiving a Torah education
while the girls were only receiving a Polish education. Many of the girls
started moving away from their Jewish roots. Sara Schenirer realized that
something needed to be done to save these young women.
Shoshana Pantel Zolty in her book And All Your Children
Shall Be Learned (1993 Aronson p.67) quotes the Chafetz Chayim (Rabbi
Israel Meir HaKohen Kagen) in his Likutei Halachot:
“Nowadays, when parental tradition has weakened and we find
girls who do not live close to the parental environment, and especially that
there are those who have been given a secular education, certainly it is
required to teach them the TaNaCh and the ethical instructions of our sages as
in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers)… so that the principles of our holy
faith will be strong for them. Otherwise they may stray from the path of God
and transgress all the precepts of our religion.”
Today there are hundreds of Beit Yaakov schools in Israel and
throughout the world.
Many girl’s as well as boy’s schools including Yavneh and
the Telshe Yeshiva were founded around the same time as Beit Yaakov and
followed the Beit Yaakov model of combining a secular and religious education.
The Day School movement today is also an offshoot of the
great work that Sara Schenirer began almost 100 years ago.
Just as at Har Sinai, the women were spoken to before the
men, so too the women were the trailblazers in setting up a formal education
system which was later replicated by the men as well.
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Is Having Kavana in Prayer One of the Ten Commandments? |
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Friday, 10 February 2012 |
The first time that the Ten Commandments appear in the Torah
is in Parshat Yitro.
The Third Commandment is found in Shmot 20:7: “Do not take
the Name of Hashem, your God in vain. For God will not acquit the one who takes
His Name in vain.”
The Talmud in Brachot 33b states: He who pronounces an
unnecessary benediction violates the
prohibition of “Do not take the Name of Hashem, your God in vain.”
Rabbi Kasher in the Torah Shlemah explains this commandment:
“Whoever pronounces an unnecessary benediction or says his prayers without
devotion or at the wrong time takes the name of Heaven in vain. Regarding him
the text states: He will not acquit him.”
What Rabbi Kasher is saying is that if someone prays without
kavana, without being focused, without paying attention to what he is saying,
without understanding the meaning of the words, without being aware that he is
standing before God- then he is actually taking God’s name in vain.
How many people would take prayer more seriously if they
thought about this concept?
There are many observant Jews who would not dare to utter
God’s name outside of the recitation of prayers and blessings yet while praying
their minds may wander, they may involve themselves in conversations with
people in the room (instead of with God) during the course of the davening or
they may be so tuned out that they may not even realize which prayers they have
already recited.
Every time that God’s name is uttered it should be for a
purpose.
When we look at the third commandment from this perspective,
it seems even harder to observe than the normative explanation of this
commandment, not swearing falsely using God’s name. Prayer is said three times
a day and blessings are said throughout the day so not taking God’s name in
vain has to be something that we are aware of every day, all day long.
As we read the Ten Commandments this week, let’s take it
upon ourselves to have more kavana each and every time that we recite God’s
name in a prayer or a blessing. Send Mishloach Manot/ Matanot L'Evyonim
(Gifts for Purim
and Gifts for the Poor)
to Jerusalem
’s Impoverished Elderly
Torat Reva
Yerushalayim will once again be preparing Mishloach Manot/Matanot L’Evyonim
packages which will be hand delivered by the Midreshet Devora students to the
neglected elderly of Jerusalem in two nursing homes in Talpiot as well as
to the homebound elderly in East Talpiot on Shushan Purim (the day
that Purim is celebrated in Jerusalem ). The packages will include healthy
snacks, gifts and Purim treats.
The packages
that Torat Reva Yerushalayim delivered over the last few years to Jerusalem's
elderly were the ONLY gift packages that these individuals received!
According to the
Rambam
in his Mishneh
Torah: “gifts for the
poor deserve more attention than the seudah (festive meal) and mishloach manot
(gifts for friends) because there is no greater, richer happiness than bringing
joy to the hearts of needy people, orphans, widows and proselytes.”
A donation of
$18 covers one package, $180 covers packages for an entire floor of a nursing
home.
Please click on the following link to donate on
line http://toratreva.org/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7&Itemid=7 Or
mail a check payable to Torat Reva Yerushalayim to: In the US Torat Reva
Yerushalayim, 75
Berkeley Avenue, Yonkers NY
10705 In Israel Torat Reva
Yerushalayim, 12 Israel
Eldad #19, Jerusalem
93399
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Why Only Ten Commandments? |
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Friday, 21 January 2011 |
Check out the Midreshet Devora Video at www.midreshetdevora.org!
In Parsha Yitro, we read about the revelation at Sinai when God gives B’nai Yisrael the Ten Commandments.
Why were there only Ten Commandments given at Mt. Sinai? After all we know that there are 613 commandments all together in the Torah.
The ten should actually be looked at as a preview or chapter headings for all of the other commandments. For example, from the mitzvah of observing Shabbat we can derive all of the mitzvoth having to do with Shabbat as well as the holidays.
As it is, it was overwhelming for B’nai Yisrael to hear the first ten. How much more overwhelming if all 613 were given on one day!
Why were they written on two tablets?
The first tablet contained the mitzvoth between a person and God. The second tablet contained the mitzvoth between a person and their fellow person. This shows that God cares as much about our relationship with him as about our relationship with others. We learn from here that it is impossible to have a religious thief.
Rabbi Benjamin Blech says that the tablets were God’s prescriptions for a sick society. They were meant for spiritual health and well being of the world. Just like doctors today, God was advising us to take two tablets and call Him in the morning!
May we all merit to observe the commandments as God has prescribed and may they spiritually as well as physically heal us. |
The Seven Names of Yitro and His Seven Daughters |
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Friday, 05 February 2010 |
By Molly Geller, a student at Midreshet Devora (www.midreshetdevora.org)
Parshat Yitro opens with Yitro, Moshe's father-in-law having an interest in all of the miracles that Hashem performed for B’nai Israel.
Rashi on Shmot 4:18 comments that Yitro had seven names- "Sheva shemot hayu lo: Reuel, Yeter, Yitro, Chovav, Chever, Keni, and Putiel.”
Why does Yitro possess seven names?
In Shemot 2:16 we learn that Yitro had seven daughters: "U'leCohen Midyan sheva banot". The only daughter whose name is mentioned in the Torah is Tziporah, who will later become the wife of Moshe.
I would like to suggest that Yitro's seven names can correspond to the seven daughters that he had. The meaning of each of Yitro’s names can represent a characteristic trait that he held and wished to pass down to one of his daughters. Or his name can come to foreshadow an event or action that Yitro himself and his daughters will do in the future.
The first name that Rashi lists is Reuel. The name Reuel first appears in Shemot 2:18 when Yitro's daughters come back home to Reuel. Rashbam comes to teach us that when the pasuk writes Reuel it really means that the daughters came back to their grandfather and that it is not uncommon for one to refer to their grandfather as their father, so therefore it may not have actually been Yitro. Since the name Reuel is seen as a family name, chances are that Yitro gave his first daughter this name since it represented the lineage of his family.
The 2nd name mentioned is Yeter, which Rashi says means to add. The name Yeter was given to Yitro because he added an extra section/ Torah portion to the Torah. His daughter's name could be Yetera, showing us that he hoped that she would add to the Torah and the Jewish people.
Yitro is the next name and can be linked to his daughter Tziporah. Yitro did not recieve this name until he became a prophet. He had been known as Yeter before and only when he started to prophesize did Hashem give him the merit of having another letter added on to his name. While Tziporah was not a prophetess she did have the ability and connection to Hashem to know when to step in and do the right thing. This can be seen when Moshe sets out to lead the Jewish people out of Egypt and Tziporah steps in and circumcises her son. She follows in Yitro's path by seeing how important it is to be close to and follow Hashem's words.
The next name that comes up is Chovav which according to Rashi means lover of the Torah. This name symbolizes the later period of Yitro's life as he took an active role in learning about Hashem's miracles and the Jewish people. The name Chovav could have been given to his last daughter since he became interested in the Torah and the Jewish people later on in life.
The next three names- Chaver, Keni, and Putiel are not defined by Rashi. However, the definitions found of their root or shoresh was very interesting. Chever which means friend, represents Yitro in such a great way. He was a caring man, who was never recorded as having been hostile to anyone and he reached out to people, as he was the Priest of Midyan. His daughter, whose name could have Chavera, was blessed with a natural ability to reach out and look out for others as her father clearly did. An example of Yitro looking out for others can be seen in this week's parsha as Yitro saw Moshe working himself too hard for the Jewish people and told him he must appoint other men to help out and Moshe will handle the biggest issues.
Keni is from the same root as Kinian- meaning property or possesion. Yitro had many sheep and we know that his daughters would take out and watch and water his flock. It is very possible that he owned lots of land and possessions as he was of high stature being the priest of Midyan. He therefore gave the name of Kiniana to one of his 7 daughters hoping she would grow up to own land and be a hard worker like her father.
The last name mentioned by Rashi is Putiel, which is similar with the word Putam. In the dictionary, Putam is defined as fattened and stuffed. This daughter, Putam, could have been the daughter who brought out the food and prepared the meal when in Shemot 2:20Yitro asks his daughters why they did not invite Moshe to come over and break bread. The next pasuk says how Moshe did come over and break bread, so therefore Putam could have been the daughter to prepare the meal.
According to Rashi and Chizkuni, in Shemot 2:16 since Yitro had stepped down from his role as priest of Midyan to believe in One God, he and his daughters were ostracized from their community. They were not welcomed and had to remain strong together and keep their emunah, faith.
We can come to learn from Yitro and the names that he possessed how significant one's name can be. Names hold a special meaning as they represent who we are and who we can become.
Molly (Tziporah) Geller, 19 is a student at Midreshet Devora (www.midreshetdevora.org). Molly is originally from Dallas , Texas . Molly is the daughter of Paul and Miriam Geller and a graduate of S.A.R. High School in Riverdale , NY . Molly plans to attend Stern College for Women next year in New York City . She is having an awesome time in Israel!
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Send Mishloach Manot/ Matanot L'Evyonim (Gifts for Purim and Gifts for the Poor) to Jerusalem ’s Impoverished Elderly!
According to the Rambam in his Mishneh Torah: “gifts for the poor deserve more attention than the seudah (festive meal) and mishloach manot (gifts for friends) because there is no greater, richer happiness than bringing joy to the hearts of needy people, orphans, widows and proselytes.”
Torat Reva Yerushalayim will again be delivering mishloach manot/ matanot laevyonim packages to elderly residents in Jerusalem’s nursing homes on Shushan Purim (the day that Purim is celebrated in Jerusalem ). The packages will include healthy snacks, gifts and Purim treats.
Our goal is to provide packages for residents of two full nursing homes in Jerusalem who study Torah with Torat Reva Yerushalayim. A donation of $36 covers one package, $180 covers packages for an entire floor of a nursing home.
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Apples, Grapes and Our Acceptance of the Torah |
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Thursday, 12 February 2009 |
In Parshat Yitro (Shmot 19:8) before the Ten Commandments were given we find B’nai Yisrael proclaiming the words “All that God has spoken, we will do (naaseh)”.
In Parshat Mishpatim (Shmot 24:7) we read “He then took the book of the covenant and read it in the ears of the people. They said “All that God has spoken we will do and we will listen (naaseh v’nishma)”. According to Rashi these words were declared before the giving of the Ten Commandments as well, following the principle of “ein mukdam u’meuchar batorah”, “the sections of the Torah are not necessarily in chronological order”.
A few days ago, we celebrated Tu B’Shvat, the New Year of the Trees, when it is customary to eat different types of fruits, nuts and grains from the Land of Israel and study about their spiritual significance. Both the apple and the grape have spiritual interpretations which lead us back to the words “naaseh v’nishma”.
In Song of Songs 2:3 we see an allusion to the apple tree: “As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the sons; in his shade I delighted and sat and his fruit was sweet to my palate”.
In the Gemara in Masechet Shabbat 88, Rabbi Chama ben Chanina asks why the Jewish people are compared to an apple tree? They are compared to an apple tree to teach us that just as in the case of an apple tree, its fruit precedes its leaves, so too did Israel precede ‘we will do (naaseh)’ to “we will hear (nishma)’.”
In Hoshea 9 we see an allusion to grapes “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness”.
Shmot Raba 44:1 asks the question: “Why is Israel compared to a grapevine? When you want to improve its fruit, you dig it up and replant it elsewhere and it improves. So too when God wanted to make Israel known in the world, what did he do? He uprooted them from Egypt and brought them to the wilderness where they flourished. When they began to receive the Torah, they said “All that God has spoken we will do and we will listen” and they became known throughout the world.
As the Jewish people continue to reside throughout the world as well as in Israel, we must remember the importance of following the mitzvoth and sanctifying God’s name the way that we did at Mount Sinai .
Opportunity to Send Mishloach Manot/ Matanot L'Evyonim to Jerusalem's Impoverished Elderly
According to the Rambam in his Mishneh Torah: “gifts for the poor deserve more attention than the seudah (festive meal) and mishloach manot (gifts for friends) because there is no greater, richer happiness than bringing joy to the hearts of needy people, orphans, widows and proselytes.”
Torat Reva Yerushalayim will be delivering mishloach manot/ matanot laevyonim packages to elderly residents in Jerusalem’s nursing homes on Shushan Purim (the day that Purim is celebrated in Jerusalem). The packages will include healthy snacks and Purim treats.
Our goal is to provide packages for residents of two full nursing homes in Jerusalem who study Torah with Torat Reva Yerushalayim.
A donation of $18 covers one package, $180 covers packages for an entire floor of a nursing home.
Please click on the following link to donate on line
http://toratreva.org/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7&Itemid=7 Or mail a check payable to Torat Reva Yerushalayim to: In the US Torat Reva Yerushalayim, 75 Berkeley Avenue, Yonkers NY 10705 In Israel Torat Reva Yerushalayim, 12 Israel Eldad #19, Jerusalem 93399
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Keeping Shabbat in Mind All Week Long |
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Thursday, 24 January 2008 |
Each Friday night when we recite the famous “Lecha Dodi” prayer we say the following words: “Shamor v’Zachor b’dibur echad, ‘safeguard’ and ‘remember’ in a single utterance…” The song is referring to the miraculous way that the mitzvah of Shabbat, the fourth of the Ten Commandments was given to B’nai Yisrael. In Parshat Yitro, Shmot 20:8 we find the words “Zachor et yom haShabbat l’kodsho”, “Rememder the Shabbat day to sanctify it”, while in Devarim 5:12 we find the words “Shamor et yom haShabbat l’kodsho”, “Safeguard the Shabbat to sanctify it”. The Gemara in Masechet Shavuot 20b explains the when God gave the Ten Commandments He caused B’nai Yisrael to hear the words “Shamor” and “Zachor” at the exact same time. Shamor refers to the injunction not to desecrate Shabbat (mitzvat lo ta’aseh) while Zachor reminds us to keep Shabbat in our hearts and give verbal expression to its holiness (mitzvat aseh). According to Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, God combined both Zachor and Shamor at Sinai to show that they are inseparable. Shabbat is not just a day where we refrain from doing work, Shabbat is a spiritual day to sanctify and enjoy. Zachor also reminds us that throughout the week we should be thinking of Shabbat and preparing for it. Rashi, quoting the Mechilta says that if you happen upon especially appetizing food then you should set it aside for Shabbat (this is where the custom of serving sugar cereals only on Shabbat is derived). Sforno’s view is that throughout the week we should think about Shabbat while we are working so that we can push ourselves to accomplish what we need to before Shabbat starts. In that way, our minds will be clear and free of worries by the time that Shabbat comes along! |
The Importance of Unity |
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Wednesday, 07 February 2007 |
****************************************************** SPONSORED BY MITCHELL, TAMI, MATAN AND AVIEL BARAK IN HONOR OF THE FIRST BIRTHDAY OF NADIV YAAKOV BEN MORDECHAI GIDON AND IN HONOR OF MITCHELL'S BIRTHDAY ******************************************************
In Parshat Yitro, God told Moshe to convey to B.nai Yisrael His love and promised them that if they accepted the Torah, they would be privileged. However, this privilege carries responsibility as well. In Shmot 19:8 we see that B.nai Yisrael accepted God.s offer: "All of the people responded in unison (yachdav) and said, .All that God spoke, we will do. (na.aseh)". According to HaGaon Rabbi Simcha Meir MiDvinsk, it is impossible for a person to observe every mitzvah in the Torah. Some mitzvoth are only for the Kohanim, others are only for the Levi.im. Other mitzvoth only apply to a king, the Kohen Gadol (High Priest), a person who owns a house or a person who owns a field etc. B.nai Yisrael answered "na.aseh", "we will do" in unison since the 613 mitzvot can not be observed by one individual. Rather, they must be collectively observed by the entire nation. Pardes Yosef adds that this teaches us the concept of "Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh LaZeh" all Jews are responsible for one another. When there is unity among the Jewish people it is as if all of the Jews observed all of the mitzvoth. In Parshat Mishpatim, Shmot 24:7 we read: "Moshe took the Sefer HaBrit, Book of the Covenant and read it in the ears of the people. They said, "All that God has spoken, we will do (na.aseh) and we will listen (venishma)." Here the word "yachdav" (in unison) is left out while the word "venishma" (and we will listen) is added. According to Pardes Yosef, all of the 613 mitzvot can be observed through Torah study. The word "venishma" is referring to Torah study. Each person as an individual can reach the level of observing all 613 mitzvot by studying Torah. Therefore here the word "yachdav" is omitted. Let.s work on integrating into our daily lives the concept of taking responsibility for all Jews as well as the importance of Torah study. |
The Connection Between a Jewish Wedding and the Revelation at Sinai |
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Wednesday, 15 February 2006 |
Ma'amad Har Sinai, The Revelation at Sinai which we read in Parshat Yitro is actually the wedding between God and the Jewish people and is in many ways similar to a wedding between a bride and groom.
Before their wedding, the bride and sometimes the groom spiritually prepare themselves by ritually immersing in a mikvah. On the wedding day, both the bride and groom fast in order to disassociate themselves from the physical and direct their consciousness toward the spiritual aspect of marriage. Their love is so strong at that moment, they can't even think about food.
The stage is set and the guests are surrounding the chupah. The parents of the bride and groom hold candles as they escort them to the chupah. There are instruments playing and voices singing. The bride and groom are shaking and nervous.
Standing under the chupah is the moment of truth where the bride and groom affirm their total commitment to each other. The groom writes and gives the Ketubah, the marriage contract, to his bride showing that this is a long term commitment and he will provide for all of her needs. She accepts the Ketubah as well as the ring which represents the endless bond between husband and wife.
Ma'amad Har Sinai was a similar experience.
The Jewish people prepared themselves spiritually. They immersed in the mikvah and fasted. The proof that they immersed in a mikvah: (Shmot 19:10) "Sanctify them today and tomorrow and they shall wash their clothing". Ramban, quoting the Mechilta comments: When the Torah talks about washing clothing, it is referring to ritual immersion.
There is proof that they fasted (Shmot 24:11) "The people had a vision of God and they ate and drank". According to the Zohar, they didn't eat physical food. Rather, their vision of God was their nourishment. They didn't have to eat physical food. They were fully able to concentrate on the spiritual.
At Mt. Sinai, there was an atmosphere. (Shmot 19:16) "There was thunder, there was lightning, a heavy cloud covered the mountain, the sound of the shofar was very powerful, the people shuddered. In this very pasuk, we have the lights, we have the music, we have the chupah and the people are nervous.
Moshe escorts the Jewish people to greet God (Shmot 19:17) "Moshe brought the people out from the camp towards God and they stood at the bottom of the mountain".
At this point, the mountain was above their heads, literally like a chupah. In the words of the Gemara in Shabbat: God covered them with the mountain as though it were an upturned vat.
At this wedding, instead of a ring being given, God gave the Jewish people the Torah. The Torah is actually like a ring, it is endless. As soon as we finish reading it, we begin again. The Torah is the endless bond between God and the Jewish people. Even the Ketubah has a parallel in the Torah, the Sefer HaBrit. (Shmot 24:7) "Moshe took the book of the covenant and read it in the ears of the people". According to Chizkuni, the Sefer HaBrit was the list from Sefer Vayikra of God's obligations to the Jewish people and the Jewish people's obligations to God. The people responded: "All that you have spoken, we will do and we will listen". The Jewish people expressed their commitment to God, the Torah and the mitzvoth.
Every Jewish wedding, Ashkenazi or Sephardi, small or large, lavish or simple has something in common it's similarity to Ma'amad har Sinai. As the Jewish people committed themselves to God at Sinai, so too do bride and groom commit themselves to each other under the chupah.
One more thought. After the first luchot, tablets were broken Moshe ascended Mt. Sinai for another 40 days and nights. Then God gave the second set of luchot. The way that the luchot were given the second time was different than the first. There were no kolot u'vrakim, there was no thunder and lightning. Although this revelation was far simpler, it was more lasting---the second luchot, unlike the first, were never broken.
This sends us a message that a wedding should have a certain amount of humility in both the way that the wedding and celebration are conducted as well as in the way that the bride and groom commit themselves to each other. To remind us of the importance of weddings being humble, there was an ancient custom where a table at the wedding was set up for the poor to come and eat. This parallels the broken pieces of the first luchot which received a permanent place in the ark. This teaches us that even on one of the happiest days of our lives we should not forget those who are less fortunate. The broken ones should also be included.
The breaking of the glass under the chupah evokes Moshe's breaking of the tablets under the mountain and our responsibility to those whose lives have been broken.
I will never forget when on the morning of her elegant wedding, a bride called me to find out how she could donate the flowers from her wedding to a nursing home. I was so moved by the fact that amidst her last minute preparations, instead of just worrying about her hair, make-up and dress, she was concerned about brightening up the day of people she didn't even know. She understood the message of the broken glass.
This Shabbat, when we read the Aseret HaDibrot, we will in fact be simulating the moment of Sinai. When we witness a wedding ceremony, that Sinaitic moment is re-enacted again.
The challenge for all of us is how to bring the revelation at Sinai into every day of our lives.
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