The Weekly Shtikle - Mishpatim

    In this week's parsha, we are commanded to come to the aid of our fellow Jew whose donkey is crouching under his burden and needs help to load it on. The Torah chooses a rather interesting way of delivering this mitzvah. The pasuk reads simply (23:5) "If you shall see the donkey of someone you hate crouching beneath his burden and you refrain from aiding him, you surely aid him."

    The first point to consider is that the Torah presents the case of a donkey belonging to one who is hated. We learn from here that if we are faced with two such situations, one involving a friend and one involving an enemy, the Torah commands us to help out the one whom you hate in order to suppress your instinctual inclinations and force a friendship to be made.

    The second puzzling part of the pasuk is the seemingly gratuitous phrase "vechadalta mei'azov lo," and you will refrain from helping him. What does the Torah mean by this phrase? The gemara learns from here that there are times when you are in fact expected not to help out. For instance, if you are an elderly man and it is not respectful or if you are a kohein and the donkey is in a cemetery. However, this does not seem to fit in as the simple reading of the pasuk. Rashi writes that it is an rhetorical question, "should you refrain from helping him ?!" However, it is also difficult to understand the pasuk in this way.

    R' Chaim Kunyevsky writes in Ta'ama D'kra that the reason for this phrase is connected to the aforementioned lesson learned from the pasuk. The Torah tells you to help out your enemy in order to break your hatred. This would therefore only apply if under normal circumstances you would not have helped him. Thus, the Torah says, when you see you enemy's donkey and, under normal circumstances you would have neglected to help him, then and only then do you help him before your friend. If you would have helped him anyway then there is no reason he should precede your friend.

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Please visit the new portal for all Shtikle-related sites, www.weeklyshtikle.com

The Weekly Shtikle - Yisro

At the beginning of the parsha, we learn that Yisro was so inspired by the news of the great miracles of the Jews' exodus from Egypt that he felt compelled to join them in the desert. Rashi discusses what even it was that triggered this decision. Whatever it was, it seems Yisro was quite well-informed in current events. Yet, when Moshe comes out to greet his father-in-law, he tells him (18:8) all about everything that had happened. Rashi writes that this was done to allure him and stimulate his desire to follow the ways of the Torah. Nevertheless, this appears somewhat superfluous as Yisro was seemingly already aware of all this information.

This might be explained merely as repetition, as suggested by some commentaries, as the repetition of a story always makes a deeper impression, especially when it comes from a first-hand witness. However, based on Malbi"m's approach, there was indeed much purpose in Moshe's repetition of the events. Rashi points out on the first pasuk that Moshe is seemingly equated with all of Yisroel. The pasuk certainly puts strong emphasis on Moshe with regards to the miracles performed by HaShem. It is possible that Yisro was driven to join B'nei Yisroel slightly out of a sense of pride in the accomplishments of his son-in-law. To avoid such a misconception, Moshe, in his infinite humility, had to retell the story with the focus on B'nei Yisroel, as the pasuk clearly indicates, "al odos Yisroel." This in turn justifies Rashi's statement on this pasuk. Had Yisro come to join B'nei Yisroel simply out of appreciation of Moshe's accomplishments as a leader, he would have lacked the proper reverence for the merit of B'nei Yisroel and thus, been less likely to follow in the path of their Torah. Moshe had to impress these ideas on his father-in-law in order for him to grasp the true significance of the nation he was about to join.

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:
AstroTorah: Raining Angels in Shevat by R' Ari Storch

Dikdukian: Many Who Fear God

Dikdukian: Letzais

Dikdukian: On top of Old Smokey

Dikdukian: Ram veNisa by Eliyahu Levin

Please visit the new portal for all Shtikle-related sites, www.weeklyshtikle.com

The Weekly Shtikle - Beshalach

The Weekly Shtikle (as well as AstroTorah) is now featured on BaltimoreJewishLife.com. You will find the content there different than the email since I need to get it to them a little earlier.

    The Shiras HaYam has a tendency to grab all the attention in this week's parsha. After all, it is commonly referred to as Shabbas Shirah. However, there is another important theme that is interwoven into the parsha. That is the theme of Shabbos. I suppose it would not sound right to call it Shabbas Shabbos. But Shabbos nevertheless plays a pivotal role in the parsha. Indeed, Rashi writes (15:25) that at Marah, B'nei Yisroel were first commanded to keep Shabbos. As the parsha continues, we learn many important aspects of Shabbos. The episode of the manna teaches us the importance and holiness of Shabbos, which HaShem has given us as a day of rest and thus, the manna did not fall. This is, of course, the reasoning behind the two loaves that we must have present at each meal. This episode also functions as a source for the Rabbinic prohibition of exiting the city limits on Shabbos. And finally, Moshe's instruction to eat the manna on Shabbos (16:25), and the specific wording thereof, is the source for the Biblical obligation to eat three full meals on Shabbos.

 

    Surely, there is a connection between the confrontation at Marah and the ensuing teaching of the laws of Shabbos. The impatient complaining at Marah indicated a lack of faith in HaShem as the Creator. The waters were bitter and so it was assumed that they could not drink them and declared "What shall we drink?" They approached the situation from a natural perspective without the full belief that HaShem could make those very waters drinkable. Thus, the miracle that was done for them was quite illogical. HaShem could have made candy cane fall from the sky but instead, it was a tree - bitter in its own right - which made the water sweet. This showed B'nei Yisroel that it didn't have to all make sense. It didn't have to follow the laws of nature.

 

    Shabbos is the mitzvah through which we assert our faith in HaShem as the Creator. Shabbos is empty and meaningless if we don't fully recognize that HaShem created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. We declare this belief in the kiddush which is the "zachor" aspect of Shabbos. The "shamor" aspect demands that we refrain from melachah on Shabbos. Although the challenges of previous generations are much less evident in our time, the prohibitions of Shabbos have traditionally created difficult situations relating to parnasah. In refraining from work on Shabbos and jeopardizing ones livelihood, the keeping of Shabbos leads to the question "what shall we eat?" At Marah, we were overly concerned that under normal, natural circumstances, we would not have what to drink. By observing the "shamor" of Shabbos we show our trust in HaShem that we will provided for, despite the problems Shabbos might potentially create. Thus, it was here at Marah where it was absolutely necessary to initiate the weekly observance of this holy day. Immediately, B'nei Yisroel are commanded to keep Shabbos and are taught the various necessary components thereof.

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: Exceptions Ahoy

Dikdukian: Mikdash, HaShem ...
AstroTorah: Adar Sheni and Amalek by R' Ari Storch

Please visit the new portal for all Shtikle-related sites, www.weeklyshtikle.com

The Weekly Shtikle - Bo

Moshe tells B'nei Yisroel (12:26‑27), "And it shall be that when your children say to you...and the people bowed." Rashi, quoting the Mechilta, states that they bowed in appreciation of three things: the forthcoming exodus, the eventual entrance into Eretz Yisroel and the kids they were going to have. What is bothersome about this Rashi is that in the Hagaddah, we refer to this passage when discussing the four sons. But it is the wicked son who makes this statement! Why then were B'nei Yisroel bowing in appreciation of being told of the wicked sons they were going to have?

The sefer Rashi HaShalem writes in the name of Tosafos HaShalem that the designation of this passage as the one referring to the wicked son comes only in comparison to the other three passages. But this passage, standing alone, does not insinuate wicked children. So, being that the other three passages had not yet been related, they had what to appreciate from this passage.

What I think might be the simple 'pshat' answer, though, is that there is indeed a machlokes in the Mechilta on the previous pasuk. One opinion is that is referring to the wicked son but one is that it is referring to sons in general. Perhaps this is going only according to that second opinion.

Or perhaps there is even a deeper message here. We are given many gifts from HaShem. Very often, things do not necessarily go as we would like. But that should always been as a challenge, more than a setback and in no way is that a reason not express gratitude to HaShem for those gifts. For example, we thank HaShem for the gift of Eretz Yisroel. With the many wars and constant threats of terrorism from all directions, there have certainly been many trials and tribulations associated with this gift. But that should not get in the way of our expressions of gratitude towards HaShem. Likewise, raising children is an endeavour that is constantly full of challenges even with the most angelic and righteous children, how much more so with ones that are less so. But they are a gift either way and B'nei Yisroel show us here that we must express gratitude for this gift, no matter what challenges it may bring.

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:
Dikdukian: Talented Locusts

AstroTorah: Korban Pesach in the Sky by R' Ari Storch

Please visit the new portal for all Shtikle-related sites, www.weeklyshtikle.com