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Friday, December 28

The Weekly Shtikle - Vayechi

    In pasuk 48:22 Yaakov refers to what seems to be a certain piece of land that he captured "becharbi uvkashti." The simple translation of these words is "with my sword and my bow". However, Targum Onkelos translates "bitzlosi uv'vausi", with my prayer and my supplication. Meshech Chochma (Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk) explains the use of these two words as the translation of the words in the pasuk and the difference between the two types of prayer that Onkelos refers to.
 
    The word "tzelosi" refers to the regular prayers that have been specifically prescribed by the Anshei Keneses HaGedolah. The halacha regarding these prayers is that one does not require specific kavana for these prayers to work. Therefore it is the translation of "charbi", sword. It is like the sword which is used in close battle and requires little control in order to strike the target. It essentially "kills" in any circumstance.
 
    "Bausi" which literally means "needs," refers to one's own personal prayers to HaShem outside of those daily prayers mentioned above. With these prayers one requires specific kavana in order for them to be at all effective. These prayers are likened to the "keshes", the bow and arrow. Without a skilled shooter, it is ineffective and will more often than not miss its target. It requires specific aim in order for the arrow to reach its desired destination.
 
    Interestingly, the word "uvkashti" without its vowels may be read "ubakashasi," and my requests. The word could just as easily have been "vekashti," omitting repetition of the "bais" as a prefix. Perhaps the specific choice of words is a hint to Onkelos' interpretation.

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

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Friday, December 21

The Weekly Shtikle - Vayigash

Before Yoseif reveals his true identity to his brothers, (45:1), he calls everyone else to leave the room so as not to embarrass his brothers when he reveals himself (Rashi). The Midrash (93:9) brings "Rebi Chama bar Chanina said, Yoseif did not act accordingly for if any one of the brothers had kicked him, he would have died instantly." By sending out all his men, Yoseif gave up all security that he had and left himself vulnerable to the brothers, if they had gotten angry at him which, apparently, they already were. What bothered me about this Midrash is that the gemara (Sotah 10b) derives from the episode of Yehudah and Tamar (see Rashi 38:25) that it is better to have yourself thrown in a fire in order not to embarrass your friend in public. If so, even if Yoseif was putting his life in danger, was it not the right thing to do under the circumstances, rather than embarrass his brothers?

This situation with Yoseif is in fact distinctly different from that of Yehudah and Tamar. In Tamar's situation, she was able to put the ball completely in Yehudah's court by presenting all of the evidence to him. She was able to say to him, "If you do not wish to put yourself through embarrassment, then I am willing to have myself thrown to the fire." Tamar was prepared to die but she did not make this decision on her own. Conversely, the brothers were not aware of the potential embarrassment. Yoseif had no way of presenting them this ultimatum. The lesson of the gemara is that the embarrasser must be prepared to die but that is only if the embarrassee so desires. It was therefore wrong of Yoseif to make himself vulnerable for he had no way of knowing if his brother's "preferred" his death over embarrassment. One would have to assume that if after killing the Egyptian viceroy the brothers found out they had killed Yoseif, they would have been quite regretful. 

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Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:
AstroTorah: The Goodnes of Teves by R' Ari Storch
Al Pi Cheshbon / Dikdukian: Can you count to 70?
Dikdukian: Pain in the Neck
Dikdukian: Just Do It!
Dikdukian: Ram'seis
Dikdukian: Dikdukei Vayigash by R' Eliyahu Levin

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The Weekly Shtikle and related content are now featured on BaltimoreJewishLife.com

Friday, December 14

The Weekly Shtikle - Mikeitz / Chanukah

This coming Tuesday, 5 Teves, is the yahrtzeit of my wife's grandfather, R' Israel Frankel. The shtikle is dedicated l'iluy nishmaso, Yisroel Aryeh ben Asher Yeshayah.

    After Paroah awakes from his two dreams, he is unable to get a satisfactory interpretation from the chartumim. We are told (41:8) "v'ein poser osam l'Pharoah." Rashi interprets "l'Pharoah" as for Paroah's benefit. The chartumim did offer possible meanings of the dream but they were not to Paroah's liking. They suggested, for example, that he would have seven daughters and then bury those seven doors as they would die in his lifetime. When Paroah tells Yoseif (24) "va'omar el hachartumim, v'ein magid li," it seems he relates these feelings to Yoseif as well. Nevertheless, Yoseif proceeds to interpret the dream in a similar fashion, foreshadowing seven-fold good fortune followed by seven-fold misery which erases that good fortune. Why was Yoseif's interpretation more acceptable to Paroah?
 
    There is some discussion in the commentaries regarding Yoseif's advice to Paroah following his interpretation. Some even suggest that it was improper and out of place for Yoseif to be putting in his two cents. After all, that's not what Paroah asked him for. However, considering the above question, it seems quite clear why Yoseif had to do this. If Paroah has seven daughters and buries them all he is left with nothing. If he has seven years of plenty followed by seven years of unbearable famine he is left with worse than nothing. Had Yoseif simply interpreted the dream, his offering would have been no more acceptable than that of the chartumim. With Yoseif's intelligent solution to the problem, his interpretation became much more favourable. Indeed, Paroah declares (39) "now that God has revealed all of this to you, there is no one as understanding and wise as you." Understanding would seem to refer to his interpretation of the dream. Wisdom refers to his solution.
 
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     In the past, we have discussed different nuances of Chanukah as they pertain to the miracle of the war and the miracle of the oil. I would like to explore the actual significance of the two miracles. Specifically, why was it necessary to have these two miracles?
 
    To begin, let us backtrack and approach the issue based on our understanding of our reactions to the miracles. At the end of Al HaNisim, we recount that the eight days of Chanukah were instituted "lehodos ulhalel." There are two distinct purposes for Chanukah. Lehodos is simply understood as giving of thanks. As we have discussed in past years, the Al HaNisim text mentions nothing of the miracle of the oil. As R' Chaim Kanievsky explains, it was not a miracle of eternal significance as it pertains to our existence. Thus, we are not expected to give thanks for it. The thanks is for the great miracle of the defeat of the mighty Greeks by our tiny army.
 
    Hallel is usually understood as praise. This is clearly different than thanks. Hallel, in our context, is expression of recognition of HaShem's greatness. Whereas the miracle of the war, as unbelievable as it was, was more discrete, the miracle of the oil was a blatant miracle. As we have mentioned in the name of the P'nei Yehoshua, the miracle of the oil was not "necessary," per se. Nevertheless, it was a clear stamp of approval on the entire episode of Chanukahand, at the same time, a clear display of HaShem's greatness.
 
    The two miracles of Chanukah represent the two aspects of HaShem's deliverance. Our commeration of this holiday is meant to give thanks and to give praise - to thank HaShem for our defeat of the Greeks and to give praise and recognize His ultimate greatness.

Have a good Shabbos and a Chanukah Samei'ach!

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:
Dikdukian: Be Strong
Dikdukian: Just Do It!
Dikdukian: Clear the Halls (Chanukah)
Dikdukian: Dikdukei Mikeitz veChanukah by Eliyahu Levin
AstroTorah: Dreaming of Astronomically Fat Cows by R' Ari Storch
AstroTorah: Was the Menorah a Planetarium? by R' Ari Storch
AstroTorah: The Greek Rosh Chodesh by R' Ari Storch

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The Weekly Shtikle and related content are now featured on BaltimoreJewishLife.com

Friday, December 7

The Weekly Shtikle - Vayeishev

            When the brothers come to tell Yaakov that a tragedy has befallen Yosef, they present the bloody coat to him and Yehuda asks (37:32) "Haker na...", do you recognize if this is your son's coat? The gemara in Sotah 10b says that just as Yehudah used this method of informing his father, the same method was used by Tamar to inform him that she was pregnant with his child(ren), (38:25) "Haker na...", do you know to whom these belong? The Ba'al HaTurim quotes this gemara here and he interprets it as a criticism of Yehudah. Just as he informed his father in this 'sneaky' way, instead of telling him outright, Tamar informed him in the same way.

            R' Chaim Kanievsky, however, interprets it as a praise of Yehudah. Yehudah was careful not to startle his father by abruptly telling him "Yosef's dead!" Rather, he broke the news to him gently and lightly, allowing him to come to the discovery on his own. Tamar therefore employed this roundabout manner as  well to inform him that he was the father of her children so as not to shock him and allowing him to discover it on his own.


Have a good Shabbos and a Happy Chanukah!

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:
Dikdukian: Clear the Halls (Chanukah)

Please visit the new portal for all Shtikle-related sites, www.weeklyshtikle.com
The Weekly Shtikle and related content are now featured on BaltimoreJewishLife.com