The Weekly Shtikle - Tetzaveh / Purim

Last Thursday, 2 Adar, was the 20^th yahrtzeit of my Zadie, Rabbi Yaakov Bulka. The shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmaso, Chaim Yaakov ben Yitzchak, z"l.

As part of the process of producing the priestly vestments, pasuk 28:40 commands, "Velivnei Aharon ta'ase chutanos", and for the sons of Aharon you shall make tunics. This can be interpreted in two ways - one tunic for each kohein or many tunics for each kohein. This is the subject of a dispute in the Yerushalmi (Yoma 3:6). Rabanan are of the opinion that it was two tunics for each kohein while the position of R' Yose is one tunic for each kohein suffices. 

In the gemara (Megillah 7a) Rav Yosef learns that when it says in Megillas Esther matanos la'evyonim, it means 2 total matanos for 2 evyonim - only one for each poor person. Turei Even in Chagiga and Avnei Shoham in Megilla (same author) comment that this gemara goes like R' Yose in the Yerushalmi who holds one tunic for each kohein. However, asks Mitzpeh Eisan in Megillah, from Tosafos (Chagiga 3a) we see that the halachah in regards to the dispute in the Yerushalmi is like the Rabanan - two tunics for each kohein. If Rav Yosef in Megilla is going only according to R' Yose then it is not in accordance with halachah. But his ruling is uncontested.

Mitzpeh Eisan answers from Pri Chadash (Orach Chaim 694) who writes that if the pasuk had written "vela'evyonim matanos" then it would have implied two to each but now that it says it the other way around it only means one to each. Therefore, the rule is that if the subject is written before the object then it may imply that to these plural subjects you will give plural objects to each. That then is the subject of dispute in Yerushalmi where the pasuk in question is "Velivnei Aharon ta'ase chutanos", the subject coming before the object. However, with matanos la'evyonim where the object comes first, it means that these objects shall be distributed amongst the following subjects and everyone will agree that it is one per person. [This also explains why the gemara in Yoma entertains the possibility that there were two lots on each goat in the Yom Kippur procedure because the pasuk states, "al shnei hase'irim goralos," the subject before the object.]

Have a good Shabbos. 

Mishenichnas Adar Marbim beSimchah!

 

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: Dikdukian Posts on Megillas Esther

Dikdukian: Ner Tamid

Dikdukian: Of Plurals and Singulars

Dikdukian: The Lord and the Rings

Dikdukian: Tarshsih veShoham

Dikdukian: Sham and Shamah

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The Weekly Shtikle - Mishpatim

This past Tuesday, 23 Shevat, marked the 5^th yahrtzeit of my Oma Jakobovits. The shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmasah, Chayah Sarah bas Zechariah Chaim, z"l.

This coming Sunday, 28 Shevat, marks the 13^th yahrtzeit of my wife's grandfather, R' Yitzchak Yeres. The shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmaso, Yitzchak Chaim ben Moshe Yosef HaLevi, z"l.

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 shall surely aid him."

The first point to consider is that the Torah presents the case of a donkey belonging to one who is hated, rather than just anyone. 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 first in order to suppress your instinctual enmity 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 one is elderly and it is not respectful or if he is a kohein and the donkey is in a cemetery. However, this does not seem to fit as the simple reading of the pasuk. Rashi writes that it is a rhetorical question, "should you refrain from helping him?!" However, it is also difficult to understand the pasuk in this way.

R' Chaim Kanievsky writes in Ta'ama D'kra that the purpose of this phrase is connected to the initial 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 pasuk is understood as follows: When you see your 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 take precedence over your friend.

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup

Dikdukian: Tricky Vowels

Dikdukian: Answer vs. Torture
Dikdukian: Give it to me
Dikdukian: Ha'isha viladeha

Dikdukian: Jewish Milk

Dikdukian: Three Strikes and you're out

Dikdukian: The Ox and his Friend

Al Pi Cheshbon: 10,000 Kikars

 

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The Weekly Shtikle - Yisro

As Matan Torah approaches, HaShem ensures Moshe (19:9) that with this great event, B'nei Yisrael "will believe in you forever." The difficulty with this promise is that we have already seen that with the splitting of the sea (14:31) "they believed in HaShem and in Moshe his servant." Why does Moshe need to be assured once again of B'nei Yisrael's trust?

Ramban here and Rambam (Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 8) explain along similar lines that the mere witnessing of great miracles still did not accomplish complete belief in Moshe's prophecy for there was still room to suspect witchcraft of some sort. They had never actually witnessed the actual procedure of prophecy. The events at Har Sinai showed not only Moshe heeding HaShem's word but HaShem actually commanding Moshe directly, to which all of B'nei Yisroel were witness. Now there was certainly no room for any doubt whatsoever in the authenticity of Moshe's prophecy.

One of the most prevalent proofs offered by common kiruv organizations as to the authenticity of Judaism over other religions is based on these events. Many religions feature a figure who claimed to have been in contact with God. Their religion is based largely on these prophecies.

The Rosh HaYeshiva of Ner Yisroel, HaRav Yaakov Weinberg zt"l offered a famous joke found in an old Hebrew joke book as a parable to prove the futility of this belief:

A certain Rabbi passed away and left two sons who argued over which was to be their father's successor. One day one of the sons gathered all the elders of the community and proclaimed that his father had come to him in a dream and told him that he wants him to be his successor. The elders, rather impressed by this revelation, were just about to appoint him rabbi when one man objected from the back, "Excuse me, but if your father really wanted us to appoint you rabbi, then he would have come to us in our dream!"

All the other religions choose to believe in the prophecy of one man. But why? So-and-so says he spoke to God. Why should you believe him? Only the Jews are different. Every single Jew stood at the foot of Har Sinai and witnessed HaShem talking to Moshe with their very own eyes and ears. This is a level of belief that is irrefutable. Also, due to its foundation upon nationwide testimony, it is a claim that could not possibly be fabricated. This explains why none of the other religions have ever dared make such a claim.

With this we can understand that the promise given here to Moshe was not about whether or not B'nei Yisrael believed in his prophecy. This was already established earlier. Rather it was a promise of the longevity and perseverance of this belief – "vegam becha ya'aminu le'olam." A prophet who performs miracles may convince his generation to believe in him, but who will believe it in the generations to come? With the awesome events at Har Sinai, the belief in Moshe Rabbeinu's supreme prophecy became one that is sure to be everlasting and could never be challenged.

Have a good Shabbos.

 

Eliezer Bulka

WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: By the Thousands

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 and related content are now featured on BaltimoreJewishLife.com

 

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