Toronto Torah

Beit Midrash Zichron Dov

Parshat Noach 4 Cheshvan 5773/October 20, 2012 To sponsor Toronto Torah, please email info@torontotorah.com

Vol.4 Num. 5

New World, New Rules

Considering that Noach had recently been spared from the destruction of a corrupted world, his behaviour upon exiting the Ark is difficult to understand. The Torah tells us (Bereishit 9:20) that one of Noach's first initiatives was to plant a vineyard and produce wine. Bereishit Rabbah (36:3) is critical of this decision, remarking that other endeavours should have taken priority. Nevertheless, this error is to some extent, understandable. To live with mistaken priorities is a subtle trap that even the best of us fall into at one time or another. Far more difficult to understand is a mistake that needs no explicit calling-out by Chazal: He drank from the wine, became intoxicated and revealed himself in the tent. (9:21) Despite the intimidating and depressing circumstances Noach faced upon leaving the Ark, drinking one's troubles away seems to be activity far beneath a righteous man, perfect in his generation. (6:9) How are we to understand this course of action? Rabbi Yehudah Leib Alter (known as the Sefat Emet; 18471905), in his Likutim, claims that Noach's error in getting drunk was an innocent mistake, albeit one that we can learn much from. Noting the peculiar use of the definite article "the wine" in the verse, Rabbi Alter comments that the wine Noach drank was the very same amount of wine that he had been accustomed to drinking before the events of the flood. Noach was a man who knew how much he could handle without losing control of his faculties, and in the past he had made sure to never go past that point. What Noach did not yet understand however, was that he had entered a changed world; a new reality. While in the past Noach had been able to handle more wine, the nature of the world around him, as well as his own physical limitations, were not what they had once been. Not understanding the changes that had taken place was ultimately what led Noach to his gross miscalculation and degraded state. (See Zohar to Noach, 73a, for a similar approach.) Noach's error ultimately teaches us of the need to keep aware and informed of the changes in our world's dynamics. Both for the good and for the bad, today's world is not the same as that of our ancestors; particularly in an age when change can occur so rapidly, this lesson must be taken to heart. Whether one considers the changes in global realities, technological advances or general weltanschauung, we live with challenges and opportunities that the world has never fully experienced before. By no means does this demand a change in the foundations of our belief and values; it is the application of

Rabbi Ezra Goldschmiedt

Noach's values in a changed world that demanded consideration and adjustment. Though doing so may often be difficult, the change in application is crucial. This episode also teaches us another important element of spiritual growth. Besides the world's own changes, that which the world undergoes ultimately leaves its impact on us. The strength of wine was not the only element that had changed; the change in the world's atmosphere affected the nature of man as well (see Ramban to Bereishit 5:4). Developing an awareness of changes in oneself, too, requires regular periods of reflection and examination. This latter message of Noach's mistake is uniquely appropriate for us at this time of year. After our first full week following the long holiday period, one might notice that we have essentially entered into a 'new world'. Weeks of heightened intensity in prayer, learning and spiritual pursuits naturally brought us to a level in which we felt a greater degree of commitment and confidence in changing our lives for the better. With some reflection, however, we may find that our change in environment over the past week or so has had its impact. Having proper intent in prayer might have become harder. Our efforts in learning might be losing focus. Our mitzvah observance might not be filled with the same enthusiasm as it was a few days ago. Solutions will vary, but for that process of spiritual maintenance and growth to continue within all of us, an awareness of the changes we are experiencing is a necessary starting point. egoldschmiedt@torontotorah.com

NEW THIS WEEK!

FOR SPECIFIC TIMES/TOPICS, SEE PAGE 4
SUNDAYS: DENTAL HALACHAH WITH CME / BAYT TUESDAYS: TZEFANIAH / SHAAREI SHOMAYIM TUESDAYS: TANACH CONTROVERSIES / SHAAREI TEFILLAH TUESDAYS: SHEMUEL BET / KST TUESDAYS: LAWS OF KINGS / SHOMRAI SHABBOS WEDNESDAYS: ETHICS LUNCH & LEARN / ZEIFMANS WEDNESDAYS: ROVING BEIT MIDRASH / TCS

We are grateful to Continental Press 905-660-0311

Is it too late to eat?

With the changing of the clocks quickly approaching, and shuls trying to allow for as long of a Shabbat afternoon as possible, it is not uncommon to find minchah ending extremely close to sunset. This calls into question the permissibility of starting a meal after sunset. There may be room for leniency where the meal is a mitzvah, but in a few common situations our meals that happen around sunset may not be mitzvot. For example, some opinions consider mezonot consumed at a shul kiddush to be a meal, and so lunch would fulfill one's mitzvah of eating three meals on Shabbat, and eating a later meal would not fulfill a mitzvah requirement. Similarly, the custom of neilat hachag would not qualify for such a leniency, within the majority view that one need not eat a third meal on Yom Tov. Without a mitzvah imperative, may we begin a meal after sundown on Shabbat or Yom Tov? Rav (Pesachim 105a) states that if a meal was not in progress prior to the descent of darkness ending Shabbat, no food or drink may be consumed until after havdalah, with the exception of drinking water. However, if one had started a meal before sunset, one could continue eating (Magen Avraham explains that stopping the meal would be to dishonour the King). All halachic authorities agree that permission to continue ones meal is granted if bread was broken, as breaking bread would establish a fixed meal. Some contend that eating mezonot serves this role as well (Shut Or LTzion 2:22:8), but many disagree (Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 299:5; Ketzot haShulchan 99:fn 3).

Adam Frieberg
Ravs term descent of darkness lacks clarity, leading to some debate as to when one may begin eating a meal:

Hitoriri: Jewish Spirituality

The Arrows Direction

Hillel Horovitz " . ' " . ' : . . " . ? " , : " " ( ', ) , , " " ( ', ). ( ', ): " . ." " ( ', ") , ' . ' ', , , , , ' . , . " . ". , , " , . " "" " . . " " " " .
hhorovitz@torontotorah.com

Rif states that darkness refers to bein hashemashot, a period which many define as extending from sunset until the stars emergence. As such, one may not begin eating after sunset.

Magen Avraham (O.C. 299:1) contends that the Rosh agrees with the Rif, but Taz (ibid.) interprets the Rosh to mean the opposite, that one may start a meal until the stars emerge.

Mishneh Berurah (299:1) follows Magen Avraham's position that the prohibition against eating begins at the start of bein hashemashot. However, he adds that since there is room for leniency in defining bein hashemashot, one may, in situations of need, begin his meal until thirty minutes before the stars emerge. Rav A vr a h a m Ch ai m Nae h ( Ke tz o t HaShulchan 94:fn 6) notes that Mishneh Berurah's leniency relies on the view of the Shulchan Aruch, placing bein hashemashot considerably later than we do. Alhough Mishneh Berurah includes that viewpoint in his rulings for both leniency and stringency, most of us practically rule in accordance with the Vilna Gaon, that bein hashemashot begins at sundown. Reliance on the later bein hashemashot would be inconsistent with the many instances in which we are lenient to place bein hashemashot earlier. Therefore, it is difficult for us to rely on the Mishneh Berurahs leniency and eat so long after sundown. afrieberg@torontotorah.com

613 Mitzvot: #208

Molekh
Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner
Molekh was a form of idolatry in which a child would be placed into a fire, before the molekh idol. Per Ramban (Vayikra 18:21), the child would be consumed by the fire. According to Rashi (Sanhedrin 64b) and Rambam (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Avodah Zarah 6:3), the child was passed through fire in a form of initiation rite, but was not killed. Either way, the Torah prohibits this practice, over and above the standard prohibitions against idolatry. The way the Torah singles out this form of idolatry seems to support Ramban's explanation; idolatry which murders children would deserve special condemnation. Within the view of Rashi and Rambam, molekh may have been singled out because it was particularly popular at the time when the Jews entered Canaan. (Sefer haChinuch 208) It remained popular until the time of King Yoshiyahu, who dedicated a special campaign to eradicate it. (Melachim II 23:10) torczyner@torontotorah.com

Visit us at www.torontotorah.com

Biography: Rabbi Yosef Karo

Russell Levy
Born in 1488 in Toledo, Spain, R Yoseph Karo and his family fled the Inquisition to Portugal four years later. After Jews were expelled from Portugal in 1497, R Karo sojourned through the Balkans and Turkey until 1535, when he settled in Tzfat, Israel. R Karo authored what is considered the primary book of halachah today, the Shulchan Aruch. In addition to the Shulchan Aruch, R Karo wrote commentaries upon two of the premier compendia of halachah which preceded his: Beit Yosef on R Yaakov ben Ashers Tur, and Kesef Mishnah on the Rambams Mishneh Torah. A book of his responsa, Avkat Rochel, was published posthumously. R Karo was one of the great mekubalim. Among his students was R Moshe Cordevero, whose student R Chaim Vital later became the primary disseminator of the teachings of R Yitzchak Luria, the Ari Zl. R Yeshayah Horowitz, the author of Shnei Luchot Habrit (the Shlah), wrote that the minhag of learning Torah all night on Shavuot was first performed by R Karo and his chaburah in Turkey; they actually stayed up through both days of Shavuot. R Karo received semichah from R Yaakov Beirab, the Av Beit Din of Tzfat who tried to reinstitute the Sanhedrin in the mid-1530s. An ardent supporter of this move to reunite world Jewry after the Spanish exile, R Karo gave semichah to R Cordevero, who bestowed it upon R Vital. It seems the chain ended there, due to the controversy surrounding semichahs restitution. R Karo died in Tzfat on 13 Nissan, 1575 at the age of 87. russlevy@gmail.com that leads to a leniency, and he makes a known practice depend upon a practice that was not taught anywhere, for going to the mikvah before birkat kohanim is not mentioned in the Talmud. If they accustom themselves to be stringent and go to the mikvah, why should they nullify three mitzvot on account of this? It would better to fulfill the three mitzvot and not go to the mikvah, especially since they are not obligated to go to the mikvah, than to go to the mikvah but avoid fulfilling three mitzvot each day.

This Week in Israeli History

Torah in Translation

The Blessing of the Kohanim

Rabbi Yosef Karo
Beit Yosef, Orach Chaim 128 Translated by Yair Manas
It is also written in the Mordechai and in the Shibbolei HaLeket in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak bar Yehudah that a kohen who is not married cannot raise his hands [i.e. offer the blessing of the kohanim] because a man who lacks a wife lacks happiness (Yevamot 62b). It is fitting for one who blesses to be steeped in happiness, for we find that Yitzchak blessed Yaakov after eating (Bereishit 27:7) In a responsum, the Rashba writes (1:85) that someone asked about this case and the Rashba answered that he had never heard the issue discussed by any sage, and he had never seen this in any book and that according to our gemara this ruling does not appear to be correct, for it is not mentioned in a single place. Still, although it is difficult to exempt a kohen from fulfilling three mitzvot every day based on a reason that is not in the Talmud, nonetheless, since the Mordechai and the Shibolei Haleket wrote it and the Rashba did not argue directly against it, we do not have the strength to protest against someone who wishes to rely on them. However, this rule applies only when the unmarried kohen is not physically present when the shaliach tzibbur calls out kohanim. After this, I further deliberated on the matter, and it appears obvious to me that if there are other kohanim present, he should go with them and not refrain. A pre-pubescent minor is definitely unmarried, and yet he joins the others. Even by himself, it appears that he [an unmarried kohen] recites the blessing, since the rule is that a minor may do this by himself when he reaches puberty, even though he is presumably not married. We are not concerned with the opinion of Rabbi Yitzchak bar Yehudah.

Cheshvan 4, 1882
Auto-Emancipation!
R Mordechai Torczyner
Shabbat is the 4th of Cheshvan Yehudah Leib (Leon) Pinsker was born to assimilated Jewish parents in 1821, in Poland. His family moved to Odessa, and he attended University of Moscow and became a physician. In reaction to the pogroms of 1881-1882, Dr. Pinsker published "Auto-Emancipation!" on the fourth of Cheshvan, 1882. "Auto-Emancipation!" called upon the wealthy Jews of Western Europe to abandon their hopes of government protection and establish national independence in their own land. The main point of "AutoEmancipation!" was that Jews should cease to expect that civilized society would emancipate them and respect them. Instead, "We must reconcile ourselves to the idea that the other nations, by reason of their inherent natural antagonism, will forever reject us." When Jews would reach a "point of saturation" in a particular society, the population would reject them. Pinsker believed that Jews m ust gain sel f government in their own land, although he de-emphasized the issue of self-government in an attempt to win support from Western European Jews. Pinsker's cri de couer, which opened with Hillel's maxim, "If I am not for me, who will be more me? And if not now, when?", galvanized the suffering Jews of Eastern Europe, and served as a foundation text for early political Zionism. Pinsker went on to become the prime organizer of the Chibat Zion Katovice Conference of 1884, which promoted the establishment and support of farming colonies in Palestine. Although Pinsker did not recognize the religious significance of Eretz Yisrael, he acknowledged its historical importance for the Jewish people. He worked with Rabbi Shemuel Mohliver, among others, to promote the establishment of Jewish communities in the land. "Auto-Emancipation!" and the Katovice Conference laid the groundwork for the first Zionist Congress and the leading role played by political Zionism in establishing the State of Israel. torczyner@torontotorah.com

The Agur writes that the Mahari Mulan was asked why the kohanim do not perform birkat kohanim every day, since it is a mitzvah, and he answered that the practice of the kohanim was to go to the mikvah beforehand and it is difficult to do this daily in the winter. Therefore the practice arose to perform birkat kohanim only on Yom Tov Kudos to the communities in Israel and He struggled to justify his local practice, but the Egyptian empire that perform birkat [his reasons] are not enough, because kohanim each day, and do not [require regarding the explanation that the practice one to] go the mikvah beforehand. was to go to the mikvah, this is a stringency

Visit us at www.torontotorah.com

Our Haftorah: Yeshayah 54:1-55:5

Who is the prophet of our haftorah? Yeshayah (Isaiah) was a prophet in the period leading up to the exile of the ten northern tribes of Yisrael by the Assyrians. He lived in the southern k i n gd om of Ye h ud a h , a n d he prophesied during the reigns of Kings Uziahu, Yotam, Achaz and Chizkiyahu. According to the Talmud (Sotah 10a), he was a descendant of Yehudah and Tamar. As the Talmud (Bava Batra 15a) informs us, the book of Yeshayah was compiled by King Chizkiyahu and associates of his. The prophecies of Yeshayah may be classified in two categories, Rebuke and Redemption; the former dominates the early chapters of the book, while the latter occupies the latter portion. The split is not clean, though; portions of the former include redemption, and portions of the latter include rebuke. What is the message of our haftorah? This haftorah is actually read twice during the year; it is the haftorah for Parshat Noach, but it is also the haftorah for Ki Tetze, as part of the series of seven haftarot of consolation following Tishah b'Av. The prophet envisions the Jewish people as a childless woman and a distressed pauper; the former reflects loss of our physical future due to the assaults of the enemy, and the latter reflects loss of hope due to our great suffering. Yeshayah tells the childless woman to expand her tent, for she will produce children who will spread far and wide. To the distressed pauper, Yeshayah promises glorious wealth and children of piety and peace. Yeshayah also makes demands upon the Jewish nation. To earn this exalted future, we must practice righteousness and distance ourselves from corruption. When we are thirsty, we should seek the water of Torah; when we lack silver for bread, we should pursue Divine wisdom. This will be the path by which we earn Divine splendour. What is the connection between our haftorah and the parshah? Yeshayah cites a Divine promise to protect the Jewish people following the destruction which will come at the hands of the Babylonians. Yeshayah compares this Divine pledge to the one provided after the flood described in our parshah: "As I have sworn not to bring the waters of Noach again, so I have sworn not to become angry at you and not to rebuke you." (54:9)

R Mordechai Torczyner
A lesson in faith In the Talmud (Sanhedrin 100a), Rabbi Yochanan elaborates upon Yeshayah's promise of future wealth. A student mocks Rabbi Yochanan's prediction of gargantuan gems adorning the gates of Jerusalem, until he goes to sea and discovers angels carving just such gems. Upon returning home, the student acknowledges the veracity of Rabbi Yochanan's lesson, but this student's need for visual proof is an insult to his mentor. As the Talmud reports it, Rabbi Yochanan turns his eyes to the student, and the student becomes a "pile of bones".

Rabbeinu Nisim of Gerona, a great fourteenth century Spanish sage, saw in this story a lesson regarding the role of our sages. We understand that scholars are invested with authority over our legal system, if only to prevent chaos. Regarding such non-legal matters as eschatological predictions, though, we might think ourselves free to make our own exegetical way. This talmudic A careful look at our parshah reveals a account seems to say otherwise; one difference between these two oaths, who mocks the words of the sages, even though. The oath to Noah is not given on these matters, does so at his own freely; G-d promises that He will no peril. longer flood the world only after Noach brings a korban, demonstrating torczyner@torontotorah.com generosity and reversing the selfish violence which had triggered the flood. In our case, G-d offers the promise even before we demonstrate our rehabilitation indeed, even before Nevuchadnezzar demolishes the Beit haMikdash! knowing that we are capable of meeting Divine expectations.

Highlights for October 20-26 / 4 - 10 Cheshvan

Shabbat, October 20 7:45 AM R Baruch Weintraub, Reasons for Mitzvot and the Parshah, Or Chaim 10:20 AM R Baruch Weintraub, Parshah, Clanton Park 12 PM R Ezra Goldschmiedt, Lunch & Learn, Grades 7-8, BAYT, RSVP required 5:15 PM R Mordechai Torczyner, Daf Yomi: Shabbat 17, BAYT After minchah R Mordechai Torczyner, Gemara Avodah Zarah: Going on Offense, BAYT Sunday, October 21 8:45 AM R Mordechai Torczyner, Dental Halachah with CME credit: Bone Grafts, BAYT 9:15 AM Hillel Horovitz, Parshah, Zichron Yisroel, Hebrew After maariv R Baruch Weintraub, Halachic considerations in actual questions in Israel: Gambling and Games of Chance, Hebrew, Clanton Park, men Monday, October 22 8-10 PM Monday night Beit Midrash at Bnai Torah 8 PM Hillel Horovitz, Shemuel II Chapters 9-10, Bnai Torah 8-10 PM Monday night Beit Midrash at Clanton Park Tuesday, October 23 1:30 PM R Mordechai Torczyner, Tzefaniah 1: Judgment of Jerusalem, Shaarei Shomayim, with Mekorot 7:30 PM Hillel Horovitz, King David: Studies in Shemuel Bet, KST begins this week 8 PM Adam Frieberg, Controversial Episodes in Tanach, Shaarei Tefillah 8:30 PM R Baruch Weintraub, Rambams Laws of Kings, Shomrai Shabbos, men Wednesday, October 24 10 AM R Mordechai Torczyner, Supernatural/ Superstition, Week 2: Magic, Part 2, BEBY, with Melton 12:30 PM R Mordechai Torczyner, Business Ethics Lunch & Learn Week 1: Eavesdropping, Zeifmans 8 PM R Mordechai Torczyner, Roving Beit Midrash: Women in the Military, TCS Thursday, October 25 8:30 PM R Baruch Weintraub, Chabura: Sotah, Clanton Park

We would like to thank koshertube.com for filming our shiurim!

Visit us at www.torontotorah.com