talking points - parshas bechukosai
Rabbi Elazar Meisels

1. Solving World Hunger

“If you will follow My decrees and observe My commandments and fulfill them; then I will provide your rains in their time and the land will give forth its produce and the tree of the field will bring forth its fruit.” 26:3,4

The Land Will Give Forth Its Produce – If heeding the Torah produces such bountiful reward, why do so many Torah scholars suffer from abject poverty?
- This Parsha begins with the letter “Aleph,” and concludes with a “Tav” [see verse 13]. This symbolizes that the blessing promised in these verses is conditional upon the fulfillment of the entire Torah from “Aleph” [the first letter of the Aleph Beis] through “Tav” [the last letter of the Aleph Beit]. – Rabbeinu Bachya
- Through the study of Torah and performance of mitzvot, Hashem showers the world with blessing. This blessing is transmitted through special spiritual conduits and is not limited only to the Torah scholars, but benefits the entire world as well. When the majority of the worlds’ population is oblivious to, and live contrary to, the will of Hashem, these conduits are severely constricted and the flow of blessing is greatly reduced. Since whatever meager amounts that do pass through must suffice to sustain the entire universe, there is precious little remaining for the true servants of Hashem, who are primarily responsible for it in the first place. – Rav Chaim M’Volozhin, Ruach Chaim, Perek 1

Shelah HaKodosh quotes the Talmud [Tractate Brachos 17b] that says that every single day a heavenly voice emanates from Mt. Chorev and declares, “The entire world is nourished on behalf of Chanina, My son, but Chanina, My son, suffices with a small measure of carob from Erev Shabbat to Erev Shabbat.” Chanina was a saintly and pious person whose merits earned him enough sustenance to sustain himself in grandiose fashion. He, however, took very little for himself and allowed the rest to be used to sustain the entire world. The munificent blessing wrought by his piety maintained the entire world, but one would hardly have known that this was case judging by Chanina’s own dire financial circumstances.

2. I’m Freezing

“However, if you will not listen to Me and will not perform all of these commandments.” 26:14

You Will Not Listen To Me – To toil in Torah. – Rashi
And Will Not Perform These Commandments – Since you haven’t studied, you will also not observe. - Rashi

This Parsha, in its entirety, describes the frightful consequences of our lack of observance of Torah and Mitzvot. One might think that this antipathy toward His will is a result of a deep-rooted desire to commit evil, and a product of a severely troubled childhood. Rashi, however, points us in a different direction. Ultimately, says Rashi, all of the rebellious acts that a Jew commits toward the Almighty, trace back to one core problem: insufficient Torah study. This can be compared to a home in which the entire family frequently takes ill throughout the winter due to the frigid temperatures in their unheated quarters. There is nothing inherently unhealthy about the family. Their health problems stem from the householder’s unwillingness to stoke the fireplace with sufficient firewood. Similarly, when the soul is insufficiently warmed by the fire of Torah, all sorts of unwholesome behavior follows as a result.

3. What’s Yours is Yours

“Any tithe of cattle or of the flock, any that passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to Hashem.” 27:32

Under the Rod – The entire newborn herd is put into a corral with a narrow exit and the animals are allowed to leave in single file. The owner then strokes each tenth one with a rod dipped in paint, marking it as the tithe. – Talmud Bechoros 58b

Why must the owner conduct this elaborate ritual just to offer a tenth of his flock? Why not have him count the herd and then remove one tenth of the total number of animals? Rav Shlomo Aharonson zt”l [Rav of Kiev] explained that if a person is asked to merely remove a tenth of his total income, he will be loathe to do so once he realizes that it amounts to a sizable number of animals. By insisting that he allow nine animals to pass before him prior to giving away the tenth, the Torah is helping him come to terms with the tithe. As the animals pass before him one by one, he realizes that the bulk of his wealth remains his indeed, and that only every tenth animal must be consecrated for sacred purposes. By arranging it so that he first encounters his good fortune before being asked to give, he is far more likely to agree to part with a small portion of it, than if the sole focus was on the tithe. return to top
Rabbi Elazar Meisels can be reached at rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org

This page is dedicated to, and written for the 6,000 Partners in Torah mentors.
We welcome you to join their ranks by calling 800-STUDY-4-2.
Please send your comments, questions, and suggestions to info@partnersintorah.org
Contact info for Partners in Torah Mentor Advisors*:
Rabbi Elazar Meisels | 732-917-6370 (Sunday & Tuesday 8:00 – 11:00 pm; Thursday 10 am-12 pm) rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org
Rabbi Pinchos Jung | 845-425-6533 (leave message)
*Kindly reserve use of our advisors for mentor contact.

The Blessings of Charity - Rabbi Elazar Meisels

Dear Rabbi,
I was discussing the mitzvah of charity the other night with my study partner Bella, and she asked a good question for which I had no answer. Why don’t we say a bracha [blessing] when giving tzedakah [charity]? Isn’t it is a mitzvah too? I promised Bella that I’d get back to her with an answer but so far I’ve come up empty. What do you think?
Dinah L.

Dear Dinah,
Please congratulate Bella for me when you speak to her next. Tell her that I’m very impressed that she thought of question that has been asked by some of the great Halachic authorities of earlier generations. When I studied in yeshivah, the greatest respect was reserved for those who frequently raised questions posed by earlier authorities.

In his Book of Responsa [1:18,254 & 3:283], the great Rabbi Shlomo ben Aderet [Rashba] writes that someone asked him why we do not recite a blessing when performing the mitzvah of tzedakah [charity] and Bikur Cholim [visiting the sick]? He answered that one may not recite a blessing before performing a mitzvah unless one is absolutely certain that he will be able to fulfill the mitzvah. Otherwise, he runs the risk of reciting the blessing in vain if he is unable to fulfill the mitzvah for any reason. Consequently, when one wraps Tefillin in the morning, an act that totally depends upon him, there is no reason to assume that he won’t be able to do so and he may recite the blessing prior to laying the Teffilin. When however, he must depend on the cooperation or involvement of others to fulfill the mitzvah, he cannot be certain that they’ll be willing participants, and he runs the risk of reciting a blessing in vain. An example of that is the mitzvah of charity or visiting the sick, both of which require the recipient to agree to accept his largesse or goodwill. The possibility exists that the patient will refuse a visit, or that the needy person will refuse the assistance, and thus precludes the possibility of instituting a bracha prior to these mitzvot.

For a variety of reasons, not all agree with Rashba’s explanation. For example, in his Book of Responsa Har Tzvi, Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank zt”l [1874-1960] reasoned that even if Rashba is correct that the uncertainty inherent in the fulfillment of the mitzvah precluded reciting the blessing beforehand, that is not sufficient reason to forgo reciting a blessing altogether. Rather, the person should wait to see if he was successful in concluding the transaction and only then recite the blessing afterwards? In other words, while reciting a blessing before the performance is ideal, it’s still acceptable to recite it following the performance of the mitzvah if no other alternative exists? Others defend the Rashba’s logic, but I’ll leave their arguments for another time.

Yet, another compelling suggestion was made by the author of the Torah Temimah, Rabbi Baruch HaLevi Epstein zt”l [1860-1942] in his glosses to Torah Temimah [24:30] where he focused on the terminology of the blessing traditionally recited over the performance of a mitzvah. The text of the blessing is, “Blessed are you Hashem, Elokeinu, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us regarding…” Essentially, we’re blessing Hashem for distinguishing us, the Jewish nation, through the performance of the mitzvah.

Thus, it stands to reason that this is appropriate to recite only when the mitzvah is truly unique to the Jewish people. Examples of that would be donning Teffilin, Torah study, sitting in a Sukkah, and all other mitzvot between man and G-d. These acts are unique to the Jewish people, and the text of the blessing describes them perfectly.

The majority of mitzvot performed between man and his fellow man, on the other hand, are not limited to the Jewish people. Just as we are commanded to offer assistance to the needy, non-Jews are expected to do so as well. Therefore, it would be incorrect to state that through this act, we are unique or distinguished from among the nations. Consequently, the blessing is not appropriate for this type of mitzvah. [Incidentally, a similar explanation was offered by Kli Chemdah [Parshah VaYeirah] who based his thoughts on the mystical writings of Rem”a M’Panu.]

Of course, objections were raised to this explanation as well, and additional rationales were offered by other great scholars. If you, or any of our readers, have additional thoughts to contribute on this matter, I’d be delighted to hear from you and we can explore it even further.

Wishing you limitless blessings!
Rabbi Elazar Meisels
return to top
Submit your questions for publication consideration to questions@partnersintorah.org
Rabbi Elazar Meisels can be reached at rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org

Hey, I never knew that! By Ozer Alport

Amazing Insights About the Weekly Parsha

Q: One of the greatest and most well-known of the medieval Rabbis, whose explanations of the Talmud are widely quoted and debated until the present day, was Rabbeinu Tam, a grandson of Rashi who lived in the 12th century. However, it is interesting to note that his birth name was actually Yaakov. How did he come to be universally known by the peculiar appellation “Rabbeinu Tam?”

A:It is related that somebody once had a dream in which he received the answer to this historical curiosity. The law is that when a married woman dies, her husband – or his relatives – inherits her possessions. The Medrash explains that the curse of ותם לריק כחכם (v’tam l’rik kochachem) – “Your strength will be spent in vain” (26:20) – refers to a case in which one gives a large dowry to his daughter upon her marriage, only to have her die shortly thereafter, thus causing that the possessions and money for which her father worked so hard will almost immediately be passed from his family. One of the laws which Rabbeinu Tam enacted in his lifetime was that the estate and possessions of a woman who dies within 12 months of marriage shall be inherited by her father – or his next-of-kin – instead of by her husband. Because his actions brought an end to this curse of ותם לריק כחכם (v’tam l’rik kochachem), he became universally known as Rabbeinu Tam!

Q:One of the reasons given for the happiness associated with Lag B’Omer (which this year falls out on Friday, May 23) is that on this day, the students of Rabbi Akiva, who had died en masse every day since Pesach, stopped dying. As there are no coincidences in Judaism, why did they specifically stop dying at this time?

A:The seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot represents a period in which we prepare ourselves to celebrate the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai on Shavuot. The leaders of the Mussar movement (study of Jewish ethics) point out that the Mishnah in Ethics of our Fathers (6:6) teaches that there 48 traits by which the Torah is acquired. Since there are 49 days during which we prepare to reaccept the Torah, they maintained that it would be appropriate to use this time to develop within ourselves the qualities and attributes which are necessary to accept and acquire the Torah on Shavuot. On each day of this period, they worked on understanding and instilling within themselves one of these qualities. Since there were only 48 traits, they used the last day for a general overview of all of them.

In his work Lekach Tov, Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Beifus suggests that if the founders of the Mussar movement engaged in this commendable practice, certainly the lofty Sages of the Talmud did so as well. The 32nd trait by which the Torah is acquired is אובה את הבריות – love of one’s fellow man. The Talmud teaches (Yevamos 62b) that the reason for the death of Rabbi Akiva’s disciples was that they didn’t feel and display appropriate respect toward one another. Rabbi Beifus suggests that once they had worked on the trait of loving one another on the 32nd day, they rectified the cause of this tragedy, and indeed on the following day the students stopped dying! return to top

Table Talk: For discussion around the Shabbos Table

א)There is a Talmudic maxim (Kiddushin 39b) that שכר מצוה בהאי עלמא ליכא – that Hashem doesn’t give a person reward in this world for the mitzvot that he does. If so, how can we understand the fact that Parshas Bechukosai begins by stating that if the Jews study Torah and perform the mitzvot properly, Hashem will bless them in this world? (Maimonides Hilchos Teshuvah 9:1)
ב)One of the punishments in Parshas Bechukosai is that “you will flee with nobody pursuing you” (26:17). Wouldn’t it be a greater punishment if there were indeed pursuers threatening to capture or kill them? (Chanukas HaTorah by Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel)return to top

LOOK WHO MADE PARTNER
Recent sampling of people who've joined in as Partners

Chaya Schron, Brooklyn, NY
Miri Pardo, Rochester, NY
Peryl Grossman, Kew Gardens, NY
Valentina Bangiyeva, N. Woodmere, NY
Michal Greenblatt, Brooklyn, NY

Making Partner Has Never Been This Easy!

In this issue... Parsha Perspectives Parsha Pointers Partner talk Soul Talk Hey I never knew that; Amazing Parsha Insights. Table Talk; For discussion around the Shabbos Table Look who made Partner!
PARSHAS BECHUKOSAI \| 19 IYAR 5768 \| 24 MAY 2008 ARCHIVES
Click to print/View in PDF Parsha Perspectives by Ozer Alport (דבר אל בני ישראל ואמרת אלהם איש כי יפלא נדר בערכך נפשת לד' (27:2 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: If a man articulates a vow to Hashem regarding a valuation of living beings…” This week we conclude the book of Leviticus with Parshas Bechukosai, which is commonly referred to as the parsha of “tochacha” – rebuke. It is full of frightening threats of unimaginable punishment to be meted out to those who brazenly refuse to observe the Torah’s laws. Each curse seems worse than the one before it, and indeed, throughout the generations it has always been a challenge to find someone willing to be called to the Torah for the section in which these verses are read. It is curious to note that just after concluding this startling section of rebuke, the Parsha abruptly switches to a section dealing with the laws of “Arachin” – the dedication of the value of oneself or another person to the Temple. This section seems completely misplaced. What is the relevance of these laws to the rebuke which dominates the rest of the Parsha? Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky recounts an inspiring story which will shed some light on this question. During the Holocaust, when many of the horrifying curses of this week’s parsha were manifested before our very eyes, the Germans took sadistic pleasure in torturing and tormenting the great Rabbis who served as teachers and inspiration for the Jewish people. The added suffering endured by these righteous leaders is unfathomable. In one particularly gruesome incident, a number of merciless Nazi officers beat Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Halberstam, known as the Klausenberger Rebbe (1905-1994), to the brink of death. After enduring seemingly endless blows, the officers asked the bleeding and semi-conscious Rabbi Halberstam if after all of this suffering he still believed that the Jews are G-d’s chosen people. He responded unequivocally in the affirmative. Amazed at Rabbi Halberstam’s seemingly naïve and misplaced faith, they pressed him for an explanation. He replied, “As long as I am not the cruel oppressor of innocent victims, and as long as I am the one down here on the ground maintaining my unwavering faith in my principles and traditions, I am still able to raise my head proudly and know that G-d chose our people.” Applying the lesson of this story to our original question, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Morgenstern, known as the Kotzker Rebbe (1787-1859), explains that after reading the terrifying curses contained earlier in the Parsha and seeing how they have tragically been fulfilled throughout history, Jews may begin to lose belief in their value and self-worth. As a nation, we have been persecuted more than any other people throughout the ages. Such intense national suffering could easily cause a person to give up hope. In order to counter this mistaken conclusion, the section outlining the painful times which will befall the Jewish people is immediately followed by the section dealing with the laws of Arachin. This section details how much a person is required to donate if he chooses to dedicate the “value” of himself or of another Jew to the Temple. This juxtaposition comes to remind us that even in the darkest times, after enduring the most inhumane suffering fathomable, although we may not be accorded respect by our oppressors, our intrinsic worth in Hashem’s eyes is eternal and unchanging. return to top Ozer Alpert can be reached at ozer@partnersintorah.org Please pray for a refuah shlema for Lieba bas Nechama Miriam, Bracha Sheindel Rochel bas Chaya Sara, Mordechai Hirsch ben Miriam and Pesach Chaim ben Perel

talking points - parshas bechukosai Rabbi Elazar Meisels *1. Solving World Hunger* “If you will follow My decrees and observe My commandments and fulfill them; then I will provide your rains in their time and the land will give forth its produce and the tree of the field will bring forth its fruit.” 26:3,4 The Land Will Give Forth Its Produce – If heeding the Torah produces such bountiful reward, why do so many Torah scholars suffer from abject poverty? This Parsha begins with the letter “Aleph,” and concludes with a “Tav” [see verse 13]. This symbolizes that the blessing promised in these verses is conditional upon the fulfillment of the entire Torah from “Aleph” [the first letter of the Aleph Beis] through “Tav” [the last letter of the Aleph Beit]. – Rabbeinu Bachya Through the study of Torah and performance of mitzvot, Hashem showers the world with blessing. This blessing is transmitted through special spiritual conduits and is not limited only to the Torah scholars, but benefits the entire world as well. When the majority of the worlds’ population is oblivious to, and live contrary to, the will of Hashem, these conduits are severely constricted and the flow of blessing is greatly reduced. Since whatever meager amounts that do pass through must suffice to sustain the entire universe, there is precious little remaining for the true servants of Hashem, who are primarily responsible for it in the first place. – Rav Chaim M’Volozhin, Ruach Chaim, Perek 1 Shelah HaKodosh quotes the Talmud [Tractate Brachos 17b] that says that every single day a heavenly voice emanates from Mt. Chorev and declares, “The entire world is nourished on behalf of Chanina, My son, but Chanina, My son, suffices with a small measure of carob from Erev Shabbat to Erev Shabbat.” Chanina was a saintly and pious person whose merits earned him enough sustenance to sustain himself in grandiose fashion. He, however, took very little for himself and allowed the rest to be used to sustain the entire world. The munificent blessing wrought by his piety maintained the entire world, but one would hardly have known that this was case judging by Chanina’s own dire financial circumstances. 2. I’m Freezing “However, if you will not listen to Me and will not perform all of these commandments.” 26:14 You Will Not Listen To Me – To toil in Torah. – Rashi And Will Not Perform These Commandments – Since you haven’t studied, you will also not observe. - Rashi This Parsha, in its entirety, describes the frightful consequences of our lack of observance of Torah and Mitzvot. One might think that this antipathy toward His will is a result of a deep-rooted desire to commit evil, and a product of a severely troubled childhood. Rashi, however, points us in a different direction. Ultimately, says Rashi, all of the rebellious acts that a Jew commits toward the Almighty, trace back to one core problem: insufficient Torah study. This can be compared to a home in which the entire family frequently takes ill throughout the winter due to the frigid temperatures in their unheated quarters. There is nothing inherently unhealthy about the family. Their health problems stem from the householder’s unwillingness to stoke the fireplace with sufficient firewood. Similarly, when the soul is insufficiently warmed by the fire of Torah, all sorts of unwholesome behavior follows as a result. 3. What’s Yours is Yours “Any tithe of cattle or of the flock, any that passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to Hashem.” 27:32 Under the Rod – The entire newborn herd is put into a corral with a narrow exit and the animals are allowed to leave in single file. The owner then strokes each tenth one with a rod dipped in paint, marking it as the tithe. – Talmud Bechoros 58b Why must the owner conduct this elaborate ritual just to offer a tenth of his flock? Why not have him count the herd and then remove one tenth of the total number of animals? Rav Shlomo Aharonson zt”l [Rav of Kiev] explained that if a person is asked to merely remove a tenth of his total income, he will be loathe to do so once he realizes that it amounts to a sizable number of animals. By insisting that he allow nine animals to pass before him prior to giving away the tenth, the Torah is helping him come to terms with the tithe. As the animals pass before him one by one, he realizes that the bulk of his wealth remains his indeed, and that only every tenth animal must be consecrated for sacred purposes. By arranging it so that he first encounters his good fortune before being asked to give, he is far more likely to agree to part with a small portion of it, than if the sole focus was on the tithe. return to top Rabbi Elazar Meisels can be reached at rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org This page is dedicated to, and written for the 6,000 Partners in Torah mentors. We welcome you to join their ranks by calling 800-STUDY-4-2. Please send your comments, questions, and suggestions to info@partnersintorah.org Contact info for Partners in Torah Mentor Advisors: Rabbi Elazar Meisels \| 732-917-6370 (Sunday & Tuesday 8:00 – 11:00 pm; Thursday 10 am-12 pm) rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org Rabbi Pinchos Jung \| 845-425-6533 (leave message) Kindly reserve use of our advisors for mentor contact.

The Blessings of Charity - Rabbi Elazar Meisels Dear Rabbi, I was discussing the mitzvah of charity the other night with my study partner Bella, and she asked a good question for which I had no answer. Why don’t we say a bracha [blessing] when giving tzedakah [charity]? Isn’t it is a mitzvah too? I promised Bella that I’d get back to her with an answer but so far I’ve come up empty. What do you think? Dinah L. Dear Dinah, Please congratulate Bella for me when you speak to her next. Tell her that I’m very impressed that she thought of question that has been asked by some of the great Halachic authorities of earlier generations. When I studied in yeshivah, the greatest respect was reserved for those who frequently raised questions posed by earlier authorities. In his Book of Responsa [1:18,254 & 3:283], the great Rabbi Shlomo ben Aderet [Rashba] writes that someone asked him why we do not recite a blessing when performing the mitzvah of tzedakah [charity] and Bikur Cholim [visiting the sick]? He answered that one may not recite a blessing before performing a mitzvah unless one is absolutely certain that he will be able to fulfill the mitzvah. Otherwise, he runs the risk of reciting the blessing in vain if he is unable to fulfill the mitzvah for any reason. Consequently, when one wraps Tefillin in the morning, an act that totally depends upon him, there is no reason to assume that he won’t be able to do so and he may recite the blessing prior to laying the Teffilin. When however, he must depend on the cooperation or involvement of others to fulfill the mitzvah, he cannot be certain that they’ll be willing participants, and he runs the risk of reciting a blessing in vain. An example of that is the mitzvah of charity or visiting the sick, both of which require the recipient to agree to accept his largesse or goodwill. The possibility exists that the patient will refuse a visit, or that the needy person will refuse the assistance, and thus precludes the possibility of instituting a bracha prior to these mitzvot. For a variety of reasons, not all agree with Rashba’s explanation. For example, in his Book of Responsa Har Tzvi, Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank zt”l [1874-1960] reasoned that even if Rashba is correct that the uncertainty inherent in the fulfillment of the mitzvah precluded reciting the blessing beforehand, that is not sufficient reason to forgo reciting a blessing altogether. Rather, the person should wait to see if he was successful in concluding the transaction and only then recite the blessing afterwards? In other words, while reciting a blessing before the performance is ideal, it’s still acceptable to recite it following the performance of the mitzvah if no other alternative exists? Others defend the Rashba’s logic, but I’ll leave their arguments for another time. Yet, another compelling suggestion was made by the author of the Torah Temimah, Rabbi Baruch HaLevi Epstein zt”l [1860-1942] in his glosses to Torah Temimah [24:30] where he focused on the terminology of the blessing traditionally recited over the performance of a mitzvah. The text of the blessing is, “Blessed are you Hashem, Elokeinu, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us regarding…” Essentially, we’re blessing Hashem for distinguishing us, the Jewish nation, through the performance of the mitzvah. Thus, it stands to reason that this is appropriate to recite only when the mitzvah is truly unique to the Jewish people. Examples of that would be donning Teffilin, Torah study, sitting in a Sukkah, and all other mitzvot between man and G-d. These acts are unique to the Jewish people, and the text of the blessing describes them perfectly. The majority of mitzvot performed between man and his fellow man, on the other hand, are not limited to the Jewish people. Just as we are commanded to offer assistance to the needy, non-Jews are expected to do so as well. Therefore, it would be incorrect to state that through this act, we are unique or distinguished from among the nations. Consequently, the blessing is not appropriate for this type of mitzvah. [Incidentally, a similar explanation was offered by Kli Chemdah [Parshah VaYeirah] who based his thoughts on the mystical writings of Rem”a M’Panu.] Of course, objections were raised to this explanation as well, and additional rationales were offered by other great scholars. If you, or any of our readers, have additional thoughts to contribute on this matter, I’d be delighted to hear from you and we can explore it even further. Wishing you limitless blessings! Rabbi Elazar Meisels return to top Submit your questions for publication consideration to questions@partnersintorah.org Rabbi Elazar Meisels can be reached at rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org

We may ask: What is the rationale behind the phenomenon of זְכוּת אָבוֹת (merit of the patriarchs)? Where is the justice in Hashem's forgiving our sins or sending us salvation, not in the merit of our personal deeds, but because of deeds done by people whom we do not even know, just because we are lucky enough to be their descendants? Rabbi Dessler, in the beginning of his Michtav MeiEliyahu (A Letter from Eliyahu), explains this concept at length, and the obligation that it places upon us. Imagine that two thieves are brought before a judge for sentencing. Both have certainly committed crimes punishable by a lengthy prison sentence. The judge, not being vindictive, would like to find a way to rehabilitate the criminals without having them face the full brunt of the law. He therefore decides to find out whatever he can about each of them. His investigations yield the following: One of the thieves comes from an upstanding family and usually keeps company with law-abiding friends. This one time, he had fallen in with a bad friend who had influenced him to commit this crime. The judge decides that if, instead of sending the man to prison, he releases him to the jurisdiction of his family, it can be hoped that under their influence and direction he will not violate the law again. This will have a better long-term effect on him than a lengthy term of incarceration. The second thief, on the other hand, has none of this vital social safety net. If he were returned to his own society, he would almost inevitably return to criminal behavior. In his case, there is no choice but to enforce the law that he be sent to prison, so that he will at least learn the negative effects of his deeds. In both of these cases justice was served, and the goal of correcting the criminal behavior was pursued. With regard to the first, this goal was able to be accomplished through מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים (the attribute of mercy) whereas the second had to feel the attribute of דִּין (strict justice) Our forefathers bequeathed to us a rich spiritual legacy. Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin writes that the phenomenon of millions of simple Jews throughout the ages giving their lives so as not to violate the Torah is a result of the great accomplishment of Abraham in consenting to give his life for Hashem in Ur Kasdim. That which was a great spiritual feat for Abraham is for his children part of their nature and legacy. This is true with regard to the other accomplishments of the patriarchs as well. We have a naturally elevated spiritual character due to the efforts of our fathers. When do we merit to rely on merit of the patriarchs? When we identify with that rich legacy, when we allow the noble character traits that they implanted in our nation to resonate inside us. When we work on strengthening ourselves in the characteristic of sacrificing all our natural desires for Hashem, we connect with the forefathers and show that we are able to repent from any sins that were merely the results of an aberration of our true natures. Then Hashem can decide that it is worth giving us another chance. Hashem can ``return us to the company of" our fathers, whose legacy will have a good influence on us and cause us to remain on the proper path. return to top


Hey, I never knew that! By Ozer Alport Amazing Insights About the Weekly Parsha Q: One of the greatest and most well-known of the medieval Rabbis, whose explanations of the Talmud are widely quoted and debated until the present day, was Rabbeinu Tam, a grandson of Rashi who lived in the 12th century. However, it is interesting to note that his birth name was actually Yaakov. How did he come to be universally known by the peculiar appellation “Rabbeinu Tam?” A:It is related that somebody once had a dream in which he received the answer to this historical curiosity. The law is that when a married woman dies, her husband – or his relatives – inherits her possessions. The Medrash explains that the curse of ותם לריק כחכם (v’tam l’rik kochachem) – “Your strength will be spent in vain” (26:20) – refers to a case in which one gives a large dowry to his daughter upon her marriage, only to have her die shortly thereafter, thus causing that the possessions and money for which her father worked so hard will almost immediately be passed from his family. One of the laws which Rabbeinu Tam enacted in his lifetime was that the estate and possessions of a woman who dies within 12 months of marriage shall be inherited by her father – or his next-of-kin – instead of by her husband. Because his actions brought an end to this curse of ותם לריק כחכם (v’tam l’rik kochachem), he became universally known as Rabbeinu Tam! Q:One of the reasons given for the happiness associated with Lag B’Omer (which this year falls out on Friday, May 23) is that on this day, the students of Rabbi Akiva, who had died en masse every day since Pesach, stopped dying. As there are no coincidences in Judaism, why did they specifically stop dying at this time? A:The seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot represents a period in which we prepare ourselves to celebrate the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai on Shavuot. The leaders of the Mussar movement (study of Jewish ethics) point out that the Mishnah in Ethics of our Fathers (6:6) teaches that there 48 traits by which the Torah is acquired. Since there are 49 days during which we prepare to reaccept the Torah, they maintained that it would be appropriate to use this time to develop within ourselves the qualities and attributes which are necessary to accept and acquire the Torah on Shavuot. On each day of this period, they worked on understanding and instilling within themselves one of these qualities. Since there were only 48 traits, they used the last day for a general overview of all of them. In his work Lekach Tov, Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Beifus suggests that if the founders of the Mussar movement engaged in this commendable practice, certainly the lofty Sages of the Talmud did so as well. The 32nd trait by which the Torah is acquired is אובה את הבריות – love of one’s fellow man. The Talmud teaches (Yevamos 62b) that the reason for the death of Rabbi Akiva’s disciples was that they didn’t feel and display appropriate respect toward one another. Rabbi Beifus suggests that once they had worked on the trait of loving one another on the 32nd day, they rectified the cause of this tragedy, and indeed on the following day the students stopped dying! return to top Ozer Alport can be reached at ozer@partnersintorah.org return to top Table Talk: For discussion around the Shabbos Table א)There is a Talmudic maxim (Kiddushin 39b) that שכר מצוה בהאי עלמא ליכא – that Hashem doesn’t give a person reward in this world for the mitzvot that he does. If so, how can we understand the fact that Parshas Bechukosai begins by stating that if the Jews study Torah and perform the mitzvot properly, Hashem will bless them in this world? (Maimonides Hilchos Teshuvah 9:1) ב)One of the punishments in Parshas Bechukosai is that “you will flee with nobody pursuing you” (26:17). Wouldn’t it be a greater punishment if there were indeed pursuers threatening to capture or kill them? (Chanukas HaTorah by Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel)return to top LOOK WHO MADE PARTNER Recent sampling of people who've joined in as Partners Chaya Schron, Brooklyn, NY Miri Pardo, Rochester, NY Peryl Grossman, Kew Gardens, NY Valentina Bangiyeva, N. Woodmere, NY Michal Greenblatt, Brooklyn, NY Making Partner Has Never Been This Easy!
	Parsha Partner is a publication of Partners In Torah a division of Torah Umesorah, The National Society for Hebrew Day Schools. Rabbi Eli Gewirtz, National Director; Parsha Partner Production Team- Yaffa Baslaw, Chani Davis, Dafnah Nojowitz Partners in Torah is a multi-faceted educational organization dedicated to fostering unity among jews of all backgrounds and assisting them in their quest for a deeper appreciation of their heritage. Partners in Torah brings adults from across the spectrum of religious observance together for a variety of study programs and jewish life experiences. Our growing participant base of 12,000+ is serviced by 24 trained professionals who work to maximize the experience of each participant. For more information call 800-study-4-2 or visit www.partnersintorah.org Distributed in UK by Phone and Learn (PaL), a division of Partners in Torah. www.phoneandlearn.org, 08000 J-LEARN (553 276) Honor or remember a loved one by dedicating an issue of parsha partner which reaches over 15,000 people each week. dedications (up to 15 words) for yahrtzeits, refuah sheleyma, etc. are $180 an issue. For dedication and free subscriptions information or to have Parsha Partner sent to your shul, call 732-363-3330 ext. 6377, or via e-mail parsha@partnersintorah.org
Your Dedication Here

Click to print/View in PDF

Parsha Perspectives by Ozer Alport

talking points - parshas bechukosai Rabbi Elazar Meisels