torat yisrael issue 3
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Shabbat Times
Jerusalem 7:05 / 8:28
Modiin 7:29 / 8:29
Bet Shemesh 7:28 / 8:29Gush Etzion 7:28 / 8:28
Tel Aviv 7:30 / 8:31
Tikkun of
the sin
of the
spies?
Issue Dedicated LIluy Nishmat Chaya Bat Refael AH
Loving Good, Hating EvilHaRav HaGaon Dov Lior Shlita Rabbi and Av Beit Din Kiryat Arba. Rosh Yeshiva ofthe "Nir" Hesder Yeshiva
Your Fellow as YourselfThe concept of loving the nation of Israel ("Ahavat Yisrael") is without a doubt grounded in both
Jewish faith and law. The Torah states, "Love your fellow as yourself," but the Torah does not command a per-
son to love his fellow more than himself.
The legal definition of this command is, as Rabbi Akiva says in the negative: "That which is hateful to you, do
not do to your fellow." The Talmud brings a case to demonstrate this law: If two people are walking in the desert
and only one had water, the one with the water is not obligated to share his water with his fellow. Your life takes
priority over your fellow's.
The "Yad Rama" says that the source of the prohibition against inflicting harm on one's fellow is the positive
commandment to "love your fellow as yourself," i.e., what you would not like others to do to you, do not do to
others. Yet the Torah does not command in the positive to help others in the same manner that one would help
himself, for it is impossible to demand of somebody to love another person the way he loves himself. This goes
against human nature. A person must only be careful not to do to others what he would not like others to do to
him.
Nevertheless, when it comes to the command "Do not go around as a gossiper among your people" (Leviticus
19:16), the Chafetz Chaim says that it applies to one who is your companion in the Torah and its command-
ments. It does not, however, apply to a miscreant, for such a person does not perform the deeds of "your peo-
ple." When the Torah demands a high ethical standard, it also permits certain things, such as publicizinginformation about a person who does not observe the Torah and its commandments so that the public will not be
drawn after him.
Loving Good, Fighting EvilThe Talmud contains statements which evince fairly positive treatment of even the wicked: "Even the
empty ones amongst you are full of virtuous deeds like a pomegranate" (Sanhedrin 37a, MegillahSeeSee
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The Tikkun of
Cheit HaMeraglimShmuel SokolEditor-In-Chief
There is in Israel today a great problem. This problem is
the media. We live in a country where the opinion-makers
and those who control our communicationsinfrastructure use their influence to slander Zionism
and slavishly fawn over any politician willing to
give up another chunk of our heritage.
This is the 21st century version of a very old sin:
that of the spies. Yet there is a tikkun.
In Eim Habanim Semeichah, HaRav Yisachar
Shlomo Teichtal HYD discusses how we canrectify the mistakes of our forefathers.
Rav Teichtal notes how during the Shoah,
the various sides in the conflict employed
massive propaganda departments in
their war effort. He contends that we
must learn from the Gentile nations
and establish media outlets, run by
God-fearing Jews to spread far and
wide the cause of Eretz HaKodesh.
Only by doing so will we be able to
undo the damage inflicted upon us by
the spies. Baruch Hashem, today we are
seeing a revival of national life in Eretz
Yisrael, but at the same time, the need
for a truly Jewish media is just as
desperate as it was in the Ravs time.
But on an individual level there is something
each of us can do. We must redoubleour efforts to say only positive things about the
land that Hashem has given us. Even if
we face challenges today, Eretz Yisrael
is not diminished in the slightest.
No matter the problem, Israel
is still a priceless gift.
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Remember the long and
tough Aliyah process you went through? The semi-
nars, the million questions, the forms, the packing, theconvincing of the parents/in-laws, the job search, the
copying of the kids medical records, the decision on
where to live, the hunt for the right school etc
Whew! Just writing those words makes me tired! I re-
member those times well and during all of that, I just
kept saying to myself; Shmuel, just hang on another
few months and then you will be in Israel and all this
will be over. How wrong I was.
Arriving in Israel in not the end of a process its the
beginning of one. Its a great accomplishment and one
that deserves a serious Yasher Koach but the work
is far from over. Getting to these shores required a lot
of effort but making sure your aliyah succeeds means
keeping that effort going on a persistent and consis-
tent basis.
The best way to make your aliyah work - for both you
and your family - is to remember why you came here
in the first place. The major reason was to make a dif-
ference; a difference in your private life and a differ-
ence in your national life. This must never beforgotten! Making aliyah is not about moving to a new
and different country. Thats what happens when you
move from London to Chicago. Its not about learning
the new driving rules, the language or how to read
product labels in the supermarket. Its not about get-
ting used to kids coming home from school at 2:30 or
about working on Sunday. Its about fulfilling a national
destiny and helping change this country into a strong
and proud Jewish State!
One of the major mistakes made by olim is the focus
on their private lives. Of course we must get these
things in order; from joining the right Kupat Cholim to
finding the perfect shul to
dovin in but that must not be the only focus. We must
get involved in national matters of concern as well.
Face it you are no longer a minority in a foreign
country. You are not in the galut anymore. SeeSeePage 14Page 14
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In Parashat Beha'alotekha, we read (Bamidbar 10:33)
"And they traveled from the mountain of Hashem."
After almost a year at the foot of Mt. Sinai, Am Yisra'el
finally sets out for Eretz Yisra'el. However, at their next
stop, Kivrot Ha-ta'ava (see 33:16), the Jews lust for
meat, with disastrous results. What is it that connects
meat with desire, while milk is the official food of the
"Season of the Giving of our Torah"?
It is a universal Jewish custom to eat dairy products
on Shavuot, and many reasons are given for this. The
Mishna Berura (494:13) cites the reason (Kol Bo 52)
that this hints to Torah study, as it says "Honey and
milk are under your tongue"(Shir Ha-shirim 4:11).Honey is made by
gathering nectar from
flowers, and milk from
an animal's body.
Similarly, the Torah
that one learns from
his rebbe is likened to
honey, while the Torah that one creates through his
own chiddushim (innovations) is compared to milk. So
too, it says (Tehillim 1:2), "For in Hashem's Torah is
his desire, and in his Torah he will meditate day andnight;" that is to say, at first it is "Hashem's Torah,"but
when one studies it diligently, he merits that it be-
comes "his Torah"through his chiddushim. The dairy
products we eat symbolize that the inspiration of
Shavuot flows into all of our Torah study throughout
the year.
There are other meanings as well. The Ba'er Heitev
says (494:8)
I have found it written in the Zohar (III:97b) that thoseseven weeks were for the Jews like the seven clean
days of a woman after her period, and it is known that
[when a woman becomes pregnant] "the blood de-
composes and becomes milk" (Nidda 9a), and this is
from justice to compassion.
According to this, we go from the redness of blood,
symbolizing strict justice, on Pesach, to the whiteness
of milk, symbolizing compassion, on Shavuot. The
Rema (494:3) also hearkens back to Pesach, but he
argues that the milk does not replace the meat; in
stead it reminds us of
the two cooked foods on our Seder plate, because
Shavuot has its own double offering: the "shetei ha-
lechem,"the two leavened loaves brought on this day
in Temple times. Our table
is like the Altar, and having dairy and then meat will re-
quire us to bring out a second loaf of bread.
On the other hand, the Mishna Berura (494:12) con-
nects our custom directly to Mt. Sinai. On Shavuot, the
Jews became obligated in the entire Torah, since, as
Rav Se'adya Gaon enumerates in his epic poem, all
613 mitzvot are inherent in the Ten Commandments.
On that very day, the Mishna Berura explains,
They came down
from the mountain to
their homes, and they
could not find any-
thing to eat immedi-
ately except dairy
products, because meat requires great preparation: to
slaughter with an inspected knife as Hashem com-
mands; to clean out all the veins of fat and blood; to
wash and salt and cook in new vesselsfor the ves-sels which they had before, in which they had cooked
within twenty-four hours, were forbidden to them!
Therefore they chose at that time dairy products, and
we memorialize this.
This explanation means that we remind ourselves on
Shavuot that in the first instant of accepting the Torah,
Am Yisra'el already applied its commandments; this is
the essence of the acceptance of the Torah: to fulfill its
mitzvot. This is how Moshe won his debate with the
ministering angels (Shabbat 88b), who wanted to pre-vent the Jews from receiving the Torah; he convinced
them to agree to the giving of the Torah by explaining
to them that they could not fulfill its commandments.
Indeed, in the Midrash (Pesikta Rabbati 25), it says
that Hashem used this argument against the angels:
"Did you not eat milk and meat together by Avraham
Avinu (Bereshit 18:8)?"This itself is a proof that the
Torah is not applicable to angels. Thus, we celebrate
Shavuot by following the first mitzvot that our ances-
tors fulfilled.
Similarly, the Torah that one learns from his
rebbe is likened to honey, while the Torah that
one creates through his own chiddushim (inno-
vations) is compared to milk.
This column is a serialization of Rav Shwartzs Dvar BIto and is translated by Rabbi Yossie Bloch.
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Every one of the
five book of Moses has its own flavor. Bereishit is the
foundation, chronicling the creation of the world andthe life of our forefathers. Shemot is about G-d's
revalation in both the Exodus from Egypt and the pres-
entation of the Torah at Sinai. Vayikra is the blueprint
of Jewish life, dealing with the nitty-gritty of Jewish
law, the Mikdash, and the priests. The Book of De-
varim is the wrap-it-up mussar speech of Moses which
mixes pep-talk with philosophy. So what
is the book of Bamidbar all about?
Bamidbar is about Jewish politics. Politics is the "the
art or science of government or governing, especiallythe governing of a political entity, such as a nation,
and the administration and control of its internal and
external affairs." In this book of Jewish politics, Moses
is asked to handle the wide ranging issues that come
up while
governing the Jewish people.
In the Book of Bamidbar, Moses deals with the Chil-
dren of Israel as they hunger for meat, thirst for water,
and lust after the women of Midian. An evil scouting
report from the princes of Israel causes the whole na-tion to defect from G-d's plans as they reject the Land
of Israel. Later, two and a half tribes again seem to
choose the material pastures of Exile over the bless-
ing of the Land. Moses' own leadership is challenged
by the open rebellion of Korach, Datan and Aviram,
and by the lewd exhibitionism of Zimri. New leadership
arises in the form
of Pinchas who takes matters into his own hands by
slaying Zimri, and we learn of the Torah-true request
of holy Jewish women, Tzlafchad's daughters, who
yearned to have a share in the Land of Israel with alltheir hearts. Now that's a lot of Jewish politics!
We tend to think of 'politics' in a negative light, tanta-
mount to corruption, backdoor deals, and greedy self
interest. Many of us avoid the news and shun what
we conceive as the dirty political game. However,
Moshe Rabeinu saw things differently. With all the is-
sues he
faced, he never quit Jewish politics because he knew
that he was leading the most important nation to the
most important mission. Moshe understood a simpletruth: Jewish politics is synonymous with Jewish
leadership. Like Moshe, we too must understand that
the true meaning of 'Jewish politics' is the effort to
lead, organize, and build the Jewish destiny.
Today, Israel and the Jewish people suffer under a
lack of leadership. We yearn for a Sanhedrin and a
Davidic Kingdom but are stuck with an inferior semi-
democratic system run by brain-washed, corrupt oli-
garchs. Sometimes it makes you want to throw your
hands up in the
air. Yet with all the challenges of modern Jewish poli-
tics we cannot abdicate our responsibility to build the
Jewish State, the most important project of the Jewish
people in two-thousand years. As true servants of
Hashem, we must recognize that Jewish leadership is
either
borne by those who serve Him or seized by those who
don't!
But how many of us actually involve ourselves in form-
ing solutions, rather than merely chattering angrily
about our not-so-Jewish government? The time has
come for us to act. The time has come for a revolu-
tion. However, not all revolutions are up- SeeSeePage 15Page 15
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Joshua and Caleb try to convince the Jewish
people to reject the words of the spies by saying that
Tova Haaretz meod meod. The Netziv asks a pro-
found question. The spies just said that the land isfine. They only claimed that the people living on the
land are too hard to conquer and that the land eats its
inhabitants they saw the Canaanites busy with bur-
ial and concluded that the land caused it. What does it
help to argue that the land is very very good??
His answer is important. He says that there are many
lands in the world that are good. However, in other
lands it is easy for a person to forget Hashem and to
sink into a hedonistic way of life. Hashem does not
watch the behavior of the inhabitants of those lands soclosely and punishes them for their sins only when it is
really overflowing with evil. Therefore, the good of the
land contains a lot of bad along with it. However the
land of Israel is a land that the eyes of Hashem are in
it from the beginning of the year until the end. The
good is regulated by close supervision of Hashem. If
there is sin the punishment is felt right away. Thus the
good of the land is really good because one doesnt
get lost in it and lose his world completely. This an-
swers the problem that the spies raised concerning
the graves they saw in the land of Israel.
Here it must be mentioned that Rashi, following the
Medrash, learns that Hashem caused the deaths to
take place in order that the people should be busy and
not notice the spies. At first this seems to contradict
the words of the Netziv as the spies mistakenly saw
the burials as a regular occurrence in the land of Israel
when in effect it was a special favor Hashem did for
the spies!
I want to claim that the two ideas of Rashi and theNetziv do not contradict. Let us introduce first the
Kashya of the Kli Yakar. He quotes that Hashem con-
sidered the spies to have spoken slander because
they said the land eats its inhabitants. Why was that
so bad? They merely reported what they saw. Are they
to blame because they did not realize that the funerals
happened especially for them so they could travel in
peace? How could they know that? He answers beau-
tifully! They needed not know that it was a favor for
them. They should have attributed the deaths to the
sins of the Canaanites. Hashem had already told them
that the Canaanites are a sinful nation (in Parshas
Achrei Mos- Kedoshim). They blamed the nature of
the land for the deaths instead of attributing it to the
sins of the Canaanites. That was their sin.
Indeed, it seems that this was the big difference be-
tween Joshua and Caleb and the rest of the spies.
Joshua and Caleb proceed to say if Hashem wants
us he shall bring us into the land of Israel and give it to
us. They also say of the Canaanites their shadow
has left them dont fear them. Rashi explains this
statement that they dont have a single righteous per-
son who can be a reason that we will not succeed in
conquering them. They understand that the ability to
conquer is from Hashem. The barometer that will de-
termine their chance is the measure that the Jewishpeople are close to Hashem versus the merit of the
Canaanite or lack of it. The spies analyzed only on the
physical level and therefore could not see the Jewish
people conquering the land of Israel.
This insight can explain how Rashi and the Netziv
do not clash. Indeed the deaths and burials SeeSeePage 11Page 11
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We have already learned that the mitzvah of
settling the Land of Israel does not involve only con-quering it, but also requires settling and developing
every part of it. The Ramban stresses this point that
"We should not leave the Land under foreign rule or
desolate, as it says: you should inherit the land and
settle it."
Planting fruit trees in the
Israel fulfills one aspect
of this mitzvah, which
obligates Am Yisrael to
cultivate every part ofthe Land and not to
eave it desolate. There
is no mitzvah to plant
fruit trees outside of Israel and usually one only does
so for the purpose of providing a livelihood. Those liv-
ing in Eretz Yisrael, however, have the mitzvah of
planting fruit trees regardless of their profession.
The wise sages expanded on this concept (Vyikra
Rabba 25,3), "It is said that one should go after
Hashem. Is it possible for flesh and blood to go afterHashem? It is also said that one should cleave to
Hashem. Is it possible for flesh and blood to cleave to
Hashem? Rather one should go in his ways, and
cleave to his character traits. And just as Hashem, at
the beginning of creation, first planted and tended to
the Garden of Eden, so too should Am Yisrael upon
entering the Land, as it is written: 'You should come to
the Land and plant.'"We learn from this that one that
plants a tree in Eretz Yisrael is cleaving to Hashem.
There are two advantages to planting trees, one being
a future investment. Sometimes people invest their ef-
forts in transient matters, but the Torah guides us to in-
vest our efforts in planting trees in order to rootourselves in the Land through permanent means. The
second advantage is that with the abundance of trees,
the Land bears fruit that has intrinsic holiness and
when Am Yisrael eats these fruits many other mitzvot
are performed, such as trumah, maasorot and orlah.
The Chatam Sofer writes
(in his commentary on
mesecht sukkah 36) that
working the Land of Is-
rael in order to harvestits holy fruit fulfills the
mitzvah of settling the
Land and the mitzvah
commanding Am Yisrael to harvest the grains of the
Land. Boaz, who was considered a great man of his
generation, did not deem it bitul Torah to spend night
working and harvesting the Land. Just as one who is
busy learning Torah still needs to stop in order to per-
form the mitzvah of laying Tefillin, one should stop his
Torah learning for the sake of harvesting the crops.
The Chatam Sofer adds another important commenton this subject: It is possible that all the work and skills
that enable us to settle the Land are in themselves
mitzvot. According to this idea, one that assists in the
economic development of Israel may be considered a
partner in the mitzvah of settling the Land. Eretz Yis-
rael is holy in both its physical and spiritual attributes
and those who assist in its development are partners
in its holy building.
Just as one who is busy learning Torah still
needs to stop in order to perform the mitz-
vah of laying Tefillin, one should stop his
Torah learning for the sake of harvesting thecrops.
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The act of circumcision is like a marriage that Jewish
parents in earlier centuries arranged long before their
child was aware of the existence of his or her futurepartner. Just as they were convinced that this partner
and no other was the ideal spouse for their child, so on
a much more advanced level Jewish parents today
bring their son into a covenant with the God of Israel
as his most ideal Partner long before the child knows
of Him. As such, circumcision is a moment in which the
child becomes engaged to God and God to the child.
Circumcision is an eternal pledge that parents make to
God whereby this child will not be an ordinary human
being, but will live byhe commandments
and consequently
guide humankind to-
wards the final re-
demption, becoming a
blessing to all nations
(Bereshit 12:8).
Some of us will ask: what gives the parents the right to
bring this child into the covenant without the childs
consent? Why commit a child to a mission to which he
may not agree? Yet on another level, should we not
wonder whether it is even more unjust to bring a child
nto the world withouta higher mission? While
Socrates taught us that a life without thinking is not
worth living, Judaism teaches us that life without a
commitment is not worth being born into. The dignity of
human beings stands in proportion to their obligations.
And it is this dignity that we make our children share
once we bring them into the covenant. To refuse them
his merit is like denying them life altogether.
Circumcision is a word of honor, a moment that deter-
mines all other moments in the childs life. This imprint
of Gods seal should first of all be on the body. After all,
t is ot the soul that needs to make a commitment. The
soul is commitment. It is the body which, because of its
nclination to look only after its own interests, has to
make a vow that it will constantly
stand in the service of God. Like a sheet that holds atreasure, the body is the vessel that contains the soul.
Just as the contours of the sheet tell much about the
contours of the treasury within, so the body should re-
veal the greatness of the soul. In case the body does
not live up to this, the physical imprint of the circumci-
sion is a constant reminder of what it means to live in
the presence of God, a testimony of ones spiritual po-
tential.
The revelation at Sinai is both an event that happened
once and for all and anexperience that hap-
pens all the time. What
God does happens
both in time and in
eternity. So with cir-
cumcision. From
mans perspective it
happens only once but
from Gods perspective it happens continuously. The
constant renewing imprint of Gods seal on mans body
is the eternal commitment of mortal man to God.
While monuments of stone may disappear, acts of
spirit will never pass away. Circumcision is an act that
transcends the present, history in reverse.
At Sinai the Jews committed themselves to the Torah
with the words naaseh ve-nishma, We will do and we
will hear. Without yet knowing what they would be
asked to do, they committed themselves to this open-
ended, challenging task. On the eighth day of the new-
borns life, at the time of circumcision, he is
unknowingly brought into the covenant with God and
stands in the same tradition of naaseh ve-nishma. The
childs body starts on a road of commitment which is
not yet known but no doubt is the most challenging
mission in life: to become a blessing to all nations.
At Sinai the Jews committed themselves tothe Torah with the words naaseh ve-nishma,
We will do and we will hear. Without yet
knowing what they would be asked to do, they
committed themselves to this open-ended,
challenging task.
This article is an excerpt from Rabbi Cardozos new book For The Love of Israel and The Jewish People, now
available in hardcover at your local bookstore.
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Q. Recently someone bought a fruit in the supermarket that was presumably
produced in Israel. The brand name is Carmel: it's a pamelo. First of all, is it
known that Carmel separates Trumot and Ma'asrot and, if not, what is the exact
procedure one should take in separating? We looked around, but we only found
vague material on this matter.
A. You would have to separate Trumos and Ma'asros yourself. Cut off a bit more than 1% ofthe fruit. Put aside a nickel. Say, "I want the Trumos and Maasros to be separated here just as
it says in the nussach of the Chazon Ish that is found in the siddur." The cut-off piece should
be wrapped up and discarded. The coin should also be thrown away somewhere where no-
body will find it.
Q. Isn't there an issur to be me'tamei terumah? What should I do about this (I
have to touch the fruit after I am torem it)? I mean, I am tamei obviously.
A. I believe that the minhag is to wet the fruit before you take off the terumah and then touch it.This way, you are only making tevel tamei.
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during the tour of the spies was a favor Hashem did in
order to detract attention from the spies. However, the
reason Canaanites were dying was their sins. Hashem
concentrated a lot of the deaths at that time so as to
detract attention from the spies. The spies should
have seen such a wonderful land with fruit and milk
that usually provides good healthy life, and attributed
the deaths to the sins of the people.
Nevertheless Chazal tell us that the spies were impor-
tant people how could they have made such a grave
mistake and not realize the obvious? The answer lies
in the words of the Netziv. There is no other country
that relates to sin the way the land of Israel does. In
most countries one can sin and sin and not die. The
severe and total punishment comes much later. Ram-
ban on Parshath Vayera already pointed out that the
land of Israel has a special allergy to sin. The spies
did not understand this difference. They knew that theJewish people were to inherit the land of Israel due to
the sins of the Canaanites but could not attribute the
individual deaths to the sins as well. They thought that
sin was a personal thing and had nothing to
do with the land.
In our generation we experience a similar thing. If not
for Hashem according to nature it is impossible that
the Jewish people survive in Israel with so many vi-
cious enemies wanting to destroy them. Also, the out-
sider who sees all the death and suffering in Israelattributes it to the nature of the land or the extensive
sins of the people. It must be stated again and again
the land of Israel is very good. However, it does not
tolerate sin. Even the righteouses suffer because of
the sin of the people. It is felt most in the land of Israel
who cannot tolerate sin. There is much good here, but
Hashem constantly reminds us to remember that he is
in charge. We must be strong in our belief and do
more and more Torah and Chesed so that the Jewish
people as a whole will deserve better than we are in
the current situation. It is fun to analyze the politicalsituation. It does not demand anything from us. All of
us must create a road map to Teshuva and pray to
Hashem to tell the angel of death: enough.
Very Very Good Continued...
11
Over the last two issues, we have been examining the
mitzva of viddui maaser, reciting a triennial declara-
tion that one has performed biur, proper disposal of
the gifts we separate from the crops of Eretz Yisrael.
Viddui usually means confession, in the context of
sin. What sin has the farmer committed, if in his viddui
he declares (Devarim 26:14) I have acted according
to everything You commanded me?
One possibility is Rashis criticism (ibid. 14:28) of one
who delays his tithes. The very fact that he still has
gifts from previous years indicates that one has not
been zealous in fulfilling these mitzvot, though he may
not have violated the letter of the law. Rav Ovadya
Seforno, on the other hand, offers a novel interpreta-
tion, that the viddui is not personal, but historical:
Through our sins and the transgressions of our an-
cestors, the firstborn lost the service, and the terumot
and maasrot should have been theirs.The viddui
thus relates not to the gifts themselves, but rather to
the fact that the average Jewish family no longer has
its representative earning them through service in the
Beit Ha-mikdash, due to the sin of the Golden Calf
and modern echoes of it.
However, others maintain that
viddui does not really mean confession per se, but
rather verification. Thus, the Malbim explains:
When a person gives an account of his actions before
Hashem, whether he has violated Hashems com-
mand or fulfilled Hashems command, it is called vid-
dui, which connotes matters said silently before the
King of Justice. How could he violate Hashems com-
mand and then let others hear about it? Have not our
Sages said (Berakhot 34b): Whoever publicizes his
sin shows Me chutzpa! On the other hand, if he fulfills
Hashems command and lets others hear about it, he
is being arrogant; or he may speak lies, out of embar-
rassment.
Since we are obligated to separate terumot and
maasrot nowadays, albeit rabbinically, should we re-
cite viddui maaser? This depends first on the inter-
pretation of the phrase Then you will say before
Hashem your God (ibid., 26:13). The Rambam
(Hilkhot Maaser Sheni 11:4,6) argues that this phrase
teaches us that it is preferable to make this recita-
tion in the Beit Ha-mikdash, but it is notSeeSee
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6). The inhabitants of the land of Israel
are described as righteous,
for were this not so the land would
vomit them out. On the other hand, it is
written "I will hate those who hate You,
God" (Psalms 139:21). How can these matters be re-
solved?
According to Jewish mysticism, there is no complete
evil in the world. Every evil contains a kernel of good.
The early sages understood that there is nothing
which is wholly negative; however, in terms of re-
vealed existence, we are obligated to do battle with
evil. The Torah determines what is good and what is
evil, and if a person sins we must express opposition.
On a profoundly conceptual level we do not oppose
the existence of evil as such, for it contains some
good. However, it is inconceivable that this should in-
fluence our actual re-sponse to evil. An
innate inner goodness
need not hamper our
opposition to the mani-
festation of evil.
A distinction must be drawn between the hatred of evil
and the hatred of people. Rabbi Kook writes that
when it comes to public counsel, we cannot make in-
nate traits a consideration; this weakens our ability to
oppose evil (Shemonah Kevatzim). It is difficult for asimple person to distinguish between good and evil. A
person must be very great in order to make such dis-
tinctions. The general public must oppose evil, not
cover it over.
These words of Rabbi Kook stem from an inner un-
derstanding that evil contains something good. There
is an opinion that Esau kissed Jacob with his whole
heart. Even Esau contains great things. Not every-
thing is negative, but we must know how to define our
enemies and do battle with them. Positive innate traitsare good on a conceptual level, but they lack neces-
sary practical application. And this does not contradict
the good point that exists in all evil in the world.
Amalek must be blotted out from "under the heavens."
Above the heavens, however, there is good.
Both Rabbi Yehudah Gershoni (in his "Mishpat
Hamelucha") and R' Chaim of Brisk explain that all of
the nations that have tried to exterminate Israel have
the status of Amalek. There is a course which our
world follows on a revealed level, and at the same
time there are points in the inner world which do not
contradict this actual, revealed course of events.
Exaggerating these good points blurs opposition to
evil. It is forbidden to let the course of the hidden
world influence our revealed world. In the revealedworld we must actively oppose evil. However, there
are levels. We must strive to see the good in the Jew-
ish people. They are subject to influences and they
sometimes err.
Israel TodayAt the time of the establishment of the state of Israel,
a portion of the religious public cut itself off com-
pletely, but we claimed to share a common denomina-
tor with the general public - Aliya, the Land of Israel,
settlement, the integrityof the nation of Israel
and the land of Israel.
To our great chagrin, a
portion of the secular
public has since then
disengaged itself en-
tirely from its Jewish heritage. It is not the same public
today that existed seventy years ago, and this is what
has lead to the disengagement from nationalism and
the land of Israel.
Our beloved mentor, the late Rabbi A. I. Kook, writes
that Judaism cannot be supported by grains of Jewish
history and knowledge of the Hebrew language alone.
An approach to Judaism which relies solely upon
these elements will turn into a monster of hatred to-
ward the Nation of Israel and the land of Israel.
There are people today who are very anxious to hand
over parts of our land to the enemy, but God has
made our adversaries obstinate. Were this not the
case, these people would have handed over the landof Israel long ago. What common denominator do we
have today with these
people? What goal shall we pursue together? They
even undermine national pride. After all, they seek to
obscure our Jewish identity. True, the Jewish people
as a whole is healthy - this can be seen by the high
rate of enlistment in the recent war - but there is a
group of people that has taken control over NextNextPagePage
A distinction must be drawn between the
hatred of evil and the hatred of people... It is
impossible to hate somebody who harms in-
advertently.
12
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certain areas. With them there exists a dilemma in
finding a common ground.
Benefit of the DoubtAnd how am I supposed to treat an ordinary Jew who
harms me? What if somebody harms me unintention-
ally?
First of all, I must at-
tempt to reprimand
him. Regarding this it
is written, "Do not
hate your fellow in
your heart." If he re-
fuses to listen, there
is no obligation to
love him. The sages
say that the Torah only warns against hating some-
body in one's heart, without reprimanding him. Thereis no prohibition, however, against hating somebody
who refuses to accept reproach.
It is impossible to hate somebody who harms inadver-
tently. However, it goes without saying that one must
oppose such behavior and attempt to prevent it. If pos-
sible, such a person must be given the benefit of the
doubt. Yet, if despite the fact that he has been made
aware of his transgression he refuses to change his
ways, it is impossible to continue to defend his behav-
ior.
The Apocrypha relates that the Maccabee priests, in
their war with the Greeks, killed Hellenist Jews as well.
Yet, how is this possible in light of the blessing that
God bestowed upon the priests: "I hereby grant him
my covenant of peace" (Numbers 25:12)?
If we go upon the assumption that what is written inthe Apocrypha is true,
there were Jews who
became Hellenists
and joined the Greeks
in their battle against
Israel. They were
criminals, traitors, and
the Torah says,
"Purge the evil from
your midst" (Deuteronomy 13:6). The Levites acted in
accordance with this verse when they attacked thosewho worshiped the Golden Calf and those who tried to
dishearten the people and return to Egypt.
At the time of the Maccabees, the Jewish people were
in a state of war, and in a state of war there is no need
for witnesses. These people were not merely were
swept up in things. If the Hasmoneans, who were loyal
to Torah law, targeted them, we can be sure that these
Hellenists were acting against the Jewish people.
True, inwardly, these Hellenists possessed an innate
choseness, but because outwardly they waged war onIsrael, they had to be purged.
13
The Apocrypha relates that the Maccabee
priests, in their war with the Greeks, killed Hel-
lenist Jews as well. Yet, how is this possible in
light of the blessing that God bestowed upon
the priests: "I hereby grant him my covenant of
peace" (Numbers 25:12)?
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You are home. Repeat that line (and say
it out loud with excitement, vigor and
passion): You are home! This is your
home, your country, your army, your
court system and your educational network and just
like you need to get your personal things in order
you had better start working on your national to-dolist as well.
The first thing you need to do immediately after get-
ting your Teudat Zehut - is to join a political party.
Thats right. You must become a member of one of Is-
raels political parties because if you really want to
make a difference as I am sure you do you cannot
do it from the outside. Holding a sign at some demon-
stration or adding your name to a petition just doesnt
cut it. Here in Israel there is no such thing as not talk-
ing politics. Its passed from mother to child in hermilk. Its discussed in business meetings and over mil-
lions of cups of coffee each day. Its part of life and
rightfully so! After all, this is not about someone elses
country its about you and your family!!
Around the world elections take place all the time and
while you may prefer one candidate over another, in
most cases, it really doesnt matter who wins. Life
goes on, the kids grow up and things are great. In Is-
rael, however, if the wrong candidate gets elected,you can find your entire village destroyed, your house
uprooted, your factory closed and your city rocked by
rockets and missiles. Think Im kidding? Ask the peo-
ple from Gush Katif, Sderot and Kiryat Shemona.
Getting involved in Israeli politics is a must espe-
cially for olim from Western countries who truly know
what a democracy is. I am sure that you have seen
great things accomplished by serious people who
used the democratic process to make dramatic
changes in many ways. Lets start making thosechanges here as well! Join a political party, make your
voice heard and start making a difference!!!
14
mandatory; therefore, even after the destruction of the
Beit Ha-mikdash, one must perform this mitzva. The
Raavad (ibid.) argues that this phrase is indispensa-
ble, so that the mitzva can be performed only in the
Beit Ha-mikdash.
Since the Shulchan Arukh (Yoreh Dea 331:142) rules
ike the Rambam, it would appear that we should all do
viddui Maaser; indeed some Acharonim, such as the
Adderet, rule this way explicitly. However, the Talmud
Yerushalmi (Maaser Sheni 5:3) presents two views of
the level required of one who recites viddui maaser:
one must have fulfilled either everything mentioned in
that paragraph or everything in the entire Toraheven
the proper order of putting on tefillin! Even if we take
the more lenient view, that one need be unimpeach-
able only in the realm of terumot and
maasrot, it still seems unattainable for a
contemporary Jew. We have no way to
purify one who has touched, moved or
been under the same roof as a corpse, so we never
eat maaser sheni; we dispose of our terumot instead
of giving them to kohanim; and we take maaser rishon
and maaser ani for ourselves, assuming that any de-
serving Levite or pauper will come to us and prove his
status if he wants his tithe. That being the case, almost
all recent halakhic authorities, from Rav Kook to the
Chazon Ish, have ruled that we cannot recite viddui
maaser. Nevertheless, the obligation of biur remains
unchanged, and we hope that in its merit and the merit
of our study, we will witness Mashiachs arrival and the
full restoration of this beautiful mitzva.
Vidui Maaser Pt. III Continued...
VISITUS ONLINEATWWW.TORAHFROMZION.COM
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heavals. Sometimes a revolution can
simply be something that changes the
way we think or do things.
Enter Yeshivat Knesset Yisrael.
n order to affect Israeli politics, we need to draw down
the spirit of a living G-d into Israel's Knesset and intots decisions. If the spirit of G-d will rest on our leaders
then the massive potential for good that is within the
state will be released. Like a mezuzah which brings G-
d's presence into a room, we must help dispel the
darkness
that envelopes our
Knesset with the light
of Torah.
The time has come
for a new Yeshiva theikes of which has
never been seen before. Sitting right outside of the
Knesset in Jerusalem, Yeshivat Knesset Yisrael will not
operate according to the ordinary learning schedule,
but rather will follow the Knesset timetable. When the
Knesset is in session, the yeshiva will be in session.
Every day, Yeshivat Knesset Yisrael will print out of the
Knesset's docket and then proceed to study the rele-
vant Tanach, Talmud, and Halacha texts based on the
ssues addressed in Knesset that day. After learning
the Torah perspective on state issues ranging from warto environmentalism, students will pray for G-d's guid-
ance to direct our leaders in making the right vote for
the Jewish People. The Yeshiva will also put out Torah
position papers, and hold symposia dealing with mat-
ters that have been raised, and matters that should be
raised, at the Knesset.
n the evenings, Yeshivat Knesset Yisrael will focus on
the topic of Jewish Leadership. The decisions of
Moshe, King David, and Rabbi Akiva will be analyzed
in depth along side lessons in modern Israeli civics,
politics, and history. The laws of a Jewish State will be
studied and developed. The yeshiva's atmosphere will
feature classic intellectual rigor alongside an aware-
ness of today's events, and a spirituality which seeks
to bring G-d into the life of our country.
Yeshivat Knesset Yisrael will have a massive impact.
Knesset Members will become accustomed to a Torah
presence outside their doors, influencing their deci-
sions psychologically and spiritually. The students will
learn to see Jewish
politics through Torah
eyes, making it a train-
ing ground for the van-
guard of Jewish
leadership. The wholenation will benefit from
the trickle-down effect of a Torah infused leadership.
Hashem will also see that we Jews have made an ef-
fort to lead this country through His Torah.
In our time, G-d has made the Knesset the body
through which major decisions of the Jewish people
are made. Our job is not to stay aloof but to get in-
volved, to inculcate the seemingly secular Knesset with
the true lifeblood of this country: Torah, spirituality, and
the Jewish idea. There are so many yeshivot openingtoday and yet there is no Makom Torah in the vicinity of
Israel's law making body! Does it not make sense to
have one yeshiva concern itself with the laws and ac-
tions of the Jewish State? Should we not dedicate one
center of Jewish learning to the central issue of our
time, that is, building the nation of Israel through the
advent of the Jewish State?
15
Our job is not to stay aloof but to get involved,
to inculcate the seemingly secular Knesset
with the true lifeblood of this country: Torah,
spirituality, and the Jewish idea.
Eretz Yisrael Photo Of The WeekBy Yechiel SteinReturning to Homesh in
the Northern Shomron
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