M A Y 8 , 2 0 2 0 | E M O R

Congregation Beth SholomTORAH WEEKLY

A Project of the Linda Mitgang ז"ל Learning Initiative

Sponsored by Shirley Schachter on the yahrzeit of her daughter Nechama Mindel bat Yitzchak Aryeh

To sponsor, please click here

Candle-lightingMincha

Shacharit HashkamaShacharit SephardicShacharit Joel Shiff/MainMinchaShiur with Rabbi HainMaarivShabbos Ends

J U L Y 3 , 2 0 2 0 | C H U K A T - B A L A K | P A G E 1

In reading some of Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm’s writings, Icame across a drasha he gave before July 4th in 1964.Addressing a mid-town Manhattan crowd, he clearly had inmind that for many of his congregants this would be the lastsermon they would hear from him till September. Heexhorted them to make use of the summer for exploring thestudy of Torah and not just relaxing at the beach.

Fast forward to our summer of 2020- and most of us are notgoing anywhere distant and the beach may actually betherapeutic in this pandemic. In fact we could adopt RabbiLamm’s suggestion and study Torah at a quiet beach!Clearly, this is a summer of challenges – uncertainty, anxietyand for many an underlying fear. According to Dr. LuanaMarques of Harvard Medical School, “We are experiencingmany physical, mental and emotional factors that can makeyou feel stressed. Signs of acute stress may include:pounding heart, shortness of breath, chest pain, headache,nausea and sweating!” Dr. Marques notes that “chronicstress can affect the immune system. And the best way toendure continued uncertainty is to make sure you are takingcare of yourself.” This approach fits perfectly in the Torahinstruction “you shall guard yourself (נפש). “

A well-known Mishnah provides an instructive response tothe emotional challenge of our current moment. In Avot 5:23it relates the contrast between Avraham and Bilam: “Whoever possesses these three qualities is of the disciplesof our father Abraham: a good eye, a humble spirit,

From a Social DistanceBY RABBI KENNETH HAIN RABBIKHAIN@GMAIL.COM

IN THIS ISSUE1 From a Social Distance Rabbi Hain2 Nostalgia Rabbi Fogel4 Who is a Talmid Chacham? Rabbi Miller4 Shabbos Talk (Shabbos 113a) Dr. Gettenberg5 A Tribute to Miriam Yael Saffra8 Halacha Al HaDaf Chayim Maza

8:11 pm

7:00 pm

8:19 pm

7:45 am

8:45 am

9:15 am

9:15 am

8:15 pm

8:30 pm

9:15 pm

9:19 pm

ZMANIM

A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 | I S S U E N O . 4M A Y 1 , 2 0 2 0 | E M O R | P A G E 3M A Y 1 , 2 0 2 0 | E M O R | P A G E 3M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A R - B E C H U K O T A I | P A G E 3M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B A M I D B A R | P A G E 2M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B A M I D B A R | P A G E 2J U N E 1 9 , 2 0 2 0 | S H E L A C H | P A G E 2

Upcoming Shiurim

Daf Yomi7:30am with R. Weberman8:30 am with Chayim Maza

TuesdayTalmud Shiur with R. Hain

Wednesday8:45 pm, R. Laufer, MedicalEthics

Thursday9:15 pm, R. Weberman,Parsha Shiur

TO PAY FUTURE SHULCONTRIBUTIONS NOW,

PLEASE CLICK HERE

TO CONTRIBUTE TO THERABBI'S CHARITY FUND,

PLEASE CLICK HERE

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

AUDIO SHIUR ROUNDUP

R, Miller: Symbolism of Tzitzis R. Laufer: Mitzvah 21 - סיפוריציאת מצריםR. Wein: Moshe's Failed Meetingand the Poison of Dispute

and a meek soul; but he who possesses the three oppositequalities, an evil eye, an arrogant spirit and a greedy soul areamong the disciples of the wicked Bilam.”

What strikes me is the distinction between a “good eye” andan “evil eye”. Both men have remarkable similarities. BothAbraham and Bilam woke early in the morning and set out ontheir missions. Both personally saddled their donkeys. Bothwere accompanied by two lads. And both encountered anAngel of G-d. Clearly, the Torah makes a point of connectingthese two figures. But the Misnah emphasizes the difference.Why?

In Avraham’s journey to the Akeidah the keyword is ירא -which means to see (as well as fear). Avraham lifts up hiseyes and "sees" the place of Mt. Moriah. When Yitzchak askswhere is the sheep for the sacrifice– Avraham tells him wewill “see” it. Finally, Avraham “sees” the ram in the thicket atthe Akeidah.

Bilam, the acclaimed visionary, cannot even “see” an Angelwhen it’s standing right in front of him. He clearly is not thegreat seer and acclaimed prophet he purports to be. TheTorah repeats three times the donkey “saw” – but Bilam didnot. Bilam has the “deficient eye”, but Avraham has the“good eye”- the vision to see beyond the moment and pursuehis destiny.

In these challenging times of the ongoing threat of Corona –perhaps we can strive to overcome our anxiety and fear bytrying to look beyond the moment rather than focus on thenegative. Let us embrace the means to stay safe. Hopefullyour anxiety can be tempered by maintaining the positivevision for ourselves and our community.

By remaining disciplined in our efforts to stay safe andadhering to the required restrictions, we are actuallyhastening our likelihood of seeing “the mountain from afar”,sooner than later.  To quote the heroic Helen Keller:  “Theonly thing worse than being blind is having sight but novision.”

J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 2 0 | K O R A C H | P A G E 2

Nostalgia

As society opens, and as many of our children began campthis week, there is a general feeling of life returning,somewhat, to its previous routine. In fact, the phrase “gettingback to normal” has been on the lips of many people.Although it has many implications <1> ,  the underlyingnotion of “getting back to normal” is the very importanthuman emotion that we call nostalgia, and it is one that weneed to be cognizant of if we are to avoid the many pitfallsthat it lays at our feet.

BY  RABBI BARUCH FOGELBAFOGEL@HAFTR.ORG

J U L Y 3 , 2 0 2 0 | C H U K A T - B A L A K | P A G E 2

M A Y 8 , 2 0 2 0 | E M O R | P A G E 2M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A R - B E C H U K O T A I | P A G E 2M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B A M I D B A R | P A G E 3J U N E 5 , 2 0 2 0 | N A S O | P A G E 6J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A A L O T E C H A | P A G E 9J U N E 1 9 , 2 0 2 0 | S H E L A C H | P A G E 3

remained unique in that it never actuallyhappened to us, just about us. This veryimportant part of the Torah is givenindependent billing because it became part ofour story, without it obviously being part of ourstory <8>.

A similar type of story is actually also found inparshas Chukas. In listing the travels of the BneiYisroel, there are a few cryptic verses that arethen followed by a shira. The Midrash, quotedby Rashi, explains that the enemies of the BneiYisroel hatched a plan to secretly attack them.When the Bnei Yisroel would pass in the gorge,their enemies plotted to hide in the caves highabove them, and attack them from above.Unbeknownst to the Bnei Yisroel, Hashemperformed a great miracle and one side of thegorge moved, and its protruding rocks enteredthe caves on the opposite side of the gorgewhere the enemies were hiding, therebycrushing them and preventing them fromattacking the Bnei Yisroel. This miracle wouldalso have gone completely unnoticed if not forthe fact that Hashem had the spring of watercarry their crushed bodies to the Bnei Yisroel,who then realized what a great miracle Hashemhad done for them. In recognition of thismiracle, the Bnei Yisroel broke out in song asthey did at the Yam Suf.

Similar to the story of Bilaam, we see that therewas an occurence in this world where Hashemprotected the Bnei Yisroel from harm withoutthem being aware of what was transpiring. And,in both cases, we find Hashem informing themafter the fact. And, both instances became animportant part <9> of our collective story, eventhough we did not really experience it.

This brings us back to nostalgia. As we see fromthese two examples in our two parshiyos,nostalgia is not linked to events that we haveexperienced. Nostalgia is more of a construct ofthe human mind than a recalling of actualevents. A clearer example of this phenomenonis when the Bnei Yisroel complained abouteating the maana and  declared “We rememberthe fish that we used to eat free in Egypt, thecucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions,and the garlic”. How is it possible that theyidealized their slavery in Egypt? That is thepower of nostalgia! It can reconstruct slaveryinto paradise, and the opresive shtetl <10>, withits pogroms and precipitous decline in

J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 2 0 | K O R A C H | P A G E 3

Originally, nostalgia was thought of as anegative trait <2> when it was first coined in the17th century. A Swiss doctor <3> explained thatthe mental and physical ailments of Swissmercenaries could be attributed to their longingto return home, and he called this harmfulfeeling “nostalgia”. Living in the past wasconsidered a negative and detrimental emotion.Recently, though, nostalgia has acquired awhole new meaning. It is now considered apositive feeling and emotion. According to theUniversity of Southampton Nostalgia Group <4>“nostalgia, once evoked, re-establishespsychological equanimity. It elevates mood,self-esteem, and a sense of socialconnectedness; it fosters perceptions ofcontinuity between past and present; itincreases meaning in life”. Interestingly, thelinking of the two parshiyos, Chukas and Balak<5>, give us a perfect opportunity to explorethe concept in the Torah.

The Gemara in Bava Basra (14b) lists all theauthors of the different books of Tanach. Thelist begins with Moshe who “wrote his book (theTorah), the parsha of Bilaam, and the book ofIyov”. If Moshe wrote the whole Torah, whichincludes parshas Bilaam, what does the Gemaramean by listing it as a separate entity thatMoshe authored <6>? Rashi <7> explains thatparshas Bilaam refers to “his (Bilaam’s)prophecy and parables even though they arenot a necessity for Moshe and the Torah”. Thisexplanation needs an explanation of its own.There are many parts of the Torah that wemight have thought unnecessary with ourhuman minds, and yet are unquestionably anintegral part of the Torah. In fact, the 8th Ikkarof the Rambam affirms as a tenet of faith thatevery word of the Torah is true and important!

If we take a step back from the story of Bilaamand Balak, we notice that it is unique in thatthere is no interaction at all between what theyare doing and Bnei Yisroel. In fact, I always likedto imagine being in the desert and looking inthe faraway distance and seeing the faint imageof two men standing on top of a mountain milesaway, and wondering what exactly they weredoing. Balak and Bilaam had no interaction withMoshe or anyone else. It was strictly betweenthem and Hashem. And, if we would never haveheard of it, nothing would change. Perhaps, thatis what makes it ‘independent’ of the Torah.Every word of the Torah was written by Moshefrom the word of Hashem, yet, this parsha

J U L Y 3 , 2 0 2 0 | C H U K A T - B A L A K | P A G E 3

M A Y 8 , 2 0 2 0 | E M O R | P A G E 2M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A R - B E C H U K O T A I | P A G E 2M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B A M I D B A R | P A G E 3J U N E 5 , 2 0 2 0 | N A S O | P A G E 6J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A A L O T E C H A | P A G E 9J U N E 1 9 , 2 0 2 0 | S H E L A C H | P A G E 3

observance, into the Promised Land. Nostalgiais a very powerful tool <11>. It can make anunexperienced event as real as if it hadoccurred, both for the good (Bilaam and theSpring) and for the bad (the “free” food).

{The proper study of history demands that weuse the tool of nostalgia properly. In regards tothe study of Jewish History there has alwaysbeen a conflict between those who want torevere the past and our Gedolim, and thosewho observe them, and study them, as thehumans that they were. Of course, to inventfables is wrong. But, focusing on a Gadol’spositive communal contributions, whilesimultaneously leaving out facts that were notrelevant to their communal life is a useful formof nostalgia. It is not intellectually dishonest,but rather the ability to recognize the part oftheir lives that were historical and those thatwere not.

I believe that this distinction is sorely neededtoday as our country looks at its history. Only afool would deny the facts of the FoundingFathers lives. But, we need to know how to lookat historical figures. Not every aspect of theirlives figures into who they were ‘historically’. Itis not intellectually dishonest to knowdisturbing facts, and at the same time,recognize the greatness of them historically, ornostalgically}.

As we recognize that nostalgia is one of thepowerful emotions driving our response to thepandemic, we have to be cognizant that we tooare at the precipice of making mistakes with it.Many people yearned for returning to shul, andto the many nostalgic rituals they felt that theyhad experienced. Yet, upon return, it is stilluncommon to witness the scenes that theydepicted in their yearnings. If only we couldexperience that which was depicted in the rushback to shuls. That does not mean it wasincorrect. However, we have to acknowledgethat what people pined for was the picture ofnormalcy that they painted in their minds, andnot the actual facts that existed pre-pandemic. The same holds true for many other aspects oflife that were interrupted by the pandemic. Thesudden and total reconfiguring of life created asense of nostalgia as a mechanism to deal withthe new and uncertain. We cannot let it cloudour decisions for  the future.

1 Ensuring the mental health of the community, restarting theeconomy, reconnecting to our religious spaces, and educatingour children, to name a few.

J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 2 0 | K O R A C H | P A G E 3

2 Hence the Greek etymology, nóstos meaning homecoming,and álgos, meaning "pain" or "ache"3 Johannes Hoffer, in 1688,  described it as a “neurologicaldisease of essentially demonic cause”4 https://www.southampton.ac.uk/nostalgia/5 Interestingly, there is no given reason why it is these twoparshiyos that are linked in a year when the second day ofShavous falls on Shabbos. The need to link parshiyos inBamidbar is to ensure that Devarim is Shabbos Chazon andVe’eschanan is Shabbos Nachamu, but there is no given reasonwhy these two parshiyos specifically are doubled. There is analternate tradition that these parshiyos are ALWAYS doubled asopposed to Matos-Maasei. See Hakira vol.2, ParshaManagement - Doubling, Halving, Accuracy by Sheldon Epstein,Bernard Dickman and Yonah Wilamowsky, footnote #30 (p. 84).Thank you to my dear brother-in-law, Dr. Shloime Dalezman, forfinding me this source.6 I am aware of the Balaam text, written in ink on wall plasterthat was discovered during archaeological excavations at Deir'Alla in the Jordan Valley in 1967 and published in 1976, and thesubject of the 1989 Symposium on the matter. However, I donot think that it is at all relevant to the gemara.ופרשת בלעם - נבואתו ומשליו אף על פי שאינן צורכי משה ותורתו וסדר 7:מעשיו8 According to the Abarbanel, this is the meaning of the word“remember” in the pasuk in Micha (6:5) מלך לק עץ ב מה־י י זכר־נא עמעת צדקות ען ד ל למ לג עד־הג ים ט עור מן־הש ן־ב לעם ב ב ומה־ענה אתו ב מוא'ה9 I mention this, nostalgically, as a way of recognizing one of mygreat teachers, Rabbi Pollack, my 3rd grade Rebbe. He had usmemorize the whole “song of Bilaam” as well as the Yiddishtietch, of which some i still recall. Words cannot do justice to hisdedication to his students, which continues to this day.10 For example, see  Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s article on theYiddish rendition of Fiddler on the Roof,https://nyti.ms/2IFHQmH, as well as the critique of her theidealizing the shtetl in Fiddler at Another 'Tradition Omission':Reconsidering Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish Also, see the videoof  the Satmar Rebbe at the  groundbreaking of the SigheterRebbe's Shul in Sighet, Romania https://youtu.be/hl5GlAVgyRw .It is almost unfathomable to hear the assembled crowd sangthe words from Mussaf עשו גלל אבות ש המון רחמיך. ב ב שובה אלינוה חל בת נה ביתך כ רצונך. ב11 In one of the great pieces of modern Torah literature, R’Salanter penned a poem as an abstract to his public charge tolearn mussar (Iggeres HaMussar). In that poem, R’ Salanterperfectly depicts dimyon, which he posits as the root cause ofsin. Rereading that abstract now highlighted how nostalgia isclosely related to his description of dimyon.

J U L Y 3 , 2 0 2 0 | C H U K A T - B A L A K | P A G E 4

M A Y 8 , 2 0 2 0 | E M O R | P A G E 2M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A R - B E C H U K O T A I | P A G E 2M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B A M I D B A R | P A G E 3J U N E 5 , 2 0 2 0 | N A S O | P A G E 6J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A A L O T E C H A | P A G E 9J U N E 1 9 , 2 0 2 0 | S H E L A C H | P A G E 3J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 2 0 | K O R A C H | P A G E 3

Who Is a Talmid Chacham?BY  RABBI AVI MILLERRABBIAVIMILLER@GMAIL.COM

Generally, in order to reclaim ownership over alost object, one must provide an identifyingsign.  One exception to this rule is a talmidchacham.  If a talmid chacham recognizes theobject (tviyat ayin) and claims it is his, he isbelieved, no questions asked.

The Gemara wonders who exactly qualifies as atalmid chacham.  If you asked me (admittedlyno talmid chacham), I would’ve said a RoshYeshiva or someone who knows all of Shas andPoskim at their fingertips.  However the Gemarain Shabbos 114a offers a very different litmustest (or at least adds an extra criterion):

טביעות העין — חזירין לו אבידה ב מ למיד חכם ש ת איזהו. יד על חלוקו להופכו קפ זה המ

Who is a Torah scholar of whom the Sages saidthat one must return a lost object to him basedon visual identification [even if he does notprovide an identifying sign for it?].  One whomakes sure his upper undergarment is turnedinward.

In other words, his shirt has to be on the rightway! He's careful it's not inside out. What astrange way (and a low bar!) to define a talmidchacham.

Rashi understands this in light of a statementjust a few lines above that is also a bitsurprising, at least in its formulation:

יב מיתה גדו — חי מצא רבב על ב נ למיד חכם ש כל ת

A Torah scholar who wears (fat) stained clothesis liable to receive the death penalty.

As it is understood, a talmid chacham whodresses in such an unbecoming mannerdiminishes respect for Torah and for HKBH. Obviously we don’t actually administer thedeath penalty upon frumpy looking, disheveledtalmidei chachamim, but the Rambam doescodify l’halacha (Hilchot Deot 5:9) that indeedthey should still be sure to dress in a dignifiedmanner, bringing respectability to Torah andAvodas Hashem.

As an extension of this, only a talmid chachamwho has their shirt on right (the inner seamsremain unseen) is believed about their claim toa lost object. This is also codified in halacha,Choshen Mishpat 262:21.  It is this extensionthat is difficult for me (again, no talmidchacham here) to understand.  Why does atalmid chacham's fastidiousness about hisappearance bears on his ne’emanus, histrustworthiness regarding his claim?

The Shulchan Aruch appears to skirt this issueby citing -- in addition to our gemara inShabbos-- a parallel gemara in Bava Metsia24a.  There we find a different definition of atalmid chacham, one that directly links a talmidchacham and his presumed integrity.  TheGemara there claims (and the Shulchan Aruchquotes) that a talmid chacham doesn’t lieexcept for three matters --  מסכת ובפוריא  .his learning, his bed, and his host ,ובאושפיזאThat is, he humbly suggests he knows less thanhe does, he modestly misdirects any questionsabout his intimate life and he does notadvertise the graciousness of his hosts lestothers take advantage of their generoushospitality.

But I’m still struggling to understand thesignificance of connecting a talmid chacham’sneemanut/trustworthiness to his diligence inmaking sure his shirt is not inside out.  I ameagerly awaiting your suggestions….

However we understand it, clearly a talmidchacham is a person with more than anencyclopedic mastery of Torah.   A talmidchacham is someone who embodies dignity,integrity, and sensitivity in every aspect of his(or her) life.  These, of course, are ideals wemay all aspire.

Shabbos Talk (Shabbos 113a)BY  DR. CHAIM GETTENBERGGARYSGETTENBERG@GMAIL.COM

The Rambam in his משנה תורה, הלכות שבת לstates that there are four key dimensions toShabbos. Two are learned from the Torah ( שמורandזכור ) and two from Neveim (כבוד and עונג).In fact, this passuk in Isaiah 58:13 that theRambam quotes may be the most importantpassuk in all Tanakh. The Rambam states therethat Shabbos and the prohibition of idolatry are

J U L Y 3 , 2 0 2 0 | C H U K A T - B A L A K | P A G E 5

M A Y 8 , 2 0 2 0 | E M O R | P A G E 2M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A R - B E C H U K O T A I | P A G E 2M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B A M I D B A R | P A G E 3J U N E 5 , 2 0 2 0 | N A S O | P A G E 6J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A A L O T E C H A | P A G E 9J U N E 1 9 , 2 0 2 0 | S H E L A C H | P A G E 3

equal to all the other commandments in theTorah. Shabbos is the eternal sign between G-dand his people, and anyone who desecratesShabbos in public is surely like an idolater.

י וקראת יום קדש ך עשות חפציך ב רגל ת ב יב מש ש אם־תצוא יך ממ רכ מעשות ד דתו ד וכב מכב וש ה ת ענג לקד ב לש

בר׃ ר ד ודב חפצך

If you refrain from trampling the Sabbath, frompursuing your affairs on My holy day; If you callthe Sabbath “delight,” The Lord’s holy day“honored”; And if you honor it and go not yourways Nor look to your affairs, nor strikebargains.

From this passuk in Isaiah 58:13, the Rambamlearns many normative behaviors that areincluded in the observance of Shabbos. In theDaf Yomi for this week the Gemara discusses thispassuk in Isaiah 58:13 in depth. The Navi issaying that IF on Shabbos you walk more than and you stop yourself, and if תחום שבת you findyourself doing your business and  refrainyourself because you realize it is Shabbos, and ifyou honor Shabbos  with oneg, and dress  inspecial garb and have beautiful meals with wineand meat, and honor the Shabbos with specialbehaviors that lead  to  family togetherness andpeace, involved in Torah learning and  prayers...and then the navi uses the words if you refrainfrom ודבר דבר . The Gemara explains these wordsto mean:

ל חול.. דבורך ש ת כ ב ל ש בורך ש לא יהא ד ש

Meaning that your speech on Shabbas shouldnot be like your speech during the rest of theweek.....Then, the Almighty will reward us withthe blessing of Isaiah 58:14.

יך מותי ארץ והאכלת יך על־ב בת על־יהוה והרכ ג תענ אז תר׃ ב י ה' ד י פ יך כ ב אב יעק נחלת

Then you can seek the favor of the Lord. I will setyou astride the heights of the earth, And let youenjoy the heritage of your father Jacob— For themouth of the Lord has spoken.

What does the Gemara practically mean when itteaches us ? ל חול דבורך ש ת כ ב ל ש בורך ש לא יהא ד ?שThis is an apparent מחלוקת between רש"י  andRashi learns that the requirement of .תוספותhaving a higher form of speech on Shabbos isonly in avoiding business and financial matters. שלא יהא דבורך של שבת כדבורך של חול - כגון מקח

וממכר וחשבונות

However, Rabbeinu Tam seems to hold theopinion that one should limit his limit his speechon Shabbos, especially idle or mundane or“weekday” speech.שלא יהא דבורך של שבת כדבורך של חול - פי' בקונטרסכגון מקח וממכר ואין נראה לר"ת דהא כבר נפקא ממצואחפצך אלא אומר ר"ת כדאמר בויקרא רבה (פ' לד) ר"ש בןיוחי הוה ליה אימא סבתא דהות מישתעיא סגיא אמר להאימא שבתא הוא שתקה משמע שאין כל כך לדבר בשבתכמו בחול ובירושל' אמרי' בטורח התירו בשאלת שלום

בשבת:

I think this is an important concept we can thinkabout on and apply this coming Shabbos. Theimportance of elevating and sanctifying ourspeech on the day of שמור וזכור  and כבוד ועונגwithout even being aware of the Talmud dictum,ל חול דבורך ש ת כ ב ל ש בורך ש .לא יהא ד

We are naturally inclined to elevate our speechon Shabbos by adding many beautiful tefillotfrom   קבלת שבת to הבדלה, by singing zemirot ateach of the three Shabbos seudot, by giving andlistening to insightful Divrei Torah  and byspeaking lovingly to one’s spouse and childrenon this holy day. However the Talmud, asexplained by our holy sages exhorts us  toconsciously elevate and purify our speech onShabbos. Just as הקדוש ברוך הוא    rested on theseventh day of creation, so do we. We know thatthe world was created by Hashem with words    בעשרה מאמרות נברא העולם and on the seventhday he rested, so too should we rest our “weekly”words and elevate our power of speech to a holylevel on Shabbos. On Shabbos when we meet ourfriends we even begin our conversation with thegreeting of Good Shabbos rather than Hi! Toreinforce the kedusha of our speech on this holyday.

J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 2 0 | K O R A C H | P A G E 3

A Tribute to MiriamBY YAEL SAFFRAYAELSAFFRA@GMAIL.COM

In this week's Parsha, both Aharon’s and Miriam’sdeaths are recorded. The entire nation is filledwith grief over the loss of their beloved leaders.Even though Aharon is no longer physically withBnei Yisrael, the legacy of the Kehuna lives onthrough his descendants. The Torah is filled withreminders of Aaron's spirit of love, via hisflowering staff that rests before the Ark and thedaily service of the Kohanim and Leviim in the BeitHamikdash. But, what

J U L Y 3 , 2 0 2 0 | C H U K A T - B A L A K | P A G E 6

M A Y 8 , 2 0 2 0 | E M O R | P A G E 2M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A R - B E C H U K O T A I | P A G E 2M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B A M I D B A R | P A G E 3J U N E 5 , 2 0 2 0 | N A S O | P A G E 6J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A A L O T E C H A | P A G E 9J U N E 1 9 , 2 0 2 0 | S H E L A C H | P A G E 3

about Miriam? Where can we find her spirit?According to ancient midrashic legend, a personwho wishes to see Miriam’s well, whichaccompanied the Jewish people throughout theirsojourn in the desert, should ascend to the top ofMount Carmel and look out, and one will see arock that looks like a sieve in the sea, and that isMiriam’s well. ל מרים יעלה לראש ארה ש יא: הרוצה לראות ב י חי אמר רבל ארה ש ם — וזו היא ב י ברה ב מין כ ה ויראה כ רמל ויצפ הכ

מרים

Once, I climbed Mount Carmel in search ofMiriam's well, seeking a blessing from her. This iswhat unfolded before my eyes.

I saw Miriam, a little girl, raising the spirits of adesolate nation, joyfully sharing her innocentprophecy that her mother would birth the saviorof the Jewish People.

עתידה אמי שתלד בן שיהיה מושיע את ישראלMiriam, I sang, if inspiring a broken people to believethat they will one day be saved is all you had done …it would have been enough , דיינו 

I saw a brave big sister, standing patiently by thereeds of the Nile to protect her baby brotherMoshe and see what would befall him. In thefuture, as a reward for her bravery and patience,the Children of Israel waited for her.

ובזכות שהמתינה למשה שעה אחת לדעת מה יהיה סוףהנין, זכתה והמתינו לה שש מאות אלף רגלי

Miriam, I sang,  if guaranteeing Moshe’s survival, andthereby changing the trajectory of the Jewish peopleforever, was all you had done…דיינו , it would havebeen enough.

I saw a beautiful young woman in Egyptsurrounded by Israelite women slaves. They werehiding from their Egyptian taskmasters, secretlyfashioning musical instruments, tambourines andtimbrels surrounded with tiny bells. שהוא כלי מתכתעגול ודומה לטבעת גדולה ופתוח מכל צדדיו, ובזר שלו סביב.קבועים פעמונים קטנים

Miriam and the women, while still enslaved in Egypt,were preparing to celebrate the first wondrousmoments of freedom.

I saw a beautiful young woman in Egyptsurrounded by Israelite women slaves. They werehiding from their Egyptian taskmasters, secretlyfashioning musical instruments, tambourines andtimbrels surrounded with tiny bells. שהוא כלי מתכת

עגול ודומה לטבעת גדולה ופתוח מכל צדדיו, ובזר שלו סביב,Miriam and the women .קבועים פעמונים קטניםwhile still enslaved in Egypt, were preparing tocelebrate the first wondrous moments of freedom.

Miriam, I sang, if illuminating the darkest hours withbelief in a brighter future was all you had done.... .it would have been enough , דיינו

I heard the deafening silence after the miraculouscrossing of the sea. No one knew what to do orhow to respond. And then, there was Miriam,leading the way, with song and dance and thetambourines of promise crafted while stillenslaved. The women joined her, rejoicing andsinging out to God in gratitude. The bells on theirtambourines echoing softly through the air.

ה ל ירו ען להם מרים ש ת וMiriam, I sang, if teaching us to find our voices andgranting us the wisdom to understand that musicand dance can be forms of prayer was all you haddone.... דיינו , it would have been enough.

I saw Miriam in the desert arguing fiercely withMoshe, about Tzipora, ה מש ב ר מרים ואהרן דב ת ור לקח ית אש ש ה הכ because Miriam על־אדות האשloved family. And even if speaking out led totzaraat, Miriam stood her ground. Therefore, eventhough she sinned, God personally took care ofher during her days outside of the camp.

ירה, אנא הנא, אנא מסג רוך הוא אנא כ דוש ב אמר הקמטהרה

Miriam, I sang, if all you had done was teach usabout the importance of family relationships,  , דיינו it would have been enough.

And finally, I saw a nation in mourning; grievingover their beloved Miriam. Along with losing her,the Children of Israel lost their well. It wasMiriam’s well that nourished them with sweet,pure water. Her well traveled with them for fortyyears in the desert in the form of a rock and whenthe Children of Israel sang   ה׃ י באר ענו־ל  על thewell, like Miriam herself, responded to their needsand fresh spring water gushed forth. Miriam,whose name means bitter waters, was sooverflowing with spontaneous joy, that she wasable to bring out life-sustaining waters from rock.

Miriam, I sang, if all you had done was nourish oursouls with your sweet waters of faith and dreams ofredemption, song and dance, bravery and resilience,and joy and inspiration  it would have been , דיינו enough.

J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 2 0 | K O R A C H | P A G E 3J U L Y 3 , 2 0 2 0 | C H U K A T - B A L A K | P A G E 7

A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 | I S S U E N O . 4M A Y 1 , 2 0 2 0 | A C H A R E I - M O T / K E D O S H I MM A Y 1 , 2 0 2 0 | E M O R | P A G E 5M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A R - B E C H U K O T A I | P A G E 8M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B A M I D B A R | P A G E 2M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B A M I D B A R | P A G E 9M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B A M I D B A R | P A G E 1 0J U N E 5 , 2 0 2 0 | N A S O | P A G E 1 8J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A A L O T E C H A | P A G E 1 4

Halacha Al HaDaf B. Shabbat 115b

BY CHAYIM MAZACAMAZA2@GMAIL.COM

J U N E 1 9 , 2 0 2 0 | S H E L A C H | P A G E 6

The Gemara , Shabbos Daf 115(b) says that inorder to be permitted to save a Sefer Torahfrom a fire on Shabbos (today we are allowed toput out fires, or call the fire department to doso, on Shabbos, because all fires, today, areconsidered to be Pikuach Nefesh), it must havea minimum of 85 letters. The reason given bythe Gemara, is that 85 letters are the number ofletters in the smallest Parsha of the Torah, theParsha of Vayehi Binsoah Haaron, which, as weall know, is set off as a separate Parsha, in themiddle of Parshas BeHaaloscha, Perek 10,Verses 35 & 36, in Sefer Bamidbar.

This law is codified in the Shulchan Aruch,Orach Chaim, Hilchos Shabbos, Siman 334, Seif12. The Mishnah Berura, Seif Katan 36, explainsthat as long as a Sefer Torah has at least 85letters, equivalent to the number of letters inthe smallest Parsha of the Torah, then the SeferTorah still has “Kedushas Sefer Torah” and, youare, therefore, allowed to save it.And, TheShulchan Aruch goes on to say, also based onShabbos Daf 115(b) that the 85 letters must bea part of complete words, they cannot be 85letters, randomly, scattered throughout theTorah Scroll.

This leads the Gemara to a discussion aboutThe Parsha of Vayehi Binsoah Ha’aron, which aswe all know, we say every time we take theTorah out from the Ark, and which is comprisedof two verses in the Torah:Bamidbar 10, Verse35, “Vayehi Binsoah”, which says, “When the Arkwould travel, Moses said, Arise O G-d and letYour foes be scattered, let those who hate You,flee from before You”; and Verse 36, “U’VenuchoYomar”, which says,“When the Ark rested he[Moses] would say, Reside tranquilly O G-d,among the myriad thousands of Israel.”

There are two opinions in the Gemara as to whyVayehi Binsoah is set off as a separate Parsha.R’ Shimon ben Gamliel says that it is to indicateto us that Vayehi Binsoah is not in its properplace, that it really belongs earlier in Bamidbar,where it speaks about the formations and themovements of the Jewish People. The Gemara

goes on to explain, that, according to thisview,Vayehi Binsoah was moved and insertedhere, in order to separate the verse before it,Verse 34, from the verse after it, Verse 37, bothof which deal with trouble and sin, and, whichwas a turning point, where the Jewish People,after the highs of Krias Yam Suf and MatanTorah, began, after they left Sinai,to complain,out of their feelings of frustration and panicthat had set in, over their pace of travel and theconditions in the desert. And, says the Gemara,that in the future, the Parsha of Vayehi Binsoahwill, ultimately, be returned to its rightful place.

Rebbi disagrees. He says that Vayehi Binsoahwas set off as a separate Parsha, not because itwas out of place, but to show the importance ofthese verses that they are worthy to have thestatus of being their own Parsha. And theGemara, in support of this view, quotes aPassuk in Mishlei that indicates that there reallyare 7 Books of the Torah, rather than 5.

The Gemara does not elaborate on why these 2verses, in particular, have the special status offorming their own Parsha, or why the 2backwards letters NUN were selected as theSimanim, with which to set off the Parsha ofVayehi Binsoa.

In fact, the use of the backwards NUNs to setoff this Parshais not mentioned in the Gemaraat all, and is the subject of an intense debatebetween the Maharshal (R’ Shlomo Luria) agreat Halachic authority of the 16th century,and the Nodah BiYehuda (R’ Yechezkel Landau)a great Halachic authority of the 18th century.The Maharshal ruled that the Nuns should notbe used at all, since it is not permitted to addeven one letter to the Torah, and that any TorahScroll that contained the backwards NUNs wasPassul. The Nodah BiYehudah vehementlydisagreed, defending our practice of using thebackwards NUNs to surround the Parsha ofVayehi Binsoah, saying that the backwardsNUNs were not letters at all, but were marks, noworse than splotches of ink, in the blank spacesof a Sefer Torah, which do not render the SeferTorah unfit.

As to why these two verses were chosen, RabbiShamshon Rafael Hirsch, writes, beautifully,that these two verses, uniquely, represent the

J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 2 0 | K O R A C H | P A G E 4J U L Y 3 , 2 0 2 0 | C H U K A T - B A L A K | P A G E 8

A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 | I S S U E N O . 4M A Y 1 , 2 0 2 0 | A C H A R E I - M O T / K E D O S H I MM A Y 1 , 2 0 2 0 | E M O R | P A G E 5M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A R - B E C H U K O T A I | P A G E 8M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B A M I D B A R | P A G E 2M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B A M I D B A R | P A G E 9M A Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | B A M I D B A R | P A G E 1 0J U N E 5 , 2 0 2 0 | N A S O | P A G E 1 8J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 2 0 | B E H A A L O T E C H A | P A G E 1 4J U N E 1 9 , 2 0 2 0 | S H E L A C H | P A G E 6

totality of our collective Jewish history. The firstverse, Vayehi Binsoah, says Rav Hirsch, speaksof a time when the Ark and the Jewish Peoplesurrounding it, are journeying from place toplace. This represents those periods in JewishHistory, when we have been exiled from ourland and persecuted by the nations around us.For those times, Moshe prayed that Hashemscatter our enemies and protect us from them.The second verse, Uvenucho Yomar, says RavHirsch, speaks to generations, like ours, whenwe are at rest, when we have our own Land, andwe are not suffering from persecution and Anti-Semitism. Yet, the threats from within, ofassimilation, intermarriage, and prosperity, in asecular society, present existential challenges toour Jewish future that are, in many ways, farmore insidious. For these times we pray, that G-d continue to reside, tranquilly, among us.

As to the meaning of the backwards NUNs, theMaharsha, on Shabbos Daf 116, writes, that theNUNs stand for “Nefilah”, the downfallof theJewish People (which is why the letter NUN wasomitted from the Prayer, Ashrei), and they arewritten backwards, as a prayer that Hashemshould reverse our misfortune to good fortune.And, that the NUN represents the 50th level ofBinah that no man, not even Moshe, the centralfigure in these 2 verses, is capable of achieving.

Rabbeinu Bachye writes that the backwardsNUNs relate to the fact that the place VayehiBinsoah should have been written, is Bamidbar,Perek 2, Verse 17, that begins with the words“Venasah Ohel Moed”, And the Ohel Moedtravelled, exactly 50 paragraphs earlier. The 2NUNs are also said to represent the “Niglah”,the revealed portion of the Torah, and the“Nistar”, the hidden portion of the Torah, or,alternatively, the “Naaseh” and the “Nishma”,we will do and we will hear, that the JewishPeople said when they received the Torah. And,I saw a fascinating observation, that thenumber of words in Verse 35 is 12, the same asthe number of words, in the last Possuk in theTorah, and the number of words, in verse 36 is7, the same number of words as in the firstPossuk of the Torah.

Finally, it is interesting to note, that there is oneother time in the Torah that there could havebeen an inverted NUN, but, it did not ultimately,become part of the Torah. Rashi, on Bereishis,Perek 11, Possuk 32 comments that the NUN atthe end of “BeCharan”, the last word of ParshasNoach, is inverted, to indicate that untilAbraham, the anger of Hashem was present inthe world.

J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 2 0 | K O R A C H | P A G E 5J U L Y 3 , 2 0 2 0 | C H U K A T - B A L A K | P A G E 9

CL ICK TO

THE NEXT TORAH WEEKLY !