torat yisrael issue 3

8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 3

1/16

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

Page 12Page 12


2/16

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.


3/16


4/16

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

4


5/16

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.

5


6/16

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

6


7/16

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

7


8/16

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.

8


9/16

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.

9


10/1610

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.


11/16

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

Page 14Page 14


12/16

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


13/16

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)?


14/16

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


15/16

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


16/16

torat yisrael issue 3

Documents