Shabbat-B'Shabbato – Parshat - No 1673: 24 Iyar 5777 (20 May 2017)

AS SHABBAT APPROACHES A Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation - by Esti Rosenberg, Head of the Midrasha for Women, Migdal Oz

This ’s double portion of Behar-Bechukotai is the end of , the “book of holiness.” In the associative world of religion, Vayikra is written for the priests and involves matters of sanctity that are far removed from our mundane lives. Many people refrain from studying this material in the mistaken notion that it is a book about sacrifices meant specifically for the priests, who are in charge of performing the holy rituals. And this is quite true in the first half of the book – sacrifices, laws of ritual purity and impurity that are most relevant for the priests, and the sanctity of time, which is characterized by the High Priest who enters the holiest area in the Temple on . However, such a train of thought carries with it the possibility of great danger. Is it really true that sanctity is a matter only for the priests? Can it be that it is relevant only for specific times and places?

The second half of the book of Vayikra copes with this last question. It addresses the issue of sanctity of the entire nation of Yisrael everywhere and anytime. The portion of challenges us to recognize holiness in all walks of life. In there are laws limiting who the priests can marry, and in the laws set limits for the marriage of every person in Yisrael and give us guidelines for the married life of the entire nation. And the holiness of Yom Kippur is extended in Emor with many more holidays which are relevant not only in the Temple but wherever the live. The command “You shall be holy people for Me” [ 22:30] is meant for the whole nation, and this is further emphasized in the second half of Vayikra. The entire nation is required to be holy at all times and in all places.

The portion of Behar emphasizes the sanctity of a place. The mitzvot of Shemitta and Yovel illustrate the fact that sanctity is found not only in “the place which G-d will choose” [ 12:14] but all over the land, “For the earth is Mine” [Vayikra 25:23]. The requirement to let the land rest every seven years and the challenge of the Yovel broaden the sanctity and the awareness of the presence of G-d far beyond the limits of the Temple and the priests.

In his famous question at the beginning of Behar, asks, “What does Shemitta have to do with ?” In his reply, he emphasizes that “for all the mitzvot, the details and the general rules were all given at Sinai.” At the end of Vayikra, where the entire nation is instructed to maintain their sanctity, the Torah stresses that the details are no less important than general concepts. The general ideas of the Torah are beautiful and can bring us joy. The idea of Shabbat lights up the entire world, equality is an important principle which can bring us great joy. Many people are very happy about the general rules of the Torah. However, the great challenge of sanctity is to understand that the beautiful general ideas must come about through our observance of all the details – from rabbinical decrees and limits to what is permitted on Shabbat, and on to observing details that at times can conflict with enjoying the great general ideas. We must understand deep within ourselves that the concept of equality can sometimes lead to financial loss, as when we observe all the details of Shemitta. Holiness presents a challenge to the entire nation everywhere, and it takes shape through the details of the halacha and their precise fulfillment.

Challenge and privilege. Sanctity and halacha.

POINT OF VIEW A Jubilee for Another Step in “Atchalta D’Geulah” - by Yisrael Rozen, Dean of the Zomet Institute

1 “Atchalta D’Geulah” – the Beginning of Redemption

“And he will leave at the Yovel and he will return to his heritage... And if a man sells a house of dwelling in a walled city...” [Vayikra 25:28-29].

“‘A man’ refers to the Holy One, Blessed be He. If he sells a house of dwelling – this is a house where G-d appears, meaning the Temple. A walled city is , as is written, “Jerusalem surrounded by mountains...” [Tehillim 125:2]... The verse returns to explain the situation: How can it be that G-d will sell His heritage, the holy Temple? [The answer is that] this is the way leading to redemption! This is similar to what is written, that G-d vented His anger on wood and stones, because if this had not happened not a single remnant or refugee would have remained. ( Tehillim 79.) And if Yisrael would not exist there would be neither the Temple nor Jerusalem. But there will be redemption for the nation and for the Temple, for there is hope. “And the children will return to their boundaries” [Yirmiyahu 31:16]. [An extract from Or Hachaim, commenting on the above verse.]

The Tidings of Mashiach in Six Days of Redemption

This week we mark 50 years since the salvation that took place in the Six Day War. A full Yovel (50 years) has passed since the liberation of Jerusalem and the site of the Temple, which are “the house of dwelling and the walled city” mentioned in this week’s Torah portion, according to the above quote from Or Hachaim. “He [the ‘man’ - the Holy One, Blessed be He] will return to His heritage.”

Not everybody has had the privilege of feeling the beating of the wings at the arrival of the Mashiach, the fluttering of the soul, and the heart-felt yearnings, in the wake of the uplifting-caressing awesome-glorious contact which we experienced in 5727 (1967). We remember the feeling, we achieved our freedom at the cost of blood, fire, and pillars of smoke (see the Haggadah of Pesach) – an additional stage in the process of redemption, in the wake of other “beginnings” in 5708 (1948 - the establishment of the State of ), the Balfour (modern-day Koresh?) Declaration in 5678 (1917), and many other “awakenings from below” taking the form of by many members of “Chovevai Tzion” and by imbued with the yearning for redemption.

One of the most remarkable of these men was Rabbi Chaim Ben Atar, who came from the “west” (that is, Morocco) to Jerusalem in the year 5502 (1742), where he lived for one year, until he passed away. According to tradition (from Vilna?), in this one year he wrote his monumental work of commentary on the Torah “Or Hachaim” while sitting underneath a fig tree on Or-Hachaim Street, in the Old City of Jerusalem. In this outstanding book he included, among other things, yearnings for redemption, calculations of the time when Mashiach would come, “Zionist” calls for an awakening “from below,” and criticism of great men of Yisrael who failed to raise the banner of redemption. His grave on the Mount of Olives was redeemed in 5708, and “he returned to his heritage.”

Shaking the Very Fibers of the Nation’s Soul

It is very clear to everybody that the surprising victories of the Six Day War rocked the foundations of the Jewish nation to the core, and turned the gaze of the people towards Jerusalem. As part of the resulting chain of events, we were privileged to witness the arrival of more than a million olim from the lands of the former Soviet Union, with tens of thousands more from western countries, south America, and all the corners of the globe. They all returned like “doves to their cotes” [Yeshayahu 60:8]. After the earlier round of ingathering of the exiles after the establishment of the State of Israel, this was a second wave, more massive than before, in the wake of the liberation of Jerusalem. Most exciting of all was the dramatic return of the children of from the exile of Ethiopia, accompanied by their yearning to reach the goal of “Orsalem,” as the name of the city was pronounced by their trembling lips, after their journeys through parched deserts fraught with danger. 2

Even if we pull ourselves away from exalted thoughts, we must admit that the place of the State of Israel among the other nations of the world and the status of the Jews in all the exiles would have remained in a completely different state if not for the “awakening” of the salvation of the Six Days, which caught us all in the stormy time of 1967. And the coals continue to warm us, a full 50 years later.

Would we Prefer an Embassy, or – On a Different Tack – the Temple Mount?

On the anniversary of the outbreak of the Six Day War, on Monday, the 26th of Iyar, the current President of the United States, Donald Trump, might well announce the transfer of the United States embassy to Jerusalem. Soon after he was elected I wrote in this column that I am full of trepidation about the heavy political price we might be asked to pay for such a “gesture.” I warned that we should not put our faith in the kindness of foreign kings even if “we have a little sister” [Shir Hashirim 8:8] in the palace. I hope and pray that I will be proven wrong this week, even though this would go against usual political practices.

As far as I am concerned, I would leave the embassy on the beach where it is (unless it could be moved inside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem – is there any possibility of this happening?). For me, it would be sufficient for the Israeli government and its advisors to take complete control over the Temple Mount – “a house of dwelling in a walled city” – with massive support by Mr. Trump and his advisors.

Here’s the “deal” – Let the American Embassy remain in Tel Aviv in return for full Israeli sovereignty on the Temple Mount.

(Written after the end of Shabbat, Torah portion of Emor.)

A PARSHA INSIGHT It’s all a Matter of Timing - by Rabbi Asaf Harnoy, Rabbi of “Aderet Eliyahu” Community, Gilo, Jerusalem

There are times when the difference between success and failure depends on a question of timing. A good sense of timing means to know when to do the right thing, at the right time, and in the right place.

On one hand, it is necessary to have great heavenly support – in order to have a window of opportunity open up which will allow us to accomplish something. On the other hand, a large measure of practical wisdom is needed in order to keep our eyes open and not to miss an opportunity. We must pay attention when a window opens and know how to take advantage of it.

How are Mount Sinai and “Strengthening” a Poor Man Connected?

The Torah portion of Behar brings us into contact with the mitzva of charity and with the obligation to help our needy brothers with economic support. When the Torah comes to command about and describe the importance of helping a poor person, it uses a unique term which makes Rashi quite uncomfortable – since in his commentary always strives for the simple interpretation of the verse –.

We have been commanded, “If your brother becomes poor and he does not have sufficient means, then strengthen him” [Vayikra 25:35]. It is not easy to understand how the concept of “strengthening” a person is related to the mitzva of charity. Why did the Torah use this phrase (“vehechezakta ”) instead of words that would seem to be more appropriate (such as: to give support or to help)? What idea did the Torah want to stress when it chose to use the concept of “strengthening” a person?

Just before a Fall

Rashi raises this question, and he gives a remarkable answer that can teach us many lessons. He writes that the concept of “strengthening” is meant to 3 teach us about the proper “timing” when we come to help poor people. With respect to charity, the proper time is to catch the needy person just as he is about to fall, and not after he has fallen deep into a pit.

Giving “strength” will not help a person who has lost all of his money and is “deep in the pit.” Such a person is in need of a group of people to pull him out of the pit into which he has fallen. In order to catch a friend at the proper time, before he falls, we need to be very sensitive to his situation. There are times when paying attention at this level can change the entire picture.

Do we Give Him a Hand or a Crane?

We might ask: What difference does it make when we help another person? In fact, perhaps it is more important to help somebody who has already fallen into a deep pit rather that one did not yet fall! Rashi answers this with remarkable insight: There is no comparison between raising up a man who has fallen into a deep pit and giving a man support so that he will not fall in.

In order to rescue somebody who has fallen into a pit, it is not enough to give him a hand for support. A single person is not strong enough for the . What is needed is a large crane that can reach down deep into the pit and pick up the one who has fallen. However, preventing the fall in the first place does not require a large crane or a group of people – if we stretch out our hand, we can prevent the fall.

A New Moral Economic Concept

In this way the Torah teaches us a novel economic and moral approach in personal relationships. The main effort should take place before a person falls, to watch over those who are carrying a heavy load but who have not fallen. Of course this does not imply that we should refuse to help those who have fallen into a deep pit, but it teaches us a new approach, and we must carefully weigh where our main resources should be expended.

In the same way, we should use the concept of strengthening and timing in our own personal efforts to improve our behavior. It seems natural for us to expend the greatest efforts in trying to mend the traits and characteristics where we show the greatest weakness. There can be no doubt that such an effort is important, and we must continue to work on these personal traits of ours. However, the concept of “strengthening” can indicate to us that an effort to strengthen and mend those traits where we have not yet reached the lowest point – can help us remain on solid ground and avoid a fall. If we will be wise enough to catch these traits at the proper moment, we will be able to maintain a good position and to rise up in all our actions.

NATURE AND THE TORAH PORTION Ar’ar - by Dr. Moshe Raanan, the Jerusalem College for Women

“For he shall be like an ar’ar in the desert and will not see when good comes. He will dwell in dry places in the wilderness, in an uninhabited land of salt.” [Yirmiyahu 17:6] – from the .

Yirmiyahu compares a person who trusts in man to an “ar’ar,” which grows in the difficult conditions of the desert without much hope for improvement. However, one who has faith in the Holy One, Blessed be He, is compared to a tree that has an abundance of water and lives in comfort. “He will be like a tree planted near water, which can send its roots into a stream. It will not notice when heat comes and its leaves remain fresh, it does not worry during a time of drought, and it will not stop producing .” [17:8].

On the other hand, as opposed to the lack of hope of the ar’ar in Yeshayahu’s prophecy, we find in Tehillim that the prayer of the ar’ar, which is a symbol for the nation of Yisrael, is answered: “... For G-d has built Zion, He will appear in His glory. He responds to the prayers of the ar’ar, and He does not despise their prayers.” [102:17-18]. (We will return to this paradox later on.)

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Aro’er in the Desert

A name similar to “ar’ar” appears in Yirmiyahu’s advice to Moav: “Flee, save your souls, be like an ‘aro’er’ in the desert” [48:6]. While a slightly different word is used, most of the commentators feel that it is a synonym for ar’ar. For example, Metzudat writes, “Aro’er – this is a desert tree, as in the verse, ‘like an ar’ar in the desert.’” Other commentators see “aro’er” as the name of a place. Targum Yonantan writes, “Flee, save your souls, be like the Aro’er tower which is in the desert.” The name Aro’er is mentioned as a city in the area of Moav in the Torah: “From Aro’er on the banks of the Arnon River, and the city in the riverbed, and until the Gilad, not one city was stronger than us. G-d delivered everything to us.” [Devarim 2:36]. Rashi brings both interpretations: “Like Aro’er – The Aro’er tower is in the desert. It is not surrounded by a settled area but appears as a ruin. And Yonotan had the same interpretation. However, Menachem writes that it is a tree that grows in the desert.”

Akuvita in the Aravah

It is clear from the verses that the “ar’ar” grows in the desert, but they do not give enough detail to establish its exact identity. What appears in the Septuagint is “Like the Arod in the desert.” This is taken to mean “onos agrios,” a wild donkey. This is not reasonable, since the verse sees “ar’ar in the desert” as being the opposite of “a tree planted on water,” implying that the ar’ar is some sort of desert plant. Various plants have been suggested, and we will discuss some of them. Targum Yonatan for Yirmiyahu gives the following: “It will be like the ‘akuvita’ in the desert, and it will not see when good comes.” Bereishit Rabba (Bereishit 20) identifies “akuvit” as the “dardar” in the following verse: “Thorns and ‘dardar’ will grow for you [Bereishit 3:18] – Dardar is akuvit.” This is a general name for thorny bushes or the name of the thorn-bush Tornefort’s gundelia, which is called “Akuv” in Arabic. This plant is considered a delicacy by the Arabs in Eretz Yisrael, and in recent years there have been some initiatives to grow it commercially.

Sodom’s Apple

Efraim and Channah Hare’uveini identified the ar’ar as Sodom’s apple (giant milkweed), which grows in the Valley and in the Aravah Desert. This tree has large green that look promising from a distance but after they are opened turns out to be dry inside, full of fibers that are similar to silk. These fibers can be used to make wicks, and because of this the plant is called “the desert wick” in Hebrew. However, this identification is problematic, because this plant has fresh green leaves throughout the year, and it does not appear to suffer from the conditions in the desert.

Another suggestion is based on Arabic, where the word “ar’ar” is a juniper tree. One type of juniper grows in the Edom Mountains and on the eastern mountains of the Sinai Desert. But this identification is very doubtful, since the junipers grow in the north of Eretz Yisrael, such as the Chermon and in Lebanon, but not in the deserts and salt lands.

Tamarisk

According to Y. Felix, the most likely identity of ar’ar is what appears in the ancient translations (the Septuagint and the Vulgate). They translated ar’ar as a tamarisk tree. The Arab word for this tree is “ar’ara,” which is evidently related to the fact that its leaves have an appearance similar to fish scales. Perhaps the erroneous identification of ar’ar with the juniper also stemmed from the similarity of the leaves to fish scales. Several species of tamarisk grow in the Aravah and in salt lands. In the summer their leaves appear grey because of salt crystals which they exude, and in the end they turn yellow and fall off. Yirmiyahu, who was familiar with the desert landscape that could be seen from his city Anatot and with the plants of the Dead Sea area, described the difficulties to come as a time when it would “not see when good comes.” King David in Tehillim, who wrote that the

5 Holy One, Blessed be He, “responds to the prayers of the ar’ar,” might have been emphasizing springtime, when the tamarisk wakes up and is covered with flowers that are pink (desert tamarisk) or white (Nile tamarisk).

For more information in Hebrew and for pictures, and to regularly receive articles about plants and animals linked to the Daf Yomi, write e-mail to: [email protected]

HOLY AND SECULAR The 17th Month - by Rabbi Amichai Gordin, Yeshivat Har Etzion

The subject of the meeting was civil marriage. The audience consisted of hundreds of young men and women from secular army prep schools. Among all the heads, one kippa was visible - mine. Three panel members insisted that the monopoly of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel over the institution of marriage is an evil type of religious coercion. Their learned words were greeted with loud applause from the audience, which clearly were not able to understand what right the rabbinate had to force them to accept its religious values.

After the three first speakers had their say, it was the turn of the one “religious” member of the panel. I had listened to the profound words of the three who preceded me, and I saw how the crowd agreed with everything they said. I began to wonder in my own mind why I had agreed to participate in this discussion. There was a huge gap between all of them and me. Why should they listen to me at all?

But they did listen. They listened attentively and with respect. At the very end, they even clapped (perhaps as a show of appreciation for my courage in appearing at all...). But they are not the only ones who listened. I found myself listening too, and thinking...

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Every few I remember what is left of the conclusions of the Shaked committee and I feel very sad. Out of all the many elements that were meant to convince yeshiva students to join the IDF, only one operational element remained. This was the decision that Hesder students would serve in the army one month more than they had previously. From now on they serve for 17 months and not 16. All the other sections of the law were cancelled when the current government came into power.

Why does this make me so sad? It is because of the pettiness of the idea. I understand very well that some people object to the relatively short period of army service of Hesder students. If one additional month would make it easier for other soldiers in some way I would be quiet about this matter. But one additional month does not give any benefit. Nothing at all. The staff of the Manpower Directorate of the IDF made it very clear that the IDF operates in units of four months. Therefore, any additional service of less than four months will not help. The only thing that will be added is an additional financial burden for the IDF.

And, as it happens, I know very well how much Torah can be studied in a whole month. I know very well how many pages of the Gemorra the Hesder students could study in this additional 17th month that they will be required to stay on in the army. I know that our opponents insisted on adding one month to the service for no real purpose at all.

So, whenever I remember the 17th month it makes me sad. I am unhappy about the missing Torah study. I am sad about the pettiness of our opponents. Nobody gains anything from the 17th month, but why should these people give in to the Hesder students, who want to simply get out of additional army service? “If we can’t have it, neither can you.”

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Let us get back to the panel. The issue that most upset the enlightened audience in front of me was the matter of people who are halachically not 6 allowed to get married. “It is one thing for you to force people to get married in a religious ceremony instead of a civil one,” they said to me with great enthusiasm, “but when you prevent citizens of our country from getting married at all, that is really religious coercion. If you are not ready to marry them, give them another place to get married...” That is the way they attacked my position.

I am sorry to say that these claims reminded me of the issue of the 17th month, but from the opposite angle. The people who are not allowed to get married travel to Cypress, marry in a civil ceremony, and come back home to Israel. If we are not able to let them get married by the rabbinate (for good reasons, of course), why shouldn’t we arrange for them to get together in some sort of civil matrimonial partnership? What damage could such an arrangement cause?

I was not lazy. In the weeks that have gone by since that panel discussion, I tried to find out if there is any logical reason for us to prevent those who cannot marry halachically to enter into a matrimonial partnership (such agreements exist today). I worked hard, and came up empty-handed. I was not able to find one good reason for maintaining the current situation.

We are taking advantage of our political clout and using it to be stubborn about a subject which does not really interest us at all. There is no good reason not to allow halachically prohibited couples from entering into a matrimonial partnership. That is what they do by getting married in Cypress anyway, and afterwards they are registered in the Ministry of the Interior as a married couple.

We use force against the nonreligious sector, and then we are surprised when this force comes back and is used against us. That is what happened with the issue of stores opening on Shabbat in Tel Aviv when we tried to apply all of our force against the nonreligious sector, and we lost the battle. The same will also happen with respect to civil marriage. If we are not smart enough to show some flexibility when it is possible, we will simply lose everything in the end.

* * * * * *

We proudly proclaim that we, as the national religious sector, serve as a bridge between the secular and the chareidi sectors. But as things stand now, we are not serving as a bridge but rather as a trampled doorway. We do not say anything original on our own. Some of us go along with the chareidim and object to any change, while others follow the secular point of view. Isn’t there a third and middle way? Does the fact that the chareidim object to any compromise in matters of religion and the state mean that we must continue forever to fight these unnecessary religious wars? Isn’t there any way for us to build a bridge of trust between the different sectors of this divided nation?

The answer depends only on us.

For reactions and comments: [email protected]

RIDDLE OF THE WEEK by Yoav Shelosberg, Director of "Quiz and Experience"

Behar-Bechukotai The riddle is related to Yom Yerushalyim, which occurs this week. What is the link between the holiday and the two pictures below?

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(The riddle appears on the website of Gadi Idelheit.)

- Answer to last week’s riddle – it was: What is X in the following formula? X is permitted, X + 1 is forbidden. X + 1 is forbidden, X + 2 is permitted. - The answer: X = 6. - For Shabbat: Work is permitted during the six weekdays, while the seventh day is Shabbat. “For six days let labor be performed, and the seventh day is Shabbat, a holy day. Do not perform any labor, it is Shabbat for you in all your dwelling places” [Vayikra 23:3]. - The proper time for a sacrifice: “When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born, let it remain with its mother for seven days, and from the eighth day and beyond it can be offered as a sacrifice” [22:27].

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We will be happy to publish your riddles here, with proper credit to the author. Send your suggestions to the e-mail address given below.

Do you have a bar/bat mitzva coming up? Are you looking for a special quiz? To order: www.hidonim.com e-mail: [email protected]

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