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PARSHAS KI SAVO 21 ELUL 5772 | 8 SEPTEMBER 2012 Parsha Perspectives RABBI LEIBY BURNHAM obligations, Rabbi Bengis stole precious וכתבת עליהן את כל דברי התורה הזאת minutes out of his day, instead of letting “When you cross [the Jordan River], you shall write upon them be stolen from him. Despite today’s “time-saving” technological marvels, we them all the words of this Torah.” (Deuteronomy 27:3) are busier than ever, and life is hectic and stressful. Pausing to discover ways to mong the instructions Moses gave the Jews upon entering the land of make the raging river of modern life come Israel, he commanded them to write the Torah upon large stones. The to a stop so that we can have some dry A land will afford us the opportunity to etch wording indicates that he instructed them to write the Torah on stones while in Torah knowledge into our hearts. the middle of the Jordan River! (Malbim, Deuteronomy 27:3). Rabbi Burnham can be reached at [email protected] Furthermore, the Talmud tells us that a war to protect themselves. Their idyllic great miracle occurred while the Jews life would be a thing of the past. crossed the Jordan. The water stopped Despite the inherent stresses in their flowing, as if there were a dam, to allow new lifestyle, they must continue their WORD of the WEEK the Jews passage on dry land. Normally, Torah study. What better way to reinforce when there is a dam, the river water that skill than by etching the Torah into backs up creating a lake. Here, the stone while thousands of feet of water ירדן ,water stacked up higher and higher tower above you? until it reached towering heights (Sotah “And it shall be on the day that 35A). This frightful environment would Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis was renowned ”…the Jordan — ירדן for his diligence in Torah study, and would you cross the make it quite difficult for the people to (Deuteronomy 27:2). What is the make a siyum (celebration) every time he accomplish the required task of carving origin of the name Jordan, Israel’s the Torah onto the stones. What could be finished the entire Talmud. Once, only two largest river? The Talmud states that —יורד מדן behind this unusual set of instructions? weeks after one of these celebrations, the word is a composite of he called his family together for yet yored midan¸ meaning “it comes down Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rubin (the Talilei another one. His family asked how it was Oros) explains that this was exactly the (yored) from Dan (midan). Dan is a possible to complete the entire Talmud region in the north of Israel, loosely type of atmosphere necessary to teach again so soon. He answered that this corresponding to the Golan Heights, an important lesson. The Jews had lived celebration was for a separate learning where the three rivers, the Hizbani, in the desert for forty years, existing in cycle; wherever he went, he carried a Banyas, and Dan, are the sources of the a protected environment with all their small Talmud. Whenever he had an extra Jordan River. So the water in the Jordan needs miraculously met. Fresh food few minutes, whether there was a delay “comes down from Dan” (Bechoros sustained them in the form of manna, before a funeral or bris, or a long line at 55a). The name is also related to the ,din — strict justice — דין a miracle well emitted streams of water the grocery store, he would take out that concept of passing by each tribe, and the Clouds of Talmud and study. It took fifteen years, but because the rainfall in Israel comes Glory protected them from their enemies. down in accordance with the merits of eventually he finished the entire Talmud the Jewish people, — yored יורד בדין .Once they entered Israel, life would be simply by using those random moments radically different. They would have to toil bedin (Pri Tzadik, Kedushas Shabbos for food, draw water each day, and go to While few could match this regimen, 6, Rabbi Moshe Shapiro, shlita). the message is clear. Despite his myriad A QUESTION FOR THE RABBIS Table Talk FOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE t is customary for those present As per G-d’s command, Moses related a long list of blessings and curses to the nation. to fast when, G-d forbid, a The section detailing the blessings for those who observe the commandments I (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) contains 14 verses, while the section describing the Torah scroll falls to the ground .and curses for those who disobey (ibid 28:15-68) contains 54 verses (אpunishments Rashi says that G-d’s reward for those who listen to His commandments is 500 times (Magen Avraham, 44:5). What is greater than the punishment meted out to sinners. Why, then, is the section with the source for this custom? Rabbi blessings so much shorter than the section with curses? Shmuel ben Moshe Kalai cites Moses promised that if the Jewish people would properly observe the commandments, the blessings would “catch and overtake” them. This implies the verse in this parsha, “Cursed (ב that the Jews will be running away from the blessings. Why would they flee from is he who does not uphold… blessings? this Torah” (Deuteronomy 27:26). Nachmanides, quoting HEY, I NEVER KNEW THAT! the Jerusalem Talmud, explains he parsha begins with the laws of ma’aser sheni, second tithes. Most the verse as referring to one who T of the tithes and agricultural taxes were given to the priests (kohanim does not properly hold up the — plural of kohen), the Levites, and the poor; however, this tithe was actually Torah scroll while it is raised up brought by the owner, either as produce or as money, to Jerusalem. There, before the community (hagbah). the owner and his family were commanded to eat the tithes in purity and joy Rabbi Kalai says that perhaps inside the walls of Jerusalem. It seems strange that we give tithes to ourselves the whole community fasts and not to those who normally receive them. Rabbi Abraham Yitzchak Kook because they feel that had they explains that the Torah describes the Jewish people as “a kingdom of priests been more attentive or quicker, and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). He maintains that the goal of the second they could have prevented the tithe is to bring home this idea to each and every Jew, and to demonstrate by our actions, that each one of us is a priest, a kohen, administering to the Torah from falling, and so as whole world as our “congregation.” Most of the time we give tithes to the atonement for that sin, they all kohanim and Levites, but every few years the Torah tells us to act as though fast (Mishpatei Shmuel, cited by we ourselves are priests. We take our tithes, give them to ourselves, and eat Magen Avraham). the food in holiness, in the city of Jerusalem (Ein Ayah, Shabbat 22b). LOOK who made PARTNER! SANDRA ISAACS MOELLER , Northfield, NJ (Partner #49,505) DEBORAH LEBMAN, Glen Allen, VA (#48,539) MIRIAM MOSSERI, Brooklyn, NY (#48,534) Rabbi Eli Gewirtz, National Director ALEXANDER RYABOV, Northbrook, IL (#48,548) Mrs. Shoshana Schwartz, Editor Rabbi Mordechai Becher, Contributor SHANE SAPLITSKY, Plano, TX (#48,545) For information call 800-STUDY-4-2 or email [email protected] SIGN UP TODAY: www.partnersintorah.org/signup OR CALL: 1-800-STUDY-4-2 Distributed in UK by Phone and Learn (PaL), a division of Partners in Torah MAKING PARTNER HAS NEVER BEEN THIS EASY! WWW.PHONEANDLEARN.ORG – 0800 055 3276 STUDY ANY JEWISH TOPIC OVER THE PHONE OR IN PERSON WITH A KNOWLEDGEABLE, CAREFULLY SELECTED PERSONAL TORAH TRAINER. to post comments on this parsha sheet, visit us at: partnersintorah.org/parsha-partner/kisavo5772#comments.

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