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Parshiyot Matot-Masei 28 Tammuz 5773/July 6, 2013 Vol.4 Num. 39 To sponsor an issue of Toronto Torah, please call 647-234-7299 or email [email protected]. Nine Days and Desert Journeys Baruch Weintraub A mishnah (Taanit 4:6) rules that Rabbi Avraham Gombiner (Magen who left the land of Egypt in their when the month of Av enters, we Avraham 549:1) hurried to add, "in legions, under the charge of Moshe and reduce our happiness. This period of order to awaken hearts toward Aaron. Moshe recorded their starting mourning, which was paralleled by repentance", thereby equating the points for their journeys, according to Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik to the explanation of the with the word of Hashem…" (Bamidbar 33:1- year of mourning after loss of a parent, the Rambam's words. Rabbi Shemuel 2) invites us to contemplate its purpose. haLevi Kelin, in his Machatzit Hashekel What thoughts and feelings do we commentary on the Magen Avraham, The parshah continues with a long list want to encourage by refraining from expands on this by quoting Rabbi of Israel's journeys through the desert. happiness? Yeshayah haLevi Horovitz (Shnei Luchot Of what use is this list? Why is this HaBrit, Vol. 2, Taanit 70), "There is a record significant? As with our fasts, The Rambam (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot command to mourn for Yerushalayim… some will look for specific reasons for Taaniyot 5:1), explains the role of fast This is startling, for all of the prophets the importance of each journey. days in general, and those devoted to and sages of truth, even the sages of the However, it seems that the answer is commemorating the destruction of the nations, instruct at length that people clear: we are commanded to record and Beit haMikdash in particular, in the should accept suffering with love, and remember our time in the desert, following manner: that sorrow for the past is futile. If so, because knowing from whence we came There are days when all of Israel then why are we commanded here to do is essential in order to know who we are fasts, because of the calamities that the opposite [by mourning]?" Rabbi today. Putting this knowledge of the occurred on those days, to awaken Horowitz goes on to present three past to good ends, such as humility and the hearts and open the paths of related purposes for the mitzvah of repentance, is praiseworthy, but these repentance. This will remind us of mourning, contending that mourning is ends are not necessarily the sole or our bad deeds, and the deeds of required in order to lead us to primary purpose of remembrance. We ancestors which mirror our own, repentance, atonement, and, eventually, do not remember only in order to do in which caused such trouble for them correction and redemption. the future, but also in order to be in the and for us. Remembering these present. Just as a couple looks at their deeds will lead us to repent well… According to Rabbi Kelin, Rabbi wedding album, for us to remember our Gombiner's insistence upon reading the period in the desert is not intended Rambam saw the lesson of the 9th of Shulchan Aruch as agreeing with the solely to correct what we do, but also to Av, and apparently, of the preceding Rambam is rooted in Rabbi Horowitz's reinforce who we are. The repentance period of mourning, as leading us premise that "sorrow for the past is will follow by itself. toward repentance. The importance or futile". Mourning just because "bad remembering our past is in its effect things happened on those days" is of no The same message applies to our sorrow on our future. merit in itself. and mourning for the past. Mourning is not a futile exercise in theoretical When we look at the way the Shulchan Mori VaRabbi, Rabbi Aharon history; mourning is a practical step in Aruch (Orach Chaim 549:1) introduces Lichtenstein Shlit"a, Rosh Yeshiva of understanding our identity – an identity these fast days, we see a different Yeshivat Har Etzion, has suggested that which is shattered and broken without approach: the Shulchan Aruch may be read as is, the presence of the Beit HaMikdash in We are obligated to fast on the 9th of seeing the mere commemoration, our midst. Av, 17th of Tammuz, 3rd of Tishrei remembrance and mourning as a goal and 10th of Tevet, because of bad unto itself. [email protected] things which happened on those days. We can understand this from the beginning of Parshat Masei: "These are the journeys of the Children of Israel

CONCLUDING THIS WEEK!

OF TEACHABLE MOMENTS AND TIGER MOMS A PARENTING SERIES FOR WOMEN

WITH RABBI EZRA AND ELYSSA GOLDSCHMIEDT 8:00 PM TUESDAY JULY 9TH We are grateful to AT 26 MEADOWBROOK, #7 Continental Press 905-660-0311 Adam Frieberg TORAH FOR YOUR TABLE Lessons of a Missing Aleph The Power of Unity Those who know basic Hebrew will find contexts. They mean to say that if they a puzzling word in this week’s parshah. will help the other tribes enter Israel, Hillel Horovitz When the tribes of Gad and Reuven thereby acting as a cohesive unit as בפתיחת פרשת מטות משה מורה לנשיאי express their commitment to help the Joseph’s brothers did, displaying שבטי ישראל , את פרשת נדרים כפי שציוה rest of the tribes in the armed battle to unity, then the entire nation will enter ד ' . : " וידבר משה אל ראשי המטות לבני conquer Israel, they say (Bamidbar Israel successfully. However, if they ישראל לאמר זה הדבר אשר צוה We shall cross over, armed, will not display this unity, if they will“ (32:32 ד'." )במדבר, ל', ב ' ( רש " י מסביר כי התורה before G-d, to the land of Canaan, and not help each other, then they will מדגישה את העובדה שמשה אמר את פרשת ours shall be the heritage of our have transgressed and rebelled, as נדרים לראשי המטות : " חלק כבוד .inheritance across the Jordan.” In both hinted in the verse in Eichah לנשיאים ללמדם תחלה , ואחר כך לכל בני biblical and modern Hebrew, the word ישראל ." הגמ ' מבארת ) עירובין נד :( את for “we” is anachnu, a word found 90 These two tribes understood that the times in Tanach. Yet our verse opens only way to successfully enter Israel הסדר שלפיו לימד משה את התורה לכלל .with the word “nachnu” - its opening was through achdut, complete unity ישראל , הגמרא מסבירה שבתהליך של ,alef has vanished. Rabbi Yaakov ben The Maharal (Netiv HaTzedakah לימוד הדרגתי , משה , לאהרון , לבניו , Asher, in his Baal HaTurim, offers a chapter 6) points out that this idea is לזקנים ולכלל ישראל , נוצר מצב בו בסופו brief, but extremely insightful, comment also seen when we are given the של דבר למד כל יהודי מישראל ארבע shedding light on this peculiar word. mitzvah prohibiting lending or פעמים כל הלכה . פרשת מטות מורה לנו על borrowing money with interest. The החיבור העמוק של עם ישראל לתורה , שלב Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher points out that biblical verses (Vayikra 25:36-38) link אחר שלב התחברו כלל ישראל אל נותן there are only two other places in all of the prohibition to the fact that G-d התורה, הקב"ה, דרך השתלשלות המסורה. Tanach where the word nachnu gave us the Land of Israel. Maharal appears. The first time the word nachnu explains that despite the fact that both בסמוך לפרשת נדרים מתארת התורה את is used is after Joseph accuses his the lender and the borrower happily brothers of being spies. The brothers agree to the deal, the very act of המלחמה כנגד מדין . המלחמה כנגד מדין respond, “Not so, my lord! For your lending money for profit demonstrates לא היתה לצורך כיבוש שטחים , אלא נקמה servants have come to buy food. All of a lack of unity and brotherly love בעם שביקש להחטיא את ישראל . לפיכך us, sons of one man are we (nachnu). within the Jewish people. Although התורה הגדירה את מטרת המלחמה במדין : We are truthful people; your servants this prohibition applies equally outside " לתת נקמת ד ' במדין ". התורה קובעת כי have never been spies.” (Bereishit 42:10 the land of Israel, its message is נקמת ישראל היא גם נקמת ד ', וזאת בגלל In this context, the brothers are central to the Jewish presence in our (-11 החיבור בין ישראל לקב " ה . לפיכך התורה demonstrating their unity; their proof national homeland, and therefore the מציינת כי הגיוס למלחמה נגד מדין מחייב .that they are not spies is the fact that Torah ties the two ideas together בחירת " אנשים צדיקים " ) רש " י (. תוצאת .they are related by blood החיבור בין הלוחמים הצדיקים לקב " ה , Let us learn from the tribes of Gad and הניבה נצחון צבאי , ללא כל חסרון מצד The final time the word nachnu is used Reuven and increase the unity within ישראל . ש נאמר : " ולא נפקד ממנו in Tanach is in Megilat Eichah. The our people, as we attempt to avoid verse reads, “We (nachnu) have another Tishah b’Av. איש." )במדבר, ל"א, מ"ט( [transgressed and rebelled; You [G-d have not forgiven.” (Eichah 3:42) [email protected] בהמשך פרשת מטות מתארת התורה את בקשתם של בני גד ובני ראובן להתנחל The Baal Ha’Turim explains that the בעבר הירדן , משה סבר כי בקשתם תגרום intent of the tribes of Gad and Reuven לניתוק בין השבטים . לפיכך אמר להם in using the word nachnu is linked to משה : " האחיכם יבאו למלחמה ואתם the use of the word nachnu in these תשבו פה ? " בני ראובן וגד הסבירו למשה other verses, with their respective שלא היתה כוונתם להתנתק , א ל א שבכוונתם לחבור ולהלחם עם כלל ישראל עד לסיום כיבוש הארץ. לפיכך הסכים משה Mitzvot: #284 613 להענות לבקשת בני גד וראובן , בתנאי Tevel שילחמו עם יתר שבטי ישראל ויכבשו את Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner כל הארץ , דהיינו , בתנאי שתהיו מחוברים לכלל עם ישראל במלחמותיו. We are instructed to tithe Israeli portion destined for a kohen’s produce, separating terumah to consumption. This teaches us an פרשת מטות מורה לנו על כוחו של החיבור . present to a Kohen and maaser rishon important lesson: The purpose of the tithe חיבור של נותן התורה עם לומדי התורה , to give to a Levite. An additional is not exclusively to support the חיבור בין בני ישראל היוצאים להלחם percentage goes either to the poor as priesthood and the poor, or to adorn בשם ד ' וחיבור של העם על כל שנים עשר maaser ani or to be consumed in Jerusalem with fresh produce. An שבטיו בכניסתו לארץ . חיבור זה הוא אשר Jerusalem as maaser sheni, additional purpose is to remind us that יהפוך ימים אלו מימי אבל ליום טוב. depending on the year. produce is ultimately G-d’s product, and not that of the farmer or the consumer. Mitzvah 284 prohibits a Jew from Thus all of us, even those who will be the [email protected] eating tevel, pre-tithed produce; even ultimate recipients of that benefit, are a kohen may not eat produce if the obligated to tithe. tithes have not first been removed. In other words, a kohen must tithe his [email protected] own produce, separating even the

2 Visit us at www.torontotorah.com This Week in Biography: Rabbi Ben Zion Uziel R’ Mordechai Torczyner Israeli History 1 Av 1947 Torah in Translation Rabbi Joseph Raphael Uziel was the head of Jerusalem’s Sephardic beit din Exodus Exiled Modern Reasons for Mitzvot at the end of the 19th century. His son Ben-Zion Meir was born in 1880, and Rabbi Ezra Goldschmiedt Rabbi Ben Zion Uziel was married in 1893. Several months 1 Av is Monday later, the elder Rabbi Uziel passed away. Mishpitei Uziel II Yoreh Deah 23 After many years of use as a freight, Translated by R’ Mordechai Torczyner While still in his twenties, Rabbi Ben- passenger and warship, SS President Zion Uziel founded a yeshiva, Warfield was purchased by the There is an ancient debate between the Machazikei Torah, for Sephardi Haganah from the United States. mishnaic sages as to whether we identify students. In 1911 he was appointed Subsequently renamed Yetzi'at reasons for biblical commands, and establish Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Yafo, and in Eiropa Tashaz (Exodus from Europe legal conclusions on the basis of those that position he welcomed Rabbi [5]707), the ship was to be used for reasons. (Sanhedrin 21a) The debate endured Avraham Yitzchak Kook's arrival as transporting immigrants from among early and late authorities as to Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of the city. European Displaced Persons (DP) whether we follow R' Shimon, who did Throughout his career, "Love truth and camps to Israel. "The Exodus" was identify reasons for biblical commands; most peace," from Zecharyah 8:19, was unlike other ships used for authorities follow R' Yehudah, that we do not framed and hung in his office. smuggling past British forces; identify reasons, unless the biblical text whereas other ships attempted to itself explains the reason… During World War I Rabbi Uziel lobbied the Ottoman government so persistently quietly reach Israel's shores This is logical; the words and commands of that they exiled him to Damascus. He undetected, the Exodus was to the Torah are the words of the Living G-d, remained politically active, becoming overtly transport its passengers, in deeper than our comprehension. Beyond the President of Mizrachi in 1919. He explicit defiance of British reasons we understand, there are more represented Jewish Mandate Palestine authorities. The ship was large and reasons which our intellects cannot grasp in various causes, such as the founding fast, and in advance of its voyage, and understand. Thus Chatam Sofer (Yoreh of the Jewish Agency. He joined Haganah members reinforced it to Deah 254) ruled that we may decide delegations to the League of Nations withstand boarding attempts. stringently based on reasons for biblical (1926), Iraq (1927) and the US (1929). In On Feburary 25th, 1947, the Exodus commands, but not leniently. 1939 he joined protests against the set sail from the United States to Rambam obligated us to seek the reasons British plan to convert the Mandate into pick up 4,515 passengers waiting in a bi-national Jewish/Arab state. and purposes of mitzvot, and to understand Marseilles, France. Throughout its them at their core, and he offered reasons for Rabbi Uziel left the Holy Land to become journey, Exodus crew members were all of the mitzvot, and so did the Sefer Chief Rabbi of Salonika for three years aware that British fleets were haChinuch after him. However, all of that in the 1920's, before becoming Chief shadowing the ship, with designs on was in order to make mitzvot beloved, and to Rabbi of Tel Aviv. In 1939 he was intercepting it. Passengers were have us fulfill them in accordance with their appointed Sephardic Chief Rabbi of divided into groups, trained in goals rather than by rote (Moreh haNevuchim Mandate Palestine. He continued in this resistance, and given enough 3:27), and [still] many disagreed with this post through the end of the British supplies to hold out on board the principle, and especially with the Mandate, and until his death in 1953 he ship for a significant period of time. explanations for individual mitzvot. The served as Sephardic Chief Rabbi of the On July 18th, however, the British reasons offered by Rambam did not appear State of Israel. succeeded in their efforts to board correct to them. The religio-social challenges of the the ship; the Exodus was within forty The general rule is that the goal of presenting Mandate and early State periods were of kilometers of Israel's shore. Relatively reasons for mitzvot is to illuminate the eyes great interest to Rabbi Uziel. He minor conflicts ensued, and the ship regarding the actions involved in mitzvot, to supported women's suffrage, and he was commandeered to a port in strengthen faith in Divine unity and His worked on a unified form of prayer for Haifa, from which passengers were general and personal oversight, to purify the Ashkenazim and Sephardim. He ultimately sent back to France. This spirit and refine the thought, and to elevate published responsa on every major response, designed to discourage all of the deeds and paths of life with the issue of his time. further acts of defiance, was highest refinement. particularly harsh in contrast to the Rabbi Uziel published extensively in usual approach of deportation to However, it would be a desecration to give newspapers and periodicals, and he won nearby Cyprus. Upon reaching small and infantile reasons, which darken the Rav Kook Prize for Torah France, which would not intervene the splendour of Torah and make it a medical scholarship in 1944. Rabbi Uziel for either side, passengers refused to or veterinary text. This reduces its holiness ordained Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who would disembark and were taken to and gives support to the rationalists who say go on to become a giant in Israel's Hamburg, Germany, where British that as medical and legal knowledge Sephardic community. Rabbi Uziel's soldiers forced the passengers out develops, the value of mitzvot, in total and in responsa were published in his Mishpitei into DP camps. The episode was specific, is erased. Thus they degrade the Uziel series of texts, and his general heavily covered by the media, and prohibitions of , kashrut, niddah and writings appear in many more books. garnered international sympathy for forbidden relationships. Jews trying to reach Israel. Although From this we learn that we may not offer its 613 mitzvot, its commands and its primary goal went unacheived, reasons that de-sanctify the mitzvot. All prohibitions, its social mitzvot, the the Exodus played a crucial role in mitzvot are bound and included in the sanctity of man and of the nation which the decision of the British to leave dictum, "You shall be holy for I, HaShem, is from G-d above, "For the portion of Israel. your G-d, am holy." (Vayikra 19:2) This is the G-d is His nation, Yaakov, His [email protected] scarlet string which links the entire Torah, portion." (Devarim 32:9)…

Visit us at www.torontotorah.com 3 Our Haftorah: Yirmiyahu 2:4 - 2:28, 3:4 Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner Who is the prophet of our haftorah? the prophet Yirmiyahu speaks with are pretty outside and ugly inside, so Yirmiyahu was the last major prophet G-d's voice, asking the Jews what Israel – when they stood on Mount Sinai of the first Beit haMikdash, and his motivated them to reject G-d. In and answered, ‘We will do and we will experience may well have been the particular, the prophet notes that: hear,’ that was with their mouths. Their most bitter of any prophet in Tanach.  G-d has only helped the nation and hearts were not aligned… Grapes He lived in the 5th century BCE provided them with blessing; (2:5-8) contain food and drink, and so Israel (according to Seder Olam), and his task  Other nations do not abandon their contains people of Torah and people of was to warn the Jews of his day that deities; (2:10-11) deeds." However, there is another time was short and destruction was  The Jews have abandoned G-d in possible point of comparison here. coming. The nation did not heed favour of powerless idols; (2:12-13, 27 Yirmiyahu's words; instead, they beat -28) In Shoftim 9, a man named Yotam him and imprisoned him (Yirmiyahu 20  The Jews have failed to recognize that rebukes the Jewish people for their and 37), threw him into a cistern (ibid. their national suffering is punishment selection of an inappropriate leader, his 38) and threatened to kill him. (ibid.) for their sins; (2:14-17) half-brother, Avimelech. In the course of  The Jews have turned to Egypt and his rebuke, Yotam describes different Rembrandt's Jeremiah Weeping Over Assyria, their enemies, for support, flora and their greatest traits, and he the Destruction of Jerusalem is rather than turn to G-d. (2:18) describes the fruit of the grape as hauntingly evocative of the mood of "gladdening G-d and man." Wine Yirmiyahu’s book; Indeed, the word At the conclusion of our haftorah, the gladdens the human being who drinks "jeremiad" was coined to refer to a Jews are told that despite their it; wine gladdens G-d when it is poured prophecy of doom and gloom. wandering, G-d stands ready to take on the altar as a libation. Perhaps this Throughout his misery, though, them back at the moment of their is another point in the comparison of Yirmiyahu carried with him a Divine return. (3:4) the Jew and the grape; when we offer promise, "I am with you, to save ourselves to G-d then we gladden Him, you." (ibid. 1:8) Jews and Grapes and when we offer ourselves to assist Various prophets compare Jews to other people then we gladden them. According to the (Bava Batra grapes and grapevines; see, for example, 15a), Yirmiyahu authored his own Yeshayah 5, Yechezkel 17 and Hosheia Yirmiyahu rebukes the Jews, saying book, the book of Melachim, and the 9:10. In our haftorah (2:21), G-d that G-d planted us as an "entirely true book of Eichah. declares, "I planted you as a vine, in seed," outfitted with the spiritual genes entirety a true seed; how have you now to produce fruit which would serve G-d What is the message of our haftorah? become a straying, foreign plant?" What and serve the world. We strayed and Our haftorah is the second of three is the relationship between Jews and became foreign, unadapted to our soil haftarot, gimel d'puranuta, which Jews grapes? and to our task. G-d calls us to return have historically read between the to our figurative roots, and to again be seventeenth of Tammuz and Tishah A midrash (Tanchuma Lech Lecha 21) the nation which will "gladden G-d and b'Av; the practice dates back at least offers two bases for comparison, saying, man." one thousand years. (Sefer haManhig "When [the Jews] stood on Mount Sinai "Lifnei Tishah b'Av") In this haftorah, they were compared to grapes. Grapes [email protected] Highlights for July 6 – July 12 / 28 Tammuz - 5 Av Many of our shiurim are on summer hiatus, but opportunities remain!

Shabbat, July 6 8 PM Hillel Horovitz, Melachim II 24-25, Bnai Torah: Siyum 7:45 AM R’ Baruch Weintraub, Reasons for Mitzvot, Or Chaim not this week 9 PM Hillel Horovitz, Rav Kook’s Ein Ayah, Bnai Torah

10:20 AM R’ Baruch Weintraub, Parshah, Clanton Park Tuesday, July 9 Derashah Rabbi Yair Manas, Shaarei Shomayim 8:00 PM R’ Ezra and Elyssa Goldschmiedt, Parenting II: 6:00 PM Adam Frieberg, Divine Providence, 24 Stadacona Hovering or Hands Off?, 26 Meadowbrook #7, women

Apt #3 8:30 PM R’ Baruch Weintraub, Rambam’s Laws of Kings, 7:20 PM R’ Mordechai Torczyner, Daf Yomi, BAYT Shomrai Shabbos, men

After minchah R’ Mordechai Torczyner, Gemara Avodah Zarah: Wine Barrels, BAYT Wednesday, July 10 10 AM R’ Mordechai Torczyner, Women of Tanach, Yeshivat Sunday, July 7 Or Chaim not this week

9:15 AM Hillel Horovitz, Parshah, Zichron Yisroel, Hebrew 8 PM Rabbi Mordechai Scheiner and Rabbi Mordechai (Shacharit 8:30 AM) Torczyner, Preparing for Tishah b’Av, BAYT

6:30 PM R’ Baruch Weintraub, Contemporary Halachah in After Maariv Chabura Night at Shaarei Shomayim Israel, Hebrew, 4 Tillingham Keep, mixed

40 min. pre-minchah R’ Baruch Weintraub, Contemporary Thursday, July 11 Halachah in Israel, Hebrew, Clanton Park, men 9:30 AM R’ Mordechai Torczyner, Journey of the Soul 2, TCS, women - register at machonmaor.com

Monday, July 8 Rosh Chodesh Av 8:00 PM R’ Baruch Weintraub, Sotah, Clanton Park 8 PM Beit Midrash Night at Bnai Torah, Clanton Park

4 We would like to thank koshertube.com for filming our shiurim! Visit us at www.torontotorah.com