Shabbat-B'shabbato Parshat Bamidbar

Shabbat-B'Shabbato – Parshat Bamidbar No 1674: 2 Sivan 5777 (27 May 2017)

AS SHABBAT APPROACHES Every Man at his Banner - by Rabbi Mordechai Greenberg, Rosh Yeshiva, Kerem B'Yavne

The attitude of the wise men of Yisrael towards a flag is not uniform. In the past we discussed the positive approach of Rabbi J.B. Soloveithik to the flag of Israel. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, on the other hand, felt that the flag has no importance. In response to a question if one is permitted to hang an Israeli flag in a synagogue, he wrote that it is not prohibited but that it is “a vain and silly act,” and that it would be best to remove it – except that this should not become an issue for a dispute.

Rav A.Y. Kook had an opportunity to express his opinion about flags and banners when the King of England handed over the banner of the Hebrew Brigades that fought with the English in the Second World War, so that it would be placed in a synagogue in Israel. And the banner was indeed put on display in the “Churva” synagogue in Jerusalem in 5685 (1925). In the local newspapers, this event was described as a historic event in the history of Eretz Yisrael, the likes of which had not been seen “for the last two thousand years.” The dedication of the flag read, “With a feeling of national pride and self-awareness, the pioneers of the Hebrew Brigades took an oath to guard over their Hebrew flag... And this flag, the banner of the Hebrew nation, is now being returned to its rightful place, to the center of the Hebrew nation in Jerusalem. This flag was sanctified by the Hebrew Brigades with personal sanctity - sanctity of blood... The heart expands from joy, and the eyes shed tears of happiness. We now have a flag of our own!”

The people also showed great enthusiasm. A crowd of more than ten thousand came to cheer when the banner was paraded through the streets of Tel Aviv. The same thing was repeated in Jerusalem, where it was taken in a parade, accompanied by music from the police orchestra, and brought to the Old City of Jerusalem. The Arab press was angry, and the Arab Action Committee warned the British High Commissioner, Herbert Plumer, that if he did not cancel the planned ceremony they would not be responsible for the consequences. Plumer’s reaction was: “Gentlemen, nobody is asking you to be responsible for this, I am responsible – and I will be there.”

Rav Kook took part in the ceremony, spoke, and even composed a special prayer for the occasion. He began his sermon with the Midrash on the verse, “Every man at his banner, according to families” [Bamidbar 2:2]. When the Holy One, Blessed be He, was revealed on Mount Sinai, “tens of thousands of angels descended with Him, and each one displayed different banners. And Bnei Yisrael also felt a desire to have their own banners. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to them, I swear that I will fulfill your request. ‘May we be happy in Your salvation, let us unfurl our banner in the name of G-d, and let G-d fulfill all your requests!’ [Tehillim 20:6]. And the Holy One, Blessed be He, immediately made a decree, and he told Moshe to make them banners as they wanted.”

Rav Kook understood the banners mentioned in the Midrash in a simple way, and thus he did not object to the flag being brought into the synagogue. In his opinion, the flag symbolizes the beginning of the redemption and the national yearning and our aspiration to become a nation of priests. For him, the soldiers who carried the flag were “holy armies, and they appeared to me like the angels.” In addition, the banner is a reminder of the holy people who gave up their lives in the effort to take over Eretz Yisrael. The flag in general symbolizes the “beginning of the flowering of our redemption.” The above verse is appropriate for the banner, and Rav Kook ended his speech

1 by quoting it again: “May we be happy in Your salvation, let us unfurl our banner in the name of G-d, and let G-d fulfill all your requests!”

For more details, see the article by Rabbi Shevat, “Hama’ayan,” Nissan 5769.

POINT OF VIEW Declarations and Symbols as Opposed to Facts and Actions - by Zevulun Orlev

We celebrated Yom Yerushalayim with Hallel and thanksgiving, with joy and dancing. Sadly, during the rest of the year the unification of Jerusalem is more on paper than it is a real fact. Construction in the city is frozen, its Moslem citizens are taught in school to become “shahidim” and Holocaust deniers, and they refuse to accept the Jewish heritage on the Temple Mount. At the same time, the Moslem Waqf is unopposed as it destroys Jewish archeological evidence, and the law of the land is not enforced in the eastern sections of the city. In spite of the very significant law of unification of Jerusalem, for fifty years the city has witnessed many more dramatic declarations than it has seen actions taken by the government.

President Trump’s visit in Jerusalem (which has not yet taken place as I write these lines) requires us to hold a serious discussion about the significance of the declarations and symbols related to Jerusalem as opposed to establishing facts on the ground and fashioning reality, especially in view of our desire that the United States should recognize the city as the capital of Israel and move its embassy there.

Setting Priorities

Since there are political, security, and ethical restraints, it is necessary to establish priorities and preferences. If we assume that political reality does not release us from having to pay a price for our decisions and does not allow us to act freely exactly as we would want to, the only path open to us is to search for the best way to fulfill our vision at the lowest possible price, in such a way that the benefit will outweigh the cost.

Defining the Vision

Every path that exists on the way to fulfilling our vision of Jerusalem has both benefits and shortcomings.

Symbols and declarations are beneficial in defining our vision, in setting goals, and in implementing the values that are at the basis of the vision, as opposed to our Moslem enemies and those from among the other nations who despise us and boycott us. Declarations provide a benefit as a way of strengthening our internal support and gaining support among our friends among the Jews and in the Western World in general. It is best that our struggles against the Arab World and the rest of the world will remain at the level of declarations and not taking real action. The main disadvantage of such an approach is that it is hard to change reality and to establish hard diplomatic facts using only declarations and symbols.

Taking Hold of Reality

On the other hand, a method based on establishing facts on the ground has benefits in that it has real consequences that are hard to ignore. There is a natural tendency to accept established facts, and it is relatively easy to defend established facts on the ground. The weakness of such an approach is the fear of the heavy price which we might find it difficult to pay, because of diplomatic isolation, harsh decisions of the UN Security Council that might even lead to sanctions, a deepening of existing boycotts, a loss of support among our friends in the world, and pressure by the United States – all of which might harm our interests.

2 If we assume that our friends around the world, including the United States, operate in their contacts with the Arab countries and the other countries which oppose us in line with their own diplomatic and economic interests, for this approach too we must choose which is the best front line for our struggles: Is it the matter of symbols and declarations – like moving the embassy to Jerusalem – or is it the matter of facts on the ground – like unfettered building in all sections of Jerusalem, putting emphasis on the eastern areas?

We must recognize that the United States will not be able to operate in both ways at the same time. If anything, it might just skip making any decisions at all.

We must begin by making our own decision. What do we choose? What path will we try to convince President Trump to follow? It goes without saying that a lack of a decision on our part is the worst possible alternative, since that would demonstrate a lack of leadership and a serious diplomatic and security lapse, leading to serious harm in our ability to achieve the vision of Jerusalem.

The Correct Proportion: 75/25

We should learn to operate in a way that is based 75% on establishing facts on the ground and 25% on an attempt to make use of symbols, declarations, and ceremonies. In Jerusalem we must make a clear decision to control the facts. The fact is that we are building Jewish neighborhoods in the eastern parts of the city. Nobody in the world, not even the Palestinians, demand that we abandon these areas when peace will be achieved. Remember the diplomatic struggle surrounding the construction of the area of Chomat Shmuel (what was originally called Har Chomah). But now the neighborhood exists, and today not one Palestinian demands that it be evacuated. The same will be true after we build a new neighborhood in the area of “Giv’at Hamatos” and expand all the other Jewish areas in the eastern sections. Widespread construction is as necessary as oxygen in order to establish a solid Jewish majority in the city, to strengthen it economically, and to convince the whole world that Jerusalem is indeed the capital of our country.

King David wrote, “Jerusalem which is built up will be a city that has been joined together” [Tehillim 122:3]. Read this in a very straightforward way. There is a link between construction and joining together. Building up Jerusalem will unify it. Construction is the key and the basic ingredient for unification. We will unify the city by building there.

ZIONIST CHASSIDISM The President and the White Paper - by Rabbi Rafi Ostroff, Head of the Religious Council of Gush Etzion

I am writing this before the visit of the President of the United States to Israel, and it goes without saying that as of now I do not know what results the visit might have in either the short or long term.

In 5699 (1939), near the Torah portion of Bamidbar, the British published their “White Paper” which limited Jewish entry into Eretz Yisrael. The Rebbe of Husiatyn did not mince words in his reaction to this decree, and in his writing we can sense his tempestuous reaction. The following is what he wrote.

* * * * * *

[This week the government of England published a “White Paper” which was an expression of its betrayal of the nation of Yisrael.]

3 The Haftarah of the Torah portion of Bamidbar is the prophecy of Hoshaya. “And the number of Bnei Yisrael will be as the sands of the sea, which cannot be measured and cannot be counted. And it will be that instead of saying to them, ‘You are not My nation,’ it will be said to them, ‘the sons of the Living G-d.’ And the children of Yehuda and Yisrael will be gathered together, and they will choose a single leader, and they will rise up from the land, for the day of Yizrael is great.” [2:1-2].

The day of the ingathering of the exiles is as great as the day when heaven and earth were created (Pesachim 88a). And Yisrael is called by the nickname “Yizrael” because they were planted among the nations (from “lizro’a,” to plant).

Our hope and our belief and confidence that we will return to Eretz Yisrael and rebuild its ruins are based on the promises of the prophets, who spoke in the name of G-d, and whose words will never fall by the wayside when the time comes for them to be fulfilled. We do not base our aspirations on the Balfour Declaration and on the promises of England. We have known from the beginning that their mouths speak untruth, and that their right hand attests to a lie.

However, when the declaration was made many Jews came and invested money and blood in the enterprise of building up Eretz Yisrael, for we can never afford to pass up any opportunity to rebuild and to settle our holy land, since the sages have taught us in Sifri that living in Eretz Yisrael is the equivalent of observing all the mitzvot. And that is also what the Ramban wrote in his commentary of the Sefer Hamitzvot of the Rambam: When the Torah wrote, “You shall take possession of the land and dwell there, for I have given the land to you” [Bamidbar 33:53], that was not only an ideal and a promise, it was a positive mitzva. We must settle the land if we have an opportunity and not leave it as a wilderness. That is, not only is there a mitzva to live on the land, we must also build there and plant. This is a positive mitzva for all generations which obligates each and every one of us even during the time of exile, as can be seen from many sources in the Talmud.

And there is another reason why many of our people took advantage of this opportunity and came to Eretz Yisrael to rebuild it. Some of our ancestors saw our time as the beginning of the ingathering of the exiles. For example, RADAK writes (commentary on Tehillim 146:3): Just as Koresh in the exile of Babylon was a messenger in the hands of the Divine guidance to give a license to rebuild Eretz Yisrael, so in the future G-d will arrange for rebuilding by virtue of a license given by the kings of the other nations... Thus, just as we did not rely on England and its promises, so we should not despair when it betrays us, heaven forbid.

The distortion of traitors and all of their falsehoods and intrigue cannot block the fulfillment of the prophecy quoted above, “And the children of Yehuda and Yisrael will be gathered together, and they will choose a single leader,” referring to Mashiach, the King. And all of our demonstrations and protests are good, we must continue to protest and demonstrate against evil that is done to us, even though we know and have faith that with G-d’s help the others will not be able to harm us, heaven forbid.

According to a well-known folk tale, the other nations of the world are crossing an iron bridge while Yisrael goes on a bridge made of paper. In the future, the bridge made of iron will break and they will fall into the water and drown, while we continue to go on to our destination. The meaning of this is that the other nations put their trust in their iron swords, but they will falter and fall. We go on a bridge made of paper, symbolizing the holy Torah. How a great reward awaits those who follow its path!

There are some Jews in Eretz Yisrael who are faithful to their people and their land. They build and work, and they are ready at any time to sacrifice 4 their lives for Yisrael and for Eretz Yisrael, and this is without a doubt a great thing. However, it is a shame that some of them forget that the nation of Yisrael must forever be linked to the name of G-d. They forget that the nation of Yisrael is different from all the other nations. The others are nothing more than nations, while Yisrael is the nation of G-d. However, I am confident that these people too will return to the understanding that Yisrael is the nation of G-d and they will then come to the right conclusion based on this recognition.

* * * * * *

Next week we mark 30 years since the passing of Rabbi Yisrael Yosef Shalom Friedman, the Pashkiner Rebbe.

Rabbi Yisrael was a seventh-generation descendent of Rabbi Yisrael, who founded the Rozhin Dynasty of Chassidut. In his manner and behavior, he continued according to the unique path of the Husiatyn Dynasty, which is part of the Rozhin tradition. Their ideal is a humble sect, combining true modesty and Zionism. In this way, Rabbi Yisrael showed by his life an example of everything that is beautiful in Chassidut.

Rabbi Yisrael’s sons continue on his path in Chassidut. They are intimately embedded within the community of Yisrael, they take part in social missions throughout Israel, and day by day they carry on his way of life, along with hundreds of his students.

May his memory guide us along the path of Torah!

THE ROOTS OF FAITH – Basic Tenets of Jewish Philosophy Torah from Heaven - by Rabbi Oury Cherki, Machon Meir, Rabbi of Beit Yehuda Congregation, Jerusalem

Two proofs are given to show that there is a Divine source for the Torah. But they must be understood in depth and not simply in accord with the folk approach – that millions of people would not lie about the description of an event, especially not to their children. This approach will not withstand objective criticism, and the only thing it can accomplish is to strengthen the conviction those who were already convinced beforehand. We will be able to find satisfactory answers by delving more deeply into the matter.

First of all, we must note that revelation is a formative event in the history of a nation. A national identity is not the result of a willful choice. Rather, it is born within the nation and it is in fact an element that is forced on the people. Every national identity is built up on a basis of collective psychology which stems from powerful events that leave a deep impression within the nation. If the event took place before the era of history began, it is clouded in doubt, and it may well be a myth spawned by imagination. This is not true of an event that took place after the national identity was formed, such as the story of the wars of Troy or the Exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah. In such cases we can verify that the event did indeed take place – not because there are witnesses but as a result of the strong impression it left on the public awareness.

In addition, the character of a story can by itself be an indication of the truth. This is especially true for a story that is beyond the limits of human imagination. While it is true that there are stories of individual or collective revelation in all cultures, such that they might indeed be the fruits of imagination, these stories always, without exception, involve an “immanent” deity who is internal to the world and not transcendental revelation by a G-d who created the world and is external to it. The only story where the revealed one is the Creator Himself is the one that is told by Bnei Yisrael. And in fact the written description of the event emphasizes that the people who experienced the revelation were wary of participating.

5 Clearly, the interference of the Creator in the natural course of events can interfere with the spiritual stability of man, and it would never occur to mankind to invent such a story even with the goal of establishing a new religion. All others who developed a new religion spoke only of revelation by an entity that is part of creation, such that it did not undermine the foundation of existence.

We must also try to refine the concept of a Divine Torah, from heaven. Rav A.Y. Kook explains, a man can admit that the Torah came from heaven, but he might be referring to a very low level of heaven. This paints the one who gave the Torah as a pedantic accountant collecting the relative weights of mitzvot as compared to sins. And there are others who feel that they deny the Divine origin of the Torah while at the same time they search for a source of the Torah among the highest levels of human wisdom and morality. Such an approach is in fact very close to the true definition of Torah from heaven.

WHEN THE CHILDREN OPEN THEIR HEARTS About the Miracles and the Wonders - by Meirav Maggeni, Author of Content and Stories in Chemed, the Religious School System

“In our generation, miracles don’t happen to us, like what happened in past generations,” I said to my Sabba, as we went together in a happy dance of flags in Jerusalem. And then I immediately clarified: “I mean such miracles as the vial of oil on Chanukah and the miracles of Purim, or the Exodus from Egypt and the splitting of the Red Sea. On Yom Yerushalayim we simply conquered the city and that’s all.”

Sabba seemed to be so surprised by what I said that he had trouble answering me. Anyway, even if he had answered I would not have heard, because of all the noise made by the people celebrating in the streets. All we could see all around was a veritable sea of happy Jews – children, youths, families dressed in blue and white – all carrying flags. They continued singing and dancing all the way to the Western Wall Plaza, where we would recite the Maariv prayer and then go back to our dancing.

Even though I was very tired from the long march, I continued dancing, until I almost fell over. Lucky for me, my Sabba and Savta live in the Old City of Jerusalem, and after all the dancing and marching I went home with them for a festive meal.

Sabba gave me a big smile. “So, in our generation we don’t see any real miracles, is that it? And just how do you think we managed to win a war in six days against all the Arab armies? Actually, it didn’t really take more than about six hours!”

This surprised me. “What do you mean, six hours? We must have had the newest weapons and the best airplanes...” To tell the truth, I wasn’t so sure any more about the miracles.

Sabba continued. “I remember the days before the war, the fear could be felt in the streets. Israel was in great danger. Our leaders understood that something must be done, otherwise we might not have a country any more. And Operation Moked took off! On Monday, the 26th of Iyar, 5727, at 7:15 in the morning, almost all of our airplanes took to the air in order to attack the Egyptian air force. There was great danger in what we did, because Egypt had one of the most modern and highly developed anti-aircraft systems, including dozens of advanced missiles and hundreds of cannons, which the Russians gave them. Most of our planes, on the other hand, were made by the French, and they were very old.”

6 He continued: “At exactly 7:45, all of our planes reached the Egyptian air fields and bombed the runways, taking them out of action. And then, right away, our pilots blew up the airplanes which were caught on the ground. Within an hour, more than two hundred Egyptian planes were destroyed. This was about half of the Egyptian air force. And now you tell me – How did we manage within a few hours to completely take the Egyptian air fields out of operation, which is how we were able to win the war so quickly? How did it happen that all of our planes made it to the Egyptian fields – in Sinai, along the Suez Canal, and on the Nile River – without even one of them being discovered? How did it happen that the entire air defense system of Egypt collapsed, and didn’t work at all?”

And I was getting excited too. “Now I understand!” We had our own set of miracles too!

“And do you think that our miracles on that day ended with that?” Sabba had more surprises for me. “They were not over. Jordan, Syria, and Iraq believed the false reports of the Egyptians about defeating Israel in battle, and they did not hesitate to attack us, in order to be part of the ‘great victory.’ As a result of their attack, Israel destroyed the air forces and the airfields of both Syria and Jordan. At the end of the first day of the war, none of the three countries who opposed us had an air force, and Israel controlled all the air space in the Middle East.”

I asked, “What about Iraq’s air force?” And Sabba said, “Don’t worry. The next day, the second day of the war, Israel also destroyed their air force.”

Sabba’s story excited me very much. But mainly I felt very happy to hear how we can always rely on the Holy One, Blessed be He to protect us. Our nation can feel secure, and great miracles happen even today. I thought, “Tomorrow, I will recite the Hallel to thank G-d for the miracles.”

Then, suddenly, Sabba stood up and filled a large goblet with wine. I asked, “What are you doing?”

Sabba gave a signal to Savta and to me, to stand there with him. In a very serious and loud voice, he cried out, “Let us make a blessing for the glory of Eretz Yisrael!” He began to list all the parts of the land which we received as a gift in that miraculous war. He slowly pronounced every name with great love, as if every parcel of land might have been a beloved only son: Azza; Jerusalem, the holy city; the Temple Mount, where the holy Temple stood (at this point, I saw tears in Savta’s eyes – perhaps I will have an opportunity to ask her about it); Shechem; Yericho; Beit El; Beit Lechem; Ramat Hagolan; Shilo; Shomron; Givon; Mitzpeh Anatot; the Sinai Peninsula.

Sabba sat down, recited the blessing for wine, and the blessing “hatov v’hameitiv” recited for especially happy occasions, and gave Savta and me a portion of wine.

We thank G-d for all the miracles.

STRAIGHT TALK How Many Legitimate Ways are there to Study Torah? - by Rabbi Yoni Lavie, Manager, "Chaverim Makshivim" Website

“Who is Allowed to Study Torah?”

At first glance, the above question might seem to be strange, and with a clear answer – Everybody can and should study Torah, and become intimately linked to it! “The crown of Torah rests and waits for all of Yisrael to pick it up.” This is the ruling of the Rambam, the “Great Eagle,” based on the famous verse: “Moshe commanded us to observe the Torah, it is a heritage for

7 (all of) the community of Yisrael” [Devarim 33:4]. “Let whoever wants to come and pick it up” [Hilchot Talmud Torah 3:1].

However, during the last 15 years, quite a few people have come to accept this invitation, and they have established an impressive netword of diverse organizations for Torah study, all united by one principle – they are not religious. Without our noticing, behind our backs, an entire world has taken form of “secular batei Midrash.” (Examples are Alma, Elul, Yeshivat Binah, and others.) They are all unashamedly involved in Jewish sources – Tanach, Midrash, the Talmud, and even Kabbalah. They do not feel obligated to the halacha or to observance of the material that they study, and they feel free to interpret and analyze written sources in ways that contradict traditions and commentary of former generations.

Is it a Life Elixir or a Deadly Poison?

At first glance, this seems to be a truly wondrous phenomenon. We see a thirst for Torah among sections of the public who seemed to very far away from it. The Torah is being disseminated to the masses. More and more people, men and women, study and go in depth into the words of the Tanach and the sages. It is true that they do not want to “become religious,” but there would seem to be a great value to simply strengthening their Jewish identity and their affinity for Torah and tradition. And anyway, who knows – Perhaps this will go further, and “the light within will bring them back to the good side” [Midrash Eichah].

However, this story has another side, which stems from a critical question. It is true that the wisest of all men wrote that “It is a tree of life for all those who take hold of it” [Mishlei 3:18]. However, does this wonderful phrase apply to all types of Torah study?

The sages taught us that the answer to this question is: NO! There is a type of Torah study which can be “a deadly poison” [Yoma 72b].

Some very harsh statements were made about people who “study with no intention of observing – it would have been better for him if his fetus had turned over in the womb and he had not come out to the air” [Vayikra Rabba 35:7]. Is this related to this new phenomenon of nonreligious study of the Torah?

However, let us not stop at those who are called “nonreligious,” instead we will ask a question about the religious ones among us. Does every person have a mandate to propose novel explanations of the Tanach and of the words of the sages, as he or she sees fit? Everybody knows to quote the saying that “there are seventy faces to the Torah” [Bamidbar Rabba Nasso, 13:16]. Does this mean that the words of the Torah are not controlled in any way, and that every single idea and capricious commentary is legitimate and is defined as a Torah interpretation?

Sure, there are “seventy faces,” but can it be that there are also excluded ways of looking at it? Where is the boundary between the two alternatives?

Who should Learn from Whom?

I recently came across an interesting Hebrew book called “My Heroes.” It was written by a very special Jew, a talented communications expert who was even appointed as the Minister of the Treasury in a Middle Eastern country. The book is a summary of four lessons about the Tanach that the author taught in the synagogue in Beit Daniel. It should be noted that the title of the book is very precise – “My Heroes.” The author really feels that the people are his own to fashion as he sees fit. As such, he feels that he has a right to treat them in any way that meets his fancy, elegantly ignoring verses that do not fit his own agenda, and taking full advantage of the fact that the people involved passed away a long time ago and will never be able to sue 8 him for libel. One of the critics wrote that it is lucky that the author chose to write about the Tanach and not about another subject, such as chemistry, because if he had he would have brought about such a huge spark that it might have caused great damage...

What we can say for certain is that this book reveals something that is very interesting. If until now you thought in all your innocence that the Tanach is an outstanding work that arouses our inspiration, from which we can learn from our ancestors how to behave, we can now see that the truth is just the opposite. This book shows us that our ancestors should learn proper behavior from us...

Some Open Questions

Making the Torah available to new communities and the new style of learning bring up profound questions that should interest us as the holiday of our receiving the Torah approaches. Just who has the authority to interpret the Tanach and the words of our sages? Are there established criteria for legitimate commentary? Is this anything like the question of who is allowed to make a medical or legal decision? It is perfectly clear to us that a person who took a basic first aid course should not perform complex operations, and one who read through the entry on “Hebrew Law” in Wikipedia does not yet know enough to be a dayan in a religious court. Or should we assume that the limits for Torah study are much broader than this, and that everybody is allowed to make up his or her own interpretations?

Here is a related question: What about novel interpretations which were never brought by the sages and our wise men, or that even contradict what they wrote? What is the status of Torah study not for the express purpose of knowing how to perform the mitzvot but out of a desire to be connected to the “Jewish bookshelf,” the ethics of the prophets, and the culture of our nation?

I will end with one last point. When Bible criticism appeared about 150 years ago, it was a threat to the world of Torah, and it led to the downfall of many people. However, when we look back now, in hindsight, it is clear that on a scale of several generations the challenge presented by this approach forced the world of the yeshivot to return to a study of the Tanach in depth, and to discover novel approaches. Will the challenge that the “nonreligious” batei Midrash presents to the traditional world of Torah also serve as a source of new directions that are true to Torah?

For reactions, added material, and to join an e-mail list: milatova.org.il

ZOMET AT THE CROSSROADS “Lee-Ner” – Lighting Shabbat Candles in a Hotel Room - by The Zomet Institute

When somebody stays in a hotel or a guest room for Shabbat or is in a hospital, the question of lighting candles Friday night comes up again and again. From the halachic point of view the ideal place to light candles is in the room itself, especially for those who follow the opinions of Rav Ovadia Yosef and Rav Morcechai Eliyahu, who feel that one is not allowed to recite the blessing for the candles in a place where others have already lit their own candles.

However, because of safety considerations one is not allowed to light a flame in the individual rooms!

And here is the solution: Lee-Ner: An electrical Shabbat candle. The Lee-Ner does even more than might be expected. It contains two incandescent lights in a festive setting, which are lit by a standard battery, until the power runs out.

9 In the halachic literature there are many rabbis who allow reciting the blessing Friday night over an incandescent electric light (a “circular” heated filament). See the article in Volume 35 of Techumin or click here for the English site of Zomet. However, some rabbis prohibited this because the electricity is not stored in the light like the oil in a lamp. In the case of the Lee-Ner, the filament is indeed considered to be a “flame.” The use of a battery solves the problem of “storing the oil.” And slits in the bulbs allow a line-of-sight view of the filament itself.

And here is another tip: Do you want to go to sleep even though the Lee-Ner is still lit? It can be covered with anything available, and it can even be moved from one place to another.

The Lee-Ner is available from Zomet Institute. For more information, click here.

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

Bamidbar In the future he will be promised tens of thousands. This week a thousand is missing as compared to the other one. What is this about?

- Answer to last week’s riddle – it was:

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

- The pictures are: an Uzzi submachine gun; and a daffodil (“narkiss” in Hebrew). This reminds us of General Uzzi Narkis, the Chief of the Central Command during the Six Day War. He appears in a famous picture with Yitzchak Rabin and Moshe Dayan at the entrance to the Western Wall.

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

* * * * * *

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]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SHABBAT-ZOMET is an extract from SHABBAT-B'SHABBATO, a weekly bulletin distributed free of charge in hundreds of synagogues in Israel. It is published by the Zomet Institute of Alon Shevut, Israel, under the auspices of the National Religious Party. Translated by: Moshe Goldberg To subscribe: http://www.zomet.org.il/eng/?pg=subscribe&CategoryID=165 10 Visit the Zomet Institute web site: http://www.zomet.org.il Contact Zomet with comments about this bulletin or questions on the link between modern technology and halacha at: [email protected] Or: Phone: +972-2-9931442; FAX: +972-2-9931889 (Attention: Dan Marans) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *