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בס"ד • A PROJECT OF THE CINCINNATI COMMUNITY KOLLEL • CINCYKOLLEL.ORG תורה מסינסי Cincinnati Torah Vol. VIII, No. XXXIII Pinchas A LESSON FROM THE PARASHA A TIMELY HALACHA More Than Yichus RABBI CHAIM HEINEMANN After Pinchas’s daring act of killing person who is not established as one We began a few weeks ago discussing Zimri and Cozbi out of zealousness of unquestionable character, or who relevant halachos that come up in a on behalf of G-d, as detailed at the has a minute degree of personal gain hotel. Let’s continue by focusing on end of last week’s Torah portion, or vindictiveness, an act of zealotry is two potential issues that arise on the tribe of Shimon was none too completely forbidden. This, then, was Shabbos. happy that he had killed their leader. the charge against Pinchas—even if Shabbos Candles – Even if one They sharply criticized Pinchas for motivated by zealousness for Hashem, lights many candles at home, common what he had done. Rashi relates he was not pure. He was most probably custom allows the lighting of two their underlying message: Who does emulating the ways of his idolatrous candles while away (S.S.K. 43:3). If Pinchas think he is? His grandfather grandfather, for how else could he one will be eating in the hotel’s dining (Yisro) had fattened bulls for idol move so quickly against a leader like room, he should arrange to light the worship, and he thinks he can pass Zimri? To this the Torah responded: candles near the table where he will judgment on the leader of a tribe? You are correct that Pinchas walks in be dining (S.S.K. 45:9; see note 44 To this claim, the Torah answers that the ways of his forefather, but you’ve where he frowns upon lighting in a Pinchas was the grandson of Aharon got the wrong ancestor. Pinchas was separate room near the dining room). the Kohen Gadol and, therefore, this a student to the highest degree of his An electric light should also be left action befitted him. grandfather Aharon, about whom the on in the hotel room (or bathroom, Mishna in Avos states that he was “a if it can shed light in the room) so This is a seemingly strange that one will not stumble in the dark lover of peace and a pursuer of peace.” (M.B. 263:2). If it is not possible to conversation. What does the fact that Aharon went above and beyond in his a grandfather fattened bulls for idol light candles in the dining room, or if efforts to quell disagreement and to one is eating in his own room, then worship have to do with stopping a bring harmony to every home. This, transgression of Hashem’s Torah? he should light the candles in his says the Torah, was the way of Pinchas, sleeping quarters. If the hotel does And if it were somehow unfavorable his grandson, as well. About one who not allow the lighting of candles in that his grandfather served idols, loves peace and abhors discord, we the room due to the potential fire then why would having a saintly can truly say that his zealotry is pure hazard, then halacha prohibits one grandfather make it any better? To through and through. to light there (R’ Moshe Heinemann). better understand what was going Instead, one should light, with a on in this conversation, says Rav bracha, an electric incandescent lamp Chaim Shmulevitz, we need to first or an incandescent flashlight (Toras understand something about acting A RIDDLE FOR YOU Hayoledes 38:5; see S.S.K. 43:4, note out of zealousness for the honor of Name a situation where a person is in 22). Two things to keep in mind are Hashem and his Torah. It is only the middle of fulfilling a Torahmitzvah 1) one should ensure that there are permitted to act as a zealot if the besides learning Torah and he would be fresh batteries in the flashlight so person himself is a pure soul and required to stop in order to fulfill a that they will last until after dark, and the act is done with absolutely pure Rabbinic mitzvah? 2) ff the light was already on, it should intentions. When committed by a See reverse side for the answer L55 CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE p Sponsorship & feedback: Sponsored by the Winkler family Cincinnati Torah [email protected] is distributed weekly in honor of the recent birth and Bris Milah of to local shuls Moshe Refoel to Levi and Chaya Sarah Winkler and the community e-mail list. © 2020 CCK A TIMELY HALACHA from but, being newly arrived in America. Mazal Tov to could not really afford them. Hearing CONTINUED Mazel tov to Berish Edelman what Rav Reuven was after, Rav Zalman be turned off and then turned on and family on the occasion of the told him to join him in the car and asked again specifically for Shabbos. Bar Mitzvah of Dovid Aryeh! him where he was living. Puzzled, Rav Reuven followed and when they arrived A man who is away from home at the apartment, Rav Zalman shared why in a hotel room cannot rely upon IT HAD TO BE he had come to Manhattan that day, and his wife’s lighting candles at home, HASHEM that Rav Reuven would now have his own and is obligated in hadlakas neiros A man in Albany, New York passed away set of Talmud, and Tur, and Rambam to with a bracha. (M.B. 263:28 Chovas learn from and, more importantly for the Hadar p. 88). and his children were looking for a home for their father’s seforim and so they Jews of America, to teach from. Hot Food – It is a mitzvah to eat asked Rav Zalman Levine, a local Toral hot food on Shabbos, especially for scholar who they assumed could find ANSWER RIDDLE the daytime meal. If the hotel is somewhere for them to go. Rav Zalman amenable, one may use a hotplate loaded the heavy tomes, which were the would if and shema reciting is person a If in his room and place cooked food complete sets of the Talmud, Tur, and Kiddush of mitzvah the miss would he continue on it before Shabbos (on Yom Tov Rambam, into his car and drove down Levanah. it is unnecessary). to the Lower East Side of Manhattan Many hotels offer morning coffee to see if any seforim store would want to to their guests. If the hotel caters buy and resell them. After he parked to non-Jewish clientele, then we near Goldman’s Otzar Hasfarim store may assume that the coffee is he saw Rav Reuven Grozovsky who was THIS WEEK! prepared for them and nothing is an old friend and the son-in-law of his added for the Jews who comprise rebbe, Rav Boruch Ber Leibowitz. After the minority of the guests. In talking for a few minutes, Rav Reuven this case, one may partake of the shared that he was looking to find a coffee even on Shabbos providing seforim store owner who would let him 1) the coffee is unflavored, 2) no buy a set of either the Talmud, Rambam, lights are activated while taking or Tur and pay in installments as he coffee, and 3) the water does not was desperate to have seforim to learn enter automatically when coffee is removed (S.S.K 30:48). such as a “Kiddush room” set aside However, if Jews comprise the for them, then the coffee there majority of the guests, or if there is would not be permitted to those a contingent of Jews staying at the individuals on Shabbos; however, it hotel, and there is a special place would be permitted on Yom Tov. BEYOND ELLIS ISLAND THE TRAILBLAZERS, TRIALS, & TRIUMPHS OF AMERICAN JEWRY RABBI MOSHE TZVI CRYSTAL The arrival of the “Malach,” Rav Chaim Avrohom Dov Ber Hakohein Levine, was actually due to his only son, Rav Zalman Levine, deciding that he wanted to live in America. Rav Zalman was a Torah scholar in his own right, and he would keep up correspondence with his teacher, Rav Boruch Ber Leibowitz, until Rav Boruch Ber’s passing. He also held a rabbinic ordination signed by Rav Chaim Soloveitchik, Rav Simcha Zelig Rieger, and Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky. Originally settling in New York City with his father, Rav Zal- man served as a lecturer at Yeshiva Torah Vodaath and as a tester for ordination at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. While father and son would share a bond of Torah learning, their paths in America went opposite directions. His father spurned anything “American,” but Rav Zalman acclimated. Even though he was set with positions in two respected Yeshivos, his marriage to the daughter of the rabbi of Albany resulted in his living the rest of his life in the Albany community. He had no designs to inherit his father-in- law’s position, as he had decided that the rabbinate was not for him. Although he would be a member of the local kashrus board and would oversee the construction of a new mikvah, he would make his living as an insurance agent. Beyond the regular Torah classes he gave, he also devoted many hours daily before and after work to Torah learning, and gave of his time to help Jewish college students reconnect with their heritage. His father, the “Malach,” would constantly exhort his son to leave his “exile” in Albany and to achieve ever greater heights of service to G-d.

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