In Memory of Joyce's Father, ז ןהכה םהרבא ןב והיתתמ ל“ a Lesson in Life, on a Lifeboat

בס“ד Parshat Noach 4 Cheshvan, 5777/November 5, 2016 Vol. 8 Num. 9 This issue is sponsored by Mervyn and Joyce Fried and family מתתיהו בן אברהם הכהן ז“ל ,in memory of Joyce’s father A Lesson in Life, on a Lifeboat Rabbi Baruch Weintraub A Twelve Month Semester The Curriculum putting someone in his place. On his The Torah tells us that Noach entered We find virtually nothing in the Torah return he said to the other, ‘Leave your the ark on the seventeenth day of the itself about life in the Ark, but position.’ But [Noach] was reluctant to second month (Bereishit 7:11), and midrashim fill this gap. A quick survey exit, saying, ‘Am I to go out and beget exited a full solar year later, on the yields a recurring theme: while Noach children for a curse?’ Until G-d swore to twenty-seventh day of the next year’s was helped by G-d, such as by him that He would not bring another second month (ibid. 8:14; compare protecting him from the snakes flood upon the world.” (Bereishit Rashi and Radak there). A midrash (Midrash Shochar Tov 91) and giving Rabbah 34:6) tells us that Noach asked frequently to him a miraculous glowing stone to light be released earlier, but G-d’s answer the ark (Yalkut Shimoni Bereishit 53), As this midrash implies, inside the Ark was, “It was decreed before Me that all actual care for the animals had to be Noach served as G-d’s agent, taking your twelve months must be done by Noach and his family. care of all of His creatures. Feeding completed, and as long as they have each one of the world’s animals not been completed, you are not going A description of the hardships involved according to its unique needs, a task out.” (Tanchuma, Noach 17) What was in this enterprise is found in the generally performed by G-d alone the purpose of Noach’s staying in the Talmud. (Sanhedrin 108b) It tells us (Tehillim 145:15-16), was now handed ark for a full year? that Eliezer (Abraham’s servant) asked to a human being. The result was a Shem (Noach’s son) how they had change in Noach’s attitude; while he In a mishnah (Eduyot 2:10), Rabbi handled all the different animals during was initially willing to enter the Ark and Akiva demonstrates that the trope of the flood. Shem replied, “[In truth], we let the world be destroyed, he now “twelve months” appears in other had much trouble in the ark. The protested; his new responsibility turned places as well. For example, Iyov’s animals which are usually fed by day him from a mere observer into an active suffering lasted twelve months, and so we fed by day; and those normally fed agent. did the plagues in Egypt, as does the by night we fed by night.” He continued punishment of the wicked in to recount the difficulties they had in The sin which brought about the flood Gehennom. These examples represent finding the right food for each animal. was theft – the idea that each person two classes: punishment of the wicked Another midrash, quoted by Rashi serves himself, without any thought [Egypt, Gehennom]; and suffering (Bereishit 7:23), tells us that Noach was about the ramifications for others. Even which is not a punishment, but a test punished by the lion for not giving him Noach the righteous was an and a lesson [Iyov]. In the same food on time. In general, we are told, individualistic tzaddik. The year in the manner, it may be argued, the twelve Noach was “coughing blood” from the ark taught him – and us – that in order months of the flood served a dual role: effort to serve the animals. Why did to keep the world afloat, we must a time of punishment for the wicked Noach and his family have to suffer so assume responsibility. outside of the ark, but also a time of much, for so long? trial for those within it. Indeed, [email protected] Bereishit Rabbah (34:8) says: “[The Lesson Learned verse] ‘Hashem tests the righteous’ Perhaps the answer to this question is applies to Noach, who stayed in the hinted at in yet another midrash, Ark until G-d said to him, ‘Go forth regarding G-d’s instruction, “Leave the from the Ark.’” Ark.” This midrash says, “[G-d] may be compared to an administrator who departed for a certain destination, OUR BEIT MIDRASH ROSH BEIT MIDRASH ABBI ORDECHAI ORCZYNER R M T SGAN ROSH BEIT MIDRASH RABBI JONATHAN ZIRING AVREICHIM DAM RIEDMANN ARON EREZ A F , Y P CHAVERIM EZER DIENA, NADAV GASNER, RYAN JENAH, SHIMMY JESIN, ELISHA KELMAN, BJ KOROBKIN, AVI MENZELEFSKY, RONI PEREZ, YOEL RIABOY, MORDECHAI ROTH, EZRA SCHWARTZ, DAVID SUTTNER, DAVID TOBIS, DAVID ZARKHINE Find our upcoming shiurim on-line at WOMEN’S BEIT MIDRASH RS RA IRING RS LLIEZRA EREZ www.torontotorah.com M . O Z , M . E P CHAVEROT YAKIRA BEGUN, NOA BORDAN, MAYTAL CUPERFAIN, LEORA KARON, RIVKA SAVAGE, KAYLA SHIELDS, ARIELA SNOWBELL, SARAH WAPNER We are grateful to Continental Press 905-660-0311 Book Review: UVikashtem MiSham (And From There You Shall Seek) Adam Friedmann Uvikashtem Misham search through its permutations in the makes the book somewhat more user- Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik history of Western philosophy, friendly in terms of references and World Zionist Organization (1991) particularly the various theological grasping the structure of the work. proofs for the existence of G-d. Background of the Book: Ultimately, he concludes, this attempt The style of Uvikashtem is also Many people are familiar with Rabbi fails. The only way for Man to meet G- markedly different from that of Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s popular work, d is for Him to reveal Himself. This is Halakhic Man. Both essays begin with Halakhic Man, which considers the the second type of encounter, the a discussion of dialectics. But while religious experience of the typological revelational consciousness. Halakhic Man launches straight into a “Halakhic Man”. The companion of that discussion of various intellectual essay has achieved markedly less Rabbi Soloveitchik goes on to consider personality types and their respective renown. Uvikashtem Misham, or And the interplay between these types of cognitive goals, Uvikashtem opens with From There You Shall Seek, as its encounters. He describes the tension a staggeringly beautiful depiction of English translation is titled, was drafted experienced between the intense the lovers from Song of Songs chasing in the 1940’s. It remained an longing and yearning for G-d that man each other in a seemingly endless unpublished and mysterious experiences in his search through dance. [This first section is a manuscript until 1978 when it was nature, and the terror and recoil that worthwhile read in its own right, printed in Hadarom, the Hebrew occur when G-d reveals Himself. In the especially in the original Hebrew.] The language journal of the Rabbinical course of the discussion Rabbi emphasis on homiletic presentation, Council of America. The English Soloveitchik considers how this which nicely suits the subject matter, translation was published in 2009. tension plays out in the classical is maintained throughout the book. modes of Jewish religious expression Content of the Book including love, fear, awe, and deveikut. Conclusion Uvikashtem Misham paints, in broad The result is a rich and strikingly The “Halakhic Man” is not a universal strokes, the movements of human insightful exposition of the core personality. Not everyone is a halachist consciousness as it searches for G-d. experiences that fuel religious life. who can come to see the world Rabbi Soloveitchik describes two ways through his eyes. But every religious in which Man encounters G-d. The first Format and Style person seeks G-d and wants to make is through natural means. Man Whereas Halakhic Man is broken into sense of the host of complex searches for G-d by observing the world two broad parts, Uvikashtem Misham experiences involved in religious life. around him, and using his intellectual contains 15 chapters, each dealing For this reason, Uvikashtem Misham is faculties. Rabbi Soloveitchik traces this with nuances within the essay. This a very worthwhile read. [email protected] Israel’s Chief Rabbis: Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank, Jerusalem Yaron Perez Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank Shabbat by communal institutions, as well as 1873 Lithuania – 1960 Jerusalem archaeological work in ancient graves. At the same time, he Chief Rabbi (Ashkenazi) of Jerusalem, 1936-1960 opposed establishment of separate, insular religious communities, seeing this as abandonment of the broader Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank was born in Kovno, Lithuania, and community. He opposed sectarianism; for example, he he studied in the yeshivot of Slobodka and Telz. At the age of refused to approve establishment of unique Ashkenazi 20 he ascended to Israel, and he became a student of kosher certification for different communities, insisting Yeshivat Eitz Chaim in Jerusalem. instead on establishment of a single certification. In 1897, Rabbi Frank became the attendant of Rabbi Rabbi Frank espoused the view, “The strength of those who Shemuel Salant, who was the Rosh Yeshiva as well as the permit is greater,” and he used his broad shoulders to issue Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Jerusalem. Five years later, he significant halachic rulings. Rabbi Frank dealt in particular moved to Jaffa to focus on Torah study; while there, he with halachic solutions for post-Holocaust instances of became close with Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook. agunah. As a matter of communal policy, he did not accept new stringencies which could reflect poorly on earlier Rabbi Frank served as a halachic authority in various generations.

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