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JUNE 1995 v"ba/ ztn/ 'c – ythx 'd VOLUME 16, No 6 /ttmnt vwt/ /tnab htkhgk Luach & Limud Personal Torah Study is dedicated in fond memory of its founder and first chairman Sander Kolitch k"z k"z vjna ketna w"c wsbx c"na/ tkxf 'd vwt/ lnt/ ,vwt/ cvte vwt/ yc ,vwt/ sntk A builder of Torah and Torah institutions whose dream of Luach & Limud has made daily Torah study a reality for thousands thwtgb /ae wfzkt Fritzi Kolitch k"z This prints on inside front cover v"g yvfv vhwe pxth /c edhhi d"ba/ ce v"f ltwc uwfz evh tswib ek u/tnct uvhhjc uhnhgbvt uhcvebv Published by ORTHODOX UNION Mandell I. Ganchrow, M.D., President Rabbi Raphael B. Butler, Executive Vice President Rabbi Pinchas Stolper, Senior Executive Orthodox Union National Limud Torah Commission Rabbi Sholom Rephun, Chairman Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Rothman, Vice Chairman Rabbi Jerry Willig, Vice Chairman Jeffrey Teitelbaum, Editor Acknowledgments: Luach Limud Personal Torah Study is an original concept for the presentation of Torah material, and incorporates the following. MISHNAH—A new translation of Mishnayot Mevuarot by Rabbi Pinhas Kehati published by the Department for Torah Education and Culture in the Diaspora of the World Zionist Organization — A product of the Kaplan Kushlick Foundation. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. ADDITIONAL MATERIAL— Excerpts from the works of Rabbi Abraham Twerski, M.D. Reprinted with permis- sion of ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications Ltd. All rights reserved. LUACH—An original translation of the Calendar of Synagogue Customs, according to the Halachic decisions of Rabbi Yosef Eliyah Henkin, Zt”l, published by the Ezras Torah Fund. Translated and reprinted with permission from the Ezras Torah Fund. DAILY HALACHIC TIME CHARTS — have been formulated in consultation with halachic authorities. It is recommended that you consult with your local rabbinic authority regarding the local minhag. Luach and Limud Personal Torah Study is published monthly for $36.00 U.S.A. $44.00 Foreign per year by the Orthodox Union, 333 7th Avenue, 18th floor, New York, New York 10001 (212) 563-4000. Second Class Postage paid at New York, New York and other mailing locations. ISSN-08885-4785. Send address change to Luach and Limud Personal Torah Study, Orthodox Union, 333 7th Avenue, 18th floor, N.Y., N.Y. 10001 1 THURS./JUNE 1/3 SIVAN yt‡hx¢ 'd ,wC¶s‚n¢C§ /A{w‡i¶kº 'v uGh Additional Prayers: Maariv – Count 48th day of the Omer Torah Reading: Shacharis – Beginning of Parshas Bamidbar Halachah: We do not recite Tachanun until after Isru Chag MISHNAH TEXT AND TRANSLATION Avot 2:1 e:c /tce w{C¢h eGn∞w: e∞hzGv¢h S“w“L h‚A¶w}v AªH‡c≠w kG v¶e¶s}u> F¶k Aªv¢he F¶k v¶e¶s}u> kG AªH‡c≠w h‚A¶w}v S“w“L e∞hzGv¢h eGn∞w: w{C¢h ?¢iºeªw“/ kºgGå¶V tº/¢iºeªw“/ kG n¢y v¶e¶s}u. tªv£t∞h z‡v¢hw Cºn¢mºt¶v z‡v¢hw tªv£t∞h v¶e¶s}u. n¢y kG tº/¢iºeªw“/ kºgGå¶V ?¢iºeªw“/ q§K¶v Fºc§j¡nTw}v, A£e∞hy e§?¶v hGs&g§ n§?§y åºf¶w}y Aªk n¢mºG/. Aªk åºf¶w}y n§?§y hGs&g§ e§?¶v A£e∞hy Fºc§j¡nTw}v, q§K¶v tªv£t∞h nºj§P∞c vªiºx∞s n¢mºt¶v Fºbªdªs åºf¶w}V, Tåºf§w g¡c∞w}v Fºbªdªs g¡c∞w}v Tåºf§w åºf¶w}V, Fºbªdªs n¢mºt¶v vªiºx∞s nºj§P∞c tªv£t∞h vªiºx∞s}V. tºv¢xº?§F∞k C¢AºkA¶v s‘c¶w@hu, tºe¢h e§?¶v C¶e k¢hs&h C¶e e§?¶v tºe¢h s‘c¶w@hu, C¢AºkA¶v tºv¢xº?§F∞k vªiºx∞s}V. g¡c∞w}v; S{g n§v Kºn§gºk¶v n¢N¶L: g§h›y wGe¶v, tºeGz·y AGn§g§/, tºeGz·y wGe¶v, g§h›y n¢N¶L: Kºn§gºk¶v n§v S{g g¡c∞w}v; tºf¶k n§g¡åªhE C§X∞iªw b¢fº?¶c¢hy. C§X∞iªw n§g¡åªhE tºf¶k Rabbi said: Which is the right course that a man should choose for himself? That which brings honor to him who adopts it, and brings him honor from men. And be as careful with a light commandment as with a weighty one, for you do not know the reward given for the commandments. Weigh the loss incurred by a commandment against its reward, and the reward gained from a transgression against the loss it entails. Consider three things and you will not stray into sin: Know what is above you – a seeing eye, a listening ear, and all your deeds are written in a book. MISHNAH COMMENTARY The title Rabbi, when anonymous, refers to Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi – the Prince, the compiler of the Mishnah, and son of Rabban Shimon (see introduction to previous Mishnah). He Today's Torah study is dedicated /nab wfzk v"g ,when sts yc cts cw In Loving Memory of RABBI BENNETT GOLD, A"H — Dr. and Mrs. Jay E. Gold and Family 2 THURS./JUNE 1/ythx 'd was called Rabbi without his personal name rather than Rabban, the honorific title bestowed upon the Nesi'im of the House of Hillel, signifying that he was the Rabbi par excel- lence of Israel. Because of his outstanding scholarship and piety, he was also known as Rabbenu Hakadosh - our Holy Teacher. In the introduction to his commentary on the Mishnah, Maimonides wrote: "He (Rabbi) was unique in his generation and pre-eminent in his era, a man of all excellent qualities and virtues privileged to be called by his contempo- raries Rabbenu Hakadosh. He reached the pinnacle of wis- dom and nobility of character, as said in the Gemara (Git. 59a): 'From the days of Moses to Rabbi we had not seen Torah and greatness combined in one person' ... He was a man of unsurpassed saintliness and humility, elegant in speech and unrivalled in the command of the Holy Tongue (Hebrew)." Upon the death of his father, Rabbi assumed the post of Nasi and discharged it with great authority. He gath- ered round him most of the illustrious scholars of his genera- tion, and dedicated himself to the monumental task of com- posing and editing the Mishnah. He resided in Beit She'arim, in the south western part of the Lower Galilee, where he founded his great academy. Consequently, the Sanhedrin, which formerly sat in Usha and later in Shefar'am, also moved to Beit She'arim. During the last seventeen years of his life, when his health was failing, he moved to Tzipori (Sephoris) with its healthy and refreshing climate (Ket. 103b). In this Mishnah, Rabbi teaches us how to serve God, and how to avoid transgression. wnte hcw Rabbi said: Which is the right course that a man should choose for himself - as a way of life, to guide his conduct? That which brings honor to him who adopts it - the way which affords personal satis- faction to him who walks in it, and brings him honor from men - society likewise praising him for choos- ing this way. Maimonides believes that Rabbi here refers to the principle of moderation (middle of the road). Thus, generosity lies half way between squan- dering and stinginess. Whereas the stingy man who accumulates wealth, might benefit himself, he will not earn any praise from others; while the squanderer might be complimented by his beneficiaries but will not benefit his own person as he may well end up in poverty and in need of others. The same principle applies to other traits of character and behavior. Another version reads instead of osah, "who adopts it," oseha, i.e., bringing honor to "Him who made it," 3 THURS./JUNE 1/ythx 'd referring to the Creator, as in (Ps. 149:2): "Let Israel rejoice in osav Him that made him." Accordingly, human behavior should aim at satisfying both, God and man (Hameiri). whvz htvt And be as careful with a light command- ment as with a weighty one - though a mitzvah appears trivial in your estimation, treat it nonetheless as weighty, for you do not know the reward given for the commandments - thus the reward for the per- formance of an apparently minor precept may exceed that of a mitzvah which you consider of major impor- tance. In the words of our Sages: "You must heed whatever the Torah commands you, since you do not know for which commandment you will gain life. Indeed, there are mitzvot for which the reward is granted in this world, while other mitzvot are rewarded in the world-to-come, and for yet others you may have already been rewarded in the past" (Pesikta). cajn htvt Weigh the loss incurred by a command- ment - in the process of obeying it, against its reward - in time to come. Thus, if you lose money by performing a precept, remember the reward awaiting you in the future, and the reward gained by a trans- gression against the loss it entails - whatever profit or pleasure you derived from sin, should be balanced against the punishment awaiting you, as it is written (Prov. 20:17): "The bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel." kf/xvt Consider three things - enumerated below, and you will not stray into sin - if you direct your mind to the following three aspects you will avoid sin: Know what is above you - and be constantly aware that high in heaven there is: 1.
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    TORAH SPARKS Return Without Benjamin

    lip only until the end of Judah’s impassioned plea that he be detained instead of Benjamin. Judah speaks of the sorrow that would overcome their father if the other brothers were to TORAH SPARKS return without Benjamin. The thought of Jacob missing and longing for a beloved child unleashes the floodgates in Joseph, who dismisses all his attendants and then announces Parashat Vayigash to his brothers: “I am Joseph. Is my father still well?” (Gen. December 26, 2020, 11 Tevet 5781 45:3) His sobs are now so loud that all the Egyptians can Torah: Genesis 44:18-47:21; Triennial: 45:28- hear, and the news of Joseph’s brothers reaches Pharaoh’s 46:27 palace as well. Haftorah: Ezekiel 37:15-28 Joseph’s sobs continue to reverberate through the generations. The rabbis mention Joseph’s revelation to his brothers in the context of a discussion in Hagigah (4b) about particularly affecting biblical verses that moved them to tears. The Torah that Made the Rabbis Cry As emerges from their discussion, each rabbi had a different Ilana Kurshan verse that he was unable to recite without falling apart. Some of their choices are more understandable than others; Rabbi Parshat Vayigash contains one of the dramatic high points of Ami, for instance, was particularly affected by a verse from the book of Genesis, in which Joseph reveals his true identity. Lamentations, the biblical book takes its name—at least in Until this point, Joseph has acted like a stranger toward his English—from the act of weeping. But for Rabbi Elazar, the brothers—a fitting punishment for those who refused to treat biblical verse he finds most poignant is the response to him like a brother when they threw him into the pit.
  • Shema New Rabbi Story

    Shema New Rabbi Story

    Rabbi Andrea London Beth Emet The Free Synagogue Makhloket L’shem Shamayim: Argument for the Sake of Heaven Kol Nidrei 2015/5776 The story is told of the first Shabbat a rabbi spends at her new congregation. When it comes time for the Shema, half the congregation rises, half sits. After the service ends, each side comes running to the rabbi to tell her that they are doing it right. “We always sit for the Shema,” one side yells. “No, we always stand,” the other side retorts. As each side is arguing why their position is right, the rabbi turns to the past president, a wise and trusted source in the community, and asks, “So what is the custom?” The president looks at the arguing factions and says, “This is the tradition!” Argumentation and disagreement are hallmarks of Jewish tradition. As the old saying goes: two Jews, three opinions. Consensus, or acceptance of gospel, or received truth, are not upheld as Jewish ideals, but civility, humility and intelligence are. This value is encapsulated by this lesson from the Talmud: For three years there was a dispute between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel. Beit Shammai would say, ‘The halachah—Jewish law—is in agreement with our views.’ Beit Hillel contended, ‘The halachah is in agreement with our views.’ Then a bat kol, a heavenly voice announced: ‘Elu v’elu divrei Elohim chayim, these and these—the teachings of both groups—are the words of the living God.’1 The debates between these two schools of thought—Hillel and Shammai—are held up as the model of how to argue within our tradition.
  • Translation, Midrash, and Commentary Through the Eyes of Onkelos

    Translation, Midrash, and Commentary Through the Eyes of Onkelos

    TRANSLATION, MIDRASH, AND COMMENTARY THROUGH THE EYES OF ONKELOS STANLEY M. WAGNER Maimonides, in his Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Tefillah (12:10), gives the ori- gin of the Aramaic translation of the Torah. The process began orally with Ezra in the fifth century BCE, and culminated years later with written transla- tions of the Torah into Aramaic. He informs us that Ezra introduced the pub- lic reading of the Torah with a meturgeman , a person who translated Torah passages into Aramaic. Ezra also democratized Jewish education by estab- lishing a new class of interpreters of Torah called soferim who began to re- place the priests as teachers of the people. Ezra was thus responsible for insti- tuting measures that set the stage for a widespread understanding of Torah through translation and interpretation. He was also responsible for setting the stage for the birth of "Rabbinic Judaism" that came into fruition after the de- struction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, and a new understanding of biblical 1 texts that often departed from their literal meaning. While neither Ezra nor his translators produced a written targum accessible to the masses, the process of translating the Bible into Aramaic resulted, be- fore long, in the availability of multiple written targumim, each with its own style and subjectivity. Actually, the oldest Aramaic targum discovered, but only in fragments, was found in Qumran, which means that it must be dated 2 prior to the destruction of the Qumran community in 68 CE. We can safely say that there was a written targum in use by the first or second century BCE.