בס"ד • A PROJECT OF THE CINCINNATI COMMUNITY • CINCYKOLLEL.ORG תורה מסינסי Cincinnati Vol. VII, No. XLVI Vayeilech- Shabbos Shuvah

A LESSON FROM THE PARASHA

Hakhel In History THE WAS ASKED ADAPTED BY RABBI DOVID TZVI MEISSNER FROM The penultimate mitzvah in the Torah is the Rav Hutner expands the idea of Hakhel ME’AH SHE’ARIM BY RABBI mitzvah of Hakhel. Every seven years, on the by maintaining that Klal Yisrael has had Sukkos following shmitta, the men, women, Hakhel-like experiences throughout our Once, a chazzan (cantor) living in and children of Klal Yisrael are commanded history. These are times when the Jewish Teveriah (Tiberius) was hired for to gather in the Beis Hamikdash to hear the people collectively accepted a new element 6,000 shekel to lead a congregation in king read from key parts of the Torah. of Torah. He gives two prominent examples. a different city for the High Holiday One is the way in which all of Klal Yisrael prayers and to blow the shofar for The Gemara in Chagiga asks why the children accepted Bavli as the official them. A few days before Rosh Hashana, are brought. It answers, “In order to give body of Jewish . The second was the the gabbai of the synagogue called reward to those who bring them.” Rav widespread acceptance of the Shulchan Aruch. the chazzan and confirmed their Yitzchok Hutner asks (Igros u’Kesovim #85), It took two of the most prominent halachic arrangement, including providing a if there is no inherent value in the children authorities, one representing the Sephardim rented apartment for the chazzan and being present, why not just command us to and one representing the Ashkenazim, to his family who were to be traveling bring rocks? fuse together a single work that could be from their hometown. Rav Hutner develops a very powerful utilized by all Jews. This is really something Before Rosh Hashana, the chazzan that borders on the miraculous and really understanding of the mitzvah of Hakhel. began traveling to Elad, and when he expresses great siyayta diShmaya (assistance). got to the city, he called the gabbai The Rambam writes about Hakhel, “. . . to to direct him to where he would be direct their hearts and listen with utmost I once heard that the said that staying. The gabbai told him which awe and reverence, as on the day the Torah he considered writing his own Shulchan street to go to, and the chazzan rolled was given at Sinai. . . Each had to regard Aruch with irrefutable proofs for all of his down his window and asked some himself as if he had been charged with the positions. He decided against it and instead passersby how to get to that street. Torah now for the first time, and as though wrote a commentary on the existing Shulchan They responded that no such street he had heard it from the mouth of God, for Aruch. He explained, that unlike the miracle exists there. the king was an ambassador proclaiming the (my word, not his) of the acceptance of the words of God.” We see from these words Shulchan Aruch, only part of the Jewish people The chazzan told the gabbai that that Hakhel is in essence a reenactment of would accept his new version, despite his there is no such street. The gabbai ma’amad Har Sinai (standing at Mt. Sinai). irrefutable proofs, and it would thus split then asked him where he was. “Elad” Every seven years, when we had a Beis Klal Yisrael in two. The Hakhel-like quality was the chazzan’s reply. With a cry Hamikdash, the Jewish people would re- of the Shulchan Aruch, like Talmud Bavli, is of bewilderment, the gabbai shouted energize themselves and their commitment unique and only happens at certain times in out “we confirmed on Eilat, what are by reliving the giving of the Torah. our history. you doing in Elad?!” Apparently, during their original telephone conversation,

the gabbai said “Eilat,” and the chazzan Just as at the giving of the Torah, every man, heard “Elad.” woman, and child needed to be present at that A PARASHA Q 4 U moment of national destiny, so it is when we RABBI DOVID SPETNER The chazzan then said that since time recreate that experience. The entire nation was tight before Rosh Hashana, he needed to be present at Hakhel, including Moshe predicted the Jews would go would not be able to travel to Eilat. the children. The children have no personal “off the derech” at what point? The gabbai said that he must come obligation to be present, being only children, Bring this question to the Shabbos table yet the adults who bring them benefit by and see who knows the answer! L55 CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE p recreating the national Sinai experience.

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© 2019 CCK THE RABBI WAS ASKED GLIMPSES OF THE KOLLEL CONTINUED because they would be left without a chazzan or shofar blower for Rosh Hashana. The chazzan responded that had he originally known that the destination was Eilat, he would not have agreed to come for that price. Q Who is correct, and who must pay for the apartment? A If the chazzan is not hearing impaired, but rather misheard Elad instead of Eilat over the phone, he is considered an oneis (lit. forced), and he would be absolved of all responsibilities. (Perhaps he would be exempt even if he would be slightly hearing impaired.) However, if at all possible, it would be a great mitzvah for the chazzan to travel to Eilat in order for the congregation to have an appropriate chazzan, but he need not exert himself more than others would to travel there. Additionally, his traveling would mean his leaving what is biblically considered Israel, and he is not obligated to lose the advantage of the legendary mashgiach of the Eitz Chayim praying in Israel for Rosh Hashana. school, was standing with the man who was SCHEDULE FOR THE in charge of, among other things, the tea, and asked Yoel why he was not warming himself UPCOMING WEEKS: A LESSON up with a hot cup of tea. “I don’t like how it Sunday Selichos 7:20 am tastes,” Yoel answered. Reb Aryeh turned to LEARNED the man next to him and said, “Go get him a Monday Selichos 6:50 am Yoel was an orphan who lived at the Diskin cup of tea and I’ll pay for it myself.” “Didn’t Tuesday Erev Yom Kippur Selichos 7:00 am Orphanage in . It was recess time on a he just say that he doesn’t like tea?” the man chilly winter day at the Eitz Chayim elementary countered. “Is that what you heard? I heard Mincha Erev Yom Kippur 3:30 pm school, and while most boys were running something else. What he really was saying is Shachris Thursday 11 Tishrei 7:15 am around or drinking a cup of hot tea that they that he doesn’t even have the pennies to buy bought for a few pennies at the cafeteria, Yoel a cup of tea. One has to listen with his heart Shachris Chol Homoed 8:00 am seemed to be lost in space. Reb Aryeh Levin, and not only with his ears.”

BEYOND ELLIS ISLAND THE TRAILBLAZERS, TRIALS, & TRIUMPHS OF AMERICAN JEWRY RABBI MOSHE TZVI CRYSTAL As delivery of children with forceps became more common in the first half of the 20th century, the question was raised if the use of forceps would affect the mitzvah of pidyon haben. In order to redeem one’s first-born son thirty days after his birth, the baby’s birth must have been natural. This was normally understood to preclude a Caesarean birth, but now the question was if the use of forceps would also be considered a non-natural birth? Another possible issue was that the first-born son is referred to as thepeter rechem which means he is the “first of the womb.” In regard to the special that apply to a first-born kosher animal where the Torah uses the same terminology, the Talmud learns from those words that if something would be placed in between the womb and the animal being born, then the special laws would not apply. The question, therefore, was whether the same applied to a human birth? Would pidyon haben not be done because of the interference between child and womb? Responsa from several Rabbonim deal with these topics. Rabbi Avraham Aron Yudelevitz, then the Rav Hakollel of Boston, held that it would depend on when the forceps were used. If they were used after the baby’s head came out, then the child was already considered halachically born, and the forceps would not have any halachic ramifications. However, if they were used in extracting the head, then the child would not receive a piyon haben. Rabbi Binyomin Fleischer, the rabbi of the Beis Medrash Hagadol Synagogue on the lower east side of Manhattan, held that in all instances the pidyon haben should be done without a bracha. Rabbi was of the opinion that, in all instances, the pidyon haben should be done with a bracha. SOURCE: Schwartz, HaRav Gedalia Dov. Shaarei Gedulah. PP.229-230. Rabbinical Council. 2007.

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