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PARSHA INSIGHTS by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair

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PARSHA INSIGHTS by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair SHABBAT PARSHAT SHLACH LECHA 22 IYAR 5779 – JUNE 22 2019 VOL. 26 NO. 39 *In Israel: Shlach Lecha is read this week and Korach next week *Outside of Israel: Beha’alotcha is read this week and Shlach Lecha next week PARSHA INSIGHTS by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair The Forty-Day Trippers “Moshe sent them forth…at G-d’s command; they were all distinguished men; heads of the Children of Israel…” (13:3) There are two ways you can go through life: as a tourist or Moreover, before the spies set out, the Torah emphasizes as an inspector that they were all great people, righteous to a man. A tourist goes looking to be impressed. An inspector goes Why, then, were the people punished en masse, and what looking for trouble. corrupted these great men? As a child, few things were more impressive than the In principle, G-d was not opposed to the spies entering the prospect of a day-trip to the seaside. Off we would go from Land, as we see from the subsequent foray of Yehoshua Fenchurch Street Station in a bright red carriage. Even the and Calev. However, the trip of the spies to Eretz Yisrael wheels of the train seemed to echo our excitement. “Going was supposed to be no more than an excursion, sufficient to the sea, to the sea, to the sea, the sea, the sea…” they to breathe the holy air of the Land, absorb its sanctity, and chattered away incessantly. return refreshed and invigorated. At the beginning of their And at the end of an endless day we would return, red as journey the spies were untainted. They had embarked on lobsters, clutching our treasures: sea shells that spoke of an appropriate enterprise sanctioned by G-d. ancient mariners, starfishes that would languish in some It was the people who wanted the Land checked out, not saucer over the sink until they would putrefy. And, of the scouts. They were not content that these spies be mere course, the mandatory stick of rock proudly proclaiming its day-trippers returning with a few souvenirs and glowing heritage “Southend” imprinted into its very heart. memories. There’s a lot to be said for being a tourist. It’s certainly They wanted an inspection. better than being an inspector. They wanted “chapter and verse,” an in-depth survey: Is the An entire generation of the Jewish People perished as the Land fertile or barren? Is it possible to make a living? Are result of the incident of the spies. the locals going to be difficult to deal with? Ostensibly, however, it’s difficult to reconcile the These are things that G-d decides, not man. punishment with the crime. True, the Jewish People The demands of the nation set up the spies to stumble and showed a lack of trust in G-d’s ability to bring them safely fall. Therefore, when G-d’s anger flared, it encompassed the into the Land, but that was only after the spies caused entire nation, and it found itself on the longest day-trip in panic amongst the people with their negative report. history — forty years, each year corresponding to the forty- day trip of the spies. www.ohr.edu 1 TALMUD TIPS by Rabbi Moshe Newman Beha’alotcha: Erchin 2-8 ZIMUN FOR WOMEN “Women make a mezuman for themselves.” n this beraita on our daf, Rashi and Tosefot explain that three The Maharal of Prague explains the significance of the number or more women who ate together may make a mezuman for three as being the “minimum of a multitude” that combine to Ithemselves, but a woman who ate with two men will not form a single unit. We see this in geometry. If one takes one or serve to complete the minimum required number of three two straight lines he cannot join them together to produce a people eating together that is needed to form a quorum for the closed form. However, with three lines he can make a triangle — a mitzvah of zimun. The reason for this inability to combine, they closed unit. explain, is that the texts of the Birkat Hamazon for women and men are different. The Birkat Hamazon for men contains two In Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 199:7 the halacha states: elements that are not said by women since they are not relevant “Women may make a mezuman for themselves (i.e. they are not to women: the mitzvah of brit milah and the allotment of the obligated to do so but have permission to do so). But when Land of Israel that G-d gave to our Forefathers as an inheritance. women meet together with (a mezuman of) men, they are The Mishna Berurah, however, states a different reason: women obligated in the mitzvah of zimun.” What is the reason for zimun and men do not combine for this purpose since Chazal did not being merely permitted when they eat by themselves, as opposed command women to make a mezuman; and even if they would to being an obligation when they eat with at least three men? want to complete the required number for making a mezuman with men, this combining in order to constitute a basic unit for Two reasons are offered. One reason is that Chazal did not want zimun is not considered an appropriate union. (Orach Chaim to impose upon them the obligation for zimun when they eat by 199:6:12) themselves because it was not certain that they would be sufficiently expert in the knowledge of the beracha of zimun. It appears evident that the Mishna Berurah offers a different (Despite the quality of education for women having reason than the one stated by Rashi and Tosefot since the immeasurably improved since the time of initial decree of the halacha is that both men and women in fact say the very same mitzvah, there has been no change in the status of the application text for the berachot of Birkat Hamazon despite the two factual of this halacha.) A second reason for women not having an differences mentioned by Rashi and Tosefot. obligation on their own involves the halacha that the preferred manner for saying Birkat Hamazon when three people eat A few words of introduction to the mitzvah of zimun: When three together is to say it over a cup of wine. (O. C. 182:1) Halacha or more people have eaten together they become obligated in the considers it inappropriate for a woman to be drinking a cup of mitzvah of zimun. One person of the group leads the others, wine in this manner. inviting them in a prescribed manner to say Birkat Hamazon together. The group’s leader is known as the mezamen — “the one However, when women have eaten with a mezuman of men they who invites.” The group is called a mezuman. are truly obligated in the mitzvah of zimun. When there is a mezuman of men there is no longer an issue of doubt as to According to most authorities the mitzvah of zimun was instituted whether the leader will know the text of the beracha of zimun and by our Sages and is not a mitzvah of the Torah. also a man will hold and drink the cup of wine. Some forty years ago I heard from Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg (zatzal) that What is the reason for this mitzvah? In general, a person can when a woman has eaten with a mezuman of men, thus having a make a beracha for someone else only if they form a single unit — zimun obligation, it is important for the men to be sensitive to as if they are one body. There is a very special pleasure derived by her obligation. This entails an obligation on them to call for her the diners when eating together as a group of three, a pleasure if she is busy away from the table when they are ready to say the that binds them together as if they were one body. Therefore, it is beracha of zimun, and they also wait a reasonable amount of time correct that they also give praise to G-d in gratitude for their for her to return so that she may fulfill her obligation along with sustenance in this same combined manner of togetherness. them — an obligation that is identical to theirs. Erchin 3a www.ohr.edu 2 PARSHA Q & A Questions 1. Why is the portion about the meraglim written 14. Calev and Yehoshua praised Eretz Canaan and tried immediately after the portion about Miriam's tzara'at? to assure the people that they could be victorious. 2. To what was Moshe referring when he asked the How did the people respond? meraglim "Are there trees in the land"? 15. "How long shall I bear this evil congregation?" G-d is 3. Who built Hebron? referring to the 10 meraglim who slandered the Land. 4. Which fruits did the meraglim bring back? What halacha do we learn from this verse? 5. How many people carried the grape cluster? 16. How is the mitzvah of challa different from other 6. Why did G-d shorten the meraglim's journey? mitzvot associated with Eretz Yisrael? 7. Why did the meraglim begin by saying the land is 17. What is the minimum amount of challa to be given to "flowing with milk and honey"? a kohen according to Torah Law? Rabbinic Law? 8. Why did the meraglim list Amalek first among the 18. Verse 15:22 refers to what sin? How does the text hostile nations they encountered? indicate this? 9.
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