Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev "   Volume XIII - Issue I The DRS Weekly Torah Publication

H A L B

 Opening Issue!!!  H A L B

This week’s issue of     Avraham’s Hidden Toughness is sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. By Yonatan Aivazi, 12th Grade Feivy Fuchs (see page 5).

וַיְהִי רָ עָב, בָָארֶ ץ; וַיֵּרֶ ד םַאבְרָ מִצְרַ יְמָה לָגּור שָם, כִי-כָבֵּד הָרָ עָב בָָארֶ ץ )23:21(

n this week‘s parasha, Avraham Avinu encounters a very severe famine

in the land of Israel and is forced to go down to Egypt. PARSHAS LECH LECHA 8 CHESHVAN, 5772 I NOVEMBER 5, 2011 The Me‘en Beit HaShoevah by Shimon Schwab asks a question All Zmanim are calculated by myzmanim.com for on the pasuk’s wording: If we just read in the beginning of the pasuk before- Woodmere, NY (11598) hand that there was a famine in the land, why is it necessary to say the reason Candle Lighting: 5:30 pm am 9:22 :קריאת שמע Latest Ends: 6:30 pm שבת ?why Avraham went down to Egypt again later

The Me‘en Beit HaShoevah answers that there is a lesson hidden in the pasuk to be learned from Avraham‘s behavior. Originally, when Avraham encountered the famine, he made up his mind that he would stay and settle the land that Hashem brought him to without complaining or running away from This week’s issue of To sponsor   an issue  of .וַיְהִי רָ עָב ,בָָארֶ ץ the challenge, even if it involved some pain in his life. That is  is sponsored  by But when the famine became so severe that it threatened his life, when it was email us at then he reluctantly decided to go down to Egypt to wait out ,כִי-כָבֵּד הָרָ עָב בָָארֶ ץ [email protected]

GourmetGlatt.com • 516.569.2662 (Continued on page 4) Getting Closer to Hashem By Aaron Rubel, 11th Grade

n this weeks Parsha, Parshat Lech Lecha, the pasuk says, ―Hashem said to Avram, ‗Go for yourself from your land, from your says Lech Lecha means for your pleasure andרש"י ‖‘.birthplace, and from your fathers house to the land that I will show you .wasn‘t interested in s’char, the reward, he just served Hashem out of loveאברהם :I for your benefit. The mefarshim ask on this becauseאברהם give this pshat that lech lecha means for your pleasures and benefits; this isn‘t shayich toרש"י Therefore, why does this doesn‘t even strike his interest?

advice on how to get closer to him. Whatאברהם The Nesivos Shalom has a beautiful answer to this. Hashem was giving that the onlyאברהם was this advice? ―To go from your land, from your birthplace, and your fathers house.‖ Hashem was showing real way to get closer to Him is to leave all worldly things. First, ―go from your land,‖ meaning leave all things that you dealt with that were connected to the land. Then ―from your birthplace and your fathers house,‖ meaning to leave all these worldly things that a person feels close to, because they are what we associate home with. After all, we all know ―there‘s no place like home,‖ so it‘s hard to give these things up, but Hashem was teaching Avraham that this is the only way. This fits in beautifully with why (Continued on page 5)

דברים היוצאים מן הל“ב 2 Torah Teasers By Moshe Erlbaum

פרשת לך לך

Questions Suffering for a Gift where else does Hashem ,פרשה Aside from this (1 Go for―"לְֶך־לְָך" - with the wordsאברהם command yourself‖? Hebrew‖? b) By Yoshi Block, 12th Grade―—"עִבְרִ י" called an אברם a) Where is (2 Who is the only other person in the Torah called an ?"עִבְרִ י" 3) a) Who was both a king and a priest? b) Who else in ?‖priest― - "כֹהֵּן" is called a called aספר בראשית butפרשה Which article of clothing appears in the (4 nowhere else in the Torah? “V’yomer Hashem Elokim Bamah Ayda Ki Arishena” ספר בראשית who else in,שרי and אברם a) Aside from (5 is given a new name? (3 answers) b) Who else in the Torah is given a new name? ―And [Avraham] said ‗My Master Hashem with what shall I 6) How can we derive from listening to an Ashkenazic know that I will inherit it?‘‖ (15:8) reading of the Torah that birds are not considered meat? There is an obvious question on this passuk. How Answers could it be that Avraham would ask such a question to Ha- shem? It seems incomprehensible that Avraham, whose emu- to sacrifice his nah in Hashem was so immense that he allowed himself to be אברהם when Hashem tells ,פרשת וירא In (1 And go―—"וְ לְֶך־לְָך אֶל־אֶרֶ ץ הַמֹּרִ יָה" He says ,קרבן son as a thrown into a furnace in Ur Kasdim and had willingly left his .(כב:ב) ‖to the land of Moriah ?of the homeland, had just asked Hashem for proof of His word אברם the refugee, informsפָּלִיט, a) When the (2 —"ַאבְרָ ם הָעִבְרִ י" is referred to as אברם ,לוט capture of It is the only place where he .(יד:יג) ‖Avram the Hebrew― is called this. b) The only other person who is called an The Oheiv Yisrael says that the answer lies in the meaning of the word “Ayda.” He says the word Ayda can פוטיפר by the wife of"עִבְרִ י" He is called an .יוסף is"עִבְרִ י" ,also mean to afflict. Therefore, Avraham is really asking שר and by the (לט:יד) after he refuses to lie with her toיוסף of the ability ofפרעה when he informsהמשקים -What suffering do I have to go through before I merit re― .(מא:יב) interpret dreams ceiving Eretz Yisrael?‖ Hashem answered that the Jews כֹהֵּן לְאֵּל ― and aשָלֵּם was both the king ofמַלְכִי־צֶדֶק (a (3 would suffer (Yadoa Taydah) in their galus in Mitzraim. This פרשת מקץ , b) In .(יד:יח) ‖a priest to the G-d above― - ‖עֶלְיוֹן who was the also fits in well with the Gemara in Berachos (5a) that statesפּוֹטִי פֶרַ ע the daughter ofאסנת marriesיוסף .(מא:מה) ‖priest of On― —"כֹהֵּן אֹן" that he will not even take a that Eretz Yisrael is one of the three gifts that Hahsem gaveסדם tells the king ofאברם (4 -the Jews that must be acquired through suffering. So, Av .(יד:כג) shoelace from the spoils of war is changed to raham is not asking Hashem for proof that he will acquireיעקב the name of ,פרשת וישלח a) (1) In (5 and by Hashem (לב:כט) he foughtמלאך both by theישראל is changed by Eretz Yisrael but rather asking what suffering he will have toיוסף the name of ,פרשת מקץ In (2) .(לה:י) .go through before receiving it יעקב the son of בנימין (3) .(מא:מה) צָפְנַת פַּעְנֵּחַ to beפרעה had his named changed as well. Upon his birth inרחל and then calls יעקב .בֶן־אוֹנִיhis mother names himפרשת וישלח !changes the name Good Shabbos משה ,פרשת שלח b) In .(לה:יח) בנימן him .(במדבר יג:טז) יהושע to הושע בן נון of In.‖וְאֶת־הַצִּפֹּר ֹלא בָתָר― the Torah states ,פרק טו פסוק ו In (6 שִׂין and the letterתָו Ashkenazic pronunciations, the letter !!!sounds like ―the bird is EXCITING NEWSפסוק sound identical, and thus the meat.‖ Obviously, the correct meaning of the ,בשר not The complete "“Torah Teasers" on ברית בין did not cut the birds in theאברם is thatפסוק while he did cut the other animals in half. the whole Torah is now available inהבתרים Additionally it should be pointed out that birds are not book form on Amazon.com (keyword considered meat only on a Torah level. They are consid- Torah Teasers). עיין שלחן ערוך יורה דעה ) ered meat on a Rabbinic level .(פז:א

Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 3

The Leader of the City

By Eli Guttman, 11th Grade

In this week‘s parsha, Lech Lecha, we are introduced to our forefather, Avraham. Avraham is the first person in history to stop and realize that there is a Creator to the world. The gives the analogy of a person walking along a highway who comes to a city that is on fire. He says to himself, ―This city must have had a builder! Now it‘s on fire… where is the leader of this city? It is impossible to have a city without a leader.‖ So too, it is impossible to have a complex and beautiful world without a Creator. This is what Avraham realized and brought to the world. The Midrash goes on to say that once Avraham came to this conclusion that ―There must be a Leader to this ‗city,‖‘ that is when Hashem turned to him and said, ―I am the Leader of this ‗city.‘‖ Meaning, ―I am the Creator and Maintainer of this world.‖ First, Avraham realized there must be one God who created the world, and then Hashem spoke to him, revealed to him all the secrets of the creation, and established with him a close relationship. When did this Avraham reach this new conclusion? The first verse of the parsha tells us: ―Hashem said to Avram, ‗Go for yourself from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father‘s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.‘‖ (Bereishit 12:1-4) Although Hashem speaks to Avram now, in this verse, before he left to go to Israel, we see that Hashem says go to the land that ―I will show you.‖ Meaning, that once you get to the Land of Israel I will show you new things, new insights, and new levels of understanding Me and the nature of the world. This is exactly what happened when Avraham arrived in Shichem; we are told: ―Hashem appeared to Avram and said, ‗To your offspring I will give this land‘‖ (Bereishit 12:7). That is when this new connection started. We have one last question to ask: What were these new levels of insight? What were these incredible levels that our forefather Avraham, the founder of Monotheism, the author of Sefer Yetzira (one of the deepest and most sacred texts we have), reached? What is it that Hashem revealed to him? The answer is in the verses we have already brought: ―Go to the land that I will show you‖, ―Hashem appeared to Avram‖. When you see something you know it is true. Nothing is as true as something that you have seen. Once you see it, it‘s a fact. It exists. You see your hand in front of your face and know it is there. Hashem revealed to Avraham that He ex- ists, and that He is all existence. It was clear to Avraham. It was a fact. It was existence. Our forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, are the foundation of our people. What they achieved became our spiritual DNA. Each of them developed and excelled in a different area of understanding Hashem and His world, and passed that on to us. Avraham was first: He realized and came to absolute clarity in the recognition that there is One Creator to this world, and that all existence comes from Him. He is all existence. That clarity and vision lies within each of us. If a person were to look within himself, he would find it there. For generations, when the Jewish people were faced with a choice be- tween and death, they chose death. To them, it wasn‘t even a choice. Judaism was not just a nice way of living, or rewarding, or whatever the other reasons that motivates us to keep the mitzvot. Those may be true, but it is more than that. It is existence. It is the spiritual physics of the world. It is a fact. To our loss, in the last few hundred years this has been lost to a great extent. But until then and throughout our en- tire history, these things were clear. Avraham made them clear for us, and that clarity is planted deep within each one of us. One just needs to look within and realize who he really is, and this will lead him to the conclusion that there is no city without a leader. And then, the ―Leader‖ of this great city will turn to each of us and say, ―Ani hu baal habira – I am the Leader of this city.‖

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

Written by Tal Segal

דברים היוצאים מן הל“ב 4

is completely burnt – that is the minchas , the ―UMalki Tzedek melech shaleim hotzi lechem vayayin vihu ko- korban mincha that a kohen brings. Rav Horowitz explains that hen likail elyon.‖ the order of our pasuk in parshas Lech Lecha is correct. Our pasuk says, ―Umalki tzedk melech shalem hotzi lechem vayayin ―And Malki Tzedek the king of Shalem brought out bread and – and Malki Tzedek the king of Shalem brought out bread and wine and he was a priest to the G-d who is up high.‖ (14:18) wine.‖ Now you may ask, shouldn‘t the wine be listed before the bread? Therefore the pasuk comes to answer, ―Vihu Kohen Likail The Gaon Rav Yitzchak Horowitz asks on this pasuk, Elyon‖ – since he was a Kohen to Hashem who is up high, his why does the pasuk tell us that Malki Tzedek brought out bread mincha would be completely burnt on the mizbaiach. It is there- and wine before it identifies who Malki Tzedek was? The pasuk fore appropriate for the bread to be listed before the wine. should say that Malki Tzedek, the king of Shalem, a priest of G-d The Ba‘al Pischei Shearim suggests another reason as to why the who is up high, brought out bread and wine! The order of our word ―lechem‖ precedes the word ―yayin‖ in our pasuk in Parshat pasuk seems illogical. Once we know who the character is that Lech Lecha. we are talking about, we can then understand the action that he The gemara in maseches Ta‘anis contains the following did. statement: Rav Horowitz explains that Malki Tzedek was really ―Why are the laws of a nazir juxtaposed with the laws of a Kohen Shem, the son of Noach. The order of the pasuk is coming to who does birchas Kohanim? The gemara derives that just like a make a reference to the Bnei Yisrael, the descendants of Shem. nazir is prohibited from drinking wine, also a Kohen who does The bread and wine that Malki Tzedek brought out signifies the birchas kohanim is forbidden to drink an alcoholic beverage.‖ nesachim of wine and the korban minchos of bread that the Jews However, the gemara Yerushalmi in P‘sachim says that would one day bring to the Bais Hamikdash. someone who consumes wine with bread will not become intoxi- However, if the bread and wine that Malki Tzedek cated. Therefore, a kohen who does birchas kohanim may drink brought indeed refers to the nesachim and karbon minchos of the wine with bread. Bais Hamikdash, the order of the pasuk is still problematic. We From these gemaras we can now understand a second know that a korban that is brought completely on the mizbaiach is way to interpret our pasuk in parshat Lech Lecha. ―UMalki more holy than a korban in which only part of it is brought onto Tzedek melech shalem hotzi lechem vayayin – and Malki Tzedek the mizbaiach. This is learned out from the fact that in Sefer the king of shalem brought out bread and wine.‖ ―Vihu kohen Vayikra, the olah (which is brought completely on the mizbaiach) likail elyon – and he was a priest to the G-d who is up high.‖ You is listed before the korban chatas (which only part of it is brought might ask: if Malki Tzedek was a Kohen, why was he permitted on the mizbaiach). However, according to this rule the wine in to drink wine? The pasuk answers that he brought out bread and our pasuk in Lech Lecha should be listed before the bread. The wine. Even though normally a Kohen would be forbidden to pasuk should say, ―UMalki Tzedek melech shalem hotzi yayin drink wine, since he was drinking it with bread it was permitted. valechem,‖ for the nesachim are holier than the menachos be- The pasuk underscores this by listing the bread before the wine as cause the nesachim are brought completely on the mizbaiach and if to say that the only reason why Malki Tzedek was allowed to only a small part of the menaachos, the kemitza, is brought on the drink the wine was because he was drinking it while eating bread. mizbaiach. Rav Horowitz answers that there is one mincha in which Have a good Shabbos! not only is the kemitza brought on the mizbaiach, rather the entire

(Yonatan Aivazi—Continued from page 1) the famine and return to the land at his first opportunity. We can learn from Avraham‘s resilience and acceptance of challenges, whether it be fighting the pain to stay to the best of his ability in the land of Israel or standing up to the rest of the world, to follow Hashem no mat- ter the cost.

Shabbat Shalom! Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 5

(Aaron Rubel — Continued from page 1) (Stories of Greatness — Continued from page 10) says lech lecha means to your pleasures and benefits, because this was Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw itרש"י for Avraham‘s benefit and pleasure. Hashem was showing him how to get on a high arc to right field, far and wide beyond the closer to him, which is exactly what Avraham wanted. What greater pleas- first baseman's reach. Everyone started yelling, ure is there than getting closer to Hashem? We have a great proof that this "Shaya, run to first! Shaya, run to first!" Never in his works, from the pasuk that says ―Hashem said to Avram, ‗After you have life had Shaya run to first. separated from Lot, raise your eyes and look out from where you are: north- He scampered down the baseline wide eyed ward, southward, eastward, and westward. For all the land that you see, to and startled. By the time he reached first base, the you I will give it, and to your descendants forever.‘‖ Hashem said straight- right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman who would tag out Shaya, out: now that you have separated yourself from Lot, you are zocheh to all who was still running. But the rightfielder understood the land. We see how only after leaving worldly matters and all the bad what the pitcher's intentions were, so he threw the things can we get closer to Hashem. ball high and far over the third baseman's head, as everyone yelled, "Shaya, run to second! Shaya, run to We can really learn a valuable lesson from this, especially because second." if Hashem is teaching it to us, then it must be good. In order for us to grow Shaya ran towards second base as the run- in our avodas Hashem, we must first leave all worldly matters. You may all ners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases to- be thinking, ―Ok this is just an old message, I‘ve heard that one before,‖ but wards home. As Shaya reached second base, the op- it is really the only way it works; is it just a phenomenon that people go to posing shortstop ran towards him, turned him towards Israel and miraculously get closer to Hashem? Do they just need to go and the direction of third base and shouted, "Shaya, run to not do anything? No, they need to give up things, but in the long run, they third!" see that it‘s worth it. We are all Jews, and as Jews, our life goal is to get As Shaya rounded third, the boys from both teams closer to Hashem. As Hashem is teaching us, this is the best way to do it. I ran behind him screaming, "Shaya, run home! Shaya, am not saying you need to become totally isolated from everyone, though run home!" some would say that‘s the only way to do it, but it needs a balance. The Shaya ran home, stepped on home plate and Nesivos Shalom says how it is impossible for inyani olem hazeh and ruch- all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made nius things to coincide within one person. It‘s clear that we need to sacri- him the hero, as he had just hit the "grand slam" and fice certain things to get closer to Hashem. Now it‘s up to us to see how won the game for his team. important that is to us. May we all take this message to heart and get closer "That day," said the father who now had to Hashem, and through this may we be zocheh to having our tefilos an- tears rolling down his face, "those 18 boys reached their level of perfection. They showed that it is not swered and seeing Moshiach, the time when we will all have a much closer only those who are talented that should be recog- relationship with Hashem, come soon. nized, but also those who have less talent. They too are human beings, they too have feelings and emo- -tions, they too are people, they too want to feel im !!שבת Have an awesome portant."

This week’s issue of     is sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Feivy and Paula Fuchs, in honor of their HaKaras HaTov to all of the following boys for all of their help: Yaakov Abittan Dani Scheinman Jeremy Barth Yitzie Scheinman Avi Genachowski Moshe Spirn Max Hirschfeld Chili Szlafrok Yaakov Kaminetzky Zachary Weiss Eli Lonner Andrew Zucker Zev Miller Thank you, Paula and Feivy Fuchs

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דברים היוצאים מן הל“ב 6 HALACHA Corner סנדקאות בברית מילה By Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz בראשית רבה פרשה מז אות Theפרשת לך לך. I. Introduction. In this week‘s parsha we read about Medrash on states that when Avraham circumcised theז' Avraham undergoing a bris milah, which for a man his age was an extremely painful and dangerous pro- members of his household (this probably refers to cedure. Many of the concepts and halachos of bris Avraham‘s thousands of followers) he piled up the milah are derived from the original bris of Avraham foreskins into a small mountain. When the sun shone Avinu. This week, we will discuss the concept of the on them, the seemingly putrid aroma was as pleasant There are several halachicקטרת. sandek‖ at a bris. The sandek is the person who to God as the― holds the baby on his lap during the actual bris milah ramifications to this equation between serving as san- Theבית המקדש. procedure and is considered the highest honor that dek and burning the incense in the can be accorded to somebody at a bris. One of the following is a list of issues that may relate to the con- קטרת: distinguishing characteristics of a Jewish milah is nection between a sandek and דרכי משה יו"ד סימן רסה ס"ק יא בשם מהריל that the child is held in the warm embrace of a loved 1. The writes that a sandek isריש הלכות מילה ,one rather than on a cold operating table. Indeed Chazal identify the very first Sandek in history as considered to have a greater obligation to ,than even the mohelעליה לתורה none other than God Himself, who played a comfort- receive an ing role in the bris that Avraham administered on because the sandek is considered to have קטרת. himself. brought the writes in theרמ"א יו"ד סימן רסה סעיף יא II. Source for the Advantage. There are several sources 2. The that indicate that the role of sandek is both a great name of the Maharil that one should not source of merit as well as something that was tradi- serve as a sandek on two different children. גמרא יומא This is based on a comment of the מדרש תהלים tionally done by great people. First, the The gemara saysקטרת. in relation to theכו. states, as noted above, that God was the firstסימן לה sandek because Avraham was afraid to do the bris on that the same kohein wouldn‘t do the ketores קטרת himself and Hashem held him in place and became twice because the performance of the service has the power to make somebody תרגום יונתן בן עוזיאל בראשית his sandek. Second, the wealthy. Similarly, the Maharil argues, one גם בני מכיר בן " writes that when the torah statesנ:כג it means to say that Yosef was should not honor the same person to serve asמנשה יולדו על ברכי יוסף" the sandek for Menashe‘s children, perhaps the earli- a sandek twice because we would prefer to est source for having a grandfather serve as a sandek. spread the wealth. It should be noted that challenges the Maharil on theגר"א רסה:מו the כל עצמותי תאמרנה, writesילקוט שמעוני פרק לה ,Finally שלא ראינו סנדק מתעשר" – " grounds that אמר הקב"ה לדוד מה אתה עושה? אמר לו אני משבחך בכל אברי anecdotal evidence suggests that those who בראש אני מניח תפילין בשערי לא תקיפו בירכי אני עושה -God asked Dovid serve as sandek do not experience any newסנדיקוס לילדים בשעת מילה ופריעה. what he was doing. Dovid responded ―I am praising found wealth. Several answers have been you with all of my limbs – I place tefillin on my suggested to address this comment of the חתם סופר )שו"ת או"ח head, I do not round off my haircut, with my lap I . First, the writes that it is possible that the sinsסימן קנח( serve as a sandek for children while they undergo their bris milah‖. of a sandek prevent the blessing of wealth One of the central from taking effect. Second, the Mekorקטרת. III.Source for it being like concepts related to the sandek that is discussed by the Chessed cites the Meor Einayim who ex- עשר leading torah authorities is that the sandek on some plains that the guarantee Chazal have give tzedaka in order that youבשביל שתתעשר ) level is considered like a person who has burned the (The source of this concept is a (Continued on page 7מקדש. in theקטרת Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 7 HALACHA Corner Continued

(Continued from page 6) he weaned Yitzchak. Our understand should become wealthy) is fulfilled by a per- that it was the day of five plus three when son being blessed with the character trait of Yitzchak was circumcised, which is the eight contentment with what you have, which is day‖. Apparently the practice to celebrate a the true definition of wealth. Third, Rav bris with a festive meal should be limited to the calendar day of the bris itself, and not the תשובות והנהגות א:תקפד Moshe Shternbuch explains that wealth is not only with money, following night. However, given our under- but with God nullifying any negative decrees standing of the relationship between a bris perhaps we can explain thisקטרת and with blessings being conferred on his and practice. Although the Jewish calendar day חיד"א )פתח עינים יומא דף family. Finally, the theבית המקדש writes that the level of wealth one typically starts at night, in theכו( קדשים הלילה הולך experiences may have a direct correlation day is reversed. Since by having the meal on the followingאחר היום with the level of love expressed in doing the . night actually fulfills the requirement of hav- 3. The Rama cites further from the Maharil that ing the meal on the right day. he would go to the mikvah prior to serving 5. We may also suggest that the widespread -the practice to perform a bris milah in a shul reדרכי משה, as a tzadik. However, in his -lates to its status as a korban. The shul is de חומרא בעלמא הוא ואין נוהגין כן – Rama writes this is an unnecessary stringency and is not fined as a ―miniature beis hamik- dash‖ (Gemara Megila 29a), an ideal place to ברכי יוסף our practice. However the Chida, in .encourages the practice of immersing bring a korbanאות יח cites a disputeספר ברית אבות סימן ה' אות יז prior to serving as a sandek. R‘ Yehuda Ha- 6. The chasid relates a very odd story that may whether a minor may serve as a sandek. On serve as a source for this minhag to immerse the one hand, if we view bestowing the honor of sandek in a similar manner to choosing ספר חסידים סימן .prior to serving as a sandek which kohein to give terumah to, a child מעשה באשה אחת שרחצה שני בניה :relatesתז would be a suitable sandek just as one can והטביע האחד את חבירו ונדרה אמו שלא לרחוץ ביום תוס' פסחים דף פט(. give him terumah(see ההוא פעם אחת היתה בעלת ברית ורחצה ומתה – writes that aרמ"א )יו"ד סימן שצג סעיף ג'( There was a story with a woman who was 7. The bathing her two sons and one of them mourner during shiva is permitted to serve as שדי חמד )מער' אבלות אות מח( drowned the other, whereupon the woman a sandek. The committed never to bathe on the anniversary explains that a mourner may not attend the of the death. One year she was honored with festive meal celebrating the bris but may ac- an active role in a bris milah so she bathed tively participate in the mitzvah itself even and died as a result of violating her commit- though it is a mitzvah that is done with great ment. Apparently it was the common prac- joy. Since the joy is not a physical joy and tice to bathe on the day that one would par- does not involve any lightheaded behavior, a ticipate in a bris milah. mourner is not precluded from participating. ,howeverהגהות יד שאול )יו"ד סימן שצג(, records that in many Theמגן אברהם או"צ קלא:יא .4 places they have the practice to eat the festive suggests that a mourner should not serve as a meal on the night after the milah. This prac- sandek because a kohein who is a mourner קטרת. tice seems erroneous because the source for may not offer אות שלום להרבי ממונקאטש סימן רסה אות כז a. The ויעש " the holding a festive meal is the derasha -points out that a mourner should be discour אברהם משתה גדול ביום הגמל את יצחק" ואמרו aged from serving as a sandek because he is במדרש ביום ה' ג' מל את יצחק דהיינו ביום השמיני – ―And Avraham made a great party on the day (Continued on page 8)

דברים היוצאים מן הל“ב 8 HALACHA Corner Continued

(Continued from page 7) repeatedly. ערוך השולחן רסה:לד andבאור הגר"א רסה:מו not permitted to sit on a regular chair. The 3. The Munkatcher concludes that although suggest that the real reason is more mystical in ר' יהודה החסיד. it is difficult to argue with earlier and more nature and based on comments of suggests that the practiceברכי יוסף authoritative sources who permit a mourner 4. Finally, the to be a sandek, we have never heard of any- is an attempt to show extra love and affection body allowing it and should maintain our for this mitzvah by trying to involve as many custom to be stringent on this issue. people as possible. -writes that the sandek should not B. The exact parameters of the limitation may deספר זכר דוד The .8 do work the day of the bris because it is a mi- pend on which reason one chooses to explain nor holiday for him. He provides support for why the same person cannot serve as sandek .that states that a twiceתלמוד ירושלמי this from the person should not do work on the day he brings 1. The Beis Hillel (commentary to Shulchan his korbanos. Aruch) writes that a sandek can serve several 9. There is a widespread practice in Sefardic com- times for different families. The minhag is just munities for the sandek to bless people. Many that within each family the same sandek should נודע of the attendees line up after the bris to receive not be used twice. This conforms to the s understanding of the custom as theביהודה’ a blessing from the sandek. This may be related to the role of sandek as a kohen who brought prohibition to give all of your terumah to a sin- the ketores. Just as a kohen has the unique obli- gle kohein is only on each individual. There is gation to bless the Jewish people, the custom no halacha that discourages a kohein from re- developed that the sandek too should bless peo- ceiving terumah from many different people. ple. However, according to Maharil it should not IV. Serving as sandek more than once. Rama, as noted, matter whether it is from one or many families קטרת. says not to give the same person twice. due to the parallel to שו"ת חת"ס או"ח א:קנח andערוך השולחן רסה:לד A. There are several reasons offered for this limita- 2. The tion: point to the fact that there are many communi- 1. The Maharil cited by the Rama explains that this ties where the Rav is always the sandek. This mentioned earlier would certainly work with the explanation ofקטרת relates to the parallel to may takeכהן גדול in this essay. the Maharil because just as a as often as heקטרת rejects the the job of burning theנודע ביהודה מהדו"ק סימן פו The .2 suggestion of the Maharil. The entire source for would like, so too the rabbi of the community may only relate to is in a position that allows him to be sandek asקטרת the milah relating to Hashem‘s joy in the performance of the mitz- often as he wants. However, if the custom is vah, and not to the segulah or wealth that modeled after the distribution of terumah, there comes from the mitzvah. In fact a careful read- should be no exceptions made for people of ing of the gemara in Yoma indicates that the high stature. writes that aיד שאול to confer wealth is a result 3. On the other hand theקטרת ability of the of the rarity of the privilege. It would therefore family member may be honored as sandek mul- seem that a bris milah which the Jewish people tiple times. This exception is based on the te- do hundreds of times each day would carry no ruma disbursement model, which allows for a such segulah. Instead, the Noda B‘yehuda sug- person to give all of his teruma to a kohein who שו"ת חכם צבי סימן עד(. gests that the custom not to repeat relates to the he is very close with (see suggestion of Chazal not to give all teruma to a If, however, the custom is based on the rela- it wouldn‘t seem to matterקטרת single kohein. Similarly, one may not give the tionship to opportunity of being sandek to the same person (Continued on page 9) Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 9 HALACHA Corner Continued

writes that the grandfather ofלקט יושר .Continued from page 8) be chosen) whether the potential repeat sandek is a family the baby should be given precedence over the member or not. great grandfather, but he notes that the custom is -writes that certain cities to have the great grandfather serve as sandek beשו"ת בית דוד סימן קכב .4 don‘t allow a single person to be sandek twice cause ―people say‖ that one who serves as a san- in one year but after a year allow for a second dek for his great grandson will be spared from records varying customs as toברית אבות Theגהינם. sandek opportunity. This would seem to work with neither the Maharil nor the Noda B‘Yehu- whether the maternal or paternal grandfather da. However, perhaps if the basis for the cus- should be given preference for the first bris in the tom is kabbalistic or as a show of love for the family. He concludes that in the event of a dis- יראת mitzvah a statute of limitations would be a pos- pute, the relative with the greatest sense of should be chosen. (Of course, this too mayשמים .sibility (!be a matter of dispute נודע C. How strong is the source for this custom? The -writes that this entire practice B. The Rama writes that a woman should not be choביהודה מהדו"ק סימן פו פריצות. is not halachic in nature as there is no source in sen to serve as sandek out of concern for pointsשו"ת דברי מלכיאל ח"ד סימן פו ,the for any such limitation. Therefore, he Furthermore concludes this custom should not be viewed as a out that if we view the sandek as a participant in firmly established principal and many great Jews the milah a woman should not serve as sandek do not concern themselves with this limitation. since she cannot perform the milah under normal V. Who should be chosen? As we have mentioned earli- circumstances. If we preclude anybody who is not er, Chazal have identified God as the first sandek, permitted to perform the milah from being sandek, and such great Jewish leaders as Menashe and we may assume that a should also not be Dovid as people who served in the capacity of san- chosen to serve as sandek. writes thatפרי מגדים או"ח סימן תקפה משב"ז אות י' C. The רמ"א רסד:א dek. It is therefore no surprise that the .the mohel should not also serve as the sandek ויש לאדם לחזר ולהדר אחר מוהל ובעל ברית היותר " writes ,one should look for and prefer a mohel Several reasons are offered for this ruling. Firstטוב וצדיק" – “ and bris participant who is exceptionally good and the Beis Yosef (8) writes that one should recite -is the mohel berachos on mitzvos while standing, and the sanטוב" " righteous‖. Some explain that שו"ת מהר"ם שיק או"ח סימן סד ,whose proficiency at the performing the procedure dek has to sit. Second -is a reference to the sandek cites others who say it is a violation of the prohibiצדיק" " is critical, and whose righteousness qualify him for the job. The tion of doing mitzvos ―in bundles‖. (The Maharam explains that we want Eliyahu to Shick himself rejects this reason because it is allאור זרוע הלכות מילה ספר אוצר הברית פרק ג' הערה ,be comfortable sitting next to the sandek so we one mitzvah). Finally that theספר זכר דוד מאמר א' פט"ו quotes fromכד .choose somebody who is particularly righteous A. Family Members. The obligation to give a child a mohel is said to have the mazel of blood and kill- whereas the sandek is inגמרא שבת קנו.(, bris milah is one that falls on the shoulders of the ing (see .which lengthens a person‘s lifeמזבח father of the baby. When a father is incapable of place of the The contradiction in character is not a healthy mix שו"ת דברי מלכיאל ,performing the bris by himself .suggests that at the very least he should for the bris milah procedureח"ד סימן פו serve as the sandek so that he can be of help dur- VI. Conclusion. As with most Jewish life cycle events, ing the actual milah and gain a partial fulfillment the celebration of a bris milah is laden with mean- of the mitzvah of performing the bris. In the event ingful customs and laws. It is my hope that this es- that the father does not want to take the honor for say will help us appreciate the depth and meaning himself and would like to choose a family member of a single custom, thereby enhancing our appreci- as sandek, there is considerable discussion ation of all Jewish customs. amongst the poskim which family member should

10 דברים היוצאים מן הל“ב PUBLICATION STAFF

STORIES OF GREATNESS Editors in Chief Avrumi Blisko TOLD OVER BY: MARC EICHENBAUM Dani Scheinman

As this year's Maggid, I would like to share stories on son was chosen in, it would give him a comfortable Associate Editors a wide range of topics, time periods, and hashkafic sense of belonging. Yitzie Scheinman Benjamin Watman beliefs. If you have any suggestions, comments, or cri- Shaya's father approached one of the boys in layout editors tiques please feel free to email me at mheichen- the field and asked, "Do you think my Shaya could get [email protected]. This story, entitled "Baseball He- into the game?" Shmulie Gutenmacher rabbinic articles roes" by Rabbi Paysach Krohn, is taken from The boy looked around for guidance from his www.innernet.org: teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own Yonatan Mehlman student articles In Brooklyn, New York, Chush is a school hands and said, "We are losing by six runs and the that caters to learning-disabled children. Some chil- game is already in the eighth inning. I guess he can be Production Staff dren remain in Chush for their entire school careers, on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the Andrew Mermelstein while others can be mainstreamed into conventional ninth inning." director of production Jewish schools. There are a few children who attend Shaya's father was ecstatic as Shaya smiled broadly. Josh Wein Chush for most of the week and go to a regular school Shaya was told to put on a glove and go out to play Nisan Basalilov on Sundays. short center field. Jeremy Bienenfeld production staff At a Chush fund-raising dinner, the father of In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shaya's Authors/סופרים a Chush child delivered a speech that would never be team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the the bottom of the ninth inning, Shaya's team scored Benny Aivazi school and its dedicated staff, he cried out, "Where is again - and now with two outs and the bases loaded Yonatan Aivazi David Beer the perfection in my son Shaya? Everything that God and the potential winning runs on base, Shaya was Yoshi Block does is done with perfection. But my child cannot un- scheduled to be up. Would the team actually let Shaya Elly Deutsch derstand things as other children do. My child cannot bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win Ezra Dweck Yehuda Fogel remember facts and figures as other children do. the game? Michael Frolinger Where is God's perfection?" Surprisingly, Shaya was told to take a bat and try to Max Fruchter The audience was shocked by the question, get a hit. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible, Andrew Goldstein Ari Gutenmacher pained by the father's anguish, and stilled by his pierc- for Shaya didn't even know how to hold the bat David Gutenmacher ing query. properly, let alone hit with it. However as Shaya Eli Guttman "I believe," the father answered, "that when stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved in a few Ian Hawk Aryeh Helfgot God brings a child like this into the world, the perfec- steps to lob the ball in softly so Shaya should at least Yehuda Inslicht tion that He seeks is in the way people react to this be able to make contact. Yoni Kadish child." The first pitch came in and Shaya swung David Lauer Andrew Levine He then told the following story about his son clumsily and missed. One of Shaya's teammates came Eli Lonner Shaya: up to Shaya and together they held the bat and faced Moshe Lonner Shaya attends Chush throughout the week and the pitcher waiting for the next pitch. The pitcher again Ezra Magder Yosef Naiman a boy's yeshiva (Torah institute) on Sundays. One Sun- took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Gavi Nelson day afternoon, Shaya and his father came to the yeshi- Shaya. Jonathan Perlman va as his classmates were playing baseball. The game As the next pitch came in, Shaya and his Shmulie Reichman Moishy Rothman was in progress and as Shaya and his father made their teammate swung the bat and together they hit a slow Aaron Rubel way towards the ballfield, Shaya said, "Do you think ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the Ariel Sacknovitz you could get me into the game?" soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to Yigal Saperstien Avrumi Schonbrun Shaya's father knew his son was not at all the first baseman. Shaya would have been out and that Yoel Schrier athletic, and that most boys would not want him on would have ended the game. Alex Selesny their team. But Shaya's father understood that if his (Continued on page 5) Donny Steinberg Jesse Steinmetz Chili Szlafrok Jeremy Teichman David Weitzman Matanya Yehonatan The DRS Yeshiva High School For Boys Maggid of DRS 700 Ibsen Street, Woodmere, NY 11598 Marc Eichenbaum

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