Toronto Torah Yeshiva University Torah Mitzion Beit Midrash Zichron Dov
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בס“ד Toronto Torah Yeshiva University Torah MiTzion Beit Midrash Zichron Dov Parshat Toldot 29 Cheshvan, 5775/November 22, 2014 Vol. 6 Num. 10 This issue of Toronto Torah is sponsored by Esther and Craig Guttmann and Family שמעון אריה בן חיים ז“ל in honour of the yahrtzeit of Shimon Berglas Naming Opportunities Yisroel Meir Rosenzweig Water is quite important for life, but is occurred. We find this practice “mezuzah” does not truly refer to the naming one’s water source critical to throughout the Torah, and it is often a parchment mounted on our doorways, partaking of that sustenance? Why means of creating a reminder for the but rather to the doorpost itself – which does our parshah included a detailed miracle. A miracle didn’t necessarily is not being affixed! catalogue of the names of wells? occur at each well, but the common theme of drawing attention to the To answer this question, Rabbi Classic commentators, like wonders that G-d performs is clearly Mecklenburg reframes the word contemporary readers, question the applicable every time water is drawn. “mezuzah”. Don’t take it to mean significance of this description, as well “doorpost”, but rather to mean as other apparently unnecessary lists Teaching people about the truth of G-d “movement”, as in lazuz, “to move”. and records. Indeed, this problem and the falsehood of idols was one of Rabbi Mecklenburg contends that leads Ramban to formulate one of the Avraham’s defining roles. Needless to mounting a mezuzah is meant to affix most noted approaches to biblical say, communicating this idea was no and stabilize all of our movement, all of history, explaining that all of the life small task, as it required swimming our actions, within the context of events of the Patriarchs and against the stream of society in which knowledge of G-d. At its core, a Matriarchs are symbolic of the course he lived. In order to ingrain the mezuzah is a trigger akin to those that that history will follow for their knowledge of G-d in the hearts and Avraham and Yitzchak developed when descendants. As such, the Torah could minds of the society in which he lived, naming wells. be viewed as a guidebook to Jewish Avraham would have to develop an history. Ramban’s idea is difficult to artful strategy. The wells were the Like many of the most worthwhile apply on a practical level, though; how perfect opportunity to do just that. He pursuits in life, building and do I know if an event later in Jewish took a seemingly mundane location, maintaining an awareness of G-d in our history truly corresponds with the lives that was a fixture of daily life, and everyday lives is quite challenging. One of our ancestor? And how might I act superimposed on it a name that might think that approaching this task on that information? directed one’s attention to G-d. Instead head-on would be the most obvious of being a potential outlet for idolatry, path to take. However, Rabbi I n h i s 19 th century biblical everyone would state, “I am going down Mecklenburg’s explanation of Avraham commentary, HaK’tav V’HaKabbalah, to draw water from the Hashem, G-d of and Yitzchak’s decision to name their Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg takes the World Well.” In essence, Avraham wells, and the similar concept regarding a different approach. Instead of formulated a trigger in the minds of the mitzvah of mezuzah, suggest an viewing these events as symbolic of the people. Now, when people thought of alternative approach. It may be worth future, his words allow us to the life-giving waters that they needed asking ourselves, “Do we take full extrapolate lessons meant to enrich for their very survival, they would be advantage of the naming opportunities our lives. In explaining this passage, triggered to think of G-d. in our lives that mirror Avraham’s well- he asks two fundamental questions: naming tactic?” 1. Why did Avraham bother with Rabbi Mecklenburg also invokes the names at all? concept of a trigger regarding the [email protected] 2. Why did Yitzchak put so much mitzvah of mezuzah. When we mount a emphasis on returning these mezuzah on a doorpost we say a names to use after they had been berachah ending with “likbo’a lost? mezuzah”. One might translate this as “affixing a parchment”. However, Rabbi Rabbi Mecklenburg suggests that Mecklenburg is puzzled as to why this naming wells is akin to naming should be the wording of the berachah, locations where a miracle has given that, strictly speaking, the word OUR BEIT MIDRASH ROSH BEIT MIDRASH ABBI ORDECHAI ORCZYNER R M T AVREICHIM RABBI DAVID ELY GRUNDLAND, RABBI JOSH GUTENBERG, YISROEL MEIR ROSENZWEIG COMMUNITY MAGGIDEI SHIUR RABBI ELAN MAZER, RABBI BARUCH WEINTRAUB CHAVERIM MEIR GRUNWALD, BJ KOROBKIN, RYAN JENAH, JOEL JESIN, SHIMMY JESIN, AVI KANNER, YISHAI KURTZ, EITAN MARKUS, MITCHELL PERLMUTTER, ARYEH ROSEN, AVI SABAN, DANIEL SAFRAN, JESSE SHKEDY, KOBY SPIEGEL, EFRON We are grateful to STURMWIND Continental Press 905-660-0311 Book Review: Magen Avot Rabbi David Ely Grundland Magen Avot including many students of the The book Rabbi Menachem Ben Shlomo HaMeiri recently deceased Ramban Magen Avot is composed of a lengthy Provence, France (Nachmanides). These students, led introduction, and 24 articles in which Available on-line at: largely by Rashba (Rabbi Shlomo ibn Meiri delves into some of the http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/vl/ Aderet), arrived in Provence, where challenges to the traditions of his tohen.asp?id=95 they encountered many practices that community. He analyzes both sides of differed from their own. They the various disagreements and, when About the Author attributed this to a local he feels it necessary and/or Rabbi Menachem ben Shlomo HaMeiri misunderstanding of Jewish law, and appropriate, he pursues a compromise (a.k.a. “Meiri”) lived in thirteenth they worked to change the practices between local tradition and the century Provence, in the southern and traditions of the community in tradition of the new arrivals. provinces of France. He was a great Provence, to match their own. scholar, a halachic authority and a Topics covered include the blessings rabbinical leader. While his works are Meiri, as a rabbinic leader in Provence, said under the wedding canopy, the peripherally mentioned by a number of took great offense at what he perceived way in which a shofar is blown on his contemporaries (Riv’van, Or Zarua, as interference in community matters. Rosh HaShanah, the timing of the Fast Rid, Ra’ah, Shitah Mekubetzet, Nimukei Magen Avot is Meiri’s response to the of Esther when Purim falls on Yosef), he was mostly unknown until challenges posed by the Rashba and Shabbat, the time one must wait manuscripts of his works were his followers. In it, he explains that between eating chicken and cheese, discovered in modern times. His within the halachic system, as taught how maariv is prayed in a community magnum opus, Beit HaBechirah, is a and experienced by our sages from the where the days are long, and whether commentary on Mishnah and Talmud, times of the Talmud through (his) or not we should observe the laws of taking into consideration the opinions present day, two proper halachic shemitah nowadays. of many early authorities as well as authorities may, through similar, Meiri’s own halachic opinions. He wrote grounded reasoning, arrive at Why should I read this book? many more works, including a divergent opinions. Neither of those Magen Avot offers a unique glimpse commentary on Mishnah Avot, Kiryat opinions is necessarily deficient. He into a period of our collective history, Sefer on laws of writing Torah scrolls explained that the community in aside from exploring the depth and and mezuzot, and Magen Avot. Provence had a tradition of rabbinic breadth of Meiri’s Torah knowledge. authority through which they had The halachic discourses in the book The History of Magen Avot arrived at their local customs – a become more than a traditional Torah In the late thirteen and early fourteenth tradition which required no lesson regarding living a Torah life; century there was tremendous anti- interference. Meiri took it upon himself they provide a powerful portrayal of Semitism in the Spanish provinces, to defend the opinions of the halachic the importance of each community, leading to many Jews taking refuge “fathers” of the community in and the traditions that we carry elsewhere. The flight included many of Provence. forward. the Torah leaders at that time, [email protected] 613 Mitzvot: #410, 413, 520: Cities of Refuge Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner As the Jews are about to enter Israel, they are taught the Three of the cities are located on the eastern side of the details of the ir miklat [City of Refuge]. When the Jewish Jordan River, and were designated by Moshe. These are, nation resides in their land, the nation as a whole is going south to north, Betzer, Ramot and Golan. (Devarim 4) instructed to designate six cities as refuges for accidental Three more are located on the western side of the Jordan murderers. (Mitzvah 520) Then, the courts are commanded to River; those are, south to north, Kadesh, Chevron and send accidental murderers to live in these cities, and the Shechem. (Yehoshua 20) The cities are supposed to have the murderers themselves are required to remain there. (Mitzvah same distance between the northern border and the 410) There is a particular prohibition against accepting a northernmost ir miklat, between each ir miklat and the next, bribe from the murderer, to permit him to live outside of the and between the southernmost ir miklat and the southern ir miklat.