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קול Kol מבשרת Mevaseret A Compilation of Insights and Analyses of Torah Topics by the students of MICHLELET MEVASERET YERUSHALAYIM Jerusalem, 5780 Editors in Chief: Sophie Frankenthal ● Tali Gershov ● Jessica Zemble Editorial Staff: Tamar Eisenberg ● Aliza Mandelbaum Aliza Pfeffer ● Rena Rush ● Rina Soffer Devora Weintraub ● Sara Weiss ● Maya Wind Faculty Advisor: Rabbi Eliezer Lerner © 2020 / 5780 – All rights reserved Printed in Israel מכללת מבשרת ירושלים Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim Rabbi David Katz, Director Mrs. Sharon Isaacson, Asst. Director Mrs. Sarah Dena Katz, Asst. Director Derech Chevron 60 Jerusalem 93513 Tel: (02) 652-7257 / US Tel: (212) 372-7226 Fax: (02) 652-7162 / US Fax: (917)-793-1047 [email protected] U.S. Mailing Address 500 W. Burr Blvd Suite #47 Teaneck, NJ 07666 www.mevaseret.org/mmy HaDaF Typesetting [email protected] CONTENTS Letter from the Editors ............................................7 Introduction Rabbi David Katz ................................................... 9 תנ"ך A Two-Way Street: A Message of Shir HaShirim Shoshana Berger.................................................. 15 Self, Service, and Servitude: Servant Leadership Throughout Tanach Sophie Frankenthal .............................................. 21 ויראת מאלקיך Tali Gershov ........................................................ 31 Eishet Potiphar and Esther HaMalka Eliana Hirsch ....................................................... 37 Haftarat Miketz – Mishpat Shlomo Riva Krishtul........................................................ 41 עין תחת עין Aliza Mandelbaum ............................................... 49 Parent-Child Favoritism in Sefer Bereishit Hannah Mendeles ................................................ 55 Megillat Esther Noa Muscat.......................................................... 61 Tefillat Yaakov Avinu Sela Pollack and Shayna Vadnai........................... 65 Moshe Rabbeinu and Gideon Adina Strong........................................................ 69 באלו חטאתי באלו תמחל לי Ayelet Topp.......................................................... 73 Tefillat Eliezer – Omen or Bakasha? Sara Weiss .......................................................... 79 Thinking Out of the Box Jessica Zemble..................................................... 83 הלכה Keeping Wine Kosher Yael Boldt............................................................ 99 Avot and Toladot of Melachot Shabbat Shifra Chait, Shirel Garzon, and Devora Weintraub....103 מלאכה שאינה צריכה לגופה: דעתו של השלחן ערוך Adina Lev and Aliza Mandelbaum....................... 109 BUGging Out: Pesik Reisha on Shabbat Tamar Levine and Talia Wein.............................. 113 מחשבה The Interplay of Torah and Science Yona Berzon ...................................................... 119 Freedom in Our World Gabriella Bondi .................................................. 125 חנוך לנער Sorele Cohen...................................................... 129 Living Connected – ובחרת בחיים Esther Dyckman................................................. 137 Perspectives on Happiness: HaRav, The Rav, and The Rebbe Batsheva Gubin ................................................. 143 Servant Status: Adopting the Eved Hashem Identity Elisheva Hirsch.................................................. 149 A Big Missed-steak? Vegetarianism in Judaism Tova Liebert ....................................................... 155 Skin Deep? Beauty Through the Lens of Torah Chani Meyer ...................................................... 161 Hallel on Rosh Chodesh Rivka Moskowitz ................................................ 167 Three Perspectives – וכל מעשיך יהיו לשם שמים Talia Tarzik ....................................................... 171 The Power of Three Michal Zelmanovitz............................................. 177 Faculty The Best Blessing From the Man Who was a Blessing Rabbi Hanoch Teller ........................................... 183 Following the Footsteps of David HaMelech Rabbi Jeffrey Schrager ....................................... 189 LETTER FROM THE EDITORS כי נפלתי קמתי כי אשב בחשך ה' אור לי. For though I fell, I will rise; though I sit in the darkness, Hashem is a light unto me. (Michah 7:8) Stepping off the airplane in the beginning of September, we were prepared for the exciting experiences our year in Israel would have to offer. Little did we know how much would be in store, on a personal, national, and international level. Everyone’s plans have been derailed. Even now, as we write this letter together, there are thousands of miles and a vast time difference between us, when only a short time ago we were all sitting in the same room. However, if we have learned one thing from this entire experience, it is that nothing in life is a given; nothing is set in stone; nothing is constant – except for Hashem and His Torah. This edition of the Kol Mevaseret represents the dedication and resilience of a student body which didn’t allow the chaos of a worldwide pandemic to suppress their Torah learning. The publication of this year’s journal despite the challenge of COVID-19 demonstrates that nothing can silence the Kol Mevaseret – the voice of our Torah. We recognize that we are privileged to have been continually provided with opportunities for growth and learning amidst all the upheaval. Despite all the positivity, we acknowledge that there has also been so much pain and tragedy this year – in the world at large as well as for MMY. We thus dedicate this year’s Kol Mevaseret to all COVID-19 victims, and specifically to Mr. David Steinmetz z”l, father-in-law of our respected and esteemed Rosh Beit Midrash, Rabbi Lerner. Unfortunately, the MMY family has experienced more than our fair share of pain this year, with the sudden and untimely loss of Shmuel Berman z”l, son of our beloved Mechanechet, Mrs. Berman. We therefore also dedicate the Kol Mevaseret to a vibrant little boy who brought so much simcha and light to the MMY environment. It is our hope that the continuous Torah learning of the MMY stu- dents, and the valuable contributions that each student continues to offer, should serve as an aliyat neshamah for Mr. Steinmetz, for Shmuel, and for all those who have fallen victim to tragic circum- stances. To our fellow students: Look at what we have accomplished in a time during which it would have been so easy to give up, to lose motivation, and no one would have blamed us. In a time where everything around us seems to have fallen, we have in fact risen higher. Times may seem dark, but look at the light we have brought Let our accomplishments inspire .כי נר מצוה ותורה אור – to the world us to continue to cling to Torah, no matter where in life we find our- selves. We had a vision of embarking on “our year” – our “Israel year,” but it has been made clear from this entire experience that it is our responsibility to ensure that each and every year is “our year,” no matter where we are. Sincerely, The Kol Mevaseret Editors 5780 INTRODUCTION ִה ֵּנה ָי ִמים ָּב ִאים ְנ ֻאם ה' אלקים ְו ִה ְׁש ַל ְח ִּתי ָר ָעב ָּב ָא ֶרץ ֹלא ָר ָעב ַל ֶּל ֶחם ְו ֹלא ָצ ָמא ַל ַּמ ִים ִּכי ִאם ִל ְׁש ֹמ ַע ֵאת ִ ּד ְב ֵרי ה'. (עמוס ח:יא) When I was growing up, this particular pasuk was popularized through a song composed by Abie Rotenberg (D’VEYKUS 1). It was the theme song for National NCSY and a special English chorus was written for the NCSY teshuvah movement. “To keep the flame alive through obstacles we strive, this is the essence of NCSY.” In fact, the “flame” is still the NCSY logo. I was very moved by that song as I navigated the multiple obstacles in my childhood and adolescent years. What a beautiful idea! The things we should be searching for – like a hungry or thirsty person yearns for food, water and his most basic physical needs – is the holy Torah that is equally necessary for our spiritual existence. Now that I am older and a bit wiser and trained to look up pesukim, I realize that the pasuk we were singing does not seem to be a positive message! The prophecy of Amos, in its Bayit Rishon context, is that there will be a famine for Torah.… And we will search and search, from sea to sea and from North to East and they will not find (8:12). How terrible! Can I continue to sing this song that is in fact not beautiful? Although it is not uncommon that composers take words from Tanach out of context and use them for their own uplifting message, perhaps there a way to understand this nevuah within its context so as to salvage the message to be something positive. Some explain that the famine for Torah is in and of itself a positive prophecy. The negative element appears only in the pasuk and they won’t find. The ,ולא ימצאו that follows, when we are told “curse” is only in that particular point in history. The actual search itself, which is the pasuk of the song (8:11) is to be embraced. In order to get have more context, it would be helpful to continue reading into the middle of the next and final perek of Amos where the nevuah ultimately concludes (9:8-15): כי לא השמיד אשמיד את בית יעקב נאם ה' ... ביום ההוא אקים את סכת דויד הנפלת ... ושבתי את שבות עמי ישראל ... ונטעתים על אדמתם ולא ינתשו עוד מעל אדמתם אשר נתתי להם אמר ה' אלוקיך. Thus, even if the pasuk from the song, in its context, is negative, the end result of that nevuah is positive! Rav Yitzchak Arama in his Akeidat Yitzchak explains that in the nevuah of Amos there was in fact a famine with regard to Torah, but no one was actually searching for dvar Hashem!
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  • Rabbi Bernie Fox Prefae

    Rabbi Bernie Fox Prefae

    Rabbi Bernie Fox Prefae לֵ ֣יל שִׁ מֻּרִ ֥ ים הוּא֙ לַֽיקֹוָ֔ק לְ הוֹצִ יאָ ֖ם מֵאֶ ֣רֶ ץ מִצְרָ ֑יִם הֽ וּא־ הַלַּ֤יְלָה הַזֶּה֙ לַֽיקֹוָ֔ק שִׁ מֻּרִ ֛ ים לְכָל־בְּנֵ ֥י יִשְׂ רָאֵ ֖ל לְדֹרֹתָֽם: (ספר שמות י ב : מ ב ) It is a night for which Hashem awaited to take them forth from the Land of Egypt. This night is for which the Children of Israel await for all their generation. (Sefer Shemot 12:42) Why Is this night different? This question has an unexpected meaning this year. Many of us are leading or making a Seder for the first time. Many are spending their first Pesach separated from children and family. Some of the joy of the Seder night will be sadly absent. Hashem waited through the generations for the moment of our redemption from Egypt. Each year we gather to recall the night of our redemption. We recall the events of the night as if we again experience its drama and splendor. Whether we celebrate the night surrounded by our loved ones or alone, the innate grandeur of this special night shines forth and it illuminates our homes with joy and hope. This year we are separated from one another by material space, but we are uniquely joined together in our fervent prayers to Hashem. May He redeem us from our current affliction as He redeemed our ancestors from Egypt. May Hashem, Who has been the source of our people’s salvation in every generation, protect, keep us safe, and grant us salvation. This collection of insights on the Hagadah is gathered from over a decade of “Thoughts on Pesach”.