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Sephardic Halacha Center S E P H A R D I C Family, Business, & Jewish Life Through the Prism of Halacha VOLUME 5778 • ISSUE LII • PARASHAT NITZAVIM • A PUBLICATION OF THE SEPHARDIC HALACHA CENTER Two people are traveling and one has a flask of wa- RISKY BUSINESS ter. If both drink, both will and Must Professional Lifesavers Risk die. It one drinks, he will reach town. Ben Petura Their Lives? argued, “Better that both Adapted from a shiur by Rav Yosef Greenwald drink and die and neither sees his friend die.” Un- Highlights of a shiur by Dayan Shlomo Cohen til Rabbi Akiva came and Broward County, Florida sheriff’s deputy Scot Peterson was as- MONETARY TESHUVA: MAKING RIGHT, signed to protect Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in taught: “And your brother ON THE MONEY Parkland. When a former student entered the school in February shall live with you” (VaYikra and began a murderous rampage, Deputy Peterson didn’t inter- vene and remained safely outside the building. Other deputies 25:36): your life precedes If Rosh Hashana is the Yom Hadin, what then who arrived on the scene during the shooting did likewise. Under that of your friend. is the judgment we face after death? Suppose suspension by the sheriff’s office and facing an internal investi- Though the Halacha a man dies a month after Rosh HaShana. Is he gation, Peterson, 55, retired and now collects a publicly-funded pension of $104,000 a year. doesn’t follow his opinion, judged in the Bet Din Shel Ma’ala only on his Would Halacha require a school guard to risk his life to save his we need to understand deeds of the last month? charges? Can a police officer refuse to intervene because doing so Ben Petura. It would ap- The Sefarim explain that judgment with regard would be dangerous? Would those police officers be correct who pear that in his view, pi- to eternal reward takes place after we die. Rosh say, infamously, that their #1 job is to come home safe each night? kuah nefesh is not about HaShana is about allocation of resources—par- saving as much life as nasa, health, etc.—for the coming year. The Torah commands (VaYikra 19:16), “Do not possible, but about upholding the sanctity A businessman assesses the performance of stand idly by your fellow’s blood.” The S’ma (H.M. of life. Drinking one’s water and watching his various business units at intervals to de- 426:2) says that this mitzvah doesn’t require his friend perish violates this principle. Bet- termine where his time and money would be that one risk his life, as that duty is restricted to ter give him to drink, too, although mutual best spent in the next period. Likewise, Hash- the three cardinal sins of murder, idolatry, and death will ensue. Rabbi Akiva can agree con- em evaluates his creations yearly to determine immorality. Other Aharonim concur, including ceptually, though he maintains that the pas- how well we’ve used his gifts and how much of the Shulhan Aruch HaRav (O.C. 329) and Mish- suk excludes this particular application. each to grant us in the year to come. We need na Berura (329.19), Igrot Moshe (Y.D. 2:174), and With this we might well understand the to show Him that we’re a good investment. Tzitz Eliezer (9:45). Maran in Bet Yosef (C.M. 426) Radbaz: The sanctity of life demands that we An essential step in the teshuva pro- cites the Hagahot Maimoniot’s reading of the incur risk to preserve it, even if other non-car- cess is to recognize our own val- Yerushalmi to the effect that though one is not dinal mitzvot are set aside even for small ue. required to lay down his life, he must risk it. The risks to life. Radbaz (627) understands this to mean that The Or HaHayim We are commanded to wage war against where death is likely (a 51% chance, perhaps), HaKadosh Amalek and against the seven Canaanite one may stand down, but a lesser risk must be (Shemos 1:6) spotlight nations. The Sefer HaHinuch writes that one endured. The Shulhan Aruch HaRav, however, explains AMI MAGAZINE who desists from doing so violates those citing the Gemara in Yoma that the principle h o w TO FEATURE THE commandments unless his life would be BET HAVAAD of rov – majority – doesn’t apply in matters of threatened by fulfilling them. The Minhat The Ami Magazine launched this pikuah nefesh, rules that risking one’s life isn’t Hinuch objects, pointing out that these week ‘The Beis Din’, a new column, required. featuring real life Dine Torah from the mitzvot are inherently dangerous, so Bet HaVaad. This groundbreaking serial gives The Radbaz can perhaps be understood in the danger can’t be an exemption. It the public a front row seat to the drama and light of the famous Gemara in Bava Metzia 62a: would seem that a police offi- proceedings of real DinTorah, and we are excited to partner with the prestigious magazine. Get your copy now. Don’t miss our upcoming Business Halacha Journal topic on Ribbit. Don’t yet receive it? Visit www.TheSHC.org, call us at 732.9300.SHC (742) or email [email protected] cer, whose very job is to confront danger and May Hashem protect Am Yisrael from any Oyev protect the public, is similarly situated. – enemy, V’Orev – predator. Amen. The in Klal Yisrael value of a human life. We would assume that became the purpose of this caution was to remind the and enslaved to witnesses of the value of the life they are pro- Bring the Daf to Life! Mitzrayim. posing to take. Initially, the Rashi, however, explains differently: We are re- מסכת מנחות !Egyptians viewed the Jews as their superiors. minding them of the value of their own lives After Yosef died, they saw us as equals. When Before they might do something so heinous the other brothers died, they considered us as to testify falsely that a man must die, we inferior. But this, he says, was an insufficient implore them to desist by seeing the value condition for enslavement; that could only and greatness inherent in themselves. This Week's Topics happen when we too came to share their view This is the path to teshuva. As we prepare for RAV YOSEF GREENWALD of us. Rosh HaShana, may we recognize our own RAV SHMUEL WILHELM Bet Din warns witnesses in a capital case of the greatness and live up to it. RAV YOSEF FUND Crafting the Keilim דף כ"ח Concepts in Stam דף כ”ט Megillah Margins דף ל’ BET HAVAAD EVENTS The Tail-Shaped Mezuzah דף ל”א !Bet HaVaad on the Parasha-Sefer Devarim-soon to be available Parsha of Mezuzah: Open Or דף ל”ב The Bet HaVaad Educational Division is now putting the final touches on Sefer Devarim, the latest offering in the Bet HaVaad on the Parasha series. Closed? Follow the Hinge דף ל”ג Now in its fifth year, the Bet HaVaad on the Parasha consists of a brief halachic shiur on a דף ל”ד practical topic of halacha related to the parasha, viewed through the prism of halacha. Sefer Devarim will be available to the public in hard copy and online on our website www.baisha- Tefilin on One Parchment vaad.org in time for the beginning of the new cycle on Simhat Torah. or Two? NOW IS THE TIME אם יש דין .TO SETTLE ALL ACCOUNTS During these Aseres Yemei Teshuva, the Dayanim of the Bais HaVaad will be available daily to settle unresolved disputes and financial matters, at no charge. They will also be available to review yourHeter Iska, למטה .Shabbos, Issurei Hana’ah Agreements and other documents, to ensure their compliance with halacha אין דין למעלה 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM ‘It is proper [at this time] to arbitrate THURSDAY, SUNDAY, MONDAY amongst individuals so that they will be ,(צום גדלי') WEDNESDAY עשרת ימי תשובה in harmony on Yom Kippur.’ [Levush] P 732.276.1306 • E [email protected] Business Halacha Bais Din Zichron Medical Halacha Kehilla & Bais Din Halachic Services & Dispute Gershon Kollel Center Primacy Initiative Awareness & Resolution for Dayanus Education MIDWEST DIVISION BROOKLYN DIVISION SOUTH FLORIDA DIVISION RABBI DOVID ARON GROSS RABBI DOVID HOUSMAN RABBI YOSEF GALIMIDI, MENAHEL A 3718 SHANNON ROAD A 2238 85TH STREET RABBI MEIR BENGUIGUI, SAFRA D’DAYNA 105 River Ave, #301, Lakewood, NJ 08701 CLEVELAND, OH 44118 BROOKLYN, NY 11214 A SAFRA SYNAGOGUE 732.9300.SHC (742) P 216.302.8194 P 718.285.9535 19275 MYSTIC POINTE DR AVENTURA, FL 33180 www.theshc.org E [email protected] E [email protected] [email protected] E [email protected] A 105 RIVER AVE, #301, LAKEWOOD, NJ 08701 • P 732.9300.SHC(742) F 732.577.6218 • E [email protected] • W WWW.THESHC.ORG.
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