Purifying the Impure?

בס“ד Parshiyot Shemini/Parah 23 Adar II, 5779/March 30, 2019 Vol. 10 Num. 30 (#408) This issue is sponsored by the families of Irwin, Jim and David Diamond in memory of their father, Morris Diamond z”l לזכר ולעילוי נשמת אבינו מורינו ר‘ משה בן דוד שלמה ז“ל Purifying the Impure? Ezer Diena In delineating the rules of purity and 1: The student may be right Rabbi Abulafia’s characterization of this impurity, the Torah warns us very According to Rabbeinu Tam (cited in person as one who is able to overcome a strongly to avoid defiling ourselves by Tosafot to Eruvin and Sanhedrin ibid.), challenge can be further split into two eating or otherwise coming into the student and judge meant to prove tests: the logical, and emotional. contact with the carcasses of only that a sheretz would not cause s her atz i m, literally “creeping impurity if an olive-sized piece were One test is to see a Torah ruling which creatures” [singular: sheretz]. (Vayikra transported, and this may have basis in seems illogical, even by the Torah’s 11:29-38, 41-44) Not only that, but the traditional sources. The ability to permit standards. Certain laws relating to sheretz gained special status as the a sheretz in this way simply indicates purity and impurity may very well fall paradigm of uncleanliness in the detailed knowledge and halachic into this category! In fact, one of the Talmud (Taanit 16a): acumen. However, other commentaries more challenging details of ritual purity, raise technical halachic questions which we read about in Parshat Parah “Rabbi Adda bar Ahavah said: A against this approach, and reject it. this Shabbat, is that a person who person who holds a sin in his hand, purifies another becomes impure and confesses but does not repent for 2: The skill may be useful himself as the result of the process. Yet, it, to what is he compared? To a Rabbi Menachem Me’iri (Sanhedrin 17a) despite not being able to understand person who holds a [dead] sheretz in understands this as a more practical counterintuitive rules such as these, a his hand - even if he immerses in all consideration. Under very extreme and Sanhedrin must be able to rule the water in the world, his immersion nuanced circumstances, a Sanhedrin is according to the law, even if it doesn’t will be ineffective.” permitted to change a law for a short make sense. period of time. In such a case, it may be This uniformly negative view of the helpful to provide some sort of support However, there is more than just logic in sheretz makes a talmudic story very from the Torah. For that reason, this the way of rendering the correct hard to understand. The Talmud tells ability to show that something truly decision. A scholar who comes up with us of a distinguished student who was prohibited seems to be permitted may their own reason to permit something able to come up with 150 reasons to be useful. [See Me’iri there for further has somewhat of an emotional “purify” the sheretz, and it even details on the parameters of this ruling.] connection to the case, what we explains one of his reasons. (Eruvin might consider a personal bias. They 13b) Why is coming up with reasons to 3: The student resists temptation put in hours of their time to study, and oppose the Torah’s ruling seemingly a Rabbi Meir Abulafia (Yad Ramah to came up with their own personal novel good thing? And there is a bigger issue Sanhedrin ibid.) explains that the ability approach, which they think they may still: another talmudic passage tells us to find a creative way to purify the even be able to justify within Torah. To anyone joining the Sanhedrin must be sheretz is not what is important. vanquish that inner voice is something able to demonstrate that they, too, can Rather, a Torah student who can that is very hard to do, but required find ground to purify the sheretz! explain why a sheretz should be before one can issue a Torah-true (Sanhedrin 17a) What could possibly considered ritually pure is now left with ruling. This will help them also conquer be the reason for this? The Torah a choice: to follow their own reasoning, outside biases, and follow the Torah explicitly prohibited the sheretz, so or follow the halachic process. The mandate of being true, honest, why would we want a student or judge scholar who has the ability to not act on unbiased judges. to permit it? their own logic is one who is fitting to serve on the Sanhedrin. [email protected] OUR BEIT MIDRASH ROSH BEIT MIDRASH RABBI MORDECHAI TORCZYNER SGAN ROSH BEIT MIDRASH RABBI ELIHU ABBE AVREICHIM EZER DIENA, RABBI ALEX HECHT ADULT SEDER BOKER DIRECTOR RABBI MOSHE YERES WOMEN’S BEIT MIDRASH MRS. ELIANA ABBE ISRAELI CORRESPONDENTS RABBI ADAM FRIEDMANN, RABBI BARUCH WEINTRAUB, RABBI JONATHAN ZIRING Find our upcoming classes on-line at UNIVERSITY CHAVERIM ISAAC BUSHEWSKY, NAFTI DIENA, COREY KAMEN, ARI www.torontotorah.com KARON, JAY KARON, YEHUDA LEVI, COBY LYONS, JACOB POSLUNS, MORDECHAI ROTH, ARI RUBIN, DANIEL SAFRAN, DAVID TOBIS, EYTAN WEISZ, URIEL WEISZ, ELI WELTMAN, We are grateful to MARK WERNER, BARUCH WISE Continental Press 905-660-0311 Journey Through Tanach: Shoftim, Chapter 4 Rabbi Jonathan Ziring Summary Paying attention to biblical puns One central example is the dialogue Following the “Shoftim Cycle”, after the Tanach clearly disapproves of Barak’s between Devorah and Barak. The death of Ehud, the Jews sin. As lack of willingness to fight without assumption here is that men should be punishment, G-d gives them over to Devorah. While Devorah’s criticism the heroes in military and quasi- Yavin, King of Canaan, and his general, states this explicitly, the narrative also military situations, and having a Sisera. When the Jews cry out to G-d, provides a pointed wordplay to deepen woman responsible for the victory is He sends them a prophetess, Devorah, the censure. Instead of using a abnormal. Yet, Klitsner notes, when one who acts as a judge and/or advisor (see common word to describe Sisera’s places this story in conversation with Tosafot, Niddah 50a s.v. kol). She head when Yael kills him, it uses a enlists a man named Barak as a less common word, writing that she Megilat Esther, a more complex vision general, to draft an army from Naftali drove the peg into his temple, emerges. While the Persian perspective and Zevulun to challenge the b’rakato. This word, with different is that women should be subservient to Canaanites. vowels, begins with the name of Barak, their husbands, the narrative itself tells whose glory was stolen in that a different story. Starting in the fourth Barak insists that Devorah accompany moment. chapter, Esther is the main force him, which she reluctantly does, behind the plan to save the Jews, both though warning him that due to his Subversive Sequels commanding Mordechai and insistence that she come along, he will Judy Klitsner wrote a fascinating book manipulating Achashverosh and not be responsible for the central called Subversive Sequels in the Bible: Haman to achieve victory. And, unlike victory – rather, it will be a woman who How Biblical Stories Mine and in the book of Shoftim, Megilat Esther will strike the decisive blow. Barak Undermine Each Other (Maggid Books, does draw attention to this role leads a successful battle which drives 2011). Her central thesis is that reversal. Thus, Klitsner argues, a full the Canaanites to flee. Sisera attempts Tanach contains multiple stories that picture of the roles of men and women to hide in the tent of Yael, the wife of complement each other through their Chever HaKeni, who had been allied seeming tension in order to provide in similar situations needs to take into with the Canaanites. Yael invites him more complex pictures of reality and account both biblical narratives, and in, offers him wine, and then, while he theology. What is given in one text is create a holistic perspective. sleeps, drives a tent peg through his often subverted in another to provide a skull, fulfilling Devorah’s prediction. more nuanced lesson. [email protected] Law of the Land: Police Entering Dangerous Situations Rabbi Elihu Abbe May one risk one’s life to save another individual? May one • The Sefer haChinuch (Mitzvah 425) rules that there was risk one’s life to protect the public? If one’s profession no obligation to endanger one’s life to conquer the seven involves protecting the public, is he governed by different idolatrous nations which used to reside in the Land of guidelines than a private citizen? These are all very pertinent Israel. questions for the police force in the State of Israel. • However, the Minchat Chinuch (ad loc.) argues that war is inherently dangerous, and therefore, danger cannot Rabbi Asher Weiss, in his Minchat Asher responsa, addresses provide an exemption. three possible scenarios involving saving an individual from Rabbi Weiss quotes support for the position of Minchat harm (Vol. III, p. 412): Chinuch from Rabbi Moshe Sofer. He then extrapolates from • The first scenario is where the rescuer will be placing the case of war to anyone who fills a communal role that himself into the same degree of danger as the potential involves danger, such as policemen or firemen; by nature of victim. In such a case, most authorities forbid the rescuer their position, they have a responsibility to risk their lives to from risking his life.

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