בס“ד

Parshat 15 Iyar, 5780/May 9, 2020 Vol. 11 Num. 31 (#452) To dedicate an issue of Toronto for $180, please email [email protected] Excluding Exclusion Mordechai Torczyner A lesser-known villain appears at the justice for all of you – the stranger and Due to reason or Revelation, the Torah end of our parshah; his crime is the native alike – for I am Hashem, your identifies negative qualities in certain simple, but the text presents it as part G-d.” ( 24:22) The idea of equal creatures, people or phenomena, and of a larger story, with a larger justice seems to be irrelevant – but if we must recognize that. However, message. “And the son of an Israelite one of the story’s messages is to Chapter 25 moderates this message; woman, the son of an Egyptian man, endorse inclusion, then this verse is is not about leaving the went out among the Children of Israel. apropos. excluded to their own devices. And they fought in the camp – the son of the Israelite woman, and the So perhaps the blasphemer’s story This message begins with the son of an Israelite man. And the son of the argues for an inclusive Judaism. But Egyptian. True, he was born from a Israelite woman proclaimed the Name coming where it does in the Book of transgression, and he owns no claim to and cursed. And they brought him to Vayikra, that message may be too black the territory of his mother’s tribe. Moshe; and his mother’s name was -and-white. The bulk of Vayikra is Nonetheless, our reaction should have Shlomit, daughter of Divri, of the tribe dedicated to havdalah, excluding been to find a way to help. Like those of Dan.” (Vayikra 24:10-11) particular populations from roles or who have sold their land, or who are activities: non-kohanim and disqualified desperate in commerce, or who sell A notes the story’s emphasis kohanim, non-kosher and impure themselves, this man had a claim on on lineage and location, and creatures, people with tzaraat and other our support, and we failed him. And not reconstructs the story: A man “went forms of impurity, Egyptians and only did he deserve our aid, perhaps he out” to claim living space among his Canaanites. In each example, one could have helped us in return; as the mother’s tribe of Dan. The people of population is accepted for entry or to pledges, the children of the Dan rejected him; his father was serve in a particular role, and the other indigent and unlearned may become Egyptian, and so he did not belong to is barred or rejected. A midrash on scholars. (Nedarim 81a, Sanhedrin 96a) the patriarchal structure of the tribe. Chapter 24 cannot be honestly read as So he went to Moshe’s court to seek a denial of the many chapters which This message remains relevant. Jewish help, and lost the case – leading him to preceded it. It may be more accurate to society must be wise in dealing with “go out” and blaspheme against G-d. suggest that the story of the blasphemer those who lose elections, or whose ideas (Midrash, Sifra Emor 14:18) serves to introduce a moderating are defeated in the public arena. Being influence which comes next. disenfranchised is painful and Read in this light, the blasphemer’s dangerous. If we are to survive as a story is tragic. He is a victim of his Vayikra 25 commands inclusion, and nation, we must look out for those who mother’s dalliance with an Egyptian, particularly of the vulnerable. It speaks have been excluded, even when the forever linked to a sin not his own. He of leaving our fields open to all in the exclusion is necessary. is turned away by his closest kin – his sabbatical year, and returning land to Vayikra 25 is followed by a passage maternal tribe. Finally, he finds no its ancestral holders – who generally promising a utopia if we follow Divine recourse with Moshe. The tribe’s sold it due to poverty – in the Jubilee rules, and catastrophe if we fail to rejection is confirmed as correct, and year. It prohibits using a position of listen. May we follow the lessons of Moshe is only implementing the law, strength to take advantage of those who exclusion when necessary, but may we but we are left to wonder if the are desperate to sell or purchase. It also look after those who have been blasphemer and his mother are the adjures us to redeem fields for those excluded. As Yeshayah said: to G-d, all only people at fault in this story. who are forced to sell them due to are worthy of being looked after. G-d poverty, and it commands us to make calls each star by name, and “because If we are meant to learn inclusion here, funds available to the indigent, without of His great strength and power, not one that may explain the purpose of a charging interest. Finally, it requires us will be lost.” (Yeshayah 40:26) verse added after G-d’s verdict for the to take care of those who are sold as blasphemer. “There shall be one slaves due to poverty. [email protected]

OUR BEIT MIDRASH ROSH BEIT MIDRASH RABBI MORDECHAI TORCZYNER SGAN ROSH BEIT MIDRASH RABBI SAMMY BERGMAN AVREICHIM EZER DIENA, RABBI ALEX HECHT, NETANEL KLEIN SEDER BOKER DIRECTOR RABBI MOSHE YERES ISRAELI CORRESPONDENTS RABBI ADAM FRIEDMANN, RABBI BARUCH An affiliate of Torah MiTzion and YU WEINTRAUB, RABBI JONATHAN ZIRING ∞ CHAVEROT ORLY AZIZA, MINDY CHAPMAN, SOFIA FREUDENSTEIN, ATARA GASNER, Find our upcoming classes on-line at TEHILA HELFENBAUM, AILEEN MORRIS, HADAS MOYAL, TIFERET NICKERSON www.torontotorah.com CHAVERIM NADAV GASNER, ARI KARON, YEHUDA LEVI, COBY LYONS, ILAN SHIELDS, We are grateful to NATAN SNOWBELL, DANIEL SUTTNER, URIEL WEISZ, ELI WELTMAN, MARK WERNER Continental Press 905-660-0311 Journey Through Tanach: Shemuel I, Chapter 22 Rabbi Alex Hecht Our chapter continues to describe Achimelech and his family had even if a report is not inherently David’s flight from Shaul. First, David committed treason, and ordered his negative, and even if the person escaped to the cave of Adullam, where servants to kill the kohanim of Nov. reporting does not intend to cause he was joined by members of his family, After they refused, Shaul ordered Doeg strife. (Chofetz Chaim, Hilchot Rechilut as well as approximately four hundred to carry out the command. Doeg single 1:2-3). people who were on the margins of -handedly slaughtered the inhabitants society, including debtors and those of of Nov, including its animals. The only On the surface, Doeg’s report may be “embittered spirit,” who viewed him as survivor was Evyatar, a son of defensible. He did not explicitly tell their leader. David and his family left Achimelech, who fled to David. (22:16- Shaul that Achimelech knowingly aided Adullam for Mitzpeh Moav. David 20) David’s alleged treason. Doeg said, “I travelled to the forest of Cheret, in the saw the son of Yishai come to Nov, to land of Yehudah, at the advice of the Evyatar told David about the Achimelech son of Achituv. He inquired prophet Gad, and left his family in the massacre, who accepted responsibility, of Hashem for him and gave him care of the king of Moav. (22:1-5) saying that he had known that Doeg, provisions, and he gave him the sword According to Rashi (22:4, citing who witnessed the exchange between of Goliath the Philistine.” (22:9-10, Bamidbar Rabbah 14:1), the king of him and Achimelech, would inform on tr.) Nevertheless, Doeg’s Moav killed all of David’s family, except them. David invited Evyatar into his ostensibly factual report, which failed for one brother. custody, offering him protection from to mention that Achimelech aided David Shaul. (22:21-23) thinking that he was carrying out a Shaul’s servant Doeg disclosed that he mission for Shaul, was misunderstood. had seen David in Nov, a city of Insight This had terrible consequences, not kohanim, where he had been provided Shaul’s reaction to Doeg’s report only for the inhabitants of Nov, but also with food and weaponry by a man illustrates the terrible consequences of for Doeg himself, who is one of the few named Achimelech. Shaul summoned rechilut (gossip). Rambam notes that individuals whom our Sages assert does Achimelech and his relatives, and the Torah’s proscription of rechilut not have a portion in the World to accused them of conspiring against appears directly before the verse, “Do Come. (Mishnah Sanhedrin 10:1) him. Achimelech defended his actions, not stand idly by your fellow’s insisting that, as far as he knew, David blood” (Vayikra 19:16) to show that [email protected] was a loyal son-in-law to Shaul. (22:6- gossip can lead to death, as in the case 15) of Doeg. (Hilchot Deiot 7:1) Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan explains that the Nevertheless, Shaul was convinced that prohibition against rechilut is violated

Holy Land Halachah: Re-Burial in Israel Rabbi Jonathan Ziring

One of the laws that highlights the uniqueness of the Land of body buried in Israel will suffer less during the time of the Israel is the special permission to reinter a body in Israel, resurrection of the dead. [See also Yerushalmi Kilayim 9:3.] despite the general opposition to disinterment in halachah. Unfortunately, due to the current Coronavirus pandemic, However, there are Chassidic authorities who rule this halachah has become worth revisiting. Rabbi Hershel differently. Noting that in three places the implies Schachter recently summarized the law, based on Shulchan that the benefit of being buried in Israel is only for those Aruch Yoreh Deah 363: who lived there, Rabbi Yekutiel Yehudah Halberstam (the A family who is currently unable to use their burial plots Klausenberger ) contends that one should not move a in Eretz Yisrael due to the Coronavirus pandemic, may body to Israel. (Divrei Yatziv, Yoreh Deah 224) The Talmud perform a temporary burial in Chutz L’Aretz, and when Yerushalmi (Kilayim 9:3) similarly cites a position that the situation permits, the body may be disinterred and harshly condemns those who only move to Israel for burial, moved to Eretz Yisrael, as is indicated clearly in the going as far as saying that this is considered, “My heritage Shulchan Aruch. (https://bit.ly/2VVqDug) you rendered an abomination.” (Yirmiyahu 2:7) Rabbi Halberstam uses this to explain why there seems to have We will explore the background for this law. been no attempt to move the body of the Baal Shem Tov to Israel. Furthermore, he notes that in a case where the In general, halachah forbids disinterment, unless there is a deceased bought a plot outside of Israel, there is even more risk that the body will be damaged in the current grave; reason to refrain from moving the body. moving a body is considering degrading to it. (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 363:1) However, it is permitted for the The Talmud Yerushalmi also cites Ulla as saying that being purpose of burying the body in Israel. (ibid.) The Pitchei buried in Israel cannot be compared to dying there. (Kilayim Teshuvah (ibid. 2) cites Maharalbach (Responsum 63) who 9:3; see also Rambam Hilchot Melachim 5:11) says this is the case even if the deceased, while alive, generally opposed bringing bodies to Israel for burial (though Nevertheless, as Rabbi Schachter noted, the majority of not if the deceased explicitly forbade moving his body to authorities rule that being buried in Israel is indeed of Israel). added value, and thus, those who have been prevented from transporting bodies for burial to Israel due to the The rationale for this is that the Talmud (Ketubot 111a) says Coronavirus pandemic, are permitted - and perhaps that being buried in the Land of Israel is like being buried encouraged - to do so. beneath the mizbeiach (altar) in the Beit HaMikdash, and thus atones for sins. Avot D’Rabbi Natan (26:2) adds that it is [email protected] like being buried next to the throne of G-d. The aforementioned talmudic passage further indicates that a

2 Visit us at www.torontotorah.com & www.facebook.com/torontotorah Torah and Translation Biography Continuing the Blessings of Yom Tov The Sfat Emet Rabbi Yehudah Alter, Sfat Emet Emor 5645 Rabbi David Ely Grundland Translated by Rabbi Sammy Bergman Regarding the continuation of the biblical בענין המשך פרשת הנרות ולחם הפנים אחר Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter was section which discusses the candles and המועדות. נראה כי גם במועדות נמשכו born in Warsaw, Poland in 1847, and is more commonly referred to by the name the showbread after the festivals (Vayikra הברכות והשפע כמו שנמשך ע “ י השמן of his books: Sfat Emet. He was a [It seems [the reason for this is :(23-24 והחלות. Chassidic Rabbi and scholar in the that also on the festivals, the blessings Polish town of Gora Kalwaria, more and influence are extended, just as they commonly known as . His are extended through the oil and the grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter bread. (“Chiddushei HaRim”), was primarily -For there were three things in the sanctu דהנה ג ‘ דברים היו בהיכל. שלחן ומנורה responsible for raising Yehudah Aryeh ary: the table, the candelabra, and the ומזבח הקטורת. והמה בחי ‘ הג ‘ כתרים Leib, as his parents passed away when altar of incense. They are in the spirit of כתר תורה וכהונה ומלכות. והם ג ‘ הברכות .he was young ,the three crowns of Torah, Priesthood שבברכת כהנים. ” יברכך “ היא בחי ‘ שלחן and Kingship (Avot 4:13) and the three מלכים וי “ ב הלחם היו ממשיכין הברכה When the Chiddushei HaRim passed .blessings of the priestly blessing לכל העולם. ובמנורה היא ” יאר ד ‘ פניו “ away, Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib was (Bamidbar 6:24-26) שהיא בחי ‘ התורה שנק ‘ ” אור “. והקטורת already recognized as a child prodigy, a great scholar and a leader. However, May He bless you” is in the spirit of“ • הם כתר כהונה בחי ‘ נשיאות כפים ופריסת notwithstanding his talents, he rejected the table of kings, and the twelve סוכת שלום ענני הכבוד וענן הקטורת, הכל the mantle of leadership, which instead -loaves which would channel the bless ענין א‘ הוא. passed to Rabbi Chanoch Henoch ing to the whole world. HaKohen from Alexander, under whom • And in the candelabra is [the blessing Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib would study. of] “May G-d illuminate His face” After four years, Rabbi Chanoch Henoch which is in the spirit of the Torah also passed on, and the Sfat Emet which is called light. complied with the wishes of the • And the incense is the crown of Priest- Chassidim and took his place at the hood in the spirit of the raising of head of the Beit Din in Ger and as the hands, the spreading of a canopy of leader of the Gerrer Chassidim. Under peace [and] clouds of glory, and the his leadership, Ger became the largest cloud of the incense, which is all one Chassidic group in Poland, until most of idea. them were murdered during the Shoah. And so too, on the three festivals these וכמו כן בג‘ מועדות נמשכו אלה הג‘ ברכות, His son, Rabbi , succeeded him and managed to three blessings are extended: כי בפסח נכנסו בנ “ י להיות עבדי ד ‘ לקבל escape the Nazis and arrive in Eretz -For on Passover, the children of Isra • עול מלכותו, לכן הוא ר “ ה למלכי ישראל Yisrael. He initiated the rebirth of the el began to be servants of G-d to ac- והיא ברכת העושר. לכן בפסח על התבואה, Chassidic dynasty, which remains -cept the yoke of his kingship. There ומצות הפסח באכילת פסח ומצה. וחג strong. fore, it is the beginning of the year for -the kings of Israel and it is the bless השבועות הוא קבלת התורה בחי ‘ המנורה ing of wealth. Therefore, on Passover ז ‘ קנים ע“ש שבעה שבועות שהחג נקרא על Rabbi Yehudah Leib’s books were all we are judged] regarding the grain] שמם. וסוכות הוא כתר כהונה עננים בזכות published posthumously. The title Sfat supply], and the commandments of] אהרן כנ“ל. Emet comes from Mishlei 12:19, the last verse on which he commented before Passover involve eating the Pesach passing, in his final written Torah offering and matzah. commentary, Vayichi 5665. His • The holiday of Shavuot is the ac- commentaries stress moral and ethical ceptance of the Torah in the spirit of lessons. His works include a compilation the candelabra of seven branches, of his Torah teachings as delivered to his corresponding to the seven weeks congregations on and Chagim, which the holiday is named after. as well as novel approaches to • And Sukkot is the crown of Priest- understanding many sections of the hood- the clouds in the merit of Talmud, and a commentary on the Yoreh Aharon. Deah section of Shulchan Aruch. And it states (Avot ibid.), “The crown of a good name ascends over them,” that is in ואיתא כתר שם טוב עולה על גביהם הוא The Sfat Emet passed away on January the spirit of Shabbat which includes and בחי ‘ השבת שכולל ועולה על כל ג ‘ בחי ‘ Shevat 5665), at the age of 5) 1905 ,11 .[ascends over all three of these [holidays הנ “ ל. ונקרא ” שם טוב “ כי שבת סהדותא .57 And it is called a “good name” because איקרי כדכתי ‘ ” ביני ובין בנ “ י אות היא -Shabbat is called “testimony”, as it writ כו ‘” ויש בו ג ‘ ברכות הנ “ ל, לכן יש שלש [email protected] ten (Shemot 31:13): “Between Me and the סעודות מול ג‘ ברכות הנ“ל. כו‘: children of Israel it is a sign…” and it contains these three blessings. Therefore, there are three meals corresponding to these three blessings…

Call our office at: 416-630-6772 ext 243 3 This Week on Zoom! (Click Underlined Lines to Open Zoom Sessions)

SPECIAL EVENTS

7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EDT Monday May 11, with Shaarei Shomayim: Nusbaum Family Medical Halachah and Ethics Program Dental Emergencies on Shabbat Accredited for CME, Eligible for Category 3 Dental Credit, Laypeople Welcome

12:30 PM Wednesday May 13, with Zeifmans LLP, BAYT and Shaarei Shomayim: The Ethical Challenge (eligible for CPD credit), Week 2 Kosher Fundraising: The Ethics of the Non-Profit Ask, R’ Mordechai Torczyner

DAILY

Adult Seder Boker, with Rabbi Moshe Yeres Mondays and Wednesdays: Gemara, Orot haTeshuvah Tuesdays and Thursdays: Parshah, Tanach Mondays-Thursdays at 10:00 AM EDT (men)

WEEKLY

Sunday May 10 9:15 AM EDT Contemporary Halachah: Sefirah and Corona, with Netanel Klein (not this week)

11 AM EDT Contemporary Halachah Rotation: Re-Opening Sporting Events, with Ezer Diena

7:30 PM EDT Gemara Avodah Zarah, with Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner (men) (pwd: 18)

Monday May 11 8:30 AM EDT She’arim baTefillah Chabura for university students, with Rabbi Alex Hecht

7:30 PM EDT Exploring the Book of Ruth, with Ezer Diena - Week 3

8:30 PM Gemara Shabbat, Chap. 13, with Rabbi Moshe Yeres

Tuesday May 12 1:30 PM EDT Yeshayah, with Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner (pwd: 18)

7:30 PM Shoftim, with Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner (men) (pwd: 18)

Wednesday May 13 8:30 AM EDT Mishlei for university students, with Ezer Diena

7:00 PM EDT Stories from the Talmud, with Rabbi Alex Hecht

7:40 PM EDT Ancient Texts, Modern Meanings, with Rabbi Sammy Bergman

Thursday May 14 1:30 PM EDT Shemuel, with Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner (women) (pwd: 18)

8:30 PM EDT Gemara Beitzah, with Ezer Diena (men)

Friday May 15 8:30 AM EDT Parshah for university students, with Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner

10:30 AM Bava Metzia Perek 6, with Rabbi Sammy Bergman and Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner (pwd: 18)

FOR MORE OPPORTUNITIES, GO TO WWW.TORONTOTORAH.COM/LETSLEARN!