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Strong-Arm Tactics and Tefillin

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Strong-Arm Tactics and Tefillin בס“ד Parshat Bo 10 Shevat, 5781/January 23, 2021 Vol. 12 Num. 20 (#481) This issue of Toronto Torah is dedicated by David and Nina Bernstein in honour of Rabbi Chaim Metzger This issue of Toronto Torah is dedicated by Jeffrey C. Silver in memory of Tzvi Zushia Aryeh ben Binyamin Kammer z”l, a tzaddik and a talmid chochom Strong-arm Tactics and Tefillin Rabbi Adam Friedmann The very end of our parshah includes The presence of these items reminds us is symbolized by matzah, a bread which two quick paragraphs, each detailing constantly of basic elements of our most directly portrays its ingredients an important mitzvah. The first is the faith, enabling us to incorporate them without the human intervention that command to eat matzah on Pesach into our general consciousness. This would (literally) inflate them and alter and the prohibition against owning way, the nobler aspirations of the soul their appearance. According to Rabbi chametz. The second is redemption of can overcome base desires. Given this Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin (Ha’ameik firstborn animals and children. G-d explanation, it seems that the story of Davar to Shemot 13:3) this is a message tells Moshe that all the firstborn are to the Exodus left us with different types about Jewish survival. No matter the be consecrated to Him, and of mitzvot. Some of these, like the great, usually very necessary, lengths to subsequently, a process of redemption Pesach sacrifice and marror, recall which we go to survive and thrive, these is required. The descriptions of these historical events which need to be efforts only ever amount to chametz. mitzvot share a peculiar detail: they commemorated. Others, like matzah The basic ingredient of Jewish survival are both incorporated into the mitzvah and redeeming the firstborn, evoke is G-d’s consistent providential Hand. of tefillin. We are told to make them “a eternal truths which require the sign” on our arms and a “memorial” constant reminder of the tefillin. The second lesson is G-d’s love for us. between our eyes. (Shemot 13:9, 16) In When explaining the mitzvah of both cases the reasoning for this is There is a debate amongst redeeming the firstborn to inquisitive that G-d took us out of Egypt with a commentators about the identity of the children, the Torah tells us to say that “strong arm”. “strong arm” involved in the Exodus, “when Pharaoh was obstinate in and its purpose, but the overarching sending us out, G-d killed every Putting these mitzvot into the larger message is the same according to all: firstborn in Egypt”. (13:15) This context of our parshah, we can begin the extreme and abrupt nature of the description hearkens back to the very to raise some questions: Jewish people’s departure from Egypt first message G-d sent to Pharaoh. “So • These are not the only was an event that could only be says G-d, Israel is My firstborn son. I “memorialization” mitzvot we interpreted as G-d’s direct action. say to you, send out My son and he will encounter. Both the Pesach serve Me, and if you refuse to send him, sacrifice and eating of marror are The simplicity of this fact threatens to I will kill your firstborn son”. (4:22-23) designed to have us recall mask its profundity. Of course G-d Notwithstanding everything the Exodus elements of the Pesach story. caused the Exodus! Everyone knows accomplished, it was, at its core, the However, those mitzvot are not that! But consider in our own lives, and story of a Father coming to rescue His included in our tefillin. What in recent history, how much we waffle son. This faithfulness and love are not makes matzah and redeeming the and equivocate about whether different always apparent. They weren’t during firstborn different? events were really examples of G-d’s the years of Egyptian slavery, nor • The description of the Jews being involvement. Our propensity to second- during many years of painful exile since taken out with a “strong arm” is guess Divine providence underscores then. It is therefore our duty to take the also unique to the end of the the power of a moment where everyone, shining example of the Exodus and bind parshah. What is its significance? even our Egyptian antagonists, it to our hearts and minds. Becoming unconditionally recognized G-d’s conscious of G-d’s special care for us, Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 421) manifest Will. we can learn to see it in the tumultuous explains that tefillin are part of a series world around us and respond in kind. of mitzvot designed as a check against Two fundamental lessons regarding that the coarser elements of human nature. Will emerged from this event. The first [email protected] OUR BEIT MIDRASH ROSH BEIT MIDRASH RABBI MORDECHAI TORCZYNER SGAN ROSH BEIT MIDRASH RABBI SAMMY BERGMAN AVREICHIM RABBI ALEX HECHT, NETANEL KLEIN, RABBI CHAIM METZGER SEDER BOKER DIRECTOR RABBI MOSHE YERES WOMEN’S BEIT MIDRASH MRS. SHIRA METZGER CORRESPONDENTS EZER DIENA, RABBI ADAM FRIEDMANN, RABBI BARUCH An affiliate of Torah MiTzion and YU WEINTRAUB, RABBI JONATHAN ZIRING CHAVERIM NADAV GASNER, SHAUL HARRIS, ARI KARON, YEHUDA LEVI, SHIMMY NAUENBERG, NATAN Find Toronto Torah online at SNOWBELL, AKIVA WEITZ, ELI WELTMAN tiny.cc/torontotorah CHAVEROT ORLY AZIZA, MINDY CHAPMAN, SHULA DIENA, SOFIA FREUDENSTEIN, TEHILLA HELFENBAUM, We are grateful to ARIELLA MARKUS, SYLVIE MOSCOVITZ, HADASSA NAUENBERG, YEJIDE OMOTOSO, KINNERET WITTY Continental Press Journey Through Tanach: Shemuel II, Chapter 20 Rabbi Baruch Weintraub Summary Yoav brutally kills him, letting his It is hard not to see this development as The chapter begins with a coup rival’s body lie in blood in the midst of another consequence of the Bat Sheva organized by a Binyaminite named the highway until it is finally removed story. David’s ability to punish Yoav Sheva Ben Bichri. The man, described by one of the soldiers. (20:7-13) was limited, as Yoav was presumably by our book as a wicked person, incites the only one to know that Uriah’s death most of Israel to abandon King David – From there on, Yoav practically re- in combat was orchestrated by the king leaving him with the tribe of Yehudah takes command, continuing the search himself. As David himself would admit alone. Before attending to the new after Sheva. Eventually, Sheva is on his deathbed to his son Shlomo, trouble, David returns to his home in located in Maachah, and Yoav begins Yoav’s brutality escaped David’s justice. Jerusalem and separates himself from to besiege the city. A local woman cuts (Melachim I 2:5-6) From recent the concubines that were used by a deal with Yoav: Sheva’s head will be chapters it also seems that he was Avshalom in his attempt to conquer his handed over, and the city will be more popular with the people. Thus, father’s throne. (20:1-3) spared – and so it happened. In the Yoav was able to impose his will on aftermath of the revolt, David was David, and maintain his high office. Then David begins to give orders aimed again an uncontested king, and Yoav at crushing the revolt. First he sends his chief general. (20:14-26) Was Yoav David’s most faithful soldier Amasa, the former chief general of or a cunning warlord looking after his Avshalom, to replace Yoav as his own Analysis own interests? A cold-blooded chief general. However, Amasa fails to Avshalom’s death brought the nation murderer, or someone who saved many recruit the people in the three days back to King David’s rule, but without lives by ensuring that the most able given to him by David. The king, not great enthusiasm. David’s loss of warrior would lead the army? These wanting to linger and allow the rebels control in his own home, combined questions remain open. time to organize, asks Avishai, Yoav’s with his ambiguous response to the brother, to take his brother’s men and revolt, gave an impression of [email protected] lead the charge against Sheva. (20:4-6) weakness, and invited further attempts to undermine his kingship. Avishai follows the king’s orders, but While the more apparent attempt was takes Yoav with him; this was not by Sheva, and this ended in a clear David’s order, and it was probably victory for David, the hidden but more against David’s wishes. On their way, important act was by Yoav, who they meet Amasa, finally back from his violently took charge as David’s mission. Pretending to greet Amasa, military commander. The Israeli Farmer: Mowing Lawns During Shemitah Rabbi Sammy Bergman Rabbi Yosef Lieberman (Shu”t Mishnat Yosef 1:8) quotes a grapevine during the shemitah year. The commentators on ruling of Rabbi Yechiel Michel Tucazinsky (3:2:4) that forbids that mishnah (Rambam, Tosafot Yom Tov ad loc.) explain cutting one’s grass in the normal way during the shemitah that one may only trim their grapevine if they deviate from year. Rabbi Tucazinsky argues that despite the primary their normal method of pruning, and they primarily intend intention of the field owner to improve the appearance of to use the wood from the branches. However, one who mows their lawn, cutting the grass also contributes to its growth. their lawn typically lacks both these conditions. One who cultivates plant growth violates the prohibition against working the land during shemitah, even if the plant Nevertheless, Rabbi Lieberman suggests that a landowner bears no fruit and serves a purely aesthetic purpose.
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