Shabbat-B'Shabbato – Parshat (Abroad – Parshat Nasso) No 1628: 12 Sivan 5776 (18 June 2016)

AS APPROACHES Derech Eretz Came before the - by Mordechai Greenberg, Rosh Yeshiva, Kerem B'Yavne

"Aharon did so, he raised up the lamps opposite the face of the Menorah" [Bamidbar 8:3]. The sages commented, "There was a stone in front of the Menorah with three steps, and the would stand on it to prepare the lamps." [; Tamid, Chapter 3]. Why did the sages put such emphasis on the matter of three steps for preparing the lamps and not mention that the Kohen stood on them to light the lamps? After all, the mitzva is to light them, while getting them ready is merely preparation for the mitzva itself.

Rabbi Yosef Salant writes an explanation in his book Be'er Yosef that has practical consequences for us. The sages wrote that the purpose of the Menorah was to enhance the light of the Torah in Yisrael. "The Menorah... hints at the Torah, which is called light" [Rabeinu Bechayai]. The seven branches of the Menorah represent the seven types of wisdom, "teaching us that all of wisdom was hewn out of the Torah as a source" [Natziv]. However, something precedes the Torah, and that is Derech Eretz, natural behavior. It is written, "'... to guard the path of the Tree of Life' [Bereishit 3:24] – the path is 'derech' – Derech Eretz – and life is the Torah" [Vayikra Rabba 9]. And the famous words of Rabbi Chaim Vital are known – that the Torah had no need to command us about behavior because that is natural for mankind and there is no need to give any explicit commands about it. He wrote, "The basis of observing the mitzvot is to maintain proper behavior, and not to do the opposite."

The foundation of all the good traits and their opposites is what the sages have taught us: "Whoever maintains these three traits is a student of our Patriarch Avraham, while somebody who maintains three opposite traits is a student of the evil one, Bilam. The traits of the students of Avraham are: A good eye, a lack of pride, and a lowly soul." [Avot 5:19]. The SHELAH writes that we can derive from these three traits that "jealousy, lust, and honor can cause a man to be removed from this world." The Maharal wrote that "the opposites of these three bad traits are Torah, worship, and kindness," which help maintain a person. And these traits are represented by the three steps leading up to the Menorah. In order to disseminate the Torah by lighting the lamps, we must first prepare them. This means we must refine our moral traits, the three steps, for Derech Eretz came before the Torah.

It is said that a Torah student once passed a midget on the street. This reminded him of a halacha that he had been taught in the yeshiva. He lifted the midget off his feet and shook him shook him with enthusiasm, similar to the way we wave a lulav on Succot, and he recited a blessing, "He who makes unusual creatures."

Rav Kook wrote, keeping such incidents in mind, "The fear of heaven must never replace the natural moral traits of a person, for if it does it is no longer pure fear of heaven. The sign of pure fear of heaven is that it raises the morality which comes naturally to a person to a higher level than would be if not for the natural behavior. If, on the other hand, we can think of fear of heaven which is such that without its influence we would act in a better way... and the fear of heaven leads to a diminished level of Derech Eretz, then that fear of heaven is improper." [Orot Hakodesh, 3; Rosh Davar, page 27].

POINT OF VIEW A Just "Arrangement" for Amonah – Do It now! - by Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, Dean of the Zomet Institute

1 "And Moshe said (to )... Come with us, and we will do good for you from the good that G-d will do for us" [Bamidbar 10:32]. "The fertile land of Jericho was 500 by 500 Amot, and it was not parceled out. They said, whoever builds the Temple on their land will take this plot. In the end, it was given to the offspring of Yitro, Yonadav Ben Rechev, as is written, 'And the sons of Keini, Moshe's father-in-law, came up from the City of Dates...'. [Shoftim 1:16]." [Rashi].

The Thirst for Expulsion

For the last few years a bitter struggle has been taking place between settlers in the region of Yehuda and the Shomron and the state's attorney's office with respect to passing an "Arrangement Law," whose purpose is to rescue a number of settlements, including hundreds of buildings, from the tragedy of another "disengagement" and to remove the ever-present threat of a Supreme Court ruling against them. The trigger of this article is the town of "Amona" and the current ruling, which demands that the settlement be removed by the first day of Chanukah next year, 5777. But Amona is not alone. It serves as a test-case in the tug-of-war between the rightist supporters of settlements and the radical left, which has a positive thirst for destroying the houses of the settlers. And caught in the middle you have the leftist Zionists and the centralist rightists (such as Netanyahu and Yaalon), who live in fear of the Hague conventions. (In talking to angry members of his party, Bibi explained why it is necessary to evacuate the settlements... He said, "I suggest you do not ignore the international court in the Hague." - See ynet, June 2012.)

What is this all about? Amona, for example (and the same was true of Migron, the Ulpana hill in Beit El, and other sites), was established with the active support of the state, and it was given government budgets to build on lands that did not belong to anybody. But prying "informers" managed to find people who claim to be the owners of some parts of the land. The state attorney's office, which is responsible for defending the government, plays into the hands of the plaintiffs and acts as "friends of nationalist leftists" instead of trying to propose some sort of compensation, or to make use of legal instruments such as "abandoned property" or other creative approaches. As far as I know, such arrangements are regularly proposed in property disputes within the "green line," but never within the "occupied territories," out of the fear of international agreements and a possible scolding by Obama. The Supreme Court is thus left without any alternative other than a decision to uproot the settlements!

Legal Arrangements

A proposal for a law has been sifting through the Knesset, in slightly different forms, for many years. The gist of the proposed law is that if a settlement was established by the government in an innocent process, and only years later the "original owners" turn up – then they will be compensated with alternative land "which will be as close as possible to their place of residence," in addition to financial compensation of 50% more than the original value of the land on the day it was expropriated. Such an arrangement is reasonable, moral, and proper, so much so that it can even be considered a "win-win" situation. It has no residual aspect of evil, as if to say, "Did you murder and also want to inherit from the victim?" And it does not consist of unfair removal from land which has been lying untouched for hundreds of year. As a result of the establishment of a settlement a decade or more earlier, the owners of the property and the anti-patriots will find out something they didn't know – that they have property rights for which they can get replacement land and a nice profit to boot. We note in passing that in no place where the court forced settlement construction to be destroyed have the "owners" made any use of their "property," which remains in all cases as a landmark of destruction – merely weeds and desolation. If you are interested just look in the "Tales of the Arabian Nights" for the chapter on "transforming the ruins of Gush Katif and the northern Shomron into flowering Palestinian gardens."

The question of making an "arrangement law" is not legal but political. In fact, it is based on personal considerations. What is the position of the 2 state's attorney within the scale of nationalistic feelings, and where are the Minister of Defense and the Prime Minister? That is the essence of the law of an "arrangement." And now the status of the proposed laws has moved on to the realm of a new state's attorney, one who is fresh and does not have a leftist record. He also seems to correspond quite well to the fresh Minister of Defense, almost a hand-in-glove fit. The only remaining obstruction to making a law of this type would seem to be the Prime Minister himself, who might still have fears of the Hague. We stand on the sidelines wondering if he will force the Minister of Defense and perhaps the state's attorney to join him in blocking a law which is a worthy one at all levels. If so, the Prime Minister will be in danger of taking up the same position in our history as that of Arik Sharon.

Preventing Images of Destruction and Evacuation

Anybody who believes that settlers (not the "owners of the property") will evacuate their land for compensation is making a big mistake, as is clear from the precedent of Gush Katif and the decade of failure since then to provide adequate "compensation" to those who were expelled. In view of the fact noted above, that "Amona is not alone," lack of any just arrangement law will bring back the ghost of nightmares which we experienced during the "disengagement" in Katif.

I have one note for the new Minister of Defense: "Who knows if this is not the very reason for which you achieved your position?" (see 4:14).

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In the quoted above brought by Rashi, the sages reported that an area of 500 by 500 Amot was expropriated for the area of the Temple. The people who gave up their land were offered a worthy reward: a replacement area of the same size, with the added value of its being in the fertile area of Jericho. You can read more about this matter and its significance as seen by the sages in my book, "Special Places as Viewed by the Sages," on the topic of "The Curse and the Sanctity of Jericho." The gist of the matter is that Jericho and are parallel to each other, something which is seen in the scents and the sounds of the Temple which reach as far as the city of Jericho ("rei'ach," scent, is part of the Hebrew name of the city.)

(Written after the end of Shavuot.)

MY KLEZMER BLOG The Lalov Shabbat in Miron - by Moshe (Mussa) Berlin

Years ago, in 1981, at the end of Lag B'Omer, the Rebbe of Lalov came back from Miron very agitated. He said to his disciples: There are times when a man must pay with his body in order to rescue the nation of Yisrael.

Two weeks later, the Rebbe decided to go on a tour of Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, where he asked to visit the Neurology Department. He spent time there, speaking with the nurses and the doctors.

Nobody understood why he did this. When asked, he repeated what he had said before: There are times when a man must pay with his body in order to rescue the nation of Yisrael.

A few days later, on the day before Shavuot, the Rebbe of Lalov phoned Menachem Begin, and he said to him that he blesses Begin and wishes him success on his mission. A man who was in the room with Begin later said that he paced back and forth, saying that he didn't understand how anybody knew - and that perhaps the entire operation should be cancelled.

A few hours later, the Israeli Air Force bombed the nuclear facility in Iraq. The following night, at the end of Shavuot, the Rebbe of Lalov had a stroke, and he remained in the Neurology Department of Hadassah Hospital for the next six years...

3 There are times when a man must pay with his body in order to rescue the nation of Yisrael.

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Napoleon's Cloak, which became a Parochet in Jerusalem

Reb David from Lalov (1746-1814) was a disciple of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhansk and of the "Seer of Lublin." He was one of the greatest tzadikim in who lived at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

When Napoleon was in Poland on his way to conquer Russia, he passed through Chenstochov, which is not far from Lalov. There he heard about a holy Jew from Lalov who could foretell the future.

Napoleon put on a disguise and went to the rabbi's home. He told him who he was, and that he was on the way to conquer Russia. He wanted to know if he would succeed in his mission or not.

The Rebbe of Lalov, Reb David, became very agitated. He said that he indeed knew the outcome of the campaign, but that he would only reveal it if Napoleon would promise the rabbi that he would not be harmed. When Napoleon gave the promise, the Rebbe of Lalov told the Emperor that he would suffer a great defeat in the war. And the Rebbe's prediction indeed came true.

When the French Army retreated in 1812, Napoleon again visited the Rebbe in Lalov, and he said: "You were right, what happened is exactly what you predicted." And as a sign of appreciation Napoleon gave the rabbi his own magnificent cloak.

Reb Moshe (the son of Reb David) brought the cloak with him to Jerusalem when he made Aliya in the beginning of the year 5611 (1850). Before having the cloak sewn into a curtain for the Holy Ark in his , the Rebbe immersed it in a mikveh. Reb Moshe did not live very long in Jerusalem. He passed away on the thirteenth of Tevet 5611. The cloak is on exhibit in a museum in Haifa.

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The Niggun of Reb Davidel from Lavov

It is said about Reb Davidel (the grandson of the Rebbi mentioned above) that one time on his way to pray at the Western Wall he heard an Arab youth playing a melody on a flute.

The tune caught his attention. He stopped and listened. He paid the Arab a large sum of money to keep on playing the same tune over and over again. In addition, the Rebbe asked one of his disciples to memorize the niggun. When the man signaled that he had learned the music, Reb Davidel told the Arab that he could stop playing.

From that day on, the Arab could no longer remember the niggun. The Rebbe told his followers that the source of this niggun was the Temple itself.

To hear the Lalov nigun, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFkNjKtu8G8

For reactions: [email protected] Visit my website: www.mussaberlin.com

NATURE AND THE TORAH PORTION Garlic - by Dr. Moshe Raanan, Herzog College and the Jerusalem College for Women

"We remember the fish which we ate in Egypt for free and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, and the onion and the garlic" [Bamidbar 11:5].

Ezra's Decree

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The link between the nation of Yisrael and garlic described in the above verse was not a one-time event that was restricted to the generation of the . Rather, it was a constant characteristic from at least the time of Ezra and afterwards. In the Mishna we have been taught, "One who takes a vow to keep away from those who observe Shabbat is prohibited from contact with people of Yisrael and with Kutim. If the vow is with respect to those who eat garlic, he must not have any contact with Yisrael or with Kutim." [Nedarim 3:10]. Rashi explains, "'Those who eat garlic' – this means on Shabbat eve. He must not have contact with Yisrael, because the people of Yisrael eat garlic before sexual contact which they have on Friday night." [Nedarim 31a]. Eating garlic on Friday nights is one of ten decrees attributed to Ezra. A describes other medical benefits of garlic: "The listed five benefits of garlic: It is filling, it warms the body, it brings joy to the face, it increases semen, and it kills parasites in the intestines. Some also say that it enhances love and inhibits jealousy." {Bava Kama 82a]. Garlic is considered a medicinal plant according to many folk traditions and even in conventional medicine. It is quite reasonable to see that Bnei Yisrael remembered it with favor together with the other vegetables that they mentioned.

Today too garlic is known as a food with aphrodisiac properties. Many studies have shown that garlic invigorates the and increases the production of NOS (nitric oxide synthase), especially in individuals who tend to have a low amount of this enzyme. NOS is important for the male role in reproduction. The claim of the above Baraita, that garlic "increases semen," has been demonstrated in clinical experiments. An example is a test that was performed on mice (whose reproduction system is similar to that of human beings). The mice were given a liquid extract of garlic as a food additive for three months. The sperm tubes of the test animals grew significantly larger, and the sperm count was higher than in control mice. Another experiment found that a water-based extract of garlic protects against the harmful effect of lead and leads to an improvement in variables which are linked to the quality of the semen.

Medicinal Properties

The medical benefits of garlic are attributed to compounds of two main types: Flavonoids (which in the past were known by the general name of "Vitamin P") and compounds containing sulfur. It has been shown that the most important element in the normal consumption of garlic is a group of compounds which includes allicin (70-80% of the total), which gives the garlic its characteristic flavor and odor.

Allicin acts as a very efficient antioxidant, and this is important for its medical significance. It has been determined that the allicin itself is not the antioxidant but rather sulfuric acid and other derivatives which are formed when it decomposes. Thus, both the benefits of garlic and its unpleasant odor depend on the same basic compound. Allicin is not normally present in the garlic, and it is created only when the garlic is crushed or eaten. The uncrushed cells of garlic contain non-odorous derivatives of amino acid which contain sulfur, known as alliin. When the cloves are crushed, alliin comes into contact with the enzyme alliinase in nearby cells, and the allicin is formed.

Allicin has anti-bacterial properties, and it is recommended even today as a home remedy against throat infections. David Mirelman and Meir Vilchik from the Weizmann Institute have shown that allicin neutralizes two enzymes: cysteine proteases and alcohol dehydrogenase. These enzymes are important for bacteria, fungi, and viruses, including some that cause human disease. Neutralizing them can prevent or inhibit the development of sickness, infection, and contamination. These discoveries might lead to the use of allicin as a medicine against microbes which have developed a resistance to antibiotics. It might also explain the phrase in the Baraita quoted above, that garlic "kills parasites in the intestines." The word used, "kinim," refers in the language of the sages not only to lice, as we use it today, but also to other small creatures. Thus, in this case it might be referring to various intestinal parasites. Many research studies that have been

5 performed using cloves or capsules of garlic have confirmed that small amounts of the material can have a large effect on the blood transportation by decreasing cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and by preventing aggregation of platelets. Epidemiological studies and research on animals have shown that garlic can help prevent cancerous growth, especially in the intestines.

In the , we can see that our sages were also familiar with garlic as a cure for dental infection (Gittin 69a). Rashi explains that the cure for "internal" illness of the teeth is a head of garlic with one clove. It should be crushed and spread on the tooth only with the fingernail of the thumb, so that it will not come into direct contact with the raw flesh. According to the Talmud, contact of garlic with flesh can cause "tzaraat" – leprosy. It is interesting to note that today too we are careful not to expose open skin to too high a concentration of garlic because it might cause irritation in the skin and the eyes and even lead to serious burns on the skin.

For more information in Hebrew and for pictures, and to regularly receive articles about plants and animals linked to the Daf Yomi, write e-mail to: [email protected]

STRAIGHT TALK Privacy, R.I.P. - by Rabbi Yoni Lavie, Manager, "Chaverim Makshivim" Website

It all happened very quickly, almost before we caught on. Under our very noses, a far-reaching revolution has taken place, which affects the lives of each and every one of us. It will take us years to evaluate the influence it has on our lives, but it is already clear that this marks a new era in the realm of social relationships. If we want to summarize this in a single phrase, it is the following: "The death of privacy."

What do You Want to Hide?

Privacy is considered one of the most basic individual rights. It is protected in treaties and international agreements, and also in detailed laws in Israel and in the entire world. Basically, it means to guard over a person's own private world (physical or virtual), taking into account that there are areas that pertain to individuals which should never be exposed in public without his or her explicit permission.

That is the definition in principle. What happens in the real world?

The development of communication media has made it much easier than before to document and disseminate information. One of the results of this fact is the formation of cracks in the wall of privacy. However, most people were still able to differentiate between personal data which should remain within the intimate area reserved for each individual and more public matters which should be distributed to everybody at large.

The internet, which has become a central presence in our lives, mainly through the tremendous growth of social networks in the past few years, has opened up a new era. The habit of sharing information, pictures, and random thoughts in ever-widening circles has become widespread and very popular. More and more details of our lives, which used to be reserved exclusively for intimate family and close friends, are now spread out for everybody in the community to see.

The element which broke the dams blocking widespread dissemination of information was the smartphone, with its built-in high-quality camera and with a constant open link to the internet. This made it so easy to record any event and share it immediately with the entire universe that it became a tempting attraction that could no longer be resisted. We all became obsessive photographers and who shared everything, openly or secretly looking for instant social gratification in the form of "likes" and other visual appreciation.

"I am a Photographer, Therefore I Exist" 6

If in the past it was necessary for something out of the ordinary to happen so that somebody would take out a camera and record it, today the only way to avoid taking a picture is for something incredibly boring and mundane to take place. Only then is there a possibility that nobody will yank out a telephone to make a record of the event.

If in the past we would go on a field trip and only at strategic places (such as a high mountain peak or a charming waterfall) would we take our camera out of its case and look for another visitor to take our picture. Today the phone doesn't leave our hands for the entire journey, and we fill its memory chip with hundreds of "selfies" at every step of the way.

If in the past it was enough to put on a pleasant smile in order to signal to the photographer, but this is not enough anymore. In order to catch the attention of all the other people with dulled senses, we have to put on funny faces, pose in an enticing or exposed way, or send out messages full of poison.

If in the past good deeds were significant by themselves, and in some ways things that were done anonymously took on a special meaning, today all that matters is the level of marketing and advertising that they generate.

You are not on facebook? You are not real. You didn't send out a picture? You were never there!

In short: I am a photographer, therefore I exist.

Get our Intimate Spaces Back

The value of modesty and the necessity of covering various parts of our bodies are usually mentioned in connection with religion and with halacha. However, the basic meaning of modesty begins at a much earlier stage. It is a primary expression of the fact that we are human beings and not animals. When a cat comes to a meeting, it does not bother to get dressed beforehand. It brings along its body as is, and that is what it shows off to all. It has nothing else to show.

A human being, on the other hand, has a whole lot more than that. His or her body is merely an external envelope which hides a rich internal world. We have a soul, a personality with values and skills which are waiting to be expressed. The idea to cover and show modesty about certain areas of our body stems from the fact that we are personal and have our own innate value, and showing them off for all to see cheapens these elements. Emotional wedding scenes, intimate family moments, experiences of couples and close friends – all of these were meant to be preserved by people who are very dear to us. The unique quality of our relationship is a type of "secret" that ties us all together. As soon as we decide to record every moment of our lives in a high-definition picture and to send it out automatically to thousands of friends and millions of surfers, the "secret" dissipates and is lost forever. It becomes vulgar and plain, and it loses its power and its unique quality.

The challenge that we face is to rebuild the dam which was broken down, that which separates the private realm and the public sector. We must do our utmost to guard the intimate and family realm and our private area, and we must keep in mind that this is one of the most precious possessions that we have. We must remember that specifically whatever I refuse to photograph and insist on keeping alive as a memory is much closer to eternity than a photo could ever be.

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RIDDLE OF THE WEEK by Yoav Shelosberg, Director of "Quiz and Experience"

Behaalotecha The formula which begins this week with X and ends with 2X 7 Ended last week also with 2X, but then it began with X+5. What is this? What is the value of X?

Answer for last week – The riddle was: Subtract the first number from the second to get the number (relevant to the one who appears) in the beginning of the portion. (Our apologies: the riddle as it appeared last week was poorly worded.)

The number of the family of Kehat, Levi's second son, was 2750 – "And the number in their families was two thousand, seven hundred, and fifty" [Bamidbar 4:36]. The number in the families of the first son, Gershon, was 2630 – "And the number in their families was two thousand, six hundred, and thirty" [4:40]. Subtract the second number from the first to give 120, which was the age of Moshe, who appears in the beginning of the Torah portion – "And G-d spoke to Moshe..." [4:21].

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We will be happy to publish your riddles here, with proper credit to the author. Send your suggestions to the e-mail address given below.

Do you have a bar/bat mitzva coming up? Are you looking for a special quiz? To order: www.hidonim.com e-mail: [email protected]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SHABBAT-ZOMET is an extract from SHABBAT-B'SHABBATO, a weekly bulletin distributed free of charge in hundreds of in Israel. It is published by the Zomet Institute of Alon Shevut, Israel, under the auspices of the National Religious Party. Translated by: Moshe Goldberg To subscribe: http://www.zomet.org.il/eng/?pg=subscribe&CategoryID=165 Visit the Zomet Institute web site: http://www.zomet.org.il Contact Zomet with comments about this bulletin or questions on the link between modern technology and halacha at: [email protected] Or: Phone: +972-2-9931442; FAX: +972-2-9931889 (Attention: Dan Marans) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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