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Together Now! Rabbi Elihu Abbe Two Mute Students Lived in the Knowledge

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Together Now! Rabbi Elihu Abbe Two Mute Students Lived in the Knowledge בס“ד Parshat Vayelech/Shuvah 6 Tishrei, 5779/September 15, 2018 Vol. 10 Num. 4 (#382) This issue of Toronto Torah is sponsored by Nathan Kirsh in loving memory of his parents, Lou and Ruth Kirsh z”l יהודה פסח בן נפתלי הכהן ז“ל and רחל בת מרדכי ז“ל All Together Now! Rabbi Elihu Abbe Two mute students lived in the knowledge. Nonetheless, one who is arrogance, the author addresses a neighborhood of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, unable to share the Torah with others, potential pitfall. A person working a.k.a. Rebbe. Whenever Rebbe would or is unable to participate in the give toward attaining humility may become enter the beit midrash to teach, they and take of a Torah discussion with so tempted to avoid receiving praise for would sit in front of him and nod their another person, is exempt. This is even his good deeds, that he will go out of his heads and move their lips. One day, if they know the entire Torah. The Torah way to do everything in a subpar Rebbe prayed that their speech should is intended to come to life. It is intended manner. He will pray as quickly as be restored. When they were healed, it to be transmitted. It is intended to be possible, never study Torah in public, was discovered that they had become shared. and hide any positive character trait fluent in all of the Talmud and its that he attains. laws, as well as in various volumes of Each of the three festivals transmits midrash. (Chagigah 3a) this same message regarding the Orchot Tzaddikim describes such a necessity of sharing our Torah tendency as fleeing from a small fire The Talmud relates this story in knowledge and religious experience with directly into the heart of a much larger discussing who is obligated in the others. fire. While G-d desires altruistic service, mitzvah of hakhel, in which the Torah • The Passover Haggadah says, “Even if it is essential to avoid detracting from is read publicly in the Beit haMikdash all of us are knowledgeable in Torah, the communal promotion of serving Him every seven years, on Succot. The it is nonetheless, a mitzvah to relate that results from publicly visible Torah (Devarim 31:12) lists “learning” the story of the exodus from Egypt.” endeavors. In fact, the Mishneh Berurah as one of the benefits of the mitzvah Knowledge is not enough. It must be (1:6) advises that mitzvot should be (l’maan yilmidu), and the Talmud animated through discussion. performed publicly when there is a derives from there that one who is • At Shavuot we celebrate receiving the chance that others will learn from one’s mute is exempt. The Talmud then Torah, which is meant to be spoken, good example and devote themselves to questions this derivation by relating not only read. King David declares performing mitzvot as well. the above story, which proves that one “How much do I love Your Torah! It is who is mute can certainly learn. It (the subject of) my speech all day Jewish life is based on communal answers that l’maan yilmidu should be (Tehillim 119:97).” engagement and participation. We learn understood l’maan yilameidu; the • On Succot we lift the lulav and etrog. together, pray together, and help each benefit of the mitzvah is not to learn, In times of old, when one would exit other. May we all, together, merit a but to teach. One who is unable to court after a favorable verdict, one favourable judgment and a year of good teach verbally and draw others into would hold branches as a sign of health, happiness, and spiritual growth. their studies is exempt. victory. Similarly, we take a lulav to symbolize having emerged victorious [email protected] As the Talmud sees it, Rebbe’s two from the judgment of Rosh Hashana mute students may have known the and Yom Kippur. (Midrash Rabbah entire corpus of Torah literature, but Vayikra 30:2) Taking the lulav is prior to their healing they would have making a statement, sharing our been exempt from hakhel. The religious experience of the high mitzvah, which Sefer haChinuch (612) holidays with others. describes as a communal celebration of Torah, is obligatory for men, women, Orchot Tzaddikim is a classical, and children. Everyone participates, anonymous medieval work on personal regardless of their degree of Torah growth. In discussing the trait of 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 Find our upcoming shiurim on-line at WEINTRAUB, RABBI JONATHAN ZIRING www.torontotorah.com UNIVERSITY CHAVERIM YONI BLUMENFELD, NAFTI DIENA, NADAV GASNER, COREY KAMEN, YEHUDA LEVI, COBY LYONS, RONI PEREZ, JACOB POSLUNS, MORDECHAI ROTH, We are grateful to ARI RUBIN, URIEL WEISZ, ELI WELTMAN, BARUCH WISE Continental Press 905-660-0311 Journey Through Tanach: Yehoshua, Chapter 4 Rabbi Baruch Weintraub Summary of the chapter he adds another set of stones which monuments, then, seems to be G-d commands Yehoshua to take twelve will serve as a monument inside the Yehoshua’s own. stones from the Jordan River and leave Jordan itself. Rabbi Moshe Alsheich them where the Jews will camp that explains that these two sets of stones Our failure to remember the stones and night. Yehoshua passes the instruction were supposed to supplement one their message is even more emphasized to the people, and explains to them that another, so if the origin of the Gilgal when compared with the memory of the the goal is to create a monument to the monument would be forgotten, the Exodus from Egypt. The latter has Divine miracle of the crossing of the stones at the Jordan would provide the neither physical props nor Jordan. This commandment is carried answer. If the purpose of the stones at archaeological remnants, and yet, it is a out, and Yehoshua adds another twelve the Jordan would be forgotten, the lively and central event in our national stones that will remain in the Jordan stones at Gilgal would be a reminder of memory. Maybe this is the conclusion itself, where the priests carrying the ark the crossing. we are expected to draw: that a memory had stood. based on mitzvah and education has a However, from where we stand today, much higher chance of surviving The crossing of the Jordan made it seems that Yehoshua’s attempts through the generations than a memory Yehoshua a great leader in the eyes of were not very successful. It may well based on even the largest stones. the Israelites, and they revered him as be that the stones located in the river, they revered Moshe in his time. In or at Gilgal, are still there, but we are [email protected] addition, the stones placed in their not aware of them, and they do not camping place, Gilgal, would forever serve as the memorials Yehoshua serve as a reminder, both for the wanted them to be. Israelites and for other nations, of G-d’s mighty hand. Indeed, when we look at G-d’s commandment to take the stones, we For thought may note that nowhere is it said that In our chapter, Yehoshua seems to the stones will be used to remember make a great effort in the hope of the crossing of the Jordan. As a matter establishing an everlasting national of fact, Rashi suggests that this memory for the crossing of the Jordan. commandment was meant to help the Probably, this is how he understands G people establish an altar on Mount -d’s command to him to take twelve Eival and write the Torah on the stones from the Jordan and to put them stones, as G-d had commanded where the Jews would camp. Therefore, Moshe. (Devarim 27:1-4) The idea of Law of the Land: Tithing Israeli Exports Rabbi Alex Hecht Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829-1908), in his Aruch disposed of in a dignified manner (see “Instructions for haShulchan commentary on the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Separating Terumah and Ma’aser” http://www.crcweb.org/ Deah 331:1), tells the reader that he has decided not to write kosher_articles/Terumah_Maaser_Separation_%28Dec% about the laws pertaining to terumot and ma’asrot 202016%29.pdf). (agricultural tithes given to kohanim and leviyim) since they had no practical relevance in his day. Over a century later, What about Israel’s exports? This question, originally there is no shortage of scholarly articles and consumer addressed in a mishnah (Challah 2:1), stems from the guides in both Hebrew and English about the application of Torah’s passage regarding terumah, “[W]hen you arrive in these laws in Israel and abroad. The resettlement and re- the land to which I am bringing you” (Bamidbar 15:18).” establishment of sovereignty in the Land of Israel has Although, the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 331:12) enabled a thriving agricultural sector and booming export exempted exports from separation, Rabbi Yehudah Rosanes industry, placing the laws of terumot and ma’asrot into the (1657-1727) in his Mishneh leMelech argued that produce practical arena. grown in Israel requires separation regardless of where it is consumed. In a third view, Rabbi Shalom Mordechai Halachah requires a Jew to tithe his crop as follows: Schwadron (1835-1911) said that if produce is grown in Approximately two percent is given to a kohen (terumah Israel specifically for export, terumah need not be taken.
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