בס“ד Parshat Chayei Sarah 25 Cheshvan, 5776/November 7, 2015 Vol. 7 Num. 9 This issue of Toronto Torah is sponsored by Esther and Craig Guttmann and Family שמעון אריה בן חיים ז“ל in honour of the yahrtzeit of Shimon Berglas How Be’er Sheva Became Israel Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner Chevron is in, Be’er Sheva is out? The question we must address, then, is (ibid. 26:22; and see Yeshuot Malko The Torah specifies that Sarah died in this: What was the rule that defined “in” Yoreh Deah 67) “Kiryat Arba, which is Chevron, in the and “out” for the initial Land of Israel? land of Canaan.” But we already know Today the location of Chevron – Avraham and How Israel was sanctified This lesson of sanctification sends a Sarah went to Chevron in Parshat The Talmud (Bava Batra 100a) contends clear message, long after those initial Lech Lecha, and lived there until that Avraham’s actions were the agents biblical journeys. To borrow from Rabbi S’dom was destroyed. Why does the of introducing sanctity to the Land of Yehudah haLevi’s Tziyon Halo Tishali: Torah need to reiterate that Chevron is Israel: When Jewish souls are rejuvenated by in Eretz Canaan? When he walked its length and the air of G-d’s land; when we enjoy her breadth, he acquired the place dust, which is more pleasant than According to Rabbi Ephraim Karo (son where he walked, per Rabbi Eliezer. myrrh; when we drink of her rivers, of the author of the Shulchan Aruch), The Sages taught: Walking was which are sweeter than honey; when we the Torah means to tell us that Sarah ineffective, until he took control. walk barefoot upon her ruins, when we died in the Land of Israel, and she had pass through her forests and traverse Rashbam (Bava Batra ibid.) explained her hills; then the sanctity of this land, not been there beforehand. Sarah went that “taking control” refers to to Chevron “because the Land of Israel promised to our people, is realized. performing acts that demonstrate atones for sin… And therefore, when ownership. This is the way a space was Today, settling in Israel is not about she realized that she was losing transformed from land to Land: when instituting sanctity; that process was strength and becoming weaker… she our ancestors travelled there and completed long ago. Nonetheless, we instructed that they bring her to established onwership of the space. have inherited a mission of living in Chevron, to die there.” (Toldot Yitzchak Since Avraham and Sarah spent their Israel to continue and grow the sanctity to Chayei Sarah) initial years in the northern and eastern that is already present. If establishing a In other words: Only the land lands of Canaan, that excluded Be’er mere residence in a location in Israel is inhabited by the seven tribes of Sheva. As Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar wrote sufficient to imbue it with sanctity, Canaan was bona fide Israel. Chevron (Ohr haChaim, Bereishit 26:3), imagine the impact of an on-going was in Israel, but Be’er Sheva, and “Avraham did not take control of the community of Jews settled there, with it the cities of the Philistines, land of the Philistines.” building homes and families, establishing synagogues and schools! were beyond her sacred borders. This control was what Avraham and This is the power of aliyah – to build As jarring as it is to think of Be’er Sarah meant to accomplish when they towers, skyscrapers, atop that bedrock Sheva, and local cities like Ashkelon journeyed to the land of the Philistines, holiness. and Ashdod, as outside of Israel, Rashi seeking to invest that area with took this as a given. Later in Bereishit, sanctity. They planted an eshel, from Avraham and Sarah spent decades Yitzchak planted in the land of the which they evangelized in the name of travelling the land, creating holiness; it Philistines, and he received a blessing the Jewish G-d. However, they met with was only with Sarah’s impending death of hundredfold returns. Rashi there a challenge in the form of the local king, that she returned to Chevron and commented, “The Torah specifies that Avimelech, who was not prepared to stopped. May we merit to emulate her this [miraculous blessing] occurred in cede any control to them. The Hittites in model, those of us who are already in that land – the land of the Philistines – the area of Chevron acknowledged Israel and those who are not yet there. even though that land lacks the Avraham as a righteous resident As G-d commanded (Bereishit 13:17), status of actual Israel, the land of the (Bereishit 23:6), but Avimelech “Rise, and walk the land, for to you I seven nations.” (Bereishit 26:12) [See identified Avraham only as a visitor. will give it.” also Ketuvot 110b and Ramban (ibid. 21:23) Only with Yitzchak did this Bereishit 23:19.] region become part of the Land of Israel. [email protected] OUR BEIT MIDRASH ROSH BEIT MIDRASH ABBI ORDECHAI ORCZYNER R M T SGAN ROSH BEIT MIDRASH RABBI JONATHAN ZIRING AVREICHIM ABBI AVID LY RUNDLAND ISROEL EIR OSENZWEIG R D E G , Y M R CHAVERIM DAR BARUCHIM, YEHUDA EKLOVE, URI FRISCHMAN, AVISHAI GASNER, SHMUEL GIBLON, MICHAEL IHILCHIK, RYAN JENAH, SHIMMY JESIN, CHEZKY MECKLER, ZACK MINCER, JOSH PHILLIP, JACOB POSLUNS, SHAI REEF, ARYEH ROSEN, SHLOMO SABOVICH, ARIEL SHIELDS, DAVID SUTTNER, DAVID TOBIS We are grateful to Continental Press 905-660-0311 Book Review: Understanding Tzniut Rabbi Jonathan Ziring Understanding Tzniut: Modern published in Tradition, is a response to Rabbi Henkin outlines a critical Controversies in the Jewish Oz VeHadar Levushah by Rabbi methodological point that drives much Community Yehoshua Falk, a book on the same of his approach in areas of relationship Rabbi Yehuda Herzl Henkin topic that he finds to be unjustifiably between the genders. Specifically, Urim Publications, 2008 stringent. While the laws of tzniut have drawing on Ritva, Terumat HaDeshen, been the source of much public, and others, he argues that many laws Who is the author? heated controversy, Rabbi Henkin in the area of tzniut are culture- Rabbi Yehuda Herzl Henkin is a approaches the topic from the four dependent. Thus, for example, he prominent Dati Leumi (Religious cubits of Halachah. It is specifically permits men shaking women’s hands Zionist) posek. He is originally from the from this vantage point that he argues in societies where it is not considered United States, where he studied with that the stringencies that have become erotic. Additionally, he argues that his grandfather, the renowned posek common in much of the Orthodox norms can change, and habituation Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin. He has world are excessive. Often the book (hergel) can make things permitted authored four volumes of responsa, feels like an attempt to kill Rabbi that were once forbidden. Shut Bnei Banim (Responsa of Falk’s thesis through a thousand cuts, Grandchildren), the title reflecting the rather than with one deadly blow. This He also explores several close connection he had with and the methodology befits the careful halachic methodological issues, such as the guidance he received from his authority that Rabbi Henkin shows n a t u r e o f l o p e l u g ( l e g a l grandfather. He has written several himself to be in so many of his works. generalizations), vox populi (the impact other works of Halachah and Torah It also prevents the book from feeling of common practice on law), and, commentary. He has previously been like a political polemic, despite the related to his discussion of the rabbi of the Beit Shaan Valley heated nature of the topic. habituation, what Rabbi Henkin calls region in Israel, and is currently the “reality” – in this case, are men dean of the Keren Ariel program, The book also contains essays on actually provoked by various types of training Yoatzot Halachah at Nishmat, varied topics, such as handshakes dress or exposures. These themes the institution headed by his wife, with the opposite gender, and the appear in many of Rabbi Henkin’s Rabbanit Chana Henkin. proper Shabbat blessing for daughters. others works as well. His transparency concerning methodological issues What is book about? What is unique about the work? enables one to understand the mind of The central essay of the book is a In addition to providing a voice of a great and to more fully grasp why he careful and thorough examination of moderation in an area that so often is rules the way he does. the laws of tzniut (modesty/privacy) in characterized by extremism (both Jewish law. The article, originally towards stringency and leniency), [email protected] 613 Mitzvot: #467-468: Self-Mutilation, National Mutilation Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner Moshe declared, “You are children to Hashem your G-d. You we are “G-d’s children,” to teach that G-d means the events shall not cut yourselves, and you shall not make bald spots of our lives to help us, and we should not grieve. between your eyes, for the dead.” (Devarim 14:1) This teaches two mitzvot: not to cut our skin (Sefer haChinuch #467) and Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch also noted the link between not to pull out our hair in grief over a death (#468). being “G-d’s children” and these mitzvot writing, “You are all first related to G-d, and only through Him to one another. Cutting for any purpose Therefore, if your Father calls one of His children away from Sefer haChinuch contends that the prohibition against your side, do not act as though your own self has worth cutting one’s skin applies regardless of one’s reason.