SHABBAT PARSHAT VAYECHI 13 TEVET. 5779 – DECEMBER 21, 2018 VOL. 26 NO. 10 PARSHA INSIGHTS by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair With the Help of Heaven “And Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt…” (47:28) he Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Land of Goshen. In spite of all of Yosef’s public movement is a global campaign promoting service to Egypt, rescuing the country from the ravages Tvarious forms of boycott against Israel until it of a world-wide famine and skillfully navigating Egypt meets what the campaign describes as "[Israel's] to a position of unrivalled prominence and power, we obligations under international law", defined as learn in the very first sentences of the book of Exodus withdrawal from the occupied territories, removal of that “a new king arose of Egypt, who did not know the separation barrier in the West Bank, full equality Yosef.” (1:8) Here is the archetypal source of the for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and promotion amnesia shown by host nations to their Jewish of the right of return of Palestinian refugees. citizens: They welcome our skills and industriousness Voices against the BDS movement claim that it judges and then turn around and say, “Yeah, but what have the State of Israel with standards different from those you done for us lately?” used to judge other political situations. For example, What causes this amnesia? Charles Krauthammer wrote: "Israel is the world's only 210 years later, when Moshe leads the Jewish People Jewish state. To apply to the state of the Jews a double out of Egypt, they were immersed in idol worship. standard that you apply to none other, to judge one Clearly this did not happen overnight. In fact, from people in a way you judge no other, to single out that the moment the Jewish People entered Egypt, the one people for condemnation and isolation — is to effect of the spiritual impurity of that land started its engage in a gross act of discrimination." Retired work. Slowly but very surely it took its toll, and the Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz compares the Jewish people started to forget Who it is that helps way BDS proponents "single-out" Israel for its human and guards them. rights violations with the way Harvard president A. Lawrence Lowell defended his decision to impose anti- When we write a letter or an essay or even a list or a Jewish quotas in the beginning of the 20th century. drawing, we put an abbreviation of three letters either When asked why there should be a quota on Jews, in Hebrew or English in the top right-hand corner of Lowell replied, "Jews cheat." When reminded that the paper. We write BS”D, meaning B’sayatta Christians cheat too, Lowell responded, "You're d’Shamaya, which is the Aramaic for “with the help of changing the subject. We are talking about Jews now.” Heaven”. We declare that everything that we can write, think or create comes only with the help of In this week’s Torah portion the quintessential exile Heaven. of the Jewish People into Egypt reaches its conclusion with Yaakov and all his family firmly domiciled in the When a Jew forgets from where his help comes, BS”D will turn into BD”S. www.ohr.edu 1 TALMUD TIPS by Rabbi Moshe Newman Chullin 9-15 Best Foot Forward “From where do we learn that principle that the Rabbis taught us that we should establish an item on its chazaka?” he principle of chazaka mentioned here in the gemara unchanged unless known to be otherwise — and this shows the instructs us to keep the status quo of an item intact in a source and application of the Torah principle of chazaka. Tcase when we have doubt as to whether its status has A question is raised by Rabbi Acha bar Yaakov, that perhaps changed for some reason. The reader may find it helpful the Torah is speaking about the kohen walking out of the house to view this Torah’s rule for deciding the halachic status of an backwards. In this manner the kohen is able to view the spot and item in a way that is perhaps similar to Newton’s First Law of ensure it did not change time even while he was exiting the Motion: “An object either remains at rest or continues to move at house. Therefore Rabbi Acha bar Yaakov contends that we a constant velocity, unless acted upon by a force.” Of course it is cannot learn the principle of chazaka from this section of the not the same, and I intend it only as a teaching aid to compare Torah. this fascinating principle to a well-known law of physics. The Sage Abayei, however, answers this question is two ways: Chazaka (lit. “holding”) is a Torah principle, despite the First of all, walking backwards does not fulfill the requirement of somewhat cryptic way it is mentioned on our daf, “From where the exiting — va’yeitzei — in the verse. In addition, even if it is a do we learn that principle that the Rabbis taught us….” However, it proper fulfillment of exiting, we still would need to rely on is clear from the fact that the Sages of the Oral Law ask for its chazaka in the event that the spot is behind the door, in a place (Torah) source, that it is indeed a Torah concept. Our sugya seeks he cannot keep in his view even if he walks out backward. the source for it in the Written Law. The Sage Rava takes issue with both answers that Abayei The source for chazaka in the Torah that our gemara suggests, stated. Regarding Abayei’s first point, Rava teaches that we find debates, and then finally accepts, is the case of a house afflicted that the kohen gadol fulfills his requirement to exit (v’yatza in with tzara’at. This means that the house is “plagued” with a Vayikra 15:24) the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur by walking out certain spot or spots on the inside, as described in the Torah. backwards. This is taught in a mishna, that “his exit is like his The upshot of the presence of tzara’at in a house renders the entrance”, i.e. he exits while facing the Holy of Holies, walking house and the contents as being tamei (a halachic status of backwards. (Rava also addresses Abayei’s second point, as taught spiritual and ritual impurity). This affliction of tzara’at is often in the gemara.) poorly translated as “leprosy” and was applicable, as the Torah Tosefot raises a question regarding a backwards entry into a teaches, to clothing and people as well as houses, although this bayit hamenuga. The gemara in Tractate Shavuot (17b) states that “disease” of tzara’at is not applicable today. We are taught that it although one who enters this house becomes tamei, if he does so was inflicted from Above as a punishment for negative and in a backwards manner he does not become tamei. Why should slanderous speech by the item’s owner. this differ from the way we view the exit of the kohen gadol? A house that is suspected of having a spot that would render it Tosefot answers that there is a distinction between entering and a bayit ha’menuga — a house afflicted in this manner — must be exiting. Entering is proper and normal only when done in a inspected by a kohen, who decides its status after entering the forward manner. Exiting, however, is considered normal also house and viewing the nega (spot). Only a kohen can condemn the when done backward, as is the manner of a student taking leave house and rule that it is tamei. of his teacher. In our day, in fact, it is the widespread custom for The Torah states the manner in which the kohen concludes his one who is departing the Kotel to walk away backward, while still examination of the house before pronouncing it tamei: “Then the facing this place where the Divine Presence resides. In a similar kohen will go out of the house to the entrance of the house…” manner, we take three steps backwards from the intimate setting (Vayikra 14:38) Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of of being before the King of kings in His palace at the conclusion Rabbi Yonatan, “Perhaps while the kohen was walking out of the of each “silent” amida prayer. house the spot diminished in size to be less than the minimum measure and is therefore not an issue?” Since we see that the Chullin 10b Torah is not concerned with this possibility, he concludes, it must be that the Torah relies on the assumption that the size is www.ohr.edu 2 PARSHA Q & A 1. Why is kindness towards the dead called “chesed shel 11. What congregation from Yaakov’s offspring did emet” – kindness of truth? Yaakov not want to be associated with? 2. Give three reasons Yaakov didn’t want to be buried in 12. What did Yehuda do after he heard Yaakov rebuke Egypt. Reuven, Shimon and Levi? Why? 3. How do you treat a “fox in his time” (i.e. a commoner 13. What does milk do to teeth? who rules)? 14. Why is Yissachar like a “strong boned donkey”? 4. “When I was coming from Padan, Rachel died on 15. With what resource did both Yaakov and Moshe bless me….. I buried her there on the way to Efrat…” Why Asher? did Yaakov say this to Yosef? 16.