newsletter In This Issue Parshat Ki Tetze HaRav Nebenzahl on Parshat Ki Tetze The 5770-5771 Year Begins Kollel Rennert Dvar Torah by HaRav Aharon Amar There is excitement in the air as Netiv Aryeh welcomes Staff Dvar Torah by Rav the return of Shana Bet students whose first official day Zvi Ron of Yeshiva was Wednesday 8 Elul. We are looking forward Visitor Log, Mazal Tov's, to welcoming Shana Alef this coming Tuesday. This year Tehillim List the Yeshiva will be learning Massechet Baba Batra. We pray for Siyata D'Shmaya in helping all our students grow Join our list in Torah and Yirat Shamayim. Join our mailing list! RBS Shabbaton! Join Attention alumni and friends living in Ramat Beit Shemesh!!! We are proud to announce that the Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Aharon Bina, HaRav Amos Luban, and HaRav Yitzchak Korn will be joining us for an Alumni Shabbaton in RBS! This may be a once in a lifetime experience so be sure not to miss out! Reserve the date: 25th of Elul, Shabbat Parshat Nitzavim Vayelech (September 3rd-4th) Stay tuned for final details on this amazing Shabbat experience!... YNA.EDU | Ask Rav Nebenzahl | Suggestion Box Contact | Alumni Update | Parsha Us Form Archives American Friends of Netiv Aryeh supports our programs. To contribute to American Friends of Netiv Aryeh, please visit http://www.afna.us/donate HaRav Nebenzahl on Parshat Shoftim HaRav Nebenzahl asks that his Divrei Torah are not read during Tefillah or the Rabbi's sermon 1 of 14 newsletter "Ani LeDodi veDodi Li" Chazal allowed themselves to begin Torah discussions on a humorous note (see Shabbat 30b), let us do so as well. They once asked a robber: How does pray for his livelihood on Yom Kippur? The robber responded that the tailor prays that during the coming year he should have many customers in need of suits. What about one who earns his living selling vegetables? The robber's response was that he prays that the annual crop will be very successful. They then turned to the robber and asked him, what about you who "earns" your livelihood by means of robbery, what do you through robber pray for on the High Holydays? The robber answered: if there is someone out there on whom it is decreed that he be the victim of a robbery, I pray that I "merit" being Hashem's messenger in carrying out the decree. From the robber's response he seems to be a clandestine tzaddik! His desire is not to steal for no reason, but only from someone on whom it has already been decreed that he will be victim of a robbery - his only purpose is to carry out Hashem's wish! Is this a proper attitude - to commit a crime in order to fulfill a Divine decree? We can prove otherwise from our Parsha. The Torah tells us: "If you build a new house, you shall make a fence for your roof, so that you will not place blood in your house if a fallen one falls from it" (Devarim 22:8). Why does the Torah refer to this person as "fallen" prior to his falling? Chazal explain: "the victim had been deserving to fall from the time of the six days of creation, for indeed he has not yet fallen and Scripture calls him 'a fallen one', rather that benefit is imparted through one who is meritorious and harm through one who is guilty" (Shabbat 32a). The Torah refers to him as fallen because he was destined to fall even before the act actually took place. If that is the case, why are we commanded to place a fence around our roof as a means of preventing tragedy, should we not simply say that one who falls was destined to fall in any event and there is nothing I can do to prevent that? Chazal respond: "benefit is imparted through one who is meritorious and harm through one who is guilty". His death may have already been decreed, but "let his death not come about through you" (Rashi Devarim 22:8). We must not set for ourselves as a goal to carry out Hashem's terrible decrees. The Torah commands us to construct a fence around our roof to prevent one from falling. Similarly it may have been decreed that an individual's property be stolen, but it is not up to us to volunteer to be the thief who assist in fulfilling this decree! The Mishna relates: "He (Hillel) also saw a skull floating on the surface of the water, he said to it: because you drowned someone, you were drowned, and in the end those who drowned you will be drowned" (Avot 2:6). According to Hillel the owner of the skull drowned as punishment for having caused others to drown (measure for measure). In spite of this, those who carried out his murder will also meet their end by drowning. The person whose skull it was may have deserved to be killed, but those who murdered him will also be punished. We need not aspire to be the messengers who execute harsh heavenly decrees on other people. The Gemara we have just quoted may be explained in the following manner: Hashem may have decreed that an individual be destined to fall and die, G-d forbid, yet the specifics of how this will take place, have not yet been decreed which roof he will fall from, or perhaps he will fall not from a roof but into a deep pit - "harbei shluchim laMakom" Hashem has many messengers". There is a general decree and there is one which includes the specific details. The general decree may have been sealed, while the specific details of how it is to be carried out may not have been signed, it may still be changed. We can now understand why Chazal tell us on the one hand that a person is judged on Rosh Hashana (see Rosh Hashana 16a), while on the other hand we are told that a person is judged each and every day and perhaps each and every moment (ibid.). The general decree is given on Rosh Hashana, but the specifics of how it is to 2 of 14 newsletter take effect are still subject to change. The Gemara cites the following examples: "let us say that the Jewish people were completely wicked on 'Rosh Hashanah, and it was decided that they would receive little rain that year, subsequently the Jewish people retracted (from their evil ways). It is impossible to add to the rains because the decree has already been issued, rather the Holy One, Blessed is He, will bring down the rains at their most opportune time on the land that needs them - everything according to the particular land" (ibid. 17b). The Gemara is telling us that the quantity of rain to fall that year has already been determined. Should the Jewish people repent, Hashem will concentrate all the rain in areas that are in need of it, and thus even this minimal amount will suffice. We find the converse as well: "let us say that the Jewish people were completely righteous on Rosh Hashana and it was decided that much rain would befall them, subsequently the Jewish people retracted their virtuous ways, it is impossible to reduce the rains granted them, because the decree has already been issued, rather the Holy One Blessed is He will bring down the rains not at their most opportune time and on the land that does not need them" (ibid.). Should the Jewish people be righteous on Rosh Hashana and thus a large quantity of rain be promised them, and then, G-d forbid, change their ways, Hashem will concentrate this rain in the desert and in other places where the rain is of no use to anyone. As we have mentioned, there is a general decree and one that contains all the specific details. Rosh Hashana is the time in which the general decree is sealed, regarding the specifics, there is room for change at a later time: "crying out is beneficial for a person both before and after the decree" (ibid. 16a). Although a decree can be altered even after it has been sealed, it is much easier to do so beforehand - during the time in which the general pronouncement is being determined. What would we do if we saw a car racing towards a child, G-d forbid, about to run him over? If we could save the child by pulling him off the street and away from danger, that would be ideal, however there is a limit to how much we are permitted to endanger our own lives in an effort to save another. What would we then do if we saw that we were unable to run and save him? The least we would do would be to shout, hoping that either the child would flee or the driver would stop. The time to cry out to Hashem to prevent terrible things from being decreed during the coming year is NOW! The time to stop the car and prevent road accidents is NOW! The best time to prevent terrorist acts is before Rosh Hashana. We may succeed in nullifying a decree even after Rosh Hashana, yet now - prior to the issuing of the decree, it is much easier. Hashem did a tremendous chesed for us by giving us the month of Ellul prior to the Day of Judgment, so that we not "fall" into Rosh Hashana without sufficient time to prepare.