Parashat Shavua

Hemdat Yamim Parashat Vayeshev-Chanukah

Hemdat Yamim Parshat Vayeishev-Chanuka 25 Kislev 5763 ======================== This edition of Hemdat Yamim is dedicated to the memory of R' Meir ben Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld o.b.m. ======================== Eretz Hemdah is the premier institution for training young rabbis to take the Israeli Rabbinate's rigorous Yadin Yadin examinations. Eretz Hemdah, with its distinctive blend of Religious Zionist philosophy and scholarship combined with community service, ensures that its graduates emerge with the finest training, the noblest motivations resulting in an exceptionally strong connection to Jewish communities worldwide. ========================= A Dangerously High Profile Yosef, in his role as dream analyst, hears parallel dreams and gives parallel but drastically different solutions for them. He tells both the sar hamashkim (royal butler) and the sar ha'ofim (royal baker) that in three days, Paroh will lift their heads ("yisa Paroh et roshecha"). First he tells the sar hamashkim the good news that this will be accompanied by a return to his elevated station. Yosef starts with same words for the sar ha'ofim but continues that his head would not just be lifted but would be lifted off of him, as he would be executed. What is the point of Yosef's play on words, which must be more than a cynical use of language? The midrash (Bamidbar Rabba 1:11) connects between the root, "yisa," and the pasuk, "Raise the heads (s'oo et rosh) of the whole congregation of Bnei Yisrael" (Bamidbar 1:2). The midrash says that if the people merit it, they will attain greatness, but if they are not deserving, they will die, with the precedent being the lifting of our two Egyptian dignitaries' heads. The message is deeper than the fact that "raising heads" can refer to being counted, being decapitated, or being remembered. A raised head is one which is noticed and reacted to by others. Is it good to stand out? It worked out fine for the sar hamashkim, who could have rotted away in jail, if not remembered. The sar ha'ofim was remembered in a way which caused his execution. Bnei Yisrael, as Hashem's beloved nation, is counted and receives special attention. That attention can cause blessing or downfall, depending on their actions. Along these lines, we can suggest an explanation for the criticism of Yosef for requesting the sar hamashkim's help (see Rashi on Bereishit 40:23). Wasn't it a natural request, what we call, hishtadlut? Yosef asked for his sentence to be revisited. Is that wise? Although it worked well for the sar hamashkim, it cost the sar ha'ofim his life. If Yosef was relying on Divine protection, then he should have let Hashem continue to have things unfold miraculously, and not take risks because of impatience in waiting for Divine intervention. Many people's nature is to raise their heads in search of prominence. Is that good? Without people who strive for advancement and achievement, our world would not progress as it can, even spiritually. But some would be wise to learn the lesson of the raised head. If the wrong person pursues prominence or the right person does so at the wrong time or place, he may find frustration or even infamy instead of success and fame. A high profile, while allowing kiddush Hashem, can also be a vehicle to the opposite. The gemara (Sota 22a) deals with the following double-edged sword. It is a sin to take authority before one is ready, but it is also a sin to refuse responsibility when one is prepared. One needs to allow the prominence to progress naturally. Divine intervention and deserved recognition by one's respected peers are indicators of who should stand out before the public, or the king, or the King, and when. It is nice to be tall and jump high. But before raising one's head too high, one should check that he isn't standing under a ceiling fan. [These words of general advise aren't directed to a specific public figure, past or present.] ==================================== P'ninat Mishpat-Intra-familial Obligations- Part VIII- Support for a Widow (III) We have seen that halacha entitles a widow to receive mezonot (support) and payment of her ketuba. An interesting set of related, modern questions (with, apparently, little literature) is whether these obligations have full force when the widow has been provided with other forms of support, such as life insurance or inheritance of part or all of her husband's estate. If the widow inherits all of the estate, she does not receive mezonot or even her ketuba, because there are no other inheritors from whom to request payment. If her inheritance is partial, then it depends. If the inheritance isn't halachically valid (details are beyond our present scope), then beit din will not force the rightful inheritors to pay until the amount she deserves exceeds what she already received (heard orally from Rav Z.N. Goldberg). If she receives inheritance in a halachically valid manner or if the husband left her a life insurance policy, these payments appear to be presents from her husband and do not preclude her exercising her halachic rights (ibid.). There is some logic to claim that the presents were made with the intention that they would answer all the widow's legitimate monetary demands. However , this claim is not necessarily correct on a broad basis (see dispute on this matter in regard to her ketuba in an article by Rav J. David Bleich, Tradition, Fall '97). ===================================== Moreshet Shaul (from the works of Hagaon Harav Shaul Yisraeli zt"l) The Divine Hand in History (from Perakim B'machshevet Yisrael, pg. 67) [Chanuka is a holiday with two elements. It is the celebration of the victory of a group of brave Jewish soldiers against a superpower. It is also the celebration of dedication to religion and of Divine miracles. The two together make it worthwhile to visit the topic of Hashem's Hand in history]. A survey of the general history of humanity and the Jewish people, specifically, brings one to the conclusion that the invisible Divine Hand guides history on the basis of reward and punishment, in accordance with the laws of Jewish morality. Every nation which enters the stage of history seems to be directed by a desire to survive and dominate. It is true that over isolated periods of time it may be impossible to discern the workings of a Divine system to foil the plots of the wicked and to pay them back for their crimes. However, when one takes a broader look at history over time, one finds that a nation which rose to power and seemed destined to reign for an unlimited period of time, eventually disappeared from the stage. Indeed, one sees that there is a Judge in the world and that the conquerors eventually had to relinquish the lands and the riches which they accumulated (see Yeshaya 33:1). It is true that we are unable to find the exact accounting for every individual and every individual action. Hashem desired that His Hand would be hidden so that one who wanted to ignore it, could do so. However, the objective observer will be able to extrapolate from the general to the specific and realize that that which he does not understand everything is because of his shortcomings. Only Moshe Rabbeinu was able to understand history in an exact way, but we see enough to conclude that evil is allowed to flourish, only to be cut down eternally (Tehillim 92:13) and that a thousand years in our eyes is like a day in Hashem's (Tehillim 90:4). Hashem's Hand, as seen in general world history, is strengthened by that which is seen in regard to the Jewish nation. The wonder of our survival in exile, without a land or a kingdom, surrounded by hostile nations, who throughout history have tried to destroy us but have never succeeded, is humanly incomprehensible. This serves as another reminder of the spiritual element of history and the fact that there is a Divine Protector of the existence of the Jewish nation ===================================== Ask the Rabbi Question: We, in the community of Judaica artists, are confused about the "kashrut" of chanukiot? Do they really have to be in a straight line in and be the same height? Answer: The source of the "fact" which most people subscribe to, that a chanukia (Chanuka menora) must be straight is not well known. It is not a fundamental description of the required formation of a chanukia, but is intended to prevent problems. The gemara (Shabbat 23b) says that one can put two wicks into one oil cup (ner), and it can count?for more than one person. However, if one puts several wicks around the circumference of a bowl and leaves it uncovered, no one fulfills the mitzva because it looks like a medura (torch rather than a flame). It follows from the gemara that when you solve the problem of looking like a medura, it is not a problem that the candles are in a circular position (see Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 671:3,4, that this is also so for one who is lighting more than several candles according to the number day of Chanuka). How does one ensure that there is not a problem of medura? Several rishonim say that it is sufficient that there be a finger's breadth between the wicks, but others require that the wicks should be in different cups (see Beit Yosef, OC 671). The Rama (671:4) is even more stringent. He says that even if the wicks are in different cups, they should still not be in a circular configuration because it could still look like a medura. The Magen Avraham (ibid.:4) extends this to a zig-zag pattern. This is the source of the common practice that the candles should be in a straight line. However, the Rama himself continues that it is fine to put the candles in a candelabra, because they are not only separate nerot but they are also far away from each other (see Trumot Hadeshen 105 and Pri Megadim, MZ 671:2). If so, zig-zags of different types, which are just an extension of the stringency of a circle, should not be worse than a circle. Thus, there shouldn't be a problem if the candles are far enough from each other that they do not resemble a medura by any stretch of the imagination. Regarding the other "fact," that wax candles must be of the same height and the candles' bases must be on the same level, this is also perplexing. Apparently, the first source to require it is the Chayei Adam (154:10), who lived in the early 19th century. He mentions it in a matter of fact manner, when discussing the need for a straight line. It is unclear if it too is somehow related to the medura issue, or if it is for a different reason. (Maybe it's hard to see that they belong to the same lighting- but remember that according to the letter, one candle per household is sufficient). Several modern poskim (Kaf Hachayim, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch) bring his opinion without arguing (the Mishna Berurah does not mention it). If an individual were to ask whether he should light a standard shaped chanukia or a more innovative one, we would suggest that he conform to the standard practice and not try to make a point of how halachically bold he can be. But you are coming from the point of view of an artist. Most observant people who buy an artistic chanukia use it for decoration, not lighting. A G-d-fearing artist, though, would not want to cause anyone who might use his chanukia to forfeit proper performance of his mitzva. But one who follows the letter of the law in designing the chanukia need not be concerned that some purchasers may not want to be as conservative on the matter as most of us like to be. ======================================= Harav Shaul Israeli zt"l Founder and President Deans: Harav Yosef Carmel Harav Moshe Ehrenreich ERETZ HEMDAH 5 Ha-Mem Gimmel St. P.O.B 36236 Jerusalem 91360 Tel/Fax: 972-2-5371485 Email: eretzhem@netvision.net.il web-site: www.eretzhemdah.org American Friends of Eretz Hemdah Institutions c/o Olympian 8 South Michigan Ave. Suite 605 Chicago, IL 60603 USA Our Taxpayer ID#: 36-4265359

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