Mishnah Series

Pirkei Avos ,
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"Moshe received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it Yehoshua. Yehoshua transmitted it to the Zekanim, the Zekanim to the Prophets, and the Prophets transmitted it to the Anshei Knesses Hagedolah. They [the Anshei Knesses Hagedolah] said three things: Be patient in judgment, raise many students, and make a protective fence for the Torah."
The Maharal explains that these three ethics, correspond to three types of intellect; Chochma -knowledge of the facts, Binah understanding the implications of the facts and Daas the ability to analyse and distinguish between things. Be patient in judgement, refers to the Chochma: make sure you know all the facts before you make a decision. Have many students, in an instruction to ones Binah enhance other peoples understanding of the Torah. Finally, Make a fence for Torah is an application of Daas, to discern between the which issurim are from the Torah, and which are fences. Furthermore, these three statements parallel the three categories of Torah laws: Mishpotim are laws that are in place to enforce a moral, functioning society be patient in judgement is the message that the Anshei Knesses Hagedolah needed to be given to improve the functioning of their society that the judges should be careful to rule correctly, so that truth prevails. Chukim, are laws which are beyond our comprehension; so it was taught Make a fence around the Torah for those laws that we dont understand and therefore may neglect them protect them with a fence. Finally, there are the rest of the laws of the Torah, which we can rationalise but are not prerequisites necessary for a functioning society, thus the Anshei Knesses Hagedolah tell us to develop many students, for although this may not be necessary to have a society, the more Torah is learned and spread, the better peoples observance of mitzvos will be. Finally, the Mishna speaks to three levels of people in society: be patient in judgement speaks to the judges, have many students refers to the Rabbonim and the teachers, make a fence for the Torah requires everyone else, who are less knowledgeable in the exact Halacha, to ensure that they are protected from doing aveiros. By Alex Jaffe

The Hasmonean High School Weekly Sedra Issue no. 381 Shabbos Ends @ 7.29

- 5772

Yom Teruah? Why a whole day to blow the Shofar?

This question was raised in one of my recent lessons, and as often happens in teaching, it set me thinking, after all, it only takes a few minutes to complete the Mitzva of blowing the Shofar? We discussed the issue in the class, and a number of answers bear repetition. I told the class the nicest answer I recall from the Sefer Mayonoh Shel Torah, which is that Teruah is related to the word Reah meaning a friend. This gives us the insight that Rosh Hashonah is a day of friendship when we return to Hashem and once again acclaim Him as our Melech. So that Rosh Hashanah becomes an annual coronation so to speak, and therefore, the whole of Rosh Hashanah takes on the name Yom Teruah. We also discussed where in fact the Shofar was first discovered. And indeed our Chachomim tell us that the Shofar reminds us of the ram that Avrohom Avinu offered instead of Yitzchok. It must be pointed out however, that the ram was only pointed out to Avrohom after he insisted that he did not wish to leave the site of the Akeidah until he had demonstrated his willingness to serve Hashem to the full extent of his capabilities. So Yom Teruah reminds us that Rosh Hashanah is a time to make a yearly resolu-

1st October 2011

tion to push back the boundaries of our comfort zone and show a willingness to improve our Mitzovs both in quantity and quality. Again, our Chachomim point out that the word Shofar is related to LShapir to improve, and this surely is the message of Rosh Hashana, on this day of Yom Teruah, this day of friendship, when we wish to come closer to Hashem our Melech, to say to Hashem that given the chance of a new year we will show a determination that we wish to improve in our Avodas Hashem. So when we listen to the haunting notes of the Shofar, let us recall that it was only through Avrohom Avinus determination that we have a Shofar at all, and iyh we should walk in his footsteps in the coming year, and merit this year to hear the mighty sound of that Shofar which will blow to herald the news we are all waiting to hear that Moshiach is coming, Bimheirah Byameinu. Wishing everyone a Kesiva vChasima Tova. Rabbi B Katz (Director of Kodesh)

Editorial Team: Shmuli Margulies Yossi Prager Mikey Lebrett Avraham Grant Micha Athersych Contributors: Yoir Chalk, Alex Jaffe, Danny Morris, Rabbi B Katz Director : Rabbi D Meyer

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Story

Dvar Torah

The Baal Shem Tov

Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov would pray for many hours every day. His Chassidim, who had long concluded their own prayers, would form a circle around him to listen to the melody of his prayers and feast their eyes on the spectacle of a soul soaring in meditative attachment to its Maker. It was an unspoken rule amongst them that no one abandoned his post until the Baal Shem Tov had finished his prayers. One day, a great tiredness and hunger befell them. One by one, they slipped home for a bite and a few moments rest, certain that their master's prayers would continue for several hours more. But when they returned, they found that he had finished praying while they were gone. "Tell us, Rebbe," they asked him, "why did you conclude your prayers so early today? The Baal Shem Tov answered them with a parable: Once, a group of people were journeying through a forest. Their leader, who was blessed with excellent eyesight, spotted a beautiful bird perched atop a tall tree. "Come," he said to his companions, "I wish to capture this beautiful bird, so that we may delight in her song and gaze upon her So to with the Baal Shem Tovs prayers: the Rebbe could only make his prayers reach the soaring heights that they did with the support of his Chassidim davening with him and absorbing and propelling the holiness. As soon as they all left from tiredness and hunger, the Baal Shem Tovs prayers had to be concluded for the day. By Yossi Prager "If you each climb up onto the shoulders of your fellow," their leader explained, "I will climb on to the shoulders of the topmost man and reach for the treasure that beckons to us from the heights." And so they did. Together, they formed a chain reaching from the earth toward the heavens, to raise their leader to his aspired goal, the bird. But they soon got tired and went off to eat and rest. The man who had sighted the bird tumbled to the ground. wondrous colours." "But how can you reach this bird you see," they asked, "the tree being so high and ourselves held captive by the ground?"

Parshas Haazinu

And Moshe came and spoke all the words of this song into the ears of the people - he and Hoshea the son of Nun
An obvious question on this posuk is, why does the Torah use the name Hoshea, when many years earlier in Parshas Shelach Lecho he was given the name Yehoshua? There are many answers to this question. The Ksav Sofer explains that the reason why Moshe originally added an extra yud to Hosheas name was to give him divine assistance before he left to spy out the Land of Israel. However, Moshe now wanted to show that Yehoshua deserved his post as leader on his own merits, and he did not rise to the top through extra spiritual support, therefore, he referred to him as Hoshea. A similar explanation is offered by the Kli Yakar. The name Yehoshua was only appropriate when the people who were part of the rebellion of the spies were still alive. The adding of the yud was Moshes way of davening to Hashem that Yehoshua should be spared the fate of the spies. However, now that all the rebels had died, Moshes prayer was no longer needed, so Hoshea was the more appropriate name. Alternatively, Rav Mordechai Gimpel Yaffe suggests that it was common practice for leaders to rename their personal servants. So too Moshe gave Hoshea a new name when he took him under his command. Now that the mantle of leadership was being passed on to Yehoshua, it was no longer befitting for him to be called by a name that signified subservience to another man. Therefore, Moshe reverts to calling him by his original name. The Chanukas Hatorah offers a very interesting explanation. The Gemoro explains that when Hashem commanded Avrohom to change Sarais name to Soroh, the yud that had been taken from the name Sarai, complained to Hashem. The matter was resolved when Moshe added a yud to Hosheas name. The yud was taken away from Sarais name a year before Yitzchok was born, when she was 89 years old. This means the yud spent 38 years bereft of a name, as Soroh died at the age of 127. Therefore, it was only necessary for Yehosua to take on the extra yud for 38 years! Now that the Bnei Yisroel were about to enter Eretz Yisroel, it was 38 years after the sin of the spies, and Yehoshua no longer needed an extra yud in his name. However, I am left with an unanswered question. Why does the rest of Nach refer to him as Yehoshua? According to the answers above, the name Hoshea would be more correct? By Danny Morris From Sefer Talelei Oros

Saying of the Week

What lies behind us and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us... -Rav Refoel of Emden ztl

Gematria of the Week

Haazinu is a repetition of history and everything that happened in the Torah so far for example: The first letters in the first 4 pesukim are: = = = . = These four letters are a gematria of 40, corresponding to the letter .The 5th pasuk starts with a and the sixth starts with a . + + = The Midrash Tanchuma says that an author usually writes his name at the end of his book. If we apply this here then Haazinu seems to be the end of the Torah, even though on first glance it seems that the parsha of VZos Habracha is the final parsha. However, if we look into it then we will see that in fact, VZos Habracha is not a halachic or historical parsha, it is merely Moshes farewell speech to the Jewish People and his Brachos to them.

Which sin could one have been punished in Beis Din without being warned?
(Answer in next weeks Living Torah) Yisroel must walk through the magnifying glass room, but he must wait until night to avoid being fried.

Riddle of the Week

Answer To Last Weeks Riddle:

(Sourced from gtorah.com)