Toronto Torah

Beit Midrash Zichron Dov

Parshat Toldot 29 Marcheshvan 5772/November 26, 2011
To sponsor an edition of Toronto Torah, please email info@torontotorah.com or call 416-781-1777

Vol.3 Num. 9

The Independent Yitzchak?

In our parshah we hope to meet, for the first time, our ancestor Yitzchak. Of course, we were told of him in previous portions, but his role there was passive a son born to aged parents, a victim for whom Yishmael was sent away, a child bound on an altar, a man for whom a wife is sought, all without any active role. We might have expected that now, after Avraham's death, we would encounter an independent Yitzchak. up to various tests, who survives difficulties and doubts to stand on his own, who remains true to his Creator and to himself and who acts fairly toward those around him, is a gibor. A gibor has a goal, and he does not allow the flow of life and the difficulties he faces to alter his stance and path. This is the meaning of Yitzchak's gevurah.

Hillel Horovitz
inflamed by the original idea, but the corrosive test of reality and the wearing passage of time had caused the initial good taste to fade. Routine returned to their lives. Those people disappeared over the course of the Torah portions, and we find no further mention of Avraham's coterie. Yitzchak entered this reality, and after his father - the Founding Father passed away, the nations watched to see what his son would do. How would Yitzchak market his father's ideas? What new branding would Yitzchak develop for Avraham's unique monotheistic motif? How would Yitzchak spur people to believe? Yitzchak declined to play the worldchanging role expected of him. As one of the national patriarchs, Yitzchak practiced a lesson which is part of today's business school curriculum, opting not to change a product that was functional, accurate and good. More, Yitzchak was concerned that any change he might make could also inspire negative reactions the world which had not been ready to accept Avraham's monotheism would hardly understand an apparent divergence by his son, Yitzchak. Yitzchak decided to conquer any internal spirit of innovation and change, and instead follow closely in his father's ways and strengthen his father's accomplishments. This is Yitzchak's trademark gevurah, the ability to conquer his desire and understand that the instant need was for him to strengthen and reinforce what existed rather than innovate in a new direction. Every well of water, every living spirit that Avraham revealed in the world, was reinforced by Yitzchak.

Imagine the world into which Yitzchak is born. During more than two thousand However, in the first sentence of our years since Creation, Man had distanced portion it already appears that our himself from his Creator and sinned in hopes were in vain. The portion begins, various perverse ways. Kayin had " A v r a h a m p r o d u c e d Y i t z c h a k , " murdered his brother, the Flood describing Yitzchak only as Avraham's generation had committed theft and the son. This motif continues throughout builders of the Tower of Bavel had tried the portion, such that we encounter to ascend heavenward and battle G-d. Yitzchak imitating his father repeatedly, Into this world emerged Avraham, and rather than chart an independent path. with him a new approach. "There is a Yitzchak digs the wells his father dug, Creator of the Universe," Avraham he names the wells as his father did, asserted, "The building cannot exist and when he arrives in Grar he uses the without an architect." With these same method his father used, asking declarations Avraham attempted to Rivkah to identify herself as his sister. establish a new order. No longer would We must ask ourselves: Who is every man practice his own brand of Yitzchak, and what does he add as a justice, no longer would idolaters serve patriarch if his deeds are a replay of sun and moon; humanity would now Avraham's life? worship its all-powerful, omniscient G-d. To take a different angle: Our Sages described the patriarchs as possessing unique traits. Avraham is assigned the trait of Kindness, Yaakov is assigned the trait of Truth. Yitzchak represents the trait of gevurah. What is this gevurah? Ben Zoma (Avot 4:1) said, "Who is a gibor? One who conquers his own spirit." One who succeeds in standing Avraham and Sarah spread belief in one G-d, and while yet in Charan they brought many people to repentance, as testified by the verse, "The souls they created in Charan." However, would those who joined Avraham continue along his path? Even Lot, a member of the family, wandered away after a time! These followers felt they had wrung dry the monotheistic fad; they had been

Parshah Questions
Answers provided on back page

R Meir Lipschitz

Thus we can also understand the start of our parshah, identifying Yitzchak as "the son of Avraham". This was his role and his identity; as opposed to Avraham who acted to transform the world, Why did Rivkah add the words lifnei Hashem when repeating Yitzchaks words? Yitzchak acted to transform himself, his (Rashi, Ramban, and R S.R. Hirsch to Bereishit 27:7) traits and his values. Thus Yitzchak What did Rivkahs words of alai kililatcha b'ni mean? (Onkelos Bereishit 27:13) revealed a unique aspect of gevurah, as For children: Why did Yaakov cook lentils? (Rashi Bereishit 25:30) the true gibor conquering his spirit. hhorovitz@torontotorah.com meir.lipschitz@gmail.com

When pregnant, to what question did Rivkah seek an answer? (Ibn Ezra, Rashi, Rashbam, Ramban, Seforno, Ohr HaChaim, and HaEmek Davar to Bereishit 25:22, and Bereishit Rabbah 63:6)

The Sealed Wells

R Baruch Weintraub

Hitoriri: Jewish Spirituality

" ? " " , . " " , , , . ? ( ). , " . ' . " ( " . , 1100-1730) , , , ' ', , . , . , , , , , , ' . . , . , ', , , " ." , . , , , ' ' , ' . , ,, ? ', . " , :, " ' ' , ". ' '... . " (" " .... ), " bweintraub@torontotorah.com .

Youth & Old Age

Yair Manas
The Torah (Bereishit 24:1) describes Avraham as elderly and advanced in years. The Sages (Bava Metzia 87a, Bereishit Rabbah 65:9), apparently troubled by the Torah's extended description of Avraham's age, explains that Avraham introduced the idea of being elderly to the world. However, many people before Avraham lived long lives. Adam died at nine-hundred and thirty, and Noach died at ninehundred and fifty; what is special about Avraham, that the Torah should refer to him as "elderly and advanced in years"? The Maharsha explains this lesson to mean that Avraham introduced the physical manifestations of ageing. However, R' Aharon Levine (HaDrash vHaIyun) suggests another approach: Avraham introduced value to old age. People who live indulgent and materialistic lives worship youth because young people can best enjoy physical pleasure. In such an environment, the elderly are cast aside and ignored, and young people dread reaching old age. Avraham introduced the idea that the main purpose of life is to serve Hashem. Accordingly, there is an advantage to achieving old age: Elderly people have the benefit of experience and accumulated wisdom, and so are better suited to serve HaShem. (See also Shabbat 152a.) A stor y re gard in g Rav Ya k ov Kamenetsky illustrates this point. Once, Rav Yaakov was on an airplane with one of his sons and a granddaughter, who treated him throughout the trip with the utmost respect. When an elderly person expressed amazement at the degree of honour shown by Rabbi Kamenetsky's family, Rabbi Kamenetsky replied that according to Judaism, an older person has progressed and accumulated more wisdom, so younger generations give respect to the elderly. In a world founded on Darwinian evolution, though, each generation is viewed as having progressed and acquired more k n o w l e d ge t h a n t h e p r e v i o u s generation, so the elderly may be cast aside and ignored. We learn from the Torahs description of Avraham that the purpose of life is to pursue spirituality. In youth a person should strive to perform mitzvot and learn Torah, and then he will be best suited to take advantage of Avraham's gift of old age. ymanas@torontotorah.com

613 Mitzvot: Mitzvah 115, 141 Korban Olah and Korban Shelamim
R Mordechai Torczyner
The Torah includes instructions for several kinds of korbanot brought in the Beit haMikdash. Two contrasting types of voluntary korban are the Olah and the Shelamim. The meat of the korban olah (mitzvah 115) is entirely burnt on the altar, perhaps representing the owners desire to give something entirely to G-d. The meat of the korban shelamim (mitzvah 141) is shared between the owner, the kohanim and their families, and the mizbeiach [altar], perhaps representing the sanctification of this world and its benefits. Both the olah and shelamim are mandatory at times. One who ascends to Yerushalayim for Pesach, Shavuot or Succot brings an olah. For Pesach, people who cannot satisfy themselves with the korban pesach bring a shelamim as well, so that they will fulfill the obligation to eat the korban pesach "at satiation". torczyner@torontotorah.com

Visit us at www.torontotorah.com

Biography: Rav Shlomo ben Aderet (Rashba)

Torah in Translation Halachah vs. Human Observation
Rav Shlomo ibn Aderet Shut Rashba 1:98
Translated by R Mordechai Torczyner
Question: An animal was found to have an extra eiver [yeteret], from one of those eivarim which renders the animal a tereifah, in a place which should render it a tereifah. It was clarified that twelve months had passed. Would we say that since twelve months passed it is not a tereifah, and it is kosher, for Chullin 58 says that a tereifah cannot live twelve months?... Response: In Chullin 42, the sages listed, There are eighteen tereifot This is the rule: An animal that suffers a wound such that it cannot live, it is a tereifah. The gemara comments that the author of the mishnah believed that a tereifah cannot live; the cases which he had learned he listed, and the cases which he had not learned he did not list. The list is brought with This is the rule, and we depend on definitive This is the rule formulations in the gemara. Some sages added other tereifot, situations in which the animal could not live, according to their views, and they depended upon this rule

Russell Levy

HaAretz

Born in 1235 in Barcelona, Rabbi Shlomo ben Aderet was one of the primary students of both the Ramban (Rav Moshe ben Nachman, Nachmanides) and Rabbeinu Yonah. The Rabbi of the main shul in Barcelona, he was leader of Spanish Jewry for more than 50 years. The Rashba wrote prolifically; more than 3000 of his teshuvot are still extant. As the leader of the Jewish people, he successfully defended the community in theological debates with Christians (Shut HaRashba 4:187). The turn of the Jewish millennium in 5000 (1240) created much messianic fervor in the Jewish community. R Shlomo ensured the unity of the Jewish c o m m un i t y b y c o m b at i n g fal s e Messiahs, and most prominently in his rejection of Nissim ben Avraham and Avraham Abulafiah when they appeared in the latter half of the 13th century (ibid 1:548). Though the Rashba vigorously defended the Rambam against his detractors, he disagreed with his philosophy and his approach to Judaism. Similarly, the Rashba, as part of the Beit Din in Barcelona, forbade those under thirty from learning secular philosophy and sciences. Among the Rashbas works are his novellae on the Talmud, Torat HaBayit, Avodat Hakodesh and Shaar HaMayim. His most renowned students were the Raah (R Aharon haLevi), the Ritva (R Yom Tov al-Asvilli) and Rabbeinu Behaye.

Nahariya
R Ezra Goldschmiedt
Nahariya is the capital city of the Western Galilee region, on the northwest coast of Israel. The city receives its name from the Ga'aton River that runs through it (nahar means river in Hebrew). Jews have been living in Nahariya since the Second Temple period, but others have also settled in the area through the ages; Montfort Castle, located near the city, was a French Crusader fortress. The modern city was founded by German-Jewish immigrants from the fifth aliyah in the 1930's, and it served as a landing site for Jewish refugee ships avoiding the British blockade. The community was originally intended to be centred on agriculture, but when farming was found to be impractical for the region, Nahariya reinvented itself as a center of industry and manufacturing. Today, Nahariya is home to several of Israel's most successful private sector industrial enterprises, e.g. the Strauss -Elite food conglomerate, the Soglowek meat processing company, and ISCAR - a high-precision metalworks and tool -making giant. A rapidly growing techsector, as well as Western Galilee hospital (the largest employer in the region) make Nahariya a key part of Israel's economy. With its beaches and beautiful scenery, Nahariya has also become a tourist hotspot, but its location six miles from the Lebanese border has also made it a target for Hezbollah's Katyusha rockets. In the summer of 2006, Nahariya suffered significant damage and casualties from such attacks. With significant help from the Israeli government and international Federations towards rebuilding, Nahariya has reestablished itself as a popular getaway and an attractive choice for new olim, and its population has grown to about 52,000. Adapted from www.torahmitzion.org

Ulla assigned all of the tereifot to eight categories We say that these were told to Moshe at Sinai We dont say that we leave them [to see if they survive], for according to the view that a tereifah cannot The Rashba passed away at the age of live, they cannot live. One who says that 75 in 1310. they survived two or three years is russlevy@gmail.com describing something that never happened, and one who testifies to this is mistaken; had, in fact, survived that period. such never happened Perhaps you forgot or erred, or perhaps And if there is one whose heart disturbs you were confused regarding the time, him, saying that perhaps the sages only or perhaps you confused this animal spoke of the majority of cases and most for another, for it is not possible for animals experiencing one of the listed him to testify that this animal was in tereifot will not survive, but some of them his sights for the entire twelve months. might survive due to their physical and And if he will strengthen himself in his constitutional strength, then you will have error and say, No, for I love these cancelled our mishnahs rule of, None like strange words, this is what I saw and this live. All of the cases listed by those this is what I will follow, then we will sages, within the view of the mishnahs tell him that it is impossible to slander the words of the sages. The witness, author, cannot live and one thousand like him, should be And if you will reply: What can we do we cancelled, rather than cancel one point have seen a yeteret of the foot survive of the positions agreed upon by the twelve months, with our own eyes!... It is holy Jewish sages, the prophets and as though you testify that you have seen students of prophets, and statements the impossible. Or, there is another cause given to Moshe at Sinai [for your testimony]. So, too, here we ask the witness how he knows that this animal torczyner@torontotorah.com

Nahariya photo from tourism.index.co.il

Visit us at www.torontotorah.com

Parshah Answers
When pregnant, to what question did Rivkah seek an answer? this pregnancy, if the result could be her demise.

R Netanel Javasky
What did Rivkahs words of alai kililatcha bni mean? Onkelos explains that Rivkah was informing Yaakov that she had been told prophetically that no harm would come to him for following through and taking the blessings instead of letting Eisav take them. For children: Why did Yaakov cook lentils? Rashi explains that Avraham had just passed away, and Yaakov cooked lentils as a sign of mourning. taneljavasky@gmail.com

Ibn Ezra learns that Rivkah felt internally as if the children were trying to escape. She asked the local women if this was a normal pregnancy feeling. Rashi also assumes that Rivkah questioned her internal pregnancy pains, asking why she was having such a strange pregnancy. He adds, like the Rashbam, that Rivkah went to the Beit Midrash of Sheim to seek counsel. Ramban explains that Rivkah actually questioned her existence. She said that perhaps it would be better if she would die, or if she had never been born, if she must experience this. Seforno elaborates upon Rambans idea, saying that Rivkah was concerned that due to the pains one of her children would die in utero, and inevitably this would risk her own life. She quest ioned why everyone, including her husband, prayed for

HaEmek Davar says that Rivkah assumed that her complications in pregnancy stemmed from the fact that she was naturally a barren woman. She now questioned her own body. She didnt seem to be a barren woman anymore, but her body didnt seem capable of carrying a baby. This is what she went to seek counsel about.

Why did Rivkah add the words lifnei Hashem when repeating Yitzchaks words?

Rashi explains these words to mean that the blessing was given with the consent and authorization of Hashem. Ramban elaborates upon Rashis approach and says that Rivkah was warning Yaakov that this blessing was a spiritual, holy blessing with great powers. She warned that if Yaakov would not act now, Eisav would receive this powerful blessing and he would forever be impossible to overcome.

SUNDAY MORNING BEIT MIDRASH

@Forest Hill Jewish Centre Sunday November 27

IS THERE A MITZVAH TO STUDY HISTORY?

WITH

YAIR MANAS

8:00 AM Shacharit 9:15 AM Breakfast Prepare material with Avreichim 10:00 AM Shiur No charge / Men & Women Welcome

Schedule for Nov 26 - Dec 2 / 29 Marcheshvan - 6 Kislev

Shabbat November 26 7:45 AM R Baruch Weintraub, Rav Kook on the Parshah, Or Chaim not this week 10:20 AM R Baruch Weintraub, Parshah shiur, Clanton Park 1 hour before minchah Yair Manas, Gemara Sukkah, Mizrachi Bayit not this week 45 minutes before minchah R Mordechai Torczyner, Daf Yomi, BAYT After minchah R Mordechai Torczyner, Gem. Avodah Zarah: Jews and Gladiators, BAYT 6:30 PM R Dovid Zirkind, Parent-Child Learning III: Stretching the Truth, Shaarei Shomayim Sunday, November 27 9:15 AM Yair Manas, Chaim Santayana: Is there a mitzvah to study History? Forest Hill Jewish Centre, Breakfast served 9:15 AM Hillel Horovitz, Parshah, Hebrew, Zichron Yisroel 11:50 AM R Baruch Weintraub, Rambam: Hilchot Melachim, Or Chaim, collegiates After maariv R Dovid Zirkind, Bava Kama: Introduction to Avot Nezikin, Shaarei Shomayim After maariv R Baruch Weintraub, Halachic issues in Israel: Female Singers in the Army, Hebrew, Clanton Park, men Monday, November 28 8:30 PM Hillel Horovitz, Siddur: In-depth, Clanton Park, men Tuesday, November 29 1:30 PM R Mordechai Torczyner, Zecharyah: The Mysterious Menorah, Mekorot, Shaarei Shomayim 7:15 PM R Ezra Goldschmiedt, Ramban on Parshah, BAYT 8:00 PM Mrs. Elyssa Goldschmiedt, Malbim on Chumash, TCS, women 8:00 PM Yair Manas: Minchat Chinuch: The mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah, Clanton Park Wednesday, November 30 10:00 AM R Mordechai Torczyner, Dramas of Jewish History: Reign of the Hasmoneans, BEBY, with Melton 8:00 PM R Meir Rosenberg, Womens Beit Midrash at Bnai Torah, Tefillah 8:30 PM R Baruch Weintraub, Rambam: Hilchot Melachim: Inheriting a Rabbinate, Shomrai Shabbos, men 8:45 PM R Dovid Zirkind, Gemara Beitzah Chabura: Discussing Eruv Tavshilin, Shaarei Shomayim 9:00 PM R Ezra Goldschmiedt, Ethical Questions for Superheroes, Week 4 of 6, BAYT Thursday, December 1 9:15 AM R Mordechai Torczyner, Supernatural vs. Superstition: Ayin HaRa & Segulot, 36 Theodore in Thornhill, women, free babysitting Friday, December 2 8:00 AM R Dovid Zirkind, Friday Parsha Preview, Village Shul

We would like to thank koshertube.com for filming our shiurim!

Visit us at www.torontotorah.com