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| Sidra Lite | |
| Sidra Insights | Rabbi alan Lewis |
| Counting the Omer (2) | Rabbi Daniel Roselaar |
| The Dubno Maggid | Rabbi Dr Michael Harris |
| 3rd of Iyar | Rabbi Yisroel Fine |
| The Valley of Elah | Simon Goulden |
| Riddle of the Week | David Hoffman & Anthony Kent |
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"And G-d spoke to Moses saying: Speak to the children of Israel, saying: a woman who conceives and gives birth to a male child, she will be tamei (impure) for a 7 day period - And on the eighth day (the child's) foreskin shall be circumcised. If she gives birth to a female child she will be tamei (impure) for 2 weeks" (Vayikra 12:1-5).
The obvious question that begs to be asked from these verses is why should there be a difference in the period of impurity of a woman when she gives birth to a boy, as opposed to when she gives birth to a girl? Why is it only 7 days on the birth of a boy and 14 days on the birth of a girl?
A number of the commentaries bring different reasons for this apparent difference. The Ramban says that there is a biological difference between the blood of the birth of a boy to a girl which results in there having to be a difference in the period of impurity between male and female babies.
Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch brings a philosophical approach to resolving this difficulty. From the moment a woman conceives to the time when the child is weaned, she is somewhat at the mercy, although divinely inspired, to the whims of nature. Throughout her pregnancy she is not in a position to choose how her pregnancy should proceed. From the growth and welfare of the foetus to how she actually feels during pregnancy it is all orchestrated by Hashem through the powers of nature. Certainly, when it comes to the time of birth a mother is very much dependant on Hashem who, through His instrument of nature, decides when, how and where a child will be born. Even after birth has taken place, a mother's thoughts, emotions and body are totally directed towards her child. It is due to the way Hashem created the nature of this world that for these nine months of gestation and its aftermath a woman lacks, to a certain extent, freedom of choice. She can't really have any true, major input on her life until birth has occurred. The Torah is telling us that the first major input she has upon her life in the realm of free choice is after 7 days from giving birth to a boy. For it is then that she can willingly bring her child to be circumcised and enter the convenant of Avraham Avinu. It is at this point that we are told that her period of tumah (impurity) ends. For tumah comes about through one's inability to exert one's freedom of choice over the world. Only on the eighth day, after giving birth to a son, can a woman begin to exert power of choice once again upon the world, and it is for this reason that her period of tumah comes to an end.
The Maharal explains that the number 7 symbolises the harmony of nature in creation while the number 8 represents one's ability to go beyond the constrictive realms of nature. It is therefore for this reason that the mitzvah of brit milah is done on the 8th day and why the male child's mother has entered her period of purity on that 8th day. As with so many of our mitzvot we see how a Jew has that unique capacity to release himself from the confines of nature and reach higher levels of sanctity and spirituality through the power of choice that the Torah gives us.
According to the Torah, seven "complete" weeks should be counted between Pesach and Shavuot. The Rosh maintains that the mitzvah of Sefirat HaOmer is fulfilled on each of the forty-nine nights of the Omer period and that the "completeness" of the Omer means that each day should be counted as soon as possible after the commencement of the (halachic) day. However, the medieval author of the Halachot Gedolot was of the opinion that there is one long mitzvah which must be "complete" and cannot be fulfilled unless all forty-nine days of the Omer are counted without any omissions.
The Shulchan Aruch relates to both of these views and rules that even if one day is omitted the subsequent days must still be counted, since the halachah may well be in accordance with the Rosh that each day represents a separate mitzvah. But in such an instance the berachah should not be recited on subsequent evenings, in deference to the author of the Halachot Gedolot who maintains that once a day has been omitted the mitzvah can no longer be fulfilled and thus any berachot recited would be in vain.
An interesting question associated with this ruling relates to a boy who becomes bar mitzvah during the Omer period. Even if he has counted all the first days of the Omer without any omissions, should he continue to recite a berachah upon reaching religious adulthood? According to some authorities, the days he counted as a child have no relevance to what he subsequently does as an adult and must be regarded as if they had not been counted. But other authorities disagree and maintain that though he might not have fulfilled any mitzvah as a child, nonetheless he did count the first days and thus the required continuity does exist (Aruch Hashulchan).
RABBI JACOB BEN WOLF KRANZ (The Dubno Maggid)
Rabbi Jacob Kranz, better known as the Dubno Maggid, was born in Zietil in the province of Vilna in 1741, and died in 1804. He displayed exceptional homiletical talent at an early age, and by the age of twenty became the "Darshan" or preacher of his city.
From there he began preaching through several other cities, eventually settling in Dubno, where he served as preacher for 18 years. His reputation spread, bringing him into contact with some of the great Rabbis of the period, including the Vilna Gaon (discussed in the previous edition of Daf HaShavua).
All of the Dubno Maggid's works were published posthumously. These include Ohel Ya'akov, his major homiletical work, and a work on the Pesach Haggadah.
The Dubno Maggid's genius lay in his ability to draw on a vast range of Jewish religious literature while composing homilies readily comprehensible to all. The appeal of his teachings has not dimmed with time, and one frequently hears him and especially his parables cited in contemporary Divrei Torah.
3rd Iyar
It was on this day, corresponding to May 12th 1948 in the War of Independence, that Beit She'an was captured by the Haganah from Arab forces which had occupied the town since 1936.
"If the Garden of Eden is in the Land of Israel, its portals are in Beit She'an". So said Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish in the 3rd Century.
The ancient city of Beit She'an (meaning 'House of Ease'), twenty miles south of the Yam Kinneret, , did indeed have an enviable location. The rich soil and fresh water made the area one of the most fertile in Israel, and a natural choice for early settlement.
It was at nearby Mt Gilboa that King Saul was wounded in an epic battle with the Philistines in the 10th Century B.C.E. Rather than allowing himself to be captured by the notorious Philistines, Saul chose to fall on his sword. The Philistines then cut off his head and hung his body and that of his sons on the city walls. Today Beit She'an's main street is named after the king.
During the Hasmonean period Beit She'an became an important administrative centre, and King Alexander Yannai built ramparts around the city. When the Jewish War broke out in 66 C.E., 13,000 Jews were murdered in the city.
An excavated Synagogue, dating from the 4th Century had a beautiful mosaic floor of geometric design. The Synagogue was burnt down in 624.
From the beginning of the 20th Century, Jews started to resettle the area. Visitors travel to Beit She'an to view the extensive archaeological remains of the city, especially the Roman Theatre which holds up to 7,000 spectators, and is one of the finest archaeological sites in Israel.
Looking for a fight? - The Valley of Elah
The Valley of Elah is best known as the scene of the Biblical battle between David and Goliath (Elah means terebinth, the turpentine tree, commonly found in this area). The Brook of Elah, which lies in the heart of the valley, is a seasonal creek, more of a wadi really, which runs dry in the summer months. Most probably the brook from which David chose five smooth stones in preparation for battle, it is the ideal place to recreate in your mind's eye what is arguably the most famous story from the Tenach. Budding amateur archaeologists should not get their hopes up over the possibility of discovering a stray piece of Goliaths armour, as the only thing remaining from this three-thousand year battle is the beautiful scenery. Nonetheless, the story takes on a whole new dimension when you read it whilst standing at the site of the action. So take a Tenach , bookmark 1 Samuel 17, make sure that you have adequate water and sun protection and set off on an easy drive from both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Turn off Route 1 on to Route 38 in the direction of Bet Shemesh and you find yourself passing through the geographic transition area between the coastal plain and the Judean hills. Just before reaching the petrol station at the junction of Routes 38 and 375, at Elah Junction. you will pass over a concrete bridge - beneath it is the Brook of Elah. Stop, park safely, walk back to the brookside and start reading. You will not be disappointed that you made the journey.
This is the concluding piece in this series. We would like to thank Simon Goulden for his outstanding articles. Next week we will commence a new series by him (Editor)
Last week's questions:
1. Outside of the Book of Bereishit, Tetzaveh and Nitzavim are the only Sidrot that do not ...
Answer:
... have the name of Moses in them.
2) EXTRA CHALLENGE
What am I?
Unlike all others, I am only nine. I come immediately after seven and before the ten
Answer:
The nine verses of Shemot 16: 8-16, which appear after verse 7 and in the portion before the Ten Commandments.
This is the Torah Reading for Purim morning. We call up three men for 3 verses each.
All other passages of Torah Reading have at least 10 verses.
This week's question:
1. by David Hoffman of Kenton.
A chazzan knows 12 tunes for yechadshehu when bensching Rosh Chodesh. In a leap year (of 13 months) how does he avoid duplicating one of his tunes?
2) EXTRA CHALLENGE set by Anthony Kent of Borehamwood.
What do
all have in common?
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