ויקח יתרו חתן משה עולה וזבחים לאלקים ויבא אהרן וכל זקני ישראל לאכול לחם עם חתן משה לפני האלקים (יח:יב).

“Yisro offered sacrifices to Hashem; Aharon and the Elders came to eat with Yisro in front of Hashem ” (18:12).

Two questions. What does the beginning of the verse have to do with the end? There should be two separate verses, one describing Yisro’s offerings and the second about the meal they ate “before Hashem”?

Rashi states that this meal was considered sacred because “one who joins a meal which includes Talmidei Chachomim is considered to have beheld the Divine Presence (Berachos 64a). What does this mean and why is it taught specifically here?

The answer to all of these quandaries is one. The Maharal explains that only Jews are allowed to bring a Korban Shalomim offering. The gentiles can only bring an Olah. Why? The gentile sees spirituality and physicality in the world as two separate entities; they cannot fathom the ability to bring them together. Hence, when they come to the Temple to offer a sacrifice to God, they are only allowed to bring an Olah which is slaughtered and then totally given over to God, by its complete burning upon the altar. To them, the Shalomim is unfathomable. How could humans (the owner and Priest) eat part of a sacrifice, while only part is burned for God?!

The Torah does not command us to negate the human body, only to control it and to elevate the physical experience. This is the foundation of Torah. So much of Judaism revolves around the actions of the body. Our Shabbos and Yom Tov is celebrated with wine, bread and an abundance of delicious food!

We take in the physical enjoyment and use it to sing heartfelt praises to Hashem. We enjoy this world as a means to elevate it and give thanks to its Creator! That is the foundation of the entire Torah.

The eating process is sacred and holy. This is why it is stressed in our Parsha specifically. We find the giving of the Torah described here. It is thus important to precede it with this message.

Indeed, the first (בראשית) and last (ישראל) letters of the Torah itself, together spell the word לב, heart. The heart represents human passions and desire. The Torah is found surrounded by these to letters in order to express that the goal of Torah is not to negate the physical world, rather it is to utilize it properly for the service of Hashem. (Why the letters appear backwards is beyond the scope of this essay.)

It is thus most appropriate that our Parsha which contains the awesome event of the giving of the Torah, is named after Yisro. He was a convert and thus brought with him an appreciation of the outside world. He was an example in using the physical world and channeling it to Hashem. Hence, it comes as no surprise that Rashi tells us that he also brought a Korban Shalomim!

Our verse ends by expressing that he ate a meal before Hashem. This is the exact theme of the Parsha, elevating the physical. The beginning and end of the verse is the same. Just as the Chachomim elevated their meals to serve Hashem, so too Yisro brought a Korban which stood for making holy the mundane.

May we all merit to enjoy life to its magnificent fullest!

1- “The hard questions go to Moshe”,

2- “and the small things will be decided by the judges”.

Logic dictates that it should have been phrased in the opposite order? It should have first said that the minor judges should decide the cases which are fit for them and then go on to say that the hard things which are beyond their abilities should be brought to Moshe. Why is Moshe’s department mentioned first?

I believe that a most important lesson is being taught here. The judges must know that they don’t know everything! This is a vital introduction to Torah law. One who thinks he knows it all, will be a terrible judge and will decide incorrectly because of his ego preventing him from asking his superiors.

Hence, the introduction given to the new judges stressed the fact that the hard matters should be brought to Moshe. Only after recognizing their own limitations were they then ready to judge matters fit for them.

ויראו בני ישראל ויאמרו איש אל אחיו מן הוא כי לא ידעו מה הוא… (טז:טו)

“The Jews saw it (Heaven-sent food) and they called it “Monn” for they didn’t know what it was…” (16:15).

It always perplexed me to understand what the lesson of this verse is. Why do we have to know that the Jews did not know what the Manna was? Also, why did the name, “Monn, what is it?!” remain? Once they figured out what it was, the name should have been changed appropriately?

I believe that understanding what is being taught here will prove very relevant to us all. Hashem took the Jews out of Egypt with great miracles and fanfare. Now they were in the dessert and needed food to eat. Hashem wanted the Jews to dedicate themselves to the undisturbed study of His Torah. This is precisely what they did.

This practice of dedication to Hashem’s Torah and the study and fulfillment of its beautiful and life-altering lesson, relates to every one of us.

It can be quite expensive following the Torah laws! Not working on Saturday incurs a great financial loss for us. Sending our children to private religious schools costs thousands more that the free public system. Giving up time from work to learn Torah with a study partner takes much effort and dedication. Buying only Kosher food is a price to pay as well.

We may take these things for granted, but this is something worth contemplating. Certainly those that commit themselves to the Kollel and teaching lifestyle are well aware of the trials of making ends meet. Yet, they all do. They have their needs met! In fact, the Jews are one of the most prosperous races on planet earth. Not everyone is middle or upper class, but even those in need are generously cared for by the warm community members. No one is hungry and most people have the clothes, food and medical care that they need. Hashem has promised to care for those that turn to Him and to never let them down (Tehillim 37:25, 145:14)!

The Manna represents Hashem’s care for the Jew’s wellbeing in the desert. Hashem made sure that everyone had enough food for their daily needs. More so, the Midrash states that every morning the Jews found two thousand years worth of food that had fallen from the sky! However, every person was only allowed to collect one Omer, his daily need, no more and no less! After everyone took, the sun came out and all the leftovers melted away, only to repeat itself again the next morning. What was the purpose of this strange occurrence?

The Gemara (Yuma) explains that Hashem wanted the Jews to always feel that they needed Him to provide for them. If they were to have a large silo stored up, they would stop relying on Him.

So why did 2000 years worth fall daily? Rav Eliyahu Dessler zt”l explains that this fortified the concept. We must see that Hashem is all capable, He is unlimited in the amount of bounty which He can bestow upon us! This is the first perspective. The second idea expressed is that we should pray to Him and ask Him personally to fill our needs!

Indeed, our livelihood is often a mystery, we don’t know how it worked out or how things came together. The struggle is for the purpose of us recognizing how much Hashem does for us. The solution is brought about in a way that we can only credit Hashem!

The name that the jews gave to the Monn was most appropriate and on-target. “What is it!?” Indeed, our livelihood is miraculous and often unexplainable.

This is a most relevant and timely lesson of the Monn.

The answer is that often in life, we look at ourselves and think that we have not grown or changed. However, just as children constantly grow in height, so too people are working to grow in spirituality. Just as the child cannot notice his own growth from day to day, so too, we often are disheartened and think that we have not grown. This is certainly not the case.

Tu B’Shevat comes to draw our attention to two points.

1- The frozen hardship of life which growth comes from.

2- The miniscule yet ever important  growth which deserves celebration.

The winter is dark and cold, but the germination process of the tree depends on this. The growth is happening, but it won’t be seen or appreciated right away!

We strive to see the light at the end of the tunnel which will help inspire and carry us through!

If we look closely at what happened to Pharaoh, we can understand that we also experience similar patterns in our lives. When we have a crisis, we pour out our hearts to Hash-m in tefila, begging him to rescue us from our straits. Yet just as soon as we find our salvation, we find ourselves slipping back to our old ways, and Hash-m is once again the furthest thing from our minds.

Remembering Pharaoh’s foolish behavior can help keep us aware of our own hypocrisy. We will realize that even when things seem to be good, we are still utterly dependent on the Almighty’s constant protection and mercy. This will prevent us from making the same mistakes as Pharaoh.
The Secret to Staying Inspired
After Hash-m has directly intervened in our lives by saving us from harm, rescuing us from a crisis or some other act of hashgacha pratis, we will certainty feel uplifted and close to Him. However if we let nature take its course, we will inevitably forget what happened almost immediately. How can we maintain the lofty awareness of Hash-m’s greatness that we achieve during our moments of inspiration?
The Zohar reveals that we are obligated to regularly revisit and recall our memories of these acts of Divine kindness. Constant reflection on the awesome acts of love that the Almighty performs just for you will ensure that these acts become etched on your heart and make a permanent impression on your world view. This is the deeper meaning of the mitzvah of remembering Yetzias Mirtzrayim daily.
In addition to remembering Hash-m’s kindness, there are other measures that help us maintain a constant and unwavering connection to our Creator. The strongest force that pulls us away from serving Hash-m properly is our sins. If we want to maintain our elevation, we should know that every effort we make to avoid an aveira is a huge step in the right direction.
In the sixth chapter of Hilchos Teshuvah, the Rambam writes that Pharaoh was not the only person to have his heart hardened by Hash-m. Anyone who habitually transgresses sinks into impurity, and creates blocks between himself and his Creator. These locked doors make it much harder for him to return to the Almighty.
Even with the doors of teshuvah slammed shut, a person can still use a spiritual crowbar to pry them open. However the deeper a person has immersed himself in sin, the harder it will be to get through the gates of repentance. Righteous individuals constantly worry if perhaps they have overstepped the bounds, and therefore are always doing teshuvah to maintain their closeness to Hash-m.
In another section, the Zohar writes that a person who has sunk into transgression will have difficulty concentrating on his prayers. His mind is bombarded with foreign thoughts, and this disturbs his prayers. He must erase his sins through teshuvah, and then he will be able to return to praying with the proper intention.
Signs of Blood
When the Beis Hamikdash stood, we brought the korban tamid daily. These sacrifices erased our transgressions, and helped us to maintain an elevated state. Now that the Temple lies in ruins and we are in galus, what can we do on a daily basis to protect ourselves from the strong undercurrent in our society, which pulls us downwards so forcefully?
On the night of Yetzias Mitzrayim, Hash-m revealed the secret to us. Every Jewish family was obligated to do bris milah on all of the males, and to wipe the blood of the Korban Pesach on their doorposts. These two signs protected them from the fatal power of makos bechoros.
The blood of milah and on the doorposts is a lesson for all generations regarding how we can remain elevated despite the downward pull of the galus. Blood represents mesiras nefesh, completely giving ourselves over to the Almighty’s will, even when this is difficult. Such acts ensure that we will stay on the elevated level that a Jew is meant to strive for, even when the tides around us are pulling us in another direction.
It is particularly noteworthy that the Almighty instructed us to place the blood on the door. This is meant to be a reminder to us that if we want our homes to be a place where the Divine Presence will dwell, that we must stand guard over what we let into the house. Radios, newspapers, and internet are especially threatening, as they can subtly introduce foreign ideas wrapped in the guise of essential information and convenience, and these can be completely antithetical to Torah ideology.

This is what the Torah means when it foretells that your children will ask, “What is this avodah to you?” In the thick of the galus, the korban Pesach and the Temple service may seem antiquated and irrelevant to our children. We are instructed to answer them that just as the Jews acted with mesiras nefesh and were saved from the depths of Mitzrayim, so too in every generation if a prodigious effort to swim against the tide which pulls us downward will allow us to maintain our elevated state.

For this reason when Moshe Rabbeinu told the Jewish people that they would have Jewish descendents, Klal Yisrael expressed deep thanks to the Almighty. The Jewish people thought that when they would be exiled into foreign lands that their descendants would stray from the path of Torah. Moshe Rabbeinu told them that if they would internalize the message of the korban Pesach and act with mesiras nefesh in the galus, they would be protected from harmful influences.

Potential for Greatness
Rav Sternbuch relates that when he was thirteen he entered yeshiva in England. During his first week there, the Rosh Yeshiva Rav Shneider gave a shiur to the entire yeshiva in which he told the students that he expected them all to become gedolei Yisrael like Rav Chaim Brisker.
One of the young bachurim responded in shock to the Rosh Yeshiva’s words. “How can we be like Rav Chaim Brisker?! I don’t have a father like the Beis HaLevi, and I am not gifted with the genius of Rav Chaim!”

The Rosh Yeshiva explained that he did not expect the boys to reach the same level of Torah learning as Rav Chaim. Certainly, Rav Chaim was given exceptional parents, intelligence, and other advantages, which enabled him to reach the level that he did. This was not expected of everyone.

Rather every bachur who channeled all of his energies towards reaching his potential is considered a gadol. Since he did everything in his power, Hash-m would consider him to have fully fulfilled his obligation to strive for Torah greatness. This was the Rosh Yeshiva’s expectation for each of his talmidim.
The world we live in today is filled with powerful distractions and temptations that tug at our hearts and minds from all directions. Maintaining our moments of inspiration, teshuvah, and mesiras nefesh are the best defense against foreign influences and the most important step towards reaching our personal greatness; these are the keys to maintaining the high as we count the days until this bitter galus ends.

Best wishes for a Great Shabbos and a happy Tu B’shvat!

Hashem wanted to let the Jews know that he is still here, and that he was there all along, that there is none like him in all the land. This is a process that takes time to digest, especially when dealing with a nation that has been enslaved for such a long period of time. Someone that is born a slave, who has never known freedom a day in their lives, is going to need time adjusting to the idea. There was also as we see, a lack of Emunah (belief) in the people, due to the hard work they had no time for anything else. There were no breaks, it was just work work and more work. The year of the plagues was an adjustment period, and a cocoon in which Klal Yosroel was placed in, in order to reach the level of being able to receive the Torah and finally become a nation. The plagues proved to Egypt and the world at large that Hashem is above nature, and that all beings must answer to him, and to him alone. There are no other gods, for the plagues destroyed them all. The Egyptians were taught that they are not in control of anything, no matter how much they would have liked to think so. They were only able to enslave the Jews because Hashem allowed it to be so, but the second the time came for redemption, nothing would stop their immediate departure. Klal Yisroel took all of this in, realizing that there is a divine providence in this world. It built up their belief system, and brought them to high spiritual levels. Now after having lived and seen a full year of plague in Egypt can they come to the realization that Hashem is in control, and that there is none like him in all the land. They were finally ready to leave, and to become a nation.

There are many times in our lives when things don’t go exactly the way we planned or hoped for them to go. There are situations that are not always the most comfortable to be in. We have to know though, that Hashem is with us in whatever the situation is, and that he is holding our hands, guiding us, doing what is best for us. Even though it may be “dark” there is always the “bright side” somewhere along the way. We just have to work a little to seek it out. Hashem is the one that is in charge of the way things turn out, and we have to put ourselves into his hands, he knows what he is doing. If a person feels that he knows what’s best for him, and he doesn’t need Hashems help, g-d forbid then Hashem will leave that person to “take care of himself”, so to speak. That’s when the real trouble will start. When we realize that we aren’t in control, and we become ready to hand over the wheel to the master driver, can be speed away from the bitter golus (exile) that we are stuck in. We need to find that Emunah (faith) in Hashem that there is none like him in all the land. He is our father and our king, and he wants to bestow upon us the greatest gifts. We just have to let him, and they will come pouring in…………

והיה לך לאות על ידך ולזכרון בין עיניך… (יג:ט).

“They (the Tefillin) shall be a sign on your hand and head….” (13:9).

This week’s Parsha discusses the Mitzvah of Tefillin. By wearing Tefillin we are affirming our belief in Hashem and the fact that He runs the world and took us out of Egypt.

We place the Tefillin on our arm and head, to connote that we dedicate our heart and mind to Hashem.

We place them on our head to state that we will use our head to work on gaining knowledge and understanding of Hashem. We place the Tefillin on the arm, slanted towards the heart, in order to connote that we dedicate our heart, our passions and desires, for the service of Hashem.

One of my 7th grade students asked me during class, that according to this, why don’t we wrap the arm Tefillin around our torso and thus place it directly on our heart, instead of just slanting it on our arm?!

I was very impressed by the question and gave him much acknowledgment for listening so well and striving to understand.

This is how I then explained it to the class. Imagine if all the adults that you knew got together and decided that from now on, whenever you do something good which deserves recognition and reward, they will only do so by means of verbal expression. You will never receive prizes, rewards, money, toys, candy or tickets, only a sincere statement of “job well done”. Imagine a world like that! The classroom filled with moans of disapproval! “No, that would be terrible”, they stated in unison.

The kids then explained to me that it is insufficient to just say, “I am proud of you”! Though that is the main point, us physical human beings need to have a physical expression of recognition as well. We need tangible messages.

“So let me get this straight,” I asked them, “you need me to act in order to fully show my approval and recognition towards you?” “Yes!!”, they all said, as I walked around the room dispensing prizes as a reward for what they just taught me.

Great, now we have answered the original question. We don’t just put the Tefillin on our hearts, for that would only focus on the idea of having feelings towards Hashem. Rather, we put them on our arm. The hand represents action! We will express our love and dedication towards Hashem by actively following His commandments.

This is what Chazal (Makkos 10a) meant by, “one learns the most from his students!” I thank you from the depth of my heart!

The question is, what is so special about this Mitzvah that it should have came first?

I heard from my dear Rebbe, Reb Asher Zelig Rubenstien shlit”a the following idea. “HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem” signifies that the month is specifically for the Jewish people. It connotes that we are separate from the other nations. The defining factor of the Jews and the merit which helped them exit Egypt was precisely their recognition of the their separateness and specialness as Hashem’s Nation! This is the foundation of the entire Torah.

This is why the Torah should have started with this Mitzvah. The lesson of our special mission is the theme of the entire Torah!

As you sip your morning ‘Joe’, sit back and listen to this inspiring audio clip and learn about Judaism and the art of Espresso machine maintenance.

Download audio file (JudaismandtheArtofEspressoMachineMaintenance.mp3)

Here is  a link to the Ohr Somayach website:    www.audio.ohr.edu/track/id=1346

Every year after having gone through Parshas Shemos I am always left a little confused, feeling as though I have missed something, and indeed I have. At the end of shishi it is written:

ויאמר ה’ אל משה בלכתך לשוב מצרימה ראה כל המפתים אשר שמתי בידך ועשיתם לפני פרעה ואני אחזק את לבו ולא ישלח את העם: ואמרת אל פרעה כה אמר ה’ בני בכרי ישראל: ואמר אליך שלח את בני ויעבדני ותמאו לשלחו הנה אנכי הרג את בנך בכרך: (שמות ד, כא-כג)

We see that Hashem says that after all the incredible things that Paroh will see, he will still not send the nation of Yisroel to exile. We see that Hashem will strengthen his heart. What does that mean? It is written after everyone of the makos that Hashem strengthened the heart of Paroh causing him not to sending Bnei Yisroel out. Why is that so?

I would like to suggest that it was essential for Klal Yisroel then and now that there be the Asuruh Makos. Since we see that Hashem had to strengthen the heart of Paroh perhaps that means that even after the first of the makos he would have given in, but that I am unsure of. It is clear that the last of the makos, Makos B’churim is the final step. Whatever the reason for the makos it seems that it would be completed by that point. It may have also been that the Egyptians needed a certain amount of kapuruh for their actions, but I don’t think that is the main reason.

It seems to me that the main reason for the makos was that Klal Yisroel needed them to strengthen their emunah, in order to be Bnei Yisroel. Through the makos and the actual Yitzias Mitzrayim, Klal Yisroel grew in their emunah and became capable of saying Na’aseh V’Nishmah as Kabalas HaTorah. Without having gone through all of this it would not have been possible!

Today we keep the Torah and Mitzvos, without having seen these nisim. How is it that we do so? How is that there are things that are done in the midbar that seem to be below us, but are clearly not! Perhaps the reason is that we have inherited the emunah of our avos. Through the experiences that Klal Yisroel went through they grew. Today we have thousands of years of nisyonos deep within our heritage. It was Moshe Rabbeinu and the Dor Dayuh who had to go through all of that for us. We would never have been able to stand up to the challenges that they faced, not a chance.

It is with this thought that we can begin to understand this weeks parshah. The beginning of the makos that befell Egypt in awe and wonder. These are the abc’s of emunah and bitachon for the Jewish People. It is my brachah that we all take these words of Torah into our hearts and strengthen them. Just as Hashem strengthens the heart of Paroh so to these events can strengthen our hearts to bring us closer to Hashem. May we all grow closer to walking in the ways of Hashem and constantly embrace all the amazing gifts that lay before us.

]]> http://www.closetotorah.com/archives/2352/feed 0 http://www.closetotorah.com/archives/2352 http://feeds.closetotorah.com/~r/CloseToTorah/~3/2ApiSvif1XQ/2348 http://www.closetotorah.com/archives/2348#comments Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:49:27 +0000 Rabbi Yosef Tropper http://www.closetotorah.com/?p=2348

ושרץ היאור צפרדעים ועלו ובאו בביתך… (ז:כח).

“…the frogs will intrude your homes….” (7:28).

The second plague which Hashem smote the Egyptians with was frogs. Let us explore a fascinating observation which I believe you will find quite enlightening!

The Gemara Pesachim (53b) tells us that Chananya, Misha’el and Azaryah (in Bavel) refused to comply with the king’s decree of defiance towards Hashem. They deduced logically that they should allow themselves to be thrown into the furnace to stand up for Hashem’s honor. They said that, “the frogs in Egypt were not commanded to die for Kiddush Hashem, God’s sake, yet they chose to jump into the ovens of the Egyptians for the sake of Hashem, kal v’chomer, certainly, we who are commanded in Kiddush Hashem must do the same! With this, they fell into the furnace, only to be miraculously saved by Hashem.

The Shages Aryeh posed a bomb question on this famous Gemara. Our verse (Shemos 7:28) describes the plague of frogs and states explicitly that the frogs were commanded to jump into the ovens, thus indeed they had an order to do so, and the logic of the three sages is not understood!? How could they learn from the frogs based on the fact that the frogs “chose to die without a commandment”, when in fact they were clearly commanded to enter the stoves and die?!

The Vilna Goan (Rabbi Eliyahu Kramer [1720-97]), was seven years old at the time when this question was posed. He modestly approached the Shages Aryeh to offer his answer. The verse states that Hashem commanded the frogs to invade Egypt, they were to go everywhere. The list of targets included: houses, beds, mixing bowls and ovens. This being the case, each frog had a choice as to whether he should sacrifice his life or not. Many frogs just allowed their friends to go into the ovens while they simply infested a house or bed. Hence, only certain frogs took the responsibly upon themselves to give up their lives to fulfill Hashem’s command regarding the ovens. It was with this in mind that the three sages made their perfectly logical extension to themselves! Upon hearing this, the Shages Aryeh bent down and gave little Eliyahu a kiss on his cheek while exclaiming, “you will be a great sage of Israel one day!”

This is the perspective of our great men in Klal Yisrael. They see what has to be done and do not look around to see if anyone else is responding. Rather, they immediately take the job upon themselves and make sure that it gets done. They are proactive and extremely productive. They know what “responsibility” means. This is a true sign of greatness!

I suggest that there is an underlying theme which greatly unites them. The ten trials were a means by which Avraham gained a better understanding and closeness to Hashem. Through his struggles, he grew in appreciation and relationship with Him.

So too, the ten plagues taught the Jews and the world that Hashem is in control of everything! The plagues demonstrated all aspects of Hashem’s control of the world, the earth, sky, water and wind.

In the merit of Avraham’s dedication to Hashem, the Egyptians were smitten with ten plagues. The lesson of Hashem’s power was further expressed in the world.

“Hold your horses!” one might exclaim. “I’ve never seen any mention of this in my Chumash, or even Shulchan Aruch! Not only that, The Shulchan Aruch² says that the exact converse is true – that one may cook together milk and fish, for there is no issur involved, even d’rabbanan! Is this a new chumra of the week? And how exactly am I expected to go to a bris and not have bagels with lox and cream cheese? It just wouldn’t seem Jewish!”

Actually, although this is not a new chumra, he would be correct as there is no mention of such a halacha in the Shulchan Aruch at all. But, to better understand where such a shita comes from, first one must understand the halachos of mixing fish and meat.

The Shulchan Aruch³ writes that one must be careful not to eat meat and fish together for this mixture may cause tzara’as⁴. Although there are poskim who hold that the teva (roughly translated as environmental conditions) has since changed and therefore one does not have worry about this⁵, most halachic authorities do not agree with this chiddush and maintain that the halacha follows the Shulchan Aruch and that this mixture remains forbidden⁶. However, many authorities do take the lenient opinion into consideration to allow for some leniency in certain questionable situations⁷.

“That’s all fine and dandy”, our exclaimer might exclaim, “but what does that have to do with mixing fish and milk?”

The answer to this lies in the Beis Yosef, The Shulchan Aruch’s commentary on the Tur. For in Yorah De’ah 87, 3 (s.v. dagim), the Beis Yosef writes that “one should not eat fish and milk together because of the danger involved, as it is explained in O.C. 173″. A number of poskim follow this ruling, and likewise maintain that one should not eat a combination of milk and fish⁸.

However, many authorities point out that the location the Beis Yosef referenced for his halachic decision to be machmir is referring to eating fish with meat, not milk. They therefore maintain that this issue is a case of mistaken identity and that eating fish with milk is 100% permissible⁹. Some add that if the Beis Yosef truly intended to rule stringently in this matter, he would not have only mentioned it in his commentary, but rather would have written it as official psak halacha in the Shulchan Aruch¹⁰.

On the other hand, many authorities hold that there still is a sakana involved in eating fish and milk, but it’s not a halachic issue, rather a medical one. They maintain that since both fish and milk serve to cool down the human body, when they are ingested together it can create bodily harm¹¹. This, they hold, is the reason the Beis Yosef intended by saying not to eat them together, and not because of tzara’as.

While these poskim do cite this logic and say one should therefore refrain, many decisors, most notably the Chasam Sofer¹², argue that this can not possibly be true, for we see many people eating them together and not becoming (noticeably) sick¹³. (Anchovies on pizza, anyone? Actually, the thought of that makes me sick.) Also, the greatest (and best known) Jewish doctor, the Rambam, makes absolutely no mention of this danger.

Still, others maintain that this depends on the time and place¹⁴. Just because someone won’t get sick from it in New York, there is no assurance that the same would be true in Kabul. (Although I am assuming that if one is in Kabul he has other sakanos to worry about…)

The bottom line is that different minhagim developed over time among different segments of Jewry. An oversimplified generalization is that Sefardim (since they follow the psakim of the Beis Yosef) should be machmir and Ashkenazim can be maykil¹⁵. But there are Sefardi poskim who rule that a Sefardi can be lenient (some hold only b’dieved ¹⁶and others hold even l’chatchila¹⁷), and there are Ashkenazi poskim who hold that even an Ashkenazi should be machmir¹⁸. An interesting side point is that most of the authorities who are machmir when it comes to mixing fish with milk and/or cheese are nevertheless lenient when it comes to mixing fish with butter¹⁹. Of course, there is also the majority opinion that the whole issue is a non-starter and there is no problem whatsoever, even with a tuna melt²⁰.

So, back at that bris, even if you decide not to take a bite of your Bagels and Lox Deluxe, at least you now have some food for thought²¹.

1 Which is a topic for a discussion in its own right.

2 Y”D 87, 2.

3 Y”D 116, 2 based on Gemara Pesachim 76b.

4 Very loosely translated as leprosy. This prohibition also includes chicken:

שו”ת שבות יעקב (חלק ב’ ס’ ק”ד) פתחי תשובה (יו”ד ס’ קט”ז ס”ק ב’) חיד”א (שיורי ברכה יו”ד ס’ קט”ז ס”ק ח’) עצי העולה (דברים האסורים משום סכנה חקי חיים ס”ק ב’) בן איש חי (ש”ש פר’ פנחס ס”ק ח’) ערוך השלחן (שם ס”ק י’) כף החיים (או”ח ס’ קע”ג ס”ק ה’), ולא כדעת הבית יהודה (שו”ת יו”ד ס’ כ”ד) והעיקרי הד”ט (ס’ י”ד ס”ק ג’) שהעלו דאין למחות ביד המקילים וכבר נהגו העולם להקל בזה.

This is also the reason why in between a meat and fish course (for example on Shabbos, after the gefilte fish) we rinse our mouths (or drink a l’chaim) and eat something – kinuach v’hadacha. Sefardic custom is to also wash hands in between. See Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 173, 2) and Shulchan Aruch and Rema (Y”D 116, 3).

וע”ע בפרי תואר (ס’ קט”ז ס”ק ד’) ובשיורי ברכה (יו”ד ס’ קט”ז ס”ק ח’) ובבן איש חי (ש”ש פר’ פנחס ס”ק ח’) ובשו”ת שאילת שלום (תנינא ס’ קס”ה) ובדרכי תשובה (ס’ קט”ז ס”ק ל’ ול”ב) ובישועות חכמה (ס’ ל”ג סע’ ב’) ובבית לחם יהודה (ס’ קט”ז ס”ק ד’) ובשלחן חי (ס’ א’ סע’ ט”ו) ובחכמת אדם (כלל ס”ח ס”ק א’) ובלחם הפנים (ס’ קט”ז ס”ק ג’) ובשו”ת דבר שמואל (ס’ שס”ז) ובמשנה ברורה (ס’ קע”ג ס”ק ד’ ובשער הציון ס”ק ב’) ובדברי יואל (פר’ וישלח דף קע”ז ע”ב) בענין נטילה ביניהם.

5 מגן אברהם (או”ח ס’ קע”ג ס”ק א’) ב”ח (שם) מהרשד”ם (שו”ת חלק ד’ ס’ קכ”ד בשם הספר הקנה) ערוך השלחן (שם ס”ק י’) משנה ברורה (שם ס”ק ג’). וגם יש שסוברים דהסכנה אינו כולל כל דג, אלא שתלוי בסוג הדג – עיין בשו”ת באר שבע (ס’ ל”ה) ובשו”ת עזרת ישראל (ס’ פ”ה בהגה”ה) ובשו”ת חתם סופר (יו”ד ס’ ק”א, משכתב בשיטת הרמב”ם) ובשו”ת טוב טעם ודעת (מהדורא תליתאי חלק ב’ ס’ י’) ובשו”ת בית שמואל (ס’ קע”ג) והרש”ש (חולין דף צ”ז ע”א) ובשו”ת חלקת יעקב (חלק א’ ס’ ק”ט) ובספר אוצר יד החיים (ס”ק רי”ז) ובספר שמירת הגוף והנפש (פרק א’ הערה א’ וב’).

6 נוהג כצאן יוסף (דף כ”ח סע’ ד’) יפה לב (או”ח ס’ קע”ג ס”ק ב’) מלבושי יו”ט (ס’ נ”ד) שבות יעקב (חלק ג’ ס’ ע’) שדי חמד (כללים מערכת ט’ כלל ה’) מהר”ם שיק (יו”ד ס’ רמ”ד) חכמת אדם (כלל ס”ח ס”ק א’) שלחן ערוך הרב (שמירת גוף ונפש ס”ק ט’) יד אפרים (יו”ד קט”ז סע’ ג’) קיצור שלחן ערוך (ס’ ל”ג ס”ק א’) כף החיים (או”ח ס’ קע”ג ס”ק ט’).

7 שו”ת חתם סופר (הנ”ל) שו”ת דברי מלכיאל (חלק ב’ ס’ נ”ג) שו”ת תפארת צבי (ס’ צ”א) ושו”ת שבט הלוי (חלק ו’ ס’ קי”א), עיי”ש. לדוגמא, יש כמה פוסקים [כולל הפתחי תשובה (ס' קט"ז ס"ק ג') והחמודי דניאל (תערובות א' ס' ט"ז) ושו"ת אבני נזר (יו"ד ס' פ"ד ס"ק א') ושו"ת הרמ"ץ (יו"ד ס' כ"ב) ושו"ת ציון לנפש חיה (ס' ק"י) ושו"ת ארץ צבי (ס' ל"ג) ושו"ת עין יצחק (או"ח ס' כ"ד) ושו"ת מהר"ש ענגל (חלק א' ס' פ"ג) ושו"ת יד מאיר (ס' י"ט) ושו"ת דברי יעקב (ס' נ"ד) ושו"ת דברי שלום ואמת (או"ח ס' י"ג) ושו"ת דעת כהן (ס' נ"ה) ושו"ת יביע אומר (חלק א' יו"ד ס' ח') ושו"ת יעלת חן (יו"ד ס' ב' סוף ס"ק ו')] שסברו בענין זה דאם נתערב בשר עם דגים דיכול לבטל לכתחילה, אף שביטול לכתחילה אסור בשאר איסורים. וכן הוא משמעות הספר יהושע (שו”ת פסקים וכתבים ס’ קס”ז) וההר צבי (שו”ת יו”ד ס’ ע”ד) והתשובות והנהגות (שו”ת חלק ג’ ס’ רנ”ו). ואף שיש שמחמירים בדין זה, [כולל המקור מים חיים (ס' קט"ז סע' ב') ושו"ת שואל ומשיב (מהדורא רביעא חלק א' ס' כ"ח) ושו"ת טוב טעם ודעת (חלק ג' ס' י') ושו"ת אבני צדק (יו"ד ס' מ"ט) והמהרש"ם (מובא במשמרת שלום סוף ס' ק"ח קצת חידושי דינים ס"ק ד')], וגם יש שמסיקים בצ”ע להקל למעשה [שו"ת דובב מישרים (חלק ג' סוף ס' ל"ט ד"ה אולם) ושו"ת יד יוסף (יו"ד ס' נ"ח)], מ”מ ראינן שדעת כמה פוסקים בנ”ד הוא דיש מקום יותר להקל משאר איסורים. ועוד בענין הגדרת דיני תערובות דגים ובשר עיין בספר ילקוט יוסף (או”ה חלק ג’ ס’ פ”ז עמ’ ש”ח – שכ”ד) ובספר שמירת הגוף והנפש (ס’ א’) ובספר דיוני הלכה (חלק ד’ עמ’ קכ”ד – קכ”ט).

8 לבוש (עטרת זהב ס’ פ”ז) זבחי צדק (ס’ פ”ז ס”ק י”ח) שו”ת בית דוד (יו”ד ס’ ל”ג) פחד יצחק (מערכת ב’ דף ס”ט ע”ב ערך בשר דגים) עיקרי הד“ט (יו“ד ס‘ י“ד ס“ק ה‘) שו”ת יחוה דעת (חלק ו’ ס’ מ”ח).

9 רמ”א (דרכי משה ס’ פ”ז ס”ק ד’) ש”ך (שם ס”ק ה’) ט”ז (ס”ק ג’) פר”ח (שם סוף ס”ק ו’) מגן אברהם (ריש ס’ קע”ג) חיד”א (מחזיק ברכה שם ס”ק ד’) פרישה (שם ס”ק ה’) חגורת שמואל (שם ס”ק ז’) אליה רבא (או“ח ס‘ קע“ג ס“ק ט‘) שלחן גבוה (שם ס”ק י”א) באר היטב (ס’ פ”ז ס”ק ה’) שו”ת באר שבע (ס’ ל”ה ד”ה נשאלתי) שו”ת בארות המים (יו”ד ס’ א’) יעב”ץ (מור וקציעה ס’ קע”ג) אמרי בינה (ס’ פ”ז ס”ק ו’) דרכי תשובה (ס’ קט”ז ס”ק י”ד) ערוך השלחן (ס’ פ”ז ס”ק ט”ו).

10 ערוך השלחן (הנ”ל). אבל לכאורה לפי הכללי הוראה של הרה”ג עובדיה יוסף שליט”א (נדפס בשו”ת יחוה דעת חלק ו’ בדפוס הישן) זה אינו קשה כל כך לשיטתו. דשם כתב דאפ’ משכתב רק בבית יוסף, ואין אפ’ זכר של הדין בשו”ע, עדיין זה פסקו מוחלט. והעלה שרק לא אמרינן כן כשכתב להיפך בשו”ע ממשכתב בית יוסף. וכאן י”ל דכוונת הב”י הוא לומר דאף שמעיקר הדין מותר לאכול דגים בחלב, מ”מ עדיין צריך להיזהר מטעם החשש של צרעת, וק”ל.

11 רבינו בחיי (פרשת משפטים פרק כ”ג פסוק י”ט ד”ה לא תבשל – אבל כתב הסכנה הוא משני הטעמים. והערוך השלחן הנ”ל כתב דר’ בחיי רק מחמיר בתערובות דג עם גבינה, ולא בחלב, ודלא כהבין הפתחי תשובה בדעתו שכתב בס’ פ”ז ס”ק ט’ דלפי ר’ בחיי דהוא הדין דדג עם חלב אסורה) כנסת הגדולה (ס’ פ”ז הגה’ ב”י ס”ק י”ט בשם השארית יהודה) בית לחם יהודה (שם ס”ק ד’) גליון מהרש”א (ס’ קט”ז סע’ ב’, בשם המהר”ם מקראקא) שו”ת חינוך בית יהודה (ס’ ס”א, שהעלה דזה כוונה הלבוש שהחמיר) שו”ת אדני פז (ס’ מ”ב) פמ”ג (ס’ פ”ט מ”ז ס”ק ג’, דיש ליזהר) בן איש חי (ש”ש פר’ בהעלותך ס”ק ט”ו) שו”ת רב פעלים (חלק א’ יו”ד ס’ י’).

12 שו”ת יו”ד ס’ ק”א.

13 פתחי תשובה (ס’ פ”ז ס”ק ט’) יד אפרים (שם) ערוך השלחן (הנ”ל) בדי השלחן (ס’ פ”ז ס”ק ל”ג).

14 יד יהודה (ס’ פ”ז פיה”ק ס”ק ו’) עצי העולה (דברים האסורים משום סכנה חקי חיים ס”ק ו’) כף החיים (ס’ פ”ז ס”ק כ”ד, או”ח ס’ קע”ג ס”ק ג’).

15 שו”ת יחוה דעת (חלק ו’ ס’ מ”ח, בסיכום).

16 שו”ת זבחי צדק (חלק ג’ ס’ קמ”ג) שו”ת יחוה דעת (חלק ו’ ס’ מ”ח, בהגה”ה) ילקוט יוסף (או”ה ג’ ס’ פ”ז סע’ פ”ג, ועמ’ שי”א ד”ה ולפע”ד).

17 פר”ח (ס’ פ”ז סוף ס”ק ו’) חיד”א (מחזיק ברכה ס”ק ד’) שלחן גבוה (שם ס”ק י”א) שו”ת שמש ומגן (חלק ד’ יו”ד ס’ י”ב) שו”ת ברכת יהודה (חלק ב’ יו”ד ס’ ה’) שו”ת יעלת חן (יו”ד ס’ ב’).

18 לבוש (עטרת זהב ס’ פ”ז) פמ”ג (ס’ פ”ט מ”ז ס”ק ג’) עצי העולה (יו“ד ס‘ קט“ז ס“ק ח‘) שלחן הטהור (ס‘ קע“ג סע‘ ה‘). ועיין בספר הליכות שלמה (מועדים חלק ב’ פסח פרק י”ב הע’ מ”ח) שהגרש”ז אויערבך זצ”ל היה מחמיר על עצמו בהענין. וע”ע בספר הערות במסכת חולין (דף ק”ד ע”א ד”ה חוץ) שהגרי”ש אלישיב שליט”א החמיר שלא לבשל דגים וחלב ביחד אבל מיקל לגבי האכילה.

19 שו”ת חינוך בית יהודה (הנ”ל בשם מהר”ם מקראקא) בית לחם יהודה (הנ”ל) שו”ת אדני פז (הנ”ל) יד יהודה (הנ”ל) פמ”ג (הנ”ל) יד דוד (ס’ פ”ז ס”ק י”ד) זבחי צדק (ס’ פ”ז ס”ק י”ח) גליון מהרש“א (ס‘ קט“ז סע‘ ב‘) עצי העולה (ס‘ קט“ז ס“ק ח‘) שלחן הטהור (ס‘ קע“ג סע‘ ה‘) כף החיים (הנ”ל) שו”ת יחוה דעת (הנ”ל) ילקוט יוסף (הנ”ל), ולא כדעת הבן איש חי (הנ”ל) שמחמיר בזה גם בחמאה.

20 עיין לעיל ס”ק 9, 12, 13, 17.

21 This article was written לע”נour grandparents הרב יעקב אליעזר בן ר’ אברהם יצחק and.ר’ משה בן ר’ יעקב צבי .

וימררו את חייהם בעבודה קשה בחומר ובלבנים ובכל עבודה בשדה את כל עבודתם אשר עבדו בהם בפרך (א:יד).

“and they made the Jew’s lives bitter, with hard work, mortar and bricks….” (1:14).

The verse describes the backbreaking labor which the Egyptian tormentors subjected the Jews to. The Zohar (I:27a) makes a famous perplexing comment upon this verse. It states that each of the descriptions refers to Torah.

“They made their lives bitter with “עבודה קשה” (rough work)”, this refers to kasha (questions in the Gemara).”בחומר” , (with mortar), this is kal v’chomer (a logical deduction frequently employed throughout Gemara). “בלבנים”, (bricks) this is libun halacha (working hard to clarify the proper law). The other words refer to understanding a Breisah and Mishna (other sources frequently analyzed in the Gemara).

What is being said, and more so, what does it have to do with the work being described? Many answers have been given. I believe that a powerful message is being illustrated.

The Midrash (Beraishis Rabbah 92:1) states, “there is no one whose life is exempt from suffering; praiseworthy is one whose suffering comes from Torah!”

The Steipler Goan explains (Birchas Peretz, Meiketz) that everyone’s life has a determined amount of pain and trouble which Hashem feels is best to bestow upon him in order for his growth and development. However, this pain and suffering can be bypassed and redirected. When one learns Torah or works to control his desires and wants, his exertion can be painfully difficult. Hashem counts this “self-inflicted pain” as a fulfillment of the suffering that he would have otherwise been doomed to experience in a more mundane manner. Hence, one whose suffering comes from Torah, receives his mandatory suffering and becomes a Talmid Chochom in the process!

Rabbeinu Yonah writes (Yesod HaTeshuva), “when one forces himself to learn Torah or perform Mitzvos against his inclination not to act properly, this is called, “Yesurim Shel Ahava, suffering from love to Hashem!” Amazing words!

The tribe of Levi was exempt from the work in Egypt. They refused to come work for Pharaoh in the first place and thus remained free from work and were permitted to study and practice the Torah throughout the subjugation in Egypt. This is not entirely true! They weren’t exempt from toil! Rather, they were fulfilling that obligation through their effort and work in their daily regiment of Torah study and application!

This now beautifully explains the Zohar’s comments upon our verse! In life, one can chose, do I want to just have regular suffering and pain? Or do I want to learn Torah and do Mitzvos and have the difficult efforts count and wipe away from my time of suffering! The study and performance of the Torah has the power to remove our other troubles!

May we all merit to toil in Torah and Mitzvos and find joy and fulfillment in our daily service of Hashem!

The first two brothers ever were Kayin and Hevel. According to the Midrash, Kayin killed Hevel in an attempt to steal Hevel’s wife. Thus, Kayin was guilty and needed forgiveness for murder and adultery.

Moshe was a Gilgul of Hevel. Hevel’s sin had been that he had looked at the Shechina when Hashem came down to accept his offering. Moshe thus got forgiveness for this by turning away from viewing Hashem at the burning bush.

Yisro was a Gilgul of Kayin. Just as Kayin was a sinner, so too Yisro started off with a tendency towards evil and served all types of Avoda Zarah. However, Yisro resolved this conflict and repented by converting to Judaism!

Interestingly, because Kayin (Yisro) had killed Hevel (Moshe), the daughters of Yisro were thrown into the well to die (as a punishment for Kayin’s murder of Hevel and for adultery [which is punished with strangulation]) and Moshe himself saved them! Also, Yisro (Kayin) finally gave Moshe (Hevel) a wife (Tzippora his daughter) after stealing Hevel’s wife! This is why Yisro brought Tzippora back to Moshe and was very interested to see that they stayed married.

This is just a brief start of all that was going on…

The Baal HaTurim writes that the connection between the last pasuk of Sefer Bereishis and the first pasuk of Sefer Shemos is the tzivoi of Yosef to Bnei Yisroel, to not change their names. He said to them even though they changed my name and called me Tzafnas Panaiach you should not change your name.

There is a Midrash Tanchuma that says that there are three names that Man is called. The first is the name that HaKadosh Boruch Hu called him. The second is the name that his mother and father called him. The last is the name that he calls himself.

My understanding of this midrash is that the name that HaKadosh Boruch Hu called him is in the past tense which is coming to say that is the raw individual. The second name that is called by his parents is the attributes that were given to him at birth. The last name is the name that he calls himself, the way that he identifies himself through his freewill.

It seems that there could be a fourth name, what other call him. The name that Hashem and one’s parents call him are out of his control. The name that he calls himself is up to him to decide. For a person to accept being called a different name can be view as if he accepted it as his name in some respect. Even if he would never introduce himself that way, to respond to a name that one calls you indicates that you have made that a part of you. True, there are times where someone will mispronounce your name and you know that they are referring to you, but for Chaim to be called John, there is no mistake.

What’s so special about a name? A name is not just a word that is used in order to reference someone. A name is the essence of a person. Perhaps this is the reason why Sefer Shemos is called Shemos. The tzivoi of Yosef HaTzaddik was for Bnei Yisroel to not change their name. That is because one’s name is who you are. The nisoyon of galus is to remain Bnei Yisroel in the midst of the Umos HaOlam. Yosef HaTzaddik is the one who was able to remain standing in galus. The Klai Yukur points out that we see that Yosef HaTzaddik kept his name when he revealed himself to his brothers he said “Ani Yosef”.

There is another Baal HaTurim on this pasuk, he writes a notrikun for the pasuk. He writes:

“ר”ת ואדם אשר לומד הסדר שנים מקרא ואחד תרגום בקול נעים ישיר, יחיה שנים רבות ארוכים לעולם” (And Man should learn the order of two reading and one translation in a sweet voice it shall be sung, he will live many long years forever).

Why is the mitzvah of Shnaim Mikrah V’Echod Targum hinted in this pasuk?

The Zohar HaChadush (49a) says that galus mitzrayim was due to the chet of Mechiras Yosef. Since Yosef could not see his father’s face for 22 years each of the shevatim (that were involved in the chet) were sentenced to ten years of galus (220 years). However since the shevatim passed away in a land of impurity and that caused them great pain and anguish ten years of the total was deducted, resulting in 210 (רד”ו) years of galus.

The gemara in Nedarim tells us that really we could have had just the Torah and Sefer Yehoshuah but due to our sins the additional seforim were needed. I have heard several times from my Rebbi Rav Nochum Lansky Shlita that Lashon Arami is in between Lashon HaKodesh and Lashon Chol. It is therefore the purpose of Shneim Mikrah V’Echod Targum to take emphasize the kedushah over the chol. That is the way to withstand the challenge of galus. That is why the mitzvah of Shneim Mikrah V’Echod Targum is hinted to in the very beginning of Sefer Shemos. This chizuk is essential to being able to succeed in galus.

May our Shneim Mikrah V’Echod Targum shed light on our long galus. Help us to keep the proper ratio when approaching kedushah and chol. To never lose sight of who we are, what is our name. Remember that the there are only three names that Man is called. A name from Hashem and a name from parents. The last name is what you call yourself, not what others call you. You are in control of who you are and what your name is.

There was once a simple craftsman that lived in a small town, and he lived a simple life, through serving the town’s people with his modest services. It happened to be as simple as he was; his work was something special, everything he made, was a pure work of art. He had everything he wanted, except he was married for several years, and they still hadn’t received the blessing of children. It happened to be that the King of our craftsman’s country was seeking an expert craftsman to make the finest and biggest idol in the land, in order to create a national god, to unite his country by having everyone serve one god. The king was told of this craftsman, and sent for him to be brought before him. When the king told him what he wanted of him, the craftsman became fearful, and said to himself how can I go and make an idol for the whole country to start worshipping idols? But on the other hand how can I refuse the king, he will most probably reward me handsomely, and on the other hand if I refuse his majesty, I will surely be hung! So he said to the king that he was just a simple craftsman, and he couldn’t take upon himself such a job. The king’s reply was that he had heard about his work, and he wants him to take the job. The craftsman asked for some time to think about it, and the king agreed. Seeing no other option the craftsman went straight home, packed up his meager belongings, and fled the country with his wife. He was blessed shortly afterward with a child. It is not for us to calculate the ways of g-d, the rewards for good deeds, and the punishments for bad ones. But they say that the reason why he was blessed with a son after so many years was because he didn’t give into the whims of the king, but rather, he feared the king of kings much more. This son eventually grew up to become one of the biggest Talmudic scholars of his day, and he had a great influence on the Jewish people. Our craftsman finally had a real house.

יוכבד and מרים had a fear of פערה, but they feared ה’ much more, and allowed the boys to live. They didn’t care about the consequences of disobeying the king, which were obviously, very grave. They were rewarded for their efforts and ה’ made them houses: The כהנים, לוים, &מלכות would stem from them. If a person disregards the worldly consequences, and stands up straight and tall in order to serve his creator properly, then he will most certainly be rewarded, maybe even with a house………