‫בס“ד‬

Toronto Torah Beit Midrash Zichron Dov

Parshat Shemot 23 Tevet 5770/Jan 9, 2009 Vol. I Num.13

Be an Ish! Meir Lipschitz

Moshe‟s execution of an Egyptian, as Chumash, claims that Moshe saw that between saving this man and
portrayed in Parshat Shemot (Shemot the Jew was being beaten without just endangering the entire nation for the
2:11-12), offers us powerful lessons cause. Moshe “looked this way and future, or ignoring this man‟s suffering
in life and leadership. that” to find someone who would halt for the sake of saving the nation.
this injustice, but in corrupt Egyptian
Moshe ventured outside the palace society there would be no savior for Rav Bloch continues to explain that
to see the plight of his brethren, and this man. Realizing that no else would Moshe “saw no man” in his own
on his very first day he saw an act on the Jew‟s behalf, Moshe chose behavior; Moshe realized that he was
Egyptian beating a Jew in the field. to save the man himself. The Netziv not behaving like an ‫איש‬. The term
After looking around and seeing that suggests that this was Moshe‟s first used here is ‫איש‬. A person of
no one was there, Moshe killed the step in becoming the future leader of importance, as opposed to ‫אדם‬, an
Egyptian, saving the life of the Jew. the Jewish people. As Avot (2:6) tells average person. Moshe recognized
Why did Moshe look around? What that making a political calculation
us, ‫ ;במקום שאין איש השתדל להיות איש‬a
was he seeking? leader is one who will stand up for while watching a Jew suffering is not
what is right when no one else will. the conduct of an ‫איש‬. (This is similar
Rashi, based on several midrashim,
to the midrash which suggests that
explains that the Egyptian had Rav Eliyahu Meir Bloch offers a Moshe was chosen by HaShem
molested his Jewish victim‟s wife the similar explanation. Driven by following his act of running to rescue
previous night, but had been instinctive compassion and mercy, an apparently insignificant little
discovered and was now attempting Moshe wished to save the Jew from sheep.) An ‫איש‬, and a leader, must be
to silence his accuser. Moshe his assailant. At the same time, Moshe concerned with the needs and welfare
“looked this way and that,” meaning recognized the danger he would face of every individual and act on their
that he knew what had been done in should he kill an Egyptian taskmaster. behalf.
the tent and he now saw what was Despite having been raised in the
being down in the field. Rashi Pharaoh‟s palace, Moshe would be Moshe, faced with a Jew suffering at
continues to add that Moshe looked killed, or at least sent into exile, if he the hands of a cruel Egyptian, taught
prophetically into the future and saw killed an Egyptian. Further, Moshe us powerful lessons of morality,
that there would be no future foresaw his future role as the savior of conviction, and leadership for all
converts from this man, and so he the Jews and wished to maintain good time.
saw no obstacle to killing him. political relations with the Egyptian mlipschitz@torontotorah.com
The Netziv, in his commentary on government. Moshe “looked this way
and that,” faced with the choice
We extend our heartfelt
Parshah Questions Meir Lipschitz condolences to Itamar Zolberg, an
(Sources are provided to help the reader research answers) esteemed avreich of our Beit
Midrash, and his entire family on
 Why does HaShem appear to Moshe in fire? (Chizkuni to Shemot 3:2)
 “‫ ”ויעש להם בתים‬What were the houses? Why were they given to
the loss of his father, Aryeh
them? (Rashi, Rashbam, Chizkuni, and Netziv, to Shemot 1:21) Chanoch Ben Asher Yaakov
 Why were the midwives absent from the Jewish births? (Rashi, Rashbam, v’Miriam on 19 Tevet in Israel.
Seforno, Ohr HaChaim, Netziv, Maskil L‟Dovid, and Nachalat Yaakov to
Shemot 1:19) This week’s Toronto Torah is
 For children: How was Pharaoh‟s daughter able to reach Moshe‟s dedicated in his memory.
basket? (Rashi Shemot 2:5) ‫לעלוי נשמת‬
‫אריה חנוך בן אשר יעקב ומרים‬
mlipschitz@torontotorah.com

Yeshiva University
Center for the Jewish Future
The 24th of Tevet: Masorah Day Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner

I imagine that somewhere in the interest to the Trusts & Estates the Sadducees on a major national
bowels of Revenue Canada, office attorneys of his day and to families issue, the setting of the proper date
staff gather every January 5th or July involved in inheritance battles, but for Shavuot (Menachot 65a), but no
17th to toast the anniversary of some who else noticed this enough to special holiday was declared for that
little-known loophole-closing warrant jubilant celebration, not to victory – perhaps because that was
legislation. Perhaps ecologists mention the omission of tachanun? This the national issue of our avodah in the
similarly celebrate the day when a certainly was not the final victory of Beit haMikdash, and so our Masorah
codicil was amended to further the sages over the Sadducees, so why was never truly under threat.
protect our environment. But who does this event warrant
would ever expect Jews to celebrate a Our calendar would become far more
commemoration across the fragile later in Jewish history. In the
minor legislative achievement? Our generations?
holidays tend to mark blood-and- early 10th century, Aharon ben Meir
guts, slavery-to-freedom battles; The answer may be that with his defeat attempted to wrest control of the
Chanukah, Purim, Pesach, Shavuot, of the Sadducees in this arena, Rabban Jewish calendar‟s calculation, and the
these are major milestones! Yochanan ben Zakkai strengthened point on which he made his stand
the Masorah, the transmission of affected the date on which each
And yet, Jews of two millennia ago Jewish tradition, for each Jewish individual Jewish family would
did observe a holiday marking a family. observe Pesach and Rosh HaShanah.
minor legal victory: The 24th of Tevet. Without a central Beit haMikdash, with
As the gemara (Bava Batra 115b) Our national Masorah is a mighty rope, an exiled Jewish population, this
explains, citing Megilat Taanit, “On but it is composed of many thin would have threatened the cohesion
the 24th of Tevet we returned to threads: the relationships of millions of of our Masorah far more than the
justice, for the Sadducees said that a pairs of parents and children, of earlier calendar challenge. Therefore,
daughter should inherit equally with a teachers and students. The collective when Rabbeinu Saadia (later to
son‟s daughter. Rabban Yochanan cord is tough and resilient, but each become Rabbeinu Saadia Gaon)
ben Zakkai dealt with them, saying, individual thread is frail and triumphed over Aharon ben Meir, a
„Fools! What is your source for this?‟ vulnerable. Rabban Yochanan ben national holiday was declared – again,
And no one could answer him except Zakkai, who issued many edicts to to celebrate the cementing of our
one elder… and he defeated them, preserve Judaism, sought to defend Masorah.
and they made that day into a Yom the individual family‟s Masorah against
Tov.” [Note: A variant text assigns this the inroads of the Sadducees, and we We no longer mark the 24th of Tevet in
holiday to the 24th of Av.] celebrate his victory. any noticeable way; presumably, we
will say Tachanun this Sunday.
Certainly, Rabban Yochanan ben The personal nature of this legislation Nonetheless, we would do well to
Zakkai‟s triumph must have been of is particularly important. Rabban pause and consider Rabban Yochanan
Yochanan ben Zakkai also defeated
ben Zakkai‟s great achievement, and
the way it relates to us. What are we
doing, how are we shaping our
The 613 Mitzvot – Mitzvot 17 : household and training our children,
to ensure the solidity of our tradition?
Linking Korban Pesach and Brit Milah Will our children know the Masorah?
And, in many ways more important,
will they love it enough to pass it on to
The korban pesach symbolizes the korban pesach, even though their own children?
our rejection of Egyptian lamb- only the arel‟s father is obligated The 24th of Tevet comes along one
worship and our acceptance of to circumcise him. Maharsha month after Chanukah, another Yom
HaShem, which includes the explained that this is because the Tov marking the survival of Torah.
message HaShem taught Avraham brit milah requirement for korban The two events could not be more
and Sarah, and the brit milah pesach is not a law of brit milah at different, the 25th of Kislev a blaring,
covenant. Therefore, an arel (an all. The brit milah criterion is a glaring military victory and the 24th of
uncircumcised male) may not eat function of the korban pesach, a Tevet a relative whisper. Nonetheless,
from the korban pesach, and requirement that we confirm our each is an important occasion, each is
neither may his parents. commitment to the brit of Avraham a cementing of our Masorah. Each, in
before we may participate in our its own way, played a major role in
Interestingly, the talmudic sage national redemption. bringing us to our own day intact,
Rava (Yevamot 71b) says that an carrying our people and our Torah
arel‟s mother may not eat from torczyner@torontotorah.com forward. torczyner@torontotorah.com

2 Visit us at www.torontotorah.com
 Ha’Am V’Ha’Aretz
Rabbeinu Yom Tov Al-Asvilli (Ritva) Russell Levy Milchamiah or
Torah in Translation R‟ Yom Tov ben Avraham al-Asvilli
Menachemiah?
Shut Ritva 88: Selling a Sefer (“Ritva”) was born ca. 1250 in Seville, Which was the first moshavah
two years after the Castillan (agricultural settlement) to be
Torah and Buying Another
reconquest of the city. Al-Asvilli is established in the Jordan Valley? Who
Question: Reuven made a Sefer Torah, Arabic for The Sevillian; his family founded it, and who was the doctor who
and was not pleased with it. He then sold hailed from Seville. treated patients from the entire area?
it to make a more beautiful one, and he In his youth, R‟ Yom Tov learned in In 1900, Baron Rothschild, known as
possesses the money to do so. Is it proper Barcelona, primarily in the yeshivah HaNadiv HaYadua (“the Renowned
and permitted to invest this money to of the Ra‟ah (R‟ Aharon haLevi) and Benefactor”), decided to transfer control
increase the amount, in order to beautify the Rashba (R‟ Shlomo ben Aderet), of his moshavot to the JCA, a Jewish
the second Sefer Torah even more? both students of the Ramban (R‟ settlement association. The JCA, in turn,
appointed Chaim Margalit-Kalvarisky,
Answer: He who sold the Sefer Torah in Moshe ben Nachman, Nachmanides).
manager of the Sejera Farm, to establish
order to buy a more beautiful one acted In ca. 1280 he became a judge in the
new moshavot in the Lower Galilee.
improperly, if it was already court of Saragossa, where he resided
appropriately proofed and corrected. The until his death in ca. 1330. On 25 Kislev 5662 (December 6, 1901),
Talmud states (Megilla 27a) that one may The Ritva commanded respect in Milchamiah, a moshavah in the southern
not sell an old Torah to buy a new one; the Jewish Spain; even while his rabbanim Jordan Valley, was founded by five
Gemara inquires about doing this and were still alive, the community farmers, later joined by sixteen others.
does not answer, and so we are stringent sent halachic questions to the Ritva. Milchamiah thus became the region‟s
on this matter. He was also highly respected by the first modern Jewish settlement. In 1921,
non-Jewish government, which asked the name was changed to Menachemiah,
However, since he has already sold it, the for his opinion regarding Jewish cases after British High Commissioner Lord
coins do not have full kedusha attached to in which the secular courts were Herbert Samuel‟s father, Menachem.
them such that benefit from them would involved. Menachemiah‟s first twenty-one houses,
be forbidden [assur b’hana’ah]. They do which are arranged in two rows along a
not have the kedusha of the original Sefer R‟ Yom Tov was a prolific writer. In single street, were modeled after
Torah on them, since the Sefer Torah addition to his responsa, which he residences in local Templar settlements,
retains its kedusha, no matter where it is. collected while alive and then his son and the floor and roof tiles were
This is similar to the Talmud‟s ruling collected after his death, Ritva most imported from Marseilles, France. Each
(Megilah 26) that townsfolk who sell a famously wrote novellae on most house boasts a garden in front and an
tractates of the Talmud. Ritva‟s novalle
Torah with the permission of City Council enclosed backyard.
are still studied today. Among Ritva‟s
may use the proceeds in whatever way
students was R‟ Yosef ben Chaviv - the A security wall was built around the
they desire.
author of Nimukei Yosef – and R‟ entire moshavah, and the residents
[Generally, proceeds from the sale of a Yitzchak ben Manor. accessed their fields, which were located
Torah must be used for purchase of rlevy@torontotorah.com on the other side of the wall, via narrow
something even more elevated. In the wicket gates.
following comment, the Ritva contends that be donated until it is actually given to The founders were all family men who
this rule applies only to sale of a communal the collector. observed the Jewish traditions.
Torah.] Until an individual gives his Therefore, one who wishes to invest
A regional pharmacy was opened in
personal Sefer Torah to the shul, the that money in merchandise which will
Menachemiah just before World War I,
Torah is considered his and he is not remain in his possession may do so,
and the local doctor served the entire
required to elevate the kedusha of the so that he will be able to beautify his
area.
money above its original status. [Note: Torah under the rubric of hiddur
Today, common practice is for the mitzvah, to fulfill the verse (Shemot Menachemiah‟s quarry supplied raw
individual to retain ownership and just to 15:2), “This is my G-d and I will materials to the Nesher Cement Plant
lend Torahs to shuls, not to donate the glorify Him.” However, one may not near Haifa. Initially, employees from the
Torah outright.] Jordan Valley‟s kibbutzim worked in the
invest this money for interest and
quarry. In addition, a plaster factory
However, when this person sold his Torah such things, such that he will not have provided employment for many of
on condition to buy another one, its replacement in his domain. Menachemiah‟s residents.
some kedusha did attach to the money to Otherwise, the money might be lost
Today, Beit HaRofeh (literally, the
the extent that one cannot take it for any and he could come to negligence and
“Doctor‟s House”) is a museum
use. Nevertheless, there is no problem loss of the mitzvah. This is in dedicated to local history.
with switching the specific coins of the accordance with the Talmudic
sale with other monies. This is similar to teaching (Megillah 26b), “One should Menachemiah is located near Route 90,
someone who declares (Erchin 6a), “This not destroy one shul until he has built between the Tzemach Junction and Beit
tetradrachm [sela, 4 zuzim] is set aside for another one, out of concern for She‟an.
tzedaka”; he may change which coin will negligence.” Adapted from an article published by
rlevy@torontotorah.com Torah miTzion

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Shiur in Review: What is a Maskil? Rabbi Azarya Berzon

The Gemara (Kiddushin 29b)
addresses the following question:
Whose Torah education takes
precedence, the father‟s or the son‟s?
The conclusion of the sugya is that the
father‟s Torah comes first, unless the
son‟s capabilities surpass that of the
father.
2.
The Rambam (Hilchot Talmud Torah
1:4) writes: If the father desires to
study Torah and he has a son to study,
the father comes first; but if the son
is navon u’maskil in his
comprehension of the Torah beyond
that of the father, then the son takes
precedence.
What does the Rambam mean
by navon u’maskil ? The
word navon indicates intellectual
grasp of the subject matter, but
apparently it is not sufficient to
establish the son‟s superiority
regarding Torah study based solely on
the intellectual comprehension of the
Torah. A second characteristic is
necessary, i.e. that the son is also
“maskil”. What does the
3.
term maskil mean? We would like to
suggest five possibilities:
1. The word maskil appears
in Tihilim (119: 99): “I have
been maskil from all those who
h a v e t a u g h t m e . ”
Thus maskil indicates the ability to
learn from others. The Mishnah
(Avot 4:1) states, “Who is a wise
man, he who learns from every
man.” The son may surpass his
father in his grasp of the subject
matter, but success in Torah
learning requires the eagerness
and the ability of the student to
learn from others.
Elsewhere (Daniel 11:33), the
word maskil indicates the ability to
teach. Our Rebbe told us that
many years ago, in the city of
Brisk, the issue we are addressing
arose and the father was just as
bright as his son. When the case
came before Reb Chaim, the Rav
of Brisk, he ruled that the son
comes first. When asked to explain
his psak, Reb Chaim declared, “I
know that the ability of the son to
transmit the Torah is greater than
that of the father.” We learn from
this that Torah study means more
than acquiring knowledge (navon);
it is essential to teach one‟s Torah
to others (maskil).
In Yirmiyahu (89:23), the
word maskil indicates knowledge
of G-d. Torah is fundamentally
different from other bodies of
knowledge. Intellectual
satisfaction is not sufficient; the
Torah student must strive to reveal
the giver of the Torah.
T he ma skil is o ne who se
understanding of the Torah
extends beyond the surface level;
his in-depth study of the wisdom of
the Torah gives him a knowledge of
HaShem, whom one can know
through His Wisdom.
4. In Bereishit (48:14) the
word maskil means the ability to
implement one‟s goal in the most
proficient manner. Many study
Torah and Halacha and grasp its
abstract concepts, but few are able
to apply this wisdom to real-life
situations. Only the maskil is
capable of bringing Torah
knowledge into the real world and
revealing the way one must live his
life on a daily basis.
Finally, the term maskil is used to
describe Chavah‟s attraction to the Eitz
HaDa’at, her ability to perceive its
special quality (Bereishit
3:6). Maskil means not the sight of the
eyes but the insight of the heart, the
unique ability to discern the difference
between two similar objects or ideas. In
Torah study this capacity is crucial.
Fundamental to success in Torah study
is the ability to compare and contrast, to
define and classify, and to bring to light
the special nature of each Torah
concept. This is maskil.
R’ Berzon delivers two shiurim on
Kiddushin weekly, each on a different
chapter. At Mizrachi Bayit, the shiur is
one our before Minchah on Shabbat. At
Shaarei Shomayim, it is 9PM on Sunday
nights. aberzon@torontotorah.com

Schedule for the Week of Jan 9, 23 Tevet

Shabbat, January 9
7:50AM R‟ Azarya Berzon: Ramban on the Torah, Or Chaim
Following Hashkama R‟ Azarya Berzon, Clanton Park
Following Family Minyan: R‟ Mordechai Torczyner: Mini-Shiur for
Parents and Children, The Sneh, BAYT
One Hour Before Mincha: R‟ Azarya Berzon, Masechet Kiddushin in
Depth, Mizrachi Bayit
Sunday, January 10
8:00AM Community Beit Midrash at BAYT: Galut and Geulah
9:00PM R‟ Azarya Berzon: Masechet Kiddushin in-depth, Shaarei
Shomayim
Monday, January 11
8:30PM R‟ Azarya Berzon: Rambam‟s Hilchot Talmud Torah, Clanton Park
Men
Tuesday, January 12
11:00AM R‟ Azarya Berzon: Masechet Sukkah (Advanced), Clanton Park
Men
1:30PM R‟ Mordechai Torczyner: Trei Asar-The Twelve Prophets,
Shaarei Shomayim Women, with Mekorot Cancelled this week
8:00PM Speaker TBD: Shiur in Parsha, Westmount Men and Women
8:30PM R‟ Mordechai Torczyner: Minchat Chinuch, Clanton Park Men
Cancelled this week
Wednesday, January 13
11:00AM R‟ Mordechai Torczyner, Weekly Torah Class, 239 Franklin,
Babysitting provided Women Cancelled this week
7:30PM Meir Lipschitz, Machshava, Kehillat Shaarei Torah Men and
Women
8:45PM R‟ Mordechai Torczyner: Tzibburology, BAYT Men and
Women
Thursday, January 14
11:00AM R‟ Azarya Berzon: Masechet Sukkah (Advanced), Clanton
Park Men
3:40PM R‟ Azarya Berzon: Hilchot Muktzah (Advanced), Clanton Park
Men
7:00PM R‟ Azarya Berzon: Shiur for Fathers at Or Chaim
8:00PM Netanel Javasky: Halachah and 21st Century Medicine, B‟nai
Torah Men and Women
8:30PM R‟ Azarya Berzon: Machshavah and Life Issues, Clanton Park
Men
Sunday, January 17
8:00AM Community Beit Midrash at Bnai Torah
8:45AM R‟ Mordechai Torczyner: Writing on Shabbat III (Medical
shiur), BAYT Men and Women

4 We would like to thank koshertube.com for filming our shiurim! Visit us at www.torontotorah.com