Pirkei Avos

Truth and justice

portance of the pursuit of truth, and so needed a Rav who would not be swayed in favour of . anyone, even the president of the shul.

The Hasmonean High School Weekly Sedra Sheet

21st Kislev 17th December 2011
Dvar Torah

Living Torah
An endless battle

, . , In addition to this, the Sfas Emes explains an ; , other important message in the Mishna; not . , acting as a lawyer means that one should not

Issue No: 388 Shabbos Out: 16:51

assist people in justifying their wrongdoings. He suggests that this is precisely the relationship we need to have with Hashem. As the omniscient Master of the Universe, He knows exactly what a person does and why he does it. Therefore, it makes much more sense to confess to our sins and start the process of Teshuva, rather than try and explain away ones misdeeds. Indeed, this is precisely what the Yetzer Horah tries to persuade one to do. Rather, one must Within this apparently simple Mishna are a num- take responsibility for his actions because, ultiber of highly important messages to be found. mately, as Shakespeare once wrote, truth will Firstly, it teaches us that a judge must always out. be impartial in his quest to find the truth in the case. Furthermore, the Maharal explains that Advertisement both parties come to court with the belief that they are correct. Therefore, both parties are considered innocent or righteous, (as the Maharals text reads) when they leave, because it takes a true Tzaddik to accept a judgement, whether for or against him, as true and just.

"Yehuda ben Tabbai and Shimon ben Shatach received the transmission from them [the previous generation of Tzaddikim. Yehuda ben Tabbai said: Do not act as an adviser among the judges. When the litigants are standing before you they should be in your eyes as guilty. When they are dismissed from before you they should be in your eyes as innocent, provided they have accepted the decision."

At the beginning of this week's Parsha, Yaakov wishes to rest and retire. Yaakov thought that he had successfully met all his challenges: He had spent twenty years with his conniving father-in-law and had not been affected. He had avoided a violent reunion with his brother Esav. He had fought with an angel, and, although his leg was wounded, he came away with a Beracha. His daughter Dina was rescued from her kidnappers, and although Levi and Shimon had wiped out Shechem nobody took revenge on Yaakov's family.

Rabbi Kotler tried to persuade Bunim to break his fast. "Bunim" he explained, "You cannot fast now. You need your strength for the meeting." But Irving Bunim refused to eat. He was sure that he could hold out until the evening when the fast ended.

A story is told of a young Rabbi appointed as Rav of Baron Rothchilds community. On his second day of the job, he found himself judging a court case between the Baron and a very poor community member. Despite Rothchilds masterly arguments, and the fact he was the president of the community, the Rabbi apologised and said he had no choice but the rule in favour of the poor man. Rothchild smiled and shook the Rabbis hand; This is the kind of Rabbi I want! he explained. He understood the imThe editorial team apologise for the errors in the second Dvar Torah of last week's edition. The Living Torah will return on .

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The meeting was intense. Rabbi Kotler cried, cajoled, and begged the official to respond. Finally, the great rabbi felt that he had impressed upon the man the severity of the situation. The man gave his commitment that he would talk to the President. When they left The Midrash (cited by Rashi on Bereishit 37:1) the meeting, Bunim was exhausted. He mentells us that now Yaakov just wanted to take tioned to Rav Kotler that he thought the it easy. The Midrash then says that Hashem meeting went well and now he would like to disapproves when Tzaddikim rest in this eat. Rav Kotler was quick to reply. "With world. Since they will be able to rest and en- Hashem's help it will be good. And Bunim," he joy Olam Habah, they should not slack off in added, "Now you can fast!" Yaakov wanted to Olam Hazeh. Hashem therefore caused Yosef rest, but Hashem knows that there is no real to be sold into slavery, and Yaakov endured rest in this world. As soon as you finish one twenty-two more years of agony while Yosef conflict, another one pops right up to take its was missing. This begs the question: Why it is place. so horrible for Yaakov to want to live some part of his life in peace; did he not deserve it? This Shabbos is also Shabbos Chanukah. The word Chanukah means "they rested on the Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky relates the fol25th [of Kislev]." However, the Chashmonaim lowing story: On the fast day of the Tenth of did not really rest. Although they rested from Tevet during the height of World War II, Rab- physical battle, much work remained to rebi Aharon Kotler took the well-known activist store the Bait Hamikdash to its former splenIrving Bunim on a train trip to Washington. dor. They engaged in a spiritual battle to resThe war in Europe was raging, Jews were cue the Jews from the Hellenist culture surbeing exterminated, and the two had to see a rounding them. Indeed, this battle is still behigh-ranking Washington official to plead with ing waged. The Chanukiah that we light symhim in every possible way to save the Jewish bolizes that we won the battle, but the war is People. On the way down to Washington, far from over.

Story

Dvar Torah

The trap
Rabbi Yechezkel Landau, the famed author of Nodah B'Yhudah, served as the rabbi of Prague from 1754 to 1793. Once, a group of scholars who wished to contest his rabbinic qualifications presented him with a series of questions in Torah law. These fictitious "cases" were carefully constructed to be as complex and as misleading as possible, so as to ensnare the rabbi in their logical traps and embarrass him with an incorrect ruling. is it that the finite and error-prone intellect is authorized to decide such Divine absolutes?

Where is a person safer?

In this parsha, we see the famous story regarding the sale of Yosef. At the beginning of this story, Reuven suggests that him and the brothers should throw Yosef into a pit of snakes and scorpions (Rashi). Halachah says that whoever sees a man in a pit where there are snakes and scorpions, they may testify that the man is dead. Therefore, the mans wife is able to remarry. This gives us a slightly depper understanding of Yosefs situation. befalls an individual is in Hashems hand. Hashem has certain rules which we can understand if we study our sources and our history.

"But the Torah itself instructs that 'the Torah is not in heaven' but has been given to man to study and comprehend; and that whenever a question or issue of Torah law is raised, it is the human being, employing his finite knowledge and judgment, who must render a ruling. In other words, when a person puts aside all considerations of self and totally surRabbi Yechezkel succeeded in resolving all the renders his mind to serve the Torah, Hashem questions correctly -- all, that is, but one. Im- guarantees that the result would be utterly mediately his detractors pounced on him, consistent with His will. showing how his verdict contradicts a certain principle of Torah law. "However," concluded Rabbi Yechezkel, "this 'guarantee' only applies to actual events, Said Rabbi Yechezkel: "I am certain that this when a rabbi is called upon to determine what case is not actually relevant, and that you it is that Hashem desires to be done under a have invented it in order to embarrass me!" given set of circumstances; but not if his personal honour is the only issue at hand. Had "How do I know?" the rabbi continued. you presented me with a relevant question, I "Because I know that G-d's Torah is true. You know that I would not have erred, since I apsee, whenever a human being is called upon proached the matter with no interest or moto decide a matter of Torah law, we are faced tive other than to serve to will of Hashem. But with a paradox: how can the human mind since your case was merely a hypothetical possibly determine what is G-d's will? The question designed to mislead me, my mind laws of Torah are the wisdom and will of G-d was just like every other mind, great and and the most basic laws of reality, preceding small alike -- imperfect and manipulatable." and superseding even the laws of nature. How

Explains the Gemara as follows: The reason why Yehudas actions were not praiseworthy was because he could have left Yosef in the pit, and he would not have died (because our physical safety is in the hand of G-d.). Yet he took Yosef out and sold him. This action was worse than Reuvens because even After this event, on the advice of Yehuda, though Reuven threw Yosef into the pit, he Yosef was pulled out of the pit and sold. He would have survived. Yet Yehuda took him ended up in Egypt. out and sold him, which was worse. Rav Chaim Volozhiner ends by saying that A man Naturally, we would think that Reuvens action is safer in a pit filled with snakes and scorpiwas the murderous one, whilst Yehudas one ons in Eretz Yisrael, than in the places of was the action that saved Yosefs life. Yet the Chutz laAretz. Torah praises Reuven for his worthy intention! The Gemara goes one step further and says Rav Moshe Licthman gives another, powerful, that whoever blesses Yehudamerely blasquote from Rav Chaim Volozhiners answer. phemes (Sanhedrin 6). He quotes the Rav and says, When a Jew is in his Land, his situation is more secure, even Rav Chaim Volozhiner explains this paradox if he is surrounded by snakes and scorpions by saying the following: A man is safer in a pit In the Diaspora, however, even if a Jew is filled with scorpions and snakes in Israel, than occasionally privileged to rise to greatness, in the opulent places in a foreign land. nonetheless, he is closer to death than to Many of us refuse to look past the top layer of life. reality. We may be ready to admit that our spiritual wellbeing is the function of factors not perceived by the naked-eye. Based on a Dvar Torah by Rabbi Moshe Licthman. Rav Chaim Volozhiner explains that the message that we can find is that even though we think that our physical safety is determined by the evidence of our senses, everything that

Gematria of the Week:

In this weeks Parsha we find the birth of Peretz, the son of Yehudah, the Great (x6) Grandfather of Dovid Hamelech. The Baal Haturim say that if you take the word and transform it through ( " "Where an Aleph changes for a Tof, a Beis to a Shin.) you get the letters which have the Gematria of .

Riddle of the Week:

There will be a new riddle when the Living Torah returns on .

Answer to Last Weeks Riddle:

When is a person punished with 500 malkos after eating less than a kezayis of something forbidden?
One who eats 100 tiny ants whose combined size is less than a k'zayis. Every ant is a living creature and prohibited to eaten; thus, the consumption of each ant obligates one with five malkos. As such, one who eats one hundred ants is punished with five hundred malkos, even if their combined size is less than a k'zayis.