After 1500 years, an index for the Talmud

Check out this great article about a lawyer who just wrote his own index to the Talmud: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/28/nyregion/an-index-for-the-talmud-after-1500-years.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Are Any Made out of Clay?

Check this out - as extensive a dreidel collection as I can imagine.

Bye-Bye Birdie

In honor of the Ma'ayanot musical production of Bye-Bye Birdie, here is a review of the laws of שילוח הקן.  Hope everyone enjoyed the show.

Jealousy & Hatred - or the Other Way Around

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One more question on Vayeshev before we move forward:  I found it surprising that as Yosef was getting the כתונת פסים and relaying his dreams to his brothers the Torah tells us repeatedly that they hated him and hated him more and more.  Only at the end of the story, after he is rebuked by Yaakov does it say that the brothers were jealous of him.  Wouldn't you think that the emotions would go in the reverse, that jealousy would lead to the hatred?  Any thoughts?  Guidance team?

My Brothers do I Seek

One of the enduring questions which arises when learning about Yosef’s sale to Mitzrayim, and his rise to power within the Egyptian government, is his lack of communication with his father. Why didn’t he use his position and considerable influence to contact his father at all during the 22 years they were separated? Would it have been too much to let him know that he was alive and well? How hard would it have been for Yosef to send a messenger with the good news to his father, after all, weren’t there caravans and merchants travelling back and forth between Mitzrayim and Cana’an all the time?

Rav Yoel Bin-Nun offers a well-known, and somewhat controversial, response to this problem, http://www.vbm-torah.org/parsha.61/11vayiga.htm. He suggests that the reason Yosef did not reach out to his father was because he genuinely thought that his father was in on it with his brothers and that Yaakov gave the go ahead to have him exiled. Yosef had no idea that his brothers dipped his coat in blood and lied to their father about it; after all, how could he have known? As a result, he reached the only conclusion that made any sense to him- my father hates me too! All those years that Yaakov presumed Yosef was dead, suggests Rav Bin-Nun, Yosef was wondering why his father had not contacted him. (Readers might be interested in reading Rav Ya’akov Medan’s critique of Rav Bin-Nun’s thesis here, http://www.vbm-torah.org/parsha.61/12vayechi.htm).

If Yosef’s brothers were able to convince their father to exile Yosef, it wouldn’t have been the first time a member of his family had done such a thing, and Yosef knew that. After all, didn’t Sarah convince Avraham to get rid of Yishmael? Didn’t Rivka force Yitzchak’s hand into choosing Yaakov over Eisav? They all acted l’sheim shomayim thought Yosef- What if Leah and my brothers convinced my father that getting rid of me was also the right thing to do?

Perhaps the strongest argument for this hypothesis, argues Rav Bin-Nun, is the fact that Yaakov sent Yosef to check up (spy) on his brothers in Shechem. Why would Yaakov do such a thing? Didn’t he know that the brothers would not take kindly to Yosef checking up on them? Whatever one’s feeling is about Rav Bin-Nun’s supposition, if you look at the beginning of this week’s parsha you have to admit that Yaakov’s behavior is difficult to explain: Yaakov sends Yosef to Shechem on the pretext that his brothers needed to be watched over, (37:12-14 and Rashi on 37:12). We are told that Yosef ‘s brothers hated him (37:4,8), that they were jealous of him (37:11), and that he had a habit of reporting on their indiscretions to their father (37:2). What good could Yaakov possibly have thought would come from sending Yosef? Did Yaakov send Yosef because he wanted there to be a confrontation between Yosef and his brothers?

It is interesting to note, that in possuk 37:2, we are told that Yosef would bring evil reports back to his father about his brothers and then immediately following this, in 37:3, it say “ ‘v’Yisrael,’ And Yisrael loved Yosef more than all his sons since he was his ben-zekunim…” The word “v’Yisrael” implies that there might be a connection between Yaakov’s love for Yosef and the evil reports he brought back to his father. But why would this be? Was it perhaps for the same reason he sent him to look after them in the pasture on that fateful day?

Raw Vayeshev Thoughts

Today at Parsha Club we discussed a couple of semi-isolated points that I'm hoping will one day become the building blocks of an actual idea, but I'll share them here & see if any of you can help put together the puzzle.

• Note that Yosef's dreams are actually the two ends of his father Yaakov's dream - or that Yaakov's ladder is the bridge between Yosef's two dreams - one about the land and the other about the sky.  In a bizarre twist, about 12 hours after I shared this with my chavruta trying to pick his brain on the subject, he e-mailed me this article by Rabbi Schachter which quoted Rav Aharon Soloveitchik pointing this out and defending his brother, the Rav.  Baruch shkivanti, at least a bit.
• The two dreams also seem to almost parallel the metaphors that Hashem used to promise Avraham that he would grow to be a great nation - as numerous as the sand and the stars.  Again we see the ground and the constellation, but sand is not grain and Yosef's dream expanded to include the sun and moon too.
• Chani Dubin had an interesting and promising thought.  The original vision of the sand and stars were an egalitarian model - almost Korach-esque - of כל העדה כולם קדושים.  Yosef's dreams, in the first generation where this actually became relevant with multiple members of the covenant, illustrates that among the people there needs to be leadership.  This is a chiddush to the brothers, and a potentially offensive one.  Until now they may have thought that they would live as a nation of equals.  If so the dreams set off the chain of events where the brothers vying for the leadership they now know is out there make mistakes that end up doing great damage to themselves and others.
• This wouldn't explain the shift from sand to wheat, except for the logistical problem of having stalks of grain bow.
• My preliminary thought is a lot less ambitious.  Maybe Yosef's dreams took the general symbols of the previous ברכות and transformed them from empty symbolic objects like sand and stars into items of great practical utility like food (wheat), heat and light (the sun).  This ability to draw productivity from what had been mere theory or art is what has everyone else bowing to him.

I know that there isn't much here yet, but that's where you come in.  Thoughts?

A Real Kiddush Hashem

Check this out in the NYT.

Mishmover Schedule

5:30-6:15:        Choice of Vayishlach Shiur:

-A Chasidic Perspective with Rabbi Prince (BK)

-“Everything is Dust in the Wind”

                        -A Modern Approach with Rabbi Besser (MPR)

                                    -“What’s Wrong with Reuven? What’s the Deal with Dina?”

6:15-6:45:        Dinner (MPR)

6:45-8:00:      Challah Making & a Shiur on Hafrashat Challah with Mrs. Schiowitz (MPR)

7:15-7:45:        Chesed Project (MPR-While the dough rises)     

8:00-9:00:      Shiur with Rabbi Eitan Mayer (Menahel Chinuchi, Midreshet Moriah) (BK)  - “Is the Oral Torah Really From Sinai?”

OR:

8:00-9:00:      Material Girls:  An Interactive Demonstration on Sha’atnez

-with Josh Rossman (MPR)

9:00-10:00:     Panel Q&A Discussion with Rabbi Blanchard, Rabbi Cohen, Mrs. Kahan, Rabbi Marder,Rabbi Schiowitz & Rabbi Wolff (BK)

10:00-10:45:    Semi-Formal Schmoozes:

            -Being and Becoming a Yoetzet Halacha            

-With Mrs. Samuels  (MPR-couches)

-If Israel is so Important, What are we Doing Here?

–With Ms. Gordon & Mrs. Cohen (107)

            -The Gilad Shalit Deal

                        -With Rabbi Prince & Rabbi Goldstein (BK)

            -Being Modern Orthodox: Not as Easy as it Looks

                        -With Rabbi Besser (Beit Midrash)

10:45-11:00:     Ice Cream Party – (MPR)

11:00-12:00:     Senior Chaburot – Titles to come

12:00-1:00:      Ms. F’s Famous Midnight Shiur (127)

1:00:    Getting Ready for Bed

            -Allison Alt’s Skype Shiur: Live From the Holy Land (127)

            -Hockey

2:00:    Layla Tov - Curfew

Making Us Proud

A member of the Maayanot family is featured in the Yeshiva University alumni newsletter.  It's a nice write-up, yasher koach.

Parsha Questions - Vayishlach

This Parsha is so packed it's hard to know where to start.

• Take a look at the dialogue between Yaakov and Esav.  What word they seem to be negotiating over?  How does Rashi translate that word?  Is that how you would have translated it?  What happens to that word in the end of the story?  Is that possible?
• The story of Yaakov and Esav's encounter is famously used as a model for dealing with the non-Jewish world in any formal capacity.  Jewish leaders who would go deal with the government or other powerful individuals would review this passage.  In fact, there is a custom to read it every מוצאי שבת to help us deal with the cold reality of חול.  Is this entire line of tradition still relevant in modern day America?  Is there an עשו in our lives?
• The גמרא says that anyone who claims that ראובן sinned is a טועה - mistaken.  This implies that he did not do what the פסוק says he did (וישכב ראובן את בלהה פלגש אביו).  If so, why does the Torah say that he did?

Just Kidding!

So remember when we said that Mishmover was being postponed for reasons of Awesomeness Maximization?  Well, it's not.  We determined that the way to truly maximize its awesomeness is to keep it where it was, December 8 - one week from tonight!  So start get excited now, and bring in the money for the PJ flannels.

Parsha Questions - Vayetze

Sorry so late:

• The well scene with Yaakov and Rachel is telling.  
• First, it is a prime example of the general rule that in the Torah, our heroes are strong and our heroines are beautiful.  Why is that?  Aren't we supposed to focus on the internal?
• Also, note the reversal from Rivka's scene, where she diligently serves not only Eliezer but his camels.  Over here, Yaakov not only serves Rachel and her sheep, but provides a service to the rest of the shepards as well.
• This is a great example of the necessity of תורה שבעל פה.  In a sefer Torah, which has no nekudot, the fascinating if difficult to understand kiss between Yaakov and Rachel could be nothing more than him serving her water (וישק).
• The מלאכים that appear for the first time in Yaakov's dream, are a turn to the supernatural which is somewhat unusual, though not totally unheard of, for ספר בראשית.  Note that they seem to resurface a few more times - at the end of the parsha (32:2) and into the beginning of וישלח, and are referenced famously in Yaakov's ברכה to מנשה and אפרים.  Why did Yaakov need / merit this miraculous protection more than Avraham or Yitzchak?  When does Hashem protect us directly and when does he use an angelic intermediary?

29th of November

Here's a great video about the significance of the 29th of November. Enjoy!



Another fun fact - in Israel, this day is considered so important in Zionist history that there are streets named after it - like this one in Katamon:

Thanksgiving and Torah Values

In the NY Times Health section yesterday, there was an interesting article about how gratitude actually makes people healthier, how exactly to define gratitude, and strategies for cultivating "an attitude of gratitude" (including religion). A lot of what the article says is in line with classical Torah values as expressed in ma'amarei Chazal. Check out the article. What do you think?

Means and Ends

To me, one of the most inspiring things about our Torah is that it does not hide the flaws of its heroes. Quite the contrary: it seems to emphasize them. What is so inspiring is that these flawed humans are our heroes, our role models and our tzadikkim not only in spite of their flaws, but perhaps even because of them. We cannot use the excuse, "I'm only human! What does Hashem expect of me?" We are only human, we make mistakes. But that doesn't exempt us from aspiring to being like our Avot and Imahot. They too were human. If they could be tzadikim, then what is our excuse?

In Parashat Toldot, we find two episodes that are very troubling on many levels: Ya'akov's obtaining of his b'chorah from Eisav and his obtaining the brachah of the b'chor from Yitzchak. The former seems to involve some level of inappropriate pressure, while the latter seems to involve deception.

In the case of the b'chorah sale, I have always wondered more about Eisav and the omniscient narrator (Hashem as author) than about Ya'akov. Eisav comes in from the field and says to Ya'akov:"Hal'iteini na min ha'adom ha'adom hazeh ki ayeif anochi," and then the Torah states, "al kein kara shmo Edom."

Here are some questions for thought and discussion:

1. The word "na" seems out of character for Eisav. Eisav is an "ish sadeh"; this means not only literally an "outdoors" kind of person, but someone who is very rough, without the polish and manners of someone who is like Ya'akov "ish tam". He is more likely to demand than to say, more likely to declare "Gimme! Now!" than "Please ladle out for me." It is this character inconsistency that leads some to understand the word "na" as "raw" (another translation) and to say that Eisav was so uncouth that he would rather eat raw soup than wait until it's ready. But what if Eisav really did say "Please"? How does this affect our perspective of him?

2. Why does Eisav repeat the word "ha'adom"? Eisav is saying "Give me (please?) that soup that soup." What is it about "ha'adom" that requires emphasis by the text? Is it just that he's very very hungry, or is there something more significant about the repetition?

3. When Eisav is born it states: "Va'yeitzei harishon admoni, kulo k'aderet sei'ar"--he is identified as red from the moment of his birth. Why is he called "Edom" because of his request for soup rather than because of his coloring? In addition, why is Eisav so connected with the color red?

4. Finally, I will refer to a shiur that I once heard fom Dr. Aviva Zornberg, a very noted Tanach scholar. She asserted that what we learn from Ya'akov (and Yoseif) is that sometimes it IS okay to lie. (You have to be at the level of Ya'akov to know WHEN.) What do you think--do the ends (fulfilling a nevu'ah, fulfilling the legacy of Avraham) ever justify the means (deception)?

Happy thinking and discussing!

Shabbat Shalom!

Mrs. Leah Herzog

Is Turkey Kosher?

Here, Rabbi Ari Z. Zivotofsky (who many of you remember from the article of his that we read about Women and zimun in halacha class) explains the surprising story of the kashrut of turkey.

Is Thanksgiving Kosher?

My Gemara class today raised the question of Jews celebrating Thanksgiving.  It is in fact a real halachik issue with varying opinions.  See here for a comprehensive article on the subject by Rabbi Michael Broyde on the subject.  His summary of the approaches (kudos to Rachel Olshin who told the class about the Rav's practice of ending shiur early).

In sum, three premier authorities of the previous generation have taken three conflicting views.
Rabbi Hutner perceived Thanksgiving as a Gentile holiday, and thus prohibited any involvement in the holiday. Rabbi Soloveitchik permitted the celebration of Thanksgiving and permitted eating turkey on that day. He ruled that Thanksgiving was not a religious holiday, and saw no problem with its celebration. Rabbi Feinstein adopted a middle ground. He maintained that Thanksgiving was not a religious holiday; but nonetheless thought that there were problems associated with "celebrating" any secular holiday. Thus, while he appears to have permitted eating turkey on that day, he would discourage any annual "celebration" ⁽⁵⁰⁾ that would be festival-like.

 In the end, Rabbi Broyde himself concludes that:

This article has so far avoided any discussion of normative halacha. Such cannot, however, be avoided, at least in a conclusion. It is my opinion that this article clearly establishes that: (1) Thanksgiving is a secular holiday with secular origins; (2) while some people celebrate Thanksgiving with religious rituals, the vast majority of Americans do not; (3) halacha permits one to celebrate secular holidays, so long as one avoids doing so with people who celebrate them through religious worship and (4) so long as one avoids giving the celebration of Thanksgiving the appearance of a religious rite (either by occasionally missing a year or in some other manner making it clear that this is not a religious duty) the technical problems raised by Rabbi Feinstein and others are inapplicable.  Thus, halacha law permits one to have a private Thanksgiving celebration with one's Jewish or secular friends and family. For reasons related to citizenship and the gratitude we feel towards the United States government, I would even suggest that such conduct is wise and proper.  It has been recounted that some marking of Thanksgiving day was the practice of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, thus adding force to our custom of noting the day in some manner.  Elsewhere in this article it is recounted that Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik would reschedule shiur on Thanksgiving day, so that shiur started earlier, and ended earlier, allowing the celebration of Thanksgiving. It is important to note the Torah study was not canceled, or even curtailed. Rather, the day was rearranged to allow for a full compliment of Torah, hand in hand with the requisite "civil celebrations." That too is an important lesson in how we should mark Thanksgiving.
Torah learning must be an integral part of what we do, and how we function. Sometimes, because of the needs of the times or our duties as citizens, we undertake tasks that appear to conflict with our need to study and learn Torah. But yet we must continue to learn and study. Thus, Rabbi Soloveitchik did not cancel shiur on Thanksgiving. We, too, should not forget that lesson. Torah study must go on.

 With that lesson in mind, I encourage you all to join us for Black Friday Shiur, this Friday.  אנו משכימים והם משכימים...

Parsha Questions - Chaye Sara

• At Mishmar last week, Mrs. Kahan discussed the Rashi in this week's Parsha quoting the Midrash that the reason the death of Sara is adjacent to the akeida (even though it really isn't) is because after the Satan told her the news of Avraham offering Yitzchak as a korban, her soul "flew away" and she died.  We saw many versions of the story in different Midrashim with fascinating differences.  At the end of the evening, we started debating how Sara would have reacted had she been the one to be commanded to sacrifice Yitzchak.  I thought that she would have done it, but we were pretty evenly split.  What do you think?
• See here for a post on my favorite biblical character who's not actually biblical.  I think she's fascinating and ripe for historical fiction (and I still think the name is cool).
• Chazal note the extended retelling of Eliezer's story in such great detail and comment that "יפה שיחתן של עבדי אבות מתורתן של בנים" - that the idle chatter of the servants of our forefathers is more precious than the teachings of their children.  What on Earth does that mean?
• We see that Rivka is given the choice whether to go with Eliezer and marry Yitzchak or not, and she chooses to go, despite never having met Yitzchak.  What do you think went into her decision making process (let's assume just for the sake of discussion that she wasn't a toddler).
• Finally, when she does get to meet Yitzchak he is waiting out in the field when she and Eliezer return because Yitzchak had gone "לשוח בשדה" - to converse in the field.  Chazal take this phrase to refer to Tefila, and assert that this is when he founded תפילת מנחה.  Can you think of any connections between מנחה and יצחק?

Lots to think about and react to this week - let's try to include some non-verbal feedback this week.

Sneak Preview - From the Stream

This week's Dvar Torah:

Let us start off with a number of questions.

·                                אברהם found out that he and שרה were going to have יצחק at the end of לך לך.  Yet, three days later, the מלאכים came to tell him the exact same news with שרה overhearing?  Why was it necessary for Hashem to tell either of them, let alone twice, of יצחק's pending arrival?  Why couldn't they find out the way that everyone else does?

·                                If שרה's נבואה was greater than אברהם's, why was he told directly by Hashem & she through a מלאך (who wasn't even talking to her!)?

·                                Why did Hashem reprimand שרה for her laughter, when אברהם also laughed when he was told they would have יצחק?  Rashi (based on תרגום אונקלוס) explain that the laughter of אברהם expressed joy, while שרה’s was cynical and doubtful, but why would that be?  And even if it were true, אברהם heard the נבואה from Hashem.  שרה heard the rantings of three Arabic nomads.  Why would she be expected to take it seriously?

·                                שרה’s reaction is completely irrational.  רש"י (יח:ח) tells us that  the bread that she prepared was never served because “פירסה נדה” at the age of 89.  With theנס  process already in motion, why would her reaction be so skeptical?  Once her body was miraculously rejuvenated, is ואדני זקן that much more of an obstacle?

It is well known that each of the אבות and אמהות embodying a certain מידה, which means not merely a good quality that they had, but a theological approach as to the proper way to serve Hashem.  When we say that אברהם was an איש חסד, it means that he was active, externally focused in his עבודת ד'.  Perhaps it also refers to a degree of spiritual optimism.  We know that שרה personified גבורה (like her son יצחק).  Maybe that implies the reverse.  Based on the story in the Midrash, an early if not initial exposure to G-d (or at least His supernatural miracles) for both אברהם and שרה was the story of the כבשן האש.  אברהם stood up for Hashem and was miraculously saved, שרה watched her father הרן do the same, and be burnt alive.  Maybe this helped foster within each of them differing approaches to נס.  To אברהם, anything was possible.  When faced with a seeming contradiction – G-d’s promise that he would be the father of a great nation and his childlessness into old age, or even the same promise against the commandment to sacrifice יצחק – he knew that his is not to reason why, and that Hashem can make it right in the end.  שרה on the other hand dealt with the practical, and was emotionally reluctant to rely on נסים.  Therefore, when her child-bearing years passed with no children, she assumed that the ברכה would be fulfilled through ישמעאל, but never dreamt that she  would still be destined to be the mother of this nation. 

This is not a value judgment.  שרה’s approach was not necessarily worse than אברהם’s, in fact sometimes her spiritual pessimism was proper.  When ישמעאל was not turning out as planned, אברהם could only see his potential.  It was שרה and her pragmatism that correctly recognized him באשר הוא שם – as he was – and Hashem explicitly told אברהם to concede to her superior judgment. 

A נסיון (test) is designed to test the subject in his potential area of weakness. Of course had שרה received the news of יצחק’s impending birth in the same way as אברהם she would have reacted as he did.  Perhaps שרה’s נסיון was to recognize the possibility of נס.  True, she heard the news from less than reliable sources, and had no obligation to believe it.  But what Hashem did expect was that she not dismiss it out of hand.  “היפלא מד'  דבר” ?  Hashem’s words of rebuke explain שרה’s misstep.  By cynically ruling out a miraculous conclusion to her story, שרה falls short of G-d’s expectation.  This is not to say that שרה was a spiritual failure or any less than the אם ישראל we know her to be.  Yet, the תורה is clear that Hashem is upset with her, so our job is to figure out why.  The above may be a step in that pursuit.