Parshat Emor By: Moshe Goodman

Parshat Emor

By: Moshe Goodman, Kollel Or Shlomo, Hebron                                                                                                                                                                                                   בס״ד

 לשכנו תדרשו

  Speaking for the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

"וספרתם לכם ממחרת השבת... עד ממחרת השבת השביעית תספרו חמשים יום והקרבתם מנחה חדשה לה'. ממושבותיכם תביאו לחם תנופה... ביכורים לה'" (ויקרא כג, טו-יז)

"May the Merciful One bring back the service of the Bait Hamikdash speedily in our  days" - with these words we express, every evening of the Omer Count, our yearning for the rebuilding of the Bait Hamikdash in general, and the renewal of the Omer offering in specific.

In addition to the Omer offering, brought specifically from the Land of Israel, as we discussed in parshat Vayikra, there is the Two Loaves offering, also brought specifically from the Land of Israel at the culmination of the 50 days from the previous Omer offering. So Rambam teaches us (Tmididin u'Musafin, 8, 2) that from the words "from your settlements" (brought in our title quote) our Sages learned that the "new offering", i.e. the Two Loaves, is to be brought solely from the Land of Israel, the true settlement of our People.

Not only is the Two Loaves offering parallel to the Omer offering in regard to its location of origin, but also in regard to the term "bikurim", first produce, used for both offerings (we discussed this term in regard to the Omer in parshat Vayikra). How can both offerings, 50 days apart from each other, be considered the "first produce"?

Many commentators point at the fact that the Omer offering comes from barley, while the Two Loaves come from wheat. During the 50 day Omer Count we go progressively from the "first produce" of barley, most adequate for animal consumption, to the "first produce" of wheat, the primary human staple. That said, why is the Land of Israel and its first produce so dominant in the theme of these 50 days? Moreover, the same theme of counting 7 weeks till reaching 50 repeats itself in regard to the Shemitah and Jubilee cycle, of course clearly unique to the Land of Israel. So again, what do the numbers 7 and 50 have to do with the Holy Land?

The Zohar (in numerous places) teaches us that 7 represents the "lower (natural) land", while 50 represents the "upper (supernatural) land". As we have mentioned many times before, it is in the Holy Land that we can receive the Countenance of the Holy Presence. The Zohar teaches us that there are two ways of receiving this Presence. One way is the way of "seven", to acknowledge God's Presence in our natural world, while the way of the "fifty" is to acknowledge God's Presence in the supernatural. This explains why Shavuot, Day of the Giving of the Torah, is on the 50th day of the Omer, since the Torah is considered to be the "blueprint" of this natural world ("God looked at the Torah and created the World" Zohar 2, 161a), or, in other words, super-dates the natural world, and is thus, by essence, supernatural.

Based on these concepts, we can understand the deeper meaning of the verse: "And Hebron was built 7 years before Zoan of Egypt" (p. Shlah). "Degel Mahaneh Efraim's" (on parshat Hayei Sarah) explains that these words allude to the level of Hebron as supernatural super-ceding ("before") the lower natural world ("seven") which is spiritually adjacent to the low evil forces alluded to in the words "Zoan of Egypt". Indeed, it is within Hebron that souls ascend to the Garden of Eden, again emphasizing the supernatural aspect of self that super-cedes the natural body, ascending to supernatural Heaven.

It is on this soul-supernatural level that humans are so distinct from animals. Thus, by going from an animal-level offering of barley towards human-level wheat offering, we are going from the natural towards the supernatural. May we merit to experience the prophecy: "As you have left Egypt I will show you wonders"(Micah 7, 15).

Real Stories from the Holy Land #15: "More than a month ago my wife asked me to inquire if there are any private sellers of eggs in Kiryat Arba. I inquired and was told that someone of the name Tor might sell. However, I made no more effort to contact this person (who I didn't know). This past week I was given a ride from Ma'arat HaMachpela by someone of the name Tor, who said that his son used to sell eggs. About 40 minutes later, suddenly my wife, after not asking for more than a month, asked: "what about the eggs?"                                                                               

Parshat Acharei-Kedoshim By: Moshe Goodman

Parshat Acharei-Kedoshim

By: Moshe Goodman, Kollel Or Shlomo, Hebron                                                                                                           

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Calling Ourselves Towards the Shechina in Our Holy Land

"וכי תבאו אל הארץ ונטעתם כל עץ מאכל וערלתם את ערלתו את פריו" (ויקרא יט, כג

"Even if your exiles are at the end of the heavens, HaShem your God will gather you from there...  will bring you to the land which your forefathers possessed... and He will do good to you... And HaShem your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, [so that you may] love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, for the sake of your life" (Dvarim 30).

It is by bringing us to the Land of Purity (Mikvaot ch. 8) that HaShem circumcises our hearts to be aware of His Holy Presence upon us, thus causing us to love Him with all our heart and soul. These words shed light on the meaning of the mitzvah of "orlah", literally meaning "uncircumcised (fruit)" or "blocked (see Rashi) fruit" mentioned in our title quote as being specifically connected to entering the Land. Although according to our Oral Tradition much of the laws of orlah are the same outside the Land, there are certain laws of orlah which retain the unique quality of the Land (prohibition in state of doubt, for example).

The meaning of "orlah", "uncircumcised" or "blocked" אטם is connected to the concept of impurity טמא, which blocks one's spiritual channels, as we discussed at length in parshat Vayeshev. We can say that it is because of our Holy Land's high sensitivity to purity, which means opening the spiritual channels (see p. Vayeshav), that the initial fruits of "blockage (orlah)" are especially prohibited in the Land. This sensitivity is explicitly mentioned earlier in our week's parsha (Lev. 18, 28): "And let the Land not vomit you out for having unpurified it, as it vomited out the nation that preceded you."

Ultimately, however, this difficult "blockage" is lifted to give way to the path of holiness, the "holy fruit" of the fourth year unique to the Land of Israel (Rambam Maaser Sheni veNeta Revai 9, 1). The Midrash on our title quote (Vayikra Raba 25, 3) teaches us that it is by coming to "the Land our forefathers possessed" and planting trees within it that we follow this path of holiness emulating how God first planted trees in the Garden of Eden (nevertheless, it may be said that today building houses in the Land proceeds planting trees - see "Nahalat Yakov sect. 3).

This path of holiness goes through a difficult, initial and inevitable stage of "blockage"-impurity till this blockage is removed. Similarly, in regard to the return to Zion in general it is said in Tehilim (126): "those who sowed with tears, with rejoice will reap (their harvest)". It is our support of the settlement of Hebron that all these strands of thought come together: to emulate God in settling the Threshold of the Garden of Eden, the Maarat HaMachpela, to "plant trees", build and settle our Holy Land, to remind HaShem to return our People to Zion, "to remember the kindness of our Forefathers and bring us a redeemer, for His Namesake with love".

Real Stories from the Holy Land #14: "There is a couple who lives in Kiryat Arba who we had been friendly with for a number of years, even though we didn't live in Kiryat Arba. We hadn't heard from them for several months. One week, we decided to buy real-estate in Kiryat Arba. Suddenly, that same week this couple asked us (without knowing at all about our recent decision to move to Kiryat Arba) if we could host their daughter by us for Shabbat."

Parshat Tazriah-Metzorah By: Moshe Goodman

Parshat Tazriah-Metzorah

By: Moshe Goodman, Kollel Or Shlomo, Hebron                                                                                                           בס"ד

                                                                       

                           לשכנו תדרשו                     

          

Delivering the Message 

of the Schechina

in Our Holy Land

  

"אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר"

"Speedily bring upon us blessing and peace quickly from four corners of the earth, and break the yoke of nations from upon our necks, and make us walk upright towards our Land..." (second blessing of Shema) "Before she has birth pains she shall give birth to a son... for... Zion shall give birth to Her sons..." (Isaiah 66, 7-9)

We have learned in the past of how the People revive the power of the Shechina in the Land, but it is evident from Isaiah's prophecy that it is ultimately Zion, the power of the Shechina in the Land, that will "give birth" and revive our People.  We can say that it is specifically because of this Holy Presence that the Land is uniquely susceptible to leprosy. So we learn from the Rambam in Tumat Tzaraat 14, 11, that from the words of the Torah "the house of the Land of your possession" (Lev. 14, 34)" (national possession) we learn that leprosy of houses applies only in the Land of Israel.

It is well known that one of the primary causes for Torah-ordained leprosy is the sin of slander. Therefore, considering the sensitivity of the Land to ill-speech, it is clearer why the sin of the spies, who slandered God and the Land, was so severe, as HaShem tells Moshe: "and all my blasphemers will not see It (the Land)" (p. Shlah). With the same token, it is clear why the merit of Kaleb, who spoke forth positively despite the other spies, was so great.

From whom did Kaleb receive this great inspiration to speak up despite all the odds? "And he (Kaleb) reached Hebron" (p. Shlah) - our sages (see Rashi and more on this verse) teach that it is from the merit of Hebron, the power of our Patriarchs, that Kaleb mustered the courage to speak up for the sake of our Holy Land. Hebron means to connect (haber), to communicate. Also, "the term Avot refers only to three (Patriarchs)" (Brachot 16b).

According to Maharal (in many places), the number three is intrinsically related to the concept of connection and communication. He explains that this is because while the number one has no separate entity to connect to, and number two represents two separate entities disconnected in essence, three is the first number to represent two entities connected by a third "bridge". It is by connecting to the power of our Avot and Hebron, that we too can connect ourselves and communicate unto others the true meaning of our Holy Land.

It is by delivering this message to others that we give merit to our people to inherit the Land, just like Kaleb was granted Hebron in merit of his speech: "For to Kaleb I will give Hebron, for a different spirit was with him" (p. Shlah). Let us invigorate ourselves and others with the spirit of Kaleb: "We shall surely arise and conquer it (the Land), for we shall surely be successful" (Num. 13, 30).

(Note: Last week's last quote was a bit misleading (unintentionally), for it combined two similar verses which talk about the same matter into what was quoted as one verse. The 2 verses are: Lev. 9, 4 and 6)

Real Stories from the Holy Land #13: The same day that I sent our readers last week's story about hashgaha in connection to the parsha, I took my family to the zoo. The zoo was very crowded on Isru Hag, so on the way back from the zoo we decided to go by foot instead of bus. On the way we consistently saw caterpillars all along the path. Then I remembered that the only place caterpillars are mentioned in the Torah was in that week's parsha - "marbe rablaim"(Shemini-This is without mentioning all the animals in the zoo mentioned in parsha).

Parshat Shemini By: Moshe Goodman

Parshat Shemini

By: Moshe Goodman, Kollel Or Shlomo, Hebron                                                                                                           בס"ד

                                                                       

                           לשכנו תדרשו                     

          

Calling Ourselves Closer 

to the Holy Presence 

in Our Holy Land

"בקרובי אקדש ועל פני כל העם אכבד"
"Our Father, our King! Reveal the honor of Your Majesty speedily... and ingather our exiles among the nations... and bring us to Zion Your city with rejoice..." (Musaf of 3 festivals) 

Thus, we call unto HaShem to bring us close to Him, and HaShem calls us closer to Him with love as we read in Shir Hashirim on Pesah: "I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me". This week's parsha teaches us the fine balance between love and fear of God, as HaShem calls us to come close to the Shechina in the inauguration of the Mishkan with love, while bidding us not to get close in an improper way as in the fear of the "foreign fire" of Nadav Avihu. Similarly, the caution in regard to dietary laws in the second part of our parsha, is also a call of closeness to God: "And you shall be holy for I am holy" (Lev. 11, 45). This is even truer with regard to the Land of Israel, Palace of our Father in Heaven. Rambam in Maachalot Asurot (ch. 10) spells out four categories of Biblical dietary prohibitions that, although some have similar ramifications outside the Land, all four have laws unique to the Land of Israel. The first of the four is the prohibition of Hadash, which we explained in parshat Vayikra as dependent on the "omer" barley specifically reaped in the Land. The second prohibition is the produce from a mixed/grafted vineyard ("kilei hakerem") which is a Biblical prohibition only in the Land of Israel (Rabbinic in the Diaspora) (halacha 8). The third prohibition is "Orlah", produce of a tree that was planted within three years. When this prohibition is in doubt, in the Land of Israel it is still forbidden, while in the Diaspora it is permitted (halacha 12).  The fourth prohibition is "Tevel", all produce that Trumot and tithes have not been taken from it, and of course this prohibition regards only produce that grew in the Land of Israel. With the same token, just eating the produce of the Land properly indeed brings one very close to HaShem. The Bach, one of the foremost halachic authorities, explains (end of Orah Haim 208) the significance of saying in the after-blessing "to eat from its (the Land's) fruits and be satisfied from its goodness". He explains that eating properly from the fruit of the Land while maintaining the purity of the Land connects one to the Shechina. In regard to this purity we should remember our examination, in parshat Vayeshev, of Shaar Hehatzer's statement that living in Hebron places one in a state of purity. It is in Hebron that we live our title quote: "I will be sanctified with those that are close to Me". By connecting to those close to HaShem, our Holy Patriarchs and Matriarchs, we purify ourselves, sanctify ourselves, sanctify HaShem among us, make ourselves ever-closer to HaShem, and receive HaShem's Countenance upon us. "This You shall do, for today HaShem shall appear unto you" (beginning of this week's parsha).  

Real Stories from the Holy Land #12: "One week my wife forgot our apartment (in Kiryat Arba) keys on two separate days. This never happened before, especially since my wife is a very organized person. I decided to check what significance I can gather from this episode by checking the parsha, for the Shla says that what happens during the week is hinted in the parsha. I found that the only parsha in the Torah that has the letters מפתח ביתו, was in that week's parsha (Bo) that this episode happened. These words literally meaning "from the entrance of the house", but also can mean "keys of his house" when vowels are changed.

Parshat Tzav By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman

Parshat Tzav

By: Moshe Goodman, Kollel Or Shlomo, Hebron                                                                                                        בס"ד

                                      לשכנו תדרשו

Calling for the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

"צו את אהרן ואת בניו לאמר זאת תורת העולה היא העולה על מוקדה על המזבח כל הלילה עד הבקר ואש המזבח תוקד בו"
"Our God and the God of our Forefathers! Compassionate King, have compassion upon us... Return to us with Your great mercy, because of Forefathers who have done Your will. Rebuild Your House as of old... and return the Holy Presence within it..." (Musaf of three festivals)

It is evident from this prayer and other prayers that our Forefathers of Hebron play a crucial role in the rebuilding of the Bait Hamikdash and in our Redemption in general. Similarly, our week's haftorah of Shabbos Hagadol may also allude to the role of connecting (also Hebron means to connect) to our Forefathers in bringing the Redemption: "and he (Elijah) will return the hearts of fathers to sons and the hearts of sons to their fathers..." (end of Malachi)

The parshios of the book of Vayikra, and our week's parsha within it, are full of the mitzvoth that we aspire to keep in Redemption, may it arrive speedily. Our title quote illustrates the first mitzvah of this week's parsha, to have fire burn upon the altar every day. This mitzvah entails that the choicest woods be picked for the sake of this Divine service, just as all offerings are to be brought from the choicest animals, grains, etc. as ruled by Rambam in Tmidin Umusafin (ch 7).

There the Rambam adds that although the choicest woods are to be used for burning on the altar, wood from grape-vines and olive trees are not to be used because of "settling the Land of Israel". What the Rambam means by this is that because these trees have special productive value in the form of wine and oil, therefore they are not to be hindered for their wood, even if this wood is used for our holiest site, the Bais Hamikdash.

Here again we see the great value and emphasis the Torah puts on the settlement of the Land of Israel, even on an economic level, and even when this value comes in slight contradiction to the way of service in the abode of the Shechina. However, as we have shown many times before, indeed the Land of Israel is also strongly connected to the Shechina, and therefore the support of its settlement even slightly on account of the Bais Hamikdash, pinnacle point of the Shechina, is justifiable.

That said, what meaning can we gain from this commandment of burning wood upon the altar? "Etz Hadaat Tov" (parshat Tzav) explains that the wood alludes to the wood put on the altar at Akeidat Yitzhak, thus alluding to the merit of our Forefathers Avraham and Yitzhak. This wood is to be burnt continuously in order to allude to the eternal merit of Yitzhak, who, because of his will to be offered, is considered to be as if actually offered and burnt as ashes forever on the supernal altar.

Now we gain added meaning to the subsequent commandment to lift the ashes from the altar, as a sign of merit regarding the "ashes" of Yitzhak. From this idea we can also infer how great is the value of will and effort made towards a mitzah even if in the end one was not able to actually commit the mitzvah. May HaShem see our efforts for the Shechina, and grant us to see in "His return to Zion with compassion".

Israel Hashgaha Story #10: "I called a friend (A) of mine who I haven't spoken with for a number of years to inquire about a town he lived in. Incidentally, he informed me that a different friend (B) of mine is getting married in about two days. After several hours I "happened" to meet this friend (B) while shopping in Jerusalem to whom I wished a hearty Mazal Tov. I hadn't met or talked to this friend (B) for several months, and also I hadn't been or gone shopping in Jerusalem for a number of weeks."

Parshat Vayikra By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman

Parshat Vayikra

By: Moshe Goodman, Kollel Or Shlomo, Hebron                                                                                                        בס"ד

                                      לשכנו תדרשו

Calling for the Shechina Today in Our Holy Land

 

             "ויקרא אל משה וידבר ה' אליו מאהל מועד לאמר"

"May it be Your will before You, HaShem our God and the God of our fathers, that You raise us with happiness to our Land, and plant us in our borders, and there we shall offer before You our obligatory offerings, Tamid offerings in their order and Musaf offerings according to their laws..." (Musaf Shabat) 

These words are just a small example of our many prayers for the return of our People to the Land, for the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdash and the offerings within it, and for the reviving of the Shechina's spirit within us. 

In this week's parsha we learn about one of the offerings in the Bais Hamikdash strongly tied to the Land of Israel. This offering is no other than the Omer offering, so well-known in context of the counting of the Omer kept even today in absence of the Bais Hamikdash. The Omer offering also has other present-day ramifications such as the commandment regarding Hadash, the new produce, prohibited both in the Land and outside it. This new produce is produce of the five grains (wheat, barley, spelt, etc) that rooted before the 16th of Nisan, day of the Omer offering, that is prohibited to be eaten till the date of the 16th of Nisan; or produce which rooted after the 16th of Nisan (or 17th for Diaspora which keeps two days of Yom Tov for both cases) prohibited till the next year on the 16th of Nisan (including)  (Yoreh Deah 293, 1-3). 

ואם תקריב מנחת ביכורים לה' אביב קלוי באש גרש כרמל תקריב את מנת ביכורך 

(ויקרא ב, יד) - Our sages teach that these words of our parsha talking about "bikurim" actually refer to the Omer offering, which is the first (bikurim) grain of the year. How do we know that this offering must come specifically from the Land of Israel? Rambam rules in Tmidin veMusafin 7, 5: "This meal offering may be brought only from Eretz Yisrael,as [Leviticus 23:10] states: "And you shall bring the omer, the first of your harvest, to the priest." 

The explanation of this proof-text is in Rambam's source, the Sifra parshat Emor, which states that "your (in plural) harvest" excludes the Diaspora, which is not the People's (in plural) land as a group whole. Rambam continues in law 13 to explain that even reaping without eating is limited:  "It is forbidden to reap any of the species of grain in Eretz Yisrael before the reaping of the omer, [becauseLeviticus 23:10] refers [to it as]: "the first of your harvest," [implying that] it should be the first [grain] that is reaped. 

To what does the above apply? To a harvest from which the omer offering could be brought. [A field located] in parched land in a valley, by contrast, may be reaped before [the reaping of] the omer, because it is not fit to bring [the omer offering] from it. [Even such grain] should not, however, be collected in a grain heap." (There is controversy if this law applies today in absence of the Bais Hamikdash). The Omer offering reminds us to recognize that before we benefit from new produce we must remember that HaShem is Master of all nature and has caused the fields to grow this new produce. 

The unique connection of the Omer to the Land also reminds us that this recognition is even greater in the Land of Israel, the Land of Special Providence. It is with this recognition and this inspiration that may we merit soon to raise the Omer offering to the Bait Hamikdash, pinnacle point of the Holy Shechina. 

The book of Vayikra which we begin this week begins with the call of HaShem to Moshe. After thousands of years of inability of our People to come to the Land, it seems that the recent ability to come to the Land is like the call of HaShem, calling us to get closer to HaShem, to get closer to our Ancestral roots of Hebron, calling us to get closer ("yakriv") to the Shechina and revive its power -   "אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לה'"

Real-life Hashgaha Story #9: A yeshiva student tells this recent story: "My son was born with an extremely rare condition in which his knee bends only in the opposite direction which it should. The doctors said it takes at least 3 months to cure this condition with casts etc. We used the casts, and miraculously my son was cured in two weeks. The doctors were astounded." 

Parshat Vayakhel - Pekudei By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman

Parshat Vayakhel - Pekudei

By: Moshe Goodman, Kollel Or Shlomo, Hebron                                                                                                        בס"ד

                                      לשכנו תדרשו

Seeking the Shechina in Our Holy Land

 

             "ויכס הענן את אהל מועד וכבוד ה' מלא את המשכן"

"Please, Merciful One! With Your great mercy, return Your Presence to Zion and the order of the Service to Jerusalem" (Musaf prayer for holidays).

A common theme of both this week's parsha and the special reading for parshat Hahodesh (Nisan) is the inauguration of the Mishkan which occurred on Rosh Hodesh Nissan. Just as we see in this week's parsha in our title quote that it is not to be taken for granted that the Shechina, "the Honor of HaShem", rests in the Mishkan, as only after the Mishkan was already standing did the Shechina enter it.

So too we cannot take it for granted that the Shechina rests on the Temple Mount or the Land of Israel in general without studying if and what type or level of Divine Presence is involved.

One of the fascinating sources for the study of this matter is the concept of consecrating (added) land to have the holiness of the Temple Mount or the holiness of Jerusalem. This consecration ceremony is only possible by "a king, a prophet, urim vetumim, and a Sanhedrin of 71 elders" (Rambam Beit Habehira 6, 11). After explaining this consecration process, explaining also that the consecration of the Bais Hamikdash rendered the Temple Mount consecrated forever, the Rambam (ibid) asks a question: "Why do I say that the original consecration sanctified the Temple and Jerusalem for eternity, while in regard to the consecration of the remainder of Eretz Yisrael, in the context of the Sabbatical year, tithes, and other similar [agricultural] laws, [the original consecration] did not sanctify it for eternity?"

What the Rambam means in this question is that while with regard to mitzvoth of the Land we require every time a new "consecration", i.e the settlement or conquest of the Land of Israel (with regard to today's settlement and conquest there are differences of opinion - see "Eretz Hemda p. 135 and more), with regard to the Temple Mount, its consecration stays constant even when there is no Temple there and even when there is no new consecration ceremony. Rambam then answers this question: "Because the sanctity of the Temple and Jerusalem stems from the Shechinah, and the Shechinah can never be nullified. Therefore, [Leviticus 26:31] states: 'I will lay waste to your Sanctuaries.' The Sages declared: 'Even though they have been devastated, their sanctity remains.'

In contrast, the [original] obligation to keep the laws of the Sabbatical year and tithes on the Land stemmed from the fact that it was conquered by the [Jewish people, as a] community. Therefore, when the land was taken from their hands [by the Babylonians,] their [original] conquest was nullified. Thus, according to Torah law, the land was freed from the obligations of the Sabbatical year and of tithes because it was no longer in the hands of Israel. When Ezra returned [to Eretz Yisrael] and consecrated it, it was not sanctified by means of conquest, but rather through Chazzakah (peaceful settlement). Therefore, every place which was repossessed by the [exiles returning from] Babylon and consecrated when Ezra consecrated [the land] the second time, is sacred today.

Thus, as explained in Hilchot Terumah, it is necessary to keep the laws of the Sabbatical years and the tithes [on this land] even though it was taken from [the Jewish people in later years]." However, it is to be noted that the Raavad differs with the Rambam on this issue, saying that also the Temple Mount was not sanctified for eternity. In any case, it should be clear that these rulings do not contradict the many sources quoted in previous weeks stating that the Holy Presence rests even when the Land and the Temple Mount are not halachically consecrated.

The key in understanding this differentiation is that these halachic rulings are referring to certain levels of Divine Presence that require and allow certain halachic opportunities. Therefore, as the Rambam stated, the level of Divine Presence on the Holy Mount is greater than the Land in general. That said, it is true that when these halachic criteria are met, then definitely that is a sign of a greater level of Divine Presence in the Land of Israel and the Temple Mount. Indeed, the great goal of the majority of worldwide Jewry settling in the Land is closer than ever, and with that the return of the Shechina to our midst. Just as Kaleb connected to our Land via Hebron (parshat Shlah), thereby delivering the message of the Land of Israel to the masses, it is by Hebron that we may connect (lehaber) our People to the Land of Israel.

Real-life Hashgaha Story #8: "This past week my wife went to megila reading for women and met there a woman she had last met about 10 years ago. In a short conversation this woman "happened" to ask about a certain person from my in-laws' town. I should mention too that all the years we have been married I never heard of this person except for this week. It turns out that this person had suddenly passed away just about two days before." 

Parshat Tetzaveh By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman

Parshat Tetzaveh

By: Moshe Goodman, Kollel Or Shlomo, Hebron                                                                                                        בס"ד

                                     

 לשכנו תדרשו

Longing for the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

"וידעו כי אני ה' א-היהם אשר הוצאתי אתם מארץ מצרים לשכני בתוכם אני ה' א-היהם"

The goal of our exodus from Egypt, going to the Land of Israel, was, and still is, the dwelling of the Holy Shechina in our midst, that we should know and experience HaShem in our lives.

This week we learn more on the Mishkan, forerunner of the Bais Hamikdash, with the special reading of Zachor which teaches us the commandment to obliterate the seed of Amalek, ancestor of Haman in the Megila. These two topics are fundamentally linked to the Land of Israel, as we see in Rambam's ruling in the beginning of the Laws of Kings:  "Israel was commanded to fulfill three mitzvot upon entering the Promised Land (that is, in each of these commandments the entrance to the Land is a prior requirement as mentioned in the verses + these mitzvoth are dependent one on another (c on b and b on a) at least at first): a) To choose a king, as Deuteronomy 17:15 states: 'Appoint a king over yourselves;' b) To wipe out the descendents of Amalek, as Deuteronomy 25:19states: 'Erase the memory of Amalek;' c) To build God's Chosen House, as Deuteronomy 12:5 states: 'Seek out His Presence and go there.' (this is our title verse).

Later on, Rambam gives proof-texts to the dependency of c on b and b on a, but the question we ask is what is the deeper meaning of the dependency of these mitvot on one another, and moreover to their common dependence on entering the Land of Israel?

In previous weeks we explored a number of keys in understanding the deeper meaning of the Land of Israel. One of the keys explored, especially in parshat Yitro, was the meaning of the Land as expressing the "Honor of HaShem", which is also a term which refers to the Shechina. Further explained, we may say that the presence of our People in the Holy Land, especially as a whole or majority, is an ultimate honor to God's Name, expressing before the whole world that indeed the People of God actually live in the Land promised to them by God. 

It is thus not surprising that at such a state of "honor of God" that the spiritual aspect of HaShem's Honor, i.e the Shechina, also returns with the return of Israel as we saw in Zohar 2, 79b.

After this is understood, we may understand why appointing a king, whose honor is called "the honor of all Israel" (see Nimukei Yosef 11a and more), is so connected to the Land of HaShem's Honor. After appointing a king it is possible to wage war on Amalek, which was the first nation to taint HaShem's Honor by battling our people soon after Yetziat Mitzraim, the great miracle that gave honor to God's Name. After battling Amalek the Honor of HaShem is attained, giving leeway to the pursuit of the spiritual aspect of "HaShem's Honor", the Shechina, by building the Bait Hamikdash.

Now we may understand one of the unique rules of Purim (Rambam Megila 1): "Every city, whether in Eretz Yisrael or in the diaspora, that was surrounded by a wall at the time of Joshua bin Nun should read the Megillah on the fifteenth of Adar. This applies even when a wall does not surround the city at present."

The reason for this law is then explained: "Why was the matter made dependent on the time of Joshua bin Nun? To give honor to the cities of Eretz Yisrael that were in ruin at the time of the Purim miracle. Although they are in ruin at present, this would allow them to read the Megillah on the fifteenth as do the inhabitants of Shushan, since they would include a remembrance of Eretz Yisrael."

"And I will be for her, says HaShem, a wall of fire surrounding and an honor I will be in her midst" (Zecharia 2, 9) - Indeed, the concepts of the surrounding wall and honor are deeply linked (see also Batei Midrashot p.2 "lo tov" which seemingly gives the same proof-text for a wife being a protective wall and an honor to her husband). A city's surrounding wall, at least in ancient times, reflects the importance and honor of the city worth protecting.

In other words, by linking the observance of honored-walled cities on Purim to the time of Joshua bin Nun, the Rabbis linked the honor of Purim to the "Honor of HaShem", present when our People first entered the Land in the time of Joshua Bin Nun. Today, with God's help, we can regain HaShem's Honor by re-entering the Land, showing that HaShem's People re-live God's promise to our Forefathers of Hebron from antiquity.(correction to last week's citation: Zohar 2, 5 should be Zohar 2, 19).

Real-life Hashgaha story #6: "I go shopping at a certain super-market in Jerusalem about 4-5 times a year. On one occasion, I heard the name of one of my daughters (two names - 8 letters) called on a different girl in that super-market. On a different occasion I went to the same super-market, and I heard the name of a different one of my daughters (two names - 6 letters) called on a different girl. I have never heard these names called on girls at different times or different places. What is the probability of that?

Parshat Terumah By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman

Parshat Terumah

By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Or Shlomo, Hebron                                                                                                        בס"ד

                                      לשכנו תדרשו

 

Yearning for the Holy Presence in the Holy Land

"ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם"

"And may our eyes see in Your return to Zion with compassion. Blessed are You HaShem Who returns His Presence to Zion..." Our people yearn for the day when we may build the Bait Hamikdash, that the Holy Presence rest among us, that God's Presence be a greater and more dominant part of our lives. 

Our week's parsha which calls the people to contribute valuables to the Mishkan, as well as parshat Shekalim read last week, both teach us the great value of the Beit Hamikdash and its forerunner, the Mishkan. In parshat Shkalim and in its aftermath in Rosh Hodesh Adar (the purpose of the reading is to be a reminder to bring the half-shekel beginning with R. Hodesh Adar) this week we learn how every Jew, whether poor or wealthy, has a fundamental connection to the Beit Hamikdash; by the Torah commandment of giving the half-shekel every year for the upkeep of the Beit Hamikdash.  

Not only is the half-shekel's monetary  aspect indicative of a Jew's dedication to the Beit Hamikdash, but  also the half-shekel's spiritual meaning, as "atonement for your souls", expresses the special soul-connection every Jew has to the Beit Hamikdash. Indeed, the half-shekel  may represent the unique connection and covenant with HaShem present in the Beit Hamikdash by showing how, so-to-speak, half of this covenant is the  part of Israel while the other half is the  part of HaShem. 

Even though, unfortunately, we do not have the Beit Hamikdash today, the custom is to give a half-shekel's worth (in silver) of money or half of the common coin in one's country to charitable means in memory of the original half-shekel given to the Beit Hamikdash. The custom is to give this commemorative half-shekel before or on Purim (Orach Haim 694, 2).

From the Talmud's inference we mentioned in parshat Bo that "Torah will be delivered from Zion" (Psalms) indicates that months may be only enacted in the Land of Israel. We may infer that the term "Zion" may also refer to the Land of Israel in general . Indeed, as we have  shown in previous weeks, the Land of Israel in general is linked to the Holy Presence, which resides especially in the Bait Hamikdash in Jerusalem.  

In this sense, those who contribute to the settling of the Land of Israel are connected to returning the Holy Presence in our midst, for the settlement of the Land of Israel by our People means making greater the power of the Shechina as we have shown in previous weeks. Thus, the contribution to the settlement of our Land is somewhat similar to the contribution of the original half-shekel to the Beit Hamikdash, center-point of the Holy Presence. This is also especially true of Hebron and Ma'arat HaMachpela, a focal point of the Shechina (Zohar 2, 5).

Real-life Hashgaha story #5: "One Rabbi came to me asking why the book "Hemdat Yamim" is in my yeshiva's library, considering the fact that there are claims that this sefer is attributed to the school of Shabatai Zvi. That very day my wife's aunt "happened" to bring me a booklet from Rav Zvi Yehuda Kook's library, which its very purpose was to defend the book "Hemdat Yamim" from the claims upon it.

Parshat Mishpatim By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman

Parshat Mishpatim

By: Moshe Goodman, Kollel Or Shlomo, Hebron                                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                   בס"ד

  

לשכנו תדרשו

Addressing the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land

"ואלה המשפטים אשר תשים לפניהם..."

A primary focus of this week's parsha is the Torah's judicial system. Indeed, one of the primary ways the Holy Presence rests among Israel is by a proper Judicial system according to the Torah, as Rambam rules in Sanhedrin 23, 9: "Any judge who rules a true judgment even for one hour it is as if he rectified the whole world, and causes the Shechina to rest among Israel  as it says 'God stands among the Assembly of God' (Psalms 82, 1)".

Indeed, the very name for  a Torah court in our parsha is "Elohim" (see Shmot 21, 6), suggesting God's Presence that works through them. Based on this preface we may understand why the Torah commandment to enact courts (explicit in the beginning of parshat Shoftim) applies specifically to the Land of Israel, the Land of the Holy Presence, as Rambam rules in Sanhedrin 1, 2: "We are not obligated to enact courts in every province and in every city except for the Land of Israel, but outside of the Land we are not obligated to enact a court in every province as it says, 'you shall enact for you in all your gates that HaShem you God gives you' (Deut 16, 18)".

The connection of Torah's judicial system to the Holy Presence may explain more deeply the meaning of the Talmud's statement in Megila 17b which explains the juxtaposition of the blessing for the in-gathering of exiles to the return of Torah's judicial system among the 18 blessings in our Amida prayer: "once the exiles are in-gathered  justice is executed upon the wicked as it says (Isaiah 1), 'I will return my Hand upon you (referring to the return of Exiles) and will purge... your filth' and it says (subsequently) 'and I will return your judges as first'". 

The Zohar 2, 79b explicitly states that the return of the Shechina is dependent on the return of Israel to their Land. Based on the fore-mentioned Talmudic passage and the Zohar's statement we may understand how first the Shechina will return with the return of the People to the Land, thus giving inspiration and power for the courts to enact justice. The fore-mentioned Talmudic passage continues to say that once justice is enacted wickedness will be obliterated (as in the blessing for the obliteration of evil), which leads to the prosperity of the righteous (in the following blessing), which leads to the building of Jerusalem, which leads to coming of Mashiah.

We thus see, according to this passage, that the in-gathering of exiles is a key primary step, of a number of steps, to our Redemption. It is also important to note that the first step in this process is linked to the first blessing in the Amida, the blessing of the Patriarchs. Indeed, God will "remember the kindness" of these Holy Ones of Hebron "and will bring a Redeemer for his Name's sake with love." It is also "with love", stemming from the realization of our common Patriarchal roots with all Jews that unity and peace are possible (see Ramak in Tomer Devorah 1 - "asher nishbata laavoteinu"), for "Elijah (coming with Mashiah) does not come to push off or accept (people), but rather to make peace in the world."
Real-life Providence story #4: "I was once hitchhiking, and was waiting for a considerable amount of time more than usual. I had been praying that I get a ride soon, when I decided to tell my daughter to pray too. She said: "We already prayed, dad". To her I answered that the Torah teaches us in the verse "hope unto God... and hope unto God" that if not answered one should pray again. Immediately as I said the words of this verse a car stopped to give us a ride." 

Parshat Yisro By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman

Parshat Yisro

By: Moshe Goodman, Kollel Or Shlomo, Hebron

                                                                                        

 

בס״ד

                                   

לשכנו תדרשו

Seeking the Shechina in Our Holy Land

"כבד את אביך ואת אמך למען יאריכון ימיך על האדמה אשר ה' א-היך נותן לך"
What is the connection between honoring parents and a lengthy life in the Holy Land? To answer this question we need to study what is the deeper meaning of parents and the deeper meaning of honor.

To begin, there is honoring one's personal parents and there is honoring our national parents,  our holy  Patriarchs and Matriarchs, who in their merit HaShem promised us the Holy Land. There is also the concept of giving honor to the Shechina, as the Zohar 2, 90a states that the word "et" comes to include the Shechina.

Indeed the Talmud in Kidushin 30b states that there are three partners in forming man, his father, mother, and HaShem (referring to the Shechina which gives him his soul). Furthermore, our sages teach us that honoring one's parents is similar to honoring God (ibid). Simply put, we may say that by honoring our parents we connect to our roots ultimately stemming from our Patriarchs and Matriarchs, thus connecting to the Divine promise of the Land. We also connect to the Shechina, which is so connected to the Land.

To study this matter more deeply let us take a look at one of the halachos regarding the special honor we give to our Patriarchs and the Land of Israel. It is well known in halacha that when praying the Amida one is to position one's body in the direction of the Land of Israel, and more specifically in the direction of Jerusalem. It is also known that one must have intent to what one says in the Amida specifically in the bracha of Avot, which focuses on our connection to HaShem via our Forefathers. Without this intent specifically in this bracha the whole Amida is rendered invalid, unlike all other brachot of the Shemoneh Esreh (Orah Haim 101, 1 - Mehaber says that one is to begin amida again, while Rama says that one shouldn't repeat only because chances are that he won't have intent the second time; according to some opinions Modim is also an exception).

As to the dominance of our Patriarchs in regard to prayer we have more sources. Many sources state that if one wants to achieve merit before God one should mention the merit of the Patriarchs as Moshe Rabeinu did in his plea after the Sin of the Calf, while another source states that all prayers ascend via  Maarat Hamachpela (Rama Mipano in "Kanfei Yona").

This last source is quite perplexing considering that we have sources saying that prayers ascend via Jerusalem (see Shlomo's prayer in Kings 1, 8) in addition to the fact that halacha requires one to face Jerusalem in prayer as we mentioned. A solution to this seeming contradiction may be that ultimately our prayers ascend via Jerusalem, but they pass on the way via Maarat Hamachpela to receive the merit of our Patriarchs.

Now the crucial place of the Patriarchs in prayer is more understandable. Our very connection to God in general, and in prayer specifically, stems from our Forefathers and their, and ultimately our, personal experience of God's Presence, as the Jew tells the King of the Kuzars in the beginning of the Kuzari ( by R. Y. Halevi). One of the names for  God denoting a specific type of connection to God is "The Ancient of Days" (Daniel 7, 11). It is when we honor our parents, also connecting to our ancient ancestors, that we connect to HaShem as "Ancient of Days", connected to the concepts of "antiquity" and "eternity", thus achieving a lengthening of days.

It is by giving honor to our parents that we connect to the "Honor of HaShem", a term used many times in Tanach to refer to the revelation of the Shechina (example - Num. 14, 10), which is so closely connected to the Land of Israel as we have shown in previous weeks. Now we may understand why by honoring parents one merits specifically a long life specifically in the Land of Israel. May HaShem, "the Ancient of Days", lengthen our days in the Land of Israel in peace and prosperity.

Real-life Providence Story #3: One person recounts: "I once sent my tefilin with a specific Rabbi to be bound in a factory after they had been checked. After several days, when I received the tefilin in return,  I had to sleep overnight in a different city than my home-town. That night I had difficulty putting the straps in the hand-tefilin as halacha requires, so in the morning I asked a random person if he could help me pull the straps through the tefilin. The person who I asked recognized the tefilin and the sticker on them which marked the name of the Rabbi that I had sent my tefilin with. He  wrote on paper (since he couldn't talk while praying): I am the same person who put your parchments in the boxes the other day..." 

Parshat Beshalach By: Rabbi Rabbi Moshe Goodman

Parshat Beshalach

By: Moshe Goodman, Kollel Or Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

Seeking the Shechina in Our Holy Land

"... עד יעבור עמך ה' עד יעבור עם זו קנית. תבאמו ותטעמו בהר נחלתך מכון לשבתך פעלת ה', מקדש א-ני כוננו ידיך. ה' ימלך לעולם ועד..."
" Till Your People pass, HaShem" - refers to the first entrance (to the Land), "till the People You have acquired will pass" - refers to the second entrance (to the Land) - from this (The Sages) inferred - worthy was Israel that a miracle be performed for them in the time of Ezra (second entrance) similar to that was performed in the time of Yehoshua (first entrance to the Land), but sin caused (this not to happen)" (Brachot 4a).

Maharsha on Yoma 9b explains this passage saying that because the whole (or at-least majority) People did not come to the Land (but rather a minority portion) in the time of Ezra, therefore they did not merit miracles as in the time of Yehoshua. May HaShem grant miracles upon us, in our present third entrance, as He did to our ancestors in the era of Yehoshua.

Based on our discussions in previous weeks, connecting the presence of the People in The Land to the presence of the Shechina, it is especially clear why our parsha's verse talking about the People's entrance to the Land is juxtaposed to the entrance of the People to the Temple mount... When the Shechina rests among Israel in the Land there is special Divine aid in making a Temple for the Shechina. Indeed, when it is clear before the World that the Holy Presence rests among Israel, the barriers blocking our People from our Holy sites in Hebron and Jerusalem will be much more easily removed. Then it will be clear before all, that HaShem, who showed His Majesty in the past to our ancestors, is King in the Present, Ruler of all in the future - "HaShem will be King forever".

Tu Beshvat teaches us a unique lesson on God's special Providence and Majesty in the Land of Israel. Tu Beshvat is the New Year in regard to counting the number of years for fruits of trees in the Shemita cycle and Maaser cycle. For example, if one has a tree in the Land of Israel that has already grown even small fruit at the date of Tu Beshvat, those fruit on the tree are rendered to be of the previous halachic year in regard to mitzvoth of the Land.

Say, for instance, that a fruit budded on the third year of the Maaser cycle before Tu Beshvat, thus being liable for the tithe to the poor, a similar fruit that however budded after Tu Beshvat is considered to be in the fourth year, liable for the second tithe to be brought to Jerusalem instead.

Why is Tu Beshvat the turning point in regard to fruits of the tree? The Talmud in Rosh HaShana 14a teaches us that at this date the majority of rains have fallen. This means that by Tu Beshvat the primary biological basis for the growth of fruit, i.e. rainfall, has been established and thus Tu Beshvat is the decisive date as to the maturity of fruit-growth. However, looking deeper this explanation is still not sufficient. If what is important is simply the bio-ecological setup of fruit-growth, then why isn't rainfall simply checked retro-actively after about two months to find its mid-point? Why is the Hebrew date used?

The Torah in Breshit 8, 22 tells us that the year is divided into 6 seasons: "seed, harvest, cold, heat, summer, and winter". Our sages explain in Baba Metzia 106b that "winter" is from mid-kislev till mid-shevat subsequently beginning the period called "cold". Is this climate depiction accurate in all locations? Definitely not. Rather, it is especially in the Holy Land that nature operates according to the classic Divine plan and according to the Hebrew calendar , and thus Tu Beshvat is mid-shevat, signaling the end of the period called "winter" which the sages notified as being the point at which most rainfall has fallen. May we notice HaShem's Majesty over nature always.

Real-life Providence Story #2 - One person recounts: "I have been looking to buy real-estate for a number of years. Once, I was about to buy a house, had shook hands, etc. One day, my wife decided to ask someone randomly about the house we planned to buy, a matter she has never done all these years (randomly). The first person she asked randomly, did not only know the house, but he "happened" to be an engineer who worked on repairs on the house about 16 years ago. He told us crucial information on certain problems we had no idea of before. Ultimately, we cancelled the agreement to purchase, based on the seller's admission".

Parshat Bo By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman

Parshat Bo

By: Moshe Goodman, Kollel Or Shlomo, Hebron

It is well known that God commanded us 613 commandments at Sinai. It is also well known that unfortunately a large portion of these commandments we are unable to observe today for security, political, or other reasons. The primary groups of mitzvoth that we yearn and pray  to keep but are still not in our grasp as a people include: mitzvoth of the Beis HaMikdash (app. 160 mitzvot), mitzvoth pertaining to the Land of Israel (app. 50), and full Judicial and political power according to the Torah (app. 40). 

However, unlike just 65 years ago, the primary requirement in mitzvoth pertaining to the Land of Israel, i.e. the majority of worldwide Jewry living in the Land of Israel, is not only not limited, but encouraged by many organizations that aid in Aliyah. With God's kindness, we have merited that, according to a recent census, the Land of Israel has the most Jews than any other country in the world. Indeed, the ultimate goal of the majority of worldwide Jewry living in the Land of Israel is closer and more realistic than it has been for about 2500 years (according to one census we need about another million/million and a half Jews to shift the balance).  If we cooperate in unity, both Jews who are able to come and Jews who are unable to come to the Land of Israel, we can, with God's help, make this great dream a reality more speedily than ever. 

The Torah promises us that the mitzvoth are "not beyond the sea" nor "in the heavens".  Rather , "the matter is extremely close to you in your mouth and heart to do it" (Deut. 30, 14). It is by communicating to each other, and imbibing within our hearts the meaning  and importance of this dream that we can make this dream reality. It is for this reason that "Leshichno tidrshu" has set out to greater awareness to this matter to hasten the realization of this dream.

The Torah talks extensively about this dream, the in-gathering of exiles, in Deuteronomy chapter 30, verse 2  and 3 saying that first the people will contemplate "the blessing and the curse" that have become on them, return to God, and listen to His Voice to keep all the mitzvoth with all their heart and soul. Then God will in-gather the exiles, circumcise our hearts, etc. In "Leshichno tidrshu" we have set out to "listen to His Voice to keep all the mitzvoth"  by studying "the mitzvah", explained by our sages to be our Oral Tradition, Halacha, in regard to the group of mitzvoth so close to our grasp, the mizvot of the Land (this study is also alluded to in the Psikta which learns this concept from a different verse).

We have also made efforts "to return to God", by publicizing awareness to the Holy Presence.  We hope that through all this, we can come to contemplate the ways of God, so that we may complete these steps to the in-gathering of exiles in the fore-mentioned verses. The goal is not to show miraculous stories, or grandiose wonders, but rather to show ways of contemplation of everyday events, to open our hearts to see the ways of God in both blessing and, God forbid, curse. By doing such we become more aware to the concept of Providence in our daily lives. By contemplating God's Providence, we become more aware to God's Holy Presence and live and experience the spirit of the Holy Land, where the "Eyes of HaShem Your God are upon it from the year's advent till its end." This idea is definitely not novel, as we see that King David pleads many times  to God in Tehilim that he may tell of God's Providence upon him to others.

This brief supplement completes one of the primary messages of Hebron, bringing unity among the people by tapping into our common roots, the Patriarchs (Hebron also means to unite - lehaber). In contrast to the study of the mitzvoth of the Land in our first section which is catered mainly for those familiar with Torah sources, this new supplement is catered for the general public, religious and non-religious alike. We believe that the message of the Land of Israel can and should be delivered to the general public in unison as a way of experiencing God's Presence in daily life. We hope that these stories will give inspiration to others to contemplate God's Providence in general, and especially in the Holy Land.

Parshat Shemot By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman

Parshat Shemot

By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron 

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Today's Quest for the Holy Presence in the Holy Land
" וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂאתִי אֶת יָדִי לָתֵת אֹתָהּ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב וְנָתַתִּי אֹתָהּ לָכֶם מוֹרָשָׁה אֲנִי ה'"

Why do we pour a fifth cup of wine on Seder night? Many will answer: for the Prophet Eliyahu.. But few have studied in depth some of the earliest sources for this interesting custom.

According to a number of versions of the Talmud Psahim 118, R. Tarphon suggests to drink a fifth cup on upon saying Hallel. In what context is this fifth cup supposed to be instituted? The answer to this question is under dispute by some of the foremost poskim. Some say, like the Baal Hamaor and more, that indeed the fifth cup is obligatory.

Others, like the Ramban, say that only if there is someone who needs to drink (i.e. sick, elderly, etc) may he drink a fifth cup a drink on the pretext of saying the Great Hallel upon it. This opinion is adopted into halacha by the Rama in Orah Haim 481, 1 where he says that, even though generally speaking one may not drink wine after the fourth cup, one who is very thirsty may drink a fifth cup and say upon it the Great Hallel.

A third opinion, such as the Rambam and others, holds that R. Tarphon agrees that the basic obligation is four cups but a fifth cup is commendable. All this said, what is the reason for this fifth cup? A number of reasons have been given among the sages, but one of the most fascinating is the reason given by the Yerushalmi brought by the Orhot Haim, one of the foremost Rishonim.

This Yerushalmi explains that R. Tarphon brought a fifth cup corresponding to the fifth term of redemption - "ve'hevaiti", brought in our title quote. This matter is explained more in depth in a Yemenite haggada (p. 66) which shows how the four first cups correspond to the primary basic facets of man, while the fifth optional cup corresponds to the higher facet of man in enlightenment, for "it corresponds to 'I will bring you to the Land' - the Land of the Living, as David says 'I will walk before HaShem in the Land of the Living' (referring to enlightenment) and by knowing such one will break free and be a servant of HaShem and not a servant of servants".

Indeed, the enlightenment par excellence, prophecy, is limited to the Land of Israel in Sifri Shoftim 32 (exceptions are for the sake of the Land - see Kuzari 2, 14). Now we may understand why this fifth cup is so enigmatic, for in contrast to the first four cups which represent the first four constant concepts of redemption, the fifth concept of redemption, coming to the Land, has not always been constant, such as during the Exile.

Now we may understand why this fifth cup is connected to Eliyahu Hanavi. It is well known that Eliyahu comes to harken the Redemption. Redemption means the end of Exile, the return of the People to the Land and the return of the Shechina with them. Similarly, it is the fifth cup that comes to harken the redemption - "I will bring you to The Land".

As our title quote shows us, our roots to our Land are deep-rooted in HaShem's promise to our forefathers. It is in Hebron that our common roots as a People and our common roots to this promised Land are especially clear, as the "Holy Ones in The Land" (Tehilim 16) constantly remind us of unbroken connection from antiquity till present, that this Land is the Land of our Living Essence.  

Parshat Vayigash By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman

Parshat Vayigash

By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron 

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Seeking the Holy Presence Today in the Holy Land

"ועתה לא אתם שלחתם אותי הנה כי הא-הים"

הנה אני לוקח את עץ יוסף..את עץ יהודה ועשיתים לעץ אחד..והבאתי אותם אל אדמתם ועשיתים לגוי אחד בארץ 

(הפ)

Is there halachic significance as to the unity of The People specifically in The Land? Indeed, in regard to the laws of erroneous rulings of the Sanhedrin we clearly see that the concept of "kahal", community, in the Torah is unique to the People living in The Land. In order to explain these laws we must preface what is meant by "erroneous rulings of the Sanhedrin". 

Rambam explains these laws  in hilchot Shgagot (12, 1):  "If the High Court inadvertently erred in their ruling and ruled that a forbidden substance is permitted and as a result of their ruling, the people erred inadvertently and acted in transgression of the prohibition, while relying on the ruling of the court, and afterwards, the court discovered that they had erred, the court is obligated to bring a sin-offering for their erroneous ruling. Even if the judges themselves did not perform a deed in violation of the prohibition, they must bring this sacrifice. For we do not consider the deeds of the judges at all, what they did or did not do, only their ruling. The remainder of the people are exempt from bringing a sacrifice as individuals, even though they performed the transgression, because they relied on the court." 

Rambam continues in the following chapter to specify what is meant by "the people":

"If the majority of the inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael acted according to the erroneous ruling even if the transgressors were only from one tribe, and, similarly, if the majority of the tribes acted according to the erroneous ruling even if they are the lesser portion of the congregation, the court is liable for this sacrifice and the transgressors are exempt.

What is implied? There were 600,001 inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael. Those who acted according to the ruling of the court were 300,001 and they were all members of the tribe of Judah alone - or they were members of seven tribes even if they numbered only 100,000 the court is liable for this sacrifice and the transgressors are exempt. We are not concerned with the inhabitants of the Diaspora, for the term kahal ("congregation") applies only to the inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael."

The source of the Rambam is in Horayos 3a where the term "kahal" used in Vayira 4, 13 is cross-referenced to other verses which talk of "kahal" as referring to the People residing specifically in the Land of Israel. Contemplating these halachos leads to the following question: What is the deeper meaning of the fact that individuals who sin are each obligated for a sin offering while the majority of The People in The Land who sin (because of The Courts' faulty ruling) are exempt?

An answer saying that The People are exempt, because the fault is on The Court is not sufficient, for we know that if The Court ruled but the majority of the people did not sin, then each individual must indeed bring a sin offering.

This week's parsha may shed light on these halachos. The story of the sale of Yosef strikingly parallels the halachos we just discussed. The sale of Yosef involves a sin by the majority of the Tribes. Regarding this sin Yosef comforts his brothers:"ועתה לא אתם שלחתם אותי הנה כי הא-הים" That is, it is not you as individuals who sold me to Egypt, but rather HaShem brought me down to Egypt for the greater Divine plan.

Indeed the Zohar in Parshat Vayeshev says that the Shechina joined the brothers in the sale. Now we can better understand why The People specifically in The Land, having a close connection to the Shechina, as we have shown before, are considered exempt (except for the communal offering given by The Court), for there is a greater Divine plan at work in this instance.

In clarification, there is always a Divine plan, whether among individuals or among the people at large, whether in The Land or outside of it, but the level of Providence is greater among The People in The Land.

This week's haftora highlights, as in our opening verses, the unity of People, symbolized by the  staffs of the leading tribes Yehuda and Yosef, by bringing them to the Land, thus making them one people. What is said about the Holy Land in general in regard to unity is especially true about Hebron, city of our common roots, the Patriarchs. As "Shaar Hechatzer" (ch. 380) writes: "You will surely know that Hebron means connection (shoresh haber) and brotherhood, for those who live in the holy city of Hebron, may it be rebuilt, need to live together in love, brotherhood, tranquility, and friendship". May HaShem bless all Israel with peace.

Parshat Mikeitz / Chanukah By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman

Parshat Mikeitz / Chanukah

By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron 

לשכנו תדרשו

Seeking the Holy Presence in the Holy Land

(כֻּלָּנוּ בְּנֵי אִישׁ אֶחָד..." (בראשית מב"

 בהעלתך את הנרות אל מול פני המנורה... יאירו שבעת  הנרות

"Experiencing G-d" is the ever-greatening demand of the generations. All affiliations realize, whether openly or privately, that as time passes it is no longer sufficient enough to only "tell" each other about G-d, but rather we must also yearn and act in ways to merit the  "showing"  of G-d's Presence in our lives and before the world at large.  How long will G-d's Name be desecrated - how long will the Holy Presence be in Exile? The People yearn for the words of the prophet: 

וְלֹא יְלַמְּדוּ עוֹד אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ וְאִישׁ אֶת אָחִיו לֵאמֹר דְּעוּ אֶת

(יְקֹוָק כִּי כוּלָּם יֵדְעוּ אוֹתִי לְמִקְטַנָּם וְעַד גְּדוֹלָם..."(ירמיה לא

"No longer will man tell his friend: 'know G-d!', for all will know Me from young till old". 

But what are the primary causes for our unnatural situation, so distant from the countenance of HaShem's Presence? The Torah even promises us special Divine Providence with regard to the Shemitah year saying: "And I will command My blessing for you on the sixth year and (the land) will make produce lasting for the three years"(Lev. 25,21). Although we know of stories of the pious who showed this level of providence (R. Mutzafi, for example, grew wheat for matza and on the sixth year produce tripled), where is this level of Providence for the People at large? 

Isaiah indeed asks these questions before G-d, in context of the desecration of G-d's Name: "why do You make us go astray from Your ways, hardening our hearts from Your fear?"(63, 17) But the questions of Isaiah before G-d are indeed an answer for us. In what context are these questions posed? No other than the Exile of the People from The Land. (See also Rambam in "8 chapters, ch. 8) That is, the Exile of the Shechina is directly related to the Exile of The People from The Land. (See also Hagiga 5b: "once Israel was exiled there is no greater nullification of the Torah than that").

Indeed, even the Shemitah year, that was given as an example as to the level of Providence, is observed today (according to most opinions) only on Rabbinic basis, for the very same reason, the state of Exile. In order for Shemitah to be observed on a Biblical basis the majority of Jews in the world must live in The Holy Land as the Rambam explains more clearly in the laws of Trumot (1, 26), which have the same wording in the Torah 'when you (the national whole) enter The Land'.

In the present era, even in the areas settled by the Jews who ascended from Babylonia, even those [settled] in the era of Ezra, [the obligation to separate] terumah does not have the status of a Scriptural commandment, merely that of a Rabbinic decree. [The rationale is that] the Scriptural [commandment to separate] terumah applies only in Eretz Yisrael and only when the entire Jewish people are located there. [This is derived from the phrase] "When you enter...." [Implied is that] the entire [Jewish people] must enter [the land], as they did when they took possession of the land originally and as will happen in the future when they take possession of the land a third time. In contrast, the second time [the people] took possession of the land, in the time of Ezra, only a portion entered. Hence, they were not obligated according to Scriptural Law. 

Similarly, it appears to me that the same concept applies with regard to the tithes. In the present era, this obligation [as well] has the status of a Rabbinic decree like terumah." "More precisely, the majority of the Jewish people, for the majority is considered equivalent to the entire whole". (Moznaim pub. footnote) 

Actually, at least 50 Torah commandments are directly dependent on the majority of Jews living in The Land. In comparison, at least quantitatively, Orach Haim, which comprises the laws of our daily, Shabbos, and holiday lifestyle deals with about 45 Torah commandments. It is therefore not surprising that we do not see the fulfillment of the Torah's promises regarding Shemitah on a national level, especially when on a halachic perspective "The Nation" is still not in The Land, for the majority of worldwide Jewry still do not live in The Land. 

In fact, the last time the majority of Jews was in the Land was before the era of Ezra, i.e. First Temle period, as is indicative in the quote from the Rambam above. Indeed, the Shechina was missing (at least to its ultimate level) in the Second Temple (Yoma 21b). Today, we are closer, more than countless generations before us, to this great goal. 

As Jews we know of two types of mitzvot: mitzvot that pertain to the individual and mitzvot that pertain to the group whole. "Leshichno Tidrshu" aims at bringing awareness to the many commandments that pertain to us as a group whole, so that one day we will merit to obey these commandments in practice. 

This is done via "Hebron", literally to connect (lehaber), the people to our common roots "כולנו בני איש אחד", the Holy Patriarchs, and by connecting to the unifying force of the Shechina, symbolized by the central stem of the Menorah that all six other lights turn to (see Shabbat 22b). This unity is only fully realized in The Holy Land, the place of the Holy Shechina, as it says "Who is like Your People Israel One People in The Land". (Chr. 17, 2 and Zohar 3, 93b)