New Shtieble#6 Toldos Print

8/10/2019 New Shtieble#6 Toldos Print

1/12

CONGREGATION SHAAREY TORAH

THE SHTIEBLE 9 8 W E S T E N D AV E B R O O K L Y N N Y 1 1 2 3 5

Shabbos Toldos ,usku, ,ca 30THof Cheshvan 5775 Nov 22

HaRav Moshe Plutchok-t"yhka tr,ts trn R Akiva Eisenstadt -kkuf atr

A PROJECT BY THE MANHATTAN BEACH COMMUNITY KOLLEL

If You Would Like To Subscribe To The Weekly "Shtieble" Please Email [email protected] - To Dedicate An Issue Please Call 917-312-0951

s

Shacharis Sunday 8:00 am

Shacharis Monday - Friday 7:00 am & 8:00 am

Mincha/Maariv 4:20/4:35 pm

Mishna Brurah Chaburah M-F: 6:30 am

Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Daily: After the 8:00 am Shachris

Daf Yomi Shiur Every Night: 6:00 pm

Tuesday Night Shmooze: 8:00 pm Rabbi Plutchok Shiur

WEEKDAY SCHEDULE

DEDICATED LREFUAH SHELEMA - MENACHEM MENDEL BEN GELA

SPONSORED BY MENACHEM & BINAH BRAUNSTEIN IN MEMORY OF THEIR GRANDPARENTS:

k"mz hat crv ic ovrct van cr - k"mz h,ca crv ic vhrt cegh crv - v"g ohhj ktrah crv ,c gybgh ,rn - k"mz ahrgc rfaah crv ic van crv

SPONSORED BY THE EISENSTADT FAMILY

hcm ojbn crv ic vhnjb ;xu h van r ,nab rfzk -R YOSSI EISENSTADT

LZECHER NISHMAS RABBI MOSHE TWERSY, RABBI ARYEH KUPINSKY, RABBI KALMAN ZEEV LEVINE, & RABBI AVRAHAM SHMUEL GOLDBERG.

Candle Lighting: 4:15 pm

Mincha: 4:25 pm

Shacharis: 8:45 am

Sof Zman Krias Shema: 9:06 am (Gra)

Daf Yomi: TBA

Mincha: 4:10 pm

Maariv: 5:23 pm

Motzai Shabbos: 5:33 pm(60 min) - 5:45 pm (72 min)

Avos U Banim: 6:10 pm

SHABBOS SCHEDULE


2/12

2 THE SHTIEBLE

Many (many) years ago, the new York health authority

aired a now famous commercial where a parent was scolding,

exhorting and lambasting his son for smoking. Caught red

handed in the act, the child was being grilled by the father as to

where he had learned to do this despicable thing. Whereupon,

the confused and angry child slowly turned towards the father

and said from you...... dad,...... I learned it from you.

Contradictory parenting hardly ever works. Children

pretty much know the score and have a wonderfully annoying

ability to see right through the facades that parents sometimes

put up, even when they have (legitimate) reasons to do so.

But the truth seems to be that even if a parent is not falling

over his own two left feet there still needs to be a special

emphasis and focus when it comes to parenting and training

kids for the real world.

Rav Moshe Feinstein, bederech derushI believe, draws

out a very important point from the beginning of this weeks

parsha.

VEilah Toldos Yitzchok ben Avraham, Avraham Holid

es Yitzchok,and these are the children of Yitzchok the son of

Avraham, Avraham was the father of Yitzchok,is a verse with

an obvious redundancy that begs explanation.

Referring to the words and these are the children of

Yitzchok the son of Avraham,Rashi tells us that the Torah is

ostensibly referring to his two children, Yaakov and Eisav,

who are the main topic of this weeks parsha.

Yet immediately after these words, the Torah writes that

you should know that Avraham Holid es Yitzchok- Avraham

was the father of Yitzchok. It seems as if we started one idea

and then we just digressed suddenly from it. What is the

logical connection? We know Avraham was Yitzchoks father,

the Torah had just mentioned it! Why tell it to us again? What

is the Torah trying to tell us? Why the redundancy?

Rav Moshe has his own way of looking at this pasuk and

he shares an interesting idea.

Being a child of Avraham was an exemplary case study

of lineage. Yitzchaks father was none other than the one andonly Avraham Avinu, the person who spread and instilled the

idea of monotheism to the people who would listen and who

came to realize that there has to be a Borei Olam in the world.

He was the Av of all Avos. Yitzchoksyichusis quite clear and

explicit. It explains and shows who he was, how he came to

be and where he is supposed to go.

So, one might think that all that remains is probably to

kick up ones feet and wait for the amazing kids and grandkids

to emanate from this royal blue-blood line.

Yet, Rav Moshe writes, ones wonderful stock of a family

doesnt mean that one who comes from them can sit bac

kick up his feet and relax. Rav Moshe understands that t

Torah goes out of its way to rst show us Yitzchoks herita

and ironclad credentials, and yet tell us, that he still had h

notorious son, Eisav. Even with such perfect parents such

Yitzchok and Rivka there were issues and difculties.

I dont think Rav Moshe was talking about Yitzchok

personal approach to chinuch, although the Rishonim

discuss his curious connection and love for his obviously

good son, Eisav. The general principle of active parenting

what Rav Moshe is emphasizing.

One cannot sit on his laurels and just hope for good kid

Teaching, educating, and instilling yiddishkeit takes swe

blood and tears. It also takes its toll on ones regular limit

patience, but we all know that our only option is to raise o

level of patience. Plus, when you think about it the end gam

is obviously worth the time, wait, and patience.

Chinuch, Rav Moshe writes, requires a constant vigilan

in the goings on of our childrens yahadus and ensuring th

derechin a normal, ne and classic manner. We are requir

to teach them. We strongly hope that they receive the advic

knowledge and wisdom which we can try to offer them. B

chinuch is something that always needs to be on our radar.

The following story has been in these papers before but

bring out our point it denitely bears repeating.

Rabbi Yaakov Vann was once walking through the streeof Brooklyn when he was unexpectedly called off the stre

by a few men who were sitting shiva for their father a

needed the colloquial tenth man for a minyan. Seeing th

these men were hardly observant and wishing to help the

out, he ventured into the shiva home and was utterly surpris

by what he observed. The house was full of sefarim, Jewi

books of Torah. These books were hardly the unused type, a

quite the contrary, were well worn and had copious footnot

carefully written on the sidebar.

Following the services R Yaakov inquired about the boo

and the children explained that the seforim had belonged their father. You see, they explained, dad was a scholar,

loved his Torah books. Every day when he would come hom

from his difcult job he would sit in his room, close and lo

his door and learn for hours. We hardly ever saw him and

mostly kept the Torah to himself. He was the one that learn

but he never studied when we were around or with us.

The famous story of the Gadol who publicly stat

that while he accomplished so much by his world wi

dissemination of Torah, he still wished that instead

learning Rambam at the Shabbos table, he wouldve sa

RAV MOSHE ON PARENTINGR Akiva Eisenstadt Rosh Kollel


3/12

THE SHTIE

more zemiros with his children. That was what his children

needed at that time. He could have given them that.

Involvement takes many forms. Every stage of life needs

different manners and methods. A thought out plan is usually

necessary. Knowing who each child is, understanding what

HE likes and is involved with, is most probably a great ide

Knowing how to guide them is the best idea. But that tak

patience, listening, understanding, weeks, months and yea

of work.

Yet, Rav Moshe says, that is the essence of chinuch.

R Akiva Eisensta

UNSUNG HEROES: RAV MOSHEH TWERSKY ZTLR Baruch Kleinman Chaver HaKollel

When I began writing my thoughts on the recent tragedy

in Har Nof, I questioned why this article had to be written.

The massacre had not only struck a cord in all those who have

ever prayed at a minyan, in any shul, in any country; but has

been especially devastating for all those who knew one of

those holy victims, Harav Mosheh Twersky zaychar tzadik

vkadosh lvracha. Many articles have been written, many

published. Some felt the need to let people know, whether it be

an email to a family member, a call to a neighbor. Others were

under the impression that silence would be the most potent

remedy to console our severely broken hearts. We have all

had encounters with holy people. Rarely do we witness such

a tragic and pure end to one of the most angelic individuals of

our generation.

People ask me, what set the Rebbe apart from other

Rabbis? Many of us have learned under the guidance of

Torah luminaries or have come into contact with elite Rabbis

of our generation. Many have sterling character, others are

geniuses in Torah study. In my opinion, what made the Rebbe

special was this rare synthesis of Torah and Middos. In order

to analyze Torah properly, one must grapple with conicting

opinions and be critical of all he is learning. Naturally, this can

cause a person to be contentious and aggressive in his pursuit

for truth and correct ruling. As the Gemara states (Kiddushin

30b), when two chavrusas commit to dialogue they are at rst

enemies, yet ultimately the result is comradery and mutual

respect. Rabbi Twersky must have has an alternate approachto this Gemara. Although erce and unwavering in Torah toil,

he was always with a smile on his face and never let the heat

of the moment overtake his congenial demeanor.

His care for his students was unparalleled. One student

told me a story that he was once feeling ill. As a precaution, he

took off a couple days and rested up in bed. When he returned,

not yet fully convalesced, Rabbi Twersky asked the student

why he was missing. The student responded that he was not

feeling well. Rabbi Twersky asked the symptoms and upon

hearing them insisted the student call a prominent doctor he

knew from Boston who had since moved to Israel. One would

expect a Rabbi to be sensitive and caring, but not to intervene

to the extent that the Rebbe did.

Even people who are not afliated with Judaism were

enamored by his angelic presence. One such person told me

that he did not have much interaction with him but he always

seemed like an upstanding individual who was always careful

with every word he uttered. A true representative of what

Hashem expects from us under all circumstances.

His appreciation for Torah purity was unparalleled. He

once told me a story about a time he was sitting in a Bais

Medrash learning. A young boy nearby was learning, singing

the words of Torah with a divine melodious tune. After a

little bit, the boy closed his Gemara and left. Rabbi Twersky

exclaimed, The angels were singing along with the boy, wha

a shame that he could not continue longer. The music of yourTorah in our ears will not soon be forgotten.

He did this all without fanfare. A man who was content

with inuencing those around him by leading by example

shying from the spotlight. Exemplifying the primary trait o

Yaakov Avinu, Rabbi Twersky was a true Yoshev Ohalim. His

Ohel, extended from his home, to the walls of Toras Moshe

to the hearts and souls of every individual who has ever come

in contact with him.

This article does not add much to the plethora of articles

singing the accolades of a true Tzadik in our time. I can

only hope that this endeavor instilled in me a little morestrength to remember his legacy and try to emulate the man

I observed serving Hashem like no other. I was not a student

of the Rebbe, but my rare chances to interact with him left

an indelible imprint. I hope that his inuence will permeate

all of those who knew him, and that stories of his memory

will touch all of those who were not as fortunate. Through

our appreciation for his approach, we too can set an example

and serve Hashem in the way Rav Mosheh Twersky served

Hashem, a paradigm for all of Klal Yisroel.


4/12

4 THE SHTIEBLE

Rabbi Avraham Greenwald

amazing! Hashem directly commands to change your pla

and yet you would be happier the other way?! The answ

is that this is the nature of a human being. One cannot he

but be subjective. When we must make a decision, we mu

realize that even if our sole intent is for the sake of Heaven

is impossible to remove our subjectivity. This is a strong a

invaluable lesson.

(2) Although twins, Yaakov and Eisav were as different

night and day. This, explainsRan, was by purposeful desi

- so that they should not develop a close relationship. Taki

this further, he explains that Hashem purposely arranged th

Yaakov should steal the blessings. Why? So that a hatr

should be ingrained in Esav and his descendants for all tim

Halachah beyedua Esav soneh leYaakov- this hatred start

with the berachos. [And Esav harbored hatred toward Yaak

because of the blessing with which his father had blessed h

(27:41).] With the establishment of Klal Yisrael, Hashem s

up a system to keep us in line - if we veer from the pa

Esav is there to hound us! When the hatred of Esav is out

the open, it means that we must think what we stand for. W

must realize that this is not something which we merely ha

to live through. Rather, it is a hatred designed by Hashem f

our benet.

Yitzchaks eyesight starts diminishing at the Akeida

87 years before the berachos. 3 years later, Rivka m

Yitzchak while Yitzchak was davening. Netziv explai

that Rivka was so awe-stricken by this encounter [Riv

saw Yitzchak and she fell from the camel (24:64)] that h

relationship with Yitzchak was one of awe; she was n

comfortable [as the other imahoswere] to confront Yitzch

and speak her mind. For what purpose? So that the berach

be given in the manner that they were given. [If Rivka wou

not have been in awe, she would have set Yitzchak straig

and the berachos would have been given to Yaakov witho

deception.] Hashem arranged things 84 years in advance

that Yaakov would have to steal the berachos. Imagin

87 years earlier wondering why Yitzchak should have suffer specically because of the akeidah or wondering

years earlier why the relationship of Rivka could not be as

normal husband/wife relationship. Hard to understand. B

close to 90 years later, we see the answer. It was planned a

orchestrated by Hashem.

This, too, is a lesson for us. We may not always understan

but we can be assured that there is a Divine Plan that we w

one day merit to see.

We all know that Yitzchak loved Esav and wishedto bless him. Following Rivkas guidance (giventhrough ruach hakodesh or nevuah), Yaakov fooled Yitzchak

and was blessed in the place of Esav. Many meforshim

deal with the obvious question: What did Yaakov gain with

his deception? How can a blessing given under a mistaken

pretense be effective?Ran (Derashah #5) explains that this

blessing was not Yitzchaks blessing. Yitzchak was merely

the vessel, through which the blessing of Hashem would

ow to the recipient. This blessing was given with a spirit

of prophecy. Yitzchaks mistaken conception of who was

standing in front of him was of no consequence, for, in essence

it was Hashem giving the blessing and not Yitzchak.

The following, however, still needs clarication.

Obviously, Hashem willed that Yaakov be the recipient of this

blessing. Hashem even let Rivka know of His will. Why, then,

was the deception necessary? In the same way that Hashem

let Rivka know of His will - that Yaakov be blessed - why

didnt He let Yitzchak know through prophecy that he is

mistaken and Yaakov should, in fact, be the recipient of this

blessing?!

Ran presents two answers. (1) Yitzchak was misled by

Esavs actions. He loved Esav. In general a blessing given

with love is that much more effective. Certainly here, where

the blessing was given with the spirit of Hashem, it was of

utmost importance that the blessing be given with the greatest

joy, for the spirit of Hashem cannot rest upon a person who

is not joyful; the more joyful he is, the more connected with

Hashem he can be. Says theRan, if Hashem would have come

to Yitzchak and told him: I know you wish to bless Esav, but

I would like you to bless Yaakov instead, certainly Yitzchak

would have listened, but there is no question that some of

the joy would have left him; he would not have been in the

ultimate state of simcha, and that would have affected the

blessings effectiveness. Hashem wished to bless Yaakov

through Yitzchak, with a blessing that would be complete. In

order for that to happen, Yitzchak had to be in a state of totalecstasy, so that he could be totally connected with Hashem;

that could happen only if he thought he was blessing Esav.

Hashem therefore orchestrated that the blessing Yitzchak gave

with such love and joy should actually be received by Yaakov.

While, we cannot begin to fathom the greatness of

Yitzchak, the Torah was given to teach and guide us. That being

said, this teaches us a tremendous lesson: Hashem would tell

Yitzchak to bless Yaakov and yet Yitzchak, who subjugated

himself completely to Hashem [as an olah], would, by nature,

not be as joyful as if he would be blessing Esav! This is truly

PARSHAS TOLDOS


5/12

THE SHTIE

WEEKLY INSIGHTSR Aharon Finkelstein Chaver HaKollel

What is Gelotology?This is the study of laughter and its effects on thebody. There are many in the medical eld which postulates

that the utilization of humor can be employed as a therapy

which helps a patient cope with the physical and psychological

issues that he encounters.

So how do we dene what is humor?

Finding something humorous is the feeling that we

experience when we suddenly encounter that which was

not expected. Laughter is the expression of our discovery of

this newly revealed outcome which we did not previously

anticipate.

Rabbi Avraham Steinberg Shlita focuses our attention

to Yitzchak Avinu, whose very existence evokes humor. He

explains that Avraham Avinu was well respected in his time,

but so many people within his generation were assuming

that his death would mark the end of his legacy. The reason

being is that he was without child and no one imagined that he

would ever have one.

Therefore, it was with tremendous surprise and completely

unanticipated when all of a sudden at such an old age Sarah

conceived and had a child. Avraham and Sarah laughed. They

laughed in joy and at the fortunate result that they many

thought would never be. The very name Yitzchak means

laughter. The very thought of this occurrence brought laughter

to everyones heart. Many felt Hashems hand in all of this

rekindling a lost hope. The laughter was one of elation and

jubilation, of that which seemed so unbelievable of actually

ever occurring.

Yet, laughter is not conned to the context of this one

dening scope. There is another type of humor which presents

itself within this narration. Let us look at the beginning of

this weeks perasha which can give us more insight. It states,

And these are the offspring of Yitzchak son of Avraham

Avraham begot Yitzchak (Toldot 25:19). The question is

raised on why the repetition of the same point at the end of

the verse Avraham begot Yitzchak. The verse already statedquite clearly that Isaac was the son of Abraham.

Rashi (1040-1105) conveys that the rst part of the verse

was solely to demonstrate the point about lineage, just as

it expresses. The second point of stating Avraham begot

Yitzchak is to answer an entirely different issue. The scoffers

of Avrahams generation were spreading the notion that Sarah

became pregnant from Avimelech when he captured her. She

spent many years with Avraham, they reasoned, and yet she

was not able to conceive. They then laughed and mocked at the

notion that Avraham could possibly be the father of Yitzchak.

They laughed inappropriately, a laugh that was not in joy b

in degradation. This is the humorous chuckle of the leitz

the Hebrew word for the scorner. These ridiculers conclud

that Sarah was only able to conceive after her abduction

Avimelech.

So what did Hashem do? He formed Yitzchaks face

resemble that of Avraham, it would be an indication to all tha

was only through Avraham that Yitzhak was conceived, hen

the latter part of the verse which proclaims this testimon

Avraham begot Yitzchak.

We see then that there was a concern of the scoffe

inuence, enough of a concern that Hashem arraigned even

to invalidate their assertion and the Torah itself bears a textu

demonstration to rebut their claims.

Why do we need to be weary of the scoffers laughter?

The Ramchal (1707-1746) explains that the scoffer utiliz

jest and derision to prevent themselves from seeing that whi

is important in life. The scoffer laughs, not in appropria

humor, but in derision. He scoffs because he does not ta

life seriously. He ridicules important issues and cannot ha

a productive conversation. Shameful humor is used by him

detach any accountability to change.

Consider a person that lives a decadent lifestyle,

may see a religious family man as a threat to his way

life. Instead of addressing his own concerns about religio

marriage and family, he may instead look to make fun this man. Now he has diminished his worth and the des

to reect on the signicance of the mans values. It inste

becomes non-appealing and without merit to him (Mesil

Yesharim, Chapter 5). An even greater challenge is then fac

by the victim of these derisive attacks, how does he, which

on the receiving end of scorn, deal with it? For many, tho

condescending comments not only inuence how others s

him, but sadly, we nd that it inuences how he may s

himself. It may cause hesitation, uncertainty, and reservati

about the path that he has chosen.

Applying this to our personal lives, we should know ththe lessons of the Torah are practical lampposts which a

there to guide our way. We live in a time where the Jewi

existence can be the victim of scoffers and scornful remark

They may laugh at our rituals and customs, at our beliefs a

priorities, at our persistence and focus. They may nd us

be naive; having trust in one G-d and having our existen

depend on his Will. These are the tools of the scoffer, to giv

questionable eye, a stealthy smirk, or a hard felt laugh. The

are his ammunition, preventing himself from ever being ab

to see clearly and driving a doubtful nail into our hearts.


6/12

6 THE SHTIEBLE

How to we protect ourselves from all of this?

The formula is quite simple. We need to follow the

deeper message that is being conveyed to us, following the

exact prescription that Hashem prescribed in dealing with

the scoffers of Avrahams generation. The answer was that

Yitzchaks face was made to mirror that of Avrahams. We

must do the same for ourselves. We must formulate and

pattern the face of our own Judaism in the likeness of our

father, Avraham Avinu. We must reect his strong character

and conviction, his understanding and foresight, and stay

protected as he did, within the shield of his faith. We mu

be ambassadors of devotion and loyalty, emulating the wa

of G-d, showing the distinct and special qualities of what

means to be holy. We must be a walking Kiddush Hashem,

that it is apparent to all, what is the true depiction of Hashem

sacred nation.

It is only when that mirror of certainty is held high f

everyone to see, that the scorn of the scoffer becomes hushe

The only sound left to be heard is the joyful laughter of tru

the sound of what it means to be a Jew.

PARSHAS TOLDOS; NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COLORSR Boruch Yechiel Schreiber

The Parsha tells us, when Yakov and Eisav were born,

there was no need to nameEisav. VayikrushmoEisav,

saysRashieveryone called himEisav. Whereas, YakovAvinu

was given his name by Hashemand his father Yitzchok. What

is the explanation of this, why was there no need to formally

choose a name for Eisav, while for Yaakov his father and

Hashemwere honored with his name-giving.

Thesefarimteach us that the name of a person is not just

a tool with which to refer to him with, but rather the name of

a person denes his true essence. This is whyAdamHorishon

after naming each animal declared that he couldnt nd a soul-

mate. It was only after dening the essence of each animal

and thereby naming them, that he was able to recognize

that these beings were obviously never meant to be his life

partner. With this we can also understand what the Torahtells

us after Yaakov fought with the Malach , SarshelEisav in

this weeks Parsha. Yaakovasked theMalachhis name, but

he refused to reveal it. Rashi explains that a Malach does

not have any specic job description, every day he is sent on

another mission. This is hard to understand, what does the

Malachsoccupation have to do with his name? The answer

is as explained, a human being that has a dened existence

can have a name; an angel that his mission changes constantlycannot retain one dening name.

Accordingly, the Sefarimsay that when parents name their

baby, it is only through Divine intuition that they decide and

designate their choice name to their child. We are all aware of

stories of parents that wanted to name a child a certain name

and for whatever reason ended up naming a different name

than intended. This is because a name denes the essence and

potential role this child will play, which is not apparent yet at

birth.

Now we can better understand the difference between

Eisavand Yaakovsname-giving.Eisavwas a shallow perso

His actions were inuenced by the surface and outwa

appearance of his surroundings. When Eisav saw the so

Yaakovwas preparing, he requested that Yaakovpour him so

of the red stuff. A soup can be described by many differ

ways its taste, its texture, its temperature (hot soup vs co

soup). The most shallow and meaningless way to describ

food is by its color. Eisavsaw the outside. He couldnt s

past the external appearance to delve into the essence of w

really lie beneath. Thus, whenEisavwas born everyone w

able to name him, because what they saw is what they g

There wasnt any deepness or depth involved. Eisavmea

all made; all done. There was no potential lurking bene

waiting to be expressed with time.

Yaakov, on the other hand, was all depth. His entire be

was to see beyond the external trimmings of this world a

to recognize that true greatness lies within the four am

of Halacha, beyond the ashing lights of Broadway. On

Hashem and YitzchokAvinu were able to name this bab

Indeed, his name Yaakov, named for his grabbing ofEsa

ankle, represents his essence which was to constantly strug

and ght against the power ofEisavi.e. the illusions of t

world (and ultimately winning the battle, culminating whis name being changed to Yisroel).

I once heard from Rav Mattisyahu Salomon Shlit

Mashgiach of Lakewood, a fascinating story. He told o

young Avreich who came to Rav Schach Ztl with his you

child for a Bracha. Rav Shach offered the child a bag

candies and told him to choose for himself a red candy. T

father protested, telling the great Rosh Yeshiva, that he w

teaching his child to be like Eisav who also requested som

Red Soup.

Rav Schach answered that the father was making a b

R Aharon Finkelste


7/12

THE SHTIE

R Boruch Yechiel Schreib

mistake. Every child likes red candies; Eisavs problem was

that he remained a child. This is a very deep insight into our

lives. Color denes the surface. Children are born without deep

intuition, so they are captivated by the outward appearance of

things. As we get older we must outgrow that stage and learn

to see beyond the color.

Unfortunately we live in a shallow, colorful world. The

food we eat, the drinks we drink are all articially colored

blind us from making decisions on whats really importa

Pepsi tried selling color-free soda, but quickly learned th

although it tasted the same, without color it didnt sell.

Let us teach ourselves and our children to mature from o

childlike instincts, and to realize that color and appearance a

not what count, its what lies beneath thats important.

R Ari Madel

PEACE

ParshasToldosbegins recounting the birth of YaakovandEsav. When describing Esav the pasuk states that hecame out of the womb extremely hairy and red.Rashi(25)

comments that he was completely developed with hair, as

someone who was already a mature adult.Rashinotes that he

was referred to asEdmonibecause it was a sign that he would

grow up and become a murderer.

BaalHaturimsays thatEsavwas born complete, he was

physically mature. He then adds that the numerical value of

Esavis 276 which is equivalent to the numerical value of the

word Sholom, which means peace.

Later in the parshaYitzchok said to Esav that by your

sword you shall live; his sword would be his bread and

butter. This seems a bit odd because that is the exact opposite

of the numerical value of his name, equating to peace. What

can be an explanation as to how these two seemingly opposite

thoughts can be reconciled?

RavSimchaZiselZtlsays that thesholomover here isnt

referring to the peace as in living in harmony amongst others

but rather it refers to the peace that he was at with himself.

He was content with what he was doing and the level he

was currently on. He had absolutely no desire to improve on

anything.

Such was the recipe for a lifelong path of utter failure

and disaster. If a persons ears are closed to other peoplesideas, criticisms and suggestions, then such a person walks

around as if he has no need to make himself better; these types

of people will ultimately end up murderers. Just asEsavwas

born complete in his physical sense he also was at peace with

himself-and complete-as to the direction he was headed; he

was born like that; he was at peace with who he was.

A person has to always keep his eyes and ears open for

suggestions. Criticism can be accepted if given over properly

and one should never shun from it.

RMosheFeinstein,Ztl, once wrote a teshuvawhich was

viewed by some as controversial. To the extent, that there w

a certain individual who wrote a whole entire pamphlet again

the teshuvaarguing with RebMoshe. It would be one thi

had he attacked the halachicprinciple alone but this pers

had also attackedRebMoshepersonally. It was written ve

harshly and border lined nasty. His family thought that R

Moshewould be hurt had he seen that kuntrisso they tri

to keep it away from him. But of course he heard about

and he wanted to see it. They tried every excuse, but he w

persistent. Finally, he got a hold of it and he read the who

entire pamphlet. When he was done he simply dropped it

the table and he said eh, its nothing. He wanted to s

it for perhaps he misunderstood something and he thoug

he may have erred in his halachicview. He didnt care ifwas sandwiched between rubbish and personal insults. H

wanted to hear the truth and was open to criticism becau

he demanded perfection. This was the complete opposite

Esavwho didnt want to hear anything from anybody.

The message here is clear. No one is happy with whe

they are today; we all strive for greatness. Deep down insi

each and every one of us yearns to become greater and great

The best advice I was ever given was from a Rebbi

mine in EretzYisroel. As I left his house for the airport

return to America and begin a new journey of life, he sa

to me: remember, youre going to start dating now athe most important aspect to look for in a girl is growt

Ask yourself and then ask her-are you looking to grow?

continue growing even after the wedding bells die down

thats the most important question.

We cannot stop yearning. We must keep moving forwar

A little bit today and a little more tomorrow will ultimate

lead us in the proper direction where we will show Hashe

that we are ready for him to take us out of this terrible gal

and escort intoEretzYisroel, speedily in our days.


8/12

8 THE SHTIEBLE

Q: Where does one see the concept of the importance of

kavod habriyos (giving honor to human dignity)?

A: Throughout the Talmud there is much mention of giving

honor to the Torah as well as many sources that encourage

extolling laurels onto pious people. The idea that one should

honor oneself, no matter what level hes at, is also alluded to

in various settings. Some of which are:

(1) The idea that a Kohen Gadol who happens to be a

Nazir of which he is doubly prohibited from becoming

impure from a dead body must still tend to a mais

mitzvah (person who died without anyone available

to tend to the burial) because of thekavod habriyos

of the person who just passed away.

(2) The fact the Torah ned one who steals and slaughters

an ox or a sheep differently. The one who thieves an

ox is required to pay ve times the amount and the

one who snatches the sheep is only obligated to pay

four times. The reason given for this1 is that since

when stealing the sheep the felon had to carry it on

his back thereby causing himself embarrassment, he

is not required to pay as much as if he had stolen an

animal that walked willingly by his side.

(3) The donkey that spoke with Bilam was killed

immediately after that famous miraculous event.

It would have been a tremendous kiddush Hashem

to have the donkey come back and explain how

providential it was that Bilam ended up blessing klal

Yisroel and how his talking was so instrumental in

this turn around. However if the donkey were to do so

it would have been extremely embarrassing to Bilam

to be upended by a mere donkey, hence the order of

the donkeys demise.

It is obvious that even if the person is;

(1) no longer alive

(2) a thief

(3) a wicked person

the Torah still goes out of its way to protect the dignity of all

people.

Q: If this is the case then why do we see in the Gemar

that if one is walking in the street and realizes that he

wearing shatnez then he must disrobe immediately, ev

in public, to remove the garment from himself, shouldn

we be concerned about kavod habriyos?

A: What is important to understand in gaining access to th

topic is that there is a difference as to what issurimwe w

push aside in the face of kavod habriyos. While the Gema

boldly states look how great kavod habriyos is that it push

aside a lo seaseh it should be understood that this is n

a regular negative prohibition but is rather referring to t

prohibition of lo sasur4...which is the biblical commandme

not to move away from what the Rabbanon decreed. Hen

what comes out of this is that while we will push off an iss

that is Rabbinic we will not do so for a biblical prohibition.

the verse5states explicitly ain chachma, vain tevunah, va

aitzah lneged Hashem (there is no wisdom, no suggesti

and no alternative when it comes to opposing Hashem

Therefore when in the face of a biblical prohibition there is

possibility to move it aside, while if it were to be a Rabbin

issurthere is room to do so.

Q: Are there any situations where we fnd that we can app

the formula of kavod habriyos pushing off a Rabbin

infraction?

A: There are many such cases where you see the importan

of maintaining ones dignity. Some of which are:

if one is davaning for the amud and has to relie

himself but leaving the amud would cause obvio

embarrassment6 then one can be lenient and rema

albeit ignoring the rabbinic7 infraction of ba

tishaktzu8

which is usually what one would transgressing when holding himself back from usi

the restroom.9

If one is a Rav or even a shliach tzibbur who is

longer counting serah with a bracha but will

very embarrassed to have to pass on making t

bracha out loud as everyone will understand th

he forgot one complete day, he may then make t

bracharegardless, as making a bracha lvatalah

R Heshy Kahan|Chaver HaKollel

HALACHIC PERSPECTIVES: Kavod Hbriyos - Human Dignity


9/12

THE SHTIE

R Heshy Kaha

Rabbinic infraction because of kavod habriyos is mo

evident?

A: On Shabbos in particular we see from the poskim vario

different situations where we allow kavod habriyos to preva

Such as:

If one ventures outside of his techum (2000 amos fro

the outskirts of his city) on Shabbos the Rabbon

decreed that he must remain in his place until Shabb

is over. In the event that he has to relieve himself t

Rabbonon pushed aside this decree and allowed hi

to move 4 amos from his spot to use the facilities

its not dignied to stand in the same area where o

used to take care of his needs.

When Chazal decreed that one may not use a tree

Shabbos out of concern that he may come to bra

off a branch etc. they also enacted the law that if o

were to climb a tree on Shabbos he would be requir

to stay there for the duration of Shabbos. Similar

the above mentioned exception, if one had to use t

bathroom he would be permitted to come down fro

the tree because of kavod habriyos.

If someones suit got dirty to the point where it

embarrassing to walk around on Shabbos and he is

a situation where he has no access to another wearab

garment (i.e. in a hotel, at a Shabbaton etc.) th

one would be allowed to ask a non-Jew to clean t

dirty spots for him as it would be undignied to wa

around in this fashion. Since asking a non-Jew to

melachah on Shabbos is only prohibited dRabban

we can excuse it in this case of kavod habriyos.

If a person got a sudden rip or snag16on his clothi

in a section of the garment that makes him look sior undignied there is room to allow a non-Jew

sew the hole (assuming there is no other garme

available) based on the above mentioned premise.

If someone mistakenly stuffed up a toilet and the

is no other restroom available or it would be high

offensive to others or even himself (i.e. visiting on

future father and mother in law for the rst Shabb

etc.) he may then have a non-Jew unclog the toilet v

only a Rabbinic infraction10of not saying Hashems

name in vain hence it can be pushed aside because

of kavod habriyos. [this can be derived from a very

famous shaila11 in which a woman who had a child

out of wedlock then was chozer bteshuva(repented

from her old ways) and married a ben Torah of which

she gave birth to a son soon thereafter. The poskim

allowed her husband to make a regular pidyon haben

with the brachaas the embarrassment that she would

have incurred by telling her new husband that she

had previously given birth would be so great it was

decided to let the bracha lvatalahbe made12]

although one is supposed to bentch with a minyan

when starting his seudah with ten people this gets

somewhat uncomfortable when trying to leave a

chasunah early as according to the letter of the law one

would have to do sheva brachos just as well. In due

to the kavod habriyos of the chosson and kallah not

having to have to watch everyone else take over their

wedding and start giving out kibudim without their

consent the poskim allow one to leave without zimun

with a minyan even though that would normally be a

rabbinic requirement.13

If one has to atulate while in the middle of davaning

so although the Gemara states that he has to move

four tefachim and say a certain nusach we nd that

this is not done in practice because of the possible

embarrassment that this would cause hence we push

aside this Rabbinic enactment.

If one has to tend to a mais(corpse) and it is the time

to read the Megilah one should suspend the Rabbinic

mitzvah to hear the Megilah in order to protect the

kavod habriyos of the one who passed away.14

On Tisha Bav day when not wearing leather shoes

was decreed by the Rabbanon we see that the

poskim15allow one to wear regular shoes if amongst

people who will poke fun at him for walking around

so strangely (i.e. lawyer going to court, business

executive at professional meeting etc.) as kavod

habriyospushes off this enactment.

Q: Is there any time when the concept of pushing off a


10/12

0 THE SHTIEBLE

a plunger or even using a muktza instrument that is

ordinarily prohibited such as a snake etc. (it should be

understood that his heter applies only to pushing away

Rabbinic issurim that are directly related to a breach

in human dignity. To have a non-Jew open a light in

the bathroom or raise the air conditioning while hes

at it has no basis and should not be done).

Were a person to nd himself in the bathroom without

any toilet paper he should ideally have a non-Jew cut

him some before entering. If that is not a viable option

then one should use it off the roll and let the ush

take the paper off itself as this would tear the paper al

yidai grama(in a causative and not direct fashion).

If this is not dignied enough (due to the type of host

one nds himself by etc.) then he would be permitted

to tear a long sheet with his elbow, teeth or foot.17As

when doing a melacha in a backhanded fashion it is

only prohibited dRabbonon hence tearing in this

way would be permitted based on the human dignity

factor.

In general we dont make Chasunos on Shabbos

because the Rabbanon didnt allow transactions but in

case a Friday wedding went late18one would not put

it off until after Shabbos as this would be too much of

an uncomfortability for the Chosson and Kallah.

If one had to relieve himself in the snow or on grass,

although some hold that its melting the snow or

watering the grass, if there is no other option we are

lenient like those who hold that its no issue because

of kavod habriyos.

If one has a very bad cold and his runny nose may

be offensive to others there may be grounds to carry

tissues (assuming that the Shul doesnt have any19

) ina backhanded fashion (in his belt, shoe etc.) through

a karmelis in order to allow him to keep himself tidy

and dignied throughout davaning.

If one is walking with non kosher Tzitzis in a

karmelis he is not required to disrobe and may carry

the garment (by wearing it), albeit the Rabbanon

dont usually allow one to, all the way to his desir

destination.

Q: If we are able to push off a Rabbinic issur in ord

to preserve the honor of people should one refrain fro

doing mitzvos if this may impede on his dignity?

A: This question was asked to the Chavos Yair20 in whe

a noted Talmud Chacham asked if its proper to play

instrument at weddings in order to bring joy to the bride a

groom or is it beneath his honor. The response was that wh

it comes to doing mitzvos the greatest honor and dignity o

can have is to throw oneself into the mitzvah with all his bo

and soul. Therefore, aside for this Talmud Chacham bei

encouraged to play his instrument, a person of notable statu

could and should be allowed to:

dance with all his might on Simchos Torah

bring joy to weddings via juggling, using costum

or any other talent that may be appreciated in su

venues

build a Succah in light of the intense manual lab

required

pick out choice fruits/shop at a market/cook a delica

etc. lkavod Shabbos as the Shulchan Aruch stat

this would be the ikur kavod habriyos, prepari

ones house for the Shabbos queen

this is all easily learned out from the fact that Michal, t

wife of Dovid Hamelech, upon watching him dance w

tremendous exuberance and pomp when the Aron was comi

back, scolded him for breaching his honor21 to which w

know she was punished by becoming barren for the rest of h

days. Clearly when it comes to mitzvos the honor one receivis in proportion to the honor one gives to preforming t

commandments of Hashem and a possible breach in statu

should be the last thing on ones mind.

R Heshy Kaha


11/12

THE SHTIEB

R Heshy Kaha

FOOTNOTES

1. Bava Kamma 79

2. Brachos 19b

3. Menachos 37b

4. Devarim 17:11

5. Mishlei 21

6. As everyone will know exactly where one went to and exactly

how long it took

7. Although the verse is obviously of biblical origin the

actual issur of baal tishaktzu is literally referring to eating

insects. Other disgusting things i.e. holding oneself back

from relieving oneself are only rabbinic according to many

Rishonim. See the 3rdperek of Makos who discusses other

forms of shikutz that is included in this issur (i.e. using a straw

used to let blood as a straw for your drink)

8. Vayikra 11:43

9. One could probably apply this as well to sitting at a shiur in

which going to the facilities would cause embarrassment to the

one leaving and/or the lecturer

10. Although interestingly enough the Shevet Halaivi 3:91 takes

the approach that its permitted to make the bracha not

because of kavod habriyos but rather because we are relying

on those Rishonim who hold that its a separate bracha for

each day as every day is its own individual mitzvah.

11. Mahrshag 3

12. There is another tzad to allow it as there are Rishonim that

say that if one is transgressing an issur but is not aware of it

then one need not tell him if there is kavod habriyos involv

hence this husband is a shogeg regarding making this brach

13. Another two possible alternatives to avoid the chiyuv of zim

and shevah brachos is 1) the Igros Moshe allows to make a

stipulation when washing that one will be bentching early an

not taking part in sheva brachos 2) come late thereby havin

no haschalah or siyum with the crowd and avoiding the

chiyuv

14. S.A. 688:2, see M.B. Ibid. 12

15. See Rama in Hilchos Tisha Bav

16. This is even more relevant for a woman where concerns for

tzniyus are applicable

17. This can be accomplished by taking the sheet of toilet paper

and rolling it don to ones foot and placing it under ones sho

Then simply move the roll upwards using ones elbow and o

has a bonade cut piece of paper that was done bshinui

18. As many weddings in European countries, specically in the

shtetls, would take place on Friday and go into Shabbos

19. Which obviously nowadays is not so relevant as tissues are

inexpensive.

20. Teshuva 25

21. Shmuel 2:6


12/12

A PROJECT BY THE MANHATTAN BEACH COMMUNITY KOLLEL

If You Would Like To Subscribe To The Weekly "Shtieble" Please Email [email protected] - To Dedicate An Issue Please Call 917-312-0951

bec

kyfinkelstein.com

RABBI

AVROHOM DOVID LEISERCertified Mohel

vjnun kvun

[email protected]

swwxc

718-330-1100

[email protected]

4915 16th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11204www.jewishpress.com

2011 Allstate Insurance Company

Chaim L. Alter

(718) 713-8400

The Alter Agency

[email protected]

Date post:	02-Jun-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	len-ladenheim
View:	229 times
Download:	0 times

New Shtieble#6 Toldos Print

Documents