Shabbat-B'Shabbato

Parshat Vayeitzei
7 Kislev 5775 (29 November 2014)
AS SHABBAT APPROACHES
Heaven and Earth - by Rabbi Oury Cherki, Machon Meir,
Rabbi of Beit Yehuda Congregation, Jerusalem
Different sectors within Judaism read different versions of the
Haftarah for this week's Torah portion. Ashkenazim read from
the verse starting, "And Yaacov fled" [Hoshaya 12:13], until the
end of the book (14:10). The Sephardim and the Yemenites read
from "And My nation hesitate about returning to Me" [11:7], until
"on the furrows of my field" [12:12]. And some Sephardi
communities continue until "... in a parched land" [13:5].
We can search for the essential elements of the Haftarah in verses
near sections which are shared by all the different communities,
since it is a good assumption that these verses represent the
combined strength of all sectors of the nation.
Near the verses shared by the various Haftarot are two verses that
are very similar to each other:
"And I am your G-d from the Land of Egypt, I will yet bring you
back in tents, as in past days" [12:10]. "And I am your G-d from
the Land of Egypt, you will never know another god, and there is
no savior except for Me" [13:4].
The two verses echo what was said in the first of the Ten
Commandments, "I am your G-d" [Shemot 20:2], but they omit
the phrase "who took you out (of the Land of Egypt)." This
shows us that in addition to our obligation to accept the authority
of G-d because He took us out of Egypt (see Rashi: "The fact that
I took you out of Egypt is sufficient to make you obligated to Me"
[20:2]), Bnei Yisrael also are inherently linked to G-d, even before
they received any physical benefit from Him. This link is what is
called "segulah" by our sages an innate unique inner quality. And
this rises up at the time of redemption: "He brings the redeemer
to their children's offspring" [from the first blessing in the
Amidah; see also the letters of Rav Kook volume 2, pages 186187]. Our inherent outstanding characteristic does not negate our
need for merits, rather it is an element of our most important
merit: the fact that we have a unique identity of our own.
The knowledge that "I am your G-d" sets Yisrael free from
bondage, because "only a slave of G-d is truly free" [Rabbi
Yehuda Halevi]. As a consequence of our innate freedom, we are
involved in two missions: Torah and politics. Economic
independence, which came to the fore when Yisrael dwelt in tents
around the Tabernacle while eating heavenly manna, facilitated the
adoption of the Torah as a permanent possession within Yisrael,
corresponding to the first of the two verses quoted above.
Sovereign independence is possible for Yisrael because we do not
recognize any other authority over us except for that of the

Creator, as is noted in the second verse. It is impossible to be truly

faithful to the G-d of Yisrael without fulfilling these two missions.
It may be that the combination of Torah and political action is
hinted at in Yaacov's vision of the ladder at the beginning of the
Torah portion, which showed him that even at the time of going
out to exile it is possible to combine heaven and earth. Torah
without political independence, without a political outlook,
becomes something that is not relevant to "tikun" improving the
state of the world. The political dimension brings Yisrael together
with its historic mission, which is to reveal that no external means
are needed in order to have an encounter with the Creator. All
that is necessary is to cling to His nation, which is free and
idependent.
Rabbi Cherki is the head of Brit Olam Noahide World Center,
Jerusalem
POINT OF VIEW
Only a Jewish National Homeland can Vanquish Terrorism
- by Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, Dean of the Zomet Institute
The week after I write this article is expected to be very stormy.
That is not only the weather forecast as of now, it is mainly a
forecast of the general mood in the country. The level of
security and national controversy will come to a crest, and I hope
and pray that He who Dwells on High will hear our prayers to
decrease the levels of anger and wrath.
Terrorism Equals Islam
In the matter of security, we are facing an enemy of a type with
which our ancestors were not familiar terrorism. This is a
murderous and satanic enemy who holds a sword dripping with
blood, infused with cruel insanity, who is not backed by a specific
country or an army that is ready for hand-to-hand combat. Semianonymous terrorism has become the ultimate enemy of the free
world, the world of culture and not only in the Western World.
In the past we spoke about terror nations (such as that of Stalin
and others), but today the concept of terrorism has changed and it
now refers to gang-style murders and callous ideological
violence, without specific national or governmental links.
Here is a quote from "The Oracle," (The High Priest of all
knowledge) - Wikipedia: "According to Prof. Ehud Sprinchak the
definition of terrorism is 'performing harsh violence against noncombatant citizens as a symbolic act and as a means of giving a
message of fear to the entire population.' Dr. Boaz Ganor adds,
'The objective of terrorism is to achieve political goals or to
change overall policies.' Such actions do not target individuals but
rather an entire population, such that a terrorist is usually not
interested in the identities of his or her victims. Murder of a

specific person, even if it is carried out by a terrorist organization,

is considered political murder and not terrorism. This is true, for
example, of the murders of Kennedy, Rabin, and others." I
assume doctoral candidates all over the world are "making their
living" from research on terrorism, and are avidly defining and
redefining all the relevant terms. Meanwhile, "the sun rose, the
system has bloomed, and the slaughterer continues to slaughter"
[Chaim Nachman Bialick, "B'Ir Haharigah," on the subject of the
pogroms of Kishinev, 1903). And this is true not only in
Jerusalem, "Har Nof, the joy of the entire land" [Tehillim 48:3].
What is missing in all the learned definitions is a very simple
sentence: "Any mention of terrorism is a reference to Islam!"
Collateral Punishment
During the last decade terrorism has taken on a monstrous
character, seemingly without any conventional solution when it
was transformed into the suicidal act of a shahid who
sanctifies death. No punishment has yet been invented in any
earthly court that will serve as a suitable punishment for a suicidal
person for his or her murders. The only possible deterrence is
related to his surroundings, by making his close relatives pay
for his deeds in a way that corresponds to his level of murder.
Questioning of Islamic prospective suicides who were caught on
the way to performing the deed has shown that only harsh
treatment of their parents (and especially their mother) together
with other family members might perhaps be some sort of a
deterrent for their actions. If it will not deter their actions, it
can at least serve to create a warning. Family members who
can expect to be punished might be induced to "spill the beans"
before the terrorist can act.
Our Minister of the Interior speaks and more power to him for
that about revocation of the individual rights of those who
support terrorism, such as social security benefits. I hope that we
will pass emergency legislation that goes much further than this
expulsion, expropriation of property, and revocation of rights of
parents of suicidal terrorists, and their wives and children, and
perhaps the same for other close relatives in their extended family
(the "chamulla"), unless they can prove that they did everything
they could to stop the action and that they are strongly opposed
to his or her actions. The crime would be defined as supporting or
not preventing terrorism, related to what appears in the Torah:
"And I will set my face against that man and h-i-s f-a-m-i-l-y,
and I will cut him off" [Vayikra 20:5]. Based on the words of the
sage, Rashi writes, "What was the sin of the family? ... The
answer is that they all cover for him... Should we say that the
whole family can be punished by karet, being cut off? No,
because it is written, 'I will cut him off.' He will be cut off
but not the whole family, who will be punished with
suffering."
I am not naive. This emotional cry will be opposed by a strong
legal wall that will cry out: "Collective punishment! Individual
rights! Democracy above all else!" Well, this may be satisfactory
when learned experts in academia have discussions of how to
define terrorism, and there it may not do any harm. But when
legal professionals get involved, we may well be in deep trouble!
In the war between the religion of individual rights and the

religion of the shahidim, the discouraging results are

predictable...
The Jewish State Law A Ray of Hope
And this is our opportunity to move on to another current topic
defining our country as the National Homeland of the Jews! The
root of the dispute over the proposed new Jewish State Law
revolves around the question whether democracy as defined by
the Israeli Supreme Court is the ultimate value which will always
prevail, or whether it can be superseded by values of nationality
and Judaism. Since the details of one or more proposed laws are
not yet available at the time that I am writing this article, and since
the matter is fluid and depends on considerations related to the
coalition, primaries, and elections this is neither the right time
nor place to discuss the matter in depth. However, there is one
thing that I know. Only a law defining the Jewish State will
give us the capability of fighting against suicidal Islamic
terrorism. Only lowering democracy and legalism, the roots of
the religion of individual rights, from their exalted positions can
put us on track to eradicate terrorism. And at the same time, only
a Jewish State Law will allow us to fight against the infiltration of
Sudanese and prevent the courts from rejecting laws to put them
in prison. Only a Jewish State Law will allow us to destroy homes
of shahidim and not to destroy homes of Jews which were built
on national land. There are other benefits of such a law, which the
anti-Jewish leftists so violently oppose, no doubt for reasons that
they know very well...
(Written at the end of Shabbat Toldot.)
LET YOUR WELLSPRINGS BURST FORTH
A Melody is the Quill Pen of the Heart - by Rabbi Moshe
Shilat, Director of "The Torah of Chabad for Yeshiva
Students"
From the earliest days of Chassidut, music has played a major role
in the service of G-d. Every movement within Chassidut has its
own special tunes, songs of both happiness and sadness. In spite
of its penchant for deep analysis and its serious depth, Chabad too
has not neglected the subject of song. Just the opposite a
melody comes to replace something that is lacking, to serve as a
way of expressing something that cannot be expressed in words. It
is a way to communicate with G-d, to listen to Him, and to make
improvements within the soul and in the world. "The 'Elderly
Rebbe' influenced the world through Torah and through
melodies." [Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch].
Most of the tunes of Chabad were composed by the Chassidim.
There are very few tunes that were composed or were taught by
the Rebbe himself, and they are called "hanigunim hamechuvanim"
directed melodies. In this case, every movement, every emphasis,
is precise and deliberate. The most famous of these melodies is
the "Arba Bavot," a tune related to the four different worlds, which
is sung only on very special occasions.
Another ancient and very exalted melody is the "Three
Movements," which is made up of three segments. The first was
composed by the Baal Shem Tov, the second was added by his

disciple the Maggid of Mezeritch, and the third was composed by

his disciple the elderly Rebbe, the author of the Tanya.
The Melodies of the Rebbe
The two most prominent rabbis in terms of melodies were the
Tanya, who composed ten tunes, and the last Rebbe, who taught
ten melodies that were not well-known by the public.
For nine years (5716-5724), on the eve of Simchat Torah, after the
"Hakafot" ended a few hours after midnight, the Rebbe would go
up to his room and eat a light meal. He would them come back
down to the Beit Midrash in the very early hours of the day, when
it was neither dark or light, in a very special atmosphere, and teach
the people a new tune (in the ninth year he taught two melodies).
The Chssidim described a very rare event, where the Rebbe would
teach a very old melody, one section at a time, and they would
repeat it until they had fully mastered it. The tunes expressed
outstanding dedication in addition to happiness, and most of them
were set to words from the prayers of the Days of Awe and
Succot. It seems that he did not compose these tunes himself but
learned them in his home in his youth.
The Rebbe gave enlightening explanations for each melody, both
during the early-morning session and the next day, on Simchat
Torah. After teaching the song the Rebbe would share a "mashkeh"
a drink from his goblet with anybody who promised to
broaden his study of Chassidut during the following year.
The "Tzam'ah" Project
Most of these melodies became popular very quickly, but to this
very day they have not been gathered together, and they have not
been accompanied by modern arrangements, of the type which
not only doesn't lose the internal charm of the tune but even
brings it closer to the heart of the listener. Recently, the work has
finished on preparing a new CD-ROM of these tunes, by the
name "Tzam'ah" (My Soul is) Thirsty. On this recording, top
musical artists will perform the songs, one song for each singer.
Each melody has its own unique "touch," and the set taken as a
whole is a deep and exciting creation. The CD-ROM will come
with a booklet full of explanations about the melodies, based on
the discussions led by the Rebbe when he taught them, all in the
modern language of Israel. Listen, and enjoy.
THE LIGHT STARTS IN THE EAST
You Must Know when to Close your Book by Chezi Cohen,
Yeshivat Maaleh Gilboa and Midreshet Ein Hanatziv
In our last article (Chayei Sarah, issue 1549), we discussed the
Rashash (Rabbi Shalom Sharabi), and we will continue this
discussion now. Rabbi Sharabi (1720-1777) was one of the
greatest masters of the Kabbalah. He was the head of the
Kabbalah-oriented yeshiva Beit El, and he is considered as the
most important commentator on the works of the ARI. The
Rashash was involved day and night in Torah study and prayer,
and he wrote a Siddur which described deep internal intentions of
the prayers, based on sources within mysticism. But he also knew
when it was necessary to close his books and take action.

******

One day, when Rabbi Shalom Sharabi was on his way to the
Beit Midrash, he saw a blind woman, barefoot and dressed
in rags, holding the hand of her small daughter. There was
heavy rain that day, the street was full of mud, and there
were many puddles for the entire length of the street. The
Rashash had pity on the woman and on her daughter, and he
asked her to come home with him. He removed his cloak
and wrapped it around them both, and he took his shoes off
and gave them to the woman. And they continued walking in
the street, with the rabbi barefoot and wearing only the
garment he wore inside his home. When they reached his
home, the rabbi gave the woman and her daughter warm
clothing, food, and money. She asked him his name, but he
refused to tell her, only saying that he too had once been a
poor orphan, and that G-d had helped him, and that he
therefore wanted to help her. The woman insisted again on
knowing his name, and he told her, "Shalom." But she was
persistent, and he finally gave her his full name, "Shalom
Sharabi." The woman was shocked to hear who he was, and
she started to apologize that because of her this great
righteous man was interrupted in his Torah study and that
because of her he had gone around outside barefoot and
without his cloak. The Rashash calmed her down, saying,
"You have done me a great kindness. For years I have been
studying Torah, and today I was able to see that my studies
were worthy." The woman didn't understand, and the rabbi
explained further: "Only a man who knows when to stop
studying in order to help another person can be considered
one who truly knows how to study."
******
This story shows us a scene where the Rashash is on his way to
the Beit Middrash, the natural place for him as Rosh Yeshiva. This
is where his great spiritual undertaking takes place, where he
studies the Torah of mysticism. However, it teaches us that there
are times when the spiritual labor takes place while he is on the
way, and not only in the Beit Midrash while he is holding a holy
book or a Siddur (even if it is the one that he wrote). His labor
can consist of helping a poor widow and her orphan daughter
who find themselves out in the street on a rainy day. He can be
involved not only in exalted spiritual study but also in down-toearth activity.
The Rashash understands that he cannot ignore the widow and
her daughter, and he abandons his plan to go to the Beit Midrash.
But he tries not to reveal his name to the woman. He wants his
act of kindness to be simple and humane, without receiving any
special recognition for his deed. But the woman insists, and his
secret is revealed.
The Rashash spent his life studying the names of G-d and the
secrets of the Kabbalah, and here, in this case, what he wanted to
keep secret is revealed and his name becomes known. This is
something that he wanted to avoid, but in the end the revelation
of the secret leads to a deeper understanding of the true concept
of Torah study.

The widow is embarrassed when she hears the rabbi's name. She
feels that she caused harm to a Torah scholar and to the holy
Torah by delaying the rabbi on his way to study. She makes the
common error that Torah study is the only way to perform a
significant spiritual act. In his reply, the Rashash shows his
approach, which is the opposite of her own. There are times when
"to refrain from study is the way to accomplish it." The obligation
to act in a moral way takes precedence over Torah study. We
should also note that in this story we are being taught a new
understanding of the concept of "Torah study." The act of leaving
the book closed teaches us the proper way to open it we must
study the Torah of G-d with full intention to act in a moral and
spiritual fashion in this world. In fact, this is not an interruption of
the study, it is rather an attempt to internalize it and transform it
into practical action. This story does not involve the laws of
helping other people. Rather, it is a story that elucidates the
concept of Torah study.
e-mail: hhcohen4@gmail.com (I will be happy to hear any stories
you have about the wise men of the east.)
A FAMILY NAMED "YISRAELI"
A Timely Loss - by Rabbi Yikhat Rozen, Director of the Or
Etzion Institute Publishing Torah Books of Quality
Naama's Story
Imma put the phone down, looking upset. "What happened?" I
asked her.
"That was my sister Yaffa. You know that she lives in the United
States because her husband's entire family is there. She has been
working for years as a teacher in a private school. The school year
starts next week, and she has been busy getting ready for the new
year. She organized the material, she reviewed the different
courses, and she eagerly anticipated the first day of class."
"And what happened?"
"Now, everything has changed. She just received a letter and here
is what was written: 'With the beginning of the new year we are
making changes in the teaching staff. Starting with the beginning
of this school year you will no longer work for us, you are hereby
fired. We wish you success in all your endeavors. (Signed, the
principal.)'"
"Yaffa has always been considered a good teacher. The students
love her, she is very good at teaching the class material, and she
was successful in teahing the students to behave properly. She
assumes that she is not losing her job because her work is
unacceptable but rather because of staff changes or problems with
the budget. But she is still frustrated, and well she should be! It
upsets her and insults her that she has been singled out to lose her
job. She is also worried! She had a good job in this school, what
will she do now? Where will she earn a living? Will she be able to
find other work as a teacher or in some other profession?"

Imma looked very worried about her sister, who was so far away.
In the weeks that followed, there were other long conversations
between Imma and her sister.
Yaffa found one consolation in her new situation. The
management of the school was at least decent enough to give her
severance pay, to help her during the time she would be looking
for a new job.
For the next few months, Yaffa looked for other work. In a short
time, she found a new and very interesting job, where she found
satisfaction and was quite successful. She felt that G-d
accompanied her in everything that she did, and that He had led
her to find a better job than the one she had in the school. While
looking for the new job she used up some of the severance pay,
but some of the money remained and she saved it to be used
when she might need it.
But she was still not aware of the real support that the Divine
guiding hand had given her.
And then one day the phone rang. It was Yaffa, and she sounded
very excited.
"Just listen to this," Yaffa said. "As you know I was working in a
private school. Soon after I was fired, the school found that it had
severe financial difficulties. The management was therefore forced
to fire many other teachers. They all received a letter similar to
mine, but with an important difference. These people were not
given as short a notice as I was. They were warned several months
in advance that they would lose their jobs. According to the law in
the United States, they did not get any severance pay. It did not
take very long before most of the teachers in the school were out
of work, without honor, without severance pay, and without any
money to help them out even for a short time."
And then Yaffa continued, "Now I understand how good G-d
was to me. Clearly, I would not have been able to continue
working in the school for very long. Almost all the teachers that
worked with me have been fired. But I was able to start looking
for a new job. And I had my severance pay, which gave me an
opportunity to make a new start. But all of my old friends had to
start out without any financial support!"
"Don't you see?" Imma said. "It's really amazing! Not everything
that we think is best for us really is the best thing. You thought
that being fired was terrible, but now you see that it was really a
Divine plan to help you. It was the best thing for you to lose your
job quickly. You found a job that you like more, and you even got
some extra money that helped you along the way."
(With thanks to Rabbi Tuvia Litzman)
(Note: The stories of the "Yisraeli" family are based on true
events or on stories that could have been true.)
Reactions and suggestions for stories: yikhat@gmail.com
RESPONSA FOR OUR TIMES
Praying on the Temple Mount - by Rabbi Re'eim Hacohen,
Rosh Yeshiva and Chief Rabbi, Otniel

Question: Is there any merit to the claim of those who say that
we are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount since this is a
rebellion against the other nations of the world?

prophesied and spoke about the redemption from Egypt, the

giving of the Torah, the Tabernacle, the return to the land, the
Temple, the Babylonian exile, and the return to the Second
Temple and its destruction." [Commentary on Shir Hashirim
2:7].

Answer:
The verse, "I have made you swear, daughters of Jerusalem... Do
not awaken the love until it is rightfully desired..." appears three
times in Shir Hashirim (2:7; 9:5; 8:4). The sages derive the
following from these verses:
"Rabbi Yossi Bar Rabbi Chanina said: What is the purpose of
these three oaths? One is that Yisrael should not climb up over
the wall. One means that the Holy One, Blessed be He, made
Bnei Yisrael swear not to rebel against the other nations of the
world. And one is that the Holy One, Blessed be He, made the
idol worshippers take an oath not to oppress Yisrael too much."
[Ketuvot 111a].
This Midrash was used as one of the central arguments against
Zionism and against Aliyah to Eretz Yisrael. It is the main theme
of the book written by the Rabbi of Satmar, "Vayoel Moshe."
Great men of Yisrael throughout the generations completely
rejected this claim. My grandfather, Rabbi Shmuel Hakohen
Weingarten, summarized some responsa and proofs against the
"prohibition of climbing the wall" in a pamphlet by the name of
"Hishba'ati Etchem" (I made you take an oath), which was
published in 5736 (1976).
The Halachic Validity of the Three Oaths
The Avnei Nezer writes: "The Rambam and all the halachic
decision-makers did not bring the three oaths to which Yisrael
swore, because this is not a matter of halacha." In fact, the RIF,
the ROSH, the Rambam, the TUR, and the Shulchan Aruch did
not quote the oaths in their halachic works.
The Avnei Nezer quotes the opinion of the Hafla'ah that the
oaths referred only to the exile of Babylon. This is also the
opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua from Kutna, disagreeing with the
Kessef Mishna who interprets the Rambam as saying that the
prohibition to leave Babylon also includes going to Eretz Yisrael:
"This is hard to understand, for it was only said referring
specifically to the land of Babylon and not to other lands outside
of Eretz Yisrael. The reason is that after the people were lazy in
the time of Ezra they did not want to return to the land because
they thought that they had not been given an absolute command...
However, the people from our lands, who were part of the exile
of Titus from Eretz Yisrael together with all the other nations, are
not included in this at all, and it (moving to Eretz Yisrael) is a
great mitzva..." [Yeshuot Malko 66].
Rashi too implies that the Midrash Agadah about the oaths is not
relevant for the Third Temple:
"There are many examples of Midrash Agadah which do not
correspond to the final order of things, for I see that Shlomo

Rabbi Chaim Vital writes that the oaths were in effect only for a
thousand years:
"Behold, there was a great Divine oath that the people should not
awaken the redemption until the time for love had returned...
Until the desire would come at the end of the oath, after a
thousand years, as is written in a Baraita of Rabbi Yishmael in
Pirkei Haichalot, based on the book of Daniel." [Introduction to
Etz Hachaim.]
Rabbi Herzog quoted from the author of Shevet Mussar (one of
the wise men of Izmir from about 300 years ago) that "the oath is
no longer valid from the beginning of the sixth century."
We can also add a point based on the text of the Midrash itself
that at the same time the other nations were required to swear that
they would not oppress Yisrael "too much," corresponding to the
exile of Babylon, which lasted for only seventy years. (And it is
not reasonable to say that the oath is also relevant for another
exile, and that even though the other nations did not abide by the
oath we are still obliged to do so.)
Another claim of the wise men in the beginning of the era of
Zionism is that even those who feel that there is a prohibition to
"go up on the wall" must admit that the oath lost its validity with
the publication of the Balfour Declaration, where the other
nations explicitly agreed that the time has come for Yisrael to
return to its land.
The Obligation to Anticipate the Rebuilding of the Temple
The anticipation of the rebuilding of the Temple is at the very
heart of our service of G-d. Every Jew prays three times a day,
"Let our eyes see Your return to Zion, with mercy." And on
Shabbat, in the Mussaf prayer, we say, "Let it be Your will... that
You shall raise us up with joy to our land... and there we will fulfill
for You our obligations of bringing sacrifices..."
No option was ever considered to forbid prayer and yearning for
the fulfillment of the prophecies of redemption. The Rambam
and the Radbaz and other great rabbis in all the generations went
up to the Temple Mount in order to pray close to the site where
the Shechina dwells.
These days, a claim is being made that we should completely
remove from the agenda or at least remain silent about our
yearning to fulfill the vision of the prophets to rebuild the
Temple, and that we should at the very least refrain from praying
on the Temple Mount. The reason given is to avoid out of a fear
of making our Yishmaelite "cousins" angry (together with the
other nations of the world). Similar cries could be heard in the
year 1929 on the issue of praying next to the Western Wall.
However, the truth is that refraining from entering the Temple
Mount will not stop the incitement or the horrible murders. What

makes our "cousins" angry is the very fact that we continue to

exist in our own land, based on the visions of the prophets about
the return to Zion, as is expressed in our prayers.

Both according to the Rambam and Abarbanel, we will see as this

story unfolds what happens to a person that reaches the very top
but did not make any special effort to get there.

In fact, the opposite is true. Any hint that we do not have faith in
the prophecies will give our enemies an opportunity to spread
more oil on the horrible flames. Exile-style despair that implies
giving up on the vision of the prophets in our time can only serve
to strengthen the victorious feeling of our enemies, who have
been waiting for a long time for this to happen.

RIDDLE OF THE WEEK

by Yoav Shelosberg, Director of "Quiz and Experience"

What we must do is to double down and continue to believe and

to act. With G-d's help, we will be privileged in the future to
witness a full return to Zion and a transformation of the holy
mountain into a House of Worship for all the nations. "And it will
come to pass in the end of days, the Temple Mount will be at the
head of all the mountains... And all the nations will flow towards
it... And they will say, come let us rise up to the Mountain of Gd... For the Torah will emanate from Zion, and the Word of G-d
from Jerusalem... No nation will lift up a sword against another,
and war will no longer be taught." [Yeshayahu 2:2-6].
THE TABLE OF THE KINGS
Was King Shlomo a Prophet? - by Bar-on Dasberg
(Melachim I, chapter 3)
"At Givon G-d was revealed to Shlomo in a nighttime dream"
[3:5]. Does this mean that King Shlomo was a prophet?
According to the Rambam, there are some dreams that are a
prophecy, and there are others that are "merely" a dream (Moreh
Nevuchim 2:45). The only one who can tell which is which is the
dreamer himself or herself. After Yaacov's dream he declares,
"The G-d of Shaddai appeared to me in Luz" [Bereishit 48:3].
This is a description of a prophecy. With respect to Shlomo, on
the other hand, it is written, "And Shlomo woke up, and behold it
was a dream" [Melachim I 3:15]. David, Shlomo, and Daniel were
not prophets but dreamers and the books that they wrote are in
the Writings and not in the Prophets.
On the other hand, Abarbanel claims (in his commentary on this
chapter of Melachim) that it was only through prophecy that
Shlomo was able to receive the four visions that he saw.
This dispute is based on a deeper principle. In order to be a
prophet, a person must be wise, wealthy, and courageous.
According to the Rambam, these conditions represent human
effort, and a person must make the effort to achieve them in
order to reach the level of prophecy. According to Rav Chisdai
Krashkrash (who was followed by Abarbanel), only after a
person becomes a prophet will he be helped in fulfilling the
prophecy by having these traits. Shlomo obtained wisdom and
wealth as a result of the revelation. However, the Rambam does
not agree that a person will ever receive prophecy and wisdom as
a Divine gift. In order for a person to become close to G-d, he or
she must make an effort.

Vayeitzei
We are two words in the Torah portion
Two words that are almost the same, with a difference in
only one letter
One word was linked to a name of a child
And the other was the cause of jealousy and competition.
Taken together, we are a familiar pleasant blessing.
Answers to last week's riddle
The question was about two Jerusalem neighborhoods whose
names were taken from the Tanach. "I am the third generation
after one whose name is the same as the first one who left the
walls. Who was first, and what is the third generation?"
The one who left the walls was Moshe Montifiore, who was the
first to build a neighborhood outside Jerusalem, "Mishkenot
Shaananim" (established in 1860). The name is based on the verse,
"And My nation will dwell in Nave Shalom, in Mishkenot
Mivtachim, and Menuchot Shaananot." [Yeshayahu 32:18].
"Rechavia" is named after Moshe's grandson. "And the children
of Eliezer were Rechavia, the chief. Eliezer did not have any other
sons, but Rechavia had many children." [Divrei Hayamim I 23:17].
Note: There are other proposed explanations of the name
Rechavia. But in any case, the name does appear in the Tanach.

This weekly publication is distributed in Canada by MIZRACHI

ORGANIZATION OF CANADA and by THE ZOMET
INSTITUTE OF ALON SHVUT. It is an extract from SHABBAT
BSHABBATO, a weekly bulletin distributed in hundreds of
synagogues in Israel and has been translated by Moshe Goldberg. If

you are interested in sponsoring or advertising in an issue of

Shabbat BShabbato contact the Mizrachi office in Toronto at
416-630-9266, mizrachi@rogers.com; or in Montreal 514-4833660, mizrachimontreal@gmail.com.