Parshiot Behar-Bechukotai 5773, 2013:

                     Focusing Upon Our Essence

                              Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Shifra bat Chaim Alter, and Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam.

One of the thornier, daily halachic problems is that of which bracha (blessing) to recite on a particular food. Not too surprisingly, a vast literature has been created by our poskim (halachic decisors) that contains a plethora of opinions and approaches regarding every questionable item. Bread, wine, cake, fruit, vegetables, and water – by way of illustration - all have their specific blessing to be recited before one is allowed to enjoy Hashem’s bounty. Talmud Bavli, Berachot 35a teaches us this idea in the following formulation:

Our Rabbis have taught: It is forbidden to a man to enjoy anything of this world without a benediction, and if anyone enjoys anything of this world without a benediction, he commits sacrilege. What is his remedy? He should consult a wise man. What will the wise man do for him? He has already committed the offence! — Said Raba: “What it means is that he should consult a wise man beforehand, so that he should teach him blessings and he should not commit sacrilege.” Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel: “To enjoy anything of this world without a benediction is like making personal use of things consecrated to heaven (hekdash), since it says: “The earth is the L-rd's and the fullness thereof.” (Translation, Soncino Talmud, brackets my own)

It is now quite clear that we are mandated to recite a benediction prior to eating any food, and that we need to do this in an knowledgeable and thoughtful manner. Nearly everyone, however, encounters the following question: “Which blessing should be recited over a food composed of clearly differentiated ingredients?” For example, what bracha does apple pie or an ice-cream cone require? In these examples, we have foods composed of two different items competing for one mandated blessing. Therefore, it is frequently unclear exactly what one ought to do. By definition, one of the foods is of secondary import (tafel) to the primary one (ikar). The question, of course, is which is which? In time honored Jewish tradition, the answer to our query is a resounding: “It depends.” The determinant in this case, according to many poskim, is subjective in nature. Whatever is of singular importance to me, whichever food is more pleasing and desirous in my eyes, will become the ikar and the other food the tafel. In such an instance, only the main food receives the bracha, while the other does not. Clearly, ikar and tafel are both essential concepts in, and constitutive elements of, this area of Halacha.

In a manner of speaking, Parashat Bechuchotai is also focused upon the concepts of ikar and tafel. The very first pasuk states: “If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them.” (Sefer Vayikra 26:3, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  Rashi (1040-1105) explains this verse based upon the halachic Midrash known as the Sifra:

If you follow My statutes: I might think that this refers to the fulfillment of the commandments. However, when Scripture says, “and observe My commandments,” the fulfillment of the commandments is [already] stated. So what is the meaning of “If you follow My statutes?” It means that you must toil in the study of Torah [Torath Kohanim 26:2].

The key here is to “toil in the study of Torah.” This, then, is the meaning inherent in the expression, “If you follow My statutes.” The Midrash and Rashi are teaching us a crucial point regarding Jewish life and living: Torah must ever be our ikar, our essence – and the center of our lives. The one and only way in which Torah can achieve this status is if we are committed with our complete hearts and souls to its study. In a word, we must encounter the Torah, and lovingly develop a heartfelt relationship with it. This requires strenuous hours of assiduous learning and study, i.e., toil. If we will devote ourselves in this manner, the Torah will become our ikar, our essence, and everything else in the world will be tafel to its sublime power and beauty.

With Hashem’s help, may we continue to grow in our love of, and devotion to, our holy Torah. Moreover, may it become, and always be, our ikar - the true essence of our being. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected].

*** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.

** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.

*** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org

                        Parashat Emor 5773, 2013:

                 Understanding Mikra’ei Kodesh

                            Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Shifra bat Chaim Alter, and Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam.

One of the more ubiquitous terms that appears in Chamisha Chumshei Torah (the Five Books of the Torah) is mikra kodesh (literally, “something called holy,” i.e., the Festivals, pl. mikra’ei kodesh). There are a total of 19 cases of our expression in Sifrei Shemot, Vayikra, and Bamidbar, including 11 instances in our parasha. In addition, Chazal (our Sages of Blessed Memory) utilized our phrase in every Friday evening and Yom Tov Kiddush, as well as throughout the Shabbat and Yom Tov tefilot (prayers). Given human nature, however, precisely because of the pervasive usage of “mikra kodesh,” and its plural variant, we have become desensitized to its meaning and significance. As such, we need to “step back” and encounter it anew, in order to understand at least a small part of what the Master of the Universe was communicating to us when He used this term in His holy Torah.

Rashi (1040-1105) shares his understanding of “mikra kodesh” with us in his comment on a verse that is found in our parasha (Sefer Vayikra 23:35):

a holy occasion: [This expression mentioned in connection with Yom Kippur, means that you are to] sanctify it [the day] through [wearing] clean garments and through prayer, while [this expression mentioned in connection] with the other holy days, [means] sanctify it with food and drink, through [wearing] clean clothes and through [their own special] prayers. — [See Torath Kohanim 23:186] (This and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)

Rashi, based upon his Midrashic source, stresses the positive aspect of mikra kodesh. In his view, these holy days require explicit demonstrations of their unique identity (i.e. their kedushat hayom). Therefore, we don special clothes, recite inspiring prayers, and, with the exception of Yom Kippur, eat the finest meals we can afford – replete with the most delectable beverages.

The Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270), in the first of his three explanations of our term as found in his commentary on our parasha (Sefer Vayikra 23:2), also emphasizes the positive characteristics of the Festivals:

Mikra’ei kodesh: And it will be on this day that everyone will be called (keruim) and gather together to sanctify His Name. This is the case since it is a commandment incumbent upon the Jewish people to join together in the House of the L-rd on an appointed day to sanctify the day in an explicit public manner through prayer (tefilah), praise (hallel) to the Almighty, and with clean garments. Moreover, [the Jewish people] are obligated to make this a day of feasting as is stated in the tradition (Heb. kabbalah, i.e., Sefer Nechemiah 8:10): “And he [Nechemiah] said to them [the Jewish people], ‘Go, eat fat foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our L-rd, and do not be sad, for the joy of the L-rd is your strength.’”

Nachmanides’ second elucidation of the term “mikra kodesh” is language-based in nature. He posits that it is a derivative of “karui ha’edah” (“called, invited, or summoned to the congregation”) and supports this interpretation based upon the phrases in Sefer Shemuel I: 9:13: “and afterwards the invited guests will eat,” and Sefer Yeshayahu 4:5: “and over all those summoned therein, ” wherein this statement refers “to those places that are called in this manner since this is where those summoned to the congregation will gather.”   Nachmanides’ third exegesis of “mikra’ei kodesh,” contains some similarities to his first explanation and to that of Rashi. Herein, he bases himself upon Onkelos, the quintessential First and Second Century Torah scholar:

And Onkelos determined that this phrase is similar in kind to “Jacob called for his sons and said, ‘Gather and I will tell you what will happen to you at the end of days.’” (Sefer Bereishit 49:1) – this is an expression of “happenings” (“me’ora”). On each day that will ensue [that is called a “mikra kodesh,”] you must make them holy. And our Rabbis, may they be remembered for a blessing, said: “Celebrate them through food, drink, and clean clothes.” This means that their nature in your eyes should not be similar in kind to the other days, instead, make them an occurrence of holiness – and differentiate them in their foods and dress from a regular weekday to one that is holy. This, too, is the opinion of Onkelos. (Translation, underlining, and brackets my own)

My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993) known as “the Rav,” by his followers and disciples, expanded upon Onkelos’ analysis as presented by the Ramban and stated:

It appears from Onkelos’ understanding that the Festivals are called “mikra kodesh” because great, lofty and exalted events took place on these days. For example: the Exodus, the Giving of the Torah, and matters similar in kind. The essence of the holiness of the Festivals is rooted in the wonders and miracles that the Holy One blessed be He brought about on these days. [In conjunction with this idea, we must note] that the Departure from Egypt is not simply the rationale for the Festivals; rather, it is the fundamental basis of their essential holiness and qualitative nature as chosen days. We may adduce a proof: We mention the phrase, “a remembrance of the Departure from Egypt,” in each and every Kiddush – whether it is recited over a cup of wine or in the liturgy. This indicates that this commemoration represents the fundamental underpinning for the holiness of, and for, each mikra kodesh. (Shiurim l’Zacher Abba Mari, Volume I, pages 151-152, first edition), translation, bolding, and brackets my own)

In contrast to the interpretations we have examined thus far, Rashi’s grandson, Rabbeinu Yaakov ben Meir (Rabbeinu Tam, 1100-1171), took an entirely different view in his understanding of mikra kodesh. Unlike his grandfather, who stressed the importance of positive actions that personify the uniquely holy character of the chagim (holy days), Rabbeinu Tam stressed the importance of refraining from melacha (creative physical activity) based upon the Beit Din (Court of Law) having declared this day to be one that is endowed with holiness:

It appears in Rabbeinu Tam’s view that we call such days “mikra kodesh” because we recognize that the Beit Din has sanctified the day – and we refrain from doing melacha because of the holiness of the day (kedushat hayom). Such a day, however, is not called “mikra kodesh” when the cessation of creative activity is done for a reason other than the holiness of the day – such as out of mere laziness to undertake melacha. (Tosafot, Talmud Bavli, Shevuot 13a, s.v. lo karu mikra kodesh)

Here, too, we can look to the Rav for insights as to how we can best understand the deeper meaning inherent in Rabbeinu Tam’s position:

Rav Soloveitchik zt"l expanded on this interpretation of Rabbeinu Tam that a person's motive for refraining from melacha is essential. Chazal (Berachos 20b) teach us that women are obligated to recite Kiddush on Shabbos according to the Torah. Notwithstanding Kiddush being a time bound positive mitzvah from which women are usually exempt, there is a halachic connection between Kiddush and the prohibition of melacha, in that whoever is forbidden to do melacha on Shabbos is obligated to recite Kiddush. This halacha is derived from the tradition that the terms “Shamor” and “Zachor” used in the Torah concerning Shabbos were recited simultaneously by Hashem. “Shamor” refers to the prohibition of melacha where “Zachor” is the source for the positive obligation to recite Kiddush. The connection between Kiddush and melacha is not only a technical one concerning who is obligated to perform the mitzvah of Kiddush. Kiddush is linked to melacha because the purpose of Kiddush is to make a verbal declaration why we are refraining from melacha. Rather than merely taking a day off from work, we begin Shabbos with an affirmation, through our recitation of Kiddush, that Shabbos is a mikra kodesh. As such, refraining from melacha on both Shabbos and Yom Tov is only complete if accompanied by Kiddush. (Rabbi Sobolofsky, “Mikra Kodesh,” http://www.torahweb.org/torah/2011/parsha/rsob_emor.html, underlining my own)

Given the different approaches to mikra’ei kodesh that we have presented and analyzed, it is manifestly evident that our Mo’adim (Festivals) are multifaceted in their essence and nature. Beyond a doubt, each mikra kodesh emerges as a holy and supernal gift bestowed upon our people by the Master of the Universe. Therefore, with G-d’s beneficent love and help, may we be zocheh (merit) to honor His mikra’ei kodesh with the respect and dignity they deserve. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected].

*** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.

** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.

*** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org

                 Parshiot Acharei Mot - Kedoshim 5773, 2013:

                      Judge Your Fellow Man Favorably

                               Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Shifra bat Chaim Alter, and Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam.

You shall commit no injustice in judgment; you shall not favor a poor person or respect a great man; you shall judge your fellow with righteousness. (Sefer Vayikra 19:15, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)

Our underlined phrase, “you shall judge your fellow with righteousness,” is found in the second of the two parshiot we read this Shabbat. As noted in Talmud Bavli, Shevuot 30a, one of the interpretations of this expression is the obligation to judge our fellow Jews in a favorable fashion: “Our Rabbis taught: ‘You shall judge your fellow with righteousness’ - judge your neighbor to the side of merit (Hevay dan et chaverchah l’kaf zechut).” This idea is echoed in the famous words of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachyah, head of the Sanhedrin in the latter half of the 2nd century BCE: “Establish a permanent and lasting connection with your Rabbi, acquire a friend (i.e. intimate confidant), and judge all people in a meritorious manner.” (Pirkei Avot 1:6)

At first blush, it appears that the exhortation to “judge all people in a meritorious manner” may very well be a morally positive act devoid of any clear halachic mandate - i.e., a mere description of ideal behavior that lacks prescriptive force. In reality, however, nothing could be further from the truth. No less than two 13th century giants among the Rishonim (11th-15th century Torah Sages), the anonymous author of the Sefer HaChinuch and Rabbeinu Yonah in his Shaarei Teshuvah (Gate III, section 218), assert that the action (ma’aseh) of judging one’s fellow to the side of merit is a fulfillment (kiyum) of “…You shall judge your fellow with righteousness.” Therefore, it is a positive Torah commandment that is counted in the Taryag Mitzvot (613 Commandments). Accordingly, the Sefer HaChinuch states:

Moreover, included in this commandment [you shall judge your fellow with righteousness] is the concept that it is fitting and proper for everyone to judge his friend in a positive way. As such, he should only interpret someone’s actions and words in a virtuous manner… The underlying reason inherent in this mitzvah is to engender peace and good will between all people. We, therefore, find that the essence and overall intention of this Divine directive is to facilitate peace in the communities of men – through fair, generous, and righteous judgment – replete with the removal of any doubts regarding the intentions of their fellow man’s actions. (Rabbi Chaim Dov Chavel edition, Commandment 217)

Rabbeinu Yonah (op. cit.) provides us with a well-defined roadmap for implementing this commandment in our daily lives:

Behold, when you see someone that says a certain thing, or performs a particular action wherein you can judge his words or actions in either a negative or positive manner, if the one who has performed this act is known to be a G-d-fearing individual (yireh Elokim), then you are obligated to judge him as being absolutely guiltless in this behavior. This is the case, even if the matter – upon due reflection – logically appears to place him in the category of one who is, indeed, guilty.

If the individual who has performed the questionable action is considered to be on the middle level (bainoni) of human behavior i.e., wherein he usually is careful and holds himself back from sinning – yet, on occasion, does sin – here, too, one should remove his doubts regarding the actor’s undefined conduct and judge him as being guiltless. (Underlining my own)

Fulfilling this commandment, and the concomitant development of the middah (ethical characteristic) of judging one’s fellow man favorably, were deemed to be so important in the overall scheme of Jewish living that our Sages declared: “One who judges his fellow man in a positive manner will be rewarded by having the Omnipresent One (haMakom) judge him in a positive fashion.” (Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 127) Therefore, Rabbeinu Yonah concluded this section with the following words: “[In the case of the bainoni,] if the action appears to be negative in nature, you should perceive it as only being doubtfully so (k’mo safek) – and do not judge him as being guilty.”

It should be noted that we extend the benefit of the doubt only to the yireh Elokim and the bainoni. A rasha (one whose behaviors are deemed to be consistently negative and in purposeful violation of the Torah’s ethics and values) who performs problematic actions, however, is judged as guilty in order to protect the fabric of society from being ripped asunder.

Rabbi Baruch Halevi Epstein (1860-1941), author of the monumental commentary on the Torah entitled, Torah Temimah, opined that the halachic principle underlying the Torah obligation to judge all men favorably is that of chezkat kashrut (the pre-existent assumption of positive status). Fascinatingly, this legal concept is partially echoed in American jurisprudence wherein the general operating norm is the presumption of innocence:

presumption of innocence noun a fundamental protection for a person accused of a crime, which requires the prosecution to prove its case against the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt. This is opposite from the criminal law in many countries, where the accused is considered guilty until he/she proves his/her innocence or the government completely fails to prove its case. (Gerald N. Hill and Kathleen T. Hill, http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Innocent+until+proven+guilty)

The above sources and commentaries allow us to understand Chazal’s (our Sages) prologue to each chapter of Pirkei Avot: “Every member of the Jewish people has a share in the World to Come, as the text states: (Sefer Yeshiyahu 60:21): ‘And your people are all righteous, they shall inherit the land forever. They are the branch of My planting, the work of My hand in which to take pride.’” (Underlining my own)

May each of us be zocheh (merit) to judge our fellow man favorably and with mercy and compassion. Then, we, too, will be among those about whom our Sages declared: “One who judges his fellow man in a positive manner will be rewarded by having the Omnipresent One (haMakom) judge him in a positive fashion.” V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected].

*** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.

** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.

*** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org

                         Parshiot Tazria-Metzora 5773, 2013:

                                   Kol Yisrael Chaverim
                    (All the Jewish People are Friends)

                                   Rabbi David Etengoff

 

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Shifra bat Chaim Alter, and Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam.

One of the major focal points of our parshiot is the spiritual malady manifested in a physical fashion, known as tzarat. This disease is unidentifiable with any of the skin ailments that exist in our own time. As such, Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir (Rashi’s grandson known as the Rashbam 1080-1158), introduces our topic in the following manner:

All of the sections dealing with the afflictions (negayim) affecting people, garments, houses and the manner in which they appear as well as the number of days requiring sequestering, the white, black, and golden identifying hairs may not in any way be understood by following the simple and direct meaning of the text. Neither may we rely upon standard human knowledge and expertise. Instead, we must follow the analysis (midrash) of the Sages, their decrees, and the inherited body of knowledge that they received from the earliest Sages. This is the essence [of this mater]. (Translation and brackets my own)

In a word, the only way to understand tzarat is from the Torah-spiritual viewpoint, rather than from a medical-dermatological perspective.

Tzarat is a major part of the general body of Jewish Law known as Tumah and Taharah (Laws of the Ritually Impure and Ritually Pure). An entire section of the Mishnah is entitled “Taharot” (“Purities”), and page after page of the Talmud discusses the intricacies of this fundamental area of Halacha. Unfortunately, however, very few people today, regardless of their level of intellectual acumen and scholarly achievement, have mastered this area of study. Likewise, the Rambam (1135-1204), in his paradigm-changing work entitled Commentary on the Mishnah, noted this lacuna of knowledge in his own time:

And you know that today, because of the multiplication of our sins, that if you were to encounter the leaders of the yeshivot throughout the Jewish people, and all the more so, those of the various synagogues, you would find that this entire subject remains difficult for them. This is the case, [even though] there are many explicit Torah verses and Mishnaic passages [that deal explicitly with this area of Halacha] and sources that are even clearer and simpler than these works.

Maimonides attributed the ignorance of the Laws of Tumah and Taharah to the lack of Torah scholars who devote their time to this study, and to the difficulty of this material:

You should not be amazed by this situation at this time of Exile and by the lack of concerted study of this material – since it is a direct result of too few scholars engaged in its study. [Moreover,] we have already found that at the time of the Beit Hamikdash (the Holy Temple) and during the period of the Prophets, that they were in doubt regarding matters pertaining to Tumah and Taharah… Even the kohanim who served in the Beit Hamikdash who perforce needed to know these laws more than anyone else, because of the great effort needed to know [and master] the Laws of Tumah and Taharah – since many of these laws pertain solely to the Beit Hamikdash and its holy items -  [remained confused in this area of Halacha]. (Introduction to Mishnah Kalim, ed. Rabbi Yosef David Kapach, p. 22, translation and brackets my own)

Little wonder, then, that the Rambam made the study of this subject an essential part of his literary legacy. As such, he meticulously examined each and every detail of this category of Halacha – both in the Commentary on the Mishnah and in his magnum opus of Jewish jurisprudence, the Mishneh Torah.

Given the complexities and concomitant stringencies that often accompany the Laws of Tumah and Taharah, one is nearly thunderstruck by the following Mishnaic/Talmudic passage found at the end of Talmud Bavli Chagigah, folio 26b:

To Hallowed Things. A Tanna taught: They [i.e. the unlettered and unschooled - amei ha’aretz] are trusted in regard to large [and certainly small] earthenware vessels for hallowed things. Why is this? – Because no furnaces were erected in Jerusalem {and, therefore, no vessels could be constructed]. During a festival also in regard to Terumah [the amei ha’aretz were believed regarding the Laws of Tumah and Taharah] Whence is this deduced? — R. Joshua b. Levi said: Scripture Says: So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, associated as one man (Sefer Shoftim 20:11, entire translation, The Soncino Talmud, with my brackets and emendations)

The phrase “During a festival also in regard to Terumah ” is nothing less than amazing. Suddenly, the unlettered and unschooled were granted the same level of credibility (ne’emanut) in regards to the complicated Laws of Tumah and Taharah as the greatest Torah scholars. This is the case even though, by definition, the amei ha’aretz were denied this self-same status during the entire remainder of the year! As noted, the Talmud bases this remarkable halachic shift upon a pasuk (verse) that appears in Sefer Shoftim 20:11: “And each person of Israel gathered to the city as one individual – as friends.” As Rav Pinchas Kehati zatzal (1910-1976) noted in his monumental commentary on the Mishnah: “The text [of Sefer Shoftim] at the time of the gathering together of all the people calls them all ‘chaveirim’ (‘friends’).” In addition, “… since the Festival is a time of gathering together, from here we can learn that even the amei haaretz were considered to be ritually pure at this time – no less than the sophisticatedly trained individuals.”

In my opinion, our Mishnah is teaching us far more than an essential and crucial point of Jewish jurisprudence pertaining to the Laws of Purities and Impurities. I believe it is also teaching us an approach as to how we should perceive and encounter our fellow Jews. Unfortunately, we live in an age of manifest pirood (split). Each one of us, even if we do not label ourselves, is labeled and defined by others as to what kind of Jew we are and where we stand on the religious/non-religious/not-yet-religious spectrum. The result of this kind of thinking is alienation and disaffection from our fellow Jews. Instead of banding together in love and tolerance, we are split by groundless hatred (sinat chinam) and distrust of one another. In stark contrast, the Mishnah and Talmud remind us of what binds us together, and what is truly important: Kol Yisrael Chaveirim (All the Jewish People are Friends). If we can remember this message, and put it into everyday practice, we will be well on our way to building the kinds of bridges of understanding that are necessary to bring the Mashiach (the one and only Messiah). May this time come soon and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected].

*** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.

** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.

*** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org