| פרשת השבוע - פרשת ויקהל
"בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן אוּרִי בֶן חוּר לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה... ואָהֳלִיאָב בֶּן אֲחִיסָמָךְ לְמַטֵּה דָן...". במדרש רבא על מגילת קהלת נאמר על הפסוק "טוב שם משמן טוב", שלשה שמות לאדם, האחד, שקוראים לו אביו ואמו, השני, שקוראים לו בני אדם, והשלישי, שקורא הוא לעצמו. וההסבר הוא, כי השם מורה על המהות, והשם הראשון הוא שאביו ואמו קוראים לו, לפי מה שהקדוש ברוך הוא נותן בלב ההורים לקרוא לילדיהם לפי שורש נשמתו של האדם, וכך נקרא האדם באמת. השם השני, קוראים לו בני אדם, לפי התפתחות האדם בין בגוף ובין בשכל, שאם אדם עושה דבר המועיל לגוף ולשכל יש בו שבח גדול לו ולבריות כולם. וכך יכנוהו ויקראו לו שם טוב. כמו חכם עשיר ונכבד וצדיק. ובענין זה אין הבדל בין האדם לבעלי החיים, שהרי גם בעלי החיים משתדלים בכל כוחם לעשות כל מה שיטיב להם בעולם, שיהיה להם מזון וטרף לנפשם, וכן מחפשים מקום ובונים לעצמם בית לחיות שם ולגדל את צאצאיהם. ואף על פי כן הם בעלי חיים. אבל אם האדם עושה לגוף ולשכל דבר המועיל לו, זוכה שעל ידי זה משבחים אותו בני אדם בשבח גדול. ואף על פי כן, האדם יראה לעינים והשם יראה ללבב. אפשר שאין הוא ראוי לאותו תואר שמחשיבים אותו בני אדם. והשם השלישי שהאדם קורה לעצמו, הוא שעליו אמר שלמה המלך "טוב שם משמן טוב", שאף שבני אדם קוראים לו "צדיק", הוא אינו מסתפק בכך וממשיך לעלות מעלה מעלה, כי כל הזמן הוא חושב שעדיין לא הגיע ולא השלים מה שראוי לו להשלים בעבודת השם, ואז הוא באמת צדיק אמיתי, וזהו השם הטוב באמת. |
Daf Bite – טעם דף | The Mishna on our daf (page) discusses a case where a person decided to divorce his wife and went so far as to have a get (bill of divorce) written. At that point, however, he changed his mind and decided that he did not want to divorce her. In such a case, Beit Shammai rules that the act of having the get written will create a situation that would no longer allow her to marry a kohen (kohanim cannot marry divorced women). Beit Hillel disagrees, arguing that even if the husband actually gives a divorce to his wife, if the divorce is predicated on conditions that are not fulfilled and the divorce does not take effect, the woman can marry a kohen (if, for example, her husband dies and she becomes a widow). (Daf Yomi from Steinsaltz.org; Gittin 81a-b) |
Rav Question – שאלת רב | David found out that his grandmother bought (with money) her conversion when she was young. Her conversion was recognized by the Chief Rabbinate and so was his mother’s Jewishness. Both the grandmother and the mother were married to their husbands in an Orthodox Jewish weddings approved by the Chief Rabbinate and lived as Jews. David also found out that his grandmother was never observant and never had any intent of being so. Question: Is David halakhically Jewish? |
|
A Story - of Choice | In a land far away, once upon a time there was great poverty: only the rich could manage without great problems. Three of those rich men, and their servants, were traveling on the same road, in a convoy, when they came to a very poor village. Seeing this poverty provoked different reactions in all three rich men. The first couldn’t stand to see it, so he took all the gold and jewels from his wagons and shared them out among the villagers. He wished them all the best of luck, and he left. The second rich man, seeing the desperate situation, stopped for a short time, and gave the villagers all his food and drink, since he could see that money would be of little use to them. He made sure that each villager received their fair share and would have enough food to last for some time. Then, he left. The third rich man, on seeing such poverty, speeded up and traveled straight through the village without stopping. The two other rich men saw this from a distance, and commented with each other how the third rich man lacked decency and compassion. It was good that they had been there to help the poor villagers… However, three days later, they met the third rich man who was traveling in the opposite direction. He was still traveling quickly, but his wagons, instead of the gold and valuables they had been carrying, were now full of farming implements, tools, and sacks of seeds and grain. He was heading to the poor village to help them out of poverty. |
Why we read Parashat Sh’qalim? | Shabbat Sh’qalim falls on the Shabbat before Rosh Hodesh Adar. If Rosh Hodesh Adar falls on Shabbat, Parashat Sheqalim (the reading of the portion of the half Sheqel) is read then. When there are two months of Adar it is read before the 2nd Adar. The purpose of reading the portion of the half Sheqel is so that people will be reminded to bring their donations of the half Sheqel in Adar. Since the Yetser Hara (evil inclination) tries to prevent us from bringing this donation, even though it is small, we make the effort of reminding the people that it must be brought. Rashi states that the reading of parashat Sheqalim is in memory of the reading of Parashat Sheqalim that was done in the Beth Hammiqdash (Temple), which was done for the reason mentioned above. According to the Lebush and Mishna Berura, however, the reading is done in lieu of the actual donations which were made at the time of Beth Hammiqdash. Since, for our sins, we do not have a Temple in which to offer our half Sheqel, G-d accepts our reading of the Parasha of the Sheqalim in its stead. (Rabbi Ya'aqob Menashe / ATorahMinute.Com) |
Time to Smile  | Yosef: “My wife says that raw vegetables are very healthy.” Dan: “Yeh, my wife also doesn’t like to cook.” (not Sebbah:) |
|