Parashat Toldot<title></head> <body> <strong>Shtikel Gevaldik Vort</strong> I apologize in advance about this vort, since it does not relate to this week’s parsha, but I just heard it from Rabbi Allan Schwartz and thought you might all enjoy it. In beginning of Parshat Vayera when the three angels come to visit Avraham, they asked “Where is Sara”, and Avraham responded ‘She is in the Tent’. Rashi points out that this shows her tzniut. The Chidushei HaRim asks, in all of the Torah, one doesn’t find a more meaningless conversation than this one. Where is Sara? She is in the Tent. What is the point of this? Even if one would wanted to make a claim similar to Rashi, there are still many pesukim previously which Rashi could have used to say that Sara was tzanua. There is a midrash discussing why the angels had to come to Avraham and could not just go and destroy Sedom. Hashem answers the angels saying that he wanted to allow Avraham the chance to plea on their behalf. The angels question this since we are only allowing more evil to take place in this world. God answers, that there is a person in Sedom whose name is Lot, who will eventually have a child which will eventually lead to the birth of David, Mashiach Hashem. The angels ask: but how can they become part of Judaism, we know that Ammonite and Moabite are not allowed to marry Jews. God answers that this only refers to the men not the women. The angels ask: How come in all the categories mentioned in that parsha, which include mamzerim and amalekim and yet we don’t say about them that only the men are forbidden. God answers that this is because when Bnei Yisrael left Egypt, the Ammonites and Moabites didn’t bring them food. Since it is not the way for women to go out, greet strangers and provide them with food, they were not punished with the same restrictions as the males. From where do we learn this? From the conversation with Sara. Where is Sara, why isn’t she outside providing food and greeting her guests? The answer is because she is tzanua, and it is not the way for women to act in that manner. Now we understand how important this conversation actually was. <br> <strong>Riddle of the Week</strong> New - What is permitted to do on Shabbat that is forbidden on Yom Tov?<br> Old- There is a person mentioned in Tanach, who the last part of his name is the English translation of the first part of his name. Who is this person? Yonadov <br> <strong>Sheila with no Teshuva</strong> Why in Tanach (in the past few parshiyot) do they keep on using the theory of telling the evil wicked king, that their wife is really their sister? If it didn’t work once, why keep on trying? Didn’t this story pass down to the next generation and hopefully someone at some point would try a new plan? <br> <strong>Famous (yet not so well known) Machloket L'shem Shomayim</strong> There is a case in Masechet Beitzah, where a gentile brought a present to a Jew on Yom Tov. Rav Papa ruled that it is forbidden until the time of k’dei sheya’asu (see Mah Zeh) after Yom Tov. According to Rashi, one should not be allowed to benefit from melacha which was done on Yom Tov and therefore would have to wait until after Yom Tov ended. Tosafot disagrees with Rashi. One strong question that Tosafot asks is that we know that if someone cooked something by accident on Shabbat, he can eat it. If this is so, why wouldn’t we say that we are worried that you are benefiting from melacha which is done on Shabbat? Rabbeinu Tam says it is rather so that we don’t ask the gentile to bring it for us on Yom Tov so we can have it the moment Yom Tov is over. A practical difference between these two opinions (see Rosh ad loc for other differences) would be if the gentile brought it for another person. According to Rashi it is forbidden while Rabbenu Tam would allow it. <br><br> <strong>Mi Anachnu u’meh Chayenu??</strong> Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Waldenberg was born in 1916 in Yerushalayim. He was the Rav of Shaare Tzeddek and an Av Beit Din. He is best know for his halachik work, Tzitz Eliezer, a 21 volume halachic series on various medical topics as well as more basic topics like shababt etc. He was well known as a great posek in the field of medicine and even more famous for some of his opinions on abortions, cosmetic surgery, and organ transplants. He also wrote Hilchot Medina taking task with many Chief Rabbis of Israel as well as Divrei Eliezer. The Tzitz Eliezer was niftar this past week in Yerushalayim. <br><br> <strong>Mekomot Shel Yehudim</strong> http://www.saad.org.il/elihu/ - If you ever needed an online Tikkun, here is a wonderful site with all of Chumash and the Megillot. <br><br> <strong>Shut of the Week</strong> Ritvah #2 – If there was a simcha occurring in a synagogue, and the family had several Kohanim, is there a way to give more then one aliyah to the Kohanim? Answer – In a place where there are several Kohanim, Levi’im and Yisraelim, one can give the first aliyah to a Kohen, second to a Levi and third to a yisrael. After that, he can repeat this order and give the 4th to a Kohen, 5th to a Levi, 6th to a Yisrael. <br><br> <strong>Mah Zeh</strong> k’dei sheya’asu – This is a concept for Shabbat and Yom Tov. The idea is that if something was done that was forbidden on Shabbat, we don’t allow you to use it until after Shabbat. So for example, if something was cooked for you on Shabbat, you would have to wait after Shabbat the amount of time it would take to complete the action after Shabbat in order to be permitted. <br><br> <strong>Mazal Tov and Condolences</strong> Mazal Tov to Rachel Libman and Gerald Lazar on their upcoming Marriage. Rav Wallendberg (Tzitz Eliezer) – was niftar on Tuesday afternoon in Yerushalayim. <br><br> Send all suggestions, requests, questions and answers to <a href="mailto:beitmidrashtoronto@yahoo.ca">beitmidrashtoronto@yahoo.ca</a> Have a great Shabbat The Beit Midrash Crew </body> </html> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The best gets better. See why everyone is raving about the All-new Yahoo! Mail.