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Q & A on Parashat Matot – Mase

Matot

1. Who may annul a vow?
   30:2 – Preferably, an expert in the laws of nedarim. Otherwise, three ordinary people.
2. When may a father annul his widowed daughter's vows?
   30:10 – If she is under 12 1/2 years old and widowed before she was fully married.
3. Why were the Jewish People not commanded to attack Moav, as they were to attack Midian?
   31:2 – Because Moav only acted out of fear against the Jewish People. Also, Ruth was destined to come from Moav.
4. Those selected to fight Midian went unwillingly. Why?
   31:5 – They knew that Moshe's death would follow.
5. What holy vessels accompanied the Jewish People into battle?
   31:6 – The aron and the tzitz.
6. Those who killed in the war against Midian were required to remain outside the"machane" (camp). Which machane?
   31:19 – The Machane Shechina.
7. Besides removing traces of forbidden food, what else is needed to make metal vessels obtained from a non-Jew fit for a Jewish owner?
   31:23 – Immersion in a mikve.
8. "We will build sheep-pens here for our livestock and cities for our little ones." What was improper about this statement?
   32:16 – They showed more regard for their property than for their children.
9. During the conquest of the Land, where did Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven position themselves?
   32:17 – At the head of the troops.
10. What promise did Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven make beyond that which Moshe required?
    32:24 – Moshe required them to remain west of the Jordan during the conquest of the Land. They promised to remain after the conquest until the Land was divided among the tribes.

Masei

1. Why does the Torah list the places where the Jewish People camped?
   33:1 – To show G-d's love of the Jewish People. Although it was decreed that they wander in the desert, they did not travel continuously. During 38 years, they moved only 20 times.
2. Why did the King of Arad feel at liberty to attack the Jewish People?
   33:40 – When Aharon died, the clouds of glory protecting the Jewish People departed.
3. What length was the camp in the midbar?
   33:49 – Twelve mil (one mil is 2,000 amot).
4. Why does the Torah need to specify the boundaries that are to be inherited by the Jewish People?
   34:2 – Because certain mitzvot apply only in the Land.
5. What was the nesi'im's role in dividing the Land?
   34:17 – Each nasi represented his tribe. He also allocated the inheritance to each family in his tribe.
6. When did the three cities east of the Jordan begin to function as refuge cities?
   35:13 – After Yehoshua separated three cities west of the Jordan.
7. There were six refuge cities, three on each side of the Jordan. Yet, on the east side of the Jordan there were only two and a half tribes. Why did they need three cities?
   35:14 – Because murders were more common there.
8. To be judged as an intentional murderer, what type of weapon must the murderer use?
   35:16 – One capable of inflicting lethal injury.
9. Why is the kohen gadol blamed for accidental deaths?
   35:25 – He should have prayed that such things not occur.
10. When an ancestral field moves by inheritance from one tribe to another, what happens to it in Yovel?
    36:4 – It remains with the new tribe.

Halachot from Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Ztz'l  

אכילת בשר מראש חודש אב

מבואר במשנה במסכת תענית (דף
כו:) שגזרו חכמים, שבערב תשעה באב, דהיינו בסעודה המפסקת, שהיא הסעודה האחרונה
שאוכל לפני התענית, אין לאכול בשר, וכן אין לשתות יין, ולא יאכל אדם שני תבשילין,
כגון אורז וביצה וכדומה. והנה אף שמבואר שאין איסור מן הדין באכילת בשר אלא בסעודה
המפסקת בלבד, מכל מקום נהגו ישראל שלא לאכול בשר, מיום ראש חודש אב ועד יום עשירי
באב. ומנהגים אלו נזכרו כבר בדברי הגאונים ורבותינו הראשונים, ופשטו בכל ישראל.
ואין חילוק בין בשר בהמה לבשר עוף, שבכל אופן אסור לאכלו, ואפילו תבשיל שנתבשל עם
בשר, כגון מרק, אף על פי שמוציא ממנו את הבשר, אין לשתות ממנו, מפני טעם הבשר שיש
בו. אבל דגים אינם בכלל האיסור ומותר לאכלם.

אכילת בשר ביום ראש
חודש וביום עשירי באב
מנהג הספרדים להקל באכילת בשר
ביום ראש חודש אב עצמו, וכפי שביארנו בהלכה הקודמת, אבל האשכנזים נוהגים להחמיר אף
ביום ראש חודש אב. ובזה הספרדים מיקלים יותר מהאשכנזים. ולעומת זאת לגבי אכילת בשר
ביום עשירי באב, מנהג הספרדים להחמיר שלא לאכול בשר ביום עשירי באב כולו, ולמנהג
האשכנזים יש להקל באכילת בשר ושתיית יין מיום עשירי באב אחר חצות היום.

מנהג התימנים בענין
אכילת בשר
מנהג אחינו בני תימן, בכל ארצות
תימן, שלא היו נמנעים מאכילת בשת ושתיית יין, אלא בסעודה מפסקת של ערב תשעה באב,
אבל בכל שאר ימי החודש לא היו נזהרים בזה, שכן הוא עיקר דין התלמוד. אולם עתה שזכו
לעלות לארץ ישראל,
וכאן המנהג פשוט להחמיר בזה בכל
תשעת הימים, כתב מרן הרב זצ"ל, שעליהם לנהוג בזה כמנהג ארץ ישראל, ואסור
לפרוץ גדר בזה, ובפרט שכאן ניכר יותר ענין החורבן, שרואים עין בעין מקום חורבן
הבית, ואז בודאי שייך יותר לנהוג איסור בדבר.

אכילת בשר בערב שבת
חזון
בשבת חזון, שהיא השבת שלפני תשעה
באב (השבת שלפנינו) אוכלים בשר, ומותר לטעום בערב שבת מהתבשילים שיש בהם בשר כדי
לתקן את המאכל (כגון להוסיף מלח וכדומה) ויש מקלים לטעום מן המאכלים של שבת אף שלא
לצורך, לפי שעל פי דברי המקובלים יש ענין גדול לטעום ממאכלי השבת, ומרן הרב עובדיה
יוסף זצ"ל כתב שיש להקל בזה, והמחמיר תבוא עליו ברכה.

אכילת בשר שנותר
משבת חזון
כתב מרן הרב זצ"ל, שאם
נשאר בשר מן המאכלים שבשלו לכבוד שבת, מותר לאכול מהם במוצאי שבת ב"סעודה
רביעית" שהיא הסעודה שאוכלים במוצאי שבת. והמיקל לאכול מבשר זה שנשאר מסעודת
שבת אף בשאר ימות השבוע, יש לו על מה שיסמוך, ולקטנים שלא
הגיעו לגיל מצוות יש להקל באכילת בשר שנשאר משבת אף בימות החול. (אך בתנאי שלא
יבשל לכתחילה כמות גדולה לשבת בכדי שישאר לו בשר לימות החול). ולילדים קטנים מאוד
שאינם מבינים כלל את משמעות חורבן הבית, מותר לתת אף לכתחילה בשר בימים אלו, ומותר
לבשל עבורם בשר בשבוע זה שחל בו תשעה באב.

אדם חלש הזקוק לאכילת
בשר
חולה, אף על פי שאין בו סכנה,
מותר לו לאכול בשר בימים אלו. וכן יולדת תוך שלושים יום ללידתה מותרת באכילת בשר.
וכן מינקת שהתינוק שלה חלש, ואם תמנע מאכילת בשר יוכל הדבר להשפיע לרעה על בריאות
הילד, מותרת באכילת בשר. וכן מעוברת שסובלת הרבה בהריונה יש להקל לה לאכול בשר
בימים אלו. אבל אדם בריא שאוכל בשר בזמן שנוהגים בו איסור, גדול עוונו מנשוא, והרי
הוא פורץ גדר, ועונשו גדול.

Eating Meat Following Rosh Chodesh Av

Eating Meat Following Rosh Chodesh
Av
The Mishnah in Masechet Ta’anit (26b) tells us that on Erev Tisha Be’av during
the last meal one eats before the fast, one may not eat meat, drink wine, or
eat two cooked foods, such as rice and an egg. Although the letter of the law
dictates that the prohibition to eat meat only applies during the last meal one
eats before the fast of Tisha Be’av, nevertheless, the custom of the Jewish
nation is to abstain from eating meat from Rosh Chodesh Av until the Tenth of
Av. These customs have already been mentioned by the Geonim and early Poskim
and have been accepted by the Jewish people. There is no distinction between
meat and chicken, as it is prohibited to consume any of them. Even a food
cooked with meat, for instance a soup cooked with meat, should not be eaten
even after the meat has been removed, due to its meat flavor. Fish is not
included in this prohibition and is permitted to be eaten.

Eating Meat on Rosh Chodesh
and on the Tenth of Av
The Sephardic custom is to permit eating meat on the day of Rosh Chodesh
itself, as we have explained in the previous Halacha; Ashkenazim customarily
forbid this even on the day of Rosh Chodesh. Regarding this aspect, Sephardim
are more lenient than Ashkenazim. On the other hand, regarding eating meat on
the Tenth of Av, the Sephardic custom is to prohibit eating meat during the
entire day of the Tenth of Av (i.e. until sunset of the Tenth of Av), whereas
the Ashkenazi custom is to permit consumption of meat and wine following
halachic mid-day of the Tenth of Av.

The Yemenite Custom Regarding
Eating Meat
The custom of Yemenite Jews was to only abstain from eating meat and drinking
wine during the meal immediately preceding the fast of Tisha Be’av; however, they
would not abstain from doing so during the other days of the month of Av, in
accordance with the letter of the law of the Talmud. Nevertheless, now that
they have merited settling to Israel where the prevalent custom is to abstain
from this during the “Nine Days,” Maran Rabbeinu zt”l writes that they
should accept upon themselves the local custom and they may not act
differently. This is especially true since the destruction of the holy Temple
is felt in Israel more than in other places, for the location of the
destruction is clearly visible for all to see and it is thus certainly
befitting to act stringently in this matter.

Eating Meat on Erev Shabbat
“Chazon”
On Shabbat “Chazon,” which is the Shabbat preceding Tisha Be’av (this coming
Shabbat), one should eat meat. On may also act leniently and taste meat dishes
on Erev Shabbat to see if the dish requires any improvement (such as more salt
and the like). Some say that one may be lenient to taste from such Shabbat
dishes even when it is not necessary to do so, for according to the Mekubalim,
it is truly important to taste Shabbat dishes on Erev Shabbat. Maran Rabbeinu
Ovadia Yosef zt”l writes that one may be lenient regarding this matter;
however, one who acts stringently is truly praiseworthy.

Meat Left Over from Shabbat
“Chazon”  
Maran Rabbeinu zt”l writes that if some meat is left over from dishes
that were cooked in honor of Shabbat, one may partake of this meat on Motza’ei
Shabbat during “Seuda Revi’it” (the fourth meal of Shabbat which is
eaten upon the conclusion of Shabbat). This is especially true if one regularly
eats meat during “Seuda Revi’it.” One who is lenient and partakes of
meat left over from dishes cooked in honor of Shabbat even during the other
days of the week indeed has on whom to rely. Regarding minors who have not yet
reached Bar/Bat Mitzvah age, they may be lenient and partake of such leftover
meat on other weekdays as well. (All this applies only when one did not
intentionally cook a large amount for Shabbat in order for there to be
leftovers for during the week.) Regarding young children who do not comprehend
the matter of the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash at all, one may feed them
meat during these days and one may even cook meat for them during the week
during which Tisha Be’av falls out.

An Individual who is Weak and
Needs to Eat Meat
One who is ill, even with a non-life-threatening illness, may eat meat during
these days. Similarly, a woman who is within thirty days of giving birth may
eat meat during these days. Furthermore, if a woman is nursing a weak child and
abstaining from eating meat could possibly impact the health of the baby, she
may eat meat during this time. Similarly, a pregnant woman who suffers very
much during her pregnancy may act leniently and eat meat during these days.
However, if a healthy individual eats meat during this period when everyone
else customarily abstains from doing so, his sin is too great to bear, he is
considered a “fence-breacher,” and he will be severely punished.