Newsletter Parashat Bechukotai – Shabbat Mevarechim

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Interesting Read
Why Israel and Chutz La’Aretz Read Different Parshas (And Why We Don’t Re-Align Sooner)
Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
 
Why Do We Read Different Parshas?
This year, we have a situation that arises every so often – certainly not infrequently! In America, Europe, Australia, South Africa – basically, most of the world – the eighth and final day of Pesach falls on a Shabbos. But in Israel, where Pesach is only seven days long, the last day of the holiday is Friday. The next day is a regular, non-yom tov Shabbos (or “Shabbat,” as most people there would say). This creates the following discrepancy: in Israel, they read parshas Acharei Mos on the Shabbos that to them is the day after Pesach. In the rest of the world, where Shabbos is still observed as Pesach, we read the special portion for yom tov.
This means that the following week, Kedoshim is read in Israel and Acharei Mos is read in the rest of the world. The week after that, Emor is read in Israel and Kedoshim is read elsewhere. This goes on for fifteen weeks until the parshiyos eventually realign. This occurs when Israel reads parshas Masei and the rest of the world reads both Matos and Masei.
Fifteen weeks! Three and a half months!
Because this is a leap year (i.e., a year with an extra month of Adar), we may be looking at the maximum number of weeks possible for a discrepancy between Israel and elsewhere but in other years, the difference may be even more pronounced. If the sedras of Acharei Mos-Kedoshim, Behar-Bechukosai and Chukas-Balak were joined, as they are in most years, we might have three fewer weeks of discrepancy but an even bigger question arises: Why wait so long to re-synchronize the calendar when all we need to do is for Israel to split a double parsha?
The question is largely based on the assumption that having everybody read the same Torah portion at the same time should be the overriding concern. Before we address that assumption, let’s look at why we read the Torah the way we do.
The Rules of the Torah-Reading Schedule
Historically, the Torah was not always divided the way we read it today. Our current system was designed by the Geonim in Bavel (Babylonia) but for centuries, the triennial (three-year) cycle was popular in Israel. It is therefore not unheard of for different communities to not all be reading the same Torah portion at the same time. (It appears that things started to coalesce in the 14th century.) Nevertheless, there were always certain principles, such as that the portions of the curses in sefer Vayikra (meaning parshas Bechukosai) and in sefer Devarim (meaning parshas Ki Savo) should be read before Shavuos and Rosh Hashana, respectively; this practice is attributed to the Biblical Ezra (Megillah 31b – Tosfos there adds that parshas Bemidbar should also be read before Shavuos so that the curses in Bechukosai aren’t too close to Shavuos).
The Shulchan Aruch (OC 428:4) lays out four rules, which serve as the basis for why certain sedras may or may not be joined:
(1) The Shabbos before Pesach must be parshas Tzav in a regular year or parshas Metzora in a leap year, unless Rosh Hashana was on a Thursday, in which case it’s parshas Acharei Mos. This necessitates joining Vayakhel-Pekudei into a single parsha in most years;
(2) The Shabbos before Shavuos is parshas Bemidbar, as we have discussed. (In a leap year in which Rosh Hashana was on Thursday, it is parshas Naso.) Because of this, three sets of parshiyos in sefer Vayikra are combined in a regular (non-leap) year: Tazria-Metzora, Acharei Mos-Kedoshim and Behar-Bechukosai. (In regular years when Pesach starts on Shabbos, Behar and Bechukosai are read separately in Israel because 22 Nisan is a regular Shabbos there);
(3) Parshas Vaeschanan is read on the Shabbos after Tisha b’Av. Because of this, the parshiyos of Matos and Masei need to be combined except in leap years in which Rosh Hashana fell on Thursday or in Israel in leap years when Pesach starts on Shabbos (as is the case this year – 5779). Outside of Israel, when Shavuos falls on Friday (so that Shabbos is the second day), Chukas and Balak must also be read together;
(4) Parshas Nitzavim is read on the Shabbos before Rosh Hashana, as we have discussed. Because of this, if Rosh Hashana falls on a Monday, there will be two non-yom tov Shabboses in between Rosh Hashana and Succos. In such a case, the parshiyos of Nitzavim and Vayeilech must be split, reading Vayeilech between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, so that Haazinu is read before Succos. (This is because V’Zos HaBracha needs to be read on Simchas Torah.) However, if Rosh Hashana falls on a Thursday, there is only one non-yom tov Shabbos between Rosh Hashana and Succos (the other being Yom Kippur) so Nitzavim-Vayeilech must be read as a single parsha in order the accomplish the same result.
We go into things with these four basic ground rules in place, but there are other factors to consider.
Why Don’t We Adjust Sooner?
As noted, the simple solution in most years would be for Israel to spilt a double parsha, which would cause them to realign with the rest of the world. The reason we don’t do this is explained by Rav Yissachar ben Mordechai ibn Sussan (15th century). In Tikkun Yissachar, he writes that Israel is following the predominant custom, which is presumably based on the Torah’s ideal that Pesach should be observed for seven days. It would be unseemly for the residents of Israel to tweak their practice to align with the rest of the world, whose Torah-reading schedule is “off” out of necessity, thanks to the addition of an eighth day of Pesach. And so, in Israel, they wait until the last possible juncture to combine sedras. (We’ll explain why in a moment.)
Because this year (5782) is a leap year, there are no double parshas for Israel to split, but the question still arises: why don’t the rest of us “double up” two sedras earlier, in order to catch up with Israel?
There are a number of factors. For one thing, in a leap year, combining Matos-Masei is the normal thing to do. If we combined an earlier sedra, we’d have to separate Matos and Masei, which goes against our “standard operating procedure.” (See Maharit.) But why are we so keen – both in Israel and elsewhere, to delay combining parshas to the last possible opportunity?
It seems that the appropriate course of action when doubling-up two sedras is to wait for the latest opportunity to do so. This could either be because people historically waited to combine parshas until they saw that they were going to have a problem meeting one of the four “checkpoints” described above, or simply in order to make it evident that they were “doubling up” Torah readings in order to meet one of these checkpoints.
While people might acknowledge the necessity inherent in the former hypothesis, I question its historicity, since we’ve been working with standardized calendars for far longer than we’ve had a standardized Torah-reading schedule; I therefore tend to favor the latter hypothesis. People may find it a less compelling reason but I think the logic underlying it makes perfect sense. Consider: We add an extra month of Adar to our calendar every so often in order to ensure that the following month – Nisan, in which Pesach occurs – falls in the spring. Doing it this way was a necessity in Sanhedrin times, when the calendar was set month by month, based on the testimony of witnesses. Nowadays, however, we have a calendar that will last us to eternity. We could just as easily accomplish our goal by inserting an extra Kislev or an extra Shevat. Nevertheless, we only insert an extra Adar since the additional month is only declared for the sake of the month that follows it. Similarly, I can see the logic of doubling up two Torah readings at the juncture closest to the point that actually necessitates such a change.

The Modern-Day Traveler’s Dilemma
It’s apparent that this issue has presented a halachic quandary for more than a millennium but it has really only become a point of contention for some people in the few decades, based on increasingly-common transit between Israel and diaspora communities. Being in a country reading the “wrong” parsha for one’s own schedule creates the inconvenience of trying to find a minyan reading the sedra of one’s homeland (probably easier for an American, European or Australian in Israel than vice versa) or trying somehow to “fix” things upon one’s return home.
Obviously, if one is in a place with a lot of one’s own countrymen, such as an English-speaking yeshiva in Israel or some kind of vacation resort, by all means one may read the sedra that the visiting congregation is up to even if it’s not the one being read throughout the country they’re visiting. It must be noted, however that one is not obligated to find such a minyan. Reading the Torah is a communal obligation, not an individual obligation. An individual fulfills his personal obligation through the communal reading even if it’s not the one he would have heard at home. (Yom Tov Sheini Kehilchaso 9:13-17 cites Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Rav Shach and Rav Elyashiv on this matter.)
Nevertheless, some people seem to feel quite strongly that the ubiquity of travel between Israel and elsewhere warrants a change. I, personally, believe that such a demand may be missing the point of the enactment. The Geonim and Rishonim appear to have put a lot of thought into the matter of our Torah readings but the number of travelers between Israel and elsewhere does not appear to have been a major factor in the decision-making process. There have always been travelers between Israel and the diaspora. Even today, the number of travelers affected by this discrepancy represents a tiny minority of world Jewry. It just happens to be a somewhat larger tiny minority than in previous generations.
But What About Unity?
As far as the concept of “Jewish unity” – the idea that we should inherently all be reading the same parsha as much as possible – that’s a nice ideal but it’s not the driving force in this matter. Yes, Jewish unity is an important concept. This is stressed throughout our literature, from the idea that we camped at Sinai k’ish echad b’lev echad (like a single person with a unified purpose – Rashi on Exodus 19:2, citing the Mechilta d’Rabbi Yishmael) to the principle that kol Yisroel areivim zeh bazeh (all Jews are interconnected – Talmud Shevuos 39a. And no, that wasn’t a typo – “zeh bazeh” has a different nuance in meaning than the more familiar “zeh lazeh,” which occurs elsewhere). Jewish unity is important but it’s not the sole driving force in halacha.
Consider if you will the holiday of Purim, which occurred close to the end of the Biblical period. The Sages instituted that Purim be observed on 14 Adar. Unless one is in a city that was walled since the time of Joshua – in that case, one observes Purim on 15 Adar. And it doesn’t stop there! Take a look at the first two mishnayos in tractate Megillah: there were small villages where residents would only assemble in shuls on Mondays and Thursdays. In such villages, if 14 Adar didn’t fall on one of those days, they would observe Purim on the closest preceding Monday or Thursday. Accordingly, some people might read the megillah on 11, 12 or 13 Adar, while others read it on 14 Adar and still others read it on 15 Adar! Didn’t Chazal understand the importance of Jewish unity?
Of course they did. But they also understood that unity doesn’t mean being in lockstep. We all celebrate Purim in mid-Adar but the needs of different communities may affect exactly when that is. It may be inconvenient for a person if he’s in Jerusalem on 14 Adar and in Tel Aviv on 15 Adar – neither of which is observed as Purim – but we’re not about to change the practice because of such commuters.
The same is true of our Torah-reading schedule. All of Jewry now observes the one-year cycle, and we are sure to re-align at four points in the year, as detailed above. In between those points, however, there’s “wiggle room” that enables different communities to meet different halachic needs. Yes, there are some world travelers who may be inconvenienced by the differences between Israel and elsewhere but, as with those who commute in and out of Jerusalem in Adar, the onus is on the individual to adjust to the community, not vice versa.
The fact that we may sometimes read different sedras for weeks – or even for months – is a celebration of our individuality. The fact that we always make sure to re-align is a sign of our unity.
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לוח זמני תפלה לקיץ תשפ״ב

Summer Timetable 5782 – 2022

מוצאי שבת

ערבית

)מוצ”ש(

סוף זמן קריאת שמע

זמן
שבת

פלג מנחה (תה״ד)

פלג מנחה (לבוש)

מנחה וקבלת שבת

תאריך

שבת פרשת

Shabbat

Ends

Arbit

Shema to be read before

Candles to be
lit by

 

Earliest Candle
lighting

Minha & Kabbalat Shabbat*

Date

Parasha

PM

PM

AM

PM

PM

PM

PM

 

 

10:34

10:30

8:58

9:06

8:20

7:39

7:20

27/28
May

בחקותי (ש''מ)

שבת שחרית 

קרבנות  

9:00 am

הודו

9:15 am

image.png 5:00 pm 
Pirke Avot 5:50 pm
 מנחה on שבת Day at 6 pm

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Q & A Parashat Bechukotai
  1. To what do the words “bechukotai telechu” (walk in My statutes) refer?
    26:3 – Laboring in Torah learning.
  2. When is rain “in its season?”
    26:4 – At times when people are not outside (e.g., Shabbat nights).
  3. What is the blessing of “v'achaltem lachmechem l'sova” (and you shall eat your bread to satisfaction)?
    26:5 – You will only require a little bread to be completely satisfied.
  4. What is meant by the verse “and a sword will not pass through your land”?
    26:6 – No foreign army will travel through your land on their way to a different country.
  5. Mathematically, if five Jewish soldiers can defeat 100 enemy soldiers, how many enemy soldiers should 100 Jewish soldiers be able to defeat?
    26:4 – Two thousand.
  6. How much is “revava”?
    26:4 – Ten thousand.
  7. Which “progression” of seven transgressions are taught in Chapter 26, and why in that particular order?
    26:14,15 – Not studying Torah, not observing mitzvot, rejecting those who observe mitzvot, hating Sages, preventing others from observing mitzvot, denying that G-d gave the mitzvot, denying the existence of G-d. They are listed in this order because each transgression leads to the next.
  8. What is one benefit which the Jewish People derive from the Land of Israel's state of ruin?
    26:32 – No enemy nation will be able to settle in the Land of Israel.
  9. What was the duration of the Babylonian exile and why that particular number?
    26:35 – 70 years. Because the Jewish People violated 70 Shemitta and yovel years.
  10. How many years did the Jewish People sin in Israel up till the time the northern tribes were exiled?
    26:35 – 390 years.
  11. In verse 26:42, the name Yaakov is written with an extra “vav.” From whom did Yaakov receive this extra letter and why?
    26:42 – In five places in the Torah, Yaakov's name is written with an extra “vav” and in five places the name Eliyahu is missing a “vav.” Yaakov “took” these vavs as a pledge that Eliyahu will one day come and announce the redemption of Yaakov's children.
  12. What positive element is implied by the words “and I will bring them into the land of their enemies?”
    26:41 – G-d Himself, so to speak, will bring them into their enemies' land. This means that even when the Jews are in exile, G-d will supply them with leaders who inspire them to keep the Torah. This guards the Jews from assimilating into the host culture.
  13. In verse 26:42, why is the word “remember” not used in connection with the name of Yitzchak?
    26:42 – Because the image of Yitzchak's ashes (who was prepared to be brought as an offering) upon the altar is always before G-d.
  14. Why does the Torah say in 26:46 “Torot” (plural) and not “Torah” (singular)?
    26:46 – To teach that both the Written Torah and the Oral Torah were given to Moshe on Har Sinai.
  15. What happens when a poor person dedicates the value of a man to the Beit Hamikdash and doesn't have sufficient funds to fulfill his vow?
    27:8 – The person whose value was donated goes before the kohen, who sets the obligation according to the poor person's ability to pay.
  16. If a person says “The leg of this animal shall be an olah offering” the animal is sold and sacrificed as an olah offering. What is the status of the money received for the animal?
    27:9 – The money is “chullin,” meaning it does not have “holy” status, except for the value of the animal's leg which does have “holy” status.
  17. If a person dedicates his ancestral field to the Beit Hamikdash and fails to redeem it before yovel what happens to the field?
    27:16 – It becomes the property of the kohanim who are on rotation at the beginning of yovel.
  18. Where must “ma'aser sheini” be eaten?
    27:30 – In Jerusalem.
  19. When a person redeems “ma'aser sheini” what happens to the food? What happens to the redemption money?
    27:31 – The food becomes permissible to him outside of Jerusalem. The redemption money must be brought to Jerusalem and used to purchase food to be eaten there.
  20. How does a person tithe his animals?
    27:32 – He passes them through a door individually and he marks every tenth animal with a rod smeared with red dye.
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Halachot from Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Ztz'l 

חג השבועות

נאמר בפרשת מתן תורה, “ויסעו מרפידים ויבאו
מדבר סיני, ויחנו במדבר, ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר”. (שמות יט).

רבינו חיים בן עטר, ה”אור החיים”
הקדוש הקשה, שהרי בפסוקים שקודם לכן כבר נאמר “לצאת בני ישראל מארץ מצרים,
ביום הזה באו מדבר סיני”, ואם כן לכאורה, מדוע כפלה התורה וכתבה שוב
“ויחנו במדבר”, הרי ברור הדבר שאם הגיעו למדבר גם חנו שם, ואם כן מה באה ללמדינו התורה בדבר זה?

ומסביר האור החיים הקדוש, כי פסוק זה בא ללמדינו
שלשה עיקרים בקבלת התורה, שמבלעדי שלשת הדברים הללו אי אפשר היה לקבל את התורה,
ועל ידם נתרצה הקדוש ברוך הוא לתת לבני ישראל את התורה.

הראשון, “ויסעו
מרפידים”, שקודם קבלת התורה, היו עם ישראל ברפיון ידים ועצלות גדולה, כדרכם
של עבדים משוחררים, ואף על פי כן הם הכינו עצמם והתגברו על מדותיהם הטבעיות, לקבל
את התורה בזריזות ובחשק, וקבלו על עצמם שלא להתעצל בלימוד התורה. כי כך טבע הדבר
בלימוד התורה, שדברי תורה צריכים חיזוק כל העת, ולכן התורה טורחת בכל פעם שהיא
מזכירה ענין לימוד התורה, לתת תוספת חיזוק, כמו שנאמר “לא ימוש ספר התורה הזה
מפיך, והגית בו יומם ולילה, הלא צויתיך חזק ואמץ”, וכן על זה הדרך. ולפיכך
הוצרכה התורה לציין “ויסעו מרפידים”, שהיו נרפים מאד, ברפיון ידיים, ואף
על פי כן זרזו עצמם לקבלת התורה בחשק ושמחה,  ו”יסעו” מאותו הרפיון
שהיה להם קודם לכן. שזהו עיקר גדול ותנאי לזכות לכתרה של תורה.

העיקר השני, “ויבאו מדבר
סיני ויחנו במדבר”, שהכוונה בזה שהגיעו עם ישראל למדרגה רוחנית שהיא בבחינת
מדבר, שהכל דשין ודורכין עליו, והוא מקום הפקר לכל, כמו כן ישראל הגיעו למצב של
ענווה ושיפלות רוח, כי מבלעדי זה אי אפשר לזכות לתורה, כי אין התורה
שורה על גסי הרוח, ועל כן משה רבינו זכה שהוא יקבל את התורה, לפי שהוא היה סמל
ואות למופת של ענוה גדולה שלא היה עוד כמותה. גם לא ניתנה התורה אלא על ההר הנמוך
שבהרים, הר סיני, כי אין השכינה שורה על גסי הרוח וגבהי הלב, ורק בזכות הענוה זכו
ישראל לכתר תורה.

והעיקר השלישי, “ויחן שם ישראל כנגד
ההר”, אשר כמו שפירשנו כבר, לשון “ויחן” הוא לשון יחיד, מפני שעם
ישראל באותו הזמן היתה בינהם אחדות גדולה, כאיש אחד בלב אחד, וגם זה הוא תנאי גדול
לזכות לתורה, כי אין קבלת התורה רק ליחידים שבישראל, אלא דוקא לכל כלל ישראל יחד,
ועל כן התורה צריכה תמיד להיות נלמדת בציבור, ואמרו רבותינו “חרב אל הבדים”,
חרב אל אותם שלומדים בד בבד, כלומר לבדם, כי אין אדם זוכה לישרות בתורה, אלא כשהיא
נלמדת עם עוד אדם, שיעיר את תשומת לב חבירו כשהוא טועה בלימוד. (ואחר שידע כבר את
עיקרי לימוד התורה בדרך נכונה, יוכל ללמוד לבדו מתוך ספרי האחרונים, אשר גם על ידי
העיון בהם יוכל לעמוד על טעותו), ואשרי העם שהם באים בליל שבועות ללמוד תורה
בציבור, במקום שהשכינה שורה בו, אשר על כגון זה נאמר
“ויחן שם ישראל כנגד ההר”, כי כאיש אחד, זכו לקבל את התורה, וכמו כן
אנו, נזכה לאורה של תורה, משאת חיינו, בזכות ענוה ושפלות רוח, לקבל מהגדולים
מאיתנו את האמת, ולהודות תמיד על האמת, ולהשתדל כמה שאפשר להיות באחדות גדולה,
שמתוך כך תשרה עלינו השכינה הקדושה, ונזכה לכתרה של תורה.

The Holiday of Shavuot

Regarding the giving of the Torah, the Torah states
(Shemot 19): “And they travelled from Refidim and they arrived at the Sinai
Desert and they camped in the desert; and Israel camped there opposite the
mountain.”

Rabbeinu Chaim ben Atar, the saintly “Or Ha’Chaim,” asks
that in the previous verses the Torah states, “On the third month of the Jewish
nation leaving Egypt, on this day they had come to the Sinai desert.” If so,
why does the Torah repeat the fact that they “camped in the desert”? Is it not
clear that if they arrived at the desert that they camped there as well? What
does the Torah mean to teach us by writing this?

The saintly Or Ha’Chaim explains that the Torah is trying
to convey to us three key principles regarding receiving the Torah without
which accepting the Torah would have been impossible and because of which
Hashem decided to give us the Torah.

The first is “Travelling from Refidim” (in Hebrew,
“Refidim” is similar to the word “Rifyon” meaning laxity) before the giving of
the Torah, for the Jewish nation experienced great carelessness and lethargy as
all freed slaves do and even so, they prepared themselves and overcame their
natural character-traits in order to be able to accept the Torah in a zealous
and energetic manner by accepting upon themselves not to become lazy in their
Torah learning. This is indeed the natural course of Torah learning that the
Torah needs strengthening and recommitment at all times. It is for this reason
that any time the Torah mentions learning Torah, the Torah adds a boost of
encouragement as the verse states, “This Sefer Torah shall not budge from your
lips and you shall delve in it day and night etc. have I not commanded you to
be strong and courageous?” The Torah therefore needed to point out that they
“travelled from Refidim,” for they had truly been slacking off, but even so
they had energized themselves to accept the Torah with desire and joy and they
had thus “travelled away” from the laxity they possessed beforehand, for this
is a great principle and important condition for meriting receiving the Torah’s
crown.

The second principle is “And they arrived at the Sinai
desert and they camped in the desert.” This means that the Jewish nation
reached the lofty level wherein they made themselves like a desert which is
ownerless and everyone walks through and tramples on. Similarly, the Jewish
nation reached a high level of humility and submissiveness, for without doing
so, one cannot merit accepting the Torah as the Torah does not identify itself
with the arrogant. It is also for this reason that Moshe Rabbeinu was the one
chosen to receive the Torah, for he served as an outstanding symbol of extreme
humility, the likes of which the world had never seen. Additionally, the Torah
was given only on the lowest of mountains, Mount Sinai, for Hashem’s presence
does not rest on the arrogant and the haughty; only because of their humility
did the Jewish nation merit receiving the crown of Torah.

The third principle is “And Israel camped there opposite
the mountain.” The Torah uses the singular form of the word “camped” in order
to teach us that the Jewish nation was completely unified at that time, like
one man with one heart. This also serves as an important condition in order to
receive the Torah, for the Torah was not given to individuals among the Jewish
nation; rather, it was given to the entire nation as one. It is for this reason
that the Torah must be read in public. Indeed the verse states, “May a sword be
to the loners” referring to those who learn Torah alone, for one cannot merit
having a correct understanding of the Torah unless he learns with someone else
who will be able to bring the errors he has made in his learning to his
attention. (Once one masters the principles for how to properly learn Torah,
one may then learn from the works of the Acharonim alone, for by delving in
them one will likewise be able to realize if he has erred.) Praiseworthy is the
nation whose people come together to learn Torah on the night of Shavuot in a
place where the holy presence of Hashem rests. Regarding this does the verse
state, “And Israel camped there opposite the mountain,” for they merited
receiving the Torah as one. May we likewise merit gleaning from the eternal
light of the Torah by virtue of our true humility through accepting the true
interpretation of the Torah from those greater than us and admitting that their
interpretation is indeed true. Let us try our very best to always be completely
unified, for this will cause Hashem to rest His holy presence on us and we will
thereby merit receiving the crown of the Torah.