Podcasts about masechet yoma

**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** The Gemara in Masechet Yoma emphasizes the importance of taking three steps back after completing the Amida, commenting that if one did not do this properly, then it would have been preferable for him not to have prayed at all. In a sense, failing to take three steps back after the Amida almost invalidates the prayer. After stepping back, one recites, "Oseh Shalom Bi'mromav…" The simple understanding of the requirement to take three steps back is that it displays respect and reverence to G-d. After standing in the Almighty's presence, we cannot just leave; this would be disrespectful. We instead reverently step backwards, facing Hashem. We step back first with our left foot, showing that we are reluctant to leave, and we do so starting with our weaker foot. The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) offers a different explanation, based on Kabbalistic teaching. When we stand before G-d and recite the Amida, he writes, we are in the realm of "Asilut." And once we finish, we must pass through the realms of "Beri'a" and "Yesira" to return to our world, the realm of "Asiya." We thus take three steps, corresponding to the three stages of our return to this realm. After one take the three steps back and recites "Oseh Shalom," he remains in place with his feet together until the time for the recitation of "Nakdishach." At that point, one takes three steps forward – starting with his right foot – and keeps his feet together for "Nakdishach." The Kaf Ha'haim (Rav Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Jerusalem, 1870-1939) writes that if "Nakdishach" begins immediately after one takes his three steps back, then he should right away take his three steps forward for "Nakdishach," without waiting. If, before "Nakdishach," he needs to step outside, such as to use the restroom, then he does not first take three steps forward. He leaves, and returns to the spot where he was standing, and then takes three steps forward. If one prays privately, and thus "Nakdishach" is not being recited, then after he takes three steps back and recites "Oseh Shalom," he remains in place for the amount of time needed to walk four Amot – approximately 3-4 seconds – and then takes three steps forward, starting with his right foot. The Gemara strongly condemns one who takes three steps forward immediately, without pausing several seconds, as this shows that his three steps back were not taken out of respect and reverence. Ideally, before one begins the Amida, he should ensure that he has enough room to take three full steps – toe to heel – backwards after the Amida. However, the Ben Ish Hai writes, if one does not have enough room to take three full steps back, then he takes three smaller steps. Summary: After one completes the Amida, he takes three steps back, starting with his left foot, recites "Oseh Shalom," and remains in place with his feet together until "Nakdishach," at which point he takes three steps forward, starting with his right foot, for "Nakdishach." If he prays privately, he should wait 3-4 second and then take three steps forward. Ideally, before one begins the Amida, he should ensure that he has enough room to take three full steps – toe to heel – backwards after the Amida. However, if one does not have enough room to take three full steps back, he takes three smaller steps.

Parashat Vayakhel tells of the construction of the Mishkan , the site that represented Hashem's residence among the people. In the center of this structure stood the aron , the ark, and it was from atop the aron that Hashem would speak to Moshe Rabbenu. The aron was made from wood, with gold plating on the interior and the exterior. Meaning, the aron had three layers: the gold on the outside, which is what people saw; the golden interior; and the wood in the middle. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma teaches that the two layers of gold plating convey to us a crucial lesson – that a Torah scholar must have the quality of תוכו כברו – "his inside is like his outside." His interior must match the piety and religious devotion that he projects externally. The image that he presents to the people around him must be an accurate reflection of who he really is inside. But if this is true, then why isn't the aron made entirely of gold? If the Torah wants the aron to represent the quality of תוכו כברו , then why doesn't it require making the aron pure gold, to symbolize that a talmid hacham should be "pure gold," inside and out? The answer is, quite simply, that nobody is perfect. The aron shows us that we all have "three layers" to our beings. The first is our exterior, our appearance, the way we present ourselves, the way people see us. The second is the "wood." This refers to our embarrassing faults, our mistakes and our mess-ups, that probably only our immediate family members know about. We all have a part of us that isn't "gold," that is flawed and far from perfect. But the main thing is to ensure that our interior, the innermost part of our beings, is truly "gold." This refers to our core identity. Yes, we are going to make mistakes, we are going to mess up from time to time. But the question is what kind of person we identify as, how we define ourselves. It's ok to have "wood" – as long as our inner beings are "gold," as long as we identify ourselves as genuinely Torah-committed Jews, and we strive to live in a way that reflects that "golden" identity. It is common to refer to a Torah-committed boy as a ben Torah – literally, "son of Torah" – and to a Torah-committed girl as a bat Torah – literally, "daughter of Torah." No matter what a person does, he cannot ever change the fact that he or she is his or her parents' child. Our biological relationship to our parents is a permanent and unalterable part of our identity. Similarly, we should be aspiring to be a " ben Torah " or " bat Torah ," a "child" of Torah. Our commitment to Torah must be a core element of our identity, of who we are, that will never change, even if we occasionally slip. We are going to make mistakes. And, living in our world, with all the lures and all the crazy influences all around us, we are going to be tested. The key to our success as Torah Jews is maintaining our core identity, defining ourselves as Torah Jews. Once we firmly establish that we are Hashem's children, that we are members of His special nation, that we are the ones who received the Torah, which offers us the opportunity to live the most meaningful and beautiful lives possible, then we can withstand every challenge, and we can recover from every failure. The most important thing for us is to make sure that our interior is "gold," that our commitment is genuine and real.

**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** The widespread custom among all Sephardic communities is to recite "Viduy," or confession, immediately following the Amida both at Shaharit and at Minha. This custom is based upon passages in the Zohar (the principal text of Kabbala) and the writings of the Arizal (Rabbi Yishak Luria, 1534-1572). We introduce "Viduy" with the recitation of "Ana Hashem Elokenu V'Elokeh Abotenu…" After "Viduy," we proceed to the recitation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy ("Hashem, Hashem…") and Nefilat Apayim ("Le'David…"). The Arizal instructed that the "Viduy" should be recited according to the sequence of the Hebrew alphabet. We thus begin with "Ashamnu" – a word that starts with the letter "Alef" – followed by "Bagadnu," and so on. When we come to the letters that take on a different form when appearing at the end of a word ("Kaf," "Mem," "Nun," "Peh" and "Sadi"), we recite two words with that letter. Thus, for example, for "Kaf" we recite "Kizabnu" and "Ka'asnu," and for the letter "Mem" we recite "Maradnu" and "Marinu Debarecha." This was the position of the Arizal, and the custom in Yeshivat Bet El, as documented by the Ben Ish Hai (Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Ki-Tisa. The entire confessional text in recited in plural form. For example, we recite "Ashamnu" ("We bear guilt"), as opposed to "Ashamti" ("I bear guilt"), and so on. The Sha'ar Hakavanot writes that one must recite the entire "Viduy" even if he knows with certainty that he has not transgressed one or several of the violations enumerated in the "Viduy" text. It is possible that he has transgressed the given violation in a previous Gilgul (incarnation of the soul), or that a person whose soul is connected to his soul is guilty of that transgression. He may have also unwittingly caused others to violate the sin, or perhaps violated a sin resembling the transgression in question. For all these reasons, one should not skip any part of the "Viduy" even if he thinks he has not violated one of the sins mentioned. "Viduy" must be recited while standing (Masechet Yoma 87). During the "Viduy" recitation, one may not lean on a wall or piece of furniture in a manner such that he would fall if that object would be suddenly moved. While reciting the list of sins ("Ashamnu…"), one should bow slightly as an expression of humble submission. It is customary for both the Hazan and the congregation to recite "Viduy" in a whisper, rather than in a loud, audible voice. Even a person praying privately, who does not recite the Thirteen Attributes, recites "Ana" and the "Viduy." If a person who had already recited "Viduy" happens to be present in a synagogue when the congregation recites "Viduy," he is not required to join them, though it is proper for him to recite the words, "Hatati Aviti Pashati" while they recite "Viduy." One may recite "Viduy" during the nighttime hours, except on Mosa'eh Shabbat, until Hasot (midnight as defined by Halacha). In fact, according to Kabbalistic teaching, one should recite "Viduy" before he goes to sleep, along with his recitation of the bedtime Shema. The Kaf Ha'haim (Rabbi Yaakov Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Israel, 1870-1939) cites this custom (in 239:2) in the name of the Arizal. It is customary, however, not to recite "Viduy" with the bedtime Shema on a night following a day when Nefilat Apayim is omitted. Thus, for example, on the night following Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh or holidays, one should not recite "Viduy" with the bedtime Shema. The Ben Ish Hai mentions this Halacha in Parashat Ki Tisa (7). This discussion relates only to the recitation of "Viduy," and not to the Thirteen Attributes or Nefilat Apayim, which one should not recite at nighttime. Needless to say, "Viduy" should not be recited on Shabbat or holidays.

Welcome to our Perek Shira class. Today's song is the song of אֵלִים שֶׁבַּשְּׁרָצִים ,the powerful strong rodents. And they say . אֶשְׁתְּךָ כְּגֶפֶן פֹּרִיָּה בְּיַרְכְּתֵי בֵיתֶךָ בָּנֶיךָ כִּשְׁתִלֵי זֵיתִים סָבִיב לְשֻׁלְחָנֶךָ: (תהילים קכח ג) Your wife is like a fruitful vine, on the side of your house. Your sons are like olive saplings around your table. (Tehilim 128,3) What do these rodents have to do with this healthy pregnancies and children? So to say? We go back to the Gemara in Masechet Sotah that tells us that in the merit of the righteous woman we left Mitzrayim. What did the righteous women do? They convinced their husbands to have children even in extenuating circumstances with all the challenges that went with being in Mitzrayim with all the back breaking labor. The sefer Kol Rina says that the husbands told their wives, I'm working hard. You are working hard. Who says that your pregnancy will be successful? What, are we doing here?" And the ladies told their husbands, אֶשְׁתְּךָ כְּגֶפֶן פֹּרִיָּה : Your wife is like a vineyard . The Midrash Raba in Shemot Raba perek 16 tells us that one who that sees grapes in a dream, his wife will not miscarry, as the Gemara in Berachot 47A says. So the wife was telling her husband, Don't worry, I'm like a vineyard where the grapes are attached to the cluster very strongly and they don't fall down. And when the husband said, How am I going to support them , his wife said, Don't worry, your sons are going to be like olive saps, as it says, one who sees an olive in his dream will have many children and these many children, סָבִיב לְשֻׁלְחָנֶךָ they will be like olive saplings around your large table. You'll have money to support them. Additionally , the term Sheratzim also refers to the Jewish wives in Mitzrayim (although rodent is a negative term), as it says וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל פָּר֧וּ וַֽיִּשְׁרְצ֛וּ וַיִּרְבּ֥וּ they multiplied like rodents, six at a time. So –although it doesn't sound nice to us , we're referring to the Jewish woman who had the strength to give birth to six at a time, like these rodents do, with very healthy offspring. Furthermore, the Midrash Raba says on the pasuk Shemot 31 וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל פָּר֧וּ וַֽיִּשְׁרְצ֛וּ וַיִּרְבּ֥וּ that there is a machloket among the Amoraim. One says, we're compared to the strong Sheratzim, which gives birth to six at a time. Others say it's to the smallest Sheratzim , that give birth to 60 at a time. Regardless, the point is that like little scorpions that come out as teeny little things, but yet strong and healthy, so too we're being told that even though they were six at one time, they were healthy. It wasn't like modern times, where if someone had sextuplets, they'd be weak. פָּר֧וּ וַֽיִּשְׁרְצ֛וּ וַיִּרְבּ֥וּ וַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּ ׃ They were very strong. They're very powerful. The sefer Kenaf Rananim asks why it says אֶשְׁתְּךָ כְּגֶפֶן פֹּרִיָּה בְּיַרְכְּתֵי בֵיתֶךָ /she's all over the different sides of your house? Because sometimes when a lady many children, she's tired, she's in bed, she's too weak to take care of the household. But here, we're saying, No, she's all over the house. She's taking care of everything. Rabbenu Bachye adds beautiful thought on Bereshit 34,1 from Midrash Tanhuma on Vayishlach chapter six that says that when a lady is , אֶשְׁתְּךָ כְּגֶפֶן פֹּרִיָּה בְּיַרְכְּתֵי בֵיתֶךָ which means she's on the side of her house, she's inside, she's modest, she's sanua . She brings kapara because it uses the term yerech which is the side, and it says in Vayikra 1,11 yerech Hamizbe'ach-, so the lady who's a modest lady is like an altar that brings kapara and she will have children. The next term talks about the olive sprouts because the children will be fit to be anointed with the holy anointing oil, which is made out of olive oil. He continues on, to tell us that Masechet Yoma daf 47 describes the lady called the Kimchit who had seven sons that all became Kohanim Gedolim because of her tremendous modesty. And again, this goes back to the modest woman of Mitzrayim . It says none of them did anything improper. There was only one lady Shlomit bat Divri that was called out. All the other ladies were modest. And that's adds to the, the, the tremendous beracha that came upon the ladies of Mitzrayim and allowed them to raise these wonderful families. In their merit, we were saved from Mitzrayim. So again, this pasuk captures the greatness and the righteousness of the Jewish women at that time. And that is the strength of the rodents. The Chatam Sofer, in his commentary on Tehilim on this pasuk, adds something beautiful. And he says that a lady is compared to a vine because wine is easy. You put the wine in the barrel and you sit it and it develops. SO she'll have children easily, but raising children is not as easy. If you want to turn an olive into olive oil, you have to crush it and smash it and push it. It's not as easy to make olive oil from olives as it is to get wine from grapes (a little hinuch hint) And finally, a beautiful thought from the Midrash Shemuel in his commentary on Pirkei Avot 3,1 He's bothered by the word אֶשְׁתְּךָ which has a segol with three dots rather than the typical spelling of wife which is Ishtecha - with a hirik - which has one dot . He says that there are three partners in a person- a husband, wife and God. And so we put the three dots there to tell you that if you want to have a successful marriage, we need the Shechina to come down. He says, that's why it says כְּגֶפֶן פֹּרִיָּה It could have said porah. Why is there an extra Yud there? Because then פרעה jas a Yud and Heh and as we know, it says that when the Jewish people left Mitzrayim, God Himself testified on the kashrut of the Jewish people. If one would say, " Oh you Jewish people were in Egypt all those years, and you think your lineage is pure?" God testified, הַפָּלוֹי , all the names have a ה in the beginning and a י at the end , and they're called Shivteh Yah tribes of God , עדות לישראל the tribes of God. God came down and testified that, that they all proper couples. And that's why this pasuk specifically referring to those ladies, is Ishtecha not Eshtecha and Gefen Poriah, not Porah . Rashi brings down this point that Hashem testified to the fidelity of the Jewish people. (See Rashi in Bamidbar 26,5 and Tehilim 122,4)

Today we continue with the Song of the Mouse , but on a deeper level. The עכבר / mouse says says, אֲרוֹמִמְךָ יְיָ כִּי דִלִּיתָנִי וְלֹא־שִׂמַּחְתָּ אֹיְבַי לִי׃ (תהלים ל ב) I'm going to lift up Hashem because He drew me up from the depths, There's an interesting story in the Navi, in Shemuel א . It was a horrible day, when the Pelishtim took the Aron Elokim , as the Navi reports, The glory has been exiled from Israel for the Ark of Hashem has been captured. But Hashem immediately made a miracle and the idol of that town came crashing down, so they decide to do something. And the first thing is Hashem struck the people of Ashdod with hemorrhoids. They got scared and decided to move the Aron to the town of Gat, but again there is a great commotion. Why? Because again the people of the city, from small to great were afflicted with internal hemorrhoids. So they decided to move the Aron to the town of Echron. And those people said, " They brought it here because they want to kill us ?" Finally, the leaders got together and decided, " Let's send it back. It's going to kill our people." There was a panic of death in the whole city. The hand of Hashem was very heavy there. And the people who did not die were stricken with hemorrhoids and the outcry of the city ascended to heaven. Horrific punishments were coming onto them. And when they were ready to send back the Ark, they said, " We'll send it back with a gift. " What did they send? They were five Philistine governors, and they sent five golden images of hemorrhoids and five golden mice. Very strange. Make your images of hemorrhoids and images of mice which are demolishing the country and give them his homage to the God of Israel.. Perhaps He will alleviate His hand from upon you and your gods and your land. What in the world is going on with this story? We turn to the Yalkut Shemoni Bamidbar chapter 11, which tells us that the people of Pelishtim said, God brought 10 plagues on the Egyptians. He ran out of plagues . So God said, I ran out of plagues?! I'm going to give you something you never saw before ! And so when every one of them sat down to relieve themselves, God sent mice from the depths to nibble away at them and cause hemorrhoidal pains. So it wasn't just the hemorrhoids, as the pasuk says, but the mice that caused the hemorrhoids. That is why, when they wanted to do teshuva they sent back, in homage, the image of mice and hemorrhoids. And therefore it says the sefer Siach Yitzchak that the mice say, אֲרוֹמִמְךָ יְיָ כִּי דִלִּיתָנִי וְלֹא־שִׂמַּחְתָּ אֹיְבַי לִי׃ (תהלים ל ב) / I want to praise Hashem. He drew me up from the depths, like with a pail And the enemies did not rejoice over me. We overtook the Pelishtim . And the mouse is happy to say, I caused a Kiddush Hashem, I caused the Aron to go back to the Mishkan. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma , 52 B says that in the Kodesh HaKodashim of the first Bet Hamikdash, originally there was the Aron , the manna , the oil, the staff of Aharon, and the box that the Pelishtim sent the 'gift' in! Th Ben Ish Chai is bothered- You're putting that gift- with these mice- in the Holy of Holies? The Ben Ish Chai explains that they removed all the gold mice and hemorrhoids, and just left the box there to remember the miracle that had happened. But the sefer Lekutei Amarim says in the name of an elder , who wrote the book Nefesh David , that the mice were there in the Aron . And that's why he says the mouse's song is אֲרוֹמִמְךָ יְיָ כִּי דִלִּיתָנִי וְלֹא־שִׂמַּחְתָּ אֹיְבַי לִי׃ (תהלים ל ב / You lift me up from the depths and You put me in the Holy of Holies. That's the song of the mice. The Gemara in Horaot 13A says, why is everyone controlling the mice? Rashi asks, Why is it that everybody is chasing mice, with mousetraps, etc… The answer is, Their makeup is bad. Rashi says that their Yetzer , their inclination, is really bad because they eat through things that they have no pleasure from, and they destroy them. That's why the Yerushalmi in Baba Metzia ( perek ג Halacha ה , cited by Rav Chaim Kanievsky, says the mice are wicked and that's why they're chased. As we know, everything in the world can be channeled or used for the good. And this wicked mouse, who bites and eats, was used on a mission to protect the Kavod of the Aron , which shows us that even someone with bad tendencies can channel them and use them, and say, אֲרוֹמִמְךָ יְיָ כִּי דִלִּיתָנִי וְלֹא־שִׂמַּחְתָּ אֹיְבַי לִי׃ (תהלים ל ב) You lifted me up, and my enemies were not happy. This is a song that was sung for David Hamelech when he went into the Bet Hamikdash. David also, it says, had seeming negative tendencies. It says is he was a redhead. And when Shemuel saw him, he said, He's a redhead. He can't be anointed. But no, Tov Ro'ee/he has good eyes. The Gemara says even though he was aggressive, he asked permission from the Sanhedrin. So certain people might have Achbar-like traits, and you might think the man is going to end up being totally wicked, but in the end, if he's channeled properly, he'll be able to sing that song of the mice, because they were the ones that brought Kavod Hashem, by bringing the Aron back to the Mishkan .

The Talmud Yerushalmi in Masechet Yoma says the reason the Bet HaMikdash was destroyed was because the people at the time were chasing money and had baseless hatred. The question was asked, what is the connection between these two? Rabbi Matisiyahu Solomon explained, the people were chasing after their friend's money. It was their jealousy which led to their hatred. If someone covets what his friend has, he eventually starts to think, "Why does he have it? He doesn't deserve it. I should be getting that." And then he comes to resent his friend for having what he wants. That is baseless hatred. How do we stop it? Isn't jealousy a natural feeling? I read a mashal which was written to explain the words of the Ibn Ezra on this subject. Imagine, there was a farmer who spent all of his days planting cucumbers, onions and various other vegetables. He had no formal education and he lived in a hut. One day, he hears loud music coming from a distance. He goes to see what's happening and there he watches as a special procession is in progress, celebrating the engagement of the princess. She's on a big chariot with her groom to be, waving to the crowd, and everyone is cheering. Would this farmer feel jealous that he was not chosen to marry the princess? Of course not. It's so far out of the realm of possibility that the thought wouldn't even enter his mind. That is how we are supposed to view what other people have. Whatever a person was given was first determined by our purposeful Creator. He gives people their spouses, their homes, their children, because He determined that is what they need to fulfill their purpose in the world. What someone else has was never in the realm of possibility for anyone else to get. A person might feel he was more qualified for a job than someone else who got it, and he is burning with jealousy that he wasn't picked. He must realize, he was never a candidate for that job to begin with. It doesn't matter how qualified he is, for his purpose in this world, that job was bad for him and that's why Hashem didn't let him have it. We have it within our ability not only to not be jealous of others, we could even be happy with what others have, even though we might have wanted it for ourselves. The moment something is decided, whether it's our friend signing a lease on an apartment we wanted or getting a job we wanted, we have an opportunity to accept the will of Hashem and say "thank you for putting everyone where You know they need to be." If someone doesn't fix this inclination towards jealousy, he is only hurting himself. People spend painful hours thinking about what they could have had or what they should have had and ask why everyone else gets what they want. We have what's meant for us and if it would be any other way, we'd be missing out on our opportunity to fulfill our purpose here. Even when it comes to our spiritual lives, we're not supposed to feel bad when we see others more successful than us. A person who is struggling to understand Torah might get down on himself when he sees his friend understand everything right away. Another person might feel bad when he sees his friend able to react so calmly when his patience is tried, while when he is in the same situation he's ready to explode. Everyone has a different purpose, everyone is given different strengths and different weaknesses for their jobs. It could be for a person with a temper to hold back his anger just a little bit is more precious to Hashem than the man who reacts calmly who has no inclination towards anger. And for a person who has a hard time grasping Torah, to sit and try is more precious to Hashem than the genius understanding it instantly. What matters the most is our efforts, not the results. To summarize, everyone is given the exact character traits and circumstances that they need to be in to be considered successful with their mission in this world. If we can accept the will of Hashem for ourselves and for others, we'll reach great levels in emunah, we'll release so much stress and tension and we'll be able to have true Ahavat Chinam.

For a 20% discount on Rabbi Ashear's new book on Parnassah click the link below and enter Promo Code - Emunah20 https://www.artscroll.com/ Books/9781422640708.html The Gemara says in Masechet Yoma , daf 38, that a person cannot touch what is meant for someone else. Whatever Hashem decrees a person should get, he will get. If we take this Gemara to heart, it will save us a lot of potential anguish in life and will also give us motivation to always do what's right. Sometimes we have an opportunity to make a certain business deal or buy a certain house and somehow things fall apart. And then we start second-guessing what we did and think if we had acted differently, things would have turned out differently. This Gemara teaches us, what happened was what was meant to happen and no matter what we would have done, the same results would have occurred. A man from Bnei Brak related, he was on his way to a bris one morning, and he noticed a nice chair in great condition that was placed by the curb. He had the same exact chairs in his house and needed another one. As he was walking towards it, he noticed someone else who seemed interested also walking towards it. He said to himself, “If someone else wants it, I don't want to cause him anguish by taking it first even though I know that I saw it first.” So he continued walking and went to the bris. On his way back, he saw the chair was gone. He kept walking and then saw an old acquaintance of his. The acquaintance said he found a beautiful chair that was left for taking and he saved it for someone who might want it. He then offered it to him. They went into his building together and saw it was the same chair. That other guy never took it. The acquaintance said he had a car and would be happy to drive it to his apartment. The man was so happy to see whatever is meant for a person he will get. By giving in, he even saved himself the burden of having to carry it home in the hot summer. A principal in a Talmud Torah related that he was happy with all of the rebbes who taught in his school, except for one. That one somehow always forgot everything he was told to do and the principal wanted to fire him. But that rabbi's students learned so well and the parents really liked him, so the principal never brought himself to do it. Baruch Hashem, their yeshiva was growing and they needed a new building. One day, a very wealthy man came down to the yeshiva to take a tour and see if he wanted to donate to the new building project. The rebbe, who the principal was not so fond of, had made a deal with his class that if they all did well on a test, he would let them turn over their chairs in the classroom and drive them like cars and have a game of bumper cars with them. That day, when the wealthy man came down to the yeshiva, was the day that this rebbe let his class play bumper cars. When the principal brought the wealthy man to the classroom, he was horrified by what he saw: twenty boys riding their chairs on the floor across the room with the rebbe participating. He tried to excuse the scene to the wealthy man but he was completely humiliated over it. Later that day, the principal fired the rebbe saying this was the straw that broke the camel's back. The rebbe pleaded with him to reconsider saying he would be left with no parnasa with ten children at home. But the principal wouldn't hear it. A couple of days later, one of the principal's children fell and broke his leg. The next day, a different child ran through a glass door and got injured. Two days later, another child needed to go to the hospital. Then his wife broke her hand. The principal realized he did something wrong and told his rabbi what was happening. His rabbi asked him if he hurt another Jew recently, and he told him that he fired a rebbe. His rabbi told him to go back and apologize to this rebbe and rehire him. The rebbe accepted the apology, but in the meantime he already got a different job. A week later, the wealthy man called the principal and said he wanted to sponsor the entire building. He expressed his delight at how things were operating at the yeshiva and was especially impressed with the class that took a break and played bumper cars. He loves a yeshiva that has a loose atmosphere. The principal said afterward, “I see from here, we're going to get what we're meant to get even if it seems that we made an opposite hishtadlut than we were supposed to. And therefore, I have to work on myself and not get angry or annoyed when things don't go the way that I want.”

In the second chapter of Hilchot Teshuva (Halacha 4), the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204) describes the way a person should conduct himself as part of the process of repentance (listen to audio for precise citation). A penitent sinner should accustom himself to cry and pray to God for forgiveness, donate money to charity to the greatest possible extent, and distance himself from the matter regarding which he had committed the sin. Additionally, under certain circumstances it is advisable for a person to go so far as to change his name, in order to convey to himself the psychological message that he is no longer the same person as the one who had transgressed. Finally, the Rambam writes that "Galut," literally "exile" or relocation, is a beneficial means of atonement. Taking residence in a new area often has the effect of humbling and subduing one's character, and it is thus recommended under certain situations for sinners to relocate. It has been explained that this notion underlies the Misva to reside in a Sukka for a week after Yom Kippur. As part of our process of Teshuva, we leave the comfort and security of our homes and experience the instability of a Sukka, which causes us a sense of humility and helps us correct the flaws in our character. In the next Halacha (5), the Rambam addresses the issue of whether it is appropriate to publicize one's sin in order to subject himself to shame as part of the Teshuva process. The Rambam distinguishes in this regard between offenses committed against one's fellow, and sins committed solely against the Almighty. In the case of interpersonal offenses, the Rambam rules that one should, in fact, publicly confess and express his contrition, and one who refuses to do so does not achieve complete Teshuva. When it comes, however, to sins committed solely against God, the Rambam writes that one should not make public mention of his sins, and publicizing one's sins against God is in fact deemed brazen. One may refer in a general sense in public to his having acted wrongly, but specifying one's sins in public is improper. The Rambam's ruling is based upon the Gemara's discussion of this topic in Masechet Yoma. The Gemara cites two verses which appear to lead to conflicting conclusions; one verse indicates that publicizing one's sin is laudable, while the other advocates keeping this information private. The Gemara offers two approaches to reconcile these verses, one of which forms the basis of the Rambam's ruling, distinguishing between sins committed against God and interpersonal offenses. In addition, however, the Gemara suggests distinguishing between situations where the sin has already been made public, and cases where there is no public knowledge of the act. If the public is already aware of the sin, then the sinner should make public the fact that he regrets the act and has performed Teshuva. If, however, the sin has not been publicized, then one should not make it public as part of his repentance. Accordingly, the Ra'avad (Rabbi Avraham Ben David of Posquieres, 1120-1198), in his critique of the Rambam's Mishneh Torah, notes that even if one committed a sin solely against God, he must publicly confess to his wrongdoing if the matter had already become public. Rabbi Yosef Karo (author of the Shulhan Aruch), in his Kesef Mishneh commentary, claimed that the Rambam held this opinion, as well, and that only in instances of sins committed against God and that have not been made public is it improper for one to publicly confess. Summary: A penitent sinner should accustom himself to pray to God for forgiveness, give charity, distance himself from the matter regarding which he sinned, and, in some circumstances, even change his name and his location. It is proper to publicly confess one's sin, except in the case of a sin committed against God (as opposed to one's fellow man) that has not been made public.

We are taking a break from the Bet Halevi today, to share a beautiful that I saw over the weekend from Rav Don Segal, one of the great Mashgichim of the generation. He says that David Hamelech says (Tehilim perek 27), “ אַחַ֤ת ׀ שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵֽאֵת־יְהֹוָה֮ אוֹתָ֢הּ אֲבַ֫קֵּ֥שׁ Achat Sha'alti/There's One thing that I ask from Hashem, and that's what I request.” What is that One thing? שִׁבְתִּ֣י בְּבֵית־יְ֭הֹוָה כׇּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיַּ֑י לַחֲז֥וֹת בְּנֹעַם־יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה וּלְבַקֵּ֥ר בְּהֵֽיכָלֽו “To sit in the house of Hashem all days of my life, to gaze in the sweetness of God, to visit in His sanctuary. So simply, that's the one thing he's asking for. But Rav Segal explains, in what we call a Drush (which means it's not the simple reading of the pasuk), that the word אחת Achat also shows up where is says, בָּא חֲבַקּוּק וְהֶעֱמִידָן עַל אַחַת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״ Habakuk came and put the the entire religion on one pilla (on one mitzvah). And what is that? וְצַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה״. The righteous man lives with his Emunah. It's not just that the righteous man has Emunah in his mind, but he lives with Emunah. (This, by the way, is the source for the amazingly successful Living Emunah series. It's called Living Emunah because of וְצַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה״ Sadik B'Emunato Yihyeh The righteous man lives by his Emunah. That's where Rabbi Ashear got the title- from Habakkuk) So Habakuk took the whole religion and put it on one thing. Says Rav Don Segal, that's what David Hamelech meant when he said, אַחַ֤ת ׀ שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵֽאֵת ה׳ “ I ask from Hashem, I want the Achat !I want the ONE thing.. I want that ONE main thing. That's what I'm asking Hashem for. Give me Emunah. Give me Living Emunah. I want to live with Emunah. That's all that I want.” That's what David Hamelech was asking for. What does the continuation of the pasuk mean? שִׁבְתִּ֣י בְּבֵית־יְ֭הֹוָה כׇּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיַּ֑י Shivti B'Bet Hashem.. I'll dwell in the house of Hashem all days of my life. If I have that Emunah, and I'm living Emunah , then I am in the house of God all days of my life. Wherever I go becomes the house of God because I have that Emunah, and so God's with me wherever I go. And that is Yosef HaSadik as well. Wherever Yosef HaSadik goes, the words of Hashem are on his mouth. Wherever he goes, they see God is with him, because he's always praying. He's always whispering. He's always saying something. His boss says, “ What are you saying? Are you trying to put incantations on me?” He says, “No . I'm praying that I should find favor in your eyes. I'm thanking Hashem that I was successful.” All day, God's name is on his mouth. Always . And that's why Vayehi Hashem Et Yosef/Hashem is with Yosef and brings him success. And that is why, although Yosef Hasadik is in Mitzrayim, in the most contaminated of places, he continues to grow and grow and grow like he's in the Bet Midrash. We have to realize that Yosef became Yosef HaSadik despite the fact that he was stolen from the yeshiva. He gave up the best 22 years of his life- from 17 till 39! He could have grown and grown and grown in yeshiva to become outstanding. And yet he did it in Mitzrayim, in the house of Potiphar, in a jail, in the king's palace. How did he do that? The answer is, wherever he went, he was B'bet Hashem. He was always in the Bet Midrash. He was always in the house of study. Why? Because, “ Achat Sha'alti M'et Hashem/ I asked for the ONE. I asked for Sadik B'Emunato Yihyeh. I asked for that pillar. When you have that pillar, it's Shivti b'Bet Hashem Kol Yeme Hayai I'm in the house of God always. I see the sweetness of God. I'm visiting in His palace, His sanctuary. ” When David Hamelech says (Perek 116) אֶ֭תְהַלֵּךְ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה בְּ֝אַרְצ֗וֹת הַחַיִּֽים I'm going to walk in front of God, in the land of the living,” most commentaries say Arsot HaChaim refers to Eretz Yisrael, a place where God's Shechinah is. That's what it means. “I'll go in front of Hashem.” But the Gemara in Masechet Yoma, (71A) says that it refers to the marketplace . Why is it called Arsot HaChaim ? Because it's where you buy your food. That's the simple explanation. Others say it refers to Gan Eden. How could we have such different explanations? The Ben Ish Chai says in the sefer Ben Yoyada on Yoma, it means, “ I always see myself in front of God. Even when I'm buying things for bodily functions, I'm always in front of God. ” That's David Hamelech. That's the Sadik B'Emunato Yihyeh. As long as he's focusing on Hashem, living in Emunah, he's always in Gan Eden. He's always in Bet Hashem, wherever he is. That's the power of Achat, the power of One. One is Emunah. Have a wonderful day

We are continuing with the Bet Halevi. He now tells us that just like human beings do not control other human beings, but rather, ultimately Hashem decides, so too when it comes to man's parnasa , or man's knowledge. Man's efforts do not help at all, neither to add to, nor to subtract from what has been decreed upon him. He says we learn this from the manna . The manna was the siman for future generations. It was the sign , the omen, for how things would be in the future. It says about the manna , “ The like one that added in his efforts did not receive more, the one that limited his efforts did not receive less. ” They'd all go out and gather, and when they came back and measured, it would always measure an Omer per person in their household. Furthermore, the Midrash in Yalkut Shemoni teaches us that the amount of manna that fell every day was enough to provide sustenance for thousands of years! The obvious question is, if each person could only gather an Omer , why was there so much out there? Rav Dessler explains that Hashem wanted to teach them, and us as well, that Hashem's supply of sustenance is limitless. One should never worry that someone else is taking away from his source of livelihood. I always like to say the man that started Microsoft, Bill Gates, one of the wealthiest men in the world, could have been Bill Gross or Bill Grazi. It could have been someone in the Jewish community that made it. Hashem's ability to sustain us is endless. Even today, we see there's an abundance of food that sometimes is put to waste, just because of the rules of supply and demand. If there's too much food, the prices get too cheap, and the farmers don't make any money. There's an abundance of food, an abundance of water, and an abundance of oxygen. Everything that we need is there in an abundance. That's another lesson of the manna . And the proof that manna is there for generations is that Hashem commanded Moshe to take a jar of manna and place it in front of the Aron Hakodesh, to remain there for safekeeping for future generations. It says that centuries later, Yirmiyah rebuked the people for decreasing their involvement in Torah and Mitzvot because of their excessive involvement in pursuing their livelihoods, and he showed them the jar of manna and said, “ This is how your forefathers survived.” These lessons are timely lessons. Although they say, the more effort you put in, the more you'll take out, we, as believing Jews, know otherwise. Extra effort can never change what was decreed for us by Hashem. Like the Gemara says in Masechet Betza, How much food a person will have is decided on Rosh Hashanah. Another famous lesson from the manna is in the Gemara in Masechet Yoma. It says that Hashem gave the manna in daily portions. Why didn't Hashem give it in occasional, larger installments? Let it come once a week, once a month, maybe once a year. Hashem could do anything. Why did it have to come down daily? The Gemara explains that it's because Hashem wants a relationship with us. It's like a king who gives his son a year's allowance, which means that the son only has to come home once a year. The king obviously doesn't want to have a relationship with him. But when he gives his son a daily allowance, that means he wants to see his son every single day. That's true of us as well. Hashem wants to keep a connection with us. That's why we have all these twists and turns in life. The Brisker Rav brings out another interesting point. His daughter once turned to him when there was a grave shortage of food in Eretz Yisrael. She said, “ What are we going to do? The price of food keeps rising.” The Brisker Rav answered that when the Gemara talks about our income being determined from Rosh Hashanah, it doesn't say our money is determined from Rosh Hashanah. It says Mezonot /our food is determined. So regardless of how high the price goes, Hashem decides how much food you're going to get. Hashem decides the bottom line of what you'll get. And that's also interesting because sometimes people might have a lot of money but don't have a lot mezonot , and the opposite. God decides the bottom line, of what mezonot we are going to have every single year, and no one can affect what we're going to have. No efforts can change that, and that should cause us to live a much less stressful life, B'Ezrat Hashem. Have a wonderful day.

Torah 80 Tinyana: Rabeinu explains a seemingly simple passage in Masechet Yoma in a very deep way, teaching us about how the previous generations had tzadikim who took positions of authority solely for the sake of Heaven but now people aren't doing this for G-d's honor, rather for themselves. Rabeinu emphasizes that one should never run after positions of leadership, but only after being coaxed to do so and under the condition that it's Lishma - for the sake of Heaven!Torah 81 Tinyana: When one performs a mitzvah with such joy that the joy reaches the feet and makes this person dance, he's able to elevate all the concepts that are relevant to the feet (money, bad speech, Torah supporters, faith, the woman…)

The Poskim discuss the ideal way to set up an oil Menorah. Hacham Bension writes,as quoted in the Sefer Ner L'sion (8:29), that it is preferable to first prepare the wicks and then add the oil. This is the order found in the Ben Ish Hai's "L'Shem Yihud" (preparatory prayer) for lighting Hanukah candles. Hacham Bension cites the work Galya Raza, who prescribes this for Shabbat candles. He also cites the Gemara in Masechet Yoma and the Rambam (Hilchot Temidim U'Musafim 3:12) which indicate that this was the way the Kohen would prepare the Menorah in the Bet Hamikdash. It follows that preparing the Hanukah Menorah should ideally be the same, but this is not mandatory.The Kaf HaHaim (Rav Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Israel, 1870-1939) (671:32), in the name of the Yafe LaLev, recommends adding water to the cups of the Menorah, so that the oil floats to the top. This alluded to the elevation of the Jewish people, likened to oil, over their enemies, akin to water.Although using ready-made oil cups for a Menorah is permitted, one who does so is not able to fulfill these Hidurim-enhancements of the Misva. He also loses the opportunity to engage in Tirha D'Misva-toiling for the sake of the Misva by manually preparing the Menorah each night.SUMMARYIdeally, one should manually prepare the oil Menorah, first inserting the wicks and then adding the oil. It is praiseworthy to add water to the oil.

There is a Gemara in Masechet Yoma (9b) that tells us that the first Bet Hamikdash was destroyed because of the three cardinal sins, whereas the second Bet Hamikdash didn't have any of that. They had Torah and they had Gemilut Hasadim, and yet it was destroyed because of Sinat Hinam/ Baseless Hatred. The Gemara tells us that Sinat Hinam weighs in more than the three cardinal sins, and ends off with, “They were wicked in the time of the first Bet Hamikdash, but they relied on Hashem.“ From this Gemara, the Gaon of Vilna proves (in his Sefer Even Shlomo chapter 3) that the main thing is Bitachon. If you are lacking Bitachon, your Torah does not last. He says that a person who is strong in Bitachon, even though he might transgress sins, is better than one who lacks Bitachon. Because the one who lacks Bitachon comes to jealousy and hatred. Even though he is involved in Torah and Hessed, he's only doing it to get a good name. It is not being done with sincerity. If he really believed, he would not feel hatred and he would not feel jealousy. So obviously, the Mitzvot that he's doing are being done out of rote. This is an important concept. A person who really believes doesn't have any hatred or jealousy. As the Sefer Chinuch writes ( in mitzvah 241), When a person realizes that everything that happens is from Hashem directly, and there's nothing that your friend can do to you, In his words, “From a man or his brother, nothing can happen unless it's the Will of God.” Therefore, “When a person pains or hurts him, he has to know in his heart that it is his sins that caused it. God decreed it, and “That is why there is no room for hate or jealousy..” Hate and jealousy are indicators that, deep down, full belief is lacking. The Gaon of Vilna reiterates this when he says, “During the time of the first Bet Hamikdash, their hearts were very good.” And Hashem wants our hearts. From the Gaon of Vilna, we see that a healthy heart is a heart full of Bitachon. In the times of the second Bet Hamikdash, they didn't have bitachon, and that is what caused the Sinat Hinam. He says clearly that the lack of V'Ahavta L'Reecha was a lack of reliance on Hashem, and all hatred and jealousy comes from there. That is all on the negative side. On the positive side, the power of Bitachon, can bring the redemption, as the Yalkut Shemoni says in Tehilim (remez 736) “In the future, we will say on that day, This is our God, and we will point to Him. We hoped to Him, and He saved us.” On that, the Midrash says, “All we need to have is hope to God, that (reward of hoping to Him) is enough. As we say every day, “To you're salvation we hoped everyday.” The Yalkut Shemoni says in another place, on Eicha (remez 1096), “A generation that is looking forward to God's kingdom, immediately they'll be saved, as it says, “There is a hope to your end.” It's the hope that brings it about. The Midrash Raba on Bereshit (Parasha 98) says, “Rabbi Yitzhak says, Everything comes out through hope.“ On that, the Etz Yosef says, “It's as if to say that even though a person is not worthy, he can merit to all the gifts of God, in the merit of his hoping to Hashem,” which means, in the zechut of his Emunah and Bitachon. We might not be worthy of redemption, except for in the merit of our hope and reliance on Hashem. The Ben Ish Chai, in his Sefer Ben YoYada, regarding the Gemara in Masechet Yoma quoted above, that they were wicked but they relied on Hashem, says, “Why is it that God didn't destroy them? We all know that God had mercy and he let out his wrath on the wood and stones. It was because of their reliance on Hashem.“ And the Maharsha says that they should have been wiped out totally, but their Bitachon saved them. In essence, he says, it should have been like Sedom v'Amora, if not for their Bitachon. How far does this go- that Bitachon saves a person? In the three days of darkness in Mitzrayim, the wicked Jews died out. But the Rosh, in his commentary on the Torah (Parashat Bo) asks that if that was the case, why did Datan and Aviram survive? They were Resha'im/wicked. He answers that they were Resha'im, but they didn't despair from the redemption. They were extremely wicked, but they still relied on Hashem for the geula, and that is why they were saved. How unbelievable are the negative forces of a lack of Bitachon, and the positive effects of having Bitachon. B'Ezrat Hashem, we are working on this midah, and we should be zoche to the Geula, Bimhera.

The Torah commands in Parashat Kedoshim (Vayikra 19:17), “Lo Tisna Et Ahicha Bi'lbabecha” – “Do not despise your fellow in your heart.” This refers specifically to a situation where one harbors hostility toward his fellow, but he keeps his hostility concealed, acting towards the person as though he likes him. The Torah demands that if we have some claim against our fellow, we should approach him and seek to resolve it, rather than keeping the hatred hidden within us. An example of this command is the Torah's description of Yosef's brothers' feelings of animosity toward him: “They despised him, and they were unable to speak to him peacefully” (Bereshit 37:4). The Midrash comments that although the brothers were wrong for their hostile attitude toward Yosef, they are to be commended for not pretending to like him. They did not speak to him in a friendly manner as though they loved him, but rather made they feelings clear. The Sefer Ha'hinuch explained that the Torah forbids hating a fellow Jew because strife and divisiveness is “the lowliest and the absolutely most despicable quality.” Besides being inherently repugnant, hatred of other people leads to serious crimes such as physical violence and Mesira (informing about one's fellow to hostile government authorities). This command, quite obviously, applies in all times, in all places, and to both men and women. Someone who despises a fellow Jew in his heart, without seeking reconciliation, transgresses this prohibition, but is not liable to Malkut, as Malkut are administered only for violations committed through a concrete action. The Sefer Ha'hinuch notes that the Torah forbids despising “your brother,” which implies that this prohibition applies only to “Ahicha Be'misvit” – a fellow Jew who is our “brother” with respect to Misva observance. As such, there is no prohibition against despising a Rasha (evil person). For the purposes of this command, a “Rasha” is defined as somebody who has transgressed the Torah on multiple occasions after being warned, openly defying the warnings. As this individual completely disregards the Torah, the prohibition of “Lo Tisna Et Ahicha Bi'lbabecha” does not apply. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma (9) famously teaches that G-d destroyed the second Bet Ha'mikdash on account of the sin of Sin'at Hinam (baseless hatred), because of the fighting among the Jews at the time. The first Bet Ha'mikdash, by contrast, was destroyed because of the people's violation of the three cardinal sins of idol-worship, illicit relationships, and murder. Rabbenu Bahya (Spain, 1255-1340), in his Kad He'kemah, explains that the Gemara does not mean that Sin'at Hinam is equivalent to the combination of the sins of idolatry, illicit relations and murder. Rather, he writes, the Shechina (divine presence) cannot reside among us when we are divided and plagued by discord. G-d is one, and He thus can reside only among single, unified entities. When there is unity among Am Yisrael, and we are one people, G-d can reside among us; but when we break into different groups that quarrel with one another, the one G-d cannot reside among us, because we are then not a single entity. And once the Shechina departs, we are left without G-d's protection, and thus vulnerable to our hostile enemies. Therefore, Jerusalem was destroyed as a result of the people's Sin'at Hinam, which left the Jews without Hashem's protection against the Roman Empire. It emerges, then, that “Lo Tisna Et Ahicha” is not only a Biblical command which we are obliged to obey, but also advice for our own benefit. We must avoid hatred and friction among Jews to obey this Misva, and, secondly, for our own protection, so that the Shechina will reside among us and protect us from harm.

The Pele Yoetz, whose name was Rav Eliezer Papo, wrote many sefarim. One of them is called Orot Elim- Light of Rams. It's a collection of quotes from different midrashim , Gemarot, and the Zohar , and after each quote, he adds a little musar , which is very valuable coming from this great rabbi. One of the quotes is a Gemara in Masechet Yoma, which says (38a), There was a house of Bet Garmu, and a house of Bet Avtinas - these were different houses of people that worked in the Bet Hamikdash. One of them was involved in making the Ketoret/incense , and the other was involved in making the showbread. For whatever reason, the Hachamim wanted to demote these people due to concerns that they were doing it for the wrong reasons. The demotions didn't last, however, because no one was able to duplicate what those families had done, and so they were reinstated. After that story, the Gemara says, in the name of Ben Azai, a very powerful line מִכָּאן אָמַר בֶּן עַזַּאי, בְּשִׁמְךָ יִקְרָאוּךָ, In your name, they will call you, וּבִמְקוֹמְךָ יוֹשִׁיבוּךָ And in your seat they will place you, And therefore , Rashi adds, a person shouldn't worry and say, “So-and-so will take away my parnasa, because- against their will they will announce you by name and take you back to your spot” In other words, this story shows that even if someone tries to ruin your livelihood, don't worry. They'll call you back. Just like in this story. The Gemara continues: , [ שם ע"ב] וּמִשֶּׁלְּךָ יִתְּנוּ לְךָ, And they will give you what's yours Don't think that anyone that's giving you a job or position is giving you a gift. Rashi says they aren't giving something that's theirs , and it's not a gift. They are giving you what God decided you should get. And the final line is, וְאֵין אָדָם נוֹגֵעַ בַּמּוּכָן לַחֲבֵרוֹ, No one will touch what is set aside for you וְאֵין מַלְכוּת נוֹגַעַת בַּחֲבֶרְתָּהּ - אֲפִלּוּ כִמְלֹא נִימָא. And one kingdom does not touch the other kingdom, not even a hairsbreadth. The Pele Yoetz then adds: If you want to have a loyal spirit and really rely on God, these words should be an ornament between your eyes (Just like tefilin is there all day to remind you of the important lessons of Yetziat Mitzrayim) and then, Sadik B'Emunato Yihyeh, you will live with Emuna. We really must take this message to heart. Nobody can take what is yours. Stop looking at your competition, stop thinking that people are threatening your jo b or your shidduch. Nobody is threatening anything. It cannot happen. And if it seems that a person a successful, and seemingly demote you - it's only for the moment, they will call you right back. And anything that someone gives you, do not look at as a gift. You are getting what is yours and no one can touch what's yours. Keep that in your mind at all times. Then he continues and says, “ My children, this trait of Emuna should be steadfast with nails ( in other words, take this quote and nail it in ) that there is no better Middah than this. I could read th e same Gemara myself, and think it is a nice Gemara , but the Pe le Yoetz adds the extra personalization, so to say, which turns it into something very special . I feel a special connection to Rav Eliezer Papo, because when I was a young boy, my father learned Pele Yoetz with me, and told me that his father used to learn Pele Yoetz with him with he was a child too. I actually went to his kever a few years ago, to pray there. So while I may have a special affinity for Rav Eliezer Papo, I still think everyone can appreciate these wonderful words, and take this Gemara seriously, that no one can touch what's yours. Have a wonderful day.

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma 7b teaches that a person must touch their tefillin at all time, in order to maintain awareness of their presence. This halacha is derived from the tzitz , the Kohen Gadol's golden headplate which reads Kodesh l'Hashem . Just as with the tzitz , which only mentions Hashem's name once, the Torah instructs that it must be on the Kohen Gadol's forehead constantly, surely the tefillin , which mentions G-d's name 42 times (21 times in the shel yad and 21 times in the shel rosh ), must always be touched. Interestingly, the Gemara doesn't require the Kohen Gadol to actually touch the tzitz ; wearing the tzitz is sufficient. Although derived from the halacha of the tzitz , it seems that the tefillin requires a more active “remembrance.” The Steipler in his Sefer Birkat Peretz on Parshat Tetzaveh explains that because the Kohen Gadol is in the Beit HaMikdash, he feels an added sense of yirat shamayim because of its tremendous kedusha . Therefore, even without the conscious action of touching the tzitz , it will always be on his mind. However, the tefillin must be touched from time to time. The Bach explains that when a person has a thought about tefillin , he must actively do something to ensure that it doesn't leave his mind. Touching it and showing endearment will allow a person to remember it. The Sefer Toldot Yaakov Yosef in Parsha Beshalach ( אות ז ) teaches that a similar principle is found with Shabbat. Like the tefillin, a person may not take their mind off of Shabbat and must remember its kedusha at all times. In fact, the kedusha of Shabbat is greater than the tefillin , and therefore, a person is patur from wearing tefillin on that day. On Shabbat, a person may not have hesech hadaat from the kedusha of the day. This can explain why a person may not play tennis, ride their bicycle, or involve themselves with any other mundane activities on Shabbat- it will prevent them from remembering the kedusha at all times. Why must a person constantly have the tzitz and tefillin on their mind? There are two approaches: Brisker Rav- the presence of the name of G-d indicates that an item is holy. It is not the name itself that is holy, but rather the name serves as an indicator of an item's kedusha . Therefore, the tzitz and tefillin , which are both holy, contain the name of G-d. In a similar vein, Shabbat also is inherently holy and therefore includes G-d's name. Because of their intrinsic kedusha , a person is required to have the tefillin , tzitz , and Shabbat on their mind at all times. She'elot u'Teshuvot Shaar Efraim (chapter 20)- the tzitz and tefillin both contain the name of G-d and therefore a person must be cognizant of that, especially because they are wearing it on their head! It says about the tefillin shel rosh : וראו כל עמי הארץ כי שם ה' נקרא עליך ויראו ממך , the nations of the world will see that the Name of G-d is upon you and they will be afraid of you. The name of a G-d is upon a person when he wears the tzitz and tefillin . Similarly, the name of G-d is within a person who keeps Shabbat, and therefore a person must be cognizant of it at all times. How do we know this? The Zohar teaches us that “Shabbat” is one of G-d's Names. The Ben Ish Chai teaches that a person is not allowed to say “Shabbat” in a bathroom, an unclean place because Shabbat is the Name of G-d. The Gemara says, “ מתנה טובה יש לי בבית גנזי ושבת שמה ,” I have a dear present in my treasure house and its name is Shabbat. The name of Shabbat is specifically mentioned because it is the Name of G-d. So why doesn't a person need to touch Shabbat, as they must touch the tefillin? Shabbat is like the Beit HaMikdash. Just as a person doesn't need to touch the tzitz because the Kedusha of the Beit HaMikdash causes them not to need a reminder, so too Shabbat has a built-in יראת שבת that prevents them from needing a reminder. On Shabbat, G-d's name is within us. There is a powerful Kedusha that is inherent in the day, as the Brisker Rav teaches, or that is bestowed upon it because the name of G-d is associated with it. Just as a person may not forget about the kedusha of the tzitz or tefillin, they cannot forget about the kedusha of Shabbat. Have a Shabbat Shalom.

We continue with the Bet HaLevi‘s theme that rebuke comes from love. The lack of rebuke comes from a lack of concern. As the pasuk says, “Do not hate your brother in your heart, rather give rebuke to your friend.“ The Sefer Pardes Yosef points out that in first part of this pasuk it says “your brother,” and in the second part it says “your friend.” He explains that it is because the rebuke has to come from a friendship. Furthermore, when you rebuke a person, you can't turn him into a sinner, because then the words will not have an impact on him. When you rebuke a person, you have to make him feel like he is still special. When it comes out of hatred, rebuke will not make an impact. He says that is why the Gemara says in Masechet Yoma that the Bet HaMikdash was destroyed for Sinat Hinam, whereas in Shabbat (119b) it says it was destroyed because they didn't rebuke each other. He says that these are the same thing. Because they hated each other, it's not just that they didn't rebuke, but rather? that they may have rebuked, but rebuke that comes from hatred does not have an impact. You can only have an impact on someone when you love them. Therefore, it wasn't that they did not rebuke, but rather that they did it improperly. It didn't come from the right place. There is a famous commentary on Mishleh 9,8, brought down by many (namely the Alshech in Kedoshim 19,17), which says, אַל־תּוֹכַח לֵץ פֶּן־יִשְׂנָאֶךָּ הוֹכַח לְחָכָם וְיֶאֱהָבֶךָּ׃ Don't rebuke a scoffer, lest he hates you. Rebuke the wise man, then he will love you. Simply, this means, don't rebuke the scoffer, do rebuke the wise man. But the Alshech says that when you rebuke him, do not call him a scoffer. Rather, rebuke the wisemen. In other words, tell him that he is wise, and do it in a way that will not cause him to hate you. That is the proper way to give over rebuke. If you tell the person that he is wicked right away, you will not have an impact. Rebuke must always come out of a place of love, and the person has to feel that he is still special in your eyes. Otherwise, it does not work. The Gemarah in Masechet Erechim (16b) says, Rav Yochanan Ben Uri (one of the Tannaim) says,” I testify by the heavens and the earth, Many times Rabbi Akiva was hit by me, because I used to complain about him to Raban Gomliel. (It may not mean that he physically hit him, but he got whacked by his Rabbi, so to say) And it caused more love between them. And he quotes the pasuk above “do not hate your brother in your heart, rather give rebuke to your friend.“ If, after you have rebuked, it does not increase love, that means that you did not rebuke properly. Have a wonderful day

The opening verses of the Book of Vayikra describe the procedure for the offering of the Korban Ola (burnt offering), and the Sefer Ha'hinuch lists this procedure as the 115 th Biblical command. He mentions in this context that he had already presented his analysis of the general concept of Korbanot (sacrifices) earlier in his work (Misva 95). The Korban Ola is to be slaughtered specifically in the Azara (the outdoor courtyard of the Bet Ha'mikdash). It may be slaughtered even by somebody who is not a Kohen, but all the subsequent stages of the procedure, from the collection of the blood until the end of the entire process, must be performed by a Kohanim. The animal's blood is sprinkled on the altar, and the carcass is then skinned and divided into different pieces. Every limb remained fully intact, except the leg, which needed to be opened in order to remove the Gid Ha'nasheh (sciatic nerve), as the Gid Ha'nasheh was not permitted on the altar. The verse in the Book of Yehezkel (45:15) speaks of “Mashkeh Yisrael” (literally, “the beverages of Israel”) being offered as sacrifices on the altar, and the Sages understood this to mean that only that which is permissible for consumption by Am Yisrael may be placed on the altar. Since the Gid Ha'nasheh is forbidden for consumption, it likewise may not be placed on the altar, as we may not offer to G-d food which we ourselves are not permitted to eat. (Of course, the blood is sprinkled on the altar, even though it is forbidden for consumption, because the Torah explicitly required sprinkling the blood. The Torah never instructed offering the Gid Ha'nasheh, and so we apply to it the rule of “Mashkeh Yisrael,” forbidding placing on the altar that which we are not allowed to eat.) After the skinning and dissection of the carcass, the various parts of the animal are then placed on the altar. Unlike the other animal sacrifices, the Korban Ola is placed in its entirety on the altar. The Gemara tells in Masechet Yoma that no fewer than eight Kohanim were needed to bring the various parts of the animal up the ramp to the altar. The animal's hair, bones, sinews, horns and hoofs are also placed on the altar, if they remained on the carcass during the skinning process. However, if any of these fell off the carcass during skinning, those parts are not placed on the altar. Of course, this Misva applies only in the times of the Bet Ha'mikdash, when sacrifices are offered, and it applies only to the Kohanim, who are commanded to perform this procedure properly. A Kohen who deviated from the instructions regarding the Korban Ola has transgressed this Biblical command. The Korban Ola could be brought as a voluntary sacrifice, but on some occasions was obligatory, as in the case of the daily Tamid sacrifice, which was an Ola. The same guidelines applied for both types of Korban Ola – the obligatory sacrifices and the voluntary sacrifices.

The Halacha requires washing Mayim Aharonim at the conclusion of the meal, before Birkat Hamazon. The question was asked whether one may use moist towelettes, which are commonly distributed at the end of a meal in restaurants, for this obligation. This question can be answered only after reviewing the four reasons given for this obligation. According to the reason that it is to clean the hands for Birkat Hamazon, the towelette should be permitted. With regard to cleanliness, there is no difference whether one uses a traditional vessel with water or the towelette. Another reason for Mayim Aharonim was to remove traces of a certain salt called "Melech Sedomit", which was once common in the bread. If it would remain on the fingers, it was liable to be rubbed on the eyes and, Heaven forbid, cause blindness. If that is the reason, the towelette should be sufficient. There is yet another explanation, based on the Gemara in Masechet Yoma, that relates the story of someone who was once killed because he didn't do Mayim Aharonim and traces of food remained on his face. Again, if this is the reason, towelette can also effectively wipe the face. However, there is a fourth reason for Mayim Aharonim, based on the Kabbalah, brought by Rav Haim Vital (1543-1620, Tsfat-Damascus) in the Sha'ar Ha'Kavanot. He writes that after a person eats, the Sitra Achra (the Satan) wants to prosecute the diner and claim that he doesn't deserve to eat because of his sins. This would cause the Heavenly court to open his books and investigate his merit. To avoid this, one must give a "bribe" to the Satan in the form of water with the residue of food from the fingertips. That is his portion and causes him to remain quiet. According to that reason, it is questionable whether the moisture in the towelette is sufficient. It could be argued that it is enough, since anyway, all the Poskim say that one should only use a small amount of water for Mayim Aharonim. Apparently a minute amount is sufficient. The fact that the moisture in the towelette is not water, but a chemical, is not a problem. Mayim Aharonim nay be performed with any liquid, including saliva, soda or juice. Rabbi Gidon, in his new Sefer, Yoru Mishpatecha (Siman 20) discusses this question. He rules that ideally, if one has water, he should wash in the regular manner, since the Kaf Ha'Haim (Rav Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Israel, 1870-1939) specifically formulated the Halacha that one should "pour" water over his hands. However, if he is travelling and does not have easy access to water, e.g. he is eating while driving in a car, he may use the towelette. This may also be considered "pouring". The Kaf Ha'Haim was only coming to exclude immersing one's hands in the water. However, it is problematic to use them on Shabbat, if he squeezes them. In any event, one should never be lenient and omit Mayim Aharonim, as the Poskim are very strict in this matter. SUMMARYIf one does not have access to water, he may use moist towelettes for Mayim Aharonim.

One of the special garments worn by the Kohen Gadol was the Me'il (the robe). In the Torah's discussion of the Me'il in Parashat Tesaveh (Shemot 28:32), it says that there must be a lining around the top opening, through which the Kohen Gadol's head extends, and “Lo Yikare'a” – “it shall not be ripped.” This verse establishes a prohibition against tearing the Me'il. The Sefer Ha'hinuch explains that tearing a garment, quite obviously, expresses disdain and disregard for the garment, showing that one does not consider it important. This is particularly so when this is done to the top rim, which has the effect of essentially ruining the garment. The Kohen Gadol was to wear his special garments with a sense of awe and reverence, realizing the importance of the special role which these garments represent, and so the Torah forbade treating the garments in a degrading manner, such as by ripping them. The Sefer Ha'hinuch comments that this prohibition applies only during the times of the Bet Ha'mikdash. At first glance, this might seem obvious, but the Minhat Hinuch observes that this remark is actually imprecise. Even after the destruction of the Bet Ha'mikdash, if a person would happen to discover the Me'il that had been worn by the Kohen Gadol in the Bet Ha'mikdash, and it was intact, it would be forbidden to tear it. Thus, at least in principle, this prohibition is applicable even after the Bet Ha'mikdash's destruction. The Sefer Ha'hinuch writes that this command is directed to both males and females; if either a man or a woman tears the Me'il, he or she has transgressed this prohibition and is liable to Malkut. Furthermore, the Sefer Ha'hinuch writes, one violates this prohibition regardless of whether he tore the Me'il with his hands, or with scissors. The Minhat Hinuch explains this comment of the Sefer Ha'hinuch as implying that the prohibition of “Lo Yikare'a” forbids ripping the Me'il not only in a destructive manner, but even for other purposes, such as if one wishes to expand the neck opening of the Me'il. Even though his intent is not to ruin the garment, this is nevertheless forbidden. In discussing this Misva, the Sefer Ha'hinuch speaks only of the Me'il, indicating that this prohibition is limited to the Me'il, and does not apply to the other Bigdeh Kehuna (priestly vestments). As the Minhat Hinuch notes, this appears to contradict the Gemara's explicit comment in Masechet Yoma (72) that the prohibition of “Lo Yikare'a” forbids tearing any of the special garments worn by the Kohanim. The Minhat Hinuch answers that the Gemara elsewhere, in Masechet Zebahim (95a), seems to take a different view. There Resh Lakish addresses the case of a Me'il which was stained with sacrificial blood, and must therefore be laundered in the courtyard of the Bet Ha'mikdash, but in the meantime, it had been taken outside the Bet Ha'mikdash and became Tameh (impure). If this would happen to a different garment, then since it is forbidden to bring an impure garment to the Bet Ha'mikdash, the garment would first be torn into pieces smaller than the minimum size that can contract impurity. Since these pieces are no longer considered impure, they may be brought into the Temple courtyard to be laundered. The Me'il, however, may not be torn, and so Resh Lakish rules that a different solution must be implemented, bringing the garment slowly into the courtyard, a little bit at a time. The fact that Resh Lakish says that this must be done only in the case of a Me'il strongly implies that it is only the Me'il which the Torah forbids tearing, whereas other garments of the Kohen Gadol may be torn. Hence, the Minhat Hinuch writes, the Sefer Ha'hinuch followed Resh Lakish's view, that this prohibition applies only to the Me'il, and he did not accept the Gemara's ruling in Masechet Yoma, that this command refers to all the Bigdeh Kehuna. Even according to the position of the Sefer Ha'hinuch, however, tearing one of the other Bigdeh Kehuna is forbidden by force of a different command – “Lo Ta'asun Ken L'Hashem Elokechem” (Debarim 12:4), which forbids ruining sacred articles. Although the Sefer Ha'hinuch viewed the command of “Lo Yikare'a” as limited to the Me'il, tearing any of the Bigdeh Kehuna would in any event transgress the separate prohibition of “Lo Ta'asun Ken.”

In the beginning of Parashat Tesaveh (Shemot 27:21), the Torah commands that the Kohanim should arrange the candles of the Menorah in the Bet Ha'mikdash each day – “Ya'aroch Oto Aharon U'banav…” Needless to say, G-d does not need us to provide light for Him; He is the one who illuminates the entire earth. However, as the Sefer Ha'hinuch repeatedly emphasizes, the Torah's commands are given for our benefit, because of the positive impact and effect that they have upon us and upon our lives. In this instance, the Sefer Ha'hinuch explains, we are commanded to light a candelabra in the Bet Ha'mikdash because people who want to make their homes look beautiful and majestic ensure that they are well lit. This was particularly so before electric lighting, when candles and candelabras were needed throughout the home in order for the home to have a warm, impressive appearance. The atmosphere in the Bet Ha'mikdash was intended to instill within those who visited a sense of awe and reverence for G-d, and thus, as part of the effort to create this atmosphere, the Torah commanded that lights be kindled there. The illumination contributed to the general aura which would help motivate and inspire the people to draw closer to G-d. The Sefer Ha'hinuch adds that this is the reason for the kindling of the Menorah on the level of Peshat – the simple, straightforward understanding. He concedes that the scholars of Kabbalah are aware of deeper, more profound explanations behind the significance of this Misva. The lamps of the Menorah were kindled each and every day in the Bet Ha'mikdash (as opposed to our kindling of the Hanukah lights for eight nights, which commemorates the Hanukah miracle, not the daily kindling of the Menorah in the Bet Ha'mikdash). The Torah refers to the light of the Menorah as a “Ner Tamid” (“constant flame”), indicating that this Misva overrides the Shabbat prohibitions, and thus the Menorah was lit even on Shabbat. The word “Tamid” (“constant”) instructs that the given Misva must be performed even on Shabbat; for example, the daily sacrifice – “Korban Tamid” – was offered even on Shabbat. By the same token, the Menorah was kindled even on Shabbat. Each lamp of the Menorah needed to be filled with a half-Log of olive oil for the kindling. The Sages determined that this was the quantity of oil needed to sustain the flames throughout the night during the period around the time of the winter solstice, when the nights are longest, and so this amount was established as the standard quantity of oil required. The Misva to light the Menorah includes also the obligation of “Hataba” – preparing the Menorah by cleaning the lamps, changing the wicks, and pouring new oil. The Ner Ha'emsa'i – the middle lamp – was to always remain lit. If it was ever extinguished, it would be kindled anew from the fire on the Mizbe'ah Ha'hison (the altar in the outdoor courtyard of the Bet Ha'mikdash). All the other lamps were lit from this candle; they had long wicks which were lit from the flame of the middle candle. The Rambam controversially maintained that the obligation to kindle the Menorah and the obligation of Hataba both comprise a single Misva. The vast majority of Rishonim (including Rashi, the Rashba, the Ramban and the Ra'abad), however, disagreed, and held that these are two separate Misvot – to prepare the Menorah for lighting, and then to light it. The Rambam also advances another surprising, unique view regarding the kindling of the Menorah, claiming that this does not need to be performed by a Kohen. The conventional understanding is that the kindling, just like the other rituals in the Bet Ha'mikdash, must be performed specifically by a Kohen. Indeed, the Sefer Ha'hinuch writes explicitly that this Misva is charged upon the Kohanim. The Rambam, however, in Hilchot Bi'at Mikdash (9:7), writes that even a “Zar” – somebody who is not a Kohen – is suitable for the kindling of the Menorah. He draws proof from the Gemara's comment in Masechet Yoma (24) that the lighting of the Menorah does not have the formal status of “Aboda” – a ritual of the Bet Ha'mikdash. Of course, non-Kohanim are not permitted to enter the Bet Ha'mikdash, but the Rambam writes that a Kohen can prepare the Menorah and then bring it outside into the “Azara” (courtyard), where a non-Kohen may then light the lamps. (The Rambam concedes that the “Hataba” must be done by a Kohen, because it is only the “Hadlaka” – the kindling – that the Gemara does not consider an “Aboda.”) Rav Haim of Brisk (1853-1918) raised the question of how, according to the Rambam, the Misva can be fulfilled in this fashion. If the Menorah is not kindled in its proper place, but rather brought outside, kindled, and then returned, how is the Misva fulfilled? Should we not assume that the Menorah needs to be kindled in its proper location? Rav Haim answers this question by positing that according to the Rambam, the Misva is defined not as an obligation to light the Menorah, but rather as an obligation to see to it that the Menorah is lit. The Misva – even in the Rambam's view – is charged upon the Kohanim, but the Misva is to ensure the Menorah is lit, and not the act of kindling. Therefore, the Kohanim can fulfill the Misva by bringing the Menorah out into the “Azara,” having a non-Kohen light it there, and then returning it to its place inside the Bet Ha'mikdash.

The Parshiot that we have read over the past few weeks about Yosef and his brothers have many lessons in Ahavat Yisrael , which will be the foundation for our upcoming classes. The Baal Turim, in Bereshit chapter 49, brings down that Yaakov called in his sons on his final day and, as Rashi tells us, he wanted to reveal the ketz/end of time to them, but it was not revealed. So Yaakov wondered if perhaps there was a sin amongst them, and as it says, he search through the names of the tribes and there was no letter ח or ט - which spells sin amongst them. After further analysis, Yaakov saw that there was no ק or צ either, which spells קץ - end ( as in, end of the exile) So although there was no sin, there was also no end. The way I had always understood this is that they are proud to say there was no sin, but on the other hand there's also no end. But there is a different way of looking at this Baal Turim brings down.. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma contrasts the first Bet HaMikdash with the second Bet HaMikdash. On the first Bet HaMikdash it says. “ Their sin was revealed ( the cardinal sins of idolatry, adultery and murder were out in the open) and the end was also revealed.” It was announced that the Galut would last 70 years. Whereas with the second Bet HaMikdash, their sins were not revealed, and so therefore, “ the end was also not revealed.” The sin of the Second Bet HaMikdash was under-cover, silent killer of Sinat Hinam. Since the sin was unseen, the end was also not revealed. That is why we are still in Galut . And that is why, when Yaakov Avinu looked at their names, and he couldn't see the חט /sin, it was not a good thing. That meant it was a hidden sin, an undercover sin. Everyone looks good on the outside, but there is a hidden beneath the surface, the sin of Sinat Hinam , and therefore, he could not reveal the end to them, because that sin was there amongst them. So we go back to the twelve tribes, and see that on his final day, Yaakov Avinu was telling them of their need to fix the sin of Sinat Hinam.

The Torah commands in Parashat Yitro (Shemot 20:23) not to ascend “Be'ma'alot Al mizbehi” – “upon My altar with stairs.” If a Kohen walks up stairs to reach the top of the altar, as the Torah explains, he will expose private parts of his body as he takes his strides, and this is therefore forbidden. For this reason, there was a ramp leading up to the top of the altar, instead of stairs. The Sefer Ha'hinuch observes that, quite obviously, the stones of the altar will not experience any humiliation of feel disrespected by the Kohen walking up stairs and exposing private parts of his body. Nevertheless, the Torah forbade this to reinforce our sense of reverence for the altar. When a person looks at the altar, and sees that there is a ramp, and not a staircase, he will reflect upon the reason behind this requirement, and recognize the great significance of the altar, that it is so important that we must show it great respect. If stairs were placed alongside the altar, and somebody walked in long strides up the stairs, he has violated this prohibition and is thus liable to Malkut. The Mechilta (here in Parashat Yitro) comments that even when ascending the ramp to the altar, the Kohanim were forbidden from taking large strides, and needed to walk in small steps, placing the toes of one foot near the heels of the one in front of it as they walked. The commentators raise the question of how to reconcile the Mechilta's comment with the description in Masechet Yoma of how the Kohanim would race up the ramp to the altar. Every morning, a Kohen would perform Terumat Ha'deshen – cleaning the top of the altar – and the Kohanim would race up the ramp, each vying to reach the top first so he could have the privilege of performing this Misva. How were the Kohanim permitted to race up the altar, if, as the Mechilta states, one is required to ascend to the altar in small steps? One answer that has been given is that the prohibition applies only when walking up to the altar constitutes an Aboda – an actual ritual in the Bet Ha'mikdash. For example, after an animal is sacrificed, the Kohen must perform “Holacha” – bringing certain portions of the animal up to the top of the altar. The walking itself is an official stage of the service, and not merely a practical, prerequisite stage. It is only under such circumstances, some have suggested, that the Torah forbids the Kohanim from taking long strides as they make their way up to the top of the altar. In all other instances, however, this is allowed, and thus the Kohanim who ascended to the altar in the hopes of performing the Misva of Terumat Ha'deshen at the top were allowed to run. The Sefer Ha'hinuch, though, clearly did not accept this theory. He writes that even if a woman walks up stairs to the top of the altar, she has transgressed this prohibition – even though women do not perform the Aboda. Necessarily, then, the Sefer Ha'hinuch maintained that this prohibition applies anytime, and not only when the ascent to the altar constitutes an act of Aboda. A much simpler answer is that the Sages disputed this question. The account that appears in the Gemara follows the view that the Torah prohibition is limited to walking in long strides up stairs, whereas the Mechilta reflects a different opinion, extending this prohibition to include even taking long strides up a ramp to the top of the altar.

In the famous final Mishna of Masechet Yoma, Rabbi Akiva presents two analogies for the purification achieved through the process of Teshuba. First, he cites the verse in the Book of Yehezkel (36:25) in which G-d proclaims, "I shall sprinkle upon you purifying waters, and you shall be pure." Here, the purification of Teshuba is compared to the purifying Para Aduma waters, which are sprinkled on a person or object that had come in contact with a human corpse, in order to purify it. Then, Rabbi Akiba references a verse from the Book of Yirmiyahu (17:13), "Mikveh Yisrael Hashem" – "G-d is Israel's Mikveh'." In this verse, Teshuba is likened to immersion in a Mikveh. Rav Yishak Elhanan Spektor of Kovno (1817-1896) explained that these two analogies represent two vastly different models of repentance. A Mikveh purifies a person through the immersion of his or her entire body in the water. If even one strand of hair extends outside the water, the immersion is invalid. Immersion in a Mikveh, then, represents what we might call "180-degree Teshuba," where a person makes a complete about-face, swiftly transforming from a sinner to a righteous Sadik, "cleansing" himself or herself entirely, like one who immerses in the Mikveh waters. The Para Aduma waters, by contrast, reach only a very small portion of the person's body. The person becomes pure by virtue of just part of his body receiving the purifying waters. This model, Rav Spektor explained, represents what we might call "four-degree Teshuba," repentance by taking small steps forward. Only a small portion of a person's conduct is improved – just like a small portion of a person's body comes in contact with the Para Aduma waters – but this suffices to bring a degree of purity. I am familiar with a number of people who succeeded in following the Mikveh model of Teshuba, in completing transforming themselves in a very short period of time, entirely changing their behavior. But for the vast majority of us, the more practical model of Teshuba is that of the sprinkling of the Para Aduma waters. Rarely does one succeed in making long-lasting changes in his or her behavior through a sudden overhaul. Permanent change occurs through small steps, making one simple change at a time. For most of us, committing ourselves to never again speak Lashon Ha'ra is not practical. What we can do, however, is commit to eliminate Lashon Ha'ra from our conversations at the Shabbat table. For most of us, it is not practical to commit to become proficient in the Talmud during the coming year. But we all can make a commitment to add a period of time each day, or least each week, for advanced Torah learning. This is "small-step Teshuba," and for the vast majority of us, this is the way it should be done. The Talmud teaches that Teshuba reaches the Kiseh Ha'kabod (heavenly throne). Rav Shimshon of Ostropoli (d. 1648) noted that if we write the letters of "Kiseh Ha'kabod" incrementally, starting with the letter Kaf, followed by Kaf-Samech, then Kaf-Samech-Alef, then Kaf-Samech-Alef-Heh, and so on, each time adding the next letter, all the letters combine for a total Gematria of 713 – the Gematria of the word "Teshuba." After making this observation, Rav Shimshon was asked why the phrase "Kiseh Ha'kabod" needs to be associated with the word "Teshuba" in such a convoluted way, by adding one letter at a time. He explained that this is precisely how Teshuba reaches the heavenly throne – incrementally, by taking one small step followed by another small step. If the notion of Teshuba seems frightening or intimidating, it is only because we think Teshuba means "immersing," making a complete transformation all at once. But there is also another model of Teshuba – making one small improvement at a time, which is something each and every one of us, without exception, is fully capable of. Let us all choose one small step we can take to improve as we begin the new year, and this small step will then bring us closer to the heavenly throne, rendering us worthy of a happy, healthy year, Amen.

The Torah commands in the Book of Shemot (12:15), “Ach Ba'yom Ha'rishon Tashbitu Se'or Mi'batechem” – that we must eliminate Hametz from our homes “on the first day” of the festival of Pesach. While this command at first seems to require eliminating Hametz from our homes only on the first day of Pesach, the 15 th of Nissan, the Gemara (Pesahim 5) explains that in truth, it means that the Hametz must be eliminated by the onset of the first day of Pesach, and thus this is required already on the 14 th of Nissan, Ereb Pesach. This Misva, of course, like the other commands relevant to Pesach, are observed for the purpose of commemorating the great miracles that G-d performed for our ancestors at the time of the Exodus from Egypt. This command applies in all places, and even after the destruction of the Bet Ha'mikdash. It is binding upon both men and women. One who does not eliminate Hametz from his home on the 14 th of Nissan is in violation of a Misvat Aseh (affirmative command). If he leaves the Hametz in his home during Pesach, he violates as well the Misvat Lo Ta'aseh (Torah prohibition) of “Se'or Lo Yimaseh Be'batechem” – that Hametz may not be present in one's home during Pesach. Although Misvot Lo Ta'aseh (Torah prohibitions) are generally punishable with Malkut (lashes), one is not liable to Malkut for violating this prohibition, because it entails no action, and one is liable to Malkut only for violating a Misvat Lo Ta'aseh that is transgressed by committing an action. The Minhat Hinuch, in discussing the command of “Tashbitu,” notes that this Misva might perhaps be treated differently than other Misvot Aseh. He cites the discussion of the Ran (Rabbenu Nissim of Gerona, Spain, 1320-1380) in Masechet Yoma (4 in the Rif) regarding the case of an ill patient who is in life-threatening condition on Shabbat and urgently requires food. Needless to say, Pikuah Nefesh (saving a human life) overrides Torah law, and it would thus be permissible to cook food for this patient, despite the prohibition against cooking on Shabbat. The Ran writes that even if readymade non-kosher food is available, it is preferable to cook kosher food for this patient. He explains that the transgression of cooking on Shabbat is violated through just one action, whereas the prohibition against eating non-kosher food is violated through each and every act of eating. Therefore, it is preferable to violate once the severe transgression of Shabbat desecration, even though it is punishable by death, rather than have the patient repeatedly violate the less severe prohibition of eating non-kosher food. According to the Ran, repeatedly violating a lower-level prohibition is treated by Halacha with greater severity than a one-time violation of a higher-level prohibition. By the same token, the Minhat Hinuch posits, one might argue that the Misvat Aseh of eliminating Hametz, which one violates at every moment he allows the Hametz to remain in his home, should be considered a stricter command than other Misvot Aseh, which one violates only at one moment. For example, the moment Rosh Hashanah ends, one who did not hear the Shofar blowing has transgressed the Misva at that moment. In the case of “Tashbitu,” however, one transgresses the Misva repeatedly, every moment the Hametz is present in the home. The Minhat Hinuch proposes two practical applications of this theory. First, it will affect the question of how much an expense one must incur in order to fulfill this Misva. Generally, Halacha requires one to spend even all his money if necessary to avoid violating a Misvat Lo Ta'aseh, but requires spending only up to one-fifth of one's assets for the sake of fulfilling a Misvat Aseh (Shulhan Aruch, Orah Haim 656). When it comes to the Misvat Aseh of “Tashbitu,” however, one might argue that since this Misva is violated every moment it is not performed, its status is that of a Misvat Lo Ta'aseh, and thus one would be required to spend any amount of money necessary for the sake of eliminating the Hametz from his home. Secondly, as the Rambam famously discusses in Hilchot Teshuba, one atones for neglecting a Misvat Aseh simply by performing Teshuba (repentance), whereas atoning for violating a Misvat Lo Ta'aseh requires both repentance and the experience of Yom Kippur. In this respect, too, we might assume that the Misva of “Tashbitu” is treated like a Misvat Lo Ta'aseh, and is thus not atoned through repentance alone. The Minhat Hinuch writes that this theory is a “He'ara Nechona” (“correct observation”), though he remains inconclusive, stating that this point requires further study and analysis.

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. In his sefer Kol Ram , Rav Moshe Feinstein raises a question about the korbanot of the holidays and Shabbat discussed in Parshat Pinchas. The Torah teaches that שני כבשים , two sheep, must be brought on Shabbat. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma draws a connection between Shabbat and Yom Kippur: just as the goats on Yom Kippur must be identical in size, age, and expense, so too the two sheep of Shabbat must be identical in all aspects, as well. Rav Moshe Feinstein explains the message between these two identical sheep. Two aspects of Shabbat are highlighted in the Torah- זכור and שמור . The commandment of זכור refers to the positive commandments of Shabbat, such as making Kiddush and highlighting the fact that Hashem created the world and rested on the seventh day. שמור , on the other hand, refers to the negative commandments of Shabbat, including the 39 melachot and their many subcategories. These two commandments, זכור and שמור , correspond to the two identical sheep; both must be commemorated “identically.” For every ounce of effort that a person invests not to transgress a negative commandment of Shabbat, they must invest in a counterforce of positivity. When one focuses on the negative alone, they cause others to leave with a distaste toward Shabbat. Many Jews arrived in America in the early 1900s and were mosser nefesh to observe Shabbat. Yet, many of their children went off the derech and no longer kept Shabbat. How could this be? Rav Moshe Feinstein explains that these people came home after they lost their job and they said “It's hard to be a Jew” You cannot give just the negative. You have to give the positive. Rav Elimelech Biderman relates that there were once two 6-year old boys that were playing, pretending to be fathers learning with a Gemara. Shuckling over the pages, one of the boys yelled out to the other “ אסור אסור אסור ,” and the other one parroted back “ אסור אסור אסור .” – “It is prohibited , “It is prohibited , “It is prohibited .This was their understanding of Gemara. The great Mashgiach, Rav Dov Yaffe, overheard this exchange between the two young boys. Before returning home for Kiddush, he rushed to the boys' parents to let them know about the serious ramifications that could result from such a negative perception of Torah learning. A person's impression of our religion, and specifically Shabbat, must always be positive. Have a Shabbat Shalom.

If Person A loves Person B, then if Person B would ever be in pain, Person A would do everything in his power to try and relieve Person B from that pain. We all have a mitzvah to love Hashem like it says ואהבת את ה' אלוקיך, and part of that mitzvah is caring about the pain that the Shechina is in and doing everything in our power to relieve the Shechina of that pain. It says in the Zohar Chadash that every night, the Shechina looks at the Beit HaMikdash in ruins and cries from intense pain, saying the words ערסי, ערסי, בית מותבתי - literally, my bed, my bed, the place where I dwelt. At that moment, the Upper Worlds are shaking and all the Heavenly hosts are crying along with the Shechina . We say in the Amida that we look forward to the Geula and Hashem returning His Shechina to the Beit HaMikdash and we ask Hashem to return. But that's not good enough. Hashem wants to return much more than we want Him to. That part is up to us – we need to make teshuva and fix ourselves to allow, kavayachol , the Shechina to come back to its home. It is apparent from pesukim , in Sefanya, perek 3, that being dishonest and deceitful with people holds back the Geula and those who are guilty of such crimes will not be a part of the Geula when it comes. Rabbi Matisyahu Solomon explained, because those sins become public and it gives the Jewish People a bad reputation and thereby desecrates the Name of Hashem, lo alenu . The Geula Shelemah will bring about the greatest glory to Hashem's Name and Hashem will bring that about through people who care about the glory of His Name. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma, daf 86, speaks about what a person who loves Hashem should do to show Him that love. He should go and learn Torah and serve talmidei chachamim to see the way a G-d fearing Jew is meant to act. Then, after he learns and presents himself as a religious Jew, he should deal with people in a pleasant manner and his business dealing with them should be conducted faithfully. Then, what will people say about this person? Fortunate is his father who taught him Torah and fortunate is his Rabbi who taught him Torah. Look how pleasant his ways are. Look how refined his deeds are. And Hashem will say, ישראל אשר בך אתפאר – it is through My People that I become glorified. If we care about the glory of Hashem and the pain that He is in, we need to show it by thinking about this concept all of the time and acting accordingly. The Mesilat Yesharim writes in perek 19, that longing for Hashem's glory is the highest form of serving Hashem l'shem Shamayim . This is what we should be thinking about when we answer Amen to the Kaddish and יהא שמיה רבה מברך – that we want Hashem's Name to be glorified. Hashem's full glory will not return until the building of the Beit HaMikdash and that is dependent on us. Part of the question of ציפית לישועה – did we anticipate Mashiach -is what did we do to show that anticipation. If we will take upon ourselves to do everything in our power to bring glory to Hashem, that would be trying to bring Mashiach in a practical way. That happens by acting the way Hashem wants us to act in every situation in life and that requires us to learn what the ratzon Hashem is in each particular situation. We should all, in our own way, do our best to bring about glory to Hashem and then, b'ezrat Hashem, we should see His true glory with the coming of the Mashiach and the binyan Beit HaMikdash. Amen. תזכה בנחמת ציון and שבת שלום.

Study Guide Yoma 88 The Siyum of Masechet Yoma is dedicated by Esti Ben-David and Rachel Keren – neés Urbach "In memory of our parents who opened the gates of Torah for us and guided us through them. In memory of our late Father, Ephraim Elimelech Urbach z”l, whose 30th Yahrzeit we have just commemorated. During his lifetime, our father never stopped learning and teaching generations of students. Through his research, he developed new, extensive and diverse fields of learning and research, as testified by his numerous books and academic papers: The Sages – Concepts and Beliefs, The Tosafists (Baalei HaTosafot), The Halakha – Its Sources and Developments, Arugat Ha’Bosem and many others. And in honor of our dear mother, Channa Urbach, may she live a long life, who is currently celebrating her 103rd birthday (til 120!) and who has been throughout her life a model for all her descendants of the love of the Torah, its study and practice." Rav held that if one prays neila, one is exempt from ma'ariv, the prayer said at night. The gemara raises an additional question from a braita against him. In order to answer the question, the gemara concludes that it is an issue that is debated by tannaim as can be found in another braita which discusses one who has to go to the mikveh on Yom Kippur from a seminal emission - can one go in the afternoon of Yom Kippur after mincha? This would depend on whether neila was said in the afternoon or at night. If it was said in the afternoon, one could go to the mikveh after mincha to allow one to pray. However, if neila was recited in the afternoon, one would not be able to fulfill one's obligation for ma'ariv. Once the gemara resolves the difficulty, another braita is brought which contradicts this braita. The contradiction is resolved as well. What happens when someone has a seminal emission on Yom Kippur? Is it seen as a bad sign or perhaps it is a good sign?

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Jan R. Uhrbach looks at Masechet Yoma Daf 88. What happens when our limits and flaws – our humanity –reassert themselves just on Yom Kippur, the day when we’re striving to be like the angels? Masechet Yoma draws to a close with a discussion of […]

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Jan R. Uhrbach looks at Masechet Yoma Daf 88. What happens when our limits and flaws – our humanity –reassert themselves just on Yom Kippur, the day when we’re striving to be like the angels? Masechet Yoma draws to a close with a discussion of […]

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Jan R. Uhrbach looks at Masechet Yoma Daf 88. What happens when our limits and flaws – our humanity –reassert themselves just on Yom Kippur, the day when we’re striving to be like the angels? Masechet Yoma draws to a close with a discussion of […]

Pictures The learning for the month of Sivan is sponsored by Josh Sussman in honor of both his wife, Romi’s 50th birthday and their son, Zeli. "He will, B’Ezrat HaShem, be making his first solo siyum on Masechet Yoma at his Bar Mitzvah in July. Romi and I are so proud to be sharing in our learning of Daf Yomi with Zeli and couldn’t be prouder of him." Today's daf is sponsored by Lesley Glassberg Nadel and Don Nadel in memory of the yahrzeit of Leslie's mother Theresa Glassberg (Tova Bat Zvi Hirsch). And by Deborah Aschheim Weiss in honor of her 39th wedding anniversary to Robert Weiss. "Robert, you have enabled me to accomplish so much: 4 amazing children and a rewarding career. Now you have encouraged me to undertake the daf. May we continue to partner and support each other for many more years." If only a small part of one’s body goes into the azara, is there a requirement to go to the mikveh first? Can one stand outside with a really long knife and slaughter an animal inside without going to the mikveh? Since the mikveh was above the Water Gate, one can determine the height of the water level at Ein Eitam from which the water streamed into that mikveh. They spread a sheet of linen over the entrance to the mikveh for privacy. Why linen? The mishna describes the Kohen Gadol first activities on the morning of Yom Kippur – beginning with the first dipping and changing clothes, sacrificing the Tamid sacrifice, its meal offerings and libations, the Kohen Gadol’s daily mincha offering, and the daily incense. How did they heat up the water in the mikveh if the Kohen Gadol was elderly or particular about going in cold water? The mishna described only one washing of hands and feet as one washing is on removing his holy garments and the second is for putting on holy garments. At this first stage, he is removing unsanctified clothing. It seems the mishna must not go according to Rabbi Meir as he holds that the two washings are both on getting dressed – one before and one after. Is there a way to explain the mishna also like Rabbi Meir? Can his approach only be explained in this manner?

Pictures The learning for the month of Sivan is sponsored by Josh Sussman in honor of both his wife, Romi’s 50th birthday and their son, Zeli. "He will, B’Ezrat HaShem, be making his first solo siyum on Masechet Yoma at his Bar Mitzvah in July. Romi and I are so proud to be sharing in our learning of Daf Yomi with Zeli and couldn’t be prouder of him." Today's daf is sponsored by Lesley Glassberg Nadel and Don Nadel in memory of the yahrzeit of Leslie's mother Theresa Glassberg (Tova Bat Zvi Hirsch). And by Deborah Aschheim Weiss in honor of her 39th wedding anniversary to Robert Weiss. "Robert, you have enabled me to accomplish so much: 4 amazing children and a rewarding career. Now you have encouraged me to undertake the daf. May we continue to partner and support each other for many more years." If only a small part of one’s body goes into the azara, is there a requirement to go to the mikveh first? Can one stand outside with a really long knife and slaughter an animal inside without going to the mikveh? Since the mikveh was above the Water Gate, one can determine the height of the water level at Ein Eitam from which the water streamed into that mikveh. They spread a sheet of linen over the entrance to the mikveh for privacy. Why linen? The mishna describes the Kohen Gadol first activities on the morning of Yom Kippur – beginning with the first dipping and changing clothes, sacrificing the Tamid sacrifice, its meal offerings and libations, the Kohen Gadol’s daily mincha offering, and the daily incense. How did they heat up the water in the mikveh if the Kohen Gadol was elderly or particular about going in cold water? The mishna described only one washing of hands and feet as one washing is on removing his holy garments and the second is for putting on holy garments. At this first stage, he is removing unsanctified clothing. It seems the mishna must not go according to Rabbi Meir as he holds that the two washings are both on getting dressed – one before and one after. Is there a way to explain the mishna also like Rabbi Meir? Can his approach only be explained in this manner?

Parashat Ahareh-Mot begins with the description of the special Yom Kippur service in the Bet Ha'mikdash . The service was performed by the kohen gadol , who offered a series of special sacrifices in order to earn atonement for the Jewish People. Surprisingly, though, before the kohen gadol brought the sacrifices to atone for the nation's sins, he first had to bring his own korban , to atone for his own sins: וכפר בעדו ובעד ביתו . We must ask – the fate of the entire Jewish Nation is at stake; all Am Yisrael is riding on the kohen gadol 's back, and he first offers his own sacrifice?! With so much at stake, shouldn't the kohen gadol rush to bring the nation's sacrifices? The answer is simple, but very powerful and very relevant to all of us: you come first! It all starts with you. Yes, we should feel responsible for everyone around us – our spouse, our children, our extended family, our community, the entire Jewish Nation, and the entire world. But if we don't care for ourselves, we can't care for anybody else. Physically, emotionally and spiritually – our wellbeing comes first. If we are not strong physically, emotionally and spiritually, then we will not be able to help and contribute. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma (35b) tells of three righteous individuals whose examples refute the excuses that some people give for why they don't learn. Hillel learned Torah and became a great scholar despite being very poor – and so people who struggle financially cannot use their struggles as an excuse for not learning. Yosef remained righteous even though he faced great temptation to sin – and so people who struggle with temptation cannot excuse themselves from living a devoted religious life. Finally, Rabbi Elazar ben Harsom was a fabulously wealthy man, having inherited one thousand cities from his father – and yet, despite his pressures from business, he learned Torah. Thus, a wealthy person cannot excuse himself from learning because of his wealth. One commentary asked, why would we have thought that a wealthy person can excuse himself from learning because he has to tend to his businesses and his assets? Do we need the example of Rabbi Elazar ben Harsom to teach us that? Isn't this obvious, that being wealthy isn't a reason not to learn Torah? The answer is that the wealthy man might think, “I'm a businessman, not a scholar. If I spend an hour learning, how much is that learning worth? How much am I really going to understand and remember? And in that hour, I could be making more money, which could be used to donate to the needy and to important institutions. Isn't my time better spent doing more work than learning Torah?” The Gemara teaches that this is wrong. We all need to care for ourselves first. No matter how many people depend on us, we need to make time for ourselves, for our own needs, for our own growth, for our own development. We cannot possibly expect to give to others unless we are taking care of ourselves. On the most important day of the year – Yom Kippur – the one who is the most important person in the world on that day – the kohen gadol – first deals with his own spirituality, before tending to the rest of the nation. This is an instructive model for each of us, each day of our lives. We need to take care of ourselves so that we will then be able to take care of all those who depend on us.

Pictures Yoma 2 Study Guide Yoma 2 Masechet Yoma is sponsored by Vicky Harari "in commemoration of my father's yahrtzeit, on Pesach Sheini 14 Iyar 5777, Avraham Baruch Hacohen ben Zeev Eliyahu Eckstein z'l. My father was a survivor of Auschwitz and a feminist before it was fashionable. He raised me to believe that women could achieve anything. He would be proud to know that his daughter is an avid learner of Hadran! And in gratitude to Michelle Cohen Farber for revolutionizing women's learning worldwide." Today's daf is sponsored by Rabbi Ze'ev and Dr. Rebecca Felsen in honor of their daughter, Miriam Chaya Felsen "who was born when the Daf Yomi cycle last began Yoma, and so is one daf yomi cycle (2711 days) old on this day. We are immensely proud of her, how much she has learned, how much is learning and how much she will with Hashem's help learn in the future." And Aliza Avshalom "in memory and lezechut her mother and teacher in all things, Sara bat Esther and Arieh Bellehsen. And in honor of my father and teacher David Bellehsen. May he live a long and good life, that thanks to Hadran and Rabbanit Farber, has become my virtual chavruta." And by Ilene Strauss "in memory of my mother Leah bat Yaakov upon her 11th yahrzeit. She taught me to love Judaism and made each and every holiday and Shabbat special."  Masechet Yoma is sponsored by Vicky Harari "in commemoration of my father's yahrtzeit, on Pesach Sheini 14 Iyar 5777, Avraham Baruch Hacohen ben Zeev Eliyahu Eckstein z'l. My father was a survivor of Auschwitz and a feminist before it was fashionable. He raised me to believe that women could achieve anything. He would be proud to know that his daughter is an avid learner of Hadran! And in gratitude to Michelle Cohen Farber for revolutionizing women's learning worldwide." Today's daf is sponsored by Rabbi Ze'ev and Dr. Rebecca Felsen in honor of their daughter, Miriam Chaya Felsen "who was born when the Daf Yomi cycle last began Yoma, and so is one daf yomi cycle (2711 days) old on this day. We are immensely proud of her, how much she has learned, how much is learning and how much she will with Hashem's help learn in the future." And Aliza Avshalom "in memory and lezechut her mother and teacher in all things, Sara bat Esther and Arieh Bellehsen. And in honor of my father and teacher David Bellehsen. May he live a long and good life, that thanks to Hadran and Rabbanit Farber, has become my virtual chavruta." And by Ilene Strauss "in memory of my mother Leah bat Yaakov upon her 11th yahrzeit. She taught me to love Judaism and made each and every holiday and Shabbat special."  Seven days before Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol left his house and came to the Temple. A replacement Kohen Gadol was put in place in case the Kohen Gadol became impure. Was there also a need for a wife "in waiting"? The Kohen who burned the red heifer would also separate from his home seven days before. Why? What else was done to prevent people from not taking seriously the laws of purity of a red heifer? Why was this necessary? From where do we derive that these Kohanim needed to separate before? It was derived from the "miluim." Why were these derived from there and not other days?

Welcome to the Four Hundred and Second episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Abby Sosland looks at Masechet Yoma Daf 2. The first mishnah of Masechet Yoma presents the preparation of the Kohen Gadol for the intense religious ritual of the Avodah service. The rabbis were careful about preparing for Yom Kippur, […]

Welcome to the Four Hundred and Second episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Abby Sosland looks at Masechet Yoma Daf 2. The first mishnah of Masechet Yoma presents the preparation of the Kohen Gadol for the intense religious ritual of the Avodah service. The rabbis were careful about preparing for Yom Kippur, […]

Welcome to the Four Hundred and Second episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Abby Sosland looks at Masechet Yoma Daf 2. The first mishnah of Masechet Yoma presents the preparation of the Kohen Gadol for the intense religious ritual of the Avodah service. The rabbis were careful about preparing for Yom Kippur, […]

Pictures Yoma 2 Study Guide Yoma 2 Masechet Yoma is sponsored by Vicky Harari "in commemoration of my father's yahrtzeit, on Pesach Sheini 14 Iyar 5777, Avraham Baruch Hacohen ben Zeev Eliyahu Eckstein z'l. My father was a survivor of Auschwitz and a feminist before it was fashionable. He raised me to believe that women could achieve anything. He would be proud to know that his daughter is an avid learner of Hadran! And in gratitude to Michelle Cohen Farber for revolutionizing women's learning worldwide." Today's daf is sponsored by Rabbi Ze'ev and Dr. Rebecca Felsen in honor of their daughter, Miriam Chaya Felsen "who was born when the Daf Yomi cycle last began Yoma, and so is one daf yomi cycle (2711 days) old on this day. We are immensely proud of her, how much she has learned, how much is learning and how much she will with Hashem's help learn in the future." And Aliza Avshalom "in memory and lezechut her mother and teacher in all things, Sara bat Esther and Arieh Bellehsen. And in honor of my father and teacher David Bellehsen. May he live a long and good life, that thanks to Hadran and Rabbanit Farber, has become my virtual chavruta." And by Ilene Strauss "in memory of my mother Leah bat Yaakov upon her 11th yahrzeit. She taught me to love Judaism and made each and every holiday and Shabbat special."  Masechet Yoma is sponsored by Vicky Harari "in commemoration of my father's yahrtzeit, on Pesach Sheini 14 Iyar 5777, Avraham Baruch Hacohen ben Zeev Eliyahu Eckstein z'l. My father was a survivor of Auschwitz and a feminist before it was fashionable. He raised me to believe that women could achieve anything. He would be proud to know that his daughter is an avid learner of Hadran! And in gratitude to Michelle Cohen Farber for revolutionizing women's learning worldwide." Today's daf is sponsored by Rabbi Ze'ev and Dr. Rebecca Felsen in honor of their daughter, Miriam Chaya Felsen "who was born when the Daf Yomi cycle last began Yoma, and so is one daf yomi cycle (2711 days) old on this day. We are immensely proud of her, how much she has learned, how much is learning and how much she will with Hashem's help learn in the future." And Aliza Avshalom "in memory and lezechut her mother and teacher in all things, Sara bat Esther and Arieh Bellehsen. And in honor of my father and teacher David Bellehsen. May he live a long and good life, that thanks to Hadran and Rabbanit Farber, has become my virtual chavruta." And by Ilene Strauss "in memory of my mother Leah bat Yaakov upon her 11th yahrzeit. She taught me to love Judaism and made each and every holiday and Shabbat special."  Seven days before Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol left his house and came to the Temple. A replacement Kohen Gadol was put in place in case the Kohen Gadol became impure. Was there also a need for a wife "in waiting"? The Kohen who burned the red heifer would also separate from his home seven days before. Why? What else was done to prevent people from not taking seriously the laws of purity of a red heifer? Why was this necessary? From where do we derive that these Kohanim needed to separate before? It was derived from the "miluim." Why were these derived from there and not other days?

The Gemara in Masechet Yoma emphasizes the importance of taking three steps back after completing the Amida, commenting that if one did not do this properly, then it would have been preferable for him not to have prayed at all. In a sense, failing to take three steps back after the Amida almost invalidates the prayer. After stepping back, one recites, "Oseh Shalom Bi’mromav…"The simple understanding of the requirement to take three steps back is that it displays respect and reverence to G-d. After standing in the Almighty’s presence, we cannot just leave; this would be disrespectful. We instead reverently step backwards, facing Hashem. We step back first with our left foot, showing that we are reluctant to leave, and we do so starting with our weaker foot. The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) offers a different explanation, based on Kabbalistic teaching. When we stand before G-d and recite the Amida, he writes, we are in the realm of "Asilut." And once we finish, we must pass through the realms of "Beri’a" and "Yesira" to return to our world, the realm of "Asiya." We thus take three steps, corresponding to the three stages of our return to this realm.After one take the three steps back and recites "Oseh Shalom," he remains in place with his feet together until the time for the recitation of "Nakdishach." At that point, one takes three steps forward – starting with his right foot – and keeps his feet together for "Nakdishach." The Kaf Ha’haim (Rav Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Jerusalem, 1870-1939) writes that if "Nakdishach" begins immediately after one takes his three steps back, then he should right away take his three steps forward for "Nakdishach," without waiting. If, before "Nakdishach," he needs to step outside, such as to use the restroom, then he does not first take three steps forward. He leaves, and returns to the spot where he was standing, and then takes three steps forward.If one prays privately, and thus "Nakdishach" is not being recited, then after he takes three steps back and recites "Oseh Shalom," he remains in place for the amount of time needed to walk four Amot – approximately 3-4 seconds – and then takes three steps forward, starting with his right foot. The Gemara strongly condemns one who takes three steps forward immediately, without pausing several seconds, as this shows that his three steps back were not taken out of respect and reverence.Ideally, before one begins the Amida, he should ensure that he has enough room to take three full steps – toe to heel – backwards after the Amida. However, the Ben Ish Hai writes, if one does not have enough room to take three full steps back, then he takes three smaller steps.Summary: After one completes the Amida, he takes three steps back, starting with his left foot, recites "Oseh Shalom," and remains in place with his feet together until "Nakdishach," at which point he takes three steps forward, starting with his right foot, for "Nakdishach." If he prays privately, he should wait 3-4 second and then take three steps forward. Ideally, before one begins the Amida, he should ensure that he has enough room to take three full steps – toe to heel – backwards after the Amida. However, if one does not have enough room to take three full steps back, he takes three smaller steps.

The Value of Shabbat Preparation At first glance, the concept of “preparing for Shabbat” seems like a very simple, practical matter. Food and other necessities need to be prepared ahead of time, before the onset of Shabbat, and so it needs to get done. If one has people working for him, he can have them make the necessary preparations, and if not, then he needs to do the work himself, but the main thing is that preparations are made in time. From the teachings of our Sages, however, it is clear that this perspective is fundamentally incorrect. The Talmud tells of great Rabbis who had servants working for them but nevertheless made a point of preparing the food for Shabbat themselves. Indeed, the Shulhan Aruch rules that one should personally involve himself in Shabbat preparations, even if he has a full staff of housekeepers capable of making all the preparations for him. Why is it so important to personally get involved in the process of preparing the home for Shabbat? Rav Yerucham Levovitz explained that preparation is an indispensable prerequisite for receiving any kind of inspiration, and for reaching any kind of significant achievement. He notes the Rambam's comments regarding prophecy, which could not be achieved without preparation. The Rambam specifies the kinds of preparation prophets needed to make in order to receive prophecy, and emphasizes that prophecy was an outright impossibility until all these stages of preparation were completed. Rav Yerucham explained that the need for preparation is built into the nature of the world. Just as we feel hungry when we do not eat, and we feel satiated when we eat, similarly, one cannot access prophecy without the required preparations, and is able to access prophecy after making those preparations. No kedushah (holiness) or spiritual growth can be achieved without putting in the work to prepare for it. This is true of the Yamim Noraim (High Holidays), as well. We gain inspiration from them, and grow from the experience, only if we prepare ahead of time, thinking about the themes and messages of these holidays and putting in the effort to apply those concepts. Once we make this effort, Hashem sends us His help and we will feel elevated and inspired. In developing this principle, Rav Yerucham writes: כל עבודת האדם היא רק להיות מוכן. כי הרי בההכנה, כל אחד לפי כוחותיו, הרי משרה עליו רוח שכינה מן מעלה. “All a person's work is just to be prepared, for through the preparation, each person according to his capabilities, one brings upon himself the spirit of the Divine Presence from above. This is how we bring kedushah (sanctity) upon ourselves – through preparation. When it comes to Shabbat, preparing means both spiritual preparation – through preparing divreh Torah and contemplating the messages of Shabbat – as well as the “down-to-earth” preparations, such as preparing food and preparing the home. Even these simple acts of cooking and cleaning are immensely valuable and significant. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma comments that Avraham Avinu observed the entire Torah, even though it had not yet been given, and the Gemara adds that Avraham observed even the law of עירוב תבשילין . This law applies when Yom Tov falls on Friday, providing a permissible way to prepare for Shabbat on Friday. Although it is forbidden to prepare on Yom Tov for the next day, the law of עירוב תבשילין states that if one prepares some food before Yom Tov for Shabbat, then he is allowed to prepare further for Shabbat even on Yom Tov. By setting aside some food for Shabbat before Yom Tov, one is considered as having already begun his Shabbat preparations, thus allowing him to continue preparing thereafter. The message behind this law, as Rav Yerucham explains, is that it takes just a small, simple act to bring ourselves to the lofty level of Shabbat preparation, and this is something which Avraham intuitively understood even before the Torah was given. Even seemingly simple acts can elevate us to the level where we can absorb kedushah . And the more we involve ourselves in the preparation, the greater the impact will be. The more we show our yearning for Shabbat, our respect for Shabbat, and our anticipation of Shabbat by actively preparing for it, the more kedushah will be bestowed upon us. Every Shabbat, we receive a נשמה יתירה (“additional soul”), a special spirit of holiness, and the magnitude of this spiritual impact is proportional to the extent of our preparation ahead of time. Rav Yechezkel Sarna, the famed Rosh Yeshiva of the Chevron Yeshiva, noted that just as Hazal compared our world to an anteroom leading to a banquet hall – the world to come – similarly, the six days of the workweek are the “anteroom” leading to Shabbat, which resembles a banquet hall. Therefore, just as we are bidden to prepare ourselves in this world so we can reap the benefits of the next world, we must likewise prepare ourselves during the workweek so we can reap the great spiritual benefits of Shabbat. And the harder we work to prepare, the greater the benefits that we will reap. For this reason, Rav Sarna explained, Hazal teach, מי שטרח בערב שבת יאכל בשבת – “Whoever toiled on Erev Shabbat will eat on Shabbat.” They speak here not simply of preparing, but of “toiling.” The key is the hard work and effort that we invest in preparing. The harder we work, the more we will receive from the Shabbat experience. While this message is relevant and vitally important every week, it assumes special significance as we prepare for Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Tradition teaches that the angels which we will welcome into our homes on Shabbat are the angels created through the mitzvot we had performed during the previous week. On Rosh Hashanah we performed special mitzvot , such as listening to the shofar , reciting the special prayers, and engaging in introspection and teshuvah . As such, we have special angels that come to be with us on the Shabbat after Rosh Hashanah. And, on Shabbat Shuvah we read a special haftarah , the prophet's proclamation of שובה ישראל עד ה' אלוקיך , calling upon us to repent and assuring us that our repentance is capable of penetrating the heavens and reaching the Divine Throne. This Shabbat offers us a special opportunity to achieve kedushah , more so than ordinary Shabbatot, and the more we prepare for it, the more we will be able to reap the unique benefits available to us on this Shabbat. Additionally, our Rabbis teach us that each day of the Ten Days of Repentance offers us the opportunity to correct and atone for our misdeeds on that day of the week throughout the previous year. This means that on Shabbat Shuvah, we are able to retroactively perfect all the Shabbatot of the previous year, and reverse all the mistakes we may have made with respect to proper Shabbat observance. This is a very special Shabbat, and so we must pay extra attention to our preparations, in terms of both our spiritual preparations and the “mundane” preparations of food and the like. The more of an effort we invest in these preparations, the more we will benefit from the unique opportunities offered by this especially holy and significant Shabbat.

Bringing Blessing Through the Study of Hilchot Shabbat The Torah in Sefer Devarim commands us to remember the miracle of the manna, the food which fell from the heavens each day during Beneh Yisrael 's forty-year sojourn through the wilderness. The reason given for the command to remember this miracle is: למען הודיעך כי לא על הלחם לבדו יחיה האדם כי על כל מוצא פי ה' יחיה האדם “…in order for you to know that a person does not live on bread alone; rather, a person lives on anything that leaves G-d's mouth.” The manna teaches us that we do not require ordinary food to live. Hashem is the source of all life, and thus He sustains us, in whichever way He chooses. And this is why the Torah commands us to remember this miracle – so we always remember that Hashem has an infinite number of ways to sustain us. This lesson remains relevant and vitally important even today. Rashi (in Parashat Beshalah) tells that the people in the time of Yirmiyahu Ha'navi felt they could not allocate time for Torah study due to the challenges they faced earning a living. To demonstrate the fallacy of this belief, Yirmiyahu showed them the jar of manna that had been kept in the aron (ark) since the times of Moshe Rabbenu. The miracle of the manna proves that Hashem can sustain us in countless different ways. Our livelihood is entirely in His hands, and so we should never feel that we cannot afford the time to learn Torah because of the pressures of earning a living. Indeed, I knew a man named Mr. David Mizrahi (the father of Rav Yosef Mizrahi, of the Mishna Daily project) who kept a jar of cotton balls on his desk as a symbolic reminder of the manna. Whenever business was not going well, he would look at the jar, think about the manna, and feel reassured that his livelihood depends solely on Hashem, who has an infinite number of means of providing his sustenance. The Gemara tells in Masechet Berachot that a Heavenly voice proclaims each and every day that the entire world is fed through the merit of Rav Hanina ben Dosa. This voice is sounded even today; all mankind is sustained through the merit of Torah and mitzvot . Even though we make an effort and go to work for a living, the source of our sustenance is Hashem, who brings blessing to the world in the merit of the study of Torah and performance of mitzvot . The Torah describes Beneh Yisrael 's daily collection of manna by saying, ויצא העם ולקטו דבר יום ביומו – “The people would go out and collect each and every day.” The Hatam Sofer noted the unusual use of the word דבר – “matter” or “word” – in this pasuk . Why does the Torah speak of Beneh Yisrael collecting a דבר each day? The Hatam Sofer answered based on the Gemara's comment in Masechet Avodah Zarah (3b) that Hashem studies Torah, as it were, during the first three hours of every day, and later, during the last three hours, He gives the world's inhabitants their sustenance. The Hatam Sofer explained that the angels, which are purely spiritual beings, need sustenance just as we human beings do, and this is why Hashem studies Torah for the first three hours of the day. Whereas we are sustained by food, angels are sustained by Torah, the spiritual blueprint of the world. During the forty years Beneh Yisrael spent in the wilderness, they resembled angels. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma (75b) says that the manna was “angelic food,” and it was fed to Beneh Yisrael because they lived an angelic existence during that period. It turns out, then, that the manna was “produced” through the דבר ה' , through the words of Torah which Hashem “studies,” so-to-speak, each day. Beneh Yisrael 's daily ration of manna is thus referred to as דבר יום ביומו , because it was created by the words of Hashem's Torah, the source of spiritual sustenance. The Hatam Sofer adds that this approach to the manna sheds light on the double portion that fell every Friday in the wilderness. While the manna on other days was produced by Hashem's study of Torah, the double portion on Friday was produced by the specific study of hilchot Shabbat – the laws of Shabbat observance. This particular field of study is especially powerful, and yields more blessing than the study of other areas of Torah. And thus by engaging on Friday in the laws relevant to Shabbat, Hashem produced an extra portion of manna which descended that day. Whereas ordinary Torah study provides sustenance for that day, learning the laws of Shabbat provides sustenance for two days. Shabbat is the source of all blessing, and so by studying the laws of Shabbat, we tap into this source and bring upon ourselves abundant blessings. Similarly, the Rebbe of Sochatchov writes in his introduction to Igleh Tal that just as Shabbat observance is equivalent to the observance of all other mitzvot combined, the study of the laws of Shabbat is equivalent to the study of all other areas of Torah. There is a wonderful program to encourage and enable people to study the laws of Shabbat via email. One can send an email to shabbathalachot@gmail.com to receive each week a page of halachot relevant to Shabbat according to Sephardic tradition, or to shabboshalachos@gmail.com to receive material in accordance with Ashkenazic practice. This is an easy way to ensure to access the priceless blessings made available through the study of hilchot Shabbat each week. By involving ourselves in this unique field of study, we tap into the מקור הברכה , the source of all blessings, whereby we gain the spiritual nourishment that we need each and every day of our lives.

Reversing the Curse of Adam The Torah tells in Parashat Bereshit of Adam and Havah's punishments after violating G-d's command and eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. Adam's punishment was בזעת אפך תאכל לחם – the land would not easily produce food, and so he would have to work and struggle to earn a livelihood, and would eat ‘by the sweat of his brow,” only after hard work. We know that Hashem does not actually give us “curses.” A punishment, according to our belief, is an opportunity for rectification, to correct the mistake that was made and allow us to grow and recover. In what way, then, was Adam's “curse” an opportunity for growth? The answer emerges from a closer look at Adam and Havah's sin. When the snake first confronted Havah and tried persuading her to partake of the forbidden fruit, it claimed that Hashem forbade eating from the tree because those who eat from the tree are endowed with creative capabilities. Just as craftsmen in any field resent and are envious of their competitors, the snake contended, Hashem likewise does not want any competition, and it is for this reason that He told Adam and Havah not to eat the fruit that would make them into creators, and hence G-d's competitors, as it were. Underlying the snake's claim is the recognition of a human being's innate desire to create and control. This is what motivated Adam and Havah to violate Hashem's command and partake of the forbidden fruit. They wanted to be like G-d, to be a creator and exercise control like He does. In response, G-d punished Adam and Havah by making their creative endeavors difficult and challenging. A man becomes a “creator” primarily through work, by planting a seed and producing food, or, in our reality, by building a business or career. G-d decreed that man would encounter considerable difficulty and great challenges in his pursuit of a livelihood, in his quest to “create,” to remind him of his limited control and creative capacity, that he can never “compete” with the true Creator. Likewise, women would experience great pain and hardship in their primary area of creativity – childbirth and child-rearing. Both men and women will have to cry out to Hashem for help as they seek to “create,” in their respective areas of creativity, and they are thus reminded that there is only one actual Creator. Shabbat marks the ultimate reversal of this curse. The Zohar Hadash comments that G-d pronounced 39 curses after the sin of Adam and Havah: ten curses upon Adam, ten upon Havah, ten upon the snake, and nine upon the ground. (The commentators identify all these separate curses.) On Shabbat, we refrain from the 39 melachot (categories of forbidden activity), abstaining from all the curses that resulted from Adam and Havah's sin. On Shabbat, we focus on the fact that Hashem is the sole Creator of the universe and exerts absolute control over everything in the world. We refrain from work to remind ourselves and proclaim that our sustenance, ultimately, results not from our creative efforts during the workweek, but rather from Hashem's blessing. And this is why Shabbat is called מקור הברכה – the source of blessing. The source of all blessing is the recognition that all blessings come from Hashem, and not from our efforts. The Arizal taught that the epitome of this reversal of the 39 curses was Yaakov Avinu, who received from his father the blessing ויתן לך האלקים מטל השמיים ומשמני הארץ (“G-d shall grant you from the dew of the heavens and from the fat of the earth” – Bereshit 27:28). The word טל is the opposite of the word לט (“curse”) and has the numerical value of 39. Yaakov Avinu transformed Hashem's curses into טל , heavenly blessing. He accomplished this, the Arizal taught, by observing Shabbat. And thus the prophet Yeshayahu (58:14) proclaims that if we properly observe Shabbat, then והאכלתיך נחלת יעקב אביך – we will be given the portion of Yaakov, the great blessings which he earned through his Shabbat observance. The 39 curses resulted from Adam and Havah's desire to feel in complete control, and we reverse them by acknowledging that ultimately it is Hashem, and only Hashem, who exerts true control over the world and over our lives. Of course, we are supposed to invest work and effort throughout the workweek to secure a livelihood. The Mesilat Yesharim (chapter 21) writes that in truth, it makes no difference whether a person spends the week working or if he sits home and does nothing, as his livelihood depends entirely on G-d, who will give each person precisely what was decreed on Rosh Hashanah. However, G-d declared that we need to work and invest effort to secure a livelihood, and the Mesilat Yesharim calls this a “tax” we need to pay in order for G-d to provide us with our needs. Just as a person seeks to pay as little tax as possible, we should likewise not seek to work more than we need to for Hashem to grant us blessing. The Derech Etz Haim (by the author of Mesilat Yesharim ) thus teaches that one who truly recognizes that work is a curse, resulting from Adam and Havah's sin, will choose הרע במיעוטו – the least possible amount of this “curse,” and work the minimum amount he needs to, realizing that his sustenance comes from Hashem. Hashem punished the snake by declaring that it would eat dirt – ועפר תאכל כל ימי חייך . Seemingly, this is a great blessing, as the snake will always have food readily accessible. Why, then, was this pronounced as a punishment? The Rabbis explain that this is a curse because the snake never has to turn to G-d to ask for its livelihood. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma comments that Hashem sustained Beneh Yisrael in the wilderness by sending them a daily ration of manna each morning, rather than giving them large amounts each year, so they would pray to Him each and every day. Every night, they would find themselves without food, and so they would turn to G-d in prayer to ask that He provide a new portion of manna the next morning. The Gemara compares this to a king who would give his favorite son small amounts of money each day to ensure that his son would come see him regularly, but gave his less favored son large yearly amounts, as he was not interested in maintaining a close relationship with him. The greatest blessing is turning to Hashem to provide our needs, and thus the greatest curse is that of the snake, who never needs to turn to Hashem for help. The two loaves of bread on our Shabbat table commemorates the manna. Shabbat is the day designated for contemplating this message, that our livelihood comes from Hashem, and He wants us to look to Him and rely on Him for our sustenance. In this way, we reverse the curse of Adam and Havah. We refrain from the 39 melachot , placing our trust in the Almighty and recognizing that He is the only Creator and the only One who truly exercises control. This is why it is so important to avoid speaking about our work and businesses on Shabbat. If we do not divert our attention from our professional and commercial endeavors on Shabbat, if this is what continues to occupy our minds even on Shabbat, then we have failed to internalize the message that Shabbat conveys – the message that our livelihood depends solely on Hashem. As this is the message of Shabbat, we are to dissociate ourselves entirely from our professions and businesses on Shabbat, reaffirming our belief that although we are supposed to work for a living, it is ultimately Hashem, and not our work, who brings us our material blessings.

Welcome to the Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Jan R. Uhrbach looks at Masechet Yoma Daf 88. What happens when our limits and flaws – our humanity –reassert themselves just on Yom Kippur, the day when we’re striving to be like the angels? Masechet Yoma draws to a close with a discussion of […]

Welcome to the Four Hundred and Second episode of Daily Daf Differently. In this episode, Rabbi Abby Sosland looks at Masechet Yoma Daf 2. The first mishnah of Masechet Yoma presents the preparation of the Kohen Gadol for the intense religious ritual of the Avodah service. The rabbis were careful about preparing for Yom Kippur, […]

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