Today in Jewish History:
• Purim Tammuz (Algiers) (1774)
In 1774, the Spanish General O'Reilly attacked the city of Algiers and was successfully repulsed by the Dey of Algiers, Mohammed ibn Uman. Tradition has it that flames came out of the graves of the great Rabbis Isaac ben Sheshet and Solomon ben Simon Duran and contributed to the Spanish defeat. To celebrate the miracle of having escaped Spanish rule, the Jews of Algiers instituted a "Purim" on the 11th of Tammuz.
Link:
Rabbi Isaac Bar Sheishes (Ribash)
Daily Quote:
Throw a branch into the air, and it will fall back on its root[Midrash Rabbah on Genesis 21:21]
Daily Study:
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: with Rashi
• Chapter 22
2Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. בוַיַּרְא בָּלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יִשְׂרָאֵל לָאֱמֹרִי:
Balak… saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites: He said, “These two kings whom we relied on could not resist them; we certainly cannot.” Consequently, “Moab became terrified.” - [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 2, Num. Rabbah 20:2] וירא בלק בן צפור את כל אשר עשה ישראל לאמורי:אמר אלו שני מלכים שהיינו בטוחים עליהם לא עמדו בפניהם, אנו על אחת כמה וכמה. לפיכך ויגר מואב:
3Moab became terrified of the people, for they were numerous, and Moab became disgusted because of the children of Israel. גוַיָּגָר מוֹאָב מִפְּנֵי הָעָם מְאֹד כִּי רַב הוּא וַיָּקָץ מוֹאָב מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:
[Moab] became terrified: [Heb. וַיָּגָר is] a term denoting dread, as in,“Fear (גּוּרוּ) for yourselves” (Job 19:29). - [Machbereth Menachem p. 59, third def.] ויגר: לשון מורא, כמו (איוב יט, כט) גורו לכם:
Moab became disgusted: They became disgusted with their own lives, as in“I am disgusted (קַצְתִּי) with my life” (Gen. 27:46). This is an abbreviated verse. ויקץ מואב: קצו בחייהם:
4Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this assembly will eat up everything around us, as the ox eats up the greens of the field. Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. דוַיֹּאמֶר מוֹאָב אֶל זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן עַתָּה יְלַחֲכוּ הַקָּהָל אֶת כָּל סְבִיבֹתֵינוּ כִּלְחֹךְ הַשּׁוֹר אֵת יֶרֶק הַשָּׂדֶה וּבָלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר מֶלֶךְ לְמוֹאָב בָּעֵת הַהִוא:
to the elders of Midian: But did they not always hate each other, as it says, “who defeated Midian in the field of Moab” (Gen. 36:35), when Midian came against Moab in battle? However, because of their mutual fear of Israel they made peace with each other. And what did Moab see to take counsel with Midian? Since they saw that Israel was supernaturally victorious [in their battles], they said, “The leader of these [people] was raised in Midian. Let us ask them what his character is.” They told them, “His strength is solely in his mouth.” They said,“We too will come against them with a man whose strength is in his mouth.” - [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 3, Num. Rabbah 20:4] אל זקני מדין: והלא מעולם היו שונאים זה את זה, שנאמר (בראשית לו, לה) המכה את מדין בשדה מואב, שבאו מדין על מואב למלחמה. אלא מיראתן של ישראל עשו שלום ביניהם. ומה ראה מואב ליטול עצה ממדין, כיון שראו את ישראל נוצחים שלא כמנהג העולם, אמרו מנהיגם של אלו במדין נתגדל, נשאל מהם מה מדתו. אמרו לו אין כחו אלא בפיו. אמרו אף אנו נבא עליהם באדם שכחו בפיו:
as the ox eats up: Whatever the ox has eaten up no longer contains blessing [because the ox uproots the plants it eats (Da’ath Zekenim)]. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 3, Num. Rabbah 20:4] כלחוך השור: כל מה שהשור מלחך אין בו ברכה:
at that time: He was not entitled to the monarchy. He was one of the Midianite nobles [according to some: of the nobles of Sihon (Josh. 13:21)], and when Sihon died, they appointed him over them on a temporary basis. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 20:4] בעת ההוא: לא היה ראוי למלכות. מנסיכי מדין היה, וכיון שמת סיחון מנוהו עליהם לצורך שעה:
5He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of his people, to call for him, saying, "A people has come out of Egypt, and behold, they have covered the "eye" of the land, and they are stationed opposite me. הוַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֶל בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר פְּתוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר עַל הַנָּהָר אֶרֶץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹ לִקְרֹא לוֹ לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה עַם יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם הִנֵּה כִסָּה אֶת עֵין הָאָרֶץ וְהוּא ישֵׁב מִמֻּלִי:
to Pethor: Heb. פְּתוֹרָה, like this money changer, to whom everyone rushes coins, so did all the kings rush their letters to him [asking him for advice]. [In Aramaic, פְּתוֹרָא means table, denoting the counter over which currency transactions take place. This is synonymous with the Hebrew שֻׁלְחָן, table.Thus, a money changer is שֻלְחָנִי]. According to the simple meaning of the verse, it [Pethor] is a place-name. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 20:7] פתורה: כשולחני הזה שהכל מריצין לו מעות, כך כל המלכים מריצין לו אגרותיהם. ולפי פשוטו של מקרא כך שם המקום:
the land of his people: [I.e.,] Balak’s [people]. He came from there. This one [Balaam] prophesied, telling him, “You are destined to rule.” If you ask, “Why did God bestow His Shechinah on a wicked gentile?” [The answer is] so the nations should not have an excuse to say, “Had we had prophets we would have repented.” So He assigned them prophets, but they breached the [morally] accepted barrier, for at first they had refrained from immorality, but he [Balaam] advised them to offer themselves freely for prostitution. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 1, Num. Rabbah 20:1] ארץ בני עמו: של בלק. משם היה, וזה היה מתנבא ואומר לו עתיד אתה למלוך. ואם תאמר מפני מה השרה הקב"ה שכינתו על גוי רשע, כדי שלא יהא פתחון פה לאומות לומר אלו היו לנו נביאים חזרנו למוטב, העמיד להם נביאים והם פרצו גדר העולם, שבתחלה היו גדורים בעריות וזה נתן להם עצה להפקיר עצמן לזנות:
to call for him: This invitation was for him, [i.e.,] for his benefit, for he promised him a large sum of money. - [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 20:7] לקרא לו: הקריאה שלו היתה ולהנאתו, שהיה פוסק לו ממון הרבה:
A people has come out of Egypt: And should you ask,“How does it harm you?” עם יצא ממצרים: ואם תאמר מה מזיקך:
“behold, they have covered the ‘eye’ of the land”: Sihon and Og, who were our guardians-they attacked them and killed them. - [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 20:7] הנה כסה את עין הארץ: סיחון ועוג שהיו שומרים אותנו עמדו עליהם והרגום:
and they are stationed opposite me: Heb. מִמֻּלִי. It [the word מִמֻּלִי] is spelled defectively [lacking a 'vav’]; they are close by, ready to cut me down, as in“for I will cut them down (אֲמִילֵם)” (Ps. 118:10). - [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 20:7] והוא יושב ממלי: חסר כתיב, קרובים הם להכריתני, כמו (תהלים קיח, י) כי אמילם:
6So now, please come and curse this people for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I will be able to wage war against them and drive them out of the land, for I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed." ווְעַתָּה לְכָה נָּא אָרָה לִּי אֶת הָעָם הַזֶּה כִּי עָצוּם הוּא מִמֶּנִּי אוּלַי אוּכַל נַכֶּה בּוֹ וַאֲגָרְשֶׁנּוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ כִּי יָדַעְתִּי אֵת אֲשֶׁר תְּבָרֵךְ מְבֹרָךְ וַאֲשֶׁר תָּאֹר יוּאָר:
Perhaps I will be able to wage war against them: Heb. נַכֶּה. I with my nation will wage war against them [hence the first person plural form of נַכֶּה]. Another interpretation: It נַכֶּה is a mishnaic term, as in,“he deducts (מְנַכֶּה) from the price for him” (B.M. 105b) [so the meaning here is,] to diminish them somewhat. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 20:7] נכה בו: אני ועמי נכה בהם. דבר אחר לשון משנה היא (ב"מ קה ב) מנכה לו מן הדמים, לחסר מהם מעט:
for I know: through the war of Sihon [against Moab] you helped him defeat Moab. - [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 20:7] כי ידעתי וגו': ע"י מלחמת סיחון שעזרתו להכות את מואב:
7So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went, with magic charms in their hands, and they came to Balaam and conveyed Balak's message to him. זוַיֵּלְכוּ זִקְנֵי מוֹאָב וְזִקְנֵי מִדְיָן וּקְסָמִים בְּיָדָם וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל בִּלְעָם וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלָיו דִּבְרֵי בָלָק:
with magic charms in their hands: All types of charms, so he could not say,“I don’t have my tools with me.” Another interpretation: The elders of Midian took this omen (קֶסֶם) with them, saying, “If he comes with us this time, there is something to him, but if he pushes us off, he is useless.” Thus, when he said to them, “Lodge here for the night” (verse 8), they said, “He is hopeless” ; so they left him and went away, as it says, “The Moabite nobles stayed with Balaam” (ibid.), but the Midianite elders left. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 5, Num. Rabbah 20:8] וקסמים בידם: כל מיני קסמים, שלא יאמר אין כלי תשמישי עמי. דבר אחר קסם זה נטלו בידם זקני מדין, אמרו אם יבא עמנו בפעם הזאת יש בו ממש, ואם ידחנו אין בו תועלת, לפיכך כשאמר להם לינו פה הלילה, אמרו אין בו תקוה, הניחוהו והלכו להם, שנאמר וישבו שרי מואב עם בלעם, אבל זקני מדין הלכו להם:
8He said to them, "Lodge here for the night, and I will give you an answer when the Lord speaks to me." So the Moabite nobles stayed with Balaam. חוַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם לִינוּ פֹה הַלַּיְלָה וַהֲשִׁבֹתִי אֶתְכֶם דָּבָר כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֵלָי וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׂרֵי מוֹאָב עִם בִּלְעָם:
Lodge here for the night: The Divine Spirit rested on him only at night, and the same applied to all gentile prophets. So it was with Laban, [God came to him] in a dream at night, as it says,“God came to Laban the Aramite in a dream at night” (Gen. 31:24), like a man going to his concubine in secret. — [Mid. Lev. Rabbah 1:13] לינו פה הלילה: אין רוח הקודש שורה עליו אלא בלילה, וכן לכל נביאי אומות העולם, וכן לבן בחלום הלילה, שנאמר (בראשית לא, כד) ויבא א-להים אל לבן הארמי בחלום הלילה. כאדם ההולך אצל פלגשו בהחבא:
when the Lord speaks to me: If He advises me to go with people like you, I will go with you. But perhaps it is beneath His dignity to allow me to go with anyone but higher ranking nobles than you. כאשר ידבר ה' אלי: אם ימליכני ללכת עם בני אדם כמותכם אלך עמכם, שמא אין כבודו לתתי להלוך אלא עם שרים גדולים מכם:
stayed: Heb. וַיֵּשְׁבוּ, a term denoting remaining. - [Onkelos] וישבו: לשון עכבה:
9God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?" טוַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם וַיֹּאמֶר מִי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה עִמָּךְ:
Who are these men with you: It came to delude him. [Rashi means: “the ways of the Lord are straight, and the righteous shall walk in them, and the rebellious shall stumble on them” (Hosea 14:10). By asking, “Who are these men with you,” God meant to enter into a conversation with him, as Rashi states in the section Bereishith (3:9) on the word, “Where are you?” But it came to Balaam to delude him, for he erred.] He [Balaam] said,“Sometimes, not everything is revealed before Him, for He is not always omniscient. I will find a time when I am able to curse, and He will not realize it.”- [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 5, Num. Rabbah 20:9] מי האנשים האלה עמך: להטעותו בא. אמר פעמים שאין הכל גלוי לפניו, אין דעתו שוה עליו, אף אני אראה עת שאוכל לקלל ולא יבין:
10Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor the king of Moab has sent [them] to me, [saying]: יוַיֹּאמֶר בִּלְעָם אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים בָּלָק בֶּן צִפֹּר מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב שָׁלַח אֵלָי:
Balak the son of Zippor: Although I am not important in Your eyes, I am considered important in the eyes of the kings. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 5, Num. Rabbah 20:9] בלק בן צפור וגו': אף על פי שאיני חשוב בעיניך, חשוב אני בעיני המלכים:
11"Behold the people coming out of Egypt, a nation, has covered the 'eye' of the earth. Come and curse them for me, perhaps I will be able to fight against them and drive them out." יאהִנֵּה הָעָם הַיֹּצֵא מִמִּצְרַיִם וַיְכַס אֶת עֵין הָאָרֶץ עַתָּה לְכָה קָבָה לִּי אֹתוֹ אוּלַי אוּכַל לְהִלָּחֶם בּוֹ וְגֵרַשְׁתִּיו:
curse it: Heb. קָבָהלּי. [This expression used by Balaam] is stronger than אָרָהלּי [used by Balak in verse 6], for it specifies and details [the curse]- [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 5, Num. Rabbah 20:9] קבה לי: זו קשה מארה לי, שהוא נוקב ומפרש:
and drive it out: of the world. Balak said only, “and I will drive him out of the land” (verse 6). [His intention was:] I want only to get them away from me, but Balaam hated them more than did Balak. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 5, Num. Rabbah 20:9] וגרשתיו: מן העולם. ובלק לא אמר אלא ואגרשנו מן הארץ, איני מבקש אלא להסיעם מעלי, ובלעם היה שונאם יותר מבלק:
12God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them! You shall not curse the people because they are blessed." יבוַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם לֹא תֵלֵךְ עִמָּהֶם לֹא תָאֹר אֶת הָעָם כִּי בָרוּךְ הוּא:
You shall not go with them: He said to Him, “If so, I will curse them in my place.” He replied to him, “You shall not curse the people.” He said, “If so, I will bless them.” He replied, “They do not need your blessing, ‘for they are blessed.’ ” As the saying goes, “We say to the wasp (Other editions: the bee), ‘Neither your honey, nor your sting.’ ” - [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 6, Num. Rabbah 20:10] לא תלך עמהם: אמר לו אם כן אקללם במקומי. אמר לו לא תאור את העם. אמר לו אם כן אברכם. אמר לו אינם צריכין לברכתך, כי ברוך הוא. משל אומרים לצרעה לא מדובשיך ולא מעוקציך:Daily Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 60 - 65
• Chapter 60
This psalm tells of when Joab, David's general, came to Aram Naharayim for war and was asked by the people: "Are you not from the children of Jacob? What of the pact he made with Laban?" Not knowing what to answer, Joab asked the Sanhedrin. The psalm includes David's prayer for success in this war.
1. For the Conductor, on the shushan eidut. A michtam by David, to instruct,
2. when he battled with Aram Naharayim and Aram Tzovah, and Joab returned and smote Edom in the Valley of Salt, twelve thousand [men].
3. O God, You forsook us, You have breached us! You grew furious-restore us!
4. You made the earth quake, You split it apart-heal its fragments, for it totters!
5. You showed Your nation harshness, You gave us benumbing wine to drink.
6. [Now] give those who fear You a banner to raise themselves, for the sake of truth, Selah.
7. That Your beloved ones may be delivered, help with Your right hand and answer me.
8. God said with His Holy [Spirit] that I would exult; I would divide Shechem, and measure out the Valley of Succot.
9. Mine is Gilead, mine is Menasseh, and Ephraim is the stronghold of my head; Judah is my prince.
10. Moab is my washbasin, and upon Edom I will cast my shoe; for me, Philistia will sound a blast [of coronation].
11. Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will lead me unto Edom?
12. Is it not You, God, Who has [until now] forsaken us, and did not go forth with our legions?
13. Grant us relief from the oppressor; futile is the salvation of man.
14. With God we will do valiantly, and He will trample our oppressors.
Chapter 61
David composed this prayer while fleeing from Saul. The object of all his thoughts and his entreaty is that God grant him long life-not for the sake of pursuing the pleasures of the world, but rather to serve God in awe, all of his days.
1. For the Conductor, on the neginat, by David.
2. Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer.
3. From the end of the earth I call to You, when my heart is faint [with trouble]: Lead me upon the rock that surpasses me!
4. For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength in the face of the enemy.
5. I will dwell in Your tent forever; I will take refuge in the shelter of Your wings, Selah.
6. For You, God, heard my vows; You granted the inheritance of those who fear Your Name.
7. Add days to the days of the king; may his years equal those of every generation.
8. May he sit always before God; appoint kindness and truth to preserve him.
9. Thus will I sing the praise of Your Name forever, as I fulfill my vows each day.
Chapter 62
David prays for the downfall of his enemies. He also exhorts his generation that their faith should not rest in riches, telling them that the accumulation of wealth is utter futility.
1. For the Conductor, on the yedutun,1 a psalm by David.
2. To God alone does my soul hope; my salvation is from Him.
3. He alone is my rock and salvation, my stronghold; I shall not falter greatly.
4. Until when will you plot disaster for man? May you all be killed-like a leaning wall, a toppled fence.
5. Out of their arrogance alone they scheme to topple me, they favor falsehood; with their mouths they bless, and in their hearts they curse, Selah.
6. To God alone does my soul hope, for my hope is from Him.
7. He alone is my rock and salvation, my stronghold; I shall not falter.
8. My salvation and honor is upon God; the rock of my strength-my refuge is in God.
9. Trust in Him at all times, O nation, pour out your hearts before Him; God is a refuge for us forever.
10. Men are but vanity; people [but] transients. Were they to be raised upon the scale, they would be lighter than vanity.
11. Put not your trust in exploitation, nor place futile hope in robbery. If [corrupt] wealth flourishes, pay it no heed.
12. God spoke one thing, from which I perceived two: That strength belongs to God;
13. and that Yours, my Lord, is kindness. For You repay each man according to his deeds.
Chapter 63
Hiding from Saul, and yearning to approach the place of the Holy Ark like one thirsting for water, David composed this prayer on his behalf and against his enemy.
1. A psalm by David, when he was in the Judean desert.
2. O God, You are my Almighty, I seek You! My soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You; [like one] in a desolate and dry land, without water,
3. so [I thirst] to see You in the Sanctuary, to behold Your might and glory.
4. For Your kindness is better than life; my lips shall praise You.
5. Thus will I bless you all my life, in Your Name I will raise my hands [in prayer].
6. As with fat and abundance my soul is sated, when my mouth offers praise with expressions of joy.
7. Indeed, I remember You upon my bed; during the watches of the night I meditate upon You.
8. For You were a help for me; I sing in the shadow of Your wings.
9. My soul cleaved to You; Your right hand supported me.
10. But they seek desolation for my soul; they will enter the depths of the earth.
11. They will drag them by the sword; they will be the portion of foxes.
12. And the king will rejoice in God, and all who swear by Him will take pride, when the mouths of liars are blocked up.
Chapter 64
The masters of homiletics interpret this psalm as alluding to Daniel, who was thrown into the lion's den. With divine inspiration, David foresaw the event and prayed for him. Daniel was a descendant of David, as can be inferred from God's statement to Hezekiah (himself of Davidic lineage), "And from your children, who will issue forth from you, they will take, and they (referring to, amongst others, Daniel) will be minesters in the palace of the king of Babylon."
1. For the Conductor, a psalm by David.
2. Hear my voice, O God, as I recount [my woes]; preserve my life from the terror of the enemy.
3. Shelter me from the schemes of the wicked, from the conspiracy of evildoers,
4. who have sharpened their tongue like the sword, aimed their arrow-a bitter word-
5. to shoot at the innocent from hidden places; suddenly they shoot at him, they are not afraid.
6. They encourage themselves in an evil thing, they speak of laying traps; they say: "Who will see them?”
7. They sought pretexts; [and when] they completed a diligent search, each man [kept the plot] inside, deep in the heart.
8. But God shot at them; [like] a sudden arrow were their blows.
9. Their own tongues caused them to stumble; all who see them shake their heads [derisively].
10. Then all men feared, and recounted the work of God; they perceived His deed.
11. Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him, and let them take pride-all upright of heart.
Chapter 65
This psalm contains awe-inspiring and glorious praises to God, as well as entreaties and prayers concerning our sins. It declares it impossible to recount God's greatness, for who can recount His mighty acts? Hence, silence is His praise.
1. For the Conductor, a psalm by David, a song.
2. Silence is praise for You, O God [Who dwells in] Zion; and to You vows will be paid.
3. O Heeder of prayer, to You does all flesh come.
4. Matters of sin overwhelm me; You will pardon our transgressions.
5. Fortunate is [the nation] whom You choose and draw near, to dwell in Your courtyards; may we be sated with the goodness of Your House, with the holiness of Your Sanctuary.
6. Answer us with awesome deeds as befits Your righteousness, O God of our salvation, the security of all [who inhabit] the ends of the earth and distant seas.
7. With His strength He prepares [rain for] the mountains; He is girded with might.
8. He quiets the roar of the seas, the roar of their waves and the tumult of nations.
9. Those who inhabit the ends [of the earth] fear [You] because of Your signs; the emergences of morning and evening cause [man] to sing praise.
10. You remember the earth and water it, you enrich it abundantly [from] God's stream filled with water. You prepare their grain, for so do You prepare it.
11. You saturate its furrows, gratifying its legions; with showers You soften it and bless its growth.
12. You crown the year of Your goodness [with rain], and Your clouds drip abundance.
13. They drip on pastures of wilderness, and the hills gird themselves with joy.
14. The meadows don sheep, and the valleys cloak themselves with grain; they sound blasts, indeed they sing.
Tanya: Igeret HaTeshuva , middle of Chapter 3• Lessons in Tanya
• Sunday, Tammuz 11, 5775 · June 28, 2015
Today's Tanya Lesson
Igeret HaTeshuva , middle of Chapter 3
אבל כל זה באדם חזק ובריא, שאין ריבוי הצומות מזיק לו כלל לבריאות גופו, וכמו בדורות הראשונים
However, all this1 applies to the strong and robust, whose physical health would not be harmed at all by repeated fasts, as in the generations of yore.
אבל מי שריבוי הצומות מזיק לו, שאפשר שיבוא לידי חולי או מיחוש, חס ושלום, כמו בדורותינו אלה
But whoever would be affected by many fasts, and might thereby suffer illness or pain, G‑d forbid, as in contemporary generations,
אסור לו להרבות בתעניות, אפילו על כריתות ומיתות בית דין, ומכל שכן על מצוות עשה ומצוות לא תעשה שאין בהן כרת
is forbidden to undertake numerous fasts, even for sins punishable by excision or execution, and certainly not for [violation of] the positive and prohibitive commands that do not involve excision.
אלא כפי אשר ישער בנפשו שבודאי לא יזיק לו כלל
Instead [the measure of fasting is] the personal estimate of what will not harm him at all.
כי אפילו בדורות הראשונים, בימי תנאים ואמוראים, לא היו מתענין בכהאי גוונא אלא הבריאים, דמצו לצעורי נפשייהו
For even in those early generations, in the times of the Tannaim and Amoraim,only the robust who could mortify themselves fasted so frequently.
ודלא מצי לצעורי נפשיה ומתענה, נקרא חוטא בגמרא, פרק קמא דתענית
But whoever cannot fast yet does so, is called a “sinner” in Tractate Taanit, ch. 1.2
ואפילו מתענה על עבירות שבידו, כדפירש רש״י שם
This applies even to one who fasts for specifically known sins, as Rashi explains there,
The very same author of the opinion that he who fasts frequently is considered “holy”, because (as Rashi explains) his sins are thereby expunged, goes on to state that he is considered a sinner if he cannot fast yet does so.
וכדאיתא בגמרא, פרק קמא דזבחים, שאין לך אדם מישראל שאינו מחויב עשה וכו׳
and it is written in Tractate Zevachim, ch. 1,3 that “there is no one of Israel who is not guilty of [transgressing] a positive commandment…,”
Thus, though there are always sins for which one should fast, one should do so only if this will in no way impair his health; otherwise, he is considered a sinner,
ומכל שכן מי שהוא בעל תורה, שחוטא ונענש בכפליים
especially if he is a student of Torah, in which case he is doubly punished,
כי מחמת חלישות התענית, לא יוכל לעסוק בה כראוי
for the weakness resulting from his fast prevents him from studying Torah properly.
אלא מה תקנתיה
What, then, is his remedy?
I.e., what is such a person to do in order to be beloved by his Creator as he was before his sin?
כדכתיב: וחטאך בצדקה פרוק
He should comply with the verse that says,4 “Redeem your sin with charity.”
וכמו שכתבו הפוסקים, ליתן בעד כל יום תענית של תשובה ערך ח״י גדולים פוליש
And, indeed, the codifiers of Torah law specified that one should donate the equivalent of eighteen [large Polish] coins called “gedolim Polish” for each day of repentance.
והעשיר יוסיף לפי עשרו וכו׳
The wealthy should add to this amount for the redemption of each fast-day according to his means,
כמו שכתב המגן אברהם, הלכות תענית
as stated in Magen Avraham in the Laws of Fasts.5
* * *
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. | Note of the Rebbe: “Concerning all the laws about to be stated, see Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 571 and its commentaries; Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZaken, Hilchot Nizkei Guf veNefesh, Sub-section 4.” |
| 2. | Note of the Rebbe: “End of p. 11a; see also Rambam, Hilchot Deot, beg. of ch. 3, and commentators ad loc.” |
| 3. | 7a, and see Rashi there. |
| 4. | Daniel 4:24. |
| 5. | Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 568:12, and commentaries. |
• Sefer Hamitzvos:Sunday, Tammuz 11, 5775 · June 28, 2015
Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
Important Message Regarding This Lesson
The Daily Mitzvah schedule runs parallel to the daily study of 3 chapters of Maimonides' 14-volume code. There are instances when the Mitzvah is repeated a few days consecutively while the exploration of the same Mitzvah continues in the in-depth track.
Positive Commandment 107
Ritual Impurity Contracted through Contact with a Corpse
We are commanded regarding the ritual impurity contracted through contact with a human corpse. [I.e., if contracted, one must follow all the laws associated with this impurity.]
Ritual Impurity Contracted through Contact with a Corpse
Positive Commandment 107
Translated by Berel Bell
The 107th mitzvah1 is that we are commanded regarding the tumah conveyed by a dead body.2 This mitzvah includes all the laws relating to tumas meis.3
FOOTNOTES
1.In the order given here, following the order of Mishneh Torah, P107 is the first of the commandments dealing with tumah and taharah (ritual purity and impurity). In the order of Sefer HaMitzvos, however, P96 is the first of these mitzvos, and there the Rambam gives a general introduction to all these mitzvos.
2.Num. 19:11ff.
3.Such as which parts of the body convey tumah, how it is conveyed, etc. See Hilchos Tumas Meis
Kiddush HaChodesh - Chapter Eighteen
Halacha 1
It is well-known and obvious that although the calculations indicate that the moon should be sighted on [a particular] night, its sighting is [only] probable. It is, however, also possible that it will not be sighted, because it is covered by clouds, because the place [from where it could be sighted] is in a valley,1 or because there is a tall mountain in the west,2 blocking [view of] the people in the place [from where it could be sighted], and it will be as if they are in a valley.
For the moon will not be able to be sighted by a person in a low place, even when [its crescent] is large. Conversely, it will be possible for a person on a high and lofty mountain to sight [the moon], even though [its crescent] is very small. Similarly, sighting it will be possible for a person dwelling on the seashore, or a person travelling on a ship in the Mediterranean Sea, even though [its crescent] is very small.
Halacha 2
Similarly, in the rainy season, on a clear day, the visibility of the moon will be greater than it is in the summer. For on a clear day in the rainy season, the air is clear and the heavens appear more brilliant, because there is no dust clouding the air. In the summer, by contrast, the air is like smoke, because of the dust. Therefore, the moon will appear small.
Halacha 3
When the two limits [mentioned] with regard to the arc of sighting and the first longitude are short, [the crescent of] the moon will be small, and sighting the moon will be possible only from a very high altitude. If the arc of sighting and the first longitude are long, and [several] degrees were added to their minimal limits, the moon will appear large. Its size and the extent of its visibility will increase according to the length of the arc [of sighting] and the first longitude.
Halacha 4
Therefore, the court should always have its attention focused on the following two matters: a) the season when [the moon] was sighted, and b) the place [where the witnesses were located]. [The judges] should ask the witnesses, "Where were you when you saw the moon?" For if the arc of sighting was short, and according to the calculations there is only a limited opportunity to see the moon, [more care is taken regarding their testimony].
For example, the arc of sighting was nine degrees and five minutes, and the first longitude was exactly thirteen degrees, and witnesses came, [claiming] that they saw [the moon]: If this occurs in the summer, or if the [witnesses] were located in a low place, we suspect [the veracity of] their [testimony] and subject them to much cross-examination.
In the rainy season, or in a very high place, [under such circumstances, the moon] would surely be sighted unless clouds obscured it.
Halacha 5
[Let us examine a hypothetical situation:] Witnesses saw the new moon at the appropriate time.3 They came [to the court], and gave testimony. The court accepted their [testimony] and sanctified this first month.
Afterwards, they counted twenty-nine days from the day that was sanctified. On the night of the thirtieth, the moon was not sighted, either because sighting it was impossible, or because it was covered by clouds. The court waited the entire thirtieth day, as we have explained,4 [but] witnesses did not arrive. [Therefore,] they added a day to the month, and thus, Rosh Chodesh of the second month was on the thirty-first day, as explained.5
Halacha 6
They began to count twenty-nine days from the day of Rosh Chodesh in the second [month], but the moon was not sighted. If you would say that [again] a day should be added to the month - i.e., the following day would be the thirtieth of the month, and the thirty-first day should be Rosh Chodesh of the third month [an undesirable situation would arise]. For it is possible that the moon would not be sighted on the night of the thirtieth of this month as well. Thus, [hypothetically, we could see an] ongoing [pattern, in which] a day is added and the new month begins after thirty days throughout the year. Thus, in the last month, it would be possible for the moon to be seen on the night of the twenty-fifth or the night of the twenty-sixth.6 There could be no more ludicrous and demeaning situation than this.
Halacha 7
Nor can one say that the [hypothetical situation described] - that the moon is never sighted throughout the year - is an infrequent occurrence [that need not be considered]. The contrary [is true]; it is very likely [to take place]. This often occurs in countries that have long rainy seasons and cloudy [skies]. For the intent is not that the moon will never be seen throughout the year, but that it will not be sighted at the beginning of the month, and will be sighted only afterwards.
[In certain months] it will not be sighted, because sighting it is impossible, and in the months when sighting it is possible, it possibly will not be sighted because of the clouds, or because its [crescent] was very small, and no one focused [his attention] on sighting it.
Halacha 8
[These difficulties were avoided due to the following] tradition which existed among our Sages, [having been] transmitted from one to another in a chain extending back to Moses our teacher: When the moon was not sighted at the beginning of the months, month after month, the court establishes [the following sequence], one full month with thirty days, one lacking month with twenty-nine days. In this manner, they would calculate and establish one full month and one lacking month - establishing these months, but not sanctifying them.7 For the sanctification of the months is dependent solely on the sighting [of the moon]. At times they would have a full month follow another full month, or a lacking month follow another lacking month, depending on the results of their calculations.
Halacha 9
The intent of their calculations is always that it is possible to sight the moon in the following month at its proper time,8 or on the night following the added day, but not to sight it beforehand - e.g., on the night of the twenty-eighth.
Through the sighting calculations mentioned above, it is possible for you to determine when it will be possible [for the moon to be] sighted, and when it is possible that it will not be sighted. [The court] relies on [similar calculations] and [accordingly,] establishes two full months in succession, or two lacking months in succession.
Halacha 10
Whenever you find statements in the Talmud11 according to which it appears that the court relies on computations [rather than the testimony of witnesses], or that it there is [a chain of tradition extending] from Moses at Sinai that this matter has been entrusted to them, and it is their decision whether to make the month lacking or full, and similarly, the fact that, during one year, Rabbi [Yehudah HaNasi] declared nine months as lacking12 - these and all similar matters are dependent on this principle [and apply at] a time when the moon is not sighted at the appropriate time.
Halacha 11
Similarly, the statements of our Sages13 that a day is added to the month when necessary, applies in an instance when a full month [is declared] according to the calculations, [so that] one month is made lacking, and another month full.14They have the authority to declare full months in succession one after the other, and lacking months in succession.
[Only] when the moon is not seen at the appropriate time does [the court] declare full months when necessary. When, however, the moon is seen at the appropriate time - its first shining after its conjunction with the sun - it is always sanctified.
Halacha 12
All the above concepts apply when there is a court that relies on the testimony of witnesses. In the present era, by contrast, we rely solely on the calculations based on the mean [motion of the sun and the moon] that are [simple and] widespread throughout Israel, as explained [previously] in these laws.15
Halacha 13
It is explained in the texts of astronomical and geometrical calculations that if the moon is sighted in Eretz Yisrael, it will be sighted in all the lands in the world that are located to the west of Eretz Yisrael and are at the same latitude.16 If the calculations indicate that the moon will not be sighted in Eretz Yisrael, sighting it is, nevertheless, possible in those lands that are west of Eretz Yisraeland at the same latitude. Therefore, the fact that the moon is sighted in a country that lies west of Eretz Yisrael is not an indication of whether [or not] the moon will be sighted in Eretz Yisrael.17
Halacha 14
If, however, the moon is not sighted on the mountains of the countries located west of Eretz Yisrael that are at the same latitude, the moon surely was not sighted in Eretz Yisrael.
Halacha 15
Similarly, if the moon was not sighted in Eretz Yisrael, it certainly was not sighted in those countries that are east of Eretz Yisrael, and at the same latitude. If [the moon] was sighted in Eretz Yisrael, however, [there is no certainty whether it will be sighted] in these easterly lands; it may be sighted, and it may not be sighted.
Accordingly, if the moon was sighted in a country located to the east of Eretz Yisrael at the same latitude, the moon was surely sighted in Eretz Yisrael. If, however, the moon was not sighted in a country that lies east [of Eretz Yisrael], that is not an indication that the moon will not be sighted in Eretz Yisrael. On the contrary, it is possible that it will be sighted in Eretz Yisrael.
Halacha 16
All the above statements apply when the countries to the west and to the east [of Eretz Yisrael] are at the same latitude as Eretz Yisrael - i.e., they are 30 to 35 degrees north [of the equator]. If they are located in a more northerly position, or in a less northerly position, different principles apply, for they are not parallel to Eretz Yisrael.
In the cities that are located to the east and west [of Eretz Yisrael], the statements we made [concerning the sighting of the moon are of abstract interest only], to clarify all the laws regarding the sighting [of the moon] to make the Torah great and glorious. [The intent is not that] the people living in the east or the west should depend on [their] sighting of the moon, or that [their sighting] should be of any consequence whatsoever. Instead, we rely only on the sanctification of the moon [performed] by the court in Eretz Yisrael, as we have explained several times previously.18
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. |
Since the moon is always low on the horizon at the beginning of the month, it is possible that the individuals dwelling in a valley will not be able to see it. For the horizon that appears to them is always higher in the sky than the actual horizon.
|
| 2. |
At the beginning of the month, the moon will always be sighted in the west, for it will have completed most of its daily circuit before nightfall, and will set within a few hours of the setting of the sun.
|
| 3. |
I.e., on the night between the twenty-ninth and thirtieth days of the month, as mentioned in Chapter 1, Halachah 4.
|
| 4. |
Chapter 1, Halachah 6.
|
| 5. |
Ibid.
|
| 6. |
Since there are slightly more than twenty-nine and one half days in a lunar month, after an entire year the conjunction of the moon would fall approximately five and one sixth days earlier than the previous year.
|
| 7. |
I.e., although the court would declare the beginning of a new month, they would not follow the practice of sanctifying the new month described in Chapter 2, Halachah 8.
|
| 8. |
I.e., on the night between the twenty-ninth and thirtieth days of the month.
|
| 9. |
These figures apply in the era when the moon is sanctified according to the testimony of witnesses. According to the fixed calendar we follow at present, there are never more than seven, nor fewer than five, full months.
|
| 10. |
Halachah 7.
|
| 11. |
E.g., Rosh HaShanah 20a.
|
| 12. |
That year was a leap year, and Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi decided that it would be preferable for the additional month to be lacking rather than full (Arichin 9b).
|
| 13. |
Rosh HaShanah, loc. cit.
|
| 14. |
Note the gloss of the Lechem Mishneh on Chapter 3, Halachah 15, which offers a different interpretation of that passage.
|
| 15. |
See Chapters 6-10.
|
| 16. |
As one moves westward, the sun sets earlier, granting more time for the moon to be seen.
|
| 17. |
In this instance, our translation follows the version of the Mishneh Torah found in authoritative manuscripts and early printings. The standard printed text differs slightly.
|
| 18. |
See Chapter 1, Halachah 8; Chapter 5, Halachah 1.
|
Tum'at Met - Chapter 6
Halacha 1
When one makes keilim out of the bones of a fish or its skin, they are not susceptible to ritual impurity, neither according to Scriptural Law, nor according to Rabbinic Law. Similar concepts apply with regard to the green moss that appears at the surface of the water and the like. For all entities that come from the sea are pure, as will be explained in Hilchot Keilim. Accordingly, when one makes a tent from the skin of a fish or from moss growing in the sea, the tent itself is not susceptible to impurity although it conveys impurity to everything under it like other tents.
Halacha 2
Keilim made from animal turds, stone implements, or implements made from earth, are not susceptible to ritual impurity, neither according to Scriptural Law, nor according to Rabbinic Law. This applies to the impurity stemming from a human corpse and to other types of impurity.
Similarly, containers that are made to be left in place semi-permanently, e.g., a chest, a cabinet, a container shaped like a beehive which can contain 40 se'ahof a liquid and have a base are not susceptible to ritual impurity, neither according to Scriptural Law, nor according to Rabbinic Law. They are called: oversized wooden containers.
Halacha 3
When implements are made from wood, those which are flat are pure, while those that can serve as a container are susceptible to impurity. Similarly, with regard to earthenware implements: those which are flat are pure, while those that can serve as a container are susceptible to impurity. The latter are susceptible to impurity only from their inner space or when moved by a zav. Even when a corpse touches the outer surface of an earthenware container, the container does not contract impurity. If any of the sources of impurity enter the inner space of such a container, they impart impurity even though they do not touch the container.
If an earthenware container was in the same tent as a corpse, it contracts impurity, because the impurity enters its inner space. If it had a cover fastened to it, it and everything in it is pure, as stated in the Torah, for impurity enters it only through its opening and when it is moved by a zav. In the latter instance, it is impure, because he is considered to have touched it in its entirety.
Halacha 4
When one makes a gollel from an object that is not susceptible to impurity, e.g., he placed a stone, a vessel made from earth, an oversized wooden container, an earthenware container that was fastened closed, or a fish skin or its bone, on a grave, one who touches these articles contracts the impurity that lasts seven days, because he has touched a gollel. If they ceased serving as a gollel, or the corpse was removed from beneath them, they are pure,
Similarly, when an animal is tied down and made a gollel, anyone who touches it contracts the impurity that lasts seven days as long as it serves as a gollel. If the animal is released, it is pure, like all other animals. Similarly, if a barrel filled with liquids that was fastened closed was made into a gollel for a corpse, one who touches it contracts the impurity that lasts seven days. The barrel and the liquids are pure.
Halacha 5
When a beam is used as a gollel for a grave, whether it is standing upright or lying on its side, only the portion that is above the opening of the grave becomes impure. One who touches the end of it which is lying outside the grave is pure.
If one made its head a gollel for a grave and it is standing over the grave like a tree, anyone who touches it within the four handbreadths that are immediately above the grave is impure because of the laws of gollel. If he touches it above four handbreadths, he is pure.
When does the above apply? When he will cut off the upper portions of the beam in the future. If he is not planning to cut them off, the beam is considered as a gollel in its entirety.
Halacha 6
If two large stones, four handbreadths by four handbreadths, were used as agollel, when one stands over either of them, he is impure. If one of them was removed, one who stands over the other is pure. The rationale is that the impurity has a path through which to depart.
Halacha 7
When one uses a mound of small stones as a gollel for a grave, only the inner layer which covers the grave per se imparts impurity. One who touches the remainder of the stones is pure.
Halacha 8
When a burial vault was hewed out of a large stone, the corpse was placed inside and then one covered it with a gollel, one who touches any portion of the stone is pure. One who touches the gollel is impure. To what can this be compared? To a large pit filled with corpses with a large stone covering its opening. Only the portion above the open space imparts impurity. If one builds a structure over it, it is considered as a closed grave which imparts impurity from all sides.
If a burial vault hewn into the stone was wide at its bottom and narrow at its top, and a corpse was placed within, one who touches it from below is pure, but one who touches it from above is impure. The rationale is that the side portions above are resting over the corpse and are considered like a gollel.
If a burial vault hewn into the stone was wide at its top and narrow at its bottom, one who touches any place on it is impure. If its sides are straight, one who touches it from the handbreadth next to the bottom of the grave and upwards, is impure. If he touches from that handbreadth and lower, he is pure. If one hollowed out a burial vault in a stone and inserted the corpse in it like a nail, one who touches anywhere on the stone's surface is pure, except for the opening through which the corpse was inserted.
Halacha 9
The following laws apply to a cave in which a grave is located and to the courtyard in front of the cave. When the courtyard is open, one standing in it is pure as long as he does not touch the lintel of the cave. Different laws apply when the courtyard is covered. If there is an area four handbreadths by four handbreadths or more that is open at the side of the cave, anyone who enters the courtyard is pure. If the open space was less than four handbreadths by four handbreadths, one who enters the courtyard is impure, even though he did not touch the entrance to the cave.
Tum'at Met - Chapter 7
Halacha 1
When a corpse is located in a closed structure or in one which had an opening, but its doorframe was destroyed and it was closed up, it imparts impurity to all its surroundings. Anyone who touches the back or the roof of the structure contracts the impurity that lasts seven days, because it is like a closed grave.
If an entrance had been opened in it, even if it was closed up, as long as the doorframe was not destroyed, one who touches the back of the structure or its roof, is pure. Only the area in front of the door is impure.
How large is the measure of a doorway? If an entire corpse is in the building, the entrance must be four handbreadths. If there is only an olive-sized portion of a corpse, the entrance must be a handbreadth. Any portion larger than an olive-sized portion is considered as an entire corpse and requires an entrance of four handbreadths
Halacha 2
The following rules apply when there is a corpse in a building that has many entrances. When they are all closed, they all impart ritual impurity. One who sits near any of the entrances under the roof that protrudes over the entrance becomes impure.
If one of them was opened or one intended to remove the corpse through one of them even though he had this thought after the person died and even if he intended to remove it through a window that is four handbreadths by four handbreadths, this saves all the other entrances. Only the entrance that is open or about which he thought imparts impurity. The others are pure, because they are closed and the building is not considered as a closed grave. Similarly, if one began hollowing out an opening through which to remove the corpse, when he has hollowed out an area four handbreadths by four handbreadths, this saves all the other entrances.
If there was a closed entrance and he intended to remove the corpse through it and began to open it, once he opens it, it saves all the other entrances. If the building had many windows, but they were all closed, they are all pure. If they are open, they all impart impurity, but they do not save the entrances.
When there is a small entrance inside a large entrance, anything that covers either of them imparts impurity. If one intended to remove the corpse through the smaller entrance, the smaller entrance purifies the larger one. If they are both of equal size, anything that covers either of them imparts impurity. If one intended to remove the corpse through either of them, it purifies the other.
If the building had one entrance in the north and one entrance in the south and one intended to remove the corpse through the northern entrance, that entrance imparts impurity. If, afterwards, the brother or the relatives of the deceased came and said: "We will remove it only from the southern entrance," the southern entrance replaces and purifies the northern entrance provided one does not say so as a ruse. If he says so as a ruse, they both impart impurity.
Halacha 3
The following rules apply when several houses open to an exedra and a corpse is located in one of the houses. If the usual practice was to remove the corpse through the exedra, the gateway and the houses become impure. If not, the gateway is impure and the houses are pure.
If there is a closed room in a house and a corpse was brought into the room through an open window, the outer portion of the house is pure. The rationale is that the impurity goes back and departs through the same window that it entered.
Halacha 4
A grave does not impart impurity to the area around it unless there is empty space a handbreadth long, a handbreadth wide and a handbreadth high above the corpse. Should that condition be met, even if one built a structure over the space of one cubic handbreadth until the heavens, it imparts impurity in its entirety, because the entire structure is considered as a grave.
If the impurity was flush against the covering and there was not an empty space of a cubic handbreadth, the impurity pierces through and ascends and pierces through and descends. The only ones who are impure are those who touch the space above the impurity, stand over it from above, touch the space below it, or stand below it. If, however, one touches the side of the building, he is pure.
Halacha 5
This is a great general principle with regard to the impurity stemming from a corpse: If the impurity is flush with its covering, the impurity pierces through and ascends until the heavens and pierces through and descends until the depths, but does not impart impurity to those on the sides.
What is implied? There is a heap of grain or a pile of stones with an olive-sized portion of a corpse in its midst. There are keilim next to the source of impurity, but they are not touching it. Those keilim are pure, but any k'li in the pile that is directly above or below the impurity is impure, because the impurity pierces through and ascends and pierces through and descends. If there was empty space, a handbreadth long, a handbreadth wide and a handbreadth high above the corpse, it is considered as a closed grave and it imparts impurity from all sides.
Halacha 6
When a building was filled with earth or pebbles, it is as if the house no longer exists. It is like a pile of earth or pebbles. If there was a source of impurity in the midst of the earth, the impurity pierces through and ascends and pierces through and descends, but the keilim in the earth at its sides are pure.
Halacha 7
When impurity that was flush against its covering was in a wall and one rested asukkah against the wall, the sukkah is impure. The rationale is that the wall became one of the sides of a structure containing a corpse. Although the sides of the structure would be pure when touched by a person if it did not have a roof, once a roof was placed over them, everything in the structure is impure, because the impurity is contained in the structure.
Tum'at Met - Chapter 8
Halacha 1
When a grave became lost in a field, its earth imparts ritual impurity when one touches or carries it like the earth of a beit hap'ras, for perhaps the grave that was there was crushed and there are bones the size of a barley-corn in its earth. Similarly, one who stands over any portion of the field contracts ritual impurity. If one builds a structure there, everything inside the structure contracts impurity, for perhaps the structure he constructed in that field is constructed over the grave.
Halacha 2
The following laws apply when a person built a house and a loft on top of it in such a field. If the entrance to the loft was directly above the entrance to the house, the loft is pure. Even if the grave was under the lintel of the house, the loft is pure, for there is one structure on top of another structure, as will be explained. If they were not directly above each other, the loft is also impure, for perhaps the entrance to the loft is above the grave and thus the loft is projecting over the grave.
Halacha 3
It is permitted to sow any type of seeds in this field, because the roots of the plants growing from the seeds do not reach the grave. One should not, however, plant any fruit trees inside of it, because their roots will reach the corpse.
We operate under the presumption that low hills that are close to a town and near to a cemetery or to the road leading to the cemetery, whether ancient or new, are impure, because women bury fetuses that they miscarry there and lepers bury their limbs there. Different rules apply to those hills which are distant from a town. The new ones are pure, but the ancient ones are impure. The rationale is that perhaps they were close to a town that was destroyed or a road that was lost.
What is meant by a hill close to a town? Any hill that does not have another one closer than it. What is meant by an ancient one? One that no one remembers whether there was a cemetery there or not.
Halacha 4
The following laws apply to a field for weeping, i.e., a place near a cemetery where women sit and weep over the departed: Even though its earth is pure, because it has not been established that a corpse is buried there, trees should not be planted there, nor should crops be sown there, so as not to have people frequent it, for perhaps a corpse was buried there. Our Sages had this suspicion, because its owner will have despaired of its use, because it is close to the cemetery. Therefore it is possible that a person will come and bury a corpse there.
One may use the earth of such a place to make ovens to cook sacrificial meat, because it has not been established that impurity was there.
Halacha 5
When a grave is discovered on one's property, it is permitted to disinter the corpse and rebury it elsewhere. If it was reburied, the place around the first grave is impure and it is forbidden to benefit from it until it is checked, as will be explained. When it is known that a grave is located in a field, it is forbidden to disinter the corpse and rebury it elsewhere. If it was reburied, the place around the first grave is pure and it is permitted to benefit from it.
Halacha 6
When a grave causes harm to people at large, the corpse should be disinterred. Its place is impure and it is forbidden to benefit from it.
Halacha 7
The following laws apply when a person encounter a meit mitzvah. If he finds it within the city's Sabbath limits, he should bring it to the cemetery. If he found it outside the Sabbath limits, even in a field of saffron, it acquires its place and should be buried where it is found.
If he found it in the public thoroughfare, he should move it to the side. If an uncultivated field was on one side and a plowed field was on the other side, he should bury it in the uncultivated field. If there was a plowed field on one side and a field that had been sown on the other side, he should bury it in the plowed field. If a field that had been sown was on one side and a vineyard on the other side, it should be buried in the field that had been sown. If there was an orchard on one side and a vineyard on the other, he should bury it in the vineyard, because of the impurity of ohel. If both fields were of equal value, he may bury it wherever he chooses.
Halacha 8
When a grave is discovered, it imparts impurity retroactively. If someone comes and says: "it is definitely clear to me that there was not a grave here," even if he is speaking about a period twenty years earlier, the grave does not impart impurity except from the time of its discovery onward.
Halacha 9
Whenever a person discovers a grave, a corpse, or a portion of a corpse that would impart impurity through ohel, he should designate it, so that it will not create an obstacle for others.
During Chol HaMoed, agents of the court go out to designate the graves. A designation is not made over a portion of a corpse that is exactly the size of an olive, because ultimately, its size will be reduced in the earth.
With what is the designation made? With lime. It should be mixed and poured over the place of the impurity. The designation should not be placed on the exact perimeters of the impurity, but instead, should extend somewhat on either side so as not to ruin pure articles. The designation should not be extended much beyond the place of the impurity so as not to spoil Eretz Yisrael. A designation is not made on places that are definitely known to be used for burial, for their identity is universally known, only on the places that are doubtful, e.g., a field in which a grave was lost, the low-hanging branches of trees, or rocks jutting out from a wall.
Halacha 10
When a person discovers a field that has been designated and does not know what the nature of the problem is, he should follow these guidelines. If it does not have trees, he should assume that a grave was lost in it. If it has trees in it, he should assume that a grave was plowed over in it, as will be explained.
Halacha 11
When a person finds a stone that is designated, the area under it is impure. Should there be two such stones, if there is lime between them, the area between them is impure. If there is no lime between them, only on top of them, the following laws apply: If there is a shard between them, they are pure, because they are the remnants of a building. If there is no shard between them, and a light layer of lime was smoothed out over their heads on either side, we assume that this is a designation and they are impure.
If one boundary line of a field is designated, it is impure and the remainder of the field is pure. This applies also if a second or a third boundary line is designated. If all four boundary lines are designated, they are pure and the entire field is impure, for the sign should not be placed far from the place of the impurity.
• Sunday, Tammuz 11, 5775 · 28 June 2015
"Today's Day"
Wednesday Tamuz 11 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: Balak, Revi'i with Rashi.
Tehillim: 60-65.
Tanya: IGERES HATESHUVAH. Ch. 1. Tanya (p. 343) ... Thus far the Beraita, (p. 345).
In the Tanya edition published in Zolkvi in the year m'vasseir tov ("Herald of Good," numerically equivalent to 5559, or 1799), the first version of Igeret Hateshuva was printed. It was not divided into chapters and there are variances (from the present text) in content.
Daily Thought:
Finding an Angel
A mentor, our sages tell us, must be like an angel. That's a problem.
Having never seen an angel, you will always be in doubt: Perhaps the mentor you have chosen is not like an angel. How can you ever rely on your mentor while so unsure of his or her qualifications?
So we will clarify: The mentor must be a human angel.
An angel, because just as an angel has no body, no hatred, no jealousy and is not in competition with you, so the mentor must remain objective and uninfluenced by any personal benefit from the advice.
And yet a human being: With compassion, with a conscience, and with a passion for kind deeds.[Simchat Bet Hasho’eva 5719:10. Torat Menachem 5747 vol. 2, pg. 632.]
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