Today in Jewish History:
• Zohar Published (1558)
First printing of the Zohar, the fundamental work of the Kabbalah (Jewish esoteric and mystical teachings), authored by the Talmudic sage, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.
Links: The Kabbalah
• Passing of R. Levi Yitzchak Schneerson (1944)
Av 20 is the yahrtzeit (anniversary of the passing) of the Lubavitcher Rebbe's father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson (1878-1944), in Alma Ata, Kazakhstan. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was Chief Rabbi of Yekaterinoslav (currently Dnepropetrovsk), and was arrested and exiled to Kazakhstan by the Stalinist regime as a result of his work to preserve Jewish life in the Soviet Union.
Links:
A Brief Biography
Rebbetzin Chana Scneerson's biography, which includes her account of her husband's heroism, arrest and passing.
Daily Quote:
The location of the Altar [in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem] is very exactly defined, and is never to be changed... It is a tradition that the place where David and Solomon built the Altar on the threshing floor of Arona, is the very place where Abraham built an altar and bound Isaac upon it; this is where Noah built [an altar] when he came out from the ark; this is where Cain and Abel brought their offerings; this is where Adam the First Man offered a korban when he was created -- and it is from [the earth of] this place that he was created[Maimonides (Mishneh Torah, Laws of the Holy Temple, ch. 2)]
Daily Study:
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Eikev, 4th Portion Deuteronomy 10:1-10:11 with Rashi
• Chapter 10
1At that time, the Lord said to me, "Hew for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones and come up to Me onto the mountain, and make for yourself a wooden ark, אבָּעֵת הַהִוא אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֵלַי פְּסָל לְךָ שְׁנֵי לוּחֹת אֲבָנִים כָּרִאשֹׁנִים וַעֲלֵה אֵלַי הָהָרָה וְעָשִׂיתָ לְּךָ אֲרוֹן עֵץ:
At that time: At the end of forty days [which was the first of Elul], God was reconciled with me and said to me, “Hew for yourself [two tablets],” and afterwards, “make for yourself a [wooden] ark.” I, however (see verse 3), made the ark first (Tanchuma 10), because [I considered that] when I would come with the tablets in my hand, where would I put them? This was not the ark that Bezalel made, because the Israelites did not occupy themselves with the Mishkan until after Yom Kippur [which was forty days later], for when Moses descended the mountain, he commanded them regarding the construction of the Mishkan . [Then] Bezalel made the Mishkan first, and only afterwards the ark and the [other] furnishings (Ber. 55a). It follows, therefore, that this was another ark, and that was the one that went out with them to battle, but the one Bezalel made did not go out to battle except in the days of Eli, and they were punished for it, and it [the ark] was captured [by the Philistines]. — [Yerushalmi Shekalim 6:1] בעת ההוא: לסוף ארבעים יום נתרצה לי ואמר לי פסל לך, ואחר כך ועשית ארון, ואני עשיתי ארון תחלה, שכשאבוא והלוחות בידי היכן אתנם. ולא זה הוא הארון שעשה בצלאל, שהרי משכן לא נתעסקו בו עד לאחר יום הכפורים, כי ברדתו מן ההר צוה להם על מלאכת המשכן, ובצלאל עשה משכן תחלה ואחר כך ארון וכלים, נמצא זה ארון אחר היה. וזהו שהיה יוצא עמהם למלחמה. ואותו שעשה בצלאל לא יצא למלחמה אלא בימי עלי, ונענשו עליו ונשבה:
2And I shall inscribe on the tablets the words that were upon the first tablets which you shattered and you shall place them into the ark. בוְאֶכְתֹּב עַל הַלֻּחֹת אֶת הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ עַל הַלֻּחֹת הָרִאשֹׁנִים אֲשֶׁר שִׁבַּרְתָּ וְשַׂמְתָּם בָּאָרוֹן:
3So I made an ark of acacia wood, and I hewed two stone tablets like the first ones, and I ascended the mountain, with the two tablets in my hand." גוָאַעַשׂ אֲרוֹן עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים וָאֶפְסֹל שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים כָּרִאשֹׁנִים וָאַעַל הָהָרָה וּשְׁנֵי הַלֻּחֹת בְּיָדִי:
4And He inscribed on the tablets, like the first writing, the Ten Commandments, which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain, from the midst of the fire, on the day of the assembly, and the Lord gave them to me. דוַיִּכְתֹּב עַל הַלֻּחֹת כַּמִּכְתָּב הָרִאשׁוֹן אֵת עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֲלֵיכֶם בָּהָר מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ בְּיוֹם הַקָּהָל וַיִּתְּנֵם יְהֹוָה אֵלָי:
5And I turned and came down from the mountain, and placed the tablets in the ark which I had made, and there they were, as the Lord had commanded me. הוָאֵפֶן וָאֵרֵד מִן הָהָר וָאָשִׂם אֶת הַלֻּחֹת בָּאָרוֹן אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי וַיִּהְיוּ שָׁם כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוַּנִי יְהֹוָה:
6The children of Israel journeyed from the wells of B'nei Ya'akan to Moserah; there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son served as kohen in his stead. ווּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נָסְעוּ מִבְּאֵרֹת בְּנֵי יַעֲקָן מוֹסֵרָה שָׁם מֵת אַהֲרֹן וַיִּקָּבֵר שָׁם וַיְכַהֵן אֶלְעָזָר בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו:
And the children of Israel journeyed from the wells of B’nei Ya’akan to Moserah: What is the relevance of this here? Furthermore, did they really journey from the wells of B’nei Ya’akan to Moserah? Was it not from Moserah that they came to the wells of B’nei Ya’akan, as it is said, “And they journeyed from Moseroth [and encamped in B’nei Ya’akan]” (Num. 33:31) ? Moreover, [why does it say:] “there Aaron died”? Did he not die at Mount Hor? If you calculate it, you will find eight stations from Moseroth to Mount Hor! However, [the answer is that] this is also part of the reproof [introduced in Deut. 1:1 and continued through here]: [In effect Moses said,] This, also, you did. When Aaron died on Mount Hor at the end of the forty years and [consequently] the clouds of the Divine Glory departed, you were afraid of the [impending] war with the king of Arad. So you appointed a leader to return to Egypt, and you went back eight stations until B’nei Ya’akan, and from there to Moserah. There, the sons of Levi battled with you. They slew some of you, and you some of them, until they forced you to return by the way you had retreated. From there, you returned to Gudgodah, which is Hor Hagidgad (Num. 33:32). ובני ישראל נסעו מבארות בני יעקן מוסרה: מה ענין זה לכאן. ועוד, וכי מבארות בני יעקן נסעו למוסרה, והלא ממוסרות באו לבני יעקן, שנאמר (במדבר לג, לא) ויסעו ממוסרות וגו'. ועוד, שם מת אהרן, והלא בהר ההר מת, צא וחשוב ותמצא שמונה מסעות ממוסרות להר ההר, אלא אף זו מן התוכחה, ועוד עשיתם זאת, כשמת אהרן בהר ההר לסוף ארבעים שנה ונסתלקו ענני כבוד, יראתם לכם ממלחמת מלך ערד, ונתתם ראש לחזור למצרים, וחזרתם לאחוריכם שמונה מסעות עד בני יעקן ומשם למוסרה, שם נלחמו בכם בני לוי והרגו מכם ואתם מהם, עד שהחזירו אתכם בדרך חזרתכם, ומשם חזרתם הגדגדה הוא חור הגדגד:
7From there, they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Yotvath, a land with streams of water. זמִשָּׁם נָסְעוּ הַגֻּדְגֹּדָה וּמִן הַגֻּדְגֹּדָה יָטְבָתָה אֶרֶץ נַחֲלֵי מָיִם:
And from Gudgodah [to Yotvath…]: And at Moserah, you made a great mourning for the death of Aaron, which was the cause of this [your retreat], and it seemed to you as though he had died there (Yerushalmi Sotah 1:10, Tanchuma, Chukath 18). Moses juxtaposed this reproof with the breaking of the tablets to indicate that the death of the righteous is as grievous to the Holy One, blessed is He, as the day the tablets were broken (Lev. Rabbah 2)], and to inform you that when they said, “Let us appoint a leader [and return to Egypt]” (Num. 14:4)-and divorce ourselves from him [Moses], was as grievous for him as was the day on which they made the golden calf. ומן הגדגדה וגו': ובמוסרה עשיתם אבל כבד על מיתתו של אהרן שגרמה לכם זאת, ונדמה [וגרמה] לכם כאלו מת שם. וסמך משה תוכחה זו לשבירת הלוחות, לומר שקשה מיתתן של צדיקים לפני הקב"ה, כיום שנשתברו בו הלוחות. ולהודיעך שהוקשה לו מה שאמרו (במדבר יד, ד) נתנה ראש לפרוש ממנו, כיום שעשו בו את העגל:
8At that time, the Lord separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to serve Him, and to bless in His Name, to this day. חבָּעֵת הַהִוא הִבְדִּיל יְהֹוָה אֶת שֵׁבֶט הַלֵּוִי לָשֵׂאת אֶת אֲרוֹן בְּרִית יְהֹוָה לַעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה לְשָׁרְתוֹ וּלְבָרֵךְ בִּשְׁמוֹ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה:
At that time, the Lord separated [the tribe of Levi]: This is connected to the previous context - בעת ההוא הבדיל ה' וגו': מוסב לענין הראשון:
At that time: During the first year of your departure from Egypt, when you erred [by making] the calf, and the sons of Levi did not thus err, the Omnipresent separated them from you. This verse is juxtaposed to the retreat to B’nei Ya’akan, to tell you that also in this matter, the sons of Levi did not err, but rather remained steadfast in their faith. בעת ההוא: בשנה הראשונה לצאתכם ממצרים וטעיתם בעגל ובני לוי לא טעו, הבדילם המקום מכם. וסמך מקרא זה לחזרת בני יעקן לומר שאף בזה לא טעו בה בני לוי, אלא עמדו באמונתם:
to bear the ark [of the covenant]: [Referring to] the Levites. לשאת את ארון: הלוים:
to stand before the Lord, to serve Him, and to bless in His Name:[Referring to] the kohanim , and this is the “raising of the hands” [when they bless the people]. — [Arachin 11a] לעמוד לפני ה' לשרתו ולברך בשמו: הכהנים, והוא נשיאת כפים:
9Therefore, Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers; the Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord, your God spoke to him. טעַל כֵּן לֹא הָיָה לְלֵוִי חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה עִם אֶחָיו יְהֹוָה הוּא נַחֲלָתוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לוֹ:
Therefore, Levi has no portion: since they were separated for the service of the altar, and therefore were not free to plow and sow. על כן לא היה ללוי חלק: לפי שהובדלו לעבודת מזבח ואינן פנויין לחרוש ולזרוע:
The Lord is his inheritance: Levi receives his daily fare, designated for him, from the King’s house [i.e., with the gifts due the kohanim , granted them by God]. ה' הוא נחלתו: נוטל פרס מזומן מבית המלך:
10And I remained on the mountain like the first days forty days and forty nights, and the Lord hearkened to me also at that time; the Lord did not wish to destroy you. יוְאָנֹכִי עָמַדְתִּי בָהָר כַּיָּמִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לָיְלָה וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהֹוָה אֵלַי גַּם בַּפַּעַם הַהִוא לֹא אָבָה יְהֹוָה הַשְׁחִיתֶךָ:
And I remained on the mountain: to receive the latter tablets. Since Moses does not state above how long he remained on the mountain at this last ascent, he again begins with it. ואנכי עמדתי בהר: לקבל הלוחות האחרונות. ולפי שלא פירש למעלה כמה עמד בהר בעליה אחרונה זו, חזר והתחיל בה:
as the first days: I.e., those of the first tablets. Just as those days were with [God’s] good will, so were these with good will. But the intermediate [forty days], when I remained to pray for you, were in anger. כימים הראשונים: של לוחות הראשונות, מה הם ברצון אף אלו ברצון. אבל האמצעיים שעמדתי שם להתפלל עליכם היו בכעס:
11And the Lord said to me, "Arise, go to lead the travels before the people, so that they may come and possess the land I promised their forefathers to give them. יאוַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֵלַי קוּם לֵךְ לְמַסַּע לִפְנֵי הָעָם וְיָבֹאוּ וְיִירְשׁוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לַאֲבֹתָם לָתֵת לָהֶם:
And the Lord said to me, [Arise, go, lead before the people]: Although you [Israel] had turned away from following Him, and you had erred with the [golden] calf, He [nonetheless] said to me, “Go, lead the people” (Exod. 32:34). ויאמר ה' אלי וגו': אף על פי שסרתם מאחריו וטעיתם בעגל, אמר לי (שמות לב, וגו'(שמות לב, לד) לך נחה את העם :
Daily Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 97 - 103
• Chapter 97
1. When the Lord will reveal His kingship, the earth will exult; the multitudes of islands will rejoice.
2. Clouds and dense darkness will surround Him; justice and mercy will be the foundation of His throne.
3. Fire will go before Him and consume His foes all around.
4. His lightnings will illuminate the world; the earth will see and tremble.
5. The mountains will melt like wax before the Lord, before the Master of all the earth.
6. The heavens will declare His justice, and all the nations will behold His glory.
7. All who worship graven images, who take pride in idols, will be ashamed; all idol worshippers will prostrate themselves before Him.
8. Zion will hear and rejoice, the towns of Judah will exult, because of Your judgments, O Lord.
9. For You, Lord, transcend all the earth; You are exceedingly exalted above all the supernal beings.
10. You who love the Lord, hate evil; He watches over the souls of His pious ones, He saves them from the hand of the wicked.
11. Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
12. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and extol His holy Name.
Chapter 98
This psalm describes how Israel will praise God for the Redemption.
1. A psalm. Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has performed wonders; His right hand and holy arm have wrought deliverance for Him.
2. The Lord has made known His salvation; He has revealed His justice before the eyes of the nations.
3. He has remembered His kindness and faithfulness to the House of Israel; all, from the farthest corners of the earth, witnessed the deliverance by our God.
4. Raise your voices in jubilation to the Lord, all the earth; burst into joyous song and chanting.
5. Sing to the Lord with a harp, with a harp and the sound of song.
6. With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, jubilate before the King, the Lord.
7. The sea and its fullness will roar in joy, the earth and its inhabitants.
8. The rivers will clap their hands, the mountains will sing together.
9. [They will rejoice] before the Lord, for He has come to judge the earth; He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with righteousness.
Chapter 99
This psalm refers to the wars of Gog and Magog, which will precede the Redemption.
1. When the Lord will reveal His kingship, the nations will tremble; the earth will quake before Him Who is enthroned upon the cherubim,
2. [before] the Lord Who is in Zion, Who is great and exalted above all the peoples.
3. They will extol Your Name which is great, awesome and holy.
4. And [they will praise] the might of the King Who loves justice. You have established uprightness; You have made [the laws of] justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5. Exalt the Lord our God, and bow down at His footstool; He is holy.
6. Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among those who invoke His Name, would call upon the Lord and He would answer them.
7. He would speak to them from a pillar of cloud; they observed His testimonies and the decrees which He gave them.
8. Lord our God, You have answered them; You were a forgiving God for their sake, yet bringing retribution for their own misdeeds.
9. Exalt the Lord our God, and bow down at His holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.
Chapter 100
This psalm inspires the hearts of those who suffer in this world. Let them, nevertheless, serve God with joy, for all is for their good, as in the verse: "He whom God loves does He chastise." The psalm also refers to the thanksgiving sacrifice-the only sacrifice to be offered in the Messianic era.
1. A psalm of thanksgiving. Let all the earth sing in jubilation to the Lord.
2. Serve the Lord with joy; come before Him with exultation.
3. Know that the Lord is God; He has made us and we are His, His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4. Enter His gates with gratitude, His courtyards with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His Name.
5. For the Lord is good; His kindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness is for all generations.
Chapter 101
This psalm speaks of David's secluding himself from others, and of his virtuous conduct even in his own home.
1. By David, a psalm. I will sing of [Your] kindness and justice; to You, O Lord, will I chant praise!
2. I will pay heed to the path of integrity-O when will it come to me? I shall walk with the innocence of my heart [even] within my house.
3. I shall not place an evil thing before my eyes; I despise the doing of wayward deeds, it does not cling to me.
4. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I shall not know evil.
5. He who slanders his fellow in secret, him will I cut down; one with haughty eyes and a lustful heart, him I cannot suffer.
6. My eyes are upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the path of integrity, he shall minister to me.
7. He that practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; the speaker of lies shall have no place before my eyes.
8. Every morning I will cut down all the wicked of the land, to excise all evildoers from the city of the Lord.
Chapter 102
An awe-inspiring prayer for the exiled, and an appropriate prayer for anyone in distress.
1. A prayer of the poor man when he is faint [with affliction], and pours out his tale of woe before the Lord.
2. O Lord, hear my prayer, let my cry reach You!
3. Hide not Your face from me on the day of my distress; turn Your ear to me; on the day that I call, answer me quickly.
4. For my days have vanished with the smoke; my bones are dried up as a hearth.
5. Smitten like grass and withered is my heart, for I have forgotten to eat my bread.
6. From the voice of my sigh, my bone cleaves to my flesh.
7. I am like the bird of the wilderness; like the owl of the wasteland have I become.
8. In haste I fled; I was like a bird, alone on a roof.
9. All day my enemies disgrace me; those who ridicule me curse using my name.1
10. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mixed my drink with tears,
11. because of Your anger and Your wrath-for You have raised me up, then cast me down.
12. My days are like the fleeting shadow; I wither away like the grass.
13. But You, Lord, will be enthroned forever, and Your remembrance is for all generations.
14. You will arise and have mercy on Zion, for it is time to be gracious to her; the appointed time has come.
15. For Your servants cherish her stones, and love her dust.
16. Then the nations will fear the Name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory,
17. when [they see that] the Lord has built Zion, He has appeared in His glory.
18. He turned to the entreaty of the prayerful, and did not despise their prayer.
19. Let this be written for the last generation, so that the newborn nation will praise the Lord.
20. For He looked down from His holy heights; from heaven, the Lord gazed upon the earth,
21. to hear the cry of the bound, to untie those who are doomed to die,
22. so that the Name of the Lord be declared in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem,
23. when nations and kingdoms will gather together to serve the Lord.
24. He weakened my strength on the way; He shortened my days.
25. I would say: "My God, do not remove me in the midst of my days! You Whose years endure through all generations.”
26. In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
27. They will perish, but You will endure; all of them will wear out like a garment; You will exchange them like a robe, and they will vanish.
28. But You remain the same; Your years will not end.
29. The children of Your servants will abide; their seed shall be established before You.
Chapter 103
David's prayer when he was ill, this psalm is an appropriate prayer on behalf of the sick, especially when offered by the sick person himself while his soul is yet in his body. He can then bless God from his depths, body and soul. Read, and find repose for your soul.
1. By David. Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all my being, His holy Name.
2. My soul, bless the Lord; forget not all His favors:
3. Who forgives all your sins, Who heals all your illnesses;
4. Who redeems your life from the grave, Who crowns you with kindness and mercy;
5. Who satisfies your mouth with goodness; like the eagle, your youth is renewed.
6. The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
7. He made His ways known to Moses, His deeds to the Children of Israel.
8. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and of great kindness.
9. He will not contend for eternity, nor harbor ill will forever.
10. He has not dealt with us according to our transgressions, nor requited us according to our sins.
11. For as high as heaven is above the earth, so has His kindness been mighty over those who fear Him.
12. As far as the east is from the west, so has He distanced our transgressions from us.
13. As a father has compassion on his children, so has the Lord had compassion on those who fear Him.
14. For He knows our nature; He is mindful that we are but dust.
15. As for man, his days are like grass; like a flower of the field, so he sprouts.
16. When a wind passes over him, he is gone; his place recognizes him no more.
17. But the kindness of the Lord is forever and ever upon those who fear Him, and His righteousness is [secured] for children's children,
18. to those who keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commands to do them.
19. The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingship has dominion over all.
20. Bless the Lord, you His angels who are mighty in strength, who do His bidding to obey the voice of His speech.
21. Bless the Lord, all His hosts, His servants who do His will.
22. Bless the Lord, all His works, in all the places of His dominion. My soul, bless the Lord!
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, end of Epistle 6• Lessons in Tanya
• Wednesday, Menachem Av 20, 5775 · August 5, 2015
Today's Tanya Lesson
Iggeret HaKodesh, end of Epistle 6
והנה מודעת זאת דיש ב׳ מיני דחילו ורחימו
Now it is well known1 that there are two types of awe [of G‑d] and [two types] of love [of G‑d].
הראשונות הן הנולדות מהתבונה ודעת בגדולת ה׳, ובדברים המביאין לידי אהבת ה׳ ויראתו
The first ones are born of an understanding and cognition of the greatness of G‑d, and of those matters that lead to the love of G‑d and to the fear of Him, such as G‑d’s closeness to the Jewish people.
והאחרונות הן הבאות אחר כך מלמעלה, בבחינת מתנה
The latter ones are those that come afterwards, from Above, as a gift,
After one has acquired a love and fear of G‑d as a result of his own contemplation, he is then granted from Above a heightened measure of love and fear.
וכמו שמבואר במקום אחר על פסוק: עבודת מתנה אתן את כהונתכם
as explained elsewhere2 in comment on the verse,3 “I shall grant [you] your priestly service as a gift.”
שהיא מדת אהבה
This [priesthood] refers to the attribute of love,
וכן הוא גם כן ביראה
and it is likewise with regard to awe. I.e., there is a degree of fear of G‑d that is likewise granted as a gift from Above.
והנה ודאי אין ערוך כלל בין הראשונות, שהן תולדות השכל הנברא
Now there is surely no comparison between the first ones, the lower levels of love and fear, which are the products of the created intellect,
לגבי האחרונות, שהן מהבורא יתברך שמו
and the latter ones, which are [a gift] from the Creator, blessed be His Name.
Just as there can be absolutely no comparison between Creator and created, so too can there be no comparison between the love and fear generated by each of these two levels.
ולכן הן הן הנקראות בשם אמת
That is why it is these [latter degrees of love and fear] that are referred to as “truth”,
כי חותמו של הקדוש ברוך הוא אמת
for “the seal of the Holy One, blessed be He, is truth,”4
שהוא אמת האמיתי, וכל האמת שבנבראים כלא חשיבי קמיה
for He is the true Truth, and in relation to Him all truth among created beings is considered as nothing.
Since G‑d is absolute truth, the love and fear that emanate from Him are deemed “truth” as well.
אך איזה הדרך שיזכה האדם לאמת ה׳
But which is the way whereby a man can merit [the loftier love and fear that are termed] “the truth of G‑d”?
הנה הוא על ידי שיעורר רחמים רבים לפני ה׳ על הניצוץ שבנפשו
It is by arousing great compassion in G‑d’s eyes for the spark in his soul.
שהיא מדתו של יעקב, מבריח מהקצה אל הקצה
This [attribute of compassion] is the attribute of Jacob, who5 “bolts from one end through to the other,”
דהיינו: מרום המעלות עד למטה מטה
that is, from the uppermost of all levels to the nether-most,
להמשיך אמת ה׳ לעולם השפל הזה החשוך
causing the “truth of G‑d” to flow to this lowly, dark world;
וכמו שכתוב: כי אשב בחשך, ה׳ אור לי
as it is written,6 “When I sit in darkness, G‑d is a light unto me.”
וזהו: כי גבר עלינו חסדו גו׳
And this is the meaning of the phrase,7 “For His kind-ness has prevailed over us.”
I.e., G‑d’s kindness has prevailed over the darkness of this world, illuminating even that aspect of a man’s soul that is clothed within his body.
In answer to the question asked above, then, it is now clear that the way by which one can arrive at “G‑d’s truth” is by the arousal of Divine compassion.
אך התעוררות רחמים רבים לפני ה׳ צריכה להיות גם כן באמת
However, [this] arousal of G‑d’s great compassion also needs to be done in truth.
וגם כשהוא באמת שלו, איך יוכל על ידי אמת שלו לעורר רחמים עליונים מאמת ה׳
But even when it is true in mortal terms, how — by means of relative truth — can one arouse Supernal com-passion from the truth of G‑d?
אך העצה לזה היא מדת הצדקה
The solution recommended for this is to practice the attribute of charity,
שהיא מדת הרחמים על מאן דלית ליה מגרמיה
which is the attribute of compassion for him who has nothing of his own,
להחיות רוח שפלים כו׳
to8 “revive the spirit of the lowly.”
ובאתערותא דלתתא, אתערותא דלעילא: ה׳ מעורר ישנים ומקיץ נרדמים
And the arousal from below elicits an arousal from Above: G‑d9 “rouses those who sleep and awakens those who slumber”;
הם בחינת רחמים רבים וחסדים עליונים הנעלמים
[i.e., He rouses His] great compassion and the Supernal attributes of kindness which are concealed,
As with a sleeping person’s dormant soul-powers, “sleep” and (more deeply) “slumber” here signify two degrees of dormancy in the essentially concealed states of Divine compassion and kindness.
לצאת מההעלם אל הגילוי והארה רבה
so that they emerge from concealment into manifestation and into a great illumination,
לאור באור החיים, אמת ה׳ לעולם
so that [a man is]10 “illuminated with the light of life” — with11 the “truth of G‑d unto the world.”
* * *
וזהו לשון זריעה הנאמר בצדקה
This, then, is the meaning of the idiom of “sowing” related to charity, as in the verse with which this epistle opened, “He who sows charity,” or as in the verse,12 “Sow for yourselves for charity.”
להצמיח אמת העליון, אמת ה׳
one [thereby] causes the Supernal truth, the truth of G‑d, to sprout, just as a plant that sprouts reveals that which was previously sown.
ובפרט בצדקה וחסד של אמת שעושים עם ארץ הקודש, תבנה ותכונן במהרה בימינו אמן
[This is achieved] especially through acts of charity and true kindness that are done for the benefit of the Holy Land (May it be built and established speedily in our days, Amen!),
לקיים מה שכתוב: אמת מארץ תצמח
thereby realizing the verse,13 “Truth shall sprout forth from the land,” where ‘land’ alludes both to the Land of Israel here below and to the Sefirah of Malchut Above,
על ידי זריעת הצדקה בה
by sowing charity in it.
וחסד ורחמים רבים הנאספים ונלקטים לתוכה
And the kindness and great compassion that are gathered into it and gleaned in it,
הם מעוררים גם כן חסדים עליונים הצפונים ונעלמים בנוסח אחר: בה
correspondingly arouse the Supreme graces that are hidden and concealed14,
כמו שכתוב: אשר צפנת גו׳
as it is written,15 “[How great is Your kindness] which You have hidden,”
לכוננה ולהקימה
so that [the land] is established and set up firmly.
Both Eretz Yisrael and the Sefirah of Malchut of Atzilut must be buttressed; the latter, because of its descent in order to serve as a source of created beings that are lower than the World of Atzilut.
וזהו שכתוב: בצדקה תכונני
And of this it is written,16 “Through tzedakah shall you be firmly established,” referring to the establishment of the “Congregation of Israel” here below, as well as to its spiritual counterpart Above — the Sefirah of Malchut of Atzilut, which is also known by the same name.
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. | See Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 14; Part II, Chinuch Katan. |
| 2. | Ibid., Part I, ch. 14. |
| 3. | Bamidbar 18:7. |
| 4. | Shabbat 55a. |
| 5. | Shmot 26:28. |
| 6. | Michah 7:8. |
| 7. | Tehillim 117:2. |
| 8. | Yeshayahu 57:15. |
| 9. | Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 166. |
| 10. | Iyov 33:30. |
| 11. | Cf. Tehillim 117:2. |
| 12. | Hoshea 10:12. See also below, Epistle 8. |
| 13. | Tehillim 85:12. |
| 14. | An alternative version adds here: “in it”. |
| 15. | Tehillim 31:20. |
| 16. | Yeshayahu 54:14. |
• Sefer Hamitzvos:Wednesday, Menachem Av 20, 5775 · August 5, 2015
Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
Positive Commandment 100
Postpartum Ritual Impurity
We are commanded regarding the ritual impurity that follows childbirth. [I.e., when contracted, one must follow all the laws associated with this impurity.]
Postpartum Ritual Impurity
Postpartum Ritual Impurity
Positive Commandment 100
Translated by Berel Bell
The 100th mitzvah is that we are commanded regarding the tumah of a yoledes. This mitzvah includes all the laws of a yoledes.1
FOOTNOTES
1.Ibid.
Gerushin - Chapter Three
Halacha 1
A get that is not written for the sake of the man [initiating] the divorce and for the sake of the woman who is being divorced is not valid.
What is implied? A scribe wrote a get to learn [scribal arts] or to teach them, and a husband came and discovered that the get was written with his name; the name of the woman was the same as his wife's name; and the name of the city the same as the name of his city. If he took [this get] and used it to divorce [his wife], the divorce is void.1
Halacha 2
Furthermore, [a get is also void in the following instance:] [A man] had a getwritten so that he could divorce his wife and changed his mind. An inhabitant of his city discovered it and told him: "My name is the same as yours, and my wife's name is the same as your wife's." Although [the second man] took it and used it to divorce his wife, it is invalid,2 despite the fact that it was written in order to effect a divorce.
Halacha 3
Furthermore, [a get is also void in the following instance:] [A man] had two wives with the same name, and he wrote a get with the intent of divorcing the older one, and changed his mind and used it to divorce the younger one. The divorce is invalid. Although it was written for the sake of the man [initiating] the divorce, it was not written for the sake of the woman who is being divorced.
Halacha 4
Moreover, [in the above situation,] if he tells the scribe: "Write the get, and I will use it to divorce whichever one I desire," and the scribe wrote the get with that intent, and the husband divorced one of his wives, the status of the divorce is a matter of doubt.3
Whenever a get was not written with the proper intent, it remains void, even if the scribe rewrites the letters with the proper intent.4
Halacha 5
When a man writes a get [with the intent of] divorcing his wife, but he changes his mind and does not divorce her, he may not divorce her with this same getanother time should he so desire, if he entered into privacy with her after [theget] was written.
If, however, he did divorce her with this old get, the divorce is effective, and she may remarry on this basis without any qualms.5 For [the get] was written for her sake and was given to her now in the presence of witnesses, as the law requires.
Why at the outset should it not be used for divorce? [This is] a Rabbinic decree, lest [people] say: "Her get preceded [the birth of] her son."
Halacha 6
[The following rules apply when a man] tells a scribe, "Write a get for the sake of so and so, and it will remain in my possession. When I marry her, I will divorce her with it." If [the scribe] writes [such a get], and the man marries her and then he divorces her with it, the divorce is void. [The rationale is] that the woman could not be divorced when the get was written. Thus, it is considered not to have been written for the sake of divorce.
If, however, [the man] tells [the scribe]: "Write [a get] for the woman who is consecrated to me. After I consummate the marriage, I will divorce her," should he consummate the marriage and divorce her with such [a get], the divorce is binding.6
If a man had [a get] written for his yevamah, and he divorced her with it after he performed the rite of yibbum, the status of the divorce is doubtful, for she was not his wife in an absolute sense7 when [the get] was written.
Halacha 7
In order to assist scribes,8 our Sages permitted them to write the standard texts of gittin [beforehand] and leave empty the place for the man's [name], the woman's [name], the time and the place for [the sentence]: "Behold, you are permitted [to marry] any man."9 Thus, he can write [these parts of the get] for the sake of the man who gives the get and for the sake of the woman who receives it.10 Afterwards, he should have the witnesses sign for the sake of [the husband and the wife].
Halacha 8
[The following rule applies if] a scribe wrote a get for the sake of the husband and the wife as required, and the witnesses signed without having that intent. Since [the husband] gives it to [his wife] in the presence of witnesses who observe the transfer, the get is valid [according to Scriptural law]. It is, however, {unacceptable [by Rabbinic decree].
Why is [it merely unacceptable and] not void?}11 Because the requirement for witnesses to sign the get [was instituted] only as a measure to aid society.12
There is an opinion that states that if the witnesses signed without the proper intent, since it as if it were a forgery, the get is void. Similarly, they maintain that if one of the witnesses was unacceptable, or if it was signed by one acceptable witness only, it is void even though it was transferred in the presence of witnesses.13
This ruling does not appear [correct] to me. For although [the get] resembles a forgery, it is not an absolute forgery. [Hence,] since it was transferred in the presence of acceptable witnesses, it is [merely] deemed unacceptable by Rabbinic decree.14
Halacha 9
[The following rule applies when a person] bringing a get loses it, and then it is discovered. If he lost it in a place not frequented by caravans - even if he found it after a long time had passed - we presume that the get that he lost is the getthat was found and [the woman] may be divorced with it.15
[However, different rules apply if a get] was lost in a place frequented by caravans. If it was discovered immediately, before any of the passersby had tarried there, or if16 it was found in the container in which it was [originally] placed, and the agent can recognize the length and the width of the get that was rolled up within, we can presume that [it is the same get], and [the woman] may be divorced with it.17
Halacha 10
When it was established that there was another man in that place whose name was the same as the name written in the get,18 if another man passes by the place [the get was lost] - even if he did not tarry there - we suspect that the getthat was found belongs to the other person.
If the woman is divorced with this get, the status of the divorce is doubtful. If, however, another person has not passed by this place, we presume that [theget that was discovered was the one that was lost], even though there are two people with the same name.19
Halacha 11
If the witnesses knew of a clearly distinctive sign by means of which they could recognize the get20 - e.g., they said it had a hole next to a particular letter, or they said: "We signed only one get with these names" - we presume that [theget that was discovered was the one that was lost], and [the woman] may be divorced with it.
[This ruling applies] even when [the get] was discovered after a long time had passed, [it was lost in] a place frequented by caravans, and it was established that there were two [men] with the same names.21
Halacha 12
[The following rules apply when] two men [with the same names]22 sent gittintogether, and they were interchanged [and it is no longer known who sent whichget]. Both gittin should be given to each of the women in the presence of witnesses who observe the transfer. [In this manner, both divorces are acceptable.]23
Therefore, if one of the gittin was lost, the second get is void.24
Halacha 13
[The following rules apply when] a man has two names and a woman has two names. When a divorce is initiated, [the husband] should write the names that he and his wife use most frequently and that they are most popularly known by. [The get] should say: "So and so,25 or by whatever names that he is called, divorces so and so or by whatever names she is called."26
Halacha 14
If the name that was less popularly known was written [in the get], and it was also written: "or by whatever names he is called," the get is not acceptable.29
Halacha 15
All are fit to write a get, with the exception of five: a gentile, a servant, a deaf-mute, a mentally incompetent person and a minor. A woman may even write her get herself.
Halacha 16
Why are these five individuals [prevented] from writing gittin? Because a getmust be written for the sake of the man initiating the divorce and the woman receiving the divorce, and a gentile writes with his own intent.34 A deaf-mute, a mentally incompetent person and a minor are not of [sufficient] mental capacity. And the laws of divorce and marriage do not apply to a servant; therefore, [in this area] he is disqualified; he is like a gentile in all respects.
If one of these five individuals writes a get, it is void,35 even if it was signed by acceptable witnesses and given in the presence of acceptable witnesses.
Halacha 17
When one of these five individuals writes the standard portion of the get and leaves the essential portions - i.e., the place for the man's [name], the woman's [name], the date and the sentence: "Behold, you are permitted [to marry] any man" - unwritten, and these were written by an adult mentally competent Jew with the proper intent, the get is acceptable.36
Halacha 18
At the outset, one may allow a deaf-mute, a mentally incompetent person or a minor to write the standard portions of a get, provided they are supervised by a mentally competent adult.37
A gentile or a servant, by contrast, should not be allowed to write the standard portions of a get at the outset, even when supervised by a Jew. For permission to write the standard portions of a get at the outset was granted only as assistance to scribes, as we have explained.38
Halacha 19
When a man writes a get on the Sabbath or on Yom Kippur, without knowing of the transgression,39 and gives it to [his wife], the divorce is effective.40 If it was written and signed on that day41 as a willful transgression and given to her, the divorce is not effective. For the witnesses [who signed] are disqualified by Scriptural law.
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. |
For the get was not written with the intent of being used to effect a divorce (Gittin 24b).
|
| 2. |
For the get was not written for the sake of the man [initiating] the divorce and for the sake of the woman who is being divorced (Ibid.).
|
| 3. |
This ruling depends on the concept of b'reirah - i.e., that since ultimately the husband's intent is clarified, it is considered retroactively as if this had been his intent at the outset.
This concept of b'reirah is relevant not only in the present context, but also with regard to many other contexts discussed in the Talmud and later Rabbinic works. Generally, the rule that is followed is that with regard to questions involving Scriptural law, the concept of b'reirah is not accepted, but with regard to Rabbinic law it is accepted. On this basis, the commentaries question the Rambam's ruling. In the Kessef Mishneh, Rav Yosef Karo explains that although with regard to following stringencies, we say that the concept of b'reirah does not apply to questions of Scriptural law, it does apply with regard to the acceptance of a leniency. Therefore, although the woman must consider herself divorced, she does not have the prerogative of remarrying. On this basis, Rav Yosef Karo quotes the Rambam's wording in the Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 130:4). (See the Beit Shmuel 130:4, who also discusses this issue.)
|
| 4. |
I.e., tracing over the letters is ineffective, for writing on top of other writing is insignificant (Gittin20a). A parallel exists with regard to the Sabbath laws. If a person traces over letters on the Sabbath, he is not considered to have violated the forbidden labor of writing (Hilchot Shabbat11:16).
Although the Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 130:5) appears to favor the Rambam's ruling, it also quotes the opinion of the Rashba, which states that consideration must be made of a get given under such circumstances.
|
| 5. |
As mentioned in the notes on Chapter 2, Halachah 2, the Rambam does not consider a get that was written before it was given to be predated. Other commentaries do, however, and it is their view that is accepted by the Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 127:5).
According to those authorities, such a get can be acceptable only when it was sent via an agent. This relates to another difference of opinion about this issue. The Tur (Even HaEzer 148) states that this ruling applies only when the get remained in the husband's possession until after he emerged from privacy with his wife. If he gave it to an agent beforehand, it is void. In the Kessef Mishneh, Rav Yosef Karo states that the Rambam does not accept this distinction, and in theShulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 148:1), although he mentions the Tur's view, he favors his own interpretation of the Rambam's decision.
|
| 6. |
This law applies only after the fact. At the outset, such a get should not be used, as reflected in the previous halachah.
When quoting this law, the Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 132:1) follows the opinion of the Tur andTosafot, who differ with the Rambam and state that the get is acceptable only when it was post-dated, and the date on which it was given was mentioned. If the date on which the get was written was mentioned, the get is unacceptable. (It is worse than an ordinary "old get," because in that instance, the couple merely entered into privacy together; we are not certain that they had relations. In this instance, by contrast, the marriage bond was consummated.)
|
| 7. |
Although the yevam does not have to consecrate his yevamah, he also does not have to divorce her. Hence, there is a question whether the connection between them is sufficient for the get to be acceptable.
|
| 8. |
So that they would have a get ready, in order for them to prepare it for a husband in a relatively short time. In this manner, the scribe can use his free time for a useful purpose (Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah, Gittin 3:2).
|
| 9. |
These are the parts of the get that are of fundamental importance, and which are referred to as the toref.
|
| 10. |
On this issue there is a difference of opinion in the Mishnah (loc. cit.) between the Sages and Rabbi Eliezer. It appears that the opinion cited by the Rambam above is that of the Sages. Thus, this ruling is worthy of notice, because it represents a change of mind on the Rambam's part, for he writes in his Commentary on the Mishnah that the halachah follows Rabbi Eliezer. (It is also noteworthy that in the Rambam's manuscripts of his Commentary on the Mishnah, the latter statement was rubbed out and written over, implying that the Rambam deliberated back and forth about the matter when composing that text. See the Kovetz and others, who discuss this issue.)
See also the Beit Shmuel 131:2, who states that the Shulchan Aruch does not mention this law, because most authorities differ with the Rambam and do not grant a scribe such license. (See also Halachah 17 and notes.)
|
| 11. |
There is a question whether the words within the brackets { } are the Rambam's or a printer's addition. There is, however, no difference in law between the two versions.
|
| 12. |
As stated in Chapter 1, Halachah 15, it is not necessary for witnesses to sign the get according to Scriptural law. Our Sages required such signatures only to afford an advantage for the woman lest the witnesses die.
|
| 13. |
The Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 130:17) follows the Rambam's approach and rules that such aget is unacceptable by Rabbinic decree, but not void.
|
| 14. |
The Tur and Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 131:6) quote the Rambam's decision, while mentioning the minority opinion.
|
| 15. |
This and the following two halachot are dependent on the Rambam's understanding of a Talmudic passage that appears in Gittin 27a and Bava Metzia 18a. Many authorities differ with the Rambam in the interpretation of this passage, and it is their view that is favored by the Shulchan Aruch(Even HaEzer 132:4), although the Rambam's view is also quoted.
According to these views, if there are two people who, with their wives, share the same name in the same town, there is a difficulty if the get was not discovered immediately.
The Shulchan Aruch (ibid.) also mentions a difficulty when a person was seen passing by the place where the get was lost, even when the place is not frequented by caravans and it is not known that two people of the same name live in that place. His ruling is, however, questioned by the Beit Shmuel 132:10 and others.
|
| 16. |
The commentaries question why the Rambam requires both factors, that the get was in its original container, and that it could be recognized. Seemingly, one factor alone is sufficient. Indeed, when discussing this issue, the Shulchan Aruch (op. cit.) requires only one factor: either that it was found in the original container, or that the agent could recognize the get.
Note the Noda BiY'hudah (Even HaEzer, Volume II, Responsum 62), who supports the Rambam's ruling, explaining that there are various levels of recognition. Since the agent recognizes the getonly by its length and width, it is necessary that it also be found in its container.
|
| 17. |
Implied is that if enough time passed for one of the passersby to wait there, the get is unacceptable.
|
| 18. |
And whose wife's name is the same as the woman's name written in the get.
|
| 19. |
The Ramah (loc. cit.) states that if the name of the husband's town was mentioned, and we know that there is only one couple with the name mentioned in the get, we are not concerned about the fact that caravans frequent the place. We do not suspect that there are two towns with the same name. The Beit Shmuel 131:16 questions the Ramah's ruling.
|
| 20. |
A sign is, however, necessary. According to the Shulchan Aruch (loc. cit.), it is sufficient for the agent who lost the get to say that he recognizes it; witnesses, by contrast, must give signs through which it can be identified (Shulchan Aruch, loc. cit.).
|
| 21. |
When quoting this law, the Shulchan Aruch (loc. cit.) states that if there are other individuals who share the same name as the witnesses, the witnesses must also recognize their own signatures.
|
| 22. |
And whose wives have the same names.
|
| 23. |
I.e., the agent[s] give both gittin to one woman, and thus she receives the get intended for her. They then take the gittin from her and give them to the second woman. There is no necessity for the woman to know which get was intended for her originally (Gittin 86b; Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer 132:3).
|
| 24. |
The Maggid Mishneh (quoted in the Shulchan Aruch, loc. cit.) explains that if, however, the agent gives the get that remains to one or the other of the women, the status of the divorce[s] is in doubt.
|
| 25. |
I.e., his most popular name.
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| 26. |
I.e., according to the Rambam, there is no obligation to mention the other names with which the husband or wife is known. Other authorities differ and require that all the names by which a man or a woman is known should be mentioned in the get. This latter view is cited by the Ramah (Even HaEzer 129:1).
This issue is particularly relevant today, when many individuals have Jewish names with which they are called to the Torah, and secular names by which they are known by and large. The Ramah (loc. cit.:16) rules that the Jewish name should be mentioned first, but the secular name should also be mentioned in the get.
|
| 27. |
I.e., a derivative of the person's name by which he or she is often called - e.g., Danny, which is a derivative of either Dan or Daniel. Other interpretations of the term chanichah are offered by different commentaries.
|
| 28. |
The Ra'avad states that this applies only when the nickname is more extensively used than the person's actual name. Note the discussion of this issue in the Beit Shmuel 129:1. The Beit Shmuelalso discusses whether the intent is that, after the fact, a woman divorced with such a get may remarry, or whether the intent is that at the outset such a get may be given.
|
| 29. |
By Rabbinic decree. If, however, both names are mentioned in the get, the get is acceptable despite the fact that the less-used name is mentioned first (Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer 129:2).
|
| 30. |
At present, it is not customary to mention the woman's city or the man's city. Instead, the location in which the get is given is mentioned.
|
| 31. |
I.e., even according to Scriptural law.
|
| 32. |
Our translation is based on the manuscript copies of the Mishneh Torah. The standard printed text was changed by the church's censors.
The equivalence between the desecration of the Sabbath and the worship of false gods is discussed by the Rambam at the conclusion of Hilchot Shabbat, based on Horayot 8a.
|
| 33. |
Note the Maggid Mishneh, who states that although an apostate is not capable of writing a get, if he is married to a Jewess, he may - and indeed should - divorce her with a get. Just as thekiddushin he gives establish a viable marriage bond (Hilchot Ishut 4:15), a get that he gives can dissolve such a bond.
|
| 34. |
Even if an observant Jew stands over him, and tells him the intent with which he should write theget, it is void. (See Hilchot Tefillin 1:11.)
The Rambam puts the emphasis on the gentile's lack of proper intent to explain why a get written by an apostate is unacceptable. For the Rambam could have employed the same reason given with regard to a servant - that the laws of marriage and divorce do not apply to him - to exclude a gentile. He chose to give this reason to allude to the law concerning an apostate because an apostate also cannot be relied upon to write with the proper intent (Beit Shmuel 123:5).
The reasons given by the Rambam are significant in another context. As mentioned in the notes on Chapter 2, Halachah 1, there is a difference of opinion among the authorities regarding whether or not the scribe writing the get must be appointed as an agent. All the individuals mentioned are not capable of serving as agents. Since that rationale is not given, it would appear that the Rambam does not require such an appointment. Nevertheless, other sources lead to the opposite conclusion.
|
| 35. |
The Maggid Mishneh and the Beit Yosef (Even HaEzer 123) quote other opinions, which maintain that such gittin are disqualified by Rabbinic law only. Hence, because of this difference of opinion, the status of the divorce is in doubt (Chelkat Mechokek 123:6).
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| 36. |
The Ramah (Even HaEzer 123:3) quotes the opinion of the Tur, who maintains that in such an instance the get is deemed unacceptable by Rabbinic law.
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| 37. |
If these individuals are supervised, they will write the get with the proper intent. Hence, there is no reason to negate the feasibility of using the standard portions of the get that they wrote, out of fear that they will write the essential portions without the proper intent.
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| 38. |
Halachah 7 above.
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| 39. |
It appears that the Rambam's intent is that the get was written by the husband without his knowing of the transgression and not signed. It was given to his wife in the presence of witnesses. Although the same law would apply if the get were signed in unknowing violation of the holy day, the Rambam does not mention that possibility, because it is highly unlikely that both the man writing the get and the witnesses would not know of the transgression (Kessef Mishneh).
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| 40. |
Since the transgression was performed unknowingly, the get is acceptable. (See the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah, Chulin 1:1.)
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| 41. |
Our translation follows the standard printed text of the Mishneh Torah. There are other versions that state "If it was written and signed on a holiday...."
The difference between the two versions is that the prohibition against forbidden labor is less severe on the holidays than on the Sabbath and Yom Kippur. The holidays are mentioned to emphasize that the get is void even in such an instance.
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| 42. |
By the husband and was not signed by witnesses.
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| 43. |
Here a holiday is mentioned rather than the Sabbath, because if a get were written as a willful transgression in public on the Sabbath, the writer would be considered to be an apostate, and aget that he wrote would be disqualified by Scriptural law, as mentioned in Halachah 15. Since the desecration of the holidays is not so severe, the person is not considered to be an apostate. Theget he wrote is, however, disqualified by Rabbinic decree.
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Kelim - Chapter 15
Halacha 1
An earthenware container does not become susceptible to ritual impurity until the tasks necessary to finish it are completed.
When are the tasks necessary to finish it completed? When they are fired in a kiln. An oven: When it is heated to bake donuts. A range with two openings: When it is heated so that a stirred egg can be baked over it in a frying pan. A range with one opening: If it was made for baking, the measure is the same as that of an oven. If it was made for cooking, the measure is the same as that of a range.
Halacha 2
When one has begun building an oven, if it is large, once one has begun building it for four handbreadths and heats it, it is susceptible to impurity. If it is small, once one has begun building it a for a handbreadth and heats it, it becomes susceptible to impurity. A range with two openings, becomes susceptible to impurity, once one has begun building it for three fingerbreadths and heats it. With regard to a range with one opening: If it was made for baking, the measure is the same as that of an oven. If it was made for cooking, the measure is the same as that of a range.
Halacha 3
When an oven was heated from behind, heated in the shop of the craftsman, or heated unintentionally, since it was nevertheless heated, it is susceptible to impurity. An incident occurred when a fire broke out in an oven in a village. The incident was brought before the court for a ruling and it determined that it is susceptible to impurity.
Halacha 4
When an oven was heated to roast food in it, it is susceptible to impurity. When it was heated to whiten bundles of flax, it is pure, because he is not doing wok that affects the substance of the oven.
Halacha 5
When an oven was divided into half and one of its portions was heated and then contracted impurity from liquids, that portion is impure, but the other portion remains pure. If it contracted impurity from the carcass of a crawling animal or other similar impurities of Scriptural origin, everything is impure. The thickness of the partition separating them is impure.
If they were both heated and only one portion contracted impurity from liquids in its inner space, we divide the thickness of the partition. That which is used by the impure portion is impure; that which is used by the pure portion is pure.
When does the above apply? When it was divided and then heated. If, however, it was heated and then divided, if only one of them became impure, even only due to liquids, everything contracts impurity.
Halacha 6
An oven or a range made from stone is always pure. A metal one is pure with regard to the laws of an oven or a range. This is derived from Leviticus 11:35which states that an impure oven "must be smashed," i.e., these laws apply to an entity that can be smashed. A metal oven or range, is, however, susceptible to the impurity of a metal k'li.
What is implied? Such ovens and ranges do not contract impurity due to the presence of a source of impurity within their inner space, nor do they contract impurity when attached to the ground as an earthenware oven or a range does. And if a source of impurity touches them even from the outside, they contract impurity like all metal keilim. If they contract impurity from a human corpse, they become a primary source of impurity and they can regain purity after contracting other types of impurity through immersion in a mikveh.
Halacha 7
When a metal oven was perforated, blemished, or cracked and one patched it with clay or one made it a coating or an upper surface of clay, it contracts impurity as an earthenware oven does.
How large must the hole be for the above law to apply? Large enough for fire to emerge through it.
Similar concepts apply with regard to a metal range. If pot-rests of clay are made for it, it contracts impurity as an earthenware range does. If one smears clay on a metal range, whether inside or outside, it is still not susceptible to impurity.
Halacha 8
Although an earthenware oven is not fixed to the ground - even if it is hanging from the neck of a camel - it is susceptible to ritual impurity as an earthenware oven is, as implied by ibid.: "They are impure," i.e., in any place they are located.
Halacha 9
A furnace used by smelters of metal that has a place where a pot can be placed contracts impurity as a range does. Similarly, if a range used by glassmakers has a place where a pot can be placed, it contracts impurity as a range does.
Halacha 10
A furnace used to produce lime, glass, or pottery, is pure. An oven with an opening at its side - if it has a border at its side, it is susceptible to impurity.
Halacha 11
The following laws apply when stones were joined to each other and formed into an oven. If one made a coating for it on the inside and on the outside, it is considered as an oven in all contexts and contracts impurity from the presence of a source of impurity within its inner space. If it was coated from the outside alone, it contracts impurity from contact with a source of impurity, but not from the presence of a source of impurity within its inner space.
If stones were connected to an oven, but were not connected to each other, they contract impurity together with the oven. If they were connected with each other, but were not connected to the oven, they are like a tira. If one dug in the earth and fashioned a tira of earth, it is pure. A tira of a range is pure.
Halacha 12
When two barrels and two frying pans are combined to make a range, they contract impurity from the presence of a source of impurity within its inner space and from contact with a source of impurity. The inner space of the barrels is pure. The thickness of the walls of the barrels is divided: That which serves the range is susceptible to impurity; that which serves the inside of the barrels is pure.
Halacha 13
When a person affixes the three earthenware stands of a trivet in the earth and connects them with clay so that he can place a pot on them, they are susceptible to impurity like a range. If he affixed three pegs in the earth so that he can place a pot on them, even though he used clay to make a place on which the pot would sit, they are pure, like a metal range. Similarly, stones that were not coated with clay on which one places a pot are not susceptible to impurity. It is like they are a stone range.
Halacha 14
When a person makes two stones into a range and connects them with clay, they are susceptible to impurity. If he connected one with clay but he did not connect the other with clay, it does not contract impurity.
Halacha 15
When a person rests a pot on a stone and on an oven, on it and on a range with an opening for one pot, or it and on a range with an opening for two pots, it is susceptible to impurity. ...On it and on a wall or on it and on a rock, it is not susceptible to impurity.
Halacha 16
With regard to a range made by a cook - in which instance, one stone is placed at the side of another stone, and then another is placed at its side in a continuous chain and they are all connected with clay: If one of them contacts impurity, they all do not contract impurity.
Halacha 17
The following rules apply when there are three stones that were connected with clay and were made into two ranges, whether they were connected to each other and not connected to the ground or connected to the ground and not connected to each other. If one of the two ranges contracts impurity, the portion of the middle stone which serves the impure range contracts impurity. The portion which serves the pure range, by contrast, remains] pure. If one removed the outer stone of the pure range, the middle stone has been definitively classified and is impure in its entirety. If the outer stone of the impure range is removed, the middle stone is purified in its entirety.
The following rules apply if both ranges contracted impurity. If the middle stone is large, one allocates a portion large enough for a pot to be placed down on it on one side for one range and a portion large enough for a pot to be placed down on it on the other side for the other range, but the remainder of the stone is pure. If it was small, everything contracts impurity.
If the middle stone was removed, different laws apply: If a large pot can be placed down on the two outer ones, the range is impure. If they are further apart, the range is pure. If one returned the middle stone, everything is pure as it was. If one coated it with clay, it is susceptible to ritual impurity in the future, provided one heats each of them sufficiently to cook an egg.
Halacha 18
When two stones were made into a range and contracted impurity, but afterwards one added one stone to the stone on one side and another stone to the stone on the other side, half of each of the two stones from the first range is impure and half is pure. If the two pure stones that were added were later removed, the two stones of the first range return to their initial impurity.
Halacha 19
An earthenware heating counter that has receptacles in which a mixture of ash and coals were placed and which were used for pots is pure with regard to the laws pertaining to a range, but it is susceptible to impurity as an k'li with a receptacle. Therefore, if it was attached to the ground, it is pure as are otherkeilim. And if it has a hole, it is not susceptible to impurity like other keilim. These laws do not apply to a range.
An entity that touches the sides of the counter does not contract impurity like one which touches a range. Its wide portion where one can sit while the food is cooking contracts impurity if the counter contracts impurity.
Similarly, if one turned over a basket and built a range on top of it, it contracts impurity according to the laws pertaining to a wooden k'li and not according to those applying to a range. Therefore, it does not contract impurity from the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space as a range does.
Kelim - Chapter 16
Halacha 1
The remnants of a larger oven are four handbreadths. The remnants of a small oven are its larger portion.
What is implied? If a large oven is broken, as long as four handbreadths remain, it is susceptible to impurity. And if a small oven is broken, as long as its larger portion remains, it is susceptible to impurity. Similarly, if a large oven contracted impurity and it was smashed to the extent that less than four handbreaths remain, it is pure. A small oven becomes pure when less than its larger portion remains. If more than four handbreadths of a large oven remain or the larger portion of a small oven, it remains impure.
The remnants of a range with two openings are three handbreadths. For a range with one opening: If it was made for baking, the measure is the same as that of an oven. If it was made for cooking, the measure is the same as that of a range.
Halacha 2
How can the owner restore the purity of an oven that contracted impurity that he does not want to destroy? It should be divided into three portions and the coating removed from the shards so that each shard is standing on the earth without a coating of clay.
If he divided it in two, leaving one large portion and one smaller portion, the larger portion is impure and the smaller portion is pure. If they are both of equal size, they are both impure, because it is impossible to make an exact determination which is larger. When, by contrast, an earthenware tabletop with a wall was divided in two equal portions, they are both pure. If one was larger and one smaller, the larger one is impure.
Halacha 3
When an impure oven is divided into three portions and one is as large as the other two, the large portion is impure.
The following laws apply if such an oven was cut into circular portions, widthwise. If the height of every ring was less than four handbreadths, it is pure. If, afterwards, one arranges the rings one on top of the other and coats them with clay, making them into an oven as they were before, it is as if he made a different oven. It is susceptible to impurity only from the time it was reconstructed, provided it was heated to the extent that doughnuts could be baked in it after it was coated with clay.
If one separated the clay coating from the substance of the oven itself and placed sand or pebbles between the rings and the coating, it never becomes susceptible to impurity. Concerning this type of oven, it was said: A woman who is a nidah and one who is pure may both bake inside of it and everything is pure.
If it has one ring that is four handbreadths high and that ring contracts impurity through physical contact with a source of impurity and not from the presence of impurity within its inner space, the remainder of the rings are pure.
Halacha 4
The following rules apply when an oven comes cut in pieces from the craftsman's shop and one makes supports for it so that they will be joined together as a single entity. If one placed them there while it was pure and it contracted impurity, when one removes the supports, it regains purity. Even after he returns them, it remains pure. If one coated the portions of the oven with clay, they become susceptible to impurity from that time onward. It is not necessary to heat the oven, because it was already heated the first time it was assembled.
Halacha 5
When an oven was cut into rings, sand placed between each ring, and the entire structure coated with clay from the outside, it is susceptible to ritual impurity.
Halacha 6
A pit used by Arabs - i.e., one digs in the earth, coats the pit with clay, and bakes in it - is governed by the following rules: If the clay could stand independently, it is susceptible to ritual impurity. If not, it is pure.
Halacha 7
When one brings earthenware shards and sticks them together and forms an oven from them, making a coating for them from the inside and from the outside, after he heats it, it becomes susceptible to impurity, even though none of the shards is of the size required.
Halacha 8
When one removed the base of a large barrel and made it into an oven, coating its exterior with clay, it is pure even though its walls are capable of containing the required amount. The rationale is that once an earthenware container is classified as not being susceptible to impurity, it never becomes susceptible again unless one makes it into an oven and coats it on the inside and on the outside.
Halacha 9
When there is an oven with cracks for which a coating was made for each of the pieces, but the place of the cracks was left open, it is not susceptible to impurity. If clay, lime, or gypsum were placed on the cracks, it is susceptible to impurity. If one patched it with a paste made from ground earthenware and water, tar, sulfur, beeswax, yeast, dough, or animal turds, it is pure. This is the general principle: An entity from which an oven is not usually made is not considered as being sufficient to patch the cracks.
Halacha 10
When the crack in an oven is positioned in a corner, even though one smeared clay at the sides, it is pure.
Halacha 11
When the a shelf outside an oven was placed in a corner in order to bake with it, it is pure. If it comprises the majority of the oven, it is susceptible to impurity.
Halacha 12
The following rules apply when a person filled half of an oven with earth. If the oven contracted impurity from its inner space alone, only the portion above the earth contracts impurity. If it contracted impurity from contact with a source of impurity and the impurity touched its inside, the entire oven contracts impurity, even the portion below the earth.
Halacha 13
The term kirah refers to a range with a place for two pots to rest; the termkopach refers to a range with a place for one pot to rest. Therefore if a kirah is divided lengthwise, it is pure. If it is split across its width, it is still susceptible to impurity. When, by contrast, a kopach is split, it is pure whether it is split lengthwise or widthwise.
Halacha 14
The following rules apply when there is an opening in the upper surface of the base used by homeowners placed below a range. If the opening is less than three handbreadths deep, the range is susceptible to impurity, because if the kindling fuel is less than three handbreadths from the bottom of the range, a pot placed above will cook. If the opening is three handbreadths or more deep, it is not susceptible to impurity, because the fire will be too far from the pot and it will not cook.
If one places a stone or a rock over the opening, the range is still pure. If one coated the stone with clay, it becomes the base of the range and the range is susceptible to impurity in the future.
Kelim - Chapter 17
Halacha 1
All accessories of keilim are considered as the k'li itself. If the k'li contracts impurity, an accessory that is required to enable it to be used also contracts impurity. If the accessory is not required to enable it to be used, it is pure, as will be explained. Therefore when a stone protrudes a handbreadth from an oven or three fingerbreadths from a range with a place for two pots, it is considered as connected. Hence, if the oven or the range contract impurity, these stones also do. If foods or liquids touch these stones, they contract impurity. If they touch a place that is beyond a handbreadth from an oven or beyond three fingerbreadths from a range, they are pure.
Halacha 2
When a range with a place for one pot was made for baking, the measure is the same as that of an oven. If it was made for cooking, the measure is the same as that of a range.
Halacha 3
With regard to the extra layer of earth placed on top of an oven: that of homeowners is pure; that of bakers is susceptible to impurity like the oven is, because it is used as support for a spit. A similar law: an addition built around a pot used by those who cook olives is impure. One used by dyers is pure.
Halacha 4
The "crown" of a range is pure. The following laws apply to the tira of an oven, i.e., a place built at the side of an oven where a loaf is placed when it is removed from the oven. If it is four handbreadths high, it contracts impurity together with the oven. If it is less than four handbreadths high, it is pure, because it is not connected to the oven. If it was connected to the oven, even on three stones, it can contract impurity.
Halacha 5
The following laws apply to a place at the side of a range for a cruse of oil to be stored, for spices to be stored, or for a lamp to be placed. If the range contracted impurity by contact with a source of impurity, all of the above also contract impurity. If the range contracts impurity due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space, they do not contract impurity, because they are considered as joined to the range only by Rabbinic decree. Therefore our Sages made a distinction in this regard, so that terumah and sacrificial food that come in contact with it should not be burnt.
Similarly, any object concerning which it is stated that it contracts impurity through contact with a source of impurity, but it does not contract impurity due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space is considered as connected to an object that is fully susceptible to ritual impurity only according to Rabbinic Law. A distinction was made in its regard so that consecrated foods should not be burnt because of it, but instead, they should be held in abeyance.
Halacha 6
The open space in front of a range is considered as joined to the range when it is elevated three fingerbreadths above the ground. If either the range or its open space contracts impurity either due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space or through contact with a source of impurity, the other entity also contracts impurity.
If the open space was lower than that and one contracted impurity through contact with a source of impurity, the other entity also contracts impurity. If, however, one contracts impurity only due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space, the other entity is not impure. The rationale is that it is only considered as connected according to Rabbinic decree.
When the open space in front of a range was separate from it, when it is three fingerbreadths high, it is considered as joined to the range, both with regard to impurity stemming from contact with a source of impurity or the impurity that arises due to the presence of impurity in its inner space. If it was lower than this or the open space was flat and did not have a border, it is not considered as joined to the range. If the range contracts impurity - whether due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space or through contact with a source of impurity - the open space is pure. Conversely, if the open space contracts impurity, the range is pure.
Halacha 7
The following laws apply with regard to trivets on which a pot is placed on a range. If each of them was three fingerbreadths high or less, if the range contracts impurity - whether through contact with a source of impurity or due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space - all three contract impurity. Similar laws apply if there are four protrusions on which a pot is placed.
If one of the protrusions of the trivet is removed, a slight leniency is granted. If the range contracts impurity from contact with a source of impurity, the two remaining protrusions also contract impurity. But if the range contracts impurity due to the presence of impurity in its inner space, the protrusions do not contract impurity.
If at the outset only two protrusions - one opposite the other - were made to support a pot on a range, similar laws apply. If the range contracts impurity from contact with a source of impurity, the protrusions also contract impurity. But if the range contracts impurity due to the presence of impurity in its inner space, the protrusions do not contract impurity.
When the trivet was more than three fingerbreadths high, the portions that are three fingerbreadths high and lower contract impurity together with the range whether through contact with a source of impurity or due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space. The portions higher than three fingerbreadths contract impurity together with the range if it contracts impurity through contact with a source of impurity. If, however, it contracts impurity due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space, it does not contract impurity with it.
If the protrusions are removed from the rim of the range, when they are located within three fingerbreadths of the rim, they contract impurity together with the range whether through contact with a source of impurity or due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space. When they are located beyond three fingerbreadths from the rim, they contract impurity together with the range if it contracts impurity through contact with a source of impurity. If, however, it contracts impurity due to the presence of a source of impurity in its inner space, the protrusions do not contract impurity with it.
We are not extremely meticulous with regard to these measurments, for they are all of Rabbinic origin.
• Wednesday, Menachem Av 20, 5775 · 05 August 2015
"Today's Day"
Shabbat Menachem Av 20* 5703
Torah lessons: Chumash: Eikev, Shevi'i with Rashi.
Tehillim: 97-103.
Tanya: But after the (p. 415) ...will understand. (p. 419).
Just as with the mitzva of tefillin for example, there is a designated place for them on the head and arm, and one feels the weight of the head-tefilla and the tightness of the hand-tefilla, so too with the mitzvot of ahava and yira, love and fear (awe) of G-d. As Rambam writes, in Yesodei Hatorah 2:1: It is a commandment to love and fear the revered and awesome G-d, as it is said, "Love Hashem your G-d", and "You shall fear Hashem your G-d."
Now the degree of fulfillment of these mitzvot is that there be a bodily sensation, that the very flesh of the heart actually feel (the love or the fear); just as, for example, when one meets a truly devoted friend. Not only does he feel good and forget all his troubles, he even enjoys a newly-awakened inner liveliness and optimism - all stemming from his cheerful mood.
So, too, with (the opposite emotion of) fear (of G-d); he is seized by a great dread and fright, for at that moment he recalls whatever was undesirable in his thoughts, words and deeds. His heart feels a palpable pain from his dread of punishment, his fear of Heaven. At times he may experience yirat boshet, an overwhelming shame,1 or yirat harom'mut, awe of G-d's transcendent majesty.2
FOOTNOTES
*. This day marks the yahrzeit, in 5704 (1944) of Rav Levi Yitschak Schneerson of blessed memory, father of the Rebbe of righteous memory . "He was imprisoned and exiled for his work in strengthening Judaism, and he passed away in exile, on the twentieth day of the month Menachem Av..." (Wording on the headstone at the resting-place of Rebbetzin Chana of blessed memory).
1. At his own insignificance.
2. Viz. Tanya, Ch. 4. This fear-sensation is beyond even that of yirat boshet.
Daily Thought:
The Matching Game
Like a matching game, each act of beauty uncovers another face of the infinite. Each generation completes its part of the puzzle. Until the table is set and prepared. Until all that remains is for the curtains to be raised, the clouds to dissipate, the sun to shine down on all our bruised and bloodied hands have planted, and let it blossom and bear fruit.
That is where we are now. We know a world in the process of becoming. Soon will be a world where each thing has arrived.[Tanya, chapters 36–37. See also 19 Kislev 5714:4.]
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