Ask JTF for October 12, 2014 is ready, baruch Hashem

[Chaim Ben Pesach]

בס''ד

The program is 1 hour and 38 minutes this week:



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[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

Thank you Chaim.

[muman613]

Shalom,

Regarding Chaims comments on Tags question...

I have never heard that Mashal in reference to Sukkot...

Actually the reason I have heard is more literal.

We know that the day of Yom Kippur Hashem forgave the Children of` Israel concerning the sin of the golden calf...

When the Children of Israel sinned with the calf the Clouds of Glory retreated and the people were left out of the shelter.

On Sukkot the Clouds of glory returned. Which is why Sukkot is celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei.

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/JewishNewYear/template_cdo/aid/4480/jewish/Sukkot-and-Passover.htm

The Children of Israel were commanded to leave their permanent homes and dwell in sukkot on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, to commemorate the sukkot which G-d provided for them when they came out of Egypt. One might ask: Since the Exodus from Egypt took place in the month of Nisan, would it not be more appropriate to commemorate the event in Nisan? Why are we commanded to observe the Festival in the month of Tishrei?

While many answers have been given by our Sages, the essence is that the fulfillment of the mitzvah of sukkah should be recognized as being done for the sake of G-d. During Nisan, in the spring, the weather becomes warmer, it is pleasant to dwell outdoors, and farmers often leave their houses for booths in their fields. During Tishrei, however, when the nights are cold and the rainy season is about to begin, farmers return to their homes. Thus, when Israel leave the comforts of their homes during Tishrei to dwell in sukkot, it is obvious to all that they do so to fulfill G-d's commandment, for the sake of His Name. The Torah states: So that your descendants shall know (Leviticus 23:43) - the fulfillment of the mitzvah of sukkah should be known and recognizable as being for the sake of G-d.

Our Sages also taught: Why do we make a sukkah after Yom Kippur? On Rosh Hashanah, G-d sits in judgment over all the world's inhabitants, and on Yom Kippur, He seals the judgment. Perhaps it was decreed that Israel be exiled? They therefore build a sukkah and [voluntarily] exile themselves from their homes (Yalkut Shimoni 653).

The Later Authorities and commentators offered a number of additional reasons for commemorating Sukkot in the month of Tishrei rather than in Nisan:

It would not be fitting to commemorate the clouds of glory which surrounded the Children of Israel when they left Egypt, in the month of Nisan, for those clouds of glory were withdrawn after the episode of the golden calf. We commemorate only the clouds of glory which returned to them later [after Yom Kippur], for the second clouds remained with them during the entire forty years of their wanderings in the desert.

When the Children of Israel sinned during the episode of the golden calf, the clouds of glory withdrew from their encampment. Moshe ascended to Heaven three times. When he descended the third time, he brought Israel the mitzvah of constructing the Mishkan [Tabernacle] as a sign that G-d had become reconciled with them and would dwell in their midst.

This took place on Yom Kippur. On the day after Moshe descended, Moshe assembled the entire congregation of Israel and Moses said: "Take from among you an offering for G-d" (Exodus 35:1,4).

These offerings were brought on the 12th and 13th of Tishrei. On the 14th of the month, the "wise of heart" [the artisans who built the Mishkan] took the contributions from Moshe and on the 15th, they began the construction of the Mishkan. It was then that the clouds of glory returned and became a sukkah, a protective shelter over the camp of Israel.

Accordingly, that day - the 15th of Tishrei - was fixed for the people as the time when they were to dwell in sukkot. Just as G-d left Heaven, as it were, and caused His presence to dwell on earth in the Mishkan in the midst of the camp of Israel, so too does Israel show G-d that they also leave their homes and dwell with Him in a sukkah, in the protective shelter of His faithfulness.

[muman613]

I actually heard a similar lesson to Chaims discussion concerning the Chag of Shavuot, the late-spring / summer pilgrim festival.


http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/vedibarta-bam/shavuot.htm

"They stood on the bottom of [lit. under] the mountain." (Shemot 19:17)

QUESTION: When Hashem offered the Jewish people the Torah they immediately responded "na'aseh venishma" — "We will do and we will listen (study)." If so, why was it necessary for Him to suspend the mountain over them and warn them that if they do not accept the Torah, they would be killed? (See Gemara, Shabbat 88a, Tosafot)

ANSWER: The Torah consists of two parts, the Written and the Oral. The Jewish people were ready to accept the Written Torah, but not the Oral Torah, which explains the written one, transmitting the entire corpus of Jewish law. To persuade them Hashem held the mountain threateningly over them.

Alternatively, it was not a great surprise that the Jews readily accepted the Torah and proclaimed, "na'aseh venishmah." After all, in the wilderness all their needs were provided for: they ate manna from Heaven and drank water from Miriam's well. Their clothing miraculously enlarged as they grew, and were cleaned by the Clouds of Heaven, which also protected them. Under such conditions, there was absolutely no reason not to adhere to the teachings of the Torah.

By placing the mountain over the people, Hashem was asking them a question: "There is no guarantee that the tranquility you are currently experiencing will last forever. How will you conduct yourselves when a 'cloud' hovers above you, i.e. what will happen when problems befall you? When you will experience difficult times and your very existence is threatened, will you still keep the Torah?"

"If you have any doubts," Hashem told them, "You should know that it is to your advantage to keep the Torah under all circumstances. For as soon as you forsake the Torah, Sham tehei kevuratchem — That will be your burial."

"They stood on the bottom of [lit. under] the mountain." (Shemot 19:17)

QUESTION: According to the Gemara (Shabbat 88a), Hashem lifted the mountain over the Jewish people and threatened to kill them if they did not accept the Torah. Rabbi Acha said, "This is an important defense for the Jewish people: If they should violate the Torah, they can claim that they accepted it only under duress," implying that acceptance under duress is not considered true acceptance.

Tosafot asks, "The nations of the world complained to Hashem, 'Why didn't You also force us (in a similar fashion) to accept the Torah?' " Doesn't their complaint imply that, even if they would accept Torah due to the mountain being suspended over their heads, their acceptance would be proper and never have a claim of "duress?"

ANSWER: According to halachah, there is a rule that "Devarim shebeleiv einam devarim" — "What one has in his heart [not expressed verbally] is considered invalid" (Rambam, Mechirah 11:9). However, when a person is forced to do something and he makes a vow or takes an oath, he is not bound to it if he nullified it in his heart (Rambam, Nedarim 4:2). If so, the Jewish people should have nullified their consent in their hearts and, since they did not, is not their claim of duress invalid?

According to the Jerusalem Talmud (Pe'ah 1:1) when a Jew plans to do a good thing and for reasons beyond his control does not bring it to fruition, Hashem gives him credit as though he actually had done it. When a gentile plans to do evil, even if he does not do it, Hashem considers it as if it is done. On the other hand, a Jew is not punished for bad thoughts and a gentile does not receive credit for good thoughts that are not followed by appropriate deeds.

A possible explanation: that are Jews believe that Hashem not only sees what we do, but also reads their minds and hearts, but the gentiles do not share this belief. Consequently, since Jews believe that Hashem knows what is in their hearts, Hashem indeed gives them credit for their good thoughts. However, the gentiles, who do not believe in this, do not receive any remuneration for their good thought, but to prove that Hashem knows what is in their heart, they are punished for their bad intentions.

The concept of nullifying something in one's heart applies only when one makes a vow under duress from someone to whom one's real intentions can be concealed. Thus, Hashem will not hold him responsible when he nullifies it in his heart. However, when a person makes a commitment to Hashem, nullifying it in his heart would be an absurdity since Hashem also knows what is in the heart.

Hence, had Hashem forced the gentiles to accept the Torah, they would have been able to nullify their acceptance, since, according to their belief, Hashem does not know what is in their hearts, and so they would not have recourse to Rabbi Acha's argument. However, the Jewish people, who believe that Hashem knows what is in their minds and hearts, cannot mentally nullify their acceptance, and therefore they can claim that they accepted the Torah under duress.

[muman613]

Concerning the danger of Islam, see this post I just made:

http://jtf.org/forum/index.php/topic,78479.msg649395.html#msg649395

[Spiraling Leopard]

British Jewry is like a pair of shoes that is too small, you can't fix it.

[Joe Gutfeld]

Another great show, Chaim.  Thank you for cursing Diblasio and Sharpton.