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Think After You Act

This book provides brief weekly lessons on leadership drawn from stories in the Torah. Written by former Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, it aims to impart wisdom on leadership that Rabbi Sacks gained from his experiences. Each short chapter discusses a different Torah portion and its implications for leadership. Rabbi Sacks illustrates the lessons with references to history and literature to link the concepts to real life. The book invites reflection on how to apply the ideas discussed to improve oneself and one's responsibilities as a leader. It balances intellectual and emotional perspectives on leadership challenges faced by biblical figures.

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Think After You Act

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Parshat Toldot

2 Kislev, 5776/November 14, 2015

Vol. 7 Num. 10

This issue of Toronto Torah is sponsored by Rochel and Jeffrey Silver

in memory of their beloved aunt, Mindel bat Freida Perl zl

Think After You Act

And he ate, and he drank, and he got
up, and he went, and Esav besmirched
the [rights of the] first born. (Bereishit
25:34)
Rarely in the Torah do we find a string
of five verbs with no words in between.
Yet here, after Esav has sold his
birthright for a bowl of soup, the Torah
describes the aftermath of the sale
with this unwieldy sentence of
constant movement. What is the Torah
trying to convey?
There seem to be two opposite
ap pr oa che s to e xplai nin g thi s
phenomenon, each of which imparts a
profound lesson. First, one could
argue that the Torah is emphasizing
that what led to Esavs sin was lack of
thought. He acted without thinking
he ate, he drank, he got up, he went
without taking a moment to reflect. If
he had, perhaps he would not have
besmirched the firstborn rights. He
would have realized what he was
giving up - the privilege to be the
descendant of Avraham and Yitzchak
in fulfilling their destiny - and would
not have traded it in for lunch.
C.S. Lewis captures this idea
powerfully in his Screwtape Letters.
The book discusses a junior, demonic
tempter who receives advice from his
uncle, Screwtape, on how to lead
people astray. Screwtape warns his
nephew that if he sees his patient
inspired to do something good, it is not
worth trying to convince him to change
his mind. People know what is right,
and if you would engage them in
argument, they might simply redouble
their conviction. Instead, he should

Rabbi Jonathan Ziring

persuade his subject to wait until after
lunch to act on his aspirations, even
telling him that lunch will give the
strength to pursue his newfound
commitments. By getting him out the
door for lunch without him taking the
time to internalize his inspiration, you
will erase the motivation. Describing a
case in which he had used just this
method, Screwtape says about the
patient: Once he was in the street the
battle was won. I showed him a
newsboy shouting the midday paper,
and a No. 73 bus going past, and before
he reached the bottom of the steps I had
got into him an unalterable conviction
that, whatever odd ideas might come
into a mans head when he was shut up
alone with his books, a healthy dose of
real life (by which he meant the bus
and the newsboy) was enough to show
him that all that sort of thing just
couldnt be true. Often we know what
is right, but we are too caught up with
the everyday to think about it, and thus
we never act on it.
The second approach, however, emerges
from a careful reading of the trop
(cantillation notes). The verse actually
breaks up the five verbs the first four
are in the first half of the sentence, and
the last one, that Esav besmirched the
birthright, follows an etnachta pause in
the sentence. Chizkuni explains the
syntax. While it may be that the sale
was caused by lack of thought, as
evidenced by the first four verbs which
describe the sale, the real sin was the
fifth, which came later.

others mock him for having been so

thoughtless, or justify his actions to
himself and to others. He chose the
latter. When he realized what he had
done, instead of repenting, regretting
his mistake, he mocked the birthright,
to make himself feel better and to
convince others he had made the right
decision. That made his sin so much
worse.
Sometimes we do something wrong, but
we realize that we have erred. That
cognitive dissonance, the knowledge
that we acted in a way that does not
reflect what we believe, can act to spur
us to change our ways and improve.
However, we need to be willing to
embrace the discomfort that comes from
acknowledging that we have not acted
as we know we should have, and that is
hard. When there is a gap between
where we are and where we know we
should be, we can bridge the gap by
improving ourselves, or by lowering our
expectations. The latter is always easier,
but the former is infinitely more
rewarding.
jziring@torontotorah.com

Chizkuni argues that Esav did take time

to think, but only after the deed was
done. At that point, Esav had a choice:
admit he had made a mistake and have

OUR BEIT MIDRASH

ROSH BEIT MIDRASH
RABBI MORDECHAI TORCZYNER
SGAN ROSH BEIT MIDRASH
RABBI JONATHAN ZIRING
AVREICHIM RABBI DAVID ELY GRUNDLAND, YISROEL MEIR ROSENZWEIG
CHAVERIM DAR BARUCHIM, YEHUDA EKLOVE, URI FRISCHMAN, AVISHAI GASNER,
SHMUEL GIBLON, MICHAEL IHILCHIK, RYAN JENAH, SHIMMY JESIN, CHEZKY MECKLER,
ZACK MINCER, JOSH PHILLIP, JACOB POSLUNS, SHAI REEF, ARYEH ROSEN, SHLOMO
SABOVICH, ARIEL SHIELDS, DAVID SUTTNER, DAVID TOBIS

We are grateful to
Continental Press 905-660-0311

Book Review: Lessons in Leadership

Lessons in Leadership: A Weekly
Reading of the Jewish Bible
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
Koren Pub. Jerusalem Ltd., 2015
About the author
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks is best
known as the former Chief Rabbi of
Great Britain and the Commonwealth.
To date he has written over 25 books,
and he publishes a well-read weekly
column, Covenant and Conversation,
available
through
his
website.
Currently, Rabbi Sacks is engaged in
teaching
positions
at
Yeshiva
University, New York University, and
Kings College of London.
What is the goal of this book?
It
is
clear
from
Rabbi
Sacks
introduction to his new work that this
is the product of years of experience as
a leader, and the trials those years
brought. He and the team that worked
with him during his term as Chief
Rabbi came to the realization that there
are three key forms of Torah, [T]he
Torah you learn from books, the Torah
you learn from teachers and the
Torah you learn from life, the last of
which R. Sacks writes that he gained
from his leadership challenges. Through

the whole of his introduction, Rabbi

Sacks tells of the various watershed
moments that allowed him to attain
the perspective on leadership that he
shares with us in this book.

impact. This book is perhaps best used

as a springboard for contemplation. It
invites the reader to take the authors
idea, explore it, expand upon it, and
make it his own.

The books experience-based origins

provide a deeply organic feel to the
contents. It is solidly balanced between
intellect and emotion, giving life to its
messages. Rabbi Sacks is grounded in
reality, but, in his own terminology, he
insists upon daring greatly. The book
is built upon the central idea that, [J]
udaism is G-ds call to human
responsibility. Throughout the book,
Rabbi Sacks builds upon this core
message, the expression of it in the
Torah, and its implications upon our
lives.

Classic Rabbi Sacks

As is a trademark of Rabbi Sacks,
themes drawn from the Torah are
further illustrated by historical
anecdotes and literary references.
Avraham is presented as the subject of
John Donnes statement that, No man
is an island. Avraham, embodying
this thought, prays on behalf Sdom.
The consequences of Rivkah and
Yitzchaks lack of open communication
are nearly re-lived through John F.
Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev
during the tense standoff of the Cuban
missile crisis. While demanding a
certain level of cultural literacy on the
part of the reader, this method of
linking the Torah to significant
moments and concepts of Western
society helps remind the reader that
the figures in the Torah were real
people as well, and it provides a way of
linking the idea to our own lives.

The structure of the book

As the subtitle suggests, Lessons in
Leadership is structured around the
weekly
parshah.
Each
chapter
discusses a different parshah and runs
around two pages in length. The brief
format allows one to process the
message in a meaningful way, without
it becoming burdensome by length.
The articles are mat bkamut vrav
beichut small in quantity, great in

613 Mitzvot: #469: Do not eat toevah

The Torah lists kosher and non-kosher creatures, and
presents their identifying characteristics, in two places:
Vayikra 11:1-47 and Devarim 14:3-21. There are differences
between these two passages; in particular, the passage in
Devarim begins with a global instruction, You shall not eat
anything that is toevah.
The word toevah is hard to explain in this verse. Literally,
toevah refers to something that is considered repulsive
(Ramban to Devarim 14:3), but not to any specific entity or
act. In general, within Tanach, toevah refers to idolatry,
sexual immorality or financial corruption. What food could be
meant by toevah here?
This challenge leads commentators to take toevah in Devarim
14:3 in various directions:

That which I have declared to be repulsive for you,

such as mixtures of meat and milk, or non-kosher
species (Chullin 114b; Ramban to Devarim 14:3)

That which is naturally repulsive, such as reptiles (Ibn

Ezra to Devarim 14:3, and note Yerushalmi Shabbat 9:1)

That which will make you repulsive, such as creatures

which will contaminate those who consume them (Rabbi
Samson Raphael Hirsch to Devarim 14:3)
A midrash (Sifri Devarim 99) takes a different approach,
linking this toevah with the word toevah in Devarim 17:1,
You shall not slaughter before G-d an ox or sheep which is
blemished, any negative thing, for it is a toevah of Hashem
your G-d. The midrash says, Rabbi Eliezer says: How do we
know that one who damages the ear of a firstborn animal
[rendering it defective, so that it is not eligible as an offering]

Yisroel Meir Rosenzweig

yrosenzweig@torontotorah.com

Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner

and then eats of it has violated a prohibition? The verse
teaches, You shall not eat anything that is toevah. Others
say: The verse is discussing disqualified sanctified offerings,
as in Devarim 17:1...
Rambam follows the view of the Others in this midrash,
ruling that one is liable for eating any korban which is
declared invalid, whether due to intent or due to deed or
due to an event which disqualified it. (Mishneh Torah,
Hilchot Psulei haMukdashin 18:3, and see Tosafot Bechorot
34a-b umi) This is Mitzvah #469 in the count of Sefer
haChinuch, who explains that this prohibition benefits us
by intensifying the care with which we approach sanctified
items.
This prohibition does not apply to all disqualified offerings.
As we have seen (Mitzvah #441, Toronto Torah 6:36), one
may redeem offerings which become blemished before they
are brought in the Beit haMikdash, and then one may eat
them. The prohibition applies specifically to eating of
offerings which a person blemished directly, or which are
ineligible for redemption because they became damaged
after they were slaughtered in the Beit haMikdash. (Sefer
haChinuch 469)
torczyner@torontotorah.com

Visit us at www.torontotorah.com

Biography

Rabbi Menachem Nachum

Twersky
Rabbi David Ely Grundland
Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky was
born circa 1730, in Ukraine. Orphaned
as a child, he was raised by his uncle
Rabbi Nachum. He was sent to learn
Torah in Lithuanian yeshivot. Following
his marriage, Rabbi Twersky continued
to learn, while earning a living as a
teacher.
Rabbi Twersky was influenced by the
teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the
Ari zl. As the newly founded Chasidic
movement began to spread, he travelled
to Medzhibuzh to learn under Rabbi
Yisrael ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem Tov.
Following the death of the Baal Shem
Tov, Rabbi Menachem Nachum became a
disciple of Rabbi Dov Ber, the Maggid of
Mezritch. It was under the Maggids
guidance that he was accepted as a
Maggid in Chernobyl, where he founded
the Chernobyler Chassidic dynasty. As a
Maggid, Rabbi Menachem Nachum lived
in poverty and travelled from place to
place, preaching and spreading chassidic
teachings.
As he wandered, Rabbi Twersky engaged
in various pious activities, including
ransoming captives. One story describes
how he ransomed Jewish tax farmers
who were imprisoned for failing to pay
rent to their landowners in a timely
manner. It is also related that he faced
public scorn from mitnagdim those who
opposed
the
emerging
Chassidic
community.
Rabbi Twersky is considered one of the
earliest expositors of Chassidic thought,
through his primary work Meor Einayim,
a collection of teachings on the weekly
Torah portion, and another work,
Yismach,
which
includes
various
expositions based on the Talmud.
Throughout his works, Rabbi Twersky
stresses the importance of developing a
proper moral character, constantly
working on purifying ourselves in service
of Hashem. Both of these texts, printed
posthumously in 1798, are replete with
quotations from his teachers. These texts
are said to be compilations of what he
had learned, without including any
innovations himself. As such, Rabbi
Menachem
Nachums
works
are
considered to be among the most
authentic and authoritative in conveying
the original teachings of Chassidut.

Torah and Translation

Family Burial Plots

Rabbi M. N. Twersky, Meor Einayim Vayetze
Translated by Rabbi David Ely Grundland

, ,
.
, (
)

,

,
,
.

This is the secret of all the wells that

were dug by the fathers to find water,
which [represents] Torah, within the
dust, [representing] the lowest levels. As
the Baal Shem Tov taught regarding the
verse (Bereishit 26:15), And all of the
wells which the servants of his father
had dug, in the days of Avraham his
father, were sealed by the Philistines,
and filled with dust, which implies what
I have previously written, that each one
of the forefathers [further] revealed the
Torah, [digging wells in] the dust and
the lowest levels, and by establishing
the character of each one, to find there
water, as in a well of living water,
which shall not be covered, a cover
representing the dust upon the water.
[This implies that the Torah would be
established for perpetuity].

,
.

Following the passing of Avraham, all

that he had revealed became covered
over by the aspect of dust, which
returned to cover the aspect of water,
and the covering was done by the
Philistines, which are the shells that
returned and overcame [the previous
revelation of Torah].

) , (

,

, .

.

) , (
,

. ,

However, Yitzchak came and re-dug [the

wells of Torah] as it is written (ibid. 18)
And Yitzchak returned and dug the
wells of water that had been dug, etc.
This is the revelation of Torah as had
been revealed through the actions of
Avraham and [now, again, through]
Yitzchak. That is when the Torah was
[first] stored away, and even today, that
which they established as Torah [then],
with all its details. All of this was
established for the benefit of all future
generations, for without the forefathers,
it would be impossible to obtain any
understanding [of Torah] or [any ability]
to draw close to Hashem.
Even now, all that we do regarding our
service of Hashem, everything is
together with the holy fathers, which is
the meaning of And Avraham was yet
standing before Hashem (ibid. 22:18),
meaning that presently, it is always the
case that [Avraham] is standing to the
right of the righteous to help us through
that which he established and revealed
to us, to digging wells of living water in
the dust.

dgrundland@torontotorah.com

Visit us at www.torontotorah.com

This Week in Israeli History: 5 Kislev 1948

Opening the Road of Heroism

Rabbi Baruch Weintraub

5 Kislev is Tuesday
During the period surrounding the War of Independence,
the main road from Israels seashore and its central city of
Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which passed through several Arab
cities, was blocked. For most of the way, Jews were able to
use secondary roads in secure areas. The crucial problem
was how to bypass the section ascending from Latrun up to
Jerusalem; this section was exposed to Arab villagers, and
under constant attack. In March 1948, after another convoy
was blocked and seventeen of its passengers were killed, it
was clear that Jerusalem was under siege.
The main effort to open the road focused on the conquest of
Latrun, where the Jordanian Legion was positioned.
Unfortunately, the IDF was not able to complete this

mission, and after many casualties, the need for a different

solution was clear. In May 1948, a new road to Jerusalem
hidden from the Legions eyes - was paved; this was
nicknameed Burma Road. (See Toronto Torah 4:25) This
road was later improved upon, and after changing its path to
suit passenger cars, it was formally opened in December
1948, on the fifth of Kislev. It was named Derech HaGevurah
(Road of Heroism), in memory of those who had risked their
lives in the war for Jerusalem. Prime Minister David BenGurion participated in the dedication.
This road served as the main Jewish road to Jerusalem until
the conquest of Latrun in the Six Day War.
bweintraub@torontotorah.com