Parshat Yitro

20 Shevat, 5776/January 30, 2016

Vol. 7 Num. 21

This issue of Toronto Torah is sponsored by Esther and Craig Guttmann and Family
in honour of the yahrtzeit of Clara Berglas

The Work-Life Balance

The great philosopher of economics,
Adam Smith, is best known for his
support of free-market economics,
articulated in The Wealth of Nations.
According to Smith, selfishness is the
primary mentality driving free-market
economics. However, Smiths earlier
work, The Theory of Moral Sentiments,
speaks to a very different mindset:
awareness and pursuit of the greater
good. In one section of The Theory of
Moral Sentiments, Smith explores the
apparently opposing sensibilities of
prudence on one hand and justice and
benevolence on the other. Prudence is
the pursuit of self-preservation driven
by a marked concern for our own
happiness. In contrast, there are
justice and benevolence. Justice
compels us to refrain from hurting
others; benevolence drives us to seek
out the happiness and welfare of
others. Naturally, not everyone within
our environment is an equal recipient
of our benevolence. Those who are
closest to us, family members being a
prime example, receive the highest
level of attention, or at least should.
Those further from our immediate
environment, be it familial or societal,
are lesser recipients. Later in the book
Smith notes that, [t]he wise and
virtuous man is at all times willing
that his own private interest should be
sacrificed to the public interest of his
own particular order or society.
This idea of concentric circles of
responsibility provides insight into our
parshah. As the parshah begins, the
Torah provides two key plot points:
Yitros inspired return to Moshe,
accompanied by Tzipporah,
Gershom and Eliezer, and
Yitros leadership advice for Moshe.

The relationship between these two isnt

immediately clear. The jump from the
personal to the national is especially
pronounced if we look more closely at
the flow of the chapter: Yitro hears of
the Exodus, and travels to Moshe with
Moshes family; Moshe describes all that
has occurred to an enraptured Yitro;
Yitro praises G-d and offers korbanot;
Yitro witnesses Moshes model of
leadership and suggests a change.
Perhaps the balance that Smith
describes between self-interest and
pursuit of the greater good is being
addressed by the parshah. If we assume
that there is an organic progression,
that A led to and inspired B, what
exactly is that progression? To answer
this, let us look at a midrash.
This midrash deals with an unstated
question: why does Moshe separate
from his family, such that Yitro needs to
bring them back? The midrash offers
two opinions on the issue:
Rabbi
Yehoshua Moshe gave
Tzipporah a document of divorce,
presumably while in Midian, before
his return to Egypt.
Rabbi Elazar HaModai Moshe took
his family with him on his mission to
Egypt. When greeting Moshe, Aharon
was critical of this decision; Arent
enough of us suffering in Egypt; do
you have to add more?!? Moshe
acknowledged his mistake and sent
his family back to Midian.
Rabbi Elazar HaModais approach is
clear: Moshe attempted to maintain his
family life, but conditions in Egypt
precluded this. However, Rabbi
Yehoshua doesnt explain why Moshe
divorced Tzipporah.
Perhaps we could suggest that Moshe
felt his mission in Egypt to serve the

Yisroel Meir Rosenzweig

greater good made maintaining his own
family life impossible. Yitro then seeks
to bring Moshes family back to him.
There is no indication that Moshe had
sent for them to return; on the contrary,
our midrash understands that Yitro
contacted Moshe first! Perhaps Yitro,
upon hearing that Bnei Yisrael had
been taken out of Egypt, felt that now
Moshes leadership role had moved into
a less intense phase. Perhaps, he
thought, this would allow Moshe to
return his focus to his family. As such,
Yitro brought Tzipporah, Menasheh,
and Eliezer back to Moshe.
Then, in Shemot 19:14, Yitro appears
shocked to see how Moshe singlehandedly shouldered the entire
responsibility of adjudicating Bnei
Yisraels disputes and resolving their
uncertainties. Moshes responsibilities
are not less demanding than they had
been. In response, Yitro suggests a
refashioned system of leaders and
judges, noting that otherwise Moshe
would become fatigued.
Yitros changes seem to be directed
primarily at improving Moshes life, not
that of the rest of Bnei Yisrael. Yitro
wanted to alleviate Moshes stress and
fatigue, but even more importantly for
Yitro, this would provide an opportunity
to recalibrate the balance of Moshes
focus. While Moshes mission in Egypt
necessitated separating from his family,
now Moshe could serve the greater good
and his family. [Note: This must be
weighed with the understanding of our
Sages that Moshe never fully returned
to Tzipporah, and a separate midrash
that contends Moshe separated from
Tzipporah in order to maintain constant
availability for G-d.]
yrosenzweig@torontotorah.com

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, DANIEL GEMARA,
MICHAEL IHILCHIK, RYAN JENAH, SHIMMY JESIN, CHEZKY MECKLER, ZACK MINCER,
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We are grateful to
Continental Press 905-660-0311

Book Review: Aish Kodesh

Aish Kodesh
Rabbi Klonymus Kalman Shapira
Feldheim, 2008
The Author
Rabbi Shapira, also known as the
Piaseczner Rebbe, was a Chassidic
teacher and Rebbe in the town of
Piaseczno, outside of Warsaw, Poland.
He came from a line of Chassidic
masters, including the Noam Elimelech.
Much of his writing was geared toward
young students and teachers, offering
advice on education. In 1920 he
founded the Yeshiva Daat Moshe.
As the Rebbe in Piaseczno, he wrote
and recorded his sermons given on
Shabbatot and on chagim. Another
major part of his teaching was
concerned with the attainment of Divine
consciousness in our daily lives. Much
of his writing was a response to a
growing secularism that was emerging
in Poland following the First World War.
His teachings were both academic and
inspirational, working to strengthen the
Jewish world.
After the outbreak of World War II,
Rabbi Shapira was interred in the
Warsaw Ghetto, where he remained
until the Ghetto was finally liquidated.
While in the Ghetto, between the years
1940-1943, he gave many sermons on
the weekly Torah portions and on the

Rabbi David Ely Grundland

holidays. Many of his teachings and
sermons were sealed in a container
and buried in the Ghetto. After the fall
of the Ghetto, he was taken to
Trawniki extermination camp where he
was murdered.
While cleaning up rubble from the
Ghetto, a Polish worker found the
container with a note asking that the
manuscripts be sent to Palestine,
where Rabbi Shapiras brother lived.
Aish Kodesh is a collection of the
sermons given in the Ghetto.
[For more on Rabbi Shapira, see his
biography in Toronto Torah 7:12.]
The Goal of the Book
Each dvar torah in Aish Kodesh is
noticeably short. However, in a few
words, Rabbi Shapira is able to
present an exceedingly powerful
message. This is due, in part, to the
experiences he was going through
when he wrote them. The sermons
presented in the book guide the reader
to engage with the challenge of
Hashems role in the world, especially
when there is so much evil around.
The Aish Kodesh empowers those who
learn this book to not only keep their
faith and observance through their
challenges, but also to enhance their
devotion in Divine service and mitzvah
observance.

613 Mitzvot: 488: The Joy of Yom Tov

Devarim 16:14 instructs, You shall rejoice upon your
festivals you, your son, your daughter, your servant, your
maid, the Levi, the stranger, the orphan and the widow in
your gates. This is the mitzvah of rejoicing on Yom Tov; it is
the Torahs 488th mitzvah, according to the count of Sefer
haChinuch. The mitzvah is fulfilled by feasting and acquiring
new clothing, according to each persons interests and needs.
When there is a Beit haMikdash, this mitzvah includes the
special Korban Shelamim one offers on each Yom Tov, and
the Simchat Beit haShoevah celebration on Succot.
(Rambam, Sefer haMitzvot Aseh 54)
Religious Joy
One element of this mitzvah is religious happiness. Sefer
HaChinuch (488) writes, Human nature requires that one be
happy from time to time, just as one needs some form of
food, and rest and sleep. G-d wished to provide us His
nation and the sheep of His flock with merit. Therefore, He
commanded us to rejoice in His Name, so that we might be
meritorious before him in all of our deeds. He established for
us particular times of year for festivals, on which to recall the
miracles and benefits He has bestowed upon us. He
instructed us to support our material aspect at those times,
that which is necessary for joy. In other words: As blessings
sanctify our meals, and as tzedakah sanctifies our pursuit of
material wealth, so Yom Tov sanctifies our joy.
Sefer haChinuch adds, There is [also] a benefit in having the
fullness of our joy in His Name and in recalling Him, for this

How to Read the Book

In order to get the full value from the
teachings of Aish Kodesh, it is worth
reflecting after every paragraph or idea
on the reality being faced by both
Rabbi Shapira and those to whom he
was speaking. When readers relates
the subject matter to their own
challenges, Rabbi Shapiras words
become inspiring tools in developing a
deeper relationship with Hashem.
Each parshah opens a new channel
through which to recognize Hashem in
life and to understand that struggles
are necessary in the development of
that relationship.
Current Relevance
In this very challenging time in Israel,
Aish Kodesh can serve as a source of
inspiration to remember the value of
the struggle that the Jewish nation
has faced since its inception. Just as
this nation serves Hashem in times of
success, there is equal, or even greater
value when they serve Hashem in
times of struggle.
dgrundland@torontotorah.com

Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner

thought will act as a boundary, lest we stray too far from
the righteous path [in our celebrations]. Joy which is
genuinely focused on G-d will be expressed righteously.
Social Joy
Rambam emphasizes another element: the social aspect of
this celebration. He writes, When one eats and drinks, one
is obligated to feed the orphan and widow, along with the
rest of the forlorn needy. One who closes the doors of his
yard, eating and drinking with his children and wife and not
giving food and drink to the needy and those of bitter spirit
this is not the joy of a mitzvah. This is joy of his belly, as
Hosheia 9:4 says, Their offerings are like bread of grief, all
who eat of it will be contaminated, for it is bread for
themselves. Such joy is shameful for them, as Malachi 2:3
says, And I will scatter dung upon your faces, the dung of
our festival offerings. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Yom Tov
6:18)
Similarly but more positively, Rabbi Shimshon Raphael
Hirsch writes, Yom Tov should bring simchah, joy that
pure and true joy of living before G-d and through G-d the
only mood which widens our human sympathies, makes us
capable of fusing our own individual feelings with those of
klal yisrael, the community of Israel, and of calling
strangers, and orphans, widows and the poor to join in our
gladness. (Horeb 183)
torczyner@torontotorah.com

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Biography

Torah and Translation

Rabbi Ovadia Hedaya

Standing for the Aseret haDibrot

Rabbi Baruch Weintarub

Rabbi Ovadia Hedaya, Yaskil Avdi II Orach Chaim 2

Translated by Rabbi Baruch Weintraub

Rabbi Ovadia Hedaya was born in 1889,

to a family of well-known rabbis on both
the paternal and maternal sides. His
great-grandfather was the Rabbi of
Halab, known today as Aleppo, which
was Rabbi Hedayas city of birth. When
Rabbi Hedaya was eight years old, his
family made aliyah and settled in
Jerusalem.
Young Ovadia was sent to learn in the
best yeshivot Jerusalem had to offer in
those days: Talmud Torah Doresh Tzion,
Yeshiva Chesed Avraham and Tiferet
Yerushalayim. Moreover, Rabbi Shalom
Hedaya, his father, hired a special
teacher to instruct his son in the secrets
of Kabbalah. At the age of thirty-three,
Rabbi Ovadia, now famous as a young
and bright scholar, became one of the
founding Rabbis of Yeshivat Porat Yosef
in the Old City. Two years later he
became Dayan of the Sephardic
community in Jerusalem, and later on
the Chief Rabbi of Petach Tikva.
Rabbi Hedaya was a prolific author,
writing in different genres: a homiletic
commentary
to
Avot,
halachic
commentaries to Talmud and Rambam,
sermons on the Torah and explanations
of the Zohar. However, there is little
doubt that his main work is the
monumental,
eight-volume
set
of
responsa Yaskil Avdi; the title is a play
on his name, meaning, My servant shall
become wise. For this work he received
praise from
the most important
authorities of his time, regardless of
political affiliation. The approbations of
Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, leader of
the establishment in Jerusalem, and of
Rabbi Avraham Kook, leader of the new
settlers, appear next to each other in the
first volume.
Rabbi Hedaya believed that the founding
of the Jewish state should be seen as a
step toward redemption. Steeped in
kabbalistic views, he emphasized the
importance of Jewish sovereignty over
Eretz Yisrael, opposing the handing over
of land to non-Jews as giving it to the
Sitra Achra a kabbalistic term
denoting mystical evil forces.
Rabbi Hedaya received various prizes for
his writings, including the Israel Prize for
Torah writings in 1968. Three years later
he passed away; his yarzheit is this
Shabbat, 20 Shevat.

Visit us at www.torontotorah.com

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[Question:] I wanted to write about a

pressing issue. In recent years we have
built here a new synagogue, named
Magen Avraham. The Gabbaim, with my
agreement, enacted that people should
stand while reading the ten
commandments on Shavuot and in
Parshat Yitro. And I relied on several
books, which wrote that this is practiced
in a few places. It also adds honour, fear
and awe in the synagogue But those
who disagree rely on [Berachot 12a,
which says] that the Sages wished to
make the Ten Commandments part of
Keriat Shema, and halted it because of
the heretics claims Should I cancel
the minhag, or should it continue?
Awaiting your answer, the young
Shabtai Buchbut, Rabbi and teacher
here, Beirut.

...

...

.

.

...

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.

....

...

...

And here is my answer to him It

seems that it is not comparable [to
Berachot 12a], for the heretics claims,
as explained in the first chapter of
Talmud Yerushalmi Berachot, is that
they might say that these
commandments alone were given to
Moshe on Mount Sinai So here, when
we read from the Torah every Shabbat,
and even on this day, on which we read
the Ten Commandments, we also read a
portion from the Torah, there is no
problem, for it is apparent that the text
is all true. Rather, they stand in the ten
commandments because they are the
foundation of the Torah, and were
written in the tablets, and were said by
G-d to all Israel The essence of things
is that here the heretics have no place to
attack. For the intention of the custom
is clear and known to all, to place in our
heart, at this time, via the act of
standing which glorifies, that it is as
though we had greeted the Shechinah in
that awesome and great gathering
And, since the time our souls stood
there, we remain standing, as it says,
And they stood underneath the
mountain Hence, standing is a sign
creating additional holiness and faith in
the hearts

And that is the common practice here,

the holy city of Jerusalem, may it be
built, although this is one of the places
where they did not customarily stand.
Still, there are synagogues, like the holy congregations of the west and the
Ashkenazim, where the entire congregation stands while the Ten Commandments
are read. They are not concerned about local custom. Certainly, this is for the
reason already stated, that this would not involve disgrace for the local custom.

This Week in Israeli History: 21 Shevat 5715 (Feb. 13 1955)

Recovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

21 Shevat is Sunday
Beginning in November 1946 and continuing in the ensuing
months, Bedouin shepherds discovered ancient parchment
scrolls in jugs in caves at Qumran, north of Ein Gedi and
near the Dead Sea. Unaware of the significance of what
would come to be called the Dead Sea Scrolls, they sold
them to antiquities dealers. Some of the Scrolls were then
sold to the Syrian Orthodox Church; archaeologist Eliezer
Sukenik succeeded in buying three others on the eve of the
November 1947 UN vote to partition Mandate Palestine.
Sukenik was the first to identify the Scrolls as the work of
the Essene sect of Jews; American scholar William Foxwell
Albright confirmed their date as 2nd century BCE.
On June 1, 1954, the Syrian Orthodox Church placed an
advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, offering their four
scrolls for sale. The Israeli government decided to pursue
them, and IDF Chief of Staff-turned-archaeologist Yigael

Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner

Yadin, son of Eliezer Sukenik, arranged their purchase for

$250,000. The funds were provided by American D. Samuel
Gottesman, whose children would dedicate the Israel
Museums Shrine of the Book in his memory.
Each scroll was flown to Israel on a separate plane, due to
their irreplaceable value. Combining this purchase with
Sukeniks earlier acquisition, the Israeli government now
owned the seven principal Scrolls. On 21 Shevat 5715
(February 13, 1955), after months of delay due to questions
regarding possible claims by the British Mandate government,
Prime Minister Moshe Sharett announced their return to
Jewish hands.
Today, the scrolls are on display at the Shrine of the Book.
They are viewed as critical evidence regarding the Torahs
ancient text, as well as Jewish life in ancient Israel.
torczyner@torontotorah.com

Weekly Highlights: Jan. 30 Feb. 5 / 20 Shevat 26 Shevat

Time

Speaker

Topic

Location

Special Notes

After Hashkamah

Yisroel Meir Rosenzweig

Midrash Rabbah

Clanton Park

After Hashkamah

R David Ely Grundland

Who or What is G-d?

Shaarei Shomayim

R Jonathan Ziring

Daf Yomi

BAYT

After minchah

R Mordechai Torczyner

Gemara Avodah Zarah:

A Combination of Causes

BAYT

6:30 PM

R David Ely Grundland

Parent-Child Learning

Shaarei Shomayim

8:45 AM

R Josh Gutenberg

Contemporary Halachah

BAYT

8:45 AM

R Jonathan Ziring

Hosheia

BAYT

Hebrew

9:15 AM

R Shalom Krell

The Book of Shemuel

Associated (North)

Hebrew

Rabbi Aaron Greenberg

Gemara Chullin

Yeshivat Or Chaim

For Chaverim

9:30 AM

Mrs. Ora Ziring

Womens Beit Midrash

Ulpanat Orot

University Students

7:30 PM

Yisroel Meir Rosenzweig

Synagogue Design

Yeshivat Or Chaim

Beit Midrash Night

Shaarei Shomayim

Beit Midrash Night

Jan. 29-30

Before minchah

Sun. Jan. 31

10:00 AM
Mon. Feb. 1

R David Ely Grundland

Daf Highlights

R Mordechai Torczyner

Medical Halachah

R David Ely Grundland

Waiting After Meat

Yeshivat Or Chaim

For Chaverim

Mrs. Ora Ziring

Womens Beit Midrash

Ulpanat Orot

University Students

1:30 PM

R Mordechai Torczyner

Iyov, Chapters 30-31

Shaarei Shomayim

7:30 PM

R Jonathan Ziring

Minhagim of Parents

BAYT

R Jonathan Ziring

Narratives of Bereishit

Yisroel Meir Rosenzweig

21st Century Sanhedrin

Shaarei Tefillah

R Mordechai Torczyner

Yehoshua, Chap. 23

49 Michael Ct.

7:30 PM
Tue. Feb. 2
9:30 AM
10:00 AM

BAYT Midrash Night 3

Wed. Feb. 3
12:30 PM
8:00 PM

Location: Contact
carollesser@rogers.com

For women

Thu. Feb. 4
1:30 PM

For women