Toronto Torah

Yeshiva University Torah MiTzion Beit Midrash Zichron Dov

Parshiyot Behar-Bechukotai

27 Iyar, 5775/May 16, 2015

Vol. 6 Num. 32

This issue of Toronto Torah is sponsored by Esther and Craig Guttmann and Family

Yerushalayim: See the World to Come in the World that Is Rabbi Baruch Weintraub
If you will follow My statutes and
observe My commandments and
perform them, I will send your rains in
their time, the land will yield its
produce, and the tree of the field will
give forth its fruit. (Vayikra 26:3-4)
These promises of prosperity, given by
Hashem to his people, have puzzled
the commentators for many
generations. Their perplexity has
stemmed less from what the Torah
says, and more from what is absent. In
the words of Don Isaac Abarbanel,
Why is it that all of the rewards
promised by the Torah are physical?
Why were the people not promised the
perfection of their soul and its reward
in the afterlife, since that is the end of
all men and their true success?
As Abarbanel notes, this question was
not only philosophical or
interpretative; rather, it carried a
heavy existential weight, as it was
used by Christians to undermine the
Jews hope to be compensated in the
afterlife for their sufferings in this
world. Christian theologians (some of
them converted Jews) who claimed
that the Torah never promised the
Jews a reward in the afterlife mocked
this hope.
Abarbanel offered no fewer than seven
different answers. We will briefly
present six of them here:
1. Rambam The Torah omits
otherworldly reward in order to
encourage altruistic mitzvot; the
passages describing reward in this
world are meant to promise the
means to serve Hashem without
disruption.

2.

3.

4.

5.
6.

Ibn Ezra The Torah omits

discussion of reward in the afterlife
because it is a spiritual concept
beyond the understanding of most
people. Hashem promised a reward
which could be understood by all.
Rabbeinu Bachya The Torah
omits explanation of the afterlifes
reward because it is a natural
phenomenon; the rewards
described in the Torah are
miraculous.
Rabbi Saadia Gaon The Torah
promises reward in order to fight
the attraction of idolatry. Since
priests of idolatry promise physical
reward, the Torah also offers
promises in that realm.
Ramban The Torah promises
national reward, and the afterlife is
a personal experience.
Kuzari The Torah does not
promise that which cannot be
proved; the Torah puts its words to
the test by presenting promises for
this world.

All of these answers are intriguing, but I

would focus on the seventh answer
presented by Abarbanel, also in the
name of Rabbi Yehuda Halevi in his
Kuzari. According to this answer, a
close reading of our parshah will reveal
that the Torah did indeed choose to
address the people with a reward for
this world. However, the reward is not
physical. The promise made by Hashem
is, I will place My dwelling in your
midst,I will walk among you and be
your G-d, and you will be My
people. (Vayikra 26:11-12) The goal is
not only a spiritual elevation in a
strictly spiritual world, but a deep
spiritual experience here on Earth.

Abarbanel notes that this view solves

the problem of the missing afterlife. If
G-d promises spiritual satisfaction while
the soul is confined in a material body,
how much more so will it be in the
afterlife, with the physical weights
finally removed. However, we will focus
on the meaning that this explanation
gives to our world. If we were to
formulate this meaning in one word, it
would be: Redemption.
What the Torah promises us, according
to this point of view, is the abilty to
redeem this world. It enables us to go
beyond merely seeing this world as a
corridor leading to a completely different
and altered existence, connected to it
only by the means of actions and
consequences, and into seeing our
mission in this world as rebuilding the
corridor into the main room. The world
to come is here within, waiting for us to
expose it - and so is G-d.
Yerushalayim, in itself, embodies this
dream of connecting heaven and earth
a heavenly and a physical city merged
into one. Its liberation 48 years ago let
us glimpse, for a short time, how the
world can look like when the promise of,
I will walk among you and be your G-d,
and you will be My people begins its
realization.
Yom Yerushalayim sameach, and may
we merit the completion of our
redemption!
bweintraub@torontotorah.com

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Book Review: The Rav Speaks

The Rav Speaks
Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik
English, trans. from Yiddish
Judaica Press, 2002
About this book
In 1950s and 1960s America, Rabbi
Yosef Dov Soloveitchik was the
rabbinical leader of Religious Zionist
Judaism. Although he had been a
member of American Agudas Yisroels
Moetzes Gedolei haTorah in the 1940s,
in the ensuing years Rabbi Soloveitchik
came to believe that Religious Zionism
was the path most desirable to Hashem,
and he joined Mizrachi.
Renowned for his erudition, wisdom
and integrity, Rabbi Soloveitchik
inspired many thousands of followers
with his eloquent, Torah-grounded
presentation of a worldview that
mandated careful halachic observance
and vigorous support for the State of
Israel. One articulation of his ideas on
Zionism came in his Kol Dodi Dofek
1956 Hebrew address delivered on Yom
haAtzmaut, 1956, at Yeshiva University
(reviewed in Toronto Torah 6:12).
Another was in his set of five Yiddish
addresses to the annual conventions of
Mizrachi between 1962 and 1967.
These addresses were translated into
Hebrew and published as Chamesh

Derashot, and later into English as The

Rav Speaks. In these addresses, Rabbi
Soloveitchik articulated a profound
philosophy of Zionism and a robust
vision for religious political activism in
a modern State of Israel.
Each of the five addresses examines
elements and themes from the book of
Bereishit, and applies them to the
Religious Zionist mission. For example,
the first talk examines the conflicting
visions of Joseph and his brothers,
and identifies Josephs message of
leaving comfortable Canaan with that
of the Zionists who left Europe for then
-Palestine. In another example, the
second talk studies the relationship
between Yaakov and Esav as
envisioned by their parents, and
identifies Rivkahs model with that of
Mizrachi. The speeches are in
relatively simple language, meant to
appeal to a popular audience.
Is this book still relevant?
In the preface to the Hebrew edition,
the publishers write, Although these
speeches were presented in historical
circumstances which differ from our
own, we hope that readers will find
that these speeches, with the insights
and values they present, contain light
to illuminate our path today as well.

613 Mitzvot: #436: To destroy idolatry

Many of the Torahs mitzvot focus on separating the Jewish
nation from the idols of their neighbours. This includes
prohibitions against worshipping idols (Mitzvot 28 and 29 in
the count of Sefer haChinuch), producing idols (Mitzvot 27
and 39), and owning or using idols (Mitzvot 428 and 429). In
addition, there is a mitzvah of distancing ones self from
idolatry, in its various forms. (Mitzvot 86, 87 and 462) In
Devarim 12:2, the Jews entering the land of Canaan are
given an additional command, You shall destroy all of the
places where the nations serve [their idols]. This is
numbered by Sefer haChinuch as the Torahs 436th mitzvah.
Of course, a Jew living in the age of Al Qaeda and ISIS must
be somewhat disturbed by this mitzvah; are we meant to be
the equals of rampaging terrorists, invading lands and
demolishing their museums and heritage sites?
It is hard to find any resolution which will fully address this
concern, but two points are worth noting:

The Torah does not anticipate an ISIS-esque rampage.

The obligation is not to seek out idolatry wherever it is
located; the command is specific to the land of Israel.
(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Avodah Zarah 7:1)
Further, the obligation does not extend to attacking
ruins, museums and defunct sites dedicated to tourism;
when people who worship an idol abandon its service,
the idol loses its status. (Rambam, Mishneh Torah,
Hilchot Avodah Zarah 8:11)

On a philosophical level, the Torah commands the

destruction of idolatry because it perceives in idolatry a
profound offense to G-d, as well as a primary root for the
worst human corruption.

Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner

In this reviewers mind, the speeches
certainly succeed in this regard. They
respond to practical challenges, and
their message is timeless.
In one of these five speeches, Rabbi
Soloveitchik coined a fourteenth Ani
Maamin declaration of faith for the
Jewish people: What is this Ani
Maamin? It is expressed in a simple
declaration: I believe, with complete
faith, that this Torah is to be fulfilled,
actualized and fully executed in every
place and every era, in all social,
financial and cultural circumstances,
in all technological circumstances and
political conditions. Torah is to be
actualized, whether in the simple
society and homogeneous market of
the ghetto or in the modern,
scientifically developed and designed
society, in which the Jew is an integral
part of his environs beyond any
connection with his personal domain.
Torah is to be actualized whether in
exile, where it relates to the personal
life of the Jew, or in the Jewish state,
where it is required to address novel
challenges and to encompass, as well,
the structures of communal life. This
is but one worthy example of the
eternally relevant messages found
within The Rav Speaks.
torczyner@torontotorah.com

Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner

The Torah links idolatry with socially perverse
communities. From the humiliation of intoxicated
Noach involving his son Cham and his grandson
Canaan, to Avrahams warning about the debauchery of
Egypt and the Philistines in Grar, to the barbaric
abuses of Sdom, to the rape and lawlessness of
Shechem, the book of Bereishit conveys the message
that the societys of pagan Canaan paired idolatry with
the greatest immorality. This is not taken as mere
correlation, but as cause and effect; Vayikra 18:3 warns
the Jew not to emulate the deeds of the lands of Egypt
and Canaan, and then it launches into a list of varieties
of sexual immorality capped by a prohibition against
worship of the Moloch idolatry. Through the biblical
lens, an embrace of pantheism brings with it social
irresponsibility, and an emulation of the hedonism
associated with the pantheons own deities.
In this light, idolatry is not only a personal peccadillo
which is between G-d and the individual, such that
modern society might say To each his own, but a
pernicious undermining of our world on levels both
spiritual and physical. In a world which no longer sees
idolatry that way, it is understandable that we will feel
more comfortable with relativism than with the rampage
but perhaps we ought to then ask ourselves: Does
anything deserve destruction?
This mitzvah remains difficult to accept, but it raises
questions deserving our contemplation.
torczyner@torontotorah.com

Visit us at www.torontotorah.com

Biography

Torah and Translation

Rabbi Yitzchak Arama

Why doesnt the Torah link

Matan Torah and Shavuot?

Rabbi Josh Gutenberg

Adapted from a biography
written by Rabbi Adam Frieberg
Rabbi Yitzchak Arama was born in Spain
in 1420. After serving as head of a
rabbinical academy in Zamora, Spain, he
became a community teacher in
Tarragona. Later he served as the
community rabbi in Calatayud until he
was expelled with the rest of Spanish
Jewry in 1492. He then settled in Naples,
Italy, where he died in 1494.
Like many Spanish scholars of his time,
Rabbi Arama was a Talmudist; he
considered the study of Talmud to be
extremely important. He was despondent
when the community in Tarragona was
unable to financially support his
students, forcing him to move on and
leave those students behind.
In addition to his focus on the Talmud,
Rabbi Arama was well-versed in both
Jewish and secular philosophy. This was
especially important in medieval Spain,
where no community leader would be
respected without this knowledge. He
was fluent in Maimonidean philosophy,
although he did not always agree with all
of its positions. His thought was largely
influenced by the Zohar and Rabbi
Yehudah HaLevi, and this is evident in
his work.
Rabbi Arama wrote a prominent
commentary to the Torah, Akeidat
Yitzchak. The commentary consists of
over one hundred lectures on the weekly
parshah. Each lecture includes a
passage from the Zohar and a
philosophical discourse based on that
passage. His ideas are often quoted in
Don Isaac Abarbanels commentary to
the Torah, although he usually is not
cited by name. Some of his other written
works include a commentary on the five
megillot as well as a commentary on
Mishlei. His works were so influential
that the Chida wrote of him, some 250
years later, All of the writings of the
orators drink from his faithful waters.
jgutenberg@torontotorah.com

Visit us at www.torontotorah.com

Rabbi Yitzchak Arama, Akeidat Yitzchak, Emor Shaar 65

Translated by Rabbi Josh Gutenberg

:

,
,


,
?

Behold, there is a strong question here

which is: Why didnt the Torah explicitly
state that [on] this day, which is the
holiday of Shavuot, we should remember
and make it a remembrance of the
giving of the Divine Torah and its
acceptance? This would be logical, given
our established custom, and the custom
of our ancestors, in the text of our
prayers and the Torah reading, to state
[similar remembrances] regarding the
holidays of Pesach and Sukkot, and also
on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?
I have two answers to resolve this:

,







:

First, there is no way for the Torah to

command this other than after it is
accepted, just as the earlier rabbis wrote
that there is no reason that [belief in]
the existence of G-d [should be
considered a] commandment, because
there are no commandments without
assuming that G-ds existence is a
commandment. For this reason Bahag
did not include it in his count of the
commandments, as Ramban writes in
his [comments on] Sefer haMitzvot.
Similarly, how could the Torah
command us to celebrate the day of
accepting [the Torah] and the beginning
of its existence, unless we had already
accepted this matter to be true?

,
( ,
)


,
.) , (
...)(

( )
.
.

The second [reason] is that

commemorating the Torah and its
acceptance cannot be [limited] to a
specific time like other matters of the
holidays. This commandment [applies]
every day, every moment and every hour
as is written, The book of Torah shall
not move from your mouth, and you
shall meditate upon it day and
night. (Yehoshua 1:8) Every single day
we are commanded [to view the Torah]
as new and beloved in our eyes like [it
was on the] day it was given, as is
written, On this day G-d, your Lord,
commands you... (Devarim 26:16) as
explained by Midrash Tanchuma (Ki
Tavo)... Regarding the giving of the
Torah, [the Torah] relied upon the
publicity written explicitly in the section,
In the third month (Shemot 19) which
is clear exposure which cannot be
ignored. And both answers are correct in
my eyes.

This Week in Israeli History: 28 Iyar, 1904

Rabbi Kook Makes Aliyah

Yisroel Meir Rosenzweig

28 Iyar is Sunday
Made Aliyah to the Holy Land on 28 Iyar 5664 (1904). Went
up to Yerushalayim on 3 Elul 5679 (1918). Rose to Heaven on
3 Elul 5695 (1935).
These simple words are inscribed upon Rabbi Avraham
Yitzchak HaKohen Kooks tombstone on the Mount of
Olives. While they dont appear to detail any of Rabbi Kooks
tremendous accomplishments, they do speak to the essence
of his character. His focus in life was to always climb
upwards, both physically and spiritual. The fruits of his
growth made an indelible impact on modern Jewish life in
and out of Israel.
After serving as Rabbi of several towns in Europe, Rav Kook
was invited to serve as the Rabbi of Jaffa and its
surrounding areas. Upon accepting the offer, he and his
family made Aliyah on the 28th of Iyyar, beginning a period
of incredible productivity. Until this point, Rabbi Kooks
unique philosophy had been in its fledgling stages, and now

it could truly flourish. Fueled by the inspiration that he found

in Israel, Rabbi Kooks literary accomplishments during his
time in Jaffa include the opening sections of Orot HaTeshuvah,
as well as his important treatise on the laws of Shemitah,
Shabbat HaAretz.
The newspaper, Hashkafah from May 19, 1904 printed a short
portrayal of the communitys reception of Rabbi Kook on his
first Shabbat in Jaffa. He is described as having, [L]eft a very
good impression upon the community being addressed, for the
Rabbi spoke in a clear, pure Hebrew. The Sefardim also
understood his words and enjoyed them. In another article,
the writer concludes, We hope that, in his days, peace comes
and rests upon our city. Rabbi Kooks lasting legacy should
indeed be a source of peace in our days as well.
To access the Hashkafah articles in their original, please see
http://goo.gl/stjqxv and http://goo.gl/OEvw9W.
yrosenzweig@torontotorah.com

Weekly Highlights: May 16 May 22 / 27 Iyar 4 Sivan

Time

Speaker

Topic

Location

Special Notes

After Hashkamah

Yisroel Meir Rosenzweg

Is there a berachah on
Kiddush Hashem?

Clanton Park

5:30 PM

R David Ely Grundland

Parent-Child Learning

Shaarei Shomayim

5:30 PM

R Mordechai Torczyner

Good Fences Make

Good Neighbours

BAYT

Womens Shiur

R Josh Gutenberg

Daf Yomi

BAYT

Rabbis Classroom

R Mordechai Torczyner

Gemara Avodah Zarah:

Aphrodites Bath?

BAYT

West Wing Library

May 15-16

Before Pirkei Avot

After minchah
Sun. May 17
8:30 AM

Yom Yerushalayim
Special Minyan for Yom Yerushalayim
At Zichron Yisroel of the AHS, 300 Atkinson Ave, Thornhill

8:45 AM

R Josh Gutenberg

Contemporary Halachah:
Starting Shabbat Early

BAYT

Third floor

9:15 AM

R Shalom Krell

Kuzari

Zichron Yisroel

With light breakfast

R Mordechai Torczyner

Book of Job: G-d as Enemy

Shaarei Shomayim

Tues. May 19
1:30 PM
Wed. May 20

Rosh Chodesh Sivan

8:15 PM

R Mordechai Torczyner

Is There a Mitzvah of
Getting a Job?

BAYT

Thornhill BYachad
Night of Learning

R Mordechai Torczyner

The Book of Yehoshua

49 Michael Ct.
Thornhill

Not this week

R Mordechai Torczyner

Advanced Shemitah

Yeshivat Or Chaim

Not this week

Thu. May 21
1:30 PM
Fri. May 22
10:30 AM

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