‫בס“ד‬

Toronto Torah
Beit Midrash Zichron Dov

Parshat Behar 10 Iyar, 5771/25 Omer/May 14, 2011 Vol.2 Num. 33

Shemitah’s Mighty Warriors R’ Meir Lipschitz

‫ ברכו ה ' מלאכיו‬: ‫רבי תנחום בר חנילאי פתח‬ lie fallow, but why should there be such They know that G-d would not
‫גבורי כח עושי דברו וגו ' במה הכתוב מדבר אם‬ praise? The owner has nothing to worry command something which would lead
'‫בעליונים הכתוב מדבר והלא כבר נאמר ברכו ה‬ about! His livelihood was guaranteed for to their deaths and as such fully
‫ א" ר‬... ‫כל צבאיו הא אינו מדבר אלא בתחתונים‬ him by G-d, as the Torah tells us believe that He will provide, in
‫ בנוהג‬, ‫יצחק בשומרי שביעית הכתוב מדבר‬ (Vayikra 25:20-21): ―If you will say: keeping with the verse ―And He
‫שבעולם אדם עושה מצוה ליום א ' לשבת אחת‬ ‗What will we eat in the seventh year? provides for every living thing
‫לחודש א ' שמא לשאר ימות השנה ודין חמי‬ Behold! We will not sow and not gather (Tehillim 145:16)‖, even before the
‫חקליה ביירה כרמיה ביירה ויהבי ארנונא ושתיק‬ in our crops!‘ I will command my promise is made. This second group of
...‫יש לך גבור גדול מזה‬ blessing for you in the sixth year and it shemitah observers are the ones who
R’ Tanchum bar Chanilai said: “Bless [the land] will produce a crop sufficient are called mighty warriors.
HaShem His angels, the strong warriors for the three year period.‖ Based on this
A Jew who looks at a situation which
who do His bidding, to obey the voice of promise from G-d of an abundant crop
seems bleak, like an abandoned field,
His word.” (Tehillim 103:20) What is this prior to the shemitah year, what is the
and has absolute faith in G-d‘s ability
verse referring to? It cannot be speaking great virtue of observing the shemitah?
to provide for his needs is worthy of
about the upper realms, for it is already Perhaps the answer lies in a closer this title and praise. But it is not only
written “Bless HaShem, all His reading of the text. The text does not say this title which such a Jew deserves; he
[heavenly] hosts.” And so, it must be ―When you will ask,‖ rather it says ―If is even compared to the angels, as
speaking about the lower realms… R’ you shall ask‖, the difference being that seen in the midrash above, who
Yitzchak says: The verse is speaking one need not ask the question. This is perform the will of G-d without
about shemitah observers. It is normal not to say that G-d only blesses those question or complaint. This is one of
for one who performs a mitzvah to do so who ask the question, but rather it the highest forms of praise which man
for a day, or week, or month; could it be means that there are two types of can receive.
that he would do so for an entire year? shemitah observers. There are people
Yet this person (the owner) sees his field We are familiar with the age-old
who hear about the command of leaving
empty, abandons his vineyard, and pays question of Rashi on the first verse of
the land fallow for a year and become
his taxes in silence- is there a mightier our Parshah: What is the connection
nervous about their crop, and as such
warrior [hero] than this? between shemitah and Sinai? Perhaps a
ask the question, ―What will we eat?‖ To
deeper reading of this midrash can
them, HaShem responds ―I will
provide us with yet another way of
command my blessing…‖ On the other
We see from this Midrash (Vayikra understanding their connection. The
hand, there are those who don‘t even
Rabbah 1:1) that there is great praise— midrash states: ―…the strong warriors
ask the question; they know the
the title of ―mighty warrior‖—for one who do His bidding, to obey the voice
command to observe the shemitah and
who is silent and does not complain or of His word,‖ but those two clauses
immediately have faith in G-d‘s ability to
question how he will live as his fields would seem to be in the wrong order—
provide for them during those years.
man needs to hear a command before
he can do the commander‘s bidding!
Parshah Questions The devoted observer of shemitah is
one, who like the angels, and the Jews
(Sources are provided to help the reader find the answers) at Sinai, proclaims, ―I will do and I will
 Why does the Torah specify that the laws of shemitah were taught at Har Sinai? (25:1) (Rashi, listen.‖ This approach to the
Ramban, Ibn Ezra, Ba‘al Haturim, Chizkuni, Gur Aryeh, Ohr HaChaim, Shaarei Aharon, Rosh, observance of the Torah was our
Ma‘ayan Beit HaShoeivah, and Ner Uziel to Vayikra 25:1)
greatest merit before we were given
 What does the unusual word ‗dror‘ mean, in the sentence, ―You shall call dror throughout the the Torah, and it is this dedication to
land‖? (25:10) (Onkelos, Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and Ba‘al HaTurim to Vayikra 25:10) shemitah and mitzvah observance in
 What is the difference between the terms neshech and tarbit, which both seem to refer to general which will earn us the title
prohibited interest? (25:37) (Bava Metzia 60b, Tosafot Bava Metzia 60b, Malbim to Vayikra ―mighty warrior‖ and grant us G-d‘s
25:37) blessings now and in the future.
 For children: What do we do to ―sanctify the fiftieth year‖? (25:10) (Rashi, Ibn Ezra to Vayikra mlipschitz@torontotorah.com
25:10)
Educating our Children, Teaching Ourselves R’ Netanel Javasky

‫ כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה את בניו ואת‬illustrated this importance with the Tosafot asks that there is a mitzvah of
‫ ביתו אחריו ושמרו דרך ה' לעשות צדקה‬following gemara in Baba Batra (60b): pru u’rvu, procreation, which contin-
‫ומשפט למען הביא ה ' על אברהם את‬ ues to exist in the face of our enemies‘
:‫אשר דבר עליו‬ ‫ שגוזרת‬, ‫ומיום שפשטה מלכות הרשעה‬ restrictions on our way of life. How
‫ ומבטלת ממנו‬,‫עלינו גזירות רעות וקשות‬ could the Rabbis have decreed that
For I have loved him, because he com- ‫ ואין מנחת אותנו ליכנס‬, ‫תורה ומצות‬ we stop having children, in violation
mands his children and his household ‫ דין‬, ‫ לישוע הבן‬: ‫ ואמרי לה‬, ‫לשבוע הבן‬ of this mitzvah?
after him that they keep the way of ‫הוא שנגזור על עצמנו שלא לישא אשה‬
Hashem, doing charity and justice, in ‫ ונמצא זרעו של אברהם‬, ‫ולהוליד בנים‬ On a more basic and fundamental
order that Hashem might then bring ‫ אלא הנח להם‬,‫אבינו כלה מאליו‬ level there seems to be something
upon Avraham that which He had spo- ‫ מוטב שיהיו שוגגין ואל יהיו‬, ‫לישראל‬ perplexing about the theoretical re-
ken of him. (Artscroll translation to .‫מזידין‬ sponse of the Rabbis. At first glance,
Breishit 18:19) their response of forbidding us to pro-
From the day that the evil empire create, leading to the ultimate de-
These words serve as a prelude to began to rule over us, creating struction of the Jewish people, seems
Hashem informing Avraham of the decrees upon us and not allowing to capitulate to the desires of our ene-
looming doom of the city of Sodom. us to study Torah or perform Mitz- mies. Their ultimate goal is our de-
The pasuk tells us that there was one vot, the proper response would struction as a unique people and the
specific quality that Avraham carried have been that we stop procreat- Rabbis would, in theory, hasten this
which was the impetus for this revela- ing and the children of Israel process! How are we to make sense
tion on behalf of Hashem. It wasn‘t would cease to exist. However, of this?
that Avraham was a paradigm of che- let Israel continue (having chil-
sed, kindness, or the fact that he was dren, and do not declare that they Rav Twersky explained that appar-
always eager and prepared to follow should change their behaviour) as ently the gemara is saying that the
the will of Hashem - no matter the it is better that they act uninten- answer to both questions is ―Yes‖.
stakes – but it was the mere fact that tionally than that they sin inten- The Rabbis, in theory, would‘ve had
Avraham commands and instructs his tionally. no choice but to ―take away‖ the mitz-
children, the future generation, to vah of procreation and inevitably has-
follow in His ways which served as his The gemara seems to be saying that ten the process of our self-
redeeming quality. In fact, R‘ Meir the appropriate response to the re- destruction. Apparently, the Rabbis
Simcha of Dvinsk writes in his strictive measures of our enemies are teaching us that under these cir-
Meshech Chochma that we learn from would be to stop having children – cumstances – without the ability to
this pasuk that the general notion of ultimately leading to self-destruction learn Torah or perform mitzvot – there
chinuch is a mitzvah deoraita. as a People. The gemara says that the is no longer a mitzvah of having chil-
only reason why this isn‘t the proper dren and there is no longer a point to
The importance of this mitzvah and its course of action is because people existing at all. Having children is not
critical nature and impact on the fu- would continue having children any- the end goal in the mitzvah of pru
ture state of the Jewish people are way, against the recommendations of u‘rvu; it is about having children that
matters which are both known and the Rabbis, and therefore the Rabbis we can raise, b‘derech Hashem -
obvious to all. Rav Mayer Twersky chose not to say anything. mimicking our father Avraham.
This most important of tasks must ob-
613 Mitzvot: Mitzvot 92, 113 viously not stop with our children.
While the notion of ―learning for the
Eating, Cooking, or benefiting from meat and milk mixtures sake of teaching‖ is something we are
familiar with, we also must be
The Torah prohibits a Jew from mixtures have been staples of ―teaching for the sake of learning‖.
eating meat/milk mixtures or idolatry, historically. Others suggest Whenever we encounter a teachable
benefiting therefrom (Mitzvah 113). that there is no rational explanation. moment, an opportunity to teach our
For all three of these prohibitions The Sefer haChinuch suggests that fellow Jew, we must make sure to look
the Torah simply says not to ―cook‖ this is part of a general biblical in the mirror and teach ourselves as
them, implying that the biblical concept of separating natural well. The Torah scholar is known as a
prohibitions apply specifically opposites. We do not interbreed talmid chacham, because he contin-
where the two are cooked together. species of animals, we don‘t graft ues to be a student, learning from oth-
Separately, the Torah prohibits different plant species, we don‘t ers as well as himself. Throughout our
cooking such mixtures (Mitzvah wear clothing of mixed wool and lives we should strive both to be
92). linen (shaatnez), and we keep meat teacher and learners, following in the
Diverse reasons are offered to and milk separate. ways of Avraham and derech Hashem.
explain this set of prohibitions.
njavasky@torontotorah.com
Some suggest that meat/milk torczyner@torontotorah.com

2 Visit us at www.torontotorah.com
 Ha’Am V’Ha’Aretz
R’ Shalom Noach Berezovsky– Netivot Shalom David Teller
Rabbi Shalom Noach Berezovsky was
Torah in Translation born on the 14th of Av 5671 in the town
Netivot Shalom of Mosh, close to Slonim. He married
the daughter of the Rebbe of Slonim,
Parshat Behar Rabbi Avraham Weinberg, and moved
Kibbutz Yad Mordechai
Along the way to independence
some places in Israel present
heroism and Mesirut Nefesh;
Kibbutz Yad Mordechai is one of
those.

We can say to this that behold the to Israel in 1935 to help rebuild the The community was founded in the
purpose of the creation that G-d created Slonim sect of chassidut, which was 1930s by Hashomer Hatzair
is for the Jewish people to become a holy nearly destroyed in the Holocaust. In members from Poland and initially
nation to G-d, as the verse says, ―And you 5702 the Beit Avraham Slonim yeshiva organized themselves in a kibbutz
shall be to me a kingdom of kohanim and was established in the Mea She‘arim called Mitzpe Yam close to Netanya,
a holy nation (Shemot 19:6),‖ ―People of neighborhood in Jerusalem, and Rav which was founded in 1936.
holiness shall you be to me (Shemot Shalom began teaching there. In a few However, the 14 dunams allocated
22:30),‖ ―Holy you shall be for holy am I years he would become the Rosh to the kibbutz were too small and
Hashem, your G-d (Vayikra 19:2),‖ Yeshiva. He served as a member of the insufficient to develop the kibbutz .
meaning that the mission of Klal Yisrael is directorate of the "independent" As a result, the community moved to
holiness. Holiness exists in school system in Israel and on the an area near Ashkelon in December
―olam‖ (place), ―shanah‖ (time) and Council of Torah Sages of Agudath 1943, naming the new settlement in
―nefesh‖ (being), such that when holiness Israel, as well as in the presidency of memory of Mordechai Anielewicz,
encompasses all three sections - place, the committee of yeshivot. At this time who died fighting the Nazis while
time and being - then it is the height of he authored the Netivot Shalom series commanding the Jewish Fighting
holiness. and began publishing many previous Organization in the Warsaw Ghetto.
works of the previous Slonimer
Therefore, Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave the Rebbes. The Netivot Shalom series, In May of 1948, during Israel's War
land of Israel to the Jewish people, in which has volumes on the parshah, of Independence, the kibbutz was
order that they would have holiness of Jewish holidays and general topics in attacked by Egypt in what later
place. As Rabbi Yehudah Halevi wrote, J ew ish t hought , ha s a chiev ed became known as the Battle of Yad
the connection of the land of Israel to the widespread popularity, beyond the Mordechai. 16 Palma"ch members
nation of Israel is like the case of a confines of traditional Chassidic batei and 130 settlers fought for 6 days
vineyard whose growth is only successful midrah. This is in part due to Rabbi against the Egyptian army, and their
on a mountain. Indeed, even on the Shalom‘s clear and illuminating writing stand in battle gave the young state
mountain one needs to plant and work the style, deep and insightful commentary of Israel precious time to be
vineyard for it to be successful, but the and omission of the heavier kabbalistic engaged in fighting at other
place that is uniquely suited for the references which characterize many battlefields. After the battle the
success of the vineyard is the mountain. Chassidic works and make them Kibbutz was destroyed. On October
In this vein, all of the success of klal difficult for the masses to fully 1948, Kibbutz Yad Mordechai was re
yisrael, the holiness of klal yisrael and appreciate. -occupied by Israel as a part of the
their Torah, their service of G-d, and the Yoav operation.
Many Slonimer Chassidim began
resting of the Shechinah upon them is
accepting Rav Shalom as their rebbe The kibbutz hosts a giant statue of
only in the land of Israel, for holiness of
during the end of his father in law‘s Anilewicz clutching a grenade;
place is necessary.
life. This sparked a protest as others crafted by Nathan Rapoport, it is set
For ―holiness of time‖ Hakadosh Baruch felt that Rabbi Avraham Weinberg on a hilltop next to the kibbutz's
Hu gave the Jewish people Shabbat, should remain the leader of Slonim water tower. The tower itself was
which is the wellspring of holiness. As the chassidut until his passing. Today, restored after being destroyed by
verse says, ―and G-d blessed the seventh Slonim Chassidut is divided into two the Egyptians. The kibbutz also has
day and He sanctified it (Bereishit 2:3),‖ large sects, one headed by the
a museum devoted to Anielewicz
and Reishit Chachmah explains that the Ber ezovsky family ( under the
and his fighting in the Ghetto, as
holy Shabbat is the wellspring and source leadership of Rabbi Shalom‘s son), the
well as to the Battle of Yad
of holiness for all matters of holiness for other headed by the original
Mordechai.
the Nation of Israel whose ultimate Weinberg dynasty. Rabbi Shalom
purpose is to be a holy nation. Noach Berezovsky passed away on the The economy of the Kibbutz is based
th
For ―holiness of being‖ we were taught 14 of Av 5760 (August 8, 2000). on agriculture, tourism and their
the mitzvah of ―Holy you shall be‖ and ―A famous honey-factory. During the
dteller@torontotorah.com last few years the Kibbutz has been
people of holiness you shall be.‖
Baruch Hu desired for His nation under the attack of Kassam rockets,
This is the height of holiness - when
Yisrael, and the highest intent of along with Sderot, Netivot, Ashkelon
holiness of place, holiness of time, and
Creation, that Israel should be a holy and Beer-Sheva.
holiness of being are joined. Through this
nation.
we fulfill the purpose that Hakadosh

Visit us at www.torontotorah.com 3
 Parshah Answers R’ Mordechai Toczyner

Why does the Torah specify that the
laws of shemitah were taught at Har
Sinai?
 Rashi cites a midrash to explain that
we are meant to learn that just as the
general principles and specific details of
shemitah were taught at Har Sinai, so the
general principles and specific details of
all mitzvot were taught at Har Sinai. Rashi
adds that agricultural shemitah, unlike
most mitzvot, was not repeated in the
book of Devarim. This omission in
Devarim makes the mitzvah‘s explication
at Sinai more obvious. We are meant to
extrapolate that just as this mitzvah was
clearly presented at Sinai, so all mitzvot
were presented at Sinai. Ramban
disputes this additional comment,
though, arguing that (a) additional
mitzvot were not presented in Devarim,
and (b) if shemitah is truly unique in its
presentation, then I have no reason to
extrapolate the status of other mitzvot
from shemitah.
 Ibn Ezra suggests that the mitzvah
of shemitah was actually presented to the
Jews with its initial mention in Parshat
Mishpatim, along with the laws recorded
in our parshah. The laws are
transplanted to our parshah in order to
fit with this section‘s general discussion
of laws related to the land of Israel – but
the Torah notes that the laws were
actually presented ―at Har Sinai,‖ back in
Parshat Mishpatim.
 Ramban contends that the Torah
emphasizes that shemitah had been part
of the original covenant at Har Sinai when
Moshe first brought the Jews the Torah,
before the Golden Calf, but that it was
being repeated now, with his ascension to
receive the second set of luchot [tablets],
to be included in a renewed covenant.
 Chizkuni understands ―at Har Sinai‖
to mean that this mitzvah was told to
Moshe before he descended the
mountain, and before the Golden Calf.
The section was moved to this point
because some of its mitzvot relate to the
kohanim, whose general laws appear in
this section.
 The Baal haTurim suggests that the
mention of Har Sinai was not in reference
to shemitah at all. Rather, it was because
of the previous section, regarding the
blasphemer. The Torah emphasized that
the blasphemer ignored the mitzvah of
―You shall not take My Name in vain‖
stated at Sinai.
What does the unusual word „dror‟
mean, in the sentence, “You shall call
dror throughout the land”?
 Onkelos renders dror as cheiruta, or
freedom, as does Ibn Ezra. Rashi
explains that the root of dror is in the
word dirah, ‗dwelling‘, for a free person
may live wherever he chooses.
 Baal haTurim adds that the gematria
of dror (‫ )דרור‬is 410, which is the number
of years that the first Beit haMikdash
stood.
What is the difference between the
terms neshech and tarbit, which both
seem to refer to prohibited interest?
 Rava (Bava Metzia 60b) explains that
neshech and tarbit actually refer to the
same prohibited practice of charging
interest, but the Torah mentioned the
prohibition twice in order to double the
prohibition.
 Tosafot there adds that the Torah
used two unique words, rather than state
one of them twice, because the use of
two synonymous terms would be more
euphonious.
Malbim says that each word emphasizes
a different aspect of interest – neshech,
literally a ‗bite‘, refers to charging the
borrower more than was lent to him, and
tarbit, literally an ‗increase‘, refers to
giving the lender more than he lent out.
For children: What do we do to
“sanctify the fiftieth year”?
 Rashi says we sanctify the year with
an official declaration by a beit din
(court).
 Ibn Ezra says we make the year
holy by keeping ourselves from working
the land.
torczyner@torontotorah.com

Schedule for the Week of May 14, 10 Iyar

Shabbat, May 14
7:45AM R‘ Azarya Berzon, Ramban:, Or Chaim
10:15AM R‘ Azarya Berzon, post-Hashkama shiur, Clanton Park
One Hour Before Mincha: R‘ Berzon, Kiddushin, Mizrachi Bayit
Sunday, May 15
9:15AM Itamar Zolberg: Parshah&Issues b‘Ivrit, Zichron Yisroel
9:30AM R‘ Mordechai Torczyner, R‘ Marc Penner and R‘ Asher
Vale, with DANI: Special Needs: What Halachah Expects 9:15AM R‘ Mordechai Torczyner: The Supernatural: Life After Death, Part
from the Jewish Community, BAYT
6:30PM R‘ Azarya Berzon: Gemara Kiddushin, Shaarei Shomayim 12:30PM R‘ Mordechai Torczyner: Business Ethics: Jewish Internet
7:30PM R‘ Azarya Berzon: Introduction to Masechet Makkot,
Shaarei Shomayim
Monday, May 16
7:15PM R‘ Meir Lipschitz, The Thought of R‘ Shlomo Aviner:
Pesach, 3000 Bathurst, Apt 1201, Women
7:30PM R‘ Azarya Berzon, Rambam Hilchot Tfillah, Clanton Park 7:30PM R‘ Netanel Javasky: Landmark Halachic Responsa, Bnai Torah
7:30PM David Teller, Rambam Hakdama to Cheilek: The
Messianic Era, Kehillat Shaarei Torah
8:45PM R‘ Meir Lipschitz, Gemara Beitzah Chaburah, Shaarei
Shomayim
After Maariv R‘ Azarya Berzon, Ramban al Hatorah, 12 Midvale
Road
Tuesday, May 17
1:30PM R‘ Mordechai Torczyner: Michah, at Shaarei Shomayim,
with Mekorot: The Grand Teshuvah Finale
7:30PM R‘ Berzon: Tools for Brisk, Thornhill Community Shul
7:30PM R‘ Mordechai Torczyner: Minchat Chinuch at Clanton Park,
Holding a non-Jew‘s Chametz
8:30PM Dovid Zirkind: Interactive Parshah, Westmount Learning Centre -
cancelled
8:30PM R‘ Berzon: Halachic Business Ethics, Thornhill Community Shul
Wednesday, May 18
III, 239 Franklin Women, Babysitting provided:
Etiquette, at Zeifman‘s - 201 Bridgeland Ave.
6:35PM R‘ Berzon, Highlights of the Week‘s Shiurim, Clanton Park
After Maariv: R‘ Azarya Berzon: Sfirat Ha‘Omer, Shomrei Shabbos C.M.
8:00PM Itamar Zolberg: Discover Ruth, Bnai Torah, Women
Thursday, May 19
8:00 PM David Teller, Da Et Atzmecha, Westmount Learning Center,
Women
After Maariv R‘ Azarya Berzon: Rav Soloveitchik on the Mitzva of Kriyat
Shma, Clanton Park
9:00PM Dovid Zirkind: The Contemporary Shul Part 2 of 4, BAYT (youth
minyan room), Colllegiate women
10:00PM R‘ Azarya Berzon: Rambam Hilchot Talmud Torah, Clanton Park
Monday - Friday 6 AM R‟ Mordechai Torczyner: Daf Yomi, BAYT

4 We would like to thank koshertube.com for filming our shiurim! Visit us at www.torontotorah.com