Parshat Beshalach

13 Shevat, 5776/January 23, 2016

Vol. 7 Num. 20

This issue of Toronto Torah is dedicated by Esther and Craig Guttmann

for a Refuah Sheleimah for Sarah Leiba bat Slavka

From Pillar of Fire to Fire of Torah

And G-d went before them by day
(yomam) in a pillar of cloud, to lead
them along the way (haderech), and by
night (laylah) in a pillar of fire, to give
them light, to go by day and by
night: the pillar of cloud by day, and
the pillar of fire by night, did not
depart (lo yamish) from before the
people. (Shemot 13:21-22)
After miraculously crushing the
Egyptians will through ten plagues,
G-d took the Jewish people out of
Egypt to be His own, His firstborn, His
chosen people. G-d expressed his love
and commitment to His people by
personally acting as their guide
through the desert, sending two
manifestations of His presence, the
cloud and the fire, to walk in front of
the camp.
The Talmud Yerushalmi (Shabbat 7:2)
highlights the power of this travelling
experience. The Talmud notes that on
Shabbat, one is only liable for violating
the melachah of boneh (building) if one
builds a permanent structure.
However, as the Talmud records in
several places, the categories of
prohibited activities on Shabbat are
derived from those actions performed
in the building of the miskhan, the
Tabernacle. In the case of the mishkan,
however, the building was temporary
the mishkan was dismantled and
reconstructed each time the Jews
travelled! Doesnt this prove that even
building a temporary structure should
be forbidden on Shabbat? In response,
the Yerushalmi notes that since they
travelled according to the word [of Gd], it was as if it endured forever.
What this seems to mean is that
building is considered temporary only

when ones mind se t d wells on

transience. However, the Jews did not
view the encampments as temporary
even when travelling they experienced
permanence. Wherever they were, no
matter for how long or short, they were
just doing as G-d said. They were
guided by the will of the Eternal one, so
for all they cared, wherever G-d told
them to be, they could be forever. [See,
however, the second position there.]
Did this experience evaporate when the
Jews finally left the desert forty years
later, when they entered the Land of
Israel? Do we no longer have G-d
guiding us in our day-to-day lives? It
seems that G-d continues to direct us,
even if it is no longer through clouds
and fire.
As the Jews were about to enter the
Land, G-d said, This book of the Torah
shall not depart (lo yamush) from your
mouth, and you shall meditate on it day
and night, so that you may observe all
that is written in it; for then your way
(derachecha) will be prosperous and
succeed. (Yehoshua 1:8) Here, as in the
case of the fire and cloud, we have
something from G-d which does not
depart (lo yamish/yamush), day or night
(yomam, laylah). In the earlier case, G-d
used these tools to guide them on the
path (haderech), and in the latter,
following the Torah will make their way
(derech) successful. Furthermore, the
leader in this new era was Yehoshua,
who is identified as he who did not
depart from (lo yamish) from the tent of
Moshe, and who was fully committed to
imbibing the lessons G-d had given
Moshe face-to-face. (Shemot 33:11) To
complete the connection, the Torah
itself is referred to as fire (Yirmiyahu

Rabbi Jonathan Ziring

23:29, Berachot 22b). Torah became
G-ds way of guiding us for the rest of
history.
Rabbenu Bechaye (Shemot 13:21) cites
a midrash that hints at this connection:
To go by day and by night they were
going to receive the Torah about which
it says and you shall meditate on it day
and night. G-d temporarily guided
them with the cloud and fire so that He
could give them the Torah, the
permanent guide of the Jewish people,
that ensures that no matter what we do,
we have the word of G-d enlightening
and directing our path. And, as in the
case of the cloud and fire, our
adherence to that path gives our lives
permanence. Whether we are going
through good or difficult periods in our
lives, through period of constant change
and uncertainty or periods of stability, if
we are committed to G-d and his Torah,
G-ds presence and guidance ensure
that there is always some constancy in
our lives. Whatever we are going
through, we can point to our
relationship with the Eternal One as the
omnipresent theme.
jziring@torontotorah.com

OUR BEIT MIDRASH

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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,
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We are grateful to
Continental Press 905-660-0311

Book Review: Darchei haGemara

Yisroel Meir Rosenzweig

Darchei HaGemara
Rabbi Yitzchak Kanpanton

from the One to Whom wisdom

belongs! (Talmud Niddah 70b).

About the author

Rabbi Yitzchak Kanpanton (1360-1463)
is not a household name, perhaps
because he only produced one written
work. His students, are much more well
-known; they include Rabbi Yosef Karo,
author of Shulchan Aruch. The prestige
of those students is a testament to the
strength of Rabbi Kanpantons teaching
methods, as detailed in Darchei
HaGemara.

In keeping with his goal of providing a

concise path for learning Gemara,
Rabbi Kanpanton finds not just
support, but a tool in a verse from Iyov
(28:27), Then He saw and counted
[wisdom], prepared it; and also
searched it out. There are four verbs
in this verse: to see, to count, to
prepare, and to investigate. Rabbi
Kanpanton argues that they each refer
to the stages of learning as one
progresses deeper into a given source.
Then He saw - Go over the material
in a general manner, beginning to
end, in order to get a sense of the
overarching intent of the source. At
a later point in the book, Rabbi
Kanpanton notes that reading
through the source several times
aloud is ideal.
and counted it Next, explore the
specific cases and details being
presented.
prepared it - Go back through the
material
and
correct
your
understanding as needed based on
the language of the gemara.
and also searched it out - Clarify
the basis and reason for the
teaching.

What is the goal of the book?

Rabbi Kanpanton gives no introduction
to Darchei HaGemara. However, from
the work it is abundantly clear that his
goal was to set forth a clear
methodology for studying Gemara and
Torah in general. At 26 pages, Darchei
HaGemara is not a lengthy book by any
measure. It does not attempt to
describe complex Talmudic principles
and
concepts.
Instead,
Rabbi
Kanpanton goes step-by-step through
the most basic and critical procedures
one must follow while learning.
Examples of the books approach:
Rabbi Kanpantons first two steps are to
work hard and pray. Nothing replaces
spending time with Torah and striving
to understand it. At the same time,
prayer is critical, Request compassion

Other important points that Rabbi

Kanpanton makes include:

613 Mitzvot: 487: Home for Pesach

On the night before our ancestors left Egypt, they offered the
first national Korban Pesach. The korban was slaughtered at
home; rather than bring parts of the korban on an altar, they
placed blood from the korban on the doorframe of the home.
(Shemot 12) By the time the Jews offered the korban in its
second year, though, they were using the Mishkan as a
central site; this is clear from Bamidbar 9:10, which speaks
of the possibility that a Jew might be too far from the
location of the Korban Pesach. Devarim 16:5 states that this
centralization was to be the practice going forward: You may
not slaughter the Pesach at one of your gates. Sefer
haChinuch records this as the Torahs 487th mitzvah.
In truth, private altars [bamot ketanot] have been permitted
for various offerings at times. Private altars were permitted
when we entered Israel, despite the presence of a Mishkan in
Gilgal. Construction of the Mishkan in Shiloh prohibited
private altars, but when the Mishkan was moved to Nov, and
subsequently to Givon, the private altars were again
permitted. Only with construction of the Beit haMikdash in
Jerusalem were private altars permanently outlawed.
(Mishnah Zevachim 14:4-8) Nonetheless, the Korban Pesach
was always limited to the central site the Mishkan or Beit
haMikdash.
Commentators offer multiple explanations for why G-d
insisted on transitioning from the home-based Korban
Pesach to the single, central site. Sefer haChinuch (#487)
justifies use of a national site, stating, The honour and

Whenever
you
learn
Gemara,
approach the opinions as having
been spoken by a person of sound
intellect. Delve into their words;
dont assume that their logic is
weak.
When
learning
commentaries,
always be cognizant of what the
commentators goal is in writing.
What are they adding? What are
they subtracting?
A useful resource, with a caveat
If you are looking to refine your
learning
capabilities,
Darchei
HaGemara is certainly a fine book to
read.
While
Rabbi
Kanpantons
language is clear for the most part,
there
are
sections
of
Darchei
HaGemara that utilize Talmudic
terminology, as well as philosophical
terms. This is especially true as he
builds upon ideas, adding layer upon
layer. It is worth noting that the
approach
described
by
Rabbi
Kanpanton is often referred to as
Iyyun Tunis, Tunisian Analysis. For
more background on this style, see Dr.
Joseph Ringels article in Tradition
46:3 (http://goo.gl/u9Vaiz).
An 1894 edition of Darchei HaGemara
can
be
found
at
http://
hebrewbooks.org/31825 .
yrosenzweig@torontotorah.com

Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner

publicity of the mitzvah is greater when it is performed in a
designated location, with everyone together, rather than
have each individual in the place of his choice. In other
words, the Korban Pesach is fundamentally private, but
adorned with the trappings of a communal korban in order
to elevate its status.
On the other hand, Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch
(Commentary to Devarim 16:5) offers an opposite
perspective. He writes, Each person must include himself
and his household in the communal structure of a national
network Only afterward can one joyfully recognize the
value of his own home. Per Rabbi Hirsch, the Korban
Pesach is fundamentally communal. The home celebration
in Egypt was an anomaly, in which the doorposts and lintel
filled the place of the [communal] altar.
One suggest a third possibility: the Korban Pesach of Egypt
was private, but afterward it gained a dual identity. The
initial Korban Pesach was offered by Jews who were not
covenantal nation, but prolific clan. Therefore, each family
celebrated at home. Soon after, though, our nations shared
history began with the covenant at Sinai. The personal
identity remained, as each group offered its own korban, but
the national identity became dominant, overriding Shabbat
and ritual impurity, and setting the Sanctuary as the site
for this ritual. [For more on this idea, see From house to
House, Toronto Torah 7:19.]
torczyner@torontotorah.com

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Biography

Torah and Translation

Rabbi Yechiel Michel

Epstein

Tuning Forks and Repeated Words

Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner

Rabbi Yechiel Michel HaLevi Epstein was
born in 1829 to a family of wealthy army
contractors who serviced the Czars
army, in Belarus. He married the sister
of Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, the
Netziv.
Rabbi Epstein was the Rabbi of
Novozypkov and then Novardok, from
1854 until his passing. He was wellrespected by both chasidim and
mitnagdim, and figures as diverse as
Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor, Rabbi
Yehoshua
Leib
Diskin
and
the
Tzchernobyler Rebbe wrote haskamot
(letters of approbation) for his works.
Rabbi Epstein wrote prolifically; his
writings include speeches, a commentary
to Talmud Yerushalmi, a commentary to
the Haggadah, responsa, and his most
famous work, Aruch haShulchan.
In Aruch haShulchan, Rabbi Epstein
reverse-engineered the Shulchan Aruch,
tracing each halachah back to its earliest
sources as well as adding his own
questions and thoughts. Three small
manuscript sections are missing, but it
covers the entire breadth of the
Shulchan Aruch. In addition, Rabbi
Epsteins Aruch haShulchan heAtid deals
with laws for the time of the Beit
haMikdash.
In addition to practical law, Rabbi
Epstein addressed meta-halachic topics,
such as the role of Kabbalah in the
development of Jewish law, in his
writings. He also addressed the issues of
a new age: matters of evolving
community structures, new technologies,
the strife between Mussar and antiMussar advocates, and the tension
between Zionists and anti-Zionists.

Rabbi Y.M. Epstein, Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 338:8

Translated by Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner

,

,
.
!
,
,


.

, ,
,


.
,

!
[
,
,

,
!
,
,
.
,

.
,

:]

For some decades, due to our great sins,

a leprosy has spread among cantors.
These cantors hold a small silver fork or
a lump of iron (termed kamar tone) when
standing before the platform on Shabbat
and Yom Tov, for setting the songs
pitch. The cantors place the fork
between their teeth, and they hear a
musical sound; they then know how to
arrange the song.
This is, literally, a musical instrument,
designed to produce music. We do not
have the power to protest their claims
that they cannot generate music without
these instruments. Due to our great
sins, our generation is loose and the
masses support these cantors. Not only
are we unable to protest, but even
exiting the synagogue causes a fight, as
is known.
Perhaps we could suggest that this
device is not among the musical
instruments which our sages
prohibited, for the following reasons:
The sound of this music is not heard
other than from the cantors mouth to
his ear,
The sound is only momentary, and
The purpose is to generate vocal song,
which was never forbidden.
This matches what we have written
regarding whistling and placing ones
hand in ones mouth [on Shabbat]. We
need to justify this; it would be
disgraceful to say that the Jewish nation
would stumble in a Shevut, all the more
so when standing in prayer before the
King of Kings, G-d Himself!
[Further, regarding the practice of saying
words, and repeating them twice and
three times, and spreading notes before
the platform to sing in the style of a
performance all who have awe of
heaven are pained by this, and they
cannot protest, for the masses are
undisciplined, and they will not listen to
the words of the sages in this matter!
They say that this is their enjoyment of
Shabbat and Yom Tov!

Rabbi Epstein passed away in 1908, but

his legacy looms large; his Aruch
haShulchan is a fundamental text for
studying halachah. Also, his son, Rabbi
Baruch haLevi Epstein, authored several
popular
works, including
Baruch
sheAmar
(on
the
siddur), Torah
Temimah, and Safah laNeemanim
In truth, perhaps there is no prohibition in this, but one who is good before G-d will
(reviewed in Toronto Torah 7:19).
flee therefrom. We have come to justify the actions of the sanctified descendants of
torczyner@torontotorah.com Israel, whose eyes are sealed. Perhaps, from the fact that our Sages said that one
silences a cantor only for repeating the word Shema, we may say that this is not
true for other words that they repeat twice and three times. As to the notes they
spread before the platform, we cannot present a reason to state a clear prohibition
here, and so, Let Israel practice as it will; better for them to practice in error, etc.]

Visit us at www.torontotorah.com

This Week in Israeli History: 19 Shevat 5662 (Jan. 27 1902)

Rabbi Adam Frieberg

Shaare Zedek Medical Center Founded

19 Shevat is Friday
Adapted from an article in Toronto Torah 4:19
On 19 Shevat 5662 (January 27, 1902), the construction of
Shaare Zedek Medical Center, then the most modern
hospital in the Middle East, was completed, and the opening
ceremony took place. The hospital was located on Jaffa
Road, just three kilometers outside of the Old City. The
hospital had only twenty beds and was directed by Dr.
Moshe Wallach, who had arrived in Jerusalem from
Cologne, Germany in 1892. Dr. Wallach had such a
dominant personality that many referred to it as Wallachs
Hospital.
In truth, the hospitals history really begins in 1873, when
the first Shaare Zedek Committee was founded; it consisted
of prominent rabbis and philanthropists from Germany and

the Netherlands, and their goal was to raise funds for the
establishment of the hospital. Their dream came true with the
opening of a hospital that went on to serve the population of
Jerusalem throughout many crises. A notable example is the
opening of the only isolation ward in the city in 1910, saving
many lives in the fight against epidemics of typhoid and
diphtheria.
In 1968, Dr. David Maeir made aliyah from the US and
became the hospitals third Director. He was instrumental in
moving the hospital to its current location in Bayit VeGan,
where it still stands, 111 years after its inauguration.
Throughout the years, Shaare Zedek was a key centre for
treatment in various wars and terrorist attacks. It is the home
of 14,000 births each year, the most in the country.
afrieberg@gmail.com

Weekly Highlights: Jan. 23 Jan. 29 / 13 Shevat 19 Shevat

Time

Speaker

Topic

Location

Special Notes

After Hashkamah

Yisroel Meir Rosenzweig

Midrash Rabbah

Clanton Park

After Hashkamah

R David Ely Grundland

Moshes Guide to Greatness

Shaarei Shomayim

8:50 AM

R Jonathan Ziring

Parshah Shiur

BAYT

Before minchah

R Jonathan Ziring

Daf Yomi

BAYT

After minchah

R Mordechai Torczyner

Gemara Avodah Zarah

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

Ms. Sarah Gordon

David and Avigayil

R Yair Halevi

More than a Land

Jan. 22-23

Simcha Suite

Tu bShevat
with the Shinshinim

Sun. Jan. 24

10:00 AM to
11:20 AM

Yeshivat Or Chaim

Midreshet Yom Rishon

for women

Mon. Jan. 25

Tu bShevat

7:00 PM

R Mordechai Torczyner

Legal Ethics:
Ethical Advertising

Shaarei Shomaym

With CPD credit

Open to non-lawyers

7:30 PM

R Jonathan Ziring

Modern Hebrew

Yeshivat Or Chaim

Beit Midrash Night

7:30 PM

R David Ely Grundland

Daf Highlights

Shaarei Shomayim

Beit Midrash Night

R Mordechai Torczyner

The Jew and the Dybbuk

Adath Israel

1:30 PM

R Mordechai Torczyner

Iyov, Chapter 29-30

Shaarei Shomayim

7:30 PM

R Jonathan Ziring

Precedent in Halachah

BAYT

BAYT Midrash Night 2

R Mordechai Torczyner

Non-Kosher
Business Lunches

SLF

Lunch served; RSVP

jonathan.hames@slf.ca

Yisroel Meir Rosenzweig

Contemporary Halachah

Shaarei Tefillah

R Mordechai Torczyner

Yehoshua, Chap. 23

49 Michael Ct.

Tue. Jan. 26
10:00 AM

Women; There is a fee

info@adathisrael.com

Wed. Jan. 27
12:30 PM
8:00 PM
Thu. Jan. 28
1:30 PM

For women