Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Tazria

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Vayikra 13:3 the Torah states וְרָאָ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֣ן אֶת־הַנֶּ֣גַע בְּעֽוֹר־הַ֠בָּשָׂ֠ר וְשֵׂעָ֨ר בַּנֶּ֜גַע הָפַ֣ךְ | לָבָ֗ן - the Kohain examines the Nega and and if the hair within it has turned white the Kohain rules him to be Tamei. R' Frand quoted R' Melech Biderman who asks - why is the presence of white a sign of Tumah? Generally things which are white have a positive connotation.

By example, when the Seir L'Azazel is thrown off the cliff, when the string turns white the people they have been forgiven. Similarly, the analogy that Hashem makes when talking about Teshuva that if people's sins are red they will be whiten like snow.  So why is white a sign of Tumah by Tzara'as?

He answers that a person can be a Tzaddik and as white as snow. But if he speaks Lashon Hara he is still Tamei.

R' Frand said a second vort related to Tzara'as which had a keen observation as to who can be healed. The Torah states in Vayikra 13:18 - וּבָשָׂ֕ר כִּי־יִֽהְיֶ֥ה בֽוֹ־בְעֹר֖וֹ שְׁחִ֑ין וְנִרְפָּֽא - that if there is an inflammation on flesh and it heals. The Gemara in Sotah 5a observes that the only time in the discussion of Tzara'as that the Torah uses the word healed is when the Torah is discussing flesh. Rashi clarifies that the Torah does not use that term in connection with the word אָדָ֑ם. 

R' Frand quoted the Yechi Reuven who writes that if a person is as soft as flesh, then he can be healed. But if he is hard like earth (אָדָ֑ם) then he cannot. He tied this into a discussion of the Mishkan which had a miraculous beam called the Briach HaTichon - a center pole which was threaded through and bent with the three walls of the Mishkan. But why was this miracle even necessary? Couldn't there simply have been three beams? He answers that the Shechinah dwells in the Mishkan and if a person wants the Shechinah to dwell in him, he needs to bend as well.

R' Frand tied this into a vort from R' Chaim Shmuelevitz who quoted a Gemara which states that a person is a Ben Olah Habah if he has bent knees. R' Chaim explains that the Gemara does not mean that the person will get Olam Habah, but that the person will be a Ben Olam Habah in this world. Why does this come to him? Because if he is willing to bend and not stand on principle (except when necessary) he will be able to enjoy Olam Habah while still here.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Shemini

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Vayikra 9:3, Moshe is instructed to tell the Jews to take a  שְׂעִֽיר־עִזִּים֙ לְחַטָּ֔את. The Toras Kohanim explains that that this was an atonement for the sale of Yosef.

R' Frand then quoted the Meshech Chachma who asks - why did the Jews need to atone for the sale of Yosef now? When they left Egypt they were not told to do this, or even when they received the Torah. Why did they need to atone now? He answered that it was because the dedication of the Mishkan took place after the sin of the Egel. Prior to that point, the Jews could have said - why did Yosef go Yaakov to complain about us? He should have told us what our issue was and we would have accepted the Mussar. 

R' Frand compared this to the person who complains to the principal that his child has an issue with a teacher. The first step should have been the father going to discuss his concern with the teacher directly and only if he was unsuccessful should he go to the principal.

But after the sin of the Egel the Jews could no longer say - we would have accepted Mussar. During that episode, Chur tried to rebuke them and he was killed because the Jews were unwilling to accept rebuke. Now that they lost that claim, it was time to bring an atonement for selling Yosef.

R' Frand said a second vort related to the pasuk in Vayikra 9:7 which states - וַיֹּ֨אמֶר משֶׁ֜ה אֶל־אַֽהֲרֹ֗ן קְרַ֤ב אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֨חַ֙ . The Targum explains that Aharon was embarrassed and did not want to approach the altar and that Moshe told him to go because for this you were chosen.

R' Frand quoted the Arizal who explained that Moshe told Aharon - specifically because you are reluctant to take this role - that is why you were selected for it.

R' Frand then told a story about R' Tzvi Pesach Frank. When he was approached to be the Rav of Yerushalaim, those who came to him said - the people of Yerushalaim have so many problems and began to list them. He then said - I know about their problems, but why are you mentioning them to me? They responded, because we need a Rav with that thought process - someone who thinks that he is not important enough to have the problems brought to him.

R' Frand then quoted the Imrei Emes who explained the pasuk based on a thought from R' Chaim Vital. He explained that everyone comes to this world with a particular character flaw he needs to fix. If a person wants to know what that is, he should think about what his biggest problem is and that is what he needs to fix. Maybe he is jealous, or easy to anger - that is what he should fix. This was Moshe's message to Aharon - you are reluctant to take this position - this is what you were chosen to do in this world.

R' Frand said a third vort related to the three animals which chew their cud but do not have split hooves. By the camel the Torah states in Vayikra 11:4 not to eat it because וּפַרְסָה֙ אֵינֶ֣נּוּ מַפְרִ֔יס - it presently does not have split hooves. By the hyrax the Torah states in Vayikra 11:5  וּפַרְסָ֖ה לֹ֣א יַפְרִ֑יס - it will not have split hooves. By the hare the Torah states in Vayikra 11:6 וּפַרְסָ֖ה לֹ֣א הִפְרִ֑יסָה - it did not have split hooves.

Why did the Torah use three different tenses?

R' Frand answered (without attribution) that it is because before a person condemns another as unclean, he needs to be sure that he knows the person's past, present and future. Until you know the whole story you should not label someone as tamei.

R' Frand linked this to a story where R' Shach was approached about throwing a boy out of the yeshiva because he was smoking on Shabbos. R' Shach said - do you know his parents? Do you know his chavrusa? Until you know the entire story he should not be thrown out as there is more to it if he is smoking on Shabbos. And he was not thrown out.

R' Frand closed with a story about a post-Holocaust family wherein the husband no longer wanted to go to shul. Every morning he would go to the newsstand and buy a newspaper and then come home and read it, instead of going to shul. One day his wife said to him - why not take the paper and read it in shul? He listened to his wife and went to shul every day and read the paper in the back of the shul. To their credit, the shul members did not throw him out and even invited him when there was a tikkun after davening. Because he was not condemned by the members of the shul he eventually began davening again and was chozer b'teshuva.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Tzav

Due to today being Purim there was no live Rabbi Frand shiur on the Parsha. However R' Frand did post a pre-recorded Parsha vort on OU Torah which I have summarized here. This week's vort can be found at https://outorah.org/p/119886, but I have attempted to reproduce the vort to the best of my ability in this post.  Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to the maggid shiur.

R' Frand noted that Parshas Tzav is usually Shabbos HaGadol but due to being a leap year it is not this year. R' Frand then spoke about the Karban Todah which is mentioned here, whereas all the other Karbanos are in Parshas Vayikra. In fact, Parshas Tzav focuses on the instruction to the Kohanim on how to the avodah. So why is this here as opposed to in Parshas Vayikra and why is it mentioned in the midst of the discussions of the instructions to the Kohanim.

R' Frand quoted Rashi who explains that a Karban Torah is brought when a miracle occurs for a person, either release from jail, or being healed or traversing an ocean or a desert. This is Birkas HaGomel that is made now instead of a Karban Torah. 

R' Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld wonders why Rashi says that the Karban is brought for a miracle. The ten plagues is a miracle, the splitting of the sea was a miracle. But is crossing the ocean a miracle? He answers, yes - that we successfully traverse the ocean is a miracle - its one of everyday miracles as we say in Modim (Al Nisecha SheB'Chol Yom Imanu). When a person is sick and becomes well because Hashem has healed him, its a miracle. 

R' Frand said that we saw through COVID how tenuous our health was. We see that a person can resume daily activities 4 weeks after bypass surgery, but bypass means that his heart was not pumping normally for a period of time. Now he is walking around, but its not "modern medicine" its a miracle from heavens. We need to keep this in mind, its not just medicine.

R' Frand quoted a Gemara in Berachos 7 that states that no one said thanks to Hashem until Leah had Yehuda. Everyone asks, could it be that no one said thanks? Noach brought a Korban, the Avos brought Karbanos. The answer is that the others brought sacrifices for miracles. Leah said thank you for the "every day" act of having a baby.

R' Frand told a story of a man who got married and a year later had a baby girl. He came to R' Shach and asked if he should make a Kiddush. R' Shach said to him - let me ask you a question - if you could not have a baby for eight years and after all that time you finally had one, would you ask if you should make a Kiddush? Hashem spared you the Agmas Nefesh, but why not make the Kiddush?

R' Frand said that this is what Rashi means - you had a successful trip with some danger and you made it through - its an everyday miracle, but a miracle nonetheless.

R' Yosef Chaim states - this is the reason why the Karban Todah is in Tzav - the Kohanim need it here. The Kohanim worked in the Beis HaMikdash where 10 miracles occur every day. If the same things happen every day you look past it. He gave an analogy to seeing Sheimos. If you see it on the floor you immediately pick it up. But if you worked in a printing house where they were printing seforim and you saw it on the floor you might not think it out of the ordinary.

This is why the Kohanim who were so used to seeing miracles, they needed to be reminded that surviving an operation or a trip, these are all miracles. They may not change the laws of nature, but they are miracles nonetheless.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayikra

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand noted that the parsha contains numerous pesukim which state that a sacrifice was "אִשֵּׁ֛ה רֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹ֖חַ" - which is translated by Art Scroll as a "satisfying aroma to Hashem." But does Hashem really love the smell of roasting meat?

R' Frand answered the question by quoting R' Bukspan who in turn cites R' Eliezer Ashkenazi who explains that the pleasing aroma is not the animal, but the person himself. He noted that smell is generally the most forward sense. When a person walks into a house on Erev Shabbos he smells the challah, well before he sees or tastes it. [I know that when I walk in and Mrs KB is cooking for Shabbos, it lifts my spirits that the "house smells like Shabbos"]. Similarly, a soldier in war can smell the battle, well before he is close enough to engage in the fighting.

So too when a man offers a sacrifice, Hashem "smells" that the person wants to come close to Hashem (karban/m'karev) even if he has not done so yet. This is the satisfying aroma to Hashem.

R' Frand said a second vort related to sacrifices - noting that in the middle of the parsha there are allusions to sacrifices which are offered if the Kohain Gadol or the Sanhedrin sin. But when it comes to the Nasi, the Torah states in Vayikra 4:22 - אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָשִׂ֖יא יֶֽחֱטָ֑א - when the Nasi will sin. Rashi observes that a generation is praiseworthy if the Nasi brings this sacrifice as it is a public admission by the Nasi that he made a mistake, (something which we rarely see in our current generation). And if the Nasi brings the sacrifice and make a public admission of a mistake, how much more so if he brings a sacrifice after admitting that he sinned intentionally.

R' Frand contrasted this with the Haftorah of Parshas Zachor which tells the story of Saul not following Shmuel's directive to wipe out Amalek as he spares Achav and the cattle. When he is approached at first by Shmuel, Saul proudly proclaims that he has done what Hashem commanded him to do. And after he is reproached by Shmuel, he continues to insist that he followed Hashem's instructions and that the animals were left alive because the people wanted them. Only on the third go around did he finally admit error .

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Sunday Night Suds - Mosco Brewing Company's Juicy New England IPA and Red Ale Mountain Beer

Continuing my review of beers that I tried while in Israel for a week in February, tonight's review looks at Mosco Brewing Company's Juicy New England IPA and Red Ale Mountain Beer. I picked these beers up at a beer and wine store on Agrippas Street near Machane Yehudah and I am very glad I did.

The first beer I tried was the Juicy New England IPA, one of the best beers that I had in Israel. I have to admit, I was surprised to find a New England IPA made by an Israeli brewery. The beer was fruit, mostly citrus, from the first sip and continued throughout. I had this together with KB Jr on Shabbos and we both very much liked it.

The beer is 5.6% abv which is a bit light for the style. But it was not lacking in flavor and if this was available in the United States I know that I would be buying this pretty often.

My second Mosco was the Red Mountain Ale which was a fine example of a Red Ale, but not as outstanding as the Juicy New England IPA. The hops in this beer are very earthy and nutty which is traditional to the style. The beer poured a dark red with strong carbonation. At 5.5% abv, I would not have expected a strong alcohol flavor, but it was there.

Neither of these beers was reviewed on BA, which leads me to believe that BA could use a good beer guide in Israel!

Mosco Brewing Company beers have two kosher certifications on the label - one a Kosher L'Mehadrin label from the Rabbanut of Mateh Yehuda and another from the Badatz Beit Yosef.

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable).

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Pekudei

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand began by quoting a Rashi on the pasuk (Shemos 38:21) אֵ֣לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ מִשְׁכַּ֣ן הָֽעֵדֻ֔ת  that the Mishkan was testimony that Hashem forgave the Jews for the sin of the Egel. R' Frand then quoted a connected Medrash Rabbah which states that Hashem said to the Jews when you created the Egel you angered me by using the words in Shemos 32:8 אֵ֤לֶּה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶֽעֱל֖וּךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם. Now that you created the Mishkan by using the words אֵ֣לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ , you have appeased Me and I have forgiven you.

But what is the connection between the two, other than the use of the word אֵ֣לֶּה ? R' Frand answered by quoting R' Bukspan in his new Sefer who cites a Medrash on the pasuk in Bereishis 2:4 -  אֵ֣לֶּה תֽוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִ֣בָּֽרְאָ֑ם - that R' Yitzchak Bar Merion states that when Hashem created the world he them exclaimed proudly - look at this world that I created. When the Jews then sinned by the Egel and then used the word אֵ֣לֶּה - they showed how proud they were of the Egel which angered Hashem. Moshe himself did not break the luchos until he saw that the Jews were dancing around the Egel with musical accompaniment - this was too much for him. But when the Jews then proudly built the Mishkan and used the same אֵ֣לֶּה - Hashem forgave them.

R' Frand said a second vort on the pasuk in Shemos 39:33 - וַיָּבִ֤יאוּ אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה - that the Jews brought the Mishkan to Moshe to erect, because even though they had built it, they were incapable of raising it. Hashem then said to Moshe - you did not build the Mishkan, but you will raise it. Moshe responded - how can I do it? Hashem responded - if you just try, it will happen.

R' Frand then quoted the Medrash Tanchuma which observes that in two consecutive pesukim there are different statements about how the Mishkan was raised. In Shemos 40:17 the Torah uses the words הוּקַ֖ם הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן and in 40:18 it states וַיָּ֖קֶם אֶת־עַמּוּדָֽיו -implying that it happened on its own. The Medrash Tanchuma explains that Hashem said to Moshe - you try and I will help.

R' Frand then quoted a famous Medrash about R' Chanina ben Dosa who was distressed when he saw people bringing animals up to the Beis HaMikdash to be offered as sacrifices, but he he had no animals to bring. He went and found a great rock and polished and cut it and said that this will be his donation. But the rock was too big for him to bring and he went to look for people to help him. He found workers and asked them to help, but they demanded 100 gold pieces. He said, I don't even have half of that and the workers left. R' Chanina was concerned, so Hashem sent five angels in the appearance of men and they told him they would bring the rock for 5 selaim, but on condition that he assist them. When they got to the Beis HaMikdash, the workers disappeared before he could pay them. He went and asked in the Sanhedrin what he should do and was told - they must have been angels, so he gave the salary to the Beis HaMikdash.

But the upshot of the story was that if he was going to get assistance, he needed to be personally involved.

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