Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Mishpatim

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.

Rabbi Frand's first vort contained an interesting take on Shemos 21:35 - וְכִֽי־יִגֹּ֧ף שֽׁוֹר־אִ֛ישׁ אֶת־שׁ֥וֹר רֵעֵ֖הוּ וָמֵ֑ת. He quoted the Ibn Ezra which in turn cited "Ben Zuta" who said that the ox referred to as being the victim was not the ox of the owner's friend. Instead the word רֵעֵ֖הוּ referred to the aggressor - this ox was friends with the ox that gored it! To this the Ibn Ezra remarked - Ben Zuta has no friends, only oxen.

R' Frand quoted R' Hutner who explained that the word רֵעֵ֖הוּ is like the word Teruah. In the context of Rosh Hashanah, the Teruah is like a cry and it is the focal point of the shofar blowing as it is bracketed by two Peshutahs - the Tekiyas. Was the connection between רֵעֵ֖הוּ and the Teruah? A friend will not only tell you things that you want to hear. Instead, the friend will tell you when you are mistaken and will help you be a better person. This is why the Ibn Ezra criticized Ben Zuta - because an ox is incapable of being a friend. 

R' Frand tied this into the bracha in Sheva Brochos - Sameach Tisamach Reim HaAhuvim. He said that when a couple marries they become both Ahuvim and Reim (friends). You should be able to rely on your spouse to tell you when something you are doing is wrong (although its not a good idea to tell that to your newlywed spouse during Sheva Brachos).

R' Frand said a second vort on the pasuk in Shemos 22:30 - וְאַנְשֵׁי־קֹ֖דֶשׁ תִּֽהְי֣וּן לִ֑י וּבָשָׂ֨ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֤ה טְרֵפָה֙ לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֔לוּ לַכֶּ֖לֶב תַּשְׁלִכ֥וּן אֹתֽוֹ. R' Frand commented that this is the source from which we learn about Kashrus, but why is linked to being Kodesh?

R' Frand quoted the Ramban who explains that the laws of Kashrus are not based on health but instead are related to our spiritual health. He next cited the Netziv who explains that the reason we don't eat the Terefah is not health related as the animal was not sickly, it was torn apart by a predator. The reason we don't eat it is that it is bad for our Neshama.

R' Frand also noted that the halachos of Ma'achalos Asuros in the Rambam can be found in Kedusah.

R' Frand closed the vort by quoting R' Shmuel Birnbaum who explains why the laws of Terefah are mentioned with being Kodesh and with throwing the carcass to the dogs. We know that the dog receives the carcass as reward for not barking when the Jews left Egypt, but it should be noted that their silence was not voluntary. But this is the specific reason that we do give them the carcass - because the dogs wanted to bark and they were pained that they could not. We compensate them for their pain by giving them the carcasses, because a Kodesh person is concerned about everyone's feelings, even a dog.

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Yisro

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's first vort was based on the writings of R' Immanuel Bernstein and related to the last of the Aseres Hadibros - Lo Sachmod. R' Frand quoted the Ibn Ezra who writes that many people have trouble with this mitzva. How can they be told not to be jealous when they see that someone else has something? The Ibn Ezra used a parable - there was a poor villager who sees the princess. He does not desire her, because he knows that it is impossible for a villager to marry the princess. Similarly, a man is not jealous of birds that they can fly. So too, a person who thinks, should realize that everything that he does not have is because Hashem does not want him to have it.

R' Frand said that this mitzva is about Emunah - what you have is what Hashem wants you to have and what you don't - it is because He does not want you to have it.

R' Frand also quoted the Medrash Rabbah on Parshas Kedoshim which provides a different view of this mitzva. The Medrash writes that Kedoshim was said at Hakhel, because the Aseres HaDibros are all contained or referenced in Parshas Kedoshim. But while the first 9 Dibros are easily found in Kedoshim, where do we see Lo Sachmod? וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵֽעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ - because if you really love someone, you are not jealous of what they have.

R' Frand compared it to the way that a person feels about their child - a parent is not jealous of what his child has, because he loves the child. And if you really love the other person, you won't be jealous of what they have.

R' Frand next quoted the Kotsker Rebbi who analyzes the Mishna in Pirkei Avos which asks - who is wealthy - one who is happy "B'Chelko." The Kotsker Rebbi reads the word B'Chelko as not referring to a person being happy with his own lot. Instead he reads it as being happy that his friend has his own lot.

R' Frand said a second vort also from R' Bernstein in connection with the miztvos that come after the Aseres Hadibros in Shemos 20:20-23 in which the Jews are told not to use metal to build their Mizbeach, not to make other gods and not to walk on steps to the Mizbeach.

These mitzvos are preceded by the statement  אַתֶּ֣ם רְאִיתֶ֔ם כִּ֚י מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי עִמָּכֶֽם - Hashem reminds them that He spoke directly to them, unlike any other religion where their "prophet" was the only one to speak with the "god" of that religion. And then the Torah references these three mitzvos, but why these three?

R' Bernstein explains that the Aseres Hadibros could be viewed as something that people deem logical or known. I understand that I should not kill, or worship another deity or commit adultery. But these three mitzvos show the sensitivity that a person should have. Yes - you may know not to kill, but you need to be so sensitive to this, that you don't use metal when cutting the stones that will be used in the Mizbeach.. You may know not to worship other "gods" but Hashem is proscribing making images of other "gods." Similarly, you understand not to commit adultery, but the Torah is saying don't walk on steps up to a Mizbeach so that covered areas are not revealed.

R' Frand quoted Rashi on the last pasuk in which Rashi states that opening up ones steps is being insensitive to the stones. And this is an a fortiori argument - stones don't feel disgrace, but still don't act with them in a disrespectful manner and how much more so with another person.

R' Bernstein asks why Rashi uses this Derush explanation? He answers that the take away from the Aseres Hadibros is not just the actual commandments - its that a person should act in a manner that there is not even a glimmer of this in your daily life. 

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Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Beshalach

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 Shemos 14:3, the Torah states וְאָמַ֤ר פַּרְעֹה֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל נְבֻכִ֥ים הֵ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ סָגַ֥ר עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם הַמִּדְבָּֽר - that Pharaoh told the Jewish people that they are trapped in the land. The famous question is - who did Pharaoh tell this to, as the Jews had left already.

The pashut pshat as said by many meforshim (including Rashi) is that Pharaoh said this about the Jews and not to them. But the Targum Yonasan Ben Uziel explains that Pharaoh said this to Dasan and Aviram, who had not left yet.

R' Frand asked - if Dasan and Aviram were such evil people that they did not leave with Moshe, how were they still around? These were Moshe's historical antagonists, yet we read about them later in the Torah so they obviously got out. Why did they merit to get out of Egypt, when 80% of the Jews did not make it out of Egypt (and died in Choshech) because of their evil nature?

R' Frand quoted the Maharal Diskin who explains that Dasan & Aviram's merit was that they were among the nogsim - the taskmaster/enforcers who were in charge of the Jews in Egypt. These were like the Kapos in the concentration camps who had to carry out the orders of the Nazis on their fellow Jews. Except, in Egypt, these people were beaten by the Egyptians when the Jews did not meet their quotas as they refused to take it out on their brothers. The nogsim (elsewhere known as shotrim) not only took it on the chin, they they took it on their back.. In that zechus and because of their empathy for their fellow Jews because they got hit to prevent people from being beaten, they merited getting out of Egypt.

R' Frand next asked - how did Dasan and Aviram make it out of Egypt? When could they have left, if Pharaoh was talking to them and the Jews are already gone?

He answered by quoting the Be'er Mayim Chaim which analyzes Shemos 15:19 which states  כִּ֣י בָא֩ ס֨וּס פַּרְעֹ֜ה בְּרִכְבּ֤וֹ וּבְפָֽרָשָׁיו֙ בַּיָּ֔ם וַיָּ֧שֶׁב יְהֹוָ֛ה עֲלֵהֶ֖ם אֶת־מֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם וּבְנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָֽלְכ֥וּ בַיַּבָּשָׁ֖ה בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּֽם  - that Pharaoh's horse came into the sea and the Jews walked on dry land. This seems to be out of order. First the Jews went into dry land in the sea and then Pharaoh's horse followed them in!

R' Frand explained that according to the Be'er Mayim Chayim that there was a second Krias Yamsuf. When Dasan & Aviram got there, the sea had already closed up after Pharaoh and his horse went in. But because they had a great zechus, Hashem made a second Krias Yamsuf and they walked into the sea on dry land.

So why and when did they meet their end? R' Frand said that Dasan & Aviram challenged Moshe because they thought - he had a Krias Yam Suf which required 600,000 people and we had one which we merit on our own. We have more z'chusim than Moshe. But of course they were wrong.

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