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e"dl
Third decade
Second thousand
!ycgzz
zeclez
yceg xgn
1112
mikxan
d"ryz'd oeygxn h"k
Nov 21-22 '14
OU Israel Center • 22 Keren HaYesod • POB 37015 • Jerusalem • (02) 560-9100
The MOLAD: Insights & more details
PLEASE DON'T BE SCARED AWAY BY THE DETAILS...
Ed. note: I know that the details of our fixed Calendar give some people a
headache - if you are one of them, please continue reading this Lead Tidbit
anyway. I'm hoping that anyone reading this will be enriched in his/her
understanding and appreciation of our Calendar. It can be argued that every
time you increase your knowledge about the Jewish Calendar, you fulfill the
first mitzva given to B'nei Yisrael - HACHODESH HAZEH LACHEM. cont. p.4
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gk:fk ziy`xa
May God grant you the
dew of heaven and the
fat of the earth, much
grain and wine.
JERUSALEM in/out times for Shabbat Parshat TOLDOT
Candles 4:02PM • Havdala 5:16PM • Rabbeinu Tam 5: 49PM
Pix
ParshaP
Explanations on p.52
Rosh Chodesh Kislev is one day this
year, it's 'normal' situation. Rosh Chodesh is Sunday (Nov. 23)
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The molad is on Shabbat, 9h 46m 17p (9:26am IsrTime) dnzz:eh 'f
Astronomical (actual) molad: Shabbat, November 22nd, 2:33pm
First op for KL (Minhag Yerushalayim) Tuesday evening, Nov. 25th
First op for 7-day people - Motza'ei Shabbat Vayeitzei (29 Nov)
Harry's
Firenze
Percy's
Chiron
Candles Parshat TOLDOT machar chodesh Havdala Vayeitzei
4:02
4:20
4:17
4:17
4:18
4:17
4:17
4:18
4:17
4:02
4:16
4:16
4:06
4:18
4:17
4:20
4:04
4:18
Yerushalayim / Maale Adumim
The Aza area (Netivot, etc.)
Gush Etzion
Raanana / Tel Mond / Herzliya
Beit Shemesh / RBS
Netanya
Modi'in / Chashmona'im
Rehovot
Be'er Sheva / Otniel
Petach Tikva
Ginot Shomron
Gush Shiloh
Haifa / Zichron
Chevron / Kiryat Arba
Giv'at Ze'ev
Ashkelon
Tzfat
Yad Binyamin
5:16 4:01 5:15
5:19 4:18 5:18
5:16 4:15 5:15
5:17 4:15 5:15
5:17 4:16 5:16
5:16 4:15 5:15
5:16 4:15 5:15
5:17 4:16 5:16
5:18 4:16 5:17
5:17 4:01 5:15
5:16 4:14 5:14
5:15 4:14 5:14
5:15 4:04 5:14
5:17 4:16 5:16
5:16 4:15 5:15
5:19 4:18 5:18
5:13 4:02 5:11
5:17 4:16 5:16
R' Tam (Jerusalem) - 5:49pm • next week: 5:47pm
cont. from the Front Page
Or, more accurately, we should say
that knowing about the Calendar is
a fulfillment of the spirit of the
mitzva of Kiddush HaChodesh.
This article is sort of a continuation
of last week's HEADS UP: A FUN
MOLAD IS COMING. But it should
also stand on its own. And
hopefully, we will end with a very
serious and sober hashkafa point...
after we present the details.
As you saw/see in the Word of the
Month box on page 2, the molad of
Kislev is Shabbat morning, 9 hours,
46 minutes and 17 chalakim (parts).
Whether it is announced in Hebrew
or Yiddish, or English, or any other
language, the announced time is
supposed to be the same anywhere
in the world, without adjusting for
time zone differences or daylight
savings time. The molad of Kislev
5775 is Shabbat 9h 46m 17p.
What we don't add to the announcement (maybe some shuls do, but
most don't) would be the following:
The molad is Shabbat 9h 46m 17p,
which is approximately 9:26am
Israel Winter Time.
In New York, they would add (except
it isn't the custom to do so), which is
2:26am, in the wee hours of Shabbat
morning.
In Melbourne, they would add
(except it isn't the custom to do so),
which is 6:26pm, late Shabbat
afternoon.
The adjustments in time (again,
which most do not announce) are
based on the fact that the moment
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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of the molad (new moon) is the
same moment in time all over the
world. The moment of Kislev's
molad is at 9:26am in Israel and
2:26am in New York and 6:26pm in
Melbourne. Three different times on
the clock, but they all refer to the
same moment of time.
TACHLIS: In Melbourne on Shabbat
morning of Parshat Toldot, the
molad is still hours away, and they
will say that the molad will be
Shabbat, 46m and 17p after 9h. They
should say WILL BE (YIHYEH) even
if their local time is after 10:00am
(for example), because the moment
of the molad is still to come. It might
sound odd to say that 9:46:17 WILL
BE, when it's already after 10, but
that's the way it should be. The
molad will be at 6:26pm their time,
but they still use the Shabbat 9h
46m 17p time.
In New York, on the other hand,
even at a 7:30am minyan, they
should say, the molad was 9:46:17,
even if they are benching R"Ch
before 9:00am. Yes, the molad is at
9:46:17, but that is 2:26am in New
York, so it already took place.
Here in Israel - and this is why we're
making such a fuss about this topic
this month - it will depend upon
when each minyan gets up to the
announcement of the molad.
A minyan that starts at 7:30am or
earlier, will likely be able to say
YIHYEH (will be). Most minyanim
that start at 8:00am or later, should
say, HAYA (was). And if a minyan is
ready to announce the
cont. p.58
page 4  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
To-l'dot
6th of the 54 sedras;
6th of 12 in B'reishit
Written on 172.7 lines in a Torah, rank 36
4 Parshiyot; 2 open, 2 closed
106 p'sukim, ranks 29th (9th in B'reishit)
Tied with Vayigash and Bo; shorter than
each in words & letters and length
1432 words, ranks 34th (10th in B'reishit)
5426 letters, ranks 33rd (10th in B'reishit)
Its p'sukim are below average in length
None of the 613 mitzvot are in Toldot
The OU Israel Family
grieves with the families
of those killed in the
Har Nof Shul terror attack
this week
Rabbi Moshe Twersky
Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Goldberg
Rabbi Kalman Ze'ev Levine
Rabbi Aryeh Kupinsky
mnc mewi myd
Our deepfelt condolences
to the families
[P> X:Y (Z)] and [S> X:Y (Z)] indicate start
of a parsha p'tucha or s'tuma. X:Y is
Perek:Pasuk of the beginning of the
parsha; (Z) is the number of p'sukim in it.
Kohen - First Aliya
21 p'sukim - 25:19-26:5
[P> 25:19 (16)] This is the history
of Yitzchak b. Avraham; Avraham
fathered Yitzchak.
Rashi quotes the Gemara
that tells that when Yitzchak was
born, scoffers said that Avraham
and Sara, who were childless for so
long, had found a baby and claimed
it as their own. Avraham invited the
leaders of the nations, their wives
and infants, and Sara miraculously
was able to wet-nurse all the babies
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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milyexie oeiv ila` x`y jeza mkz` mgpi mewnd
Hashem, we ask a lot of You.
First that You avenge the blood of the
murderedK'doshim.
Second, that You grant
R'fu'ah Sh'leima to those injured
in the terror attack
together with Sh'ar Cholei Amecha.
Third, that You guide and help our
leaders and security forces to
successfully protect us all
- Your Holy Nation. And guide and
help them fight and succeed against
all who would do us harm.
page 5  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
- not just her son Yitzchak. (The
Gemara points to the plural "banim"
in 21:7.) Then the scoffers accepted
that Sara bore Yitzchak, but chided
Avraham that Avimelech was the
father (since Yitzchak's birth followed Sara's abduction). A miracle
occurred and baby Yitzchak was the
very image of his father Avraham,
until the scoffers proclaimed,
"Avraham sired Yitzchak".
Earlier, the Torah tells us of
the generations of Yishmael b.
Avraham. That seems to be in
balance with the beginning of this
sedra, which speaks of Yitzchak,
except: [1] the Torah makes a point
that Yishmael is the son of Hagar
the Egyptian, the maidservant of
Sara. In other words, Yishmael was
NOT the real To-l'dot of Avraham;
and [2] To-l'dot (in the Yishmael
context) is spelled without VAVs,
implying that something was
missing. To-l'dot of Yitzchak b.
Avraham; it was Avraham who
fathered Yitzchak. And the word
To-l'dot is spelled with its VAV.
Concerning the spelling of TOL'DOT
- The word occurs 12 times in
Tanach. For Yishmael, the word is
without any VAVs - zclz . With a
first VAV, zclez, it occurs 7 times:
Adam, No'ach, B'nei No'ach, Sheim,
Terach, Yitzchak, and Aharon &
Moshe. This one seems to be the
"regular"
spelling,
since
the
CHOLOM-TAV plural is usually
without a VAV in the Torah (i.e. with
a CHOLOM CHASEIR). With a
second VAV, zeclz, it is used for
Yaakov and Eisav. And with both
VAVs, zeclez, it is used for
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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The OU Israel Family shares in
the tremendous sorrow upon
the passing of our dear friend
Charley Levine l"f
beloved husband of
Shelly Levine,
father of Daniel Levine, Dori
Levine Schiowitz and Zvi Levine
and grandfather to many.
milyexie oeiv ila` x`y jeza mkz` mgpi mewnd
Charley had been an
OU Israel Board member
for over a decade and received
our Keter Shem Tov award
From The Jerusalem Post... one of the icons of the
Anglo-Israel PR and advertising world... During
his illustrious career as one of the top public
relations professional in the country, Levine
worked with dozens of international leaders...
Levine was founder and CEO of Lone Star
Communications, one of Israel’s most active public
affairs and media relations consultancies... A tall,
imposing figure with a gentle demeanor... Charley
Levine lived his life for Israel and the Jewish
people and shined a positive and inspiring light
from Jerusalem to the world and in that light, as
well as in the hearts of the countless people he has
touched, he will continue to live forever.
jexa exkf idi
page 6  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
HASHAMAYIM V'HAARETZ (the
Heavens and the Earth) and for
Peretz (in Megilat Ruth). Now you
have the whole picture.
Yitzchak is 40 years old when he
marries Rivka (3 years after the
Akeida). The Torah emphasizes
Rivka's family background.
Safe to say that most of us learned
from way back that Rivka was 3
years old when she married
Yitzchak. This notion is based on
the Torah's telling us of the birth of
Rivka right after the portion of the
Akeida. Yitzchak was 37 at the time
of the Akeida and the death of Sara
Imeinu. He married at 40, hence
Rivka was 3 at the time.
However, Chizkuni (an early commentary of Torah and of Rashi)
argues that if Rivka was only 3, there
would be a discrepany in the
chronology of the rest of her life. We
have sources that indicate she was
133 at the time of her death. Working
backwards with various events, we
find that she was 14 when she
married Yitzchak. The account of
Nachor's family - including Rivka,
does not necessarily mean that she
was just born at the time of the
Akeida. The Torah is just introducing us to Rivka in order to bring
her into the picture, so to speak, as
Yitzchak is about to take over the
mantle of Partiarch-hood from
Avraham Avinu.
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After 20 years of childlessness (10
until Rivka was of child-bearing
age - based on the 3 year old
opinion - plus an additional 10
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 7  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
years without a child), Yitzchak
and Rivka pray to G-d. G-d hears
their (actually his) prayer and
Rivka becomes pregnant. She is
having a "rough time" and goes to
Shem b. No'ach (who outlived
Avraham, by the way) who tells
her G-d's message, that she will
give birth to twins who will go in
very different ways and become
great adversarial nations.
Commentaries say that Rivka
was unaware that she was carrying
twins; she thought the turmoil
within her existed in a single baby THIS had her very upset; she was
somewhat calmed by the Divine
message of her carrying twins.
Another commentator suggests that
Rivka knew she'd have twins but did
not see the benefit of bringing a
Yaakov into this world if it meant
also having an Eisav. Part of the
reply to her question "why do I need
this?" is that her conclusion was
wrong.
Take a look at Rashi. Two great
nations - these are Antoninus and
Rabbi (Yehuda HaNasi)... It can be
suggested that the Divine message
to Rivka, was that even though there
May the learning from this TT be p"rl
Alfred S. Cohen l"f
l"f odkd oexd` mely `a`
will great tension and friction
between the descendants of the
twins she was carrying, Yaakov and
Eisav, there will be an example of a
Roman (from Eisav) and a Jew who
will truly get along and that is the
hope for the future when the nations
of the world will all recognize Israel's
role in the world and their special
relationship with the One G-d Who
will then be universally recognized.
Eisav and Yaakov are born, Yaakov
clutching the heel of Eisav. The
boys grow and develop different
personalities - Eisav is the hunter
and outdoorsman; Yaakov, the
mild,
studious
"tent-dweller".
Yitzchak loves Eisav; Rivka loves
Yaakov.
There are many different
commentaries on these relationships. Note that Yitzchak's love is
based on Eisav's providing food for
him (or deceiving him - based on
In memory of our beloved
mother and grandmother
Helen Atkins d"r
on her 11th yahrzeit, oeygxn g"k
and of our beloved
father/grandfather/brother
Lionel Atkins l"f
and of our beloved
daughter/sister/niece
on his 6th yahrzeit, 24 Marcheshvan
Father, grandfather, great-grandfather
by his daughters
Renana Rachel d"r
Janice Weinreb, Barbara Yasgur,
Benay Cohen-Nesher and families
The Elisha, Atkins and Frankel families
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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jexa mxkf idi
page 8  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
various drashot). Rivka's love is
unconditional. Pirkei Avot says that
only an unconditional love will
endure forever.
Yaakov is preparing a lentil stew
for his father. (The Gemara tell us
that this was the day that Avraham
died; Yaakov was preparing a traditional mourner's meal for Yitzchak.)
Eisav returns from the field in a
state of exhaustion. He asks Yaakov
for some of the food. In exchange
for the food, Yaakov acquires the
birthright, which is insignificant in
Eisav's eyes, but meaningful to
Yaakov.
so such p'sukim, and they are
occasionally a focus of attention.
Yitzchak and Rivka pose as brother
and sister (as did Avraham and
Sara, and for the same two
reasons). After a while, Avimelech
discovers that they are actually
husband and wife and complains
to Yitzchak about the deception.
Avimelech orders his people to
leave Yitzchak and Rivka alone.
[P> 26:1 (33)] A famine hits the
Land (like the one in Avraham's
time - this is one of the many
similarities between the lives of
Avraham and Yitzchak) and
Yitzchak goes to Avimelech in
Gerar. G-d appears to Yitzchak
and reminds him that he must not
leave the Land. G-d also repeats his
promises of the Land and of the
large nation that will descend from
him.
Levi - Second Aliya
7 p'sukim - 26:6-12
Yitzchak dwells in Gerar.
This is one of the three-word
p’sukim in the Torah. There are 13 or
Happy birthday to two non-twins, doctors,
born on the same day - Love from the family
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 9  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
Yitzchak and family flourish in
Gerar and G-d blesses them.
In last week's TT we referred
to the dispute as to whether Sara
and Avraham had a daughter or not.
S'fat Emet suggests that something
in this week's sedra seems to say
that they had a daughter. Yitzchak
and Rivka "pose" as brother and
sister. Avraham was well-known.
Especially to the people and king of
Gerar. He would know if Avraham
had a daughter or not. Since Avimelech seems to accepted Yitzchak
and Rivka as brother and sister, until
he discovered otherwise, it seems
reasonable to support the opinion
that Avraham (and Sara) were
indeed blessed with a daughter.
Observation... The first famine
that drove Avraham and Sara to
Egypt, when Par'o discovers their
true relationship, he sends them
away. The second time, when they
went to Gerar and said they were
brother and sister, and then they
were “found out”, Avimelech gives
them many things and invites them
to stay. (Par'o had given Avraham
great wealth, but it was before he
knew about their real relationship.)
Yitzchak and Rivka also say they are
siblings, but no one takes Rivka.
When they are "found out", they
stick around.
Shlishi - Third Aliya
10 p'sukim - 26:13-22
Yitzchak thrives in Gerar, which
creates jealousy among the locals
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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dxy za dewz dnlq
dxy dadf za lgx libia`
lfiix dig xzq` za lhib
dpg za oeiq ilxe`
dlib za ixiy
lfiix za `ail
lgx za dpipt
xzq` za dxeac
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dxetv zxt` za xzq` libia`
lri za dwax
dxeac diti za dxiy lgx
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xzq` za deg lhia`
lkin za dngp dilce`
dxy dqcd za dkxa xnz
mixn dpic za `nixt `cleb `ail dqcd
dig za decg
`biit dkln za lgx
dxy za dkln
Henne Rasha bat Yitta Ratza
Frumet bat Chana Mirel
Menya Leba bat Yitta Chaya
Chaya Yocheved bat Karpel Shira
A lter Baruch ben Sarah
Shmuel ben Sarah Pasha
dig oa sqei iav
dpipt oa iyi oeiv oa
hki oa lkin l`igi awri
lhib oa xkyyi
lhib dkln oa mely diryi
dpg deg oa xzl` l`xyi
`hr dxeac oa l`eny iyi liigd
xzq` oa edil` sqei
dtlf oa wgvi
diqg oa oxd` l`kin
zibg oa sqei l`ixfr
d`l oa l`ipc mely
lqix oa dyn ryedi
drny dpyey oa iav `aiwr
dnila oa `pipg mdxa` miig
xzq` oa cec
lgx oa mingx
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daia` oa ediryi mdxa`
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dxy daia` oa awri digzt l`tx
dpeniq dxeac oa l`ingxi xi`n
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page 10  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
who fill in the wells that Yitzchak
has dug. (There is great symbolism in the Torah's account of the
wells, their names, their failures,
and then their successes.) Yitzchak
is driven away from Gerar. A new
well that Yitzchak digs (Eisek) is
taken over by the shepherds of
Gerar, as is yet another well (Sitna).
Only the third well (Rehovot)
permits Yitzchak to live in relative
peace.
Some see this as a hidden reference to the 1st and 2nd Beit
HaMikdash, which fell, and the 3rd
which will stand forever. May we see
it soon in our time.
Brachot 56: Rabbi Chanina
said, he who sees a well in a dream,
he will see peace... Yitzchak's
servants dug and found a live
spring, B'EIR MAYIM CHAYIM. This
is immediately followed by the
peace treaty between Avimelech
and Yitzchak. Rabbi Natan continues in the same Gemara. He who
sees a well in his dream has found
Torah, as it says in Mishlei: He who
finds Me, finds life... an equation is
made between G-d, Torah, and Life.
R' Yehoshua b. Levi adds that one
should verbalize the words B'eir
Mayim Chayim before he encounters the words from Yirmiyahu 6:7 K'HAKIR BIYA MEIMEHA... "As a
well keeps its water fresh, so she
keeps fresh her wickedness;
violence and destruction, grief and
wounds..." Verbalizing a dream's
interpretation is considered significant; an unexpressed dream is
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 11  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
often open to opposite meanings
and what is expressed first gives the
dream its substance and direction.
This is the tip of the iceberg of
Dream Interpretation as presented
by the Torah T'mima. Don't read too
much into the comment here - it is
meant only as a brief comment.
R'vi'i - Fourth Aliya
7 p'sukim - 26:23-29
Yitzchak sets himself up in Be'er
Sheva. G-d appears to him and
reiterates the promises for prosperity made to Avraham. Yitzchak
builds an altar to G-d and continues to prosper. Avimelech, realizing that his own prosperity was
due to the presence of Yitzchak,
comes with a delegation to
Yitzchak in order to enter into a
covenant with him.
Not a rare experience through the
generations - Jews expelled from a
country, which subsequently regrets
its actions because of the decline
they experienced without them. And
we, somehow, kept going back.
of the dew and the fat of the land, the blessing of Avraham, and what?
Happy Birthdays
Elad5 and Roee3
Lov e y ou both ev en though I
don't share the same birthday
Lov e, Yonatani
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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Chamishi 5th Aliya
33 p'sukim - 26:30-27:27
Yitzchak and Avimelech partake of
a meal and exchange oaths. Be'er
Sheva is reaffirmed as "the city of
the Avot" by Yitzchak's actions.
Another example of the similarity
between Yitzchak's life and
Avraham's.
[S> 26:34 (2)] Eisav marries at 40
years of age - a (sub)conscious
attempt to emulate his father.
However wicked Eisav is, he is
genuinely respectful and loving of
his father. On the other hand,
Eisav's choice of a wife disgusts
both Yitzchak and Rivka.
[S> 27:1 (55)] Yitzchak is old and
blind and calls Eisav to prepare for
him a special meal and then
receive a special blessing. While
Eisav is in the fields doing his
father's bidding, Rivka prepares
Yaakov to receive the blessing
instead of Eisav. She tells Yaakov to
bring her two goats and she will
prepare the dishes that Yitzchak
loves. Yaakov hesitates for fear that
Mazal tov to
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Chava and Sarah Weiss
and their parents, Fonda & Yitzhak
on celebrating the twins' Bat Mitzva
on Parshat Toldot!
page 12  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
Yitzchak will feel his smooth skin
and realize that Yaakov has come
to deceive him. Rivka dresses
Yaakov in Eisav's garments and
places a goat-skin on his neck to
give it a rough feel. She gives
Yaakov the food to bring to his
father.
It seems obvious that Yaakov was
punished measure for measure for
his deception of Yitzchak. The
Brothers not only deceived Yaakov
concerning the fate of Yosef, but
they used a goat and a garment
(exactly the two items that Yaakov
used to deceive his father) to bring
about their deception. If we accept
the idea that Yaakov was supposed
to get the bracha that Yitzchak was
going to give to Eisav, that it was
G-d's will, and even G-d's command,
according to Onkeles, to Rivka to
“set it up”, then why was Yaakov
punished so severely?
An answer might be suggested in
the form of an analogy. When one
has to take drastic, life-saving
treatments - "serious" medication,
radiation, etc., what is done might be
absolutely necessary, but there are
often harsh side-effects.
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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Continuing the analogy, was there
not a "safer" way for Yaakov to get
the b'racha? Apparently not. If there
is a medication that is effective and
without serious side effects, why
would a person take the medicine
that has serious side effects? For
whatever reason(s), the way it went
is how it was meant to go.
When the Torah tells us that
Yaakov gave his father wine to
drink, the TROP note under the word
LO (to him) is a MEIRCHA CH'FULA,
double meircha. This rare note,
suggests the Meshech Chochma,
reminds us of the proper way to
drink a cup of wine - not gulping it
down in one shot, but rather
finishing it in two "installments".
Two in Toldot - who? - and Yehoshua and Ish Boshet
page 13  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
Shishi - Sixth Aliya
23 p'sukim - 27:28-28:4
The blessing invoked by Yitzchak
upon Yaakov, for bountiful produce and respected status among
nations, has been borrowed by us
to be recited on Motza'ei Shabbat -
V'YITEN L'CHA HA-ELOKIM... 'May G-d
grant you the dew of heaven and the fat of
the earth, much grain and wine. Nations
will serve you; governments will bow down
to you. You shall be like a lord over your
brother; your mother's children will
prostrate themselves to you. Those who
curse you are cursed, and those who bless
you are blessed.'
As Yitzchak finishes blessing
Yaakov, Eisav returns from the
hunt. He prepares food for his
father and presents it with a
request (demand) of the blessing.
Yitzchak trembles when he realizes
that the bracha went to Yaakov.
When Yitzchak explains to Eisav
that Yaakov received (rightly so)
the blessing, Eisav bitterly cries out
and asks his father for a blessing
too. Yitzchak gives Eisav a blessing
(not as exalted as Yaakov's). Eisav
plans to kill Yaakov for this, the
second time he has taken someCondolences to the children
and their families
on the passing of
thing away from him. Rivka hears
(how? Ru’ach HaKodesh, perhaps?)
of Eisav's plans and encourages
Yaakov to flee to Rivka's hometown
until Eisav's wrath subsides. Rivka
suggests to Yitzchak that he send
Yaakov away to find a proper wife.
Note that Rivka did NOT tell
Yitzchak that Eisav wanted to kill
Yaakov. Perhaps she felt that it
would pain him too much to learn of
Eisav's true character. Perhaps,
Yitzchak would have refused to
believe that his Eisav would
contemplate such a thing. Instead,
Rivka expresses another concern
(legitimate) as her reason for
wanting Yitzchak to send Yaakov
away.
Yitzchak calls for Yaakov and
blesses him again and sends him
off to Padan Aram to find a wife
from Rivka's family. He gives
Yaakov "the blessing of Avraham",
thus providing for the continuity of
what becomes The Jewish People.
Sh'VII Seventh Aliya
5 p'sukim - 28:5-9
Yitzchak sends Yaakov off to Padan
Aram to Lavan b. B'tu'el, the
brother of Rivka who is the mother
of Yaakov and Eisav. (Unusual ID.)
Eisav sees that their father has sent
Mrs. Helen Ginsburg d"r
May the learning from this
week's Torah Tidbits be p"rl
milyexie oeiv ila` x`y jeza mkz` mgpi mewnd
l"f wgvi oa xra iav ilztp axd
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 14  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
Yaakov to find a wife, because he
does not want him to take a
Canaanite wife. Yaakov goes on his
way and Eisav takes as another
wife, the daughter of Yishmael,
Machalat b. Yishmael...
Talmud Yerushalmi exclaims that
this is Bas'mat, and asks why her
name
was
changed.
The
astonishing answer is that all
Eisav's sins were forgiven when he
took a wife intended to please his
parents. The Talmud generalizes
and gives this as the source that the
sins of a CHATAN (and KALLA) are
forgiven when they marry. Strange
source for a significant concept.
Haftara 25 p'sukim
Shmuel Alef - 20:18-42
The 29th of a month is always Erev
Rosh Chodesh - sometimes, the
next day is the 30th of the same
month (i.e. the first of two days
R"Ch) and sometimes, the next day
is the first of the new month. Either
way, when the 29th of a month is
Shabbat, we have a MACHAR
CHODESH situation. Not all months
can have their 29th on Shabbat.
Tishrei and Marcheshvan can;
Kislev and Tevet cannot. Yes for
Shvat, Adar (and Adar Alef and Bet),
Nissan, Iyar; no for Sivan and
Tammuz. 29 Av can fall on Shabbat;
29 Elul cannot.
Mazal Tov to Benjy & D'vorah
Gasner and family
on the engagement of their son
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 15  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
On most, but not all, 29th of the
month on Shabbat, we read the
special
MACHAR
CHODESH
haftara, which pre-empts the regular
sedra's haftara. In turn, Machar
Chodesh pre-empted by Sh'kalim
and HaChodesh, and on Erev Rosh
Chodesh Elul (because of the 7
Haftarot of Consolation).
Erev Rosh Chodesh is Shabbat one
to three times a year (this year
twice). Machar Chodesh is read on
from zero to three times a year (this
year,twice).
The connection between the
Haftara and Erev Rosh Chodesh is
obvious. The opening words are:
And Yonatan said to him,
tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh...
The real question is why the Sages
decided on a special Haftara for
Erev R"Ch in the first place. No
other "erev" gets a special reading.
Perhaps it is because R"Ch is so
understated and often ignored.
This became a way - in addition to
Rosh Chodesh benching - to say:
Hear ye hear ye, tomorrow is Rosh
Chodesh. Yom Tov, on the other
hand, needs no reminder.
From this reading we see that Rosh
Chodesh was celebrated with a
special meal... Many have the
custom today of marking Rosh
Chodesh with a special meal - or at
least, a special food item, dessert,
ice cream... (be creative). The
Haftara also serves as a source of
the minhag of abstaining or
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With Israel's history resembling the
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Divrei Menachem
mpersoff@ouisrael.org
There often arises the question of Minhag,
the extent to which we should follow in
our fathers' footsteps. On the one hand, we
are taught to be independent minded and
to forge our destinies using our G-d-given
attributes. On the other hand, we are
instructed to respect the traditions of our
ancestors and to maintain our beautiful
and precious heritage.
So when we read in our parsha that
Yitzchak dug up his fathers' wells - closed
up by the local P'lishtim - how should we
understand these acts? Was this not a very
mundane undertaking for a Tzaddik of
Yitzchak's standing? And why, if at all, did
Yitzchak not actualize himself as a pathfinder and engineer new wells?
The Ramchal explains in kabbalistic terms
that Avraham, Yitzchak's father, represents
the Divine attribute of Chesed and that
through Avraham this moral virtue was
spread through the world, as symbolized
by the wells. Yitzchak denotes Gevura
which usually indicates independence of
spirit and that quality which limits or
blocks. Now, after Avraham's death, the
P'lishtim were brazen enough to stop up
the wells to counteract, as it were, the
spread of Chesed. So, paradoxically,
Yitzchak uses his assertive quality of
Gevura to reopen these wells and to allow
Chesed to re-emerge in the world. In this
way, Yitzchak exercises both independence
and respect for tradition.
It seems that the actualization of both
these attributes may well have paved the
way for Yitzchak's consequent blessing
that invokes his father, not once, but twice:
"I am the G-d of your father Avraham. Fear
not for I am with you. I will bless you and
increase your offspring because of
Avraham my servant" (B'reshit 26:24).
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 17  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
from the virtual desk of the
OU VEBBE REBBE
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joint venture of the OU , Yerushalayim Network, Eretz Hem da... and OU Israel' s T orah T idbits.
A Teacher’s Responsibility
for Theft of Phones
Question: In my son’s class, a teacher
forced the children to put their cellphones
in the front of the classroom. On the first
day of the policy, one of the phones was
stolen. Apparently, the parents are
considering demanding that the teacher
pay, and the kids are talking about it. What
does halacha say?
Answer: In my school days, such
discussions focused on baseball cards.
School distractions are now more
expensive… and addictive. Our
answer cannot be applied to a case
whose specifics have not been
presented by both sides, but we can
discuss halachic indications.
Tana'im disagree whether one who
suggests to another to put an object in
his proximity without clearly accepting responsibility is obligated as a
watchman (see Bava Kama 47b, Bava
Metzia 81b). The halacha is generally
that he is not obligated (Shulchan
Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 291:2).
Sometimes circumstances dictate that
he accepts responsibility without
stipulation (ibid.). In this case, on one
hand, the fact that the teacher
commands the students to put the
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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phones in a certain place increases the
chances he accepts responsibility. On
the other hand, if the phones were in a
place where the whole class could
keep “one eye” on them while the
teacher taught, this decreases the
chances he intended to be responsible.
If the teacher accepted responsibility,
it seems he was a shomer chinam
(unpaid watchman), who is exempt in
cases of theft. One could claim he is a
shomer sachar since this happened as
part of his job. However, since
watching cellphones is not (yet)
considered part of a teacher’s
obligation, the connection to teaching
is incidental, and he is a shomer
chinam.
Even a shomer chinam is obligated to
pay when an object is stolen due to his
negligence (ibid. 1 with commentaries). We thus must address the
question (see below, as well) whether
the setup (phones visible to all but
otherwise not guarded) is valid or
negligent. Our general feeling is that,
unless the school is crime-ridden, this
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page 18  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
is quite an innocuous, standard
situation. (Kids playing ball often
leave bags on the side in the open.
Airlines assume people won’t try to
slip out with another’s luggage.)
Assume that the teacher is not
obligated as a watchman for one of
the above reasons. Does forcing a
situation of lower supervision of
another’s object, which led to theft,
obligate him as one who damages?
Let’s view related cases. Regarding
one who breaks a wall, enabling an
animal to escape (Bava Kama 56b),
there is a machloket whether he must
or at least has a moral obligation to
pay for the animal (see Rama, CM
396:4; Gra ad loc.; S’ma ad loc. 8).
However, there it is very common that
breaking the wall will cause the
animal’s disappearance, unlike in our
case. The gemara (Bava Kama 56a)
also says that if one maneuvers
someone’s stalks so that they are
burnt by an existing fire, he must pay
if it was expected for the fire to reach
it, and there is a moral obligation if
only an unusually strong wind would
cause the fire to get there.
These sources indicate that here there
would be no more than a moral
obligation. Even a moral obligation
does not apply here for a few reasons.
In the latter case, the person had in
mind to harm the object (see Shulchan
Aruch, CM 418:11, Meiri Bava Kama
56a). Also, the list of cases of moral
obligations is apparently a primarily
closed one, and it applies where the
nature of the act is considered damagOU Israel Center TT 1112
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ing, even if indirectly. In contrast,
here, while the confiscation of phones
might have upset the children, it likely
was not considered damaging to the
phones. Finally, we find that teachers
are exempt from damages caused in
the course of necessary educational
discipline (see Pitchei Teshuva
424:4). (On the other hand, we do not
want to give teachers too much
leeway. The teacher probably should
have warned the children/parents of
this policy and have them decide
whether to bring phones. Still, trying
to obligate a teacher to pay dearly for
dealing in a way that many educators
are finding unavoidable is wrong and
educationally problematic.
Rav Daniel Mann, Eretz Hemdah Institute
Questions? email info@eretzhemdah.org
Having a dispute?
For a Din Torah in English or Hebrew
contact 'Eretz Hemdah - Gazit' Rabbinical
Court: 077-215-8-215 • fax: (02) 537-9626
beitdin@eretzhemdah.org
page 19  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
Rabbi Weinreb's Weekly Column:
Parshat Toldot
"Friday night
with Grandpa"
Veteran readers of this column are
familiar with my paternal grandfather, Chaim Yitzchak Weinreb. He
was an old-school Jew, with roots in
the region of eastern Poland known
as Galicia. He had studied under
renowned Talmudists back in the
old country, and his fervent wish
was to see his grandchildren grow
up to be dedicated Talmud students.
I was his oldest grandchild and
discovered from a very early age
just how determined he was to
steer me in what he was convinced
was the right direction. I particularly
remember the time he visited my
parents' home when I was in the
seventh or eighth grade. I had just
received my report card and
proudly showed it to him. I felt it
was a pretty good report card, but
for him, anything less than
perfection was inadequate. After
one glance, he noticed just how
uneven my academic performance
was.
pure, old-fashioned Yiddish. He
protested that my grades were
spotty. "You did very well in
Chumash, Bible, but not nearly as
good in Talmud. How can one truly
know the Bible if he is ignorant of
Talmud?"
I responded defensively by saying
that I saw no connection between
the Bible portions of B'reshit that we
were then studying and the tractate
of Bava Metzia, our Talmud text
that year. "The Chumash is full of
great stories, but the Talmud is only
about legal arguments, some of
which are over my head."
He smiled and said that if I would
give him an hour on the upcoming
Friday night, he would give me
kugel and soda, teach me a song,
and demonstrate how the Talmud
elucidates the Bible, in an
"amazing" way. Only he didn't say
"amazing," he said "vunderbar".
That Friday, true to his word - and
he was always true to his word - he
personally served me the kugel and
soda, taught me a song that he had
learned from the old rabbi of his
now-extinct shtetl, and asked me to
review with him a short passage in
this week's Torah portion, Parshat
Toldot (B'reishit 25:19-28:9).
He spoke to me in Yiddish,
unadulterated by English phrases OU Israel Center TT 1112
i
page 20  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
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You know the story. Eisav, the older
brother, comes in from the field,
famished. He finds his younger
brother, Yaakov, cooking a pot of
stew and asks for some of it.
Yaakov is willing to give it to him,
but for a price. He demands that
Eisav first sell him his birthright; that
is, the material and spiritual privileges that come with being the firstborn. Translated literally, he says:
"Sell me your birthright, kayom, like
today!"
Whereas nowadays, kids will call
their elderly grandfather Zaidie or
Saba, we called ours Grandpa.
Despite his old-fashioned demeanor, in many ways he was as
American as apple pie. He asked
me if I found anything problematic
with the story.
transaction based on the Talmud
texts you are now studying in
school. Here's your volume of
Talmud. I'll give you ten minutes to
come up with a really good
question."
To say that I was frustrated would
be putting it mildly. Not only was I
going to be stuck studying all Friday
night - I was actually being asked to
think!
But one did not say no to Grandpa.
So I opened the large book, pored
over it and focused on the task with
I did. "The phrase 'kayom' seems
strange, Grandpa. Why does
Yaakov insist that the sale should
be 'like today'?"
He responded, "Good! Maybe you
have a gemara kopp [a Talmudic
intellect] after all! But let's see if you
can ask a question on the whole
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page 21  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
great concentration. I was searching for a connection between a
fascinating story and what I then
experienced as some very boring
rules and regulations.
After some time, probably much
more than the allotted ten minutes, I
had an "aha" experience. I really
got excited. "Grandpa! It can't be!
How could Yaakov purchase the
birthright from Eisav? The privileges
of the birthright are way off in the
future. They include privileges like a
dual portion of their inheritance of
their father Yitzchak's estate, and
Yitzchak was alive, if not entirely
well, at that time. We studied in the
Talmud that one cannot buy or sell
objects or privileges which do not
yet exist!"
My grandfather was thrilled, but no
more than I was. Finally, I saw a
connection between my Bible
stories and the legal terminology of
the Talmud that I had begun to
resent.
He then sat back, asked me to
relax, and took the role of the
teacher. "If you reached page 16 of
the tractate you are studying, you
know this scenario. A fisherman
wishes to sell the fish he will catch
later that day to a customer. He
doesn't have the fish yet. Can he
sell them? Yes, answers the
Talmud. He can sell them if he
desperately needs the money to
feed himself that day. But if he
wishes to sell the fish he will catch
in thirty days or in a year, he cannot
do that. If one is desperate, he can
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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sell even objects that he does not
yet possess, even fish that are still
in the sea."
There is a logical rationale for this
legal principle, which I will omit from
this column in the interest of brevity.
Suffice it to say that I now saw the
connection between the story and
the Talmudic principle:
"Of course Yaakov said kayom. Sell
me your birthright even though its
privileges will not be realized until
the distant future, but do so in your
current state of desperation. Do so
because you are famished, and in
your desperation have the legal
ability, much like the fisherman, to
sell something which is now nonexistent, because you need it for
your urgent immediate needs. Sell
me the birthright kayom."
Grandpa was proud of me that day,
but I was even prouder of myself.
He told me that the concept that I
had discovered on my own was to
be found in the commentary Ohr
HaChayim, which he studied assiduously every Friday night.

As profound as our thoughts
may be, they will never be so
profound asour fingernails.
To bring about badly needed
reforms, all that is sometimes
necessary is to change the
interpretation of what isalready
being done.
Best your due.
from "A Candle by Day" by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein z"l
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page 22  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
He then leaned back, stared at me
with his gentle blue eyes and said,
"I am trying to think of a prize, a
reward for your willingness to sit
with me for a few hours on a Friday
night, for exerting your young
intellect, and for seeing the connection between the Written Torah,
Scripture, and Oral Torah, Talmud."
I sat there imagining all sorts of
possible rewards, certain that he
would ask for my input. Kugel and
soda would have been acceptable,
but lowest on my list of suggestions. I was thinking big bucks, or at
least tickets to a baseball game.
Then he told me his idea. "From
now on, every time I visit you, we
will study together. And we will
make it our business to discover
connections. Our motto will be the
verse in Psalms that says that
God's Torah is perfect, soothes the
soul and brings joy to the heart."
What a disappointment for a
twelve-year-old. But today, many
decades later, each time I sit down
before a folio of Talmud, I experience Grandpa's reward. I can now
appreciate Grandpa's willingness to
risk his popularity with his grandchildren, instead using every means
at his disposal to get us to sit and
learn with him. 
Jonathan Rosenblum, DPM
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OU Israel Center TT 1112
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70 Perspectives but still only
One Torah - for Toldot
by Dr. Meir Tamari
"Two nations are in your womb,
two separate peoples… One people
shall be mightier than the other and
the older shall serve the younger"
(B'rieshit 25:23). This prophecy
clearly defined the future of the
Avrahamic family throughout the
generations. In that future, the two
nation-peoples can never coexist;
either one or the other must serve.
"Yerushalayim ascends and Ceasaria
[seat of Roman rule after the churban]
descends is believable and the reverse
is also possible but that they are in
equilibrium is impossible" (Megila
6a). Avraham was the leader of
morality, fountain of belief in Hashem
and spiritual perfection, and Betuel
and Lavan were charlatans and liars,
idolaters, and people of bloodshed and
violence. This would have produced
median personalities neither perfectly
good nor completely evil; it was
essential therefore that these worlds
definitely
and
categorically
be
separated from each other, never to
meet. So when Rivka was told that the
continuation of this family is through
a set of twins, she feared that the
turmoil in her womb signified an
untenable mixture; "then she was
comforted by the prophecy of two
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separate sons, one a tzaddik and the
other a rasha, with no mingling of the
attributes" (Admor of Kotsk).
"The Divine Wisdom provided for
Rivka to carry in her womb twins,
spelt there without an Alef thus
reading tumim, to denote that each
was perfectly prepared for their
separate roles. Even in the womb they
would be categorically different and
continually combating each other;
never in equilibrium" (Abarbanel).
Furthermore, they were identical
twins, even born in the same
embryonic sac; although Rashi sees
'adom-red' in Eisav's appearance as
denoting his lust for blood, Hirsch,
Abarbanel and others render this as
rudy. "When later, Eisav tried to
prevent Yaakov's burial, he was
stabbed in the back since his face was
exactly as Yaakov's" (Midrash).
The very fact that they were twins
highlights their diametrically opposed
spiritual natures and yearnings; these
are expressed in their names. Eisav is
derived from asui-readymade and
denotes a feeling that he needs
nothing for his completion or that
there is nothing in him that requires
improvement or that there is nothing,
which he, unaided, cannot achieve.
This breeds the type of personality
that is arrogant and egoistic, both
attributes common to the followers of
the Nimrod-Eisav-Amalek philosophy. "Moshe told Israel, 'Anochi-I
stood between you and Hashem at
Horev'; it is the I which stands
between Man and closeness to G-d"
(Admor of Kotsk). "One who believes
that there is nothing lacking in him
cannot worship Hashem" (Simcha
Bunim of Pshyscha). Self-made
people cannot believe in an all
powerful all-seeing and all-knowing
G-d and so the political-social systems
of Nimrod-Eisav-Amalek must war
with the Abrahamic world.
"'Yitzchak loved Eisav because there
was hunting in his mouth' (B'reishit
25:28); 'he ensnared Yitschak with his
speech, asking how does one tithe
straw and salt' (Rashi). Eisav's choice
of the false hidur of tithing shows that
the root of his struggle against
Yaakov lies in the distinction between
that which is marginal and that which
is paramount or important. In all the
cases where the marginal is really
held to be marginal-tafel, then that
which is primary-ikar is able to
transform and elevate it. Indeed the
whole purpose behind the creation of
Eisav and Yaakov was that Eisav was
to be subservient and marginal to
Yaakov and thereby he would also
achieve shleimut. This is why
Yitzchak wanted to bless Eisav even
though he knew that Yaakov was
more pious. Yitzchak thought that
through his subservience to Yaakov,
Eisav would be elevated and
sanctified so that they could jointly
continue the Avrahamic tradition.
However he did not realize the extent
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page 24  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
of the arrogance and gasut ruach of
Eisav. Eisav, being unable to
differentiate between tafel and ikar
genuinely asked how one tithes straw
and salt, both of which are marginal to
wheat and meat. Therefore, he could
never see himself as subservient to
Yaakov and so the struggle is eternal".
(Shem MiShmuel)
"The terms nations and peoples in our
verse denote the struggle between two
political and ideological systems" (S.
R. Hirsch, B'reishit 25:23.). Rabbi
Hirsch, following Chazal, sees Eisav
and his grandson Amalek as the
continuation of Nimrod who was the
first to subject other people to his rule,
while Yitzchak foretold that Eisav
would live by the sword; they
represent the systems of might is right
and of military rule. Yaakov inherits
the blessings of Avraham who teaches
his descendants to do justice and
righteousness. The prophecy to Rivka
was not that one would destroy the
other but that the older would serve
the
younger.
Both
systems
represented by the sons are necessary,
limited and refined by the Avrahamic
tradition. "Nationalism is a positive
human need but if Jewish nationalism
remains exactly like that of other
nations, it will breed the same
perversions and faults" (A. Y.
Hakohen Kook).
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OU Israel Center TT 1112
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The following is from
Sapphire from the Land of Israel
A New Light on the Weekly Portion
from the Writings of
Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook
by Rabbi Chanan Morrison
website: ravkooktorah.org
Yaakov Rescued
Avraham
Adapted from MidbarShur, pp. 289-292
According to an intriguing Midrash
(Tanchuma Toldot 4), Avraham
would not have made it out of his
hometown of Ur Kasdim alive were
it not for the intervention of his
grandson Yaakov. King Nimrod
ordered Avraham to be thrown into
a fiery furnace because of
Avraham's rejection of idolatry. But
Yaakov came to the rescue, as it
says:
So said G-d to the House of Yaakov
who redeemed Avraham: Yaakov
will not be ashamed, nor will his face
become pale (Yeshayahu 29:22).
[The simple reading of the verse
interprets
the
phrase
"who
redeemed Avraham" to refer back to
G-d, not to Yaakov.]
Even given the poetic license of
Midrashic literature, Yaakov could
not have literally rescued his
grandfather in an incident that took
place before Yaakov was born.
Rather, the Sages wanted to teach
us that Avraham was saved due to
some special merit or quality his
grandson Jacob possessed. What
was this quality?
page 25  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
Two Paths of Change
There are two paths of spiritual
growth that one may take. The first
path is one of sudden, radical
change, usually the result of some
external catalyst.
One example of such a transformation may be found in the story of
King Saul. Sh'muel HaNavi
informed Sha'ul that he would meet a
band of prophets playing musical
instruments. This encounter, the
prophet told Sha'ul, will be a turning
point in your life. "The spirit of G-d
will suddenly come over you, and
you will prophesy with them. And
you will be transformed into a
different person" (Sh'muel Alef 10:6).
The second path is one of slow,
deliberate growth. We attain this
gradual change through our own
toil; it does not require an external
stimulus and thus is always accessible.
But why are there two different
paths of change available to us? If
God provided us with two paths,
then clearly both are needed. We
should first prepare ourselves and
advance as much as possible
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through our own efforts. After we
have attained the highest level that
we are capable of reaching, we may
then benefit from unexpected
inspiration from the inner recesses
of our soul.
Avraham was a spiritual revolutionary, initiating a revolt against the
idolatry of his generation. Avraham
is the archetype of radical change.
The defining moments of his life
were dramatic events of astonishing
dedication and self-sacrifice, such
as his brit mila at an advanced age,
and the Akeida. In the merit of
Avraham's far-reaching spiritual
accomplishments, his descendants
inherited those soul-qualities which
foster sudden transformation.
Future generations, however, cannot
rely solely on Avraham's style of
radical change. As a normative path
for all times, we need the method of
gradual spiritual growth. The model
for this type of change is Yaakov.
Unlike his grandfather, Yaakov
never underwent sudden transformations of personality or direction.
Rather, the Torah characterizes him
as "a quiet, scholarly man, dwelling
in tents" (B'reishit 25:27). Yaakov's
place was in the tents of Torah. He
worked on himself step by step,
growing through perseverance and
diligence in Torah study.
Two Names for Jerusalem
The Midrash teaches that the name
"Jerusalem" is a combination of two
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page 26  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
names, indicating that the holy city
possesses qualities respresented by
both names. Avraham called the city
YIR'EH, while Malki-Tzedek called it
SHALEIM. Not wanting to offend
either of these righteous men, G-d
combined both names together,
naming the city YERUSHALAYIM
(B'reishit Rabbah 56:10).
What does the name YIR'EH mean?
The holy city, particularly the
Temple, had a profound impact on
all who experienced its unique
sanctity. This profound spiritual
encounter is described as a form of
sublime perception "Your eyes will
see your Teacher" (Yeshayahu
30:20). This elevated vision inspired
visitors to reach beyond their
ordinary spiritual capabilities. Due to
the spiritual transformation effected
by perceiving Jerusalem's holiness,
Abraham named the city YIR'EH, He
will see.
Malki-Tzedek, on the other hand,
referred to the city's qualities which
assist those who seek to perfect
themselves in a gradual fashion.
Jerusalem is a place of Torah and
ethical teachings, "For Torah shall
go forth from Zion" (2:3). Therefore,
Malki-Tzedek named the city
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SHAMEIM (perfection), referring to
this incremental approach towards
achieving spiritual perfection.
Yaakov to the Rescue
Returning to our original question:
how did Yaakov rescue his grandfather from Nimrod's fiery furnace?
In what way will Yaakov "not be
ashamed"?
The Kabbalists explain that the goal
of humanity - the reason why the
soul is lowered into this world - is so
that we may perfect ourselves
through our own efforts. This way,
we will not need to partake of
NEHAMA DEKISUFA (the 'bread of
shame'), a metaphor for benefiting
from that which we did not earn.
While this explanation fits the path
of gradual change, it would appear
page 27  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
that the path of radical transformation is an external gift that we do not
deserve. Is this not the undesired
NEHAMA DEKISUFA that we
should avoid?
Not necessarily. If we are able to
take this unexpected gift and use it
to attain even greater levels of
spiritual growth through our own
efforts, then there is no shame in
accepting it. We can compare this to
a father who gave his son a large
sum of money. If the son simply
lives off the money until it is
finished, then the father's gift is
NEHAMA DEKISUFA, an embarrassment for the son, reflecting no
credit upon him. If, however, the son
uses the money to start a new
business, and through his efforts
doubles and triples the original
investment, then the son has
certainly pleased his father and
brought honor to himself.
tionary soul called for sudden,
drastic change - would have been to
achieve complete and absolute
self-sacrifice in Nimrod's fiery
furnace. It was Yaakov's trait of
gradual change that saved Avraham
from the fate of martyrdom.
Avraham adopted the path of
measured spiritual change which
his grandson Yaakov exemplified.
Abraham left the furnace, and over
the years worked diligently to attain
the spiritual elevation that he had
relinquished inside Nimrod's furnace.
Why bother with the slower path?
"Yaakov will not be ashamed." By
growing slowly through our own
efforts, the spiritual gifts of radical
change
are
no
longer
an
embarrassing NEHAMA DEKISUFA,
but an honorable gift which we have
utilized to the fullest. 
This is exactly the way that Yaakov
'rescued' his grandfather Avraham.
Left on his own, the most natural
path for Abraham - whose revolu-
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page 28  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
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A look at TOLDOT from
Laying the Foundations
Does Rashi always know what a
Biblical verse means? The answer is
no. This week’s sidra gives us an
example.
"Yitzchak sent Yaakov away," we
read, "and he went to Paddan-Aram,
to Lavan ben B’tu'el the Aramean,
brother of Rivka, the mother of
Yaakov and Eisav" (B'reishit 28:5).
Concerning the final phrase, "the
mother of Yaakov and Eisav", Rashi
says, "I do not know what this
teaches us." His expression of
humility puzzles many of the later
commentators, though in fact it is
missing from many early Rashi
manuscripts.
Presuming, however, that his words
are authentic, one understands his
problem. The whole story is building
up to the point at which Yaakov
leaves home and goes to live with
Lavan, and no-one is in any doubt
that Rivka, Lavan’s sister, is Yaakov
and Eisav’s mother. Is Rashi merely
fulfilling the rabbinic rule, "Teach
your tongue to say, 'I do not know'"?
Possibly, but other commentators
do find an explanation to fit the
puzzling words.
They recognise that Eisav and
Yaakov have become enemies, and
Eisav will willingly kill Yaakov for
taking the birthright and the
blessing. Yaakov, on the other hand,
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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may need to step in first and get to
Eisav before the latter gets to him. If
both sons stay home, one or both
will die. Sending Yaakov away stops
Eisav from murdering Yaakov, and
Yaakov from pre-emptively killing
Eisav. As the verse says, Rivka is the
mother of both of her sons; she
loves them both; and by sending
one away she protects the lives of
both.
If this is the right explanation, would
Rashi be worried that it needed a
later scholar to propound it? It is
likely that it would have given Rashi
great pleasure and satisfaction. The
fact is that nobody, however great,
can know everything and achieve
everything, and a new generation
has to have the opportunity of
achieving its own triumphs. The
important thing is to lay the
foundations on which others can
build.
Rabbi Apple served for 32 years as the chief minister of
the Great Synagogue, Sydney, and was Australia's
highest profile rabbi and leading spokesman for Jews and
Judaism on the Australian continent. He is now retired
and lives in Jerusalem. He blogs at www.oztorah.com
Creative Writing
Dr. June Leavitt
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seewww.juneleavitt.com
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page 30  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 32  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
Maharal on the Sedra
Eisav's Blessing
B'reishit 27:37 - And Yitzchak
answered and said to Eisav: Behold
I have made him a lord over you…
Rashi: This is the seventh blessing
given Yaakov, yet he mentions it
first here. He said to Eisav, "What
use are blessings to you? If you
acquire possessions, they are his,
for I have made him a lord over you,
and whatever a servant acquires,
his master acquires."
Gur Arye: According to Rashi's
account, why does Eisav answer,
"Do you have but one blessing, my
father?" [27:38]. Yitzchak had just
said there was no purpose to
further blessings! The answer is,
Eisav meant, "Is there a blessing
you can give me that Yaakov can
not lay claim to?" So Yitzchak
blessed him with "the fat of the
earth shall be your dwelling…"
[27:39], referring to Italy [Rashi,
27:39], which does not apply to the
sons of Israel, for the Holy Land
belongs to them, and they do not
desire an impure land" [Shabbat
15a]. …You shall live by your sword…"
[27:40] is likewise beyond the
bounds of Yaakov's blessing, as it
is the opposite of Yaakov's
attributes of shalom and truth. The
prophet says, "Attribute truth to
Yaakov" [Micha 7:20].
Additionally, Yaakov never saw a
seminal emission [Rashi 49:3],
which is considered a little like
bloodshed, since it is possible a
person could be created from it.
Thus the blessings Eisav received
did not belong to Yaakov.
Column prepared by Dr. Moshe Kuhr
Dr Kuhr is the author of two volumes
(so far) of Lion Cub of Prague
Yaakov is the opposite of bloodshed, for he is life, as it says,
"Yaakov our father did not die"
[Ta'anit 5b]. Eisav was red, a sign he
would be a murderer [Rashi 25:25].
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 34  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
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Yaakov and Eisav did it. So did whose half-brothers?
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 35  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
Reprinted (with permission) from
Shabbat Shalom
Parsha Booklet (4) by
Rabbi Berel Wein
The frightening thing about the
struggle between Eisav and Yaakov
is its apparently doomed inevitability. While yet in the womb of
their mother Rivka, they already
find themselves opposed to one
another. They are not only two
different personalities, physically,
emotionally and intellectually, but
they represent two diametrically
opposed worldviews. The only
question that remains is therefore
one of accommodating one another.
If the Lord created them so
differently, their freedom of choice
in life is centered on how they will
deal one with another. And in that
respect, the question of accommodation - of the relationship between
the Jewish people and the broader,
more numerous and powerful nonJewish world - remains alive and
relevant until our very day.
Eisav varies and wavers in his
attitude towards Yaakov. Hatred,
jealousy, scapegoating frustration
are all present in certain aspects of
his behavior patterns towards
Yaakov. And yet there is also a
grudging admiration and attempts
at reconciliation on the part of
Eisav. Yaakov is portrayed as
reactive towards Eisav, of a more
passive nature, of patiently attempting to wait out the situation and
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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hope that Eisav will calm down and
reconcile himself to Yaakov's right
of existence - in what Eisav
considers to be his exclusive world.
And, therefore. the question arises in reality the question of all of the
ages - is there room in the world,
especially our rapidly shrinking
world, for Yaakov and Eisav to
coexist peacefully. One would hope
so, though history belies this
optimistic view of the rivalry
between the brothers.
page 36  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
The Torah itself is pretty much
noncommittal about the causes for
the true source of Eisav's hatred of
Yaakov. Even though Yaakov's
purchase of the birthright and his
subsequent preempting of his
father's blessings are ostensibly the
cause of Eisav's displeasure with
Yaakov, these are only superficialities. For the hatred was there
from the beginning, from the
moment of their conception, even
though no incidents between them
had as yet occurred.
The Torah just seems to take it for
granted that this is the way it is
going to be. And this accounts to a
great degree for the almost traditional Jewish attitude of fatalism
regarding the behavior of the nonJewish world towards the Jews.
Rabi Shimon ben Yochai stated in
the Talmud that it is a given rule
that Eisav hates Yaakov. However,
there are other opinions there in the
Talmud that take a different tack
and belie this inevitability of hatred
and violence.
After the horrors of the Holocaust
were revealed, Jews felt that
perhaps Eisav had finally reformed
and had seen the evil of the ways of
hatred and bigotry. Almost seventy
years later we are not so certain
about this hopefully sanguine view
of Eisav's reconciliation with
Yaakov. Though we are certainly
less accepting and passive about
the situation now than we were a
century ago, nevertheless there are
relatively few options left to us as
how to deal with the matter.
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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We should minimize whatever
frictions possible but realize that we
are dealing with a millennia-old
problem that cannot be just wished
away or papered over. Faith and
fortitude in our own self-worth are
the strongest weapons in our
arsenal to bring Eisav to reconciliation and harmony.
Continuing on the proper saying of
the SH'MA.
We should be careful in our
pronunciation and accenting of all
words in all of davening, but we
cannot escape the fact that the
reciting of the SH'MA is the
fulfillment of a Torah's mitzva, and
therefore commands the utmost of
care in our reading.
STICKY WORDS
They are known as D'VIKIM, which
refers to letting one word run into
the following word without proper
separation. There are two types of
D'VIKIM. Two words in the same
phrase, the first of which ends with
the same letter that the second
word begins with. B'CHOL L'VAVECHA easily blends into a single
word in which one of the LAMEDs
disappears. VAAVADTEM break it
off, them M'HEIRA...
The other kind is a final letter of
the first word attaches the two
words together because the
second word starts with an ALEF
(or an AYIN the way Ashkenazim
pronounce it.)
continued on page 39
page 37  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
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Previous (Chayei Sara) TTriddles:
base ten issue number of last
week's TT.
[3] Shimon's Div-HaYa B'chor, goats,
and whose kingdom
InB'reishit and Sh'mot, the first son
of Shimon is identified as Y'MU'EL.
In Bamidbar, he is called N'MU'EL.
So too, in Divrei HaYamim. Shimon's
Div-HaYa B'chor, then, is N'MU'EL =
50+40+6+1+30 = 127 - the prominent
number from the beginning of
Chayei Sara, the number of years of
her life. Goats are IZIM =
70+7+10+40 = 127. Whose kingdom?
Whose kingdom had 127 states?
ACHASHVEIROSH.
[4] 100. But for you, 46
[1] Songs of Ascent
Each side in Backgammon
As we warned you last week, we are
taking advantage of the 8th and
final four-digit number that also
looks like a binary number. 1111 (base
2) = 15 (base 10). Songs of Ascent are
the chapters of T'hilim from 120 to
134, each of which begins with SHIR
HAMAALOT (except 121 which
begins with SHIR LAMAALOT).
There are 15 of these psalms.
[2] Avraham heard (understood,
heeded, agreed with) Efron...
VAYISHMA AVRAHAM L'EFRON...
Gimatriya: 6+10+300+40+70 (426) +
248 (the well-known numeric value
of Avraham's name) + 1+30 (31) +
70+80+200+6+50 (436) = 1111, the
The word MEI'A meaning 100 has a
numeric value of 46.
[5] KO T'VORACHU ET BNEI
YISRAEL...
This is the introduction in the Torah
to Birkat Kohanim, which has 15
words.
[6] uncopyrightable - One of the 4
longest words in English that
don't repeat any letters
This word, and obviously the other
three, have 15 letters. But, in addition
to the TTriddle value, you also
learned a little piece of trivia. The
other three words are
dermatoglyphics - the study of the
patterns of ridges of the skin of the
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OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 38  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
fingers, palms, toes, and soles; of
interest in anthropology and law
enforcement as a means of
establishing
identity
and
in
medicine, both clinically and as a
genetic indicator, particularly of
chromosomal abnormalities.
misconjugatedly - couldn't find a
definition.
hydropneumatics - look it up.
[8] Unexplaineds from the ParshaPix
Lying down D or lying down B.
These are the mnemonic devices
(memory aids) for the two types of
camels. Dromedary camels (the
Arabian camel) have one hump (like
a D) and Bactrian camels (central
Asia) have two (like a B). Camels
play a prominent role in Chayei Sara.
They were most likely one-humped.
FYI: About 90% of the world's
camels are dromedary. Almost all
camels are domesticated, with a
relatively small number of feral
camels (meaning returned to the
wild and adapted to their new life).
Largest herd of feral camels in the
world is in... Australia. Go figure.
When Lavan sees the jewelry his
sister got, he runs to find Eliezer.
The pasuk tells us about Eliezer V'HINEI OMEID AL HAG'MALIM AL
HAAYIN. That he is standing by the
camels by the well. We have the
word V'HINEI standing on 10
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GMMELs (GIMELIM, close enough
to G'MALIM), which are standing on
the letter AYIN.
[9] Upper-left of Front page
ZARCHAN is the Hebrew word for
Phosphorus - (Symbol P) A highly
reactive, poisonous, nonmetallic
element, atomic number: 15.
Don't say we didn't warn you about
15 being a focus of the TTriddles.
Remember, we won't bother you
with binary number (B"N) for over
185 years. 
[9] Old Business
Since two TTreaders wrote in about
this, here it is again, for the last time:
A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit. Happy?
Towards Better Davening... cont. from p.37
ASHERANOCHI needs to be separated slightly, ASHER ANOCHI so
the REISH stays with ASHER and
does not attach itself to ANOCHI.
UCH-TAV-TAM AL - unlikely that
one who pronounces the guttural
sound of the AYIN will combine
this two words, but the Ashkenazi
might, since the AYIN is (wrongly)
as silent as an ALEF.
ELOHIM ACHEIRIM, not as a
blended pair of words.
And so on.
There is a glaring example of this
problem in the sentence after the
SH'MA YISRAEL when taking the
Torah(s) out on Shabbat and Yom
Tov. ECHAD ELOKEINU, GADOL
ADONEINU, notLADONEINU.
page 39  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
TIYULIM
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OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 40  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 41  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 43  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
CHIZUK!IDUD
Divrei Torah from the weekly sedra
with a focus on living in Eretz Yisrael Chizuk for Olim & Idud for not-yet-Olim
Parshat Toldot describes the complicated love-hate relationship between
Yaakov and Eisav as individuals. The
Haftora (which we don't read this week
because of Machar Chodesh) expands
upon this theme, viewing the Biblical
figures as prototypes of two competing
nations, Israel and Edom, while
examining
their
respective
relationships with G-d.
The Haftora begins with the following
exchange between the Almighty and
His beloved nation: "'I love you', says
Hashem, and you say, 'How have you
loved us?' - 'Isn’t Eisav a brother of
Yaakov?' says Hashem, 'Yet I love
Yaakov. But Eisav I hate; I have given
over his mountains to wasteland, and
his inheritance to desert jackals"
(Malachi 1:2-3).
Although G-d openly professes His
love towards the Jewish People,
nonetheless they are doubtful: “How
have You loved us”, they say, or in
other words, “How do You demonstrate
Your love for us?”
Rashi and Ibn Ezra both explain that
the Almighty’s reply to the peoples'
challenge is that His love towards
Yaakov is manifest in His having given
us Eretz Yisrael, Eretz Chemda- the
beloved Covenantal Land.
This understanding is accorded added
significance when one takes into
account the Talmud's historical claim
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 44  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
(Tractate Megila 15a) that the Prophet
Malachi was none other than Ezra
HaSofer. Reading the verses while
taking into account the historical
context of the prophecy as one given
during Shivat Zion leads to a renewed
understanding. The realization that this
dialogue takes place as the Jewish
people begin their return home from
Babylonia, leads to the appreciation
that its true import is the contention
that one must not seek out miraculous
otherworldly events as proof of G-d's
love for His people. We are being
called upon to internalize the message
that Hashem is showering us with His
love by creating the conditions which
grant us the freedom to choose to return
home.
What is the source of this enduring
love? The Malbim answers this
question claiming that the pasuk
reminds us of the fact that Yaakov and
Eisav are brothers in order to dispel a
widespread notion that His present love
for us is based on the merits of earlier
generations. Hashem surely has “Ahava
Keduma” a prior love for the People of
Israel, and yet, His present love is a
direct outgrowth of our own
meritorious behavior.
To prove this contention, one which the
People of Israel find hard to believe,
the Almighty points to the fact that as
twin siblings, Yaakov and Eisav share
the same parents: “If the present love
were to be a result of the actions of
their ancestors, Eisav would surely
deserve an equal portion of this love and why then do I only love Yaakov?"
The Malbim explains that the next
verse extends this argument, further
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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denying that the love of our ancestors
functions even as a contributing factor
in determining G-d's positive regard
towards His people in present times.
Eisav’s deeds, the verse tells us, caused
his lands to become desolate. If
ancestral love will not even serve as a
buffer preventing the Almighty from
demolishing wayward descendants,
then surely we must conclude that it
has
no
present
consequences
whatsoever. If indeed G-d's relationship
with present day descendants is based
entirely on their own merits, then
surprising as it may seem, we must
accept the claim that the Almighty’s
present love for the Jewish People is a
result of whom we are and the way we
act. The Malbim thus teaches us - 21st
century Jewry - an important lesson in
self-esteem.
We are living during a glorious phase
of Jewish History. As in the time of
Ezra, we are returning and rebuilding
our National home, and yet in truth we
have already far surpassed some of
their achievements! Nearly half of the
Jewish people have already come
home, and presently reside in Eretz
Yisrael. As in the time of Ezra we may
be inclined to put ourselves down, not
willing to believe that this clear
manifestation of the Almighty’s love
for us was brought about by our own
merit. And yet the Haftora teaches us
that this is not so!
May we continue to merit to see the
fulfillment of the rest of the prophecy:
"And your eyes shall see, and you shall
say: ‘The LORD is great over the
borders of Israel" (Malachi 1:5).
Rabbi Yerachmiel Roness, Ramat Shiloh, Beit Shemesh
page 45  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
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page 46  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
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OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 47  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
for Fertility and Gynecology
in Accordance with Halacha
Treating Male Fertility
Last week we reported on an interesting paper presented by a group from
McGill University in Montreal at the
recent Annual Meeting of the American
Society for Reproductive Medicine in
Hawaii. They investigated pregnancy
rates for women over the age of 40
undergoing in-vitro fertilization. They
found that when their husbands or
partners were older men, over the age
of 43.5 years of age, there were no
pregnancies and pregnancies were only
achieved with younger men.
It should be stressed that older men
can father children as many readers
may be able to attest from their own
experience and from that of their
family, friends and neighbors, but
fertility decreases. This information is
very interesting but how can we use
this to improve pregnancy outcomes?
Age is one of the factors that we
cannot change, as I say to many
couples none of us is getting any
younger, and this increase in age
affects both men and women. There
have been many wild claims but as of
this moment in time there is no
medication that can effectively reverse
the effects of aging.
The advice that has been given to
women for many years is not to push
off getting married and starting a
family for later. It seems that we
should be giving this same advice to
men as well.
This is easier said than done because
many people do not find the perfect
match and cannot get married, but the
campaigns directed so far at women to
encourage them to get married earlier
have been effective. Many people are
getting married and waiting for several
years to start a family. If they knew
that there is a biological clock that is
ticking they may be more inclined to
start having a family earlier and not
delay having children.
Sometimes men feel that they have no
pressure to marry since they can get
married and have children at any age.
We have cases when men are
convinced that they can marry a much
younger woman and still have children,
so why be in any hurry?
But this new research shows that men
also experience a decrease in fertility
with age and so they also need to
prioritize marriage and having
children.
This will require public awareness and
an educational campaign similar to
those directed at women. We can hope
that Jewish organizations see this need
and arrange such a drive.
Rabbi GideonWeitzman
Director, Puah Institute
The Puah Institute is based in Jerusalem and helps couples from all over the world who are experiencing fertility
problems. Puah offers free counseling in five languages, halachic supervision, and educational programs. Offices in
Jerusalem, New York, Los Angeles, Paris. Contact: (02) 651-5050 (Isr) • 718-336-0603 (US) • www.puahonline.org
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 48  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
Eliezer's "Eye" Test
for Rivka
by
Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher
Dean of Students, Diaspora Yeshiva
HOLD-OVER FROM CHAYEI SARA
Both Yaakov Avinu and Moshe
Rabeinu found their spouses at a
BE'ER (a well). Eliezer, Avraham's
servant, also met Rivka, Yitzchak's
future wife, at a well. However, at that
event, the Torah calls the well AYIN
(a well) not a BE'ER. The Rambam in
the Moreh Nevuchim informs us that
the word AYIN has several different
meanings.
Sometimes, AYIN means a well, like
in the verse about Eliezer and Rivka.
In other places AYIN means an eye as
in, "Leah's eyes were soft" (B'reishit
29:17). The word AYIN also means
caring and paying attention, as we
find in the verse, "G-d's Eyes are
directed to it (Eretz Yisrael)
constantly from the beginning of the
year until the year's end" (D'varim
11:12). The Rambam tells us that the
word AYIN can also mean to focus,
as the verse states, "Everyone's eyes
focus their hope in You" (Tehillim
145:15).
The Talmud in Taanit 24 teaches that
once a person has determined that a
bride's eyes are appealing, it is
unnecessary to investigate anything
else about her. The Kli Yakar states
that this Talmudic passage cannot be
understood at face value. For one
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 49  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
thing, it is not always true. People can
have nice looking eyes and yet not be
good looking. Furthermore, is the
Talmud really telling us that physical
good looking eyes are an indicator of
a good moral character?
Therefore, the Kli Yakar explains this
Talmudic passage according to the
lesson taught to us by Eliezer. Eliezer
needed to find a proper wife for
Yitzchak, someone who possessed the
noble character traits fitting to be the
Mother of the Jewish People.
So he devised an eye test. He rested
his camels at the AYIN (well). If the
young, prospective bride for Yitzchak
would display great CHESED and
generosity, it would show that she
possessed an AYIN TOVA (a good
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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eye). This means a wise, loving and
generous spirit. Rivka displayed
wisdom and grace while selflessly
giving of herself for Eliezer and his
camels. Once he saw that Rivka
possessed such an AYIN TOVA at the
AYIN (well) , Eliezer had no need for
further investigation into her wonderful character traits.
Eliezer found that Rivka passed his
test with flying colors. Therefore, he
gave her gifts that represented her
destiny - becoming the Mother of the
Nation of Israel, who would receive
the Torah. As the verse in Mishlei 22
states, "He who possesses a good
AYIN (eye) will be blessed."
Achimaatz's wife is the other one
page 50  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
CALENDAR TRIVIA
Rosh Chodesh Kislev can be SUN,
SUN/MON, TUE, TUE/WED, THU,
THU/FRI, and FRI. That's the
greatest variety of any month, yet
Rosh Chodesh Kislev is never on
SHABBAT!
(Sivan is the only other month
whose R"Ch is never on Shabbat,
but it's possibilities are much
fewer than Kislev's.)
Erev Rosh Chodesh Kislev falls on
Shabbat more than the R"Ch of
any other month.
The first 29 days of Kislev (this
year there is a 30 Kislev - not
every year has one) can fall on
any of six different days of the
week. No other days of the year
are as free (so to speak).
30 Kislev is LO AD"U but is unrelated to the other 295 dates that
follow LO AD"U or one of its six
variations (BaHaZ, AGU, BaDaZ,
AGaH, B'DU, GaHaZ).
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OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 51  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
Top-left is Yaakov with his lentil stew
• Next to him is one of Yitzchak's
workers on a break from digging wells.
Or, perhaps, it is Eisav coming in from
the field exhausted • Seder plate Rashi tells us that it was the first night
of (the future) Pesach that Yaakov
presented himself to Yitzchak for the
bracha, explaining the two goats that
Rivka prepared as the main dish and
the Korban Pesach (which is why
Yitzchak couldn't eat Eisav's food). And
BTW, Yitzchak was born on the first
day of Pesach, so this was a birthday
meal, as well • To the right of the
Seder plate is a king on his father's
back. The finger is pointing to the
father, who would be AVI-MELECH •
The rain cloud is part of the bracha that
Yaakov received. And part of what we
pray for now • The sword is part of
the bracha to Eisav • The lion cub on
the map of Israel GUR BAARETZ HAZOT
- What G-d said to Yitzchak and what
G-d says to every Jew - Live in this
Land! • Tow truck is another pun Yitzchak lived in GERAR • Above the
truck is the emblem of NAHAL, part of
the Israeli army. Combined with the
truck it reads NACHAL GERAR, the
place where Yitzchak settled after
Avimelech kicked him out of Gerar •
The teddy bear is holding aloft the
number 7 in one paw and an upraised
hand in the other. There are two
meanings to the name Be'er Sheva.
One is from the seven sheep that
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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Avraham gave Avimelech as a token of
the covenant between them, and the
other is for the oath(s) that were taken
in that agreement. SHEVA has both
connotations • Towards the bottom is
the Davka Judaica Graphic of Yaakov,
the studious ISH TAM, dweller in the
tent of Torah, and Eisav, the ISH SADEH,
the man of the field, the hunter • Two
street signs represent Rechovot - the
meaning of the word streets, not the
town by that name. They represent the
third well that Yitzchak dug • C is 100
in Roman numerals. With a gate inside
the C, you get ME'AH SHE'ARIM. That
Yitzchak established Me'ah She'arim is
consistent with the fact that he is
recorded as being the first Charedi, as
in VAYECHERAD YITZCHAK CHARADA
G'DOLA AD M'OD - he was very charedi
• The emblem of Ben Gurion University
stands Be'er Sheva, the city in which it
is located • Next to it is the emblem of
the city of Rehovot - with microscope,
book, and orange - is for the well of the
same name • To its right is a photo of
a Pygmy Marmoset, the smallest of all
monkeys... represents the small KUF
(monkey is KOF - KUF/KOF, close) in
the word kATZTI, that Rivka said in
expressing her disgust if Yaakov were
to marry a local K'naanit • Guy
shooting three arrows represents the
haftara for Machar Chodesh, in which
we read of the sign that David and
Yonatan had arranged, using three
'd mya mi`ad mikexa
OU Israel is pleased to welcome the
newest Olim Chadashim - hot off the plane
Rabbi Neil & Andrea Winker
May you have a smooth, hassle-free K'lita and
much B'racha & Hatzlacha in your new lives
page 52  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
arrows and the direction in which they
were shot to indicate whether it was
safe for David to come out of hiding or
not • Upper-right is an artistic version
of the Zodiac sign Gemini. Although it is
the mazal of Sivan, it fits in with Toldot
because of the twinship of Yaakov and
Eisav • Below that is the lentil plant •
And below that is a water drill, which
stands for the attention paid in the
sedra to Yitzchak's digging water wells
that Avraham had dug • The increasing
numbers in size and value stands for
the Torah's statement that Yitzchak
grew greatly • Lower-right is a
bakery... or BEIT LECHEM (house of
bread - get it?) mentioned in the
haftara • There is a goat to the right of
the guy shooting three arrows - Goats
are significant in more than one
context. In Toldot, Rivka has Yaakov
bring her two goats so she can prepare
a sumptuous meal for Yitzchak. She
also wraps goat skin around Yaakov's
arms and on his neck. Later, Yosef's
brothers slaughter a goat and dip his
Kutonet Pasim in it to show Yaakov
who would conclude that Yosef had
been killed by a predator. Yehuda
sends a goat to Tamar. Two identical
goats are an important part of the
Avoda on Yom Kippur in the Mikdash •
And to the right of the goat is a well.
by Benjy Caplan = xiW
¦ n§ gª
Rivka was long without child
Unhappy is putting it mild
But after much praying
And majordelaying
Was carrying twins - rather wild.
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 53  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
Sigd is an Amharic word meaning
"prostration" or "worship" and is the
commonly used name for a holiday
celebrated by the Ethiopian Jewish
community on the 29th of the month
of Marcheshvan. This date is exactly
50 days after Yom Kippur
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OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 54  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 55  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
On THU November 27th
Join Rebbetzin Esther Jungries
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gratitude, full turkey buffet
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Doors open 6:30, space is limited
reserve now • 75å if you pre-register
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or email newsfromhip@gmail.com
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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Clinical Social Worker since 1983 in U.S. and
Israel specializing in Cognitive Behavioral
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psycho-trauma(PTSD) includingsexual
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050-833-7499 • English and Hebrew
page 56  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
Dr. Kamila Forkosh Lavan
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Dr. Lavan draws from years of
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OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 57  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
cont. from page 4
MOLAD at 9:26am, then they will
have to come up with the wording
on their own. Something like:
HAMOLAD ACHSHAV! and then
give the time in the traditional form.
As long as we are on the subject of
the Molad and adjusting the time to
your locale (even if it will not be
mentioned in the announcement
during Birkat HaChodesh), there is
another purpose to know the time of
the molad in local clock time.
KIDDUSH L'VANA.
The earliest time for KL (Minhag
Yerushalayim) is 3 full days from the
molad. That calculation is to be
made based on the local clock time
of the molad.
The other common minhag is 7 full
days from the molad.
And the last opportunity to say KL in
a given month is halfway between
the molad of the current month and
the molad of the next month. This is
calculated by adding 14 days, 18
hours and 22 minutes to the molad.
To the clock time of the molad.
One result of these calculations is
that there will be months that
people in one location can begin
saying KL on a certain night and in
another location, they will have to
wait for the following night.
In some places (in some months) KL
will be able to be said until a certain
night, and in other locations, the
deadline might be the previous
night.
The dates and times of night which
we print in Torah Tidbits are for
OU Israel Center TT 1112
i
Eretz Yisrael. People elsewhere, be it
to the east or the west of Israel,
need to adjust the times for their
locales and act accordingly.
Because of different opinions as to
several factors of Kiddush L'vana
timing, we recommend that you
consult your Rav for fine tuning your
calendar.
There's a lot more, but we'll stop
here and hopefully make that
serious hashkafa point.
All of the above, applies to our fixed
calendar, when we are without a
Sanhedrin. In the time of Sanhedrin
- past and future - the calendar is
set by sanctification by the head of
Sanhedrin, most often based on
eye-witness testimony to the first
visibility of the lunar crescent. In that
case, the average molad we use now
is of no significance, and the Molad
Amiti, the true, astronomical molad
is the vital element of that system.
There is Plan A for setting up the
calendar - that's the one used in the
time of Sanhedrin, and there is Plan
B, the one in use today and for the
last 1000 years plus, and until the
Sanhedrin is restored.
A wonderful as our fixed calendar is
- and as smoothly it works, we
should not think of our Plan B as an
equal alternative to the original Plan
A. Amidst our celebration of Rosh
Chodesh and our enthusiasm with
our current calendar, we need to
reflect on the fact that it was/is our
iniquities that resulted in the need
for Plan B. May we be zocheh to
earn our way back to Plan A.
page 58  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
The Avrom Silver Jerusalem College for Adults, OU Israel's Project YEDID, L'Ayla
are the educational components of the
Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center
and include the classes & lectures of the OU Israel Center
Rabbi Sholom Gold, Dean • Phil Chernofsky, Educational director
Mrs. Rivka Segal , Director of Yedid and L'Ayla
1112
WED
Nov 19
THU
Nov 20
"Regular" classes & lectures - 25å members, 30å non-mem, 5å maintenance fee for life members.
Special rates for mornings with two or more shiurim: 40å members, 50å non-mem. 10å life members.
No one will be turned away for inability to pay • Yearly membership 360å couple, 275å single.
Life membership, call us • Programs of the Center are partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel
and the Department of Tarbut Toranit, Misrad HaChinuch
9:30am
9:30am
9:45am
10:45am
11:00am
12:30pm
12:30pm
2:00pm
6:00pm
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Rabbi Baruch Taub's shiur
Drama for women with Chaya Leeder
Toldot - Reuven Wolfeld no charge
Rabbi Yosef Wolicki on the Parsha
Tai-Chi-Kung exercise (054-547-1234)
VIDEO: Rabbi Leff: "the accounting after death"
Shakespeare workshop (until 2:00pm)
Pearl Borow (2 hrs) Book of Daniel / Chumash
The "Old-New Land" with Gabriella Licsko
Rabbi Chaim Eisen on Parsha
9:00am
9:45am
9:45am
10:15am
R' Yair Kahn on Parshat HaShavua
Dr. Tova Goldfine - Fitting Fitness In • 052 420 1201
Dr. Haim Abramson
Rabbi Poupko's Parsha Perspectives
“The Book, the Sword, and the Scythe”
Shabbat Parshat Toldot - shiur at 3:00pm
Rabbi Sidney Goldstein
Sun-Thu in the Ganchrow Beis Medrash (first floor)
10:00am Su/Tu/Th - Rabbi Jeff Bienenfeld's
in tribute to Rabbi I. Fred Hollander
shiur
l"f
RCA Daf Yomi by Rotation
in tribute to Rabbi Yitzchak Botwinick l"f
1:20pm Sun-Thu Mincha in the Wolinetz Family Shul
10:00am Sun-Thu
Rabbi Hillel Ruvel - Gemara
5:30pm Sun-Thu Maariv in the Beit Medrash one floor up
4:30pm Su/M/W/Th
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 59  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
Yom Rishon • Rosh Chodesh Kislev • SUN November 23rd
L'Ayla programs:
10am - Mrs. Rivka Segal - Living T'hilim
11:10am - Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz
12:00pm
KUZARI with Rabbi Chaim Eisen
12:00pm
10å
Easy Hebrew vocabulary and speaking
with Haya Graus
2:00pm
Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher RabbiSprecher.com
8:00pm
no charge
Are ALL deaths decreed by G-d?
Rabbi Mordechai Machlis
Thoughts of Optimism in the Book of Kohelet
Yom Sheini • 2 Kislev • MON November 24th
N'shei Library 10:00am to noon
9:30am Mommy & Baby Music Classes with Jackie • 054-533-9305
9:15am
Just starting The Book of Yechezkeil
Mrs. Pearl Borow
10:30am
Pirkei Avot - Serving G-d selflessly or selfishly
Rabbi Asher Resnick will be presenting the Toras Chaim
methodology from his Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Noach Weinberg zt"l
11:30am
Fit Forever: Look & Feel your Best!
12:30pm
no charge
VIDEO: Rabbi David Derovan - “Rachel and Leah”
2:00pm
3:00pm
for children
ages 2-5
Exercise for women of all ages • Sura Faecher 050-415-3239
Jewish Women in Tanach & Beyond - Pearl Borow
Mishna, Mitzvot, & more - Phil Chernofsky
3:00pm - MUSIC TIME with JACKIE
OU Israel Center TT 1112
25NIS per child per program
i
page 60  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
for children 4:00pm ages 2-5
5:20pm
DRAMA with Chaya Leeder
25NIS per child per program
Pri Chadash Women's Writing Workshop
Contact: Ruth Fogelman (628-7359) and Judy Caspi (054-569-0410)
6:30pm
8:00pm
EmotionsAnonymous
12-step program meeting weekly at the Israel Center • Call Faigy (02) 571-0632 for details
Rabbi Avrum Kowalsky on Sefer Melachim
Yom Sh'lishi • 3 Kislev • TUE November 25th
Gemach -Free Loan Society providing interest-free loans for people in financialdistress
(living in the J'lem area). Interviews at the Center • Bring ID Hours: 10-12 and 19-20:15
9:00am
Rabbi Aharon Adler
In the Beginning - The Rav on B'reishit
9:15am
Mrs. Shira Smiles - Torah Tapestries - Insights into the weekly parsha
Rabbi Sholom Gold on Parsha
Workshop for Women: Love Yourself; Heal Your Life
A life-changing, positive thinking experience
with Nina Neumann Muller
10:15am
11:30am
Women's T'hilim Group for Shiduchim and Sick people
12:30pm VIDEO: HOROWITZ IN MOSCOW - M agnificent performance
no charge by Vladimir Horowitz during his historic visit to the Soviet Union, 61 years after
1½ hrs leaving his native Ukraine. Special sound quality for the video.
1:45pm
Kibbutz Galuyot Energizes the Medina: Kidnapping the Yemenite Children
Dr. Deborah Polster
3:00pm
Verna Black Gartner / D'vora Zippor / Knitting plus
7:00pm
Through the Eyes of the Meforshim - Rabbi Yonatan Kolatch
for Vayeitzei: Husband Rental
7:00pm
NEW DAY
& TIME
RabbiDr.JosephC.Klausner/Yedidyahu
SHIUR in Sefer MELACHIM - Religious vs Secular Authority
Eliyahu HaNavi, EMET, SH'LEIMUT, AHAVA, YOSHER
on the 20th yahrzeit of HaRav Shlomo Goren zt"l
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 61  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775
7:30/8:30pm
Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz • Contemporary Halachic Issues
Rabbi Shmuel Hershler • The Book of Shmuel Bet
Yom R'vi'i • 4 Kislev • WED November 26th
9:30am
Wednesday the Rabbi gave his Drasha
Shiur by Rabbi Baruch Taub
Drama for women with Chaya Leeder
9:45am
Vayeitzei with Reuven Wolfeld no charge
10:45am
Rabbi Yosef Wolicki on the Parsha
11:00am
Tai-Chi-Kung exercise (054-547-1234)
9:30am
12:30
to 2:00pm Shakespeare
workshop
12:30pm VIDEO: Yiddish Comedy - Shimon Dzigan - Hilarious
no charge comedy sketches from the artist, one of the greatest Yiddish comedians of
1 hour all time. Come for some wonderful laughs! (English subtitles
Israel Ulpan: The "Old-New Land" and country from scratch
6:00pm
Zionism, pre-zionism, postZionism, neo-Zionism, anti-zionism,
various forms of secular and religious zionism etc.
Interactive lecture series with Gabriella Licsko
7:00pm
Fund-raising Seminar with Josh Boretsky - see page 31
7:30pm
Rabbi Chaim Eisen - A Different Parsha Shiur
Yom Chamishi • 5 Kislev • WED November 27th
9:00am
Rabbi Ari Kahn on Parshat HaShavua
9:00am
Dr Tova Goldfine, Chiropractor and Rehabilitation Specialist
Fitting Fitness In ....Movement Throughout Your Day
www.chirodivine.com 052 420 1201
10:15am
Dr. Haim Abramson - Midrash on Parsha
10:15am
Rabbi Poupko's Parsha Perspectives - Role Reversal & Repentance
Thursday, November 27th • 8:00pm (no charge)
The Joy Club - Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
OU Israel Center TT 1112
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OU Israel Center TT 1112
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page 63  Toldot (machar chodesh) 5775