Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Parashas Bo 5769

שבת טעם החיים פרשת בא תשס"ט

שבת טעם החיים פרשת בא תשס"ט
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Parashas Bo 5769
Unity, Redemption and Shabbos
Introduction
In this week’s parasha the Torah records how the Egyptians were afflicted with the final three plagues and then HaShem redeemed the Jewish People from slavery. It is noteworthy that one aspect of the redemption is at times overlooked. It is said (Shemos 12:20-21) kol machmetzes lo socheilu bichol moshvosocheim tochlu matzos vayikra Moshe lichol ziknei Yisroel vayomer aleihem mishchu ukechu lachem tzon limishpichoseichem vishachatu haPesach, you shall not eat any leavening; in all your dwellings shall you eat matzos. Moshe called to all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Draw forth or buy yourselves one of the flock for your families, and slaughter the Pesach-offering.” What is the significance of the fact that the Torah adjoins the prohibition of eating chametz and the commandment to eat matzah next to the instruction to take a Pesach-offering?
Unity and redemption
In the simple sense the Torah is alluding to the Halacha mentioned in the Gemara (Pesachim) that one cannot slaughter the Pesach-offering while he is still in possession of chametz. Perhaps, however, there is a deeper message contained within these verses. The Torah states that one should draw forth or buy for himself one of the flock for his family. Why was it necessary to state that one has to take the sheep for the family? It would seem that the Torah is teaching us that in addition to the commandments of removing chametz from ones midst and of eating matzah, one must also be conscious at the time of redemption of the unity of the family and of the entire Jewish People.
Without Moshe we need to be unified
It is said (Ibid 12:3-4) dabru el kol adas Yisroel leimor beasor lachodesh hazeh viyikchu lahem ish seh liveis avos seh labyais viim yimat habayis mihyos miseh vilakach hu ushicheino hakarov el beiso bimichsas nefashos ish lifi achlo tachosu al haseh, speak to the entire assembly of Israel, saying: on the tenth of this month they shall take for themselves - each man - a lamb or kid for each father’s house, a lamb or kid for the household. But if the household will be too small for a lamb or kid, then he and his neighbor who is near his house shall take according to the number of people; everyone according to what he eats shall be counted for the lamb or kid. This verse can be interpreted as follows: if the “house” is missing, i.e. the Bais HaMikdash is destroyed, because of miseh, which can be read as Moshe, i.e. because Moshe did not enter into Eretz Yisroel, the Bais HaMikdash was allowed to be destroyed. What then is the solution to have the Bais HaMikdash be rebuilt? Then and he and his neighbor who is near his house shall take… i.e. the Jewish People shall unite as one, and this will bring about the redemption.
Shabbos is a time for unity
Shabbos is referred to as raza diechod, the secret of unity. While this statement has Kabalistic overtones, in a simple sense this alludes to the idea that Shabbos is a time for unity. It is noteworthy that Moshe orchestrated that the Jewish People rest one day a week from their enslavement, and that day was Shabbos. Subsequent to the redemption, the Jewish People encamped at Marah and there they received a number of mitzvos that they could engage in. One of those mitzvos was Shabbos. Furthermore, one of the main aspects of Shabbos is that it is a commemoration to the exodus from Egypt. It is also noteworthy that the words hu ushcheino hakarov (701) equal in gematria Shabbos (702).
The Shabbos connection
The Gemara (Shabbos 118b) teaches us that in the merit of observing Shabbos, we will witness the Ultimate Redemption. When we are cognizant of the need for unity in our nation, we will take it upon ourselves to observe Shabbos better and encourage other s to observe Shabbos. In the merit of unity and in the merit of observing Shabbos, HaShem should allow us to merit the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkienu with the Ultimate Redemption, speedily, in our days.
Shabbos in the Zemiros
Menuchah Visimchah
Composed by an unknown author named Moshe
Joy on Shabbos is manifest by making the poor happy
Birov matamim viruach nedivah, with abundant delicacies and a generous spirit. Why is it important to have a generous spirit on Shabbos? The Rambam writes (Hilchos Yom Tov 6:18) that when one etas and drinks on Yom Tov he is required to feed the convert, the poor, the widow and the other impoverished people. One who locks the doors of his house and eats and drinks with his children and family and does not give to eat and drink the poor and to those whose souls are bitter, this is not deemed to be a joy of mitzvah. Rather, it is deemed to be a joy of one’s own belly. It is clear from this Rambam that one can only experience true joy in a mitzvah by providing for others who have less than himself. It would follow that the ruling of the Rambam is not limited to Yom Tov. One would be required to provide for the poor and downtrodden on Shabbos also, so that he and all of the Jewish People can experience the true joy of Shabbos.
Shabbos in Tefillah
Accepting heavenly sovereignty in unity
Vichulam mikablim ol malchus shamayaim zeh mizeh, then they all accept upon themselves the yoke of heavenly sovereignty from one another. What does it mean that they accept the yoke of heavenly sovereignty from one another? One would think that accepting the yoke of heavenly sovereignty is something that one does on his own. The Iyun Tefillah writes that it is said (Yeshaya 6:3) vikara zeh el zeh viamar, and one would call to another and say… Targum Yonasan renders these words to mean umikablin dein min dein, which Rashi explains to mean that the angels take permission from each other. Perhaps we can offer an alternative explanation to this passage. Regarding the Jewish People receiving the Torah, it is said (Shemos 19:2) vayichan sham Yisroel, neged hahar, and Israel encamped there, opposite the mountain. Rashi (Ibid) writes that this wording teaches us that the Jewish People encamped opposite the mountain kiish echod bileiev echod, like one man with one heart. This teaches us that in order to accept the yoke of heavenly sovereignty, one must be united with all the Jewish People. Although one can recite Shema and contemplate HaShem’s unity, we are declaring shema Yisroel¸ hear O Israel, which reflects the idea that true acceptance of heavenly sovereignty can only be accomplished when the Jewish People are united. In a similar vein we can suggest that the actions of the angels on high reflects our conduct down below. Thus, the angels also, so to speak, unite in their acceptance of the yoke of heavenly sovereignty.

Shabbos Story
Giving tzedakah properly
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky writes: When the Satmar Rav came to this country after World War II he had a handful of Hungarian immigrants, most of them Holocaust survivors, as his Chasidim. As the custom is with Chasidic rebbes, they would come for a blessing and leave a few dollars for the rebbe to give to charity on their behalf. The poor immigrants would come in for blessings, some leaving a dollar, others some coins and on occasion a wealthier chasid would leave a five, a ten, or even a twenty-dollar bill. The Rebbe would not look at the offerings; rather he would open the old drawers of his desk and stuff them in, ready, and available for them to be put to charitable use.
Of course, givers were not the only one who visited the Rebbe. Those who were in need came as well. Each of them bearing their tale of sorrow, asking for a donation.
Once a man came desperately in need of a few hundred dollars, which the rebbe gladly agreed to give.
The Rebbe opened hid drawer, and began pulling out bills. Out came singles and fives, a few tens and even a twenty. Then the Rebbe called in his Gabbai (sexton), “Here,” he said, “please help me with this.”
The Rebbe began straightening out the bills one by one. Together, they took each bill, flattened it and pressed it until it looked as good as new. The Rebbe took 100 one dollar bills and piled it into a neat stack. Then he took out a handful of five-dollar bills and put them into another pile. Then he took about five wrinkled ten dollar bills, pressed them flat, and piled them as well. Finally, he slowly banded each pile with a rubber band, and then bound them all together. He handed it to the gabbai and asked him to present it to the supplicant. “Rebbe,” asked the sexton, “why all the fuss? A wrinkled dollar works just as well as a crisp one!”
The Rebbe explained. “One thing you must understand. When you do a mitzvah, it must be done with grace, and class. The way you give tzedakah, is almost as important as the tzedakah itself. Mitzvos must be done regally. We will not hand out rumbled bills to those who are in need.”
[Reprinted with permission from Torah.org]
Shabbos in Navi
Shmuel I Chapter 27

The importance of saying the truth on Shabbos

In this chapter we learn how Dovid fled from Shaul to Achish the king of Gas in the land of the Plishtim. Achish gave Dovid the town of Tziklag in the countryside to settle in. Dovid and his men then went and raided the Geshuri, the Gizri and the Amalekites. When Achish questioned Dovid as to where he had raided, Dovid would respond that he had raided the south of Yehudah, the south of the Yirachmieili and the south of the Keini. Achish believed Dovid thinking that Dovid really had come to abhor his own people and that he would always be a servant to Achish. One must wonder how Dovid was permitted to lie to Achish and tell him that he was raiding Jewish territory when in fact Dovid had raided the Plishtim and the Amalekites. It is noteworthy that the Sefer HaChasidim (§ 1017) writes that from this incident of Dovid we learn that if armed robbers attacked Jews and the Jews killed the armed bandits and the gentiles who witnessed the fact, the Jews are permitted to kill the gentiles who witnessed the act. The reason for this is because the gentiles cannot be trusted that they will not inform anyone of the act, and the proof is from Dovid who would not leave alive any man or woman, because otherwise they would inform on Dovid. Perhaps in this incident we can derive a lesson that is manifest in Shabbos. The word Shabbos in mispar katan, digit sum, is the same numerical value as the word emes, truth, in mispar katan (9). On Shabbos one must be extremely careful to say the truth, as we learn (Demai) that even an am haaretz, one who is not scrupulous in separating tithes, is believed when he says on Shabbos that he separated tithes.

Shabbos in Agadah

Asking HaShem for sustenance on Shabbos

The Zohar states that just like the Jewish people received the manna daily, so too one should beseech HaShem for parnasah, sustenance, on a daily basis. The Pinei Menachem wonders why one does not request of HaShem on Shabbos that He provide a person with parnasah. The Pinei Menachem suggests that perhaps the reason why we do not ask HaShem for parnasah on Shabbos is because the Gemara (Shabbos 118b) states that one who delights in the Shabbos receives everything that his heart requests. Furthermore, there are veiled hints to requests for parnasah in the prayers that we recite on Shabbos. These request are not recited verbally. Rather, one contemplates these requests. An example of this request is when we recite the words sabeinu mituvecho, satisfy us from Your goodness.

Shabbos in Halacha

Two types of insulation

There are two categories of material that is used for insulation. One category is a material that is used simply to retain heat. The second category is materials that intensify the hat of the food that they cover. We will detail next week the Halachic differences between these two types of insulation.

Shabbos Challenge Question

Last week we posed the question: why do we not recite the verses that are said regarding the Shabbos Mussaf offering for the haftorah on Shabbos? The Pinei Menachem cites the Tur and the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chain 283) who write that the reading of the Shabbos Mussaf offerings only contains two verses and this is an insufficient amount of verse to read from the Torah. The Tur writes that an alternative reason why we do not read the verses that are said regarding the Shabbos Mussaf offering for the haftorah is because normally the reading of the verse regarding the offerings atones for sins, akin to the offerings themselves. This idea applies to Yom Tov and Rosh Chodesh when the Mussaf offering was brought as an atonement, whereas on Shabbos the Mussaf offering was only brought as an olah offering. The Pinei Menachem himself suggests that the reason why we do not read the verses that are said regarding the Shabbos Mussaf offering for the haftorah is because the reading normally is an arousal for that specific time period, and on Shabbos this is not necessary. The reason for this is because Shabbos itself elevates everything, and the Gemara (Shabbos118b) states that even one who worshipped idols like the generation of Enosh, if he observes the Shabbos properly, he will be granted atonement for his sins.
This week’s question is what is the source for eating meat of an animal on Shabbos? If you have a possible answer, please email me at ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com and your answer will be posted in next week’s edition of Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim.















Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Parashas Bo 5769
is sponsored in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Gideon Eliyahu Cohen, son of Gary and Lisa Cohen. Hashem should allow Gary and Lisa to have nachas from Gideon Eliyahu and from all their children.

I will be giving a class in Navi on Shabbos afternoon at Beis Haknesses HaGra 14561 Lincoln in Oak Park, a half an hour before Minchah.
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos.
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler.
For sponsorships please call
248-506-0363.

To subscribe weekly by email
please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com
View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com

Unity, Redemption and Shabbos
Introduction
In this week’s parasha the Torah records how the Egyptians were afflicted with the final three plagues and then HaShem redeemed the Jewish People from slavery. It is noteworthy that one aspect of the redemption is at times overlooked. It is said (Shemos 12:20-21) kol machmetzes lo socheilu bichol moshvosocheim tochlu matzos vayikra Moshe lichol ziknei Yisroel vayomer aleihem mishchu ukechu lachem tzon limishpichoseichem vishachatu haPesach, you shall not eat any leavening; in all your dwellings shall you eat matzos. Moshe called to all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Draw forth or buy yourselves one of the flock for your families, and slaughter the Pesach-offering.” What is the significance of the fact that the Torah adjoins the prohibition of eating chametz and the commandment to eat matzah next to the instruction to take a Pesach-offering?
Unity and redemption
In the simple sense the Torah is alluding to the Halacha mentioned in the Gemara (Pesachim) that one cannot slaughter the Pesach-offering while he is still in possession of chametz. Perhaps, however, there is a deeper message contained within these verses. The Torah states that one should draw forth or buy for himself one of the flock for his family. Why was it necessary to state that one has to take the sheep for the family? It would seem that the Torah is teaching us that in addition to the commandments of removing chametz from ones midst and of eating matzah, one must also be conscious at the time of redemption of the unity of the family and of the entire Jewish People.
Without Moshe we need to be unified
It is said (Ibid 12:3-4) dabru el kol adas Yisroel leimor beasor lachodesh hazeh viyikchu lahem ish seh liveis avos seh labyais viim yimat habayis mihyos miseh vilakach hu ushicheino hakarov el beiso bimichsas nefashos ish lifi achlo tachosu al haseh, speak to the entire assembly of Israel, saying: on the tenth of this month they shall take for themselves - each man - a lamb or kid for each father’s house, a lamb or kid for the household. But if the household will be too small for a lamb or kid, then he and his neighbor who is near his house shall take according to the number of people; everyone according to what he eats shall be counted for the lamb or kid. This verse can be interpreted as follows: if the “house” is missing, i.e. the Bais HaMikdash is destroyed, because of miseh, which can be read as Moshe, i.e. because Moshe did not enter into Eretz Yisroel, the Bais HaMikdash was allowed to be destroyed. What then is the solution to have the Bais HaMikdash be rebuilt? Then and he and his neighbor who is near his house shall take… i.e. the Jewish People shall unite as one, and this will bring about the redemption.
Shabbos is a time for unity
Shabbos is referred to as raza diechod, the secret of unity. While this statement has Kabalistic overtones, in a simple sense this alludes to the idea that Shabbos is a time for unity. It is noteworthy that Moshe orchestrated that the Jewish People rest one day a week from their enslavement, and that day was Shabbos. Subsequent to the redemption, the Jewish People encamped at Marah and there they received a number of mitzvos that they could engage in. One of those mitzvos was Shabbos. Furthermore, one of the main aspects of Shabbos is that it is a commemoration to the exodus from Egypt. It is also noteworthy that the words hu ushcheino hakarov (701) equal in gematria Shabbos (702).
The Shabbos connection
The Gemara (Shabbos 118b) teaches us that in the merit of observing Shabbos, we will witness the Ultimate Redemption. When we are cognizant of the need for unity in our nation, we will take it upon ourselves to observe Shabbos better and encourage other s to observe Shabbos. In the merit of unity and in the merit of observing Shabbos, HaShem should allow us to merit the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkienu with the Ultimate Redemption, speedily, in our days.
Shabbos in the Zemiros
Menuchah Visimchah
Composed by an unknown author named Moshe
Joy on Shabbos is manifest by making the poor happy
Birov matamim viruach nedivah, with abundant delicacies and a generous spirit. Why is it important to have a generous spirit on Shabbos? The Rambam writes (Hilchos Yom Tov 6:18) that when one etas and drinks on Yom Tov he is required to feed the convert, the poor, the widow and the other impoverished people. One who locks the doors of his house and eats and drinks with his children and family and does not give to eat and drink the poor and to those whose souls are bitter, this is not deemed to be a joy of mitzvah. Rather, it is deemed to be a joy of one’s own belly. It is clear from this Rambam that one can only experience true joy in a mitzvah by providing for others who have less than himself. It would follow that the ruling of the Rambam is not limited to Yom Tov. One would be required to provide for the poor and downtrodden on Shabbos also, so that he and all of the Jewish People can experience the true joy of Shabbos.
Shabbos in Tefillah
Accepting heavenly sovereignty in unity
Vichulam mikablim ol malchus shamayaim zeh mizeh, then they all accept upon themselves the yoke of heavenly sovereignty from one another. What does it mean that they accept the yoke of heavenly sovereignty from one another? One would think that accepting the yoke of heavenly sovereignty is something that one does on his own. The Iyun Tefillah writes that it is said (Yeshaya 6:3) vikara zeh el zeh viamar, and one would call to another and say… Targum Yonasan renders these words to mean umikablin dein min dein, which Rashi explains to mean that the angels take permission from each other. Perhaps we can offer an alternative explanation to this passage. Regarding the Jewish People receiving the Torah, it is said (Shemos 19:2) vayichan sham Yisroel, neged hahar, and Israel encamped there, opposite the mountain. Rashi (Ibid) writes that this wording teaches us that the Jewish People encamped opposite the mountain kiish echod bileiev echod, like one man with one heart. This teaches us that in order to accept the yoke of heavenly sovereignty, one must be united with all the Jewish People. Although one can recite Shema and contemplate HaShem’s unity, we are declaring shema Yisroel¸ hear O Israel, which reflects the idea that true acceptance of heavenly sovereignty can only be accomplished when the Jewish People are united. In a similar vein we can suggest that the actions of the angels on high reflects our conduct down below. Thus, the angels also, so to speak, unite in their acceptance of the yoke of heavenly sovereignty.

Shabbos Story
Giving tzedakah properly
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky writes: When the Satmar Rav came to this country after World War II he had a handful of Hungarian immigrants, most of them Holocaust survivors, as his Chasidim. As the custom is with Chasidic rebbes, they would come for a blessing and leave a few dollars for the rebbe to give to charity on their behalf. The poor immigrants would come in for blessings, some leaving a dollar, others some coins and on occasion a wealthier chasid would leave a five, a ten, or even a twenty-dollar bill. The Rebbe would not look at the offerings; rather he would open the old drawers of his desk and stuff them in, ready, and available for them to be put to charitable use.
Of course, givers were not the only one who visited the Rebbe. Those who were in need came as well. Each of them bearing their tale of sorrow, asking for a donation.
Once a man came desperately in need of a few hundred dollars, which the rebbe gladly agreed to give.
The Rebbe opened hid drawer, and began pulling out bills. Out came singles and fives, a few tens and even a twenty. Then the Rebbe called in his Gabbai (sexton), “Here,” he said, “please help me with this.”
The Rebbe began straightening out the bills one by one. Together, they took each bill, flattened it and pressed it until it looked as good as new. The Rebbe took 100 one dollar bills and piled it into a neat stack. Then he took out a handful of five-dollar bills and put them into another pile. Then he took about five wrinkled ten dollar bills, pressed them flat, and piled them as well. Finally, he slowly banded each pile with a rubber band, and then bound them all together. He handed it to the gabbai and asked him to present it to the supplicant. “Rebbe,” asked the sexton, “why all the fuss? A wrinkled dollar works just as well as a crisp one!”
The Rebbe explained. “One thing you must understand. When you do a mitzvah, it must be done with grace, and class. The way you give tzedakah, is almost as important as the tzedakah itself. Mitzvos must be done regally. We will not hand out rumbled bills to those who are in need.”
[Reprinted with permission from Torah.org]
Shabbos in Navi
Shmuel I Chapter 27

The importance of saying the truth on Shabbos

In this chapter we learn how Dovid fled from Shaul to Achish the king of Gas in the land of the Plishtim. Achish gave Dovid the town of Tziklag in the countryside to settle in. Dovid and his men then went and raided the Geshuri, the Gizri and the Amalekites. When Achish questioned Dovid as to where he had raided, Dovid would respond that he had raided the south of Yehudah, the south of the Yirachmieili and the south of the Keini. Achish believed Dovid thinking that Dovid really had come to abhor his own people and that he would always be a servant to Achish. One must wonder how Dovid was permitted to lie to Achish and tell him that he was raiding Jewish territory when in fact Dovid had raided the Plishtim and the Amalekites. It is noteworthy that the Sefer HaChasidim (§ 1017) writes that from this incident of Dovid we learn that if armed robbers attacked Jews and the Jews killed the armed bandits and the gentiles who witnessed the fact, the Jews are permitted to kill the gentiles who witnessed the act. The reason for this is because the gentiles cannot be trusted that they will not inform anyone of the act, and the proof is from Dovid who would not leave alive any man or woman, because otherwise they would inform on Dovid. Perhaps in this incident we can derive a lesson that is manifest in Shabbos. The word Shabbos in mispar katan, digit sum, is the same numerical value as the word emes, truth, in mispar katan (9). On Shabbos one must be extremely careful to say the truth, as we learn (Demai) that even an am haaretz, one who is not scrupulous in separating tithes, is believed when he says on Shabbos that he separated tithes.

Shabbos in Agadah

Asking HaShem for sustenance on Shabbos

The Zohar states that just like the Jewish people received the manna daily, so too one should beseech HaShem for parnasah, sustenance, on a daily basis. The Pinei Menachem wonders why one does not request of HaShem on Shabbos that He provide a person with parnasah. The Pinei Menachem suggests that perhaps the reason why we do not ask HaShem for parnasah on Shabbos is because the Gemara (Shabbos 118b) states that one who delights in the Shabbos receives everything that his heart requests. Furthermore, there are veiled hints to requests for parnasah in the prayers that we recite on Shabbos. These request are not recited verbally. Rather, one contemplates these requests. An example of this request is when we recite the words sabeinu mituvecho, satisfy us from Your goodness.

Shabbos in Halacha

Two types of insulation

There are two categories of material that is used for insulation. One category is a material that is used simply to retain heat. The second category is materials that intensify the hat of the food that they cover. We will detail next week the Halachic differences between these two types of insulation.

Shabbos Challenge Question

Last week we posed the question: why do we not recite the verses that are said regarding the Shabbos Mussaf offering for the haftorah on Shabbos? The Pinei Menachem cites the Tur and the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chain 283) who write that the reading of the Shabbos Mussaf offerings only contains two verses and this is an insufficient amount of verse to read from the Torah. The Tur writes that an alternative reason why we do not read the verses that are said regarding the Shabbos Mussaf offering for the haftorah is because normally the reading of the verse regarding the offerings atones for sins, akin to the offerings themselves. This idea applies to Yom Tov and Rosh Chodesh when the Mussaf offering was brought as an atonement, whereas on Shabbos the Mussaf offering was only brought as an olah offering. The Pinei Menachem himself suggests that the reason why we do not read the verses that are said regarding the Shabbos Mussaf offering for the haftorah is because the reading normally is an arousal for that specific time period, and on Shabbos this is not necessary. The reason for this is because Shabbos itself elevates everything, and the Gemara (Shabbos118b) states that even one who worshipped idols like the generation of Enosh, if he observes the Shabbos properly, he will be granted atonement for his sins.
This week’s question is what is the source for eating meat of an animal on Shabbos? If you have a possible answer, please email me at ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com and your answer will be posted in next week’s edition of Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim.















Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
Parashas Bo 5769
is sponsored in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of Gideon Eliyahu Cohen, son of Gary and Lisa Cohen. Hashem should allow Gary and Lisa to have nachas from Gideon Eliyahu and from all their children.

I will be giving a class in Navi on Shabbos afternoon at Beis Haknesses HaGra 14561 Lincoln in Oak Park, a half an hour before Minchah.
Have a wonderful and delightful Shabbos.
Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler.
For sponsorships please call
248-506-0363.

To subscribe weekly by email
please send email to ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com
View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim
and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.blogspot.com