48 Steps To Torah

Number 10: dikduk chaveirim

Dikduk Chaveirim is the 10 of the 48 steps to torah. Pirkei Avos tells us to make sure that we have friends around us at any cost. However, in order to be koneh the torah, we must be careful that the friends we have are the right ones. When the friend came to the execution he was shocked to see his friend standing up on the platform, ready to be executed. He screamed out STOP! Stop! It was I who committed the terrible crime! They called a halt to the execution, and the two friends were taken before the king, who was to decide The group of people that one is most influwhat to do. He knew it couldnt have been enced by is ones friends. A lot of what they do both of them and simply couldnt understand rubs off onto you, often including their beliefs why one of them would want to die in vain. and hashkafos. The Mishna goes as far as to say that you should even buy friends if that is The friend of the accused spoke first. I know the only way of making sure you have good that my friend committed no crime. He is a friends. Like two sharp iron rods, says the Ge- very good man and he simply cannot have mara (Taanis 7a), two Talmidei Chachomim done it. This is unjust! My life depends on my will sharpen each other. Furthermore, says friends life. I would rather die then see his the Gemara, Torah is like Aish, fire. This is be- death. Maybe if I was punished to see his cause that just like you cannot start a fire with death then it means I deserve to die myself. a single stick, only with two, so too Torah The accused then said the same about his needs two people to light each other's fire. friend. However, one must be careful, as picking the wrong friend can potentially lead to very destructive things. Here again, just like starting a fire can sometimes be destructive, if one does not tend to or care for his relationships then they too can go up in smoke. The Ruzhiner Rebbe told the following story: When the king saw this true friendship he was awestruck and allowed them both to go free. He then requested to join in their friendship with the same amount of love. When we illustrate true friendship, which can do incredible things such as saving lives, then Hashem asks to be in a circle of friendship and we can grow closer to him.
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The Hasmonean High School Weekly Sedra Sheet

1st December 2012
Dvar Torah

Living Torah
Issue No: Shabbos In: Shabbos Out:

415 3:41 4:48

Understanding current events

The last possuk of this weeks sedra reads: The chief of Magdiel and the chief of Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom by their settlements, in the land of their possession he is Eisov, the father of Edom. When we read the Sedra every week there are some Pesukim and Rashis which we understand straight away, and there are others we just read through, as if they were just historical facts which dont affect us. difference. The Christians (Eisov) had us burned at the stake, gassed us to death and tortured us on refusal to convert to Christianity. However, they never persecuted us with the intention of taking our land.

There were two friends who lived very far from each other. One of the friends was false- Such is the importance of a good and true ly accused of a very severe crime and was put friendship in our quest for acquiring torah. on trial and sentenced to death. Everyone in the kingdom was called to witness the execution so that it should be a lesson to all.
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Arab Muslims on the other hand, have also been obsessed with Eretz Yisroel. Their obsession is absurd. Why would they invest so much blood and money into conquering such a tiny strip of land, when they own several huge countries, any of which could take in the homeless As we know, each word in the Torah is essential, so the population who have belatedly named themselves obvious questions on the Possuk above are: Why do we Palestinians? need to know the names of all the Edomite chiefs, how does it affect us? And what is the Torah trying to teach us The answer, explains Rav Hutner, lies in those last Pesuwith the words, by their settlements, in the land of their kim. The Christian world doesnt see any reason to try to possession? Obviously they are going to live in the land take our land, as Yitzchak made sure that Eisov had plenty they possess? of territory for himself. They were happy to live in their inheritance, in their settlements, by the land of their As Im sure we are all aware, Israel is one of the most possession, and they saw no reasons to take over our frequently discussed topics on the news, which considersettlements. ing its tiny size is a strange phenomenon. The worlds obsession with Israel is based on the Palestinian-Israeli Yishmoel on the other hand, was sent away from Avconflict which is also astonishing. rahams house with nothing, and Yitzchak inherited all of Avrahams possessions. The reason we suffer so greatly Usually countries fight over expanding territory or land from their descendants, explains Rav Hutner, is because filled with natural resources but Israel has barely anyYishmoel will never get over their resentment towards us. thing! Why then are the Palestinians so obsessed with No matter how much land they possess, they will always taking over the land, no matter how many people are feel the sting of being sent off to nowhere. killed in the process? Each year we read the list of Edoms chiefs without taking Rav Yitzchak Hutner ztl, on returning to America after any notice, as well as reading the news without underbeing held hostage on a plane hijacked by Arab terrorists, standing the Arabs obsession with Eretz Yisroel, but Rav explained the difference between Bnei Yishmoel and Bnei Hutner correlated these two facts that seem so disparate Eisov, based on the last few Pesukim of the Sedra. and showed us that all current events could be viewed Members of both religions have been guilty of perse- through the eye of the Torah. cuting Jews over the ages, but there is one fundamental

Yartzheit

Dvar Torah

Rav tzvi pesach frank

This Wednesday, 21st Kislev, is the 52nd Yartzheit of Rav Tzvi Pesach had asked his wife whether they Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank ZTL, Rav of Yerushalayim had any more candles left in their house, in order and author of Har Tzvi. that he could carry on learning into the night. They had no electricity, and had to rely on candles. Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank, during the period in which he was Rav of Yerushalayim, had a neighbour, No, replied his wife. Feivel. Feivel was a Kanoi (zealot) in every sense of However, no was just not an option. Rav Tzvi Pethe word. He fought a war against the fledgling sach had to carry on learning into the night. With State of Israel, and any changes to traditional Jewno candles, and no electricity, how was that possiish living that it could bring with it. He was openly ble? Suddenly, his wife had an idea. defiant towards anything to do with modernity, and an irreligious state. This, obviously, included We have two good, strong, beds. If we sell one, the Zionist movement, and anyone and anything we will then have plenty of money. It will be connected to it. This made the honour and rever- enough to purchase candles for you to learn for ence with which he acted towards his neighbour several months, throughout the winter. As for Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank very strange. He spoke to sleep, we only really require one bed. I will sleep him with such respect and awe that it did not for one half of the night, and you will sleep for the make sense. For, as the Rav of Yerushalayim, Rav other half. This way, we can buy candles for you to Tzvi Pesach was hired by the Rabbanut, a State learn with. sponsored body. Surely, as a result of this, Feivel should not behave with such respect towards Rav Pesach Tzvi. Should he not shun him, and speak out against him? When Feivel was asked this question by someone, he answered with the following story. He had once overheard a conversation between Rav Pesach Tzvi and his wife. Rav Tzvi Pesach was delighted with this arrangement. Feivel finished the story, and stopped for a few seconds. He then said, in Yiddish: Ich tcheppe mit mentchen. Ich tcheppe nish mit malachim. I argue with men. I do not argue with angels.

Loyalty to your mother, and fatherland

This Dvar Torah focuses two subjects. Firstly, Kibbud Av V'Eim, which is on the Bein Odom Lmakom section of the Ten Commandments as it is valued so greatly by HaShem, and the mitzva of Yeshivas Eretz Yisroel, which is also greatly important. I would like to share with you two episodes in this weeks Sedra, where these fundamental Mitzvos are mentioned. The fifth possuk of the sedra says that Yaakov split his camp into two, so that if Eisav was able to destroy one, the other would still live. There is a Medrash which states that the camps were a day's walk apart of one another. The Nachal Kedumim elaborates on this, and asks what the point of this was. Why was Yaakov so particular about the time it would take to walk from one of his camps to another? Surely, as long as Eisav couldnt reach them at the same time then they would achieve the aims of having separate camps, regardless of their distance between each other! Through his answer, he shows how much respect Yaakov had for the words of his mother, Rivka. He takes us back to Toldos, two weeks ago, and quotes part of some of Rivkas last words to Yaakov before he goes, under her instruction, to start a new life. She says,Why should I lose both of you (my sons) on one day? The immense Kibbud Eim of Yaakov meant that he remembered this plea from his mother after such a long time, and therefore ensured that if Eisav would approach his camp, and murder Yaakov and the other occupants, when the members of the other camp would therefore try to kill Eisav as an act of revenge, it would be impossible to do so on the same day- due to their distance from the slaughtered camp. And consequently, the request made by Rivka so many years prior to this event would be fulfilled by Yaakov. There is also a mention of the importance of the mitzvah of Yeshivas Eretz Yisroel. Rashi comments on the word garti in Yaakovs message to Eisav, saying that seeing as garti is the same gematria as Taryag (613), the number of Mitzvos incumbent upon us, he was telling Eisav that he kept all the Mitzvos. Yaakov was a forefather and foundation of Judaism- surely its obvious that he kept as many of the Taryag Mitzvos as he could. According to Rashis interpretation, it seems unnecessary to have to inform us of that. The Avnei Ozel explains that Yaakov was worried that the greatness of the mitzva of living in Israel, which Eisav had been performing for so long, would protect Eisav, and even act as a force that would assist Eisav to fight against him. Therefore Yaakov was confirming that he had been keeping all the Mitzvos possible, and that this should be a defence and protection from his evil brother. Good Shabbos

Gematria:
(11:33) Yaakov was 97 years old when he uttered these words to his brother Eisav. He lived until the age of 147. Thus, Yaakov would live for fifty years after this confrontation with Eisav. Therefore, Yaakov told Eisav , , I have everything. The numerical value of is 50. Yaakov alluded to Eisav that since he would live only for another 50 years, he required only the needs of fifty years which he had.

Riddle:
When does 20 + 20 not equal 40?
Last weeks riddle:

Why is the Metzora (lever) the odd one out?

4 people are considered dead. A blind person, a childless person, a poor person, and a leper. In Parshas Vayeitzei, a blind person is mentioned, with regards to Yitzchak. There is a childless person- Rachel. Yaakov is made poor by Elifaz, who stole all his belongings. However, there is no mention of a leper in Vayeitzei.