(For the riddles, please see back page)
1) After the floodwaters subsided, Noach’s teivah came to rest on the mountains of Ararat (Bereishis 8:4). Later in Parshas Noach (Ibid., 10:30), we are told that the territory of Shem’s descendants extended from Mesha to Har HaKedem. When Lavan was chasing after Yaakov, he finally caught up with him at Har HaGilad (Ibid., 31:23). After Eisav parted from Yaakov, he settled on Har Seir (Ibid., 36:8). Aharon died on Mount Hor (Bamidbar 20:22-28). In the list of the 42 places where the Jewish people encamped in the desert in Parshas Masei, the 20th encampment is Har Shafer (Ibid., 33:23). In Parshas Devarim (1:7), Hashem told the Jewish people to leave Sinai and travel to Har HaEmori. Later, Moshe told them that after they entered Eretz Yisroel, they would pronounce blessings on Har Gerizim and curses on Har Eival (Ibid., 11:29). In Parshas V’zos HaBeracha, we are told that Hashem came from Har Paran to give the Torah at Sinai (Ibid., 33:2). In Parshas Devarim (3:8), Moshe mentions Har Chermon, which is subsequently called Siryon and Snir (Ibid., 3:9), as well as Har Sion (Ibid., 4:48). Just before his death, Moshe was allowed to gaze at Eretz Yisroel by ascending Har Nevo (Ibid., 34:1), a mountain that was earlier referred to as Har Avarim (Bamidbar 27:12). (Torah Teasers)
2) The Shu”t Chedvas Yaakov (Mahadurah Tinyona, siman 119) answers: In the future all trees will give off fruit, and it will be permissible to cut down fruit trees if needed for baking, cooking, or to make a fire on the mizbayach, as we won’t be limited to the prohibition in Shoftim of: רק עץ אשר תדע כי לא עץ מאכל הוא אותו תשחית – “Only trees which you know don’t give off fruit may you destroy”. Since all trees will carry fruit, the Torah will be more lenient and in many cases it will be permissible to cut down fruit carrying trees as well.
However, the Lachmei Todah (Kesubos 112a) explains the pasuk: אז ירננו כל עצי היער – “Then all the trees in the forest will rejoice”, to mean that in the days of Moshiach the trees will rejoice as they will now be fruit bearing trees, and it will be forbidden to cut them down. And in regard to where we will have wood to bake with, there will be no need as in the future Eretz Yisroel will bring forth from its land ready-made loaves of bread.
The Chedvas Yaakov asks: Where will we have wood to make the fire on top of the mizbayach from, and where will we have wood from for cooking? Furthermore, according to the Lachmei Todah there should be an issur already now to cut down barren trees as שמא מהרה יבנה בית המקדש. Therefore, it’s more logical to say that in the future since all trees will carry fruit there will no longer be an issur to cut down fruit trees.
The Chedvas Yaakov then suggests: Even if in the future all trees will give off fruit and we say שמא מהרה יבנה בית המקדש, since the Torah explicitly allows cutting down barren trees, we can’t forbid it.
The Piskei Tosfos (Pesochim 132) writes: If one cuts down a barren tree, he won’t see any berachah. The question is, since the Torah says there is no issur to cut down a barren tree, why should one not see any berachah? Based on the above we can understand: Since in the future barren trees will carry fruit, we look at it now as if it is a fruit tree, therefore, if one cuts it down, he won’t see any berachah. (See Shu”t Teshuvos V’Hanagos 2:728 who writes this. See also Shu”t Toras Chaim of R’ Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, siman 79 who discusses why the poskim don’t bring this Piskei Tosfos down halachah lemaaseh.)
3) The Shu”t Emek Halachah (Vol. 1:69) discusses this shailah. Do we say the prohibition of orlah is for the first three years of a tree’s life, and since these trees are much older, there is no prohibition of orlah. If a fruit tree was planted and didn’t give off fruit for its first three years, and then it started to grow fruit, we don’t say one is obligated in orlah, is our case the same? Or, perhaps, fruit trees which took a number of years to grow, at least had the ability to eventually produce fruit, however, by a barren tree which didn’t have the ability to produce fruit at all, perhaps we start counting three years for orlah from when it eventually starts to grow?
The Emek Halachah writes: The answer to this question would depend on the reason behind the prohibition of orlah. The Re’eh cited in the Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 247) writes in the name of the Ramban that the reason for orlah, is so that one doesn’t benefit from the fruit before first giving some to Hashem. Produce from the first three years are not fitting to be brought before Hashem (they are of bad quality), therefore, one must wait three years, and in the fourth year the fruit is holy and brought in front of Hashem and then one may start eating the fruit - similar to the mitzvah of bikkurim.
According to this reason, the prohibition of orlah is because of the mitzvah to bring fruit in the fourth year to Hashem. The Chinuch brings a second reason: Fruit that grows at the beginning of the life of a tree until the fourth year are very moist and damaging to one’s health, like fish which don’t have fins and scales, therefore, the Torah forbade one from eating them. According to the second reason for the prohibition of orlah, i.e. that it is dangerous as it damages one's body due to the large amount of moisture in the fruit, it’s obvious that this is only by a new tree, as due to it being young and new it’s very soft and gives off lots of moisture to the fruit. However, an old tree which starts giving off fruit after many years, since it’s old there is no danger, as it no longer gives off large amounts of moisture to its fruits. Consequently, according to this second reason there would be no prohibition of orlah on such a tree in the future. However, according to the first reason, that the prohibition of orlah is related to neteh revi, and that one shouldn’t benefit from the fruit before giving to Hashem, certainly barren trees in the future will be subject to neteh revi, and perhaps the prohibition of orlah as well, as perhaps the first three years of fruit may not be so good.
4) i) The Rambam (Hilchos Da’os 4:15) writes: Most illnesses that come to man are either because of bad food, or because one fills his stomach and eats greedily even from good foods. Shlomah HaMelech said in his wisdom: שומר פיו ולשונו שומר מצרות נפשו – “Guard your mouth from eating bad food, or from becoming too full, and then you will be saved from tragedies.
Therefore, even if there is a bounty of food, it’s not healthy to eat so much. (Madanay Asher)
ii) The Pele Yoetz (Erech Achilah U’Shtiyah) writes: The Chachmei HaMussar write that if one eats more than he needs, he does many bad things. Firstly, he violates baal tashchis, secondly, he wastes time when he is eating, and wastes time when he needs to be excused, and if he ruins his stomach, he is busy with his stomach pain as well. Based on this, even if there is a bounty of produce, there is a special berachah to get full after eating just a small amount, as one gains time, as he spends less time eating, less time being excused, and less time with stomach pain, and in this extra time he is able to learn Torah. (R’ Gamliel Rabinovitch)
iii) The Gemara teaches that increased eating causes tiredness and one must sleep more. This causes bitul Torah, therefore, if one gets away with eating less he will be less tired and can learn more Torah. (R’ Ben Tzion Miller)
iv) If one eats less and feels full, he will have more crop leftover to sell on to others, and he can get rich from the extra profit he gets by selling more produce. (R’ Ben Tzion Miller)
5) The Mishnah in Eruchin (19a) says: “If one promises to give to Hekdesh the value of his weight, he should give the amount of his weight to Hekdesh”. The Shita Mekubetzes brings in the name of the Rosh: “One must be careful when he weighs himself, as it is well known that a person is heavier in the morning before he
