Answers to Last Week’s Riddles
1) How was Yisro able to communicate his arrival to Moshe (18:6) if the Jews were surrounded by the Clouds of Glory, which did not allow gentiles to enter?
The Tur HaAruch writes that when Yisro reached the Jewish encampment and discovered that there was no way for him to enter the impenetrable Clouds of Glory, he wrote a note stating that he was Moshe’s father-in-law, and he had come together with Moshe’s wife and two sons to see him. Yisro attached the note to an arrow and shot it toward the Jewish camp. Although the Clouds of Glory normally would have intercepted the arrow and denied it entry as they did with the projectiles shot by the pursuing Egyptians (Rashi 19:4), they made an exception in this case and permitted it to enter, where the Medrash says it fell near Moshe, who picked it up, read it, and went out to welcome his father-in-law.
2) In this week’s parsha we have the pasuk: כה תאמר לבית יעקב ותגיד לבני ישראל – “So you shall say to the daughters of Yaakov, and so you shall tell to the sons of Yisroel”. Rashi explains that Hashem instructed Moshe to speak to the women about accepting the Torah before the men. The Medrash gives three explanations for asking the women first: because women perform mitzvos with more zerizus [alacrity]; so that they should send their sons to study Torah; and because destruction resulted when Hashem commanded Adam regarding the forbidden fruit before Chavah, He elected to reverse the order this time.
The question is, Tosfos in Pesochim (4b) quotes the Yerushalmi which says, that women aren’t believed to say that they fulfilled the mitzvah of bedikas chometz as they are atzlonim, lazy. If so, how can the Medrash say the opposite, that they were told about receiving the Torah because they perform mitzvos with more zerizus than man?
In Tama DeKra R’ Chaim Kanievsky asks the above question. He answers, that when it comes to encouraging their husbands and children to learn they act with great zerizus, however, when it comes to doing mitzvos themselves then in fact they are atzlonim.
The Yefei To’ar (on the Medrash) answers, that when it comes to chometz they are very lax as they assume that there isn’t that much chometz in the house. However, if they would know for sure that there was chometz then they would be more zoriz than a man.
The Haga’os Radal answers, that they are zoriz when it comes to accepting, however, when it comes to actually doing then they aren’t.
3) In this week’s parsha we learn זכור את יום השבת לקדשו , that one is supposed to sanctify Shabbos. One of the things that one isn’t allowed to do on Shabbos is ask for personal requests on Shabbos. If so, what is the heter for women to ask for personal requests after they light Shabbos candles. The Rema (263:10) writes, that the minhag is, that women accept Shabbos when they light candles, if lighting candles is the acceptance of Shabbos, what is the heter for her to ask personal requests once it’s Shabbos?
R’ Chaim Kanievsky (Derech Sicha, pg. 60) answers, that the time after lighting Shabbos candles is a special time for davening for children and is the most powerful time, therefore, it’s allowed.
We find a similar thing by Avinu Malkeinu, that even though we don’t say them when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos, if Yom Kippur falls on Shabbos we do, because if not now then when. We see that if now is the optimum time, then one may ask for personal requests on Shabbos.
Some answer based on a Marzu (commentary on Medrash Rabbah Vayikra 34) who says if one always ask for a certain thing it’s allowed. The poskim discuss if he means something which one frequently asks for in the week, or if he means even something which one only asks for on Shabbos. If we take on like the second option, we can understand why women may daven.
The Madanay Asher cites an answer from the Mechaber of the sefer Mitzvas HaMelech who says that davening after lighting the Shabbos candles is part of the mitzvah of Shabbos candles. The Magen Avraham (263) writes that the mitzvah of lighting Shabbos candles is incumbent upon women as they extinguished the light of the world. The Mitzvas HeMelech adds, that not only is the lighting of the candles a kapporah but the tefillos that the women daven to have children who light up the world with Torah also acts as a kapporah, since both the lighting candles and tefillah is a kapporah it’s part of the mitzvah of lighting candles, therefore, there is no problem.
Another answer perhaps we can suggest is, that it’s ok to daven for personal requests that involve ruchniyus.
Finally, Tosfos in Kesubos (47a) says that from the time of tosfos Shabbos one is forbidden to do melachah, however, it is not completely Shabbos yet. Since it’s not properly Shabbos yet, one may ask for personal requests.
4) If Reuven asks Shimon to kill him, it is forbidden for Shimon to do so, and if he does so in the presence of witnesses who give him proper warning, he is put to death for violating the prohibition against murder (Shemos 20:13). Although prohibited, if Shimon is preparing to kill Reuven at Reuven’s request, is he legally considered a רודף - pursuer – whom one is permitted to kill if necessary to save Reuven’s life?
The Minchas Chinuch (34:13) raises this question and writes that he is unsure of the answer. On the one hand, when speaking about a pursuer, Chazal always use the expressionלהרגו חבירו אחר הרודף - one who is chasing his friend to kill him – but in this case, even though what he is doing is forbidden, he is not chasing the intended victim but fulfilling his request. Additionally, the Gemara in Sanhedrin (73a) derives the legal concept of killing a pursuer from the fact that the Torah permits killing somebody who is chasing a betrothed girl to have forbidden relations with her. Since the Gemara rules (Sanhedrin 74a) that he may not be killed if she is willingly engaging in relations with him, presumably the same law should apply in our case, which is derived from that one. However, perhaps the reason that the man forcibly chasing the betrothed girl may be killed is because the Torah is concerned about her reputation, which explains why he may not be killed if she acquiesces and is not concerned about her own status. Regarding murder, however, a person is not the owner of his body and does not have permission to allow somebody else to kill him, in which case the Torah may insist that the potential murderer still must be stopped. Unfortunately, he lacks a compelling resolution and leaves the issue as unclear and needing further study. (R’ Ozer Alport)
5) What custom do many people have when studying Torah that is rooted in the Jewish people’s response to the giving of the Torah?
The Torah records (Shemos 20:15) that when the Jewish people saw the thunder and flames on the smoking mountain (Sinai), they began to tremble and stood from afar. The Baal HaTurim suggests that the Jewish people’s shaking during the giving of the Torah is a source for the widespread practice to shockel [sway] while engaged in Torah study. Similarly, the Rema (Orach Chaim 48:1) writes that those who are exacting in their mitzvah performance are accustomed to shockel when the Torah is being read, just as the Torah was given in this manner. The Zohar HaKadosh (Pinchas 218a) notes that shockeling is a uniquely Jewish practice, explaining that our lofty neshamos light up like candles when we study Torah, so they naturally sway from side to side like a dancing flame. However, the Kuzari (2:79-80) offers a different source for this practice, explaining that it has its roots in the period when Jewish books were rare, and many people had to share a single volume. Each person would lean in to learn a few lines from the book, after which he moved back to allow the next person an opportunity to lean in and read as well, which gave way to the custom of shockeling during Torah study. (R’ Ozer Alport, citing Ichud B’Ichud)
