(For the riddles, please see back page)
- The Shu”t Radvaz (867) rules that somebody – even one who is not blind – who listens to another person read שניים מקרא ואחד תרגום and concentrates on every word fulfills his obligation. However, he adds that although someone unable to say something on his own is normally required to fulfill his obligation by listening to another person say it, a blind person need not do so. Because the written Torah may not be said by heart (Gittin 60b) and a blind person is unable to read the words of the written Torah, he is therefore exempt from this obligation altogether, for we do not find any case where a person is exempt from doing a mitzvah on his own, yet is required to fulfill it with the assistance of another person. (R’ Ozer Alport, Parsha Potpourri)
- Rashi writes (Sotah 12b) that the reason that the milk of a non-Jewish woman causes spiritual impurity is because of the non-kosher food she eats, which is then passed on to the baby through her milk. The Ritva adds that indirectly tasting these non-kosher foods will breed cruelty and bad character traits in a Jewish baby. Therefore, the Netziv (Meromei Sadeh) writes that if a non-Jewish woman eats exclusively kosher food, her milk would not be problematic, as the reason for the concern would no longer be applicable.
The Rashba and Meiri maintain that the character of a non-Jewish woman is inherently bad and will automatically be transferred to a non-Jewish child who nurses from her. The Chavatzeles HaSharon points out that according to this opinion, limiting the non-Jewish woman to a kosher diet would not be sufficient and her milk would still cause spiritual damage. He adds that in the case of a Jewish woman who is forced to eat non-kosher food for medical reasons, the positions would be reversed. Rashi and the Ritva would advise refraining from allowing a Jewish child to nurse from her, while the Rashba and Meiri would permit it.
The Ben Ish Chai (Parshas Emor 14) rules stringently in the case of the non-Jewish woman who eats only kosher food, and the Chavatzeles HaSharon notes that the Rema (Yored Deah 81:7) seems to rule stringently in both cases. (R’ Ozer Alport, Parsha Potpourri) - The Baal HaTurim explains, the child that was crying was Aharon, who was left by the box by his mother to guard it. Aharon started crying, as he was scared that something might happen to Moshe whilst he was in the water. And when the daughter of Pharaoh took Moshe, he continued to cry even more.
Regarding what the purpose of children crying is, the Chovas HaLevovois (Shaar HaBechinah, Perek 5) writes: The fact that children naturally cry is one of the incredible chochmas [wisdoms] Hashem put into the world, and the child gains tremendously from it. Doctors say, there is a liquid in the brain of a young child, which if it remains can cause diseases and damage the child r”l. When a child cries, this liquid gets dissolved and leaves the child and it no longer causes the child any harm.
The Imrei Pinchos (Rosh Hashanah, ois 470 and ois 494) writes: The more a child cries, the wiser he will grow up to be.
- Perhaps we can explain based on a Rema. The Rema (Orach Chaim 98:1) writes: “It is forbidden for one to kiss his young children in shul, as one must fix in his heart, that he doesn’t love anyone as much as he loves the Ribbono Shel Olam.” Moshe and Aharon met each other on Har Elokim, the mountain of G-d, on Har Chorev. This place was very holy, and to kiss in a holy place is forbidden, as one must fix in his heart that he doesn’t love anyone else as much as he loves the Ribbono Shel Olam.
Based on this, the Seforno understood, that if Aharon kissed Moshe, it must be he kissed him the way one kisses a holy item, and such a kiss is permitted – as it is showing respect to Hashem, as items related kedusha are related to the honor of Hashem. A Sefer Torah is holy because it contains Hashem’s Torah, similarly, kissing Moshe because he was a holy item shows respect to Hashem.
R’ Berel Povarsky (Bad Kodesh) adds an important insight, he writes: “We see from here, that although Aharon and Moshe were brothers, and they hadn’t seen each other for many years, and now they finally met and Aharon kissed Moshe, if they would have been even some slight brotherly love it would have been forbidden as they were in a holy place, therefore, it must be that he kissed him solely because of his kedusha – like one kisses a holy item. Incredible.”
Testimony that R’ Moshe Feinstein Kissed in the Beis HaMedrash
The sefer Meged Givaos Oilam (Vol. 1, pg. 92, R’ Shirkin) brings testimony that R’ Moshe Feinstein kissed in the Beis HaMedrash. He writes: “R’ Moshe Feinstein would kiss his grandchildren in the Beis HaMedrash of Mesivta Tiferes Yerusholayim, and I heard that he held, the prohibition is only during davening (in Shulchan Aruch this din is brought in Hilchos Tefillah not Hilchos Beis HaKnesses). However, not during davening, it’s allowed.”
A Kiss for Kavod HaTorah Is Allowed in the Beis HaMedrash
HaGaon HaTzadik R’ Dovid Baron zt”l would daven in the Beis HaKnesses Shaarei Chesed in Yerushalayim. One time the wealthy R’ Yerachmiel Waxler, who at that time had just
