העורך Editor

Rafi Farber explains the Medrash…

פתגם החתם סופר

From an interview with Moshe Feiglin:

Shalom, Moshe Feiglin. You published an article on Friday in which you attacked Netanyahu and the entire Right.

Actually, what we are experiencing here is the Right’s inability to mount any type of vision, any type of alternative message to the Left’s. It is not just Netanyahu. It is all the rightist parties over all the generations. The Right has never said what it wants. It has only said what it is not. The Right is always busy fighting the Left. If there would be no Left, there would be no Right. Without the Left, the Right would not know how to define itself.

… The time has come for all those who are connected to the purpose of our national existence here in Israel to understand that we must create a meaningful ideological alternative to the Left. Zehut’s platform does just that.

Here’s a rebellious thought:

It’s not just the Right in Israel, either. Unlike the Left which is evil and proud of it, the “true” Right is supposed to be anarchist. That’s why they support partially free markets. Edmund Burke started out as one. Once you are in the government, there are only various degrees of leftism.

The Right isn’t supposed to have a grand, overarching vision because that would be central planning.

Enough said.

Shmos 9:27 – 35:

וישלח פרעה ויקרא למשה ולאהרן ויאמר אלהם חטאתי הפעם השם הצדיק ואני ועמי הרשעים. העתירו אל השם ורב מהית קלת אלהים וברד ואשלחה אתכם ולא תספון לעמד. ויאמר אליו משה כצאתי את העיר אפרש את כפי אל השם הקלות יחדלון והברד לא יהיה עוד למען תדע כי לשם הארץ… ויצא משה מעם פרעה את העיר ויפרש כפיו אל השם ויחדלו הקלות והברד ומטר לא נתך ארצה. וירא פרעה כי חדל המטר והברד והקלת ויסף לחטא ויכבד לבו הוא ועבדיו.
ויחזק לב פרעה ולא שלח את בני ישראל כאשר דבר השם ביד משה.

Why did Pharoah change his mind? The Torah, here unlike with other Makos, doesn’t explain. I don’t think Chazal explain, either.

Rabbi Abarbanel says this was because the beneficial מטר (rain) stopped, too, so he claimed the entire event was a mere natural coincidence.

I just read a beautiful explanation by Rabbi Ovadya Yosef. If you look at the words carefully, you will see Pharoah requested the thunder stop and then the hail, Moshe agreed, the event is described in reverse order, and Pharoah sees first the hail ceased, and only then the thunder.

What does this mean?

Hashem tested the king by changing the order around, contrary to Moshe’s prayer. Pharoah was given room for heresy, and he used it.

Convenient interpretations have a way of sticking around far longer than they ought to.

Rabbi Elyashiv is rumored to have said: “Tinokos Shenishbu” no longer exist. Does that mean Ba’alei Teshuvah are not to sit Shiv’ah for their non-religious blood relatives?

Rambam Evel 1:10:

כל הפורשין מדרכי צבור והם האנשים שפרקו עול המצות מעל צוארן ואין נכללין בכלל ישראל בעשיית המצות ובכבוד המועדות וישיבת בתי כנסיות ובתי מדרשות אלא הרי הן כבני חורין לעצמן כשאר האומות וכן האפיקורוסין והמומרים והמוסרין כל אלו אין מתאבלין עליהן אלא אחיהם ושאר קרוביהם לובשין לבנים ומתעטפים לבנים ואוכלים ושותים ושמחים שהרי אבדו שונאיו של הקב”ה ועליהם הכתוב אומר הלא משנאיך ה’ אשנא.

I’m not deciding whether this halachic definition still applies, but I do note circumstances have changed greatly with the blessed increase in those who observe many mitzvos and “the global village” via the internet. And this will continue.

Just how many distributed observant Jews and Jewish websites make up a critical mass?

Just as with Heter Mechira, the language of the late Poskim (e.g., Shut Shevet Halevi) who endorsed the concept is clear: This is temporary!

And just as with Heter Mechira’s staying power in an age of greater prosperity (no matter how ludicrous), the whole world can turn inside-out and upside-down, but dead “Da’as Torah” will keep walking.