Ask The Rabbi 
5 December 1998 
Issue #216
Parshat Vayishlach
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This publication is available in HTML format at 
http://www.ohr.org.il/ask/ask216.htm 
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Researched at Ohr Somayach, Jerusalem 
This Issue Contains: 
1. Letting Go		5. Date Base
2. Holes In One 	6. Why Esav Lost His Head 
3.  What's My Sign	7. Yiddle Riddle
4.  Kiss of Honor	8. Public Domain
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____Letting Go____      

Eric Steinberg from New York <esteinb173@aol.com>
wrote:

Dear Rabbi,

I am having a lot of trouble within myself dealing with a question. If you 
and I are fathers and we see our children in danger we scoop them up and 
carry them to safety.  We would even give up our lives for them.  If this 
is so then why does G-d not do the same for His children; after all, He is 
"our Father..."  I have asked a few rabbis about this, but the response was 
not helpful. I am not trying to turn away from G-d but I do need this 
answered so that I may be closer to Him...

************

Dear Eric Steinberg,

	Have you ever taught a child to ride a bike?  If you have you will 
realize that at some point you have to let go of the seat or the handlebars 
and let him ride himself, and fall himself.  If you do not let go at some 
point, he will never learn to ride the bike. 

	The ultimate purpose of this world is for the human to develop the 
capacity to be G-dlike, similar and compatible with G-d.  However, G-d is 
not controlled, influenced or "scooped up" by some outside force.  He is 
completely independent -- in order for us to really be good (or evil for 
that matter) it requires that our actions be from within ourselves as a 
result of free will.  Free will requires that we are not unduly influenced 
in our decisions.  If every time I make the right choice morally, I succeed 
in this world, and every time I make the wrong choice morally, I fail in 
this world, then I no longer have free will, I am merely a rat in a Skinner 
maze being conditioned to press the correct lever. This means that even if 
I am righteous I may suffer, and I may suffer at the hands of the 
evildoers.  It is only in this system that humanity can become great -- a 
system with minimun Divine intervention, with no apparent connection 
between moral and physical success.  G-d wants us to be able to "ride the 
bike," and that is why He lets go.


____Holes in One____

Alan Mangurten from Morton Grove, Illinois <manguala@concentric.net> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,

My 13 year old daughter, Eve (Chaya Dorit bat Gitel v'Avraham haKohen) is 
in the hospital with a blood clot in her leg.  This made me think about the 
prayer "asher yatzar et ha'adam b'chochma... rofeh kol basar umafli la'asot 
-- G-d created Man with wisdom...Healer of all flesh and Doer of wonders."  
Can you tell me any details about the prayer; who wrote it, when was it 
written, are there commentaries on it?  Todah rabbah!

************

Dear Alan Mangurten,

	First let me wish your daughter a complete recovery.

	We say the "asher yatzar" blessing every time after using the 
bathroom.  This blessing praises G-d for administering our body functions 
and maintaining our health.  It relates to the Divine intelligence we see 
in the wonders of the human body, stressing the function of the 
"innumerable apertures, the innumerable orifices" which open and close in 
turn with precision, like the valves of the heart, the respiratory system 
and the digestive system.  "If but one were ruptured, or but one were 
blocked, it would be impossible to remain alive and stand before You, 
Hashem."

	This blessing is mentioned in the Talmud as one of the blessings 
compiled by the sages of the Great Assembly (circa 300-500 BCE).

Sources:

* Berachot 60b
* Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 6:1


____What's My Sign?____

Sharon from NY <Sharon_Schonberg@ccmail.prusec.com> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,

A while ago I met with a mekubal (kabbalist) who had a reputation for 
helping many people.  After giving him information about myself and talking 
with him for a while he told me that my nature/personality is "water water 
water."  Can you please tell me what that means, what water represents in 
Kabbala?

************

Dear Sharon,

	There are four origins of neshamot, souls, parallel to the four 
origins of matter:  Fire, wind, water, and earth.  Most people fall within 
one category while some are a mixture of two or more.  Water as the origin 
of your soul means fruitfulness, purity and health.  It means you don't get 
angry quickly, or at least you calm down quickly.  You probably enjoy 
swimming!  Any negative issues related to water can be mended by observance 
of the Torah, which is compared to water.

	This is a highly complicated subject, which can't be conveyed 
properly via this media.


____Kiss of Honor____

Louis Orzech <lumiray@sympatico.ca> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,

What is the best way to honor the Torah as it is carried in the synagogue?  
This question applies to both when we are "touching-distance" from the 
Torah as well as when we are too far away.

************

Dear Louis Orzech,

	One should stand.  If the Torah is carried past you, it is a mitzvah 
to follow behind it until it is brought to rest.  It is also customary to 
kiss the Torah, or to touch the Torah and kiss your hand.  If you are too 
far away, you should stand and face the Torah as it is taken to and placed 
on the bima (table upon which the Torah is placed and read).  Likewise, 
when the Torah is being carried back to the holy ark.

	Rabbi Yehuda Segal, zatzal, the late Rosh Yeshiva in Manchester, used 
to point out that although it is a beautiful custom to kiss the Torah, very 
often people surge forward and push or elbow others out of the way!  Rabbi 
Segal cautioned his students that it's better not to kiss the Torah than to 
push others in order to kiss the Torah.

Sources:

* Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 149
* Mishna Berurah ibid. 7


____Date Base____

Sharon Cohen from Edmonton, Alberta  <sharoncohen@compusmart.ab.ca> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,

I have been asked by a colleague at work what event marks the beginning of 
the Jewish calendar?  I have always understood that we date our years from 
the Creation.  Am I correct?  Can you quote any sources I can use to back 
up my theory?

************

Dear Sharon Cohen,

	You're right.  We are now in the year 5759 from the creation of Adam.  
We have an unbroken tradition that this is so; we've been writing this in 
our marriage documents for thousands of years.

	For textual sources, look at the chronologies from Adam down through 
Avraham (Genesis, Chapters 5,11).  This shows that Avraham was born in the 
year 1948 (!) from Creation.  The Exodus from Egypt was 500 years later 
(Genesis 21:5, 15:13), bringing us to the year 2448.  Add 480 years from 
the Exodus until the First Temple (Kings I, 6:1) and you have 2928.  Add 
410 years that the First Temple stood, 70 years of Babylonian exile, 420 
years that the Second Temple stood, and 1931 years since its destruction.  
This gives you exactly 5759.


____Why Esav Lost His Head____

Sharon Stakofsky-Davis <Yenta71@aol.com> wrote:

Dear Rabbi,

In our Torah study group we were discussing the midrash where Yaakov's deaf 
grandson takes a club and lops off Esav's head and his head goes rolling 
into Jacob's burial place.  Is there any commentary that talks about why 
specifically a deaf person is the one who kills Esav and what this means?  
We have seven people waiting for this answer.

************

Dear Sharon Stakofsky-Davis and the Study-Group Seven,

	At first, people are shocked by bad news, but then they get used to 
it little by little.  When Esav first came to stop Yaakov's burial, no one 
knew exactly what he was up to and how far he would actually take his 
argument.  Finally, when Esav demanded that Yaakov's sons produce the deed 
of sale of the burial site, they had already begun to "accept" the bad 
situation little by little.  But Chushim, Yaakov's deaf grandson, didn't 
figure out what was happening until the argument was at its peak, and was 
therefore "shocked" into action.

Sources:

* Maharal, Chidushei Aggadot II 53

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Yiddle Riddle

Last week we asked:

	The Year 2000 will, G-d willing, be very special; so much so that we 
will not observe the fast of Asara b'Tevet (the Tenth of Tevet) that year.  
Why not? 

Answer:

	Because the Jewish date "10 Tevet" will not occur in the civil 
calendar year 2000.

	The Tenth of Tevet this year, 1999, will occur on December 19.  The 
next Tenth of Tevet will be 13 months later, on January 5, 2001.  This long 
interval is due to 5760 being a Jewish leap year, in which a month is added 
to the year.  Thus, there will be no Tenth of Tevet in the year 2000.

* Submitted by Zvi Freund, Kew Garden, NY <miltonf@villagenet.com>

===========================================================================

The Public Domain
Comments, quibbles, and reactions 
concerning previous "Ask-the-Rabbi" features

Re: Hooray for Ohrnet:

	I would just like to let you know that Ohrnet is a big hit in 
Midreshet Moriah and many girls are interested in it.  Thank you, Ohrnet 
staff, for bringing more inspirational words of Torah into our lives each 
week.

* Miriam Weiss, Jerusalem <yeshiva5@netvision.net.il>

**********

Re:  Hurricane Mitch:

	Due to the natural disaster caused by "Hurricane Mitch" in all 
Honduras, our synagogue bought last year by our community, the Tegucigalpa 
Kehilla, was destroyed by the river.  We are very sad due to it.  One Sefer 
Torah was saved but all the rest, prayer and holy books were lost.  There 
was no chance to save them.  Today we have a meeting and will talk about 
the rebuild.  And, im yirtze Hashem, it will be ready to celebrate our next 
Rosh Hashana.

Berl Bernardo Gorgun, Honduras <gorgun@david.intertel.hn>

**********

Re:  The Missing Years (Ask #211):

	Rabbi Shimon Schwab, zatzal, discusses our calendar count at length 
is his sefer "Selected Speeches."  He writes that Daniel stopped the Jewish 
Calendar for 168 years and that the Greek dating system is actually 
correct.  This was Hashem's instruction to Daniel to "hide the date of 
Mashiach."

REB <reb95@juno.com>

	In Chapter 21 of "Selected Speeches" Rav Shimon Schwab, zatzal, cites 
a great deal of evidence for both sides of this question.  I'd like to 
offer one quote:  "It is because of all these gnawing doubts that I have 
decided to put a big question mark after the words `Jewish Chronology.'  
Let somebody with greater knowledge come and pick up the threads where I 
left off.  Our traditional, universally accepted Jewish way of counting the 
years to the Creation of the World is sacred territory which only fools do 
not fear to tread upon....On the other hand I muster the courage to belong 
to those who would rather wish to be honest to themselves than to be 
`right.'  I would rather leave a good question open than risk giving a 
wrong answer. (pp. 284-285)"

* Akiva Miller <kennethgmiller@juno.com>

**********

Re:  Where is Hashem (Ask #212):

	You wrote:  The word Hashem appears in the Torah, as in "Fear the 
great and awesome Hashem (Name) -- the L-rd your G-d.  (Deutoronomy 
22:28)."  Your source, Deutoronomy 22:28, must be a mistake could you tell 
me where it is instead?

* PFS from Holland <sant@tref.nl>

Ohrnet Responds:
	
The correct source should be Deutoronomy 28:58.  Sorry for the mistake.

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