Whereas the bounds of law can be controlled from within an ivory tower, custom is not so easily harnessed. It is susceptible to the changing tides of human behavior, populist influences, and the unpredictability of time. A mistake is made once, a word is misspelled or miscommunicated, and suddenly a precedent is set forever. This daf, and the commentaries from our Kollel, bears the story of how regional authorities picked their battles to check the spiral of local custom, knowing that the spread of minhag was so often out of their hands.
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MISHNA: Six actions were performed by the Jewish residents of Jericho, contrary to common practice. With regard to three, the Sages reprimanded them, and with regard to three, the Sages did not reprimand them. And these are the ones with regard to which they did not reprimand them: The residents of Jericho would graft palm trees the entire day on the fourteenth of Nisan; and they would bundle Shema, as explained in the Gemara; and they would harvest and pile grain before the omer offering was brought. And these are the ones with regard to which the Sages reprimanded them: They would permit the use of consecrated branches of carob or sycamore trees. This refers to trees whose branches were cut and consecrated for Temple upkeep, which subsequently sprouted new branches; and they would eat fallen fruit from beneath palm trees that shed fruit that had fallen on Shabbat; and they would designate the produce in the corner for the poor in a field of vegetables, which is exempt from this obligation even by rabbinic law. And the Sages reprimanded the people of Jericho for doing these three things.
Enemies
Tal Schechter
We have three ways of reacting to enemies in history. The Maccabean style (the few againstthe many; don’t expect to win but fight anyway), the Hezekiah style (appeasing our enemies). Masada style (choosing our own end rather than fates worse than death). Some say: the fourthway is that of the conversos. Only in the Masada style is the end result clear.
On the Book of Cures! By Rabbi Yitzchak Blau
https://www.ou.org/life/torah/human_initiative/
What was the Book of Cures, and why was hiding it praiseworthy? Rashi explains that this book enabled people to cure any ailment instantaneously. Such a book needed to be hidden because sickness has its place in the divine scheme of things – ill health reminds us of our human frailty and turns our attention back to Hashem. Therefore, when the ability to instantly restore good health counteracted the religious benefits of sickness, Hizkiyahu removed the Book of Cures...
וְכוֹרְכִין אֶת שְׁמַע. הֵיכִי עָבְדִי? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: אוֹמְרִים ״שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה׳ אֶחָד״, וְלֹא הָיוּ מַפְסִיקִין. רָבָא אָמַר: מַפְסִיקִין הָיוּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים ״הַיּוֹם עַל לְבָבֶךָ״, דְּמַשְׁמַע: הַיּוֹם עַל לְבָבֶךָ, וְלֹא מָחָר עַל לְבָבֶךָ. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: כֵּיצַד הָיוּ כּוֹרְכִין אֶת שְׁמַע? אוֹמְרִים ״שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה׳ אֶחָד״, וְלֹא הָיוּ מַפְסִיקִין, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: מַפְסִיקִין הָיוּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים ״בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד״. וַאֲנַן, מַאי טַעְמָא אָמְרִינַן לֵיהּ? כִּדְדָרֵישׁ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: ״וַיִּקְרָא יַעֲקֹב אֶל בָּנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר הֵאָסְפוּ וְאַגִּידָה לָכֶם״. בִּיקֵּשׁ יַעֲקֹב לְגַלּוֹת לְבָנָיו קֵץ הַיָּמִין, וְנִסְתַּלְּקָה מִמֶּנּוּ שְׁכִינָה. אָמַר: שֶׁמָּא חַס וְשָׁלוֹם יֵשׁ בְּמִטָּתִי פְּסוּל, כְּאַבְרָהָם שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנּוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל, וְאָבִי יִצְחָק שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנּוּ עֵשָׂו? אָמְרוּ לוֹ בָּנָיו: ״שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה׳ אֶחָד״. אָמְרוּ: כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵין בְּלִבְּךָ אֶלָּא אֶחָד, כָּךְ אֵין בְּלִבֵּנוּ אֶלָּא אֶחָד. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה פָּתַח יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ וְאָמַר: ״בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד״. אָמְרִי רַבָּנַן: הֵיכִי נַעֲבֵיד? נֵאמְרֵיהּ, לֹא אֲמָרוֹ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ. לָא נֵאמְרֵיהּ, אֲמָרוֹ יַעֲקֹב. הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁיְּהוּ אוֹמְרִים אוֹתוֹ בַּחֲשַׁאי. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק, אָמְרִי דְּבֵי רַבִּי אַמֵּי: מָשָׁל לְבַת מֶלֶךְ שֶׁהֵרִיחָה צִיקֵי קְדֵירָה. אִם תֹּאמַר — יֵשׁ לָהּ גְּנַאי. לֹא תֹּאמַר — יֵשׁ לָהּ צַעַר. הִתְחִילוּ עֲבָדֶיהָ לְהָבִיא בַּחֲשַׁאי. אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ: הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁיְּהוּ אוֹמְרִים אוֹתוֹ בְּקוֹל רָם, מִפְּנֵי תַּרְעוֹמֶת הַמִּינִין. וּבִנְהַרְדְּעָא, דְּלֵיכָּא מִינִין, עַד הַשְׁתָּא אָמְרִי לַהּ בַּחֲשַׁאי.
We learned in the mishna that the residents of Jericho would bundle Shema. The Gemara asks: What does it mean that they bundled Shema? How did they do so? Rabbi Yehuda said that they recited: “Hear Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4), and they would not pause between words. Rava said: They would pause between words, but instead of reciting this verse in the proper manner: “That which I command you today, shall be on your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:5), pausing after the word today; they would say: Today shall be on your heart, inferring: Today it will be on your heart, and tomorrow it will not be on your heart. The Sages taught in the Tosefta: How would they bundle Shema? They recited: “Hear Israel, the Lord is our God the Lord is One,” without pausing; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: They paused, but they would not recite: Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever. The Gemara asks: What is the reason that we recite that passage: Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever, even though it does not appear in the Torah? The Gemara answers: We recite it in accordance with that which Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish interpreted homiletically. As Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said that it is written: “And Jacob called his sons and said, Gather around and I will tell you what will occur to you in the end of days” (Genesis 49:1). Jacob wanted to reveal to his sons when the complete redemption would arrive at the end of days (see Daniel 12:13), but the Divine Presence abandoned him, rendering him unable to prophesy. He said: Perhaps the Divine Presence has abandoned me because, Heaven forfend, one of my descendants is unfit, as was the case with my grandfather Abraham, from whom Ishmael emerged, and like my father Isaac, from whom Esau emerged. His sons said to him: Hear Israel, our father, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. They said: Just as there is only one God in your heart, so too, there is only one in our hearts. At that moment Jacob our father said in praise: Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever, as all his children were righteous. The Rabbis said: What should we do? Shall we recite this verse? But Moses our teacher did not say it in the Torah as part of Shema. Shall we not recite it? But Jacob said it. In order to resolve this dilemma they established that this passage should be recited surreptitiously. Rabbi Yitzḥak said that the school of Rabbi Ami said: This is analogous to the daughter of a king who smelled the fragrance of the dried spices stuck to the bottom of the pot and craved to eat them. What can she do? If she tells her servants to give it to her, she will be disgraced, as the dried spices are a contemptible food. However, if she does not say she wants to eat them, she will endure suffering. Her servants began to bring them to her surreptitiously. One should conduct himself in that manner in similar cases of uncertainty. Rabbi Abbahu said: The Sages instituted that the people should recite it aloud due to the grievance of the heretics. It was instituted to prevent the heretics from claiming that the Jews are surreptitiously reciting inappropriate statements. The Gemara adds: In Neharde’a, where there are no heretics, they recite it surreptitiously even now.
Shoshana R.
if we say the wrong ברכה (blessing) we annull it by saying " 'ברוך שם כבוד וכו", 'blessed be the name'
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: שִׁשָּׁה דְּבָרִים עָשׂוּ אַנְשֵׁי יְרִיחוֹ, שְׁלֹשָׁה בִּרְצוֹן חֲכָמִים, וּשְׁלֹשָׁה שֶׁלֹּא בִּרְצוֹן חֲכָמִים. וְאֵלּוּ בִּרְצוֹן חֲכָמִים: מַרְכִּיבִין דְּקָלִים כׇּל הַיּוֹם, וְכוֹרְכִין אֶת שְׁמַע, וְקוֹצְרִין לִפְנֵי הָעוֹמֶר. וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא בִּרְצוֹן חֲכָמִים: גּוֹדְשִׁין לִפְנֵי הָעוֹמֶר, וּפוֹרְצִין פְּרָצוֹת בְּגַנּוֹתֵיהֶן וּבְפַרְדְּסוֹתֵיהֶן לְהַאֲכִיל נֶשֶׁר לַעֲנִיִּים בִּשְׁנֵי בַצּוֹרֶת בְּשַׁבָּתוֹת וְיָמִים טוֹבִים, וּמַתִּירִין גַּמְזִיּוֹת שֶׁל הֶקְדֵּשׁ שֶׁל חָרוּב וְשֶׁל שִׁקְמָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה: אִם בִּרְצוֹן חֲכָמִים הָיוּ עוֹשִׂין, יְהוּ כׇּל אָדָם עוֹשִׂין כֵּן. אֶלָּא: אֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא בִּרְצוֹן חֲכָמִים הָיוּ עוֹשִׂין, עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה מִיחוּ בְּיָדָם, וְעַל שְׁלֹשָׁה לֹא מִיחוּ בְּיָדָם. וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא מִיחוּ בְּיָדָם: מַרְכִּיבִין דְּקָלִים כׇּל הַיּוֹם, וְכוֹרְכִין אֶת שְׁמַע, וְקוֹצְרִין וְגוֹדְשִׁין לִפְנֵי הָעוֹמֶר. וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁמִּיחוּ בְּיָדָם: מַתִּירִין גַּמְזִיּוֹת שֶׁל הֶקְדֵּשׁ שֶׁל חָרוּב וְשֶׁל שִׁקְמָה, וּפוֹרְצִין פְּרָצוֹת בְּגַנּוֹתֵיהֶן וּפַרְדְּסֵיהֶן לְהַאֲכִיל נֶשֶׁר לַעֲנִיִּים בְּשַׁבָּתוֹת וְיָמִים טוֹבִים בִּשְׁנֵי בַצּוֹרֶת, נוֹתְנִין פֵּיאָה לַיָּרָק, וּמִיחוּ בְּיָדָם חֲכָמִים. וְסָבַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה קְצִירָה שֶׁלֹּא בִּרְצוֹן חֲכָמִים הִיא? וְהָתְנַן: אַנְשֵׁי יְרִיחוֹ קוֹצְרִין לִפְנֵי הָעוֹמֶר בִּרְצוֹן חֲכָמִים, וְגוֹדְשִׁין לִפְנֵי הָעוֹמֶר שֶׁלֹּא בִּרְצוֹן חֲכָמִים, וְלֹא מִיחוּ בְּיָדָם חֲכָמִים. מַאן שָׁמְעַתְּ לֵיהּ דְּאָמַר ״מִיחוּ״ וְ״לֹא מִיחוּ״ — רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. וְקָתָנֵי: קוֹצְרִין בִּרְצוֹן חֲכָמִים! וְלִיטַעְמָיךְ, הָנֵי אַרְבְּעָה הֲוָה! אֶלָּא: סְמִי מִיכָּן קְצִירָה.
The Sages taught a related matter in the Tosefta: The people of Jericho performed six actions, three in keeping with the will of the Sages and three against the will of the Sages. And these are what they did in keeping with the will of the Sages: They would graft palm trees the entire day of the fourteenth of Nisan; and they would bundle Shema; and they would harvest grain before the omer offering was brought. And these are what they did against the will of the Sages: They would pile the harvest before the omer; and they would make breaches in the walls of their gardens and their orchards to feed fallen fruit to the poor during drought years, so that the poor could take the fruit that had fallen on Shabbat and Festivals; and they would permit the use of consecrated branches of carob and of sycamore trees. This is the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda said to him: It is inaccurate to formulate it in that manner, as if they acted in keeping with the will of the Sages, all people would do so, not only the residents of Jericho. Rather, formulate it in this manner: Both these three acts and those three were performed against the will of the Sages. With regard to three the Sages reprimanded them; and with regard to three the Sages did not reprimand them. Since one could contend that the latter are permitted and the people of Jericho had already performed them, the Sages chose not to reprimand them. And these are what they did for which the Sages did not reprimand them: They would graft palm trees the entire day; and they would bundle Shema; and they would harvest and pile grain before the omer offering was brought. And these are what they did for which the Sages reprimanded them: They would permit the use of consecrated branches of carob and of sycamore trees; they would make breaches in the walls of their gardens and orchards on Shabbat and Festivals, in order to feed the poor fallen fruit during drought years; and they would designate for the poor the produce in the corner in a field of vegetables. And the Sages reprimanded them for those actions. The Gemara asks: And does Rabbi Yehuda maintain that this harvest performed by the residents of Jericho was against the will of the Sages? Didn’t we learn in a mishna: The people of Jericho would harvest before the omer, in keeping with the will of the Sages, and they would pile the grain before the omer, against the will of the Sages, but the Sages did not reprimand them? Whom did you hear that said: Reprimanded and did not reprimand? It is Rabbi Yehuda, as Rabbi Meir uses the terminology: In keeping with the will and against the will. And yet, Rabbi Yehuda is teaching in the baraita that they would harvest in keeping with the will of the Sages. The Gemara answers with a question: And according to your reasoning, these three activities listed in the mishna, for which the Sages did not reprimand them, are actually four: Grafting palms, bundling Shema, harvesting, and piling. They are not three activities, as stated. Rather, delete harvest from the mishna here. Harvesting should not be listed with the activities for which the Sages did not reprimand them.
Arnold D.
The Secret Life of Trees
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/12/02/magazine/tree-communication-mycorrhiza.html?searchResultPosition=1
He suppressed the Book of Remedies, and they agreed with him.
He ground the copper snake through which miracles were performed for Israel (Numbers 21:9), destroying it because it had been used in idol worship (II Kings 18:4), and they agreed with him.
He dragged the bones of his evil father, King Ahaz, on a bed of ropes; meaning he did not accord his father a funeral fit for a king (II Chronicles 28:27), and they agreed with him. Yet, with regard to three other innovations, the Sages of his generation did not agree with him:
He stopped up the waters of the Gihon, the Pool of Siloam, diverting its water into the city by means of a tunnel (II Chronicles 32:30), and they did not agree with him.
He cut off the doors of the Sanctuary and sent them to the king of Assyria (II Kings 18:16), and they did not agree with him.
He intercalated Nisan in Nisan, creating a leap year by adding an extra month during the month of Nisan. That intercalation must be performed before the end of Adar (II Chronicles 30:2). With regard to his intercalation of Nisan, the Gemara asks: Did Hezekiah not accept the halakha: “This month will be for you the first of the months; it shall be the first for you of the months of the year” (Exodus 12:2)? By inference, this first month is Nisan, and no other month is Nisan. How could Hezekiah add an additional Nisan in violation of Torah law? The Gemara answers that the scenario was different. Rather, Hezekiah erred with regard to the halakhic opinion ascribed in later generations to Shmuel, as Shmuel said: One may not intercalate the year on the thirtieth day of Adar, since it is fit to establish it as the New Moon of Nisan. On the thirtieth day of each month, those who witnessed the new moon would come and testify before the court, which, based on their testimony, would declare that day the first day of the next month. Therefore, one may not declare a leap year on the thirtieth day of Adar, as it could potentially become the first of Nisan. Therefore, the Sages of Hezekiah’s generation did not agree with his decision to intercalate the year on the thirtieth of Adar. Hezekiah held that we do not say: Since that day is fit to establish it as the New Moon is reason enough to refrain from intercalation of the year.
Ben O.
Why were people domesticating Ravens?
The Man by the Subway
Jeremy Borovitz
There’s a man who hangs out by the entrance to the subway station Schonleinstrasse, at the Southwest entrance right off Kottbusser Damm.
If you live in the Graefekiez/Kreuzkolln neighborhood, then you know who I’m talking about. He’s bearded, bundled, and sits all day at the entrance with a cup in his hand. He is asking for money, and he is also asking for conversation.
Here’s what I know about him: He is from Berlin. He hates Donald Trump. One time, another one of the neighborhood personalities asked me if I was bringing Jews into the neighborhood and our bearded friend yelled at him and told him to stop making antisemitic comments. His best friend is a Turkish man who shares a lot of the same interests. He likes a stiff drink, often mixed with coffee.
Every morning, I get Hindi ready to go to daycare and on the way out, we grab a small coin. And ask we walk to the Ubahn, and we see our friend, Hindi gets incredibly excited. She waves at him and he waves back. Guten Morgen, they say to each other. And she drops a coin in his coffers. He will compliment her hat or her jacket or the bows in her hair and she will giggle excitedly. And then we go on our way.
And when he sees me without her, he asks about her. Tell her I said hi, he says.
How do we teach our children the importance of sharing with those who may not have as much material wealth? I don’t know, to be honest. I don’t have a playbook.
But I like that Hindi sees him as a friend. And I hope one day she can be like Bohayan, and refer to all those in need as her children.
