Transcript
Good morning a few quick announcements before we begin studying the parsha. First of all, we want to dedicate our learning this morning, רפואה שלמה refuah shleima for Rav Kelmer from West Hempstead who was hit by a car yesterday, but ברוך השם Baruch Hashem he is okay but in need of a רפואה שלמה refuah shleima. יהודה בן רבקה לאה Yehuda ben Rivka Leah should have a complete and speedy רפואה שלמה refuah shleima among all חולי ישראל cholei Yisrael. Quick announcements. We have the next three nights are three fantastic topics for classes, the teacher is not bad either. Tonight, the great rivalries program continues with the rivalry between the גרא Gra and חסידים Chasidim. The Vilna Gaon who put חסידים Chasidim in חרם cheirem several hundred years ago, and a rivalry that lasted until recently, arguably even today. What's the nature of the rivalry? What did they argue about? What was the context in which this rivalry occurred? Is it resolved? How can it be resolved? It's at 7:30 tonight. It's a free class. It's a fantastic PowerPoint, really amazing topic. Tomorrow night, I'm starting a new class, a new series, called The Best Version of Yourself, drawing from books like Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Essentialism, Good to Great, mixed with Torah's timeless teachings. It's at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow night, also in the social hall. And lastly, on Thursday night, we're beginning a new series called Jewish Music Unplugged. We're going to listen to three Jewish music songs that you're all familiar with, that you sing, that you know the words to, but you have no idea what those words mean, where they come from, what they're all about. So we'll study those words so that when we listen to and sing those songs, they'll have a lot more meaning. And lastly, this coming Shabbos is our annual weekend of חזק chizuk for the בית מדרש Beis Medrash of Dr. Yitzchak Balizon Beis Medrash of BRS. We're hosting world-renowned speaker Rabbi Ephraim Waxman, incredibly passionate, fiery speaker. I encourage you to go online and watch his talk at the סיום הש\"ס Siyum HaShas. You'll, you'll definitely be moved. He'll be speaking numerous times over Shabbos, culminating in a מלוה מלכה melaveh malkah for men on מוצאי שבת Motzei Shabbos at 8:30 p.m. Of course, you're encouraged and invited to participate and to participate financially in supporting our בית מדרש Beis Medrash. And lastly, as we begin פרשת וישלח Parshas Vayishlach together. ברוך השם Baruch Hashem, Boca Raton Synagogue is grateful to be able to host this wonderful שיעור shiur and to welcome all of you to it. There's an opportunity to sponsor the parsha class each week. It enables us to continue to provide for the greater community what we do. And we'd prefer if non-members would sponsor the parsha class on rotation, as an expression of הכרת הטוב hakaras hatov, of gratitude and so on. So it's $100 each week. You could do it in memory, you could do it in honor. I'll announce it, it'll be in the weekly, it'll be online on יוטורה YUTorah for the several hundred people who listen there, and it'll truly be a merit in the memory or the honor of whoever you choose to dedicate. If you'd like to dedicate, you can be in touch with our שול shul office or with Linda. Linda, raise your hand, wave to everybody, or you could let me know. פרשת וישלח Parshas Vayishlach, page 170 in the Artscroll Stone חומש Chumash. And our parsha picks up again, not coincidentally, where last week's leaves off. Yaakov and Lavan part ways at the end of last week's parsha. Yaakov takes his family and heads out. In the beginning of our parsha, Yaakov anticipates the awaited reunion with his brother Esav. It's a reunion which is not a source of excitement of joyous anticipation. For Yaakov, it's a source of great anxiety, of fear and of worry. וישלח יעקב מלאכים לפניו אל עשו אחיו Vayishlach Yaakov malachim lefanav el Eisav achiv, Yaakov sends emissaries, ambassadors, ארצה שעיר שדה אדום artza se'ir s'dei Edom. And he tells them here's what I want you to tell them, עם לבן גרתי im Lavan garti, I was living with Lavan. You should know I have resolve and tenacity. Despite my living with Lavan, עם לבן גרתי ותרי\"ג מצוות שמרתי im Lavan garti v'taryag mitzvos shamarti, I was unwavering, I was unflinching in my observance, in my perseverance, and so on. And we know that Yaakov famously employs this three-pronged tactic, this three-pronged approach when he goes to see Esav. He practices diplomacy, he sends gifts to Esav, he prays to the Almighty, and lastly, he prepares for war. And in fact, חז\"ל Chazal tell us that this three-pronged approach, this attitude, this strategy was not only for Yaakov in his particular circumstance, but Yaakov מעשה אבות סימן לבנים ma'aseh avos siman l'banim, this was the template, this was the blueprint for eternity. When the Jewish people would face conflict, when we would face enemies, these are the three-pronged approach: diplomacy, send gifts, sit down, and so on. Maybe this is what the Exxon CEO said that won him the job. He had this, he read the parsha, and he said, diplomacy and prayer, don't forget the merit, the Almighty, and be prepared for war. How does Yaakov prepare for war? He splits his camp into a number of camps. So Rav Soloveitchik writes, Rav Soloveitchik in the in the Rav Chumash says, the רמב\"ן Ramban calls the book of בראשית Bereishis, ספר הסימנים Sefer HaSimanim, the book of signs, because בראשית Bereishis is a blueprint for the future of בני ישראל Bnei Yisrael. This parsha foretells our destiny and reveals the mystery of Jewish existence. The מדרש Midrash says that whenever רבי יהודה הנשיא Rebbi Yehudah HaNasi would visit the Roman governor on behalf of the Jewish people, he would first study this parsha to infer how to best conduct the negotiations. That the Jewish people going back to רבי יהודה הנשיא Rebbi Yehudah HaNasi, when he was worried about the Roman governor, until today, when we have to confront enemies, we read this parsha and we are reminded of Yaakov's resolve, of Yaakov's strength, but also of Yaakov's three-pronged strategy, which we employ. There's a couple of questions about Yaakov's three-pronged strategy. Again, gifts, דורון doron, and prayer, and war. Number one, why is Yaakov praying? Why is he דאווענען davening? After all, the רבונו של עולם Ribono shel Olam himself, God Almighty, promised Yaakov that he was going to take care of him. It says in the גמרא in ברכות דף ד' Gemara in Brachos daf daled, רבי יעקב בר אידי Rebbi Yaakov bar Idi רמי rami, דכתיב d'chsiv והנה אנכי עמך ושמרתיך בכל אשר תלך v'hinei anochi imcha u'shmarticha b'chol asher teileich, I am with you and I will guard you everywhere you go. God promised Yaakov, no fear, no worry. I got your back. I'm with you the whole way. And then our parsha begins, ויירא יעקב מאד vayira Yaakov me'od, that Yaakov was very fearful. Yaakov was very anxious, he was very worried. And as a result, and why was he worried? שמא יגרום החטא shema yigrom ha'chet, because maybe his inadequacy, maybe his deficiency, maybe his mistakes would lose him the merit of God's protection, and he was therefore vulnerable. And so the גמרא in ברכות Gemara in Brachos wonders, it's a contradiction. God says I've got your back. You've got nothing to worry about. And now the rubber meets the road. Now you've got a problem, a reunion with Esav, and now you're worried. And now you're worried. What happened to God's promise? This is יעקב אבינו Yaakov Avinu we're talking about. This is יעקב Yaakov, our, the בחיר האבות bechir ha'avos, the choicest among all the patriarchs, the pinnacle of our of our great leaders. And he lacks אמונה emunah? He lacks the faith and the fortitude to believe with confidence that God's promise will come true? What do you mean ויירא יעקב vayira Yaakov's worried? I thought fear is a bad thing. When the סלונים רבע Slanimer Rebbe in נתיבות שלום Nesivos Shalom deals with this question, he compounds it by pointing out that the pasuk says, בטח בהשם ועשה טוב betach b'Hashem v'asei tov, believe in God and do good. And the רמב\"ן Ramban writes on that pasuk, בטח בהשם betach b'Hashem, have faith, trust God, and be a good boy, be a good girl. Says the רמב\"ן Ramban, notice it doesn't say be a good boy or a good girl, and then you're in a position to be able to rely on and trust in Hashem. Says the רמב\"ן Ramban, no, and the חזון איש Chazon Ish talks about this in his ספר אמונה ובטחון sefer Emunah u'Bitachon. First it says, בטח בהשם betach b'Hashem. Whatever your merits or demerits, whatever your righteousness or lack of righteousness, whatever you've done right, whatever you've done wrong, whatever position you are in life, בטח בהשם betach b'Hashem. You know, when that child is in the dire circumstance, when the child is in a moment of crisis, the parent doesn't say, well, before I step in here and help you, let's see, did you get me a birthday card, Father's Day, what'd you do? Did you clear off the dishes last week when I asked you to? Let's evaluate your merits and demerits before I step in and bail you out of your crisis. No. A parent is a loving parent. A parent loves a child unconditionally. And the parent tries to communicate a message to the child, do what's right. I have expectations. I'll be disappointed if you don't meet them, but I'm always your parent. I'm always here to help you and support you and I love you. So God says בטח בהשם betach b'Hashem. Pasuk says, trust in Hashem. Wherever you are, whether you feel close to Him, whether you feel far away from Him, whatever stage, whatever, whenever you are in life right now in your relationship, know you can trust Him. He's your father. He's not going to bail on you. And then ועשה טוב asei tov, it's also correct to do the right thing, the good thing. Which compounds the question. What do you mean שמא יגרום החטא shema yigrom ha'chet? What does it mean Yaakov lacked אמונה emunah? Maybe my inadequacy will make me vulnerable and exposed to Esav. ויירא יעקב vayira Yaakov's worried. I thought fear is a bad thing. In fact, the חזון איש Chazon Ish writes in אמונה ובטחון Emunah u'Bitachon, and ladies are all invited Wednesday mornings 8:45 a.m. at my home, we have a weekly אמונה emunah שיעור shiur for women, with a cup of coffee, throw in the sweetener and the cream. So, we've studied this essay of the חזון איש Chazon Ish in the past. The חזון איש Chazon Ish writes, you're not allowed and maybe I shouldn't tell this to half of the population in the room right now, but you're not allowed to worry. You're not supposed to worry. Fear, writes the חזון איש Chazon Ish, worry and anxiety are in fact expressions of heresy, of כפירה kfira. Because real אמונה ובטחון emunah u'bitachon means I know that once I've done everything I can do, I've shown my initiative, I've taken my steps, I've done everything within my power, I now sit back and the rest is up to the Almighty. Enjoy the ride. Let go and let God. And the moment that you fear and you worry, what will be and I don't know and I'm so anxious and I don't know and what's going to happen and I can't trust and what's going to be, then you're showing you don't really believe that all that God does is for the best, that there's meaning and purpose and order to the universe. The moment you introduce worry to the equation, you knock God out of the equation. So the חזון איש Chazon Ish says there is a prohibition to worry. You could worry about whether you will do what you need to do, that's a healthy worry, whether you'll take the steps you need to take, whether you will take the initiative you need to take. But beyond that, to worry about God's job, you start worrying about God, what will be beyond your control, that's a form of כפירה kfira. So what's going on here? Yaakov is ויירא מאד vayira me'od, ויצר לו ויחץ את העם אשר אתו לשני מחנות vayetzer lo v'yachatz es ha'am asher ito l'shnei machanos. He's worried. And he takes these steps. What do you mean? That's by the way, the חזון איש Chazon Ish is writing that for you and me. We have not, I don't know about you, I have not merited God to come to me and say, Goldberg, got your back, have no worries, all good, got you covered, never fear. Yaakov has the additional level of having heard that directly from the רבונו של עולם Ribono shel Olam. So what does it mean that he's afraid? In the סלונים רבע Slanimer Rebbe develops in an essay, which we won't go into at length, but I just draw your attention to it, the difference between the world of גשמיות gashmius and רוחניות ruchnius. God's promise and the חזון איש Chazon Ish's prohibition of worry, all applies to the physical material realm. To your operation, your existence within the physical world. God says I got your back, he's got your back. And when you've done everything you can and the rest is up to Hashem in terms of your health and your פרנסה parnassah and so on, then it is what it is, it's up to God. But when it comes to our רוחניות ruchnius says the סלונים רבע Slanimer Rebbe, when it comes to our spirituality, that's when we should, not worry, but that's when we should never ever be complacent. Never, ever settle in. Never, ever say, it's good, good to go, no worries, I am what I am. That's שמא יגרום החטא shema yigrom ha'chet. When your relationship with Hashem and your sense of spirituality in the world of רוחניות ruchnius, that's where inadequacy, that's where deficiency can in fact kick in and leave you. So בטח בהשם ועשה טוב betach b'Hashem v'asei tov, always trust in Hashem no matter what you're at in life, that's true for the world of גשמיות gashmius in the physical material world. But in the world of רוחניות ruchnius, then ועשה טוב asei tov, first you have to be worthy and earn this success in the world of רוחניות ruchnius, and only then can you rely on Hashem. But the question begs itself then, if God himself told Yaakov, I got you back, I got you covered, I understand the military preparation, that's part of human initiative. I understand the gift of diplomacy, that's part of human initiative. Why is Yaakov דאווענען davening to Hashem if Hashem preempted him and gave the answer? Hashem has already told Yaakov, got your back, you're all good, no worries. Yaakov says, that's nice, but God, if you'll excuse me, I got to go to שול shul and דאווענען daven. You understand the question? God says I've got your back, no worries, go meet Esav, you're good to go. And Yaakov says, God, if you could just hold that thought, I got to go to this place called שול shul and do this thing called דאווענען davening and ask who? God to have my back. Why is Yaakov דאווענען davening? Why is Yaakov דאווענען davening? So I once saw an answer, I don't remember where I saw this, that this is further evidence that דאווענען davening is not for God, that דאווענען davening is for ourselves. And this too is a much longer topic. The Alshich, many others, Rav Yitzhak Albo have pointed out, ספר עיקרים Sefer Ikarim, that the word we use for דאווענען davening is להתפלל l'hispallel, which is the התפעל hispa'el. It's the reflexive form. I'm not trying to change God's mind. The whole exercise of prayer is an exercise to change whom? To change myself. And by being a new me, I'm worthy of a new verdict. So the me of yesterday, the me before מנחה Mincha today, was worthy of whatever challenge came my way. But through the experience and exercise of תפילה tefillah, I reflexively change myself. So I say, hey God, you know the verdict that you issued on the old me? It's a new me. Reevaluate, update, refresh the screen. It's a new me. Reevaluate, I'm worthy and I want a new judgment. So תפילה tefillah is an exercise not for Hashem, but it's an exercise in humility, it's an exercise in self-transformation, and so Yaakov engages in תפילה tefillah despite the fact that his prayer was answered already. He engages in תפילה tefillah because תפילה tefillah is never about changing God's mind, תפילה tefillah is always about changing ourselves. Okay, we're already in two words into the parsha and way behind. So let's keep going. Yaakov prepares these things. Good. But before he actually encounters Esav, he has a more famous encounter, the most famous encounter probably of Yaakov, where Yaakov leaves these פכים קטנים pachim ketanim behind. חז\"ל Chazal see here a connection to the הלכות דחנוכה halachos d'Chanukah by the way, a hint, a רמז remez to חנוכה Chanukah in the Torah, that he, Yaakov leaves these small jugs, these פכים קטנים pachim ketanim behind, and he walks away from the encampment of his wives and children and his entourage, and he goes back to retrieve, which חז\"ל Chazal also learn by the way, that the righteous, חושש על ממונם choshesh al mamonam, the righteous don't waste even a penny. You know, people will say in a derogatory way, you know, that Jews will bend down and pick up the penny in the street, or Jews are so frugal, or Jews are such penny-counters. But you know what, חז\"ל Chazal didn't see that as derogatory or an insult, they saw it as a compliment. If money is a life source, if money has the ability to sustain and to impact and to influence the world, if money reflects the effort we put into it, then every penny matters. One should never be so arrogant, never should ever be so self-confident that they have what they need and that they're so well taken care of and they're so wealthy that they can stand to disregard even a penny. So חז\"ל Chazal see from here that צדיקים tzaddikim, that the righteous are חושש על ממונם choshesh al mamonam, they care about, they're concerned about their money not in a materialistic fashion, but in a responsible, humble fashion to see every penny as being something which is valuable. So Yaakov goes back to retrieve these פכים קטנים pachim ketanim, and who does he meet? None other than the שר של עשו sar shel Eisav. He meets this somewhat anonymous angel, somehow representing Esav, and he wrestles with him the entire night long. And what night is it that he's wrestling with him? Anyone know what night it is on the calendar? I say it every year and I worry about repeating myself, but I see I'm good to go. What night of the... No? This wrestling match, this wrestling match, WrestleMania, I guess one, was on כל נדרי Kol Nidrei night. חז\"ל Chazal tell us Yaakov wrestled with the angel on כל נדרי Kol Nidrei night. And also for another time, and I've done it on another time, namely the דרשה of כל נדרי drasha of Kol Nidrei night, it's very instructive what we're trying to do on כל נדרי Kol Nidrei night and what יום כיפור Yom Kippur is all about, and what we're imitating about Yaakov's wrestling match with Esav or the angel of Esav. But for our purposes, Yaakov wrestles with him, he's injured and he walks away limping with the גיד הנשה gid hanasheh. And we've discussed this at length in the past, you could listen online. We've asked the question previously, we don't eat the sciatic nerve, the גיד הנשה gid hanasheh, until today it's a biblical law to commemorate the consequence of this wrestling match. Which the חזקוני Chizkuni and others point out is a bizarre commemoration. If, in fact, what we're celebrating is Yaakov's triumph, his defeat of this alter ego, the enemy, then how do you memorialize a win by refraining from something? Right? Can you imagine you tell, I don't know the name of any wrestlers or boxers. You tell Muhammad Ali, you won this enormous match, so you know what, I want to reward you. From now on, you're a vegetarian, no steak. He says, that's a reward? That's, for some of us, that's like an enormous punishment. So, Yaakov, you defeated, you persevered through the night, and I want your children to never forget it. So I'll tell you what, no eating the sciatic nerve, and we struggle to treiber the meat, so we've eliminated a whole portion of meat that you can't... What kind of positive... And we've described in the past, and and I'll just reiterate it now in another form. Hold that question, I'll ask it in another form. The גמרא at the end of מכות Gemara at the end of Makkos tells us, you know, we have 365, I'm sorry, we have 613 mitzvos. We have a tradition of תרי\"ג taryag. And it's broken down into רמ\"ח מצוות עשה Ramach mitzvos asei, we have 248 positive commandments, and שס\"ה Shasah, 365 negative commandments. And the גמרא at the end of מכות Gemara at the end of Makkos leaves it at like that, somewhat ambiguous, 613, broken into 248 and 365. But the זוהר הקדוש Zohar Hakadosh, I'm now old enough to study it. The זוהר הקדוש Zohar Hakadosh says that the 365 negative prohibitions correspond very neatly with, what is 365? The days of the year, the calendar. Each day on the calendar corresponds with another לאו lav. And the זוהר Zohar doesn't fill in then which לאו lav, which negative prohibition corresponds with which day on the calendar, with the exception of one. It tells us there is a day on the calendar that corresponds with the prohibition of גיד הנשה gid hanasheh. And you'd think it'd be יום כיפור Yom Kippur based on what I just told you, but it's not. The day on the calendar that corresponds with the prohibition of eating גיד הנשה gid hanasheh is? תשעה באב Tisha B'Av. Who said תשעה באב Tisha B'Av? Well done. תשעה באב Tisha B'Av. It's תשעה באב Tisha B'Av. Why תשעה באב Tisha B'Av? What do תשעה באב Tisha B'Av and גיד הנשה gid hanasheh have to do with anything? Rav Asher Weiss, the מנחת אשר Minchas Asher, asks this question. He gives his own answer based on the ספר החינוך Sefer HaChinuch. It's worth looking at his answer, but I want to tell you my answer. My answer is very simple. Why was Yaakov vulnerable to attack? Why was he even in a position to be attacked and to be hurt, to be damaged? ויותר יעקב לבדו vayivaser Yaakov l'vado. I should do this as part of the Jewish music unplugged. It's one of those songs, you know, Carlebach, ויותר יעקב לבדו vayivaser Yaakov l'vado, ויאבק איש עמו vaye'avek ish imo? This week's parsha. Okay. Anyway, ויותר יעקב לבדו vayivaser Yaakov l'vado, what left Yaakov in a position vulnerable to being attacked? The fact that he was what? לבדו l'vado. He was all alone. Nobody accompanied him. Nobody said, \"Dad, Zayde, whatever they called Yaakov, don't walk alone. Let me go get those small jugs or let me at least accompany you. A person shouldn't be alone. Don't walk at night. Let me go with you.\" Yaakov is all alone. And the lack of camaraderie, the lack of companionship, the lack of caring is what left him vulnerable to the attack of the גיד הנשה gid hanasheh. And is that not the essence of תשעה באב Tisha B'Av? The divisiveness, the loneliness, the lack of unity and camaraderie? גיד הנשה gid hanasheh explains many of the מפרשים meforshim, is not about celebrating that Yaakov won. The prohibition of גיד הנשה gid hanasheh is quite the opposite. It's about remembering why, although he won, he limped away. We the Jewish people have won. We're still here. Systematic attempts to exterminate and to annihilate and to exile and to get rid of us from the world. And we won. But can anyone say that we're not limping? If you look at the statistics of Jewish history, if you look at the memorial plaques, if you look at the cemeteries around the world and those who weren't even זוכה zocheh to be buried in the cemetery, to a certain extent, are we not limping? And so, the זוהר Zohar is telling us the prohibition of גיד הנשה gid hanasheh corresponds with תשעה באב Tisha B'Av. תשעה באב Tisha B'Av reflects our survival, our triumph, but we continue to limp. We carry an injury of our unworthiness, the injury of the divisiveness and the loneliness that we once had. Maybe that's the connection and that's really what גיד הנשה gid hanasheh represents. Okay, let's keep going. Yaakov and Esav then meet. It's a very duplicitous event. Esav presents himself one way, Yaakov anticipates this by the way. He asks God, הצילני נא מיד אחי מיד עשו hatzileini na miyad achi miyad Eisav, save me from my brother, from Esav. And the commentaries wonder why the redundancy. Okay, obviously you have one twin brother, it's your brother Esav. Just say מיד אחי miyad achi or say מיד עשו miyad Eisav. And why say the word מיד miyad twice? מיד אחי, מיד עשו miyad achi, miyad Eisav. The commentaries all talk about it. Beis Halevi says explicitly that what Yaakov was worried about is, I don't know which Esav I'm going to meet. Sometimes I meet Esav, he's my hostile enemy, transparent, clear, I know what I got. Sometimes I meet Esav and he's tried to shake my hand on the front lawn of the White House and sign an agreement and present himself to be אחי achi, that he's ready for peace and he's my brother. So I don't know which Arafat, I mean, which Esav... which Abbas, I mean, which Esav... I don't know which one I'm going to see. So Yaakov davens, מיד אחי מיד עשו miyad achi miyad Eisav. Please Hashem, protect me whether he presents himself as אחי achi or he presents himself as Esav. So they meet, Esav, they have this embrace. Esav somewhat disingenuously invites Yaakov, \"Oh, we're brothers, let's go together arm in arm and then the, you know, the the curtain can close and the music will play and we'll be arm in arm walking off the stage.\" And Yaakov says, \"Thanks, but no thanks. I've got this entourage. I got a bunch of wives and a bunch of children and a bunch of stuff and we take a long time, so go ahead, go ahead without us.\" And then Yaakov arrives in שכם Shechem. And Yaakov arrives in שכם Shechem and he thinks, the Torah describes on page 180, ויבא יעקב שלם עיר שכם vayavo Yaakov shalem ir Shechem. Yaakov arrives, the Torah describes Yaakov's arrival as being שלם shalem. What does it mean שלם shalem? Says Rashi, שלם בגופו שנרפא מצלעתו shalem b'gufo shenisrapeh mitzla'aso, שלם בממונו שלא חסר כלום מכל אותו דורון shalem b'mamono shelo chasar klum mikol oso doron, שלם בתורתו שלא שכח תלמודו בבית לבן shalem b'soraso shelo shachach talmudo b'veis Lavan. So Yaakov, after his difficult life, he's grown up with this abusive brother, he had to trick his own father, he had to be on the run, he had to live with a Lavan, he had to deal with competing sisters as wives and challenges of one of them having infertility. Yaakov has struggled and struggled and struggled, now he wrestles with an angel, he's limping, and finally he says, I can move to South Florida, שלם shalem. I'm retired, I'm done, I'm done, I'm שלם shalem. Says Rashi, שלם בגופו shalem b'gufo, yes, I have the limp, but I could still walk, I'm still mobile, I'm שלם בגופו shalem b'gufo, at least I have my health. שלם בממונו Shalem b'mamono, he was worried that Esav could have robbed him blind, the diplomacy, the gift he had to give could have cost him an enormous amount, but he's שלם בממונו shalem b'mamono. He's got all of his money intact. And שלם בתורתו shalem b'soraso that though he lived in Lavan's home, where many lesser people would have diluted their faith, diluted their observance, lost their way, gone off the derech, he's שלם בתורתו shalem b'soraso. And the Torah tells us it's a phenomenal literary preface to the story we're about to read. Yaakov, and we've had this a few times, you know, ביקש יעקב לישב בשלוה bikesh Yaakov leisheiv b'shalva. Like Yaakov spends his whole life with, I just want some peace and quiet. Can I just have some serenity? Can I just breathe? Why is it always a crisis, a fire to put out, a struggle to endure? I just want some breathing room. So as a preface to the story we're about to read, the Torah says Yaakov comes שלם shalem. Finally, he's got his health, he's got his money, he's got his Torah, he's got his children. Finally, he could retire at peace. ותצא דינה בת לאה אשר ילדה ליעקב Vatetze Dinah bas Leah asher yaldah l'Yaakov. Segue right into his daughter Dina heads out. And the חז\"ל Chazal tell us, Rashi quotes, it is not flattering when it describes Dina that's ותצא דינה vatetze Dinah. Says Rashi, ותצא דינה vatetze Dinah, whatever it is. בת לאה ולא בת יעקב Bas Leah v'lo bas Yaakov. First the חומש Chumash identifies Dina as the daughter of Leah, but not as the daughter of Yaakov. Why? על שם שיציאתה נקראת בת לאה שאף היא יצאנית היתה שנאמר ותצא לאה לקראתו Al shem sheyitziasa nikreis bas Leah she'af hi yatzanis haysa she'ne'emar vatetze Leah likraso. The Torah had described Leah as, not, I would, God forbid I would not say about one of our אמהות imahos, immodest, I'm not saying immodest, but that she was not necessarily the most modest. כל כבודה בת מלך פנימה Kol kevudah bas melech penimah, we have a tradition that femininity includes a certain modesty which we're not going into now. Leah kind of pierced that sense of modesty. She went out, she liked to go out, she went out. She went out. And Dina took after her mother Leah, she liked to go out. So Sarah was always found in the tent, we're told. כל כבודה בת מלך פנימה Kol kevudah bas melech penimah. Leah liked to go out and Dina liked to go out. And חז\"ל Chazal say the Torah is setting up the story to say that certainly Dina is the victim. She deserves zero of the blame. But understand, she... she went out, and she went out and mixed in the wrong places and became exposed, allowed herself, became in a position to be victimized. And she's 100% the victim. It's not to put blame on the victim, but it's to say we have to be careful where we go and how we can avoid being in situations in which we can be victimized. I left out the whole part, by the way, about Yaakov changing his name to Yisrael. If you were here this past Shabbos, we had maybe the greatest speaker we've ever had, Avi Sachar, Sacher, who is the head of the team that invented Iron Dome. He's a rocket scientist at Rafael. He grew up in America, he's a proud graduate of קרן ביבנה *Keren B'Yavneh*, seven years at הטכניון *Technion*, and incredible, incredible, incredible speaker. And he spoke about the dual persona of יעקב *Yaakov*. That the others whose names were changed were changed permanently, to the degree to which we're prohibited to use their old name. אברם, אברהם *Avram, Avraham*, שרי, שרה *Sarai, Sarah*. But יעקב *Yaakov* becomes ישראל *Yisrael*, and then we still see the name יעקב *Yaakov* being used and we are entitled to still use the name יעקב *Yaakov*. And he described that this individual, יעקב *Yaakov*, who by the way is, we are בני ישראל *Bnei Yisrael*, but not בני אברהם *Bnei Avraham*, בני יצחק *Bnei Yitzchak*, so he is the paradigm, he's the paradigmatic father of our people. He has this dual personality. Sometimes יעקב *Yaakov*, sometimes ישראל *Yisrael*. When is he which, by the way? When is he which?So Rabbi Soloveitchik also writes this. Maybe that's where he got it from. Rabbi Soloveitchik also writes this. יעקב, עקב *Yaakov, eikev* comes from the idea that יעקב *Yaakov* was holding the heel of Esav. And it comes from, עקב *eikev* is not something praiseworthy. והיה עקב תשמעון *V'haya eikev tishmi'un*, if you listen to those mitzvos that you step on with your foot, with your heel. The עקב, the עקב *akev* is the, the heel is the lowest point. It describes the יעקב *Yaakov* who's just holding on, who's just trying to survive, who's just trying to get by, who's on a low. What's ישראל *Yisrael*? Where'd that name come from? לא יאמר שמך עוד יעקב כי אם ישראל *lo yei'amer shimcha od Yaakov ki im Yisrael*. You're not called יעקב *Yaakov*, but rather you're now called ישראל *Yisrael*, why? כי שרית עם אלקים *Ki sarita im Elokim*, where's the פסוק *pasuk*? Something like that. Because you are a prince. Because you are nobility. Because you have strength, you wrestled and you persevered. ישראל *Yisrael* reflects the Jewish people in our glory, in our strength, as role models, in a position to tell the world and teach the world and demand of the world and speak up for ourselves. I'm not going to relay his entire talk, but it was so counterintuitive. Here, the head of the team, the inventor of Iron Dome that we're gushing with pride, the whole world said it can't be done to invent a system that you could meet a makeshift rocket mid-air and blow it up and anticipate its trajectory and not injure anyone. Everyone said it can't be done, can't be done, can't be done, can't be done. Israel said, no problem, here it is. And we're so proud, and he got up here and he said, Iron Dome, Iron Dome is an invention of יעקב *Yaakov*. Iron invention is an, Iron Dome is an invention of the גלות *galus* Jew, of the exile Jew, who's holding on to the heel, who's apologizing for existence, who's in a defensive mode, who has to build a dome over their own civilians to break up a rocket. It's not the invention of a ישראל *Yisrael*. A ישראל *Yisrael* takes it to the enemy side. A ישראל *Yisrael* eliminates the threat rather than tolerate the barrage and say, oh look at us, we're brilliant, we invented a protective umbrella. And he distinguished the יעקב *Yaakov* and the ישראל *Yisrael* and what Iron, you think he'd take such pride. So counterintuitively, he said, don't get such a גשמאק *geshmak* out of the Iron Dome. Iron Dome is a continuation of the mentality of a יעקב *Yaakov*. But we're now a ישראל *Yisrael*. After 2,000 years of being a יעקב *Yaakov*, with ישראל *Yisrael* in an induced coma, he said, ישראל *Yisrael* has awoken, and ישראל *Yisrael* is waking up. And ישראל *Yisrael* needs to stand for her people. And the Rav writes this as well in the חומש *Chumash*. Avram name changed to Avram was irreversible, and so on. Nachmani explains the two names reflect two destinies, two roles played by the covenantal community. On one hand, our patriarch Yaakov was often dependent on others. He spent 20 years working for Lavan. He desperately tried to assuage Esav. Finally, he was ultimately forced against his will to come to Egypt. The name Yaakov signifies dependence, being pulled along. Afterwards, his brother emerged whose hand was grasping Esav's heel, he named him Yaakov. Yisrael on the other hand represents the patriarch no longer subservient, who defeated a mysterious enemy during a long lonely night. This enemy himself described Yaakov as one commanding power with an angel of God, שרית עם אלקים *sarita im Elokim*. Yisrael is the free, powerful Jew. Yaakov is the Jew dependent on others. The Rav spoke about that in Boston in 1975. And that was the message this past Shabbos, the Yaakov Jew and the Yisrael Jew and the 2,000 years of our people and the awakening of the Yisrael from his induced coma. A very powerful image. Let's finish the parsha and go back to our psukim.We have the whole episode here with Dina and Shechem, which is what we're going to go into in a moment. Yaakov then heads to בית אל *Beit El*. We have the death of דבורה מינקת רבקה *Devora meinekes Rivka*. Hashem gives this bracha to Yaakov and the birth of בנימין *Binyamin*, and רחל *Rachel* dies. She's buried on the side of the road, קבר רחל *Kever Rachel*. We know one place she's not buried is what we now visit as קבר רחל *Kever Rachel*. It's likely not where she is, historically, archaeologically. But she's buried on the road on the way to בית לחם *Beit Lechem*. And why is she buried there as opposed to permanently resting with the rest of the אבות ואמהות *avos v'imahos*? What role does she play for us as Yaakov heads back from 2,000 years to be Yisrael? She cried when Yisrael was dragged out to the גלות *galus* to be Yaakov, and she's there to experience the joy of our coming back to once again be Yisrael. Yaakov, ויהיו בני יעקב שנים עשר *v'yihyu vnei Yaakov shneim asar*. Torah then delineates the twelve sons. We have the chronicles of Esav, Esav separates from Yaakov, and chronology, lineage, the end of the parsha. Let's go back to our story. ותצא דינה בת לאה *Vateitzei Dina bas Leah*. So Dina was a יצאנית *yatzanis*, she liked to go out. Some people like to stay home, some people like to go out. Just have to be careful where you go out to. Dina liked to go out. And what happened as a consequence of going out? Who sees her? שכם בן חמור החוי נשיא הארץ *Shechem ben Chamor haChivi n'si ha'aretz*. שכם *Shechem*, שכם *Shechem* is become known as a city and a people, but at the time was a person. שכם *Shechem* is the son of חמור *Chamor*, who's the prince of the region. He's the aristocracy of the region. What happens? He's attracted to Dina. ויקח אותה וישכב אותה ויענה *Vayikach osah vayishkav osah vaya'aneha*. And he comes upon her. ותדבק נפשו בדינה בת יעקב *Vatidbak nafsho b'Dina bas Yaakov*, he becomes infatuated. He becomes obsessed. He wants not only a carnal relationship with Dina, he wants to have a shared destiny. ויהב את הנערה וידבר על לב הנערה *Vaye'ehav es hana'arah vayedaber al lev hana'arah*. I'm on page 180 if you're looking. And he loves the young lady and he tries to, he tries to court her. ויאמר שכם אל חמור אביו לאמר קח לי את הילדה הזאת לאשה *Vayomer Shechem el Chamor aviv leimor, kach li es hayaldah hazos l'ishah*. Shechem says to his father, Chamor, you're the prime minister, you're the president, you're the governor. Look, I found this, you were always wondering when I'm going to get married, I found the girl. This Dina, I'm obsessed, I can't get her out of my mind. She's all that I think about. Take her for me as a wife. ויעקב שמע כי טמא את דינה בתו *V'Yaakov shama ki timei es Dina bito*. Yaakov now hears that his daughter has been defiled, she's been raped. ובניו היו את מקנהו בשדה *u'vanav hayu es mikneihu basadeh*. And meanwhile, his sons are out shepherding. והחרש יעקב עד בואם *V'hecherish Yaakov ad bo'am*. Yaakov is infuriated. He's livid. But he stays quiet till his sons come home, meaning he does nothing, no reaction. By the way, it's the Yaakov who has no reaction. Doesn't say Yisrael had no reaction, the mentality of a Yaakov. Now you could, now you have the Rav's insight with Ari, you could plug it in to every time you see the words Yaakov and Yisrael in the חומש *Chumash* and in our davening, and try to plug it in. What happens? ויצא חמור אבי שכם אל יעקב לדבר אתו *Vayeitzei Chamor avi Shechem el Yaakov l'daber ito*. So Chamor says, he brings a bottle of scotch and some לחיים *l'chaim* glasses, and he comes up to Yaakov and he says, no, let's conclude the שדך *shidduch*. My son Shechem is in love with your daughter Dina. Nu, it's a match made in heaven. ובני יעקב באו מן השדה כשמעם *U'vnei Yaakov ba'u min hasadeh k'shom'am*. Meanwhile, the boys are coming in from the field where they're shepherding. ויתעצבו האנשים ויחר להם מאד *Vayis'atzvu ha'anashim vayechar lahem me'od*. And boy, are they upset. This is their sister's dignity. This is their father, their mother's dignity. כי נבלה עשה בישראל לשכב את בת יעקב וכן לא יעשה *Ki nevala asa b'Yisrael, lishkav es bas Yaakov, v'chein lo yei'aseh*. Such a thing is intolerable. It's unacceptable. It cannot be done. וידבר חמור אתם לאמר שכם בני חשקה נפשו *Vayedaber Chamor itam leimor Shechem bni chashka nafsho*. So Chamor comes and he's somewhat naive, and he says my son Shechem wants a שדך *shidduch*. Nu, let's make it happen. And what happens now? Skipping a little bit because I want to get to our. Go to pasuk yud-gimmel. ויענו בני יעקב את שכם ואת חמור אביו במרמה *Vaya'anu vnei Yaakov es Shechem v'es Chamor aviv b'mirmah*. So Bnei Yaakov have a great answer. Bnei Yaakov have a great answer. Trickery. וידברו אשר טמא את דינה אחתם *vayedabru asher timei es Dina achosam*. ויאמרו אליהם לא נוכל לעשות הדבר הזה *Vayomru aleihem lo nuchal la'asos hadavar hazeh*. They've got a plan in mind. They've got a very tricky plan in mind. But they understand, you know, they are well outnumbered. Bnei Yaakov are a tiny few. Shechem is the whole city, they've got an army. How are you going to conquer this army? You cannot be silent. You cannot be indifferent to this outrage which has occurred. But how are you going to avenge? How are you going to prevent it, to make sure to disincentivize anyone from ever doing anything like it again? So Bnei Yaakov come up with, what we could only in retrospect be proud of somewhat, this great plan. They turn to the children, they turn to Shechem and Chamor and they say, look, here's the problem. It's a wonderful שדך *shidduch*. JDate, ShemDate, ChamorDate, whatever the website was. It's a great שדך *shidduch*. But here's the problem. You don't have a ברית *bris*. How could, I can't take you home to my mother, yenishkemalt. You don't have a ברית מילה *bris milah*? You gotta convert. You gotta have a ברית *bris*, and then we can finalize the שדך *shidduch*. Shechem is so in love, so infatuated, so obsessed, he convinces his father, who demands it of the whole city, you know what? Mass conversion, everyone ברית מילה *bris milah*, because we are going to unite and integrate with the Bnei Yaakov. Meanwhile, all along their plan was never, ever, of course, to welcome them and integrate them. Once they have the ברית *bris*, they're vulnerable. They're recovering from surgery, a surgery that leaves you vulnerable and weak. And the Bnei Yaakov jump on it, take advantage, attack. ויהי ביום השלישי *Vayehi bayom hashlishi*, I'm on the next page, pasuk kaf-hei, בהיותם כאבים *b'hiyosam ko'avim*, when they are in great pain, there's no Delotted, there is no Percocet, there is no Oxycontin. All there is is pain. ויקחו שני בני יעקב שמעון ולוי אחי דינה איש חרבו ויבאו על העיר בטח ויהרגו כל זכר *Vayikchu shnei vnei Yaakov Shimon v'Levi achei Dina ish charbo, vayavo'u al ha'ir betach, vayahargu kol zachar*. And they kill every male in the city. את חמור ואת שכם בנו הרגו לפי חרב *Es Chamor v'es Shechem bno hargu l'fi charev*. And then they leave the best for last, they kill Chamor and Shechem, ויקחו את דינה מבית שכם ויצאו *vayikchu es Dina m'beis Shechem vayeitzei'u*. They rescue their sister Dina and they head out. And when they get home, do they get a great יש\"כ *yasher koach*? When they get home, do they get praised, heaped with praise and love and admiration of their dad? Wow, so proud of you, קינדערלעך קום הער *kinderlach kum heir*. No. ויאמר יעקב אל שמעון ואל לוי אחרתם אותי להבאישני ביושב הארץ בכנעני ובפרזי *Vayomer Yaakov el Shimon v'el Levi, achartem osi l'hav'isheini b'yoshev ha'aretz baKna'ani uvaPrizi*. Are you crazy? You have made me hated. You've lowered, you've degraded me, you've made me vulnerable. ואני מתי מספר *Va'ani msei mispar*. We are few in number, we're next to nothing. ונאספו עלי והכוני ונשמדתי אני וביתי *V'ne'esfu alai v'hikuni v'nishmadeti ani u'veisi*. What are you, out of your mind? You're out of your mind? Who is saying this to Shimon and Levi? Not Yisrael. Not the assertive, not the entitled, empowered authority of a Yisrael. It's Yaakov. Worried, anxious, fearful, apologetic, defensive. What are you crazy? What are you crazy? They're going to come get us. You can't go into Gaza and hunt the terrorists and the collateral damage and the casualties. What are you crazy? The world is going to come after us and criticize us and boycott us. What are you crazy? ויאמרו הכזונה יעשה את אחותנו *Vayomru, hakh'zona ya'aseh es achoseinu*? But who has the last word? Shimon and Levi. In this episode, they have the last word and they say, we're not going to stand by. You might feel like Yaakov right now, but the Yisrael in you knows that we cannot tolerate being treated this way. Our sister being raped, it's simply intolerable. And in Parshas Vayechi, the whole episode is revisited because when Yaakov gives the bracha to Levi, to Shimon and Levi, he references again what they had done and the vulnerable spot he feels that he put them, that he put them in. So what I want to study with you in our remaining time is not our usual going through the psukim and the different meforshim, but I want to study a bigger question. And the bigger question is, how in the world did Shimon and Levi do this? By the way, I'll just give a little shameless plug for tonight. The question we're going to talk about is collective punishment. What is the Torah's perspective on collective punishment? You're an average citizen living in Chamor. You're living in this village, in this town, in this metropolis. And you keep to yourself, you mind your business, you do your thing. It happens to be that the mayor's son rapes a girl. And the girl's two brothers then kill everyone in the city? Is that just? Is that moral? Is that ethical? Is that what we as Jewish people believe? Collective punishment? Is that a means or a mechanism or a strategy we employ? Do we believe in collective punishment? This is a little bit of a stretch, but I got to give you a little forshpeis for tonight. The Gra and Chasidim. The Gra's opposition was to the particular behavior and conduct of some Chasidim. So to excommunicate them all, is it collective punishment? And by the way, you know what Chasidim did? The Gra issued numerous bans. We're going to read them tonight, the excommunications. We're going to see it's unbelievable how it escalated this battle. A particular person actually cursed out the Gra in Vilna. So they had this mechanism. They locked his head into and they gave him lashes and they made him come before the Aron Kodesh and apologize and beg forgiveness of the Gra. It's an unbelievable episode in Jewish history. Not necessarily so flattering. But when the Chasidim realized that the Gra's excommunication was gaining traction, this was before the internet and mass media, someone had a great chap. One of the Chasidim said, you know what, why don't we just spread a rumor that the Gra took back the excommunication and now he believes in Chasidus? And they started to spread that rumor. And then another chosid had a great idea. And he posed as an imposter. And he went, he went shtetl to shtetl, town to town, posing as the son of the Vilna Gaon. And then they would ask him questions and he would say, oh absolutely, my father rescinded it, and he loves Chasidim now, and he believes in it, and he's become, some of his best friends are Chasidim. That was the strategy. When they couldn't combat him explicitly, they went undercover and they tried to spread this rumor, and one chosid was an imposter. He went around, he went around Eastern Europe, he went around the Ukraine, and he posed as the son of the Gra. It's an unbelievable episode in Jewish history. You gotta hear the punchline of it at 7:30 tonight. So the question of, the question of collective punishment. Or you'll be able to listen to it online afterwards on YU Torah. The Ramban deals with this. Source number one. ברוך אתה אדוני אלהינו מלך העולם שהכל נהיה בדברו. The Ramban writes, ויתכן שהיה כעס יעקב שהרגו אנשי העיר אשר לא חטאו לו *V'yitachein shehaya ka'as Yaakov shehargu anshei ha'ir asher lo chat'u lo*. Why is Yaakov incredulous towards his sons? Here in our parsha and in Vayechi, he has a veiled criticism when he's giving the brachos to his sons on his deathbed, he criticizes Shimon and Levi for being impetuous. He continues to criticize. Says Ramban, you know why he was angry? Collective punishment. Shimon and Levi, it was righteous to kill Shechem. He raped your sister, my daughter. But how could you kill everyone? הראוי להם שהרגו שכם לבדו *haro'i lahem shehargu Shechem l'vado*. How could you kill everybody? Next paragraph, ורבים ישאלו ואיך עשו בני יעקב הצדיקים המעשה הזה לשפוך דם נקי *V'rabim yish'alu v'eich asu vnei Yaakov hatzadikim hama'aseh hazeh lishpoch dam naki*. The question of collective punishment is not a 21st century politically correct question. The Ramban in the 13th century, Spain, the Rambam in the 12th century, Egypt, Spain, Israel, they're asking the same question. How could it be? What's the morality of collective punishment? And the Ramban now quotes the Rambam. והרב השיב בספר שופטים ואמר שבני נח מצווים על הדינים *V'haRav heishiv b'Sefer Shoftim v'amar sheBnei Noach metzuvim al hadinim*. The Rambam's explanation is that you know, there are seven Noahide laws. And one of the seven Noahide laws is דינים *dinim*. There must be a justice system. והוא להושיב דינים בכל פלך ופלך ולדון בשש מצוות שלהם *V'hu l'hoshev dayanim b'chol pelech u'felech v'ladun b'shesh mitzvos shelahem*. One of the seven laws that all בני נח *Bnei Noach* that humanity is bound by from a Torah perspective is to set up a judicial system and the goal, the purpose of the judicial system is to create accountability for the other six of the mitzvos Bnei Noach. ובן נח שעבר על אחת מהן הרי הוא נהרג בסיף *U'ven Noach she'avar al achas meihen harei hu neherag b'sayif*. A Ben Noach who violated any of their seven laws is punishable by death. ראה אחד שעבר על אחת מהן ולא דנו להרגו, הרי זה הרואה יהרג בסיף *Ra'ah echad she'avar al achas meihen v'lo danuhu l'hargo, harei zeh haro'eh yehareig b'sayif*. Moreover, the halacha is that if someone tolerates a Noahide peer violating one of the seven laws and doesn't hold them accountable, they themselves become accountable. So therefore, says the Rambam, ומפני זה נתחייבו כל בעלי שכם הריגה *U'mipnei zeh nischayvu kol ba'alei Shechem hariga*. שהרי שכם גזל והם ראו וידעו ולא דנוהו *sheharei Shechem gazal, v'hem ra'u v'yad'u v'lo danuhu*. Shechem rapes, Shechem kidnaps, and the whole city knows it, sees it, and what do they do? Absolutely nothing. So they're violating one of the שבע מצוות בני נח *sheva mitzvos Bnei Noach* by not setting up a judicial system, by not carrying out justice, by not holding Shechem accountable, and says the Rambam, their failure to act, their indifference makes them accountable, and that's why it was not an unjust collective punishment. In fact, they all deserve exactly what they got. That's the Rambam. The Ramban then goes on and says, ואין דברים אלו נכונים בעיני *V'ein dvarim elu n'chonim b'einai*. Says the Ramban, not surprisingly, I don't agree with the Rambam. I think he's wrong. שאם כן היה יעקב אבינו חייב להיות קודם וזריז במעשיהם *She'im kein haya Yaakov avinu chayav l'hiyos kodem v'zariz b'ma'aseihem*. If that were correct, Yaakov should have called his boys and said, come on boys, let's go get them. Why is Yaakov not only passive himself, but critical after the fact? So therefore, says the Ramban, ומה יבקש בהן הרב חיוב *U'mah yevakesh bahen haRav chiyuv*? And why does the Rambam look for reasons to hold them accountable? אלא שאין הדבר מסור ליעקב ובניו לעשות בהם דין *Ela she'ein hadavar masur l'Yaakov u'vanav la'asos bahem din*. The truth is, they, Bnei Yaakov, were not entitled to hold the people of Shechem for their failure to act. So the Ramban quotes the Rambam, rejects him, disagrees. So we're left still with the question, collective punishment. What did they do wrong? Where is the morality and the ethics in killing the entire city because one person performed an act of rape and kidnap? The Gur Aryeh, the Maharal of Prague, in his commentary on Rashi on Chumash, source number two, the Maharal is bothered by this question. And he writes the following, קשה שכם חטא וכל העיר מה חטאו להרוג *Kasha, Shechem chata v'chol ha'ir mah chat'u l'harog*, I'm reading the underline. Shechem, we can identify and point to what he did wrong. Liable for death, capital crime. But what did the rest of the city do wrong? ונראה *V'nireh*, says the Maharal, דלא קשיא מידי *d'lo kashya midi*, it's not a question at all. משום דודאי שני אומות כגון בני ישראל והכנענים שהם שני אומות ולפיכך הותר להם ללחום כדין אומה שבא ללחום על אומה אחרת שהתירה התורה *Mishum d'vadai shnei umos k'gon Bnei Yisrael v'haKna'anim shehem shnei umos, u'lefikach hutar lahem lilchom k'din umah sheba lilchom al umah acheres she'hitira haTorah*. This Maharal is a critical, fundamental, foundational Maharal. The Maharal is essentially answering a different question he doesn't answer. Where is the justice, where is the morality of being at war? Your army, whether in a defensive war or an offensive war, is facing an enemy, aims the gun, the cannon, aims the artillery, aims the airplane, and pulls the trigger. What happened to the prohibition to murder? Why is that soldier on the other end of the gun, why is the member of the enemy army liable for death? Show me where does it say in the Torah, they violated something that is deserving of a capital punishment. By what right does a Jewish army ever have to shoot at the enemy? Now if the enemy is shooting at you, it's self-defense. But let's say the soldier at that time is reloading his gun, he's not shooting at you. That soldier is, what is the right? So the Maharal is answering that the prohibition to murder is a prohibition that exists between an individual and an individual. But there's a concept called war. And the war exists between two factions, between two units, between two nations, between two people. And there's a law that legislates, law that regulates wartime which is different than the law that legislates interpersonal relationships between one and one. There's a concept called war. And that's what he's writing. This is not Shimon and Levi with a personal vendetta against Shechem and yet they took out the casualties of the whole city. This is Bnei Yisrael against the nation of Shechem. This is a war, אומה *umah* against אומה *umah*. Nation against nation. אבל הכי דעשו ישראל דבר כגון זה שפרצו בהם לעשות להם עבילה, אף על גב דלא עשו רק אחד מהם, כיוון דמכלל העם הוא, כיוון שפרצו להם תחילה, מותרים לקחת נקמתם מהם *aval heichi d'asu Yisrael davar k'gon zeh shepartzu bahem la'asos lahem aveila, af al gav d'lo asu rak echad meihem, keivan d'miklal ha'am hu, keivan shepartzu lahem techila, mutarim likach nikmasam meihem*. Because the act of aggression was not isolated, but was representative of a people, it is an act of war. And an act of war deserves a response. כיוון שהיו באומה שעשו להם, מותרים לבוא עליהם למלחמה וכן הן כל המלחמות *Keivan shehayu b'umah she'asu lahem, mutarim lavo aleihem l'milchama v'chein hein kol hamilchamos*. This is the law of war. Rav Shechter, shlita, in his sefer B'ikvei HaTzon, source number three, references this Maharal in talking about how the IDF, how the Israel Defense Forces operates today. By what right do the IDF have to go into a village to do a search in a town? We're not at war. There's not currently a conflict, a war. What right do they have to go in, to kill, to eliminate, to take down? So writes Rav Shechter, על פי הדברים הנ\"ל יש נראה לומר, דהוא הדין נמי בהאי מסקבה חמורא בזמן הזה, שהמדינת ישראל עומדת במצב של מלחמה *Al pi hadvarim ha'ne'el yesh nireh lomar, d'hu hadin nami b'hai meskava chamura b'zman hazeh, she'medinas Yisrael omedes b'matzav shel milchama*. Says Rav Shechter, you know, I once took a group of teenagers on a mission to Israel and the tour guide asked them on the bus before we pulled out of the airport, does anyone know when the War of Independence began? And the students raised their hands and they answered, right after the Declaration of Independence, 1948, right then, May, that's when the War of Independence began. And then he asked them, they were all so proud, they knew the answer. Then he turned to them and he asked, and does anyone know when the War of Independence ended? On what date did the War of Independence end? And he said to them, it's not over yet. It hasn't ended yet. And Rav Shechter is explaining that as a halachic position. The War of Independence, the milchama, the war, the battle between two nations, the act of aggression from the other side continues. הרבנים תואנים בפרט מלי, הם רוצים את ירושלים, את תל אביב, את חיפה *Haravanim to'anim b'frat meilei, hem rotzim es Yerushalayim, es Tel Aviv, es Haifa*. וממילא צריכים אנשי צה\"ל לנהוג עם כל המשתתפים באלו הפורעות כמו שנוהגים בשעת מלחמה *U'meimeila tzrichim anshei Tzahal l'nohog im kol hamishtatfim b'elu hapra'os k'mo shenohagin b'sha'as milchama*. And because their aggression continues with the same goal as war, to conquer us, we can respond using the guidelines of war, not the guidelines that dictate civilians in a situation of peace. שאם יש צורך בכך, שהרי בהם המנסים להרוג, ואם יש צורך בכך, כי לפעמים אין נתנם לברר מי הם המחבלים, התרוריסטים, המארגנים, המסייעים, והמסייעים, רשאים חיילי צה\"ל לקטוס ואף להרוג *She'im yesh tzorech b'kach, sheharei bahem hamenasim l'harog, v'im yesh tzorech b'kach, ki l'fa'amim ein nitan l'varer mi heim hamechablim, hatayroristim, hame'arganim, hamesa'im, v'hamasos, rasha'im chayalei Tzahal lakos v'af l'harog*. When you can't distinguish between the terrorists and those who harbor, there are times the IDF is justified to simply shoot. Ay, what about the prohibition to murder? That's talking about an individual to an individual. We're talking about a time of war. And he skips to the end, he writes, כדכמבואר בגור אריה להמהר\"ל בפרשת וישלח *k'dich'mevu'ar b'Gur Aryeh laMaharal b'Parshas Vayishlach*. וכן נראה לי לומר, דהוא הדין במצב כאן בארץ הוא מצב של מלחמה, אין להתחשב בסכנת נפשות של יחידים, כאשר הבאנו מדברי האמ\"ן חזקאל והנצי\"ב מדברי שאר המפרשים *V'chein nireh li lomar, d'hu hadin b'matzav kan ba'aretz hu matzav shel milchama, ein l'hischashev b'sakanas nefashos shel yechidim, ka'asher heveinu m'divrei ha'Ameik, Chazon Ish v'haNetziv m'divrei she'ar hamefarshim*. War has different rules than peacetime. And that's what the Maharal is saying. It wasn't Shimon and Levi acting independently against Shechem, it was the nation of Israel responding to the declaration of war by the people of Shechem. Rav Hirsch was also bothered by this question. Rabbi Moshe, I'm finishing, two more minutes. Rav Hirsch in source number four is also bothered by this and he says, now the blameworthy part begins which we need to know why he's excused. Had they killed Shechem and Chamor, there would be scarcely anything to say. But they didn't spare the unarmed men who were at their mercy. They went further and looted and made the inhabitants pay for the crime. For that there was no justification. And Yaakov reproached them, you've clouded me, our reputation, our name, our honor. In a peculiar manner, this story follows immediately on the preceding one. There was a transitory kol Yaakov, a humane emotion flaring up in Esav's feelings. And we recognize in that the germ of humaneness that ultimately was to grow to complete development in Esav too. And here we see all at once the sword of Esav transitorily in the hands of Yaakov. And learn from that fact that brightens Jewish history, namely that though we've ultimately become the nation to whose hands the least spilled blood sticks, if we've become the mildest, most soft-hearted of nations, this is not due to any inherent weakness in our part, to any form of cowardice. The last days of our existence as state-owned showed our courage and military spirit and so on. It is only the means, the next paragraph, it is only the means which they took and they're going much too far in their use of them that is blameworthy. The motive that moved Shimon and Levi, the purpose they were striving for was holy and was justified. The spirit, the spirit with which they were filled is an indispensable one for a family that had to wander about amongst the nations of the world. Still on his deathbed, we see the old father expressing his curse on the means and the excessive passion, but his blessing and recognition of the motive and the spirit which lay behind them. So Rav Hirsch is not as complimentary as the Maharal. Rav Hirsch is not as accepting as Rav Shechter. Says Rav Hirsch, were they justified to avenge their sister? Yes. The spirit what drove them was noble. They should have taken it out only on שכם Shechem, maybe on חמור Chamor. They went too far. They lost their way, their moral compass. Collective punishment is not something we as the Jewish people believe in.And lastly Rav שאול ישראלי Shaul Yisraeli, the ראש ישיבה Rosh Yeshiva of מרכז הרב Merkaz Harav, the head of ארץ חמדה Eretz Hemda, a former member of the בית דין הגדול Beis Din HaGadol. Rav שאול ישראלי Shaul Yisraeli, 1909-1995, in his שו\"ת עמוד הימיני Shut Amud HaYemini, a תשובה teshuva, writes about this. Also, he has a whole תשובה teshuva on this question of collective punishment. יתר על פי זה שגם בעניינינו עם כל הציבור מעלים עינם ממעשה הכנופיות הרצחניות, אדרבה נודע דעתם Yoter al pi zeh shegam be'inyaneinu im kol hatzibur ma'alim einam mima'aseh haknufiyot ha'ritzchaniyot, adaraba noda da'atam. He says if the whole people would close their eyes to this collective punishment murder, we have a problem. In practice, there's insufficient basis to permit action against an entire community that has failed to execute its duty and remove murderers from its midst, so long as it's reasonable to excuse them with the claim of fear, pressure, and the like.In other words, he says, you can't level a whole town. You can't say we're going to destroy Gaza, or every time they murder one of our people, we're going to level a whole city of theirs. He פוסק paskens, it's understandable, it's reasonable that the civilians on their side who are harboring terrorists do so out of fear for their own lives. Do so because they're coerced. Do so because there's pressure. Do so because this is how they were raised and they don't know any better. And to therefore just sweepingly say we can destroy them all, collective punishment. שמעון ולוי Shimon v'Levi, he says it's unjustified.So, there's a lot more to talk about, we're out of time, but you see from our פרשה parsha that this moral question of collective punishment, a question that began with the birth of our people with שמעון ולוי Shimon v'Levi, it's a question that tragically continues to haunt us עד היום הזה ad hayom hazeh with the modern state of Israel. It's a difficult question but it finds its roots in our פרשה parsha. Tonight 7:30, tomorrow night 8 o'clock, Thursday night 8 o'clock. Have a wonderful week.
