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Shabbat Parashat Bo | 5769

Bo | 6 Shevat 5769 | 31/01/2009

Hashem’s Various Messengers

One of the differences between Sefer Bereishit and Sefer Shemot has to do with the means of Hashem’s interaction with man. Regarding the plague of the firstborn, it is stressed, “I will pass through the Land of Egypt, and I will smite all firstborn …” (Shemot 12:12). As the Haggada stresses, Hashem acted alone without the involvement of angels. In Bereishit, as of the time that Adam and Chava were expelled from Gan Eden and Hashem put armed sentries to guard the entrances, He used primarily angels to deal with man. However, as the Nation of Israel approached its height, culminating at Mount Sinai, Hashem’s direct involvement increased.

May a chatan lead bentching and/or recite sheva berachot at his own sheva berachot?

May a chatan lead bentching and/or recite sheva berachot at his own sheva berachot? What if he is more of a talmid chacham than anyone else there?

Finding a Good Wife

“For this every pious man should pray to You for the time of finding” (Tehillim 32:6). Rav Chanina says that “the time of finding” refers to a wife, as the pasuk says, “One who found a wife found goodness” (Mishlei 18:22).

Work Under a Questionable Agreement

The defendant (=def), an organization that furthers Torah education, hired the plaintiff (=pl) to serve as head of a kollel responsible for teaching local residents. Pl and def’s representative (=rep) agreed on a monthly salary of 3,000 shekels, based on an estimate of 30 shekels an hour for 15 hours a week and 60 shekels a day for transportation. It was also agreed that payment of the salary would be dependant on the arrival of funds from the Education Ministry for the project. After a few months of receiving only partial payment, pl signed a memorandum stating that he knew that the time and amount of his payment depended on the Education Ministry funds. After 15 months of minimal pay, pl quit. He demands full back pay for the outstanding salary and payment until the end of the school year, which is the normal work period of educators. Def responds that they never intended to give pl more than the funds they receive from the Education Ministry, as indicated in the memorandum, which was on the basis of 8 shekels an hour. Rep was not authorized to obligate def in more than that.

The Obligation of a person who ran in a public domain and caused damage

We learned this week in our studies of the Daf Yomi (daf 32a) that if a person ran in the street and caused damage to another person that was walking there, he is obligated to pay for the damages. Since the normal pace of movement in a street is walking, running is considered unusual. Nonetheless, the Talmud states that a person who ran Erev Shabbat at dusk and caused damage is exempt – since one is allowed to run in preparation for Shabbat.

This edition of Hemdat Yamim is dedicated to the memory of Shirley, Sara Rivka bat Yaakov Tzvi HaCohen z”L
as well as

R ' Meir ben Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld

o.b.m

Hemdat Yamim is endowed by
Les & Ethel Sutker of Chicago, Illinois in loving memory of
Max and Mary Sutker

and Louis and Lillian Klein, z”l.

A weekly divrei Torah leaflet: A Glimpse at the Parasha, Ask the Rabbi, From the writings of Harav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook, zt”l, Pninat Mishpat (Jewish Monetary Law).