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Shabbat Parashat Vayishlach 5772

Vayishlach | 14 Kislev 5772 | 10/12/2011

Parashat Hashavuah: A Leap of Faith for All Involved

We have discussed the connection between events in the aftermath of Shimon and Levi’s battle in Shechem (Bereishit 35:1-4), the reaffirmation of the acceptance to serve Hashem in Shechem at Yehoshua’s time (Yehoshua 24), and the giving of the Torah. Just as at Sinai we accepted belief in Hashem alone to the exclusion of anything related to idolatry, so too in both cases at Shechem, the people accepted to not dabble in any form of idolatry. Therefore, with very similar language in the two places, the leaders (Yaakov and Yehoshua) told their followers to remove idols and the like.

Ask the Rabbi: Reciting Three Parshiyot of Shema Before Davening

When I wake up soon before the end time of Kri’at Shema (sof z’man Kri’at Shema = szKS), must I say all three parshiyot before davening? Regarding the third parasha the Torah does not write “… and when you rise”!

Ein Ayah: Bentching in the Place of Indulging

[Regarding] one who ate and forgot to bentch, Beit Shammai say: He should return to his place and bentch. Beit Hillel say: He should bentch at the place that he remembered.

P'ninat Mishpat: Return of Money After Unused Services

The plaintiff’s (=pl) mother (=dec) moved to Israel in her nineties and settled in an assisted-living home (=def), which served her well. The contract, signed soon after the mother moved in, stated that non-refundable payments to def would be made at the beginning of every month for the whole month. On Jan. 4, pl paid a monthly charge, and later on that day, dec suddenly died. After shiva, pl demanded a refund of half of the month’s payment since services were not rendered for the majority of the month. She made three claims. She signed a standard contract, which, according to legislation, must not be discriminatory, as a non-refund clause is. Also, when the contract was signed (after dec was settled), it would have been unfair to dec to move her around, and therefore it was signed under duress. Finally, it is immoral to make someone pay for services that were not rendered. Def claim that it is logical to have a one-month, no-refund policy because often the quarters are not re-occupied for a certain period, as happened here. They add that the room was set aside during shiva to have a candle lit in it. Def is willing, beyond the letter of the law, to return a fifth of the payment out of respect for dec.

This edition of
Hemdat Yamim

is dedicated
to the memory of
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

This edition of
Hemdat Yamim
is dedicated to the memory of

Rabbi Shlomo Merzel o.b.m,
who passed away
on the 10th of Iyar 5771

Hemdat Yamim is dedicated

in memory of

R. Yona Avraham

ben Shmuel

Storfer z”l

Hemdat Yamim is

dedicated

in memory of

Shirley, Sara Rivka

bat Yaakov Tzvi

HaCohen 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).