Hebrew | Francais

Shabbat Parashat Ki Tetzei| 5766

Ki Teitzei | | 01/01/2005

Who Were Amalek’s Targets?

Our parasha concludes with the command to remember Amalek’s sin against our forefathers on the way out of Egypt (Devarim 25:17). Instead of addressing what Amalek’s attack teaches about them, let us learn about our nation from the episode.

P’ninat Mishpat

We have seen in the last weeks that we do not practically have the ability to renew authentic semicha, which would allow dayanim to form a beit din with full authority. Therefore, it is not possible to levy penalty payments, not when judging by force and not even when the sides approach beit din voluntarily. So too, a contemporary beit din cannot carry out capital or corporal punishment (dini nefashot u’malkot), as these also require full semicha.

Moreshet Shaul

The plaintiff claimed that the deceased pledged 75,000 liras on behalf of his tzedakah organization before dying. The guardian of the deceased’s estate responded that even if this claim can be substantiated, it was only a promise, and the estate should not be responsible to carry it out. The money in question is part of a fund that was set aside for charity, with the guardian being empowered to decide which charity(ies) is most deserving.

Ask the Rabbi

Question: We have developed a diagnostic tool that works as follows. After a full fast of several hours, one drinks a tasteless powder dissolved in a cup of water. A few minutes later, he breathes into a special machine that detects if various organs are working healthily. Does one make a beracha before and/or after drinking the water? Can he drink a little, regular water first to remove the doubt regarding the beracha?

This edition of
Hemdat Yamim is dedicated to the memory of
Yitzchak Eliezer ben Avraham Mordechai Jacobson
And R’ Meir ben Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld o.b.m.
Hemdat Yamim is also dedicated by Les & Ethel Sutker of Chicago, Illinois
in loving memory of Max and Mary Sutker and Louis and Lillian Klein,z”l.
May their memory be a blessing!

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).