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Shabbat Parashat Ki Tavo| 5765

Ki Tavo | | 02/01/2004

Failure to Show Appreciation

Our parasha begins with the mitzva to bring bikurim (first fruit) to the Beit Hamikdash and make a declaration of thanksgiving to Hashem (Devarim 26: 5-10). Included in that declaration is a recount of Bnei Yisrael’s travails in Egypt and the subsequent exodus, a section which serves as the basis for much of the Pesach seder. An illusive phrase in that text is “vayarei’u otanu hamitzrim.” The simple translation would seem to be that they did bad things to us.

P’ninat Mishpat

Case: A couple approached beit din to certify their marriage, claiming they had performed without undergoing the normal legal process that Israel requires. Upon questioning, beit din ascertained that there were indications that the man was a kohen,andit is documented that the woman is a divorcee. The couple, who live together and are known by their acquaintances as husband and wife, brought halachic precedents that even if their marriage is forbidden, it takes effect post facto (b’dieved). Their request is not to approve of the union but to recognize a fact, with their intention being only to benefit in the civil and/or financial arenas. They explain that they did not undergo the regular, legal process because the rabbis who were to take care of the matter refused to do so.

Moreshet Shaul

In addition to stating that it is forbidden to move from Bavel to Eretz Yisrael, R. Yehuda also quoted his teacher, Shmuel, as saying: “Just as it is forbidden to leave Eretz Yisrael for Bavel so too is it forbidden to leave Bavel for other lands” (Ketubot 111a). The gemara does not explain the rationale and/or source for the prohibition.

Ask the Rabbi

Question: When I give my baby cereal to eat, I usually pour in enough milk to make it wet and soft but then strain out most of the milk into the sink so that he should not make too big a mess. On Shabbat, I simply hold back the cereal with my fingers, as using a utensil is a problem of borer (sorting). Is that sufficient to solve the problem?

This edition of
Hemdat Yamim is dedicated to the memory of
Doris Moinester
R’ Meir ben Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld o.b.m.,
Yitzchak Eliezer Ben Avraham Mordechai Jacobson o.b.m.

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).

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