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Shabbat Parashat Yitro 5778

Yitro | 18 Shevat 5778 | 03/02/2018

Parashat Hashavua: “His Congregation He Founded on the Land”

The midrash (Bamidbar Rabba 15:18) connects the pasuk, “Assemble for me seventy men” (Bamidbar 11:16) to “He built the Heavens level upon level, and His congregation He founded on the land” (Amos 9:6). The midrash comments that, as hard as it is to say so, Hashem’s throne in the Heavens is stable only if Israel forms a cohesive congregation. What is the great significance of this unity? The midrash (Bereishit Rabba 38:6) says on the pasuk, “There is a connection in Ephrayim through idols; leave him” (Hoshea 4:17) that even if the people are idol worshippers, if they are connected to each other, Hashem will leave them unscathed. What possible positive element can come from the binding together of wicked people?

Ask the Rabbi: Finishing Time for Mincha

Am I correct that l’chatchila, it is proper to start Mincha early enough to finish before shekiah? If so, what are the key sources on the matter?

Ein Ayah: The Turning of the Shoe and the Fall of the Spirit

What is the background behind the prohibition on a shoe called sandal hamesumar? Shmuel said: there was a decree [made by enemies], and people were hiding in caves. The people in the caves agreed: “Whoever comes in, comes in; and whoever leaves, leaves.” The shoe of one of them was turned around, so that they thought that one of them left and was seen by the enemies who were now attacking. They started pushing each other and killed more of each other than the enemies killed of them.

P'ninat Mishpat: Responsibilty of Mefakeiach for Contractors’ Flaws – part I

The plaintiff (=pl) was doing major renovations and hired the defendant (=def) as a mefakeiach (private building inspector) for 30,000 shekels. Pl then signed a contract with two Palestinian contractors for 420,000 shekels. Def, who had been consulted regarding the choice of the contractors, also signed on that contract, although he was not referred to in it. Pl discovered several flaws with the contractors’ work and fired them and def before the work was completed, after the latter had received 20,000 shekels. Pl is suing def for 544,242 shekels for the flaws, claiming that def is responsible for them for a few reasons: def was in effect the general contractor (see discussion below); def recommended hiring the contractors without seeing their past work; after starting his work, def took on another job and stopped coming enough; specific mistakes were made that def should have caught. Def denies being the general contractor, saying he was no more than a mefakeiach. He suggested hiring the contractors because they were much cheaper than other options, and while he spoke with them and determined that they seemed to be professionally qualified, it was pl’s informed decision. A mefakeiach does not have to be present every day, and after taking a part-time job, he was still present enough. The flaws that he did not catch were trivial, and the bigger flaws would have been fixed by the contractors for free had they not been fired.

Yitro 5778
Microsoft Word Document

Yitro 5778

We daven for a complete and speedy refuah for:

Rivka Reena bat Gruna Natna

David Chaim ben Rassa

Lillian bat Fortune

Yafa bat Rachel Yente

Eliezer Yosef ben Chana Liba

Yehoshafat Yecheskel ben Milka

Ro'i Moshe Elchanan ben Gina Devra

Together with all cholei Yisrael

Hemdat Yamim is dedicated

to the memory of:

those who fell in wars

for our homeland

Eretz Hemdah's beloved friends

and Members of

Eretz Hemdah's Amutah

Rav Shlomo Merzel z”l
Iyar 10

Rav Reuven Aberman z"l

Tishrei 9 5776

Mr. Shmuel Shemesh z"l
Sivan 17 5774

R' Eliyahu Carmel z"l

Rav Carmel's father

Iyar 8 5776

HaRav Professor

Reuben M. Rudman z"l

Mrs. Sara Wengrowsky

bat R’ Moshe Zev a”h.

Tamuz 10 5774

Rav Asher Wasserteil z"l

Kislev 9 5769

R' Meir ben

Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld z"l

R ' Yaakov ben Abraham & Aisha

and

Chana bat Yaish & Simcha

Sebbag, z"l

Rav Yisrael Rozen z"l
Cheshvan 13, 5778

Mrs. Shirley Rothner

Sara Rivka bat Yaakov Tzvi HaCohen z"t

15 Tevet 5768

Rina Bat Yaakov Pushett a"h.

Her smile and warmth are sorely missed.

Rav Benzion Grossman z"l
Tamuz 23 5777

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).