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Shabbat Parashat Ki Tavo 5780

Ki Tavo | 16 Elul 5780 | 05/09/2020

Parashat Hashavua: Holy Ma’aser

The Torah speaks in our parasha about giving ma’aser (tithes) and declaring that the mitzva was fulfilled properly, especially the time by which the donations needed to be complete (Devarim 26:12-13). It mentions giving the ma’aser to the Levite, the convert, the orphan, and widow; one also is supposed to declare that the “kodesh” (sacred object) was removed from the house.

Ask the Rabbi: Trapping and Releasing on Shabbat

A couple of weeks ago, we saw a mouse in the house and put out a cage trap. A mouse was trapped last Shabbat. Because we felt bad for the mouse, we took it (on Shabbat) to an isolated area and let it out. Did we violate anything by trapping the mouse on Shabbat, or by letting it out (like some melachot that come in pairs, like tying and untying)? Was the cage muktzeh and, if yes, did tza’ar ba’alei chayim justify taking it out?

Ein Ayah: A Good Smell Makes Purgatory Unnecessary for Some

[We continue with lessons learned from pairs of letters, in regard to entrance into gehinom (purgatory).] “Mar zan shet” – Gehinom said: “Master of the Universe, feed me from the seed of Seth (son of Adam).” “El bam gan das”– “To where shall I take them? To the garden of myrtle.”

P'ninat Mishpat: Money Given for Shemitta Observant Farms - Part III

The plaintiff (=pl) gave 480,000 NIS, for which he needed to take a mortgage, to the defendant (=def), an unregistered partnership of neighboring farms, to enable them to work their fields during Shemitta according to the otzar beit din system (without a heter mechira). Def was supposed to return the money plus 40% of net profits, which were expected due to an agreement with an otzar beit din (=obd). The obd did not keep their deal, causing def to do a late harvest and produce less than expected. Def ended up losing for the season, despite receiving some compensation from their insurance. Def returned a small amount to pl and admitted to owing another 307,000 NIS; their representative had stated in a text message that they owe 338,600 NIS. Pl demands a return of all of the loan plus compensation for pl’s mortgage payment and what he could have earned elsewhere with the money. Pl claims that since def acted negligently, pl and def’s contract is null. They should not have allowed obd to lower the price, but should have harvested on time, forced the produce onto obd, cashed obd’s guarantee check, and started working according to a heter mechira. Instead, def signed a compromise agreement with obd. The contract’s provisions for a breached contract award pl significant compensation (we omit details). Def claims to have done the best possible under the circumstances, which include the actions of obd (which was not directly obligated to def but to their yishuv), and the impact of following the halacha on the growing process. The sides also differ if their agreement was of a loan or an investment.

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“Behind the Scenes with the Vebbe Rebbe”

We daven for a complete and speedy refuah for:

Nir Rephael ben Rachel Bracha
Refael Yitchak ben Chana

Netanel Ilan ben Sheina Tzipora

Netanel ben Sarah Zehava

Meira bat Esther

Yair Menachem ben Yehudit Chana

Rivka Reena bat Gruna Natna

Lillian bat Fortune

Yafa bat Rachel Yente

Eliezer Yosef ben Chana Liba

Ro'i Moshe Elchanan ben Gina Devra

Esther Michal bat Gitel

Yehudit Sarah bat Rachel

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 5771

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

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

Mrs. Sara Brachfeld z"l

Tevet 16 5780

R' Yaakov ben Abraham & Aisha

and

Chana bat Yaish & Simcha

Sebbag, z"l

Rav Yisrael Rozen z"l
Cheshvan 13 5778

Rav Benzion Grossman z"l
Tamuz 23 5777

(Rav Moshe Zvi (Milton

Polin z"l

5778 Tamuz 19

R' Abraham Klein z"l

Iyar 18 5779

Mrs. Gita Klein z"l

4 Av

R' Yitzchak Eliezer

ben Avraham Mordechai

Jacobson z”l
Elul 15

Mr. Isaac Moinester z"l

Elul 5

Mrs. Doris Moinester a"h

Elul 23

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

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).