Hebrew | Francais

Shabbat Parashat Vayeira 5781

Vayeira | 20 Cheshvan 5781 | 07/11/2020

Parashat Hashavua: Who Were the Tower Builders? – part III

We discussed in the past two weeks two tower builders, Nimrod and Nevuchadnetzar. Now it is time to discuss the third, Sargon II, King of Assyria (Ashur). Sargon II seized power during the time of the Assyrian siege on Samaria. He is mentioned by name in Tanach only once, at the end of the prophecies of Yeshayahu about various regional nations, as the one who ordered the capture of Ashdod (Yeshayahu 20:1).

Ask the Rabbi: The Son of a Convert Feeling Looked Down Upon

My father converted (his mother was not Jewish). I have struggled with my identity due to what I have read in the Kuzari, Maharal and Kabbalistic and Chassidic works, which seem to view gerim as lesser than born Jews. Does Judaism view someone like me as somewhat defective?

Ein Ayah: Needing a Contribution from Everyone

If one of the brothers dies, all of the brothers should worry. If one of the members of the chabura (social group) dies, the whole chabura should be worried. Some say that this is said when the most prominent in the group dies; some say it is when the least prominent in the group dies.

P'ninat Mishpat: Compensating for a Governmentally Destroyed House – part I

The plaintiff (=pl) built a private house in a yishuv (=def), with def’s financial assistance. Due to political considerations, authorities indicated they planned to destroy this and some other homes. Pl argues that def must compensate them (3,000 NIS per square meter plus a new plot to build on) for the following reasons: def committed to paying all of the families whose houses would be destroyed; def forced pl to not publicly protest the demolition, which prevented pl from obtaining broad support. Def counters that they never promised but only hoped that they would be able to compensate; it has proven beyond def’s means. Also, since pl openly threatened fighting the enforcement of the court order, which settlement experts said would jeopardize support for def, and def had to take pl to beit din and thereafter still complicated matters with some level of protest, they do not deserve compensation. Even if their peers, who followed the rules, get some compensation (mainly from a donor), pl should not.

Vayeira 5781
Microsoft Word Document

Vayeira 5781

We daven for a complete and speedy refuah for:

Nir Rephael ben Rachel Bracha
Rivka Reena bat Gruna Natna

Vicki Victoria bat Daisy

Yishai ben Tamar

Meira bat Esther

Orit bat Sarah

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

Mr. Moshe Wasserzug z"l

Tishrei 20 5781

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

Tamuz 19 5778

R' Abraham Klein z"l

Iyar 18 5779

Mrs. Gita Klein z"l

4 Av

Mr. George Weinstein,

Gershon ben Yehudah Mayer

lover of the Jewish Nation, Torah and Land.

Tamar Lichtenstadt z"l

May her memory be a blessing

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).