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Shabbat Parashat Beshalach | 5769

Beshalach | | 07/02/2009

Do Not Be Overly Righteous

At the end of our parasha, we find the first war that Bnei Yisrael fought, against Amalek, which became the symbol of the enemy that tries in every generation to destroy us. The command given to Yehoshua to fight them (Shemot 17:9) does not necessarily look any different than that of any other mandatory war. However, there is a unclear declaration made at the battle’s aftermath: “For the hand is on the seat of Hashem, a war for Hashem against Amalek in every generation” (ibid.:16).

Is One Obligated to Enable Someone to Sue Him?

I damaged someone’s property in a manner that I should not have to pay. He does not know who caused the damage and how. I heard that he wants to know who did it and make him pay. Must I step forward and take the risk that he will give me a hard time (which is likely given his personality) by not believing what happened or not understanding that I do not have to pay?

One Who Forgot Torah

Be careful with a scholar who unwillingly forgot his Torah knowledge, for the luchot (tablets given to Moshe) and the broken luchot are [both] placed in the aron (ark).

Paying an Agent For a Deal That Did Not Go Through

The plaintiff (=pl), is a lawyer who served as a real estate agent for a potential sale involving the defendant (=def) and a buyer. After two long meetings between def and the buyer in pl’s office, def told pl to prepare a contract. In it, pl’s fee for his services was set at .5% of the sale, dependant on the signing of the contract. Subsequently, def changed one of the conditions and the deal fell through. Pl demands half of the proposed fee for his services, as the preparation of the contract deserves pay even when the transaction did not occur.

Stadium Bull

We learned this week in the Daf Hayomi (Mishnah 39a) that usually a bull that butted a person, and killed him, is killed. However, a stadium bull, which is a bull that was trained to participate in a bull fight in a stadium, that killed a person during the fight, is not killed. The reason for this Halacha is that the bull did not kill the person out of his own initiative, but only after he was instigated purposely to attack.

This edition of Hemdat Yamim is dedicated to the memory of

HaRav Professor

Reuben M. Rudman ob”m

as well as

R ' Meir ben Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld

o.b.m

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).