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Shabbat Parashat Vayishlach| 5771

Vayishlach | 13 Kislev 5771 | 20/11/2010

Parashat Hashavuah: The Demands of Independence

Last week’s parasha ends with Yaakov asserting his independence from Lavan, with the assistance of Hashem who forbade Lavan from imposing his will on Yaakov. Yaakov emerges as the leader of a fledgling nation, able to negotiate, make treaties, and set international boundaries.

Ask the Rabbi: Is it necessary to tovel equipment used in food production?

Is it necessary to tovel equipment used in food production (e.g., restaurant, factory)? Some equipment is impossible to tovel; some equipment is too big to tovel anywhere but a natural body of water. What if the factory is far away from any mikveh other than an ocean? Must one shlep everything there?

Ein Ayah: The Limited Ability to Express Hashem’s Greatness

Someone went down to daven in Rabbi Chanina’s presence and said: “… the Lord Who is great, powerful, awe-inspiring, wonderful, full of strength …” Rabbi Chanina waited until he finished, upon which he said to him: “Have you completed all of the praises of your Master? Why did you say so much? For us, even the three adjectives that we use (great, powerful, awe-inspiring), we would not say if it were not written in the Torah and instituted in prayer by Anshei Knesset Hagedola (Men of the Great Assembly), and you praise Him so much!”

P’ninat Mishpat: The Halachic Status of the Directors of Non-Profits

Determining the halachic status of the directors of non-profit organizations impacts on several halachic questions. Are they considered like the owners of the operations so that they can be summoned on behalf of the institution and are invalid to testify on behalf of the organization like a party to the conflict, or do they have the status of a gabbai or apputropus (legal guardian) who can separate himself from the conflict in those regards?

Hemdat Yamim is dedicated
in memory of
R. Yona Avraham
ben Shmuel Storfer z”l

Hemdat Yamim
is dedicated in memory
of Shirley, Sara Rivka
bat Yaakov Tzvi HaCohen z”l.

and
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.

This week’s Hemdat Yamim
is dedicated in loving memoryof
Jack Levin –
Chaim Yaakov
ben shlomo Yitzchak Halevi
-by his family

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).