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Shabbat Parashat Vayechi | 5771

Vayechi | 11 Tevet 5771 | 18/12/2010

Parashat Hashavuah: Shimi ben Geira – Guilty or Innocent?

In our haftara, King David leaves instructions to his son, Shlomo, before his death. Among them was that Shlomo should find a way to have Shimi ben Geira executed despite the fact that David had spared him for the sin of cursing the king as he fled Yerushalayim during Avshalom’s revolt. The question begs: was it right for Shimi to have been killed or not?

Ask the Rabbi: Kiddush on cake at night

I will be making Sheva Berachot on the Shabbat that follows the fast of Asara B’Tevet (which falls on Friday). I am considering to, instead of going from Kiddush straight into the meal, first have cake and drinks and have the meal later. Does this raise any halachic issues?

Ein Ayah: Praying Near Windows

Rabbi Chiya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: A person should pray only in a house that has windows, as the pasuk says, “And there were windows opened in the attic opposite Yerushalayim” (Daniel 6:11).

P’ninat Mishpat: A Husband Who Denies Giving a Get

A woman (=pl)living in America says that she is divorced, but her husband (=def) came to beit din in Israel and said that he never divorced her. A reputable beit din in America sent an affidavit signed by one of the dayanim stating that he officiated at the couple’s divorce, to which def responds that either the beit din took a bribe or someone masqueraded as him to carry out the divorce. The beit din in America said that proper precautions had been taken to confirm the husband’s identity and that they believe that def snuck into the office where the couple’s file was found and stole it (a complaint was made to the police).

This edition of
Hemdat Yamim

is dedicated
to the memory of
R' Meir
ben Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld

o.b.m

Hemdat Yamim is

dedicated in memory of

Rivka Rozenhak bat

Yoseph and Leah Hirsch z”l

Passed away on

Tevet 3^rd 5771

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).