Avodah Mailing List

Volume 41: Number 49

Thu, 29 Jun 2023

• 1. Re: maaser ani today (Akiva Miller)
• 2. David Melech Yisrael Chai veKayam! (Micha Berger)
• 3. Re: Lying to Paro and the Egyptians (Jay F. Shachter)
• 4. Medical Symbol - Snake on a Stick (Micha Berger)
• 5. Hanaah as a Kind of Kavvanah? (Micha Berger)
• 6. learning priorities (Joel Rich)
• 7. codes and organization: (Joel Rich)

.
(This post is based on the seforim I have from when I was in Yerushalayim
in the late '70s. I hope that more modern seforim have come out since then,
with more up-to-date ideas.)

R' Mordechai Cohen asked:

> is there any loophole not to give maaser ani today from vaadai tevel?

As far as I'm aware, the only loopholes are if you can somehow deny the
"vadai" status. But if you are well-versed in the many conditions
that must be met for something to be truly Vadai Tevel, and this
produce meets all those conditions, then you're stuck.

Note also that this question also applies to Maaser Rishon. Even though
anyone may eat it after the Trumas Maaser has been separated, one still has
the chiyuv to give it to a Levi.

Rav Kalman Kahana writes in his Mitzvos Haaretz 11:3 (my translation): "The
chiyuv of giving Maaser Ani to an Ani exists even nowadays. Also, an Ani is
obligated to separate Maaser Ani and give it to another Ani." His mar'eh
mkomos are Rambam Matanos Aniyim 1:5, 6:10, and 6:14.

In his Mitzvos Tluyos Baaretz 4:6 (which is found in the back of some
editions of Kitzur Shulchan Aruch), he writes: "The chiyuv of giving Maaser
Ani to an Ani exists even today. But Safek Tevel has no mitzva of giving
Maaser Ani to an Ani. However, if someone has Vadai Tevel, and he is
uncertain whether to separate Maaser Sheni or Maaser Ani from it, and
because of this safek he separated two portions, he DOES have to give
Maaser Ani to an Ani." [[See my comments below*]]

> what does everyone in israel do?
> how do they do it

There is a certain procedure which Rav Kahana describes in Mitzvos Haaretz
11:5 for Maaser Ani. Rav Yechiel Michel Tukchinsky describes a similar
procedure in his Sefer Eretz Yisrael 2:6:8-9 for both Maasros. I will not
give the details here for fear that I might not explain it properly. But an
oversimplification might be that one arranges with a Levi or Ani in
advance, and *lends* him some money; then each time one maasers his crop,
he gives the maaser to the Levi/Ani in absentia, and then takes it back
from the Levi/Avi in exchange for a partial repayment of that loan.

[ * Comments: I find it odd that Rav Kahana specified that "because of this
safek he separated two portions". Maybe it's only in that case where he has
to give away the Maaser Ani, but NOT where he separated only one additional
maaser al tenai, stipulating that it is either Maaser Sheni or Maaser Ani
whichever applies.]

Akiva Miller
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Prof Yosef Garfinkel who holds Hebrew U's (HUJI's) Yigael Yadin Chair in
Archaeology of Israel published in the Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology
(also HUJI, but peer reviewed) about the size of the Kingdom of Judah
in the 10th cent CE.

Meaning, the United Kingdom of David was certainly bigger than the
minimalists have been claiming, and it really was expanded by Rechav'am
just as the Tanakh says.

https://www.jns.org/archeology/judea-and-samaria/23/6/26/297934

I have to admit though, I am pretty skeptical about the whole field of
Biblical Archeology. It seems to me that you can make a strong prediction
about the findings of a dig by checking the pre-existing religious beliefs
of the archeologist leading it. I did this once looking through a number
of digs of Yericho.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

--



Kingdom of Judah expanded earlier than thought, new study finds

Hebrew University study shows that the kingdom began expanding south of
Jerusalem as early as the 10th century BCE.

(June 26, 2023 / JNS)

According to a study by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem,
the Kingdom of Judah expanded earlier than was previously believed by
archaeologists, confirming biblical accounts.
...
In the study, Garfinkel examines five sites in particular--Khirbet
Qeiyafa, Beth Shemesh, Tell en-Nas-.beh, Khirbet ed-Dawwara and Lachish.
Aerial view of the casemate city wall of Khirbet Qeiyafa. Photo by
Skyview.

Garfinkel's findings support the claim that the kingdom began expanding
into the Shephelah region southwest of Jerusalem, a transitional area
of rolling hills between the coastal plain to the west and the Judean
Mountains to the east, as early as the 10th century BCE.

That contradicts previous beliefs that the expansion occurred in the late
9th or 8th century BCE, 200 to 300 years after the reign of King David.

Garfinkel explained, "The evidence was known before, it is not a matter
of new discoveries. What was needed was someone to come along and observe
the complete picture that these findings portray. I am glad that I was
able to fulfill that role."

The excavations that formed the basis of these conclusions were conducted
by Saar Ganor from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Professor Michael
Hazel from Southern Adventist University in Tennessee.

Radiometric dating confirms that Khirbet Qeiyafa and Beth Shemesh date
from the first quarter of the 10th century BCE, which is when it is
believed that David ruled from the Judean capital of Jerusalem as the
third king of the United Kingdom of Israel.

In the Bible, the southern Shephelah expansion occurred during the time of
David's grandson and Solomon's son and successor Rehoboam, who according
to biblical accounts was the first monarch of the Kingdom of Judah after
the split of the United Kingdom of Israel. A map presenting the gradual
development of the urban area in the Kingdom of Judah. By J. Rosenberg.

All of the cities studied were fortified with a casemate city wall,
located on the kingdom's border and on a main road leading into the
kingdom, indicating that the Kingdom of Judah was strong at the time,
with the ability to build well-fortified cities at its borders protecting
the main roads leading into the capital, Jerusalem.

"The discovery of a barrier wall in this area effectively defines the
boundaries of the urban core of the Kingdom of David, putting an end
to the longstanding historical debate surrounding the existence of the
kingdom and its borders," said Garfinkel.

"This finding provides tangible evidence on the ground, dated to the
relevant period, supporting the biblical accounts of King Rehoboam's
expansion and fortification as described in the Book of Chronicles. It
is a rare instance where we can present empirical historical and
archaeological evidence aligning with biblical narratives from the 10th
century B.C."

 From v41i33:

> 
> I have never been able to find a reasonable answer to this basic
> question about leaving Egypt.  Why is it that HKBH tells BY to lie
> to the Egyptians about "borrowing" their fancy kelim?  There was
> never an intent to return them, and
>

God did not tell our ancesters to lie.  God did not tell our ancestors
to pretend to borrow things that they did not intend to return.  God
told our ancestors to ask for things.  In Biblical Hebrew, sh-'-l does
not mean to borrow.  It means to ask for something.  Sometimes, as in
2 Kings 4:3, there is a contextual implication that the asked-for thing
will be returned, but that is an implication supplied by the context
of the word, not by the word.

In Rabbinic Hebrew the word's meaning narrowed, so that in Rabbinic
Hebrew the word came to mean to ask for something with the promise to
return it -- i.e., to borrow something -- but that change in meaning
occurred a thousand years after those verses in Exodus were written.

You will misunderstand the Bible if you read it thinking that it was
written in Rabbinic Hebrew.  For example, the last verse of Esther
states that Mordokhai was accepted by the multitudes of his brethren.
"Rov" in Biblical Hebrew means "multitudes" or "abundance".  In
Rabbinic Hebrew, "rov" means "majority", but Scripture was obviously
not saying that Mordokhai was accepted by the majority of his
brethren, that's preposterous.  Sometimes our Sages wrote midrashim
that played off of the contemporary meanings of ancient Hebrew words,
but the people who wrote those midrashim (unlike some of the people
who read them) knew that they were having fun with words.


>
> BY had to even use sneaky tricks to find out where their neighbors
> kept the kelim during makkos choshech.
>

I don't see that anywhere in the Torah.  And neither do you.


> 
> Also, why did Moshe have to tell Paro that BY only wanted to leave
> for 3 days.  It may have been worded in such a way that it wasn't
> necessarily a lie, but that is just double-talk.  We all know that
> is the implication, and using word play doesn't excuse a lie.  Why
> couldn't he just be straight with Paro and tell him that it's time
> for us to leave so please let my people go.  We know that HKBH
> wanted Paro to refuse so that He could bring the 10 makkos upon
> Egypt, but why was it necessary to lie from the beginning?
> 

On February 12, 2023, in v41i12, a posting appeared in Avodah, more
than two and a half months before you wrote the above words, which
addressed the non-issue of withdrawing an offer that has been
rejected.  When you make an offer that is rejected, and qal vaxomer
when you make an offer that is accepted and then the other party goes
back on his word, you do not have to keep on making the same offer.
It is perfectly legitimate for you to say that the original offer is
no longer on the table, and it is not legitimate for you to say that
someone who withdraws a rejected offer, is a liar.

               Jay F. ("Yaakov") Shachter
               6424 North Whipple Street
               Chicago IL  60645-4111
                       (1-773)7613784   landline
                       (1-410)9964737   GoogleVoice
                       j...@m5.chicago.il.us
                       http://m5.chicago.il.us

               When Martin Buber was a schoolboy, it must have been
               no fun at all playing tag with him during recess.

R Avi Shafran recently noted (as part of his Devar Torah at
<https://cross-currents.com/2023/06/26/chukas-echoes-of-the-snakey-thing/>):

   It's commonly, but erroneously, assumed that the symbol commonly used
   for the medical profession, a snake, or a pair of them, wrapped upon
   a pole, is meant as a depiction of the nachash hanechoshes that Moshe
   Rabbeinu fashioned, as per Hashem's command. The Jewish people were
   to gaze upon it and be cured of the plague of poisonous snakes they
   were facing.

   But the symbol used today comes to us from Greek mythology, associated
   with the imagined divinities, a depiction of the "Rod of Asclepius"
   (or, when there is a pair of reptiles, the caduceus).

In Greek mytholocy, Asclepius was the god of healing. The etymology of
his name is unknown, but it is typical of names from pre-Greek languages.
(According to Wikipedia.) There are various stories connecting Asclepius
to the snake on his staff, but in general, snakes represent wisdom in
Greek mythology.

The caguceus has two snakes, and usually wings. It is often shown held
by Mercury (a messenger deity, thus wings and fast travel). But before
the greeks, it was associated with the Sumarian god Ningishzida which
may mean "Lord of the Good Tree".

You see where I am going with all this?

The snake on the rod isn't directly connected with the Nechash Neshoshes
that Moshe made. But... its Greek sources are all pre-Greek, involve a
snake in a way that makes one think of the Eitz haDaas, and a god that
seems to have a loose association with the Eitz haChaim.

I wouldn't be surprised if the snake in the parashah is the ancestor of
the myths.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

Bcc: RAS

-- 
Micha Berger                 We are great, and our foibles are great,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   and therefore our troubles are great --
Author: Widen Your Tent      but our consolations will also be great.
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                      - Rabbi AY Kook

Rashi (RH 28a) and the Rambam (Chmeitz uMatzah 6:3) both write that
the reason why matzah eaten under compulsion is sufficient to fulfill
the mitzvah even though the person didn't have kavvanah is because they
did have hanaah.

I came up with a theory as to how hanaah can serve the role of kavvaah.
Posting it here to collect comments, criticism and tweaks.

The Rambam explains "Ratzah HQBH lezekos es Yisrael" in terms of his
shitah that the role of mitzvos are to teach the thruths necessary to
become good people and have souls capable of surviving death. Hashem
wanted to benefit Israel, so He gave us many opportunities to have that
epiphany, that qoneh olamo besha'ach achas. The insight that will get
the person over that hump, or if there already, to a higher place.
But more performances are not going to simply click. We need them,
because without many opportunities, the meaningful mitzvah won't happen.

I would not that the same may be true with other hashkafos. For example,
most times a man puts on tefillin he isn't going to improve his middos (eg
gain any bitachon or yir'as Hashem, or even seder). One could say that
the purpose of mitzvos is the one-in-a-hundred (and halevai more often)
that it "works". But however, you read it...

So then what's the purpose of kavvanah during that majority?

To get you coming back.

Hana'ah does that too. A mitzvah that comes with a positive physical
experience serves the role of making the performance that "works" for
you more likely. The psychology of it doesn't have to be any deeper
than Pavlov's dogs'... Positive reinforcement increases the chances we
do things again.

And that would explain why halakhah considers hana'as haguf a sufficient
stand-in for kavvanah?

Thoughts? Things that need fixing? Totally off-base?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Integrity is choosing to practice our values
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   rather than simply professing them.
Author: Widen Your Tent                  - Brene Brown
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF

Comment to a magid shiur concerning learning priorities:

One way of looking at it is that life is all about having manageable and
realistic expectations based on what gives your life meaning. In the US,
starting in the 1970s, there began, unintentionally(?), a huge experiment
of reallocating parental time away from children and to work for both
spouses in a marital unit. It doesn?t seem talked about too much but I?m
sure someday there will be a study to determine the impact. I imagine that
in the child centered orthodox society the results will be even more
marked. No, I?m not just talking about women learning it but I think this
is a good example. If both spouses are totally committed to
learning/teaching Torah is there a downside? All this analysis would be
based on data, not anecdotes.

thoughts

kt

joel rich
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Comment to a magid shiur concerning codes and organization:

Keep in mind please that my comments are not constrained by any formal
knowledge (that?s a true general statement!)

I completely agree about the Rambam being a master organizer, the ability
to intake all of the oral and written law and output an organized, concise
code is beyond my comprehension.

I have an intuitive sense that having started with the sefer hamitzvot for
the mishna torah blueprint, his specific rulings were consciously made in
the context of their impact on every other ruling in the MT. I almost think
of it as an artificial intelligence with an almost infinite number of
nodes. (AI psak is another fascinating topic)

I?m sure the Tur was also aware of all the TSBP but I wonder if it?s in any
way similar to what some commentators think that Rashi was primarily
concerned about the specific page in front of him, versus Tosfot who were
concerned about coherence of the entire corpus of TSBP.

Of course, I can?t prove any of that. It?s just a gut feeling. Your
thoughts?

KT
Joel Rich
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