60 Days to 60
Rosh Chodesh Adar Bet coincided with the beginning of the countdown to Israel's 60th Birthday. Here at Yavneh Olami we have begun the 60 day countdown to Israel's 60th Birthday. Check out our website www.yavneholami.org everyday for a special Israel related dvar torah, dvar halacha or historical fact. We have attached to this email those of the past week and a half. Stay tuned tomorrow for a special Purim edition!
60 Days to 60-March 9, 2008
As you may or may not know, today begins the exciting 60 day countdown
towards the celebration of Israel's 60 Birthday. We will spend the next
60 days preparing for this celebration by exploring the religious nature
(through the special halachot for Eretz Yisrael) as well as some historical
background; both of which dictate the greatness of this celebration.
Please check your email and our website www.yavneholami.org to stay updated.
We begin in the Sifrei on Parashat Re'eh
ישיבת ארץ ישראל שקולה כנגד כל המצוות שתורה
Settling in Eretz Yisrael is equal to all of the other mitzvot
of the Torah
59 Days
to 60-March 10, 2008
Today, March 10, in 1949, the first Israeli government was established.
David Ben Gurion is named Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Moshe
Sharret is named Minister of Foreign Affairs.
58 Days to 60-March 11, 2008
There are certain halachot that are only applicable in Eretz Yisrael.
These are called Laws that are tied to the land. "מצוות
שתליות בארץ"
One sixth of the first code of the Mishneh is devoted to a set
of agricultural laws that are dependent on being in the land of Israel.
One of the main mitzvot that falls into this category is the mitzvah of
Shmita-letting the land rest for a year every 7 years. This year, being
a shmita year, makes the celebration of having a state in Eretz Yisrael,
even more exciting. We will spend the next few days briefly exploring some
of the other halachot that are dependent on the land of Israel.
57 days to 60-March 12, 2008
Teruma – A small percentage of everything grown in Eretz
Yisrael must be set aside to be given to the kohanim (priests).
This is because the Kohanim themselves have no portion of the
land to grow produce for themselves.
56 days to 60-March 13, 2008
Similar to the terumot, are the ma’aserot or tithes, which are
taken from various things grown.
Maaser - 1/10 of the produce grown in Israel is given
to the Leviim, who like the Kohanim also have no portion of
their own.
Maaser sheni - During the years 1,2,4,5 of the seven-year shmita
cycle, an additional 1/10 of the produce grown in Israel is set aside to
be brought to the Temple, where it is eaten by the owner himself. Maaser
sheni may not be eaten outside of Jerusalem or by someone who is tame (impure).
Maaser ani - During the years 3 and 6 of the shmita cycle, 1/10
of the produce is set aside for the poor.
55 days to 60-March 14, 2008
Tevel – This refers to anything that has not had terumot and ma’aserot
taken from it. It is prohibited to eat such foods.
54 days to 60-March 15, 2008
Bikkurim - The first fruits of the trees were brought to the Beit
Hamikdash. (This happened on Shavuot). Because there is no Beit Hamikdash
this law does not apply in our time.
53 days to 60-March 16, 2008
Every year farmers are required to leave certain parts of their
fields for the poor to gather on their own. There are three halachot that
fit into this category:
Leket-The farmer is required to leave the grains that
fall off during harvesting on the ground.
Pe'a-The farmer is required to leave the corners of
the fields unharvested.
Shikhecha-The farmer is not allowed to return to his
field to collect that which he forgot to harvest.
52 days to 60-March 17, 2008
Arla- Any fruits that are produced in the first three
years of planting are prohibited.
51 days to 60-March 18, 2008
Now that we have learned some of the halachot, it is important
to understand why all of these mitzvot are dependent on the Land of Israel.
Rav Ezra Bick points out that the common ground of most of the laws I outlined
above is that we give are required to give a portion away. In all of these
things we are told that giving something away precedes ownership. (This
is counterintuitive because generally we think that you need to own something
before you can give it away.) We must give part away as per God’s commandments
because it is only these commandments that allow us to take “ownership of
the land.”
50 days to 60-March 19, 2008
In addition it is important to understand that these halachot deal
not only with physical ownership but with a deeper ownership that of the "nachala," inheritance
- one's portion in this world. The Land of Israel is the portion of the
Jewish people. Each Jew received a part of it as his inheritance. The
midrash speaks of every Jew having, even today, four cubits in the Land
of Israel. The mitzvot that we have spoken about over the past week help
us better appreciate our precious “nachala.”
March 24, 2008- 45 Days to 60
The halachic concept of milchama (war) takes on new meaning
in the Modern Day state of Israel when we have our own army to use for self-defense
and protection. Parshat Ki Teitzei first talks about warfare.
The Gemara explains that there are two different types of warfare-milchemet
rishut (an optional war)and milchemet mitzvah (a commanded
war). There are different halachot surrounding these wars which
we will not go into but the definition of what each of these categories
is talking about is also not so clear. The Rambam in Hilchot Melachim says
that there are three things which fall under the rubric of milchemet
mitzvah: First, a war against the seven forbidden nations (who were
in Eretz Yisrael before the conquest of Am Yisrael). Second, a war against
Amalek. Third, saving Am Yisrael from enemies who came upon them. According
to this definition of the Rambam, it would seem obvious that the 1948 War
of Independence was a milchemet mitzvah. It also seems that even
a pre-emptive war like the 1967 Six-day war, where it was clear that opposing
troops were ready to attack Israel, would be considered a milchemet
mitzvah. In our given day, it is not always obvious what constitutes
a big enough threat; but we should keep in mind and evaluate the situation
knowing, that if there is a threat it may be obligatory upon us to fight
against it.
March 29, 2008- 40 Days to 60
Today we will look briefly at the life of the father of Religious
Zionism- Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook. Rav Kook was born in 1865
in Greiva, Latvia. He received a traditional Yeshiva education but always
had a particular interest in philosophy and mysticism (these ultimately
led him to his deep conclusions about Am Yisrael’s mystical connection
to Eretz Yisrael). In 1904, Rav Kook made aliyah and served as the Chief
Rabbi of Yaffo. Although he was a religious man he strongly identified
with the chalutzim (pioneers) who were not religious but were
working hard on developing the land. During World War I, Rav Kook was
stranded in Europe and became the Chief Rabbi in London. In 1919, at
the conclusion of WWI, he returned to Israel and became Chief Rabbi of
Jerusalem. From 1921, until his death in 1935, Rav Kook served as Chief
Ashkenazi Rabbi of all of Eretz Yisrael. In addition to all of his books
that he wrote, and all of his students, his legacy remains in Yeshivat
“Mercaz Harav” (established in 1924) which to this day, proudly teaches
the values of Torat Eretz Yisrael.
April 3, 2008- 35 Days to 60
The following are a sample of quotes about Religious Zionism and
Eretz Yisrael written by Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, father of
Modern Religious Zionism.
"Eretz Israel is not something apart from the soul of the Jewish people,
it is no mere national possession, serving as a means of unifying our people
and buttressing its material or even spiritual survival. Eretz Israel is part
of the very essence of our nationhood; it is bound organically to its very
life and inner being. Human reason, even at its most sublime, cannot begin
to understand the unique holiness of Eretz Israel; it cannot stir the depths
of love for the land that are dormant within our people. What Eretz Israel
means to the Jew can be felt only through the Spirit of the Lord which is in
our people as a whole, through the spiritual cast of the Jewish soul, which
radiates its characteristic influence to every healthy emotion. This higher
light shines forth to the degree that spirit of divine holiness fills the hearts
of the men and scholars of Israel with heavenly life and bliss."
"...A Jew cannot be as devoted and true to his own ideas, sentiments,
and imagination in the Diaspora as he can be in Eretz Yisrael. Revelations
of the Holy, of whatever degree, are relatively pure in Eretz Israel; outside
it, they are mixed with dress and much impurity. However, the greater is one's
yearning for and attachment to Eretz Israel, the purer his thoughts become
for they live then in the air of Eretz Israel, which sustains everyone who
longs to behold the Land. In the Holy Land, man's imagination is lucid and
clear, clean and pure, capable of receiving the revelation of Divine Truth
and of expressing in life the sublime meaning of the ideal of the sovereignty
of holiness..."