Perek 8

The differences between Beith Shamai and Beith Hillel in the meal.

kiddush and the order of the brachoth: 

B"S says that the blessing of the day comes first 

because: 

1. It is the sanctification of the day that causes the blessing over the wine 
1. cause takes precedence over effect
2. cause should precede effect
2. The day is, de facto, sanctified prior to the blessing on the wine
1. the order of blessings reflects the facts
2. the day would receive its blessing, even in the absences of wine ( or bread)
1. establishing the day's priority

 Beith Hillel says that blessing over the wine comes first 

because

•  The wine is a prerequisite to the kiddush

•   in the absence of wine, there would be no kiddush
•    necessity is recognized by precedence
• preventing the accidental (aborted) kiddush in the absence of wine
• wine is drunk more frequently than kiddush is said  
• frequency dictates precedence 

Fundamentally, B"H seems to accept the premise of B"S  ; and B"S accepts the ideas of B"H.
The question is which principle(s) are the priority

Brochoth 45A Tosafoth D"H: Ochal Tevel: one who steals food is Noatz, he becomes disgusting, Nazified in modern Hebrew. He has behaved like the Jews under the Nazis.

brochoth 36B

The status of fruit husks, parts of the fruit that are not the ususal edible portion, in terms of brachoth is discussed. Evidence for the status o fthis material is adduced from orlah ( the 3 years after planting that the fruit is forbidden [ in Israel]. The status of this material in terms of transmitting tumah is also brought to bear on the discussion.
But fruit has different meanings in these various contexts.
Fruit is the edible portion of the plant. More specifically, it seems to be the definitive edible portion ( not the husk). This would seem to be the criterion for the Bracha. The bracha on the husk is adama (not shehakol, not borei pri ha'etz)
Fruit for orlah is the generative aspect of the plant, the seed is the essence of the orlah concept of fruit.
For tumah, the fruit may be an object that has a certain size and/or meets some criterion of usefulness.
For shmitah any or all of these criteria might apply.

The idea of eating hulks might be explempified by snap peas or bean sprouts ( eating immature fruit)

Vayishlach: the army of Israel

Vayishlach: the army of Israel

 

Previously, the Hebrews made their wives appear available by calling them their sisters( Sarah, Rivkah).  Now, in the story of Dinah, one cannot even marry their actual sister! Previously Gd intervened and did not let the adulterer touch the forbidden woman.  Now, the rapist pays with his life - and the lives of all the men of his nation. This is the new nation of Israel.  This promised land is not acquired by blending into indigenous populace through marriage, not even through the conversion of the aborigines to our faith.  The acquisition is military ( albeit with the ambivalence of the patriarch).  Perhaps the reputation from this event translates into Pharaoh's question to Yoseph about hi brothers, and the fear of the people of Canaan on hearing that the Isaelites have left Egypt... and to the present day.

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Note that the name Dinah has the root din, judgement; and the letters can be rearranged to spell nidah. 

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 Aisov is, presumably, the government in Canaan.  He has married the daughters of the chiefs and united the peolpe around him ( thus he has a camp of 400 men). When he offers to go with Yaakov or send some of his men with Yaakov, he is offering him protection in the new land.

 

 

 

Vayetzeh: fairness (economics)..

Vayetzeh: fairness ( and grace)

Gd's role in VAyetzeh is that of the arbiter.   Gd makes YAakov wealthy because Lavan tries to cheat him.

 

Economic models: wealth is capital (the sheep are mine); wealth is labor ( how I have worked for you) wealth is inherited ( is there any portion od our father's estate left for us?) wealth is grabbed ( Laban) wealth is the product of innovation ( the sticks) wealth is  the product of a deal with Gd ( a tenth) ...

production is a public concern ( the shepherds at the well. against welfare ( why should you work for me for naught)

 

At the begining of the parsha the angels are on the move, up and down the ladder.  At the end, they are camped.

 

Gd as the assistant: I saw that your father's face was not as it was yesterday or the day before, and the Gd of my fathers appeared to me.

 

Stones: cover the well and are assembled fro the gall ayd.

Monument: at the palce of the dream and at gal eyd. 

 

Economic theories define fairness.   There are many theories and many fairnesses.

Economics is a major theme in VAyetzeh.  Yaakov leaves  Beer Sheva and goes to sleep on his way to HAran.  A man may sleep wherever he finds himself at sundown (needs trumps ownership).  Gd promises Yaakov the land ( the Lrd may distribute the land as He pleases)  Yaakov  makes a deal with Gd.  he vows to pay a tax of 10% for full support with food and clothing (feudal?).

Yaaakov sees three flocks waiting at the stone covered well and criticizes the shepherds ( production is the business of the collective).  When Yaakov sees Rachel with LAvan's sheep, he uncovers the well ( fortune favors the brave; the rules apply only to the weak). Lavan tells his guest, Yaakov, that Yaakov should not serve him for naught ( against welfare).  Buying a wife.  Local custom trumps a prior arrangement ( substitution of Leah for Rachel).  Purchases may be made on credit ( Rachel).

Gd compensates for the injustices of people. Gd grants Leah children in compensation for  the affection of her husband, which is directed to her sister. This is a kind of supernal economics, not confined to the realm of money. 

  (Reuben's mandrake)

service contract ( 30:28 assign your reward) Negotiation based upon past performance ( 29)

Even a clearly defined, published contract ( 32,33) is open to interpretation - watch the initial terms ( 35)

Yaakov uses bad science  to advantage - science yields wealth (37)

look out for changing conditions based upon mood ( 31:2)

breech of contract as justification for termination of service ( 7)

Use of heavenly information is fair play ( 12)

wealth is inherited  even by women ( 14)

the seller is accountable for what he does with the money he receives ( 16)

breech of contract = theft (26)

the right to search for a suspected stolen object ( 32)

employer's responsibility for loss and theft ( 38)

Never trust the boss, only Gd can keep him in line ( 41)

Capital is wealth ( 43) (the sheep are mine)

A covenant respects the beliefs of all the parties ( 53) gd of NAhor

 

 

 

33a: havdalah in tefillah

The mishna gives three opinions regarding the placement of Havdallah. The gemarrah:
רבי עקיבא אומר אומרה ברכה רביעית כו': א"ל רב שמן בר אבא לר' יוחנן מכדי אנשי כנסת הגדולה תקנו להם לישראל ברכות ותפלות קדושות והבדלות נחזי היכן תקון א"ל בתחלה קבעוה בתפלה העשירו קבעוה על הכוס הענו חזרו וקבעוה בתפלה והם אמרו המבדיל בתפלה צריך שיבדיל על הכוס איתמר נמי אמר ר' חייא בר אבא אמר רבי יוחנן אנשי כנסת הגדולה תקנו להם לישראל ברכות ותפלות קדושות והבדלות בתחלה קבעוה בתפלה העשירו קבעוה על הכוס חזרו והענו קבעוה בתפלה והם אמרו המבדיל בתפלה צריך שיבדיל על הכוס איתמר נמי רבה ורב יוסף דאמרי תרוייהו המבדיל בתפלה צריך שיבדיל על הכוס אמר רבא ומותבינן אשמעתין טעה ולא הזכיר גבורות גשמים בתחיית המתים ושאלה בברכת השנים מחזירין אותו והבדלה בחונן הדעת אין מחזירין אותו מפני שיכול לאומרה על הכוס לא תימא מפני שיכול לאומרה על הכוס אלא אימא מפני שאומרה על הכוס איתמר נמי אמר רבי בנימין בר יפת שאל ר' יוסי את ר' יוחנן בצידן ואמרי לה ר' שמעון בן יעקב דמן צור את ר' יוחנן ואנא שמעית המבדיל בתפלה צריך שיבדיל על הכוס או לא ואמר ליה צריך שיבדיל על הכוס איבעיא להו המבדיל על הכוס מהו שיבדיל בתפלה אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק קל וחומר מתפלה ומה תפלה דעיקר תקנתא היא אמרי המבדיל בתפלה צריך שיבדיל על הכוס המבדיל על הכוס דלאו עיקר תקנתא היא לא כ"ש תני ר' אחא אריכא קמיה דרב חיננא המבדיל בתפלה משובח יותר ממי שיבדיל על הכוס ואם הבדיל בזו ובזו ינוחו לו ברכות על ראשו הא גופא קשיא אמרת המבדיל בתפלה משובח יותר ממי שיבדיל על הכוס אלמא תפלה לחודה סגי והדר תני אם הבדיל בזו ובזו ינוחו לו ברכות על ראשו וכיון דנפיק ליה בחדא אפטר והויא ברכה שאינה צריכה ואמר רב ואיתימא ר"ל ואמרי לה ר' יוחנן ור"ל דאמרי תרוייהו כל המברך ברכה שאינה צריכה עובר משום (שמות כ) לא תשא אלא אימא הכי אם הבדיל בזו ולא הבדיל בזו ינוחו לו ברכות על ראשו


Rabbi Akiva's position is fundamentally different from the other 2 positions in that he is suggesting a separate Bracha,as opposed to an insertion proposed by the the Cachamim and Rabbi Eliezer. The new Bracha carrries with it a mention of the Holy name, thus the end of the amud informs the preceding argument. The meaning of the repeated phrase: אנשי כנסת הגדולה תקנו להם לישראל ברכות ותפלות קדושות והבדלות נחזי היכן תקון א"ל בתחלה קבעוה בתפלה העשירו קבעוה על הכוס הענו חזרו וקבעוה בתפלה והם אמרו המבדיל בתפלה צריך שיבדיל על הכוס has multiple layers of meaning.

What was the nature of the havdallah instituted by the Anche Knesseth Hagadolah? was it a bracha of an insertion? Ultimately, the subsequent discussion in the gemarrah implies that they prescibed an insertion, since the argument against R Akiva involves maintaining the number of brochoth at 18 ( or 7 on Tom Tov)

Further, the end of this sugya draws the analogy to Kiddush, for which we have a bracha on Friday night and a recitation over wine, putting aside the problem of repeating the Holy Name.

However, the objection of Raish Lokish ( wiht either Rav or Rabbi Yochanan) does not work for an insertion since the insertion does not involve an extra mention of the HN.

It seems that the gemarrah is ambiguous about the nature of the original havdallah ( as pointed out by Rashi) but ultimately resolved the issue by the insertion of a Babylonian formula which we still use! The lateness of the authorship is interesting as well.

Capter 5, 30b criteria of seriousness; the model of Hanna

אין עומדין להתפלל אלא מתוך כובד ראש חסידים הראשונים היו שוהין שעה אחת ומתפללין כדי שיכוונו לבם לאביהם שבשמים אפי' המלך שואל בשלומו לא ישיבנו ואפי' נחש כרוך על עקבו לא יפסיק:

The criterion for כובד ראש ( serious mind), the mood that is appropriate for prayer is that you take your prayer so seriously that you would not return the greeting of a king and not be interrupted by a snake curling around your ankle.

Hanna models prayer because of the long delay in Gd answering her prayer. She is embittered by the impression that Gd does not hear her. This is a common feeling among those that pray for something.